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Ganga Rejuvenation Monitoring

Why in News Recently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has observed that the pollutants are still being discharged into the river Ganga, despite...

18 Aug 2020 News Analysis
Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme 2.0

Why in News The government has extended the scope of the Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme (PCGS) 2.0 to provide greater flexibility to state-owned...

18 Aug 2020 News Analysis
Pandit Jasraj

Why in News Recently Pandit Jasraj, one of the world's most prominent Indian classical vocalists, passed away. Key Points Pandit Jasraj was...

18 Aug 2020 News Analysis
Prashant Bhushan Judgement & The Law of Contempt

This editorial analysis is based on the article, “Prashant Bhushan judgment spells out a chilling lesson which undermines that most valuable...

17 Aug 2020 News Editorials
National Digital Health Mission

Why in News The Prime Minister of India announced the launch of National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) on 74th Independence Day.. This is a part...

17 Aug 2020 News Analysis
Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the father of Modern India’s Renaissance and a tireless social reformer who inaugurated the age of enlightenment and...

17 Aug 2020 Paper 4
Fly Ash

Why in News Recently, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has developed an infrastructure to transport fly ash from power plants in bulk to...

17 Aug 2020 News Analysis
Anti-Drug Working Group BRICS

Why in News Recently, the 4th Session of the BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group was held through a video conference. The session was chaired by Russia...

17 Aug 2020 News Analysis
Oil Spill in Mauritius

Why in News A japanese bulk-carrier ship MV Wakashio which was carrying fuel oil has split into two parts near Blue Bay Marine Park in south-east...

17 Aug 2020 News Analysis
Minimum Age of Marriage for Girls

Why in News The Prime Minister, during his address to the nation on the 74th Independence Day, announced that the central government has set up a...

17 Aug 2020 News Analysis
RTI on PM-CARES Fund

Why in News The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has denied a Right to Information request related to the Prime Minister’s Citizen...

17 Aug 2020 News Analysis
“Once a daughter, always a daughter”: Supreme Court of India

This article is based on the “Reading the SC verdict on Hindu women’s inheritance rights” which was published in The Indian...

14 Aug 2020 News Editorials
Demand for 6th Schedule Status: Arunachal Pradesh

Why in News The recent revival of the demand for two autonomous councils in Arunachal Pradesh has led to the call for bringing the entire Arunachal...

14 Aug 2020 News Analysis
Israel-UAE Peace Deal

Why in News Recently, the President of the USA has announced that Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to establish full diplomatic...

14 Aug 2020 News Analysis
Universal Ratification to Child Labour Convention

Why in News Recently, International Labour Organization (ILO)’s convention on Worst Forms of Child Labour also known as Convention No. 182...

14 Aug 2020 News Analysis
Seed Bombs: Solution to Man-Animal Conflict

Why in News Odisha’s Athagarh Forest Division has started casting seed balls (or bombs) inside different reserve forest areas to enrich food...

14 Aug 2020 News Analysis
A Self Reliant Foreign Policy

This article is based on A self-reliant foreign policy which was published in The Hindu on 13/08/2020. This article discusses the present day...

13 Aug 2020 News Editorials
Mega Covid Testing Lab

Why in News The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is working on developing mega labs to speed up testing as well as improve the...

13 Aug 2020 News Analysis
Dwarf Planet Ceres

Why in News As per the data collected by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, dwarf planet Ceres reportedly has salty water underground. Dawn (2007-18)...

13 Aug 2020 News Analysis
Hornbill Habitat Loss

Why in News A study based on satellite data has indicated a high rate of deforestation in major hornbill habitats in Arunachal Pradesh and a part of...

13 Aug 2020 News Analysis

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			'title' => 'Ganga Rejuvenation Monitoring',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-green-tribunal-ngt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Green Tribunal (NGT)</strong></a> has observed that the pollutants are still being discharged into the river Ganga, despite several directions of various courts.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The states of <strong>Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal</strong> have failed in preventing discharge of untreated effluents in violation of provisions of the<strong> Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597738224_image0.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597738224_image0.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="638" height="479" /></strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Constitutional Right:</strong> Pollution-free environment is the <strong>constitutional right</strong> of every citizen and<strong> constitutional obligation</strong> of States. However, the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal are certainly failing in providing pollution free Ganga.</li>
<li><strong>Monitoring:</strong> The NGT has directed the above states to <strong>periodically monitor</strong> the rejuvenation of the Ganga.</li>
<li><strong>Joint Meetings:</strong> It has also called for periodic joint meetings of the above states to consider vital issues like <strong>pooling of human resources</strong> and <strong>sharing best practices</strong> for rejuvenation of Ganga.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The meetings shall be focussed on<strong> preventing discharge of sewage</strong> and other pollutants in Ganga directly or through its tributaries or drains connected thereto.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Initiatives Taken to Clean Ganga</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Ganga Action Plan:</strong> It was the <strong>first River Action Plan</strong> that was taken up by the <strong>Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 1985,</strong> to improve the water quality by the interception, diversion, and treatment of domestic sewage.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>National River Conservation Plan</strong> is an extension to the Ganga Action Plan. It aims at cleaning the Ganga river under Ganga Action Plan phase-2.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA):</strong> It was formed by the Government of India in the year 2009 under Section-3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It declared the Ganga as the<strong> &lsquo;National River&rsquo;</strong> of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Namami Gange Programme:</strong> It is an<strong> Integrated Conservation<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-mission-for-clean-ganga" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Mission</a></strong>, approved as a &lsquo;Flagship Programme&rsquo; by the Union Government in June 2014 to accomplish the twin objectives of <strong>effective abatement of pollution </strong>and <strong>conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is being operated under the<strong> Ministry of Jal Shakti.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Clean Ganga Fund:</strong> In 2014, it was formed for cleaning up of the Ganga, setting up of waste treatment plants, and conservation of biotic diversity of the river.</li>
<li><strong>Bhuvan-Ganga Web App</strong>: It ensures involvement of the public in monitoring of pollution entering into the river Ganga.</li>
<li><strong>Ban on Waste Disposal:</strong> In 2017, the<strong> NGT</strong> banned the disposal of any waste in the Ganga.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In order to successfully rejuvenate Ganga, there is a<strong> need for a strategic blueprint</strong> that includes the strict monitoring of pollution and strict implementation of present laws and courts guidelines related to pollution.</li>
<li>There is also a need for <strong>rigorous planning action at the highest level monitoring</strong> for meaning enforcement of the <strong>rule of law</strong> for protection of environment and public health and also rejuvenation of Ganga river.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ngt-tells-states-to-monitor-ganga-rejuvenation/article32379167.ece#:~:text=The%20National%20Green%20Tribunal%20(NGT,several%20directions%20of%20various%20courts." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme 2.0',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The government has <strong>extended the scope of the Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme (PCGS) 2.0</strong> to provide greater flexibility to state-owned banks in purchasing bonds and Commercial Papers (CPs) of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/A%20nuanced%20understanding%20of%20the%20NBFC%20sector" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)</strong></a>.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>PCGS</strong> was announced in July<strong> 2019,</strong> allowing <strong>public sector banks</strong> to <strong>purchase</strong> high-rated <strong>(BBB+ or above) pooled assets from</strong> financially sound <strong>NBFCs</strong> and <strong>Housing Finance Companies (HFCs).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A <strong>pool of assets</strong> is basically a<strong> securitisation of loan portfolio</strong> i.e. conversion of a loan into a marketable security, typically for the purpose of raising cash by selling them to other investors.</li>
<li>These are sold by NBFCs/HFCs to banks in return for an advance payment. <strong>NBFCs/HFCs get the much needed money </strong>and <strong>banks get the interest paying assets.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Credit ratings</strong> is an analysis of the credit risk associated with a financial instrument or a financial entity. These range from AAA to C and D.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>As a part of the<strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aatmanirbhar</a> </strong>initiative, the <strong>scheme was extended in May 2020 (PCGS 2.0) </strong>to cover<strong> primary market issuance of bonds/CPs by NBFCs, HFCs </strong>and <strong>Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) </strong>with<strong> low credit ratings.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Centre provided<strong> 20% first loss sovereign guarantee to public sector banks</strong> for purchase of bonds/CPs, resulting in liquidity infusion of <strong>Rs. 45,000 crore</strong> into the system.</li>
<li>The scheme covered papers with ratings of <strong>AA and below,</strong> including <strong>unrated papers,</strong> aimed at providing access to fresh liquidity support to non-bank lenders.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Latest Extension:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Scheme has been <strong>extended for three months,</strong> giving public sector banks time till <strong>19<sup>th</sup> November 2020</strong> to build their portfolios of bonds and CPs from non-banking financial institutions.</li>
<li>Further, the government has <strong>allowed banks to invest upto 50% of total investments under the Scheme in AA and AA- rated bonds.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This decision was taken as the earlier limit for such investments at 25% was almost met.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Criticism:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The latest announcement is a step towards <strong>increased funding for bigger NBFCs which have higher ratings,</strong> while the actual objective was to provide greater funding to <strong>small and medium NBFCs. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Less than 100 NBFCs have been covered under the scheme</strong> as a majority of small and medium NBFCs turn to <strong>term loans,</strong> instead of raising funds via bonds or CPs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Bonds:</strong> Borrowers issue bonds to raise money from investors willing to lend them money.</li>
<li><strong>Commercial Paper:</strong> It is a commonly used type of <strong>unsecured, short-term debt instrument</strong> issued by corporations, typically used for meeting the short-term liabilities.</li>
<li><strong>Primary Market:</strong> The primary market is where <strong>companies issue a new security, not previously traded on any stock exchange.</strong> Securities issued through a primary market can include stocks, corporate or government bonds, notes and bills.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>secondary market</strong> is where investors buy and sell securities they already own.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NBFCs play a crucial role in sustaining consumption demand as well as capital formation in the small and medium segment, thus it is essential that they continue to get funding without disruption, and the extended PCGS is expected to systematically enable the same.</li>
<li>The government can further expand the scope of the Scheme so as to extend the guarantee cover to term loans of banks and financial institutions given to NBFCs.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1646470" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Pandit Jasraj',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently<strong> Pandit Jasraj,</strong> one of the world's most prominent <strong><a href="/to-the-points/paper1/hindustani-music-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian classical</a></strong> vocalists, passed away.</p>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597731845_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597731845_image1.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pandit Jasraj was associated with <strong>Mewati<em> gharana</em></strong> of music.</li>
<li>He is known for his unconventional mixing of<strong><em> khayal</em></strong> with elements of<em> <a href="/mains-practice-question/question-309" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>bhakti</strong></a> rasa,</em> employing <em>harkats</em> and <em>murkis</em> that were traditionally used in light classical music.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><em>Khayal</em> is a <strong>musical</strong> form based on the elaboration of a Raga with lyrical composition consisting of two stanzas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He also performed semi-classical old musical forms such as the <em><strong>Haveli sangeet.</strong></em><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><em>Haveli Sangeet</em> are performances are held in temples and the compositions are sung in praise of <strong>Lord Krishna.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He created a unique form of jugalbandi called<strong><em> Jasrangi,</em></strong> in which a male and a female singer sing different ragas in their respective scales to merge their individual displays into one unified performance.</li>
<li>He is the recipient of numerous awards, honours, and titles, including the prestigious <strong>Padma Vibhushan and the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sangeet-natak-akademi-awards-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Sangeet Natak Akademi</a> Award.</strong></li>
<li>Recently, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/asteroid-named-after-pandit-jasraj" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>named an asteroid after him</strong></a>, <strong>formally known as 2006 VP32, </strong>as <strong>Panditjasraj.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He was the <strong>first Indian musician</strong> to receive this honour.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Gharana</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Gharana in <strong>Hindustani music of India,</strong> is a community of performers who share a <strong>distinctive musical style</strong> that traces to a <strong>particular instructor or region or ancestry.</strong></li>
<li>It includes not only peculiarities of <strong>performance</strong> and <strong>repertoire</strong> but also a broader <strong>ideology of music, aesthetics,</strong> and<strong> pedagogy.</strong></li>
<li>The style must be passed down through<strong> at least three generations</strong> before it and its practitioners may be considered a<em> gharana.</em></li>
<li><em>Gharanas exist</em> for both<strong> vocal</strong> and<strong> instrumental</strong> traditions as well as for<strong> dance.</strong></li>
<li>The gharana concept gained currency only in the nineteenth century when the<strong> royal patronage</strong> enjoyed by performers <strong>weakened.</strong> Performers were then compelled to move to urban centres. To retain their respective identities, they associated themselves with the names of the regions they hailed from.</li>
<li>Some of the gharanas well known for<strong> singing are :</strong> Agra, Gwalior, Mewati, Bhendibazar, Jaipur (<em>Khyal</em> Singing); Mathura, Rampur, Darbhanga (<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dhrupad" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Dhrupad</strong></em></a> Singing); Banaras, Lucknow, Patiala (<em>Thumri</em> Singing).</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/legendary-classical-vocalist-pandit-jasraj-dies-at-90/article32376512.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/pandit-jasraj-1'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Prashant Bhushan Judgement & The Law of Contempt',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This editorial analysis is based on the article, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/prashant-bhushan-contempt-law-challenged-supreme-court-6557620/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Prashant Bhushan judgment spells out a chilling lesson which undermines that most valuable fundamental right, the freedom of speech&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in the Indian Express on 17th of August 2020. It analyses the different dimensions of the verdict.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the Supreme Court has held the advocate<strong> Prashant Bhushan as guilty of contempt of court</strong> for his two tweets criticising the judiciary.</p>
<p>Bhushan's first tweet pertained to a picture of Chief Justice SA Bobde in which he is seen sitting on a high-end motorcycle. In the second tweet, Bhushan gave an opinion on the role of the last four chief justices of India in the context of the state of affairs in the country.</p>
<p>The provision of contempt of court is necessary to maintain the sanctity of the Judiciary in the public eye. However, many constitutional experts and civil society have criticised the invocation of contempt of court provisions, on the grounds of ambiguity in the legal provisions and arbitrariness.</p>
<h3>What is Contempt of Court?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Constitutional Provisions: Article 129 and 215</strong> of the Constitution of India empowers the Supreme Court and High Court respectively to punish people for their respective contempt.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Article 142</strong> of the Indian Constitution also empowers the court to punish for its contempt. However what is <strong>contempt of court per se has not been defined by the Indian Constitution.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Statutory Provisions:</strong> The Contempt of Court Act, 1971 elaborately deals with the concept of contempt of court.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Section 10 of The Contempt of Courts Act of 1971</strong> defines the power of the High Court to punish contempts of its subordinate courts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Contempt of Court Act, 1971</strong></p>
<p><strong>According to section 2 of the Act,</strong> Contempt can be of two types which are Civil and Criminal.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Civil Contempt:</strong> Under Section 2(b) of the Contempt of Courts Act of 1971, civil contempt has been defined as wilful disobedience to any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other process of a court or wilful breach of an undertaking given to a court.</li>
<li><strong>Criminal Contempt</strong>: Under Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act of 1971, criminal contempt has been defined as the publication (whether by words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise) of any matter or the doing of any other act whatsoever which:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Scandalises or tends to scandalise, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of, any court, or</li>
<li>Prejudices, or interferes or tends to interfere with the due course of any judicial proceeding, or</li>
<li>Interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other manner</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Supreme Court and High Courts have the <strong>power to punish for contempt of court, either with simple imprisonment for a term up to six months or with fine up to 2,000 or with both.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>The Court&rsquo;s Judgement</h3>
<p><strong>Interference:</strong> It rejected the argument that the tweet has not really interfered with administration of justice. However, the court relied on past judgements by the Supreme Court to initiate the proceedings against the advocate.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It held that it is not necessary to prove affirmatively that there has been actual interference with the administration of justice.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>If a defamatory statement is likely to interfere with the proper administration of justice,</strong> then it can be a ground for contempt.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Also,<strong> the comments that can have an inevitable effect of undermining the confidence of the public in the judiciary,</strong> can be a ground for contempt.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Scandalising of Court:</strong> Regarding what constitutes the &lsquo;scandalising of court&rsquo; the court had already held that the real test is to determine <strong>whether the vilification is of the judge as a judge, or as an individual.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>If the latter, the judge is left to his private remedies, and the court has no power to commit for contempt.</strong></li>
<li>For ascertaining good faith and the public interest, the courts have to see all the surrounding circumstances including the person responsible for comments, his knowledge in the field, and the intended purpose.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Dichotomy and the Arbitrariness</h3>
<p>However there have been issues of arbitrariness and interpretation of the word scandalising court.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The expression<strong> &ldquo;scandalising the court&rdquo; has not been defined.</strong></li>
<li>The court <strong>also held that fair criticism of judges, if made in good faith in public interest, is not contempt.</strong> But how to ascertain good faith is the million-dollar question as the Act has not defined it as well.</li>
<li>When Arun Jaitley, the late minister had said that there are two kinds of judges, one who knows Law and the other who knows Law minister, it was not taken as contempt. He had also remarked that pre retirement judgements are inspired by the post retirement jobs.</li>
<li>When 4 judges in 2018 held a press conference and questioned the integrity of the CJI and the court, it was not taken as contempt.</li>
<li>In a case involving Bhushan himself in 2001, proceedings against him were dropped. The Supreme Court had held that personal criticism of a judge does not amount to &ldquo;fair criticism&rdquo;.</li>
<li>Another question is that can a mere tweet really obstruct the administration of justice, and whether judicial dignity is so fragile that it would get lowered in mature Indian people&rsquo;s eyes because of an activist-lawyer&rsquo;s opinion?
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In Shiv Shankar (1988), the Supreme Court held that a <strong>criticism of the court that does not impair and hamper the administration of justice cannot be punished as contempt.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Consequences</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Prashant Bhushan judgement gives an impression that the court treated Bhushan&rsquo;s tweets as the occasion for the <strong>Court to flex its muscle and make clear that it will not tolerate criticism. It sends a chilling effect to the constitutional right of freedom of speech and expression.</strong></li>
<li>The Court, whom we have always proclaimed to be the defender of the freedom of speech, has by its judgment curtailed that very freedom by the exercise of its contempt jurisdiction, a jurisdiction <strong>where the Court is judge, victim and prosecutor.</strong></li>
<li>The court also brought up an 11 year old contempt case against him. That Bhushan&rsquo;s comments had not lowered the Court&rsquo;s esteem or brought it into disrepute for 11 years, that it did not merit disposal during a pandemic when matters of far greater importance were pending.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The right to speech and expression is a fundamental right guaranteed by the constitution itself. <strong>There must be a balance between the right to speech and the court's power to punish its criticism.</strong></li>
<li>In a free market place every wing of the State must be open to public criticism. The <strong>Judiciary can&rsquo;t carve a special status for itself because in India every wing of the state is separate and equal.</strong></li>
<li>The law is a<strong> colonial legacy</strong> and even England and the USA have upheld freedom to speech over the Judicial criticism.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Many of the developed countries have abolished the scandalising of court as contempt and so Indian courts too must consider this proposition.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In the words of <strong>Lord Atkin, &ldquo;justice is not a cloistered virtue&rdquo;. Lord Denning had said that he would never use the contempt jurisdiction to uphold his own dignity for &ldquo;that must rest on surer foundations&rdquo;. In words that bear repetition, he said: &ldquo;We do not fear criticism, nor do we resent it. For there is something far more important at stake. It is no less than freedom of speech itself.&rdquo;</strong></li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffef0;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>What do you mean by contempt of court? Critically analyse the law related to it in India.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EA6HinY6ZwY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/transparent-taxation-income-tax-narendra-modi-cag-6553648/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Good steps on tax&rdquo;</strong></a> which was based in The Indian Express on August 17<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube Channel.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/prashant-bhushan-judgement-the-law-of-contempt'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'National Digital Health Mission',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Prime Minister of India announced the launch of <strong>National Digital Health Mission (NDHM)</strong> on 74<sup>th</sup> Independence Day..</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This is a part of three digital announcements by the Prime Minister including a new cyber security policy and optical fibre connectivity to six lakh villages in the country.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The NDHM is a complete <strong>digital health ecosystem.</strong> The digital platform will be launched with four key features &mdash; <strong>health ID, personal health records, Digi Doctor </strong>and<strong> health facility registry.</strong></li>
<li>At a later stage, it will also include <strong>e-pharmacy and telemedicine services,</strong> regulatory guidelines for which are being framed.</li>
<li>The NDHM is implemented by the<strong> National Health Authority (NHA)</strong> under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>National Health Authority (NHA),</strong> is also the implementing agency for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ayushman-bharat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ayushman Bharat.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The platform will be available in the form of an <strong>app</strong> and <strong>website.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>Digi Doctor</strong> option will allow doctors from across the country to enrol and their details, including their contact numbers if they want to provide them, will be available.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These doctors will also be<strong> assigned digital signatures for free</strong> which can be used for <strong>writing prescriptions.</strong></li>
<li>It will be <strong>voluntary for the hospitals and doctors</strong> to provide details for the app.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Health ID</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The national health ID will be a<strong> repository of all health-related information</strong> of every Indian.</li>
<li><strong>Various healthcare providers &mdash;</strong> such as hospitals, laboratories, insurance companies, online pharmacies, telemedicine firms &mdash; will be expected to participate in the health ID system.</li>
<li>Every patient who wishes to have their health records available digitally must create a <strong>unique Health ID,</strong> using their basic details and mobile or <strong>Aadhaar</strong> number.</li>
<li>Each Health ID will be linked to a <strong>health data consent manager,</strong> which will be used to seek the patient&rsquo;s consent and allow for seamless <strong>flow of health information from the Personal Health Records module.</strong></li>
<li>The Health ID will be <strong>voluntary</strong> and<strong> applicable across states,</strong> hospitals, diagnostic laboratories and pharmacies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>National Health Policy 2017</strong> had envisaged creation of a digital health technology eco-system aiming at developing an integrated health information system that serves the needs of all stakeholders and improves efficiency, transparency and citizens&rsquo; experience with linkage across public and private healthcare. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A Digital Health ID was proposed to &ldquo;greatly reduce the risk of preventable medical errors and significantly increase quality of care&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In the context of this, the central government&rsquo;s think-tank NITI Aayog, in <strong>June 2018,</strong> floated a consultation of a digital backbone for India&rsquo;s health system <strong>&mdash; National Health Stack (NHS).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NHS was intended to be a digital infrastructure built with the aim of making the health insurance system more transparent and robust, while factoring in the uniqueness of India&rsquo;s health sector, and the political realities of federalism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A committee headed by former Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chairman released the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-digital-health-blueprint" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Digital Health Blueprint</strong></a> in <strong>July 2019.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NDHB recognised the need to establish a specialised organisation, called the <strong>National Digital Health Mission (NDHM),</strong> to facilitate the evolution of the National Digital Health Ecosystem.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>On<strong> 7<sup>th</sup> August 2020,</strong> National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) released its latest <strong>strategic document</strong>, outlining the envisioned digital registries of doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and insurance companies, digital personal health records, and digital clinical decision systems.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Health Policy 2017</strong></p>
<p>Aiming to provide healthcare in an<strong> &ldquo;assured manner&rdquo;</strong> to all, the NHP 2017 strives to address current and emerging challenges arising from the ever-changing socio-economic, technological and epidemiological scenarios.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Features</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The policy advocates a <strong>progressively incremental assurance-based approach.</strong></li>
<li>It denotes an important change towards a comprehensive primary health care package which includes care for major <strong>NCDs (non-communicable diseases), mental health, geriatric health care, palliative care and rehabilitative care services.</strong></li>
<li>It envisages providing larger package of assured comprehensive primary health care through the <strong>&lsquo;Health and Wellness Centres&rsquo;</strong></li>
<li>The policy proposes <strong>free drugs, free diagnostics and free emergency and essential health care services in all public hospitals</strong> in a bid to provide access and financial protection.</li>
<li>It also envisages a <strong>three-dimensional integration of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ayush-wellness-centres-under-national-ayush-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> AYUSH</a> systems</strong> encompassing cross referrals, co-location and integrative practices across systems of medicines.</li>
<li>It also seeks an <strong>effective grievance redressal mechanism.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Health Expenditure:</strong> The policy proposes raising public health expenditure to <strong>2.5% of the GDP by 2025.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Targets:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To<strong> increase life expectancy</strong> at birth from 67.5 to 70 by 2025 and reduce infant mortality rate to 28 by 2019.</li>
<li>To <strong>reduce mortality of children under-five</strong> years of age to 23 by the year 2025.</li>
<li>To allocate a major proportion of resources to primary care and intends to ensure availability <strong>of two beds per 1,000 population</strong> distributed in a manner to enable access <strong>within golden hour</strong> (the first hour after traumatic injury, when the victim is most likely to benefit from emergency treatment).</li>
<li>To achieve the <strong>global 2020 HIV target under 90-90-90 UNAIDS Target according to which by 2020,</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status.</li>
<li>90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy.</li>
<li>90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The NDHM still does not recognize <strong>&lsquo;Health&rsquo; as a justiciable right.</strong> There should be a push draft at making health a right, as prescribed in the <strong>draft National Health Policy, 2015.</strong></li>
<li>One of the biggest concerns is regarding<strong> data security and privacy of patients.</strong> It must be ensured that the health records of the patients remain entirely confidential and secure.</li>
<li>In addition, the<strong> failure</strong> of a similar <strong>National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom</strong> must be learnt lessons from and the technical and implementation-related deficiencies must be proactively addressed prior to launching the mission on a pan India scale.</li>
<li>The standardisation of NDHM architecture across the country will need to find ways to <strong>accommodate state-specific rules.</strong> It also needs to be in sync with government schemes like <strong>Ayushman Bharat Yojana</strong> and other IT-enabled schemes like <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reproductive Child Health Care</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-tb-report-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NIKSHAY</strong></a> etc.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-what-is-the-national-health-id-announced-by-pm-modi-6556155/" 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/national-digital-health-mission'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Raja Ram Mohan Roy',
			'catname' => 'Paper 4',
			'desc' => '<p>Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the <strong>father of Modern India&rsquo;s Renaissance</strong> and a tireless <strong>social reformer</strong> who inaugurated the age of enlightenment and<strong> liberal reformist modernisation</strong> in India.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Life</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born on<strong> 22 May 1772</strong> in an orthodox Brahman family at <strong>Radhanagar</strong> in Bengal.</li>
<li>Ram Mohan Roy&rsquo;s early education included the study of<strong> Persian</strong> and <strong>Arabic</strong> at Patna where he read the Quran, the works of Sufi mystic poets and the Arabic translation of the works of Plato and Aristotle. In Benaras, he studied<strong> Sanskrit</strong> and read Vedas and Upnishads.</li>
<li>Returning to his village, at the age of sixteen, he wrote a <strong>rational critique of Hindu idol worship.</strong></li>
<li>From 1803 to 1814, he worked for East India Company as the <strong>personal diwan</strong> first of <strong>Woodforde</strong> and then of <strong>Digby.</strong></li>
<li>In 1814, he resigned from his job and moved to Calcutta in order to devote his life to <strong>religious, social and political reforms.</strong></li>
<li>In November 1930, he sailed for England to be present there to counteract the possible nullification of the Act banning <strong>Sati.</strong></li>
<li>Ram Mohan Roy was given the title of<strong> &lsquo;Raja&rsquo;</strong> by the titular Mughal Emperor of Delhi, <strong>Akbar II</strong> whose grievances the former was to present before the British king.</li>
<li>In his address, entitled <strong>&lsquo;Inaugurator of the Modern Age in India,&rsquo;</strong> Tagore referred to Ram Mohan as<strong> &lsquo;a luminous star in the firmament of Indian history&rsquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Ideology</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Ram Mohan Roy was greatly influenced by western modern thought and stressed on <strong>rationalism </strong>and<strong> modern scientific approach.</strong></li>
<li>Ram Mohan Roy&rsquo;s immediate problematique was the<strong> religious and social degeneration</strong> of his native Bengal.</li>
<li>He believed that<strong> religious orthodoxies</strong> have become causes of injury and detrimental to social life and sources of trouble and bewilderment to the people, instead of tending to the amelioration of the condition of society.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Raja Ram Mohan Roy concluded that religious reform is both <strong>social reform</strong> and <strong>political modernisation.</strong></li>
<li>Ram Mohan believed that each sinner must make restitution for his sins and it is to be done through <strong>self-purification</strong> and <strong>repentance</strong> and not through sacrifices and rituals.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He believed in <strong>social equality</strong> of all human beings and thus was a strong opposer of the caste system.</li>
<li>Ram Mohan was attracted to <strong>Islamic monotheism.</strong> He said that monotheism is also the fundamental message of <strong>Vedanta.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>His idea of single, unitarian god was a <strong>corrective to the polytheism</strong> of orthodox Hinduism and to <strong>Christian trinitarianism.</strong> He believed that monotheism supported one <strong>universal model for humanity.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Raja Ram Mohan Roy believed that unless women were freed from unhuman forms of oppression like illiteracy, child marriage, sati, purdah, Hindu society can not progress. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He characterised sati as the <strong>violation of every humane</strong> and<strong> social feeling</strong> and as symptomatic of the <strong>moral debasement of a race.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Contributions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Religious reforms:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Raja Ram Mohan Roy&rsquo;s first published work <strong>Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhiddin</strong> (a gift to deists) published in 1803 exposed irrational religious beliefs and corrupt practices of the Hindus as the belief in revelations, prophets, miracles etc.</li>
<li>In 1814, he founded <strong>Atmiya Sabha</strong> in Calcutta to campaign against idolatry, caste rigidities, meaningless rituals and other social ills.</li>
<li>He criticized the ritualism of Christianity and rejected Christ as the incarnation of God. <strong>In Precepts of Jesus</strong> (1820), he tried to separate the moral and philosophical message of the New Testament, which he praised, from its miracle stories.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Social reforms:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Raja Ram Mohan Roy conceived reformist religious associations as instruments of social and political transformation. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He founded the <strong>Atmiya Sabha</strong> in 1815, the <strong>Calcutta Unitarian Association</strong> in 1821, and the<strong> Brahmo Sabha</strong> in 1828 which later became the <strong>Brahmo Samaj.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He campaigned against the caste system, untouchability, superstitions and use of intoxicants.</li>
<li>He was well known for his pioneering thought and action on the emancipation of women and especially on the <strong>abolition of sati</strong> and <strong>widow remarriage.</strong></li>
<li>He attacked <strong>child marriage, illiteracy of women</strong> and the degraded state of widows and demanded the right of inheritance and property for women.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Brahmo Samaj</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded <strong>Brahmo Sabha</strong> in<strong> 1828,</strong> which was later renamed as <strong>Brahmo Samaj.</strong></li>
<li>Its chief aim was the worship of the eternal God. It was against priesthood, rituals and sacrifices.</li>
<li>It focused on <strong>prayers, meditation and reading of the scriptures.</strong> It believed in the unity of all religions.</li>
<li>It was the<strong> first intellectual reform movement in modern India.</strong> It led to the emergence of<strong> rationalism and enlightenment</strong> in India which indirectly contributed to the nationalist movement.</li>
<li>It was the forerunner of all social, religious and political movements of modern India. It split into two in 1866, namely <strong>Brahmo Samaj of India</strong> led by<strong> Keshub Chandra Sen</strong> and <strong>Adi Brahmo Samaj</strong> led by <strong>Debendranath Tagore.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Prominent Leaders:</strong> Debendranath Tagore, Keshub Chandra Sen, Pt. Sivnath Shastri, and Rabindranath Tagore.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Educational reforms:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Roy did much to disseminate the benefits of modern education to his countrymen. He supported <strong>David Hare&rsquo;s</strong> efforts to find the <strong>Hindu College</strong> in <strong>1817,</strong> while Roy&rsquo;s English school taught mechanics and <strong>Voltaire&rsquo;s philosophy.</strong></li>
<li>In <strong>1825,</strong> he established <strong>Vedanta college</strong> where courses in both Indian learning and Western social and physical sciences were offered.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic and Political Reforms:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Civil liberties:</strong> Roy was impressed and admired the British system of constitutional government for the<strong> civil liberties</strong> it gave to the people. He wanted to extend the benefits of that system of government to Indian people.</li>
<li><strong>Press freedom:</strong> Through his writings and activities, he supported the movement for <strong>free press in India.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>When press censorship was relaxed by Lord Hastings in <strong>1819,</strong> Ram Mohan found three journals- <strong>The Brahmanical Magazine&nbsp;</strong>(1821); The Bengali weekly, <strong>Samvad Kaumudi</strong> (1821); and the Persian weekly, <strong>Mirat-ul-Akbar.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Taxation reforms:</strong> Roy condemned oppressive practices of Bengali zamindars and demanded<strong> fixation of minimum rents.</strong> He also demanded the<strong> abolition of taxes </strong>on <strong>tax-free lands.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He called for a<strong> reduction of export duties on Indian goods</strong> abroad and the abolition of the East India Company&rsquo;s trading rights.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Administrative reforms:</strong> He demanded the <strong>Indianisation of superior services </strong>and <strong>separation of the executive from judiciary.</strong> He demanded equality between Indians and Europeans.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Literary Works of Raja Ram Mohan Roy</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin (1804)</li>
<li>Vedanta Gantha (1815)</li>
<li>Translation of an abridgement of the Vedanta Sara (1816)</li>
<li>Kenopanishads (1816)</li>
<li>Ishopanishad (1816)</li>
<li>Kathopanishad (1817)</li>
<li>A Conference between the Advocate for, and an Opponent of Practice of Burning Widows Alive (Bengali and English) (1818)</li>
<li>Mundaka Upanishad (1819)</li>
<li>A Defence of Hindu Theism (1820)</li>
<li>The Precepts of Jesus- The Guide to Peace and Happiness (1820)</li>
<li>Bengali Grammar (1826)</li>
<li>The Universal Religion (1829)</li>
<li>History of Indian Philosophy (1829)</li>
<li>Gaudiya Vyakaran (1833)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Raja Ram Mohan Roy was one of the few people in his time to realise completely the significance of modern age. He knew that the ideal of human civilization does not lie in isolation of independence, but in the brotherhood of inter-dependence of individuals as well as nations. His attempt was to establish Indian people in the full consciousness of their own cultural personality, to make them comprehend the reality that was unique in their civilisations in the spirit of sympathetic cooperation.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper4/raja-ram-mohan-roy'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'Fly Ash',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)</strong> has developed an infrastructure to transport <strong>fly ash</strong> from power plants in bulk to cement plants, at a cheaper cost.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It will pave the way for <strong>efficient and environment friendly</strong> transportation.</li>
<li>This development is in line with NTPC's commitment towards <strong>100% utilization of fly ash from power plants.</strong> At present, 63% of the fly ash is being utilised in India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Fly Ash:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Definition:</strong> It is a <strong>byproduct from burning of coal</strong> in electric power generating plants. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is <strong>called fly ash because</strong> it is transported from the combustion chamber by exhaust gases.</li>
<li>It is collected from the exhaust gases by<strong> electrostatic precipitators</strong> or bag filters.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Composition:</strong> Fly ash includes substantial amounts of silicon dioxide (SiO<sub>2</sub>), aluminium oxide (Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>), ferric oxide (Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) and calcium oxide (CaO).</li>
<li><strong>Properties:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Resemble Portland cement</strong> but is chemically different. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Portland cement is a binding material in the form of a finely ground powder, that is manufactured by burning and grinding a mixture of<strong> limestone and clay.</strong></li>
<li>Its<strong> chemical composition</strong> includes calcium silicates, calcium aluminate and calcium aluminoferrite.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Exhibit <strong>cementitious</strong> properties.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A cementitious material is one that hardens when mixed with water.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Uses:</strong> It is used in concrete and cement products, road base, metal recovery, and mineral filler among others.</li>
<li><strong>Harmful Effects:</strong> Fly ash particles are toxic air pollutants. They can trigger heart disease, cancer, respiratory diseases and stroke. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>When combined with water they cause <strong>leaching of heavy metals in ground water.</strong></li>
<li>It also <strong>pollutes the soil,</strong> and affects the root development system of trees.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NTPC</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NTPC Ltd. is a<strong> central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU)</strong> under the <strong>Ministry of Power.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Aim:</strong> To provide reliable power and related solutions in an economical, efficient and environment-friendly manner, driven by innovation and agility.</li>
<li>It became a <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sectors-of-indian-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Maharatna company</strong></a> in May 2010.</li>
<li>It is located in <strong>New Delhi.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1646264" 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/fly-ash-1'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'Anti-Drug Working Group BRICS',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the 4<sup>th</sup> Session of the <strong>BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group</strong> was held through a video conference.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The session was <strong>chaired by Russia</strong> this year.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Issues Raised by India:</strong> India raised the misuse of <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/dark-net" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>darknet</strong></a> and modern technology used for <strong>drug trafficking by the international criminals</strong> in the meeting.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It also called for nodal points to enable<strong> real-time information sharing</strong> among BRICS nations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Trends of Drug Trafficking:</strong> The BRICS grouping discussed<strong> international and regional trends of illegal trafficking</strong> in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances among others. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It also discussed <strong>steps to curb</strong> increased instances of drug trafficking through the maritime route.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>A Global Menace:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/illicit-drug-supply-and-covid-19-unodc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>report</strong> </a>released in May 2020 by the <strong>United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Report (UNODC), <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19</a></strong> induced <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/21-days-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>lockdowns</strong> </a>and movement restrictions may lead to an initial statistical reduction in drug seizures, but is <strong>unlikely to have any effect on illicit drug supply.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India and Illicit Drug Trade:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Major Hub of Illicit Drug Trade:</strong> According to <strong>UNODC,</strong> India is one of the major hubs of illicit drug trade ranging from age-old <strong>cannabis</strong> to newer prescription drugs like tramadol, and designer drugs like methamphetamine.</li>
<li><strong>Drug Trafficking Routes:</strong> India is in the <strong>middle of two major illicit opium production</strong> regions in the world, the <strong>Golden Crescent (Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan)</strong> in the west and the <strong>Golden Triangle (South-East Asia)</strong> in the east.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Anti-Drug Action Plan:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has also launched the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/anti-drug-action-plan-for-2020-21" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Anti-Drug Action Plan for 2020-21</strong></a> which includes:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>De-addiction Facilities,</li>
<li>Drop-in-Centres for Addicts,</li>
<li>Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts (IRCAs),</li>
<li>Drug-Free India Campaign.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Darknet:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It refers to the<strong> hidden internet platform</strong> used for <strong>narcotics sale, exchange of pornographic content and other illegal activities</strong> by using the secret alleys of the <strong>onion router</strong> (ToR- a free and open-source software for enabling anonymous communication) to stay away from the surveillance of law enforcement agencies.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is<strong> tough to crack</strong> because of its end-to-end encryption.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>dark net is part of the deep web,</strong> which encompasses all unindexed sites that don't pop up when an Internet search is done.</li>
<li>However, <strong>not all activities associated with the deep web are nefarious like darknet.</strong> In most cases, these pages are not searchable because they are <strong>password-protected</strong> and require authorization in order to access them. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Personal email, online banking,</strong> and other similar sites are included under the umbrella of the deep web.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The internet we see today is the only tip of the iceberg, the majority is deep web only.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>BRICS</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>BRICS is an <strong>acronym</strong> for the grouping of the world&rsquo;s leading emerging economies, namely<strong> Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2001, the British Economist Jim O&rsquo;Neill coined the term<strong> BRIC</strong> to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.</li>
<li>The grouping was formalised during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers in 2006.</li>
<li><strong>South Africa</strong> was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The<strong> chairmanship</strong> of the forum is <strong>rotated annually</strong> among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.</li>
<li>During the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (2014) the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the <strong>New Development Bank (NDB).</strong> They also signed the <strong>BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Golden Triangle</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It represents the region coinciding with the rural mountains of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand.</li>
<li>It is Southeast Asia&rsquo;s main opium-producing region and one of the oldest narcotics supply routes to Europe and North America.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Golden Crescent</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This region of South Asia is a principal global site for opium production and distribution.</li>
<li>It comprises Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1646245" 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/anti-drug-working-group-brics'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'Oil Spill in Mauritius',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A japanese bulk-carrier ship MV Wakashio which was carrying fuel oil has split into two parts near <strong>Blue Bay Marine Park</strong> in<strong> south-east Mauritius.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The ship was already leaking and has caused an oil spill of over 1000 tonnes in the <strong>Indian Ocean.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The vessel has broken near<strong> Pointe d'esny</strong> in Mauritius and the area has many environmentally sensitive zones.</li>
<li><strong>Effects:</strong> The oil spill threatens the ecology of the<strong> coastline of Mauritius</strong> and the <strong>marine life in the Indian Ocean.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It endangers the already endangered <strong>coral reefs, seagrasses in the shallow waters, mangroves, the fishes and other aquatic fauna.</strong></li>
<li>Some key wildlife at risk include: Giant tortoises, endangered green turtle, and the<strong>&nbsp;Pink Pigeon.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597653580_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597653580_image1.jpg" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> pink pigeon <em>(Nesoenas mayeri)</em></strong> is a species of pigeon, endemic to the Mascarene island of Mauritius.</li>
<li>It has been listed as<strong> &lsquo;vulnerable&rsquo;</strong> in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</strong></a> Red List of Threatened Species.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Liability:</strong> Under the <strong>International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution, 2001, the owners of vessels are responsible for damage caused by oil leaks.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This convention, also known as <strong>BUNKER convention,</strong> came into force in <strong>2008</strong> and is administered by the <strong>International Maritime Organization (IMO).</strong></li>
<li>The Convention was adopted to ensure that <strong>adequate, prompt, and effective compensation</strong> is available to persons who suffer <strong>damage caused by spills of oil,</strong> when carried as fuel in ships' bunkers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Blue Bay Marine Park:</strong> It is designated as a<strong> Wetland of International Importance by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-wetlands-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ramsar Convention</a>.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The presence of <strong>coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass meadows,</strong> and<strong> macro algae</strong> make it an ecologically sensitive zone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Oil Spill</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Definition:</strong> An oil spill refers to any<strong> uncontrolled release</strong> of crude oil, gasoline, fuels, or other oil by-products into the environment. Oil spills can pollute land, air, or water, though it is mostly used for oceanic oil spills.</li>
<li><strong>Cause:</strong> They have become a major environmental problem, chiefly as a result of <strong>intensified petroleum exploration and production</strong> on continental shelves and the transport of large amounts of oils in vessels.</li>
<li><strong>Environmental Impacts</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Oil on ocean surfaces is harmful to many forms of aquatic life because it<strong> prevents sufficient amounts of sunlight</strong> from penetrating the surface, and it also reduces the<strong> level of dissolved oxygen.</strong></li>
<li>Crude oil ruins the insulating and waterproofing properties of feathers and fur of birds, and thus oil-coated birds and marine mammals may die from <strong>hypothermia</strong> (decrease in body temperature to below-normal levels).</li>
<li>Moreover,<strong> ingested</strong> oil can be toxic to affected animals, and damage their<strong> habitat and reproductive rate.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Saltwater marshes</strong> and <strong>mangroves</strong> frequently suffer from oil spills.</li>
<li>Experts say that despite best efforts, generally <strong>less than 10% of oil spilled</strong> in incidents like these is successfully <strong>cleaned up.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic Impacts:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If beaches and populated shorelines are fouled, <strong>tourism</strong> and<strong> commerce</strong> may be severely affected.</li>
<li>The <strong>power plants and other utilities</strong> that depend on drawing or discharging sea water are severely affected by oil spills.</li>
<li>Major oil spills are frequently followed by the <strong>immediate suspension of commercial fishing.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cleanup of Oil Spill:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Containment Booms:</strong> Floating barriers, called booms are used to restrict the spread of oil and to allow for its recovery, removal, or dispersal.</li>
<li><strong>Skimmers:</strong> They are devices used for physically separating spilled oil from the water&rsquo;s surface.</li>
<li><strong>Sorbents:</strong> Various sorbents (e.g., straw, volcanic ash, and shavings of polyester-derived plastic) that absorb the oil from the water are used.</li>
<li><strong>Dispersing agents:&nbsp;</strong>These are chemicals that contain surfactants, or compounds that act to break liquid substances such as oil into small droplets. They accelerate its natural dispersion into the sea.</li>
<li><strong>Biological agents:</strong> Nutrients, enzymes, or microorganisms such as <strong><em>Alcanivorax</em></strong> bacteria or <em><strong>Methylocella</strong> <strong>silvestris</strong></em> that increase the rate at which natural biodegradation of oil occurs are added.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Incidents of Oil Spills:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently, <strong>Russia</strong> declared a state of emergency in its <strong>Krasnoyarsk Region</strong> after a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/oil-spill-in-siberia" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>power plant fuel leaked</strong></a> causing 20,000 tonnes of diesel oil to escape into the <strong>Ambarnaya River.</strong></li>
<li>In 2010, the<strong> Deep Water Horizon incident</strong> off the <strong>Gulf of Mexico</strong> saw nearly 400,000 tonnes of oil spill, resulting in the death of thousands of species ranging from plankton to dolphins</li>
<li>In 1978, a large crude oil carrier ran aground off the coast of <strong>Brittany, France,</strong> which leaked nearly 70 million gallons of oil into the sea, killing millions of invertebrates and an estimated 20,000 birds</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/leaking-bulk-carrier-ship-in-mauritius-splits-into-two/article32369658.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/oil-spill-in-mauritius'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Minimum Age of Marriage for Girls',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Prime Minister, during his address to the nation on the <strong>74<sup>th</sup> Independence Day,</strong> <br />announced that the <strong>central government has set up a committee to reconsider the minimum age of marriage for women,</strong> which is<strong> currently 18.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the Committee:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>On 2<sup>nd</sup> June 2020, the <strong>Union Ministry for Women and Child Development</strong> set up a committee to examine matters pertaining to age of motherhood, imperatives of lowering <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/decline-in-maternal-mortality-ratio" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Maternal Mortality Ratio</strong> </a>and the improvement of nutritional levels among women. The Committee is <strong>headed by Jaya Jaitely.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Committee was <strong>proposed in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/union-budget-2020-21-social-sector-and-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Union Budget 2020-21.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will examine the <strong>correlation of age of marriage and motherhood with health, medical well-being,</strong> and nutritional status of the mother and neonate, infant or child, during pregnancy, birth and thereafter.</li>
<li>It will also look at key parameters like<strong><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-tackling-infant-mortality#:~:text=Schemes%20like%20Janani%20Suraksha%20Yojana,reduce%20the%20prevalence%20of%20IMR." target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)</a>, Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indias-falling-fertility-rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Total Fertility Rate (TFR)</a>, Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) </strong>and<strong> Child Sex Ratio (CSR), </strong>and will<strong> examine the possibility of increasing the age of marriage for women from the present 18 years to 21 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Link Between Age of Marriage and Nutrition:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A study conducted by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/teenage-pregnancy-and-stunted-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)</strong></a>, which was published in 2019, showed that <strong>children born to adolescent mothers (10-19 years) were 5 percentage points more likely to be stunted</strong> (shorter for their age) than those born to young adults (20-24 years), and 11 percentage points more stunted than children born to adult mothers (25 years or older).</li>
<li>Children born to adolescent mothers also had <strong>10 percentage points higher prevalence of low weight</strong> as adult mothers.</li>
<li>It also highlighted other factors, such as <strong>lower education</strong> among teenage mothers and their <strong>poor economic status,</strong> which had the strongest links with a child&rsquo;s height and weight measurements.</li>
<li>It<strong> recommended</strong> that <strong>increasing age at first marriage, age at first birth, and girl&rsquo;s education</strong> are a promising approach to improve maternal and child nutrition.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Arguments Against Increasing the Minimum Age of Marriage of Women:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> National Coalition Advocating for Adolescent Concerns</strong> asserts that increasing the legal age of marriage for girls will only<strong> &ldquo;artificially expand the numbers of married persons deemed underage</strong> and criminalise them and render underage married girls without legal protec<strong>tion&rdquo;. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Instead,</strong> transformative, well resourced measures that increase girls&rsquo; access to education and health, create enabling opportunities and place girl&rsquo;s empowerment at the centre will not just delay marriage but lead to long term, positive health and education outcomes.</li>
<li>It recommended<strong> bringing education for three-to-five year-olds and 15-to-18 years under the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/right-to-education#:~:text=Feature%20of%20Right%20to%20Education,SCs%20and%20STs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Right to Education</a>,</strong> instead of confining the law to children between 6 years to 14 years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Present Age for Marriage</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> Special Marriage Act, 1954</strong> and the <strong>Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006</strong> prescribe <strong>18</strong> and <strong>21</strong> years as the minimum age of consent for marriage for <strong>women</strong> and <strong>men</strong> respectively.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It needs to be noted that the <strong>minimum age of marriage is distinct from the age of majority</strong> which is gender-neutral. An individual attains the age of majority at <strong>18</strong> as per the<strong> Indian Majority Act, 1875.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The laws prescribe a minimum age of marriage to essentially <strong>outlaw <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-say-no-to-child-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">child marriages</a></strong> and <strong>prevent the abuse of minors.</strong> Personal laws of various religions that deal with marriage have their own standards, often reflecting custom.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For Hindus, <strong>Section 5(iii) of The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955,</strong> sets 18 years as the minimum age for the bride and 21 years as the minimum age for the groom. However, <strong>child marriages are not illegal &mdash;</strong> even though they can be declared void at the request of the minor in the marriage.</li>
<li>In<strong> Islam,</strong> the marriage of a minor who has attained puberty is considered valid.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Additionally,<strong> sexual intercourse with a minor is rape,</strong> and the &lsquo;consent&rsquo; of a minor is regarded as invalid since she is deemed incapable of giving consent at that age.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>History</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> Indian Penal Code enacted in 1860</strong> criminalised sexual intercourse with a <strong>girl</strong> below the age of <strong>10.</strong> The provision of rape was amended in 1927 through<strong> the Age of Consent Bill, 1927,</strong> which declared that marriage with a girl under <strong>12</strong> would be invalid.</li>
<li>In<strong> 1929, the Child Marriage Restraint Act</strong> set<strong> 16</strong> and <strong>18</strong> years as the minimum age of marriage for girls and boys respectively. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>This law</strong>, popularly<strong> known as the Sarda Act</strong> after its sponsor Harbilas Sarda, a judge and a member of Arya Samaj, was eventually <strong>amended in 1978</strong> to prescribe <strong>18</strong> and <strong>21</strong> years as the age of marriage for a woman and a man respectively.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Different Legal Age of Marriage for Men and Women</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is<strong> no reasoning in the law for having different legal standards of age</strong> for men and women to marry. The laws are a codification of custom and religious practices.</li>
<li>However, the law has been challenged on the grounds of<strong> discrimination.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Such a law <strong>violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution,</strong> which guarantee the right to equality and the right to live with dignity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Against the Supreme Courts&rsquo; Following Judgements:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>2014,</strong> in the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-decriminalizes-homosexuality" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong> &lsquo;National Legal Services Authority of India v Union of India&rsquo;</strong></em></a> case, the Supreme Court, while <strong>recognising transgenders as the third gender,</strong> said that justice is delivered with the &ldquo;assumption that <strong>humans have equal value</strong> and should, therefore, be treated as equal, as well as by equal laws&rdquo;.</li>
<li>In <strong>2019,</strong> in<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/adultery-is-not-a-crime-supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong> &lsquo;Joseph Shine v Union of India&rsquo;,</strong></em></a> the Supreme Court<strong> decriminalised adultery,</strong> and said that<strong> &ldquo;a law that treats women differently based on gender stereotypes is an affront to women&rsquo;s dignity&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Further <strong>India is a state party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 1979.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW),</strong> which monitors the implementation of the Convention, calls for the abolition of laws that assume women have a different physical or intellectual rate of growth than men.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It needs to be noted that despite laws mandating minimum age and criminalising sexual intercourse with a minor,<strong> child marriages are very prevalent in the country.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>UNICEF estimates suggest that each year, at least <strong>1.5 million girls under the age of 18 are married in India,</strong> which makes the country <strong>home to the largest number of child brides in the world &mdash;</strong> accounting for a third of the global total.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Early pregnancy is associated with increased child mortality rates and affects the health of the mother. Thus, there is a need to focus on a mother&rsquo;s health and readiness to carry a child.</li>
<li>The government needs to emphasize upon economic and social empowerment of women and girls, as well as targeted social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) campaigns. Increasing the minimum age of marriage of women will also lead to gender-neutrality.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/pm-modi-74th-independence-day-women-empowerment-marriage-age-6555937/#:~:text=Prime%20Minister%20Narendra%20Modi%20has,and%2018%20years%20for%20women." 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/minimum-age-of-marriage-for-girls'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'RTI on PM-CARES Fund',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<strong> Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office (PMO)</strong> has denied a <a href="/to-the-points/paper4/right-to-information-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right to Information</strong></a> request related to the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pm-cares-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Prime Minister&rsquo;s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund).</strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Denied Information:</strong> The PMO denied information on the<strong> number of applications and appeals</strong> related to PM-CARES and the Prime Minister&rsquo;s National Relief Fund.</li>
<li><strong>Reason for denial:</strong> The information was denied by the PMO on the grounds that providing it would <strong>&ldquo;disproportionately divert the resources of the office&rdquo;</strong> under <strong>Section 7(9)</strong> of the<strong> Right to Information Act, 2005.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the Section 7 (9) of the RTI Act, &ldquo;an information shall ordinarily be provided in the form in which it is sought unless <strong>it would disproportionately divert the resources</strong> of the public authority or <strong>would be detrimental to the safety </strong>or<strong> preservation</strong> of the record in question.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Criticism:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Misuse:</strong> The move has been criticized by the <a href="/search/CENTRAL%20information%20commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Information Commission (CIC)</strong></a> as <strong>misuse of Section 7(9) by the PMO.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Kerala HC Judgement:</strong> According to the judgment by the<strong> Kerala High Court in 2010,</strong> Section 7(9) does not exempt any public authority from disclosing information. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It only gives discretion to the public authority to provide the information<strong> in a form other than the form in</strong> which the information is sought for.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Section 8 (1)</strong> lists the various valid reasons for exemption against furnishing information under the Act and not Section 7(9).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns around PM CARES Fund:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Concerns have been raised around <strong>the opaqueness</strong> of PM CARES Fund&rsquo;s trust deed against public scrutiny of the expenditure of the fund.</li>
<li>The need for a new PM CARES Fund, given that a <strong>PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF)</strong> with similar objectives exists.</li>
<li>The decision to allow <strong>uncapped corporate donations</strong> to the fund to count as <strong>CSR expenditure,</strong> a facility not provided to PMNRF or the CM&rsquo;s Relief Funds, goes against previous guidelines stating that CSR should not be used to fund government schemes.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A government panel had previously advised against allowing CSR contributions to the PMNRF on the grounds that the <strong>double benefit of tax</strong> exemption would be a <strong>&ldquo;regressive incentive&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Donations to PMCARES have been made tax-exempt, and can be counted against a company&rsquo;s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) obligations. It is also exempt from the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, and <strong>accepts foreign contributions.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Earlier, the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office (PMO) had said that the PM-Cares Fund is <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pm-cares-not-under-rti" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>not a public authority</strong></a> under the ambit of<strong> Section 2(h)</strong> of the RTI Act, 2005.</li>
<li>A<strong> Public Interest Litigation (PIL)</strong> petition has been moved before the Delhi High Court asking to bring PM-CARES Fund under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.</li>
<li>A Petition seeking transfer of contributions made to PM-CARES Fund To the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-disaster-response-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Disaster Response Fund</a> (NDRF)</strong> has also been made in the Supreme Court of India.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The government maintained that statutory funds like NDRF, formed under Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act of 2005, are provided for by central and State budgets. These statutory funds<strong> do not take private contributions,</strong> unlike PM-CARES Fund.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Under<strong> section 2(h) of the RTI Act "Public authority"</strong> means any authority or body or institution of self government established or constituted&mdash;
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>by or under the Constitution;</li>
<li>by any other law made by Parliament/State Legislature.</li>
<li>by notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government, and includes any&mdash;
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>body owned, controlled or substantially financed;</li>
<li>non-Government organisation substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Recently, The Supreme Court has ruled that the office of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cji-under-the-rti-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chief Justice of India (CJI) is a public authority</strong></a> under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Section 8 of the RTI Act, 2005</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This provides for exemption from disclosure of information such as-
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Which would affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State;</li>
<li>Which has been expressly forbidden to be published by any court of law or tribunal;</li>
<li>Which would cause a breach of privilege of Parliament or the State Legislature;</li>
<li>Information including commercial confidence, trade secrets or intellectual property;</li>
<li>Information received in confidence from foreign government;</li>
<li>Information which would endanger the life or physical safety of any person; etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pmo-denies-rti-plea-seeking-info-on-pm-cares/article32369180.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-on-pm-cares-fund'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => '“Once a daughter, always a daughter”: Supreme Court of India',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on the <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/reading-supreme-court-verdict-on-hindu-womens-inheritance-rights-6550767/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Reading the SC verdict on Hindu women&rsquo;s inheritance rights&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Indian Express on 11/08/2020. It talks about the recent Supreme Court&rsquo;s verdict regarding the inheritance of Indian women over parental property.</p>
</div>
<p>In a significant judgment<strong> aimed at ensuring &ldquo;right of equality&rdquo;</strong> of a daughter in a Hindu Undivided Family, the Supreme Court has held that <strong>women will have coparcenary right, or equal right to family property by birth, irrespective of whether her father was alive or not as on September 9, 2005</strong> i.e, the day when Parliament recognised this right by amending the Hindu Succession Act of 1956.</p>
<p>Through this ruling, the Supreme Court has now categorically ruled that the daughters&rsquo; right flows from their birth and not by any other factor such as the existence of their fathers.</p>
<p>Though the judgment envisages to rectify one of the discriminatory social practices, it would require no less than a behavioral change in the mindset of the Indian society to fulfill the goal of gender parity.</p>
<h3>What is this Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act of 2005?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> Mitakshara school of Hindu law, a personal law,</strong> codified as the Hindu Succession Act,1956 used to govern the succession and inheritance of property in Hindus.</li>
<li><strong>Under this law, only male were recognised as the legal heirs</strong> or coparceners and women were not a coparcener in the family and thus were denied the right to inherit their father&rsquo;s property.</li>
<li>As a result of this discrimination,<strong> Section 6 of the Act was amended in the year 2005 to make a daughter of a coparcener also a coparcener by birth</strong> in her own right in the same manner as the son.</li>
<li>The law also gave the daughter the same rights and liabilities in the coparcenary property as she would have had if she had been a son.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; text-align: center; background-color: #1c254d;" colspan="2"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Schools of Hindu Laws</strong></span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; text-align: center; background-color: #8a87cc;"><strong>Mitakshara Law School</strong></td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; text-align: center; background-color: #8a87cc;"><strong>Dayabhaga Law School</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">The term Mitakshara is derived from the name of a <strong>commentary written by Vijnaneswara,</strong> on the <strong>Yajnavalkya Smriti.</strong></td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">The term Dayabhaga is derived from a <strong>similarly named text written by Jimutavahana.</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">It is <strong>observed in all parts of India</strong> and <strong>subdivided</strong> into the Benares, the Mithila, the Maharashtra and the Dravida schools.</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">It is observed in <strong>Bengal and Assam.</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;"><strong>A son, by birth acquires an interest in the ancestral property</strong> of the joint family.</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">A son has <strong>no automatic ownership</strong> right by birth but <strong>acquires it on death of his father.</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">All the members <strong>enjoy coparcenary rights during the father&rsquo;s lifetime.</strong></td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">Sons <strong>do not enjoy coparcenary rights when the father is alive.</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 35px; background-color: #deddf0;">A coparcener&rsquo;s<strong> share is not defined</strong> and <strong>cannot be disposed of.</strong></td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 35px; background-color: #deddf0;">The share of<strong> each coparcener is defined</strong> and<strong> can be disposed of.</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 67px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 67px; background-color: #deddf0;">A <strong>wife cannot demand partition</strong> but has the <strong>right to a share in any partition between her husband and her sons.</strong></td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 67px; background-color: #deddf0;">Here, the <strong>same right does not exist for the women</strong> because the<strong> sons cannot demand partition</strong> as the father is the absolute owner.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>What is Coparcener &amp; Coparcenary property?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In a layman&rsquo;s language, coparcener in relation to a Joint Hindu family means<strong> a person who is entitled to demand partition</strong> of his share in the Coparcenary property. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A coparcener is the one <strong>who shares equally in the inheritance of an undivided property.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Coparcenary property is one which is inherited by a Hindu from his/her father, grandfather or great-grandfather. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Only a coparcener has the right to demand partition of property. Share in a property increases or decreases by death or birth in a family.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Before 2005 women were not a part of the coparcenary and hence couldn&rsquo;t claim or inherit the property of the father.</li>
</ul>
<h3>See-Saw Scenario in the Previous Judgements</h3>
<p>Although since 2005, it has been the law that the women are also successor to their father&rsquo;s property but the position of a woman to succeed to her father&rsquo;s property whose father was dead on the day of the enforcement of the law was not very clear.</p>
<p><strong>Different benches of the Supreme Court and High Courts had taken conflicting views on the issue. For Example:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In <strong>Prakash V/S Phoolwati (2015) case</strong>, a two-judge Bench headed by Justice A K Goel held that the benefit of the 2005 amendment could be granted only to &ldquo;living daughters of living coparceners'' as on September 9, 2005 (the date when the amendment came into force).</li>
<li>However <strong>In February 2018, contrary to the 2015 ruling, a two-judge Bench headed by Justice A K Sikri</strong> held that the share of a father who died in 2001 will also pass to his daughters as coparceners during the partition of the property as per the 2005 law.</li>
<li>Then in April that year, yet <strong>another two judge bench, headed by Justice RK Agrawal, reiterated the position taken in 2015.</strong> These conflicting views by benches of equal strength led to a reference to a three judge Bench in the current case.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights of the Current Judgement</h3>
<p>The three-judge Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra ruled the following:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>That a <strong>Hindu woman&rsquo;s right to be a joint heir to the ancestral property is by birth and does not depend on whether her father was alive or not when the law was enacted in 2005.</strong></li>
<li>The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 gave Hindu women the <strong>right to be coparceners or joint legal heirs in the same way a male heir does.</strong> Since the coparcenary is by birth,it is not necessary that the father coparcener should be living as on 9.9.2005.</li>
<li>If a daughter is alive on the date of enforcement of the Amendment Act, she becomes a coparcener with effect from the date of the Amendment Act, irrespective of the date of birth earlier in point of time.</li>
<li><strong>Daughters cannot be deprived of their right of equality conferred upon them by Section 6.</strong></li>
<li>The judges also used the common saying that a son is a son until he gets a wife while a daughter is a daughter throughout her life.</li>
<li>The judgment noted that several cases on this issue were pending before different courts and were already delayed.</li>
<li><strong>The court requested the pending matters to be decided, as far as possible, within six months.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance of the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Ended Legal Ambiguity:</strong> The verdict has <strong>cleared the confusion about the law</strong> and made it clear that the amendment to the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 granting equal rights to daughters to inherit ancestral property would have retrospective effect.</li>
<li><strong>Consonance in the Constitutional Spirit:</strong> The court recognized that gender cannot be grounds for denying anyone their inheritance rights. This interpretation by the Supreme Court has<strong> removed male primacy over Hindu ancestral property.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Giving the daughter equal coparcenary rights is in <strong>consonance with the spirit of equality,</strong> under<strong> Article 14 of the Indian constitution</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>A Step Towards Women Emancipation:</strong> It is a <strong>major push for women who lack economic resources and are often marginalised by male members of the family.</strong> The fact that a law and not just a will decides women&rsquo;s property rights is significant.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Patriarchal Nature of Indian Society:</strong> While the ruling is a progressive step towards gender parity, it is by no means a guarantee that Indian families will willingly cede reins to their women members.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is because, passing on the succession of the family enterprise only to sons stems from deep-rooted tradition and the patriarchal notion in the society.</li>
<li>Given this context, it is quite likely that some business families after this ruling, will bypass this ruling, to park their assets or write wills to bequeath assets in favour of male heirs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Awareness Amongst the Women:</strong> There is a challenge in ensuring that women are actually empowered by this legal provision, as the majority of women are not aware about their rights.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Though the judgement is a progressive step in pursuit of creating a <strong>level-playing field in legal rights for women, bringing behavioural change in society will play a bigger role towards the goal of gender parity.</strong></p>
<p>Thus, there is a need to bring a change in the patriarchal mindset of the society and ensuring that women have access to the same opportunities as men in acquiring educational qualifications and the training needed to run an enterprise.</p>
<p>Moreover, the fact that it has taken 15 years for the issue to be clarified highlights the urgent need for a <strong>clear civil code based on universal principles of natural justice and fundamental rights.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597407353_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597407353_image5.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="631" height="291" /></strong></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f8ffdb;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;Equality of sexes is a fundamental principle of any modern, progressive society and state&rdquo;. Analyse the statement in the context of recent Supreme Court judgement on women&rsquo;s coparcenary rights.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VRMkf0M60Nc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/women-right-to-property-patriarchal-6552248/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Seal of Justice&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on August 13<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/once-a-daughter-always-a-daughter-supreme-court-of-india'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'Demand for 6th Schedule Status: Arunachal Pradesh',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The recent revival of the demand for two <strong>autonomous councils</strong> in Arunachal Pradesh has led to the call for bringing the entire Arunachal Pradesh under the ambit of the<strong> 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule</strong> or <strong>Article 371 (A)</strong> of the Constitution.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Currently Arunachal Pradesh is <strong>neither under <a href="/summary-of-important-reports/xaxa-committee-on-tribal-communities-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5<sup>th</sup> Schedule</a> nor under 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule</strong>. It is under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inner-line-permit-and-citizenship-amendment-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Inner Line Permit (ILP)</strong></a> system.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>6<sup>th</sup> Schedule</strong> is applied in <strong>Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>5<sup>th</sup> Schedule</strong> areas are declared in the States of <strong>Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>On the other hand, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/non-state-actors-in-nagaland" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Article 371 A</strong></a> <strong>is applied in Nagaland</strong> which provides special status to Nagaland.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>6<sup>th</sup> Schedule:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule of the Constitution <strong>provides for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram</strong> to <strong>safeguard the rights of the tribal population</strong> in these states. This special provision is provided under <strong>Article 244(2)</strong> and <strong>Article 275(1)</strong> of the Constitution.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>tribes in the above states have not assimilated</strong> much with the life and ways of the other people in these states. These areas still have the presence of <strong>anthropological specimens.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Based on the reports of the <strong>Bordoloi Committee</strong> formed by the Constituent Assembly, the 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule was formulated to provide <strong>limited autonomy</strong> to the <strong>tribal regions of North-East.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The committee report stated that there was a need for a system of administration that would allow tribal areas to become developed.</li>
<li>The report also called for the protection of these tribal areas from exploitation by the people in the plains and preserving their distinct social customs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Administration in the 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The tribal areas in the 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule area have been constituted as <strong>autonomous districts.</strong> The autonomous districts have been given varying degrees of autonomy within the State Legislature.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There are <strong>10 autonomous districts</strong> &ndash; three in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram and one in Tripura.</li>
<li>Each autonomous district can also have a separate<strong> regional council.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597400800_image4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597400800_image4.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="400" height="293" /></a></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The tribals have been given<strong> freedom to exercise legislative and executive powers</strong> through an <strong>autonomous regional council</strong> and <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/autonomous-district-councils" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>autonomous district councils (ADCs).</strong></a></li>
<li>The ADCs are empowered with <strong>civil and judicial powers.</strong> They can<strong> also make laws on matters</strong> like land, forests, fisheries, social security, etc.<strong> with due approval from the governor.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> Acts passed by Parliament and state legislatures may or may not be levied in these regions</strong> unless the President and the governor gives her or his approval, with or without modifications in the laws for the autonomous regions.</li>
<li><strong>Governor&rsquo;s Control:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Despite various degrees of autonomy, the 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule area <strong>does not fall outside the executive authority of the state concerned.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> governor is empowered</strong> to organise and re-organise the autonomous districts. He can increase or decrease the areas of autonomous districts or change their names or define their boundaries and so on.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>If there are different tribes in an autonomous district,<strong> the governor can also divide the district into several autonomous regions.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Composition of Autonomous Councils:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Each autonomous district and regional council consists of<strong> not more than 30 members,</strong> of which<strong> four are nominated by the governor</strong> and the rest via elections. All of them<strong> remain in power for a term of five years.</strong></li>
<li>However, the<strong> Bodoland Territorial Council is an exception</strong> as it can constitute up to 46 members.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Article 371 A:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Acts of Parliament relating to the following matters <strong>would not apply to Nagaland</strong> unless decided by the State Legislative Assembly:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Religious or social practices of the Nagas.</li>
<li>Naga customary law and procedure.</li>
<li>Administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law.</li>
<li>Ownership and transfer of land and its resources.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/arunachal-groups-push-for-6th-schedule-status/article32348593.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/demand-for-6th-schedule-status-arunachal-pradesh'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'Israel-UAE Peace Deal',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the President of the USA has announced that <strong>Israel and the United Arab Emirates</strong> (UAE) have<strong> agreed to establish full diplomatic ties</strong> as part of a deal to <strong>halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians</strong> for their future state.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Both the UAE and Israel are the <strong>USA&rsquo;s close allies in West Asia.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597399147_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597399147_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="512" height="401" /></strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The UAE has become the<strong> first Gulf Arab state</strong> to do so and only the <strong>third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties with Israel.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Egypt</strong> made a peace deal with Israel in <strong>1979,</strong> followed by <strong>Jordan</strong> in <strong>1994.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Under the deal, <strong>Israel would suspend its plans to annex large parts of the occupied <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/west-bank-settlements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Bank</a>.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The West Bank is <strong>sandwiched between Israel and Jordan.</strong> One of its major cities is <strong>Ramallah,</strong> the <strong>de facto administrative capital of Palestine.</strong></li>
<li>Israel took control of it in the <strong>Six-day Arab-Israeli war, 1967</strong> and has over the years established settlements there.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A <strong>joint statement from the USA, the UAE and Israel</strong> has been issued which says that <strong>delegations would meet in the coming weeks</strong> to sign deals on direct flights, security, telecommunications, energy, tourism and health care.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Both nations will also partner on fighting the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19</a> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>pandemic</strong></a> together.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It <strong>remains unclear</strong> what prompted Israel and the UAE to make the announcement now. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In June 2020, the UAE&rsquo;s ambassador to the USA <strong>warned that Israel&rsquo;s plan to annex the Jordan Valley and other parts of the occupied West Bank</strong> would <strong>upend Israel&rsquo;s efforts to improve ties</strong> with Arab nations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Formed in 1971,</strong> the <strong>UAE is a USA-allied federation of seven sheikhdoms</strong> on the Arabian Peninsula which <strong>did not recognise Israel</strong> over its occupation of land home to the Palestinians.</li>
<li>The <strong>UAE relied on white-collar</strong> (people who perform professional, desk, managerial or administrative work) <strong>Palestinians</strong> in creating its nation and<strong> maintained its stance that Israel should allow the creation of a Palestinian state</strong> on land it seized in the <strong>1967 war.</strong></li>
<li>In recent years,<strong> ties between Gulf Arab nations and Israel have quietly grown,</strong> in part over their<strong> shared enmity of Iran</strong> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/beirut-explosion" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.</strong> </a></li>
<li>The <strong>UAE also shares Israel&rsquo;s distrust of Islamist groups</strong> like the <strong>Muslim Brotherhood</strong> and the <strong>militant group Hamas</strong> that holds the Gaza Strip.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on the UAE:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The deal<strong> smoothens the UAE&rsquo;s international campaign</strong> to be seen as a beacon of tolerance in the Middle East despite being governed by autocratic rulers.</li>
<li>It <strong>puts the UAE out first in a regional recognition race</strong> among neighbouring Gulf Arab states.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on Israel:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The announcement <strong>justifies</strong> the year-long claims of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his <strong>government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations</strong> than publicly acknowledged.</li>
<li>The deal gives Netanyahu a <strong>domestic boost</strong> at a time when Israel&rsquo;s coalition government is facing infighting and the possibility of early elections.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on the USA:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The recognition<strong> grants a diplomatic win</strong> to the USA President Donald Trump ahead of the November election.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Neither his efforts to bring the war in Afghanistan to an end nor efforts to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians have been successful yet.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>For Palestine:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For Palestinians, who long have relied on Arab backing in their struggle for independence, the announcement <strong>marked both a win and setback</strong> for the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/israel-palestine" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Israel-Palestine relations.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>While the deal <strong>halts Israeli annexation plans,</strong> the Palestinians have repeatedly <strong>urged Arab governments not to normalize relations with Israel until a peace agreement</strong> establishing an independent Palestinian state is reached.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The deal marks a historic day and a significant step forward for peace in the Middle East.</li>
<li>Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East&rsquo;s most dynamic societies and advanced economics will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation and forging closer people-to-people relations.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/world/uae-israel-peace-deal-donald-trump-world-reactions-6553585/" 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/israel-uae-peace-deal'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Universal Ratification to Child Labour Convention',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/international-labour-organization" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Labour Organization (ILO)&rsquo;s</strong></a> convention on<strong> Worst Forms of Child Labour</strong> also known as <strong>Convention No. 182</strong> received<strong> universal ratification</strong> after the <strong>Kingdom of Tonga</strong> ratified the same.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597392353_image2.png"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597392353_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="364" height="304" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Universal Ratification:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It means ratification by all the members of an organisation. <strong>Convention No. 182</strong> has received ratification from all the 187 members of ILO.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Child Labour:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The ILO <strong>defines</strong> child labour as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to their physical and mental development.</li>
<li>In the least developed countries, slightly <strong>more than one in four children (ages 5 to 17)</strong> are engaged in labour that is considered detrimental to their health and development.</li>
<li>The eradication of child labour is part of the <strong><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable Development Goal</a> Target 8.7.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>UN General Assembly</strong> has declared <strong>2021 as the year for the elimination of child labour.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Convention No. 182:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The convention was <strong>adopted by ILO</strong> member states meeting in Geneva<strong> in 1999.</strong></li>
<li>It <strong>aims</strong> to <strong>protect children from the worst forms of child labour,</strong> which include slavery, prostitution, trafficking, deployment of children in armed conflict and other conditions that compromise their overall well-being.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other International Laws on Child Labour:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989:</strong> It contains the idea that children are not just objects who belong to their parents and for whom decisions are made, or adults in training. Rather,<strong> they are human beings</strong> and <strong>individuals</strong> with their own rights.</li>
<li><strong>Minimum Age Convention 1973:</strong> It aims to prevent the employment of children below a lower age threshold.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Both <strong>Convention No. 182</strong> and the <strong>1973 Minimum Age Convention</strong> are among the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/100th-anniversary-of-ilo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>eight core ILO Conventions</strong></a> regarded as embodying the spirit of the 1998 declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-day-against-child-labour-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India ratified the Convention No. 182</strong></a> and the <strong>1973 Minimum Age Convention</strong> in 2017.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact of Laws on Child Labour:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to ILO, <strong>incidence of child labour and its worst forms dropped</strong> by almost 40% between 2000 and 2016 as ratification rates on child labour increased and countries adopted laws and policies.</li>
<li>The conventions have resulted in<strong> significant increases in enrolments in primary education.</strong></li>
<li>These conventions also<strong> provide the necessary framework to counteract the predominance of informality</strong> in the conditions of work and ought to be a priority for governments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Challenges Related to Child Labour:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Sustainable Developmental Goal (SDG) aims at <strong>complete abolition of child labour by 2025.</strong> However, still an <strong>estimated 152 million are trapped in child labour and 72 million of them are engaged in hazardous work.</strong></li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a> is also threatening the reversal of recent gains, with widespread job losses, deterioration in conditions of work, decline in household incomes and temporary school closures.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>cycle of poverty and its implications must be addressed</strong> properly, so families can find other means to survive. Many <strong>NGOs like <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bachpan-bachao-andolan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bachpan Bachao Andolan</a>, ChildFund, CARE India,</strong> etc. have been working to eradicate child labour in India.</li>
<li>Right kind of focus and orientation with state level authorities is also needed to avoid the practice of child labour. <strong>Forced Child Labour</strong> requires an urgent action from governments and the international communities.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/historic-ratification-the-hindu-editorial-on-universal-ratification-of-a-labour-standard/article32347515.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/universal-ratification-to-child-labour-convention'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => 'Seed Bombs: Solution to Man-Animal Conflict',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Odisha&rsquo;s Athagarh Forest Division</strong> has started<strong> casting seed balls (or bombs)</strong> inside different reserve forest areas to enrich food stock for wild elephants.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This has been done to<strong> prevent <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/daily-updates-news-editorials-the-high-cost-of-man-animal-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener">man-elephant conflict.</a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>On the eve of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-elephant-day-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Elephant Day 2020</strong></a>, the Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched a<strong> portal on Human Elephant Conflict &lsquo;Surakhsya&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Further, the Government has taken initiative for fodder and water augmentation in forest areas so that animals get food and water in forest areas and not come outside. <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/lidar-based-research-in-tamar-valley" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>LiDAR technology</strong></a> is being used for the same.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Villagers who bear the brunt of the elephant attacks have come forward to prepare the bamboo seed balls and scatter them in 38 reserve forests under the Athagarh Forest Division.</li>
<li>The<strong> growth in bamboo plantations is expected to meet the needs of the elephants,</strong> which often stray out of the forests and raid human habitations.</li>
<li>Athagarh Forest Division is <strong>one of the worst-hit areas</strong> as far as man-elephant conflict is concerned. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Elephants frequently raid villages coming under Athagarh and Khuntuni range and damage standing paddy crops. Even fruit-bearing trees and vegetable plants are not spared.</li>
<li>The situation becomes extremely volatile when any human gets killed by elephants.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In 2019, the division had thrown seed balls using 950 kg of bamboo seeds inside the forest. The survival rate ranged between 50-60%.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Seed Bomb</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A seed bomb is a<strong> little ball generally made up of a combination of compost, clay and seeds.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The compost and clay act as a carrier for the seeds so they can be launched over walls or fences and into inaccessible areas such as wasteland or railways.</li>
<li>The<strong> compost offers nutrients</strong> for the seeds to germinate and grow strong during their infancy and the<strong> clay binds the seed bomb,</strong> making it hard enough not to break when it hits the ground.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is used in <strong>re-vegetation and reforestation</strong> of the fragile ecosystems.</li>
<li>The plantation technique wherein seed balls are sprayed using aerial devices, including planes, helicopters or drones, is known as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aerial-seeding-in-haryana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>aerial seeding</strong></a>.</li>
<li><strong>Recent Initiatives:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Udaipur</strong> has been chosen for experimenting the seed bombing technique to increase forest cover in Rajasthan.</li>
<li>The <strong>Haryana government</strong> has employed aerial seeding techniques to improve green cover in the <strong>Aravalli</strong> area of the State.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597386933_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597386933_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="635" height="678" /></a></p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has a large population of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-2018-guinness-book-of-world-records" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>tiger</strong></a>, Asian elephant, leopard, sloth bear, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/estimation-exercise-of-indian-gaur-in-nilgiris" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>gaur</strong></a> and many others. Keeping these animals restricted to a few hundred kilometers of protected areas can be difficult. Thus, coordinated and collaborative conservation actions are required to motivate <strong>communities to shift from conflict to coexistence with wildlife.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Inclusive development</strong> with a long-term vision that cares for the environment is a solution to man-animal conflict.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/odisha-turns-to-seed-bombs-to-fight-a-jumbo-problem/article32304695.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/seed-bombs-solution-to-man-animal-conflict'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'A Self Reliant Foreign Policy',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-self-reliant-foreign-policy/article32339890.ece?utm_source=udmprecommendation_Economy&amp;utm_medium=sticky_footer&amp;transactionId=b96ceff039594781a821698502dbbb73" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>A self-reliant foreign policy</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 13/08/2020. This article discusses the present day status of strategic autonomy of India and ways to make it better.</p>
</div>
<p>Self-reliance is the theme of India&rsquo;s 74<sup>th</sup> Independence Day. This concept is commonly associated with the economy and production of key goods and services within the country. But it also has a parallel dimension in the domain of <strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/phases-of-indian-foreign-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">foreign policy</a></strong>.</p>
<p>It is important to note that, even in the geopolitical circumstances that compelled India to enter into alliance-like cooperation with major powers, it did not become any less autonomous or entered into alliance with any great power.</p>
<p>Rather, India secured its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity by balancing the great power equations with diplomacy. However, present geo-political scenarios present a challenge to strategic autonomy.</p>
<p>Therefore, as the economic goal is to reduce dependence on imports for critical commodities, the aim of foreign policy should be to maintain strategic autonomy.</p>
<h3>Indian and Changing World Order</h3>
<p>India has historically prided itself as an independent developing country which did not succumb to pressure from great powers. This can be reflected in the different phases of world order:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Bipolar</strong> (1947 to 1991) in which the majority of global economic, military and cultural influence was held between U.S. and USSR.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>During this phase India adhered to the principle of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/revival-of-non-alignment-movement#:~:text=The%20Non%2DAligned%20Movement%20was,to%20remain%20independent%20or%20neutral." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Non Alignment</strong></a> to resist dilution of its sovereignty, rebuild its economy and consolidate its integrity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unipolar</strong> (1991 to 2008) when the U.S. entered a long cycle of economic crises and China caught up with it in overall power.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is the period where India reached out to engage with US, Israel and ASEAN countries more intensively. The quest for strategic autonomy now was particularly focused on securing its nuclear weapon option (Pokhran II 1998).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Multipolar</strong> (present times) where distribution of power is in more than two countries having nearly equal amounts of military, cultural, and economic influence.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this phase of transitional geopolitics, India's policy of Non-Alignment has turned into Multi Alignment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Flexibility in Strategic Autonomy</h3>
<p>Adherence to strategic autonomy has been the key pillar of India&rsquo;s Foreign policy. However, it has often been adjusted as per the changing geopolitical situations in history . In moments of crisis, India has reinterpreted freedom and shown flexibility for survival at many instances. For Example:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India-China War (1962):</strong> Initially,in pursuance of maintaining strategic autonomy, India established the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) (1961). It marked the peak of Third World solidarity.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However during the India -China war 1962, India had to appeal to the U.S. for emergency military aid to stave off the Chinese from taking over the whole of Eastern India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indo Pakistan War (1971):</strong> In the build-up to the 1971 war with Pakistan, India had to enter a <a href="/gs-special/gs-foreign-policy-corner/india-russia-bilateral-relations-longstanding-time-tested-partners" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation</strong></a> with the Soviet Union to ward off both China and the U.S.</li>
<li><strong>Kargil War (1999):</strong> India welcomed a direct intervention by the U.S. to force Pakistan to back down.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Present Day Scenario of Strategic Autonomy</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Risk From China:</strong> Today, although there are less prospects of a direct war with China in the wake of its incursions across the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Line of Actual Control</strong></a>, India is at a turning point with regard to strategic autonomy.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Aggressive foreign policy of China may require India to bandwagon (cooperating with like minded countries) to balance China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>New Cold War like situation:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/new-cold-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>New Cold War</strong></a> scenario has created a threat environment in which China and the U.S. are now beginning to confront many areas like <a href="/gs-special/gs-foreign-policy-corner/india-russia-bilateral-relations-longstanding-time-tested-partners" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Trade war</strong></a> and <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/south-china-sea" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>South China sea</strong></a>.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India can promote new multilateralism under the aegis of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam- which relies on restructuring both the economic order and societal behaviour for equitable sustainable development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fear of losing strategic autonomy to the U.S.:</strong> Fears in some quarters that proximity to the U.S. will lead to loss of India&rsquo;s strategic autonomy. However, it seems overblown because independent India has never been subordinated to a foreign hegemony.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward to Self-Reliance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Revival of Non Alignment: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/revival-of-non-alignment-movement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Non-Alignment 2.0</a></strong> with China and the U.S. is the solution as they slide into a <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/cold-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>New Cold War</strong></a>, risking India&rsquo;s security and sovereignty.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The New Cold War can be reflected in Trade War, Quad initiative, Indo-pacific narrative, emergence of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, naval presence in the Indian ocean, etc. Thus NAM2.0 can insulate India from active engagements in conflicts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Intensified Cooperation:</strong> India should aim to stay as an independent power centre by means of intensified cooperation with middle powers in Asia and around the world.</li>
<li><strong>Indegenous defence modernisation:</strong> India is dependent on many foriegn players (like U.S, Russia etc.) for its defence requirement, this may not pave well in national interest.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, it is imperative to speed up indigenous defence modernisation.</li>
<li>Further, defense indigenisation assumes more significance, especially in the context of counterbalancing China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Diversification in strategic partners:</strong> The present-day geopolitical and geostrategic circumstances present a multifaceted challenge to India&rsquo;s foreign policy.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, India's cold war narrative of strategic neutrality is being gradually replaced by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-s-embrace-of-strategic-hedging#:~:text=Strategic%20hedging%20means%20a%20state,state%20i.e.%20balancing%20and%20engagement." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>strategic hedging</strong></a>.</li>
<li>In a multipolar world India should not limit its engagements with Russia, the US and China but expand its relationship with other countries of the EU, Asean etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>In the past, India has been successfully deploying &lsquo;multi-vector&rsquo; foreign policy. In this context, Indian foriegn policy should not envisage complete isolation or entering into alliance with one great power but a variable combination with several like-minded partners.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597322557_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597322557_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="434" height="307" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #effce3;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;Indian foriegn policy should not envisage complete isolation or entering into alliance with one great power but a variable combination with several like-minded partners&rdquo; Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mE4v2Et6A1Y" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/environmental-impact-assessment-forests-climate-change-ease-of-doing-business-investment-6550753/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Green and red&rdquo;</strong></a> published in Indian Express on August 12<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Watch this on our Youtube channel now.</p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-self-reliant-foreign-policy'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'Mega Covid Testing Lab',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/council-of-scientific-and-industrial-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)</strong></a> is working on developing mega labs to speed up testing as well as improve the accuracy of testing for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> positive cases.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Large machines, called <strong>Next Generation Sequencing machines (NGS)</strong> will be modified to sequence 1,500-3,000 viral genomes at a go for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus in these labs.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These machines are also used for<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/Mission%20to%20Sequence%20Genes%20of%20Indians" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> sequencing human genomes.</strong></a></li>
<li>The NGS also found<strong> two lineages of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronaviruses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coronaviruses</a></strong> which were unknown in Indian populations so far.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The CSIR has partnered with the US-based Illumina, a company that specialises in the manufacture of NGS machines.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Five NGS machines are currently available in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>So far, 3,086 sequences of the virus isolated from humans have been shared by 57 countries, with India sharing <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sequencing-novel-coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nine whole genome sequences of the</a> novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) </strong>with the <strong>Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Benefits:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Accuracy:</strong> The NGS tests has a sensitivity of 97.53% as compared to 70%-80% accuracy of <strong>RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction)</strong> and 50% accuracy of antigen tests. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These tests detect the possible presence of the virus even in several instances where the RT-PCR tests miss out on them.</li>
<li>This is primarily because the RT-PCR test identifies the SARS-CoV-2 virus by exploring only specific sections of the virus whereas the genome method can read a<strong> bigger chunk of virus genome</strong> and thereby provide<strong> more certainty.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Confirmation:</strong> NGS identified cases as either positive and negative when RT-PCR found them to be <strong>&lsquo;inconclusive&rsquo;.</strong> So this can also be used as a <strong>confirmatory test</strong></li>
<li><strong>Reliability:</strong> It can also trace the evolutionary history of the virus and track mutations more reliably. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This can help identify more places where <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-s-preparedness" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SARS-COv-2</strong></a> viruses differ from other related viruses.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mass Testing:</strong> According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/icmr-recommends-use-of-hydroxy-chloroquine" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)</strong></a>, the NGS tests can space up from the present approx. 7.5 lakh tests per day to at least <strong>a million per day.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Unlike the RT-PCR that needs<strong> primers and probes,</strong> which is a key hurdle in operationalising such tests on a mass scale early on in the pandemic, the NGS does not need primers and probes, and only needs <strong>custom reagents.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Primers</strong> are short sequences of DNA used to amplify a particular DNA sequence. A <strong>probe</strong> is a small radioactively or fluorescently labelled DNA sequence used to identify a particular DNA sequence.</li>
<li><strong>Reagent</strong> for DNA is designed to easily prepare DNA extracts from animal tissues that can be used directly in PCR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Uses:</strong> Establishing &ldquo;hubs&rdquo; capable of <strong>whole genome sequencing</strong> would help track significant mutations in the virus and can be repurposed for any kind of outbreak, be they of viral or bacterial origin.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>NGS can also be used to develop <strong>new diagnostic tests for Covid-19.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Surveillance and Tracing :</strong> Due to limited accuracy and capacity of existing tests, a sizeable population is<strong> falsely negative.</strong> NGS can help in serving a larger purpose of continuous surveillance of large pools like industrial hubs, commercial establishments or places where an outbreak is likely.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Testing for Covid 19</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Different methods of testing are being experimented in the country to trace <strong>Covid-19</strong> infection. Some of these include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/radt-vs-rt-pcr" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>RT PCR Tests</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/radt-vs-rt-pcr" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rapid Antigen Detection Tests</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rt-npcr-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>RTnPCR Tests</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/feluda-test-for-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Feluda Tests</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/elisa-antibody-kits" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>ELISA Antibody Tests</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/csir-moots-mega-labs-to-boost-covid-19-testing/article32337492.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => 'Dwarf Planet Ceres',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>As per the data collected by <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/national-aeronautics-and-space-administration-nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NASA</strong></a><strong>&rsquo;s Dawn spacecraft,</strong> dwarf planet<strong> Ceres</strong> reportedly has <strong>salty water underground.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Dawn (2007-18)</strong> was a <strong>mission</strong> to the<strong> two</strong> most massive bodies in the main <strong>asteroid belt - Vesta </strong>and<strong> Ceres.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597306901_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597306901_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="650" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Latest Findings:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The scientists have given<strong> Ceres</strong> the status of an <strong>&ldquo;ocean world&rdquo;</strong> as it has a big <strong>reservoir of salty water underneath its frigid surface.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This has led to an increased interest of scientists that the <strong>dwarf planet was maybe habitable or has the potential</strong> to be.</li>
<li><strong>Ocean Worlds</strong> is a term for <strong>&lsquo;Water in the Solar System and Beyond&rsquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The salty water originated in a <strong>brine reservoir</strong> spread hundreds of miles and about 40 km beneath the surface of the Ceres.</li>
<li>Further, there is an evidence that Ceres remains <strong>geologically active </strong>with<strong> cryovolcanism - volcanoes oozing icy material.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Instead of molten rock, cryovolcanoes or <strong>salty-mud volcanoes release frigid, salty water sometimes mixed with mud.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Subsurface Oceans on other Celestial Bodies:</strong> Jupiter&rsquo;s moon Europa, Saturn&rsquo;s moon Enceladus, Neptune&rsquo;s moon Triton, and the dwarf planet Pluto.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This provides scientists a means <strong>to understand the history of the solar system.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ceres:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the <strong>largest object in the asteroid belt</strong> between Mars and Jupiter.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It was the<strong> first member of the asteroid belt</strong> to be discovered when <strong>Giuseppe Piazzi spotted it in 1801.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is the <strong>only dwarf planet located in the inner solar system</strong> (includes planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Scientists classified it as a <strong>dwarf planet in 2006.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has a <strong>diameter of about 950 km,</strong> which is <strong>more than one-fourth of Earth&rsquo;s moon.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It takes <strong>1,682 Earth days, or 4.6 Earth years,</strong> to make<strong> one trip around the sun.</strong></li>
<li>It completes one<strong> rotation around its axis</strong> every <strong>9 hours.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It <strong>does not have any moon or rings.</strong></li>
<li>It has a 92 km wide<strong> crater named Occator</strong> located in its northern hemisphere.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Dwarf Planets</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/asteroid-named-after-pandit-jasraj" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> International Astronomical Union (IAU),</strong></a> which sets definitions for planetary science, a dwarf planet is a celestial body that - orbits the sun, has enough mass to assume a nearly round shape, has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit and is not a moon.</li>
<li>The <strong>first five recognised dwarf planets</strong> are <strong>Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Makemake</strong> and <strong>Haumea.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/nasa-dawn-ceres-salty-water-ocean-jupiter-mars-6550384/#:~:text=The%20largest%20celestial%20object%20in,water%20underneath%20its%20frigid%20surface." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => 'Hornbill Habitat Loss',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A study based on satellite data has indicated a<strong> high rate of deforestation</strong> in major <strong>hornbill habitats</strong> in <strong>Arunachal Pradesh</strong> and a part of<strong> Assam</strong>.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The study fine-scale satellite imagery to assess <strong>Papum Reserve Forest (RF)</strong> adjoining <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pakke-tiger-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pakke Tiger Reserve</a> (Pakhui Tiger Reserve)</strong> in Arunachal Pradesh.</li>
<li>The results show the loss and degradation of critical hornbill habitat in the biologically rich forests of the Indian Eastern Himalaya.</li>
<li>The satellite data pointed to alarming deforestation rates in Papum RF with annual loss rates as high as 8.2 sq.km. as per estimates from 2013-2017 where <strong>forest cover declined to 76%</strong> of the total RF area.</li>
<li>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-forest-watch" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global Forest Watch</strong></a> 2020 report, Arunachal Pradesh lost 1,110 sq.km. of primary forest from 2002-2019.</li>
<li>These areas are affected by <strong>illegal logging</strong> and <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/north-east-insurgency" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>ethnic conflict.</strong></a></li>
<li>The forests are under pressure due to <strong>agricultural expansion, conversion to plantations or logging.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Papum Reserve Forest</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Papum Reserve Forest is geographically situated in the south west of East Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh.</li>
<li>It is surrounded by<strong> Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary</strong> to the east and <strong>Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary</strong> to the west.</li>
<li>It is a part of the <strong>Indo-Burma <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/andaman-nicobar-islands-rich-faunal-diversity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biodiversity hotspot</a></strong> in India.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are four Biodiversity Hostpots in India : <strong>Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Sundalands and Western Ghats and Sri Lanka.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Papum Reserve Forest forms part of the Eastern Himalayas Endemic Bird Area.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>An <strong>Endemic Bird Area</strong> is an area of land identified by BirdLife International as being important for habitat-based bird conservation because it contains the habitats of restricted-range bird species.</li>
<li><strong>BirdLife International</strong> is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is covered by Subtropical Dry Evergreen and Semi-evergreen Forests, while the higher areas are under Subtropical Broadleaf Hill Forest cover.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Hornbills<strong><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597306120_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597306120_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></strong></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>hornbills</strong> (Bucerotidae) are a family of birds found in<strong> tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia.</strong></li>
<li>India is home to <strong>nine species of hornbills.</strong> The northeastern region has the highest diversity of hornbill species within India.</li>
<li>Papum RF is a nesting habitat of three species of hornbills: the <strong>great hornbill <em>(Buceros bicornis)</em>, wreathed hornbill<em> (Aceros undulatus)</em>&nbsp;</strong>and the <strong>Oriental pied hornbill <em>(Anthracoceros albirostris)</em></strong>, Wreathed and Oriental Pied. The 862 sq.km. Pakke reserve houses a fourth species, the <strong>Rufous-necked hornbill <em>(Aceros nipalensis)</em></strong> species are found here.</li>
<li>The <strong>great hornbill</strong> is the <strong>state bird of Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They are the cultural symbols of some ethnic communities in the northeast, specifically the<strong> Nyishi</strong> of Arunachal Pradesh.</li>
<li>They are referred to as &lsquo;forest engineers&rsquo; or &lsquo;farmers of forest&rsquo; for playing <strong>a key role in dispersing seeds of tropical trees</strong> and indicate the prosperity and balance of the forest they build nests in.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hornbill-festival" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hornbill festival</strong></a> celebrated in <strong>Nagaland</strong> is named after the bird &ndash; Hornbill which is the most revered and admired bird for the Nagas.</li>
<li><strong>Conservation Status:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Currently, 26 out of the 62 species (40%) of hornbills are <strong>Globally Threatened</strong> or <strong>Near Threatened</strong> with extinction, with all other species listed as<strong> Least Concern,</strong> according to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List</strong></a> of Threatened Species.</li>
<li>The<strong> great hornbill</strong> is evaluated as<strong> vulnerable.</strong></li>
<li>It is protected at the highest level under <strong>Schedule I of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hornbills are <strong>hunted</strong> for their casques &mdash; upper beak &mdash; and feathers for adorning <strong>headgear.</strong> They are also<strong> poached</strong> for their <strong>meat</strong> and<strong> medicinal value</strong> of their body parts.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A conservation programme promoting the use of <strong>fibre-glass beaks for headgear</strong> instead of real hornbill casques has helped reduce some threat to it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Illegal logging i.e. cutting of tall trees where the hornbill birds nest and feed has led to <strong>destruction of its natural habitat.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>The results of the study underscore the need for Hornbill habitat conservation efforts in India. Hornbill conservation must proceed along the twin paths of weaning away tribal hunters through the provision of substitutes, and nursing forest fragments back to health using science.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/forest-cover-loss-threatens-hornbills-in-arunachal/article32339946.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Ganga Rejuvenation Monitoring',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-green-tribunal-ngt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Green Tribunal (NGT)</strong></a> has observed that the pollutants are still being discharged into the river Ganga, despite several directions of various courts.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The states of <strong>Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal</strong> have failed in preventing discharge of untreated effluents in violation of provisions of the<strong> Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597738224_image0.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597738224_image0.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="638" height="479" /></strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Constitutional Right:</strong> Pollution-free environment is the <strong>constitutional right</strong> of every citizen and<strong> constitutional obligation</strong> of States. However, the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal are certainly failing in providing pollution free Ganga.</li>
<li><strong>Monitoring:</strong> The NGT has directed the above states to <strong>periodically monitor</strong> the rejuvenation of the Ganga.</li>
<li><strong>Joint Meetings:</strong> It has also called for periodic joint meetings of the above states to consider vital issues like <strong>pooling of human resources</strong> and <strong>sharing best practices</strong> for rejuvenation of Ganga.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The meetings shall be focussed on<strong> preventing discharge of sewage</strong> and other pollutants in Ganga directly or through its tributaries or drains connected thereto.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Initiatives Taken to Clean Ganga</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Ganga Action Plan:</strong> It was the <strong>first River Action Plan</strong> that was taken up by the <strong>Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 1985,</strong> to improve the water quality by the interception, diversion, and treatment of domestic sewage.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>National River Conservation Plan</strong> is an extension to the Ganga Action Plan. It aims at cleaning the Ganga river under Ganga Action Plan phase-2.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA):</strong> It was formed by the Government of India in the year 2009 under Section-3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It declared the Ganga as the<strong> &lsquo;National River&rsquo;</strong> of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Namami Gange Programme:</strong> It is an<strong> Integrated Conservation<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-mission-for-clean-ganga" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Mission</a></strong>, approved as a &lsquo;Flagship Programme&rsquo; by the Union Government in June 2014 to accomplish the twin objectives of <strong>effective abatement of pollution </strong>and <strong>conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is being operated under the<strong> Ministry of Jal Shakti.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Clean Ganga Fund:</strong> In 2014, it was formed for cleaning up of the Ganga, setting up of waste treatment plants, and conservation of biotic diversity of the river.</li>
<li><strong>Bhuvan-Ganga Web App</strong>: It ensures involvement of the public in monitoring of pollution entering into the river Ganga.</li>
<li><strong>Ban on Waste Disposal:</strong> In 2017, the<strong> NGT</strong> banned the disposal of any waste in the Ganga.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In order to successfully rejuvenate Ganga, there is a<strong> need for a strategic blueprint</strong> that includes the strict monitoring of pollution and strict implementation of present laws and courts guidelines related to pollution.</li>
<li>There is also a need for <strong>rigorous planning action at the highest level monitoring</strong> for meaning enforcement of the <strong>rule of law</strong> for protection of environment and public health and also rejuvenation of Ganga river.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ngt-tells-states-to-monitor-ganga-rejuvenation/article32379167.ece#:~:text=The%20National%20Green%20Tribunal%20(NGT,several%20directions%20of%20various%20courts." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme 2.0',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The government has <strong>extended the scope of the Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme (PCGS) 2.0</strong> to provide greater flexibility to state-owned banks in purchasing bonds and Commercial Papers (CPs) of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/A%20nuanced%20understanding%20of%20the%20NBFC%20sector" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)</strong></a>.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>PCGS</strong> was announced in July<strong> 2019,</strong> allowing <strong>public sector banks</strong> to <strong>purchase</strong> high-rated <strong>(BBB+ or above) pooled assets from</strong> financially sound <strong>NBFCs</strong> and <strong>Housing Finance Companies (HFCs).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A <strong>pool of assets</strong> is basically a<strong> securitisation of loan portfolio</strong> i.e. conversion of a loan into a marketable security, typically for the purpose of raising cash by selling them to other investors.</li>
<li>These are sold by NBFCs/HFCs to banks in return for an advance payment. <strong>NBFCs/HFCs get the much needed money </strong>and <strong>banks get the interest paying assets.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Credit ratings</strong> is an analysis of the credit risk associated with a financial instrument or a financial entity. These range from AAA to C and D.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>As a part of the<strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aatmanirbhar</a> </strong>initiative, the <strong>scheme was extended in May 2020 (PCGS 2.0) </strong>to cover<strong> primary market issuance of bonds/CPs by NBFCs, HFCs </strong>and <strong>Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) </strong>with<strong> low credit ratings.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Centre provided<strong> 20% first loss sovereign guarantee to public sector banks</strong> for purchase of bonds/CPs, resulting in liquidity infusion of <strong>Rs. 45,000 crore</strong> into the system.</li>
<li>The scheme covered papers with ratings of <strong>AA and below,</strong> including <strong>unrated papers,</strong> aimed at providing access to fresh liquidity support to non-bank lenders.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Latest Extension:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Scheme has been <strong>extended for three months,</strong> giving public sector banks time till <strong>19<sup>th</sup> November 2020</strong> to build their portfolios of bonds and CPs from non-banking financial institutions.</li>
<li>Further, the government has <strong>allowed banks to invest upto 50% of total investments under the Scheme in AA and AA- rated bonds.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This decision was taken as the earlier limit for such investments at 25% was almost met.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Criticism:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The latest announcement is a step towards <strong>increased funding for bigger NBFCs which have higher ratings,</strong> while the actual objective was to provide greater funding to <strong>small and medium NBFCs. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Less than 100 NBFCs have been covered under the scheme</strong> as a majority of small and medium NBFCs turn to <strong>term loans,</strong> instead of raising funds via bonds or CPs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Bonds:</strong> Borrowers issue bonds to raise money from investors willing to lend them money.</li>
<li><strong>Commercial Paper:</strong> It is a commonly used type of <strong>unsecured, short-term debt instrument</strong> issued by corporations, typically used for meeting the short-term liabilities.</li>
<li><strong>Primary Market:</strong> The primary market is where <strong>companies issue a new security, not previously traded on any stock exchange.</strong> Securities issued through a primary market can include stocks, corporate or government bonds, notes and bills.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>secondary market</strong> is where investors buy and sell securities they already own.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NBFCs play a crucial role in sustaining consumption demand as well as capital formation in the small and medium segment, thus it is essential that they continue to get funding without disruption, and the extended PCGS is expected to systematically enable the same.</li>
<li>The government can further expand the scope of the Scheme so as to extend the guarantee cover to term loans of banks and financial institutions given to NBFCs.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1646470" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Pandit Jasraj',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently<strong> Pandit Jasraj,</strong> one of the world's most prominent <strong><a href="/to-the-points/paper1/hindustani-music-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian classical</a></strong> vocalists, passed away.</p>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597731845_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597731845_image1.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Pandit Jasraj was associated with <strong>Mewati<em> gharana</em></strong> of music.</li>
<li>He is known for his unconventional mixing of<strong><em> khayal</em></strong> with elements of<em> <a href="/mains-practice-question/question-309" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>bhakti</strong></a> rasa,</em> employing <em>harkats</em> and <em>murkis</em> that were traditionally used in light classical music.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><em>Khayal</em> is a <strong>musical</strong> form based on the elaboration of a Raga with lyrical composition consisting of two stanzas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He also performed semi-classical old musical forms such as the <em><strong>Haveli sangeet.</strong></em><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><em>Haveli Sangeet</em> are performances are held in temples and the compositions are sung in praise of <strong>Lord Krishna.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He created a unique form of jugalbandi called<strong><em> Jasrangi,</em></strong> in which a male and a female singer sing different ragas in their respective scales to merge their individual displays into one unified performance.</li>
<li>He is the recipient of numerous awards, honours, and titles, including the prestigious <strong>Padma Vibhushan and the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sangeet-natak-akademi-awards-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Sangeet Natak Akademi</a> Award.</strong></li>
<li>Recently, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/asteroid-named-after-pandit-jasraj" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>named an asteroid after him</strong></a>, <strong>formally known as 2006 VP32, </strong>as <strong>Panditjasraj.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He was the <strong>first Indian musician</strong> to receive this honour.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Gharana</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Gharana in <strong>Hindustani music of India,</strong> is a community of performers who share a <strong>distinctive musical style</strong> that traces to a <strong>particular instructor or region or ancestry.</strong></li>
<li>It includes not only peculiarities of <strong>performance</strong> and <strong>repertoire</strong> but also a broader <strong>ideology of music, aesthetics,</strong> and<strong> pedagogy.</strong></li>
<li>The style must be passed down through<strong> at least three generations</strong> before it and its practitioners may be considered a<em> gharana.</em></li>
<li><em>Gharanas exist</em> for both<strong> vocal</strong> and<strong> instrumental</strong> traditions as well as for<strong> dance.</strong></li>
<li>The gharana concept gained currency only in the nineteenth century when the<strong> royal patronage</strong> enjoyed by performers <strong>weakened.</strong> Performers were then compelled to move to urban centres. To retain their respective identities, they associated themselves with the names of the regions they hailed from.</li>
<li>Some of the gharanas well known for<strong> singing are :</strong> Agra, Gwalior, Mewati, Bhendibazar, Jaipur (<em>Khyal</em> Singing); Mathura, Rampur, Darbhanga (<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dhrupad" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Dhrupad</strong></em></a> Singing); Banaras, Lucknow, Patiala (<em>Thumri</em> Singing).</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/legendary-classical-vocalist-pandit-jasraj-dies-at-90/article32376512.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/pandit-jasraj-1'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Prashant Bhushan Judgement & The Law of Contempt',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This editorial analysis is based on the article, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/prashant-bhushan-contempt-law-challenged-supreme-court-6557620/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Prashant Bhushan judgment spells out a chilling lesson which undermines that most valuable fundamental right, the freedom of speech&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in the Indian Express on 17th of August 2020. It analyses the different dimensions of the verdict.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, the Supreme Court has held the advocate<strong> Prashant Bhushan as guilty of contempt of court</strong> for his two tweets criticising the judiciary.</p>
<p>Bhushan's first tweet pertained to a picture of Chief Justice SA Bobde in which he is seen sitting on a high-end motorcycle. In the second tweet, Bhushan gave an opinion on the role of the last four chief justices of India in the context of the state of affairs in the country.</p>
<p>The provision of contempt of court is necessary to maintain the sanctity of the Judiciary in the public eye. However, many constitutional experts and civil society have criticised the invocation of contempt of court provisions, on the grounds of ambiguity in the legal provisions and arbitrariness.</p>
<h3>What is Contempt of Court?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Constitutional Provisions: Article 129 and 215</strong> of the Constitution of India empowers the Supreme Court and High Court respectively to punish people for their respective contempt.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Article 142</strong> of the Indian Constitution also empowers the court to punish for its contempt. However what is <strong>contempt of court per se has not been defined by the Indian Constitution.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Statutory Provisions:</strong> The Contempt of Court Act, 1971 elaborately deals with the concept of contempt of court.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Section 10 of The Contempt of Courts Act of 1971</strong> defines the power of the High Court to punish contempts of its subordinate courts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The Contempt of Court Act, 1971</strong></p>
<p><strong>According to section 2 of the Act,</strong> Contempt can be of two types which are Civil and Criminal.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Civil Contempt:</strong> Under Section 2(b) of the Contempt of Courts Act of 1971, civil contempt has been defined as wilful disobedience to any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other process of a court or wilful breach of an undertaking given to a court.</li>
<li><strong>Criminal Contempt</strong>: Under Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act of 1971, criminal contempt has been defined as the publication (whether by words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise) of any matter or the doing of any other act whatsoever which:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Scandalises or tends to scandalise, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of, any court, or</li>
<li>Prejudices, or interferes or tends to interfere with the due course of any judicial proceeding, or</li>
<li>Interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other manner</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Supreme Court and High Courts have the <strong>power to punish for contempt of court, either with simple imprisonment for a term up to six months or with fine up to 2,000 or with both.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>The Court&rsquo;s Judgement</h3>
<p><strong>Interference:</strong> It rejected the argument that the tweet has not really interfered with administration of justice. However, the court relied on past judgements by the Supreme Court to initiate the proceedings against the advocate.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It held that it is not necessary to prove affirmatively that there has been actual interference with the administration of justice.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>If a defamatory statement is likely to interfere with the proper administration of justice,</strong> then it can be a ground for contempt.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Also,<strong> the comments that can have an inevitable effect of undermining the confidence of the public in the judiciary,</strong> can be a ground for contempt.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Scandalising of Court:</strong> Regarding what constitutes the &lsquo;scandalising of court&rsquo; the court had already held that the real test is to determine <strong>whether the vilification is of the judge as a judge, or as an individual.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>If the latter, the judge is left to his private remedies, and the court has no power to commit for contempt.</strong></li>
<li>For ascertaining good faith and the public interest, the courts have to see all the surrounding circumstances including the person responsible for comments, his knowledge in the field, and the intended purpose.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Dichotomy and the Arbitrariness</h3>
<p>However there have been issues of arbitrariness and interpretation of the word scandalising court.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The expression<strong> &ldquo;scandalising the court&rdquo; has not been defined.</strong></li>
<li>The court <strong>also held that fair criticism of judges, if made in good faith in public interest, is not contempt.</strong> But how to ascertain good faith is the million-dollar question as the Act has not defined it as well.</li>
<li>When Arun Jaitley, the late minister had said that there are two kinds of judges, one who knows Law and the other who knows Law minister, it was not taken as contempt. He had also remarked that pre retirement judgements are inspired by the post retirement jobs.</li>
<li>When 4 judges in 2018 held a press conference and questioned the integrity of the CJI and the court, it was not taken as contempt.</li>
<li>In a case involving Bhushan himself in 2001, proceedings against him were dropped. The Supreme Court had held that personal criticism of a judge does not amount to &ldquo;fair criticism&rdquo;.</li>
<li>Another question is that can a mere tweet really obstruct the administration of justice, and whether judicial dignity is so fragile that it would get lowered in mature Indian people&rsquo;s eyes because of an activist-lawyer&rsquo;s opinion?
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In Shiv Shankar (1988), the Supreme Court held that a <strong>criticism of the court that does not impair and hamper the administration of justice cannot be punished as contempt.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Consequences</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Prashant Bhushan judgement gives an impression that the court treated Bhushan&rsquo;s tweets as the occasion for the <strong>Court to flex its muscle and make clear that it will not tolerate criticism. It sends a chilling effect to the constitutional right of freedom of speech and expression.</strong></li>
<li>The Court, whom we have always proclaimed to be the defender of the freedom of speech, has by its judgment curtailed that very freedom by the exercise of its contempt jurisdiction, a jurisdiction <strong>where the Court is judge, victim and prosecutor.</strong></li>
<li>The court also brought up an 11 year old contempt case against him. That Bhushan&rsquo;s comments had not lowered the Court&rsquo;s esteem or brought it into disrepute for 11 years, that it did not merit disposal during a pandemic when matters of far greater importance were pending.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The right to speech and expression is a fundamental right guaranteed by the constitution itself. <strong>There must be a balance between the right to speech and the court's power to punish its criticism.</strong></li>
<li>In a free market place every wing of the State must be open to public criticism. The <strong>Judiciary can&rsquo;t carve a special status for itself because in India every wing of the state is separate and equal.</strong></li>
<li>The law is a<strong> colonial legacy</strong> and even England and the USA have upheld freedom to speech over the Judicial criticism.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Many of the developed countries have abolished the scandalising of court as contempt and so Indian courts too must consider this proposition.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In the words of <strong>Lord Atkin, &ldquo;justice is not a cloistered virtue&rdquo;. Lord Denning had said that he would never use the contempt jurisdiction to uphold his own dignity for &ldquo;that must rest on surer foundations&rdquo;. In words that bear repetition, he said: &ldquo;We do not fear criticism, nor do we resent it. For there is something far more important at stake. It is no less than freedom of speech itself.&rdquo;</strong></li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fffef0;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>What do you mean by contempt of court? Critically analyse the law related to it in India.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EA6HinY6ZwY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/transparent-taxation-income-tax-narendra-modi-cag-6553648/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Good steps on tax&rdquo;</strong></a> which was based in The Indian Express on August 17<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube Channel.</p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/prashant-bhushan-judgement-the-law-of-contempt'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'National Digital Health Mission',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Prime Minister of India announced the launch of <strong>National Digital Health Mission (NDHM)</strong> on 74<sup>th</sup> Independence Day..</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This is a part of three digital announcements by the Prime Minister including a new cyber security policy and optical fibre connectivity to six lakh villages in the country.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The NDHM is a complete <strong>digital health ecosystem.</strong> The digital platform will be launched with four key features &mdash; <strong>health ID, personal health records, Digi Doctor </strong>and<strong> health facility registry.</strong></li>
<li>At a later stage, it will also include <strong>e-pharmacy and telemedicine services,</strong> regulatory guidelines for which are being framed.</li>
<li>The NDHM is implemented by the<strong> National Health Authority (NHA)</strong> under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>National Health Authority (NHA),</strong> is also the implementing agency for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ayushman-bharat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ayushman Bharat.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The platform will be available in the form of an <strong>app</strong> and <strong>website.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>Digi Doctor</strong> option will allow doctors from across the country to enrol and their details, including their contact numbers if they want to provide them, will be available.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These doctors will also be<strong> assigned digital signatures for free</strong> which can be used for <strong>writing prescriptions.</strong></li>
<li>It will be <strong>voluntary for the hospitals and doctors</strong> to provide details for the app.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Health ID</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The national health ID will be a<strong> repository of all health-related information</strong> of every Indian.</li>
<li><strong>Various healthcare providers &mdash;</strong> such as hospitals, laboratories, insurance companies, online pharmacies, telemedicine firms &mdash; will be expected to participate in the health ID system.</li>
<li>Every patient who wishes to have their health records available digitally must create a <strong>unique Health ID,</strong> using their basic details and mobile or <strong>Aadhaar</strong> number.</li>
<li>Each Health ID will be linked to a <strong>health data consent manager,</strong> which will be used to seek the patient&rsquo;s consent and allow for seamless <strong>flow of health information from the Personal Health Records module.</strong></li>
<li>The Health ID will be <strong>voluntary</strong> and<strong> applicable across states,</strong> hospitals, diagnostic laboratories and pharmacies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>National Health Policy 2017</strong> had envisaged creation of a digital health technology eco-system aiming at developing an integrated health information system that serves the needs of all stakeholders and improves efficiency, transparency and citizens&rsquo; experience with linkage across public and private healthcare. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A Digital Health ID was proposed to &ldquo;greatly reduce the risk of preventable medical errors and significantly increase quality of care&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In the context of this, the central government&rsquo;s think-tank NITI Aayog, in <strong>June 2018,</strong> floated a consultation of a digital backbone for India&rsquo;s health system <strong>&mdash; National Health Stack (NHS).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NHS was intended to be a digital infrastructure built with the aim of making the health insurance system more transparent and robust, while factoring in the uniqueness of India&rsquo;s health sector, and the political realities of federalism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A committee headed by former Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chairman released the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-digital-health-blueprint" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Digital Health Blueprint</strong></a> in <strong>July 2019.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NDHB recognised the need to establish a specialised organisation, called the <strong>National Digital Health Mission (NDHM),</strong> to facilitate the evolution of the National Digital Health Ecosystem.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>On<strong> 7<sup>th</sup> August 2020,</strong> National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) released its latest <strong>strategic document</strong>, outlining the envisioned digital registries of doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and insurance companies, digital personal health records, and digital clinical decision systems.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Health Policy 2017</strong></p>
<p>Aiming to provide healthcare in an<strong> &ldquo;assured manner&rdquo;</strong> to all, the NHP 2017 strives to address current and emerging challenges arising from the ever-changing socio-economic, technological and epidemiological scenarios.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Features</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The policy advocates a <strong>progressively incremental assurance-based approach.</strong></li>
<li>It denotes an important change towards a comprehensive primary health care package which includes care for major <strong>NCDs (non-communicable diseases), mental health, geriatric health care, palliative care and rehabilitative care services.</strong></li>
<li>It envisages providing larger package of assured comprehensive primary health care through the <strong>&lsquo;Health and Wellness Centres&rsquo;</strong></li>
<li>The policy proposes <strong>free drugs, free diagnostics and free emergency and essential health care services in all public hospitals</strong> in a bid to provide access and financial protection.</li>
<li>It also envisages a <strong>three-dimensional integration of<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ayush-wellness-centres-under-national-ayush-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> AYUSH</a> systems</strong> encompassing cross referrals, co-location and integrative practices across systems of medicines.</li>
<li>It also seeks an <strong>effective grievance redressal mechanism.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Health Expenditure:</strong> The policy proposes raising public health expenditure to <strong>2.5% of the GDP by 2025.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Targets:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To<strong> increase life expectancy</strong> at birth from 67.5 to 70 by 2025 and reduce infant mortality rate to 28 by 2019.</li>
<li>To <strong>reduce mortality of children under-five</strong> years of age to 23 by the year 2025.</li>
<li>To allocate a major proportion of resources to primary care and intends to ensure availability <strong>of two beds per 1,000 population</strong> distributed in a manner to enable access <strong>within golden hour</strong> (the first hour after traumatic injury, when the victim is most likely to benefit from emergency treatment).</li>
<li>To achieve the <strong>global 2020 HIV target under 90-90-90 UNAIDS Target according to which by 2020,</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status.</li>
<li>90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy.</li>
<li>90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The NDHM still does not recognize <strong>&lsquo;Health&rsquo; as a justiciable right.</strong> There should be a push draft at making health a right, as prescribed in the <strong>draft National Health Policy, 2015.</strong></li>
<li>One of the biggest concerns is regarding<strong> data security and privacy of patients.</strong> It must be ensured that the health records of the patients remain entirely confidential and secure.</li>
<li>In addition, the<strong> failure</strong> of a similar <strong>National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom</strong> must be learnt lessons from and the technical and implementation-related deficiencies must be proactively addressed prior to launching the mission on a pan India scale.</li>
<li>The standardisation of NDHM architecture across the country will need to find ways to <strong>accommodate state-specific rules.</strong> It also needs to be in sync with government schemes like <strong>Ayushman Bharat Yojana</strong> and other IT-enabled schemes like <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-health-mission-and-janani-suraksha-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reproductive Child Health Care</strong></a> and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-tb-report-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NIKSHAY</strong></a> etc.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-what-is-the-national-health-id-announced-by-pm-modi-6556155/" 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/national-digital-health-mission'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Raja Ram Mohan Roy',
		'catname' => 'Paper 4',
		'desc' => '<p>Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the <strong>father of Modern India&rsquo;s Renaissance</strong> and a tireless <strong>social reformer</strong> who inaugurated the age of enlightenment and<strong> liberal reformist modernisation</strong> in India.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Life</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born on<strong> 22 May 1772</strong> in an orthodox Brahman family at <strong>Radhanagar</strong> in Bengal.</li>
<li>Ram Mohan Roy&rsquo;s early education included the study of<strong> Persian</strong> and <strong>Arabic</strong> at Patna where he read the Quran, the works of Sufi mystic poets and the Arabic translation of the works of Plato and Aristotle. In Benaras, he studied<strong> Sanskrit</strong> and read Vedas and Upnishads.</li>
<li>Returning to his village, at the age of sixteen, he wrote a <strong>rational critique of Hindu idol worship.</strong></li>
<li>From 1803 to 1814, he worked for East India Company as the <strong>personal diwan</strong> first of <strong>Woodforde</strong> and then of <strong>Digby.</strong></li>
<li>In 1814, he resigned from his job and moved to Calcutta in order to devote his life to <strong>religious, social and political reforms.</strong></li>
<li>In November 1930, he sailed for England to be present there to counteract the possible nullification of the Act banning <strong>Sati.</strong></li>
<li>Ram Mohan Roy was given the title of<strong> &lsquo;Raja&rsquo;</strong> by the titular Mughal Emperor of Delhi, <strong>Akbar II</strong> whose grievances the former was to present before the British king.</li>
<li>In his address, entitled <strong>&lsquo;Inaugurator of the Modern Age in India,&rsquo;</strong> Tagore referred to Ram Mohan as<strong> &lsquo;a luminous star in the firmament of Indian history&rsquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Ideology</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Ram Mohan Roy was greatly influenced by western modern thought and stressed on <strong>rationalism </strong>and<strong> modern scientific approach.</strong></li>
<li>Ram Mohan Roy&rsquo;s immediate problematique was the<strong> religious and social degeneration</strong> of his native Bengal.</li>
<li>He believed that<strong> religious orthodoxies</strong> have become causes of injury and detrimental to social life and sources of trouble and bewilderment to the people, instead of tending to the amelioration of the condition of society.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Raja Ram Mohan Roy concluded that religious reform is both <strong>social reform</strong> and <strong>political modernisation.</strong></li>
<li>Ram Mohan believed that each sinner must make restitution for his sins and it is to be done through <strong>self-purification</strong> and <strong>repentance</strong> and not through sacrifices and rituals.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He believed in <strong>social equality</strong> of all human beings and thus was a strong opposer of the caste system.</li>
<li>Ram Mohan was attracted to <strong>Islamic monotheism.</strong> He said that monotheism is also the fundamental message of <strong>Vedanta.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>His idea of single, unitarian god was a <strong>corrective to the polytheism</strong> of orthodox Hinduism and to <strong>Christian trinitarianism.</strong> He believed that monotheism supported one <strong>universal model for humanity.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Raja Ram Mohan Roy believed that unless women were freed from unhuman forms of oppression like illiteracy, child marriage, sati, purdah, Hindu society can not progress. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He characterised sati as the <strong>violation of every humane</strong> and<strong> social feeling</strong> and as symptomatic of the <strong>moral debasement of a race.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Contributions</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Religious reforms:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Raja Ram Mohan Roy&rsquo;s first published work <strong>Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhiddin</strong> (a gift to deists) published in 1803 exposed irrational religious beliefs and corrupt practices of the Hindus as the belief in revelations, prophets, miracles etc.</li>
<li>In 1814, he founded <strong>Atmiya Sabha</strong> in Calcutta to campaign against idolatry, caste rigidities, meaningless rituals and other social ills.</li>
<li>He criticized the ritualism of Christianity and rejected Christ as the incarnation of God. <strong>In Precepts of Jesus</strong> (1820), he tried to separate the moral and philosophical message of the New Testament, which he praised, from its miracle stories.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Social reforms:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Raja Ram Mohan Roy conceived reformist religious associations as instruments of social and political transformation. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He founded the <strong>Atmiya Sabha</strong> in 1815, the <strong>Calcutta Unitarian Association</strong> in 1821, and the<strong> Brahmo Sabha</strong> in 1828 which later became the <strong>Brahmo Samaj.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>He campaigned against the caste system, untouchability, superstitions and use of intoxicants.</li>
<li>He was well known for his pioneering thought and action on the emancipation of women and especially on the <strong>abolition of sati</strong> and <strong>widow remarriage.</strong></li>
<li>He attacked <strong>child marriage, illiteracy of women</strong> and the degraded state of widows and demanded the right of inheritance and property for women.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Brahmo Samaj</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded <strong>Brahmo Sabha</strong> in<strong> 1828,</strong> which was later renamed as <strong>Brahmo Samaj.</strong></li>
<li>Its chief aim was the worship of the eternal God. It was against priesthood, rituals and sacrifices.</li>
<li>It focused on <strong>prayers, meditation and reading of the scriptures.</strong> It believed in the unity of all religions.</li>
<li>It was the<strong> first intellectual reform movement in modern India.</strong> It led to the emergence of<strong> rationalism and enlightenment</strong> in India which indirectly contributed to the nationalist movement.</li>
<li>It was the forerunner of all social, religious and political movements of modern India. It split into two in 1866, namely <strong>Brahmo Samaj of India</strong> led by<strong> Keshub Chandra Sen</strong> and <strong>Adi Brahmo Samaj</strong> led by <strong>Debendranath Tagore.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Prominent Leaders:</strong> Debendranath Tagore, Keshub Chandra Sen, Pt. Sivnath Shastri, and Rabindranath Tagore.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Educational reforms:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Roy did much to disseminate the benefits of modern education to his countrymen. He supported <strong>David Hare&rsquo;s</strong> efforts to find the <strong>Hindu College</strong> in <strong>1817,</strong> while Roy&rsquo;s English school taught mechanics and <strong>Voltaire&rsquo;s philosophy.</strong></li>
<li>In <strong>1825,</strong> he established <strong>Vedanta college</strong> where courses in both Indian learning and Western social and physical sciences were offered.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic and Political Reforms:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Civil liberties:</strong> Roy was impressed and admired the British system of constitutional government for the<strong> civil liberties</strong> it gave to the people. He wanted to extend the benefits of that system of government to Indian people.</li>
<li><strong>Press freedom:</strong> Through his writings and activities, he supported the movement for <strong>free press in India.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>When press censorship was relaxed by Lord Hastings in <strong>1819,</strong> Ram Mohan found three journals- <strong>The Brahmanical Magazine&nbsp;</strong>(1821); The Bengali weekly, <strong>Samvad Kaumudi</strong> (1821); and the Persian weekly, <strong>Mirat-ul-Akbar.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Taxation reforms:</strong> Roy condemned oppressive practices of Bengali zamindars and demanded<strong> fixation of minimum rents.</strong> He also demanded the<strong> abolition of taxes </strong>on <strong>tax-free lands.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>He called for a<strong> reduction of export duties on Indian goods</strong> abroad and the abolition of the East India Company&rsquo;s trading rights.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Administrative reforms:</strong> He demanded the <strong>Indianisation of superior services </strong>and <strong>separation of the executive from judiciary.</strong> He demanded equality between Indians and Europeans.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Literary Works of Raja Ram Mohan Roy</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin (1804)</li>
<li>Vedanta Gantha (1815)</li>
<li>Translation of an abridgement of the Vedanta Sara (1816)</li>
<li>Kenopanishads (1816)</li>
<li>Ishopanishad (1816)</li>
<li>Kathopanishad (1817)</li>
<li>A Conference between the Advocate for, and an Opponent of Practice of Burning Widows Alive (Bengali and English) (1818)</li>
<li>Mundaka Upanishad (1819)</li>
<li>A Defence of Hindu Theism (1820)</li>
<li>The Precepts of Jesus- The Guide to Peace and Happiness (1820)</li>
<li>Bengali Grammar (1826)</li>
<li>The Universal Religion (1829)</li>
<li>History of Indian Philosophy (1829)</li>
<li>Gaudiya Vyakaran (1833)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Raja Ram Mohan Roy was one of the few people in his time to realise completely the significance of modern age. He knew that the ideal of human civilization does not lie in isolation of independence, but in the brotherhood of inter-dependence of individuals as well as nations. His attempt was to establish Indian people in the full consciousness of their own cultural personality, to make them comprehend the reality that was unique in their civilisations in the spirit of sympathetic cooperation.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper4/raja-ram-mohan-roy'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'Fly Ash',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)</strong> has developed an infrastructure to transport <strong>fly ash</strong> from power plants in bulk to cement plants, at a cheaper cost.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It will pave the way for <strong>efficient and environment friendly</strong> transportation.</li>
<li>This development is in line with NTPC's commitment towards <strong>100% utilization of fly ash from power plants.</strong> At present, 63% of the fly ash is being utilised in India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Fly Ash:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Definition:</strong> It is a <strong>byproduct from burning of coal</strong> in electric power generating plants. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is <strong>called fly ash because</strong> it is transported from the combustion chamber by exhaust gases.</li>
<li>It is collected from the exhaust gases by<strong> electrostatic precipitators</strong> or bag filters.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Composition:</strong> Fly ash includes substantial amounts of silicon dioxide (SiO<sub>2</sub>), aluminium oxide (Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>), ferric oxide (Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) and calcium oxide (CaO).</li>
<li><strong>Properties:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Resemble Portland cement</strong> but is chemically different. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Portland cement is a binding material in the form of a finely ground powder, that is manufactured by burning and grinding a mixture of<strong> limestone and clay.</strong></li>
<li>Its<strong> chemical composition</strong> includes calcium silicates, calcium aluminate and calcium aluminoferrite.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Exhibit <strong>cementitious</strong> properties.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A cementitious material is one that hardens when mixed with water.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Uses:</strong> It is used in concrete and cement products, road base, metal recovery, and mineral filler among others.</li>
<li><strong>Harmful Effects:</strong> Fly ash particles are toxic air pollutants. They can trigger heart disease, cancer, respiratory diseases and stroke. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>When combined with water they cause <strong>leaching of heavy metals in ground water.</strong></li>
<li>It also <strong>pollutes the soil,</strong> and affects the root development system of trees.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>NTPC</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NTPC Ltd. is a<strong> central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU)</strong> under the <strong>Ministry of Power.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Aim:</strong> To provide reliable power and related solutions in an economical, efficient and environment-friendly manner, driven by innovation and agility.</li>
<li>It became a <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sectors-of-indian-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Maharatna company</strong></a> in May 2010.</li>
<li>It is located in <strong>New Delhi.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1646264" 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/fly-ash-1'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'Anti-Drug Working Group BRICS',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the 4<sup>th</sup> Session of the <strong>BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group</strong> was held through a video conference.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The session was <strong>chaired by Russia</strong> this year.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Issues Raised by India:</strong> India raised the misuse of <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/dark-net" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>darknet</strong></a> and modern technology used for <strong>drug trafficking by the international criminals</strong> in the meeting.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It also called for nodal points to enable<strong> real-time information sharing</strong> among BRICS nations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Trends of Drug Trafficking:</strong> The BRICS grouping discussed<strong> international and regional trends of illegal trafficking</strong> in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances among others. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It also discussed <strong>steps to curb</strong> increased instances of drug trafficking through the maritime route.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>A Global Menace:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/illicit-drug-supply-and-covid-19-unodc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>report</strong> </a>released in May 2020 by the <strong>United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Report (UNODC), <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19</a></strong> induced <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/21-days-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>lockdowns</strong> </a>and movement restrictions may lead to an initial statistical reduction in drug seizures, but is <strong>unlikely to have any effect on illicit drug supply.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India and Illicit Drug Trade:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Major Hub of Illicit Drug Trade:</strong> According to <strong>UNODC,</strong> India is one of the major hubs of illicit drug trade ranging from age-old <strong>cannabis</strong> to newer prescription drugs like tramadol, and designer drugs like methamphetamine.</li>
<li><strong>Drug Trafficking Routes:</strong> India is in the <strong>middle of two major illicit opium production</strong> regions in the world, the <strong>Golden Crescent (Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan)</strong> in the west and the <strong>Golden Triangle (South-East Asia)</strong> in the east.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Anti-Drug Action Plan:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has also launched the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/anti-drug-action-plan-for-2020-21" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Anti-Drug Action Plan for 2020-21</strong></a> which includes:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>De-addiction Facilities,</li>
<li>Drop-in-Centres for Addicts,</li>
<li>Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts (IRCAs),</li>
<li>Drug-Free India Campaign.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Darknet:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It refers to the<strong> hidden internet platform</strong> used for <strong>narcotics sale, exchange of pornographic content and other illegal activities</strong> by using the secret alleys of the <strong>onion router</strong> (ToR- a free and open-source software for enabling anonymous communication) to stay away from the surveillance of law enforcement agencies.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is<strong> tough to crack</strong> because of its end-to-end encryption.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>dark net is part of the deep web,</strong> which encompasses all unindexed sites that don't pop up when an Internet search is done.</li>
<li>However, <strong>not all activities associated with the deep web are nefarious like darknet.</strong> In most cases, these pages are not searchable because they are <strong>password-protected</strong> and require authorization in order to access them. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Personal email, online banking,</strong> and other similar sites are included under the umbrella of the deep web.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The internet we see today is the only tip of the iceberg, the majority is deep web only.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>BRICS</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>BRICS is an <strong>acronym</strong> for the grouping of the world&rsquo;s leading emerging economies, namely<strong> Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In 2001, the British Economist Jim O&rsquo;Neill coined the term<strong> BRIC</strong> to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.</li>
<li>The grouping was formalised during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers in 2006.</li>
<li><strong>South Africa</strong> was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The<strong> chairmanship</strong> of the forum is <strong>rotated annually</strong> among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.</li>
<li>During the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (2014) the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the <strong>New Development Bank (NDB).</strong> They also signed the <strong>BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Golden Triangle</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It represents the region coinciding with the rural mountains of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand.</li>
<li>It is Southeast Asia&rsquo;s main opium-producing region and one of the oldest narcotics supply routes to Europe and North America.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Golden Crescent</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This region of South Asia is a principal global site for opium production and distribution.</li>
<li>It comprises Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1646245" 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/anti-drug-working-group-brics'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'Oil Spill in Mauritius',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A japanese bulk-carrier ship MV Wakashio which was carrying fuel oil has split into two parts near <strong>Blue Bay Marine Park</strong> in<strong> south-east Mauritius.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The ship was already leaking and has caused an oil spill of over 1000 tonnes in the <strong>Indian Ocean.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The vessel has broken near<strong> Pointe d'esny</strong> in Mauritius and the area has many environmentally sensitive zones.</li>
<li><strong>Effects:</strong> The oil spill threatens the ecology of the<strong> coastline of Mauritius</strong> and the <strong>marine life in the Indian Ocean.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It endangers the already endangered <strong>coral reefs, seagrasses in the shallow waters, mangroves, the fishes and other aquatic fauna.</strong></li>
<li>Some key wildlife at risk include: Giant tortoises, endangered green turtle, and the<strong>&nbsp;Pink Pigeon.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597653580_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597653580_image1.jpg" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> pink pigeon <em>(Nesoenas mayeri)</em></strong> is a species of pigeon, endemic to the Mascarene island of Mauritius.</li>
<li>It has been listed as<strong> &lsquo;vulnerable&rsquo;</strong> in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</strong></a> Red List of Threatened Species.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Liability:</strong> Under the <strong>International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution, 2001, the owners of vessels are responsible for damage caused by oil leaks.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This convention, also known as <strong>BUNKER convention,</strong> came into force in <strong>2008</strong> and is administered by the <strong>International Maritime Organization (IMO).</strong></li>
<li>The Convention was adopted to ensure that <strong>adequate, prompt, and effective compensation</strong> is available to persons who suffer <strong>damage caused by spills of oil,</strong> when carried as fuel in ships' bunkers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Blue Bay Marine Park:</strong> It is designated as a<strong> Wetland of International Importance by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-wetlands-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ramsar Convention</a>.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The presence of <strong>coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass meadows,</strong> and<strong> macro algae</strong> make it an ecologically sensitive zone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Oil Spill</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Definition:</strong> An oil spill refers to any<strong> uncontrolled release</strong> of crude oil, gasoline, fuels, or other oil by-products into the environment. Oil spills can pollute land, air, or water, though it is mostly used for oceanic oil spills.</li>
<li><strong>Cause:</strong> They have become a major environmental problem, chiefly as a result of <strong>intensified petroleum exploration and production</strong> on continental shelves and the transport of large amounts of oils in vessels.</li>
<li><strong>Environmental Impacts</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Oil on ocean surfaces is harmful to many forms of aquatic life because it<strong> prevents sufficient amounts of sunlight</strong> from penetrating the surface, and it also reduces the<strong> level of dissolved oxygen.</strong></li>
<li>Crude oil ruins the insulating and waterproofing properties of feathers and fur of birds, and thus oil-coated birds and marine mammals may die from <strong>hypothermia</strong> (decrease in body temperature to below-normal levels).</li>
<li>Moreover,<strong> ingested</strong> oil can be toxic to affected animals, and damage their<strong> habitat and reproductive rate.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Saltwater marshes</strong> and <strong>mangroves</strong> frequently suffer from oil spills.</li>
<li>Experts say that despite best efforts, generally <strong>less than 10% of oil spilled</strong> in incidents like these is successfully <strong>cleaned up.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic Impacts:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If beaches and populated shorelines are fouled, <strong>tourism</strong> and<strong> commerce</strong> may be severely affected.</li>
<li>The <strong>power plants and other utilities</strong> that depend on drawing or discharging sea water are severely affected by oil spills.</li>
<li>Major oil spills are frequently followed by the <strong>immediate suspension of commercial fishing.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cleanup of Oil Spill:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Containment Booms:</strong> Floating barriers, called booms are used to restrict the spread of oil and to allow for its recovery, removal, or dispersal.</li>
<li><strong>Skimmers:</strong> They are devices used for physically separating spilled oil from the water&rsquo;s surface.</li>
<li><strong>Sorbents:</strong> Various sorbents (e.g., straw, volcanic ash, and shavings of polyester-derived plastic) that absorb the oil from the water are used.</li>
<li><strong>Dispersing agents:&nbsp;</strong>These are chemicals that contain surfactants, or compounds that act to break liquid substances such as oil into small droplets. They accelerate its natural dispersion into the sea.</li>
<li><strong>Biological agents:</strong> Nutrients, enzymes, or microorganisms such as <strong><em>Alcanivorax</em></strong> bacteria or <em><strong>Methylocella</strong> <strong>silvestris</strong></em> that increase the rate at which natural biodegradation of oil occurs are added.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Incidents of Oil Spills:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently, <strong>Russia</strong> declared a state of emergency in its <strong>Krasnoyarsk Region</strong> after a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/oil-spill-in-siberia" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>power plant fuel leaked</strong></a> causing 20,000 tonnes of diesel oil to escape into the <strong>Ambarnaya River.</strong></li>
<li>In 2010, the<strong> Deep Water Horizon incident</strong> off the <strong>Gulf of Mexico</strong> saw nearly 400,000 tonnes of oil spill, resulting in the death of thousands of species ranging from plankton to dolphins</li>
<li>In 1978, a large crude oil carrier ran aground off the coast of <strong>Brittany, France,</strong> which leaked nearly 70 million gallons of oil into the sea, killing millions of invertebrates and an estimated 20,000 birds</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/leaking-bulk-carrier-ship-in-mauritius-splits-into-two/article32369658.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/oil-spill-in-mauritius'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Minimum Age of Marriage for Girls',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The Prime Minister, during his address to the nation on the <strong>74<sup>th</sup> Independence Day,</strong> <br />announced that the <strong>central government has set up a committee to reconsider the minimum age of marriage for women,</strong> which is<strong> currently 18.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the Committee:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>On 2<sup>nd</sup> June 2020, the <strong>Union Ministry for Women and Child Development</strong> set up a committee to examine matters pertaining to age of motherhood, imperatives of lowering <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/decline-in-maternal-mortality-ratio" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Maternal Mortality Ratio</strong> </a>and the improvement of nutritional levels among women. The Committee is <strong>headed by Jaya Jaitely.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Committee was <strong>proposed in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/union-budget-2020-21-social-sector-and-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Union Budget 2020-21.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It will examine the <strong>correlation of age of marriage and motherhood with health, medical well-being,</strong> and nutritional status of the mother and neonate, infant or child, during pregnancy, birth and thereafter.</li>
<li>It will also look at key parameters like<strong><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-tackling-infant-mortality#:~:text=Schemes%20like%20Janani%20Suraksha%20Yojana,reduce%20the%20prevalence%20of%20IMR." target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)</a>, Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indias-falling-fertility-rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Total Fertility Rate (TFR)</a>, Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) </strong>and<strong> Child Sex Ratio (CSR), </strong>and will<strong> examine the possibility of increasing the age of marriage for women from the present 18 years to 21 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Link Between Age of Marriage and Nutrition:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A study conducted by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/teenage-pregnancy-and-stunted-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)</strong></a>, which was published in 2019, showed that <strong>children born to adolescent mothers (10-19 years) were 5 percentage points more likely to be stunted</strong> (shorter for their age) than those born to young adults (20-24 years), and 11 percentage points more stunted than children born to adult mothers (25 years or older).</li>
<li>Children born to adolescent mothers also had <strong>10 percentage points higher prevalence of low weight</strong> as adult mothers.</li>
<li>It also highlighted other factors, such as <strong>lower education</strong> among teenage mothers and their <strong>poor economic status,</strong> which had the strongest links with a child&rsquo;s height and weight measurements.</li>
<li>It<strong> recommended</strong> that <strong>increasing age at first marriage, age at first birth, and girl&rsquo;s education</strong> are a promising approach to improve maternal and child nutrition.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Arguments Against Increasing the Minimum Age of Marriage of Women:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> National Coalition Advocating for Adolescent Concerns</strong> asserts that increasing the legal age of marriage for girls will only<strong> &ldquo;artificially expand the numbers of married persons deemed underage</strong> and criminalise them and render underage married girls without legal protec<strong>tion&rdquo;. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Instead,</strong> transformative, well resourced measures that increase girls&rsquo; access to education and health, create enabling opportunities and place girl&rsquo;s empowerment at the centre will not just delay marriage but lead to long term, positive health and education outcomes.</li>
<li>It recommended<strong> bringing education for three-to-five year-olds and 15-to-18 years under the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/right-to-education#:~:text=Feature%20of%20Right%20to%20Education,SCs%20and%20STs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Right to Education</a>,</strong> instead of confining the law to children between 6 years to 14 years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Present Age for Marriage</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> Special Marriage Act, 1954</strong> and the <strong>Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006</strong> prescribe <strong>18</strong> and <strong>21</strong> years as the minimum age of consent for marriage for <strong>women</strong> and <strong>men</strong> respectively.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It needs to be noted that the <strong>minimum age of marriage is distinct from the age of majority</strong> which is gender-neutral. An individual attains the age of majority at <strong>18</strong> as per the<strong> Indian Majority Act, 1875.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The laws prescribe a minimum age of marriage to essentially <strong>outlaw <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-say-no-to-child-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">child marriages</a></strong> and <strong>prevent the abuse of minors.</strong> Personal laws of various religions that deal with marriage have their own standards, often reflecting custom.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For Hindus, <strong>Section 5(iii) of The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955,</strong> sets 18 years as the minimum age for the bride and 21 years as the minimum age for the groom. However, <strong>child marriages are not illegal &mdash;</strong> even though they can be declared void at the request of the minor in the marriage.</li>
<li>In<strong> Islam,</strong> the marriage of a minor who has attained puberty is considered valid.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Additionally,<strong> sexual intercourse with a minor is rape,</strong> and the &lsquo;consent&rsquo; of a minor is regarded as invalid since she is deemed incapable of giving consent at that age.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>History</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> Indian Penal Code enacted in 1860</strong> criminalised sexual intercourse with a <strong>girl</strong> below the age of <strong>10.</strong> The provision of rape was amended in 1927 through<strong> the Age of Consent Bill, 1927,</strong> which declared that marriage with a girl under <strong>12</strong> would be invalid.</li>
<li>In<strong> 1929, the Child Marriage Restraint Act</strong> set<strong> 16</strong> and <strong>18</strong> years as the minimum age of marriage for girls and boys respectively. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>This law</strong>, popularly<strong> known as the Sarda Act</strong> after its sponsor Harbilas Sarda, a judge and a member of Arya Samaj, was eventually <strong>amended in 1978</strong> to prescribe <strong>18</strong> and <strong>21</strong> years as the age of marriage for a woman and a man respectively.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Different Legal Age of Marriage for Men and Women</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is<strong> no reasoning in the law for having different legal standards of age</strong> for men and women to marry. The laws are a codification of custom and religious practices.</li>
<li>However, the law has been challenged on the grounds of<strong> discrimination.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Such a law <strong>violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution,</strong> which guarantee the right to equality and the right to live with dignity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Against the Supreme Courts&rsquo; Following Judgements:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In <strong>2014,</strong> in the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-decriminalizes-homosexuality" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong> &lsquo;National Legal Services Authority of India v Union of India&rsquo;</strong></em></a> case, the Supreme Court, while <strong>recognising transgenders as the third gender,</strong> said that justice is delivered with the &ldquo;assumption that <strong>humans have equal value</strong> and should, therefore, be treated as equal, as well as by equal laws&rdquo;.</li>
<li>In <strong>2019,</strong> in<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/adultery-is-not-a-crime-supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong> &lsquo;Joseph Shine v Union of India&rsquo;,</strong></em></a> the Supreme Court<strong> decriminalised adultery,</strong> and said that<strong> &ldquo;a law that treats women differently based on gender stereotypes is an affront to women&rsquo;s dignity&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Further <strong>India is a state party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 1979.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW),</strong> which monitors the implementation of the Convention, calls for the abolition of laws that assume women have a different physical or intellectual rate of growth than men.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It needs to be noted that despite laws mandating minimum age and criminalising sexual intercourse with a minor,<strong> child marriages are very prevalent in the country.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>UNICEF estimates suggest that each year, at least <strong>1.5 million girls under the age of 18 are married in India,</strong> which makes the country <strong>home to the largest number of child brides in the world &mdash;</strong> accounting for a third of the global total.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Early pregnancy is associated with increased child mortality rates and affects the health of the mother. Thus, there is a need to focus on a mother&rsquo;s health and readiness to carry a child.</li>
<li>The government needs to emphasize upon economic and social empowerment of women and girls, as well as targeted social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) campaigns. Increasing the minimum age of marriage of women will also lead to gender-neutrality.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/pm-modi-74th-independence-day-women-empowerment-marriage-age-6555937/#:~:text=Prime%20Minister%20Narendra%20Modi%20has,and%2018%20years%20for%20women." 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/minimum-age-of-marriage-for-girls'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'RTI on PM-CARES Fund',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<strong> Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office (PMO)</strong> has denied a <a href="/to-the-points/paper4/right-to-information-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right to Information</strong></a> request related to the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pm-cares-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Prime Minister&rsquo;s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund).</strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Denied Information:</strong> The PMO denied information on the<strong> number of applications and appeals</strong> related to PM-CARES and the Prime Minister&rsquo;s National Relief Fund.</li>
<li><strong>Reason for denial:</strong> The information was denied by the PMO on the grounds that providing it would <strong>&ldquo;disproportionately divert the resources of the office&rdquo;</strong> under <strong>Section 7(9)</strong> of the<strong> Right to Information Act, 2005.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the Section 7 (9) of the RTI Act, &ldquo;an information shall ordinarily be provided in the form in which it is sought unless <strong>it would disproportionately divert the resources</strong> of the public authority or <strong>would be detrimental to the safety </strong>or<strong> preservation</strong> of the record in question.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Criticism:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Misuse:</strong> The move has been criticized by the <a href="/search/CENTRAL%20information%20commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Information Commission (CIC)</strong></a> as <strong>misuse of Section 7(9) by the PMO.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Kerala HC Judgement:</strong> According to the judgment by the<strong> Kerala High Court in 2010,</strong> Section 7(9) does not exempt any public authority from disclosing information. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It only gives discretion to the public authority to provide the information<strong> in a form other than the form in</strong> which the information is sought for.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Section 8 (1)</strong> lists the various valid reasons for exemption against furnishing information under the Act and not Section 7(9).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns around PM CARES Fund:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Concerns have been raised around <strong>the opaqueness</strong> of PM CARES Fund&rsquo;s trust deed against public scrutiny of the expenditure of the fund.</li>
<li>The need for a new PM CARES Fund, given that a <strong>PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF)</strong> with similar objectives exists.</li>
<li>The decision to allow <strong>uncapped corporate donations</strong> to the fund to count as <strong>CSR expenditure,</strong> a facility not provided to PMNRF or the CM&rsquo;s Relief Funds, goes against previous guidelines stating that CSR should not be used to fund government schemes.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A government panel had previously advised against allowing CSR contributions to the PMNRF on the grounds that the <strong>double benefit of tax</strong> exemption would be a <strong>&ldquo;regressive incentive&rdquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Donations to PMCARES have been made tax-exempt, and can be counted against a company&rsquo;s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) obligations. It is also exempt from the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, and <strong>accepts foreign contributions.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Earlier, the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office (PMO) had said that the PM-Cares Fund is <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pm-cares-not-under-rti" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>not a public authority</strong></a> under the ambit of<strong> Section 2(h)</strong> of the RTI Act, 2005.</li>
<li>A<strong> Public Interest Litigation (PIL)</strong> petition has been moved before the Delhi High Court asking to bring PM-CARES Fund under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.</li>
<li>A Petition seeking transfer of contributions made to PM-CARES Fund To the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-disaster-response-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Disaster Response Fund</a> (NDRF)</strong> has also been made in the Supreme Court of India.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The government maintained that statutory funds like NDRF, formed under Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act of 2005, are provided for by central and State budgets. These statutory funds<strong> do not take private contributions,</strong> unlike PM-CARES Fund.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Under<strong> section 2(h) of the RTI Act "Public authority"</strong> means any authority or body or institution of self government established or constituted&mdash;
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>by or under the Constitution;</li>
<li>by any other law made by Parliament/State Legislature.</li>
<li>by notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government, and includes any&mdash;
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>body owned, controlled or substantially financed;</li>
<li>non-Government organisation substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Recently, The Supreme Court has ruled that the office of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cji-under-the-rti-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chief Justice of India (CJI) is a public authority</strong></a> under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Section 8 of the RTI Act, 2005</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This provides for exemption from disclosure of information such as-
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Which would affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State;</li>
<li>Which has been expressly forbidden to be published by any court of law or tribunal;</li>
<li>Which would cause a breach of privilege of Parliament or the State Legislature;</li>
<li>Information including commercial confidence, trade secrets or intellectual property;</li>
<li>Information received in confidence from foreign government;</li>
<li>Information which would endanger the life or physical safety of any person; etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pmo-denies-rti-plea-seeking-info-on-pm-cares/article32369180.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-on-pm-cares-fund'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => '“Once a daughter, always a daughter”: Supreme Court of India',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on the <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/reading-supreme-court-verdict-on-hindu-womens-inheritance-rights-6550767/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Reading the SC verdict on Hindu women&rsquo;s inheritance rights&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Indian Express on 11/08/2020. It talks about the recent Supreme Court&rsquo;s verdict regarding the inheritance of Indian women over parental property.</p>
</div>
<p>In a significant judgment<strong> aimed at ensuring &ldquo;right of equality&rdquo;</strong> of a daughter in a Hindu Undivided Family, the Supreme Court has held that <strong>women will have coparcenary right, or equal right to family property by birth, irrespective of whether her father was alive or not as on September 9, 2005</strong> i.e, the day when Parliament recognised this right by amending the Hindu Succession Act of 1956.</p>
<p>Through this ruling, the Supreme Court has now categorically ruled that the daughters&rsquo; right flows from their birth and not by any other factor such as the existence of their fathers.</p>
<p>Though the judgment envisages to rectify one of the discriminatory social practices, it would require no less than a behavioral change in the mindset of the Indian society to fulfill the goal of gender parity.</p>
<h3>What is this Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act of 2005?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> Mitakshara school of Hindu law, a personal law,</strong> codified as the Hindu Succession Act,1956 used to govern the succession and inheritance of property in Hindus.</li>
<li><strong>Under this law, only male were recognised as the legal heirs</strong> or coparceners and women were not a coparcener in the family and thus were denied the right to inherit their father&rsquo;s property.</li>
<li>As a result of this discrimination,<strong> Section 6 of the Act was amended in the year 2005 to make a daughter of a coparcener also a coparcener by birth</strong> in her own right in the same manner as the son.</li>
<li>The law also gave the daughter the same rights and liabilities in the coparcenary property as she would have had if she had been a son.</li>
</ul>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; text-align: center; background-color: #1c254d;" colspan="2"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Schools of Hindu Laws</strong></span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; text-align: center; background-color: #8a87cc;"><strong>Mitakshara Law School</strong></td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; text-align: center; background-color: #8a87cc;"><strong>Dayabhaga Law School</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">The term Mitakshara is derived from the name of a <strong>commentary written by Vijnaneswara,</strong> on the <strong>Yajnavalkya Smriti.</strong></td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">The term Dayabhaga is derived from a <strong>similarly named text written by Jimutavahana.</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">It is <strong>observed in all parts of India</strong> and <strong>subdivided</strong> into the Benares, the Mithila, the Maharashtra and the Dravida schools.</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">It is observed in <strong>Bengal and Assam.</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;"><strong>A son, by birth acquires an interest in the ancestral property</strong> of the joint family.</td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">A son has <strong>no automatic ownership</strong> right by birth but <strong>acquires it on death of his father.</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 19px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">All the members <strong>enjoy coparcenary rights during the father&rsquo;s lifetime.</strong></td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 19px; background-color: #deddf0;">Sons <strong>do not enjoy coparcenary rights when the father is alive.</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 35px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 35px; background-color: #deddf0;">A coparcener&rsquo;s<strong> share is not defined</strong> and <strong>cannot be disposed of.</strong></td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 35px; background-color: #deddf0;">The share of<strong> each coparcener is defined</strong> and<strong> can be disposed of.</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 67px;">
<td style="width: 50%; height: 67px; background-color: #deddf0;">A <strong>wife cannot demand partition</strong> but has the <strong>right to a share in any partition between her husband and her sons.</strong></td>
<td style="width: 50%; height: 67px; background-color: #deddf0;">Here, the <strong>same right does not exist for the women</strong> because the<strong> sons cannot demand partition</strong> as the father is the absolute owner.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>What is Coparcener &amp; Coparcenary property?</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In a layman&rsquo;s language, coparcener in relation to a Joint Hindu family means<strong> a person who is entitled to demand partition</strong> of his share in the Coparcenary property. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A coparcener is the one <strong>who shares equally in the inheritance of an undivided property.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Coparcenary property is one which is inherited by a Hindu from his/her father, grandfather or great-grandfather. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Only a coparcener has the right to demand partition of property. Share in a property increases or decreases by death or birth in a family.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Before 2005 women were not a part of the coparcenary and hence couldn&rsquo;t claim or inherit the property of the father.</li>
</ul>
<h3>See-Saw Scenario in the Previous Judgements</h3>
<p>Although since 2005, it has been the law that the women are also successor to their father&rsquo;s property but the position of a woman to succeed to her father&rsquo;s property whose father was dead on the day of the enforcement of the law was not very clear.</p>
<p><strong>Different benches of the Supreme Court and High Courts had taken conflicting views on the issue. For Example:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In <strong>Prakash V/S Phoolwati (2015) case</strong>, a two-judge Bench headed by Justice A K Goel held that the benefit of the 2005 amendment could be granted only to &ldquo;living daughters of living coparceners'' as on September 9, 2005 (the date when the amendment came into force).</li>
<li>However <strong>In February 2018, contrary to the 2015 ruling, a two-judge Bench headed by Justice A K Sikri</strong> held that the share of a father who died in 2001 will also pass to his daughters as coparceners during the partition of the property as per the 2005 law.</li>
<li>Then in April that year, yet <strong>another two judge bench, headed by Justice RK Agrawal, reiterated the position taken in 2015.</strong> These conflicting views by benches of equal strength led to a reference to a three judge Bench in the current case.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Highlights of the Current Judgement</h3>
<p>The three-judge Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra ruled the following:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>That a <strong>Hindu woman&rsquo;s right to be a joint heir to the ancestral property is by birth and does not depend on whether her father was alive or not when the law was enacted in 2005.</strong></li>
<li>The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 gave Hindu women the <strong>right to be coparceners or joint legal heirs in the same way a male heir does.</strong> Since the coparcenary is by birth,it is not necessary that the father coparcener should be living as on 9.9.2005.</li>
<li>If a daughter is alive on the date of enforcement of the Amendment Act, she becomes a coparcener with effect from the date of the Amendment Act, irrespective of the date of birth earlier in point of time.</li>
<li><strong>Daughters cannot be deprived of their right of equality conferred upon them by Section 6.</strong></li>
<li>The judges also used the common saying that a son is a son until he gets a wife while a daughter is a daughter throughout her life.</li>
<li>The judgment noted that several cases on this issue were pending before different courts and were already delayed.</li>
<li><strong>The court requested the pending matters to be decided, as far as possible, within six months.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance of the Judgement</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Ended Legal Ambiguity:</strong> The verdict has <strong>cleared the confusion about the law</strong> and made it clear that the amendment to the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 granting equal rights to daughters to inherit ancestral property would have retrospective effect.</li>
<li><strong>Consonance in the Constitutional Spirit:</strong> The court recognized that gender cannot be grounds for denying anyone their inheritance rights. This interpretation by the Supreme Court has<strong> removed male primacy over Hindu ancestral property.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Giving the daughter equal coparcenary rights is in <strong>consonance with the spirit of equality,</strong> under<strong> Article 14 of the Indian constitution</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>A Step Towards Women Emancipation:</strong> It is a <strong>major push for women who lack economic resources and are often marginalised by male members of the family.</strong> The fact that a law and not just a will decides women&rsquo;s property rights is significant.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Patriarchal Nature of Indian Society:</strong> While the ruling is a progressive step towards gender parity, it is by no means a guarantee that Indian families will willingly cede reins to their women members.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is because, passing on the succession of the family enterprise only to sons stems from deep-rooted tradition and the patriarchal notion in the society.</li>
<li>Given this context, it is quite likely that some business families after this ruling, will bypass this ruling, to park their assets or write wills to bequeath assets in favour of male heirs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Lack of Awareness Amongst the Women:</strong> There is a challenge in ensuring that women are actually empowered by this legal provision, as the majority of women are not aware about their rights.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Though the judgement is a progressive step in pursuit of creating a <strong>level-playing field in legal rights for women, bringing behavioural change in society will play a bigger role towards the goal of gender parity.</strong></p>
<p>Thus, there is a need to bring a change in the patriarchal mindset of the society and ensuring that women have access to the same opportunities as men in acquiring educational qualifications and the training needed to run an enterprise.</p>
<p>Moreover, the fact that it has taken 15 years for the issue to be clarified highlights the urgent need for a <strong>clear civil code based on universal principles of natural justice and fundamental rights.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597407353_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597407353_image5.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="631" height="291" /></strong></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f8ffdb;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;Equality of sexes is a fundamental principle of any modern, progressive society and state&rdquo;. Analyse the statement in the context of recent Supreme Court judgement on women&rsquo;s coparcenary rights.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VRMkf0M60Nc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/women-right-to-property-patriarchal-6552248/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Seal of Justice&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Indian Express on August 13<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Now watch this on our Youtube channel.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/once-a-daughter-always-a-daughter-supreme-court-of-india'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'Demand for 6th Schedule Status: Arunachal Pradesh',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The recent revival of the demand for two <strong>autonomous councils</strong> in Arunachal Pradesh has led to the call for bringing the entire Arunachal Pradesh under the ambit of the<strong> 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule</strong> or <strong>Article 371 (A)</strong> of the Constitution.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Currently Arunachal Pradesh is <strong>neither under <a href="/summary-of-important-reports/xaxa-committee-on-tribal-communities-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5<sup>th</sup> Schedule</a> nor under 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule</strong>. It is under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/inner-line-permit-and-citizenship-amendment-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Inner Line Permit (ILP)</strong></a> system.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>6<sup>th</sup> Schedule</strong> is applied in <strong>Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>5<sup>th</sup> Schedule</strong> areas are declared in the States of <strong>Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>On the other hand, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/non-state-actors-in-nagaland" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Article 371 A</strong></a> <strong>is applied in Nagaland</strong> which provides special status to Nagaland.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>6<sup>th</sup> Schedule:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule of the Constitution <strong>provides for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram</strong> to <strong>safeguard the rights of the tribal population</strong> in these states. This special provision is provided under <strong>Article 244(2)</strong> and <strong>Article 275(1)</strong> of the Constitution.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>tribes in the above states have not assimilated</strong> much with the life and ways of the other people in these states. These areas still have the presence of <strong>anthropological specimens.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Based on the reports of the <strong>Bordoloi Committee</strong> formed by the Constituent Assembly, the 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule was formulated to provide <strong>limited autonomy</strong> to the <strong>tribal regions of North-East.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The committee report stated that there was a need for a system of administration that would allow tribal areas to become developed.</li>
<li>The report also called for the protection of these tribal areas from exploitation by the people in the plains and preserving their distinct social customs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Administration in the 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The tribal areas in the 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule area have been constituted as <strong>autonomous districts.</strong> The autonomous districts have been given varying degrees of autonomy within the State Legislature.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There are <strong>10 autonomous districts</strong> &ndash; three in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram and one in Tripura.</li>
<li>Each autonomous district can also have a separate<strong> regional council.<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597400800_image4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597400800_image4.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="400" height="293" /></a></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The tribals have been given<strong> freedom to exercise legislative and executive powers</strong> through an <strong>autonomous regional council</strong> and <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/autonomous-district-councils" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>autonomous district councils (ADCs).</strong></a></li>
<li>The ADCs are empowered with <strong>civil and judicial powers.</strong> They can<strong> also make laws on matters</strong> like land, forests, fisheries, social security, etc.<strong> with due approval from the governor.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> Acts passed by Parliament and state legislatures may or may not be levied in these regions</strong> unless the President and the governor gives her or his approval, with or without modifications in the laws for the autonomous regions.</li>
<li><strong>Governor&rsquo;s Control:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Despite various degrees of autonomy, the 6<sup>th</sup> Schedule area <strong>does not fall outside the executive authority of the state concerned.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> governor is empowered</strong> to organise and re-organise the autonomous districts. He can increase or decrease the areas of autonomous districts or change their names or define their boundaries and so on.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>If there are different tribes in an autonomous district,<strong> the governor can also divide the district into several autonomous regions.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Composition of Autonomous Councils:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Each autonomous district and regional council consists of<strong> not more than 30 members,</strong> of which<strong> four are nominated by the governor</strong> and the rest via elections. All of them<strong> remain in power for a term of five years.</strong></li>
<li>However, the<strong> Bodoland Territorial Council is an exception</strong> as it can constitute up to 46 members.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Article 371 A:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Acts of Parliament relating to the following matters <strong>would not apply to Nagaland</strong> unless decided by the State Legislative Assembly:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Religious or social practices of the Nagas.</li>
<li>Naga customary law and procedure.</li>
<li>Administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law.</li>
<li>Ownership and transfer of land and its resources.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/arunachal-groups-push-for-6th-schedule-status/article32348593.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/demand-for-6th-schedule-status-arunachal-pradesh'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'Israel-UAE Peace Deal',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the President of the USA has announced that <strong>Israel and the United Arab Emirates</strong> (UAE) have<strong> agreed to establish full diplomatic ties</strong> as part of a deal to <strong>halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians</strong> for their future state.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Both the UAE and Israel are the <strong>USA&rsquo;s close allies in West Asia.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597399147_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597399147_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="512" height="401" /></strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The UAE has become the<strong> first Gulf Arab state</strong> to do so and only the <strong>third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties with Israel.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Egypt</strong> made a peace deal with Israel in <strong>1979,</strong> followed by <strong>Jordan</strong> in <strong>1994.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Under the deal, <strong>Israel would suspend its plans to annex large parts of the occupied <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/west-bank-settlements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Bank</a>.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The West Bank is <strong>sandwiched between Israel and Jordan.</strong> One of its major cities is <strong>Ramallah,</strong> the <strong>de facto administrative capital of Palestine.</strong></li>
<li>Israel took control of it in the <strong>Six-day Arab-Israeli war, 1967</strong> and has over the years established settlements there.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A <strong>joint statement from the USA, the UAE and Israel</strong> has been issued which says that <strong>delegations would meet in the coming weeks</strong> to sign deals on direct flights, security, telecommunications, energy, tourism and health care.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Both nations will also partner on fighting the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19</a> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>pandemic</strong></a> together.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It <strong>remains unclear</strong> what prompted Israel and the UAE to make the announcement now. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In June 2020, the UAE&rsquo;s ambassador to the USA <strong>warned that Israel&rsquo;s plan to annex the Jordan Valley and other parts of the occupied West Bank</strong> would <strong>upend Israel&rsquo;s efforts to improve ties</strong> with Arab nations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Formed in 1971,</strong> the <strong>UAE is a USA-allied federation of seven sheikhdoms</strong> on the Arabian Peninsula which <strong>did not recognise Israel</strong> over its occupation of land home to the Palestinians.</li>
<li>The <strong>UAE relied on white-collar</strong> (people who perform professional, desk, managerial or administrative work) <strong>Palestinians</strong> in creating its nation and<strong> maintained its stance that Israel should allow the creation of a Palestinian state</strong> on land it seized in the <strong>1967 war.</strong></li>
<li>In recent years,<strong> ties between Gulf Arab nations and Israel have quietly grown,</strong> in part over their<strong> shared enmity of Iran</strong> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/beirut-explosion" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.</strong> </a></li>
<li>The <strong>UAE also shares Israel&rsquo;s distrust of Islamist groups</strong> like the <strong>Muslim Brotherhood</strong> and the <strong>militant group Hamas</strong> that holds the Gaza Strip.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on the UAE:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The deal<strong> smoothens the UAE&rsquo;s international campaign</strong> to be seen as a beacon of tolerance in the Middle East despite being governed by autocratic rulers.</li>
<li>It <strong>puts the UAE out first in a regional recognition race</strong> among neighbouring Gulf Arab states.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on Israel:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The announcement <strong>justifies</strong> the year-long claims of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his <strong>government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations</strong> than publicly acknowledged.</li>
<li>The deal gives Netanyahu a <strong>domestic boost</strong> at a time when Israel&rsquo;s coalition government is facing infighting and the possibility of early elections.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on the USA:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The recognition<strong> grants a diplomatic win</strong> to the USA President Donald Trump ahead of the November election.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Neither his efforts to bring the war in Afghanistan to an end nor efforts to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians have been successful yet.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>For Palestine:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For Palestinians, who long have relied on Arab backing in their struggle for independence, the announcement <strong>marked both a win and setback</strong> for the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/israel-palestine" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Israel-Palestine relations.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>While the deal <strong>halts Israeli annexation plans,</strong> the Palestinians have repeatedly <strong>urged Arab governments not to normalize relations with Israel until a peace agreement</strong> establishing an independent Palestinian state is reached.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The deal marks a historic day and a significant step forward for peace in the Middle East.</li>
<li>Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East&rsquo;s most dynamic societies and advanced economics will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation and forging closer people-to-people relations.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/world/uae-israel-peace-deal-donald-trump-world-reactions-6553585/" 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/israel-uae-peace-deal'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Universal Ratification to Child Labour Convention',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/international-labour-organization" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Labour Organization (ILO)&rsquo;s</strong></a> convention on<strong> Worst Forms of Child Labour</strong> also known as <strong>Convention No. 182</strong> received<strong> universal ratification</strong> after the <strong>Kingdom of Tonga</strong> ratified the same.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597392353_image2.png"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597392353_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="364" height="304" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Universal Ratification:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It means ratification by all the members of an organisation. <strong>Convention No. 182</strong> has received ratification from all the 187 members of ILO.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Child Labour:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The ILO <strong>defines</strong> child labour as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to their physical and mental development.</li>
<li>In the least developed countries, slightly <strong>more than one in four children (ages 5 to 17)</strong> are engaged in labour that is considered detrimental to their health and development.</li>
<li>The eradication of child labour is part of the <strong><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable Development Goal</a> Target 8.7.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>UN General Assembly</strong> has declared <strong>2021 as the year for the elimination of child labour.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Convention No. 182:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The convention was <strong>adopted by ILO</strong> member states meeting in Geneva<strong> in 1999.</strong></li>
<li>It <strong>aims</strong> to <strong>protect children from the worst forms of child labour,</strong> which include slavery, prostitution, trafficking, deployment of children in armed conflict and other conditions that compromise their overall well-being.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other International Laws on Child Labour:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989:</strong> It contains the idea that children are not just objects who belong to their parents and for whom decisions are made, or adults in training. Rather,<strong> they are human beings</strong> and <strong>individuals</strong> with their own rights.</li>
<li><strong>Minimum Age Convention 1973:</strong> It aims to prevent the employment of children below a lower age threshold.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Both <strong>Convention No. 182</strong> and the <strong>1973 Minimum Age Convention</strong> are among the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/100th-anniversary-of-ilo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>eight core ILO Conventions</strong></a> regarded as embodying the spirit of the 1998 declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-day-against-child-labour-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India ratified the Convention No. 182</strong></a> and the <strong>1973 Minimum Age Convention</strong> in 2017.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact of Laws on Child Labour:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to ILO, <strong>incidence of child labour and its worst forms dropped</strong> by almost 40% between 2000 and 2016 as ratification rates on child labour increased and countries adopted laws and policies.</li>
<li>The conventions have resulted in<strong> significant increases in enrolments in primary education.</strong></li>
<li>These conventions also<strong> provide the necessary framework to counteract the predominance of informality</strong> in the conditions of work and ought to be a priority for governments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Challenges Related to Child Labour:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Sustainable Developmental Goal (SDG) aims at <strong>complete abolition of child labour by 2025.</strong> However, still an <strong>estimated 152 million are trapped in child labour and 72 million of them are engaged in hazardous work.</strong></li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a> is also threatening the reversal of recent gains, with widespread job losses, deterioration in conditions of work, decline in household incomes and temporary school closures.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>cycle of poverty and its implications must be addressed</strong> properly, so families can find other means to survive. Many <strong>NGOs like <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bachpan-bachao-andolan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bachpan Bachao Andolan</a>, ChildFund, CARE India,</strong> etc. have been working to eradicate child labour in India.</li>
<li>Right kind of focus and orientation with state level authorities is also needed to avoid the practice of child labour. <strong>Forced Child Labour</strong> requires an urgent action from governments and the international communities.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/historic-ratification-the-hindu-editorial-on-universal-ratification-of-a-labour-standard/article32347515.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/universal-ratification-to-child-labour-convention'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => 'Seed Bombs: Solution to Man-Animal Conflict',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Odisha&rsquo;s Athagarh Forest Division</strong> has started<strong> casting seed balls (or bombs)</strong> inside different reserve forest areas to enrich food stock for wild elephants.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This has been done to<strong> prevent <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/daily-updates-news-editorials-the-high-cost-of-man-animal-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener">man-elephant conflict.</a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>On the eve of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-elephant-day-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Elephant Day 2020</strong></a>, the Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched a<strong> portal on Human Elephant Conflict &lsquo;Surakhsya&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>Further, the Government has taken initiative for fodder and water augmentation in forest areas so that animals get food and water in forest areas and not come outside. <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/lidar-based-research-in-tamar-valley" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>LiDAR technology</strong></a> is being used for the same.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Villagers who bear the brunt of the elephant attacks have come forward to prepare the bamboo seed balls and scatter them in 38 reserve forests under the Athagarh Forest Division.</li>
<li>The<strong> growth in bamboo plantations is expected to meet the needs of the elephants,</strong> which often stray out of the forests and raid human habitations.</li>
<li>Athagarh Forest Division is <strong>one of the worst-hit areas</strong> as far as man-elephant conflict is concerned. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Elephants frequently raid villages coming under Athagarh and Khuntuni range and damage standing paddy crops. Even fruit-bearing trees and vegetable plants are not spared.</li>
<li>The situation becomes extremely volatile when any human gets killed by elephants.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In 2019, the division had thrown seed balls using 950 kg of bamboo seeds inside the forest. The survival rate ranged between 50-60%.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Seed Bomb</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A seed bomb is a<strong> little ball generally made up of a combination of compost, clay and seeds.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The compost and clay act as a carrier for the seeds so they can be launched over walls or fences and into inaccessible areas such as wasteland or railways.</li>
<li>The<strong> compost offers nutrients</strong> for the seeds to germinate and grow strong during their infancy and the<strong> clay binds the seed bomb,</strong> making it hard enough not to break when it hits the ground.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is used in <strong>re-vegetation and reforestation</strong> of the fragile ecosystems.</li>
<li>The plantation technique wherein seed balls are sprayed using aerial devices, including planes, helicopters or drones, is known as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aerial-seeding-in-haryana" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>aerial seeding</strong></a>.</li>
<li><strong>Recent Initiatives:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Udaipur</strong> has been chosen for experimenting the seed bombing technique to increase forest cover in Rajasthan.</li>
<li>The <strong>Haryana government</strong> has employed aerial seeding techniques to improve green cover in the <strong>Aravalli</strong> area of the State.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597386933_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597386933_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="635" height="678" /></a></p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has a large population of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-2018-guinness-book-of-world-records" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>tiger</strong></a>, Asian elephant, leopard, sloth bear, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/estimation-exercise-of-indian-gaur-in-nilgiris" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>gaur</strong></a> and many others. Keeping these animals restricted to a few hundred kilometers of protected areas can be difficult. Thus, coordinated and collaborative conservation actions are required to motivate <strong>communities to shift from conflict to coexistence with wildlife.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Inclusive development</strong> with a long-term vision that cares for the environment is a solution to man-animal conflict.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/odisha-turns-to-seed-bombs-to-fight-a-jumbo-problem/article32304695.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/seed-bombs-solution-to-man-animal-conflict'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'A Self Reliant Foreign Policy',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-self-reliant-foreign-policy/article32339890.ece?utm_source=udmprecommendation_Economy&amp;utm_medium=sticky_footer&amp;transactionId=b96ceff039594781a821698502dbbb73" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>A self-reliant foreign policy</strong> </a>which was published in The Hindu on 13/08/2020. This article discusses the present day status of strategic autonomy of India and ways to make it better.</p>
</div>
<p>Self-reliance is the theme of India&rsquo;s 74<sup>th</sup> Independence Day. This concept is commonly associated with the economy and production of key goods and services within the country. But it also has a parallel dimension in the domain of <strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/phases-of-indian-foreign-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">foreign policy</a></strong>.</p>
<p>It is important to note that, even in the geopolitical circumstances that compelled India to enter into alliance-like cooperation with major powers, it did not become any less autonomous or entered into alliance with any great power.</p>
<p>Rather, India secured its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity by balancing the great power equations with diplomacy. However, present geo-political scenarios present a challenge to strategic autonomy.</p>
<p>Therefore, as the economic goal is to reduce dependence on imports for critical commodities, the aim of foreign policy should be to maintain strategic autonomy.</p>
<h3>Indian and Changing World Order</h3>
<p>India has historically prided itself as an independent developing country which did not succumb to pressure from great powers. This can be reflected in the different phases of world order:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Bipolar</strong> (1947 to 1991) in which the majority of global economic, military and cultural influence was held between U.S. and USSR.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>During this phase India adhered to the principle of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/revival-of-non-alignment-movement#:~:text=The%20Non%2DAligned%20Movement%20was,to%20remain%20independent%20or%20neutral." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Non Alignment</strong></a> to resist dilution of its sovereignty, rebuild its economy and consolidate its integrity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unipolar</strong> (1991 to 2008) when the U.S. entered a long cycle of economic crises and China caught up with it in overall power.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is the period where India reached out to engage with US, Israel and ASEAN countries more intensively. The quest for strategic autonomy now was particularly focused on securing its nuclear weapon option (Pokhran II 1998).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Multipolar</strong> (present times) where distribution of power is in more than two countries having nearly equal amounts of military, cultural, and economic influence.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this phase of transitional geopolitics, India's policy of Non-Alignment has turned into Multi Alignment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Flexibility in Strategic Autonomy</h3>
<p>Adherence to strategic autonomy has been the key pillar of India&rsquo;s Foreign policy. However, it has often been adjusted as per the changing geopolitical situations in history . In moments of crisis, India has reinterpreted freedom and shown flexibility for survival at many instances. For Example:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India-China War (1962):</strong> Initially,in pursuance of maintaining strategic autonomy, India established the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) (1961). It marked the peak of Third World solidarity.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However during the India -China war 1962, India had to appeal to the U.S. for emergency military aid to stave off the Chinese from taking over the whole of Eastern India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indo Pakistan War (1971):</strong> In the build-up to the 1971 war with Pakistan, India had to enter a <a href="/gs-special/gs-foreign-policy-corner/india-russia-bilateral-relations-longstanding-time-tested-partners" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation</strong></a> with the Soviet Union to ward off both China and the U.S.</li>
<li><strong>Kargil War (1999):</strong> India welcomed a direct intervention by the U.S. to force Pakistan to back down.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Present Day Scenario of Strategic Autonomy</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Risk From China:</strong> Today, although there are less prospects of a direct war with China in the wake of its incursions across the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Line of Actual Control</strong></a>, India is at a turning point with regard to strategic autonomy.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Aggressive foreign policy of China may require India to bandwagon (cooperating with like minded countries) to balance China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>New Cold War like situation:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/new-cold-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>New Cold War</strong></a> scenario has created a threat environment in which China and the U.S. are now beginning to confront many areas like <a href="/gs-special/gs-foreign-policy-corner/india-russia-bilateral-relations-longstanding-time-tested-partners" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Trade war</strong></a> and <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/south-china-sea" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>South China sea</strong></a>.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India can promote new multilateralism under the aegis of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam- which relies on restructuring both the economic order and societal behaviour for equitable sustainable development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fear of losing strategic autonomy to the U.S.:</strong> Fears in some quarters that proximity to the U.S. will lead to loss of India&rsquo;s strategic autonomy. However, it seems overblown because independent India has never been subordinated to a foreign hegemony.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward to Self-Reliance</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Revival of Non Alignment: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/revival-of-non-alignment-movement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Non-Alignment 2.0</a></strong> with China and the U.S. is the solution as they slide into a <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/cold-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>New Cold War</strong></a>, risking India&rsquo;s security and sovereignty.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The New Cold War can be reflected in Trade War, Quad initiative, Indo-pacific narrative, emergence of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, naval presence in the Indian ocean, etc. Thus NAM2.0 can insulate India from active engagements in conflicts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Intensified Cooperation:</strong> India should aim to stay as an independent power centre by means of intensified cooperation with middle powers in Asia and around the world.</li>
<li><strong>Indegenous defence modernisation:</strong> India is dependent on many foriegn players (like U.S, Russia etc.) for its defence requirement, this may not pave well in national interest.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, it is imperative to speed up indigenous defence modernisation.</li>
<li>Further, defense indigenisation assumes more significance, especially in the context of counterbalancing China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Diversification in strategic partners:</strong> The present-day geopolitical and geostrategic circumstances present a multifaceted challenge to India&rsquo;s foreign policy.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, India's cold war narrative of strategic neutrality is being gradually replaced by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/india-s-embrace-of-strategic-hedging#:~:text=Strategic%20hedging%20means%20a%20state,state%20i.e.%20balancing%20and%20engagement." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>strategic hedging</strong></a>.</li>
<li>In a multipolar world India should not limit its engagements with Russia, the US and China but expand its relationship with other countries of the EU, Asean etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>In the past, India has been successfully deploying &lsquo;multi-vector&rsquo; foreign policy. In this context, Indian foriegn policy should not envisage complete isolation or entering into alliance with one great power but a variable combination with several like-minded partners.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597322557_image%200.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597322557_image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="434" height="307" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #effce3;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;Indian foriegn policy should not envisage complete isolation or entering into alliance with one great power but a variable combination with several like-minded partners&rdquo; Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mE4v2Et6A1Y" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/environmental-impact-assessment-forests-climate-change-ease-of-doing-business-investment-6550753/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Green and red&rdquo;</strong></a> published in Indian Express on August 12<sup>th</sup>, 2020. Watch this on our Youtube channel now.</p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/a-self-reliant-foreign-policy'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'Mega Covid Testing Lab',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/council-of-scientific-and-industrial-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)</strong></a> is working on developing mega labs to speed up testing as well as improve the accuracy of testing for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> positive cases.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Large machines, called <strong>Next Generation Sequencing machines (NGS)</strong> will be modified to sequence 1,500-3,000 viral genomes at a go for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus in these labs.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These machines are also used for<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/Mission%20to%20Sequence%20Genes%20of%20Indians" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> sequencing human genomes.</strong></a></li>
<li>The NGS also found<strong> two lineages of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronaviruses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coronaviruses</a></strong> which were unknown in Indian populations so far.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The CSIR has partnered with the US-based Illumina, a company that specialises in the manufacture of NGS machines.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Five NGS machines are currently available in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>So far, 3,086 sequences of the virus isolated from humans have been shared by 57 countries, with India sharing <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sequencing-novel-coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nine whole genome sequences of the</a> novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) </strong>with the <strong>Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID).</strong></li>
<li><strong>Benefits:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Accuracy:</strong> The NGS tests has a sensitivity of 97.53% as compared to 70%-80% accuracy of <strong>RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction)</strong> and 50% accuracy of antigen tests. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These tests detect the possible presence of the virus even in several instances where the RT-PCR tests miss out on them.</li>
<li>This is primarily because the RT-PCR test identifies the SARS-CoV-2 virus by exploring only specific sections of the virus whereas the genome method can read a<strong> bigger chunk of virus genome</strong> and thereby provide<strong> more certainty.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Confirmation:</strong> NGS identified cases as either positive and negative when RT-PCR found them to be <strong>&lsquo;inconclusive&rsquo;.</strong> So this can also be used as a <strong>confirmatory test</strong></li>
<li><strong>Reliability:</strong> It can also trace the evolutionary history of the virus and track mutations more reliably. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This can help identify more places where <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-s-preparedness" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SARS-COv-2</strong></a> viruses differ from other related viruses.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mass Testing:</strong> According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/icmr-recommends-use-of-hydroxy-chloroquine" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)</strong></a>, the NGS tests can space up from the present approx. 7.5 lakh tests per day to at least <strong>a million per day.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Unlike the RT-PCR that needs<strong> primers and probes,</strong> which is a key hurdle in operationalising such tests on a mass scale early on in the pandemic, the NGS does not need primers and probes, and only needs <strong>custom reagents.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Primers</strong> are short sequences of DNA used to amplify a particular DNA sequence. A <strong>probe</strong> is a small radioactively or fluorescently labelled DNA sequence used to identify a particular DNA sequence.</li>
<li><strong>Reagent</strong> for DNA is designed to easily prepare DNA extracts from animal tissues that can be used directly in PCR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Uses:</strong> Establishing &ldquo;hubs&rdquo; capable of <strong>whole genome sequencing</strong> would help track significant mutations in the virus and can be repurposed for any kind of outbreak, be they of viral or bacterial origin.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>NGS can also be used to develop <strong>new diagnostic tests for Covid-19.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Surveillance and Tracing :</strong> Due to limited accuracy and capacity of existing tests, a sizeable population is<strong> falsely negative.</strong> NGS can help in serving a larger purpose of continuous surveillance of large pools like industrial hubs, commercial establishments or places where an outbreak is likely.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Testing for Covid 19</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Different methods of testing are being experimented in the country to trace <strong>Covid-19</strong> infection. Some of these include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/radt-vs-rt-pcr" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>RT PCR Tests</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/radt-vs-rt-pcr" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rapid Antigen Detection Tests</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rt-npcr-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>RTnPCR Tests</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/feluda-test-for-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Feluda Tests</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/elisa-antibody-kits" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>ELISA Antibody Tests</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/csir-moots-mega-labs-to-boost-covid-19-testing/article32337492.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/mega-covid-testing-lab'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => 'Dwarf Planet Ceres',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>As per the data collected by <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/national-aeronautics-and-space-administration-nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NASA</strong></a><strong>&rsquo;s Dawn spacecraft,</strong> dwarf planet<strong> Ceres</strong> reportedly has <strong>salty water underground.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Dawn (2007-18)</strong> was a <strong>mission</strong> to the<strong> two</strong> most massive bodies in the main <strong>asteroid belt - Vesta </strong>and<strong> Ceres.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597306901_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597306901_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="650" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Latest Findings:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The scientists have given<strong> Ceres</strong> the status of an <strong>&ldquo;ocean world&rdquo;</strong> as it has a big <strong>reservoir of salty water underneath its frigid surface.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This has led to an increased interest of scientists that the <strong>dwarf planet was maybe habitable or has the potential</strong> to be.</li>
<li><strong>Ocean Worlds</strong> is a term for <strong>&lsquo;Water in the Solar System and Beyond&rsquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The salty water originated in a <strong>brine reservoir</strong> spread hundreds of miles and about 40 km beneath the surface of the Ceres.</li>
<li>Further, there is an evidence that Ceres remains <strong>geologically active </strong>with<strong> cryovolcanism - volcanoes oozing icy material.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Instead of molten rock, cryovolcanoes or <strong>salty-mud volcanoes release frigid, salty water sometimes mixed with mud.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Subsurface Oceans on other Celestial Bodies:</strong> Jupiter&rsquo;s moon Europa, Saturn&rsquo;s moon Enceladus, Neptune&rsquo;s moon Triton, and the dwarf planet Pluto.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This provides scientists a means <strong>to understand the history of the solar system.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ceres:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the <strong>largest object in the asteroid belt</strong> between Mars and Jupiter.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It was the<strong> first member of the asteroid belt</strong> to be discovered when <strong>Giuseppe Piazzi spotted it in 1801.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is the <strong>only dwarf planet located in the inner solar system</strong> (includes planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Scientists classified it as a <strong>dwarf planet in 2006.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has a <strong>diameter of about 950 km,</strong> which is <strong>more than one-fourth of Earth&rsquo;s moon.</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It takes <strong>1,682 Earth days, or 4.6 Earth years,</strong> to make<strong> one trip around the sun.</strong></li>
<li>It completes one<strong> rotation around its axis</strong> every <strong>9 hours.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It <strong>does not have any moon or rings.</strong></li>
<li>It has a 92 km wide<strong> crater named Occator</strong> located in its northern hemisphere.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Dwarf Planets</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/asteroid-named-after-pandit-jasraj" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> International Astronomical Union (IAU),</strong></a> which sets definitions for planetary science, a dwarf planet is a celestial body that - orbits the sun, has enough mass to assume a nearly round shape, has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit and is not a moon.</li>
<li>The <strong>first five recognised dwarf planets</strong> are <strong>Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Makemake</strong> and <strong>Haumea.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/nasa-dawn-ceres-salty-water-ocean-jupiter-mars-6550384/#:~:text=The%20largest%20celestial%20object%20in,water%20underneath%20its%20frigid%20surface." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dwarf-planet-ceres'
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	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => 'Hornbill Habitat Loss',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A study based on satellite data has indicated a<strong> high rate of deforestation</strong> in major <strong>hornbill habitats</strong> in <strong>Arunachal Pradesh</strong> and a part of<strong> Assam</strong>.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The study fine-scale satellite imagery to assess <strong>Papum Reserve Forest (RF)</strong> adjoining <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pakke-tiger-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pakke Tiger Reserve</a> (Pakhui Tiger Reserve)</strong> in Arunachal Pradesh.</li>
<li>The results show the loss and degradation of critical hornbill habitat in the biologically rich forests of the Indian Eastern Himalaya.</li>
<li>The satellite data pointed to alarming deforestation rates in Papum RF with annual loss rates as high as 8.2 sq.km. as per estimates from 2013-2017 where <strong>forest cover declined to 76%</strong> of the total RF area.</li>
<li>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-forest-watch" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global Forest Watch</strong></a> 2020 report, Arunachal Pradesh lost 1,110 sq.km. of primary forest from 2002-2019.</li>
<li>These areas are affected by <strong>illegal logging</strong> and <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/north-east-insurgency" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>ethnic conflict.</strong></a></li>
<li>The forests are under pressure due to <strong>agricultural expansion, conversion to plantations or logging.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Papum Reserve Forest</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Papum Reserve Forest is geographically situated in the south west of East Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh.</li>
<li>It is surrounded by<strong> Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary</strong> to the east and <strong>Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary</strong> to the west.</li>
<li>It is a part of the <strong>Indo-Burma <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/andaman-nicobar-islands-rich-faunal-diversity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biodiversity hotspot</a></strong> in India.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There are four Biodiversity Hostpots in India : <strong>Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Sundalands and Western Ghats and Sri Lanka.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Papum Reserve Forest forms part of the Eastern Himalayas Endemic Bird Area.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>An <strong>Endemic Bird Area</strong> is an area of land identified by BirdLife International as being important for habitat-based bird conservation because it contains the habitats of restricted-range bird species.</li>
<li><strong>BirdLife International</strong> is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is covered by Subtropical Dry Evergreen and Semi-evergreen Forests, while the higher areas are under Subtropical Broadleaf Hill Forest cover.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Hornbills<strong><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597306120_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1597306120_image2.jpg" style="float: right;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></strong></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>hornbills</strong> (Bucerotidae) are a family of birds found in<strong> tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia.</strong></li>
<li>India is home to <strong>nine species of hornbills.</strong> The northeastern region has the highest diversity of hornbill species within India.</li>
<li>Papum RF is a nesting habitat of three species of hornbills: the <strong>great hornbill <em>(Buceros bicornis)</em>, wreathed hornbill<em> (Aceros undulatus)</em>&nbsp;</strong>and the <strong>Oriental pied hornbill <em>(Anthracoceros albirostris)</em></strong>, Wreathed and Oriental Pied. The 862 sq.km. Pakke reserve houses a fourth species, the <strong>Rufous-necked hornbill <em>(Aceros nipalensis)</em></strong> species are found here.</li>
<li>The <strong>great hornbill</strong> is the <strong>state bird of Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They are the cultural symbols of some ethnic communities in the northeast, specifically the<strong> Nyishi</strong> of Arunachal Pradesh.</li>
<li>They are referred to as &lsquo;forest engineers&rsquo; or &lsquo;farmers of forest&rsquo; for playing <strong>a key role in dispersing seeds of tropical trees</strong> and indicate the prosperity and balance of the forest they build nests in.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hornbill-festival" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hornbill festival</strong></a> celebrated in <strong>Nagaland</strong> is named after the bird &ndash; Hornbill which is the most revered and admired bird for the Nagas.</li>
<li><strong>Conservation Status:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Currently, 26 out of the 62 species (40%) of hornbills are <strong>Globally Threatened</strong> or <strong>Near Threatened</strong> with extinction, with all other species listed as<strong> Least Concern,</strong> according to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List</strong></a> of Threatened Species.</li>
<li>The<strong> great hornbill</strong> is evaluated as<strong> vulnerable.</strong></li>
<li>It is protected at the highest level under <strong>Schedule I of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Hornbills are <strong>hunted</strong> for their casques &mdash; upper beak &mdash; and feathers for adorning <strong>headgear.</strong> They are also<strong> poached</strong> for their <strong>meat</strong> and<strong> medicinal value</strong> of their body parts.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A conservation programme promoting the use of <strong>fibre-glass beaks for headgear</strong> instead of real hornbill casques has helped reduce some threat to it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Illegal logging i.e. cutting of tall trees where the hornbill birds nest and feed has led to <strong>destruction of its natural habitat.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>The results of the study underscore the need for Hornbill habitat conservation efforts in India. Hornbill conservation must proceed along the twin paths of weaning away tribal hunters through the provision of substitutes, and nursing forest fragments back to health using science.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/forest-cover-loss-threatens-hornbills-in-arunachal/article32339946.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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