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Assam Gas Leak

Why in News Recently, a gas leak has occurred at Baghjan well in Tinsukia district of Assam following a blowout. The Baghjan well is a purely...

09 Jun 2020 News Analysis
Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation: ARPIT

Why in News Recently, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has designed, developed and inducted an Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation i.e....

09 Jun 2020 News Analysis
Fall in Direct Tax Collection

Why in News According to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the gross direct tax collections for the financial year (FY) 2019-20 fell by...

08 Jun 2020 News Analysis
Challenges Related To RTI Act

This article is based on “The RTI regime failed India during Covid-19” which was published in The Hindustan Times on 05/06/2020. It...

08 Jun 2020 News Editorials
Fall in Money Remitted Abroad

Why in News According to data released by the Reserve Bank of India, the amount of money Indians send abroad has witnessed a 61% decline under the...

08 Jun 2020 News Analysis
Hellenistic Philosophy

Introduction The Greek philosophy began as speculation into the nature of the cosmos or universe (Meta Physics). The early philosophers, in the...

08 Jun 2020 Paper 4
Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie Road

Why in News The Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road has been in the making for around two decades and is expected to be completed by...

08 Jun 2020 News Analysis
Shapes of Economic Recovery

Why in News As India is going to come out of the Covid-19 lockdown, experts are debating over the shape of recovery of Indian economy. Key...

08 Jun 2020 News Analysis
National Tiger Conservation Authority

Why in News Recently, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has clarified that the tigers in the country have shown a healthy annual...

08 Jun 2020 News Analysis
Persian Gulf Region

Why in News The persian gulf region has the presence of the major producers of crude oil and natural gas, and thereby contributing critically to the...

08 Jun 2020 News Analysis
Educational Complexes for Tribal Students: Odisha

Why in News Recently, the Government of Odisha has announced the establishment of three mega educational complexes exclusively for tribal students,...

08 Jun 2020 News Analysis
Digital Initiatives by WCL

Why in News Recently, the Coal India Subsidiary-Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL) has launched a surveillance system called WCL EYE for monitoring its...

08 Jun 2020 News Analysis
NAIMISHA 2020

Why in News The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi will organise online NAIMISHA 2020- Summer Art Program from 8th June 2020 to 3rd...

08 Jun 2020 News Analysis
The Big Picture: Indian Ocean Islands Diplomacy

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the island countries-Mauritius and Seychelles, have been adversely affected due to a huge decline in tourism, for the...

06 Jun 2020 Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions
Bad Bank

This article is based on “Bad bank: Should India have one?” which was published in The Financial Express on 04/06/2020. It talks about...

06 Jun 2020 News Editorials
Aerosols Radiative Forcing in Western Trans-Himalayas

Why in News Recently, a study by the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) has found that radiative forcing of aerosols...

06 Jun 2020 News Analysis
Sunderbans Damaged in Cyclone Amphan

Why in News Recently, the Chief Minister of West Bengal highlighted that about 28% of the Sunderbans has been damaged by Cyclone Amphan and launched...

06 Jun 2020 News Analysis
LiDAR Based Research in Tamar Valley

Why in News A U.K.-based team of archeologists has continued its research over the Tamar Valley through LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) despite...

06 Jun 2020 News Analysis
163348 (2002 NN4): A Near-Earth Asteroid

Why in News Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that a giant asteroid called as 163348 (2002 NN4), is...

06 Jun 2020 News Analysis
‘Healthy and Energy Efficient Buildings’ Initiative

Why in News The Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) MAITREE...

06 Jun 2020 News Analysis

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			'title' => 'Assam Gas Leak',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a gas leak has occurred at<strong> Baghjan well</strong> in Tinsukia district of Assam following a blowout.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Baghjan well is a purely gas-producing well in <strong>Tinsukia district,</strong> and is at an aerial distance of 900 metres from the <strong>Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.</strong></li>
<li>It has been drilled by <strong>Oil India Limited (OIL)</strong> since 2006.</li>
<li>Natural gas is a mix of propane, methane, propylene and other gases.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Gas Leak:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The gas well at Baghjan <strong>was under maintenance,</strong> for which it was temporarily shut. The Blowout Preventer (BOP) was also removed.</li>
<li>However, the gas started to ooze out of the well during the maintenance.The reason behind the blowout (a sudden/uncontrolled release of gas/oil) is not clear.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Possible Reasons:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It may have occurred<strong> due to lack of attention, poor workmanship, bad maintenance, old age, sabotage to morpho-tectonic factors.</strong></li>
<li>Sometimes, the <strong>disturbance of pressure balance in a well may also lead to sudden blowouts.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Steps Taken:</strong> The authorities have built a temporary water reservoir through pipelines from the<strong> Dangori river</strong> nearby the well to control the blowout.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To control a blowout, a huge quantity of water is required so that the gas does not catch fire.</li>
<li>The<strong> control of a blowout depends on two things:</strong> the<strong> size of the reservoir</strong> and the <strong>pressure at which the gas is flowing out.</strong> Many blowouts also automatically collapse on their own.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Challenges:</strong> The gas leak at the Baghjan is still not under control and it is continuously leaking.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The limited space and non-availability of open space above the well head poses a huge challenge in placement of BOP.</li>
<li>The BOP placement involves a huge risk since Baghjan is a gas well and runs the risk of catching fire at any point.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>gas is flowing with the wind</strong> in the radius of up to 5 km and <strong>condensate (the residue from gas) is falling</strong> on bamboo, tea gardens, banana trees, betel nut trees among others.</li>
<li>While the well is outside the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/eco-sensitive-zones" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Eco Sensitive Zone</strong></a> of the park, there are reports that the condensate is falling into <strong>Dibru-Saikhowa National Park</strong> and <strong>Maguri-Motapung wetland</strong> too.</li>
<li>The gas leak has also caused deaths of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gangetic-dolphin-annual-census" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gangetic dolphins</strong></a>, and a variety of fish. The number of birds have also decreased because they have flown away.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Assessment of the Impact:</strong> To safeguard the environment, OIL has engaged a <strong>National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET)</strong> accredited consultant to carry out an <strong>Environment Impact Assessment study</strong> to assess the effects of blowout on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and to work on a <strong>Socio-Economic Impact Assessment.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NABET is a constituent Board of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jodhpur-tops-railway-cleanliness-survey-conducted-by-the-quality-council-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Quality Council of India</strong></a>.</li>
<li>It offers accreditation to <strong>educational organisations, vocational training organizations </strong>and<strong> skill certification bodies.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Dibru-Saikhowa National Park</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Dibru-Saikhowa is a <strong>National Park</strong> as well as a <strong>Biosphere Reserve</strong> situated in the south bank of the river Brahmaputra in Assam.</li>
<li>It is one of the <strong>19 biodiversity hotspots in the world.</strong></li>
<li>The forest type of Dibru-Saikhowa comprises <strong>semi-evergreen forests, deciduous forests, littoral and swamp forests</strong> and <strong>patches of wet evergreen forests.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the largest swamp forest in north-eastern India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is an identified <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/animals-and-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Important Bird Area (IBA)</strong> </a>notified by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/delhi-butterfly-corridors" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bombay Natural History Society</strong></a>. It is most famous for the rare <strong>white-winged wood ducks</strong> as well as<strong> feral horses.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Maguri-Motapung Wetland</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Maguri Motapung Beel is less than 10 km from Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and part of the Dibru-Saikhowa Biosphere Reserve.</li>
<li>The wetland derives its name from &ldquo;Magur&rdquo;, the local word for the catfish &lsquo;Clarius batrachus&rsquo;.</li>
<li>It is an <strong>Important Bird Area</strong> notified by the Bombay Natural History Society.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/assam-gas-leak-why-its-tough-to-plug-and-what-threat-it-poses-to-area-6447810/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20Guwahati%2Dbased,catching%20fire%20at%20any%20point%E2%80%9D." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:IE</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 1 => [
			'title' => 'Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation: ARPIT',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/87th-air-force-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Air Force (IAF)</strong></a> has designed, developed and inducted an <strong>Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation i.e. ARPIT.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This pod will be <strong>utilised for evacuation of critical patients</strong> with infectious diseases including <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> from high altitude areas, isolated and remote places.</li>
<li>Supporting the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Atmanirbhar Bharat Initiative</strong></a>, only indigenous materials have been used to fabricate this pod.</li>
<li>Requirement of an air evacuation system with facility to prevent spread of infectious <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aerosol-levels-hit-20-year-low#:~:text=Aerosols%20are%20defined%20as%20a,located%20on%20the%20terrestrial%20surface." target="_blank" rel="noopener">aerosol</a></strong> from a Covid-19 patient during air travel was felt by IAF when the disease was declared as a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>pandemic</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Lightweight Isolation System:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The pod has a <strong>transparent and durable cast perspex</strong> (transparent plastic that is sometimes used instead of glass) for enhanced patient visibility which is larger, higher and wider than the existing models.</li>
<li>The isolation system <strong>caters for a suitable number of air exchanges, integration of medical monitoring instruments, and ventilation</strong> to an intubated patient.</li>
<li>In addition, <strong>it generates high constant negative pressure</strong> in the isolation chamber for prevention of infection risk to aircrew, ground crew and health care workers involved in air transportation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>High Efficiency Particulate Air:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It utilises <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/devices-to-control-air-pollution" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA)</strong></a> H-13 class filters and supports invasive ventilation using transport ventilators.</li>
<li><strong>HEPA:</strong> It is an <strong>air-filtration system</strong> designed to capture at least 99.97% of fine airborne particles, dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, with a size of at <strong>least 0.3 micrometre.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cost Effective:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has been developed at a <strong>cost of Rs. 60,000 only,</strong> as compared to the imported systems costing up to Rs. 60 lakh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1630268" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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		],
		(int) 2 => [
			'title' => 'Fall in Direct Tax Collection',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/farm-in-expenditure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)</strong></a>, the gross direct tax collections for the financial year (FY) 2019-20 fell by almost 5% compared to FY 2018-19.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The total direct tax collections for 2019-20 was at Rs. 12.33 lakh crore against Rs. 12.97 lakh crore of 2018-19.</li>
<li>Direct tax is a type of tax where the incidence and impact of taxation fall on the same entity. In the case of direct tax, the burden can&rsquo;t be shifted by the taxpayer to someone else. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These are largely taxes on income or wealth. e.g Income tax, corporation tax, property tax etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The fall in the collection of direct taxes is due to a combination of factors, <strong>which include the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/taxation-laws-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">historic tax reforms undertaken in 2019</a> and much higher refunds</strong> issued during the FY 2019-20.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Tax Reforms:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Reduction in corporate tax rate to 22%</strong> from FY 2019-20<strong> for all existing domestic companies.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Incentive for new manufacturing domestic companies</strong> by reducing the tax rate to 15%.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Such companies have also been exempted from payment of <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/panel-on-direct-tax-code" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT).</a></strong></li>
<li>This was done in order to promote growth and investment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reduction in MAT rate from 18.5% to 15%</strong> to provide relief to the companies which continue to avail exemption and pay tax under MAT.</li>
<li><strong>Exemption from income-tax</strong> to individuals earning income up to Rs. 5 lakh and increase in standard deduction from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 50,000.</li>
<li>The revenue impact of these reforms have been estimated at Rs. 1.45 lakh crore for Corporate Tax and at Rs. 23,200 crore for the Personal Income Tax (PIT).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>High Refunds:</strong> In FY 2019-20, the<strong> total refunds</strong> given was Rs. 1.84 lakh crore as compared to Rs. 1.61 lakh crore in FY 2018-19 which is a 14% increase year-on-year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tax Buoyancy:</strong> Excluding the effect of tax reform measures and higher issuance of refunds during the FY20, <strong>the tax buoyancy for gross direct collection, corporate tax and personal income tax was positive.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The tax buoyancy for gross direct tax collection was 1.12, for corporate tax it was around 1 and for personal income tax it was 1.32.</li>
<li>The higher growth rate in direct taxes as compared to GDP even in these challenging times proves that recent efforts for the widening of the tax base undertaken by the government are yielding results.</li>
<li><strong>Tax buoyancy is used to assess the efficiency of the tax system.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Investment:</strong> The setting up of new manufacturing facilities requires various preliminary steps like acquisition of land, construction of factory sheds, setting up of offices and other infrastructures, etc. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The tax reforms were brought in September 2019 and these activities cannot be completed in just a few months. Further, the outbreak of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a>, may delay this process.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps Taken by the Government to Increase Direct Tax and Investment</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Personal Income Tax -</strong> The Finance Act, 2020 has provided an option to individuals and co-operatives for paying income-tax at concessional rates if they do not avail specified exemption and incentive.</li>
<li><strong>Abolition of Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) -</strong> The Finance Act, 2020 removed the Dividend Distribution Tax in order to increase the attractiveness of the Indian Equity Market.</li>
<li><strong>Vivad se Vishwas -</strong> Under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/direct-tax-vivad-se-vishwas-bill-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Vivad se Vishwas</strong></a>, declarations for settling pending tax disputes are currently being filed.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This will benefit the Government by generating timely revenue and also to the taxpayers by bringing down mounting litigation costs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Encouraging digital transactions -</strong> In order to facilitate the digitalisation of the economy and reduce unaccounted transactions, various measures have been taken which include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Reduction in rate of presumptive profit on digital turnover,</li>
<li>Removal of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/merchant-discount-rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Merchant Discount Rate (MDR)</strong> </a>charges on prescribed modes of transactions,</li>
<li>Reducing the threshold for cash transactions,</li>
<li>Prohibition of certain cash transactions, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Raising of monetary limit for filing of appeal -</strong> To effectively reduce taxpayer grievances and help the Income Tax Department focus on litigation involving complex legal issues and high tax effect, the monetary thresholds for filing of departmental appeals have been raised.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The monetary threshold has been raised from Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh for appeal before Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), from Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 1 crore for appeal before the High Court and from Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 2 crore for appeal before the Supreme Court.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Expansion of scope of TDS/TCS -</strong> For widening the tax base, several new transactions were brought into the ambit of Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) and Tax Collection at Source (TCS). <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These transactions include huge cash withdrawal, foreign remittance, purchase of luxury cars, e-commerce participants, sale of goods, acquisition of immovable property, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Key Terms</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Corporate Tax:</strong> It is levied on a firm's profit by the government.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is taxed on operating earnings after expenses have been deducted.</li>
<li>The rate of corporate tax in India varies from one type of company to another i.e. domestic corporations and foreign corporations pay tax at different rates .</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT):</strong> Dividend refers to the distribution of profits to shareholders of a company.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, the dividend distribution tax is a type of tax that is payable on the dividends offered to its shareholders by the corporate.</li>
<li>Higher dividends mean a greater tax burden for the corporate entity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Minimum Alternate Tax</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At times it may happen that a taxpayer, being a company, may have generated income during the year, but by taking the advantage of various provisions of Income-tax Law (like exemptions, deductions, depreciation, etc.), it may have reduced its tax liability or may not have paid any tax at all.</li>
<li>Due to an increase in the number of zero tax paying companies, Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) was introduced by the Finance Act, 1987 with effect from assessment year 1988-89. Later on, it was withdrawn by the Finance Act, 1990 and then reintroduced by Finance Act, 1996.</li>
<li>MAT is an important tool with which tax avoidance can be prevented.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1630018#:~:text=Growth%20Trajectory%20of%20Direct%20Tax%20Collection%20%26%20Recent%20Direct%20Tax%20Reforms&amp;text=There%20are%20reports%20in%20a,GDP%20growth%20has%20reached%20negative." 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/fall-in-direct-tax-collection'
		],
		(int) 3 => [
			'title' => 'Challenges Related To RTI Act',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/the-rti-regime-failed-india-during-covid-19/story-B1zj5939aPdl1Z5MwA1AoK.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The RTI regime failed India during Covid-19&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindustan Times on 05/06/2020. It talks about issues related to the Right to Information Act, 2005.</p>
</div>
<p>The basic objective of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper4/right-to-information-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI Act)</strong> </a>is to empower the citizens, to seek information from Public Authorities. Thereby it promotes transparency and accountability in the working of the Government, and makes Indian democracy work for the people in real sense.</p>
<p>The current <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-indian-federalism" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a> has put lives and livelihoods at stake and led to a socioeconomic crisis. In this context, the free flow of information is an essential component of crisis management.</p>
<p>However, contrary to the basic axiom of the RTI Act, a query seeking details of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pm-cares-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>PM Cares fund</strong></a> was denied by the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office. It stated that the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pm-cares-not-under-rti" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>PM Cares fund is not a public authority</strong></a>. Also, the State Bank of India refused to give these details on the ground that it was third party information held under fiduciary capacity.</p>
<p>This highlights one of many issues pertaining to RTI Act. Therefore, given the importance of public access to information, it is necessary to address the underlying issues that mar the functioning of RTI Act.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note: History of RTI Act</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>First right to information law was enacted by Sweden in 1766.</li>
<li>The idea of RTI Act in India was floated by the former Prime Minister of India, Shri. V.P. Singh in 1990.</li>
<li>The first grassroot campaign for the introduction of RTI was started by Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) in 1994.</li>
<li>National Campaign for People&rsquo;s RTI &ndash; Formed in 1996; formulated initial draft of RTI law for the Government.</li>
<li>Tamil Nadu became the first Indian State to pass RTI law in 1997.</li>
<li>Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2002 passed by Parliament, could not be implemented.</li>
<li>Bill for the present RTI Act, 2005 was passed on the recommendations of National Advisory Council (NAC) in May 2005, and RTI Act, 2005 became effective from October 12, 2005.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Misuse of RTI Act :</strong> Due to non-applicability of locus-standi rule to RTI case and non-requirement of giving reasons for seeking information, it has been observed that the RTI act is misused by the many petitioners.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This leaves ample scope for non-serious information seekers to misuse it for their personal interest rather than public interest in disclosure.</li>
<li>Also, this diverts the time of public servants and adversely affects their work.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Low Public Awareness:</strong> Public Awareness is very low in India regarding their rights as well as duties. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Some reasons behind this are lack of education and awareness. It was further observed that awareness level is low among the rural areas and in disadvantaged communities such as women, SC/ST/OBC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Huge Backlog and Delay in Disposal of Cases:</strong> One of the reasons the RTI Act was considered to be revolutionary was that a response has to be provided in a fixed time, failing which the government official concerned would be penalized. However, this time-bound nature of the Act suffers due to multiple reasons:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Due to the <strong>insufficient number of Information Commissioners</strong> at the center level, there is a high backlog and delay in the hearing of the cases.</li>
<li>Further, because of <strong>poor quality,</strong> incomplete and inaccurate information, the filing the First appeal increases significantly under the RTI Act.</li>
<li>Moreover, the <strong>act doesn&rsquo;t provide any limit within which the Second Appeal</strong> to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/14th-anniversary-of-right-to-information#:~:text=Central%20Information%20Commission%20(CIC),heads%20the%20Central%20Information%20Commission." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chief Information Commission (CIC)</strong> </a>must be heard. Due to this, the applicant has to wait for months in order to have his or her case heard at CIC.</li>
<li><strong>Ineffective record management systems</strong> and procedures to collect information from field offices lead to delays in processing RTI applications.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Dilution of the law:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/rti-amendment-bill-2019#:~:text=The%20Right%20to%20Information%20(Amendment)%20Bill%2C%202019%2C%20seeks,of%2065%2C%20whichever%20is%20earlier)" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>RTI Act (Amendment) Act, 2019</strong></a> gives the central government the power to fix the terms and the service conditions of the Information Commissioners both at central and state levels. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By vesting excessive powers with the central government, this amendment has hampered the autonomy of CIC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Issue of Enforceability:</strong> The Act does not give adequate authority to the Information Commissions to enforce their decisions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Information commissions can give directions to public authorities to take the steps necessary to comply with the Act, but are not empowered to take any action if such directions are ignored.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Secrecy:</strong> The free flow of information in India remains severely restricted by the legislative framework including several pieces of restrictive legislation, such as the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/rti-amendment-bill-2019#:~:text=The%20Right%20to%20Information%20(Amendment)%20Bill%2C%202019%2C%20seeks,of%2065%2C%20whichever%20is%20earlier)" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Official Secrets Act, 1923</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Open Data Policy:</strong> Government institutions should put all disclosable information on their respective websites.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By this, the petitioners may immediately access whatever information they need.</li>
<li>This will also reduce the burden of the department to provide information which takes much of its valuable time.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Compiling of Similar RTI Applications:</strong> Many RTI Applicants file multiple RTI applications on the same subject/seek the same information, which increases the burden of the information department of various public institutions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, a system needs to be put in to weed out such duplicate cases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Preventing Misuse of RTI:</strong> RTI misuse can be prevented by introducing the reason knowing provision for filing the petition.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, there should be a provision of Penalty for wasting the valuable time of the Information Commissioner for demanding unnecessary information or which is not in public interest.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Balancing with Privacy Right:</strong> Another right of a citizen protected under the Constitution is the right to privacy. This right is enshrined within the spirit of Article 21 of the Constitution. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, the right to information has to be balanced with the right to privacy within the framework of law.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Increasing Public Awareness:</strong> This can be done by the launch of awareness campaigns through Radio, Television and Print Media various regional languages in rural areas.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A chapter on RTI Act, 2005 should be added in school/college curriculum.</li>
<li>Central/State Information Commissions should be provided with sufficient funds for creating awareness about RTI Act, 2005.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Democracy is all about governance of the people, by the people and for the people.</strong> In order to achieve the third paradigm, the state needs to start acknowledging the importance of informed public and the role that it plays in the country&rsquo;s development as a nation. In this context, underlying issues related to RTI Act should be resolved, so that it can serve the needs of<strong> Information societies.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591615918_pasted%20image 0.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591615918_pasted image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></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: #fffdf5;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Discuss the underlying issues related to RTI act and how they can be resolved, for the pursuit of good governance.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8EW6tB1zkWw" 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/narendra-modi-scott-morrision-india-australia-e-summit-6444711/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Canberra Connect&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Indian Express on June 6<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/challenges-related-to-rti-act'
		],
		(int) 4 => [
			'title' => 'Fall in Money Remitted Abroad',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to data released by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/important-institutions-national-institution-reserve-bank-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reserve Bank of India</strong></a>, the amount of money Indians send abroad has witnessed <strong>a 61% decline</strong> under the <strong>Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)</strong> as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>lockdown</strong> </a>cripple the global economy and ground international travel.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In April 2020, Indians remitted <strong>$499.14 million</strong> under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)<strong> &mdash; a 61% decline from $1,287.91 million</strong> in the same month last year.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The monthly outward flow in April 2020 <strong>is lowest since February 2016</strong> when it was<strong> $449.28 million.</strong></li>
<li>Substantial decline has been recorded in money sent for purchase of immovable property abroad; investment in equity/debt; deposit; gift; medical treatment; and other categories during April 2020.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>A Triple Whammy Effect:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This dip <strong>reflects economic distress, lockdown at home and curbs on overseas travel.</strong></li>
<li>Earlier, Resident Indians have remitted <strong>a record $18,750 million</strong> under LRS in the financial year ended March 31, 2020.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Despite the outflows reaching a record level during last financial year, March, 2020 saw a dip &mdash; $1,358.82 million &mdash; against $1,476.82 million in the corresponding month of 2019.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Money sent for Travel Purposes:</strong> The sharpest decline &mdash; 71.81% &mdash; has been recorded in money sent for travel purposes which came down to $121.13 million in April this year from $429.75 million a year ago.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is significant<strong> as an estimated 2 million Indian nationals</strong> travel overseas every month.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Money Sent for Studies Abroad:</strong> This has also seen a sharp decline of 68.85% &mdash; $78.76 million in April this year from $252.84 million in the corresponding month last year.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Over <strong>7 lakh Indian students pursued studies</strong> in foreign institutions in 2018.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Maintenance of Close Relatives:</strong> The category, which contributes the highest amount to total outward remittances under LRS has recorded a decline of 50%&mdash; $148.25 million in April this year from $296.14 million last year.</li>
<li><strong>Deposit and Investment in Equity/Debt:</strong> These categories have recorded lesser decline i.e.<strong> of 29.91%.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Donations:</strong> The only <strong>exception</strong> (stands neutral in terms of decline or increase)<strong> to other sources of remittances is &ldquo;donations&rdquo; e.g. for charity or social service,</strong> which contribute a <strong>negligible amount</strong> to the total outflows.</li>
<li><strong>Gift and Medical Treatment:</strong> While the category &ldquo;Gift&rdquo; has recorded a 66% decline in outward remittances, &ldquo;medical treatment&rdquo; has seen a decline of 45.85% in April 2020.</li>
<li><strong>Overall Impact:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Significantly, the cut in expenses on education, medical treatment and maintenance of relatives may endure beyond the travel ban and Covid due to financial strain.</li>
<li>Investment in shares and debt instruments used to buy immovable properties in overseas markets may decline.</li>
<li>Opening of foreign currency accounts with banks outside India may also get reduced.</li>
<li>In nutshell it would affect the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/forex-reserves-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>currency reserve</strong></a> of the country as an Indian resident needs to buy dollars using the Indian rupees (INR) from an authorised dealer (the bank) in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Liberalised Remittance Scheme</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This is the <strong>scheme of the Reserve Bank of India,</strong> introduced in the year <strong>2004.</strong></li>
<li>Under the scheme, all resident individuals, including minors, are allowed to freely remit up to USD 2,50,000 per financial year (April &ndash; March) for any permissible current or capital account transaction or a combination of both.</li>
<li><strong>Not Eligible:</strong> The Scheme is not available to <strong>corporations, partnership firms, Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), Trusts</strong> etc.</li>
<li><strong>Remitted Money can be used for:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Expenses <strong>related to travelling (private or for business), medical treatment, study, gifts and donations, maintenance of close relatives</strong> and so on.</li>
<li>Investment in shares, debt instruments, and buy immovable properties in the overseas market.</li>
<li>Individuals can also open, maintain and hold foreign currency accounts with banks outside India for carrying out transactions permitted under the scheme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prohibited Transactions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Any purpose specifically prohibited under Schedule-I (like the purchase of lottery tickets, proscribed magazines, etc.) or any item restricted under Schedule II of <strong>Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transactions) Rules, 2000.</strong></li>
<li>Trading in foreign exchange abroad.</li>
<li>Capital account remittances, directly or indirectly, to countries identified by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-financial-action-task-force" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Financial Action Task Force (FATF)</strong> </a>as &ldquo;non- cooperative countries and territories&rdquo;, from time to time.</li>
<li>Remittances directly or indirectly to those individuals and entities identified as posing a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism as advised separately by the Reserve Bank to the banks.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Requirements:</strong> It is mandatory for the resident individual to provide his/her <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pan-aadhaar-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Permanent Account Number (PAN)</strong></a> for all transactions under LRS made through Authorized Persons.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/sending-money-abroad-april-marks-50-month-low-at-499-mn-6447876/" 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/fall-in-money-remitted-abroad'
		],
		(int) 5 => [
			'title' => 'Hellenistic Philosophy',
			'catname' => 'Paper 4',
			'desc' => '<h3>Introduction</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Greek philosophy began as speculation into the nature of the cosmos or universe (Meta Physics).</li>
<li>The early philosophers, in the Pre-Socratic era, like Sophists, Democritus, Pythagoras and others made bold speculations about the origins and nature of the universe.</li>
<li>With the advent of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, the focus of philosophy also shifted towards morality, virtues and ethics.</li>
<li>However, due to the sudden death of Alexander the Great (in 323 BC), the whole of Greece fell into a state of uncertainty &amp; local wars and later it became a province of Rome.</li>
<li>The empires that succeeded him, known as the <strong>Hellenistic empires,</strong> lasted for hundreds of years and spread Greek culture over huge territories.</li>
<li>As the life of the average citizen was changing, the prevalent philosophical thought also underwent a change.</li>
<li>Political, social and moral environment no longer sustained the creative impulses in philosophical thought and this gave rise to Hellenistic Age or post-Aristotelian philosophy.</li>
<li>A common element of the philosophers in Hellenistic age was that the focus of Philosophy was shifting from general understanding of the universe to individual life and its perception as an &ldquo;art of life&rdquo;. Philosophy ends up being a driver of life and a source of relief, a healing art, a way to cope with a hostile world.</li>
<li>This period saw the emergence of the three great schools of moral philosophy viz. <strong>Epicureanism, Stoicism and Skepticism.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Epicureanism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This school derives its name from its founder Epicurus, who founded his school on the outskirts of Athens and famously called it as the Garden (307 BC).</li>
<li>Epicureanism teaches that the <strong>greatest good</strong> is to seek <strong>modest pleasures</strong> in order to attain a state of <strong>tranquillity, freedom from fear</strong> ("ataraxia") and<strong> absence from bodily pain</strong> ("aponia").</li>
<li><strong>Freedom from Fear:</strong> According to this school of thought, all people live in a constant state of irrational fear, anxiety &amp; superstition and these factors keep humans in a state of pain.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The biggest causes of these factors are the fear of death, the fear of being trapped in some really terrible afterlife for all of eternity and a fear of the gods.</li>
<li><strong>No fear of God:</strong> This can be depicted in the concept of <strong>"Problem of evil" which</strong> stated that:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>If God is willing to prevent evil but is not able to, then He is <strong>not omnipotent;</strong> if He is able, but not willing, then He is<strong> malevolent;</strong> if He is both able and willing, then why is there <strong>such a thing as evil;</strong> and if He is neither able nor willing, then <strong>why call Him God</strong> at all?</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>No fear of death and afterlife:</strong> Epicurus held that like everything else in the universe, the human soul is composed of atoms and empty spaces called void.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The atoms in the soul are scattered at death with no possibility of future life. Further, there is no need to fear a future state (death) of which we will have no feeling when it comes.</li>
<li>Also, this doctrine enables Epicurus to dispense with both joys of paradise and terrors of hell.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>No supernatural phenomena:</strong> According to Epicureans, any belief in supernatural phenomena stagnates scientific progress by blindly accepting that a supernatural force is behind something that can't be understood.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Moderation in all things:</strong> Epicurus directed that the state of tranquillity could be obtained through <strong>knowledge</strong> of the workings of the world and the<strong> limiting of desires.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He lauded the enjoyment of <strong>"simple pleasures",</strong> by which he meant <strong>abstaining</strong> from bodily desires.</li>
<li>It advises men to seek peace and quiet and to detach themselves from the problems of the world.</li>
<li>According to him, even <strong>learning, culture</strong> and <strong>civilization</strong> were discouraged, as they could result in disturbing one&rsquo;s <strong>peace of mind.</strong></li>
<li>Also, Epicureans <strong>shunned politics</strong> as having no part in the quest for ataraxia and aponia, and likewise a potential source of <strong>unsatisfiable desires</strong> and frustration, which was to be avoided.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Epicurus was one of the first to develop a notion of<strong> justice</strong> as a kind of<strong> social contract,</strong> an agreement "neither to harm nor be harmed".<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He argued that<strong> laws</strong> and <strong>punishments</strong> in society are important so that individuals can be <strong>free</strong> to pursue happiness, and <strong>just law</strong> is one that contributes to<strong> promoting human happiness.</strong></li>
<li>In some respects, this was an <strong>early contribution</strong> to the much later development of Liberalism and of Utilitarianism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In more <strong>modern times,</strong> the French philosopher and priest <strong>Pierre Gassendi</strong> (1592-1655) referred to himself as an Epicurean (and attempted to revive the doctrine), as did <strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong> (1743 - 1826) and the Utilitarian Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832).</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Epicureanism is sometimes confused with Hedonism, which is not completely true.</li>
<li>Hedonism is a school of thought where pleasure is seen as the only intrinsic good., whereas Epicureanism differs in its conception of happiness as the <strong>absence of pain,</strong> and in its advocacy of a<strong> simple life.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Stoicism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Stoicism first appeared in Athens in the period around 300 B.C. and was introduced by <strong>Zeno of Citium.</strong></li>
<li>It teaches the development of <strong>self-control</strong> and<strong> fortitude</strong> as a means of overcoming <strong>destructive emotions and</strong> seeks to <strong>transform</strong> them by a resolute Asceticism (<strong>voluntary abstinence</strong> from <strong>worldly pleasures</strong>).</li>
<li>The goal of Stoicism is freedom from <strong>passion</strong> (in the ancient sense of "anguish" or "suffering") through the pursuit of<strong> reason</strong> and <strong>"apatheia"</strong> (apathy, in its ancient sense of being <strong>objective, unemotional</strong> and having <strong>clear judgment</strong>).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It teaches indifference and a<strong> "passive"</strong> reaction to <strong>external</strong> events (on the grounds that nothing external could be<strong> either good or evil</strong>) and <strong>equanimity</strong> in the face of life's highs and lows.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Stoics taught that becoming a<strong> clear, unbiased</strong> and <strong>self-disciplined</strong> thinker allows one to understand the<strong> "logos"</strong> (the natural universal reason in all things).</li>
<li>An important aspect of Stoicism involves <strong>improving</strong> the individual&rsquo;s ethical and moral well-being by having a will which is <strong>in agreement with Nature,</strong> and by practising the <strong>four cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage, justice </strong>and <strong>temperance.</strong></li>
<li>For the Stoics, living according to<strong> reason</strong> and<strong> virtue</strong> is to live in harmony with the <strong>divine order of the universe,</strong> and recognizing the common reason and essential value of<strong> all people.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They, therefore, promoted Egalitarianism and encouraged the<strong> acceptance</strong> of even slaves as <strong>equals</strong> on the grounds that all are the "sons of God".</li>
<li>They also <strong>denied</strong> the importance of external differences such as <strong>rank</strong> and <strong>wealth</strong> in social relationships.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Stoics also believed that all the world is <strong>one</strong> and that a divine reality<strong> pervades</strong> the whole universe (Pantheism).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, the universe is like a giant <strong>living body,</strong> with all parts being<strong> interconnected.</strong></li>
<li>In addition, everything in the universe is <strong>predetermined</strong> (Determinism), although humans have a certain amount of <strong>free will.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In many respects, Stoicism bears a remarkable<strong> similarity</strong> to the ethical teaching of <strong>Buddhism,</strong> which is grounded in the <strong>four noble truths:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All life has<strong> suffering</strong></li>
<li>Suffering is rooted in <strong>passion</strong> and desire</li>
<li>Happiness is <strong>freedom</strong> from the passions</li>
<li><strong>Moral restraint</strong> and<strong> self-discipline</strong> is the means by which one becomes free from suffering</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In<strong> modern usage,</strong> the term stoic refers to someone who is<strong> unemotional</strong> or <strong>indifferent</strong> to pain, pleasure, grief or joy.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Stoicism is inspired by the moral ideas of Cynicism (a toned-down version of some of the <strong>harsher</strong> principles of Cynicism with some <strong>moderation</strong> and real-world practicality).</li>
<li><strong>Cynicism</strong> is an ancient Greek ethical doctrine which holds that the<strong> purpose of life</strong> is to live a life of <strong>Virtue</strong> in agreement with <strong>Nature</strong> (which calls for only the <strong>bare necessities</strong> required for existence).</li>
<li>This means <strong>rejecting</strong> all conventional desires for <strong>health, wealth, power</strong> and <strong>fame,</strong> and living a life free from all<strong> possessions</strong> and <strong>property.</strong></li>
<li>The Cynics believed that the world belongs<strong> equally</strong> to everyone and that <strong>suffering</strong> is caused by<strong> false judgments</strong> of what is<strong> valuable,</strong> and by the worthless customs and <strong>conventions</strong> which surround society.</li>
<li>They also saw their job as acting as the<strong> watchdog</strong> of humanity.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Skepticism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is also known as <strong>Pyrrhonism</strong> or <strong>Pyrrhonic Skepticism</strong> after the early proponent Pyrrho of Elis.</li>
<li>Skepticism holds that one should<strong> refrain</strong> from making<strong> truth claims,</strong> and<strong> avoid</strong> the postulation of<strong> final truths.</strong></li>
<li>Skepticism refers to an attitude of <strong>doubt</strong> or <strong>incredulity,</strong> either in general or toward a particular object, or to any <strong>doubting</strong> or <strong>questioning</strong> attitude or state of mind.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is effectively the opposite of <strong>dogmatism</strong> (the idea that established beliefs are <strong>not to be disputed</strong>) and the arbitrariness, relativity, or subjectivity of <strong>moral values.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It also refers to an<strong> inquiry or</strong> a <strong>method of obtaining knowledge</strong> through systematic doubt and continual testing.</li>
<li>Skeptics oppose Foundationalism (the idea that some basic beliefs that are <strong>self-justified</strong> or beyond justification) in that they argue that the <strong>belief</strong> in something does not necessarily <strong>justify</strong> an assertion of <strong>knowledge</strong> of it.</li>
<li>Instead, despite the apparent conflict with the <strong>goal of ataraxia,</strong> they claimed to continue searching for something that might be <strong>knowable.</strong></li>
<li>Towards the end of the 1st Century A.D., <strong>Agrippa the Skeptic</strong> established <strong>five tropes</strong> (or grounds of doubt):<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Dissent -</strong> the uncertainty of the rules of common life, and of the opinions of philosophers.</li>
<li><strong>Progress ad infinitum -</strong> all proof requires some further proof (and so on, to infinity).</li>
<li><strong>Relation -</strong> all things are changed as their relations become changed, or as we look upon them from different points of view.</li>
<li><strong>Assumption -</strong> the truth asserted is merely a hypothesis or assumption.</li>
<li><strong>Circularity -</strong> the truth asserted involves a vicious circle.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Criticism:</strong> Skepticism, due to its inherent feature of refraining from any absolute or final truth, poses a dilemma to its followers whether to believe in Skepticism as a school of philosophy or not.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Thomas Reid</strong> (1710 - 1796), founder of the<strong> Scottish School of Common Sense,</strong> argued that, if perception and the other cognitive processes are not reliable, then the faculty of <strong>reasoning</strong> which the skeptic uses is also bound to be<strong> unreliable too.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Greek philosophy developed only very slowly after the collapse of the Roman Empire in 427 CE. Due to the rise of Christianity, the Hellenistic philosophy got sidelined, as, within Christianity, there was no place for Cynical defiance of social norms, or Epicurean emphasis on pleasure, or Stoic fatalism, and or Skeptical doubt.</li>
<li>However, some philosophers of the day, not content with following any particular one of these schools, blended the views of many to suit their needs, thus creating yet another philosophical approach called Eclecticism.</li>
<li>In modern times, Epicureanism survives in the form of its direct descendent, utilitarianism, which is one of the leading ethical theories today and after centuries of <strong>religious dogmatism</strong> throughout the Middle Ages, Skepticism again resurfaced during the late Renaissance, and particularly during the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment of the 17<sup>th</sup> and 18<sup>th</sup> Century.</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper4/hellenistic-philosophy'
		],
		(int) 6 => [
			'title' => 'Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie Road',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road</strong> has been in the making for around two decades and is expected to be completed by 2020.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591610368_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591610368_image2.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="704" height="514" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>255-km road</strong> from <strong>Darbuk</strong> traverses at an <strong>altitude of 14,000 feet</strong> and reaches<strong> Shyok,</strong> the <strong>last Indian village in the region.</strong></li>
<li>This road<strong> joins Leh to the Karakoram Pass,</strong> which divides Ladakh from China&rsquo;s Xinjiang province.</li>
<li>Between Shyok and Karakoram Pass lies <strong>Daulat Beg Oldie</strong> (DBO), a <strong>plateau at an altitude of over 16,000 feet</strong> and the<strong> location of an Advanced Landing Ground</strong> (ALG) used by the air force to drop supplies.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>DBO is India&rsquo;s <strong>northernmost corner,</strong> which in army parlance is called <strong>Sub-Sector North.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The road&rsquo;s <strong>construction</strong> was started in <strong>2000</strong> and was to be completed by 2012 at a cost of Rs. 320 crore under the <strong>monitoring of the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office</strong> (PMO).</li>
<li>However, the construction <strong>could not be finished</strong> as the road was <strong>aligned with the Shyok riverbed</strong> that led to it being <strong>damaged every summer during flooding.</strong></li>
<li>Later, major portions of the road were realigned, keeping them away from the river.</li>
<li>In October<strong> 2019,</strong> the <strong>430 m</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/siachen-area-opens-for-tourism" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Colonel Chewang Rinchen Setu</strong></a> over Shyok river was inaugurated that joins Durbuk to DBO in Eastern Ladakh.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Along with it, the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/siachen-glacier" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Siachen Glacier</strong></a> area of Ladakh was declared open for tourists by the Government of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India has <strong>decided to not stop road construction</strong> on its side of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Line of Actual Control</strong></a> (LAC) despite the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/transgressions-around-lac" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>border confrontations</strong></a> and <strong>objections by China</strong> as it does not want India to utilise the DSDBO road to its full potential.</li>
<li><strong>Significance of the Road:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>DBO is located only 9 km away from the LAC with China and the road will <strong>help manage the border and the areas adjoining <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aksai-chin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aksai Chin</a></strong>, Chip Chap River and Jiwan Nalla.</li>
<li>It will also<strong> ensure faster deployment of troops</strong> in the area.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Before the laying of the road, the only way to reach the area was via the ALG, where heavy-lift aircraft can land.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>From the DSDBO road, a <strong>road branches off towards Galwan Valley</strong> which had prompted the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/increased-chinese-transgression" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>stand-off in Galwan Valley</strong></a>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Indian troops have been patrolling up to this area but they will have road access and can be present there.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-india-china-ties-marching-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wuhan</strong></a> (2018) and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-2nd-informal-summit-mamallapuram-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mahabalipuram</strong> </a>(2019) summits, both India and China had reaffirmed that they would make efforts to ensure peace and tranquillity in the border areas.</li>
<li>On 1<sup>st</sup> April 2020, India and China completed their <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-70-years-of-diplomatic-relations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>70 years of diplomatic relations.</strong></a> Both countries have <strong>resolved border issues peacefully in the past</strong> four decades which gives them hope that the tensions will subside soon.</li>
<li>India and China are amongst the largest economies, demography, markets and militaries of the world. Therefore, it is in the interests of both the countries to <strong>align their energies</strong> for the <strong>growth and development of their people, region and global peace.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/in-making-for-two-decades-dsdbo-road-now-upsets-china/articleshow/76250295.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: ET</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/darbuk-shyok-daulat-beg-oldie-road'
		],
		(int) 7 => [
			'title' => 'Shapes of Economic Recovery',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>As India is going to come out of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/21-days-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 lockdown</strong></a>, experts are debating over the shape of recovery of Indian economy.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The economists are unanimous that in the current financial year 2020-21, I<strong>ndia&rsquo;s economy will contract.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank&rsquo;s</strong></a> <strong>South Asia Economic Focus report, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-bank-on-india-s-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India&rsquo;s growth is likely to remain at 1.5-2.8% in 2020-21</a></strong> which is the slowest since 1991 economic reforms.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Many economists are also of the opinion that after hitting the bottom this year, the Indian economy will start its recovery in the next financial year (2021-22).</li>
<li>However, according to an <strong>analysis by Pronab Sen, former Chief Statistician of India, India&rsquo;s economy will contract not just in the financial year 2020-21 but also in 2021-22.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This means that India <strong>could experience a full-blown depression &ndash;</strong> the first in India&rsquo;s history as an independent nation.</li>
<li>The Table shows India&rsquo;s absolute Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is likely to struggle to even come back to the 2019-20 level by 2023-24.</li>
<li>India is likely to end up with an<strong> &ldquo;elongated U-shape&rdquo; recovery</strong> due to the <strong>weakness of the economy going into the Covid crisis</strong> as well as the<strong> inadequate fiscal stimulus measure taken by the government.</strong></li>
<li>The Table also provides a snapshot of the likely trend level of GDP had India grown at 6% and 8% respectively over the same period.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591608947_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591608947_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="759" height="298" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Other economists are of the view that<strong> it is difficult to predict the shape of economic recovery in India</strong> at this juncture as there are too many unknowns.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If there is no second wave of Covid-19, India can expect swift normalization from negative growth levels to the pre-covid levels of 5% and a gradual recovery to 7% by the second half of the next fiscal (2021-22).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Types of Shape of Economic Recovery</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Economic recovery can take many forms, which is depicted using alphabetic notations. For example, a <strong>Z-shaped recovery, V-shaped recovery, U-shaped recovery, elongated U-shaped recovery, W-shaped recovery </strong>and<strong> L-shaped recovery.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> alphabets generally denote the graph of growth rate,</strong> which resembles the shape of the letter.</li>
<li>The fundamental difference between the different kinds of recovery is the<strong> time taken for economic activity to normalize.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> time taken is often a factor of multiple things</strong> such as the depth of the economic crisis. e.g deeper the recession, longer is the time to get back to normal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The other aspect of economic recovery includes <strong>the effect of pandemic on jobs and household incomes,</strong> and the <strong>kind of policy response taken by the government</strong> that determines how quickly economic growth will recover.</li>
<li><strong>Z-shaped recovery:</strong> It is the most-optimistic scenario in which <strong>the economy quickly rises after an economic crash.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It makes up more than for lost ground before settling back to the normal trend-line, thus forming a Z-shaped chart.</li>
<li>In this economic disruption lasts for a small period wherein more than people&rsquo;s incomes, it is their ability to spend is restricted.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609286_image7.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609286_image7.png" width="300" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>V-shaped recovery:</strong> It is the next-best scenario after Z-shaped recovery in which the economy quickly recoups lost ground and gets back to the normal growth trend-line.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this, incomes and jobs are not permanently lost, and the economic growth recovers sharply and returns to the path it was following before the disruption.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609386_image4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609386_image4.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>U-shaped recovery:</strong> It is a scenario in which the economy, after falling, struggles around a low growth rate for some time, before rising gradually to usual levels.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this case several jobs are lost and people fall upon their savings.</li>
<li>If this process is more-long drawn than it throws up the<strong> &ldquo;elongated U&rdquo; shape.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609426_image8.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609426_image8.png" width="300" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li style="text-align: left;"><strong style="text-align: left;">W-shaped recovery:</strong><span style="text-align: left;"> A W-shaped recovery is a dangerous creature. In this, growth falls and rises, but falls again before recovering, thus forming a W-like chart.</span>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li style="text-align: left;">The double-dip depicted by a W-shaped recovery can be due to the second wave of the pandemic.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609446_image6.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609446_image6.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>L-shaped recovery:</strong> In this, the economy fails to regain the level of GDP even after years go by.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">The shape shows that there is a permanent loss to the economy&rsquo;s ability to produce.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609464_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609464_image5.png" width="300" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explainspeaking-when-will-indias-economy-recover-shape-of-its-recovery-6447775/" 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/shapes-of-economic-recovery'
		],
		(int) 8 => [
			'title' => 'National Tiger Conservation Authority',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has clarified that the tigers in the country have shown a <strong>healthy annual growth rate of 6%.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>These findings are stated according to the <strong>quadrennial All India Tiger Estimation conducted in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has been observed that the recorded growth of 6% <strong>offsets natural losses</strong> and keeps tigers at the <strong>habitats carrying capacity level.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The carrying capacity of an environment is the maximum population size of a biological species that can be sustained in that specific environment, given the food, habitat, water, and other resources available.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>For the period <strong>2012 to 2019,</strong> the<strong> average tiger deaths per year is 94.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>National Tiger Conservation Authority</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a<strong> statutory body</strong> under the <strong>Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.</strong></li>
<li>It was established in <strong>2005</strong> following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force.</li>
<li>It was constituted under enabling provisions of the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972</a>,</strong> as amended in 2006, for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers and functions assigned to it.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Project Tiger</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/status-of-conservation-of-tigers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Project Tiger</strong> </a>is an ongoing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/reforming-centrally-sponsored-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Centrally Sponsored Scheme</strong></a> of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change providing <strong>central assistance to the tiger States for tiger conservation</strong> in designated tiger reserves.</li>
<li>India now has as many as <strong>2,967 tigers</strong> in the wild, with more than half of them in <strong>Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka,</strong> according to the latest tiger estimation report for 2018.</li>
<li>The population of tigers have <strong>increased by 33%</strong> since the last census in 2014 when the total estimate was 2,226.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1629901" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-tiger-conservation-authority'
		],
		(int) 9 => [
			'title' => 'Persian Gulf Region',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The persian gulf region has the presence of the <strong>major producers of crude oil and natural gas,</strong> and thereby contributing <strong>critically to the global economy.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Thus, <strong>maintaining peace in the geopolitically</strong> significant region through <strong>cooperative security</strong> by the regional members and major world economies is one of the best solutions to stabilize the region politically and economically.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Persian Gulf Region</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The lands around the Persian Gulf are shared by<strong> eight</strong> countries namely, <strong>Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.</strong></li>
<li>These all <strong>eight</strong> countries are<strong> members of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations</a>.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).</li>
<li>Out of persian gulf countries, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates(UAE) and Saudi Arabia are members of OPEC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Being major producers of <strong>crude oil and natural gas,</strong> there is a<strong> commonality of interest</strong> among these countries. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This commonality of interest has given rise to <strong>their own prosperity</strong> and subsequently, <strong>economico-political entanglements among them.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591605529_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591605529_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="640" height="492" /></strong></a></p>
</div>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>British Era:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For eight decades prior to 1970, the persian gulf was <strong>guarded as a &lsquo;British lake&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>After the end of the British era, regional players entered with the<strong> intra-regional rivalries </strong>and<strong> forced cooperation.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Aggravated Political Tensions in the Region:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Events like the <strong>Muscat conference (1975), <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/40-years-of-islamic-revolution-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iranian Revolution (1979)</a> and the Iraq-Iran War (1980)</strong> aggravated the political tensions in the region. Subsequently, it<strong> enhanced USA&rsquo;s interests and roles in the region.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Muscat Conference (1975) was intended to develop the unified army cooperation to enhance the security among gulf states to guarantee free navigation in the persian gulf.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Later, the <strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations Security Council</a></strong> <strong>Resolution 598 (1987)</strong> was adopted to ensure a ceasefire between Iran and Iraq<strong> specifically</strong> and to explore measures to enhance the security and stability in the region <strong>generally.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Current Scenario</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Rising Conflicts in the Region:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently, the geopolitical factors and conflicts in the <strong>West Asian region &mdash; Yemen, Syria, Libya &mdash;</strong> aggravated global and regional relationships.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Declining Role of USA:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The above mentioned conflicts have <strong>hampered USA-Iran relations</strong> that were to be premised on the multilateral agreement on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-cuts-iranian-oil-imports-ahead-of-us-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Iran&rsquo;s nuclear programme agreed to by western powers.</strong></a></li>
<li>The <strong>declining USA&rsquo;s commitment to sub-regional security</strong> has raised more issues among the members of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-11th-december-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)</strong></a> due to political and ideological disagreement with Iran.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Emerging Split Within GCC:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The recent<strong> emergence of conflicting tactical and strategic interests</strong> and subjective considerations has created a division among the members of the GCC.</li>
<li>These divisions in the GCC are being aggravated due to following reasons:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/global-slowdown-trade-war-world-economy-indian-economy-china-usa-trade-war-brexit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global economic crisis</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-global-economic-disruption" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Immediate and longer-term impact of Covid-19 on regional economies</strong></a></li>
<li>Problems in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/qatar-quits-opec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)</strong></a></li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/oil-prices-crash#:~:text=Recently%2C%20the%20International%20oil%20prices,between%20Saudi%20Arabia%20and%20Russia." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Decline in oil prices</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Possible Stability Framework for the Region</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Regional as well as Global Security:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Any possible framework for stability and security in the region needs to ensure the <strong>security not only on the regional terms but also on global terms.</strong></li>
<li>Because the gulf regional security is not an issue among the Gulf States themselves but it is also an external issue.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Aspects:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Additionally, the framework will also need to ensure the following conditions which include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Peace and stability</strong> in individual littoral states.</li>
<li>Freedom to all states of the Gulf littoral to exploit their <strong>hydrocarbon and other natural resources</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Freedom of commercial shipping</strong> in international waters of the Persian Gulf.</li>
<li>Freedom of<strong> access to, and outlet from, Gulf waters </strong>through the&nbsp;<strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/strait-of-hormuz-1#:~:text=Strait%20of%20Hormuz,km%20wide%20in%20either%20direction." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strait of Hormuz</a></strong>.</li>
<li>The <strong>prevention of conflict</strong> that may impinge on the freedom of trade and shipping.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Relation with Persian Gulf Region</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India and GCC:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The economic and political relationship of India with the GCC has blossomed in recent years. The governments of the GCC members are <strong>India-friendly and Indian-friendly.</strong></li>
<li>The friendly relation has been reflected in the <strong>bilateral trade of around $121 billion</strong> and <strong>remittances of $49 billion</strong> from a workforce of over nine million.</li>
<li>GCC suppliers account for around<strong> 34% of India&rsquo;s crude imports.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India and Iran:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has always shared a friendly relationship with Iran. But the India-Iran relation faces one of the<strong> most complex phases</strong> at all times due to the&nbsp;<strong>USA&rsquo;s pressure</strong> which has <strong>politico-economic impacts.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In May 2018, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-reimposes-sanctions-on-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>USA abandoned the nuclear deal</strong> </a>and reinstated <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iran-oil-import-waiver-lifted" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>economic sanctions against Iran.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India's Overall Role in the Region:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has <strong>avoided involvement in local or regional disputes</strong> in the region.</li>
<li>Indian interests do not entail power projection but necessitate peace and regional stability.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has been assessed that Saudi Arabia is a fading power whereas UAE, Qatar and Iran are emerging as the new regional leaders. Oman and Iraq will have to struggle to retain their sovereign identities.</li>
<li>Thus, Indian interests would be best served if the stability in the region is ensured through <strong>cooperative security</strong> since the alternative, of competitive security options, cannot ensure durable peace.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/in-persian-gulf-littoral-cooperative-security-is-key/article31774318.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/persian-gulf-region'
		],
		(int) 10 => [
			'title' => 'Educational Complexes for Tribal Students: Odisha',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Government of Odisha has announced the establishment of <strong>three mega educational complexes exclusively for tribal students,</strong> where both academic and sporting skills will be harnessed.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Establishment:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The complexes will be established in <strong>tribal-dominated districts</strong> such as <strong>Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Mayurbhanj.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Santal and Bhuyan</strong> are two dominant tribal groups living in these districts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Each complex will house <strong>3,000 tribal students,</strong> which is a unique initiative in the field of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tribal-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>tribal education</strong></a>.</li>
<li>These complexes will have state of the art facilities to improve educational and sporting skills of tribal students from <strong>Standard I to XII.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>State-of-the-art (cutting edge or leading edge)</strong> refers to the <strong>highest level of general development,</strong> as of a device, technique, or scientific field achieved at a particular time.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Funding:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Funds required for mega complexes will be sourced from <strong>Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC),</strong> which was formed for focused development of <strong>mineral-rich districts.</strong> Incidentally, most mineral-rich districts are tribal-dominated.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tribal Population in Odisha:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the 2011 Census, tribal people constitute <strong>8.6%</strong> of the nation's total population i.e. over 104 million people.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A<strong> tribe </strong>has been defined as a <strong>group of indigenous people</strong> having a common name, language and territory tied by strong kinship bonds, having distinct customs, rituals and beliefs etc.</li>
<li><strong>The President</strong> under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-commission-for-scheduled-tribes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Article 342</strong></a> is empowered to declare communities as scheduled tribes, while <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/role-of-rajya-sabha" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Parliament</strong> </a>by law can amend the list.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Odisha&rsquo;s tribal population</strong> constitutes<strong> 9.17%</strong> of the country's tribal population.</li>
<li>In Odisha, the tribal population is<strong> 22.85%</strong> of the state&rsquo;s total population. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In terms of <strong>percentage tribal population</strong>, it occupies the<strong> third position</strong> in India.</li>
<li>The First and Second are <strong>Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra</strong> respectively.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Similarly, of India&rsquo;s total 75 <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/particularly-vulnerable-tribal-groups" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>particularly vulnerable tribal groups</strong></a>, 13 reside in Odisha.</li>
<li>With 62 tribal communities, Odisha has the most diverse tribes in India.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Keonjhar, where tribes such as Sounti, Ho, Juang, Kharwar, Mahali, Oraon Kolha and Kora reside is the most mined district of the State.</li>
<li><strong>Keonjhar</strong> district contains <strong>more than 70%</strong> of the iron ore reserves of Odisha.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Educational Schemes for Tribals</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Eklavya Model School: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/eklavya-model-residential-and-day-boarding-schools" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Residential School</a></strong> based on Navodaya Model to be opened in each tribal block by 2022.</li>
<li><strong>Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship Scheme (RGNF):</strong> RGNF was introduced in the year 2005-2006 with the objective to encourage the students belonging to the ST community to pursue higher education.</li>
<li><strong>Vocational Training Center in Tribal Areas:</strong> The aim of this scheme is to develop the skill of ST students depending on their qualification and present market trends.</li>
<li><strong>National Overseas Scholarship Scheme:</strong> The National Overseas Scholarship Scheme provides financial assistance to 20 students selected for pursuing higher studies abroad for PhD and postdoctoral studies.</li>
<li>Pre and Post Matric Scholarship Schemes.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is a need to give special focus to the education of tribal populations by the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/year-end-review-2019-ministry-of-tribal-affairs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ministry of Tribal Affairs.</strong></a></li>
<li>Awareness Campaigns like street drama, camps counselling session to bring attitudinal change in parents.</li>
<li>Emphasis should be given to <strong>career or job</strong> oriented courses.</li>
<li>Teachers should be locally recruited who understand and respect tribal culture and practices and most importantly are acquainted with the local language.</li>
<li><strong>The Kothari Commission</strong> stressed to pay special attention to the education of ST.</li>
<li><a href="/summary-of-important-reports/xaxa-committee-on-tribal-communities-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The XaXa Committee recommended</strong></a> a greater focus on removing gender disparity in education.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/odisha-plans-mega-educational-complexes-for-tribal-students/article31774853.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/educational-complexes-for-tribal-students-odisha'
		],
		(int) 11 => [
			'title' => 'Digital Initiatives by WCL',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Coal India Subsidiary-Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL) has launched a surveillance system called <strong>WCL EYE</strong> for monitoring its mining operations and a mobile application named <strong>SAMVAAD</strong> to connect with its employees and stakeholders.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>WCL EYE:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a<strong> digital surveillance system</strong> that will monitor operations of 15 major mines of the company, accounting for 70% of the company&rsquo;s coal production.</li>
<li>It will monitor coal stocks and availability of coal at sidings.</li>
<li>It will also monitor the placement of rakes and loading at railway sidings and ensure accountability.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>SAMVAAD:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <strong>mobile and desktop app</strong> for employees &amp; stakeholders.</li>
<li>It will provide a virtual platform for suggestion/feedback/experience sharing.</li>
<li>The Quick Response Teams will respond to the queries and feedback in 7 days mandated period.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Coal India Limited</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>CIL is a <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sectors-of-indian-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs)</strong></a> that came into being in November 1975.</li>
<li>It is the world's single largest <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/coal-sector-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>coal</strong></a> producer.</li>
<li>It produces around 83% of India&rsquo;s overall coal production and provides for 40% of primary commercial energy requirement.</li>
<li>In pursuance to initiatives towards development of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/not-yet-ready-to-exit-from-coal-plants" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>clean coal technology</strong></a>, CIL is planning to set-up a coal-based Methanol plant in the premises of Dankuni Coal Complex (DCC) near Kolkata.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Coal Sector under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/economic-stimulus-iv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commercial mining</a></strong> has been introduced on the basis of a revenue-sharing mechanism, ending the government monopoly in coal mining.</li>
<li>Coal Gasification or Liquefaction will be incentivised.</li>
<li>Infrastructure investment worth Rs 50,000 crores will be done to boost production.</li>
<li>Mining plan simplification will be undertaken to incentivise production.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1629862#:~:text=SAMVAAD%20is%20a%20Mobile%20and,Coal%20India%20have%20given%20Rs." 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/digital-initiatives-by-wcl'
		],
		(int) 12 => [
			'title' => 'NAIMISHA 2020',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA),</strong> New Delhi will organise <strong>online NAIMISHA 2020- Summer Art Program</strong> from 8<sup>th</sup> June 2020 to 3<sup>rd</sup> July 2020, to reach its audiences during the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> outbreak.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>NAIMISHA 2020:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is an initiative to provide a chance to participants and art enthusiasts to create and learn from practising artists.</li>
<li>The programme includes online workshops sessions on painting, sculpture, printmaking and <strong>indrajaal</strong> (an interdisciplinary creative workshop).</li>
<li>The exhibition of selected artworks from the program will be displayed on So&rsquo;ham, the cultural media platform of NGMA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>So&rsquo;ham:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the first cultural media platform of India, under the banner of NGMA.</li>
<li>The platform aims to develop a dialogue between NGMA, artists and art enthusiasts.</li>
<li>It is inspired by the Vedic philosophy of So&rsquo;ham, which stands for one's identity and its connection to the universe.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Gallery of Modern Art</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NGMA was established in 1954, at the Jaipur House, New Delhi.</li>
<li>It is run and administered as a subordinate office to the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.</li>
<li>The NGMA has two branches, one at Mumbai and the other at Bengaluru.</li>
<li>One of its objectives is to acquire and preserve works of modern art from the 1850s onward.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1630020" 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/naimisha-2020'
		],
		(int) 13 => [
			'title' => 'The Big Picture: Indian Ocean Islands Diplomacy',
			'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
			'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Os1fYOGn1N4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Due to the ongoing pandemic, the island countries-Mauritius and Seychelles, have been adversely affected due to a huge decline in tourism, for the countries&rsquo; economy mainly depends upon tourism. Both the island nations are a part of India&rsquo;s maritime security and therefore need to be pursued diplomatically. China&rsquo;s active engagement in the Indian Ocean could be a possible threat to our relations with the island states and could compromise the country's maritime security as well.</p>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Efforts in Helping and Aiding Friends</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has supplied nearly 85 million<strong> hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets</strong> and close to 500 million paracetamol tablets to 108 countries.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The HCQ tablets were sent as gifts to Mauritius and Seychelles on special Indian Air Force planes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mission-sagar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India had deployed the navy&rsquo;s 5,600-tonne landing ship, INS Kesari</strong></a>, to reach medical teams, medicines and supplies to countries in the Indian Ocean region such as Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles.</li>
<li>The two medical assistance teams on board the warship will be deployed in Mauritius and Comoros.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Strategic Significance of the Island Countries</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The strategic importance of these island nations is highlighted by their location along key <strong>sea lines of communication (SLOCs).</strong></li>
<li>These islands are vital and can facilitate a navy&rsquo;s continuous presence along key international shipping routes, allowing a navy to patrol and secure SLOCs during peace times and an option to interdict and cut off an adversary&rsquo;s communications during times of conflict.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India- Sri Lanka Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/india-sri-lanka-relations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sri Lanka</strong></a> has agreed to accelerate the Indian assisted development project in the country and the possibility of promoting investments by the private sectors of India.</li>
<li>The President of Sri Lanka asked the Indian Prime Minister to expedite investments in Colombo port's east terminal as soon as possible.</li>
<li>India has sent four consignments of essential life-saving medicines and medical supplies weighing over 25 tonnes to Sri Lanka in the last few weeks as a goodwill gesture</li>
<li>Recently, Sri Lankan has requested India to provide a special USD 1.1 billion <strong>currency swap facility</strong> to boost the country's draining foreign exchange reserves in view of the economic slowdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.</li>
<li>The new request is in addition to the USD 400 million amount Sri Lanka has sought from the Indian government under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/currency-swap-arrangement-for-saarc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) framework.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Currency Swap Arrangement</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The word swap means exchange. A currency swap between the two countries is an agreement or contract to exchange currencies with predetermined terms and conditions.</li>
<li>Central banks and Governments engage in currency swaps with foreign counterparts to meet short term foreign exchange liquidity requirements or to ensure adequate foreign currency to avoid Balance of Payments (BOP) crisis till longer arrangements can be made.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>India- Mauritius relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, both the countries have discussed enhancing cooperation in several areas including measures to support the financial sector.</li>
<li>The consignment of essential medicine supplies from India was sent to Port Louis, Mauritius via Navy ship INS Kesari.</li>
<li>India is Mauritius&rsquo; largest trading partner and has been the largest exporter of goods and services to Mauritius since 2007.</li>
<li>India and Mauritius have signed a wide range of bilateral agreements and MoUs including:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Cooperation against Terrorism (2005)</li>
<li>Science and Technology Cooperation (2012)</li>
<li>Cooperation in MSME Sector (2013) and</li>
<li>Cooperation in Ocean Economy (2015)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Indian Prime Minister during his visit to Mauritius in 2015 had introduced the <strong>SAGAR vision.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The vision was introduced on a Mauritius visit by the Prime Minister in 2015 <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/sagar-vision" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>with an aim to focus on the blue economy.</strong></a></li>
<li>It is an increasing recognition of the increasing importance of maritime security, maritime commons and cooperation.</li>
<li>Through <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/sagar-vision" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SAGAR</strong></a>, India seeks to deepen economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbours and assist in building their maritime security capabilities.</li>
<li>For this, India would cooperate on the exchange of information, coastal surveillance, building of infrastructure and strengthening their capabilities.</li>
<li>The key relevance of SAGAR emerges when seen in conjunction with India&rsquo;s other policies impacting the maritime domain like <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-india-s-act-east-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Act East Policy</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-09th-october-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Project Sagarmala</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-7th-august-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Project Mausam</strong></a>,<strong> India as &lsquo;net security provider&rsquo;, focus on <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/blue-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blue Economy</a></strong> etc.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Blue Economy</strong></p>
<p>According to the World Bank, the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/blue-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>blue economy</strong></a> is the "sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem."</p>
</div>
<h3>China&rsquo;s Dominance in Indian Ocean</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China's rapidly growing presence in the northern part of the Indian Ocean along with the deployment of Chinese submarines and ships in the region is a challenge for India.</li>
<li>The country has invested the largest amount in shipbuilding than any other nation.</li>
<li>China has maritime disputes in the East China Sea with Japan and stakes claim on 90 per cent of the South China Sea.</li>
<li>Moreover, China has pushed to develop infrastructure projects in island countries such as Sri Lanka under its belt and road initiative.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>China&rsquo;s Belt and Road Initiative</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China&rsquo;s <strong>Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),</strong> sometimes referred to as the<strong> New Silk Road,</strong> is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects ever conceived.</li>
<li>The project covers two parts.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Silk Road Economic Belt:</strong> It is land-based and is expected to connect China with Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe.</li>
<li><strong>21<sup>st</sup> Century Maritime Silk Road:</strong> It is sea-based and is expected to connect China&rsquo;s southern coast to the Mediterranean, Africa, South-East Asia, and Central Asia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is in the list of top 10 economies and those powerful economies are built on a bedrock of global maritime trade.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Contact upgrades need to take place with these maritime neighbours.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The island nations are badly hit due to covid-19,where India shall act as a friend in need:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Be the first responder to their calls.</li>
<li>Provide security and support to the countries in order to have their support in future.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In order to counteract the Chinese activism:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>China is a laggard when it comes to maintaining friendly relations which is an advantage for India.</li>
<li>Rather than competing with China in terms of strength and power, India should continue a diplomatic and goodwill factor approach and must gain control over the Indian Ocean by the same means only.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-indian-ocean-islands-diplomacy'
		],
		(int) 14 => [
			'title' => 'Bad Bank',
			'catname' => 'News Editorials',
			'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/bad-bank-should-india-have-one/1980470/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Bad bank: Should India have one?&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Financial Express on 04/06/2020. It talks about the pros and cons of a Bad bank for resolution of Non-Performing Assets (NPAs).</p>
</div>
<p>In the wake of the slowdown in economic activities due to the lockdown imposed, banks are set to witness a hike in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/solving-the-npa-crisis-in-india#:~:text=In%20March%202018%2C%20non%2Dperforming,associated%20with%20a%20banking%20crisis." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Non-performing assets (NPAs).</strong></a> Before the lockdown, the gross NPAs fell below Rs 10 lakh crore, but <strong>as per rating firm Crisil,</strong> it is now expected to cross Rs 11 lakh crore by the end of this fiscal year.</p>
<p>In this context, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/payment-revolution-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Banks Association (IBA)</strong></a>, have refloated an old idea of creating a &lsquo;bad bank&rsquo;. The Economic Survey 2017, suggested <strong>Public Sector Asset Rehabilitation Agency</strong> or PARA, to buy out the NPAs of high value from Indian banks.</p>
<p>A bad bank is technically an asset reconstruction company that buys bad loans(NPAs) from the commercial banks at a discount and tries to recover the money from the defaulter by providing a systematic solution over a period of time.</p>
<p>The idea of a bad bank seeks to reduce the NPAs in the banking sector and then revive lending and credit growth. However, the feasibility of such a bank is highly debated among various economists.</p>
<h3>Rationale of Bad Bank</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Easing Provisioning Requirement:</strong> High level of non-performing assets (NPAs) makes the lending difficult for banks, as they have to keep supplementary capital <strong>(provisioning requirement)</strong> under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/basel-iii-requirements" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Basel Accord</strong></a>. This reduces its capital base and the resulting losses erode depositor confidence &mdash; the lifeblood of any bank. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Bad bank by way of absorbing NPAs, will ease the provisioning requirement by the banks and help them to get on with business as usual.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Re-assuring Trust:</strong> Moreover, the creation of a bad bank allows the segregation of a bank&rsquo;s good assets from its bad assets. This allows investors to assess its financial health with greater clarity and for banks to grow financially.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Aside from this, a government-led initiative may perhaps make it more palatable or even an attractive opportunity for investors to invest their money- both domestic and foreign.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>International Precedent:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/understanding-financial=-crisis-of-2007-08" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>2007-2010 financial crises</strong></a> led to the creation of bad banks in many countries. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the US, as part of the <strong>Emergency Economic Stabilisation Act of 2008,</strong> a bad bank was suggested to address the subprime mortgage crisis (real estate loans default).</li>
<li>In Ireland, the National Asset Management Agency was established in 2009 to respond to the financial crisis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns About IBC Code:</strong> Many lenders are concerned over huge haircuts they have to endure after a resolution through the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/insolvency-and-bankruptcy-code-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Insolvency and bankruptcy code.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, NPAs in the power sector can't be resolved through the IBC system as factors like the lack of coal linkages and the absence of purchase power agreements make them unfit for a resolution through the IBC.</li>
<li>The bad bank structure could help banks park their money to separate agencies to find a solution in a long time.</li>
<li>Moreover, banks feel the assets having future demand-supply issues face liquidation under the IBC, a problem that can be solved under the bad bank.</li>
<li>Thus, a bad bank may save a defaulting firm from liquidation and closure.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mobilising Capital:</strong> Finding buyers for bad assets in a pandemic hit economy will be a challenge, especially when governments are facing the issue of containing the fiscal deficit.</li>
<li><strong>Not Addressing the Underlying Issue:</strong> Without governance reforms, the Public sector banks (accounted for 86%, of the total NPAs) may go on doing business the way they have been doing in the past and may end up piling-up of bad debts again.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, the bad bank idea is like shifting loans from one government pocket (the public sector banks) to another (the bad bank).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Provisioning Issue Tackled Through Recapitalization:</strong> Union Government, in the last few years, has infused nearly Rs 2.6 lakh crore in banks through recapitalisation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Those who oppose the concept of bad banks hold that the government has on its part recapitalised the banks to compensate for the write-offs and hence, there is no need for a bad bank.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Market-related Issues:</strong> The price at which bad assets are transferred from commercial banks to the bad bank will not be market-determined and price discovery will not happen.</li>
<li><strong>Moral Hazard:</strong> Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan had said that a bad bank may create a moral hazard and enable banks to continue reckless lending practices, without any commitment to reduce NPAs.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>So long as Public sector banks managements remain beholden to politicians and bureaucrats, their deficit in professionalism will remain and subsequently, prudential norms in lending will continue to suffer. Therefore, the debate regarding setting up a bad bank must be preceded by proper implementation of holistic reforms in the banking sector, as envisaged under the IndraDhanush plan.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591445358_Images%20Work.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591445358_Images Work.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; background-color: #ebfcfb; border-color: #ff0000; border-style: dotted;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Discuss how the concept of the bad bank can tackle the NPA crisis and revive lending in Indian Banking industry.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hAXEvd7trcA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/killing-gajah-the-hindu-editorial-on-the-killing-of-an-elephant-in-kerala/article31750497.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Killing Gajah&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on June 5<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/bad-bank'
		],
		(int) 15 => [
			'title' => ' Aerosols Radiative Forcing in Western Trans-Himalayas',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a study by <strong>the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)</strong> has found that <strong>radiative forcing of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aerosol-levels-hit-20-year-low#:~:text=Aerosols%20are%20defined%20as%20a,located%20on%20the%20terrestrial%20surface." target="_blank" rel="noopener">aerosols</a></strong> i.e. effect of anthropogenic aerosols is much higher over the high altitudes of western trans-Himalayas.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>ARIES,</strong> Nainital is an autonomous research institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology.</li>
<li>The Trans-Himalayas Mountain Region is located to the north of the Great Himalayas which consists of <strong>Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar and Kailash mountain ranges.</strong> It is also called the Tibet Himalayan Region because most of the part of these ranges lies in Tibet.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Aerosol Radiative Forcing (ARF) :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The study analysed the <strong>variability of aerosol optical, physical and radiative properties</strong> from January 2008 to December 2018 and the role of fine and coarse particles in <strong>Aerosol Radiative Forcing (ARF)</strong> assessment.</li>
<li>The ARF values at top of the atmosphere were mostly low over Hanle and Merak.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>ARF</strong> is the <strong>effect of anthropogenic aerosols on the radiative fluxes</strong> at the top of the atmosphere and at the surface and on the absorption of radiation within the atmosphere.</li>
<li>Hanle and Merak, situated in Ladakh are the part of <strong>Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Change in Temperature:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The study shows that monthly-mean atmospheric radiative forcing of aerosols leads to heating rates of <strong>0.04 to 0.13 degree celsius per day.</strong></li>
<li>Further, the temperature over the Ladakh region is increasing <strong>0.3 to 0.4 degree celsius per decade</strong> from the last 3 decades.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The observations show that the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aerosol-levels-hit-20-year-low#:~:text=Aerosols%20are%20defined%20as%20a,located%20on%20the%20terrestrial%20surface." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD)</strong> </a>exhibited a distinct seasonal variation with higher values (0.07) in May and lower (0.03) in winter months.</li>
<li><strong>AOD</strong> is a measure of how<strong> light is absorbed or reflected by airborne particles</strong> as it travels through the atmosphere.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>If aerosols are concentrated near the surface, <strong>an optical depth of 1 or above</strong> indicates very <strong>hazy conditions.</strong></li>
<li>An optical depth, or <strong>thickness, of less than 0.1</strong> over the entire atmospheric vertical column is considered clean.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Angstrom Exponent (AE):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The lower values of <strong>Angstrom Exponent (AE)</strong> in spring indicated dominance of coarse-mode dust aerosols.</li>
<li><strong>The Angstrom Exponent</strong> is a parameter that describes <strong>how the optical thickness of an aerosol typically depends on the wavelength</strong> of the light.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Composition of Air:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Pure and polluted dust</strong> exhibited fractions between 16% and 23%, with a low frequency of less than 13% of absorbing aerosols, denoting weak influence of <strong>anthropogenic aerosols</strong> and <strong>Black Carbon</strong> over the trans-Himalayan sites.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance of the Study</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The atmospheric aerosols <strong>play a key role in the regional/global climate</strong> <strong>system</strong> through scattering and absorption of incoming solar radiation and by modifying the cloud structure.</li>
<li>The transport of<strong> light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols and dust from the polluted Indo-Gangetic Plain and desert areas over the Himalayas</strong> constitutes a major climatic issue due to severe <strong>impacts on atmospheric warming and glacier retreat.</strong></li>
<li>This heating over the Himalayas facilitates the<strong> &ldquo;elevated-heat pump&rdquo;</strong> that strengthens the temperature gradient between land and ocean and modifies the atmospheric circulation and the monsoon rainfall.</li>
<li>A deep scientific study of<strong> aerosol generation, transport, and its properties have important implications in the mitigation of climate change.</strong></li>
<li>The study can help better <strong>understand the aerosol optical and microphysical properties</strong> and improve the <strong>modelling of aerosol effects in view of aerosol-climate implication</strong> via modifications in atmospheric warming and changes in the snow/glacier albedo over the trans-Himalayan region.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Measurements of aerosol optical and microphysical properties started during the last decade at the <strong>Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) at the high altitude background sites of Hanle and Merak in the trans-Himalayas</strong> under the frameworks of <strong>Aerosol Radiative Forcing over India (ARFI)</strong> and <strong>Astronomical Site Survey program of Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA),</strong> Bangalore.</li>
<li>The <strong>Indian Astronomical Observatory,</strong> located near <strong>Leh in Ladakh,</strong> has one of the world's highest located sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes.</li>
<li>In addition to this, few in-situ measurements of carbonaceous aerosols and ionic species have also been performed at Himansh Observatory (Spiti Valley) in the western Himalayas.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Aerosol</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Aerosols are defined as a combination <strong>of liquid or solid particles suspended</strong> in a gaseous or liquid environment.</li>
<li>In the atmosphere, these particles are mainly situated in the low layers of the <strong>atmosphere (&lt; 1.5 km) since aerosol sources</strong> are located on the terrestrial surface.</li>
<li>However, certain aerosols can still be found in the stratosphere, especially volcanic aerosols ejected into the high altitude layers.</li>
<li>The origin of atmospheric aerosols is either <strong>natural or the result of anthropogenic activities.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Natural sources of aerosols</strong> include sea salt generated from breaking waves, mineral dust blown from the surface by wind, and volcanoes.</li>
<li><strong>Anthropogenic aerosols</strong> include sulfate, nitrate, and carbonaceous aerosols, and are mainly from fossil fuel combustion sources.</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Reflect <strong>more energy from the sun back to space.</strong></li>
<li>In remote places with cleaner air, the effect of aerosol particle formation on clouds is found to be much larger.</li>
<li>Affect the atmospheric chemical composition.</li>
<li>Can <strong>reduce visibility.</strong></li>
<li>Have important impacts on<strong> air quality and human health</strong> (e.g. aerosols can cause damage to heart and lungs).</li>
<li>Serve as nuclei for cloud droplets or ice crystals in ice clouds.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Despite the large progress in quantifying the impact of different aerosols on radiative forcing, it still remains one of the <strong>major uncertainties in the climate change assessment. Precise measurements of aerosol properties</strong> are required to reduce the uncertainties, especially over the oceans and high altitude remote locations in the Himalayas.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1629589" 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/aerosols-radiative-forcing-in-western-trans-himalayas'
		],
		(int) 16 => [
			'title' => 'Sunderbans Damaged in Cyclone Amphan',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Chief Minister of West Bengal highlighted that about <strong>28% of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/preservation-of-sundarban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunderbans</a></strong> has been <strong>damaged by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cyclone-amphan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cyclone Amphan</a></strong> and launched a drive for planting <a href="/summary-of-important-reports/india-state-of-forest-report-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>mangroves</strong> </a>and trees to mark the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-environment-day-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Environment Day</strong></a> <strong>(5<sup>th</sup> June).</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian Sunderbans, an <strong>area south of the Dampier Hodges line,</strong> is spread over 9,630 sq km, of which the mangrove forest accounts for 4,263 sq km.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>1,200 sq km of that mangrove forest has been destroyed.</li>
<li><strong>Mangroves</strong> not only <strong>reduce wind speed</strong> but <strong>break the waves during a storm</strong> surge caused by a cyclone.</li>
<li><strong>Trees turned yellow and red</strong> after the cyclone mostly<strong> due to salinity</strong> and trees can only survive if the salinity of the soil comes down.</li>
<li><strong>Dampier Hodges line</strong> is an imaginary line, passing through 24 Parganas South and North districts (West Bengal) which indicates the northern-most limits of the estuarine zone affected by tidal fluctuations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>damage has been much on the Indian side</strong> of the Sundarbans and not on the Bangladesh side.</li>
<li>The CM has directed the Forest Department to be prepared to plant 3.5 crore mangroves by <strong>14<sup>th</sup> July</strong> which is celebrated as the <strong>World Forest Day.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Sundarbans</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a <strong>vast contiguous mangrove forest ecosystem</strong> in the <strong>coastal region of Bay of Bengal</strong> spread over <strong>India and Bangladesh</strong> on the delta of the <strong>Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers.</strong></li>
<li>The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes.</li>
<li>It constitutes <strong>over 60% of the country&rsquo;s total mangrove forest area.</strong></li>
<li>Indian Sundarbans was recognised as <strong>UNESCO <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-heritage-committee-s-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Heritage Site</a> in 1987, &lsquo;<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/wetlands-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wetland</a> of International Importance&rsquo;</strong> under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/addition-to-ramsar-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ramsar Convention</strong></a> in <strong>January 2019</strong> and also a <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/biosphere-reserves-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Biosphere Reserve</strong></a> in&nbsp;<b>1989.</b></li>
<li>The area is<strong> known for its wide range of fauna,</strong> including 260 bird species and is home to many rare and globally threatened wildlife species such as the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-26th-november-2018#:~:text=Saltwater%20crocodile%20sighted%20in%20AP&amp;text=Salt%2Dwater%20crocodiles%20are%20usually,Park%20(BNP)%2C%20Odisha." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Estuarine Crocodile</strong></a>, Royal Bengal Tiger, Water Monitor Lizard, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gangetic-dolphins-found-in-mahananda-river" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gangetic Dolphin</strong></a> and<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/olive-ridley-turtles" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Olive Ridley Turtles.</strong></a></li>
<li>The Sunderbans Delta is the<strong> only mangrove forest in the world <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inhabited by tigers.</a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For its preservation,<strong> Discovery India</strong> and <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-1st-april-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Wide Fund</a></strong> (WWF) India partnered with the Government of West Bengal and local communities in the Sundarbans in 2019.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Mangroves</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Mangroves are the plant communities occurring in<strong> inter-tidal zones along the coasts of tropical and subtropical countries.</strong></li>
<li>Mangrove forests perform <strong>multiple ecological functions</strong> such as production of woody trees, provision of habitat, food and spawning grounds for fin-fish and shellfish, provision of habitat for birds and other valuable fauna; protection of coastlines and accretion of sediment to form new land.</li>
<li>Among the states and Union Territories, <strong>West Bengal has the highest percentage</strong> of area under total Mangrove cover <strong>followed by Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.</strong></li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-state-of-forest-report-isfr-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> India State of Forest Report</strong></a> gives the data about mangroves and their conditions in the country.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/over-28-of-sunderbans-damaged-in-cyclone-
&lt;/div&gt;amphan/article31760595.ece#:~:text=About%2028%25%20of%20the%20Sunderbans,to%20mark%20World%20Environment%20Day.&amp;text=She%20said%201%2C200%20sq%20km,forests%20had%20been%20%E2%80%9Cdestroyed%E2%80%9D." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
			'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
			'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sunderbans-damaged-in-cyclone-amphan'
		],
		(int) 17 => [
			'title' => 'LiDAR Based Research in Tamar Valley',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A U.K.-based team of archeologists has continued its research over the<strong> Tamar Valley</strong> through <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/self-driven-cars" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)</strong> </a>despite lockdown due to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> in the country.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>LiDAR is commonly used by geologists and surveyors to make high-resolution maps.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Tamar Valley</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Tamar valley is located in the <strong>south of England</strong> and is a rich archaeological landscape with many sites<strong> belonging to the Iron Age and Roman era.</strong></li>
<li>The area is a <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/world-heritage-sites-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Heritage Site</strong></a> <strong>due to its historic mining activities.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)</strong></a> for its <strong>special cultural or physical significance.</strong></li>
<li>The list of World Heritage Sites is maintained by the<strong> international 'World Heritage Programme',</strong> administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>LiDAR</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Description:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a<strong> remote sensing</strong> method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser<strong> to measure ranges &amp; variable distances.</strong></li>
<li>These light pulses&mdash;combined with other data recorded by the airborne system&mdash; generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.</li>
<li>A LiDAR instrument principally <strong>consists of a laser, a scanner, and a specialized GPS receiver.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Airplanes and helicopters are the most commonly used platforms for acquiring LiDAR data over broad areas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Applications:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>LiDAR is used for <strong>agriculture, hydrology</strong> and water management systems</li>
<li>and <strong>geology-related</strong> applications.</li>
<li>It is also used in <strong>archaeology.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/how-archaeologists-continued-digging-from-home-during-lockdown/article31760027.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/lidar-based-research-in-tamar-valley'
		],
		(int) 18 => [
			'title' => '163348 (2002 NN4): A Near-Earth Asteroid',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/national-aeronautics-and-space-administration-nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)</strong></a> has announced that a giant <strong>asteroid</strong> called as <strong>163348 (2002 NN4),</strong> is expected to pass Earth on 6<sup>th</sup> June 2020.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>However, it is approaching the Earth within the <strong>safe limit of distance.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>163348 (2002 NN4):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was discovered in July 2002 and is expected to approach the earth in June 2020.</li>
<li>The asteroid is estimated to be between <strong>250-570 meters in diameter.</strong></li>
<li>The asteroid is a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/2020-cd3-mini-moon" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Near-Earth Object</strong></a> and classified as a <strong>Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Near-Earth Objects (NEOs):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NEOs are <strong>comets and asteroids</strong> pushed by the <strong>gravitational attraction of nearby planets into orbits</strong> which allow them to enter the Earth&rsquo;s neighbourhood.</li>
<li>These objects are <strong>composed mostly of water ice</strong> with embedded dust particles.</li>
<li>NEOs<strong> occasionally approach close to the Earth</strong> as they orbit the Sun.</li>
<li>NASA&rsquo;s <strong>Center for Near-Earth Object Study (CNEOS)</strong> determines the times and distances of these objects, when their approach to the Earth is close, through the Asteroid Watch Widget.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It means that an asteroid has the potential to make <strong>threatening close approaches to the Earth.</strong></li>
<li>Specifically, all asteroids with a <strong>Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance</strong> (MOID) <strong>of 0.05 AU</strong> (which is about 7,480,000 Km) or less and an <strong>Absolute Magnitude (H) of 22.0</strong> (about 150 mt in diameter) or less are considered PHAs.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance</strong> is a method for calculating the <strong>minimum distance between two almost overlapping elliptical orbits.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Astronomical Unit (AU)</strong> is the distance between the Earth and the Sun and is roughly 150 million km.</li>
<li>The <strong>absolute magnitude</strong> is a measure of the star's luminosity i.e. the<strong> total amount of energy radiated</strong> by the star every second.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Chances of hitting the earth and related Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to NASA, the objects with large size pose a<strong> great risk to Earth</strong> due to the<strong> level of devastation and the impact</strong> they can cause.</li>
<li>Less than half of the estimated 25,000 NEOs that are 140 metres or larger in size have been found to date.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>NASA&rsquo;s <strong>Near-Earth Object Observations Program</strong> finds, tracks and characterises over 90% of the predicted number of NEOs that are 140 metre or larger in size.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However, no asteroid <strong>larger than 140 metre has a &ldquo;significant&rdquo; chance of hitting</strong> the Earth for the <strong>next 100 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Asteroids</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Asteroids orbit the Sun and are small bodies in the solar system.</li>
<li>They are made up of metals and rocks.</li>
<li>They tend to have shorter and elliptical orbits.</li>
<li>They do not produce a coma or tail atmosphere.</li>
<li>The <strong>asteroid belt</strong> is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, located roughly between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Comet</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Comets also orbit the Sun and are relatively small bodies of the solar system.</li>
<li>They are made up of ice and hydrocarbons.</li>
<li>Comets have an eccentric orbit.</li>
<li>When comets approach the sun, some part of their ice melts and the other materials vapourise due to the heat of the sun. This results in a glowing halo that extends outwards through space. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, a thin atmospheric tail is formed when close to the Sun.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Significance:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The scientific interest in <strong>comets and asteroids</strong> is largely due to their status as <strong>relatively unchanged remnant debris from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/length-of-a-day-on-each-planet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">solar system</a></strong> formation process over <strong>4.6 billion years ago.</strong> Therefore, they offer clues about the <strong>chemical mixture</strong> from the planets formed.</li>
<li>Significantly, among all the reasons that will eventually cause the extinction of life on Earth, <strong>an asteroid hit is widely acknowledged</strong> as one of the likeliest.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Over the years, scientists have suggested different ways to ward off such a hit, such as blowing up the asteroid before it reaches Earth, or deflecting it off its Earth-bound course by hitting it with a spacecraft.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is not necessary that asteroids classified as PHAs will impact the Earth. It only means there is a possibility of a threat.</li>
<li>By <strong>monitoring these PHAs and updating their orbits as new observations,</strong> it is possible to <strong>predict the close-approach statistics and thus their Earth-impact threat.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/nasa-earth-asteroid-6444103/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		(int) 19 => [
			'title' => '‘Healthy and Energy Efficient Buildings’ Initiative',
			'catname' => 'News Analysis',
			'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL),</strong> in partnership with the U.S. <strong>Agency for International Development&rsquo;s (USAID) MAITREE program,</strong> launched the <strong>&ldquo;Healthy and Energy Efficient Buildings&rdquo;</strong> initiative that will pioneer ways to make workplaces healthier and greener.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The initiative was launched on the occasion of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-environment-day-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Environment day (5<sup>th</sup> June)</strong></a>.</li>
<li>This initiative is to <strong>address the challenges of retrofitting existing buildings and air conditioning systems</strong> so that they are both healthy and energy efficient.</li>
<li>The initiative, implemented by the EESL in its office, will pave the way for other buildings to take appropriate steps to be healthy and energy efficient.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This will help in <strong>developing specifications</strong> for future use in other buildings throughout the country, as well as aid in <strong>evaluating the effectiveness and cost benefits of various technologies</strong> and their short and long-term impacts on air quality, comfort, and energy use.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Poor air quality has been a concern in India for quite some time and has become more important in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>As people return to their offices and public spaces, maintaining good indoor air quality is essential for occupant comfort, well-being, productivity and the overall public health.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Most buildings in India are not equipped to establish and maintain healthy indoor air quality and need to be upgraded. Such retrofit measures, like increasing outside air and additional filtration in the air conditioning system, typically come at the cost of occupant comfort and increased energy use.</li>
<li>Further, there are no standardized approaches to retrofitting.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Energy Efficiency Services Limited</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is under the administration of the <strong>Ministry of Power,</strong> Government of India.</li>
<li>It is working towards mainstreaming energy efficiency and is implementing the world&rsquo;s largest energy efficiency portfolio in the country.</li>
<li>It aims to create market access for efficient and future-ready transformative solutions that create a win-win situation for every stakeholder.</li>
<li>It helps in implementing programmes such as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/report-on-energy-efficiency-measures" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UnnatJyoti by Affordable LED for All (UJALA)</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/smart-meters" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Smart Meters</strong></a>, etc.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>U.S. Agency for International Development</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>USAID is the world&rsquo;s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results.</li>
<li>The <strong>Market Integration and Transformation Program for Energy Efficiency (MAITREE),</strong> is a part of the US-India bilateral Partnership between the Ministry of Power and USAID and is aimed at accelerating the adoption of cost-effective energy efficiency as a standard practice within buildings, and specifically focuses on cooling.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1629597" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:PIB</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 0 => [
		'title' => 'Assam Gas Leak',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a gas leak has occurred at<strong> Baghjan well</strong> in Tinsukia district of Assam following a blowout.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Baghjan well is a purely gas-producing well in <strong>Tinsukia district,</strong> and is at an aerial distance of 900 metres from the <strong>Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.</strong></li>
<li>It has been drilled by <strong>Oil India Limited (OIL)</strong> since 2006.</li>
<li>Natural gas is a mix of propane, methane, propylene and other gases.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Gas Leak:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The gas well at Baghjan <strong>was under maintenance,</strong> for which it was temporarily shut. The Blowout Preventer (BOP) was also removed.</li>
<li>However, the gas started to ooze out of the well during the maintenance.The reason behind the blowout (a sudden/uncontrolled release of gas/oil) is not clear.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Possible Reasons:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It may have occurred<strong> due to lack of attention, poor workmanship, bad maintenance, old age, sabotage to morpho-tectonic factors.</strong></li>
<li>Sometimes, the <strong>disturbance of pressure balance in a well may also lead to sudden blowouts.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Steps Taken:</strong> The authorities have built a temporary water reservoir through pipelines from the<strong> Dangori river</strong> nearby the well to control the blowout.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To control a blowout, a huge quantity of water is required so that the gas does not catch fire.</li>
<li>The<strong> control of a blowout depends on two things:</strong> the<strong> size of the reservoir</strong> and the <strong>pressure at which the gas is flowing out.</strong> Many blowouts also automatically collapse on their own.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Challenges:</strong> The gas leak at the Baghjan is still not under control and it is continuously leaking.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The limited space and non-availability of open space above the well head poses a huge challenge in placement of BOP.</li>
<li>The BOP placement involves a huge risk since Baghjan is a gas well and runs the risk of catching fire at any point.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>gas is flowing with the wind</strong> in the radius of up to 5 km and <strong>condensate (the residue from gas) is falling</strong> on bamboo, tea gardens, banana trees, betel nut trees among others.</li>
<li>While the well is outside the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/eco-sensitive-zones" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Eco Sensitive Zone</strong></a> of the park, there are reports that the condensate is falling into <strong>Dibru-Saikhowa National Park</strong> and <strong>Maguri-Motapung wetland</strong> too.</li>
<li>The gas leak has also caused deaths of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gangetic-dolphin-annual-census" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gangetic dolphins</strong></a>, and a variety of fish. The number of birds have also decreased because they have flown away.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Assessment of the Impact:</strong> To safeguard the environment, OIL has engaged a <strong>National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET)</strong> accredited consultant to carry out an <strong>Environment Impact Assessment study</strong> to assess the effects of blowout on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and to work on a <strong>Socio-Economic Impact Assessment.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NABET is a constituent Board of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/jodhpur-tops-railway-cleanliness-survey-conducted-by-the-quality-council-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Quality Council of India</strong></a>.</li>
<li>It offers accreditation to <strong>educational organisations, vocational training organizations </strong>and<strong> skill certification bodies.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Dibru-Saikhowa National Park</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Dibru-Saikhowa is a <strong>National Park</strong> as well as a <strong>Biosphere Reserve</strong> situated in the south bank of the river Brahmaputra in Assam.</li>
<li>It is one of the <strong>19 biodiversity hotspots in the world.</strong></li>
<li>The forest type of Dibru-Saikhowa comprises <strong>semi-evergreen forests, deciduous forests, littoral and swamp forests</strong> and <strong>patches of wet evergreen forests.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the largest swamp forest in north-eastern India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is an identified <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/animals-and-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Important Bird Area (IBA)</strong> </a>notified by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/delhi-butterfly-corridors" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bombay Natural History Society</strong></a>. It is most famous for the rare <strong>white-winged wood ducks</strong> as well as<strong> feral horses.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Maguri-Motapung Wetland</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Maguri Motapung Beel is less than 10 km from Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and part of the Dibru-Saikhowa Biosphere Reserve.</li>
<li>The wetland derives its name from &ldquo;Magur&rdquo;, the local word for the catfish &lsquo;Clarius batrachus&rsquo;.</li>
<li>It is an <strong>Important Bird Area</strong> notified by the Bombay Natural History Society.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/assam-gas-leak-why-its-tough-to-plug-and-what-threat-it-poses-to-area-6447810/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20Guwahati%2Dbased,catching%20fire%20at%20any%20point%E2%80%9D." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:IE</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 1 => [
		'title' => 'Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation: ARPIT',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/87th-air-force-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Air Force (IAF)</strong></a> has designed, developed and inducted an <strong>Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation i.e. ARPIT.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This pod will be <strong>utilised for evacuation of critical patients</strong> with infectious diseases including <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> from high altitude areas, isolated and remote places.</li>
<li>Supporting the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Atmanirbhar Bharat Initiative</strong></a>, only indigenous materials have been used to fabricate this pod.</li>
<li>Requirement of an air evacuation system with facility to prevent spread of infectious <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aerosol-levels-hit-20-year-low#:~:text=Aerosols%20are%20defined%20as%20a,located%20on%20the%20terrestrial%20surface." target="_blank" rel="noopener">aerosol</a></strong> from a Covid-19 patient during air travel was felt by IAF when the disease was declared as a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>pandemic</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Lightweight Isolation System:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The pod has a <strong>transparent and durable cast perspex</strong> (transparent plastic that is sometimes used instead of glass) for enhanced patient visibility which is larger, higher and wider than the existing models.</li>
<li>The isolation system <strong>caters for a suitable number of air exchanges, integration of medical monitoring instruments, and ventilation</strong> to an intubated patient.</li>
<li>In addition, <strong>it generates high constant negative pressure</strong> in the isolation chamber for prevention of infection risk to aircrew, ground crew and health care workers involved in air transportation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>High Efficiency Particulate Air:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It utilises <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/devices-to-control-air-pollution" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA)</strong></a> H-13 class filters and supports invasive ventilation using transport ventilators.</li>
<li><strong>HEPA:</strong> It is an <strong>air-filtration system</strong> designed to capture at least 99.97% of fine airborne particles, dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, with a size of at <strong>least 0.3 micrometre.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cost Effective:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It has been developed at a <strong>cost of Rs. 60,000 only,</strong> as compared to the imported systems costing up to Rs. 60 lakh.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1630268" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 2 => [
		'title' => 'Fall in Direct Tax Collection',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/farm-in-expenditure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)</strong></a>, the gross direct tax collections for the financial year (FY) 2019-20 fell by almost 5% compared to FY 2018-19.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The total direct tax collections for 2019-20 was at Rs. 12.33 lakh crore against Rs. 12.97 lakh crore of 2018-19.</li>
<li>Direct tax is a type of tax where the incidence and impact of taxation fall on the same entity. In the case of direct tax, the burden can&rsquo;t be shifted by the taxpayer to someone else. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These are largely taxes on income or wealth. e.g Income tax, corporation tax, property tax etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The fall in the collection of direct taxes is due to a combination of factors, <strong>which include the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/taxation-laws-amendment-bill-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">historic tax reforms undertaken in 2019</a> and much higher refunds</strong> issued during the FY 2019-20.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Tax Reforms:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Reduction in corporate tax rate to 22%</strong> from FY 2019-20<strong> for all existing domestic companies.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Incentive for new manufacturing domestic companies</strong> by reducing the tax rate to 15%.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Such companies have also been exempted from payment of <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/panel-on-direct-tax-code" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT).</a></strong></li>
<li>This was done in order to promote growth and investment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reduction in MAT rate from 18.5% to 15%</strong> to provide relief to the companies which continue to avail exemption and pay tax under MAT.</li>
<li><strong>Exemption from income-tax</strong> to individuals earning income up to Rs. 5 lakh and increase in standard deduction from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 50,000.</li>
<li>The revenue impact of these reforms have been estimated at Rs. 1.45 lakh crore for Corporate Tax and at Rs. 23,200 crore for the Personal Income Tax (PIT).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>High Refunds:</strong> In FY 2019-20, the<strong> total refunds</strong> given was Rs. 1.84 lakh crore as compared to Rs. 1.61 lakh crore in FY 2018-19 which is a 14% increase year-on-year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tax Buoyancy:</strong> Excluding the effect of tax reform measures and higher issuance of refunds during the FY20, <strong>the tax buoyancy for gross direct collection, corporate tax and personal income tax was positive.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The tax buoyancy for gross direct tax collection was 1.12, for corporate tax it was around 1 and for personal income tax it was 1.32.</li>
<li>The higher growth rate in direct taxes as compared to GDP even in these challenging times proves that recent efforts for the widening of the tax base undertaken by the government are yielding results.</li>
<li><strong>Tax buoyancy is used to assess the efficiency of the tax system.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Investment:</strong> The setting up of new manufacturing facilities requires various preliminary steps like acquisition of land, construction of factory sheds, setting up of offices and other infrastructures, etc. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The tax reforms were brought in September 2019 and these activities cannot be completed in just a few months. Further, the outbreak of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a>, may delay this process.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Steps Taken by the Government to Increase Direct Tax and Investment</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Personal Income Tax -</strong> The Finance Act, 2020 has provided an option to individuals and co-operatives for paying income-tax at concessional rates if they do not avail specified exemption and incentive.</li>
<li><strong>Abolition of Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) -</strong> The Finance Act, 2020 removed the Dividend Distribution Tax in order to increase the attractiveness of the Indian Equity Market.</li>
<li><strong>Vivad se Vishwas -</strong> Under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/direct-tax-vivad-se-vishwas-bill-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Vivad se Vishwas</strong></a>, declarations for settling pending tax disputes are currently being filed.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This will benefit the Government by generating timely revenue and also to the taxpayers by bringing down mounting litigation costs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Encouraging digital transactions -</strong> In order to facilitate the digitalisation of the economy and reduce unaccounted transactions, various measures have been taken which include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Reduction in rate of presumptive profit on digital turnover,</li>
<li>Removal of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/merchant-discount-rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Merchant Discount Rate (MDR)</strong> </a>charges on prescribed modes of transactions,</li>
<li>Reducing the threshold for cash transactions,</li>
<li>Prohibition of certain cash transactions, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Raising of monetary limit for filing of appeal -</strong> To effectively reduce taxpayer grievances and help the Income Tax Department focus on litigation involving complex legal issues and high tax effect, the monetary thresholds for filing of departmental appeals have been raised.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The monetary threshold has been raised from Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh for appeal before Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), from Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 1 crore for appeal before the High Court and from Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 2 crore for appeal before the Supreme Court.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Expansion of scope of TDS/TCS -</strong> For widening the tax base, several new transactions were brought into the ambit of Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) and Tax Collection at Source (TCS). <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These transactions include huge cash withdrawal, foreign remittance, purchase of luxury cars, e-commerce participants, sale of goods, acquisition of immovable property, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Key Terms</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Corporate Tax:</strong> It is levied on a firm's profit by the government.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is taxed on operating earnings after expenses have been deducted.</li>
<li>The rate of corporate tax in India varies from one type of company to another i.e. domestic corporations and foreign corporations pay tax at different rates .</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT):</strong> Dividend refers to the distribution of profits to shareholders of a company.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, the dividend distribution tax is a type of tax that is payable on the dividends offered to its shareholders by the corporate.</li>
<li>Higher dividends mean a greater tax burden for the corporate entity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Minimum Alternate Tax</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>At times it may happen that a taxpayer, being a company, may have generated income during the year, but by taking the advantage of various provisions of Income-tax Law (like exemptions, deductions, depreciation, etc.), it may have reduced its tax liability or may not have paid any tax at all.</li>
<li>Due to an increase in the number of zero tax paying companies, Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) was introduced by the Finance Act, 1987 with effect from assessment year 1988-89. Later on, it was withdrawn by the Finance Act, 1990 and then reintroduced by Finance Act, 1996.</li>
<li>MAT is an important tool with which tax avoidance can be prevented.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1630018#:~:text=Growth%20Trajectory%20of%20Direct%20Tax%20Collection%20%26%20Recent%20Direct%20Tax%20Reforms&amp;text=There%20are%20reports%20in%20a,GDP%20growth%20has%20reached%20negative." 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/fall-in-direct-tax-collection'
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'title' => 'Challenges Related To RTI Act',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/the-rti-regime-failed-india-during-covid-19/story-B1zj5939aPdl1Z5MwA1AoK.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;The RTI regime failed India during Covid-19&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindustan Times on 05/06/2020. It talks about issues related to the Right to Information Act, 2005.</p>
</div>
<p>The basic objective of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper4/right-to-information-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI Act)</strong> </a>is to empower the citizens, to seek information from Public Authorities. Thereby it promotes transparency and accountability in the working of the Government, and makes Indian democracy work for the people in real sense.</p>
<p>The current <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-indian-federalism" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a> has put lives and livelihoods at stake and led to a socioeconomic crisis. In this context, the free flow of information is an essential component of crisis management.</p>
<p>However, contrary to the basic axiom of the RTI Act, a query seeking details of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pm-cares-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>PM Cares fund</strong></a> was denied by the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office. It stated that the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pm-cares-not-under-rti" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>PM Cares fund is not a public authority</strong></a>. Also, the State Bank of India refused to give these details on the ground that it was third party information held under fiduciary capacity.</p>
<p>This highlights one of many issues pertaining to RTI Act. Therefore, given the importance of public access to information, it is necessary to address the underlying issues that mar the functioning of RTI Act.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note: History of RTI Act</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>First right to information law was enacted by Sweden in 1766.</li>
<li>The idea of RTI Act in India was floated by the former Prime Minister of India, Shri. V.P. Singh in 1990.</li>
<li>The first grassroot campaign for the introduction of RTI was started by Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) in 1994.</li>
<li>National Campaign for People&rsquo;s RTI &ndash; Formed in 1996; formulated initial draft of RTI law for the Government.</li>
<li>Tamil Nadu became the first Indian State to pass RTI law in 1997.</li>
<li>Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2002 passed by Parliament, could not be implemented.</li>
<li>Bill for the present RTI Act, 2005 was passed on the recommendations of National Advisory Council (NAC) in May 2005, and RTI Act, 2005 became effective from October 12, 2005.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Misuse of RTI Act :</strong> Due to non-applicability of locus-standi rule to RTI case and non-requirement of giving reasons for seeking information, it has been observed that the RTI act is misused by the many petitioners.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This leaves ample scope for non-serious information seekers to misuse it for their personal interest rather than public interest in disclosure.</li>
<li>Also, this diverts the time of public servants and adversely affects their work.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Low Public Awareness:</strong> Public Awareness is very low in India regarding their rights as well as duties. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Some reasons behind this are lack of education and awareness. It was further observed that awareness level is low among the rural areas and in disadvantaged communities such as women, SC/ST/OBC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Huge Backlog and Delay in Disposal of Cases:</strong> One of the reasons the RTI Act was considered to be revolutionary was that a response has to be provided in a fixed time, failing which the government official concerned would be penalized. However, this time-bound nature of the Act suffers due to multiple reasons:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Due to the <strong>insufficient number of Information Commissioners</strong> at the center level, there is a high backlog and delay in the hearing of the cases.</li>
<li>Further, because of <strong>poor quality,</strong> incomplete and inaccurate information, the filing the First appeal increases significantly under the RTI Act.</li>
<li>Moreover, the <strong>act doesn&rsquo;t provide any limit within which the Second Appeal</strong> to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/14th-anniversary-of-right-to-information#:~:text=Central%20Information%20Commission%20(CIC),heads%20the%20Central%20Information%20Commission." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chief Information Commission (CIC)</strong> </a>must be heard. Due to this, the applicant has to wait for months in order to have his or her case heard at CIC.</li>
<li><strong>Ineffective record management systems</strong> and procedures to collect information from field offices lead to delays in processing RTI applications.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Dilution of the law:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/rti-amendment-bill-2019#:~:text=The%20Right%20to%20Information%20(Amendment)%20Bill%2C%202019%2C%20seeks,of%2065%2C%20whichever%20is%20earlier)" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>RTI Act (Amendment) Act, 2019</strong></a> gives the central government the power to fix the terms and the service conditions of the Information Commissioners both at central and state levels. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By vesting excessive powers with the central government, this amendment has hampered the autonomy of CIC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Issue of Enforceability:</strong> The Act does not give adequate authority to the Information Commissions to enforce their decisions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Information commissions can give directions to public authorities to take the steps necessary to comply with the Act, but are not empowered to take any action if such directions are ignored.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Secrecy:</strong> The free flow of information in India remains severely restricted by the legislative framework including several pieces of restrictive legislation, such as the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/rti-amendment-bill-2019#:~:text=The%20Right%20to%20Information%20(Amendment)%20Bill%2C%202019%2C%20seeks,of%2065%2C%20whichever%20is%20earlier)" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Official Secrets Act, 1923</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Open Data Policy:</strong> Government institutions should put all disclosable information on their respective websites.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>By this, the petitioners may immediately access whatever information they need.</li>
<li>This will also reduce the burden of the department to provide information which takes much of its valuable time.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Compiling of Similar RTI Applications:</strong> Many RTI Applicants file multiple RTI applications on the same subject/seek the same information, which increases the burden of the information department of various public institutions.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, a system needs to be put in to weed out such duplicate cases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Preventing Misuse of RTI:</strong> RTI misuse can be prevented by introducing the reason knowing provision for filing the petition.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, there should be a provision of Penalty for wasting the valuable time of the Information Commissioner for demanding unnecessary information or which is not in public interest.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Balancing with Privacy Right:</strong> Another right of a citizen protected under the Constitution is the right to privacy. This right is enshrined within the spirit of Article 21 of the Constitution. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, the right to information has to be balanced with the right to privacy within the framework of law.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Increasing Public Awareness:</strong> This can be done by the launch of awareness campaigns through Radio, Television and Print Media various regional languages in rural areas.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A chapter on RTI Act, 2005 should be added in school/college curriculum.</li>
<li>Central/State Information Commissions should be provided with sufficient funds for creating awareness about RTI Act, 2005.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Democracy is all about governance of the people, by the people and for the people.</strong> In order to achieve the third paradigm, the state needs to start acknowledging the importance of informed public and the role that it plays in the country&rsquo;s development as a nation. In this context, underlying issues related to RTI Act should be resolved, so that it can serve the needs of<strong> Information societies.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591615918_pasted%20image 0.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591615918_pasted image 0.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></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: #fffdf5;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Discuss the underlying issues related to RTI act and how they can be resolved, for the pursuit of good governance.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8EW6tB1zkWw" 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/narendra-modi-scott-morrision-india-australia-e-summit-6444711/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &ldquo;Canberra Connect&rdquo;</strong> </a>which was published in The Indian Express on June 6<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/challenges-related-to-rti-act'
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'title' => 'Fall in Money Remitted Abroad',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to data released by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/important-institutions-national-institution-reserve-bank-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reserve Bank of India</strong></a>, the amount of money Indians send abroad has witnessed <strong>a 61% decline</strong> under the <strong>Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)</strong> as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>lockdown</strong> </a>cripple the global economy and ground international travel.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In April 2020, Indians remitted <strong>$499.14 million</strong> under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)<strong> &mdash; a 61% decline from $1,287.91 million</strong> in the same month last year.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The monthly outward flow in April 2020 <strong>is lowest since February 2016</strong> when it was<strong> $449.28 million.</strong></li>
<li>Substantial decline has been recorded in money sent for purchase of immovable property abroad; investment in equity/debt; deposit; gift; medical treatment; and other categories during April 2020.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>A Triple Whammy Effect:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This dip <strong>reflects economic distress, lockdown at home and curbs on overseas travel.</strong></li>
<li>Earlier, Resident Indians have remitted <strong>a record $18,750 million</strong> under LRS in the financial year ended March 31, 2020.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Despite the outflows reaching a record level during last financial year, March, 2020 saw a dip &mdash; $1,358.82 million &mdash; against $1,476.82 million in the corresponding month of 2019.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Money sent for Travel Purposes:</strong> The sharpest decline &mdash; 71.81% &mdash; has been recorded in money sent for travel purposes which came down to $121.13 million in April this year from $429.75 million a year ago.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is significant<strong> as an estimated 2 million Indian nationals</strong> travel overseas every month.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Money Sent for Studies Abroad:</strong> This has also seen a sharp decline of 68.85% &mdash; $78.76 million in April this year from $252.84 million in the corresponding month last year.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Over <strong>7 lakh Indian students pursued studies</strong> in foreign institutions in 2018.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Maintenance of Close Relatives:</strong> The category, which contributes the highest amount to total outward remittances under LRS has recorded a decline of 50%&mdash; $148.25 million in April this year from $296.14 million last year.</li>
<li><strong>Deposit and Investment in Equity/Debt:</strong> These categories have recorded lesser decline i.e.<strong> of 29.91%.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Donations:</strong> The only <strong>exception</strong> (stands neutral in terms of decline or increase)<strong> to other sources of remittances is &ldquo;donations&rdquo; e.g. for charity or social service,</strong> which contribute a <strong>negligible amount</strong> to the total outflows.</li>
<li><strong>Gift and Medical Treatment:</strong> While the category &ldquo;Gift&rdquo; has recorded a 66% decline in outward remittances, &ldquo;medical treatment&rdquo; has seen a decline of 45.85% in April 2020.</li>
<li><strong>Overall Impact:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Significantly, the cut in expenses on education, medical treatment and maintenance of relatives may endure beyond the travel ban and Covid due to financial strain.</li>
<li>Investment in shares and debt instruments used to buy immovable properties in overseas markets may decline.</li>
<li>Opening of foreign currency accounts with banks outside India may also get reduced.</li>
<li>In nutshell it would affect the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/forex-reserves-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>currency reserve</strong></a> of the country as an Indian resident needs to buy dollars using the Indian rupees (INR) from an authorised dealer (the bank) in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Liberalised Remittance Scheme</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This is the <strong>scheme of the Reserve Bank of India,</strong> introduced in the year <strong>2004.</strong></li>
<li>Under the scheme, all resident individuals, including minors, are allowed to freely remit up to USD 2,50,000 per financial year (April &ndash; March) for any permissible current or capital account transaction or a combination of both.</li>
<li><strong>Not Eligible:</strong> The Scheme is not available to <strong>corporations, partnership firms, Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), Trusts</strong> etc.</li>
<li><strong>Remitted Money can be used for:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Expenses <strong>related to travelling (private or for business), medical treatment, study, gifts and donations, maintenance of close relatives</strong> and so on.</li>
<li>Investment in shares, debt instruments, and buy immovable properties in the overseas market.</li>
<li>Individuals can also open, maintain and hold foreign currency accounts with banks outside India for carrying out transactions permitted under the scheme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prohibited Transactions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Any purpose specifically prohibited under Schedule-I (like the purchase of lottery tickets, proscribed magazines, etc.) or any item restricted under Schedule II of <strong>Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transactions) Rules, 2000.</strong></li>
<li>Trading in foreign exchange abroad.</li>
<li>Capital account remittances, directly or indirectly, to countries identified by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/the-financial-action-task-force" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Financial Action Task Force (FATF)</strong> </a>as &ldquo;non- cooperative countries and territories&rdquo;, from time to time.</li>
<li>Remittances directly or indirectly to those individuals and entities identified as posing a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism as advised separately by the Reserve Bank to the banks.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Requirements:</strong> It is mandatory for the resident individual to provide his/her <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pan-aadhaar-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Permanent Account Number (PAN)</strong></a> for all transactions under LRS made through Authorized Persons.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/sending-money-abroad-april-marks-50-month-low-at-499-mn-6447876/" 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/fall-in-money-remitted-abroad'
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'title' => 'Hellenistic Philosophy',
		'catname' => 'Paper 4',
		'desc' => '<h3>Introduction</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Greek philosophy began as speculation into the nature of the cosmos or universe (Meta Physics).</li>
<li>The early philosophers, in the Pre-Socratic era, like Sophists, Democritus, Pythagoras and others made bold speculations about the origins and nature of the universe.</li>
<li>With the advent of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, the focus of philosophy also shifted towards morality, virtues and ethics.</li>
<li>However, due to the sudden death of Alexander the Great (in 323 BC), the whole of Greece fell into a state of uncertainty &amp; local wars and later it became a province of Rome.</li>
<li>The empires that succeeded him, known as the <strong>Hellenistic empires,</strong> lasted for hundreds of years and spread Greek culture over huge territories.</li>
<li>As the life of the average citizen was changing, the prevalent philosophical thought also underwent a change.</li>
<li>Political, social and moral environment no longer sustained the creative impulses in philosophical thought and this gave rise to Hellenistic Age or post-Aristotelian philosophy.</li>
<li>A common element of the philosophers in Hellenistic age was that the focus of Philosophy was shifting from general understanding of the universe to individual life and its perception as an &ldquo;art of life&rdquo;. Philosophy ends up being a driver of life and a source of relief, a healing art, a way to cope with a hostile world.</li>
<li>This period saw the emergence of the three great schools of moral philosophy viz. <strong>Epicureanism, Stoicism and Skepticism.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Epicureanism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This school derives its name from its founder Epicurus, who founded his school on the outskirts of Athens and famously called it as the Garden (307 BC).</li>
<li>Epicureanism teaches that the <strong>greatest good</strong> is to seek <strong>modest pleasures</strong> in order to attain a state of <strong>tranquillity, freedom from fear</strong> ("ataraxia") and<strong> absence from bodily pain</strong> ("aponia").</li>
<li><strong>Freedom from Fear:</strong> According to this school of thought, all people live in a constant state of irrational fear, anxiety &amp; superstition and these factors keep humans in a state of pain.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The biggest causes of these factors are the fear of death, the fear of being trapped in some really terrible afterlife for all of eternity and a fear of the gods.</li>
<li><strong>No fear of God:</strong> This can be depicted in the concept of <strong>"Problem of evil" which</strong> stated that:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>If God is willing to prevent evil but is not able to, then He is <strong>not omnipotent;</strong> if He is able, but not willing, then He is<strong> malevolent;</strong> if He is both able and willing, then why is there <strong>such a thing as evil;</strong> and if He is neither able nor willing, then <strong>why call Him God</strong> at all?</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>No fear of death and afterlife:</strong> Epicurus held that like everything else in the universe, the human soul is composed of atoms and empty spaces called void.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The atoms in the soul are scattered at death with no possibility of future life. Further, there is no need to fear a future state (death) of which we will have no feeling when it comes.</li>
<li>Also, this doctrine enables Epicurus to dispense with both joys of paradise and terrors of hell.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>No supernatural phenomena:</strong> According to Epicureans, any belief in supernatural phenomena stagnates scientific progress by blindly accepting that a supernatural force is behind something that can't be understood.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Moderation in all things:</strong> Epicurus directed that the state of tranquillity could be obtained through <strong>knowledge</strong> of the workings of the world and the<strong> limiting of desires.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He lauded the enjoyment of <strong>"simple pleasures",</strong> by which he meant <strong>abstaining</strong> from bodily desires.</li>
<li>It advises men to seek peace and quiet and to detach themselves from the problems of the world.</li>
<li>According to him, even <strong>learning, culture</strong> and <strong>civilization</strong> were discouraged, as they could result in disturbing one&rsquo;s <strong>peace of mind.</strong></li>
<li>Also, Epicureans <strong>shunned politics</strong> as having no part in the quest for ataraxia and aponia, and likewise a potential source of <strong>unsatisfiable desires</strong> and frustration, which was to be avoided.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Epicurus was one of the first to develop a notion of<strong> justice</strong> as a kind of<strong> social contract,</strong> an agreement "neither to harm nor be harmed".<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>He argued that<strong> laws</strong> and <strong>punishments</strong> in society are important so that individuals can be <strong>free</strong> to pursue happiness, and <strong>just law</strong> is one that contributes to<strong> promoting human happiness.</strong></li>
<li>In some respects, this was an <strong>early contribution</strong> to the much later development of Liberalism and of Utilitarianism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In more <strong>modern times,</strong> the French philosopher and priest <strong>Pierre Gassendi</strong> (1592-1655) referred to himself as an Epicurean (and attempted to revive the doctrine), as did <strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong> (1743 - 1826) and the Utilitarian Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832).</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Epicureanism is sometimes confused with Hedonism, which is not completely true.</li>
<li>Hedonism is a school of thought where pleasure is seen as the only intrinsic good., whereas Epicureanism differs in its conception of happiness as the <strong>absence of pain,</strong> and in its advocacy of a<strong> simple life.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Stoicism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Stoicism first appeared in Athens in the period around 300 B.C. and was introduced by <strong>Zeno of Citium.</strong></li>
<li>It teaches the development of <strong>self-control</strong> and<strong> fortitude</strong> as a means of overcoming <strong>destructive emotions and</strong> seeks to <strong>transform</strong> them by a resolute Asceticism (<strong>voluntary abstinence</strong> from <strong>worldly pleasures</strong>).</li>
<li>The goal of Stoicism is freedom from <strong>passion</strong> (in the ancient sense of "anguish" or "suffering") through the pursuit of<strong> reason</strong> and <strong>"apatheia"</strong> (apathy, in its ancient sense of being <strong>objective, unemotional</strong> and having <strong>clear judgment</strong>).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It teaches indifference and a<strong> "passive"</strong> reaction to <strong>external</strong> events (on the grounds that nothing external could be<strong> either good or evil</strong>) and <strong>equanimity</strong> in the face of life's highs and lows.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Stoics taught that becoming a<strong> clear, unbiased</strong> and <strong>self-disciplined</strong> thinker allows one to understand the<strong> "logos"</strong> (the natural universal reason in all things).</li>
<li>An important aspect of Stoicism involves <strong>improving</strong> the individual&rsquo;s ethical and moral well-being by having a will which is <strong>in agreement with Nature,</strong> and by practising the <strong>four cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage, justice </strong>and <strong>temperance.</strong></li>
<li>For the Stoics, living according to<strong> reason</strong> and<strong> virtue</strong> is to live in harmony with the <strong>divine order of the universe,</strong> and recognizing the common reason and essential value of<strong> all people.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They, therefore, promoted Egalitarianism and encouraged the<strong> acceptance</strong> of even slaves as <strong>equals</strong> on the grounds that all are the "sons of God".</li>
<li>They also <strong>denied</strong> the importance of external differences such as <strong>rank</strong> and <strong>wealth</strong> in social relationships.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Stoics also believed that all the world is <strong>one</strong> and that a divine reality<strong> pervades</strong> the whole universe (Pantheism).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Thus, the universe is like a giant <strong>living body,</strong> with all parts being<strong> interconnected.</strong></li>
<li>In addition, everything in the universe is <strong>predetermined</strong> (Determinism), although humans have a certain amount of <strong>free will.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In many respects, Stoicism bears a remarkable<strong> similarity</strong> to the ethical teaching of <strong>Buddhism,</strong> which is grounded in the <strong>four noble truths:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>All life has<strong> suffering</strong></li>
<li>Suffering is rooted in <strong>passion</strong> and desire</li>
<li>Happiness is <strong>freedom</strong> from the passions</li>
<li><strong>Moral restraint</strong> and<strong> self-discipline</strong> is the means by which one becomes free from suffering</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In<strong> modern usage,</strong> the term stoic refers to someone who is<strong> unemotional</strong> or <strong>indifferent</strong> to pain, pleasure, grief or joy.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Note:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Stoicism is inspired by the moral ideas of Cynicism (a toned-down version of some of the <strong>harsher</strong> principles of Cynicism with some <strong>moderation</strong> and real-world practicality).</li>
<li><strong>Cynicism</strong> is an ancient Greek ethical doctrine which holds that the<strong> purpose of life</strong> is to live a life of <strong>Virtue</strong> in agreement with <strong>Nature</strong> (which calls for only the <strong>bare necessities</strong> required for existence).</li>
<li>This means <strong>rejecting</strong> all conventional desires for <strong>health, wealth, power</strong> and <strong>fame,</strong> and living a life free from all<strong> possessions</strong> and <strong>property.</strong></li>
<li>The Cynics believed that the world belongs<strong> equally</strong> to everyone and that <strong>suffering</strong> is caused by<strong> false judgments</strong> of what is<strong> valuable,</strong> and by the worthless customs and <strong>conventions</strong> which surround society.</li>
<li>They also saw their job as acting as the<strong> watchdog</strong> of humanity.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Skepticism</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is also known as <strong>Pyrrhonism</strong> or <strong>Pyrrhonic Skepticism</strong> after the early proponent Pyrrho of Elis.</li>
<li>Skepticism holds that one should<strong> refrain</strong> from making<strong> truth claims,</strong> and<strong> avoid</strong> the postulation of<strong> final truths.</strong></li>
<li>Skepticism refers to an attitude of <strong>doubt</strong> or <strong>incredulity,</strong> either in general or toward a particular object, or to any <strong>doubting</strong> or <strong>questioning</strong> attitude or state of mind.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is effectively the opposite of <strong>dogmatism</strong> (the idea that established beliefs are <strong>not to be disputed</strong>) and the arbitrariness, relativity, or subjectivity of <strong>moral values.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It also refers to an<strong> inquiry or</strong> a <strong>method of obtaining knowledge</strong> through systematic doubt and continual testing.</li>
<li>Skeptics oppose Foundationalism (the idea that some basic beliefs that are <strong>self-justified</strong> or beyond justification) in that they argue that the <strong>belief</strong> in something does not necessarily <strong>justify</strong> an assertion of <strong>knowledge</strong> of it.</li>
<li>Instead, despite the apparent conflict with the <strong>goal of ataraxia,</strong> they claimed to continue searching for something that might be <strong>knowable.</strong></li>
<li>Towards the end of the 1st Century A.D., <strong>Agrippa the Skeptic</strong> established <strong>five tropes</strong> (or grounds of doubt):<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Dissent -</strong> the uncertainty of the rules of common life, and of the opinions of philosophers.</li>
<li><strong>Progress ad infinitum -</strong> all proof requires some further proof (and so on, to infinity).</li>
<li><strong>Relation -</strong> all things are changed as their relations become changed, or as we look upon them from different points of view.</li>
<li><strong>Assumption -</strong> the truth asserted is merely a hypothesis or assumption.</li>
<li><strong>Circularity -</strong> the truth asserted involves a vicious circle.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Criticism:</strong> Skepticism, due to its inherent feature of refraining from any absolute or final truth, poses a dilemma to its followers whether to believe in Skepticism as a school of philosophy or not.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Thomas Reid</strong> (1710 - 1796), founder of the<strong> Scottish School of Common Sense,</strong> argued that, if perception and the other cognitive processes are not reliable, then the faculty of <strong>reasoning</strong> which the skeptic uses is also bound to be<strong> unreliable too.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Greek philosophy developed only very slowly after the collapse of the Roman Empire in 427 CE. Due to the rise of Christianity, the Hellenistic philosophy got sidelined, as, within Christianity, there was no place for Cynical defiance of social norms, or Epicurean emphasis on pleasure, or Stoic fatalism, and or Skeptical doubt.</li>
<li>However, some philosophers of the day, not content with following any particular one of these schools, blended the views of many to suit their needs, thus creating yet another philosophical approach called Eclecticism.</li>
<li>In modern times, Epicureanism survives in the form of its direct descendent, utilitarianism, which is one of the leading ethical theories today and after centuries of <strong>religious dogmatism</strong> throughout the Middle Ages, Skepticism again resurfaced during the late Renaissance, and particularly during the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment of the 17<sup>th</sup> and 18<sup>th</sup> Century.</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper4/hellenistic-philosophy'
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'title' => 'Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie Road',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road</strong> has been in the making for around two decades and is expected to be completed by 2020.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591610368_image2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591610368_image2.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="704" height="514" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>255-km road</strong> from <strong>Darbuk</strong> traverses at an <strong>altitude of 14,000 feet</strong> and reaches<strong> Shyok,</strong> the <strong>last Indian village in the region.</strong></li>
<li>This road<strong> joins Leh to the Karakoram Pass,</strong> which divides Ladakh from China&rsquo;s Xinjiang province.</li>
<li>Between Shyok and Karakoram Pass lies <strong>Daulat Beg Oldie</strong> (DBO), a <strong>plateau at an altitude of over 16,000 feet</strong> and the<strong> location of an Advanced Landing Ground</strong> (ALG) used by the air force to drop supplies.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>DBO is India&rsquo;s <strong>northernmost corner,</strong> which in army parlance is called <strong>Sub-Sector North.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The road&rsquo;s <strong>construction</strong> was started in <strong>2000</strong> and was to be completed by 2012 at a cost of Rs. 320 crore under the <strong>monitoring of the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office</strong> (PMO).</li>
<li>However, the construction <strong>could not be finished</strong> as the road was <strong>aligned with the Shyok riverbed</strong> that led to it being <strong>damaged every summer during flooding.</strong></li>
<li>Later, major portions of the road were realigned, keeping them away from the river.</li>
<li>In October<strong> 2019,</strong> the <strong>430 m</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/siachen-area-opens-for-tourism" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Colonel Chewang Rinchen Setu</strong></a> over Shyok river was inaugurated that joins Durbuk to DBO in Eastern Ladakh.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Along with it, the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/siachen-glacier" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Siachen Glacier</strong></a> area of Ladakh was declared open for tourists by the Government of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>India has <strong>decided to not stop road construction</strong> on its side of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Line of Actual Control</strong></a> (LAC) despite the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/transgressions-around-lac" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>border confrontations</strong></a> and <strong>objections by China</strong> as it does not want India to utilise the DSDBO road to its full potential.</li>
<li><strong>Significance of the Road:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>DBO is located only 9 km away from the LAC with China and the road will <strong>help manage the border and the areas adjoining <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aksai-chin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aksai Chin</a></strong>, Chip Chap River and Jiwan Nalla.</li>
<li>It will also<strong> ensure faster deployment of troops</strong> in the area.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Before the laying of the road, the only way to reach the area was via the ALG, where heavy-lift aircraft can land.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>From the DSDBO road, a <strong>road branches off towards Galwan Valley</strong> which had prompted the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/increased-chinese-transgression" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>stand-off in Galwan Valley</strong></a>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Indian troops have been patrolling up to this area but they will have road access and can be present there.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-india-china-ties-marching-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wuhan</strong></a> (2018) and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-2nd-informal-summit-mamallapuram-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mahabalipuram</strong> </a>(2019) summits, both India and China had reaffirmed that they would make efforts to ensure peace and tranquillity in the border areas.</li>
<li>On 1<sup>st</sup> April 2020, India and China completed their <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-china-70-years-of-diplomatic-relations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>70 years of diplomatic relations.</strong></a> Both countries have <strong>resolved border issues peacefully in the past</strong> four decades which gives them hope that the tensions will subside soon.</li>
<li>India and China are amongst the largest economies, demography, markets and militaries of the world. Therefore, it is in the interests of both the countries to <strong>align their energies</strong> for the <strong>growth and development of their people, region and global peace.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/in-making-for-two-decades-dsdbo-road-now-upsets-china/articleshow/76250295.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: ET</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/darbuk-shyok-daulat-beg-oldie-road'
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'title' => 'Shapes of Economic Recovery',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>As India is going to come out of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/21-days-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 lockdown</strong></a>, experts are debating over the shape of recovery of Indian economy.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The economists are unanimous that in the current financial year 2020-21, I<strong>ndia&rsquo;s economy will contract.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank&rsquo;s</strong></a> <strong>South Asia Economic Focus report, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-bank-on-india-s-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India&rsquo;s growth is likely to remain at 1.5-2.8% in 2020-21</a></strong> which is the slowest since 1991 economic reforms.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Many economists are also of the opinion that after hitting the bottom this year, the Indian economy will start its recovery in the next financial year (2021-22).</li>
<li>However, according to an <strong>analysis by Pronab Sen, former Chief Statistician of India, India&rsquo;s economy will contract not just in the financial year 2020-21 but also in 2021-22.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This means that India <strong>could experience a full-blown depression &ndash;</strong> the first in India&rsquo;s history as an independent nation.</li>
<li>The Table shows India&rsquo;s absolute Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is likely to struggle to even come back to the 2019-20 level by 2023-24.</li>
<li>India is likely to end up with an<strong> &ldquo;elongated U-shape&rdquo; recovery</strong> due to the <strong>weakness of the economy going into the Covid crisis</strong> as well as the<strong> inadequate fiscal stimulus measure taken by the government.</strong></li>
<li>The Table also provides a snapshot of the likely trend level of GDP had India grown at 6% and 8% respectively over the same period.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591608947_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591608947_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="759" height="298" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Other economists are of the view that<strong> it is difficult to predict the shape of economic recovery in India</strong> at this juncture as there are too many unknowns.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>If there is no second wave of Covid-19, India can expect swift normalization from negative growth levels to the pre-covid levels of 5% and a gradual recovery to 7% by the second half of the next fiscal (2021-22).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Types of Shape of Economic Recovery</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Economic recovery can take many forms, which is depicted using alphabetic notations. For example, a <strong>Z-shaped recovery, V-shaped recovery, U-shaped recovery, elongated U-shaped recovery, W-shaped recovery </strong>and<strong> L-shaped recovery.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> alphabets generally denote the graph of growth rate,</strong> which resembles the shape of the letter.</li>
<li>The fundamental difference between the different kinds of recovery is the<strong> time taken for economic activity to normalize.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> time taken is often a factor of multiple things</strong> such as the depth of the economic crisis. e.g deeper the recession, longer is the time to get back to normal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The other aspect of economic recovery includes <strong>the effect of pandemic on jobs and household incomes,</strong> and the <strong>kind of policy response taken by the government</strong> that determines how quickly economic growth will recover.</li>
<li><strong>Z-shaped recovery:</strong> It is the most-optimistic scenario in which <strong>the economy quickly rises after an economic crash.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It makes up more than for lost ground before settling back to the normal trend-line, thus forming a Z-shaped chart.</li>
<li>In this economic disruption lasts for a small period wherein more than people&rsquo;s incomes, it is their ability to spend is restricted.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609286_image7.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609286_image7.png" width="300" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>V-shaped recovery:</strong> It is the next-best scenario after Z-shaped recovery in which the economy quickly recoups lost ground and gets back to the normal growth trend-line.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this, incomes and jobs are not permanently lost, and the economic growth recovers sharply and returns to the path it was following before the disruption.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609386_image4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609386_image4.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>U-shaped recovery:</strong> It is a scenario in which the economy, after falling, struggles around a low growth rate for some time, before rising gradually to usual levels.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In this case several jobs are lost and people fall upon their savings.</li>
<li>If this process is more-long drawn than it throws up the<strong> &ldquo;elongated U&rdquo; shape.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609426_image8.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609426_image8.png" width="300" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li style="text-align: left;"><strong style="text-align: left;">W-shaped recovery:</strong><span style="text-align: left;"> A W-shaped recovery is a dangerous creature. In this, growth falls and rises, but falls again before recovering, thus forming a W-like chart.</span>
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li style="text-align: left;">The double-dip depicted by a W-shaped recovery can be due to the second wave of the pandemic.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609446_image6.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609446_image6.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>L-shaped recovery:</strong> In this, the economy fails to regain the level of GDP even after years go by.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">The shape shows that there is a permanent loss to the economy&rsquo;s ability to produce.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609464_image5.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591609464_image5.png" width="300" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explainspeaking-when-will-indias-economy-recover-shape-of-its-recovery-6447775/" 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/shapes-of-economic-recovery'
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'title' => 'National Tiger Conservation Authority',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has clarified that the tigers in the country have shown a <strong>healthy annual growth rate of 6%.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>These findings are stated according to the <strong>quadrennial All India Tiger Estimation conducted in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has been observed that the recorded growth of 6% <strong>offsets natural losses</strong> and keeps tigers at the <strong>habitats carrying capacity level.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The carrying capacity of an environment is the maximum population size of a biological species that can be sustained in that specific environment, given the food, habitat, water, and other resources available.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>For the period <strong>2012 to 2019,</strong> the<strong> average tiger deaths per year is 94.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>National Tiger Conservation Authority</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a<strong> statutory body</strong> under the <strong>Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.</strong></li>
<li>It was established in <strong>2005</strong> following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force.</li>
<li>It was constituted under enabling provisions of the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972</a>,</strong> as amended in 2006, for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers and functions assigned to it.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Project Tiger</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/status-of-conservation-of-tigers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Project Tiger</strong> </a>is an ongoing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/reforming-centrally-sponsored-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Centrally Sponsored Scheme</strong></a> of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change providing <strong>central assistance to the tiger States for tiger conservation</strong> in designated tiger reserves.</li>
<li>India now has as many as <strong>2,967 tigers</strong> in the wild, with more than half of them in <strong>Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka,</strong> according to the latest tiger estimation report for 2018.</li>
<li>The population of tigers have <strong>increased by 33%</strong> since the last census in 2014 when the total estimate was 2,226.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1629901" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-tiger-conservation-authority'
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'title' => 'Persian Gulf Region',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The persian gulf region has the presence of the <strong>major producers of crude oil and natural gas,</strong> and thereby contributing <strong>critically to the global economy.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Thus, <strong>maintaining peace in the geopolitically</strong> significant region through <strong>cooperative security</strong> by the regional members and major world economies is one of the best solutions to stabilize the region politically and economically.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Persian Gulf Region</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The lands around the Persian Gulf are shared by<strong> eight</strong> countries namely, <strong>Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.</strong></li>
<li>These all <strong>eight</strong> countries are<strong> members of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations</a>.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).</li>
<li>Out of persian gulf countries, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates(UAE) and Saudi Arabia are members of OPEC.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Being major producers of <strong>crude oil and natural gas,</strong> there is a<strong> commonality of interest</strong> among these countries. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This commonality of interest has given rise to <strong>their own prosperity</strong> and subsequently, <strong>economico-political entanglements among them.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591605529_image1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591605529_image1.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" caption="false" width="640" height="492" /></strong></a></p>
</div>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>British Era:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For eight decades prior to 1970, the persian gulf was <strong>guarded as a &lsquo;British lake&rsquo;.</strong></li>
<li>After the end of the British era, regional players entered with the<strong> intra-regional rivalries </strong>and<strong> forced cooperation.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Aggravated Political Tensions in the Region:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Events like the <strong>Muscat conference (1975), <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/40-years-of-islamic-revolution-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iranian Revolution (1979)</a> and the Iraq-Iran War (1980)</strong> aggravated the political tensions in the region. Subsequently, it<strong> enhanced USA&rsquo;s interests and roles in the region.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Muscat Conference (1975) was intended to develop the unified army cooperation to enhance the security among gulf states to guarantee free navigation in the persian gulf.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Later, the <strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations Security Council</a></strong> <strong>Resolution 598 (1987)</strong> was adopted to ensure a ceasefire between Iran and Iraq<strong> specifically</strong> and to explore measures to enhance the security and stability in the region <strong>generally.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Current Scenario</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Rising Conflicts in the Region:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Recently, the geopolitical factors and conflicts in the <strong>West Asian region &mdash; Yemen, Syria, Libya &mdash;</strong> aggravated global and regional relationships.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Declining Role of USA:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The above mentioned conflicts have <strong>hampered USA-Iran relations</strong> that were to be premised on the multilateral agreement on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-cuts-iranian-oil-imports-ahead-of-us-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Iran&rsquo;s nuclear programme agreed to by western powers.</strong></a></li>
<li>The <strong>declining USA&rsquo;s commitment to sub-regional security</strong> has raised more issues among the members of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-11th-december-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)</strong></a> due to political and ideological disagreement with Iran.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Emerging Split Within GCC:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The recent<strong> emergence of conflicting tactical and strategic interests</strong> and subjective considerations has created a division among the members of the GCC.</li>
<li>These divisions in the GCC are being aggravated due to following reasons:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/global-slowdown-trade-war-world-economy-indian-economy-china-usa-trade-war-brexit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global economic crisis</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-global-economic-disruption" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Immediate and longer-term impact of Covid-19 on regional economies</strong></a></li>
<li>Problems in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/qatar-quits-opec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)</strong></a></li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/oil-prices-crash#:~:text=Recently%2C%20the%20International%20oil%20prices,between%20Saudi%20Arabia%20and%20Russia." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Decline in oil prices</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Possible Stability Framework for the Region</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Regional as well as Global Security:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Any possible framework for stability and security in the region needs to ensure the <strong>security not only on the regional terms but also on global terms.</strong></li>
<li>Because the gulf regional security is not an issue among the Gulf States themselves but it is also an external issue.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Aspects:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Additionally, the framework will also need to ensure the following conditions which include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Peace and stability</strong> in individual littoral states.</li>
<li>Freedom to all states of the Gulf littoral to exploit their <strong>hydrocarbon and other natural resources</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Freedom of commercial shipping</strong> in international waters of the Persian Gulf.</li>
<li>Freedom of<strong> access to, and outlet from, Gulf waters </strong>through the&nbsp;<strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/strait-of-hormuz-1#:~:text=Strait%20of%20Hormuz,km%20wide%20in%20either%20direction." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strait of Hormuz</a></strong>.</li>
<li>The <strong>prevention of conflict</strong> that may impinge on the freedom of trade and shipping.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Relation with Persian Gulf Region</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India and GCC:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The economic and political relationship of India with the GCC has blossomed in recent years. The governments of the GCC members are <strong>India-friendly and Indian-friendly.</strong></li>
<li>The friendly relation has been reflected in the <strong>bilateral trade of around $121 billion</strong> and <strong>remittances of $49 billion</strong> from a workforce of over nine million.</li>
<li>GCC suppliers account for around<strong> 34% of India&rsquo;s crude imports.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India and Iran:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has always shared a friendly relationship with Iran. But the India-Iran relation faces one of the<strong> most complex phases</strong> at all times due to the&nbsp;<strong>USA&rsquo;s pressure</strong> which has <strong>politico-economic impacts.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In May 2018, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-reimposes-sanctions-on-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>USA abandoned the nuclear deal</strong> </a>and reinstated <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iran-oil-import-waiver-lifted" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>economic sanctions against Iran.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India's Overall Role in the Region:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has <strong>avoided involvement in local or regional disputes</strong> in the region.</li>
<li>Indian interests do not entail power projection but necessitate peace and regional stability.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has been assessed that Saudi Arabia is a fading power whereas UAE, Qatar and Iran are emerging as the new regional leaders. Oman and Iraq will have to struggle to retain their sovereign identities.</li>
<li>Thus, Indian interests would be best served if the stability in the region is ensured through <strong>cooperative security</strong> since the alternative, of competitive security options, cannot ensure durable peace.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/in-persian-gulf-littoral-cooperative-security-is-key/article31774318.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/persian-gulf-region'
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'title' => 'Educational Complexes for Tribal Students: Odisha',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Government of Odisha has announced the establishment of <strong>three mega educational complexes exclusively for tribal students,</strong> where both academic and sporting skills will be harnessed.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Establishment:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The complexes will be established in <strong>tribal-dominated districts</strong> such as <strong>Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Mayurbhanj.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Santal and Bhuyan</strong> are two dominant tribal groups living in these districts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Each complex will house <strong>3,000 tribal students,</strong> which is a unique initiative in the field of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tribal-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>tribal education</strong></a>.</li>
<li>These complexes will have state of the art facilities to improve educational and sporting skills of tribal students from <strong>Standard I to XII.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>State-of-the-art (cutting edge or leading edge)</strong> refers to the <strong>highest level of general development,</strong> as of a device, technique, or scientific field achieved at a particular time.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Funding:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Funds required for mega complexes will be sourced from <strong>Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC),</strong> which was formed for focused development of <strong>mineral-rich districts.</strong> Incidentally, most mineral-rich districts are tribal-dominated.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Tribal Population in Odisha:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the 2011 Census, tribal people constitute <strong>8.6%</strong> of the nation's total population i.e. over 104 million people.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A<strong> tribe </strong>has been defined as a <strong>group of indigenous people</strong> having a common name, language and territory tied by strong kinship bonds, having distinct customs, rituals and beliefs etc.</li>
<li><strong>The President</strong> under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-commission-for-scheduled-tribes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Article 342</strong></a> is empowered to declare communities as scheduled tribes, while <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/role-of-rajya-sabha" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Parliament</strong> </a>by law can amend the list.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Odisha&rsquo;s tribal population</strong> constitutes<strong> 9.17%</strong> of the country's tribal population.</li>
<li>In Odisha, the tribal population is<strong> 22.85%</strong> of the state&rsquo;s total population. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In terms of <strong>percentage tribal population</strong>, it occupies the<strong> third position</strong> in India.</li>
<li>The First and Second are <strong>Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra</strong> respectively.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Similarly, of India&rsquo;s total 75 <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/particularly-vulnerable-tribal-groups" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>particularly vulnerable tribal groups</strong></a>, 13 reside in Odisha.</li>
<li>With 62 tribal communities, Odisha has the most diverse tribes in India.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Keonjhar, where tribes such as Sounti, Ho, Juang, Kharwar, Mahali, Oraon Kolha and Kora reside is the most mined district of the State.</li>
<li><strong>Keonjhar</strong> district contains <strong>more than 70%</strong> of the iron ore reserves of Odisha.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Educational Schemes for Tribals</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Eklavya Model School: <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/eklavya-model-residential-and-day-boarding-schools" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Residential School</a></strong> based on Navodaya Model to be opened in each tribal block by 2022.</li>
<li><strong>Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship Scheme (RGNF):</strong> RGNF was introduced in the year 2005-2006 with the objective to encourage the students belonging to the ST community to pursue higher education.</li>
<li><strong>Vocational Training Center in Tribal Areas:</strong> The aim of this scheme is to develop the skill of ST students depending on their qualification and present market trends.</li>
<li><strong>National Overseas Scholarship Scheme:</strong> The National Overseas Scholarship Scheme provides financial assistance to 20 students selected for pursuing higher studies abroad for PhD and postdoctoral studies.</li>
<li>Pre and Post Matric Scholarship Schemes.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There is a need to give special focus to the education of tribal populations by the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/year-end-review-2019-ministry-of-tribal-affairs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ministry of Tribal Affairs.</strong></a></li>
<li>Awareness Campaigns like street drama, camps counselling session to bring attitudinal change in parents.</li>
<li>Emphasis should be given to <strong>career or job</strong> oriented courses.</li>
<li>Teachers should be locally recruited who understand and respect tribal culture and practices and most importantly are acquainted with the local language.</li>
<li><strong>The Kothari Commission</strong> stressed to pay special attention to the education of ST.</li>
<li><a href="/summary-of-important-reports/xaxa-committee-on-tribal-communities-of-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The XaXa Committee recommended</strong></a> a greater focus on removing gender disparity in education.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/odisha-plans-mega-educational-complexes-for-tribal-students/article31774853.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/educational-complexes-for-tribal-students-odisha'
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'title' => 'Digital Initiatives by WCL',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Coal India Subsidiary-Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL) has launched a surveillance system called <strong>WCL EYE</strong> for monitoring its mining operations and a mobile application named <strong>SAMVAAD</strong> to connect with its employees and stakeholders.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>WCL EYE:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a<strong> digital surveillance system</strong> that will monitor operations of 15 major mines of the company, accounting for 70% of the company&rsquo;s coal production.</li>
<li>It will monitor coal stocks and availability of coal at sidings.</li>
<li>It will also monitor the placement of rakes and loading at railway sidings and ensure accountability.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>SAMVAAD:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is a <strong>mobile and desktop app</strong> for employees &amp; stakeholders.</li>
<li>It will provide a virtual platform for suggestion/feedback/experience sharing.</li>
<li>The Quick Response Teams will respond to the queries and feedback in 7 days mandated period.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Coal India Limited</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>CIL is a <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sectors-of-indian-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs)</strong></a> that came into being in November 1975.</li>
<li>It is the world's single largest <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/coal-sector-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>coal</strong></a> producer.</li>
<li>It produces around 83% of India&rsquo;s overall coal production and provides for 40% of primary commercial energy requirement.</li>
<li>In pursuance to initiatives towards development of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/not-yet-ready-to-exit-from-coal-plants" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>clean coal technology</strong></a>, CIL is planning to set-up a coal-based Methanol plant in the premises of Dankuni Coal Complex (DCC) near Kolkata.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Coal Sector under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/economic-stimulus-iv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commercial mining</a></strong> has been introduced on the basis of a revenue-sharing mechanism, ending the government monopoly in coal mining.</li>
<li>Coal Gasification or Liquefaction will be incentivised.</li>
<li>Infrastructure investment worth Rs 50,000 crores will be done to boost production.</li>
<li>Mining plan simplification will be undertaken to incentivise production.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1629862#:~:text=SAMVAAD%20is%20a%20Mobile%20and,Coal%20India%20have%20given%20Rs." 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/digital-initiatives-by-wcl'
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'title' => 'NAIMISHA 2020',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA),</strong> New Delhi will organise <strong>online NAIMISHA 2020- Summer Art Program</strong> from 8<sup>th</sup> June 2020 to 3<sup>rd</sup> July 2020, to reach its audiences during the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> outbreak.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>NAIMISHA 2020:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is an initiative to provide a chance to participants and art enthusiasts to create and learn from practising artists.</li>
<li>The programme includes online workshops sessions on painting, sculpture, printmaking and <strong>indrajaal</strong> (an interdisciplinary creative workshop).</li>
<li>The exhibition of selected artworks from the program will be displayed on So&rsquo;ham, the cultural media platform of NGMA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>So&rsquo;ham:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the first cultural media platform of India, under the banner of NGMA.</li>
<li>The platform aims to develop a dialogue between NGMA, artists and art enthusiasts.</li>
<li>It is inspired by the Vedic philosophy of So&rsquo;ham, which stands for one's identity and its connection to the universe.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>National Gallery of Modern Art</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>NGMA was established in 1954, at the Jaipur House, New Delhi.</li>
<li>It is run and administered as a subordinate office to the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.</li>
<li>The NGMA has two branches, one at Mumbai and the other at Bengaluru.</li>
<li>One of its objectives is to acquire and preserve works of modern art from the 1850s onward.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1630020" 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/naimisha-2020'
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'title' => 'The Big Picture: Indian Ocean Islands Diplomacy',
		'catname' => 'Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Discussions',
		'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Os1fYOGn1N4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Due to the ongoing pandemic, the island countries-Mauritius and Seychelles, have been adversely affected due to a huge decline in tourism, for the countries&rsquo; economy mainly depends upon tourism. Both the island nations are a part of India&rsquo;s maritime security and therefore need to be pursued diplomatically. China&rsquo;s active engagement in the Indian Ocean could be a possible threat to our relations with the island states and could compromise the country's maritime security as well.</p>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Efforts in Helping and Aiding Friends</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has supplied nearly 85 million<strong> hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets</strong> and close to 500 million paracetamol tablets to 108 countries.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The HCQ tablets were sent as gifts to Mauritius and Seychelles on special Indian Air Force planes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mission-sagar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India had deployed the navy&rsquo;s 5,600-tonne landing ship, INS Kesari</strong></a>, to reach medical teams, medicines and supplies to countries in the Indian Ocean region such as Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles.</li>
<li>The two medical assistance teams on board the warship will be deployed in Mauritius and Comoros.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Strategic Significance of the Island Countries</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The strategic importance of these island nations is highlighted by their location along key <strong>sea lines of communication (SLOCs).</strong></li>
<li>These islands are vital and can facilitate a navy&rsquo;s continuous presence along key international shipping routes, allowing a navy to patrol and secure SLOCs during peace times and an option to interdict and cut off an adversary&rsquo;s communications during times of conflict.</li>
</ul>
<h3>India- Sri Lanka Relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/india-sri-lanka-relations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sri Lanka</strong></a> has agreed to accelerate the Indian assisted development project in the country and the possibility of promoting investments by the private sectors of India.</li>
<li>The President of Sri Lanka asked the Indian Prime Minister to expedite investments in Colombo port's east terminal as soon as possible.</li>
<li>India has sent four consignments of essential life-saving medicines and medical supplies weighing over 25 tonnes to Sri Lanka in the last few weeks as a goodwill gesture</li>
<li>Recently, Sri Lankan has requested India to provide a special USD 1.1 billion <strong>currency swap facility</strong> to boost the country's draining foreign exchange reserves in view of the economic slowdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.</li>
<li>The new request is in addition to the USD 400 million amount Sri Lanka has sought from the Indian government under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/currency-swap-arrangement-for-saarc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) framework.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Currency Swap Arrangement</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The word swap means exchange. A currency swap between the two countries is an agreement or contract to exchange currencies with predetermined terms and conditions.</li>
<li>Central banks and Governments engage in currency swaps with foreign counterparts to meet short term foreign exchange liquidity requirements or to ensure adequate foreign currency to avoid Balance of Payments (BOP) crisis till longer arrangements can be made.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>India- Mauritius relations</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Recently, both the countries have discussed enhancing cooperation in several areas including measures to support the financial sector.</li>
<li>The consignment of essential medicine supplies from India was sent to Port Louis, Mauritius via Navy ship INS Kesari.</li>
<li>India is Mauritius&rsquo; largest trading partner and has been the largest exporter of goods and services to Mauritius since 2007.</li>
<li>India and Mauritius have signed a wide range of bilateral agreements and MoUs including:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Cooperation against Terrorism (2005)</li>
<li>Science and Technology Cooperation (2012)</li>
<li>Cooperation in MSME Sector (2013) and</li>
<li>Cooperation in Ocean Economy (2015)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Indian Prime Minister during his visit to Mauritius in 2015 had introduced the <strong>SAGAR vision.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The vision was introduced on a Mauritius visit by the Prime Minister in 2015 <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/sagar-vision" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>with an aim to focus on the blue economy.</strong></a></li>
<li>It is an increasing recognition of the increasing importance of maritime security, maritime commons and cooperation.</li>
<li>Through <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/sagar-vision" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SAGAR</strong></a>, India seeks to deepen economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbours and assist in building their maritime security capabilities.</li>
<li>For this, India would cooperate on the exchange of information, coastal surveillance, building of infrastructure and strengthening their capabilities.</li>
<li>The key relevance of SAGAR emerges when seen in conjunction with India&rsquo;s other policies impacting the maritime domain like <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-india-s-act-east-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Act East Policy</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-09th-october-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Project Sagarmala</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-7th-august-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Project Mausam</strong></a>,<strong> India as &lsquo;net security provider&rsquo;, focus on <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/blue-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blue Economy</a></strong> etc.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Blue Economy</strong></p>
<p>According to the World Bank, the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/blue-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>blue economy</strong></a> is the "sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem."</p>
</div>
<h3>China&rsquo;s Dominance in Indian Ocean</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China's rapidly growing presence in the northern part of the Indian Ocean along with the deployment of Chinese submarines and ships in the region is a challenge for India.</li>
<li>The country has invested the largest amount in shipbuilding than any other nation.</li>
<li>China has maritime disputes in the East China Sea with Japan and stakes claim on 90 per cent of the South China Sea.</li>
<li>Moreover, China has pushed to develop infrastructure projects in island countries such as Sri Lanka under its belt and road initiative.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>China&rsquo;s Belt and Road Initiative</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China&rsquo;s <strong>Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),</strong> sometimes referred to as the<strong> New Silk Road,</strong> is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects ever conceived.</li>
<li>The project covers two parts.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Silk Road Economic Belt:</strong> It is land-based and is expected to connect China with Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe.</li>
<li><strong>21<sup>st</sup> Century Maritime Silk Road:</strong> It is sea-based and is expected to connect China&rsquo;s southern coast to the Mediterranean, Africa, South-East Asia, and Central Asia.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India is in the list of top 10 economies and those powerful economies are built on a bedrock of global maritime trade.
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Contact upgrades need to take place with these maritime neighbours.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The island nations are badly hit due to covid-19,where India shall act as a friend in need:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Be the first responder to their calls.</li>
<li>Provide security and support to the countries in order to have their support in future.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In order to counteract the Chinese activism:
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>China is a laggard when it comes to maintaining friendly relations which is an advantage for India.</li>
<li>Rather than competing with China in terms of strength and power, India should continue a diplomatic and goodwill factor approach and must gain control over the Indian Ocean by the same means only.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-indian-ocean-islands-diplomacy'
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'title' => 'Bad Bank',
		'catname' => 'News Editorials',
		'desc' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/bad-bank-should-india-have-one/1980470/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Bad bank: Should India have one?&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Financial Express on 04/06/2020. It talks about the pros and cons of a Bad bank for resolution of Non-Performing Assets (NPAs).</p>
</div>
<p>In the wake of the slowdown in economic activities due to the lockdown imposed, banks are set to witness a hike in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/solving-the-npa-crisis-in-india#:~:text=In%20March%202018%2C%20non%2Dperforming,associated%20with%20a%20banking%20crisis." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Non-performing assets (NPAs).</strong></a> Before the lockdown, the gross NPAs fell below Rs 10 lakh crore, but <strong>as per rating firm Crisil,</strong> it is now expected to cross Rs 11 lakh crore by the end of this fiscal year.</p>
<p>In this context, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/payment-revolution-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Banks Association (IBA)</strong></a>, have refloated an old idea of creating a &lsquo;bad bank&rsquo;. The Economic Survey 2017, suggested <strong>Public Sector Asset Rehabilitation Agency</strong> or PARA, to buy out the NPAs of high value from Indian banks.</p>
<p>A bad bank is technically an asset reconstruction company that buys bad loans(NPAs) from the commercial banks at a discount and tries to recover the money from the defaulter by providing a systematic solution over a period of time.</p>
<p>The idea of a bad bank seeks to reduce the NPAs in the banking sector and then revive lending and credit growth. However, the feasibility of such a bank is highly debated among various economists.</p>
<h3>Rationale of Bad Bank</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Easing Provisioning Requirement:</strong> High level of non-performing assets (NPAs) makes the lending difficult for banks, as they have to keep supplementary capital <strong>(provisioning requirement)</strong> under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/basel-iii-requirements" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Basel Accord</strong></a>. This reduces its capital base and the resulting losses erode depositor confidence &mdash; the lifeblood of any bank. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Bad bank by way of absorbing NPAs, will ease the provisioning requirement by the banks and help them to get on with business as usual.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Re-assuring Trust:</strong> Moreover, the creation of a bad bank allows the segregation of a bank&rsquo;s good assets from its bad assets. This allows investors to assess its financial health with greater clarity and for banks to grow financially.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Aside from this, a government-led initiative may perhaps make it more palatable or even an attractive opportunity for investors to invest their money- both domestic and foreign.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>International Precedent:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/understanding-financial=-crisis-of-2007-08" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>2007-2010 financial crises</strong></a> led to the creation of bad banks in many countries. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the US, as part of the <strong>Emergency Economic Stabilisation Act of 2008,</strong> a bad bank was suggested to address the subprime mortgage crisis (real estate loans default).</li>
<li>In Ireland, the National Asset Management Agency was established in 2009 to respond to the financial crisis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns About IBC Code:</strong> Many lenders are concerned over huge haircuts they have to endure after a resolution through the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/insolvency-and-bankruptcy-code-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Insolvency and bankruptcy code.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, NPAs in the power sector can't be resolved through the IBC system as factors like the lack of coal linkages and the absence of purchase power agreements make them unfit for a resolution through the IBC.</li>
<li>The bad bank structure could help banks park their money to separate agencies to find a solution in a long time.</li>
<li>Moreover, banks feel the assets having future demand-supply issues face liquidation under the IBC, a problem that can be solved under the bad bank.</li>
<li>Thus, a bad bank may save a defaulting firm from liquidation and closure.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Associated Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Mobilising Capital:</strong> Finding buyers for bad assets in a pandemic hit economy will be a challenge, especially when governments are facing the issue of containing the fiscal deficit.</li>
<li><strong>Not Addressing the Underlying Issue:</strong> Without governance reforms, the Public sector banks (accounted for 86%, of the total NPAs) may go on doing business the way they have been doing in the past and may end up piling-up of bad debts again.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, the bad bank idea is like shifting loans from one government pocket (the public sector banks) to another (the bad bank).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Provisioning Issue Tackled Through Recapitalization:</strong> Union Government, in the last few years, has infused nearly Rs 2.6 lakh crore in banks through recapitalisation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Those who oppose the concept of bad banks hold that the government has on its part recapitalised the banks to compensate for the write-offs and hence, there is no need for a bad bank.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Market-related Issues:</strong> The price at which bad assets are transferred from commercial banks to the bad bank will not be market-determined and price discovery will not happen.</li>
<li><strong>Moral Hazard:</strong> Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan had said that a bad bank may create a moral hazard and enable banks to continue reckless lending practices, without any commitment to reduce NPAs.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>So long as Public sector banks managements remain beholden to politicians and bureaucrats, their deficit in professionalism will remain and subsequently, prudential norms in lending will continue to suffer. Therefore, the debate regarding setting up a bad bank must be preceded by proper implementation of holistic reforms in the banking sector, as envisaged under the IndraDhanush plan.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591445358_Images%20Work.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1591445358_Images Work.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="700" caption="false" /></a></p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; background-color: #ebfcfb; border-color: #ff0000; border-style: dotted;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Discuss how the concept of the bad bank can tackle the NPA crisis and revive lending in Indian Banking industry.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hAXEvd7trcA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This editorial is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/killing-gajah-the-hindu-editorial-on-the-killing-of-an-elephant-in-kerala/article31750497.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Killing Gajah&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on June 5<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/bad-bank'
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'title' => ' Aerosols Radiative Forcing in Western Trans-Himalayas',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a study by <strong>the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)</strong> has found that <strong>radiative forcing of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aerosol-levels-hit-20-year-low#:~:text=Aerosols%20are%20defined%20as%20a,located%20on%20the%20terrestrial%20surface." target="_blank" rel="noopener">aerosols</a></strong> i.e. effect of anthropogenic aerosols is much higher over the high altitudes of western trans-Himalayas.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>ARIES,</strong> Nainital is an autonomous research institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology.</li>
<li>The Trans-Himalayas Mountain Region is located to the north of the Great Himalayas which consists of <strong>Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar and Kailash mountain ranges.</strong> It is also called the Tibet Himalayan Region because most of the part of these ranges lies in Tibet.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Aerosol Radiative Forcing (ARF) :</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The study analysed the <strong>variability of aerosol optical, physical and radiative properties</strong> from January 2008 to December 2018 and the role of fine and coarse particles in <strong>Aerosol Radiative Forcing (ARF)</strong> assessment.</li>
<li>The ARF values at top of the atmosphere were mostly low over Hanle and Merak.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>ARF</strong> is the <strong>effect of anthropogenic aerosols on the radiative fluxes</strong> at the top of the atmosphere and at the surface and on the absorption of radiation within the atmosphere.</li>
<li>Hanle and Merak, situated in Ladakh are the part of <strong>Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Change in Temperature:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The study shows that monthly-mean atmospheric radiative forcing of aerosols leads to heating rates of <strong>0.04 to 0.13 degree celsius per day.</strong></li>
<li>Further, the temperature over the Ladakh region is increasing <strong>0.3 to 0.4 degree celsius per decade</strong> from the last 3 decades.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The observations show that the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/aerosol-levels-hit-20-year-low#:~:text=Aerosols%20are%20defined%20as%20a,located%20on%20the%20terrestrial%20surface." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD)</strong> </a>exhibited a distinct seasonal variation with higher values (0.07) in May and lower (0.03) in winter months.</li>
<li><strong>AOD</strong> is a measure of how<strong> light is absorbed or reflected by airborne particles</strong> as it travels through the atmosphere.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>If aerosols are concentrated near the surface, <strong>an optical depth of 1 or above</strong> indicates very <strong>hazy conditions.</strong></li>
<li>An optical depth, or <strong>thickness, of less than 0.1</strong> over the entire atmospheric vertical column is considered clean.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Angstrom Exponent (AE):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The lower values of <strong>Angstrom Exponent (AE)</strong> in spring indicated dominance of coarse-mode dust aerosols.</li>
<li><strong>The Angstrom Exponent</strong> is a parameter that describes <strong>how the optical thickness of an aerosol typically depends on the wavelength</strong> of the light.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Composition of Air:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Pure and polluted dust</strong> exhibited fractions between 16% and 23%, with a low frequency of less than 13% of absorbing aerosols, denoting weak influence of <strong>anthropogenic aerosols</strong> and <strong>Black Carbon</strong> over the trans-Himalayan sites.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Significance of the Study</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The atmospheric aerosols <strong>play a key role in the regional/global climate</strong> <strong>system</strong> through scattering and absorption of incoming solar radiation and by modifying the cloud structure.</li>
<li>The transport of<strong> light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols and dust from the polluted Indo-Gangetic Plain and desert areas over the Himalayas</strong> constitutes a major climatic issue due to severe <strong>impacts on atmospheric warming and glacier retreat.</strong></li>
<li>This heating over the Himalayas facilitates the<strong> &ldquo;elevated-heat pump&rdquo;</strong> that strengthens the temperature gradient between land and ocean and modifies the atmospheric circulation and the monsoon rainfall.</li>
<li>A deep scientific study of<strong> aerosol generation, transport, and its properties have important implications in the mitigation of climate change.</strong></li>
<li>The study can help better <strong>understand the aerosol optical and microphysical properties</strong> and improve the <strong>modelling of aerosol effects in view of aerosol-climate implication</strong> via modifications in atmospheric warming and changes in the snow/glacier albedo over the trans-Himalayan region.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Measurements of aerosol optical and microphysical properties started during the last decade at the <strong>Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) at the high altitude background sites of Hanle and Merak in the trans-Himalayas</strong> under the frameworks of <strong>Aerosol Radiative Forcing over India (ARFI)</strong> and <strong>Astronomical Site Survey program of Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA),</strong> Bangalore.</li>
<li>The <strong>Indian Astronomical Observatory,</strong> located near <strong>Leh in Ladakh,</strong> has one of the world's highest located sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes.</li>
<li>In addition to this, few in-situ measurements of carbonaceous aerosols and ionic species have also been performed at Himansh Observatory (Spiti Valley) in the western Himalayas.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Aerosol</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Aerosols are defined as a combination <strong>of liquid or solid particles suspended</strong> in a gaseous or liquid environment.</li>
<li>In the atmosphere, these particles are mainly situated in the low layers of the <strong>atmosphere (&lt; 1.5 km) since aerosol sources</strong> are located on the terrestrial surface.</li>
<li>However, certain aerosols can still be found in the stratosphere, especially volcanic aerosols ejected into the high altitude layers.</li>
<li>The origin of atmospheric aerosols is either <strong>natural or the result of anthropogenic activities.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Natural sources of aerosols</strong> include sea salt generated from breaking waves, mineral dust blown from the surface by wind, and volcanoes.</li>
<li><strong>Anthropogenic aerosols</strong> include sulfate, nitrate, and carbonaceous aerosols, and are mainly from fossil fuel combustion sources.</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Reflect <strong>more energy from the sun back to space.</strong></li>
<li>In remote places with cleaner air, the effect of aerosol particle formation on clouds is found to be much larger.</li>
<li>Affect the atmospheric chemical composition.</li>
<li>Can <strong>reduce visibility.</strong></li>
<li>Have important impacts on<strong> air quality and human health</strong> (e.g. aerosols can cause damage to heart and lungs).</li>
<li>Serve as nuclei for cloud droplets or ice crystals in ice clouds.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Despite the large progress in quantifying the impact of different aerosols on radiative forcing, it still remains one of the <strong>major uncertainties in the climate change assessment. Precise measurements of aerosol properties</strong> are required to reduce the uncertainties, especially over the oceans and high altitude remote locations in the Himalayas.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1629589" 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/aerosols-radiative-forcing-in-western-trans-himalayas'
	],
	(int) 16 => [
		'title' => 'Sunderbans Damaged in Cyclone Amphan',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Chief Minister of West Bengal highlighted that about <strong>28% of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/preservation-of-sundarban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunderbans</a></strong> has been <strong>damaged by <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cyclone-amphan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cyclone Amphan</a></strong> and launched a drive for planting <a href="/summary-of-important-reports/india-state-of-forest-report-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>mangroves</strong> </a>and trees to mark the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-environment-day-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Environment Day</strong></a> <strong>(5<sup>th</sup> June).</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian Sunderbans, an <strong>area south of the Dampier Hodges line,</strong> is spread over 9,630 sq km, of which the mangrove forest accounts for 4,263 sq km.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>1,200 sq km of that mangrove forest has been destroyed.</li>
<li><strong>Mangroves</strong> not only <strong>reduce wind speed</strong> but <strong>break the waves during a storm</strong> surge caused by a cyclone.</li>
<li><strong>Trees turned yellow and red</strong> after the cyclone mostly<strong> due to salinity</strong> and trees can only survive if the salinity of the soil comes down.</li>
<li><strong>Dampier Hodges line</strong> is an imaginary line, passing through 24 Parganas South and North districts (West Bengal) which indicates the northern-most limits of the estuarine zone affected by tidal fluctuations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>damage has been much on the Indian side</strong> of the Sundarbans and not on the Bangladesh side.</li>
<li>The CM has directed the Forest Department to be prepared to plant 3.5 crore mangroves by <strong>14<sup>th</sup> July</strong> which is celebrated as the <strong>World Forest Day.</strong></li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Sundarbans</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a <strong>vast contiguous mangrove forest ecosystem</strong> in the <strong>coastal region of Bay of Bengal</strong> spread over <strong>India and Bangladesh</strong> on the delta of the <strong>Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers.</strong></li>
<li>The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes.</li>
<li>It constitutes <strong>over 60% of the country&rsquo;s total mangrove forest area.</strong></li>
<li>Indian Sundarbans was recognised as <strong>UNESCO <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-heritage-committee-s-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Heritage Site</a> in 1987, &lsquo;<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/wetlands-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wetland</a> of International Importance&rsquo;</strong> under the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/addition-to-ramsar-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ramsar Convention</strong></a> in <strong>January 2019</strong> and also a <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/biosphere-reserves-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Biosphere Reserve</strong></a> in&nbsp;<b>1989.</b></li>
<li>The area is<strong> known for its wide range of fauna,</strong> including 260 bird species and is home to many rare and globally threatened wildlife species such as the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-26th-november-2018#:~:text=Saltwater%20crocodile%20sighted%20in%20AP&amp;text=Salt%2Dwater%20crocodiles%20are%20usually,Park%20(BNP)%2C%20Odisha." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Estuarine Crocodile</strong></a>, Royal Bengal Tiger, Water Monitor Lizard, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gangetic-dolphins-found-in-mahananda-river" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gangetic Dolphin</strong></a> and<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/olive-ridley-turtles" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Olive Ridley Turtles.</strong></a></li>
<li>The Sunderbans Delta is the<strong> only mangrove forest in the world <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tiger-census-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inhabited by tigers.</a></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For its preservation,<strong> Discovery India</strong> and <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-1st-april-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Wide Fund</a></strong> (WWF) India partnered with the Government of West Bengal and local communities in the Sundarbans in 2019.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Mangroves</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Mangroves are the plant communities occurring in<strong> inter-tidal zones along the coasts of tropical and subtropical countries.</strong></li>
<li>Mangrove forests perform <strong>multiple ecological functions</strong> such as production of woody trees, provision of habitat, food and spawning grounds for fin-fish and shellfish, provision of habitat for birds and other valuable fauna; protection of coastlines and accretion of sediment to form new land.</li>
<li>Among the states and Union Territories, <strong>West Bengal has the highest percentage</strong> of area under total Mangrove cover <strong>followed by Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.</strong></li>
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-state-of-forest-report-isfr-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> India State of Forest Report</strong></a> gives the data about mangroves and their conditions in the country.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/over-28-of-sunderbans-damaged-in-cyclone-
&lt;/div&gt;amphan/article31760595.ece#:~:text=About%2028%25%20of%20the%20Sunderbans,to%20mark%20World%20Environment%20Day.&amp;text=She%20said%201%2C200%20sq%20km,forests%20had%20been%20%E2%80%9Cdestroyed%E2%80%9D." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
		'url' => 'https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sunderbans-damaged-in-cyclone-amphan'
	],
	(int) 17 => [
		'title' => 'LiDAR Based Research in Tamar Valley',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>A U.K.-based team of archeologists has continued its research over the<strong> Tamar Valley</strong> through <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/self-driven-cars" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)</strong> </a>despite lockdown due to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> in the country.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>LiDAR is commonly used by geologists and surveyors to make high-resolution maps.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Tamar Valley</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Tamar valley is located in the <strong>south of England</strong> and is a rich archaeological landscape with many sites<strong> belonging to the Iron Age and Roman era.</strong></li>
<li>The area is a <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/world-heritage-sites-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Heritage Site</strong></a> <strong>due to its historic mining activities.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)</strong></a> for its <strong>special cultural or physical significance.</strong></li>
<li>The list of World Heritage Sites is maintained by the<strong> international 'World Heritage Programme',</strong> administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>LiDAR</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Description:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a<strong> remote sensing</strong> method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser<strong> to measure ranges &amp; variable distances.</strong></li>
<li>These light pulses&mdash;combined with other data recorded by the airborne system&mdash; generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.</li>
<li>A LiDAR instrument principally <strong>consists of a laser, a scanner, and a specialized GPS receiver.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Airplanes and helicopters are the most commonly used platforms for acquiring LiDAR data over broad areas.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Applications:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>LiDAR is used for <strong>agriculture, hydrology</strong> and water management systems</li>
<li>and <strong>geology-related</strong> applications.</li>
<li>It is also used in <strong>archaeology.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/how-archaeologists-continued-digging-from-home-during-lockdown/article31760027.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/lidar-based-research-in-tamar-valley'
	],
	(int) 18 => [
		'title' => '163348 (2002 NN4): A Near-Earth Asteroid',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/national-aeronautics-and-space-administration-nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)</strong></a> has announced that a giant <strong>asteroid</strong> called as <strong>163348 (2002 NN4),</strong> is expected to pass Earth on 6<sup>th</sup> June 2020.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>However, it is approaching the Earth within the <strong>safe limit of distance.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>163348 (2002 NN4):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was discovered in July 2002 and is expected to approach the earth in June 2020.</li>
<li>The asteroid is estimated to be between <strong>250-570 meters in diameter.</strong></li>
<li>The asteroid is a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/2020-cd3-mini-moon" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Near-Earth Object</strong></a> and classified as a <strong>Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Near-Earth Objects (NEOs):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NEOs are <strong>comets and asteroids</strong> pushed by the <strong>gravitational attraction of nearby planets into orbits</strong> which allow them to enter the Earth&rsquo;s neighbourhood.</li>
<li>These objects are <strong>composed mostly of water ice</strong> with embedded dust particles.</li>
<li>NEOs<strong> occasionally approach close to the Earth</strong> as they orbit the Sun.</li>
<li>NASA&rsquo;s <strong>Center for Near-Earth Object Study (CNEOS)</strong> determines the times and distances of these objects, when their approach to the Earth is close, through the Asteroid Watch Widget.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA):</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It means that an asteroid has the potential to make <strong>threatening close approaches to the Earth.</strong></li>
<li>Specifically, all asteroids with a <strong>Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance</strong> (MOID) <strong>of 0.05 AU</strong> (which is about 7,480,000 Km) or less and an <strong>Absolute Magnitude (H) of 22.0</strong> (about 150 mt in diameter) or less are considered PHAs.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance</strong> is a method for calculating the <strong>minimum distance between two almost overlapping elliptical orbits.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The Astronomical Unit (AU)</strong> is the distance between the Earth and the Sun and is roughly 150 million km.</li>
<li>The <strong>absolute magnitude</strong> is a measure of the star's luminosity i.e. the<strong> total amount of energy radiated</strong> by the star every second.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Chances of hitting the earth and related Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to NASA, the objects with large size pose a<strong> great risk to Earth</strong> due to the<strong> level of devastation and the impact</strong> they can cause.</li>
<li>Less than half of the estimated 25,000 NEOs that are 140 metres or larger in size have been found to date.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>NASA&rsquo;s <strong>Near-Earth Object Observations Program</strong> finds, tracks and characterises over 90% of the predicted number of NEOs that are 140 metre or larger in size.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However, no asteroid <strong>larger than 140 metre has a &ldquo;significant&rdquo; chance of hitting</strong> the Earth for the <strong>next 100 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Asteroids</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Asteroids orbit the Sun and are small bodies in the solar system.</li>
<li>They are made up of metals and rocks.</li>
<li>They tend to have shorter and elliptical orbits.</li>
<li>They do not produce a coma or tail atmosphere.</li>
<li>The <strong>asteroid belt</strong> is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, located roughly between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Comet</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Comets also orbit the Sun and are relatively small bodies of the solar system.</li>
<li>They are made up of ice and hydrocarbons.</li>
<li>Comets have an eccentric orbit.</li>
<li>When comets approach the sun, some part of their ice melts and the other materials vapourise due to the heat of the sun. This results in a glowing halo that extends outwards through space. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, a thin atmospheric tail is formed when close to the Sun.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Significance:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The scientific interest in <strong>comets and asteroids</strong> is largely due to their status as <strong>relatively unchanged remnant debris from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/length-of-a-day-on-each-planet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">solar system</a></strong> formation process over <strong>4.6 billion years ago.</strong> Therefore, they offer clues about the <strong>chemical mixture</strong> from the planets formed.</li>
<li>Significantly, among all the reasons that will eventually cause the extinction of life on Earth, <strong>an asteroid hit is widely acknowledged</strong> as one of the likeliest.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Over the years, scientists have suggested different ways to ward off such a hit, such as blowing up the asteroid before it reaches Earth, or deflecting it off its Earth-bound course by hitting it with a spacecraft.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is not necessary that asteroids classified as PHAs will impact the Earth. It only means there is a possibility of a threat.</li>
<li>By <strong>monitoring these PHAs and updating their orbits as new observations,</strong> it is possible to <strong>predict the close-approach statistics and thus their Earth-impact threat.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/nasa-earth-asteroid-6444103/" 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/163348-2002-nn4-a-near-earth-asteroid'
	],
	(int) 19 => [
		'title' => '‘Healthy and Energy Efficient Buildings’ Initiative',
		'catname' => 'News Analysis',
		'desc' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <strong>Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL),</strong> in partnership with the U.S. <strong>Agency for International Development&rsquo;s (USAID) MAITREE program,</strong> launched the <strong>&ldquo;Healthy and Energy Efficient Buildings&rdquo;</strong> initiative that will pioneer ways to make workplaces healthier and greener.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The initiative was launched on the occasion of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-environment-day-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Environment day (5<sup>th</sup> June)</strong></a>.</li>
<li>This initiative is to <strong>address the challenges of retrofitting existing buildings and air conditioning systems</strong> so that they are both healthy and energy efficient.</li>
<li>The initiative, implemented by the EESL in its office, will pave the way for other buildings to take appropriate steps to be healthy and energy efficient.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This will help in <strong>developing specifications</strong> for future use in other buildings throughout the country, as well as aid in <strong>evaluating the effectiveness and cost benefits of various technologies</strong> and their short and long-term impacts on air quality, comfort, and energy use.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Poor air quality has been a concern in India for quite some time and has become more important in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>As people return to their offices and public spaces, maintaining good indoor air quality is essential for occupant comfort, well-being, productivity and the overall public health.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Most buildings in India are not equipped to establish and maintain healthy indoor air quality and need to be upgraded. Such retrofit measures, like increasing outside air and additional filtration in the air conditioning system, typically come at the cost of occupant comfort and increased energy use.</li>
<li>Further, there are no standardized approaches to retrofitting.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Energy Efficiency Services Limited</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is under the administration of the <strong>Ministry of Power,</strong> Government of India.</li>
<li>It is working towards mainstreaming energy efficiency and is implementing the world&rsquo;s largest energy efficiency portfolio in the country.</li>
<li>It aims to create market access for efficient and future-ready transformative solutions that create a win-win situation for every stakeholder.</li>
<li>It helps in implementing programmes such as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/report-on-energy-efficiency-measures" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UnnatJyoti by Affordable LED for All (UJALA)</strong></a>, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/smart-meters" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Smart Meters</strong></a>, etc.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>U.S. Agency for International Development</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>USAID is the world&rsquo;s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results.</li>
<li>The <strong>Market Integration and Transformation Program for Energy Efficiency (MAITREE),</strong> is a part of the US-India bilateral Partnership between the Ministry of Power and USAID and is aimed at accelerating the adoption of cost-effective energy efficiency as a standard practice within buildings, and specifically focuses on cooling.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1629597" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:PIB</strong></a></p>',
		'postdate' => object(Cake\I18n\FrozenTime) {},
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