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Expat Quota Bill Approved in Kuwait

Why in News Recently, the legal and legislative committee of Kuwait’s National Assembly has approved the draft expat (expatriate) quota...

07 Jul 2020 Important International Institutions
World Bank's Support to India for MSMEs

Why in News Recently, the World Bank (WB) and the Government of India has signed the USD 750 million agreement for an Emergency Response Programme...

07 Jul 2020 Important International Institutions
G4 Virus and Disease Surveillance

Why in News Recently, scientists have identified a new strain of Swine Flu (H1N1) virus namely, G4 EA H1N1. It has started infecting Chinese pigs...

07 Jul 2020 Important International Institutions
Natanz: Underground Nuclear Facility of Iran

Why in News Recently, a fire broke out at Natanz, an Underground Nuclear Facility of Iran used for enriching uranium. Enriched uranium is a type...

04 Jul 2020 Important International Institutions
Hagia Sophia Museum: Turkey

Why in News Recently, the government of Turkey has decided to convert Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque. Key...

04 Jul 2020 Important International Institutions
Italian Marines Case

Why in News Recently, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has published an extract of the final award of the ad-hoc tribunal constituted to...

03 Jul 2020 Important International Institutions
State of the World Population 2020: UNFPA

Why in News Recently, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has released the State of the World Population 2020 report, titled ‘Against...

01 Jul 2020 Important International Institutions
G4 Flu Virus

Why in News Recently, scientists have identified a “newly emerged” strain of influenza virus that is infecting Chinese pigs and that has...

01 Jul 2020 Important International Institutions
National Mission for Clean Ganga

Why in News Recently, the World Bank has approved a five year loan (for the second phase) to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) or Namami...

01 Jul 2020 Important International Institutions
Uganda Submitted REDD+ Results

Why in News Recently, Uganda has become the first African country to submit results for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation...

30 Jun 2020 Important International Institutions
STARS Programme: World Bank

Why in News Recently, the World Bank has approved the Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) Programme. It will improve...

30 Jun 2020 Important International Institutions
The World Drug Report 2020: UN

Why in News Recently, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in its 2020 World Drug Report, has highlighted the possible consequences...

27 Jun 2020 Important International Institutions
Raw Material Uncertainties for Rechargeable Batteries: UNCTAD

Why in News Recently, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released a report ‘Commodities at a glance: Special...

27 Jun 2020 Important International Institutions
UN 75 Declaration

Why in News Recently, a commemorative declaration marking the 75th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations (UN) Charter was delayed as...

27 Jun 2020 Important International Institutions
36th ASEAN Summit

Why in News Recently, the 36th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit was held via video conference to focus on the Covid-19 pandemic...

27 Jun 2020 Important International Institutions
Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: UNESCO

Why in News Recently, the Global Education Monitoring Report, 2020 was released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural...

25 Jun 2020 Important International Institutions
New Purchasing Power Parities: ICP 2017

Why in News Recently, the World Bank has released new Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) for reference year 2017, under International Comparison...

24 Jun 2020 Important International Institutions
China to Join UN Arms Trade Treaty

Why in News Recently, China has decided to join the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (UN-ATT) to regulate its arms sales. Key Points China held...

23 Jun 2020 Important International Institutions
4% Contraction in Growth: ADB

Why in News According to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Indian economy is expected to...

19 Jun 2020 Important International Institutions
World Investment Report: UNCTAD

Why in News Recently, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released the World Investment Report 2020. The World...

18 Jun 2020 Important International Institutions

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		'title' => 'Expat Quota Bill Approved in Kuwait',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the legal and legislative committee of <strong>Kuwait&rsquo;s National Assembly</strong> has <strong>approved </strong>the<strong> draft expat (expatriate) quota bill.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to the bill, <strong>Indians should not exceed 15% of the population</strong> and if it is enacted into law, over 8 lakh Indians could be forced out of Kuwait.</li>
<li>Kuwait is a country located in the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/persian-gulf-region" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Persian Gulf region.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The draft expat quota bill has been <strong>deemed constitutional</strong> and will be transferred to the respective committee so that a comprehensive plan is created.</li>
<li>Lawmakers and government officials including the Prime Minister of Kuwait have been calling to <strong>reduce the number of expats from 70% to 30%</strong> of the population.</li>
<li>The draft law will <strong>impose a cap on the number of expats and gradually reduce</strong> them by almost 5% on a yearly basis.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For example, if expats constitute 70% of the population this year, next year it will 65% and 60% in the following year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reasons Behind the Move:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Anti-expat aspirations have been rising in Kuwait since the beginning of the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Covid-19</strong> </a><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemic</a>.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Foreigners have accounted for the majority of Kuwait&rsquo;s virus cases</strong> as the disease spread among migrant workers living in overcrowded housing.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Kuwait has been working to<strong> reduce its dependence on foreign workers.</strong> It no longer wants to remain an expat-majority nation with its own citizens turning into a minority.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This move is similar to the <strong>USA&rsquo;s decision</strong> to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/usa-extends-ban-on-work-visas" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>extend the 60-day ban on immigrant and non-immigrant worker visas</strong> </a>till the <strong>end of 2020.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Kuwait faces problems in its <strong>population structure</strong> due to huge numbers of expats.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Almost <strong>one-third of the expats are either illiterate or can merely read and write.</strong> They do not contribute to the country&rsquo;s growth and hence, are not needed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/oil-prices-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>oil-price crash</strong></a> has also affected the country's economic conditions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Data Analysis:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In Kuwait, expats account for 3 million out of the total population of 4.3 million.</li>
<li><strong>Indians constitute the largest expat community</strong> in Kuwait, totalling 1.45 million.</li>
<li>About 28,000 Indians work in <strong>various government jobs</strong> like nurses, engineers in national oil companies and as scientists.</li>
<li>Majority of Indians (around 5 lakh) work in the <strong>private sector.</strong></li>
<li>There are about 1.16 lakh dependents out of which about 60,000 are students studying in various Indian schools in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Perspective</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Indian community in Kuwait has always played an <strong>important factor in bilateral ties.</strong></li>
<li>Indians are present in <strong>all segments of society</strong> in Kuwait and are largely <strong>considered disciplined, hardworking and law-abiding.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Kuwait is a top source of remittances for India.</strong> In 2018, India received nearly USD 4.8 billion from Kuwait as remittances.</li>
<li>The Indian embassy has been closely following developments related to the proposed legislation. However, <strong>India has so far not made any statement</strong> on the issue.</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 countries</strong> namely, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).</li>
<li>These all eight countries are members of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait are 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</strong> </a>(GCC).</li>
<li>Out of the Persian Gulf countries, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia are members of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/opec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries</strong></a> (OPEC).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Being <strong>major producers of crude oil and natural gas,</strong> there is a commonality of interest among these countries.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This commonality of interest has given rise to their own prosperity and subsequently, economic-political entanglements among them.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594111753_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1594111753_image3.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" caption="false" /></a></p>
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<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/over-8-lakh-indians-may-be-forced-to-leave-as-kuwait-approves-expat-quota-bill-6492287/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 5816,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'World Bank's Support to India for MSMEs',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> World Bank (WB)</strong></a> and the <strong>Government of India</strong> has signed the <strong>USD 750 million agreement</strong> for an <strong>Emergency Response Programme</strong> for <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/micro-small-and-medium-enterprises-msme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Emergency Response Programmes are dedicated towards <strong>enhancing the resilience of communities and livelihoods</strong> in order to address fragility, poverty and vulnerability to conflict and disaster.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Financial Support:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The USD 750 million loan which is being granted from the<strong> International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD</strong> - a part of the WB group), has a maturity of 19 years including a 5-year grace period.</li>
<li>The WB groups and its private sector arm &ndash;<strong> the International Finance Corporation (IFC),</strong> will support the government&rsquo;s initiatives to protect the <strong>MSME sector</strong> which is severely impacted by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> crisis.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Covid-19 <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>pandemic</strong> </a>has severely impacted the MSME sector leading to loss of livelihoods and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/employed-poverty-is-india-s-employment-issue-not-unemployment" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>employment</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Earlier, the World Bank has committed to support India&rsquo;s emergency Covid-19 response, including the new MSME project with <strong>USD 2.75 billion.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The first <strong>USD 1 billion emergency support was announced in April</strong> 2020 for immediate support to <strong>India&rsquo;s health sector.</strong></li>
<li>Another <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-bank-s-support-to-india#:~:text=Recently%2C%20the%20World%20Bank%20has,reached%20to%20USD%202%20billion." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>USD 1 billion project was approved in May</strong></a> to increase cash transfers and food benefits to the poor and vulnerable, including a more consolidated delivery platform &ndash; accessible to both rural and urban populations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Unlocking Liquidity:</strong> Considering the current uncertainties, lenders remain concerned about borrowers&rsquo; ability to repay &ndash; resulting in limited flow of credit.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Therefore, the program will support the government's efforts to channel liquidity to the MSME sector by de-risking lending from banks and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/liquidity-boost-to-nbfcs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)</strong></a> to MSMEs through a range of instruments, including credit guarantees.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Strengthening NBFCs and SFBs:</strong> The programme will address the urgent and varied needs of the MSMEs by <strong>improving the funding capacity</strong> of key market-oriented channels of credit, such as the <strong>NBFCs and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/guidelines-for-licencing-of-small-finance-banks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Small Finance Bank (SFBs)</a>.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This will support the government's<strong> refinance facility for NBFCs.</strong></li>
<li>In parallel, the IFC would provide direct support to SFBs through loans and equity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Enabling Financial Innovations:</strong> Currently only about 8% of MSMEs are served by formal credit channels. The program will<strong> incentivize and mainstream</strong> the use of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/steering-committee-on-fintech" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>fintech</strong></a> and <strong>digital financial services</strong> in MSME lending and payments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Bank Group</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>With 189 member countries, the World Bank Group is a unique global partnership which consists of five development institutions.</li>
<li><strong>International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)</strong> provides loans, credits, and grants.</li>
<li><strong>International Development Association (IDA)</strong> provides low- or no-interest loans to low-income countries.</li>
<li><strong>The International Finance Corporation (IFC)</strong> provides investment, advice, and asset management to companies and governments.</li>
<li><strong>The Multilateral Guarantee Agency (MIGA)</strong> insures lenders and investors against political risk such as war.</li>
<li><strong>The International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)</strong> settles investment-disputes between investors and countries.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is not a member of ICSID.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The<strong> MSME sector is central</strong> to India&rsquo;s growth and job creation and will be key to the pace of <strong>India&rsquo;s <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/shapes-of-economic-recovery#:~:text=U%2Dshaped%20recovery%3A%20It%20is,people%20fall%20upon%20their%20savings." target="_blank" rel="noopener">economic recovery</a></strong>, post Covid-19.</li>
<li>The financial support by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/impact-of-covid-19-on-remittance-wb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> is a part of reforms that are needed to propel the MSME sector over time. Indian government has announced <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/role-of-msmes-in-indian-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rs.3-lakh crore collateral-free assistance or sovereign credit guarantee</strong> </a>under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/atmanirbhar-bharat-and-economic-stimulus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.</strong></a></li>
<li>However, the immediate need is to ensure that the<strong> liquidity</strong> infused into the system by the government is <strong>accessed by MSMEs.</strong></li>
<li>Equally important is to strengthen the overall financing ecosystem for MSMEs.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1636790" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 5815,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'G4 Virus and Disease Surveillance',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, scientists have identified <strong>a new strain of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-22nd-january-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swine Flu (H1N1) virus</a></strong> namely, <strong>G4 EA H1N1.</strong> It has started infecting Chinese pigs and also has the potential of <strong>triggering a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/pandemic-and-infodemic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemic</a>.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Risk Involved:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/g4-flu-virus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>G4 EA H1N (also known as G4)</strong></a> replicates efficiently in<strong> human airway paths</strong> and so far, has infected a<strong> few people without actually making them ill.</strong></li>
<li>Thus, greater vigilance in monitoring people is needed because humans have<strong> no inbuilt immunity against this new strain of the virus,</strong> much like <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SARS-CoV-2</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Regional Disease Surveillance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Most countries have their <strong>own disease surveillance mechanisms</strong> in place to <strong>monitor and track emerging diseases.</strong> It helps to<strong> evaluate the risk of a particular pathogen on the community,</strong> based on the cases occurring, and warn of potential risks from that pathogen. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India has the <a href="/printpdf/integrated-disease-surveillance-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP)</strong> </a>to strengthen/maintain decentralized laboratory based and IT enabled disease surveillance systems for epidemic prone diseases to monitor disease trends.</li>
<li>It was launched by the <strong>Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,</strong> in assistance with the <strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Bank</a>, in 2004.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Closely studying a pathogen yields valuable information on transmission, and behaviour of the organism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global Level Surveillance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Countrywise alerts need to be <strong>shared on the global network</strong> so that other nations at equal risk might be warned before the outbreak hits their shores.</li>
<li>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Organisation (WHO)&rsquo;s</strong></a> <strong>Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN)</strong> is one of the initiatives which makes scientific predictions based on global data about diseases. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>GOARN is a <strong>global technical partnership</strong> aimed to engage the resources of technical agencies beyond the United Nations for rapid <strong>identification, confirmation and response to public health emergencies</strong> of international importance.</li>
<li>It currently comprises over<strong> 250</strong> technical institutions and networks (and their members) across the globe including medical and surveillance initiatives, regional technical networks, networks of laboratories, <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> organizations (e.g. <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/unicef-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNICEF</strong></a>,<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/global-trends-report-unhcr" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> UNHCR</strong></a>), etc.</li>
<li>GOARN&rsquo;s <strong>regional office for South East Asia Region</strong> is located at <strong>New Delhi, India.</strong></li>
<li>The main objective of the network is to provide technical support to <strong>WHO Member States experiencing a human health emergency</strong> due to various threats including disease outbreaks, food safety, chemical toxins, <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/zoonotic-diseases#:~:text=The%20word%20'Zoonosis'%20(Pleural,between%20vertebrate%20animals%20and%20man." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>zoonosis</strong></a>, natural and manmade disasters etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/the-hindu-explains-what-are-scientists-saying-about-a-new-virus-strain-in-china/article31991105.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 5800,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Natanz: Underground Nuclear Facility of Iran',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a fire broke out at<strong> Natanz,</strong> an <strong>Underground Nuclear Facility of Iran</strong> used for enriching uranium.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Enriched uranium is a type of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 is increased.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Natanz:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Located in Iran&rsquo;s central Isfahan province in Tehran, Natanz hosts the country&rsquo;s <strong>main uranium enrichment facility.</strong></li>
<li>It is known as the first <strong>Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant</strong> of Iran.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fordow-nuclear-facility" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP)</strong></a> is Iran's second pilot enrichment plant.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It is among the sites monitored by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/63rd-general-conference-of-iaea" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)</strong></a> after <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-reimposes-sanctions-on-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Iran&rsquo;s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers</strong></a> i.e. the USA ,UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany.</li>
<li><strong>Controversy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>IAEA Inspection:</strong> Natanz became a point of controversy as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iran-blocking-sites-access-iaea" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Iran refused to allow an IAEA inspector</strong></a> into the facility in October 2019, after allegedly testing positive for suspected traces of <strong>explosive nitrates.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Nitrates are a common fertilizer, however, when mixed with proper amounts of fuel, the material can become an explosive as powerful as <strong>Trinitrotoluene (TNT).</strong></li>
<li>TNT is also known as<strong> 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene</strong> and does not occur naturally in the environment.</li>
<li>It is an explosive used in military shells, bombs, and grenades, and in underwater blasting.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Stuxnet Computer Virus:</strong> The Stuxnet computer virus, believed to be an<strong> American and Israeli creation,</strong> disrupted and destroyed centrifuges at Natanz amid the height of <strong>Western concerns over Iran&rsquo;s nuclear program in 2010.</strong></li>
<li><strong>USA&rsquo;s Response:</strong> The USA has unilaterally withdrawn from the nuclear deal in May 2018 as Iran has continuously been breaking all the production limits set by the deal.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>According to the IAEA Iran enriches uranium to about 4.5 % purity, above the terms of the nuclear deal.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Atomic Energy Agency</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Widely known as the world&rsquo;s<strong> &ldquo;Atoms for Peace and Development&rdquo;</strong> organization within the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> family, the IAEA is the international centre for cooperation in the nuclear field.</li>
<li>The IAEA was<strong> created in 1957</strong> in response to the deep fears and expectations generated by the discoveries and diverse uses of nuclear technology.</li>
<li><strong>Headquarter: Vienna, Austria.</strong></li>
<li>The Agency works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>In 2005</strong> it was awarded the <strong>Nobel Peace Prize</strong> for their work for a safe and peaceful world.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Functions:</strong> It is an independent international organization that reports annually to the United Nation General Assembly. When necessary, the IAEA also reports to the UN Security Council in regards to instances of members&rsquo; non-compliance with safeguards and security obligations.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/world/fire-at-iran-nuke-site-hit-new-centrifuge-facility-say-analysts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 5799,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Hagia Sophia Museum: Turkey',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the government of <strong>Turkey</strong> has decided to convert Istanbul&rsquo;s iconic <strong>Hagia Sophia Museum</strong> into a mosque.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1593855507_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1593855507_image3.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Turkey&rsquo;s Stand:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Superiority of the Islamic World:</strong> For the President <strong>Recep Tayyip Erdoğan</strong> of Justice and Development Party (AKP), and his supporters who tend to have <strong>nationalist-Islamist sympathies,</strong> it symbolises the conquest of <strong>Christian Constantinople by the Ottomans, </strong>and the<strong> superiority of the Islamic world.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Political Symbol:</strong> Hagia Sophia is not only the symbol of Turkey&rsquo;s most popular tourist attraction but also acts as a <strong>political symbol.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The plan of conversion is also an attempt to <strong>gain political support</strong> as AKP has lost many municipal elections.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>USA Recognition of Jerusalem:</strong> It also coincided with USA recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Jerusalem which has a significant population of Arab-muslims who are becoming more and more hostile because of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/us-israel-talks-on-west-bank-annexation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>USA's recent stand on Israel-Palestine issue.</strong></a> This step of conversion of mosque would gain support of Arab countries for Turkey.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Less Opposition:</strong> It has also been believed that the government does not need the courts to decide on the fate of the Hagia Sophia as legal rulings will add legitimacy to his proposals. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Also, there has been less opposition within Turkey because religious minorities do not wish to be involved in such polarising subjects</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Domestic Matter:</strong> Turkey considers the status of the Hagia Sophia as a domestic matter and interference of international players is not required as <strong>Greece objected to the conversion</strong> of the museum into a mosque.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Greece&rsquo;s Stand:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Diplomatic Tension:</strong> There have been diplomatic tensions between Turkey and Greece over many issues related to Hagia Sophia.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>According to Greece, the museum which has been designated a world cultural heritage is currently being used to promote other purposes.</li>
<li>Earlier, Greece objected to the reading of passages from the Quran inside the Hagia Sophia on the 567th anniversary of the Ottoman invasion of the former Byzantine capital.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Role of UNESCO:</strong> Greece had appealed to the<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/unesco-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)</strong></a>, objecting to Turkey&rsquo;s moves on grounds that the conversion is a violation of UNESCO&rsquo;s &lsquo;Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>UNESCO too has objected to Turkey's plans.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>USA&rsquo;s Stand:</strong> It has expressed that by the conversion the Hagia Sophia would not be able to serve humanity as a bridge between those of differing faith and cultures.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Hagia Sophia</strong> is the former <strong>Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral,</strong> later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum located in Istanbul, Turkey.</li>
<li>Built in AD 537<strong> (Byzantine architecture),</strong> during the reign of <strong>Justinian 1, the Eastern Roman emperor,</strong> it is famous for its large dome.</li>
<li>In 1453, when Constantinople (capital city of the Roman Empire) fell to Sultan Mehmet II&rsquo;s Ottoman forces, the Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque.</li>
<li>For a long time, the Hagia Sophia was Istanbul&rsquo;s most important mosque.</li>
<li>In 1934, <strong>Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey,</strong> converted the<strong> mosque into a museum</strong> in an attempt to make the <strong>country more secular.</strong></li>
<li>The 1,500-year-old structure has been listed as a<a href="/to-the-points/paper1/world-heritage-sites-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> UNESCO'S World Heritage site.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-turkey-hagia-sophia-mosque-conversion-6488890/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 5783,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Italian Marines Case',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/international-tribunal-rejects-claims-against-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)</strong></a> has published an extract of the final award of the<strong> ad-hoc tribunal</strong> constituted to settle disputes related to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/unclos-maritime-zones" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)</strong></a> regarding <strong>Italian marine Case</strong> between<strong> India and Italy.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It has <strong>rejected India&rsquo;s contention</strong> that the soldiers, who were accused of killing Indian fishermen, could be <strong>tried in Indian courts</strong> and <strong>ordered India to cease all criminal proceedings.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Background</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 2012, Indian police had detained two Italian marines posted on oil tanker Enrica Lexie who had shot at two Indian fishermen on an Indian vessel,<strong> apparently mistaking them for pirates</strong> operating near the Kerala Coast.</li>
<li>After three years, Italy moved the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/un-begins-talks-to-regulate-the-high-seas" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>International Tribunal for Law of the Sea (ITLOS)</strong></a> seeking <strong>for two italian marines to stay in their own country during the trial process</strong> and also <strong>to stop India from going ahead with its criminal prosecution.</strong></li>
<li>At that time, India had set up a <strong>specially designated court, as ordered by Indian Supreme Court,</strong> to determine the applicability of jurisdiction. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India&rsquo;s <strong>National Investigation Agency</strong> had already slapped charges against the two Italians under sections of the Indian Penal Code, related to murder, attempt to murder, mischief and common intent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The<strong> ITLOS judgement of 2015</strong> called on <strong>Italy and India to suspend all domestic prosecutions arising from the Enrica Lexie Case.</strong> It had also ordered <strong>not to initiate</strong> any steps that might jeopardize or prejudice the carrying out of any decision which the arbitral tribunal may provide.</li>
<li>The matter led to a <strong>long freeze in diplomatic relations between India and Italy,</strong> which were<strong> reset only in 2016.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Judgements in Favour of India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The tribunal held that the actions of the Italian military officers<strong> breached India&rsquo;s freedom of navigation </strong>under <strong>UNCLOS Article 87(1)(a) and 90.</strong></li>
<li>The tribunal also held that <strong>India is entitled for payment of compensation</strong> in connection with loss of life, physical harm, material damage to property and moral harm suffered by captain and crew of &lsquo;St Antony&rsquo;, the Indian vessel.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Judgements in Favour of Italy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India had called on the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) UNCLOS tribunal to adjudge and declare that PCA has no jurisdiction with respect to the case submitted to it by Italy. However, a majority of the court's five- member bench ruled 4-1 that <strong>it had jurisdiction in the matter.</strong></li>
<li>Italian position that the marines, being members of the Italian armed forces in the <strong>official exercise cannot be tried by Indian courts,</strong> was held and<strong> immunity was granted</strong> to Italian marine officials.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Basis of the Judgement:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The tribunal observed that <strong>India and Italy had concurrent jurisdiction</strong> over the incident and a valid legal basis to institute criminal proceedings against the marines.</li>
<li>However, it also observed that the immunities enjoyed by the marines as State officials operate as an <strong>exception to the jurisdiction of the Indian courts</strong> and, hence, preclude them to judge the marines.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Permanent Court of Arbitration</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) was established in <strong>1899</strong> and headquartered at the <strong>Hague in Netherlands.</strong></li>
<li>It is an<strong> intergovernmental organization</strong> dedicated to serve the international community in the field of <strong>dispute resolution</strong> and to facilitate arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution between States.</li>
<li>It has a <strong>Financial Assistance Fund</strong> which aims at helping developing countries meet part of the costs involved in international arbitration or other means of dispute settlement offered by the PCA.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has taken note of the Award and will be following with relevant entities on the matter and regulatory framework established by the Government.</li>
<li>Further, increasing awareness about the incident and treating it as a lesson for Indian diplomacy would help India to handle future challenges better.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/italian-marines-case-india-loses-jurisdiction/article31973247.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 6 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 5766,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'State of the World Population 2020: UNFPA',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/state-of-world-population-2019-unfpa#:~:text=According%20to%20State%20of%20World,annual%20growth%20rate%20of%20China." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Population Fund</strong></a> (UNFPA) has released the <strong>State of the World Population 2020 report</strong>, titled <strong>&lsquo;Against my will: defying the practices that harm women and girls and undermine equality&rsquo;.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It highlights<strong> at least 19 human rights <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/national-girl-child-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">violations against women</a></strong> and focuses on the<strong> three most prevalent ones, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sc-questions-female-genital-mutilation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Female Genital Mutilation</a> (FGM), extreme bias against daughters, in favour of sons </strong>and <strong><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/in-depth-say-no-to-child-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">child marriage</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Global Data:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The number of<strong> missing women</strong> has more than doubled over the past 50 years, who were at 61 million in 1970.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Missing females/women:</strong> These are women missing from the population at given dates due to the cumulative effect of postnatal and prenatal sex selection in the past. The phrase was coined by <strong>Amartya Sen.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan <strong>excess female mortality</strong> of girls below 5 years of age was under 3%.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Excess female mortality:</strong> It is the difference between observed and expected mortality of the girl child or avoidable death of girls during childhood.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>According to estimates averaged over a five year period (2013-17), annually, there were 1.2 million missing female births, at a global level.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India Specific Data:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>One in three girls missing globally due to sex selection, both pre- and post-natal, is from India, i.e. 46 million out of the total 142 million.</li>
<li>India has the <strong>highest rate of excess female deaths</strong> at 13.5 per 1,000 female births or one in nine deaths of females below the age of 5 due to postnatal sex selection.</li>
<li>In India, around 460,000 girls went missing at birth, which means they were not born due to sex-selection biases, each year between 2013 and 2017.</li>
<li>India (40%) along with China (50%) account for around 90% of the estimated 1.2 million girls lost annually to female foeticide.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Female Genital Mutilation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It involves the <strong>partial or total removal of external female genitalia</strong> or other injuries to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.</li>
<li>The practise has<strong> no health benefits</strong> for girls and women and can cause severe bleeding, problems in urinating, cysts, infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths.</li>
<li>An estimated 4.1 million girls will be subjected to female genital mutilation in 2020.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Extreme Bias against Daughters, in favour of sons:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>An extreme and continuing preference for sons over daughters in some countries has fuelled <strong>gender-biased sex selection or extreme neglect</strong> which leads to girls&rsquo; death as children, resulting in missing females.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The report <strong>examines the issue of missing women</strong> by studying sex ratio imbalances at birth as a result of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pre-conception-and-pre-natal-diagnostic-techniques-pcpndt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>gender-biased sex selection</strong></a> as well as excess female mortality.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>advent of technology and increased access to ultrasound imaging</strong> allow parents to terminate a foetus after knowing its gender.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Due to this, the number of girls missing due to female foeticide exceed those that are missing because of postnatal sex selection.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>These <strong>skewed numbers change the population proportions</strong> and result in <strong>&lsquo;marriage squeeze&rsquo;.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Marriage squeeze:</strong> It happens when prospective grooms far outnumber prospective brides, which further results in <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-war-against-human-trafficking" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>human trafficking</strong></a> for marriage as well as child marriages.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>These violations result in <strong>fewer choices</strong> for females and putting them <strong>under the sexual, economic and legal control of men,</strong> curbing their human rights.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Child Marriage:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Every day, around 33,000 girls under age 18 are forced into marriage, usually to much older men.</li>
<li>In India, child marriage is directly linked to poverty, poor education and geographic location and the rural and urban divide.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Covid-19 Induced Challenges:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>economic disruptions and income-loss</strong> because of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemic</a> are likely to increase <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/violence-against-women-on-rise" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>violence against girls and women</strong></a> due to intensified unwantedness of daughters and gender discrimination.</li>
<li>The Covid-19 pandemic<strong> threatens to reverse the progress</strong> made in ending some harmful practices worldwide.</li>
<li>In India, Covid-19 has <strong>reduced access to contraception and <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/abortions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abortion</a> services,</strong> which is likely to lead to an increase in unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Initiatives Appreciated:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The report pointed out that successful education-related interventions include the provision of cash transfers conditional on school attendance or support to cover the costs of school fees, books, uniforms and supplies.</li>
<li>The report took note of the successful cash-transfer initiative such as <strong>&lsquo;Apni Beti Apna Dhan&rsquo; in India.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>United Nations Population Fund</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a <strong>subsidiary organ of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UN General Assembly</a></strong> and works as a <strong>sexual and reproductive health agency.</strong></li>
<li>It was <strong>established as a trust fund in 1967</strong> and began operations in <strong>1969.</strong></li>
<li>In <strong>1987,</strong> it was <strong>officially renamed</strong> the United Nations Population Fund but the original abbreviation,<strong> &lsquo;UNFPA&rsquo;</strong> for the <strong>United Nations Fund for Population Activities</strong> was <strong>retained.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>UN Economic and Social Council</strong> (ECOSOC) establishes its mandate.</li>
<li>UNFPA is <strong>not supported by the UN budget,</strong> instead, it is entirely<strong> supported by</strong> voluntary contributions of donor governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, foundations and individuals.</li>
<li>UNFPA works directly to tackle<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Sustainable Development Goals</strong></a> on<strong> health</strong> (SDG3), <strong>education</strong> (SDG4) and<strong> gender equality</strong> (SDG5).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The problem should be tackled by eliminating the root causes, especially gender-biased norms.</li>
<li>People must foster <strong>respect</strong> for women and girls, by changing attitudes and practices that commoditize them.</li>
<li>People must<strong> protect</strong> women and girls by enforcing laws against practices like child marriage and female mutilation and also by changing attitudes and norms.</li>
<li>Governments must<strong> fulfil</strong> their obligations under human rights treaties that require the elimination of these practices and rituals.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Countries that have ratified international treaties such as the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-children-s-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Convention on the Rights of the Child</strong></a>, have a duty to end the harm, whether it&rsquo;s inflicted on girls by family members, religious communities, health-care providers, commercial enterprises or State institutions themselves.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/46-million-girls-went-missing-in-india/article31957348.ece#:~:text=One%20in%20three%20girls%20missing,2020%20report%20released%20on%20Tuesday.&amp;text=India%20had%20about%204%2C60%2C000,missing'%20at%20birth%20each%20year." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 7 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 5765,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'G4 Flu Virus',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, scientists have identified a &ldquo;newly emerged&rdquo; strain of influenza virus that is infecting Chinese pigs and that has the potential of triggering a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>pandemic</strong></a>.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Named G4, scientists believe that it has descended from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-22nd-january-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>H1N1 strain</strong></a> that was responsible for the 2009 swine flu pandemic.</li>
<li>A Pandemic happens if a new strain emerges that can easily spread from person to person.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>G4 Strain:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It was identified through surveillance of <strong>influenza viruses in pigs</strong> through a study carried out from 2011 to 2018 in ten provinces of China.</li>
<li>It can <strong>grow and multiply in the cells</strong> that line the human airways.</li>
<li>It has the capability of binding to human-type receptors (like, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SARS-CoV-2 virus</strong></a>).</li>
<li>Scientists found evidence of recent infection in people who worked in abattoirs and the swine industry in China.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, it is not clear whether the new strain can transmit from one human to another.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Current flu vaccines do not appear to protect against it, although they could be adapted to do so if needed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Flu Pandemic:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Pigs are<strong> intermediate hosts</strong> for the generation of pandemic influenza virus.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Intermediate host is an organism that <strong>harbours a parasitic</strong> which is being provided with nourishment and shelter by the organism.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The systemic surveillance of influenza viruses in pigs is a key measure for pre-warning the emergence of the next pandemic influenza.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There is an urgent need to control the prevailing <strong>G4 virus</strong> in pigs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>2009 Swine Flu Pandemic:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The 2009 pandemic was caused by a strain of the <strong>swine flu called the H1N1 virus,</strong> which was transmitted from human to human.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-in-states-with-high-swine-flu-rates" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Swine flu</strong></a> is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses i.e. H1N1. It is called swine flu because it was known in the past to occur in people who had been in the vicinity of pigs.</li>
<li>While humans typically do not get infected by such a virus that circulates among pigs, when they do, it is called <strong>&ldquo;variant influenza virus&rdquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Organisation</strong> </a>(WHO) declared the outbreak of type A H1N1 influenza virus a pandemic in 2009 when there were around 30,000 cases globally.</li>
<li><strong>Transmission:</strong> The virus is transmitted by short-distance airborne transmission, particularly in crowded enclosed spaces. Hand contamination and direct contact are other possible sources of transmission.</li>
<li><strong>Symptoms</strong> of swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue.</li>
<li>The <strong>treatment</strong> includes antiviral therapy with medicines like Oseltamivir (Tamiflu), peramivir (Rapivab).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-what-is-g4-flu-virus-with-pandemic-potential-found-by-chinese-researchers-6483634/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 5764,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'National Mission for Clean Ganga',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> has approved a five year loan (for the second phase) to the <a href="/daily-news-analysis/ganga-vriksharopan-abhiyan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)</strong></a> or <strong>Namami Gange Project</strong> worth Rs.3,000 crore to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/15-point-directive-to-clean-ganga" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>help stem pollution in the Ganga river basin.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>So far, 313 projects worth Rs. 25,000 crore have been sanctioned under the mission.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The First Phase:</strong> The Namami Gange has already received <strong>Rs. 4,535 crore</strong> from the World Bank as part of the first phase (valid until December 2021) of the National Ganga River Basin.</li>
<li><strong>The Second Phase: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Hybrid Annuity Projects:</strong> The loan would fund three new &lsquo;Hybrid Annuity Projects&rsquo; in Agra, Meerut and Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh for the tributaries of the Ganga.</li>
<li><strong>Cleaning Projects:</strong> Some of the projects include spillover projects from the first phase of the mission as well cleaning projects in tributaries such as the Yamuna and Kali rivers.</li>
<li><strong>DBOT Projects</strong>: Rs.1,209 crore is provided for the ongoing DBOT <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/build-operate-transfer-model#:~:text=BOT%3A%20It%20is%20conventional%20PPP,to%20construct%20and%20maintain%20it." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>(Design, Build, Operate and Transfer)</strong></a> projects in Buxar, Munger, Begusarai in Bihar.</li>
<li><strong>Other Initiatives:</strong> It would include institutional development, improving investment resilience to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> like emergency situations, performance based incentive for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/25-years-of-local-democracy-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Urban Local Bodies</strong></a> and communication and management programmes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Associated Challenges:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Pollution:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Most of the Ganga is polluted and it is due to presence of five states on the river&rsquo;s main stem i.e. Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.</li>
<li>Industrial <a href="/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-editorials/03-12-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>pollution</strong></a> from tanneries in Kanpur, distilleries, paper and sugar mills in the Kosi, Ramganga and Kali river catchments are major contributors.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Violation of e-Flow Norms:</strong> According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/e-flows-in-river-ganga" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Water Commission (CWC)</strong></a>, 4 of the 11 hydro power projects on the upper reaches of the river Ganga&rsquo;s tributaries are violating Ganga <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/government-notifies-e-flow-for-ganga" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>ecological flow (e-flow) norms</strong></a> which is further interrupting the natural flow of the river.</li>
<li><strong>Illegal Construction:</strong> The problem of illegal and rampant construction near river beds has become a major hurdle in cleaning the river.</li>
<li><strong>Poor Governance:</strong> There is less utilisation of funds allotted under the programmes due to lack of monitoring and superviison.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Namami Gange Programme</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Namami Gange Programme</strong> is an<strong> Integrated Conservation Mission,</strong> approved as a &lsquo;Flagship Programme&rsquo; by the Union Government in<strong> June 2014</strong> to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution and conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.</li>
<li>It is being operated under the Department of Water Resources,River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, <strong>Ministry of Jal Shakti.</strong></li>
<li>The program is being implemented by the <strong>National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG),</strong> and its state counterpart organizations i.e., State Program ManagementGroups (SPMGs).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>NMCG is the implementation wing of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-meeting-of-national-ganga-council" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Ganga Council</strong> </a>(set in 2016; which replaced the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NRGBA).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has a <strong>Rs. 20,000-crore, centrally-funded,</strong> non-lapsable corpus and consists of nearly 288 projects.</li>
<li><strong>The main pillars of the programme are:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure &amp; Industrial Effluent Monitoring,</li>
<li>River-Front Development &amp; River-Surface Cleaning,</li>
<li>Bio-Diversity &amp; Afforestation,</li>
<li>Public Awareness</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Other Initiatives Taken</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Ganga Action Plan:</strong> It was the first River Action Plan that was taken up by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 1985, to improve the water quality by the interception, diversion, and treatment of domestic sewage.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>The National River Conservation Plan</strong> is an extension to the Ganga Action Plan. It aims at cleaning the Ganga river under Ganga Action Plan phase-2.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA):</strong> It was formed by the Government of India in the year 2009 under Section-3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It declared the Ganga as the &lsquo;National River&rsquo; of India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Clean Ganga Fund:</strong> In 2014, it was formed for cleaning up of the Ganga, setting up of waste treatment plants, and conservation of biotic diversity of the river.</li>
<li><strong>Bhuvan-Ganga Web App:</strong> It ensures involvement of the public in monitoring of pollution entering into the river Ganga.</li>
<li><strong>Ban on Waste Disposal:</strong> In 2017, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-national-institutions/national-green-tribunal-ngt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Green Tribunal</strong></a> banned the disposal of any waste in the Ganga.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government&rsquo;s <strong>Namami Gange Programme</strong> has <strong>revitalised India&rsquo;s efforts</strong> in rejuvenating the Ganga.</li>
<li>In this line, the first World Bank loan has helped build critical sewage infrastructure in 20 pollution hotspots along the river and the current funding would help in cleaning of the <strong>tributaries of Ganga.</strong></li>
<li>It will further aid the government to <strong>strengthen the institutions</strong> needed to manage a river basin as large as the Ganga Basin.</li>
<li>In order to successfully implement the plan there is a<strong> need for a strategic blueprint</strong> that includes the<strong> strict monitoring, mass awareness campaigns, use of digital media and conservation of biodiversity in Ganga.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/world-bank-approves-fresh-funds-for-ganga-cleaning-mission/article31957115.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 9 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 5755,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Uganda Submitted REDD+ Results',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>Uganda</strong> has become the<strong> first African country</strong> to submit results for <strong>Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+)</strong> to the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/unfccc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)</strong></a>.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>REDD+</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+)</strong> is a mechanism developed by <strong>Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)</strong> in 2005.</li>
<li>Most of the key REDD+ decisions were completed by 2013, with the final pieces of the rulebook finished in 2015.</li>
<li>The<strong> &ldquo;Plus&rdquo;</strong> in REDD+, lays out the various ways in which countries have defined the three activities: <strong>conservation, the sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stock.</strong></li>
<li>It aims to achieve <strong>climate change mitigation by incentivizing forest conservation.</strong></li>
<li>It has three phases &mdash; <strong>Readiness, Implementation and Result-based actions.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Readiness phase</strong> involves the development of national strategies or action plans, REDD+ mitigation actions, and capacity building.</li>
<li><strong>Implementation</strong> is about enacting REDD+ actions and national strategies that could involve further capacity building, technology development and transfer.</li>
<li><strong>Results-based payments</strong> comprise the final REDD+ phase. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It provides <strong>financial incentives to developing countries</strong> that prove they stopped deforestation during a certain period of time. This is done through rigorous UN-backed technical evaluations</li>
<li>The<strong> Green Climate Fund (GCF)</strong> established at <strong>Conference Of Parties (COP)-17</strong> to function as the financial mechanism for the UNFCCC, is currently financing REDD+ programs.</li>
<li><strong>Brazil</strong> was the first country to receive $96.5 million under the results-based payments.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Uganda's REDD+ Results:</strong> There is a 44% reduction in the country&rsquo;s rate of deforestation annually between 2015 and 2017.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The results submission by Uganda to the UNFCCC has paved the way for<strong> potential results-based payments to the country.</strong></li>
<li>It will help Uganda to receive funds through the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/climate-finance-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Green Climate Fund&rsquo;s</strong> </a>forest conservation scheme.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance for Africa:</strong> The submission of the results are a significant development on REDD+ for Africa. This will encourage other African countries to reduce carbon emissions by decreasing deforestation and forest degradation.</li>
<li><strong>India and REDD+:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-climate-change-act-now" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Paris agreement on climate change</strong></a> called upon <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/conference-of-the-parties-cop-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>country Parties</strong></a> to take action to implement and support REDD+.</li>
<li>India has communicated in its <strong>Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)</strong> under Paris Agreement, that it will capture 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of Carbon dioxide through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.</li>
<li>In this regard, India has prepared its<strong> &ldquo;National REDD+ Strategy&rdquo;.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Introduced in 2018 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the strategy seeks to <strong>address drivers of deforestation and forest degradation</strong> and also develop a roadmap for <strong>enhancement of forest carbon stocks</strong> and achieving sustainable management of forests through REDD+ actions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Achieving REDD+ results are challenging, as there are other development priorities &mdash; with <strong>agriculture, mining, energy and forestry</strong> &mdash; driving deforestation.</li>
<li>There is a need to support developing countries through all three REDD+ phases &mdash; <strong>readiness, implementation and result-based actions</strong> &mdash; by providing tools and analysis of how to design, implement and measure the results of REDD+ action.</li>
<li>This will in turn position countries like India and Africa as the forest champion of the next decade.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/forests/uganda-becomes-first-african-country-to-submit-redd-results-paves-way-for-payments-72015#:~:text=Last%20Updated%3A%20Monday%2029%20June,on%20Climate%20Change%20(UNFCCC)." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 10 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 5753,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'STARS Programme: World Bank',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> has approved the <strong>Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) Programme.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It will improve the quality and governance of school education in six Indian states of <strong>Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan</strong> through the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/samagra-shiksha" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Samagra Shiksha</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Expected Beneficiaries:</strong> Around 250 million students (between the<strong> age of 6 and 17</strong>) in 1.5 million schools and over 10 million teachers will benefit from this <strong>USD 500 million</strong> programme.</li>
<li><strong>In Line with Previous Assistance:</strong> It will strengthen public school education and support the <strong>country&rsquo;s goal of providing &lsquo;Education for All&rsquo;,</strong> for which the Bank had provided total assistance of more than USD 3 billion prior to this plan as well.</li>
<li><strong>Objectives:</strong> STARS will <strong>help improve</strong> learning assessment systems, strengthen classroom instruction and remediation, facilitate school-to-work transition and strengthen governance and decentralized management.</li>
<li>STARS will <strong>support India&rsquo;s renewed focus on addressing the learning outcome challenge</strong> and help students better prepare for the jobs of the future, through a <strong>series of reform initiatives,</strong> which include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Providing Customised Solutions:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Focusing more directly on the delivery of education services at the state, district and sub-district levels by providing customized local-level solutions towards school improvement.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Addressing Specific Demands:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Addressing demands from stakeholders, especially parents, for greater accountability and inclusion by producing better data to assess the quality of learning.</li>
<li>Giving special attention to students from vulnerable sections, with over 52% (as a weighted average) of children in the government-run schools in the six project states belonging to vulnerable sections, such as Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and minority communities.</li>
<li>Delivering a curriculum that keeps pace with the rapidly evolving needs of the job market.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Equipping Teachers:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Equipping teachers to manage this transformation by recognizing that teachers are central to achieving better learning outcomes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>More Investments:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Investing more in developing India&rsquo;s human capital needs by strengthening foundational learning for children in classes 1 to 3 and preparing them with the cognitive, socio-behavioural and language skills to meet future labour market needs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>SDGs:</strong> It is in line with the<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3#:~:text=Three%20core%20elements%20of%20sustainable,are%20important%20for%20sustainable%20development." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Sustainable Development Goal</strong> </a><strong>for education (SDG 4)</strong> and will help produce better data on learning levels by improving the <strong>National Achievement Survey</strong> (NAS).</li>
<li><strong>PISA:</strong> STARS will assist India in participation in the <strong>Programme for International Student Assessment</strong> (PISA).<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>PISA is a<strong> worldwide study</strong> by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/oecds-forecast-for-global-economy-in-2060" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development</strong></a> (OECD) in member and non-member nations.</li>
<li>It measures <strong>15-year-olds' ability</strong> to use their reading, mathematics and science knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Success Stories</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India has <strong>successfully achieved gender parity in enrolment in primary education</strong> but that is <strong>not the case in secondary education.</strong> Under STARS, each state is expected to not only stabilize this downward trend but also improve the completion rate for secondary education.</li>
<li>India has <strong>significantly improved access to education</strong> across the country.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Between 2004-05 and 2018-19,</strong> the number of children going to school increased<strong> from 219 million to 248 million.</strong></li>
<li>However, the <strong>learning outcomes</strong> of students across all age groups continue to <strong>remain below par.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Challenges</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Fails to Address Capacity Issues:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Major <strong>vacancies</strong> across the education system <strong>remain unaddressed.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Without capable and motivated faculty,</strong> teacher education and training cannot be expected to improve.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ignoring Decentralisation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The World Bank ignores that <strong>decentralising</strong> decision-making <strong>requires the devolution of funds and real decision-making power.</strong></li>
<li>It <strong>requires</strong> not just<strong> investment</strong> in the capacity of the front-line bureaucracy but also in <strong>increasing their discretionary powers</strong> while fostering social accountability.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Excessive use of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/role-of-technology-in-governance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Information and Communications Technology</a>:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Technology does not address</strong> most of the <strong>systemic or governance challenges</strong> but it simply by-passes them.</li>
<li>Its usefulness depends on whether preconditions for effective use of ICT-systems have been put in place otherwise it only worsens the problems.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Over-reliance on measurement by standardised assessments:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The programme<strong> spends money on testing infrastructure for standardised assessments</strong> which is a waste of time and resources.</li>
<li>Schools in India need improvement so the money<strong> should be invested in improving the capability</strong> of the system to improve learning.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Outsourcing:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Outsourcing to non-state partners not just <strong>takes away discretion</strong> from state actors but also takes away the<strong> sense of accountability and ownership</strong> towards their job.</li>
<li><strong>New private initiatives do not have institutional memories,</strong> nor do they have a <strong>grasp of socio-cultural realities</strong> that play an important part in the delivery process.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>State structures rely on past experience (institutional memory) to meet new challenges and build additional memories with every new reform they undertake.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The administration must be<strong> equipped with adequate physical, financial and human resources</strong> because an overburdened bureaucracy with vacancies and without basic equipment cannot be expected to be effective.</li>
<li>Administrative or governance reforms <strong>must give greater discretion to the front-line bureaucracy</strong> to address local issues and innovate if required.</li>
<li>Outsourcing, an over-reliance on measurement by standardised assessments and excessive use of ICT will not get people closer to an <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/atma-nirbhar-bharat-abhiyan-challenges" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Atmanirbhar Bharat</strong></a>. For that, the education system needs to <strong>enable itself to develop capability to reform itself.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/the-stars-project-needs-an-overhaul/article31947675.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 11 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 5736,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'The World Drug Report 2020: UN',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),</strong> in its 2020 <strong>World Drug Report,</strong> has highlighted the possible consequences of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong> </a>on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/illicit-drug-supply-and-covid-19-unodc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Illegal Drug Production, Supply and Consumption.</strong></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>According to it, due to <strong>economic hardship,</strong> people may resort to <strong>illicit activities</strong> linked to drugs to make a living.</li>
<li>The report further, revealed that the<strong> measures</strong> taken by governments to counter the pandemic inevitably had <strong>double-edged consequences</strong> on large-scale drug supply.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Economic Crisis and Diverted Focus:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>There would be reductions in <strong>drug-related budgets</strong> of the governments due to <strong>Covid-19 and</strong> overall increase in drug use, with a shift towards <strong>cheaper and more harmful drugs.</strong></li>
<li>Some countries, such as Italy, the Niger and countries in Central Asia, have experienced a <strong>sharp decrease in drug seizures,</strong> as drug traffickers have <strong>diverted their attention to other illegal activities,</strong> including<strong> cybercrime and trafficking in falsified medicines</strong> (in Balkan countries).</li>
<li>Other countries, including Morocco and Iran, have reported huge drug seizures, indicating large-scale drug trafficking.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact of Lockdown:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/21-days-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>lockdown</strong></a> could hinder the production and sale of opiates in major producing countries as the key months for the opium harvest in Afghanistan are March to June.</li>
<li>The decline in international trade resulting from the pandemic could lead to a shortage in the supply of <strong>acetic anhydride,</strong> a precursor vital to the manufacture of heroin<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A <strong>shortage of poppy lancers</strong> was observed in the western and southern provinces of the country, mainly due to the closure of a border crossing with Pakistan. However, the shortage of lancers was eventually overcome due to women workers increasingly engaged in the poppy-lancing process, therefore</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The report also Indicated that the <strong>lockdown is increasing demand for cannabis,</strong> given that its production often takes place near consumer markets and traffickers.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-key-hub-for-illicit-drug-trade-unodc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Drug trafficking</strong></a> by air is likely to be completely disrupted by the restrictions on air travel. There are signs of increased use of maritime routes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Maritime Routes:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The recent heroin seizures in the <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-indian-ocean-islands-diplomacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Indian Ocean</strong></a> could be interpreted as an indication of an increase in the use of maritime routes for trafficking heroin to Europe along the &lsquo;southern route&rsquo;.</li>
<li>While border measures appear to be hindering trafficking in opiates, large shipments of cocaine are still being trafficked but by alternative means, via sea routes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>India and Illicit Drug Trade</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Major Hub of Illicit Drug Trade:</strong> According to a report by the <strong>United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),</strong> India is one of the major hubs of illicit drug trade ranging from age-old cannabis to newer prescription drugs like tramadol, and designer drugs like methamphetamine.</li>
<li><strong>Drug Trafficking Routes:</strong> India is in the <strong>middle of two major illicit opium production</strong> regions in the world, the <strong>Golden Crescent (Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan)</strong> in the west and the <strong>Golden Triangle (South-East Asia)</strong> in the east.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Golden Triangle</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It represents the region coinciding with the rural mountains of <strong>Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand.</strong></li>
<li>It is Southeast Asia&rsquo;s main opium-producing region and one of the oldest narcotics supply routes to Europe and North America.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Golden Crescent</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>This region of South Asia is a principal global site for opium production and distribution.</li>
<li>It comprises <strong>Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Associated Challenges:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Easy Borders:</strong> The borders are porous and difficult to control in the lower Mekong region so cross-border movements in many places are not significantly hindered by Covid-19 measures.</li>
<li><strong>Evolving Ways of Trafficking:</strong> The methods of containerised trafficking, couriers and body-packing have reduced due to shutting down of borders and trade. However, dealers might come up with other ways limiting the impact of reduced trade.</li>
<li><strong>Limited Control:</strong> There is limited government control in the Golden Triangle, trafficking would continue at high volumes.</li>
<li><strong>Unaffected Supply:</strong> The supply of precursor chemicals is not likely to be disrupted because major organised crime groups source chemicals through direct diversion from industry and not diversion from illicit overseas trade channels.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It was established in <strong>1997 and was named as a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2002.</strong></li>
<li>It acts as the <strong>Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention</strong> by combining the United Nations International Drug Control Program (UNDCP) and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division of the United Nations Office at Vienna.</li>
<li>UNODC publishes the<strong> World Drug Report.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Additional efforts would be required at the national, regional, and international level to carefully <strong>analyse methods and trends to understand changes to drug markets</strong> in the wake of the pandemic.</li>
<li>There is a need to <strong>understand the change in the strategy</strong> of drug trafficking organisations as a result of the Covid-19 measures.</li>
<li>Therefore, <strong>use of maritime trafficking routes</strong> from Myanmar along the Andaman Sea, some of which cross Indian territorial waters must be strategically observed by India to curb the trafficking.</li>
<li>Moreover, methods or procedures to deal with illicit drug supply, their usage must be <strong>institutionalised in order to ensure that<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/bimstec-conference-on-combating-drug-trafficking" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> fight against this menace</a></strong> is not compromised in face of a pandemic or any other crisis.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/un-report-flags-covid-19-fallout-on-illegal-drug-trade/article31926920.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source: TH</a></strong></p>',
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	(int) 12 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 5735,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Raw Material Uncertainties for Rechargeable Batteries: UNCTAD',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-economic-situation-and-prospects-2020#:~:text=United%20Nations%20Conference%20on%20Trade%20and%20Development%20(UNCTAD)%20was%20established,headquartered%20at%20Geneva%20in%20Switzerland." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Conference on Trade and Development</strong></a> (UNCTAD) released a report <strong>&lsquo;Commodities at a glance: Special issue on strategic battery and minerals&rsquo;.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report facilitated <strong>research into battery technologies</strong> that depended less on critical raw materials and had the potential to provide <strong>higher <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/development-of-the-nanomaterials-based-supercapacitors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy density</a>.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Energy density</strong> is the amount of energy that can be stored in a given mass of a substance or system, i.e. a <strong>measure of storage of energy.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Uncertain Supply:</strong> The report highlighted that the <strong>supply of raw materials to produce rechargeable batteries is uncertain.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Lithium, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-18th-may-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">natural graphite</a></strong> and <strong>manganese</strong> are critical raw materials for the manufacture of rechargeable batteries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Rising Demand:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Integration of EVs:</strong> There has been a <strong>rapid growth in demand for rechargeable batteries</strong> due to the gradual integration of <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/electric-vehicles-evs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>electric vehicles</strong></a> (EVs) in global transportation.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The sales of electric cars have increased by 65% in 2018 from 2017 to 5.1 million vehicles and it will reach 23 million in 2030.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Increased Use of Raw Material:</strong> With the increasing number of EVs, the <strong>demand for rechargeable batteries and the raw materials used</strong> in them have also<strong> increased.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The worldwide market for cathodes for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/increasing-imports-of-li-ion-batteries" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>lithium-ion batteries</strong></a> was estimated at $7 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach $58.8 billion by 2024.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>demand for raw materials</strong> used to manufacture rechargeable batteries will <strong>grow rapidly</strong> as <strong>other sources of energy lose their importance.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Limited Suppliers:</strong> The<strong> security of supplies</strong> is a concern for all stakeholders because the<strong> production of the raw materials is concentrated in a few countries.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Over <strong>60% of the world&rsquo;s Cobalt</strong> is mined in the <strong>Democratic Republic of the Congo</strong> while over <strong>75% of global Lithium is mined in Australia and Chile. </strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Prone of Volatility:</strong> Any disruption to supply might lead to<strong> tighter markets, higher prices and increased costs</strong> of rechargeable batteries.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 2018, the demand for cobalt surged by 25% from 2017 to 125,000 tonnes, of which 9% accounted for the EV battery sector.</li>
<li>Cobalt demand would reach 185,000 tonnes by 2023, with about 35% accounting for the EV battery sector, the report said.</li>
<li>Growth in demand for lithium had been significant since 2015, increasing by 13% per year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Li-ion Batteries</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery is a<strong> type of rechargeable battery.</strong></li>
<li>Li-ion batteries use an <strong>intercalated</strong> (Intercalation is the reversible inclusion or insertion of a molecule into materials with layered structures)<strong> lithium compound</strong> as one electrode material, compared to the metallic lithium used in a non-rechargeable lithium battery.</li>
<li>The battery <strong>consists of electrolyte,</strong> which allows for ionic movement and the two electrodes are the constituent components of a lithium-ion battery cell.</li>
<li>Lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and back when charging.</li>
<li>They are <strong>one of the most popular types of rechargeable batteries used for military, EVs and aerospace applications.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1593250415_image4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1593250415_image4.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="750" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Alternative sources of energy such as electric batteries are becoming more important as investors become sceptical of the future of the oil industry.</li>
<li>There is a need to make a strategy for dynamic monitoring of the raw material cycles, from mining through processing, refining and manufacturing to recycling.</li>
<li>It will facilitate early detection of supply risks and also enable the development of mitigation strategies at either company or national level.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/energy/rechargeable-batteries-unctad-report-warns-of-raw-material-uncertainties-71972#:~:text=The%20supply%20of%20raw%20materials,said%20on%20June%2025%2C%202020.&amp;text=That%20is%20because%20the%20production,concentrated%20in%20a%20few%20countries." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 13 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 5734,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'UN 75 Declaration',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a <strong>commemorative declaration marking the 75<sup>th</sup> anniversary</strong> of the signing of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations (UN)</strong> </a>Charter was delayed as member states could not reach an agreement on phraseology.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>The Five Eyes (FVEY)&mdash;</strong> Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States&mdash; <strong>along with India, objected to the use of a phrase</strong> &ldquo;shared vision of a common future&rdquo;, which is <strong>associated with China.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Five Eyes (FVEY) network is an<strong> intelligence sharing alliance</strong> between these five countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The<strong> &lsquo;silence&rsquo; process</strong> was broken at the request of the U.K&rsquo;s Ambassador to the UN, who wrote a letter on behalf of the six countries to the President of the 74<sup>th</sup> General Assembly, suggesting alternative wording. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Silence process</strong> is a procedure by which a resolution passes if no formal objections are raised within a stipulated time.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However,<strong> China, on behalf of itself and Russia, Syria and Pakistan raised objections</strong> to the silence being broken.</li>
<li>The current impasse comes at a time when China&rsquo;s relationships with a number of countries, including India, Australia and the U.S.A, are strained.</li>
<li>Given the impasse, the UN General Assembly President has suggested an <strong>alternatively phrased declaration,</strong> which he has placed under the silence procedure.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>75<sup>th</sup> United Nations Day</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The United Nations (UN) will celebrate its <strong>75<sup>th</sup> anniversary on 24 October 2020.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To mark its 75<sup>th</sup> anniversary in 2020, the UN is igniting a <strong>people&rsquo;s debate: UN75.</strong></li>
<li>Through UN75, the UN will encourage people to put their opinions together to define how enhanced international cooperation can help realize a better world by 2045.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Each year on 24<sup>th</sup> October, the UN celebrates its anniversary. UN Day marks the anniversary <strong>of the entry into force of the UN Charter</strong> and the founding of the Organization in 1945.</li>
<li>The name "United Nations" was coined by <strong>United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt.</strong></li>
<li>The main organs of the UN are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>the General Assembly,</li>
<li>the Security Council,</li>
<li>the Economic and Social Council,</li>
<li>the Trusteeship Council,</li>
<li>the International Court of Justice,</li>
<li>the UN Secretariat.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Demand of Reforms at United Nations</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Security Council Reforms:</strong> In <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-un-security-council-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNSC</strong></a>, the permanent member countries (P5) have made the UN defunct in maintaining peace and order. Therefore, veto powers of P5 and composition of UNSC must be made more representative of the current world order.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The P5 countries include China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Multilateralism:</strong> International relations today are characterized by the power relationships of the United States, China, Russia, India and Europe.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A new model of the UN must be formulated, as current world order has changed from bipolar to unipolar to multi polar today.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Democratisation of UN:</strong> Developing countries like India are proposing reforms that seek to democratize the UN, such as <strong>UNSC reforms, <a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-un-financial-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UN peacekeeping reforms</a>.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Financial Reforms:</strong> This holds the key to the future of the UN. Without sufficient resources, the UN's activities and role would suffer.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/un-75-declaration-delayed/article31927129.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 14 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 5732,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => '36th ASEAN Summit',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the 36<sup>th</sup> <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/asean" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit</strong></a> was held via video conference to focus on the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong> </a>response, post-pandemic recovery and further cooperation with partner countries.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong>theme</strong> for the Summit was <strong>"Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN".</strong></li>
<li>The Summit was <strong>chaired by Vietnam</strong> which is also<strong> holding the chairmanship</strong> of ASEAN currently.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>ASEAN Covid-19 Response Fund:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The summit has decided to establish the ASEAN Covid-19 response fund with a reserve for medical supplies to meet urgent needs during epidemics.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A special ASEAN meeting convened in April to tackle the pandemic had failed to agree on an emergency fund.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It has also decided to build the <strong>ASEAN standard procedures of epidemic response</strong> in case of health emergencies.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Crippling Economies:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Summit has stated that the<strong> ASEAN region's economy</strong> is expected to <strong>contract</strong> for the<strong> first time in 22 years.</strong></li>
<li>It has also focussed on the crippling cost of the coronavirus, which has ravaged the <strong>economies of tourism and export-reliant</strong> countries such as <strong>Thailand and Vietnam.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>South China Sea Issue:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Summit noted concerns over<strong> land reclamations and recent developments</strong> in the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/chinese-trawlers-in-south-china-sea" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>South China Sea.</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea but is also <strong>contested by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Vietnam had also accused China of sinking its trawler.</strong> This incident had prompted the USA to warn that China is trying to exploit the pandemic situations of other states to expand its unlawful claims.</li>
<li>The <strong>USA is not a claimant to any territories in the South China Sea</strong> but has sent its navy to patrol the area in support of freedom of navigation, while China had slammed this move as an interference in regional affairs by an outside power.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Both Vietnam and Philippines lodged protests with <strong>China</strong> after it <strong>unilaterally</strong> declared the <strong>creation of new administrative districts on islands.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Also, in April China has <strong>officially named 80 islands</strong> and other geographical features in the disputed waters to which Vietnam and the Philippines also have competing claims.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Summit has also called on parties to refrain from <strong>escalating tensions and abide by responsibilities</strong> under international laws.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Association of Southeast Asian Nations<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1593246076_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1593246076_image3.png" style="float: right;" width="400" caption="false" /></a></strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ASEAN is a regional grouping that promotes economic, political, and security cooperation.</li>
<li>It was established in<strong> 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand,</strong> with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration<strong> (Bangkok Declaration)</strong> by the <strong>founding fathers of ASEAN,</strong> namely <strong>Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.</strong></li>
<li>It consists of<strong> ten</strong> members namely, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.</li>
<li>Chairmanship of ASEAN<strong> rotates annually,</strong> based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States.</li>
<li>ASEAN countries have a total population of 650 million people and a combined <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/base-year-for-gdp-calculations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gross Domestic Product (GDP)</strong></a> of $2.8 trillion.</li>
<li>The group has played a central role in Asian economic integration, signing six free-trade agreements with other regional economies and helping spearhead negotiations for what could be the world&rsquo;s largest free trade pact.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The pandemic has already thrown the challenges within the political, economic and social environment of the world and in each region.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The major economies like the US, EU and India etc. are witnessing economic shutdowns due to the lockdown imposed by the pandemic.This, in turn, has reduced the demand for oil and dragged the oil prices to a historic low.</li>
<li>Irresponsible acts which are also violations of international law are affecting the environment of security and stability in certain regions. Thus, cooperation among regions as well as among countries to manage such geopolitical tensions and pandemic situations are expected to resolve such scenarios.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/asean-states-warn-of-s-china-sea-tensions/article31927032.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source:TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 15 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 5716,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: UNESCO',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Global Education Monitoring Report, 2020</strong> was released by the <a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/unesco-5"><strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization</strong></a> (UNESCO).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It highlighted that <a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19"><strong>Covid-19</strong></a> had worsened the inequalities in education systems worldwide.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Global Findings:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>During the height of school closures in April 2020, almost 91% of students around the world were out of school.</li>
<li>About 40% of low and lower middle income countries have not supported learners at risk of exclusion during this crisis, such as the poor, linguistic minorities and learners with disabilities.</li>
<li>Education systems responded with distance learning solutions, all of which offered less or more imperfect substitutes for classroom instruction.</li>
<li>Poorer countries opted for radio and television (TV) lessons, 55% of low-income, 73% of lower-middle-income and 93% of upper-middle-income countries adopted for online learning platforms for primary and secondary education.</li>
<li>17% of low and middle-income countries are planning to recruit more teachers, 22% to increase class time and 68% to introduce remedial classes when schools reopen to combat the situation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India Specific Findings:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has used a mix of all three systems (radio, TV and online platforms) for educational continuity.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Challenges:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Governments increasingly rely on technology</strong> but the<strong> digital divide limits</strong> the approach because not all students and teachers have access to an adequate internet connection, equipment, skills and working conditions to take advantage of available platforms.</li>
<li><strong>School closures interrupt support mechanisms for various disadvantaged students.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Resources for<strong> blind and deaf students</strong> may not be available outside schools.</li>
<li><strong>Children with learning disabilities</strong> or those who are on the <strong>autism</strong> spectrum may struggle with independent work in front of a computer or the disruption of daily school routines.</li>
<li><strong>Poor students</strong> who depend on school for free meals or even free sanitary napkins have suffered.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Cancellation of examinations</strong> in many countries, including India, may result in <strong>scoring dependent on teachers&rsquo; judgements</strong> of students instead, which could be <strong>affected by stereotypes</strong> of certain types of students.</li>
<li><strong>Higher drop-out rates</strong> are also a concern because, during an earlier <strong><a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ebola-global-health-emergency">Ebola </a>epidemic in Africa,</strong> many older girls never returned to school once the crisis was over.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Teachers who are intimidated by technology now have to take the bull by its horns. For many who are proficient at planning and teaching in the traditional classroom, planning for an online setting requires some re-learning.</li>
<li>Online classrooms have brought up issues of classroom management and it is needed to learn methods of managing remote classes and students online. Schools also have to give serious thought to planning and conducting online assessments and evaluations.</li>
<li>School readiness for online teaching is critical and schools are at varying levels in this journey. While parents are worried about having the right hardware and set-up at home, school management and teachers are sorting out more significant and vital issues.</li>
</ul>
<p><a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.thehindu.com/education/coronavirus-lockdown-covid-19-widened-educational-divide-unesco-report/article31907857.ece"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 5707,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'New Purchasing Power Parities: ICP 2017',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Bank</strong></a> has released new <strong>Purchasing Power Parities</strong> (PPPs) for <strong>reference year 2017</strong>, under <strong>International Comparison Program</strong> (ICP) that adjusts for differences in the cost of living across economies of the world.</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>International Comparison Program</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the <strong>largest worldwide data-collection initiative,</strong> under the guidance of the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> <strong>Statistical Commission</strong> (UNSC).</li>
<li>The <strong>main objectives</strong> of the ICP are to:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Produce PPPs and comparable <strong>Price Level Indices</strong> (PLIs) for participating economies.</li>
<li>Convert volume and per capita measures of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gdp-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gross Domestic Product</strong></a> (GDP) and its expenditure components into a common currency using PPPs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Purchasing Power Parities</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the rate at which the currency of one country would have to be converted into that of another country to buy the same amount of goods and services in each country.</li>
<li>The PPP exchange rates are constructed to ensure that the same quantity of goods and services are priced equivalently across countries.</li>
<li>PPP exchange rates are used to convert the national <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/poverty-9#:~:text=Poverty%20is%20measured%20based%20on,the%20National%20Sample%20Survey%20Organisation.&amp;text=As%20per%20the%20Rangarajan%20committee,972%20in%20rural%20areas." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>poverty</strong></a> lines from some of the poorest countries in the world to determine the <strong>Global Poverty Line.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/poverty-estimation-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>poverty estimation in India,</strong></a> the <strong>Tendulkar committee</strong> computed <strong>poverty lines</strong> for 2004-05 at a level that was equivalent, in PPP terms, to Rs 33 per day.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Poverty Line:</strong> The conventional approach to measuring poverty is to specify a minimum expenditure (or income) required to purchase a basket of goods and services necessary to satisfy basic human needs and this minimum expenditure is called the poverty line.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Price Level Indices</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the ratio of a PPP to its corresponding market exchange rate.</li>
<li>It is used to compare the price levels of economies.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Gross Domestic Product</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is the single standard indicator used across the globe to indicate the health of a nation's economy.</li>
<li>It is the sum of private consumption, gross investment in the economy, government investment, government spending and net foreign trade (difference between exports and imports).</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>India is a co-chair of the ICP Governing Board</strong> along with Statistics Austria<strong> for the ICP 2017 cycle.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India has participated in almost all ICP rounds<strong> since its inception in 1970.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation</strong> is the<strong> National Implementing Agency</strong> (NIA) for India, which has the <strong>responsibility of planning, coordinating and implementing</strong> national ICP activities.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The ICP 2017 results, revised results for 2011 and estimates of annual PPPs for the period 2012-2016 are <strong>available on the ICP website and the World Bank&rsquo;s Databank and Data Catalog.</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>next ICP comparison</strong> will be conducted for r<strong>eference year 2021.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Global Status:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Values:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Globally, <strong>176 economies participated</strong> in the 2017 cycle of ICP.</li>
<li>The PPPs of Indian Rupee per USD at GDP level is now 20.65 in 2017 from 15.55 in 2011.</li>
<li>The Exchange Rate of USD to Indian Rupee is 65.12 from 46.67 during the same period.</li>
<li>The PLI of India is 47.55 in 2017 from 42.99 in 2011.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Rankings:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 2017, India retained and consolidated its global position, as the third largest economy and accounted for 6.7% of global GDP in terms of PPPs.</li>
<li>China was at first position with 16.4% and the USA at the second position with 16.3%.</li>
<li>India is also the third largest economy in terms of its PPP-based share in Global Actual Individual Consumption (AIC) and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/economic-slowdown-cyclical-or-structural#:~:text=Gross%20fixed%20capital%20formation%20(GFCF)%20refers%20to%20the%20net%20increase,Gross%20Domestic%20Product%20(GDP)." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Global Gross Fixed Capital Formation</strong> </a>(GCF).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Regional Status (Asia-Pacific):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Regionally, <strong>22 economies participated</strong> from the Asia-Pacific.</li>
<li>In 2017, India retained its regional position as the second largest economy and accounted for 20.83% of Regional GDP in terms of PPPs.</li>
<li>China stands first with 50.76% and Indonesia is at third position with 7.49%.</li>
<li>India is also the second largest economy in terms of its PPP-based share in Regional AIC and Regional GFCF.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Actual Individual Consumption</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It consists of goods and services actually consumed by individuals, irrespective of whether these goods and services are purchased and paid for by households, by government or by non-profit organisations.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Gross Fixed Capital Formation</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It refers to the net increase in physical assets (investment minus disposals). It does not account for the consumption (depreciation) of fixed capital.</li>
<li>GFCF is not a measure of total investment because only the value of net additions to fixed assets is measured and all kinds of financial assets as well as stocks of inventories and other operating costs are excluded.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1633594#:~:text=The%20Purchasing%20Power%20Parities%20(PPPs,from%2046.67%20during%20same%20period." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 17 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 5696,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'China to Join UN Arms Trade Treaty',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>China</strong> has decided to join the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> <strong>Arms Trade Treaty</strong> (UN-ATT) to regulate its arms sales.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>China held that it has always strictly controlled the export of military products and joining the treaty is an important step towards its <strong>efforts to enhance peace and stability </strong>in the world and<strong> support multilateralism.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>China said that it only exports military products to sovereign countries and not to non-state actors.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>China&rsquo;s move comes after the <strong>USA announced to pull out of the ATT in 2019.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The reason given was that the <strong>treaty amounts to international gun control, </strong>and is a <strong>threat to USA's second amendment right to bear arms.</strong></li>
<li>The USA also held that the<strong> treaty fails to truly address the problem of irresponsible arms transfers</strong> because other<strong> top arms exporters like Russia and China were not signatories</strong> to it that time (till now, Russia has neither signed it nor made any announcement to sign it).</li>
<li>In <strong>May 2020,</strong> USA announced to exit the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/open-skies-treaty" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Open Skies Treaty</strong></a> (OST).</li>
<li>In <strong>August 2019,</strong> the USA along with Russia withdrew from the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-2nd-february-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, 1987.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/fewer-but-newer-nuclear-arms-sipri" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Stockholm International Peace Research Institute</strong></a> (SIPRI) in its annual report<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-among-top-military-spenders-sipri" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> &lsquo;Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2019&rsquo;</strong> </a>highlighted that <strong>China is the second-largest arms producer</strong> in the world after the USA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>United Nations Arms Trade Treaty</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The UN-ATT <strong>regulates the international trade in conventional arms,</strong> from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships, and<strong> controls the flow of weapons into conflict zones.</strong></li>
<li>It entered into force on<strong> 24<sup>th</sup> December 2014.</strong></li>
<li>The treaty <strong>requires member countries to keep records of international transfers of weapons</strong> and to<strong> prohibit cross-border shipments</strong> that could be used in human rights violations or attacks on civilians.</li>
<li><strong>State parties</strong> <strong>to the treaty may seek assistance</strong> in its implementation and the<strong> UN Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation</strong> (UNSCAR) was launched to help in that.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>UNSCAR is a <strong>voluntary, flexible multi-donor trust fund</strong> to kick-start advocacy, universalisation and implementation of the ATT.</li>
<li><strong>It aims to:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Mobilize resources to support the ratification/accession and implementation of relevant international instruments on arms regulations.</li>
<li>Improve the effectiveness of assistance through coordination, monitoring and matching of resources.</li>
<li>Promote increased sustainability through more predictable sources of funding.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>India&rsquo;s Stand on ATT</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>From the beginning</strong> of the ATT process, India has maintained that such a treaty would make a real <strong>impact on illicit trafficking in conventional arms and their illicit use</strong> especially by terrorists and other unauthorised and unlawful non-state actors.</li>
<li>India has been an<strong> active participant in the ATT negotiations</strong> and <strong>stressed</strong> consistently that the <strong>ATT should ensure a balance of obligations between exporting and importing states.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>For India, the underlying principle is that member states have a legitimate right to self-defence and its own belief that there is no conflict between the pursuit of national security objectives and the aspiration of the ATT.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>However, India has not signed the Treaty</strong> on the grounds that it is <strong>weak on terrorism and non-state actors</strong> and these <strong>concerns find no mention in the specific prohibitions</strong> of the Treaty.</li>
<li>Further, India <strong>cannot accept that the Treaty is used as an instrument in the hands of exporting states</strong> to take unilateral <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-and-force-majeure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>force majeure</strong></a> measures against importing states parties without consequences.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Civilian populations often in conditions of poverty, deprivation and extreme inequality suffer the most because they are on the receiving end of the misuse of arms by state armed and security forces, non-state armed groups and organized criminal groups.</li>
<li>Inadequate controls on arms transfers lead to the widespread availability and misuse of weapons disrupting the humanitarian and development operations of the UN.</li>
<li>In many areas of work, the UN faces serious setbacks that ultimately can be traced to the consequences of the poorly regulated arms trade so the adoption of the ATT is very important for the UN system as a whole.</li>
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		'article_id' => (int) 5666,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => '4% Contraction in Growth: ADB',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to the<strong> Asian Development Outlook (ADO)</strong> released by the<strong> Asian Development Bank (ADB),</strong> the Indian economy is expected to contract by 4% during the current financial year (2020-21).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Earlier, in April 2020, ADB had projected India&rsquo;s economy to grow at 4% in 2020-21.</li>
<li>The ADO analyzes economic and development issues in developing countries in Asia. This includes forecasting the inflation and growth rates of countries throughout the region, including China and India.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points<a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1592560372_image3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1592560372_image3.png" style="float: right;" caption="false" width="265" height="559" /></a></h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Reasons for Contraction:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Global health emergency created by the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-19-now-pandemic-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>After the introduction of lockdowns in late March 2020, economic activity in South Asia came to standstill.</li>
<li>The lockdown also disrupted the supply chain.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/gdp-decreases-to-11-year-low" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gross Domestic Product (GDP)</strong></a> slowed to 3.1% in the last quarter (Jan-March) of the financial year 2019-20. It is the slowest since early 2003.</li>
<li>The overall economic growth slowed to 4.2% in 2019-20 as both exports and investment started to contract.</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/purchasing-manager-s-index" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Purchasing Managers&rsquo; Index</strong></a> fell to all-time lows in April 2020.</li>
<li>Migrant workers have gone home to their villages after losing their jobs in the cities and will be slow to return to cities to work again.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Growth Projections for Developing Asia:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Developing Asia refers to a group of over 40 countries, including India, that are members of the ADB. Growth of 0.1% is expected.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This is down from the 2.2% forecast in April 2020 and would be the slowest growth for the region since 1961.</li>
<li>However, China is expected to record a positive growth of 1.8% in 2020-21.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>No V-shaped Recovery:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Even as lockdowns are slowly eased and select economic activities restart, economies in Asia and the Pacific will continue to feel the blow of the Covid-19 pandemic this year.</li>
<li>Despite a higher growth outlook for the region in 2020-21, there will not be a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/shapes-of-economic-recovery" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>V-shaped recovery.</strong> </a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Issues Involved:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Covid-19 pandemic may see multiple waves of outbreaks in the coming period. This may lead to an increase in sovereign debt and worse to a financial crisis.</li>
<li>There is also the risk of renewed escalation in <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/trade-war-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>trade tensions</strong></a> between the United States and China.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Asian Development Bank</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ADB is a<strong> regional development bank</strong> established on <strong>19<sup>th</sup> December 1966.</strong></li>
<li>It has <strong>68 members. India is a founding member.</strong></li>
<li>As of 31 December 2019, ADB&rsquo;s five largest shareholders are <strong>Japan and the United States (each with 15.6% of total shares)</strong>, the People&rsquo;s Republic of China (6.4%), <strong>India (6.3%)</strong>, and Australia (5.8%).</li>
<li>It aims to promote social and economic development in <strong>Asia and the Pacific.</strong></li>
<li>It is <strong>headquartered in Manila, Philippines.</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>India should undertake policy measures to reduce the negative impact of Covid-19 and ensure that no further waves of the outbreak occur.</li>
<li>As India has opened its economy, it needs to improve the supply chain which was disrupted due to lockdown.</li>
<li>A labour market recovery will be a key to the economy running again.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/indian-economy-to-contract-by-4-in-2020-21-forecasts-adb/article31863511.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 5658,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'World Investment Report: UNCTAD',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/un-report-on-fdi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)</strong></a> released the <strong>World Investment Report 2020.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The World Investment Report focuses on <strong>trends in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rise-in-foreign-direct-investment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)</a></strong> worldwide, at the regional and country levels and emerging measures to improve its contribution to development.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Global Scenario:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to the report, global FDI flows are forecast<strong> to decrease by up to 40% in 2020,</strong> from their 2019 value of $1.54 trillion.</li>
<li>This would<strong> bring global FDI below $1 trillion for the first time since 2005.</strong> The FDI is projected to decrease by a further 5% to 10% in 2021.</li>
<li><strong>Developing economies are expected to see the biggest fall</strong> in FDI because they rely more on investment in Global Value Chain (GVC) based industries, which have been severely hit due to Covid-19 pandemic.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>They have <strong>also not been able to put in place the same economic support measures as developed economies.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However, the investment flows are <strong>expected to slowly recover by the start of 2022.</strong></li>
<li>Global FDI flows rose modestly in 2019, following the sizable declines registered in 2017 and 2018. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The rise in FDI was due to the waning of impact of the 2017 tax reforms in the United States.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Investment Scenario:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India jumped from<strong> 12<sup>th</sup> position in 2018 to 9<sup>th</sup> position in 2019</strong> among the world&rsquo;s largest FDI recipients.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In 2019, the FDI inflows into India jumped over 20% to $51 billion.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The report also observed that FDI into <strong>India may decline sharply in 2020</strong> because of the impact of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-india-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covid-19 pandemic</strong></a> and the consequent<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> lockdown</strong></a> measures, supply chain disruptions and economic slowdown.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In India the number of greenfield investment announcements declined by 4% in the first quarter of financial year 2020-21. The Mergers and acquisitions (M&amp;A) also contracted by 58%.</li>
<li>A greenfield investment is a type of FDI in which a parent company creates a subsidiary in a different country, building its operations from the ground up.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However, the report mentioned that <strong>India&rsquo;s large market will continue to attract market-seeking investments to the country.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India&rsquo;s professional services and the digital economy could see a faster rebound as global <strong>venture capital firms and technology companies continue to show interest in India&rsquo;s market through acquisitions.</strong></li>
<li>Investors concluded deals worth over $650 million in the first quarter of 2020, mostly in the digital sector.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>UNCTAD</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964 to promote development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy.</li>
<li>UNCTAD is a <strong>permanent intergovernmental body headquartered at Geneva in Switzerland.</strong></li>
<li>Some of the reports published by it are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Trade and Development Report</li>
<li>World Investment Report</li>
<li>The Least Developed Countries Report</li>
<li>Information and Economy Report</li>
<li>Technology and Innovation Report</li>
<li>Commodities and Development Report</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The efforts need to be put to increase the investment and also countries need to deal with Covid-19 pandemic strategically.</li>
<li>To deal with the current slowdown, India can provide its poor with direct cash, which will increase the demand in the economy. This will subsequently lead to increase in investment and production in the economy.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/fdi-inflows-into-india-may-dip-sharply-in-2020-unctad-11592290698500.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: Mint</strong></a></p>',
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