Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Leopard populations in India
Mains level: Tiger and leopard conservation: A success
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released the Status of Leopards Report.
Confused over Leopard and Cheetah?
The most common difference between these two animals is the patterns on their coat. At first glance, it may look like they both have spots, but in actual fact, a leopard has rosettes which are rose-like markings, and cheetahs have a solid round or oval spot shape.
Indian Leopards
- The Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) is a leopard subspecies widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent.
- It is one of the big cats occurring on the Indian subcontinent, apart from the Asiatic lion, Bengal tiger, snow leopard and clouded leopard.
- It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because populations have declined following habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching for the illegal trade of skins and body parts.
Leopards in India
- India now has 12,852 leopards as compared to the previous estimate of 7910 conducted 2014.
- More than 60% increase in population has been recorded.
- The States of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra recorded the highest leopard estimates at 3,421, 1,783 and 1,690 respectively.
- India’s world record tiger survey also estimated the population of leopards and the tiger range was found a home to 12,852 (12,172-13,535) leopards.
Significance
- The increase in Tiger, Lion & Leopards numbers over the last few years is a testimony to the conservation efforts and of the fledgeling wildlife & biodiversity of the country.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Policy implementation and monitoring
Policy implementation matters as much as the policy itself. The article highlights the importance of monitoring system to track the implementation of the policies.
Implementing policy
- It is taken for granted that a government policy or social-development program, is meant to be perfectly executed.
- Implementation is the key and ends up with sub-par results and uncompleted projects.
- India has had mixed experiences post-Independence, the consolidated development chart will appear rather skewed.
- Millions continue to live in abject poverty, deprived of basic amenities.
Dealing with implementation deficit
- India needs to work on the implementation and reforms processes in a wider manner, with the primary aim of attaining fast-paced development and effective delivery of the intended public benefits.
- The first requirement would be a capable implementing machine — or what has been called the “perfect administration”, driven by passionate team leaders.
- The guiding urge should be to complete the task before schedule.
- Other critical determinants include:
- Unambiguous demarcation of responsibilities.
- Frequent brainstorming sessions to anticipate and take formal note of likely challenges and agreeing upon solutions.
- Ensuring and authorizing a largely freehand with matching resources, and the ability to make on-the-spot decisions.
- The evergreen strategy to make the implementation of a near-perfect process is to build in a vigilant monitoring and evaluation mechanism.
- A dynamic monitoring mechanism makes use of technology, which today is being built into various flagship programs initiated by the present government.
Achieving implementation
- In the interest of achieving wholesome implementation, it would be desirable to set up an autonomous “Monitoring Trust”.
- The trust will act as an integral part of all important public policies and programs.
- The proposed Trust can comprise core technical, administrative, and legal members, along with stakeholders and social activists.
- Engaging stakeholders and implementers, through various methodologies, is fast emerging as an effective strategy.
- Sharing information and progress through dashboards and other technology tools, inviting suggestions through IT portals like MyGov democratize and enrich both policy formulation and execution.
- The institutions and methodologies developed in Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana present an exemplary fusion between human ingenuity and the miracles of customized technology.
Conclusion
The political leadership both at the national and the state level is the most crucial force behind the success of the implementation machinery. An endeavor’s effective implementation alone can provide the converge with good governance, bold innovation, rewarding delivery, and the transformation of marginalized human lives.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Ayushman Bharat
Mains level: Paper 2- Importance of public investment in health care
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Lack of resources such as 1:1,700, doctor: citizen ratio, well below the minimum ratio of 1:1,000 stipulated by WHO.
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Rural areas and smaller towns of India are the worst sufferers, where even basic health services remain inaccessible, many cases were reported where ward boys and alone found running the primary healthcare center.
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Inadequate government spending on healthcare and lack of access to health insurance to a large section of society.
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The quality of public health services in India continues to remain below expectations which hamper the economic growth of the country.
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Government’s inability to build sufficient capacity and infrastructure, difficulty in reaching out to poor and vulnerable groups.
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An undersized skilled workforce and the absence of upgraded technology is a major challenge in the health sector.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Custodial torture and challenges in dealing with it
Installation of cameras would help in curbing the custodial torture to some extent but ending the menace requires comprehensive reforms.
Installation of CCTV cameras to curb custodial torture
- The Supreme Court recently mandated that CCTV cameras be installed in police stations and offices of other investigative agencies.
- However, previous decisions with similar recommendations have been poorly implemented.
- The present decision shows a marked difference from the earlier ones in its approach.
- It shows more care by listing out areas of police stations where cameras must be installed to ensure that there are no blind spots.
- It asks for oversight committees to be set up to monitor the functioning of the cameras.
- It also specifies that the cameras must be equipped with night vision and be able to record audio and visual footage.
- The recordings will have to be preserved for at least 12 months.
Issues with installing CCTV cameras
- Alteration of a video to conceal an object, an event, or change the meaning conveyed by the video is a well-documented reality in the United States.
- Indian courts have also expressed their apprehension of police tampering with CCTV footage.
- The judgment does not assuage these concerns.
- Cameras in police stations will not foreclose the possibility of torture in other locations.
- Multiple works on torture in India suggest that torture is often not inflicted in police stations, but in isolated areas or police vehicles.
- Victims are illegally detained and tortured in undisclosed locations before officially arrested and brought to the police station.
Challenges in fixing criminal responsibility
- Since torture is not recognized as an offense per se under Indian law, the judgment refers to the use of force resulting in “serious injuries and/or custodial deaths” unwittingly creates a high threshold for what amounts to torture.
- It fails to acknowledge the existence of forms of physical and psychological torture that leave behind no marks on the body.
- Requiring prior sanction from the government operates as the foremost hurdle in initiating criminal complaints.
- The absence of statutory guidelines mandating independent investigation results in police officers from the same police station investigating the crime and suppressing evidence.
- Between 2005-2018, with respect to 1,200 deaths in police custody, 593 cases were registered, 186 police personnel were charge-sheeted, and only seven were convicted (National Crime Records Bureau).
- Evidentiary concerns frequently arise since often the only witnesses are the victims themselves.
- The Supreme Court (1995) has noted that police officials remain silent to protect their colleagues as they are “bound by brotherhood” and held that courts should not insist on direct or ocular evidence in these cases.
- This position is rarely applied and many cases result in acquittal for want of evidence.
Conclusion
Monitoring the police through CCTVs is an important step towards combating torture but its effectiveness is contingent on broader reforms. The Supreme Court needs to ensure a robust implementation of its order and simultaneously plug the gaps so that incidents of torture are curtailed.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: E20 fuel
Mains level: Ethanol blended petrol programme
The government has proposed the adoption of E20 fuel — a blend of 20% of ethanol and gasoline — as an automobile fuel in order to reduce vehicular emissions as well as the country’s oil import bill.
E20 Fuel
- E20 is a blend of 20% ethanol with gasoline (petrol) and can be used as an alternative to the fuels currently available.
- The government is looking at the adoption of mass emission standards for this fuel for transport application.
- Additionally, it also wishes to facilitate the development of E20 compliant vehicles.
- The government believes that the E20 blend will not only curb vehicle emissions but help reduce the country’s oil import bill.
Ethanol – Pros and Cons
- Ethanol is a common by-product that comes from agricultural feedstock like corn, hemp, potato, etc. It can be used as a bio-fuel in Flexi-fuel vehicles.
- It is greener than gasoline because the corn and crop plantations absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow.
- While the fuel still releases CO2 when you burn it, the net increase is comparatively lower.
- However, ethanol is less efficient as a fuel. It has lower energy content than energy-rich gasoline and diesel.
- The rule delivers less power when burned, which in return results in more fuel consumption and lower mileage.
- Additionally, blends over E20 (20% ethanol) is highly corrosive for older vehicles as the alcohol can break down old rubber seals and can damage engines.
Vehicle compatibility
- It added the compatibility of vehicles with the percentage of ethanol in the blend would be defined by the vehicle manufacturer, which would have to be displayed on the vehicle with a sticker.
- Ethanol is a biofuel and a common by-product of biomass left by agricultural feedstock such as corn, sugarcane, hemp, potato, etc.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Intentional Genomic Alteration
Mains level: Gene Editing
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a first-of-its-kind intentional genomic alteration (IGA) in a line of domestic pigs referred to as GalSafe pigs.
Try this PYQ:
Q.What is Cas9 protein that is often mentioned in news?
(a) A molecular scissors used in targeted gene editing
(b) A biosensor used in the accurate detection of pathogens in patients
(c) A gene that makes plants pest-resistant
(d) A herbicidal sub
What is Intentional Genomic Alteration?
- Intentional genomic alteration in animals’ means making specific changes to the genome of the organism using modern molecular technologies.
- These are popularly referred to as “genome editing” or “genetic engineering”. However, there are other technologies that can be used to make IGAs in animals.
- Such changes in the DNA sequence of an animal may be carried out for research purposes, to produce healthier meat for human consumption and to study disease resistance in animals among other reasons.
- One example is of using IGAs to make an animal more susceptible to certain diseases such as cancer, which helps researchers get a better understanding of the disease and develop new therapies to treat it.
What does FDA’s recent approval mean?
- The FDA made the announcement this week and allowed IGA in GalSafe pigs to eliminate a type of sugar found in mammals called alpha-gal.
- This sugar is present on the surface of these pigs’ cells and when they are used for products such as medicines or food.
- The sugar is found in red meats such as beef, pork and lamb, the sugar makes some people with Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS) more susceptible to developing mild to severe allergic reactions.
- IGA will help eventually free these products from detectable alpha-gal sugar, thereby protecting their human consumers from potential allergies.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Khudiram Bose
Mains level: Various revolutionary activities
Union Home Minister has visited the native village of Bengali revolutionary Khudiram Bose in Midnapore, West Bengal.
One of the youngest leaders of the Independence movement, Khudiram Bose is highly regarded in Bengal for his fearless spirit. He was just 19 when he was hanged!
Who was Khudiram Bose?
- Bose was born in 1889 at a small village in Midnapore district.
- From his adolescent years, he was drawn towards revolutionary activities, being inspired by a series of public lectures given by Sri Aurobindo and Sister Nivedita, when the duo visited Midnapore in the early 1900s.
- In 1905, when Bengal was partitioned, he actively participated in protests against the British.
- At the age of 15, Bose joined the Anushilan Samiti, an early 20th-century organisation that propounded revolutionary activities in Bengal.
- Within a year, he had learnt how to make bombs and would plant them in front of police stations.
Revolutionary activities
- The deciding moment of Bose’s life came in 1908 when he along with another revolutionary, Prafulla Chaki was assigned the task of assassinating the district magistrate of Muzaffarpur, Kingsford.
- Before being transferred to Muzaffarpur, Kingsford was a magistrate in Bengal.
- His tortuous clamping down on revolutionaries had earned him the ire of this young group of nationalists who decided to hurl a bomb on him.
Kingsford’s assassination attempt
- There were multiple attempts to assassinate Kingsford.
- Initially, the plan was to throw the bomb in the court. However, after much deliberation, it was decided to avoid the court since a lot of civilians might get injured.
- Thereafter, on April 30, 1908, Bose threw a bomb on a carriage which he suspected was carrying Kingsford.
- But it turned out that it was carrying the wife and daughter of a barrister named Pringle Kennedy, who lost their lives, as Kingsford escaped.
Arrest and execution
- By midnight the entire town was aware of the incident and the Calcutta police were summoned to catch the duo.
- Bose was arrested from a railway station called Waini where he had reached the next morning after having walked 25 miles.
- Chaki on the other hand, killed himself before he could get arrested.
- As Bose was brought handcuffed to the police station at Muzaffarpur, the entire town crowded around to take a look at the teenaged boy.
- On July 13, 1908, he was finally sentenced to death.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: IMAC
Mains level: India's maritime security
India is looking at integrating more countries into coastal radar network IMAC.
What is IMAC?
- The Indian Navy’s IMAC located in Gurugram which was set up after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks is the nodal agency for maritime data fusion.
- It functions under the National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) Project.
- The NMDA project was launched in accordance with the vision of PM on SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).
- The IMAC monitors movement of more than 120,000 ships a year passing through the Indian Ocean.
- The cargo carried by these ships accounts for 66 per cent of world crude oil, 50 per cent of container traffic and 33 per cent of bulk cargo.
- Thus, IMAC performs a very crucial role in collecting shipping information, analysing traffic patterns and sharing the inputs with the user agencies.
Mission SAGAR, unlike other missions, can create confusion with the name and its purpose. Make note of such special cases. UPSC can ask such questions as one liner MCQs.
Expanding IMAC
- It is meant to enable real-time monitoring of the high seas for threats as also expand India’s assistance for capacity building to Indian Ocean littoral states.
- Efforts are in advanced stages to set up coastal radar stations in Maldives, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
- Mauritius, Seychelles and Sri Lanka have already been integrated into the country’s coastal radar chain network.
- Similar plans are in the pipeline with Maldives and Myanmar and discussions are ongoing with Bangladesh and Thailand.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Himalayan trillium
Mains level: Not Much
The Himalayan trillium (Trillium govanianum), a common herb of the Himalayas was declared ‘endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) last week.
Try this MCQ:
Q.Recently, there was a growing awareness in our country about the importance of Himalayan nettle (Girardinia diversifolia) because it is found to be a sustainable source of-
(a) Anti-malarial drug
(b) Bio-diesel
(c) Pulp for paper industry
(d) Textile fibre
Himalayan trillium
- In recent years, the plant has become one of the most traded commercial plants of the Himalayan region, due to its high medicinal quality.
- It is found in temperate and sub-alpine zones of the Himalayas, at an altitude from 2,400-4,000 metres above sea level.
- Their existence has also been traced across India, Bhutan, Nepal, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- In India, it is found in four states only- Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand.
- Often called Nagchatri, in local areas this herb grows to a height of 15-20 cm.
Various applications
- It has been used in traditional medicine to cure diseases like dysentery, wounds, skin boils, inflammation, sepsis, as well as menstrual and sexual disorders.
- Recent experiments have shown that the rhizome of the herb is a source of steroidal saponins and can be used as an anti-cancer and anti-ageing agent.
- This increased its market value and has now become an easy target for poachers.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Investment rate
Mains level: Paper 3- Steps India needs to take to compensate for the economic loss due to pandemic.
To ease the damage inflicted by the pandemic on the economy, India needs to act on multiple fronts. The article suggests the trajectory India should follow to compensate for the economic loss due to pandemic.
Economy picking up
- As the restrictions were slowly withdrawn, the economy has also started picking up.
- There are many indicators such as collection of Goods and Services Tax (GST), the improved output of coal, steel, and cement, and positive growth in manufacturing in October 2020 which point to better performance of the private sector.
- In Q1, the economy declined by 23.9%; it declined by 7.5% in Q2, when the relaxations were eased.
- Reductions in the first half of GDP in 2020-21 as compared to the first half of 2019-20 is 7.66% of the 2019-20 GDP.
- If the Indian economy at least maintains the second half GDP in 2020-21 at the level of the previous year, the full-year contraction can be limited to about 7.7%.
Steps need to be taken
- If the Indian economy grows at 8% in 2021-22 will we be compensating for the decline in 2020-21.
- Thus, it is imperative that the Indian economy grows at a minimum of 8% in 2021-22.
- This should be possible if by that time restrictions imposed because of COVID-19 are withdrawn and the nation goes back to a normal state.
- Some sectors can act as lead sectors or engines of growth with increased government capital expenditures in them.
- The private sector seems to be revising its future prospects.
- Many new issues in the capital market have met with good response.
- The attitude to trade must also change.
- Closing borders may appear to be a good short-term policy to promote growth.
- A strong surge in our exports will greatly facilitate growth, i.e. 2021-22.
- However, much of Indian’s growth must rest on domestic factors.
- Growth must not only be consumption-driven but also investment-driven.
- It is the investment-driven growth in a developing economy that can sustain growth over a long period.
The important role of monetary policy
- The stance of monetary policy in 2020-21 has been extremely accommodating.
- Three major elements in the policy are:
- 1) A reduction in interest rate.
- 2) Providing liquidity through various measures.
- 3) Regulatory changes such as moratorium.
- There has been a substantial injection of liquidity into the system.
- With a large injection of liquidity, one should expect inflation to remain high.
- In the final analysis, inflation is determined by the overall liquidity or money supply in the system in conjunction with the availability of goods and services.
- While there may be sufficient justification for an accommodative monetary policy in a difficult year such as 2020, there will be a need to exercise more caution as we move into the next year.
Role of government expenditure
- Government expenditures play a key role in a situation such as the one we are facing.
- The stimulus policies involving higher government expenditures were expected to arrest the contractionary momentum.
- The government expenditures should be speeded up from now on so that the contraction in the current fiscal year as a whole can be reduced.
- In 2021-22, government revenues should pick up with the rise in GDP.
- The process of bringing down the fiscal deficit must also start.
- What is required is a sharp increase in government capital expenditures which can act as a stimulus for growth.
- A detailed investment plan of the government and public sector enterprises must be drawn up and presented as part of the coming Budget.
Increasing investment
- Over the past decade, the investment rate has been falling.
- In 2018-19, the rate fell to 32.2% of GDP from 38.9% in 2011-12.
- Some of the recent measures including corporate tax rate changes may help in augmenting investment.
- A strong effort must be made to improve the investment climate. The National Infrastructure Pipeline is a good initiative.
- But the government must come forward to invest more on its own.
Reforms with consensus
- Reforms are important in the context of rapid development.
- However, timing, sequencing, and consensus-building are equally important while introducing them.
- Labor reforms, for example, are best introduced when the economy is on the upswing.
Consider the question ” Growth must not only be consumption-driven but also investment-driven. It is the latter which in a developing economy can sustain growth over a long period. In light of this, suggest the policy imperatives that India should follow to make good of the decline in 2020-202.”
To achieve the level of $5 trillion, we need to grow continuously at 9% for six years from now. That is the challenge before the economy. Jobs and employment will come from growth. They are not independent of growth. For that policymakers should eschew other considerations and focus only on growth.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not Much
Mains level: Recent trends in India-Bangladesh ties
India must strengthen ties with Bangladesh and appreciate Sheikh Hasina’s challenges
Virtual summit between India and Bangladesh
- The virtual summit was conducted recently between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina.
- There was a discussion on issues ranging from the violent border incidents to the COVID-19 fight, demonstrates their desire to reboot India-Bangladesh ties that have faced challenges in recent months.
- PM Modi called Bangladesh a “major pillar” in India’s neighbourhood first policy, while Ms. Hasina invited him to visit Bangladesh in March for the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of its independence.
- It is a key opportunity for India, which had played a major role in Bangladesh’s liberation in 1971, to revive the relations and address the issues adversely affecting the partnership.
Importance of India-Bangladesh relationship
- Bangladesh and India are at a historic juncture of diplomacy embedded in a rich matrix of history, religion, culture, language and kinship.
(1) ‘Blue Economy’ programme’ –
- Both countries are looking at strengthening economic cooperation through joint investments and cooperation under the ‘Blue Economy’ programme.
- The programme entails synergized efforts of littoral states in the exploration of hydrocarbons, marine resources, deep-sea fishing, preservation of marine ecology and disaster management.
- The industry in India needs to look for opportunities for collaboration in defence, such as in military hardware, space technology, technical assistance, exchange of experience, and development of sea infrastructure.
(2) India’s Act East Policy –
- Connectivity offers a game-changing opportunity for India and Bangladesh. This is pivotal to India’s connectivity with its north-eastern region and with countries of ASEAN.
- This is particularly important in the context of both the Make in India initiative as well as India’s Act East Policy.
- The two countries also see themselves converging around a lot of commonalities, not just as neighbours battling the scourge of terrorism, but as leading economic partners.
- In terms of diplomacy in the South Asian region, both countries have had identical views.
- From how organizations such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should be going forward in promoting cooperation among its member nations to economic growth.
Challenges in India-Bangladesh relations
(1) Violent border incidents –
- Despite the friendship remaining solid, the border has been sensitive.
- At least 25 Bangladeshis were killed in the first six months of this year along the border by Indian forces, according to a rights watchdog.
(2) Sharing of River Waters –
- The Teesta water dispute between West Bengal and Bangladesh remains unresolved.
(3) The Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens, which Ms Hasina called “unnecessary”, have created a negative impression about India.
(4) China’s economic footprint is growing –
- China is making deep inroads into Bangladesh by ramping up infrastructure investments and expanding economic cooperation.
- Bangladesh is overwhelmingly dependent on China for military hardware.
- Since 2010, India approved three Lines of Credit to Bangladesh of $7.362 billion to finance development projects. But, just $442 million have been disbursed until December 2018.
Way Forward
- It is imperative for India to bolster ties with this all-weather friend, and there may not be a better time to do so than when Bangladesh is to celebrate the golden jubilee of its independence.
- India should support Bangladesh’s fight against radical elements. India should also not allow the ideological inclinations of the ruling party to spoil the historic relationship between the two countries.
- New Delhi should take a broader view of the changing scenario and growing competition in South Asia, and reach out to Dhaka with an open mind.
- There is much room for course correction in Delhi and to shift the focus from legacy issues to future possibilities.
Practice Question: Discuss the importance of India-Bangladesh relations and various challenges affecting the relations between the two countries. How they can be addressed?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Read the attached story
Farmers’ genuine concerns must be addressed as soon as possible so that they can continue producing food and fibre needed for the ever-increasing population.
Green revolution and farmer’s contribution to the food sufficiency in India
- In the early 1960s, near-famine conditions prevailed in India and some 10 million tonnes of wheat had to be imported from the US under the PL480 programme. The country’s situation was like“ship-to-mouth” existence.
- High-yielding dwarf wheat varieties brought from Mexico were provided to Indian agricultural institutes.
- The consequent miraculous gains in wheat yield and production ushered in the “Green Revolution.”
- The Green Revolution occurred due to a confluence of favourable government policies, efforts of agricultural scientists and the adoption of new wheat varieties/selections by farmers.
- Also, the contributions of farmers of Punjab (Haryana included) was also very important and they became the backbone of the revolution.
- By 1974, the industrious farmers of the “food-bowl” states of Punjab, Haryana, and western UP had brought about self-sufficiency in foodgrain production, ridding the country of the “begging bowl”.
Practice Question: What are the concerns of the farmers after new agriculture reforms and how they can be addressed?
Farmer’s concerns
- Consultation with farmers is important before drafting policies –
- There will be resistance no matter which organization enact the policies/rules without taking the affected people on board. A proactive approach is always better than a reactive one.
- From the farmers’ standpoint, the ordinances were unfairly promulgated in June 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, without consulting them.
- Loss of Income in the lockdown – Farmers could not sell their vegetables and fruits because of the lockdown causing the loss of income and then the imposition of the new laws aggravated them.
- Uncertainty in the minds of farmers about the continuation of MSP –
- Farmers have been selling food grains (mainly wheat and rice) at Minimum Support Price (MSP) since the mid-1960s.
- This has helped to create a central pool of food grains and the Public Distribution System to help poor people.
- But MSP has not been guaranteed in the newly enacted farm laws, which is the major bone of contention.
- The APMCs are under threat from the new farm laws as MSP and APMC go hand-in-hand.
New Middleman –
- The central government has indicated that the new farm laws are meant to eliminate the “middlemen”.
- But the farmers feel that a new class of middlemen, that is, lawyers belonging to big companies would emerge.
- Thus, small farmers would be at a distinct disadvantage — more than 80 per cent of farmers own less than five acres of land.
Contract farming –
- According to the central government, the new laws will ensure contract farming.
- The farmers fear that big companies might usurp their land and might not pay them an agreed price on the pretext of “poor quality” of produce.
- They feel that big companies might become monopolies, and exploit both farmers and consumers. Farmers fear being made into labourers.
Way forward
MSP is a must –
- A clause should be added in the law to the effect that no matter who buys the produce (government or a private entity), the farmer must be given an MSP.
- The National Farmers’ Commission’s recommendation of providing an MSP of 50 per cent over and above a farmer’s input expenses must be implemented.
- APMCs should be continued – The fees that “Mandi Boards” collect (for example the Rural Development Fund) have helped build link roads. No private organization will do this.
- MSP should be determined on the basis of grain quality.
Crop diversification is needed –
- The government must promote crop diversification by purchasing crops produced other than wheat and rice at MSP. This could help conserve the dwindling supply of underground water.
- To encourage farmers to grow high-value crops, such as vegetables and fruits, the government should set up the adequate cold-chain infrastructure.
- The farmers’ staying power must be improved so that they don’t have to sell all of their produce immediately after the harvest.
- India has produced a number of World Food Laureates, including M S Swaminathan, Gurdev S Khush, Surinder K Vasal, and Rattan Lal. Such intellectuals should be in the “Agricultural Think Tank.”
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Read the attached story
Police personnel should not be made instruments of a political battle
Tug of war between political parties in West Bengal
- The appointment of three IPS officers of the West Bengal cadre to various posts by the Union Home Ministry on Thursday has escalated the confrontation between the State and the Centre.
- Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has termed the deputation order despite the State’s objection “a colourable exercise of power and blatant misuse of emergency provision of IPS Cadre Rule 1954”.
- The constant hostility between the State and Central governments is now taking a turn for the worse ahead of the 2021 Assembly election.
- The tug of war began after a convoy of BJP President J.P. Nadda came under stone pelting in the State on December 10. The BJP apparently holds the IPS officers accountable for the incident.
- After an initial move to recall these officials was resisted by the State, the Centre has invoked Section 6(1) of the Indian Police Service (Cadre) Rules, which says that “in case of any disagreement, the matter shall be decided by the Central Government….”
Administrative instruments Vs. Political battles
- The CM’s style of managing the police force has gained attention for the wrong reasons in the past.
- Senior officials are seen as allied with the ruling govt and the oppositions determined drive to capture power in the State is multi-pronged.
- The Supreme Court restrained West Bengal from taking any “coercive action” against several opposition leaders in criminal cases registered against them by the State Police.
- The opposition continues to knock on the doors of the Court and the Election Commission of India to bring pressure on the State government.
- By enforcing its writ on IPS officers, the Centre is sending a signal to all officers that their conduct will now be under scrutiny.
Never-ending issues between the state and the centre
- The central schemes, Ayushman Bharat and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi are also a bone of contention.
- The Bengal government has refused to implement them, demanding that the funds be routed through the State.
- The CM has also complained of insufficient central assistance to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and cyclone Amphan.
- The Centre’s earlier demand that the Chief Secretary and DGP attend a meeting in New Delhi on the State’s law-and-order situation increased tensions.
- The partisan use of the personnel and instruments of the state by parties in power as is happening in this tussle is a disturbing signal for democracy and federalism.
Practice Question: The partisan use of the personnel and instruments of the state by parties in power is a disturbing signal for democracy and federalism. Elaborate.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Art. 356
Mains level: Presidents' Rule
The Supreme Court has stayed an Andhra Pradesh High Court order intending to embark on a judicial enquiry into whether there is a constitutional breakdown in the State machinery, requiring a declaration of President’s rule.
A backfire from the AP High Court
- Andhra Pradesh CM had earlier sparked controversy by writing to the CJI complaining about a Supreme Court judge for allegedly influencing posting of cases in the State High Court.
- The alleged Judge is slated to be the next Chief Justice of India, and some judges of the AP High Court have opened sharp criticism over AP CM’s move.
What did the Supreme Court say?
- The apex court found the enquiry highly disturbing. Hence it decided to stay the order.
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta asked why the High Court “should go into whether there is a constitutional breakdown in the State”.
- The Solicitor General of the state government argued that it was not up to the High Court to enquire and recommend President’s rule in a State.
Citations for the President’s Rule in a State
- President’s rule is the suspension of state government and imposition of direct central government rule in a state.
- It is Article 356 that deals with the failure of constitutional machinery in a State.
- This power to impose President’s rule exclusively vests in the Central Executive.
- Under Article 356, this move can be taken- if the President, on receipt of the report from the Governor of the State or otherwise, is satisfied that a situation has arisen…..
- The power in this regard, like sending a report either to the President of India or to the Governor of the concerned State or to record a finding in that regard, cannot be exercised by the judiciary.
How did the AP govt respond?
- The AP govt said that the High Court’s observation violated the Basic Structure doctrine of the Constitution.
- Under the constitutional framework, it is not for the courts to decide as to whether there is a constitutional breakdown in a State.
- The said power has been specifically conferred upon a different constitutional authority – and rightly so.
- It is needless to mention that the constitutional courts do not have any judicially discoverable and manageable standards to determine if there has been a constitutional breakdown,” the petition contended.
Back2Basics:
President’s Rule
- President’s rule is the suspension of state government and imposition of direct central government rule in a state.
How it is imposed?
- President’s Rule implies the suspension of a state government and the imposition of direct rule of the Centre.
- This is achieved through the invocation of Article 356 of the Constitution by the President on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers.
- Under Article 356, this move can be taken “(1) If the President, on receipt of the report from the Governor of the State or otherwise, is satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the government of the State cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution…”
How long President’s Rule can last
- A proclamation of President’s Rule can be revoked through a subsequent proclamation in case the leader of a party produces letters of support from a majority of members of the Assembly, and stakes his claim to form a government.
- The revocation does not need the approval of Parliament.
- Any proclamation under Article 356 —which stands for six months — has to be approved by both Houses in the Parliament session following it.
- This six-month time-frame can be extended in phases, up to three years.
The S.R. Bommai Case
- R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) was a landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of India, where the Court discussed at length provisions of Article 356 of the Constitution of India and related issues.
- The judgement attempted to curb blatant misuse of Article 356 of the Constitution of India, which allowed President’s rule to be imposed over state governments.
- Article 356 (1) has been deliberately drafted in a narrow language by the Founding Fathers so that political parties in the Centre does not misuse it to subvert federalism, it had noted.
- The expression used in the Article is ‘if the President is satisfied”, the court had observed.
- In other words, the President has to be convinced of or should have sufficient proof of information with regard to or has to be free from doubt or uncertainty about the state of things indicating that the situation in question has arisen.
- The court had stated that although the sufficiency or otherwise of the material cannot be questioned, the legitimacy of inference drawn from such material is “certainly open to judicial review”.
What it directed?
- The judgment had explained that in a multi-party political system, chances are high that the political parties in the Centre and the State concerned may not be the same.
- Article 356 cannot be used for the purpose of political one-upmanship by the Centre.
- Hence there is a need to confine the exercise of power under Article 356[1] strictly to the situation mentioned therein which is a condition precedent to the said exercise,” the court had said.
Conditions for Prez Rule
- Where after general elections to the assembly, no party secures a majority, that is, Hung Assembly.
- Where the party having a majority in the assembly declines to form a ministry and the governor cannot find a coalition ministry commanding a majority in the assembly.
- Where a ministry resigns after its defeat in the assembly and no other party is willing or able to form a ministry commanding a majority in the assembly.
- Where a constitutional direction of the Central government is disregarded by the state government.
- Internal subversion where, for example, a government is deliberately acting against the Constitution and the law or is fomenting a violent revolt.
- Physical breakdown where the government willfully refuses to discharge its constitutional obligations endangering the security of the state.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: SolarWinds Hack
Mains level: Cyber attacks and the treats posed to national security
The ‘SolarWinds hack’, a cyberattack recently discovered in the US, has emerged as one of the biggest ever targeted against the US government, its agencies and several other private companies.
Do you know about the ‘Five Eyes’ group of nations?
Solar-Winds Hack
- It was first discovered by US cybersecurity company FireEye, and since then more developments continue to come to light each day.
- The US termed it as a highly sophisticated threat actor calling it a state-sponsored attack, although it did not name Russia.
- It said the attack was carried out by a nation with top-tier offensive capabilities and the attacker primarily sought information related to certain government customers.
How dangerous is the attack?
- This is being called a ‘Supply Chain’ attack.
- Instead of directly attacking the federal government or a private organization’s network, the hackers target a third-party vendor, which supplies software to them.
- Once installed, the malware gave a backdoor entry to the hackers to the systems and networks of SolarWinds’ customers.
- More importantly, the malware was also able to thwart tools such as anti-virus that could detect it.
The deadliest cyber-attack ever in the US
- The US Energy department which is responsible for managing America’s nuclear weapons is the latest agency to confirm that it has been breached in the SolarWinds cyber attack.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Conjunction in space-phenomena
Mains level: Not Much
After nearly 400 years, Saturn and Jupiter – the two largest planets in our solar system – will be brought closest in the night sky by an astronomical event called the “great conjunction” and popularly referred to as the “Christmas Star”.
Try this PYQ:
What is a coma, in the context of Astronomy?
(a) Bright half of material on the comet
(b) Long tail of dust
(c) Two asteroids orbiting each other
(d) Two planets orbiting each other
What are the Conjunctions?
- A conjunction is not unique to Saturn and Jupiter however, it is the name given to any event where planets or asteroids appear to be very close together in the sky when viewed from the Earth.
- In June 2005 for instance, as a result of the “spectacular” conjunction, Mercury, Venus and Saturn appeared so close together in the sky that the patch of sky where the three planets were could be covered by a thumb.
- Astronomers use the word “great” for the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn because of the planets’ sizes.
The “Great Conjunction”
- It happens once in about 20 years because of the time each of the planets takes to orbit around the Sun.
- Jupiter takes roughly 12 years to complete one lap around the Sun and Saturn takes 30 years.
- This is because Saturn has a larger orbit and moves more slowly because it is not as strongly influenced by the Sun’s gravitational force as planets that are closer to the Sun.
- As the two planets move along their orbits, every two decades, Jupiter catches up with Saturn resulting in what astronomers call the great conjunction.
A ‘rare alignment’
- Jupiter and Saturn are bright planets and can be typically seen with the naked eye even from cities.
- But during conjunction, they appear to be close to each other, which is what makes the event noteworthy.
- The event will coincide with the winter solstice (shortest day of the year in terms of hours of sunlight received) in the Northern Hemisphere and summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.
- This year, however, the event is rare because the planets will come the closest to each other in nearly four centuries; in what astronomer Henry Throop described is a result of a “rare alignment” of the planets.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: KG basin, Natural Gas
Mains level: Oil and gas reserves in KG basin
Reliance Industries Ltd and BP (British Petroleum) have announced the start of gas production from the R cluster of the KG Basin, the deepest off-shore gas field in Asia.
Must read
https://www.civilsdaily.com/burning-issue-natural-gas-marketing-reforms/
Krishna-Godavari Basin
- The Krishna Godavari Basin is a proven petroliferous basin of continental margin located on the east coast of India.
- Its onland part covers an area of 15000 sq. km and the offshore part covers an area of 25,000 sq. km up to 1000 m isobath.
- The basin contains about 5 km thick sediments with several cycles of deposition, ranging in age from Late Carboniferous to Pleistocene.
- The major geomorphologic units of the Krishna Godavari basin are Upland plains, Coastal plains, Recent Flood and Delta Plains.
Minerals found
- KG inland and offshore basins have good prospects of tight oil and tight gas reserves from the conducted field studies.
- The first gas discovery in the basin was in 1983.
- Most of the conventional wells drilled and operated have a shorter lifespan than envisaged life and with erratic production.
- This may be due to drilling of conventional wells in tight oil and gas fields without horizontal drilling in the shale rock formations and hydraulic fracturing.
Note: Tight gas and tight oil are produced from reservoir rocks with such low permeability that considerable hydraulic fracturing is required to harvest the well at economic rates.
The KGD6 block
- Krishna Godavari Dhirubhai 6 (KG-D6) was Reliance’s first offshore gas field development and its first underwater discovery.
- It was also India’s largest deposit of natural gas and the largest such discovery in the world in 2002.
- The project takes its name from India’s Krishna-Godavari Basin, which covers more than 19,000 square miles (50,000 square kilometres) in Andhra Pradesh and production block D6 in the Bay of Bengal.
Why is this important?
- The R cluster, along with the Satellite Cluster and MJ gas fields in the KG Basin is expected to produce around 30 MMSCMD (million standard cubic metres per day) of natural gas.
- This is about 15% of India’s projected demand for natural gas by 2023.
Do they impact India’s energy security efforts?
- The three projects are a key part of the plan to boost domestic production of natural gas to increase the share of natural gas in India’s energy basket from 6.2% now to 15% by 2030.
- Increased domestic production of natural gas is an important aspect of reducing India’s dependence on imports and improves energy security.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Guru Tegh Bahadur
Mains level: Not Much
The Prime Minister has paid tributes to Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji on his Martyrdom Day.
Try this PYQ:
Q. Consider the following Bhakti Saints:
- Dadu Dayal
- Guru Nanak
- Tyagaraja
Who among the above was/were preaching when the Lodi dynasty fell and Babur took over?
(a) 1 and 3
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 1 and 2
Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621–1675)
- Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He was born at Amritsar in 1621 and was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind.
- His term as Guru ran from 1665 to 1675. One hundred and fifteen of his hymns are in Guru Granth Sahib.
- There are several accounts explaining the motive behind the assassination of Guru Tegh Bahadur on Aurangzeb’s orders.
- He stood up for the rights of Kashmiri Pandits who approached him against religious persecution by Aurangzeb.
- He was publicly killed in 1675 on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi for himself refusing Mughal rulers and defying them.
- Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi mark the places of execution and cremation of his body.
Impact of his martyrdom
- The execution hardened the resolve of Sikhs against religious oppression and persecution.
- His martyrdom helped all Sikh Panths consolidate to make the protection of human rights central to its Sikh identity.
- Inspired by him, his nine-year-old son, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, eventually organized the Sikh group into a distinct, formal, symbol-patterned community came to be known as Khalsa (Martial) identity.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Koothambalam
Mains level: Keralan Architecture
The renovated Koothambalam of the Sreekrishna temple, Guruvayur, has been selected for the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for cultural heritage conservation.
Try this PYQ:
Q. Building ‘Kalyana Mandapas’ was a notable feature in the temple construction in the kingdom of-
(a) Chalukya
(b) Chandela
(c) Rashtrakuta
(d) Vijayanagara
What is Koothambalam?
- Koothambalam meaning temple theatre is a closed hall for staging Koothu, Nangiar koothu and Koodiyattam, the ancient ritualistic art forms of Kerala.
- Koothambalams are said to be constructed according to the guidelines given in chapter 2 of Nātyasāstra of Bharata Muni.
- The stage within the hall is considered to be as sacred as the temple sanctum.
Its’ construction
- It is constructed within the cloister of the Temple; more precisely within the pancaprakaras of the temple. The prescribe location is between the prakaras of bahyahara and maryada.
- In Kerala tradition, it is considered as one among the panchaprasadas of a temple complex.
- Its dimension varies from temple to temple.
- A square platform with a separate pyramidal roof supported by pillars in the centre called natyamandapam is constructed as s separate structure within the large hall of Koothampalam.
- The floor of the hall is divided into two equal halves and one part is for performance (including stage, instruments, green room etc.) and another half for seating audience.
About Guruvayur Temple
- It is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu lord, Guruvayurappan (a four-armed form of the Lord Vishnu), located in the town of Guruvayur in Kerala.
- It is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus in Kerala and is often referred to as Bhuloka Vaikunta (Holy Abode of Vishnu on Earth).
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: India-UK ties
India and the U.K. must not allow concerns of the moment to dominate their relationship.
Practice Question: Discuss the opportunities and the challenges in the India-UK relationships. What is the prospectus of India-UK relations after Brexit and Coronavirus pandemic?
Secretary’s Delhi visit
- British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab’s Delhi visit came with a declaration of immediate and longer-term goals for the India-U.K. relationship.
- It prepares the way for PM Johnson’s India visit, as the chief guest at Republic Day and to invite PM Modi to the U.K. to the G-7 and the Climate Change (COP26) summits next year.
- Johnson will be the first head of government to visit India after the spread of COVID-19; this will also be his first bilateral visit anywhere after Brexit signalling the importance of ties with India.
A new page in ties
- Upgrading the ties – Both countries up for upgrading of the 2004 India-U.K. Strategic Partnership to a “Comprehensive” Strategic Partnership.
- This will help to envision closer military ties, cooperation in Indo-Pacific strategies, counter-terrorism and fighting climate change.
- Hoping for FTA – Britain is on a mission to secure free trade partners after Brexit. It has wrapped up nearly 20 trade deals, including most recently with the U.S., Japan, and Vietnam and is hoping for India to sign the same.
- Corona pandemic and cooperation for vaccine manufacturing – The highlight of India’s relations will be closer cooperation on the coronavirus vaccine.
- India’s Serum Institute set to produce and distribute the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in India, and then as part of the COVAX project to other developing countries.
Challenges in India-UK relations
- Stagnancy in the relations – India-UK relations are stagnant for the past five years due to Britain’s Brexit preoccupation.
- The relationship has failed to progress in this time, despite visits by Mr Modi and former British Prime Minister Theresa May.
- Other less important issues gained the narrative – Issues such as visas and the fate of fugitive Indian businessmen in the U.K. have been allowed to dominate the narrative.
- The MEA had responded sharply to protests at the Indian High Commission in London over the Article 370 move in Jammu and Kashmir, and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
- Britain’s concerns about the farmers’ protests that sparked responses in New Delhi about interference in India’s internal matters.
- Sometimes, intense interest from the British Indian diaspora makes Indian politics a factor in British politics is a reminder of how closely linked the two countries remain.
- A new chapter in India-UK relationship would necessarily entail the K. to be more sensitive to India’s concerns, and for India to be less sensitive when Britain expresses its concerns.
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