Polity & Governance 1...1. Election Commission of India Launches a One Stop Solution to Verify & Authenticate Voter Details (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance)

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Table of Contents

Polity & Governance ....................................................... 1

1. Election Commission of India Launches a One Stop Solution to Verify & Authenticate

Voter Details (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance) ................. 1

2. India still unable to control the hepatitis B virus (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper

II; Polity & Governance) .............................................................................................................................. 1

3. Why did Tamil Nadu ban sex normalisation surgeries on intersex children? (Relevant

for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance) .................................................................. 2

4. CJ Tahilramani’s transfer to the Meghalaya HC once again shows collegium system’s flaws (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance) ................................. 3

5. Need for a stronger worker safety law (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity

& Governance)................................................................................................................................................. 3

6. The recent nomination of Governors calls for a review of the appointments process

(Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance) ............................................. 4

7. Four years after a WHO study declared Delhi the world’s most polluted city, CM Arvind Kejriwal has announced that pollution has dropped 25% since. What do data show?

How did the city achieve this? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity &

Governance) ..................................................................................................................................................... 5

8. Lynching is not murder: killing of Tabrez Ansari (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper

II; Polity & Governance) .............................................................................................................................. 7

9. Reaction to higher traffic penalties (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity &

Governance) ..................................................................................................................................................... 8

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10. Illegal hoardings are threat to road users (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II;

Polity & Governance) .................................................................................................................................... 8

11. Rajasthan’s Jan Soochna portal (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity &

Governance) ..................................................................................................................................................... 9

12. What is Jammu and Kashmir’s Public Safety Act? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains

Paper II; Polity & Governance) ................................................................................................................. 9

13. SC finds death, terror, violence from 1990 ‘formidable reasons’ for J&K lockdown (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance) ........................................... 11

14. Recent observations by the Supreme Court have put the spotlight back on the debate

over a Uniform Civil Code. What would such a Code seek to achieve, and what have been

the arguments for and against it? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity &

Governance) ................................................................................................................................................... 11

15. Vokkaligas, politics and symbolism: Why Kempegowda’s statue matters (Relevant for

GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance) ....................................................................... 12

16. In consolidated list of National Register of Citizens applicants in Assam, a note has underlined that no one’s position in it is final. What are the ways in which someone listed as a citizen can still be removed? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity

& Governance)............................................................................................................................................... 13

17. Passport, Aadhaar, all in one: Amit Shah moots idea of multipurpose card (Relevant for

GS Prelims and Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance) .................................................................. 14

18. The Justice Kureshi episode raises fresh questions about the Collegium’s role (Relevant

for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance) ................................................................ 15

19. U.K. top court rules suspension of Parliament unlawful (Relevant for GS Prelims &

Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance) .................................................................................................. 15








20. Supreme Court decision on illegal Maradu high rise apartments (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance) ............................................................................ 16

International Organizations and Relations ........... 17

1. What’s Boris Johnson’s Brexit strategy? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR) .. 17

2. Consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR) ... 17

3. Analysis of Afghan deal between United States and Taliban on withdrawal of US Troops

(Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR) .......................................................................... 18

4. China agrees to withdraw law protested by people of Hong Kong. Will this end ongoing

protests in Hong Kong? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR) ............................ 19

5. Highlights of Modi- Putin meet ahead of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia

(Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR) .................................................................. 19

6. Kartarpur Corridor pact stuck over visitor fees (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II;

IOBR) ....................................................................................................................................... 20

7. India extends $1 b line of credit to Russia’s Far East (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper

II; IOBR) ................................................................................................................................... 21

8. An erratic President Trump changes his mind over talks with the Taliban (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR) .............................................................................................. 22

9. Indo-Thailand Joint Military Exercise Maitree – 2019 (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper

II; IOBR) ................................................................................................................................... 23

10. Failed Rohingya repatriation from Bangladesh to Myanmar (Relevant for GS Prelims and

Mains Paper II; IOBR) .............................................................................................................. 23

11. Present state of Yemen (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR)............................ 24

12. Election results in Israel- 2nd election in the same year (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains

Paper II; IOBR) ......................................................................................................................... 25








13. What is China’s One Country Two Systems policy? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II;

IOBR) ....................................................................................................................................... 25

14. Article 35, UN Charter — How India took up Pakistan invasion of J&K (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR) .............................................................................................. 27

15. Implications of Britain top court’s ruling on PM Boris Johnson prorogation of Parliament

(Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR) .................................................................. 28

16. US House of Representatives begins impeachment inquiry on Trump (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR) ............................................................................................. 29

17. How likely is Donald Trump to get impeached? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II;

IOBR) ...................................................................................................................................... 30

Geography ................................................................ 32

1. Is Indian Ocean helping Atlantic currents? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper I;

Geography) ................................................................................................................................... 32

Economics ........................................................................ 33

1. RBI’s transfer to government and from where do the RBI’s earnings come from? (Relevant

for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics) ........................................................................ 33

2. 10 public sector banks to be merged (Relevant for GS Prelims; Economics) ......................... 35

3. What bank mergers can mean, the potential downsides (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains

Paper III; Economics) ............................................................................................................... 36

4. Eight core sectors growth slows to 2.1% in July (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III;

Economics) .............................................................................................................................. 38

5. Inter-ministerial panel on fintech: ‘Need to look into virtual banking licences, fixed deposit

dematerialisation, gold bonds’ (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics) ...... 39

6. Analysis of GDP data (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics) ...................... 40








7. RBI’s diktat to banks could spur borrowing but may pressure lenders’ margins (Relevant for

GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics) .............................................................................. 42

8. What is ration card portability? How will the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme be

carried out? What are the challenges? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III;

Economics) .............................................................................................................................. 42

9. Constitution of task force for drawing up National Infrastructure Pipeline of Rs. 100 Lakh

Crore from FY 2019-20 to FY 2024-25 (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics)

................................................................................................................................................. 42

10. World Bank's Georgieva set to become 2nd female IMF chief (Relevant for GS Prelims &

Mains Paper III; Economics) .................................................................................................... 46

11. A minor win for India at WTO- The trade body ruled that renewable energy incentives

offered by U.S. were discriminatory (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics)

................................................................................................................................................. 46

12. Prime Minister to Launch Kisan Man Dhan Yojana on the 12th of September (Relevant for


13. New Pension schemes launched for small and marginal farmers, traders and self- employed

persons (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics) .......................................... 48

14. Nirmala Sitharaman unveils package to boost exports, revive housing sector (Relevant for


15. In recent years, many state govts have waived farm loans. How did this impact their

respective finances? Following a recent RBI report, a look at why state finances matter for

India’s macroeconomic stability (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics) .... 50

16. Drone strikes on Saudi facility lead to jump in crude prices (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains

Paper III; Economics) .............................................................................................................. 51

17. Government to peg MGNREGA wages to inflation in bid to hike incomes (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics) .................................................................................. 52








18. What corporate tax cut means for the Indian economy (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains

Paper III; Economics) .............................................................................................................. 53

19. India to get up to five million tonnes of LNG a year (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper

III; Economics) ........................................................................................................................ 54

20. Move to link Aadhaar with GST registration (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III;

Economics) ............................................................................................................................. 54

21. India, U.S. trade deal falls through (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics) 55

22. Why RBI has put restrictions on Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank and What are

the implications of these restrictions? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III;

Economics) ............................................................................................................................. 56

23. Modi government is mistaken to believe that companies will invest more after the

corporate tax cut (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics) .......................... 57

24. What can be done to address the demand drought in our economy? (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics) .................................................................................. 58

25. Measures to check price rise of onions (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III;

Economics) ............................................................................................................................. 60

Environment ...................................................................... 60

1. Where does India stand on plastic waste? What is the protocol that needs to be in place

before a ban on single-use plastic items comes into force? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains

Paper III; Environment) ........................................................................................................... 61

2. Why PM Modi is attending a special climate meet on sidelines of UNGA (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment)................................................................................ 62

3. New leadership group announced at Climate Action Summit (Relevant for GS Prelims &

Mains Paper III; Economics) .................................................................................................... 64

4. Outcome of Climate Action Summit (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment

& Biodiversity) ......................................................................................................................... 65








5. First in pollution control: how Surat industries will trade particulate matter (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment)................................................................................ 66

6. PM Modi vows to more than double India’s non-fossil fuel target to 450 GW by 2022

(Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics) ........................................................ 67

Science & Technology ...................................................... 68

1. India is seeking a transition from conventional fuel vehicles to e-vehicles. Are e-vehicles

economically feasible for mass use? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science &

Technology) ............................................................................................................................. 68

2. Apache attack helicopters: what IAF’s lethal new acquisition can achieve (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology) ................................................................. 70

3. How to deflect an asteroid (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science &

Technology) ............................................................................................................................. 70

4. In ethanol, government’s sugar solution (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science

& Technology) ......................................................................................................................... 71

5. How successful has been Chandrayaan-2 (Relevant for GS Prelims; Science & Technology) 73

6. New anti-tuberculosis drug (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science &

Technology) ............................................................................................................................. 75

7. How ISRO is trying to reconnect with Vikram Lander, within a deadline (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology) ................................................................. 76

8. What is Bombay blood group, rare and sought after? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains

Paper III; Science & Technology) ............................................................................................ 77

9. Is India likely to ban single-use plastics soon? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III;

Science & Technology) ............................................................................................................ 78

10. Train 18 project status (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology) 79

11. What is ‘Vaccine hesitancy’? Why it is a significant threat? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains

Paper III; Science & Technology) ............................................................................................ 80








12. Fiber to the home (FTTH) broadband service: Gone are the days of Mbps, now it will be

about Gbps (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology) ................. 81

13. Giving birth at 74: Issues in debate around setting an age limit for IVF (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology) ................................................................ 81

14. Production and sale of e-cigarettes have been made a punishable offence in India. How

widespread is their use in India? What are the health concerns around such products, and

how do they compare with traditional tobacco? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III;

Science & Technology) ........................................................................................................... 83

15. What does ancient DNA show about history? How do genetic patterns relate to

archaeological evidence about Indian pasts? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III;

Science & Technology) ........................................................................................................... 84

16. ISRO initiates ‘Project NETRA’ to safeguard Indian space assets from debris and other harm

(Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology) ..................................... 86

17. First Indigenous Fuel Cell System launched (Relevant for GS Prelims; Science & Technology)

................................................................................................................................................. 87

18. What have researchers at Google achieved? How are quantum computers different from

regular personal computers? How will it impact the technology world? (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology) ................................................................ 88

Internal Security ............................................................... 90

1. Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Lakhvi, Dawood Ibrahim declared terrorists under new anti-

terror law (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Internal Security) ............................. 90

2. NATGRID wants to link social media accounts to central database (Relevant for GS Prelims &

Mains Paper III; Internal Security) ......................................................................................... 91

3. 312 Sikh foreigners removed from post-militancy ‘adverse list’ (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Internal Security) ......................................................................................... 91

4. Resumption of Balakot terrorist camp (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III; Internal Security) 92








Disaster Management .................................................... 92

1. Mapping lightning across India (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Disaster

Management) ......................................................................................................................... 93

2. UN Convention to Combat Desertification meeting nears conclusion in Greater Noida. What

is causing desertification of land around the world, and what role does the Convention play

in trying to combat it? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Disaster Management) 94

Miscellaneous ................................................................... 96

1. Global Linker: A Facebook-like platform that connects small firms globally (Relevant for GS

Prelims) ......................................................................................................................................... 96

2. Madras High Court Chief Justice Sends Resignation Papers To President (Read only for

understanding) ............................................................................................................................. 96

3. Ram Jethmalani passes away (Relevant for GS Prelims) ........................................................ 97

4. Volfefe index — a way to track Trump’s Twitter impact on markets (Relevant for GS Prelims)

................................................................................................................................................. 97

5. Skill India gets its first Batch of IES officers to the ISDS cadre (Relevant for GS Prelims) ..... 98

6. U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton sacked (Read only for understanding) .............. 98

7. Irresponsible remarks: On U.P. Minister’s Ayodhya comments (Read only for understanding)................................................................................................................................................. 98

8. Maiden IN-RSN-RTN Trilateral Exercise Commences (Relevant for GS Prelims) .................... 99

9. National Centre for Clean Coal Research Development inaugurated at Bengaluru (Relevant

for GS Prelims) ........................................................................................................................ 99

10. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana Reaches One Crore Beneficiaries (Relevant for GS

Prelims) ................................................................................................................................... 99

11. PM addresses the Indian community event ' Howdy Modi' at Houston (Relevant for GS

Prelims) ................................................................................................................................. 100








12. Government launches ‘UMMID’ initiative to tackle inherited genetic diseases of new born

babies (Relevant for GS Prelims)........................................................................................... 100

13. Ramanujan prize for U.K. mathematician (Relevant for GS Prelims) ................................... 100

14. Who is Greta Thunberg (Relevant for GS Prelims) ............................................................... 101

15. Government reconstitutes Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (Relevant for

GS Prelims) ............................................................................................................................ 102

16. Poshan Maah event by WCD Ministry (Relevant for GS Prelims) ........................................ 102





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Polity and Governance

1. Election Commission of India Launches a One Stop Solution to Verify &

Authenticate Voter Details (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity &

Governance)

Election commission launched Electors Verification Programme. The programme has been launched along with National Voters’ Service Portal (https://www.nvsp.in/). What are the details of programme?

The voters can log on to NVSP portal (nvsp.in) or Voter Helpline App or Common Service Centres or any nearby voter facilitation centre to avail the following facilities: • Verification and corrections of the existing details • Authentication of entry by furnishing scanned/DigiLocker copy of one of the following documents:(i) Indian Passport (ii) Driving License (iii) Aadhaar Card (iv) Ration Card (v) identity card for Government/Semi Government Officials (vi) Bank Passbooks (vii) Farmer's Identity Card (viii) PAN Card (ix) Smart Card issued by RGI (x) Latest bill for water/electricity/telephone/gas connection. • Furnishing details of family members and verifying their entries too • Updating details of family members already enrolled as voters but permanently shifted or expired. Source: PIB

2. India still unable to control the hepatitis B virus (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains

Paper II; Polity & Governance)

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Thailand

On September 3, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Thailand became the first four countries in the World Health Organization’s southeast Asia region to have successfully controlled hepatitis B. The virus is said to be controlled when the disease prevalence is reduced to less than 1% among children less than five years of age. Status in India

Despite the introduction of hepatitis B vaccine in the Universal Immunisation Programme in 2002 and scaling-up nationwide in 2011, about one million people in India become chronically infected with the virus every year. According to the Health Ministry, as on February 2019, an estimated 40 million people in India were infected. Hepatitis B infection at a young age turns chronic, causing over 1,00,000 premature deaths annually from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.





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Reasons

One of the reasons for this is the sub-optimal coverage of birth dose in all infants within 24 hours of birth. Hepatitis B birth dose, given in the first 24 hours, helps prevent vertical transmission from the mother to child. The compulsion to increase birth dose to cut vertical transmission arises from two important reasons — about 70-90% newborns infected this way become chronic carriers of hepatitis B, and about 20-30% carriers in India are due to vertical transmission. Source: The Hindu

3. Why did Tamil Nadu ban sex normalisation surgeries on intersex children?

(Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance)

The Tamil Nadu government passed an order on August 13 banning sex normalisation surgeries in intersex children and infants, except in life threatening circumstances. What does intersex mean?

Intersex refers to people born with physical and biological characteristics that are more diverse than stereotypical definitions of male or female bodies. Gopi Shankar, a Madurai-based activist/anchor of the student movement Srishti Madurai, whose petition to the National Human Rights Commission on the subject the court leaned heavily on, says there are differences between gender, sexual identity and sexual orientation. While gender identity is assigned at birth based on the anatomy (male or female sexual organs, both internal and external), sexual identity is what one sees oneself as, and sexual orientation is the sex a person is attracted to. Mr. Gopi claims that every year there are 10,000 babies born with intersex conditions, when it is difficult to classify the reproductive organs as male or female. Why are sex selective surgeries performed on infants?

When these differences are apparent at birth, parents are eager to resolve the question of the gender of the baby and pick a gender, possibly ignorant of the fact that the child will have to pick a sexual identity in the process of growing up. Surgery to correct the genitalia is then performed on the child which could lead to physical trauma, emotional turmoil and problems arising out of confusion about identity. The government order specifies that such surgeries can only be performed in case there is a life-threatening situation. It adds that this call would be made by a team that includes paediatric surgeons/urologists, endocrinologists, a social worker/intersex activist and a government representative. The consent of the parent cannot be considered the consent of the child. Source: The Hindu





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4. CJ Tahilramani’s transfer to the Meghalaya HC once again shows collegium system’s flaws (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance)

Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani, has been unusually transferred to Meghalaya High Court. What is wrong with the transfer?

While the Constitution does provide for such transfers from one high court to another, it is extremely rare that the senior-most Chief Justice in the country is shifted from a large court with a complement of 75 judges to one of the newest courts, which has a strength of only three judges. It is no surprise, therefore, that the judge, who entered the superior judiciary in 2001, and is the senior-most high court judge in the country, chose to resign, rather than continue in circumstances bordering on humiliation. Flaws in collegium system

It is unfortunate that the collegium rejected her request for reconsideration without assigning a reason. It is easy to argue that one high court is as good as any other, that such transfers should not be seen as a ‘demotion’, and that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) should be free to transfer the head of any high court in the interest of “better administration of justice”. However, it is a fallacious argument when one considers that there are no known complaints about her performance or any public controversy around her judicial or personal conduct. It is possible that the transfer is based on an internal performance assessment, or complaints not available in the public domain. However, in the absence of any explanation, the transfer seems to be punitive. If it is performance-related, a question arises as to whether all judges are being assessed on the same criteria. Method of transfer

Judicial transfers are initiated solely at the instance of the CJI. The Memorandum of Procedure relating to appointments and transfers of high court judges says the opinion of the Chief Justice in this regard “is determinative”. And in the case of a Chief Justice of a High Court, the CJI needs to take into account, “only the views of one or more knowledgeable Supreme Court Judges” while proposing a transfer. In the Second and Third Judges cases, the Supreme Court felt that the fact that the proposal is initiated by the CJI and recommended by a plurality of judges is enough as a safeguard against arbitrary transfers. However, the Tahilramani controversy shows that the systemic faults of the collegium system — opaqueness and the scope for personal opinions colouring decision-making — remain unaddressed. Source: The Hindu

5. Need for a stronger worker safety law (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II;

Polity & Governance)

Recent incidents





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India’s record in promoting occupational and industrial safety remains weak. Making work environments safer is a low priority. The consequences are frequently seen in the form of a large number of fatalities and injuries, but in a market that has a steady supply of labour, policymakers tend to ignore the wider impact of such losses. It will be no surprise, therefore, if the deaths of four people, including a senior officer, in a fire at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation gas facility in Navi Mumbai, or the tragedy that killed nearly two dozen people at a firecracker factory in Batala, Punjab are quickly forgotten.

Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code

The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019, introduced in the Lok Sabha in July to combine 13 existing laws relating to mines, factories, dock workers, building and construction, transport workers, inter-State migrant labour and so on, pays little attention to the sector-specific requirements of workers. One of its major shortcomings is that formation of safety committees and appointment of safety officers, the latter in the case of establishments with 500 workers, is left to the discretion of State governments. Evidently, the narrow stipulation on safety officers confines it to a small fraction of industries. On the other hand, the Factories Act currently mandates appointment of a bipartite committee in units that employ hazardous processes or substances, with exemptions being the exception. This provision clearly requires retention in the new Code. Failure to ratify ILO convention on worker’s safety A safe work environment is a basic right, and India’s recent decades of high growth should have ushered in a framework of guarantees. Unfortunately, successive governments have not felt it necessary to ratify many fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) covering organised and unorganised sector workers’ safety, including the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981. Source: The Hindu

6. The recent nomination of Governors calls for a review of the appointments

process (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance)

The recent appointment of five Governors by the President must be viewed with grave scepticism. By nominating persons who are deeply embedded within the Bharatiya Janata Party ecosystem, the Union Government has sent the clear and ominous signal that constitutional principles and judicial diktats are secondary to the propagation of the party’s ideology. Who are the new Governors?

The President appointed Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Bandaru Dattatreya, Arif Mohammed Khan and Tamilisai Soundararajan as Governors, and transferred Kalraj Mishra from





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Himachal Pradesh to Rajasthan. Mr. Mishra had assumed office at the Raj Bhavan in Shimla as recently as July 22, 2019. Seen as a whole, all these appointees have recent, strong and uncompromising links with the BJP. Mr. Koshiyari is a former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and was a member of the 16th Lok Sabha; Mr. Mishra and Mr. Dattatreya served in the Council of Ministers under Prime Minister Narendra Modi; and Mr. Khan and Ms. Soundararajan unsuccessfully contested the 2004 and 2019 elections, respectively, on BJP tickets. Constitutional position

The process of gubernatorial appointments is anything but transparent. We know little more than the fact that the President has appointed a person as Governor “by warrant under his hand and seal”. B.P. Singhal v. Union of India

A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court looked at the scope of the Union’s power to remove Governors in the landmark case of B.P. Singhal v. Union of India (2010). In this case, the Supreme Court spoke about the dual role of the Governor — as the constitutional head of the State government and as a vital link between the State and Union governments. Elucidating the specific functions of the Governor, the Supreme Court, speaking through Justice R.V. Raveendran, said that the Governor is “not an employee of the Union Government, nor the agent of the party in power nor required to act under the dictates of political parties”. The Court further anticipated that there “may be occasions when he may have to be an impartial or neutral Umpire where the views of the Union Government and State Governments are in conflict”. Commission recommendations

Over the years, the Sarkaria Commission on Centre-State Relations and the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution have reiterated that the Governor appointee “should be a person who has not taken too great a part in politics generally, and particularly in the recent past”. Unfortunately, the President has overlooked this important recommendation which is critical to the existence of a federal and constitutional democracy. As such, this reignites the debate around the office of the Governor, its appointments and processes involved. Source: The Hindu

7. Four years after a WHO study declared Delhi the world’s most polluted city, CM Arvind Kejriwal has announced that pollution has dropped 25% since. What do data

show? How did the city achieve this? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II;


Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said last week that pollution levels in Delhi, primarily the concentration of particulate matter, has reduced by 25% over a period of four years.





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Five years ago, in 2014, a global study on air quality trends by the World Health Organisation had declared Delhi the most polluted city in the world. Since then, the Centre, states and courts have taken several steps to arrest pollution in the city. Delhi air pollution: What the data show

Delhi, through its pollution control committee, started monitoring air quality in real time only in 2010. It was in 2012 that Delhi saw its worst air quality. But since 2012, the average annual concentration of particulate matter — the primary cause of pollution in the city — has been falling. Gradual in the beginning, the dip has been sharper between 2015 and 2018. Particulate matter, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in air. Some particles can be seen with the naked eye; others can only be detected under a microscope. In Delhi’s air, the primary pollutants are PM2.5 (inhalable particles of diameter 2.5 micrometres and smaller) and PM10 (10 micrometres and smaller). Most polluted months

The most polluted months of the year are November, December and January, with pollution peaking in November, monthly averages between 2012 and 2018 show. It is in November that the highest volume of crop residue is burnt in Haryana, Punjab and UP. It is also when temperatures fall and humidity rises, aiding the increase in concentration of pollutants in the air. Locally, the burning of leaves picks up in November. However, as the chart shows, PM2.5 concentrations have fallen over the years — in November as well as in the ‘cleaner’ months of July, August and September. What has worked in Delhi

1. In 2014, lawyer Vardhaman Kaushik approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against pollution levels. His petition became the basis of several NGT orders, upheld by the Supreme Court, including the ban on old diesel and petrol vehicles. 2. Between 2014 and 2017, the Delhi government, Central Pollution Control Board, and Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority carried out drives, issued orders, and implemented orders passed by NGT to curb air pollution, including the implementation of the odd-even road rationing scheme. 3. The biggest push came in 2017, when the Centre notified the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which provided state governments in Delhi and the NCR with a roadmap for action. If the air was severely polluted for more than 48 hours, for example, the entry of trucks would be stopped, and all construction work halted. The GRAP also set roles for each agency, fixing accountability. 4. Shutting of the two thermal power plants in Delhi, completion of the eastern and western peripheral expressways for vehicles not destined for Delhi, a ban on PET Coke as industrial fuel, and the introduction of BS VI fuel have, experts believe, made a big difference.





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There are, however, two things that experts believe have been done completely locally that have made a big difference. “Open burning has been largely curtailed in the city. Earlier, as soon as autumn arrived, piles of leaves would be set on fire — but stringent fines now have meant the practice has almost disappeared. The second thing is the regulation of construction activity. While not as successful as the ban on open burning, regular enforcement drives have meant that whenever a ban is ordered, it is largely followed.

Source: The Indian Express

8. Lynching is not murder: killing of Tabrez Ansari (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains


What has happened?

The decision of the Jharkhand police that the killing of Tabrez Ansari, 24, in June did not amount to murder is quite debatable. They have chosen to charge the 11 men arrested for his lynching with culpable homicide that does not amount to murder. To the layman, it would seem strange that those who labelled Ansari a thief, tied him to a pole and assaulted him for hours at night, are not going to be prosecuted for murder. It is not clear if the police are going to include accounts that claim he was forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. This aspect may help establish a clear sectarian motive on the part of the crowd to turn into a lynch mob and attack him. It is known that it was only the arrival of the police that ended the assault on him. Charges levied

That the police have chosen to prosecute them for culpable homicide and not death is strange. It is true that the line between culpable homicide and murder is thin. It is the courts that usually assess the circumstances in which a homicide took place and decide whether it amounted to murder or not. Murder is punishable under Section 302 with death or life imprisonment, while forms of culpable homicide attract either a life term or 10 years in prison under Section 304 of the IPC. Explanation given for treating act as culpable homicide

The official explanation for concluding that it was not murder is unconvincing. The two-pronged argument is that the medical report gave the cause of death as ‘cardiac arrest due to stress’, and the fact that the victim did not die immediately, but succumbed some days later. The police also say a second opinion from forensic experts was that the death was caused due to a combination of heart attack and the injuries he suffered. It is quite obvious that merely attributing death to a heart attack is meaningless without referring to the trauma caused by the physical assault. Need for anti-lynching law





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The suspicion that the charge is being diluted underscores the need for a special anti-lynching law. Such a law could cover acts of group violence, whether spontaneous or planned, so that those who join lynch mobs do not gain from any ambiguity about their intentions. Source: The Hindu

9. Reaction to higher traffic penalties (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II;


Response of State governments

The steep penalties for violation of road rules that came into force on September 1 under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 have produced a backlash, with several State governments opting to reduce the quantum of fines, or even to reject the new provisions. Gujarat has announced a substantial reduction in the fines, West Bengal has refused to adopt the higher penalties. Response of people

Motorists have reacted with outrage at the imposition of fines by the police, obviously upset at State governments pursuing enforcement without upgrading road infrastructure and making administrative arrangements for issue of transport documents. Autonomy to State governments

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has reiterated that it is left to the States to choose the quantum of fines, since it is their responsibility to bring about deterrence and protect the lives of citizens. Mr. Gadkari’s argument is valid, and the intent behind amending the Motor Vehicles Act cannot be faulted. After all, India has some of the deadliest roads in the world, and 1,47,913 people died in road accidents only during 2017. The question that has arisen is whether enhanced fines can radically change this record when other determinants, beginning with administrative reform, remain untouched. Mr. Gadkari should lose no time in forming the National Road Safety Board to recommend important changes to infrastructure and to enable professional accident investigation. Source: The Hindu

10. Illegal hoardings are threat to road users (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper

II; Polity & Governance)

What happened?

A banner put up on a road divider in Chennai by a functionary of the AIADMK to celebrate a wedding, fell on a young woman riding a two-wheeler. Consequently, she went off balance and under a tanker lorry, leading to her death. Only two years ago, a young engineer, died under similar circumstances in Coimbatore and another youth, was electrocuted in Udhagamandalam when he touched a party flag that was in contact with a wire.





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Response of political parties

Political parties do not observe any restraint in placing hoardings even after many directions from the Madras High Court to stop endangering public safety, goes to show that there are no serious consequences. Evidently, they are not persuaded by the orders issued in February this year by a division bench, impleading 11 political parties and reminding them of its many earlier orders that prohibit threats to public safety through banners and boards.

What should be done?

The government must fix accountability and make individual members of the executive liable for lack of public safety. There are disturbing aspects to the official response to the incident in Chennai, and the inquiry must go into the reported reluctance of the police to proceed against the AIADMK member who was responsible for the banners being put up. The Revenue Department and the local body must explain their failure to prohibit the dangerous structures, when there are clear orders in force, and acts of omission and commission should attract strong action. Source: The Hindu

11. Rajasthan’s Jan Soochna portal (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity

& Governance)

Fourteen years since the implementation of Right to Information (RTI) Act, Rajasthan has launched “Jan Soochna Portal” (public information portal) to increase transparency and accountability in governance. What does the portal cover?

The portal details various schemes run by 13 government departments — the employment guarantee programme, sanitation, the public distribution system among others, by not only explaining the schemes but also providing real time information on beneficiaries, authorities in charge, progress, etc. This is a laudable effort by the State government which is worthy of emulation by other States. Step in the direction of voluntary disclosures

The portal is implementation of provisions of Section 4(2) of RTI Act. This section requires public authorities to publish information pro-actively. As a one-shot portal for public information on government programmes, the JSP, therefore, can advance the objective of transparency. The challenge would be to ensure that the information flow remains unhampered over time. Besides this, it is important to educate the public about the use of data on the portal. While digital connectivity and literacy have increased over time, these have not adequately translated into digital knowledge of public affairs. Source: The Hindu

12. What is Jammu and Kashmir’s Public Safety Act? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance)





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Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has been detained under the state’s stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), which enables authorities to detain any individual for two years without trial. What is the PSA?

The Jammu & Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978 is a preventive detention law, under which a person is taken into custody to prevent him or her from acting in any manner that is prejudicial to “the security of the state or the maintenance of the public order”. It is very similar to the National Security Act that is used by other state governments for preventive detention. By definition, preventive detention is meant to be preventive, not punitive. This broad definition is the most common ground used by a law-enforcement agency when it slaps the PSA on an individual. It comes into force by an administrative order passed either by Divisional Commissioner or the District Magistrate, and not by an detention order by police based on specific allegations or for specific violation of laws.

Why is it considered draconian?

1. The PSA allows for detention of a person without a formal charge and without trial. It can be slapped on a person already in police custody; on someone immediately after being granted bail by a court; or even on a person acquitted by the court. Detention can be up to two years. 2. Unlike in police custody, a person who is detained under the PSA need not be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours of the detention. 3. The detained person does not have the right to move a bail application before a criminal court, and cannot engage any lawyer to represent him or her before the detaining authority. 4. The only way this administrative preventive detention order can be challenged is through a habeas corpus petition filed by relatives of the detained person. The High Court and the Supreme Court have the jurisdiction to hear such petitions and pass a final order seeking quashing of the PSA. However, if the order is quashed, there in no bar on the government passing another detention order under the PSA and detaining the person again. 5. The District Magistrate who has passed the detention order has protection under the Act, which states that the order is considered “done in good faith”. Therefore, there cannot be prosecution or any legal proceeding against the official who has passed the order. Also, after an amendment last year by the Governor, persons detained under the PSA in Jammu & Kashmir can now be detained in jails outside the state. Supreme Court directions on PSA?





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1. Over the years, the Supreme Court has held that while detaining a person under the PSA, the DM is under a legal obligation to analyse all the circumstances and material before depriving that person of his or her personal liberty. 2. It has also held that when a person already under police custody is slapped with the PSA, the DM has to record “compelling reasons” for detaining that person. 3. While the DM can detain a person multiple times under the PSA, he or she has to produce fresh facts while passing the subsequent detention order. 4. Opportunity should be provided to the detained person for making an effective representation; and the grounds of detention has to explained and communicated to the person in the language understood by the detained person. If these are not followed by the DM, it can be made the grounds, before the High Court, for quashing of a detention order. Source: The Indian Express

13. SC finds death, terror, violence from 1990 ‘formidable reasons’ for J&K lockdown

(Relevant for GS Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance)

The Attorney General K.K. Venugopal told a Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi that since 1990, 41,866 persons have lost their lives in 71,038 terror incidents. This included 14,038 civilians; 5,292 security personnel and 22,536 terrorists. Response of Supreme Court

1. The Supreme Court found the government’s statistics of thousands of instances of death, terror and violence in Jammu and Kashmir from 1990 as “formidable reasons” leading to the August 5, 2019 lockdown that followed the withdrawal of the special rights and privileges of Kashmiri people with the reading down of Article 370. 2. The government was also asked to restore normalcy, keeping in mind national security. 3. The court asked petitioners like Kashmir Times editor Anuradha Bhasin to approach the Jammu and Kashmir High Court with “local” problems like lack of Internet and mobile connectivity. Source: The Hindu

14. Recent observations by the Supreme Court have put the spotlight back on the

debate over a Uniform Civil Code. What would such a Code seek to achieve, and what

have been the arguments for and against it? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper

II; Polity & Governance)





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Last week, while hearing a matter relating to properties of a Goan, the Supreme Court described Goa as a “shining example” with a Uniform Civil Code, observed that the founders of the Constitution had “hoped and expected” a Uniform Civil Code for India but there has been no attempt at framing one. What is a Uniform Civil Code?

A Uniform Civil Code is one that would provide for one law for the entire country, applicable to all religious communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption etc. Article 44 of the Constitution lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India. Does India not already have a uniform code in civil matters?

Indian laws do follow a uniform code in most civil matters – Indian Contract Act, Civil Procedure Code, Sale of Goods Act, Transfer of Property Act, Partnership Act, Evidence Act etc. States, however, have made hundreds of amendments and therefore in certain matters, there is diversity even under these secular civil laws. Recently, several states refused to be governed by the uniform Motor Vehicles Act, 2019. If the framers of the Constitution had intended to have a Uniform Civil Code, they would have given exclusive jurisdiction to Parliament in respect of personal laws, by including this subject in the Union List. But “personal laws” are mentioned in the Concurrent List. Last year, the Law Commission concluded that a Uniform Civil Code is neither feasible nor desirable.

How does the idea of a Uniform Civil Code relate to the fundamental right to religion?

Article 25 lays down an individual’s fundamental right to religion; Article 26(b) upholds the right of each religious denomination or any section thereof to “manage its own affairs in matters of religion”; Article 29 defines the right to conserve distinctive culture. An individual’s freedom of religion under Article 25 is subject to “public order, health, morality” and other provisions relating to fundamental rights, but a group’s freedom under Article 26 has not been subjected to other fundamental rights. In the Constituent Assembly, there was division on the issue of putting Uniform Civil Code in the fundamental rights chapter. The matter was settled by a vote. By a 5:4 majority, the fundamental rights sub-committee headed by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel held that the provision was outside the scope of fundamental rights and therefore the Uniform Civil Code was made less important than freedom of religion. Source: The Indian Express

15. Vokkaligas, politics and symbolism: Why Kempegowda’s statue matters (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance)

CM Yediyurappa's plans to construct a 101-foot-tall Kempegowda bronze statue at the Bengaluru airport at the cost of Rs 100 crore is widely seen as an attempt by the BJP to gain leverage with the Vokkaliga community.





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The name of the founding father of Bengaluru — Kempegowda or Nada Prabhu Kempegowda — is hard to miss in the city. The city’s airport is known as the Kempegowda International Airport, the main bus stand is the Kempegowda Bus Stand, a main arterial road in the old city is the K G Road or the Kempegowda Road. In history lessons in schools, Kempegowda is the man who marked with towers the four corners of a Bengaluru he imagined. The chieftain from the Vijayanagar empire in the 16th century, is a political icon for the dominant agricultural Vokkaliga community in south Karnataka. Source: The Indian Express

16. In consolidated list of National Register of Citizens applicants in Assam, a note

has underlined that no one’s position in it is final. What are the ways in which

someone listed as a citizen can still be removed? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains


When The National Register of Citizens (NRC) authorities in Assam published a consolidated family-wise list of applicants recently, they appended a note that those included may also be excluded later, and that no position in the list is permanent. As of now, the NRC has included 3.11 crore applicants as citizens, and excluded 19 lakh. Under what circumstances can an included person’s name be deleted?

The note described three circumstances: * Any fact of misrepresentation of particulars/documents discovered by the authorities; * Discovery of a person being a Declared Foreigner (or a migrant of 1966-71 who is unregistered with a Foreigners Regional Registration Office [FRRO]); a person with a case pending at a Foreigners Tribunal, or a person being a D (Doubtful) voter or a descendant of such a person; * Receipt of an opinion by any Foreigners Tribunal declaring a person as a foreigner. Who is a D-voter or a Declared Foreigner?

D-Voter is a category introduced in Assam in 1997 to mark people unable to prove their citizenship during verification. A Declared Foreigner is one identified as such by one of the 100 Foreigners Tribunals (FTs), which are quasi-judicial bodies that opine whether or not a person is a foreigner within the meaning of the Foreigners Act, 1946. Under Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, people who entered Assam between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971 need to register with an FRRO. They would have all rights of a citizen except the right to vote, which would be granted after 10 years. In the NRC note, those who entered Assam within this 1966-71 window but did not register themselves, too, are liable to be excluded.





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How could such persons have been included in the NRC in the first place?

There have been allegations that Declared Foreigners have entered the final NRC. A centralised database is in the making, as a part of an e-FT programme, which will streamline databases of people declared or suspected to be foreigners by parallel processes (such as Foreigners Tribunals, Border Police reference, and NRC) and also store the biometrics of such people. Another possible explanation is that a person declared to be a foreigner, having failed to produce papers to convince a Foreigners Tribunal, might have convinced the NRC with the same documents. What happens to the over 19 lakh who are already excluded?

They will have the chance to appeal at the Foreigners Tribunals. The first step is obtaining an “exclusion or rejection” order from the NRC authorities, but there is no clarity on how long this will take. As per amended rules, a person has 120 days (understood to be counted from the day of the issuance of the rejection order) to appeal. If no appeal is filed in 120 days, the Deputy Commissioner of that district will make a “reference” to the Tribunal. The state government has announced that those excluded will get legal aid through the District Legal Services Authorities. The real challenge is before FTs where extensive documentation is required. Getting certified copies of documents from appropriate authorities is the first big hurdle. The poor and the illiterate are baffled. The BJP and its’ lawyers’ body, the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad, are formulating ways to provide legal aid to “genuine Indian citizens”. Several NGOs are also training volunteers to work as para-legals, while activists across the state have formed groups and are holding awareness meetings. Source: The Indian Express

17. Passport, Aadhaar, all in one: Amit Shah moots idea of multipurpose card

(Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah proposed the idea of a multipurpose identity card for citizens with all utilities like passport, Aadhaar, driving licence and bank accounts. The minister also said the Census 2021 data will be collected through mobile app, a move that will be a big revolution in the country’s census exercise. He added there should also be a system that when a person dies, the information is updated in the population data automatically. Shah also said the data for the National Population Register (NPR), a list of usual residents of the country, will also be collected along with the census exercise.





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18. The Justice Kureshi episode raises fresh questions about the Collegium’s role (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance)

The Supreme Court Collegium has modified its recommendation on Justice A.A. Kureshi. It appears that the collegium has succumbed to pressure from the Union government. What is the modification in the order?

Modifying its resolution of May 10 that the senior judge be appointed Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, the Collegium has now decided to send him to the Tripura High Court. What has happened so far?

It was quite apparent that the Centre was averse to the elevation of Justice Kureshi, who is from the Gujarat High Court, but serving in the Bombay High Court on transfer. The government did not act on the recommendation for months, raising the suspicion that it was blocking his appointment. The Collegium modified its decision after considering letters from the Department of Justice on August 23 and 27, and “accompanying material”. It is possible that the Collegium and the Centre have arrived at a compromise under which the government drops its opposition to his appointment as Chief Justice on the condition that he is sent to a smaller high court. Analysis of the present situation

It is common to charge the Collegium with lack of transparency, but in this case, the government is equally guilty. If the Law Ministry had a bona-fide objection to Justice Kureshi, it could have disclosed its opinion on his suitability. The failure to do so has the inevitable consequence of the public imagination concluding that the ruling party is blocking his elevation because of judicial orders he had passed while serving in Gujarat. As for the Collegium, it is unclear why it could not have disclosed what the government had wanted in its communications. This episode makes a dent in the prevailing narrative that the Collegium system is a shield against executive interference in judicial appointments. Source: The Hindu

19. U.K. top court rules suspension of Parliament unlawful (Relevant for GS Prelims

& Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance)

U.K. Supreme Court decision U.K. Supreme Court has ruled that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to shut down Parliament for five weeks in the run-up to Brexit was unlawful. The unanimous decision by the 11 presiding judges thrusts Britain’s exit from the European Union further into turmoil as it undermines Mr. Johnson and gives legislators more scope to oppose his Brexit plans.





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Reason why Mr. Johnson suspended British Parliament

Mr. Johnson has promised that UK will leave the EU with or without a deal by October 31. However, many members of parliament oppose him. To avoid their opposition, he suspended the parliament. British Parliament was prorogued from September 10 to October 14. The prorogation was approved by Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s politically neutral head of state, on the advice of the Prime Minister. Implications of SC judgement

Some lawmakers, including those thrown out of Mr. Johnson’s Conservative Party for rebelling against his Brexit plans, had said he should resign if he was found to have misled the queen. British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn called on Mr. Johnson to consider his position and call a new election. Source: The Hindu

20. Supreme Court decision on illegal Maradu high rise apartments (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance)

Decision of Supreme Court

The court said that illegal high-rise Maradu high rise appartments should be demolished because they violate coastal zone regulations. These regulations restrict construction in coastal areas. Further, the court ordered demolition and removal of debris to be completed by February 9, 2020. It also ordered the State government to file a written undertaking to this effect in seven days. The Supreme Court also ordered the Kerala government to immediately pay an interim compensation of Rs. 25 lakh each to the residents of the illegal high-rise Maradu blocks facing demolition for violation of coastal zone regulations. The court ordered the State to pay the interim compensation within four weeks and recover the sum from the builders and promoters of the apartments. Source: The Hindu





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International Organizations & Relations

1. What’s Boris Johnson’s Brexit strategy? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s move to “prorogue” or suspend Parliament for over five weeks beginning September second week has triggered furious responses from opposition leaders, who call the decision a threat to democracy. The decision comes at a time when Britain is inching closer towards the October 31 deadline for Brexit. By suspending Parliament for over a month, Mr. Johnson has effectively narrowed the lawmakers’ opportunities to reject his Brexit plans. What is prorogation?

Typically, prorogation is to bring a parliamentary session to end by the monarch on the advice of the government. In this case, Queen Elizabeth II approved the Johnson government’s request to suspend Parliament. It is said that the length of session has been deliberately curtailed. What does it mean for Brexit?

By suspending Parliament for over a month, Mr. Johnson has effectively narrowed the lawmakers’ opportunities to reject his Brexit plans. This would have been crucial time for rebel MPs to come up with legislation against a no-deal Brexit. What is next? Mr. Johnson’s plan is clearly to cut short the time available for MPs. With a reduced timeframe, he will try to force his Brexit legislation through Parliament. Once Parliament reconvenes, Mr. Johnson would ask the lawmakers either to support his plan or get ready for a no-deal exit. When Theresa May was the Prime Minister, MPs rejected her Brexit deal thrice. They failed to come up with an alternative plan either. The only thing they agreed regarding Brexit was to oppose a no-deal Brexit. It is not sure whether Prime Minister Johnson will even have a Brexit deal that’s different from Ms. May’s deal. The EU has rejected any new deal. Even if Mr. Johnson repackages Ms. May’s deal and presents before Parliament, MPs won’t have many options this time. The threat of no-deal will be hanging over them with the clock ticking fast.

Source: The Hindu

2. Consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II;

IOBR)

Consular access

More than three and a half years after Pakistan announced it had arrested Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of espionage and terrorism, India finally received consular access to him.





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The path to receiving the access, which should technically have been provided shortly after the arrest, had to be bitterly fought for by India. Vienna Convention of 1963 Despite being a signatory to the Vienna Convention of 1963, which mandates that arrested foreign nationals be allowed to meet consular officers, Pakistan refused the access until it was ordered to by the International Court of Justice at the Hague this July 17 in response to an Indian petition.

Access in video cameras and in front of Pakistan officials

Even after India won the case for consular access, Pakistan took weeks to respond, offering to allow the meeting only in the presence of video cameras, and Pakistani officials. India rejected this at first, and it is unclear why the government finally accepted those same terms, and nominated its Charge d’affaires to meet Mr. Jadhav despite the conversation being recorded, and Pakistani officials being present. Responses of Mr. Jadhav According to the officials who met him, Mr. Jadhav’s responses during the meeting seemed to be tutored and coerced, much like his “confessional” statements that were released by Pakistan during his trial in a military court. The MEA concluded that he was under “extreme pressure to parrot a false narrative”. As a result, Pakistan’s consular access appears to be as much of a sham as the trial itself, which was held in complete secrecy. And Mr. Jadhav, who was not allowed to choose a competent lawyer, was pronounced guilty and handed a death penalty in a matter of months. Source: The Hindu

3. Analysis of Afghan deal between United States and Taliban on withdrawal of US

Troops (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR)

Drafted last week, the agreement sets out a timeline for withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. It is not a peace deal, the onus for which lies with the Afghan government. What are the challenges it faces?

The United States and Taliban have reached a deal for American troops to withdraw from Afghanistan. Last weekend, US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was in Kabul to present details of the deal to Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani. What have they agreed on? Taliban and US government have reached an agreement “in principle” that the United States would withdraw some 5,000 troops within 135 days or five months starting from the signing of the agreement. The draft agreement, which was reached after nine rounds of talks between Khalilzad, US diplomat and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, is for the US troops to withdraw from five bases in this period. There appears to be no timeline yet for the withdrawal of the remaining 14,000





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troops but a period of 14 months has been mentioned in the past. Trump said at one time that some 8,000 troops would remain. In return for the withdrawal agreed upon, the Taliban are said to have committed to not allow “enemies of the US” — namely Daesh/ISIS and Al Qaeda — to set up base in Afghanistan. Is this expected to usher in peace?

Earlier, it was expected that the US would get the Taliban to agree to a ceasefire. But that is not on the cards. Instead, the only expectation now is for a “reduction in violence” in some areas. Source: The Indian Express

4. China agrees to withdraw law protested by people of Hong Kong. Will this end

ongoing protests in Hong Kong? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR)

After three months of mass protests triggered the worst crisis in Hong Kong since it returned to Chinese control in 1997, the city’s Beijing-backed Chief Executive announced the withdrawal of the proposed Extradition law, which was at the heart of the people’s anger. It is not immediately clear whether this alone would return peace and orderliness to Hong Kong’s streets. This is because the protests that began this June over the Bill (now withdrawn) that would have allowed the extradition to China of suspects accused of certain crimes has, over the past several weeks, expanded to cover a wider spectrum of demands, including core political reforms and an inquiry into police brutality with protesters. So, are the protests likely to stop? Online, protesters underlined that they had “five demands, not one less”. Besides the formal withdrawal of the Bill, the other four were: an independent probe into police actions; amnesty for arrested protesters; direct elections for all lawmakers and Chief Executive; and withdrawing the reference to participants in a major protest on June 12 as “rioters”. Source: The Indian Express

5. Highlights of Modi- Putin meet ahead of the Eastern Economic Forum in

Vladivostok, Russia (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR)

Mr. Modi, who arrived in Russia on a two-day visit, during which he will also attend the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit to the Russian Far East region. Major Highlights





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1. PM Modi and President Putin made joint statement that India and Russia are against ‘outside influence’ in internal matters of any nation. The remarks came against the backdrop of tension between India and Pakistan after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution was an internal matter and also advised Pakistan to accept the reality. Russia has backed India’s move on Jammu and Kashmir, saying that the changes in the status are within the framework of the Indian Constitution. The two leaders also held the delegation-level talks at the India-Russia 20th Annual Summit. 2. Chennai-Vladivostok sea route: India, Russia ink proposal on developing Chennai-Vladivostok sea route. Prime Minister Modi said a proposal had been made to have a full-fledged maritime route between Chennai and Vladivostok. A Memorandum of Intent was signed in this regard. 3. Russia to train Indian astronauts: Russia would help train Indian astronauts for the manned space mission — the Gaganyaan project. The two sides signed 15 agreements/MoUs in areas such as defence, air, and maritime connectivity, energy, natural gas, petroleum and trade. The annual bilateral trade between India and Russia is $11 billion. What is Eastern Economic Forum?

Eastern Economic Forum is an international forum held each year since 2015 in September, at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia, for the purpose of encouraging foreign investment in the Russian Far East. The Russian president and the Japanese premier have attended this forum since its beginning. Far East Economic Forum is sponsored by the organizing committee appointed by Roscongress, an association of the Russian Government, which also sponsors other international forums, such as St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Source: The Hindu and Wikipedia

6. Kartarpur Corridor pact stuck over visitor fees (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains

Paper II; IOBR)

The agreement on the Kartarpur Corridor project, which will open the famed pilgrimage centre to Indians, could not be signed after Pakistan declared that it would charge fees from the visitors. A statement from government sources said the two sides, which met in Attari, were in agreement on most points, but the final pact stalled over key differences. What are the key differences?





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1. Pakistan has insisted on charging a service fee for allowing pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, which is not agreeable to India in the spirit of smooth and easy access through the corridor. 2. It was also pointed out that Pakistan declined India’s request to let consular officials accompany the pilgrims. The presence of Indian consular officials at Kartarpur has acquired importance in view of the reported activities of Khalistan proponents in Pakistan. India had objected to the inclusion of pro-Khalistan Gopal Singh Chawla in the reconstituted Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committtee (PSGPC) and other such figures in the organisation that looks after the Sikh holy shrines in Pakistan. These names were removed from the PSGPC before the July 14 technical-level meeting. Points on which understanding was reached

1. Sources declared that understanding was reached on the visa-free travel of Indian pilgrims without any restrictions. The pilgrimage will also be available to the holders of OCI cards. 2. According to the bilateral understanding 5,000 pilgrims can visit the Gurdwara daily and the Corridor will also be able to accommodate a surge crowd of additional 5,000 pilgrims on special days like Vaisakhi and the birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak. About Kartarpur Corridor

India and Pakistan have been building infrastructure on both sides of the border for the pilgrims who will begin festivities in the first week of November to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, who spent many years of his life at this sacred location. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, stated that a “nominal amount” was to be charged from pilgrims for the maintenance of the holy shrine. The inability to sign the agreement now has left both sides with a narrow timeline as the festivities for the birth anniversary are to intensify by the last week of October. The Pakistani side has insisted that in view of the approaching events, the next round of talks be held as early as next week. Once operational, Kartarpur Corridor project will be the first such project between the two countries since the Partition of 1947 which left the Sikh shrine across the border in Pakistani territory. In a historic first, a Sikh Jatha or procession arrived in Amritsar in the first week of August from Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak, in Pakistan. The event was part of the celebrations regarding the Guru and was the first time that such a procession was received in India in the last seven decades. Source: The Hindu

7. India extends $1 b line of credit to Russia’s Far East (Relevant for GS Prelims &

Mains Paper II; IOBR)





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Russia is eager to develop its Far East region, where 98 per cent of diamond and 50 per cent of gold of Russia are mined. During the 5th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended $1 billion line of credit to Russia for development of far east. In December 2014, the countries’ leaders set a goal to bring bilateral trade and investment figures to $30 billion by 2025. While two-side investments have crossed $50 billion by 2017, thanks to acquisition of Essar Oil by the Rosneft-led consortium, the annual bilateral trade is still $11 billion. Previous investments in far east

India's largest state-owned companies as well as private business conglomerates have been investing in the Far East, which includes ONGC’s investments in oil and gas projects, the development of coal and gold deposits by Tata Power and Sun Group, diamond polishing factories set up recently by KGK group and M Suresh, among others. However, experts in both countries believe the scale of these investments does not correspond to the potential of the region, nor to the opportunities or interests of Indian business. Multiple delegations of state authorities and business from both countries have visited each other since the beginning of 2019. The latest and largest delegation of four chief ministers and over 130 companies was headed by Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal. Source: The Hindu Business line

8. An erratic President Trump changes his mind over talks with the Taliban

(Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR)

In a dramatic set of posts on Twitter, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the cessation of peace negotiations with the Taliban. His tweets abruptly seem to have indicated the end, at least for now, to the negotiations conducted by the chief U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, with the Taliban. State of negotiations Mr. Khalilzad had disclosed that he had reached an “in principle” agreement with the Taliban, but the details have not been revealed. The negotiations were over U.S. troop withdrawal from the country and assurances from the Taliban of not letting the country to be used as a safe haven for terrorists targeting the U.S. Reason for end of talks

Mr. Trump said that a suicide car bomb attack in Kabul on Thursday was the trigger for his sudden decision. However, Taliban has been continually engaging in terrorist attacks. One





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estimate suggests that it has engaged in 173 terror attacks resulting in 1,339 fatalities in 2019 alone. It is not clear why Mr. Trump chose this moment to call off talks. State of Afghanistan Taliban has increased its control over several provinces and the government’s rule prevails only in the north-central parts of the country. A durable peace, with the U.S. seeking early troop withdrawal, is only possible if there are talks between all Afghan groups and other regional stakeholders. Source: The Hindu

9. Indo-Thailand Joint Military Exercise Maitree – 2019 (Relevant for GS Prelims &

Mains Paper II; IOBR)

Joint Military Exercise MAITREE-2019 between India and Thailand will be conducted at Foreign Training Node, Umroi (Meghalaya) from 16-29 Sep 2019. Indian and Royal Thailand Army (RTA) comprising 50 soldiers each will participate in the exercise with an aim to share experience gained during various counter terrorism operations in their respective countries. About MAITREE

Exercise MAITREE is an annual training event which is being conducted alternatively in Thailand and India since 2006. The joint military exercise will enhance the level of defence co-operation between Indian Army (IA) and Royal Thailand Army (RTA) which in turn will further foster defence cooperation and bilateral relations between the two nations. Source: PIB

10. Failed Rohingya repatriation from Bangladesh to Myanmar (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR)

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh refused to board buses that would have taken them to Mynamar. This resulted in Myanmar missing the August 2019 target for repatriation.This resulted in Myanmar missing the August 2019 target for repatriation. An earlier deadline was missed in January 2018, when Bangladesh delayed repatraition plans. Repatriation targets

According to United Nations estimates, some 1 million Rohingya have fled Myanmar since August 2017, and have been set up in two camps by the Bangladesh government in Cox’s Bazar. In November 2017, following talks, Bangladesh announced that a joint working group of UNHCR, Bangladesh, and Myanmar would be set up to work out the terms of repatriation, which would be completed by 2019. There is large difference in the number of refugees between both the countries. Moreover, Rohingyas want Myanmar to announce that it would give the refugees citizenship;





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recognise them as an ethnic group; return land they once occupied; rebuild their homes, mosques and schools; and hold the Myanmarese military accountable for killings. The genesis of the crisis

The Rohingya are a Bengali-speaking Muslim minority in Myanmar, whose government considers them illegal migrants from Bangladesh, and does not recognise them as citizens under the Burmese Citizenship Law of 1972. The Rohingya live mainly in the northern region of Myanmar’s Rakhine state, which was once part of the Kingdom of Arakan (1429-1785) that also included modern-day Chottogram (Chittagong) in Bangladesh. The refugee crisis followed attacks on Myanmar border police in October 2016 in Rakhine, for which the insurgent group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army took responsibility. In retaliation by the military, several Rohingya villagers were killed, raped and jailed. Human rights groups said Myanmar’s soldiers were responsible for rape and killings even while Rohingya were trying to escape. Rohingya and Bangladesh

Since 2017, nearly 4,300 acres of hills and forests have been sacrificed to make space for refugee shelters. Bangladesh is “struggling to cope with the influx” of refugees, and want to start relocating them to the island of Bhasan Char in the Bay of Bengal, with UN help. Refugees began protesting and refused to relocate. Inside camps, according to UN and media reports, refugees were facing violence, assault and kidnapping by fellow Rohingya. Bangladesh had to significantly increase police strength inside the camps. Human rights activists reported that Rohingya women were being trafficked to various countries, or being forced into prostitution in Bangladesh. Source: The Indian Express

11. Present state of Yemen (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR)

The War in Yemen In February 2012, the Arab Spring’s Yemeni Revolution of Dignity ended President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 34-year rule. The transfer of power to longtime Vice-President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi was followed by massive internal strife, jihadist attacks, unemployment, and food insecurity. A two-decade old insurgency of the Shia Zaidis — called Houthis after their leader Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, grew and acquired Yemen’s northern Saada province. Houthi also acquired capital, Sanaa, in 2015. Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia. Hadi is also opposed by Saleh and his supporters.

Saudi Arabia vs Iran

As in many military and non-military conflicts in the region, Saudi and Iran are on opposite sides in Yemen as well. Houthi are supported by Shia Iran and Hadi government is supported by Sunni Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s intense bombing campaign against the





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Houthis and the loyalists of Saleh was provided logistic and intelligence support by the United States, United Kingdom, and France. Air strikes in Saudi

American officials have cited intelligence assessments and satellite pictures in support of claims that the attacks that penetrated Saudi air defences were carried out using sophisticated drones and cruise missiles that could not have originated from Yemen. But the Houthis have claimed responsibility while Iran has denied involvement. State of Yemen Yemen’s coastline along the Gulf of Aden and its unique location on the mouth of the Red Sea, the gateway to the Suez, gives it enormous strategic value. Yemen is in the middle of what has been called the world’s worst man-made humanitarian disaster. International groups believe some 70,000 people have been killed since January 2016, and that about 80% of Yemenis — about 24 million people — desperately need humanitarian aid. Source: The Indian Express

12. Election results in Israel- 2nd election in the same year (Relevant for GS Prelims

& Mains Paper II; IOBR)

Israel went through the second election in the same year. The results of the election are again inconclusive. The two main political parties of Israel are expected to form coalition government. Result of recent elections

Israel parliament is called Knesset. It has 120 seats. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu party is Likud party. Likud party is a right wing party. The party has secured 31 seats only. Before this, Benjamin Netanyahu has been prime minister for four continuous terms. Blue and White, the Opposition of former Army chief Benny Gantz, has won 33 seats. Previous elections

In the April elections, Mr. Netanyahu failed to form government. At that time, Mr. Gantz offered Netanyahu to form the government. However, Netanyahu refused to form coalition government. Moreover, Netanyahu who is Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister would be probed within weeks for bribery and fraud against him. Source: The Hindu

13. What is China’s One Country Two Systems policy? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR)





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Protests in Hong Kong have brought a decades-old policy of the People’s Republic of China back into focus — One Country Two Systems. The protesters, who started occupying the city’s streets in April after the local government proposed a controversial extradition law, say Beijing is trying to violate this policy by infringing on Hong Kong’s autonomy. They want China to end its interference, while Beijing has likened the protesters to terrorists and have said that it won’t tolerate any challenge to its sovereignty over Hong Kong.

So, what’s this One Country Two Systems approach?

To put it simply, it means that the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions, both former colonies, can have different economic and political systems from that of mainland China, while being part of the People’s Republic of China. Position of Taiwan

The One Country Two Systems policy was originally proposed by Deng Xiaoping shortly after he took the reins of the country in the late 1970s. Deng’s plan was to unify China and Taiwan under the One Country Two Systems policy. He promised high autonomy to Taiwan. China’s nationalist government, which was defeated in a civil war by the communists in 1949, had been exiled to Taiwan. Under Deng’s plan, the island could follow its capitalist economic system, run a separate administration and keep its own army but under Chinese sovereignty. Taiwan, however, rejected the Communist Party’s offer. The island has since been run as a separate entity from the mainland China, though Beijing never gave up its claim over Taiwan. Story of Hong Kong and Macau

The idea of two systems in one country resurfaced when Beijing started talks with Britain and Portugal, who were running Hong Kong and Macau, respectively. The British had taken control of Hong Kong in 1842 after the First Opium War. In 1898, the British government and the Qing dynasty of China signed the Second Convention of Peking, which allowed the British to take control of the islands surrounding Hong Kong, known as New Territories, on lease for 99 years. London promised Peking that the islands would be returned to China after the expiry of the lease, in 1997. Macau, on the other side, had been ruled by the Portuguese from 1557. They started withdrawing troops in the mid-1970s. In the 1980s, Deng’s China initiated talks with both Britain and Portugal for the transfer of the two territories. In talks, Beijing promised to respect the region's autonomy under the One Country Two Systems proposal. On December 19, 1984, China and the U.K. signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration in Beijing, which set the terms for the autonomy and the legal, economic and governmental systems for Hong Kong post 1997.





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Similarly, on March 26, 1987, China and Portugal signed the Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau in which China made similar promises for the region of Macau after it was handed over to Beijing. Hong Kong returned to Chinese control on July 1, 1997, and Macau’s sovereignty was transferred on December 20, 1999. Both regions became Special Administrative Regions of China. The regions would have their own currencies, economic and legal systems, but defence and diplomacy would be decided by Beijing. Their mini-Constitutions would remain valid for 50 years — till 2047 for Hong Kong and 2049 for Macau. It is unclear what will happen after this term. What triggered the current crisis?

In recent years, there has been a growing outcry from Hong Kong’s pro-democracy civil society against China’s alleged attempts to erode the city’s autonomy. This has created tensions between the city’s youth and the local government, which is effectively chosen by Beijing. Source: The Hindu

14. Article 35, UN Charter — How India took up Pakistan invasion of J&K (Relevant

for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah held India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru responsible for the existence of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as he had “declared an untimely ceasefire” to the hostilities after Pakistan had invaded Kashmir in October 1947. He said that had Nehru taken the matter to the United Nations under Article 51 of the UN Charter, instead of Article 35, the outcome would have been different. The ceasefire

The ceasefire was brokered by a United Nations Mission. According to UN records, on January 1, 1948, the Government of India reported to the Security Council “details of a situation existing between India and Pakistan owing to the aid which invaders, consisting of nationals of Pakistan and tribesmen from the territory immediately adjoining Pakistan on the north-west, were drawing from Pakistan for operations against Jammu and Kashmir”. Pointing out that J&K had acceded to India, the “Government of India considered the giving of this assistance by Pakistan to be an act of aggression against India… The Government of India, being anxious to proceed according to the principles and aims of the Charter, brought the situation to the attention of the Security Council under Article 35 of the Charter.” Pakistan denied this on January 15, 1948, and said India’s complaint under Article 35 contained a threat of direct attack against it. Under the same article, Pakistan brought to the Security Council’s attention “a situation existing between India and Pakistan which had already given rise to disputes tending to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security” and accused India of a “genocide of Muslims”, “failure to implement





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agreements between the two countries”, “unlawful occupation of Junagadh” and “India’s actions in Jammu & Kashmir”. Article 35

Articles 33-38 occur in Chapter 6 titled “Pacific Settlement of Disputes”. These six Articles lay out that if the parties to a dispute that has the potential for endangering international peace and security are not able to resolve the matter through negotiations between them, or by any other peaceful means, or with the help of a “regional agency”, the Security Council may step in, with or without the invitation of one or another of the involved parties, and recommend “appropriate procedures or methods of recommendation”. Specifically, Article 35 only says that any member of the UN may take a dispute to the Security Council or General Assembly. Article 51 This Article occurs in Chapter 7 titled “Action With Respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression”. The chapter assumes that the Security Council is already seized of the situation. Article 51 essentially says that a UN member has the “inherent right of individual or collective self-defence” if attacked, “till such time that the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security”. It says that exercise of this right must be immediately reported to the Security Council by the member, and “shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security”. The outcome

The decision to set up a United Nations Mission was taken on January 20. The UN invoked Article 34 to mandate the mission to investigate facts of the situation, and to exercise any “mediatory influence…likely to smooth away difficulties”. The title of the agenda before the Security Council was also changed from the “Jammu & Kashmir question” to the India-Pakistan question. The five-member Mission, which had members nominated by India and Pakistan, and three others, eventually brokered the cessation of hostilities from January 1, 1949, and the establishment of a ceasefire line on July 27, 1949, which left Pakistan with the areas of Jammu & Kashmir that were under its control on that day. It was this ceasefire line that came to be termed the Line of Control in the Simla Agreement of 1972. Source: The Indian Express

15. Implications of Britain top court’s ruling on PM Boris Johnson prorogation of Parliament (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR)

What is the ruling of the court?





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Eleven judges of the highest court in the United Kingdom have delivered an extraordinary unanimous judgment, striking down as unlawful a recommendation by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to Queen Elizabeth to suspend Parliament for five weeks ahead of Britain’s scheduled October 31 exit from the European Union. The Justices, sitting on the largest permissible Bench of the 12-judge Supreme Court, gave presiding officers of both Houses of Parliament the freedom to reconvene the Houses immediately. The court ruled on “whether the advice given by the Prime Minister to Her Majesty the Queen on 27 or 28 August, that Parliament should be prorogued from a date between 9 and 12 September until 14 October, was lawful and the legal consequences if it was not”. It said the PM’s action was unlawful and the prorogation of Parliament was “void and of no effect”. Courts do have the authority to intervene in ‘political’ matters The issue was essentially whether Johnson had the right to prorogue Parliament, and whether Britain’s courts had the power to stop him. The government argued that the courts had no business jumping in because the decision to prorogue Parliament lay “in the territory of political judgment, not legal standards”. But the court said it was “firmly of the opinion” that the question of the “lawfulness of the Prime Minister’s advice to Her Majesty is justiciable”. The prorogation of Parliament was not business as usual

The court asked, according to the summary judgment, whether the prorogation had “the effect of frustrating or preventing the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justification”. It ruled that “this was not a normal prorogation”. Source: The Indian Express

16. US House of Representatives begins impeachment inquiry on Trump (Relevant

for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR)

Democrats in the US House of Representatives launched a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, accusing him of seeking foreign help to damage the reputation of Democratic rival Joe Biden ahead of next year's election. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the inquiry after a closed-door meeting with Democratic lawmakers, saying Trump's actions undermined national security and violated the US Constitution. What are the charges against Trump?

It is said that Trump had pressured Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a July 25 phone call to investigate Biden, the Democratic presidential front-runner, and his son Hunter, who had worked for a company drilling for gas in Ukraine.





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What does Trump say?

Trump promised to release a transcript of his phone call. He has acknowledged he discussed Biden in the call. However, he has denied that he withheld nearly $400 million in US aid to Ukraine as leverage to get Zelenskiy to launch a probe that would damage Biden, who leads opinion polls in the Democratic presidential race. Procedure for impeachment

The impeachment inquiry could eventually lead to Trump's removal from office. Even if the Democratic-controlled House voted to impeach Trump, the Republican-majority Senate would have to take the next step of removing him from office after a trial. A conviction would require a two-thirds Senate majority. It will be the first impeachment inquiry in Congress since the 1998 probe of President Bill Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice in relation to his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The House voted to impeach Clinton in December 1998, but the Democratic president was acquitted two months later by the Senate and remained in office. The only other president to be impeached, Andrew Johnson in 1868, was also acquitted by the Senate. Source: The Hindu Businessline

17. How likely is Donald Trump to get impeached? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains

Paper II; IOBR)

Even by the standards of his rambunctious term in office so far, U.S. President Donald Trump has found himself in the cross hairs of a political-existential challenge — the prospect that he might be the fourth American President in history to face impeachment proceedings, after Andrew Johnson in 1868 (violation of the Tenure of Office Act), Richard Nixon in 1974 (Watergate), and Bill Clinton in 1998-99 (high crimes or misdemeanours). Mr. Trump’s troubles mounted after his telephonic conversation/s (on July 25, 2019) with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, about the former U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden (Mr. Trump’s potential 2020 opponent). These were allegedly done in a bid to influence Mr. Zelensky to investigate the business dealings of Mr. Biden’s son, Hunter Biden (in relation to links to a Ukrainian natural gas company). Subsequently a whistle-blower, believed to be an officer of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), filed a formal complaint outlining alleged improprieties that the call entailed, as well as broader hints about potential compromise of national security in the White House. As news of a whistle-blower complaint outlining such alleged improprieties reached the U.S. Congress, pressure began to mount on the White House to release the edited memo — not a full call transcript — of the discussion between Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky. In a rare show of bipartisanship, the U.S. Senate voted and passed unanimously earlier this week a resolution calling for the White House to release the whistle-blower complaint. The White House had no choice but to accede, and on Thursday, Capitol Hill had in its possession both the complaint and the edited memo on the call.





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What are the specific allegations of wrongdoing? First, Mr. Trump is said to have “personally ordered” his staff to freeze more than $391-million in military aid to Ukraine, a short while before the incriminating call with Mr. Zelensky. Given that such aid is considered to be essential for Ukraine to purchase Javelin anti-tank missiles potentially for use against Russia-backed rebels, anything that Mr. Trump demanded in return for releasing these monies would imply that his conditions represented an outright quid pro quo involving a questionable use of taxpayer funds. Second, Mr. Trump went on to say, “I would like you to do us a favour though…” and then mentioned two “favours” relating to his personal political interests — not national security. In the view of Democrats on Capitol Hill, this would constitute a betrayal of Mr. Trump’s oath of office. The first favour related to asking Mr. Zelensky to help him “get to the bottom of” the dealings of a prominent U.S. cybersecurity company called CrowdStrike, the firm that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) called in 2016 after discovering a hack of its server leading to email and other data theft. This is widely believed to be based on Mr. Trump’s erroneous belief that there was a “missing server” in CrowdStrike’s possession that held some undefined but incriminating evidence against the Democratic Party. The second favour related to Mr. Trump’s belief, again not supported by any known facts, that Mr. Biden stopped the prosecution of his son (relating to his role on the board of Burisma Holdings Limited, a Ukrainian gas company. Mr. Trump appears to not attach importance to Ukraine’s (now former) public prosecutor, Yuriy Lutsenko, saying on the record that he had no evidence of wrongdoing by the younger Biden. Third, Trump administration officials may have overreached their authority when they sought to block that complaint from reaching the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, despite Michael Atkinson, Inspector General of the intelligence community, saying that he considered it a credible matter of “urgent concern” that merited notifying the U.S. Congress. What do Democrats consider “explosive” in the whistle-blower’s complaint?

The complaint, that some media reports said were authored by a CIA analyst stationed at the White House, not only references Mr. Trump’s telephone call with Mr. Zelensky, but also alleges that Mr. Trump used that phone call to “solicit interference” in the 2020 election, and that the White House then intervened to “lock down” the transcript of the call. Indeed, the whistle-blower added that this was “not the first time” that Trump administration officials placed presidential call transcripts in a separate, classified system that was intended for national security, not political protection. This protocol may also be investigated by Congress. It was in this backdrop that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced an inquiry into impeachment proceedings against Mr. Trump, which is set to begin after she meets with her colleagues next week. How likely is Mr. Trump to be impeached? A majority of House members have now said ‘they support an impeachment inquiry into Mr. Trump’. One media report has the figures as 225 being in favour (223 Democrats, 1 Independent and 1 Republican) while 155 are undecided; a response is waited from 54. ‘If





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the House votes on articles of impeachment, a simple majority, or 218 votes, would be needed to impeach’. The success of the inquiry would depend on whether there is a “smoking gun” to be found, of the kind that brought down President Nixon. In U.S. history, impeachments have tended to pick up momentum in the House, but a conviction, which is necessary for the impeachment to succeed, has depended on which party controlled the Senate. In this case, the Republican Party’s control of the Upper House might just be the lifeline that rescues the Trump presidency if the inquiry moves forward as planned. Source: The Hindu

Geography

1. Is Indian Ocean helping Atlantic currents? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper

I; Geography)

Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current

In the Atlantic operates a large system of ocean currents, circulating the waters between the north and the south. Called Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current, or AMOC, it ensures the oceans are continually mixed, and heat and energy are distributed around Earth. For the last 15 years, however, scientists have been worried by signs that AMOC may be slowing, which could have drastic consequences on global climate. Now a new study suggests that AMOC is getting help from the Indian Ocean. Warming of Indian Ocean as a result of climate change is causing a series of cascading effects that is providing AMOC a “jump start”. How AMOC works

On its website, the UK Met Office likens AMOC to a conveyor belt and explains how it works. As warm water flows northwards in the Atlantic, it cools, while evaporation increases its salt content. Low temperature and a high salt content raise the density of the water, causing it to sink deep into the ocean. The cold, dense water deep below slowly spreads southward. Eventually, it gets pulled back to the surface and warms again, and the circulation is complete. This continual mixing of the oceans, and distribution of heat and energy around the planet, contribute to global climate. What is happening now

AMOC has been stable for thousands of years. Data since 2004, as well as projections, have given some scientists cause for concern. What is not clear, however, is whether the signs of slowing in AMOC are a result of global warming or only a short-term anomaly.





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Indian Ocean’s role

Research has found that as the Indian Ocean warms faster and faster, it generates additional precipitation. This draws more air from other parts of the world to the Indian Ocean, including the Atlantic. With so much precipitation in the Indian Ocean, there will be less precipitation in the Atlantic Ocean. Less precipitation will lead to higher salinity in the waters of the tropical portion of the Atlantic — because there won’t be as much rainwater to dilute it. This saltier water in the Atlantic, as it comes north via AMOC, will get cold much quicker than usual and sink faster. This would act as a jump start for AMOC, intensifying the circulation. Source: The Indian Express

Economics

1. RBI’s transfer to government and from where do the RBI’s earnings come from? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics)

On August 26, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) central board decided to transfer Rs. 1.76 lakh crore to the government (including a sum of Rs. 52,637 crore from its contingency reserve), a move that is likely to address the Central government’s precarious fiscal situation. The transfer amount included the payment of dividend worth Rs. 1.23 lakh crore, and funds from its reserves, as identified under a new economic capital framework (ECF) adopted by the RBI board. The RBI had formed a committee chaired by former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan to review its ECF last year. Why is the RBI payout different this year?

Each year, the RBI transfers to the government any money in its balance sheet that it deems to be beyond its operational and contingency needs. The RBI’s transfer of funds to the government per se is nothing new. But what has raised eyebrows this time is that the amount of funds being transferred by the central bank to the government this year is much higher than earlier — 146.8% more than what it had paid out last year, when it transferred Rs. 50,000 crores as dividend. Previously, the highest amount of surplus funds that the RBI had transferred to the government was Rs. 65,896 crores in 2014-15. The net surplus figures are: Rs. 52,683 (2013-14); Rs. 65,896 (2014-15); Rs. 65,880 (2015-16); Rs. 30,659 (2016-17) and Rs. 50,000 (2017-18) What is the controversy around the transfer?

The massive payout has raised concerns that the government may be confiscating money from the RBI to meet its urgent spending needs, thus effectively turning the central bank into a banker for the government. Central banks such as the RBI, however, are supposed to be independent from all forms of government influence. In reality, governments across the world try to influence decision-making by their respective central banks in various ways. When appointing members to the central bank, such as to the post of Governor for instance, governments tend to pick bureaucrats who have been loyal to them over time.





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Is this a part of larger policy of government?

Many also view the move to get the RBI to let go of a portion of its accumulated reserve as part of a wider campaign by the government to strip the powers of various independent regulatory bodies. In July, the government amended the Finance Bill to ensure that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) transferred surplus funds in its custody over to the government. Some economists argue that the government has the right to make use of funds in the custody of public institutions such as the RBI to meet its fiscal needs. Critics, however, argue that stripping the financial assets of regulatory institutions such as the RBI and SEBI can compromise their independence. How does the RBI earn money?

The RBI earns money in a variety of ways. Open market operations, wherein a central bank purchases or sells bonds in the open market in order to regulate money supply in the economy, are a major source of income for the RBI. Apart from the interest received from these bonds, the RBI may also profit from favourable changes in bond prices. Dealings in the foreign exchange market that the RBI engages in may also contribute to the bank’s profits. The RBI, for instance, may buy dollars cheaply and sell them dear in the future to pocket profits. It should be noted, however, that unlike commercial banks, the primary mandate of the RBI is not to earn profits but to preserve the value of the rupee. Profit and loss are thus merely a side effect of its regular operations to shape monetary policy. Are the RBI’s powers being diluted?

The primary issue with the transfer of surplus funds is the damage that it does to the credibility of the RBI as an independent central bank. The government has been criticised for taking steps since last year to progressively dilute the powers of the RBI. The

government had tried to convince the central bank to part with more than Rs.3 lakh crore

from its reserves last year. It appointed a committee headed by Mr. Jalan to overhaul the economic capital framework. The government argued that the quantum of reserves accumulated by the RBI over the years was well beyond the needs of the central bank. This, it is believed, caused friction between the government and the then Governor of the RBI, Urjit Patel, who resigned from his post last December. Some believe the government will still manage to get hold of the initial corpus of funds that it wanted from the RBI, but over the next few years. Some have raised concerns about the RBI’s ability to meet emergencies with its now depleted reserves. These concerns, however, may be unwarranted since, as the sole and sovereign issuer of the rupee, there is effectively no limit to the amount of rupees that the RBI can create to deal with an emergency. The real impact that the forced transfer of funds will have is on the RBI’s independence in setting monetary policy. The transfer of surplus reserves to the government is in effect a forced injection of extra liquidity into the economy. The increased demand to meet the government’s fiscal needs will thus compromise the RBI’s ability to fulfil its primary mandate — to preserve the value of the rupee by reining in inflation, by retaining full and final control over the supply of rupees in the wider economy.





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What lies ahead?

The government is expected to achieve its 3% fiscal deficit target this year with the help of the funds it has received from the RBI. The fresh funds will also help the government to spend more on any fiscal stimulus plan that it may decide to implement in order to tackle the slowdown in the economy. The transfer of money from the vaults of the RBI to fund government spending will increase the amount of money supply in the economy, thus exerting an upward pressure on prices. The RBI’s transfer of surplus funds to the government could thus effectively turn into a monetary stimulus for the economy which has been slowing down for several consecutive quarters now. Former RBI Deputy Governor, Viral Acharya (whose resignation earlier this year was linked to his conflicts with the government), warned in a speech last year that governments that do not respect the independence of the central bank will eventually be punished by financial markets. His warning might turn out to be prescient in the coming years if the RBI is turned into a piggy bank to fund the government’s increasing spending needs. It can cause investors to lose confidence in the RBI’s ability to preserve the value of the rupee and force them to ditch the currency. Source: The Hindu

2. 10 public sector banks to be merged (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III;

Economics)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced merger of 10 public sector banks into four entities. This would take the number of banks in the country from 27 in 2017 to 12. Rationale behind merger

These bank mergers, and the ones already carried out, will lead to the creation of big banks with an enhanced capacity to give credit, she said. These big banks, she said, would also be able to compete globally and increase their operational efficiency by reducing their cost of lending. The merger also has the potential to lead to large cost reductions due to network overlaps. Details of merger

1. The largest of the mergers announced is that of Punjab National Bank with Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank. The amalgamated entity — to be called Punjab National Bank — will become the second-largest public sector bank in India, after the State Bank of India. It will also become the second-largest bank in India in terms of its branch network, with a combined total of 11,437 branches. 2. The second merger announced was that of Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank, which would render the merged entity the fourth-largest public sector bank. 3. The third merger is of Union Bank of India with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank.





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4. The fourth merger announced is of Indian Bank and Allahabad Bank. Following all these mergers, the country will have a total of 12 public sector banks, half of which—Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Indian Bank, State Bank of India, and Bank of Baroda—will be able to compete at a global level. The government did not give the date by which these mergers are to be completed, as that decision will be taken following further consolidation with the relevant banks. Previous merger

Previously, the government has already merged State Bank of India with its affiliate banks, and Bank of Baroda with Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank. Other reforms

Apart from the mergers, Ms Sitharaman also announced a number of smaller reforms to the boards of the banks that are aimed at improving their efficiency and accountability. In order to make the management accountable to the boards of the banks, a board committee would be made in charge of appraising the performance of officers of the rank of general managers and above, including the managing director. The banks have also been allowed to recruit chief risk officers from the market, at market-linked compensation to attract the best available talent. Other reform measures were aimed at increasing the engagement of non-official directors, allowing bank boards to reduce or rationalise the number of committees, and increasing the effectiveness of the directors on the Management Committees of Boards by increasing the length of their terms. Source: The Hindu

3. What bank mergers can mean, the potential downsides (Relevant for GS Prelims &

Mains Paper III; Economics)

The plan is to merge 10 state-owned banks into four larger ones. What led to the move, how is it intended to help the banks and the government, and what are the potential downsides? Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the government’s decision to merge 10 state-owned banks to create four large entities or lenders. Under the plan, Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India will be merged with Punjab National Bank; Canara Bank with Syndicate Bank; Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank with Mumbai-based Union Bank of India; and Allahabad Bank with Indian Bank. That will mean a consolidation of banks in India from 27 before 2017, to 12 after the merger goes through. What are the upside and downside of this move? How does consolidation help?





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For years, expert committees starting from the M Narasimham Committee have recommended that India should have fewer but bigger and better-managed banks to ensure optimal use of capital, efficiency of operations, wider reach and greater profitability. The logic is that rather than having several of its own banks competing for the same pie (in terms of deposits or loans) in the same narrow geographies, leading to each one incurring costs, it would make sense to have large-sized banks. This may be true especially in India’s bigger cities and towns. It has also been argued that such an entity will then be able to respond better to emerging market trends or shifts and compete more with private banks. The Finance Minister has said that the proposed big banks would be able to compete globally and improve their operational efficiency once they lower their cost of lending and improve lending. But none of India’s banks including the largest, SBI, figures in the list of the top 50 global banks. So that may be a long way away. How does it help the government?

For over decades starting from 1992, the government as the biggest shareholder of over 25 banks had to provide capital for them. By reducing the number of banks to a manageable count, the government must be hoping that the demands for such capital infusion will be lower progressively with increased efficiencies and with more well capitalised banks. It will also help that the government can focus now on fewer banks than in the past. On what rationale were the banks for the new mergers chosen?

The Finance Minister has said the government chose these banks on the basis of ensuring that there is no disruption in banking services and that these banks benefited from higher current and savings accounts (CASA) and greater reach. In the past, the government and the RBI had discussed potential mergers taking into account banks that operated in a particular geographical region or had strengths in such regions. During Raghuram Rajan’s tenure as RBI Governor, one proposal discussed was to merge all PSU banks headquartered in the East which were inherently weak. In the currently proposed mergers, this argument may apply mainly to the Bengalaru-based Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank. In the PNB-led merger, Oriental Bank is also a Delhi-based lender, while the strengths of midsized banks such as Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank in the South may complement Union Bank that has a stronger presence in the West and elsewhere. For Indian Bank, a conservative bank and one of the few to have reported profits earlier when many other banks were hurting, the high CASA of Allahabad Bank is bound to help. That will imply cheaper source of funds. What are the potential downsides of such a merger?

Smooth integration of operations always poses a risk, especially with the prospect of resistance from staff and unions in the entities being merged. There are issues like cultural fit, redeployment of staff, and fewer career opportunities for many in a merged entity. Another concern could be deterioration of services and disruption in the near term as the merger process gets under way. It could also reflect in fewer options for customers; an easing of the personal touch which many of the midsize and smaller banks have. The swelling of combined bad loans with some of these mergers is also an issue. Yet another worry is the possible creation of what is known as systematically important institutions, or those too big to fail, leading to the prospect of bailouts in the future, which





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could hurt the government and financial stability. But a bigger challenge will be in ensuring that there is no disruption in activity, especially lending, because of the proposed mergers at a time when banks have been loath to lend. Whether this will lead to a further slowdown in lending for a while is another concern. What do these mergers signal for the Reserve Bank of India?

The RBI keeps monitoring large institutions whose potential failure can impact other institutions or banks and the financial sector, and which could have a contagion effect and erode confidence in other banks. A case in point is the recent instance of IL&FS Group, which defaulted on repayments hitting many lenders and investors. The creation of more large-sized banks will mean the RBI will have to improve its supervisory and monitoring processes to address increased risks. What has the global experience on bank mergers been?

It seems mixed with some studies indicating that only 50 per cent have succeeded. Integration and cultural fit have been issues. Can consolidation alone make a difference to the state of Indian banks?

No. Governance of these banks has been an major issue, which has dragged down many. The government has spelt out some measures to address that while indicating that more steps could be in the offing. Former RBI Governor Y V Reddy, in his D T Lakdawala memorial lecture, had said the idea that consolidation of banks will solve the problem of public sector banks is not correct. According to him, if the problem is structural and of governance, it does not matter whether the banks are large or small. Source: The Indian Express

4. Eight core sectors growth slows to 2.1% in July (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains

Paper III; Economics)

Growth in core sector activity rose in July 2019 to 2.1% due to recovery in the cement sector. The Index of Eight Core Industries had grown at just 0.7% in June 2019. However, July's growth rate is far lower than the 7.3% growth registered in the same month last year. What is Index of Core industries?

Core industries are the backbone of the overall economy. Their output is used by various other industries. Thus, the core industries determine the state of overall industrial development of the economy. The index of industrial production (IIP) is a composite indicator that measures the short-term changes in the volume of production of a basket of industrial products during a given period. It is compiled and published monthly by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO). The current base year for IIP is 2011–12 with a value of 100. Classification of Indian Economy

Eight core industries comprise nearly 38% of the weight of items included in the IIP





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1. Electricity generation (weight: 10.32%) 2. Steel production (weight: 6.68%) 3. Petroleum refinery production (weight: 5.94%) 4. Crude oil production (weight: 5.22%) 5. Coal production (weight: 4.38%) 6. Cement production (weight: 2.41%) 7. Natural gas production (weight: 1.71%) 8. Fertilizer production (weight: 1.25%) Source: The Hindu

5. Inter-ministerial panel on fintech: ‘Need to look into virtual banking licences, fixed deposit dematerialisation, gold bonds’ (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics)

Recommendations of inter-ministerial panel of fintech

1. To use technology to promote financial sector growth, an inter-ministerial panel on fintech has recommended measures including the Reserve Bank of India examining issuance of ‘virtual banking licences’, dematerialisation of fixed deposits, sovereign gold bonds and post office certificates to promote easy transactions and collateral, and the central bank mandating banks to share crucial customer data after consent. 2. In its report submitted to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the panel also suggested putting in place a comprehensive legal framework to protect consumers of digital services. 3. Banks are increasingly moving towards virtualisation of services. The Committee recommends that Department of Financial Services and RBI may examine the suitability of ‘virtual banking system’ in the Indian context, costs and benefits regarding allowing virtual banks and prepare for a possible future scenario where banks do not need to set up branches and yet deliver the full scale retail banking services ranging from extending loans, savings accounts, issuing cards and offering payment services through their app or website. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has recently issued guidelines for setting up virtual banks and is examining applications for virtual banking licenses. 4. The panel also recommended adoption of regulation technology (or RegTech) by all financial sector regulators to develop standards and facilitate adoption by financial service providers. 5. It also suggested usage of fintech to improve access of financial products for MSMEs, farmers and poorer sections of the society.





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6. The panel has also recommended that insurance companies and lending agencies be encouraged to use drone and remote sensing technology for crop area, damage and location assessments to support risk reduction in insurance/lending business. 7. Given the rapid pace at which technology is being adopted primarily by private sector financial services, the report said the Department of Financial Services (DFS) should work with PSU banks to bring in more efficiency to their work and reduce fraud and security risks. 8. The committee also suggested digitisation of land records across the country on a war footing. Administrative mechanism on fintech

The steering committee headed by the then Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg was set up on fintech sector. Following the deliberations of the committee, it was considered necessary to have a nodal agency to coordinate developments across ministries and regulators in the area of financial technology (fintech). A dedicated team on digital economy and fintech is being set up in the Investment Division, Department of Economic Affairs for coordination on fintech with relevant ministries. The committee was constituted following the announcement made by the then Finance Minister ArunJaitley in Budget 2018-19. Source: The Indian Express

6. Analysis of GDP data (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics)

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the economic growth data for the first quarter (Q1, or April to June) of the current financial year (2019-20, or FY20). A disappointing number was widely expected. Real vs Nominal Growth

At 5%, the real GDP growth rate has hit a six-year low. Real GDP growth rate is a derived figure — it is arrived at by subtracting the inflation rate from the nominal GDP growth rate, that is growth rate calculated at current prices. What is more worrying is the deceleration in the nominal GDP growth, which was 8% for Q1. It should be noted that the Union Budget, presented on July 5, had expected a nominal growth of 12%. The idea was that with a 12% nominal growth and 4% inflation rate, real GDP would be 8%. GVA vs GDP

There are two main ways in which the CSO estimates economic growth. One is from the supply side — that is, by mapping the value-added (in rupee terms) by the various sectors in the economy. The sectors are broadly divided into Agriculture, Industry and Services, and all workers in the economy fall into one or the other category.





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There are sub-categories too — Industry, for example, has Manufacturing, Construction, Mining & Quarrying, etc. When all the value-added is totalled, we get the Gross Value Added (GVA) in the economy. In other words, GVA tracks the income generated for all the workers in the economy. The GDP is arrived at from the demand side. It is calculated by mapping the expenditure made by different categories of spenders. Broadly speaking, there are four sources of expenditure in an economy — namely, private consumption, government consumption, business investments, and net exports (exports minus imports). Because the GDP maps final expenditure, it includes both taxes and subsidies that the government receives and gives. This component, net taxes, is the difference between GVA and GDP. Typically, GDP is a good measure when you want to compare India with another economy, while GVA is better to compare different sectors within the economy. GVA is more important when looking at quarterly growth data, because quarterly GDP is arrived at by apportioning the observed GVA data into different spender categories.

The supply-side story

The GVA in Q1 is pegged at 4.9%. Such a low level of GVA suggests that producers are not adding enough value — in other words, their income growth is low. Growth in all three sectors has declined, but most of the decline is in Agriculture and Industry. Within Industry, Manufacturing has seen a spectacular collapse. Other sub-sectors of Industry such as Mining & Quarrying and Construction too, have slumped over the past five quarters. These two sectors — Agriculture and Industry — not only employ the largest number of people, but also have the maximum potential to create new jobs. Stagnant Agriculture and Industry imply that a bulk India’s poorest and less educated workforce is either not getting jobs, or not seeing their incomes grow. And they can’t shift to the better-paying Services sector because of the deficiency in skills. The demand-side story

The GVA weakness shows up on the demand side (Chart 3). Private consumption, which accounts for over 55% of GDP, has grown by just 3.14%. The reason why private demand has collapsed is that the bulk of India’s labour force is not earning enough to spend more. The other big GDP component — business investments (which accounts for 32% of GDP) — has grown by just 4.04%. Businesses are not investing because they are either in the process of deleveraging (getting rid of excess loans) or stuck with unsold inventories. The only spender that has grown better than expected is the government. What the numbers imply

Firstly, the growth trajectory suggests there is more pain ahead. According to an analysis by State Bank of India, when GDP grew by 8% in Q1 of FY19, 70% of the leading indicators such as car sales showed acceleration. In this quarter, only 35% of these indicators showed





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acceleration, and GDP grew by 5%. For Q2 (July to September), only 24% indicators show acceleration. Secondly, since the release, GDP growth rate forecasts for the current year have been dialled down yet again. Most observers expected a real GDP growth rate of somewhere between 5.4% and 6.4% for Q1. Now, SBI pegs the full-year growth at 6.1%, ICICI Securities at 6.3%, and Pronab Sen, former Chief Statistician, pegs it at 5.5%. Roughly six months ago, most estimates for FY20 were around 7.5%. Thirdly, such weak growth implies that the government’s fiscal deficit figures are likely to be breached. Lastly, since weak growth will lead to lower tax revenues, the government is likely to struggle if it wants to push up growth by spending on its own. Source: The Indian Express

7. RBI’s diktat to banks could spur borrowing but may pressure lenders’ margins (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics)

RBI directions to banks

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has finally decided that it needs to address the problem of inadequate interest rate transmission head on. In a circular to banks on Wednesday, it directed lenders to link all new floating rate loans given to borrowers in the personal, retail and micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) categories to external benchmarks, including the repo rate, with effect from October 1. While giving banks the relative freedom to choose the specific external benchmark, including yields on the 3-month and 6-month Treasury Bills published by the Financial Benchmarks India Pvt. Ltd., the central bank made it clear that lenders would need to adopt a uniform benchmark within a loan category.

Banks do not transmit lower interest rates to customers

In recent times Reserve Bank of India has significantly reduced the interest rates. However, banks do not pass the reduction in interest rates to the borrowers, and continue to charge interest on the same rate. Lower interest rates can play important role in boosting economy. Source: The Hindu

8. What is ration card portability? How will the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme

be carried out? What are the challenges? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III;

Economics)

The Bharatiya Janata Party government is showcasing the rollout of the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme as one of the biggest achievements of its first 100 days in power. The





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launch of the nationwide food security net is scheduled for June 2020, but several challenges remain before migrants can take advantage of full portability. What is the scheme about? India runs the world’s largest food security programme, distributing more than 600 lakh tonnes of subsidised food grain to more than 81 crore beneficiaries every year. This is done through a vast network of more than five lakh ration or fair price shops. Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), each beneficiary is eligible for five kg of subsidised grains per month at the rate of Rs. 3/kg for rice, Rs. 2/kg for wheat and Rs. 1/kg of coarse cereals. However, until recently, this has been a location-linked benefit, leaving crores of migrant workers and families out of the food safety net. Each household’s ration card is linked to a specific fair price shop and can only be used to buy rations in that particular shop. Over the last few years, 10 States (partially in one) have implemented the Integrated Management of Public Distribution System, which allows beneficiaries to buy rations from any fair price shop within that State. The Centre is now in the process of expanding these efforts into a nationwide portability network which is called the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme. It is scheduled to come into full effect by June 2020, after which a ration card holder can buy subsidised grain at any fair price shop in the country. What are the benefits? Who will gain the most? The main beneficiaries of the scheme are the country’s migrant workers. According to data from the Census 2011, there are more than 45 crore internal migrants in India, of whom more than half have not completed primary education, while 80% have not completed secondary education. Lower levels of education are linked to lower income, which would make a large percentage of these migrants eligible for NFSA benefits. Apart from this, field studies estimate that four crore to ten crore people are short-term migrants, often working in cities, but not moving there permanently. Women who change locations after marriage also find it difficult to start accessing ration benefits using a new household’s card. The Centre hopes that allowing ration card portability will also curb corruption and improve access and service quality by removing monopolies. Under the old system, beneficiaries were dependent on a single fair price shop and subject to the whims of its dealer. Under the new system, if they are denied service or face corruption or poor quality in one shop, they are free to head to a different shop. The scheme is also driving the faster implementation of initiatives to digitise and integrate the food storage and public distribution system. What is needed to make it work?

The scheme involves the creation of a central repository of NFSA beneficiaries and ration cards, which will integrate the existing databases maintained by States, Union Territories





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and the Centre. Aadhaar seeding is also important as the unique biometric ID will be used to authenticate and track the usage of ration by beneficiaries anywhere in the country. Currently, it is estimated that around 85% of ration cards are linked to Aadhaar numbers. For the scheme to work, it is critical that all fair price shops are equipped with electronic point-of-sale machines (ePoS), replacing the old method of manual record-keeping of transactions with a digital real-time record. On the back-end, the Food Corporation of India’s Depot Online System is integrating all warehouses and godowns storing subsidised grain in an attempt to create a seamless flow of online information from procurement until distribution. What is the progress so far?

Two pairs of States — Andhra Pradesh-Telangana and Maharashtra-Gujarat — became the first to begin implementing portability between their States last month. From October 1, two more pairs — Kerala-Karnataka and Rajasthan-Haryana — will join the experiment. By January, all eight States and at least three others which already implement intra-State portability will form the first national grid for the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme. What are the difficulties ahead?

There are only 4.32 lakh ePoS machines which have been installed in more than 5.3 lakh fair price shops. In some States, the challenge comes from the difference between ration benefits offered by the State in comparison to the Central entitlement. Tamil Nadu, for example, offers 20 kg of free rice per month to almost 2 crore ration card holders, as well as subsidised sugar, pulses and oil, over and above the NFSA benefits. The State government has made it clear that it will not be offering these benefits to migrant workers, as the Centre will cover the costs of NFSA benefits only. Another issue could arise if the members of a single household are split between two different locations. The scheme’s guidelines only permit purchase of half the subsidised grain at one time in an effort to prevent one member of the household taking the entire ration for the month, leaving family members in a different location stranded without food. The biggest challenge may lie in the lack of any concrete data on inter-State migration trends, especially short-term migration. The allocation of food grains to States will have to be dynamic to allow for quick additional delivery to cover any shortfalls in States with large migrant populations. Currently, Food Corporation of India godowns stock grains up to three months in advance. Food Ministry officials acknowledged that there is a “steep learning curve” ahead to ensure that movement of grain matches migration flows. Source: The Hindu

9. Constitution of task force for drawing up National Infrastructure Pipeline of Rs.

100 Lakh Crore from FY 2019-20 to FY 2024-25 (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains






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To achieve the GDP of $5 trillion by 2024-25, India needs to spend about $1.4 trillion (Rs. 100 lakh crore) over these years on infrastructure. In the past decade (FY 2008-17), India invested about $1.1 trillion on infrastructure. To achieve this task, a Task Force under the chairmanship of Secretary (DEA) has been constituted by Union Finance Minister to draw up a National Infrastructure Pipeline for each of the years from FY 2019-20 to FY 2024-25 as below: 1. Secretary, DEA Chair 2. CEO, NITI Aayog or his nominee Member 3. Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance or his nominee Member 4. Secretary of the Administrative Ministry (as per address list below) Member 5. Additional Secretary (Investment), Department of Economic Affairs Member 6. Joint Secretary, Infrastructure Policy & Finance Division, DEA Member-Secretary The Terms of Reference of the Task Force are as follows:

a. To identify technically feasible and financially/ economically viable infrastructure projects that can be initiated in FY 2019-20. b. To list the projects that can be included in the pipeline for each of the remaining 5 years between FY 2021-25. c. To estimate annual infrastructure investment/capital costs. d. To guide the Ministries in identifying appropriate sources of financing. e. To suggest measures to monitor the projects so that cost and time overrun is minimized.

About National Infrastructure Pipeline

The National Infrastructure Pipeline would include greenfield and brownfield projects costing above Rs 100 crore each. Other qualifications for inclusion in the pipeline for the current year will include availability of a DPR, feasibility of implementation, inclusion in the financing plan and readiness/ availability of administrative sanction. Each Ministry/ Department would be responsible for monitoring of projects so as to ensure their timely and within-cost implementation. The Task Force will also enable robust marketing of the pipeline of projects requiring private investment through the India Investment Grid (IIG), National Investment & Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), etc. Source: PIB





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10. World Bank's Georgieva set to become 2nd female IMF chief (Relevant for GS

Prelims; Economics)

A top executive at the World Bank, Kristalina Georgieva of Bulgaria, is set to become 2nd female IMF chief. Georgieva is currently the world bank's chief executive officer. Georgieva will replace former IMF chief Christine Lagarde, who has been named to lead the European Central Bank. "The board's goal is to complete the selection process as soon as possible and at the latest by October 4, 2019," the IMF board said in a statement. Who decides on appointment?

Under an unwritten rule, a European has always led the IMF since its creation in the aftermath of World War II while Washington has designated the leadership of the fund's sister organization, the World Bank. The nominating period closed on Friday, a day after the fund formally lifted the age limit of 65 years for its leadership, clearing the way for the 66-year-old to take up the position. No other candidates came forward. Source: France 24

11. A minor win for India at WTO- The trade body ruled that renewable energy

incentives offered by U.S. were discriminatory (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains


What was the matter?

In a welcome judgment for India, a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel in June accepted its claim in a dispute concerning U.S. regulations on domestic content requirement in the production of renewable energy. This was also significant as New Delhi had earlier lost a similar dispute over its own domestic content requirements. Though Washington has since challenged the ruling, it is important to discern the reasoning adopted by the organisation in reaching its conclusion. What was the dispute?

The dispute revolved around certain States in the U.S. that give incentives to local producers in the form of tax rebates, refunds and credits when they produce renewable energy using locally manufactured products. Article III of the WTO’s General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) requires that countries do not provide less favourable treatment to ‘like products’ originating from other nations. For instance, a solar photovoltaic cell manufactured in the U.S. should be liable to the same amount of tax as one made anywhere else in the world.





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But how does the WTO determine whether an item is a ‘like product’? The organisation’s criteria pertains to the product’s end use, composition, substitutability, consumer preferences and tariff classifications. Disputing the causal link

In this case, the U.S. conceded that the import from India was a ‘like product’. What it disputed was the causal link between the incentives provided by the respective States and its effect on the Indian goods. For instance, the U.S. argued that the figures quoted by India showing a growth in the number of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed in Washington State between 2005 and 2015 do not support its assertion that additional incentives by themselves have induced the wide-scale adoption of locally made renewable energy products. However, the WTO panel rejected this argument, stating instead that Washington State’s additional incentive accords an advantage on the use of local products not available for ‘like imported products’. India, the panel held, was not required to prove factually that the rise in the production of PV systems was caused by a rise in the production of upstream local products at the cost of ‘like-imported products’. The ‘mere incentivisation’ of only the local products was sufficient to make a prima facie case that Washington State’s additional incentive affected the sale, purchase, transportation, distribution or use of the relevant products, the panel said. Solar module exports to U.S.

The ruling is also important considering that the U.S. imported 44% of the Indian solar module exports in the 2018-2019 period. We believe that this dispute could have been easily avoided had the two countries settled their differences beforehand. This is especially so because there are various other disputes pending between the countries at the WTO involving the export promotion scheme brought in by India and the imposition of excess customs duty on steel and aluminium by the U.S. New Delhi claims that its export promotion schemes are in consonance with its developing country status while Washington has cited ‘national security’ as the reason for the imposition of the duty. Source: The Hindu

12. Prime Minister to Launch Kisan Man Dhan Yojana on the 12th of September

(Relevant for GS Prelims; Economics)

Kisan Man Dhan Yojana

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shall launch the Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana on the 12thof September at Ranchi, Jharkhand. 2. The Scheme shall secure the lives of 5 Crore Small and Marginal Farmers by providing a minimum pension of Rs 3000 per month, to those who attain 60 years of age.





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3. The scheme has an outlay of Rs 10,774 Crores for the next three years. 4. All the small and marginal farmers who are currently between the ages of 18 to 40 years can apply for the scheme. 5. Farmer’s monthly contribution can be made from the instalments of PM-KISAN or through CSCs. Source: PIB

13. New Pension schemes launched for small and marginal farmers, traders and self-

employed persons (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Economics)

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana

PM launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana at Ranchi, the Capital of Jharkhand. The Scheme shall secure the lives of 5 Crore Small and Marginal Farmers by providing a minimum pension of Rs 3000 per month, to those who attain 60 years of age. National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self-Employed

Prime Minister also launched the National Pension Scheme for the Traders and The Self-Employed. The scheme aims at providing a minimum assured pension of Rs 3000, to small traders and self - employed after attaining the age of 60 Years. Around 3 Crore Small traders would be benefitted from the scheme. All the traders who have annual turnover not exceeding Rs 1.5 crore are eligible for the scheme. The eligible Vyaparis or farmers can visit their nearest CSCs and get enrolled under the scheme. In addition people can also self-enroll by visiting the online portal. At the time of enrollment, the beneficiary is required to have an Aadhaar card and a saving bank/ Jan-dhan Account passbook only. He/ She should be within 18 to 40 years of age group. GSTIN is required only for those vyaparis with turnover above Rs. 40 lakhs. The enrolment under the scheme is free of cost for the beneficiaries. The enrolment is based upon self-certification. It is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for entry age of 18 to 40 years with a provision for minimum assured pension of Rs 3,000/- monthly on attaining the age of 60 years. The beneficiary should not be income tax payer and also not a member of EPFO/ESIC/NPS (Govt.)/PM-SYM. The Central Government shall give 50 % share of the monthly contribution and remaining 50% contribution shall be made by the beneficiary. The monthly contribution is kept low to make it affordable. For example, a beneficiary is required to contribute as little as Rs.100/- per month at a median entry age of 29 years. Source: PIB





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14. Nirmala Sitharaman unveils package to boost exports, revive housing sector

(Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics)

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a third set of government decisions to revive the economy. The decisions announced by the Minister follow two previous mega announcements designed to encourage private sector investment and bring further stability into the banking system through several public sector bank mergers.

Areas focused in third set of measures: 1. Exports

The third set of announcements focused on providing boost to exports, which contracted 6.05% in August. Scheme for Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Product (RoDTEP) One major decision is that of the setting up of the Scheme for Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Product (RoDTEP), which will replace the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS). The previous MEIS and the new RoDTEP are designed to incentivise exports by giving them rewards to offset the duties they pay to export their products. The rate of reward under MEIS varies between 2% and 7% of the free-on-board (FOB) value, depending on the item and the country it is being exported to. The RoDTEP is expected to incentivize exporters even more. The revenue foregone under RoDTEP is projected at up to Rs. 50,000 crore per year. Electronic refund module

In another move aimed at freeing up the working capital of exporters, the Finance Minister announced a fully electronic refund module for the quick and automated refund of input tax credits that will become operational by the end of this month. Increase in lending to exporters

To increase bank credit to exporters, the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) will expand the scope of its Export Credit Insurance Scheme to provide a higher insurance cover to banks that are lending working capital for exports. At present banks are covered for 60% of what they lend to exporters for working capital. This will be increased to 90%. Credit flow to exporters has come down by 35%. This move is expected to increase export credit by about Rs. 4,000 crores in the first year and Rs. 5,000 crores in the second year. The initiative will cost the exchequer about Rs. 1,700 crore per year and would enable a reduction in the overall cost of export credit including interest rates, especially to MSMEs. Simultaneously, the Reserve Bank of India is also looking into modifying the priority sector lending norms for the export sector to release an additional Rs. 36,000 crores to Rs. 68,000 crores as export credit.





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Administrative measures

These measures will include digitalization of export clearances. Further, an action plan to reduce the time to export and turn-around time in airports and ports benchmarked to international standards will be implemented by December 2019. Other measures

Other decisions aimed at making exports more competitive include working with exporters to help them best exploit the advantages of the various free trade agreements India has signed with other countries, increasing the testing and certification infrastructure in India, and enforcing the time-bound adoption by industry of all necessary mandatory technical standards. 2. Housing

For the housing sector, the most notable decision was the setting up of a special fund that would provide last-mile funding for unfinished housing projects which are that are not categorised as non-performing assets and are not undergoing National Company Law Tribunal proceedings. The government, on the lines of the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, can contribute to the fund while the rest of the investors would be LIC and other institutions and private capital from banks, sovereign funds, etc. The Finance Minister said the government’s contribution to the fund would be 10,000 crore and the other investors would contribute “roughly the same amount”. The fund is to be professionally run with experts from housing and banking sectors. Other measures

In an attempt to increase bank credit for home buyers, the government also said the external commercial borrowing guidelines will be relaxed to facilitate financing for home buyers who are eligible under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Moreover, the interest rate on house building advances will be lowered and linked with the 10 Year Government Security yields. Source: The Hindu

15. In recent years, many state govts have waived farm loans. How did this impact

their respective finances? Following a recent RBI report, a look at why state finances

matter for India’s macroeconomic stability (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics)

Reserve Bank of India shared the report of an Internal Working Group (IWG), which was set up in February to look at, among other things, the impact of farm loan waivers on state finances. The report has shown how farm loan waivers dented state finances and urged governments to avoid resorting to farm loan waivers.





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Since 2014-15, many state governments have announced farm loan waivers. This was done for a variety of reasons including relieving distressed farmers struggling with lower incomes in the wake of repeated droughts and demonetisation. Also crucial in this regard was the timing of elections and several observers of the economy including the RBI warned against the use of farm loan waivers.

What has been the impact on state finances?

Chart from the RBI report details the impact on state finances in successive years. Typically, once announced, farm loans waivers are staggered over three to five years. Between 2014-15 and 2018-19, the total farm loan waiver announced by different state governments was Rs 2.36 trillion. Of this, Rs 1.5 trillion has already been waived. The actual waivers peaked in 2017-18 in the wake of demonetisation and its adverse impact on farm incomes.

What is the impact on economic growth, interest rates and job creation?

In essence, a farm loan waiver by the government implies that the government settles the private debt that a farmer owes to a bank. But doing so eats into the government’s resources, which, in turn, leads to one of following two things: either the concerned government’s fiscal deficit (or, in other words, total borrowing from the market) goes up or it has to cut down its expenditure. A higher fiscal deficit, even if it is at the state level, implies that the amount of money available for lending to private businesses — both big and small — will be lower. It also means the cost at which this money would be lent (or the interest rate) would be higher. If fresh credit is costly, there will be fewer new companies, and less job creation. If the state government doesn’t want to borrow the money from the market and wants to stick to its fiscal deficit target, it will be forced to accommodate by cutting expenditure. More often than not, states choose to cut capital expenditure — that is the kind of expenditure which would have led to the creation of productive assets such as more roads, buildings, schools etc — instead of the revenue expenditure, which is in the form of committed expenditure such as staff salaries and pensions. But cutting capital expenditure also undermines the ability to produce and grow in the future. As such, farm loan waivers are not considered prudent because they hurt overall economic growth apart from ruining the credit culture in the economy since they incentivise defaulters and penalise those who pay back their loans. How much do state finances matter for India’s macroeconomic stability?

Far too often, analyses of the Indian economy focuses on the Union government’s finances alone. But the ground realities are fast changing. The NIPFP study of state finances reveals that all the states, collectively, now spend 30 per cent more than the central government. Moreover, since 2014, state governments have increasingly borrowed money from the market. In 2016-17, for instance, total net borrowings by all the states were almost equal (roughly 86 per cent) of the amount that the Centre borrowed.





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In other words, state-level finances are just as important as the central government finances for India’s macroeconomic stability and future economic growth. Source: The Indian Express

16. Drone strikes on Saudi facility lead to jump in crude prices (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics)

Impact of drone attacks Drone attacks last week on Saudi Arabia’s crude processing facility, the largest in the world, have impacted half of the country’s crude oil production and about 5% of the world supply. Following the attacks, Global Brent crude futures shot up more than 20% to $66.91 per barrel. However, allaying Indian fears, Saudi Aramco officials have told oil companies that the attacks would not result in a shortage of supplies. However, oil prices are expected to rise. Position of Saudi Arabia as oil supplier Saudi Arabia is a major source of oil imports for India, accounting for nearly 18% of the 226 million tonnes of crude the country imported during 2018-19. India imports more than 80% of its crude oil requirement.

Who is responsible for attacks?

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated following drone attacks on two major oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for the attacks. However, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo swiftly accused Iran for the attacks. The allegations were rejected by Tehran which said the allegations were meant to justify actions against it. Source: The Hindu

17. Government to peg MGNREGA wages to inflation in bid to hike incomes (Relevant

for GS Prelims; Economics)

The Centre plans to inject more money into the UPA’s flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme by linking wages under the Act to an updated inflation index, which will be revised annually. It hopes this will increase wages, thus increasing purchasing power and reviving rural demand. The increased wages based on updated inflation indices may result in 10% higher government expenditure on the scheme. Wage rate revisions are usually notified at the beginning of a financial year, but the Ministry is trying implement the hike during the current year itself, as part of a stimulus package to counter the ongoing slowdown.





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Criticism of move

However, some economists question whether linking wage rates to a better inflation index will be sufficient, given that MGNREGA workers get paid much lower than market rates. The national average wage of an MGNREGA worker is Rs. 178.44 per day, less than half of the Rs. 375 per day minimum wage recommended by a Labour Ministry panel earlier this year. Why revision of indices is justified?

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and the Labour Bureau is working to update the consumer price indices for rural areas (CPI-R) and agricultural labourers (CPI-AL) respectively. The consumption basket of CPI-AL [which determines MGNREGA wage revisions] has not been updated for more than three decades, but rural consumption patterns have changed drastically in that time. Food items make up more than two-thirds of the CPI-AL consumption basket, but rural workers today spend a much smaller percentage of their money on subsidised food, and an increasingly larger amount on health, education and transport costs. High demand for MNREGA work

Even with existing wages, the scheme is running out of funds due to increased demand for work. MGNREGA received a budgetary allocation of Rs. 60,000 crore, of which more than 75% has already been released by the Centre even before the halfway point of the year. Droughts and floods in several States have led to an increased demand for work in the early part of the year, and the economic slowdown could spur demand again once the rabi planting season is over. Source: The Hindu

18. What corporate tax cut means for the Indian economy (Relevant for GS Prelims &


What is the new tax rate?

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a significant cut in corporate tax rates, thus bringing down the effective tax rate (including various cesses and surcharges) on corporations from 35% to 25%. Also under the new corporate tax policy, new companies that set up manufacturing facilities in India starting in October and commence production before the end of March, 2023 will be taxed at an effective rate of 17%. This will bring India’s tax rates on par with its competing Asian peers. Following the government’s decision, both the Nifty and the Sensex rose over 5%, which is their biggest one-day rise in a decade. Why is the government cutting taxes?





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The corporate tax cut is part of a series of steps taken by the government to tackle the slowdown in economic growth, which has dropped for five consecutive quarters to 5% in the June quarter. The most immediate reason behind the tax cut may be the displeasure that various corporate houses have shown against the government’s policies. What impact will it have on the economy?

1. Tax cuts, by putting more money in the hands of the private sector, can offer people more incentive to produce and contribute to the economy. Thus the present tax cut can help the wider economy grow. 2. The corporate tax rate, it is worth noting, is also a major determinant of how investors allocate capital across various economies. So there is constant pressure on governments across the world to offer the lowest tax rates in order to attract investors. 3. The present cut in taxes can make India more competitive on the global stage by making Indian corporate tax rates comparable to that of rates in East Asia. 4. The tax cut, however, is expected to cause a yearly revenue loss of 1.45 lakh crore to the government which is struggling to meet its fiscal deficit target. 5. At the same time, if it manages to sufficiently revive the economy, the present tax cut can help boost tax collections and compensate for the loss of revenue. Source: The Hindu

19. India to get up to five million tonnes of LNG a year (Relevant for GS Prelims &


Indian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) importer Petronet has decided to invest $2.5 billion in American company Tellurian Inc., in an agreement that will give India access to up to five million tonnes of LNG a year. MoU have been signed and the final agreement is due to be completed by 31st March 2020. Source: The Hindu

20. Move to link Aadhaar with GST registration (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains


Earlier this month, the Directorate General of GST Intelligence and the Directorate General of Revenue Intelligence conducted a pan-India joint operation, which saw about 1,200 officers simultaneously conducting searches at 336 different locations. In the process they unearthed a network of exporters and their suppliers who had connived to claim fraudulent refunds of Integrated GST, with more than Rs. 470 crore of





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input tax credit availed being based on non-existent entities or suppliers with fictitious addresses. A further Rs. 450 crores of IGST refund is also under review. Fraud in GST refunds

Since the roll-out of the tax in July 2017, frauds totalling up to Rs. 45,682 crores have been detected. Consequently, GST Council has decided “in principle” to recommend linking Aadhaar with registration of taxpayers. The council also agreed to appraise the possibility of making the biometrics-based unique identifier mandatory for claiming refunds. The council should move swiftly to recommend mandatory linking of Aadhar for refunds, especially since that has proved to be the main source of most frauds. Source: The Hindu

21. India, U.S. trade deal falls through (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III;

Economics)

Despite Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s presence in New York to conclude a trade package with U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer, the two sides failed to bridge the gap in their positions. The announcement of an agreement was expected to coincide with bilateral between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump. Possible Reasons for failure of agreement:

Demands by US

1. The agreement could not be reached due to the failure to reach an agreement on Information and communications technology (ICT) products. The U.S. has wanted India to eliminate tariffs (20%) on ICT products, but New Delhi is concerned that this could open up the market to flooding by Chinese technology. 2. The U.S. wanted greater access to Indian markets for medical devices, such as stents and knee implants, ICT and dairy products and sought the removal of price caps. 3. The US had sought the removal of price caps (“Trade Margin Rationalization” or TMR) on medical devices and greater access for dairy products and some other categories of agricultural goods. Demands by India

1. On its part, India wanted the reinstatement of preferential market access to U.S. markets under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, which was revoked in early June. 2. It had also wanted facilitation of processes in agricultural product markets where it already had access (such as easier certification of food product irradiation facilities) and greater access in some agricultural markets (table grapes, pomegranates for instance).





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Although a limited trade package could not be finalised, the two sides had “narrowed their areas of difference”, and made “significant progress”. The two leaders, therefore, felt that they were optimistic in terms of reaching some kind of a trade agreement in the near future. And discussions will continue in this regard. However, he did not provide a time frame for the conclusion of agreement. It is believed that there are other larger issues which have prevented conclusion of deal. Some of the larger issues for the U.S. include digital trade (for instance regulations around data localization and FDI in e-commerce). India also continued to appear on U.S.’s “Priority Watch List” this year along with 10 other countries. The annual list identifies countries which, according to the U.S., pose challenges to American intellectual property rights. Source: The Hindu

22. Why RBI has put restrictions on Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank and

What are the implications of these restrictions? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains


Reserve Bank of India (RBI) slapped restrictions on Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank Ltd (PMC Bank), a leading cooperative bank headquartered in Mumbai, appointed an administrator and superseded its board of directors, sending shock waves among thousands of its depositors. Panic-stricken customers rushed to bank’s branches across the state and were unable to withdraw more than Rs 1,000. They had not been aware that the bank, which was under the supervisory glare of the RBI, was being milked by real estate players led by HDIL with the connivance of bank officials. What is the reach of PMC Bank?

Founded in 1984, PMC Bank has 137 branches spread across seven states. The bank has several small businesses, housing societies and institutions as its customers. It was popular in the Sikh community as some of the original promoters were from the community-based in Mumbai. What went wrong?

The bank has a deposit base of just over Rs 11,000 crore. The bank showed 3.76 per cent (or Rs 315 crore) of advances (Rs 8,383 crore) as gross nonperforming assets (NPAs) in March 2019, which was a good performance considering that public sector banks recorded over 10 per cent gross NPAs. But it turned out that the bank had suppressed the sticky assets and under-reported them; the total bad loans could be between Rs 2,000-2,500 crore. The bank was funding a clutch of companies, mainly in the troubled real estate sector, led by Housing Development & Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL). Commercial banks have already declared HDIL a defaulter. Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan is the Chairman of HDIL and his son Sarang Wadhawan is the Vice Chairman and MD.





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PMC Bank’s Managing Director Joy Thomas on Wednesday went on record to say that the bank had given loan to Wadhawan even after the company (HDIL) defaulted on its loans to other banks and the firm was taken to National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for insolvency proceedings. However, Thomas claimed that the loan was much lower than Rs 2,500 crore quoted in the media. On August 20, 2019, NCLT admitted an insolvency plea moved by the Bank of India against HDIL in connection with a Rs 522-crore loan default. What is the Wadhawan connection?

The Wadhawans of HDIL group had close links with PMC Bank for a long time. PMC Bank’s chairman, Waryam Singh, was on the board of HDIL for nine years (2006-15) until he resigned as a director. Incidentally, Kapil Wadhawan, chairman and MD of Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL), which is also facing a liquidity crunch, is a cousin of Sarang Wadhawan. After the Wadhawan family divided the group business, real estate (HDIL) was managed by Rakesh Wadhawan while the mortgage business (DHFL) went to his brother, the late Rajesh Wadhawan, father of Kapil Wadhawan. What’s the way forward?

The RBI has appointed J B Bhoria as administrator of PMC Bank; he is expected to take appropriate measures to bring the bank back on the rails. The 14-member board of the bank headed by Waryam Singh has been superseded. Going by the RBI’s actions on the co-operative banking front, one option is for PMC Bank to be merged with another bank. Between 2004 and 2018, the RBI has merged 72 cooperative banks in Maharashtra alone. Across the country, the number of urban co-operative banks has fallen from 1,926 to 1,551 in the last 15 years. If the bank is liquidated, which is less likely, depositors will get Rs 1 lakh irrespective of the amount they had deposited. Small depositors need not panic as the bank has Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation cover under which deposits up to Rs 1 lakh are covered. The bank has also claimed it has enough assets to cover the liabilities. Source: The Indian Express

23. Modi government is mistaken to believe that companies will invest more after

the corporate tax cut (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics)

India’s falling economic growth has finally forced the government to relax its strict fiscal deficit targets, but even that may not guarantee a recovery. On September 20, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a reduction in the country’s effective corporate tax rate from around 35% to 25%. For companies that do not avail of any other incentive or commission, the effective tax rate would be just 22%.





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Impact on government revenues

It is believed that the move, which involves forgoing Rs 1.45 lakh crore in annual revenue, will widen the government’s fiscal deficit – the difference between revenue and expenditure – from the current target of 3.3% to 4% of GDP this financial year. The rationale behind giving deficit targets a miss is that it will incentivise the private sector to invest more, as companies can now expect higher profits. This will eventually lead to, it is hoped, an economic revival. Yet, there are serious caveats in this reasoning. While rigid fiscal deficit targets can be constraining, as it forces the government to cap expenditure and squeeze out more tax from companies, an increase in fiscal deficit does not necessarily entail growth. Taxation a problem?

Lower corporate taxes can stimulate growth, depending on what the companies do with the taxes they’ve saved. Given the nature of the current slowdown, which is mainly due to weak consumer demand, there is no reason to imagine that private companies will invest more if their tax outgo decreases. If consumers are not spending in the first place due to high unemployment and diminishing wages, then additional investments become risky. There may not be many avenues for companies to invest anyway. For instance, why would lower corporate tax rates encourage auto companies to ramp up production, given placid demand? A more effective solution on the government’s part, then, would be to increase consumers’ disposable incomes by the direct injection of investment, instead of maximising private-sector profits. Such a stimulus can also create new investment opportunities for the private sector by raising consumer demand. Deepening inequality

The current corporate tax rate cuts are more likely to impact the distribution of income than growth or employment. Companies will now get a larger share of profits from existing investments, while the economy remains on the slow lane. There is a very real danger that this would exacerbate inequality. Source: scroll.in

24. What can be done to address the demand drought in our economy? (Relevant for

GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics)

A worryingly persistent slowdown dragged economic growth in India down to 5% in the fiscal first quarter, its weakest pace in more than six years. The private consumption expenditure, which contributes more than half the gross domestic product and is the mainstay of demand, has declined significantly.





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Automobile sales continues to plunge, posting worst drop since the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) started collating wholesale vehicle sales data in 1997-98. The absence of demand pervades almost every key sector: from consumer durables to biscuits and housing.

How did we get here?

Multiple factors have contributed to the demand drought. Lack of jobs, rural distress, widening inequality and, interestingly, in the opinion of some economists, even the Reserve Bank of India’s successful targeting of inflation are all cited as contributors. The view on inflation is compelling as its proponents contend that for an economy such as India’s, the central bank’s target of containing consumer price index based inflation within a 2-6% band may be less than required. Low inflation extracts costs in the form of lower nominal growth (growth measured in current prices) that could crimp tax receipts and in turn lead to cuts in government spending, these economists assert. Also, with wage/salary increases most often linked to inflation, slower price gains would result in smaller annual increments that would leave the earners more wary of spending on discretionary or non-essential purchases. What can be done to revive demand?

Consumer sentiment is a key ingredient affecting consumption and it is vital for policy makers to address weakness in consumer sentiment through a mix of measures in the economic realm, both monetary and fiscal, as well as ensuring a congenial socio-political climate that enhances the ‘feel-good’ factor. As the RBI had pointed to in its last policy announcement in August, consumer confidence has worsened appreciably. On the monetary side, ensuring lower borrowing costs as well as adequate availability of credit are crucial to helping create an enabling environment for consumers to consider taking out loans to fund their purchases. However, fiscal measures are in many ways far more crucial. Targeted tax breaks or non-tax sops that incentivise consumption is one option. The government’s latest decision to cut baseline corporate tax rates is certainly a good move, aimed at incentivising and spurring sluggish capital investment by businesses. However, companies may balk at adding capacity when demand for their manufactured goods is still weak and it is therefore imperative that the revival of demand stays front and centre of any new policy measures. As far as rural demand goes, the government must go beyond the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, or PM-KISAN income supplementing scheme and tackle the crisis of low real farm incomes by radically recalibrating its approach to the agrarian economy. As an immediate and necessary measure, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme needs to be reinvigorated by ensuring timely and adequate funding and the fixing of appropriate wage levels. As studies have shown, in its first five years, the scheme gave a big fillip to rural incomes and consumption in the hinterland.





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What, if any, are the risks?

Any economic stimulus package that the government may come up with would necessarily assume a short-term loosening of the fiscal deficit goals, whether from enhanced spending or from reduced tax revenues as the corporate tax cut may engender. If the stimulus also entails a large expenditure component, there could also be second-order inflationary consequences. However, the risks of failing to revive demand, at a juncture when the economy is heading for a stall, are far greater in the long run. Once, the economy has been reflated and demand revives, revenue buoyancy is bound to return and prudent management can ensure a gradual return to normal service on long-run fiscal goals. Source: The Hindu

25. Measures to check price rise of onions (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper

III; Economics)

1. In view of sustained high price of onions in the market, the Central Government today took several steps to contain the prices namely, imposition of stock limits on traders, ban on exports and has asked State Governments to take strict measures to prevent hoarding by traders including organising raids. 2. In the past, Centre had authorised the State Governments to impose stock limits. This time, Centre has decided to impose stock limits directly upon the States across India. The stock limit of 100 quintal on retail traders and 500 quintals on wholesale traders has been imposed across the country today. 3. Further, Government has banned export of onions with immediate effect till further orders for improving domestic availability. The ban on export of onions is expected to improve domestic availability and cool prices. 4. Centre has asked the State Governments to enforce the stock limits strictly and carry out anti-hoarding operations against the unscrupulous traders by organising raids, etc. 5. A Central buffer of about 56,700 MT was built by the Government through NAFED during Rabi 2019 season. This buffer stock is being utilised for supplies to Delhi at a rate of not more than 23.90 per kg. Haryana and Andhra Pradesh are also being supplied from the buffer. Other States have also been asked to utilise this buffer and indicate their demand for the same to Department of Consumer Affairs and/or NAFED. Source: The Hindu

Environment





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1. Where does India stand on plastic waste? What is the protocol that needs to be in

place before a ban on single-use plastic items comes into force? (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment)

On August 15, in his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a movement to eliminate single-use plastic in India, beginning on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2). Where does India stand on plastic waste?

In spite of the notification of the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, and amendments made two years later, most cities and towns are not prepared to implement its provisions. Even the biggest Municipal Corporations shouldering a staggering waste burden have failed to implement segregation of waste: collecting recyclable plastic, non-recyclable plastic and other waste separately for processing by material recovery facilities. This is a growing crisis amid criticism of under-reporting of the true extent of plastic waste. Per capita consumption of plastic is projected to go up from 11 kg in 2014-15 to 20 kg by 2022 (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry data); about 43% is single-use packaging with poor rates of recovery. An amendment to the PWM Rules in 2018, by which a six-month deadline was fixed for producers to arrange for recovery of waste in partnership with State Urban Development departments, has made little progress. Neither is plastic marked with numerical symbols (such as 1 for PET, 4 for Low Density Polyethylene, 5 for Polypropylene and so on) to facilitate recycling using the correct industrial process. Recycling reduces the volume of non-recyclables that must be disposed of using methods such as co-processing in cement kilns, plasma pyrolysis or land-filling. In April this year, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) issued notice to 52 companies asking them to file their plan to fulfil their EPR (extended producer responsibility) obligation. Are alternatives such as compostable or biodegradable plastics viable?

Although compostable, biodegradable or even edible plastics made from various materials such as bagasse (the residue after extracting juice from sugarcane), corn starch, and grain flour are promoted as alternatives, these currently have limitations of scale and cost. Some biodegradable packaging materials require specific microorganisms to be broken down, while compostable cups and plates made of polylactic acid, a popular resource derived from biomass such as corn starch, require industrial composters. On the other hand, articles made through a different process involving potato and corn starch have done better in normal conditions, going by the experience in Britain. Seaweed is also emerging as a choice to make edible containers. In India, though, in the absence of robust testing and certification to verify claims made by producers, spurious biodegradable and compostable plastics are entering the marketplace. In January this year, the CPCB said that 12 companies were marketing carry bags and





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products marked ‘compostable’ without any certification, and asked the respective State Pollution Control Boards to take action on these units. A ban on single-use plastic items would have to therefore lay down a comprehensive mechanism to certify the materials marketed as alternatives, and the specific process required to biodegrade or compost them. A movement against plastic waste would have to prioritise the reduction of single-use plastic such as multi-layer packaging, bread bags, food wrap, and protective packaging. Consumers often have no choice in the matter. Other parts of the campaign must focus on tested biodegradable and compostable alternatives for plates, cutlery and cups, rigorous segregation of waste and scaled up recycling. City municipal authorities play a key role here.

What can the packaging industry do?

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar sent a message to the industry at the global flexible packaging conference in Mumbai recently that it must take its extended producer responsibility requirement under the law seriously. The Secretaries of the Environment and Petroleum Ministries said at the event that plastic waste was a key concern, and industry should look at innovation and new materials in the days ahead, besides facilitating collection and recycling with the help of city administrations. Packaging is projected to grow into a $72.6 billion industry in India by 2020 from about $31 billion in 2015, with a proportionate rise in waste volumes. The pressure on producers to streamline the collection, recycling and processing of all forms of plastic is bound to grow. Source: The Hindu

2. Why PM Modi is attending a special climate meet on sidelines of UNGA (Relevant

for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment)

UN Secretary General António Guterres has convened a special Climate Action Summit, at the start of the annual General Assembly session, in a bid to nudge countries to do more to fight climate change. He has told world leaders to come with ‘concrete’ and ‘realistic’ proposals to enhance the actions that they are already taking.

Why a special summit?

This is not the first time that a special meeting on climate change is taking place on the sidelines of the General Assembly session. A similar meeting happened last year. But this year, the meeting has a bigger profile, with close to 60 heads of state or government, including France’s President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, likely to attend. The Secretary-General has asked countries to bring their action plans in line with the objective of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent by 2030, and to “net zero” by 2050. In addition, he has also identified nine areas in which he would like the countries to do more.





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What are the climate action plans he is talking about?

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, every signatory nation is supposed to finalise and submit a set of time-bound actions that it would take to combat climate change. The first set of action plans, called nationally determined contributions or NDCs, was submitted in 2015. The Paris Agreement also says that the NDCs should be updated every five years, with each subsequent NDC being stronger and more ambitious than the previous one. As per the five-year cycle, countries have to submit their second NDCs by next year. But the Secretary-General is asking the countries to make specific additional commitments. In addition, he has also appealed to the countries to promise not to set up any new coal plants after 2020, stop subsidies on fossil fuels, and levy additional taxes on polluters. Importantly, he has asked all countries to commit to net zero emissions by 2050. Why has India refused?

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among several leaders due to attend the Secretary-General’s meeting, India has already said it was in no position to upgrade its climate action plan. Instead, it has reminded the developed world that they have been woefully short of fulfilling their obligation of providing money and technology to developing countries to help them deal with the impacts of climate change. This can be a global aspirational goal and developed countries must be on track to take measures and legislate for net zero emissions by 2050. But it cannot be a goal for developing countries as the technologies have not progressed and aren’t all available yet for developing countries. And the past performance on both finance and technology front is just not reassuring for them,” it has said. Amount of funds required

In the discussion paper, India has repeatedly called out the developed world for their failure to provide adequate finance and technology to developing countries. It has pointed out that the finance needs specified by the developing countries in their NDCs in 2015 adds up to $4.4 trillion. India alone requires $206 billion by 2030 to implement only the adaptation programmes in agriculture, forestry, water resources, and infrastructure. The total cost of carrying out all the promised actions in the NDCs would cost $2.5 trillion by 2030. What the developed countries have made available is meagre in comparison. Developed countries have promised to mobilise at least $100 billion every year from 2020 for the developing countries. But even on that count, they are way behind the target as of now. “As per latest data available of Climate Funds Update, the actual pledges from developed to developing countries for climate finance is around only $30 billion, whereas deposits and approval are around $26 billion and $19 billion respectively,” India has said. So, what is expected to come out of Monday’s meeting then?





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A new UN report just ahead of Monday’s meeting says at least 112 countries had expressed their intent to revise their NDCs, with 75 of them promising to enhance its ambition. The other 37 have proposed to bring more data and information in their NDCs. In addition, at least 53 countries had said they were working to finalise long-term strategies, like a net-zero goal by 2050. Only 14 countries, together accounting for 26 per cent of global emissions, had categorically said they would not revise their NDCs. Source: The Indian Express

3. New leadership group announced at Climate Action Summit (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment)

Group to guide transition of GHG emitting industries

A new initiative was launched on 23rd September at the UN Climate Action Summit to help guide the world’s heaviest greenhouse gas emitting industries toward the low-carbon economy. India and Sweden together with Argentina, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea and the UK, as well as a group of companies including Dalmia Cement, DSM, Heathrow Airport, LKAB, Mahindra Group, Royal Schiphol Group, Scania, SpiceJet, SSAB, ThyssenKrupp and Vattenfall, announced a new Leadership Group for Industry Transition that will drive transformation in hard-to-decarbonize and energy-intensive sectors. This global initiative will be supported by the World Economic Forum, the Energy Transitions Commission, Mission Innovation, Stockholm Environment Institute, and the European Climate Foundation among many others in an ambitious, public-private effort, to ensure heavy industries and mobility companies can find a workable pathway to deliver on the Paris Agreement It is noteworthy to point that India along with Sweden, supported by World Economic Forum is leading the ‘Industry Transition’ track meeting. Need for the group

Industry sector emissions, including those from hard-to-abate and energy-intensive sectors like steel, cement, aluminum, aviation and shipping are expected to be responsible for 15.7Gt by 2050. The international collaboration between countries and industry groups is critical to establish workable policy frameworks and incentives, and to enable joint investment into low carbon infrastructure. About The Climate Action Summit

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres hosted the Climate Action Summit in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly. The Secretary-General called on all leaders – governments, the private sector, civil society, local authorities and other international organizations – to come with concrete, realistic plans that will boost ambition and rapidly accelerate action to implement the Paris Agreement.





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Having the key focus on raising ambition and accelerate action to implement the Paris Agreement, the Climate Action Summit focuses on nine interdependent tracks, which are led by 19 countries in total and are supported by international organizations. Source: PIB

4. Outcome of Climate Action Summit (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III;

Environment)

Having the key focus on raising ambition and accelerate action to implement the Paris Agreement, the Climate Action Summit focuses on nine interdependent tracks, which are led by 19 countries in total and are supported by international organizations. The Summit has brought together governments, private sector, civil society, local authorities and other international organizations to develop ambitious solutions in actionable areas. The Secretary-General has also prioritized a number of action portfolios. The key areas identified are the following: • Finance: mobilizing public and private sources of finance to drive decarbonization of all priority sectors and advance resilience; • Energy Transition: accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy, as well as making significant gains in energy efficiency; • Industry Transition: transforming industries such as oil and gas, steel, cement, chemicals and information technology; • Nature-Based Solutions: reducing emissions, increasing sink capacity and enhancing resilience within and across forestry, agriculture, oceans and food systems, including through biodiversity conservation, leveraging supply chains and technology; • Cities and Local Action: advancing mitigation and resilience at urban and local levels, with a focus on new commitments on low-emission buildings, mass transport and urban infrastructure; and resilience for the urban poor; • Resilience and Adaptation: advancing global efforts to address and manage the impacts and risks of climate change, particularly in those communities and nations most vulnerable. • Mitigation Strategy: to generate momentum for ambitious NDCs and longterm strategies to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. • Youth Engagement and Public Mobilization: to mobilize people worldwide to take action on climate change and ensure that young people are integrated and represented across all aspects of the Summit, including the six transformational areas.





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• Social and Political Drivers: to advance commitments in areas that affect people’s well-being, such as reducing air pollution, generating decent jobs, and strengthening climate adaptation strategies and protect workers and vulnerable groups. Source: PIB

5. First in pollution control: how Surat industries will trade particulate matter

(Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment)

The Gujarat government recently launched what is being described as the world’s first market for trading in particulate matter emissions. While trading mechanisms for pollution control do exist in many parts of the world, none of them is for particulate matter emissions. For example, the CDM (carbon development mechanism) under the Kyoto Protocol allows trade in ‘carbon credits’; the European Union’s Emission Trading System is for greenhouse gas emission; and India has a scheme run by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency that enables trading in energy units. How will the Gujarat scheme work?

Launched in Surat, the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is a market in which the traded commodity is particulate matter emissions. The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) sets a cap on the total emission load from all industries. Various industries can buy and sell the ability to emit particulate matter, by trading permits (in kilograms) under this cap. For this reason, ETS is also called a cap-and-trade market.

Why was Surat chosen for the scheme?

In the last five years, the quality of air in Surat has deteriorated. Also, industries in Surat had already installed Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems, which makes it possible to estimate the mass of particulate matter being released.

How does the trading take place?

At the beginning of every one-month compliance period (during which one emission permit is valid), 80 per cent of the total cap of 280 tonnes for that period is distributed free to all participant units. These permits are allocated based on an industry’s emission sources (boilers, heaters, generators) as this determines the amount of particulate matter emitted. GPCB will offer the remaining 20 per cent of the permits during the first auction of the compliance period, at a floor price of Rs 5 per kilogram. Participating units may buy and sell permits among each other during the period. The price is not allowed to cross a ceiling of Rs 100 per kilogram or fall below Rs 5 per kg, both of which may be adjusted after a review. How are the auctions conducted?

These take place on the ETS-PM trading platform hosted by the National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange e-Markets Limited (NeML). All participants must register a trading account with NeML. Transactions are linked to the bank accounts of the users, who can view updates through these accounts.





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Will there be a punitive action for non-compliance?

Based on permits held by units at the close of the compliance and true-up periods, units will be declared compliant or non-compliant. An environmental damage compensation at Rs 200/kg will be imposed for emissions in excess of a unit’s permit holdings at the end of the compliance period. This amount will be deducted from an environmental damage compensation deposit that each unit has to submit before the start of the scheme — Rs 2 lakh for small units, Rs 3 lakh for medium ones and Rs 10 lakh for large units. After any deduction, a unit will have to deposit extra money to meet that shortfall. Source: The Indian Express

6. PM Modi vows to more than double India’s non-fossil fuel target to 450 GW by

2022 (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment)

India’s renewable energy target will be increased to 450 GW, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the United Nations Climate Action Summit. India would spend approximately $50 billion “in the next few years” on the Jal Jeevan Mission to conserve water, harvest rainwater and develop water resources, he added. Mr. Modi also said India planned to “considerably increase the proportion of the biofuel blend in petrol and diesel.” He said India had plans to make the transport sector green through the use of electrical vehicles. The Prime Minister highlighted his call from banning single-use plastics, the International Solar Alliance, an Indian-led initiative, and that India had provided 160 million families with cooking gas connections. New initiatives announced

1. He also announced two international initiatives. First, a platform with Sweden and other countries, for governments and the private sector to work together to develop low carbon pathways for industry. 2. Second, a Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. This initiative was approved by the Union Cabinet last month and 480 crore has been allocated for technical assistance and projects. The U.K., Australia and island nations such as Fiji and the Maldives will be part of this coalition. Highlights from PM Modi's speech:

>> World not doing enough to overcome serious challenge of climate change. >> Need a global people’s movement to bring about behavioural change.





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>> India will spend $50 billion on water conservation in next few years. >> India will increase share of non-fossil fuel, will increase renewable energy capacity to beyond 175 GW by 2022 and take it to 400 GW. >> India will inaugurate on Tuesday solar panels on the roof of the U.N. building, built at a cost of $1 million. >> 80 countries have joined the International Solar Alliance initiated by India. >> Called for a people’s movement to end the use of single use plastic and hoped that it will create an awareness at a global level about the harmful effects of single use plastic. >> Need is a global people’s movement to bring about behavioural change. >> India will spend $50 billion on his government’s ambitious ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ for water conservation, rainwater harvesting and for the development of water resources. >> India and China, which faced the highest burden of death from air pollution, will reap the biggest health benefits of a robust climate policy aimed at reducing carbon emissions. >> Calls for comprehensive approach which covers everything from education to values, and from lifestyle to developmental philosophy. Source: The Hindu

Science and Technology

1. India is seeking a transition from conventional fuel vehicles to e-vehicles. Are e-

vehicles economically feasible for mass use? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper

III; Science & Technology)

In May this year, NITI Aayog proposed to ban the sale of all internal combustion engine (ICE) powered three-wheelers post March 2023. It also suggested that all new two-wheelers below 150cc sold after March 2025 should be electric. In consonance with these proposals, the Union Budget presented on July 5 announced tax incentives for early adopters. However, there has been the worry that EVs are still not financially viable because of various costs associated with their manufacture and use. How are cost structures of conventional vehicles and electric vehicles different?

The portion of the costs of the drivetrain of EVs — the system in a motor vehicle which connects the transmission to the drive axles — in comparison to the cost of the entire vehicle is four percentage points lower when compared to ICE vehicles. This is primarily due to less parts in the electric drivetrain. However, the battery pack takes up nearly half





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the cost of an electric vehicle. For any meaningful reduction in the physical value of EVs, the cost of battery packs needs to reduce significantly. What are the components of a battery pack and how much do they cost?

The predominant battery chemistry used in EVs is lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion). No new technologies are on the horizon for immediate commercial usage. The cost of the materials or key-components of the battery, namely the cathode, anode, electrolyte, separator, among others, contribute the most (60%) to the total cost. Labour charges, overheads and profit margins account for the rest. Labour is a relatively minuscule component of the overall cost. Any reduction in the cost of the battery pack will have to come from a reduction in materials cost or the manufacturing overhead.

How has the cost of the Li-ion battery pack cost evolved in the last decade?

The price of these battery packs has consistently fallen over the past few years. This decrease is in part due to technological improvements, economies of scale and increased demand for lithium-ion batteries. Fierce competition between major manufacturers has also been instrumental in bringing down prices.

Where does India stand on EV adoption?

In India, EV adoption will be driven by two-wheelers rather than cars in high numbers on because India’s mobility market is driven more by two wheelers. According to the NITI Aayog, 79% of vehicles on Indian roads are two-wheelers. Three-wheelers and cars that cost less than Rs. 10 lakh account for 4% and 12% of the vehicle population, respectively. Two-wheelers will also need smaller batteries when compared to cars and hence the overall affordable cost. India needs to manufacture Li-ion cells in-house. Now, cells are imported and “assembled” into batteries. Setting up a Li-ion manufacturing unit requires high capital expenditure. But battery manufacturing in India is expected to grow as electric vehicles grow. Are EV vehicles completely environment friendly?

In conventional ICEs, petrol or diesel fuels the engine. However, in EVs, batteries are not the fuel; electrons supplied by the battery fuel the vehicle. The battery is a device that stores electrons/energy which is sourced from electricity. Presently, most of India’s electricity is generated using conventional sources. In 2018-19, over 90% of India’s electricity was generated from conventional sources, including coal, and around 10% was produced from renewable sources such as solar, wind and biomass. While the rate of electricity generated from renewable sources has increased over the years, more needs to be done for their adoption.





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This is because the EV-charging infrastructure needs to be powered through renewable sources to make it truly sustainable. Source: The Hindu

2. Apache attack helicopters: what IAF’s lethal new acquisition can achieve (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology)

Eight Apache AH-64E stealth attack helicopters, among the most advanced military flying machines in the world, joined the Indian Air Force, providing a significant boost to its combat capabilities at a time of complex security challenges. How do the Apaches enhance the attack helicopter capabilities of the IAF at this stage, since it already has the Russian Mi-24/Mi-35 gunships in its inventory? One of the major reasons why the IAF decided to go in for the Apaches is their ability to operate at much higher altitudes than the aging Russian attack helicopters and, of course, because of the advanced technical abilities that come with the American-made Apache helicopter. The Russian Mi-35 could not operate in the Kargil conflict at the heights that the IAF wanted it to be used in support of the Army. The Russian Mi-35 were made for an era when a dual role was envisaged for them. Thus, in addition to their attack role, they have cabin space for eight soldiers, who can be speedily dropped behind enemy positions. The Apache does not have any cargo role, and is, in comparison, smaller and more nimble. Among the Apache’s modern capabilities are the ability to shoot fire-and-forget anti-tank missiles, air-to-air missiles, rockets, and other munitions. It also has modern electronic warfare capabilities to provide versatility in network-centric aerial warfare. So, how many Apaches will replace the IAF’s Mi-35s?

IAF had signed a contract with aerospace major Boeing and the United States government in 2015 for 22 Apache AH-64Es. The first eight of these attack helicopters have been delivered on schedule, and the last of the choppers is to be delivered by March 2020. In addition to these machines, another six helicopters are being procured for the Indian Army. Will all the Apaches be in flyaway condition, or does the deal involve local production? The Apaches are being received in a semi-flyaway condition, as were the Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, also manufactured by Boeing. After affixing their rotors, the aircraft are able to fly on their own. Source: The Indian Express

3. How to deflect an asteroid (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science &

Technology)





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Among all the causes that will eventually cause the extinction of life on Earth, an asteroid hit is widely acknowledged as one of the likeliest. Over the years, scientists have suggested different ways to ward off such a hit, such as blowing up the asteroid before it reaches Earth, or deflecting it off its Earth-bound course by hitting it with a spacecraft. Now, scientists have embarked on a plan to test their expertise with the second of these two methods. The mission

It is an ambitious double-spacecraft mission to deflect an asteroid in space, to prove the technique as a viable method of planetary defence. The mission, which includes NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), is known as the Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA). During September 11-13, asteroid researchers and spacecraft engineers from around the world will gather in Rome to discuss its progress. The target is the smaller of two bodies in the “double Didymos asteroids” that are in orbit between Earth and Mars. Didymos is a near-Earth asteroid system. Its main body measures about 780 m across; the smaller body is a “moonlet” about 160 m in diameter. The project aims to deflect the orbit of the smaller body through an impact by one spacecraft. Then a second spacecraft will survey the crash site and gather the maximum possible data on the effect of this collision, ESA explained in a statement. Tools of the mission

NASA is building the Double Asteroid Impact Test (DART) spacecraft for launch in summer 2021. It is planned to collide with the target at 6.6 km/s in September 2022. Flying along with DART will be an Italian-made miniature CubeSat, called LICIACube, to record the moment of impact. ESA’s contribution is a mission called Hera, which will perform a close-up survey of the post-impact asteroid, acquiring measurements such as the asteroid’s mass and detailed crater shape. Hera will also deploy a pair of CubeSats for close-up asteroid surveys and the very first radar probe of an asteroid. All this would allow researchers to model the efficiency of the collision. This can help turn this experiment into a technique that could be repeated, as needed, in the event of a real threat, ESA said. Source: The Indian Express

4. In ethanol, government’s sugar solution (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology)

Government has hiked ethanol procurement price for blending with petrol, allowed conversion of old sugar into ethanol. How is the move expected to address problems of overproduction and unpaid dues? Recently, the government approved an increase in the price of ethanol to be procured by public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) from sugar mills for blending with petrol for





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the 2019-20 supply year from December 1. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) also allowed conversion of old sugar into ethanol, which again is expected to help mills deal with the current overproduction in the sweetener and make timely payments to farmers for the cane delivered by them. What exactly is ethanol and how do mills produce it?

Ethanol is basically alcohol of 99%-plus purity, which can be used for blending with petrol. The normal rectified spirit used for potable purposes has only 95% alcohol content. Both ethanol (also called anhydrous alcohol) and rectified spirit are produced mainly from molasses, a byproduct of sugar manufacture. Mills typically crush cane with a total fermentable sugars (TFS) content of about 14%. Much of this TFS — sucrose plus so-called reducing sugars (glucose and fructose) — gets crystallised into sugar. The un-crystallised, non-recoverable part goes into what is called ‘C’ molasses. The latter, constituting roughly 4.5% of the cane, has a TFS of 40%. Every 100 kg of TFS, in turn, yields 60 litres of ethanol. Thus, from one tonne of cane, mills can produce 115 kg of sugar (at 11.5% recovery) and 45 kg of molasses (18 kg TFS) that gives 10.8 litres of ethanol. But rather than produce sugar, mills can also ferment the entire 14% TFS in the cane. In that event, they would end up making 84 litres of ethanol and zero kg of sugar. In between these two extreme cases, there are intermediate options as well, where the cane juice does not have to be crystallised right till the final ‘C’ molasses stage. The molasses can, instead, be diverted after the earlier ‘A’ and ‘B’ stages of sugar crystal formation. Mills, then, would produce some sugar, as opposed to fermenting the whole sugarcane juice into ethanol. If ethanol is manufactured using ‘B’ heavy molasses (7.25% of cane and with TFS of 50%), around 21.75 litres will get produced along with 95 kg of sugar from every 1 tonne of cane. So what has the government done?

Given the surplus sugar production in the country, it has allowed mills to produce ethanol from ‘B’ heavy molasses and directly from sugarcane juice. On Tuesday, the CCEA approved even use of sugar and sugar syrup for production of ethanol; mills can simply add these to the molasses mother liquor for further fermentation. But the real impetus has come from mills getting higher rates for ethanol manufactured from the ‘B’ heavy and sugarcane juice routes. For the 2018-19 supply year (December-November), the ex-distillery price payable by OMCs for ethanol manufactured from the conventional ‘C’ molasses route was fixed at Rs 43.46 per litre. This was set higher at Rs 52.43/litre for ethanol from ‘B’ heavy molasses and Rs 59.13/litre from sugarcane juice. For the new 2019-20 supply year, the prices have been raised marginally to Rs 43.75/litre (‘C’ molasses), Rs 54.27/litre (‘B’ molasses) and Rs. 59.48/litre (sugarcane juice). Moreover, even ethanol produced from sugar and sugar syrup will enjoy the Rs 59.48/litre rate. How will all this play out?

Currently, ex-factory prices of sugar are ruling at around Rs 32 per kg. If a mill were to produce 115 kg of sugar and 10.8 litres of ethanol through the conventional route, its gross realisation at Rs 32/kg and Rs 43.46/litre would be roughly Rs 4,149 from every tonne of cane crushed. But if it were to convert the entire cane juice into 84 litres of ethanol, the gross realisation at Rs 59.48/litre works out much higher at Rs 4,996 per tonne of cane. In





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other words, there is a huge incentive to produce ethanol today. This has been additionally facilitated by the government mandating 10% blending of petrol with ethanol. Between 2013-14 and 2018-19 (supply years), ethanol procurement by OMCs has increased from 38 crore litres to an estimated 200 crore-plus litres. Out of the latter, 32 crore litres is expected to be made from ‘B’ heavy molasses and sugarcane juice. If mills are able to divert more of cane juice for ethanol, it would mean producing less sugar. Since the country is producing too much sugar and is importing oil, the ethanol-blending programme is beneficial both for mills and for the country’s balance of payments. Ten-per-cent blending requires 330 crore-odd litres of ethanol, which can now be produced through the ‘B’-heavy molasses and sugarcane juice routes as well. What is the present situation in sugar like?

Mills are expected to close the 2018-19 sugar season (October-September) with all-time-high stocks of 136 lakh tonnes (lt), which is equivalent to to six months of domestic consumption. Even if production falls from 329.5 lt to a projected 270-280 lt in the new season and exports nearly double to 60 lt — the country consumes only 265-270 lt a year — stocks will remain at levels where mills will still struggle to pay farmers (see box). As of now, they have outstanding cane dues of over Rs 10,000 crore, of which Rs 7,000 crore-plus is in UP alone. These will mount further as crushing for the 2019-20 season begins in a month’s time. Ethanol is the only real saviour under the circumstances — both for mills and cane growers. Source: The Indian Express

5. How successful has been Chandrayaan-2 (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper


What has happened to the lander? India’s first attempt to land a spacecraft on the Moon has not been successful. The lander of Chandrayaan-2, called Vikram, did not slow down at the expected rate towards the latter part of its descent, and most likely hit the lunar surface at a speed greater than required for safe landing. The ground control station had lost contact with the lander when it was about 2.1 km above the Moon. On Sunday, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K Sivan was quoted as saying that the lander had been located on the Moon, and a thermal image of it had been taken by instruments on board the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter that is going around the Moon in a near-circular orbit of 100 km. He said efforts to re-establish contact with the lander had not yet been successful.

So, has Chandrayaan-2 failed?

The mission has not failed, although the attempt to land a spacecraft on the Moon certainly has. The mission comprised an orbiter, a lander and rover. The orbiter part (named Chandrayaan-2) is functioning normally. Most of the scientific investigations of the mission are supposed to be carried by instruments onboard the orbiter, including studies to find more evidence of water on the Moon. The lander (named Vikram) and rover had a mission





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life of only 14 days while the orbiter will function for at least one year. Scientists insist that 80-90 per cent of the science output of the mission have to come from the orbiter, and that has not been affected at all. Is Vikram destroyed? We don’t know as yet, but more likely than not it is. When contact was lost, it was travelling at 50 to 60 metres per second (180 to 200 km per hour). It was decelerating, but not fast enough to slow down to a speed of 2 metres/second (7.2 km/hr) that was required for a safe landing. Vikram was designed to absorb the shock of an impact even at 5 metres/second (18 km/hr). At the rate it was decelerating, it could not even have attained a speed of 5 metres/second before touchdown. It is likely to have hit the Moon at a far greater speed, possibly damaging itself and instruments on board. So, why is ISRO still trying to look for it and re-establish contact?

For very good reasons. Science would not simply accept the assumption that the lander would have been destroyed. It would want to ascertain that, and assess the damage. Locating the lander and restoring contact is just the first step in trying to figure out what exactly happened and why. The lander has already been located. At the time it had begun to deviate from its pre-programmed flight path, the lander was barely a few kilometres from the Moon. Its final point of landing, therefore, could not be away from the selected location by more than a few km. ISRO eventually used the instruments on the orbiter to locate the lander. The orbiter has only taken a thermal image —possibly because it passed over the site at a time when there was not enough sunlight —and not a normal image, which too is possible. The more difficult part is to restore contact with the lander. That would depend on how much damage it has suffered, and whether its communication unit is intact. The individual instruments onboard the lander as well several of its components are capable of sending signals that can be picked up either through other nearby space assets or by the ground station. Every such signal will offer valuable clues to its current state and what it could have gone through. Restoration of contact can be done only in the next two weeks. After that, the Moon will enter its night (14 Earth days) during which temperatures would be so cold that the instruments are unlikely to behave normally. What is the best-case scenario now?

It is possible that some of the instruments on the lander are functional. It is also possible that two-way communication can be re-established with them from the ground station and they are revived. In the best-case scenario, it can be imagined that these instruments perform the functions they were intended to. The lander was supposed to remain stationary on the Moon’s surface, and the four instruments on it, installed on its different sides, were to meant to make observations and collect data. As of now, it is unlikely that the lander is standing vertically as it was supposed to. The instruments, if they can be revived, can possibly take readings and communicate with the ground station.





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One of these instruments was the NASA-built Laser Retroreflector Array, essentially only a group of mirrors. This was only meant to be deployed on the Moon, not do anything. These mirrors are used by control stations on the ground to reflect signals from the Moon. At least five such reflectors are already on the Moon, deployed by earlier missions. They are used for a variety of purposes. It is by sending signals back and forth to these mirrors that the distance between the Earth and the Moon has been calculated to a very high degree of precision. All these existing retroreflectors are in the equatorial region of the Moon. The one being carried by Vikram lander would have been deployed near the polar region for the first time. If this instrument has not been totally destroyed, it can be used. It is supposed to be a “passive” instrument; it only has to act as a reflector of signals. On the other hand, the rover could have come out of the lander only when it was standing vertically. It is therefore unlikely that the rover and the two instruments on it could be put to any use now. How big a setback this is to ISRO?

ISRO, and other space agencies as well, has gone through several such setbacks in space exploration. It is most probably a good learning experience. Even Chandrayaan-1, launched in 2008, had suffered a partial failure. It had a mission life of two years but remained functional for barely nine months. An issue with heat shielding had created problems within a few weeks of its reaching the orbit, and some of the onboard instruments had to be switched off. They were restored once but many of them developed problems again. By May 2009, less than eight months after reaching its designated orbit of 100 km from Moon’s surface, Chandrayaan-1 had to be moved to a higher orbit of 200 km. A few months later, it became almost a dead spacecraft. It is still going around the Moon but without communicating. However, the main science objectives of Chandrayaan-1 had already been achieved by that time. This included the blockbuster finding of irrefutable evidence of presence of water on the Moon. The science produced by the Chandrayaan-2 mission, too, might remain completely unaffected by what has happened to the lander, though the hype surrounding the landing attempt might not let people forget this failure very soon. But there would also be very important learning for ISRO to be implemented in its future missions. Source: Indian Express

6. New anti-tuberculosis drug (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science &

Technology)

Anti-tuberculosis drug Pretomanid

The anti-tuberculosis drug pretomanid recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will be a game changer for treating people with extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) and those who do not tolerate or respond to now available multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) drugs.





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That pretomanid is only the third drug in the last 40 years to get FDA approval highlights the scarcity of new drugs to treat TB bacteria that are rapidly developing resistance against most available drugs. Results of trials

The all-oral, three-drug regimen of bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid (BPaL) had a 90% cure rate in a phase III trial in South Africa involving 109 participants. In contrast, the current treatment success rate for XDR-TB and MDR-TB is about 34% and 55%, respectively. Importantly, the regimen was found to be safe and effective in curing TB in people living with HIV. The safety and efficacy were tested in 1,168 patients in 19 clinical trials in 14 countries. Unlike 18-24 months needed to treat highly-resistant TB using nearly 20 drugs, the BPaL regimen took just six months, was better tolerated and more potent in clearing the bacteria. The shorter duration is more likely to increase adherence to therapy and improve treatment outcomes. Expected benefits

According to the World Health Organisation, in 2017, there were an estimated 4.5 lakh people across the world with MDR-TB, of which India accounted for 24%, and about 37,500 with XDR-TB. With only a low percentage of MDR-TB cases being treated, the actual number of people who do not tolerate or respond to available MDR-TB drugs and so will be eligible to receive the BPaL regimen is unknown. Though the total number of people who will require the new drug may not be high, these are people who have very little alternative treatment options that are safe and efficacious. Also, the number of those who would need a pretomanid-based regimen is increasing due to rising drug resistance. Source: The Hindu

7. How ISRO is trying to reconnect with Vikram Lander, within a deadline (Relevant

for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology)

It is over three days since the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-2 mission lost its communication link with the ground station. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said its efforts to restore the link have not been successful so far. In the meanwhile, Vikram has been located on the Moon’s surface through the orbiter module, which has also taken a thermal image of the lander. The condition of Vikram — whether it has been destroyed, or is still intact — is not yet known. Is there still hope to restore contact with Chandrayaan-2’s Vikram Lander?

In this case, the time elapsed since contact was lost has no bearing on the chances of re-establishing contact with the lander. The probability of establishing contact is not going down with time. But there is a deadline nonetheless. The ISRO has to succeed in the next two weeks (by September 21). Why this deadline?





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Because the Moon will enter into a lunar night after that. Remember, even the lander and rover were supposed to be functional only for 14 days from the day of their touchdown. Lunar days and nights are equivalent to 14 Earth days. The nights on the Moon can be very cold, especially in the south polar region where Vikram is lying. Temperatures could drop to as low as -200°C. The instruments aboard the lander are not designed to withstand that kind of temperature. The electronics would not work and would get permanently damaged. So, if no connection is established in the next two weeks, ISRO will have to all but give up hope after that. How is ISRO trying to establish contact with Vikram Lander?

Communication with remote objects is possible through electromagnetic waves. For purposes of space communication, frequencies in the S-band (microwave) and L-band (radio waves) of the electromagnetic spectrum are usually used. As of now, it is not known why the communication link was lost. Since it happened when the lander was in flight, power failure in its communication unit can be a probable reason. But after that, the lander has hit the Moon’s surface at a speed far greater than needed for a safe landing. It could have suffered partial or complete damage. Communication with the instruments can be made only if those instruments are in working condition. Vikram was designed to communicate with both the ground station and with the orbiter. An attempt is being made from both to restore contact. Signals of specific frequencies, which the instruments on the lander are tuned to receive, are being sent in the hope that one instrument or the other would be able to receive them and respond. What factors can help or hinder this?

A key issue is the position of the antenna on the lander. It was supposed to be erect and free of any obstructions, so that it could scan a wide area to receive signals. A torchlight, if held up for example, spreads in a conical fashion and after a certain distance, the cone would spread almost 180°. A vertical antenna can also scan for signals from a similarly vast conical area. However, if the antenna is buried, pointing towards the ground, or is otherwise obstructed, its ability to receive signals would be diminished considerably. The conical area in which it can scan would also be reduced. The orbiter has the best chance to establish contact. Making many revolutions of the Moon every day, it will be trying to send signals to Vikram every time it crosses over it. It is not rare to lose contact with a space object, and then re-establish connection. But it is far more easier if the space object is in orbit, or otherwise in good working condition. Source: The Indian Express

8. What is Bombay blood group, rare and sought after? (Relevant for GS Prelims &

Mains Paper III; Science & Technology)





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Over the last two weeks, the “Bombay blood group”, a rare blood type, has been at the centre of attention in Mumbai’s healthcare scene. Demand for the blood type has coincidentally spiked at hospitals, but supply has been scarce. Blood types, common & rare

The four most common blood groups are A, B, AB and O. The rare, Bombay blood group was first discovered in Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1952 by Dr Y M Bhende. Each red blood cell has antigen over its surface, which helps determine which group it belongs to. The Bombay blood group, also called hh, is deficient in expressing antigen H, meaning the RBC has no antigen H. For instance, in the AB blood group, both antigens A and B are found. A will have A antigens; B will have B antigens. In hh, there are no A or B antigens. Rare in India, rarer globally

Globally, the hh blood type has an incidence of one in four million. It has a higher incidence in South Asia; in India, one in 7,600 to 10,000 are born with this type.

Testing for the group

To test for hh blood, an Antigen H blood test is required. Often the hh blood group is confused with the O group. The difference is that the O group has Antigen H, while the hh group does not. If anyone lacks Antigen H, it does not mean he or she suffers from poor immunity or may be more prone to diseases. Because of rarity, however, they do face problems during blood transfusion. Source: The Indian Express

9. Is India likely to ban single-use plastics soon? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains

Paper III; Science & Technology)

10,000 tonnes of plastic waste is left uncollected every day India’s policy on single-use plastic has been much in the news, with reports that a ban is in the offing. What are single-use plastics and why aren’t they have been banned if they pose a major environmental threat?

What is single-use plastic?

Single-use plastics, often also referred to as disposable plastics, are commonly used for packaging and include items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. These include, among other items, grocery bags, food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups and cutlery. Plastic packaging is mostly single-use, especially in business-to-consumer applications, and a majority of it is discarded the same year it is produced. Such plastics are problematic because they are not biodegradable.

Is there an imminent ban on single-use plastic?

There is no ban in the works. Union Minister for Environment and Forests Prakash Javadker in a briefing said: “...Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn’t say ‘ban’, but said





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‘goodbye’ to single-use plastic waste. From October 2, we will begin an attempt to collect all that waste. Nearly 10,000 tonnes of plastic waste remains uncollected.” This was in the context of Mr. Modi’s exhortations to Indians to eschew the use of single-use plastic by October 2, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Why is it difficult to ban single-use plastics?

India has Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2018. One of its key obligations is to have industries that make products that ultimately employ plastic (and generate plastic waste) collect a fixed percentage every year. The State Pollution Control Boards as well municipalities have the responsibility to ensure that plastic waste is collected and sent to recycling units. Compared to other countries such as the U.S. and China, India has very low per capita generation of plastic waste. However, in real terms, this is quite substantial and nearly 10,000 tonnes of plastic waste is left uncollected every day. Studies by organisations like The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) on landfills have found that 10.96% of waste was only plastic and of these, non-recyclable plastics accounted for 9.6%. The disparity is because certain kinds of plastic, such as PET bottles are remunerative for rag pickers as they are in demand at recycling facilities.

Source: The Hindu

10. Train 18 project status (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science &

Technology)

Launch of Train 18

In October 2018, Train 18 which can attain a semi-high-speed (of 160 kmph-200 kmph speed) was rolled out in a short span of 18 months. If Chandrayaan-2 brought India close to joining the select band of three countries in the world to have successfully achieved a soft landing on the moon, Train 18 propelled India into the exclusive club of about a half a dozen countries in the world that have the capability to produce a brand new design of a high-speed/semi-high-speed train set in such a short time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in February 2019, flagged off the inaugural run of the Train 18 as ‘Vande Bharat Express’ in Varanasi.

What issues have emerged now?

1. Following top-level changes in the Railway Board at the turn of the New Year, a vigilance investigation was launched into certain alleged procedural irregularities and allegations of undue favours shown to a particular indigenous firm in awarding contracts for the crucial propulsion system. It was also reported that deviations had been observed from the specifications prescribed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO).





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2. Meanwhile, the man who had spearheaded the Train 18 project — from its conception and design to its launch — as General Manager of Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and who retired at the end of last year, was not even extended an invitation for the train’s ceremonial inaugural run in February 2019. 3. With the train set’s production having come to a halt in ICF, Chennai, despite tenders having been floated, Project 18 is as good as dead now.

Breach of specifications Indian Railways operates normally in ‘maintenance mode’ to keep the wheels of the railway network moving as efficiently as possible with the least disruption. This aim is achieved through more than a dozen functional departments that normally work in close coordination. Only certain specific projects or initiatives are undertaken in ‘mission mode’. The Train 18 project was one such undertaking that required the planners to cut red tape and reduce needless procedural hassles. It is likely that in the process, certain ‘sacrosanct’ boundaries of departmental silos were breached for no other reason than to speed up decision-making. Source: The Hindu

11. What is ‘Vaccine hesitancy’? Why it is a significant threat? (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology)

Vaccine hesitancy Vaccine hesitancy is defined as the “reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines. With a 30% increase in measles cases worldwide in 2018, the World Health Organization, in January 2019, included ‘vaccine hesitancy’ as one of the 10 threats to global health this year. Why ‘vaccine hesitancy’ for MMR vaccine?

Younger people (18-34 years) and those with less education are less likely to agree that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe. A 2018 study found low awareness to be the main reason why 45% of children missed different vaccinations in 121 Indian districts that have higher rates of unimmunised children. While 24% did not get vaccinated due to apprehension about adverse effects, 11% were reluctant to get immunised for reasons other than fear of adverse effects. Thus, much work remains to be done to address misinformation. With social media playing a crucial role in spreading vaccine disinformation, the commitment by Facebook to “reduce distribution” of vaccine misinformation will be helpful in winning the war against vaccine deniers. Need for MMR vaccine





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Measles vaccine not only provides lifelong protection against the virus but also reduces mortality from other childhood infections. This is because measles viruses kill immune cells, leaving the child vulnerable to infectious diseases for two to three years. Source: The Hindu

12. Fiber to the home (FTTH) broadband service: Gone are the days of Mbps, now it

will be about Gbps (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology)

Jio GigaFiber is a fiber to the home (FTTH) broadband service by the Reliance Industries. It will provide ultrahigh-definition entertainment on TVs, video conferencing, virtual reality gaming, and immersive experiences. Any FTTH connection, be it Jio, Spectra or Airtel, will be a lot better than normal broadband services. This is because the normal broadband services install fiber right until node (street cabinet) from where the connectivity is extended to your home through copper cable and LAN.

Earlier technology

Copper cable is very old technology and has a very low-quality data service because of noise/disturbance. And LAN connections are also not fast enough since they pass through lots of switches to reach our homes resulting in loss in speed/bandwidth. Why FTTH is better?

FTTH ensures the delivery of a communication signal over optical fiber from the operator’s site all the way to your home. It is much better and faster way to get broadband. You must be wondering what it is that makes optical fiber so fast & efficient. Well the answer is that it uses light instead of electricity to carry a signal. And this complete transmission line is made of glass in flexible form. Furthermore, the phenomenon of total internal reflection in optical fiber, due to its shape, makes sure that high bandwidth signals are transmitted over long distances (city to city or even country to country) without degradation. It is due to optical fiber that Jio will provide fastest internet at lowest possible cost and pave the path in for a revolutionized broadband in India. 13. Giving birth at 74: Issues in debate around setting an age limit for IVF (Relevant

for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology)

A 74-year-old woman from Andhra Pradesh was recently recorded as the oldest in the world to give birth to twins through in-vitro fertilisation or IVF. While her doctor has said both babies and mother are stable, the medical community has expressed ethical and medical concerns over conception at such an advanced age.





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Why this is a concern

The average life expectancy of an Indian woman is 70 and of a man 69, and the medical community has expressed concerns over future of children born to such an elderly couple. The very day after the delivery, the twins’ father, 80, suffered a stroke. Pregnancy in old age poses multiple risks — hypertension, diabetes, convulsions, bleeding, and cardiac complications to name a few. Moreover, the womb of an older woman has to be prepared by injecting hormones to the foetus to grow for nine months. Also, a woman of that age cannot breastfeed. Can a doctor face action?

Several experts have demanded punitive action, saying the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) should deregister his Andhra Pradesh centre. But with no law in place — a Bill is pending — the assisted reproductive technology (ART) industry continues to operate in a grey zone. In 2005, when ICMR drafted guidelines for ART, it had not set an age limit keeping in mind that reproductive rights were a fundamental right for a woman. In the absence of a law

Globally, an estimated 15% of couples are infertile. The Assisted Reproductive Technologies (Regulation) Bill, 2010, states that in the Indian social context, children are “old-age insurance”. The Bill proposes the upper age limit at 45 for women and 50 for men to undergo the IVF procedure. As of now, several centres rely on ICMR’s 2017 guidelines that recommend the same age limits. Even for adoption, the total age of the couple must not exceed 110 years. With increasing life expectancy, doctors are in talks with the government to increase the IVF age limit to 50-52 years for women. Until then, several experts self-regulate, some counsel senior citizens to drop the idea, and others refuse them IVF treatment. The counter-view

Societal pressure to have children, the fear of living without support in old age, and the loss of an only child often encourage couples. Some doctors argue that childbirth is a personal decision and each individual has the right to make that choice after counselling. Still, a doctor has to conduct tests for the heart, bone structure, diabetes, blood pressure to judge the feasibility of pregnancy. Laws in other countries

Most countries that have a law range the upper limit for IVF between 40 and 50 years. In the US, the upper limit for IVF is 50, and for ovum donation, 45. In Australia, guidelines prohibit IVF beyond menopause (52 years). In the UK, 42 is the age limit for women to seek free insurance under National Health Service. In Canada, the age limit is 43. Source: The Indian Express





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14. Production and sale of e-cigarettes have been made a punishable offence in India.

How widespread is their use in India? What are the health concerns around such

products, and how do they compare with traditional tobacco? (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology)

Recently, the Union Cabinet approved an ordinance prohibiting electronic cigarettes in the country. It makes production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement of e-cigarettes and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) such as vapes, e-hookahs and e-cigars a punishable offence. What is the amount of punishment prescribed?

First-time offenders may face imprisonment of up to one year, a fine up to Rs 1 lakh, or both. Subsequent offences may lead to up to three years’ imprisonment and Rs 5 lakh in fine, while those found storing e-cigarettes and other such ENDS products will face up to six months in prison and up to Rs 55,000 in fines, or both. What are e-cigarettes?

E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat a solution of nicotine and different flavours to create aerosol, which is then inhaled. These devices belong to a category of vapour-based nicotine products called ENDS. E-cigarettes and other ENDS products may look like their traditional counterparts (regular cigarettes or cigars), but they also come in other shapes and sizes and can resemble daily use products, including pens and USB drives. Several companies selling ENDS in India have positioned these products as a safer, less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes or as devices that could help users quit smoking. What is the size of the e-cigarettes market in India? India’s vapour products market was nascent, but expected to experience rapid growth. It was valued at over $15 million in 2017, according to analyst reports, and projected to grow nearly 60 per cent a year up to 2022. Why does the government want to ban these devices? The Health Ministry and Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation, India’s drug regulatory authority, had attempted in the past to ban the import and sale of these products citing public health concerns. Before the ordinance was announced, the government had been facing hurdles in the form of court cases against the move, as ENDS were not declared as ‘drugs’ in the country’s drug regulations. In May 2019, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) released a white paper stating that the uses of ENDS, or e-cigarettes, have “documented adverse effects” which include DNA damage; carcinogenesis (initiation of cancer formation); cellular, molecular and immunological toxicity; respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological disorders. It also impacts foetal development and pregnancy, according to ICMR, which had recommended a “complete prohibition” of these products.





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Who gains? The government feels its decision will help “protect the population, especially youth and children, from the risk of addiction through e-cigarettes”. It says enforcement of the ordinance will complement its efforts to reduce tobacco use and, therefore, help in reducing the economic and disease burden associated with it. Apart from this, traditional tobacco firms, too, could potentially gain from the ban. Share prices of some tobacco firms listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange like ITC, VST Industries, Golden Tobacco and even Godfrey Phillips India, which has its own portfolio of e-cigarettes for the Indian market, rose as much as 9 per cent intra-day. A closer look at the shareholding pattern of these companies shows that the central government, too, has the potential to benefit financially from this move, with central and state-owned firms making notional gains of nearly Rs 1,000 crore. Does this mean traditional tobacco products are safer? Traditional tobacco products like cigarettes and chewing tobacco are already known to be harmful. Elsewhere

US: Has the highest population of smokeless tobacco and vape-product users. Reports of over 400 hospitalisations and six deaths related to use of e-cigarette and vape uses. Plans to ban all e-cigarette flavours, except for tobacco. China: Houses a third of the world’s smokers. Has reportedly seen an increasing population of vapers, especially young people. Announced in July 2019 that it plans to regulate e-cigarettes to strengthen supervision of these products.


15. What does ancient DNA show about history? How do genetic patterns relate to

archaeological evidence about Indian pasts? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper


What is ancient DNA (aDNA) and what has it been used to study?

Ancient DNA can be carefully extracted from archaeologically recovered bones, teeth or fossil plant remains. Small fragments are processed to sequence the genome of those ancient organisms. Techniques developed over the past three decades have led to a revolution in how we understand the evolution and genetic history of a range of animals and plants, including species that are extinct today. Palaeogeneticists have been able to establish, for example, how genetic variation might relate to the independent evolution of species on different continents, or how different subspecies of horses emerged after their domestication, or how populations that today appear distinct and in different geographical areas were once related and likely existed together in one region.





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What are challenges of studying human DNA?

Special challenges are attached to the study of ancient human DNA, especially as contamination from modern human DNA is a real hazard and requires special techniques at every stage of the recovery and extraction process.

What can be done with a DNA from human samples?

Modern human DNA databases are built on samples from people like us, alive today. They have been used for several applications, prominently including attempts to understand the genetic predisposition towards certain diseases and responses to medicines in different social groups in South Asia. The comparison of aDNA samples with other aDNA and modern DNA databases can reveal otherwise unsuspected genetic histories. Scientists can trace the deep ancestry of ancient individuals and assess how their genetic makeup is distinct on account of specific variant genes (alleles), mutations and other markers (99% of all human DNA is common) and see how this compares with that of modern groups. What are the recent results? What do they establish?

The first paper is based on 523 aDNA samples ranging over 8,000 years across Eurasia. The paper is titled, ‘The Formation of Human Populations in South and Central Asia’. The authors demonstrate clearly that over the last 10,000 years, the present-day distinctive mix of South Asian genetic variability was formed through the mixture of populations then resident in the region with successive groups who moved into the region. This is a process that happened not just once but several times. They make clear that these mixing of populations were far from “invasions”, and the trends in their data show slow long-term processes of migration, co-mingling and integration. What does the woman from Rakhigarhi teach us?

The second paper presents the results of the first successful aDNA extraction from prehistoric South Asia. Individual 6113 was an elite woman buried between 2300 and 2800 BCE (estimated) in a cemetery on the outskirts of the Harappan town of Rakhigarhi, located near the present day city of Hissar in Haryana. This is a scientific achievement, especially as efforts to extract archaeological DNA have hitherto been few in South Asia and several attempts resulted in DNA that was too degraded or was contaminated. The DNA of this person from Rakhigarhi, it turns out, is a mixture with contributions coming from very ancient ancestry shared with Iranian populations and that from what the authors term Andamanese or South-East Asians in the deep past of her ancestry. Of all the ancient samples, contemporary to her that we can compare her to, she turns out to be genetically closest to another group who were buried in Khorasan (principally at the site of Shahr-i-Sokhta in Iran). These individuals — some of whose graves had objects that were previously known to have connections to the Indus Valley Civilisation — share a similar mixture of ancestry and are also outliers in the larger comparative database.





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Source: The Hindu

16. ISRO initiates ‘Project NETRA’ to safeguard Indian space assets from debris and other harm (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology)

What is Project NETRA?

Project NETRA (Network for space object Tracking and Analysis) was initiated by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in August, 2019. The objective of the project is to develop an early warning system in space to detect debris and other hazards to Indian satellites. The project estimated to cost 400 crore. What is the benefit expected from NETRA?

The project will give India its own capability in space situational awareness (SSA). It also goes so far as to serve as an unstated warning against missile or space attack for the country, experts say. The space agency says our SSA will first be for low-earth orbits or LEO which have remote-sensing spacecraft. NETRA’s eventual goal is to capture the GEO, or geostationary orbit, scene at 36,000 km where communication satellites operate. What will NETRA consist of?

Under NETRA, the ISRO plans to put up many observational facilities: connected radars, telescopes; data processing units and a control centre. They can, among others, spot, track and catalogue objects as small as 10 cm, up to a range of 3,400 km and equal to a space orbit of around 2,000 km. With this the ISRO, which has placed satellites to track the earth from above, will also start training its eyes on space from earth. What is Space debris?

Space debris could be floating particles from dead satellites or rocket parts that stay in orbit for many years. Satellite agencies fear over even a speck of paint or fragment floating towards their spacecraft: it disables on board electronics and cripples the satellite worth several hundred crore rupees besides many services that run on it. Agencies constantly look for debris at the time of a launch and through the life of a satellite. What would constitute eyes on earth?

In the plans are a high-precision, long range telescope in Leh and a radar in the North East. Along with them, ISRO will also use the Multi-Object Tracking Radar (MOTR) that we is stationed at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, and the telescopes at Ponmudi and Mount Abu in order to get a broad SSA picture. The new SSA centre would consolidate debris tracking activities that are now spread across ISRO centres. What is the present status on protecting satellite from space debris?

Even now ISRO undertakes collision avoidance manoeuvres on satellites. To do that it depends on data from NORAD and others available in the public domain but ISRO doesn’t





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get accurate [or comprehensive] information. By establishing an observation system of our own, ISRO will become part of the global network and can access precise data. NORAD, or the North American Aerospace Defense Command, is an initiative of the U.S. and Canada that shares selective debris data with many countries. Satellites presently functioning

Currently there are 15 functional Indian communication satellites in the geostationary orbit of 36,000 km; 13 remote sensing satellites in LEO of up to 2,000 km; and eight navigation satellites in medium earth orbits. Military aspect

More importantly, the SSA also has a military quotient to it and adds a new ring to the country’s overall security. With long-range tracking radars, the SSA also provides us the capability of an early warning system against ballistic missiles coming in at a height. In future, apart from radars and telescopes, India will also think of deploying satellites that track other satellites — as the U.S. and other space powers had done. Combined with other elements of military intelligence, SSA would also help us to understand motives behind any suspicious orbit changes of other satellites and to know if they were spying on or harming our spacecraft.

Source: The Hindu

17. First Indigenous Fuel Cell System launched (Relevant for GS Prelims; Science &

Technology)

The President of India unveiled the first Indigenous High Temperature Fuel Cell System developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in partnership with Indian industries under India’s flagship program named “New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI)”. The 5.0 kW fuel cell system generates power in a green manner using methanol / bio-methane, with heat and water as bi-products for further use; amounting to greater than 70% efficiency, which otherwise may not be possible by other energy sources. The Fuel Cells developed are based on High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) Technology. The development is most suitable for distributed stationary power applications like; for small offices, commercial units, data centers etc.; where highly reliable power is essential with simultaneous requirement for air-conditioning. This system will also meet the requirement of efficient, clean and reliable backup power generator for telecom towers, remote locations and strategic applications as well. This development would replace Diesel Generating (DG) sets and help reduce India’s dependence on crude oil.





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Source: PIB

18. What have researchers at Google achieved? How are quantum computers

different from regular personal computers? How will it impact the technology

world? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology)

Tech websites and theoretical computer-science outlets were aflame earlier this week after a story in the U.K.-based Financial Times said Google had claimed to have achieved ‘quantum supremacy’. In a line, it means that researchers at Google had solved a really difficult problem in seconds with the help of quantum computers which a supercomputer could not. The research paper is yet to be formally vetted by peers in the field and became public after having appeared briefly on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) website — apparently some of its researchers were involved in the project. It is likely to reappear soon in a complete form. What are quantum computers?

Quantum computers work differently from the classical computers we work on today. Exploiting the principles of quantum mechanics, they can easily tackle computational problems that may be tough for the classical computer as the size of the numbers and number of inputs involved grows bigger. Quantum computers do not look like desktops or laptops that we associate the word ‘computer’ with. Instead (and there are only a handful of them) they resemble the air-conditioned server rooms of many offices or the stacks of central processing units from desktops of yore that are connected by ungainly tangled wires and heaped in freezing rooms. Conventional computers process information in ‘bits’ or 1s and 0s, following classical physics under which our computers can process a ‘1’ or a ‘0’ at a time. The world’s most powerful super computer today can juggle 148,000 trillion operations in a second and requires about 9000 IBM CPUs connected in a particular combination to achieve this feat. Quantum computers compute in ‘qubits’ (or quantum bits). They exploit the properties of quantum mechanics, the science that governs how matter behaves on the atomic scale. In this scheme of things, processors can be a 1 and a 0 simultaneously, a state called quantum superposition. While this accelerates the speed of computation, a machine with less than a 100 qubits can solve problems with a lot of data that are even theoretically beyond the capabilities of the most powerful supercomputers. Because of quantum superposition, a quantum computer — if it works to plan — can mimic several classical computers working in parallel. The ideas governing quantum computers have been around since the 1990s but actual machines have been around since 2011, most notably built by Canadian company D-Wave Systems.

How will it help us?

The speed and capability of classical supercomputers are limited by energy requirements. Along with these they also need more physical space. Looking for really useful information by processing huge amounts of data quickly is a real-world problem and one that can be tackled faster by quantum computers. For example, if we have a database of a million social media profiles and had to look for a particular individual, a classical computer would have to scan each one of those profiles which would amount to a million steps. In 1996, Lov K. Grover from Bell Labs discovered that a quantum computer would be able to do the same





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task with one thousand steps instead of a million. That translates into reduced processors and reduced energy. In theory, a quantum computer can solve this problem rapidly because it can attack complex problems that are beyond the scope of a classical computer. The basic advantage is speed as it is able to simulate several classical computers working in parallel. Several encryption systems used in banking and security applications are premised on computers being unable to handle mathematical problems that are computationally demanding beyond a limit. Quantum computers, in theory, can surpass those limits.

What has Google achieved?

Quantum supremacy refers to quantum computers being able to solve a problem that a classical computer cannot. In the research paper, Google used a 53-qubit processor to generate a sequence of millions of numbers. Though these numbers appeared randomly generated, they conform to an algorithm generated by Google. A classical supercomputer checked some of these values and they were correct. Google’s quantum computer, named Sycamore, claimed ‘supremacy’ because it reportedly did the task in 200 seconds that would have apparently taken a supercomputer 10,000 years to complete. Is this an important achievement?

Impressive as this may sound, experts caution that this does not imply that the quantum computer can solve every challenging problem thrown at it. The number-generating task was the equivalent of having a Ferrari and a truck compete in a race and, on the car’s predictable victory, declare that the Ferrari could do everything that a truck did. While IBM and a few other private establishments also have quantum computer prototypes, a common ailment is that they have their own unique propensity to errors and are not as amenable to executing real world problems as super computers. Then again, nothing yet rules out the creation of new mathematical methods or techniques that would allow classical computers to execute the same task faster. Some experts even question the term ‘quantum supremacy’ coined by theoretical physicist John Preskill of the California Institute of Technology, United States. However, the Google feat shows that quantum computers are capable of a real world task. It gives confidence to private entrepreneurs and even academics to invest time and money to improving them and customise them to real world problems. In terms of the number of qubits, D-Wave Systems says it is ready to commercially launch a 5000-qubit system by 2020. It already has a 1000-qubit system at NASA. D-Wave claims that car maker Volkswagen used its quantum computers to figure out how best to control a fleet of taxis in Beijing relying on data from 10,000 cars, but the research paper describing this experiment does not quite explain how the proposed solution is better than algorithms that are currently used to optimise traffic flow. What will it mean for online banking?

A question critics raise is how the use of quantum computing and its ability to break encryption codes will impact online banking. Breaking banking grade encryption is far away. Scott Aaronson, a theoretical computer scientist who has written on Google’s feat,





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opines that current encryption standards would require a quantum computer to have “several thousand logical qubits” working in tandem perfectly. It requires millions of qubits of the kind that powers Sycamore to make ‘logical qubits’ and the 53 at Sycamore’s disposal does not quite cut the ice. However, there are other approaches to designing quantum computers and with it there may be cleverer ways to solve problems using them. Moreover, if technological breakthroughs were to pose a real threat to banking or financial operations, it is likely that banks will harness quantum computers themselves.

Is India working on quantum computing?

There are no quantum computers in India yet. In 2018, the Department of Science & Technology unveiled a programme called Quantum-Enabled Science & Technology (QuEST) and committed to investing 80 crore over the next three years to accelerate research. The ostensible plan is to have a quantum computer built in India within the next decade. Phase-1 of the problem involves hiring research experts and establishing teams with the know-how to physically build such systems. Source: The Hindu

Internal Security

1. Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Lakhvi, Dawood Ibrahim declared terrorists under

new anti-terror law (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Internal Security)

Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), his deputy Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim who planned and executed the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts are the first four persons designated as “terrorists” under the anti-terror law passed by Parliament on August 2. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a gazette notification declaring the four as 'terrorists' under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. Home Minister Amit Shah said in the Rajya Sabha on August 2 “it was important to identify terrorists and not just organisations.” The UAPA was first amended in 2004, then in 2008 and in 2013. The 2004 amendment was to ban organisations for terror activities, under which 34 outfits, including the LeT and the JeM were banned. Charges against Azhar

To designate Azhar, the MHA mentioned five terror cases, including the February 14 Pulwama attack, where 40 CRPF personnel were killed. He is also responsible for Pathankot air base attack case. Charges against Hafiz Saeed





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Hafiz Saeed has been designated as a terrorist for his involvement in four cases — Red Fort attack (2000), Rampur attack (2008), 26/11 Mumbai attack (2008) and attack on a BSF convoy at Udhampur in Jammu & Kashmir (2015). Charges against Lakhvi

Lakhvi has been designated as a terrorist for his involvement in four cases, including 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. 2. NATGRID wants to link social media accounts to central database (Relevant for GS

Prelims & Mains Paper III; Internal Security)

The ambitious National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) project wants to link social media accounts to the huge database of records related to immigration entry and exit, banking and telephone details among others. About NATGRID

The project, initially started in 2009 with a budget of 2,800 crore, is an online database for collating scattered pieces of information and putting them on one platform. At least 10 central agencies like Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and others will have access to the data on a secured platform. The databases are procured from 21 providing organisations and include telecom, tax records, bank, immigration, etc. to enable the generation of intelligence inputs. The project gathered pace in 2016, when the NDA government appointed an IB officer Ashok Patnaik as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). After Mr. Patnaik retired, NATGRID is now headed by IAS officer Ashish Gupta. Resistance to idea of linking social accounts

The proposal has received resistance from the intelligence agencies, whose officials fear that linking the social media accounts to sensitive government data could expose the system to “trojan attacks.” Intelligence agencies had also earlier opposed the NATGRID itself amid fears that it would impinge on their territory and possibly result in leaks on the leads they were working on to other agencies. Source: The Hindu

3. 312 Sikh foreigners removed from post-militancy ‘adverse list’ (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Internal Security)

At least 312 Indian-origin Sikhs living in foreign countries have been removed from a Ministry of Home Affairs “adverse list”, enabling them to apply for Indian visa and visit the country. Only two persons from the list have been excluded.





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The official said that in future, Sikhs mentioned in the list could eventually apply for registration as Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) after they have applied for and held normal visa for a period of two years. Why Sikhs were initially put under “adverse list”?

In 1980s, when Sikh militancy was at its peak, many members of the community in India and abroad were influenced by anti-India propaganda. Some Sikhs fled India to escape the authorities, acquired foreign nationality and took asylum outside the country. They were placed in the adverse list till 2016, making them ineligible to avail visa services to visit India. The list prepared by the intelligence agencies was available with all Indian missions and it was a major roadblock for persons seeking visa even for their family members who were not on the list. Source: The Hindu

4. Resumption of Balakot terrorist camp (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III; Internal

Security)

Army chief Bipin Rawat’s said at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai that the terrorist camp in Balakot has resumed its functioning. Why Balakot camp resumption is a major issue?

1. It was barely seven months ago, in February, that the Air Force bombed Balakot and claimed to have taken out about 300 terrorists being trained there. That action was explained as a pre-emptive one, and at the same time as a punitive response for the Pulwama attack which killed 40 CRPF personnel earlier that month. That things have been turned around in less than seven months opens the door to more questions about the much touted efficacy of the strike as well. 2. Evidently, the Jaish-e-Mohammed, though a banned entity, continues to operate with impunity. This underlines the reality that replenishing the numbers of terrorists who are taken out of reckoning is not a challenge for Pakistan’s establishment. 3. Certainly, the development does not increase the Indian people’s confidence that the Balakot strike has somehow frightened terrorists and their patrons in Pakistan into demoralised disarray. Moreover, Gen. Rawat said that there were 500 terrorists ready to infiltrate into Kashmir, and that to counter those attempts the Army had “thickened” its presence along the Line of Control.

Source: The Hindu

Disaster Management





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1. Mapping lightning across India (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III;

Disaster Management)

For the first time, a report has mapped lightning strikes across the country, and the lives they have claimed. What are the findings, and how can these be used to prevent damage in the future? Lightning strikes have caused at least 1,311 deaths in the four-month period between April and July this year, according to a first-of-its-kind report on lightning incidents in India. It has been prepared by Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council (CROPC), a non-profit organisation that works closely with India Meteorological Department (IMD). UP accounted for 224 of these deaths, followed by Bihar (170), Odisha (129) and Jharkhand (118).

What has the report found?

It counted 65.55 lakh lightning strikes in India during this four-month period, of which 23.53 lakh (36 per cent) happened to be cloud-to-ground lightning, the kind that reaches the Earth. The other 41.04 lakh (64 per cent) were in-cloud lightning, which remains confined to the clouds in which it was formed. Odisha recorded over 9 lakh incidents of lightning (both kinds), the maximum for any state but fewer deaths than Uttar Pradesh, which had 3.2 lakh incidents. Why are these findings important?

The report is part of an effort to create a database that can help develop an early warning system for lightning, spread awareness, and prevent deaths. Between 2,000 and 2,500 people are estimated as killed every year in lightning strikes in the country. It is possible to predict, 30-40 minutes in advance, when a lightning strike heads towards Earth. The prediction is made possible through study and monitoring of the in-cloud lightning strikes. Timely dissemination of this information can save several lives. After carrying out a pilot project in 16 states, the IMD has begun providing lightning forecasts and warnings through mobile text messages from this year. However, this is not yet available in all regions, and there isn’t enough awareness as yet on the kinds of action that need to be taken after an alert. How is lightning formed?

Lightning is a very rapid and massive discharge of electricity in the atmosphere. Some of it is directed towards the Earth. It is a result of the difference in electrical charge between the top and bottom of a cloud. The lightning-generating clouds are typically about 10-12 km in height, with their base about 1-2 km from the Earth’s surface. The temperatures at the top range from -35°C to -45°C. As water vapour moves upwards in the cloud, it condenses into water due to decreasing temperatures. A huge amount of heat is generated in the process, pushing the water





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molecules further up. As they move to temperatures below zero, droplets change into small ice crystals. As they continue upwards, they gather mass, until they become so heavy that they start descending. It leads to a system where smaller ice crystals move upwards while larger ones come down. The resulting collisions trigger release of electrons, in a process very similar to the generation of electric sparks. The moving free electrons cause more collisions and more electrons; a chain reaction is formed. The process results in a situation in which the top layer of the cloud gets positively charged while the middle layer is negatively charged. The electrical potential difference between the two layers is huge, of the order of billions of volts. In little time, a huge current, of the order of lakhs to millions of amperes, starts to flow between the layers. It produces heat, leading to the heating of the air column between the two layers of cloud. It is because of this heat that the air column looks red during lightning. The heated air column expands and produces shock waves that result in thunder sounds. How does lightning strike Earth?

The Earth is a good conductor of electricity. While electrically neutral, it is relatively positively charged compared to the middle layer of the cloud. As a result, an estimated 20-25 per cent of the current flow gets directed towards the Earth. It is this current flow that results in damage to life and property. Lightning has a greater probability of striking raised objects on the ground, such as trees or buildings. Once they are sufficiently near the ground, about 80-100 m from the surface, they even tend to redirect their course to hit the taller objects. This is because travelling through air, which is a bad conductor of electricity, the electrons try to find a better conductor and also the shortest route to the relatively positively charged Earth’s surface. Thousands of thunderstorms occur over India every year. One thunderstorm can involve more than 100 lightning strikes. Source: The Indian Express

2. UN Convention to Combat Desertification meeting nears conclusion in Greater

Noida. What is causing desertification of land around the world, and what role does

the Convention play in trying to combat it? (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper

III; Disaster Management)

India has hosted the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Desertification is the process through which fertile and productive land turns into degraded land which is unfit for agricultural activities. The UNCCD meeting takes place every two years. The recent meet at Greater Noida was the 14th meeting. Why is desertification a concern?

A variety of factors, both natural and human-induced, are known to cause degradation of land. Increasing populations and the resultant rise in demand for food and water, feed for





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cattle, and a wide variety of ecosystem services these offer, have prompted human beings to clear forests, use chemicals, cultivate multiple crops, and over-exploit groundwater. This has affected both the health and productivity of land. Natural processes such as rising global temperatures have put further pressure on the land. A recent report by the International Resources Panel, a scientific body hosted by the UN Environment Programme, said that about 25 per cent of world’s land area has been degraded. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) too came out with a special report on land a few months ago, in which it said that the rate of soil erosion in many areas of the world was up to 100 times faster than the rate of soil formation. Desertification has implications for food and water security, livelihoods and large scale human migration. Combating desertification refers to activities that prevent or reduce land degradation, and restore partially or fully degraded land.

What is the Convention to Combat Desertification?

The UNCCD is one of three Conventions that have come out of the historic 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The Rio summit gave rise to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under which countries have agreed to restrict the emissions of greenhouse gases, first through the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 and now through the Paris Agreement that was finalised in 2015 and becomes operational next year. It also gave rise to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which too has delivered an international arrangement to protect and use biodiversity. The UNCCD has not yet resulted in any international treaty or protocol to fight desertification. The UNFCCC holds its general meetings every year, while CBD and CCD meet every two years. Why was the need felt for such a convention?

At the time the UNCCD was born in Rio, degradation of land was mostly viewed as a localised problem, one that was mainly affecting countries in Africa. In fact, it was on the demand of the African countries that CCD came into being. The Convention repeatedly makes a mention of the special needs of Africa in fighting desertification. Over the years, it has become increasingly clear that land degradation was impacting the global network of food and commodity supply chains. The crops being grown and the quantities in which they were being grown were dictated not by local needs but by global demands. Changes in food habits and international trade have altered cropping patterns in many areas. Large-scale migration to urban centres and industrial hubs has seen a heavy concentration of populations in small areas, putting unsustainable pressure on land and water resources. As an issue, therefore, land degradation of land is, therefore, much more complex than it appears.





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What change can be expected on the basis of a CCD meeting?

A meeting of the UNCCD is not expected to come up with any headline-grabbing decision. The discussions at the CCD have so far remained academic and technical, mainly focusing on the kinds of activities that can be undertaken to restore degraded lands. During the conference that is ending Friday, India announced that it would restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. Working on a recent mandate of the CCD, countries are making efforts towards achieving what is called Land Degradation Neutrality, or LDN, within their territories, and trying to ensure that the amount and quality of land necessary to support ecosystem services and strengthen food security remains stable or increases within time periods targeted by them.


Miscellaneous

1. Global Linker: A Facebook-like platform that connects small firms globally

(Relevant for GS Prelims)

Global Linker is not a social media platform for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) where such entities can network with peers and potential customers while marketing their products and services. The platform is developed by Indians. It is live in India and few countries in South East Asia. Source: The Hindu

2. Madras High Court Chief Justice Sends Resignation Papers To President (Read only

for understanding)

Madras High Court Chief Justice VK Tahilramani has sent her resignation papers to President Ram Nath Kovind, three days after the Supreme Court collegium rejected her request to reconsider her transfer to the Meghalaya High Court. Sources in the judiciary said the decision to transfer her was taken by the collegium based on the feedback received from the Madras High Court. The collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, had recommended her transfer to the Meghalaya High Court on August 28. The collegium has already transferred Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court, Justice AK Mittal, to the Madras High Court. "The collegium has carefully gone through the aforesaid representation and taken into consideration all relevant factors. On reconsideration, the collegium is of the considered





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view that it is not possible to accede to her request," said the resolution dated September 3, which was uploaded on the Supreme Court's website. "The collegium, accordingly, reiterates its recommendation dated August 28, 2019 for transfer of Justice V K Tahilramani to Meghalaya High Court," it said. Source: ndtv.com

3. Ram Jethmalani passes away (Relevant for GS Prelims)

Ram Boolchand Jethmalani (14 September 1923 – 8 September 2019) was an Indian lawyer and politician. He served as India's Union minister of law and justice, as chairman of the Indian Bar Council, and as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. He is noted in the Indian legal fraternity for his forte in criminal law and high-profile civil cases. About his life

Jethmalani obtained his LL.B. degree at the age of 17 and started practising law in his hometown, Shikarpur, until the partition of India. The partition led him to move to Mumbai as a refugee where he began his life and career afresh. He announced his retirement from judicial profession in 2017. Throughout his political career, Jethmalani worked for improving the relations between India and Pakistan, owing to his experiences as a refugee post-partition. He was elected as member of the Lok Sabha twice, on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tickets, from the Mumbai North West constituency. He also served as the union minister of urban development in the first Atal Bihari Vajpayee ministry, against whom he later contested election in the 2004 Indian general elections from the Lucknow constituency. He later returned to BJP in 2010, and was elected to the Rajya Sabha on its ticket. Jethmalani was awarded with the Human Rights Award by World Peace Through Law in 1977. He has authored book such as Big Egos, Small Men, Conscience of a Maverick, and Maverick: Unchanged, Unrepentant among others. He also co-authored legal scholarly books on different fields of law. Source: Wikipedia

4. Volfefe index — a way to track Trump’s Twitter impact on markets (Relevant for GS Prelims)

The Volfefe Index

J P Morgan, one of the largest investment banks in the world, has published a research paper introducing the “Volfefe Index”, which seeks to track the effect of President Trump’s tweets on financial markets. According to J P Morgan’s analysts, there is now “strong evidence that tweets have increasingly moved US (interest) rates markets immediately after publication”. It is





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noteworthy that Trump’s twitter activity peaks between 12 noon and 3 pm — a timeframe when it can move the markets the most. Source: The Indian Express

5. Skill India gets its first Batch of IES officers to the ISDS cadre (Relevant for GS

Prelims)

The fresh batch of the newest central government services, the Indian Skill Development Services commenced their training program at the Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Mysuru. This service has been specially created for the Training Directorate of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and is a Group ‘A’ service. These is the first batch which is joining the ISDS cadre from the Indian Engineering Service Examination conducted by UPSC. The Indian Skill Development Service (ISDS) has 263 all India posts. The cadre comprises of 3 posts at Senior Administrative Grade, 28 posts at Junior Administrative Grade, 120 posts at Senior Time Scale and 112 posts at Junior Time Scale. Source: PIB

6. U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton sacked (Read only for understanding)

U.S. National Security Advisor (NSA) John Bolton was forced to leave by President Donald Trump. Mr. Bolton’s term in office was marked by his ultra-hawkish positions; he pursued hostilities with Iran, sanctions with Russia, brinkmanship on trade with China, opposed talks on Afghanistan, and with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and pushed for regime change in Venezuela. A former U.S. envoy to the United Nations, Mr. Bolton inflicted the greatest damage on multilateral institutions and agreements, as he advocated the U.S.’s exit from the Human Rights Council and UNESCO, presided over the cancellation of the multi-party nuclear deal with Iran, and informed Moscow that the U.S. was pulling out of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. His final act, one that is regarded with relief in India, was to ensure that the U.S. deal with the Pakistan-backed Taliban was scuttled.

Source: The Hindu

7. Irresponsible remarks: On U.P. Minister’s Ayodhya comments (Read only for

understanding)

A Minister in Uttar Pradesh made remarks that the construction of a temple in the disputed site at Ayodhya is a certainty because “the Supreme Court is ours”. “The construction of a Ram temple is our resolve. The Supreme Court is ours, the judiciary, the country and the temple are ours,” is what the Minister for Cooperatives, Mukut Bihari Verma, is reported to have said.





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SC bench which is hearing a set of appeals against the decree passed by the Allahabad High Court on Ayodhya site, condemned the remarks. Mr. Verma has sought to clarify that when he said the court was “ours”, he did not mean that the government “owns the court”, but only that the court belongs to everyone and that it reflected his faith in the top Court. However, the clarification given is not a sufficient explanation for the comments which were made.

Source: The Hindu

8. Maiden IN-RSN-RTN Trilateral Exercise Commences (Relevant for GS Prelims)

A maiden trilateral exercise, involving Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), Royal Thailand Navy (RTN) and Indian Navy (IN) has commenced at Port Blair on 16 Sep 19. The five-day-long exercise is aimed at bolstering the maritime inter-relationships amongst Singapore Thailand and India, and contribute significantly to enhancing the overall maritime security in the region.

Source: PIB

9. National Centre for Clean Coal Research Development inaugurated at Bengaluru


Union Minister of Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, today inaugurated the National Centre for Clean Coal Research and Development at Indian Institute of Science (IISc)-Bengaluru. Government of India through Department of Science & Technology, has set up the National Centre for Clean Coal Research and Development (NCCCR&D) as a national level consortium on clean coal R&D, led by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)-Bengaluru.

Source: PIB

10. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana Reaches One Crore Beneficiaries


Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), a flagship scheme of the Government for pregnant women and lactating mothers has achieved a significant milestone by crossing one crore beneficiaries. The total amount disbursed to the beneficiaries under the scheme has crossed Rs. 4,000 crores. What is PMMVY?

PMMVY is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme under which cash benefits are provided to pregnant women in their bank account directly to meet enhanced nutritional needs and partially compensate for wage loss. Implementation of the scheme started with effect from 01.01.2017.





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Under the ‘Scheme’, Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) receive a cash benefit of Rs. 5,000 in three installments on fulfilling the respective conditionality, viz. early registration of pregnancy, ante-natal check-up and registration of the birth of the child and completion of first cycle of vaccination for the first living child of the family. The eligible beneficiaries also receive cash incentive under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY). Thus, on an average, a woman gets Rs. 6,000. Source: PIB

11. PM addresses the Indian community event ' Howdy Modi' at Houston (Relevant

for GS Prelims)

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed over fifty thousand people at the 'Howdy Modi' event at NRG stadium in Houston, Texas. Prime Minister was joined by the President of United States of America, Donald J Trump. Source: PIB

12. Government launches ‘UMMID’ initiative to tackle inherited genetic diseases of

new born babies (Relevant for GS Prelims)

The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan today launched UMMID (Unique Methods of Management and treatment of Inherited Disorders) initiative and inaugurated NIDAN (National Inherited Diseases Administration) Kendras, which is being supported by Department of Biotechnology (DBT),M/o Science and Technology.

The UMMID initiative aims

(i) to establish NIDAN Kendras to provide counselling, prenatal testing and diagnosis, management, and multidisciplinary care in Government Hospitals wherein the influx of patients is more, (ii) to produce skilled clinicians in Human Genetics, and (iii) to undertake screening of pregnant women and new born babies for inherited genetic diseases in hospitals at aspirational districts. Source: PIB

13. Ramanujan prize for U.K. mathematician (Relevant for GS Prelims)

The SASTRA Ramanujan prize for 2019 will be awarded to mathematician Adam Harper, Assistant Professor with the University of Warwick, England. About the award





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The prize carries a citation and an award of $10,000 and is conferred annually on mathematicians from across the world who are less than 32 years of age, working in an area influenced by the genius Srinivasa Ramanujan. The SASTRA-Ramanujan Award was instituted in 2005 and today is amongst the top five awards of this type for mathematics. The age limit is 32 years to commemorate the fact that Srinivasa Ramanujan accomplished a phenomenal body of work in this short span. Every year, this prize is awarded by SASTRA University on its campus near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, on Ramanujan’s birth anniversary, December 22. Source: The Hindu

14. Who is Greta Thunberg (Relevant for GS Prelims)

For Greta Thunberg, 16, it has taken just one year to traverse the distance from being a regular ninth-standard student in Stockholm to becoming the most recognised face of climate change activism who can give world leaders a dressing-down at a United Nations summit. Along the way to her widely publicised speech at the UN climate conference, she has found a cult following, mingled with heads of states, given a TED talk, sailed across the Atlantic to spread climate awareness, been interviewed by countless media organisations, and has a detailed Wikipedia page. Earlier this year, she has also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The background

Born to an actor father and a singer mother, Thunberg, then 15, shot to fame in August last year, when she sat against the outer wall of the main building of Swedish Parliament. She carried a sign that read “School strike for the climate” in Swedish. She herself had decided to skip school to demand from her country’s lawmakers more concrete and urgent action on climate change. For a child her age in Sweden, attending school is compulsory. She was, in effect, breaking the law by not attending. Her strike and protest outside Swedish Parliament brought her instant fame, and a following on the Internet. The impact

With her massive following, and support from NGOs and the scientific community, Thunberg has managed to create awareness about the issue, especially among the young. Her school strike campaign is now held across the world, with students skipping schools for a few days in protest against inaction on climate. Rationale given by her for protest

Why should I be studying for a future that soon would be no more, when no one is doing anything whatsoever to save that future. And what is the point of learning facts in the





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school system when the most important facts given by the finest science of the same school system clearly means nothing for our politicians and society. Source: The Indian Express

15. Government reconstitutes Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister


Government of India has reconstituted the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) for a period of two years with effect from 26th September 2019. Dr. Bibek Debroy and Shri Ratan P. Watal will continue to be the Chairman and Member Secretary respectively of the reconstituted EAC-PM. Apart from these two Full-Time Members, the EAC-PM will have two Part-Time Members. About Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister

Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (PMEAC) is a non-constitutional, non-permanent and independent body constituted to give economic advice to the Government of India, specifically the Prime Minister. It advises the Prime Minister on economic issues like inflation, microfinance, and industrial output. Source: PIB

16. Poshan Maah event by WCD Ministry (Relevant for GS Prelims)

The Ministry of WCD, as part of the POSHAN maah, reached out to all employees and visitors to create awareness regarding simple solutions to Anaemia and Diarrhoea. The Anaemia, Test, Treat and Talk will give the haemoglobin status and also offer counselling services on the prevention and control of Anaemia. The use of ORS and zinc tablets for Diarrhoea control and counselling services on the prevention and control of Diarrhoea are being offered at the camp. POSHAN maah

The month of September is celebrated and observed as Rashtriya POSHAN maah. The activities in the POSHAN maah are focussed on Social Behavioural Change and Counselling (SBCC). The broad themes are: antenatal care, optimal breastfeeding (early and exclusive), complementary feeding, anaemia, growth monitoring, girls’ education, diet, right age of marriage, hygiene, and sanitation, eating healthy and food fortification. The Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition or POSHAN Abhiyaan or National Nutrition Mission, is Government of India’s flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Source: PIB





Polity & Governance 1...1. Election Commission of India Launches a One Stop Solution to Verify & Authenticate Voter Details (Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance)

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