{"id":131335,"date":"2021-09-03T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-03T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=131335"},"modified":"2021-09-04T12:12:20","modified_gmt":"2021-09-04T06:42:20","slug":"9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-september-3rd-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-september-3rd-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief \u2013 September 3rd, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"content-box-red\">Dear Friends,<br \/>\nWe have initiated some changes in the 9 PM Brief and other postings related to current affairs.\u00a0What we sought to do:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Ensure that all relevant facts, data, and arguments from today\u2019s newspaper are readily available to you.<\/li>\n<li>We have widened the sources to provide you with content that is more than enough and adds value not just for GS but also for essay writing. Hence, the 9 PM brief now covers the following newspapers:\n<ol>\n<li><strong>The Hindu\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Indian Express\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Livemint\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Business Standard\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Times of India\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li>We have also introduced the relevance part to every article. This ensures that you know why a particular article is important.<\/li>\n<li>Since these changes are new, so initially the number of articles might increase, but they&#8217;ll go down over time.<\/li>\n<li>It is our endeavor to provide you with the best content and your feedback is essential for the same. We will be anticipating your feedback and ensure the blog serves as an optimal medium of learning for all the aspirants.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>For previous editions of 9 PM Brief<\/strong> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-brief\/\">Click Here<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>For individual articles of 9 PM Brief<\/strong>&#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/daily-current-affairs-summaries-for-upsc-exam\/\">Click Here<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"p-3 mb-2 bg-info text-white text-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Mains Oriented Articles\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>GS Paper 2<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#gs11\">Noble intentions: About the UNSC resolution on Taliban<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs12\">India\u2019s humanitarian missions are guided by Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs13\">CJI flags &#8220;Communal content&#8221; in media<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>GS Paper 3<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#gs21\">Douse the farm fire &#8211; &#8220;Stubble burning Issue&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs22\">Long-feared space junk has become an imminent threat<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs23\">Credit Where It\u2019s Due &#8211; &#8220;on credit growth&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs24\">Is monetising public assets a good idea?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs25\">Our export efforts hold the key to growth in the quarters ahead<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs26\">Digitalize all supply chains to unlock trade efficiencies<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs27\">From Legs to Minds &#8211; &#8221; On Software industry in India&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs28\">Chipped &amp; vulnerable: GoI must make public investments to encourage private manufacturing in strategic semiconductor industry<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"p-3 mb-2 bg-info text-white text-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#f1\">Indian Railways\u2019 Chandigarh Railway Station awarded 5-Star \u2018Eat Right Station\u2019 certification by FSSAI<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f2\">Raptor attention: 160 species of birds of prey endangered worldwide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f3\">Over 4 billion don\u2019t have social protection: UN<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f4\">Indian biologist wins global award in turtle conservation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f5\">Ayush Ministry kickstarts campaign to distribute prophylactic medicines<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f6\">India\u2019s green projects to get UK funds<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f7\">40 Central universities to implement credit ban<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f8\">ADIF aims to rank India startup ecosystem in Top 3 globally by 2030<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f9\">Blue straggler &#8211; bigger and bluer star formed when one star eats up another<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f11\">Centre plans PSU land sale worth more than Rs 600 crore via e-bidding<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f11\">Powergrid wins the prestigious global ATD Best award<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"p-3 mb-2 bg-info text-red text-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Mains Oriented Articles<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>GS Paper 2<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs11\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/noble-intentions-about-the-unsc-resolution-on-taliban\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Noble intentions: About the UNSC resolution on Taliban<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source:\u00a0<\/strong> This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Noble intentions<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>The <\/strong><b>Hindu <\/b>on\u00a0<strong>3<sup>rd<\/sup>\u00a0September 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus:\u00a0<\/strong>GS 2 \u2013 India and Neighbourhood relations<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance:\u00a0<\/strong>This article is about the recent UNSC resolution on the Taliban.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The UN must ensure that the Taliban uphold human rights and give up terror tactics.<\/p>\n<h5>Introduction<\/h5>\n<p>Recently, the UN Security Council, under India\u2019s Presidency, adopted Resolution 2593. The resolution was sponsored by France, UK and USA. Along with 13 other members, India voted in favour of the resolution and amongst permanent \u2018members\u2019 Russia and China both abstained from voting.<\/p>\n<h5>What are the key provisions of UN Resolution 2593?<\/h5>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Must Read<\/strong>:\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/india-in-chair-unsc-adopts-resolution-on-taliban-russia-and-china-abstain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">India in chair, UNSC adopts resolution on Taliban; Russia and China abstain<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5>What are the issues associated with the UN resolution 2593?<\/h5>\n<p><strong>Failed to provide countermeasures<\/strong>: The resolution does not contain any language that would hold the Taliban more accountable for their violation of the resolution.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Division amongst the P5 Members<\/strong>: Both Russia and China abstained from voting. This divide in the P-5 nations will only prove to be counterproductive if the UNSC wants to impose any sanctions in future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Indirectly recognise Taliban<\/strong>: Further, the resolution <strong>appears to accept the Taliban regime as the default force<\/strong> in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n<h5>How to hold the Taliban accountable?<\/h5>\n<p>The <strong>Taliban Sanctions Committee<\/strong> is going to meet under India&#8217;s chairmanship. The committee needs to ensure that <strong>no designated leader of the Taliban and their associates are given recourse to funds, arms or travel permission unless they show a commitment<\/strong> to international principles.<\/p>\n<p>The committee also has to<strong> renew the\u00a0UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan(UNAMA).<\/strong><\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 27px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 27px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 100%; height: 27px;\"><strong>Read more<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/un-assistance-mission-in-afghanistanunama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan(UNAMA)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs12\"><\/a>India\u2019s humanitarian missions are guided by Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam<\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong>This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>India\u2019s humanitarian missions are guided by Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam<\/strong>\u201d published in the <strong>Indian Express<\/strong> on <strong>3<sup>rd<\/sup> September 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS 2 \u2013 <\/strong>International Relations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>About India\u2019s recent evacuation missions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong> The Indian government is coordinating and executing a round-the-clock evacuation of not just Indians but also nationals of other countries during various relief operations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>India\u2019s humanitarian mission is guided by the principle of \u201c<strong>Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam<\/strong>\u201d (the world is one family). There are several stories of India\u2019s grit and successful diplomatic interventions during the crisis.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>The recent example of India following &#8220;Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam&#8221;:<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The latest such example comes from Afghanistan. After the withdrawal of foreign troops, Afghanistan has plunged into a humanitarian crisis. By evaluating the situation there, the Indian government has launched,<\/p>\n<p><strong>Operation Devi Shakti: <\/strong>It is launched to evacuate Indian citizens and foreign nationals from war-torn Afghanistan.\u00a0 Also under this operation, the evacuation of three of the last six \u201cSaroop\u201d of the Sikh holy book has also been done.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Read more: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indias-evacuation-mission-from-afghanistan-named-operation-devi-shakti\/\">Operation Devi Shakti and other missions<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-saroop-of-sikh-holy-book\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Saroop of Sikh Holy Book<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><strong>What are the earlier operations carried out by India to fulfil &#8220;Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam&#8221;?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Some of the missions conducted by India are:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vande Bharat Mission: <\/strong>\u00a0It brought back the Indian nationals stranded abroad due to COVID-19 and the resultant lockdowns.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Operation Sankat Mochan<\/strong>: Under this mission, 46 Indian nurses were rescued from a Tikrit hospital from the clutches of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in war-ravaged Iraq.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Operation Raahat: <\/strong>It was launched by the Indian Navy and Airforce, to evacuate Indian citizens and foreign nationals of 41 countries from Yemen during the 2015 Yemen Crisis.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In March 2016<\/strong>:\u00a0 India carried out the successful evacuation of 250 Indians following multiple bombings at Brussels airport in Belgium.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What does this signify?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Such massive and successful operations, boost the morale of the Indian diaspora and people around the world, that wherever they are, India will do all that is necessary to ensure their safety.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-green\">\n<p><strong>Terms to know<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/vasudhaiva-kutumbakam\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs13\"><\/a>CJI flags &#8220;Communal content&#8221; in media<\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong>This post is based on the following articles:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201c<strong>YouTube channels, portals have no accountability: Supreme Court<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>The Times of India<\/strong> on <strong>3<sup>rd<\/sup> September 2021<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>\u201c<strong>CJI flags \u2018communal content\u2019 in media<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>The Hindu<\/strong> on <strong>2<sup>nd<\/sup> September 2021<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS 2 \u2013<\/strong>Significant provisions of Indian Constitution: Fundamental rights, Free speech.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>Regulation of digital media<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>To understand how to balance free speech with accountability for digital media<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h5>Introduction<\/h5>\n<p>Recently, the Chief Justice of India has raised his concerns over the <strong>fake information published on various web sources<\/strong> like <strong>Facebook, YouTube etc<\/strong>. He also mentioned that it has the <strong>potential to incite communal tensions<\/strong> and can bring communal disharmony. This would ultimately result in giving the country a bad name.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What is the Supreme Court&#8217;s view?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>While hearing the petition highlighting how some media outlets aired communal content linking the spread of the coronavirus to a Tablighi Jamaat meet held at Nizamuddin in Delhi. In that petition, the SC said although the role of a free press in a democracy must be respected, the <strong>rampant misuse of the Right to Speech should be controlled<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The SC also asked the government, whether &#8220;there was <strong>any regulatory mechanism<\/strong>&#8221; in place for the web or against the people who are misusing their Right to Speech.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Why does the misuse happen in web sources?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>No accountability: <\/strong>There is no accountability from web-based platforms like Twitter, Facebook etc.<\/p>\n<p><strong>No regulatory control: <\/strong>No presence of regulatory control over the publishing of fake news. For e.g., various channels on YouTube publish the news without verifying the facts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Misuse of social media by criminals<\/strong>: Anti-social elements exploit it to run weapons, drugs, contraband and pornography. Hate and violence are shared and spread through these virtual platforms.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What actions have been taken by the Government?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>To control the spread of fake information, the government introduced:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021<\/strong>: It tends to strike a balance between the media\u2019s right to Free speech and citizen&#8217;s Right to correct information. Its objective is to stop the circulation of fake news and hold web portals and channels accountable for who published the fake news.<\/p>\n<p>The government also requested to transfer cases challenging the Information Technology Rules of 2021 from the various High Courts to the SC for quick resolution of the cases.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For complaints against broadcasters: <\/strong>The government introduced <strong>Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules of 2021<\/strong>. The Rules provide for a three-level grievance Redressal mechanism.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What needs to be done?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>There is an urgent need for a \u201cproperly framed regime\u201d to establish accountability. The first step can be the ability to trace the \u201coriginators\u201d of messages on social media platforms.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-green\">\n<p><strong>Terms to know<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/new-it-rules-for-social-media-and-ott-platforms-explained-pointwise\/\"><strong>IT Rules, 2021<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/govt-released-cable-television-networks-amendment-rules2021\/\"><strong>Cable Television Network Amendment Rules 2021<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>GS Paper 3<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs21\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/douse-the-farm-fire-stubble-burning-issue\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Douse the farm fire &#8211; &#8220;Stubble burning Issue&#8221;<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article <strong>&#8220;<span lang=\"EN-US\">Douse the farm fire<\/span>&#8220;<\/strong> published in Business Standard on<strong> 3rd September 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS3 &#8211; Conservation, Environmental Pollution, and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Addressing the issue of stubble burning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: Despite various measures taken by both, state governments and central government, the issue of stubble burning continue to add to the air pollution in the North India and NCR region. It calls for a fresh relook at the issue.<\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The stubble burning incidents are expected to increase this time compared to last year, when the farm fires played havoc. Neither the threat of <strong>punitive action<\/strong> nor the incentives\u00a0for safe management of the leftover crop biomass had deterred the farmers from torching their fields. Since <strong>Punjab and Uttar Pradesh (UP)<\/strong> are now heading for polls and the farmers\u2019 agitation is continuing unabated, <strong>stringent measures<\/strong> to curb this recurring menace are <strong>unlikely<\/strong>. \u00a0The Union government, too, has not come up with any concrete proposal or strategy to combat this practice.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why do farmers prefer stubble burning?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Firstly<\/strong>, it is essentially the result of <strong>the need to clear the land quick<\/strong> enough for the timely planting of the next wheat crop.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Secondly<\/strong>, despite government subsidies, <strong>alternative methods<\/strong> are costly, which makes farmers reluctant to adopt them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thirdly<\/strong>, the alternative method takes time to get rid of stubble, which delays the sowing season of wheat. The use of the stubble decomposer produced by the New Delhi-based Indian Agricultural Research Institute has also failed to attract farmers\u2019 fancy, despite its usefulness, because of the time factor.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Finally<\/strong>, the<strong> absence of a lucrative market<\/strong> for wheat straw, compels farmers to go for stubble burning.<\/p>\n<p>All this calls to relook at the issue and adopt a suitable way forward.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Way forward<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There is a need to <strong>create a market for paddy biomass<\/strong> by converting it into an economic good to generate additional income for the farmers. Some start-ups have also come up to procure biomass from the farmers for producing manure and biofuel. <strong>The Haryana government<\/strong> has announced <strong>plans to offer Rs 1,000<\/strong> an acre to farmers who, instead of burning the residue, give it to the industrial units for various uses. <strong>The Punjab government<\/strong> has suggested a premium of Rs 100 per quintal on the minimum support price of paddy for those farmers who do not torch their fields.<\/p>\n<p>Despite all these, the best solution would be to wean the farmers of northern states away from paddy cultivation by incentivizing the growth of alternative shorter-duration crops that would vacate the land in time for wheat sowing.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs22\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/long-feared-space-junk-has-become-an-imminent-threat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Long-feared space junk has become an imminent threat<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article <strong>&#8220;<span lang=\"EN-US\">Long-feared space junk has become an imminent threat<\/span>&#8220;<\/strong> published in Mint <strong>on 3rd September 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS3 &#8211; Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance:<\/strong> Solution to address the issue of space debris.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: With the increasing cost-effectiveness in rocket and satellite technologies, more countries and companies are planning more missions to orbit than ever before. This will ultimately result in more space debris that could trigger a mass collision in the future. This calls for countries and corporates to collaborate on the issue.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Introduction<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>In March, a Chinese military satellite collapsed in the orbit. It left a trail of debris high above the Earth. <strong>Yunhai 1-02<\/strong>, as the satellite is known, collided with a piece of junk leftover from a Russian rocket launched in 1996. It was the first major collision in Earth orbit since 2009. However, it won\u2019t be the last.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is space junk?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The dead and unwanted craft (rockets or satellites) left behind in the finite space of Earth orbit is referred to as space junk. As this junk increases, so would collisions; each collision would in turn produce debris that would make further collisions more likely. The result could be a belt of space junk so dense that it would make certain low-Earth orbits unusable. More than 100 million pieces of space junk are now orbiting the Earth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recent instances:<\/strong> \u00a0In 2007, <strong>China<\/strong> launched a ballistic missile at one of its old weather satellites, producing the <strong>largest cloud of space debris<\/strong> ever tracked. In 2009, a non-functional <strong>Russian communications orbiter<\/strong> collided with a functioning one operated by an Iridium Satellite, producing almost 2,000 pieces of debris measuring at least 4 inches in diameter.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the initiatives taken to manage space junk?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Firstly<\/strong>, in 1995, <strong>NASA<\/strong> issued the world\u2019s first set of debris-mitigation guidelines. It proposed that satellites should be designed to re-enter Earth\u2019s atmosphere within 25 years of mission completion.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Secondly<\/strong>, other space-faring countries and the United Nations follow their own guidelines.\u00a0But urgency and compliance were lacking, partly because the world had not yet experienced a destructive collision between spacecraft and debris.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Way forward<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Firstly<\/strong>, updating the <strong>1967<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/outer-space-treaty-1967\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Outer Space Treaty<\/strong><\/a> is the need of the hour. In particular, provisions that give countries permanent property rights to their objects in space may complicate efforts to clean up debris.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Secondly<\/strong>, there is a need for greater clarity on common issues is required to boost trust and cooperation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thirdly<\/strong>, NASA should fund research into debris-removal technologies\u2014such as those recently demonstrated by Astroscale, a Japanese startup, which hold promise.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Finally<\/strong>, The US should also seek to expand <strong>the Artemis Accords<\/strong>, a framework for space cooperation that includes (so far) 11 other countries.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Terms to know<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/what-is-artemis-accords\/\">Artemis accord<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs23\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/credit-where-its-due-on-credit-growth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Credit Where It\u2019s Due &#8211; &#8220;on credit growth&#8221;<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article <strong>\u201cCredit Where It\u2019s Due<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>ToI<\/strong> on <strong>3<sup>rd<\/sup> September<\/strong> <strong>2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3<\/strong>&#8211; Issues related to the Banking sector<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: \u00a0Linkage between credit growth and economic growth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong> Lack of Credit growth has lagged economic recovery. Here\u2019s why that\u2019s about to change.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>April-June GDP estimates show that there is strong evidence of a sharp recovery in the economy after second-wave lockdowns. Although broad-based indicators of real economic activity like mobility, energy demand, and GST e-way bill generation are now substantially higher than pre-Covid levels, the credit to GDP ratio is still lagging behind. Lack of credit growth is a drag on economic growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why India\u2019s Credit to GDP ratio is lower?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Firstly<\/strong>, an important reason is the inability of the financial system to profitably extend credit to smaller enterprises. The cost of loan evaluation could not be reduced below a certain level if processes were manual. For the loan to be profitable to the bank, the loan size had to be large. That meant borrowers who only needed smaller loans could not be serviced.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Secondly,<\/strong> the reasons for weak loan growth suggest that large businesses have been reducing their short-term loans. This has two main reasons:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>One, the fear of further restrictions due to a possible third wave has meant every business is trying to keep its inventories low.<\/li>\n<li>Two, in an economic contraction larger firms squeeze smaller suppliers and customers, reducing advances paid to suppliers and goods sold on credit to customers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Thirdly<\/strong>, it has to be understood that credit growth is not weak because of the weak balance sheets of either borrowers or lenders. Corporate leverage levels are at decade lows. Among lenders, banks as well as non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), leverage is at all-time lows.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why credit growth is going to increase in the future?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With the <strong>\u201caccount aggregator\u201d model<\/strong> now underway. It will allow users to share digital data about their financial and economic transactions with potential lenders, penetration should rise further. That means an increase in the Credit to GDP ratio.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs24\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/is-monetising-public-assets-a-good-idea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Is monetising public assets a good idea?<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Is monetising public assets a good idea?<\/strong>\u201d published in The Hindu on 3rd Sep 2021.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS3 &#8211; Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development\u00a0and\u00a0Employment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Regarding Asset Monetisation programme launched recently by the govt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: Two experts, viz. Montek Singh Ahluwalia (MS) and Professor Ajay Shah (AS), share their views over Asset Monetisation programme of the government.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Background<\/strong><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Read here<\/strong>: <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/national-monetization-pipeline-explained-pointwise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) project &#8211; Explained<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5><strong>How can govt go about monetising operational assets?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Both experts mention ways in which govt can pursue monetisation of assets:<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\"><strong>MS<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\"><strong>AS<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">We need more infrastructure, but the <strong>public sector simply doesn\u2019t have the resources<\/strong> to build it. Also,\u00a0we have huge value embedded in existing infrastructure.\u00a0So, why not realize that value and let the public sector use the resources to build the infrastructure we need. There are two possible responses.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Let pvt sector build<\/strong>: One, for new infrastructure, one can think of bringing in the private sector, set up a contractual framework for what it has to do, and then let it bring its own resources.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Govt builds the asset and then the asset is sold<\/strong>: The second is to recognize that there are more risks in the construction stage, and it is perhaps better to let the public sector build the asset and then sell it off to private players or if not an outright sale, let the private sector manage it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">The government does not have the capacity to enter into contracts and deal with contract negotiations and difficulties. Similarly, many parts of the development process are difficult for private sector people to solve. Here&#8217;s a way out:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Early development by the govt and then asset is sold<\/strong>: Government should do the early development of infrastructure, which is the high-risk phase, create an operating asset, and then sell the asset off to private people. So, the asset goes off the public balance sheet and into the private balance sheet.<\/p>\n<p>The money collected by the government can go back into developing new assets. There is merit in this thought process given the constraints of state capacity in India.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><strong>Why the govt chose asset monetisation over outright privatisation?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\"><strong>MS<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\"><strong>AS<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">We should <strong>do both monetisation and privatisation<\/strong> because we don\u2019t know what\u2019s best.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>One reason that the government might not want to do outright privatisation is if it involves the transfer of a scarce resource like land. It\u2019s easier to justify a 30-year lease because at the end of that lease the land stays with the government.<\/li>\n<li>In another context, if the land is of no great value, you could simply hand it over.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\"><strong>Sale of an asset is much more practical <\/strong>rather than a reduced state domination<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ownership of an infra asset<\/strong> means private sector will take <strong>more care of it<\/strong> and put efforts to make it\u00a0a high-quality asset.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Entering into a complex contract with a govt involves great risk<\/strong> because the Indian state is not a great party to have a contract with. So, a clean asset sale puts an end to the complexity of government interference.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><strong>Can we ensure that there\u2019s no asset stripping by pvt investors?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Asset stripping means\u00a0selling assets at a profit without regard for the company&#8217;s future. In this case, it means that after the contract period is over (let&#8217;s say 30 years), then the incentive for a pvt sector player to put money into the asset, to ensure that it remains productive even after the contract period ((in 31st, 32nd and 33rd year) goes down. This doesn&#8217;t happen when the asset is owned by the private sector player.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\"><strong>MS<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\"><strong>AS<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">Preventing asset stripping can be done via:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Renewal of lease before it ends<\/strong>: One option would be that you allow a renewal of the lease even before the lease ends. But then we need a competitive process there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">The question is how much <strong>complexity<\/strong> you want to build into a contract. Private sector is not comfortable entering into complex contracts with the Indian state. Now, that doesn\u2019t mean that outright sale is easy. With an outright sale, we will still have a government regulator, and we will face the problem of regulatory capacity.<\/p>\n<p>The trade-off is about the <strong>cost of building regulatory capacity<\/strong> versus the <strong>cost of building contracting capacity<\/strong>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs25\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/our-export-efforts-hold-the-key-to-growth-in-the-quarters-ahead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Our export efforts hold the key to growth in the quarters ahead<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article <strong>\u201cOur export efforts hold the key to growth in the quarters ahead<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Livemint<\/strong> on <strong>3<sup>rd<\/sup> \u00a0September \u00a02021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3<\/strong>&#8211; Indian Economy and issues related to Growth, Development and Employment<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Role of Exports in stimulating Economic growth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong> India\u2019s growth hope in the immediate future is dependent heavily on exports.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the challenges that impact export promotion?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Issues in remission of duties and taxes on exported products (RODTEP) scheme structuring<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>Under RODTEP, Steel, pharma, and chemicals get no rebate at all, although many products using these inputs do. This kind of cross-sectoral unevenness can get India into trouble with the World Trade Organization (WTO) once again.<\/p>\n<p>The scheme looks like a subsidy to selected sectors disguised as duty rollback. The scheme is not available across all sectors without exception.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Shortage of sea-borne containers<\/strong>: A crippling shortage of sea-borne containers has affected the use of key large-volume products in the Indian export basket (tea, basmati rice, furniture, garments).<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the suggestions?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Firstly,<\/strong> the excluded products under RODTEP need the rebate if they are to survive in a fiercely price-competitive global market in the months to come.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Secondly,<\/strong> two policy actions are immediately necessary. At a time when container rates have shot up, there is surely a case for a <strong>sea-freight subsidy<\/strong> for a limited period. Even more urgently, the estimated 25,000-30,000 containers locked up at different ports owing to customs disputes need to be unloaded into warehouses and these containers freed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why the recently announced NMP cannot be relied upon for growth prospects?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Firstly, <\/strong>in the current setting, the <strong>National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP)<\/strong> announced in the Union Budget, will not provide any immediate help in economic growth. Because there are several procedural stages for each monetized asset, that <strong>makes revenue realisation<\/strong> difficult. Also, it is intended to provide only a small part of the infrastructure expenditure budgeted for the year. Hence, it is the exports that will have to drive growth. Monetization is merely a funding source.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Secondly<\/strong>, there are other concerns with NM. The scheme offers a participation incentive to states with a 33% matching transfer from the Centre for revenues that states realize under the scheme. This matching transfer could result in, states under-achieving the potential value realizable.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thirdly<\/strong>, it must be remembered that the most attractive schemes can sometimes fail to find appeal among all states. For instance, the NMP document refers to <strong>the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure<\/strong> announced in October 2020. It offered states an interest-free loan with repayment after 50 years to complete stalled capital projects, or settle the outstanding bills of contractors. The only constraint was that the funds had to be used by the end of March 2021. However, Tamil Nadu did not sign on for its share of \u20b9351 crore.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fourthly,<\/strong> legal pitfalls could limit the potential of NM. Hence, the NMP demands clear and well-thought-through processes, with sufficient transparency and safeguards in the form of regulatory structures.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs26\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/digitalize-all-supply-chains-to-unlock-trade-efficiencies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Digitalize all supply chains to unlock trade efficiencies<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Digitalize all supply chains to unlock trade efficiencies<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Livemint<\/strong> on <strong>3rd September<\/strong> <strong>2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS3: Awareness in the fields of IT<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Issues with the logistic sector in India, need for digitalization.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>India has risen on the World Bank\u2019s Ease of Doing Business Index from 77 in 2018 to 63 in 2019 across 190 countries. Its 68th rank in \u201ctrading across borders\u201d can be improved upon through <strong>digitalization<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the age of the fourth industrial revolution, India must <strong>digitalize supply chains to reduce inefficiencies, improve transparency, reduce logistics costs.<\/strong> It will enhance the overall global competitiveness of Indian industries, especially small and medium enterprises.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the need for digitalization of the supply chain?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Higher logistic cost:<\/strong> Logistics cost in India is estimated at around <strong>13% of gross domestic product<\/strong> (GDP).<\/p>\n<p>In 2018, India\u2019s rank on the <strong>World Bank\u2019s Logistics Performance Index<\/strong> was No. 44 among 160 countries, below such countries as China (26), Chile (34), and South Africa (33).<\/p>\n<p><strong>No seamless connectivity:<\/strong> The interaction between importers and customs is not seamless. Data has to be submitted via a customs broker or authorized courier in most cases.<\/p>\n<p><strong>To ease governance<\/strong>: Digitalization will enable direct tracking and traceability and enhance tertiary processes like audits, financial transparency, and risk management through data feeds, collection and abstraction.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the steps taken by the government?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Digitalization measures<\/strong>: Initiatives such as the Goods and Services Tax Network, GST, have been game-changer in improving the experience of importers, exporters, and logistics service providers.<\/p>\n<p>Apart from ICES 1.5 and <strong>ICE GATE<\/strong>, new developments like the <strong>Express Cargo Clearance System<\/strong> for express delivery and <strong>Single Window Interface for Trade<\/strong> for electronic data interchange across multiple agencies involved in customs clearance have also eased business processes.<\/p>\n<p>The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has launched its <strong>eSanchit<\/strong> mechanism for paperless processing and the uploading of supporting documents to facilitate trade.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Steps taken by the private sector:<\/strong> For example, <strong>DHL Import Easy Tool<\/strong> is a first-of-its-kind website-based platform. It globally offers a single interface where importers can view and manage all their transactions pertaining to the import process in real-time.<\/p>\n<p>It is being piloted in India and is designed to be <strong>a one-stop intuitive platform for importers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the suggestions to improve digitization?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>First, the Indian industry must <strong>develop and integrate innovative tools<\/strong> and India\u2019s government should facilitate their use and secure technology interfaces in partnership with the industry for their implementation.<\/p>\n<p>Second, companies can be given <strong>some incentives to adopt digitalization<\/strong>. For example, subsidizing logistics costs.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs27\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/from-legs-to-minds-on-software-industry-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">From Legs to Minds &#8211; &#8221; On Software industry in India&#8221;<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>From Legs to Minds<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>India Express<\/strong> on <strong>3rd September 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS3- Growth, Development, and Employment<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Software industry in India.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: Regulatory simplicity allowed Indian software services and start-up ecosystems to flourish. Hence, to grow, India needs to <strong>cut regulatory cholesterol<\/strong>\u00a0and spend the next 25 years unleashing the entrepreneurial energies of 1.3 billion Indians.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 1893, during a sea journey to attend the <strong>World Parliament of Religions<\/strong> and a Technology Expo,\u00a0<strong>Swami Vivekananda<\/strong> convinced Jamsetji Tata that technology can be imported, but scientific temper cannot be bought and must be built within a country.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Evolution of the Indian software industry: <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Role of Jamsetji:<\/strong> Jamsetji set up the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. <strong>Technology-encouraging culture<\/strong> at the Tatas pioneered India\u2019s software industry in the 1960s.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Software exports<\/strong>: India now exports more software than Saudi Arabia does oil. Covid and recent Chinese events have increased India\u2019s attractiveness to global investors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Big reforms<\/strong>: like GST, MPC, and IBC. The PM announced on Independence Day that 15,000 of our current 69,000+ employer compliance and 6000+ filings have been identified for removal. This abolition will <strong>accelerate formal employment and reduce corruption<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why did the manufacturing and software industries develop differently?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Regulatory cholesterol<\/strong>: It is one of the reasons why it took 72 years for 1.3 billion Indians to cross the total GDP of 66 million Britishers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Role of SEZ and STPI:<\/strong> STPI\u2019s genius was simplicity. It allowed rebadging existing assets, embraced trust over suspicion, and <strong>adopted self-reporting<\/strong> that was largely paperless, presence less, and cashless.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SEZs<\/strong> largely replicated the regulatory cholesterol and <strong>distrust<\/strong> that has made India an infertile habitat for employment-intensive industries.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How has regulatory simplicity resulted in the development of the Indian service sector?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>India\u2019s software services and tech startups are built on openness, consistency, and fairness. China\u2019s magnificent 80 times rise in per-capita GDP over 40 years has also been built on these principles.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Development economics outlier<\/strong>: Few models predict a $2,500 per-capita income country with five million people writing software, internet data costs per GB at 3 percent of US levels, 1.2 billion people empowered with paperless digital identity verification, and a $3 trillion public market capitalization.<\/p>\n<p><strong>High productivity<\/strong>: 0.8 percent of India\u2019s workers generate 8 percent of GDP. The mandatory global<strong> digital literacy program and digital investment super-cycle<\/strong> sparked by Covid in education, medicine, shopping, office work, payments, restaurants, and entertainment will <strong>double our software employment<\/strong> in five years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hub of start-ups:<\/strong> India\u2019s software industry\u2019s talent, alumni, and startups have raised over $90 billion since 2014 from 500+ institutional investors.<\/p>\n<p>India\u2019s software services industry and tech startups each are estimated to be worth about $400 billion today. By 2025, India\u2019s startup universe value will grow to $1 trillion.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key suggestions:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>First, <strong>build on the resources represented by our young<\/strong> because, without their involvement, we cannot succeed.<\/p>\n<p>Second, to increase our prosperity we need <strong>massive formal, non-farm job creation<\/strong>, regulatory trust, and simplicity that our technology industry enjoys in the rest of our economy.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs28\"><\/a>Chipped &amp; vulnerable: GoI must make public investments to encourage private manufacturing in strategic semiconductor industry<\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article &#8220;<strong>Chipped &amp; vulnerable: GoI must make public investments to encourage private manufacturing in strategic semiconductor industry<\/strong>&#8221; published in <strong>The Times of India<\/strong> on <strong>2nd September 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS 3 &#8211; Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>The article explains the recent shortage of semiconductors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: There is an urgent need for India to scale up the manufacturing of semiconductors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>India&#8217;s automobile industry is facing a major shortage of semiconductors. The supply situation isn\u2019t expected to ease any time soon. That\u2019s mainly because chip manufacturing is concentrated in a few countries.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why there is a shortage of semiconductors?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The semiconductor shortage today is a <strong>result of multiple factors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>These include the rapid <strong>growth of 5G Technology<\/strong>, the <strong>ever-growing need for greater computing power<\/strong>, the Covid pandemic induced <strong>demand for information communication technology and digital entertainment products<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Private firms <strong>cannot easily set up manufacturing plants<\/strong> to produce semiconductors. Establishing foundries is <strong>hugely capital intensive and has a gestation period of up to three years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What has India already done?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>India invited proposals from semiconductor companies to set up the industry in December 2020. The government also offered <strong>more than $1 billion in cash incentives<\/strong> to each semiconductor company that sets up manufacturing units.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What should India do to improve the availability of semiconductors?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>India should <strong>increase the base for semiconductor manufacturing<\/strong> and also has to <strong>formulate policies to promote domestic chip manufacturing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>India should follow the US, China and South Korea&#8217;s path. These countries invested huge public money on-chip manufacturing.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p-3 mb-2 bg-info text-red text-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f1\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indian-railways-chandigarh-railway-station-awarded-5-star-eat-right-station-certification-by-fssai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Indian Railways\u2019 Chandigarh Railway Station awarded 5-Star \u2018Eat Right Station\u2019 certification by FSSAI<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article<strong> &#8220;<span lang=\"EN-US\">Indian Railways\u2019 Chandigarh Railway Station awarded 5-Star \u2018Eat Right Station\u2019 certification by FSSAI<\/span>&#8220;<\/strong> published in PIB on 3rd September 2021.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the news?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Indian Railways\u2019 Chandigarh Railway Station has been awarded a 5- star <strong>&#8216;Eat Right Station&#8217;<\/strong> certification for providing high-quality, nutritious food to passengers. This certification is granted by FSSAI to railway stations adhering to standard food storage and hygiene practices.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About &#8216;Eat Right Station&#8217; program<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The &#8216;Eat Right Station&#8217; certification is <strong>awarded by FSSAI<\/strong> to railway stations that set benchmarks in <strong>providing safe and wholesome food to passengers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The station is awarded a certificate upon a conclusion of an FSSAI-empanelled<strong> third-party audit agency<\/strong> with ratings from 1 to 5.<\/p>\n<p>The 5-star rating indicates exemplary efforts by stations to ensure safe and hygienic food is available to passengers.<\/p>\n<p>The certification is part of the &#8216;<strong>Eat Right India&#8217; movement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Chandigarh Railway Station becomes <strong>the fifth station in India<\/strong> to get this recognition. The other railway stations with this certification include <strong>Anand Vihar<\/strong> Terminal Railway Station; (Delhi), <strong>Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus<\/strong>; (Mumbai), <strong>Mumbai Central Railway Station<\/strong>; (Mumbai) and <strong>Vadodara Railway Station<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is &#8216;Eat Right India&#8217; movement?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It is a\u00a0large-scale effort by <strong>FSSAI<\/strong> to transform the country&#8217;s food system to ensure safe, healthy, and sustainable food for all Indians.<\/p>\n<p>Eat Right India adopts a judicious mix of regulatory, capacity building, collaborative, and empowerment approaches to ensure that our food is suitable both for the people and the planet.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Terms to know<\/strong>:<a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/what-is-fssai-what-are-its-functions\/\"> FSSAI<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f2\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/raptor-attention-160-species-of-birds-of-prey-endangered-worldwide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Raptor attention: 160 species of birds of prey endangered worldwide<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Raptor attention: 160 species of birds of prey endangered worldwide<\/strong>\u201d published in \u201c<strong>Down To Earth<\/strong>\u201d on <strong>1st September 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the news?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A new analysis by \u2018<strong>International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)<\/strong> and <strong>BirdLife International<\/strong>\u2019 remarks about the threats faced by the birds of prey.<\/p>\n<p>The study claims, <strong>30 percent of the 557 raptor species around the world are threatened by extinction<\/strong> to some degree.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the key findings of the study?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The study noted that the <strong>raptors prey on a wide range of vertebrates<\/strong> and thus, <strong>facilitate long-distance seed dispersal<\/strong>. This <strong>indirectly increases seed production and pest control<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The study mentions that 557 raptor species around the world are facing threats of extinction.\u00a0 Of these, 18 species are critically endangered, 25 are endangered, 57 are vulnerable and 66 are near-threatened.<\/p>\n<p>The threats of birds\u00a0are a <strong>result of\u00a0habitat loss, deforestation, pollution, human-wildlife conflicts and climate change<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The population of <strong>Philippine eagles<\/strong>, the <strong>largest variety of eagles in the world<\/strong>, and the hooded vulture decreased rapidly in the last decades.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>Annobon scops-owl<\/strong> has an estimated population of fewer than 250 and is <strong>restricted to Annobon Island off West Africa<\/strong>. Recently, it has been classified as \u2018<strong>critically endangered<\/strong>\u2019 because of rapid habitat loss and degradation.<\/p>\n<p><b>Key findings related to India<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The <strong>vulture population<\/strong> in India has <strong>declined by over 95 percent<\/strong> because of the widespread use of <strong>diclofenac<\/strong>, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are Raptors?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Raptors are also known as <strong>birds of prey<\/strong>. These are species of birds that primarily hunt and feed on vertebrates. This includes birds such as a hawk, eagle, owl, vulture, etc.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f3\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/over-4-billion-dont-have-social-protection-un\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Over 4 billion don\u2019t have social protection: UN<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This post is based on the article <\/span><b>\u201c<\/b><b>Over 4 billion don\u2019t have social protection: UN<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> The Hindu <\/b>on <b>1st September 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The International Labour Organization(ILO) has released a<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> report titled \u2018World Social Protection Report 2020\u201322\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Purpose of the Report:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report provides a global overview of recent developments in social protection systems, including social protection floors and covers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Note:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social protection includes access to health care and income security particularly in relation to old age, unemployment, sickness, disability, work injury, maternity or loss of the main income earner, as well as for families with children.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Key Findings of the Report:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Coverage of Social Protection: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, only 47% of the global population are effectively covered by at least one social protection benefit, while 4.1 billion people (53%) obtain no income security at all from their national social protection system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Inequalities in Social Protection:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There are significant regional inequalities in social protection. Europe and Central Asia have the highest rates of coverage with 84% of people being covered by at least one benefit. On the other hand, Asia and the Pacific (44%), the Arab States (40%) and Africa (17.4% ) have marked coverage gaps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Government Spending on Social Protection: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It varies significantly. On average, countries spend 12.8% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on social protection (excluding health). However, high-income countries spend 16.4% and low-income countries only 1.1% of their GDP on social protection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Social Protection by Category wise:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Children:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The vast majority of children still have no effective social protection coverage \u2013 only one in four children (26.4%) receives a social protection benefit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Cash Maternity Benefit: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Only 45% of women with newborns worldwide receive a cash maternity benefit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Disability:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Only one in three persons with severe disabilities (33.5%) worldwide receive a disability benefit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Unemployment: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coverage of unemployment benefits is even lower; only 18.6%\u00a0 of unemployed workers worldwide are effectively covered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Old Age Pension: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Around 77.5% of people above retirement age receive some form of old-age pension. But major disparities remain across regions, between rural and urban areas and between women and men.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f4\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indian-biologist-wins-global-award-in-turtle-conservation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Indian biologist wins global award in turtle conservation<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article \u201c<\/span><b>Indian biologist wins global award in turtle conservation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d published in <\/span><b>The Hindu <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on <\/span><b>3rd September 2021<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian biologist Shailendra Singh has been awarded the Behler Turtle Conservation Award for bringing three critically endangered turtle conservation species back from the brink of extinction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Who has given this award?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The award was given by several global bodies involved in turtle conservation such as Turtle Survival Alliance, IUCN\/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Turtle Conservancy, and the Turtle Conservation Fund.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why was he given this award?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was awarded for bringing three critically endangered turtle conservation species back from the brink of extinction. These species are <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">red-crowned roofed turtle (Batagur kachuga), northern river terrapin (Batagur baska), and<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/black-softshell-turtle-pact-signed-for-conservation-in-assam\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> black softshell turtle (Nilssonia nigricans).<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>About Northern river terrapin:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><b>Northern river terrapin <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a species of riverine <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">turtle<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> native to Southeast Asia. It is one of Asia&#8217;s largest freshwater and backwater turtles.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b style=\"color: var(--global--color-primary); font-family: var(--global--font-secondary); font-size: var(--global--font-size-base);\">Habitat: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The species is currently found in Bangladesh (in the Sundarbans), Cambodia, India (parts- West Bengal &amp; Odisha), Indonesia and Malaysia.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b style=\"color: var(--global--color-primary); font-family: var(--global--font-secondary); font-size: var(--global--font-size-base);\">IUCN Status: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Critically Endangered<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b style=\"color: var(--global--color-primary); font-family: var(--global--font-secondary); font-size: var(--global--font-size-base);\">Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schedule I<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>About <\/b><b>Red Crowned Roofed Turtle:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Red Crowned Roofed Turtle <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">species<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of freshwater <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tu<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rtle<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">endemic<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Asia<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: var(--global--color-primary); font-family: var(--global--font-secondary); font-size: var(--global--font-size-base); background-color: var(--global--color-background);\">The last known stronghold for this river turtle is on the Chambal River in central India, however, small isolated populations may still exist in the Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b style=\"color: var(--global--color-primary); font-family: var(--global--font-secondary); font-size: var(--global--font-size-base);\">IUCN Status: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Critically Endangered<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b style=\"color: var(--global--color-primary); font-family: var(--global--font-secondary); font-size: var(--global--font-size-base);\">Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schedule I<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>About <\/b><b>Turtle Survival Alliance(TSA)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was formed in 2001 as an International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) partnership for sustainable captive management of freshwater turtles and tortoises.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About Turtle Conservation Fund(TCF):<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was established in 2002 as a partnership initiative of Conservation International, IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG), and Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA). Later, it was joined by other organizations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The fund is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">focused on ensuring the long-term survival of tortoises and freshwater turtles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About IUCN\/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG)<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is one of the more than 100 Specialist Groups and Task Forces that constitute the working network of the <\/span><b>IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">provides expertise and science-based recommendations with conservation relevance covering all species of freshwater and terrestrial turtles and tortoises.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Note: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>SSC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a science-based network of some 7000+ appointed volunteer specialists and experts from almost every country of the world, all working together towards achieving the vision of \u201ca world that values and conserves present levels of biodiversity.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f5\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/ayush-ministry-kickstarts-campaign-to-distribute-prophylactic-medicines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ayush Ministry kickstarts campaign to distribute prophylactic medicines<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article <\/span><b>\u201c<\/b><b>Ayush Ministry kickstarts campaign to distribute prophylactic medicines<\/b><b>\u201d<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> PIB on 2nd September 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Ministry of Ayush has launched a campaign of distributing Ayush prophylactic medicines and written guidelines on diet and lifestyle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, the National Medicinal Plants Board(NMPB) has also launched a national campaign to promote the cultivation of medicinal plants in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What are Prophylactic medicines?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A prophylactic is a medication or a treatment designed and used to prevent a disease from occurring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Example: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A prophylactic hepatitis vaccine prevents the patient from getting hepatitis, while a prophylactic dental cleaning prevents tooth decay.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Campaign to Promote <\/b><b>cultivation of medicinal plants:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under this campaign, cultivation of medicinal plants will be done on 75,000 hectares of land in the next year across the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The campaign has been started from Saharanpur in UP and Pune in Maharashtra.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About National Medicinal Plants Board(NMPB):\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was established in 2000 under the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga &amp; Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha &amp; Homoeopathy).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Aim: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To develop the medicinal plants sector through developing strong coordination between various ministries\/ departments\/ organizations for the implementation of policies\/programs on medicinal plants.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f6\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indias-green-projects-to-get-uk-funds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">India\u2019s green projects to get UK funds<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article<\/span><b> \u201cIndia\u2019s green projects to get UK funds<\/b><b>\u201d published in Livemint <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on <strong>3rd September 2021.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The India and UK Finance Minister <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has agreed on a USD 1.2 billion investment in green projects and renewable energy to boost India\u2019s green growth ambitions at the 11th India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What are the investments announced by India and the UK?<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A $1-billion investment from CDC, the UK\u2019s development finance institution in green projects in India during 2022-26.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A $200 million private and multilateral investment into the UK-India Green Growth Equity Fund for renewable energy and\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Climate Finance Leadership Initiative(CFLI).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>About UK-India Green Growth Equity Fund:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>It was established with investment from <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and Foreign, Commonwealth &amp; Development Office (FCDO), Government of UK.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The fund invests in<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> scalable operating companies and platforms across renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, e-mobility, resource conservation and associated value chains in India.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The UK-India Green Growth Equity Fund is based in<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong> Mumbai<\/strong> and <strong>EverSource<\/strong> is the fund manager<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About <\/b><b>Climate Finance Leadership Initiative(CFLI):<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is aimed at mobilizing private capital into sustainable infrastructure in India. These investments will support India\u2019s target of 450 gigawatts (GW) renewable energy by 2030.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The initiative will be <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">backed by the <strong>City of London Corporation<\/strong> and led by <strong>Bloomberg\u2019s CFLI<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f7\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/40-central-universities-to-implement-credit-ban\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">40 Central universities to implement credit ban<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article <\/span><b>\u201c40 Central universities to implement credit bank\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> The Hindu on 3rd September 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forty Central universities will be implementing innovative measures such as the academic credit bank and the Glue Grant Scheme.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About Glue<\/b><b> Grant Scheme:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the Glue Grant Scheme, institutions in the same city would be encouraged to share resources, equipment and even allow their students to take classes from each other.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ultimately, faculty will be able to design joint courses and a Delhi University(DU) student will be able to take a few classes at IIT-Delhi or vice versa,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This also means that institutions need not duplicate work by developing the same capacities, but would be able to build on each other\u2019s expertise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/pm-to-roll-out-academic-credit-bank\/\"><b>Academic Credit Bank:<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Under this,<\/strong> students can attain qualifications by earning credits rather than specific durations on campus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A certain number of credits would add up to a certificate, then a diploma and then a degree. This would allow for multiple entries and exit points.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, students can earn up to 40% of their credits in online <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/swayam-portal\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Swayam c<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lasses. In the future, the credits will be valid across institutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f8\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/adif-aims-to-rank-india-startup-ecosystem-in-top-3-globally-by-2030\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ADIF aims to rank India startup ecosystem in Top 3 globally by 2030<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>ADIF aims to rank India startup ecosystem in Top 3 globally by 2030\u201d<\/strong> published in <strong>Livemint<\/strong> on <strong>3rd September 2021<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Alliance of Digital India Foundation(ADIF) plans to rank India\u2019s startup ecosystem among the Top 3 globally by 2030, with a focus on finding the right policy framework to drive growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>India\u2019s Startup Ecosystem<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India is the <strong>third-largest startup ecosystem<\/strong> in the world after <strong>the US and China<\/strong> in terms of size. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The US tops the list with 396 unicorns, while China is at the second position with 277 unicorns<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over the last year, India has added three unicorns every month taking the total count to 51.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, I<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ndia stands at the 20th spot among the top 100 countries that have been ranked in the <strong>Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2021<\/strong> by Startup Blink.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Note:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A privately held startup company valued at over $1 billion is called a unicorn.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Problems faced by Indian Startups:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google has proposed to charge a fee of up to 30% on revenue earned by apps through its Play store in line with Apple&#8217;s App store policy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But since most of the apps and startups in India don&#8217;t have high margins, therefore, this is creating a major problem for Startups in India.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f9\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/blue-straggler-bigger-and-bluer-star-formed-when-one-star-eats-up-another\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blue straggler &#8211; bigger and bluer star formed when one star eats up another<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This post is based on the article \u201c<\/span><b>Blue straggler &#8211; bigger and bluer star formed when one star eats up another<\/b><b>\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> published in <\/span><b>PIB<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on <\/span><b>2nd September 2021<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian researchers have done a comprehensive analysis to understand the formation of blue stragglers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What are Blue Stragglers?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Blue stragglers <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are a class of stars on open or globular clusters. They stand out as they are bigger and bluer than the rest of the stars.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Note:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A globular cluster is a spherical collection of stars. Globular clusters are very tightly bound by gravity giving them their spherical shapes and high concentrations of stars toward their centers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>First Discovered by:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blue stragglers were first discovered by Allan Sandage in 1953<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About the study by Indian Researchers:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian Researchers have studied 228 clusters with a total of 868 blue stragglers. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They compared the mass of the blue stragglers to the mass of the turnoff stars (which are the most massive \u2018normal\u2019 stars in the cluster) and predicted the formation mechanisms. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have found that:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Half of the blue stragglers are formed through mass transfer from a close binary companion star,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One third are likely formed through collisions of 2 stars and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The remaining are formed through interactions of more than 2 stars.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>Significance of this study:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The study will help improve understanding of the stellar systems. It will help uncover exciting results in studies of large stellar populations including galaxies.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f10\"><\/a>Centre plans PSU land sale worth more than Rs 600 crore via e-bidding<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> The post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Centre plans PSU land sale worth more than Rs 600 crore via e-bidding<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Business Standard<\/strong> on <strong>3rd September 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s in news?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Center is planning to sell parcels worth more than \u20b9600 crores of public sector undertakings via the e-bidding platform. Further, the government also aims to sell non-core assets worth \u20b910000 crores through this platform.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About the PSU land sale:<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_131324\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-131324\" style=\"width: 595px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-131324\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/PSU-Land-sale.png?resize=595%2C512&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"PSU Land sale\" width=\"595\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/PSU-Land-sale.png?w=848&amp;ssl=1 848w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/PSU-Land-sale.png?resize=300%2C258&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/PSU-Land-sale.png?resize=768%2C659&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 595px) 100vw, 595px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-131324\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Business Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The government is looking\u00a0to push the <strong>sale of idle assets<\/strong> of PSUs. The sale will be managed by the<strong> Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>valuation and reserve price of assets<\/strong> are also <strong>fixed<\/strong>. The <strong>sale of assets will be done through<\/strong> the <strong>new e-bidding platform developed by state-run MSTC<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This is on the lines of the National Monetisation Pipeline, but this sale <strong>would only include non-core assets<\/strong>. Unlike the NMP, however, the <strong>ownership of assets will be transferred in the case of PSU land sale<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the first phase land assets of BSNL, MTNL, BEML, and Shipping Corporation of India (SCIL) would be put on the block. The first sale will be of litigation-free assets.<\/p>\n<p>DIPAM is also planning to set up a <strong>Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)<\/strong> to sell litigation-marred land assets of public sector undertakings and government departments.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f11\"><\/a>Powergrid wins the prestigious global ATD Best award<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Powergrid Wins the Prestigious global ATD Best Award<\/strong>\u201d published in the <strong>PIB<\/strong> on <strong>2<sup>nd<\/sup> \u00a0September 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><b>What is the news?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Recently, Powergrid won the prestigious global <strong>ATD (Association for Talent Development)<\/strong> Award for nourishing the best talent. It got 8<sup>th<\/sup> rank among the 71 organizations from around the globe.<\/p>\n<p>It is the <strong>only Indian PSU to win this award<\/strong> and one of the only two companies from India to figure in the Top 20.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is ATD?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It is the world&#8217;s largest association dedicated to those who develop talent in organizations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ATD\u2019s BEST<\/strong> <strong>Award<\/strong> &#8211; It is the talent development industry\u2019s most rigorous and coveted recognition. The global program recognizes organizations that demonstrate enterprise-wide success through talent development.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What is Powergrid?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), is a Maharatna CPSU under the Ministry of Power, Government of India. It is playing a strategic role in the development of the Indian Power Sector.<\/p>\n<p>POWERGRID <strong>owns and operates the Inter-State transmission network<\/strong> of the country. Its transmission system availability is consistently over 99%. This is at par with international utilities.<\/p>\n<p>POWERGRID has won this International recognition for its efforts in talent development practices and programmes. The talent development initiative in POWERGRID is driven by the POWERGRID Academy of Leadership (PAL).<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is PAL?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>PAL is POWERGRID\u2019s state-of-the-art <strong>Institute of Learning in Management and Technology,<\/strong> catering to both domestic and international clients. At PAL, training and initiatives are organized for enhancing employee performance, boosting employee productivity, improving and strengthening company culture.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear Friends, We have initiated some changes in the 9 PM Brief and other postings related to current affairs.\u00a0What we sought to do: Ensure that all relevant facts, data, and arguments from today\u2019s newspaper are readily available to you. We have widened the sources to provide you with content that is more than enough and&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-september-3rd-2021\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief \u2013 September 3rd, 2021<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":80068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"9pm-brief-template.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,9],"tags":[8032,1542,9388],"class_list":["post-131335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-9-pm-brief","category-public","tag-current-affairs-for-upsc","tag-daily-current-affairs-for-upsc","tag-upsc-current-affairs-upsc","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/9-PM-Brief-1-e1615452440806.png?fit=600%2C335&ssl=1","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}