{"id":133641,"date":"2021-09-13T21:00:26","date_gmt":"2021-09-13T15:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=133641"},"modified":"2021-09-14T10:31:28","modified_gmt":"2021-09-14T05:01:28","slug":"9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-september-13th-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-september-13th-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief \u2013 September 13th, 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\">Let central banks stay focused on their goals<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs12\">IIT success as B-schools is a sign of a more expansive education vision taking root at premier engineering institutions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs13\">Nursing syllabus gets a major revamp<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs14\">A selective nuclear policy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs15\">The Quad must be flexible to counter China\u2019s many strategies across a wide range of issues<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs16\">Shifts and stagnancy in the caste profile of our asset rich and poor<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>GS Paper 3<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#gs21\">There\u2019s a major new risk in town and it\u2019s called crypto<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs22\">A step backward: On unemployment in India<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs23\">Winners and losers in shipping crisis<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs24\">Organic farming should never be turned into an article of faith<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs25\">Cleaning the Yamuna a story of missed deadlines<\/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\">Battle of Saragarhi explained: When 21 men fought thousands<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f2\">\u20182+2\u2019 Ministerial Dialogue between India &amp; Australia<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f3\">LCA-Mk2 to roll out next year, first flight in 2023, says scientist<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f4\">PRANA portal for air pollution launched<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f5\">PM pays tribute to Subramania Bharati on his 100th Death Anniversary<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f6\">Impact of fossil fuel extraction on global warming<\/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\/let-central-banks-stay-focused-on-their-goals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Let central banks stay focused on their goals<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Let central banks stay focused on their goals<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Livemint<\/strong> on <strong>13th September<\/strong> <strong>2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS2 &#8211; Statutory and Regulatory bodies &#8211; RBI<strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Central bank and its mandate, climate crisis and financial stability<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: Urjit Patel has suggested adding climate aims to the monetary agenda, however it has multiple risks associated to it. Hence, other tools should be used for our carbon crisis.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Recently, former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Urjit Patel laid out a strong argument in favour of the proposition of adding climate goals to monetary policy.<\/p>\n<p>There is debate that whether central banks should join the fight and whether monetary policy be assigned a role.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Must Read:<\/strong> <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/rbi-must-come-clean-where-it-stands-on-climate-change\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RBI must come clean where it stands on climate change<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><strong>Why RBI should not get involved with carbon crisis?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>No expertise<\/strong>: Former Bank of England governor Mervyn King says, it is hard enough for central banks to get their basics right, such as keeping the internal value of their currencies stable.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Central banks getting involved in running policies<\/strong>: Raghuram Rajan has also opposed the adoption of plainly fiscal objectives like encouraging eco-friendly investments by monetary authorities. He spoke against central banks with sufficiently wide mandates running policies best run by governments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Complexity in data collection<\/strong>: complexity of green-growth calculations could result in poorer outcomes overall. It would cover policy rates of interest in a data fog that will make it harder for analysts to subject central banks to scrutiny.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What is the way forward?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>First<\/strong>, we <strong>must not rush into mixed mandates<\/strong> in response to our current climate emergency. Central banks have a complex job, and any errors can prove exorbitant.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Second<\/strong>, climate settings are a political matter and taking up such a cause would expose central banks to the risk of lost autonomy, which is vital for long-range stability.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs12\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/iit-success-as-b-schools-is-a-sign-of-a-more-expansive-education-vision-taking-root-at-premier-engineering-institutions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IIT success as B-schools is a sign of a more expansive education vision taking root at premier engineering institutions<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong>This post is based on the article\u201d <strong>IIT success as B-schools is a sign of a more expansive education vision taking root at premier engineering institutions\u201d <\/strong>published in the <strong>Indian Express <\/strong>on <strong>13<sup>th<\/sup> September 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS-2 <\/strong>Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector\/Services relating to education.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>Understanding the performance of IITs in Management courses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>The IITs, were long known to provide only technical courses. However, we see that they are also doing well in management courses.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Six IITs came in the top 20 management institutions, even outpacing reputed business schools such as IIM-Indore and IIM-Lucknow. This shows that India\u2019s premier engineering schools are not restricted just only to technical courses.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Why IIT embraces other streams apart from engineering courses?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>IITs look beyond technology to embrace the world of humanities and law, arts and architecture. Over the years, several IITs offered courses in humanities, social science and literature. This is in response to a growing realisation that a technical education alone can reduce talent in the economy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>IIT Kharagpur<\/strong>: \u00a0It opened a medical college in 2018. It had also set up a school of law focused on intellectual property.<\/p>\n<p><strong>IIT Delhi: <\/strong>IIT Delhi, started offering MBA programmes in the late 1990s. Now, It is the highest-ranked IIT on the <strong>National Institute Ranking Framework<\/strong> in the management category.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What does this success signify?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Given <strong>adequate financial resources and the autonomy<\/strong> to decide their own courses, <strong>higher education institutions can build on their unique strengths<\/strong> to deliver the best quality education and results.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are the issues in IIT?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Gender Diversity:<\/strong> Despite the introduction of supernumerary quotas to increase the intake of women, the IITs<strong> remain a largely male preserve<\/strong> \u2014 here, they are losing out to the IIMs, which do much better on the count of inclusivity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Exam Pattern: <\/strong>IIT\u2019s have been facing criticism as the exam pattern tends to favour those who have access to the best coaching institutes.<\/p>\n<p>However, despite these problems, the expansion of courses by IIT\u2019s is a welcome step as more talent can be accommodated in its ambit.<\/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\/union-education-minister-releases-india-rankings-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Institure Ranking Framework<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs13\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/nursing-syllabus-gets-a-major-revamp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nursing syllabus gets a major revamp<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong>This post is based on the article\u201d <strong>Nursing syllabus gets a major revamp\u201d <\/strong>published in <strong>The Hindu <\/strong>on <strong>13<sup>th<\/sup> September 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS-2 <\/strong>Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>To study the impact of the new nursing syllabus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>The revamped programme for B.Sc nursing is aimed at standardization and includes medical ethics and simulation training.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>I<\/strong><strong>ntroduction: <\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The <strong>syllabus of BSC Nursing programmes has been revised<\/strong>. This is the<strong> first major overhaul after 1947<\/strong>. The revised curriculum has been standardized, updated and is aimed at bringing uniformity in nursing education across India.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who made the changes?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Indian Nursing Council<\/strong> had revised and developed the syllabus under <strong>Section 16 of the INC Act.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the new additions to the syllabus?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Medical Ethics: <\/strong>It has been introduced for the first time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus:<\/strong> Under the new system, a <strong>credit-based semester pattern<\/strong> has been adopted. Also, it has included forensic nursing, nursing informatics and ethics in the syllabus.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Assessments: <\/strong>Changes have been introduced in the internal assessment guidelines. Now there will be a continuous assessment based on attendance, written assignments, reports and other things.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mandatory modules: <\/strong>The new system has also brought in mandatory modules for each specialisation. Students now have to pass in all mandatory modules placed within courses. Passing marks for each module is 50%.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Science Students: <\/strong>Students will only go to the clinical area after the compulsory training in the simulation laboratories. Also, the gazette does not permit the admission for non-science background students for B.Sc. The nursing program and minimum qualifying marks for the entrance test shall be 50%.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are the new hospital norms?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Building: <\/strong>It is mandatory that an institution shall have its own building within two years of its establishment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hospital Beds<\/strong>: According to new norms, colleges of nursing should mandatorily have 100 bedded parent or own hospitals. The beds of the parent hospital shall be in the same building\/same campus.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Modification of syllabus: <\/strong>The revised rules also state that no institution or university will modify the syllabi prescribed by the Council for a course or program. However, they can add units or subjects if required.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the negatives of the new curriculum?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Exclusion of the disabled: <\/strong>The <strong>Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act<\/strong> mandates inclusion of disability rights in higher education. Though the new system includes the pejorative expressions \u2018handicapped\u2019, \u2018mentally challenged\u2019 and physically challenged. It <strong>does not include disability rights and disability competencies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/sc-makes-sure-that-public-infrastructure-is-friendly-for-the-differently-abled\/\">Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Exclusion of gender<\/strong>: Curriculum also excludes gender expression and identity components which are mandated by <strong>Transgender Persons Act<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/transgender-persons-act-comes-into-effect\/\">Transgender Persons Act<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><strong>What are the advantages of the new curriculum?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Quality: <\/strong>New curriculum will enhance the quality and standardisation of the programme. \u00a0Based on the new curriculum, simulation-based training is given specific importance.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs14\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/a-selective-nuclear-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A selective nuclear policy<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong>This post is based on the article <strong>&#8220;A selective nuclear policy\u201d <\/strong>published in <strong>The Hindu <\/strong>on <strong>13<sup>th<\/sup> September 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS-2 <\/strong>Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>To understand the complexities of the North Korean nuclear program.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>North Korea has maintained a dubious record of its nuclear program. Given its past record, it becomes difficult to access the direction its nuclear program is going to take.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>North Korea recently <strong>started its largest fissile material production reactor<\/strong>. This is the same reactor whose production was ceased in December 2018. IAEA (<strong>International Atomic Energy Agency<\/strong>) has flagged this as <strong>a violation of the UNSC<\/strong> (United Nation Security Council) <strong>resolution<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>North Korea\u2019s confusing record of the nuclear program<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>1987: <\/strong>North Korea was added to the terror list following its bombing attack on a South Korean airplane. Ever since then it has been subject to repeated <strong>sanctions<\/strong> which were <strong>withdrawn, only to be re-imposed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In <strong>1994<\/strong> North Korea <strong>barred the access of IAEA to its reactors<\/strong>. IAEA in its following reports mentioned that North Korea was generating plutonium from spent fuel.\u00a0 In response, the USA planned pre-emptive precision strikes on the nuclear complex. This was, however, resolved diplomatically through a framework of a peace deal brokered by President Jimmy Carter. Under the deal,<strong> Pyongyang would free all the nuclear activities and allow inspection of its military sites<\/strong>. In return, <strong>they will be allowed to build two light-water reactors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The same activities of North Korea have been repeated again. In June 2008,<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>North Korea <strong>blew up its cooling tower<\/strong> at Yongbyon complex to show commitment to the US and other countries. This led the USA to ease sanctions on North Korea. However, it barred the access of IAEA inspectors to its reprocessing plant in this complex and later expelled them.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What is the USA present approach?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>President Biden has adopted the pragmatic approach of dialogues and talks. North Korea has hardened its stance as it wants to secure relief from sanctions first.<\/p>\n<p>All this leads to one important question \u2013 that can nuclear proliferation ever be controlled, especially when the States see it as a source of power.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Terms to know<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-green\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/international-atomic-energy-agency-iaea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs15\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-quad-must-be-flexible-to-counter-chinas-many-strategies-across-a-wide-range-of-issues\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Quad must be flexible to counter China\u2019s many strategies across a wide range of issues<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Source<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: This post is based on the article &#8220;<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Power of four: The Quad must be flexible to counter China\u2019s many strategies across a wide range of issues\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8221; published in The <strong>Times of India<\/strong><\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0on\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">13<sup>th<\/sup> Sept 2021.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Syllabus<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">:\u00a0GS 2- International\u00a0Relation:\u00a0Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and\/or affecting India\u2019s interests<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Relevance<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: Article stresses on QUAD&#8217;s multidimensional role for ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Synopsis<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">:\u00a0The Quad needs to be flexible to counterbalance China across a range of issues, be it Afghanistan or the South China Sea.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Introduction<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Quad\u00a0is now shaping up as a\u00a0security-plus platform.\u00a0Recently, India and Australia held their first 2+2 ministerial dialogue.\u00a0Militaries of the four countries participated in the Malabar joint naval exercise last year. Also,\u00a0work is underway to produce and deliver a billion Covid vaccines through the group\u2019s network by 2022.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Why QUAD has a security &amp; civilian component?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Though, China has alleged that QUAD is an Asian NATO, it has been deliberately kept as a high-level diplomatic platform \u2013 notwithstanding a separate naval component \u2013 to prevent a return to the bloc politics of the past.\u00a0There are two reasons for this:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">First<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, the four Quad nations need to get into the habit of working together.\u00a0The Covid pandemic and the\u00a0Galwan\u00a0valley clashes between India and China last year have seen the group coordinate. But more is needed to achieve regular operational momentum.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Second,<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0the Quad also needs to find the\u00a0optimum and balanced path\u00a0between security and civilian cooperation\u00a0because\u00a0China represents a multidimensional systemic challenge.\u00a0To counter China, Quad needs to be multidimensional as it is doing presently by working on Covid vaccines, open technologies and resilient supply chains<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What is the way forward?<\/span><\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As the global axis of power shifts partly from the West to the East,\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Quad democracies need to shape the Indo-Pacific as a free and open region.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> This will give Southeast Asian nations options to resist China\u2019s strategy of\u00a0weaponizing\u00a0economic interdependencies.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In short, the Quad needs to be flexible to counterbalance China across a range of issues, be it Afghanistan or the South China Sea.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs16\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/shifts-and-stagnancy-in-the-caste-profile-of-our-asset-rich-and-poor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shifts and stagnancy in the caste profile of our asset rich and poor<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong>This post is based on the article <strong>\u201dShifts and stagnancy in the caste profile of our asset rich and poor\u201c <\/strong>published in <strong>Livemint <\/strong>on <strong>13<sup>th<\/sup> September 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS-2 <\/strong>Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>To understand the linkage of reservation policies with development.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>India\u2019s debate on modifying affirmative action policies should be informed by an understanding of the trends observed so far.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>There are increasing demands for a caste census and the removal of a 50% cap on reserved seats for central government jobs and admissions to the central educational institutions.<\/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\/caste-based-census-in-india\/\"><strong>Caste based census in India \u2013 Explained<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The 50% cap was breached in 2019 when an additional 10% quota came into place for India\u2019s economically weaker sections (EWSs) on top of the already-existing 49.5% reservation. (27% Other Backward Classes (OBCs), 15% Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 7.5% Scheduled Tribes (STs)).<\/p>\n<p>In addition to this, various state governments in India also implement their own reservation in the name of affirmative-action policies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A new study to understand the caste dynamics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An asset index, using individual-level data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) for 2005-06 and 2015-16 has been constructed. It takes into account a wide array of assets like consumer durables and vehicles.<\/p>\n<p>This helps us understand how different caste groups in the country are placed in terms of prosperity and poverty.<\/p>\n<p>It defines the bottom <strong>20% of the population as \u2018asset poor\u2019<\/strong> and the <strong>top 20% of the population as \u2018asset rich\u2019<\/strong> based on the asset index score.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Asset-poor<\/strong>: Those who hold less movable or immovable assets as compared to others.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Asset-rich<\/strong>: Those who hold more movable or immovable assets as compared to others.<\/p>\n<p>The study compares <strong>changes in the share of each caste group<\/strong> in India\u2019s population over time <strong>and their share among the asset-poor and asset-rich<\/strong> in India and its major states.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Findings at all India level<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_133673\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-133673\" style=\"width: 530px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-133673\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Shifts-and-stagnancy-in-the-caste-profile-of-our-asset-rich-and-poor.png?resize=530%2C750&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Asset Asymmetry\" width=\"530\" height=\"750\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Shifts-and-stagnancy-in-the-caste-profile-of-our-asset-rich-and-poor.png?w=530&amp;ssl=1 530w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Shifts-and-stagnancy-in-the-caste-profile-of-our-asset-rich-and-poor.png?resize=212%2C300&amp;ssl=1 212w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 530px) 100vw, 530px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-133673\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Livemint<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>OBC<\/strong>: representation of OBCs in both asset-rich and poor categories is in line with their share in the population. Their share among the asset-rich has seen an increase between 2005-06 and 2015-16.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Among major states<\/strong>: OBCs are most over-represented among the asset-rich in Tamil Nadu. They are under-represented in Gujarat, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SC and ST: <\/strong>Represented more in the asset-poor category and under-represented in the asset-rich category.<\/p>\n<p>SCs and STs are under-represented in the asset-rich category in all major Indian states, with the most under-representation relative to their population share in Odisha and the lowest in Punjab.<\/p>\n<p><strong>General Category<\/strong>: \u00a0They continue to form a higher share of the asset-rich than their share in India\u2019s population. General-category Indians are over-represented in all states among the asset rich.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How states formation itself can be linked to such variance of the population?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some states in India <strong>were linguistically formed<\/strong>, whereas<strong> others owe their formation to similar cultures and ethnicity.<\/strong> This suggests there may be one of the drivers of the sub-national differences in welfare outcomes in India.<\/p>\n<p>Also, people in <strong>some states tend to be politically aware<\/strong> and act collectively on a range of issues, while people in other states have <strong>low levels of political awareness and have a deeply divided society<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What should be the future research?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>More work is needed to <strong>understand how State policies have contributed to the advancement of different groups<\/strong> in different categories. Such studies would also <strong>help states<\/strong> in making <strong>evidence-based policies for affirmative action<\/strong>.<\/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\/national-family-health-nfhs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What is National Family Health Survey (NFHS)?<\/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\/theres-a-major-new-risk-in-town-and-its-called-crypto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">There\u2019s a major new risk in town and it\u2019s called crypto<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201cThere\u2019s a major new risk in town and it\u2019s called crypto\u201d published in <strong>Livemint<\/strong> on <strong>13<sup>th<\/sup> Sep 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS3 &#8211; Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Discussion on Cryptocurrency and related issues<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: Retail investors are the ones who&#8217;ll most likely suffer in the high-yield, high-risk Crypto market. Government should come up with regulations before its too late.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Crypto products are being mass marketed in India without the oversight needed for investor safety. The crypto marketing campaigns have now reached even tier-II and tier-III cities.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How has discourse around Crypto evolved in India?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Role of RBI<\/strong>: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been warning the general public since 2013 about crypto-products, calling them virtual currencies (VCs) in its communication. RBI, through a circular dated 6 April 2018, directed banks and other financial intermediaries not to deal with entities, either individuals or institutions, dealing in VCs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Numerous government committees<\/strong> also examined these products and were divided in their opinion: some advocated an outright ban while others were ambivalent.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Supreme Court<\/strong>: In its March 2020 judgement, the Supreme Court ruled that RBI cannot direct banks to withhold services to crypto-exchanges, primarily because the central bank was unable to show that the \u201cinterface&#8221; with crypto-products had resulted in either harm or adverse effects for these financial intermediaries. The court\u2019s three-member bench, though, refrained from either banning or endorsing crypto-products.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are the related issues\/concerns?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Crypto-exchanges have been aggressively advertising on all media platforms\u2014print, television and the internet\u2014without the necessary caveats or disclaimers. These exchanges must keep in mind the following issues:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Crypto is not a currency<\/strong>: Firstly, they must ask themselves whether it is proper to use the term \u2018currency\u2019 in their communication because crypto-products do not fit its classic definition. It is also dangerous because many investors might mistake it for legal tender backed by government, which it is definitely not. Public fiat monies fulfill the three functions of money: a store of value, unit of account, and medium of exchange. No single crypto asset, though, broadly fulfils all the functions of money.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Crypto-products are not assets<\/strong>: Secondly, in their rush for yields, retail investors might overlook the fact that crypto-products may not qualify as assets in the true sense of the term. Most crypto-products do not have any underlying commodity, product or cash-flows that can provide them with economic value; a crypto\u2019s value is derived primarily from its shortage because mining crypto-products is a specialized undertaking.<\/p>\n<p><strong>High volatility and other risks<\/strong>: Thirdly, crypto prices are extremely volatile and can change rapidly without any valid economic reason, as witnessed in recent months. What is more concerning, especially for individual customers, is that crypto-tokens are typically stored in digital wallets which can be hacked and robbed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Unregulated crypto market<\/strong>: Lastly, crypto-activity is unregulated in India and any mishap will negatively impact investors. While crypto-products are legal in India, they are not answerable to any authority. Also, it is also relevant to ask whether fast-mushrooming crypto-exchanges can actually be called \u2018exchanges\u2019 at all. They are not supervised by SEBI and their trade matching processes or settlement mechanisms are not well known.<\/p>\n<p>Hence, in light of the above risks and a potential huge impact on retail investors, government must step in to carve regulation for the Crypto market in India.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs22\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/a-step-backward-on-unemployment-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A step backward: On unemployment in India<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>A step backward<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Business Standard<\/strong> on <strong>12<sup>th<\/sup> Sep<\/strong> <strong>2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: <\/strong>GS3 \u2013 Indian Economy and issues relating to Growth, Development and Employment<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Increasing unemployment<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong> The periodic labour force survey (PLFS) indicates that India, far from modernising and formalising its economy, seems to be moving backwards in terms of the employment available.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Recent PLF survey has stated that unemployment rate has declined by a percentage point to 4.8 per cent in 2019-20. The previous number, in the first PLFS in 2017-18, had been the highest recorded for over four decades.<\/p>\n<p>However, a close look at the PLFS data reveals the dismal state of unemployment in India.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Must Read:<\/strong> <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/periodic-labour-force-survey-and-unemployment-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Periodic Labour Force Survey and unemployment in India &#8211; Explained, pointwise<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><strong>What is the present state of unemployment in India?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Firstly<\/strong><strong>,<\/strong> PLFS data reveals that the unemployment rate is much unchanged, at almost 9 per cent, since 2017-18<\/p>\n<p><strong>Secondly<\/strong>, even more recent indicators, after the second wave, are more disturbing about the trend-line of unemployment. For instance, <strong>the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE)<\/strong> own survey suggests that unemployment in India rose to 8.3% in August 2021, an increase of over a percentage point from 7% in July.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thirdly<\/strong>, even the industrial sector has apparently lost jobs, continuing a trend since the pandemic hit, which the CMIE says has cost 10 million jobs in manufacturing alone.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What does the PLFS data indicate?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>PLFS data reveals that there has been a decline in good-quality employment opportunities since the last PLFS.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong>Workers have been forced into less remunerative and less secure jobs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong>The share of regular salaried workers has been declining for some years, reflecting problems with the formalisation of the economy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong>The proportion of the non-agricultural workforce working in the informal sector rose to almost 70 per cent.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong>There has also been a sharp rise in the proportion of people working in household enterprises who receive no compensation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong>Women are working more, but as unpaid family workers in agriculture.<\/p>\n<p>The most worrying point is that there has been an increase in the share of workers in agriculture. The first time that this has happened in the modern statistical era.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs23\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/winners-and-losers-in-shipping-crisis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Winners and losers in shipping crisis<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Winners and losers in shipping crisis<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Business Standard<\/strong> on <strong>13<sup>th<\/sup> Sep<\/strong> <strong>2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3<\/strong> \u2013 Industry: Shipping and ports<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Issues related to Exports<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>Challenges faced by exporters due to steep rise in ocean freight rates and congestion in various ports of the world<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>There has been a steep rise in ocean freight rates and congestion in various ports of the world. Indian exporters have complained of increase in freight rates by 300% to 1000% for various destinations and additional charges like emergency revenue recovery charges, cargo declaration charges etc.,<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Why there&#8217;s been an increase in freight charges?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Increase in freight charges results from the uneven post-Covid economic recoveries of the world&#8217;s largest importing and exporting countries. The primary pillars of the crisis are:<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong> significant fall in the availability of containers<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong> reduced workforce, fewer shipping vessels operating<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong> erratic movements in demand for various commodities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong> Additionally, a lag in the supply of timber to manufacture containers, a rise in the number of containers being scrapped than produced further increased the cost of the containers which surged from $1600 in 2021 to $2500 this year.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Who has benefitted out of it?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The obvious winners are the container shipping industry, which reported the best actual quarterly performance\u00a0 in its history for the second quarter of this year (2Q21). The 11 container lines that represent 64.5% of the TEU capacity made profits of $18.44 billion.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How increased freight rates is impacting Indian Exporters?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>It has to be noted that, some Indian products have become relatively more price competitive with regard to their competitors in East Asia and China due to increase in freight rates.<\/p>\n<p>However, the exporters from China, Asia and India are getting less price-competitive with regard to the producers in West Europe and North America due to lower transportation costs from those locations.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are the complaints raised by exporters?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Other than increased freight rates, the exporters also complain about <strong>acute difficulties in getting shipping space<\/strong>, getting containers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Shipping lines are being diverted<\/strong> to more lucrative routes and giving fewer sailings from India.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bookings are not given at the contracted freight rates<\/strong> and are forced by the shippers to give higher spot rates through freight forwarders.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Delays in issue of mandated inspection certificates<\/strong> for certain items from nominated agencies.<\/p>\n<p>Some exporters allege <strong>cartelisation by the shipping companies.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are possible long-term implications?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Exporters worry that, if the present trends in shipping continue, then we can see a move from globalisation to localisation or regionalisation for some items.<\/p>\n<p>Also, consumer-led economies are likely to <strong>look for alternative markets with shorter trade routes<\/strong> to cut losses. This could severely harm SMEs who are already battling with the pandemic-led economic crisis.<\/p>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs24\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/organic-farming-should-never-be-turned-into-an-article-of-faith\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Organic farming should never be turned into an article of faith<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Organic farming should never be turned into an article of faith<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Livemint<\/strong> on <strong>13th September 2021<\/strong>.<strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS3 &#8211; Growth, Development and Employment.<strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Organic farming and issues related to it<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: Policies that respect the farmer\u2019s economic freedom offer the best route to sustainable agriculture.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Recently, the Srilankan government <strong>imposed a state of emergency in Sri Lanka<\/strong> after its mismanaged response to the foreign exchange crisis cascaded into food shortages.<\/p>\n<p>The Sri Lankan government had imposed a range of import controls earlier this year. Banning the import of automobiles, toilet fixtures, Venetian blinds, toothbrush handles and turmeric is one thing, but a complete ban on chemical fertilizers is entirely another.<\/p>\n<p>The fertilizer ban has left Sri Lanka both short of food and US dollars.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How the ban has impacted Sri Lankan economy?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Ruined agriculture: <\/strong>Domestic production is critical for any food-importing country facing a foreign exchange crisis. It is even more important for Sri lanka because it is a major exporter of tea. The fertilizer ban has left Sri Lanka <strong>both short of food and US dollars<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>It was being seen as a progressive policy aimed at making Sri Lanka the first country in the world to completely embrace organic agriculture. In a few short months it resulted in a disaster.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are the lessons from Sri Lanka&#8217;s unplanned push for organic agriculture?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>No simple, universal case for organic agriculture<\/strong>: Pushing organic farming as a <strong>one-size-fits-all policy<\/strong> will inevitably lead to the disaster. Like all dietary preferences, individuals are free to attach morality to what they consume, but public policy has to be justified using reason and empirical evidence.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leave cropping and farming decisions to the farmers:<\/strong> Government and civil society should spread awareness and market knowledge. In India, farmers are demonstrating greater awareness about their profession than the people who are trying to raise it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Need policy support: <\/strong>Estimates suggest that <strong>organic yields are 20-30% lower<\/strong> than their conventionally farmed counterparts. Hence, it is unethical to ask a family earning less than \u20b910,000 a month to consider organic farming.<\/p>\n<p>Hence,<strong> organic farming is a luxury. <\/strong>Those who prefer to remain into agriculture do it because they can.<\/p>\n<p>This is one reason why organic farming is catching on in Western economies and among India\u2019s richer cultivators.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are key takeaways for India?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>First<\/strong>, we need massive improvements in yield, a massive reduction in the number of farmers, or both.<\/p>\n<p>We need to make the <strong>policy case for organic<\/strong>, at the global, national and regional levels. Reckless abuse of pesticides, fertilizers and hormones need to be fixed through better public policies and technology.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Second,<\/strong> to increase organic output and income, we need more farmland and fewer farmers. More farmland means fewer forests. Fewer farmers would need more non-farm jobs.<\/p>\n<p>Hence, there is <strong>need for creation of non-agricultural jobs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs25\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/cleaning-the-yamuna-a-story-of-missed-deadlines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cleaning the Yamuna a story of missed deadlines<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong>This post is based on the article\u201d <strong>Cleaning the Yamuna a story of missed deadlines\u201d <\/strong>published in <strong>The Hindu <\/strong>on <strong>13<sup>th<\/sup> September 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS 3 \u2013 <\/strong>Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>How can we improve the sorry state of River Yamuna?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>The Yamuna, as it passes through Delhi, becomes extremely polluted. Immediate steps are needed to check this sorry state of the river.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Recently, the draft <strong>NCR Regional Plan-2041 was prepared by the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB). <\/strong>It has fixed <strong>2026 as the new deadline<\/strong> to ensure \u2018zero discharge of untreated sewage and industrial discharge into the Yamuna\u2019.<\/p>\n<p><strong>About the Yamuna<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Yamuna <strong>originates in the Yamunotri glacier<\/strong> in the Himalayas. It travels through Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi before its merger with the Ganga.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are the earlier plans to clean the Yamuna?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>1<sup>st<\/sup> Yamuna Action Plan (YAP):<\/strong> It was signed in 1992. It aims for the \u201cimprovement of water quality conservation in the river and hygiene environment in the cities in the river basin\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3rd YAP (YAP-III): <\/strong>It is presently underway. But the present condition of Yamuna does not even fit for bathing in the Delhi stretch, except for Palla. It is the point where the river enters Delhi.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What is the pollution concentration in the Yamuna?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Presently, levels of<strong> faecal coliform<\/strong> (microbes from human and animal excreta) is <strong>beyond the desirable levels<\/strong> in all points except for Palla. At some points, the concentration is<strong> 760 times the desirable level<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A committee by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) <\/strong>states that Delhi accounts for 76% of the pollution load on the river.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are the major causes of pollution in Delhi?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Less water<\/strong> in the river in Delhi.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sewage:<\/strong> Drains dumping sewage and industrial effluents into the Yamuna.<\/p>\n<p>Under YAP-III entire sewage load of Delhi is to be intercepted and treated. It is <strong>the duty of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to treat the city\u2019s sewage.<\/strong> The city generates 720 Million gallons per day(MGD) of Sewage of which 123 MGD remains untreated.\u00a0 DJB had informed NGT that it will increase its <strong>sewage plant treatment<\/strong> to 99%, but it<strong> still remains at 86%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, the <strong>interceptor sewer Project<\/strong>, which has been in pipeline <strong>since 2006 has been delayed<\/strong> multiple times.<\/p>\n<p>So, to address these issues, water flow should be increased. Also, there is a need to treat sewage waste.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are the court and tribunal judgments on the Yamuna?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>1994<\/strong>: SC took cognizance of a newspaper article \u201c<strong>Quiet Flows Maily (dirty) Yamuna<\/strong>\u201d and summoned the <strong>Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)<\/strong> to explain the issue. Later, various stakeholders, including the Delhi, UP and Haryana governments became part of the case.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2015: <\/strong>In this judgment, NGT formed the <strong>\u2018Maily Se Nirmal (from dirty to clean) Yamuna Revitalisation Plan, 2017\u2019,<\/strong> which was set to be completed by 2017. But that did not happen and the <strong>NGT in 2018, formed a monitoring panel<\/strong> to implement the 2015 judgment. The NGT dissolved the committee in January 2021 and directed the Chief Secretaries of various States to monitor the progress.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What can be done to reduce pollution in the Yamuna?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The <strong>immediate technological way<\/strong> forward would be <strong>Zero untreated discharge<\/strong> into the Yamuna.<\/p>\n<p>More water can dilute the pollutants, thereby reducing the relative pollution load. As per the study by <strong>National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), a flow of 23 cusecs is needed in the lean season <\/strong>for this. This flow is not easy to attain, as it is constrained by interstate river water treaties.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ministry of Jal Shakti<\/strong> observed that the <strong>1994 water-sharing agreement between Uttrakhand, HP, UP, Haryana is due for revision in 2025<\/strong>. This can act as an<strong> opportunity to divert more water towards the Delhi<\/strong> stretch of Yamuna.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Experts<\/strong> are of the view that the Yamuna can be cleaned only if the government takes it in a <strong>mission mode approach<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\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\/battle-of-saragarhi-explained-when-21-men-fought-thousands\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Battle of Saragarhi explained: When 21 men fought thousands<\/a><\/h3>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">September 12 marks the <strong>124th anniversary<\/strong> of the <strong>Battle of Saragarhi<\/strong> that has inspired a host of armies, books and films, both at home and abroad.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>About <\/b><b>Battle of Saragarhi<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>The Battle of Saragarhi <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is considered as one of the finest last stands in the military history of the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The battle happened in 1897 between the <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>British Indian contingent<\/strong> comprising 21 Sikh soldiers of the 36th Sikhs (now known as Indian Army&#8217;s 4th Battalion) who were stationed at Saragarhi <strong>and<\/strong> 10,000 to 12,000 <strong>Afghans Tribesmen<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Importance of Saragarhi<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saragarhi was the communication tower between <strong>Fort Lockhart<\/strong> and <strong>Fort Gulistan<\/strong>. The two forts were in the <strong>North-West Frontier Province (NWFP)<\/strong>, now in Pakistan. The forts were <strong>built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh<\/strong> but renamed by the British.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saragarhi helped to link up the two important forts which housed a large number of British troops in the NWFP.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why is the Battle<\/b><b> of Saragarhi <\/b><b>achievement celebrated?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though heavily outnumbered, the 21 Sikh soldiers led by <strong>Havildar Ishar Singh<\/strong> managed to hold the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saragarhi <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tower for seven hours till their last breath, killing 200 tribals and injuring 600.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This bought time for the two other forts to be reinforced and were able to defend themselves upon coming under attack.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Significance:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Battle of Saragarhi is the <strong>only instance<\/strong> in the history of warfare where <strong>21 soldiers were posthumously awarded with Indian Order Merit<\/strong>, the highest award given to Indian soldiers at the time (equivalent to today&#8217;s Param Vir Chakra).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> T<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">his post is based on the article<\/span><b> \u201c<\/b><b>Battle of Saragarhi explained: When 21 men fought thousands<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> Indian Express <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on<\/span><b> 12th September 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f2\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/22-ministerial-dialogue-between-india-australia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u20182+2\u2019 Ministerial Dialogue between India &amp; Australia<\/a><\/h3>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u20182+2\u2019 Ministerial Dialogue between India &amp; Australia was held.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is <\/b><b>\u20182+2 Dialogue\u2019?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>\u20182+2 Dialogue\u2019 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a term adopted in foreign diplomacy that implies a dialogue between two countries&#8217; defence and external affairs ministries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The goal of the 2+2 dialogue is to facilitate<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the highest-level dialogue on the bilateral, regional, and global issues between countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>India holds such talks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the <strong>US, Japan and Australia.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>About India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue <\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India-Australia 2+2 dialogue is the outcome of a decision made at the <strong>India-Australia leaders virtual summit<\/strong> in 2020 to elevate bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What was the focus of the recent India-Australia 2+2 Dialogue?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dialogue is aimed at further ramping up the overall defence and strategic cooperation between the two countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Topics Discussed: <\/b>The recent developments in <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Afghanistan, maritime security in Indo-Pacific, cooperation in multilateral formats &amp; other related topics are discussed<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article<\/span><b> \u201c<\/b><b>\u20182+2\u2019 Ministerial Dialogue between India &amp; Australia<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> PIB <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on<\/span><b> 11th September 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f3\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/lca-mk2-to-roll-out-next-year-first-flight-in-2023-says-scientist\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LCA-Mk2 to roll out next year, first flight in 2023, says scientist<\/a><\/h3>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The preliminary design for the<strong> Light Combat Aircraft(LCA)-Mk2<\/strong> and the fifth-generation <strong>Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)<\/strong> has been completed.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>About <\/b><b>LCA-Mk2<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk2<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a <strong>single-engine multirole fighter aircraft<\/strong> designed by <strong>Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA)<\/strong> in collaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Payload Capacity:<\/b> It\u00a0i<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s a 1,350 mm longer aircraft. It can carry a payload of 6,500 kg compared to the 3,500 kg the LCA can carry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Features:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The aircraft features enhanced range and endurance, including an <strong>onboard oxygen generation system<\/strong>, which is being integrated for the first time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>About Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft(AMCA)<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft(AMCA) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a fifth-generation indigenous fighter aircraft <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">designed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Payload Capacity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It will be a 25-tonne aircraft with a payload capacity of 1,500 kg internally and a 5,500-kg external payload.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Features: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The aircraft will have stealth and non-stealth configurations. It will be developed in two phases, AMCA Mk1 with an existing GE414 engine and an AMCA Mk2 with an advanced more powerful engine to be developed later along with a foreign partner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Note: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stealth technology is a low observable technology that makes aircraft, fighter jets, ships, submarines, satellites, missiles less visible to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection methods.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Participation of Private Industry: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The manufacturing and production of the aircraft will be through a <strong>special purpose vehicle<\/strong> which will have the participation of private industry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article<\/span><b> \u201c<\/b><b>LCA-Mk2 to roll out next year, first flight in 2023, says scientist<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> The Hindu <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on<\/span><b> 13th September 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f4\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/prana-portal-for-air-pollution-launched\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PRANA portal for air pollution launched<\/a><\/h3>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has launched \u2018PRANA\u2019 (prana.cpcb.gov.in) Portal.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>About PRANA Portal:<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>Developed by: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/central-pollution-control-board-cpcb\/\">Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB<\/a>)\u00a0in partnership with Knowledge Lens (a B2B product company)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Full Form: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PRANA stands for Portal for Regulation of Air-pollution in Non-Attainment cities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Purpose:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is a portal for monitoring the implementation of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).It will support tracking of physical as well as financial status of city air action plan implementation and disseminate information on air quality management efforts under NCAP to the public.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>About National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>The <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/ngt-slams-moef-over-national-clean-air-programme\/\"><b>National Clean Air Programme(NCAP)<\/b> <\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was launched in 2019.It is being implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and CPCB.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Purpose:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is a comprehensive initiative in partnership with various Ministries and States to improve air quality at city, regional and national level.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>It is a focused and time bound scheme<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to implement various sectoral policies, strengthen monitoring and enhance public participation in more than 100 cities for effective air quality management.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Target:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It has a target of 20%\u201330% reduction of Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5) concentration by 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Source:\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article<\/span><b> \u201c<\/b><b>PRANA portal for air pollution launched<\/b><b>\u201d published <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in PIB on <\/span><b>7th September 2021<\/b><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f5\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/pm-pays-tribute-to-subramania-bharati-on-his-100th-death-anniversary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PM pays tribute to Subramania Bharati on his 100th Death Anniversary<\/a><\/h3>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prime Minister has paid homage to Mahakavi Subramania Bharati on his 100th <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Death Anniversary.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>About <\/b><b>Subramania Bharati<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>Subramania Bharati<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was a poet, freedom fighter and social reformer from Tamil Nadu. He was known as <\/span><strong><i>Mahakavi Bharathiyar <\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which means a great poet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">songs on nationalism and freedom of India<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> helped to rally the masses to support the Indian Independence Movement in Tamil Nadu.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Examples:<\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201c<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Kannan Pattu<\/strong>\u201d \u201c<strong>Nilavum Vanminum Katrum<\/strong>\u201d \u201c<strong>Panchali Sabatham<\/strong>\u201d \u201c<strong>Kuyil Pattu<\/strong>\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are examples of Bharathi\u2019s great poetic output. He also published the sensational \u201c<\/span><strong><i>Sudesa Geethangal<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d in 1908.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Bharati as a Journalist<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He began his career as a journalist and as a sub-editor in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<strong>Swadesamitran<\/strong>\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 1904.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He <strong>edited and <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>published<\/strong> the weekly journal &#8220;<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>India&#8221;<\/strong>, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which was the first paper in Tamil Nadu to publish political cartoons. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He also published and edited a few other journals like \u201c<strong>Vijaya<\/strong>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Bharthi as a social reformer<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bharati was against the caste system. He declared that there were<strong> only two castes<\/strong>-men and women and nothing more than that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He condemned certain Shastras that denigrate women. Furthermore, he believed in the <strong>equality of humankind and criticised many preachers<\/strong> for mixing their personal prejudices while teaching the Gita and the Vedas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He also <strong>opposed child marriage, dowry and supported widow remarriage<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article <\/span><b>\u201c<\/b><b>PM pays tribute to Subramania Bharati on his 100th Death Anniversary<\/b><b>\u201d<\/b> published in<b> PIB <\/b>on <b>11th September 2021<\/b><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f6\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/impact-of-fossil-fuel-extraction-on-global-warming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Impact of fossil fuel extraction on global warming<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Source<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: This post is based on the article &#8220;<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What a new study says about fossil fuel extraction and global warming<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8221; published in\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Indian\u00a0Express<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0on\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">10<sup>th<\/sup> September 2021.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<h5><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What is the news?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As per recent study,\u00a0the global oil and gas production should decline by 3% per year until 2050 to keep global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius.\u00a0This\u00a0target was set by the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">To achieve this target,\u00a0global fossil fuel extraction needs to go down.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What is the current\u00a0progress on Paris Agreement?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As of now, human activities have already caused global temperatures to rise by about 1 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels (1950-1900). Currently, countries\u2019 emissions targets are not in line with limiting global warming to under 1.5 degrees.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What\u00a0are the findings of the study?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Firstly,<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0it says that\u00a0both planned and operational fossil fuel extraction projects are not conducive to meeting the targets set out by the climate agreement signed in 2015.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Secondly,\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">number of regions in the world have already reached their peak fossil fuel production. To achieve the goal,\u00a0any increase in fossil fuel production will have to be offset by a decline elsewhere.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Thirdly,<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0the required unextracted reserves need to be 58%\u00a0for oil, 59%\u00a0for fossil methane gas and 89%\u00a0for coal by 2050.\u00a0These percentages of fossil fuels need to remain unextractable if global warming targets are kept in mind.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/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-13th-2021\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief \u2013 September 13th, 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-133641","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\/133641","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=133641"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133641\/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=133641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}