{"id":135862,"date":"2021-09-21T21:00:57","date_gmt":"2021-09-21T15:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=135862"},"modified":"2022-02-05T09:18:48","modified_gmt":"2022-02-05T03:48:48","slug":"9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-september-21st-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-september-21st-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief \u2013 September 21st, 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 style=\"font-family: var(--heading--font-family); font-size: 24px; letter-spacing: var(--heading--letter-spacing-h3); background-color: var(--global--color-background); color: var(--global--color-primary);\">GS Paper 2<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#gs11\">Fund and Faculty count in higher education rankings<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs12\">NRC is final, rules Assam Foreigners\u2019 Tribunal<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs13\">Tackling Hate Speech<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs14\">With AUKUS dividing the Western bloc, is there a role for India?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs15\">A new water policy for India<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>GS Paper 3<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#gs21\">India must shed obsession with \u2018marginal farmers\u2019. Their future lies outside farms \u2014 in dairy, poultry, food retail<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs22\">Utilize a rear-view mirror for further telecom reforms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs23\">Gig economy workers need more protection of their rights<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs24\">The difference education makes to what the salaried earn in India<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs25\">How effective is CPCB in its management of e-waste?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs26\">How sustainable is India&#8217;s exports boom?<\/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\">India scores 46th rank in the Global Innovation Index 2021<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f2\">Minister of Railways launches Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RKVY)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f3\">India will resume exports of covid-19 vax from Oct to meet its commitments<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f4\">Power Finance Corp set to be India\u2019s 11th Maharatna CPSE<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f5\">6TH EDITION OF SCO EXERCISE \u201cPEACEFUL MISSION &#8211; 2021\u201d COMMENCES AT ORENBURG, RUSSIA<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f6\">Project Fulwari under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav To Strengthen Northern Coalfields\u2019 Limited (NCL)fight against Malnutrition in kids<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f7\">INDIAN NAVY AND INDONESIAN NAVY PARTICIPATE IN EXERCISE \u2018SAMUDRA SHAKTI\u2019<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f8\">Is India nearing 100% school enrolment? Yes &amp; No<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f9\">Pandemic study reveals lack of trained health personnel<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f10\">China&#8217;s &#8216;Lehman moment&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f11\">Rich nations to miss $100-bn climate fund target even by 2025<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f12\">Researchers develop super-hydrophobic cotton for oil-spill cleanup<\/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\/fund-and-faculty-count-in-higher-education-rankings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fund and Faculty count in higher education rankings<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong>This post is based on \u201c<strong>Fund and Faculty count in higher education rankings<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>The Hindu<\/strong> on <strong>21<sup>st<\/sup> August 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: <\/strong>GS 2 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector\/Services relating to education.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>Understanding the National Institutional Ranking Framework(NIRF).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>The new edition of the National Institutional Ranking Framework highlights the huge gap between the best and the rest.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/national-institutional-ranking-framework-nirf\/\">National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)<\/a>\u00a0 has recently released its sixth edition of ranking for Higher Education.<\/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\/union-education-minister-releases-india-rankings-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Union Education Minister releases India Rankings 2021<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><strong>What are the advantages of the ranking?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Choice of Institution<\/strong>: It helps students to choose institutions for admission. It helps colleges to secure research funding. It enables teachers to choose the right colleges and employers to target campuses for hirings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Competition<\/strong>: It identifies areas of improvement and also the measures to overcome those deficiencies. It promotes competition, which further promotes the quality of the institution.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Privileges: <\/strong>Good ranking opens the gate of other privileges to institutions like more autonomy, power to offer open and distance mode programmes, and permission to enter into collaboration with foreign universities etc.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How Universities are ranked?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Universities are ranked on various parameters like research, publications, innovations, patents etc. Different standards are adopted by various organizations to rank the universities. For instance,<\/p>\n<p><strong>Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)<\/strong>: It ranks universities solely on the basis of their research performance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Times Higher Education (THE)<\/strong>: It gives 60% weightage to research.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Quacquarelli Symonds (QS):<\/strong> It gives only 20% weightage to research.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NIRF<\/strong>: It accords 30% weightage to <strong>Research Performance and Professional Practices<\/strong> (RPP).<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What did NIRF data reveal?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Research Performance:<\/strong> NIRF reveals that the <strong>best university scored 92.6%<\/strong> in the research category. This score declined to <strong>60.52% for university that got the 10th<\/strong> spot. This number further declined to 50.32%, 28.69% for 20th and 50th best universities respectively. For the <strong>100th university, the score is only 4.35%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Research scholars: <\/strong>Data reveals that the <strong>larger the number of research scholars, the higher the ranks of the universities in terms of RPP.<\/strong> Data shows top 10 universities in NIRF had an average of 2,627 research scholars, whereas universities ranked in the bottom 10 had no more than 165 research scholars.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Salaries: <\/strong>The data revealed another interesting fact, <strong>the higher the institution spends on salaries of the staff, the higher is the ranking<\/strong> of the university. For example, the average annual expenditure on salaries for the top 10 universities is \u20b9391.72 crores.\u00a0 While the universities, ranked between 91-100, spent only \u20b979.26 crores.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, one can conclude that the <strong>funds and faculty<\/strong> are the two most important factors that <strong>improve the performance of any educational institution.<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs12\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/nrc-is-final-rules-assam-foreigners-tribunal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NRC is final, rules Assam Foreigners\u2019 Tribunal<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source:\u00a0<\/strong>This post is based on the following articles<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201c<strong>Done and Dusted<\/strong>&#8221; published in <strong>The Hindu <\/strong>on\u00a0<strong>21st September 2021.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>\u201c<strong>NRC is final, rules Assam Foreigners\u2019 Tribunal<\/strong>&#8221; published in <strong>The Hindu <\/strong>on\u00a0<strong>20th September 2021.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Syllabus:\u00a0<\/strong>GS 2 &#8211; Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>Understanding the latest developments in NRC issues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:\u00a0<\/strong>Recently Foreigner\u2019s tribunal in NRC issues a notice stating that the NRC list is final.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>While the <strong>Registrar General of India<\/strong> has <strong>not yet issued a notification<\/strong> on <strong>Assam\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answered-national-register-of-citizens-though-well-intentioned-has-many-problems-majority-of-which-are-borne-by-the-poorest-comment-examine-the-need-of-national-register-of-citiz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Register of Citizens<\/a><\/strong> (NRC) to make it a legal document, a <strong>Foreigners\u2019 Tribunal (FT)<\/strong> has gone ahead and <strong>recorded it as the \u201cfinal NRC\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The FT also held that &#8220;there is no doubt that this <strong>NRC Assam published in 2019<\/strong> is nothing but Final NRC.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h5><strong>About the NRC<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The SC had mandated the NRC, after which the centre and state government of Assam had taken it up. The <strong>first draft in 2018 had left 4 Million people out,<\/strong> and the June <strong>2019 list left 1Lakh<\/strong> more.<\/p>\n<p>Another draft was released in August 2019. The final draft absorbed 2.2 million of those left out in the previous drafts. Of the<strong> total population of 33 Million, around 1.9 Million were left out<\/strong>. The <strong>fate of those left-out persons was to be decided by Foreigners Tribunals (FT&#8217;s)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This created an issue as different segments claimed that this exercise is biased towards Bengali Hindus or Bengali Muslims.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Revision of NRC<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Considering all these, the Assam government and even the New NRC coordinator, have made repeated requests for a re-verification of 20% of the list, especially for the area&#8217;s bordering Bangladesh. <strong>With FT declares the list to be final, the questions of revision become doubtful.<\/strong> Even if the revision is taken up, it has its own set of problems.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the other issues associated with NRC?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There have been many other issues creating delays in the revision process. The new NRC <strong>coordinator&#8217;s petition is still pending<\/strong> in court. On the administrative side, the <strong>issuance of rejection slips is pending.<\/strong> The rejection slips are <strong>necessary to file appeals in the FTs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What should be the way forward?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Considering all these, the next logical step should be that the<strong> Registrar General of India<\/strong> confers his stamp on NRC. The <strong>rejection slips have to be provided<\/strong> immediately <strong>for facilitating appeals to FTs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs13\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/tackling-hate-speech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tackling Hate Speech<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong>This post is based on \u201c<strong>Tackling Hate Speech<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>The Hindu<\/strong> on <strong>21<sup>st<\/sup> August 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: <\/strong>GS 2 &#8211; Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>Understand the meaning of hate speech.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong> There are no laws on hate speech as such, so India needs a political and pedagogical solution to control the menace.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Recently, a Bishop from Kerala in his speech coined the term <strong>Narcotic Jihad <\/strong>and criticised few members of the Muslim religion. But the speech aimed at a particular religion has a divisive tone.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What does Hate Speech signify?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Though the precise definition would be difficult, but a lot can be inferred from various rulings of the courts around the world and also from the views of the experts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In\u00a0Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire\u00a0(1942):\u00a0 <\/strong>The U.S. Supreme Court held that their Constitution does not protect \u201c<strong>insulting or \u2018fighting\u2019 words<\/strong> \u2014 those which may <strong>incite an immediate breach of the peace<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lord Bhikhu Parekh,<\/strong> a British academic, said that hate speech views members of the target group as an enemy within. It creates hostility and breeds mistrust between individuals and groups.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In Pravasi Bhalai Sangathan v. Union of India (2014) case: <\/strong>The Supreme Court <strong>quoted <\/strong>from <strong>the Canadian Supreme Court\u2019s decision in Saskatchewan v. Whatcott<em>\u00a0<\/em>(2013).<\/strong> It held that<strong> &#8220;hate speech puts a serious barrier to the full participation of minority in our democracy<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are the challenges associated with hate speech in India?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>This idea of hate speech resonates well in India\u2019s political context. Being a minority in a Hindu majoritarian nation, the other religions at times feel defenceless when hatred is directed against them. This leads to a climate of fear amongst them. It has also led to violence against them based on their identity. And <strong>even genuine concerns<\/strong> like the social and economic backwardness of <strong>the minority community are ignored<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How India is tackling hate speech?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>There are legal protections against hate speech in India. <strong>Section 153-A of IPC<\/strong> prohibits speech promoting enmity between groups based on religion, race, place of birth etc.<\/p>\n<p>However, <strong>the law seems to suffer from misuse and disuse<\/strong>. While remarks against the minority are ignored, even vague references against the majority trigger the legal action and state machinery.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What should be the way ahead?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Given the challenges, a precise and accurate definition of law for hate speech is difficult. So a well-negotiated political and social solution is the best way forward.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs14\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/with-aukus-dividing-the-western-bloc-is-there-a-role-for-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">With AUKUS dividing the Western bloc, is there a role for India?<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source:\u00a0<\/strong>This post is based on the following articles<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201c<strong>With AUKUS dividing the Western bloc, is there a role for India?<\/strong>\u201c<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>published in the\u00a0<strong>Indian Express\u00a0<\/strong>on\u00a0<strong>21st September 2021<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>\u201c<strong>The new AUKUS alliance holds some lessons for India<\/strong>\u201c<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>published in the\u00a0<strong>Indian Express\u00a0<\/strong>on\u00a0<strong>21st September 2021<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Syllabus:\u00a0<\/strong>GS 2 \u2013 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and\/or affecting India\u2019s interests.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance:\u00a0<\/strong>Understanding India&#8217;s role in strengthening the Western bloc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:\u00a0<\/strong>This article explains India&#8217;s relationship with Western Countries and India&#8217;s role in strengthening their relations.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>C. Raja Mohan is of the view that <strong>AUKUS could leave a deep scar on US-EU relations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation<\/strong>, and <strong>weaken the international coalition in the Indo-Pacific<\/strong>. According to him, India has an indispensable role in strengthening the international coalition in the Indo-Pacific.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Must read<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/aukus-security-alliance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AUKUS Security Alliance \u2013 Explained, pointwise<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><strong>What are the recent developments in the India-US security relationship?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Some major milestones in the Indo-US security relationship have been:<\/p>\n<p>The signing of the path-breaking <strong>Indo-US Civil Nuclear Agreement, in 2008<\/strong>; <strong>launching of the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative in 2012<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The US Congress also accorded the <strong>status of \u201cMajor Defence Partner\u201d to India in 2016<\/strong>; The US also <strong>granted Tier 1 status to India<\/strong>, enabling export of high-technology items; and <strong>institution of \u201c2+2 talks\u201d<\/strong> in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>signing of the fourth and last of the key \u201cfoundational agreements\u201d in 2020<\/strong>, was supposed to have eliminated the final impediment to closer defence cooperation.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How India is maintaining its relations with Europe?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The Indian government has also stepped up on the political engagement with Europe as a collective as well as its sub-regions \u2014 <strong>from the Baltics to the Balkans and from Iberia to Mitteleuropa (Middle Europe)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>India now discovered that <strong>every European nation<\/strong>, from tiny Luxembourg to a rising Poland, <strong>has something to offer<\/strong>. At present, Europe has become a thriving hub of India\u2019s international relations.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How India is maintaining its relations with Britain?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>India has also made a <strong>determined effort to build a new partnership with Britain<\/strong>, which is the fifth-largest economy in the world, a leading financial hub.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>UK and its settler colonies<\/strong> have long been the <strong>preferred destination for the Indian diaspora<\/strong> (besides the US). While the diaspora tends to connect the domestic politics of the Anglosphere (English-speaking nations) with that of India, India is figuring out that the diaspora politics can be played both ways.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What India needs to do to strengthen the Western bloc?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>India\u2019s interests lie in deeper strategic cooperation<\/strong> with <strong>France and Europe<\/strong> as well as the <strong>Quad and the Anglosphere<\/strong>. <strong>India\u2019s diverse relationships<\/strong> in the West <strong>must be deployed in full measure to prevent a split in the Indo-Pacific coalition<\/strong>.<\/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\/quad-and-its-relevance-explained-pointwise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quad Summit and its relevance \u2013 Explained, Pointwise<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Further, to attain India&#8217;s full potential, India needs a political collaboration that helps to<strong> restore its economy to its earlier buoyant trajectory<\/strong>. Further, If realpolitik so demands, India must <strong>break old customs and strike new partnerships<\/strong> \u2014 wherever there is a <strong>convergence of interests<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs15\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/a-new-water-policy-for-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A new water policy for India<\/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\">A new water policy for India<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8221; published in the<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Business Standard\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">on\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">20th September 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>GS2 &#8211; Governance.<\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Relevance<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: To understand the\u00a0need for the\u00a0new water policy.<\/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:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Article discusses the need of new water policy in India while listing some directions based on which water policy can be drafted.<\/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\">In 2019,\u00a0the Ministry of Jal Shakti set up a committee to draft a new National Water Policy (NWP). The earlier NWPs of 1987, 2002 and 2012 were drafted entirely within the government system\u00a0based on \u201ccommand-and-control\u201d approach towards nature. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This is the first time that the government decided to set up a\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">committee of independent experts<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0to draft the policy.<\/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\">The committee received suggestions from various experts, academics, practitioners and stakeholders.\u00a0It found consensus in the\u00a0various consensus\u00a0received. It\u00a0clearly shows that we need a\u00a0new paradigm of\u00a0water management and governance to deal with the water crisis\u00a0in the 21<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">st<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0century.\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 does the water crisis teach us?<\/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\">It&#8217;s teaching us that we need to <strong>respect the nature<\/strong> and think equally of others. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Nature is reminding us to acknowledge, with humility, our quintessential equality and inter-dependency. We need to protect Mother Nature, re-orient the development models and consumerism-driven lifestyles. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We are living in an inter-connected world. Furthermore, we <strong>cannot continue with business-as-usual approach<\/strong> in the search for development and modernisation as every action impacts the environment.<\/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\">Till now, we failed to recognize that the economy is a small part of the larger ecosystem. This is the time we need to <strong>acknowledge the inter-connectedness and inter-dependence of the world<\/strong> where we live in. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For that, we need to be humble in our approach to natural systems. We also need to recognize that <strong>prakriti rakshati rakshita <\/strong><\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">(Nature protects those who protect her<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">).\u00a0<\/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\">What are the five\u00a0water reforms\u00a0that are guiding the NWP?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><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\">The\u00a0five key water reforms enunciated by the prime minister\u00a0are:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>First<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em>,<\/em>\u00a0the need to break down the silos into which we have divided water;\u00a0<\/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\"><em>Second<\/em>,<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0respect for the immense diversity of India while planning for water;\u00a0<\/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\"><em>Third<\/em>,<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0greater focus on management and distribution of water;\u00a0<\/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\"><em>Fourth<\/em>,<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0higher priority to recycling and reuse of water; and\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Fifth<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0raising people\u2019s awareness and people\u2019s participation in management of water.<\/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\">Final approval of the NWP\u00a0rests with the National Water Resources Council, which is chaired by the prime minister and includes all chief ministers as members.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\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\/india-must-shed-obsession-with-marginal-farmers-their-future-lies-outside-farms-in-dairy-poultry-food-retail\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">India must shed obsession with \u2018marginal farmers\u2019. Their future lies outside farms \u2014 in dairy, poultry, food retail<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong>This post is based on \u201c<strong>India must shed obsession with \u2018marginal farmers\u2019. Their future lies outside farms \u2014 in dairy, poultry, food retail<\/strong>\u201d published in the <strong>Indian Express<\/strong> on <strong>21<sup>st<\/sup> August 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: <\/strong>GS 3 &#8211; Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>To Understand the issue of farmland and farmers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong> Farming is best left to those who can do it well. Better fewer, but better.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Recently <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/national-statistical-office-nso\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Statistical Office (NSO)<\/a><strong>\u00a0Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households report<\/strong> was released. It throws up interesting data which can also be used to guide the agriculture policies for the future.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are the key findings of the Survey?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>An average agricultural household earned a total monthly income of Rs 10,218 during 2018-19 (July-June). Out of this, the net receipts from crop production were just Rs 3,798 and from farming of animals was Rs 1,582. Taken together, this hardly contributes 53% of the total household income.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>single-largest income source<\/strong> was actually the <strong>wages\/salary<\/strong>, at Rs 4,063.\u00a0 Thus, it can be said that the<strong> average farmer, is more a wage labourer than a seller<\/strong> of produce from his\/her land.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What does the data imply?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>If we consider that<strong> farmers are those that derive 60% or more of their income from farms<\/strong>, then <strong>only 30 Million can be called farmers<\/strong>. This implies that India&#8217;s agriculture policy should primarily target these 30 Million farmers.<\/p>\n<p>We should target these farmers through improved access to markets, water, electricity, credit and other means. We should focus on lowering the production cost and improving the output efficiency.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What should we do for the rest of the farmers?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>We need to understand that for the remaining farmers, the <strong>crop-based mechanism needs to be reviewed<\/strong>. We should look to <strong>migrate them to activities like dairy, poultry etc<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs22\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/utilize-a-rear-view-mirror-for-further-telecom-reforms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Utilize a rear-view mirror for further telecom reforms<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Utilize a rear-view mirror for further telecom reforms<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Livemint<\/strong> on <strong>21st Sep 2021<\/strong>.<\/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 India&#8217;s telecom sector, past issues and potential lessons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: Article takes a look at the history of telecom disputes in our courts, which shackled the sector\u2019s potential, and lessons that governing institutions must avoid going forward.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Background<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>&#8211; Read here<\/strong>: <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/telecom-sector-reforms-explained-pointwise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Telecom sector reforms &#8211; Explained, pointwise<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are some past telecom disputes that happened in India?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>The 2G case<\/strong><\/span>: The 2G case was about spectrum allocation and its consequent loss to the exchequer.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>&#8211;<\/strong> In the 2G case, the government\u2019s <em><strong>\u2018first come first served\u2019 policy<\/strong> <\/em>to allocate spectrum licences was not only discriminatory, it also favoured a select few.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>&#8211; Advice overlooked: <\/strong>In addition, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) overlooked the advice of the law ministry, Prime Minister\u2019s Office and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India from time to time, and acted unilaterally.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>&#8211; CAG estimates revenue loss: <\/strong>The CAG estimated a revenue loss of <span class=\"webrupee\">\u20b9<\/span>1.76 trillion to the exchequer, alleging wrongdoing in spectrum allocations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>&#8211; SC cancels licences: <\/strong>The case reached the Supreme Court, which instead of punishing officers for corruption and\/or cancelling the licences of companies that unduly benefited, <span style=\"background-color: var(--global--color-background); color: var(--global--color-primary); font-family: var(--global--font-secondary); font-size: var(--global--font-size-base);\">cancelled all 122 telecom licences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Supreme Court\u2019s October 2019 ruling on the AGR case<\/strong><\/span>:<\/p>\n<p>AGR dispute, which was about a disagreement on its definition, started in 2003. In this dispute, DoT holds significant accountability.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; Lack of trust in telcos: <\/strong>The DoT\u2019s approach was marked by a belief that telecom operators were making windfall profits but withholding money from the government. This apparent lack of trust in telecom companies resulted in deference to a private chartered accountant (instead of the CAG) to define AGR while expanding the scope of gross revenue to include non-telecom revenues, and inadequate consultation on AGR with key stakeholders.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; Role of SC:<\/strong> SC failed to see the bigger picture. Instead of deferring to a specialized and neutral body, the apex court ruled on flimsy grounds that the tribunal had no jurisdiction over the matter. Given that the AGR orders of the government were set aside by various courts between 2006 and 2015, levying a penalty and interest on past AGR dues was plainly unjust. This reportedly inflated the AGR liability by about 300%. Yet again, the apex court <strong>failed to appreciate the economic fallout.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h5><strong>What were the implications of 2G and AGR cases?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Impact of the 2G case<\/strong>: It adversely affected international relations, investments, competition and consumers. Moreover, the subsequent 2G spectrum auction was benchmarked to 3G rates, which forced the telecom companies to borrow more money, leading to an increased burden for many. Ultimately, the 2G case was a significant moment for the industry towards its decline.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, <strong>Market competition <\/strong>and <strong>consumer welfare<\/strong> were directly impacted. Consequently, competition in our telecom market declined, which was once overcrowded with 10-12 operators.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What is the way forward?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Reforms introduced by the govt can only provide temporary relief. For a permanent solution we need a set of multi-pronged approach that could strengthen our reforms:<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>One,<\/strong> <\/em>privatize state-run operators to ensure that they act as major competitors.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Two,<\/strong> <\/em>make the exclusion of non-telecom revenues in AGR retrospective.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Three,<\/strong><\/em> use the unutilized Universal Supply Obligation Fund of about\u00a0<span class=\"webrupee\">\u20b9<\/span>58,000 crore for soft loans in this sector, and also reduce this fund\u2019s levy from 5% to 3%, considering its poor utilization so far.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs23\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/gig-economy-workers-need-more-protection-of-their-rights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gig economy workers need more protection of their rights<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Gig economy workers need more protection of their rights<\/strong>\u201d published in<strong> Livemint<\/strong> on <strong>21st\u00a0 September<\/strong> <strong>2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: <\/strong>GS3 &#8211; Issues Related new age industries and Employment generation<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance:<\/strong> Gig economy, labour reforms<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: India needs to create more formal jobs and provide protection to gig economy workers through labour reforms.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Three years ago, <strong>CEO of Walmart <\/strong>had\u00a0said that the Flipkart-Walmart combination would generate 10 million jobs in India, which is roughly equal to India\u2019s <strong>annual job creation requirement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>But, Flipkart didn\u2019t say these jobs would materialize in one year. Similarly, <strong>Ola <\/strong>and <strong>Zomato<\/strong> have boasted of large employment generation too.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is that these jobs are not traditional in nature. They belong to the gig category.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How the job creation by platform economics has high uncertainty?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>No stable and secure employment:<\/strong> These so-called jobs do not provide health insurance, nor pay for overtime with no sick leave.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lack of income security<\/strong>: There is no room for wage negotiations, and unions are absent. In the gig economy, job creation should be seen as the provision of livelihoods for entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Grievance redressal mechanism:<\/strong> For instance, when Ola and Uber started cutting back incentives, the drivers in Mumbai decided to go on \u2018strike\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>But there was no clarity against whom they were striking. When the strikers agitated at a local transport commissioner\u2019s office, he had to tell them that he did not regulate the hail-a-taxi business.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How the slogan \u201cbe a job giver, not a job seeker\u201d is misleading?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Type of job<\/strong>: most people want a stable job with a salary at the end of the month. That is not the same as job security. It is about their ability to take risks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Existing poverty<\/strong>: Since India has a large population below or near the poverty line, their vulnerability to an income shock is very high.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Risk-handling capacity<\/strong>: due to poverty, it is low and hence youth display risk aversion toward entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>India lacks social security for the temporarily unemployed<\/strong>: The huge popularity of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is because it acts as a proxy for unemployment insurance. It also acts as a wage floor in rural areas.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Why India needs to create stable jobs?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Huge population dependent on agriculture<\/strong>: A national survey revealed that nearly 40% would gladly leave farming if a stable job was available in industry.<\/p>\n<p><strong>No protection to agri-labourers<\/strong>: A recent report indicates that farmers in India are earning more by serving as labour on someone else\u2019s farm than cultivating themselves. But their labour does not get any protection from labour laws.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Emerging gig economy<\/strong>: it is such that there is no employer-employee relationship. It is more like a business partnership, with gig workers often serving as independent contractors. <strong>Gig economies door for exploitation. For example, <\/strong>the food delivery guy who has to beat a 30-minute deadline.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Informalization of workforce:<\/strong> Nearly 90% of India\u2019s workforce is estimated to be in the unorganized or informal sector, and much of the labour law framework anyway does not apply to most Indians at work.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What is the way forward?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong><em>First,<\/em> <\/strong>focus on declining labour force participation rate and one of the reasons is the gig economy.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Second<\/strong>,<\/em> define gig workers as labour and not just contractors or partners.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs24\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-difference-education-makes-to-what-the-salaried-earn-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The difference education makes to what the salaried earn in India<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>The difference education makes to what the salaried earn in India<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Livemint <\/strong>on <strong>21st September<\/strong> <strong>2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: <\/strong>GS3 &#8211; Growth, Development and Employment<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Unemployment in India<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: Earning variations can be explained by education but our problem of educated unemployment deserves deeper examination.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Unemployment among educated youth has been high in India for some years now. Despite consistently rising unemployment, youngsters <strong>continue to invest in education<\/strong> because over their lifetime, they expect to earn more compared to people with low education.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Why people continue to invest in higher education?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Socio-economic factors: <\/strong>Educated workers may earn more because of other related traits such as superior abilities, ambition, diligence and better endowments like parental resources and status.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Returns on education<\/strong>: educated youth\u2019s lifetime- earnings\u2019 trajectory changes vis-\u00e0-vis those with lower educational levels.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Decision making<\/strong>: education tends to improve decision-making on crucial life options. It is also found to improve patience and focus, and enable the formation of larger social networks, resulting in better access to opportunities.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How education makes difference to the salaried in India?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>For young adults<\/strong>: In both rural and urban areas, younger adults (aged 20-24 years) with lower levels of education start at a similar level of salary, <strong>implying not much locational premium. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>For experienced:<\/strong> There are <strong>lack of alternative jobs in rural areas<\/strong> for experienced workers who have less than a college education. In urban areas, there is a marginally better increase in the salaries of middle-aged workers with lower education compared to similarly educated younger workers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Self-employment vs salaried employment: <\/strong>Workers with less than primary education are better off in salaried employment, over their earning life in both rural and urban areas. And, workers with middle and secondary level of education earn more in self-employment in urban areas than in salaried employment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Educated workers<\/strong>: The average earnings of young regular salaried workers in urban areas are significantly higher than those of their rural counterparts, and the earnings <strong>see a sharp upward<\/strong> increase from the early twenties to mid-thirties.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Educated workers in the oldest age group (55-59 years):<\/strong> In urban area, salary is 2.3 times that of workers with lower education in the same age bracket. They also earn 1.6 times higher than their counterparts in rural areas.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What does this analysis of rural and urban worker reveal?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Surplus of educated workers:<\/strong> The high level of unemployment among Indian youth with degree-level education indicates a surplus of educated workers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Public policy relevance<\/strong>: if the phenomenon of vast educated unemployment is more a reflection of low employability because of poor-quality education, then the effective surplus of educated workers may be much less.<\/p>\n<p>The India Skills Report 2019 suggests that only 47% of youth in India with a college education are employable. Alternatively, educated youth tend to look for higher-paying and better-quality jobs, and if offered lower pay, are often ready to wait for a longer time to find a suitable job.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"gs25\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/how-effective-is-cpcb-in-its-management-of-e-waste\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How effective is CPCB in its management of e-waste?<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Source:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0This post is based on the article &#8221;\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How effective is CPCB in its management of e-waste?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8221;\u00a0published\u00a0in the\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Down to Earth<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0on\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">20th September 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:\u00a0GS 3-\u00a0Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.<\/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\">Relevance:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">To discuss the role of CPCB in tackling the menace of e-waste.\u00a0<\/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:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In this article, we will discuss the e-waste generation in India, roles and responsibility of CPCB and actions needed by CPCB to manage it. <\/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\">Electronic waste (e-waste) is the fastest-growing stream of waste globally. As per the recent report of the United Nations,\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the world produced around 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste in 2019, out of which only 17.4% was recycled.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0UN\u00a0termed this phenomenon a \u2018tsunami of e-waste\u2019.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><strong>What is the scale of e-waste generation in India?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As per\u00a0global e-waste monitor report, India\u00a0generated 3,230\u00a0kilotonnes\u00a0(KT) of e-waste, out of which only 30 KT of e-waste was formally collected in 2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">India generated around 2.4 kilograms of e-waste per capita; <strong>only 1 per cent<\/strong> of e-waste was formally collected. The informal sector of waste collection dominates over the formal sector.<\/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\">Though\u00a0India\u2019s per-capita generation is among the lowest in the world,\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the country is the third-largest generator of e-waste in the world.<\/span><\/b><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\"><strong>Maharashtra, Karnataka <\/strong>and <strong>Uttar Pradesh<\/strong> are the states with the highest number of authorized recyclers \/ dismantlers. Other states should also work in this direction.\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\">Who is responsible for managing e-waste in India?<\/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\">The\u00a0responsibility of managing e-waste in India lies with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Shailesh Singh v. State of UP<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, NGT summoned\u00a0the CPCB and SPCB due to\u00a0unscientific disposal of e-waste.\u00a0The NGT asked the authorities to submit a report on the actions taken to manage the e-waste in and around the capital.<\/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 are shortcomings in e-waste management in India?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><em><strong>First,<\/strong><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0producers of the notified 21 categories of electronic equipment are not able to collect e-waste as per the specified target<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Second<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em>,<\/em> only a few producers have been granted <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/e-waste-management-in-india-an-overview\/\">Extended Producer Responsibility Authorization<\/a> <\/strong>(EPRA) from CPCB. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Third<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em>,<\/em> many\u00a0unauthorized\u00a0dismantling and recycling units are still in function<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Fourth,<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0efficient monitoring of the\u00a0authorized\u00a0dismantlers \/ recyclers is required due to the leakage from\u00a0authorized\u00a0to\u00a0unauthorized\u00a0dismantlers and recyclers<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Fifth,<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0ensure allocation of industrial space or shed for e-waste dismantling and recycling in the existing and upcoming industrial parks and clusters<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Sixth<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em>,<\/em> the\u00a0data collected by CPCB is do not include imported e-waste figures. It leads to\u00a0actual figures for e-waste generation far higher than the current estimates.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Seventh<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em>,<\/em> state-wise data is not produced due to a lack of reported data by SPCBs.<\/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 are the recommendations to tackle the\u00a0menace of e-waste?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><em><b>First<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em>,<\/em>\u00a0strict enforcement of the existing domestic rules and regulations<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Second,<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0integrate formal and informal sector to reduce\u00a0costs at the pre-processing stage and efficient recycling.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Third,<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0data inventory for data analysis and interpretation to know an estimate of e-waste produced annually.\u00a0<\/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\"><em>Fourth<\/em>,<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0publishing data in the public domain will create transparency with respect to generation, flow channels and methods of handling and disposal of e-waste<\/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=\"gs26\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/how-sustainable-is-indias-exports-boom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How sustainable is India&#8217;s exports boom?<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>HOW SUSTAINABLE IS INDIA\u2019S EXPORTS BOOM?<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Livemint<\/strong> on <strong>21st Sep<\/strong> <strong>2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus:<\/strong> GS3 \u2013 Issues related to Imports and exports<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Export growth and Economic growth<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>The rise\u00a0in exports has sparked hopes of a swift post-pandemic recovery, but there are reasons to be cautious.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>August was the fifth straight month when India\u2019s goods exports exceeded $30 billion. In the last five years, other than this ongoing run, it crossed $30 billion in just one other month i.e. March 2019<\/p>\n<p>The increase is also broad-based. As many as 24 categories have registered an increase in exports in dollar terms over the corresponding 2019 period.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Why India still needs to be cautious?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>There are two reasons to be cautious.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The first point of caution<\/strong> <strong>is the nature of items driving the ongoing export growth<\/strong>. Primary commodities, essentially, goods available from cultivating raw materials without a manufacturing process, are behind the current boost.<\/p>\n<p>The largest gainer in exports compared to last year is petroleum products, and some of the other commodities that have registered the biggest increases over 2019, are ores, metals, cotton, and sugar.<\/p>\n<p>In this context, experts warn of the \u2018<strong>bullwhip effect\u2019<\/strong>, wherein the post-pandemic economic recovery globally causes a spike in demand for primary goods. But, a subsequent tapering of demand can harm the same exporters.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The second point of caution is related to the international transportation of goods, which happens mainly via ships<\/strong>. Due to the pandemic, the number of ships, and containers in circulation fell. Meanwhile, world trade is topping pre-pandemic levels. The shortage of containers is also creating congestion and increasing processing time at Indian ports.<\/p>\n<p>So, how corporates in India navigate these two factors will have an impact on the sustainability of the current export upswing.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What needs to be done to make exports growth sustainable in the long run?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Firstly, modest export growth in manufactured products needs to be taken care of.<\/strong> The highest increase in exports was seen in iron ore (87%) and cotton (43%). However, growth has been relatively modest in select key sectors in India\u2019s export basket, especially in manufactured products. Notable among them are drugs and pharmaceuticals. Exports of ready-made garments have fallen by 11%.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Secondly, measures should be taken to mitigate the global shipping crisis.<\/strong> A 200% increase in the <strong>Baltic Dry Index<\/strong> notwithstanding, freight rates are expected to rise further in the coming months, as demand for shipping peaks in India around the festive season in October and November.<\/p>\n<p>The rise in freight charges has particularly affected exporters from small and medium enterprises.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thirdly, exports need to be incentivized by the government<\/strong>. In 2019-20, exports comprised 19.3% of India\u2019s gross domestic product (GDP). Thus, a rise or fall in exports can have a significant bearing on economic growth. For India to succeed in export-led development, the focus should be on enabling manufacturing and global competitiveness.<\/p>\n<p>One way to increase the competitiveness of Indian exporters is through government incentives. However, incentivizing Exports without offending WTO rules is a challenge. For instance,<\/p>\n<p>The erstwhile <strong>Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS),<\/strong> which provided an incentive of 2-7% on the shipping value of eligible exports, was deemed illegal under WTO norms <strong>after India\u2019s per capita GDP crossed $1,000<\/strong> in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>To replace the MEIS, and comply with WTO norms, the government instituted the \u20b912,454-crore <strong>Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP)<\/strong> incentive scheme. This provides rebates to eligible exporters with remission rates ranging from 0.3-4.3%. Exporters can use this to pay specified taxes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fourthly<\/strong>, according to trade economists, beyond primary goods, India has a comparative advantage in lower-skilled, labor-intensive manufacturing such as textiles, which also has the potential to create large-scale employment. Another sector where India has a cost advantage is pharmaceuticals. India needs to support and incentivize such sectors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Finally, innovative policy support<\/strong>. The production<strong>-linked incentive (PLI) scheme <\/strong>is one example of policy support paying dividends for smartphones, where India has become a net exporter, though with low-value addition. Such sector-specific policies need to be identified for other sectors also.<\/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\/india-scores-46th-rank-in-the-global-innovation-index-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">India scores 46th rank in the Global Innovation Index 2021<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This post is based on the following articles:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>\u201c<\/b><b>India scores 46th rank in the Global Innovation Index 2021<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in <\/span><b>PIB <\/b>on <b>21st September 2021.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>\u201cIndia moves to 46th in innovation index\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in <strong>Livemint<\/strong><\/span> on <b>21st September 2021.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>\u201cIndia climbs to 46th rank in Global Innovation Index\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in <\/span><b>TOI<\/b> on <b>21st September 2021.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><b>India jumps 2 spots to 46th rank in Global Innovation Index 2021<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d published in <\/span><b>Business Standard <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on <\/span><b>21st September 2021.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5><b style=\"color: var(--global--color-primary); font-family: var(--global--font-secondary); font-size: var(--global--font-size-base);\">What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021 has been released.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the Global Innovation Index?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Global Innovation Index is published by the \u200b\u200b<strong>World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)<\/strong> in partnership with the Portulans Institute and with the support of corporate network partners.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Objective:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The index ranks 132 world economies according to their innovation capabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Indicators used: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The index ranks countries <strong>based on roughly 80 indicators<\/strong> which are based on the following parameters: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nstitutions, Human capital and research, Infrastructure, Credit, Investment, Linkages, Creation, Absorption and Diffusion of knowledge and Creative outputs.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What are the key findings of the Global Innovation Index 2021?<\/b><\/h5>\n<h6><b>Key findings related to India<\/b><\/h6>\n<figure id=\"attachment_135750\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-135750\" style=\"width: 269px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-135750 \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/E_vdp5hVIAEaskk.jpeg?resize=269%2C269&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Global Innovation Index\" width=\"269\" height=\"269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/E_vdp5hVIAEaskk.jpeg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/E_vdp5hVIAEaskk.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/E_vdp5hVIAEaskk.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/E_vdp5hVIAEaskk.jpeg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 269px) 100vw, 269px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-135750\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: PIB<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has been ranked 46th in the Global Innovation Index 2021 rankings. It was ranked at 48th in 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has been on a rising trajectory over the past several years in the Index, from a rank of 81 in 2015 to 46 in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graduates in science and engineering disciplines and global corporate research and development investors are India\u2019s strengths.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6><b>Other Key findings<\/b><\/h6>\n<figure id=\"attachment_135855\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-135855\" style=\"width: 638px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-135855 \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Global-Innovation-Index.png?resize=638%2C247&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Global Innovation Index\" width=\"638\" height=\"247\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Global-Innovation-Index.png?w=852&amp;ssl=1 852w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Global-Innovation-Index.png?resize=300%2C116&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Global-Innovation-Index.png?resize=768%2C297&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-135855\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Business Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Switzerland has topped the index. It was followed by Sweden, the US and the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among Asian economies, South Korea jumped to the fifth position, up from 10 last year. China was in the 12th position.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f2\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/minister-of-railways-launches-rail-kaushal-vikas-yojana-rkvy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Minister of Railways launches Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RKVY)<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><b>\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article<\/span><b> \u201c<\/b><b>Minister of Railways <\/b><b>launches Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RKVY)<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b>published in <b>PIB <\/b>on <b>17<\/b><b>th Sep<\/b> <b>2021<\/b><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p>The Minister of Railways has launched<strong> Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h5><b>What is Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a skill development programme launched<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under the aegis of <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/pmkvy-3-0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana(PMKVY).<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Aim:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To provide<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> training skills to the youth in various trades, with a special focus on jobs that are relevant to the Railways.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Eligibility:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Candidates who are 10<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> passed and between 18-35 years shall be eligible to apply.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Target: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The training will be provided to a total of 50,000 candidates over a three years period.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Key Features of the Programme:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Under the programme,<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">training will be provided <\/span><b>in four trades<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> viz. <\/span><b>Electrician, Welder, Machinist and Fitter<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Other trades will be added by zonal railways and production units based on regional demands and needs assessment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Training shall be provided <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">free of cost and participants will be selected from applications received online on the basis of marks in matriculation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The curriculum <\/b>for this training <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has been <strong>developed by Banaras Locomotive Works<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Participants in the training<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0shall have no claim to seek employment in Railways on the basis of this training.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>After the completion of training, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">trainees shall be required to undergo a standardized assessment and will be awarded a certificate in the allotted trade by the National Rail &amp; Transportation Institute, upon conclusion of their programme.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>They will also be provided Toolkits relevant to their trade, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which would help these trainees utilize their learnings and enhance their capacity for self-employment as well as employability in various industries.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Significance of the Programme<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The programme will not only improve the employability of the youth, but also upgrade the skills of self-employed and those who are working with contractors through reskilling and upskilling.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f3\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/india-will-resume-exports-of-covid-19-vax-from-oct-to-meet-its-commitments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">India will resume exports of covid-19 vax from Oct to meet its commitments<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the following articles:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>\u201cIndia will resume exports of covid-19 vax from Oct to meet its commitments\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in <\/span><b>Livemint <\/b>on <b>21st September 2021.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>\u201cCOVID-19 vaccine export to resume\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in <\/span><b>The Hindu <\/b>on <b>21st September 2021.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India will resume the export of COVID-19 vaccines under its \u2018Vaccine Maitri\u2019 programme to fulfil the commitment towards<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/covax-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access).<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the Vaccine Maitri Programme?<\/b><\/h5>\n<figure id=\"attachment_135743\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-135743\" style=\"width: 434px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-135743 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/9f8197f7_4454423_101_mr.jpg?resize=434%2C281&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"434\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/9f8197f7_4454423_101_mr.jpg?w=434&amp;ssl=1 434w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/9f8197f7_4454423_101_mr.jpg?resize=300%2C194&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 434px) 100vw, 434px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-135743\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: The Hindu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Vaccine Maitri Initiative<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was launched by the Government of India in January 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Purpose:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is a humanitarian initiative undertaken by India to provide made-in-India COVID-19 vaccines to other countries around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Beneficiaries till now:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Morocco, South Africa, Afghanistan, Mexico, DR Congo, Nigeria and the UK were among some of the beneficiaries of the Vaccine Maitri initiative.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Note: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among these countries, Bangladesh has received the most COVID-19 doses under the Vaccine Maitri programme till now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>However,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u200b\u200b the initiative was <strong>stopped in April 2021<\/strong> due to India facing a severe shortage of covid vaccines amid a surging second wave.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>But the initiative <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will now resume again in October 2021. This decision was taken as India has administered more than 80 crore covid vaccine doses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Significance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s vaccine diplomacy is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in line with our motto \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/vasudhaiva-kutumbakam\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam<\/a>\u2019 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which means &#8220;the world is one family&#8221;. It also <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">serves as an effective tool and instrument of Indian soft power and influence.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f4\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/power-finance-corp-set-to-be-indias-11th-maharatna-cpse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Power Finance Corp set to be India\u2019s 11th Maharatna CPSE<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This post is based on the article<\/span> <b>\u201cPower Finance Corp set to be India\u2019s 11th Maharatna CPSE\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> Livemint <\/b>on <b>21st September 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>What is the News?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power Finance Corp. Ltd(PFC) is set to become the 11th Maharatna <strong>Central Public Sector Enterprise <\/strong>(CPSE) with an inter-ministerial committee clearing the status.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What is Maharatna Status?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Maharatna Status <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was introduced for Central Public Sector Enterprises(CPSEs) in 2010 in order to empower mega CPSEs to expand their operations and emerge as global giants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Criteria for grant of Maharatna status to CPSEs: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CPSEs meeting the following criteria are eligible to be considered for grant of Maharatna status.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having Navratna status,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Listed on Indian stock exchange with minimum prescribed public shareholding under SEBI regulations,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An average annual turnover of more than Rs. 25,000 crore during the last 3 years,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An average annual net worth of more than Rs. 15,000 crore during the last 3 years,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An average annual net profit after tax of more than Rs. 5,000 crore during the last 3 years,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Should have a significant global presence\/international operations.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Benefits of Maharatna Status<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A CPSE conferred with the Maharatna status would have a greater delegation of financial and operational powers to its Board of Directors. Further, it will have the power to expand its operations and improve its financial performance, especially in global markets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Board of Directors of such Maharatna CPSE shall also have the powers for mergers and acquisitions, subject to certain conditions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Maharatna CPSEs<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 10 Maharatna CPSEs at present are Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd, Coal India Ltd, GAIL (India) Ltd, Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd, Indian Oil Corp. Ltd, NTPC Ltd, Oil &amp; Natural Gas Corp. Ltd, Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd, and Steel Authority of India Ltd.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f5\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/6th-edition-of-sco-exercise-peaceful-mission-2021-commences-at-orenburg-russia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">6TH EDITION OF SCO EXERCISE \u201cPEACEFUL MISSION &#8211; 2021\u201d COMMENCES AT ORENBURG, RUSSIA<\/a><\/h3>\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>6TH EDITION OF SCO EXERCISE \u201cPEACEFUL MISSION &#8211; 2021\u201d COMMENCES AT ORENBURG, RUSSIA<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> PIB <\/b>on <b>20th Sep<\/b> <b>2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 6<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Edition of SCO Exercise Peaceful Mission:2021 hosted by Russia has started in the Orenburg Region of South-West Russia.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is an Exercise<\/b><b> Peaceful Mission?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>It is a Multilateral Exercise<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that is conducted <strong>biennially<\/strong> as part of military diplomacy between <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/shanghai-cooperation-organisation-sco\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">member states.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The exercise aims to <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">foster close relations between SCO member states and to enhance the abilities of the military leaders to command multinational military contingents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The exercise is based on joint counter-terrorism operations<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at operational and tactical levels in an urban environment in which Armies and Air Forces of all SCO member states are participating.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>As part of the exercise, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">troops will train, share and rehearse tactical drills which will culminate in a final validation exercise where-in troops from all Armies and Air Forces will jointly undertake operations in a controlled and simulated environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f6\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/project-fulwari-under-azadi-ka-amrit-mahotsav-to-strengthen-northern-coalfields-limited-nclfight-against-malnutrition-in-kids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Project Fulwari under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav To Strengthen Northern Coalfields\u2019 Limited (NCL)fight against Malnutrition in kids<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article<\/span> <b>\u201c<\/b><b>Project Fulwari under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav To Strengthen Northern Coalfields\u2019 Limited (NCL)fight against Malnutrition in kids<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> PIB <\/b>on <b>20th September 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <strong>Northern Coalfields Ltd(NCL)<\/strong>, a Singrauli based Coal India arm <strong>under<\/strong> the <strong>Ministry of Coal<\/strong>, has launched \u201c<strong>Project Fulwari<\/strong>\u201d in the Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is Project Fulwari?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>Aim:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0To address the problem of malnutrition and associated physical and mental development issues of infants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>As part of the project, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fulwari Centres are being established where identified malnourished children are getting special attention to ensure that their weight, physical and mental progress meets the normal standards.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Apart from this<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, timely vaccination and age-appropriate safe toys are also being arranged for the kids at these centres.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Significance of the Project<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This initiative will give a major impetus to the Centre\u2019s fight against malnutrition and its commitment towards Sustainable Social Development.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f7\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indian-navy-and-indonesian-navy-participate-in-exercise-samudra-shakti\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">INDIAN NAVY AND INDONESIAN NAVY PARTICIPATE IN EXERCISE \u2018SAMUDRA SHAKTI\u2019<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This post is based on the article<\/span><b> \u201c<\/b><b>INDIAN NAVY AND INDONESIAN NAVY PARTICIPATE IN EXERCISE \u2018SAMUDRA SHAKTI\u2019<\/b><b>\u201d<\/b> published in<b> PIB <\/b>on <b>20th September 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian Naval Ships <strong>Shivalik and Kadmatt<\/strong> have reached Jakarta, Indonesia to participate in Exercise \u2018Samudra Shakti\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is Exercise Samudra Shakti?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>Exercise Samudra Shakti<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a bilateral maritime exercise between India and Indonesia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Aim:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To strengthen the bilateral relationship, enhance mutual understanding and interoperability in maritime operations between the two navies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Participation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> From India\u2019s side, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indian-naval-ships-shivalik-and-kadmatt-at-brunei-to-enhance-bilateral-ties\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian Naval ships Shivalik and Kadmatt<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are participating in the exercise.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Other Exercises between India and Indonesia<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>Exercise Garuda Shakti:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is an annual military exercise between the Indian and Indonesian Army. It is conducted on a reciprocal basis and its first edition was conducted in the year 2012 in India.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>IND-INDO CORPAT<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: It is a bi-annual coordinated naval patrol exercise conducted along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) by the Indian and Indonesian Navy.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f8\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/is-india-nearing-100-school-enrolment-yes-no\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Is India nearing 100% school enrolment? Yes &amp; No<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article<\/span><b> \u201c<\/b><b>Is India nearing 100% school enrolment? Yes &amp; No<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b>published in <b>TOI <\/b>on <b>21st September 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Ministry of Education has recently released the United Information System for Education Plus(UDISE+) 2019-20 report for School Education in India.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/education-minister-releases-report-on-united-district-information-system-for-education-plusudise-2019-20\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Click Here to Read about UDISE+ Report<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><b>What are the key analyses from the report<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?<\/span><\/h5>\n<h6><b>Enrollment in Primary Education<\/b><\/h6>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The total enrolment in schools has increased by 1.6% in 2019-20 compared to 2018-19.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But when we compare it with 2012-13 data, the enrollment at the primary level has reduced from 13.5 crores in 2012-13 to 12.2 crores in 2019-20.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reason for the decline in <strong>Gross Enrollment Ratio<\/strong>(GER) is due to the<strong> steep decline in enrolment in absolute numbers<\/strong> from 2016-17 onwards.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, if we compare the total primary enrolment between 2017-18 and 2019-20, it has come down by over 72 lakh. This should be a matter of concern, especially since this would be even higher now due to Covid.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6><b>The target of \u200b\u200b100% enrolment ratio<\/b><\/h6>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Except for the Primary level of education, all other levels are far from attaining a 100% enrolment ratio.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a steep decline in the dropout rate at the primary level from 4.5% to 1.5%. But the data also shows that <strong>28% of students dropped out<\/strong> while moving <strong>from secondary<\/strong> (Grades 9 and 10) <strong>to higher secondary level<\/strong> and 8% between elementary and secondary level.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Note:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> As per <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/one-year-of-national-education-policy-explained-pointwise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>National Education Policy 2020<\/strong><\/a>, Government has a target of achieving 100% gross enrolment at the school education level by 2030.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6><b>Reduction in Schools<\/b><\/h6>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a reduction in 43,292 schools. Most of these are Government Schools. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reasons for the decline in schools maybe because of the merging of schools. But we do not have any data about the merging of schools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most of the decline in schools are from states such as <strong>Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh<\/strong>. These two states with high fertility and large child population make up over<strong> 90% of the reduction<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a worrying sign as when schools merge, the distance to school increases for children and this <strong>hits girl students the hardest<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f9\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/pandemic-study-reveals-lack-of-trained-health-personnel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pandemic study reveals lack of trained health personnel<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This post is based on the article<\/span><b> \u201c<\/b><b>Pandemic study reveals lack of trained health personnel<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> TOI <\/b>on <b>21st Sep<\/b> <b>2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/united-nations-organisations-in-news-prelims-capsules-2021\/#World_Health_Organization\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">World Health Organisation (WHO)<\/a> <\/strong>and <strong>Public Health Foundation of India<\/strong> (PHFI) have released a report titled \u2018<strong>Health Workforce in India-Why, Where and How to Invest<\/strong>\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What are the Key Findings of the Report?<\/b><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_135847\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-135847\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-135847 \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Nurse-to-Doctor-Ratio.png?resize=480%2C380&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Nurse to Doctor Ratio\" width=\"480\" height=\"380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Nurse-to-Doctor-Ratio.png?w=844&amp;ssl=1 844w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Nurse-to-Doctor-Ratio.png?resize=300%2C237&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Nurse-to-Doctor-Ratio.png?resize=768%2C608&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-135847\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: TOI<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Nurse to Doctor Ratio:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>nurse to doctor ratio in India is estimated to be 1.7:1<\/strong>. This is too low when compared with<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> most OECD countries where there are 3-4 nurses per doctor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, the<strong> Indian High-Level Expert Group (HLEG)<\/strong> recommendation for the nurse-doctor ratio in India stood at 3:1.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When compared state wise, the nurse to doctor ratio ranges from <strong>Punjab<\/strong> (6.4:1) and <strong>Delhi<\/strong> (4.5:1) on the higher side and <strong>Bihar<\/strong>, <strong>Jammu and Kashmir<\/strong> and <strong>Madhya Pradesh<\/strong> having less than one nurse per doctor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even in <strong>Kerala<\/strong>, where the number of nurses is very high, the worker <strong>nurse to doctor ratio was less than 1:1<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Note<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/15th-finance-commission-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>15th Finance Commission<\/strong><\/a>, a <strong>nurse-to-population ratio<\/strong> in India is at 1:670 as against the WHO norm of 1:300.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Allied Health Workers to Doctor Ratio<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ratio of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">allied health workers to doctors is estimated to be 1:1.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When compared state wise, there are large variations across states, ranging from more than five allied personnel per allopathic doctor in <strong>Himachal Pradesh<\/strong> to as low as one-tenth (0.1) allied health professionals per doctor in <strong>Bihar<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f10\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/chinas-lehman-moment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">China&#8217;s &#8216;Lehman moment&#8217;<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>China&#8217;s &#8216;Lehman moment&#8217;<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Business Standard<\/strong> on <strong>21st Sep<\/strong> <strong>2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: var(--global--color-background); color: var(--global--color-primary); font-family: var(--global--font-secondary); font-size: var(--global--font-size-base);\"><b>What is the news?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: var(--global--color-background); color: var(--global--color-primary); font-family: var(--global--font-secondary); font-size: var(--global--font-size-base);\">Failure of Evergrande (China&#8217;s too big to fail real estate sector developer) would affect economic activities in China, which in turn, may have cascading negative consequences for the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Financial stress in China\u2019s largest real estate developer, Evergrande, has led to turmoil across global markets.<\/p>\n<p>Evergrande has a total debt exposure (including trade payables) of over $300 billion, which includes $19 billion in offshore US dollar-denominated bonds.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, the real estate giant has issued warnings that it can default on $80 million worth of interest payments.<\/p>\n<p>Experts are referring to this as \u201c<strong>China\u2019s Lehman moment<\/strong>\u201d, in comparison to the 2008 bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, which was a trigger for the global financial crisis.<\/p>\n<p>The financial stress has been caused by tighter controls imposed by the People\u2019s Bank of China, and a slowdown in housing demand.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How Evergrande\u2019s crisis is affecting the global economy?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Impact on global stock market:<\/strong> Fears of this default have led to a crash across Chinese debt assets. Further, it has triggered big sell-offs in stock markets across Hong Kong, other Asian markets, including India, as well as in Europe. It has also triggered a panic sell-off in industrial metals and fuels. The prices of real estate stocks in Hong Kong have dropped to 2016 levels, while real estate bonds yields have spiked to 14.5 per cent.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Impact on commodity metal and fuel:<\/strong> A fall in Chinese activities will also hurt commodity metal and fuel players, given China\u2019s dominance in manufacturing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Impact on Exporters<\/strong>: If the yuan falls, exporters everywhere else will also be under intense pressure.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Impact on Global central banks<\/strong>: If it does default, every major central bank will probably open liquidity taps to ensure global markets don\u2019t freeze in contagion.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"f11\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/rich-nations-to-miss-100-bn-climate-fund-target-even-by-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rich nations to miss $100-bn climate fund target even by 2025<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Source:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This post is based on the article &#8220;<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Rich nations to miss $100 bn climate fund goal even by 2025<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">says Oxfam<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8221;\u00a0published in the\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Business Standard<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0on\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">21st September 2021.<\/span><\/b><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 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 a recent report published by Oxfam, developed countries\u2019 pledge to provide $100 billions of annual financing, made over a decade ago is unlikely to be met even five years after the target i.e. by 2025. This threatens the aim of limiting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius as part of the Paris Agreement. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsmedia.business-standard.com\/_media\/bs\/img\/article\/2021-09\/20\/full\/1632107452-4457.jpg?resize=507%2C460&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"chart\" width=\"507\" height=\"460\" \/><\/p>\n<h5><strong>What is the present scenario of funding?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Recent data from the OECD has showed that the pace of boosting the funding slowed further in 2019, growing just 2% to $79.6 billion from 2018.<\/p>\n<p>Data wasn\u2019t available for 2020, by when the $100 billion annual rate was to be achieved, but the economic damage wreaked by the pandemic means that target was likely missed.<\/p>\n<h5><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What are the various findings of the report?<\/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\"><em><strong>First,<\/strong> <\/em>funding is key for developing nations to pledge deeper emissions cuts.\u00a0 <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Second,<\/strong> <\/em>concerns have been raised about how the financing will be disbursed to developing nations. Over two-thirds will be in the form of loans, which would put the countries into further debt.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Third,<\/em><\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> US is facing the biggest fund crisis, because former U.S. President had pulled the world\u2019s richest polluter out of the Paris deal.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">France, Australia and Japan have failed to increase their financing for poorer nations.<\/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=\"f12\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/researchers-develop-super-hydrophobic-cotton-for-oil-spill-cleanup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Researchers develop super-hydrophobic cotton for oil-spill cleanup<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Source:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This post is based on the article &#8221;\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Researchers develop super-hydrophobic cotton for oil-spill cleanup<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0&#8221; published in the<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Down to\u00a0Earth\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">on\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">20th September 2021.<\/span><\/b><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\u00a0the 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\">Recently, researchers of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, have developed a new class of\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">super-hydrophobic cotton composite with Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) that promise marine oil-spill clean-up in near future.<\/span><\/b><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 are the features\u00a0of the new cotton material developed?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><em><b>First,<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0this is a novel, highly porous and water-repellent super-hydrophobic cotton composite material containing MOF, which can absorb oil selectively from an oil-water mixture.<\/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\"><em>Second,<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the MOF composite has great capability for selective separation of the oils from oil \/ water mixtures. The separation efficiency\u00a0is very high\u00a0irrespective of the chemical composition and density of the oils.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Third,<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0the MOF composite is also able to absorb large volumes of oils and can be reused for a minimum of 10 times so that the sorbents can provide more recovery of the spilled oil.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Fourth<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, the\u00a0new\u00a0cotton will help in\u00a0cleaning the spilled oil from environmental water (river, sea or ocean water) during oil transportation, thus reducing environmental water pollution.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Fifth<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em>,<\/em> both heavy and light oils can be effectively absorbed by the material.<\/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\"><em>Sixth,<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the material\u00a0is easy to prepare, cost-effective and recyclable.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Seventh,<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0MOFs are a class of compounds containing metal ions coordinated to organic ligands to form 3D structures. They are often highly porous materials that act like a sponge.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Eighth,\u00a0<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the medical cotton changes from hydrophilic to super-hydrophobic material and can float on the water surface.\u00a0\u00a0<\/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-21st-2021\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief \u2013 September 21st, 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-135862","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\/135862","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=135862"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135862\/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=135862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=135862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}