{"id":138249,"date":"2021-09-29T21:00:26","date_gmt":"2021-09-29T15:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=138249"},"modified":"2021-09-30T10:03:49","modified_gmt":"2021-09-30T04:33:49","slug":"9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-september-29th-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-daily-current-affairs-brief-september-29th-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief \u2013 September 29th, 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 1<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#gs1\">The Atlantic Nino effects<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs2\">Forgotten Vista: Beyond History And Archaeology<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\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\">Germany as a development actor in a post-Merkel area<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs12\">How to grease the wheels of justice<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs13\">Bureaucracy\u2019s digital challenge<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs14\">In pursuit of Happiness<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs15\">Four geopolitical developments and a window of opportunity for India<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs16\">NEET fails the multidimensional construct of merit<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs17\">A crisis of multilateralism and Asia\u2019s rising stake in it<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>GS Paper 3<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#gs21\">Inside India&#8217;s asset monetization gambit<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs22\">El Salvador&#8217;s crypto foray offers a cautionary tale for other countries<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs23\">The war for digital talent: India can emerge as a global hub for it<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs24\">Nature-based, people-centred solutions for water<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#gs25\">The use of NFTs by cyber games can explain their utility<\/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\">Tackling the Maoists: On left-wing extremism<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f2\">Lockdowns slowed green energy push\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f3\">A jobs problem: Labour data in India is lagged and patchy. But supply-demand mismatch is still clear<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f4\">Country\u2019s first Pan-India helpline for senior citizens: Elder Line (Toll Free No- 14567)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f5\">Union Minister launches the \u201cAmrit Grand Challenge Program\u201d titled \u201c\u091c\u0928CARE\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f6\">Explained: Anti-defection law, for independent legislators<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f7\">\u201cCOVID Teeka Sang Surakshit Van, Dhanaur Uddyam\u201d was launched to accelerate the pace of Covid vaccination among tribal communities<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f8\">4th Indo-US Health Dialogue 2021 concludes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f9\">National Action Plan for dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f10\">Naga Cucumber from Nagaland gets GI tag<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#f11\">PM dedicates to the Nation 35 crop varieties with special traits<\/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 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 1<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><a id=\"gs1\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-atlantic-nino-effects\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Atlantic Nino effects<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>The Atlantic Nino effect<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Indian Express<\/strong> on <strong>29th Sep<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: <\/strong>GS1 &#8211; Salient features of World\u2019s Physical Geography<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Atlantic Nino, factors affecting Indian Monsoon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: Monsoon predictions are a monumental challenge, especially when it comes to the spatial distribution and the northward migration of the monsoon trough.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Recently, farmers from Madhya Pradesh threatened to take IMD to court for the inaccurate monsoon forecast this year. A question was also raised in Parliament about whether the Arctic warming had led to an erratic monsoon this year.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What is the issue?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Rainfall deficit<\/strong>: The onset of monsoon 2021 began on June 3, almost on time but subsequently, rainfall deficit of up to 30 per cent were seen in Kerala, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and Odisha. The rest of the country is barely normal with deficit being less than 20 per cent.<\/p>\n<p><strong>El Ni\u00f1o in the Pacific<\/strong>: Instead, a return of the La Ni\u00f1a is forecasted by most models for later this year. Considering that 2020 was also a la Ni\u00f1a year, one would expect monsoon 2021 to be above normal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Arctic affect:<\/strong> The Arctic can affect late-season rainfall and September has seen slightly above normal rain across India.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What is Atlantic Nino?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>It is El Ni\u00f1o\u2019s little cousin in the Atlantic, known as the Atlantic Ni\u00f1o, or the Atlantic Zonal Mode. Every few years, from June to August, there is a warming in the eastern equatorial Atlantic, which does not get as much attention as El Ni\u00f1o.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How Atlantic Nino was the cause for rainfall deficit in India?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Sea surface temperature<\/strong>: In 2021, due to Atlantic Ni\u00f1o, the Sea surface temperatures in the eastern Atlantic have remained more than a degree higher than normal this summer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Number of low-pressure systems<\/strong>: Atlantic Ni\u00f1o\u2019s impact on the monsoon has been known since 2014 when a study led by INCOIS showed that the number of low-pressure systems is greatly reduced by the Atlantic Ni\u00f1o, leading to deficit monsoons.<\/p>\n<p>This year has seen a sharply lower number of low-pressure systems, which contribute up to 60 per cent of the seasonal total rainfall over the core monsoon zone.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Atlantic and Indian Oceans are not directly connected in the tropics via the ocean<\/strong>: The Atlantic Ni\u00f1o affects the monsoon by producing atmospheric waves, which propagate into the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n<p>These waves affect air temperatures over the Indian Ocean and influence the land-ocean thermal contrast as well as Low Pressure Systems (LPSs). The biggest rainfall deficits from the Atlantic Ni\u00f1o tend to occur over the Western Ghats and the core monsoon zone. The deficit patterns are a sign of the Atlantic Ni\u00f1o&#8217;s influence.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Why monsoon prediction is a challenge in India?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Forecast models rely heavily on El Ni\u00f1o<\/strong>: But only about 50 per cent of the dry years are explained by El Ni\u00f1o. How can monsoons be predicted during non-El Ni\u00f1o years? Clearly, Atlantic Ni\u00f1o is a significant player in monsoon evolution and models and forecasters must pay attention to this Atlantic teleconnection.<\/p>\n<p>Low-pressure systems or LPSs originate in the northern Bay of Bengal and are three-10 times more in number during the active period of the monsoon.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What is the way forward?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><em><strong>First<\/strong><\/em>, many of the Atlantic Ni\u00f1os occur during non-El Ni\u00f1o years and this offers a window of opportunity to increase forecast skills based on the accurate prediction of the Atlantic Ni\u00f1o. Indian scientists from INCOIS have argued that the Atlantic Ni\u00f1o is in fact predictable up to three months in advance.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Second<\/strong><\/em>, climate scientists are also aware of the monsoon prediction challenge and hence they should continue to try to improve monsoon forecasts.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"gs2\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/forgotten-vista-beyond-history-and-archaeology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forgotten Vista: Beyond History And Archaeology<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Forgotten Vista: Beyond History And Archaeology<\/strong>\u201d published in\u00a0<strong>The Times of India <\/strong>on\u00a0<strong>29<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0Sep 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS 1 \u2013 Indian culture: salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: To understand the ways to revamp National Museum.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: This article explains the various methods to make National Museum more public engaging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h5>Introduction<\/h5>\n<p>The government\u2019s Central Vista project plans to increase the size of the Parliament, placement of buildings for military personnel, and additions to the bureaucracy to cater the present and future India&#8217;s needs. Similarly, the Central Vista project will also shift the National Museum of India, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). Using this opportunity, Indian <strong>museums need to go beyond a cultural display<\/strong>\u00a0of past achievement to a more constructive public engagement.<\/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\/supreme-court-judgment-on-central-vista-redevelopment-project\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Central Vista Redevelopment Project<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5>How global museums are constructive?<\/h5>\n<p>The world is already moving in the way of constructive public engagement. Beyond mere history and archaeology, the more recent public additions around the world include museums for urbanism, ecology, space, design and toys, besides the holocaust and partition museums.<\/p>\n<p>For example,<strong> A Museum of Tolerance<\/strong> in <strong>Los Angeles<\/strong> and a <strong>Museum of the Future<\/strong> in <strong>Dubai<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h5>How Indian Museums can revamp during the Central Vista project?<\/h5>\n<p>Three potential ideas are proposed in this regard.<\/p>\n<h6>First, Transparent showcase of bureaucratic life<\/h6>\n<p>This includes the <strong>possibility of including art and culture<\/strong> <strong>in the various new secretariat structures<\/strong> themselves. The government departments have to enlarge their buildings and house their own contribution to culture and public life.<\/p>\n<p>Ministries can use this to exhibit art and artefacts on food, agriculture, textiles and technology, etc.<\/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\/issue-of-shifting-national-archives-of-indias-annexes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Issue of shifting National Archives of India\u2019s annexes \u2013 Explained, pointwise<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h6>Second, A separate, retrofitted circle of museums<\/h6>\n<p>This includes removing culture into an entirely different section of the vista. Several artists have suggested <strong>organising the existing princely houses <\/strong>into a \u2018<strong>Circle of Culture<\/strong>\u2019 and house the arts and artefacts there.<\/p>\n<p>Once vacated <strong>diverse museums could be retrofitted<\/strong> into these (Vista) buildings, with little or no additional construction.<\/p>\n<h6>Third, adopt new use to the abandoned infrastructures<\/h6>\n<p>Some architects believe that the disused archaic infrastructure, such as abandoned industries, power plants and rail lines, should be put to newly adapted reuse. They show the examples like Tate Modern gallery in London.<\/p>\n<p>If implemented then <strong>Delhi\u2019s now-defunct Ring Railway network, abandoned nuclear power plant at Dadri<\/strong> could provide surprising and <strong>accessible cultural places<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the government needs to find common ground that seeks innovative cultural renewal (Under Central Vista) and also meets with genuine public approval.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\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<h3><a id=\"gs11\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/germany-as-a-development-actor-in-a-post-merkel-area\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Germany as a development actor in a post-Merkel area<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Germany as a development actor in a post-Merkel area\u201d <\/strong>published in <strong>The Hindu <\/strong>on <strong>29<sup>th<\/sup> September 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: <\/strong>GS 2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>To understand why India and Germany should collaborate with each other for the common good.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>The new Chancellor must enable global cooperation policies for a sustainable future with India and the world.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The article highlights what role Germany should play as an important international agent in the fight against global challenges like climate change, fostering global sustainable development in line with the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations etc. It also talks about India and Germany should collaborate on various matters.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How India and German should collaborate?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Germany is going to preside G7 presidency in 2022. India is also presiding over G20 in 2023. These offer an opportunity to both countries to mutually strengthen governance and frame policies for a common future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sustainable Development<\/strong>: For achieving the SDG targets, there is a need for international and Trans-regional cooperation on an equal eye level. With the ongoing pandemic, it is important to frame policies for the global common good.<\/p>\n<p>Germany, being the 3<sup>rd<\/sup> biggest economy in terms of global trade and India is one of the big transition economies, they both should collaborate on this. Both countries should together work on various fields like reducing social inequalities, overcoming poverty and ensuring social justice, promoting social peace, political participation, cultural diversity etc<\/p>\n<p><strong>Global Cooperation: <\/strong>For achieving economic development, there is a need for the cooperation of various stakeholders like politics, business, science etc. For global cooperation policy to be successful, strong governance is required. For this, Germany should take the initiative and develop a strategic vision. It should let the world recognizes the urgency of global cooperation policies for a sustainable future.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are the benefits for India in collaborating with Germany?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Collaborating with Germany is beneficial for India, as India is fighting social inequalities and climate change. The upcoming COP26 in Glasgow thus serves as an important platform to negotiate investments into the greenhouse gas neutral transformations of India\u2019s energy and transport sectors just as much as into the social security systems enabling societal capacities to live with the crises ahead.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"gs12\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/how-to-grease-the-wheels-of-justice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to grease the wheels of justice<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>How to grease the wheels of justice\u201d <\/strong>published in <strong>The Hindu <\/strong>on <strong>29<sup>th<\/sup> September 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: <\/strong>GS 2 Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>To understand the problems that hinder the effective justice delivery system of India.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>The problem of pendency of cases in courts across the country can be tackled with a few measures.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Recently, in an event, the Chief Justice of India raised his concern over the pendency of cases. He made a plea to \u201c<strong>Indianise\u201d <\/strong>courts to make courts more responsive towards the needs of people. He said people do not seek the court to be modern, instead, they want <strong>early resolution of their cases<\/strong> in a cheaper way.<\/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\/pandemic-blues-lower-court-pendency-at-record-4cr-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pandemic blues: Lower court pendency at record 4cr now<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><strong>What is the present status?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<figure id=\"attachment_138069\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-138069\" style=\"width: 460px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-138069\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Increasing-backlog.png?resize=460%2C492&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Pendency of cases\" width=\"460\" height=\"492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Increasing-backlog.png?w=602&amp;ssl=1 602w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Increasing-backlog.png?resize=280%2C300&amp;ssl=1 280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-138069\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: The Hindu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In India, more than <strong>40% of cases are decided after three years<\/strong>. While in\u00a0many other countries less than 1% of cases are decided after three years.<\/p>\n<p>Present status impacts more to the poor and marginalized, while benefits the rich and powerful section. They tend t<span style=\"color: var(--global--color-primary); font-family: var(--global--font-secondary); font-size: var(--global--font-size-base);\">o delay their cases according to their wish. Moreover, an increase in corruption and crime also affects justice delivery. Data shows that about <strong>70% of prisoners in India are undertrials<\/strong> and are mostly poor citizens.<\/span><\/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\/state-of-prisons-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">State of Prisons in India \u2013 Explained, pointwise<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><strong>What should the government\/judiciary do?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Filling vacancies: <\/strong>There is a need to reduce the pendency of cases by filling sanctioned judicial positions. Analysis shows that between 2006 and 2019, the average increase in pendency was less than 2% per year. Whereas, the average vacancy in sanctioned judicial positions was about 21%. If the sanctioned positions had been filled, the pendency of cases would have gone down each year.<\/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\/pendency-of-cases-and-rising-vacancies-in-the-judiciary-explained-pointwise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pendency of Cases and Rising Vacancies in the Judiciary \u2013 Explained, Pointwise<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Technology<\/strong>: e-Committee of the Supreme Court provides the following recommendations. These need to implement in the system:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Firstly<\/strong>, <strong>computer algorithms should decide on case listing, case allocation and adjournments<\/strong> with only a 5% override given to judges. Under this rational reason and limits should be put on adjournments; case listing should give the main weightage to <strong>\u2018first in, first out<\/strong>\u2019; and case allocation should take into account logical criteria.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Secondly<\/strong>, Courts should focus on <strong>e-filing<\/strong>. The e-Committee gave guidelines on how petitions and affidavits can be filed. It also talks about payment of fees should be done electronically, without lawyers or litigants having to travel to the courts or use paper.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thirdly<\/strong>, Courts should focus on <strong>Virtual Hearing<\/strong>. There is a need to <strong>adopt the hybrid virtual hearing model<\/strong>. In pre-COVID-19 years, the increase in the pendency of cases in all courts is about 5.7 lakh cases a year. In 2020 alone, it increased to 51 lakh. It is assumed that if a hybrid virtual hearing model is not adopted, the <strong>backlog of cases could cross 5 crores in 2022<\/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\/need-for-an-integrated-digital-system-in-indian-justice-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Need for an Integrated Digital System in Indian Justice System<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>If all the above recommendations are adopted by the system, there are chances that India\u2019s judicial system can rank among the 10 top countries of the world. These changes would make India the preferred nation for international investments and also fulfil the <strong>fundamental right to speedy justice<\/strong> of citizens.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"gs13\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/bureaucracys-digital-challenge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bureaucracy\u2019s digital challenge<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Bureaucracy\u2019s digital challenge\u201d <\/strong>published in <strong>The Hindu <\/strong>on <strong>29<sup>th<\/sup> September 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: <\/strong>GS 2 Role of civil services in a democracy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>To understand how civil servants should make use of social media in order to benefit the public the most.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>If civil servants don\u2019t use social media appropriately, their role as independent advisers stands threatened.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The article highlights the good use of social media in bureaucracy to make it more effective and public-friendly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why using social media by civil servants is considered wrong?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Indian Bureaucracy is characterized by hierarchy, formal relationships and standard procedures, while social media is identified by openness, transparency and flexibility. Some fear that Indian Bureaucracy would be compromised in that process.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Creates selective accountability<\/strong>: In India, the role of social media in bureaucracy has taken a different direction. Social media is getting used by civil servants for self-promotion through their selective posts. Using this, civil servants create a narrative of their performance.<\/p>\n<p>There is a wrong notion getting created in the public consciousness that social media is the way to access civil servants and make them accountable. But we should remember that this creates only selective accountability and cannot substitute institutional accountability.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Why is social media to be used by civil servants?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>People: <\/strong>It helps to make people aware of government policies and programmes. It also creates a positive outlook towards the bureaucracy, which is still considered opaque and inaccessible.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bureaucracy: <\/strong>It helps bureaucrats to engage with the public, serves them transparently while being politically neutral. Anonymity is the hallmark of bureaucracy, including in India. But in contemporary governance where the public is the centre and values are more important than facts, bureaucracy cannot afford to remain completely anonymous.<\/p>\n<p>The use of social media is gradually getting institutionalized in many Westminster system-based countries. For Eg During the Brexit debate in the U.K., many civil servants shaped public debate through the use of social media even while remaining politically neutral. In India, civil servants haven\u2019t reflected on this aspect of digital bureaucracy.<\/p>\n<p>So, bureaucrats should use social media to improve public policies, not for self-promotion. This will set a good precedent for digital bureaucracy.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"gs14\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/in-pursuit-of-happiness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In pursuit of Happiness<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>In pursuit of Happiness\u201d <\/strong>published in <strong>The Hindu <\/strong>on <strong>29<sup>th<\/sup> September 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus: <\/strong>GS 2 Social Issues and Social Justice.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance: <\/strong>To study the role of happiness in the Indian context.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>The great degree of unhappiness in Indian society has a lot to do with the way the law and its institutions operate.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The article talks about <strong>Happiness <\/strong>as an important factor to measure the quality of governance. Until the beginning of the publication of\u00a0the <strong>United Nations <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/world-happiness-report-2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">World Happiness Report\u00a0<\/a>in 2012<\/strong>, happiness was not considered an objective of governance. But now, countries are giving it the importance it deserves.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What does the United Nations World Happiness Report signify?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The report shows that countries with a higher GDP and higher per capita income are not necessarily the happiest. This year, the reports also <strong>measured the impact of COVID-19<\/strong> on the people and their evaluation of the performance of governance systems. It was found that Covid has impacted happiness, as sharing and community life was hugely affected during this period.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Read More:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/united-nations-sdsn-publishes-world-happiness-report-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">United Nations SDSN publishes \u201cWorld Happiness Report 2021\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>India and Happiness<\/strong>: India has been ranked 139 out of 149 countries in the World Happiness Report 2021. Happiness, in India, has never been considered as an explicit goal of public policy. The main reason behind unhappiness in Indian society is the way the law and its institutions operate. People remain unhappy as their legitimate grievances remain unaddressed by the legal system.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Law: <\/strong>According to the <strong>World Justice Report<\/strong>, 40% of people live outside the protection of the law in the world. More than 5 billion people fall into this \u2018justice gap\u2019. India\u2019s rule of law rank was 69 as per the <strong>World Justice report<\/strong> 2021. The pendency of 3.5 crore cases justifies this ranking. It has a chilling effect on the right to life, liberty, economic justice, dignity and national integration.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Crime Rate<\/strong>: \u00a0Data highlights crime as a major source of unhappiness. It shows that happy countries have lower crime rates. It means that individuals living in nations with high crime rates are less happy and satisfied than individuals living in nations with comparatively lower crime rates.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Socio-Demographic Factors<\/strong>: Happiness is also\u00a0determined by various socio-demographic factors like health, education, crime rate, criminal victimization and fear of crime.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What measures have been adopted by countries to address the happiness gap?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>United Arab Emirates<\/strong>: It was the first country in the world to have set up a <strong>Ministry of Happiness<\/strong>. The Ministry monitors the impact of policies through a happiness meter and takes measures to ensure a better life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bhutan<\/strong>: It <strong>introduced <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/gross-happiness-index-ghi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gross National Happiness<\/a><\/strong> as a measure of good governance.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What should India do?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Honest and effective governance can create more socio-economic equality. This would create a greater sense of happiness amongst the population. India should work on these parameters.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"gs15\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/four-geopolitical-developments-and-a-window-of-opportunity-for-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Four geopolitical developments and a window of opportunity for India<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Four geopolitical developments and a window of opportunity for India<\/strong>\u201d published in\u00a0<strong>The Indian Express <\/strong>on\u00a0<strong>29<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0Sep 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS2 \u2013 Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India\u2019s interests.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: This article explains the recent developments around the globe and opportunities for India.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: China\u2019s hardships and other significant events around the globe boosts\u00a0 India\u2019s economic prospects<\/p>\n<h5>Introduction<\/h5>\n<p>A number of important developments have taken place over the past several weeks. They may appear disconnected, but in fact, they add up to a significant shift in regional and global geopolitics. These developments are,<\/p>\n<h5>1. The withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan and the complete takeover of the country by the Taliban.<\/h5>\n<p>The Afghan situation is a setback for India in the short run. In the long run, India\u2019s method of keeping faith with the ordinary people of Afghanistan will reap benefits.<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: var(--heading--font-family); font-weight: var(--heading--font-weight-strong); letter-spacing: var(--heading--letter-spacing-h5); background-color: var(--global--color-background); color: var(--global--color-primary);\">2. Significant domestic political changes in China<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Political change<\/strong>: The \u201cone country two systems\u201d model in Hong Kong, which was on offer to Taiwan, has lost its credibility after the recent crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong. China may advance its forcible takeover of Taiwan before the AUKUS gets consolidated.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Economic change<\/strong>: After the tech sector, it is the large real estate sector that is facing regulatory assault now in China. This is leading to deepening concern among foreign investors, including those who have long been champions of long-term engagement with China.<\/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\/chinas-lehman-moment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">China\u2019s \u2018Lehman moment\u2019<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5>3. The announcement of the Australia-UK and US (AUKUS) alliance<\/h5>\n<p>The AUKUS has now become the core of the US\u2019s Indo-Pacific strategy. China will be more focused on its activities. The Quad now represents, from the Chinese perspective, a second-order threat.<\/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>4. The first physical convening of Quad<\/h5>\n<p>The meeting outcomes reflect a major step towards its formalisation as an influential grouping in the Indo-Pacific going beyond security.<\/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\/quad-leaders-summit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quad Leaders\u2019 Summit \u2013 Explained, pointwise<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5>How do these events boost India&#8217;s economy and how to improve it further?<\/h5>\n<p>India might attract significant capital and technology flow from the US, Japan and Europe diverted from China. But, some bold initiatives are required to take advantage of the window of opportunity that has opened.<\/p>\n<p>Some of these issues are being addressed, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/retrospective-taxation-and-the-taxation-laws-amendment-bill-explained-pointwise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dropping of retrospective taxation<\/a>. But India needs to <strong>avoid policy unpredictability, regulatory rigidities and bureaucratic red tape<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>India should also consider rejoining the <strong>Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership<\/strong>. In addition, India can also join the more ambitious <strong>Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). <\/strong>These would signal India\u2019s determination to play itself back into the centre of the Asian economy.<\/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\/opting-out-of-rcep-a-right-move-for-india-17th-november-2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Why India opted out of RCEP?<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>All these developments provide a narrow window for India with a very short shelf life. If grasped with both hands, then it could deliver double-digit growth for India for the next two or three decades.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"gs16\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/four-geopolitical-developments-and-a-window-of-opportunity-for-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NEET fails the multidimensional construct of merit<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>NEET fails the multidimensional construct of merit<\/strong>\u201d published in\u00a0<strong>The Hindu<\/strong>\u00a0on\u00a0<strong>29<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0Sep 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS2 \u2013 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector\/Services relating to Education<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: This article explains the evolution of NEET and judicial intervention.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: The policy of a single test needs to be reviewed to attain the lofty goals of the New Education Policy.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Recently, The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a Bill to dispense with the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET). This bill is passed based on the recommendation of the high-level committee led by retired judge AK Rajan.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How NEET evolved?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>NEET is a unique system of admission, as no admission in medicine is possible in India without clearing NEET. The idea of common tests found some support in the judgment of the Supreme Court in <strong>T.M.A. Pai Foundation (2002)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Read more<\/strong>:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/inequity-and-injustice-writ-large-regarding-neet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Inequity and injustice writ large \u2013 Regarding NEET\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>NEET was notified by the Medical Council of India (MCI) in 2010. But in 2013, in the <strong>Christian Medical College Vellore Association vs Union of India case<\/strong>, the court struck down NEET. The court held that, the NEET as being pro-rich, for pro-coaching centres, and anti-student and one which would lower the standards of medical education.<\/p>\n<p>The Parliament amended the<strong> Indian Medical Council Act, 1956<\/strong> and <strong>inserted Section 10D<\/strong> to empower the MCI to conduct NEET.\u00a0 Later, in 2016, in the review petition of the case,\u00a0the <strong>Supreme Court<\/strong> ordered the conduct of NEET from 2016 itself. The court <strong>did not accept<\/strong> the government of India&#8217;s <strong>requests to permit State<\/strong> governments<strong> to conduct their tests<\/strong> at least in 2016.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>NEET and minority institutions<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>In 2020, the court upheld NEET even in respect of minority institutions. <strong>Article 30<\/strong> gives the minority institutions the <strong>right to admit students<\/strong> of their choice. The court held that the rights available under Article 30 are <strong>not violated<\/strong> by the introduction of NEET.<\/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\/neet-applies-to-minority-colleges-sc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NEET applies to minority colleges: SC<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><strong>What are the issues associated with Judicial observation on NEET?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The Supreme Court <strong>considered just the legality<\/strong> of NEET, but it <strong>overlooked the real impact<\/strong> of NEET on underprivileged candidates and minority institutions. This is clear from the following reasons,<\/p>\n<p><strong>Does not test the quality<\/strong>: NEET does not test qualities that a doctor must possess such as compassion, empathy and passion to serve humanity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Against equality<\/strong>: Under NEET, unequal (Students from different backgrounds) are treated as equals (one test for all). This violates the equality mentioned in<strong> Article 14.<\/strong> As Article 14 demands, likes are to be treated alike, not unlikes are to be treated alike.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Read other reasons:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/national-entrance-cum-eligibility-testneet-issues-and-significance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Entrance cum Eligibility Test(NEET) \u2013 Issues and Significance- Explained, pointwise<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Merit requires fair competition and equality of opportunity. But, the NEET does not satisfy the requirements of Merit. So, the central government should review the policy of a single test so that the actual realisation of the New Education Policy \u2014 of equity, inclusion and access \u2014 will happen in India.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"gs17\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/a-crisis-of-multilateralism-and-asias-rising-stake-in-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A crisis of multilateralism and Asia\u2019s rising stake in it<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>A crisis of multilateralism and Asia\u2019s rising stake in it<\/strong>\u201d published in\u00a0<strong>The Livemint <\/strong>on\u00a0<strong>29<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0Sep 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS2 \u2013 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and\/or affecting India\u2019s interests.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: To understand the concepts of Multilateralism.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>: This article explains the challenges in Multilateralism and suggests ways to improve it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h5>Introduction<\/h5>\n<p>Multilateralism is facing a crisis at present. Global collaboration is needed to revive multilateralism.<\/p>\n<h5>What is Multilateralism?<\/h5>\n<p>Multilateralism is also called as a rule-based international order. Its roots lie in the Treaty of Munster-Westphalia, signed in 1648. The treaty asked to avoid wars of attrition between militarily matched states that arose after the Roman Empire\u2019s breakup. Over time, it led to the <strong>inviolability of international borders<\/strong> and <strong>non-interference in the internal affairs<\/strong> of others.<\/p>\n<h5>How has Multilateralism evolved so far?<\/h5>\n<p>There have been two major phases of multilateral cooperation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Firstly<\/strong>, It was dominated by Westphalia, followed by the Concert of Europe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Secondly<\/strong>, <strong>Domination of Economic cooperation<\/strong>: The reconstruction of war-ravaged economies in Europe and Japan after the World War created this phase. This generally centred on the Bretton Woods system (<strong>World Bank and IMF<\/strong>). At this phase, <strong>multilateralism expanded to incorporate newly-decolonized developing countries<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Economic cooperation <strong>paid rich dividends<\/strong> through global prosperity. Global growth that averaged 2% per annum between 1870 and 1950 doubled to 4% between 1950 and 2000. But the growth acceleration was <strong>heavily skewed in favour of emerging and developing economies <\/strong>(EMDEs). They are also altering the relative economic weights of advanced economies (AEs), with emerging Asia at the heart of it.<\/p>\n<h5>What are the threats faced by Multilateralism at present?<\/h5>\n<p>Former colonies, initially wary of globalization, now started defending it. This is due to the role of non-governmental organizations and transnational companies (TNCs) on the EMDEs growth. But now Multilateralism has few challenges. Such as,<\/p>\n<p><strong>Firstly<\/strong>, advanced economies (AEs), once the advocate of Multilateralism, is now disenchanting globalization. For example, <strong>Brexit<\/strong> has <strong>weakened<\/strong> multilateralism in <strong>Europe.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Secondly<\/strong>, the <strong>failure of the Bretto<\/strong><strong>n Woods system<\/strong> to adjust to shifting weights made it lose its legitimacy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thirdly<\/strong>, <strong>Trade-and-geopolitical rivalry<\/strong> between the US and China has now taken centre stage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fourthly, focus is shifting to bilateral and regional collaboration<\/strong>: Plurilateralism has beaten Multilateralism through arrangements such as the CPA-TPP, TTIP and RCEP.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall<\/strong>, average <strong>annual economic growth has declined<\/strong> after 2010 to 3.5% in tandem with a trade decline. The growth differential between AEs and EMDEs has also shrunk.<\/p>\n<p>All the present developments led to the emergence of alternative institutions from EMDEs that tried to mimic institutions of the AEs. For example, G7 with BRICS, IMF with CMIM and the World Bank with NDB, AIIB, BRI.<\/p>\n<h5>How to revive Multilateralism?<\/h5>\n<p>Asia, <strong>closely tied to China<\/strong> through supply chains, but <strong>dependent on the West<\/strong> for export markets and security. So, Asia can provide a golden opportunity to revive Multilateralism. Apart from that, Multilateralism can be revived in the following ways,<\/p>\n<p><strong>First<\/strong>, the <strong>accommodation of China in global governance<\/strong>, via either the G-20 or a similar body.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Second<\/strong>, <strong>bridging basic ideological divides<\/strong> between several rising powers like China, India, Russia and Brazil.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Third<\/strong>, <strong>reworking the Westphalian notion of sovereignty<\/strong>: As this will address dangerous externalities such as climate change, migration on failing states alone.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fourth<\/strong>, <strong>including non-state players<\/strong> (including TNCs) in a new multi-stakeholder paradigm of multilateralism.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>GS Paper 3<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><a id=\"gs21\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/inside-indias-asset-monetization-gambit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Inside India&#8217;s asset monetization gambit<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Inside India&#8217;s asset monetization gambit<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Livemint<\/strong> on <strong>29th Sep 21<\/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>: Understanding various dimensions of National Monetization Pipeline (NMP) project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong> The recently rolled out NMP project, though has the right intent, but is fraught with challenges. A look at some of them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are some issues with the National Monetization Pipeline (NMP) project?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While the Niti Aayog has listed assets worth\u00a0<span class=\"webrupee\">\u20b9<\/span>6 trillion for the NMP, by its own estimate, it can only raise about\u00a0<span class=\"webrupee\">\u20b9<\/span>3.4 trillion in long-term asset leases.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/images.livemint.com\/img\/2021\/09\/28\/original\/LSChart_1632844757789.png?resize=298%2C665&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"298\" height=\"665\" \/><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);\"><strong>i). <\/strong>The remaining assets on the list are to be developed via public-private partnerships, where the private partner only invests in the asset. No payment accrues to the government.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>ii). In the power transmission sector,<\/strong> the regulated tariff projects, part of the balance sheet of\u00a0Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd, will have to be de-merged first before being privatized, and may pose associated transaction overheads such as the continuation of the tax holiday on assets.<\/p>\n<p><strong>iii).<\/strong> The <strong>clean energy assets on sale<\/strong> are 3.5 gigawatts of plants owned by public sector units. The challenge here will be to sell assets at book value at a time when newer plants are being built at ever-falling tariffs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>iv). Banks are not enthusiastic about NMP<\/strong> and understandably so. At the height of the bad loan crisis in 2017 that brought banks to their knees, the infrastructure sector accounted for a quarter of all non-performing assets.<\/p>\n<p><strong>v). <\/strong>As per reports, the <strong>NMP is \u201caggressive&#8221; and \u201cover-ambitious<\/strong>&#8221; compared to the pace of privatization that India has so far been able to forge. For instance: In the past three years, a total of 1,408km of roads have been monetized. Against this, the NMP wants to monetize 26,700km of roads by FY22-25\u2014a 20x jump over four years.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Must Read<\/strong>: <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/national-monetization-pipeline-explained-pointwise\/\">National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) project<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"gs22\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/el-salvadors-crypto-foray-offers-a-cautionary-tale-for-other-countries\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">El Salvador&#8217;s crypto foray offers a cautionary tale for other countries<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>El Salvador&#8217;s crypto foray offers a cautionary tale for other countries<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Business Standard<\/strong> on <strong>29th Sep 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS3 &#8211; Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Cryptocurrency and its adoption<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis<\/strong>:\u00a0The tiny Central American nation of El Salvador has embarked on an interesting experiment by recognizing bitcoin\u00a0as legal tender. This is proving painful for many of its citizens, but it\u2019s a useful \u201cpilot\u201d project for larger economies that are contemplating about this new asset class.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>El Salvador has a population of 6.5 million and GDP of about $27 billion. At a nominal per capita of less than $4,200, it is not a rich country.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In 2001<\/strong>, it <strong>\u201cdollarised<\/strong>\u201d meaning it replaced its currency, then the <strong>colon<\/strong>, with the USD.<\/p>\n<p>This month, at the urging of its President, a crypto-enthusiast, it adopted bitcoin\u00a0as legal tender as well. This means it now has<strong> two parallel legal currencies<\/strong>, USD and\u00a0bitcoin.<\/p>\n<p>Every business in El Salvador, must accept bitcoin as legal tender for goods or services, unless it is unable to provide the technology needed to process the transaction.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What has been the impact of El Salvador&#8217;s decision?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The adoption has led to turmoil in the\u00a0cryptocurrency\u00a0market and doesn\u2019t seem to have been well-received in El Salvador itself.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong> The value of <strong>bitcoin crashed<\/strong> by 19% on September 7, the first day of adoption. <strong>Chivo, the govt&#8217;s wallet for Bitcoin, was overwhelmed<\/strong> by users trying to register.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; <\/strong>There have been <strong>riots and demonstrations<\/strong> against the new currency. Most citizens don\u2019t want to accept the crypto in normal transactions. They are understandably doubtful of holding an asset, which often swings 10% in value on an average day and 25-30% on \u201cswing sessions\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; <\/strong>The <strong>spread on the interest<\/strong> El Salvador pays on its national debt over US treasury rates <strong>has widened<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; <\/strong>Ratings agencies <strong>downgraded El Salvador<\/strong> once the bitcoin plan was announced in July.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsmedia.business-standard.com\/_media\/bs\/img\/article\/2021-09\/28\/full\/1632846334-6796.jpg?w=750&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"chart\" \/><\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are some issues with adopting Bitcoin?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Bitcoin mining consumes more power<\/strong> than Belgium on a daily basis. So this is not environmentally friendly. That\u2019s one of the reasons China has offered for cracking down on\u00a0cryptocurrency.<\/p>\n<p>Another issue is that the money supply increases at a fixed rate, and every transaction recorded on the blockchain involves a unique bitcoin. This makes it <strong>hard to carry out normal lending operations<\/strong>. Fractional reserve banking is difficult, except by converting every transaction to a fiat currency before lending, and converting back when servicing the loan. This means accepting massive risks on the exchange rate.<\/p>\n<p>It can take a <strong>long time for any transaction to be registered and verified<\/strong> on the blockchain since this must be confirmed by multiple blockchain-watchers.<\/p>\n<p>One of the barriers to adoption is l<strong>ack of understanding and another is lack of technology.\u00a0<\/strong>Also, transactions are hard without a smartphone which means a deep penetration of smartphones is needed to encourage widespread adoption.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are some positive implications?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The world will get a sense of how crypto works as it\u2019s used in normal daily transactions in El Salvador. McDonald&#8217;s, local groceries, taxi services, etc., have started accepting bitcoin, and it\u2019s estimated that around 10 per cent of daily transactions by value are now being done in bitcoin.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"gs23\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-war-for-digital-talent-india-can-emerge-as-a-global-hub-for-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The war for digital talent: India can emerge as a global hub for it<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>The war for digital talent: India can emerge as a global hub for it<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Live Mint<\/strong> on <strong>29th Sep<\/strong> <strong>2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS3 \u2013 Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Digital disruption and the need for Skilling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong> Tech skills are in short supply globally. The article lists five measures that we should take that will help India lead efforts to close the gap.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>The pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of enterprises, creating enormous opportunities for all organizations. This sudden acceleration in demand has led to a war for digital talent.<\/p>\n<p>However, the <strong>gap between demand for and supply of digital talent<\/strong> is widening, and it \u00a0is a global phenomenon. A recent report by McKinsey &amp; Co highlights that there is an estimated gap of 6 million between demand and supply of digital talent across eight countries including the US, China, India and parts of Europe.<\/p>\n<p>As per a Salesforce study, 14 G-20 countries could miss out on $11.5 trillion worth of cumulative growth in gross domestic product (GDP) if the <strong>digital-skill gap<\/strong> remains unfilled.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How companies are adapting themselves to manage the shortage of Digital talent?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>To deal with these talent wars, companies are adopting a multipronged approach\u2014<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; <\/strong>step up fresh hiring so that the supply pool increases<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; <\/strong>enhance re-skilling programmes through online learning<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; <\/strong>deploy adjacent-talent skills for on-the-job learning, and, above all,<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; <\/strong>offer employees a holistic employment experience, one that spans career development, learning and wellness.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the UAE just announced plans to roll out green visas, expand eligibility for golden visas and attract top tech workers for the country to become the preferred investment hub for technology companies.<\/p>\n<p>Several other countries like the UK, US and Australia are rethinking efforts to attract high-skill talent, including fast-tracking visas for at-risk sectors and promoting visas for highly accomplished applicants.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How India can emerge as the world\u2019s talent hub for digital skills?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>For India to retain its lead in the digital era, we need to disrupt the traditional approach to talent development.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Implement the National Education Policy in true spirit.<\/strong> Continuous learning, skill credits, world-class academic innovation, experiential learning, faculty training, all need to focus on excellence and outcomes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Build alternate talent pools<\/strong>. Engineers have been at the core of our talent strategy, but all tech skills don\u2019t require a four-year degree.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Facilitate more women to join the work-stream<\/strong> with hybrid work norms<\/p>\n<p><strong>Revamp vocational education<\/strong> from industrial training institutes and polytechnics.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Incentivize skilling<\/strong>. In the early days of the tech sector, tax incentives played a key role in building a global footprint of multinational corporations in India. We must now create schemes that incentivize skilling for corporates, not just for their own needs, but across the ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p><strong>E<\/strong><strong>xplore innovative learning models<\/strong>. Use apprenticeship programmes at scale, not just for a certificate, but coupled with assessments. Invest in building world-class free content that can be leveraged by anyone and aligned with a credible system of certification.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Democratize training<\/strong>. All hurdles for people to get skilled should be removed. Unnecessary entry qualifications and eligibility criteria should be dropped. Government should prioritise a quality-controlled exit process.<\/p>\n<p>India must not only look at strategies aimed at increasing home-grown talent, but also work on attracting the best global talent to catalyse the next decade of growth and innovation.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"gs24\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/nature-based-people-centred-solutions-for-water\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nature-based, people-centred solutions for water<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>Nature-based, people-centred solutions for water<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Business Standard<\/strong> on <strong>29th Sep<\/strong> <strong>2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus<\/strong>: GS3 \u2013 Different Types of Irrigation and Irrigation Systems<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Management of surface and ground water, draft New National Water Policy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis: <\/strong>Suggestion and reforms mandated by the draft New National Water Policy<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Since Independence, water policy in India has focused primarily on construction of large dams and extraction of groundwater.<\/p>\n<p>However, <strong>the new National Water Policy<\/strong> (NWP), drafted for the first time by a committee of independent experts, points out the limits in further adopting this strategy in different parts of India. To the contrary, the new NWP urges a shift in focus towards management and distribution of water.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What are the suggestions\/recommendations given in the new National Water Policy?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong><em>First<\/em>, there is a desperate need to bridge the Irrigation Potential Created (IPC) and the Irrigation Potential Utilised (IPU). <\/strong>A growing IPC-IPU gap has meant that trillions of litres of water, stored at huge cost to the national exchequer and the environment, has not been reaching the farmers for whom it is meant.<\/p>\n<p>Bridging the IPC-IPU gap can add millions of hectares of irrigated area at very low cost, even without building a single new dam. To make this happen, the <strong>management of the command areas has to be handed over to the farmers themselves.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>All successful command area projects in several states show that once farmers themselves feel a sense of ownership, the process of operating and managing irrigation systems undergoes a profound transformation. Farmers willingly pay Irrigation Service Fees to their <strong>Water Users Associations<\/strong> (WUAs). This enables WUAs to repair and maintain distribution systems and ensure that water reaches each farm.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Second<\/strong><\/em>, <strong>the NWP places major emphasis on supply of water through rejuvenation of catchment areas.<\/strong> Neglect and destruction of these areas has meant annual soil loss of about 15.35 tonnes per hectare, which causes siltation of reservoirs and reduces their capacity by 1-2 per cent per annum.<\/p>\n<p>The NWP recommends that rejuvenation of river catchment areas be incentivised through compensation for ecosystem services, especially to vulnerable communities in the upstream, mountainous regions.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Third<\/em>,<\/strong> <strong>the NWP proposes a comprehensive review of safety and siltation of all dams and diversion weirs older than 50 years<\/strong>. Moreover, it suggests that those deemed unsafe or silted up to more than 80 per cent of their storage capacity could be decommissioned in a phased manner.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Fourth<\/em>, renewed thrust on protection and revival of traditional local water bodies in both rural and urban areas<\/strong>. This would form part of urban blue-green infrastructure for improved water levels and quality, as also flood mitigation, through specifically curated infrastructure. Such as rain gardens and bioswales, restored rivers with wet meadows (where they can meander), urban parks, permeable pavements, green roofs and green walls etc.,<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Fifth<\/em>, it recommends, all government buildings, would be built in accordance with sustainable building codes<\/strong>, adopting water management with recycling, reuse and closed-circuit technologies.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Sixth<\/em>, the NWP suggests alternatives to ground water governance and management<\/strong>. Drilling to greater depths and pumping at higher rates have caused a precipitous fall in both the water table and water quality in a very large number of districts. Further, the vital ecosystem services provided by groundwater have also been endangered.<\/p>\n<p>In this context, the NWP suggests that effective management of groundwater cannot be based on a centralised, licence-based bureaucratic approach. Rather, <strong>Participatory Groundwater Management<\/strong> (PGWM), being pioneered through the <strong>Atal Bhujal Yojana<\/strong>, must form the backbone of groundwater programmes in both rural and urban areas.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Finally<\/strong>, <strong>the NWP also proposes that the National Aquifer Management Programme<\/strong> (NAQUIM) <strong>adopt a<\/strong> <strong>bottom-up approach<\/strong> and provide maps at a scale of 1:10,000. Only by going down to this scale will the information provided by NAQUIM be in a form that is usable for the main stakeholders.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"gs25\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-use-of-nfts-by-cyber-games-can-explain-their-utility\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The use of NFTs by cyber games can explain their utility<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>The use of NFTs by cyber games can explain their utility<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>Livemint<\/strong> on <strong>29th Sep<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Syllabus:<\/strong> GS3 &#8211; Awareness in the fields of IT<\/p>\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong>: Relevance of NFTs in digital world<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong> NFTs provide the assurance of immutability and guarantee of uniqueness. However, most of the cutting-edge innovation in NFTs are taking place in the gaming space.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>When a person purchases the non-fungible tokens (NFT) of a work of digital art, he is not buying the artwork itself. He is just purchasing a record on a blockchain ledger that identifies him as the owner of that record, not the artwork with which it is associated.<\/p>\n<p>He is neither entitled to rights over the underlying artwork, nor he can prevent others from copying it.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Must Read<\/strong>: <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/is-non-fungible-tokennft-what-digital-art-needs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What are Fungible and Non-Fungible tokens?<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><strong>What are some significant use-cases of NFTs?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Gaming<\/strong>: The non-fungible tokens are being used to attest the titles of in-game digital assets. This feels intuitively more appropriate than simply using them to signify ownership over digital art.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Zed.run,<\/strong> a racing game in which players race digital thoroughbreds on a virtual track. The horses are generated algorithmically from immutable virtual bloodlines and use blockchain technology to validate pedigree.<\/p>\n<p>A number of games such as <strong>CryptoKitties and Axie Infinity<\/strong> have been built along these lines, using blockchain to assure players of the novelty of artefacts algorithmically generated within the game environment.<\/p>\n<p>Cryptokitties with rare Cattributes command a very high price among collectors, giving players every incentive to put in the effort necessary to play.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Opportunity to earn<\/strong>: Since play-to-earn game are thriving, players have significant opportunities to earn money within the game ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p>In many countries, people have flocked to the game in large numbers, particularly from among poorer sections of society. <strong>For instance<\/strong>: Over 40% of the players active on Axie Infinity today are from the Philippines.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Notion of the \u2018metaverse\u2019<\/strong>: Metaverse is a sort of immersive digital environment which is likely to be the next stage in the evolution of the internet. In the metaverse, everything is a digital asset hence, we need a way to establish title over artefacts in the digital environment, where NFTs can play a huge role.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dispute resolution<\/strong>: Games are self-contained digital environments that operate according to a set of rules of their own device. Disagreements over the ownership of in-game digital assets can escalate very quickly, and they are often beyond the ability of traditional courts to resolve.<\/p>\n<p>In such cases we need a way to establish title over artefacts in the digital environment. NFTs could well be the solution to that problem.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"p-3 mb-2 bg-info text-red text-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><a id=\"f1\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/tackling-the-maoists-on-left-wing-extremism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tackling the Maoists: On left-wing extremism<\/a><\/h3>\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\">In a recent meeting, Union home minister noted that the\u00a0geographical influence of the Maoists has reduced from 96 districts in 10 States in 2010 to 41 now.\u00a0Two major Naxalite groups\u00a0got merged\u00a0into\u00a0the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist). The\u00a0organization\u00a0is limited to the remote and densely forested terrains of central and east-central India.<\/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 strategy Maoists use to incite violence?<\/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\">Maoists don\u2019t show dissatisfaction with Indian states. They don\u2019t project their weakness and don\u2019t show willingness for inclusion and welfare. They prefer armed struggle. Furthermore, they\u00a0<strong>use states\u2019 suppression<\/strong> to recruit\u00a0partners and incite violence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This\u00a0strategy has led to some of India\u2019s\u00a0poorest people, the tribals in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, being caught up in endless violence. It\u00a0also caused severe losses to the Maoists as well as\u00a0anti-insurgent security forces.\u00a0In\u00a0Philippines and Peru, the same strategy has been followed.<\/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\">Maoists have\u00a0flawed understanding of the nature of the Indian\u00a0state and democracy. They are\u00a0unwilling to accept that the poor\u00a0people, whom they claim to represent, seek greater engagement with the electoral and welfare system.<\/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 some suggestions to weaken the Maoists?<\/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>, the Maoist insurgency still has potency in\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">South Bastar in Chhattisgarh, the Andhra-Odisha border and in\u00a0some districts in Jharkhand.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0These States must focus on\u00a0expansive welfare and infrastructure building.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em><strong>Second,<\/strong><\/em> frequent fighting and attacks have not only affected the security forces but also left many tribal civilians caught in the crossfire.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A purely security-driven approach fraught\u00a0with human rights\u2019 violations has only added to the\u00a0alienation among the poor in these areas.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Maoists\u00a0must be compelled to give up their armed struggle and\u00a0this can only happen if the t<strong>ribal people and civil society activists promoting peace<\/strong> are also empowered.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The central government should not be satisfied with the mere weakening of the Maoist insurgency and the <strong>commitments made<\/strong> to weaken the Maoist hold <strong>should not be reduced<\/strong> after it has delivered intended results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Union government\u00a0and the States <strong>must continue to learn<\/strong> from successes\u00a0such as the expansion of welfare and rights paradigms\u00a0in limiting the movement and failures that have led to\u00a0the continuing spiral of violence in select districts.<\/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\"><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article &#8220;<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Tackling the Maoists<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8221; published in\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Hindu\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">on\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">29th Sep 2021.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"f2\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/lockdowns-slowed-green-energy-push\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lockdowns slowed green energy push<\/a><\/h3>\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 the report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), the lockdowns slowed renewable energy installations in the country. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">India aims to\u00a0install 175 gigawatts (GW) of green energy\u00a0by 2022 and 450 GW by 2030. But <strong>only 7 GW<\/strong> of such capacity was added in the\u00a0financial\u00a0year 2020-21.<\/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 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> as per the data of\u00a0Central Electricity Authority,\u00a0India was\u00a0to have installed 100 GW of\u00a0solar energy capacity by\u00a0March 2023\u00a0which includes\u00a040-GW rooftop solar and 60-GW ground-mounted utility scale.\u00a0The country has managed\u00a0to install only 43.94 GW till\u00a0July 31, 2021.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em><strong>Second,<\/strong><\/em> the amount of\u00a0power traded increased by\u00a020% over\u00a02020.\u00a0This led to prices on average increasing by 38% from\u00a0the 2020 rates.\u00a0As economic\u00a0growth revives, electricity\u00a0demand grows and average\u00a0prices at the exchange increase.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em><strong>Third,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>more access to renewable energy,\u00a0particularly wind and hydropower\u00a0will lead to\u00a0lower energy prices.<\/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\">Analysis regarding coal\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Fourth<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0coal stocks hit a new record\u00a0high of 1,320 lakh\u00a0tonnes\u00a0at\u00a0the end of 2020-21 and exceeded the monthly averages of the previous five years.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Coal India Ltd., India\u2019s largest coal producer\u00a0reduced its reliance\u00a0on imported coal and replaced it with domestic coal. It\u00a0had\u00a0about two months\u2019 supply.\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\">, there is an issue of critical coal supplies in most power plants. It is even increasing. <\/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\">, imported coal prices\u00a0have\u00a0been rising in the past few\u00a0months because of resurgent\u00a0demand after the pandemic\u00a0mainly in\u00a0China\u00a0and India,\u00a0Japan,\u00a0South Korea, Europe and the\u00a0U.S.\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>Seventh<\/em>,<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0greater reliance on coal\u00a0imports will increase thermal power prices in India,\u00a0leading to higher prices for\u00a0the ultimate consumers.<\/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\u00a0solutions\u00a0to deal with high\u00a0power\u00a0demand?<\/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\">Our\u00a0electricity system needs\u00a0\u201c<strong>flexible and dynamic generation solutions<\/strong>\u201d\u00a0such as battery storage,\u00a0pumped hydro storage,\u00a0peaking gas-fired capacity\u00a0and flexible operation of its\u00a0existing coal fleet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Government should <strong>accelerate deployment<\/strong> of such sources to help meet peak demand and also balance the grid at a lower cost. We need cost effective solutions and a buffer against very high prices at the power exchange during peak demand.<\/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\"><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article &#8220;<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Lockdowns slowed green energy push<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8221; published in\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hindu<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0on\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">29th Sep 2021.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"f3\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/a-jobs-problem-labour-data-in-india-is-lagged-and-patchy-but-supply-demand-mismatch-is-still-clear\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A jobs problem: Labour data in India is lagged and patchy. But supply-demand mismatch is still clear<\/a><\/h3>\n<h5><strong>What is the news?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Recently, GOI unveiled a quarterly report on employment for April-June, which estimates the labour demand of nine handpicked non-farm sectors by surveying establishments with 10 people or more.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What has been the job market trend in India?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>India\u2019s economy has been slowing down since 2017-18. Three successive years of dropping GDP growth rate, followed by a contraction last year. Given this context, the big question is what\u2019s happened in the job market?<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; <\/strong>As per the <strong>latest quarterly report for April-June<\/strong>, though job creation grew by 29% in seven years, but <strong>only a million jobs<\/strong> have been added annually over the last seven years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; <\/strong>The <strong>annual PLFS<\/strong> (July 2019-June 2020) shows that there is a <strong>shift in employment pattern<\/strong> since 2018 towards agriculture and informality.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; <\/strong>The <strong>quarterly PLFS<\/strong> captures only urban trends and the last available one (October-December 2020) <strong>confirms the shift away from salaried jobs.<\/strong> The <strong>percentage of salaried jobs<\/strong> in October-December 2020 was 48.7%, <strong>lower<\/strong> than the 52.7% during the intense lockdown phase of April-June 2020. The <strong>unemployment rate<\/strong> of 10.3% in October-December 2020 <strong>was higher<\/strong> than the 7.9% of the corresponding period in 2019.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What can be done?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><em><strong>First,<\/strong><\/em> step is to start <strong>releasing data consistently and also reducing lags.<\/strong> As of now the urban PLFS is released with a lag of nine months and the combined one takes longer.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Second,<\/strong><\/em> we need a far bigger industrial manufacturing sector.<\/p>\n<p>The GoI recognises the second solution. It should recognise the first one, too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: This post is based on the article \u201c<strong>A jobs problem: Labour data in India is lagged and patchy. But supply-demand mismatch is still clear<\/strong>\u201d published in <strong>TOI<\/strong> on <strong>28th Sep 2021<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"f4\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/countrys-first-pan-india-helpline-for-senior-citizens-elder-line-toll-free-no-14567\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Country\u2019s first Pan-India helpline for senior citizens: Elder Line (Toll Free No- 14567)<\/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>Country\u2019s first Pan-India helpline for senior citizens: Elder Line (Toll Free No- 14567)<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> PIB <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on <\/span><b>28th Sep 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government of India has <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">launched the first pan-India toll-free helpline&#8211;14567&#8211;for senior citizens called the \u2018Elder Line\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the Elder Line?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elder Line is the first pan-India toll-free helpline&#8211;14567&#8211;for senior citizens. It aims to <strong>provide free information and guidance<\/strong> on pension and legal issues, extend emotional support and intervene in cases of abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The intent is basically to provide senior citizens or their well-wishers with one platform to connect and share their concerns, get information and guidance on problems that they face on a day-to-day basis without having to struggle for it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Which Ministry has launched the Elder Line?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Elder Line has been launched by the <strong>Ministry of Social Justice &amp; Empowerment<\/strong>. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tata Trusts and National Stock Exchange (NSE) Foundation, as technical partners, are supporting the ministry in operationalising the Elder Line.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To date, 17 states have opened the Elder Line in their respective geographies.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Read more<\/strong>:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/keralas-bell-of-faith-scheme-for-elderly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kerala\u2019s \u201cBell of Faith Scheme\u201d for elderly<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5><b>Why was the Elder Line helpline launched?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India is expected to have nearly 20% elderly population, i.e. over 300 million senior citizens by 2050. This is significant as many countries have a population less than this number.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This age group faces various mental, emotional, financial, legal and physical challenges, and the pandemic has further exacerbated it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hence, taking cognisance of the growing need to support the elderlies in the country, the Government of India has launched the Elder Line.<\/span><\/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\/elderly-population-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elderly population in India \u2013 Explained, pointwise<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"f5\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/union-minister-launches-the-amrit-grand-challenge-program-titled-%e0%a4%9c%e0%a4%a8care\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Union Minister launches the \u201cAmrit Grand Challenge Program\u201d titled \u201c\u091c\u0928CARE\u201d<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article <\/span><b>\u201c<\/b><b>Union Minister launches the Amrit Grand Challenge Program titled \u091c\u0928CARE<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> PIB <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on <\/span><b>28th Sep 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Union Minister of Earth Sciences has launched the \u201cAmritGrand Challenge Program\u201d titled \u201c\u091c\u0928CARE\u201d. He also addressed the 10th Biotech Innovators Meet.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the \u201cAmritGrand Challenge Program\u201d titled \u201c\u091c\u0928CARE\u201d?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The challenge aims to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">identify 75 startup innovations in telemedicine, digital health, mHealth with BIG Data, AI, blockchain and other technologies.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the 10th<\/b><b> Biotech Innovators Meet?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><b>Organized by:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/second-edition-of-global-bio-india-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council(BIRAC).<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Theme<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: \u201cVigyan se Vikash\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the Bio Economy?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The term BioEconomy generally refers to an economy that uses renewable natural resources to produce food, energy, products and services. The important renewable natural resources include the biomass in forests, soil, fields, bodies of water and the sea and freshwater.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bio Economy sector has huge growth potential. It will more than double from 70 billion dollars at present to 150 billion dollars by 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hence, BIRAC has established 60 world-class Bio-incubators in the country to engage with Startups and young entrepreneurs in the Bio economy sector.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"f6\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/explained-anti-defection-law-for-independent-legislators\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Explained: Anti-defection law, for independent legislators<\/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>Explained: Anti-defection law, for independent legislators<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> Indian Express <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on <\/span><b>29th Sep 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An independent MLA from Gujarat has said he has joined the Congress \u201cin spirit\u201d. This is because, under the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">anti-defection law, an independent lawmaker becomes disqualified if the person joins a political party after the election.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is Anti Defection Law?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Tenth Schedule \u2014 popularly known as the Anti-Defection Law\u2014 was included in the Constitution via the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Act <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">specifies the circumstances under which changing of political parties by legislators invites action under the law.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What are the circumstances covered under the act? <\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Act covers three scenarios with respect to the shifting of political parties by an MP or an MLA:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>First Scenario:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The first is when a member elected on the ticket of a political party \u201cvoluntarily gives up\u201d membership of such a party or votes in the House against the wishes of the party.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Second Scenario<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The second is when a legislator who has won his or her seat as an independent candidate joins a political party after the election.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In both these instances, the legislator loses the seat in the legislature on changing (or joining) a party.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Third Scenario:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The third relates to nominated MPs. In their case, the law gives them six months to join a political party, after being nominated. If they join a party after such time, they stand to lose their seat in the House.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Are there any exceptions under the law?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, legislators may change their party without the risk of disqualification in certain circumstances. The law allows a party to merge with or into another party provided that at least two-thirds of its legislators are in favour of the merger. In such a scenario, neither the members who decide to merge nor the ones who stay with the original party will face disqualification.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Who decides Disqualification?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the anti-defection law, the power to decide the disqualification of an MP or MLA rests with the presiding officer of the legislature. The law does not specify a time frame in which such a decision has to be made.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result, Speakers of legislatures have sometimes acted very quickly or have delayed the decision for years \u2014 and have been accused of political bias in both situations. Last year, the Supreme Court observed that anti-defection cases should be decided by Speakers in three months\u2019 time<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"f7\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/covid-teeka-sang-surakshit-van-dhanauruddyam-was-launched-to-accelerate-the-pace-of-covid-vaccination-among-tribal-communities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cCOVID Teeka Sang Surakshit Van, Dhanaur Uddyam\u201d was launched to accelerate the pace of Covid vaccination among tribal communities<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source:\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article <\/span><b>\u201c\u201cCOVID Teeka Sang Surakshit Van, DhanaurUddyam\u201d was launched to accelerate the pace of Covid vaccination among tribal communities<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> PIB <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on <\/span><b>29th Sep 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Union Minister <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for Tribal Affairs has launched the \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">COVID Teeka Sang Surakshit Van, DhanaurUddyam<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What is the \u201c<\/b><b>COVID Teeka Sang Surakshit Van, DhanaurUddyam<\/b><b>\u201d campaign?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Aim: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To accelerate the pace of Covid vaccination among tribal communities of India.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Under the campaign, the <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) is collaborating with UNICEF and WHO to roll out the campaign in tribal districts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The campaign aims to take the help of<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 45,000 Van Dhan Self Help Groups (VDSHGs) of the TRIFED to promote livelihoods with health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The campaign is based on 3 J\u2019s <\/span><b>Jeevan (Life), Jeevika (Livelihood) and Jaagrookta (Awareness)<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Moreover, the campaign also <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">employs awareness generation in local languages to promote vaccine uptake and COVID Appropriate Behaviour.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>It also uses<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> non-traditional partnerships and community reach for mobilization and collective action such as involvement of traditional leaders and incentivizes adoption of vaccines through local health structures and TRIFED\u2019s influencers in tribal districts.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"f8\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/4th-indo-us-health-dialogue-2021-concludes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">4th Indo-US Health Dialogue 2021 concludes<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article <\/span><b>\u201c<\/b><b>4th Indo-US Health Dialogue 2021 concludes<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> PIB <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on <\/span><b>28th Sep 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <strong>Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare<\/strong> has addressed the closing session of the 4th Indo-US Health Dialogue.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the Indo-US Health Dialogue?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Indo-US Health Dialogue<\/strong> is being hosted by India. The dialogue aims to<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> deliberate upon multiple ongoing collaborations in the health sector between the two countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>The focus of the Dialogue:<\/strong> The issues that were discussed at the dialogue include: strengthening of epidemiological research and surveillance, vaccine development, One Health, zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, health systems and health policies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>During the dialogue<\/strong>, an <strong>MoU<\/strong> was signed between the<strong> Ministry of Health<\/strong> and the <strong>Department of Health and Human Services<\/strong> of the USA concerning cooperation in the <strong>field of health and biomedical sciences<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Moreover, the two countries<\/strong> also signed a separate<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> memorandum to continue joint support for the highly productive <strong>Indo-U.S. International Center of Excellence in Research (ICER) program.<\/strong>\u00a0It is an infectious disease research partnership located at the National Institute for Research on Tuberculosis in Chennai.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"f9\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/national-action-plan-for-dog-mediated-rabies-elimination-by-2030\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Action Plan for dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030<\/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>National Action Plan for dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> PIB <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on <\/span><b>28th Sep 2021<\/b><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the news?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Union Health Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Union Minister of Animal Husbandry has launched the &#8220;<strong>National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination from India by 2030<\/strong>&#8220;.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is Rabies?<\/b><\/h5>\n<figure id=\"attachment_138055\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-138055\" style=\"width: 634px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-138055 \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/wrd2015.png?resize=634%2C634&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"634\" height=\"634\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/wrd2015.png?w=1657&amp;ssl=1 1657w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/wrd2015.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/wrd2015.png?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/wrd2015.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/wrd2015.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/wrd2015.png?resize=1536%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/wrd2015.png?resize=1568%2C1568&amp;ssl=1 1568w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 634px) 100vw, 634px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-138055\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: WHO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Rabies is a zoonotic, viral disease. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People are usually infected with rabies following a deep bite or scratch from an animal with rabies. Transmission to humans by dogs accounts for up to 99% of cases.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The two clinical forms of Rabies <\/b>are <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Furious Rabies<\/strong>, characterised by hyperactivity and hallucinations and <strong>Paralytic Rabies<\/strong> characterised by paralysis and coma. If immediate medical care is not given to a person after a potential rabies exposure, the virus can reach the brain and result in death.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Treatment:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong> Post-exposure Prophylaxis<\/strong> (PEP), which consists of a dose of human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) and a rabies vaccine, is administered on the day of rabies exposure. This prevents virus entry into the central nervous system, which results in imminent death.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Impact of Rabies in India\u00a0<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rabies is 100% fatal, but 100% vaccine-preventable. Around 33% of global rabies deaths are recorded in India.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><strong>About the National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <strong>National Centre for Disease Control<\/strong> (NCDC) has drafted the National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030 (NAPRE) in consultation with the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>As part of the plan,<\/strong> the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ministers have urged all the States and UTs to make Rabies a notifiable Disease. They also launched the \u201c<strong>Joint Inter-Ministerial Declaration Support Statement<\/strong>\u201d for Elimination of Dog mediated Rabies from India by 2030 through One Health Approach.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Moreover, villagers in India refer to Rabies as \u2018Hadakwa\u2019,<\/strong> unfamiliar with the English name. The mere mention of \u2018Hadakwa\u2019 induces terror in rural areas. Hence, the minister advised the officials to use the more familiar term \u2018Hadakwa\u2019 in popularizing the activities to be taken up under the Plan.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"f10\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/naga-cucumber-from-nagaland-gets-gi-tag\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Naga Cucumber from Nagaland gets GI tag<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the article<\/span><b> \u201c<\/b><b>Naga Cucumber from Nagaland gets GI tag<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in <\/span><b>AIR <\/b>on <b>28th Sep 2021.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nagaland&#8217;s &#8220;sweet cucumber&#8221; was awarded a geographical identification (GI) tag as an agricultural product under provisions of <strong>The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>About Naga Cucumber<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cucumber is one of the most important crops in the Northeast region. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nagaland ranks as the 5th in area and 3rd in production of cucumbers in the North East.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Naga Cucumber has been traditionally cultivated by Naga farmers in their Jhum fields as a mixed crop, mainly during the Kharif season (April \u2013May).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Moreover, Cucumber is also one of the most awaited fruit for Konyak tribe every year. It is called &#8220;Maikoh\u201d which literally means \u201cgive (Koh) to beloved (mai)\u201d.<\/p>\n<h5><b>What is the speciality of Naga Cucumber?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-138240 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Naga-Cucumber.png?resize=398%2C284&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Naga Cucumbers\" width=\"398\" height=\"284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Naga-Cucumber.png?w=981&amp;ssl=1 981w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Naga-Cucumber.png?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Naga-Cucumber.png?resize=768%2C548&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 398px) 100vw, 398px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Naga cucumber is recognised for its sweetness and unique green colour.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Naga cucumbers are juicy, soft, and sweet. They are grown completely organically.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Naga cucumbers differ in taste, shape and sizes from those available in other parts of India.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are low in calories but high in potassium and contain a high level of water and can serve as an alternative to consuming sports drinks<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"f11\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/pm-dedicates-to-the-nation-35-crop-varieties-with-special-traits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PM dedicates to the Nation 35 crop varieties with special traits<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><b>Source<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is based on the following articles:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>\u201c<\/b><b>PM dedicates to the Nation 35 crop varieties with special traits<\/b><b>\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in <\/span><b>PIB <\/b>on <b>28th Sep 2021.<\/b><b><\/b><\/li>\n<li><b><\/b><b>\u201cPM Modi launched 35 crop varieties with special traits to address climate change, malnutrition\u201d<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> TOI <\/b>on <b>28th Sep 2021<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b><\/b><b>\u201cIndia gets first herbicide-tolerant &amp; non-GM rice varieties\u201d<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">published in<\/span><b> Indian Express <\/b>on <b>28th Sep 2021.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5><b>What is the News?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Prime Minister has launched 35 different crop varieties with special traits.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What are these Crop Varieties Launched?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crop Varieties have been developed by the <strong>Indian Council of Agricultural Research<\/strong> (ICAR) to address the twin challenges of climate change and malnutrition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some of the crop varieties launched include a drought-tolerant variety of chickpea, wilt and sterility mosaic resistant pigeon pea, early maturing variety of soybean, biofortified varieties of wheat, pearl millet, maize and chickpea, quinoa, buckwheat, winged bean and faba bean.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These special traits of crop varieties also include those that address the anti-nutritional factors found in some crops that adversely affect human and animal health.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What are the other varieties launched?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute<\/strong> (IARI) has developed the country\u2019s <strong>first-ever non-GM<\/strong> (genetically modified) <strong>herbicide-tolerant rice<\/strong> varieties named <strong>Pusa Basmati 1979 and Pusa Basmati 1985<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These varieties contain a mutated <strong>acetolactate synthase<\/strong> (ALS) gene making it possible for farmers to spray Imazethapyr, a broad-spectrum herbicide, to control weeds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hence, this dispenses with the need to prepare nurseries where paddy seeds are first raised into young plants, before being uprooted and replanted 25-35 days later in the main field. This will also significantly save water and labour costs compared to conventional transplanting.<\/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-29th-2021\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief \u2013 September 29th, 2021<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"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":[8032,1542,8033],"class_list":["post-138249","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","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\/138249","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\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138249"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138249\/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=138249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}