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BRICS: Focus on Terrorism Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests In News: BRICS member states have urged for concerted efforts to fight terrorism in accordance with the international law. The declaration at the end of the 11th BRICS summit stressed on the need to tackle the misuse of information and communication technologies for terrorist activities and combating illicit financial laws. Speaking at the plenary session of the summit Prime Minister Narendra Modi said terrorism has caused loss of approximately 1 trillion dollars to the world economy and 2.25 lakh people have lost their life due to terror acts in over a decade. India’s engagement with the BRICS involves three key elements: Develop mechanisms to counter-terrorism ‘Reformed multilateralism’ Encourage intra-BRICS trade and cooperation Focus on terrorism remains India’s main priority and it would like to build a consensus on methods to curb the menace of global terrorism by enhancing cooperation with other BRICS countries. Russia, Brazil and South Africa may offer unconditional support, but China is unlikely to endorse India’s case if it involves Pakistan, directly or indirectly. The BRICS joint working group on counter-terrorism has decided to constitute five sub working groups on counterterrorism in the areas of Terrorist financing Use of Internet for terrorist purposes] Countering radicalization Issue of foreign terrorist fighters Capacity-building The comprehensive approach should include countering Radicalisation Recruitment Travel of foreign terrorist fighters Blocking sources and channels of terrorist financing Dismantling terrorist bases Countering misuse of the Internet by terrorist entities through misuse of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) Emphasis was laid on the need to launch multilateral negotiations on an international convention for the suppression of acts of chemical and biological terrorism, including at the Conference on Disarmament. The five nations also reaffirmed their commitment to support international cooperation in combating illicit financial flows from all types of criminal activity, including within the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the World Customs Organization. They underscored the importance of improving mutual exchanges and data sharing. They emphasized the importance of upholding and supporting the objectives of FATF, as well of intensifying cooperation to implement and improve its standards on combating Money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation. BRICS BRICS is the acronym coined for an association of five major emerging national economies -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The grouping brings together five major emerging economies comprising 42 per cent of the world's population, having 23 per cent of the global Gross Domestic Product. Must Read: Overall Analysis of BRICS Summit
Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 25th to 30th November, 2019 ARCHIVES GS-2 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly (Topic: Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions & basic structure) November 26, 2019 – The day 26th November is celebrated every year as Constitution Day (also known as ‘Samvidhan Divas’). President: Dr Rajendra Prasad Chairman of the Drafting Committee: Dr Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, who is rightly known as the architect of the Constitution. 15 women members of the Constituent Assembly: Included Sarojini Naidu, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Hansaben Jivraj Mehta, Sucheta Kripalani and G. Durgabai, who spoke of equal rights for one and all, when women in many parts of the world were denied basic rights. Quotes and Speeches In his speech before the Constitution was adopted, Dr Rajendra Prasad rightly noted that the successful working of democratic institutions requires willingness to respect the views of others, and capacity for compromise and accommodation. He said, [quote] “Many things which cannot be written in a Constitution are done by conventions. Let me hope that we shall show those capacities and develop those conventions.” [Unquote] Seventy years later, we have reasons to believe that the nation has lived up to his hopes to a fair degree. The Constitution itself calls for making justice accessible to all. Consider the Preamble, which is the ‘seed text’ of the whole document. Why did ‘We, the People of India’, solemnly resolve to constitute India into a republic”? Obviously this pledge seeks, “To secure to all its citizens: JUSTICE—Social, Economical and Political”. Like any religious scripture, this grand statement or “Mahavakya” of the constitution aims to secure liberty, equality and fraternity along with justice. “While it is absolutely necessary to defend the Fundamental Rights relating to life, liberty, equality and freedom of expression etc., it is time that we, as citizens, take our duties towards the nation seriously. Entitlements come with duties and responsibilities as well. He further said that a proper environment for enjoying rights will be created if every citizen performs her duties. “Let us perform our duty to make India mighty”, Vice President of India and Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu appealed to the citizens. To spread awareness among the citizens about their Fundamental Duties, the Vice President suggested a three point action plan including introduction of Fundamental Duties at an appropriate level in the curriculum, displaying the duties at all the educational institutions, offices and public spaces across the country and reaching out to the youth through appropriate campaigns. Samagra Shiksha - an Integrated Scheme for school education (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education) An overarching programme for the school education sector extending from pre-school to class XII and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school education Subsumes the three erstwhile Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) Teacher Education (TE) Samagra Shiksha focuses on – Improvement in quality of education by providing support for different interventions like In-service training of teachers and school heads, Conduct of achievement surveys at state and national level Composite school grant to every school for providing a conducive learning environment, grants for library, sports and physical activities Support for Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan, ICT and digital initiatives School Leadership development programme Remedial teaching for academically weaker students Support for Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat, etc. Scheme of Vocationalisation of School Education The scheme of Vocationalisation of School Education covers 55 job roles in 19 sectors i.e. Agriculture, Apparel Made ups & Home Furnishing, Automotive, Banking Finance and Insurance Services, Beauty and Wellness, Construction, Electronics & Hardware, Healthcare, Information Technology / Information Technology Enabled Services (IT/ITeS), Media & Entertainment, Multi Skilling, Physical Education & Sports, Plumber, Power, Retail, Security, Telecom, Tourism & Hospitality, Transportation Logistics & Warehousing. WCD Ministry and NITI AAYOG Examining Measures to Strengthen ICDS AYUSH Ministry & WHO (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health) Meetings on: Developing Standardized Terminologies Benchmarks documents of Practice for Traditional Medicine WHO is developing Benchmarks Document for Practice of Ayurveda, Panchakarma & Unani and International Terminologies Documents in Ayurveda, Siddha & Unani as part of its global strategy to strengthen the quality, safety and effectiveness of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (T&CM). Development of this benchmarks document is included in the Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) signed between World Health Organization (WHO) and Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India on Cooperation in the field of Traditional and Complementary Medicine under WHO strategy on T&CM covering the period 2014-2023. The practice benchmark documents are expected to Serve as international benchmarks for qualified practice of Ayurveda, and Unani They will frame the safety requirements for practicing Ayurveda, Panchakarma, and Unani and provide qualifying criteria for practitioners of Ayurveda and Unani among addressing other details and nuances of medical practice. Serve as reference to national authorities to establish/strengthen regulatory standards and ensure practice of Ayurveda, Panchakarma, and Unani, and assure patient safety. Provide: list of terms in the respective systems, their definitions (short or explanatory descriptions as required) including contextual meanings of the terms, classical usage/ of the terms with references to the definitions, suggested English terms, synonyms, and even define exclusions to the meanings of the term in medical context. The documents shall cover terms related to basic principles, fundamental theories, human structure and function, diagnosis, pathologies, patterns, and body constitutions, pharmacognosy, pharmacology, preparation of food and medicines, therapeutics, and preventive and health promotion interventions, and miscellaneous terms in the respective medical systems. ADB, India sign $451 Million Loan to strengthen Power Connectivity in Tamil Nadu (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $451 million loan to strengthen power connectivity between the southern and northern parts of the Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC), which is part of the East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC), in Tamil Nadu. ADB is the lead partner of the Government of India for developing ECEC. The project will help Government of Tamil Nadu meet the increasing demand for power supply from industry and commercial enterprises in the State through transfer of power from new generation facilities, including renewable energy, in the southern CKIC to the industrial hubs in the state’s northern region The project will provide an impetus to the industrial development of CKIC, which ADB has been assisting through strategic planning and investments in infrastructure while facilitating industrial investments. They are expected to enhance industrial competitiveness while creating well paid jobs to support the state’s rapid economic transformation. Cabinet Approves India's Approach to UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Spain: COP 25 is an important conference as countries prepare to move from pre-2020 period under Kyoto Protocol to post-2020 period under Paris Agreement. India's approach will be guided by principles and provisions of UNFCCC and Paris Agreement particularly the principles of Equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capability (CBDR-RC). India has been ambitious in its actions and has emphasized that Developed countries should take lead in undertaking ambitious actions and fulfil their climate finance commitments of mobilizing USD 100 billion per annum by 2020 and progressively and substantially scale up their financial support to inform Parties for future action through NDCs. India will further stress upon need for fulfilling pre-2020 commitments by developed countries and that pre-2020 implementation gaps should not present an additional burden to developing countries in the post-2020 period. Agreement on establishment of Strategic Partnership Council between India and Saudi Arabia: The proposal aims to benefit the citizens with improved economic and commercial linkages with Saudi Arabia irrespective of any gender, class or income bias. This Agreement with Saudi Arabia will open new avenues of partnership in strategic areas like defence, security counter-terrorism, energy security and renewable energy. MoU signed between India and Myanmar on bilateral cooperation for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons: To strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries and to increase bilateral cooperation on the issues of prevention, rescue, recovery and repatriation related to human trafficking. To strengthen cooperation to prevent all forms of human trafficking and to protect and assist the victims of trafficking Ensure speedy investigation and prosecution of traffickers and organized crime syndicates in either country. To strengthen immigration and border controls cooperation and implementation of strategies with relevant Ministries and Organizations to prevent trafficking in persons. Setting up Working Groups/ Task Force to make efforts to prevent human trafficking Develop and share database on traffickers and victims of trafficking in a safe and confidential manner and exchange information through designated focal points of India and Myanmar Capacity building programmes for the agencies concerned of both countries. Formulation and adoption of Standard Operating Procedures for Rescue, Recovery, Repatriation and Integration of the victims of trafficking. MoUs signed between India and Saudi Arabia in the field of combating illicit trafficking and smuggling of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Chemical Precursors: The MoU shall facilitate and enhance the cooperation between the two countries in combating illicit trafficking and smuggling of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and chemical precursors, as defined by the United Nations international Drug Control Conventions. Under the MoU, there is a provision for the exchange of relevant information as well as methods, identities and suspicious activities of producers, smugglers and traffickers of narcotic drugs, details of trafficking of NDPS and Precursors Chemicals on requisitions and financial details of the traffickers arrested on drug related charges. Under the MoU, there is also a provision for notification of the details of the arrested citizen of the other Party for committing the crime of illicit trafficking or smuggling of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and chemical precursors and consular access to the arrested person. The MoU also provides for exchange of chemical reports/analysis of narcotic drug, psychotropic substances and chemical precures seized within the territory of either party or data/information about illegal laboratories of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and chemical precures and their technical specifications. Agreement and Protocol between India and Chile for the avoidance of double taxation: The DTAA will facilitate elimination of double taxation. Clear allocation of taxing rights between Contracting States through the Agreement will provide tax certainty to investors & businesses of both countries while augmenting the flow of investment through fixing of tax rates in source State on interest, royalties and fees for technical services. The Agreement and Protocol implements minimum standards and other recommendations of G-20 OECD Base Erosion Profit Shifting (BEPS) Project. Inclusion of Preamble Text, a Principal Purpose Test, a general anti-abuse provision in the Agreement along with a Simplified Limitation of Benefits Clause as per BEPS Project will result in curbing of tax planning strategies which exploit gaps and mismatches in tax rules. GS-3 Protection of Endangered Species (Topic: Conservation) Census of major flagship species Undertaken at the State-level by the respective State/Union Territory Governments periodically. However census of tiger and elephant is undertaken at the national level once every four and five years respectively. As per the report of the latest census carried out by the state and central government, the population of endangered species especially lions, rhinos, tigers, and elephants has increased in country. The Ministry Providing financial assistance to State /UT Governments for the recovery programme of critically endangered species under the component- Recovery programme for saving of critically endangered species and habitats of the Centrally sponsored scheme ‘Development of Wildlife Habitats’. Presently 21 critically endangered species have been identified under this programme. The Ministry has formulated the 3rd ‘National Wildlife Action Plan’ for a period of 2017 to 2031 to save wild animals in the country. The Plan focuses landscape approach in conservation of all wildlife irrespective of where they occur. It also gives special emphasis to recovery of threatened species of wildlife while conserving their habitats which includes terrestrial, inland aquatic, coastal and marine ecosystems. Measures taken by the Government to control illegal killing and poaching of wild animals are: The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides for punishment for violation of its provisions. The Act also provides for forfeiture of any equipment, vehicle or weapon that is used for committing wildlife offence(s). Law enforcement authorities in the States maintain strict vigil against poaching of wild animals. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been set up to gather intelligence about poaching and unlawful trade in wild animals and animal articles and to achieve inter-state and trans-boundary coordination in enforcement of wildlife laws. The State/Union Territory Governments have been requested to strengthen the field formations and intensify patrolling in and around Protected Areas. Protected Areas, viz., National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves covering important wildlife habitats have been created all over the country under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to conserve wild animals and their habitats. Financial assistance is provided to the State/Union Territory Governments under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes of ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’, ‘Project Tiger’ and ‘Project Elephant’, for providing better protection to wildlife and improvement of habitat. India’s Efforts to Combat Global Climate Change (Topic: Environmental pollution and degradation, Climate Change) Reports from various sources including Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change namely Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, Special Report on Climate Change and Land, and Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, highlight the challenges faced due to climate change arising mainly from historical emissions of greenhouse gases by developed countries. Climate change is a global phenomenon and requires the cooperation of all nations based on the principles of ‘Equity’ and ‘Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities’. India is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Kyoto Protocol (KP) Paris Agreement (PA): Has mechanisms like global stock-take and ratcheting up action every 5 years to address climate change and avoid adverse consequences. For addressing the challenge of climate change, India adheres to the paramountcy of the UNFCCC processes. It has proactively contributed to multilateral efforts to combat climate change and continues to do so while undertaking its own independent, enhanced initiatives in climate mitigation and adaptation besides meeting all its commitments under the UNFCCC, its KP and PA. Independent studies rate India’s efforts highly and compliant with the requirements under PA. Prelims oriented News: World AIDS Day: 1st December, 2019 Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure: Will serve as a platform to generate and exchange knowledge on different aspects of climate and disaster resilient infrastructure Leadership Group for Industry Transition: Launched jointly by India and Sweden, which will provide a platform for government and the private sector in different countries to work together on accelerating low carbon growth and cooperation in the area of technology innovation. Global Competitiveness Index: By World Economic Forum India’s ranking in the Global Competitiveness Index has fallen by 10 ranks partly as a consequence of a relatively small decline in score but more significantly due to faster improvements of several countries earlier ranked close to India. However, India ranked high on innovation (35th), financial sector (40th), and macro-economic stability (43rd). On innovation, India was well ahead of most emerging economies and on par with several advanced economies. To improve India’s position in the Global Competitiveness Index: Reduction of corporate tax rate from 30 percent to 22 percent to encourage investment in the economy Extension of PM Kisan, an income support scheme, to all farmers for boosting rural consumption Merger of 10 public sector banks into 4 entities for strengthening their balance sheets and increasing lending Setting up of a Realty Fund worth Rs. 25,000 crore for financing stalled housing projects Introducing the scheme for Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Product (RoDTEP) for promoting exports. Besides, the Reserve Bank of India has cut the repo rate by 135 basis points between February and October, 2019 for reducing the lending rates of Banks with a view to encouraging investment in the economy. National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme Children in the age group of 9-14 years are withdrawn from work and put into NCLP Special Training Centres, where they are provided with bridge education, vocational training, mid-day meal, stipend, health care etc. before being mainstreamed into formal education system. The children in the age group of 5-8 years are directly linked to the formal education system through a close coordination with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Further, to ensure the effective enforcement of the provisions of the Child Labour Act and smooth implementation of NCLP Scheme, a dedicated online portal named PENCiL (Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour) is developed in order to make the NCLP successful through better monitoring and implementation ensuring the timely disposal of work with transparency. Under this Scheme, funds are provided directly to the District Project Societies who in turn engage and allocate the funds to NGOs/Voluntary Agencies/Civil Societies Organisation etc. for running of Special Training Centres. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) Implemented by MSDE provides short term training to the youth across the country including farmers and women in rural areas. There are three kinds of training routes under the scheme: Short term Training for fresh skilling of school / college drop outs and unemployed youth Recognition of Prior Learning to recognize the existing skills - Only provides orientation to the already skilled workforce, and does not mandate placements. Special Projects to address skilling requirements of groups which are underrepresented or require special initiatives and efforts Scheme is being implemented in the country in both rural and urban areas across 37 sectors including Agriculture sector. The Government has also – Developed a National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) as a competency based framework to be adopted by all skill development programmes Established Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) as industry led bodies to develop National Occupational Standards Focusses on apprenticeship training and laying down of common norms for standardization of inputs and outcomes. Successful launch of PSLV-C47 carrying indigenous Cartosat-3 satellite: India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its forty ninth flight (PSLV-C47), successfully launched Cartosat-3 along with 13 Nanosatellites of USA from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota The advanced Cartosat-3 will augment our high resolution imaging capability. The mission life of the Cartosat-3 is 5 years. Cartosat-3 will address the increased user’s demands for large scale urban planning, rural resource and infrastructure development, coastal land use and land cover, etc. Measures for augmenting nuclear power capacity Accord of administrative approval and financial sanction of - ten (10) indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) to be set up in fleet mode & two (02) units of Light Water Reactors (LWRs) to be set up in cooperation with Russian Federation. Creation of Indian Nuclear Insurance Pool (INIP) in the context of Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act 2010. Amendment of the Atomic Energy Act to enable Joint Ventures of Public Sector Companies to set up nuclear power projects. Entering into enabling agreements with foreign countries for nuclear power cooperation. Lok Sabha passes the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019 The Bill says that family members of a former Prime Minister who reside with him at his allotted accommodation will get security cover of the SPG only for five years, from the date he/she ceases to hold the office of Prime Minister. There is a perception in the country that the amendment in SPG Act is only for the purpose to remove the SPG security cover for the Gandhi family. Contrary to this, the change of the security cover has been done only on the basis of yearly security threat perception review by the government. Such a security review has been a part of the original act. The security cover of the Gandhi family has not been reduced or taken away, rather it has just been changed from SPG cover to Z Plus security cover by the CRPF, along with ASL and ambulance, across the country. The level of the security cover has been maintained and not even one security personnel has been reduced. Based on the recommendations of the Birbal Nath committee report, SPG came into existence in 1985. The SPG Act was enacted in 1988 to provide for the constitution and regulation of the SPG as an armed force to provide proximate security to the Prime Minister and his/her immediate family members. Amendments to the Act were effected in 1991, 1994, 1999 and 2003 and a further amendment is being brought to revert back to the original spirit of the Act. The main aim of bringing this amendment is to make SPG more efficient. This would ensure that no omission happens in carrying out its core mandate, as the security of the Prime Minister, as Head of the Government, is of paramount importance for Government, governance and national security. The Bill says that when the proximate security is withdrawn from a former Prime Minister, such proximate security shall also stand withdrawn from members of his or her immediate family. Lok Sabha passes the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019 Bill has been brought to provide for merger of union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, in view of the policy of the Government to have "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance". This would bring about administrative convenience, speedy development and effective implementation of central and state government schemes. Having two separate constitutional and administrative entities in both the Union territories leads to lot of duplicity, inefficiency and wasteful expenditure. Further, this also causes unnecessary financial burden on the Government. Besides these, there are various challenges for cadre management and career progression of employees. Availability of more officers and infrastructure would help in more efficient implementation of flagship schemes of the government The Bill, inter alia, provides for better delivery of services to the citizens of both Union territories by improving efficiency and reduction in paper work; reduction in administrative expenditure; bringing uniformity in policies and schemes; better monitoring of schemes and projects; and, better management of cadres of various employees. Introduction of The Industrial Relations Code Bill, 2019 The Bill aims to consolidate and amend the laws relating to trade unions, conditions of employment in industrial establishment or undertaking, investigation and settlement of industrial disputes. The draft code on Industrial Relations has been prepared after amalgamating, simplifying and rationalizing the relevant provisions of following three Central Labour Acts viz: The Trade Unions Act, 1926, The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 and The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. SHE-BOX: Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India has developed an online complaint management system titled Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe-Box) for registering complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace by women, including government and private employees. Once a complaint is submitted to the SHe-Box portal, it directly reaches to the concerned authority having jurisdiction to take action in the matter. Monitoring Mechanism under Poshan Abhiyan NITI Aayogis closely monitoring the status of implementation of POSHAN Abhiyaan. Further, there is a National Nutrition Resource Centre (NNRC) at National level and State Nutrition Resource Centre (SNRC) at State level to closely monitor the implementation of POSHAN Abhiyaan. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through which ICDS-Common Application Software, a mobile based Application,which is a job-aid to Anganwadi Worker,has been developed and deployed. Regular reviews and meetings are conducted at National and State/UT level to monitor the progress of implementation of POSHAN Abhiyaan. Field level checks are carried out by the Ministry andState Governments.National Council under the Chairmanship of Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog and the Executive Committee also monitor the progress of POSHAN Abhiyaan regularly. ICDS-Common Application Software captures data on weight and height of children, opening of Anganwadi Centres, distribution of Take Home Ration, attendance of children for pre-school education at Anganwadi Centres. This data/information is then made available for monitoring on web-based ICDS-CAS dashboard to the supervisory staff at Block, District, State and National level. G.I. Tagged Products So far, 65 handloom products and 6 product logos are registered under GI Act. Sl.No. Geographical Indications Goods State 1 Uppada Jamdani Sarees Handloom Andhra Pradesh 2 Venkatagiri Sarees Handloom Andhra Pradesh 3 Mangalagiri Sarees And Fabrics Handloom Andhra Pradesh 4 Dharmavaram Handloom Pattu Sarres And Paavadas Handloom Andhra Pradesh 5 Muga Silk of Assam Handloom Assam 6 Bhagalpur Silk Handloom Bihar 7 Champa Silk Saree And Fabrics Handloom Chhattisgarh 8 Tangaliya Shawl Handloom Gujarat 9 Kachchh Shawls Handloom Gujarat 10 Patan Patola Handloom Gujarat 11 Kullu Shawl Handloom Himachal Pradesh 12 Kinnauri Shawl Handloom Himachal Pradesh 13 Kashmir Pashmina Handloom Jammu & Kashmir 14 Kani Shawl Handloom Jammu & Kashmir 15 Navalgund Durries Handloom Karnataka 16 Ilkal Sarees Handloom Karnataka 17 Molakalmuru Sarees Handloom Karnataka 18 Udupi Sarees Handloom Karnataka 19 Cannanore Home Furnishings Handloom Kerala 20 Balaramapuram Sarees And Fine Cotton Fabrics Handloom Kerala 21 Kasaragod Sarees Handloom Kerala 22 Kuthampully Sarees Handloom Kerala 23 Chendamangalam Dhoties & Set Mundu Handloom Kerala 24 Kuthampully Dhoties & Set Mundu Handloom Kerala 25 Chanderi Sarees Handloom Madhya Pradesh 26 Maheshwar Sarees & Fabrics Handloom Madhya Pradesh 27 Solapur Chaddar Handloom Maharashtra 28 Paithani Sarees And Fabrics Handloom Maharashtra 29 Shaphee Lanphee Handloom Manipur 30 Wangkhei Phee Handloom Manipur 31 Moirang Phee Handloom Manipur 32 Kotpad Handloom Fabric Handloom Odisha 33 Orissa Ikat Handloom Odisha 34 Khandua Saree And Fabrics Handloom Odisha 35 Gopalpur Tussar Fabrics Handloom Odisha 36 Dhalapathar Parda & Fabrics Handloom Odisha 37 Sambalpuri Bandha Saree & Fabrics Handloom Odisha 38 Bomkai Saree & Fabrics Handloom Odisha 39 Habaspuri Saree & Fabrics Handloom Odisha 40 Berhampur Patta (Phoda Kumbha) Saree & Joda Handloom Odisha 41 Kota Doria Handloom Rajasthan 42 Kancheepuram Silk Handloom Tamil Nadu 43 Bhavani Jamakkalam Handloom Tamil Nadu 44 Madurai Sungudi Handloom Tamil Nadu 45 Arani Silk Handloom Tamil Nadu 46 Kovai Kora Cotton Sarees Handloom Tamil Nadu 47 Salem Silk know as Salem Venpattu Handloom Tamil Nadu 48 Pochampally Ikat Handloom Telangana 49 Gadwal Sarees Handloom Telangana 50 Siddipet Gollabama Handloom Telangana 51 Narayanpet Handloom Sarees Handloom Telangana 52 Agra Durrie Handloom Uttar Pradesh 53 Banaras Brocades And Sarees Handloom Uttar Pradesh 54 Mirzapur Handmade Dari Handloom Uttar Pradesh 55 Santipore Saree Handloom West Bengal 56 Baluchari Saree Handloom West Bengal 57 Dhaniakhali Saree Handloom West Bengal 58 RajKot Patola Handloom Gujarat 59 Mysore Silk Handloom Karnataka 60 Guledgudd Khana Handloom Karnataka 61 Solapur Terry Towel Handloom Maharashtra 62 Karvath Kati Tussar Sarees And Fabrics Handloom Maharashtra 63 Chakhesang Shawls Handloom Nagaland 64 Salem Fabric Handloom Tamil Nadu 65 Warangal Durries Handloom Telangana Details of GI Registered Handloom Products Logos 1 Mysore Silk (Logo) Handloom Karnataka 2 Muga Silk of Assam (Logo) Handloom Assam 3 Kullu Shawl (Logo) Handloom Himachal Pradesh 4 Navalgund Durries (Logo) Handloom Karnataka 5 Kota Doria (Logo) Handloom Rajasthan 6 Banaras Brocades and Sarees (Logo) Handloom Uttar Pradesh
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 2nd December 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) WORLD AIDS DAY Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Society In News The World AIDS Day 2019 was observed in India on the 1st of December. It is a pandemic disease caused due to the infection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) World AIDS Day was the first global health day to be celebrated. This year, the theme is "Communities Make the Difference." As per the latest estimate of 2017, there are around 21.40 lakh people living with HIV in the country. The government is implementing National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) as a hundred per cent Central Sector Scheme for prevention and control of AIDS. NACP response to HIV epidemic comprise a comprehensive three-pronged strategy of prevention, testing and treatment. The Government has also developed a seven-year National Strategic Plan from 2017 to 2024 to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. HORNBILL FESTIVAL Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Culture In News The 20th Edition of Hornbill Festival began at Naga Heritage Kisama in Nagaland It is annually held from 1 - 10 December.The first festival was held in 2000. The festival organised by Nagaland Government is an annual tourism promotional event to showcase the state’s traditional and rich cultural heritage in all its ethnicity, diversity and grandeur. The Objective is to encourage inter-tribal interaction and to promote cultural heritage of Nagaland. Highlights of the Hornbill Festival will witness cultural performance of different tribes of Nagaland and Northeastern States, indigenous games, city tour, night carnival, art exhibition, photo-fest and many more. One of the major highlights of this festival is the Hornbill International Rock Festival where local and international rock bands perform. EXERCISE SURYA KIRAN – XIV Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III- International Relations In News Joint military exercise ‘SURYA KIRAN – XIV’ between India and Nepal will be conducted in Nepal from 03 to 16 December 2019. It is an annual event which is conducted alternatively in Nepal and India. The aim of this exercise is to conduct a Battalion level combined training between Indian Army and Nepal Army to increase interoperability in jungle warfare and counter terrorist operations in mountainous terrain, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief etc. JNANPITH AWARD Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains I - Culture In News Eminent Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, popularly known as Akkitham, has been chosen for the 55th Jnanpith Award. A Padma Shri awardee, he has won several literary accolades including the Sahitya Akademi Award (1973), Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (1972 and 1988), Mathrubhumi Award etc Jnanpith Award It is given by Bharatiya Jnanpith, a literary and research organization based in Delhi. It is given annually to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". It is bestowed only on Indian writers writing in Indian languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India and English. There are no posthumous conferral. Also only works published during the preceding twenty years is considered for the award. The award consists of cash prize is ₹11 lakh and a Bronze replica of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge and wisdom. Shipping Ministry approves Loktak Inland Water ways project Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Economy In News The Shipping Ministry gave approval for the development of Loktak Inland Water ways improvement project in Manipur under the central sector scheme The estimated cost of the project is over 25 crore rupees. The Loktak Lake is the largest fresh water lake in North east located at Moirang in Manipur. The project will develop the Inland water transport connectivity in North East States and give boost to the tourism sector also. Do You Know? Loktak Lake is famous for the phumdis floating over it. Phumdis are a series of floating islands, exclusive to the Loktak Lake in Manipur. They are heterogeneous masses of vegetation, soil and organic matter, in different stages of decay. It has been designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1990. It is also listed under the Montreux Record in 1993, "a record of Ramsar sites where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring or are likely to occur". OPERATION CLEAN ART Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III –Environment Conservation In News Operation Clean Art was recently conducted in India to ensure that the mongoose hair brush trade be closed down across the country. It was the first pan India operation to crack down on the smuggling of mongoose hair in the country. It was conceived by Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB). It was a planned raid, not to apprehend criminals, but to check on organised factories that were making paint brushes with mongoose hair. Raids were carried out not only in Uttar Pradesh, but also at Jaipur in Rajasthan, Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra, and in Kerala, on the same day. The entire operation across the country yielded 54,352 brushes and 113 kg of raw hair Mongoose hair is in high demand among artists worldwide because of the quality of brushes they help create, which define lines clearly and hold paint properly. India is a major source for these brushes. For about 150 kg of mongoose hair, at least 6,000 animals would have been killed The mongoose is listed under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 - making its hunting, possession, transportation and trade a punishable offence [caption id="attachment_53795" align="aligncenter" width="389"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 2nd December 2019[/caption] Src: Click here (MAINS FOCUS) SOCIAL JUSTICE/ S & T TOPIC General Studies- II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. General Studies- III Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Battling anti-microbial resistance Context: Recently (Nov 18-24) world observed Antibiotic Awareness Week It is one of the WHO Campaigns. The campaign highlights best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to help stop the further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. It is observed in the month of November Antibiotics Antibiotics, also known as antibacterials, are medications that destroy or slow down the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics have saved millions of lives till date. In humans antibiotics are primarily used for treating patients, In Animals they are used as growth promoters often because they offer economic shortcuts that can replace hygienic practices. Present antibiotics becoming ineffective Many infectious diseases have ceased to respond to antibiotics. In their quest for survival and propagation, common bugs develop a variety of mechanisms to develop antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The indiscriminate use of antibiotics is the greatest driver in selection and propagation of resistant bugs. AMR Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of a microorganism (like bacteria, viruses, and some parasites) to stop an antimicrobial (such as antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials) from working against it. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and may spread to others. AMR has been recognised worldwide as an important public health challenge with serious impact on economy and development. AMR is a man made disaster by the Irresponsible use of antibiotics which is rampant in human health, animal health, fisheries, and agriculture. Globally, use of antibiotics in animals is expected to increase by 67% by 2030 from 2010 levels. AMR can lead to further complications such as Minor untreatable infections can become fatal Complex surgeries such as organ transplantation and cardiac bypass might become difficult to undertake because of untreatable infectious complications that may result post-surgery. Can new anitbiotics be developed? No new class of antibiotics has been discovered in the past three decades The pipeline for the discovery, development and dissemination of new antibiotics has virtually dried out, the reason being for the development of new anti-biotics it takes about 10-12 years and an investment of $1 billion. Even if developed once it comes into the market, its indiscriminate use swiftly results in resistance, rendering it useless. Steps taken globally: Every year, World Antibiotic Awareness Week (WAAW) is observed by governments, health facilities, schools and communities across the globe in the month of November. The Sustainable Development Goals have highlighted the importance of containing AMR. Various economic and political platforms such as UN general Assembly, G7, G20, EU, ASEAN etc have dealt with the subject of containing AMR O’Neill report on AMR Global Action Plan on AMR Steps taken by India: Government of India has taken a number of steps that will contribute to global efforts to preserve and prolong the efficacy of antibiotics such as Bringing out its National Action Plan on AMR (NAP) in 2017. Surveillance networks have been established in human health and animal health. In July, the Indian government banned the manufacture, sale and use of colistin in the poultry industry. The FAO has assisted India in forging the 'Indian Network for Fishery and Animals Antimicrobial Resistance' for the generation of reliable data on the magnitude of the problem and monitoring trends in response to control activities. Issues in India: The health of humans and animals falls in State list which adds complexity to the nationwide response Need in the future: World must launch a global movement to contain AMR which will include the capacity augmentation for regulatory mechanisms, infection control practices and diagnostics support, availability and use of guidelines for therapy, biosecurity in animal rearing practices and understanding the role of the environment and the engagement of communities. Implementation of India’s NAP needs to be accelerated. [caption id="attachment_53794" align="aligncenter" width="234"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 2nd December 2019[/caption] Source: React group O’Neill report on AMR The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, often referred to as the O’Neill Commission, was commissioned by the UK Prime Minister David Cameron and is chaired by esteemed economist Jim O’Neill. This report examines the need to boost the development of new antibiotic drugs, and proposes national and international strategies that will meet those needs, including reforms to the current economic models surrounding antibiotic development and sales. Published in 2016 It has stated that inaction in containing AMR is likely to result in annual mortality reaching 10 million people and a 3.5% fall in global GDP by 2050. Global Action Plan on AMR In 2015 World Health Assembly endorsed a global action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance as a part of the tripartite collaboration with World Health Organization, Food and Agricultural Organization, and World Organization for Animal Health. five strategic objectives to improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance; to strengthen knowledge through surveillance and research; to reduce the incidence of infection; to optimize the use of antimicrobial agents; develop the economic case for sustainable investment that takes account of the needs of all countries, and increase investment in new medicines, diagnostic tools, vaccines and other interventions. National Action Plan on AMR (NAP) It is developed on the lines of Global Action Plan for AMR It is based on the 'One Health approach', which means that human health, animal health and the environment sectors have equal responsibilities and strategic actions in combating AMR. Collistin Colistin is a 50 year-old antibiotic that is being used increasingly as a ‘last-line’ therapy to treat infections caused by Multi Drug Resistant bacteria, when essentially no other options are available. Connecting the dots: UN deputy secretary-general had said that 'antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest threats we face as a global community'. In this context explain what is AMR and steps taken by India against the same? POLITY TOPIC:General Studies- II Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. Role of the Governor Context : Prolonged stalemate in Maharashtra over the formation of a government as no single party had a majority of its own after the Assembly election in October. It was not a wholly fractured verdict. A pre-poll alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (105 seats) and the Shiv Sena (56) had a clear majority (161 in the 288-seat Assembly, with 145 being the majority mark), but the Sena broke the alliance over unresolved issues related to sharing of power. The Supreme Court of India ordered an early floor test, Ajit Pawar resigned. Mr. Fadnavis followed suit, admitting that he did not have the required majority. A new post-poll combination, between the Sena, NCP and the Congress and some independents, has now formed the government. The developments have brought under focus the role of the Governor in such circumstances. What should the Governor do if there is a hung Assembly? The Constitution envisages that the Governor act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, except in those situations in which he is, by or under the Constitution, required to act in his discretion (Article 163). It is clear that in identifying a candidate who, in his opinion, is in a position to command a majority, the Governor has to make his own decision, subject, of course, to democratic norms. This is why one often sees the Governor of a State inviting leaders for discussions as part of efforts to explore the possibility of forming a government. When the Governor appoints the Chief Minister in this way, it is accompanied by a stipulation that the appointee prove his or her majority within a specified time on the floor of the House. Preferred order The Governor may invite the leader of the largest single party first. However, if it is clear that the largest single party has no potential ally or enough independent members to ensure a majority, he may also invite the leader of the largest pre-poll combination or alliance. If there is no combination or alliance, he may invite leaders one by one in the order of their size in the new Assembly. During this process, a post-poll combination may emerge, if any one of them agrees to form a government. The Governor may insist on letters of support from those outside the leader’s party who are willing to join or extend support to him. Sarkaria Commission on inter-State relations An alliance formed prior to the election; The largest single party staking claim with the support of others, including independents; A post-electoral coalition, with all partners joining the government; A post-poll coalition, with some joining the government, and others extending support from outside. Governor should look for a party or combination that commands the widest support in the Assembly Governor’s task is to see that a government is formed, and not to try to form a government which will pursue policies which he approves”. The Sarkaria Commission recommends that a person, who has been appointed Chief Minister without a clear majority, should seek a vote of confidence in the Assembly within 30 days. Do you know? Article 174, the Governor summons the House only on the advice of the Council of Ministers, but will be within his constitutional rights to cause the House to be convened if there is reason to believe that there is a doubt about the incumbent’s majority. SC Judgements: The key principle that ought to guide the Governor is set out in the S.R. Bommai vs. Union of India case (1994). The court said, for testing the strength of a ministry is a floor test. Even though this verdict was in the context of the imposition of President’s rule in different States, the principle holds good for any situation in which Governors have to decide on the appointment of a Chief Minister or continuance of a regime based on its numerical strength in the House. In Rameshwar Prasad (2005), the court ruled that there was nothing wrong in installing a post-poll combination, and that the Governor could not decline the formation of a government on the ground that it was being done through unethical means. Karnataka (2018) and Maharashtra (2019) are instances of the court ordering a floor test in a situation in which the Assembly had not yet been convened after the general election. Therefore, the legislators were yet to take their oaths. The court directed the appointment of a pro tem Speaker, to be followed by the administration of oath to the new members and, thereafter, a floor test. SC: “In a situation wherein, if the floor test is delayed, there is a possibility of horse-trading, it becomes incumbent upon the court to act to protect democratic values.” Connecting the dots: In a case examining the validity a Constitution Bench cautioned Governors against acting on internal party developments or “entering the political thicket”. Examine (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1) Consider the following statements about Operation Clean Art The aim of the initiativewas to recover the stolen heritage art from across the world and bring it back to India It is launched by Ministry of Culture in collaboration with UNICEF Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about Loktak Lake It is the largest fresh water lake in North east located in Nagaland Phumdis which are a series of floating islands consisting of heterogeneous masses of vegetation, soil and organic matter,is exclusive to the Loktak Lake Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Jnanapith Award It is given by Bharatiya Jnanpith, a literary and research organization based in Delhi. It is bestowed on both Indian and foreign writers writing in Indian languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India and English. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Exercise Surya Kiran is a joint military exercise conducted between India and which other country/countries? Nepal Sri Lanka Australia and Japan Bhutan and Bangladesh Q.5) Consider the following statements about Hornbill festival It is annually held from 1 - 10 December. The first festival was held in 2000. The festival is organised by Union Ministry of Culture as an annual tourism promotional event to showcase the North East India’s traditional and rich cultural heritage in all its ethnicity, diversity and grandeur. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 30 Nov 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 C 3 C 4 C MUST READ Glimmer of hope: On fresh SIT report on 1984 riots The Hindu Time to act: On latest estimates of economy The Hindu The fountainhead of India’s economic vitality The Hindu Making Air India’s disinvestment work The Hindu For Innovative Fiscal Policy, Action ET Climate action beyond lip service ET Transgender Persons Bill has let down the community’s long struggle for self respect IE
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IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 30th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Vulture conservation centre in U.P. Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment Conservation In News In a major step to conserve the endangered vulture population, the Uttar Pradesh government will set up state's first vulture conservation and breeding centre in Maharajganj district. The new centre would be set up in association with Bombay Natural History Society, a wildlife research organization It will be the first scientific center of vultures in the state to find out which species is most threatened and the locations where these natural scavengers are thriving It will be set up on the lines of Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre at Pinjore in Haryana, which is also the first in the country. The Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) found in India, Pakistan and Nepal has been listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List since 2002 The population of three species of endangered resident Gyps vultures in India - white-backed vulture, long-billed vulture and slender-billed vulture is 6,000, 12,000 and 1,000, respectively YUWAAH Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains I – Social Issues In News UNICEF has launched ‘YuWaah’ Generation Unlimited in India on 1.11.2019. It is a multi-stakeholder alliance which aims to facilitate youth to gain relevant skills for productive lives and the future of work. The target age group of YuWaah includes adolescent girls and boys. Its key mission is to promote access to foundational, transferable and 21st century skills for youth inside and outside formal education systems, which includes defining foundational skills, life skills and flexible learning and identifying and scaling impactful delivery models. YuWaah intends to create platforms to guide youth to market opportunities (career guidance, mentorship, internships, apprenticeships) and facilitate integration of career guidance in school education. Chagos Islands Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – International Affairs In News Mauritius called the UK an “illegal colonial occupier”, after UK ignored a UN mandated deadline to return the Chagos Islands, a small archipelago in the Indian Ocean, to Mauritius. Mauritius has argued that the Chagos Islands has been a part of its territory since at least the 18th century. UK broke the archipelago away from Mauritius in 1965 and the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches from the Seychelles in the region to form the British Indian Ocean Territory. After Mauritius gained independence from the UK in 1968, the United Kingdom refused to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius UK claimed in petitions submitted to the Permanent Court of Arbitration(at The Hague) that Chagos island was required to “accommodate the United States’ desire to use certain islands in the Indian Ocean for defence purposes”. The largest island on the Chagos Islands archipelago, Diego Garcia, is where the US and the UK operate a large military base and was also used as a US military base for the US-led attacks against Afghanistan and Iraq in the 2000s. In June 2017, at the UN General Assembly, 94 countries voted in support of Mauritius’ resolution to seek an advisory opinion on the legal status of the Chagos Islands from the International Court of Justice in The Hague. In February 2019, the UN’s highest court of justice, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), ordered the UK to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius “as rapidly as possible For now, the UK might possibly be searching for reassurance in the fact that the ICJ ruling is not binding and no immediate sanctions or adverse actions will be taken against it. GLOBAL MIGRATION REPORT 2020 Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – International Affairs In News The Global Migration Report 2020 was recently released by the UN-affiliated International Organization for Migration (IOM) Of the 272 international migrants worldwide (3.5% of the global population), India accounts for the highest share with 17.5 million Indians living outside the country. India is followed by Mexico (11.8 million) and China (10.7 million). Roughly two-thirds of international migrants are labour migrants. India is the leading recipient of remittances. International remittances in 2018 (2020 report) reached $689 billion, out of which India received $78.6 million from the 17.5 million living abroad. India is currently followed by China ($67.4 billion) and Mexico ($35.7 billion). The top migration corridors for Indians are the United Arab Emirates, the US and Saudi Arabia. The highest number of migrants entering India come from Bangladesh. The top destinations for international migrants is the USA followed by Germany, Saudi Arabia, Russian Federation and the UK Miscellaneous UDHAM SINGH Udham Singh, born in Sunam in Punjab’s Sangrur district in 1899, was a political activist who got associated with the Ghadar Party while in the US. In 1934, Singh made his way to London with the purpose of assassinating Michael O’Dwyer, who in 1919 had been the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab and unsurprisingly, Singh considered O’Dwyer to be responsible for the massacre. Instead of Dyer, who instructed his men to open fire at the crowd gathered in JallianwalaBagh, O’Dwyer is considered to be the actual perpetrator, since Dyer could not have executed it without his permission. On March 13, 1940 Singh shot O’Dwyer at a meeting of the East India Association and the Royal Central Asian Society at Caxton Hill. Singh was immediately arrested. At the court he referred to himself as Mohamed Singh Azad, to symbolise Hindu-Sikh-Muslim unity in the fight for India’s freedom. He was hanged on July 31, 1940 at Pentonville Prison. For avenging the JallianwalaBagh massacre, Singh is seen by some as a hero. Gandhi had famously decried Singh’s revenge as an “act of insanity”. In 2018 his statue was installed at JallianwalaBagh during Baisakhi. Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand is named after the freedom fighter. (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment India’s first ever slowdown Context: Since Independence, there have been at least eight episodes of significant GDP growth rate declines over two years or more — 1961-62 and 1962-63, 1965-66 and 1966-67, 1971-72 and 1972-73, 1984-85 to 1987-88, 1990-91 to 1992-93, 2000-01 to 2002-03, 2012-13 and 2013-14, and the current one from 2018-19. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5% in the first quarter of FY20, data released by the government showed, marking the slowest growth since the fourth quarter of FY13. GDP growth was 8% in the year-earlier quarter and 5.8% in the preceding one. China’s economy grew 6.2% in the June quarter. [caption id="attachment_53763" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 30th November 2019[/caption] Src: ET Recession: The technical term for the same is growth recession. A recession is defined in economics as three consecutive quarters of contraction in GDP. But since India is a large developing economy, contraction is a rarity. The last instance of negative growth for India was in 1979. A growth recession is more commonplace where the economy continues to grow but at a slower pace than usual for a sustained period, what India has been facing nowadays. Consumption: The growth of the Indian economy had been predominated by consumption inclusive of both — Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) as well as the Government Final Consumption Expenditure (GFCE). The recent sharp fall in PFCE in the June quarter to 3.1 per cent compared to 7.2 per cent in the March quarter has significantly contributed to the recent slowdown. Investment: Major component of India’s GDP is investment, induced by both — private and government sectors. It has been a key driver of growth since the liberalisation of 1991, fell by 6.2 percentage points in 2014-19 than in 2011-14. Reasons: Partly driven by domestic problems like neglected farmers Weakening global economy Mr. Trump’s fusillade of trade conflicts. Last weekend’s attack on two Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities, which sent the global price of oil soaring, underscored just how vulnerable India and other developing countries are to external factors beyond their control. The overhang of bad bank loans, coupled with recent defaults by nonbank financial firms, has curbed lending to consumers and businesses. Policy decisions by India’s central and state governments have worsened the country’s downturn For example Auto manufacturers: New safety and emissions standards increased the cost of vehicles, nine states raised taxes on car sales, and the banks and finance companies that fund dealers and 80 percent of consumer car purchases were paralyzed by the credit crunch. The textile industry, which employs about 45 million people and is India’s second-largest employer after agriculture, is emblematic of the country’s distress. Conclusion: The slowdown in economy is also expected to adversely affect income growth which, in turn, would further dent consumption demand. A favourable low base effect, however, would be seen third quarter onwards, which will help push the headline growth number higher. Connecting the dots: Unlike all the earlier downturns whose precursors/triggers were supply-side constraints in food and forex, macroeconomic imprudence or external shocks, what we are now experiencing is more of a “western-style” slowdown exacerbated by internal policy misadventures. Analyse ENVIRONMENT TOPIC: General Studies 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment COP25 The Climate Conference COP25, is the actual Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, which is tasked with making sure that the Convention, (and now the 2015 Paris Agreement, which strengthens the Convention), are being implemented. Climate change: The world is already 1.1°C warmer than it was at the onset of the industrial revolution, and it is already having a significant impact on the world, and on people’s lives. Global temperatures can be expected to rise by 3.4 to 3.9°C this century, which would bring wide-ranging and destructive climate impacts. Evidence of the impacts of climate change According to the 2019 WMO levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have reached another new record high. This continuing long-term trend means that future generations will be confronted with increasingly severe impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures, more extreme weather, water stress, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems.) The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) 2019 Emissions Gap Report, that greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 7.6 per cent per year from 2020 to 2030 are needed to meet the internationally agreed goal of a 1.5°C increase in temperatures over pre-industrial levels. September climate change summit: Focusing global attention on the climate emergency and the urgent need to significantly scale up action. Leaders, from many countries and sectors, stepped up. More than seventy countries committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 Small island states together committed to achieve carbon neutrality and to move to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030. Countries from Pakistan to Guatemala, Colombia to Nigeria, New Zealand to Barbados vowed to plant more than 11 billion trees. More than 100 leaders in the private sector committed to accelerating the green economy. A group of the world’s largest asset-owners, controlling $2 trillion, pledged to move to carbon-neutral investment portfolios by 2050. Importance of COP: UNFCCC had non-binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual countries, and no enforcement mechanism, various extensions to this treaty were negotiated during recent COPs, including most recently the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, in which all countries agreed to step up efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures and boost climate action financing. COP25 is the final COP before we enter the defining year of 2020, when many nations must submit new climate action plans. Among the many elements that need to be ironed out is the financing of climate action worldwide. Currently, not enough is being done to meet the three climate goals: reducing emissions 45 per cent by 2030; achieving climate neutrality by 2050 (which means a net zero carbon footprint), and stabilizing global temperature rise at 1.5°C by the end of the century. Conclusion: A series of reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other agencies have been reiterating through the year that unless countries scale up their actions significantly, there is little hope of keeping average global temperatures within 2ºC higher than pre-industrial trends. Because the clock is ticking on climate change, the world cannot afford to waste more time, and a bold, decisive, ambitious way forward needs to be agreed. Connecting the dots: The world already endures life-threatening effects of global warming through larger and more powerful storms, droughts and flooding (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1) Consider the following statements about Yuwaah Initiative The aim of the initiative to facilitate youth to gain relevant skills for productive lives and the future of work It is launched by World Bank in collaboration with NITI Aayog Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre is located in which State/Union Territory of India? Uttar Pradesh Bihar Haryana Andaman & Nicobar Islands Q.3) Global Migration Report is released by which organisation/body? World Economic Forum World Bank International Organization for Migration (IOM) None of the above Q.4) Chagos island often seen in news is located in which water body? Mediterranean Sea Pacific Ocean Indian Ocean Atlantic Ocean ANSWERS FOR 29 Nov 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 C 3 C 4 A 5 A MUST READ Bringing back treasures: On stolen idols The Hindu A political turning point or a pause? The Hindu Getting organ donation to tick again The Hindu Not as you say, but as you do The Hindu First six months of Modi 2.0 showcase the PM’s vision for his second term IE There was another India, reveals a new database of periodicals published between 1857-1947 IE
The Present Moment: In the most simplistic sense, life is too short to be fighting with and changing every behavior of ours. The choice we have is simple: Either we can make this very moment a celebration by accepting ourselves fully, or go on battling internally with what is right and wrong for the rest of our lives. The moment we realize that we are perfect just the way we are, then the change we are seeking is instantaneous. You will also notice that the more you accept yourself, the less there is a need for this internal conflict. Society has one definition of a good man, one definition of a good woman, and one definition of what’s right and wrong. You are too vibrant a phenomenon to walk on this thin fine line drawn by the society. What you need in order to remain simple, unique, and beautiful is a universal phenomenon such as watching and observing yourself. Meditation is that universal phenomenon. It’s not an ideology, philosophy, religion or something else - it’s just you and your ability to observe your life. Initially, it is difficult to trust your meditation, because there is no one there to provide you guidance and support. It is just you, your mind, your body, and how you deal with them. In this sense, you have total freedom in meditation; so much freedom that for a while you won’t know if you are doing the right thing. Meditation says, “Leave all of this and just become existential. Don’t become philosophical or intellectual; don’t become this or that. Just become existential.” Existential means to be in this moment; that is it. If I am angry in this moment, then I am angry. My anger is okay and I will just watch it. If I don’t need this anger, then it will just go away. If I don’t watch the anger, chances are that it will come back again. The beauty of every experience we have is that the moment we go deep into it, the moment we observe it, it disappears on its own, whether the experience is good or bad doesn’t matter. Meditation simply says, “Keep watching, and whatever change that needs to happen in your life will happen on its own.” “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”
16th India-ASEAN Summit ARCHIVES Search 3rd November, 2019 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora. “ASEAN is core of India’s Act East Policy,” says PM Modi India's Act East Policy is an important part of its Indo-Pacific vision and ASEAN is the core of the Act East Policy. The 16th ASEAN-India Summit was held in Bangkok, Thailand on November 3, 2019. An integrated, organized and economically developing ASEAN will immensely benefit India. A. Connectivity: India is committed to strengthen its partnership with ASEAN through better surface, maritime, air and digital connectivity. India’s $ 1 billion worth line of credit is expected to be used to boost physical and digital connectivity. Intention is to increase people-to-people contact for research, study, trade and tourism. B. Partnerships in different areas: India is committed to strengthening and further increase capacity building and partnerships in areas such as agriculture, research, science, engineering and Information and communications technology (ICT). C. Review of India ASEAN FTA: Will improve the economic partnership between the two Balance out their trade relations Strengthen its partnership with ASEAN in areas including maritime security, blue economy and humanitarian aid D. Combat terrorism: The leaders of the ASEAN nations expressed their wish to explore opportunities for strategic cooperation. E. India-Japan: Discussed the progress achieved in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project Reaffirmed their commitment towards creating a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region based on a rules-based order Strengthen the bilateral cooperation to achieve peace in the Indo-Pacific region F. India-Indonesia: Strengthening ties with Indonesia in areas such as defence, security, connectivity, trade and investment and people-to-people exchanges Enhance maritime cooperation to achieve peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region Work closely at bilateral and global levels to tackle the issue of extremism and terrorism. Invited the Indonesian companies to use the opportunities presented in India for investment. India and Indonesia are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 2019. G. India-Thailand: The leaders, while noting the enhanced engagement in defence and security, agreed to further explore possibilities of cooperation in the sector. The leaders further Acknowledged a 20 percent increase in the bilateral trade in 2018 and decided to further enhance trade and investment. Discussed ways to boost connectivity between the two countries and welcome the growth in air connectivity with the start of a direct flight between Guwahati and Bangkok. More agreements have been finalized for cooperation between Thailand’s Ranong Port and Indian ports in Chennai, Kolkatta and Vishakapatnam. India and Thailand share a close maritime relationship. H. India-Myanmar: Reaffirmed India’s commitment to improve physical connectivity to and through Myanmar to Southeast Asia. The proposed initiatives including building port, road and other infrastructure India also committed to support the expansion of capacity for Myanmar's police, military and civil servants, as well as its students and citizens. Enhance people to people connectivity, agreeing that it would help expand the base of the partnership. They welcomed the expansion of air connectivity between the two countries and the growing interest of India's businesses in Myanmar. Agreed to boost cooperation in ensuring that insurgent groups do not find space to operate across the India-Myanmar border PM Modi also highlighted that the speedy, safe and secure return of the displaced Rohingyas to their homes in Rakhine state was not only important in the interest of the displaced community but also the interest of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The Language of Flowers – Vanessa Diffenbaugh: Flowers have always played an important role in the history of mankind. They have been a source for expression emotions of love, grief and joy for centuries. There is another mysterious side to flowers that is rarely explored and understood; the personal connection people have with them. Flowers are not just beautiful decorative objects. They are not just a source of joy and beauty. They can also be deep companions. Vanessa explores the side of flowers that very few people are aware of. In a world that is becoming increasing alien and weird, flowers can mean very many things to individuals who are seeking love and connection. This is a beautiful book that explores the relationship of an individual with flowers. The book is entrancing and engaging. Vanessa explores the mistrust and solitude that flowers help to communicate. It is a strange but a beautiful book to read.
UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 125 Archives Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) To take the Test - Click Here
