With vaccine trials on overdrive, India has rightly taken the lead in invoking TRIPS flexibilities (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 3:Economy 
Prelims level: TRIPS flexibilities
Mains level: Effects of Liberalization on The Economy, Changes in Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth,Intellectual Property Rights

Context:

• Encouraging results from clinical trials for Covid-19 vaccines have raised hopes for an end to the pandemic crisis. 
• However, they have also raised concerns about equitable access, amidst concerns over price gouging.

Phase III of clinical trial process:

• As many as six vaccines have entered phase III of clinical trials for efficacy and safety of the candidates. 
• But already, the propensity to be first in the queue and undermine global cooperation in combating the disease is becoming evident in the US Government’s Operation Warp Speed vaccine programme; under this, vaccines are to be speed-developed and procured en masse for American use. 
• The US Health and Human Secretary Alex Azar announced a $1.95 billion deal to buy 100 million doses of a vaccine developed by Pfizer which began a late-stage trial involving 30,000 volunteers this week. 
• Another frontrunner for vaccine development, Moderna Inc, as also Johnson & Johnson have cut similar deals to mass-produce the vaccine even before the completion of clinical trials. 
• Charting a similar course, Britain announced this week that it had secured access to 90 million experimental vaccines. Corporations, while investing in R&D, have justifiably been assured of a return on their investment. 

Putting into effect the flexibilities:

• However, the issue here is of putting into effect the flexibilities in TRIPS agreed upon in the 2001 Doha Declaration of the WTO, so that patents do not run against the interests of public health and access in times of a pandemic. 
• At a virtual general council meeting of the WTO early June, India reiterated its commitment to this principle. 
• The resolution adopted by member states on May 18-19 in the 73rd World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of WHO, is a critical instrument. 
• India has joined other countries in pushing a resolution that calls for “equitable access to and fair distribution of all essential health technologies and products to combat the virus”.

Way ahead:

• India’s indigenous vaccine manufacturers can utilise flexibilities built into TRIPS to facilitate access with the same sterling effect that they did for Hepatitis B vaccine. 
• The role of Indian generic manufacturers in supplying anti-retroviral medicines to other developing countries has been exemplary. 
• India has simultaneously shown the capacity to achieve self- reliance in the area of diagnostics for Covid-19.
• Its drug manufacturers have already geared up to produce and distribute the antiviral remdesivir under a licence, although the price is arguably steep. 

Conclusion:

• The time is ripe for leveraging global platforms and legal mechanisms to pre-empt monopoly pricing. 
• Apart from invoking TRIPS flexibilities under Article 31, the government should create a consensus under WHO to reduce licensing costs, so that manufacture and mass procurement can proceed smoothly.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to new FDI rules, consider the following statements:
1. Prior government approval is not mandatory for foreign direct investments (FDI) from countries which share a land border with India.
2. Investors from countries that are not covered by revised FDI new policy only have to inform the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after the completion of a transaction rather than seek prior clearance from the administrative ministry.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: B

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What are the trips flexibilities? What do you mean by Trips plus? What is data exclusivity?  How Covid-19 could impact the intellectual property rights?

Banking on serology : On seroprevalence studies (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:Health 
Prelims level: Serology survey
Mains level: Key findings from the Serological survey

Context:

• A recent serology survey that scientists used to estimate the spread of COVID-19 in Mumbai has found that nearly three in five, or 57% of those tested in slums had been exposed to the virus and had developed antibodies against it as compared to only 16% of those tested in residential societies. 

Key findings:

• Results from Delhi’s seroprevalence study, earlier this month, found that nearly a quarter of the 21,000-odd samples tested had been exposed to the virus and some of the densest districts had over 20% prevalence. 
• Of the nearly 7,000 tested in Mumbai, nearly 61% were slum-dwellers and the higher prevalence of the virus there showed that — as expected — those living in the densest urban agglomerations were most likely to have been infected by it. 
• A large proportion of those in whom antibodies were detected — the numbers aren’t known — were asymptomatic and this pointed to the fact that the fatality rate in Mumbai may be “as low as 0.05-0.10 per cent, instead of the existing 5.5 per cent,” as per an estimate accompanying the results of the survey. 

Surveys conducted by various states:

• Such serological surveys are increasingly being used by States. 
• Ahmedabad’s civic body conducted one to conclude that only 17% of the city had been likely exposed to the virus and Tamil Nadu too is in the midst of conducting such a survey. 
• A dominant theme driving State bodies that commission such surveys is to check for levels of ‘herd immunity’, or if 60%-70% of the population have encountered the infection. 
• The argument is that this degree of exposure will, akin to a vaccine, also protect the rest of those uninfected. 
• But given the absence of knowledge about how long antibodies last and the extent to which they protect from fresh infections, herd immunity isn’t a precise science and not something that ought to be pursued by a state as a matter of policy.

What is a serological survey?

• A serological survey is an antibody test conducted on a sample of the population to assess how many people have been affected. As it is difficult to determine the infection rates of a population based on RT-PCR and Rapid antigen tests, serological surveys are the best bet for the government to ready a response.

What is an ELISA antibody test?

• The ELISA testing kit was developed by National Institute of Virology, Pune along with Zydus Cadila. 
• The kit tests for IgG and IgM antibodies in the population. It’s reliability is tested using two indicators: specificity and sensitivity. 
• The test, according to literature, has a 97.7% specificity and 92.1% sensitivity.

Crude pointers:

• It is four months since India got its first 100 cases and very early in May, the Indian Council of Medical Research’s survey had shown that the number of those infected by the virus were many multiples of those that were being reflected in official confirmed-case statistics. 
• The unrelenting advance of the virus shows that while it is much less of a killer, in aggregate, than expected, it spares few from infection. 
• Therefore, in the absence of a reliable vaccine, the vast majority of people everywhere — irrespective of peaks and ebbs in daily caseloads — continue to be vulnerable. 
• Serology surveys can at best be crude pointers to chronicle the progress of the pandemic and not a psychological palliative.

Conclusion:

• The virus isn’t as lethal as originally feared, but is more infectious than previously believed 

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the serological survey, consider the following statements:
1. A serological survey seeks to assess the prevalence of disease in a population by detecting the presence of specific antibodies against the virus. 
2. The test indicates past and active infections. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What is a serological survey?What is an ELISA antibody test?

A long road : On National Education Policy 2020 (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:National 
Prelims level: National Education Policy 2020
Mains level: Provisions of the National Education Policy 2020

Context:

• The National Education Policy 2020 announced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development sets for itself the goal of transforming the system to meet the needs of 21st Century India. 
• In a federal system, any educational reform can be implemented only with support from the States, and the Centre has the giant task of building a consensus on the many ambitious plans. 
• The policy, inter alia, aims to eliminate problems of pedagogy, structural inequities, access asymmetries and rampant commercialisation. 

Historical background of the National Education Policy:

• The NEP 2020 is the first omnibus policy after the one issued in 1986, and it has to contend with multiple crises in the system. 
• It is no secret that primary schools record shockingly poor literacy and numeracy outcomes, dropout levels in middle and secondary schools are significant, and the higher education system has generally failed to meet the aspirations for multi-disciplinary programmes. 

Key objectives:

• The NEP’s measures to introduce early childhood education from age 3, offer school board examinations twice a year to help improve performance, move away from rote learning, raise mathematical skills for everyone, shift to a four-year undergraduate college degree system, and create a Higher Education Commission of India represent major changes. 
• Progress on these crucially depends on the will to spend the promised 6% of GDP as public expenditure on education. 
• The policy also says that wherever possible, the medium of instruction in schools until at least Class 5, but preferably until Class 8 and beyond, will be the home language or mother tongue or regional language.
• This is a long-held view, and has its merits, although in a large and diverse country where mobility is high, the student should have the option to study in the language that enables a transfer nationally. English has performed that role due to historical factors.

Adequate resourcing in NEP 2020:

• There are some good elements to the NEP 2020 that will generate little friction, and need only adequate resourcing. 
• Provision of an energy-filled breakfast, in addition to the nutritious mid-day meal, to help children achieve better learning outcomes, is one. 
• Creation of ‘inclusion funds’ to help socially and educationally disadvantaged children pursue education is another. Where the policy fails to show rigour, however, is on universalisation of access, both in schools and higher education; the Right to Education needs specific measures to succeed. 

Way forward:

• Moreover, fee regulations exist in some States even now, but the regulatory process is unable to rein in profiteering in the form of unaccounted donations. 
• The idea of a National Higher Education Regulatory Council as an apex control organisation is bound to be resented by States. 
• Similarly, a national body for aptitude tests would have to convince the States of its merits. 
• Among the many imperatives, the deadline to achieve universal literacy and numeracy by 2025 should be a top priority as a goal that will crucially determine progress at higher levels.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Nabam Rebia judgement, consider the following statements:
1. A Governor cannot employ his “discretion”, and should strictly abide by the “aid and advice” of the Cabinet to summon the Assembly for a floor test.
2. Article 163 of the Constitution does not give the Governor a “general discretionary power to act against or without the advice of his Council of Ministers”. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What are the key highlights of the New Education Policy 2020? What are its key provisions? Highlighting its need and significance of the policy. What are the issues linked to it?

How India can take the big telecom leap (Financial Express)

Mains Paper 3:Science and Tech 
Prelims level: Common service centres
Mains level: India’s telecom sector growth and holistic approach need to be taken to improve 

Context:

• The role and function of telecommunication is to provide exchange of communication or information at a distance between people, satellites or computers. 
• Across the globe, telecommunication developments have triggered inventions and usages to provide universal access to telecom services at affordable and reasonable prices.
• This focus seems to have been lost sight of in our telecom policymaking, which seems more like a crisis-management kind of reaction to court litigations.
• In the process, the real objective has been lost and the focus is on revenue-maximisation instead of ensuring equitable access to an entire population across the country.

To provide connectivity:

• With governance now nearly 85% digital—whether it is data, entitlement or direct benefit transfers, payment for services, transparency in governance, insistence on online education—there is serious concern about how connectivity is to be provided in all the common service centres (CSCs) across India, especially in the 2.5 lakh panchayats.
• The current focus is on the spread of the optical fibre network. 
• With so much variation across the terrain, there is a strong case for the use of a basket of technologies if the target is to be achieved by 2023—ranging from VSAT, WiMAX, broadband connectivity, optical fibre, to that of the white space on Doordarshan’s spectrum. 
• If the objective is to provide quality telecom services at not just affordable prices but also in the shortest possible time, a combination of all these technologies will have to be used.

Slowdown in post-liberalisation era:

• The situation becomes more critical with the Indian economy going through one of the most difficult phases in the post-liberalisation era. 
• Corporate results in each of the quarters reflect a slowdown in profit growth across sectors, limiting the industry’s capacity to modernise or expand. 
• The slowdown is reflecting on job creation as well. 
• The sliding GDP growth and Covid-19 has demonstrated the shift to business on the internet and thus the need for robust telecom speed. 
• The slowdown is broad-based; it has affected manufacturing, trade, hotels, transport, communication, broadcasting, construction, agriculture—covering the entire economy. 

What are the structural changes needed to make India an economic superpower? 

• The major step in setting the foundation is to have a robust telecom system.
• The need to optimise available spectrum is unfortunately becoming a victim of revenue-maximisation, instead of easing the penetration to have better connectivity.
• The result is there are not many takers for 700MHz that is needed for penetration, and for other technologies. 
• The 5G spectrum allocation is also going slow. There is need to revisit the policy and shift from revenue-maximisation to more and more penetration.

Concern for internet-based crimes:

• Internet-based crimes have become a cause of concern for governments globally. 
• At a localised level, use of social networking sites has become a common trait of criminal activity. 
• Popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp are being leveraged for illegal activities. 
• Apart from the transfer of social protection funds, the banking mechanism, education, tourism, navigation, logistics and e-commerce are also being impacted. 
• Wider information exchange is a double-edged sword, but it can also be used to give correct information.

An opportunity for India:

• India, with its varied communities, lifestyles and a billion consumers, is attractive in terms of data for any market research company targeting customers for a product. 
• A major challenge is to guard not just Indian data but also ensure no intrusion into the privacy of individuals. 
• The need is to fix rogue audits and bulletproof 5G. 
• The government has initiated steps to harmonising a set of security standards and data protection laws. Constant evolution in the field makes this a long journey.
• It’s an opportunity for India to make a big telecom leap as the country is on the hockey stick curve on usage of data, which should ensure a boost to business communication, and data analytics that meet high quality defence requirements. 
• Artificial intelligence (AI) is an emerging field and will bring in automation. 
• It is like another industrial revolution, for the emergence of computers will open new avenues for better utilisation of human resources.
• The telecom policy needs to have a holistic approach; it is a combination of Telecommunication, Rural Development, Commerce, Ministry of Information Technology and Communication, Financial aspects of Policy, user departments and cybersecurity issues. 
• Thus, any policymaking needs to have a formal platform for interactions. 
• This will reduce ambiguity and shift policymaking from the one based on judicial directions to the one born of a holistic approach to achieve the real objective of this sector.

Conclusion:

• Digitisation can be a stepping stone to ensure no one is left behind and provide a sustainable approach to poverty eradication to achieve the seven SDG direct goals. 
• It will trigger better credit eligibility for the poor and measures for their financial inclusion, and grow avenues for more skills and sustainable employment opportunities. 
• Instead of relying on random data or selection of beneficiaries through traditional welfare methods, optimisation lies in using the digital MIS approach to make a shift from welfare to entitlement, ensure privacy and a better focus on benefits. 
• This will be a holistic solution to poverty that is the biggest violator of human rights.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Tuting-Tidding Suture Zone (TTSZ), consider the following statements:
1. The Tuting-Tidding Suture Zone (TTSZ) is a major part of the Eastern Himalaya, where the Himalaya takes a sharp southward bend and connects with the Indo-Burma Range. 
2. A study by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), revealed that the Tuting-Tidding Suture Zone (TTSZ) is generating moderate earthquakes at two different depths. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) How India can take the big telecom leap? Comment.

The AI-boost: Using more artificial intelligence will boost GDP growth (Financial Express)

Mains Paper 3:Science and Tech 
Prelims level: AI-intensity
Mains level: Highlights the study based on artificial intelligence

Context:

• AI-intensity was defined as the ratio of software investment to total sales, and the study found that, for instance, in the case of agriculture, while the average AI intensity is 0.001, the maximum intensity was 20 times as much. (Representative image)

Study based on artificial intelligence:

• A PwC study in 2017 estimated the world would gain $15.7 trillion by 2030 if artificial intelligence (AI) was adopted across nations. 
• The study said that AI would first lead to productivity enhancement, and a major portion of gains would accrue from consumer-side effects. 
• China had said, they could see its GDP rising by around a fourth as it was using AI more aggressively. 
• Although the study did not estimate how much India would gain from using AI, new research by Icrier along with Nasscom and Google shows that even a marginal increase in artificial intelligence adoption may add 2.5% to GDP in the immediate term. 
• It highlights that if the government spends the Rs 7,000 crore it had envisaged for the national AI programme, GDP could get boosted by as much as $86 billion. 
• The way Icrier sees it, as AI becomes what it calls a general purpose technology—like the internet—its impact rises; essentially, then, the pace of India’s digitisation drive will determine how fast AI is adopted.

How fast the adoption of AI can take place and its impact on total factor productivity?

• Icrier studied 1,553 firms that have some software investment. 
• What it found was that there was a huge gap in the use of AI, suggesting a large untapped potential. 
• AI-intensity was defined as the ratio of software investment to total sales, and the study found that, for instance, in the case of agriculture, while the average AI intensity is 0.001, the maximum intensity was 20 times as much. 
• For electrical and optical equipment manufacturing, the difference between the average and the top in the industry was 145-times; it was 742 in the case of trade and in the case of services, the average intensity was 0.159, while the maximum intensity was 110.
• The report, however, argues that businesses alone won’t be able to push AI, the government will have to play a bigger role, by setting up a nodal AI agency to push for AI-adoption and also drive business, government and academia partnerships. 
• Another suggestion is to initiate large-scale skill development programmes to get the workforce ready for AI-adoption. 

Conclusion:

• The slow pace of digital adoption so far, though the pandemic has helped speed up things a big; both the education and health sector, for instance, are likely to see faster adoption of AI techniques. 
• A related problem is that of cybersecurity where India needs both a national strategy and a governance structure that is more well-defined.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the World Hepatitis Day, consider the following statements:
1. World Hepatitis Day is being celebrated on 28 July.
2. This year’s theme is “Hepatitis-free future,” with a strong focus on preventing hepatitis B among mothers and new-borns.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Define AI-intensity. How fast the adoption of AI can take place and its impact on total factor productivity?

For the Love of Dog (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2:Governance 
Prelims level: Not much 
Mains level: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability

Context:  

• Dogs and Indians were barred from entering prominent roads during the British Raj. Killing dogs was considered part of the sanitation process. 
• This did not reduce the population of these animals before or since Independence. 
• In 1980, a dog count estimated 8 lakh dogs in Delhi. 
• Thousands were killed every month in a bid to rid the city of dogs. In 1987, a MCD survey revealed that the dog population was still 8 lakh. 
• The survey also showed that the number of people bitten by dogs actually increased when more dogs were killed.

Sterilisation and Vaccination:

• Dogs exist in developing countries because of poor solid waste disposal systems. They must be dealt with scientifically and humanely. 
• Otherwise we will repeat the disaster of Surat in 1994 when all dogs were removed and rats took their place immediately, creating fears of plague. I remember the masks and fear across the country.
• A WHO study in the 1990s showed sterilisation and vaccination was the only way to deal with street animals and the threat of rabies from them. 
• This survey informed an order of a lower court in Delhi that asked the government to sterilise and vaccinate dogs instead of killing them.

 Animal birth control rules:

• In 2001, the Centre notified the Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules. 
• While local bodies were asked to execute the sterilisation programme, it was expected that the Centre and state governments would extend financial assistance. 
• The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) was mandated to assist and monitor these drives.
• Unfortunately, the government made no financial provision for sterilisation. 
• A few municipalities have implemented this programme very effectively on their own — especially in Delhi where the dog population is now under a lakh and dog bites have come down from 72,000 a year in 2000 to 12,000. 
• The centres which issue the anti-rabies injections in Delhi will tell you that most of these bites are from foreign pet dogs who believe they should protect their owners. 
• But Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Noida do not have any animal birth control programme and Gurgaon implements such a programme irregularly, which is a waste of money.

 Lack of implementation:

• There is confusion on which ministry should underwrite the dog sterilisation programme.
• The health ministry as a health programme, the urban development ministry as a programme for cities, the animal husbandry department, or the environment ministry. 
• Constructive measures to control the dog population need to be undertaken by the animal birth control monitoring committees in the states. 
• Unfortunately, these committees don’t meet, they have not allocated any budget for the programme and are culpable for badly executed programmes. 
• The Uttarakhand government has set an example by establishing Animal Birth Control Campuses with adequate hospital facilities.
• An evaluation of the programme after two years of operation found it extremely effective in controlling both aggression in dogs and their population. 
• Uttar Pradesh has started a similar programme in Lucknow.
• Unfortunately, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has not acted on the SC’s directive to create a scheme to support the implementation of the dog population control and rabies eradication programme. 
• Uttarakhand’s experience shows the salience of such a programme.

 Adopting Indian dogs:

• The Centre has banned breeders and pet shops which sell animals without licences. 
• This rule is not being followed but it could become a significant part of a larger solution. 
• Adoption of Indian dogs is a healthier and more practical option. 
• They are better suited to our environment and are intelligent and friendly. 
• If two in every hundred people adopt an Indian dog, there will be no dogs on the roads. 
• Till then, we need a robust spay and neuter programme and community participation to keep the street animals healthy and friendly.
• A rabiddog loses the use of his nerves — first sight, then throat, then the legs. Such dogs do not jump about, climb over walls. 
• Rabies is now very rare in Delhi because of the ABC programme. 
• Violent foreign dog that has been mis-trained by owner and then set loose should be punished.

 Key reasons:

• Street dogs or colony dogs do not bite wantonly. There are three reasons for them getting aggressive. 
• One, if the female is on heat the males will break boundaries to reach her and get aggressive because they are both sexually charged and nervous.
• Two, if the female has a litter, she knows most of her babies will die and her pain and anger comes out as she tries to defend them. Anyone who feeds dogs knows that five out of six puppies will die. 
• Three, if they are constantly hit by people, dogs become very defensive. 
• Sterilisation takes away the first two reasons and in every colony where street animals are allowed to live and let live, there is complete harmony.
• Some people use their profession and power to abuse and bully harmless dog feeders who then reach out to me. 
• During the lockdown, lakhs of people, especially young people, have emerged as thoughtful, generous and brave animal carers. 
• Many of them have been subjected to irrational abuse. 
• But we should remember that every animal carer takes care of the people in the community by feeding the dogs.

 Conclusion:

• Animals bring happiness. The word animal comes from anima — the soul. 
• Each animal thinks, dreams and wants the same nurturing that we do. 
• If we can coexist with them, we will benefit far more from our interaction with them than they with us. 
• Let us be humane and kind to each other and the world around us. India will benefit.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Passage Exercise (PASSEX), consider the following statements:
1. Indian Naval ships recently conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the U.S. Navy’s USS Nimitz carrier strike group near the Andaman and Nicobar islands. 
2. The Indian Navy had conducted similar PASSEXs with Chinese Navy in the recent past.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

The Government we Deserve (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2:Polity 
Prelims level: Parliamentary system
Mains level: Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries

Context: 

• Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has very thoughtfully reopened the debate on the parliamentary versus presidential systems that had been dormantfor several decades. 
• He makes several valid points, including the propensityof lawmakers to defect at the drop of a hatin search of perks and offices, which he blames on the parliamentary system.
• Consequently, according to Tharoor, the system produces governments focused more on politics and personal aggrandisementrather than policy. 
• The sordidspectacle in Rajasthan bears testimonyto the lack of interest on the part of the executive and the legislature in policymaking and legislation, preoccupied as they are with retaining or capturing power. 
• Unfortunately, this continues to be true even when we are in distress today because of the pandemic.

 Lack of ideological commitment:

• It’s not certain that this is the fault of the parliamentary system. 
• The causes for the political malaisein India are manifold and they are not limited to a particular form of government. 
• The first is the lack of ideological commitment, with the exception of a substantial portion of the devotees of Hindutva, on the part of the political class. 
• Devoid of political principles many, if not most, politicians are up for sale. 
• For these immoral politicians, defection and party-hoppingare not serious political maladiesbut essential components of their political strategy to attain or retain power.

Unsuited for India:

• This is unlikely to change even if India moves to a presidential system. 
• First, it is probable that it will contribute hugely to an executive-legislature deadlock as a result of competitive buying. 
• It can also be the case where the legislature that is completely bought off by, and therefore totally subservientto, the executive by the offer of perks. 
• The latter will completely invalidate the basic principles of separation of powers and checks and balances that are essential pre-requisitesfor a presidential system.
• Second, caste and communal considerations play a big role in Indian elections. This is a societal virus that is unlikely to disappear by switching to a presidential system. 
• The same considerations will apply in choosing a presidential cabinet that affects cabinet formation in a parliamentary system. 
• It is utopianto assume that the president will choose his cabinet based primarily on considerations of merit. 
• In fact, leaving the choice of the cabinet to the whims and fanciesof the president will additionally vitiatethe process.
• Third, in the absence of a viable party structure, the presidential system will encourage even more irresponsible behaviour by elected legislators, especially those belonging to opposition parties. 
• Legislatures in the presidential system will become infinitely worse with both these characteristics on display on a much larger scale. 
• They are unlikely to transform themselves into genuinely deliberative bodies that Tharoor imagines they could become. 
• It is far more likely that they will turn into highly reckless gatherings engaged for personal gains.

 Political culture:

• The problem lies not with the parliamentary system but with the political culture of the country. 
• This is demonstrated above all by the way voters make their choices based on communal, caste and other primordial considerations and in response to emotional appeals rather than making informed choices about public needs and services. 
• The sorry state of India’s public health system during this pandemic is clear evidence that public health was not a consideration for the voters when casting their ballots in state and parliamentary elections. 
• The wasteful expenditure indulged in by governments is testimony to the callousness of the authorities as well as the apathy of the general public. 
• All this proves the truth of the maxim “people get the government they deserve.”
• Misplaced, indeed highly distorted, public priorities and the ingrained venalityof the political class are the root causes of the malaise in the Indian polity. 
• These twin factors and not particular forms of government are the independent variables that help explain the sorry state of democratic institutions.

 Conclusion:

• Indians will have to live with this situation until the political culture of the country at the popular level and at the level of the political class undergoes a radical transformation. 
• Changing the parliamentary form into a presidential one is not the panacea.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the India Ideas Summit 2020, consider the following statements:
1. The theme for this year’s Summit was ‘Building a Better Future’.
2. The Summit is being hosted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What do you mean bythe parliamentary system? Highlights it key features. What are the pros and cons? Distinguish between Parliamentary system and Presidential system.

A home for tiger (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3: Environment 
Prelims level: Protected areas
Mains level: Development, Bio diversity, Environment

Context: 

• Last year, India’s tiger census revealed that the country is home to nearly 3,000 of these big cats. 
• That was rightly considered a significant achievement given that India’s tiger population had come down to around 1,400 in 2006 and the animal had been completely wiped out of reserves such as Sariska. 
• A survey by the Union environment ministry, whose report was released also celebrates this success. 

Human-Animal Conflict:

• But it adds a caveat: Seventeen of India’s 50 tiger reserves are approaching their peak carrying capacity. 
• In fact, nearly a third of the country’s tigers today live outside protected areas (PA). 
• As these carnivores spill out of the national parks, they come into proximity with human settlements. 
• This is a major reason for the rise in human-animal conflicts in the past five years.
• Male tigers require a range of 70-150 square km and females need about 20-60 sq km. 
• The animal is highly territorial and does not like sharing space with even its siblings or cubs. When it is about a year-and-a-half old, a tiger begins its search for territory. 
• When it cannot find space in a PA, the adolescent either moves out or forces an ageing tiger out of the reserve. 

Increasing attacks:

• The itinerant animal is confronted with a shortage of prey — research shows that one tiger requires a prey base of 500 animals to survive. 
• The big cat is forced to shed its natural reticence towards humans and stalks farms and villages for livestock. 
• Tigers do not have a natural propensity to attack humans. 
• Even then, reports of people being mauled to death by tigers are increasingly becoming frequent. 
• According to data presented by then minister of state for environment, forest and climate change, Mahesh Sharma, in the Lok Sabha last year, more than 100 people were killed by tigers between 2015 and 2018.

 Relocation:

• The tiger population seems to be growing in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand. 
• Experts suggest that the problem of plenty can be solved by relocating some tigers from places whose carrying capacity is challenged to ones that have scope to host more animals. 
• The country’s conservation authorities could take a cue from last year’s census which had revealed scope for improvement in the Eastern Ghats’ reserves. 
• As the country celebrates its conservation success, policymakers and scientists will have to put their heads together to devise more creative solutions and find homes for the increasing number of tigers.

 Conclusion:

• Survey shows a third of India’s tiger reserves are nearing peak capacity. 
• Creative solutions can reduce human-animal conflict.

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General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Material

Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the N95 masks, consider the following statements:
1. According to the Union Health Ministry it does not prevent the novel Coronavirus from spreading out of the mask.
2. N95 masks are personal protective equipment that protects the wearer from airborne particles and from liquid contaminating the face.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What are the creative solutions needed to reduce human-animal conflict?

Fewer species, more disease (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 3: Environment 
Prelims level: Biodiversity
Mains level: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment, Development, Bio diversity, Environment

Context: 

• The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted human life and the economy in an unprecedented way. 
• Across countries, lockdowns have kept people indoors and provided opportunities for wild animals to roam around spaces they otherwise don’t venture into. 
• Scientists believe that the loss of biodiversity, and wildlife trade, have strong linkages with the emergence of epidemics. 
• The pandemic is an opportunity for the global community to explore the consequences of its unscientific actions on nature and prepare for behavioural change.

 Loss of Biodiversity:

• Dangerous infectious diseases (Ebola, Bird flu, MERS, SARS, Nipah, etc.) have been transferred from wild animals to humans. 
• In order to clear land for agriculture and development, forests and habitats have been destroyed. In the process, we have lost several species. 
• Human-induced environmental changes reduce biodiversity resulting in new conditions that host vectors and/or pathogens.
• It is not yet fully understood which species have contributed to the transmission of COVID-19 and how. 
• However, according to experts, there is strong evidence that it spread from a wildlife market in Wuhan, China. 
• Two hypothesis have been discussed: (a) the virus jumped from bats directly to humans; and (b) from bats to pangolins and then to humans.

Illegal trade:

• Apart from wildlife markets, illegal trade of wildlife is part of the growing problem. 
• Trafficking in wild plants and animals and wildlife products has become one of the largest and most lucrative forms of organised crime. 
• By deliberately pursuing and hunting certain species or by establishing monocultures, habitats and ecosystems are being damaged, fragmented or destroyed.
• Illegal wildlife smuggling is an emerging threat to India’s unique wildlife heritage. 
• According to an NGO based in Guwahati, which works for the protection of Eastern Himalayan biodiversity, India shelters a number of vulnerable and threatened species. 
• Body parts of animals including pangolins, Asiatic black bears and rhinos are being traded illegally to countries such as China, Vietnam, and Laos. 
• Another study has found that there was a significant increase in the poaching of wild animals in India even during the lockdown. 
• Species are being wiped out by organised trade networks, with new poaching techniques, for manufacturing traditional Chinese medicines.
• The IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services shows that people extensively encroach natural habitats; hence biodiversity is declining significantly. 
• By disturbing the delicate balance of nature, we have created ideal conditions for the spread of viruses from animals to humans. 
• We should realise that we live in a world where biodiversity is our common heritage and natural capital.

Way forward:

• We need to revisit our relationship with nature and rebuild an environmentally responsible world. 
• Nations should work towards realising the 2050 vision for biodiversity, ‘Living in Harmony with Nature’. 
• We must follow a ‘one health’ approach which considers the health of people, wild and domesticated animals, and the environment. 
• We need to strictly regulate high-risk wildlife markets, promote green jobs and work towards achieving carbon-neutral economies.
• India should strictly enforce the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, which prohibits the trade of 1,800 species of wild animals/plants and their derivatives.
• We need to focus on the Biological Diversity Act of 2002; strategies and action plans including the National Biodiversity Targets; and the National Biodiversity Mission. 
• The mainstreaming of biodiversity is needed in our post-COVID-19 development programme. 
• The over 2 lakh biodiversity management committees (local-level statutory bodies formed under the Act) can play a significant role in this regard. 
• Mass biodiversity literacy should be our mission. 
• Ecosystem integrity will regulate diseases and restrict the transmission of pathogens from one species to another.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the National Broadcasting day, consider the following statements:
1. National Broadcasting day was observed on July 23, 2020.
2. On this day in 1927, the first ever radio broadcast in the country went on the air from the Bombay Station under a private company, the Indian Broadcasting Company. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) How ecosystem integrity restricts the transmission of pathogens and can prevent further pandemic like situation?

COVID-19 and a country club India must leave(The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:Health 
Prelims level: Not much 
Mains level: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health

Context:

• Billion Indians have experienced the pandemic sweepingand harming the lives of vulnerable in our country.
• East Asia and Europe where the virus threatened and devastated have recovered well.
• India isn’t alone in failing to contain the pandemic. We have Trump’s U.S. and Bolsonaro’s Brazil to give us company.

The poison of inequalities:

• All these three are populous, federal, diverse and democratic. 
• These three countries share is the toxic levels of historic inequalities which affect every structure of society including, most importantly, the health-care system.
• The value of investing in a just public health-care system has never been as starkly obvious as now.
• To be sure, there have been far deadlier epidemics which continue to kill many more people than COVID-19. 
• Diseases like HIV, diarrhoeal diseases and tuberculosis, have mostly killed the poor and the marginalised, outside the conscious radar of those in power. 
• More to the point, no previous epidemic brought the engines of the economy to a standstill.
• If some poor person died of a horrible disease in some slum, C-grade town or village in the back of beyond, the stock market could not care less. 
• However, on this occasion, for the first time, the wealthy and the powerful in their urban palaces have found themselves under pressure. 
• And their high-tech doctors and “super-specialist” hospitals can do little to rescue them.

 On universal coverage:

• What differentiates countries which have recovered from Covid from those, like ours, which remain still affected, is the commitment by both the state and civil society to the principles of universal health coverage. 
• To be fair, if universal health coverage was understood with the simple existence of a publicly financed health-care system, then India, like the United States and Brazil, can already boastto have met this goal. 
• However, this is not what universal health coverage means in spirit.
• Only a system which all people, rich and poor, those in power and those who are powerless, can rely on to be given care with the same quality regardless of their station in society, can be truly considered “universal”.

 A question of quality:

• Such a universal health coverage system does not exist in India, or the U.S. or Brazil. 
• More than half the population in these countries, concentrated in the upper income groups, seeks health care in the fee-for-service private sector. 
• The private sector in India provides almost 80% of outpatient and 60% of inpatient care, as a result of which falling ill is one of the most important contributors to indebtedness in the country. 
• Health care in India has become a leading cause of poverty. 
• Universal health coverage is recognised by many countries as a strategy to empower people to lift themselves out of poverty.
• It is also the foundation of sustainable development. 
• The fact that, despite this knowledge, the majority of our people prefer private care, is a hurting evidence to their experiences of the public health-care system.

 Major problems:

• The titans of corporate medicine in India justify their costs by arguing that these are much cheaper than in the U.S. or Europe.
• Such comparisons are ridiculous as they are obliviousof the fact that India’s per capita income places us as one of the poorest countries in the world. 
• The clearly visible ills of the wholesale commercialisation of health care, standards of our infrastructure needs to be taken care. 
• There are a host of other challenges to realise universal health coverage, the honesty and competency of health-care workers which contribute to the abysmalquality of care, in both the private and public sectors.
• The pandemic has brought the scandalousquality of our health-care system to the fore.
• Stories of pigs roaming freely and the absence of doctors in public hospitals to shameless profiteering and refusal to care by private hospitals are emerging out.
• The proclivity of doctors to irrational medical procedures and drug prescriptions, the lack of dignity with which the poor are cared for, and the corrupt practices are well documented.

 No accountability:

• At the heart of this patheticstate of affairs is the complete lack of accountability of either the private or public sector. 
• And the absence of the stewardship role of the state in ensuring justice and quality of health care for all its citizens. 
• It comes as no surprise that there is a fundamental breakdown of trust between civil society and the health-care system, exemplified at its most extreme by violence against health-care providers. 
• Fixing the rot will need structural reforms far beyond the top-down “missions” and knee-jerkpunitive actions which have dominated our policy-making for over 70 years. 
• But for this to happen, we will need a broad coalition across the political establishment and civil society, in particular the wealthy and ruling classes, to demand change.

Conclusion:

• It is clear as how a dysfunctional, fragmented and unaccountable health-care system will ultimately destroy the economy itself. 
• Even if the pandemic has hit the poor the hardest, it has also crippledthe nation. 
• But we need more than just new money for while health care is the wisest investment for the economy.
• Such an investment must be accompanied by a social compact that the same system catersto all. 
• This philosophy of universal health coverage is already practised in diverse ways, including engagement of the private sector, by scores of countries.

Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

E-Books Download for UPSC IAS Exams

General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Material

Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the e-commerce, consider the following statements:
1. All e-commerce entities have to ensure the mandatory declaration of country of origin of imported products sold on their respective sites.
2. The law relating to the issue was enacted under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) In light of COVID-19 pandemic, know about what are the inequalities and similarities between the top three pandemic affected nations?

COVID-19 and a country club India must leave(The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:Health 
Prelims level: Not much 
Mains level: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health

Context:

• Billion Indians have experienced the pandemic sweepingand harming the lives of vulnerable in our country.
• East Asia and Europe where the virus threatened and devastated have recovered well.
• India isn’t alone in failing to contain the pandemic. We have Trump’s U.S. and Bolsonaro’s Brazil to give us company.

The poison of inequalities:

• All these three are populous, federal, diverse and democratic. 
• These three countries share is the toxic levels of historic inequalities which affect every structure of society including, most importantly, the health-care system.
• The value of investing in a just public health-care system has never been as starkly obvious as now.
• To be sure, there have been far deadlier epidemics which continue to kill many more people than COVID-19. 
• Diseases like HIV, diarrhoeal diseases and tuberculosis, have mostly killed the poor and the marginalised, outside the conscious radar of those in power. 
• More to the point, no previous epidemic brought the engines of the economy to a standstill.
• If some poor person died of a horrible disease in some slum, C-grade town or village in the back of beyond, the stock market could not care less. 
• However, on this occasion, for the first time, the wealthy and the powerful in their urban palaces have found themselves under pressure. 
• And their high-tech doctors and “super-specialist” hospitals can do little to rescue them.

 On universal coverage:

• What differentiates countries which have recovered from Covid from those, like ours, which remain still affected, is the commitment by both the state and civil society to the principles of universal health coverage. 
• To be fair, if universal health coverage was understood with the simple existence of a publicly financed health-care system, then India, like the United States and Brazil, can already boastto have met this goal. 
• However, this is not what universal health coverage means in spirit.
• Only a system which all people, rich and poor, those in power and those who are powerless, can rely on to be given care with the same quality regardless of their station in society, can be truly considered “universal”.

 A question of quality:

• Such a universal health coverage system does not exist in India, or the U.S. or Brazil. 
• More than half the population in these countries, concentrated in the upper income groups, seeks health care in the fee-for-service private sector. 
• The private sector in India provides almost 80% of outpatient and 60% of inpatient care, as a result of which falling ill is one of the most important contributors to indebtedness in the country. 
• Health care in India has become a leading cause of poverty. 
• Universal health coverage is recognised by many countries as a strategy to empower people to lift themselves out of poverty.
• It is also the foundation of sustainable development. 
• The fact that, despite this knowledge, the majority of our people prefer private care, is a hurting evidence to their experiences of the public health-care system.

 Major problems:

• The titans of corporate medicine in India justify their costs by arguing that these are much cheaper than in the U.S. or Europe.
• Such comparisons are ridiculous as they are obliviousof the fact that India’s per capita income places us as one of the poorest countries in the world. 
• The clearly visible ills of the wholesale commercialisation of health care, standards of our infrastructure needs to be taken care. 
• There are a host of other challenges to realise universal health coverage, the honesty and competency of health-care workers which contribute to the abysmalquality of care, in both the private and public sectors.
• The pandemic has brought the scandalousquality of our health-care system to the fore.
• Stories of pigs roaming freely and the absence of doctors in public hospitals to shameless profiteering and refusal to care by private hospitals are emerging out.
• The proclivity of doctors to irrational medical procedures and drug prescriptions, the lack of dignity with which the poor are cared for, and the corrupt practices are well documented.

 No accountability:

• At the heart of this patheticstate of affairs is the complete lack of accountability of either the private or public sector. 
• And the absence of the stewardship role of the state in ensuring justice and quality of health care for all its citizens. 
• It comes as no surprise that there is a fundamental breakdown of trust between civil society and the health-care system, exemplified at its most extreme by violence against health-care providers. 
• Fixing the rot will need structural reforms far beyond the top-down “missions” and knee-jerkpunitive actions which have dominated our policy-making for over 70 years. 
• But for this to happen, we will need a broad coalition across the political establishment and civil society, in particular the wealthy and ruling classes, to demand change.

Conclusion:

• It is clear as how a dysfunctional, fragmented and unaccountable health-care system will ultimately destroy the economy itself. 
• Even if the pandemic has hit the poor the hardest, it has also crippledthe nation. 
• But we need more than just new money for while health care is the wisest investment for the economy.
• Such an investment must be accompanied by a social compact that the same system catersto all. 
• This philosophy of universal health coverage is already practised in diverse ways, including engagement of the private sector, by scores of countries.

Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

E-Books Download for UPSC IAS Exams

General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Material

Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the e-commerce, consider the following statements:
1. All e-commerce entities have to ensure the mandatory declaration of country of origin of imported products sold on their respective sites.
2. The law relating to the issue was enacted under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) In light of COVID-19 pandemic, know about what are the inequalities and similarities between the top three pandemic affected nations?

Securing caregivers (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2:National
Prelims level:Not much 
Mains level: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education

Context:

• On Sunday, Joginder Chaudhary, a junior resident doctor at Delhi’s Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, lost his month-long battle with the novel coronavirus. 
• That he was only 27, reportedly an athletic person without any co-morbidity, speaks of the unpredictable ways of the virus — young people, especially those who do not suffer any chronic ailments, are generally deemedless vulnerable to COVID-19. 

 No government data:

• Chaudhary was placed under home quarantine initially, but the young physician’s condition deterioratedafter he complained of breathing difficulties. 
• The capital’s medical fraternity had come together to pool in money for their colleague’s treatment at a private medical facility. 
• But financial insecurity is just one of the risks that many workers at the frontline of the battle against the coronavirus — especially nurses and junior medicos like Chaudhary — face.
• Reports have indicated insufficient protective gear, failure to receive timely treatment, deviation from safety protocols and unexpected deterioration of condition — like in the case of the young Delhi doctor — as reasons for doctors’ deaths.
• But there is no government data on the healthcare workers who have succumbedto the coronavirus.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Retrofit of Air-conditioning to improve Indoor Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency (RAISE) national programme, consider the following statements:
1. It is a joint initiative of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
2. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is under the union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) The Indian healthcare system needs to go through a radical overhauling, where it can be more sustainable as well as responsive to the citizens. Examine.

Stress test (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3:Economy 
Prelims level:Financial Stability report
Mains level: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment

Context: 

• In March 2020, the Reserve Bank of India had announced a moratoriumon the repayment of all term loans for both businesses and households, to ease their burden during the period of the lockdown. 
• Initially allowed for a period of three months, it was subsequently extended till the end of August 2020. 

Financial Stability report:

• Data from the RBI’s latest financial stability report shows that at the end of April around half of the customers of scheduled commercial banks, accounting for half of the outstanding bank loans, opted to avail of the relief measures extended.
• Public sector banks shouldered a disproportionate burden of the moratorium with roughly two-thirds of borrowers availing of the facility, as opposed to less than half in the case of private banks. 
• In subsequent months, as economic activity picked up following the relaxations of the restrictions, there has been an improvement in the situation, with those availing of this facility dropping steadily.

Gross Npas:

• According to the financial stability report, NPAs were on a downward trajectory before the COVID shock.
• While the economic slowdown is likely to adversely impact banks’ non-performing assets, greater clarity on the bank’s asset quality will emerge only once the moratorium period ends. 
• While this is still some time away, the RBI has conducted a series of stress tests to project the possible impact of the economic shock on bank balance sheets. 
• According to its estimates, banks’ gross NPAs may rise to 12.5 per cent by March 2021, up from 8.5 per cent in March 2020, if the economy contracts by 4.4 per cent this year. 
• However, if the contraction worsens to 8.9 per cent, which some analysts are projecting, bad loans could rise to 14.7 per cent. 
• Public sector banks are likely to witness a larger spurt in bad loans than their private sector counterparts, though the impact on the NBFCs/HFCs is also expected to be substantial. 
• In the extreme scenario, five banks are unlikely to meet the minimum capital requirements, underlining the urgent need for banks to raise capital.

Extending the moratorium:

• Owing to its fiscal constraints, the government is unlikely to recapitalise banks to the extent required. 
• However, there is the possibility of the RBI extending the moratorium period or opting for a one-time restructuring of loans, especially for the stressed sectors. 
• The latter will push back the requirement of banks having to raise additional capital. 
• Proddingbanks to rampup lending despite data indicating their unwillingness to take on the credit risk in the economy, could further adversely affect their balance sheets. 
• This weakness in the financial sector could slow down the economic recovery.

Key Concepts:

• Moratorium period refers to the period of time during which you do not have to pay an EMI on the loan taken. This period is also known as EMI holiday. Usually, such breaks are offered to help individuals facing temporary financial difficulties to plan their finances better.
• A nonperforming asset (NPA) refers to a classification for loans or advances that are in default or in arrears. A loan is in arrears when principal or interest payments are late or missed. A loan is in default when the lender considers the loan agreement to be broken and the debtor is unable to meet his obligations.
• Regulatory capital is the minimum capital requirement as demanded by the regulators; it is the amount a bank must hold in order to operate. A regulator's primary concern is that there is sufficient capital to buffer a bank against large losses so that deposits are not at risk, with the possibility of further disruption in the financial system being minimized. Regulatory capital could be seen as the minimum capital requirement in a “liquidation / runoff” view, whereby, if a bank has to be liquidated, whether all liabilities can be paid off.
• Capital Adequacy Ratio is also known as Capital to Risk Assets Ratio, is the ratio of a bank's capital to its risk. National regulators track a bank's CAR to ensure that it can absorb a reasonable amount of loss and complies with statutory Capital requirements. It is a measure of a bank's capital.

Conclusion:

• RBI’s financial stability report underlines weakness that must be addressed, or it could slow down economic recovery.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the National Statistical Office (NSO) report on “Household Social Consumption: Education”, consider the following statements:
1. On Accessibility to schools, 92.7% of the rural households have a primary school within 1 km as compared to 87.2% in urban areas.
2. The all India literacy rate among persons aged 7 years and above is 77.7%.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Write short note on following:Moratorium period, Capital Adequacy Ratio, Regulatory capital, Nonperforming asset.

The South Asian-Gulf migrant crisis (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:International 
Prelims level:South Asian-Gulf migrant crisis
Mains level: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora

Context:

• In early July, the Kerala High Court issued notice to the Central and State governments on a petition seeking to set up a mechanism to assist NRIs who had lost their jobs abroad and had returned to India, to seek due compensation. 
• It seeks the court’s intervention to reclaim unpaid salaries, residual arrears, retirement benefits, and even compensation for relatives of migrant workers, who had died since the outbreak of COVID-19. 
• This exposes the precariousconditions of migrant workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. 
• Employers, particularly construction companies, have used the crisis as an opportunity to retrenchmasses of migrant labourers without paying them wages or allowances.

Living in misery:

• The South Asia-Gulf migration corridor is among the largest in the world. South Asians account for nearly 15 million in the Gulf. 
• According to the World Bank, in 2019, total remittances to South Asia was about $140 billion, of which India received $83.1 billion, Pakistan received $22.5 billion, Bangladesh received $18.3 billion and Nepal $8.1 billion. 
• The South Asian labour force forms the backbone of the Gulf economies, but has had to go knocking on doors for food and other basic necessities. 
• The pandemic, the shutdown of companies, the tightening of borders, and the exploitative nature of the Kafala sponsorship system have all aggravated the miseries of South Asian migrant workers. 
• They have no safety net, social security protection, welfare mechanisms, or labour rights. 
• In the initial days of the lockdown, the Kerala government was requested to send regular medicines for lifestyle diseases. 
• Since medicines are expensive in the GCC, migrants often procure them from India and stock up for a few months. 
• Now, thousands have returned home empty-handed from the host countries.

Repatriation:

• Indians constitute the largest segment of the South Asian workforce. Gulf migration is predominantly a male-driven phenomenon. 
• A majority of the migrants are single men living in congested labour camps. They share rooms and toilets, to save earnings to send back home. 
• The COVID-19 spike in these labour camps has mainly been due to overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions. 
• However, the most neglected segment turned out to be the migrant women domestic workers, whose untold miseries have increased in the present volatile situation. 
• The Indian missions, with their inadequate administrative personnel, could not adequately cater to the needs of the migrants. 
• The situation forced the Indian government to repatriate the NRIs through the Vande Bharat Mission. 
• The Indian government has repatriatedover 7.88 lakh NRIs from various destinations. 
• Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, etc. have also been repatriating their citizens.

 Rehabilitate, reintegrate, and resettle: 

• The countries of origin are now faced with the challenge of rehabilitating, reintegrating, and resettling these migrant workers. 
• To facilitate this, the Indian government has announced ‘SWADES’ for skill mapping of citizens returning from abroad, but implementation seems uncertain. 
• Kerala, the largest beneficiary of international migration, has announced ‘Dream Kerala’ to utilise the multifaceted resources of the migrants. 
• The past three major crises in the Gulf – the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the global economic crisis, and Nitaqat in Saudi Arabia – had not triggered a massive return migration. 
• However, the unprecedented nature of COVID-19 along with the fluctuation of oil prices has triggered unpredictable levels of reverse migration. 
• In the past, high unemployment among the natives, the economic crisis, demographic imbalance, and the Arab spring triggered the movement for nationalisation of labour in the GCC countries. 
• Now, the movement for nationalisation of labour and the anti-migrant sentiment have peaked. 
• Countries like Oman and Saudi Arabia have provided subsidies to private companies to prevent native lay-offs. 
• However, the nationalisation process is not going to be smooth given the stigma attached to certain jobs and the influence of ‘royal sheikh culture’.
• Paradoxically, countries that are sending migrant workers abroad are caught between the promotion of migration, on the one hand, and the protection of migrant rights in increasingly hostile countries receiving migrants, on the other. 

 Conclusion:

• The need of the hour is a comprehensive migration management system for countries that send workers as well as those that receive them. 
• No South Asian country except Sri Lanka has an adequate migration policy. 
• The pandemic has given us an opportunity to voice the rights of South Asian migrants and to bring the South Asia-Gulf migration corridor within the ambit of SAARC, the ILO, and UN conventions.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Inflamm-ageing, consider the following statements:
1. Inflamm-ageing is a chronic low-grade inflammation that develops with advanced age. 
2. The major cause of inflamm-ageing is accumulation of misplaced and misfolded self-molecules from damaged cells.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Highlights the significance of the South Asian-Gulf migrant crisis.What are steps taken by India to resolve the crisis?

The cost of haste: On drugs, vaccines and regulators (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:Health 
Prelims level:SARS-CoV-2
Mains level: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health

Context:

• So far-reaching are the effects of COVID-19 that it has harrieddrug regulatory authorities, usually the most risk-averse within the bureaucracy. 
• ‘Do no harm’ is the driving principle of drug regulation and this is reflected in the thicket of documents and permissions that stand before the average novel drug or vaccine.
• However, SARS-CoV-2, while mostly non-lethal, kills across demography and age-groups to confoundsophisticated care systems. 

Hastening:

• This has sent a signal to drug companies, biomedical firms and governments to scramblefor anything with even the slightest chance of success. 
• It is in this context that regulators, used to long timelines of testing new vaccines or drugs, are now under pressure to facilitate a solution. 
• Usually the regulators stick to weighing and dwelling on evidence of efficacy and safety. 
• India’s drug regulatory authority as well as the Department of Biotechnology, which also funds vaccine development and drug research, now collaborate on fast-tracking. 
• For instance, if an Indian company has partnered with a foreign one in developing a vaccine, then any trials already conducted by the foreign unit would be considered in allowing Indian companies to avoid repeating them in India. 
• For drugs, those that have been proven to be safe for treating one disease may skip a fresh, large human trial, or a phase-3 trial. 
• Potential vaccines too are now allowed to combine stages of trials — normally, regulators must approve results of each stage — to permit those testing the drug to move to the next stage. 
• The rush to compress timelines, in itself, is no guarantee that a workable vaccine or reliable drug will emerge any faster. 
• Drugs and vaccine-development have historically been expensive because immunology is a complex, eternal struggle with disease, and with high failures.

 Emergency use:

• There have been instances when disease mortalityis so high that not offering even a half-baked drug or a vaccine would be unethical. 
• That is a call regulators have to constantly take. But not all emergencies are the same. 
• There is now a situation, as in the case of itolizumab, a psoriasis drug repurposed for COVID-19, where the drug regulator has approved it for emergency use but the COVID-19 task force has expressed its reservations. 
• Such dissonanceamong experts is unacceptable especially when they all have access to the same evidence. 
• There is a tendency to view COVID-19 vaccine development or a new drug as a ‘race’ in which only the first vaccine to be out matters. 
• Historically, vaccines, even those targeting the same disease, only get better over time.

Conclusion:

• Will COVID-19 continuously lingeras an endemic disease or will it mutateinto oblivion.
• If it is the former, scientists can continue to work on better drugs or improved vaccines. Haste does not aid science.
• Regulators of drugs and vaccines should not have to sign off on low-pass filters.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)Which of the following hospital has started a video-consultation program with ICU doctors across the country called e-ICU?
(a) AIIMS New Delhi
(b) Sir Ganga Ram Hospital
(c) Apollo New Delhi
(d) None of the above

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Regulators of drugs and vaccines should not have to sign off on low-pass filters. Critically examine the statement.

Digging deeper: On GST compensation (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 3:Economy 
Prelims level:GST compensation
Mains level: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment

Context:

• Four months into FY2020-21, the Centre has finally managed to pay States the compensation due to them for the previous year under the GST regime. 
• This may come as a breatherfor States seeking to finance efforts to ramp uppublic health-care capacity and contain COVID-19’s detrimentaleffects on vulnerable sections. 

Compensation: 

• The last instalment of ₹13,806 crore for March 2020 was paid out recently, taking the total payments for the year to ₹1,65,302 crore. 
• To refresh, States were guaranteed compensation from the Centre for the first five years of the new indirect tax regime introduced in July 2017. 
• Compensation was to be provided for the revenues they lost after the shift from the earlier system where States had the power to levy some indirect taxes on economic activity. 
• This compensation assumed a 14% annual growth rate in a State’s revenue, with 2015-16 as the base year, and was to be paid out from a compensation cess levied on top of the specified GST rate on luxury and sin goods. 
• With growth down over the previous fiscal year even before the pandemic waylaid the economy, the assumptions of the not-too-distant past are beginning to hurt. 
• Compensation cessunder GST last year was almost ₹70,000 crore less than the payments due to States.

Daunting task:

• This gap is likely to enlarge further this year with expected economic contraction dentingGST collections as well. 
• Compensation cess inflows could shrink even more with people curbing discretionary spending on luxury goods in order to conserve capital or stay afloat in the pandemic-hit economy. 
• A little over half of the shortfall in last year’s cess kitty has been pluggedby tapping cess balances from the first two years of GST implementation. 
• The rest has been conjured upfrom the Consolidated Fund of India by debiting Integrated GST (IGST) funds that were lying with the Centre. 
• IGST is levied on inter-State supply of goods and services and some of this levy collected in 2017-18 — the first year of GST when systems were still a tad ad-hoc— had not yet been allocated to States. 
• Having thus drawn on these unintended contingent reserves, paying compensation to States this year is going to be even more dauntingfor the Centre. 
• At the last GST Council meeting in June, Finance Minister had said the Council would convene again in July just to discuss the possible alternatives to deal with this particular conundrum. 
• The chief solution officials have been fleshing out is for the Centre to raise special loans against future GST cess accruals in order to help meet its compensation promise to States. 
• There is no sign of that meeting being scheduled yet. That the pandemic’s economic havoc has thrown up multiple challenges for North Block mandarinsis understandable. 
• But with a third of the fiscal year almost over, it would help the Centre and the States to battle the virus more effectively if they had more certainty and clarity on the cash at their disposal.

 Conclusion:

• With GST collections set to shrink, the Centre must find new ways to compensate States.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the open sky agreement, consider the following statements:
1. National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016 allows the Government of India to enter into an ‘Open sky’ Air Service Agreement (ASA) on a reciprocal basis with SAARC countries and countries with territory located entirely beyond a 5000 km radius from New Delhi. 
2. Unlimited flights above the existing bilateral rights will be allowed directly to and from major international airports within the country as notified by Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) from time to time. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Highlights the significance of GST. What are the concerns between State and Centre in terms of financial matters and recent development in light of pandemic?

Protect the peace (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3:Security 
Prelims level:2015 Framework agreement
Mains level: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security

Context:

• Recent developments in Nagaland suggest that a tenuouspeace deal is increasingly coming under strain.
• A government directive earlier this month that all its officials must declare if any relative was working for underground organisations has evokeda strong reaction from the NSCN (I-M). 
• The state government has since clarified that the directive was issued on the order of the governor, R N Ravi. 

2015 Framework agreement:

• The NSCN (I-M), the most powerful rebel group in the state and a signatory to the 2015 framework agreement, suspects that the government wants to reduce the Naga political cause to a law and order problem.
• The framework agreement that promised a resolution of the Naga issue was hailed as “historic” by Prime Minister. 
• But the differences that persisted between the Centre and the rebels could not be resolved in the past five years. 
• An indication of the stress in the peace talks was a June 16 letter from Governor Ravi to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. 
• In the letter, he spoke about rampant “extortions(loot) and violence” and “armed gangs” running “parallel governments” in the state. 
• The state government said the assessment was not “factual”.

 NSCN (I-M):

• The NSCN (I-M) described the government directive as “despicable”, “insulting” and “demeaning” and “incompatible with the spirit of Indo-Naga peace process”. 
• The situation has turned worse after an anti-extortion squad of Nagaland Police shot an alleged member of NSCN (Khaplang) on June 23 in Kohima.
• At the root of the present trouble is the perception regarding the status of rebel groups such as the NSCN (I-M) in Naga society. 
• The rebels portray themselves as freedom fighters and believe that, as political workers, they have the right to “tax” people. 
• Governor Ravi, who has worked tirelessly as the Centre’s interlocutor to bring peace to the state, has sought to diminish this claim and privilege the authority of the elected government over the rebels. 
• This has the potential to delegitimise the claims of rebels, including the NSCN (I-M), in representing the Nagas in talks with the Centre. 

Conclusion:

• The 2015 framework agreement, which built on the 1997 ceasefire between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M), has given rise to hope that the country’s longest surviving insurgency can be settled peacefully to the satisfaction of all the stakeholders. 
• Peace has a large constituency in Nagaland, of course. 
• However, this constituency may have also invested in the NSCN (I-M) to represent what they believe is the “unique history, culture and position of the Nagas and their sentiments and aspirations”.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the World Health Organization (WHO), consider the following statements:
1. India’s contribution to the WHO is about USD 40 million, one-tenth of that of the US.
2. The United States has been a party to the WHO Constitution since June 21, 1948.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: B

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What is the track record of NSCM-IM? How has the Indian establishment reacted to the Naga cause?

Modern tools, age-old wisdom: on India-Sri Lanka relations (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:International Relations 
Prelims level:Non-alliance foreign policies
Mains level: India and its neighbourhood- relations

Context:

• The unique India-Sri Lanka relationship, de jureis between equals as sovereign nations. 
• But it’s asymmetric in terms of geographic size, population, military and economic power, on the one hand, and social indicators and geographical location, on the other. 
• It is steepedin myth and legend, and influenced by religious, cultural and social affinities. 
• This is an opportune time for Sri Lanka and India to nourish the roots of the relationship using modern toolkits, but leveraging age-old wisdom and experience.

Historical ties:

• History reveals that the advent of Buddhism to Sri Lanka during the time of Emperor Ashoka was the result of cross-border discourse.
• For many centuries in the first millennia, the ancient capital city of Anuradhapura housed an international community which included traders from India, China, Rome, Arabia and Persia. 
• Later, Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka travelled to India, China, Cambodia and Java leaving behind inscriptions. Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka, to this day, contain shrines for Hindu deities. 
• The colonial expansion of European maritime nations reshaped the Sri Lankan economy. 
• Labour from south India was brought to Sri Lanka to work in plantations. 
• The Indian freedom struggle had its influence on Sri Lanka as well. 
• There was cross-border support for the revival of culture, tradition, local languages, spiritual practices and philosophies, and education. 
• Both countries transformed into modern nations with constitutional and institutionalised governance under colonial rule.

 Emergence of separatist ideologies: 

• Most aspects of today’s globalisation existed in a different form in the pre-colonial era with free exchange of ideas, trade and intellectual discourse. 
• However, process engineering by colonial powers for identification and categorisation of people was a factor in the emergence of separatist ideologies based on ethnicity, language and religion. 
• This mindset is now ingrained and accentuatedin politics. 
• Episodic instances of communal hostility are referenced often to suit tactical political gain. 
• Around the world today, and not just in South Asia, policies and thinking are becoming communally exclusive, localised and inward-looking. 
• The COVID-19 hit the world against this backdrop, allowing some leaders an opportunity to double down on insular thinking, ostensiblyfor providing local communities with better economic and social prospects, and security.

 In line with non-alliance foreign policies:

• Meanwhile, governance models favoured by nations keep vacillating between fundamental freedoms-based democratic systems and quasi democratic, socialist authoritarian systems. 
• In this regard, the people of Sri Lanka and India have been served well by long years of uninterrupteddemocratic governance. 
• This has provided long-term stability for both countries and must not be vitiated.
• Sri Lanka’s strategic location makes it apparent that not only economic fortunes but the security of both countries are inextricablylinked. 
• Therefore, it is heartening that India and Sri Lanka constantly strive for excellence in neighbourly relations, recognising that a calamity in one country can adversely impact the other. 
• Though robust partnerships with other countries must be sought in line with the non-alliance foreign policies of both countries, such efforts must be bounded by an atmosphere needed for peace, prosperity and stability. 
• Among others, freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific together with a rules-based international order and peaceful settlement of disputes are of common interest. 
• While avoiding advocacy of zero-sumsolutions on crucial issues, both countries must seek to harmonise strategic and other interests in line with common values and socioeconomic compulsions.

Addressing issues and imbalances:

• The socioeconomic development of Sri Lanka has remained linked to India. 
• But there are many options available to address issues of imbalance and asymmetries. 
• For instance, Sri Lanka can encourage Indian entrepreneurs to make Colombo another business hub for them, as logistical capacities and facilities for rest and recreation keep improving in Sri Lanka. 
• Integrating the two economies but with special and differential treatment for Sri Lanka due to economic asymmetries can be fast-tracked for this purpose. 
• There is immense potential to accentuate or create complementariness, using locational and human resource potential, for harnessing benefits in the modern value chains. 
• Robust partnerships across the economic and social spectrum can promote people-to-people bonhomie. 
• And engagement of legislatures is essential for promoting multiparty support.

Conclusion:

• With many countries recedinginto cocoons due to the pandemic, this is an opportunity for both countries to focus on the renewal and revitalisation of partnerships.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Kuwait’s draft residency bill, consider the following statements:
1. The draft bill proposes to reduces the number of expats in Kuwait from over 70% to 30% of the population.
2. The bill specifies country-wise caps designating a quota for how many people of a certain nationality can be allowed to work in Kuwait.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Highlighting about India- Sri Lanka relations. What are the key areas of cooperation? Describe it significance of the relations and areas of sourness in the relations. 

Needed, a map for India’s foreign policy (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:International Relations 
Prelims level:SAARC
Mains level: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

Context:

• Not long ago, India was seen as a natural rising power in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region. 
• It was the de factoleader of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). It has historical and cultural ties with Nepal. 
• It enjoyed traditional goodwill and influence in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. 
• It had made investments worth billions of dollars in Afghanistan and cultivated vibrant ties with the post-Taliban stakeholders in Kabul. 
• It had committed itself to multilateralism and the Central Asian connectivity project, with Iran being its gateway. 
• It was competing and cooperating with China at the same time, while the long border between the two countries remained largely peaceful.

Present times:

• India is perhaps facing its gravest national security crisis in 20 years, with China having changed the status quoalong the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the western sector in its favour. 
• The border saw violent clashes last month, leading to fatalities for the first time in 45 years. 
• SAARC is out of joint. Nepal has turned hostilehaving adopted a new map and revived border disputes with India. 
• Sri Lanka has tilted towards China, which is undertaking massive infrastructure projects in the Indian Ocean island. 
• Bangladesh is clearly miffedat the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. When Afghanistan is undergoing a major transition, India is out of the multi-party talks. 
• Iran has inaugurated a railway link project connecting the Chabahar port, on the Gulf of Oman, to Zahedan (which India was to have constructed) without India. 
• How did we get here? Specific reasons can be found for these setbacks. Also, foreign policy need not be static. 
• There will be ups and downs depending on the changes in policy as well as the changes in global politics. 
• But what makes the current downturn serious is that there is a relative decline in India’s smart power, especially in the neighbourhood and the extended neighbourhood, which demands a deeper perusalof the foreign policy trajectory itself. 
• And when we dig deep, three problems can be found which are more or less linked to this decline — a closer alignment of policy with the U.S. line, coupling of foreign policy with domestic politics and hubris.

 The U.S. line:

• India’s official policy is that it is committed to multilateralism.
• Even after India started moving away from non-alignment, which it calls irrelevant in the post-Cold War world order, New Delhi maintained that strategic autonomy would remain the bedrock of its policy thinking. 
• But there has been a steady erosion in India’s strategic autonomy, which predates the current government. 
• When India started deepening its partnership with the United States (which was a historical necessity), New Delhi began steadily aligning its policies with U.S. interests. The case of Iran is the best example. 
• The agreement to develop the Chabahar port was signed in 2003. 
• But India, under pressure from the U.S., was moving slowly, despite the fact that the project offered India an alternative route to Central Asia bypassing Pakistan. 
• India voted against Iran at the United Nations; scuttledan ambitious gas pipeline project and cut down trade ties drastically. 
• After the Iran nuclear deal was signed in 2015, India immediately stepped up oil purchases and expanded works at Chabahar. 
• In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Tehran and signed a trilateral connectivity project with Afghanistan and Iran. 
• But when U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Iran deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on the country, India toed the U.S. line, bringing down its oil imports to zero.

Changing Beijing’s Assessment of India:

• This dilly-dallying to the tunes of policy changes in Washington co-existed with India’s deepening defence and military ties with the U.S. 
• Washington wants India to play a bigger role in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific region to contain China’s rise. 
• While India has been cautious of becoming an ally, it has steadily deepened military-to-military cooperation in the recent past — the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) is one example. 
• These developments probably altered Beijing’s assessment of India. 
• The border aggression at different points on the LAC could not be a localised conflict; it is part of a larger strategic move, initiated by the top brass of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). 
• One of the reasons for the shift could be Beijing’s assessment that India has already become a de facto allyof the U.S. 
• The forceful alteringof the status quo on the border is a risky message as much to New Delhi as it is to Washington.

Domestic politics:

• At least two decisions taken by the government mainly keeping its domestic audience in mind have had foreign policy consequences. 
• First, the passing of the CAA. The official narrative has been that India is offering citizenship to the persecuted minorities of select countries in its neighbourhood. 
• There were two problems. 
• One, this is regionalisation of the domestic problems of the countries in India’s neighbourhood, some of which are its long-time friends. These countries are genuinely upset with India’s move. 
• Two, Muslims, including those sub-sects persecuted in neighbouring countries, were by design excluded from the citizenship programme. 
• This drove new wedgesbetween India and the countries that had a Muslim majority and were friendly to India in the neighbourhood. 
• Forget Pakistan, which is a traditional rival. 
• Bangladesh took offence at the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (from which the government has temporarily backed off) and the political rhetoric in India against the “termites” from other countries. 
• Bangladeshi media reported recently that the Indian envoy in Dhaka had tried to fix an appointment with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for four months but did not get one. 
• There were anti-India protests even in Afghanistan.

 Abrogation of A-370:

• The abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. This was another popular move among those who form the support base of the ruling party. 
• But it led to the suspension of fundamental rights in the Kashmir Valley for a prolonged period that damaged India’s reputation as a responsible democratic power and gave propaganda weapons to Pakistan. 
• The move did not help India quellmilitancy either as the Valley continues to see violence nearly a year after the decision. 
• More importantly, the change of status quo in Jammu and Kashmir, including the bifurcation and reduction of the erstwhile State into Union Territories, could be another factor that prompted the Chinese to move aggressively towards the border in Ladakh.

The perils of hubris:

• Misplaced confidence does not do good for rising powers. Great powers wait to establish their standing before declaring that they have arrived. 
• The Soviet Union started acting like a superpower after it won (with allies), the Second World War. 
• China bided its time for four decades before it started taking on the mighty U.S. Since the 1970s, its focus has almost entirely been on its economic rise. 
• India should learn from at least these modern examples. If it did, it would not have used high-handedness in Nepal during the country’s constitutional crisis and caused a traditional and civilisational ally to turn hostile. 
• The updated political map which India released in November rubbed salt into the woundon the Nepal border.

Conclusion:

• To address the current crises, India has to reconsider its foreign policy trajectory. It is a big power with one of the world’s biggest militaries. 
• It is a natural naval force in the Indian Ocean. 
• It does not lack resources to claim what is its due in global politics. What it lacks is strategic depth.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), consider the following statements:
1. India’s largest commercial shipbuilder Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) has signed contracts for construction of two autonomous electric ferries for Norway-based ASKO Maritime. 
2. This Autonomous Electrical vessel project, partially funded by the Norwegian Government, is aimed at emission-free transport of goods across the Oslo fjord.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Relevance of India’s Foreign Policy at contemporary times and need for its reconsideration in the backdrop of setbacks, especially in the neighbourhood. Critically comment.

In reverse gear: on draft EIA notification(The Hindu)

Mains Paper 3:Environment 
Prelims level:Environment Impact Assessment
Mains level: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Context:

• The Union Ministry of Environment has been in the spotlight on more than one occasion during the pandemic, as it worked to push through retrogradeenvironmental decisions in an atmosphere of general paralysis. 
• In April, Environment Minister used a virtual conference to ensure that the National Board for Wildlife’s Standing Committee stampedits approval on several projects, with serious implications for conservation. 
• He now wants to hurriedly make a fundamental change to the process of project approvals, by introducing a new Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification. 
• Now in draft, it seeks to replace the existing EIA notification of 2006. 

New proposal:

• The proposed provisions show that the Ministry has gone to great lengths to reduce or even remove public participation, and by extension independent expert opinion. 
• Public reporting of violations may also not be taken cognisanceof before granting environmental clearances.
• While there can be no argument about the importance of development projects, it has resorted to sophistryin classifying activity for exemptions. 
• Section 26 provides a list of projects that would not attract environmental clearance or permission, including coal mining and seismic surveys for oil, methane and shale gas on some lands. 
• Section 14 provides exemption for these and some other projects from public consultation, also limiting the scope of public involvement to the districts concerned, in the case of national parks and sanctuaries where pipeline infrastructure will pass. 
• Roads and highways get liberal concessions. 
• Further, it retains the clause that if a public agency or authority considers the local situation not conducive to participation by citizens, the public consultation need not include a public hearing.

Checks and balances:

• In spite of the far-reaching nature of its proposed actions, the Centre has displayed unseemly haste to get them in place and Mr. Javadekar has not aided credibility by trying to shut down public responses to the draft early. 
• It took a Delhi High Court order to extend the deadline to August 11. 
• The exercise has been further muddiedby the mysterious blocking of some activist websites calling for the EIA proposal to be dropped, and demanding a new approach towards conserving natural resources for future generations. 
• Clearly, the Centre’s attempts at weakening checks and balances are not new. 
• A study of coal mining clearances shows that 4,302 hectares of forest were diverted during 2014-18, favouring extraction over conservation. 

Conclusion:

• COVID-19 has powerfully demonstrated the value of nature for well-being: of lost forests and captured wildlife bringing virus reservoirs closer to humans and foul air destroying their health. 
• While there might be a case for some changes, much of the proposed EIA system can only make things worse, and should not be pushed through.
• The draft EIA notification needs wider consultation and progressive changes.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the plague, consider the following statements:
1. Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, a zoonotic bacteria, usually found in small mammals and their fleas. 
2. Any person with pneumonic plague may transmit the disease via droplets to other humans.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What do you mean by environment impact assessment? Describe its process, and what is the recent dispute related to the proposed draft?