Context: Recently, Gujarat’s state government has cleared the Gujarat Agricultural Produce Markets (Amendment) Ordinance 2020.
Key Amendments

• The ordinance restricts the jurisdiction of APMCs to the physical boundaries of their respective marketing yards.
• They can levy cess only on those transactions, happening within the boundary walls of their Marketing yard.
• It provides traders with one unified single trading licence through which they can participate in trading activities anywhere in the state.
• It will allow multiple traders to attract the farmers depending on the quality of their produce and offer competitive prices without the restriction of place and area jurisdiction.
• The director of an APMC and the Gujarat State Agriculture marketing board will also start taking care of the grievance redressal which was solely managed by the APMC till now.

Significance of these changes:

• The changes help develop these markets to efficiently function as marketing platform nearest to the farm gate.
• They also ensure that the spirit of competition is encouraged and the principle of ‘farmer first’ is kept in mind.
• The Farmers will not be bound to sell only to one particular APMC and can choose the one with the best deal in their favour.
• Also, the act removes the conventional involvement of middlemen by allowing farmers to sell their crops in a free market. This is a progressive step towards a more robust farm economy.

About Agricultural Produce Market Committee

• It is a statutory market committee constituted by a State Government in respect of trade in certain notified agricultural or horticultural or livestock products.
• It is set up under the Agricultural Produce Market Committee Act issued by that state government.

Its Objectives

• Ensure transparency in pricing systems and transactions taking place in the market area.
• Provide market-led extension services to farmers.
• Ensure payment for agricultural produce sold by farmers on the same day.
• Promote agricultural processing including activities for value addition in agricultural produce.
• Setup and promote public private partnership in the management of agricultural markets, etc.

Context: Recently, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved US$ 500 million for ‘Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project’ initiated by India.
About “COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project” 

• It will enable the Government of India to slow and limit as much as possible the spread of COVID-19 in India by providing immediate support to enhance disease detection capacities by scaling up procurement of PPE, oxygen delivery systems, and medicines, build resilient health systems.
• It is aimed at providing core public health, prevention, and patient management functions to manage COVID-19 and future disease outbreaks.
• It will support research on COVID-19 by Indian and other global institutions working in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research.
• It will address significant negative externalities expected in the event of a widespread COVID-19 outbreak and strengthen public structures for the coordination and management of the project.
• The primary project beneficiaries will be infected people, at-risk populations, medical and emergency personnel, service providers at medical and testing facilities (both public and private), and public and animal health agencies engaged in India’s COVID-19 response.
• It will help strengthen India’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Program, revamp infectious disease hospitals, district, civil, general and medical college hospitals, and build a network of high containment Biosafety Level 3 laboratories.
• The project is being financed by the World Bank and AIIB in the amount of $1.5 billion, of which $1.0 billion will be provided by World Bank and $500 million will be provided by AIIB.
• The project will be implemented by the National Health Mission (NHM), the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

About Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank(AIIB)

• It is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia.
• It is established by the AIIB Articles of Agreement in year 2015 which is a multilateral treaty. The Parties (57 founding members) to agreement comprise the Membership of the Bank.
• It is headquartered in Beijing and began its operations in January 2016.
• India joined AIIB in 2016 as a regional member of the Bank.
• The members of the Bank have now grown to 102 approved members worldwide.
• Further, fourteen of the G-20 nations are AIIB members including France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.
• By investing in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors in Asia and beyond, it connects people, services and markets that over time will impact the lives of billions and build a better future.

Context: Recently, the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitaraman launched INR-USD Futures and Options contracts.
Key Points

• The INR-USD Futures and Options contracts were launched on the two International Exchanges i.e. Bombay Stock Exchange’s India INX and National Stock Exchange’s NSE-IFSC, at GIFT International Financial Services Centre at Gandhinagar.
• It will help in bringing back significant share of financial services related to India which was moved to other international financial centres.
• This is expected to help the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduce the volatility in the value of the Indian rupee and avoid a repeat of the 2013 taper tantrum when the rupee tumbled by 20%.
• It would also bring larger global participation in India through IFSC and connect India’s IFSC globally.

About India International Exchange

• The India International Exchange Limited (India INX) is India’s first international stock exchange.
• It is located at the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in GIFT city, Gujarat and a subsidiary of BSE Limited.
• It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 January 2017.
• It operates on EUREX T7, an advanced technology platform.
• It is the world’s fastest exchange, with a turn-around time of 4 microseconds.
• It operates 22 hours a day, six days a week facilitating international investors and Non-Resident Indians to trade from anywhere across the globe at their preferred timings.

Importance 

• A significant market share in financial services related to India has moved to other international financial centres over the last decade.
• Bringing this business to India is clearly beneficial in terms of economic activity and employment gains for India.
• The launch of INR-USD contracts at the exchanges in GIFT-IFSC is a step in this direction.
• This will be available 22 hours across all time zones for all global participants from GIFT IFSC.
• Given the world-class business environment and competitive tax regime at GIFT-IFSC, it is expected that trading of INR-USD contracts may bring volumes to India.

Context: The Covid-19 pandemic and consequential national lockdown in the country has laid a grave impact on the Indian economy.As COVID-19 curve stretches further, there is a call for a large stimulus to pull the economy back from recession. Thus, an introduction of a Consol Bond is one of the solutions for the government to fund the stimulus.
Concerns

• India projected a deficit of Rs 7.96-lakh crore in the Budget before the pandemic.

Adding to the above concern: 

• Off-balance sheet borrowings of 1% of GDP. 
• The overly excessive target of Rs 2.1 lakh crore through disinvestments.
• Thus, financial deficit number is set to grow by a wide margin owing to corona crisis.
• There will be revenue shrinkage from the coming depression that will most certainly be accompanied by a lack of appetite for disinvestment.
• In addition to the expenditure that was planned, the government has to spend between Rs 5-lakh crore and Rs 6-lakh crore as stimulus.
• The financial deficit number is set to grow by a wide margin due to revenue shortage caused due to lockdown
• There is lack of appetite for disinvestment.
• Even though RBI has increased the limit on ways and means for States by 60%, many of them have asked to double the limits. This is due to the shortages faced by States in indirect taxation collections from GST, fuel and liquor. 
• The government and the central bank need to understand that half measures will do more harm than good.

About Consol Bond

• It is a form of British government bond that has no maturity and that pays a fixed coupon.
• It is often considered a type of equity, rather than debt.
• The major benefit of these bonds is that they pay a steady stream of interest payments forever. However, these bonds can be redeemed at issuer's discretion.
• Consols are basically rare examples of actual perpetual bonds.
• The bonds were issued first time in 1917 as the government sought to raise more money to finance the ongoing cost of the First World War.

Why Consol Bonds is a good option for India?

• The introduction of the Consol bonds would have been a better solution for the government if people would have invested in consol bonds instead of making donations to PM-CARES. 
• It could have made citizens as active participants in handling the economic scenario of the country.
• Unlike PM-CARES, the proceeds of the bonds could have been used to fulfil the various essential medical as well as economic requirements of the country.
• There is no denying the fact that the traditional option of monetising the deficit by having the central bank buy government bonds is one worth pursuing.Citizens’ active participation is ensured in Consol Bond type alternative.
• Furthermore, with the fall of real estate and given the lack of safe havens outside of gold, the bond would offer a dual benefit as a risk-free investment for retail investors.
• When instrumented, it would be issued by the central government on a perpetual basis with a right to call it back when it seems fit.
• An attractive coupon rate for the bond or tax rebates could also be an incentive for investors.
• The government can consider a phased redemption of these bonds after the economy is put back on a path of high growth.

About Perpetual Bonds

• A perpetual bond, also known as a “consol bond” or “prep,” is fixed income security with no maturity date.
• This type of bond is often considered a type of equity, rather than debt. One major drawback to these types of bonds is that they are not redeemable.
• However, the major benefit of them is that they pay a steady stream of interest payments forever.
• Perpetual bonds exist within a small niche of the bond market.
• This is mainly due to the fact that there are very few entities that are safe enough for investors to invest in a bond where the principal will never be repaid.
• AT-1 bonds which were recently in news due to YES bank failure is an example of a perpetual bond.

Context: Recently, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has recommended that the government issue guidelines directing direct workers to rejoin duty.
Key Points

• The recommendation, along with several more, were made at a meeting between CII representatives and Labour and Employment Minister.
• Those failing to report for work must be made liable for action under the Employment Standing Order Act and the Industrial Dispute Act.
• States needed to put the revision of minimum wages on hold for at least one year and that normal working hours of employees across sectors are increased by allowing four hours overtime per day.
• The workers’ consent has to be taken for the overtime.
• Migrant workers residing in shelter homes or available locally near the industrial belts be mapped and deployed to the nearest factories.
• The provisions of layoff under the Industrial Dispute Act be extended to commercial establishments as a job retention measure for workers having no work. For the period of layoff, such workers shall remain on rolls and will get reduced wages along with statutory benefits such as ESIC and PF. 
• Further, it sought removal of labour advisories issued under the Disaster Management Act that prohibits employers from any wage reduction, layoff and retrenchment of workers.
• Employees’ State Insurance Corporation and the EPFO should take up massive campaigns and draw up a communication strategy to inform workers to rejoin work.

About Confederation of Indian Industries(CII)

• CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization. It was founded in 1895.
• It works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering industry, Government, and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.

Functions of CII

• To identify and strengthen industry’s role in the economic development of the country
• To act as a catalyst in bringing about the growth and development of Indian Industry
• To reinforce industry’s commitment to society
• To provide up-to-date information and data to industry and government
• To create awareness and support industry’s efforts on quality, environment, energy management, and consumer protection.

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Finance has provided that Atal Pension Yojana has successfully completed its 5 years with a remarkable feat of 2.23 crore enrolment.
Key Points

• The scheme was launched on 9th May, 2015, with the objective of creating a universal social security system for all Indians, especially the poor, the under-privileged and the workers in the unorganised sector.
• It was announced in Budget 2015-16 as an upgrade to the Swavalamban scheme, which was developed into the new defined benefit pension scheme for the poor.
• It is administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• It is open to all bank account holders in the age group of 18 to 40 years and the contributions differ, based on pension amount chosen.
• The subscribers of the scheme would receive the guaranteed minimum monthly pension of Rs.1000 or Rs.2000 or Rs.3000 or Rs.4000 or Rs.5000 at the age of 60 years.
• The minimum pension would be guaranteed by the Government, i.e., if the accumulated corpus based on contributions earns a lower than estimated return on investment.
• The scheme has been implemented comprehensively across the country covering all states and Union Territories with male to female subscription ratio of 57:43.
• However, only 5% of the eligible population has been covered under APY till date.

Importance of Atal Pension Yojana

• It aims to protect the employees of unorganized sector who are not protected under any social security schemes.
• It is very simply structured, which makes it easy to understand for anyone who wants to open an account under the scheme.
• It provides a minimum guaranteed pension ranging from Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 on attaining 60 years of age.
• The amount of pension is guaranteed for lifetime to the spouse on death of the subscriber.
• In the event of death of both the subscriber and the spouse, the entire pension corpus is paid to the nominee.
• Contributions to the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) are eligible for tax benefits similar to the National Pension System (NPS).

About Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

• It is the statutory authority established by an enactment of the Parliament.
• It aims to regulate, promote and ensure orderly growth of the National Pension System (NPS) and pension schemes to which this Act applies.
• NPS was initially notified for central government employees recruits w.e.f. 1st Jan 2004 and subsequently adopted by almost all State Governments for its employees.
• NPS was extended to all Indian citizens (resident/non-resident/overseas) on a voluntary basis and to corporates for its employees.

Context: Recently, the Union Minister of Finance announced the 2nd Tranche of measures under Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, to ameliorate the hardships faced specifically by migrant labours, street vendors, migrant urban poor, small traders self-employed people, small farmers and housing.
Key Points

• The announced measures also form a part of the Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Earlier, the Economic Stimulus-I was announced which includes both liquidity financing measures and credit guarantees.

Free food grains supply to migrants for 2 months

• For the migrant labour, additional food grain to all the States/UTs at the rate of 5 kg per migrant labourer and 1 kg Chana per family per month for two months i.e. May and June, 2020 free of cost shall be allocated.
• Migrant labourers not covered under National Food Security Act or without a ration card in the State/UT in which they are stranded at present will be eligible.
• States/UTs shall be advised to put a mechanism for targeted distribution as envisaged in the scheme.
• The entire outlay of Rs. 3500 crore will be borne by Government of India.

One Nation-One Ration Card

• It is announced that, by August 2020, the ration card portability scheme will allow 67 crore NFSA beneficiaries in 23 connected States to use their cards at any ration shop anywhere in the country.
• This would allow migrant workers to access subsidised food away from their home villages. The scheme would cover all beneficiaries by March 2021.
• The Pilot scheme for portability of ration cards will be extended to 23 states.
• 100% National portability will be achieved by March, 2021.
• It will enable a migrant worker and their family members to access PDS benefits from any Fair Price Shop in the country.

Affordable Rental Housing Complexes for Migrant Workers and Urban Poor

• The Central Government will launch a scheme for migrant workers and urban poor to provide ease of living at affordable rent.
• Affordable Rental Housing Complexes will provide social security and quality life to migrant labour, urban poor, and students etc.
• It will be done through converting government funded houses in the cities into Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) under PPP mode through concessionaire; manufacturing units, industries, institutions, associations to develop Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) on their private land and operate.

2% Interest Subvention for 12 months for Shishu MUDRA loanees - Relief of Rs. 1,500 crore

• The Government of India will provide Interest subvention of 2% for prompt payees for a period of 12 months to MUDRA Shishu loanees, who have loans below Rs 50,000.
• The current portfolio of MUDRA Shishu loans is around Rs 1.62 Lakh crore.

Credit facility for Street Vendors

• A special scheme will be launched within a month to facilitate easy access to credit to Street vendors, who are amongst the most adversely impacted by the present situation for enabling them to restart their businesses.
• Under this scheme, bank credit facility for initial working capital up to Rs. 10,000 for each enterprise will be extended.
• It is expected that 50 lakh street vendors will be benefitted under this scheme and credit of Rs. 5,000 crore would flow to them.
• Rs 70,000 crore boost to housing sector and middle income group through extension of  Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme for MIG under PMAY(Urban)
• The Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme for Middle Income Group (annual Income between Rs 6 and 18 lakhs) will be extended up to March 2021.
• It will benefit 2.5 lakhs middle income families during 2020-21 and will lead to investment of over Rs 70,000 crore in housing sector.

Creating employment using CAMPA funds

• Approximately Rs 6,000 crore of funds under Compensatory Afforestation Management & Planning Authority (CAMPA) will be used for Afforestation and Plantation works, including in urban areas, Artificial regeneration, assisted natural regeneration, Forest management, soil & moisture conservation works, Forest protection, forest and wildlife related infrastructure development, wildlife protection and management etc.

Additional Emergency Working Capital for farmers through NABARD

• NABARD will extend additional re-finance support of Rs 30,000 crore for meeting crop loan requirement of Rural Cooperative Banks and RRBs.
• It will benefit around 3 crore farmers, mostly small and marginal and it will meet their post-harvest Rabi and current Kharif requirements.

Credit boost under Kisan Credit Card Scheme

• A special drive to provide concessional credit to PM-KISAN beneficiaries through Kisan Credit Cards. Fisherman and Animal Husbandry Farmers will also be included in this drive.
• It will inject additional liquidity of Rs 2 lakh crore in the farm sector. 2.5 crore farmers will be covered.

Criticisms

• An economist pointed out that the only fiscal outlay in the announcements are the Rs 3,500 crore for food grains to migrants and Rs 1,500 crore for the MUDRA loanees. So only Rs 5,000 crore is actually coming from government coffers, while the rest are credit-based measures.
• Terming the government’s approach as stingy and half-hearted, it was noted that at a time when demand is down, any move to provide liquidity are not going to help.
• It is believed that putting cash in people’s pockets would have been a better approach.
• IIM-Ahmedabad professor and economist who had calculated that 10 crore people have been excluded from NFSA coverage due to growth since census 2011, said the new intervention of providing free foodgrains would not even cover that shortfall.
• There are 50 crore people in the country without ration cards, of which 10 crore are legally entitled to PDS grain under NFSA. Of the rest, there are many people who were managing in normal times, vegetable vendors, gig economy workers, autorickshaw drivers, who are in dire straits now. PDS needed to be extended to all these people at this time.
• Economists have asked the government for a one-time cash transfer to vulnerable sections like migrant labourers.
• There were no steps taken to extend Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) employment guarantee to at least 200 days. Currently, MGNREGA aims to provide at least 100 days of wage employment.

Context: Recently, the Union Finance Minister announced liquidity measures for businesses, especially Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs), as part of the first tranche of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
Key Points

• The 16 specific announcements announced in the first tranche cut across sectors that range from MSME and NBFCs to real estate and power distribution and the salaried.
• The overarching theme was that of infusing liquidity, engineering a pass-through effect that ultimately puts more disposable funds in the hands of both entrepreneurs and employees.

For employees/ tax payers

• For salaried workers and taxpayers, relief has been provided in the form of an extended deadline for income tax returns for the financial year 2019-20.
• The due date has been pushed to November 30, 2020.
• The rates of Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) and Tax Collection at Source (TCS) have been cut by 25% for the next year.
• Employee Provident Fund (EPF) support, provided to low-income organised workers in small units under the PMGKY is being extended for another three months.
• It is expected to provide liquidity relief of Rs 2500 crore.
• Statutory Provident Fund (PF) payments have been reduced from 12% to 10% for both employers and employees for the next three months.

For MSMEs

• The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) will get the bulk of the funding.
• The Rs3 lakh crore emergency credit line announced will ensure that 45 lakh units will have access to working capital to resume business activity and safeguard jobs.
• For two lakh MSMEs which are stressed or considered non-performing assets, the Centre will facilitate provision of Rs20,000 crore as subordinate debt.
• A Rs 50,000 crore equity infusion is also planned, through an MSME fund of funds with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore.
• The definition of an MSME is being expanded to allow for higher investment limits and the introduction of turnover-based criteria.
• In a bid to fulfil the Prime Minister’s vision of a self-reliant or “atmanirbhar” India, global tenders will not be allowed for government procurement up to Rs 200 crore.
• The government and central public sector enterprises will release all funds due to MSMEs within 45 days.

For NBFCs

• The government announced Rs 30,000 crore of a special liquidity scheme, under which investment will be made in investment grade debt papers of these institutions.
• If a government entity directly buys debt papers of these entities, then it would provide major relief.
• The contours of this scheme are yet to be announced.
• The government has also extended the partial credit guarantee scheme — under which it guarantees 20 per cent of the first loss to the lenders — NBFCs, HFCs and MFIs with low credit rating.
• This scheme is estimated to result in liquidity injection of Rs 45,000 crore in debt papers that are rated AA or lower and even unrated securities issued by such entities, including the Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs).
• It is believed that it will improve confidence in the financial system and help institutions raise funds in the debt market, and reduce risk aversion of banks.

For DISCOMs

• As these companies are facing an unprecedented cash flow crisis and thus will receive Rs 90,000 crore liquidity injection.
• These funds will be then given to DISCOMs against state government guarantees for the sole purpose of discharging their liabilities.
• The idea is to clear the payment backlog with concessional loans guaranteed by the respective state governments.

For Real Estate

• The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry will advise States and Union Territories and their regulatory authorities to extend the registration and completion date of real estate projects by six months.
• Six-month extension and treatment of the COVID-19 pandemic as an event of force majeure, like a natural calamity, under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act would de-stress the sector and ensure completion of projects.

Overall Implications of Economic Stimulus

• Concerns have been expressed that risk-averse bankers may not extend the loan benefits to all MSMEs despite the government’s 100% credit guarantee.
• Criticisms have been raised with respect to the economic package not including measures for market development to encourage public spending, employment generation or development of health infrastructure to combat the post COVID situation.
• It is argued that the government must spend more and should not be unduly bothered about running up a high fiscal deficit. Suggestions have been made that the government could monetise part of the deficit if it reached a worrying level.
• The measures announced during the first tranche of the economic stimulus focuses majorly on supply side measures, aimed at activating businesses in the MSME, real estate, NBFC sectors.
• In general, stimulus measures are aimed at boosting demand either by government spending on its own account or increasing disposable incomes of households through cash transfers or tax concessions. Therefore, Indian economy needs both supply and demand side measures for the revival.

Context: According to a report published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development COVID-19 pandemic is likely to drive around 40-60 million people to extreme poverty.
About the report

• The report titled How COVID-19 is changing the world: A statistical perspective, comes amid a sharp decline in the global economy.
• The report has been  prepared with the collaboration of 36 international organisations
• Global poverty the share of the world’s population living on less than $1.90 (Rs 143.41) per day is projected to increase to 8.6 percent (665 million people) in 2020, from 8.2 percent (632 million people) in 2019.
• This unprecedented increase in global poverty was not seen since 1998, when the world witnessed the after-effects of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
• Twenty-three million people will be pushed into extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, while 16 million will suffer extreme poverty in south Asia.
• Low- and middle-income countries will suffer the greatest consequences in terms of extreme poverty.
• Sub-Saharan Africa will be the region hit hardest in terms of increased extreme poverty.
• There was also an unprecedented shock witnessed by labour markets, with the total number of hours worked estimated to drop by 10.5 per cent in the current quarter.
• There is typically some delay in drop of economic activity that translates into a drop in employment.
• The employment drop implies that numerous workers around the world are facing or will face a loss of income, in many cases leading them and their families to (deeper) poverty.
• The impacts of COVID-19 will be severe and compound existing inequalities make them  ‘financially insecure’. For example: Those who are not income poor (that is, their income net of taxes is above half of the median income of their countries), but have insufficient liquid financial wealth to support them at the level of the income poverty line for more than three months

About United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

• It is a permanent intergovernmental body established in 1964.
• It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with development, investment and trade issues. 
• The organization’s goals are to: “Maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them in their efforts to integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis.”
• It supports developing countries to access the benefits of a globalized economy more fairly and effectively. Along with other UN departments and agencies, it also measures the progress made in the Sustainable Development Goals, as set out in Agenda 2030.
• Headquarters - Geneva, Switzerland.

Some of the reports published by it are:

• Trade and Development Report; World Investment Report; The Least Developed Countries Report; Information and Economy Report; Technology and Innovation Report and Commodities and Development Report.

Context: Recently, the Centre has revised the definition of micro, small and medium enterprises to give them the confidence to grow.
About New Defination

• Under the new definition, the distinction between manufacturing and services enterprises has been eliminated. 
• Under the new definition of MSMEs, the investment criteria for such enterprises have been revised upwards, while an additional criterion of turnover has been introduced.
• Under the new definition, manufacturing and services enterprises with investments up to Rs 1 crore and turnover up to Rs 5 crore will be classified as micro enterprises. 
• For small enterprises, the investment criteria has been revised upwards to Rs 10 crore, with the turnover criteria of Rs 50 crore added to the mix. 
• Enterprises with investment up to Rs 20 crore and turnover up to Rs 100 crore will be termed medium enterprises.

Earlier Concerns associated with it are

• "There always was this fear, in very successful MSMEs  that if they outgrow the size of what is defined as an MSME earlier, they'll lose the benefits that they get as an MSME itself.
• Outgrowing this definition meant outgrowing and going out of receiving benefits. Therefore MSMEs preferred to remain within the definition rather than grow.

Issues/ Problems faced by MSMEs in India:

• Access to Credit: Most banks are reluctant to lend to MSMEs because from the perspective of bankers, inexperience of these enterprises, poor financials, lack of collaterals and infrastructure.
• Poor Infrastructure: With poor infrastructure, MSMEs’ production capacity is very low while production cost is very high.
• Access to modern Technology: The lack of technological know-how and financial constraints limits the access to modern technology and consequently the technological adoption remains low.
• Access to markets: MSMEs have poor access to markets. Their advertisement and sales promotion are comparatively weaker than that of the multinational companies and other big companies. The ineffective advertisement and poor marketing channels makes it difficult for them to compete with large companies.
• Legal hurdles: Getting statutory clearances related to power, environment, labour are major hurdles. Further, laws related to the all aspects of manufacturing and service concern are very complex and compliance with these laws are difficult.
• Lack of skilled manpower: The training and development programs in respect of MSME`S development has been inadequate. Thus, there has been a constant crunch of skilled manpower in MSMEs.

Role of MSME in Indian economy

• Contribution to GDP: MSMEs contribute around 6.11% of the manufacturing GDP and 24.63% of the GDP from service activities as well as 33.4% of India’s manufacturing output. Further, the sector has consistently maintained a growth rate of over 10%.
• Leveraging Exports: MSMEs contribute around 45% of the overall exports from India.
• Employment Opportunities: Since the enterprises falling in this sector require low capital to start the business, it creates huge employment opportunities for many unemployed youths. MSMEs provide employment to around 120 million persons
• Fostering Inclusive Growth: MSME is constructing inclusive growth in  numerous ways through promoting non- agricultural livelihood at least cost, unbiased regional development,  large female participation, and providing a protection against deflation.

Hence, "A revision in the definition of MSMEs with an upward revision in their investment limit will help in the seamless expansion of small and medium businesses in the country. A robust MSME sector is key to improving the economic strength and resilience of the country and making it highly self-reliant and globally competitive.

Context: Recently, a new research employing an integrative approach of evidence-gathering using morphological and genetic analysis and based on a fresh collection of Dawkinsia, a genus of cyprinid fish specimens from the Western Ghats, has resulted in the discovery of three new fish species.
Key Findings of the Research

• Scientists from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, have unravelled the diversity in the filament barbs of the Western Ghats.
• Filament barbs are a group of small freshwater fishes found in the rivers of peninsular India and Sri Lanka, where nine species are known under the genus Dawkinsia.
• They are popular among aquarium hobbyists and are wild-collected and captive-bred for trade.
• This research has also cleared long-standing taxonomic confusions associated with the small cyprinids of the genus Dawkinsia, paving the way for improved conservation prioritisation and attention for these species.
• The research has also helped to stabilise the identity of Dawkinsia assimilis and Dawkinsia lepida, the species of filament barbs described by British ichthyologists in the 1800s.
• This study has also highlighted the importance of using an integrative approach to understanding the taxonomy of complex groups of fishes, especially those that are cryptic and difficult to distinguish by external morphology.

About Western Ghats

• The Western Ghats, also known as ‘Sahyadri’, constitute a 1600 km long mountain chain along the west coast of India
• It runs parallel to the West coast of India from the river Tapi in the north to Kanyakumari in the south.
• It covers a total area of 160,000 square kms and traverses through six States viz. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• It has rich heritage of flora and fauna .
• It experiences tropical humid climate in lower reaches, and climate is cooler in the upper reaches. The western side of the Ghat receives more rainfall than the eastern side
• There are four major forest types in the Western Ghats: evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous, and dry deciduous
• Western Ghats was declared as a world heritage site in 2012 by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Context: Recently, scientists at the Locust Warning Organisation (LWO) observed groups of desert locusts at Sri Ganganagar and Jaisalmer districts of Rajasthan.
Key Points

• Desert Locus are destructive migratory pests currently devouring acres of maize, sorghum and wheat crops in East Africa.
• Locusts normally arrive during July-October, but have already been spotted this early in Rajasthan.
• The last year’s locust incursions were the first and most significant since 1993.
• If the monsoon is good, and in the absence of control operations, the magnitude of attack is predicted to be worse than in the 2019-20 rabi season.

About Locusts

• Locusts are a collection of certain species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase.
• The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a short-horned grasshopper that is not harmful while it is in a solitary phase and moving about independently. 
• These winged insects differ from normal hoppers, and become dangerous only when their populations build up rapidly and the close physical contact in crowded conditions triggers behavioural changes. 
• They, then, enter the “gregarious phase”, by grouping into bands and forming swarms that can travel great distances (up to 150 km daily), while eating up every bit of vegetation on the way.
• Locusts are polyphagous, i.e. they can feed on a wide variety of crops and have an ability to multiply rapidly. 
• The damage potential of locusts has been limited in India only because of the country hosting a single breeding season - unlike Pakistan, Iran and East Africa, where they also multiply during January-June.
• If not controlled at the right time, these insect swarms can threaten the food security of Countries.
• Their are Four species viz. Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria), Bombay Locust ( Nomadacris succincta) and Tree locust (Anacridium sp.) are found in India.

Their Impact across the Globe

• The Horn of Africa has been called the worst-affected area, where the Food and Agricultural organisation (FAO) has said there is an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods.
• The outbreak is the worst to strike Ethiopia and Somalia in 25 years, and the worst infestation in Kenya in the past 70 years.
• Without international help, the FAO has said that locust numbers across the region could grow 500 times by June.
• Threat to Vegetation: Locust adults can eat their own weight every day, i.e. about two grams of fresh vegetation per day. A very small swarm eats as much in one day as about 35,000 people, posing a devastating threat to crops and food security.
• If infestations are not detected and controlled, devastating plagues can develop that often take several years and hundreds of millions of dollars to bring under control with severe consequences on food security and livelihoods.
• The FAO raised alarm over the locust outbreak in northeast Africa and Saudi Arabia in February, 2019.

Solutions

• Locust Control measures include destroying egg masses laid by invading swarms, 
• digging trenches to trap nymphs, using hopperdozers (wheeled screens that cause locusts to fall into troughs containing water and kerosene), using insecticidal baits, and  applying insecticides to both swarms and breeding grounds from aircraft.
• Controlling desert locust swarms primarily uses organophosphate chemicals by vehicle-mounted and aerial sprayers, and to a lesser extent by knapsack and hand-held sprayers.

Context: According to a survey of more than 100 specialists come to conclusion that the recent Sea-level rise is faster than previously believed and could exceed 1 metre by the end of the century unless global emissions are reduced.
Background

• About ten percent of the world's population, or 770 million people, today live on land less than five metres above the high tide line. Rise in sea levels will directly affect their livelihood.

Key Points

• Oceans are likely to rise as much as 1.3 metres by 2100 if Earth's surface warms another 3.5 degrees Celsius, scientists have warned.   
• By 2300, when ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland will have shed trillions of tonnes in mass, sea levels could go up by more than five metres under that temperature scenario, redrawing the planet's coastlines. 
• Even if the Paris climate treaty goal of capping global warming below 2C is met, the ocean watermark could go up two metres by 2300.
• Earth's average surface temperature has risen just over one degree Celsius since the pre-industrial era, a widely used benchmark for measuring global warming. 
• The new projections for both the 2100 and 2300 horizons are significantly higher than those from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), including a special report on oceans it released in September.
• While less visible than climate-enhanced hurricanes or persistent drought, sea level rise may ultimately prove the most devastating of global warming impacts. 
• Across the 20th century, sea level rise was caused mainly by melting glaciers and the expansion of ocean water as it warms. But over the last two decades the main driver has become the melting and disintegrating of Earth's two ice sheets.
• Over the last decade, the sea level has gone up about four millimetres per year. Moving into the 22nd century, however, the waterline could rise ten times faster, even under an optimistic greenhouse gas emissions scenario. 
• The Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets hold enough frozen water to lift oceans about 13 metres. East Antarctica, which is more stable, holds another 50 metres' worth.
• Hence, "One of the key take-aways from this study is that our actions today can make a profound difference in how much our coastlines will retreat in the future. That knowledge is empowering because it means that we can choose a better outcome through our actions."

Context: Also known as the elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata), the sal forest tortoise, recently assessed as critically endangered, is heavily hunted for food. 23 of the 29 species of freshwater turtle and tortoise species found in India come under the threatened category in the IUCN red list and are under severe existential threat due to human activities.
Key Points

• Sal forest tortoise is heavily hunted for food. It is collected both for local use, such as decorative masks, and international wildlife trade.
• Around 29% of the predicted distribution of the species falls within high occurrence fire zones or areas where there is management burning.
• Sal forest tortoise in northeast India is exposed to the risk of jhum fire. Apart from the direct fatalities due to the forest fires, the fires also open up habitats, which increase the chance of people finding the tortoise easily.
• Forest fires also decrease soil moisture levels which may disturb forest floor ecosystem affecting the predominantly ground based animals.
• Conservation status: Sal forest tortoise has been recently assessed as critically endangered.
• According to the IUCN, the population of the species may have fallen by about 80% in the last three generations (90 years). Once widely distributed the Sal tortoise is now no longer common over its habitat.
• Concerns: 23 of the 29 species of freshwater turtle and tortoise species found in India come under the threatened category in the IUCN red list and are under severe existential threat due to human activities.

Faulty demarcation of protected areas:

• The study by Wildlife Institute of India found that the areas designated as protected areas have only a small overlap with the actual habitat of the Sal forest tortoise.
• Over 90% of the potential distribution of the Sal forest tortoise falls outside the current protected area network. In northeast India, the representation of the species in protected areas is least.
• There is little to no connectivity among most of the protected areas where the species is present.
• Protected areas are designated in a largely mammal-centric way. Many reptiles and amphibians which are equally threatened live outside protected areas where exploitation risk is more.

Monitoring:

• Given the fact that tortoises are equally threatened as the tigers, there is the need for regular monitoring of the species.
• Given the scarce information available on Sal forest tortoise, enhanced monitoring will help increase the understanding of the species and aid conservation efforts.
• In summer Sal forest tortoises select moist patches such as dry stream beds. Such areas should be protected from the spread of forest fire.
• Given that the species is found even in Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, transboundary collaboration may aid the conservation efforts.

Context: Due to shortage of labourers in Punjab and Haryana, farmers are now being encouraged to adopt ‘direct seeding of rice’ (DSR) in place of conventional transplanting.
Key Points

• The two granary states of Punjab and Haryana could face a shortage of an estimated 10 lakh labourers, due to lockdown.
• The labourers are mainly seasonal migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh who undertake transplantation of paddy in the kharif season.
• The farmers are now being encouraged to adopt ‘direct seeding of rice’ (DSR) in place of conventional transplanting.
• In wake of this pandemic, the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana has developed a ‘Lucky Seed Drill’ that can both sow seeds and simultaneously spray herbicides to control weeds.

About Conventional/Traditional transplanting

• Under this the farmers prepare nurseries where the paddy seeds are first sown and raised into young Plants.
• These seedlings are then uprooted and replanted 25-35 days later in the main field.
• It is transplanted on fields that are “puddled” or tilled in standing water using tractor-drawn disc harrows
• The nursery seed bed is 5-10% of the area to be transplanted.
• Paddy seedlings are transplanted on fields that are tilled in standing water using tractor-drawn disc harrows.
• For the first three weeks or so after transplanting, the plants have to be irrigated almost daily (if there are no rains) to maintain a water depth of 4-5 cm.
• Farmers continue irrigating every 2-3 days even for the next 4-5 weeks, when the crop is in the tillering (stem development) stage.

About Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR)

• In DSR, the pre-germinated seeds are directly drilled into the field by a tractor-powered machine. There is no nursery preparation or transplantation involved in this method.
• Farmers have to only level their land and give one pre-sowing irrigation.
• Conventionally the water act as a herbicide for paddy but in DSR, water is replaced by real chemical herbicides. Farmers have to only level their land and give one pre-sowing irrigation or rauni.
• Once the field has good soil moisture, they need to do two rounds of ploughing and planking (smoothening of soil surface), which is followed by the sowing of the seeds and spraying of herbicides.

Advantages of DSR

• The most important one is water savings. The first irrigation (apart from the pre-sowing rauni) under DSR is necessary only 21 days after sowing.
• It is unlike in transplanted paddy, where watering has to be done practically daily to ensure submerged/flooded conditions in the first three weeks.
• It saves more number of working labours, which about three labourers are required to transplant one acre of paddy at almost Rs 2,400 Per Acre.
• Here, the cost of herbicides under DSR will not exceed Rs 2,000 per acre.

Disadvantages of DSR

• The main issue is the Availability of Herbicides.
• The seed requirement for DSR is also higher, at 8-10 kg/acre, compared to 4-5 kg in Transplanting.
• The laser land levelling, which costs Rs 1,000/acre, is compulsory in DSR. This is not so in Transplanting.
• Here, the yields are as good as from normal transplanting, but one need to sow by the first fortnight of June. The plants have to come out properly before the Monsoon Rains Arrive.
• In Transplanting there is no such problem, where the saplings have already been raised in the Nursery.

Context: Recently, the Registration Committee (RC) under the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) has recommended to ban the use of antibiotics streptomycin and tetracycline.
Key Points

• They recommended antibiotics streptomycin and tetracycline were completely banned with immediate effect on crops where other options were available for bacterial disease control.
• The final report accepted the recommendation of the sub-committee on production, sale and use of streptomycin sulphate (9 per cent) and tetracycline hydrochloride (1 per cent). 
• The report also recommended that streptomycin and tetracycline use be phased out by 2022-end for crops for which no alternatives were available. Till then, the antibiotics could be used on crops strictly as per the label claim.

As per Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) assessment

• It had suggested measures to contain this malpractice and regulate it. 
• They  found that a 90:10 combination of streptomycin and tetracycline, was being routinely and indiscriminately used by farmers in high doses in crops.

Benefits

• World Health Organization recognises streptomycin as a critically important medicine for human use.
• They also brought to light that streptomycin had important use for previously treated tuberculosis (TB) patients, who make up over 10 per cent of the total estimated TB incidence in India. 
• It is also used in multidrug-resistant TB patients and in certain cases of TB meningitis (brain TB).

Significance of this move

• Although streptocycline use is allowed for eight crops by the CIBRC, it was found to be used on many more crops in practice.
• With this ban / phase-out, misuse of streptomycin and tetracycline in crops for which it was not approved will be checked. 
• This will also help plug gaps such as registering them in the name of pesticides or using them in an unregulatory fashion in the absence of prescription.
• CSE had earlier recommended that antibiotics should not be used as pesticides for crops, but preserved for treatment of bacterial infections in humans. It had shared its recommendations with all stakeholders concerned, including the CIBRC.
• Therefore, In line with CSE’s  recommendations, the RC also requested the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to initiate research on better and safe alternatives, such that these could be available for all recommended crops in a time-bound manner.

Context: Recently, a new study based on seismic data from repeating earthquakes and new data-processing methods has revealed that Earth’s inner core is rotating. The findings could give detailed insights into the processes that control the planet’s magnetic field.

Key Findings

• Temporal changes of inner-core (IC) seismic phases have been confirmed with high-quality waveform doublets. However, the nature of the temporal changes is still controversial.
• In 1996, a small but systematic change of seismic waves passing through the inner core was first detected, which was interpreted as evidence for differential rotation of the inner core relative to the Earth’s surface.
• Some studies said that the movement is instead the result of seismic waves reflecting off an alternately enlarging and shrinking inner core boundary, like growing mountains and cutting canyons.
• Scientists reviewed seismic data from a range of geographic locations and repeating earthquakes, called doublets, that occur in the same spot over time.
• This allowed them to categorize between seismic signals that change due to localized variation in relief from those that change due to movement and rotation.
• Scientists found that some of the earthquake-generated seismic waves infiltrate through the iron body underneath the inner core boundary and change after some time, which would not occur if the inner core were stationary.
• These refracted waves change before the reflected waves bounce off the inner core boundary, implying that the changes are coming from inside the inner core. 
• This work confirms that the temporal changes come mostly, from the body of the inner core, and the idea that inner core surface changes are the sole source of the signal changes can now be ruled out.

Context: According to the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), the Smart Metering Programme (SMP) is helping electricity distribution companies (discoms) generate 95% of billing efficiency during the lockdown.
Key Points

• The discoms using smart meters have seen 15-20% average increase in monthly revenue per consumer.
• EESL, a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, is the designated agency to implement the smart metering programme in India.

About Smart Meter National Programme

• It is being implemented to deploy smart meters across the country.
• Under this programme, a total of 12,06,435 smart meters have been installed till date to enhance consumer convenience and rationalise electricity consumption.
• ?Smart Meters : Advanced meter devices having the capacity to collect information about energy, water, and gas usage at various intervals and transmitting the data through fixed communication networks to utility, as well as receiving information like pricing signals from utility and conveying it to consumers.
• Innovation: With electricity demand expected to rise by 79 % in the next 10 years, India is on a path of transforming its energy mix with innovation.

Reduction in AT&C Losses

• To meet energy needs, along with enhancing energy production, the nation also needs to cut Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses to below 12% by 2022, and below 10% by 2027.
• Smart meters minimize human intervention in metering, billing and collection, and help reduce theft by identifying loss pockets.

Smart Meters are part of the Smart Grid

• Smart grid includes the creation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI).
• AMI describes the whole infrastructure from Smart Meter to a two way-communication network to control center equipment and applications that enable the gathering and transfer of energy usage information in near real-time.

Benefits of Smart Meters

• Operational Benefits: It incentivises energy conservation by checking data-entry errors and billing efficiencies, and cutting the costs of manual meter reading through a web-based monitoring system.
• Smart meters deployed can also switch to prepaid mode.

Benefits to Customers

• It enhances consumer satisfaction through better complaint management, system stability, reliability and transparency.
• The new meters have the Time of Day (ToD) tariff feature which allows consumers to reschedule electricity usage to the off-peak hours and reduction in the bill amount significantly.

Challenges

• High Capital Costs: A full scale deployment of smart meters requires expenditures on all hardware and software components,network infrastructure and network management software, along with costs associated with the installation and maintenance and information technology systems.
• Integration: Samrt Meter is a complex system of technologies that must be integrated with utilities' information technology systems, including Customer Information Systems (CIS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Outage Management Systems (OMS),Mobile Workforce Management (MWM), Distribution Automation System (DAS), etc.
• Standardization: Interoperability standards need to be defined, which set uniform requirements for technology, deployment and general operations.
• Release of Radiation: Unlike the electronic meter, the smart meter allows ‘communication’ among the consumer and the meter, hence there is probability of release of radiation.

Context: Recently, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has released the annual rankings of the global Energy Transition Index.
Key Points

• The Energy Transition Index (ETI) is a fact-based ranking intended to enable policy-makers and businesses to plot the course for a successful energy transition.
• The benchmarking of energy systems is carried out annually across countries. Part of the World Economic Forum’s Fostering Effective Energy Transition initiative,
• It builds on its predecessor, the Energy Architecture Performance Index. 
• The ETI does not only benchmark countries on their current energy system performance, but also provides a forward-looking lens as it measures their readiness for the energy transition.
• The index benchmarks 115 economies on the current performance of their energy systems across economic development and growth, environmental sustainability and energy security and access indicators and their readiness for transition to secure, sustainable, affordable and inclusive energy systems.

Outcomes of the Index

• Sweden has topped the Index for the third consecutive year and is followed by Switzerland and Finland in the top three.
• France (8th) and the UK (7th) are the only G20 countries in the top ten.
• Only 11 out of 115 countries have made steady improvements in ETI scores since 2015. Argentina, China, India and Italy are among the major countries with consistent annual improvements.
• In China (78th), problems of air pollution have resulted in policies to control emissions, electrify vehicles and develop the world’s largest capacity for solar photovoltaic (SPV) and onshore wind power plants.
• Scores for the US, Canada, Brazil and Australia were either stagnant or declining.
• The US ranks outside the top 25% for the first time, primarily due to the uncertain regulatory outlook for energy transition.

Performance of India

• India has moved up two places to rank 74th.
• It has shown improvements on all key parameters of economic growth, energy security and environmental sustainability.
• Gains have come from a government-mandated renewable energy expansion programme, now extended to 275 GW by 2027.
• India has also made significant strides in energy efficiency through bulk procurement of LED bulbs, smart meters, and programs for labelling of appliances.
• India is one of the few countries in the world to have made consistent year-on-year progress since 2015.
• India’s improvements have come across all three dimensions of the energy triangle — economic development and growth, energy access and security, and environmental sustainability.

Suggestions

• Policies, roadmaps and governance frameworks for energy transition at national, regional and global levels need to be more robust and resilient against external shocks.
• The pandemic offers an opportunity to consider unorthodox intervention in the energy markets and global collaboration to support a recovery that accelerates the energy transition once the crisis subsides.
• The economic recovery packages (like the announcement of the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana by India), introduced by the governments can accelerate the transition to clean energy, by helping countries scale their efforts towards sustainable and inclusive energy systems, if implemented with long-term strategies.

Context: Recently, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 has been released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Key Points

• The FRA 2020 has examined the status of more than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and territories in the period 1990–2020.
• According to the report the world lost 178 million hectares (mha) of forest since 1990, an area the size of Libya.
• While forest area has declined all across the world in the past three decades, the rate of forest loss has declined due to the growth of sustainable management
• The rate of net forest loss declined from 7.8 mha per year in the decade 1990–2000 to 5.2 mha per year in 2000–2010 and 4.7 mha per year in 2010–2020.
• The rate of forest loss in 2015-2020 declined to an estimated 10 million hectares (mha), down from 12 million hectares (mha) in 2010-2015.
• The rate of net forest loss decreased substantially during 1990–2020 due to a reduction in deforestation in some countries, plus increases in forest area in others through afforestation and the natural expansion of forests.
• The world’s total forest area was 4.06 billion hectares (bha), which was 31 per cent of the total land area.
• The largest proportion of the world’s forests were tropical (45 per cent), followed by boreal, temperate and subtropical.

Global Scenario

• Among the world’s regions, Africa had the largest annual rate of net forest loss in 2010–2020, at 3.9 mha, followed by South America, at 2.6 mha.
• On the other hand, Asia had the highest net gain of forest area in 2010–2020, followed by Oceania and Europe.
• Both Europe and Asia recorded substantially lower rates of net gain in 2010–2020 than in 2000–2010.
• Oceania experienced net losses of forest area in the decades 1990–2000 and 2000–2010.
• More than 54 per cent of the world’s forests were in only five countries i.e. the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the United States of America and China.

Global coverage area

• Plantation forests cover about 131 mha which is 3% of the global forest area and 45% of the total area of planted forests.
• The area of naturally regenerating forests worldwide decreased since 1990, but the area of planted forests increased by 123 mha.
• The rate of increase in the area of planted forest slowed in the last ten years.
• The highest percent of plantation forests were in South America while the lowest were in Europe.
• There are an estimated 726 mha of forests in protected areas worldwide.
• South America had the highest share of forests in protected areas, at 31 per cent.
• The area of forest in protected areas globally increased by 191 mha since 1990, but the rate of annual increase slowed in 2010–2020.

About Global Forest Resources Assessment report

• The Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) reports on the status and trends of the world's forest resources. 
• It is led by the Forestry Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
• The FRA reports the extent of the world’s forest area as well as other variables, including land tenure and access rights, sustainable forest management (SFM), legal and institutional frameworks for forest conservation, and sustainable use.
• The latest of these assessments, FRA 2020, examines the status of, and trends in, more than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and territories in the period 1990–2020. 
• FRA 2020 data were collected using commonly agreed terms and definitions through a transparent, traceable reporting process and a well-established network of officially nominated national correspondents that covers 187 countries and territories. 
• More than 700 people were directly involved in this process.

Context: Recently, the Defence Minister of India has inaugurated a new 80-km road in Uttarakhand connecting the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and opening a new route for Kailash Mansarovar yatra via Lipulekh Pass (China border).
Key Points

• The Darchula-Lipulekh link road is famously known as Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra Route.
• It is an extension of Pithoragarh-Tawaghat-Ghatiabagarh road.
• It originates from Ghatiabagarh and terminates at Lipulekh Pass, the gateway to Kailash Mansarovar.

Benefit of this Route

• With the completion of this project, the arduous trek through treacherous high-altitude terrain can now be avoided by the Pilgrims of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and the period of journey will be reduced by many days.
• It is the shortest and cheapest route with just one-fifth distance of road travel as compared to other old routes. The other route is via Sikkim.
• There is no air travel involved and the majority of the travel (84%) is in India and only 16% in China compared to other routes where 80% road travel is in China.
• Except for a 5-km trek, whole travel will be on vehicles reducing the 5-day trek to 2- days road travel.

About Lipulekh Pass

• It is also known as Lipu-Lekh Pass/Qiangla or Tri-Corner is a high altitude mountain pass situated in the western Himalayas.
• It is an International mountain pass between India, China and Nepal.
• It comes under Chaudans valley of Darchula (sub-district of Pithoragarh) in the Kumaon region where it links with the Byash valley of Nepal and with Tibet (autonomous region of China).

About Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra

• It is known for its religious value and cultural significance.
• It holds significance for Hindus as the abode of Lord Shiva, Kailasha.
• The Ministry of External Affairs organizes this Yatra during June to September each year through two different routes – Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand) and Nathu La Pass (Sikkim).
• It is open to eligible Indian citizens, holding valid Indian passports, who wish to proceed to Kailash-Manasarovar for religious purposes.
• The Ministry of External Affairs does not provide any subsidy or financial assistance to Yatris.
• The Yatra involves trekking at high altitudes of up to 19,500 feet, under inhospitable conditions, including extreme weather, and rugged terrain
• This Yatra is organized with the support of the state governments of Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Sikkim; and the cooperation of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

Context: Recent scenario where Himalayan glaciers are melting rapidly due to global warming leading to consistent loss in areas the glaciers occupy.
Issue

• At least a third of the huge ice fields in Asia’s towering mountain chain are doomed to melt due to climate change, according to a landmark report, with serious consequences for almost 2 billion people.
• Even if carbon emissions are dramatically and rapidly cut and succeed in limiting global warming to 1.5C, 36% of the glaciers along in the Hindu Kush and Himalaya range will have gone by 2100. If emissions are not cut, the loss soars to two-thirds, the report found.
• The glaciers are a critical water store for the 250 million people who live in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) region, and 1.65 billion people rely on the great rivers that flow from the peaks into India, Pakistan, China and other nations.

Current Scenario

• The glaciers are melting and receding at an alarming rate in the Himalayas.
• As per a study, the Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayas might contain 27 percent less ice than previously suggested.
• If the Himalayan glaciers disappear our rivers will become bone dry.
• With no water for drinking and irrigation, life in any form would be impossible in the Indian peninsula.
• The region is expected to lose half of its present-day glacier area by 2060, a decade earlier than the previously expected deadline of 2070.
• The first-ever assessment of climate change impacts on the HKH region has been conducted by the regional intergovernmental body International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
• The study has found that the number of glaciers in the Himalayan area has increased.
• It’s possible because the increase in the number of glaciers is primarily due to glacier fragmentation(where the big ones are splitting into smaller ones).
• And this is happening due to global warming and consistent loss in areas the glaciers occupy.
• The Eastern Himalayan glaciers have tended to shrink faster than glaciers in the central or western Himalayas.
• It’s natural because when there is an increase in the surface area or the surface exposed to the sun, the fragmented and smaller glaciers shrink faster than the larger ones.

About Hindu Kush-Himalayan region

• The Hindu Kush-Himalayan region spans an area of more than 4.3 million square kilometres in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
• The region stores more snow and ice than anywhere else in the world outside the polar regions, giving its name: ’The Third Pole‘.
• It contains the world’s highest mountains, including all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres, is the source of 10 major rivers, and forms a formidable global ecological buffer.
• They are known as the Water Tower of Asia due to its reserve of frozen water.

Significance

• The Third Pole region has enormous socioeconomic and cultural diversity; it is home to many different ethnic communities speaking more than 600 languages and many more dialects.
• It is endowed with rich natural resources and contains all or part of four global biodiversity hotspots.
• The mountain resources provide a wide range of ecosystem services and the basis for the livelihoods to the 210 million people living in the region, as well as indirectly to the 1.3 billion people — one fifth of the worlds’ population — living in the downstream river basins.
• More than 3 billion people benefit from the food and energy produced in these river basins that have their origin in the mountains.

Context: Recently, the PM announced an economic stimulus package for Rs 20 lakh crore (estimated at 10% of the GDP), with a clearly defined leap towards economic reforms with an aim to transform the country to Atmanirbhar Bharat, or a self-reliant, resilient India.
Key Points

• The announced economic package is 10% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2019-20.
• The amount includes packages already announced at the beginning of the lockdown incorporating measures from the RBI and the payouts under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.
• The Prime Minister said the economic package would not be based on incremental changes, but a quantum leap in bold reforms with regard to land, labour, law and liquidity.
• The package will expected to focus on land, labour, liquidity and laws which aim to cater various sections including cottage industry, MSMEs, labourers, middle class, industries, among others.
• It stresses on the theme of self-reliance and the importance of keeping manufacturing, markets and supply chains local.
• Local suppliers have met India’s demands in this hour of crisis, and now Indians have to be ‘vocal about local’ and buy products from them.
• The amount includes the Rs 1.7 lakh crore which already announced a cash transfer and food package aimed at the most vulnerable and the measures announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). 
• The central bank has announced liquidity infusion and targeted credit measures aggregating anything between Rs 4.5 lakh crore.
• That means the package to be announced over the next few days will total around Rs 14 lakh crore.
• The following initiatives may be launched: a large fund for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs); a well-capitalised bad bank; a loan guarantee scheme for businesses; incentives for local manufacturing; and direct cash transfers to the poor.

The Mission would be based on five pillars:

• Economy which brings in quantum jumps and not incremental change.
• Infrastructure which should become the identity of India.
• System based on 21st-century technology-driven arrangements.
• Vibrant Demography which is our source of energy for a self-reliant India.
• Demand whereby the strength of our demand and supply chain should be utilized to full capacity.

Concerns: PM has included the actions of RBI, India’s central bank, as part of the government’s fiscal package, even though only the government controls the fiscal policy and not the RBI (which controls the ‘monetary’ policy).

Context: Recently, the Stringency Index composed and published by the  University of Oxford has found that India has enforced one of the strongest lockdown measures in the World at a 100 score.
About Stringency Index

• It is among the metrics being used by the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker which involves a team of 100 Oxford community members who have continuously updated a database of 17 indicators of government response and provides a picture of the stage at which any country enforced its strongest measures.
• These indicators examine containment policies such as school and workplace closings, public events, public transport, stay-at-home policies. 
• The Stringency Index is a number from 0 to 100 that reflects these indicators. A higher index score indicates a higher level of stringency.
• It provides a picture of the stage at which any country enforced its strongest measures.
• Oxford provides an overlay of countries’ death curve and their stringency score.
• Some countries saw their deaths just begin to flatten as they reached their highest stringency, such as Italy, Spain, or France.
• As China pulled stronger measures, its death curve plateaued. In countries such as the UK, the US, and India, the Oxford graphs find that the death curve has not flattened after strictest measures were enforced.
• India scored 0.7 (below Australia, Thailand, Taiwan, and South Korea) because it scored 0 for controlling its cases.
• The highest scorers on this index, at 0.9, were Iceland, Hong Kong, Croatia, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Context: Recently, the authority has said industries to consider the first week of restarting any machinery or chemical unit as the “trial or test” period and “not try to achieve high production targets”.
Key Points

• Test Run Period: The first week of restarting any machinery or chemical unit should be considered as the trial or test period and the industries should not try to achieve high production targets.
• Safety Audit: Carry out a complete Safety Audit of the entire unit before taking up starting activities such as cleaning of pipelines, equipment and discharge line.
• 24-hour sanitisation: The employers should provide hand sanitizers, masks, face protection shields and ensure 24-hour sanitisation of the factory premises. The staff should also be educated on COVID-19 related measures.
• Physical distancing measures: Create physical barriers to ensure the physical distance within the work floor and dining facilities.
• Working in shifts: Managerial and administrative staff should work one shift at 33% capacity and factories that work 24 hours should consider one hour gap between shifts except factories/plants requiring continuous operations.

About National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

• It is the apex statutory body setup under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• It comes under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs
• The Prime minister of India is its chairman.

Its Functions

• coordinate response to natural or man-made disasters and for capacity-building in disaster resiliency and crisis response
• lay down policies, plans and guidelines for Disaster Management to ensure timely and effective response to disasters.
• Provide support to other countries affected by major disasters as may be determined by the Central Government among others.

Context: Recently, World Health Organization (WHO) has released its Global Nutrition Report 2020 which predicts that India will miss the global nutrition targets by 2025.
About the report

• This report has been produced by the Independent Expert Group of the Global Nutrition Report, supported by the Global Nutrition Report Stakeholder Group.
• The Global Nutrition Report was conceived following the first Nutrition for Growth Initiative Summit (N4G) in 2013. The first report was published in 2014.
• The Global Nutrition Report acts as a report card on the world’s nutrition globally, regionally, and country by country and on efforts to improve it.
• It assesses progress in meeting Global Nutrition Targets established by the World Health Assembly.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) is a Global Nutrition Report Partner.

Key Points

• India is among 88 countries that are likely to miss global nutrition targets by 2025. India is also the country with the highest rates of domestic inequalities in malnutrition.
• India is identified as among the three worst countries, along with Nigeria and Indonesia, for steep within-country disparities on stunting, where the levels varied four-fold across communities.
• India will miss targets for all four nutritional indicators for which there is data available, i.e. stunting among under-5 children, anaemia among women of reproductive age, childhood overweight and exclusive breastfeeding.
• Underweight in India: Between 2000 and 2016, rates of underweight have decreased from 66.0% to 58.1% for boys and 54.2% to 50.1% in girls. However, this is still high compared to the average of 35.6% for boys and 31.8% for girls in Asia.
• Stunted and wasted: 9% of children under 5 years are stunted and 20.8% are wasted, compared to the Asia average of 22.7% and 9.4% respectively.
• Anaemia: One in two women of reproductive age is anaemic, while at the same time the rate of overweight and obesity continues to rise, affecting almost a fifth of the adults, at 21.6% of women and 17.8% of men.

Addressing Inequity and Malnutrition:

• The report emphasises on the link between malnutrition and different forms of inequity, such as those based on geographic location, age, gender, ethnicity, education and wealth malnutrition in all its forms.
• “Inequity is a cause of malnutrition both under-nutrition and overweight, obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases.
• Inequities in food and health systems exacerbate inequalities in nutrition outcomes that in turn can lead to more inequity, perpetuating a vicious cycle.
• Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.

In 2012, the World Health Assembly identified six nutrition targets for maternal, infant and young child nutrition to be met by 2025. These include:

• To reduce stunting by 40% in children under 5.
• Reduce prevalence of anaemia by 50% among women in the age group of 19-49 years
• Ensure 30% reduction in low-birth weight.
• No increase in childhood overweight.
• Increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months up to at least 50%
• Reduce and maintain childhood wasting to less than 5%.

Road Ahead

• To a matter of fact, “Covid-19 exposes deadly healthcare disparities“. This Report highlights the need to integrate nutrition into universal health coverage as an indispensable prerequisite for improving diets, saving lives and reducing healthcare spending, while ensuring that no one is left behind.
• Reversing the obesity epidemic would also lessen the burden on our healthcare systems.
• This is because the obesity is not only one of the costliest health conditions but also a major risk of Covid-19 hospitalisations and complications.

Context: Recently, Indian and Chinese troops have clashed at two points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) namely at the Naku La Pass and Pangong Tso lake several soldiers were injured in clashes.
Key Points

• Two incidents of face-off have been reported between Indian and Chinese troops at the border.
• The first incident occurred in eastern Ladakh near Pangong Tso lake, a major part of which China holds. The reported face off has resulted in injuries to several soldiers of both armies.
• Pangong Tso has witnessed such incidents in the past, including in 2017 and 2019.
• The second incident occurred at Naku La, Sikkim, at an altitude of over 16,000 feet. As a result of aggressive behaviour, minor injuries were caused to both sides.
• After the Wuhan summit between the Indian Prime Minister and the Chinese President in April 2018, differences over the border were being settled at the lowest level.
• The Wuhan summit took place in the backdrop of the Doklam standoff between India and China.
• Any issue is resolved through the established protocols and mechanisms put in place to maintain peace and tranquillity on the border.
• The issues were resolved locally. Troops disengaged after dialogue and interaction at the local level.

Concerns

• Border skirmishes: Though such an incident occurred after a long time, border skirmishes have been common at the India – China border.
• Unresolved issues: Temporary and brief face-offs occur between the two armies because the boundary is undemarcated. Both countries have differing perceptions owing to the non-demarcated boundary, which lead to transgressions and face-offs, as each side patrols up to the areas they claim along the 3,448-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• India’s vulnerability: At Muguthang in the Naku la sector, the road on the Chinese side is motorable and on the Indian side, it is a remote area. Due to this the Chinese can mobilize a large number of troops in a short time if needed as compared to India. This puts the Indian forces at a disadvantage.

About Naku La Sector

• It is a mountain pass in Sikkim at an altitude of above 5000 meters.
• It is located ahead of Muguthang or Cho Lhamu (source of River Teesta).
• At Muguthang, the road on the Chinese side is motorable, and on the Indian side, it is a remote area.
• The other passes located in the state of Sikkim are Nathu La Pass and Jelep La Pass.

About Pangong Tso Lake

• It is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas located in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
• It extends from India to the Tibetan Autonomous Region, China.
• It is not a part of the Indus river basin area and geographically a separate landlocked river basin.
• Extending to almost 160km, one-third of the Pangong Lake lies in India and the other two-thirds in China.

Context: As tensions between the U.S. and China rise over the novel coronavirus pandemic, India is faced with a major choice on whether to support a U.S. move to reinstate Taiwan’s observer status at the World Health Assembly (WHA) or to China’s opposition to it.
Current Scenario

• India is set to take over as the next Chairperson of the World Health Organization’s decision-making executive body in May 2020 under which it likely to hold the post for the next three years.
• The timing of the appointment is crucial, given the worldwide debate on the role of the WHO during the pandemic, and criticism of the WHO Director.
• But tensions between the U.S. and China rise over the novel coronavirus pandemic.
• By which India is faced with a major choice on whether to support a U.S. move to reinstate Taiwan’s observer status at the World Health Assembly (WHA) or to China’s opposition to it.

Key point regarding Taiwan Dilemma

• The U.S. has, in the recent past, accused WHO of acting as a “PR agency” for China during the pandemic.
• A seven-nation virtual meeting of Foreign Ministers was convened by U.S. which appeared to be part of Washington’s efforts to gain support for its move to effect changes at the WHO.
• U.S. Senate passed an act to regain observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization.

China’s Position on Taiwan

• China has also stepped up warnings on any attempt to include or support Taiwan’s role at the WHA.
• Chine referred to the “One-China” principle as “a widely accepted universal consensus of the international community including the Indian government.”
• China asserts that there is only “One China” and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of it.
• China put forward a formula, known as “one country, two systems”, under which both Beijing and Taipei agree that Taiwan belongs to China, while the two still disagree on which entity is China’s legitimate governing body.
• China also stated its right to use “non-peaceful means” against Taiwan if it tried to secede from China.

India’s Position on Taiwan

• The MEA declined to comment on whether Taiwan was discussed during the meeting, or whether India has decided on supporting the US on its move to include Taiwan as a WHA participant.
• India recognises only the People’s Republic of China (in mainland China) and not the Republic of China’s claims of being the legitimate government of Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau – a conflict that emerged after the Chinese Civil War (1945–49).
• The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan and Japan have formally adopted the One China policy, under which the People’s Republic of China is theoretically the sole legitimate government of China.

About Taiwan

• Taiwan is an island that has for all practical purposes been independent since 1950, but which China regards as a rebel region that must be reunited with the mainland - by force if necessary.
• China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the defeated Nationalist government fled to the island as the Communists, under Mao Zedong, swept to power.
• China insists that nations cannot have official relations with both China and Taiwan, with the result that Taiwan has formal diplomatic ties with only a few countries. The US is Taiwan's most important friend and protector.
• Despite its diplomatic isolation, Taiwan has become one of Asia's major economic players, and one of the world's top producers of computer technology.
• Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a state in East Asia.
• The island of Taiwan has the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the north-west, Japan to the north-east, and the Philippines to the south.
• Taipei is the capital of Taiwan.

Context: The fallout of the lockdown in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 highlights the urgent need to rationalise the legislative framework for labour in India. Migrant labour has been among the worst affected due to the lockdown.
Issue

• The nationwide lockdown has caused immense distress to migrant workers around the country.
• Many of the migrant labourers have been seen trying to walk home to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha from their places of work in Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat etc.
• There is growing concern over the welfare of the migrant labourers and the lack of legal protection for their rights.
• In the immediate aftermath of the lockdown, state governments were taken unawares by inter-state migrants who were desperate to return home. 
• Many had lost jobs, would not be able to afford rent and were afraid of falling seriously ill away from their families.
• The current administration with the intention to consolidate and reform labour law, has introduced the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019.
• The proposed code seeks to merge 13 labour laws into a single piece of legislation. The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, is one of them.

About Inter-State Migrant Workmen act, 1979

• The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 regulates the employment, conditions of service and working conditions of inter-State migrants.

Applicability:

• It is applicable to every establishment that employs five or more migrant workmen from other States; or if it had employed five or more such workmen on any day in the preceding 12 months.
• It is also applicable to contractors who employed a similar number of inter-State workmen.

Provisions:

• The act envisages a system of registration wherein the principal employer is prohibited from employing inter-State workmen without a certificate of registration from the relevant authority.
• Every contractor who recruits workmen from one State for deployment in another State should obtain a licence.

Significance:

• The 1979 act has been an important step towards ensuring labour welfare for migrant labourers.
• The provision for registration creates a system of accountability on the part of employers. It also helps the government keep track of the number of workers employed and provides a legal basis for regulating their conditions of service.
• As part of the licensing process, contractors are bound by certain conditions. These include remuneration payable, hours of work, fixation of wages and other essential amenities in respect of the inter-State migrant workmen.
• As per the act the wage rates, holidays, hours of work and other conditions of service of an inter-State migrant workman shall be the same as those extended to other workmen in the same establishment, if the nature of their work is similar. In no case, shall the wages be lower than what is prescribed under the Minimum Wages Act.

Concerns associated with it

Lack of implementation of 1979 act:

• The lack of serious implementation of the 1979 act has led to the rights of migrant labourers being ignored and they being exploited.
• Concerns regarding consolidation of labour laws:
• The attempt to consolidate laws relating to occupational safety, health and working conditions may lead to the repealing of many separate laws concerning various kinds of workers and labourers.
• The proposed law seeks to repeal 13 Acts such as the Factories Act, Mines Act, Dock Workers’ Act, the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, and other enactments relating to those working in plantations, construction, cinema, beedi and cigarette manufacture, motor transport, and the media.
• There are concerns that specific safeguards given to migrant workers may be lost as a result of this consolidation.

Provisions with respect to migrant workers:

• Though the Code contains provisions similar to the 1979 Act regarding registration of establishments, licensing of contractors and the inclusion of terms and conditions on hours of work, wages and amenities and like the 1979 Act envisages the payment of a displacement allowance and a journey allowance to inter-State migrant workers, there are still some concerns.
• Under the proposed occupational safety, health and working conditions code bill, inter-State migrant workers have been included under the definition of ‘contract labour’.
• The Parliamentary Standing Committee recommendations to have a separate chapter for migrant workers and have special provisions for them to ensure their safety and health have not been included.
• The unprecedented distress and misery faced by migrant workers due to the current lockdown indicate the vulnerability of this section and it would be better to have a separate enactment dedicated to the welfare of migrant labourers.

Context: The COVID-19 pandemic began as a global health crisis. As it spread rapidly across nations, country after country responded with a lockdown, triggering a global economic crisis. Certain geopolitical trendlines were already discernible but the COVID-19 shock therapy has brought these into sharper focus, defining the contours of the emerging global (dis)order.
1) Ascent of Asia

• Economic aspect: Until the 18th century, Asia accounted for half the global GDP. The Industrial Revolution accompanied by European naval expansion and colonialism contributed to the rise of the West.
• The 2008 global financial crisis and the resilience of the Asian economies led to the rise of Asia.
• Current economic forecasts indicate that out of the G-20 countries, only China and India are likely to register economic growth during 2020 despite the global lockdown measures.
• Response to the pandemic: Asian countries have demonstrated greater agility and responsiveness in tackling the pandemic and more effective state capacity compared to the United States and Europe. Consequently, Asian economies will recover faster than those in the West.

(2) Retreat of US

• Lack of resources: Due to its interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
• America Alone Policy: During the current crisis, the U.S.’s efforts are at cornering supplies of scarce medical equipment and medicines and acquiring biotech companies engaged in research and development in allied states.
• Mismanagement in handling crisis at home: Its pandemic handling has not been successful at home and showed that countries are losing trust in the U.S.’s leadership.

(3) Internal Challenges of Europe

• Expansion of membership to EU: There is difference in threat perception between the old Europe and new Europe making it difficult to reach agreement on political matters e:g relations with Russia and China.
• Rise of Euroscepticism: The rising populism has permitted some EU members to welcome the virtues of “illiberal democracy”. It has worsened with the Brexit.
• North-South divide within the Eurozone: When austerity measures were imposed on Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal by the ECB, the strains came up. The ECB chief’s statement that “ECB is not here to close spreads” undermined solidarity as the Italians are battling with the pandemic and growing borrowing costs.
• Export Control: The medical equipments were denied to Italy by its EU members who introduced export controls leading to China airlifting medical teams and critical supplies.
• Failure of concept of Shared Sovereignty: The Schengen visa or free-border movement became the victim to the pandemic. A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that allows a person to travel to any members of the Schengen Area, per stays up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes. It enables its holder to enter, freely travel within, and leave the Schengen zone from any of the Schengen member countries.

(4) Rising China

• Assertive China: While China’s growing economic role has been visible since it joined the WTO, its more assertive stand has taken shape under President Xi Jinping’s leadership with the call that a rejuvenated China is now ready to assume global responsibilities.
• Concerns regarding Chinese Rise: Chinese assertiveness has raised concerns in its neighborhood and the U.S. which feels betrayed because it assisted China in the hope that an economically integrated China would become politically open. The pandemic has seen increasing rhetoric on both sides.
• Belt and Road Initiative: It seeks to connect China to the Eurasia and Africa through both maritime and land routes by investing trillions of dollars in infrastructure building as a kind of pre-emptive move against any U.S. attempts at containment.

(5) Weakening of International Bodies

• Global Concerns: The COVID-19 shows the failure of international and multilateral bodies in dealing them. The WHO which was expected to lead global efforts against the health crisis became a victim of politics.
• Subject to Big Power Politics: During the Cold War, U.S.-Soviet rivalry blocked the UNSC on many sensitive issues and now with major power rivalry returning, they are becoming ineffective again.
• Losing Autonomy: Agencies such as WHO have lost autonomy over time as their regular budgets have reduced forcing them to increasingly rely on voluntary contributions sourced largely from western countries and foundations.

(6) The energy Politics

• The growing interest in renewables and green technologies on account of climate change concerns and the U.S. emerging as a major energy producer have fundamentally altered the energy markets.
• The looming economic recession and depressed oil prices will exacerbate internal tensions in West Asian countries, which are solely dependent on oil revenues.
• Long-standing rivalries in the region may now create political instability in countries where regime structures are fragile.

(7) Greater unpredictability

• A vaccine for the novel coronavirus, possibly by end-2020, will help deal with the global health crisis but these unfolding trends have now been aggravated by the more pernicious(harmful) panic virus
• Rising nationalism and protectionist responses will prolong the economic recession into a depression, sharpening inequalities and polarisations. This will lead to greater unpredictability and turbulent times in international relations.

Context: Recently, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Israel's plans to annex parts of the West Bank.
Background

• The Israel-Palestine Conflict can be traced back to 1917.
• In the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria.
• While the Palestinians are seeking to establish an independent state in the occupied parts of the West Bank, along with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip — with East Jerusalem serving as its capital.
• When Israel took control of the land in 1967 it allowed Jewish people to move in, but Palestinians consider the West Bank illegally occupied Palestinian land.
• However, most of the international communities till now consider these settlements a violation of international law and obstacles to peace.

Current Scenario

• Pompeo’s visit was exempted from Israel’s mandatory two-week quarantine for arrivals and shut borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Their meeting took place during a day of violent clashes between Israeli troops and people in the occupied territory. One Palestinian teen was reportedly shot and killed.
• For Israel, this visit was an indication of the strength of its alliance with the USA and the talks focused on discussions on annexation, shared concerns about Iran, the battle against the coronavirus, Israel’s incoming government and threats from Israel’s ties with China.
• Israel-China Ties: The US has reportedly been pressuring Israel to rethink a bid by a Hong Kong company to build a massive desalination facility.

Issue

• It was unveiled by Trump in January, 2020. Under it, the Palestinians would have a limited statehood contingent on a list of stringent requirements while Israel would annex some 30% of the West Bank.
• Israeli hard-liners are eager to unilaterally redraw the Mideast map before November’s US Presidential Election.
• The presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, is in the opposition of unilateral annexation plans by Israel.
• Annexation would give Donald Trump an accomplishment to shore up his pro-Israel base, particularly politically influential pro-Israel evangelical (of or according to the teaching of the gospel or the Christianity) Christian voters.
• These voters believe in the notion that God promised the land to Jews and it should be returned to them.

India’s Stand

• As a part of Link West Policy, India has de-hyphenated its relationship with Israel and Palestine in 2018 to treat both the countries mutually independent and exclusive.
• In June 2019, India voted in favor of a decision introduced by Israel in the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) that objected to granting consultative status to a Palestinian non-governmental organization.
• India traditionally believes in the 2-state solution and supports the establishment of a sovereign independent and a viable state of Palestine. However, India’s support for Palestine has not deterred its growing relationship with Israel.

Criticism of this move

• The annexation will trigger widespread international condemnation because it will crush already faint Palestinian hopes of establishing a viable state on the lands captured by Israel in the Mideast war.
• The Arab League has mentioned the annexation as a war crime.
• The European Union (EU) and other individual member states, have warned of tough consequences if Israel moves forward in the annexation process.

Context: On the occasion of International Nurses Day, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi expressed gratitude to nurses who are working round the clock to keep our planet healthy.
About International Nurses Day

• It is celebrated around the world every May 12 to mark the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale.
• The International Council of Nurses (ICN) commemorates this important day each year with the production and distribution of the International Nurses' Day (IND) resources and evidence.
• The theme of IND 2020 is Nurses: A voice to lead - Nursing the World to Health.
• Importance: The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 2020 as The Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.
• Why is it celebrated? Nurses account for more than half of all the world’s health workers. It will encourage the entire nurse community and the public to celebrate the day as well as would provide necessary information and resources to raise the profile of the nursing profession.
• Significance of the day: Nurses are at the forefront of fighting epidemics and pandemics providing high quality and respectful treatment and care. The Covid-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the vital role nurses play.
• Without nurses and other health workers, it is impossible to win the battle against outbreaks, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Step Taken by the Indian Government

• The Indian Nursing Council is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that establishes uniform standards of training for nurses, midwives and health visitors.
• The Government has announced Rs. 50 lakh insurance cover per person (part of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana) for frontline health workers involved in managing the Covid-19 outbreak.
• The Government has also passed an ordinance for the protection of healthcare workers battling Covid-19 on the frontline.
• Recently, the Supreme Court directed the government to ensure the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), to all health workers, including doctors, nurses, ward boys, other medical and paramedical professionals.

WHO recommendations from around the world

• To provide occupational safety and health of nurses and all health workers, including access to personal protective equipment so that they can safely provide care and reduce infections in health care settings.
• Nurses and all health care workers should have access to mental health support, timely pay, sick leave and insurance.
• They should be provided with access to the knowledge and guidance required to respond to all health needs, including outbreaks.
• Nurses should be given the financial support and other resources required to respond to future outbreaks.

About International Council of Nurses (ICN)

• It is a federation of more than 130 national nurses associations (NNAs), representing the more than 20 million nurses worldwide.
• It was founded in 1899 with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
• It is the world’s first and widest reaching international organisation for health professionals.
• It works to ensure quality nursing care for all, sound health policies globally, the advancement of nursing knowledge, and the presence worldwide of a respected nursing profession and a competent and satisfied nursing workforce.

About Florence Nightingale

• Florence Nightingale was a British nurse, statistician, and social reformer who is also considered as a foundational philosopher of modern nursing.
• She was born in Florence, Italy, on May 12, 1820. The year 2020 marks a bicentenary year of her birth.
• During the Crimean War, she and a team of nurses improved the unsanitary conditions at a British base hospital, greatly reducing the death count. Her writings sparked worldwide health care reform.
• She was known for her night rounds to aid the wounded, establishing her image as the 'Lady with the Lamp’.

Context: Recently, the Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) had invited applications for COVID-19 Research Consortium to urgently develop safe and effective Biomedical solutions against SARS CoV-2. The move aims to provide an accelerator approach for vaccine development.
Key Points

• Under the research consortium, DBT and BIRAC evaluated applications with an intent to support Industry/ Academia and Jointly Academia & Industry for developing Diagnostics, Vaccines, Novel Therapeutics, Repurposing of Drugs or any other intervention for control of COVID-19.
• Under the move, 70 proposals of devices, diagnostics, vaccine candidates, therapeutics, and other interventions have been recommended for receiving financial support.
• The shortlisted proposals include 10 Vaccines candidates, 34 Diagnostics products or scale-up facilities, 10 Therapeutics options, 2 proposals on Drug Repurposing, and 14 projects which are categorized as preventive interventions.
• The participating candidates have been enhanced by providing support for the development of the Next-generation mRNA vaccine for a lipid encapsulated mRNA based vaccine.
• In order to ensure complete indigenization of COVID diagnostics, DBT BIRAC has already provided support to the companies conducting research to scale-up the production of RT PCR kits.
• BIRAC has created a provision to fund COVID-19 solutions that are ready for immediate deployment under a 'Fast Track Review Process'.
• DBT has also launched a National Biomedical Resource Indigenization Consortium (NBRIC) in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to foster indigenous innovation focused on developing reagents and resources for diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics for COVID19 which is in partnership with ABLE and CII and is being hosted by C-CAMP.
• The consortium will be based out of C-CAMP in Bengaluru and aims to provide a collaborative platform to build indigenous biomedical resources towards a self-reliant biotech ecosystem.

Benefits

• It brings together academia, industry, start-ups and MSME to serve not just the country but the world. 
• To meet the Covid-19 challenges, this is a good start and we hope to enlarge this to include all required resources, platforms and facilities
• This will enable us to synergise and optimise the latent capabilities we possess across the pyramid of academic research labs, start-ups, MSMEs and large enterprise to deliver innovative solutions at scale for India and the world

Context: Recently, researchers of IIT Dhanbad and CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (Kolkata) have developed the Z-scan method to monitor the origin as well as the progression of Parkinson’s disease in human beings.
About Parkinson’s Disease

• It is a progressive disorder that is caused by degeneration of nerve cells in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra, which controls movement.
• These nerve cells die or become impaired, losing the ability to produce an important chemical called dopamine.
• Normally, these neurons produce an important brain chemical known as dopamine. When the neurons die or become impaired, they produce less dopamine, which causes the movement problems of Parkinson's.
• People with Parkinson's also lose the nerve endings that produce norepinephrine, the main chemical messenger of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls many automatic functions of the body, such as heart rate and blood pressure.
• There are currently no blood or laboratory tests to diagnose non-genetic cases of Parkinson's disease.

Symptoms

• Early in the disease, the most obvious symptoms are shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement, and difficulty with walking.
• Thinking and behavioral problems may also occur.
• Dementia becomes common in the advanced stages of the disease.
• The main motor symptoms are collectively called “parkinsonism”, or a “parkinsonian syndrome”.
• Cause: The cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown, but is believed to involve both genetic and environmental factors.
• Treatment: There is no cure for this disease. The treatment mainly aims to improve the symptoms.

Aggregation of a protein – Alpha-synuclein

• An aggregation of a protein called Alpha-synuclein (ASyn) plays a crucial role in the development of Parkinson’s disease. Protein aggregation is a biological phenomenon in which destabilized proteins aggregate (i.e., accumulate and clump together) leading to many diseases.
• Alpha-synuclein is a protein found in the human brain, while smaller amounts are found in the heart, muscle and other tissues.
• In the brain, alpha-synuclein is found mainly at the tips of neurons in specialized structures called presynaptic terminals.
• Presynaptic terminals release chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters.
• The release of neurotransmitters relays signals between neurons and is critical for normal Brain Function.

Use of Z-scan Method

• The team has found that the Z-scan method is really a technique that could help in monitoring both the early and late stages of the aggregation of ASyn nicely.
• They found that the protein possesses nonlinearity starting from its monomeric state to the fibrillar structure.
• The team is exploring ways to use the Z-scan method to study ASyn aggregates ex vivo (in an external environment) using a suitable animal Parkinson’s disease model.

Context: Recently, a digital conference on ‘Rebooting the Economy through Science, Technology, and Research Translations (RESTART)’ was organised on the occasion of the National Technology Day.
Key Points

• The conference was organized by the Technology Development Board (TDB), an autonomous organization of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) along with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
• CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization.

Outcomes of the conference
1) Strengthen Medicines & Medical Technologies:

• Experts are of the opinion that the Covid-19 pandemic is a great opportunity for R&D and needs to be used for strengthening ‘Medicines & Medical Technologies for better preparedness to face future Pandemics’.
• The crisis has unfolded some of the best medical advancements and innovations, like drug discovery, vaccines, and diagnostic tools, etc. as well as ways to preserve electronic health records. Example: Aarogya Setu app, BiPAP ventilators, use of combination of drugs to treat Covid-19.
• Technologies such as appropriate face masks and best practices like physical distancing need to be made a part of life.

2) Use of Advanced Materials

• Novel materials such as smart materials, special purpose alloys, engineering polymers & blends, graphene, composites, etc. will be the key to revamping the industry’s product lines in the future.
• To tackle pandemics like Covid-19, research needs to quickly switch over from being capital intensive to knowledge-intensive and should be brought closer to industry.

3) Advanced Manufacturing Technologies for Sustainable Future

• In addressing short term and long-term challenges, advanced technologies provide avenues to the industry to re-stimulate innovation, sustainability and employment.
• Covid-19 has forced the Industries to go for digital transformation.
• The world is moving towards mass customization and mass specialization today, and technology like 3-D printing plays a major role in it.

4) Global Innovation & Technology Alliance

• In today's pandemic scenario, virtual collaboration is the key to connect globally to fight against the common challenge of Covid-19, and collaboration between countries must continue with much vigour. Which will enhance Global leadership.

Context: Recently, Scientists are studying the use of ultraviolet germicidal radiation (UVGI) to detect Coronavirus in schools, restaurants and other public places.
About Ultraviolet radiation

• UV light from the sun has shorter wavelengths than visible light and therefore are non-visible to the naked eye.
•  The full spectrum of UV radiation is sourced from the sun and can be subdivided into UV-A, UV-B and UV-C rays. In this spectrum, UV-C rays are the most harmful and are completely absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere. 
• The UV-A and UV-B rays also have harmful effects, with UV-B causing DNA and Cellular damage. 
• Research explains that UV light kills cells and increased exposure can cause cells to become carcinogenic, thereby increasing the risk of cancer. 

Its working

• UVGI uses these “destructive properties” of UV light to target pathogens and are effective in disinfecting the air and helps in preventing certain infectious diseases from spreading.
• UVGI replicates UV wavelengths that disinfect contaminated spaces, air and water.
• UVGI is a promising method for disinfection but the efficacy depends on its dose.
• UVGI fixtures are mostly installed above people’s heads because the short wavelengths release can irritate the skin and eyes.
• Research reveals that  UVGI is most effective in preventing infections that are chiefly spread through smaller droplets and not by direct contact or larger respiratory droplets.
• While using UVGI, it is important to consider factors such as the sensitivity of microorganisms to UVGI, the dose of UVGI required to kill them, humidity and weather conditions also air circulation in a room.
• DRDO’s Latest UV Developments: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has recently developed automated contactless UV-C devices namely DRUVS (Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser) and NOTESCLEAN.

About Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser (DRUVS)

• It is designed and developed by Hyderabad based Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) premier lab, Research Centre Imarat (RCI).
• It is an automated contactless UVC sanitisation cabinet.
• It has been designed to sanitise mobile phones, iPads, laptops, currency notes, cheque leafs, challans, passbooks, paper, envelopes, etc.
• The proximity sensor switches, clubbed with drawer opening and closing mechanism, makes its operation automatic and contactless.
• It provides 360 degree exposure of UVC to the objects placed inside the cabinet.
• The RCI has also developed an automated UVC currency sanitising device, called NOTESCLEAN.

Context: Recently, Pakistan signed a contract with a joint venture of a China Power (Chinese state-run firm) and the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO-a commercial arm of Pakistan’s military) for the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha dam.
Key Points

• Official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs reminded China about India’s claims over the territory of Gilgit-Baltistan under Pakistan’s control.
• China has teamed up with Pakistan to build the Diamer-Bhasha dam.
• It was asserted that India’s position is clear and the entire territory of Jammu and Kashmir is part of India.
• In the past too, India has opposed projects jointly taken up by Pakistan and China in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
• India took a strong note of the mega contract and said that carrying out such projects in territories under Pakistan’s illegal occupation was not proper.

About Diamer-Bhasha Dam

• The Diamer-Bhasha Dam is located on the Indus River in northern Pakistan between Kohistan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Diamer district in Gilgit Baltistan.
• Diamer-Bhasha in the north-west would have a generating capacity of 4,500MW and stand 272m (892ft) high, making it the world’s sixth tallest dam.
• Located near the Himalayan peak Nanga Parbat, it would block off a huge valley system on the upper reaches of the Indus river.
• The dam project with a total financial outlay of about 1,406.5 billion Pakistani rupees would be completed in 2028.
• Islamabad claims that the dam will help reduce downstream flood by the Indus.
• The project is estimated to help alleviate acute irrigation shortage in the Indus basin irrigation system caused by progressive siltation of the existing reservoirs.

Its Importance

• The assertion is important as it was made a day after Power China, one of the biggest Chinese power companies, received a contract to build the Diamer-Bhasha dam.
• Chinese state-run firm Power China holds 70% and the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), a commercial arm of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, 30% share in the consortium.

Significance

• Fulfil the increasing water and electricity requirements of the country.
• Serve as the main storage dam of the country, besides Mangla and Tarbela dams.
• Help alleviate acute irrigation shortage in the Indus basin irrigation system.
• Reduce intensity, quantum and duration of floods and reduce magnitude and frequency of floods in the River Indus downstream.
• Accelerate development and create job opportunities, besides improving availability of water and clean energy.
• The project was approved in 2010, but it suffered delays because international lending agencies backtracked due to the opposition from India as a major part of the dam is located in Gilgit-Baltistan (one of the disputed territories of India) and it will cause unrest in the region.

About Pakistan occupied Kashmir

• POK is divided into two parts:Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK): attached to the western part of Indian Kashmir. Gilgit-Baltistan (referred to as the ‘Northern Areas’ till 2009)
• Gilgit-Baltistan is a hilly region to the north of PoK and east of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• It is over five times the size of PoK. However, it is sparsely populated, with just under 20 lakh people.
• GB is divided into three administrative divisions and 10 districts.

Context: The recent launched of  Aarogya Setu app, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITY), for pan India use. Which is available in 11 languages and has crossed the 75 million mark of user downloads. Of late, it has raised privacy concerns amid executive overreach.
Key Points

• While India is grappling with a grave public health crisis, it goes beyond doubt that the government should take charge of tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
• And thus the extraordinary actions of the Central and federal governments to maintain a nationwide lockdown, to enforce norms of physical distancing and to restrict movement, have garnered popular support.
• However, the arguments like executive’s powers are limitless even to the extent of suspending Fundamental Rights can seem appealing in these circumstances, but the overreach at executive’s end shouldn’t turn into a new normal.
• So it becomes critical to pay close attention to the matter of civil rights, to ensure that rights that are fragile at the best of times, and particularly vulnerable in a crisis doesn’t become inconspicuous in the long run.

Concerns

• No Privacy Policy of the App: Currently, there is no legislation that elaborates on how the online privacy of Indians is to be Protected. Aarogya Setu users have to accept the privacy policy provided by the Government.
• Storage, Access to the data: Though there is some light on where and how long the data will be retained, who will have access to it has been left vague. To quote the policy, “persons carrying out medical and administrative interventions necessary in relation to COVID-19” will have access to the Data.
• Technical Loopholes: The unique digital identity in Aarogya Setu is a static number, which increases the probability of identity breaches. A better approach would be constantly-changing digital identification keys like what Google and Apple deploy in their joint contact tracing technology.
• Data abundance: Aarogya Setu uses both Bluetooth as well as GPS reference points, which could be seen as an overkill. Other apps such as Trace Together make do with Bluetooth.
• Black Box: The Internet Freedom Foundation and the Software Freedom Law Center have raised the concern that the Aarogya Setu app is something of a black box. There is no documentation publicly available on the App.

Aftermath concerns associated with it are:

• In creating a list of infected persons, State governments have used the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897. But this law scarcely accords the state power to publicise this information. These lists have also generated substantial second-order harms.
• The stigma attached to the disease has led to an increase in morbidity and mortality rates, since many with COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms have refused to go to hospitals.

Given that the right to privacy is not absolute, it can be legitimately curtailed. However, any such restriction, as the Court held in K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017), must be tested against the requirements of:

• Legality (the restriction is sanctioned by legislation),
• Necessity (the restriction made is in Pursuance of a Legitimate State Aim and there exists a rational relationship between the purpose and the restriction made) and
• The doctrine of proportionality (that the State has chosen the “least restrictive” measure available to achieve its objective.)
• Inter Arma silent Leges, said Cicero: For among [times of] Arms, the Laws Fall Mute. But ourfight against COVID-19 is not a war. Even if it were, our Constitution is intended for all times – for times of Peace and for Times of Crises.

Context: Recently, the Army chief said that a comprehensive testing of the Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) has concluded but its roll out has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
About IBGs 

• They are brigade-sized, agile, self-sufficient combat formations, which can swiftly launch strikes against adversary in case of hostilities.
• Each IBG would be tailor-made based on Threat, Terrain and Task and resources will be allotted based on the three Ts.
• They need to be light so they will be low on logistics and they will be able to mobilise within 12-48 hrs based on the location.
• An IBG operating in a desert needs to be constituted differently from an IBG operating in the mountains.
• Each IBG will be headed by a Major General officer of Indian Army.
• The integrated units for the border will be all-encompassing, with artillery, armoured, combat engineers and signal units.

IBGs have been classified into- Defensive and Offensive

• Where Defensive IBGs would hold ground at vulnerable points or where enemy action is expected. While Offensive IBGs have the ability to quickly mobilise and make thrust into enemy territory for strikes.

Significance

• IBGs are expected to be game changers that will alter the way the Indian Army strategises for wars.
• These specialised groups to ensure better integration and self-sufficiency as compared to the existing formations.
• During hostilities, the current system requires a brigade to wait to be augmented by various types of units, such as artillery and logistics, which raises its time to mobilise.
• This won’t be the case with IBGs, which will be self-sufficient and inbuilt with all such units, and hence, easier to mobilise.

Context: Recently, Indian Army is considering to allow common citizens to join the 1.3- million-strong force for a three-year tenure to serve the nation under the ‘Tour of Duty (ToD) or ‘Three Years Short Service’ scheme.
About the proposal

• The Army plans to take civilians on a three- year ‘Tour of Duty’ (ToD) or ‘Three-year Short Service’ on a trial basis to serve in the force as both officers and Other Ranks (ORs).
• The proposal suggests several measures to incentivise this scheme like a tax-free income for three years and a token lump sum at the end of three years of about Rs.5-6 lakh for officers and Rs.2-3 lakh for ORs.
• However, there will be no severance packages, resettlement courses, professional encashment training leave, ex-Servicemen status, ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) for the ToD officers and other ranks.
• The proposal is a shift from the concept of permanent service/job in the Armed Forces, towards internship/temporary experience for three years.
• If approved it will be a voluntary engagement and there will be no dilution in selection criteria.
• The Army hopes that this would attract individuals from the best colleges, including the Indian Institute of Technology.
• Initially, 100 officers and 1,000 men are being considered for recruitment as part of test bedding of the project.

Benefits for the government

• There are immense financial benefits to the organisation due to reduction in pay and gratuity payouts.
• The cost of a three-year service per officer will be a fraction of the cost incurred on Short Service Commission (SSC) officers.
• The cost incurred on an officer, who leaves after 10 or 14 years, is Rs 5 crore-Rs 6.8 crore, which includes the cost of pre-commission training, pay, allowances, gratuity, leave encashment among others.
• The corresponding cost for a three-year service will be Rs 80 lakh-85 lakh.
• SSC officers have the option to join the service permanently, which further increases the cost incurred, including pension bills.
• For soldiers, who usually serve for 17 years, the Army has calculated a lifetime savings of Rs 11.5 crore per person, as compared to a three-year service.

Benefits for citizens and the country

• It will help to “channelise the youth energy into positive utilisation of their potential”.
• Rigorous military training and habits inculcated will lead to healthy citizenry.
• The entire nation will benefit from “trained, disciplined, confident, diligent and committed” young men or women who have done the three-year service.
• An “initial survey” has indicated that the corporate sector will prefer to hire such youths rather than fresh graduates.

Context: Recently, the Supreme Court refused to restore 4G services in Jammu & Kashmir and ordered setting up of a high-powered committee to look into the contentions raised by petitioners against limited 2G services in the Union Territory.
Key Points

• The central government had imposed a complete internet shutdown in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, after scrapping Article 370 which gave J&K its special status. Eight months later, it restored internet services partially, to allow 2G speed for mobile users.
• The court heard arguments by the Jammu and Kashmir government, which focussed on the need for slow internet speed to curb instances of terrorism and violence in the region.
• The administration also submitted that the right to internet access is not a fundamental right and the state can curtail the freedom of speech and right to trade through the internet.
• It called the internet speech curbs reasonable and asserted that these were necessary to protect the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country.
• The petitioner highlighted the need for maintaining the fundamental right to access of healthcare in times of a pandemic.It is also said that the impact of slow internet on education, contending that students cannot attend classes through video conferencing because of the slow speed of the internet.

Verdict of Court

• The Supreme Court said that a special committee led by the Ministry of Home Affairs secretary should be constituted to look into whether 4G internet services should be restored in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The committee will also include the Department of Communications Secretary of the Union Ministry of Communications and the Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• This committee has been asked to look into the petitioners’ contention, as well as examine the alternatives suggested by them, on allowing faster internet on a trial basis in areas wherever possible.
• This court has to ensure national security and human rights are balanced. We do recognise that the UT has plunged into a crisis. At the same time the court is cognizant to the concerns Related to Ongoing Pandemic and Hardships.
• The SC also referred to the judgment in the Anuradha Bhasin case, popularly known as the Kashmir internet Shutdown Case.

About Anuradha Bhasin case verdict

• The Court said that all restrictive orders under Section 144 of CrPC and suspension of internet services in Jammu and Kashmir have to be reviewed.
• The verdict has laid down a framework of how the Internet can be suspended, and what rights and legal recourses a citizen has when it is suspended.
• Right to internet is a fundamental right (subject to reasonable restrictions) included in the freedom of expression under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution.
• Restrictions on fundamental rights could not be in exercise of arbitrary powers. These freedoms could only be restricted as a last resort if “relevant factors” have been considered and no other options are there.
• Any order passed to restrict or suspend judicial scrutiny will be subject to judicial scrutiny.
• Suspension of internet services indefinitely is also a violation of telecom rules.

SC on section 144

• Sec 144 cannot be used to suppress the legitimate expression of opinion or grievance, or the exercise of democratic rights.
• When Sec 144 is imposed for reasons of apprehended danger, that danger must be an “emergency”.
• The imposition of Sec 144 must strike a balance between the rights of the individual and the concerns of the state.
• Powers under Sec 144 should be exercised in a reasonable and bona fide manner, and the order must state material facts in order to enable judicial review.

What are the Criticisms Made?

• Restrictions have virtually abrogated the fundamental rights and paralyzed the lives of seven million people in the region.
• These restrictions have been imposed under the garb of public tranquillity, public order and national security, but national security does not appear in the order imposing Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the region.
• The shutdown of internet services has severe consequences on business, trade and heavily affects the common people in the region.
• What Procedure does the Government follow to Suspend Internet Services?
• The Information Technology Act, 2000, the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973 and the Telegraph Act, 1885 are the three laws that deal with suspension of Internet services.
• But before 2017, Internet suspension orders were issued under section 144 of the CrPC.
• In 2017, the central government notified the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Service) Rules under the Telegraph Act to govern suspension of Internet. These Rules derive their powers from Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, which talks about interception of messages in the “interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India”.
• Despite the 2017 rules, the government has often used the broad powers under Section 144.
• India also tops the list of Internet shutdowns globally. According to Software Freedom Law Centre’s tracker, there have been 381 shutdowns since 2012, 106 of which were in 2019.

What did the Judgment say on the Rules to be followed?

• The court recognised that the 2017 Rules are the only procedure to be followed to suspend Internet services in the occurrence of a “public emergency” or for it to be “in the interest of public safety”.
• The verdict reiterated that the competent authority to issue an order under the Suspension Rules, in ordinary circumstances, would be the Secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The Rules also say that in case the confirmation does not come from a competent authority, the orders shall cease to exist within a period of 24 hours.
• Clear reasons for such orders need to be given in writing, and need to be forwarded to a Review Committee by the next working day.
• The confirmation must not be a mere formality, but must indicate independent application of mind by the competent authority to the order passed by the authorised officer, who must also take into account changed circumstances if any, etc.
• According to the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services [Public Emergency or Public Service] Rules, 2017 only the Home Secretary of the country and a secretary of a state’s home department can pass such an order.
• These also state that any such order should be taken up by a review committee within five days.

Context: Recently, India has sent Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kesari, carrying food items and medical assistance teams, to countries in the southern Indian Ocean to deal with Covid-19 pandemic .
About Mission SAGAR

• It is based on Prime Minister's vision of SAGAR i.e. 'Security and Growth for All in the Region'.
• It highlights the importance accorded by India to relations with her neighbouring countries and further strengthens the existing bond.
• It also displays rising salience of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in Ministry of External Affairs’ policy-making.
• INS Kesari will deliver Covid-related essential medicines to Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles.
• It is the first time that a single assistance mission is covering all island countries of the western Indian Ocean in one expedition except Sri Lanka, for which a second set of medicines have been airlifted.

About INS Kesari

• It is an amphibious warfare ship of Shardul-class ships of the Navy.
• In 2009, INS Kesari was transferred from the Eastern Naval Command in Vishakhapatnam to Port Blair.
• In March 2014, the ship, under the command of Commander Mahesh Mangipudi, was involved in the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the Indian Ocean region.
• It was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers and was commissioned in 2008.

About SAGAR

• It Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) was launched in 2015 with an aim to India’s strategic vision for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The initiative aims at

• enhancing capacities to safeguard land and maritime territories & interests
• deepening economic and security cooperation in the littoral and
• action to deal with natural disasters and maritime threats like piracy, terrorism.
• Through SAGAR, India seeks to deepen economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbours and assist in building their maritime security capabilities.
• Further, India seeks to safeguard its national interests and ensure Indian Ocean region to become inclusive, collaborative and respect international law.
• The key relevance of SAGAR emerges when seen in conjunction with India’s other policies impacting the maritime domain like Act East Policy, Project Sagarmala, Project Mausam, India as ‘net security provider’, focus on Blue Economy etc.

Context: Recently, the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) has come out with a manual for identifying ‘fake news’ and communally sensitive posts from its website to guide law enforcement agencies (LEAs).
Key Points

• The report, ‘Fake News & Disinformation: A Guide for LEAs – How to spot and investigate,’ was prepared by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD).
• BPRD has removed the recently released guide for law enforcement agencies to identify ‘fake news’ from its website.
• This was done subsequent to objections to the inclusion of certain portals on an indicative list of websites that could be accessed for fact check.
• The Centre’s police think-tank has come out with a 40-page manual to help investigators identify fake news, visuals and texts aimed at spreading communal violence, hatred or panic among the people.
• The step-by-step guide has been prepared for police officers to curb misinformation spread by digital news, which has brought back and increased the usage of fake news or yellow journalism.
• The manual warned that messages or website links one receives may contain hoaxes or fake news.
• Investigators should look for spelling mistakes in such reports as well as whether the headline supports the visuals or captions.
• The manual warned that photos, audio recordings, and videos can be edited to mislead the recipient and the investigators should look at ‘trusted news sources’ to verify whether the story is being reported elsewhere.

Issues
Spotting fake news

• The guideline mentions several indicative signs that officials must look for to identify possible fake news.
• The officers should read beyond “outrageous” headlines designed to attract clicks and read the whole article. A possible case of fake news could be when headlines, visuals or captions do not support the content or when genuine contents or sources are impersonated with false or made-up sources.
• A search on the author of the article would also enable insights into the veracity of the news.
• The investigating officer must stay alert to clues such as language since such websites and links usually have spelling mistakes.

Cross-checking

• The officials should refer to trusted news sources to verify whether the story is being reported elsewhere. When a story is reported in multiple places, it is more likely to be true.
• The manual also gives an indicative list of websites that could be accessed for fact-checking.
• The guidelines ask police and other investigating agencies to use open domain tools for collecting more information on fake videos.
• Given the fact that because the open domain tools and websites are hosted on foreign servers/cloud systems, BPRD has cautioned that the Investigating officer may consider the case sensitivity before resorting to these tools since there is the risk of data leakage that may influence or mislead an investigation.

Purpose of this manual

• The extensive spread of fake news has the potential to gravely impact individuals as well as society at large.
• The extensive spread of fake news has the potential to gravely impact individuals, as well as the society at large and hence fake news detection in cyberspace, is an important issue for the law enforcement agencies.
• The step-by-step procedure laid in the guidelines will assist Law enforcement agencies in spotting and investigating fake news in a systematic manner. It will also help in the effective prosecution of offenders involved in such mischievous acts.
• Therefore, fake news detection in cyberspace has become an important issue for law enforcement agencies.

About  Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD)

• It was set up on 28 August 1970 in furtherance of the objective of the Government of India for the modernisation of police forces. It has evolved as a multifaceted, consultancy organisation. 
• At present it has 4 divisions – Research, Development, Training and Correctional Administration.
• Union Home Minister recently exhorted the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) to work towards imparting training in soft skills to all the policemen in the country.
• The Government of India formally established the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), under the Ministry of Home Affairs giving a new orientation to then existing Police Research and Advisory Council (1966).
• BPRD was to directly participate in police functions and suggest reforms.

Its primary objective was to modernize police force and

• To take direct and active interest in the issues
• To promote a speedy and systematic study of the police problems,
• To apply science and technology in the methods and techniques used by police.

Context: During his address to nation amid Covid-19, the Prime Minister also referred to the Y2K crisis that came at the beginning of this century. After all, what was this 'Y2K' crisis, and why did the PM mention it?

Background

• While writing computer programs during the 1960s to 1980s, computer engineers used only the last two digits of a year.
• For example, “19” was left out from “1999” and only “99” was used. This was done because storing data in computers was a costly process that also took up a lot of space.
• As the new century approached, programmers began to worry that computers might not interpret ”00” as 2000, but instead as 1900.
• This led to the idea that all activities that were programmed would be damaged as a computer would interpret January 1, 1900 instead of January 1, 2000.

Key Points

• Today, even though there has been a communication revolution all over the world. The huge computer has changed its form and pocketed it, but at the beginning of this century, the situation was not like this.
• It was also said that computers from all over the world will be destroyed. The communication system will be affected due to the Y2K bug.
• The Y2K bug was a computer flaw or bug that people during the late 1900s thought would prove to be a massive problem when dealing with dates beyond December 31, 1999.
• The letter K, which stands for kilo (a unit of 1000), is commonly used to represent the number 1,000. So, Y2K stands for Year 2000. It is also called the ‘Year 2000 bug or Millennium Bug’.
• Like today, the entire world was troubled by this crisis at that time. Like the coronavirus epidemic, there was no threat to life, but there was an earthquake in the technology world. 
• Computer experts of that era raised their hands, saying that computers do not have enough programs for the 21st century, so they can collapse. 
• The situation in America-Europe was very odd. The demolition of the computer means power grid failure. Bank services disrupted. Business collapses due to a lack of sales and production.

Implications

• The sectors such as Information Technology (IT), banking, transportation, power plants, medical equipment, etc. which used to work on correct date and time synchronisation were threatened by the Y2K problem.
• Software and hardware companies raced to fix the bug and provided “Y2K compliant” programs to help. The simplest provided solution was that the date was expanded to a four-digit number.
• Countries such as Italy, Russia, and South Korea had done little to prepare for Y2K. They had no more technological problems than those countries, like the U.S., that spent millions of dollars to combat the problem. Due to the lack of results, many people dismissed the Y2K bug as a hoax.
• Perhaps the most important lesson from Y2K is that we can prevent many crises with appropriate planning and by relying on the experts who understand the issues. We did that with Y2K and created resilient systems that stood up to a major threat. 
• So far, we have failed to do the same with Covid-19. Erratic presidential hunches are not a sound basis for action. We need consistent federal leadership that is rooted in science and driven by data.

Context: Recently, the Department of Science and Technology has taken several initiatives to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 among Divyangjan and Elderly and identified various challenges faced by them for finding technological solutions.
Key Points

• The organizations supported by Science for Equity Empowerment and Development(SEED) Division of DST have been instrumental in developing various assistive tools, technologies and techniques, that are affordable and adaptable to the Indian milieu 
• This all achieve through its programme on Technology Interventions for Disabled and Elderly (TIDE), for creating inclusiveness and universal accessibility for Divyangjan and Elderly.

About Technology Interventions for Disabled and Elderly (TIDE)

• It is the Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) focused initiative on Science and Technology (S&T) interventions for the benefit of elderly and also the differently-abled Divyangjan persons in the country.
• In addition to improving the quality-of-life of the target population with appropriate and/or innovative scientific technological interventions.
• It also aims at giving them autonomy, and independence through holistic development by creating requisite enabling environments for their empowerment.
• Proposals on Research and Development for technological solutions with multidisciplinary approach to improve the quality of life of Elderly population and Divyangjan and in making them self sufficient are considered for financial assistance under this programme.

Other tools

1) e-Tool: Under this programme, an e-Tool to create awareness and impart health and hygiene related information along with education and entertainment to overcome loneliness of the persons with intellectual disabilities, due to COVID-19 pandemic has been developed by Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai.
This will help the persons with intellectual disability to learn with fun through tabs and mobiles. The e-Tool can also be converted into other vernacular languages and the Beta Version of the e-tool is being used by 200 specially-abled children.
2) Wearable sensor: It is a device developed by PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore to remotely monitor the activities of elderly and divyangjan staying alone or those who happen to be under quarantine or isolation wards. 
The device also predicts and detects fall and frailty levels in elderly. The device costs Rs.1,500/- when produced in bulk.

Context: Recently, the Registrar General of India released data related to birth rate, death rate and infant mortality rate in its Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin for 2018.
Key findings 
On Birth Rate:

• Birth rate is a crude measure of fertility of a population and a crucial determinant of Population Growth.
• India’s birth rate has Declined drastically over the last four decades from 36.9 in 1971 to 20.0 in 2018.
• The rates are Calculated per one Thousand of the Population.
• The rural-urban differential has also narrowed. However, the birth rate has continued to be higher in Rural Areas compared to Urban Areas.
• Bihar (26.2) continues to remain at the top of list in birth rate while Andaman and Nicobar (11.2) is at the Bottom.

On Death Rate

• The death rate of India has witnessed a significant decline over the last four decades from 14.9 in 1971 to 6.2 in 2018.
• The rates are calculated per one thousand of the population.
• In the last decade, death rate at an all-India level has declined from 7.3 to 6.2. The decline has been steeper in rural areas.
• Chhattisgarh has the highest death rate at 8 and Delhi, an almost entirely urban state, has a lowest death rate of 3.3.
• Mortality is one of the basic components of population change. The data related to it is essential for demographic studies and Public Health Administration.

Infant Mortality Rate:

• Infant mortality is the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1000 live births.
• IMR has decreased to 32 about one-fourth as compared to 1971 (129).
• The IMR at an all-India level has declined from 50 to 32 in the last decade.
• Madhya Pradesh has the highest IMR of 48 and Nagaland has the lowest IMR of 4.

About Sample Registration System (SRS)

• In the late 1960s, the Government of India initiated the Sample Registration System (SRS).
• It aims to provide reliable estimates of birth and death rates for the States and also at All India level.
• At present, the Sample Registration System (SRS) provides reliable annual data on fertility and mortality at the state and national levels for rural and urban areas separately.
• In this survey, the sample units, villages in rural areas and urban blocks in urban areas are replaced once in ten years.
• The data largely reflects past trends as far as the position of states is concerned with marginal improvements at national level on health indices.
• Initiated on a pilot basis by the Registrar General of India in a few states in 1964-65, it became fully operational during 1969-70.

About Registrar General of India

• Registrar General of India was founded in 1961 by the Government of India under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• It is responsible for arranging, conducting and analysing results of demographic surveys of India including Census of India as well as Linguistic Survey of country.
• The post of the RGCC of India is usually held by a civil servant holding the rank of Joint Secretary to Government of India. It is responsible for conducting the decennial Census.

Context: Recently, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs launched the ‘GOAL’ – Going Online As Leaders of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs(MoTA) in partnership with Facebook at a Webinar in New Delhi. GOAL is designed to provide mentorship to tribal youth with digital mode.
About GOAL (Going Online As Leaders) Programme

• The GOAL (Going Online As Leaders) Programme of Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been launched in partnership with the social networking giant, Facebook.
• The GOAL is a unique and influential programme developed to act as a catalyst in exploring the talents of the tribal youth and help in their personal development and contribute in uplifting their society by creating an environment to empower tribal women by connecting them with the digital world.
• This programme demonstrates affirmative actions to reduce the gap between the tribal and non-tribal youth and will enlist them in participation of tribal youth in nation building.
• In this program 5000 scheduled tribe youth(Mentees) will be trained by the experts of different fields (Mentors). 
• There will be 2 mentees under a mentor. The mentors will be connected with the mentees through the digital platforms to share aspirations, dreams and talents.
• The aspirants can apply through an online portal and the application is open from May 4,2020 till midnight of July 3,2020.
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology requested the association of Common Service Centres(CSCs) to support the ST youth who do not have  smartphone access for registration with the portal.
• The selected mentees are provided with smartphones and Internet access for a year by facebook with the exposure to external forums to provide opportunity to showcase their skills and abilities.
• This program will create awareness among the beneficiaries about the initiated by Central and State governments for welfare of STs.
• Efforts will be made to integrate the program with other government schemes such as Mudra Yojana, Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana, Skill India, Start Up India, Stand Up India, among others.

Context: Recently, the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day was observed on 8th May in England this year.
History

• It was the most destructive war observed by the world which started in earnest on September 1, 1939 with the attack of Poland by Nazi Germany, and concluded on September 2, 1945, with the official surrender of the last Axis nation, Japan.
• War was fought between: Axis nations – Nazi Germany, Facist Italy, Imperial Japan and their smaller allies.
• Against: Allied nations, led by Britain (and its Commonwealth nations), the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America. (Allied Nations were Victors, but in such a destructive war, nobody really wins except death and destruction).

Impact

• Even after 8 May, many soldiers, sailors and pilots were sent to the east to fight against the Japanese, who had not yet surrendered.
• Two atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima (6 August) and Nagasaki (9 August).
• On 15 August 1945, the allies had officially defeated Japan.
• This date is known as Victory over Japan Day when World War Two was finally over.
• After that Two world power, the USA and USSR, arisen from World War II to instigate a Cold War with each other that would define much of the rest of the century.
• However, in current scenario the world must draw lessons from the past and work together to beat the coronavirus pandemic.

About Cold War

• The Cold War was a period (1945-1991) of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and its satellite states (the Eastern European countries), and the United States with its allies (the Western European countries) after World War II.
• Post World War II, the world got divided into two power blocs dominated by two superpowers viz. the Soviet Union and the US.
• The two superpowers were primarily engaged in an ideological war between the capitalist USA and the communist Soviet Union.
• The term "Cold" is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two sides.
• The Cold War was between Allied countries (UK, France etc. who were led by the US) and Soviet Union.

About Soviet Union

• The Soviet Union, officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
• It is the world’s first Communist state that was established in 1922.

Reasons of Cold War

• Durning the World War Allied countries (US, UK and France) and Soviet Union fought together against the Axis powers (Nazi Germany, Japan, Austria). However, this wartime alliance could not workout after World War II, due to multiple factors.

Potsdam conference

It was held at Berlin in 1945 among US, UK and Soviet Union to discuss:

• Immediate administration of defeated Germany.
• Demarcation of boundary of Poland.
• Occupation of Austria.
• Role of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe.
• Soviet Union wanted some portion of Poland (bordering Soviet Union) to be maintained as a buffer zone. However, the USA and UK didn't agree to this demand.
• Also, the USA did not inform the Soviet Union about the exact nature of the atomic bomb, dropped on Japan. This created suspicion in Soviet Union about the intentions of western countries, embittering of the alliance.
• This created suspicion in the Soviet leadership.

Truman's Doctrine

• Truman Doctrine was announced on March 12, 1947,by US President Harry S. Truman.
• The Truman Doctrine was a US policy to stop the Soviet Union’s communist and imperialist endeavors, through various ways like providing economic aid to other countries.
• For example, US appropriated financial aid to support the economies and militaries of Greece and Turkey.
• Historians believe that the announcement of this doctrine marked the official declaration of the Cold War.

Iron Curtain

• Iron Curtain is the political, military, and ideological barrier erected by the Soviet Union after World War II to seal off itself and its dependent eastern and central European allies from open contact with the West and other noncommunist areas.
• On the east side of the Iron Curtain were the countries that were connected to or influenced by the Soviet Union, while on the west side were the countries that were allies of the US, UK or nominally neutral.

Important Events of the Cold War

Berlin Blockade 1948

• As the tension between Soviet Union and Allied countries grew, Soviet Union applied Berlin Blockade in 1948.
• The Berlin Blockade was an attempt by the Soviet Union to limit the ability of Allied countries to travel to their sectors of Berlin.
• Further, on August 13, 1961, the Communist government of the German Democratic Republic began to build a barbed wire and concrete wall (Berlin Wall) between East and West Berlin.
• It primarily served the objective of stemming mass emigration from East Berlin to West Berlin.
• Except under special circumstances, travelers from East and West Berlin were rarely allowed across the border.
• This Berlin Wall served as a symbol of the Cold War (US and Soviet Union), until its fall in 1989.

The Marshall Plan

• In 1947, American Secretary of State George Marshall, unveiled European Recovery Programme (ERP), which offered economic and financial help wherever it was needed.
• One of the aims of the ERP was to promote the economic recovery of Europe. However, this was an economic extension of the Truman Doctrine.

NATO vs Warsaw Pact

About NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

• The Berlin blockade showed the West's military unreadiness and frightened them into making definite preparations.
• Therefore, in 1948, mainly the countries of western Europe signed the Brussels Defence Treaty, promising military collaboration in case of war.
• Later on Brussels Defence Treaty was joined by the USA, Canada, Portugal, Denmark, Iceland, Italy and Norway. This led to the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in April 1949.
• NATO countries agreed to regard an attack on any one of them as an attack on all of them, and placing their defence forces under a joint command.

About Warsaw Pact

• The Warsaw Pact ( 1955) was signed between Russia and her satellite states shortly after West Germany was admitted to NATO.
• The Pact was a mutual defense agreement, which the Western countries perceived as a reaction against West Germany's membership of NATO.

Space Race

• Space exploration served as another dramatic arena for Cold War competition.
• In 1957, Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the world’s first artificial satellite and the first man-made object to be placed into the Earth’s orbit.
• In 1958, the U.S. launched its own satellite called Explorer I.
• However, this space race was won by the US, when it successfully landed, the first man (Neil Armstrong) on the surface of the moon in 1969.
• Outer Space Treaty of 1967: The treaty prohibits countries from placing into orbit around the Earth “any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction”. It also prohibits the stationing of such weapons on celestial bodies, like the moon, or in outer space.

Arms Race

• The containment strategy of US provided the rationale for an unprecedented arms buildup in the United States, reciprocated by Soviet Union.
• Development of nuclear weapons took place on a massive scale and the world entered into the age of nuclear age.

Cuban Missiles Crisis, 1962

• The Cuba got involved in the Cold War when US broke off its diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961, and Soviet Union increased their economic aid to Cuba.
• In 1961, the USA planned Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, intending to overthrow the head of Cuban state (Fidel Castro), who was backed by the Soviet Union . However, the operation failed.
• Fidel Castro then appealed to the Soviet Union for military help, to which Soviet Union decided to set up a nuclear missile launchers in Cuba aimed at the USA.
• Cuban Missile Crisis, brought two superpowers on the brink of a nuclear war. However, the crisis was averted diplomatically.

End of the Cold War: In 1991, Soviet Union collapsed due to multiple factors which marked the end of the Cold War, as one of the superpowers was weakened.

Reasons of the collapse of the Soviet Union

• Military reasons: The space race and the arms race drained a considerable proportion of Soviet Union's resources for military needs.
• Policies of Mikhail Gorbachev: In order to kick start Soviet economy, Gorbachev instituted the policies of glasnost (“openness”) and perestroika (“restructuring”). Also, there was growing disenchantment in the public due to falling economy, poverty, unemployment, etc. This made the people of the Soviet Union attracted to western ideology and way of life.
• Afghanistan War: The Soviet-Afghan (1979–89) was another key factor in the breakup of the Soviet Union, as it drained the economic and military resources of Soviet Union.
• Bureaucratic and authoritarian system, Lack of democracy, Lack of freedom of speech, One party system (communist) – unaccountable to the people.
• Dominance of Russia; neglect of the interests of other republics.
• High expenditure on defense, low on infrastructure and technology.