monthly news diary october 2021

MONTHLY NEWS DIARY OCTOBER 2021

www.sosinclasses.com +91 90000 36699 [email protected]

Pag

e1

http://www.sosinclasses.com/

mailto:[email protected]



Pag

e2

INDEX

GS – 1

1. INDIAN HERITAGE

1.1. Significance of Kushinagar…………………………………………………………………………………………………….05

2. GEOGRAPHY

2.1. Hanle: Most Promising Astronomical Site……………………………………………………………………………..07

3. PRELIMS WORKBOOK………………………………………………………………………………………………………08

GS – 2

1. POLITY & GOVERNANCE

1.1. Jal Jeevan Mission………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………12

1.2. Proposal to Amend the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980………….……………………………………………13

1.3. 2021 State of the Education Report for India: UNESCO…….…………………………………………………..14

1.4. Cybersecurity Guidelines for Power Sector..………………………………………………………………………….16

1.5. Palk Bay Scheme & Marine Fisheries Bill….……………………………………………………………………………16

1.6. Indian Space Association (IspA)..……………………………………………………………………………………………18

1.7. National Human Rights Commission.…………………………………………………………………………………….19

1.8. Draft Regional Plan 2041: NCR….…..………………………………………………………………………………………20

1.9. Seven New Defence Public Sector Units.……………………………………………………………………………….22

2. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 2.1. One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG)……………………………….………………………………………….24

2.2. China-Taiwan Issue………………….….………………………………………………………………………………………..25

2.3. CICA 6th Foreign Ministers Meeting…………………………………………………………………………………..…..27

2.4. Normalizing Saudi-Iran Relations…………………………..………………………………………………………………28

2.5. IEA Inviting India to be a full time member……………………………………………………………………………30

2.6. The Other Quad…………………………………………………………………...……………………………………………….31

3. SOCIAL ISSUES

3.1. First Malaria Vaccine: Mosquirix……………………………………………………………………………………………34

3.2. Global Girlhood Report 2021: Girls’ Rights in Crisis……………………………………………………………….35

3.3. Global Hunger Index 2021…………………………………………………………………………………………………….37

4. PRELIMS WORKBOOK……………………………………………………………………………………………………..39





Pag

e3

GS – 3

1. ECONOMY 1.1. PM MITRA Parks…………..……………………….……………………………………………………………………………45 1.2. Coal Crunch in India………………………….………………………………………………………………………………..46 1.3. India’s Ethanol Plan & Food Security....……………………………………………………………………………47 1.4. PM Gati Shakti Scheme………………………………………..………………………………………………………..49 1.5. World Energy Outlook Report 2021: IEA.…………………………………………………………………………50

2. ENVIRONMENT 2.1. Hara Bhara: Aerial Seeding Campaign.…..……………………………………………………………………….53 2.2. State of Climate Services Report 2021: WMO.……………………………………………………………….54 2.3. Kunming Declaration on Biodiversity……………………………………………………………………………….55 2.4. Global Climate Risk Index 2021…………………….…………………………………………………………………57 2.5. Disappearing African Rare Glaciers…………………………………………………………………………………..58

3. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 3.1. Nobel Prize for Chemistry, 2021….……………………………………………………………………………………60 3.2. 6G Technology…………………………………………....………………………………………………………………….61 3.3. Quantum Key Distribution…………………………………………………………………………………………………63 3.4. Intermediate Mass Black Holes…………………………………………………………………………………………64 3.5. Genetically Modified (GM) Crops..……………………………………………………………………………………66

4. PRELIMS WORKBOOK………………………………………………………………………………………………………67 ANSWER KEY………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………...71





Pag

e4





Pag

e5

GS - 1

1. INDIAN HERITAGE

1.1. ON THE LAUNCH OF INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT KUSHINAGAR, EXPLAIN THE

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE KUSHINAGAR PLACE.

Context:

The Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh is the latest entrant in India's list of international Airports. The airport is expected to provide seamless connectivity to people from Southeast and East Asian countries for Buddhist Pilgrimage Tourism. Kushinagar is the centre of the Buddhist circuit, which consists of pilgrimage sites at Lumbini, Sarnath, Gaya and others.

Kushinagar Airport and Cultural Diplomacy:

➢ The inauguration of Kushinagar International airport is set to be a landmark in the India-Sri Lanka relations.

➢ On the occasion of Airport’s inauguration, Sri Lanka will present to India photographs of two mural paintings.

➢ One Mural Painting shows Arahat Bhikkhu’ Mahinda, son of Emperor Ashoka delivering the message of the Buddha to King Devanampiyatissa of Sri Lanka.

➢ The other shows the arrival of ‘Theri Bhikkhuni’ Sanghamitta, the daughter of the emperor, in Sri Lanka, bearing a sapling of the ‘sacred Bodhi tree’ under which Siddhartha Gautama is believed to have attained enlightenment.

➢ The Buddhist circuit reflects the use of soft power in India's foreign policy.

➢ The emphasis on Buddhist diplomacy, will help counter increasing Chinese influence in Sri Lanka and improve people to people relations (especially in the context of the aftermath of Sri-lankan Civil War).

➢ Further, the Buddhist faith, due to its emphasis on peaceful co-existence and its wide pan-Asian presence, lends itself well to soft-power diplomacy.

About Buddhist Circuit:

▪ In 2014-15, the Ministry of Tourism launched the Swadesh Darshan scheme with a vision to develop theme-based tourist circuits on the principles of high tourist value.

▪ The Ministry has identified Buddhist Circuit as one of the fifteen thematic circuits for development under the scheme.

▪ The Buddhist circuit is a route that follows in the footsteps of the Buddha from Lumbini in Nepal to Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh in India, where he died.

Spread of Buddhism in Sri Lanka

Buddhism was first brought to Sri Lanka by a mission sent out from eastern India during the reign of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (c. 273–232 BCE).

The leader of the mission to Sri Lanka, Mahendra (Mahinda), is described as Ashoka’s son.





Pag

e6

▪ Buddhist pilgrims consider Kushinagar a sacred site where, they believe, Gautama Buddha delivered his last sermon and attained ‘Mahaparinirvana’ or salvation.

▪ Investing in the Buddhist Circuit is the result of first-time collaboration between the Government of India’s Ministry of Tourism, the State Governments of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the private sector, Buddhist monasteries and sects, and the World Bank Group.

Other Initiatives Taken to Promote Buddhist Sites:

➢ PRASHAD Scheme: 30 projects for development of infrastructure have been undertaken under the PRASHAD Scheme.

➢ Iconic Tourist Sites: Buddhist Sites at Bodhgaya, Ajanta & Ellora have been identified to be developed as Iconic Tourist Sites.

➢ Buddhist Conclave: It is organised every alternate year with the objective of promoting India as a Buddhist Destination and major markets around the globe.

➢ Diversity of Languages: Signages have been installed in Chinese language at buddhist monuments in Uttar Pradesh and in Sinhala language (official language of Sri Lanka) at Sanchi monuments in Madhya Pradesh.





Pag

e7

2. GEOGRAPHY 2.1. ELUCIDATE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE “HANLE” SITE.

Context: According to a recent study, the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) located at Hanle near Leh in Ladakh is becoming one of the promising observatory sites globally. The Indian Astronomical Observatory has one of the world's highest sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes.

Hanle Site:

Hanle site is as dry as the Atacama Desert in Chile and much drier than Devasthal (Uttarakhand) and has around 270 clear nights in a year and is also one of the emerging sites for infrared and sub-mm optical astronomy.

This is because water vapour absorbs electromagnetic signals and reduces their strength.

It has advantages of more clear nights, minimal light pollution, background aerosol concentration, extremely dry atmospheric conditions, and uninterrupted monsoon.

Such conditions are considered crucial for astronomers to build huge telescopes and plan for future observatories and predict how they will vary with time.

Trans-Himalayan Region:

Other Promising Sites

Merak observatories in Ladakh.

Devasthal in Nainital, Ali Observatory in the Tibet Autonomous Region in China.

South African Large Telescope in South Africa.

University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory and Paranal in Chile.

Mexico’s National Astronomical Observatory.





Pag

e8

The Trans-Himalayas Mountain Region or Tibet Himalayan Region is located to the north of the Great Himalayas which consists of Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar and Kailash Mountain ranges. It is also called the Tibet Himalayan Region because most of the part of these ranges lies in Tibet. They are the eastward continuation of the most northerly ranges of the Himalayas. It consists of an ill-defined mountain area about 600 miles long and 140 miles wide in the centre, narrowing to a 20-mile width and Paleogene age.

3. PRELIMS WORKBOOK 1. Consider the following statements with respect to “Langa & Manganiar”: 1) They are folk artists, famous for their folk dance called “Kalbeliya”. 2) They are Muslim communities predominantly residing in Ladakh. 3) They play a traditional percussion instrument called “Khartal”.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

a) 1 and 3 only b) 2 only c) 3 only d) 1, 2 and 3 2. In which of the following states can Gangetic River dolphins be found?

1) Assam 2) Uttar Pradesh 3) Rajasthan 4) Jharkhand 5) West Bengal

Options:

a) 2, 4 and 5 only b) 1, 2 and 4 only c) 4 and 5 only d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

3. Which of the given statement/s is/are INCORRECT with respect to The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), located in Hanle in Ladakh:

1) It has one of the world’s highest located sites for optical, infrared, and gamma-ray telescopes.

2) It houses Asia’s largest fully steerable optical telescope. 3) Night observations at IAO Hanle from 2m-Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) are possible

throughout the year without any interruption due to monsoon.

Options:

a) 1 and 3 only b) 2 only c) 1 and 2 only d) None of the above 4. The battle of Saraighat was fought in 1671 between:

a) British and Burmese empires b) Bakhtiar Khilji and Kamata kingdom

c) Kukis in the Northeast and the British d) Ahoms of Assam and the Mughals

5. Which of the following is not a Harappan site?

a) Chanhudaro b) Kot Diji c) Sohgaura d) Desalpur

6. Which of the given statement/s is/are correct? 1) Mahatma Gandhi’s first Ashram in India was established on the banks of the river

Sabarmati. 2) The meeting of the Working Committee of congress in 1930 at Sabarmati Ashram, invested

Gandhiji with the power to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement at a time and place of his choice.





Pag

e9

Options:

a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

7. Olivine is the most abundant component in the Earth’s-

a) Inner Core b) Upper Mantle c) Crust d) Atmosphere

8. Consider the following pairs:

Tradition State

1) Chapchar kut festival Mizoram

2) Khongiom parba ballad Manipur

3) Thang-Ta dance Sikkim

Which of them is/are correctly matched?

a) 1 only b) 1 and 2 c) 3 only d) 2 and 3

9. Kuakhai River is a distributary of which amongst the following Rivers?

a) Vamsadhara b) Subernarekha c) Brahmani d) Mahanadi

10. What was the main reason for the split in the Indian National Congress at Surat in 1907?

a) Introduction of communalism into Indian politics by Lord Minto.

b) Extremists’ lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British

Government.

c) Foundation of Muslim League.

d) Aurobindo Ghosh’s inability to be elected as the President of the Indian National Congress.





Pag

e10





Pag

e11





Pag

e12

GS - 2

1. POLITY & GOVERNANCE

1.1. ASSESS THE SIGNIFICANCE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE JAL JEEVAN MISSION.

Context:

The Prime Minister launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) mobile application on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti (2nd October). The PM also released the progress report of the JJM and a manual for the utilization of the 15th Finance Commission grant for rural local bodies.

About Jal Jeevan Mission App:

▪ The mobile application will provide details of water infrastructure, an Aadhaar-verified data set of beneficiaries, and water quality and contamination-related information for each village.

▪ The application aims to improve awareness among stakeholders and for greater transparency and accountability of schemes under the Jal Jeevan mission.

▪ The Jal Shakti ministry has been maintaining a JJM dashboard to show the coverage of tap water connections across states.

▪ The water quality management information system provides details of water samples received and tested across labs and states. The mobile app will bring all this data under one umbrella.

Jal Jeevan Mission

Launched in 2019, it envisages supply of 55 litres of water per person per day to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024.

JJM looks to create a jan andolan for water, thereby making it everyone’s priority.

It comes under Jal Shakti Ministry.

Objectives of Jal Jeevan Mission:

The mission ensures functionality of existing water supply systems and water connections; water quality monitoring and testing as well as sustainable agriculture. It also ensures conjunctive use of conserved water, drinking water source augmentation, drinking water supply system, grey water treatment and its reuse.

Features of the mission:

➢ JJM focuses on integrated demand and supply-side management of water at the local level.

➢ Creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse, is undertaken in convergence with other government programmes/schemes.

Funding Pattern

The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states, and 100% for Union Territories.





Pag

e13

➢ The Mission is based on a community approach to water and includes extensive Information, Education and Communication as a key component of the mission.

Implementation:

➢ Paani Samitis plan, implement, manage, operate and maintain village water supply systems.

➢ These consist of 10-15 members, with at least 50% women members and other members from Self-Help Groups, Accredited Social and Health Workers, Anganwadi teachers, etc.

➢ The committees prepare a one-time village action plan, merging all available village resources. The plan is approved in a Gram Sabha before implementation.

Recent developments:

• When the mission was launched, only 17% (32.3 million) of the country’s rural households had a tap water supply.

• Today, 7.80 Crore (41.14%) households have tap water supply. Goa, Telangana, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry have achieved 100% household connection in rural areas and have become ‘Har Ghar Jal’.

❖ To complement the Jal Jeevan Mission (Rural), Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) was announced in the Budget 2021-22.

1.2. ANALYSE THE NEED TO AMEND THE FOREST (CONSERVATION) ACT, 1980

Context:

Recently, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has proposed an amendment to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 to bring significant changes to forest governance in India.

Objective of the proposal:

To liberalise forest laws through facilitating private plantations for harvesting and exploration or extraction of oil and natural gas deep beneath forest land by drilling holes from outside the forest areas.

Need of the Amendment:

➢ Forests on Private Land: Identification of forests on private land is subjective and arbitrary to some extent.

➢ This results in a lot of resentment and resistance particularly from private individuals and organisations.

➢ Considering any private area as forest, would restrict the right of an individual to use his/her own land for any non-forestry activity.

➢ This has led to the tendency to keep most of the private lands devoid of vegetation even if there’s scope for planting activities.

Definition of Forest

The Supreme Court in TN Godavarman Thirumulpad versus Union of India and Others (1996), have defined forest as, all areas which are recorded as ‘forest’ in any government record, irrespective of ownership, recognition and classification.





Pag

e14

➢ Changes in the Ecological and Economic Needs: There has been considerable change in the ecological, social and environmental regimes in the country in the last few years.

➢ Present circumstances, particularly for accelerated integration of conservation and development, have become necessary to amend the Act.

➢ Achieving India’s Climate Target: To achieve the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) extensive plantations in all possible available lands outside the government forests was necessary.

Highlights of the Proposal:

• Defining ‘Forests’: Deemed forests listed by state governments up to 1996 will continue to be considered forest land. Land that was acquired by the Railways and the road ministries before 1980, but on which forests came up, will no longer be considered forests.

• Strategic Projects: The forest land for strategic and security projects of national importance should be exempted from the need to obtain prior approval from the Central government. Doing this will allow states to permit diversion of forest land for strategic and security projects that are to be completed in a given time frame.

• Oil and Natural Gas Extraction: Facilitate new technologies such as Extended Reach Drilling (ERD) for extraction of oil and natural gas found deep beneath the forest land by drilling holes from outside the forest areas. The use of such technology is quite environment-friendly and as such should be kept outside the purview of Act.

Building in Forests: To ease the grievances of the individuals whose land fall in state specific private forests act or within the purview of dictionary meaning of forest. The proposal allows them the right to construct structures for bonafide purposes including forest protection measures and residential units up to an area of 250 sq. mtr as one time relaxation.

1.3. ANALYSE THE FINDINGS OF STATE OF THE EDUCATION REPORT FOR INDIA RELEASED BY

UNESCO.

Context: On the Occasion of the World Teachers’ Day (5th October), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched its 2021 State of the Education Report (SOER) for India: “No Teacher, No Class”.

Findings of the Report:

➢ Lack of Teachers: There are nearly 1.2 lakh single-teacher schools in the country of which an overwhelming 89% are in rural areas. The report projects that India needs 11.16 lakh additional teachers to meet the current shortfall.

➢ Performance of States (Women Teachers): Tripura has the least number of women teachers,





Pag

e15

followed by Assam, Jharkhand and Rajasthan. Chandigarh leads the chart followed by Goa, Delhi, Kerala.

➢ Increase in Number of Teachers in Private Sector: The proportion of teachers employed in the private sector grew from 21% in 2013-14 to 35% in 2018-19. The Right to Education Act stipulates that the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) should be 30:1 in classes 1-5 and 35:1 in higher grades.

➢ Lack of Digital Infrastructure: The overall availability of computing devices (desktops or laptops) in schools is 22% for all India, with rural areas seeing much lower provisioning (18%) than urban areas (43%). Access to the internet in schools is 19% all over India - only 14% in rural areas compared to 42% in urban areas.

➢ Increment in Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): For elementary schools, it has increased from 81.6 in 2001 to 93.03 in 2018-19 and stands at 102.1 in 2019-2020. GER is the number of students enrolled in a given level of education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the official school-age population corresponding to the same level of education. Overall retention

➢ is 74.6% for elementary education and 59.6% for secondary education in 2019-20.

Recommendations:

• Increase the number of teachers and improve working conditions in Northeastern states, rural areas and 'aspirational districts'.

• Increase the number of physical education, music, art, vocational education, early childhood and special education teachers.

• Value the professional autonomy of teachers.

• Build teachers' career pathways.

• Provide teachers with meaningful Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training.

• Develop teaching governance through consultative processes, based on mutual accountability.

ABOUT SOER

The findings are largely based on analysis of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) data (2018-19).

It aims to serve as a reference for enhancing the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) and towards the realization of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 (target 4c on teachers).

Target 4c: By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States.





Pag

e16

1.4. WHAT ARE THE CYBER SECURITY GUIDELINES RELEASED FOR POWER SECTOR BY CEA?

Context:

Recently, the government released cybersecurity guidelines for the power sector. This is the first time that a comprehensive guideline has been formulated on cyber security in the power sector. The guidelines are a precursor to cybersecurity regulations that the Central Electricity Authority (CEA, Ministry of Power) is working on.

About CEA:

➢ CEA has framed the guidelines under the Central Electricity Authority (Technical Standards for Connectivity to the Grid) (Amendment) Regulations, 2019.

➢ It lays down a cyber assurance framework, strengthens the regulatory framework, puts in place mechanisms for security threat early warning, vulnerability management and response to security threats, and secures remote operations and services, among others.

➢ The norms are applicable to all responsible entities as well as system integrators, equipment manufacturers, suppliers/ vendors, service providers, and Information Technology (IT) hardware and software OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) engaged in the Indian power supply system.

➢ Responsible Entities include power generation utilities, distribution utilities, transmission companies and load dispatch centres among others.

Major Guidelines:

➢ Procure from Trusted Source:

Mandates Information & Communication Technology-based procurement from identified 'trusted sources' and 'trusted products' or else the product has to be tested for malware/hardware trojan before deployment for use in the power supply system network.

➢ Chief Information Security Officer:

Appointment of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at each responsible entity as well as the setting up of an Information Security Division headed by the CISO.

➢ Procedure for Identifying and Reporting:

The entities will also be required to incorporate a procedure for identifying and reporting any disturbances suspected or confirmed to be caused by sabotage and submit the report to the sectoral CERT and Computer Emergency Response Team -India (CERT-In) within 24 hours.

Significance:

It will promote research and development in cybersecurity and open up the market for setting up cyber testing infra in public as well as private sectors in the country.

1.5. WHAT IS PALK BAY SCHEME AND MARINE FISHERIES BILL?

Context:

The Union Government is considering increasing the unit cost of deep-sea fishing vessels from Rs 80 L to Rs 1.3 Cr under the Palk Bay scheme to make it more attractive to fisherfolk. Earlier, the Marine Fisheries Bill 2021 was tabled in the Parliament during the Monsoon session.





Pag

e17

About Palk Bay Scheme:

➢ The Scheme, “Diversification of Trawl Fishing Boats From Palk Straits Into Deep Sea Fishing Boats”, was launched in 2017 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. It was launched as part of the umbrella Blue Revolution Scheme.

➢ The Blue Revolution is part of the Government's efforts to promote fishing as an allied activity for farmers in order to double their incomes.

➢ It is a Tamil Nadu-specific scheme aimed at providing 2,000 vessels in three years to fishermen of the State and motivating them to abandon bottom trawling.

➢ Bottom trawling, an ecologically destructive practice, involves trawlers dragging weighted nets along the sea-floor, causing great depletion of aquatic resources.

➢ Another objective of the scheme is to “reduce fishing pressure” around the proximity of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) so that Tamil Nadu fishermen do not cross the IMBL and fish in Sri Lankan waters.

➢ The Funding pattern of the scheme is Centre 50%, State 20%, Institutional funding 10% and Beneficiary 20%. The Scheme is limited to vessels costing upto Rs. 80 Lakh. The scheme is not part of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.

Maritime Zones:

• Under UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea - 1982), which India ratified in 1995, the sea and resources in the water and the seabed are classified into three zones - the Internal Waters (IW), the Territorial Sea (TS) and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

• The IW is on the landward side of the baseline - it includes gulfs and small bays.

• The TS extends outwards to 12 nautical miles from the baseline - coastal nations enjoy sovereignty over airspace, sea, seabed and subsoil and all living and non-living resources therein.

• The EEZ extends outwards to 200 nautical miles from the baseline. Coastal nations have sovereign rights for exploration, exploiting, conserving and managing all the natural resources therein.

• Since fisheries is a state subject, fishing in the IW and TS come within the purview of the states concerned.

• Other activities in the TS and activities, including fishing beyond the TS up to the limit of the EEZ, are in the Union list.

Marine Fisheries Bill

The Bill proposes to only grant licenses to vessels registered under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, to fish in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

It also proposes punishments for fishermen breaching the EEZ without a license, not complying with Indian Coast Guard (ICG) orders, and obstructing ICG officials.

The Bill prohibits fishing by foreign fishing vessels, thus nationalizing our EEZ. It proposes social security for fish workers and calls for protection of life at sea during severe weather events.





Pag

e18

1.6. WHAT IS INDIAN SPACE ASSOCIATION (ISPA)? WHAT IS ITS SIGNIFICANCE?

Context:

Recently, the Prime Minister has launched the Indian Space Association (ISpA) via video conferencing. ISpA will act as a single-window and independent agency on matters related to space technology. The PM also remarked that the Government's approach to space reforms is based on 4 pillars.

About ISpA

• ISpA aspires to be the collective voice of the Indian Space industry. ISpA will be represented by leading domestic and global corporations that have advanced capabilities in space and satellite technologies.

• ISpA will undertake Policy Advocacy and engage with all stakeholders in the Indian Space domain, including the Government and its Agencies, to make India self-reliant, technologically advanced and a leading player in the space arena.

• ISpA will also work towards building global linkages for the Indian space industry to bring in critical technology and investments into the country to create more high skill jobs.

Significance of ISpA:

One of the main goals of the organisation is to supplement the government’s efforts towards making India a global leader in commercial space-based excursions. Of late, ISRO’s rockets have been carrying the payload and communication satellites of various countries; now, private players will also look to touch on this space with the new organisation. Several private sector companies have shown an interest in India’s space domain, with space-based communication networks coming to the fore.





Pag

e19

Other Related Organisations:

➢ IN-SPACE: Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) was approved in 2020 to provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure.

➢ NSIL: In the 2019 Budget, the government had announced the setting up of a New Space India Limited (NSIL), a public sector company that would serve as a marketing arm of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation). Its main purpose is to market the technologies developed by ISRO and bring it more clients that need space-based services. That role, incidentally, was already being performed by Antrix Corporation, another public sector undertaking working under the Department of Space, and which still exists.

Four Pillars of Space Reforms:

✓ Allowing the private sector freedom of innovation. ✓ Government playing the enabler's role. ✓ Preparing youngsters for the future. ✓ Treating the space sector as a resource for the progress of the common man.

1.7. EXPLAIN THE ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.

Context:

The 28th anniversary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was observed on 12th October 2021.

Establishment:

Established on 12th October, 1993, under Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993. It was amended by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2006 and Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2019

It was established in conformity with the Paris Principles, adopted for the promotion and protection of human rights in Paris (October 1991) and endorsed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December, 1993.

Composition:

➢ It is a multi-member body consisting of a chairman and four members. A person who has been the Chief Justice of India or a judge of the Supreme Court is a chairman.

➢ The chairman and members are appointed by the President on the recommendations of a six-member committee consisting of the Prime Minister as its head, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, leaders of the Opposition in both the Houses of Parliament and the Union Home Minister.

➢ The chairman and members hold office for a term of three years or until they attain the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier. The President can remove the chairman or any member from the office under some circumstances.

NHRC

It is a watchdog of human rights in the country, i.e. the rights related to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by Indian Constitution or embodied in the international covenants and enforceable by courts in India.





Pag

e20

Role and Function:

• It has all the powers of a civil court and its proceedings have a judicial character.

• It is empowered to utilize the services of any officer or investigation agency of the Central government or any state government for the purpose of investigating complaints of human rights violation.

• It can look into a matter within one year of its occurrence, i.e the Commission is not empowered to inquire into any matter after the expiry of one year from the date on which the act constituting violation of human rights is alleged to have been committed.

• The functions of the commission are mainly recommendatory in nature.

• It has no power to punish the violators of human rights, nor to award any relief including monetary relief to the victim.

• It has limited role, powers and jurisdiction with respect to the violation of human rights by the members of the armed forces.

• It is not empowered to act when human rights violations through private parties take place.

1.8. ASSESS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DRAFT REGIONAL PLAN 2041.

Context:

The National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) has recently approved the 'Draft Regional Plan 2041' according to which the National Capital Region (NCR) is likely to reduce in size. NCRPB was set up in 1985, to promote balanced development of the NCR and to avoid haphazard development.

New Boundary:

• The geographical size of the region will be a contiguous circular region of 100km radius from Rajghat (Delhi). The area in the 100km radius can be developed as a core area.

• NCR is a region envisaged in 1985 for coordinated urban development in and around Delhi.

• Beyond 100 km radius and up to the existing NCR boundary, all notified cities/towns along with a corridor of one km on either side of connecting expressways/national highways/state highways/Regional Rapid Transit System will be included.

• Currently, the NCR consists of 24 districts in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan and entire Delhi, spread across an area of 55,083 square kilometers.





Pag

e21

Name of Natural Conservation Zones:

The name of natural conservation zones, as introduced in the Regional Plan-2021 will be changed to “natural zones” in the upcoming Regional Plan-2041.

Empowering States:

States will be empowered to decide whether tehsils that fall partly inside the NCR boundary should remain in it or not.

Slum-free NCR:

The DRP 2041 Plan will pave the way for a future-ready, slum-free National Capital Region with an air ambulance facility and high-speed connectivity through helitaxis, road, rail, and inland waterways.

Improved Rail Connectivity:

The Plan proposes to explore the feasibility of a 30-minute Mass Transit Rail System (MTRS) from the nearest NCR boundaries to Delhi.

Implications of the Move:

If implemented, parts of Panipat in Haryana and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh will be dropped from the new NCR map. The idea is to have a compact area so that the development can be planned in a better manner. It will benefit the rural areas, as the state governments can plan for their development in a better manner.

Issues Involved:

➢ The NCR currently spans around 150-175 kilometres, covering entire districts and their rural areas. But with the approval of Regional Plan 2041, areas beyond 100 km are not likely to be the main part of the NCR.

➢ Lack of access to basic services of water and sanitation and other facilities in the region. ➢ Other issues included legality of some of the properties, narrow access roads,

congestion, conflicts between commercial and residential uses, quality of drinking water and water logging.

➢ Vulnerability and risks related to disasters such as fire, earthquakes, etc. ➢ Lack of coordination between multiplicity of agencies like DDA, Delhi Jal Board, Flood

and Irrigation Department, and various municipal corporations.





Pag

e22

Way Forward:

✓ The challenge of multiplicity of agencies needs to be dealt with by the government. This will increase coordination and cooperation among these agencies. There must be a strict adherence to plans for cleaning of water bodies and drains which has been a challenge for agencies in Delhi for years. Dumping of waste in the Yamuna River also needs to be strictly regulated.

1.9. WHAT ARE THE SEVEN NEW DEFENCE PUBLIC SECTOR UNITS (DPSUS)?

Context:

The Prime Minister dedicated the seven defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), created through the restructuring of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), to the nation. India’s goal under ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) is to make the country, on its own, into a big military power.

Dissolution and Amalgamation:

➢ The Union government ordered the dissolution of the four-decade-old Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and amalgamated 41 factories under seven new state-owned companies to manufacture defence hardware ranging from munitions to heavy weapons and vehicles.

➢ These new companies are headquartered in five cities. ➢ OFB was an umbrella body for the ordnance factories and related institutions and was a

subordinate office of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). It was a conglomerate of 41 factories, 9 training Institutes, 3 regional marketing centres and 5 regional controllers of safety.

➢ It was headquartered at Kolkata. ➢ All employees of the erstwhile OFB (Group A, B and C) belonging to production units will

be transferred to the corporate entities on deemed deputation for a period of two years without any change in their service conditions as central government staff.

Significance:

• The concerns have been raised regarding high costs, inconsistent quality and delay in supply of OFB products by the armed forces.

• The new structure will help overcome these various shortcomings in the existing system of OFB and encourage these companies to become competitive and explore new opportunities in the market including exports.

Self-Reliance in Defence Sector:

• Corporatisation of OFB.

• Revised FDI Limit: The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit in defence manufacturing under automatic route is raised from 49% to 74%.

Seven New Companies

Munitions India Limited, Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited, Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited, Troop Comforts Limited, Yantra India Limited, India Optel Limited, and Gliders India Limited.





Pag

e23

• Defence Industrial Corridor: The government has proposed to establish two Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu each.

• Project Management Unit (PMU): The government is expected to begin time-bound defence procurement and faster decision making by setting up a Project Management Unit (for contract management purposes).

• The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 has been unveiled.

• Reduction in Defence Import Bill: The government will notify a list of weapons/platforms banned for imports and thus such items can only be purchased from the domestic market.

• Separate budget provision for domestic capital procurement.





Pag

e24

2. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2.1. WHAT IS “ONE SUN, ONE WORLD, ONE GRID (OSOWOG)” PROJECT? EXPLAIN ITS

SIGNIFICANCE.

Background:

India and the UK are likely to announce a joint declaration on “one sun, one world, one grid” or OSOWOG at the upcoming Conference of Parties (COP26). The UN Climate Change Conference, or COP26, is scheduled to be held between 31st October and 12th November in Scotland. The concept of OSOWOG is what the British have called a green grid. The idea behind the concept is a trans-national electricity grid supplying solar power across the globe.

OSOWOG or the Green Grid:

➢ The vision behind the OSOWOG is ‘The Sun Never Sets’ and is a constant at some geographical location, globally, at any given point of time.

➢ This is by far one of the most ambitious schemes undertaken by any country (India) and is of global significance in terms of sharing economic benefits.

➢ It has been taken up under the technical assistance program of the World Bank. ➢ The OSOWOG plan may also leverage the International Solar Alliance (ISA), co-founded

by India that has 80 countries as members. ➢ With India in the middle, the solar spectrum can easily be divided into two broad zones,

which are:

• Far East including countries like Myanmar

• Vietnam

• Thailand

• Lao

• Cambodia etc. ➢ Far West covering the Middle East and the Africa Region.

Three Phases of the Plan:

o First Phase: It will entail interconnectivity within the Asian continent. o Second Phase: It will add Africa. o Third Phase: It is about global interconnection.

Significance of the Project:

▪ Help all the participating entities in attracting investments in renewable energy sources as well as utilizing skills, technology, and finances.

▪ Lead to reduced project costs, higher efficiencies, and increased asset utilization for all the participating entities.

▪ Resulting economic benefits would positively impact poverty alleviation and support in mitigating water, sanitation, food, and other socio-economic challenges.

▪ Allow national renewable energy management centres in India to grow as regional and global management centres.

▪ This move, during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, gives India the opportunity to be seen as taking a lead in evolving global strategies.





Pag

e25

Issues with the Project:

➢ Geopolitics: The project is seen as an Indian endeavour for world leadership but under Covid-19 uncertainties, the geopolitical implications of projects like OSOWOG are hard to decipher. The mechanism of cost-sharing will be challenging, given the varied priorities of participating countries depending on their socio-economic orders.

➢ Globalization vs De-Globalization: The OSOWOG will turn out to be an expensive, complex and very slow progress project. The strategic benefits, if any, of having a single grid will be obliterated in the wake of any geopolitical problem. In India, the major issue of renewable energy developers is to deal with different state governments and hence, different laws and regulations. Further, the project also contradicts the Prime Minister’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-dependent India) vision, as it extends the reliance for a major strategic entity, energy supply, to other countries through this grid.

➢ Centralized vs Distributed Generation: There is a difference in voltage, frequency and specifications of the grid in most regions. Maintaining grid stability with just renewable generation would be technically difficult.

Way Forward:

• The move is the key to future renewable-based energy systems globally because regional and international interconnected green grids can enable sharing and balancing of renewable energy across international borders. It allows grabbing opportunities to learn quickly from global developments and share renewable energy resources to reduce the global carbon footprint and insulate the societies from pandemics. Institution building is key to fulfilling the ambitions of a multi-country grid project. In this context, ISA (International Solar Alliance) can act as an independent supranational institution to take decisions about how the grid should be run and conflicts settled.

2.2. CRITICALLY ANALYSE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN.

Context:

China-Taiwan relationship has been strained for years, but the latest escalation comes from a series of air incursions by the Chinese military. While a country’s airspace is internationally recognised by law, its air defence zone is a self-declared region which is monitored by the country’s military for defence purposes.





Pag

e26

Conflict between China and Taiwan (Background):

➢ China and Taiwan separated amid civil war in 1949 and China considers Taiwan part of its territory to be taken control of by force if necessary. But Taiwan's leaders say that Taiwan is a sovereign state.

➢ After decades of hostile intentions and angry rhetoric, relations between China and Taiwan started improving in the 1980s. China put forward a formula, known as "one country, two systems", under which Taiwan would be given significant autonomy if it accepted Chinese reunification. In Taiwan, the offer was rejected, but the government did relax rules on visits to and investment in China.

➢ There were also limited talks between the two sides' unofficial representatives, though Beijing's insistence that Taiwan's Republic of China (ROC) government is illegitimate prevented government-to-government contact.

➢ China's implementation of a national security law in Hong Kong in 2020 was seen by many as yet another sign that Beijing was becoming significantly more assertive in the region.

China’s Concerns:

❖ One China Policy Challenged:

This means that countries seeking diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC, Mainland China) must break official relations with the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan) and vice versa. The existent diplomatic relationship of the Taiwan and its membership in intergovernmental organizations challenges this policy: The ROC, Taiwan has diplomatic relations with 15 countries and substantive ties with many others such as Australia, Canada, EU nations, Japan and New Zealand. Besides, Taiwan has full membership in 38 intergovernmental organizations and their subsidiary bodies, including the World Trade Organization, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Asian Development Bank and Central American Bank for Economic Integration.

❖ Agreements/Exercises Countering China:

Recently, the US has announced a new trilateral security partnership for the Indo-Pacific, between Australia, the UK and the US (AUKUS), which is also seen as an effort to counter China. Malabar Exercise (US, Japan, India and Australia) is also a major step towards building a sustainable Indo-Pacific coalition thereby addressing the massive strategic imbalance generated by an economically and militarily powerful China.

❖ Strategic and Defense Support to Taiwan by US:

Taiwan has sought to improve its defenses with the purchase of US weapons, including upgraded F-16 fighter jets, armed drones, rocket systems and Harpoon missiles. A US aircraft carrier group led by the warship Theodore Roosevelt has entered the South China Sea to ensure freedom of the seas and build partnerships that foster maritime security.

❖ India’s Stand on the Issue:

Since 1949, India has accepted the “One China” policy that accepts Taiwan and Tibet as part of China. However, India uses the policy to make a diplomatic point, i.e., if India believes in “One China” policy, China should also believe in a “One India” policy. Even though India has stopped mentioning its adherence to One China policy in joint statements and official documents since





Pag

e27

2010, its engagement with Taiwan is still restricted due to the framework of ties with China. India and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations but since 1995, both sides have maintained representative offices in each other’s capitals that function as de facto embassies.

Way Forward

• India and other powers must draw a redline for any Chinese effort to take Taiwan by force. After all, the Taiwan issue is not just a moral question of allowing the destruction of a successful democracy by a totalitarian State, or a question of international ethics where the principle of settling disputes peacefully is adhered to.

• In fact, the reason for drawing that line is not about Taiwan at all, but because of what the consequences of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be for India and the rest of Asia. The day after China’s invasion of Taiwan will mark a very different Asia, irrespective of the results of the invasion.

• Drawing a red line is not easy and may ultimately not work, but India and others at least need to try because of the stakes involved.

• One aspect of this is improving India’s ties with Taiwan, even if they stay short of recognising its independence. Others have argued for continuing with the growing economic relations and building on popular support for Taiwan in the wake of India’s troubles with China.

2.3. WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES OF CICA FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING?

Context:

Recently, the External Affairs Minister addressed the 6th Ministerial (2021) meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures (CICA) in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

Last year, Kazakhstan assumed the chairmanship of CICA. The 5th Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the CICA was held in Beijing in the year 2016.

On Vaccine Maitri:

• India's internationalism (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam) drives its Vaccine Maitri.

• In January 2021, India launched the Vaccine Maitri (Vaccine Friendship) initiative – a major diplomatic effort to gift and supply made-in-India vaccines to low-income and developing countries globally.

On Cross Border Terrorism:

Advised the forum to strengthen collective resolve to tackle terrorism, arms trafficking, narcotics trade, and other forms of trans-national crimes.





Pag

e28

On Multilateralism:

Asia especially, but also Africa and Latin America, are inadequately represented in United Nations’ (UN) decision-making.

The limitations of the multilateral response to the Covid pandemic were starkly evident. This only makes a case for reformed multilateralism more urgent with each passing day.

On Afghanistan:

India underscored the importance of the Taliban regime meeting the expectations of the international community as elaborated in the UN Security Council Resolution 2593.

The UNSC resolution 2593 unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts; and specifically refers to terrorist individuals proscribed by the UN Security Council, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

On Connectivity:

• Connectivity must respect the most basic principle of international relations-respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

• An apparent reference to India’s objection to China’s ambitious infrastructure development plans in Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

• CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Balochistan with China’s Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

• India has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through PoK.

2.4. EXPLAIN THE REASONS BEHIND NORMALIZING RELATIONS BETWEEN SAUDI AND IRAN.

Context:

Recently, four meetings took place between representatives of Iran and Saudi Arabia in Baghdad, and one in New York. These meetings indicate continuity in the warming of bilateral relations that had been frozen since 2016. The renewed bilateral ties and normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran will pave the way for regional stability and diplomatic ease for India as well.

Background (Saudi Arabia-Iran Conflict):

➢ Religious Factionalism

The decades-old feud between them is exacerbated by religious differences.

They each follow one of the two main branches of Islam. Iran is largely Shia Muslim, while Saudi Arabia sees itself as the leading Sunni Muslim power.

Historically, Saudi Arabia, a monarchy and home to the birthplace of Islam, saw itself as the leader of the Muslim world.





Pag

e29

However, this was challenged in 1979 by the Islamic revolution in Iran which created a new type of state in the region - a kind of revolutionary theocracy - that had an explicit goal of exporting this model beyond its own borders.

➢ Regional Cold War

Saudi Arabia and Iran - two powerful neighbours - are locked in a fierce struggle for regional dominance.

Uprisings across the Arab world (after the Arab Spring in 2011) caused political instability throughout the region.

Iran and Saudi Arabia exploited these upheavals to expand their influence, notably in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen, further heightening mutual suspicions.

Moreover, external powers like the US and Israel have a major role in exacerbating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

➢ Proxy Wars

Iran and Saudi Arabia are not directly fighting but they are engaged in a variety of proxy wars (conflicts where they support rival sides and militias) around the region.

For Example, Houthi rebels in Yemen. These groups can acquire greater capabilities which can cause further instability in the region. Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of supporting them.

2016 Flash Point: Many Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in the Iran following Saudi Arabia’s execution of the Shiite Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

Reasons for Normalization of Relations:

• Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 Strategy: This refers to targeted reforms within the country’s economy, defense, tourism and renewable energy. In the context of Covid-19, Saudi Arabia has realised that to attract serious investment, it can only achieve that through a de-escalation with Iran. Compromise on Regional Front: Saudi Arabia is also involved in the process of establishing Syria’s power holder Bashar Assad in the Arab League (a regional organization)- a move that has been welcomed by Iran.

• Withdrawal of US from the Region: The arrival of the new US president (Joe Biden) administration and withdrawal of US from Afghanistan and now focusing more on the Indo-pacific region, could be another reason for softening of Saudi-Arabia’s stance on Iran.

Possible Impact of Normalization of Relations:

➢ Resolution of Israel-Palestine Conflict: Warming of relations betwen Iran and Saudi Arabia may have a postive impact in dealing with Israel and the Palestinian issue.





Pag

e30

➢ Stabilization of Oil Market: Iran and Saudi Arabia share a common interest for stable oil prices given the importance of the market to their economies.

➢ Normalization of relations would ensure steady oil revenues for all producing countries and more predictability to economic planners in both Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Way Forward

• Historically, India has good diplomatic relations with both the countries. Stabilization of relations between the two countries may impact India in a mixed way.

• On the negative side, higher oil prices will affect the balance of trade in India.

• On the positive side, this could provide easing of investments, connectivity projects across the region.

• Iran still needs to make a mark in its diplomatic efforts by publicly supporting a cease-fire in Yemen.

• Easing of US Sanctions: Clarity on US sanctions over Iran is of prime importance if Iran-Saudi Arabia relations are to get normalised.

2.5. EXPLAIN THE REASONS BEHIND IEA INVITING INDIA TO BE A FULL-TIME MEMBER.

Context:

Recently, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has invited India, the world’s third-largest energy consumer, to become its full-time member.

Reason for Offering Membership to India:

• India is becoming increasingly influential in global energy trends. Its in-depth report on India's energy policies, which was released in January 2020, states that the country's demand for energy is set to grow rapidly in the coming decades, with electricity use set to increase particularly fast.

• The country's reliance on fuel imports makes further improving energy security a key priority for the Indian economy.

IEA’s Membership:

➢ The IEA is made up of 30 member countries. ➢ It also includes eight association countries. Four countries are seeking accession to full

membership, Chile, Colombia, Israel and Lithuania. ➢ A candidate country to the IEA must be a member country of the Organisation for

Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Eligibility Criteria:

Background

India became an Associate member of IEA in March 2017, but it was in engagement with IEA long before its association with the organization.

Earlier in 2021, India also inked a Strategic Partnership Agreement with the IEA to strengthen cooperation in global energy security, stability and sustainability.

As a natural corollary to the India IEA strategic partnership, IEA invited India to deepen its cooperation with IEA by becoming a full Member.





Pag

e31

• A candidate country to the IEA must have crude oil and/or product reserves (Strategic Oil Reserves) equivalent to 90 days of the previous year’s net imports, to which the government has immediate access (even if it does not own them directly) and could be used to address disruptions to global oil supply.

• A demand restraint programme to reduce national oil consumption by up to 10%.

• Legislation and organisation to operate the Coordinated Emergency Response Measures (CERM) on a national basis.

• Legislation and measures to ensure that all oil companies under its jurisdiction report information upon request.

• Measures in place to ensure the capability of contributing its share of an IEA collective action.

• An IEA collective action would be initiated in response to a significant global oil supply disruption.

International Energy Agency It is an autonomous Intergovernmental Organisation established in 1974 in Paris,

France. It mainly focuses on its energy policies which include economic development,

energy security and environmental protection. These policies are also known as the 3 E’s of IEA.

IEA Clean Coal Centre is dedicated to providing independent information and analysis on how coal can become a cleaner source of energy, compatible with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Major Reports: ▪ World Energy Outlook Report. ▪ World Energy Investment Report. ▪ World Energy Statistics. ▪ World Energy Balances. ▪ Energy Technology Perspectives. ▪ India Energy Outlook Report.

2.6. WHAT IS THE NEWLY EMERGING “OTHER QUAD”? WHAT IS ITS IMPLICATIONS ON INDIA?

Context:

The Indian External Affairs Minister on an official visit to Israel took part in a quadrilateral conference of the Foreign Ministers of India, the U.S., Israel and the UAE.

This virtual meet of the Foreign Ministers has given rise to speculations of the formation of a new Quad like grouping.

Changes in West Asian geopolitics and its impact on India:

• West Asian geopolitics has witnessed massive changes in recent years.

• The U.S. has been seeking to lessen its footprint in the region as part of its pivot to East Asia to tackle China’s rise. This has redrawn West Asia’s traditional equations.





Pag

e32

• Following the historic Abraham Accords, Israel has been able to establish formal diplomatic relations with a number of countries in the region.

• Israel and the UAE which did not even have formal diplomatic relations a year ago have witnessed growing economic and strategic bilateral cooperation.

• Israel has also signed normalisation agreements with Bahrain.

• Such a scenario opens up opportunities for powers like India in the region. Traditionally India’s West Asia policy rested on three pillars— the Sunni Gulf monarchies, Israel and Iran. India had to balance its relationship with these three power centres in the region given that all three were competing with each other. Now that the gulf between the Sunni kingdoms and Israel is being narrowed, India faces fewer challenges to its regionalist approach to the West Asian region. This has allowed India to simultaneously

expand India’s cooperation with Israel and the Arab world.

Details:

The first-ever meeting between the foreign ministers of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States marks an important turning point in Delhi’s engagement with the Middle East.

The Indian External Affairs Minister has hinted that there would be more meetings among the four countries.

Significance for India:

➢ Allow for a regional foreign policy:

The new grouping would allow India to adopt a regional foreign policy strategy towards West Asia, transcending its traditional approach of bilateralism wherein India had sought to build separate vibrant bilateral ties with the countries in the grouping.

As in the Indo-Pacific, so in the Middle East, regional coalitions are bound to widen Delhi’s reach and deepen its impact.

➢ Strategic significance of the grouping:

The strategic significance of the new grouping should not be missed out given that it excludes countries like China which has been seeking to deepen its influence in the region and has been trying to woo Israel and UAE even as the U.S. has sought to play only a limited role in the region.

➢ Significance of the relationship with the members:

India has been exhibiting a great degree of strategic alignment with the U.S. They form part of the Quad grouping with Australia and Japan, which have common concerns and shared interests on East Asia.

Israel is one of India’s top defence suppliers and it has been open to sharing critical weapon systems with India. This becomes critical given the security situation along India’s borders. Also,





Pag

e33

Israel with its technological advancement in areas such as agriculture and water management could offer India the much-needed technical know-how in these sectors. The UAE is vital for India’s energy security given the fact that it accounts for a large share of fossil fuels supplies to India. UAE also hosts a substantial number of Indian diaspora and contributes to inward remittances into India. Given that UAE enjoys strategic influence in the region and beyond including in countries like Pakistan, it could offer India some leverage while dealing with Pakistan.

➢ Potential benefits: The new grouping’s engagement in the areas of trade, energy, climate action and maritime security could yield rich dividends for member countries like India and also benefit the region. Combining India’s scale with Israeli innovation and Emirati capital could produce immense benefits to all three countries. Adding American strategic support to this would see a powerful dynamic unfolding in the region.

Challenges: ➢ India should be mindful of the challenges that India could face in enhancing its

relationship with the emerging bloc. ➢ The regional rivalries have been intensifying between Shia dominated Iran and Sunni

dominated countries like Saudi Arabia and UAE. This could intensify further and lead to conflicts. India should avoid getting stuck in such conflicts.

➢ Also, although India, which sees itself aligned with the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific cannot risk degrading its relationship with Iran, India faces deepening insecurities in continental Asia after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan and it will have to work closely with countries such as Iran to deal with the challenges emanating from a post-American Afghanistan.

➢ Iran also contributes to India’s energy security and is significant for India for connectivity to central Asia through the Chabahar port project.

Conclusion: It is perhaps too early to call the new minilateral with the US, UAE and Israel the “new Quad” for the Middle East. It will be a while before this grouping will find its feet and evolve. However, while pursuing the new grouping, India must retain strong ties with Iran even as it seeks to build a stronger regional partnership with the U.S.-Israel-UAE bloc. The new “Quad” in the Middle East is unlikely to be India’s only new coalition in the region. It, in fact, provides a sensible template to pursue wide-ranging minilateral partnerships in the region.





Pag

e34

3. SOCIAL ISSUES

3.1. ASSESS THE POTENCY AND CHALLENGES RELATED TO THE MOSQUIRIX.

Context:

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) endorsed the world's first Malaria Vaccine in the hope that it will spur stalled efforts to curb the spread of the parasitic disease. Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable.

Potency:

✓ The vaccine's effectiveness at preventing severe cases of malaria in children is only around 30%, but it is the only approved vaccine.

✓ The European Union's drugs regulator approved it in 2015, saying its benefits outweighed the risks.

✓ Its side effects are rare, but sometimes include a fever that may result in temporary convulsions.

Challenges:

➢ Inconvenient: A child must receive four injections before age 2, sometimes at intervals that do not match the routine vaccine schedules for most other diseases.

➢ Partly Effective: Testing in more than 10,000 African children from 2009 to 2014 showed that, even after four doses, the vaccine prevented only about 40% of detectable malaria infections.

➢ Not Long Lasting: It is unclear how long even those relatively low levels of protection last; previous trials followed vaccinated children for four years. Experts also worry that parents whose children are vaccinated will become less vigilant about using mosquito nets, and less likely to seek medical care when their children develop fevers.

➢ Develop Resistance: The vaccine reduced the occurrence of severe malaria by about 30%, and the occurrence of severe anemia - a complication that often kills children - by about 60%. It did not protect well against parasite strains that were poor genetic matches, raising a concern that, over time, parasites could evolve resistance to the vaccine as they have to drugs.

Global Scenario:

In 2019, there were an estimated 229 million cases of malaria worldwide, and the estimated number of malaria deaths that year stood at 4,09,000. Children aged under 5 years are the

About Mosquirix

RTS, S/AS01, trade name Mosquirix, is an injectable vaccine targeting P. falciparum, the most prevalent malaria strain in Africa. It is the first and only vaccine to show partial protection in young children. It was developed by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline in 1987.

The active substance in Mosquirix is made up of proteins found on the surface of the Plasmodium falciparum parasites (PFP).

RTS, S aims to trigger the immune system to defend against the first stages of malaria when the PFP enters the human host’s bloodstream through a mosquito bite and infects liver cells.

It also helps protect against infection of the liver with the Hepatitis B virus.





Pag

e35

most vulnerable group affected by malaria in 2019, they accounted for 67% (2,74,000) of all malaria deaths worldwide.

India: In 2019, India had an estimated 5.6 million cases of malaria compared to about 20 million cases in 2020, according to WHO.

Countries that Eliminated Malaria:

Over the last two decades, 11 countries have been certified by the WHO Director-General as malaria-free: United Arab Emirates (2007), Morocco (2010), Turkmenistan (2010), Armenia (2011), Sri Lanka (2016), Kyrgyzstan (2016), Paraguay (2018), Uzbekistan (2018), Algeria (2019), Argentina (2019), and El Salvador (2021).

Countries that have achieved at least 3 consecutive years of zero indigenous cases of malaria are eligible to apply for the WHO certification of malaria elimination.

Way Forward

The next steps for the WHO-recommended malaria vaccine will include funding decisions from the global health community for broader rollout in endemic countries, and country decision-making on whether to adopt the vaccine as part of national malaria control strategies.

3.2. CRITICALLY ANALYSE THE GLOBAL GIRLHOOD REPORT 2021 AND EXPLAIN ITS IMPACT ON

GIRLS’ RIGHTS.

Context:

Recently, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Save the Children released the Global Girlhood Report 2021: Girls Right in Crisis.

Rate of Child Marriage:

West and Central Africa has the highest rate of child marriage in the world.

Death Due to Child Marriage:

Child marriage kills more than 60 girls a day globally, 26 girls a day in West and Central Africa and six girls a day in South Asia.

South Asia is followed by East Asia and the Pacific and Latin American and the Caribbean.

The deaths are majorly caused from pregnancy and childbirth resulting from child marriage.

Effect of Covid on Child Marriage:

With school closures, health services under strain or closed, and more families being pushed into poverty, women and girls face an increased risk of violence during lengthy lockdowns.

A further 10 million girls are now expected to marry by 2030, leaving more girls at risk of dying.

International Day of the Girl Child

It is observed annually on 11th October. It was declared by the United Nations (UN), which was first observed in 2012.

A resolution to declare 11th October as the International Day of the Girl Child was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 19th December 2011.

The day is dedicated to raising awareness on gender equality while assuring rights and improving opportunities for girls.

Theme for 2021: Digital generation. Our generation.





Pag

e36

Earlier, according to a report published by ChildLine India the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have proved to be new drivers of child marriages in rural Madhya Pradesh.

Also, some activists and organisations of Karnataka have raised the issue of increased child marriages in Lockdown with the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The report called on the governments to:

➢ Help Girls Raising Voices:

Raise girls’ voices by supporting their right to safe and meaningful participation in all public decision-making.

➢ Focus on Gender Equality:

Address immediate and ongoing risks of gender-based violence, including child marriage, by putting girls’ rights and gender equality at the center of Covid-19 and humanitarian responses, development policy, and broader efforts to build forward better.

➢ Guarantee Girls Their Rights:

Guarantee the rights of all girls, including those impacted by different forms of inequality and discrimination by developing inclusive policies and programs. Safe and ethical data collection must also be improved to better understand and respond in real-time to Covid-19’s impact on existing economic, climate, and conflict-related crises.

➢ Ensure Participation of Female Staffs:

Ensure the safe and unrestricted participation of female humanitarian staff in all humanitarian response efforts, including needs assessments and the design, implementation, and monitoring, and evaluation of all humanitarian services at every level.

➢ Join the Generation Equality Movement:

The movement is working to deliver on the Global Acceleration Plan for Gender Equality (launched by Generation Equality Forum), which set a target to prevent nine million child marriages in five years.

Related Indian Initiatives:

• The Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 restricts the practice of child marriage.

• The Special Marriage Act, 1954 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 prescribe 18 and 21 years as the minimum age of consent for marriage for women and men respectively.

• The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 was enacted to address and fix the shortcomings of the Child Marriage Restraint Act.

• The Union Ministry for Women and Child Development has set up a committee to examine matters pertaining to age of motherhood, imperatives of lowering Maternal Mortality Ratio and the improvement of nutritional levels among women. The Committee is headed by Jaya Jaitely. The Committee was proposed in the Union Budget 2020-21.

• Prevention of Child Marriage is a part of SDG 5 which deals with gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls.





Pag

e37

3.3. EXPLAIN INDIA’S STAND ON THE RECENTLY RELEASED GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX 2021.

Context:

India has slipped to 101st position in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 of 116 countries, from its 2020 position of 94th.

About the Global Hunger Index

Annual Report: Jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. It was first produced in 2006. It is published every October. The 2021 edition marks the 16th edition of the GHI.

Aim: To comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels.

Calculation: It is calculated on the basis of four indicators: Undernourishment: Share of the population with insufficient caloric intake. Child Wasting: Share of children under age five who have low weight for their

height, reflecting acute undernutrition. Child Stunting: Share of children under age five who have low height for their age,

reflecting chronic undernutrition. Child Mortality: The mortality rate of children under the age of five.

Scoring:

Based on the values of the four indicators, the GHI determines hunger on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best possible score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.

Each country’s GHI score is classified by severity, from low to extremely alarming.

Data Collection:

Undernourishment data are provided by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and child mortality data are sourced from the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME).





Pag

e38

Child wasting and stunting data are drawn from the joint database of UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, among others.

Global Scenario:

➢ The fight against hunger is dangerously off track. ➢ Based on current GHI projections, the world as a whole - and 47 countries in particular -

will fail to achieve a low level of hunger by 2030. ➢ Food security is under assault on multiple fronts. ➢ Worsening conflict, weather extremes associated with global climate change, and the

economic and health challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic are all driving hunger.

➢ After decades of decline, the global prevalence of undernourishment - a component of the Global Hunger Index - is increasing.

➢ This shift may be a leading indicator of reversals in other measures of hunger. ➢ Inequality - between regions, countries, districts, and communities - is pervasive and,

left unchecked, will keep the world from achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) mandate to “leave no one behind”.

➢ Africa, South of the Sahara and South Asia are the world regions where hunger levels are highest. Hunger in both regions is considered serious.

Indian Scenario:

• Since 2000, India has made substantial progress, but there are still areas of concern, particularly regarding child nutrition.

• India’s GHI score has decreased from a 2000 GHI score of 38.8 points - considered alarming - to a 2021 GHI score of 27.5 - considered serious.

• The proportion of undernourished in the population and the under-five child mortality rate are now at relatively low levels.

• While child stunting has seen a significant decrease - from 54.2% in 1998-1999 to 34.7% in 2016-2018 - it is still considered very high.

• At 17.3%, India has the highest child wasting rate of all countries covered in the GHI. This rate is slightly higher than it was in 1998-1999, when it was 17.1%.

• According to the Index, only 15 countries fare worse than India. India was also behind most of the neighbouring countries. Pakistan was placed at 92, Nepal and Bangladesh at 76 and Sri Lanka at 65.

Government of India Stand:

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has criticised the report claiming that the methodology used by FAO is unscientific.

According to the Government, the Global Hunger Index Report 2021 and FAO report on ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021’ have completely ignored the following facts:

• They have based their assessment on the results of a ‘four question’ opinion poll, which was conducted telephonically by Gallup.





Pag

e39

• The scientific measurement of undernourishment would require measurement of weight and Height, whereas the methodology involved here is based on a Gallup poll, based on a pure telephonic estimate of the population.

The report completely disregards Government’s massive effort to ensure food security of the entire population during the Covid period such as Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna (PMGKAY) and Atmanirbhar Bharat Scheme (ANBS).

4. PRELIMS WORKBOOK 1. With respect to Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act), which of the following statements is/are

incorrect? 1) It mandates automatic termination of inquiries against a minor alleged to be in conflict with

law in case of “petty offences” if the probe remains “inconclusive” even after four months, and a maximum extension of two months.

2) “Petty Offences” include the offences for which the maximum punishment under the Indian Penal Code or any other law for the time being in force is imprisonment up to one year and “Serious Offences” include imprisonment between one to three years.

Options:

a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 & 2 d) None 2. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1) In India and the USA, both a citizen by birth as well as a naturalised citizen are eligible for

the office of President. 2) Citizenship is a matter dealt with by the Ministry of External Affairs in the Government of

India.

Options:

a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 & 2 d) None 3. Consider the following statements: 1) It is one of the deepest natural harbours in the world, developed by the British during World

War II. 2) It is on the northeastern coast of Sri Lanka.

The above statements best describe:

a) Oluvil Harbour b) Port of Galle c) Port of Colombo d) Trincomalee Harbour 4. When a bill is referred to a joint sitting of both the Houses of the Parliament, it has to be

passed by: a) A simple majority of members present and voting b) Three-fourths majority of members present and voting c) Two-thirds majority of the Houses d) Absolute majority of the Houses 5. With respect to Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, which of the following

statements is/are correct? 1) Every offence punishable under this Act shall be cognizable.





Pag

e40

2) It is mandatory for the judge to award the Death penalty for certain offences after a previous conviction.

Options:

a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 & 2 d) None 6. Which amongst the following statements is the best description of Ex Milan?

a) India, Thailand and Singapore annual trilateral exercise b) Naval exercise between United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India c) Multilateral naval exercise hosted by the Indian Navy d) Naval exercise in the Indo-Pacific region by India, USA and Japan

7. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Ayushman Bharat scheme? 1) The National Health Authority is the agency responsible for implementing the scheme. 2) The scheme doesn’t cover major illnesses such as Cancer. 3) Learning from the Covid pandemic, the scheme now also covers the treatment for Black

Fungus.

Options:

a) 1 only b) 1 and 2 only c) 1 and 3 only d) 1, 2 and 3 8. Which of the following nations is a member of Quad, but not a member of AUKUS? a) India b) UK c) USA d) Australia 9. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the transfer of judges of High

Courts in India? 1) The President can transfer the judges of the High Court, based on the recommendations of

the Collegium. 2) The decision to transfer the High Court judges isn’t open to judicial review. 3) The Governors of the states involved are also consulted by the President before the transfer

order is given.

Options: -

a) 1 only b) 1 and 2 only c) 2 and 3 only d) 1, 2 and 3 10. The ‘13th amendment’ to the Sri Lankan Constitution, often seen in the news, deals with – a) Non-interference by other nations in internal affairs of Sri Lanka b) Power devolution to provincial councils established to govern the nation’s nine provinces c) Universal adult franchise d) Control over the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone 11. The ‘Senkaku islands’, often seen in the news, are a part of the territorial dispute

between: a) China & South Korea b) Japan & North Korea c) China & Japan d) South Korea & North Korea 12. Which of the following statements is/are incorrect regarding the Appellate authority

which is a part of WTO’s dispute resolution mechanism? 1) It is an ad-hoc body of seven members and acts as an appellate court for hearing appeals

from decisions given by the WTO panels. 2) The authority has not been working since 2019 since China has vetoed every proposal to fill

in the existing vacancies. 3) At least 5 people are required to preside over an appeal.





Pag

e41

Options: -

a) 1 only b) 1 and 2 only c) 2 and 3 only d) 1, 2 and 3 13. Consider the following statements with regards to reservation in promotions and choose

the correct ones: 1) Article 16(4A) provides that the State can make any provision for reservation in matters of

promotion in favour of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes if they are not adequately represented in the services under the State.

2) 3Article 16(4B), added by the 81st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2000, enabled the unfilled SC/ST quota of a particular year to be carried forward to the next year.

3) The SC in 2020 ruled that reservation in the matter of promotions in public posts is not a fundamental right.

Options:-

a) 1 & 2 only b) 2 & 3 only c) 1 & 3 only d) All of the above 14. Consider the following statements with regards to the EWS quota as it applies to the NEET

exam. 1) The individual’s income for inclusion in the EWS quota must be under Rs. 8 lakh per annum. 2) 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2018 led to the introduction of EWS reservation. 3) For inclusion under this criteria, the family should not own agricultural land of size 3 acres

or more.

Which of these statements is/are incorrect?

a) 1 & 2 only b) 2 & 3 only c) 1 & 3 only d) All of the above 15. Which of the following security forces is responsible for securing India’s border with

Nepal? a) Indo Tibetan Border Police b) Sashastra Seema Bal c) Border Security Force d) Assam Rifles 16. Which of the given statement/s is/are correct? 1) China’s Chang’e-5 brought back lunar samples from Oceanus Procellarum region of the

moon. 2) One of the objectives of Chang’e-5 was to study the volcanic activity on the surface of the

moon. 3) The United States of America, the Soviet Union, China and India are the only countries to

have successfully brought back lunar samples to Earth.

Options:

a) 1 and 3 only b) 2 and 3 only c) 1 and 2 only d) None of the above 17. Consider the following statements with regards to the new railway line between Jaynagar

in Bihar and Bardibas in Nepal: 1) This is Nepal’s first-ever broad-gauge passenger service. 2) The line has been built by Indian engineering major, IRCON. 3) The operations and maintenance of the line will be the responsibility of Konkan Railway

Corporation Limited.

Options:

a) 1 & 2 only b) 2 & 3 only c) 1 & 3 only d) All of the above





Pag

e42

18. Consider the following statements: 1) The 44th Amendment to the Constitution of India introduced an Article placing the election

of the Prime Minister beyond judicial review. 2) The Supreme Court of India struck down the 99th Amendment to the Constitution of India

as being violative of the independence of the judiciary.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2 19. With reference to OneWeb, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1) It is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of the Government of India and commercial arm of

the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). 2) The main objective is to scale up industry participation in Indian space programs.

Options:

a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 & 2 d) None 20. Which of the following statements is correct with regard to the G20? a) It was formed primarily to focus on climate change and environmental issues in 20 major

economies. b) It comprises 19 countries and the European Union. c) G20 countries conduct annual joint military exercises in the Mediterranean Sea. d) Russia was recently removed from the group. 21. Recently the term ‘PM Gati Shakti’ was seen in news. What does it refer to? a) National master plan for multimodal connectivity and integrated infrastructure

development. b) Financial inclusion programme aimed at North-Eastern states. c) Livelihood generation scheme for migrant workers affected by the pandemic. d) A public-private partnership in the commercial space sector. 22. Which of the following military exercises involve India and USA? 1) Malabar 2) Yudh Abhyas 3) Vajra Prahar

Options:

a) 1 only b) 1 and 2 only c) 1 and 3 only d) 1, 2 and 3





Pag

e43





Pag

e44





Pag

e45

GS - 3

1. ECONOMY 1.1. WHAT IS THE AIM OF PM MITRA PARK? WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IT?

Context:

Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the setting up of seven Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks at an outlay of Rs. 4,445 crores. The MITRA park aims to integrate the entire textile value chain from spinning, weaving, processing/dyeing, printing to garment manufacturing at one location.

Funding:

➢ Under the scheme, the centre will provide development capital support for the development of common infrastructure of Rs 500 crore for each greenfield MITRA park and up to Rs 200 crore for each brownfield park.

➢ Greenfield describes a completely new project that has to be executed from scratch, while a brownfield project is one that has been worked on by others.

Eligibility for Incentives:

➢ An additional Rs 300 crore will be provided as Competitiveness Incentive Support for the early establishment of textiles manufacturing units in each of these parks.

➢ Investors who set up “anchor plants” that employ at least 100 people will be eligible for incentives of upto Rs 10 crore every year for upto three years.

Significance:

✓ Reduce Logistics Cost: It will reduce logistics cost and strengthen the value chain of the textile sector to make it globally competitive. High logistics costs are considered a key hurdle to India’s goal of boosting textile exports. India had witnessed disruption in supply of key raw materials from China in the recent past as global supply chains got affected during the pandemic.

✓ Generate Employment: Each MITRA park is expected to directly generate 1 lakh jobs and indirectly generate a further 2 lakh jobs.

✓ Attract FDI: The parks are crucial to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). From April 2000 to September 2020, India’s textile sector received Rs 20,468.62 crore of FDI, which is just 0.69% of the total FDI inflows during the period.

Other Related Initiatives:

The Production Linked Incentive Scheme for man-made fiber segment (MMF) apparel, MMF fabrics and ten products of technical textiles for five years has been approved. A National Technical Textiles Mission has already been launched to promote research and development in that sector.

About MITRA Park PM MITRA Park will be developed by a Special

Purpose Vehicle which will be owned by the Central and State Government and in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Mode.

Each MITRA Park will have an incubation centre, common processing house and a common effluent treatment plant and other textile related facilities such as design centres and testing centres.

The Master Developer will not only develop the Industrial Park but also maintain it during the concession period.





Pag

e46

1.2. ANALYSE THE REASONS AND EFFECTS OF COAL CRUNCH IN INDIA.

Context:

India’s thermal power plants are facing a severe coal shortage, with coal stocks having come down to an average of four days of fuel across an increasing number of thermal stations.

Reasons for the coal crunch:

➢ Eruption in Power Demand: Economy recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic coupled with supply issues have led to the current coal shortage. India is suffering from the impacts of a sharp surge in electricity demand, a squeeze on domestic mine output and surging prices of seaborne coal.

➢ Increased Share of Thermal Power Plants: Coal fired thermal power plants have also supplied a higher proportion of the increase in demand leading the share of thermal power in India’s power mix increasing to 66.4% from 61.9% in 2019.

➢ Flooding and Rainfall: Lower than normal stock accumulation by thermal power plants in the April-June period and continuous rainfall in coal bearing areas in August and September which led to lower production and fewer dispatches of coal from coal mines.

➢ Lowering Imports: A consistent move to lower imports coupled with high international prices of coal have also led to plants cutting imports.

Impact:

• If Industries face electricity shortages, it could delay India’s economic reopening.

• Some businesses might downscale production.

• Providing India's population and underdeveloped energy infrastructure, the power crisis could hit long and hard.

Steps that can be taken:

Ram-up Mining:

Government is working to closely monitor stocks and also State-run Coal India and NTPC are working to raise output from mines to boost supply.

COAL

This is the most abundantly found fossil fuel. It is used as a domestic fuel, in industries such as iron and steel, steam engines and to generate electricity. Electricity from coal is called thermal power.

The coal which we are using today was formed millions of years ago when giant ferns and swamps got buried under the layers of earth. Coal is therefore referred to as Buried Sunshine.

The leading coal producers of the world include China, US, Australia, Indonesia, India.

The coal producing areas of India include Raniganj, Jharia, Dhanbad and Bokaro in Jharkhand.

Coal is also classified into four ranks: anthracite, bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite. The ranking depends on the types and amounts of carbon the coal contains and on the amount of heat energy the coal can produce.





Pag

e47

Supply Controls:

Rationing domestic power supplies, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, may emerge as one of India’s easiest solutions. Indian power distributors do typically cut supplies to certain areas on a rotational basis when generation is lower than demand, and an extension of load-shedding would likely be considered if power plants take any further hits.

Increase Imports:

India will need to amplify its imports despite the financial cost. From Indonesia for instance, the price rose from USD 60 per tonne in March to 200 per tonne in September.

Hydro-Power Generation:

The same monsoon rains that have flooded coal mines are likely to boost hydro-power generation. Large hydro-electric projects on dams are India’s major electricity source after coal and the sector performs at its peak around the rainy season which typically extends from June to October.

Turn to Natural Gas-Powered Generators:

There could be a larger role for natural gas to play, even with global prices currently surging. In a desperate situation, the gas-powered fleet could help prevent any widespread power outages. State-run generator NTPC Ltd., for example, has idle capacity that can be fired up in around 30 minutes if needed and is connected to a gas grid.

1.3. CRITICALLY ANALYSE THE ETHANOL PLAN AND FOOD SECURITY OF INDIA.

Context:

India’s ambitious plan to cut the use of fossil fuels by promoting ethanol derived from rice, corn and sugar could undermine its food security.

Associated Issues:

➢ National Policy on Biofuel: The new ethanol blending target primarily focuses on food-based feedstocks, in light of grain surpluses and wide availability of technologies.

➢ The blueprint is a departure from the 2018 National Policy on Biofuels, which prioritized grasses and algae; cellulosic material such as bagasse, farm and forestry residue; and, items like straw from rice, wheat and corn.

➢ Risk of Hunger: The food grains meant for the impoverished are being sold to distilleries at prices cheaper than what states pay for their public distribution networks.

About Ethanol

Ethanol is an agro-based product, mainly produced from a by-product of the sugar industry, namely molasses.

It is one of the principal biofuels, which is naturally produced by the fermentation of sugars by yeasts or via petrochemical processes such as ethylene hydration.

Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) aims at blending ethanol with petrol, thereby bringing it under the category of biofuels and saving millions of dollars by cutting fuel imports and decreasing carbon emissions.

The Government of India has advanced the target for 20% ethanol blending in petrol (also called E20) to 2025 from 2030. Currently, 8.5% of ethanol is blended with petrol in India.





Pag

e48

➢ Competition between the distilleries and the public distribution system for subsidized food grains could have adverse consequences for the rural poor and expose them to enhanced risk of hunger.

➢ India still ranks 94th on the Global Hunger Index 2020 comprising 107 nations. ➢ The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that about 209 million Indians,

or about 15% of its population, were undernourished between 2018 and 2020. ➢ The Covid-19 pandemic is also pushing more people into poverty, dealing a blow to

decades of progress. ➢ Production of biofuels requires land; this impacts the cost of biofuels as well as that of

food crops. ➢ Massive quantities of water are required for proper irrigation of biofuel crops as well as

to manufacture the fuel, which could strain local and regional water resources. ➢ Efficiency: Fossil Fuels produce more energy than some of the biofuels. E.g., 1 gallon of

ethanol produces less energy as compared to 1 gallon of gasoline (a fossil fuel).

Government’s Arguments:

• Enough Stockpiles of Grains: The push for ethanol poses no threat to India’s food security because the government has enough stockpiles of grains at warehouses of the state-run Food Corporation of India (FCI). State reserves stood at 21.8 million tons of rice, against a requirement of 13.54 million tons.

• Capacity Creation: The long-term planning of the government involves the creation of sufficient capacities so that half of the requirement of 20% blending is catered by grains, predominantly maize and the rest by sugar cane.

• Benefit of Farmers: The blending plan would benefit corn and rice farmers, while addressing the issue of surplus.

Way Forward

➢ Ethanol From Wastes: India has a real opportunity here to become a global leader in sustainable biofuels policy if it chooses to refocus on ethanol made from wastes. This would bring both strong climate and air quality benefits, since these wastes are currently often burned, contributing to smog.

➢ Water Crisis: The new ethanol policy should ensure that it doesn’t drive farmers toward water-intensive crops and create a water crisis in a country where its shortage is already acute. Rice and sugarcane, along with wheat, consume about 80% of India’s irrigation water.

➢ Prioritize Crop Production: With our depleting groundwater resources, arable land constraints, erratic monsoons, and dropping crop yields due to climate change, food production must be prioritized over crops for fuel.





Pag

e49

1.4. WHAT IS PM GATI SHAKTI SCHEME?

Context:

Recently, the government of India has launched the ambitious Gati Shakti scheme or National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity plan, with the aim of coordinated planning and execution of infrastructure projects to bring down logistics costs.

About the scheme:

➢ The Gati Shakti scheme will subsume the Rs 110 lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline that was launched in 2019.

➢ Besides cutting logistics costs, the scheme is also aimed at increasing cargo handling capacity and reducing the turnaround time at ports to boost trade.

➢ It also aims to have 11 industrial corridors and two new defence corridors - one in Tamil Nadu and other in Uttar Pradesh. Extending 4G connectivity to all villages is another aim. Adding 17,000 kms to the gas pipeline network is being planned.

➢ It will help in fulfilling the ambitious targets set by the government for 2024-25, including expanding the length of the national highway network to 2 lakh kms, creation of more than 200 new airports, heliports and water aerodromes.

Gati Shakti Digital Platform:

It involves the creation of a common umbrella platform through which infrastructure projects can be planned and implemented in an efficacious manner by way of coordination between various ministries/departments on a real-time basis.

Expected Outcomes:

• The scheme will help mapping the existing and proposed connectivity projects.

• Also, there will be immense clarity on how different regions and industrial hubs in the country are linked, particularly for last mile connectivity.

• A holistic and integrated transport connectivity strategy will greatly support Make in India and integrate different modes of transport.

• It will help India become the business capital of the world.

Need for Integrated Infrastructure Development:

• There exists a wide gap between macro planning and micro implementation due to the lack of coordination and advanced information sharing as departments think and work in silos.

• According to a study, the logistical cost in India is about 13% of GDP, which is higher than developed countries.

• Due to this high logistical cost, the competitiveness of India’s exports is greatly reduced.

• It is globally accepted that the creation of quality infrastructure for Sustainable Development is a proven way, which gives rise to many economic activities and creates employment on a large scale.

• The scheme is in synergy with the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP).

Aim of the scheme

To ensure integrated planning and implementation of infrastructure projects in the next four years, with focus on expediting works on the ground, saving costs and creating jobs.





Pag

e50

• The NMP has been announced to provide a clear framework for monetisation and give potential investors a ready list of assets to generate investment interest.

Associated Concerns:

➢ Low Credit Off-take: Although the government had taken up ‘strong’ banking sector reforms and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code had yielded about Rs. 2.4 lakh crore of recoveries on bad loans, there are concerns about declining credit offtake trends. Banks give credit off-takes to help businesses acquire financing for future projects through the promise of future income and proof of an existing market.

➢ Lack of Demand: In the post-Covid-19 scenario,there is a lack of private demand and investment demand. Structural Problems: Due to land acquisition delays and litigation issues, the rate of implementation of projects is very slow on global standards. Getting approvals is very difficult in terms of land access, environmental clearances; also impending litigation in court delays the infrastructure projects.

Way Forward:

PM Gati Shakti is a step in the right direction. However, it needs to address structural and macroeconomic stability concerns, emanating from high public expenditure. Thus, it is imperative that this initiative is underpinned by a stable and predictable regulatory and institutional framework. 1.5. ASSESS THE WORLD ENERGY OUTLOOK REPORT OF 2021.

Context:

Recently, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released the World Energy Outlook (WEO) Report 2021. Published every year, the WEO provides critical analysis and insights on trends in energy demand and supply. The 2021 report signaled pressure on governments to push for greater climate action at the Conference of Parties (COP26) summit (in Glasgow, UK). Earlier, IEA also released its Net Zero Emissions (NZE) Roadmap - named ‘Net Zero by 2050’.

Increase Share of Renewables:

Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydropower and bioenergy, need to form a far bigger share in the rebound in energy investment after the coronavirus pandemic.

World is not investing enough to meet future energy needs, and the uncertainties are setting the stage for a volatile period ahead.

Demand for renewables continues to grow. However, this clean energy progress is still far too slow to put global emissions into sustained decline towards net zero by 2050, which the IEA believes will help limit the increase in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Initially IEA supported continued investment in fossil fuels. However, it has gradually moved toward a “more distinct tone urging decision makers to mitigate climate change”.

Emission Reduction Measures:

The extra investment might not be as difficult as it sounds. More than 40% of the required emissions reductions would come from measures that pay for themselves, such as:





Pag

e51

Improving efficiency, limiting gas leakage, or installing wind or solar in places where they are now the most competitive electricity generation technologies.

Different Scenarios

The IEA analyzed two possible scenarios

Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS):

This looks at the measures and policies that governments have already put in place. Despite the measures, annual worldwide emissions would still be the same as developing countries build up their infrastructure.

Under this scenario, temperatures in the year 2100 would be 2.6 C higher than pre-industrial levels.

Pledge for Net Zero:

This looks at governments’ pledges to achieve net-zero emissions, potentially doubling clean energy investment over the next decade.

If countries manage to implement these pledges in time, the global average temperature increase would be around 2.1 C by the year 2100 — an improvement, but still well above the 1.5 Celsius agreed under the Paris accord.

Major Suggestions:

➢ Clean Electrification:

This requires a doubling of solar PV and wind deployment relative to the [announced pledges scenarios].

➢ Low-Emission Generation:

A major expansion of other low-emissions generation, including the use of nuclear power where acceptable; a huge build-out of electricity infrastructure and all forms of system flexibility, including from hydropower; a rapid phase-out of coal; and a drive to expand electricity use for transport and heating.

➢ Energy Efficiency:

A relentless focus on energy efficiency, together with measures to temper energy service demand through materials efficiency and

behavioral change.

➢ Reduction in Methane Emissions:

A drive to cut methane emissions from fossil fuel operations and a big boost to clean energy innovation.

➢ Decade of Clean Energy:

Making the 2020s the decade of massive clean energy deployment will require unambiguous direction from COP26.

India Specific Findings:

➢ Population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 2020-2050:

India will become the most populous nation surpassing China's population this decade, and by 2050 India crosses 1.6 billion in population whereas China's population is projected to decrease.





Pag

e52

India's GDP will be growing faster than China on average over the next three decades [5.3% vs China's 3.6%].

➢ Coal Production:

In India, over 50 GW of Financially Stressed Coal Assets (NPAs) has created strains in the banking system. Coal demand in India is expected to grow by around 30% by 2030. As per their announced pledges, after China, India is projected to be the next largest user of unabated coal, responsible for about 15% of global use for electricity generation in 2030.

➢ Air Pollution:

A failure to accelerate clean energy transitions would continue to leave people exposed to air pollution globally. Recently 1.67 million premature deaths in India were linked to air pollution, that's more than three deaths every minute.

Appreciated India’s Efforts

Notable examples of developing economies mobilising capital for clean energy projects, such as India's success in financing a rapid expansion of solar photovoltaics (pv) in pursuit of its 450 GW target for renewables by 2030.

Recent survey data from the World Health Organization for India revised the historic clean cooking access rates.

This is due to faster progress than previously assumed, in large part due to the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana LPG distribution scheme.

Recommendation:

Calls for India to mandate a default set point temperature of 24 degrees Celsius for all room air conditioners and tighter minimum performance standards with the aim to improve efficiencies as the demand for cooling and power increases.

Way Forward

The world is facing a formidable task of transforming the energy sector within 30 years in a cost-effective manner, even as the world economy more than doubles in size and the global population increases by 2 billion people. The need for the world to reach Net Zero Emissions by 2050 lies in the major interim steps that need to be taken through 2030 — to engineer cheap and green energy from hydrogen and renewable energy while making them accessible to all.





Pag

e53

2. ENVIRONMENT 2.1. WHAT IS HARA BHARA? WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF AERIAL SEEDING CAMPAIGN?

Context:

Recently, Hara Bhara, India’s first aerial seeding campaign in Telangana using the Seed copter drone was launched. Earlier, in August 2015, Andhra Pradesh government had launched the aerial seeding programme using Indian Navy helicopters.

Aerial Seeding:

➢ It is a plantation technique wherein seed balls — seeds covered with a mixture of clay, compost, char and other components — are sprayed using aerial devices, including planes, helicopters or drones.

➢ The plant species which are native to the area and hardy, with seeds that are of an appropriate size for preparing seedballs are usually used for aerial seeding, with a higher survival percentage.

➢ Seeds balls/pellets are dispersed in a targeted area by low-flying drones, with the coating providing the required weight for seeds to airdrop on a predetermined location rather than getting deterred by the wind.

➢ These pellets sprout when there is enough rain, with nutrients present within them helping in initial growth.

Advantages of Aerial Seeding:

✓ Access to Inaccessible Areas: Areas that are inaccessible, having steep slopes or no forest routes, can be targeted using this method.

✓ No Extra Attention Requires: The process of the seed’s germination and growth is such that it requires no attention after it is dispersed and thus seed pellets are known as the “fire and forget” way of planting.

✓ Eliminate Need of Ploughing: They eliminate any need for ploughing and do not need to be planted since they are already surrounded by soil, nutrients, and microorganisms. The clay shell also protects them from birds, ants and rats.

✓ Prevents Soil Runoff: Aerial application does not cause soil compaction, hence prevents soil runoff. This type of seeding technique will be most useful for tropical forests because they absorb carbon much faster than other forest types and also support much higher biodiversity.

Challenge: Drones may reduce costs, but one cannot rule out the possibility of seeds falling on the wrong spot. Even when they reach the ground many variables can hinder the emergence of seedlings, such as soil composition, animal predation and weed competition.

Hara Bhara Campaign

➢ The idea of the campaign is to accelerate the mission of reforestation by planting one billion trees using drones by 2030 in the country.

➢ The project uses drones to disperse seed balls over thin, barren, and empty forest lands to turn them into lush green abodes of trees.

➢ The ‘seedcopter’ which is a drone developed by Marut Drones is an aerial seeding solution for rapid and scalable reforestation.





Pag

e54

Related Indian Initiatives:

• National Mission for a Green India

• National Afforestation Programme (NAP)

• Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority, (CAMPA Funds)

• National Action Programme to Combat Desertification

2.2. ASSESS THE STATE OF CLIMATE SERVICES REPORT 2021 RELEASED BY WMO.

Context:

Recently, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released the State of Climate Services report 2021. It focuses on Terrestrial Water Storage. Earlier, on water day (22nd March), in a report released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), one in five children worldwide reside in areas of high or extremely high-water vulnerability.

Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS):

➢ TWS is the sum of all water on the land surface and in the subsurface, i.e., surface water, soil moisture, snow and ice and groundwater.

➢ Water is a key prerequisite for human development. But only 0.5% of water on Earth is usable and available as freshwater.

➢ Water resources across the world are under tremendous pressure due to human and naturally induced stressors.

➢ These include population growth, urbanization and decreasing availability of freshwater. ➢ Extreme weather events too have been responsible for the pressure on water resources

realized across sectors and regions.

Indian Scenario:

• The TWS has been lost at a rate of at least 3 cm per year. In some regions, the loss has been over 4 cm per year too.

• India has recorded the highest loss in terrestrial water storage if the loss of water storage in Antarctica and Greenland is excluded.

• India is the ‘topmost hotspot of TWS loss’. The northern part of India has experienced the maximum loss within the country.

Per Capita Availability:

▪ In India, per capita water availability is reducing due to an increase in population. ▪ The average annual per capita water availability has reduced to 1,545 cubic metres in

2011, from 1,816 cubic metres in 2001. ▪ It is projected to further decrease to 1,367 cubic metres in 2031, according to the Union

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

River Basins:

▪ Five of the 21 river basins in India are ‘absolute water scarce’ (per capita water availability below 500 cubic metres) according to the Falkenmark Water Stress Indicator.

Global Scenario

TWS dropped at a rate of 1 cm per year in 20 years (2002-2021).

The biggest losses have occurred in Antarctica and Greenland. But many highly populated, lower latitude locations have also experienced TWS losses.





Pag

e55

▪ Five are ‘water scarce’ (per capita water availability below 1,000 cubic metres) and three are ‘water stressed’ (per capita water availability below 1,700 cubic metres).

▪ By 2050, six will become absolute water scarce, six will become water scarce and four will become water stressed, according to the State of India’s Environment in figures, 2020.

▪ The Falkenmark indicator is one of the most widely used indicators for assessing the stress on water. It relates the total freshwater resources with the total population in a country and indicates the pressure that population puts on water resources, including the needs for natural ecosystems.

Recommendations:

➢ Investments Needed:

Integrated Resources Water Management as a solution to better manage water stress, especially in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). In end-to-end drought and flood early warning systems in at-risk LDCs, including for drought warning in Africa and flood warning in Asia.

➢ Fill Capacity Gap:

Fill the capacity gap in collecting data for basic hydrological variables which underpin climate services and early warning systems. Fill the gaps in data on country capacities for climate services in the water sector, especially for SIDS.

➢ Improve Interaction:

Improve the interaction among national level stakeholders to co-develop and operationalize climate services with information users to better support adaptation in the water sector. There is also a pressing need for better monitoring and evaluation of socio-economic benefits, which will help to showcase best practices.

➢ Join the Water and Climate Coalition:

Water and Climate Coalition is a platform for its members to partner on joint activities and implement solutions that address the gaps of operational water and climate challenges with a focus on data and information. 2.3. EXPLAIN THE IMPACT OF KUNMING DECLARATION ON BIODIVERSITY.

Context:

Recently, the Kunming Declaration was adopted by over 100 countries at the ongoing 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in China. The adoption of the declaration will create momentum for a new global biodiversity pact. In a previous agreement, Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, signed in Aichi, Japan, in 2010, governments agreed on 20 targets to try to slow biodiversity loss and protect habitats by 2020.

About Kunming Declaration:

➢ It calls for urgent and integrated action to reflect biodiversity considerations in all sectors of the global economy but crucial issues - like funding conservation in poorer countries and committing to biodiversity-friendly supply chains have been left to discuss later. It is not a binding international agreement.





Pag

e56

➢ It calls upon the parties to mainstream biodiversity protection in decision-making and recognize the importance of conservation in protecting human health.

➢ The theme of the declaration is Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth.

➢ By adopting this, the nations have committed themselves to support the development, adoption and implementation of an effective post-2020 implementation plan, a capacity building action plan for the Cartagena Protocol on biosafety.

➢ The Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.

➢ As per the declaration the signatory nations will ensure that the post-pandemic recovery policies, programmes and plans contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, promoting sustainable and inclusive development.

Kunming Biodiversity Fund:

• China has also pledged to inject USD 233 million into a new fund to protect biodiversity in developing countries. The fund is being referred to by China as Kunming Biodiversity Fund.

• It is the right step in this direction. However, some countries have reservations regarding this fund.

• Some countries have called this fund as “a drop in the bucket” given that China is the world’s biggest polluter.

• Further, some rich country donors say a new fund for conservation is unnecessary because the United Nations’ Global Environment Facility already helps developing nations finance green projects.

Global Initiatives to Save Biodiversity:

➢ Convention on Biological Diversity is a legally binding treaty to conserve biodiversity that has been in force since 1993. India is a party to the convention.

➢ Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora: It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. India is a member of the convention.

➢ Worldwide Fund for Nature: It is an international non-governmental organisation for the conservation, research and restoration of the natural environment.

➢ Global Biodiversity Assessment: It is an independent, critical, peer reviewed scientific analysis of the current issues, theories and views regarding the main aspects of biodiversity.

➢ Man and the Biosphere Program: It was launched in 1970 and has initiated programs and activities focusing on the diversity and the resources provided by nature, humans' impacts on biodiversity, as well as how biodiversity affects human activities.

30 by 30 Target

The declaration made a reference to the '30 by 30' target which is a key proposal being debated at the COP15, that would afford 30% of the Earth’s land and oceans protected status by 2030.

Apart from this, the goal to halve the use of chemicals in agriculture and stop creating plastic waste is also being debated.





Pag

e57

2.4. CRITICALLY ANALYSE THE GLOBAL CLIMATE RISK INDEX OF 2021.

Context:

The international environmental think tank ‘Germanwatch’ released the Global Climate Risk Index 2021. This is the 16th Edition of the Index. It is published annually. Germanwatch, based in Bonn and Berlin (Germany), is an independent development and environmental organisation which works for sustainable global development.

About the Index

The Index analyses the extent to which countries and regions have been affected by the impacts of weather-related loss events (storms, floods, heat waves etc.).

The impact is calculated in terms of fatalities and economic losses, both. The most recent data available for 2019 and from 2000 to 2019 were taken into

account. The 2021 Index does not include data from United States of America. The Climate Risk Index clearly signals those repercussions of escalating climate

change can no longer be ignored, on any continent or in any region. Impacts from extreme-weather events hit the poorest countries hardest as these

are particularly vulnerable to the damaging effects of a hazard, have a lower coping capacity and may need more time to rebuild and recover.

High-income countries are also getting severely impacted by climate change.

About 2021 Findings:

✓ Mozambique, Zimbabwe as well as the Bahamas were the most affected countries in 2019.

✓ For the period from 2000 to 2019, Puerto Rico, Myanmar and Haiti rank highest. ✓ Storms and their direct implications- precipitation, floods and landslides, were one

major cause of losses and damages in 2019. ✓ Of the ten most affected countries in 2019, six were hit by tropical cyclones. Recent

science suggests that the number of severe tropical cyclones will increase with every tenth of a degree in global average temperature rise.

✓ Eight out of the ten countries most affected by the quantified impacts of extreme weather events in 2019 belong to the low- to lower-middle income category. Half of them are Least Developed Countries.

India’s Position:

• India has improved its rankings from last year. It is ranked 7th in the 2021 Index as compared to 5th in 2020 Index.

• The Indian monsoon lasted a month longer than usual in the year 2019, with surplus rains causing major hardship. The rain was 110% of normal, which is the most since 1994.

• The floods caused by heavy rains were responsible for 1800 deaths and led to displacement of 1.8 million people.

• Overall, 11.8 million people were affected by the intense monsoon season and the economic damage caused was estimated to be US$ 10 billion.





Pag

e58

• India was hit by a total of 8 tropical cyclones. Of which, Cyclone Fani (May 2019) caused the maximum damage.

• The Himalayan glaciers, the coastlines, and the deserts in India have been severely affected by global warming.

• The Report also points to an increase in the number of heat waves, increased intensity and frequency of cyclones and an increased rate of melting of glaciers in India.

Suggestions:

➢ The global Covid-19 pandemic has reiterated the fact that both risks and vulnerability are systemic and interconnected. It is therefore important to strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable against different types of risk (climatic, geophysical, economic or health-related).

➢ After the international climate policy process stalled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, expectations regarding progress on the long-term finance goal and adequate support for adaptation lie in 2021 and 2022.

2.5. WHAT IS DEGLACIATION? CRITICALLY ANALYSE THE REASONS FOR THE DISAPPEARING OF AFRICAN RARE GLACIERS.

Context:

Recently, a report from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) stated that Africa's rare glaciers will disappear in the next two decades due to climate change. Their current retreat rates are higher than the global average. If this continues, it will lead to total de-glaciation by the 2040s. WMO is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN). It produces annually the State of the Global Climate Report.

Highlights of the Report:

➢ Africa is the continent that contributes least to global warming, yet it is going to suffer the most.

➢ While African nations contribute less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the report underscored the outsize impact that changes in the climate are having on the continent’s 1.3 billion people.

➢ The last three mountain glaciers in Africa (Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Mount Kenya (Kenya) and the Ruwenzori Mountains (Uganda)) are receding at such a rapid pace that they could disappear within two decades.

➢ In sub-Saharan Africa, climate change could further lower gross domestic product by up to 3% by 2050. The cost of adapting to climate change in Africa will rise to $50 billion per year by 2050.

➢ The Indian Ocean Island nation of Madagascar is one where “famine-like conditions” have been driven by climate change. The parts of South Sudan are seeing the worst flooding in almost 60 years.

➢ Further, massive displacement, hunger and increasing climate shocks such droughts and flooding are expected to increase in the future. This is having a major impact on disaster warnings for millions of people in Africa.





Pag

e59

Deglaciation

Glaciers, ice caps and continental ice sheets cover some 10% of the earth’s land surface at the present time, whereas during the ice ages, they covered about three times this amount.

The present ice cover corresponds to about three-quarter of the world’s total freshwater resources.

The gradual melting away of a glacier from the surface of a landmass is known as Deglaciation.

The processes that remove snow, ice, and moraine from a glacier or ice sheet are called Ablation. It includes melting, evaporation, erosion, and calving.

The process of deglaciation, which intensified in the 20th century, is leaving the planet iceless.

Causes of Deglaciation:

➢ Global Warming: The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) produced by industry, transport, deforestation and burning fossil fuels, amongst other human activities, warm the planet and cause glaciers to melt.

➢ Ocean Warming: Oceans absorb 90% of the Earth's warmth, and this affects the melting of marine glaciers, which are mostly located near the poles.

➢ Rapid Industrialisation: Since the early 1900s, many glaciers around the world have been rapidly melting, specifically, since the industrial revolution, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions have raised temperatures, even higher in the poles, and as a

result, glaciers are rapidly melting, calving off into the sea and retreating on land.

Way Forward

✓ Increasing African Representation: Despite the threats ahead to the African continent, the voices of Africans have been less represented than richer regions at global climate summits like in IPCC reports. Thus, there is a need to increase African participation in all multilateral climate change negotiations.

Mobilising Climate Finance: Overall, Africa will need investments of over $3 trillion in mitigation and adaptation by 2030 to implement its national climate plan. It will require significant, accessible and predictable inflows of

green financing in Africa.





Pag

e60

3. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 3.1. WHO RECEIVED NOBEL PRIZE FOR CHEMISTRY IN 2021? WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF

ORGANOCATALYSIS?

Context:

The 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Benjamin List and David MacMillan for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis. Last year, the honour went to Frenchwoman Emmanuelle Charpentier and American Jennifer Doudna, for developing the gene-editing technique known as CRISPR-Cas9 - DNA snipping "scissors". Nobel prizes in physics and medicine for 2021 have already been announced.

About the Development:

➢ They have developed a new and ingenious tool for molecule building: organocatalysis. ➢ Many research areas and industries are dependent on chemists’ ability to construct

molecules that can form elastic and durable materials, store energy in batteries or inhibit the progression of diseases. This work requires catalysts.

➢ According to researchers, there were just two types of catalysts available: metals and enzymes. Catalysts are any substance that increases the rate of a reaction without itself being consumed.

➢ In 2000, they, independent of each other, developed a third type of catalysis. It is called asymmetric organocatalysis and builds upon small organic molecules.

Significance:

➢ Its uses include research into new pharmaceuticals, and it has also helped make chemistry greener.

➢ Both these sets of catalysts (metals and enzymes) had limitations. ➢ Heavier metals are expensive, difficult to mine, and toxic to humans and the

environment. ➢ Despite the best processes, traces remained in the end product; this posed problems in

situations where compounds of very high purity were required, like in the manufacture of medicines.

➢ Also, metals required an environment free of water and oxygen, which was difficult to ensure on an industrial scale.

➢ Enzymes on the other hand, work best when water is used as a medium for the chemical reaction. But that is not an environment suitable for all kinds of chemical reactions.

Organocatalysis:

• Organic compounds are mostly naturally-occurring substances, built around a framework of carbon atoms and usually containing hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, or phosphorus.

• Life-supporting chemicals like proteins, which are long chains of amino acids (carbon compounds containing nitrogen and oxygen) are organic.

• Enzymes are also proteins, and therefore, organic compounds. These are responsible for many essential biochemical reactions.





Pag

e61

• Organocatalysts allow several steps in a production process to be performed in an unbroken sequence, considerably reducing waste in chemical manufacturing.

• Organocatalysis has developed at an astounding speed since 2000. Benjamin List and David MacMillan remain leaders in the field, and have shown that organic catalysts can be used to drive multitudes of chemical reactions.

• Using these reactions, researchers can now more efficiently construct anything from new pharmaceuticals to molecules that can capture light in solar cells.

Asymmetric Organocatalysis

The process called asymmetric organocatalysis, has made it much easier to produce asymmetric molecules - chemicals that exist in two versions, where one is a mirror image of the other.

Chemists often just want one of these mirror images - particularly when producing medicines - but it has been difficult to find efficient methods for doing this.

Some molecules with mirror versions have different properties. An example is the chemical called carvone, which has one form that smells like spearmint and a counterpart that smells like the herb, dill.

Different versions of the same molecule might have different effects when ingested. Then it becomes important to be able to make only the mirror image of a drug that has the desired physiological effect.

3.2. WHAT IS 6G TECHNOLOGY? EXPLAIN ITS IMPORTANCE.

Context:

Recently, the government has asked the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) to begin developing 6G and other futuristic technologies to catch up with the global market in time. The next generation telecom technology (6G) is said to be 50 times faster than 5G and is expected to be commercially launched between 2028-2030.





Pag

e62

All About 6G Technology:

• 6G (sixth-generation wireless) is the successor to 5G cellular technology.

• It will be able to use higher frequencies than 5G networks and provide substantially higher capacity and much lower latency (delay).

• One of the goals of 6G internet will be to support one microsecond-latency communication (delay of one-microsecond in communication).

• This is 1,000 times faster - or 1/1000th the latency - than one millisecond throughput.

• It seeks to utilize the terahertz band of frequency which is currently unutilized.

• Terahertz waves fall between infrared waves and microwaves on the electromagnetic spectrum.

• These waves are extremely tiny and fragile, but there's a huge amount of free spectrum up there that would allow for spectacular data rates.

Significance:

➢ More facilitation:

The 6G technology market is expected to facilitate large improvements in imaging, presence technology and location awareness. 6G's higher frequencies will enable much faster sampling rates, in addition to providing significantly better throughput and higher data rates.

➢ Advancement in Wireless sensing technology:

The combination of sub-mm waves (e.g., wavelengths smaller than one millimeter) and frequency selectivity to determine relative electromagnetic absorption rates could potentially lead to significant advances in wireless sensing technology.

➢ Emergence of Digital Capabilities:

It will see the emergence of simple, easy-to-wear-and-carry devices with a huge set of digital capabilities. This will help the paramedics, educators and agro-technicians to jumpstart the village ecosystems with little or limited need for on-site presence of doctors, professors and agro-experts.

➢ Optimizing mass public transportation:

For India, such an enabling set of technologies will bring manifold utilization of scarce rail, air and road networks and make mass transportation far more efficient; Artificial Intelligence (AI) and massively parallel computing architectures will help solve transportation and scheduling operations research problems.

Way Forward:

• Government should indicate the intention for pursuit of 6G by announcing a long-term vision, a multi-year (multi-decade) plan, strong investments, and minimal bureaucracy.

• Government needs to execute the new electronics manufacturing policy as stated in the India Trillion Dollar Digital Opportunity document (2019) of the Ministry of Electronics and IT.

• Not just providing leadership for the Googles and Microsofts of the world, but creating them in our own Indian innovation eco system based on the strong foundation of ‘Talent, Technology and Trust’, is imperative.





Pag

e63

• India needs to replicate the space and nuclear technologies mission experience which achieved self-reliance and self-confidence or Atmanirbharta. Technology leadership for a better world should be our gift to the world and to ourselves. Leadership in 6G may be the best way to celebrate 2047, our centenary of Independence.

3.3. WHAT IS QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION?

Context:

Recently, the government has inaugurated C-DOT’s (Centre for Development of Telematics) Quantum Communication Lab and unveiled the indigenously developed Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) solution. The government has also allocated USD 1 billion for the National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications spanning over a period of 8 years.

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)

QKD, also called Quantum Cryptography, is a mechanism to develop secure communication.

It provides a way of distributing and sharing secret keys that are necessary for cryptographic protocols.

Cryptography is the study of secure communications techniques that allow only the sender and intended recipient of a message to view its contents.

Cryptographic algorithms and protocols are necessary to keep a system secure, particularly when communicating through an untrusted network such as the Internet.

The conventional cryptosystems used for data-encryption rely on the complexity of mathematical algorithms, whereas the security offered by quantum communication is based on the laws of Physics.

Mechanism:

In the QKD, encryption keys are sent as ‘qubits’ (or quantum bits) in an optical fibre. Optical fibers are capable of transmitting more data over longer distances and faster than other mediums. It works on the principle of total internal Reflections. QKD implementation requires interactions between the legitimate users. These interactions need to be authenticated. This can be achieved through various cryptographic means.

QKD allows two distant users, who do not share a long secret key initially, to produce a common, random string of secret bits, called a secret key. The end-result is that QKD can utilize an authenticated communication channel and transform it into a secure communication channel. It is designed in a way that if an illegitimate entity tries to read the transmission, it will disturb the qubits – which are encoded on photons. This will generate transmission errors, leading to legitimate end-users being immediately informed.

Need:

QKD is essential to address the threat that rapid advancement in Quantum Computing poses to the security of the data being transported by various critical sectors through the current communication networks.





Pag

e64

Benefits:

The technology would be useful in enabling various start-ups and small and medium enterprises in the domain of quantum information. It is expected to create a definition of standards and formulate crypto technology-related policies.

Significance:

➢ Detection of Leak: It allows the detection of data leak or hacking because it can detect any such attempt.

➢ Predetermined Error Levels: It also allows the process of setting the error level between the intercepted data.

➢ Unbreakable Encryption: The encryption is unbreakable and that’s mainly because of the way data is carried via the photon. A photon cannot be perfectly copied and any attempt to measure it will disturb it. This means that a person trying to intercept the data will leave a trace.

3.4. EXPLAIN ABOUT INTERMEDIATE MASS BLACK HOLES.

Context:

Scientists from Chennai Mathematical Institute and others have analyzed data from the LIGO-VIRGO observatories and estimated the fraction of the binary Black Hole mergers detected so far that show potential to form Intermediate-Mass Black Holes.

Black Hole Mergers:

▪ It is the phenomenon of merging of two or more black holes. ▪ Indian scientists have already observed merger of three supermassive black holes. ▪ Merging of two or more black holes results in different types of black holes. For eg,

Intermediate-Mass Black Holes and Binary Black Holes. ▪ Intermediate-Mass black hole (IMBH) is a class of black hole with mass in the range 102–

105 solar masses: significantly more than stellar black holes but less than supermassive black holes.

▪ One of the theories of intermediate mass black hole formation has to do with ‘hierarchical growth’.

▪ That is, if the black holes exist among a dense cluster of stars, the remnant (black hole) of a merger can pair up with another black hole close by to form a binary. This can eventually merge to form a second remnant which is more massive. This process, happening in a hierarchical manner, can explain intermediate mass black hole formation.

▪ Gravitational Waves (GW) are created when two black holes orbit each other and merge.





Pag

e65

Kicks in Mergers:

• “Kicks” is the opposite momentum acquired by a remnant black hole during mergers. It is a reaction to Gravitational Waves taking away energy and linear momentum during mergers.

• These kicks can be quite large, giving it a velocity of up to 1000 kilometres per second.

• If this kick velocity is above the escape velocity of the star cluster in which the black hole is formed, it escapes from the environment and moves out. This hinders further hierarchical mergers.

• The extent of the kick received by the remnant can be calculated from the masses of the merging black holes and their spin. The kick estimates help understand which mergers have the possibility of forming Intermediate-Mass black holes.

BLACK HOLE It refers to a point in space where the matter is so compressed as to create a

gravity field from which even light cannot escape. The concept was theorized by Albert Einstein in 1915 and the term ‘black hole’

was coined by John Archibald Wheeler. Black holes form when a massive star undergoes a supernova explosion

towards the end of its lifetime. The black hole forms from the remnants of the explosion.

Usually, the black holes belong to two categories: One category is of Stellar black holes ranges between a few solar masses

and tens of solar masses. These are thought to form when massive stars die.

The other category is of supermassive black holes. These range from hundreds of thousands to billions of times that of the Sun from our Solar system. These are thought to form when two or more black holes merge.

In April 2019, the scientists at the Event Horizon Telescope Project released the first-ever image of a Black Hole (more precisely, of its shadow).





Pag

e66

3.5. ASSESS THE IMPORTANCE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS.

Context:

According to the Coalition for GM Free India, the discovery of 500 tonnes of Genetically Modified (GM) rice in a consignment that India exported to the European Union countries in June 2021 has led to the “loss of reputation of India and its agricultural market’’. However, India pointed out that GM rice is not grown commercially in India, let alone exported, and promised a thorough enquiry by its agricultural exports authority, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

GM Crops:

GM foods are derived from plants whose genes are artificially modified, usually by inserting genetic material from another organism, in order to give it a new property, such as increased yield, tolerance to a herbicide, resistance to disease or drought, or to improve its nutritional value. Probably the best known variety of GM rice is golden rice. Golden rice involves the insertion of genes from a plant -- both daffodils and maize have been used -- and a soil bacterium to create a grain that is enriched with Vitamin A. India has approved commercial cultivation of only one GM crop, cotton. No GM food crop has ever been approved for commercial cultivation in the country. However, confined field trials have been allowed for at least 20 GM crops. That includes varieties of GM rice which would have improved resistance to insects and diseases, as well as hybrid seed production and nutritional enhancements such as golden rice. The cons of GM foods are that they may cause allergic reactions because of their altered DNA, and they may increase antibiotic resistance.

Export of GM Rice (Implications for India):

➢ India is the world’s top rice exporter, earning Rs. 65,000 crores in 2020 by selling 18 million tonnes of grain (organic rice), about a quarter of which is premium basmati.

➢ Among the 75 countries which buy Indian rice, West Asian nations, the US and the U.K. are the biggest importers of basmati, while the majority of non-basmati goes to African countries and neighbours Nepal and Bangladesh.

➢ For Indian farmers, the nightmare scenario could be what happened in the US in 2006, when trace amounts of a GM rice variety were found in shipments ready for exports.

➢ Trading partners such as Japan, Russia and the EU suspended rice imports from the US, hitting farmers hard.

➢ Under pressure from the rice export lobby at the time, India drafted policies to ban GM rice trials in the basmati belt. However, farmers from other parts of the country,





Pag

e67

especially those aiming for the nascent but growing organic rice export market, worry that their products could face contamination.

➢ Unauthorised HtBt Cotton and Bt Brinjal are already being grown commercially, with hundreds of growers blatantly defying the governmental ban.

Way Forward

✓ India’s top rice scientists seem to have moved away from conventional GM rice research for the time being.

✓ Recently, first varieties of non-GM herbicide tolerant rice were launched which can also be directly seeded, thus saving on water and labour costs (Pusa Basmati 1979 and Pusa Basmati 1985).

✓ The IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute) is also working to create drought-tolerant, salinity-tolerant rice strains through new gene editing technology (Site Directed Nuclease (SDN) 1 and 2) - which is yet to gain regulatory approval -- which allows for tweaking the rice plant’s own genes without introducing the genes of any other organism.

✓ In the face of such new advances, the regulatory regime needs to be strengthened, for the sake of domestic as well as export consumers.

✓ Technology approvals must be streamlined, and science-based decisions implemented. ✓ Rigorous monitoring is needed to ensure that safety protocols are followed strictly, and

enforcement must be taken seriously to prevent the spread of illegal GM crops.

4. PRELIMS WORKBOOK 1. Consider the following statements about National Mineral Development Corporation

(NMDC): 1) It is India’s largest iron ore producer and exporter. 2) It is a Navratna Company under the administrative control of the Ministry of Steel.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both d) None 2. Bio Carbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes is managed by the-

a) Asian Development Bank b) International Monetary Fund

c) United Nations Environment Programme d) World Bank

3. Uronema africanum Borge, recently seen in news, is: a) An alga that can digest low density plastic sheets. b) An oil eating bacteria. c) A soil fungus, which uses enzymes to rapidly break down plastic materials. d) A bacterium that can aid the production of bioplastics. 4. Consider the following pairs:

Tiger Reserve State

1) Indravati Chhattisgarh 2) Valmiki Bihar 3) Kawal Telangana





Pag

e68

4) Mudumalai Tamil Nadu

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

a) 1 and 4 only b) 2, 3 and 4 only c) 2 and 3 only d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 5. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2021 was awarded jointly to David Julius and

Ardem Patapoutian for their discoveries of: a) About cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability b) Receptors for temperature and touch c) Cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation d) Concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites 6. Consider the following statements with regards to RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine and

choose the correct ones: 1) It is the first-ever anti-malarial vaccine recommended by the WHO. 2) The vaccine specifically aims to cover children in sub-Saharan Africa. 3) The vaccine has been developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and forms an essential part of

WHO’s E-2025 initiative.

Options: -

a) 1 only b) 1 and 2 only c) 1 and 3 only d) 1, 2 and 3 7. The 2021 Nobel prize for Physiology or Medicine was awarded to researchers David Julius

and Ardem Patapoutian for their work on how human body perceives temperature and pressure. In their research, they found out that the body’s receptor for heat only gets activated:

a) Above 40 degrees C b) Above 28 degrees C c) Above 35 degrees C d) Above 45 degrees C

8. Consider the following statements with regard to Multidimensional Poverty Index and choose the correct ones:

1) The index is published annually by Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative and United Nations Development Programme.

2) The three dimensions included in the index are Health, Education and Living Standard. 3) All the UN member nations are included in the index to get a holistic view.

Options: -

a) 1 & 2 only b) 2 & 3 only c) 1 & 3 only d) All of the above 9. Nations across the world have been contemplating imposing a minimum permissible level

of corporate tax in order to counter tax havens. Which of the following rates of minimum corporate tax has been decided by these nations?

a) 23% b) 15% c) 20% d) 18%

10. Which of the following statements regarding RBI’s G-SAP operations is not correct? a) It involved the RBI buying government securities from the market. b) It was launched to restrict the availability of liquidity in the market and thus control

inflation. c) This was launched during the Covid-19 outbreak. d) None of the above.





Pag

e69

11. Which among the following greatly depend on wind conditions during migration?

1) Globe skimmer dragonflies 2) Jacobin Cuckoo 3) Amur Falcon

Options:

a) 1 only b) 2 and 3 only c) 1 and 2 only d) 1, 2 and 3 12. The Global Infrastructure Facility is a/an: a) ASEAN initiative to upgrade infrastructure in Asia and financed by credit from the Asian

Development Bank. b) World Bank collaboration that facilitates the preparation and structuring of complex

infrastructure Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to enable mobilization of private sector and institutional investor capital.

c) Collaboration among the major banks of the world working with the OECD and focused on expanding the set of infrastructure projects that have the potential to mobilize private investment.

d) UNCTAD funded initiative that seeks to finance and facilitate infrastructure development in the world.

13. Consider the statements as criteria given by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) for Heat Waves:

1) Heat Wave is considered if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C for Plains and at least 30°C for Hilly regions.

2) A heat wave will be declared if there is a departure of 4.5 degrees C to 6.4 degrees C from the normal temperature.

3) A departure above 6.4 degrees C is regarded as a severe heat wave. 4) The above criteria have to be met for at least two consecutive days.

Which of these statements is correct?

a) 1 & 2 only b) 2, 3 & 4 only c) 3 & 4 only d) All of the above 14. Consider the following statements with regards to Jim Corbett National Park: 1) It was India’s first National Park. 2) It was set up as Ramganga National Park and was only given its current name in 1956, after

Jim Corbett, the hunter-turned-naturalist. 3) In 1973, the park became the launchpad of Project Tiger – India’s first tiger protection

programme.

Which of these statements is/are not correct?

a) 1 & 2 only b) 2 only c) 3 only d) All of the above 15. Arrange the following in decreasing order of their contribution to India’s greenhouse gas

emissions: 1) Transport 2) Agriculture 3) Electricity production 4) Waste management

Options:

a) 2>3>1>4 b) 1>3>2>4 c) 3>2>1>4 d) 2>3>4>1 16. With respect to International Energy Agency (IEA), which of the following statements

is/are correct? 1) India is a founding member of the IEA.





Pag

e70

2) Membership in the IEA is restricted to advanced economy members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

3) The World Energy Outlook is published by IEA.

Options:

a) 1 and 2 only b) 2 only c) 2 and 3 only d) 1 and 3 only 17. The Nutrient Based Subsidy Rates for non-urea fertilizers are approved by –

a) Ministry of Finance b) NITI Aayog

c) Ministry of Agriculture d) Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs

18. With reference to the recent developments in science, which one of the following statements is not correct?

a) Functional chromosomes can be created by joining segments of DNA taken from cells of different species.

b) Pieces of artificial functional DNA can be created in laboratories. c) A piece of DNA taken out from an animal cell can be made to replicate outside a living cell in

a laboratory. d) Cells taken out from plants and animals can be made to undergo cell division in laboratory

petri dishes. 19. With reference to Sea grasses, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1) Antarctica is the only continent without sea grasses 2) Sea grasses reproduce through both sexual and asexual methods 3) Sushi is made from Sea grasses

Options:

a) 1 and 2 only b) 2 and 3 only c) 1 and 3 only d) 1, 2 and 3 20. Consider the following statements with respect to Khair (Acacia catechu): 1) It is a deciduous tree widely distributed throughout the greater part of India except the

most humid, cold and the driest regions 2) The tree is known for its medicinal properties and helps in curing skin problems

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 & 2 d) None





Pag

e71

ANSWER KEY

GS – 1

1) C

2) D

3) B

4) D

5) C

6) B

7) B

8) B

9) D

10) B

GS – 2

1) B

2) D

3) D

4) D

5) A

6) A

7) C

8) A

9) A

10) B

11) C

12) D

13) D

14) D

15) B

16) C

17) D

18) B

19) D

20) B

21) A

22) D

GS – 3

1) C

2) D

3) A

4) D

5) B

6) D

7) A

8) A

9) B

10) B

11) D

12) B

13) D

14) B

15) C

16) C

17) D

18) A

19) A

20) C





Pag

e72





Pag

e73



monthly news diary october 2021

Documents