Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 16-02-2021

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 16-02-2021

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. World Politics - Mario Draghi becomes Italy’s new Prime Minister - The appointment of the 73-years old Mario Draghi has capped the weeks of political instability for Italy which is still in the grips of a health crisis that has killed more than 93,000 people. The former Chief of European Central Bank Mario Draghi on February 13, 2021, was formally sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Italy, against the backdrop of the deadly pandemic and crippling economic recession. The appointment of the 73-years old Mario Draghi has capped the weeks of political instability for Italy which is still in the grips of a health crisis that has killed more than 93,000 people. Draghi recited ‘I swear to be loyal to the Republic’, as he stood before President Sergio Mattarella in the ornate presidential palace in a ceremony which was broadcasted live on the television.
2. World Politics - UK tightens norms - Assailed from all sides over its lax covid-19 checks on international arrivals, the British government announced that passengers returning to Britain who have visited any country on a “red list” will be required to pay for a “quarantine package” costing up to £1,750 ($2,420). This mandates ten-day isolation at a designated hotel and covers transport costs and two covid-19 tests. Fines reaching £10,000 or up to a decade in prison will be put in place for those who disobey. It is unlikely that any court will impose such a draconian term.
3. World Politics - US in Middle East - In his first big foreign-policy speech, Mr Biden said he would end American support for the Saudi-led campaign against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. His administration also moved to delist the Houthis as a terrorist organisation, making it easier for aid to reach areas under their control. The war, now in its seventh year, has caused a humanitarian disaster. The war has casused rifts between the Gulf monarchies, with the UAE going differently than the Saudis. Houthi rebels had, two years ago, launched drone attacks against Saudi oil facilities, using suspected Iranian gear.
4. Indian Economy - Fuel prices touch record high - Global crude oil prices were at their highest level in over a year. Brent crude rose above $60 a barrel; in April 2020, the early days of the coronavirus crisis, it had dropped below $20. Prices have been on a steady ascent since October 2020, fuelled in part by more curtailments to Saudi Arabia’s output and a pick-up in demand from China; oil imports there are thought to have jumped by a third in January, from December 2020. In India, retail fuel prices raced ahead, with premium variants of petrol touching Rs.100 a litre. More than 60% of retail price is made up of various taxes by central and state authorities.
5. World Economy - Masayoshi makes it big - SoftBank’s Vision Fund reported a record quarterly profit, as the value of its investments in tech firms such as Uber was lifted by rising stockmarkets. Despite booking losses from its colossal trades in derivatives, which eventually led to it being dubbed the “Nasdaq whale”, the Japanese conglomerate made an overall quarterly net profit of ¥1.17trn ($11.1bn). Meanwhile, a big jump in sales from Uber’s food-delivery business was not enough to offset a sharp drop in revenues from its ride-hailing service last year, driving it to an annual loss of $6.8bn. Still, that was an improvement on the $8.5bn it lost in 2019.
6. Social Issues - Bangladesh relocates 2,000 more Rohingya refugees to remote island - Bangladesh on 15-02-2021 sent around 2,000 more Rohingya refugees to the remote Bhashan Char island, which is designed to accommodate 1 lakh people. More than 7,000 refugees, including Monday's group, have been relocated to the island since December. Human rights groups have criticised the move and claimed that refugees are being relocated against their will. Bhashan Char, which formed out of Himalayan silt flowing into the Meghna Estuary in the Bay of Bengal less than 20 years ago, is located 34 kilometers (21 miles) from mainland Bangladesh, Bhashan Char’s geography makes it prone to cyclones and floods — its name in Bengali means “floating island.” The island used to be regularly submerged by monsoon rains, but the Bangladeshi navy has spent over $112 million (€92 million) to build flood protection, along with barracks, hospitals and mosques. International aid agencies and the United Nations have vehemently opposed the relocation since it was first proposed in 2015. They fear a big storm could overwhelm the island and endanger thousands of lives.
7. Trivia and Miscellaneous - Google fined $1.34 million over hotel rankings practices in France - Google Ireland and Google France have agreed to pay a $1.34 million fine after a probe found that Google's hotel rankings could be misleading for consumers, France's finance ministry said. The ministry also said in a statement that Google has amended its hotel rankings practices since September 2019. Google was earlier fined in France for placing cookies without consent. Google has been on the radar of European anti-trust authorities for a long time.
8. Governance and Institutions - Wholesale Price Index inflation rises to 2.03% for Jan against 1.22% for Dec - India's annual rate of inflation based on wholesale prices, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) sequentially rose to 2.03% in January from a rise of 1.22% in December 2020. However, the rise was lower when compared to last year January's 3.52%. Of the 22 groups of manufactured items, 18 witnessed an increase in prices, while only four recorded a fall in January 2021. At times, the gap in inflation based on CPI and WPI is seen. Reasons could include the difference in weightage assigned to different goods/items that make up the two baskets. For example, in the consumers basket, food has a much higher weightage than in the wholesale basket. This essentially means a rise in food prices will cause a bigger spike in the CPI basket than in the WPI one. Similarly, manufactured goods are given more weightage in the wholesale basket. Therefore, any movement in the price of such items will move the WPI more than it does the CPI.
9. Governance and Institutions - Government announces changes in India's mapping policy - The Union Ministry of Science and Technology announced major changes to the mapping policy of India on February 15, 2021 with an aim to promote and empower small businesses. The changes will help create significant advances in mapping, and push Digital India. Liberalising policies governing the acquisition and production of geospatial data is a step in the vision for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, as per govt. The startups and mapping innovators will be trusted to self-certify, apply good judgement and be relied upon to demonstrate adherence to guidelines. In addition, measures to promote the development of Indian geospatial innovations that take advantage of the latest map-making technologies are proposed. Farmers too will also be benefited by leveraging the potential of geo-spatial and remote sensing data. Democratizing data will enable the rise of new technologies & platforms that will drive efficiencies in agriculture and allied sectors.
10. Defence and Military -  India to start trials of Astra Mark 2 missile in 2021 - India will start the testing of the Astra Mark 2 beyond visual range air to air missile in 2021. The missile which is capable to take down enemy aircraft from a range of 160 kms will step forward for India as the missile will establish the country’s superiority in air combat over Pakistan and China. The extended range Astra Mark 2 will give an edge to India over its adversaries and will also add more lethality to its fighter jets in aerial combat. According to the government officials, the trial for the Astra mark will start in the second half of 2021 and the government is hoping to see the missile fully developed by the year 2022.

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• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

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• 1. ECONOMY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)

Food prices rising globally - An analysis

1. A steady rise: Global food prices rose for the eighth straight month in January 2021, as per the FAO’s (Food and Agriculture Organisation) food price index. According to the UN body, international food prices have reached their highest level since July 2014. It will have various implications for India.
2. Details of price rise: Cereal prices rose by 7% in January 2021 over the previous month, led by international maize prices, which soared 42.3% above their level a year ago, buoyed in part by purchases by China and lower-than-expected US production. While vegetable oil prices in January were at their highest levels since May 2012, sugar prices rose by 8% over the previous month and are now at their highest level since May 2017. In comparison, dairy prices surged 7% higher year-on-year, while meat prices were still lower in January compared to last year’s levels.
3. Reasons for surge: A variety of reasons are driving up prices, including stockpiling by large buyers like China. Maize prices are at their highest since 2013 due to lower production in the US, dry weather in South America, and a suspension of exports by Argentina. For rice, robust demand in Asia and Africa combined with tight supplies from Vietnam and Thailand are driving prices northwards. A reduced production of palm oil in Malaysia and Indonesia due to labour shortages and excessive rainfall, respectively. Dry weather in Brazil is also worsening the outlook for sugarcane crop, thereby adding to the reasons for food price spike.
4. Only food crops rising: No. Cotton prices are also on the rise due to lower global production and stocks, and higher demand from China on account of growing demand from its domestic textile industry. Cotton prices are 20% higher now compared to early January last year. Likewise, prices for soybean, used for edible oil and animal feed production has witnessed a sharp spike.
5. Impact on food inflation in India: Except for edible oils, India is largely self-sufficient in food production. Higher rice exports can push up prices, however, the Centre can easily tame domestic prices by liquidating stocks with the Food Corp. of India, which are at a record high. Since India imports 70% of its edible oil consumption, higher global prices can pose a risk. Even so, the annual south-west monsoon will play a key role. For several years now, India has seen normal rains but sub-par rains in 2021 could lead to higher prices, especially for pulses.
6. Do farmers stand to benefit: Yes. Higher international prices will benefit domestic growers of commercial crops such as cotton and soya beans. For both crops, the current wholesale prices are 5-10% higher than the Centre announced minimum support price. Similarly, rice growers stand to benefit from higher exports, which are forecast to hit record levels this fiscal year. Between April and December 2020, the value of farm exports from India increased year-on-year from $26 billion to $29 billion. The numbers are likely to rise further if global prices continue to rise.

The sad BIT story

1. SL dumps India: Sri Lanka’s decision to renege on a 2019 agreement with India and Japan that aimed to jointly develop the strategic East Container Terminal (ECT) at the Colombo port comes as a rude shock to India. The issue is linked to the India-Sri Lanka bilateral investment treaty (BIT), which forms the bedrock of international law governing foreign investment.
2. History: In 1997, India and Sri Lanka signed a BIT to promote and protect foreign investment in each other’s territories. The defining feature was thatn it empowered individual foreign investors to directly sue the host state before an international tribunal if the investor believes that the host state has breached its treaty obligations. This is known as investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS).
3. FET: An important protection provided for foreign investment was the fair and equitable treatment (FET) provision given in Article 3(2). It provides that investments and returns of investors of each country shall, at all times, be accorded FET in the other country’s territory. FET is a ubiquitous provision contained in almost all BITs. The ISDS tribunals have always held that an important component of the FET provision is that the host state should protect the legitimate expectations of foreign investors.
4. India terminated it unilaterally: Sri Lanka, by signing the agreement to jointly develop the ECT at the Colombo port, created such expectations on the part of Indian investors. Defaulting on this agreement, without specific and reasonable justification, potentially violates the Indian investor’s legitimate expectations, and thus, the FET provision of the BIT. But problem is that India unilaterally terminated the India-Sri Lanka BIT on March 22, 2017. This was part of the mass repudiation of BITs that India undertook in 2017 as a result of several ISDS claims being brought against it.
5. Survival clause: Article 15(2) of the India-Sri Lanka BIT contains a survival clause, according to which, in case of a unilateral termination of the treaty, the treaty shall continue to be effective for a further period of 15 years from the date of its termination in respect of investments made or acquired before the date of termination. Thus, the Indian investment in Sri Lanka and vice-versa made or acquired before March 22, 2017, will continue to enjoy treaty protection. But, in the case of the investment in developing the ECT at the Colombo port, this survival clause will be inconsequential, since the agreement was signed in 2019.
6. Lessons: This sordid episode has important lessons for India’s overall approach to BITs. As a consequence of the onslaught of ISDS claims in the last few years, India has developed a protectionist approach towards BITs. BITs do not empower merely foreign investors to sue India, but also authorise Indian investors to make use of BITs to safeguard their investment in turbulent foreign markets. In the post-COVID-19 world, regulatory risks will further exacerbate, subjecting foreign investment to arbitrary and whimsical behaviour of countries. Given India’s emergence as an exporter, and not just an importer of capital, the government should adopt a balanced approach towards BITs with an effective ISDS provision.

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• 2. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper

Plastic ingestion by marine fish

• A growing danger: The consumption of plastic by marine animals is an increasingly pervasive problem, with litter turning up in the bellies of wildlife as varied as mammals, birds, turtles and fish. Research review by ecologists at Stanford University shows the problem is impacting species unevenly, with some more susceptible to eating a plastic dinner than others. Billions of people around the world relying on seafood for sustenance and financial security. There is a growing number of species – including over 200 species of commercial importance – eating plastic.
• Why fish: Researchers say fish are a really good species to track the flow of plastic pollution through marine ecosystems. In total, they reviewed 129 studies on 171,774 individuals of 555 species of marine fish. The accumulating data have provided the opportunity to begin looking at broad trends, such as where fish are being impacted and what types of fish species are affected, to better predict which species are at greatest risk.
• Revelations: The database reveals the consumption of plastic by fish is widespread and increasing. Over the last decade, the rate of plastic consumption has doubled, increasing by 2.4 percent every year. Part of this is due to scientists’ increasing ability to detect smaller particles of plastic than before. However, even when the researchers statistically controlled for improvements in methodology, they still found an overall increase in plastic consumption. Even more disconcerting, many new species of fish were discovered with plastic inside of them each year.
• Some more vulnerable: With the data compiled, the researchers uncovered trends that help explain why certain species of fish are more vulnerable to plastic ingestion than others. Fish in heavily polluted East Asian waters, for example, showed the highest levels of plastic ingestion. This is especially concerning because seafood from this region helps feed 2 billion people. Researchers also found that the foraging strategy of fish was related to plastic ingestion, and that fish higher up on the food chain were at the greatest risk. Predatory fish were the most likely to consume plastic.
• Issue: This issue is more complex and nuanced than fish just eating plastic where there’s more pollution. Even though more fish appear to be ingesting plastics, there’s little evidence to suggest that eating seafood is an immediate threat to human. Fish likely take in more plastic into their bodies by breathing in dust or chewing on pen caps than through seafood consumption. Fortunately, there's a public outcry against this problem.
• Miles to go: A significant portion of the ocean has yet to be studied. This includes ocean gyres, where most plastic pollution ends up, as well as polar regions. Studying these difficult-to-access regions, said Savoca, will be important for filling gaps in our knowledge.

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• 3. FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)

The importance of Kailash Range

• History: The Kailash Range was the theatre of conflict during the 1962 Chinese offensive, with key battles at Rezang La and Gurung Hill. In 2020, Indian troops secured Kailash Ridge in an operation that took the Chinese by surprise. Then came news of vacating it, in Feb second half.
• What happened in 1962: It was in early October 1962 that Chairman Mao Zedong decided to launch a large-scale invasion to severely punish India. While the main offensive was to be in the Eastern Sector, coordinated operations in the Western Sector were to be undertaken to capture areas up to the 1960 Claim Line in eastern Ladakh, which entailed elimination of 43 Indian posts.

1. Gaining control over entire Aksai Chin was essential to guarantee security of the Western Highway, linking Kashgarh in Xinjiang to Lhasa in Tibet. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) offensive began on October 20, 1962, simultaneously in the Eastern and Western Sectors.
2. The operations in Aksai Chin were executed in two phases. During Phase One (October 20-28, 1962) PLA went on to clear Indian posts at Daulat Beg Oldie, Galwan, astride both banks of Pangong Tso and Dungti-Demchok areas. Phase Two was launched after a tactical pause of three weeks on November 18, 1962 to capture the strategically important Kailash Range.
3. The Karakoram Range ends on the northern side of the Pangong Tso. The Kailash Range originates from the southern bank and runs northwest to southeast for over 60 km. The Kailash Ridge is characterised by rugged, broken terrain with heights varying between 4,000-5,500m, and its key features include Helmet Top, Gurung Hill, Spanggur Gap, Muggar Hill, Mukhpari, Rezang La and Rechin La. The Ridge dominates Chushul Bowl; an important communications centre.
4. The lull following Phase One was utilised by the Indian Army to reorganise its defences. The 3 Infantry Division was raised at Leh on October 26, 1962 under Major General Budh Singh. The HQ of 114 Infantry Brigade was moved to Chushul, the 70 Infantry Brigade took over the responsibility of Indus Valley Sub Sector, and the I63 Infantry Brigade was inducted for the Defence of Leh.
5. Deployment at Chushul: The 114 Infantry Brigade responsible for Chushul area was holding a frontage of around 40 km.
6. The plan duly approved by the Central Military Commission (CMC) envisaged capturing both Rezang La and Gurung Hill simultaneously. Troops comprising three battalions of the PLA’s 4 Infantry Division along with supporting units were concentrated in Retuzong area, about 40 km from the border. All these units had been in action during Phase One as well. As per instructions from the CMC, operations were to be confined to the positions on the ridge line only.

• Battle of Rezang La: The C Company of 13 Kumaon, responsible for the defence of Rezang La, was deployed two platoons up (Strong Points 7&9 ) with a third platoon and Company HQ on Point 5150 (Strong Point 8) in the centre. Besides, there were supporting detachments of 3-inch mortars, heavy machine guns and rocket launchers. The Chinese, having carried out detailed reconnaissance of Rezang La, planned to outflank the position at night and attack simultaneously from the northern and southern directions at first light. The attacking troops were divided into two task forces. One task force, composed of 3rd Battalion less company of 11th Regiment, was to attack Strong Point 9 from the south. The second task force, composed of two companies (one each from the 3rd Battalions of 10th & 11th Regiments), was to attack Strong Point 8 from the North. The 3rd Battalion less company ex-10th Regiment, and 3rd Cavalry less two companies, were to act as reserves.
• The attack: Following brief artillery bombardment, the attack commenced from both directions at 9:15 am. A fierce battle ensued, with the defender beating back successive Chinese attacks. With communication snapped and the position encircled, leaving no possibility of the C Company being reinforced, it was a “do and die” situation. Major Shaitan Singh, the Company Commander, even launched a local counterattack. Finally, by employing reserves, the Chinese did manage to break through and Rezang La fell by 10 pm November 18. It was an epic battle, literally fought to the “last man, last round”. Of the total 141 personnel at Rezang La, 135 fought to the finish and 5 were taken prisoners, with one lone survivor. Major Shaitan Singh was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra. The Chinese suffered 21 killed and 98 wounded.
• Battle for Gurung Hill: It was held by two companies of 1/8 GR (Strong Points 16, 5 & 6) located northeast at Spanggur Gap. Strong Point 16, the most dominating feature, was at a height of 5,100 m. It was held by a company minus a platoon. The defences were well coordinated and covered by a protective minefield. The position was supported by a troop of AMX 13 light tanks. The task to capture Gurung Hill was assigned to Ali Detachment, the holding formation. A force of eight sections was mustered and duly reinforced by a platoon each of engineers and flame throwers, one heavy machine gun, one 57 mm recoilless gun and twelve 82mm mortars for fire support. One company of 3rd Cavalry was to act as reserve. The intensity of fighting can be gauged from the casualties — 1/8 GR suffered 50 killed and several wounded while the Chinese sustained over 80 (killed and wounded). The PLA could not capture the remaining part of Gurung Hill i.e. Strong Points 5 & 6.
• August 2020: the present: The course of history was set to reverse 58 years later when on August 30, 2020, the Special Frontier Force (SFF) troops secured Kailash Ridge as a pre-emptive operation, taking the PLA by surprise. This action proved a game-changer, neutralising gains made by the Chinese along the northern bank of Pangong Tso and rendering PLA positions east of Spanggur Gap-Maldo Garrison totally vulnerable. Why the PLA did not go for Kailash Ridge initially in May 2020 could be because of (i) first, paucity of infantry as 4 Infantry Division, now motorised, not suited to hold ground, and (ii) second, a presumption that Indian Army will not venture to undertake proactive counteractions.
• Then and now: In 1962, it was on the Kailash Ridge that Indian soldiers proved their mettle and made the PLA pay a heavy price, despite being poorly equipped and ill-prepared. Today, given a rich experience in high altitude-cum-glacial warfare, coupled with vastly improved equipment and infrastructure, the Indian Army is well positioned to hold the Kailash Range for good. The Chinese, on the other hand, are beginning to realise the harsh realities of winters at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Aware of the inability to regain Kailash Ridge with the current force level, and with the window for launching major operations already foreclosed due to the onset of winter, the Chinese may use all ploys to negotiate the Indian Army’s pull-back from south of Pangong Tso. India should be wary of past mistakes and avoid falling into the Chinese trap.

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• 4. GOVERNMENT SCHEMES (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)

ICAI warns against social media posts

1. Warning: India's top accountancy regulator - the ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) - has warned its professional members that some of their social media posts are “highly objectionable” and may have internal security, cross-border or geopolitical implications. While it’s not clear which tweets, likes or posts set off this warning, ICAI has indicated such commentary on social media would be construed as professional misconduct under the law.
2. Please shut up: In an advisory published on Feb. 11, the ICAI  said it came across “certain instances” where members and students have expressed professional or academic grievances on social media without first approaching the ICAI. Some have also written to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the nodal body for ICAI, or higher forums. That’s not all, the posts could have internal and external security implications, the regulator has warned. The posts are highly objectionable which have the potential to create social and communal disharmony, threatening peace, tranquility and may disrupt the security of the nation, public order and friendly relations with other nations.
3. Will pay the price: The advisory said any such post will be deemed to be a “other misconduct” under the Chartered Accountants Act. The Act empowers the ICAI council to reprimand a member, cancel his registration or impose a fine upto Rs 1 lakh if it thinks that the member’s activity—whether or not related to his professional work—causes disrepute to the accountancy profession or the regulator. Similarly, students may lose their registration if they indulge in such activities.
4. How will ICAI surveil: How the institute seeks to regulate or surveil the social media commentary of over 8 lakh members and accountancy students is not clear. Nor does the Chartered Accountants Act offer any guidance on how the institute will assess if a post by a member or student is against national security or public order etc. It’s also not clear if the Act authorises the institute to take such action.
5. Practically speaking: It would be very difficult for ICAI to regulate commentary on social media or define what constitutes disrepute to profession or disturbing communal harmony. There may be challenges in distinguishing whether an act of a person is in a personal or professional capacity.
6. Fundamental rights: The ICAI advising its members to curtail their freedom of expression is an absolutely new salvo, in the emerging battle of freedom of expression and the steady erosion of individual rights. Whether the CAs now choose to stay quiet on national issues, fearing loss of registration, remains to be seen. But what's clear is that the ICAI indeed is scared of what may happen if people express themselves freely.

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• 5. POLITY AND CONSTITUTION (Prelims, GS Paper 2, GS Paper 3)

The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 

 

1. Mining sector: The MMDR Act regulates the overall mining sector in India. The CMSP Act provides for the auction and allocation of mines whose allocation was cancelled by the Supreme Court in 2014. The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 2, 2020. The Bill amends the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) and the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 (CMSP Act). An Ordinance with similar provisions was promulgated on January 10, 2020.
2. What it does: The MMDR Act regulates the overall mining sector in India. The CMSP Act provides for the auction and allocation of mines whose allocation was cancelled by the Supreme Court in 2014. Schedule I of the Act provides a list of all such mines; Schedule II and III are sub-classes of the mines listed in the Schedule I. Schedule II mines are those where production had already started then, and Schedule III mines are ones that had been earmarked for a specified end-use.
3. Removal of restrictions: Till date, companies acquiring Schedule II and Schedule III coal mines through auctions can use the coal produced only for specified end-uses such as power generation and steel production. The Bill removes this restriction on the use of coal mined by such companies. Companies will be allowed to carry on coal mining operation for own consumption, sale or for any other purposes, as may be specified by the central government.
4. Eligibility for auction of coal and lignite blocks: The Bill clarifies that the companies need not possess any prior coal mining experience in India in order to participate in the auction of coal and lignite blocks. Further, the competitive bidding process for auction of coal and lignite blocks will not apply to mines considered for allotment to: (i) a government company or its joint venture for own consumption, sale or any other specified purpose; and (ii) a company that has been awarded a power project on the basis of a competitive bid for tariff.
5. Composite license for prospecting and mining: Till date, separate licenses are provided for prospecting and mining of coal and lignite, called prospecting license, and mining lease, respectively. Prospecting includes exploring, locating, or finding mineral deposit. The Bill adds a new type of license, called prospecting license-cum-mining lease. This will be a composite license providing for both prospecting and mining activities.
6. Non-exclusive reconnaissance permit holders to get other licenses: Till date, the holders of non-exclusive reconnaissance permit for exploration of certain specified minerals are not entitled to obtain a prospecting license or mining lease. Reconnaissance means preliminary prospecting of a mineral through certain surveys. The Bill provides that the holders of such permits may apply for a prospecting license-cum-mining lease or mining lease. This will apply to certain licensees as prescribed in the Bill.
7. Prior approval from the central government: Under the MMDR Act, state governments require prior approval of the central government for granting reconnaissance permit, prospecting license, or mining lease for coal and lignite. The Bill provides that prior approval of the central government will not be required in granting these licenses for coal and lignite, in certain cases. These include cases where: (i) the allocation has been done by the central government, and (ii) the mining block has been reserved to conserve a mineral.
8. Advance action for auction: Under the MMDR Act, mining leases for specified minerals (minerals other than coal, lignite, and atomic minerals) are auctioned on the expiry of the lease period. The Bill provides that state governments can take advance action for auction of a mining lease before its expiry.

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• 6. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

New Covid-19 variants in US - More contagious? 

 

• SARS-COV-2 Virus: Researchers are tracking virus variants since some of them might be more deadly than the original virus, they may be more easily transmissible and can have repercussions on the effectiveness of vaccines. Researchers have reported seven new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the US. They are tracking virus variants since some of them might be more deadly than the original virus, they may be more easily transmissible and can have repercussions on the effectiveness of vaccines.

• Known variants of SARS-CoV-2:

1. B.1.1.7: This variant emerged in the UK and may be associated with an increased risk of death compared with other variants, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said.
2. B.1.351: This variant emerged independently from the UK variant and was first identified in South Africa. It was also reported in the US by the end of January 2021.
3. P.1: This variant emerged in Brazil and is known to have 17 unique mutations. Three of them are in the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein (the spike protein, which protrudes from the surface of the virus is one of the key reasons that SARS-CoV-2 has been able to spread so rapidly and therefore, any mutations that affect the spike protein are important to understand).

• Learnings: Authors of a recent study say that in areas where the prevalence of the virus is high, selection pressures might have favoured the emergence of variants that evade neutralising antibodies (the proteins that prevent the virus from infecting once it is inside the body). The seven new lineages noted by the researchers have all evolved a mutation in the same genetic letter, which affects the way the virus enters the human cells. But it is not yet clear if this mutation makes these new variants more contagious and more dangerous.
• Why do viruses mutate: Evolution helps organisms to change in response to certain changes in the environment. The goal here is to help the organism adapt so it can survive. In the Naked Ape trilogy, zoologist Desmond Morris writes about how humans have adapted to their changing environment over the course of millions of years of evolution. Since viruses can only replicate within a host cell, their evolution is influenced by their hosts. This means that the virus will mutate in order to evade the defenses that its hosts put up for it.
• DNA versus RNA: As compared to DNA viruses, RNA viruses (SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus) have much higher mutation rates, probably one mutation per genome copy. Mutations might be deleterious, neutral and occasionally, they may be favourable. The book notes that only those mutations that do not interfere with the essential virus functions can persist in a given population. Compared to the HIV virus that causes AIDS, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is changing much more slowly as it spreads. But like humans influence the evolution in viruses, viruses too, have shaped the way humans have evolved. About 30 per cent of all protein (proteins help cells to perform their functions) adaptations in humans since their divergence from chimpanzees have been driven by viruses.
• What is a mutation: Once a virus has entered the body of its host, in order to infect the host it starts replicating, which means making copies of its entire genetic sequence. But every once in a while, the virus makes mistakes during replication. These mistakes, typically a change in a single letter (each coronavirus has about 30,000 RNA letters) among the thousands in the virus’s sequence, might change the properties of the virus’s proteins and therefore, change its capabilities. This is a mutation and if it is a favourable mutation, it can give the virus a new ability that promotes its reproduction, which helps the virus to become more widespread over generations.
• Mutations and vaccines: Resources should be spent on developing ‘pan-virus vaccines’ that can provide immunisation against multiple strains of a virus. This is necessary in the context of SARS-CoV-2, since it is already evolving and initial evidence shows that some of its strains are more easily transmissible. Vaccine development for the first four human coronaviruses, which include HCoV-229E (one of the first strains to be described in the mid-1960s), HCoV-OC43 (discovered between mid-late 1960s), HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-HKU1 (NL63 and HKU1 both discovered in Hong Kong in early 2005) was not a priority since these cause only mild illness. It was only two decades ago when SARS-CoV was emerging in China around 2003 that the need to develop a vaccine was felt since it was the first example of a human coronavirus that could cause serious illness.

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• 7. SOCIAL ISSUES (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

India’s internal migration story

• A large number: In March 2020, India saw the Covid-induced nationwide lockdowns and countless distressing images of migrant workers walking back to their homes — often hungry and utterly hassled, and often with small children in tow.
• The 2020 situation: Covid caseload has declined sharply, and the vaccine is being rolled out across the country. Economic activity is on the mend — the Index of Industrial Production has grown and the RBI says capacity utilisation, as well as consumer sentiment, has improved even as retail inflation has finally started receding. Presumably, some, if not all, of the migrant workers have started returning to work.

• Learnings about internal migration:

1. As of 2020, India has an estimated 600 million migrants (60 crore). In other words, roughly half of India is living in a place where it wasn’t born. If one imagines all these migrants as one nation then not only would that nation be the third-largest country on the planet — that is, after China and India — but also, it would be roughly double the size of the fourth-largest nation on the planet — the United States.
2. This doesn’t mean that 600 million Indians were crisscrossing between Indian states in 2020. That’s because the bulk of the internal migration in India is within one district itself. An estimated 400 million Indians “migrate” within the district they live in. The next 140 million migrate from one district to another but within the same state. And only about 60 million — that is, just 10% of all internal migrants — move from one state to another.
3. From a Covid perspective, the 400 million that migrate within the same district were less of a worry. But 200 million were broadly affected by the Covid disruption. Even within these 200 million, only about 140 millions migrated for earning a livelihood. The balance is family members who migrate with the bread-earner.
4. There are other misconceptions as well. Typically, it is thought that most migration happens when people from rural areas move to urban areas. That is incorrect. The most dominant form of migration is from rural to rural areas. Only about 20% of the total migration (600 million) is from rural to urban areas.
5. That is not to suggest that urban migration is not important. In fact, 20% of the total migration is from one urban area to another urban area. As such, urban migration (rural to urban as well as urban to urban) accounts for 40% of the total migration.
6. But even at these staggeringly high absolute numbers, India’s proportion of internal migrants (as a percentage of the overall population) is much lower than some of the comparable countries such as Russia, China, South Africa and Brazil — all have much higher urbanisation ratios, which is a proxy for migration level.
7. Not all migrants were equally affected. The worst-hit were a class of migrants called “vulnerable circular migrants”. These are people who are “vulnerable” because of their weak position in the job market and “circular” migrants because even though they work in urban settings, they continue to have a foothold in the rural areas. Such migrants work in construction sites or small factories or as rickshaw pullers in the city but when such employment avenues dwindle, they go back to their rural setting. In other words, they are part of the informal economy outside agriculture. (75% of the informal economy outside agriculture)
8. Close to 60 million moved back to their “source” rural areas in the wake of pandemic-induced lockdowns. That number is roughly six-times the official estimates. That estimate also gives a measure of the sense of labour shock that India’s economy faced as migrants moved back.

• Approach to labour class: Why could India not take better care of its migrant workers in 2020? The answer is "ignorance fuelled by indifference". The truth is that even now all estimates mentioned above are individual estimates. The official data — be it the Census or the National Sample Survey — is more than a decade old. In fact, Census 2011 migration data was made publicly available only in 2019.
• A whole new approach: It's time for the government to offer strong, credible and latest data, so that proper policymaking is enabled. Till then, large policy announcements will keep sending shockwaves through this group of citizens.

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• 8. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, GS Paper 1, GS Paper 2)

Koo Koo

• What it is: Koo social media platform is an Indian version of Twitter. Till now, it has had a few million downloads. It is being promoted by many politicians of the ruling regime.
• Local languages: Koo is currently availablein five vernacular languages — Hindi, Kannada, Tamil,Telugu and Marathi — for Android phone users. The English interface is available only on iOS. The multiplicity of Indian languages is where Koo hopes to score over Twitter.
• Interface: Koo’s interface is clean and easy to follow, with some familiar features like trends, feed, hashtags and so on. Co-founded by Aprameya Radhakrishna, who had launched TaxiForSure (sold to Ola), Koo is the brainchild of the team behind Vokal. A local language content platform, Vokal is a combination of Reddit and Quora.

• Rajasthan Prison Rules, 1951- Recent Amendments

1. What it is: The Rajasthan government has amended the Rajasthan Prison Rules, 1951 recently. The move was aimed to do away with the caste-based assignment of labour.
2. Highlights: The state government has made three changes in these rules. These amendments were made following the suo motu cognizance by the Rajasthan High Court over a media report on caste practices prevalent in prisons. Every person entering the prison are asked about his caste. Once their caste is identified menial jobs such as cleaning toilets, sweeping the prisons etc are assigned to them.
3. Amendments:

1. Rule 67 under Section 2 – This rule comprises norms regarding the “cooking of food”. The rule earlier read as “any Brahmin or sufficiently high caste Hindu prisoner from this class is eligible for appointment as cook”. Amendment has been made that now reads as “No inmate shall be selected for cooking on the basis of his caste or religion.”
2. Rule 13 of Section I of Part 10 - This section comprises of the restriction on the employment of convicts as tradesman - This section of the rule earlier stated that, Barber shall be a non-habitual prisoner; Sweepers shall be chosen from among those who perform sweeper’s work by the custom of the district in which they reside; Anyone who is not a professional sweeper may also volunteer to do this work. However, the person who is not a profession sweeper shall not be compelled to do the work’. After amendments, the paragraph now states that “No tradesman shall be chosen on the basis of his caste or religion.”
3. Rule 17, Clause (d) of Section 1 in Part 15 - This section defines a habitual offender as “any member of a criminal tribe subject to the discretion of the Government”. The clause (d) has now been deleted.

• Government Intelligence Unit to tackle frauds

1. What it is: Thee Union telecom ministry has decided to set up an intelligence unit and a consumer protection system. These systems will be set up in the effort to tackle the threats associated with the pesky calls. It would also help in taking strict action against the financial frauds that happens using telecom resources.
2. The story: There are rising concerns of consumers regarding the unsolicited messages on mobile phones, harassment through SMS pertaining to loan transactions in fraudulent ways. This move of the government aims to making digital transactions more safe and secure.
3. Stricter norms: The Minister of Communication has directed officials to take strict action against telemarketers and individuals who are involved in harassment cases. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) also has regulations to check pesky calls. However, unregistered telemarketers still make calls to people causing fraudulent incidents. The Delhi High Court has also directed Trai on February 3, 2021 to ensure complete and strict implementation of the regulation of 2018 to curb the Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC).
4. The plan: A nodal agency called Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU) will be set up, tasked to coordinate with various Law Enforcement Agencies, financial institutions and telecom service providers in order to investigate any fraudulent activity that involves the telecom resources. Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management and Consumer Protection (TAFCOP) system will also be created at the level of license service area.
5. Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC): Any commercial communication that a subscriber opts not to receive are called UCC.

• RBI data on bank credit and deposits

1. What it is: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently released its data on the Bank Credit and Deposits.
2. Facts: The data show that Bank credit grew by 5.93 per cent, accounting for Rs.5 lakh crore for the fortnight that ended January 29, 2021. Deposits in banks rose by 11.06 per cent (Rs. 98 lakh crore for the same period), and total deposits stood at Rs.133.24 lakh crore. For the first nine months of the fiscal year 2020-2021, the bank credit increased by 3.2 percent while the deposits increased by 8.5 per cent. The data highlights that, the non-food credit growth of banks was 5.9 per cent in December 2020. It says the growth in the credit to agriculture and allied activities has increased to 9.4 per cent as compared to 5.3 per cent growth in December 2019. Loans to industry have decreased by 1.2 per cent because of contraction in the credit to large industries by 2.4 per cent. Personal loans decreased by 9.5 per cent in the current financial year (2020-2021).
3. Bank credit: It refers to the amount of credit which is available for a business or individual from any banking institution, in the form of loans. Thus, the total amount of money that a person or business can borrow from any bank or the financial institution is called Bank Credit. The bank credit of the borrower depends upon their ability to repay the loans. It also depends upon the total amount of credit available by the banks or financial institutions to lend. Car loans, personal loans and mortgages are the examples of bank credit.

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• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

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