Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 01-06-2021

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 01-06-2021

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Foreign Affairs - China ends two-child policy, pushes three-child policy - The Government of China has decided to allow each couple to have three children, putting an end to its two-child policy. The decision follows release of population data of China over the past decade, showing the slowest population growth in decades. China’s one-child policy, enforced by then leader Deng Xiaoping in 1980, remained in place until 2016, when fears of a rapidly ageing population undermining economic growth forced the Communist Party to allow two children per married couple. The relaxation didn't result in large changes, and the impending demographic crisis was felt clearly. The supposed benefits of the one-child policy were questioned, as while the birth rate fell, the sex ratio became skewed towards males. This was due to the traditional preference for male children, leading to abortion of female fetuses, and also the number of girls placed in orphanages or abandoned. By the 2010s, the factors behind fewer children being born are rising costs of living, education and supporting ageing parents. China's culture of long working hours makes the proble worse. Also, some couples have no interest in having children at all! In 2020, 1.2 crore babies were born in China, down from 1.465 crore in 2019, a fall of 18 per cent. China's fertility rate has dropped to 1.3, far below the replacement level of 2.1 necessary for each generation to be fully replenished.
2. Indian Economy - India's GDP shrinkage 2020-21 - India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 7.3% in 2020-21, as per provisional National Income estimates released by the National Statistical Office. GDP growth in 2019-20, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, was 4%. The Gross Value Added (GVA) in the economy shrank 6.2% in 2020-21, compared to a 4.1% rise in 2019-20. Only two sectors bucked the trend of negative GVA growth — agriculture, forestry and fishing, which rose 3.6%, and electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services (up 1.9%). The GVA for trade, hotels, transport, communication and broadcasting-related services saw the sharpest decline of 18.2%, followed by construction (-8.6%), mining and quarrying (-8.5%) and manufacturing (-7.2%). India's GDP trend was one of growth recession since 2018 itself, but GDP kept growing (at lower rates). The pandemic shock led to a sharp contraction, in 2020-21, the worst since the 1970-80 contraction.
3. Indian Economy - Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) - The Office of Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) released the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) for April, 2021. The ICI measures combined and individual performance of production in selected eight core industries viz. Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement and Electricity. These comprise 40.27 percent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). The combined ICI stood at 126.7 in April 2021, which increased by 56.1 per cent (provisional) as compared to the Index of April 2020. This high growth rate in April 2021 is largely due to low Index base in April 2020 consequent to the low industrial production across all sectors caused by nationwide lockdown imposed to contain spread of Covid-19 last year. The growth rate of ICI during April-March 2020-21was (-)6.5% (P) as compared to the corresponding period of last FY.
4. Defence and Military - Second positive Indigenisation List - The Ministry of Defence (MoD) notified ‘Second Positive Indigenisation List’ of 108 items to promote indigenisation in the Defence sector and defence exports. This would boost indigenisation with active participation of public and private sector for fulfilling the twin objectives of achieving self-reliance and promoting defence exports. All the 108 items will now be procured from indigenous sources as per provisions given in Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. The second list lays special focus on weapons/systems which are currently under development/trials and are likely to translate into firm orders in the future. The ‘Second Positive Indigenisation List’ comprises complex systems, sensors, simulator, weapons and ammunitions like Helicopters, Next Generation Corvettes, Air Borne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) systems, Tank Engines, Medium Power Radar for Mountains, MRSAM Weapon Systems etc. This second list is planned to be implemented progressively with effect from December 2021 to December 2025.
5. Science and Technology - AmbiTAG for cold chain management - The Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar (IIT Ropar) in Punjab has developed "AmbiTAG", India's first indigenous temperature data logger for cold chain management. AmbiTag is a first-of-its-kind IoT device that records real-time ambient temperature during the transportation of perishable products, vaccines and even body organs and blood. That recorded temperature further helps to know whether that particular item transported from anywhere in the world is still usable or perished because of temperature variation. This information is particularly critical for vaccines including Covid-19 vaccine, organs and blood transportation. Shaped as a USB device, AmbiTag continuously records the temperature of its immediate surroundings “from -40 to +80 degrees in any time zone for a full 90 days on a single charge. The device has been developed under Technology Innovation Hub – AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub) and its Startup ScratchNest. AWaDH is a Govt of India project.  
6. Governance and Institution - DBT for Mid Day Meal Scheme - The Ministry of Education has approved the proposal to provide monetary assistance to students through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of the cooking cost component of the Mid-Day-Meal (MDM) Scheme, to all eligible children. Implications of DBT for MDM Scheme: With schools closed for months due to Covid-19, this move will give a fillip to the Midday Meal programme. This is in addition to the Government of India’s announcement of distribution of free-of-cost food grains at Rs. 5/kg per person per month to nearly 80 crore beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY). It will help safeguard the nutritional levels of children and aid in protecting their immunity during the challenging pandemic times. This one time special welfare measure will benefit about 11.8 crore children studying in class I to VIII in the 11.20 lakh Government and Government aided schools across the country. The central government will provide additional funds of about Rs. 1200 crore to state governments and UT administrations for this purpose.
7. Regional Economy - Bangladesh-Sri Lanka currency swap facility - Bangladesh cleared a USD 200 million currency swap facility for Sri Lanka, to help boost its economy. The word swap means "exchange", and a currency swap between two countries is an agreement to exchange currencies with predetermined terms and conditions. A currency swap is effectively a loan that Bangladesh will give to Sri Lanka in dollars, with an agreement that the debt will be repaid with interest in Sri Lankan rupees. Central banks and Governments engage in currency swaps with foreign counterparts to meet short term foreign exchange liquidity requirements, or to ensure adequate foreign currency to avoid Balance of Payments (BOP) crisis till longer arrangements can be made. For Sri Lanka, this is cheaper than borrowing from the market, and a lifeline as it struggles to maintain adequate forex reserves even as repayment of its external debts looms. The best part is the insulation of such deals from market fluctuations, as terms are set in advance. Exchange rate risks are the financial risk arising from fluctuations in the value of a base currency against a foreign currency in which a company or individual has assets or obligations. Bangladesh was never seen as a provider of financial assistance to others, as it was an impoverished country. It still receives billions of dollars in financial aid. But it has managed to elevate its economy itself and in 2020, was the fastest growing in South Asia. The country has managed to pull millions out of poverty. Its per capita income overtook India’s, in 2020.
8. Environment and Ecology - Climate Breakthroughs Summit - World leaders convened at the Climate Breakthroughs Summit in May 2021 to demonstrate progress in critical sectors of the global economy, including steel, shipping, green hydrogen and nature. This is a collaboration between the World Economic Forum (WEF), Mission Possible Partnership, the United Nations Climate Champions, and the United Kingdom (COP 26 Presidency). It aims to demonstrate the need for systemic change to accelerate the global transition to a zero-carbon economy. “Zero carbon economy” refers to the green ecological economy based on low energy consumption and low pollution, where emissions are compensated by absorption and removal of greenhouse gases (net-zero). One of its key campaigns is the ‘Race to Zero’ campaign that mobilises support from the world. The United Nations made a call for coordinated action to secure global net-zero emissions and fulfill its goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels by 2050. Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping line and vessel operator, joined Race to Zero with the commitment to halving the emission by 2030. The transitions of individual companies and institutions such as these are being supported by sector-wide plans, reflected in the revised Climate Action Pathways, launched with the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action. The pathways set out sectoral visions for achieving a 1.5°C resilient world in 2050, providing a roadmap to help countries and non-State actors alike to identify actions needed by 2021, 2025, 2030 and 2040 to deliver a zero-carbon world in time.
9. Science and Technology - Various updates - (a) Cryptocurrency billionaire Tyler Winklevoss said that when inflation ran high, the last asset you want to own would be the US dollar, and the first Bitcoin. Tyler and his twin brother Cameron own around 70,000 Bitcoins, according to Forbes. (b) Nikhil Kamath, Co-founder and CIO of Zerodha, said that the anonymity of cryptocurrencies "might be a big threat to cryptocurrencies themselves". Cryptocurrencies are taking away power from governments. (c) Sweden's central bank Governor Stefan Ingves said that the regulation of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin will happen. He said when something gets big enough, things like consumer interests and money laundering come into play. (d) Ethereum Co-founder Charles Hoskinson has said that the cryptocurrency industry is the cure to the current financial system. Hoskinson, who also founded Cardano, added that the digital assets are "going to change the world." He said that central banks are no longer the efficient institutions they used to be and have become nepotistic, slow and corrupt.
10. Indian Politics - Covid Update - (a) India's daily COVID-19 death toll fell below 3,000 after 35 days; it reported 1,27,510 new COVID-19 cases and 2,795 more deaths in 24 hours. (b) Mahindra Group's Chairman Anand Mahindra tweeted that we may never get to know the truth" regarding the origin of coronavirus. Just like Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the world now probably needs a Biological Weapons & Hazardous Research Non-Proliferation Treaty. His tweet came after a report said British intelligence officials believe Wuhan's COVID-19 lab leak theory is 'feasible'. (c) US drugmaker Eli Lilly and Company said its antibody drug combination has received an emergency use approval in India for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 cases. A combination of the company's monoclonal antibodies bamlanivimab and etesevimab has received approval for restricted use in emergency situations. (d) While over one crore Indians lost their jobs during the second wave of COVID-19, nearly 97% of the households witnessed a decline in incomes since the virus outbreak in 2020, as per the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) chief Mahesh Vyas. (e) After India reported a 7.3% contraction in its GDP for 2020-21, Moody's Investors Service said that the Indian economy will rebound to register a GDP growth of 9.3% during 2021-22 and 7.9% in 2022-23. Over the longer term, real GDP growth may average around 6%. (f) NUMBERS - INDIA - Total cases: 28,173,655; New cases: 126,698; Total deaths: 331,909; New deaths: 2,782; Total recovered: 25,939,504; Active cases: 1,902,242.

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• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

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

India GDP report 2020-21 - MoSPI May 2021

• The story: India's national income accounts are published by the CSO (Central Statistics Office) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). On May 31st, it released the provisional 2020-21 national income figures.
• The data: Indian economy had slightly recovered in the March quarter and economic activity was gathering momentum before the second wave hit hard, extinguishing hopes of a double-digit positive GDP growth for 2021-22. (a) CSO, MoSPI data showed gross domestic product (GDP) growing by 1.6% in the March quarter compared with 0.5% in the third quarter of 2020-21. (b) For the year ended 31 March, GDP shrank by 7.3% due to the impact of the first wave of the pandemic as against 8% contraction estimated. So GDP shrank to Rs.135.13 trillion in 2020-21 (in real terms adjusted for inflation), compared to Rs.145.69 trillion in 2019-20. GDP is a measure of the economic size of a country, and inflation is the rate of price rise. (c) The FY21 witnessed India’s worst GDP contraction since independence and the first in more than 40 years. In 1979-80, India’s GDP had contracted by 5.2%.
• GVA: The gross value added (GVA) is a method of measuring economic activity by excluding net indirect taxes (indirect taxes less subsidies) from GDP. It March quarter, it grew by 3.7%, due to a favourable base effect. Some find GVA a better tool to measure production in the economy since the back-ended release of food subsidies (payment of subsidy at a later date), especially in the March quarter, has impacted the GDP estimate during the quarter.
• Other data: In the March quarter, manufacturing activity rebounded to 6.9% growth against 1.7% in the preceding three months. Construction (14.5%) public expenditure (2.3%), and electricity (9.1%) also recovered significantly in the March quarter from the quarter ended December. On the demand side, gross fixed capital formation, an indicator of investment demand in the economy, grew 10.8% in the March quarter compared with 2.6% in the quarter ended 31 December. Private consumption demand also picked up in the March quarter, recovering from a contraction of 2.8% in the December quarter to grow at 2.7% in the three months to March.
• Core sectors: A favourable base effect led to a 56.1% growth in the eight infrastructure sectors in April, data separately released by the industry department showed. This indicates GDP in the first half of FY22 will be bumped up by a contraction in economic activity in the same period of FY21. Though the June quarter of FY22 may show double-digit growth despite the scarring from the second wave of the pandemic, overall economic growth in FY22 may suffer due to cautious consumer sentiment.
• What about 2021-22: Forecasters are projecting growth to be less than 10% in FY22. The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) slashed its growth projection for India to 9.9%. The chief economic adviser (CEA) in the finance ministry K. Subramanian said that the recovery will be strongly linked to the path of the pandemic. Contrary to ground feedback, the CEA felt that overall economic impact of the second wave may likely not be very large. Data released by the Controller General of Accounts showed fiscal deficit at 9.2% of GDP against 9.5% of GDP estimated in the budget, largely due to better than expected revenue collections in FY21. 
• Summary: For India, it's a tough road ahead, as a minimum of 6-8% real GDP growth per annum is a must, if its youth bulge is to be put to good use.

Lessons in GDP from India 

• The story: The sad news that India's GDP shrank in FY 2020-21 by 7.3% to Rs.135.13 trillion (in real terms adjusted for inflation), from Rs.145.69 trillion in 2019-20 was as expected.
• India's five recessions: From 1950 onwards, India has had five recessions, and this fifth one was the most brutal. The last time the Indian economy contracted was in 1979-80, at 5.2%, when global oil prices had gone through the roof. This time, the negative economic impact of the spread of the covid pandemic was the main reason behind the contraction.
• Expenditure method: The private consumption expenditure usually is 55-60% of the overall economy. In 2020-21, private consumption contracted by 9.1% (in 1979-80, it was limited to 2.2%). It During a pandemic year, consumers cut down on their consumption and individuals lost jobs. Families had to spend heavily on health emergencies and so on. But the total consumption expenditure in 2020-21 at Rs.75.61 trillion was just 3.1% more than in 2017-18. So the economy has regressed by three years. India's economic growth was slowing down even before the pandemic struck.
• Corporates' outlook: When citizens are cutting down their expenditure, corporates will not care to expand. The investments made into the economy contracted by 10.8%. It doesn’t make sense for corporates to expand when the existing capacitates are not being properly utilized.
• Government spending: When both individuals and corporates cut down on their spending, the government tends to spend more, in order to pump-prime the economy and get economic activity and growth going again. In 2020-21, the government spending rose by just 2.9% (had risen by 7.9% in 2019-20). The pandemic started to spread across India towards the end of 2019-20, during the months of February and March. Given that, 2019-20, for the large part, was a non-pandemic year. Government spending increased more in 2019-20 than it did in 2020-21.
• Sectorwise: The services sectors which make up around half of the Indian economy contracted by 8.4%. The remaining non-services part of the economy contracted by a smaller 6.1%. Most services need to be offered in person and that is bound to take a beating in the middle of a pandemic. The total value added by services in 2020-21 was Rs.67.54 trillion, almost similar to the value added in 2017-India’s services economy has gone back by three years!
• Summary: The good news is GDP grew by 1.6% between January and March 2021. Before 2021-22 started, many economists expected the GDP for this year to be greater than the GDP for 2019-20 (Rs.145.69 trillion, constant prices). They expected the Indian economy to be back where it was before the pandemic struck. That’s not going to happen in 2021-22.

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

Blackbuck and Odisha census

 

 

• The story: A census by the Odisha State Forest Department revealed that Odisha's blackbuck population has doubled in the last six years. Blackbuck once lived on open plains all over India but their numbers have drastically reduced as human population grew. The total blackbuck population, estimated at 80,000 in 1947, was down to 8,000 by 1964, but it has since recovered to 25,000 in protected areas.
• Points to note: The Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), or the Indian Antelope, is a species of antelope native to India and Nepal. It is widespread in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and other areas throughout peninsular India, and is considered as the best sight in grasslands. It is considered to be the fastest animal in the world next to Cheetah, and is a diurnal antelope (active mainly during the day). It has been declared as the State Animal of Punjab, Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh.
• Blackbuck culture: It is a symbol of purity for Hinduism as its skin and horns are regarded as a sacred object. For Buddhism, it is a symbol of good luck.

• Protection status:

1.         Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I
2.         IUCN Status: Least Concern
3.         CITES: Appendix III

• Threats: For blackbucks, the threats are habitat fragmentation, beforestation, natural calamities, and illegal hunting.

• Protected areas:

1. Velavadar Blackbuck Sanctuary - Gujarat
2.  Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary - Tamil Nadu

• Plans: In 2017, the Uttar Pradesh State Government approved the plan of setting up the Blackbuck Conservation Reserve in the trans-Yamuna belt near Prayagraj. It would be the first conservation reserve dedicated to the blackbuck.
• Odisha: The blackbuck is known in Odisha as Krushnasara Mruga, and these are confined to Balukhand-Konark coastal plain / wildlife sanctuary in Puri District; Balipadar-Bhetnoi and adjacent areas in Ganjam District. As per the latest census, the antelopes numbered 7,358, compared to 2,194 in 2011. Improvement of habitats, protection given by the local people and forest staff were some of the reasons for the increase of the population.
• Other antelopes in India: Barasingha/Swamp Deer, Chital/Spotted Deer, Sambar Deer, Sangai/Brow-Antlered Deer, Himalayan Serow, Barking Deer/Indian Muntjac, Nilgiri Tahr/Nilgiri Ibex, Tibetan Antelope, Himalayan Tahr, Nilgai/Blue Bull, Chinkara/Indian Gazelle.

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

Foreign affairs update

 

• China’s new population policy: China will now allow married couples to have three children, up from a previous limit of two, in a bid to reverse its declining population trend. The decision was announced on 31st May, 2021, following a meeting of China’s Politburo, chaired by President Xi Jinping. The new policy will also include education and housing supports in order to offset high childcare costs. In a further attempt to retain a pool of workers, China’s retirement age will be raised gradually, the Politburo said. China currently has one of the world’s lowest retirement ages—60 for men and 50 for women.
• Congo killings: Many people were killed in overnight attacks near two villages in eastern Congo, close to the border with Uganda. Congolese officials blamed the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamist insurgent group that in March 2021 was deemed a foreign terrorist organization by the United States. The group killed more than 850 people in 2020, according to the United Nations. At the beginning of May, President Félix Tshisekedi declared a state of siege across the affected regions, surging troops in a bid to quell violence.
• North Korea’s missile warning: North Korea warned the United States on 31st May that relaxing South Korea’s missile limits could lead to an “acute and instable situation” in the region. “The termination step is a stark reminder of the U.S. hostile policy toward (North Korea) and its shameful double-dealing,” said North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency. The United States recently lifted a 500-mile range restriction on South Korea’s missile programme, in place since 1979. South Korea’s industrial ability to ramp up new missile production could lead to an arms race with devastating implications.
• Peru’s COVID-19 review: Peru updated its official COVID-19 death toll, almost tripling its previous figure to 1,80,764. The revised numbers means Peru now has the highest death toll per capita of any country in the coronavirus pandemic. The Peurvian PM Violeta Bermudez said “We think it is our duty to make public this updated information." Peru’s government initiated the review because of a lack of testing prevented an accurate count. The new figure matches up with Peru’s excess death figure, or the difference between 2020 deaths and death rates seen in previous years.
• Finland's corruption: Finland’s top three spot in Transparency International’s corruption perception index could be in peril after police opened an investigation into the office of Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin following a news report that she was illegally claiming $365 in monthly expenses for her family’s breakfasts while at her official residence.
• Lebanon’s economic crisis: Lebanon’s economic collapse could rank within the top 3 “most severe crises episodes globally since the mid-nineteenth century,” as per the World Bank. The report cites the “brutal and rapid” contraction of Lebanon’s GDP, which dropped from $55 billion in 2018 to $33 billion in 2020. “The social impact of the crisis, which is already dire, could rapidly become catastrophic,” the report notes, as more than half of Lebanon’s population is already living below the poverty line.

Russia-Ukraine conflict

 

• The story: The 2021 stand-off between Russia and Ukraine has captured world attention again. The current situation was complex due to the indirect involvement of multiple stakeholders, including the US, Turkey and the NATO.
• May 2021 tensions: The renewed tensions between Ukraine and Russia are a continuation of the unresolved conflict of 2014. Since then, the ‘illegal annexation of Crimea’ has been an unresolved issue. Russia was criticised for its involvement in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine. There, Russian-backed separatists have been fighting with Ukrainian troops, and recently, Moscow allegedly deployed thousands of troops as well as tanks and artillery near Ukraine’s eastern border. It also mobilised troops in the annexed Black Sea region of Crimea. This sent shock waves in Ukraine, forcing it to appeal to the U.S. and NATO for an intervention.

• Who supports Ukraine:

1. First is NATO. Dealing with Russia, a powerful and unpredictable neighbour, forces Ukraine to rely on NATO/U.S. military support. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed dissatisfaction at Russia’s present considerable military build-up, and underlined that NATO would continue to provide significant political and practical support to Ukraine. The question though is how far the NATO alliance can go in its support, given that Ukraine has not yet obtained membership. In June 2020, NATO recognised Ukraine as an Enhanced Opportunities Partner, along with Australia, Finland, Georgia, Jordan, and Sweden. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also used the current tension as an opportunity to push for NATO membership.
2. Second is the USA. The U.S., under Biden administration, has taken a more resolute stance towards this conflict. Unlike his predecessors, U.S. President Joe Biden seems to be less apprehensive about provoking Russia. He is ready to support militarily for the ‘independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine’, if need arises.
3. Third is Turkey. It also seems to stand by Ukraine amidst the current tensions with Russia. Turkey has not acted in synchrony with Russia during several conflicts, e.g., in Syria, Libya, and, most recently, in Nagorno-Karabakh.

• Conflict's major concern: The cornerstone of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is insufficient communication, and it applies especially on the part of Vladimir Putin’s Russia, whose tactical decisions towards Ukraine comes with many unanswered questions. So there's room for misinterpretations and exaggerations on the part of Ukraine and its western supporters.
• Russia’s rationale: From the Russian perspective, the current ‘military build-up’ can be viewed as another round of display of a powerful and capable Russia. President Vladmir Putin possesses enough diplomatic (and pragmatic) skills not to indulge in yet another geopolitical endeavour.
• Summary: Both countries do need support from the global community, but not in a military form. The only way forward is to seek a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. A Minsk Agreements like platform is needed.

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

Covid-19 variant names - WHO to label with Greek letters

 

 

• The story: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced a new nomenclature for the COVID-19 variants that were previously — and uncomfortably — known either by their technical letter-number codes or by the countries in which they first appeared.
• Want a balance: Hoping to strike a fair and more comprehensible balance, WHO said it will now refer to the most worrisome variants — known as “variants of concern" — by letters in the Greek alphabet.

1. The first such variant of concern, which first appeared in Britain and can be also known as B.1.1.7, will be known as the “alpha" variant.
2. The second, which turned up in South Africa and has been referred to as B.1.351, will be known as the “beta" variant.
3. A third that first appeared in Brazil will be called the “gamma" variant and a fourth that first turned up in India the “delta" variant. The B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2 variants of the Covid-19, first identified in India, have been named as 'Kappa' and 'Delta' respectively.
4. Future variants that rise to “of concern" status will be labeled with subsequent letters in the Greek alphabet.

• Keeping it simple and non-politica: WHO said a group of experts came up with the new system, which will not replace scientific naming systems but will offer “simple, easy to say and remember labels" for variants. The WHO's move came after India objected to the B.1.617 mutant of the novel coronavirus being termed an "Indian Variant" in reports. Globally, systems have been established and are being strengthened to detect signals of potential variants of concern (VOC) and interest (VOI) and assess these based on the risk posed to global public health. National authorities may choose to designate other variants of local interest/concern.
• VOCs: When a virus replicates or makes copies of itself, it sometimes changes a little bit, which is normal for a virus. These changes are called “mutations”. A virus with one or more new mutations is referred to as a “variant” of the original virus. The term "variant of concern" for SARS-CoV-2 is a category used when mutations in Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) substantially increase binding affinity in RBD-hACE2 complex, while also being linked to rapid spread in human populations.
• Who tracks these mutations: WHO has been tracking mutations and variants since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. Its global SARS-CoV-2 laboratory network includes a dedicated Virus Evolution Working Group, which aims to detect new changes quickly and assess their possible impact. Research groups have carried out genomic sequencing of the COVID-19 virus and shared these sequences on public databases, including GISAID. This collaboration allows scientists to better track how the virus is changing. WHO recommends that all countries increase the sequencing of the COVID-19 virus where possible and share data to help one another monitor and respond to the evolving pandemic.

Jails with more inmates than space

• The story: A recent judgment of the Supreme Court in a bail petition offered opportunity to look into the state of affairs of jails in India.

• The instant case: The imprisonment of a priest with Parkinson’s disease and a senior academic suffering from a serious eye infection after contracting COVID-19, exposed the overcrowded condition in the Taloja jail. The Bombay High Court granted hospitalisation and medical check-ups to the prisoners but their pleas for interim medical bail was deferred.

1. There was a stark disparity between what the jail authorities say about the jail conditions and the evidence placed by the advocates for the undertrials. The conditions in several Indian prisons are pathetic with zero or next to zero monitoring by committees.
2. Jails are overcrowded, have poor hygiene conditions, and has little or no statutory monitoring.

• Court verdict: The SC urged the courts to actively use the option of house arrest in cases where age, health conditions and antecedents of the accused are a criterion. It expressed special concern over the overcrowding of jails — on an average at least 118 per cent higher than the limit. Following this order, the Calcutta High Court, in the case of three serving elected officials and ministers of the TMC-led Bengal government, ordered house arrest. The court even allowed them to perform some official duties under observation.
• House arrests, globally: In medieval Europe, St Paul at the age of 60 was awarded house arrest for two years where he continued his profession as a tent maker and paid his own rent. Galileo Galilei, the Florentine physicist, philosopher and astronomer after a second trial in Rome in 1633 was confined to house arrest for the rest of his life. Some societies use it post-trial and conviction as confinement with surveillance. Elsewhere, house arrest has been used to repress political dissent before trial.
• Indian case: Only a few governments have evolved any legal understanding around the issue of political prisoners. West Bengal has engaged with this issue and, in 1992, passed the West Bengal Correctional Services Act that provides for residence in correctional homes. Under Section 19(4), it has created a special categorisation of a prisoner as a political prisoner. Any offence committed or alleged to have been committed in furtherance of any political or democratic movement is regarded as a political offence.
• Summary: The pandemic has highlighted the inhumane conditions present in the Indian prisons. Due to the poor conditions of Indian prisons and the absence of political will in proper monitoring, the option of house arrest must be seen as a positive opportunity.

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

Mamata Banerjee takes on the PM, and the Centre

 

 

• The story: The bitterly contested West Bengal assembly elections in 2021 resulted in a massive victory for incumbent C.M. Mamata Banerjee and her TMC (Trinamool Congress Party), and a big defeat of the BJP. The relations have been sour ever since. Then came the review meeting over cyclone Tauktae, in Kolkata, where the CM reached late while the PM was conducting the meeting with the leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari, and others.
• Sholay recalled: "Jo darte hain, wo marte hain" meaning 'Death is certain for those who run scared'. The Bengal CM recalled the iconic dialogue from 70s blockbuster ‘Sholay’ to exhort all opposition CMs in the country to raise their voice without fear against an “autocratic Centre.” She held out a dire warning when she said the Narendra Modi-led Union government would, one day, “repent” its attempts to bulldoze federalism. She said she was not scared by their threats, and will always walk with our head held high.
• Allegations: CM Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Centre was looking to “divert attention” of the people, having failed the country on several fronts — managing Covid, stopping the economy from faltering and halting agricultural distress. She appealed to state CMs to come together and raise their voice. She reminded that there always had been a Lakshman rekha between the Centre and the states. Jawaharlal Nehru and B R Ambedkar had stressed on it. It was laid out in the Sarkaria Commission and later upheld by the Supreme Court. There is a consultative process.
• Cyclone and the CS: The recent controversy was caused by the central deputation order on Alapan Bandyopadhyay, who retired as Bengal chief secretary on 31st May and chose not to accept the deputation, and the three-month extension granted to him by the Centre just days ago. CM Mamata said that Centre was acting out of political vendetta, targeting her chief secretary and officers to attack her.
• Walking out: She questioned Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s purported comment that Bandyopadhyay had “walked out of a meeting”. She said that it is politicians who stage walk-outs, but not bureaucrats. Soon, the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also spoke out in Banerjee’s support. “This is not the right time to fight with state governments, but to fight the coronavirus together,” he said.
• Letter to the PM: She had written a letter to the PM stating that “The unilateral ‘order’ comes without any prior consultation whatsoever with the government of West Bengal, without any volition/option of the officer, without meeting any of the pre-conditions of the IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954 and other applicable laws”. “If a chief secretary of a state can be asked to be relieved like this, how can the lower bureaucracy take, obey, and implement orders in their letter or spirit from the state chief minister, other ministers and officers. I presume and sincerely hope that you do not want to damage the federal amity. I also presume and sincerely hope that you do not want to destroy the morale of all the All India Service officers working in various states across the country,” the letter added.

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

Amazon satellite broadband in India

 

 

• The story: Jeff Bezos' global e-tailing firm Amazon is likely to initiate steps soon for bringing high-speed satellite internet services to India. Indians can expect stiff competition with arch-rivals Bharti-backed One-Web and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, that will drive down pricey satellite broadband rates.
• What will Amazon do: It will approach the government to discuss modalities, authorisations, permits, landing rights and satellite bandwidth leasing costs. The Department of Space (DoS) gives landing rights for downlinking signals of foreign satellites into India.
• Huge investments: Amazon is investing over $10 billion to build a constellation of 3,236 low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites as part of its global space internet initiative, Project Kuiper. The India plans are not clear, though.
• India's satellite internet space: India is a critical emerging satellite internet market that Amazon cannot ignore since at stake is a $500 million near-term revenue opportunity from servicing millions of Indians in rural and remote areas through satellite-based, fast internet services. Nearly 75% of the rural population does not have access to broadband since many locations are without cellular or fibre connectivity. As a result, LEO satellite systems are being viewed as a viable alternative, though it is costly at present.
• A new game opening up: As LEO satellite technology rapidly gains global scale and bandwidth leasing costs head down, it would make strong business sense for Amazon to quickly make inroads into India’s emerging satellite broadband market to effectively compete with OneWeb and SpaceX. OneWeb and SpaceX have already announced big India plans that could give them a strong first-mover advantage in a key telecom market.

Russia vaccine tours 

• The story: Authorities in Russia prohibited private clinics in Moscow from inoculating foreign tourists from April 21, 2021, as they caught wind of a travel advertisement that promised vaccinations for tourists. But that has not deterred travel companies from offering packages that promise to get visitors two doses of Sputnik V jabs.
• Allowing Indians: Russia is one of the few destinations that is allowing Indians entry and doesn´t have any quarantine requirement. The 25 day trip costs Rs.1.87 lakh, and the package includes return air tickets to Delhi, 20 nights' accommodation in Moscow, and four night's stay in St Petersburg. A few polyclinics in Moscow were supposedly allowed to vaccinate foreign tourists and two doses of Sputnik jab cost Rs.4,800.
• Official statement: The Consulate General of Russia in Mumbai said that “Currently, the Russian governmental vaccination programme covers Russian citizens and foreign citizens holding Russian residence permits only. Thus, foreign tourists visiting the Russian Federation are not eligible for the said vaccination programme and there is no legal framework as well as practical strategies for vaccine tours so far.”
• Promotion: Like in India, Russian vaccine tours have been promoted in Europe too. In April, a Norwegian travel company was offering its customers options to get vaccinated at an airport or clinic in Moscow. Other packages included a visit to Turkey in addition to the 22 day stay in Russia. Several citizens of Germany, Brazil, Italy, Belgium, and the UK received jabs at a shopping centre in Moscow in March 2021. Trade bodies in Russia, including associations representing hotels and shopping centres, also mooted visafree entry for foreigners seeking vaccines.
• Summary: Some experts said that in Russia, you could vaccinate only those foreign citizens who have a residence or work permit and accordingly a compulsory medical insurance policy. But vaccine tourism, it seems, is here to stay.

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

Demographic anxiety in China

 

 

• The story: China in May 2021 announced what was coming a long time - further unwinding of its once-draconian regime of population control. The new policy unveiled came at a meeting of the Politburo chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
• New policy: China's married couples are now allowed to have up to three children. The move comes after the once-in-a-decade census, which found that the country’s population grew at its slowest rate since the 1950s.

1. China's success story is often told in demographic terms. The country’s Communist rulers were able to mobilize a huge pool of impoverished workers to fuel an unprecedented transformation that made the world’s most populous nation into a global manufacturing powerhouse.
2. But after years of rapid industrialization and urbanization, China is experiencing a demographic slump on par with countries in the developed world, with declining birthrates, an aging population and a growing gender gap.

• Data: China’s birthrate dropped 15 percent in 2020, a reflection of the intense toll of the pandemic, but also broader trends of rising costs of housing and education in China’s teeming cities. Nearly 20 percent of the Chinese population is now aged 60 or above. By the start of the next decade, close to 124 million more people will have entered the age category of 55 and above, the largest demographic increase among age categories and a sign of a rapidly graying population.
• One child policy: This is largely due to the legacy of Beijing’s heavy-handed “one-child” policy, which was brought into effect four decades ago to tamp down a surging population. For years, authorities implemented the policy unevenly and often brutally, with millions of forced abortions and sterilizations likely carried out. In 2016, in a tacit recognition of the damage done, China relaxed its protocols to allow married couples to have two children. But the country’s birthrate still dropped the next four consecutive years.
• Population panic: The 2021 policy shows panic within the halls of power. As new data exposed the vulnerabilities in China’s growth model, calls among the public — from demographers to central bank officials and entrepreneurs — for scrapping restrictions on family size gained urgency. Yet China’s leaders stopped short of completely dropping the deeply unpopular family-planning regime in place since 1980 — often brutally enforced, through forced abortions, sterilizations and steep fines. Keeping the limits in place was always a way to maintain control. And the Communists love control!
• Control: That control took various forms in the preceding decades. Human rights activists and journalists documented myriad cases of forced sterilizations, as well as an opaque and often cruel system of punishments and fines for those found to be violating the one-child rule. Local officials had wide discretion in determining how much to fine violators. Sums could range from a multiple of two to 10 times annual household income. In 2010, a family-planning official apparently imposed a fine of 5 million yuan, or over $800,000, on a violator.
• Result: China’s policy produced a lot of one-child families — 150 million of them — and perhaps tens of millions of abortions and sterilizations, many of them involuntary. Corrupt and brutal family-planning officials demolished the homes of some who resisted. Women had their menstrual cycles recorded on blackboards, for all to see. As birth quotas bit, gender ratios became more skewed by infanticide and sex-selective abortions of girls. But the new rules will not be able to redress the harm inflicted over multiple generations.

1. If the two-child policy did not mean people had more children, will that happen under a three-child policy?
2. A comprehensive policy package ranging from tax incentives, education and housing subsidies, more generous maternity leave, universal provision of child care” is needed for the three-child policy to be effective.
3. China’s Politburo indicated it will prioritize addressing some of these mounting social needs, though it offered few specifics on its plans.
4. One Weibo user wrote “Whether you change the policy to five children or eight children, housing prices are still the best sterilization tool.”

• Global trend: The world’s population surged in the 20th century, growing from 1.6 billion in 1900 to around 6 billion in 2000. Now the majority of the world’s countries (with the exception of some nations in sub-Saharan Africa) will see a population decline by 2100. The United States, like China, also experienced its slowest population growth in almost a century over the last decade. 23 nations, including Japan and Italy, will have their populations halved by 2100. This has radical implications for the future of global politics. The strain of longer lives and low fertility, leading to fewer workers and more retirees, threatens to upend how societies are organized, around the notion that a surplus of young people will drive economies and help pay for the old.
• Summary: Major demographic changes are afoot, worldwide.

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

World Milk Day 2021

 

1. The story: World is celebrating “World Milk Day” on June 1, 2021 under the theme- “sustainability in the dairy sector with messages on nutrition”.
2. History: The day is celebrated since 2001. It was established by Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations. The day is observed to appreciate dairy farmers and dairy sector. It recognises the importance of milk as global food.
3. Indian dairy sector: India is one among the largest producer of milk in world. Dairy sector supports livelihoods of millions of people in country. In the initial phases of India’s independence (in 1955) India’s butter imports were 500 tons per year. By 1975, India became self-sufficient in milk production and all imports of milk and milk products were stopped. The medal of success of milk production in India goes to Dr Verghese Kurien.
4. Dr Kurien and White Revolution: The White Revolution in India was started by efforts of Dr. Verghese Kurein in 1970s. He is known as “Father of the White Revolution” in India, and is known for his efforts in turning India into largest producer from milk deficient country. He established institutions like Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd and National Dairy Development Board. Both played a significant role in shaping Dairy Cooperative movement.

Goa Institution for Future Transformation (GIFT)

 

 

• The story: The Goa government has established “Goa Institution for Future Transformation (GIFT)” on the line of NITI Ayog.
• Points to note: The GIFT will function on the lines of NITI Aayog, and will assist, advise and guide government on policy making, its formulation and implementation. It will also help in monitoring sustainable development goals and evaluation of several development plans, programmes and schemes. The Directorate of Planning, Statistics and Evaluation issued the notification. It will be backed up under Article 309 of Constitution of India to attain autonomy. GIFT will also serve as knowledge hub Goa, showcasing best practices suited for sustainable development of the State.
• Background: The Union Cabinet had approved proposal of setting up GIFT. Later, Chief Minister of Goa late Manohar Parrikar had discontinued State Planning Board from April 1, 2017 after union government discontinued Planning Commission at national level. Announcement to constitute GIFT was made by Sawant in his budget speech. GIFT was earlier named as “State Institution for Transforming Goa (SIT-Goa)”.
• Nehru's Planning Commission: It was an institution of the Government of India, set up in 1950, and best known for formulation of India’s Five-Year Plans. It was officially dissolved after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to dissolve the commission in his first Independence Day speech in 2014. Ex officio members of the Commission were Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister, Health Minister, Home Minister, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister, Law Minister, Information Technology Minister, Minister of state for Planning and Human Resource Development Minister.

WHO names COVID-19 variants found in India

 

 

• The story: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended several names, to label emerging coronavirus variants of global concern, after four letters of Greek alphabet. It named B.1.617.2 variant, identified first in India, as Delta.
• Highlights: The ‘UK variant’ was named as ‘Alpha’. Existing scientific nomenclature system will continue while new names will only aid public discussion using labels in order to “non stigmatising” with the countries where variants were first identified.
• Variants of concerns: The WHO has identified four VOCs- B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P2 and B.1.617.2. they have been labelled as ‘Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta’ respectively.
• VOIs (Variants of Interest): The variants of interest were less globally widespread and transmissible, and these too were given Greek names. B.1.617 virus, belonging to B.1.617 family was identified in India which has been labelled as ‘Kappa.’
• Indian variant of coronavirus: The virus strain B.1.617.2 is called the Indian Variant in UK. It is spreading more quickly than Kent variant, which was responsible for the surge in cases during winters. There have been about 8,000 cases of B.1.617.2 variant in England and 1,000 in Scotland.  Variant is causing majority of infection in England in areas like Bolton, Blackburn etc. It spreads more easily than Kent variant (B.1.1.7). Transmission rates for B.1.617.2 were roughly two-thirds higher than Kent.

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• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

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