Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 14-06-2021

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 14-06-2021

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Science and Technology - Largest collection of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) catalogue - Researchers from the Pune-based Tata Institute for Fundamental Research (TIFR) and the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) have assembled the largest collection of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) catalogue. The data is from Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME). In 2020, NASA spotted FRB for the first time in the Milky Way. The new catalogue expands the current library of known FRBs, and is already helping in understanding their properties. FRBs are bright bursts of radio waves whose durations lie in the millisecond-scale, because of which it is difficult to detect them and determine their position in the sky. It was first discovered in 2007. Their origins are unknown and their appearance is highly unpredictable.
2. Science and Technology - EnVision of ESA - The "EnVision" is a European Space Agency (ESA) led mission, and its orbiter will visit Venus in the 2030s. Once launched on an Ariane 6 rocket, the spacecraft will reach Venus in 15 months and will take 16 more months to achieve orbit circularisation. The spacecraft will study the planet’s atmosphere and surface, monitor trace gases in the atmosphere and analyse its surface composition. Radar provided by NASA will help to image and map the surface. At the core of the ESA’s mission is the question of how Earth and Venus evolved so differently from each other considering that they are roughly of the same size and composition. EnVision will follow another ESA-led mission ‘Venus Express’ (2005-2014) that focussed on atmospheric research and pointed to volcanic hotspots on the planet’s surface.
3. Social Issues - Resolution 75/260 of UNGA on HIV/AIDS - The Union Health Minister addressed the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on prevention of HIV/AIDS. The Resolution 75/260 of UNGA deals with the "Implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the political declarations on HIV/AIDS." India’s unique HIV prevention model is centered around the concept of ‘Social Contracting' through which the ‘Targeted Interventions Program’ is implemented with support from civil society. The program is aimed at behaviour change, communication, outreach, service delivery, counselling & testing and ensuring linkages to HIV care. The HIV & AIDS Prevention and Control Act, 2017, provides a legal and enabling framework to safeguard the human rights of infected and affected populations. Free Treatment: India is providing free anti-retro-viral treatment to close to 1.4 million people. Anti-retro-viral therapy: It is a combination of daily medications that stop the virus from reproducing. The therapy helps in protecting CD4 cells thus keeping the immune system strong enough to fight off the disease. It, besides reducing the risk of transmission of HIV, also helps in stopping its progression to AIDS (a spectrum of conditions caused by infection due to HIV). The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) launched the first phase of the National AIDS Control Programme in (1992-1999). NACO is a division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, constituted in 1992 to provide leadership to HIV/AIDS control programmes in India through 35 HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Societies. The SDG 3 is "Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages", and the Target 3.3 is "End AIDS as a public health threat by 2030" while SDG 4 is "Quality education, including targets on comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education and life skills".
4. Environment and Ecology - Operation Olivia of ICG - Every year, the Indian Coast Guard’s “Operation Olivia”, initiated in the early 1980s, helps protect Olive Ridley turtles as they congregate along the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting from November to December. Round-the-clock surveillance is conducted from November till May utilising Coast Guard assets such as fast patrol vessels, air cushion vessels, interceptor craft and Dornier aircraft to enforce laws near the rookeries. The Orissa Marine Fisheries Act empowers the Coast Guard as one of its enforcement agencies. The Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) is listed as vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red list. All five species of sea turtles found in India are included in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and in the Appendix I of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora which prohibits trade in turtle products by signatory countries.
5. Environment and Ecology - 24 cr year old fossils - In the mid 20th century, researchers from the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, carried out extensive studies on rocks of the Yerrapalli Formation in what is now Telangana, uncovering  several fossils. By studying some of these specimens stored at the Institute, an international team has now thrown light on a carnivorous reptile that lived 240 million years ago, now named "Bharitalasuchus tapani". In the Telugu language, "Bhari" means huge, "Tala" means head, and "Suchus" is the name of the Egyptian crocodile-headed deity. The species is named after paleontologist Tapan Roy Chowdhury in honour of his extensive work on the Yerrapalli Formation tetrapod fauna. This reptile belonged to a family of extinct reptiles named Erythrosuchidae. Bharitalasuchus tapani were robust animals with big heads and large teeth, and these probably predated other smaller reptiles. They were approximately the size of an adult male lion and might have been the largest predators in their ecosystems.
6. Social Issues - Ending child labour - On the occasion of World Day Against Child Labour, the Union MCD minister appealed to Citizens to report the instances of child labour on PENCIL Portal or by calling on Childline-1098. The World Day Against Child Labour is observed on 12th June every year around the world. The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it. The 2021 World Day Against Child Labour focuses on action taken for the 2021 International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour. It is the first World Day since the universal ratification of the ILO’s Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. Target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals calls for ending child labour in all its forms by 2025. India suffers from a significant incidence of child labour, and the pandemic has worsened the situation significantly.
7. World Politics - Britain versus EU over Northern Ireland - Britain and the EU are again locked in an escalating diplomatic feud over Northern Ireland, the only part of the U.K. that borders the 27-nation bloc. The EU says Britain must fully implement the agreement, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol, that the two sides agreed and ratified. It came into force on 1 January 2021, and is now part of international law. Under it, both sides agreed that even though Northern Ireland was no longer part of the EU, it would continue to follow many of its rules, thus enabling lorries to continue driving across the land border without being inspected. A "hard border" was anathema, as peace had returned after decades. Meanwhile, England, Scotland and Wales are no longer following those rules - leading to a new "regulatory" border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. New checks on goods now need to be carried out when they enter Northern Ireland from England, Scotland or Wales. Inspections take place at Northern Ireland ports, and customs documents have to be filled in.
8. Entertainment and Sports - Central Athlete Injury Management System (CAIMS) - Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports launched the Central Athlete Injury Management System (CAIMS), a first-of-its-kind initiative by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, to streamline the sports medicine and rehabilitation support offered to the athletes for Olympics 2024 and beyond. "CAIMS" aims to provide the best of sports injury management support nearest to the athlete’s geographical location. CAIMS will help to standardize appropriate injury treatment protocol for athletes across the country. It will start with support for athletes who are a part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) development group expected to participate in 2024 and beyond. CAIMS will have the following four structures: Athlete Wellness Cell, On-Field Sports Medicine Experts, National Resource Referral Teams and a Central Core Team.
9. Defence and Military - ISKP - Islamic State in Khorasan Province - The four Indian women lodged in an Afghanistan prison, who accompanied their husbands to join the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), may never be allowed back now. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP) is a branch of the militant Islamist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), active in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Its main activity is in the border region of eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. But its area of operations also includes other parts of South Asia, such as India, where individuals have pledged allegiance to it. Khorasan was a province in north eastern Iran, but historically referred to a much larger area comprising the east and north-east of the Persian Empire. Mainly comprising defectors from Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP), the Wilayat Khorasan of Islamic State in Afghanistan came into existence in 2015. Government maintains that ISKP is run by Pakistan’s Inter State Intelligence (ISI).
10. Indian Politics - Covid updates - (a) India reported 70,421 new COVID-19 cases and 3,921 new deaths, in 24 hours. The daily case count has been on a downward trajectory. (b) The office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to government said that "Project O2 for India" was initiated to ensure supply of critical raw materials such as zeolites, setting up of small oxygen plants, and manufacturing of compressors. (c) A proposal by India and South Africa to temporarily waive patents on COVID-19 vaccines to ensure their equitable access received widespread support at the G7 summit in the UK, and PM Modi also sought the support of the grouping to lift patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines. (d) Bikaner in Rajasthan became the first city to launch a door-to-door Covid vaccination drive, from 14th June, 2021. (e) AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that India's death toll from Covid-19 is "nowhere close to the real extent of damage" and accused the Centre of botching up the actual number of casualties. (f) NUMBERS - INDIA - Total cases: 2,95,10,410; New cases: 70,421; Total deaths: 3,74,305; New deaths: 3,921; Total recovered: 2,81,48,977; Active cases: 9,84,174.

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• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

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

Adani shocker - NSDL freezes accounts of FPIs owning stake in Adani Group

• The story: The National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) froze accounts of three foreign funds which together own over Rs.43,500 crore worth of shares in four Adani Group companies. Adani is one of the fastest growing groups in India, which in recent years has risen meteorically against all odds.
• Details: Shares of six listed Adani Group companies - Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Adani Power, Adani Transmission, Adani Green Energy and Adani Total Gas - came under pressure on 14th June, as they fell up to 20 per cent in intra-day trade. This was due to the NSDL report.

• The FPIs involved: The accounts of Albula Investment Fund, Cresta Fund and APMS Investment Fund, that together own over Rs 43,500 crore worth of shares in four Adani Group companies, were frozen on or before May 31, as per the depository’s website.

1. "The freeze on the three accounts could be because of insufficient disclosure of information regarding beneficial ownership under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)," the report mentioned. It stated that custodians usually warn clients of such action but if the fund does not respond, or fails to comply, then the accounts can be frozen.
2. Among individual stocks, Adani Enterprises tumbled 20 per cent at Rs 1,281 apiece, followed by Adani Ports (down 18 per cent at Rs 681). Adani Transmission (Rs 1,517), Adani Power (Rs 140.90), Adani Green Energy (Rs 1,165.35) and Adani Total Gas (Rs 1,544.45) were locked in their respective 5 per cent lower circuit bands on the BSE with only sellers being seen on these counters.
3. Most of these stocks had recently touched their respective record high levels after they outperformed the market in the past one year by surging multi-fold.

• Recent past: Concerns existed on shares of Adani Group stocks after a report by Bloomberg had shown signs of concentrated holdings in group share companies by select foreign portfolio investors (FPIs). Matters got worse when National Securities Depositories Limited (NSDL) froze the account of three of these FPIs. These so-called FIIs are holding most of their investment in Adani group stocks only, whereas a normal FII would have bought other stocks also. As their Demat accounts were frozen, something could be wrong. It may soon be a big issue not just for the Adani Group stocks but also for the markets overall.
• Meteoric rise: Shares of Adani Group companies have risen meteorically since 2020. Adani Total Gas has zoomed over 1,100 per cent while flagship firm Adani Enterprises offered 950 per cent returns to investors. Others have added between 140-680 per cent. In comparison, the BSE Sensex has risen only 55 per cent. The sharp rally in share prices has also catapulted Gautam Adani to the spot of the second richest man in Asia, next to Mukesh Ambani. The conglomerate also got a boost after MSCI included three more Adani firms to its India benchmark index in May 2021, taking the group’s total companies to five in the index. This leads to compulsory buying by investors who track that index.

Micro loan 'revolution' in India

• The story: Various NBFCs (Non-banking financial companies) gained attention for providing easy and hassle-free micro loans online, with the aid of technology. Microfinance refers to the provision of basic financial services for low-income but economically active people. These companies offer loans that are easy to procure and require minimum documentation, and micro financing is a tool in uplifting the weaker sections of the society.

• The start: The concept of micro-finance came into existence way back in the 1970s, when Muhammad Yunus, a professor of economics, began to hand out small loans in his home country Bangladesh. Then he founded the Grameen Bank in 1983 which today is active in over 70,000 villages in Bangladesh. Taking inspiration from the micro-financing reforms in Bangladesh, NABARD was developed in India. [NABARD - National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development]

1. Micro-financing was also developed for rural and women development through SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association) in Gujarat, back in 1974.
2. What began as a micro-credit system, slowly altered into a ‘financial system’ mechanism, soon enabling everyone from rural to urban population to gain access to the micro-loans system in India. It was not just limited to banking entities and NGOs but further expanded to non-banking financial entities.

• The situation now: Given the pandemic situation, there are uncertainties to economic growth in India. That forces banks to become more conservative in creating fresh credit, but non-banking financial companies continue to provide easy and hassle-free micro loans through an automated process.

1. Companies claim that it is done with the help of the application of Machine Learning in the loan procurement and disbursal process. The companies can easily access and analyse the borrower’s vast digital footprint, to evaluate the loan repayment capacity of an individual.
2. The technological term for this form of data is 'alternative data.' It is faster to process, unlike the traditional credit score.
3. High internet penetration and smartphone availability have also made people aware about the easy process of micro loan procurement. In terms of customer support, ‘bots’ have been specifically designed to answer all the queries of the borrowers with a single click.
4. With this rapid development and digitisation, there has been a prominent growth in micro loans acquired by the common people. Micro loan helps the unorganised sectors/businesses grow with easy access to credit.
5. Besides helping in individuals' growth, micro-finance contribute to the escalation in the growth metrics of the economy as a whole.

• NRLM-DAY for Indian rural women: A silent revolution which has been sweeping rural India in the last six years has been the bank linkage of lakhs of self-help groups (SHG) of women who are being supported with micro loans for their livelihood projects at moderate rates of interest, mainly by public sector banks (PSBs). The National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY) aims to uplift the last in the line category of marginalised women who do not normally have access to formal means of credit. The Modi Government’s account-opening campaign, the Jan Dhan Yojana, provided the initial impetus for the NRLM.

1. At least 20.05 crore women who hold basic banking accounts under the PMJDY, got the benefit of a Rs.500 transfer under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana as part of the stimulus measures of the Atmanirbhar package.
2. Under the NRLM, about 34 lakh SHGs have been credit-linked; members of these SHGs have been given small loans for activities like homestead food processing, dairying, tailoring, micro-trade and floriculture on small plots. Each SHG has a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 20 members.
3. Thus the total beneficiaries, all of them women, number at least 3.5 crore, which translates to loan for 3.5 crore households.
4. As per NRLM figures, 60 lakh SHGs are bank-linked as on date (they have bank accounts) and, therefore, at least an opportunity for credit-support to another about 25 lakh SHGs without much ado.
5. SHG is an informal group and registration under any Societies Act, State Cooperative Act or a partnership firm is not mandatory as per RBI instructions.
6. These livelihood loans have much lower default than corporate loans. There is no siphoning off of funds, there are no fancy projections being presented to get bank loans and there is no fudging of figures!

• Summary: Microfinance revolution reaches out to the bottom of the pyramid, and is now a proven model.

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

Are invasive species always bad - perhaps not

• The story: In America's Hawaii islands, imported birds have taken on some of the roles once performed by those that have gone extinct. When animals go extinct, their functions in an ecosystem can be lost, leading to the extinction of other species that depend on those functions. Can non-native species, which are often regarded as invasive pests by conservationists, fill the roles left vacant by extinctions?

• A model experiment: The Hawaiian Islands are regarded as a model system for studying both the extinction and invasion of species. The island chain has been subject to major ecological changes since the arrival of humans, with much of species loss driven by overhunting, deforestation and introduction of nonnative predators, competitors and disease.

1. Most native forest plants here depend on birds for seed dispersal, a critical process in plant reproduction, and many require birds for pollination too. Yet at least 67 percent of the island’s native bird species — once a diverse assemblage including colorful honeycreepers, crows and flightless waterfowl — went extinct. So how do forests function without these birds?
2. It turns out that as native species have disappeared people have introduced many nonnative birds for various reasons, including recreational hunting and management of agricultural pests. Many of these became established, including songbirds and game birds that feed on nectar and/or fruits.
3. So, there is potential that these introduced birds are substituting for the roles of extinct birds by maintaining seed dispersal and pollination for native plants.

• The danger: Owing to evidence that nonnative species can wreak havoc on native ecosystems, in Hawaii and across the globe, it’s not surprising that conservationists often follow an inflexible dichotomy: "native equals good and nonnative equals bad". But in extinction-burdened systems like Oʻahu, the removal of all nonnative birds would strip forests of nearly all birds and so hinder seed dispersal for many native plants. So, scientists ought to consider how each invader impacts the ecosystem separately before jumping to conclusions based on origin alone.

• Details: Many extinct Hawaiian birds are known only from subfossil remains, including skulls and bones excavated from sand dunes and lava tubes. After measuring these skulls, predictive models are used to estimate the animals’ mouth size, and with additional measurements from study-skin specimens, it can be seen how how mouth size and other traits have shifted with bird extinctions and introductions.

1. Scientists found that just four native fruit-eating birds remain across the archipelago, and compared to historic, mostly extinct fruit-eating birds, the modern, mostly introduced ones have much smaller mouths — about 40 percent smaller overall — meaning the current birds cannot consume and disperse seeds as large as those historic birds once could.
2. From reviewing studies on seed dispersal across the islands, scientists found that larger-seeded plants are not being dispersed by modern birds and may be at an increased risk of extinction.

• Rewilding: So should man introduce birds with larger mouths? There aren’t enough previous studies on “rewilding”, the deliberate introduction of nonnative species to serve as functional surrogates for extinct species. There is a serious risk of unintended ecological impacts associated with any species introduction.
• Eradicate nonnatives: To support conservation benefits from nonnative birds that are currently established, the nonnative plants need to be eradicated, especially those that produce a high number of fruits. Without management of nonnative plants, a rewilding approach could backfire.
• Summary: In a world with increasing rates of extinction and invasion, the reshuffling of species communities will continue to pose challenges for conservation goals. In certain ecosystems, such as Hawaiian forests, a classic paradigm that villainizes all nonnative species may paradoxically hinder the conservation of native biodiversity. An approach which considers the functional traits and ecological roles of different invaders, under a variety of different circumstances, will be needed to protect important ecosystem processes like seed dispersal, now and into the future.

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

Foreign Affairs update

• France-Algeria tensions: Algeria cancelled the media accreditation of French state-owned broadcaster France 24 because of “clear and repeated hostility towards our country and its institutions”. The move came one day after Algeria held legislative elections with a turnout of roughly 30 percent. France 24 had previously been warned by Algerian authorities over its coverage of the long-running anti-government protests of the Hirak movement.
• Brexit issues: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would “not hesitate” to suspend the Northern Ireland protocol after European leaders and President Biden lobbied Johnson on the issue at the G-7 summit. Mr. Johnson accused the European Union of creating “all kinds of impediments” to implementation rather than APPLYING the protocol “sensibly.” PM Johnson was “infuriated” by a suggestion by French President Emmanuel Macron that Northern Ireland and Great Britain were not part of the same country, in a conversation about trade barriers. Macron clarified that he was referring to “geographical territory,” after Johnson suggested Macron would see things his way if trade barriers were erected between Paris and Toulouse.
• Your Netflix produces global warming: A one-hour Netflix streaming session produces 55 grams of carbon dioxide, roughly the same amount level of emissions as boiling a kettle, a new study from the U.K.-based Carbon Trust found. The study comes as technologies like cryptocurrencies come under scrutiny for carbon-intensive practices. Although thorough in other ways, the study does not appear to have measured the carbon emitted while struggling to decide what to watch.
• The NATO Summit 2021: Leaders from the 30 NATO member states gathered in Brussels as the alliance held its first summit of the Biden presidency. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg described the summit as a “pivotal moment” for the organization as it plans a shift in focus toward China and climate change. The leaders are also expected to new cyber defense policy to ensure NATO is “resilient against the increasingly frequent and severe threats … including disruptive ransomware attacks against critical infrastructure”.
• Israel gets a new government: Israel’s new government was sworn in, officially ending Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12 consecutive years as prime minister. As part of a rotation agreement, Yair Lapid takes on the position of foreign minister, while Naftali Bennett assumes the role of prime minister. In his first speech, Bennett said the country “will maintain full freedom to act” to deny Iran nuclear weapons, regardless of whether the 2015 nuclear agreement is revived. He also threatened Hamas with a “wall of iron” if the group mounted attacks against Israelis. President Biden spoke for two hours with Bennett almost immediately after his swearing in!

China and Biden’s Europe trip

• President Biden's first Europe trip: Joe Biden wanted the tour through Europe to be an exercise in contrast with his right-wing predecessor, Donald Trump. Far from Trump’s abrasive and divisive performances at summits with U.S. allies, Biden played the convivial game at the Group of Seven nations meeing, and strives to do the same at a NATO summit.
• America is back: Allies say that the US is back at the table, as the lack of participation in the past and in full engagement was noticed significantly not only by the leaders of those countries, but by the people in the G-7 countries. Looming over the deliberations is the challenge represented by the expanding reach and influence of China. On that Biden is doing more of what Trump did.
• G7 communique: Biden emerged from the G-7 with a joint communique that called, in his words, for “plenty of action on China.” It included collective condemnation of China’s labor practices and human rights abuses, demands for further investigations into the Chinese origins of the coronavirus and plans for a global investment and infrastructure project to rival China’s Belt and Road (BRI) Initiative. China will also shadow proceedings at the NATO summit in Brussels, where Biden landed Sunday evening. The transatlantic alliance’s leaders are expected to release a declaration that for only the second time explicitly makes reference to the perceived Chinese threat — the first came at Trump’s prodding in 2019.
• China is an autocracy: Italian prime minister Mario Draghi said that China was an autocracy that did not adhere to multilateral rules and does not share the same vision of the world that the democracies have. He referred to what the U.S. president said, that silence is complicity. In private, clear differences remain. G-7 nations with a significant stake in the Chinese market, including Japan and Germany, are more wary of taking an overtly hawkish and confrontational line, even as public attitudes harden toward Beijing. Those differences extend to NATO, where some members don’t share the alarm of the alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who warned that China was “coming to us” — gesturing to Beijing’s advanced capabilities in cyber space, as well as its growing strategic footprint in both Africa and the Arctic.
• China's European interests: A Chinese state shipping company owns a controlling stake in Greece’s largest port. Hungary’s right-wing government has conspicuously close ties to Beijing and recently blocked a European Union statement condemning China’s crackdown in Hong Kong. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that his country’s central bank had secured a deal with China to increase an existing currency swap facility to $6 billion from $2.4 billion, which could boost Turkey’s depleted foreign reserves.
• US and China: President Biden has repeatedly cast competition with China’s rulers and their ilk as the defining battle of the coming years. He plainly said that "we’re in a contest... not with China per se, but with autocrats, autocratic governments around the world, whether or not democracies can compete with them in the rapidly changing 21st century." Beijing has long bristled at the pretensions of Western institutions like the G-7 and NATO. Chinese official Yang Jiechi told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the international order is based on the United Nations “and not on the false multilateralism of the interests of a ‘small circle’ or ‘clique politics.’
• Summary: A real clash could be inevitable if the Chinese leaders conclude that Washington will never allow Beijing to play a leading role on the world stage. That would be the kind of all-out confrontation that the United States must strive to avoid as it resumes international leadership.

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

India made four "food records" as pandemic raged

• The story: In 2020 and '21, the figures government records show for PDS offtake, procurement, warehouse stocks, and foodgrain exports indicate a new record. Huge farm produce and government initiatives enabled these. During the Covid-19 pandemic, “food” (rice and wheat) was channelled through the public distribution system (PDS) for the social safety net programme.

• PDS Offtake: Until 2019-20, offtake of grain from the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) godowns averaged hardly 62 million tonnes (mt) per year. Mostly it comprised PDS rations under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) of 2013. This 2013 law (UPA regime) entitles 81.35 crore Indians to receive at least 5 kg of wheat or rice per month at Rs 2 and Rs 3 per kg, respectively. The annual foodgrain allocation under NFSA – which includes a higher 35-kg monthly ration for 2.37 crore “poorest of the poor” households under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana – works out to nearly 55 mt.

1. In 2020, during the lockdown, the NDA government launched a new Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). The NFSA beneficiaries were now provided an extra 5 kg grain per month free for April-November 2020, making it an additional allocation of over 32 MT. Offtake of rice and wheat from the central pool crossed an all-time-high of 93 MT in 2020-21, roughly 50% higher.
2. Much of this was due to PMGKAY, which, along with the Atmanirbhar Bharat Package (for returning migrant labourers) and other lockdown-related schemes, saw a total lifting of about 31.5 mt. PMGKAY has been re-launched in 2021 too, due to the second wave. To begin with, the government allocated the 5-kg extra free grain per month to NFSA beneficiaries only for May and June 2021. But on June 7, it announced its extension up to Diwali, i.e. November.

• Foodgrain procurement: Government has procured 42.3 mt of wheat and 55.4 mt of rice from the 2020-21 crops, till June 2021. This broke the record 39 mt and 51.8 mt that got procured in 2019-20. The government has, in the post-pandemic period, both distributed as well as procured more grains than ever before. The increased procurement is a fallout of the farmers' movement against the new farm reform laws. The minimum support price (MSP) value of the paddy and wheat bought by government agencies since October 2020 (new farm laws passed in Sept.) came to Rs 2,38,250 crore. Some 38.5% of that amount has gone to Punjab and Haryana, whose farmers led the protests. The government is convincing the farmers that its reform laws aren’t aimed at ending the MSP-based procurement regime. Record procurement is the strongest defence against allegations of being anti-farmer.
• Foodgrain stocks in warehouses: Even after the unprecedented 93 mt-plus offtake, thanks to PMGKAY, stocks of rice and wheat in the Central pool were at an all-time-high of 109.44 mt as on June 1, surpassing 2019-20's 97.27 mt at this point. Stock levels rose since 2017, reversing the declining trend of the preceding four years. If stock accumulation has largely to do with the political economy compulsions of MSP-based procurement, Covid-time distress has provided an opportunity for cutting down FCI’s grain mountain. FCI’s “economic cost” of procuring, handling, transporting, storing and distributing grains was Rs 39.99 per kg for rice and Rs 27.40/kg for wheat in 2020-21. The subsidy on the 31.5 mt of grains (20.8 mt rice and 0.7 mt wheat) distributed free under PMGKAY and other special relief programmes would be Rs 1,12,500 crore. The actual cost, though, would have been lower, because FCI also incurs interest and storage expenses in holding excess stocks in its godowns. This “carrying cost of buffer”, pegged at Rs 5.40/kg in 2020-21, is saved even when grain is given out free. The corresponding annual savings on 31.5 mt would be Rs 17,000 crore. Similar savings will accrue on the 28 mt additional grain allocations under PMGKAY for 2021-22.
• Foodgrain exports: Year 2020-21 saw a record 19.8 mt of rice and wheat being exported from India. This quantity shipped out was grain procured from the open market. As per Department of Food and Public Distribution, only 75,000 tonnes wheat and 4,000 tonnes rice got exported from the central pool in 2020-21, on “humanitarian grounds”. The exports surge was aided by the hardening of international prices, as seen in the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Cereal Price Index hitting a 95-month-high in May 2021. The competitiveness of Indian rice and wheat is enabled by recycled/ leaked grain from the PDS. Given the massive quantities offered free/near-free under PMGKAY/NFSA, a lot of this grain has got diverted to the open market or even for exports.
• Summary: India's massive agricultural production year on year is making new records possible, even as the virus rages on.

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

A strong party has its own internal squabbles

• The story: For the first time since Mr. Narendra Modi swept to power as India's prime minister in 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party is seeing disorganisation and chaos. It is usually disciplined in terms of party structure.
• West Bengal: The strong example seen was in West Bengal, where after three years of rapid growth between 2018 and 2021, the Party faced a setback in the Assembly elections 2021 despite great efforts. But it could not unseat the incumbent CM Ms. Mamata Banerjee. Then the BJP's national vice president Mukul Roy went back to Trinamool Congress, although Roy had defected to the BJP in 2017. In parallel, many other BJP leaders, poached from the Trinamool, have released public statements denouncing the BJP and requesting Banerjee to take them back.
• Uttar Pradesh: In Uttar Pradesh, where BJP is the dominant ruling party, CM Yogi Adityanath is facing dissent from inside the party with even BJP MLAs attacking his policies and mismanaging the Covid-19 outbreak. This has created concern in the party high command in Delhi.
• Karnataka: A similar situation is seen in Karnataka where the CM is attacked by party MLAs. Senior MLA Basanagouda Yatnal has delivered public allegations around CM Yediyurappa’s alleged corruption along with claims of an imminent rebellion in BJP ranks. In April 2021, rural development minister KS Eshwarappa wrote to the governor alleging that the CM was interfering in the work of his ministry – possibly the first time such an event has happened in India’s history!
• Kerala: In Kerala, the situation is quite embarrassing as it faces allegations of transporting illegal election funds and even whispers that those funds were stolen by its party members as part of an inside job. The BJP high command is backing the state president, but local members want him removed.
• Causes for dissent: There are two reasons - (i) electoral setbacks and (ii) the unfortunate Covid-19 pandemic. While the BJP won 2019 Lok Sabha handsomely, its record in state elections wasn't as shining/ In Haryana, it managed to retain power by entering into a post-poll alliance with Jannayak Janata Party (JJP). In Bihar, its win was by a slim margin. It lost power in Maharashtra and Jharkhand while also seeing high-voltage defeats in Delhi and Bengal. The BJP lost sheen during the 2021 pandemic as the Union government was criticised for mismanagement.
• Reaction: The BJP is stregthening the high command, and unleashing enquiries on those that trouble it. Both tactics may worsen the core issue: the lack of leadership in the states.
• Summary: The present-day BJP may wish to remember what happened to the Indira Congress. It rode the wave of Indira Gandhi’s popularity even as she cut her party’s own roots in the states to build up a powerful high command. This weakened the party greatly.

Autonomous District Council demanded by Nagas

• The story: The Rengma Naga Peoples’ Council (RNPC) or Rengma Nagas have demanded an Autonomous District Council (ADC) in Assam. The Central and the State governments recently upgraded the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) to territorial councils like the Bodoland Territorial Council. The 'status of territorial council' will provide more autonomy and financial grant to them. It is alleged that the creation of these tribal councils deprived the Rengma Nagas, the “legitimate owners”, of the land. Both the KAAC and the NCHAC share boundaries with Nagaland.
• Points to note: The Rengma Naga tribe is found in in Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The first official recording of the Rengma Nagas staying in Assam’s Karbi Hills (then known as Mikir Hills) was made in 1855 by Major John Butler, a British officer posted in the Northeastern region. Butler recorded that the Rengmas in Karbi Anglong had migrated there from the Naga Hills in the early part of the 18th century, abandoned many of their tribal customs and married within the local communities. The harvest festival of the Rengmas is called Ngada.
• Autonomous District Council (ADC): The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution deals with the administration of the tribal areas in the four northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. The special provision is provided under Article 244 (2) and Article 275 of the Constitution. The tribals have been given freedom to exercise legislative and executive powers through an autonomous regional council and ADCs.
• Composition of Autonomous Councils: Each autonomous district and regional council consists of not more than 30 members, of which four are nominated by the governor and the rest via elections. All of them remain in power for a term of five years. But the Bodoland Territorial Council is an exception as it can constitute up to 46 members. Despite various degrees of autonomy, the 6th Schedule area does not fall outside the executive authority of the state concerned. The governor is empowered to organise and re-organise the autonomous districts.
• Applicability of Central and State Laws: The Acts passed by Parliament and state legislatures may or may not be levied in these regions unless the President and the governor gives her or his approval, with or without modifications in the laws for the autonomous regions. Civil and Criminal Judicial Powers: The Councils have also been endowed with wide civil and criminal judicial powers, for example establishing village courts etc. But the jurisdiction of these councils is subject to the jurisdiction of the concerned High Court.

• Existing Autonomous Councils: The sixth schedule to the Constitution includes 10 autonomous district councils in 4 states. These are:

1. Assam: Bodoland Territorial Council, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and North Cachar Hills/Dima Hasao Autonomous Council.
2. Meghalaya: Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council and Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council.
3. Tripura: Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.
4. Mizoram: Chakma Autonomous District Council, Lai Autonomous District Council, Mara Autonomous District Council.

• Arguments of Rengma Naga Peoples’ Council (RNPC): Rengmas were the first tribal people in Assam to have encountered the British in 1839. But the existing Rengma Hills was eliminated from the political map of the State and replaced with that of Mikir Hills (now Karbi Anglong) in 1951. The Rengmas gave shelter to the Ahom refugees during the Burmese invasions of Assam in 1816 and 1819. The Ahom are an ethnic group from the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The Rengma Hills and Mikir Hills were two separate entities until 1951. The Rengma Hills was partitioned in 1963 between Assam and Nagaland. Karbis have no history in the Rengma Hills. At the time of creation of Nagaland State, the Karbis were known as Mikirs till 1976. They were the indigeneous tribal people of Mikir Hills. The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) population is around 12 lakh and the Karbis constitute only 3 lakh, the remaining are non-Karbis, including the Rengma Nagas, whose population is around 22,000.
• NSCN (I-M) Stand: It had signed a Naga Peace Accord with the Government of India in August 2015, but the final accord is yet to be finalised. It sought the creation of a unified Naga homeland, called ‘Greater Nagalim’ by integrating the Naga-inhabited areas of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal with Nagaland.

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

India and semiconductor manufacturing

• What are these: Semiconductors are the foundation of modern civilisation, and are found in almost every important gadget. They are a key part of India’s manufacturing ambitions, for the next five years. The government wants the best semiconductor firms to come to India.
• Tasty chips: Semiconductor chips are integral to all electronic products, and making them in India will massively improve the net value addition to the overall electronics manufacturing process (which otherwise may remain at the lower end of the value chain). This year’s production linked incentive (PLI) schemes will help drive scale of manufacturing, but the industry still imports many components. India aims to increase value addition to 35-40% by 2025.
• Strategic reason: Semiconductor manufacturing also has strategic advantages, as countries don’t want to depend on their imports for essential infrastructure like defence and power. Today, just one firm - the TSMC of Taiwan - rules the game, and China is hungrily eyeing that domination.
• What India will make: India won’t be going after high-tech semiconductors used in smartphones, but will target the assembly, test, marking and packaging (ATMP) businesses and companies that make chips for automobiles, medical devices, etc. The government has invited expressions of interest for semiconductor fabs of 28 nm or lower node size in 2020. The node size is a manufacturing process that is influential in the performance and efficiency of semiconductors. The government is even reportedly offering $1 billion to each semiconductor company that sets up business in India.
• Problems: Firms need to put in more investments in chip plants than they have in mobile phone manufacturing. So these firms may need more than a simple cash incentive. For instance, India’s offer of zero customs duty on components and machinery in the past, didn’t impress. There are gaps in infrastructure, particularly with respect to uninterrupted availability of power and clean water, and a big skill-gap in terms of workers, all of which could take a decade or more to fix.
• Summary: Chip fabrication plants could have an overall impact on the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), as they will reduce the import bill and can add billions to its GDP. Taiwan’s domestic statistics office said in Feb 2021 that the country outgrew China in 2020 for the first time in 30 years. Taiwan is one of the largest chip makers in the world, and gained from the growing need for micro-processors, memory chips, etc. But firms like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. didn’t get to where they are today in five years.

Science and Technology updates

• Covid-19 virus inside human bodies: Like other respiratory illnesses, the COVID-19 too can cause permanent lung damage. The virus’ envelope proteins hijack human lung cells. Researchers found that “cryo-electron microscopy is particularly useful for studying membrane proteins and dynamic protein complexes. With this technique, a 3-D map could be created to see how the individual protein components fit together.”  The SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein (E), found on the virus’s outer membrane helps hijack human proteins. It binds to human cell-junction proteins which help keep the junctions between lung cells tightly sealed. When these junctions are harmed, immune cells are activated, making matters worse. The inflammation weakens the cell-cell connections, making it easier for the virus to escape. Then it travels through the bloodstream and infects other organs. By obtaining atomic-level details of the protein interactions, doctors can explain why the damage occurs, and search for inhibitors that can specifically block these interactions.
• The wandering elephants of China: Global media have noted a Chinese elephant herd's more than yearlong, 500-kilometre trek from its home in a wildlife reserve in mountainous southwest Yunnan province, to the outskirts of the provincial capital of Kunming. The elephants have been trending for days on China's Weibo microblogging service with photos of the group sleeping attracting huge views! The 15-member herd was caught at night trotting down urban streets by security cameras, filmed constantly from the air by more than a dozen drones and followed by those seeking to minimise damage and keep both pachyderms and people out of harm’s way. They've raided farms for food and water and visited a car dealership. What exactly motivated them to make the epic journey remains a mystery, although they appear to be especially attracted to corn, tropical fruit and other crops that are tasty, plentiful and easy to obtain in the lush tropical region that is home to about 300 of the animals. Asian elephants are loyal to their home ranges unless there have been disturbances, loss of resources or development, in which case they may move out. Kunming is to host the upcoming Convention on Biological Diversity’s Convention of Parties to discuss topics such as human-wildlife conflict. Elephants are given the top level of protection in China, allowing their numbers to steadily increase even as their natural habitat shrinks, and requiring farmers and others to exercise maximum restraint when encountering them. Asian elephants, the continent's largest land animal, are declining overall, with less than 50,000 left in the wild. Habitat loss and resulting human-wildlife conflict are their biggest threats, along with poaching and population isolation.
• America's Brood X surfaces after 17 years: Every 17 years, parts of the central, eastern, and southern U.S. see a massive emergence of "periodical" cicadas. Cicadas are insects belonging to the family Cicadidae in the order Hemiptera. America is the only place in the world that has periodic cicadas that stay underground for years. There are at least 15 separate cycles, or "broods," of periodic cicadas in the U.S. Some emerge every 17 years, while others come out every 13 years. This time in 2021, the cicadas are emerging across 16 states in America, including New York, Kentucky, Virginia and the District of Columbia. There can be as many as 1.5 million cicadas per acre, which brings the brood population into the trillions. One even managed to land on the shirt of President Joe Biden!

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

Resolution 75/260 of UNGA: HIV/AIDS

• The story: India's Union Health Minister addressed the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on prevention of HIV/AIDS. The Resolution 75/260 of UNGA deals with the Implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the political declarations on HIV/AIDS.

• Points to note:

1. HIV/AIDS Prevention Model - India’s unique HIV prevention model is centered around the concept of ‘Social Contracting' through which the ‘Targeted Interventions Program’ is implemented with support from civil society. The programme is aimed at behaviour change, communication, outreach, service delivery, counselling & testing and ensuring linkages to HIV care.
2. Legal framework - The HIV & AIDS Prevention and Control Act, 2017, provides a legal and enabling framework to safeguard the human rights of infected and affected populations.
3. Free treatment -India is providing free anti-retro-viral treatment to close to 1.4 million people.
4. Anti-retro-viral therapy - It is a combination of daily medications that stop the virus from reproducing. It helps in protecting CD4 cells thus keeping the immune system strong enough to fight off the disease. It, besides reducing the risk of transmission of HIV, also helps in stopping its progression to AIDS (a spectrum of conditions caused by infection due to HIV).
5. National AIDS Control Program (NACO) - The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) launched the first phase of the National AIDS Control Programme in (1992-1999). NACO is a division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and was constituted in 1992 to provide leadership to HIV/AIDS control programmes in India through 35 HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Societies. India is gradually transitioning the people living with HIV to Dolutegravir (a safer and efficacious anti-retro-viral medication regimen).
6. Target of Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV - For this, viral load testing facilities have been scaled up, and HIV counselling, testing and community-based screening for early diagnosis have been ramped up.

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and HIV/AIDS: There are a number of SDGs related to the HIV response:

1. SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.
2. Target 3.3: End AIDS as a public health threat by 2030
3. SDG 4: Quality education, including targets on comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education and life skills.
4. SDG 5: Gender equality, including targets on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and the elimination of violence, harmful gender norms and practices.
5. SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, including targets on protection against discrimination, and the empowerment of people to claim their rights and enhance access to HIV services.
6. SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, including reduced violence against key populations and people living with HIV.

• Other Initiatives:

1. Project Sunrise: The initiative was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2016, to tackle the rising HIV prevalence in north-eastern states in India, especially among people injecting drugs.
2. The Red Ribbon: The red ribbon is the universal symbol of awareness and support for people living with HIV. Wearing a ribbon is a great way to raise awareness on and during the run up to World AIDS Day.
3. 90-90-90: 90% of those who are HIV positive in the country know their status, 90% of those who know their status are on treatment and 90% of those who are on treatment experience effective viral load suppression.
4. Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM): The Global Fund is a 21st-century partnership organization designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics.

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus: The HIV attacks CD4, a type of White Blood Cell (T cells) in the body’s immune system. T cells are those cells that move around the body detecting anomalies and infections in cells. After entering the body, HIV multiplies itself and destroys CD4 cells, thus severely damaging the human immune system. Once this virus enters the body, it can never be removed. The CD4 count of a person infected with HIV reduces significantly. In a healthy body, CD4 count is between 500- 1600, but in an infected body, it can go as low as 200. Weak immune system makes a person prone to opportunistic infections and cancer. It becomes difficult for a person infected with this virus to recover from even a minor injury or sickness. By receiving treatment, severe forms of HIV can be prevented.

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

‘Namaste Yoga’ Mobile App launched

• The story: During the curtain raiser event for 7th International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 11, 2021, a mobile application called “Namaste Yoga” was launched. This app in devoted to Yoga.
• Points to note: The event by Ministry of Ayush in association with Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) saw Ayush Minister Kiren Rijiju highlight the 10-day series on Doordarshan on IDY 2021 and central message of this series as “Be with Yoga Be at Home”. The Namaste Yoga app is designed as an information platform for public. It was launched with the aim of raising awareness about yoga and make it accessible for larger community.
• International Day of Yoga (IDY): It is observed on 21st June every year. In the year 2021, IDY will be celebrated under theme- “Yoga at home and Yoga with Family”. In 2020, theme for the day was ‘Yoga for Health – Yoga at Home’.
• Story: India had proposed for idea of IDY during the opening of 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2014. UN passed resolution in December 2014 and proclaimed 21st June as IDY. First Yoga Day was celebrated in 2015 at Rajpath, New Delhi. It created Guinness World Records for being world’s largest yoga session with 35,985 people. It was participated by 84 nationalities.

India is fourth largest Forex Reserves holder

• The story: India’s forex reserves crossed $600 mark for the first time and as on June 4, 2021, stood at $605 billion. With this, India equals Russia as the fourth largest reserve holder worldwide.
• Key points: India’s forex reserve was $605.008 billion while for Russia it was $605.2 billion. It took a year for reserves to rise by $100 billion. The huge forex reserves have improved India’s import cover substantially. By December 2020, foreign exchange reserves cover of imports increased to 18.6 months.
• Foreign exchange reserves: These are assets on reserves which are held by central bank in foreign currencies. It includes bonds, treasury bills and other government securities. Most of the foreign exchange reserves are held in U.S. dollars. These reserves serve several purposes and ensure that central bank has backup funds in case national currency rapidly becomes insolvent or devaluate. India’s Forex Reserves include- Gold, Foreign Currency Assets, Special Drawing Rights and Reserve position with International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• FCA (Foreign Currency Assets): Assets which are valued on the basis of currency other than own currency of any country are called as foreign currency assets. It is the largest component of forex reserve and is expressed in dollar terms.
• SDR (Special Drawing Rights): These international reserve assets are created by International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1969.  These are neither a currency nor a claim on IMF, but a potential claim on freely usable currencies of members of IMF.

Naftali Bennett: New Prime Minister of Israel

• The story: 49-year-old entrepreneur-politician Naftali Bennett has become the new Prime Minister of Israel. He is a religious-nationalist and a multi-millionaire former tech entrepreneur who has also served as defence minister. With this win, he ended 12 unbroken years of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the helm.
• The man: He is a son of American-born parents, and a religious Jew who began life with his parents in Haifa. He kept moving between North America and Israel for military service, law school and private sector. As an ultra-nationalist and and a hard-right leader, he served in elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit after which he went to law school at Hebrew University. He co-founded an anti-fraud software company called Cyota in 1999.  Cyota was sold to U.S.-based RSA Security in 2005.
• What drove Bennett: He had a bitter experience of Israel’s 2006 war against Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. This incident drove him to politics.
• Relations with India: India and Israel share a strong bilateral tie since 1950 with Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru reiterating his position to recognise Israel as a state. Presently, India is the largest buyer of Israeli military equipment while Israel is second-largest defence supplier to India after Russia. India is the third-largest Asian trade partner and tenth-largest trade partner overall of Israel. India’s relationship with Israel has grew during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration even though India abstaining from voting against Israel in United Nations on several resolutions. It is expected to grow with same pace in new regime as well.

‘Yuva Shakti Corona Mukti Abhiyan’ in MP

• The story: Madhya Pradesh government will launch a ‘Yuva Shakti Corona Mukti Abhiyan’ to raise awareness among people on covid-19 pandemic.
• Yuva Shakti Corona Mukti Abhiyan: It means “free from corona with the help of youth power campaign”. Under the campaign, college teachers and about16 lakh students will be made aware of covid-19 infection by teaching them Covid appropriate behaviour and vaccination. The campaign will be run by Higher Education and Technical Education Department in association with Public Health and Family Welfare Department. For effective real time monitoring of campaign, mobile app has also been developed.
• Covid-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh: MP is at the 26th position in India in terms of corona infections. The state is witnessing less than 500 cases in 24 hours for some days now. Not a single case has been reported in twenty districts. Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur witnessed cases in double digits. It is carrying about 80 thousand tests daily while the recovery rate has reached 98.3 percent.

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9.1 Today's best editorials to read

• We offer you 7 excellent editorials from across 10 newspapers we have scanned. 

CLICK HERE TO OPEN AND READ!

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• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

Solve the online quiz given, right now. Check scores, and relative performance!

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