Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 10-07-2021

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 10-07-2021

a

• [message]
• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Governance and Institutions - India's CCI and Japan's JFTC - The Union Cabinet approved the Memorandum on Cooperation (MoC) between Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), to promote and strengthen cooperation in the matter of Competition Law and Policy and enable CCI to emulate and learn from the experiences of its counterpart in Japan. The CCI is a statutory body established in 2003 and became fully functional in 2009. It is responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 throughout India. The Act prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises. The Act regulates combinations (acquisition, acquiring of control and Merger and acquisition), which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India. CCI consists of a Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by the Central Government. Eligibility: Person should be qualified to be a judge of a High Court, or, has special knowledge of, and professional experience of not less than fifteen years in international trade, economics, commerce, law, finance. It is the duty of the Commission to: (i) eliminate practices having adverse effect on competition / promote and sustain competition, (ii) protect the interests of consumers, and (iii) ensure freedom of trade in the markets of India.
2. Governance and Institutions - Agriculture Infrastructure Fund - Modifications were approved by the Union Cabinet in Central Sector Scheme of Financing Facility under ‘Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’. The modifications in the Scheme will help to achieve a multiplier effect in generating investments while ensuring that the benefits reach small and marginal farmers.  It is a Central Sector Scheme (CSS) under Union Ministry of Agriculture to inject formal credit into farm and farm-processing based activities, and part of the over Rs.20 lakh crore stimulus package announced in response to the Covid-19 crisis.  Goal is to provide medium – long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets. The funds will be provided for setting up of cold stores and chains, warehousing, silos, assaying, grading and packaging units, e-marketing points linked to e-trading platforms and ripening chambers, besides PPP projects for crop aggregation sponsored by central/state/local bodies. It is for financial years 2020 to 2029. Scope - Farmers, PACS, Marketing Cooperative Societies, FPOs, SHGs, Joint Liability Groups (JLG), Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, Agri-entrepreneurs, Startups, and Central/State agency or Local Body sponsored Public-Private Partnership Projects.
3. Science and Technology - Kappa and Lambda variants of SARS-CoV-2 virus - The Kappa and Lambda variants were labelled as Variants of Interest (VoI) by the WHO. This means that the genetic changes involved are predicted or known to affect transmissibility, disease severity, or immune escape, and that the variant has caused significant community transmission in multiple countries and population groups. Kappa was first detected in India. More than 3,500 of the close to 30,000 cumulative samples submitted by India to the GISAID initiative are of this variant. GISAID is a public platform started by the WHO in 2008 for countries to share genome sequences. Lambda is the newest VoI identified by the WHO, first identified in Peru in December 2020. It is the dominant variant in the South American country with 81% samples found to be carrying it. LV has at least seven significant mutations in the spike protein (the Delta variant has three). The LV has greater infectivity than the Alpha and Gamma variants (known to have originated in the UK and Brazil respectively). India has not yet reported any case of LV. (A variant of concern (VOC) is one for which there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility, more severe disease (e.g., increased hospitalizations or deaths), significant reduction in neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination, reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures. There are four VOCs – Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta - all named after letters of the Greek alphabet to avoid political controversies.
4. Science and Technology - Multiple updates - (a) Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) now has over 5 lakh employees, the IT company announced on Thursday while announcing the results for the first quarter of FY22. The company saw a net addition of 20,409 employees in Q1, its highest quarterly net addition ever. Its workforce was up 17.3% year-on-year, and its total headcount now stands at 5,09,058. (b) WhatsApp told Delhi High Court it would not force users to accept its new privacy policy until government passes Data Protection Bill. WhatsApp will also not limit functionality for those who have opted not to accept it, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for WhatsApp said. However, WhatsApp will continue to display the update to users who haven't accepted it. (c) Microsoft is giving a $1,500 (over ₹1.1 lakh) pandemic bonus to its employees worldwide, a spokesperson said. According to an internal memo, Microsoft said the bonus "is in recognition of the unique and challenging fiscal year that it just completed". The bonus will be given to all staff below corporate vice president level that started on or before March 31. (d) The Supreme Court said the Centre's plea seeking transfer of petitions challenging the new IT rules from different high courts to the apex court would be heard on July 16. It will be heard along with a pending matter related to the regulation of OTT platforms. The transfer petition was filed in the Supreme Court by Centre on Tuesday.
5. Science and Technology - Saturn's moons and methane - NASA’s Cassini spacecraft detected an unusually high concentration of methane, along with carbon dioxide and dihydrogen, in the moons of Saturn by flying through their plumes. The spacecraft found that Titan has methane in its atmosphere and Enceladus has a liquid ocean with erupting plumes of gas and water. Saturn has 82 moons with confirmed orbits that are not embedded in its rings. Particularly notable among Saturn's moons are - Titan, the second-largest moon in the Solar System (after Jupiter's Ganymede), with a nitrogen-rich Earth-like atmosphere and a landscape featuring dry river networks and hydrocarbon lakes,  nceladus, which emits jets of gas and dust from its south-polar region, and Iapetus, with its contrasting black and white hemispheres.
6. World Politics - Taliban capture entry point from Iran (Islam Qala) - The Taliban have captured a major border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran, the Islam Qala crossing, which is one of the biggest trade gateways into Iran, generating estimated USD 20 million monthly revenue for the government. Islām Qala, known historically as Kafir Qala, is a border town in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, near the Afghanistan–Iran border. It is the official entry by land from neighboring Taybad, Iran, and plays an important role in the economy of Afghanistan. The Asian Highway 1 (AH1) passes through the town, part of the Asian Highway Network leading from Tokyo, Japan to west of Istanbul where it connects to the E80 which reaches to Lisbon.
7. World Politics - BRICS Innovation Cooperation Action Plan (2021-24) - All BRICS countries have agreed to the STI-led BRICS Innovation Cooperation Action Plan (2021-24) proposed by India during 12th Meeting of BRICS S&T Steering Committee. Indian had proposed the plan to facilitate sharing of experiences of each other’s innovation ecosystem and networking of innovators and entrepreneurs. Details of the plan would be worked out by BRICS Science, Technology Innovation Entrepreneurship partnership (STIEP) Working Group.  It was agreed that the proposal may be forwarded to BRICS STIEP working group through the respective country's STI focal point. Department of Science and Technology (DST), India, hosted the 12th Meeting of BRICS S&T Steering Committee on 8th July, 2021. Scientific ministries and agencies of all BRICS countries participated in it.
8. Indian Economy - India-Nepal rail cargo movement - Rail cargo movement between India and Nepal got a boost as the Railways Ministry has now allowed all categories of wagons that can carry freight on Indian Railways network within India to also carry freight to and from Nepal. This liberalization will allow market forces to come up in the rail freight segment in Nepal and will increase efficiency and cost-competitiveness, benefiting the Nepalese consumer. These cargo train operators include public and private container trains operators, automobile freight train operators, special freight train operators or any other operator authorized by Indian Railways. It will help reduce transportation costs for automobiles and certain other products whose carriage takes place in special wagons. India and Nepal had signed a Letter of Exchange, LoE to the India-Nepal Rail Services Agreement 2004 on 28th June this year. It has come into effect.
9. Indian Economy - India Industrial Land Bank (IILB) - A GIS-enabled Land Bank is now gaining popularity, viz. the India Industrial Land Bank (IILB), a GIS-based portal. It is a one-stop repository of all industrial infrastructure-related information – connectivity, infra, natural resources & terrain, plot-level information on vacant plots, line of activity, and contact details. The IILB has approximately 4000 industrial parks mapped across an area of 5.5 lakh hectare of land, serving as a decision support system for investors scouting for land remotely. The system has been integrated with industry-based GIS systems of 17 states to have details on the portal updated on a real-time basis and will achieve pan-India integration by December 2021.
10. Indian Politics - PM's new Cabinet has 42% ministers with criminal cases, 90% crorepatis - As per a report published by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) which is a poll rights group, PM Narendra Modi's new Cabinet has 42% ministers who have declared criminal cases against themselves. Also, 90% of the ministers are crorepatis. The average worth of assets per minister is around Rs.16.24 crore, as per the ADR. Elimiation of corruption from Indian politics has been a favourite poll promise since decades, but when rubber meets the road, the outcomes are different.

• [message]
• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

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

Indian economy - from super-charged in 1991 to struggler in 2021

• The story: In 1991, India liberalized its Soviet-style economy in a huge transformation that finally pulled about 300 million out of poverty, fueling one of the biggest wealth creations in history. Then, in 2020, came the world’s fastest coronavirus surge which left overflowing hospitals turning away the dying and crematorium smoke darkening city skies. Decades of progress in India has been unwound now, as crores of Indians who had escaped poverty face grim job prospects again, and carry heavy debt loads.
• Visible pain: The 2020-21 devastation showed how poor the Indian health care and infrastructure was, something neglected by all governments in the boom after liberalization. It is literally holding back India and her people.

1. More than 20 crore have now gone back to earning less than minimum wage, or $5, a day.
2. The middle class, which is the engine of India's consumer economy, shrank by 32 million in 2020, according to the Pew Research Institute
3. India is now growing in stature globally, while its society is hollowing out internally

• 2014 and 2021: Experts say that given the slowdown and crunch, from here on, a lot is needed on the policy front to get back to the 7%, 8% growth that alone can pull India back on the track to prosperity.

1. Even before the 2020 pandemic, cracks in economic growth began emerging.
2. Modi had come to power in 2014 amid voter frustration over scandals and policy paralysis that contributed to bad loans at banks and threatened to derail Indian growth.
3. But the economy is now facing severe hurdles, starting with the 2016 cash ban, which hurt the informal sector, and a hurriedly implemented new tax system (GST), that further helped formal sector gain market share from the informal.

• An aspirational goal: The PM pledged to turn India into a $5 trillion economy by 2025, but the pandemic has other plans. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects India to grow 6.9% in FY23 (April 2023 onwards), lower than the more than 8% needed long term to reach the ambitious target. Lower growth means lower ability to create jobs for the millions entering the work force.
• Structural reforms: Some experts had been recommending many things that would allow the Indian economy to be "40 times larger" by 2050. The list included making substantial improvements to areas like infrastructure, education, introducing better public-private partnerships in areas like healthcare, further liberalizing financial markets and working on environmental issues. Most ideas didn't get pursued at all.

1. India’s fantastic demographics, that gives it the potential to rise strongly, possibly at double digit rates China enjoyed for a long time, is not being put to use at all
2. The government claims it is trying to get growth — of 8%-10% — back on a sustainable path, for which structural changes
3. Once the fastest-growing major economy, India saw its biggest ever contraction in 2020-21 — shrinking more than 7% — after a stringent nationwide lockdown. Just when the economy started showing some momentum, the second wave of infections hit.
4. Now the RBI expects India to grow at 9.5%, sharply lower than the double-digit rebound many had earlier expected. That estimate is heavily boosted by the comparison with the sharp contraction of the previous year, and many economists expect it could be pared even further.

• FDI: The foreign direct investment surged 19% in 2020-21 but even that remains lower as a percentage of GDP compared with countries like Singapore and Vietnam. And a big portion of the foreign investment went to billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s digital platforms. Some have warned of a K-shaped recovery for India, where the rich get richer and poor get poorer. Growing inequalities are not just a moral issue, but they can erode consumption and hurt our long-term growth prospects.
• Why reforms in 1991: Thirty years ago, India was forced to remake its economy. A mammoth trade deficit and plunging foreign exchange reserves necessitated a loan from the International Monetary Fund. On July 24, 1991, then finance minister, Manmohan Singh, announced major steps to cut tariffs and encourage trade, essentially opening up the economy to the outside world. In the boom that followed liberalization, growth crossed 8%. Technology giants like Infosys were born and start-ups worth billions mushroomed in Bangalore. A new middle class emerged that watched Netflix and shopped online on Amazon. In the south, the Wistron factory won special economic benefits to assemble Apple iPhones (and later saw workers' riots). India became the world’s biggest supplier of generic medicines and the Serum Institute of India became the world’s biggest vaccine maker. An Indian exchange now handles the world’s highest number of derivatives contracts.
• Slower than needed: Yet there were clear signs that India wasn’t hitting its full potential, as average GDP growth of 6.2% over 30 years was lower than China’s 9.2% and even lagged Vietnam’s 6.7%. For years, Indians have been living shorter lives and are now earning less on average than people in smaller nations like Bangladesh. Vast inequities developed. Researchers have found wealthier people in urban areas and from upper castes were taller in India, a sign of development favoring groups that were already advantaged. The percentage of women joining the workforce fell from 30.3% in 1991 to about 21% in 2019, according to data from the International Labor Organization (ILO). India’s government spent less than 2% of GDP on healthcare before the pandemic.
• Inward turn: Unlike the old guard in 1991, PM Modi has surprisingly turned the economy more inward, focusing on self-reliance and homegrown companies. Despite championing free trade in global forums, he’s raised tariffs on goods including electronics and medical equipment, partly reflecting global trends.
• Summary: India’s ambition of being seen as a major player on the world stage took a hit as the pandemic has laid bare the weaknesses in the capacity and competence. The key question for global investors now is whether India will get old before Indians get rich. The pandemic has India back hugely.

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

Punjab University scientists discover new plant species in Antarctica

• The story: Indian polar biologists from the Central University of Punjab have discovered a new species of plant in Antarctica. During a 2016-2017 expedition in the continent, the scientists stumbled upon a species of moss near the Indian research centre and collected the samples. Five years later, the scientists were finally able to confirm it to be the new native plant species of Antarctica.
• Name: The scientists have named the species 'Bryum Bharatiensis' as a tribute to goddess Saraswati, who is also known as 'Bharati'. The discovery was made by Dr Felix Bast, Polar and Marine Biologist at Central Punjab University. He also heads the Botany department there. In 2017, Dr Bast, who was there as an expedition scientist, found green plants on rocks near Bharati station at Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica.

1. Bast took the samples and sent it to the laboratory. Later, Bast's PhD student, Wahid Ul Rahman and Kriti Gupta, head of the Botany department at DAV College, Bathinda, studied the moss to determine its taxonomy. They were also part of the expedition team.
2. The team wrote a paper about the discovery. The Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity accepted the paper for publication.

• Technical detail: This moss mainly grew in areas where penguins bred in large numbers, the scientists found. Penguin poop has nitrogen and plants need nitrogen along with potassium, phosphorus, sunlight and water to survive.  The discovery is significant for the Indian Antarctic Mission as it is the first and only plant species that the mission discovered since 1981.
• Knowledge centre: Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic are home to a variety of plants and microbes. These include lichens, mosses and liverworts, algae, kelp and microscopic organisms. There are only two vascular plants that grow in Antarctica and these are found only on the coastal region of the Antarctic Peninsula, where temperatures are milder and there is more precipitation. They are Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia antarctica) and Antarctic pearlwort (Colobanthus quitensis). Like all plants, mosses need water to survive. Rain is observed near the coast, but most precipitation over Antarctica is in the form of snow or ice crystals. Antarctica's nonstop winters make it impossible to grow food outdoors. Fruits and vegetables are instead shipped long distances from overseas, just a few times per year.

 Premium charges for products that conserve natural resources

• The story: A World Economic Forum (WEF) survey found that over 70 per cent people think businesses that consume scarce natural resources should be taxed at a higher rate. Majority of the respondents were fine with paying more for products that don’t go through natural resource-intensive production processes, the report said. The sentiment was stronger in developing countries, especially China, India, Colombia, Chile and Peru.
• Scale of survey: The online survey was done on 19,510 adults in 28 countries from May 21, 2021 to June 4, 2021. Around 85 per cent said they want “information on use of scarce natural resources” displayed on labels of products. Respondents in Japan, Poland, the United States, Germany and Hungary showed the least willingness to pay for green tax on the use of non-renewable resources, the report said.
• Details: Fewer people wanted product labelling mentioning use of finite resources in developed countries, according to data gathered by Ipsos, the market research company. The need to reduce consumption and waste appears to be widely acknowledged in the Ipsos data.
• Need for circular: The WEF urged countries to transition to a more circular economy from the current “take-make-dispose” approach that is linear. The way to achieve this shift, according to the report is to design products to use fewer finite resources and generate less waste, reusing raw materials as well as protecting and replenishing raw materials.
• Knowledge centre: Looking beyond the current take-make-waste extractive industrial model, a circular economy aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive society-wide benefits. It entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system. The core elements of the circular economy relate to direct circular handling of material and energy flows—for example closing loops, extending product lifecycles and increasing usage intensity.

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

How South Sudan story slowly cracked

• The story: On July 9, 2011, South Sudan’s first day of independence, the country’s new president, Salva Kiir, received a copy of Ron Chernow’s biography of the American Founding Father George Washington. It was a gift, intended to serve as a guide to democratic governance.
• The first steps: Mr. Kiir, a former bush fighter who never finished grade school, read the book for inspiration and to reflect on the importance of serving the public interest and the common good. South Sudan’s founding would have been unthinkable without the fervent backing of an assortment of American supporters, including President Bush, who championed a landmark 2005 peace agreement that paved the way to independence.
• Ten years on: But after a decade in office, South Sudan’s founding president has failed to establish a viable state, let alone a fledgling democracy modeled on America. Instead he has led the country through a self-destructive ethnic civil war, put off commitments to hold elections, and squandered the country’s considerable oil wealth to erect a security apparatus.
• No more Kiir: For many in South Sudan, hopes for a better future depends on the departure of Kiir, a leader of the Dinka, a group that accounts for more than a third of the country’s population. It will also require the exit of Kiir’s long-standing rival and vice president, Riek Machar, who is a leader of South Sudan’s second-largest ethnic group, the Nuer. Seven and a half years ago, the two leaders launched a bitter civil war that left nearly 4,00,000 people dead and forced millions from their homes.

1. On July 9, South Sudan prepares to mark the 10th anniversary of its independence, a commemoration that provides less cause for celebration than for reflection on the dire state of national affairs.
2. South Sudan is home to around 12 million people, drawn from more than 60 tribes or ethnic groups, whose cultures, religions, and languages are distinct from the traditional Islamic Arab government in Sudan, to the north.

• Poverty and institutions: Today, South Sudan is as poor and reliant on foreign assistance as it has ever been. Despite billions of dollars in U.S. assistance over the past decade, including nearly $500 million in fiscal year 2021, the South Sudanese people’s need for humanitarian assistance has grown significantly.

1. Kiir has failed to build state institutions that could guide the nation through its first major transition of power since independence. There is growing skepticism that South Sudan will be able to organize national elections slated for 2023.
2. There are no institutions in the country; the only institution that exists is the army and it’s by and large a predatory institution. There is no George Washington figure inside or outside the country that can come in and unify the country along tribal lines.

• Summary: A decade ago, South Sudan’s independence day represented one of the greatest achievements of American diplomacy in Africa, offering a rare example of bipartisan cooperation as U.S. President Barack Obama’s U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice and former President George W. Bush’s Secretary of State Colin Powell attended the independence ceremonies in Juba. Today, South Sudan has become a symbol of American hubris and overreach, as America watches it unravel in the face of corruption, violence, and administrative paralysis.

India rejects OIC’s proposals

• The story: The Ministry of External Affairs has rejected the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) proposal to assist a dialogue between India and Pakistan. In December 2020, India also rejected the criticism of its Kashmir policy by the OIC.
• Organisation of Islamic Cooperation: OIC (HQ Saudi Arabia) is the second largest intergovernmental organization after the United Nations (UN) with a membership of 57 states, and is the collective voice of the Muslim world. It endeavors to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. India is not a member of the OIC.
• Points to note: OIC offered to arrange a meeting between India and Pakistan and proposed to send a delegation to Jammu & Kashmir in line with resolutions of the OIC council of foreign ministers. Pakistan has repeatedly sought to raise the Kashmir issue at the OIC against the backdrop of India’s dramatically improved relations with several key players in West Asia and in the Islamic organisation, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Indonesia and Bangladesh. India said that the OIC should be watchful that their platform is not subverted by “vested interests” such as Pakistan to interfere in internal affairs of India or for anti-India propaganda through biased and one-sided resolutions.
• India & OIC: At the 45th session of the Foreign Ministers’ Summit in 2018, Bangladesh, the host, suggested that India, where more than 10% of the world’s Muslims live, should be given Observer status, but Pakistan opposed the proposal. In 2019, India made its maiden appearance at the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting, as a “guest of honour”. This first-time invitation was seen as a diplomatic victory for India, especially at a time of heightened tensions with Pakistan following the Pulwama attack.
• Criticism of India: It has been supportive of Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir, and has issued statements criticising the alleged Indian “atrocities” in the state/Union Territory. In 2018, the OIC General Secretariat had “expressed strong condemnation of the killing of innocent Kashmiris by Indian forces in Indian-occupied Kashmir”. OIC has criticised the Government of India over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and the Babri Masjid verdict of the Supreme Court. OIC has also criticised the Indian government for what it called “growing Islamophobia” in India.
• Indian response: India has maintained that OIC has no locus standi in matters strictly internal to India including that of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir which is an integral and inalienable part of India. Individually, India has good relations with almost all member nations. Ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, especially, have improved significantly in recent years. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi (UAE) was a special chief guest at the 68th Republic Day celebrations in 2017. The OIC includes two of India’s close neighbours, Bangladesh and Maldives.

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

Making governments accountable via civil society

• The story: As India slumped into the second Covid wave in 2021, it starkly exposed the gaps in holding the government in power accountable. There is an urgent need to look at how India's civil society works.
• What is civil society: This term refers to associations or communities that work above and beyond the state. India’s civil society has many actors - (i) grassroots organisations that connect to the last mile and provide essential services, (ii) think tanks and academic institutions that offer new policy ideas and generate evidence, (iii) advocacy organisations that build support for causes, and (iv) large impact funds and philanthropists who decide how these organisations get funded.
• Shortfalls in functioning: Many governments in India have been wary of the potential of the civil society, and have tried to curtail the kind of activities that civil society actors can engage in. Philanthropists and donor organisations are unable to support initiatives that strengthen India’s democracy and its accountability mechanisms, for fear of retribution. Close to 90% of total donor interest in India was targeted towards primary education, primary healthcare, rural infrastructure and disaster relief. Other challenging areas such as human rights and governance got minimal funding. Many civil society actors also focus on engaging with narrow policy problems.
• Implications: In the absence of a strong push from civil society, the democratic institutions have no intrinsic incentive to reform. In today's challenging times, India thus had little or no push to hold the government responsible. The judiciary was helpless, with judges having trouble in getting answers from the government. Even Parliament barely met in 2020.
• Road ahead: There is a strong need to re-examine parliamentary rules that are heavily tilted in favour of the sitting government, and it's essential to strengthen the hands of the judiciary, bolster federalism and the independent media. Creating transparency in decision making within the executive is another key priority. Civil society organisations need to broaden their agenda to include issues that strengthen India’s institutions. Philanthropists need to fund initiatives that empower citizens.

PM Modi and oxygen augmentation

• The story: India's prime minister asked officials to coordinate with state governments and ensure that PSA oxygen plants are made operational as soon as possible. More than 1,500 PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) oxygen plants are coming up now.
• Details: These upcoming oxygen plants include those being built with the contribution from the PM CARES fund as well as from various ministries and PSUs, it said. PSA oxygen plants, contributed by the PM CARES fund, are coming up in all states and districts of the country.

1. The prime minister has asked to ensure adequate training of hospital staff on operation and maintenance of oxygen plants
2. Officials have ensured a training module prepared by experts is in place, and they are targeting training around 8,000 people
3. Modi asked them to deploy advanced technology like IoT to track the performance and functioning of these plants at

• Ready for a third wave: With many places complaining of oxygen shortage in hospitals during the peak of the second COVID-19 wave in April-May, the Union government has been taking measures in coordination with states to boost the production and supply of the life-saving gas. Now, indicators from various states, and a general warning from the WHO, clearly show the possibility of a third wave arriving. The need is to stay prepared fully.

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

Collegium system in Indian judiciary

• The story: Indian judiciary is the most important institution amongst all the constitutional ones designed to protect democracy. Its independence is of supreme importance to one and all.
• Collegium system birthed: Apparently, to ensure democracy in the judicial system, a new mechanism of the Collegium System was established in 1993. It was the result of judicial effort at preserving independence, after the shock of the Emergency years. The purpose was to ensure that the opinion of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) mattered, and it would not just be his individual opinion, but the one formed collectively by a body of judges of the highest integrity in the judiciary. With time, the efficiency of the collegium system was challenged in terms of its independence and transparency of judicial appointments and other decisions.
• Details of Collegium system: For maintaining the faith of citizens in the judiciary, it is important that the Collegium works well.

1. It is the system of appointment and transfer of judges that has evolved through judgments of the SC, and not by an Act of Parliament or by a provision of the Constitution.
2. The SC collegium is headed by the CJI and comprises four other senior most judges of the court. A HC collegium is led by its Chief Justice and four other senior most judges of that court.
3. Constitutional provisions - (i) Article 124(2) of the Indian Constitution provides that the Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President after consultation with such a number of the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts in the States as the President may deem necessary for the purpose. (ii) As per Article 217, the Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the CJI and the State Governor, and, in the case of appointment of a Judge other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of the High Court.
4. Government's role - The government’s role is limited to getting an inquiry conducted by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) if a lawyer is to be elevated as a judge in a High Court or the Supreme Court. It can also raise objections and seek clarifications regarding the collegium’s choices, but if the collegium reiterates the same names, the government is bound, under Constitution Bench judgments, to appoint them as judges.

• Issues and problems: Some issues have cropped up over the decades.

1. Lack of transparency - The lack of a written manual for functioning, the absence of selection criteria, the arbitrary reversal of decisions already taken, the selective publication of records of meetings prove the opaqueness of the collegium system. No one knows how judges are selected, and the appointments made raise the concerns of propriety, self-selection and nepotism. The system often overlooks several talented junior judges and advocates.
2. NJAC, a closed chapter - The National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) could guarantee the independence of the system from inappropriate politicization, strengthen the quality of appointments and rebuild public confidence in the system. The decision was struck down by the SC in 2015 on the ground that it posed a threat to the independence of the judiciary.
3. Lack of consensus - The collegium members often face the issue of mutual consent regarding appointment of judges. The shadow of mistrust between the members of the collegium exposes the fault lines within the judiciary. Recently retired CJI Sharad A. Bobde was perhaps the first chief justice to have not made even a single recommendation for appointment as SC judge due to lack of consensus among the collegium members.
4. Unequal representation - The other area of concern is the composition of the higher judiciary. While data regarding caste is not available, women are fairly underrepresented in the higher judiciary.
5. Delays - The process of judicial appointment is delayed due to delay in recommendations by the collegium for the higher judiciary.

• Summary: It may be the right time to think of a permanent, independent body to institutionalize the process with adequate safeguards to preserve the judiciary’s independence guaranteeing judicial primacy but not judicial exclusivity. It should ensure independence, reflect diversity, demonstrate professional competence and integrity. Instead of selecting the number of judges required against a certain number of vacancies, the collegium must provide a panel of possible names to the President to appoint in order of preference and other valid criteria. The Supreme Court may amend the NJAC Act to have safeguards that would make it constitutionally valid and reorganize the NJAC to ensure that the judiciary retains majority control in its decisions.

Understanding the COM - Council of Ministers

• The story: Article 74 of the Constitution deals with the status of the council of ministers while Article 75 deals with the appointment, tenure, responsibility, qualification, oath and salaries and allowances of the ministers.
• Details: The COM in India consists of three categories of ministers, namely, cabinet ministers, ministers of state, and deputy ministers. At the top of all these ministers stands the Prime Minister.

1. Cabinet Ministers - These head the important ministries of the Central government like home, defence, finance, external affairs and so forth. The Cabinet is the chief policy formulating body of the Central government.
2. Ministers of State - These can either be given independent charge of ministries/ departments or can be attached to cabinet ministers.
3. Deputy Ministers - They are attached to the cabinet ministers or ministers of state and assist them in their administrative, political, and parliamentary duties. At times, the COM may also include a deputy prime minister. The deputy prime ministers are appointed mostly for political reasons.

• Constitutional provisions: Article 74 (COM to aid and advise President): The advice tendered by Ministers to the President shall not be inquired into in any court. The President may require the COM to reconsider such advice and the President shall act in accordance with the advice tendered after such reconsideration. Article 75 (Other Provisions as to Ministers): The PM shall be appointed by the President and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the PM. The total number of ministers, including the Prime Minister, in the COM shall not exceed 15% of the total strength of the Lok Sabha. This provision was added by the 91st Amendment Act of 2003.

1. A minister who is not a member of the Parliament (either house) for any period of six consecutive months shall cease to be a minister.
2. Article 77 (Conduct of Business of the Government of India): The President shall make rules for the more convenient transaction of the business of the Government of India, and for the allocation among Ministers of the said business.
3. Article 78 (Duties of Prime Minister): To communicate to the President all decisions of the COM relating to the administration of the affairs of the Union and proposals for legislation.
4. Article 88 (Rights of Ministers as Respects the Houses): Every minister shall have the right to speak and take part in the proceedings of either House, any joint sitting of the Houses and any Committee of Parliament of which he may be named a member. But he shall not be entitled to vote.

• Collective responsibility: Article 75 clearly states that the COM is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. This means that all the ministers own joint responsibility to the Lok Sabha for all their acts of omission and commission. Article 75 also contains the principle of individual responsibility. It states that the ministers hold office during the pleasure of the President, which means that the President can remove a minister even at a time when the COM enjoys the confidence of the Lok Sabha. But the President removes a minister only on the advice of the Prime Minister.
• State level: The Council of Ministers in the states is constituted and functions in the same way as the Council of Ministers at the Centre (Article 163: COM to aid and advise Governor) and Article 164: Other Provisions as to Ministers).

• [message]
• 6. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3)

Moons of Saturn and methane

• The story: NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Cassini spacecraft detected an unusually high concentration of methane, along with carbon dioxide and dihydrogen, in the moons (Titan and Enceladus) of Saturn by flying through their plumes (in 2017). It found that Titan has methane in its atmosphere and Enceladus has a liquid ocean with erupting plumes of gas and water. An international research team has used new statistical methods to understand if methanogenesis or methane production by microbes could explain the molecular hydrogen and methane.
• Points to note: The Cassini found ice particles, salts, hydrogen and organic molecules in the plumes, tentative hints of an ocean that is similar to Earth’s oceans in composition. There is evidence for alkaline hydrothermal vents on Enceladus’ seafloor, similar to those that support methanogens in Earth’s oceans.
• Methanogens: Most of the methane on Earth has a biological origin. Microorganisms called methanogens are capable of generating methane as a metabolic byproduct. They do not require oxygen to live and are widely distributed in nature, and are found in swamps, dead organic matter, and even in the human gut. They survive high temperatures and simulation studies have shown that they can live in Martian conditions. Methanogens have been widely studied to understand if they can be a contributor to global warming.

1. Methane could be formed by the chemical breakdown of organic matter present in Enceladus’ core. Hydrothermal processes could help the formation of carbon dioxide and methane.
2. Enceladus’ hydrothermal vents could be habitable to Earth-like microorganisms (Methanogens).

• Giant Saturn: It is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in our solar system. Adorned with thousands of beautiful ringlets, Saturn is unique among the planets. It is not the only planet to have rings—made of chunks of ice and rock—but none are as spectacular or as complicated as Saturn's. Like fellow gas giant Jupiter, Saturn is a massive ball made mostly of hydrogen and helium. Few missions have visited Saturn: Pioneer 11 and Voyagers 1 and 2 flew by; But Cassini orbited Saturn 294 times from 2004 to 2017.
• Titan and Enceladus: It is the largest moon of Saturn and the second largest moon in our solar system. Jupiter's moon Ganymede is just a little bit larger. Titan’s atmosphere is made mostly of nitrogen, like Earth’s, but is four times denser, but unlike Earth, it has clouds and methane rain. Because it is so far from the Sun, it's surface temperature is (-) 179 degree Celsius. Enceladus is a small, icy moon which has an abundance of hydrogen molecules in water plumes. 98% of the gas in the plumes was found to be water and 1% is hydrogen and the remaining is a mixture of molecules of carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia. Underwater vents present on Enceladus resemble the vents present on Earth’s ocean floors, where microbes and other sea life congregate.

Billionaires fight to reach space first

• The story: Two billionaires are competing to ride their own rockets into space, and be the first to do so! The lucrative chase for space tourists will unfold on the fringes of space — 88 kilometers to 106 kilometers up - pitting Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson against the world’s richest man, Blue Origin’s Jeff Bezos.
• The two plans: Branson's take off is from New Mexico, launching with two pilots and three other employees aboard a rocket plane carried aloft by a double-fuselage aircraft. Bezos departs nine days later from West Texas, blasting off in a fully automated capsule with three guests: his brother, an 82-year-old female aviation pioneer who’s waited six decades, the winner of a $28 million charity auction. Branson’s flight will be longer, but Bezos’ will be higher. Branson’s piloted plane has already flown to space three times, and Bezos’ has five times as many test flights, though none with people on board.
• Karman Line: Bezos hasn’t commented publicly on Branson’s upcoming flight. Some at Blue Origin are pointing out the fact that their capsule surpasses the designated Karman line of space 100 kilometers up, while Virgin Galactic’s peak altitude is 88 kilometers. International aeronautic and astronautic federations in Europe recognize the Karman line as the official boundary between the upper atmosphere and space, while NASA, the Air Force, the Federal Aviation Administration and some astrophysicists accept a minimum altitude of 80 kilometers.

1. Blue Origin’s flights last 10 minutes by the time the capsule parachutes onto the desert floor. Virgin Galactic’s last around 14 to 17 minutes from the time the space plane drops from the mothership and fires its rocket motor for a steep climb until it glides to a runway landing.
2. SpaceX’s Elon Musk doesn’t do quick up-and-down hops to the edge of space. His capsules go all the way to orbit, and he’s shooting for Mars. “There is a big difference between reaching space and reaching orbit,” Musk has said. He already has carried 10 astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA, and his company’s first private spaceflight is coming up in September 2021 for another billionaire who’s purchased a three-day, globe-circling ride.

• Space tourism commences: More than 600 have reserved seats with Virgin Galactic at $250,000. Blue Origin expects to announce prices and open ticket sales once Bezos flies. A space renaissance is about to begin, as the space station gets set to welcome a string of paying visitors, beginning with a Russian actress and movie producer in October 2021, a pair of Japanese in December and a SpaceX-delivered crew of businessmen in January 2022.
• Summary: Coming decades will see the flowering of the space tourism business.

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

Jharkhand's I.C.D.S. survey

• The story: Surveys have shown that more than 55% did not receive Supplementary Nutrition under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in Jharkhand even once in the first six months of 2021.
• Vulnerability of Jharkhand: As per National Family Health Survey-4 data, every second child in the state is stunted and underweight and every third child is affected by stunting and every 10th child is affected from severe wasting and around 70% children are anemic.
• ICDS: The Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It was launched in 1975. It has six schemes -

1. Anganwadi Services Scheme - It is a unique programme for early childhood care and development, and beneficiaries under the Scheme are children in the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers. It provides a package of six services namely supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, nutrition & health education, immunization, health check-up and referral services.
2. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana - It provides cash incentive amounting to Rs.5,000/- in three installments directly to the Bank/Post Office Account of Pregnant Women and Lactating Mother (PW&LM) in DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) Mode during pregnancy and lactation in response to individual fulfilling specific conditions.
3. National Creche Scheme - It provides day care facilities to children of age group of 6 months to 6 years of working women. The facilities are provided for seven and half hours a day for 26 days in a month. Children are provided with supplementary nutrition, early childcare education, and health and sleeping facilities.
4. Scheme for Adolescent Girls - It aims at out of school girls in the age group 11-14, to empower and improve their social status through nutrition, life skills and home skills. The scheme has nutritional and non nutritional components which include nutrition; iron and folic acid supplementation; health check up and referral service; nutrition and health education; mainstreaming out of school girls to join formal schooling bridge course/ skill training; life skill education, home management etc,; counselling/ guidance on accessing public services.
5. Child Protection Scheme - It aims to contribute to the improvement and well-being of children in difficult circumstances, as well as, reduction of vulnerabilities to situations and actions that lead to abuse, neglect, exploitation, abandonment and separation of children from parents.
6. POSHAN Abhiyaan - It targets to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low birth weight babies by reducing mal-nutrition/undernutrition, anemia among young children as also, focus on adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

• Objectives of ICDS:
1. To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group 0-6 years.
2. To lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child.
3. To achieve effective coordination of policy and implementation amongst the various departments to promote child development.
4. To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the child.
• Similar schemes: There are some more -

1. National Health Mission (NHM) - Launched in 2013, it subsumed the National Rural Health Mission and the National Urban Health Mission. It is being implemented by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The main programmatic components include health system strengthening in rural and urban areas for - Reproductive-Maternal- Neonatal-Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A), and Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases.
2. Mid Day Meal Scheme - It was launched in 1995 as a centrally sponsored scheme, and provides that every child within the age group of six to fourteen years studying in classes I to VIII who enrols and attends the school shall be provided with a hot cooked meal, free of charge every day except on school holidays. It comes under the Education Ministry’s Department of School Education and Literacy.
3. National Nutrition Strategy - The Strategy aims to reduce all forms of undernutrition by 2030, with a focus on the most vulnerable and critical age groups. It also aims to assist in achieving the targets identified as part of the Sustainable Development Goals related to nutrition and health, and has been released by the NITI Aayog.

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

Insuring Himalayan Yaks

• The story: The National Research Centre on Yak (NRCY) at Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh has partnered with National Insurance Company Ltd. to insure high-altitude yak.
• Concerns: High-altitude yaks are feeling the climate change heat in Himalayan belt. Climate change and weather pattern changes have been reported from yak rearing areas across India. As a result, countrywide population has been decreasing at an alarming rate. In 2019, about 500 yaks died in single spell of heavy rainfall in northern Sikkim, imposing a heavy financial burden on owners. As The number of yaks in India has declined by 24.7% between 2012 and 2019.
• How insurance will help: It will shield yak owners against risks posed by weather calamities, in-transit mishaps, diseases, riots, surgical operations and strikes. The policy will provide financial security to Yak rearing communities in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. Under it, owners will have to get their yaks ear-tagged and provide proper description to get their animals insured. Owners will require to submit completed claim form, death certificate from veterinary practitioner, post-mortem report and ear tag in order to get the claim. There will be a 15-day waiting period to claim this amount. Thus, death of an animal due to any disease within 15 days from commencement of risk is not payable.
• Yak population: Total yak population in India is 58,000. Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir have 26,000 Yaks, followed by 24,000 in Arunachal Pradesh, 5,000 in Sikkim and 2,000 in Himachal Pradesh. Some 1,000 Yaks are there in West Bengal and Uttarakhand.

RBI asks banks to stop Libor

• The story: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued an advisory to banks and other financial institutions to be prepared for year-end transition from London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor).
• Transitioning: The global transition from Libor became necessary because banks were manipulating rate in 2007-08. Following the incident, investigation was led by Financial Services Authority (FSA) of Britain.
• Details: India’s exposure to borrowings linked to benchmark is estimated to be around $331 billion. The RBI asked banks and other financial institutions to incorporate robust fallback clauses before cessation date, in all financial contracts where maturity is after announced cessation date of benchmark. It asked banks to ensure that new contracts entered into before December 31 but mature after cessation date include fallback clauses. Banks are also encouraged to cease using Mumbai Interbank Forward Outright Rate (Mifor).
• London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR): It is an interest-rate average which is calculated on the basis of estimates submitted by leading banks in London. LIBOR was earlier called as BBA Libor (British Bankers’ Association Libor or trademark BBA LIBOR).  Responsibility for administration of LIBOR is with Intercontinental Exchange. It is primary benchmark for short-term interest rates across the world. Libor will be phased out by end of 2021. So, market participants are being encouraged to transition towards other risk-free rates. The Libor rates over tenors are calculated as averages of rates polled by major banks. This rate is then used to price debt instruments and derivatives such as currency swaps and interest rate swaps.

UP policy on population control for 2021-30

• The story: The UP government will make a new policy on population control for 2021-30, released on July 11, on the occasion of World Population Day.
• Highlights: The CM Yogi Adityanath urged for community-centric approach to population control to provide people better facilities. Community centric approach is required to raise awareness about population in certain communities. Poverty and illiteracy are major factors population expansion. So new policy will be released in line with the objectives embedded in spirit of Sustainable Development Goals.
• Fertility rate: Total fertility rate in Uttar Pradesh is 2.7 per cent. It should ideally be less than 2.1 per cent. Most of the states have achieved the ideal fertility rate, except Bihar and UP. 2011 census has tagged Uttar Pradesh as most populous state of India followed by Maharashtra and Bihar.
• Goals: Under the policy, five-pronged approach to population control will be adopted. It will also focus on improving health. Government will make efforts to increase accessibility of contraceptive measures which are issued under Family Planning Programme. Government will also be providing a proper system for safe abortion. Government will also make efforts towards stabilization of population by providing solutions for impotence and infertility. Efforts towards reducing infant and maternal mortality rate will also be made through improved health facilities. Policy will focus on comprehensive arrangements for care of elderly and give importance to improved management of education, health, and nutrition for adolescents aged 11 to 19 years. Efforts will be made to maintain demographic balance across different communities and ensure easy availability of advanced health facilities.

First database of Oral Cancer variants

• The story: The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) & National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) has created a first of its king database of genomic variation in oral cancer. NIBMG made this database accessible to public. Database is being called as dbGENVOC.
• About dbGENVOC: It is a free resource and a browsable online database of GENomic Variants of Oral Cancer. First release of dbGENVOC comprises of

1. 24 million somatic and germline variants which have been derived from whole exome sequences of 100 oral cancer patients & whole genome sequences of 5 oral cancer patients.
2. Somatic variation data from 220 patient samples were collected from USA and analyzed by TCGA-HNSCC project.
3. Variants were identified by community approved best practice protocol and were annotated with the help of multiple analytic pipelines.
4. dbGENVOC is a catalogue of genomic variants as well as a built-in search engine. It allows a reasonable extent of statistical and bioinformatic analysis to be carried out such as identification of variants in associated altered pathways in oral cancer. It will be updated annually with variation data of new oral cancer patients from India southeast Asia. It will support advances in oral cancer research.

• Oral Cancer in India: It is the most prevalent form of cancer among men across India because of tobacco-chewing. Tobacco-chewing changes the genetic material of cells in oral cavity, which in turn changes precipitate oral cancer.

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!

• [message]
• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

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

---