Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 12-07-2021

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 12-07-2021

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Environment Ecology and Climate Change - India's first cryptogamic garden - India's first cryptogamic garden with nearly 50 different species was inaugurated in Deoban area of Dehradun district in Uttarakhand on 11th July. The garden is situated at an altitude of 9,000 feet and is spread over an area of three acres. Cryptogams are primitive plants that do not reproduce through seeds and include algae, mosses, ferns, fungi, and lichens. Cryptogams and phanerogams are two sub-kingdoms of the kingdom Plantae. Cryptogams consist of seedless plants and plant-like organisms whereas phanerogams consist of seed-bearing plants, with two classes - gymnosperms and angiosperms. Cryptogams do not develop flowers and fruits as well, and are named "cryptogams" as it is difficult to see their reproductive organs.
2. Environment Ecology and Climate Change - Salt-secreting mangrove species - For the first time, a reference-grade whole genome sequence of a highly salt-tolerant and salt-secreting true-mangrove species, Avicennia marina, was reported in India,. The Avicennia marina is one of the most prominent mangroves species found in all mangrove formations, and is a salt-secreting and extraordinarily salt-tolerant mangrove species that grows optimally in 75% seawater and tolerates >250% seawater. It is among the rare plant species, which can excrete 40% of the salt through the salt glands in the leaves, besides its extraordinary capacity to exclude salt entry to the roots. As agriculture productivity globally gets affected due to abiotic stress factors such as limited water availability and salinization of soil and water, this information assumes importance. Availability of water is a significant challenge to crop production in dryland areas. Salinity is prevalent in ~900 million hectares globally and it is estimated to cause an annual loss of $ 27 billion USD. The genomic resources can help reach the identified genes for developing drought and salinity tolerant varieties of important crop species in coastal regions.
3. Social Issues - Reducing the fertility rate in 2021-2030 - Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath launched the State’s population policy for 2021-2030. The new policy aims at decreasing the total fertility rate from 2.7 to 2.1 by 2026 and 1.7 by 2030, increase modern contraceptive prevalence rate from 31.7% to 45% by 2026 and 52% by 2030, increase male methods of contraception use from 10.8% to 15.1% by 2026 and 16.4% by 2030, decrease maternal mortality rate from 197 to 150 to 98, and infant mortality rate from 43 to 32 to 22, and under 5 infant mortality rate from 47 to 35 to 25. Targeting stabilisation, the draft of the policy also said the State would attempt to maintain a balance of population among the various communities. It is worth noting that 83% of Indian families with more than two children are Hindu families, and that overall fertility rate of India is now 2.1, or even lower (in 2021).
4. World Politics - FATF lists countries with deficiencies - The Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) plenary session ended its five-day deliberation and put out the list of countries that it identified to have “strategic deficiencies”. The Paris based UN watchdog that looks after issues like terrorism financing, money laundering and the flow of black money at the global level has retained Pakistan in the list of countries with “strategic deficiencies”. The list is generally referred to as the “grey list”. The grey listing by FATF shows that the issue of money laundering and consequent funding of illicit activities is fast spreading to other countries as well. The latest grey list includes countries like the Philippines, Malta, South Sudan and Haiti. The 39 member grouping works in close coordination with the UN Security Council which evaluates countries for commitment to anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT).
5. Healthcare and Medicine - Cuba's Covid vaccine Soberana 2 - Cuba said its homegrown Covid-19 vaccine Soberana 2 (Sovereign 2), when delivered with a booster shot of Soberana Plus, is about 91 percent effective against symptomatic Covid-19 cases as demonstrated in its late stage clinical trials. If approved, Cuba will become the first Latin American country to manufacture and produce a vaccine against Covid-19. The Soberana 2 is delivered through a three dose regimen. Two shots of Soberana 2 and one of Soberana Plus, when taken in a 0-28-56 day regimen, have an efficacy of 91.2 percent, the Cuban government’s Covid-19 task force announced. It is a protein vaccine, which is to say that these vaccines are made up of a protein derived from the virus, which then binds to human cells to trigger an immune response.
6. Environment Ecology and Climate Change - Abundant flora of Sikkim - Sikkim, the smallest State with less than 1% of India’s landmass, is home to 27% of all flowering plants found in the country, reveals a Botanical Survey of India (BSI) publication. "Flora of Sikkim – A Pictorial Guide", released July 2021, lists 4,912 naturally occurring flowering plants in the tiny Himalayan State. The total number of naturally occurring flowering plants in the country is about 18,004 species, and with 4,912 species, the diversity of flowering plants in Sikkim, spread over an area of 7,096 sq. km, is very unique. The State, which is a part of the Kanchenjunga biosphere landscape, has different altitudinal ecosystems, which provide opportunity for herbs and trees to grow and thrive. The publication details 532 species of wild orchids (which is more than 40% of all orchid species found in India), 36 species of rhododendron and 20 species of oak, and more than 30 species of high-value medicinal plants, among other species.
7. Science and Technology - Plutocrats reach space, finally - Virgin Group founder and billionaire Richard Branson and five others undertook a brief trip to the “edge of space”, taking off on the VSS Unity spaceship from New Mexico and reaching an altitude of 85 km from Earth before returning. Such a trip is called a “suborbital flight”. When an object travels at a horizontal speed of about 28,000 km/hr or more, it goes into orbit once it is above the atmosphere. Satellites need to reach that threshold speed in order to do orbit Earth. Such a satellite accelerates toward the Earth due to gravity. However, it moves fast enough that the Earth curves out from under it as fast as it falls, giving it a circular path. Any object travelling slower than 28,000 km/hr must return to Earth. Branson’s spacecraft travelled fast enough to reach a point far enough to be considered outer space. Such a trip allows space travellers to experience a few minutes of “weightlessness”. If an object travels at 40,000 km/hr, it will achieve what is known as “escape velocity”, and never return to Earth. The era of space tourism has indeed commenced.
8. People and Persoalities - Aeronautical engineer Sirisha Bandla on 11th July became the third Indian-origin woman to fly into space when she joined British billionaire Richard Branson on Virgin Galactic's first fully crewed suborbital test flight from New Mexico. Ms Bandla was born in Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh and brought up in Houston, and was astronaut No 004 and her flight role was Researcher Experience. The other crew members were two pilots and three other crewmates, including billionaire Branson. She became the third Indian-origin woman (not Indian citizen) to fly into space after Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams. Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma is the only Indian citizen to travel in space. The former Indian Air Force pilot flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on April 3, 1984, part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme.
9. Environment Ecology and Climate Change - Chhattisgarh's Lemru Elephant Reserve - The proposed Lemru Elephant Reserve in Chhattisgarh, in the pipeline for 20 years, has become the subject of yet another controversy. The state Forest and Environment Department asked the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) to make a presentation for decreasing the area of the proposed reserve from 1,995 sq km to 450 sq km. Lemru is one of two elephant reserves planned to prevent human-animal conflict in the region, with elephants moving into Chhattisgarh from Odisha and Jharkhand. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) described the reserve as part of an elephant corridor that connects Lemru (Korba), Badalkhol (Jashpur), Tamorpingla (Surguja). Why does the government want to reduce the size of the reserve? The area proposed under the reserve is part of the Hasdeo Aranya forests, a very diverse biozone that is also rich in coal deposits.  
10. Entertainment Games and Sports - Copa America and Wimbledon updates - (a) Copa America Final 2021, Argentina vs Brazil Highlights: Lionel Messi’s Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 in the Copa America final to secure the national team’s first title in 28 years and the superstar’s first major international trophy. Argentina’s winning goal at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro came in the 22nd minute after Rodrigo de Paul made a long pass to Angel di Maria. It was only the third goal Brazil conceded in the tournament. (b) Novak Djokovic said he considered himself the "best player" after winning a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title but refused to anoint himself as the "greatest of all time". The 34-year-old went to 20 majors alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal courtesy of a sixth Wimbledon title secured by a 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Italy's Matteo Berrettini. If he wins a fourth US Open in September, he will become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete the calendar Grand Slam and just the third in history. At 34, he is a year younger than Nadal and has the best part of six years on Federer who turns 40 in four weeks' time.

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• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

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

Target of 'Housing for All' by 2022

• The story: The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic may impact the implementation of the The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) housing for all programme, which has fallen below the scheduled targets. It needs a huge push from the government now. The PMAY was launched in 2015, through which the Government of India had set a target of constructing 50 million new housing units by 2022, of which 30 million units were to be in the rural areas (through PMAY-Rural) and 20 million in the urban areas (through PMAY-Urban).
• Status update: Here it is -

1. Rural - There is a period of 1.5 years to go, against the revised targets, 19.55 million houses have been sanctioned and 14.16 million have been completed through PMAY-Rural till April 2021, so completion of 67% of the revised target and 72% of the sanctioned houses. Further, 9% of the houses have not been sanctioned so far.
2. Urban - While under the PMAY-U, against a revised target of 11.2 million units, almost the entire 11.2 million housing units has been sanctioned and 4.8 million houses have been completed, leading to the completion of only 43% of the near-term target as well as the sanctioned units under the PMAY-U.
3. A huge pick-up in the implementation pace for both, the PMAY-U and the PMAY-R, is required to achieve the Housing for All target by 2022.

• Reality check: The Government had set a scaled down near-term target of 21.4 million under PMAY-R and 11.2 million units under PMAY-U by 2022. In terms of funding -

1. the allocation towards the PMAY-U in the Union Budget was reduced to Rs. 8,000 crore for FY2022, against a revised estimate (RE) of Rs. 21,000 crore for FY2021 and the same remained stagnant when compared to the budget estimate (BE) of Rs. 8,000 for FY2021.
2. The allocation towards the PMAY-R in the Union Budget has remained at Rs. 21,000 crore for FY2022, the same as the revised estimate (RE) and the budget estimate (BE) for FY2021. Though the extra budgetary resources (EBR) for PMAY-R have been increased from Rs. 10,000 crore to Rs. 20,000 crore in BE of FY2022 against Rs. 10,000 crore in FY2021; the EBR for PMAY-U for FY2022 is nil, against Rs. 10,000 crore in BE of FY2021.

• Total spend: The Government has allocated/committed Rs. 2.72 lakh crore and incurred Rs. 2.02 lakh crore (74%) out of the total estimated requirement of Rs. 2.88 lakh crore for the revised targets of PMAY-R, leaving pending commitment/allocation of Rs. 16,000 crore and pending expenditure of Rs. 86,000 crore. It has allocated/committed Rs. 1.81 lakh crore and incurred only Rs. 0.95 lakh crore (53%) out of the total estimated requirement of Rs. 1.81 lakh crore towards the revised targets under the PMAY-U. In aggregate, out of the required Rs. 4.70 lakh crore, Rs. 2.97 lakh crore has been incurred in the last five years but a whopping Rs. 1.71 lakh crore (~37%) of the expenditure would be required to be incurred within the next 1.5 years to complete the construction of the balance units by 2022 to meet the near-term scaled down target.
• Summary: the Cabinet had approved a Rs. 60,000-crore dedicated affordable housing fund – the National Urban Housing Fund - in 2018 to support the PMAY programme implementation. It's mostly used by now, and fresh funding is needed.

Highway construction update

• The story: The total length of 4-lane or above NH (national highways) stretches has more than doubled in the past 10 years and maximum growth has been recorded between 2018 and 2021 when 9,000 km of NH was expanded to this category. The share of NH stretches that are less than two-lane has fallen, indicating that sharper focus on building wider highways is yielding results.
• Data: The total length of single-lane highway as on May 31 was 29,693 km, which was 21% of the entire 1.39 lakh km NH network compared to 29% in 2018. There has been a significant increase in the length of twolane or two-and-a-half lane NHs in recent years.

1. The significant increase has been in the segment of four-lanes and above. While the annual average increase in the four or more lanes NH stretches was barely 800 km between 2011 and 2015, this went up to 2,233 km during the 2015-18 period. In the last three years, the average annual increase was 3,000 km.
2. There is a greater focus on wider highways, Greenfield expressways and economic corridors. There may be a quantum jump of completed stretches under this category by 2024.

• Competition: The recent trend of increased competition among firms to bag highway projects quoting low prices has been noted. Minister Nitin Gadkari explained it saying the era when a few big players in the sector created cartels is over.
• Pandemic impact: The sector, which is not facing any funds constraints as projects being implemented are almost totally government-funded via the engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contracts or the hybrid annuity model (HAM), is clearly one of the most unaffected by the lockdown.
• Summary: The country’s national highway length has increased by 50% from 91,287 km, as of April 2014 to 1,37,625 km, as on March 20, 2021. Average annual project awards during FY15 to FY21 were up 85% compared with the FY10-FY14 period. During 2020-21, 10,467-km highway project was awarded, up from 8,948 km a year earlier.

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

Human-Wildlife conflict

• The story: A report ‘A Future for All – A Need for Human-Wildlife Coexistence’ was released by World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) and UNEP, examining the increasing human-wildlife conflict (HWC).
• Terrible death toll: HWC-related killing affects more than 75% of the world’s wild cat species, as well as many other terrestrial and marine carnivore species such as polar bears and Mediterranean monk seals, and large herbivores such as elephants.
• Points to note: Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) refers to struggles that arise when the presence or behaviour of wildlife poses actual or perceived direct, recurring threats to human interests or needs, often leading to disagreements between groups of people and negative impacts on people and/or wildlife.

1. Causes - First is the lack of protected areas. Marine and terrestrial protected areas only cover 9.67% globally. About 40% of the African lion range and 70% of the African and Asian elephant ranges fall outside protected areas. In India, 35% tiger ranges currently lie outside protected areas. Second is wildlife-borne infections, like the Covid-19 pandemic (sparked by a zoonotic disease) is driven by the close association of people, their livestock, and wildlife and by the unregulated consumption of wild animals. With closer and more frequent and diverse contact between animals and people, the probability of animal microbes being transferred to people increases.
2. Other reasons - In modern times rapid urbanization and industrialisation have led to the diversion of forest land to non-forest purposes, as a result, the wildlife habitat is shrinking. The expansion of road and rail network through forest ranges has resulted in animals getting killed or injured in accidents on roads or railway tracks. Many human settlements coming up near the peripheries of protected areas and encroachment in the forest lands by local people for cultivation and collection of food and fodder etc. therefore increasing pressure on limited natural resources in the forests.

• Impact: HWC can have detrimental and permanent impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity. People might kill animals in self-defence, or as pre-emptive or retaliatory killings, which can drive species involved in conflict to extinction. The most evident and direct negative impacts to people from wildlife are injuries and the loss of lives and of livestock, crops, or other property. The economic and psychological costs of living with wildlife disproportionately fall to those who live near that wildlife, while the benefits of a species’ survival are distributed to other communities as well.
• Solution: The goal of HWC management should be to enhance the safety of people and wildlife and to create mutual benefits of coexistence. Holistic HWC management approaches allow species to survive in areas where they otherwise would have declined or become extinct. All species on our planet also are essential for maintaining ecosystem health and functions. The full participation of local communities can help reduce HWC and lead to coexistence between humans and wildlife.
• India: The country faces an increasing challenge of human wildlife conflict, which is driven by development pressures and an increasing population, high demand for land and natural resources, resulting in loss, fragmentation, and degradation of wildlife habitats. These pressures intensify the interactions between people and wildlife because they often share living space without a clear demarcation of boundaries. In India, over 500 elephants were killed between 2014-15 and 2018-19, most related to human-elephant conflict. During the same period, 2,361 people were killed as a result of conflict with elephants.
• Initiatives: Advisory for "Management of HWC" has been issued by the Standing Committee of National Board of Wildlife (SC-NBWL). The advisory envisages (i) empowering gram panchayats in dealing with the problematic wild animals as per the WildLife (Protection) Act, 1972, (ii) utilising add-on coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna for crop compensation against crop damage due to HWC, (iii) augmenting fodder and water sources within the forest areas, (iv) inter-departmental committees at local/state level, adoption of early warning systems, creation of barriers, dedicated circle wise Control Rooms with toll free hotline numbers, Identification of hotspots etc.
• Summary: The Supreme Court (2020) affirmed the right of passage of the Elephants and the closure of resorts in the Nilgiris elephant corridor. Odisha’s Athagarh Forest Division has started casting seed balls (or bombs) inside different reserve forest areas to enrich food stock for wild elephants to prevent man-elephant conflict.

 Chemicals kill

• The story: Estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) show that deaths due to exposure to hazardous chemicals worldwide rose 29% in 2019 from 2016. Two million people died due to exposure to hazardous chemicals in 2019, compared to 1.56 million in 2016. Between 4,270 and 5,400 people died every day due to unintentional exposure to chemicals. The WHO Director-General informed this during the Ministerial Dialogue held at the Berlin Forum on Chemicals and Sustainability: Ambition and Action towards 2030.
• Hazardous chemicals: It is a chemical that has properties with the potential to do harm to human or animal health, the environment, or capable of damaging property. These are frequently used in the workplace as raw materials, solvents, cleaning agents, catalysts, and for a number of other functions, and are normally classified according to the risk they pose to health and property. These are categorized as:

Flammable or explosive (e.g. petroleum, TNT, plastic explosives)
Irritating or corrosive to skin, lungs, and eyes (e.g. acids, alkali, paints, fumes)
Toxic chemicals (e.g. carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, cyanide, heavy metals)

• These are present in the air, in consumer products, at the workplace, in water, or in the soil, and can cause several diseases including mental, behavioural and neurological disorders, cataracts, or asthma.
• Most deadly: Lead poisoning was responsible for nearly half of the deaths in 2019. Lead exposure causes cardiovascular diseases (CVD), chronic kidney diseases and idiopathic intellectual disability. Lead is added to paints for various reasons, including enhancing the colour, reducing corrosion and decreasing the drying time. Just 41% of countries including India, have legally binding controls on the production, import, sale and use of lead paints. In 2020, UNICEF too had raised concerns on the impact of lead pollution on the health of children. Approximately 800 million globally have blood lead levels at or above the permissible quantity (5 micrograms per decilitre (µg/dL).

1. Particulates and carcinogens - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from occupational exposure to particulates (dust, fumes and gas) and cancers from occupational exposure to carcinogens (arsenic, asbestos and benzene), too accounted for a substantial share of the preventable deaths.
2. Disability-adjusted life-years lost - In 2019, 53 million disability-adjusted life-years were lost. This is an increase by over 19% since 2016. There has been a 56% increase in disability-adjusted life-years lost due to exposure to lead since 2016. Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) is the sum of the number of years of life lost due to premature death and a weighted measure of the years lived with disability due to a disease or injury. The use of DALYs to track disease burden is recommended by India’s National Health Policy of 2017.

• Remedies: Several international chemical conventions restricting or even banning the production, use, and trade of certain hazardous chemicals exist.

1. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) - To protect human health and the environment from the harmful effects of POPs (i.e. toxic chemicals). India has ratified and acceded to the convention.
2. Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade - India ratified the Convention in 2005.
3. Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal - India ratified the Convention.
4. The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is an arms control treaty prohibiting the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, transfer or use of chemical weapons by States Parties. India is a signatory and party to the Convention.
5. The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury and its compounds. More than 140 countries including India have ratified the Convention.
6. The United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances - provides comprehensive measures against drug trafficking, including provisions against money laundering and the diversion of precursor chemicals. India is one among the signatories.

• Summary: There is need for a comprehensive law in the countries to regulate chemical use, production and safety. India must take note as the country’s national chemical policy has been pending since 2012. Extreme cautions are to be taken when handling, storing, transporting, and using hazardous chemicals.

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

Foreign affairs update - 12-07-2021

• French speed limits: Paris is set to introduce a maximum speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour (19 miles per hour) on almost all its streets by the end of August in a bid to reduce noise, traffic accidents, and carbon emissions. Roughly 60 percent of Paris streets currently adhere to the limit but after August’s expansion only the Paris ring road and major boulevards will allow higher speeds. The move is part of Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s drive to reduce car dependency and make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Hidalgo plans to remove almost half of the city’s 140,000 street-level parking spaces and introducing metered parking for motorcycles and scooters which currently park for free.
• Haiti’s assassination: A Haitian physician usually based in Florida has been arrested by police in Haiti in connection with last week’s assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Police accuse Christian Emmanuel Sanon of organizing the killing of Moïse in order to elevate himself to the presidency. Police say Sanon hired the primarily Colombian hit team from a Venezuelan security firm based in the United States with the mission of providing his security detail. Speaking to a judge, the two Americans arrested in the plot have claimed to have only been translators for the group and that their mission was to abduct Moïse rather than kill him.
• Cuba protests: Thousands of Cubans took to the streets around the country in a rare protest against the government and deteriorating living conditions in the country. Cubans continue to face a severe economic crisis amid a U.S. blockade and Trump-era sanctions that remain in place as well as a drop in tourism due to pandemic travel restrictions. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel called the protests a form of “systemic provocation” by U.S.-backed dissidents, alleging Washington was attempting to “provoke a massive social implosion.”
• Third booster shot: Representatives from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer met with White House officials to make the case for giving the public a third booster shot of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine. The meeting comes after Pfizer’s recent release of early data from a study showing a five- to 10-fold increase in antibody levels after a third dose was administered. Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical advisor, said it was too early to consider a further dose. The White House meeting came as officials are increasingly worried about the rise of the delta variant of the coronavirus, even as most vaccines appear to provide good protection against its worst effects. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said she was “concerned” that delta and other variants could threaten a global economic recovery.
• Europe's vaccination efforts: Europe’s efforts to vaccinate its residents and outpace the delta variant face a major gap: undocumented immigrants. Millions of undocumented immigrants are estimated to be living in Europe. But, in policy or in practice, many have been left out of vaccination programs. The struggle to vaccinate this “invisible” population against covid-19 has underscored existing health care disparities on the continent.
• Dalai Lama's birthday: Chinese nationals displayed banners in protest from across the Indus river near the Line of Actual Control, when Indian villagers were celebrating the birthday of the Dalai Lama in Demchok in eastern Ladakh. They were seen across the Indus from Koyul, one of the last Indian settlements in the Demchok sector in eastern Ladakh. Meanwhile, apprehensions of a long haul in eastern Ladakh have started manifesting on the ground as Chinese forces have been creating permanent structures wherever the PLA troops are deployed. Earlier, the Indian Air Force chief had confirmed that the Chinese are improving their air infrastructure in the area.
• India in Afghanistan: About 50 diplomats and security personnel returned to Delhi from Kandahar, with the Modi government evacuating all Indians at the Indian consulate there after the Taliban advanced into areas formerly held by the government. A special aircraft of the Indian Air Force brought back diplomats, officials and other staff including a group of Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel. Now, only the Indian embassy in Kabul and the consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif remain open in Afghanistan. Facilities in Kandahar, Herat and Jalalabad are closed, the latter two due to Covid. On Tuesday, the Indian embassy in Kabul had said that there was no plan to close the embassy and the consulates in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif.

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

India pulls out diplomats from Kandahar

• The story: Apprehending serious threat, India pulled out around 50 diplomats and security personnel from its consulate in Kandahar in Afghanistan. The deteriorating security situation and the Taliban gaining control of new areas around the southern Afghan city is not an encouraging sign.
• Details: A special aircraft of the Indian Air Force brought back the Indian diplomats, officials and other staff members including a group of Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel, in view of intense fighting near Kandahar city. It was a temporary measure, and the consulate continues to operate through the local staff members. India was closely monitoring the evolving security situation in Afghanistan.
• No shutting down: The Indian embassy in Kabul said there was no plan to close the embassy and the consulates in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif. The Ministry of External said India was carefully monitoring the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and its implications on the safety and security of Indian nationals.
• US exit: Afghanistan witnessed a series of terror attacks in the last few weeks as the US looked to complete the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan by August-end, ending a nearly two-decade of its military presence in the war-ravaged country. At least two foreign missions in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, have closed their operation in view of the escalating violence in the region. India has been a major stakeholder in the peace and stability of Afghanistan. It has already invested nearly USD three billion in aid and reconstruction activities in the country.
• Summary: India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. In March '21, Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar visited India during which Jaishankar conveyed to him India's long-term commitment towards a peaceful, sovereign and stable Afghanistan.

China cracks down on billionaires in rare governance tightening

• The story: The age of unfettered gains for China’s ultra-rich now appears to be coming to an abrupt end. Even as the world’s 10 wealthiest people added $209 billion to their net worth in the first half of 2021, China’s richest tycoons in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index saw their combined fortunes shrink by $16 billion. Shares of their flagship companies sank by an average 13% during the period, the first time in at least six years they’ve recorded declines when the broader Chinese equity market was rising.
• What went wrong: Behind the losses is a crackdown that has only intensified since November, when Ma’s Ant Group Co. was forced to pull its blockbuster initial public offering at the last minute. Policy makers are tightening regulations on some of the most important facets of Chinese economy, from financial services to internet platforms and the data that underpins most big businesses in modern China.

1. Regulators now have unveiled new draft rules requiring all domestic companies to undergo a cybersecurity review before listing in a foreign country.
2. Beijing’s motivations for the crackdown include concerns about anticompetitive behavior in the tech industry, risks to financial stability from lightly regulated lending platforms and the rapid proliferation of sensitive personal information in the hands of large corporations.
3. Another undercurrent running through latest initiatives is the desire to rein in the power of China’s tycoons, some of whom have amassed an enormous amount of influence over the $14 trillion economy.
4. Beijing wants to prevent its billionaires from becoming a force as strong as the family-run chaebol that dominate South Korea’s economy and many aspects of its politics.
5. Chinese public’s growing concern over rising inequality is prompting action, too.

• President speak: President Xi Jinping has acknowledged that the country’s development was “unbalanced” and said “common prosperity” should be the ultimate goal. The net result is a whole new era for the country’s billionaires and the investors who back them. Gone are the days when tycoons like Ma could confidently bend the rules to supercharge their companies’ growth and challenge entrenched interests like state-owned banks. Outsized public personas now are a liability. Unless you look small and "not powerful", and unless you show direct respect to the Communist Party, you are a goner.
• Larger than life: Some of the tech companies became larger than life, and the big lesson from the crackdown is: “Don’t get bigger than the government”. Didi notwithstanding, the message appears to be getting through. Ma, who criticized Chinese financial regulators in his last public speech before Ant’s IPO was abruptly suspended, has since resurfaced only a handful of times in carefully choreographed appearances.
• Changed China: The new environment will “fundamentally change” China’s tech sector, partly because investors will become more wary of funding entrepreneurs who could end up on a collision course with Beijing. U.S. President Biden has also taken aim at the billionaire class, calling for increased taxes on the rich and signing an executive order that aims to weaken dominance of America’s biggest companies. The move echoed an ongoing antitrust campaign in China that has ensnared giants including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and arch-rival Tencent Holdings Ltd.

1. The Chinese authorities are unrestrained by Western-style checks and balances, and act more forcefully than their U.S. counterparts
2. Beijing has a variety of tools for reining in billionaires, including detention in the most extreme cases. An internal disciplinary process for party members, known as 'shuanggui', is used for some tycoons in the past. Investigations by antitrust, cybersecurity and other regulators are more common ways to influence the behavior of tech giants. The government also uses “soft” methods including state-media campaigns.
3. While China’s crackdown has been most visible in the tech industry, the country’s property billionaires have also come under increased pressure as uthorities steadily restricted the industry’s access to funding in an attempt to rein in home prices and reduce systemic risks to the financial system.
4. A subtle sign of billionaires’ waning influence can be seen in their shrinking share of political appointments.

• Summary: The big question is whether all of this will be good for China in the long run, if it ends up undermining investor confidence. Some of Beijing’s new policies may foster competition in the oligopolistic tech industry, clearing the way for a new class of billionaires to rise.

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

India's GST ecosystem - Status update

• The story: Any new system generally stabilises within five years, if all other things behave normally. But the goods and services tax (GST) has had to face unprecedented challenges as it enters its fifth year. It had to contend with a minor global economic slowdown in 2019-20, and then the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
• Fewer slabs: It is time to overhaul the tax rates by gravitating towards a three-rate regime, with the 12% rate being merged into the standard rate, or have some similar schema.
• Report card: GST has made good gains. The average monthly revenue from GST (till February 2020) grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 9% — despite the effective weighted average tax burden coming down around 4 percentage points. Checkposts were removed. Multiple and complex compliance burdens became redundant (17 different taxes merged into one, and two statutes replaced about 150 different ones). One return format replaced about 100 different return forms, a largely semi-manual tax reporting system across the country gave way to a single online core reporting system. The number of registered taxpayers more than doubled during four years, despite an almost two-fold increase in the registration threshold. And inter-state fiscal barriers came down substantially. It seems that GST may have done to the Indian economy what Sardar Patel’s political integration had done to the Indian polity.
• Consensual: The effort that went into building consensus on every issue, large or small, is borne out by the fact that the GST Council has not witnessed voting, except on one occasion, in its 43 meetings so far, and every state has been an equal participant to the proceedings. Despite this, murmurs have now increased about the very structure and design of GST. States are increasingly questioning the way decisions are being taken, and opposition-ruled states being sidelined.
• Other examples: Australia has a national GST, Canada has an agreement-driven harmonised GST, while the European common system of value-added tax (VAT) runs on multiple statutes. The concurrently levied dual Indian GST is unique to India’s federal structure. Other aspects of GST in India — place of supply rules, input credit mechanism, threshold and treatment of small taxpayers — are in accord with internationally prevalent good tax practices. The integrated GST (IGST) is a unique Indian construct that ensures transfer of tax to the destination jurisdiction with GoI in the role of a ‘partner-depository’, whereby it not only collects its portion of the dual GST but it also mediates the transfer.
• Two perspectives: Experts say that the GST structure and design is the DNA of the entire GST ecosystem has been built, and should not be changed at all. Some others say that alterations to it, with accumulated experience, are now needed in right earnest.
• What about compensation: The challenge is to compensate the states adequately during these difficult Covid times. The borrowing mechanism devised by the GST Council is a practical way out, and borrowings during 2020-21, together with the likely borrowings for the period till July 2022, are estimated to be about Rs.3.2 lakh crore. Even if the cess collection were to grow by 10% year-on-year, the amount borrowed looks likely to be repaid only by 2024. This would leave an almost equal amount to be paid to the states by way of arrears of compensation for the period of FY2021-22 onwards. Even if cess collection were to grow normally, it would not be before FY2026-27 that these would be paid out. But compensation at an assured CAGR of 14% (compared to the average 9-10% growth in sales tax collections in the three years preceding GST) is being demanded by states.
• Summary: As the 15th Finance Commission indicated, India now has to focus on strengthening GST, undertaking a review of the rate path, making it simpler to comply with, focusing on in-built, system-driven validations, designing risk-based administration and an effective mechanism for compliance verification.

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

Gamma rays are warnings

• The story: Radiation sensors predict lightning within 10 minutes and around 2 kilometers of where they happen. Gamma rays along with thunderclouds may help predict lightning strikes!
• Details: It has been known that thunderstorms can bring in radiation. There can be weak gamma-ray glows from thunderclouds before lightning bolts and accompanying gamma-ray flashes in some conditions. Gamma-ray associated with thunderclouds are of two types:

1. Gamma-ray glows — weak emissions that last about a minute
2. Short-lived terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) — occur as lightning strikes and are more intense than glows

• Mystery solved: New scientific monitors detected a simultaneous TGF and lightning strike as well as a gamma-ray glow — all at the same time. The glow “abruptly disappeared” with the lightning, so it can be said conclusively the events are intimately connected and this is the first time this connection has been observed.  Since gamma-ray flashes emit radiation that is nearly one-tenth the level from a typical medical X-ray, the researchers now wannt to speculate whether gamma-ray glows may be causing lightning.
• Predicting it: One day, science may be able to predict lightning strikes within about 10 minutes of them happening and within around 2 kilometers of where they happen.
• Summary: A team of researchers in France are collaborating on a project to launch a dedicated satellite to detect worldwide lightning observations from space. With the discovery of electromagnetism, scientists learned to see lightning with radio receivers. But now we can observe lightning in gamma rays-ionising radiation.

Songbirds taste sugar, and hence became ubiquitous

• The story: A genetic change happened some 30 million years ago, at the beginning of the evolution of the Passeri. A songbird is a bird belonging to the clade Passeri of the perching birds.
• Evolution of birds: Birds evolved from carnivorous dinosaurs called theropods. Meat eaters need not detect sugar in the way that, say, fruit eaters do, and genetic analyses of modern birds suggest their theropod ancestor had lost the ability to taste sweetness.

1. Today many birds have sugar-rich diets of nectar or fruit, so perceiving things as sweet is a useful attribute.
2. Research suggests songbirds can indeed perceive sweetness. This ability may have led to their success. Since almost half the bird species now alive are Passeri, that is clear proof.
3. Vertebrates’ taste-receptor genes normally include three that encode proteins called T1R1, T1R2 and T1R3. The taste receptors themselves are formed from pairs of these proteins. Receptors for sweetness are a combination of T1R2 and T1R3. Birds, however, lack the gene for T1R2. Presumably, it was lost by their theropod ancestors, which did not need it.

• The lost one: A study on hummingbirds, which feed on nectar from flowers, found that hummingbirds regained the ability to taste sugars via mutations in the genes for T1R1 and T1R3. The receptor formed by combining T1R1 and T1R3 normally detects umami, a savoury flavour typical of meat. In hummingbirds, these mutations allow this receptor to detect sugars, too. Was that also the case for songbirds? Scientists cloned T1R1-T1R3 receptors from a variety of songbirds and tested their responses to sugar. All the receptors they tested — from birds with sugar-rich and sugar-poor diets alike — interacted strongly with sugar molecules. This confirmed that songbirds regained perception of sweetness via mutations of the gene for T1R1 and T1R3.

1. By contrast, umami receptors cloned from the Tyranni, a sister group to the Passeri, did not interact with sugars, though they did so strongly with amino acids typical of meat.
2. The mutations in the songbird lineage must thus have happened after the Passeri and Tyranni lines diverged, but before the Passeri themselves began proliferating into their current variety.

• Summary: When researchers looked at molecular modifications which allowed the T1R1-T1R3 receptors of hummingbirds and Passeri to detect sweetness, they found them to be completely different. Both, though, involved numerous changes to the underlying DNA, suggesting a strong evolutionary pressure to optimise them. This pressure was probably a consequence of competition to fill the new ecological niches opened up by an ability to recognise sweet things as both edible and nutritious. And it was that which resulted in the Passeri’s current diversity. But what about the sweet songs they sing? No one knows the connection, at least not yet.

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

Lymphatic Filariasis

• The story: The Maharashtra government has started a drug administration drive for the elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) and become the first State in the country to resume giving rounds of the drug after the second wave of Covid-19.
• Details: LF, commonly known as elephantiasis and is considered as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD). It is the second most disabling disease after mental health, as it impairs the lymphatic system and can lead to the abnormal enlargement of body parts, causing pain, severe disability and social stigma. The lymphatic system is a network of vessels and specialized tissues that are essential to maintaining the overall fluid balance and health of organs and limbs and, importantly, are a major component of the body’s immune defense system.

1. Lymphatic filariasis is a vector-borne disease, caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filarioidea. There are 3 types of thread-like filarial worms which causes lymphatic filariasis:
2. Wuchereria Bancrofti is responsible for 90% of the cases. Brugia Malayi causes most of the remainder of the cases. Brugia Timori also causes the disease.

• Treatment: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends three drug treatments to accelerate the global elimination of lymphatic filariasis. The treatment, known as IDA, involves a combination of ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine citrate and albendazole. The plan is to administer these drugs for two consecutive years. The life of the adult worm is hardly four years, so it would die a natural death without causing any harm to the person.
• India: Lymphatic filariasis poses a grave threat to India. An estimated 650 million Indians across 21 states and union territories are at risk of lymphatic filariasis. Over 40% of worldwide cases are found in India. The government launched the Accelerated Plan for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (APELF) in 2018, and as part of intensifying efforts towards elimination, later rolled out IDA treatment (triple drug therapy) in a phased manner.
• Global: The WHO’s New Roadmap for 2021–2030 is to prevent, control, eliminate and eradicate a set of 20 diseases, termed neglected tropical diseases, by 2030. The "Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF)" was established to stop transmission of infection with Mass Drug Administration (MDA) and to alleviate suffering among people affected by the disease through morbidity manage-ment and disability prevention (MMDP).

More power to tribal communities

• The story: A joint communication was signed by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change which is aimed at giving more power to the tribal communities in managing the forest resources.
• Forests: These are not only home to trees and animals but also a vital source of resources. They give clean air, timber, fuel, wood, fruits, food, fodder, and more. These are known as forest resources upon which many depend for livelihood and survival. Forests provide resources, which makes its conservation and protection further important. It is also because of these resources that forests are exploited.
• Initiatives for forest conservation and preservation: There are many - Indian Forest Act, 1927, Forest Conservation Act, 1980, National Forest Policy, 1988, National Mission for Green India, National Afforestation Program, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Joint communication: It pertains to more effective implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 and for harnessing the potential for livelihood improvement of the Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDSTs) and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs). State forest departments will carry out verification of claims for forest rights, mapping of forest lands involved and provision of necessary evidence as required, authentication of records, joint field inspections, awareness generation etc. The lack of recognition of forest rights has left tribal and forest dwelling communities across the country insecure of tenure and fear of eviction from their lands. State forest departments are to undertake projects for value chain addition including capacity building of primary collectors, new harvesting methods, storage, processing and marketing of Non​-Timber Forest Products (NTFP).
• Forest Dwellers and MFP: Tribals and other forest dwellers can contribute significantly in efforts towards climate change through preservation of biodiversity, environmental conservation and enhancing forest cover. Forest dwellers are dependent on forests, not only for their livelihood but their traditions are also intertwined with forests.
• Non-Timber Forest Products or Minor Forest Produce (MFP): MFP includes all non-timber forest produce of plant origin and includes bamboo, canes, fodder, leaves, gums, waxes, dyes, resins and many forms of food including nuts, wild fruits, honey, lac, tusser etc. It provides both subsistence and cash income for people who live in or near forests.
• Forest Rights Act, 2006: The Act recognizes the forest rights in Forest land for Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDST) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFD) who have been residing in such forests for generations. Forest rights can also be claimed by any member or community who has for at least three generations (75 years) prior to the 13th day of December, 2005 primarily resided in forest land for bona fide livelihood needs. It strengthens the conservation regime of the forests while ensuring livelihood and food security of the FDST and OTFD. The Gram Sabha is the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and extent of Individual Forest Rights (IFR) or Community Forest Rights (CFR) or both that may be given to FDST and OTFD.
• Four rights: The Act identifies four types of rights -

1. Title rights - It gives FDST and OTFD the right to ownership to land farmed by tribals or forest dwellers subject to a maximum of 4 hectares. Ownership is only for land that is actually being cultivated by the concerned family and no new lands will be granted.
2. Use rights - The rights of the dwellers extend to extracting Minor Forest Produce, grazing areas etc.
3. Relief and development rights - To rehabilitate in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection.
4. Forest management rights - It includes the right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource which they have been traditionally protecting and conserving for sustainable use.

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

Padma Awards nominations invited

• The story: India's PM invited people to send nominations for Padma Awards 2022. Padma Awards are announced every year on the eve of Republic Day.
• Padma Awards: These are the highest civilian honors in India. As of 2020, 3123 people have received them. The words Padma (meaning lotus in Sanskrit) and Vibhushan, Bhushan & Shri find mention in Devanagari above and below a lotus flower on the medal. Geometrical pattern on either side is in burnished bronze while embossing is in gold. These awards are conferred in three categories

Padma Vibhushan- This award is given for exceptional and distinguished service,
Padma Bhushan- It is given for distinguished service of higher order and
Padma Shri- It is given to honor distinguished service.

• History: The awards were instituted in 1954, and are given to citizens of India to recognise their distinguished contribution across various spheres of activity such as education, arts, literature, industry, sports, science, medicine, social service and public affairs. It has also been awarded to some distinguished individuals who contributed to India in various ways but were not citizens of India.
• Criteria: Selection criteria have been criticized in India with the claim that many highly deserving artists have been left out while certain individuals have been favored. So, India has now created an online nomination platform for common citizens to recommend nomination for awards. Nominations are scrutinized by Padma Awards Committee, constituted by Prime Minister every year. Later, awards are presented on the recommendations of this Committee.

National Dolphin Research Centre Patna

• The story: A much-awaited National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC) will come up in Patna.
• Details: The opening of the research centre will be a big step towards conservation of endangered Gangetic River dolphin. To set up the research centre, NDRC is coming up on 4,400 square metre plots of land in premises of Patna University, near banks of River Ganga. Bihar urban development department has already cleared construction of NDRC’s building at a distance of 200 metres from the Ganga. The Bihar forest, environment and climate change department had sought approval for this because construction within 200 metres of Ganga is restricted.
• Project Dolphin: It was started on the lines of Project Tiger, which has helped in increasing tiger population. This initiative got in-principle approval in December 2019 at first meeting of National Ganga Council (NGC), headed by the Prime Minister. This is a “Special Conservation program” taken up to save the Gangetic Dolphin. This project will be implemented by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Concerns: Dolphins' habitat has been threatened and disturbed in River Ganga. Thus, NDRC is now conservation efforts of dolphins. NDRC will provide an opportunity for in-depth research on dolphins including on changing behavior, food habits, survival skills, cause of death and other such aspects. The dolphin is found in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Bihar is home to half of estimated 3,000 Gangetic dolphins in India.
• Gangetic River dolphin: It is India’s national aquatic animal, listed as Schedule I animal under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. It has been declared “endangered” by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Gangetic Dolphin is one among four freshwater dolphin species across world. Other three freshwater dolphins are found in Yangtze River in China (they have extinct now), Indus River in Pakistan and Amazon River in South America. It is blind and finds its way & prey in river waters through echolocation. They prefer water at least five to eight feet deep and are usually found in turbulent waters, where they can find enough fish for them.

India’s first private LNG facility Nagpur

• The story: The Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, inaugurated India’s first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility plant at Nagpur.
• Details: While inaugurating the plant, Minister emphasized on importance of alternate biofuels and diversification of agriculture towards energy & power sector. There is now a policy that encourages development of imports substitute, cost-effective, pollution-free and indigenous ethanol, LNG, bio CNG and hydrogen fuels. The surplus in rice, corn and sugar can be used as alternative fuel in order to prevent it from going to waste. A decision will be taken in three months to make flex engines mandatory for automobile manufacturers especially in four-wheelers and two-wheelers. He said several countries like USA, Canada and Brazil already have them.
• Liquefied natural gas (LNG): It is natural gas, mainly methane (CH4) with some mixture of ethane (C2H6), that has been cooled down to liquid form for easier non-pressurized storage & transport. It takes up around 1/600th of volume of natural gas in gaseous state. It is odorless, colorless, non-toxic and non-corrosive gas. It is produced from hydrocarbon deposits containing a wide range of hydrocarbon products like methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8) and butane (C4H10). These products have wide boiling points and different heating values which allow for different routes of commercialization. Acidic elements like hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) along with oil, mud, water, and mercury, are removed from LNG to deliver clean sweetened stream of gas.

Wimbledon Tennis Championship Title 2021

• The story: Remarkably consistent player Novak Djokovic won his 6th Grand Slam Wimbledon Tennis Championship Title 2021.
• Details: The Wimbledon Championship 2021 was in its 134th edition, 53rd Open Era, and the third Grand Slam Tournament of 2021. The Championship tournament in 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic for the first time since World War II. This tournament started on June 28, 2021 for which finals were played in London, England on July 11, 2021. Novak Djokovic turned out to be men’s singles defending champion. Roger Federer, with 8 titles, won maximum number of titles in 2021 tournament.
• Wimbledon Championship: It is the oldest tennis tournament worldwide and widely regarded as most prestigious championship. It has been held since 1877 at All England Club in Wimbledon, London. It is played on outdoor grass courts, and traditionally taken place over two weeks in late June & early July. In 2015 time of the event moved back by a week to begin in early July.
• Grand Slam: Wimbledon is one among four Grand Slam tennis tournaments. Other tournaments are Australian Open, French Open and US Open. Wimbledon is the only major tournament which is still played on traditional tennis playing surface, Grass.
• Novak Djokovic: He is a Serbian professional tennis player, ranked as world No. 1 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He has been No. 1 for record of 329 weeks. He has also finished as year-end No. 1 on Open Era joint record six occasions. As of now, he has won 20 Grand Slam men’s singles titles and 85 ATP singles titles.

9.1 Today's best editorials to read

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

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• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

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