Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 16-07-2021

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 16-07-2021

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Environment Ecology and Climate Change - New Global Biodiversity Framework - A new Global Biodiversity Framework by "The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)" was released. It will guide actions worldwide through 2030, to preserve and protect nature and its essential services to people. The goal is to spur urgent and transformative action by Governments and all of society to contribute to the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, its Protocols, and other biodiversity related multilateral agreements, processes and instruments. The framework is built around a theory of change which recognizes that urgent policy action globally, regionally and nationally is required to transform economic, social and financial models. The trends that have exacerbated biodiversity loss will stabilize in the next 10 years (by 2030) and allow for the recovery of natural ecosystems in the following 20 years, with net improvements by 2050 to achieve the Convention’s vision of “living in harmony with nature by 2050”. The four long-term goals are - (i) Enhanced integrity of all ecosystems; (ii) Valuing, maintaining or enhancing Nature’s contributions to people through conservation and sustainable use; (iii) Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the utilization of genetic resources; and (iv) Closing the gap between available financial and other means of implementation, and those necessary to achieve the 2050 Vision.
2. Defence and Military - National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC) - Two decades after the Kargil Group of Ministers’ recommendation, the Central government shall create and appoint a National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC) with the objective of enhancing security architecture and energy security of India. The NMSC will work under Indian National Security Advisor (NSA), and will be the principal advisor to the government on maritime security domain. This appointment fills the need of the hour as the Navy, Coast Guard and state maritime boards all tend to work with overlapping jurisdictions. It is part of Act East Policy vision that includes SAGAR (Security and Growth of All in the Region), Deep Ocean Mission and the Sagarmala project to make India’s 12 major ports into world class standard. Over 70% of Indian trade including vital crude oil is transported through sea and protection of sea shipping lanes is vital to India’s security.
3. Environment Ecology and Climate Change - China’s carbon trading market commences - China’s long-awaited carbon market started trading on 16th July. The emissions-trading system—which is the world’s largest—was first announced in 2017. Initially the market covers some 2,225 power plants that use fossil fuels, which produce between one-third and one-half of the country’s entire emissions. But it will not do much to aid the Chinese government’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2060. China has prioritised participation over the immediate reduction of emissions. Companies get large quotas to let them keep spewing out lots of carbon; fines for breaching the rules are low. Carbon prices started at less than 15% of Europe’s. The Chinese government says that it intends to expand the market rapidly. For now, it will not change the country’s status as the biggest polluter in the world.
4. Indian Economy - Longevity Finance Hub - The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has constituted an Expert Committee to recommend approach towards development of Longevity Finance Hub in GIFT IFSC. The expert committee is being co-chaired by Ms. Kaku Nakhate (Bank of America India Head) and Mr. Gopalan Srinivasan (former CMD, New India Assurance Company). The IFSCA was established as a unified regulator to develop and regulate financial products, financial services, and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) in India. ‘Longevity Finance Hub’ will cater to the investment and wealth management needs of the ‘silver generation’ comprising individuals aged 60 years and older. Global estimates suggest that there are one billion people in the silver generation. Their combined spending power is worth $15 trillion and the size is ever expanding.
5. People and Personalities - Death of a remarkable photo journalist - A Reuters photojournalist was killed in Afghanistan during a clash between the army and Taliban fighters, on 16th July. Danish Siddiqui was embedded with Afghan special forces near the Wesh-Chaman border crossing with Pakistan, which was taken by the Taliban on 14th-15th. The crossing is strategically important to the Taliban—much of their leadership is based in Balochistan province, on the Pakistani side, as are many of their reservists. Danish's death was mourned by leading Ministers of Indian government, though many were critical of his work during Covid's second wave that ravaged India. Danish had taken elaborate set of pictures of the vast funerals that were avoided by mainstream media generally. His pictures of the mass graves along river Ganga's banks in UP had caused a stir.
6. World Politics - Merkel and Biden - During what was probably her last visit to the White House as chancellor, Mrs Merkel and Joe Biden failed to reach a compromise over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Germany vigorously supports the controversial pipeline—which would bring natural gas from Russia to the German coast—but America argues it would hand ever more power to Vladimir Putin, Russia’s autocratic president. Separately, chancellor Merkel promised “all the power of the state” to help people affected by severe floods thought to have killed more than 100 people in Germany and Belgium. More than a thousand are still missing. Heavy rain inundated Belgium, western Germany and the Netherlands, causing flash floods that caught both residents and officials by surprise. More rain is forecast for today.
7. Science and Technology - UV-C Air Duct Disinfection System - The UV-C air duct disinfection system developed by CSIR-CSIO (Central Scientific Instruments Organisation) will be installed in Parliament for the mitigation of airborne transmission of SARS-COV-2. This system is designed to fit into any existing air-ducts and the virucidal dosages using UV-C intensity and residence time can be optimised according to the existing space. Uses - This system deactivates the virus in any aerosol particles by the calibrated levels of UV-C light (wavelength 254 nm). It can be used to disinfect the air in auditoriums, malls, educational Institutions, AC buses, hospitals, laboratories, and in railways. But these conventional germicidal treatments are done in unoccupied rooms as they can cause health problems. Because viruses and bacteria are much smaller than human cells, far-UVC light can reach their DNA and kill them. Finding - When exposed to 222 nm UV-C irradiation at 0.1 mW/cm2 for 30-seconds, 99.7% of SARS-CoV-2 viral culture was killed.
8. Governance and Institutions - Draft Drone Rules, 2021 - Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has released the updated – The Drone Rules, 2021 for public consultation. The Drone Rules, 2021 will replace the UAS Rules 2021 (released on 12 March 2021). Approvals abolished include unique authorisation number, unique prototype identification number, certificate of conformance, certificate of maintenance, import clearance, etc. Number of forms reduced from 25 to 6. Fee reduced to nominal levels. No linkage with the size of the drone. Safety features like ‘No permission – no take-off’ (NPNT), real-time tracking beacon, geo-fencing etc. to be notified in future. A six-month lead time will be provided for compliance. Digital sky platform shall be developed as a business-friendly single-window online system. Interactive airspace map with green, yellow, and red zones will be displayed on the digital sky platform. Yellow zone reduced from 45 km to 12 km from the airport perimeter. No flight permission required upto 400 feet in green zones and upto 200 feet in the area between 8 and 12 km from the airport perimeter. No pilot licence required for micro drones (for non-commercial use), nano drone and for R&D organisations. No restriction on drone operations by foreign-owned companies registered in India. Coverage of drones under Drone Rules, 2021 increased from 300 kg to 500 kg. This will cover drone taxis also. Maximum penalty under Drone Rules, 2021 reduced to INR 1 lakh. This shall, however, not apply to penalties in respect of violation of other laws. Drone corridors will be developed for cargo deliveries. Drone promotion council to be set up to facilitate a business-friendly regulatory regime.
9. Constitution and Law - IT Act's Section 66A meets its end finally - The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has requested States and Union Territories (UTs)to direct all police stations under their jurisdiction not to register cases under the repealed Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. It asked the States and UTs to sensitize law enforcement agencies for the compliance of the order issued by the Supreme Court on 24.03.2015. The MHA requested that if any case has been booked in States and UTs under section 66A of the IT Act, 2000, such cases should be immediately withdrawn. The Supreme Court in its judgment on 24.03.2015 in the matter of Shreya Singhal Vs. Union of India, had struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. This made Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 null and void with effect from the date of the order, therefore 24.03.2015 and hence no action could be taken under this section.
10. Religion - Haj 2021: A socially distanced pilgrimage - The world’s 1.9 bn Muslims are asked to observe the ritual of visiting Mecca once in their lifetime. Doing so is considered a sacred duty. That means almost 30 m Muslims each year should go on the pilgrimage. This year, when haj begins on July 18th, just 60,000 will do so. For a second year running, Saudi Arabia has banned foreigners from visiting and curtailed footfall because of the covid-19 pandemic. Tourism across the Middle East is down by 80%. Millions have lost their jobs. But that has not dimmed the ambition of Muhammad bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince who announced the launch of a new national airline, Flynas. And he is spending billions of dollars on resorts along the Red Sea coast. He wants tourism and a new entertainment industry to haul the kingdom out of obscurantism. The longer the global closure, he believes, the more time the kingdom has to catch up.

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• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

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

Centre releases Rs.75,000 crore as GST compensation

• The story: The government has borrowed, and given to the states, a sum of  Rs.75,000 crore to make up for the shortfall in their revenues because of the GST implementation. The amount released is about half of the Rs.1.59 lakh crore agreed to be borrowed in the fiscal FY22 by Centre and passed on to the states and Union Territories, on a back-to-back basis to meet their resource gap. This is front-loading, to help states spend on capital expenditure, needed to boost GDP growth during pandemic slowdown.
• Details: This amount released is in addition to the normal GST compensation paid bi-monthly to states out of the collections made from the levy of a cess on luxury and sin goods.

1. The Finance Minister said, “Almost 50 per cent of the total shortfall for the entire year released in a single instalment”.
2. The Centre estimated the shortfall in GST compensation payable to the states in the current fiscal at Rs 2.59 lakh crore, of which about Rs 1.59 lakh crore would have to be borrowed now.
3. The Centre expects to collect over Rs.1 lakh crore through cess on luxury, demerit and sin goods, which will be given to the states to compensate them for the shortfall in revenue arising out of the GST implementation.
4. The remaining Rs 1.59 lakh crore is to be borrowed.

• GST Council meeting: In the May 28 GST meeting, it was decided that the central government would borrow Rs 1.59 lakh crore and release it to states and UTs with the legislature on a back-to-back basis to meet the resource gap. This gap arose due to the short release of compensation on account of the inadequate amount in the compensation fund. That was due to economic slowdown and recession.

1. All eligible states and UTs (with the legislature) agreed to the arrangements for the funding of the compensation shortfall under the back-to-back loan facility.
2. For effective response and management of COVID-19 pandemic and a step-up in capital expenditure, all States and UTs need funds, and hence this step.

• Technicals: The release of Rs 75,000 crore being made now is funded from borrowings of the Centre in 5-year securities, totalling Rs 68,500 crore and 2-year securities for Rs 6,500 crore issued in the current financial year, at a weighted average yield of 5.60 and 4.25 per cent per annum, respectively.
• Tax collections: The release of these funds from the Government of India’s borrowings raised so far, corroborates the inference that healthy tax and non-tax revenues have boosted the cash flows of the central government. In FY 21 too, the Centre had borrowed and released to the states Rs 1.10 lakh crore towards GST compensation. Besides, Rs 70,000 crore was released from the compensation fund. For fiscal 2020-21, about Rs 63,000 crore GST compensation was pending to the states/UTs as of March 30, 2021.
• Summary: It is clear that the compensation cess will have to be extended beyond the first five-year period 2017-2022. 

 US Fed Chairman Powell on 'unique inflation'

• The story: The Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell defended the central bank’s stance to keep providing support to the US economy even as inflation ran high. He said that this was a shock going through the system associated with the reopening of the economy and it’s driven inflation well above 2 per cent, and the Fed was not comfortable with that.
• Unique in history: Powell called the price developments “unique” in history and said the central bank was watching closely to see whether its expectation that the high inflation will prove temporary is correct, or whether it threatens to be longer lasting.

1. Consumer prices soared in June '21 by the most since 2008 and were up 5.4 per cent from the same month last year.
2. Powell’s remarks before Congress come right before President Joe Biden decides whether to give him another four years at the Fed helm or pick someone else.

• Economic situation: The US economy is recovering strongly from the pandemic-driven swoon, with economists forecasting growth clocked in at a double-digit annualised pace in the second quarter.
• CBDC: Powell also said he had not made up his own mind on the merits or demerits of a central bank digital currency, but he would want authorisation from Congress before taking any action to create one. But the Fed would like to see broad-based support before taking that leap.
• Other central banks: Meanwhile, stimulus-induced inflation is forcing others to think of cutting back stimulus measures now, including the Bank of England (BoE).

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

EU's climate masterplan for humanity - 'Fit for 55'

• The story: The European Commission’s long-awaited ‘Fit for 55’ package, intended to facilitate a European Union greenhouse gas emissions cut of 55% by 2030 compared to 1990, has as its core mission to turn the 2020s into a transformative decade for climate action.
• Details: The EU unveiled a sweeping new legislation (on 14th July) to help meet its pledge to cut emissions of the gases that cause global warming by 55 per cent over this decade. It includes a controversial plan to tax foreign companies for the pollution they cause, viz., the CBAM. The proposals by the EU's executive branch, the European Commission, range from the de-facto phasing out of gasoline and diesel cars by 2035 to new national limits on gases from heating buildings. European Commission's President is Ursula von der Leyen.

1. They will involve a revamp of the bloc's emissions trading scheme under which companies pay for carbon dioxide they emit and introduce taxes on shipping and aviation fuels for the first time.
2. The new legislation will involve around a dozen major proposals most of them building on laws already in place to meet the EU's old goal of a 40 per cent cut in gas emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels and must be endorsed by the 27 member countries and EU lawmakers.

• Paris deal: World leaders agreed six years ago in Paris to keep the global warming increase to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and ideally no more than 1.5 degrees C (2.7 F) by the end of the century. Scientists say both goals will be missed by a wide margin unless drastic steps are taken to begin cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
• Logic in any deal: The principle is simple: emission of CO2 must have a price; a price on CO2 that incentivizes consumers, producers and innovators to choose the clean technologies, to go toward the clean and sustainable products.

1. The aim of the "Fit for 55 legislation" is to ween the continent off fossil fuels and take better care of the environment by policy design, rather than be forced into desperate measures at some future climatic tipping point, when it's all but too late.
2. The commission wants to exploit the public mood for change provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic. It's already channeling more than a third of a massive recovery package aimed at reviving European economies ravaged by coronavirus restrictions into climate-oriented goals.
3. The infernos and hurricanes seen in June July are only a very small window into what our future could look like. But by acting now, when humanity still has the policy choices, it can do things another way.

• Corporate reactions: Given the implications, the proposals will evoke lobbying from industry and environmental groups as they pass through the legislative process over at least the next year. They'll also be met with resistance because of the very different energy mixes in member countries, ranging from coal-reliant Poland to nuclear-dependent France.

1. Among the most controversial elements is a plan for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). It will impose duties on foreign companies, and so increase the price of certain goods, notably steel, aluminum, concrete and fertilizer. The aim is to ease pressure on European producers that cut emissions but struggle to compete with importers that don't have the same environmental restrictions.
2. The question is how the EU known for its staunch defense of open trade will ensure that the carbon tax will comply with World Trade Organization rules and not be considered a protectionist measure.
3. Another concern is the need to help those likely to be hit by rising energy prices, and the commission is proposing to set up a social climate fund worth several billion euros to help those who might be hardest hit. This fund will support income and it will support investments to tackle energy poverty and to cut bills for vulnerable households and small businesses, von der Leyen said.

• Summary: Under Fit for 55, a drastic acceleration in sales of battery-powered cars is likely as the EU aims for a 100per cent reduction in auto emissions of C02. The new measures will start to bite in the next several years, with a 55per cent reduction in average fleet carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 compared to 2021.

China's carbon trading exchange starts

• The story: Trading on the first national carbon exchange began on 16th July, in a step meant to help curb worsening pollution.
• Details: The experimental first phase of carbon trading started at the Shanghai Environment and Energy Exchange includes some 2,000 companies in the power industry that produce about 40% of China’s emissions. Soon, other major emitters will be added, such as airlines, the building materials industry and iron and steel makers.
• Worldwide need: China is the biggest carbon emitter, but President Xi Jinping said September 2020 that output should peak in 2030 and then decline. He said China should achieve “carbon neutrality,” or zero total output after measures to remove carbon or offset emissions are counted, by 2060. The Communist Party resisted adopting any binding limits on carbon emissions, saying China has to focus first on economic development. India too has adopted a similar attitude, saying clearly that it will not be forced into accepting unrealistic net zero goals.
• Technical details: At the Shanghai exchange, companies will be assigned emissions quotas and can sell the surplus if their output comes in under that level. The goal is to create financial incentives for companies to reduce emissions.

1. To start, the market should have “modest transaction volumes and prices” because companies have plenty of credits and there is no cap on emissions
2. China has had regional carbon trading markets as pilot projects for several years
3. In earlier years, European power utilities and other companies paid for Chinese polluters to add wind, hydro and solar generating capacity in exchange for being allowed to increase their own emissions. The European Union ended that after it failed to slow the rise of Chinese emissions.

• Don't be too optimistic: The carbon market is unlikely to deliver immediate reductions. The first year would be about getting the process working. If it is streamlined, then it will grow big in years to come. The European Union unveiled a proposed revamp of its emissions trading program in July 2021, as part of sweeping legislation to cut emissions of gases that cause global warming.

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

South African violence spreads

• The story: Widespread riots and looting in South Africa left many dead, hurt thousands of businesses and damaged major infrastructure. It was the worst civil unrest since the end of white minority rule in 1994.
• Reasons: The protests began over calls for release of former president Jacob Zuma, who served the country from 2009-18 and is facing corruption charges. Former Cabinet ministers, high-ranking government officials and executives of state-owned enterprises have implicated Jacob Zuma in corruption.

1. Many feel that his successor as president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has failed to provide decisive leadership - either to calm anger over Zuma's imprisonment or to reassure South Africans that they will be safe.
2. While the violence may have been spurred on by the imprisonment of Jacob Zuma, it’s being fanned by underlying problems in the country amid a raging pandemic and failing economy. In 2020, the country had witnessed its sharpest decline in annual Gross Domestic Product since 1946.
3. Unemployment stood at a record high of 32.6% in the first three months of 2021.

• Official response: The government condemned the violence and stated that there was no justification for it. A lot of criminals or opportunistic individuals are trying to enrich themselves during this period. It deployed the army to support the South African police, but the rioting and looting did not stop immediately.
• India- South Africa relations: India’s links with the struggle for freedom and justice in South Africa date back to the period during which Mahatma Gandhi started his Satyagraha movement in South Africa over a century ago. India was at the forefront of the international community in its support to the anti-apartheid movement; it was the first country to sever trade relations with the apartheid Government (in 1946) and subsequently imposed a complete - diplomatic, commercial, cultural and sports - embargo on South Africa. After a gap of four decades, India re-established trade and business ties in 1993, after South Africa ended its institutionalised racial segregation (apartheid). In November 1993, diplomatic and consular relations were restored.
• Political relations: After South Africa achieved democracy in 1994, it was the Red Fort Declaration on Strategic Partnership between India and South Africa, signed in March 1997 which set the parameters for a rekindled relationship. The "Strategic Partnership" between the two countries was again reaffirmed in the Tshwane Declaration (October 2006).

1. Both these declarations were instrumental in helping the nations in their respective national objectives.
2. India and South Africa have a long history of working together by coordinating their views and efforts in institutions of global governance/multilateral fora, in order to achieve greater autonomy and ensure that the agenda of ‘South’ is prioritised.
3. Examples include BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), IBSA (India, Brazil, and South Africa), G20 , Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and World Trade Organisation (WTO).

• Economic relations: India is South Africa’s fifth-largest export destination, and fourth-largest import origin and is the second-largest trading partner in Asia. Both are working to boost trade volumes in the coming years. Bilateral trade between India and South Africa currently stands at USD 10 billion. In 2016 both the countries agreed to collaborate in the defence sector, especially in terms of the opportunities available for South African private sector under ‘Make in India’ initiative, energy sector, agro-processing, human resource development, and infrastructure development.
• Science & technology: The Department of Science and Technology of both countries have collaborated, especially in the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project.
• Indian community: The major part of the Indian origin community came to South Africa from 1860 onwards as farm labour to serve as field hands and mill operatives in the sugar and other agricultural plantations. South Africa is home to the highest number of Indian Diaspora in the African continent, with a total strength of 1,218,000 thereby constituting 3% of South Africa’s total population. Since 2003 onwards, India has celebrated Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) each year on 9th January (the day Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa to India).
• Summary: India-South Africa partnership is progressive and forward looking, and despite search for new partners, this bond should strengthen with time.

Foreign affairs update - 16th July 2021

• Lebanon’s political crisis: Lebanon’s PM-designate Saad Hariri gave up on forming a new government, nine months after President Michel Aoun handed him the task. Hariri said that he and Aoun had failed to agree on the makeup of a new cabinet, forcing the three-time prime minister to resign. Aoun’s office challenged Hariri’s version of events, saying his unwillingness to negotiate was a sign he had “taken a prior decision to resign.” Hariri’s decision has sent Lebanon’s already depressed currency tumbling and means the country is approaching almost one year without a functioning government.
• US won't ease ban on remittances to Cuba amid unrest over economy: US President Joe Biden said his administration will not ease restrictions on remittances sent from US residents to relatives in Cuba because Cuban government will likely confiscate the money. Thousands of Cubans took part in the biggest anti-government protest in Cuba in recent years to express dissatisfaction with what they believe to be a lack of freedom and a degrading economic situation in the country. Some protesters demanded that free elections be held. In 2019, the Trump administration imposed restrictions on remittances sent from the United States to Cuba in order to deny the Cuban government access to hard currency. US restrictions on trade with Cuba date back to the island nation's communist revolution in the late 1950s and involve at least a half dozen different US laws. President Barack Obama took steps to normalize bilateral relations with the island, but many of those steps were reversed by the Trump administration.
• EU sues Hungary and Poland: The European Commission has launched legal actions against EU member states Hungary and Poland over recent laws and resolutions adopted by the two countries attacking LGBT people. The EU accuses Hungary of violating the bloc’s rules on non-discrimination over a new law banning content that portrays homosexuality for those under 18. Poland stands accused of breaking EU rules due to a number of regions and municipalities adopting resolutions on “LGBT-ideology free zones.” Both countries have two months to respond to the EU’s arguments.
• Taliban cease-fire: The Taliban has reportedly offered the Afghan government a three-month cease-fire in return for a new prisoner exchange. Government said that “The Taliban has offered a plan for a three-month cease-fire, but in exchange they have asked for the release of 7,000 of their prisoners and the removal of their leaders from the UN blacklist.” A Taliban spokesman denied making the overture. Violence continued unabated, and a leading photojournalist of Reuters, Danish Siddiqui from India, was shot dead by Talibanis while he was covering the skirmishes.
• Global vaccine divide: As cases looked likely to increase across the African continent for a ninth straight week, the WHO renewed calls to rich countries to ditch plans for booster vaccine shots in favor of sharing their stockpiles. While the United States and the European Union have given at least one dose to approximately 55 percent of their populations, fewer than 3 percent of Africa’s residents have received a single dose.

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

15th July - World Youth Skill Day

• The story: 15th July each year is observed as the World Youth Skills Day, designated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2014.
• Points to learn: The goal is to help equip young people around the world with essential skills for employment, work, and entrepreneurship.

1. To achieve the Incheon Declaration - Education 2030, "which devotes considerable attention to technical and vocational skills development, specifically regarding access to affordable quality technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions."
2. This vision is fully captured by Sustainable Development Goal-4, which aims to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
3. To eliminate gender disparity.

• 2021 theme: It was - ‘Reimagining Youth Skills Post-Pandemic’.
• Youth and schools in pandmeic: According to UNESCO, schools were shut down for over 30 weeks in 50% of the countries between March 2020 and May 2021. The format of distance learning was the most common way of imparting skills. Youth employment fell 8.7% in 2020, compared with 3.7% for adults.
• India: The PM announced the 75 newly sanctioned Jan Shikshan Sansthans ((JJSs) and also launched a portal made specifically for JSS. The JSSs aim to provide vocational training to non-literates, neo-literates as well as school dropouts in rural areas, by identifying skills that might be relevant to the market of that region. The curriculum was launched of 57 new courses aligned with industry demand.
• Programmes in India: Over the decades, governments have tried many things.

1. Industrial Training Centres (ITIs): Conceptualized in the year 1950, aims to expand and modernize the existing Long-Term Training ecosystem in India.
2. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): Launched in 2015, it aims to provide free skill training avenues to youths of India.
3. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 3.0: It is launched 2021 in a bid to empower India’s youth with employable skills by making over 300 skill courses available to them.
4. Skill Management and Accreditation of Training Centres (SMART): It provides a single window IT application that focuses on the accreditation, grading, Affiliation and Continuous monitoring of the Training Centres (TC) in the skill ecosystem.
5. Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood (SANKALP): Its focus is on district-level skilling ecosystem through convergence and coordination. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme which is collaborated with the World Bank.
6. Pradhan Mantri YUVA Yojana (Yuva Udyamita Vikas Abhiyan): Launched in the year 2016, it aims at creating an enabling ecosystem for Entrepreneurship development through Entrepreneurship education and training; Advocacy and easy access to entrepreneurship support network and Promoting social enterprises for inclusive growth.

Odisha scheme for children who lost parents in Covid

• The story: With several children having been orphaned since 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic struck, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched a scheme to provide financial aid to all kids who have lost one or both their parents, no matter what the cause.
• Ashirbad: The beneficiaries of the 'Ashirbad' scheme - applicable from April, 2020 - are divided into three categories - (i) those who have been orphaned, (ii) ones who have to move to welfare homes for want of a caretaker, and (iii) children who have lost their earning parent.

1. Under the scheme, the government will be doling out Rs 2,500 per month for every kid who has been orphaned due to loss of one or both the parents.
2. The amount will be transferred to the bank accounts of guardians or caretakers of the beneficiaries till they attain the age of 18 years.
3. If such children have to shift to childcare institutions in the absence of a caretaker, an additional amount of Rs 1,000 will be allotted for them every month.
4. Similarly, children who have experienced the death of the earning parent will be given Rs 1,500 each. Their mothers, if eligible for the Madhu Babu Pension Scheme, will be provided allowances on a priority basis.
5. All such kids will be able to avail benefits of Centre and state-run food schemes and free medical services under the BJD dispensation's Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana.

• Continuing support: The state government will facilitate their education at respective schools. If required, arrangements will be made for admission of such children in Adarsh Vidyalayas and central schools. They will receive assistance for higher education under the state's 'Green Passage' scheme.

1. Keeping their overall wellbeing in mind, the state has also decided to give approval for pucca houses under various schemes to the guardians and caretakers of these kids.
2. The 'Ashirbad' scheme, however, will not be applicable for kids who have been adopted by someone.

• Summary: The CM directed the district child protection units, Childline, block and panchayat-level committees and frontline workers to ensure that no beneficiary is left out. The district collectors will launch a special drive every year to identify in their jurisdiction all children who are distressed due to loss of parents. Guardians and caretakers have been asked to approach child protection units with death certificates to avail benefits under the 'Ashirbad' scheme, the statement added.

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

Judicial infrastructure in India

• The story: The Union government approved continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for "Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary (DIFJ)" for five more years, to 2026, at a total cost of Rs. 9000 crore. Of this, Rs.50 crore will be allocated for Gram Nyayalayas Scheme through National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms.
• National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms: It was approved by the Union Government in June 2011, to increase access to justice by reducing delays and arrears in the system and enhance accountability through structural changes and by
• Learnings and details: The CSS for DIFJ has been in operation since 1993-94. This continuation will help in construction of 3800 court halls and 4000 residential units (both new and ongoing projects) for judicial officers of District and Subordinate Courts, 1450 lawyer halls, 1450 toilets complexes and 3800 digital computer rooms.

1. It will help in improving the functioning and performance of the Judiciary in the country and will be a new step towards building better courts for a new India.
2. The upgraded “Nyaya Vikas-2.0” web portal and mobile application is used for monitoring physical and financial progress of CSS judicial infrastructure projects by geo-tagging completed and ongoing projects.

• Gram Nyayalayas: The village courts are established under the Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 for speedy and easy access to the justice system in the rural areas of India, and the Act came into force from 2nd October 2009.

1. A Gram Nyayalaya has jurisdiction over an area specified by a notification by the State Government in consultation with the respective High Court.
2. The Court can function as a mobile court at any place within the jurisdiction of such Gram Nyayalaya, after giving wide publicity to that regard.
3. They have both civil and criminal jurisdiction over the offences.
4. The Gram Nyayalaya Portal helps online monitoring of working of the Gram Nyayalayas by the implementing states.

• Indian judiciary's issues: First, the judge-population ratio in the country is quite low, at just 20 judges per million citizens. For many other countries, the ratio is about 50-70 judges per million people.

1. Since the pandemic began, court proceedings in India have started taking place virtually also. Earlier the role of technology in the judiciary was not appreciated much.
2. The vacant posts are not filled up as expeditiously as required. The process of judicial appointment is delayed due to delay in recommendations by the collegium for the higher judiciary.
3. Delays in recruitment made by the state commission/high courts for lower judiciary leads to poor justice delivery.
4. Frequent adjournments are granted by the courts to the advocates which leads to unnecessary delays in justice.

• Summary: The CSS Scheme will increase the availability of well-equipped Court Halls and Residential Accommodations for Judges/Judicial Officers of District and Subordinate Courts all over the country. Continued assistance to the Gram Nyayalayas will also give impetus to providing speedy, substantial and affordable justice to the common man at his doorstep.

Full story of sedition and Section 124A, IPC

• The story: India's sedition law is a colonial era law, which is often allegedly used to quell protests and to quieten criticism. Since it carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, and the police can arrest individuals without a warrant, it is quite a draconian law!
• Recent developments: The sedition law was amended after Independence, but made more stringent and not scrapped. Recent trends in the Supreme Court show that it is inclined towards a comprehensive review of this law now.
• History: The sedition law in India was not a part of the primary Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, but was introduced late in 1870. The UK also repealed the law in Britain in 2009.

1. Under Section 124A of IPC, the "offence of sedition" is committed when any person by words or otherwise brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law.
2. Three explanations prescribe that while “disaffection” shall include disloyalty and all feelings of enmity, comments without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, will not constitute an offence.
3. Sedition is a cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable offence under the law, entailing life imprisonment as maximum punishment, with or without a fine.

• How the Brits used it: It was used to silence nationalist voices and demands for freedom. The long list of India’s national heroes who figured as accused in cases of sedition includes Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh and Jawaharlal Nehru.

1. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was the first person to be convicted of sedition in colonial India. The British government brought the charge alleging articles carried in Tilak’s Marathi newspaper Kesari would encourage people to foil the government’s efforts at curbing the plague epidemic in India. In 1897, Tilak was punished by the Bombay high court for sedition under Section 124A and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Later, Section 124A was given different interpretations by the Federal Court, which began functioning in 1937, and the Privy Council that was the highest court of appeal based in London.
2. In Niharendu Dutt Majumdar Vs King Emperor, 1942, the Federal Court held that “public disorder or the reasonable anticipation or likelihood of public disorder is the gist of the offence.” But this proposition was overturned by the Privy Council in King Emperor Vs Sadashiv Narayan Bhalerao, 1947. The Privy Council lent credence to the law laid down in Tilak’s case and ruled that incitement to violence was not a pre-requisite for the crime of sedition.

• Sedition law after Independence: After 1947, “sedition” was dropped from the Constitution in 1948 after discussions of the Constituent Assembly. KM Munshi moved an amendment to remove the word “sedition” that was included in the draft Constitution as a ground to impose restrictions on constitutional freedom of speech and expression. The word “sedition” was erased from the Constitution, and Article 19(1)(a) gave absolute freedom of speech and expression. But the Section 124A continued to stay in the IPC.
• Nehru's action: In 1951, Jawaharlal Nehru brought in the first amendment of the Constitution to limit the freedom under Article 19(1)(a) and enacted Article 19(2) to empower the State put curbs in the form of “reasonable restrictions” on right to free speech.
• Indira's action: She made Section 124A a cognisable offence in the new Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which came into force in 1974 and repealed the colonial-era 1898 Code of Criminal Procedure. Now, sedition was made a cognisable offence authorising the police to make arrests without a warrant.
• Important cases: Sedition law was tested for the first time in the then Punjab high court in 1951 in "Tara Singh Gopi Chand Vs The State". The high court held that Section 124A was indisputably a restriction on the freedom of speech and expression, and invalidated the provision. This prompted Nehru to bring the amendment.

1. But in 1954, the Patna high court, in "Debi Soren & Ors Vs The State", upheld the validity of Section 124A, holding that the law does not violate Article 19.
2. Four years on, the Allahabad high court declared Section 124A void in the case of "Ram Nandan Vs State", and held that the government must be ready to face a strong opposition apart from popular approval or disapproval.

• Kedar Nath case: The confusion was settled by the Supreme Court by its judgment in Kedar Nath case in 1962. It upheld the validity of the sedition law under IPC, holding that the purpose of the crime of sedition was to prevent the government established by law from being subverted because “the continued existence of the Government established by law is an essential condition of the stability of the State”. But it also defined the scope of Section 124A and held that Section 124A only penalised words that reveal an intent or tendency to disturb law and order or that seem to incite violence. It underlined that the presence of a pernicious tendency to incite violence is a pre-condition to invoke the sedition clause and that the penal provision cannot be used to stifle free speech.
• Recent cases: In the "Balwant Singh & Anr Vs State of Punjab" case, 1995, the SC dropped sedition charges against two men who raised slogans in favour of an independent Sikh majority State outside a cinema hall in the aftermath of the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi. The court ruled in favour of the accused, pointing out that acts did not amount to sedition since the slogans did not lead to any disturbance, and was not likely to incite any violence in the minds of the target audience. Then, by two judgments in 2011, the Supreme Court unambiguously stated yet again that only speech that amounts to “incitement to imminent lawless action” can be criminalised. In "Indra Das Vs State of Assam" and "Arup Bhuyan Vs State of Assam", the SC held that mere membership of a banned organisation cannot incriminate a person unless he is proved to have resorted to acts of violence. The Law Commission of India, in its consultation paper on sedition, published in August 2018, also observed that while retaining the offence of sedition was essential to protect national integrity, it should not be used as a tool to curb free speech.
• Summary: Data from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) show a rise in sedition cases and those under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act but a steady dip in convictions. It is clearly time for a detailed review, as the CJI NV Ramana pointed out in July 2021.

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

Few-Electron bubbles in Superfluid helium gas

• The story: Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Banglore for the first time discovered two species of Few-Electron Bubbles (FEBs) in Superfluid Helium Gas.
• Helium: It is a chemical element with the symbol He and atomic number 2. The British chemist Sir William Ramsay discovered the existence of helium on Earth in 1895. It is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas, the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table. Its boiling point is the lowest among all the elements.
• Electrons: All matter is made up of atoms, the basic units of chemical elements such as hydrogen, helium or oxygen. These are made up of three particles: Protons, Neutrons and Electrons, of which electrons are the subatomic particles that orbit the nucleus of an atom. They are generally negative in charge and much smaller than the nucleus.
• Electron Bubble: An electron bubble is the empty space created around a free electron in a cryogenic gas or liquid, such as neon or helium. They are typically very small, about 2 nm in diameter at atmospheric pressure. An electron injected into a superfluid form of helium creates a Single Electron Bubble (SEB) — a cavity that is free of helium atoms and contains only the electron. The shape of the bubble depends on the energy state of the electron. For instance, the bubble is spherical when the electron is in the ground state (i.e. state of lowest energy). There are also multiple electron bubbles that contain thousands of electrons.
• Superfluidity: It is the frictionless flow and other exotic behaviour observed in liquid helium at temperatures near absolute zero (−273.15 °C), and similar frictionless behaviour of electrons in a superconducting solid. In each case the unusual behaviour arises from quantum mechanical effects.
• Few-Electron Bubbles: FEBs are nanometre-sized cavities in liquid helium containing just a handful of free electrons. The number, state, and interactions between free electrons dictate the physical and chemical properties of materials. FEBs form an interesting system that has both electron-electron interaction and electron-surface interaction. FEBs were found to be stable for at least 15 milliseconds (quantum changes typically happen at much shorter time scales) which would enable researchers to trap and study them.
• Study properties: FEBs can serve as a useful model to study how the energy states of electrons and interactions between them in a material influence its properties. There are several phenomena that FEBs can help scientists decipher, such as (i) Turbulent flows in superfluids and viscous fluids, or (ii) the flow of heat in superfluid helium. Just like how current flows without resistance in superconducting materials at very low temperatures, superfluid helium also conducts heat efficiently at very low temperatures.

Suborbital flights

• The story: In July 2021, a six person crew on Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity spaceship undertook a brief trip to the “edge of space” which is known as Suborbital Flight.
• People: Ms. Sirisha Bandla, an astronaut born in India, was a part of the crew. She was the third woman of Indian origin to go to space after Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams. Virgin Galactic is a British-American spaceflight company, operating in the United States.
• Suborbital Flight/Trajectory: 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. The satellites need to reach that threshold speed (orbital velocity) in order to orbit Earth. Such a satellite would be accelerating towards the Earth due to gravity, but its horizontal movement is fast enough to offset the downward motion so that it moves along a circular path. Any object travelling slower than 28,000 km/hr must eventually return to Earth. Any object that launches to space but does reach sufficient horizontal velocity to stay in space falls back to Earth. Hence they fly in a suborbital trajectory. So while these vehicles will cross the ill-defined boundary of space, they will not be going fast enough to stay in space once they get there.
• Importance: Such flights would provide increased flight access for design innovation and experimental manipulation due to high projected flight rates. Suborbital flights will be helpful for microgravity research. Microgravity is the condition in which people or objects appear to be weightless. They could also be an alternative to parabolic flights in aeroplanes that space agencies currently use to simulate zero gravity. Zero Gravity or Zero-G can simply be defined as the state or condition of weightlessness. They would be less expensive than carrying experiments and people to the International Space Station.
• Karman Line: The widely accepted boundary of space is known as the Karman line. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) defines Karman Line as the altitude of 100 kilometres above Earth’s mean sea level. The Kármán line has been compared to international waters, as there are no national boundaries and human laws in force beyond the line. It is named after Theodore von Karman (1881–1963), a Hungarian American engineer and physicist, who was active primarily in aeronautics and astronautics.

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

Pandemic and women - how things worsened

• The story: Women are the backbone of society during crises, even as they face the worst impact of such events. The Covid-19 pandemic has badly worsened existing gendered barriers, and widened India’s gender gap in the workforce. It has affected caregivers and frontline workers, largely female.
• Poverty and employment: In poor households, surveys showed a multi-generational impact of poor nutrition, lack of access to contraceptives, and debt. Women were more affected than men by employment issues. Women made up just 24% of those working before the pandemic, yet accounted for 28% of all those who lost their jobs.
• Food insecurity: Loss in incomes for women as well as their households led to reduction in food supply and women were affected more than other members of the family.
• Reproductive health: Women’s health indicators also deteriorated because they could no longer afford contraception and menstrual products. About 16% of women (an estimated 17 million if extrapolated) had to stop using menstrual pads, and more than one in three married women were unable to access contraceptives.
• Unpaid labour: Indian women already do almost three times more unpaid work than Indian men, and the survey showed a 47% increase in unpaid labour for women, and a 41% increase in unpaid care work for women. Women from historically marginalised groups (Muslims, migrants, single/separated/divorced), were more affected than the average woman. The variance is across the board, with more single, separated/divorced women having limited food or running out of food and many more Muslim women losing their income and livelihood. Conditions on the ground are likely to worsen for those women (such as dalit women and transgender individuals) who bear the brunt of social discrmination.
• Much to do to help: Expanding the PDS beyond food as it’s a far-reaching delivery channel, will help. Women’s access to menstrual pads could be revolutionised in this fashion for the short term, improving reach considerably. Bundling free menstrual hygiene products with PDS would relax women’s dependence on income for these essentials. This would go hand-in-hand with national-, state- and district-level awareness drives around menstrual health and hygiene. Enlist Women on MGNREGA job cards to increase the total number of person-days to meet women’s demand for job opportunities. Focus on the inclusion of single, divorced/separated women in the One Nation One Ration Card rollout, and build social assistance programmes for informal workers, specifically domestic workers and casual labourers. The government can build upon and accelerate its existing efforts through Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers, Mission Parivar Vikas, and other schemes to strategically focus on contraceptive usage.
• Summary: One in three women said that government welfare schemes and SHGs had played an important role in helping them navigate the pandemic. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, and the public distribution system (PDS) supported 12 million, 100 million, and 180 million women respectively during the crisis. So, the formula should be universalising, deepening, and extending the government schemes and SHG setups.

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

Twitter shuts down ‘Fleets’

• The story: Global giant Twitter Inc. announced July 14, 2021 that its Fleets feature was being shut down.
• What is it: Twitter is shutting it down because it failed to attract more users. The Fleet feature of twitter was similar to “Instagram’s disappearing stories feature”.

1. It was launched in November 2020 with the aim of targeting people who share thoughts publicly through tweets.
2. The feedback of users indicated some anxieties and Fleets was a way to share fleeting thoughts.
3. Fleets disappear after 24 hours and don’t get Retweets, Likes, or public replies. However, people can only react to Fleets with Direct Messages. Fleets are used by people who are already Tweeting to amplify their own Tweets.

• Twitter's tiff with Indian government: Since January 2021, Twitter has been in a constant tussle with the government over the way information is shared or controlled. It was finally brought under the new IT rules, after a lot of wrangling over what constitutes "free speech guarantee" in the Indian constitution.

PM Fasal Bima Yojana deadline extended

• The story: The Central government agreed to a demand from Maharashtra government to extend cut-off date to enrol farmers from July 15 to July 23 for Kharif season 2021 under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
• Details: The Maharashtra government had requested to extend deadline of Crop Insurance scheme, PMFBY till July 23. State Government has requested to extend cut-off for Kharif 2021 in the aftermath of challenges faced due to COVID-19 pandemic. As per Maharashtra government, 46 lakh farmers have applied for scheme, but many of them are yet to complete enrolment formalities.
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): It was launched on February 18, 2016 by PM Modi, as an insurance cover for farmers for their yields. This scheme was formulated under "One Nation–One Scheme" theme. It replaced two schemes - (i) National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and (ii) Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (MNAIS), and incorporated their best features. It was launched with the aim of reducing premium burden on farmers and ensure early settlement of crop assurance claim. PMFBY is aimed at providing comprehensive insurance cover in case of failure of crop. Thus, it helps stabilising income of farmers.
• Crops insured: It provided cover to all Food & Oilseeds crops and annual commercial or horticultural crops for which past yield data is available. It covers those crops as well for which requisite number of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) are being conducted under General Crop Estimation Survey (GCES). It is implemented by empanelled general insurance companies. Selection of Implementing Agency (IA) is done by concerned State Government by bidding. It is administered by Ministry of Agriculture.

IFSCA and longevity finance hub

• The story: The GIFT-City regulator, IFSCA (International Financial Services Centres Authority), set up an expert committee to suggests on approach towards development of Longevity Finance Hub in Gift-City of Gujarat.
• Details: The expert committee will be co-chaired by Kaku Nakhate, President & Country Head (India) of Bank of America and Gopalan Srinivasan, Ex-CMD of New India Assurance Company Limited. Members of the committee are leaders from entire longevity finance ecosystem and areas like banking, insurance, wealth management, legal, compliance fintech and management consultancy.
• The logic: There are one billion people in silver generation (a global cohort of individuals aged 60 and above) having a combined spending power of $15 trillion. This size is ever expanding. By 2040, there will be more members of silver generation than people under 20. This demographic change will bring about new challenges & opportunities in areas of wealth management, insurance, health, and other investment products. Development in medicinal science and technology will support in extending lifespan and longevity of silver generation. Thus, an expert committee was set up to suggest on same.

Realignment of schemes in Dept of Animal Husbandry & Dairying

• The story: The CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) approved implementation of special livestock sector package comprising of several activities by revising & realigning several components of schemes by government of India.
• Points to note: The package will be implemented for next 5 years from 2021-22, and will help in boosting growth of livestock sector and make animal husbandry more remunerative for 10 crore farmers from this sector.
• Livestock sector package: It is being run with Central Government support of Rs.9800 crore over 5 years to leverage an investment of Rs.54,618 crore for 5 years. The schemes of Department will be merged into three broad categories as Development Programmes. These include - (i) Rashtriya Gokul Mission, (ii) National Livestock Mission (NLM), (iii) National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), and (iv) Livestock Census & Integrated Sample Survey (LC & ISS) as sub-schemes.
• Rashtriya Gokul Mission: This will help in development & conservation of indigenous breeds. It will also contribute in improving economic condition of rural poor.
• National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) scheme: It targets installing 8900 bulk milk coolers, providing benefits to 8 lakh milk producers. Under the scheme, 20 LLPD milk will be additionally procured. Benefits will be availed with financial assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The National Livestock Mission (NLM) was launched in financial year 2014-15 ensure quantitative and qualitative improvement across livestock production systems and capacity building for all stakeholders.

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)

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

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