Daily Prelims Notes 25 December 2023

December 25, 2023
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Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

25 December 2023

Table Of Contents

1. IMF Warning on India’s Debt

Subject :Economy

Section: External sector

Context: The IMF warns that India’s general government debt may exceed 100% of GDP by 2028 in the medium term.

Long-term risks are identified due to the need for significant investment in climate resilience
New concessional financing, increased private sector investment, and carbon pricing are recommended.

Sovereign Debt Risks Disagreement:

The Indian government disagrees with the IMF, stating sovereign debt risks are limited.
Sovereign debt is mainly denominated in domestic currency, reducing vulnerability.
India disputes the IMF’s baseline, considering the risk of debt exceeding 100% of GDP extreme.
Points out the limited risks from sovereign debt, highlighting historical stability.

Exchange Rate Reclassification:

The IMF reclassifies India’s exchange rate regime to a “stabilized arrangement.”
India disputes this, emphasizing the importance of exchange rate flexibility.

Optimistic Outlook and Structural Reforms:

IMF provides a fairly optimistic outlook for India’s economy.
Potential for faster growth than the IMF’s forecast of 6.3% with key structural reforms.

Medium-Term Fiscal Consolidation Urged:

IMF calls for “ambitious” fiscal consolidation over the medium term to control public debt.
Identifies potential challenges, including global growth slowdown, supply disruptions, weather shocks, and inflationary pressures.
Despite the multitude of shocks, the global economy has faced in the past two decades, India’s public debt-to-GDP ratio at the general government level has barely increased from 81% in 2005-06 to 84% in 2021-22, and back to 81% in 2022-23.

Challenges in Credit Ratings:

India faces challenges in enhancing credit ratings due to elevated debt levels and servicing costs.
Agencies attribute India’s lower rating to weak fiscal performance, burdensome debt stock, and low GDP per capita.

Per Capita Income and Uneven Distribution:

India’s per capita income doubled since 2014-15, reaching Rs 1,72,000.
Uneven income distribution, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, remains a challenge.

Expert Perspectives on Sovereign Rating:

Experts suggest considering the improving quality of government expenditure in sovereign ratings.

Debt-to-GDP ratio

Debt-to-GDP ratio is a financial metric that compares a country’s total debt to its gross domestic product (GDP).

It is expressed as a percentage and provides insight into the ability of a country to manage its debt relative to the size of its economy.

The formula for calculating the Debt-to-GDP ratio is as follows:

Debt-to-GDP Ratio = (Total Debt/Gross Domestic Product) × 100

In this formula:

Total Debt refers to the cumulative debt of a country, including both internal and external debt.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the total value of all goods and services produced within the country’s borders within a specific time frame.

A higher Debt-to-GDP ratio indicates that a country has a higher level of debt relative to its economic output.

While a certain level of debt is normal for most countries, an excessively high ratio can signal potential risks, such as challenges in servicing the debt or economic vulnerability. Central banks, policymakers, and economists closely monitor the Debt-to-GDP ratio as part of assessing a country’s fiscal health and economic stability.

2. UN calls for rescue of 185 Rohingya adrift in Indian Ocean

Subject :IR

Section: Places in news

Context: UN urges rescue of 185 Rohingya adrift in Indian Ocean

More about the news:

The United Nations has urgently called for the rescue of 185 people, primarily women and children, stranded on a distressed boat near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean.
The UNHCR refugee agency reported that about 70 of those on board are children, 88 are women, and at least a dozen are feared to be in critical condition, with one reported death.
The individuals are believed to be Rohingya refugees, and the UNHCR is appealing to coastal authorities to urgently rescue them.
Rohingya refugees, heavily persecuted in Myanmar, often undertake risky sea journeys to reach countries like Malaysia or Indonesia.
The UNHCR stressed the need for timely rescue efforts to prevent a larger tragedy.
Thousands of Rohingya attempt such journeys every year, with over 2,000 believed to have done so in 2022.

Some facts about UNHRC:

It is an intergovernmental body within the United Nations system.
The UNHRC replaced the former UN Commission on Human Rights.
It was created by the UNGA on March 15, 2006, and the body met in its first session in June, 2006.
The Council is made up of 47 UN Member States who are elected by majority vote through a direct and secret ballot at the UNGA.
The membership of the Council is based on equitable geographical distribution.
- African and Asia-Pacific states have 13 seats each,
- Latin American and Caribbean states have 8 seats,
- Western European and other states have 7 seats, and
- Eastern European states have 6 seats.
The UNGA takes into account the candidate States’ contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as their voluntary pledges and commitments in this regard.
The members serve for three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms.

Some facts about Rohingya:

The Rohingya are an ethnic group, mainly consisting of Muslims, and primarily residing in the Rakhine province of Western Myanmar.
They communicate in a Bengali dialect rather than the widely spoken Burmese language.
Despite having a longstanding presence in the Southeast Asian nation, Myanmar views them as individuals who migrated to their territory during the colonial era. The country categorizes them as “resident foreigners” or “associate citizens.”

3. Unpacking the first ever COP ‘Health Day’

Subject :Environment

Section: International Convention

COP28:

Hosted by the UAE, focused on the link between climate change and public health crises.
Emphasized the severe health threats posed by climate change, particularly impacting marginalized communities and low- to middle-income countries.
Highlighted the need for an accelerated phase-out of fossil fuels for global health.

Climate Change and Health:

Heat-Related Illnesses: Rising global temperatures cause severe and frequent heatwaves, leading to conditions like heatstroke, dehydration, and heat exhaustion, resulting in higher illness and death rates.
Vector-Borne Diseases: Climate changes affect disease carriers like mosquitoes and ticks, expanding diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and Lyme disease due to warmer temperatures and altered precipitation patterns.
Waterborne Diseases: Altered rain patterns and flooding impact water quality, spreading diseases like cholera and dysentery.
Air Quality and Respiratory Issues: Intensified wildfires due to climate change release harmful pollutants, worsening respiratory conditions and increasing respiratory illnesses.
Extreme Weather Events: Hurricanes, floods, and storms become more frequent and intense, causing injuries, displacements, and disruptions to healthcare, making it challenging to respond to health crises.
Food Security and Nutrition: Changing weather patterns affect crop yields, leading to food shortages, malnutrition, and insecurity.
Psychological Stress: Natural disasters and extreme weather events contribute to anxiety and depression due to displacement, property loss, and uncertainty about the future.
Reduced Access to Clean Water: Shifts in precipitation and increased evaporation cause water scarcity, leading to waterborne diseases and hygiene-related health problems.
Disproportionate Impact on Vulnerable Groups: Vulnerable communities like the elderly, children and low-income groups suffer more due to limited resources, inadequate healthcare, and exacerbated health disparities.
Displacement and Conflict: Climate-induced events force people to relocate, exposing them to health risks due to poor living conditions, lack of healthcare, and potential conflicts over resources.

Health Day and Initiatives:

Inaugural Health Day underscored the importance of health in climate decisions.
Leaders urged for prioritizing health in climate talks, leading to the COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health supported by 143 countries, not signed by India.
A key pillar of the declaration is the commitment to partner with women, girls, children, and youth.
A climate-health ministerial brought together global ministers to discuss a roadmap for addressing climate-related health impacts.

India’s Climate Challenges:

India has experienced a surge in extreme weather events impacting lives, crops, homes, and livestock.
Rising air pollution, and health challenges like malaria and malnutrition, pose threats to India’s public health infrastructure.
The Reserve Bank of India highlighted potential economic risks linked to heat-related challenges.

Need for Health Integration in India’s Climate Planning:

Over 700 million people reliant on climate-sensitive sectors for livelihoods.
Integrating health into climate planning is crucial for immediate threat mitigation, resilience building, and sustainable development.
Economic benefits include reduced healthcare costs, increased productivity, and effective climate actions.

Source: The Hindu

4. Nematocyst: a cellular weapon

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Nematocysts’ Role in Defense and Hunting:

Nematocysts are specialized cells found in jellyfish, corals, sea anemones, and hydras, andact as potent weapons for defence and hunting.
Composed of capsules containing coiled tubules and toxins, nematocysts rapidly eject these tubules with extreme acceleration when triggered.

Nematocysts play a crucial role in the feeding and defence strategies of cnidarians in particular. Cnidarians are animals that contain cells called cnidocytes.
When potential prey comes into contact with a cnidocyte, specialised sensory structures on the cell’s surface trigger the release of the nematocyst. The tubule then unfurls, piercing the prey’s outer layer or injecting toxins into its body.

Variety of Toxins:

Toxins within nematocysts have diverse effects: some paralyze prey, while others break down cells.
Cnidarians employ a combination of toxins for effective predation or defence.

Adaptation for Survival:

Nematocysts’ complexity contributes to cnidarians’ success in diverse aquatic environments.
This adaptation makes cnidarians formidable creatures, aiding in their survival and dominance in various ecosystems.

Source: The Hindu

5. El Nino effect: Cases of dengue have increased globally

Subject : Geography

Section: Climatology

In the news:

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a staggering ten-fold increase in dengue cases globally between 2000 and 2019, rising from 500,000 to 5.2 million reported cases. However, this count likely underestimates the actual prevalence due to many cases being asymptomatic and the disease not being notifiable in numerous countries.

Details:

Following a decline during the pandemic years (2020-2022), there was a sharp resurgence in global dengue cases in 2023. Over 5 million cases and more than 5,000 deaths were reported across 80 countries. The North and SouthAmerica bore the brunt, with 4.1 million suspected cases, notably impacting Brazil, Peru, and Mexico.
In 2023, the upsurge can be linked to the changing distribution of the vectors (chiefly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus); increase in temperature and changes in rainfall patterns due to the El Nino climate phenomenon; fragile health systems after the pandemic, political and financial instabilities in countries; and high population movements.

Global spread:

Southeast Asia witnessed a notable surge, particularly in Bangladesh and Thailand. In Africa, 171,991 cases were reported, with Burkina Faso facing the most severe impact.
The Eastern Mediterranean saw dengue spreading to nine countries, notably affecting Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. In the European Region, dengue, once mainly travel-related, has established itself since 2010, with cases reported in Italy, France, and Spain.
The Western Pacific Region reported over 500,000 cases and 750 deaths, primarily affecting the Philippines, Vietnam, and Fiji.
To address outbreaks, a Global Joint Incident Management Support Team was established, combining WHO Health Emergencies Programme departments and expertise from the neglected tropical disease department.
Dengue transmission involves four serotypes of the virus (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, DENV-4), contributing to cyclic outbreaks occurring every 3-4 years.

About Dengue:

It is caused by the dengue virus (DENV).
It is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
The severe form of dengue fever, also called dengue hemorrhagic fever, can cause serious bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure (shock) and death.
It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates.
Symptoms: The most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash.
Most will also get better in 1–2 weeks but in severe cases it can be fatal.
Treatment:
- There is no specific treatment for dengue.
- Early detection of disease progression associated with severe dengue, and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates of severe dengue to below 1%.
- The dengue vaccine CYD-TDV or Dengvaxia was approved by the US Food & Drug Administration in 2019, the first dengue vaccine to get the regulatory nod in the US.

Source: Down To Earth

6. Flowering plant undoes 100 million years of evolution, shows signs of self-pollination

Subject :Environment

Section: Species in news

In the news:

Scientists found a field pansy flower (native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa) in Paris, France, producing less nectar and smaller flowers to attract fewer pollinators, indicating rapid evolution.

Details:

Researchers planted older seeds from the 1990s and 2000s against contemporary descendants, witnessing the rapid evolution of plant behaviour within 50 years.
A documented 27% increase in self-pollination rates and trait evolution towards smaller, less conspicuous flowers with reduced nectar production was observed across four populations.

Significant outcome:

The field pansy (Viola arvensis) has evolved self-pollination behaviour, posing a threat to the plant-pollinator relationship.
Flowers in Paris exhibited a 20% decrease in nectar production and a 10% reduction in size, observed by comparing contemporary and older flower varieties.
The plant evolved to self-pollinate due to declining insect availability, disrupting the conventional reliance on insects for pollination.
Plants typically produce nectar to attract insects for pollination, a mutually beneficial relationship established over millions of years.

Concerns:

While the short-term benefit of self-pollination helps plants, it poses threats due to environmental changes, potentially impacting plant population survival.
Decreased nectar production may lead to food scarcity, contributing to further declines in pollinators, and forming a cycle detrimental to both plants and pollinators.

Source: Down To Earth

7. The pesticide hazard: eating away the lives of farmers in Maharashtra

Subject :Environment

Section: Pollution

In the news:

Borisinh village, amidst agricultural fields, reflects the continuous plight of farmers suffering from pesticide poisoning in Maharashtra.

Details:

Certain insecticides were temporarily banned in 2017 and 2018 in several districts due to poisoning cases.
Committees and Pesticide Bans:

Anupam Verma Committee (2015): Reviewed 66 pesticides, and recommended banning 27.
SK Malhotra Committee (2017): Sought a review on banning the same 27 pesticides.
Registration Committee (2018)andS K Khurana Committee (2020): Both recommended banning the same 27 pesticides.
Rajindran Committee (2022): Recommended banning three pesticides.
Highly hazardous pesticides, likeMonocrotophos and Polo, are still used extensively in Maharashtra, causing health issues.

Pesticides:

Substances intended for pest control in agriculture, food production, and animal care. Examples: fungicides, herbicides, insecticides.
Examples of Synthetic Chemical Pesticides: Glyphosate, Acephate, Deet, Propoxur, Metaldehyde, Boric Acid, Diazinon, Dursban, DDT, Malathion, etc.

Pesticide ‘Polo’ and its health Impact:

Manufactured by Syngenta,Polo contains diafenthiuron,banned in the EU and Switzerland due to health and environmental risks.
Health impacts include nausea, vision impairment, photo-sensitivity, loss of stamina, and even death with severe exposure.

Status of pesticides in India:

India ranks 2nd in pesticide production and is the 5th largest exporter globally.
Maharashtra, especially Vidarbha, utilizes 50% of India’s pesticides, notably in cotton farming.
Pesticides are a leading cause of poisoning; intentional or unintentional consumption causes two-thirds of poisoning cases in India.

Regulation of Pesticides:

Insecticides Act, 1968: Governs import, manufacture, sale, transport, and use of insecticides and pesticides to prevent risks to humans and animals.
Pesticide Registration: Handled by the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage (DPPQS), an office under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
DPPQS: Advises governments on plant protection, and oversees pest management, plant quarantine, pesticide regulation, locust control, and training.

Issues in pesticide regulation:

The Pesticides Management Bill seeks to replace the Insecticides Act of 1968, aiming for effective regulation, minimizing risks, and promoting bio-based and traditional pesticides.
Despite international bans, India permits at least 116 hazardous pesticides, posing health risks.
Attempts to ban certain pesticides resulted in reversals, with limited bans enforced in 2023 on hazardous pesticides.

Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee (CIBRC):

Established under the Ministry of Agriculture to regulate insecticide usage, manufacturing, import, and sale.
Responsibilities include advising on insecticide manufacturing, classification, residue tolerance, shelf-life, and registration.

Alternatives for Farmers:

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques: Cost-effective mechanical methods.
Bio-pesticides: Environment-friendly alternatives.
Molecular target-specific low-toxicity pesticides: Pricier but safer alternatives.
Pheromone traps and neem-based biopesticides: Economical and effective methods.

Biomagnification:

Defined as the rise or increase in the contaminated substances caused by the intoxicating environment. The contaminants might be heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, and pesticides such as polychlorinated biphenyls and DDT.
These substances are taken up by the organisms through the food they consume. When the organisms in the higher food chain feed on the organisms in the lower food chain containing these toxins, these toxins accumulate in the higher organisms.

Source: The Hindu

8. The evolving role of the Colombo Security Conclave

Subject : IR

Section: International groupings

Context:

In early December, India’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Ajit Doval, took part in the sixth NSA meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC).
The meeting reviewed the developments and progress made by the CSC in the last year and agreed upon a road map for the year 2024 to promote a safe, secure, and stable Indian Ocean.

About Colombo Security Conclave

The Colombo Security Conclave is a regional security grouping.
It was initially formed in 2011 as a trilateral Indian Ocean maritime security grouping of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
It was revived again in 2021. The Colombo Security Conclave has since expanded both its membership as well as scope.
Colombo Security Conclave envisages sharing intelligence and collaborating on the security aspects of marine security, human trafficking, counter-terrorism, and cyber security.
The fifth edition saw the induction of Mauritius as a new member and the scope of the conclave has been expanded to include humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Significance

In light of the current global circumstances, the gathering that focuses on working together for military and security purposes becomes increasingly important in the region.
Maritime Security: The conclave conducts “CSC Focused Operation” which plays a key role in keeping the Indian Ocean safe and secure for commercial shipping, international trade and conduct of legitimate maritime activities.
Exchange of Information: It further improves the existing harmony in the region through timely exchange of information.
Cooperation between Agencies: The conclave will aid in greater understanding and interoperability between the security agencies.
Cybersecurity: The grouping helps in addressing key challenges such as Deep Web, Dark Net, Digital Forensics, Cyber Threat intelligence; and Defensive Operations in Cyber Domain.
Tackling Environmental Hazards: Recent incidents like that of MV Xpress Pearl, MT New Diamond, and MV Wakashio caused wide-scale marine pollution in the Indian Ocean. The conclave also focuses its attention in this regard.

Some Other Security Dialogues:

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue(QUAD)
Raisina Security Dialogue
India-EU Maritime Security Dialogue
India’s 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue

9. India’s jobs crisis, the macroeconomic reasons

Subject :Economy

Section: Unemployment and inflation

Context:

The employment challenge can no longer be met only through more rapid GDP growth; a separate policy focus is needed on employment.

Two types of employment

The first is wage employment which is a result of labour demanded by employers in their pursuit of profits.
The second is self-employment where labour supply and labour demand are identical, i.e., the worker employs herself.
A further useful distinction can also be made between wage labour and jobs. The first includes all forms of labour done for an employer including daily wage work at one extreme and highly paid corporate jobs at the other.
But jobs generally refer to relatively better paid regular wage or salaried employment.
In other words, all jobs are wage labour, but all wage labour cannot be called jobs. When we speak of a jobs problem, we are speaking of inadequate labour demand particularly for regular wage work.

Characteristics of Indian economy

The Indian economy has historically been characterised by the presence of both open unemployment (out of work job-seekers) as well as high levels of informal employment consisting of the self-employed as well as casual wage workers.
The last is also called “disguised unemployment” because, being similar to open unemployment, it also indicates a lack of adequate employment opportunities in the formal sector.
This lack of opportunities is reflected by a more or less stagnant employment growth rate of salaried workers in the non-agricultural sector in the last four decades.

Symptoms of low labour demand

The labour demand in the formal non-agricultural sector is determined by two distinct factors.
First, since firms in the formal sector hire workers to produce output for profit, labour demand depends on the amount of output that firms are able to sell. Under any given level of technological development, labour demand in the formal sector rises when demand for output rises.
Second, labour demand depends on the state of technology that dictates the number of workers that firms need to hire to produce one unit of output. Introduction of labour-saving technologies enables firms to produce the same amount of output by hiring a lower number of workers.

Employment growth rate

Employment growth rate is determined by the relative strength of two factors — the output growth rate and the labour productivity growth rate (growth rate of output per worker). If labour productivity growth rate does not change, higher output growth rate increases employment growth rate.
In other words, policies that promote higher economic growth would also achieve higher employment growth. On the other hand, if labour productivity growth rate rises, employment growth rate falls for a given output growth rate.
In India, the employment growth rate of the formal and non-agricultural sector remained unresponsive despite a significant rise in the GDP growth rate and the value-added growth rate during the 2000s as compared to the decade of the 1980s and 1990s.
The lack of responsiveness of employment growth rate to changes in output growth rate reflects a phenomenon of jobless growth. It indicates a strong connection between labour productivity growth rate and output growth rate.

Jobless growth with Indian characteristics

As an economy grows, it is generally seen that it also becomes more productive. That is, in the process of producing a greater amount of total output, firms become capable of producing more output per worker.
This happens because of what economists call “economies of scale”. As firms produce more output, they find it easier to adopt labour-saving technologies. But the extent to which labour-saving technologies are introduced depends on the bargaining power of labour.

Two types of Jobless growth

In the first case, the responsiveness of labour productivity growth rate to output growth rate is weak. The possibility of jobless growth in this case emerges exclusively on account of automation and the introduction of labour-saving technology.
But employment growth rate in such regimes would necessarily increase if output growth rate happened to increase. Under weak responsiveness of labour productivity, the positive effect of GDP growth rate on employment would dominate over the adverse effect of labour-saving technologies. Here, the solution to the jobs crisis is just more rapid economic growth.
In the second case, which happens to be the Indian one, the responsiveness of labour productivity growth rate to output growth rate is high.
Here, the positive effect of output growth rate on employment fails to counteract the adverse effect of labour-saving technologies. Employment growth rate in such regimes cannot be increased simply by increasing GDP growth rate.

Kaldor-Verdoorn coefficient

The extent to which labour productivity growth rate responds to output growth rate is reflected by what is termed as the Kaldor-Verdoorn coefficient.
Recent working paper shows that India’s non-agricultural sector is characterised by a higher than average Kaldor-Verdoorn coefficient, as compared to other developing countries.
It is this distinct form of jobless growth regime in India that makes India’s macroeconomic policy challenge qualitatively different from other countries.

Macroeconomic policy framework

The central contribution of the Keynesian revolution in macroeconomics was to highlight the role of aggregate demand as the binding constraint on employment.
Fiscal policy was perceived to increase labour demand by stimulating output. The developing countries that inherited a dual economy structure during their independence, confronted additional constraints on output.
The Mahalanobis strategy identified the availability of capital goods as the binding constraint on output and employment, putting forward the policy for heavy industrialisation.
The structuralist theories based on the experiences of developing countries highlighted the possibility of agrarian constraint and the balance of payment constraints. Both these constraints led to key policy debates in India, particularly during the decade of the 1970s and early 1990s.
Nonetheless, what remained common to all these different frameworks was the presumption that increasing the output growth rate in the non-agricultural sector would be a sufficient condition for increasing the employment growth rate in the formal sector.
But the evidence suggests that the employment challenge can no longer be met only through more rapid GDP growth. Rather, a separate policy focus is needed on employment in addition to the focus on GDP growth.

10. Why ransomware attacks on Indian IT firms are a cause for concern?

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Awareness in IT

Context:

A 2023 study conducted by Sophos, a cybersecurity company, showed that 73% of organizations reported being victims of ransomware attacks, up from 57% the previous year.

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware that prevents users from accessing their system or personal files and demands ransom payment in order to regain access.
The malware may usually be injected remotely by tricking the user into downloading it upon clicking an ostensibly safe web link sent via email or other means, including hacking.
It can spread throughout the network by exploiting existing vulnerabilities.
Ransomware attacks can be accompanied by theft of sensitive data.
Recently, Spice jet, Oil India and HCL had faced a cyber-threat.

How are cyber-attacks dealt in India?

Indian Computer Emergency Team (CERT-In) –
- CERT-In is the national nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents as and when they occur.
- CERT-In is operational since January 2004.
- The constituency of CERT-In is the Indian Cyber Community.
- CERT-In has been designated to perform the following functions:
- Collection, analysis and dissemination of information on cyber incidents.
- Forecast and alerts of cyber security incidents.
- Emergency measures for handling cyber security incidents
- Coordination of cyber incident response activities.
- Issue guidelines, advisories, vulnerability notes and whitepapers relating to information security practices, procedures, prevention, response and reporting of cyber incidents.
- Imparting training to computer system managers.
National Cyber Security Coordinator – The National Cyber Security Coordinator, under the National Security Council Secretariat, coordinates with different agencies at the national level on cybersecurity issues.
The National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre – It has been set up for the protection of national critical information infrastructure.
The Cyber Swachhta Kendra – It is a Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre that has been launched for detection of malicious software programmes and to provide free tools to remove them.
The National Cyber Coordination Centre – It works on creating awareness about existing and potential threats.
Cyber Crisis Management Plan – The government has formulated a Cyber Crisis Management Plan for countering cyber-attacks.