Daily Prelims Notes 28 November 2022

November 28, 2022
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Daily Prelims Notes

28 November 2022

Table Of Contents

1. Egypt President to be chief guest at Republic Day celebrations

Subject: International Relations

Context:

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi will be the chief guest at the Republic Day in January 2023.
This is the first time that the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt will be the Chief Guest at our Republic Day.
The list of last few chief guests:

Reason for the invitation:

The year 2022 marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Egypt.
Diplomatic relations between Egypt and India were established with Egypt’s recognition of the independence of India on 18 August 1947, just three days after India’s independence.
The two nations became even closer in the 1950s and concluded a historic Friendship Treaty in 1955.
Moreover,Egypt has been invited as a ‘Guest Country’ during India’s Presidency of G20 in 2022-23.

Where is Egypt:

The Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula.
It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip of Palestine and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the
The Gulf of Aqaba in the northeast separates Egypt from Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt, while Alexandria, the second-largest city,
It is the world’s 30th-largest country.

India – Egypt Relation:

Economic Relation:
The India-Egypt Bilateral Trade Agreement has been in operation since March 1978 and is based on the Most Favoured Nation clause.
Bilateral trade has expanded rapidly in 2021-22, amounting to26 billion registering a 75% increase compared to FY 2020-21.
India’s exports to Egypt during this period amounted to US$ 3.74 billion, registering a 65% increase over the same period in FY 2020-21.
At the same time, Egypt’s exports to India reached US$ 3.52 billion registering an 86% increase.
During this period, India was the 3rd largest export market for Egypt, 6th largest trading partner and 7th largest exporter to Egypt.
There are many grant-in-aid projects involving India:

Pan Africa Tele-medicine and Tele-education project in Alexandria University,
Solar electrification project in Agaween village
Vocational Training Centre for textile technology in Shoubra, Cairo.

Defence Relations:

The first ever IAF-EAF Joint Tactical Air Exercise, Desert Warrior, was held in October 2021.
The first ever Special Forces exercise “Cyclone 1” between India and Egypt was planned in Jodhpur in January 2022.
Egypt has shown interest in acquiring arms produced by India, including the Akash missile

2. Gandhi Bust to come up at UN headquarter

Subject: International Relations

Context:

A bust of Mahatma Gandhi will be inaugurated as a gift from India to the United Nations during India’s presidency of the Security Council next month,
This will be the first sculpture of the Mahatma to be installed at the world body’s headquarters.
It will be placed in the North Lawn,

Who had designed the current bust:

The bust, is made by renowned Indian sculptor Padma Shree awardee Ram Sutar, who has also designed the ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat,

What are some other notable works of art at the U.N. headquarters

A section of the Berlin wall donated by Germany,
Soviet sculpture‘Let us Beat Swords into Ploughshares’,
Life-size bronze statue of Nelson Mandela gifted by South Africa
The ‘Guernica’ tapestry after the painting Guernica by Pablo Picasso.

What are the other gift of India on display

The 11th century black-stone statue of ‘Surya’, the Sun God, was donated on July 26, 1982.
The statue, dating from the late Pala period and which is currently displayed in the Conference Building, was presented as a gift by then Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi to the UN.
Then Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar had accepted the sculpture on behalf of the United Nations.

3. India first Buddhist Varsity to come up in South Tripura

Subject: International Relations

Context:

Shakya Gasan,chief monk of the World Buddhist Pope Association of South Korea, will lay the foundation stone for the International Buddhist University at Manu Bankul in Sabroom of South Tripura district.

More about Dhamma Dipa International Buddhist University (DDIBU):

The Dhamma Dipa International Buddhist University (DDIBU) is expected to become the first Buddhist-run university in India to offer Buddhist education along with courses in other disciplines of modern education as well.
This university will set a precedent in the history of Indian-Buddhism in promoting and reviving Buddhist culture in India, the birthplace of Buddhism.
It will be the first Buddhist University in India to be headed by Buddhist monastics and run and monitored by Buddhists.
The word, Dhammadipa, describes both a core principle and a guiding force, which seeks the light of Dharma, its international scope and measure.
DDIBU hopes to better engage the contemporary world through the insight and depth of Buddhist words.
At the same time, it is keen to prepare students and youth with knowledge and skills, so that they can live healthy, peaceful and contented lives, able to lead the way of life.
Besides, there is also a plan to establish medical, technical and general degree colleges on the campus

Students from 31 countries will get a chance to study as well as carry out research on Buddhist literature, culture and tradition in the proposed varsity.

Concept –

Nalanda, the ruins of one of the world’s most prestigious seats of learning, is located 95 kilometres from Patna, the capital of Bihar, and 110 km from Bodh Gaya, the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment.
Declared a Word Heritage Site in 2016, Nalanda is seen as the world’s most ancient university, flourishing much before Europe’s oldest university, Bologna, came into being in the 11th-12th century.
Contemporary sources, however, describe the site as a mahavihara, a great monastery.
Nalanda, therefore, functioned as a premier monastic-cum-scholastic establishment in ancient and early medieval India.
Today, one can see there the remains of temples, monastic dwellings, votive structures and art works in stucco, bronze and stone dating from the 5th century C.E. to the 12th century C.E.

Literary Sources –

As far as literary sources are concerned, most of the information on the history, functioning and, sometimes, the layout of the mahavihara comes from the accounts of Chinese Buddhist monks such as Xuanzang(also known as Hiuen Tsang) and Yijing (also known as I Tsing), primarily the former.
- Both travelled to India and stayed in the great monastery complex in the 7th century.
- Xuanzang’s account links both the Buddha (6th century BCE) and the Mauryan king Asoka (c. 268-232 BCE) with Nalanda.
- The Chinese monk likewise credits Asoka with the construction of a stupa/temple in honour of Sariputra, one of the Buddha’s closest disciples.
Further, the archaeological findings—the material remains at Nalanda belong to the Gupta period/5th century C.E. onwards—do not support Xuanzang’s pre-Gupta history of the site.
The rulers of the Gupta dynasty (c. 300-600 C.E.) were usually known for patronising Brahmanical cults, but some of them also supported Buddhism.
Buddhist sources indicate that the Gupta King Vikramaditya sent his queen and son Baladitya to study under the famous Buddhist scholar Vasubandhu, who was based at Nalanda.
Some texts mention that King Narasimhagupta became a Buddhist monk and gave up his life through meditation. Xuanzang also talks about the Guptas’ royal connection with Nalanda. He reports that shortly after the Buddha’s demise, a king called Shakraditya built a monastery at the site.
- Scholar Heras identifies Shakraditya with Kumaragupta I, Buddhagupta with Skandagupta, Tathagatagupta with Puragupta and Baladitya with Narasimhagupta.
Nalanda seemingly continued to enjoy royal patronage in post-Gupta times as well: during the reign of Harshavardana (606-648 C.E.), the King of Kannauj (in Uttar Pradesh); and the Palas, who ruled over modern Bihar, West Bengal and Bangladesh from the 8th through 12th centuries. Xuangzang visited Nalanda during Harshavardana’s reign.

The Palas

The Palas were known to be Buddhists.
Dharmapala (c. 781-821 C.E.), the second Pala king, is known to have supported the establishment of two monasteries: Somapura (better known as Paharpur, now in Bangladesh) and Vikramshila (in Bhagalpur in Bihar).
An inscription from Nalanda records his gifting of a village for the upkeep of the great monastery.
Another inscription from the site describes Devapala (c. 821 to 861 C.E.), Dharmapala’s successor, as helping the ruler of Suvarnadvipa (Sumatra), Balaputra, build a monastery at Nalanda and acquire five villages to support its maintenance.
It is also known for several gifts to the mahavihara, again independent of the Pala kings.
It is widely held that Nalanda started declining in the late-Pala period and was given a death blow around 1200 C.E by the invasion of BakhtiyarKhalji, the Afghan military commander of Delhi’s Turkish ruler QutbuddinAibek.

The mahavihara as a university

Most of the information on the functioning of Nalanda as a university—its student strength, curriculum and buildings—comes from Chinese and Tibetan texts, which also emphasise the purity of its monastic discipline.
Nalanda attracted students from China, Japan, Korea and from countries in South-East and Central Asia.
Some scholars argue, though not on the basis of any direct evidence, that Nalanda’s curriculum went beyond religious texts to include literature, theology, logic, grammar, medicine, philosophy, the arts and metaphysics.

Decline of Nalanda

The two major theories that explain the decline of Nalanda both talk about a possible destruction of the mahavihara and of a somewhat sudden or cataclysmic decline.
The most common theory for the decline of Nalanda says the site was ransacked and destroyed by BakhtiyarKhalji.
- This theory is entirely based on a Persian work by Minhaj al-SirajJuzjani (1193-1260) called Tabaqat-iNasiri, which forms an elaborate history of the Islamic world during the reign of the Delhi sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah (1246-66).
- It is important to note that the word “Nalanda” is mentioned nowhere in Minhaj’s account.
The second theory broadly locates the decline in the context of the animosity between Brahmins and Buddhists. It finds expression in the writings of historians such as D.N. Jha, B.N.S. Yadava, R.K. Mookerji and Sukumar Dutt.

4. The Infrastructure and Project Monitoring Division

Subject: Economy

Context:

The road transport and highways sector has the maximum number of delayed projects, as per the latest flash report on infrastructure projects for October 2022.

Details of the report:

In the road transport and highways sector-243 out of 826 projects are delayed
In railways-114 out of 173 projects are delayed
In petroleum sector-89 out of 142 projects are delayed
The Munirabad-Mahabubnagar rail project (by 276 months) is the most-delayed project followed by the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail project (by 247 months) and Belapur-Seawood-Urban Electrified Double Line (228 months). .

Concept:

The Flash Report for October 2022:

It contains information on the status of the 1,521 central sector infrastructure projects costing Rs 150 crore and above.
The Infrastructure and Project Monitoring Division (IPMD) is mandated to monitor central sector infrastructure projects costing Rs 150 crore and above based on the information provided on the Online Computerised Monitoring System (OCMS) by the project implementing agencies.
The IPMD comes under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

The Infrastructure and Project Monitoring Division (IPMD)

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has two wings, one relating to Statistics and the other relating to Programme Implementation.
The Programme Implementation Wing has three Divisions, namely,
- Twenty Point Programme.
- Infrastructure and Project Monitoring and
- Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme.
The Infrastructure & Project Monitoring Division (IPMD) is the Project Management arm and apex monitoring institution of the Government of India.
It performs a triple role in monitoring the implementation status of central sector projects costing more than Rs 150 Crores in 16 infrastructure sectors and performance of key 11 infrastructure sectors.
The IPMD brings out several analytical reports.
The role of IPMD can be summarized as below:–
- a monitor of the implementation of projects and infrastructure performance
- an initiator of systemic improvements and of better project management practices and
- a facilitator in taking up issues with the relevant authorities in case of individual projects.

Online Computerized Monitoring System (OCMS)

It is a database maintained and operated by IPMD, MoSPI for collecting, analyzing and distributing data pertaining to all Central Sector Infrastructure projects costing Rs. 150 crore and above.
All Central Sector project agencies are required to enter monthly project status report in OCMS for all ongoing project costing Rs. 150 crore and more.

5. DBT and Tenancy

Subject: Economy

Context :Most economists advocate the conversion of all agricultural subsidies — whether on inputs (supplying fertilizer, power, water at below cost) or outputs (procuring crops at above market prices) — into direct income support to farmers.

Benefits:

Direct benefit transfers (DBT) on a per-acre or per-farmer basis- transparent and simple to administer.

It is crop-neutral hence, does not cause distortions in input/output markets.

Issue?

The exclusion of tenant farmers including exclusion from other schemes- zero/low-interest loans, crop insurance, disaster compensation.

About tenant farmers:

According to the National Statistical Office’s (NSO) ‘Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households’ survey for 2018-19-

17.3 percent out of the total estimated 101.98 million operational holdings (i.e. farms) in rural India were on leased lands.
The share of such leased-in lands in the total area used for agricultural production was 13 per cent.
The incidence of non-owners cultivating agricultural lands is the highest for Andhra Pradesh (AP) (42.4 per cent) and Odisha (39 per cent).
In Haryana and Punjab, the share of leased-in area is higher than the percentage of tenant holdings.
- It means that the tenant farmers there operate relatively large holdings, even though they don’t own these lands.
The NSO’s previous surveys for 2012-13 and 2002-03 revealed the shares of leased-in holdings at only 13.7 per cent (11.3 percent of area) and 9.9 per cent (6.5 per cent), respectively.
- Thus, the NSO surveys point to a steady increase in tenant farmers — who typically pay fixed cash rents or share of produce to owners.
Agriculture in India is increasingly seeing both “tenancy” (landless/marginal farmers leasing in land to cultivate) and “reverse tenancy” (small landowners leasing out to better-off farmers keen to reap economies of scale).

Agri-DBT schemes:

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan)-
- PM-Kisan provides an annual income support of Rs 6,000 to all landholding farmer families in India.
RythuBandhu
- RythuBandhu extends financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per acre, again to all farmers owning land and without any size limit.
- RythuBandhu literally means ‘Friend of Farmer’.
- It is a scheme of the Telangana government under which the state government extends financial support to land-owning farmers at the beginning of the crop season through direct benefit transfer.
- It was announced by the Chief Minister of Telangana in February 2018.
- It is the first-ever farmer investment support scheme in India, where the cash is paid directly.
- Eligibility
  - It provides a grant of Rs. 5,000 per acre per farmer for both Kharif and rabi seasons for purchase of inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, labour and other investments.
  - The scheme is open to all resident farmers of the state who owned land.
  - Farmers cultivating the land in the forest, a majority of them from Scheduled Tribe communities, and having Record of Forest Rights (ROFR) documents are also eligible to receive benefits under the scheme.
YSR RythuBharosa
- YSR RythuBharosa is a program launched by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to financially assist farmers by depositing an amount of ₹13,500 per annum in three installments, in association with Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi with the state government contributing ₹7500 and the center ₹6000.
- RythuBharosaKendras were later launched on 30 May 2020 to supply seedlings, fertilizers and seeds to horticulture, aquaculture and agriculture sectors.
- It targets not just farmers, but also women, senior citizens, schoolchildren, unorganised workers and specific communities such as Kapus and weavers. Thus, tenant farmers were also considered eligible to the scheme
- The AP government’s other agri-DBT schemes such as
  - YSR RythuBharosa,
  - Free Crop Insurance,
  - Input Subsidy and Sunna Vaddi (zero-interest loans)
  - AP Crop Cultivator Rights law-It provides for the issuance of “crop cultivator rights cards (CCRC)” to persons cultivating the lands of owners under agreements with 11-month validity, and countersigned by the village revenue officers concerned. The cards entitle lessee cultivators to benefits under the state’s DBT schemes, besides being “sufficient” for obtaining crop loans from banks.
Other schemes:

6. MUDRA yojana

Subject: Economy

Context :Non-performing assets of banks for Mudra loans are lower than the average NPAs of the sector as a whole–data obtained under the Right to Information Act reveals.

Details:

Bad loans under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana for all banks (public, private, foreign, state cooperative, regional rural and small finance) is just 3.38 per cent of the total disbursements of Rs 13.64 lakh crore under the scheme.
The gross NPAs of the banking sector in the previous six years was much higher than in 2021-22
- 7.3 per cent in 2020-21
- 8.2 per cent in 2019-20
- 9.1 per cent in 2018-19
- 11.2 per cent in 2017-18
- 9.3 per cent in 2016-17
- 7.5 per cent in 2015-16
Within the three categories, the NPAs for Shishu loans (up to Rs 50,000) were the lowest at 2.25 percent of disbursements:
- Highest was for Kishore loans (Rs 50,001 to Rs 5 lakh) at 4.49 per cent
- Under Tarun loans (over Rs 5 lakh up to Rs 10 lakh) bad loans were 2.29 per cent of disbursements.

MUDRA yojana

The Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency (MUDRA) was launched on April 8, 2015, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- MUDRA, which stands for Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd., is a financial institution set up by the Government.
- It provides funding to the non-corporate small business sector through various last-mile financial institutions like Banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs).
- MUDRA does not lend directly to micro-entrepreneurs/individuals.
It aims to provide loans up to Rs 10 lakh to non-corporate, non-farm, small and micro enterprises.
It is known as the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana-loans are given under three categories:
- Shishu up to Rs 50,000,
- Kishore Rs 50,001 to Rs 5 lakh, and
- Tarun from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
At least 60% of the credit would go to Shishu Category Units, with the remaining 40% going to Kishor and Tarun Categories.
The loan provided under the PMMY is not subsidised. However, if the loan proposal is linked to some Government scheme, wherein the Government is providing capital subsidy, it will be eligible under PMMY also.
Mudra loans do not require any collateral/ security, and hence were perceived to be very risky.
Public Sector Banks such as PSU Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks, Private Sector Banks, Foreign Banks, Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) and Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFC) offer these loans.
Eligibility:
- Any Indian Citizen who has a business plan for a non-farm sector income generating activity such as manufacturing, processing, trading or service sector and whose credit need is less than Rs 10 lakh can approach either a Bank, MFI, or NBFC for availing of Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd. (MUDRA) loans under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY).
Sectors covered:
- Land Transport Sector / Activity – Which will inter alia support units for purchase of transport vehicles for goods and personal transport such as auto rickshaw, small goods transport vehicle, 3 wheelers, e-rickshaw, passenger cars, taxis, etc.
- Community, Social & Personal Service Activities – Such as saloons, beauty parlours, gymnasium, boutiques, tailoring shops, dry cleaning, cycle and motorcycle repair shop, DTP and Photocopying Facilities, Medicine Shops, Courier Agents, etc.
- Food Products Sector – Support would be available for undertaking activities such as papad making, achaar making, jam / jelly making, agricultural produce preservation at rural level, sweet shops, small service food stalls and day to day catering / canteen services, cold chain vehicles, cold storages, ice making units, ice cream making units, biscuit, bread and bun making, etc.
- Textile Products Sector / Activity – To provide support for undertaking activities such as handloom, powerloom, chikan work, zari and zardozi work, traditional embroidery and hand work, traditional dyeing and printing, apparel design, knitting, cotton ginning, computerized embroidery, stitching and other textile non garment products such as bags, vehicle accessories, furnishing accessories, etc.

7. Unified tariff structure

Subject: Economy

Context:Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has brought out amendments in its three regulations namely Natural Gas Pipeline Tariff, Authorisation and Capacity Regulations.

Details:

To simplify the implementation of unified tariff, entity level Integrated natural gas pipeline tariff has been introduced -which will act as a building block for unified tariff at national level.
Further to protect the overall interest of consumers in different regions, the number of unified tariff zones have been increased from two to three.
In addition, other amendments like allowing unaccounted gas, moratorium period, ramp up in capacity, etc., have been incorporated.
The objective of these changes is to provide access of natural gas in the far-flung areas at the competitive and affordable rates to achieve the long-cherished objective of one nation one grid and one tariff.

Concept:

Unified tariff structure:

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has notified a new tariff structure for 14 natural gas pipelines
It aims to reduce the cost of natural gas for users further away from sources of natural gas and LNG terminals on the west coast of the country.
Under the new unified tariff structure, buyers will be charged a fixed tariff for the transport of gas within 300 kms of a source and a fixed tariff for the transport of gas beyond 300 kms on a single pipeline network.
Multiple pipeline operators now have to settle dues among themselves as the consumers will pay the transport tariff to the operator at the exit point of gas and the operators will then have to settle dues with the operators of other pipelines used for the delivery of the natural gas.

Natural gas:

During the April-October period in FY23, India’s natural gas production rose marginally by 1 per cent Y-o-Y to 19,600 million standard cubic meters (MSCM), while imports declined by 11 per cent Y-o-Y to 16,876 MSCM.
The major consumers were fertiliser (37 per cent), CGD (20 per cent), power (13 per cent), refinery (5 per cent) and petrochemicals (2 per cent).
Around half of the country’s gas demand is sourced from KG-D6, Mumbai offshore, Cambay Basin, Ravva Offshore, KG Basin, Cauvery basin, while the remaining is imported as liquefied natural gas (LNG).
- India, the world’s fourth-largest LNG importer last year, accounting for 7 per cent of global trade.
- Qatar was the primary source for imports with 42 per cent share, followed by the US (16 per cent) and the UAE (13 per cent).
The natural gas across the country is supplied through three major pipelines by Gas Authority of India (GAIL), Reliance Gas Transportation Infrastructure (RGTIL)/ Reliance Gas Pipelines (RGPL) and Gujarat State Petronet (GSPL).GAIL accounts for 70 per cent of the country’s network.

Current Gas Pricing in India :

Multiple pricing regimes are existing in the country for Natural gas supplies. This could be broadly divided into three categories:
- Administrative Price Mechanism (APM) Gas
- Non-APM Gas
- LNG
Further, there is differential pricing existing for different sectors.
- Subsidized sectors such as power and fertilizer get relatively fewer prices as compared to other sectors.
Also, region-specific pricing exists in the country with North Eastern states getting gas at relatively cheaper prices as compared to other parts of the country.
Currently, tariffs for transportation of gas are set by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) separately for each pipeline based on the assumptions of the volume of gas transported on the pipeline and its operating life aimed at providing the operator a pre-tax return of 18%.
Tariffs for pipeline usage are divided into zones of 300km, with the tariff increasing for zones further away from the point where gas is injected.
Further, if a buyer needs multiple pipelines even from the same operator, that transport tariff would increase. These tariffs increase the cost for buyers of gas further away from the point of injection of natural gas.
All of India’s imported natural gas arrives at terminals on the west coast leading to costs for buyers increasing, the further east they are located.

8. Agency under PMLA

Subject: Economy

Context :The Centre has brought Competition Commission of India (CCI) within the ambit of agencies that have to mandatorily share information, including confidential ones, with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA Act).

Details:

It has empowered the ED to obtain corporate information from CCI, putting at risk the confidential information shared by corporate India with the competition watchdog under its merger control and anti-trust framework.
No safeguards have been provided in the notification to prevent the misuse and unauthorised leakage of such information from ED.
CCI had introduced the concept of “confidentiality ring” to give comfort to the corporates sharing commercial information with the competition watchdog.
- Confidentiality ring–Under the confidentiality ring controlled and limited access is given to the parties of the commercially sensitive information.

Concept:

The amendment is made in exercise of its powers under Section 66 of the PMLA, in the public interest.
- Under Section 66 of the Act, the 15 entities are bound to disclose case information to the ED if the probe falls under its jurisdiction. Based on the information, the ED can file a case under the PMLA, if it deems fit.
- Director (Financial Intelligence Unit, India, under the Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue), Cabinet Secretariat (Research and Analysis Wing), Ministry of Home Affairs/National Security Council Secretariat/Intelligence Bureau, Economic Offences Wing of Central Bureau of Investigation, Chief Secretaries of State governments, Reserve Bank of India, Department of Company Affairs, and Securities and Exchange Board of India were required to share information with the ED.
Latest addition–Apart from CCI, the ministry of finance has also added 14 other bodies bound to share information with ED under PMLA.
- National Investigation Agency (NIA), Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), State Police, Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), National Intelligence Grid, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Defence Intelligence Agency, National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), Military Intelligence, and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.
- Regulator under PMLA Rules 2005, Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Ministry of Finance and inquiry appointed under Civil Services Rules or Public Services Inquiry Act or any preliminary enquiry appointed with the approval of CVC are also included in the list.

9. Digital Communications Commission

Subject: Economy

Context :Telecom Regulatory of India (TRAI) has made recommendations to improve the data centre infrastructure in the country.

Details:

TRAI has argued that the policy aspects of data centres, content delivery networks, and Internet exchange points should be handled by the Digital Communication Commission (DCC).
TRAI also suggested the formation of the Data Digitisation and Monetisation Council (DDMC), an apex body to oversee all issues related to data digitisation, data sharing and data monetisation in the country.

Concept:

Data center infrastructure

It refers to the core physical or hardware-based resources and components – including all IT infrastructure devices, equipment and technologies – that comprise a data center. It is modeled and identified in a design plan that includes a complete listing of necessary infrastructure components used to create a data center.
A data center infrastructure may include:
- Servers
- Computers
- Networking equipment, such as routers or switches
- Security, such as firewall or biometric security system
- Storage, such as storage area network (SAN) or backup/tape storage
- Data center management software/applications
It can also include non-computing resources, such as:
- Power and cooling devices, such as air conditioners or generators
- Physical server racks/chassis
- Cables
- Internet backbone

Digital Communication:

It is also known as data communication or data transmission.
It is the transfer of data or information using digital signals over a point-to-point (P2P) channel. A P2P connection is a mode of communication between two communication endpoints.
Communicating digitally is a communication technique in which thoughts, data or information are digitally encoded as discrete signals. These signals are electronically transferred to the recipients.
Digital communication is a popular technology used today in electronics. It allows us to access video conferencing, digital meetings, online education, etc. The data can travel upto long distances within a second with the help of the internet and other modes of digital communication.

Related law:

As per allocation of business rules, ‘data’ is allocated to the Department of Telecommunications, but policies related to Digital Communications are being handled by the Ministry of Electronics & IT-MeitY.

Digital Communications Commission (Erstwhile Telecom Commission)

The Telecom Commission was set up by the Government of India vide the Resolution dated 11th April, 1989 with administrative and financial powers of the Government of India to deal with various aspects of Telecommunications.
It has been re-designated as the ‘Digital Communications Commission’ in 2018 through a government resolution.
The Digital Communications Commission consists of a Chairman, four full time members, who are ex-officio Secretaries to the Government of India in the Department of Telecommunications and four part time members who are the Secretaries to the Government of India in the concerned Departments.
The Digital Communications Commission is responsible for:
- Formulating the policy of Department of Telecommunications for approval of the Government;
- Preparing the budget for the Department of Telecommunications for each financial year and getting it approved by the Government; &
- Implementation of Government’s policy in all matters concerning telecommunication.

10. Bihar’s harGharGangajal scheme for Rajgir and Gaya regions

Subject: Government Schemes

Context :

Har GharGangajal scheme-

It is part of the Bihar government’s Jal, Jeevan, Hariyali scheme.
The project has been described as a “lift-store-tame-treat-supply” system.
Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) has been working on the project since 2019, employing about 2,200 people and high-end technology.
In the Rs 4,000-crore first phase of the project — which has been completed and will be launched by the Chief Minister — giant pumps will lift Ganga water from Hathidah near Mokama and supply it to about 7.5 lakh homes in the state’s main tourism destinations of Rajgir, Bodhgaya, and Gaya.
The water will be stored in reservoirs in Rajgirand Gaya before being channelled to three treatment-and-purification plants, from where it will be supplied to the public.
According to estimates made by the government, the scheme will provide every individual beneficiary with 135 litres of Ganga water every day for drinking and domestic use.
The scheme is currently limited to the urban areas of Rajgir, Gaya, and Bodhgaya.
During the second phase of the project, which is expected to be launched sometime next year, Ganga water will be taken to Nawada.
The water would be lifted only during the four months of the monsoon when the Ganga has excess water.
So, that the diversion will not lead to depletion of the river, disturbance in its natural flow, or potential changes in its course.

The need for the scheme-

The area around Rajgir (in Nalanda district) is rocky and water-deficient.
Over the years, unplanned and indiscriminate use of groundwater has depleted subterranean reservoirs, lowered the water table, and affected the quality of the water in Gaya andRajgir.
The bulk of the urban water supply continues to be through tube wells.
A study by the Bihar Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) showed the average groundwater level in Gaya district had plunged from 30.30 feet in July 2021 to 41.50 feet in July 2022.
Data from the Central Ground Water Board’s Year Book for Bihar show the water table in Gaya and Rajgir fell by between 2 and 4 metres between 2014-15 and 2020-21.
Handpumps have become dry in many regions and water tankers supply the water during summer, which is a short-term and temporary solution and needed to be addressed.

Projected twin benefits-

It will also help alleviate distress from the annual flooding of the Ganga.
Heavy silting in the Ganga riverbed, the release of water from dams upstream in Nepal have affected the Mokama, Hathidah, Barh, and Lakhisarai regions even when monsoon rainfall is not heavy in these regions.
The government plans to build 13 more reservoirs in Gaya and Rajgir to store diverted floodwaters in the coming years.

11. El Nino year or neutral phase likely in 2023; transition may lead to monsoon deficit: Experts

Subject: Geography

Context-

The La Niña weather phenomenon, which entered its third year in September this year, is unlikely to continue through 2023 instead, there is a likelihood of a neutral or El Niño phase emerging next year.

The ENSO cycle-

El Niño is characterised by warmer-than-average waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific and a slowdown of trade winds (which blow east to west), and La Niña by cooler-than-average waters and intensified trade winds.
A neutral phase emerges when conditions are neither warm nor cool.
El Niño, La Niña and neutral phases are a part of ENSO, climate phenomena that alter atmospheric circulation.
This impacts temperature and precipitation across the globe.

Impact on India-

The La Niña phase began in September 2020 and will likely extend through December 2022.
La Niña is expected to transition into ENSO-neutral during Feb-Apr 2023.
The western part of the Pacific Ocean is warm. Winds need to push the waters towards the central and eastern parts of the ocean, where ENSO evolves or switches phases.
The heat content below the sea surface in the western Pacific Ocean is increasing.
A neutral summer phase is usually bad news for India.
India could see deficits in monsoon during this shift from La Niña winter to neutral summer.
Monsoon can be below normal by up to 15 per cent. But this could change if the Arctic produces late-season heavy rainfall, similar to what happened between 2021-2022.

Triple-dip La-Nina-

A “triple-dip” La Nina is a multiyear cooling of the surface temperature of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which can cause droughts, fierce winds and heavy rainfall.
According to WMO, the current La Nina is projected to span three consecutive northern hemisphere winters.
Since 1950, the Earth has witnessed a triple La Niña thrice, including the current one.
A La Niña phase four years in a row has not been recorded so far.

12. Indian scientists receive international award on behalf of snow leopard conservation alliance

Subject: Environment

Context-

Indian snow leopard experts Charudutt Mishra and Koustubh Sharma, along with ChyngyzKochorov of Kyrgyzstan, received the Madrid-based BBVA Foundation’s Worldwide Biodiversity Conservation Award on behalf of The Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) that they helped create and manage.

About the Award-

The Spain-based BBVA Foundation Awards for Biodiversity Conservation seek to recognise and support the work done by conservationist organisations, institutions and agencies in carrying forward environmental conservation policies and projects.

The Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP)-

The GSLEP is a first-of-its-kind intergovernmental alliance for the conservation of the snow leopard and its unique ecosystem.
GSLEP was created in 2013 when officials, politicians and conservationists arrived at a common conservation strategy enshrined in the Bishkek Declaration (2013) to cooperate in the conservation of this species and its habitat.
It is led by the environment ministers of 12 countries in Asia that form the home range of the snow leopard.
These are Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The total range spans two million square kilometres.
The GSLEP Program’s secretariat is based in Bishkek, and is hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic.

About Snow Leopard-

Scientific name: Panthera uncia.
Habitat: Snow leopards live in the mountains of Central Asia.
Numbers: There are only between 3,920 and 6,390 snow leopards left in the wild.
Range extends through twelve countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Conservation Status: Snow leopards were considered endangered species until 2017 but the status was changed to vulnerable later in the year.

Challenges to their conservation:

Increased habitat loss and degradation, poaching and conflict with communities.

Conservation efforts- National level:

As per reports, India is home to about 450-500 snow leopards which can be spotted in the upper Himalayan regions of the country.
India has been conserving snow leopards and their habitats through the Project Snow Leopard (PSL).
India has also been part of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme since 2013.
For conservation, India has identified three large landscapes, namely, Hemis-Spiti across Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh; Nanda Devi – Gangotri in Uttarakhand; and Khangchendzonga – Tawangacross Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Snow Leopard is in the list of 22 critically endangered species for the recovery programme of the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change.
SECURE Himalaya: Global Environment Facility (GEF)–United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funded the project on conservation of high-altitude biodiversity and reducing the dependency of local communities on the natural ecosystem.
This project is now operational in four snow leopard range states, namely, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim.
Community volunteer programme “HimalSanrakshak” to protect snow leopards.

Conservation efforts- International level:

In 2013, the Bishkek Declaration set a goal of protecting at least 20 snow leopard landscapes with viable snow leopard populations by 2020, and led to the formation of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP).
Since then, October 23 is commemorated each year as International Snow Leopard Day.

13. Russia’s Shivulech volcano extremely active, threatens eruption, scientists say

Subject: Geography

Context-

The Shiveluch volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East has become extremely active, threatening a powerful eruption, the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team said.
A growth of the lava dome continues, a strong fumaroles activity, an incandescence of the lava dome, explosions, and hot avalanches accompanies this process.
Ash explosions up to 10-15 kilometres (9.32 miles) could occur at any time.
Ongoing activity could affect international and low-flying aircraft.
The volcano last most powerful eruption took place in 2007

About-

Shiveluch is the northernmost active volcano in Kamchatka Krai, Russia.
It and Karymsky are Kamchatka’s largest, most active and most continuously erupting volcanoes.
The summit reaches 3,283 metres (10,771 feet)
An estimated 60 substantial eruptions in the past 10,000 years.
On February 27, 2015 Shiveluch erupted shooting ash into the atmosphere about 30,000 feet crossing the Bering Sea and into Alaska.
The Kamchatka Krai is a part of Pacific ring of fire.

Characteristics-

Shiveluch belongs to the Kliuchevskaya volcano group.
There are three elements of the volcano:
the stratovolcano Old Shiveluch;
an ancient caldera, and
the active Young Shiveluch with an elevation of about 2,800 metres (9,186 ft).
Shiveluch is one of Kamchatka’s largest and most active volcanic structures.
It is a stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of solidified ash, hardened lava and volcanic rocks.
The nearest settlement from the volcano is Klyuchi, situated 50 km from the mountain.
The settlement is small enough to evacuate rapidly in case of a major eruption.

14. Bluebugging

Subject:: Science and Technology

Concept:

Bluebugging is a hacking technique that allows individuals to access a device with a discoverable Bluetooth connection.

Prerequisite for hacking:

A bluebugging hacker must be within a 10-meter range (Bluetooth signal range) of your device for the bluebugging attack to work. However, hackers can use booster antennas to widen the attack range.
Your device’s Bluetooth must be in discoverable mode, which is the default setting for most devices.

How is blue bugging done?

A hacker attempts to pair with a victim’s device via Bluetooth. Once a connection is established, the hacker installs a backdoor or malware to bypass authentication.
The malware is usually designed to gain unauthorized access by exploiting a vulnerability. In some cases, the attacker can compromise a device through a brute-force attack, which entails repeatedly logging in to a victim’s account by randomly guessing username-password combinations.
As soon as the hacker gains access, he/she can essentially do what the device owner can, such as reading messages, making calls, or modifying contact details.
Bluebugging manipulates a target phone into compromising its security, thus creating a backdoor attack before returning control of the phone to its owner.

What can bluebugging do?

The hacker can read and send messages, access the victim’s phonebook, and initiate or eavesdrop on phone calls.
Once control of a phone has been established, it is used to call back the hacker who is then able to listen in to conversations, hence the name “bugging”
It pretends to be the headset and thereby “tricking” the phone into obeying call commands. Not only can a hacker receive calls intended for the target phone, he can send messages, read phonebooks, and examine calendars.
Even the most secure smartphones like iPhones are vulnerable, any app with access to Bluetooth can record users’ conversations with Siri and audio from the iOS keyboard dictation feature when using AirPods or headsets, a hacker can gain unauthorized access to these apps and devices and control them

Ways to safegaurd from bluebugging: Update your devices, make your Bluetooth devices “undiscoverable”, reject strange messages, watch out for suspicious activity(phone is suddenly disconnecting and reconnecting calls), monitor sudden spikes in data usage

Difference between bluebugging, bluesnarfing, and bluejacking:

Bluejacking uses Bluetooth to pair with your device to “prank” you. Usually, bluejacking hackers send you annoying pictures or messages to promote products.
Bluesnarfing uses Bluetooth to hack into your device to download sensitive data, such as images, phone book information, and messages.

15. Small modular reactors (SMRs)

Subject: Science and Technology

Context: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh today said, India is taking steps for development of Small Modular Reactors (SMR), with up to 300 MW capacity to fulfil its commitment to Clean Energy transition.

Concept:

What are small modular reactors (SMRs)?

Small modular reactors are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power generation capacity of up to 300 megawatts (MW) per unit. This is one-third the capacity of a traditional nuclear reactor. However, the main benefit of the SMR is that it is small and modular.

SMRs were designed to do away with the problems in conventional nuclear plants. Conventional nuclear reactors are massive in size and have a high cost of construction. According to some estimates, the construction of these plants may cost up to $5,945 per kilowatt capacity. SMRs provide a solution to all this.

What are the advantages of SMRs?

The small size of these reactors makes it possible for the companies to install them on difficult terrain. Their modular property allows the company to transport them easily from the manufacturing location to the plant. It brings down their cost of production as well as the construction time.
In areas which lack sufficient grid capacity, like rural regions, SMRs can be installed into the existing grid and increase the power output. The SMRs provide low-carbon power, which is less harmful to the environment as compared to thermal power.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), SMRs are relatively safer. No human intervention or external power or force is required to shut down systems because passive systems rely on physical phenomena like gravity and self-pressurisation.
They eliminate or significantly lower the potential for unsafe releases of radioactivity to the environment and the public in case of an accident.
Moreover, these reactors require less frequent refuelling. As compared to refuelling once every 1-2 years in conventional plants, these plants can last 3-7 years before refuelling.
Some SMRs are designed to operate for up to 30 years without refuelling

How many SMRs are currently operating?

Over 70 commercial SMRs have been developed around the world, but the only modular reactor design that is operating is onboard the floating nuclear power plant Akademik Lomonosov in Russia.

The construction of the biggest land-based SMR began in the Chinese power plant Linglong One in 2021 and is due for completion in 2026.

What are the disadvantages of SMRs?

The SMRs are largely more beneficial than conventional nuclear plants and other forms of power generation, but their cost of production is likely to stay high unless mass production is undertaken.

Current status :Russia’s Akademik Lomonosov, the world’s first floating nuclear power plant that began commercial operation in May 2020, is producing energy from two 35 MW(e) SMRs. Other SMRs are under construction or in the licensing stage in Argentina, Canada, China, Russia, South Korea and the United States of America.

IAEA and SMR

The IAEA has established the Platform on SMRs and their Applications, a one-stop shop for countries to coordinate support related to all aspects of SMR development, deployment, oversight and their electric and non-electric applications, such as use in district heating and desalination systems.
The IAEA is assessing the level to which existing IAEA safety standards can be applied to innovative technologies. The IAEA expects to publish a Safety Report on the applicability of IAEA safety standards to SMR technologies in 2022.
The IAEA’s Technical Working Group on Small and Medium Sized or Modular Reactors (TWG-SMR) and the SMR Regulators’ Forum unites experts to discuss challenges and share experiences related to the development and future deployment of SMRs.

16. DhabariQuruvi

Subject: Art and culture

Concept:

“DhabariQuruvi” portrays the tempestuous journey of a tribal girl who battles convention and seeks to free herself from the chains with which society and community had tied down those like her.
Distinguished as the first film in the history of Indian cinema to star only people from indigenous communities, “DhabariQuruvi” had its world premiere in the Indian Panorama section today at 53rd International Film Festival of India in Goa.
The film also has the distinction of having been shot completely in the tribal language of Irula.

IRULA

Irula resides in just two southwestern countries – Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In Tamil Nadu, they reside in the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Namakkal, Salem, and Dharmapuri. Back in Kerala, they reside in the Palakkad district and Attapady and Walayar panchayats.
Individuals of Irula ethnicity are known as Irular and talk Irula, which belongs to the Dravidian family.
They speak Irula language that is closely related to Dravidian language like Kannada and Tamil.
Irulas are among the Particularly vulnerable tribal group
The main occupation of the Irulas has been snake, rat catching and honey collection. They also work as labourers (coolies) in the fields of the landlords during the sowing and harvesting seasons or in the rice mills.

17. eGramSwaraj and Audit Online of Ministry of Panchayati Raj has won the GOLD AWARD

Subject :Government schemes

Context: e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (eGramSwaraj and Audit Online) of Ministry of Panchayati Raj has won the GOLD AWARD under the category “Excellence in Government Process Re-engineering for Digital Transformation” of the National Awards for e-Governance.

Concept:

eGramSwaraj:

In order to enhance transparency and empower panchayats, Ministry has integrating beneficiary details of various union Ministries/ Departments with e-Gram SWARAJ Application.
The information shall be available to Gram Panchayats, to read out in the course of the Gram Sabhas for public verification.
This verification would be a landmark in ensuring accountability through digitalization and public participation. As on December 2021, beneficiary details of nine schemes of three Union Ministries/ Departments are integrated with eGramSwaraj Application.
This includes five schemes of Ministry of Rural Development viz. PM Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS), Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS), Indira Gandhi National Family Benefit Scheme (IGNFBS), two Schemes of Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying viz. National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP & NAIP II) and National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP), One scheme of Ministry of Agriculture and Family Welfare viz. Pradhan Mantri KISAN Samman Nidhi (PMKSN); One scheme of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti viz. Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin).

Audit Online:

As a part of the critical institutional reform, XV FC has stipulated that the audited reports of Panchayat accounts need to be made available in the public domain, as an eligibility criterion.
In this regard, MoPR had conceptualized the application “AuditOnline” for carrying out online audit of Panchayat accounts pertaining to Central Finance Commission Grants.
It not only facilitates the auditing of accounts but also provisions for maintaining digital audit records pertaining to audits that have been carried out. This application provides for streamlining the various audit processes, namely, audit inquiries, draft local audit reports, draft audit paras etc.
One of the unique features of this application is that it is entirely configurable to suit to the States’ Audit process / flows complying to the respective State Audit Rules/Act(s).
AuditOnline is also linked to eGramSwaraj for ease of flow of accounting related information pertaining to the Panchayats.