Daily Prelims Notes 18 October 2021

October 18, 2021
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Daily Prelims Notes

18 October 2021

Table Of Contents

1. Kew Declaration

Subject – Environment

Context – ‘Kew Declaration’ unites experts on reforestation, aims at policymakers ahead of COP26

Concept –

The declaration, spearheaded by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) and Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), was signed by more than 2,600 individuals from 113 countries, including scientists, foresters, financiers, policy specialists, and representatives of botanical gardens, NGOs and tree nurseries.
The declaration expresses the co-signatories’ concern over large-scale tree plantations of single species and/or non-native trees, which can harm biodiversity and capture less carbon than native forests. It proposes that forests be planted to reflect the diversity of natural ecosystems.
The declaration was borne out of discussions and research presented at the Reforestation for Biodiversity, Carbon Capture and Livelihoods conference in February 2021 as well as the “Ten Golden Rules for Reforestation to Optimise Carbon Sequestration, Biodiversity Recovery and Livelihood Benefits” published by RBG Kew and partners in January 2021.
The declaration specifically calls upon “policymakers, financiers and practitioners in countries that have made reforestation pledges” to adhere to the Ten Golden Rules, work with Indigenous and local people and respect their land tenure rights, ensure that any habitats lost are replicable, safeguard threatened species, continue to steward and monitor projects, and “learn from past mistakes.”
The declaration also calls for subsidies and “positive financial incentives” to support restoration.
Afforestation, or planting trees on lands that do not historically have trees (such as savannas or moorlands), can actually release carbon from the ground and be destructive to the ecosystem, so selecting the appropriate areas and species for reforestation is critical.
When people plant the wrong trees in the wrong place, it can cause considerably more damage than benefits, failing to help people or nature.
One of the promising approaches noted is agroforestry, an alternative to intensive agriculture, which uses forest-based products and has the added benefits of “carbon sequestration, soil structure and fertility, shade, tree products and other ecosystem services,” the declaration states.
The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: 2021-2030.

2. Recovery in Employment

Subject – Economy

Context – recovery in employment may lag the recovery in GDP

Concept –

IMF has been in the news for unveiling its second World Economic Outlook (WEO).
- Twice every year — April and October — the IMF comes out with its WEO.
- The WEO reports are significant because they are based on a wide set of assumptions about a whole host of parameters — such as the international price of crude oil — and set the benchmark for all economies to compare and contrast.
On the whole, the IMF’s central message was that the global economic recovery momentum had weakened a tad, thanks largely to the pandemic-induced supply disruptions across the planet.
But more than just the marginal headline numbers for global growth, it is increasing inequality among nations that the IMF was most concerned about.
“The dangerous divergence in economic prospects across countries remains a major concern. Aggregate output for the advanced economy group is expected to regain its pre-pandemic trend path in 2022 and exceed it by 0.9 per cent in 2024. By contrast, aggregate output for the emerging market and developing economy group (excluding China) is expected to remain 5.5 per cent below the pre-pandemic forecast in 2024, resulting in a larger setback to improvements in their living standards,” it stated.
There are two key reasons for the economic divergences: One, large disparities in vaccine access and, two, the difference in policy support (or the help provided by the respective governments).

But possibly the most important takeaway from the WEO this time is about the employment growth likely to lag the output recovery

“Employment around the world remains below its pre-pandemic levels, reflecting a mix of negative output gaps, worker fears of on-the-job infection in contact-intensive occupations, childcare constraints, labor demand changes as automation picks up in some sectors, replacement income through furlough schemes or unemployment benefits helping to cushion income losses, and frictions in job searches and matching,” states the IMF in WEO.
Within this overall theme, what is particularly worrisome is that this gap between recovery in output and employment is likely to be larger in emerging markets and developing economies than in advanced economies.
Further, young and low-skilled workers are likely to be worse off than prime-age and high-skilled workers, respectively.
But in the context of what the IMF said about recovery in unemployment lagging output recovery, it matters to understand why we may not know about the unemployment distress in a large part of India. That’s because, as it is often said, 90% of India’s jobs are in the so-called informal sector. More often than not, data on this part of the economy is quite patchy and inadequate.
- The terms unorganised/ informal sector are used interchangeably in the Indian context. The informal sector/unorganised sector consists of enterprises which are own account enterprises and operated by own account workers or unorganised enterprises employing hired workers. They are essentially proprietary and partnership enterprises.
- The share of informal/unorganised sector GVA to the total is more than 50%.

There are sectors such as Agriculture and allied industries where almost all the sector’s GVA is produced by those working in the informal sector.
Then there are sectors such as Manufacturing where less than 23 per cent of the total GVA comes from the informal sector.
The informal worker is defined as “a worker with no written contract, paid leave, health benefits or social security”.
The organised sector refers to firms that are registered. Typically, it is expected that organised sector firms will provide formal employment.
The below table shows the break-up as of 2017-18. (Source: Computed from NSS 68th unit level data on employment unemployment, 2011-12 and Periodic Labour Force Survey, 2017-18)

It is clear that the bulk of India’s employment is both in the unorganised sector and is of an informal nature.
What this data shows is that if the informal/unorganised sector recovers at a slower pace than the formal sector, then the recovery in employment (relative to the recovery in output) will be even slower in India.

3. China’s hypersonic glide vehicle test

Subject – Science and Tech

Context – A report in the London-based Financial Times on Saturday, citing various sources, says China in August tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle that circled the globe before speeding towards its target.

Concept –

Hypersonic speeds are 5 or more times the speed of sound.
Chinese military launched a rocket that carried a hypersonic glide vehicle, which flew through low-orbit space before cruising down towards its target. The test has caught US intelligence by surprise, the report says.
China had made astounding progress on hypersonic weapons and was far more advanced than US.
The weapon was being developed by the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA), under the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation that makes missile systems and rockets for China’s space programme.
The vehicle was launched on a Long March rocket, which is used for the space programme.

Significance –

According to the report, the weapon could, in theory, fly over the South Pole. That would pose a big challenge for the US military because its missile defence systems are focused on the northern polar route.
The US, Russia and China are all developing hypersonic weapons, including glide vehicles that are launched into space on a rocket but orbit the earth under their own momentum.

India –

Hypersonic technology has been developed and tested by both DRDO and ISRO.
- Last September, DRDO successfully flight-tested the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), with a capability to travel at 6 times the speed of sound.
- A solid rocket motor of Agni missile took it to an altitude of 30 km where the cruise vehicle separated as planned.
- The hypersonic combustion sustained and the cruise vehicle continued on its desired flight path at a velocity of six times the speed of sound for more than 20 seconds.
Last December, an advanced Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (HWT) test facility of the DRDO was inaugurated in Hyderabad. It is a pressure vacuum-driven, enclosed free jet facility that simulates Mach 5 to 12.
Most of the hypersonic vehicles primarily use the scramjet technology.
Scramjets are aa category of engines designed to handle airflows of speeds in multiples of the speed of sound.

4. Structural problems fuelling the coal crisis

Subject – Economy

Context – The Centre and States have recently been locking horns over the shortage of coal and power supply

Concept –

The sudden surge in demand for power as the economy recovered from the pandemic, heavy rains in coal bearing areas, coupled with global supply crunch may have been the short-term reasons for the crisis, but there are structural problems with coal supply in the country that need to be addressed.
Despite the availability of adequate reserves, coal extraction has been declining in the larger coal producing States.
The gap between demand and domestic supply of coal is widening.
Also, coal production in two of the three major coal producing States has dipped in the last three years.
For 2021-22, the actual demand for coal is pegged at 1,142 million tonnes and up to June 2021, about 195.17 million tonnes of domestic supply was available.
Two major contributors to the total energy supply in the country are coal and crude oil.
- Coal accounts for 64.19 per cent of the total supply while crude oil accounts for 27.99 per cent.
- The electricity sector is the biggest consumer of raw coal and lignite, accounting for as much as 64.86 per cent of the total consumption of coal and 85.96 per cent of the total consumption of lignite in India in 2019-20 (provisional).

Reserves and production

Of the total coal reserves in India, proven reserves — that is reserves available for extraction which are economically viable, feasible and at geological exploration level — account for almost 47 per cent.
About 44 per cent coal reserves are indicated while 9 per cent are inferred according to the Energy Statistics India 2021 report published by the Government of India’s Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
The total estimated reserves of coal in 2020 were 344.02 billion tonnes. This is an addition of 17.53 billion tonnes over 2019 in the corresponding period. This translates to 161.68 billion tonnes of proven reserves available for extraction.
- So, less than 0.45 per cent of available reserves are being extracted annually, showing that paucity of reserves is not behind the lower supply of coal.
The top three States with the highest coal reserves — Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh — account for approximately 70 per cent of the total coal reserves in the country. Despite the availability of coal, actual production has gone down in the last three years
The overall trend of coal production in the last ten years (2010-11 to 2019-20) shows an increase, with a CAGR of 3.58 per cent.
India is one of the largest producers and consumers of coal in the world. There has been an upward trend in the consumption of coal in the country during the period 2010-11 to 2018-19.
- CAGR is 5.28 per cent from 2010-11 to 2019-20.
Not surprisingly, there has been an increasing trend in the import of coal in recent years. Over the last ten years, the net import of coal steadily increased from 68.92 million tonnes in 2010-11 to 212.1 million tonnes in 2014-15

What needs to be done?

The Coal Ministry needs to walk the talk in increasing domestic production of coal through the allocation of more coal blocks, pursuing with States for assistance in land acquisition, and coordinated efforts with Railways for movement of coal.
The government also needs to move faster towards commercial mining to bring more coal into the market which will reduce the demand-supply gap and encourage market-determined prices.
Auction of coal mines for the sale of coal is expected to encourage transparent pricing of coal, based on the market forces.
The onus finally falls upon the public sector behemoth, Coal India, to address the structural supply issue. It needs to get serious about increasing its output towards the annual target of one billion tonne from its mines.
- The target may not be achieved by 2023-24, as envisaged since the production target of CIL for the financial year 2021-22 is just 670 million tonnes.

5. Higher tariff value on edible oils

Subject – Economy

Context – Higher tariff value on edible oils to lower benefit of cut in import levies

Concept –

After lowering import levies, the Finance Ministry has upped the tariff value for edible oils. This means the benefit of lowering duty for retail prices will be less than expected.
Tariff values refer to the base on which ad valorem (percentage of value) duty is calculated for an imported good. Change or no change in the value is notified every fortnight keeping in mind the prices in the international market.
- Sub section (2) of Section 14 of the Customs Act 1962 empowers the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) “to fix tariff values for any class of imported goods or export goods and the duty shall be chargeable with reference to such tariff value.”
One of the reasons for changing the tariff value is to align it to changes in market prices of the underlying commodity.
- For example, the price of locally delivered crude palm oil in Malaysia has increased by about 18 per cent from July to October. The World Bank index too shows an increase in the Malaysian palm oil prices
Producers’ body feels reducing the import levies and raising the tariff value are giving confusing signals.

6. Oil Seeds

Subject – Agriculture

Context – Oilseeds take the lead in early rabi sowing; pulses, paddy coverage stagnating

Concept –

Oilseeds have taken the lead in early Rabi sowing till the first fortnight of October, while pulses and paddy are stagnating at last year’s levels.
Oilseeds acreage has been reported at 2.81 lh, mainly in UP. Mustard, the main rabi oilseed, has been sown in 2.81 lh (1.71 lh).

About Oilseeds

Oilseed crops are the second most important determinant of the agricultural economy, next only to cereals within the segment of field crops.
The self-sufficiency in oilseeds attained through the “Yellow Revolution” during early 1990’s, could not be sustained beyond a short period.
Oilseed crops are primarily grown for the purpose of obtaining vegetable oils from them. Oil content in them varies from 20% in soybeans to 40% in sunflowers and canola (rapeseed).
India is able to produce a huge amount of oilseeds because of the favourable environmental conditions.
Castor seed, sesamum, rapeseed, groundnut, mustard, soyabean, linseed, niger seed, sunflower and safflower are some of the important oilseeds India is known to produce.
Despite being the fifth largest oilseed crop producing country in the world, India is also one of the largest importers of vegetable oils today.
India buys more than two-thirds of its total edible oil imports as palm oil.
India has a marked position in the world in the production of a large amount of oilseeds.
After China, India is the second largest producer of groundnut and is third in position in the production of Rapeseed after China and Canada.
Major Oilseeds Producing Areas in India are: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh.

The Yellow Revolution

The Yellow Revolution was launched to increase the production of Edible oilseeds in the country to meet the domestic demand.
The revolution launched in 1986- 1987 to increase the production of edible oil, especially mustard and sesame seeds to achieve self-reliance is known as the Yellow Revolution.
Sam Pitroda is Known as the father of the Yellow Revolution in India.
Yellow Revolution targets nine oilseeds that are groundnut, mustard, soybean, safflower, sesame, sunflower, niger, linseed, and castor.

National Food Security Mission (Oil Seeds and Oil Palm) –

Objective – To augment the availability of edible oils and reduce the import of edible oils by increasing the production and productivity of oilseeds and oil palm.
Merger of NMOOP under NFSM:
- National Mission on Oilseeds & Oil Palm (NMOOP) was launched in 2014-15 and continued upto 2017-18.
- From 2018-19 onwards, the NMOOP is being implemented under NFSM as NFSM-Oilseeds & Oil palm comprising the sub components NFSM- Oilseeds, NFSM-Oil Palm and NFSM-Tree Borne Oilseeds (TBOs).
Multi-Pronged Strategy:
- Increasing Seed Replacement Ratio (SRR) with focus on varietal replacement.
- SRR is the percentage of area sown out of total area of crop planted in the season by using certified/quality seeds other than the farm saved seed.
- Productivity improvement by adoption of proven and climatic resilient technologies like water saving devices (sprinklers/rain gun), zero tillage, inter-cropping, relay cropping, strategic application of micronutrient and soil ameliorants.
- Area expansion through diversification of low yielding food grains.
- Creation of 36 oilseed hubs with a focus on regional approach for larger availability of quality seeds.
- Post-harvest management at farm and village level.
- Formation of Farmer Producer Organisations.
Funding Pattern:
- The cost sharing pattern between Central and State Governments, is in the ratio of 60:40 for general category of States and 90:10 for North Eastern and Himalayan States.
- For few interventions, like purchase of breeder seeds by both State and Central seed producing agencies, supply of seed mini-kits to the farmers, 100% funding is provided by Government of India.

7. WTO Ministerial Conference

Subject – IR

Context – WTO chief to meet Sitharaman, Goyal toiron out differences ahead of meet

Concept –

The topmost decision-making body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference, which usually meets every two years.
It brings together all members of the WTO, all of which are countries or customs unions.
The Ministerial Conference can take decisions on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements.

Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference

The 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) will take place from 30 November to 3 December 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland.
MC12 was originally scheduled to take place from 8 to 11 June 2020 in Kazakhstan’s capital, Nur-Sultan, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Conference will be chaired by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration, BakhytSultanov, as approved by WTO members in December 2019.

The World Trade Organization (WTO)

It is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
It came into existence on January 1, 1995 and has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
All major decisions are made by the WTO’s member governments, either by ministers (who usually meet at least every two years) or by their ambassadors or delegates (who meet regularly in Geneva).

8. Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)

Subject – Economy

Context – Outward remittances under LRS rose 31%

Concept –

Outward remittances under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) for individuals rose about 31 per cent year-on-year (yoy) in July 2021 to $1.31 billion, mainly on the back of increase in expenses towards studies and travel, according to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data.
The remittances were $995.16 million in the year ago period.
This comes even as the global economy seems to be gradually recovering from the unprecedented disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
As per RBI norms, all resident individuals, including minors, are allowed to freely remit up to $250,000 per financial year (April – March) for any permissible current or capital account transaction or a combination of both.
The Scheme was introduced on February 4, 2004, with a limit of $25,000 and revised in stages.

To know more about LRS, please click here.

9. Bond yields trend higher despite softer inflation

Subject – Economy

Context – Bond yields trend higher despite softer inflation

Concept –

Benchmark yield closed marginally higher this week despite positive inflation data even as rising crude prices, higher US treasury yields and domestic liquidity factor take precedence.
During the monetary policy, the Reserve Bank of India halted the G-SAP programme while saying it would increase the quantum of VRRR auctions to ₹6 lakh crore by December.
The central bank last week conducted an 8-day Variable Rate Reverse Repo auction in which the cut-off yield came in at 3.9 per cent.
- In comparison, the cut-off for a 7-day VRRR auction had come in at 3.61 per cent in the first week of October.
- The increasing cut-off seems to reflect the central bank’s comfort in paying a higher rate to remove excessive liquidity.
The halting of G-SAP comes at a time when crude prices are gaining an upward momentum.
Bond dealers say if both the crude and the US treasury yields continue to rise, it could have an impact on the domestic yields.
“Rising crude prices and hardening US Treasury yields are the main factors that are driving the G-Sec yields higher. Under these adverse global conditions, the withdrawal of G-SAP has exacerbated the upmove.

10. One-Health

Subject – Governance

Context – AMR mitigation must top pharma industry’s agenda

Concept –

One Health is an approach that recognizes that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment

One Health is not new, but it has become more important in recent years. This is because many factors have changed interactions between people, animals, plants, and our environment.

Human populations are growing and expanding into new geographic areas. As a result, more people live in close contact with wild and domestic animals, both livestock and pets. Animals play an important role in our lives, whether for food, fiber, livelihoods, travel, sport, education, or companionship. Close contact with animals and their environments provides more opportunities for diseases to pass between animals and people.
The earth has experienced changes in climate and land use, such as deforestation and intensive farming practices. Disruptions in environmental conditions and habitats can provide new opportunities for diseases to pass to animals.
The movement of people, animals, and animal products has increased from international travel and trade. As a result, diseases can spread quickly across borders and around the globe.

These changes have led to the spread of existing or known (endemic) and new or emerging zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that can spread between animals and people. Examples of zoonotic diseases include:

Rabies
Salmonella infection
West Nile virus infection
Q Fever (Coxiellaburnetii)
Anthrax
Brucellosis
Lyme disease
Ringworm
Ebola

Common One Health Issue

One Health issues include zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety and food security, vector-borne diseases, environmental contamination, and other health threats shared by people, animals, and the environment. Even the fields of chronic disease, mental health, injury, occupational health, and noncommunicable diseases can benefit from a One Health approach involving collaboration across disciplines and sectors.

To know about Anti-microbial resistance (AMR), please click here.

11. IMF Quota

Subject – Economy

Context – Experts call for review of IMF role, data integrity, completing quota reforms

Concept –

The IMF is a quota-based institution. Quotas are the building blocks of the IMF’s financial and governance structure.
An individual member country’s quota broadly reflects its relative position in the world economy.
Quotas are denominated in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), the IMF’s unit of account.

Multiple roles of quotas

General Quota Reviews

The IMF’s Board of Governors conducts general reviews of quotas at regular intervals (no more than five years apart).
Any changes in quotas must be approved by an 85 percent majority of the total voting power, and a member’s own quota cannot be changed without its consent.
The two main issues addressed in a general review of quotas are
- (i) the size of an overall quota increase and
- (ii) the distribution of the increase among the members.
Size of overall quota increase – A general review allows the IMF to assess the adequacy of quotas in relation to both the members’ balance of payments financing needs and the Fund’s ability to help meet those needs.

Distribution of the quota increase among members

A general review allows for realignments in members’ quota shares to reflect changes in their relative positions in the world economy.
In addition, a member may request an ad hoc quota adjustment at any time outside of a general review.

Quota formula

A quota formula is used to help assess members’ relative position in the world economy and it can play a role in guiding the distribution of quota increases.
The current formula was agreed in 2008.

12. Firm to monetise CPSE land assets

Subject – Economy

Context – Fin Min to seek Cabinet nod to set up firm to monetise some CPSE land assets

Concept –

The finance ministry will soon move the Cabinet to seek approval for setting up a company for transfer and subsequent monetisation of land and non-core assets of privatisation-bound CPSEs.
A special purpose vehicle (SPV) in the form of a company would be set up to hold these assets which would be monetised to fetch value to the exchequer.
Post Cabinet nod, the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), which is now under the Ministry of Finance, will be entrusted with doing the asset monetisation.
The government is targeting to conclude strategic sale of BPCL, Shipping Corporation of India, IDBI Bank, BEML, Pawan Hans, NeelachalIspat Nigam Ltd, this fiscal.
In the 2021-22 Budget, the government announced the PSE (public sector enterprises) privatisation policy as per which all PSUs will be privatised, barring four strategic sectors of Atomic energy, Space and Defence; Transport and Telecommunications; Power, Petroleum, Coal and other minerals; and Banking, Insurance and financial services.
- In these strategic sectors, the government will retain only a bare minimum number of PSUs.

13. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

Subject – History

Context – Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has completed 100 years

Concept –

He was an Islamic pragmatist, Islamic reformer, philosopher, and educationist in nineteenth-century British India.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, an iconic social reformer and founder of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), which has completed 100 years, was born on October 17, 1817.
- Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College was the precursor of AMU.
His distinctiveness lay in the way he used education as a tool for national integration.
His wish was to unshackle Hindus and Muslims from medieval thinking towards broad-mindedness, reason and progress.
Sir Syed laid out his vision for Hindu-Muslim unity in a speech in January 1883.
Sir Syed laid the foundation of comparative religious studies and revived the spirit of Dara Shikoh’s philosophy — to bring major communities of India together by finding commonalities in their religions and assimilate them as a one mighty stream.
- This is why AMU established the Dara Shikoh Centre for Interfaith Understanding. Section 5 (2)(b) of the AMU Act empowers the university to promote the study of religions, civilisation and culture of India.
In AMU’s 100 years, it has not only contributed to nation-building but also played a role in India’s quest for building friendly ties with the Muslim world. For this, AMU is recognised as an institution of national importance under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
Apart from drawing students from 26 other countries, it has students from 31 States and Union Territories and thus represents India’s multi-religious, multi-racial and multi-lingual character. This is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the centenary celebrations of AMU in 2020, called the institution a “mini-India”.
Though initially espousing Hindu-Muslim unity, he became the pioneer of Muslim nationalism in India and is widely credited as the father of the two-nation theory, which formed the basis of the Pakistan movement.
In 1838, Syed Ahmad entered the service of East India Company and went on to become a judge at a Small Causes Court in 1867, retiring from 1876.
- During the War of Independence of 1857, he remained loyal to the British Raj and was noted for his actions in saving European lives.
- After the rebellion, he penned the booklet The Causes of the Indian Mutiny – a daring critique, at the time, of various British policies that he blamed for causing the revolt.
In 1859, Syed established Gulshan School at Muradabad, Victoria School at Ghazipur in 1863, and a scientific society for Muslims in 1864.
In 1875, founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, the first Muslim university in Southern Asia.
During his career, Syed repeatedly called upon Muslims to loyally serve the British Raj and promoted the adoption of Urdu as the lingua franca of all Indian Muslims.
Syed criticized the Indian National Congress.
Syed maintains a strong legacy in Pakistan and among Indian Muslims. He strongly influenced other Muslim leaders including Allama Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
His advocacy of Islam’s rationalist tradition, and at broader, radical reinterpretation of the Quran to make it compatible with science and modernity, continues to influence the global Islamic reformation.
His works, in Urdu, included Essays on the Life of Mohammed (1870) and commentaries on the Bible and on the Qurʾān.
- In 1888 he was made a Knight Commander of the Star of India.
He started an influential journal, Tahdhīb al-Akhlāq (“Social Reform”), for the “uplift and reform of the Muslim.”

14. Yudh Abhyas 2021

Subject – Defence and Security

Context – India, U.S. militaries match skills in Alaska

Concept –

The 17th edition of the India-U.S. bilateral exercise, YudhAbhyas 2021, got under way at the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska, U.S.
Exercise YudhAbhyas is the largest running joint military training and defence cooperation endeavour between the two countries
Interestingly, this is the only India-U.S. service exercise continuing in bilateral format.
The India-U.S. Malabar naval exercise became trilateral with the addition of Japan in 2015 and further brought in all the Quad partners together with the inclusion of Australia in 2020.
Similarly, Japan joined the India-U.S. bilateral air exercise, Cope India, as an observer in 2018 and the plan is to make it trilateral in phases. India and the U.S. also hold a tri-service exercise.