Monthly Current Affairs April 2020

Easy to PICK251 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 penal provisions under the relevant between two or more laws. devices wirelessly for data sharing purposes. Issues:  The geo-fencing will only work if the II.Suggestions for Covid-19 Recently, the Prime Minister of India has quarantined person has a mobile phone held a video conference with the Chief from Airtel, Vodafone-Idea or Ministers of the States on tackling Reliance Jio. the Covid-19pandemic.He emphasised on  “BSNL/MTNL” do not support the importance of formulating a common location based services. BSNL and exit strategy to ensure a steady re- MTNL are government-owned. emergence of the population after the lockdownis over. S&T terms: Centre for Development of Telematics Key Suggestions  C-DOT was established in August  Seamless supply lines for medical 1984 as an autonomous Telecom R&D Centre of DoT. equipment and drugs and raw  It is a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. materials.  It is a registered ‘public funded research institution’ with the  Coordinated and prioritised testing, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & tracing, isolation and Technology. quarantine among and in all states. Global Positioning System  The Global Positioning System is  Appointment of district-level disease a Global Navigation Satellite System surveillance officers for optimum (GNSS), used to determine the ground position of an object. It is a US-owned penetration of the combating strategy. utility that provides users with Positioning, Navigation, and Timing  Ensuring that there are separate (PNT) services. hospitals for Covid-19 patients and Radio-Frequency Identification  Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) proper protection to the doctors is the use of radio waves to read and attending the patients. capture information stored on a tag attached to an object. A tag can be read  Speedy online training of doctors in from up to several feet away and does not need to be within the direct line-of- the treatment of Covid-19. sight of the reader to be tracked.  Going beyond the route Wi-Fi  Wi-Fi is the name of a wireless of Agricultural Produce Marketing networking technology that uses radio Corporations(APMC) for the waves to provide wireless high-speed procurement of this season’s Internet and network connections. WiFi network enables connection harvest. Starting a truck pooling scheme for ferrying produce to the market.  Using the amount from the State Disaster Response Fund(SDRF) to fight COVID-19. The Centre will release ₹11,000 crore from the SDRF by the end of April.  Rapid disbursement of grants under the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana.  Recruitment of volunteers from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and the National Service Scheme (NSS) in the effort to combat the crisis.

Easy to PICK252 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020  Coordination between NGOs and crisis cash transfers for the food-security and welfare of workers. management groups and sharing of  Scientists have offered their complete support to the people and possible strategies. expertise in combating this disease and in ensuring that the country  Promotion and use of traditional emerges from this difficult period with as little loss of life as possible. immunity boosting methods mentioned in Ayurveda to minimise the number of people with weak immunity. The Ministry of AYUSHhas also issued an advisory regarding this. New Developments  Alternative Sealant Scientists on Lockdown o The Defence Research and  Lockdown is only a temporary Development Organisation(DRDO) solution and this period should be used has developed a special sealant as an to prepare the healthcare system to alternative to seam sealing avoid its social costs and to realise tape which is critical in Personal long-term epidemiological benefits. Protective Equipment (PPE).  The government needs to reveal a o The alternative sealant is based on the post-lockdown plan that will ensure sealant used in submarine that the rate of new infections is kept applications. low in a sustainable manner after the o DRDO can mass produce this glue lockdown ends. through the industry to support the o Social distancing and better hygiene seam sealing activity by suit are helpful yet insufficient measures manufacturers. by themselves.  Bio Suit  If the lockdown period will not be used o DRDO has also developed a bio suit to responsibly, it might lead to a possible keep medical and other personnel bounce-back effect. safe from the virus. o The current restricted testing-policy o Scientists developed it with the help of creates the risk that a large number of the industry at various DRDO mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic laboratories by applying the technical cases will remain undetected even at know-how and expertise in textile, the end of the lockdown period. coating and nanotechnology. o These cases could easily serve as the o It has been subjected to rigorous nucleus for the epidemic to bounce testing for textile parameters as well back. as protection against synthetic blood.  The problem o The production of bio-suits of reverse migration(from cities to was hampered due to the non- sub-urban/rural areas) has also been availability of seam sealing tapes but highlighted. The exodus triggered by the development of the alternative the lockdown will rapidly spread the sealant will boost its production now. virus to all parts of the country.  Handheld InfraRed Temperature o This can lead to both Sensor an epidemiological and o Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, has a humanitarian crisis. designed and developed its  Instead of stopping the reverse own handheld InfraRed (IR) based migration, the forces should be used temperature sensor for to stock up food-grains, ensure fast screening people at its entry gates.

Easy to PICK253 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 o The instrument has o Digital Infrastructure for been manufactured through in-house Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) resources at a cost of under ₹1000, a mobile app has been offered to fraction of the cost of the temperature States as a platform to provide content guns in the market. in local languages. o If States are willing to produce the III.The Centre is planning to start the content in local languages, the Centre next academic year virtually.  Many schools have been shut since can give them 2-3 hours on the early March due to the COVID- channel. 19pandemic, even before the countrywide lockdown. Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing Key Points  Diksha Portal was launched by  This means that the new academic the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) calendar will begin as usual in April  in 2017 for providing a digital platform to teachers giving them an opportunity for classes 9 to 12, though the last to learn and train themselves and connect with the teacher community. academic year may have been  It is built considering the whole teacher's life cycle - from the time somewhat truncated, with student teachers enroll in Teacher Education Institutes (TEIs) to after examinations postponed in some cases they retire as teachers.  States, government bodies and even including the CBSE exams for classes private organisations, can integrate DIKSHA into their respective teacher 10 and 12. initiatives based on their goals, needs and capabilities. o Recently, it has been decided that the  It also provides access to NCERT textbooks and lessons, following the cbse will conduct exams only for the regular school curriculum. main subjects: required for promotion or may be crucial for admission in higher educational institutions.  The Centre plans to restart classes in the distance mode, with teaching via dedicated TV and radio channels in English and Hindi. o There is an existing program, Swayam Prabha, which is a group of 32 DTH channels devoted to telecasting high- National Institute of Open Schooling  NIOS, formerly known as National quality educational programmes on Open School (NOS) was established in 24X7 basis using the GSAT-15 November,1989 as an autonomous organisation in pursuance of satellite. National Policy on Education 1986 by the Ministry of Human  National Institute of Open Schooling Resource Development (MHRD).  NIOS provides a number (NIOS) has been asked to create a of Vocational, Life Enrichment and community oriented courses besides structured programme for schools General and Academic Courses at Secondary and Senior Secondary class-wise. This is being done along level. with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) using their syllabus.  The material will be ready for use by schools following the NIOS or the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) syllabus.  For the State Boards

Easy to PICK254 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020  It also offers Elementary level 72,162.13 crore for the MGNREGA, Courses through its Open Basic the highest ever amount, and Education Programmes (OBE). substantially higher than the Rs 62,125.07 crore released in 2018-19.  Government of India has vested NIOS with the authority to examine and V. Recently, the West certify learners registered with it upto Bengal government roped in Nobel pre degree level courses whether laureate Abhijit Banerjee to spread Academic, Technical or Vocational. awareness of COVID-19. Abhijit Banerjee along with his wife IV. The demand for work by households economist Esther Duflo have agreed to under the Mahatma Gandhi National help the West Bengal government. Rural Employment Guarantee  Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo along Act (MGNREGA) programme surged to a nine-year high in 2019-20. with Michael Kremer were awarded According to the MGNREGA official the Nobel Prizein Economics “for portal, 5.47 crore households sought their experimental approach to MGNREGA works, the highest since alleviating global poverty.” 2010-11, when the number was 5.5 crore.  The experiment-based approach of the More individuals too worked under three laureates has transformed MGNREGA in 2019-20, with 7.86 crore development economics and turned it employed at various sites across the into a “flourishing field of research”. country. This is the highest since 2012-13,  The three adopted an evidence-based when 7.97 crore individuals worked under approach to apply theory to real-life this programme.The disruption caused by situations using randomised trials and the coronavirus lockdown, however, may assessing the outcomes. impact the final figure of the person days o The approach is derived from the generated in March 2020. concept of clinical trials in the The gram panchayats not recording any pharmaceuticals industry. MGNREGA expenditure has also o The effort was to understand the declined. This shows that more and more impact of interventions to achieve panchayats are using MGNREGA to desirable outcomes. provide unskilled work to the unemployed.  Example: The experiment that Mr. These new MGNREGA figures coincide Banerjee and Ms. Duflo carried out in with the sharp fall in GDP growth Rajasthan some years ago would rate to 5% in 2019-20, the lowest in a explain the concept better. decade. The demand for works under o Despite immunisation being free, MGNREGA is surging despite the fact women were not bringing in their that wages have been flattening in recent children for the vaccination shot. years. In 2019-20, average MGNREGA o The two economists decided to give a wage per day per person was Rs 182.09, bag of pulses free to women who barely Rs 3 higher than Rs 179.13 in 2018- brought their babies for vaccination. 19. Word soon spread and the rate of The data also showed that 263.73 crore immunisation shot up in the region. person days were generated during 2019-  One of their studies also resulted in 20, slightly lower than 267.96 crore in benefiting 5 million children in India 2018-19 but significantly higher than the through programmes of remedial total person days generated during each tutoring in schools. financial year from 2012-13 to 2017-18. During 2019-20, the Centre released Rs Agasthyavanam Biological Park

Easy to PICK255 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 PT PICKSUP Key Points :  Established in 1997, Agasthyavanam Biological Park is a wildlife sanctuary in Kerala. o The park is located near Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum, t he capital city of Kerala. o It is contiguous to Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary and Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary.  The park has been named after the Agasthyamalai Agasthyakoodam Peak, which can be seen at a distance from the park o The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserveis located in the southernmost end of the Western Ghats and incorporates peaks towering 1,868 m above sea level. It covers 3,500 km2 and encompasses tropical forest ecosystems that fall within the Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu and the Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts of Kerala.  Agasthyavanam Biological Park is spread over an area of 23 sq. km., of which 17.5 sq. km. of the park has been dedicated for natural regeneration to develop into a dense forest. The rest area of the park is left for systematic conservation programs.  The Park has endemic medicinal plants and rich biodiversity.

Easy to PICK256 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Impact of Lockdown on Banks Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- manufacturing sectors, such as auto, Economy -Bank steel, renewable energy, as those where Banks are concerned about the build up of fresh NPAs are looming. Non-performing Assets (NPAs) as the o According to the RBI’s financial disruption caused to business operations stability report, the share of large and supply chains during the 21- borrowers in scheduled commercial day lockdownperiod will take time to banks’ total loan portfolios and their repair. share in GNPAs was at 51.8%and  This is despite the fact that 79.3% respectively, in September 2019. the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has  Problems Within Different Sectors injected fresh liquidity into the banking o Even if the lockdown is lifted on April system and given banks leeway to deal 14, operations of a number of with potential stress in loan accounts. companies in specific sectors will not see business getting back to normal as What is NPA? the labour has moved out and the NPA refers to a classification for loans or production may not be able to restart. advances that are in default or are in o Apart from these, capital intensive arrears on scheduled payments of sectors such as aviation, real estate, principal or interest. consumer durables, and jewellery may In most cases, debt is classified as non- take a long time before there is a performing, when the loan payments have demand revival. not been made for a minimum period of o Renewable power is struggling because 90 days. of complete disruption of supply chains from China, as a result of which  Gross non-performing assets are the they are way behind on project sum of all the loans that have been schedules and could face payment defaulted by the individuals who have issues from their customers, the power acquired loans from the financial discoms. institution.  Fear of Extended Lockdown: Measures by the RBI will  Net non-performing assets are the provide banks some relief during the amount that is realized after provision next three months, but a buildup of bad amount has been deducted from the loans looks inevitable.While gross non-performing assets. moratorium provides temporary relief to borrowers and helps check the Concerns of Bankers NPAs during that period, an extended lockdown is expected to have a  Fresh NPAs significant adverse effect on the economy. o The 21-day period lockdown would  Analysis By Different Rating Agencies cause pain to lenders, especially in o Moody’s Investors Service: It expects deterioration in banks’ asset quality loan due to disruption in economic activity. It has changed the outlook for Indian o accounts from sectors including Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) airlines, real estate, auto dealers, gems and jewellery, metals among others. o Banks are concerned about MSME loans and those extended to

Easy to PICK257 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 banking system to negative from o Commodities and Development Report stable. Key Points : o According to a report released by Crisil: The asset classes will see continuing pressures on asset quality due to weaker profiles of borrowers and expectation of only a gradual economic recovery. In study of 35 sectors, both from manufacturing and services,there is a sharp variation in resilience in a post-Covid-19 landscape.  High Resilience Category: Pharmaceuticals, telecom, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), fertiliser, oil refineries, power & gas distribution and transmission are among the sectors comprising nearly 44% of the debt.  Moderate Resilience Category: Another 52% debt is in sectors such as automobile manufacturers, power generators, roads and construction.  Least Resilient Category: Around 4% of debt in sectors such as airlines, gems and jewellery, auto dealers and real estate, given the discretionary nature of goods and services, and weak balance sheets. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development  It was established in 1964 to promote development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy.  UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body headquartered at Geneva in Switzerland.  Some of the reports published by it are: o Trade and Development Report o World Investment Report o The Least Developed Countries Report o Information and Economy Report o Technology and Innovation Report

Easy to PICK258 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 3 new features of e-NAM platform to prevent crowding in mandis Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- What is e-NAM? Economy -Agriculture  National Agriculture Market (NAM) is The Union Minister of Agriculture & a pan-India electronic trading portal Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development and which networks the existing APMC Panchayati Raj, Narendra Singh mandis to create a unified national Tomar has launched three new features of market for agricultural commodities. National Agriculture Market (e-NAM)  It is managed by Small Farmers' Platform to enable farmers to sell their Agribusiness Consortium(SFAC) harvested produce directly from warehouse under Department of Agriculture, which will prevent crowding in mandis Cooperation & Farmers' Welfare. amid COVID-19 outbreak.  The NAM Portal provides a single About newly launched software modules window service for all APMC related in e-NAM software: information and services. i.Negotiable Warehouse Receipt (e-  It currently links 450 APMCs from NWRs) module– It will enable small & across 13states, different commodities marginal farmers to directly trade their including staple food grains, stored produce from vegetables and fruits are currently selected Warehousing Development and listed in its list of commodities Regulatory Authority available for trade. (WDRA) accredited warehouses which are  Traders and exporters need to get declared deemed market by the State. With themselves registered with the portal to this, farmers can sell the produce across access its services. India to get better Price and the hassle of  This includes commodity arrivals & mandi will also be avoided. Already States prices, buy & sell trade offers, of Telangana (14 warehouses) & Andhra provision to respond to trade offers, Pradesh (23 warehouses) declared among other services. designated warehouses in the State as deemed market. What was the mechanism prior to e- NAM? ii.Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO)  Agriculture marketing is administered trading module– This will enable FPOs to by the States as per their agri- upload the picture and quality parameters marketing regulations.  Under which, the State is divided into of the produce for bidding which will help several market areas, each of which is administered by a separate Agricultural distant bidders to visualise the produce Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) which imposes its own before bidding. This feature will help marketing regulation (including fees).  This fragmentation of markets, even FPOs in reducing the transaction costs within the State, hinders free flow of agri commodities from one market area (Transportation) forinter-mandi and inter- to another without commensurate benefit to the farmer. state trade. iii.Logistic Module– This will promote inter-State trade under e-NAM by providing online transport facilities for distant buyers. For this purpose 3,75,000 trucks from large logistic providers have been deployed. e-NAM

Easy to PICK259 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 What is the working mechanism of e-  Besides the State Marketing NAM? Boards/APMCs must enable the  Under e-NAM willing States to promotion of the e-auction platform. accordingly enact suitable provisions  The States will need to ensure that the in their APMC Act for promotion of e- mandis that are integrated with NAM trading by their State Agricultural makes provision for requisite online Marketing Board/APMC. connectivity, hardware and assaying  States to undertake reforms prior to equipments. seeking assistance under the scheme in respect of  The payment to the farmers will be 1. Single license to be valid across the provided to the farmers with valid State. license linked with Aadhaar through 2. Single point levy of market fee (i.e. on DBT by state APMCs. the first wholesale purchase from the farmer will be charged). e-NAM& Its Constituents 3. Provision for electronic auction as a e-NAM comprises of commodity onsets mode for price discovery. and prices, buy and sell trade offers,  Only those States/UTs that have facility to respond to trade offers, among completed these three pre-requisites other services. will be eligible for assistance under the The focus areas, with regards to the scheme. implementation of e – National Agriculture Market, are given in table below: e-NAM Implementation Informing and trading commodities on e- Increasing the involvement of traders on e- NAM NAM Aggregate the quantity and value of supplies Increasing the figures of bids cited by traders being traded on e-NAM Encouraging cashless transactions, e.g. Promoting inter-market trade between online payments, to farmers Mandis Offering access to Soil Testing Accompanying awareness and farmer Laboratories to farmers orientation programs Providing elementary amenities and Creating logistics and facilities for cleaning, sorting and packing to infrastructure available to encourage inter- farmers in the Mandi market trade on the e-NAM platform Undertaking local initiatives and innovative Safeguarding transparency and systems to influence greater strength to e- accountability in implementation. NAM Some key points related to e-NAM are  The GOI is offering a grant of Rs.30 given below: lakhs to the participating agriculture mandis.

Easy to PICK260 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020  Farmers under this scheme will be  It also allows online payment and given ‘farmer helpline services’ 24×7 availability of better quality produce and at more reasonable prices to the to help them obtain information about consumer. the portal. Agribusiness What are few challenges e-NAM is  Small Farmers’ facing?  State agricultural departments have Consortium (SFAC) which is the lead been finding it difficult to convince all promoter of National Agricultural stakeholders like farmers, traders and commission agents to move to the Market (eNAM). SFAC which is online platform.  The platform is not fully functional in formulated under the Department of any State as there are no scientific Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ sorting/grading facilities or quality testing machines. Welfare (DAC&FW). SFAC through  Lack of technical expertise and internet facility at the State Agricultural open tender selects a Partner to Departments has also delayed the setting up of grading/assaying develop, operate and maintain the facilities.  The huge share of the trade recorded in NAM e-platform. the e-NAM portal was actually carried out offline and the values were fed into What are the advantages of e-NAM? the portal to make it look like genuine  A unified market through online online transactions.  This completely defeats the purpose as trading platform, both, at State and the main objective of an online auction National level and promotes portal is to help price discovery. uniformity, streamlining of procedures across the integrated markets.  E-NAM removes information asymmetry between buyers and sellers and promotes real time price discovery.  It uses estimations based on actual demand and supply, promotes transparency in auction process.  It allows farmers to access a nationwide market with prices commensurate with quality of his produce.

Easy to PICK261 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 NCC volunteer cadets to fight COVID- Director General– Lieutenant general(Lt 19 under ‘Exercise NCC Yogdan’ Gen) Rajeev Chopra On April 2, 2020 the National Cadet Coronavirus outbreak: Kerala based SCTIMST joins hands with Wipro 3D Corps (NCC) has offered its volunteer to make automated ventilators On April 03, 2020, In view of increasing cadets to assist the civilian authorities to coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in fight COVID-19 under ‘Exercise NCC India, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Yogdan’. Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), an institute of National  It has issued guidelines for the Importance of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) based in temporary employment of its cadets to Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, has partnered with ‘Wipro 3D’ to build a enhance the operations of various portable and lightweight emergency ventilator system based on organizations involved in relief efforts Artificial Manual Breathing Unit (AMBU) to assist the breathing of the critical & fighting the pandemic. patients who have no access to ICU (Intensive care unit)ventilators.  The tasks for NCC cadets include- Key Points: i.This ventilator system is essentially a manning of helpline, call centres; hand held device also called as AMBU bag or bag-valve-mask (BVM) to provide distribution of relief materials, positive pressure ventilation to a corona patients with breathing difficulties with a medicines, food, essential controlled rate of expiration, ispiratory to expiratory ratio, Tidal volume etc. commodities; community assistance; ii.In addition to this, a PEEP (Positive End Expiratory Pressure) valve has been data management and queue & traffic equipped as an extra tool to control pressure on the lower airways at the end of management. the breathing cycle which prevents the alveoli from collapsing during expiration. Guidelines iii.However, a disadvantage of the normal AMBU bag is that it requires a bystander i.The cadets must not be employed to to operate it and hence is non-advisable for treating a Covid-19 patient. handle law & order situations or for active Key Points : military duties or at hot spots. ii.Only the Senior Division volunteer cadets above 18 years will be employed in small cohesive groups of 8 to 20 under the supervision of Permanent Instructor Staff or/and an Associate NCC Officer. iii.Before the cadets are sent to duty, ground conditions & stipulated requirements must be confirmed. iv.For employment of volunteer cadets the State governments /district administration must send requisition through State NCC Directorates & the details will be coordinated at Directorate/Group Headquarters/Unit level with state government/local civil authority. About NCC It is operated under the Ministry of Defence & is the largest uniform youth organization in the country which involves various social service and community development activities. It contributes to the national cause during natural calamities like floods, cyclones, etc., Headquarters– New Delhi, India

Easy to PICK262 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 National Security Act, 1980 / UAPA Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III-Internal 1818 was enacted to empower the security government to arrest anyone for defence or maintenance of public order The UP and Indore district administration without giving the person recourse to invoked the National Security Act judicial proceedings. (NSA), 1980, against four persons accused o A century later, the British government of instigating residents of a locality to pelt enacted the Rowlatt Acts of 1919 that stones and chase away health workers. allowed confinement of a suspect Health workers were in the locality to trace without trial. the contact history of a Covid-19patient. o Post-independence, India got its first National Security Act, 1980 preventive detention rule when the  The NSA is a preventive detention government of Prime Minister law. Jawaharlal Nehru enacted o Preventive Detention involves the Preventive Detention Act of 1950 the detainment (containment) of a (expired in 1969). The NSA is a close person in order to keep him/her iteration of the 1950 Act. from committing future  Gives Power to the Government crimes and/or from escaping future o The NSA empowers the Centre or a prosecution. State government to detain a person o Article 22 (3) (b) of the to prevent him from acting in any Constitution allows for preventive manner prejudicial to national detention and restriction on personal security. liberty for reasons of state security and o The government can also detain a public order. person to prevent him from disrupting o Further, Article 22(4) states that no public order or for maintenance of law providing for preventive supplies and services essential to the detention shall authorise the detention community. of a person for a longer period than  Period of Confinement: The three months unless: maximum period for which one may be  An Advisory Board reports sufficient detained is 12 months. But the cause for extended detention. term can be extended if the  The 44th Amendment Act of 1978 has government finds fresh evidence. reduced the period of detention without  No Basic Rights to People Detained obtaining the opinion of an advisory under the NSA, including: board from three to two o The right to be informed of the months. However, this provision has reason for the arrest (Section 50 of not yet been brought into force, hence, the Criminal Procedure Code - the original period of three months still Cr.PC). continues. o Under the NSA, a person could be kept  Such a person is detained in in the dark about the reasons for his accordance with the provisions of arrest for up to five days, and in any law made by the Parliament. exceptional circumstances upto ten  History days. o Preventive detention laws in India date  Even when providing the grounds for back to early days of the colonial era arrest, the government can withhold when the Bengal Regulation III of

Easy to PICK263 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 information which it considers to be construed and meticulous compliance with against public interest to disclose. the procedural safeguards, is mandatory o Sections 56 and 76 of the Cr. PC also and vital. provides that a person has to be produced before a court within 24 UAPA hours of arrest. The UAPA – an enhancement on the o Article 22(1) of the Constitution says TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities an arrested person cannot be denied the (Prevention) Act), which was allowed to right to consult, and to be defended by, lapse in 1995 and the Prevention of a legal practitioner of his choice. Terrorism Act (POTA) was repealed in  Under the NSA, the arrested person is 2004 — was originally passed in 1967 not entitled to the aid of any legal under the then Congress government led practitioner in any matter connected by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. with the proceedings before an Eventually amendments were brought in advisory board, which is constituted by under the successive United Progressive the government for dealing with NSA Alliance (UPA) governments in 2004, cases. 2008 and 2013. Pt shot: At present, NIA is functioning as Criticism against the NSA Act the Central Counter Terrorism Law  No Record of Detentions under the Enforcement Agency in India established under NIA Act 2008. NSA: The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which collects and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) analyses crime data in the country, Amendment Act was passed by both does not include cases under the NSA Houses of the Parliament: in its data as no FIRs are registered.  The Act gives special procedures to Hence, no figures are available for the exact number of detentions under the handle terrorist activities, among other NSA. things.  In recent cases, different State  Who may commit governments have invoked the terrorism: According to the Act, the stringent provisions of the NSA to union government may proclaim or detain citizens for questionable designate an organisation as a terrorist offences. organisation if it: (i) commits or  Some experts argue that the participates in acts of terrorism, (ii) governments sometimes use the NSA prepares for terrorism, (iii) promotes as an extra-judicial power. terrorism, or (iv) is otherwise involved  NSA has come under wide criticism in terrorism. The Bill also empowers for its misuse by the the government to designate authorities. Experts describe the individuals as terrorists on the same validity of the Act even during grounds. peacetime as 'anachronism'.  Approval for property seizure by Conclusion National Investigation Agency It needs to be noted that the Act is 40 years (NIA): As per the Act, an investigating old. Changes are required to ensure that officer is required to obtain the prior the Act is not used arbitrarily. Arbitrary approval of the Director General of use of the Act hampers democracy and Police to seize properties that may be basic rights of an individual. Even, the connected with terrorism. The Bill Supreme Court has held that the law of adds that if the investigation is preventive detention has to be strictly conducted by an officer of the National

Easy to PICK264 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Investigation Agency (NIA), the and to uproot terrorism from this approval of the Director General of country in this regard. NIA would be required for seizure of  Hon’ble Home Minister stated in Lok such property. Sabha that law can not be misused  Investigation by the National against any individual, yet, those Investigation Agency (NIA): Under individuals who engage in terrorist the provisions of the Act, investigation activities against the security and of cases can be conducted by officers sovereignty of India, including the of the rank of Deputy Superintendent urban maoists, would not be spared by or Assistant Commissioner of Police or the investigating agencies either. above. The Bill additionally empowers  There are no changes to the bail or the officers of the NIA, of the rank of arrest provisions. Hence, it is evident Inspector or above, to investigate that there will be no fundamental rights cases. violation of anyone. Also, the burden of proof is on the investigating agency  Insertion to schedule of treaties: The and not on the accused. Act defines terrorist acts to include acts  The amendment about attaching committed within the scope of any of properties amassed through proceeds the treaties listed in a schedule to the of terrorism is being proposed in order Act. The Schedule lists nine treaties, to accelerate investigation in terror comprising of the Convention for the cases and is not against the federal Suppression of Terrorist Bombings principles. (1997), and the Convention against  At present, Section 25 of the UAPA Taking of Hostages (1979). The Bill states that forfeiture of property adds another treaty to this list namely, acquired from terrorism can be done the International Convention for only with the prior approval given in Suppression of Acts of Nuclear writing by the DGPs of the state Terrorism (2005). wherein lies such property. But the problem is that many times, the terror Arguments in Favour of Amendments: accused owns properties in multiple  The object of the proposed states. In this kind of a scenario, it becomes tough to get the approvals of amendments is to facilitate speedy several DGPs and can cause a delay in investigation and prosecution of the whole process of forfeiting terrorist offences and designating an property, which can help the accused individual as terrorist in line with transfer such property to someone else. international practices.  The amendments will also allow the Concerns/Criticism: NIA probe cybercrimes and cases of  The Act assigns absolute power to the human trafficking, sources aware of the proposal said Sunday. central government, by way of which if  Amendment to Schedule 4 of the Act, the Centre deems an activity as the NIA will be allowed to designate unlawful then it may, by way of an an individual suspected to have terror Official Gazette, declare it so. links as a terrorist. In the current  The opposition voiced concerns about scenario before the amendment was the amendments, saying the provisions made, only organisations were were against the federal structure of the designated as ‘terrorist organisations’. country enshrined in the Constitution.  A strict law is utmost necessary to  There was no pre-legislative strengthen the investigation agencies consultation.

Easy to PICK265 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020  Designating an individual as a terrorist raises serious constitutional questions and has the potential for misuse.  An individual cannot be called a ‘terrorist’ prior to conviction in a court of law, It subverts the principle of “innocent until proven guilty. A wrongful designation will cause irreparable damage to a person’s reputation, career and livelihood. While none will question the need for stringent laws that show ‘zero tolerance’ towards terrorism, the government should be mindful of its obligations to preserve fundamental rights while enacting legislation on the subject. Key Points :

Easy to PICK266 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Aarogya Setu App and security issues Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III-Internal o In India compared to its population, smartphone users are very less which security means very few people will be able to download the app.  Aarogya Setu app has been launched Way Forward by the Ministry of Electronics and  The app privacy policy needs detailed Information Technology. clarification on data collection, its storage and uses.  It will help people in identifying the  The Government of India must specify how it will deal with the app’s data and risk of getting affected by the how long it will retain the server side data. CoronaVirus.  According to the Supreme Court in the Puttaswamy judgement (2017),  It will calculate risk based on the right to privacy is a fundamental right and it is necessary to protect the user's interaction with personal data as an essential facet of informational privacy. others, using cutting edge Bluetooth Privacy Judgement technology, algorithms and artificial Context  Two years ago, in August 2017,a nine- intelligence. judge bench of the Supreme Court  Once installed in a smartphone, the app in Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd) Vs Union of India unanimously held that detects other nearby devices with Indians have a constitutionally protected fundamental right to Aarogya Setu installed. privacy that is an intrinsic part of life and liberty under Article 21.  The App will help the Government  It held that privacy is a natural right that inheres in all natural take necessary timely steps for persons, and that the right may be restricted only by state action that assessing risk of spread of COVID-19 passes each of the three tests: o First, such state action must have a infection, and ensuring isolation where legislative mandate; o Second, it must be pursuing a required. legitimate state purpose; and o Third, it must be proportionate i.e., Key Issues such state action — both in its nature  The key issue is there is not enough and extent, must be necessary in a democratic society and the action information available on what data ought to be the least intrusive of the available alternatives to accomplish the will be collected, how long will it be ends. stored and what uses it will be put to.  No specification on the issue of how the government will use data if the data gets shared with the government of India.  On the data retention part, the app’s privacy policy specifies only the data available on the app and does not specify for how long the Government of India will retain server side data.  Additionally, there was also a question of proportionality with the app and whether it will be as effective as envisaged in containing the Covid-19 outbreak. o India’s situation is different from countries like Singapore, where a good number of people have smartphones.

Easy to PICK267 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Privacy Judgement as a guiding tool The judgment in K.S. Puttaswamy effected little change in the government’s thinking  This landmark judgement fundamentally changed the way in or practice as it related to privacy and the which the government viewed its personal data of its citizens. citizens’ privacy, both in practice and  National Security Vs prescription. Privacy: Government continued to  It requires governments to undertake commission and execute mass structural reforms and bring surveillance programmes with little transparency and openness in the regard for necessity or proportionality, process of commissioning and with justifications always voiced in executing its surveillance projects, and terms of broad national security talking build a mechanism of judicial points. oversight over surveillance requests. o The Ministry of Home Affairs, in  It demands from the authorities to December 2018, authorised 10 Central agencies to “intercept, monitor and demonstrate great care and sensitivity in dealing with personal information of decrypt any information generated, its citizens. transmitted, received or stored in any computer in the country”. This  It requires to legislate a transformative, rights-oriented data protection law that notification is presently under holds all powerful entities that deal challenge before the Supreme Court. with citizens’ personal data (data o In July 2018, it became known that the controllers), including the state, Ministry of Information Broadcasting had floated a tender for ‘Social Media accountable. Steps taken by Government to Monitoring Hub’, a technical solution strengthen Privacy Regime to snoop on all social media  Government appointed a committee of communications, including email. The experts for Data protection under the government had to withdraw the project following the top court’s chairmanship of Justice B N Srikrishna that submitted its report in stinging rebuke. July 2018 along with a draft Data o A request for proposal for a similar Protection Bill social media surveillance programme o The Report has a wide range of was floated in August 2018 by recommendations to strengthen privacy the Unique Identification Authority of law in India. Its proposals included India (UIDAI), which is presently restrictions on processing and under challenge before the Supreme collection of data, Data Protection Court. Authority, right to be forgotten, data o The Income-Tax department has its ‘Project Insight’ which also has similar localisation, explicit consent requirements for sensitive personal mass surveillance ends. data, etc.  Data use Vs Privacy:  Information Technology Act, o The government has shunned a rights- 2000: The IT Act provides for oriented approach in the collection, safeguard against certain breaches in storage and processing of personal data and has stuck to its ‘public good’ and relation to data from computer systems. It contains provisions to ‘data is the new oil’ discourse. o This is evident from this year’s prevent the unauthorized use of computers, computer systems and data Economic Survey as it commends the stored therein. government for having been able to sell and monetise the vehicle owners’ Two Years of Privacy Judgement

Easy to PICK268 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 data in the Vahan database and exhorts Key Points : it to replicate the success with other databases. o The Draft Personal Data Protection Bill that urged for a ‘free and fair digital economy’, has the digital economy as the end and the notion of privacy merely being a shaper of the means. National Securities Depository Limited PT PICKUPS  The enactment of Depositories Act in August 1996 paved the way for establishment of NSDL in August 1996.  It handles most of the securities held and settled in dematerialized form in the Indian capital market.  NSDL works to support the investors and brokers in the capital market of the country.  It aims at ensuring the safety and soundness of Indian marketplaces by developing settlement solutions that increase efficiency, minimize risk and reduce costs. Domestic institutional investors DIIs are those institutional investors which undertake investment in securities and other financial assets of the country they are based in.  DIIs include: o Banks o Insurance companies o Mutual funds o Domestic financial institutions.

Easy to PICK269 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 ICMR approves TB machines for Covid-19 testing Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- S&T  Its Governing Body is presided over by Indian Council of Medical Research Health Minister. (ICMR) has given its nod to Diagnostic machines used to test drug-resistant  It is assisted in scientific and technical tuberculosis (TB) for conducting Covid-19 matters by Scientific Advisory Board tests. In this regard, Truenat beta CoV comprising eminent experts in different test on Truelab workstation will be used biomedical disciplines. for screening test of COVID-19. A total of 800 truenat machines are available in  ICMR’s research priorities coincide India. with national health priorities such as  Currently India is using real time control and management of communicable diseases, fertility Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) control, maternal and child health, testing approved by United States and control of nutritional disorders, Food and Drug Administration (FDA). research on major non-communicable diseases like cancer, cardiovascular About Truenat: diseases, diabetes and mental health -It is a battery operated small machine that research and drug research (including requires minimal training and gives the traditional remedies) and developing result between 30-60 minutes. alternative strategies for health care -The sample of the throat and the nasal delivery. swab is collected by the trained technicians wearing personal protective equipment. Headquarter– New Delhi -There are two-way and four-way Truenat Director General– Prof. Balram Bhargava machines. Four-way Truenat machines can run 32 to 48 samples of multiple diseases – Key Points : COVID19, HIV and TB, while two-way can handle 16 to 24 samples. -The cost of a test on Truenat machines will be of Rs 1000-Rs.1500. ICMR  ICMR is India’s apex scientific body for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research.  It was established in 1911 as Indian Research Fund Association (IRFA) making it one of oldest and largest medical research bodies in the world.  The ICMR functions under Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.  It is headquartered in New Delhi.

Easy to PICK270 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 NASA’s Artemis: First human base camp Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- S&T  It was followed in November by the National Aeronautics and Space even larger Sputnik II, which carried Administration (NASA) unveiled its plan the dog Laika. to setup ‘Artemis’, the first human base camp on Moon’s South Pole by 2024 o Only in late January 1958, the United through a 13-page report titled “NASA’s States could launch Explorer 1, hoisted aloft by the Army’s rocket Plan for Sustained Lunar Exploration team, using rocket technology and Development”. The report was developed from World War II. submitted to the National Space Council, Though a small spacecraft weighing an advisory group to United States (US) only 30 pounds, it discovered what are President Donald Trump, presided over by now known as the Van Allen Vice President Mike Pence. radiation belts, named for the  The Artemis program aims to land first University of Iowa scientist Dr. James Van Allen, launching the new woman and next man on the moon by 2024. The report offered a summary discipline of space science. of how the space agency will o Explorer 1 was followed in March, accomplish the 2024 moon landing mission. 1958 by the Navy’s Vanguard 1, 6  The plan is to make a one to two- inches in diameter and weighing only 3 month stay at the South Pole of the pounds. moon to learn more about it and the  NASA’s birth was directly related to universe. the launch of the Sputniks and the  Base camp will need infrastructure for ensuing race to demonstrate power, waste disposal and communications, besides radiation technological superiority in space. shielding and a landing pad.  Driven by the competition of the The Artemis program is carried out by NASA along with European Space Agency Cold War, on July 29, 1958, President (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Agency (JAXA), Canadian Space Agency the National Aeronautics and Space (CSA) and the Australian Space Agency Act, providing for research into the (ASA). problems of flight within Earth’s About NASA and Missions atmosphere and in space. History  After a protracted debate over military  Following World War II, the United versus civilian control of space, the States was in direct competition with act inaugurated a new civilian agency the erstwhile Soviet Union (the designated the National Aeronautics superpower that was disbanded into and Space Administration (NASA). several sovereign nations including the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, the Objectives of NASA Ukraine, etc. in 1991). That period was  To expand human knowledge of space called “Cold War”.  To lead the world in space-related  It was the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik on October 4, 1957, that first technological innovation  To develop vehicles that can carry both put an object into orbit around Earth. equipment and living organisms into space  To coordinate with international space agencies to achieve the greatest possible scientific advancements. NASA Missions

Easy to PICK271 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Over the last 60 years, the NASA has answers to some of the biggest mysteries achieved every one of the aforesaid goals in science as it evolves with a changing through various missions some of which world. are given below, and it continues to seek Mission Detail Advanced  Observes particles of solar, interplanetary, interstellar, and Composition galactic origins, spanning the energy range from solar wind ions to Explorer (ACE) galactic cosmic ray nuclei. Launched: 1997 The Aeronomy of  Strange Clouds- Astronauts on board the International Space Ice in the Station have been observing electric blue \"noctilucent\" clouds Mesosphere from Earth-orbit. satellite (AIM) Launched: 2007  Noctilucent or \"night-shining\" clouds (NLCs) are also known as Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMC).  The AIM satellite will orbit Earth at an altitude of 550 km.  AIM will take wide angle photos of NLCs, measure their temperatures and chemical abundances, monitor dusty aerosols, and count meteoroids raining down on Earth. The Apollo  It resulted in American astronauts making a total of 11 space Missions Launched: flights and walking on the moon. 1968  The first Apollo flight happened in 1968. The first moon landing took place in 1969. The last moon landing was in 1972. Apollo-Soyuz: An  The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was the first spaceflight to include Orbital Partnership two participating nations working together with their own Begins Launched: national spacecraft. 1975  The Americans sent up an Apollo command module, while the Russians launched a Soyuz spacecraft. Aqua Launched:  Aqua is an Earth Science satellite mission that collects information 2002 on our water systems.  The satellite has six different Earth-observing instruments on board and streams approximately 89 gigabytes of data per day. Aquarius Mission  The joint U.S./Argentinian Aquarius /Satélite de Aplicaciones Operation: 2011 to Científicas (SAC)-D mission was launched June 10, 2011, and 2015 ended on June 8, 2015, when an essential part of the power and attitude control system for the spacecraft stopped operating.

Easy to PICK272 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Arctic Research of  Aquarius/SAC-D mapped the salinity (the concentration of the Composition of dissolved salt) at the ocean surface, information critical to the Troposphere improving our understanding of two major components of Earth's from Aircraft and climate system: the water cycle and ocean circulation. Satellites (ARCTAS) Operated: March 2,  By measuring ocean salinity from space, Aquarius provided new 2008 to April 20, insights into how the massive natural exchange of freshwater 2008 between the ocean, atmosphere and sea ice influences ocean circulation, weather and climate. Artemis Lunar Program Launched:  The Arctic is undergoing significant environmental changes related May 2019 to global climate change. Airborne Tropical  NASA is extensively studying the role of air pollution in this TRopopause climate-sensitive region as part of the ARCTAS field campaign, EXperiment the largest airborne experiment ever to do so. (ATTREX) Launched: 2014  The Artemis program, unveiled by NASA, aims to put astronauts on the lunar surface in 2024 — and give us the first female Aura - moonwalker. Understanding and  The initiative comes as the nation prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing in 1969, which made Neil Protecting the Air Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin the first people to set foot on another world. We Breathe  The Greek god who became the namesake of NASA's Apollo Launched: 2004 program in the 1960s and ’70s had a twin sister named Artemis, will lead humans back to the moon.  Despite its low concentration, stratospheric water vapor has large impacts on the earth’s energy budget and climate.  Recent studies suggest that even small changes in stratospheric humidity may have climate impacts that are significant compared to those of decadal increases in greenhouse gases.  The ATTREX will perform a series of measurement campaigns using the long-range NASA Global Hawk (GH) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to directly address these problems.  Aura (Latin for breeze) is a program dedicated to monitoring the complex interactions that affect the globe using NASA satellites and data systems.  Aura's measurements will enable to investigate questions about ozone trends, air quality changes and their linkage to climate change.

Easy to PICK273 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 BARREL (Balloon  It is a balloon-based Mission that seeks to measure the precipitation of relativistic electrons from the radiation Array for belts during two multi-balloon campaigns, operated in the southern hemisphere (option for third northern hemisphere Radiation-belt campaign). Relativistic  The BARREL consists of two Antarctic balloon campaigns conducted in Austral summers of 2013 and 2014. Electron Losses-  The CALIPSO satellite provides new insight into the role that 2013 and 2014) clouds and atmospheric aerosols (airborne particles) play in regulating Earth's weather, climate, and air quality. CALIPSO (The  It was launched on April 28, 2006 with the cloud profiling radar Cloud-Aerosol system on the CloudSat satellite. Lidar and Infrared  The Cassini mission to Saturn is one of the most ambitious efforts in planetary space exploration ever mounted. Pathfinder Satellite  A joint endeavor of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and Observation): 2006 the Italian space agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), Cassini is a sophisticated robotic spacecraft orbiting the ringed planet and Cassini-Huygens studying the Saturnian system in detail. Operation: 1997 to 2017  Cassini also carried a probe called Huygens, which parachuted to the surface of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, in January 2005 and Chandra X-Ray returned spectacular results. Observatory  It entered Saturn's atmosphere on Sept. 15, 2017 and lost communication with NASA. Launched: By  The Chandra X-ray Observatory is part of NASA's fleet of \"Great Space Shuttle Observatories\" along with the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope and the now deorbited Compton Gamma Ray Columbia in 1999. Observatory. CINDI: Coupled Ion  Chandra allows scientists from around the world to obtain X-ray images of exotic environments to help understand the structure Neutral Dynamic and evolution of the universe. Investigation  It was named in honor of the late Indian-American Nobel Laureate, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. Known to the world as Operation: The Chandra (which means \"moon\" or \"luminous\" in Sanskrit), he was widely regarded as one of the foremost astrophysicists of the C/NOFS satellite, twentieth century. which carried  The CINDI studied the elements that influence space weather near Earth’s equator.  The CINDI investigation is a key component of the science objectives of the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecast System (C/NOFS) undertaken by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Space and Missile Command Test and

Easy to PICK274 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 NASA's CINDI Evaluation Directorate. investigation was  Clementine was a joint project between the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense Organization and NASA. launched in 2008  It was designed to test sensors and spacecraft components under and ended in 2015 extended exposure to the space environment and to make scientific observations of the Moon and the near-Earth asteroid Clementine 1620 Geographos. Operation: January 25, 1994 to 21 July  The CATS, is a lidar remote-sensing instrument that measured 1994 atmospheric aerosols and clouds from the International Space Station (ISS). Cloud-Aerosol Transport System  The CloudSat is an experimental satellite that uses radar to (CATS) Operation: observe clouds and precipitation from space. 2015 to 2017  Cluster is currently investigating the Earth's magnetic CloudSat: 2006 environment and its interaction with the solar wind in three dimensions. Cluster ESA  NASA's Commercial Crew Program is a partnership to develop (European Space and fly human space transportation systems. Agency)/NASA  The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) was a sophisticated satellite observatory dedicated to observing the high-energy Mission: 1996 Universe. Commercial Crew  Compton, at 17 tons, was the heaviest astrophysical payload ever flown at the time of its launch on April 5, 1991 aboard the space The CGRO Mission shuttle Atlantis. (1991 - 2000)  Compton was safely deorbited and re-entered the Earth's COBE atmosphere on June 4, 2000. Operation: 1989 to 1993  The purpose of the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) mission was to take precise measurements of the diffuse radiation Cosmic Hot between 1 micrometer and 1 cm over the whole celestial sphere. Interstellar Plasma  The CHIPS is a NASA astrophysics spacecraft that targets the hot and diffuse nebulae at about a million degrees temperature. Spectrometer

Easy to PICK275 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 (CHIPS)  CubeSats are a class of research spacecraft called nanosatellites. Launched: 2003  CubeSats are built to standard dimensions (Units or “U”) of 10 cm CubeSats x 10 cm x 10 cm. Curiosity: 2011  They can be 1U, 2U, 3U, or 6U in size, and typically weigh less than Cyclone Global 1.33 kg (3 lbs) per U. Navigation Satellite System  A rover named Curiosity is part of NASA's Mars Exploration (CYGNSS) Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the red Launched: 2016 planet. Double Asteroid Redirection Test  Curiosity was designed to assess whether Mars ever had an (DART) Mission environment able to support small life forms called microbes. Launching: 2021 o In other words, its mission is to determine the planet's The Dawn \"habitability.\" Operation: 2007 to 2018  The CYGNSS mission will use eight micro-satellites to measure wind speeds over Earth's oceans, increasing the ability of Earth Radiation scientists to understand and predict hurricanes. Budget Satellite (ERBS)  Each satellite will take information based on the signals from four Operation: 1984 to GPS satellites. 2005  The DART is a planetary defense-driven test of technologies for preventing an impact of Earth by a hazardous asteroid.  The Dawn was a mission to the two most massive bodies in the main asteroid belt – Vesta and Ceres.  Vesta is rocky, while dwarf planet Ceres is icy.  Each followed a very different evolutionary path, constrained by the diversity of processes that operated during the first few million years of the solar system.  When Dawn visited Ceres and Vesta, the spacecraft brought us back in solar system time.  The ERBS was designed to investigate how energy from the Sun is absorbed and re-radiated by the Earth.  Understanding this process helps reveal patterns in Earth's weather. It was launched on the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Easy to PICK276 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Ecosystem  The ECOSTRESS measures the temperature of plants and use that information to better understand how much water plants need Spaceborne and how they respond to stress. Thermal  It uses a multispectral thermal infrared radiometer to measure the surface temperature. Radiometer  The radiometer was deployed on the International Space Station Experiment on in 2018. The radiometer will acquire the most detailed temperature Space Station images of the surface ever acquired from space and will be able to measure the temperature of an individual farmers field. (ECOSTRESS)  The FAST investigated the behavior of ionized gas, called plasma, Launched: 2018 and particles during auroras. FAST (the Fast  As the FAST flew over the poles—the most common regions Auroral Snapshot where auroras form—it took quick, high-resolution bursts of data Explorer) on particles, electric and magnetic fields, and plasma. Operation: 1996 to 2009  The Galileo spacecraft orbited Jupiter for almost eight years, and made close passes by all its major moons. Galileo Operation: 1989 to  Its camera and nine other instruments sent back reports that 2003 allowed scientists to determine, among other things, that Jupiter’s icy moon Europa probably has a subsurface ocean Hubble Space with more water than the total amount found on Earth. Telescope  The NASA named the world's first space-based optical telescope after American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble (1889- Launched: 1990 1953). IceBridge Mission o Dr. Hubble confirmed an \"expanding\" universe, which Launched: 2009 provided the foundation for the big-bang theory.  The Hubble is the first major optical telescope to be placed in space, the ultimate mountaintop. o Above the distortion of the atmosphere, far far above rain clouds and light pollution, Hubble has an unobstructed view of the universe. o Scientists have used Hubble to observe the most distant stars and galaxies as well as the planets in our solar system.  The IceBridge is the largest airborne survey of Earth's polar ice ever flown.  It yields an unprecedented three-dimensional view of Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, ice shelves and sea ice.  Data collected during IceBridge will help scientists bridge the gap

Easy to PICK277 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 International Space in polar observations between NASA's Ice, Cloud and Land Station (IIS) Elevation Satellite (ICESat) - launched in 2003 and de-orbited in 2010 and ICESat-2, launched in 2018. The James Webb Space Telescope  The ISS is a multi-nation construction project that is the largest Launching: 2021 single structure humans ever put into space. Mars 2020 Rover  Its main construction was completed between 1998 and 2011, Launching: 2020 although the station continually evolves to include new missions Orion spacecraft: and experiments. Underdevelopment  The NASA , Roscosmos (Russia) and the European Space Agency PACE (Plankton, are the major partners of the space station. Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem)  The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Launching: 2022 Webb) will be a large infrared telescope with a 6.5-meter primary mirror. Rosetta Operation: 2004 to  The telescope will be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from French 2016 Guiana in 2021.  It will find the first galaxies that formed in the early universe and peer through dusty clouds to see stars forming planetary systems.  The rover will search for signs of habitable conditions on Mars in the ancient past and for signs of past microbial life itself.  The Orion is a new NASA spacecraft for astronauts.  The spacecraft will play an important part in the journey to Mars.  Orion will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel, and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.  The PACE is NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem mission, currently in the design phase of mission development.  It will extend and improve NASA's over 20-year record of satellite observations of global ocean biology, aerosols (tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere), and clouds.  Rosetta was a spacecraft on a ten-year mission to catch the comet \"67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko\" (C-G) and answer some of our questions about comets.  This was a European Space Agency mission with support and instruments from NASA.  Rosetta was the first spacecraft to soft-land a robot on a comet.

Easy to PICK278 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Establishment– 1958, Headquarter– Washington, D.C., United States Administrator– James Frederick Bridenstine Important days National Maritime Day 2020: April 5 International Day of Conscience 2020: April 5 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2020: April 6 Key Points :

Easy to PICK279 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 NHAI achieved record 3,979 km highways construction Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- safety features, better riding surface, grade Economy Infrastructure separator and other salient features. National Highways Authority of National Highways constitute only 2% India (NHAI) has achieved the highest of the total road length in the country ever highway construction feat with an but carry 40% of the total traffic. accomplishment of 3,979 km of national NHDP is being implemented by National highways in the financial Year 2019- Highways Authority of India (NHAI), an 20.However, it has completed 88% of organisation under the aegis of Ministry of highway construction against the target of Road, Transport and Highways. The building 4,500 km highways in FY-20. In programme is being implemented in the the FY 2018-19, NHAI constructed 3,380 following seven phases; km of National Highways.  Phase I: Phase I consists of Golden Initiatives taken to accelerate the pace of highway construction: Quadrilateral network comprising a -The government has initiated a highway total length of 5,846 km which development programme in 2015 connects the four major cities of Delhi, namely Bharatmala Pariyojana, which Chennai, Mumbai & Kolkata and 981 includes development of about 65,000 km km of North-South and East-West of NHs. Under Phase-I of the programme, corridor .NS-EW corridor connects the government has approved Srinagar in the north to Kanyakumari implementation of 34,800 km of national in the south and Silchar in the east to highways projects with an outlay of Rs Porbandar in the west. Phase I also 5.35 lakh crore in a period of five includes improving connectivity to years i.e. 2017-18 to 2021-22.The ports. National Highways Authority of India  Phase II: Phase II covers 6,161 km of (NHAI) has been mandated to develop the NS-EW corridor (The total NS-EW 27,500 km of NHs under Phase-I. corridor consists of 7,142 km) and 486 -Apart from above, the government has km of other NHs. also revived stalled projects, streamlined  Phase III: Four-laning of 12,109 km land acquisition and acquisition of a major of high density national highways portion of land prior to inviting bids. connecting state capitals and places of -Disputes resolution mechanism was economic, commercial and tourist revamped to avoid delays in completion of importance. projects.  Phase IV: Upgradation of 20,000 km of single-lane roads to two-lane PT PICKUPS standards with paved shoulders.  Phase V: Six-laning of 6,500 km of National Highways Development four-laned highways. Programme (NHDP)  Phase VI: Construction of 1,000 km of expressways connecting major National Highways Development commercial and industrial townships. Programme (NHDP) was launched in  Phase VII: Construction of ring roads, 1998 with the objective of developing by-passes, underpasses, flyovers, etc. roads of international standards which comprising 700 km of road network facilitate smooth flow of traffic. It About NHAI: envisages creation of roads with enhanced

Easy to PICK280 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Establishment– 1995 The project plan includes the construction Administrative control– Ministry of of Border Roads of strategic importance Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) along international boundaries and Chairman– Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu International Connectivity roads to promote trade with Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bharatmala Pariyojana Bhutan and Nepal. The programme has identified around The Government of India launched 26,200 km of Economic Corridors or “Bharatmala Pariyojana”, a new umbrella routes that have heavy freight traffic. The program for the highways sector that programme has planned to develop the focuses on optimizing the efficiency of identified Economic Corridors with heavy road traffic movement across the country freight traffic, end to end to ensure by bridging critical infrastructure gaps. seamless, speedy travel and uniformity in The project covering a whopping 34800 standards. Feeder Corridors will be km of the road would be completed in a developed so as to address the phased manner. infrastructure asymmetry that exists in many places. The Bharatmala Pariyojana was announced All projects implemented under i, the Minister of Road Transport and Bharatmala are to be technically, Highways of India with an aim to improve financially and economically appraised by the road network in the country. The an empowered Project Appraisal budget for the scheme will be managed by &Technical Scrutiny Committee to be set the cess collected on petrol and diesel up in National Highways Authority of and the tax collected at toll booths, apart India (NHAI) and Ministry of Road from the budgetary support provided by Transport and Highways (MoRTH). the Government. The components of Bharatmala Pariyojana Features of Bharatmala Pariyojana are The scheme was initiated with an aim to 1. Development of Economic corridors – improve road traffic and improve trade through road transportation. Some other 9,000 Kms key features of the Bharatmala Pariyojana 2. Inter-corridor & feeder roads – 6,000 include: 1. The main aim was to improve the Kms 3. Improving the efficiency of National quality of roads in order to bring in a wave of development in every corner Corridors – 5,000 Kms of the country. 4. Border & International connectivity 2. Construction of new roads is another important feature for the roads – 2,000 Kms announcement for this scheme. 5. Coastal & port connectivity roads – 3. The Government plans to finish the construction of all the roads, under this 2,000 Kms scheme, within a time span of five 6. Expressways – 800 Kms years. 7. Balance of NHDP works – 10000 Kms 4. Since the fund provided by the The Bharatmala project envisions to Government may not be sufficient for improve the efficiency of the National the construction of roads, hence the Corridor including the Golden- Ministry relies on various other Quadrilateral and North, South –East West sources for the completion of this corridor by decongesting the choke points project. through the construction of elevated corridors, bypasses, ring roads, lane expansion and logistics parks at identified points.

Easy to PICK281 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 5. The project aims to construct multiple o Integrating Bangladesh – Bhutan – roads and for proper executive of the Nepal and Myanmar – Thailand project, the Ministry has decided to corridors which will make NorthEast divide the project into various hub of East Asia categories for proper construction of the roads.  Satellite mapping of corridors to identify upgradation requirements Objectives  Optimizing efficiency of the movement Challenges of Bharatmala Project The Bharatmala project was announced in of goods and people across the 2017 and was targetted to get completed country. by 2022. However, the latest reports  Generating large number of direct and suggest that the project currently is indirect employment opportunities in nowhere close to completion because of the construction & infrastructure sector the increased land cost and the increase in and also as part of the enhanced the estimated budget for the project. economic activity resulting from better The Central Government is now looking in road connectivity across the country. for more investments from funds collected  Connecting 550 Districts in the country from the market and any other private through NH linkages. investment. If the estimated budget is not met, then the Government intends to Highlights of Bharatmala Pariyojana auction completed highway projects or  It calls for improvement in efficiency even look for foreign debts and bond markets. of existing corridors through development of Multimodal Logistics Bharatmala Route Parks and elimination of choke points.  It enhances focus on improving The government will mobilize resources connectivity in North East and for Bharatmala through four different leveraging synergies with Inland routes: Waterways. o North East Economic corridor  Market borrowings enhancing connectivity to state capitals  Central road fund and key towns.  Monetizing government-owned o Multimodal freight movement via 7 Waterway terminals on River road assets Brahmaputra – Dhubri, Silghat,  Budgetary allocation Biswanath Ghat, Neamati, Dibrugarh, Of the total amount, Rs. 2 Lakh Crore are Sengajan, Oriyamgh. to be raised as debt from market  It emphasis on the use of technology borrowings, while Rs. 1 Lakh crore will be & scientific planning for project used from the accrued money in Central preparation and asset monitoring. Road Fund and toll collections by NHAI.  It calls for seamless connectivity This project will help in the economic with neighboring countries: growth of the country by increasing the o 24 Integrated check posts (ICPs) corridors from 6 to 50. The Central identified Government, with the Bharatmala Project o Transit through Bangladesh to improve intent to increase trade, improve the North East connectivity condition of the National Highways and improve the network of roads in the country.

Easy to PICK282 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Fall in IHS Markit Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III-  The purpose of the PMI is to provide Economy Data information about current and future The IHS Markit India Services Business business conditions to company decision makers, analysts, and Activity Index (i.e Service Purchasing investors. Managers’ Index (PMI)) was at 49.3 in March, down from February’s 85-month  It is different from the Index of high of 57.5. Industrial Production (IIP), which also gauges the level of activity in the Important economy.  The Index is compiled by IHS Index of Industrial Production Markit for more than 40 economies  The Index of Industrial Production worldwide. IHS Markit is a global leader in information, analytics and (IIP) is an index which details out the solutions for the major industries and growth of various sectors in an markets that drive economies economy such as mineral mining, worldwide. electricity, manufacturing, etc.  The fall implies contraction in  It is compiled and published monthly India’s services sector activityduring by the Central Statistical March basically due to COVID-19. Organisation (CSO), Ministry of o The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced Statistics and Programme demand, particularly in overseas Implementation. markets. Nationwide store closures and  The Base Year of the Index of Eight prohibition to leave the house weighed Core Industries has been revised from heavily on the services economy. the year 2004-05 to 2011-12 from o In PMI parlance, a print above 50 April, 2017. means expansion, while a score below o The eight core industries comprise that denotes contraction. 40.27% of the weight of items included  The Composite PMI Output in the Index of Industrial Production Indexthat maps both the (IIP). manufacturing and services sector also o The eight Core Industries in decreasing fell to 50.6 in March, down 7 points order of their weightage: Refinery from February’s 57.6. Products> Electricity> Steel> Coal> o This signals a sharp slowdown in Crude Oil> Natural Gas> Cement> private sector output growth and Fertilizers. brought an abrupt end to the recent strong upward-moving expansion Difference between PMI and IIP trend.  IIP covers the broader industrial Purchasing Managers' Index sector compared to PMI. o Index of Industrial Production (IIP)  PMI is an index of the prevailing measures growth in the industrial direction of economic trends in the sector. o IIP shows the change in production manufacturing and service sectors. volume in major industrial sub sectors like manufacturing, mining and  It consists of a diffusion index that electricity. summarizes whether market conditions, as viewed by purchasing managers, are expanding, staying the same, or contracting.

Easy to PICK283 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 o Similarly, the IIP also gives use based (capital goods, consumer goods etc) trends in industrial production.  PMI is more dynamic compared to a standard industrial production index. o The PMI senses dynamic trends because of the variable it uses for the construction of the index compared to volume based production indicators like the IIP. o For example, new orders under PMI show growth oriented positive trends and not just volume of past production that can be traced in an ordinary Index of Industrial Production. Key Points :

Easy to PICK284 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Animals affected through COVID-19 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III-Health State Forest Department and exercises Owing to a recent news report on a Tiger complete administrative control over being infected with Covid-19in New York Protected Areas (PAs) within a state. (Bronx Zoo), the Ministry of Environment,  Guidelines issued by the NTCA and Forest and Climate Change has issued an CZA advisory regarding the containing and o Both the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) management of Covid-19 in National and the NTCA have issued guidelines Parks/Sanctuaries/Tiger Reserves. that require zoos to be on the “highest  Also, a tiger in Pench Tiger Reserve alert” and monitor animals on closed- circuit cameras 24/7 for “abnormal (Madhya Pradesh) has died due to behaviour and symptoms.” respiratory illness. The National Tiger o The CZA has also directed zookeepers Conservation Authority (NTCA) is to approach sick animals wearing investigating whether the tiger should personal protective equipment and be tested for the novel coronavirus isolate and quarantine them. disease.  However, swabs from the throat and Central Zoo Authority nose to test for rhinotracheitis, a viral  The CZA is a statutory body whose infection that afflicts cats and causes respiratory illness were collected. main objective is to enforce minimum standards and norms for upkeep and Important health care of animals in Indian zoos. It  Spread of Infection from humans to was established in 1992.  Zoos are regulated as per the animals provisions of Wildlife (Protection) o The Bronx Zoo case suggests that a Act, 1972 and are guided by the National Zoo Policy, 1998. zoo employee spread the virus to the tiger. National Tiger Conservation Authority o The virus came from an animal source  NTCA is a statutory body under the and mutated; humans have since been infecting humans. Thus, it Ministry of Environment, Forests and is theoretically possible for the virus Climate Change. to mutate again to survive in certain  It was established in December, species after being transmitted by 2005 following the recommendations humans. of the Tiger Task Force.  Advisory by the MInistry of  It was constituted under enabling Environment, Forest and Climate provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Change Act, 1972, and amended in 2006, for o It has asked all Chief Wildlife strengthening tiger conservation, as per Wardens (CWLWs) of all States/UTs powers and functions assigned to it . to take immediate preventive measures to stop the transmission and spread of Pench Tiger Reserve the virus from humans to animals and  Pench Tiger Reserve, Seoni (Madhya vice versa, in National Parks/Sanctuaries and Tiger Reserves. Pradesh) is one of the major Protected o The CWLW is the statutory authority Areas of Satpura-Maikal ranges of under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, the Central Highlands. It was included 1972 who heads the Wildlife Wing of a in the Project Tigerin 1992-93.

Easy to PICK285 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020  It is among the sites notified Key Points : as Important Bird Areas of India. o The IBA is a programme of Birdlife International which aims to identify, monitor and protect a global network of IBAs for conservation of the world’s birds and associated diversity.  It has a contiguous forest cover with Kanha Tiger Reserve and Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra).  The area of the Pench Tiger Reserve and the surrounding area is the real story area of Rudyard Kipling's famous \"The Jungle Book\".  The forests found in Pench Tiger Reserve are divided into three parts: southern tropical wet dry forest, southern tropical dry deciduous teak forest and southern tropical dry deciduous mixed forest.  The major Carnivores are Tiger, leopard, wild cat, wild dog, hyena, jackal, fox, wolf, weasel, among the vegetarian species, Gaur, Nilgai, Sambar, Chital, Chasinga, Chinkara, Wild Pig etc. are prominent.  There are a lot of migratory birds seen in the cold season. Among the migratory birds, Ruddy shelduck, Pintail, Whistling Teal and Vegtel etc are prominent.

Easy to PICK286 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 India Revokes Ban on Export of Hydroxychloroquine Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- position and domestic demand for the Economy drug, which would be continuously monitored. Recently, India revoked its earlier ban on o The government said that currently it the export of malaria drug has sufficient stock of the HCQ drug. hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), which is being used to treat Covid-19. Hydroxy-chloroquine  Hydroxy-chloroquine is an oral drug Note:India last month banned exports of used in the treatment of malaria and 16 drugs, including hydroxychloroquine some autoimmune diseases such as and paracetamol. President Trump had rheumatoid arthritis. sought the lifting of the embargo placed on o Malaria is a disease caused hydroxychloroquine exports to the US by mosquito bite of female Anopheles and spreads through Important parasites. o Autoimmune diseases are in which  U.S. Pressure: The ban on HCQ was the body's immune system attacks healthy cells. revoked by India after U.S. President o Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting said that India could many joints, including those in the invite “retaliation” if it withheld hands and feet. supplies of HCQ.  Hydroxy-chloroquine against COVID- 19: o Earlier, the government of India placed o Recent studies show that the HCQ HCQ on a restricted items list, and drug alone or in combination with azithromycin appears to reduce the later put a blanket ban on any export virus quickly. of the drug. o Further, the study suggests  India’s Stand: Revocation has been that prophylaxis (treatment given to prevent disease) with hydroxy- done in view of the humanitarian chloroquine at approved doses could prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. aspects of the pandemic. o Although the drug has some side  Neighbouring Countries: India has effects, it is linked to instances of cardiac arrhythmia and liver damage. decided to licence paracetamol and Wide use may handicap the people’s ability to fight the disease. HCQ in appropriate quantities to all its India –USA trade ties neighbouring countries who are As per the current way of calculation, dependent on its capabilities. India-US trade is becoming more balanced. In 2016, the deficit (US trade o It will also supply these essential drugs to some nations that have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic.  Pre-existing Orders: The government will fulfill the pre- existing orders, mainly to the U.S., Brazil and European countries, as they have made advance payments on their orders.  Domestic Demand: The orders will be fulfilled depending on the stock

Easy to PICK287 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 deficit with India) was $24 billion. It came requiring a study of the United States’ down to $22 billion in 2017 and is $20 most significant trade deficits. India has billion now. The officials said that with slightly narrowed the trade deficit in goods increasing imports of oil and gas, this with the United States, which went would reduce further. from $24.3 billion in 2016, the tenth- largest that year, to $23.3 billion in 2019, History: Trade between the United States the eleventh-largest. Indian negotiators and India has grown steadily ever since have proposed reducing the deficitvia India’s economy began to take off in the major purchases of products including mid-1990s and its information technology liquefied natural gas and aircraft. sector shot to prominence in the early 2000s. From 1999 to 2018, trade in goods Tariffs. The Trump administration began and services between the two countries applying new tariffs in 2018 on steel and surged from $16 billion to $142 billion. aluminum imports from dozens of India is now the United States’ eighth- countries, including India, using a national largest trading partner in goods and security exemption in U.S. trade law. In services and is among the world’s largest response, New Delhi drew up a list of economies. India’s trade with the United retaliatory tariffsand filed it with the States now resembles, in terms of volume, World Trade Organization (WTO), but U.S. trade with South Korea ($167 billion held off on applying them. in 2018) or France ($129 billion). But as trade between Washington and New Generalized System of Preferences Delhi has increased, so too have tensions. (GSP): Following a public review process, U.S. and Indian officials have disagreed the Trump administration removed for years on tariffs and foreign investment Indiafrom the GSP program, a special limitations, but also on other complicated trade treatment for developing countries. issues, particularly within agricultural One qualification of the program is trade. Concern for intellectual property “equitable and reasonable” access to that rights has preoccupied the United States country’s markets for U.S. goods and for thirty years, while issues concerning services, and the administration noted still- medical devices and the fast-growing significant trade barriers in India. Shortly digital economy have more recently after the Trump administration pulled emerged. On top of this, the Donald J. India from the GSP, India pulled the Trump administration has exacerbated trigger on its retaliatory tariffs, after which tensions by creating new dilemmas, the United States filed a dispute at the including a focus on bilateral trade deficits WTO. These retaliatory tariffs remain in and the application of fresh tariffs, place. prompting retaliation from Indian government. Agricultural Products: Although agricultural products are not the largest Deficits and Tariffs component of U.S.-India trade, tensions The Trump administration’s approach to over them are long-standing and remain trade resulted in three new areas of among the most difficult to resolve. The friction that had not previously been on United States exported around $1.5 billion the already extensive menu of economic worth of agricultural products to India in tensions with India.Bilateral trade 2018 and imported $2.7 billion. Exports deficitsPreviously not a top U.S. trade to India include fruit, nuts, legumes, concern, these became a major focus when cotton, and dairy products, which are Trump issued an executive orderin 2017 important to the economies of California,

Easy to PICK288 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Montana, and Washington. Spices, rice, obligations as part of the WTO’s and essential oils are the top Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of agricultural items imported from India Intellectual Property Rights, India to the United States. amended its patent actto recognize India’s 2019 retaliatory tariffsincluded product rather than process patents, U.S. almonds, walnuts, cashews, apples, meaning that replicating a product using a chickpeas, wheat, and peas—and came on different process would qualify as an top of globally applied tariff hikes by New infringement. This came into force in Delhi. India imposed a retaliatory tariff of 2005. However, the United States has 20 percent on in-shell walnuts, added to a sought further improvements. By 2018, 2018 global duty hike to 100 percent. U.S. Washington still cites insufficient patent in-shell walnuts now carry a duty of more protections, restrictive standards for than 120 percent in India, according to the patents, and threats of compulsory California Walnut Board and Commission. licensing. Other U.S. concerns include Apples, an iconic product of Washington India’s copyright regime and whether State, were hit with a 20 percent tariff, on current approaches can deliver “pro- top of an existing 50 percent duty for all innovation and -creativity growth countries. policies.” Negotiations over U.S. dairy products have gone on for years. It is difficult for U.S. Investment Barriers: India has limited dairy farmers to sell their products in India, according to the International Dairy foreign investment in sectors such as Foods Association, because India requires that dairy products are insurance and banking for decades. “derived from a dairy cow that has been fed a vegetarian diet for its entire life.” While India has substantially India defends its position on religious and cultural grounds, whereas the association liberalizedforeign direct investment (FDI) calls these requirements “scientifically unwarranted.” procedures, issues remain. The insurance India rejected U.S. proposalsin 2015 and 2018 for consumer labels indicating the industry has an FDI limit of 49 percent diet of dairy animals. Frustrated, the National Milk Producers Federation and and a requirement that companies be the U.S. Dairy Export Council sought India’s removalfrom the GSP program. Indian-controlled. In banking, foreign Intellectual Property Rights: Intellectual ownership is capped at 74 percent. Media property rights in India have been a chief U.S. concern since at least 1989, the year also face foreign investment limits: 49 of the first “Special 301 report” mandated by Congress to identify intellectual percent for cable television, 26 percent for property issues in trade. Concerns include piracy of software, film, and music and FM radio, 74 percent for direct-to-home weak patent protections, among others. In that first report, India was one of eight satellite broadcasting, 49 percent for countries placed on a priority watch list. India has remained on the watch list, television news, and 26 percent for print despite some progress. To comply with its newspapers and periodicals. In single-brand retail, which comprises companies such as Nike that sell only their own goods, Indian rules permit 100 percent FDI but have some local sourcing requirements. Multi-brand retail is permitted up to 51 percent FDI, however Indian states can opt in or opt out of allowing this type of foreign investment; currently, only around nine of India’s twenty-nine states permit it (plus a small union territory). Additional requirements for multi-brand include at least $100 million in infrastructure investment, as well as local sourcing conditions.

Easy to PICK289 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Harley-Davidson Motorcycles price controls on coronary stents and knee President Trump has often bemoaned implants.The following year, USTR India’s high tariffs on motorcycles—they explained the impact of the price controls stand at 50 percent for some Harley- in its National Trade Estimate report. U.S. Davidson models. However, Trump is not manufacturers sought permission from the the first U.S. president to focus on market Indian regulatory authority to pull these access for America’s iconic bike. In 2007, devices from the market but were denied, during the George W. Bush administration, forcing U.S. suppliers to “sell their trade negotiators agreed to a deal under products at a loss in the Indian market for which Harley-Davidsons would be able to up to eighteen months.” enter India in exchange for Indian mangoes gaining access to the U.S. Digital Economy: With the rise of the market. digital economy, and with India’s growing However, the mangoes-for-motorcycles heft as a hub for information technology dealwasn’t about tariffs, and instead services and for digital businesses, new worked through issues over emissions frictions have emerged over data regulations and a pest-control irradiation localization, data privacy, and e- process for mangoes in India to open up commerce. Unlike China, which largely new trade.It turned out that high Indian operates on its own digital systems, India duties on large-engine motorcycles made uses many U.S. platforms, and many U.S. Harleys too expensive for Indian companies have back-office operations in consumers. To make the bikes more India. These platforms, enjoyed by India’s affordable, Harley-Davidson built an half a billion internet users, generate assembly plant in India for less expensive enormous data flows, and Indian leaders models, which were imported unassembled are well aware of the tremendous value of and subject to much lower duties. The this data. Prime Minister has called it the managing director for Harley-Davidson “new oil” and “new gold.” India told at the time that assembly in But the United States is concerned about India would bring down duties by around how India has handled this new resource. 40 percent. In 2018, India’s central bank ordered When Trump raised the issue of India’s companies “that operate a payment motorcycle duties in 2017, tariffs were system in India”—meaning credit card at 75 percent for the largest engine companies and digital payment platforms imports. Harley-Davidson sold fewer than such as PayPal—to store all data on local 3,700 units in India that year, and most servers. This at first led to confusion were cheaper models assembled in India. about jurisdiction for cross-border The tariffs on these more expensive, larger transactions, and then a clarification that motorcycles fell to 50 percent after Trump such data could be processed abroad but discussed the issue with Modi in 2018, but must ultimately be stored in India. Trump has said that 50 percent is “still e-commerce sector:In the e-commerce unacceptable.” sector, long-standing rules prohibit foreign investment in platforms that sell directly to Medical Devices: The Office of the U.S. consumers, so foreign e-commerce Trade Representative (USTR) expressed operators in India use a marketplace concern for years about customs duties on model. That means they provide the medical equipment and devices, technology platform to connect buyers and tensions were exacerbated in 2017 with sellers. A midstream change in when the Indian government applied new December 2018 to e-commerce rules about subsidiaries of foreign-owned

Easy to PICK290 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 platforms earned mention in the 2019 U.S. more than 70 percent. India’s negotiating National Trade Estimate about limiting posture has long prioritized further access to India’s market. opening other countries’ visa regimes for Finally, India is developing a services workers; this was an unmet comprehensive data protection policy. ambition, for example, of India’s in talks Digital economy experts say a new bill on the Regional Comprehensive Economic introduced in Parliament in December Partnership, a trade pact of fifteen 2019 is similar to the European Union’s countries, including China, that India General Data Protection Regulation. The opted out of after years of negotiations. current draft offers provisions for The Indian government continues to object individual data protections, provides to U.S. laws passed in 2010and 2015 that carve-outs for specific government apply higher fees on companies with more requests for data, and creates a new than fifty employees if more than half of identity verification proposal for social those employees are in the United States as media. Much could change as legislators nonimmigrants. In 2016, India filed a trade review and debate the bill, but given the dispute at the WTO over these visa size of India’s digital economy, these fees, arguing that the higher fees “raised issues will only become more central to the overall barriers for service suppliers U.S.-India trade relations. from India.” The WTO dispute is ongoing. Visas in Services Trade: Most of the India has also expressed concerns above flash points center on U.S. concerns over visa processing delays, including about the Indian economy, mostly because more requests for evidence, which prolong the U.S. economy presents fewer barriers. review times, and increased rejection rates Yet, the Indian government has continued under the Trump administration. to highlight services trade and the “movement of natural persons,” or Way Forward: In recent times both procedures typically involving a visa countries can understand the significance regime by which a citizen of one country of each other and can cooperate. In the can perform services work in another time of COVID-19 USA has been realising country. For India, this falls squarely in the the significance of India which is still the world of trade, but for the United States, largest market of the world and can help these are immigration matters that cannot USA in countering China rise. be negotiated in trade deliberations. In the United States, H1B and L1 visas permit Key Points : highly skilled workersfrom other countries to be employed, with an annual limit of sixty-five thousand regular applications and another twenty thousand for those who have earned an advanced degree in the United States. Due to its large pool of highly skilled workers, India is extremely competitive in services, and its professionals work around the world. Of the top ten companieswith H1B-approved petitions in 2018, four are Indian firms, three of which are at the very top. Over the past fifteen years, the proportion of approved H1B petitions from India went from just under 40 percent to

Easy to PICK291 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 Angel Funds Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- through status has been extended to category I Alternative Investment Funds Economy-tax registered with SEBI as venture capital funds. Angel Investors who are recognised Angel funds refers to a money pool created as category I AIF venture capital funds will also get pass through status. by high networth individuals or companies Fund raising by Angel Funds (generally called as angel investors), for Angel funds can raise funds only by way of issue of units to angel investors and investing in business start ups. They are a should have a corpus of at least ten crore rupees. Further, angel funds can accept, sub-category of venture capital funds with over a period of three years, an investment of not less than Rs. 25 lakh from an angel strict focus on startups, while venture investor. No scheme of the Angel Fund can have more than 49investors to ensure capital funds generally invest at a later that investment in an investee company is not akin to apublic issue. stage of development of the investee If the investors are individuals, they shall be required to haveearly stage investment company. experience/ experience as a serial entrepreneur/ be a senior management In India the term Angel Funds is defined in professional with atleast10 years experience. Such investors shall also be SEBI (Alternative Investment Funds) required to have tangible net assets of atleast Rs. 2 crore excluding thevalue of (Amendment) Regulations, 2013. Here, the investor's primary residence.If investors are corporate, they shall either Angel fund is defined as a sub-category of have a net worth of atleast Rs. 10 crore or shall be an AIF/VCF registered Venture Capital Fund under Category I- withSEBI.The sponsor of the fund shall have the onus to ensure the angel investors Alternative Investment Fund(AIF) (pt) satisfy these requirements. Considering that angel investments are that raises funds from angel investorsand highly risky investments, it is thus ensured that only investors who have prior invests in accordance with the rules experience/ adequate awareness of such specified in Chapter III –A of SEBI investments and who have sufficient capital invest in such funds. (Alternative Investment Funds) Angel fund can raise funds through private placement by issue of information (Amendment) Regulations, 2013. memorandum or placement memorandum, by whatever name called. Further the angel Regulatory status of Angel Funds in fund may launch schemes subject to filing of a scheme memorandum at least ten India Hon’ble Finance Minister announced in Budget for Financial Year 2013-14 that “SEBI will prescribe requirements for angel investor pools by which they can be recognised as Category I AIF venture capital funds.” Accordingly, SEBI in September 2013, approved amendments to SEBI (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012thereby providing a framework for registration and regulation of angel pools under Category I- Venture Capital Funds.SEBI has issued the notification on the regulations of angel fundson 16 September 2013. Venture Capital Funds have been allowed pass through status under the Income-tax Act. The relevant regulations of SEBI have been replaced by Alternative Investment Fund Regulations. Hence, vide Budget 2013-14, subject to certain conditions, pass

Easy to PICK292 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 working days prior to launch of the be accepted over a period of maximum 3 scheme with the SEBI. years) as against Rs. 1 crore for other AIFs. Further, the continuing interest by Investment Rules for Angel Funds sponsor/manager in the Angel Fund cannot Angel funds can make investments only in be not less than 2.5% of the corpus or Rs. investee companies that: 50 lakhs, whichever is lesser(as per the AIF Regulations it is 2.5% of corpus/ Rs. 5 i. are incorporated in India and are crore whichever is lesser). not more than 3 years old; and Inherent nature/structure of angel funds is different from other typical fund structures ii. have a turnover not exceeding Rs of Alternative Investment Fund. In typical 25 crore; and AIF structures, the manager takes the decision of investment and none of the iii. are unlisted, and investors have a role in managing the fund. iv. are not promoted, sponsored or In typical angel pools (prior to the regulation), however, it is the investor who related to an Industrial Group takes the investment decision. This aspect whose group turnover is in excess needed to be incorporated in of Rs. 300 crore,(Here \"industrial regulations.Therefore, it has been provided group\" shall include a group of in the regulations that once a suitable body corporates with the same investee company is identified by the promoter(s)/promoter group, a manager, investor approval would be parent company and its solicited before the investment is subsidiaries, a group of body made.This process would imply that out of corporates in which the same a total pool funded by several investors, person/ group of persons exercise fractional investments would be made in control, and a group of body companies by different subsets of investors corporates comprised of who have agreed to the investments. For associates/subsidiaries/holding example out of 1000 investors, if 50 companies) and investors are agreeable to invest in X v. has no family connection with the company, with given Internal Rate of investors proposing to invest in the Return (IRR) (say 10%) as per the scheme, company. funds will be invested in that company (X Thus it is ensured that the investment by company). such angel funds is genuinely made in In case of angel funds one scheme shall Indian start- ups and early stage typically have only one investment since companies. every investment would typically have Angel funds cannot invest in associates. different sets of investors. Therefore,there They cannot invest more than 25 percent is provision for separate scheme of the total investments under all its memorandum (in addition to the fund schemes in one venture capital information memorandum) with lesser undertaking. disclosures. In addition, provision of filing Further, investment in an investee of the memorandum with SEBI before company by an angel fund shall be not less launching the scheme is reduced to 10 than Rs. 50 lakhs and more than Rs. 5 working days (against 30 days for other crore and shall be required to be held for a AIFs) and filing fees has been done away period of at least 3 years. with. Further, units of angel funds also need not Differences with other AIFs be listed. Since angel funds are typically Angel Funds should have a corpus of atleast Rs.10 crore (as against Rs. 20 crore for other AIFs) and minimum investment by an investor shall be Rs. 25 lakhs (may

Easy to PICK293 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 small in size, the registration fees is 4th FYP (1969-74) and 5th FYP (1974- proposed to be reduced for such funds 78). from Rs. 5lakhs to Rs. 2 lakhs. However, since item (iv) was perceived as Global experience on regulation of being weighted in favour of rich states, the Angel Funds formula was modified by raising the Angel Funds are generally not much weightage of PCI to 20%. The National regulated entities in other countries except Development Council (NDC) approved the for a few advanced countries like UK or modified Gadgil formula in August 1980. US. Here also, angel funds are generally It formed the basis of allocation during 6th regulated under venture capital funds. FYP (1980-85), 7th FYP (1985-90) and The European Unionis seeking to unify the Annual Plan (AP) 1990-91. Following venture capital market in order to provide suggestions from State Governments, the innovative small businesses with easier modified Gadgil Formula was revised to access to financing. To achieve this, it is Population (55%), PCI [25% {20% by promoting cross-border venture capital deviation method and 5% by distance investments and a regulatory framework method}], Fiscal Management (5%) and for venture capital funds in European Special Development Problems (15%). Union has been brought out with effect However, it was used only during AP from July 2013. In fact, certain countries 1991-92. such as Singapore have tax deduction schemes/ tax incentives for such Due to reservations of State Governments investments. However, in such cases, on revision, a Committee under Shri usually there are guidelines which are Pranab Mukherjee, then Deputy Chairman, specified by the tax authorities which have Planning Commission was constituted to to be fulfilled by angel investors to obtain evolve a suitable formula. The suggestions tax incentives. made by the Committee were considered by NDC in December 1991, where Gadgil-Mukherjee Formula following a consensus, the Gadgil- Mukherjee Formula was adopted. It was Up to 3rd Five Year Plan (FYP) [1961-66] made the basis for allocation during 8th and during Plan Holiday (1966-69), FYP (1992-97) and it has since been in allocation of Central Plan Assistance was use. After setting apart funds required for schematic and no formula was in use. The (a) Externally Aided Projects and (b) Gadgil Formula comprising (i) Population Special Area Programme, 30% of the [60%] (ii) Per Capita Income (PCI) [10%] balance of Central Assistance for State (iii) Tax Effort [10%] (iv) On-going Plans is provided to the Special Category Irrigation & Power Projects [10%] and (v) States. The remaining amount is Special Problems [10%] was used during distributed among the non-Special Category States, as per Gadgil-Mukherjee Formula. Gadgil-Mukherjee Formula I Criteria Weight Remarks II Population (1971) 60% Per capita Income a) Deviation method 25% below national average b) Distance method 20% Covering states with per capita SDP 5% For all states

Easy to PICK294 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 III Performance in Tax Effort, Fiscal Management and Progress in respect of National objectives 7.5% Tax policy [2.5%], Fiscal Management [2.0%], National objectives [3%] comprising population control (1.0%), elimination of illiteracy (1.0%), timely completion of Externally Aided Projects (0.5%)and land reforms (0.5%) IV Special Problems 7.5% GDP deflator The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflator is a measure of general price inflation. It is calculated by dividing nominal GDP by real GDP and then multiplying by 100. Nominal GDP is the market value of goods and services produced in an economy, unadjusted for inflation (It is the GDP measured at current prices). Real GDP is nominal GDP, adjusted for inflation to reflect changes in real output (It is the GDP measured at constant prices). GDP Deflator = Nominal GDP x 100 Real GDP Importance of GDP Deflator and exports, and excludes the price of There are other measures of inflation too imports. Changes in consumption patterns like Consumer Price Index(CPI) or the introduction of new goods and and Wholesale Price Index (or WPI); services or structural transformation are however GDP deflator is a much broader automatically reflected in the deflator and comprehensive measure. Since Gross which is not the case with other inflation Domestic Product is an aggregate measure measures. of production, being the sum of all final However WPI and CPI are available on uses of goods and services (less imports), monthly basis whereas deflator comes with GDP deflator reflects the prices of all a lag (yearly or quarterly, after quarterly domestically produced goods and services GDP data is released). Hence, monthly in the economy whereas, other measures change in inflation cannot be tracked using like CPI and WPI are based on a limited GDP deflator, limiting its usefulness. basket of goods and services, thereby not representing the entire economy (the Statistics basket of goods is changed to Ministry of Statistics and Programme accommodate changes in consumption Implementation (MOSPI) comes out with patterns, but after a considerable period of GDP deflator in National Accounts time). Another important distinction is that Statistics as price indices. The base of the the basket of WPI (at present) has no GDP deflator is revised when base of GDP representation of services sector. The GDP series is changed. deflator also includes the prices of investment goods, government services

Easy to PICK295 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 400 mn Indian workers to face poverty: ILO Monitor Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- affected by full or partial workplace Economy-Labour closures. -Along with India, the number of workers The impact of COVID-19 is gaining in the informal economy momentum on the negative front. In order of Nigeria and Brazil are also facing the to prevent coronavirus spread and to save same crisis due to lockdown. lives our Indian economy has put –Most affected region: Arab States are lockdown in the whole nation which is facing severe decline in the working hours adversely affecting the market and labour and employment with 8.1% reduction in specially in the unorganized sectors. working hours which is equivalent to 5 million full-time workers. These are Recently the International Labour followed by Europe (7.8%, or 12 million Organization (ILO) has released a report full-time workers) and Asia and the Pacific titled ‘ILO Monitor 2nd edition: (7.2%, 125 million full-time workers). COVID-19 and the world of work- –Most affected income group: Huge Updated estimates and analysis’ which losses are expected across different income has also stated that about 400 million groups but especially in upper-middle people working in the informal economy income countries (7.0%, 100 million full- in India are at risk of falling deeper into time workers). poverty due to the coronavirus –Most affected sectors: Sectors which are crisis.Current lockdown measures in India at high risk are Accommodation and food are at the high end of the University of services, Real estate; business and Oxford’s COVID-19 Government administrative activities, Manufacturing, Response Stringency Index, which have and Wholesale and retail trade; repair of forced many of the workers to return to motor vehicles and motorcycles. rural areas. This report is a follow-up of first edition of the ILO Monitor regarding Measures needed to revive the COVID- COVID-19. 19 impact; focused on 4 pillars  On the global front, employment losses The tragic situations facing by the workers and businesses in both developed and are rising rapidly as there are two developing economies need urgent billion people working in the informal measures for revival through international sector (mostly in emerging and cooperation. As per report large-scale, developing economies). integrated, policy measures were needed,  As of April 1, 2020, ILO’s new global focusing on four pillars: estimated that there are chances of expulsion of 195 million full-time jobs  Supporting enterprises, employment or 6.7% of working hours globally in and incomes the second quarter of 2020.  Stimulating the economy and jobs Key Points from ILO Report:  protecting workers in the workplace -The coronavirus pandemic is the worst  Using social dialogue between global crisis since World War II. Four out of five people (81%) in the global government, workers and employers to workforce of 3.3 billion are currently find solutions

Easy to PICK296 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 PT PICKSUP activities aimed at equipping the About International Labour Organization to take up successfully Organization (ILO) the challenges of its social justice  International Labour Organization mandate in the future. (ILO) is a United Nations agency Seven Centenary Initiatives dealing with labour issues, particularly  The future of work initiative : international labour standards, social Initiating and cultivating a global protection, and work opportunities for dialogue on the future of work, to build the ILO’s ability to prepare and guide all.  ILO was created in 1919, as part of the governments, workers and employers Treaty of Versailles that ended World to better meet the world of work War I, to reflect the belief that challenges of the next century. universal and lasting peace can be  The end to poverty initiative: accomplished only if it is based on Promoting a multidimensional social justice. It became specialized response through the world of work, agency of the United Nations in labor markets, and social and 1946. employment protection to eradicate  It is a tripartite organization, the only global poverty. one of its kind bringing together  The women at work initiative: representatives of governments, Reviewing the place and conditions of employers and workers in its women in the world of work and executive bodies. engaging workers, employers and  Since 1919, the International Labour governments in concrete action to Organization has maintained and realize equality of opportunity and developed a system of international treatment. labour standards aimed at promoting  The green initiative: Scaling up the ILO’s office-wide knowledge, policy opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in advice and tools for managing a just conditions of freedom, equity, security transition to a low carbon, sustainable and dignity. future.  In 1969, ILO received the Nobel  The standards initiative: Enhancing Peace Prize for improving fraternity the relevance of international labour and peace among nations, pursuing standards through a standards review decent work and justice for workers, mechanism and consolidating tripartite and providing technical assistance to consensus on an authoritative other developing nations. supervisory system.  India is a founder member of the  The enterprises initiative: International Labour Organization. Establishing a platform for ILO  The Headquarter of ILO is engagement with enterprises which in Geneva, Switzerland. would contribute to their sustainability and to ILO goals. In NEWS  The governance initiative: Reforming the ILO’s governance structures, In 2019, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN specialized assessing the impact of the 2008 agency celebrates its 100th anniversary.  In the run up to the anniversary seven Declaration as set out in its final Centenary Initiatives are being provisions, and act on its finding. implemented as part of a package of Eight Core International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions

Easy to PICK297 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020  India has ratified six out of the eight extension of tenure of all members and the current part-time chairman of the Bank core/fundamental ILO Conventions. Board Bureau(BBB) by 2 years, which is coming to an end on April 11,2020. These are Key Points: o Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), i.Bhanu Pratap Sharma,the former Secretary in the Department of Personnel o Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, and Training, will continue to hold the post of part-time member of the board. 1957 (No. 105), ii.Other part-time members of the board include Vedika Bhandarkar, former MD o Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (managing director) of Credit Suisse; P Pradeep Kumar, former MD of State Bank (No. 100), of India (SBI); and Pradip P Shah, founder MD of rating agency CRISIL. o Discrimination (Employment and About Banks Board Bureau (BBB): Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra In February 2016, the government formed o Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. the Banks Board Bureau and was given the responsibility of deciding candidates for 138) and the top positions in public sector banks and financial institutions. o Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, Key Points : 1999 (No. 182).  India has not ratified the core/fundamental Conventions, namely Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) and Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98).  The main reason for non-ratification of ILO Conventions No.87 & 98 is due to certain restrictions imposed on the Government servants.  The ratification of these conventions would involve granting of certain rights that are prohibited under the statutory rules, for the Government employees, namely, to strike work, to openly criticize Government policies, to freely accept financial contribution, to freely join foreign organizations etc.  In India Convention is ratified only when the national laws are brought fully into conformity with the provisions of the Convention.  Ratification of ILO Convention is a voluntary process and no time frame has been agreed for the same. Centre approves extension of Bank Board Bureau members’ According to the Department of Financial Services, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the

Easy to PICK298 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 China became top patent filer via PCT system Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- giant Huawei topped the global Economy-Labour ranking in 2019 with 4,411 PCT applications. It was followed For the year 2019, China has become the by Mitsubishi of Japan, which made world leader in international patent filings 2,661 filings, Samsung of South Korea via WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty with 2,334 filings and Qualcomm of (PCT) with a total of 58,990 applications the US with 2,127 filings. surpassing the United States (US), which was at top spot since the PCT began The system of registering international operations in 1978. patents involves three main  In 2019, Asian-based applicants accounted for 52.4% of all filings categories viz. International patent system while Europe accounted 23.2% (Patent Cooperation Treaty – PCT), followed by North America (22.8%). International trademark system (Madrid  It should be noted that for the third consecutive year, Chinese telecoms System), and International design system (Hague System). Following tables shows the ranking among these 3 systems: International patent applications by origin (PCT System) Total 265,800 Rank Country Number of Applications 1 China 58,990 2 United States of America (USA) 57,840 3 Japan 52,660 14 India 2,053 PCT applicants by educational institution Rank Educational Institute Country Number of Applications 1 University of California USA 470 2 Tsinghua University China 265 3 Shenzhen University China 247 58 Indian Institute of Technology India 58

Easy to PICK299 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 International trademarks applications by origin (Madrid System) Total 64,400 Rank Country Number of Applications 1 United States of America (USA) 10,087 2 Germany 7,700 3 China 6,339 24 India 460 Point to be noted – Nirsan Connect Private Limited of Gurugram, Haryana in India ranked 4th among the top Madrid applicants with 124 filers which is topped by L’OREAL France with 189. International industrial designs by origin (Hague System) Total 21,807 Rank Country Number of Designs 1 Germany 4,487 2 Republic of Korea 2,736 3 Switzerland 2,178 53 India 3 Point to be noted: The top Haugue applicant was Samsung Electronics company limited of the Republic of Korea with 929 filers. Key Points: IP policy, services, information and -International patent applications filed via cooperation. the PCT grew by 5.2% (265,800 applications) in 2019, while international What is WIPO? trademark applications via the Madrid  The World Intellectual Property System for the International Registration of Marks increased by 5.7% (64,400 Organisation or WIPO is a global body applications). Protection for industrial for the promotion and protection of designs via the Hague System for the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). International Registration of Industrial  It acts as a global forum for IP Designs saw a 10.4% growth (21,807 Services. designs).  WIPO is a self-funded agency of the -In 1999, WIPO received 276 applications United Nations. from China. By 2019, that number rose to  With 192 members, WIPO’s motto is 58,990, a 200-fold increase in 20 years. to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual WIPO (PT PICKSUP) property throughout the world. The World Intellectual Property  It is at present headed by Francis Organisation or WIPO is a UN specialised Gurry, who is its Director-General. agency created in 1967 to promote WIPO is headquartered in Geneva, intellectual property (IP) protection and Switzerland. encourage creative activity all over the  WIPO has its origins in the United world. WIPO is basically a global forum International Bureaux for the for Protection of Intellectual Property (BIRPI) which was established in 1893. WIPO’s Mandate

Easy to PICK300 - “UPSC Monthly Magazine” - April 2020 ‘WIPO is dedicated to developing a  To implement administrative functions balanced and accessible international discussed by the Berne and Paris Intellectual Property (IP) system, which Unions. rewards creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic development  To render legal and technical while safeguarding the public interest.’ assistance in the field of IP. Functions of WIPO The World Intellectual Property  To conduct research and publish its Organisation (WIPO) was established with results as well as to collect and the intent to perform the following circulate information. functions:  To assist the development of  To ensure the work of services that facilitates the International Intellectual campaigns that improve IP Protection Property Protection. all over the globe and keep the national legislations in harmony.  To implement other appropriate and  Signing international agreements necessary actions. related to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection. WIPO Treaties Description Name of the Treaty WIPO Performance and Phonograms WPPT deals with the rights of two types of Treaty (WPPT) beneficiaries, especially in the digital environment: For example:  Singers, Actors, Musicians, etc. (Performers)  Producers of Phonograms Budapest Treaty International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure was the purpose of this treaty. Madrid Protocol for the International The Protocol ensures the protection of a mark in many Registration of Marks countries by securing an international registration that has effect in all of the designated Contracting Parties. Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access Marrakesh Treaty allowed copyright exceptions that to Published Works by Visually facilitated the creation of accessible versions of books. Impaired Persons and Persons with It also provided copyrighted works for the visually Print Disabilities impaired. WIPO Copyright Treaty It dealt with the Protection of works and the rights of their authors in the digital environment. WIPO Treaties India is a part of are :  Paris Convention (1998)  IPO Convention (1975)  Berne Convention (1928)