2021

VOL3
Dear Aspirants

Team iLearn IAS is proud to present our weekly current affairs magazine.
Keeping in tune with the dynamic demands of the civil service examination, we
bring to aspirants on-going topics that are of relevance, particularly for the
mains exam.

The objective of this magazine is to make the aspirants exam ready in an

exhaustive list of topics. To this end, we provide detailed background notes on
the topics followed by an in-depth analysis of the issues, covering aspects such
as institutional mechanisms, policies, policy gaps, areas of focus, reforms
needed, suggestions and way forward.

We have also included all relevant Prelims topics from the past week.

In order to help the aspirants in monitoring their preparation, we have

included probable question that can be expected for the mains and Prelims
examination. You may also visit our integrated current affairs platform
www.ilearncana.com for your current affairs preparation.

We wish you all the very best and welcome you on board in our endeavors.

Happy Learning!
Team iLearn
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. NITI AAYOG’S PROJECT FOR GREAT NICOBAR ISLAND .................................................... 4
1.1 WHY IN NEWS? ................................................................................................................ 4
1.2 SYLLABUS: ........................................................................................................................ 4
1.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:....................................................................................................... 4
1.4 ANALYSIS: ......................................................................................................................... 4
1.5. iTips: ................................................................................................................................ 8
2. POPULATION MANAGEMENT & TWO CHILD POLICY ..................................................... 9
2.1 WHY IN NEWS? ................................................................................................................ 9
2.2 SYLLABUS: ........................................................................................................................ 9
2.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:....................................................................................................... 9
2.4 ANALYSIS: ......................................................................................................................... 9
2.5. iTips: .............................................................................................................................. 18
3. RELEVANCE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS ....................................................................... 19
3.1 WHY IN NEWS? .............................................................................................................. 19
3.2 SYLLABUS: ...................................................................................................................... 19
3.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:..................................................................................................... 19
3.4 ANALYSIS: ....................................................................................................................... 19
3.5. iTips: .............................................................................................................................. 25
4. NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL ...................................................................................... 26
4.1 WHY IN NEWS? .............................................................................................................. 26
4.2 SYLLABUS: ...................................................................................................................... 26
4.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:..................................................................................................... 26
4.4 ANALYSIS: ....................................................................................................................... 26
4.5. iTips: .............................................................................................................................. 33
5. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) ................................................................. 34
5.1 WHY IN NEWS? .............................................................................................................. 34
5.2 SYLLABUS: ...................................................................................................................... 34
5.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:..................................................................................................... 34
5.4 ANALYSIS: ....................................................................................................................... 34
5.5. iTips: .............................................................................................................................. 40
WEEKLY PRELIMS COMPILATION..................................................................................... 41
Places in news and Geography ........................................................................................ 42
Haiti ...................................................................................................................................... 42
Cuba ..................................................................................................................................... 43
Map study: Iraq and Syria .................................................................................................... 44

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Art and Culture and History ............................................................................................ 45
Silambam.............................................................................................................................. 45
Polity ............................................................................................................................. 46
Sixth Schedule of Indian constitution .................................................................................. 46
National Testing agency ....................................................................................................... 47
International Relations ................................................................................................... 48
United Nations Human Rights Council ................................................................................. 48
Gulf Cooperation Council ..................................................................................................... 50
Economics ...................................................................................................................... 50
Natrax high speed track ....................................................................................................... 50
Science and Technology .................................................................................................. 51
Zika Virus disease ................................................................................................................. 51
Blockchain ............................................................................................................................ 52
Biofuels................................................................................................................................. 54
Environment and Ecology ............................................................................................... 56
Nawegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) ........................................................................... 56
Domestic Yak ........................................................................................................................ 58
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) ................................................................................... 59
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) ................................................................................ 60
Fly Ash .................................................................................................................................. 61
Schemes ......................................................................................................................... 62
NIPUN Bharat Mission.......................................................................................................... 62
Terms recently in news ................................................................................................... 64

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 1. NITI AAYOG’S PROJECT FOR GREAT NICOBAR ISLAND
1.1 WHY IN NEWS?
Environment Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change (MoEFCC) has flagged serious concerns about NITI Aayog’s ambitious
project for Great Nicobar Island
1.2 SYLLABUS:
GS 1: Poverty and Developmental issues, Urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
GS 2: Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues
arising out of their Design and Implementation.
1.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q. “Island development strategy in India should give due consideration to local priorities
along with infrastructural and strategic needs”. Comment
1.4 ANALYSIS:
BACKGROUND
• The Island Development Agency (IDA) was constituted in 2017 under the aegis of
the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The IDA looks into the holistic development of islands.
• NITI Aayog has been mandated with the task to steer the holistic development of the
islands sustainably.
• The program aims to attain sustainable development in the identified Islands
without damaging the pristine biodiversity.
• In this regard, the NITI Aayog came up with
o Great Nicobar Development plan
o Sustainable Development of Little Andaman Island
ABOUT THE GREAT NICOBAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN
• The NITI Aayog has developed Rs 75,000 crore vision for the ‘Holistic Development
of Great Nicobar Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands’.
• The plan envisages the use of about 244 sq. km. region for development purposes.
• The plan entails the development of a transshipment terminal with a Greenfield
international airport, townships and solar and gas-based power plants.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) will
be the nodal agency for the implementation of the Great Nicobar Development plan.
ABOUT GREAT NICOBAR
• Great Nicobar is the southernmost and largest of the Nicobar Islands of India, north
of Sumatra.

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 • Great Nicobar Island was severely affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
tsunami with many deaths, and was cut off from all outside contact for more than a
day.
• The island covers 921 km2 but is sparsely inhabited, with a population of 8067,
largely being covered by rainforest and known for its diverse wildlife.
• The island is home to:
o Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve
▪ The majority of the island is designated as the Great Nicobar
Biosphere Reserve
▪ It is home to many endemic species of plants and animals including
the Nicobar scrubfowl, Nicobar long-tailed macaque, saltwater
crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), giant leatherback sea turtle
(Dermochelys coriacea), Malayan box turtle, Nicobar tree shrew,
reticulated python (Python reticulatus) and the giant robber crab
o Indira Point
▪ It is the southernmost point of India
o INS Baaz naval air station
▪ It is near Campbell Bay under the joint-services Andaman and Nicobar
Command (ANC) of the Indian Armed Forces.
o The island has several rivers, including the Alexandra, Amrit Kaur, Dogmar
and Galathea

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GREAT NICOBAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN

• Job opportunities for locals:
o The plan involves the creation of infrastructure (ports, airports, etc.) >> this
will help in creating satisfactory jobs for the locals.
• Economic development:
o It will help in creating tourism prospects in the region >> This will aid the
income generation in the region.
o The per capita income in Andaman & Nicobar Islands for the year 2015-16
was Rs. 1,24,361.
o This was much lower than the per-capita income of other Union Territories
• Improving basic amenities for island residents:
o Island residents find the power outages a major problem, especially during
the monsoons, as well as a paucity of groceries and rice, sugar, salt, diesel
and petrol, thanks to irregular ship services.

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 o Few vegetables are grown commercially on Great Nicobar, so the island isn’t
yet self-sufficient
o Developmental plans will improve the amenities available to residents
• Connectivity:
o The development of world-class infrastructure will help in improving inter-
island connectivity >> thereby, improving governance and boosting export
potential.
• Social Benefits:
o It would further create affordable state-of-the-art facilities for healthcare,
quality education, and adequate air, sea and web infrastructure.
o It will facilitate the delivery of e-governance services such as telemedicine
and tele-education, as a part of the Digital India initiative.
• Strategic benefit:
o The Nicobar Island located in proximity to the strait of Malacca.
o This demands the creation of robust infrastructure for meeting geopolitical
interests in the region.
o The islands are also home to India’s only tri-services command – the
Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC).
o The command holds immense relevance due to rising Chinese aggression in
the Indo-Pacific region.

CONCERNS
• Threat to biodiversity:
o Construction in the region threaten the biodiversity of the region
o The beaches at the mouth of the river Galathea in South Bay are among the
most prominent nesting sites of Giant leatherback turtles.
o Similarly, 90% of the Nicobar megapode’s nesting sites are within a distance
of 30 m from the shore.
• Against the spirit of environmental legislations:
o Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) denotified
the entire Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary for building port and other
related infrastructure.
o Wildlife Protection Act 1972 – the parent legislation from which NBWL draws
its powers – doesn’t permit the diversion of protected areas, like national
parks and sanctuaries, unless the diversion will benefit the area’s wildlife.
o Hence the plan violates the purpose of such legislations

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 • Not considering the water resource availability
o The project is also unrealistic given the islands’ prevailing water scarcity.
o The islands depend on rain for their freshwater needs. The longest river
flowing through Great Nicobar, Galathea, isn’t voluminous enough.
o There may not be enough freshwater to sustain a large-scale
developmental project over the long run
• Affects tribal rights:
o The island has two indigenous groups – the Nicobarese and the Shompen, a
forest-dwelling community.
o The proposed project areas are important grounds for Shompen.
o Initiation of work would make large forest areas inaccessible and useless for
the Shompen.
• Limited consideration to disaster vulnerability:
o The island is prone to natural disasters and more so in the light of aggravating
climate change.
o This reality does not receive due consideration in the development
strategies.
o For example, Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located in a seismically
highly active zone (zone V).
o The NITI Aayog’s strategy of island development does not auger well with this
vulnerability
o Further, Andaman and Nicobar observe frequent storms and cyclones. This
can easily destroy constructed structures.
o For instance, In 2004 Tsunami caused a 3-4 metre land subsidence. This is
the reason for the submergence of a lighthouse located at Indira point.
• Undermining international obligations:
o The Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary forms part of a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
o So preservation of this pristine biodiversity is an International Obligation of
India.
• Lack of inclusiveness in development:
o The inhabitants of the island have their own priorities, lifestyle and needs.
o In accordance with that, they have developed traditional wisdom with regard
to existence on these islands
o Current development plans discount these traditional wisdoms

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WAY FORWARD
• Due consideration to tribal rights:
o The development work must be carried out with due regard to tribal rights.
This would involve proper adherence to policies like the Shompen Policy of
2015.
o The Shompen Policy of 2015 calls for giving priority to tribal rights over large
scale development proposals.
• Engaging with foreign countries with past experience in island development:
o India should enhance cooperation with countries like Japan, South Korea etc.
This will help in developing successful island development models
• Eco-friendly construction:
o Construction of infrastructure should be done using eco-friendly practices like
strict adherence to GRIHA code for building construction.
o GRIHA means Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment.
• Follow NITI Aayog’s Panchatantra Principles of Sustainable Development:
o A mix of P2 (Public Projects), P3 (Public Private Partnership) and P4 (People
Public Private Partnership) projects
o Optimum Budget allocation
o Creation of an environment conducive for private sector participation
o Peoples’ participation in equity
o Development Strategy = Social Strategy + Supportive Strategy
▪ Social Strategy >> means strategies to generate additional income for
the islanders
▪ Supportive Strategy >> means strategies to create assets for
sustaining their high level of income in the long run
• Conduct proper Environment impact assessment
o Any construction under the Great Nicobar Development plan should involve a
proper Environment impact assessment (as mandated by the Environment
Protection Act 1986).
o This will make development more feasible and it will minimise the threat of
excessive environmental degradation.
1.5. iTips:
• For prelims, questions are expected on location and geographical features of Nicobar
Islands, salient provisions of Island Development Agency etc.
• For mains, questions can be asked on Great Nicobar Development plan, concerns
associated with it etc.

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 2. POPULATION MANAGEMENT & TWO CHILD POLICY
2.1 WHY IN NEWS?
• A private members' bills on population control is set to be introduced in the
upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament.
• The private members' bill comes close on the heels of Uttar Pradesh’s new
population policy for 2021-2030 and a draft bill on population control.
2.2 SYLLABUS:
GS 1: Population and associated issues;
2.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q. Population dynamics play a critical role in the achievement of social, economic and
environmental development. In this regard, critically examine the need of a mandatory two-
child policy in India?
2.4 ANALYSIS:
INDIA’S POPULATION GROWTH PROJECTIONS:

• India’s population was 1.21 billion as per the Census of 2011. According to the
technical group on population projections, the population will grow by 25%, with
reference to 2011, to 1.52 billion by 2036.
• The group was constituted by the National Commission on Population (NCP) under
the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
• According to these projections, India will overtake China as the world’s most
populous country around 2031, much later than the United Nations projection of
2027.

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 • As much as 54% of the growth in population in India between 2011 and 2036 will
take place in the five states of UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Madhya
Pradesh.
• In the 2011-2036 period, the Total fertility rate (TFR) in India will decline to 1.73
with the assumption that the current pace of decline is maintained. According to the
report, the only Indian state with a TFR higher than 2 by 2035 will be Bihar at 2.38.

• The report projects that as much as 70% of the population increase will be in urban
areas. India’s urban population will increase from 377 million in 2011 to 594 million
in 2036 – a growth of 57%.

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 • UNICEF estimates that around 25 million children are born every year in India,
accounting for a fifth of the world's annual births.
KEY DATA FROM NFHS-5:

• The fertility rate stands at 2.2 at present, just above the replacement fertility level of
2.1 which is the mark of population stabilization.
• Total Fertility Rate (number of children born per woman) has decreased across 14
out of 17 States and is either at 2.1 children per woman or less.
• This also implies that most States have attained replacement level fertility, i.e., the
average number of children born per woman at which a population exactly replaces
itself from one generation to the next
• The number of districts with a modern contraceptives prevalence rate of over 60%
has also increased significantly. This change was much better in Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala.
• The total fertility rate for urban India was 1.8, for rural India 2.4, for women with
no schooling 3.4 and 1.7 for women with 12 years or more education.

STATUS OF TWO CHILD NORM IN INDIA:

• Entry 20-A in the Concurrent List deals with population control and family planning.
This provision was added through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976.
• Currently, there is no national policy mandating two children per family. However,
the various population control strategies in India encourage two-child norm. Since
the early 1990s, 12 states have introduced some version of the two child-policy.

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GOVERNMENT MEASURES TOWARDS POPULATION CONTROL:
Minimum age of marriage

Women empowerment
Social
Spread of education

Social security

Population control Incentives

strategies Economic
Employment

Laws

Others Medical facilities

Awareness generation

• Minimum age of Marriage:

o Age of marriage and fertility rates are inversely related. In India, minimum
age for marriage is 21 years for men and 18 years for women has be fixed by
law.
• National Population Policy 2000:
o Immediate Objective: to address the unmet needs for contraception, health
care infrastructure and health personnel and to provide integrated service
delivery for basic reproductive and child health care.
o The Medium-Term Objective: to bring the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to
replacement level by 2010 through vigorous implementation in inter-sectorial
operational strategies.
o The Long-Term Objective: to achieve a stable population by 2045 at a level
consistent with the requirements of sustainable economic growth, social
development, and environment protection.
• Mission Parivar Vikas:
o It seeks to increase access to contraceptives and family planning services in
146 high fertility districts with Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 3 and above in
seven high focus states.
o These districts are from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Assam that itself constitutes
44% of the country’s population.

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 • New Contraceptive Choices:
o In recent years, government has increased its attention to the unmet
contraceptive needs by promoting birth spacing and introducing free
injectable contraception.
o Eg: ‘Antara’ And ‘Chhaya’ contraceptives were introduced by MoHFW to
bring down fertility rate to 2.1% by 2025.
• Compensation scheme for sterilization acceptors:
o Under the scheme, MoHFW provides compensation for loss of wages to the
beneficiary and also to the service provider (& team) for conducting
sterilizations.
• Clinical Outreach Teams (COT) Scheme:
o The scheme has been launched in 146 Mission Parivar Vikas districts for
providing Family planning services through mobile teams from accredited
organizations in far-flung, underserved and geographically difficult areas.
• Promotional activities like Saas bahu sammelans, Nayi Pehel Kits, Mobile publicity
vans, and advocacy meetings are undertaken to increase awareness in high fertility
Mission Parivar Vikas districts.
• National Family Planning Indemnity Scheme (NFPIS): under which clients are
insured in the eventualities of deaths, complications.
• Schemes involving ASHA workers:
o for home delivery of contraceptives at doorstep of beneficiaries.
o for ASHAs to Ensure spacing in births.
o for provision of Pregnancy Testing Kits.
• Family Planning Logistic Management and Information System (FP-LMIS): A
dedicated software to ensure smooth forecasting, procurement and distribution of
family planning commodities across all the levels of health facilities.
• 360-degree media campaign: comprises of TV Commercials, posters and hoardings,
yearlong Radio show, and a dedicated website on Family Planning.
• World Population Day & fortnight as well as Vasectomy Fortnight are observed
every year to boost awareness.
• Initiatives at the state level:
o Several states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have made the two-child
norm mandatory for contesting in local self-government elections.
▪ In Madhya Pradesh, state civil service rules make it ineligible for the
3rd child to apply for Government jobs.

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 ▪ In Rajasthan and Maharashtra, candidates who have more than two
children are not eligible for appointment to government jobs.
▪ Assam Cabinet has decided that those with more than two children
will be ineligible for government jobs from 2021.
o UP’s Population policy:

WHAT IS TWO CHILD POLICY?

• It is a state-imposed limit of two children allowed per family or the payment of
government benefits only to the first two children or parents with only two children.
STATUS OF TWO CHILD POLICY ACROSS WORLD:
• A two-child policy has previously been used in several countries including Iran,
Singapore, and Vietnam.
• In British Hong Kong in the 1970s, citizens were also highly encouraged to have two
children as a limit (although it was not mandated by law), and it was used as part of
the region’s family planning strategies.
• Since 2016, it has been re-implemented in China replacing the country’s previous
one-child policy.
WHY INDIA NEED STRONGER POPULATION CONTROL POLICIES?
• Address developmental demands:
o India is currently expected to overtake China as the world's most populous
country by 2027, per a 2019 UN report. A controlled population growth is
essential to sufficiently meet the aspirations of this growing population in
areas of education, health, skills and employment.

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 • Address regional imbalances:
o Because of their population size, some states have more representatives in
Lok Sabha. To combat regional imbalance in population and democratic
representation by the various state in the parliamentary democracy system, a
strong population control will be helpful.
• Failure of earlier policies:
o Despite having population policies, India’s population has doubled in the last
40 years. Measures such as the National Population Control Policy (2000) has
failed to attain its targets, making India the second-most populous country in
the world. Hence, measures like the two-child policy are needed.
• For sustainable development:
o India’s natural resources are extremely over-burdened and facing over-
exploitation, especially the common pool resources such as air and water.
Without an optimum population, sustainable development will be arduous
task.
• Bridge inequality:
o According to Oxfam’s report, India's richest 1 % hold more than four-times
the wealth held the bottom 70 % of its population. Without regulating the
rising population, this gap will worsen.
• Rise of Industrial revolution 4.0:
o The upcoming era of industrialization is focused on information-intensive
transformation of manufacturing and related industries into smart factories.
Here, quality of population (i.e skill levels) rather than quantity is key.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST STRONG POPULATION CONTROL POLICIES:
• Findings of NFHS 5: Data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) shows
that the country’s population is stabilizing.
o NFHS-5 provides evidence of an uptake in the use of modern contraceptives
in rural and urban areas, an improvement in family planning demands being
met, and a decline in the average number of children borne by a woman.
o The figures indicate that education and health care are the most crucial
inputs to reducing the population.
o It is a myth that the poor want more children. They have more children as
they often have no access to reversible contraception methods.
• Perpetuates Gender bias:
o Population control measures are often discriminatory against female. Eg:
Even without mandatory policies, women remain the dominant acceptors for

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 permanent birth control measures, like tubectomy, in India. A strong
population control policy will only increase this bias.
o Also, strong policies can increase son preference and son meta-preference,
which could get manifested into sex selective abortions and female
infanticides.
• China’s ominous experience:
o There are already well-documented problems with China’s one-child policy,
namely population stagnation and the gender imbalance resulting from a
strong preference for boys.
• Loss of demographic dividend:
o International experience shows that any coercion to have a certain number
of children is counterproductive and leads to demographic distortions. A
restricted child policy will create a shortage of educated young people
needed to carry on India’s technological revolution.
• Heavy dependency ratio:
o With a declining population growth, the number of old people receiving
social services will be larger than the young tax base that is paying for the
social services. This will create burden on the public exchequer.
o Eg: By 2031, almost half of Kerala and Tamil Nadu's population is expected to
be 40 years or older. It will be a challenge for these states to address the
needs of its geriatric population.
• Failure of government:
o Rising population is an indication of the government’s inability to provide
essential health, education and livelihood avenues for people. Critics argue
that the population growth will slow down naturally as the country is able to
provide such amenities to the people.
• Success of South Indian states:
o Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have shown a replicable model in
population control. These states have made a remarkable drop in fertility
rates with no stringent norms in place, through focus on maternal and infant
healthcare, women empowerment and public sensitization.
• Negative consequences of excluding ‘Third Child’:
o Violation of the constitutional Right to Education (Article 21A, Article 45 and
51A) and Right to Life (Article 21) and also the United Nations Convention on
Rights of Child.

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 • Deprivation of the opportunity to contest elections:
o A study conducted in five Indian states showed that the two-child norm was
responsible for the largest number of disqualified candidates in panchayat
elections. Of these, Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs formed an overwhelming 80%.
o Hence, such policies contravene the 73rd amendment, which aims to give
political representation to people from marginalized communities in
democratic processes.
• Violates international agreements:
o India is a signatory to the Programme of Action (POA) of the International
Conference on Population and Development, 1994, which is unequivocally
against coercion in family planning.
WAY FORWARD
• Thrust on development:
o Development is the best method for controlling population. Globally, it is
seen that as the wealth status of families improves, the total fertility rate
decreases. Hence, focus should be on providing an enabling environment for
people to
• Improve accessibility:
o Young women and men need access to quality family planning services and
spacing methods of contraception. Providing better access and quality of
health care for young people will not only lead to improved health but will
also visibly improve educational outcomes and increase productivity and
workforce participation.
• Replicate successful models:
o States in southern part of India have been at the forefront in improving the
social indicators like the literacy rate, especially among females, are better
than the rest of the country. Taking cue from their strategies, other states
can focus on overall social development along with promotion and
strengthening of existing family planning programs.
• Women empowerment:
o Studies have shown that female education is highly correlated with lower
fertility rates, which equates to lower population growth. Empowerment of
women, including autonomy in the use of contraception, is a major factor
that contributes to better demographic outcomes.

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 • Constitutional recognition:
o National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution had
recommended in 2002, that Directive Principle of State Policy Article 47A to
be inserted into the Constitution to control population explosion.
2.5. iTips:
• For Prelims, questions on features of government measures and schemes like
Antara, Chhaya etc. can be asked.
• For Mains, questions on population can be asked in GS 1 (Society). The content can
also be used in questions related to human resources in GS 3.

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 3. RELEVANCE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS
3.1 WHY IN NEWS?
In July 2021, West Bengal assembly passed a resolution supporting an ad-hoc
committee report that favoured the formation of a West Bengal legislative council or a
Vidhan Parishad
3.2 SYLLABUS:
GS 2: Parliament and State Legislatures—Structure, Functioning, Conduct of Business,
Powers and Privileges and Issues arising out of these.
3.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q. ‘State legislative council acts as a check against potential impetuousness of electoral
majorities in the legislative assembly’. Discuss.
3.4 ANALYSIS:
ORGANIZATION OF STATE LEGISLATURE:
• Indian legislation follows a bicameral system at both the Centre and state level.
• In this set up, the state’s legislature can be divided into two wings – the legislative
assembly and legislative council.
• Not all states follow a bicameral system.
• Currently, only six states – Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh and Bihar have legislative councils.
• In 2020, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the resolution for abolition
of the Legislative Council >> This resolution is yet to be cleared by the Parliament of
India to finally abolish the council.
• The legislative council (Vidhan Parishad) is the upper house (second chamber or
house of elders), while the legislative assembly (Vidhan Sabha) is the lower house
(first chamber or popular house).

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS
• Article 169 of the Constitution states that Parliament can abolish a Legislative
Council (where it already exists) or create it (where it does not exist) by a simple
majority, that is, a majority of the members of each House present and voting, if the
legislative assembly of the concerned state, by a special majority, passes a
resolution to that effect.
• This Act of Parliament is not to be deemed as an amendment of the Constitution for
the purposes of Article 368 and is passed like an ordinary piece of legislation (i.e by
simple majority).

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COMPOSITION
• Unlike the members of the legislative assembly, the members of the legislative
council are indirectly elected.
• The maximum strength of the council is fixed at one-third of the total strength of
the assembly and the minimum strength is fixed at 40
• It means that the size of the council depends on the size of the assembly of the
concerned state.
• This is done to ensure the predominance of the directly elected House (assembly) in
the legislative affairs of the state.
• Though the Constitution has fixed the maximum and the minimum limits, the actual
strength of a Council is fixed by Parliament

MANNER OF ELECTION
• Of the total number of members of a legislative council:
o 1/3 are elected by the members of local bodies in the state like
municipalities, district boards, etc.
o 1/12 are elected by graduates of three years standing and residing within the
state
o 1/12 are elected by teachers of three years standing in the state, not lower in
standard than secondary school
o 1/3 are elected by the members of the legislative assembly of the state from
amongst persons who are not members of the assembly, and
o The remainder are nominated by the governor from amongst persons who
have a special knowledge or practical experience of literature, science, art,
cooperative movement and social service.
• Thus, 5/6 of the total number of members of a legislative council are indirectly
elected and 1/6 are nominated by the governor.
• The members are elected in accordance with the system of proportional
representation by means of a single transferable vote.
• The bonafides or propriety of the governor’s nomination in any case cannot be
challenged in the courts.
• This scheme of composition of a legislative council as laid down in the Constitution is
tentative and not final.
• The Parliament is authorised to modify or replace the same. However, it has not
enacted any such law so far.

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DURATION OF THE COUNCIL
• Like the Rajya Sabha, the legislative council is a continuing chamber, that is, it is a
permanent body and is not subject to dissolution.
• But, one-third of its members retire on the expiration of every second year. So, a
member continues as such for six years.
• The vacant seats are filled up by fresh elections and nominations (by governor) at
the beginning of every third year.
• The retiring members are also eligible for re-election and re-nomination any
number of times
POSITION OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
• The constitutional position of the council as compared with the assembly can be
viewed from two dimensions:
o Spheres where council is equal to assembly.
▪ Introduction of ordinary bills. However, in case of disagreement
between the two Houses, the will of the assembly prevails over that
of the council
▪ Approval of ordinances issued by the governor
▪ Selection of ministers including the chief minister. Under the
Constitution the, ministers including the chief minister can be
members of either House of the state legislature. However,
irrespective of their membership, they are responsible only to the
assembly.
▪ Consideration of the reports of the constitutional bodies like State
Finance Commission, state public service commission and Comptroller
and Auditor General of India.
▪ Enlargement of the jurisdiction of the state public service commission
o Spheres where council is unequal to assembly:
▪ Introduction and passage of a Money Bill
• A Money Bill can be introduced only in the assembly and not
in the council.
• The council cannot amend or reject a money bill. It should
return the bill to the assembly within 14 days, either with
recommendations or without recommendations. The
assembly can either accept or reject all or any of the
recommendation of the council. In both the cases, the money
bill is deemed to have been passed by the two Houses.

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 • The final power to decide whether a particular bill is a money
bill or not is vested in the Speaker of the assembly.
▪ Passage of ordinary bill:
• The final power of passing an ordinary bill also lies with the
assembly.
• At the most, the council can detain or delay the bill for the
period of four months—three months in the first instance and
one month in the second instance.
• When an ordinary bill, which has originated in the council and
was sent to the assembly, is rejected by the assembly, the bill
ends and becomes dead
• In other words, the council is not even a revising body like the
Rajya Sabha; it is only a dilatory chamber or an advisory body.
▪ Passage of Budget:
• The council can only discuss the budget but cannot vote on the
demands for grants (which is the exclusive privilege of the
assembly).
▪ Removal of council of ministers
• The council cannot remove the council of ministers by passing
a no-confidence motion.
• This is because, the council of ministers is collectively
responsible only to the assembly. But, the council can discus
and criticise the policies and activities of the Government.
▪ Election of President and Rajya Sabha Members:
• The council does not participate in the election of the
president of India and representatives of the state in the Rajya
Sabha.
▪ Ratification of Constitutional Amendments
• The council has no effective say in the ratification of a
constitutional amendment bill.
• In this respect also, the will of the assembly prevails over that
of the council
▪ Existence of the council depends on the will of the assembly:
• The council can be abolished by the Parliament on the
recommendation of the assembly.

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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL VERSUS RAJYA SABHA
• Position of the council vis-a-vis the assembly is much weaker than the position of
the Rajya Sabha vis-a-vis the Lok Sabha
• The Rajya Sabha has equal powers with the Lok Sabha in all spheres except financial
matters and with regard to the control over the Government.
• On the other hand, the council is subordinate to the assembly in all respects. Thus,
the predominance of the assembly over the council is fully established.
• Even though both the council and the Rajya Sabha are second chambers, the
Constitution has given the council much lesser importance than the Rajya Sabha
due to the following reasons:
o Rajya Sabha reflect the federal element of Indian Polity:
▪ The Rajya Sabha consists of the representatives of the states and thus
reflect the federal element of the polity.
▪ It maintains the federal equilibrium by protecting the interests of the
states against the undue interference of the Centre.
▪ Therefore, it has to be an effective revising body and not just an
advisory body or dilatory body like that of the council.
▪ On the other hand, the issue of federal significance does not arise in
the case of a council.
o The council is heterogeneously constituted.
▪ It represents different interests and consists of differently elected
members and also include some nominated members.
▪ Its very composition makes its position weak and reduces its utility as
an effective revising body.
▪ On the other hand, the Rajya Sabha is homogeneously constituted.
▪ It represents only the states and consists of mainly elected members
(only 12 out of 250 are nominated).

RELEVANCE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS

• It can keep an eye on hasty decisions:
o It checks the hasty, defective, careless and ill-considered legislation made by
the assembly by making provision for revision and thought.
• Ability to bring diverse voices into legislatures:
o It facilitates representation of eminent professionals and experts who cannot
face direct elections ((like artists, scientists).

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 o The governor nominates one-sixth members of the council to provide
representation to such people
• To formulate better and detailed discussed legislation.
o Having a second chamber would allow for more debate and sharing of work
between the Houses.
• Prevent autocracy:
o It is argued that second house put a check on autocratic tendencies of the
lower chambers. To vest the legislative powers with a popularly elected
House alone may prove harmful to the people of the state as legislation may
be arbitrary.
• Reduce workload of legislative assembly:
o Since the legislative assemblies are generally flooded with work, due to the
rapid growth in the functions of a modern welfare state, a unicameral
legislature cannot cope with the work and devote fully to the bills brought
before it for enactment.
o Legislative council lessens the burden of the lower House and enables
assembly to fully concentrate on measures of greater importance

ARGUMENTS AGAINST LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL:

• It has a weaker position with no significant role:
o The ultimate power of passing an ordinary bill is vested in the assembly. At
the most, the council can detain or delay the bill for a period of four months
o In other words, the council is not even a revising body like the Rajya Sabha;
it is only a dilatory chamber or an advisory body
o Keeping in view the council’s weak, powerless and insignificant position and
role, the critics have described the council as a ‘secondary chamber’, ‘costly
ornamental luxury’, ‘white elephant’, etc.
• A burden on the state budget:
o For example: Opposing the formation of West Bengal legislative council,
experts says that the formation of a legislative council in the state would
put a burden of Rs 600-800 crore on the government exchequer.
• A back door entry to unpopular politicians:
o The critics have opined that the council has served as a refuge for those who
are defeated in the assembly elections.
o It enabled the unpopular, rejected and ambitious politicians to occupy the
post of a chief minister or a minister or a member of the state legislature.

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 • Superfluous and Mischievous:
o If a majority of the members in the upper house belong to the same party
which holds majority in the lower house, the upper house will become a
mere ditto chamber.
o On the other hand, if two different parties are in majority, the upper house
will delay the bills for months unnecessarily. Thus its role may become nasty
and obstructive.
3.5. iTips:
• For prelims, questions are expected on composition and organization of legislative
council, qualification of members and manner of elections to legislative councils etc.
• For mains, questions can be asked on role and relevance of legislative council,
arguments against the formation of legislative council etc.

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 4. NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL
4.1 WHY IN NEWS?
Observing that all five zonal Benches of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) are
equally powerful and their orders are applicable across India, the Madras High Court
disapproved of a 2017 Central notification, which terms the north zone Bench in Delhi as the
Principal Bench.
4.2 SYLLABUS:
GS 2: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary
GS 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation;
4.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q. With suitable examples, discuss the significance of National Green Tribunal (NGT) in
adjudicating environmental cases in India?
4.4 ANALYSIS:
IN NEWS:
NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL:
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has been established under the National Green
Tribunal Act, 2010.
• It strives for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental
protection and conservation, including enforcement of legal rights and giving relief
and compensation for damages.
• The Tribunal is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil
Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.
• The Tribunal’s orders are binding and it has power to grant relief in the form of
compensation and damages to affected persons.
• The Tribunal has a presence in five zones- North, Central, East, South and West.
o The North Zone is situated in Delhi, Central zone bench in Bhopal, East zone
in Kolkata, South zone in Chennai and West zone in Pune.
o According to the recent views of Madras High Court, all five zonal Benches of
the NGT are equally powerful and their orders are applicable across India.
PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL JUSTICE:
• Although there is no statute dealing with the principles of natural justice in India,
they are commonly referred to as the minimum fair procedure that needs to be
followed by administrative authorities, in order to upload the prevalence of law.
• In India, the principles of natural justice are firmly grounded in article 14 (equality
before law and equal protection of law) & article 21 (right to life and liberty) of the

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 Constitution.
• The three pillars of the principles of natural justice are:
o Rule Against Bias (Nemo judex in causa sua): This rule emphasises on the
need of having decisions free from prejudices.
o Rule of Fair Hearing (Audi alter partem) All the parties shall be given a
reasonable opportunity to present their case properly.
o Reasoned Decisions: In order to further protect the rights of the parties, it is
required that the decisions should be well reasoned.
STRUCTURE:
• The Tribunal comprises of a Chairperson, Judicial Members and Expert Members,
who hold office for term of five years and are not eligible for reappointment.
o The Tribunal is headed by the Chairperson who sits in the Principal Bench.
She is appointed by the Central Government in consultation with Chief Justice
of India (CJI).
o At least ten but not more than twenty judicial members.
o At least ten but not more than twenty expert members.
JURISDICTION:
• Original jurisdiction:
o The tribunal has jurisdiction of all civil cases where a substantial question
relating to environment is involved and also on questions arising out of the
implementation of Schedule-1.
o Schedule-1 talks about following enactments:
1. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
2. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977
3. The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
4. The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
5. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
6. The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991
7. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
• Appellate jurisdiction:
o Any person aggrieved by an order/direction of any of the authorities under
the legislations mentioned above can challenge them before the National
Green Tribunal.
• While passing Orders/decisions/awards, the NGT will apply the principles of
sustainable development, the precautionary principle and the polluter pays
principles.

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Principles of sustainable development:

Precautionary principle:
The precautionary principle requires that, if there is a strong suspicion that a certain activity
may have environmentally harmful consequences, it is better to control that activity now
rather than to wait for incontrovertible scientific evidence.

Polluter pays principle:

In environmental law, the polluter pays principle is enacted to make the party responsible
for producing pollution responsible for paying for the damage done to the natural
environment.

• Timeframe:
o The Tribunal is mandated to make and endeavour for disposal of applications
or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same.
• Other powers:
o NGT has the power to exercise suo motu jurisdiction.
o Decisions of the Tribunal are binding. The Tribunal’s orders are enforceable
as the powers vested are the same as in a civil court under the Code of Civil
Procedure, 1908.
o NGT decision can be challenged before the Supreme Court within ninety
days.
o The NGT Act also provides for penalty for noncompliance, in the form of
imprisonment, fines or both.

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 • A claim for Compensation can be made for:
o Relief/compensation to victims of pollution and other environmental
damages, including accidents involving hazardous substances.
o Restitution of property damaged;
o Restitution of the environment for such areas as determined by the NGT.
IMPORTANT JUDGEMENTS/INITIATIVES OF NGT:
Since its inception, the NGT has protected vast acres of forest land, halted polluting
construction activities, penalised errant officials and held large corporate entities to
account. Some of these instances include:
• On environmental conservation:
o Art of living foundation case: In 2016, the NGT had allowed the AOL
Foundation to hold its massive World Culture Festival on the banks of river
Yamuna, and imposed a cost of Rs 5 crore to be paid by the foundation as
“restoration costs" for damaging the environment.
o Save Mon Federation Vs Union of India case: Here, the Save Mon Region
Federation has filed an appeal against a Rs. 6,400-crore hydro project, since
the project was near a wintering site of Black-necked Crane. The NGT
suspended the project to save the habitat.
o In 2012, the NGT had suspended the clearance given for USD 12-billion Posco
project in Odisha, since the government failed to deal with major
environmental concerns while speeding up the clearance.
o Restitution of environment in Sonebhadra and Singrauli areas which were
affected by thermal power plants and mining, and of degraded areas in
Meghalaya affected by rat hole mining.
• On tackling air pollution:
o NGT got action plans approved by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
for dealing with matters of air pollution in 122 cities where its level has been
exceeding norms.
o It directed setting up of mechanisms to inform public on ‘severe’ condition
days of air pollution and issue ‘advisories’ for taking precautionary measures.
o Slapped a ₹500 crore fine on German auto major Volkswagen for damaging
the environment through “cheat device” in its diesel cars in India.
o During Diwali, Christmas and New year celebrations, NGT introduced ban on
the sale and use of of firecrackers in the NCR and other parts of the country
where the ambient air quality was deplorable.

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 • Waste management:
o Slapped fine of Rs. 280 crores on 22 tanneries for causing pollution and
directed several states to pay an environmental compensation for damage to
the environment due to it permitting discharge of untreated sewage
containing toxic chromium into river Ganga.
o Directed the CPCB to ensure that no plastic bag less than 50 microns of
thickness be manufactured, stocked, sold and used across the country.
• On water quality:
o Slapped a ₹100 crore fine on the Tamil Nadu government over inordinate
delay in removal of encroachments along and prevention of pollution in
Adyar and Cooum rivers in Chennai.
o Directed Uttarakhand and UP pollution control boards to publicise Ganga’s
water quality at strategic locations every month.
o Directed the government to prohibit RO purifiers where total dissolved solids
in water are below 500 mg/litre and sensitise public about the ill effects of
demineralised water.

SIGNIFICANCE OF NGT:
• Comprehensive system:
o It has become a one stop solution to addressing legal questions related to
environmental protection, conservation and relief that earlier spanned across
numerous legislations and courts.
• Balance between environment and development:
o The rapid pace of unsustainable development in India is harming the
environment. The NGT provides a check and balance for this.
• Specialization:
o It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle
environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues.
• Faster expedition of cases:
o As there are fixed time frames, timely justice is ensured. Also, faster disposal
of cases reduced the burden of other courts.
• Flexibility:
o Since it adheres to principles of natural justice and principles of sustainable
development, precaution and polluter pays, it offers more flexibility in
arriving at judgements.

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 • Affordability:
o Cases can be filed in the courts directly by aggrieved persons, without the
presence of a lawyer. Also, complaints can be filed through different modes,
both online and offline.
• Reliability:
o NGT has proved itself as a reliable institution when it took up several
significant suo moto cases, like banning the crackers, directing states to
speed up action to clean Ganga and addressing stubble burning.
SHORTCOMINGS:
• Limited jurisdiction:
o NGT is not empowered to hear matters pertaining to issues coming under the
ambit of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Scheduled Tribes and Other
Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Hence, it
is unable to deal with cases of tribes and destructions applicable in case of
National Parks, Sanctuaries and Tiger Reserves.
• Delays in appointments:
o Over the years, the NGT rarely got the minimum strength of members to
address the environmental litigations across the country. As of July 2021, the
NGT consists of Chairman, 4 judicial and 4 expert members only.
o Also, the government has not shown seriousness in appointing expert
members to address increasing number of complex environmental problems
like nuclear and bio-medical waste management.
• Excessive delegation to committees:
o The NGT has constituted numerous external committees to look into various
aspects of cases and to submit a report thereafter. This method of delegating
to external committees, with similar structure and composition as the
Tribunal, gives the impression that the NGT is abrogating its own jurisdiction
on cases pertaining to environmental protection.
• Burden on High courts:
o The NGT Act mentions that the court’s decisions can be challenged before
the Supreme Court. In spite of this, petitioners have been invoking Article 226
(power of High Courts to issue certain writs) to challenge decisions before the
High Courts, slowing down the litigation process.
• Limited access to justice:
o The tribunal has benches only at five locations. This significantly reduces the
access to justice since civil courts would not deal with such cases anymore.

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 Also, in the absence of full strength of judicial and expert members in
regional benches petitioners are often forced to approach the bench in Delhi.
o Due to vacancies and COVID crisis, hearing of the zonal bench litigation is
nowadays taking place via video-conference and that too only for one to two
hours.
• Weak enforcement:
o There is no institutional mechanism to ensure that the environmental
regulatory authorities comply with the orders of the tribunal. As a result,
most of the landmark orders of the NGT related to Ganga water pollution,
Delhi air pollution, illegal mining, and solid waste management remain
unenforced.
• Delays:
o The number of environmental cases has been on the rise but due to lack of
benches and infrastructure, the body is unable to pronounce its judgment
within the stipulated time-period of six months.
• Inconsiderate of economic aspects:
o The court pays little regard to the economic implications of their orders. For
eg: When they banned fireworks, it failed to address the concerns of the
firework industry workers.
WAY FORWARD:
• NGT’s role and jurisdiction need to be expanded in order to bring NGT somewhat at
par with the judiciary in handling the environment cases.
• The predicament of the lack of human resource needs to be resolved in order for the
Tribunal to reach its envisioned potential.
• The higher courts of the country have long decried the practice of Tribunals
delegating their vital role to executive authorities for their examination on merits,
and thus, such excessive delegation by the NGT needs to be checked.
• To prevent appealing through the High courts, the NGT Act may be amended to
specify that NGT orders can be challenged only in the SC.
• Benches of the NGT has to expand manifold to ensure better access to justice. Also,
information technology needs to be further leveraged to ensure that dispensation of
justice is not hampered.
• The government needs to provide adequate financial resources along with an
increase in its power to handle cases.
Covid-19 has made it visible that human activities have already caused serious
damage to the environment and some of which are that which cannot be recovered. And

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India being a highly populated country, it requires number of other measures in order to
curb and look after such problems. Here comes the role of National Green Tribunal for
environment conservation & protection. But alone it cannot change the problems. A
reorientation from our technocentric developmental model to a more sustainable
ecocentric approach is essential.
4.5. iTips:
• For Mains, questions on NGT can be asked in GS 2 (Judiciary) and GS 3
(Environmental pollution and Conservation).
• For Prelims, questions on features of NGT Act, composition of NGT and its powers
can be asked.
• Extra read: Black necked Crane https://www.ilearncana.com/details/Black-necked-
cranes/1827

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 5. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
5.1 WHY IN NEWS?
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) issued the Companies (Corporate Social
Responsibility Policy) Amendment Rules, 2021. These rules amend the 2014 Rules, issued
under the Companies Act, 2013.
5.2 SYLLABUS:
GS 2: Mechanisms, Laws, Institutions and Bodies constituted for the Protection and
Betterment of these Vulnerable Sections.
GS 2: Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to
Health, Education, Human Resources.
GS 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth,
Development and Employment.
GS 3: Inclusive Growth and issues arising from it.
5.3 PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q. ‘Provisions for Corporate Social Responsibility under Companies Act has evolved into a
co-option of the corporate sector to promote inclusiveness in society’. Comment?
5.4 ANALYSIS:
WHAT IS CSR?
• As per United Nations Industrial Development Organization “Corporate Social
Responsibility is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and
environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their
stakeholders”

EVOLUTION OF CSR IN INDIA

• Before Independence the concept manifested in the form of charitable acts of
businessmen and philanthropists.
• Gandhian model of trusteeship encourages responsible behaviour towards
employees and stakeholders as business entities were seen to be operating in public
trust.
• In 2009, Corporate Voluntary Guidelines released to encourage corporate to
voluntarily achieve high standards of corporate governance
• In 2012, SEBI mandates top 100 companies by market capitalization to file Business
Responsibility Report based on National Voluntary Guidelines
• In 2013, Indian government becomes the first to mandate CSR under Section 135 of
the Companies Act, 2013.

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ABOUT THE CSR PROVISIONS UNDER THE COMPANIES ACT
• Under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, every company with net worth of Rs
500 Crore or a turnover of Rs 1000 Cr or net profits of Rs 5 Crore is required to
invest at least 2% of its average net profit for the immediately preceding 3 financial
years on CSR activities in India
• Those companies are also mandated to constitute a CSR Committee consisting of at
least 3 directors including an independent director.
• This committee will formulate the CSR policies for the company.
• CSR is also applicable to branch and project offices of a foreign company in India.
• Amendments made in 2019:
o Any unspent annual CSR funds must be transferred to one of the funds
under Schedule 7 of the Act (e.g., PM Relief Fund) within six months of the
financial year.
o Non-compliance with CSR norms is made a jailable offence for key officers
of the company, apart from hefty fines on the officer in default.
• Amendments made in 2020:
o Companies with a CSR liability of up to Rs 50 lakh a year are exempted from
setting up CSR Committees.
o Further, companies which spend any amount in excess of their CSR obligation
in a financial year can set off the excess amount towards their CSR obligations
in subsequent financial years.

ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE UNDERTAKEN UNDER CSR (LISTED UNDER SCHEDULE VII OF THE
COMPANIES ACT)
• Eradicating hunger, poverty and malnutrition.
• Promoting education and enhancing vocational skills.
• Promoting gender equality.
• Ensuring environmental sustainability, contributing to Clean Ganga Fund.
• Protection of national heritage, art and culture.
• Measures for the benefit of armed forces veterans, war widows and their
dependents.
• Promoting rural sports, Paralympic and Olympic sports.
• Contributing to technology incubators.
• Slum area development, rural area development.
• Contribution to PM s National Relief Fund.

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KEY FEATURES OF THE COMPANIES (CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY POLICY)
AMENDMENT RULES, 2021:
• Exclusion from CSR activities:
o Activities undertaken in pursuance of normal course of business of the
company
o Activities undertaken outside India, except training of National or
International level Indian sportspersons.
o Contribution of any amount to any political party
o Activities benefitting employees of the company, as under Code on Wages,
2019.
o Activities carried out for fulfilment of any other statutory obligations
• Mandatory registration:
o Entities have to register itself with the Central Government and fill the CSR-
1 Form electronically with the Registrar of Companies from April 1, 2021.
• Engagement of external organizations
o for design, evaluation, capacity building and monitoring of CSR projects has
also been permitted
• Annual Action plan:
o CSR committees of Companies shall be required to formulate an annual
action plan and recommend the same to the board of the company
• Cap on administrative overheads:
o Board of company needs to ensure administrative overheads do not exceed
5% of the total CSR expenditure for a financial year.
o Administrative overheads mean the expenses incurred for general
management and administration of CSR functions in the company
• Surplus cannot be utilised for other purposes:
o Surplus from any project cannot be utilized for any business profits and must
be reinvested into the same CSR project or may be transferred into fund.
• Impact assessment:
o Any corporation with a CSR obligation of Rs 10 Cr or more for the 3 preceding
financial years would be required to hire an independent agency to conduct
impact assessment of all of their projects with outlays of Rs 1 Cr. or more.
• Mandatory disclosure of CSR projects:
o It would be placed on the website of the company to ensure accountability of
companies and a closer check on the compliance of rules.

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BENEFITS OF CSR
• Benefits for the company
o Business reputation and image building:
▪ CSR is a tool for companies to meet aspirations of the community and
in turn obtain a license to operate from them or gain their loyalty and
trust.
o Employee retention and satisfaction
▪ CSR initiatives increase employee morale and create a sense of
belongingness in them.
o Strengthening the potential market:
▪ A healthy business can only succeed in a healthy society.
▪ Thus, it is in the best interest of a company to improve the socio-
economic health of society through welfare spending.
• Benefits for the society:
o Improves basic amenities:
▪ The community benefits through various welfare initiatives taken by
companies under CSR.
o Contributes to overall peace and harmony:
▪ CSR fosters social trust and inspires ethical conduct amongst
employees and members of society.
o Helps to reduce inequality in the society:
▪ CSR spending on vulnerable sections leads to their empowerment >>
brings inclusive growth
• Benefits for the government:
o Reduced pressure on government exchequer:
▪ CSR spending act as supplementary resources for welfare spending >>
thus reduces the burden on state-led welfare spending
o Attracts investment:
▪ Better utilization of CSR spending can pacify the people’s negative
attitude towards business-friendly policies >> thus better
implementation of pro-business enactments >> attracts business to
India
CONCERNS
• Skewed pattern of spending
o About 40% of CSR spending was incurred on education and healthcare.

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 o But eradication of hunger received barely 5% of funds particularly when
nearly 40% of Indian children are in the grip of malnutrition
• Affects business interests:
o CSR is criticized as a tool to tax corporates which already face high taxation in
the country. This can make India unattractive for business.
• Wide gap between public sector companies and private sector companies:
o Filings with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs show that in 2017-18 >> the
average CSR spend by private companies was just ₹95 lakh compared to
₹9.40 crore for public sector units
• Regional disparity
o CSR spending is concentrated in states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra
Pradesh etc., while North Eastern states escaped the attention of corporates.
• Non-compliance
o Filings with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs show that in 2017-18 >> only a
little over half of those liable to spend on CSR have filed reports on their
activity to the government.
o A KPMG survey of 100 companies found that 50% of the companies were
unable to spend the mandated amount on CSR.
• Issues with the legislation:
o The categories included under CSR are vaguely worded and lack clarity.
o Besides, the act does not spell out any enforcement mechanism
o Penal provisions introduced in 2019 are not in harmony with the spirit of
CSR >> because CSR is a means to partner corporates for social
development
• Difficulty in distinguishing social responsibility from commercial interests
o Companies often undertake measures for employee welfare and place these
under CSR. It is here that the line between CSR and company s interests gets
blurred.
• Malpractices:
o It is found out that companies made donations to charitable trusts, which are
well known and then received them back after deduction of minor
commissions
• Reduction in social spending:
o It was observed that companies that spent more than 2% on social
responsibility reduced their spending after the legislation came into force.
This was an unintended consequence of the CSR legislation.

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WAY FORWARD
• Relaxation and incentives:
o Government should further provide relaxation and incentives in corporate
tax to corporates complying with CSR regulations
• Decriminalize non-compliance
o Non-compliance by corporates should be decriminalised and made a civil
offence
• Ensure collaboration:
o Facilitating collaboration between NGOs, agencies involved in environmental
and social work will enable better utilization of CSR funds
• Sharing of best practices:
o Enabling exchange and sharing of best practices between corporates through
CSR summits.
• Monitoring:
o CSR activities and projects needs to be monitored periodically to prevent
fraudulent activities and complete project within stipulated time.
• Focusing on neglected areas:
o Encouraging corporates to spend in hitherto neglected areas such as sports,
conservation of heritage etc.
• Adopt the recommendations of committee chaired by Injeti Srinivas:
o The expenses towards CSR should be eligible for deduction in the
computation of taxable income.
o CSR obligation shall lie only after companies have been in existence for
three years.
o A provision to carry forward unspent CSR balance for three to five years
o CSR should not be used as a “means of resource-gap funding for government
schemes”.
o Aligning Schedule VII of the Companies Act with the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals.
o The companies having CSR-prescribed amount below ₹50 lakh may be
exempted from constituting a CSR Committee.
o Developing a CSR exchange portal to connect contributors, beneficiaries and
agencies, allowing CSR in social benefit bonds and promoting social impact
companies.
o Board of the company has to assess the credibility of an implementation
agency, which have to be registered with the MCA to carry out CSR activities.

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5.5. iTips:
• For prelims, Questions are expected on salient provisions of Companies Act
• For mains, Questions can be asked on need and benefits of CSR policy, concerns
associated with it, suggestions to improve the policy etc.

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 Weekly Prelims Compilation

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 Places in news and Geography
Haiti
Why in news?
o Haiti’s President was
recently assassinated.
About Haiti:
o Haiti is a country located
on the island of Hispaniola
in the Greater Antilles
archipelago of the
Caribbean Sea, to the east
of Cuba and Jamaica and
south of The Bahamas.
o It occupies the western
three-eighths of the island which it shares with the Dominican Republic.
o It is the third largest country in the Caribbean by area, and has an estimated
population of 11.4 million, making it the most populous country in the
Caribbean.
o The island was a colony and the French established lucrative sugarcane
plantations, worked by vast numbers of slaves brought from Africa, which made
the colony one of the richest in the world.
o In the midst of the French Revolution (1789–99), slaves and free people of color
launched the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804), led by a former slave and the first
black general of the French Army, Toussaint Louverture.
o After 12 years of conflict, Napoleon Bonaparte's forces were defeated by
Louverture's successor, Jean-Jacques Dessalines (later Emperor Jacques I), who
declared Haiti's sovereignty on 1 January 1804—the first independent nation of
Latin America and the Caribbean, the second republic in the Americas, the
first country to abolish slavery, and the only state in history established by a
successful slave revolt.
o Haiti is a founding member of the United Nations, Organization of American
States (OAS), Association of Caribbean States.

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o Historically poor and politically unstable, Haiti has the lowest Human
Development Index in the Americas.
PRELIMS QUESTION
1.Consider the following statements regarding Haiti:

1. It is considered a high-income economy by World Bank.

2. It was a French colony.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: B
Cuba
Why in news?
o Cuba is witnessing its
biggest anti-government
protests in 30 years.
About Cuba:
o Cuba is an island located in
the northern Caribbean
where the Caribbean Sea,
Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic
Ocean meet.
o Havana is the largest city and
capital of Cuba.
o Since 1965, the state has been governed by the Communist Party of Cuba.
o Cuba is a sovereign state and a founding member of the United Nations, the
G77, the Non-Aligned Movement and Organization of American States.
o Sugar is the country’s primary export good and the country produces over 5
million tons a year.
PRELIMS QUESTION
2.Havana, is a famous city located in:

(a) Fiji
(b) Cuba

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 (c) Brazil
(d) Guinea
Answer: B
Map study: Iraq and Syria

Geography of region:
o The region is drained by two rivers - Euphrates and Tigris - both of which drain
Ira and only Euphrates draining Syria.
o Both of them originate in the mountains of Turkey.
On Iraq:
o Neighbours of Iraq - Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Kuwait to the
southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the southwest and Syria to the
west.
o It has a coastline on the Northern Persian Gulf.
Major locations in Iraq:
o Mosul - Located on the west bank of the Tigris, Mosul was under ISIS control
until liberated by coalition forces in 2016.
o Erbil/Irbil - It is the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan.
o Kirkuk, Fallujah and Tikrit are other major towns in Iraq.
On Syria:
o Neighbours of Syria: Lebanon to the southwest, the Mediterranean Sea to the
west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the
southwest.

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o Capital: Damascus
Major locations in Syria:
o Aleppo, Raqqah, Idlib and Ghouta are major towns in Syria.
PRELIMS QUESTION
3.Which of the following cities are located in Syria:

1. Aleppo
2. Raqqa
3. Mosul
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1,2 and 3
Answer: B

Art and Culture and History

Silambam
Why in news?
o An Indian man in Singapore has won the top prize in a government-initiated
competition for migrant workers for choreographing and performing a
sequence of Silambam.
About Silambam:
o Silambam is a weapon-based Indian martial art originating in Tamilnadu in the
Indian subcontinent.
o This style is mentioned in Tamil Sangam literature.
o Silambam's main focus is on the bamboo staff. The length of the staff depends
on the height of the practitioner.
o Ideally, it should just touch the forehead about three fingers from the head,
typically measuring around 1.68 meters (five and a half feet).
o Kuttu Varisai is the unarmed combat component of Silambam and also a stand-
alone martial art. It contains animal forms.
PRELIMS QUESTION
4.Silambam is a martial artform from:

(a) Tamil Nadu

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 (b) Andhra Pradesh
(c) Karnataka
(d) Kerala
Answer: B

Polity
Sixth Schedule of Indian constitution
Why in news?
o Member of parliament from Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, made an appeal
to the Centre to declare the region a tribal area under the Sixth Schedule of the
Constitution to protect its identity.
About Sixth Schedule of Indian constitution
o The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution deals with the administration of the
tribal areas in the four northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and
Mizoram as per Article 244.
o Passed by the Constituent Assembly in 1949, it seeks to safeguard the rights of
tribal population through the formation of Autonomous District Councils (ADC).
ADCs are bodies representing a district to which the Constitution has given
varying degrees of autonomy within the state legislature.
o The Governor is empowered to increase or decrease the areas or change the
names of the autonomous districts. While executive powers of the Union
extend in Scheduled areas with respect to their administration in Vth schedule,
the VIth schedule areas remain within executive authority of the state.
o The acts of Parliament or the state legislature do not apply to autonomous
districts and autonomous regions or apply with specified modifications and
exceptions.
o The Councils have also been endowed with wide civil and criminal judicial
powers, for example establishing village courts etc. However, the jurisdiction of
these councils is subject to the jurisdiction of the concerned High Court.
o The sixth schedule to the Constitution includes 10 autonomous district
councils in 4 states. These are:
o Assam: Bodoland Territorial Council, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council
and Dima Hasao Autonomous District Council.

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 o Meghalaya: Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, Jaintia Hills
Autonomous District Council and Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council.
o Tripura: Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.
o Mizoram: Chakma Autonomous District Council, Lai Autonomous District
Council, Mara Autonomous District Council.
o These councils have also the power to assess and collect land revenue and to
impose certain specified taxes.
o Along with ADCs, the Sixth Schedule also provides for separate Regional
Councils for each area constituted as an autonomous region. In all, there are 10
areas in the Northeast that are registered as autonomous districts – three in
Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram and one in Tripura. These regions are named
as district council of (name of district) and regional council of (name of region).
o Each autonomous district and regional council consists of not more than 30
members, of which four are nominated by the governor and the rest via
elections. All of them remain in power for a term of five years.
o The Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam, however, is an exception as it can
constitute up to 46 members out of which 40 are elected.
o Of these 40 seats, 35 are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes and non-tribal
communities, five are unreserved and the rest six are nominated by the
governor from unrepresented communities of the Bodoland Territorial Areas
District (BTAD).
PRELIMS QUESTION
5.Bodoland territorial council is an autonomous council located in:

(a) Meghalaya
(b) Assam
(c) Tripura
(d) Nagaland
Answer: B
National Testing agency
Why in news?
o National Testing Agency has began to reschedule exams that were postponed
during pandemic.
About National Testing Agency:

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o National Testing Agency (NTA) has been established as a premier, specialist,
autonomous and self-sustained testing organization to conduct entrance
examinations for admission/fellowship in higher educational institutions.
o It was established in 2017 with a grant amount of ₹25 crore FROM union
government.
o NTA is responsible for conducting the
o Joint Entrance Examination – Main (JEE Main)
o National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET UG)
o National Eligibility Test (NET)
o Common Management Admission Test (CMAT)
o Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT).
o The NTA is chaired by an eminent educationist who will be appointed by the
Ministry of Education.
o There will be a Board of Governors comprising members from user
institutions.
PRELIMS QUESTION
6.Consider the following statements regarding National Testing agency:

1. It is chaired by the union minister of education.

2. It is an autonomous and self-sustained testing organization.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: B

International Relations
United Nations Human Rights Council
Why in news?
o The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a climate change
and human rights resolution that was proposed by Bangladesh along with
Vietnam and the Philippines.
o The resolution focused on vulnerable groups, especially the disabled and the
elderly, due to the adverse effects of global warming.

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On UNHRC:
o UNHRC is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made
up of 47 States responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights
around the globe.
Objective:
o Strengthening promotion and protection of human rights around globe and for
addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on
them.
Composition:
o UNHRC is made up of 47 UN member states which are elected for a three year
term by UN General Assembly (UNGA) with specific number of seats allocated
for each region of the globe.
o It was established by the UN General Assembly in 2006 to replace the UN
Commission on Human Rights.
Headquarters:
o Geneva, Switzerland.
Functions:
o Investigates allegations of breaches of human rights in UN member states.
o Addresses thematic human rights issues such as freedom of association,
expression, religion, women's rights, LGBT rights, and the rights of racial and
ethnic minorities.
o It works closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) which supervises the UNHRC.
PRELIMS QUESTION
7.Consider the following statements regarding United Nations Human Rights
Council:
1. All members of United Nations are members of UNHRC.
2. Its headquarters is in Vienna, Austria.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: D
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Gulf Cooperation Council
Why in news?
o India has started talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the UAE, with
expectations of a larger pact with the group of Gulf Cooperation Council.
About GCC:
o The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf or GCC is a regional
intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of
the Persian Gulf except Iraq, namely: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates
o It was originally known as the Gulf Cooperation Council.
o The Charter of the GCC was signed on 25 May 1981, formally establishing the
institution.
o The GCC has extensive cooperation in political and economic fields.
o The countries have together established a joint military arm known as
Peninsula Shield Force.
PRELIMS QUESTION
8.Which of the following countries is not a member of Gulf Cooperation council
(GCC)?
(a) Qatar
(b) Iraq
(c) Kuwait
(d) Bahrain
Answer: B

Economics
Natrax high speed track
Why in news?
o Natrax, the high-speed track in Indore was virtually inaugurated recently by
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.
About Natrax:
o Natrax is said to be the longest, high-speed track in Asia and the fifth largest in
the world, measuring 11.3km in length.
o The oval high-speed test track is 16 meters wide, with four special lanes.

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o The test track is spread over 1000 acres and has been developed by Natrax
(National Automotive Test Tracks).
o The track has been designed for neutral speeds of 250 kmph and a maximum
speed of up to 375 kmph on the curves.
o The high-speed track is developed for high-performance vehicle testing ranging
from two-wheelers to heavy tractor-trailers.
o Global companies like Volkswagen, FCA, Renault, Peugeot, Lamborghini are also
likely to use the facility to test their automobiles in India.
o It is seen as a key initiative in Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
o This test track allows for a variety of vehicle tests, ranging from braking, high-
speed runs, coast down, to acceleration, fuel-consumption evaluation, mileage
accumulation, high-speed handling, and stability.
o The track is developed for multipurpose functions like conducting super racing,
vehicle launching besides the testing purposes.
o Natrax high-speed track could be a major boon to the auto industry, considering
the wide range of vehicle tests that can be conducted in India itself.
PRELIMS QUESTION
9.Natrax High speed Track, recently in news is located in the city of:

1. Shillong
2. Indore
3. Visakhapatnam
4. Surat
Answer: B

Science and Technology

Zika Virus disease
Why in news?
o Many cases of Zika virus have been reported from Kerala.
About Zika Virus:
o Zika virus disease is spread by daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes, such as A.
aegypti and A. albopictus.
o Its name comes from the Ziika Forest of Uganda, where the virus was first
isolated in 1947.

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o Zika virus shares a genus with the dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis,
and West Nile viruses.
o Since the 1950s, it has been known to occur within a narrow equatorial belt
from Africa to Asia and from 2007 to 2016, the virus spread eastward, across
the Pacific Ocean to the Americas.
o The infection, known as Zika fever or Zika virus disease, often causes no or only
mild symptoms, similar to a very mild form of dengue fever.
o While there is no specific treatment, paracetamol (acetaminophen) and rest
may help with the symptoms.
o Zika can spread from a pregnant woman to her baby.
o This can result in microcephaly, severe brain malformations, and other birth
defects.
o Zika infections in adults may result rarely in Guillain–Barré syndrome, a rapid-
onset muscle weakness caused by the immune system damaging the peripheral
nervous system.
PRELIMS QUESTION
10.Consider the following statements regarding Zika Virus disease:

1. It is spread by anopheles mosquitos.

2. It is endemic to Asia and Africa.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: D
Blockchain
Why in news?
o IT firm Tech Mahindra has said it will roll out a blockchain-based open-source
system to track vaccine supply chains worldwide.
What is Blockchain technology?
o A Blockchain is a growing list of records called blocks or ledgers, which are
linked using cryptography.

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Features of Blockchains:
o Blockchain keeps a record of all data exchanges and each data exchange is a
“transaction”. Every verified transaction is added to the ledger as a “block”.
o It utilizes a distributed system to verify each transaction — a peer-to-peer
network of nodes.
o Once signed and verified, the new transaction is added to the blockchain and
cannot be altered.
Applications of blockchains:
o The primary use of blockchains today is as a distributed ledger for
cryptocurrencies, most notably bitcoin.
o A cryptocurrency is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of
exchange that uses cryptography to secure its transactions, to control the
creation of additional units, and to verify the transfer of assets.
o Blockchain-based smart contracts are proposed contracts that digitally
facilitate, verify, or enforce the negotiation or performance of a contract.
o Financial industry and banks are implementing distributed ledgers to increase
efficiency, reduce costs and speed up back office settlement systems.
o Stock exchanges are experimenting with Blockchain technology to streamline
time-consuming and inefficient processes involved in trading securities.

PRELIMS QUESTION
11.Consider the following sectors-

1. Banking
2. Agriculture
3. Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
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 4. Property Transactions
5. Education
Blockchain Technology can be utilised in which of the above sector(s) in India?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1,3 and 4
(c) 2,3 and 4
(d) All of the above
Answer: D
Biofuels
Why in news?
o Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said more use of
alternate fuels including biofuels would bring respite from surging petrol prices
that are now “agitating” people.
What are Biofuels?
o Biofuels are combustible fuels created from biomass; in other words, fuels
created from recently living plant matter as opposed to ancient plant matter in
hydrocarbons.
Types of biofuels:
o Biogas - produced by the process of anaerobic digestion of organic material by
anaerobic bacteria.
o Ethanol - produced by the action of microorganisms and enzymes through the
fermentation of sugars or starches.
o Biodiesel - produced from oils or fats using transesterification.
First-generation biofuels:
o First-generation" or conventional biofuels are biofuels made from food crops
grown on arable land. They are made from sugar, starch, or vegetable oil.
o Their feedstock (the plant or algal material from which they are generated) is
not sustainable/green or, if used in large quantity, would have a large impact on
the food supply.
Second-generation biofuels:
o Second-generation biofuels, also known as advanced biofuels, are fuels that can
be manufactured from various types of non-food biomass.

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o They include lignocellulosic biomass or woody crops, agricultural residues or
waste, as well as dedicated non-food energy crops grown on marginal land
unsuitable for crop production.
o They are “greener” in that they are made from sustainable feedstock – with
lesser greenhouse gas emissions, and lesser impact on biodiversity and land use
(water, food supply, etc.).
Third-generation biofuels:
o Third Generation of biofuels is based on improvements in the production of
biomass.
o It takes advantage of specially engineered energy crops such as algae as its
energy source.
Fourth-generation biofuels:
o Fourth generation biofuels couple carbon capture and storage along with the
benefits of third generation fuels.
o However, unlike third-generation biofuels, they do not require the destruction
of biomass.
o This class of biofuels includes technologies such as electrofuels and
photobiological solar fuels.

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PRELIMS QUESTION
12.Consider the following:

1. Reducing import dependency

2. Cleaner environment
3. Additional income to farmers
Which of these are the expected benefits of using Biofuels?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D

Environment and Ecology

Nawegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR)
Why in news?
o Recently, a Black Panther has been recorded in Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve
(NNTR) of Maharashtra.

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About Nawegaon-Nagzira Tiger reserve:
o Nawegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) was notified as 46th tiger reserve of
India on 12th December, 2013.
o It is situated in Gondia and Bhandara Districts in the North–Eastern corner of
Maharashtra.
o The Tiger Reserve is part of the central Indian Tiger landscape which
contributes almost 1/6 of the total tiger population of the country.
o NNTR has connectivity with the major tiger reserves in Central India like Kanha
and Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, Pench & Tadoba-Andhari TR in
Maharashtra, Indravati tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh and indirectly with the
Kawal & Nagarjunsagar Tiger Reserve in Telangana & Andhra Pradesh and
Achanakmar TR in Chhattisgarh.
o This area is an excellent abode to almost all major floral and faunal species
found in central India.
o Large carnivores like Tiger & leopard and smaller carnivores like wild dog, wolf
jackal, jungle cat and also the good population of sloth bear is reported from
NNTR.
o The important herbivore includes Cheetal, Sambar, Nilgai, Chousingha,Barking
deer, Wild pig and Indian gaur. Mouse deer has also been recorded from the
area.
About Black Panthers:
o A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (Panthera
pardus) and the jaguar (Panthera onca).
o Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical
rosettes are also present.
o They have been documented mostly in tropical forests, with black leopards in
Kenya, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Java, and black
jaguars in Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica and Paraguay.
PRELIMS QUESTION
13.Nawegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve is located in the state of:

(a) Maharashtra
(b) Karnataka
(c) Gujarat
(d) Uttarakhand
Answer: A
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Domestic Yak
Why in news?
o For the first time, National
Insurance Company Ltd (NICL) has
decided to insure the highly
valuable Himalayan cattle.
o Yaks are susceptible to inclement
weather conditions due to
climate change, diseases, attacks
by wild animals, etc.
About Domestic Yak:
o The domestic yak (Bos grunniens) is a long-haired domesticated cattle found
throughout the Himalayan region of the Indian subcontinent, the Tibetan
Plateau, Northern Myanmar, Yunnan, Sichuan and as far north as Mongolia
and Siberia
o It is descended from the wild yak (Bos mutus).
o Yaks are heavily built animals with bulky frames, sturdy legs, rounded, cloven
hooves, and extremely dense, long fur that hangs down lower than the belly.
o While wild yaks are generally dark, blackish to brown in colouration, domestic
yaks can be quite variable in colour, often having patches of rusty brown and
cream.
o Male Yaks weigh 350 to 585 kg and females weigh 225 to 255 kg.
o Both sexes have long shaggy hair with a dense woolly undercoat over the
chest, flanks, and thighs to insulate them from the cold.
o Yak physiology is well adapted to high altitudes, having larger lungs and heart
than cattle found at lower altitudes, as well as greater capacity for transporting
oxygen through their blood due to the persistence of foetal haemoglobin
throughout life.
o Further adaptations to the cold include a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, and
an almost complete lack of functional sweat glands.
o Conversely, yaks have trouble thriving at lower altitudes and are prone to
suffering from heat exhaustion above about 15 °C.
o Compared with domestic cattle, the rumen of yaks is unusually large, which
allows them to consume greater quantities of low-quality food at a time, and
to ferment it longer so as to extract more nutrients. The animal is a lifeline for
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 pastoral nomads living in the higher reaches of the Himalayas where other
bovines will not survive or at least, not without difficulty.
PRELIMS QUESTION
14.Consider the following statements regarding Domestic Yak:

1. They can survive in both hot and cold climates easily.

2. They are found only in Tibetan Plateau and Himalayan regions.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: D
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Why in news?
o Shruti Haasan was recently chosen as the Brand Ambassador For World Wide
Fund For Nature India
About WWF
o The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental
organization founded in 1961, working in the field of wilderness preservation,
and the reduction of human impact on the environment.
o It was formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name
in Canada and the United States.
o WWF is the world's largest conservation organization with over five million
supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries, supporting around
3000 conservation and environmental projects.
o They have invested over $1 billion in more than 12,000 conservation initiatives
since 1995.
o WWF is a foundation with 55% of funding from individuals and bequests, 19%
from government sources (such as the World Bank, DFID, USAID) and 8% from
corporations in 2014.
Work done by WWF:
o WWF aims to "stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to
build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature."

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o The Living Planet Report has been published every two years by WWF since
1998; it is based on a Living Planet Index and ecological footprint calculation.
o In addition, WWF has launched several notable worldwide campaigns including
Earth Hour and Debt-for-Nature Swap, and its current work is organized
around these six areas: food, climate, freshwater, wildlife, forests, and
oceans.
o Established as a Charitable Trust on 27 November, 1969, WWF India set out
with the aim of reducing the degradation of Earth’s natural environment and
building a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
PRELIMS QUESTION
15.”The living planet report” is published by:

(a) IUCN
(b) UN environment program
(c) Birdlife international
(d) Worldwide Fund for Nature
Answer: D
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
Why in news?
o The National Clean Air Plan (NCAP), which was launched in 2019 for improving
air across 122 polluted cities, is likely to fail in delivering its objective, a new
analysis by the Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE) has found.
What is NCAP?
o The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is an initiative formulated by the
Ministry of Environment to tackle increasing air pollution across the country in
a comprehensive manner.
Objectives:
o To augment and evolve effective and proficient ambient air quality monitoring
network across the country.
o To have efficient data dissemination and public outreach mechanism for
timely measures for prevention and mitigation of air pollution.
o A tentative national level target of 20%–30% reduction of PM2.5 and PM10
concentration by 2024 is proposed under the NCAP taking 2017 as the base
year for the comparison.

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Which cities will fall under this?
o 122 cities from across the country been chosen as non-attainment cities.
o With the exception of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru, most of those
chosen are tier two cities.
PRELIMS QUESTION
16.Consider the following statements regarding National Clean air program:

1. It is primarily aimed at reducing the air pollution levels in Delhi.

2. It aims at 20%–30% reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by 2024.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: B
Fly Ash
Why in News?
o Villagers and farmers residing around Kahalgaon super power thermal station in
Bihar are suffering damage to their health and standing crops owing to
improper management of fly ash generated in the power plant, according to a
joint study by two non-profit organisations.
What is fly ash?
o Fly ash is a fine gray powder consisting mostly of spherical, glassy particles that
are produced as a byproduct in coal-fired power stations.
o National Green Tribunal (NGT) through an order has made it legally binding for
all thermal power plants to ensure complete disposal of or utilization of fly ash
immediately.
o The main chemical components present in fly ash are: Silicon dioxide,
Aluminum oxide, Ferric oxide, Calcium oxide (occasionally).
What are the applications of fly ash?
o Fly ash can be used as prime material in many cement-based products.
o Fly ash has been used as embankment and mine fill.
o Road construction.
o Fly ash can be used to improve soil productivity due to high concentration of
elements like (K, Na, Zn, Ca, Mg and Fe).

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What are the concerns associated with fly ash?
o Contamination of ground and surface water.
o Fly ash contains heavy metals from coal, a large amount of PM 2.5 and black
carbon (BC) and is thus prone to cause respiratory issues and other diseases in
humans.
PRELIMS QUESTION
17.Consider the following statements regarding Fly ash:

1. It can be used for Road construction.

2. It is a pollutant obtained as a byproduct from coal powered thermal power
stations.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C

Schemes
NIPUN Bharat Mission
Why in news?
o The Union education ministry recently launched a scheme to improve
foundational reading, numeracy and understanding for early-stage students.
About the scheme:
o NIPUN stands for National Initiative for Proficiency in reading with
Understanding and Numeracy.
o ‘NIPUN Bharat Mission’ will provide an “enabling environment to ensure
universal acquisition of foundational literacy and numeracy for every school
going Child.
o The aim is to ensure that every child achieves the desired learning
competencies in reading, writing, and numeracy by the end of Grade 3, by
2026-27.
o NIPUN Bharat will be implemented by the school education department of the
Union government and “a five-tier implementation mechanism will be set up
across national, state, district, block, and school levels in all states and Union
territories”.
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o The new initiative is going to be part of the flagship school education
programme, Samagra Shiksha, according to the Union education ministry.
Goals of the mission:
o The goals of the Mission are set in the form of Lakshya Soochi or Targets for
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
o The overall aim is to achieve the desired learning outcomes by the end of grade
3, however, in order to generate greater awareness among the parents,
community, volunteers etc.
o The Laskhyas are based on the learning outcomes developed by the NCERT and
international research and ORF studies.
o For example, a child should be able to read 45to 60 words per minute and
atleast 60 words per minute correctly by the end of Grade II and III respectively
from an age-appropriate unknown text with comprehension and clarity.
o Under the scheme, there will be a special emphasis on capacity building of
teachers.
The need for the scheme:
o Foundational learning has been a constant drawback in Indian schools and the
Annual Status of Education Report (Aser) findings released by education non-
profit Pratham has showed for successive years how a bulk of the Indian
students pursuing elementary education in schools cannot even read,
understand or do basic arithmetic.
o Foundational learning has also been emphasized in the new National Education
Policy, which was approved in July last year but is yet to be rolled out.
PRELIMS QUESTION
18.Consider the following statements regarding NIPUN Bharat mission:

1. It is aimed at improving the skills of Indian Students in the field of

Information Technology.
2. It is implemented by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: D

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 Terms recently in news
It is a 2.70 km2 protected area of Tamil Nadu, located in
Chennai. It is the 8th-smallest National Park of India and one
Guindy of the very few national parks situated inside a city.
National Park The Park is an extension of the grounds surrounding Raj
Bhavan, formerly known as the 'Guindy Lodge', the official
residence of the Governor of Tamil Nadu, India.

Taal Volcano A volcano in Philippines that recently exploded.

Tillari A forest area in the coastal Sindhudurg district of

Conservation Maharashtra which was declared a conservation reserve area
Reserve recently by the state government.
A 15m tall tree that belongs to the genus of the coffee family
Pyrostria Laljii
has recently been discovered from the Andaman Islands
It is an online course mobile app launched by Union Ministry
for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying.
The app was developed to disseminate the latest freshwater
aquaculture technologies to the aqua farmers of the country.
Matsya Setu
It came into existence with the combined effort of ICAR-
Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA),
Bhubaneswar, with the funding support of the National
Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad.

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