India’s rank slips to 86th in corruption perception index 2020 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India’s rank slips to 86th in corruption perception index 2020.

The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people, uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

India’s rank has slipped six places to 86th among 180 countries in a corruption perception index (CPI) in 2020. For 2020, Transparency International (TI)’s corruption perception index was released on Thursday.

The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people, uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

India’s rank is 86 out of 180 nations with a score of 40. “India was ranked at 80th position out of 180 countries in 2019. The CPI score for India is constant this year as well as the previous year’s score,” the index said.

India is still very low on corruption Index, the report said, noting that experts feel the CPI does not reflect the actual corruption level in any country. The integrity score determines the corruption situation of a country.

This year, New Zealand and Denmark were ranked at first position with scores of 88. Somalia and South Sudan were ranked lowest at 179th position with scores of 12. (Source: The Indian Express)

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India’s rank slips to 86th in corruption perception index 2020.

India's Vaccine Production Capacity One Of World's Best Assets: UN Chief - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India's Vaccine Production Capacity One Of World's Best Assets: UN Chief.

The UN Secretary-General also expressed hope that India will have all instruments necessary to play a major role in ensuring a global vaccination campaign becomes possible as the world fights the pandemic.

India's vaccine production capacity is one of the best assets the world has today, UN chief Antonio Guterres has said as he applauded India for supplying COVID-19 doses to nations around the world to combat the catastrophic global health crisis.

The UN Secretary-General also expressed hope that India will have all instruments necessary to play a major role in ensuring a global vaccination campaign becomes possible as the world fights the pandemic.

"I would like to say how much we count on India. I mean, India has one of the most advanced pharmaceutical industries. India played a very important role in the production of generics for use that was a very important element of democratisation of access to medicines all over the world," Mr Guterres said.

He was responding to a question by PTI during a press briefing on Thursday on India helping countries around the world in the fight against the global pandemic by supplying COVID-19 vaccines.

"And we strongly hope that India will have all the instruments that are necessary to play a major role in making sure that a global vaccination campaign becomes possible. I think that the production capacity of India is one of the best assets the world has today, and I hope the world understands that it must be fully used," he said.

Mr Guterres added that he reiterated during his briefing to the UN Member States on his priorities for 2021 that licenses should be made available for companies around the world to be able to produce some of the vaccines that already exist.

"I know that, in India, there is a production, a very high level of production, both of Indian-developed vaccines, and I think there is a perspective, very important perspective, of also others. And we are in contact with Indian institutions for that."

India has airlifted more than 6 million COVID-19 doses to nine countries in Phase-I under its initiative termed "Vaccine Maitri". Contractual supplies to various countries are also being undertaken in a phased manner and New Delhi has said it will gradually supply to the COVAX facility of the World Health Organization.

COVAX is the global initiative to ensure rapid and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries, regardless of income level.

This month, COVAX had announced that, pending WHO emergency use listings, nearly 150 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford candidate are anticipated to be available in the first quarter of 2021, via existing agreements with the Serum Institute of India (SII) and AstraZeneca.

The Joe Biden administration has also applauded India for sending crucial supplies of the COVID19 vaccine to a host of South Asian nations, describing India as "a true friend" who is using its pharma to help the global community. (Source:ndtv)

"We applaud India''s role in global health, sharing millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine in South Asia. India''s free shipments of the vaccine began w/Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh & Nepal & will extend to others. India''s a true friend using its pharma to help the global community," the US State Department''s account for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs had tweeted.

India has assisted more than 150 countries through urgent health and medical supplies. New Delhi has pledged 15 million dollars for GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, and operationalised the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for its neighbours with an initial contribution of 10 million dollars.

India has already rolled out a massive coronavirus vaccination drive under which two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are being administered to frontline health workers across the country. The country plans to vaccinate about 300 million citizens in the first six months.

Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have received India''s COVID-19 vaccines under grant assistance in sync with its "Neighbourhood First" policy.

India also began commercial exports of COVID-19 vaccines and sent two million doses each to Brazil and Morocco.

Underlining that the priority for 2021 is to respond to COVID-19, Mr Guterres told the General Assembly earlier in the day that vaccines are the first great moral test before the world. He voiced concern that the world is falling short and vaccines are reaching a handful of countries quickly, while the poorest countries have almost none.

"Science is succeeding, but solidarity is failing. Governments have a responsibility to protect their populations, but COVID-19 cannot be beaten by one country at a time. If the virus is allowed to spread like wildfire in the global South, it will inevitably mutate; it is mutating, becoming more transmissible, more deadly and, eventually, more resistant to vaccines, ready to come back to hound the global North."

He cited recent studies to say that vaccine hoarding could cost the global economy up to USD 9.2 trillion, with almost half of that impact in the wealthiest countries themselves.

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India's Vaccine Production Capacity One Of World's Best Assets: UN Chief.

Will upcoming budget address the needs of ailing healthcare sector in India? - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Will upcoming budget address the needs of ailing healthcare sector in India?.

A large part of previous budgets was dedicated towards making healthcare cheaper and more accessible, but with the covid-19 pandemic demands increased budget for improving healthcare infrastructure at primary, secondary and tertiary levels and also to propel healthcare sector recovery

COVID-19 pandemic exposing the severe underspending on healthcare in India may lead the sector to receive booster dose in terms of finances in the upcoming budget.

Union government’s stimulus package and PM CARE’s fund allocation to healthcare last year has already indicated that the allocation towards health in the budget would be at the centre stage this fiscal.

Adult vaccination, health infrastructure, diagnostics and out of pocket expenditure that have so far been the most ignored areas, may get some funds for making India more prepared for future pandemics. The public health experts hold major expectation from the health budget. The experts have voiced that more than ever before, the pandemic reiterated the vital importance of a robust healthcare ecosystem and the acute need to strengthen health infrastructure in the country, both that need increased investments and a fertile environment to nurture innovations.

“In battling COVID -19, despite numerous challenges, the private health sector stood firmly with India and now the sector must be supported with farsighted policy interventions that help boost its resilience and sustainability," Preetha Reddy, President NATHEALTH and Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals.

Reddy said that in addition, incentives to create new infrastructure for healthcare services and manufacturing, a 5-year tax holiday for new infrastructure creation, import duty relief for life saving equipment and easing of GST regulations amongst many such initiatives, will all add up to provide gainful employment to millions in the country and also enable India to serve people around the world.

“Likewise, digital healthcare has the inherent potential to improve access to high quality medical care for all and hence, it requires special impetus. The paucity of skilled healthcare resources should also be addressed with forward looking policies," said Reddy.

A large part of previous budgets was dedicated towards making healthcare cheaper and more accessible, but with the covid-19 pandemic demands increased budget for improving healthcare infrastructure at primary, secondary and tertiary levels and also to propel healthcare sector recovery.

“There are indications that the Government is likely to increase healthcare spending in the forthcoming budget announcement. This is most laudable as healthcare is a national priority sector today and we need a dedicated national health fund which can provide all necessary resources and support to fix existing gaps, upgrade healthcare infrastructure, equip district-level hospitals and primary health centres with oxygen supplies, increased beds and medical equipment," Dr Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, Managing Director and CEO, Fortis Healthcare.

“We also need to invest more in medical education and training to address the shortage of healthcare professionals in the country and strengthen the operational modalities to boost digital health and telemedicine services," he said.

With a systematic restructuring of India’s entire healthcare infrastructure already in the works, it is highly likely that the Union Budget 2021 will earmark funds for the growth of telemedicine, which has already proved its mettle during the viral outbreak.

“Schemes like Ayushman Bharat and projects that are being initiated under the National Digital Health Mission are painting a promising picture that the Modi government is dedicated towards taking specialist medical care to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Preferential policies and adequate financing will support research and technological innovations, paving the way for a more agile healthcare ecosystem in the country," said Shashank ND, CEO and CO-founder, Practo.

India has also been looking at atmanirbhar bharat scheme in various sectors including medical devices and exports of the medical equipment, covid-19 vaccines and ayurvedic products.

“Given the rapid technological evolution of medical sciences, access and availability of quality and affordable medical devices are very critical. Hence, the budget 2021 must rationalize the tax liability on the sector to promote availability of affordable care, facilitate Make in India for Atmanirbhar Bharat and encourage exports in the sector to be able to contribute effectively to the economy," said Shravan Subramanyam, President and CEO of GE Healthcare, an American multinational conglomerate.

Currently, India spends 1.15% of the GDP on health. For meeting sustainable development goals (SDGs), India needs to step up public funding for ensuring successful implementation of the National Health Policy (2017). To reach the stated goal of 2.5% of GDP as public financing for health by 2025 from the present 1%, union budgets from now on have to allocate more funds for health in each annual budget. The health budgets in recent years have witnessed a marginal increase. In 2019-20 the health budget was ₹64,559 crores, in 208-19 it was ₹55,959 crore (revised estimate), while ₹48,853 crore was allocated for health in 2017-18. (Source: Livemint)

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Will upcoming budget address the needs of ailing healthcare sector in India?.

Chloride-rich particles responsible for visibility reduction in Delhi: IIT Madras study - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Chloride-rich particles responsible for visibility reduction in Delhi: IIT Madras study.

The study provides a scientific explanation for the source of high chloride in the PM2.5 mass over Delhi and quantifies its role in haze and fog formation and visibility reduction

An international study led by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, has found chloride to be the highest inorganic fraction in particulate matter (PM), primarily responsible for haze and fog formation in northern India including the national capital. The study has been published in Nature Geoscience, a prestigious peer-reviewed international journal.

Previous studies in this regard have identified PM2.5 (particulate matter or aerosol particles with diameter less than 2.5 micrometre) as a major pollutant that is responsible for haze and fog formation over the Indo-Gangetic Plain, including Delhi. However, the role of PM2.5 and the detailed chemistry of haze and fog formation over the national capital has been poorly understood thus far. The study by IIT Madras greatly enhances our understanding about the precise role of PM2.5 in the chemistry of fog formation, which will help policy makers frame better policies for improving the air quality and visibility in northern India, said a statement issued by IIT Madras on Wednesday.

The study provides a scientific explanation for the source of high chloride in the PM2.5 mass over Delhi and quantifies its role in haze and fog formation and visibility reduction. It explains that complex chemical reactions involving hydrochloric acid (HCl), which is directly emitted from plastic-contained waste burning and other such industrial processes, is primarily responsible for high PM2.5 chloride and subsequent haze and fog formation over Delhi on chilly nights.

With the onset of the winters every year, most of the Indo Gangetic Plain is invariably engulfed in dense fog and haze, particularly during the months of December and January. Over the national capital, too, dense fog negatively impacts the air and surface transport, jeopardising human lives and resulting in huge financial losses.

Dr Sachin S. Gunthe, associate professor at the department of civil engineering, IIT Madras, who supervised the study, said that despite the absolute PM2.5 mass burden over Delhi being lesser than other polluted mega cities around the world – such as Beijing – the pollution and atmospheric chemistry of Delhi is much more complex to understand. The study put forward the importance of measurements to scientifically conclude that half of the water uptake and visibility reduction by aerosol particles around Delhi is caused by the HCl emissions, which are locally emitted due to plastic-contained waste burning and other industrial processes. Dr Gunthe said that the real challenge was to delineate the role of high chloride in visibility reduction.

The group of scientists and students involved in the study made use of state-of-the-art instruments to measure the chemical composition and other important properties of PM2.5, relative humidity levels and temperatures in Delhi. These instruments were operated round-the-clock for one month with extreme care and dedicated expertise and the observations were then used in complex chemical models.

The study was carried out in collaboration with Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Germany; Harvard University, USA; Georgia Institute of Technology, USA; and Manchester University, UK. “This study is a demonstration of successful large scale scientific collaborations that are so vital for climate studies,” Dr Gunthe added. (Source: The Indian Express)

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Chloride-rich particles responsible for visibility reduction in Delhi: IIT Madras study.

Five African countries among top 10 affected by extreme weather in 2019: Germanwatch - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Five African countries among top 10 affected by extreme weather in 2019: Germanwatch.

India incurred the maximum losses due to extreme weather in 2019

Five African countries were among the global top 10 to suffer extreme weather in 2019, the Climate Risk Index 2021, released by environmental think tank Germanwatch said January 25, 2021.

The index also ranked India as the country that suffered the second-highest monetary loss due to climate change in 2019 after Japan. The index was released ahead of the climate adaption summit that began virtually January 25 and is hosted by the Netherlands.

It also showed that eight out of the ten countries most affected by extreme weather events in 2019 belong to the category of low to lower-middle income. Five of them fall into the category of Least Developed Countries.

Africa, India on top

Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Sudan and Niger were the five African countries among the ten most-affected due to extreme weather in 2019 according to the index. Mozambique and Zimbabwe were ranked first and second. Malawi was ranked fifth, South Sudan eighth and Niger ninth.

Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi made it to the list primarily due to Cyclone Idai. The deadliest and costliest tropical cyclone in the south-west Indian Ocean, Idai was labelled as “one of the worst weather-related catastrophes in the history of Africa” by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

It affected three million people and claimed over 1,000 lives, caused economic losses amounting to Rs 16,500 crore.

In 2019, most lives lost due to climate change were in India, which also suffered the second-highest monetary loss. India was the seventh-most affected country on the index.

In 2019, the southwest monsoon continued for a month longer than usual. The surplus of rain caused major hardship, the report said. Some 2,267 Indians died due to the extreme weather and the country lost $68,812.

With eight tropical cyclones, the year 2019 was one of the most active Northern Indian Ocean cyclone seasons on record. Six of the eight cyclones intensified to become “very severe”, the report said.

Poverty’s curse

The long-term risk index mapped in the report for the last two decades also showed that low to lower-middle income countries had been the most affected.

In two decades (2000-2019), over 475,000 people lost their lives as a direct result of more than 11,000 extreme weather events globally and losses amounted to around $2.56 trillion (in purchasing power parities).

Puerto Rico, Myanmar and Haiti were the most-affected countries during these two decades. They are followed by the Philippines, Mozambique and the Bahamas.

The countries most impacted by extreme weather events should consider the index as a warning sign that they are at risk of either frequent events or rare but extraordinary catastrophes, the report said. (Source: downtoearth)

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Five African countries among top 10 affected by extreme weather in 2019: Germanwatch.

Centre plans ‘green tax’ for older vehicles - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Centre plans ‘green tax’ for older vehicles.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has approved the proposal and the centre has sent it to the states for consultation after which it will be notified.

The Centre plans to notify a system of imposing “green tax” on older vehicles in a move to disincentivise the use of polluting vehicles, and to curb pollution in the country.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has approved the proposal and the centre has sent it to the states for consultation after which it will be notified.

Vehicles like strong hybrids, electric vehicles and those running on alternate fuels like CNG, ethanol and LPG will be exempted while the revenue collected through the green tax will be utilised for tackling pollution, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement on Monday.

“The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has approved a proposal to levy a ‘green tax’ on old vehicles which are polluting the environment,” it said in a statement.

Transport vehicles older than eight years could be charged green tax at the time of renewal of fitness certificate at the rate of 10 to 25 per cent of road tax.

Personal vehicles are proposed to be charged green tax at the time of renewal of registration certification after 15 years; public transport vehicles, such as city buses, will be charged lower green tax; higher green tax (50 per cent of road tax) will be levied on vehicles being registered in highly polluted cities, the government statement said.

Differential tax will also be charged depending on fuel (petrol/ diesel) and the type of vehicle.

Apart from strong hybrids, electric vehicles and alternate fuels like CNG, ethanol, LPG etc, vehicles used in farming, such as tractor, harvesters and tillers will be exempted from the tax, the statement said.

According to the ministry, the revenue collected from the green tax will be kept in a separate account and will be used for tackling pollution.

Listing the benefits of the green tax, the ministry said that it will dissuade people from using vehicles which damage the environment and motivate them to switch to newer, less polluting vehicles. “Green tax will reduce the pollution level, and make the polluter pay for pollution,” it added. (Source: The Indian Express)

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Centre plans ‘green tax’ for older vehicles.

India seventh on index of countries impacted by climate change in 2019 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India seventh on index of countries impacted by climate change in 2019.

'Extremely severe' cyclone Fani affected 28 million people, killing 90 people in India and Bangladesh, and causing economic loss to the tune of US$8.1 billion, the report added.

India ranks seventh among countries most affected in 2019 by climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index, 2021, released Monday by Germanwatch — an NGO based in Bonn, Germany.

In 2019, monsoon continued for a month longer than normal in India. From June to the end of September 2019, 110% of the long-period average was recorded. Flooding caused by heavy rain was responsible for 1,800 deaths across 14 states and led to the displacement of 1.8 million people, the report said. There were eight tropical cyclones in India. Six of them intensified to become “very severe.”

‘Extremely severe’ cyclone Fani affected 28 million people, killing 90 people in India and Bangladesh, and causing economic loss to the tune of US$8.1 billion, the report added.

The report said that between 2000 and 2019, over 4,75,000 people lost their lives as a direct result of more than 11,000 extreme weather events globally, and economic losses amounted to around US $2.56 trillion (in purchasing power parities).

Globally, 11.8 million people were affected by intense monsoon with the economic damage estimated to be US $10 billion.

Dr Anjal Prakash, research director and adjunct associate professor at Bharti Institute of Public Policy, said, “It is not surprising to know that India appears to be in the top 10 most affected countries. As IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) scientists, we have been pointing towards extreme risk an emerging market like India is going to face due to very rapidly changing climatic conditions. India is blessed by many ecologies – glaciers, high mountains, long coastlines as well as massive semi-arid regions which are the hotspots for climate change. Global warming is leading to an increase in the frequency of cyclones, melting of glaciers at much faster rates, and heatwaves. A majority of the Indian population is dependent on agriculture, which is being severely affected by the impact of climate change. This year, India saw many of its cities drowning due to variability of the monsoon system.”

Prakash further said a country and state-specific plan to deal with climate change events was necessary.

“A national adaptation plan was prepared in 2008 followed by state action plans. However, most of the plans lack resources to be integrated into the district development and disaster risk reduction plan. It is high time that the government commissions India’s state and district specific climate-risk maps to further disaggregate this information to understand which areas need more attention than others,” he said.

The Global Climate Risk Index (CRI) analyses quantified impacts of extreme weather events both in terms of the fatalities and economic losses. The index is based on data from Munich Re’s NatCatSERVICE. (Source: The Indian Express)

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India seventh on index of countries impacted by climate change in 2019.

Major highlights of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj during the year 2020 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Major highlights of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj during the year 2020.

The major highlights of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj during the year 2020 are as follows:

1. SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas)

Towards the objectives of socio-economic empowerment of the rural mass and making them self-reliant, a Central Sector Scheme, “Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas’ was launched by the Prime Minister on 24th April 2020. The scheme aims to provide the ‘record of rights’ to village household owners possessing houses in inhabited rural areas in villages and issuance of property cards to the property owners.

Pilot phase of the Scheme is being implemented during the financial year 2020-21 covering about 1 lakh villages in the States of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh and few border villages of Punjab & Rajasthan, along with establishment of 101 Continuous Operating System (CORS) stations across Punjab and Rajasthan. In the Pilot phase, distribution of Property card/title deed has already commenced in all the six selected States. The scheme will cover all remaining States/UTs by 2023-24.

As on November 2020, drone flying has been completed in 8,837 villages; out of which data processing of survey data is completed for 6,438 villages and feature extraction for 5,342 villages.

2. e-Gram Swaraj e-Financial Management System

In order to strengthen e-Governance in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), eGramSwaraj, a Simplified Work Based Accounting Application for Panchayati Raj, was launched on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24, 2020. It has been developed amalgamating the functionalities of all the applications under e-panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP).

• e-GramSwaraj assists in enhancing the credibility of Panchayat through inducing greater devolution of funds to PRI. It brings better transparency through decentralized planning, progress reporting and work-based accounting. Furthermore, the application provides a platform for effective monitoring by higher authorities.

• In this endeavour, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has put in place an e-Financial Management System (e-FMS) comprising of Panchayat Planning, Physical Progress, Financial Progress, and Asset Management with Local Government Directory (LGD) forming the base for such a robust system along with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS), Special Planning and Geotagging.

3. Training & Capacity Building

• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) is responsible for the work of advocacy, monitoring and implementation of the mandate of 73rd Amendment to the Constitution. MoPR complements the efforts of State Government towards training and capacity building of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRls) through Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Ahhiyan (RGSA). The Ministry has approved the Annual Action Plans (AAPs) of 34 States/UTs and released Rs.324.42 crore to 17 States/UTs and implementing agencies till 08.12.2020.

4. People’s Plan Campaign (PPC)- Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas

• Inspired by the visible and quite satisfactory performance of the Gram Panchayats, Gram Sabhas and other stakeholders involved in the PPC during 2018-19 and 2019-20 and to provide sustainability to the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) formulation process into a participative and transparent exercise, the process of GPDP preparation for the financial year 2021-22 again has started in Campaign mode from 2nd October, 2020 as PPC-2020-21. The status of PPC as on December 08/12/2020 is as under:

i. 162155 numbers (59.7%) of Gram Sabhas held

ii. 195168 numbers (78%) of Gram Sabhas Scheduled

iii. 53901 numbers (19.9%) of facilitator’s feedback received.

iv. 49114 numbers (18.1%) of GPDP Approved as per facilitator’s feedback.

v. 39 numbers of GPDPs uploaded on eGramswaraj portal

vi. 98 numbers of GPDPs in pipeline

5. AuditOnline: Online Audit of Panchayat accounts

• As a critical Institutional reform, Ministry has launched the AuditOnline application on 15th April, 2020 for carrying out online Audits of Panchayat accounts. AuditOnline not only facilitates the auditing of accounts but also provisions for maintaining audit records that have been carried out. This application also seeks to streamline the process for audit inquiries, draft local audit reports, draft audit Paras etc. One of the main unique aspect of AuditOnline; is that it is a completely configurable application i.e. the application can be modified/configured as per States ‘Audit process flow, so that the State Auditors using the application can easily carry out the audit exercise using AuditOnline.

• To begin with; it was decided to carry out the audit of Panchayat accounts for 14th Finance Commission (XIV FC) for the year 2019-20. Accordingly, States were informed that mandatory audit of at least 20% GPs need to be carried out. The accounts of Panchayats are being maintained on eGramSwaraj (erstwhile PRIASoft – accounting MIS), a work based accounting software developed under e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project. Majority of the States have adopted eGramSwaraj and have been accounting for expenditure incurred under XIV FC. Almost, all States are on-board AuditOnline to carry out audit of 20% of the GPs. Few States decided to carry out audit of more than 20% GPs viz. Telangana (40%) and UP (100%). All States are required to complete the audit process by 31st December 2020. However, from next year i.e. 2021-22; 100% GPs have to be audited using AuditOnline.

• To educate the concerned authorities about AuditOnline, several online training sessions were provided to the States, video tutorials (both in English and Hindi) were also developed which were shared with the States.

6. Geo-tagging of assets

• As a part of effective monitoring, it is imperative to have field-level monitoring of physical progress of the works. Further, supplementing to strengthening the system; geo-tagging of assets (on completion of work) is of utmost importance. Ministry has developed mActionSoft – a mobile based solution to help in capturing photos with Geo-Tags (i.e. GPS Coordinates) for the works which have asset as an output. Geo-tagging of the assets is done in at least three stages viz. (i) before start of the work, (ii) during the work and (iii) on completion of work. This would provide a repository of information on all works and assets related to natural resource management, water harvesting, drought proofing, sanitation, agriculture, check dams and irrigation channels etc. As on November 2020 around 13,49,396 photographs (cumulative count) of the assets have been created through Fourteenth Finance Commission Grants. States have also initiated Geo tagging for Fifteen Finance Commission, 13,624 photos have been uploaded across 12 States in the current year.

7. Initiative for the Gram Panchayat Spatial Development Planning

• Ministry of Panchayati Raj has taken up the initiative for the Gram Panchayat Spatial Development Planning on the pilot basis for two Gram Panchayats per institute in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal in collaboration with 17 architecture as well as engineering institutes of National repute, including IITs and NITs, spread across 14 States. This initiative was launched on 1st July 2020 in a meeting chaired by Secretary, Panchayati Raj in which these institutes and State Governments participated through video conference.

• A total of 34 Gram Panchayats have been selected for this pilot study through a consultation process with the respective institute and the Panchayati Raj Department of the State Government. National Informatics Centre (NIC) and National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) are the technology partners of the Ministry in this endeavour.

8. Role of Panchayats in combating COVID-19 Pandemic

• With active assistance of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the Panchayats in the country have taken various mitigation / preventive measures against the COVID-19 Pandemic. Right from times of early onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the Panchayats have been on the forefront taking various preventive and protective measures. This has been illustrated during the interaction of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with selected Sarpanchs of Gram Panchayats on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day on 24th April, 2020.

• The various initiatives employed by the Panchayats in setting up isolation centres in rural areas include development of IEC materials towards awareness creation, intensive sanitization/disinfection measures, deployment of village volunteers for COVID-19 management, enforcement of social distancing, organization of medical camps, tracking and isolating new entrants to the villages, door to door campaigns for awareness generation, hand washing campaigns, mass production of masks through SHG involvement, provision of gainful employment to returning migrant workers through involving them in Finance Commission, MGNREGS works etc.

• Since Panchayati Raj Institutions are more closely connected to the local public and better able to navigate context-specific local conditions, Ministry of Panchayati Raj roped in the nationwide network of PRIs to convince the local residents to follow the guideline of health authorities and cooperate with the frontline health workers / Corona warriors.

9. Dissemination of vital information of other Ministries/ Departments to the last mile recipients at Gram Panchayats and role of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj

• Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been supporting, encouraging and catering to the information-needs of the Panchayati Raj Institutions, especially Gram Panchayats, to play an important role on issues of national importance. A sizeable number of Gram Panchayats are covered under digital umbrella and the availability of digital infrastructure / digital backbone as well as robust and advanced IT & e-Governance infrastructure available with Gram Panchayats facilitated an outreach till the last mile and proved boon to ensure dissemination of information.

10. Finance Commission Grants to Rural Local Bodies

• The Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) in its interim report for the period of FY 2020-21 has recommended grants of Rs.60,750 crore for Rural Local Bodies (RLBs). This is the highest annual allocation of Finance Commission Grants to RLBs so far. Earlier, Fourteenth Finance Commission (XIV FC) recommended an award of Rs.2,00,292.20 crore to the Gram panchayats constituted under Part IX of the Constitution for 26 States for the award period 2015-20. Non Part IX Areas where Panchayats do not exist were not recommended XIV FC Grants. Now, the XV FC Grant-in-aid will be devolved to all tiers of Panchayats including the Traditional Bodies of Non Part IX States and Fifth and Sixth Schedule areas, in 28 States.

• The Grants are provided in two parts, namely, (i) a Basic (Untied) Grant (50%) and (ii) a Tied Grant (50 %) While the basic grants are untied and can be used by RLBs for location-specific felt needs, except for salary or other establishment expenditure, the Tied Grants are earmarked for the national priority focus areas of Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation. Rs. 30,375 Crore as the first instalment each of Basic (Untied) and Tied Grants for the RLBs have already been released to the States based on the recommendation of MoPR, which have helped create infrastructure for basic services and also augment delivery of services to the rural citizens.

11. Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan (GKRA)

• Government of India had launched GKRA in six States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to provide gainful employment to the migrant labourers who had returned to their native villages due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. As a part of the Abhiyan, Ministry of Panchayati Raj undertook facilitation of two activities namely, (i) ‘Construction of Gram Panchayat Bhawans’ and (ii) ‘Works under Central Finance Commission Grants.

• The Panchayats in the 116 GKRA Districts were provisioned with the funds to the tune of Rs.9554.97 crore (unspent balance of XIV FC Grants and XV FC Untied and Tied Grants) for undertaking ‘Works under Finance Commission Grants’ in the rural areas, out of which an expenditure to the tune of Rs.5810.95 crore (60.82%) was made and 2,82,45,660 person days generated during the Abhiyan period which ended on 22.10.2020.

• Construction of a total of 1,347 new Gram Panchayat (GP) Bhawans in six GKRA States have been completed during the Abhiyan, 12,854 GP Bhawans are at different stages of construction and 35,56,809 person days of employment generated. Apart from the construction of GP Bhawans under GKRA, construction of 9 and repairing of 4480 GP Bhawans have also been approved under the scheme of RGSA during 2020-21.

12. National Panchayat Awards 2020

• Despite constraints and limitations, there are many outstanding performers among Panchayats all over the country. Thus, Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been incentivizing best performing Panchayats/States/UTs through awards and financial incentives since the year 2011 under its Incentivization of Panchayats Scheme in recognition of their good work for improving delivery of services and public goods. The awards are given on the National Panchayati Raj Day celebrated on 24thApril annually.

• National Panchayat Awards 2020 were conferred under various categories namely, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar [to 213 Panchayats in 28 States/UTs], Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar (to 27 Gram Panchayats in 27 States/UTs), Gram Panchayat Development Plan Award (to 28 Gram Panchayats in 28 States/UTs), Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award (to 30 Gram Panchayats in 30 States/UTs) and e-Panchayat Puraskar (8 States).

• For National Panchayat Awards 2021 (Appraisal year 2019-20) online nominations for all three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions have been invited from State Governments/Union Territory (UT) Administrations under the four categories namely, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar, Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar, Gram Panchayat Development Plan Award and Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award. (Source: pib)

The above Article can also be read using the link below:

Major highlights of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj during the year 2020.

1.9 billion in Asia-Pacific cannot afford healthy diet: UN report - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

1.9 billion in Asia-Pacific cannot afford healthy diet: UN report.

At the same time, an estimated 14.5 million children under five were overweight or obese in 2020

Around 3 billion people across the world cannot afford a healthy diet and 1.9 billion of them are in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a recent United Nations agencies report.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and surging prices of fruits, vegetables and dairy products have aggravated the crisis for many, the report published on January 20, 2021 said.

Of the 1.9 billion people, 1.3 billion live in southern Asia, 230 million in eastern Asia, 325.5 million in south-east Asia and 0.5 million in Oceania.

A nutritionally adequate diet tends to cost $2 to $3 (Rs 145-220) per day in most countries, rich or poor, but is more expensive in Japan and South Korea.

The region’s poor have been the worst-affected by the onslaught of crises in 2020 and have been forced to choose cheaper and less nutritious foods, the report titled Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2020: Maternal and Child Diets at the Heart of Improving Nutrition said.

As a result, progress on food security and nutrition, one of the key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 2030, has slowed.

More than 350 million people in Asia-Pacific were undernourished in 2019, which is half of the global total. About 74.5 million children under-five were stunted (too short for their age) and 31.5 million suffered from wasting (too thin for their height). The majority of these children (55.9 million stunted and 25.2 million wasted) live in southern Asia.

At the same time, the number of overweight and obesity children increased rapidly, especially in South-Eastern Asia and the Pacific. An estimated 14.5 million children under five were overweight or obese, the study found.

The study has been jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the UN Children’s Fund, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization.

The impact of a poor diet is most severe in the first 1,000 days of human life. In India, just 42 per cent of children aged 6-23 months are fed the required number of times per day.

Anaemia in children under five remains a public health challenge in many countries across Asia and the Pacific, despite significant improvements in anaemia status (more than 10 percentage points) in Bhutan, India, Iran, the Maldives, Nepal, Philippines and Vanuatu.

The report also highlighted the changing face of malnutrition with highly processed and inexpensive foods readily available throughout Asia and the Pacific.

Often packed with sugar and unhealthy fats, such food items lack the vitamins and minerals required for growth and development and also increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

The report urged governments for a transformation of food systems in Asia and the Pacific region and to invest more in nutrition and food safety to promote healthy diets, as well as regulate sales and marketing of food for consumers, especially children.

It also highlighted the need for action within the private sector, given the sector’s important role in the food system and its value chains for achieving healthy diets.

An integrated systems approach, bringing together food, water and sanitation, health, social protection and education systems to address the underlying and contributing factors of diets sustainably was recommended in the report. (Source: downtoearth)

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1.9 billion in Asia-Pacific cannot afford healthy diet: UN report.

Scientists explains the attack of coronavirus on the brain in new study - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Scientists explains the attack of coronavirus on the brain in new study.

The peak viral load in the brain was 1,000 times than in lungs

Very high levels of the novel coronavirus were found in the brain of mice infected in a controlled exposure study by scientists from Georgia State University in Atlanta.

The peak viral load in the brain was 1,000 times than in lungs, suggesting that the coronavirus has a high potential for replication in the brain.

The research also showed a direct correlation between high viral load in the brain and the onset of neurological symptoms and deaths in the infected mice.

“Brain infection leads to immune cell infiltration, inflammation and cell death,” the report concluded. It also noted that humans have a higher chance of developing a brain infection with a high dose of the virus

The researchers collected a strain of the virus from the throat swab of a patient in Washington and introduced it into the mice through their noses.

Upon entering, the virus made its way to the brain by infecting the nasal passageway, olfactory bulb (responsible for the sense of smell) and eyes, the study suggested.

The infected subjects were observed for six days by which time all of them succumbed to the infection. The report was published on January 19 in the journal Viruses.

While the occurrence of neurological complications from COVID-19 was well known, its pathogenesis was not well understood, the authors of the report wrote.

High concentration of the virus was found in the lungs from the first day of the infection and declined during the last phase (days five and six). In the brain, however, the viral load increased only in the last stage —the highest levels were observed on days five and six.

This also when the infected mice displayed neurological symptoms such as hunchbacked posture, ruffled fur, tremors and ataxic gait.

Immune response in these two murine organs also followed the same timeline. The levels of interferons, proteins secreted by the immune cells of the body, were found to be higher in the lungs than the brain despite higher virus replication in the brain.

The scientists also studied the viral load and immune response in other organs of mice like heart, kidney, spleen, pancreas and liver. Replication of coronavirus in these organs was found to be limited. (Source: downtoearth)

The above Article can also be read using the link below:

Scientists explains the attack of coronavirus on the brain in new study.

Ageing, unsafe dams growing threat in India: UN report - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Ageing, unsafe dams growing threat in India: UN report.

In India, there are over 1,25 large dams that will be about 50 years old in 2025.

According to a United Nations (UN) report, more than a thousand large dams in India will be about 50 years old in 2025 and increase the risk of such aging embankments around the world, adding that by 2050 the Earth But most people will stay downstream. Thousands of dams built in the 20th century.

A report titled “Aging Water Infrastructure: An Emerging Global Risk” and compiled by the Canadian-based Institute of Water, Environment and Health of the United Nations University, states that most of the 58,700 large dams worldwide were constructed between 1930 and 1970 A design was done with life. 50 to 100 years.

It said that in 50 years, a large concrete dam would “begin to express the most aging signs.”

The signs of aging include increasing cases of dam failure, progressively increasing dam repair and maintenance costs, increased reservoir sedimentation and decreased dam performance and effectiveness, “strongly interconnected” manifestations, the report said.

“By 2050, most people on Earth will live below the tens of thousands of large dams built in the 20th century, many of them already running into or beyond their design life,” according to an analysis by U.N. University.

The analysis includes case studies of dam demotion or aging from the United States, France, Canada, India, Japan, and Zambia and Zimbabwe.

According to the report, another major dam construction revolution is unlikely in the mid-20th century in the world, but the dams built then will inevitably see their age.

The report states that 32,716 large dams (55 percent of the world’s total) are found in just four Asian countries: China, India, Japan and South Korea – most of which will soon reach the 50-year limit.

The same is true of many large dams in Africa, South America and Eastern Europe.

In India, there are over 1,25 large dams that will be about 50 years old in 2025, more than 4,250 large dams in the country will be more than 50 years old in 2050 and 64 large dams will be more than 150 years old in 2050, it said Happened.

The report states that if the Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala was built 100 years ago in India, around 3.5 million people are in danger.

“The dam in the seismically active region exhibits significant structural flaws and its management is a controversial issue between the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu,” he said.

The report states that dams that are well designed, built and maintained “can easily reach 100 years of service” but predict an increase in “decommissioning” – in the USA and Europe A phenomenon gaining momentum – as economic and practical limitations prevent aging dams. Being upgraded or if their original use is now obsolete.

In the US, the average age of 90,580 dams is 56 years. In 2020, more than 85 percent of US dams were running at or beyond their life expectancy, and 75 percent of US dam failures occurred after the age of 50. The estimated cost of renovating American dams is approximately $ 64 billion. About 1,275 dams were removed in 21 US states over the past 30 years; In 2017 alone 80 were removed.

Worldwide, the vast amount of water stored behind large dams is estimated to be 7,000 to 8,300 cubic kilometers – enough to cover about 80 percent of Canada’s landslides under water meters.

The report’s co-author Vladimir Smukhtin, director of UNU-INWEH, said the report was intended to draw global attention to the issue of aging water storage infrastructure and international efforts to combat this emerging, increasing water risk To encourage.

“Underlined is the fact that increasing frequency and severity of floods and other extreme environmental events can increase the design range of a dam and speed up the aging process of a dam. Therefore, decisions about decommissioning are therefore , Should be taken in the context of a changing climate. ” Mr. Smkhtin said.

Lead author and UNU-INWEH senior researcher Duminda Perera said the problem of aging large dams today faces a relatively small number of countries – 93 percent of all large dams in the world are located in just 25 countries.

“Large dam construction accelerated in the mid-20th century and peaked in the 1960s – 70s, particularly in Asia, Europe and North America, while the peak in Africa occurred in the 1980s. Thereafter continued and progressively larger Number of dams. He refused.

The pace of large dam construction has decreased dramatically over the last four decades and continues to decline in part because “globally the best locations for such dams are becoming progressively lower as nearly 50 percent of global river volume is already Is fragmented or regulated with dams. ”States the report.

There are also strong concerns about the environmental and social impacts of dams, and particularly emerging dams and practices on large dams, as well as alternative types of energy production beyond water storage, nature-based solutions and hydroelectricity, it said.

Public safety, rising maintenance costs, sedimentation of the reservoir, and restoration of a natural river ecosystem are among the reasons driving the dam decommissioning, the report notes, as the dam is built overall in the overall planning process. Decommissioning should be considered important. Water storage infrastructure development.

The above Article can also be read using the link below:

Ageing, unsafe dams growing threat in India: UN report.

SC rules out review of Aadhaar order, with one dissent: on money Bill - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

SC rules out review of Aadhaar order, with one dissent: on money Bill.

The Aadhaar Bill had been certified by the government as a money Bill, enabling it to get it cleared without getting the assent of a majority in the Rajya Sabha. A five-judge Bench headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra had upheld the Aadhaar Act in a 4:1 ruling on September 26, 2018.

The Supreme Court has dismissed petitions seeking a review of its 2018 judgment upholding the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar Act, with Justice D Y Chandrachud dissenting saying the Court should wait till a larger Bench decides the question of certification of a Bill as money Bill before deciding the review petitions.

The Aadhaar Bill had been certified by the government as a money Bill, enabling it to get it cleared without getting the assent of a majority in the Rajya Sabha. A five-judge Bench headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra had upheld the Aadhaar Act in a 4:1 ruling on September 26, 2018.

The January 11 order was given by a five-judge Bench, comprising apart from Justice Chandrachud, Justices A M Khanwilkar, Ashok Bhushan, Abdul Nazeer and B R Gavai. The majority judgment said, “We have perused the review petitions as well as the grounds in support thereof. In our opinion, no case for review of judgment and order dated 26.09.2018 is made out. We hasten to add that change in the law or subsequent decision/judgment of a coordinate or larger Bench by itself cannot be regarded as a ground for review. The review petitions are accordingly dismissed.”

In his dissenting judgment, Justice Chandrachud said two of the “critical questions” dealt with by the Aadhaar ruling were “whether the decision of the Speaker of the House of People… to certify a bill as a ‘Money Bill’ under Article 110(1) is final and binding, or can be subject to judicial review; and… if the decision is subject to judicial review, whether the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (the Aadhaar Act), had been correctly certified as a ‘Money Bill’”.

The issue whether judicial review can be exercised over a decision of the Speaker had arisen subsequently before another Constitution Bench in Rojer Mathew v South Indian Bank Ltd. This was in the context of whether some provisions of the Finance Act, 2017 (relating to appointments to tribunals and the conditions of service of members), could have been certified as a money Bill. That judgment had said that the Speaker’s decision was not beyond judicial review though the scope was extremely restricted. It had also said that the 2018 Aadhaar verdict had not answered conclusively the question as to what constitutes a money Bill under Article 110 (1) and had directed that it be referred to a larger Bench.

Justice Chandrachud referred to this, saying the larger Bench to decide what constitutes a money Bill and the extent of judicial review over a certification by the Speaker was yet to be constituted. “Dismissing the present batch of review petitions at this stage — a course of action adopted by the majority — would place a seal of finality on the issues in the present case, without the Court having the benefit of the larger Bench’s consideration of the very issues which arise before us… With the doubt expressed by another Constitution Bench on the correctness of the very decision which is the subject matter of these review petitions, it is a constitutional error to hold at this stage that no ground exists to review the judgment,” he said, adding that a larger Bench’s determination “would have an undeniable impact” on the validity of reasons given by the Aadhaar ruling pertaining to the certification by the Speaker.

ustice Chandrachud also referred to the Sabarimala case where a nine-judge Bench in February 2020 had referred certain questions of law arising in the context of an earlier decision by a five-judge Bench in September 2019 to a larger Bench while keeping the review petitions pending.

“If these review petitions (in the Aadhaar matter) are to be dismissed and the larger Bench reference in Rojer Mathew were to disagree with the analysis of the majority opinion in Puttaswamy (the Aadhaar case), it would have serious consequences — not just for judicial discipline, but also for the ends of justice. As such, the present batch of review petitions should be kept pending until the larger Bench decides the questions referred to it in Rojer Mathew,” he said. (Source: The Indian Express)

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SC rules out review of Aadhaar order, with one dissent: on money Bill.

India ready to play 'constructive role' in UNSC to end Syrian conflict - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India ready to play 'constructive role' in UNSC to end Syrian conflict.

New Delhi asserted that terrorism emanating from Syria has spread far even reaching parts of Africa and the humanitarian situation has worsened in the country

Hoping that conflict in Syria will end completely, sooner than later, India on Wednesday said that it is ready to play a "constructive and meaningful" role in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) towards achieving that objective.

During a UNSC briefing on Syria, TS Tirumurti, Indian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said it is "disheartening" to note that the ongoing crisis in Syria still has no end in sight and called on the international community to provide assistance to Syria for rebuilding its infrastructure.

"As we begin our new Council term eight years later, it is indeed disheartening to note that the ongoing crisis in Syria still has no end in sight and the political process is yet to take off. The conflict has become even more complex with the involvement of regional players," Tirumurti said.

"Terrorism emanating from Syria has spread far, even reaching parts of Africa. Foreign fighters involved in the Syrian conflict have also moved to other places as mercenaries. The humanitarian situation has worsened, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic," he added.

Tirumurti said the fact that the conflict has been so long-drawn and intractable, points to the inevitability of a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process, preserving the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.

Syria's civil war began during the Arab Spring in 2011 as a peaceful uprising against the country's president, Bashar al-Assad. It has since escalated -- shattering the lives of Syrians, destroying cities, straining global politics, and spurring diplomatic efforts that are constantly questioned as the world is witnessing the horrors of ongoing warfare.

"We hope that the conflict in Syria will end completely, sooner than later, and the reconstruction of Syria will begin so that Syria reclaims its place in the comity of nations as well as its historic role in the Arab world. Towards this objective, India is ready to play a constructive and meaningful role in the Council," the envoy said.

The envoy expressed concern that hostilities in other parts of the country have continued unabated, adding that the prices of fuel and bread have doubled, the Syrian pound has devalued in the last two months.

"The presence of foreign terrorist fighters, along with continued terror activities, has worsened the situation on the ground. It is imperative that all parties must adhere to their international obligations to fight terrorism and terrorist organisations in Syria, as designated," he said.

"We call on the international community to provide assistance to Syria in rebuilding its infrastructure, safeguarding people's livelihoods and fighting COVID-19. In this situation, compounded by both economic and humanitarian crises, we should be sensitive to the debilitating impact that sanctions continue to have on the lives of the common people of Syria," he added.

India, Tirumurti said, supports the UN continuing its humanitarian relief operations through all possible channels, with the cooperation of the Syrian Government.

"In this regard, it is important to delink humanitarian assistance from progress on the political track. We believe that the noble and necessary cause of humanitarian assistance should always be bereft of politics," he added.

Since the conflict broke out in 2011, India has provided USD12 million as humanitarian assistance to the Syrian government through bilateral and multilateral channels, Tirumurti apprised the council.

Furthermore, India has set up a biotech park and an IT Centre and extended USD 265 million in lines of credit for projects in the steel and power sectors.

In July 2020, in order to help Syria fight the COVID-19 pandemic, New Delhi sent a gift of 10 metric tonnes of medicines to Damascus.

"We also organised an artificial limb fitment camp in Damascus during December 2019 - January 2020, which benefited over 500 Syrians. We have also provided 1000 scholarships for Syrian students to study in India. As Syria's reliable and long-lasting friend, India stands ready to continue to render all possible help and support to the Syrian people," the envoy said. (Source: The Business Standard)

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India ready to play 'constructive role' in UNSC to end Syrian conflict.

Sensitive data of over 325,000 Indian users leaked in BuyUCoin hack - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Sensitive data of over 325,000 Indian users leaked in BuyUCoin hack.

BuyUcoin is an India-based global cryptocurrency exchange and wallet

In yet another data breach, sensitive data of nearly 3.25 lakh users of India-based global cryptocurrency exchange and wallet, BuyUcoin, have been exposed on the Dark Web.

The data leaked include names, e-mails, mobile numbers, encrypted passwords, user wallet details, order details, bank details, KYC details (PAN number, passport numbers) and deposit history.

According to independent cyber security researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia, the 6GB file on MongoDB database contains three backup files containing BuyUcoin data.

"This is a serious hack as key financial, banking and KYC details have been leaked on the Dark Web," Rajaharia told IANS and shared some screenshots of the leaked data.

Researchers at cyber security firm Kela Research and Strategy Ltd first discovered the stolen data, linked on the same forum, from Wongnai Media Co Ltd, Tuned Global Pvt Ltd, BuyUcoin, Wappalyzer, Teespring Inc and Bonobos.com, which looks the handiwork of infamous hacking group ShinyHunters.

"Over this past summer, ShinyHunters was seen publishing leaked data for free, exposing millions of personal records from all over the world," Victoria Kivilevich, threat intelligence analyst at Kela Research, told SiliconANGLE.

"We have seen collaborators of Shiny Hunters selling and leaking other dumps in the recent months."

BuyUcoin was yet to react to the report.

ShinyHunters has also leaked 1.9 million user records stolen from free online photo editing application Pixlr.

According to Rajaharia, the hacker is the same who earlier leaked BigBasket and JusPay data in India.

In November last year, one of India's popular online grocery stores BigBasket found that its data of over 20 million users had been hacked and were on sale on the dark web for over $40,000.

"Now, the same hacker group is asking about $10,000 in Bitcoin for the BigBasket database and is also selling the three companies' databases," Rajaharia said.

"There is a strong connection between all these recent data leaks, including BigBasket," he added.

Earlier this month, Bengaluru-based digital payments gateway JusPay said that about 3.5 crore records with masked card data and card fingerprint were compromised by the hacker.

Rajaharia also disclosed that three Indian companies -- e-marketplace ClickIndia, fintech startup for small business owners ChqBook and wedding planning website WedMeGood -- were also hacked possibly by the same hacker.

"Nearly 80 lakh users of ClickIndia (name, email, mobile and other personal details), 10 lakh users of ChqBook (name, email, mobile, full address and other personal details) and 13 lakh users of WedMeGood (name, email, hashed password, other sensitive personal information)," Rajaharia had revealed. (Source: The Business Standard)

The above Article can also be read using the link below:

Sensitive data of over 325,000 Indian users leaked in BuyUCoin hack.

Did stratospheric warming lead to excessive rainfall in Tamil Nadu? - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Did stratospheric warming lead to excessive rainfall in Tamil Nadu?.

Each district witnessed a minimum excess precipitation of 400%, said IMD

The southern India received unusually heavy rainfall from January 1 to January 17. This winter rain may have been caused by sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) far away in the Arctic region, some scientists said.

Tamil Nadu received almost 10 times the rainfall that it receives in this period. All its 38 districts experienced large excess of rainfall — 60 per cent more than the normal for this time of the year. As a result, 25 lakh acres of crops across the state was submerged, said PR Pandian, president of The Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations of Tamil Nadu.

Sixteen of the districts received 10 times (or more) the normal rainfall. The most excess was seen in Tiruppur district with almost 20 times the usual rainfall. Each district witnessed a minimum excess precipitation of 400 per cent, according to Indian Meterological Department.

The story was similar in Kerala and Karnataka with 19 and 12 times the normal rainfall for both states respectively for this time of the year.

All districts in Kerala had large excess rainfall with the highest being in Kasargod and Malappuram where the rainfall was 100 times the normal. In Karnataka, however, some of the districts did not receive any rainfall at all.

The genesis

A sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event occurred on January 5, 2021, thousands of kilometres away in the Arctic region and several kilometres above the Earth’s surface in the stratospheric layer, experts believe.

During SSW events the temperature of the stratosphere can increase by up to 50 degree Celsius within 10 days and the winds in the stratosphere can reverse from westerly to easterly.

The distance between the southern tip of Tamil Nadu and the Barents Sea in the Arctic, which is a crucial part of the region of occurrence of the event, is more than 7,800 km.

The weather in the atmospheric layers above the stratosphere — mesosphere and thermosphere — also get affected by SSW. This is a cause for concern for satellite navigation and other space-based human endeavours.

The warming events are regular but non-periodical. Sometimes, SSW might not occur for extended periods as was the case between 2013 and 2018. It last occurred in 2019. Its natural frequency is about six times in a decade.

“One of the reasons for the rainfall in the tropics during winter days is the polar sudden stratospheric warming but we need detailed study, especially of the science and dynamics behind this phenomenon,” said Remya Raveendran, researcher at the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research, Cochin University of Science and Technology.

Raveendran and her group analysed 20 SSW events and rainfall data over 36 years in Kerala’s Kochi. They found that five to six days before the warming event peaks, there is a change in wind patterns in the troposphere and unusual rainfall in the city. Their research will be published in the journal Earth and Space Science.

Global disruptors

The rainfall and changing winds is how the SSW event impacts the weather in the tropical regions.

SSW is related to the behaviour of the stratospheric polar vortex, a fast-blowing band of winds that forms over the Arctic region during the winter due to reduced solar radiation.

Very rarely, SSW may also occur over the South Pole as happened in September 2019. “Waves in the atmosphere can disturb the flow of the polar vortex. In the most extreme cases, such as during SSW, the polar vortex flow weakens dramatically and sometimes even reverses,” Marlene Kretschmer, a scientist at the meteorology department of University of Reading told Down To Earth.

During an SSW event in the 2019, the North Pole vortex had split into three smaller vortices releasing cold winds into the southern regions.

These disturbances in the stratosphere sometimes also cause circulation anomalies in the troposphere — the atmospheric layer below which our weather is generated.

“For instance, after SSWs, one often observes a meandering and southward-shifted jet stream in the troposphere, causing colder winter weather in northern Eurasia and the northeastern United States, as well as increased storminess and precipitation in the Mediterranean region,” said Kretschmer.

Now, Raveendran and her group have found that the impacts of an SSW event can be experienced on the surface as far as the tropical regions.

With climate change in tow, if the SSW events increase in number, as some scientists have surmised, then such extreme rainfall events over tropical regions like southern India might also increase in the future. (Source: downtoearth)

The above Article can also be read using the link below:

Did stratospheric warming lead to excessive rainfall in Tamil Nadu?.

NITI Aayog Releases Second Edition of India Innovation Index - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

NITI Aayog Releases Second Edition of India Innovation Index.

Overall Delhi Tops the List, Chandigarh Major Gainer, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh Lead in Their Respective Categories

NITI Aayog, along with the Institute for Competitiveness, today released the second edition of the India Innovation Index in a virtual event. The report examines the innovation capabilities and performance of the states and union territories. The first edition of the index was launched in October 2019.

The India Innovation Index 2020was released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, in the presence of Member (Health) DrVK Paul, Member (Agriculture) DrRamesh Chand, CEO Amitabh Kant, Adviser (Science and Technology) Neeraj Sinha, andInstitute for Competitiveness Chair Dr Amit Kapoor.

The event was attended by Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Secretary Dr Shekhar C. Mande, Department of Biotechnology Secretary Dr Renu Swarup, Ministry of Earth Sciences Secretary Dr MN Rajeevan, Ministry of Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola, and Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Secretary Dr Kshatrapati Shivaji, among others.

In the second edition too, theindex found that the level of competitiveness among the states and union territories was high, which is essential for them to continually improve on their enabling factors as well as innovation performance, year by year.

In the ‘Major States’ category, Karnataka continued to occupy the top position, while Maharashtra moved past Tamil Nadu to reach the second place. Telangana, Kerala, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab completed the top ten in that order. Karnataka’s rank is attributable to its substantive number of venture capital deals, registered geographical indicators and information andcommunications technology exports. Karnataka’s high Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow has also enhanced the innovation capabilities of the state. Four southern states—Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala—occupied the top five spots under the ‘Major States’ category this year.

Overall, Delhi retained itsfirst rank, while Chandigarh made a big leap since 2019 and landed in the second place this year. Under the ‘North-Eastern/Hill States’ category, Himachal Pradesh moved up from the second position to emerge as the top ranker this year, while 2019’s top performer (in this category), Sikkim, slipped down to the fourth position.

The innovation inputs were measured through five enabler parameters, and the output through two performance parameters. While ‘Human Capital’, ‘Investment’, ‘Knowledge Workers’, ‘Business Environment’, ‘Safety and Legal Environment’were identified as enabler parameters, ‘Knowledge Output’ and ‘Knowledge Diffusion’were chosen as the performance parameters.

During the event, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumarsaid, ‘The India Innovation Index will create synergies between different stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem, thus enabling India to shift to competitive good governance.’ He also said the index is a great beginning to improve the innovation environment in the country. It is the right step towards making India the innovation leader of the world.

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said, ‘The India Innovation Index is a major step towards measuring innovation outcomes of states and facilitating optimal utilization of national and state mechanismsto realize the goal of an AatmanirbharBharat.’

‘The index could be of vital significance to the states in identifying their innovation performance and initiating necessary policy interventions to leverage their unique strengths,’ said NITI Aayog Adviser Neeraj Sinha.

DrAmit Kapoor, Chair, Institute for Competitiveness, said, ‘The index can help the Central and state governments to benchmark regional performance with respect to innovation, and provide policy insights on what needs to be done to improve and enhance it.’

The India Innovation Index aims to create an extensive framework for the continual evaluation of India’s innovation environment. The index aims to rank states and UTs based on their scores, recognize opportunities and challenges, and assist in tailoring government policies to foster innovation.

NITI Aayog, with its mandate of promoting ‘competitive federalism’ among all states and union territories, is committed to utilize the India Innovation Index in catalysing the innovation outcome of the nation. (Source:pib)

The above Article can also be read using the link below:

NITI Aayog Releases Second Edition of India Innovation Index.

United Nations launches global program to counter terrorist threats - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

United Nations launches global program to counter terrorist threats.

The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), in partnership with several other agencies, on Tuesday launched a global program on countering terrorist threats against vulnerable targets to help UN member states deal with this scourge.

The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), in partnership with several other agencies, on Tuesday launched a global program on countering terrorist threats against vulnerable targets to help UN member states deal with this scourge.

Across the globe, terrorists have repeatedly and cowardly targeted public spaces to cause mass casualties to instill fear and generate chaos, said UN Undersecretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, who heads the UNOCT.

Terrorist killings in urban centers have increased sharply since 2011. Attacks against religious sites are becoming more lethal; he told a virtual ceremony for the launch of the program. "The horrible acts of terror are an attack against our values and way of life."

The program, in partnership with the UN Alliance of Civilizations and the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, and in consultation with the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, and Interpol, will provide specialized assistance to member states in developing collaborative approaches to prevent, counter, respond to, investigate and recover from terrorist attacks against vulnerable targets, Voronkov said.

The program will assist beneficiary member states in developing national action plans, frameworks and operating procedures to implement such collaborative approaches, and provide tailored operational training and monitoring services and mentoring services to increase member states' practical risk mitigation capacity. It will also collect and disseminate good practices, he said.

"Our global program illustrates a fundamental objective of our counter-terrorism agenda: ensuring that our citizens can safely enjoy and exercise their fundamental freedoms and socio-economic rights in their daily life without fear," said Voronkov.

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United Nations launches global program to counter terrorist threats.

Why National Green Tribunal is not as powerful as UK Environment Agency - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Why National Green Tribunal is not as powerful as UK Environment Agency.

One of NGT's limitations is the ‘lack of environmental finesse’ of its expert members.

India formed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2010 as a quasi-judicial body for environment-related litigations. With that the country became one of the pioneers among developing nations in establishing a dedicated green court.

Before NGT was established, there were two previous efforts to set up green courts through National Environment Tribunal Act, 1995 (NETA) and National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997 (NEAA).

The current tribunal comprises 10-20 judicial members and an equal representation of subject experts, as mandated by the act to maintain a balance.

Judges from the high court and the Supreme Court are usually appointed as judicial members. The experts are doctorates either in physical sciences or life sciences with 15 years of experience. Engineering post-graduates can also act as expert members.

NGT’s intervention in environmental issues in the years since its inception has received an overwhelming response from different corners of the country. But the tribunal is currently facing major administrative and financial challenges.

One of its limitations is the ‘lack of environmental finesse’ of its expert members. Usually, the expert members are specialists in one particular field and not on environment as a whole.

For instance, an expert member who has been working on forests for many years would not be able to comprehend the challenges arising out of industrial pollution. NGT needs to establish principles and criteria to estimate fines, damages and compensation.

It should also identify institutions and experts who can help it to scientifically estimate environmental damages, compensation and fines on a case-to-case basis.

NGT has authorities similar to law-enforcement agencies but it is not like a regular court which has the power to adjudicate all types of disputes.

NGT has the power of enforcing laws on administrative agencies. It can only issue recommendations for punishment in a case, depending on the nature and gravity of the offence.

However, such punishment can be challenged in a court of law, which is the final authority, limiting the tribunal’s role.

The NGT act mentions that the green 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.

This is possible because of a loophole in the act which doesn’t specify that NGT orders can be challenged only in the SC.

More freedom and money with EA

United Kingdom’s Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body established in 1995 to protect and enhance the country’s environment.

The agency is financially much more robust. It is sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

EA’s annual expenditure for 2017-18 was £1.3 billion (approximately Rs 13,000 crore) and it had 10,043 full-time employees as on March 31, 2018.

Additional money is raised from the issuing of licences and permits such as abstraction licences, waste handler registrations, among others.

EA’s power to prosecute is set in law and its decisions are independent of government or any third party influence.

In 2017, Thames Water Utilities Ltd was fined an unprecedented £20,361,140 for a series of significant pollution incidents on the River Thames.

These offences were caused by negligence and led to the death of wildlife and distress among the public.

Thames Water could not go to the higher courts requesting a pardon citing that it will hamper their business model and seize jobs of people employed with them.

Also, the company cannot transfer its fine to consumers and will need to recover it only from its profits.

This case sends a clear signal to the industry that safeguarding the environment is not optional but is an essential part of how all companies must operate.

The polluter has limited rights to challenge EA’s decisions in higher court. However, in most of the cases the final decision goes in the favour of EA.

NGT should have been provided more powers similar to EA in the field of jurisdiction and infrastructure, and these power should be subject to judicial review.

Other country laws (polluters pay principle) related to environment should also be included within the ambit of the NGT Act.

It also needs to apply certain effective systems along with the traditional so that justice can be achieved at a grassroots level.

The government should cooperate with it at a central, state and local level. (Source:downtoearth)

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Why National Green Tribunal is not as powerful as UK Environment Agency.

NITI Aayog to Launch Second Edition of India Innovation Index 2020 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

NITI Aayog to Launch Second Edition of India Innovation Index 2020.

NITI Aayog will release the second edition of the India Innovation Index 2020 on 20 January in a virtual event. The index will be released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar in the presence of NITI Aayog Member Dr VK Saraswat and CEO Amitabh Kant.

The release of the second edition of the index—the first was launched in October 2019—demonstrates the Government’s continued commitment towards transforming the country into an innovation-driven economy.

The India Innovation Index 2020 seeks to rank the states and union territories based on their relative performance of supporting innovation, and to empower them to improve their innovation polices by highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. The ranking methodology is designed in a way that states can draw lessons from the national leaders in innovation. Hopefully, this will lead to a healthy competition among the states and union territories, thereby fostering competitive federalism.

The states and union territories have been divided into 17 ‘Major States’, 10 ‘North-East and Hill States’, and 9 ‘City States and Union Territories’, for effectively comparing their performance. The states and union territories have been ranked on two broad categories: outcome and governance. Overall, the framework of India Innovation Index 2020 consists of 36 indicators, which include hard data (32 indicators) and four composite indicators.

India Innovation Index 2020 builds on the previous year’s methodology by introducing more metrics and providing a holistic outlook of the Indian innovation ecosystem. The framework has been updated to include globally considered parameters for measuring innovation (such as the percentage of gross domestic product spent on research and development), while also retaining the parameters specific to the Indian economy.

The index captures the trends and provides detailed analyses of the various factors that drive innovation at the country, state, and district levels. It is believed that these analyses would enable policymakers in identifying catalysts and inhibitors of innovation at the national and sub-national levels. (Source: pib)

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NITI Aayog to Launch Second Edition of India Innovation Index 2020.

Iran, six other nations lose right to vote in UNGA over unpaid dues - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Iran, six other nations lose right to vote in UNGA over unpaid dues.

The UN charter calls for such a voting rights suspension for countries whose arrears equal or surpass the amount of the contributions due from them to UN coffers in the previous two years

Iran and six other nations lost their right to vote in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) because they have not paid their dues, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday, reported Jerusalem Post.

The other countries losing their UNGA voting rights are Niger, Libya, the Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, South Sudan and Zimbabwe.

Three more countries - Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe and Somalia - will be allowed to continue to vote despite missing dues payments, because they sufficiently demonstrated that they are incapable of paying.

Guterres wrote a letter to General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir of Turkey that the countries in arrears to the UN will have their UNGA voting rights suspended in accordance with the UN Charter, which calls for the suspension of voting rights if a member state fails to pay its fees for more than two years, reported Jerusalem Post.

Under the article, a member-state in arrears in the payment of its dues in an amount that equals or exceeds the contributions of two preceding years can lose its vote in the General Assembly.

Iran owes USD 16.2 million, more than any other country. Meanwhile, Iran has blamed US sanctions for blocking the Islamic Republic from paying its required contribution to the UN, reported Jerusalem Post.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the funds designated for UN payments are frozen in two South Korean banks, due to US sanctions. He said the Islamic Republic has a total of USD 7 billion in those banks, reported Jerusalem Post.

Khatibzadeh demanded that the UN guarantee the payments are safely transferred without using US banks.

"Given that the United States has encroached upon Iran's international assets before, the Islamic Republic of Iran insists that the UN not use an American intermediary bank to receive our country's membership fee, or that this organization guarantee the financial transfer channel," Iran International News quoted Khatibzadeh as saying, cited Jerusalem Post. (Source: The Business Standard)

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Iran, six other nations lose right to vote in UNGA over unpaid dues.

India and Japan Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation in the Field of ICT - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India and Japan Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation in the Field of ICT.

India and Japan signed MoU to enhance cooperation in the field of Information and Communications Technologies today. MoU was signed by Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Japanese Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Takeda Ryota and it was exchanged through a video conference today.

Department of Telecom, Government of India and Ministry of Communications, Government of Japan will enhance mutual cooperation in the field of 5G technologies, telecom security, submarine optical fiber cable system to islands of India, spectrum management, smart cities, high altitude platform for broadband in unconnected areas, disaster management and public safety etc. It has been agreed that apart from Ministry level cooperation, Government of India organization such as C-DOT and ITI Limited along with industry partners from Japan will also part of this cooperation.

Speaking on this occasion the Union Minister for Communication, Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad highlighted the timely execution of connecting Andaman & Nicobar Islands with submarine optical fiber cable as a great example of cooperation between India and Japan. He further shared the rapid adoption of innovative digital technologies by India during COVID19 pandemic such as AarogyaSetu app, use of Aadhaar Enabled Payment System for doorstep disbursement of cash by India Post, digital hearings in Courts of India and rapid growth of digital payments. He further highlighted that during COVID19, due to attractive polices like PLI and SPECS large amount of investments have come to India in the field of electronics manufacturing. He urged the Japanese electronics industry to invest in India and avail the benefits of the new technologies. Minister further highlighted the great potential India holds for Japanese investors in the field of 5G and 5G based services, Internet of Things, digital health technologies etc.

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India and Japan Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation in the Field of ICT.