21st December 2020 Currents Affairs Analysis
By IASToppers' Editorial Team | 2020-12-21 17:00:00
Issues related to Health & Education
Early Health Warning System
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is developing an ‘Early Health Warning System’, which is expected to forecast the possibility of disease outbreaks in the country.
Successful implementation will give local authorities ample time to prepare against possible outbreak.
About Early Health Warning System
Early Health Warning System is based on the relationship between weather changes and incidence of outbreaks of vector-borne diseases, particularly malaria and diarrhoea. It is likely to monitor non-communicable diseases as well in the near future.
How it works?
There are certain diseases, where weather patterns such as changes in rainfall and
temperature patterns, play a crucial role in the increased incidence of diseases.
Example, for malaria, particular temperatures and rainfall patterns can approximately predict an area to have an outbreak with fairly reasonable accuracy.
It can also predict the likelihood of heat-related diseases and other diseases such as cholera. [Ref- The Indian Express]
Economy
One of the top economists write to Finance Minister listing a dozen ways to raise funds to finance India’s recovery from the pandemic.
Gold disclosure scheme:
In the last two decades $373 billion were spent for net imports of gold. Smuggled gold and
jewellery worn by travellers will take that amount beyond $500 billion.
A Gold Disclosure Scheme will mobilise taxes, unlock capital lying in the black economy, and
upgrade India’s sovereign rating.
Good structuring and execution with precision, targeting 10% of the stock of gold has the potential to raise Rs 3,50,000 crore in taxes and unblock capital of Rs 10,50,000 crore.
Convert gold import duty to GST:
The levy of import duty on gold has encouraged smuggling and enhanced the attractiveness of gold by increasing the rupee value of gold.
A shift of taxation on gold from import duty to GST will increase tax revenues as smuggled gold gives way to official imports.
Realising better value for PSUs:
While Sensex is touching all time high, PSU index have underperformed the market by 173% in the last 12 years.
Successful strategic divestment of one PSU can re-rate all PSUs.
If PSUs trade at the higher end of their valuations, the market value of the government’s holdings will appreciate in excess of Rs 7,00,000 crore.
Bring black market economy to white economy:
Indians are large spenders in casinos at Macau, Singapore, Las Vegas, and Nepal. Large-scale
betting happens on the IPL, elections, and other events.
Legalizing these activities with sufficient safeguards will transit criminal activities to
responsible businesses, raise taxes, cut off funding to criminals, and support the tourism
industry.
Plug the tax leakage on smuggled/fake cigarettes:
As per the Tobacco Institute of India smuggled/fake cigarettes account for 25% of cigarette
volumes.
Curbing the smuggling of cigarettes/manufacturing of fake cigarettes has the potential to generate
taxes of Rs 10,000 crore.
Monetisation of enemy property assets:
Properties (including encroached and disputed) and financial assets aggregating more than Rs
1,00,000 crore have been held by the Custodian of Enemy Property since 1968.
Unblock capital stuck in commercial disputes:
A fast-track mechanism for speedy resolution of commercial disputes will unblock the stuck
capital.
Sale and lease-back of government properties:
Investors will hurry to get the government as long term tenant at attractive terms in a
low-interest-rate environment.
Estate Duty:
In the United States, Estate Duty goes as high as 40%.
Estate Duty could be levied on unproductive assets like precious metals & stones, art, and
offshore assets.
This will encourage investment in financial assets that will provide domestic capital to accelerate growth.
Plug tax loopholes:
Ethical tax practitioners should be rewarded for plugging tax loopholes.
For e.g. there is a cottage industry running to convert interest income taxable at 43% to long-term capital gains taxable at 10% through zero coupon listed debentures.
Dividend stripping could take away hundreds of crores in taxes in the stock of a tech company.
Improve ease of doing investments:
In the last two decades, more than Rs 1,00,000 crore of investor money is stuck in collective
investment schemes ranging from NBFCs, jewellers, chit funds, etc.
Multiple and high-cost of KYC constrains penetration of regulated financial products among
bottom-of-the-pyramid investors.
Simple and cheaper KYC will ensure more flows to financial products.
Allow PSUs to manage treasury on a commercial basis:
PSUs can’t invest in their treasure income.
Better treasury management will help PSUs to pay more dividend and help re-rate valuations. [Ref: Indian Express]
Environment, Ecology & Disaster Management
New plants to tackle high ammonia levels in Yamuna river
Even though the time during which water usually gets contaminated is yet to come, the city has
already faced three prolonged periods of increase in ammonia levels in the Yamuna.
Ammonia pollution in Yamuna:
Every year, Delhi witnesses frequent instances of increased levels of ammonia and industrial
pollutants in the Yamuna.
This lead to shutting down of operations at Chandrawal and Wazirabad treatment plants that supply a quarter of the city’s drinking water.
According to DJB, the source of these pollutants lies in Panipat Industrial Area, which is outside Delhi’s jurisdiction.
About new ozonation units:
The new ozonation units would equip the city to deal with 90-95% of ammonia-hike episodes. It will be able to treat raw water with ammonia levels up to 4ppm.
Currently, it can only treat water up to 0.9ppm ammonia levels.
The chlorination process beyond 0.9ppm leads to formation of toxic compounds like chloramines after which plants need to be shut.
The usual maximum ammonia levels observed in the river water are 2-3.5ppm.
The upper limit of ammonia in raw water should be 0.5ppm (as per Bureau of Indian Standards)
By this, the capacity of Chandrawal plant will be increased from 95 to 105 MGD.
Ozonation:
Ozonation is a chemical water treatment technique based on the infusion of ozone into water.
Ozone is a gas composed of three oxygen atoms (O3), which is one of the most powerful oxidants. Ozonation is a type of advanced oxidation process, involving the production of very reactive oxygen species able to attack a wide range of organic compounds and all microorganisms. The treatment of water with ozone is efficient for disinfection as well as for the degradation of
organic and inorganic pollutants.
River Yamuna:
Source: Yamunotri Glacier at Banderpooch peaks of the Lower Himalaya in Uttarakhand. The Yamuna is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganga and the longest tributary in India.
States on its bank: Uttarakhand, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and Delhi
Tributaries: Tons, Chambal (longest tributary), Sindh, Betwa, and Ken Pollution:
Due to high-density population growth and fast industrialization, Yamuna has become one of the most polluted rivers in the world.
The Yamuna is particularly polluted downstream of New Delhi, which dumps about 58% of its waste into the river.
There is 100% urban metabolism of River Yamuna as it passes through the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.
The most pollution comes from Wazirabad, from where Yamuna enters Delhi. [Ref: Times of India]
Dal lake set to get its own water ambulance
A resident of Srinagar, UT Jammu and Kashmir has developed a Shikara Ambulance for those residing around Dal Lake and hopes to follow it up with a Mini Hospital inside a houseboat.
Water Ambulance:
With financial support from Satya Rekha Trust (an NGO), the work on the ambulance has been started.
Traditional shikara has been used.
Different materials — wood, iron, aluminium and plastic — to make it light and water proof, with an engine in it.
Dal lake is in Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dal lake is the second largest lake in Jammu and Kashmir and is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir.
It is also known by the names such as Lake of flowers and Srinagar’s Jewel.
surrounds it on three sides.
It is a part of natural wetland including its floating gardens, known as ‘Rad’.
The lake covers an area of 18 square kilometres and is part of a natural wetland which covers 21.1 square kilometres, including its floating gardens.
The lake has four main interconnected basins namely, Hazratbal, Bod dal, Gagribal and Nagin. The shore line of the lake is encompassed by a boulevard lined with Mughal era gardens
like Shalimaar Bagh and Nishat Bagh built by Jahangir.
The houseboats or ‘Shikaraas’ are the main attraction of the lake. [Ref: The Indian Express]
Bilateral & International Relations
IUCN releases updated Red List
There are now 1,28,918 species on the IUCN Global Species Programme and nearly a third or 35,765 of them are threatened with extinction.
Following species are threatened with extinction:
All of the world’s freshwater dolphins
About one-third of all oak trees
About 45% of a whole family of flowering plants found in the Southern Hemisphere 26 % of all mammals
40 % of all amphibians 14 % of all birds
33 % of all sharks 33 % of corals
Total 1,28,918 species assessed by IUCN of which: 902 are ‘Extinct’
80 are ‘Extinct in the Wild’
7,762 are ‘Critically Endangered’ 13,285 are ‘Endangered’
14,718 are ‘Vulnerable’ 7,644 are ‘Near Threatened’ 66,469 are of ‘Least Concern’
India specific:
1,174 species as threatened with extinction, including golden langur (Trachypithecus geei)
and Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus).
Success stories:
European bison has moved from ‘Vulnerable’ to ‘Near Threatened’, due to conservation
efforts.
IUCN:
It was established in 1948.
IUCN is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organisations. It has more than 1400 member organizations.
Aim: Encourage international cooperation and provide scientific knowledge and tools to guide
conservation action.
It played a key role in creation of:
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971) The World Heritage Convention (1972)
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, (1974) The Convention on Biological Diversity (1992).
In 1980, IUCN in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF) published the World Conservation Strategy.
Caring for earth was released by above three organizations in 1992 at Rio Earth Summit.
In 1999, IUCN was granted the IUCN official observer status at UN. [Ref: The Print]
India Australia economic strategy report launched
Union Minister of Railways, Commerce and industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public distribution
launched the India-Australia Economic Strategy report.
Defence, Digital gaming, Animation, Ship-building, Space are among the potential sectors in the report.
Highlights of the Report:
There is tremendous scope for Australian investment into India as it eases its Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms & opens up different sectors.
Agri sector for greater investments in food processing & value addition have also been opened
up.
Newer areas like space, nuclear energy & defence production will open up good opportunities for India-Australia’s mutual engagement.
Emerging sectors of sports, textiles, textile designing, water management, space
collaboration & digital engagement in education, hold great promise in efforts to balance this
trade relationship.
Areas like tourism will generate a lot of jobs in India under the new framework, and will make
tourism projects in India more viable.
India-Australia engagements:
The two countries are one of the most open economies today particularly with FDI in automatic route up to 100% in almost all sector expect.
Australia & India have been working together even more closely on the strategic front, be it
Malabar exercises, QUAD groupings, the partnership on several strategic areas.
Both the countries can find good areas of cooperation which will also conform into negotiations for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement.
Diversification of supply chains is critical for managing the risks associated with the supply of
inputs, including disciplining non-transparent & opaque economies.
Defense & Security Issues
India looks to integrate more countries into coastal radar network
Indian Navy is in advanced stages to set up coastal radar stations in Maldives, Myanmar, and
Bangladesh.
Mauritius, Seychelles and Sri Lanka have already been integrated into India’s coastal radar
chain network.
It was set up in the aftermath of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
NMDA grid is built around the National Command Control Communication Intelligence (NC3I) network and the Information management and Analysis Centre (IMAC).
IMAC, located in Gurugram, gets real-time data on movement in the Indian Ocean region.
The NC3I network links 51 Naval and Coastal Guard stations, located along the coast
and on island territories.
The network provides these stations coastal surveillance information obtained from various sensors such as:
Coastal radar chain of the Indian Coast Guard Automatic tracking systems
Electro-optical cameras
The network rides on dedicated terrestrial data circuits, as well as, satellite communication. IMAC also receives vital operational data about ‘white shipping’.
White shipping includes merchant shipping as well as fishing vessels over 300 tons.
The Navy has been authorized by the government to conclude white shipping agreements with 36 countries and three multilateral constructs.
So far, agreements have been concluded with 22 countries and one multilateral construct. The IMAC will now transform into a national NDMA center, wherein it will be a multi-agency center.
About Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR):
Analysis Centre (IMAC).
It is jointly administered by the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.
Vision: To strengthen maritime security in the region and beyond, by building a common coherent
maritime situation picture and acting as a maritime information hub for the region.
Through this Centre, information on ‘white shipping’, or commercial shipping, will be exchanged with countries in the region to improve maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean.
[Ref: The Hindu]
Key Facts for Prelims
E20 Fuel
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has invited public comments for introducing adoption of E20
fuel.
About E20 Fuel:
E20 fuel is a blend of 20% Ethanol and Gasoline.
The current permissible level of blending is 10% of ethanol, though India reached only 5.6% of blending in 2019.
Benefits of E20 fuel:
To reduce vehicular emissions.
To reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, etc.
To reduce oil-import bill, thereby saving foreign exchange and boosting energy security.
What is Ethanol?
Ethanol is produced from sugarcane, maize, wheat, etc. which are high in starch content.
It can be mixed with gasoline to form different blends.
As the ethanol molecule contains oxygen, it allows the engine to more completely combust the fuel, resulting in fewer emissions and thereby reducing the occurrence of environmental
pollution.
Since ethanol is produced from plants that harness the power of the sun, ethanol is also considered as renewable fuel.
[Ref: PIB]
Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle
The results of a recent genetic test female turtle caught in Vietnam’s Dong Mo Lake have shown that it is a female Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle.
The test was carried out by the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the Asian Turtle Program of Indo-Myanmar Conservation and the Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS).
Hopes for the revival of the species, had been extinguished after the last remaining surviving female of the species died in eastern China’s Jiangsu province.
Now though, the species might have an opportunity to survive.
About Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle:
It is also known as the Red River giant soft-shell turtle, the Shanghai soft-shell turtle, the speckled soft-shell turtle, and Swinhoe's soft-shell turtle.
It is an extremely rare species of turtle in the family Trionychidae. It may be the largest living freshwater turtle in the world.
The species is endemic to eastern and southern China and northern Vietnam.
Only 3-4 living individuals are known, one in China (captive) and two to three in Vietnam (wild).
Conservation status:
IUCN Red List: Critically endangered
The Solar Winds hack is a cyberattack recently discovered in the United States.
It has emerged as one of the biggest ever targeted against the US government, its agencies
and several other private companies.
The method used by attackers is called Supply Chain attack.
In this method, instead of directly attacking the federal government or a private
organisation’s network, the hackers target a third-party vendor, which supplies software
to them.
The hackers gained access to victims via trojanized updates to SolarWinds’ Orion IT
