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The original UN logo was created by a team of designers during the United Nations Conference on international organisation in 1945.

The design team was led by Oliver Lincoln Lundquist.

The UN logo was approved on 7 December 1946. UNSC is located in New York The Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of

international peace and security. It has 15 Members, and each Member has one vote. Under the Charter of the United Nations, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.

The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.

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The Council is composed of 15 Members:

P5 – China, France, Russian Federation, The United Kingdom and the Unites States, and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.

• Belgium (2020) • Dominion Republic (2020) • Estonia (2021) • Germany (2020) • Indonesia (2020) • Niger (2021) • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2021) • South Africa (2020) • Tunisia (2021) • Vietnam (2021)

More than 50 United Nations Member States have never been Members of the Security Council.

A State which is a Member of the United Nations but not of the Security Council may participate, without a vote, in its discussions when the Council considers that country's interests are affected. Both Members and non-members of the United Nations, if they are parties to a dispute being considered by the Council, may be invited to take part, without a vote, in the Council's discussions; the Council sets the conditions for participation by a non-member State.

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The U.N. General Assembly has decided to hold elections for the five non-permanent members of the Security Council in June 2020 under the new voting arrangements due to the COVID-19 restrictions, with India assured a win being the sole contender for the Asia Pacific seat.

The 193-member General Assembly adopted the decision on May 29, 2020 titled ‘Procedure for holding elections by secret ballot without a plenary meeting during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic’

According to the decision, the elections of non-permanent members to the Security Council and the election of members to the Economic and Social Council will be held simultaneously in June 2020 without a plenary meeting.

Election for the five non-permanent members of the 15-nation council for the 2021-22 term was originally scheduled on June 17.

India is a candidate for a non-permanent seat and its victory is assured as it is the sole candidate vying for the lone seat from the Asia Pacific grouping.

New Delhi’s candidature was unanimously endorsed in June last year by the 55 members of the Asia-Pacific grouping, including China and Pakistan.

From India’s perspective, any change in the voting method will not impact its chances. The term is to start in January 2021.

Traditionally, the UNSC elections are held in the General Assembly hall with each of the 193 member states casting its vote in a secret ballot.

Now, large in-person meetings at the world body’s headquarters stand postponed till the end of June due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the new voting arrangement, President of the General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande will circulate a letter to all Member States at least 10 working days prior to the first round of the secret balloting, informing them of the date on which the elections will be held, the number of vacant seats, the venue where ballots may be cast and other logistical details.

On the day of the elections, the voter will be required to visit the designated venue during a specific time slot to cast its ballots.

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Only ballots cast in the ballot boxes at the designated venues will be accepted and no ballots would be accepted after the last time slot has expired.

If the total number of ballot papers cast in all the ballot boxes do not amount to at least a majority of the members of the Assembly, the President would circulate a letter to all Member States indicating a new date and time for the elections.

The General Assembly President will circulate a letter to all Member States informing them of the results once the voting is complete and the ballots counted.

Canada, Ireland and Norway are vying for two seats in the Western Europe and other countries category.

Mexico is the only candidate for the one Latin America and Caribbean seat and Kenya and Djibouti will contest the seat available for the African group.

Previously, India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the Council for the years 1950-1951, 1967-1968, 1972-1973, 1977-1978, 1984-1985, 1991-1992 and most recently in 2011-2012.

India has been at the forefront of the years-long efforts to reform the Security Council, saying it rightly deserves a place as a permanent member of the Council which in its current form does not represent the geo-political realities of the 21st Century.

Each year the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members (out of 10 in total) for a two-year term.

The 10 non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis — five for African and Asian States; one for Eastern European States; two for the Latin American and Caribbean States; and two for Western European and other States.

The decision to hold the UNSC elections was adopted through a silence procedure, under which if no Member State raises any objections to the draft within a specified time period, the president of the General Assembly will circulate a letter confirming adoption of the text.

G 7:

Donald Trump’s Proposal for the expansion of G7

G7 is the group of top seven developed economies.

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It was established in the year 1975.

These include the US, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada.

Heads of States of these countries meet annually to discuss issues of global governance, including climate change, security and the economy.

The US currently (2020) holds the annual presidency of G7 countries. In view of the coronavirus pandemic, there were talks of the summit being held virtually. However, Trump had been suggesting that it be held in person.

China’s Reaction:

China on June 2, 2020 angrily reacted to US President Donald Trump’s plans to invite India, Russia, Australia and South Korea to G7 summit, saying that any attempts to draw a “small circle” against Beijing will be “doomed to fail” and become “unpopular”

China believes all international organisations and conferences should be conducive to mutual trust between countries to upholding multilateralism, promoting world peace and development.

Any attempts to seek a small circle against China is doomed to fail and is unpopular.

Trump’s invitation to Russia is regarded as a source of concern for China as Beijing had built up close relations with Moscow ever since it was expelled from what was previously known as G8 in 2014 by Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama following Russia’s takeover of Crimea.

Since then Russia has emerged as a close strategic ally of China. Reports from Russia said Moscow has shown its interest in accepting the

invitation to attend the G7 meet.

What happens in general?

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During the summit, the G7 president normally invites heads of states of one or two countries to attend the meeting as a special invitee. Last year, French President Emanuel Macron had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 Summit. Prime Minister Modi attended the G7 meeting in the French town of Biarritz in August last.

Why US is not interested in China?

The tension between the US and China is escalating over the coronavirus pandemic, with America accusing Beijing of not divulging timely information about the disease and demanding a probe into the origins of the virus.

There is a sense of disquiet here about Trump’s invitation to India and three other nations, especially at a time when he is seeking to isolate Beijing with a raft of measures including withdrawing the special status to Hong Kong in response to new Chinese security law for the former British colony, putting curbs on the Chinese students above undergraduate level, pulling the US out of the World Health Organisation pointing to its links to China.

Trump is also aggressively pushing for decoupling China from global supply chains which could hurt the world’s second-largest economy in the long run.

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India, that is Bharat:

The Supreme Court on June 3, 2020 ordered that a plea to change India’s name exclusively to ‘Bharat’ be converted into a representation and forwarded to the Union government for an appropriate decision.

“Bharat and India are both names given in the Constitution. India is already called ‘Bharat’ in the Constitution” - Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad A. Bobde

The counsel of petitioner , said ‘India’ is a name of foreign origin. The

name can be traced back to the Greek term ‘Indica’. Counsel said, “The word ‘Bharat’ is closely associated to our Freedom

Struggle. The cry was ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.” The court said the petition be transformed into a representation and

forwarded to the ministries, primarily the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The petition seeks an amendment to Article 1 of the Constitution, which says “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States...”. It wants ‘India’ to be struck off from the Article.

“This will ensure citizens of this country to get over the colonial past and instil a sense of pride in our nationality. Will also justify the hard fought freedom by our freedom fighters”.

The apex court had dismissed a similar petition in 2016. Then CJI T.S. Thakur orally remarked that every Indian had the right to choose between calling his country ‘Bharat’ or ‘India’ and the Supreme Court had no business to either dictate or decide for a citizen what he should call his country.

“If you want to call this country Bharat, go right ahead and call it Bharat. If somebody chooses to call this country India, let him call it India. We will not interfere,” – CJI in 2016.

Japan:

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Yamato city, near Tokyo submitted a bill to the city assembly to stop people from using cell phones while walking.

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Think:

How it will be if introduced in India?

Death of an elephant:

The elephant died in the Velliyar stream at Ambalappara near Thiruvizhamkunnu forest station on May 27 apparently after having sustained wounds in its mouth a few days earlier. The wound was presumably caused by some explosives set as a trap by local farmers against wild animals.

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau:

On 24th May 1994, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government

of India, constituted a Committee on “Prevention of Illegal Trade in Wildlife and Wildlife Products”. The Committee was headed by Dr. S. Subramaniam and it was to look into the issues related to illegal trade in

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wildlife and wildlife products and to make recommendations for its effective control.

In the year 2000 international attention focused on India due to apparent escalation in illegal wildlife trade in the country, following significant seizures of wildlife articles in Ghaziabad (18/12/1999) and Khaga (12/01/2000). In the 11th COP of CITES (Kenya 2000) India promised to open a Wildlife Crime Cell to tackle poaching of tiger and illegal trade in tiger parts and derivatives.

Consequently, a note for the Cabinet on constitution of Tiger and Other Endangered Species Crime Control Bureau was submitted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests on 24th May, 2007; and the Cabinet in its meeting held on 31st May 2007, approved the proposal for the constitution of the Tiger and Other Endangered Species Crime Control Bureau. The Government of India notified the constitution of the Tiger and Other Endangered Species Crime Control Bureau to be known as the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau vide Order No. S.O. 918 (E) dated 6th June 2007. It became operational in the year 2008.

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory multi-disciplinary body

established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to combat organized wildlife crime in the country.

The Bureau has its headquarter in New Delhi It has five regional offices at Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and

Jabalpur; three sub-regional offices at Guwahati, Amritsar and Cochin; and five border units at Ramanathapuram, Gorakhpur, Motihari, Nathula and Moreh.

Under Section 38 (Z) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, it is mandated to collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime activities and to disseminate the same to State and other enforcement agencies for immediate action so as to apprehend the criminals; to establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank; co-ordinate actions by various agencies in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of the Act; assist foreign authorities and international organization concerned to facilitate co-ordination and universal action for wildlife crime control; capacity building of the wildlife crime enforcement agencies for scientific and professional investigation into wildlife crimes and assist State Governments to ensure success in prosecutions related to wildlife crimes; and advise the Government of India on issues relating to wildlife crimes having national and international ramifications, relevant policy and laws.

It also assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the consignments of flora & fauna as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act, CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and EXIM Policy governing such an item.

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Why International Days are Celebrated?

International days are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity.

The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool.

June 5: World Environment Day

The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the climate that makes our planet habitable all come from nature.

For instance, each year, marine plants produce more than a half of our atmosphere's oxygen, and a mature tree cleans our air, absorbing 22 kilos of carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen in exchange. Despite all the benefits that our nature give us, we still mistreat it. That is why we need to work on that. That is why we need this Observance.

World Environment Day, hosted by Colombia this 2020, is the most renowned day for environmental action. Since 1974, it has been celebrated every year on 5 June: engaging governments, businesses, celebrities and citizens to focus their efforts on a pressing environmental issue.

The theme for World Environment Day 2020 is, 'Time for Nature,' with a focus on its role in providing the essential infrastructure that supports life on Earth and human development.

This focus is expected to provide an opportunity for driving the momentum and public awareness of nature as a key aspect in the lead up to the 15th meeting of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). COP 15 was expected to take place in October 2020, but will be rescheduled for 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Note:

COP 15 to be held in Kunming, China COP 1 was held in Berlin, Germany in 1995

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Kalyan Sir www.OnlineIAS.com

Pandya Era:

Pandyas of Madhurai is a dynasty from South India There were three ethnically Tamil lineages Chera, Chola and Pandya dynasties. The Ashokan major rock edict II and XIII mentions about these three

dynasties Sangham literature also mentions about these three dynasties These are on the South of river Krishna and Kaveri Madhurai was the capital of Pandyas Magasthenes (Greek ambassador) was the first to mention about Pandyas Magasthenes also mentioned about a Queen in Pandya kingdom. (It

highlights the matriarchal influence) Pandya is the kingdom of pearls Marco Polo (Italian traveller) also visited Pandya kingdom

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The Pandya rulers performed Vedic sacrifices

Marco polo travel route

Note:

Strait of Hormuz:

The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points

Kalyan Sir www.OnlineIAS.com

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Chola Kingdom:

It was between Pennar and Velar rivers The east coast of India where Cholas rules was called Chodomandalam or

Coromandel coast. Village administration was superior. Navy was very strong The political power was located in Uraiyur. Note: Uraiyur is very famous for cotton trade Cholas conquered Sri Lanka and up to Malaya Peninsula The capital city was Kaveripattanam The most famous king was Karikala Chola kingdom was declined with the Pallavas attack In the 7th century AD it was re-emerged under Rajaraja Chola and Rajendra

Chola The temples of Dravidian Architecture developed during the reign like

Gangaikondamcholapuram, Rajaraja temple etc

Chera Kingdom:

Chera or Kerala Its situated in the western coast The western coast where Chera kingdom existed is called Malabar coast They had trade relations with Romans The most important port was ‘Muzris’ port Romans built ‘Augusthus’ temple at this port The great king was Senuguttavan Spices were gown in this region The kingdoms were exporters of Ivory to the world

Dravidian Architecture:

Dravidian architecture was an architectural idiom that emerged in the

southern part of the Indian subcontinent or south India. It consists primarily of temples with pyramid shaped towers and are constructed of sandstone, soapstone or granite.

Dravidian architecture developed into its own form and tradition

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Pallava style culminated as the Dravida style of architecture. It was originated during the reign of the Mahendravarman I. It was originated in three distinct spheres such as mandapa, ratha and large temples.

White Collar, Blue Collar and No Collar:

White collar: Work in done in office and professional environment Blue collar: Work done manually (especially in industries. They may be

skilled or unskilled) No Collar or Collar less jobs: Those loading and unloading bricks, cement and steel from trucks. Hauling

bricks and mortar at construction sites. Those ironing clothes, tending to our gardens, pulling our rickshaws, fetching and carrying, cutting our hair, frying samosas and jalebis etc.

But their shirtless backs do not make the jobs less important. One can’t do without them.

Without barbers ….Imagine Rag-picker. This third category of working classes, that we somehow thought was

invisible thus far, is much more numerous than the other two, collared classes. We’ve not been noticing these workers because they are so meshed

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in our lives, we take them for granted. And because they were silent. They are the ones now speaking up and making their presence felt.

Q: Which of the following countries are the World’s highest polluters of the Oceans?

a. Australia and New Zealand b. USA and Canada c. China and Indonesia d. Russia and China

Answer: C

Note:

These two countries are contributing 1/3rd of the world’s pollution to the Oceans

Q: Which of the following days is celebrated as ‘World Oceans Day’?

a. June 5 b. June 8 c. June 10 d. June 21

Answer: B

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Note:

For 2020 World Oceans Day is growing the global movement to call on world leaders to protect 30% of our blue planet by 2030.

This critical need is called 30x30.

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By safeguarding at least 30% of our ocean through a network of highly protected areas we can help ensure a healthy home for all.

The day is celebrated by United Nations to highlight the role of the oceans

in everyday life and inspires action to protect the ocean and sustainably use

marine resources. The day was first celebrated in 1992

World Oceans Day 2020 Theme

The theme for World Ocean Day 2020 is 'Innovation for a Sustainable

Ocean'.

The rate by which human beings are polluting oceans across the globe

through their mindless actions is alarming. Plastic waste, decreasing levels

of water, impurities in water, and others, are causing massive harm to the

oceans and it is high time that we take serious actions to conserve our

oceans. On World Ocean Day, people come together and discuss the

innovative ways to save oceans for us and for our future generations.

World Oceans Day 2020 Theme

The theme for World Ocean Day 2020 is 'Innovation for a Sustainable

Ocean'.

On this day, events, seminars, rallies, etc are held by the people to raise

awareness about oceans.

2020 celebrations were held online due to coronavirus COVID-19

pandemic.

Industrial Sector liberalised in 1991 and not Agriculture Sector:

Both economic and emotional factors had prompted labourers to return home to villages where their families live. But in the immediate future, the

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factors that originally pushed people to move from their villages to cities still remain.

While the government’s economic revival package had a pro-rural tilt and an attempt to decongest cities, the difference between incomes earned in urban and rural India remains high. The average rural income, according to government estimates, is about Rs 41,000 per annum, compared to Rs 98,500 per annum in urban India.

This is a long-standing problem, sometimes called the ‘Bharat-India divide’. One of the striking facts about India’s development model has been uneven development of rural and urban India.

While the industrial sector was liberalised in 1991, agriculture was not. Successive governments seemed to have treated the green revolution as an adequate “reform” in agriculture. However, agriculture was shackled by a pro-cereal policy inspired by India’s need for self-reliance in agriculture. Today, at Rs 3.5 lakh crore, cereals contribute about a fourth of the value of crops produced in India.

Cereal:

The word "cereal" comes from 'Ceres', the name of the Roman goddess of harvest and agriculture

Cereal, also called grain, any grass (family Poaceae) yielding starchy seeds suitable for food. ... The cereals most commonly cultivated are wheat, rice, rye, oats, barley, corn (maize), and sorghum.

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A cereal is any edible components of the grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis) of cultivated grass, composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grains are grown in greater quantities and provide more food energy worldwide than any other type of crop and are therefore staple crops. Edible grains from other plant families, such as buckwheat (Polygonaceae), quinoa (Amaranthaceae) and chia (Lamiaceae), are referred to as pseudocereals.

n their natural, unprocessed, whole grain form, cereals are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, oils, and protein. When processed by the removal of the bran, and germ, the remaining endosperm is mostly carbohydrate. In some developing countries, grain in the form of rice, wheat, millet, or maize constitutes a majority of daily sustenance. In developed countries, cereal consumption is moderate and varied but still substantial.

Yet, government policies continued to focus on cereal agriculture. The need for markets, storage and infrastructure for non-cereals was thus critical to unlocking India’s growth potential in agriculture.

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The new ordinances announced as part of the economic package will pave the way for reforming Indian agriculture

While the government’s reforms are critical and very welcome, they will take time to impact farmer incomes. In the immediate future, support has been given to rural areas in the form of more spending on MGNREGA, Kisan Samman direct benefit transfers, higher MSPs etc. But income differentials remain.

The return of the migrants, while good for economic activity in coming weeks and months, will pose new challenges for cities. As India opens up economic activity without a Covid vaccine, the implicit hope seems to be to achieve herd immunity. Governments are asking the elderly, to stay at home, while the young are encouraged to go out, travel and work.

A study suggested that India, with its large young population, could acquire herd immunity in seven months.

So far, the herd immunity strategy that seems to be implicit in the unlocking of the economy is based on global data which suggests that people above the age of 60 are most vulnerable to the virus.

In Delhi, for example, 82 percent of Covid-related deaths have been of those above the age of 50.

It is possible that local data suggests a lower age cut-off is needed in India, which has a lower life-expectancy. There is a need to analyse datasets of Covid testing and related data, so that policy can be made on this basis on the characteristics of the Indian population. The government should make this data available to researchers

Q: Which of the following statement(s) is/are true regarding spread of covid 19 in India? (As on June 12, 2020)

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a) The Council of Medical Research (ICMR) asserted that the country is definitely not in COVID-19 community transmission phase.

b) It released the results of the first sero-survey on the pandemic spread that stated the urban slum population was most vulnerable to the spread, followed by urban settlement.

c) the risk of spread was 1.09 times higher in urban areas and 1.89 times higher in urban slums. The infection fatality rate is very low at 0.08%

d) The elderly, chronic morbidities, pregnant women and children less 10 years of age need to be protected as they fall in the high-risk category

Chose the correct answer from Below:

1. A, B and C 2. B, C and D 3. A, C and D 4. A, B, C and D

Answer: 4

Note:

ICMR is located in New Delhi Balram Bhargava the current Director General

Sarda Act (Child Marriage Restraint Act):

This act was passed on September 28, 1929 in the imperial legislative council of India

This act fixed the marriage age of girls at 14 years and boys at 18. This act is popularly known as ‘Sarda Act’ named after its sponsor Harbilas

Sarda.

Child marriage as marriage before 18 years of age - UNICEF UNICEF considers this practice as violation of human right. Child

marriage has been an issue in India for a long time, because of its root in traditional, cultural and religious protection it has been hard battle to fight

Consequences of Child Marriage:

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Child loses opportunities for education Segregation from family and friends Sexual exploitation Early pregnancy and health risks Child more vulnerable to domestic violence, Higher Infant Mortality Rate Low weight babies Increase in Pre-mature birth

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 came into force on 1 November 2007.

The object of the Act is to prohibit solemnization of child marriage and connected and incidental matters.

To ensure that child marriage is eradicated from within the society, the Government of India enacted Prevention of Child marriage Act 2006 by replacing the earlier legislation of Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929.

This new Act is armed with enabling provisions to prohibit for child marriage, protect and provide relief to victim and enhance punishment for those who abet, promote or solemnize such marriage.

This Act also calls appointment of Child Marriage Prohibition Officer for whole or a part of a State by the State government

Note:

To protect the interests of the children the Supreme Court of India in October 2017, gave a landmark judgement criminalising sex with a child bride.

Hence removing an exception in India’s criminal jurisprudence which had until then accorded legal protection to men who raped their minor wives.

Punishment:

Note: offence under this act is cognizable and non-bailable.

1. Punishment for male adult: If an adult male who is above 18 years of age contracts child marriage, he shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for 2 years or with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees or both.

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2. Punishment for solemnizing marriage: If a person performs, conducts, directs or abets any child marriage, he shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for 2 years or with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees or both

3. Punishment for promoting / permitting solemnization of marriage: Any person having charge of the child whether parent or guardian or any other person including member of organization or association of persons who does any act to promote the passing or permit child marriage or negligently fails to prevent it from being solemnized, including attending or participating such marriage, shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for 2 years or with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees or both

Nepal:

Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Kathmandu Nepal was a Monarchy and now a Republic It was headed by a King In the year 2002 Nepal Parliament was dissolved by the King because of

ineffective handling of Maoist issue It was reconstituted after protests In January 2007 interim Parliament replaced the old Parliament Constituent assembly election was held and it abolished 238 years old

Monarchy Constituent assembly was dissolved in 2012 after its failure Later second constituent assembly was established and it was converted

into legislative parliament of Nepal after the promulgation of its Constitution in the year 2015

The Parliament was dissolved in 2018 Constitution guarantees 33 percent of reservation to women in Parliament The Federal Parliament of Nepal is the bicameral federal and supreme

legislature of Nepal. It was established in 2018. National Assembly – Upper House (Strength 59) House of Representatives - Lower house (Strength 275)

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Out of 275, 165 are elected by the first past the post system (Single member constituency). 110 are elected through proportional representation. (Here the voters vote for political parties)

The National Assembly has 59 members. 8 members are elected from each of the seven provinces by an electoral

college of each province and

Three are appointed by the President on recommendation of the government.

They must include at least three women, one Dalit, and one member from disabled groups.

Members serve staggered six year terms such that the term of one-third members expires every two years.

President is the head of the state Nepal became Republic in the year 2008 Ram Baran Yadav was the first President of Nepal Bidhya Devi Bhandari is the current President of Nepal She is the first woman President of Nepal

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The Kalapani region derives its name from the river Kali. Nepal’s claims to the region is based on this river as it became the marker of the boundary of the kingdom of Nepal following the Treaty of Sugauli signed between the Gurkha rulers of Kathmandu and the East India Company after the Gurkha War/Anglo-Nepal War (1814-16). The treaty was ratified in 1816. According to the treaty, Nepal lost the regions of Kumaon-Garhwal in the west and Sikkim in the east. According to Article 5, the King of Nepal gave up his claims over the region west of the river Kali which originates in the High Himalayas and flows into the great plains of the Indian subcontinent. According to the treaty, the British rulers recognised Nepal’s right to the region that fell to the east of the river Kali. Here lies the historic origin of the dispute. According to Nepal’s experts, the east of the Kali river should begin at the source of the river. The source according to them is in the mountains near Limpiyadhura, which is higher in altitude than the rest of the river’s flow. Nepal claims that a land mass, high in the mountains that falls to the east of the entire stretch starting from Limpiyadhura downwards, is theirs. India on the other hand says the border begins at Kalapani which India says is where the river begins. The dispute is mainly because of the varying interpretation of the origin of the river and its various tributaries that slice through the mountains. While Nepal’s claim of the territory east of Kali is based on the Limpiyadhura origin, India says the river actually takes the name Kali near Kalapani.

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Kali River:

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Lateral Recruitment: Lateral placements means when a company recruits someone on levels

above the entry level

GOI

Ministry – Minister

Department – Secretary

Wing – Ad/JT Secretary

Division – Dy Secretary

Branch – Under Secretary

Section – Section Officer

The Centre in the year 2018 Opened to the private sector the option to apply for joint secretary-level positions in the Government of India. These vacancies are usually filled by qualified individuals after they clear the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination.

“The Government of India invites talented and motivated Indian nationals willing to contribute towards nation-building to join the government at the level of joint secretary,” (the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)).

Joint secretaries play a crucial role in senior managements in government departments. They lead policy-making decisions as well as the

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implementation of schemes of the department assigned to them. Joint secretaries report to the secretary or additional secretary of the respective ministries.

Bureaucratic positions have traditionally been filled by officers from all-India services, such as officers from the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Railway Service, Indian Police Service and Income Tax Service. What are All India Services?

“The proposal of lateral entry is aimed at bringing in fresh ideas and new approaches to governance and also to augment manpower,”.

Given the shortage of officers at the joint secretary level, lateral recruitment is a welcome change.

The move appears to have drawn from a recommendation of the Shashi Tharoor-led Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs.

In May 2016, it had recommended expanding the pool of applicants for the posts of ambassadors and high commissioners to beyond officers of the Indian Foreign Service and invite “eminent persons who have excelled in the field of community affairs, diaspora issues, foreign policy, area studies, literature, journalism etc”.

Earlier, NITI Aayog had also recommended lateral entry of professionals as joint secretaries to tackle the shortage.

The chairman of the NITI Aayog praised the DoPT’s decision.

“NITI’s experience with lateral entry has been extremely good,”.

“They bring in a vast number of fresh and vibrant ideas. This move by the govt was long overdue. Will catalyse UPSC entrants to specialise. Govt must also allow deputation of its officers to private sector, as well – VC of NITI Aayog

The DoPT has invited applicants with expertise in revenue, financial services, economic affairs, agriculture, road transport, shipping, environment, new and renewable energy, civil aviation and commerce.

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Private sector professionals above 40 years of age, with 15 years of work experience and expertise in these fields are eligible to apply.

Selected candidates were hired on three-year contracts and paid between Rs 1.44 lakh and Rs 2.18 lakh per month.

Their contracts could also be extended based on their performance, and once hired as a joint secretary, they can enjoy perks such as government accommodation and vehicle.

Applicants from the public sector will be appointed on deputation, but candidates from the private sector will be hired on a contract basis

NITI Aayog has recruited over 38 experts through lateral entry

The government thinktank NITI Aayog has recruited over 38 experts through lateral entry at the level of director and deputy secretary.

This is extending the Modi government’s bid to inject private talent into governance.

According to senior officers privy to the recruitment, offer letters were issued to around 38 appointees on 13 March. Their expertise and roles, range from economics and finance, trade and commerce, and data management and analysis, to rural development and infrastructure connectivity

Those hired are top-notch professionals from across the globe… And this has been in keeping with the PM’s vision of having a fine balance of domain experts and career bureaucrats in the government

The appointments process, was conducted by the Niti Aayog itself and not the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which is handling lateral-entry appointments to the central government.

However, according to the NITI Aayog rules, “Officers appointed on contract basis would not be entitled to residential accommodation, official transport, leave encashment or any other allowances/facilities as admissible to a regular government employee.”

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This is a departure from the lateral-entry recruitment done by the central government last year through the UPSC. The eight domain experts hired as joint secretaries in September 2019 — as part of the first phase of the scheme — have the same privileges as career civil servants

They have been recruited for a tenure that will “initially up to 3 years, which can be extended up to 5 years, depending on the requirements or till the age of 60 years, whichever is earlier”, according to the recruitment rules.

“All appointees shall be deemed to be public servants for the purpose of the CSS (central Secretariat Services Conduct) Rules and such other statutes as notified by the government from time to time. The employment contract can be terminated by either side with a minimum notice period of one month or pay in lieu thereof

GSP:

Generalized System of Preferences GSP is a unique tariff system extended to developing countries by

developed countries. The developing countries are also known as the beneficiary countries or

preference receiving countries. It allows low to zero tariff imports from developing countries making it a

preferential agreement. The Generalized System of Preferences GSP is a U.S. trade preference

program that provides trade opportunities for many of the world’s underdeveloped countries to grow their economies and rise out of poverty through trade.

The GSP is one of the oldest and largest U.S. trade preference programs. Established by the Trade Act of 1974, the GSP promotes the development

of economies by abolishing duties on thousands of products when they are imported from one of the 120 designated countries or territories.

GSP endorses sustainable development in the eligible beneficiary countries under the GSP program by helping these countries increase and diversify their trade with the United States.

A few of the items that India can export to the U.S. are namely agarbatti, copper items and kitchen household products, non-electrical lamps and lighting fixtures, etc. All these products are eligible for duty-free treatment

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when imported by the U.S., thus, promoting economic growth and development for the developing countries.

Note: Kalyan Sir OnlineIAS.com

The benefits that India enjoyed for many years under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme of the United States was withdrawn, effective 5 June 2018.

India was the largest beneficiary of the programme, of which it has been part since its inception in 1974.

In addition to aiding developing countries, GSP also supports U.S. jobs and helps keep American companies competitive.

By transferring the GSP imports from the docs to U.S. consumers, farmers and manufacturers, it supports thousands of jobs and families in the United States. Furthermore, it boosts the American competitiveness by the reduction in costs of imported inputs used by U.S. companies to manufacture goods.

It is specifically essential to U.S. small businesses, who rely on the programs duty savings to stay competitive. Besides promoting economic development opportunities in developing countries, the GSP full meaning which has been explained earlier also supports development in beneficiary countries in affording worker rights to their people and enforcing intellectual property rights as well as the rule of law. This has enabled the GSP program to promote and maintain its American values.

Advantages of GSP:

1. Indirect benefit for the Indian exporter – the Indian exporter benefits by way of reduced tariff or duty-free entry of eligible products. 2. The elimination of import duty on an Indian product provides a challenge for the importer to be competitive in terms of quality, product output and delivery on time. 3. The tariff preference aids new exporters to penetrate the market and establish increased exports to the U.S. to grow their market share and improve the profit margins to build the economy.

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Advantages for India:

India exports approximately $5 billion worth of products that fall under the GSP programme. Specific sectors such as the gem and jewelry, leather and processed foods are the leading players for GSP exports. Thus, GSP plays a vital role in the Indian economy.

However, with periodic reviews of the programme, India has been on crossfire due to its question whether it meets the eligibility criteria that requires a GSP beneficiary country to assure the U.S. that t will provide reasonable access to its markets. India has to continuously be at the forefront of the GSP programme to export its products since the majority of the economy is dependent on exports.

What can be done to maintain trading ties?

For India to continue enjoying the GSP Programme and maintain its exports to the U.S., the Government could offer financial help to those sectors affected by the slump. However, since India is also a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), it has to maintain its compliance there as well. Since WTO regulates to protect all its members equally from preferential treatment.

The answer here is that if the U.S. does not follow the WTO guidelines, other countries need to be able to protect their economies and industries. Even though India is a crucial player for the GSP Programme and being WTO compliant, the economy would be in a slump.

However, there is still hope. To diminish the suffering of losses, the Government could consider a refund of taxes for goods not under GST. Assisting with the protection of jobs and providing input credit when it is not available, together with reducing the taxes temporarily would help the sectors sustain themselves.

GSP has been a key part of India-US trade. It accounted for $6.3 billion

worth of Indian exports to the United States in 2018, which is a 12.1% of

total Indian goods exports to the United States — a sixth. The total duty

saved because of the scheme was $240 million. Indians were worried, more

significantly, of losing American importers of their goods, which would be

costlier now because of the newly imposed tariffs. Their buyers could

dump them for other suppliers, it was feared.

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Monopoly of words:

ITC – Indian Tobacco Company Ltd. - 1910 Nestle – Switzerland – 1866 Nestle is the largest food company in the World

The Madras High Court has ruled that neither of them can claim a monopoly over the word ‘magic’ to describe their product

Justice C. Saravanan asserted that expressions like ‘Magic Masala’ and ‘Magical Masala’ are “laudatory” and so, nobody can claim an exclusive right over their use.

The court observed, “The word “Magic” is laudatory. It is incapable of being appropriated by the plaintiff (ITC). As such, no person can claim any monopoly over the said word “Magic” or “Magical” or their derivative as they are common to the trade. Therefore, it is incapable of being monopolised by any trader.”

The High Court also pointed out that the expression ‘Magic Masala’ is commonly used in the food and cosmetic industry. It, in fact, observed that the expression was first adopted by Lays for their potato chips.

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It asserted, “The word “Magic” is also a common word in the food and

cosmetic industry. It is not a coined or invented word. It is inherently not a distinctive word … Since it is a laudatory word, it can never be monopolised.

It was ITC that began the legal battle back in 2013, after Nestle began using ‘Maggi Xtra-delicious Magical Masala’ to market its noodles.

ITC said that it had been selling Sunfeast Yippee! Noodles in the ‘Magic Masala’ variety since 2010. It therefore filed a suit in the high court demanding an injunction against Nestle from using ‘Magic Masala’ or any other similar term for its product. It had also asked for damages of over 10 lakhs

Asymptomatic:

A disease is considered asymptomatic if a patient is a carrier for a disease or infection but experiences no symptoms

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Oil Well Blown out:

An oil well in eastern Assam’s Tinsukia district experienced a blowout on the morning of May 27, 2020.

Machinery failure usually leads to a blowout, which is an uncontrolled release of crude oil or gas from a production well. What is blowout?

A blowout is the uncontrolled release of crude oil and/or natural gas from an oil well or gas well after pressure control systems have failed. Modern wells have blowout preventers intended to prevent such an occurrence. An accidental spark during a blowout can lead to a catastrophic oil or gas fire.

Difference between oil well and gas well? This particular well is under Oil India Limited or OIL's Baghjan oilfield It adjoins the Maguri-Motapung wetland and is not far from the Dibru-

Saikhowa National Park. The gas had been flowing out “uncontrollably” despite the pumping in of

water. Around 1610 families had been evacuated from nearby affected areas and

camped in four relief camps with an immediate compensation of Rs. 30,000 per affected family from OIL.

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Note:

Assam state is famous for tea and silk Famous Khamakya temple is located here Umananda temple is located in Peacock island (Brahmaputra) It has 33 districts Crude oil was discovered in Digboi in late 19th century and first oil well

was dug in 1866. Digboi is known as the Oil City of Assam where the first oil well in Asia

was drilled. The first refinery was started here as early as 1901

Handloom Industry in Assam:

Sualkuchi, situated in Kamrup district on the north bank of the Brahmaputra just 30-odd kilometres from Guwahati, is considered one of the biggest weaving villages in the world.

It is famous for its silk weaves — eri, muga and paat. But in March, its 17,000 handlooms came to a screeching halt, leaving thousands of weavers without an income.

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Think:

1. Karnataka High Court applied the principle of “bail is rule and denial is an exception” to allow the petitioner’s plea

2. Karnataka HC says the software engineer’s social media post is ‘likely to

cause disharmony, hatred and hostility to humanity… (and) panic amongst the people’. Sovereignty, Fraternity and Integrity of India takes precedence over Article 21 — the fundamental right of liberty”

Case 2:

On perusing the investigating officer’s report in the case, along with the case diary, the judge observed: “They prima-facie show that though the petitioner was well educated and well employed, (he) uploaded the above stated messages and they are likely to cause disharmony, hatred and hostility to humanity. They are likely to cause panic amongst the people when the entire world is undergoing a traumatic situation due to Covid-19 pandemic.”

Mujeeb has been booked on charges that carry a jail term of 3 years. Applying for bail, his lawyer cited the recommendation of a high-powered committee, constituted to decongest in view of the coronavirus pandemic, that undertrials be released if the charges against them carry a jail term of up to 7 years. However, the court refused to accept the argument in view of the police prosecutor’s claims about Mujeeb’s suspected terrorist links.

Background:

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In a social media post, quoted in the order, Mujeeb wrote, “Let’s Join hands, go out sneeze with open mouth in public place, spread the virus; spread the word to end the world and my stun gun is ready-killing dogs.”

He was arrested on 29 March and has been in jail since then. The Indian Penal Code (IPC) offences invoked against him are sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), 270 (whoever malignantly does any act that is likely to spread the infection of a disease dangerous to life), and 109 (abetting any offence).

Section 153A, which carries imprisonment of up to 3 years, is a non-bailable offence, while the ones under 270 and 505 are bailable.

The argument raised before the court was whether the punishment prescribed for an offence can be the sole criterion to grant bail.

Mujeeb’s counsel sought bail on the ground that he was booked for an offence that entails just three years of jail. The police prosecutor, however, opposed the argument to say the court was required to look into the nature and gravity of the charges against Mujeeb. He said the petitioner had links with unorganised terrorist groups.

Accepting police’s contention, the court said, “The investigation records show that the petitioner has a history of travel to and stay in Bahrain and Kuwait for some years. As per the records the petitioner was influenced by some elements preaching religious fanaticism and anti-national ideas, he even shared a Pak Whatsapp number for Islamic information. The investigation records further show that the petitioner was having six bank accounts in various banks.

IN-SPACe: Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre

IN-SPACe, the newly-announced body under the Department of Space, will be the nodal national entity to drive building of satellites, rockets, or launch services through Indian industry.

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IN-SPACe is the acronym for Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre, which was cleared by the Union Cabinet on June 24, 2020, as part of reforms in the sector that is growing fast in the world.

The new vertical with its own chairman and board will function autonomously and parallel to ISRO “without taking away anything from it,” - K.Sivan, Secretary, Department of Space and ISRO Chairman.

It will be powerful enough to promote and regulate all space-related activities of private industries. The year-old NSIL (New Space India Ltd) will have a larger role and be the industry front of IN-SPACe.

ISRO and its centres will focus on developing advanced technologies, human space flights, and the like. It will share its technical expertise with IN-SPACe.

IN-SPACe will be in place in 3 to 6 months. DoS will immediately start receiving and processing applications from

private sector industries. In a televised address Dr. Sivan outlined some of these major reforms in

the national space sector. The aim is to tap the potential in the Indian industry, startups and non-

government players and put them on the global map.

Domicile Rules in J and K:

New Domicile Rules that followed the termination of the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir, which was reorganised into two Union Territories, have brought succour and hope for a segment of its population that had to contend with fragmented citizenship rights for long.

This group, of two to three lakh people, is made up of refugees from Pakistan, sanitary workers resettled from other parts of India and Gorkhas who arrived as soldiers before Independence.

The erstwhile State of J&K gained special powers to define its ‘permanent residents’ and restrict land, educational and employment rights only to them.

This cohort was not classified as permanent residents, leading to a denial of opportunities to them in education, employment and politics — a situation not merely unjust but also untenable.

Subsequent to changes to Articles 370 and 35A in August 2019, in March 2020, the concept of “permanent resident of the State” was discontinued in J&K.

As per the new domicile rules, those persons and their children who have resided for 15 years in J&K, or have studied for seven years and appeared

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in the Class X or XII exam in an educational institution in the UT, are eligible for grant of domicile.

Besides mitigating the historical deprivation of one segment, the changes will enable many others currently living in J&K to get domicile and associated rights.

Not everyone is rejoicing, though. There are concerns that the changes in domicile rules will lead to a huge influx into the region; a more uncharitable interpretation is that a deliberate scheme to change the demographic character of the region is unfolding.

The National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party, both Valley-based parties, have reiterated their opposition to the changes.

In the Jammu region also, there are concerns that there could be dispossession of land and a shrinking of economic opportunities for local people. Movement of people across political and natural borders has been a constant feature of progress, and arguments over who are the original inhabitants of a place serve little purpose other than to accentuate political polarisation.

Economic growth and vitality of a society often positively correlate with its openness towards the outside world.

Communities that are not equipped to negotiate with unfamiliar market and cultural forces need some insulation. It is arguable that with relatively high rates of literacy, education and material standards, J&K is not susceptible to any demographic or economic takeover by immigrants.

Movement into the region will be largely driven by economic reasons. A state-driven reengineering of the demography of any place is not

desirable or democratic, but the fear of such a scenario is no good reason to retreat into a cocoon of nativism.

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