Sunrise industry

Sunrise industry Sunrise industry is an inherent concept that shows hope of a rapid boom for a developing sector or market in its infancy stage. Typically, the sunrise industries are characterized by high growth rates, numerous start-ups, and a wealth of venture capital funding. Such industries create a lot of “buzz” as investors take an interest in their long-term growth prospects and raise public awareness. Key  Features: A sunrise industry is a new business or business sector showing potential for substantial and rapid growth. Notable characteristics of sunrise industries include high-growth rates and a lot of start-ups and venture capital funding. As a sunrise industry develops, it may transition to the maturity stage and then to the sunset stage. To remain relevant and on an upward trajectory, sunrise industries must prove their viability and sustainability. Sunrise Industry: When an industry expands and matures over years or decades, it will transition from the sunrise period to maturity, and eventually, the sunset stage. A common example of such a transition is the compact-disks industry. This was a sunrise industry in the 1990s when compact disks replaced vinyl records and cassette tapes. Still, the increasing proliferation of 21st century digital, non-physical media may mean that the days of the compact-disk industry are numbered.  In competitive sectors like telecommunications, the transition from the sunrise to the sunset stages is likely to be more rapid. Despite the attention they draw at the outset, the sunrise industries still need to prove to be competitive, sustainable markets.  The excitement they create at the beginning could be focused primarily on speculation of the possibilities offered by the market, rather than any particular business activity. UPSC Prelims 2022 Detailed Answer Key Examples: Examples of sunrise industries include the 2003-2007 alternative energy sector, and the 2011-2012 social media and cloud computing industries. A sunrise industry is often characterized by a high degree of innovation, and its rapid emergence may threaten to push a competing industry sector into obsolescence which is already declining.  The dynamic business market is referred to as a sunset business, owing to its poor long-term prospects. The following are the few examples of the sunrise industry: IT industry of California and Bangalore Hydrogen fuel production Petrochemical industry Food processing industry Space tourism Online Encyclopaedias Scope of food processing industry in India: As per an estimate, India’s current food processing industry is estimated at USD 130 Billion and expected to attract huge domestic and foreign investment. Some of the key factors which are likely to increase the demand for processed food and consequently the food processing industry in the coming years are – India is a country of over 1.25 billion population. With rising middle class having a considerable disposable income, the domestic market offers 1.25 billion opportunities for the sector. India ranks no 1 in the world in the production of milk, ghee, ginger, bananas, guavas, papayas and mangoes. Further, India ranks no 2 in the world in the production of rice, wheat and several other vegetables & fruits. If the surplus production of cereals, fruits, vegetables, milk, fish, meat and poultry, etc are processed and marketed both inside and outside the country, there will be greater opportunities for the growth of the sector. Due to rapid urbanization, food habits are changing rapidly towards value-added foods. The change is accentuated by the fact that over 65% of India’s population is 35 or under, who are inclined to have processed food. Next to China, India is among the fastest growing economies in the world. The recent quantum jump in the ease of doing business ranking of the World Bank (from 130 to 100) indicates the conducive business climate in the country and expected to attract foreign investment into this sector. As per an estimate, around 40 percent of total food production is wasted due to the inadequate facilities for transportation, storage, processing and marketing. If these deficiencies are addressed, there is a huge scope for the development of the sector. Government  Innitiatives: Mega Food Parks Scheme Modernisation of Abattoirs scheme Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) Make In India Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now

Zero Coupon Bond

Zero Coupon Bond zero coupon bond is a debt security that does not pay interest but instead trades at a deep discount, rendering a profit at maturity, when the bond is redeemed for its full face value.1 Some bonds are issued as zero-coupon instruments from the start, while others bonds transform into zero-coupon instruments after a financial institution strips them of their coupons, and repackages them as zero-coupon bonds.  Because they offer the entire payment at maturity, zero-coupon bonds tend to fluctuate in price, much more so than coupon bonds. A zero-coupon bond is also known as an accrual bond. Zero Coupon Bond- Key Features: A zero-coupon bond is a debt security instrument that does not pay interest. Zero-coupon bonds trade at deep discounts, offering full face value (par) profits at maturity. The difference between the purchase price of a zero-coupon bond and the par value, indicates the investor’s return. What kind of bonds are these?: Recapitalisation bonds which carried interest and were sold to different banks, these “non-interest bearing, non-transferable special GOI securities” have a maturity of 10-15 years and issued specifically to Punjab & Sind Bank. “These recapitalisation bonds are special types of bonds issued by the Central government specifically to a particular institution. Only those banks, whosoever is specified, can invest in them, nobody else. It is not tradable, it is not transferable.  It is limited only to a specific bank, and it is for a specified period … it is held at the held-to-maturity (HTM) category of the bank as per the RBI guidelines. Since it is held to maturity, it is accounted at the face value (and) no mark-to-market will be there. So these are special kind of bonds issued by the government after proper (due diligence),”  Though zero coupon, these bonds are different from traditional zero coupon bonds on one account — as they are being issued at par, there is no interest; in previous cases, since they were issued at discount, they technically were interest bearing. “Now these are made zero coupon and besides that there is no difference, the said amount will be paid on the maturity as per the government notification … There is no coupon, it is zero coupon, it is issued at par and will be paid at the end of the specified period,” . A senior Finance Ministry official explained that while accounting of these bonds is at par, effectively it’s the net present value of the instrument which matters. “These are instruments which are a variation of the recap bonds but effectively meet the same purpose, and these are issued in conformity with the RBI guidelines,” . How do they differ from zero coupon bonds issued by private firms?: Zero coupon bonds by private companies are normally issued at discount, but since these special bonds are not tradable these can be issued at par. “There is a difference between zero coupon bonds issued by other corporates and these. normally zero coupon bonds are issued at a discount, which are tradable also.  Here, there is no question of trading and these are special types of bonds, which the government issues specifically to a specified person and it’s issued at par,”  While praising the government’s move to inject equity in banks, two top finance industry executives, who wished not to be named, said that this move buys times but doesn’t solve the problem permanently. “It is a great innovation by the government where it is using Rs 100 to create an impact of Rs 200 in the economy.  It is issuing a zero coupon bond aggregating to Rs 5,500 crore at par to Punjab & Sind Bank that will mature in tranches between 2030 to 2035.  The market value of this bonds would be around Rs 2,750 crore. Punjab & Sind Bank, by investing in these bonds from held-to-maturity category, won’t have to book mark-to-market loss and will value the bonds at cost, i.e. Rs 5,500 crore.  The government will infuse Rs 5,500 crore into equity capital of Punjab & Sind Bank,”. By doing so, the capital adequacy of Punjab & Sind Bank goes up by Rs 5,500 crore (instead of Rs 2,750 crore). “While this is a financial illusion, finally the government has realised that it is better to do what Western countries are doing rather than what their academicians are recommending us.  One must remember that financial illusion buys you time to put your house in order. It doesn’t solve the problem permanently but gives you more time to solve it,”  Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey.Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now

Operation Meghdoot

Operation Meghdoot Operation Meghdoot, was in support of the Indian Army and paramilitary forces in Northern Ladakh, to secure control of the heights predominating the Siachin glacier, also referred to as the world’s third pole and potentially a dangerous flash point on the disputed Northern borders. IAF Il-76s, An 12s and An 32s transported stores and troops, airdropped supplies to high altitude airfields while Mi-17s, Mi-8s, Chetaks and Cheetahs ferried men and material to dizzy heights far above the limits set by the helicopter manufacturers. In fighting for this “roof-of-the world” since April 1984, the IAF’s incredible performance at the extremes of temperature and altitude, remains a continuing saga of fortitude and skill. Siachen operations actually started way back in 1978. The operation was entrusted to one of the Kumaon Battalions, supported by Ladakh Scouts. Initial assault was led by Maj (later Col ) RS Sandhu, VrC. This military operation was unique because it was the first assault launched in world’s highest battlefield. During the operation, Indian troops landed on Bilafond La on Saltoro ridge, west of Siachen glacier, on Friday, April 13, 1984. It was a Baishakhi day. The operation resulted in Indian troops gaining control of the entire Siachen glacier, giving India strategic advantage and also maintaining status quo. Siachen not only gives India opportunity to test the mettle of its own troops but also useful for R&D in various military disciplines.  With occupying Siachen, India prides of sustaining its dominance on world’s highest battlefield, however has paid heavy price for it in the form of human costs. Significance he Karachi Agreement that was signed in July 1949 did not specify who had authority over Siachen Glacier.  In 1970s and 1980s, the Pakistan Government gave permission to mountaineering expeditions. India made its first air landing on the glacier in 1978. The conflict began when Pakistan allowed Japanese expedition to scale Rimo I (an important peak in the region) in 1984.  This increased the suspicion of Indian Government over Pakistan legitimising the glacier. This led to the launch of Operation Meghdoot. The Operation Meghdoot was launched on April 13, 1984. Under the operation, the Indian troops successfully gained control of entire Siachen glacier. 

Dedicated Freight Corridor

Dedicated Freight Corridor The DFC consists of two arms. The section launched on Tuesday is part of the 1,839-km Eastern DFC that starts at Sohnewal (Ludhiana) in Punjab and ends at Dankuni in West Bengal.  The other arm is the around 1,500-km Western DFC from Dadri in Uttar Pradesh to JNPT in Mumbai, touching all major ports along the way. The 351-km section stretches between Khurja, the 12th stop after Sohnewal in the North, to New Bhaupur, near Kanpur. Other stretches are Sohnewal to Khurja (365 km), Bhaupur to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay (Mughalsarai) (400 km), then to Sonnagar in West Bengal (137 km), then to Dankuni via Gomoh in Jharkhand (538 km). There is also a section under construction between Dadri and Khurja to connect the Eastern and Western arms Need for Dedicated Freight Corridor Project: The Indian Railways’ quadrilateral linking the four metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Howrah, commonly known as the Golden Quadrilateral; and its two diagonals (Delhi-Chennai and Mumbai-Howrah), adding up to a total route length of 10,122 km comprising of 16% of the route carried more than 52% of the passenger traffic and 58% of revenue earning freight traffic of IR. The existing trunk routes of Howrah-Delhi on the Eastern Corridor and Mumbai-Delhi on the Western Corridor were highly saturated, line capacity utilization varying between 115% to 150%.  Railways lost the share in freight traffic from 83% in 1950-51 to 35% in 2011-12. Not only this, the National highways along these corridors comprising 0.5% of the road network carried almost 40% of the road freight. The surging power needs requiring heavy coal movement, booming infrastructure construction and growing international trade led to the conception of the Dedicated Freight Corridors along the Eastern and Western Routes, to begin with. Recently, three new corridors namely East West, East Coast and North South sub corridorsanctioned for DPR preparation. Green Initiative: DFCCIL will decongest already saturated road network & promote shifting of freight transport to more efficient rail transport.  This shift is expected to offer significant reduction of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions in transport sector in India. It is expected that DFC will save more than 450 million ton of CO2 in first 30 years of operation (Assessment based on Ernst & Young study). Why is it important? Around 70% of the freight trains currently running on the Indian Railway network are slated to shift to the freight corridors, leaving the paths open for more passenger trains. Built at a cost of Rs 5,750 crore through a loan from World Bank (which is funding a majority of the EDFC; the WDFC is being funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency), the new stations in this section are Bhaupur, Kanchausi, Achalda, Ekdil, Bhadan, Makhanpur, Tundla, Hathras, Daudkan and Khurja.  This section passes through Kanpur Dehat, Auraiya, Etawah, Firozabad, Hathras, Aligarh and Bulandshahr districts in Uttar Pradesh. This is like building an entire railway network from scratch, independent of Indian Railways. All the installations are new. Including the stations, and that’s why the names of a majority of its stations are prefixed with ‘New’, such as New Bhaupur, New Khurja etc. Tracks on DFC are designed to carry heavier loads than most of Indian Railways. DFC will get track access charge from the parent Indian Railways, and also generate its own freight business. Timelines: April 2005 Project announced by Hon’ble Prime Minister & Hon’ble Minister for Railways Feb 2006 CCEA gave in-principle approval for the project based on the RITES Report Oct 2006 Incorporation of DFCCIL (Shedule”A”) Government Company, as SPV Nov 2007 CCEA gave in-principle approval along with permission for undertaking preliminary works including land acquisition Feb 2008 CCEA approved Eastern & Western DFC Corridors and authorized expenditure up to Rs.28,181 crore with the direction to finalize funding arrangements Sept 2009 Cabinet approved JICA loan for WDFC along with STEP loan conditionalities Mar 2010 JICA Loan Agreement for JPY 90 billion (Rs.5100 crores) signed for Western Corridor Phase-I Oct 2011 Loan Agreement with World Bank for USD 975 Million (Rs.5850 crores) signed for EDFC-1 (Khurja-Bhaupur) Jan 2013 First Civil, System & Track Contract (Bhaupur – Khurja) – EDFC worth Rs.3267.54 crores awarded Mar 2013 JICA Loan Agreement for WDFC Phase-II : 1st Tranche amounting JPY 136 billion (Rs.7750 crores) signed June 2013 Civil contract for Rewari-Palanpur section (WDFC) awarded Feb 2014 Concession Agreement between DFCCIL & MoR signed Dec 2014 Loan agreement with World Bank loan of USD 1100 million signed (EDFC-2) June 2015 World Bank loan of USD 650 million sanctioned (EDFC-3) June 2015 Cost estimate of Rs. 81,459 Crores approved by CCEA Oct 2019 Trial Run started in Khurja-Bhadan section (194 Km) of EDFC Dec 2019 Trial Run started in Rewari-Madar section (306 Km) of WDFC     Way Forward: There are certain firsts for this section. For instance, 68 existing level crossings have been eliminated to augment speed, the only major section on Indian Railways that is free from any permanent or temporary speed restrictions.  This in a way sets the bar for rest of the DFC to also make stretches free from speed restrictions, or “cautions” as they are termed in Railways. Freight trains usually suffer from unpredictable running times and low speeds of around 25 km per hour. But on this new section they can run at 50-60 kph. This section will also catch the freight traffic originating from key centres such as Kanpur Dehat, Aurayia, Etawah, Firozabad, Hathras, Aligarh and Bulandshahr.  The existing industrial areas of Aligarh, Khuja, Firozabad, Agra and Bhaupur will become major growth centres of the area, the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation projects in its business development plan. These areas are agriculture hubs producing potato, paddy and maize. “The agricultural produce will get a pan-India market because of cheaper and faster DFC connectivity. New Makhanpur (Firozabad) and New Daudkhan (Aligarh) will be opened as common user terminals aimed at local farmers in sending their produce to the larger markets. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant India and Russia have stepped up their cyber security cooperation in the backdrop of cyber-attack on Kudankulam nuclear power plant built by global nuclear major Rosatom.  Indian authorities have appraised Russia that necessary steps have been taken to prevent similar incidents in future on the Indo-Russian joint venture.  History of Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant: In 1988, during Rajiv Gandhi period a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) for construction of nuclear power plant in India was signed between two countries India and Soviet (Russia).  But due to several factors from political and economic crisis the project has been put on hold since there was a breakup in soviet and moreover with the objection from US stating that the agreement signed didn’t meet up with the current Terms and Conditions from the group of nuclear suppliers.  Previously before 2004 the water reactor equipment was brought through roads as their mode of transport from Tuticorin port and due to various difficulties of damages incurred during its transportation. It decided to select a Naval point base and come up with an idea to develop a small port near the tip of the country and they felt the best place would be Koodankulam in southern part of Tamil Nadu and then a small port become operational on January 14, 2004. The main purpose of its construction is toreceive baggage’s carrying oversized light water reactor from ships anchored at a few distance of half a km from its port. In 2007 a MOU was signed between India and Russia and when Russian president Vladimir Putin visited India he had discussion with Manmohan Singh and both countries have planned to promote the use of nuclear energy to certain heights. Need for Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project: The KNPP reactors are being set up without sharing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Site Evaluation Study and Safety Analysis Report with the people, or the people’s representatives or the press.  No public hearing has been conducted for the first two reactors either. There is absolutely no democratic decision-making in or public approval for this project The important issue of liability for the Russian plants has not been settled yet. Defying the Indian nuclear liability law, Russia insists that the InterGovernmental Agreement (IGA), secretly signed in 2008 by the Indian and Russian governments, precedes the liability law and that Article 13 of the IGA clearly establishes that NPCIL is solely responsible for all claims of damages. The quality of construction and the pipe work and the overall integrity of the KNPP structures have been called into question by the very workers and contractors who work there in Koodankulam. There have been international concerns about the design, structure and workings of the untested Russian-made VVER-1000 reactors. Even when the KNPP projects function normally without any incidents and accidents, they would be emitting Iodine 131, 132, 133, Cesium 134, 136, 137 isotopes, strontium, tritium, tellurium and other such radioactive particles into our air, land, crops, cattle, sea, seafood and ground water. Already the southern coastal belt is sinking with very high incidence of cancer, mental retardation, down syndrome, defective births due to private and government sea-sand mining for rare minerals including thorium. The KNPP will add many more woes to our already suffering people. The coolant water and low-grade waste from the KNPP are going to be dumped in to the sea which will have a severe impact on fish production and catch.  This will undermine the fishing industry, push the fisher folk into deeper poverty and misery and affect the food security of the entire southern Tamil Nadu and southern Kerala. More than 1 million people live within the 30 km radius of the KNPP which far exceeds the AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) stipulations.  It is quite impossible to evacuate this many people quickly and efficiently in case of a nuclear disaster at Koodankulam. Facts and reasons for shutdown of Koodankulam Nuclear power plant: No proper canvassing has been given with the public in and around Nuclear power plant about the issues and construction of power plant. The opinion suggested regarding the plant by the Russian Scientist was made hidden and no Site Evaluation Study has been given to the public. According to Tamil Nadu Government act 828 – There should be no building other than power plant building till 2 km and 2 – 5 Km area should be a sterilization zone and the fact towards the people and their house location was hidden. According to AERB report within 5 Km there should not be population more than 20,000 and within 10 Km no area should be populated with 10,000 peoples but near to KNPP within 3 Km itself 20,000 people live in a village and 12,000 people from Idithankarai village and 450 families from Kasa village are being populated. Moreover within 10 Km there should be only less populated peoples but it doesn’t meet up with the criteria. Bad condition of the pipe, Local contractor, politicians, low priced goods are some reason of statement that comes in day today news from various Medias by taking this issue into consideration. Malware attack: The NPCIL admitted that computer systems at the Kudankulam nuclear power station had been infected with malware since early September 2019. The NPCIL infection is said to be caused by Dtrack. Dtrack is a Trojan virus that creates backdoors into computer networks. This was originally developed and commonly used by North Korean hackers with state backing. However, there are many variations of Dtrack, and the code may have been adapted by another group. Way Forward: Ramping up security across the power grid should be a strategic priority for the government. A holistic plan must be devised and implemented to prevent disastrous cyber attack . Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. JOIN NOW

Biofuel & 3Es

Biofuel & 3Es Biofuel are being supported by many governments for a range of perceived benefits including improved domestic energy security, reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when compared with fossil‐fuel counterparts, and economic development and employment generation, particularly in rural areas.  Life‐cycle, cost‐benefit, and systems analyses, however, indicate that the expansion of biofuels can have complex effects on, and interactions with, land use and food and fuel prices. Department of Biotechnology has been promoting R&D for biofuel technology development recognizing the need for clean and renewable energy for transportation.  Government of India has recently in June 2018 announced new policy on Biofuels and an indicative target of 20% blending of ethanol in petrol and 5% blending of biodiesel in diesel is proposed by 2030. Department has taken significant efforts in this direction with major focus on 2nd generation biofuels. Economic Security & Biofuels: Replacing fossil fuels with biofuels—fuels produced from renewable organic material—has the potential to reduce some undesirable aspects of fossil fuel production and use, including conventional and greenhouse gas (GHG) pollutant emissions, exhaustible resource depletion, and dependence on unstable foreign suppliers. Demand for biofuels could also increase farm income. On the other hand, because many biofuel feedstocks require land, water, and other resources, research suggests that biofuel production may give rise to several undesirable effects.  Potential drawbacks include changes to land use patterns that may increase GHG emissions, pressure on water resources, air and water pollution, and increased food costs.  Depending on the feedstock and production process and time horizon of the analysis, biofuels can emit even more GHGs than some fossil fuels on an energy-equivalent basis. Biofuels also tend to require subsidies and other market interventions to compete economically with fossil fuels, which creates deadweight losses in the economy. Economic models show that biofuel use can result in higher crop prices, though the range of estimates in the literature is wide. For example, a 2013 study found projections for the effect of biofuels on corn prices in 2015 ranging from a 5 to a 53 percent increase . The National Research Council’s (2011) report on the RFS included several studies finding a 20 to 40 percent increase in corn prices from biofuels during 2007 to 2009.  A National Center for Environmental Economics (NCEE) working paper found a 2 to 3 percent increase in long-run corn prices for each billion gallon increase in corn ethanol production on average across 19 studies.  Higher crop prices lead to higher food prices, though impacts on retail food in the US are expected to be small (NRC 2011).  Higher crop prices may lead to higher rates of malnutrition in developing countries.  Environmental Security & Biofuel The replacement of fossil fuels with fuels generated from biomass would have significant and positive climate-change effects by generating lower levels of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Bioenergy crops can reduce or offset greenhouse gas emissions by directly removing carbon dioxide from the air as they grow and storing it in crop biomass and soil.I In addition to biofuels, many of these crops generate co-products such as protein for animal feed, thus saving on energy that would have been used to make feed by other means. The Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme launched in October 2018 aims to establish an ecosystem for production of compressed biogas (CBG) from various waste biomass sources in the country. Energy Security & Biofuels: Substantial potential exists to expand both food and fuel supply in a sustainable fashion. These include: Boosting yields of food crops and residues; Freeing up farmland through yield improvements; Reducing losses and waste in the food chain; Freeing up pastureland through better livestock management. Further biofuel potential could also be unlocked through: Afforestation using fast-growing trees; Algae cultivation from organic waste or carbon dioxide. Way Forward: Part of this potential can be harnessed through “first-generation” technologies, which produce biofuel from crops like sugar cane, maize and palm oil. More can be harnessed through “second-generation” technologies, which convert lignocellulose from farm and forest residues, grasses and wood.  More still can be harnessed through “third-generation” technologies to produce biofuel from algae. Due to rising oil prices and depleting fossil fuel reserves, interest in biofuels has increased over the last decades, with first-generation (1G) biofuels falling behind coal, oil, and gas in several performance dimensions. Advanced biofuels (2G, 3G) can contribute to sustainable transportation. Their manufacturing involves microorganisms, predominantly bacteria, yeasts, and algae. Such biofuels can replace liquid and gaseous transportation fuels. current challenges are the use of lignocellulosic biomass (2nd-generation biofuels), which is available abundantly, by thermal or enzymatic methods.  Hopes are placed on 3rd-generation biofuels, i.e., energetic compounds obtained from microorganisms like algae or cyanobacteria from sunlight. These technologies have not yet reached commercial maturity, and metabolic engineering can support research efforts.

Interconnect usage charges (IUC)

Interconnect usage charges (IUC) Reliance Jio announced that it is ending interconnect usage charges (IUC) for all domestic voice calls, which is in line with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) directions to move towards Bill and Keep (BAK) regime which is coming into force from January 2021. In short, it means that Jio will make its voice calls free for all types of calls. In 2019-end, when TRAI had extended the deadline to abolish IUC charges, Jio had started charging its subscribers at 6 paise per minute if they were making mobile calls to the customers of other telcos such as Airtel, Vodafone Idea, etc. Initially, Jio asked its subs to buy top-up plans – valued between Rs 10 and Rs 100 – to pay for IUC charges, but later, these charges were merged in the recharge plans.  Though Jio compensated its subs with giving out data of the equivalent value. Interconnect usage charges – Bill and Keep: The new regime, where zero termination rate is payable, is known as bill and keep. A termination charge was paid to the operator on whose network the call terminated by the originating network. Trai had then said it has to keep the interests of 2G/3G subscribers in mind. It had further said traffic imbalance between an only 4G operator (Reliance Jio) and other operators had reduced from the peak of approximately 60 billion minutes per month in December 2017 to 40 billion minutes per month in June 2019. It had earlier expected this imbalance to be corrected by 2020 but since it did not happen the regulator extended the rate by a year. Advantages of Bill & Keep (BAK): Fosters Cost Recoveries from Operations Rather than Competitors Increased Usage and Support for Innovative Tariff Plans. Does not impact profits. Eliminates on-net and off-net pricing discrepancies Facilitates Competition. Avoids predatory pricing. Is Future Proof as it supports convergence of voice and data networks

India’s Two-Front Challenge

India’s Two-Front Challenge India’s Two-Front Challenge – : China’s premeditated aggression and intrusions on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, is a manifestation of its geopolitical intent to constrain, intimidate and dominate India.  China has employed force levels unmatched since 1962 against India, which it regards as a future strategic rival.  The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) transgressions in Ladakh has also brought about greater physical proximity between and increased prospects of strategic and operational collusion between the militaries of China and Pakistan. “Such developments should leave no doubt in the minds of Indian strategic planners and defence policymakers that India faces a two-front challenge.  China- Pakistan: Till recently, any mention of a two-front war evoked two contrasting opinions. India’s military was firmly of the view that a collusive China-Pakistan military threat was a real possibility, and we must develop capabilities to counter this challenge. China has always looked at Pakistan as a counter to India’s influence in South Asia. China, through its chequebook diplomacy, wants to exercise this hegemony over the South-Asian neighbours. In this pursuit, China would want to drain India’s economic resources on the border confrontation. Thus, a two-front war scenario can be a strategy by China to undermine India’s role in its neighbourhood. Military cooperation is growing, with China accounting for 73% of the total arms imports of Pakistan between 2015-2019. India & Issues Related to Two-front War Scenario: The political class in general and the mainstay of the country’s strategic community felt that a two-front threat was being over-hyped by the military to press for additional resources and funds.  They argued that historically, China has never intervened militarily in any India-Pakistan conflict and that the economic, diplomatic, and political ties between India and China rule out any armed conflict between the two countries. As a result, Indian strategic thinking was overwhelmingly focused on Pakistan and the security considerations emanating from there. India’s Two Front Challenge – Way Forward: In the Indian military’s thinking, while China was the more powerful — and therefore strategic — foe, the chance of a conventional conflict breaking out was low. The reverse was true of Pakistan, with a greater likelihood of conflict along the western border possibly triggered by a major terror attack emanating from Pakistan. The Chinese intrusions in Ladakh in May this year, the violence that resulted from clashes between the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army, and the deadlock in negotiations have now made the Chinese military threat more apparent and real.  The direct result of this, then, is the arrival of a worrisome two-front situation for New Delhi. Even if the current India-China crisis on the border is resolved peacefully, China’s military challenge will occupy greater attention of Indian military planners in the months and years to come.

Community fishing banned at Assam Ramsar site

Community fishing banned at Assam Ramsar site The Kamrup (Metropolitan) district administration has prohibited community fishing at Deepor Beel, a wetland on the south-western edge of Guwahati and Assam’s only Ramsar site. Fishing at Deepor Beel, a wetland on the south-western edge of Guwahati and Assam’s only Ramsar site. The prohibition order under Section 144 of the Cr.PC underlines the possibility of community fishing on January 3 and will remain beyond the mid-January Magh or Bhogali Bihu that is preceded by mass fishing in many parts of the State. “Some people from the villages around and adjoining Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary such as Keotpara, Mikirpara, Paspara, Azara, Tetelia, in tandem with people from various fringe parts of Guwahati city are likely to venture out to organise community fishing on January 3, 2021 and even after that also,” said an order from Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), Guwahati. “And whereas such ventures are absolutely illegal under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which will also cause irreparable as well as irretrievable damage to the ecosystem of the sanctuary as presented by the divisional forest officer (Guwahati Wildlife Division),” said the order effective from January 1-31. District officials said the order was necessary to prevent fishing, excavation and construction in and around the wetland that has been shrinking over the years. Wide range of species Deepor Beel was designated a Ramsar site in 2002 for sustaining a range of aquatic life forms besides 219 species of birds. A Ramsar site is a wetland designated to be of international importance under the Convention on Wetlands on February 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the Caspian Sea shore. According to hydrological experts, the area of the wetland was about 6,000 hectares in the late 1980s. Satellite imagery has revealed that its area has shrunk by at least 35% since 1991. Deepor Beel officially has an area of 4,014 hectares or 15.5 square miles. “One of the reasons the wetland is in a precarious state is that it is losing connectivity with small rivers like Kalmoni, Khonajan and Basistha that used to flow via the Mora Bharalu channel through Guwahati,” said Bibhav Talukdar of green group Aaranyak. Expansion of the city, encroachment upon the natural channels through Guwahati and from the hills around, and a municipal waste dump at Boragaon almost on the edge of the wetland were the other factors. Assam had 3,513 wetlands and a majority of them had water with low turbidity. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now

Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary

Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary The Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is one of the oldest in India, Kanchipuram district – 86 kms from Chennai About 250 years ago the locals noticed that this area comprising several lakes and ponds attracted a large number of birds. About Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary The landlords used it as a hunting ground, but the farmers observed that the water from the lake helped to increase their agricultural yield as the bird droppings contributed to the urea content. The farmers then teamed up to protect the birds Responding to repeated complaints about hunting expeditions by British soldiers, the Collector granted legal protection to the birds in 1798.  The area was recognised as a Sanctuary in 1936 and was named a Reserve in 1962 by the Madras Forest Act. It was upgraded to a wildlife sanctuary in 1972 by the Wildlife Protection Act. Till date the local community holds low key functions and marriages during the breeding season of the birds marking their exemplary link with the ecosystem. A tank having a compact grove of Barringtonia and Acacia nilotica trees Dry evergreen scrub and thorn forests. These sanctuaries are famous for their breeding heronry including cormorants, egrets, grey heron, open-billed stork, darter, spoonbill, white lbnis, night herons, grebes, grey pelican etc.  Many migratory birds like garganey teals, shovellers, pintails, stilts, sandpipers etc. Visit the sanctuary in winter. A variety of resident birds like coots, moorhen and terns can also be seen. Vedanthangal is the oldest water bird sanctuary in the country. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. JOIN NOW