In News

Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died on 8 July 2022, hours after he was shot at a rally.

About the News

• As a mark of respect to Abe, India’s Prime Minister announced one-day national mourning on 9 July.
• Abe, a recipient of Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour in India. During his tenure, India and Japan scaled bilateral ties to a level that has not often been forged between two countries so consistently and progressively in recent times.
• He visited India thrice in January 2014, December 2015, and September 2017. No other Prime Minister of Japan has made so many visits to India.

How did India- Japan relationship prosper during Abe’s tenure?

• While the foundation for “Global Partnership between Japan and India” was laid in 2001, and annual bilateral summits were agreed in 2005, Abe accelerated the pace of ties since 2012.
• Indo-Pacific: In August 2007, when Abe visited India for the first time as PM, he delivered the now-famous “Confluence of the Two Seas” speech — laying the foundation for his concept of Indo-Pacific, when the Quad was formed.
  • This concept has now become mainstream and one of the main pillars of India-Japan ties.
• Special strategic and global partnership: Abe worked with former prime minister Manmohan Singh to elevate India-Japan relations to a Special strategic and global partnership in 2006 to boost all-round cooperation and contribute to greater regional peace and stability.
• Civil Nuclear Agreement: He was resolute in pursuing the civil nuclear agreement with India – a most difficult one for Japan.
• Defence cooperation: While the security agreement was in place since 2008, under Abe the two sides decided to have Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Meeting (2+2) and started negotiations on the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement — a kind of military logistics support pact.
  • Naval cooperation deepened with Japan's induction as a regular participant in the Malabar Exercise. Exercises between ground forces also commenced under his watch.
• Stood by India on stand-offs with China: Since 2013, Indian and Chinese soldiers have had four publicly known border-stand-offs — April 2013, September 2014, June-August 2017, and the ongoing one since May 2020. Abe’s Japan has stood with India through each of them. During the Doklam crisis and the current stand-off, Japan has made statements against China for changing the status quo.
• Infrastructure cooperation: During Abe’s visit in 2015, India decided to introduce the Shinkansen system (bullet train). Under Abe’s leadership, India and Japan also formed the Act East Forum and are engaged in projects in the Northeast, closely watched by China.
  • The two countries also planned joint projects in Maldives and Sri Lanka among others to counter Beijing’s influence.
• Others: Abe joined hands with him to support flagship initiatives such as Make in India and Skill India. Japan emerged as a leading source of foreign direct investment. India and Japan also started joint connectivity projects such as the Asia Africa Growth Corridor.

Reforms by Shinzo Abe in Japan

• Abenomics: On the economic front, his signature strategy of ‘Abenomics’, which relied on a mix of bold quantitative easing, fiscal spending, and structural reforms, managed to ignite growth in a stagnant economic landscape. Japan witnessed its longest economic expansionist streak under Abe before the impact of COVID-19 grinding it to a halt.
• Womenics: In an attempt to help women get into the workforce, Abe’s ‘womenics’ pushed companies to increase their hiring of women with the help of specially tailored government policies such as preferential government contracting to reward companies that hired women and government-funded day-care centres.
• Security: Shaped by his conviction that Japan should assert its strategic role regionally and globally, he increased defence spending and was unapologetic about the need for Japan to enhance its power projection capabilities.
  • His government reinterpreted the Constitution to allow Japanese troops to fight abroad for the first time since World War II, as well as revoked a ban on exercising the right to defend a friendly country under attack.
• Japan’s role in the global security architecture has evolved to a point where discussions are underway about it potentially joining the Five Eyes intelligence partnership between the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Sources:

• Decoded: Shinzo Abe's role in strengthening Indo-Japan ties:
• Explained: What Shinzo Abe, who had a special rapport with Narendra Modi, achieved for India-Japan ties:
• Why Shinzo Abe will always remain special for India:
• Shinzo Abe and India: A lasting legacy:

In News

The Central Consumer Protection authority (CCPA) under the Department of Consumer Affairs has notified ‘Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022’.

Motivation behind the new guidelines

• The guidelines seek to ensure that consumers are not being fooled with unsubstantiated claims, exaggerated promises, misinformation and false claims.
• Such advertisements violate various rights of consumers such as right to be informed, right to choose and right to be safeguarded against potentially unsafe products and services.
• The Guidelines apply to advertisements published on all platforms including print, television, and digital platforms, and to manufacturers, traders or service providers who advertise.

Important Provisions in the new guidelines

• The conditions for non-misleading and valid advertisements: An advertisement can be considered non-misleading if it contains true and honest representation of goods and does not exaggerate the accuracy, scientific validity or practical usefulness or capability.
  • In case of unintentional lapse, the advertisement may still be considered as valid if the advertiser has taken prompt action in letting the consumer know the deficiency.
• Defines misleading advertisements, bait advertisement and surrogate advertisement.
  • Bait advertisements need to follow conditions such as shall not seek to entice consumers to purchase goods, products or services without a reasonable prospect of selling them, there is adequate supply to meet foreseeable demand to meet etc.
  • No surrogate advertisement or indirect advertisement shall be made for goods or services whose advertising is otherwise prohibited or restricted by law.

• Free claims advertisements: Conditions to be followed like not describe any goods, product or service to be ‘free’, ‘without charge’ or use such other terms if the consumer has to pay anything other than the unavoidable cost of responding, make clear the extent of commitment that a consumer shall make, not use the term ‘free trial’ to describe a ‘satisfaction or your money back’ offer etc.
• Children targeted advertisements: Advertisements that condone, encourage, inspire or unreasonably emulate behaviour that could be dangerous for children or take advantage of children’s inexperience, credulity or sense of loyalty etc. have been prohibited.
  • the goods which require a health warning should not be advertised through children as well as personalities from music, sports and cinema.
  • an advertisement may be considered as children targeted if the advertisement of any goods, product or service which addresses or targets children may develop negative body image in children or give any impression that such goods, product or service is better than natural or traditional food.
  • advertisements including "chips, carbonated beverages and such other snacks and drinks" shall not be cast on channels exclusively meant for children.
• Other Reforms: The guidelines have also introduced the need to have "disclaimers in advertisements" to "clarify a claim made in such advertisement or make qualifications or resolve ambiguities therein in order to explain such claim in further detail."

Sources:

• The new rules to keep advertisements in check
• Centre issues ‘Guidelines on Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022’
• Gazette notification of Guidelines on Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022’
• Guidelines For Prevention Of Misleading Advertisements And Endorsements For Misleading Advertisements, 2022

In News

Cloudburst has caused flooding and led to injuries and deaths of the pilgrims and the localites recently in Amarnath, Jammu and Kashmir.

Understanding Cloudbursts

• What is it? : A cloudburst refers to an extreme amount of rain that happens in a short period, sometimes accompanied by hail and thunder.
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) defines cloudburst as unexpected precipitation exceeding 100mm (or 10 cm) per hour over a geographical region of approximately 20 to 30 square km.
• Basically, all instances of cloudbursts involve heavy rain in a short period, but all instances of heavy rain in a short period are not cloudbursts if they do not fit this criterion.
• The consequences of cloudburst include flash floods, landslides, land caving and mudflows.

Why does it occur in hilly areas like Amarnath?

• It is difficult to predict when exactly a cloudburst will occur, and there is little definitive data on the exact number of cloudbursts that occur in India.
• Due to their confinement to a very small area, they cannot be predicted and identified immediately.

• In the Indian Subcontinent, it generally occurs when a monsoon cloud drifts northwards,from the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea across the plains then on to the Himalaya that sometimes brings 75 millimetres of rain per hour.
• Thus, while cloudbursts can occur in plains, hilly terrains and mountains are more vulnerable to the phenomenon- areas such as Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Western Ghats in India.
• Their likely occurrence in mountainous zones is mainly because of terrain and elevation.
  • The reason being, in hilly areas, sometimes saturated clouds ready to condense into rain cannot produce rain, due to the upward movement of the very warm current of air.
  • Instead of falling downwards, raindrops are carried upwards by the air current.
  • New drops are formed and existing raindrops increase in size.
  • After a point, the raindrops become too heavy for the cloud to hold on to, and they drop down together in a quick flash.
  • And during a cloudburst, the relative humidity and cloud cover would be at the maximum level with low temperature and slow winds due to which high amount of clouds may get condensed at a very rapid rate and result in the event.

• • As temperatures increase, the atmosphere can hold more and more moisture and this moisture comes down as a short very intense rainfall for a short durationprobably half an hour or one hour resulting in flash floods in the mountainous areas and urban floods in the cities.

How is it different from Rainfall?

• Rain is condensed water falling from a cloud while cloudburst is a sudden heavy rainstorm.
• Rain over 100mm per hour is categorised as a cloudburst.
• The cloudburst is a natural phenomenon, but occurs quite unexpectedly, very abruptly, and rather drenching.

Impact of Climate Change on Cloudbursts:

• Climate change is found to have increased the frequency and intensity of cloudburstsin many cities across the globe.
  • The World Meteorological Organizationin 2021, noted that there is about a 40% chance of the annual average global temperature temporarily reaching 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level in at least one of the next five years.
  • It added that there isa 90% likelihood of at least one year between 2021 and 2025 becoming the warmest on record and dislodge 2016 from the top rank.
• It is seen that more cloudbursts are happening in Himalayan region because the decadal temperature risein the Himalayan region is higher than the global rate of rising temperatures.

Source:

• Explained: What are cloudbursts, and why they occur more in places like Amarnath
• Amarnath Tragedy: What Are Cloudbursts? How Are They Linked to Climate Change?
• Explained: Why cloudbursts could become more frequent

Image source:

• Amarnath yatra floods live | Amarnath pilgrims continue to throng Jammu in hordes

On July 11, 1990 World Population Day was celebrated for the first time. The World Population Day is observed every year on July 11 in order to raise awareness about the global population issues, including population control. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), the day “offers a moment to celebrate human progress”.

The theme for the World World Population Day 2022 is “A world of 8 billion: Towards a resilient future for all – Harnessing opportunities and ensuring rights and choices for all.” The United Nations Development Programme’s Governing Council had established the ‘World Population Day’ in 1989 after the global population crossed five billion in 1987. In 1990, the day was recognised by the United Nations General Assembly. As per the UNPF, the world population will hit the eight billion mark in 2022. In 2011, it had hit the seven billion mark.

Source:

• World population day 2022: Why is it celebrated, significance:

• Context:  The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has recently come up with a plan for the conservation of the Sannati Buddhist site at a cost of ₹3.5 crore.
• Sannati is an ancient Buddhist site on the bank of river Bhima near Kanaganahalli in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka.

• The ASI excavation at Sannati has unearthed the remains of a large stupa- known as the Shakya Maha Chaitya along with several sculptures that were strewn around.
• The stupa is likely to have been initially built during Asoka’s reign and later renovated by Satavahana kings, and has inscriptions depicting Buddhist art (depiction of Jataka tales and miracles of the Buddha) and culture in the region.
• It also has symbolic and anthropomorphic forms of the Buddha-these depict the Manusha Buddhas, depicted with symbols such as nagamucchalinda (serpent with five or more hoods), elephant, swan, dharmachakra and empty throne with cushions.
• The slabs are decorated with architectural motifs and flora and fauna, which form part of the festoons and garlands.

Source:

• Sannati: Ancient Buddhist site finally in focus after 20 years
• Sannati

Image source:

• When Buddhism reached Karnataka

• Context: The Singalila National Park, the highest protected area in West Bengal has recently launched a programme that aims to release about 20 red pandas in a period of five years
• Red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) are small reddish-brown arboreal mammals and the only living member of the genus Ailurus.

• They are shy and solitary and are considered an indicator species for ecological change.
• It is found in the forests of India, Nepal, Bhutan and the northern mountains of Myanmar and southern China.
• It thrives best at 2,200-4,800m, in mixed deciduous and conifer forestswith dense understories of bamboo.
• In India, About 5,000-6,000 red pandas are estimated to be present in Sikkim, western Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling district of West Bengal and parts of Meghalaya.
• They are categorized as an endangered species as per IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and are also one of the most iconic species in terms of their importance to global conservation.
• They are listed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• It is the state animal of Sikkim.
• The Singalila National Park is a reserved forest area located at the Singalila ridge in Darjeeling and is considered the highest altitude park in the State of West Bengal.

Source:

• Re-wilding red pandas: Darjeeling Zoo attempts country’s first augmentation of endangered mammal in the wild
• Re-wilding red pandas: Darjeeling zoo attempts country’s first augmentation of endangered mammal in the wild

Image source:

• Red Panda

• Context: Students in East Sikkim have reported skin infections after their recent contact with Nairobi flies.
• Nairobi flies, also known as Kenyan flies or dragon bugs, are small, beetle-like insects oftwo species: Paederus Eximius and Paederus sabaeus.
• It's a species of insectnative to East Africa.

• They are orange and black in colour andthrive in areas with high rainfall, as has been seen in Sikkim in recent weeks.
• Like most insects, they are attracted to Bright lights.
• These insects usually don't bite but if they are disturbed during their stay on human skin, they could release apotent acidic substance that can cause burn on human skin.
• The released substance is called Pederin and it can cause irritation on the skin, which leads to lesions or unusual marks or colouring of the skin.
• Past outbreaks have been reported in Africa, India, Japan, and Paraguay.

Source:

• Explained: What are Nairobi flies, which are causing disease in Sikkim?
• Bihar: High alert in Purnia over reports of Nairobi Fly attacks in West Bengal

Image source:

• Explained: What are Nairobi flies, which are causing disease in Sikkim?

• Context: The Pasmanda Community has recently gained attention of many political parties for inclusive growth and eradication of intra caste discrimination.
• ‘Pasmanda’,a Persian term meaning “those who have fallen behind” refers to Muslims belonging to the shudra (so called “backward”) and ati-shudra (so called “Dalit”) castes.

• It was adopted as an oppositional identity to that of the dominant ashraf Muslims (so called “forward castes”) in 1998 by the Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz, a group which mainly worked in Bihar.
• Pasmandas encompass those who are socially, educationally and economically backward and make up the majority of the Muslim community in the country.
• The term“Pasmanda” is majorly used by Muslim associations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and other parts of India to define themselves as Muslim communities historically and socially oppressed by caste.

Source:

• Explained: Who are Pasmanda Muslims, focus of BJP outreach?
• Pasmandas must open their eyes after UP bypolls. Ashraaf Muslims only guard own interests

Image source:

• In Uttar Pradesh, Pasmanda muslims organise themselves and demand quota

Essence: Author is of the opinion that roll out of GST has transformed Indian supply chains and the logistics sector. GST has led to a reduction of at least 12% to 15% in transport time between major cities. There is complete integration of processes that involve manufacturers, logistics service providers and consumers.  Author is hopeful that increased efficiency in the logistic sector will lead to increased value addition in the Indian economy and further increase in better quality of employment in India.

Why should you read this article?

• To understand the impact of implementation of GST on the logistics industry.

Source:

• The GST launch: An inflection point for India’s logistics sector:

Essence: The article has been written in the backdrop of recent assassination of Japan’s former Prime Minister, Mr. Shinzo Abe and his contribution in providing stability to Japan’s geopolitics, economy and security. The article goes on to examine how India's relationship with Japan evolved to be where it is now and how Abe was crucial to that development. Abe played a significant role to fulfil India's infrastructure, technical, and developmental objectives, shares its strategic concerns and become a partner for the present and the future.

Why should you read this article?

• To comprehend Mr. Shinzo Abe's contribution to Japan's overall development as the previous prime minister of Japan.
• Recognize Abe's contribution to India's development goals and the history of the country's connections with Japan.

Source:

• Abe, a true friend of India:

Background

• Given how dependent farmers are on the vagaries of monsoon, government policies and various other external factors, it has become extremely important for them to find ways of supplementing their income.
• Agritourism, a concept made popular in India by Pandurang Taware, has given a boost to farmer’s regular income.

About Taware’s initiative

• Agritourism, as a concept, has been prevalent in Europe for a long time and has many takers as well.
• Pandurang saw potential in establishing a similar concept in India as well and in 2002 he moved to his village to find ways of starting agritourism. He is also known as the ‘Father of Agritourism Concept in India.’
• Before formally launching the agritourism concept in Maharashtra, Pandurang spent in a market sample survey and that data helped in structuring the entire concept.
• Armed with this data, in 2005, Agri Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) was launched from Maharashtra.
• The idea behind the venture was not just to host urban dwellers but to make sure that they experienced the life of a farmer. Along with this, the fresh produce from the farm is also available for purchase and this also boosts the income of the farmers.
• Pandurang was also instrumental in drafting the policy on agritourism in Maharashtra and this policy mandates schools to ensure that students from Class 5 to Class 10 spend time visiting a farm for one compulsory educational trip every year.
• The introduction of agritourism claims to have helped over 628 farmers earn Rs 58 crore in the last financial year (pre-COVID).

Quote: “India is not Calcutta and Bombay; India lives in her seven hundred thousand villages.” – M.K. Gandhi

Source:

• ‘Father of Agritourism’ Helps Over 600 Farmers Earn Rs 58 Crore; Here’s How: