 A very good evening aspirants, welcome to the Hindu newspaper analysis brought to you by Shankar A.S. Academy. Today's date is 8th of December 2023. Displayed here are the list of news articles that we are going to discuss today. We have chosen news articles from 5th December as well. So without much delay, let us get into the first news article discussion. This article here talks about the border tension between Guyana and Venenswala. See the border tensions are currently in use because recently Venenswala held a referendum on whether it should exercise sovereignty over Esquibo. Esquibo is an oil-rich region and it is a disputed territory west of the Esquibo River. The territory is climbed by both Guyana and Venenswala but the Guyani's climb has been accepted internationally. So the article here says that instead of escalating the tensions, the dispute must be settled amicably. This is the crux of the article given here. So in this context let us discuss briefly about the issue between Venenswala and Guyana. It is very important for problems. So make a note of it. Now look at this map. In this map the area shaded orange is Venenswala, the area shaded dark green is Guyana and the area shaded light green is the disputed Esquibo region. Now as I said earlier, the Venenswala-Guyana border dispute revolves around the ownership of the Esquibo region. Unlike all border disputes, this one also dates back to the colonial era. In the 19th century both Venenswala and Guyana which was formerly British Guyana were colonies of Spain and Britain respectively. The border between the two territories that is between the Spanish Venenswala and British Guyana were settled through the 1899 arbitral award also known as the Paris arbitration. The 1899 award granted the entire mouth of the Orinoco river and the land on either side to Venenswala. It granted the land to the east extending to the Esquibo river to the United Kingdom. So according to the award the entire disputed region belongs to Guyana. But Venenswala has contested the validity of this agreement. Venenswala argued it was not part of the 1899 agreement and it was an illegal imposition by a colonial power. So over the years efforts have been made to find a resolution through diplomatic means and international forums. The United Nations has played a role in facilitating dialogue between the two countries to reach a peaceful solution. However the dispute remains unsolved causing tension between Venenswala and Guyana. But the issue pretty much remained dormant. Border tensions started escalating due to the discovery of potentially significant oil resources of the coast of Guyana. The presence of these oil resources has added complexity to the dispute as both the countries have sought to assert their right and claims in the region. Another reason why this issue is again gaining momentum is due to the upcoming elections in Venenswala. The approval rating of Venenswala and President Nicolas Maduro has recently gone down due to the bad state of the economy. Particularly shortage of essential and hyperinflation. So this border issue was brought into limelight to distract the voters. This is about the Venenswala-Guyana border dispute. So with these learnt points now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Take a look at this explainer article. It talks about the need to transform our agree food systems for a sustainable future. The article briefly discusses the issue with the current system of agriculture and the need to transform it in a sustainable basis. Now suddenly it is in news because recently the Food and Agriculture Organization FAO released a report called State of Food and Agriculture report. It gave a shocking data about the hidden cost of our global agree food systems. The report estimates that the cost of our global agree food system will exceed around 10 trillion dollars. This is even more shocking for the middle income countries like India where the cost accounts for nearly 11% of the GDP. Here the term hidden cost is very important. Hidden cost is nothing but the environmental cost due to farming like emission of greenhouse gases and nitrogen emission, water use, land use changes and etc. These hidden cost includes both health hidden cost and social hidden cost. The health hidden cost includes the loss in productivity due to unhealthy dietary patterns, obesity and etc. The social hidden cost or poverty and productivity losses associated with under nutrition. So here comes the question what is the reason behind these hidden cost? See the report blamed unsustainable agricultural practices like intensive cropping and mono cropping or the reasons for these escalating hidden cost. So the article blames the government for its skewed support mechanism. Let us understand the entire concept using a case study. See we know that under the National Food Security Act 2013 65% of households or around 800 million people in India are legally assured a right to food at subsidized rates through PDS. PDS is Public Distribution System to meet this requirement FCI. That is the Food Corporation of India will do procurement of food crops and maintain a central pool of food grains in the country. But the problem is it heavily favors rice and wheat. In 2019-2020 the FCI procured 341.32 lakh million tons of wheat and 514.27 lakh million tons of rice. In contrast the Indian government procured a total of only 3.49 lakh million tons of coarse grains like jovar, bajra, ragi, maize and barley. This is reflected in the results as the area under cultivation of coarse grains dropped by 20% between 1966-1967 and 2017-2018. Whereas the area under rice and wheat increased by nearly 20% and 56% respectively. So this case study highlights how a government's support system is increasing the hidden cost of our global agri-food system. Now let us understand the impacts of water intensive crops. See firstly it undermines the traditional knowledge on agriculture. As you all know the green revolution and intensive cultivation ensured food security in the country. But they also led to the marketing of high yielding varieties of paddy and wheat on agriculture. They exclusively constitutes more than 70% of India's agricultural production. The infusion of seeds purchased from MNCs and fertilizers undermined seed sovereignty of the nation. It dismantled the indigenous knowledge system. Secondly with respect to the ecological consequences it led to decreased soil fertility, reduction in the groundwater table, excessive extraction of groundwater due to export of virtual water, increased alkalinity and etc. Thirdly this model of privatization and deregulation of agricultural inputs also increased in-depth among agrarian households. Let us understand this using some data. In 2013 the depth to asset ratio of a farmer's household in India was 630% higher than in 1992. So this reflects agriculture in India has increasingly become unviable as the average monthly household income of a farmer household is around only 10,816 rupees. So with all these issues the goal of doubling a farmer's income will remind a distant dream. Finally this system has a great impact on the health. Know that unsustainable agriculture affects the biodiversity of the region and contributes to air and water pollution. The increased usage of fertilizers may have a bio-magnifying effect on the body. We also could not forget our national capital turned toward gas chamber due to stubble burning of agri-based in Punjab. So these are all some of the issues surrounding water intensive crops. So with this basic understanding now let us see what can be done to address this issue and ensure sustainability. Firstly this article talks about shifting to multi-cropping system to achieve the triple objectives of protecting the farmer's well-being, improving the nutritional outcome of our communities and positively impact ecological health. Here the diversified multi-cropping systems rooted in agroecology principles could be a viable solution to revitalize degraded land and soil. For this to happen we should improve the local practices to ensure a localized solution. For example the practice of Akkadi Saloon in Karnataka which involves inter-cropping with a combination of legumes, pulses, oil seeds, trees, shrubs and livestock. This approach enables cash provision from commercial crops, food and fodder production and offers ecology services such as nitrogen fixation and pest traps and it also supports the local biodiversity. They also collectively contribute to improving soil health. Secondly shifting to various climate resilient crop varieties like millers could increase the fertility of soil in the long term. For example the government should redirect the subsidies that is the MSPs to climate resilient crop varieties. In this way we can pay farmers for their contribution to sustain our natural capital instead of incentivizing them to deplete it. Another scientific cropping pattern should be made popular amongst the farmers. The article here highlights the visual representation of a diversified farm. It would look like allocating 70% for commercial crops, 20% for food and fodder and 10% for environmental services like oil seeds. This indicates for the reduction of commercial crops to 50% and border crops could be replaced with locally sustainable tree species for fruits and fodder. Finally we should note that it is unrealistic to expect farmers to shift away from mono cultivation of rice and wheat overnight. This transition need to be systematic. It should allow farmers to adjust gradually. There are line self-help groups and farmers producer organization. They could be encouraged. So these are all some of the very important take away points from this news article discussion. So these learnt points now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. Recently the Secretary-General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, CVF, priced India for investing in clean energy projects. Here note that former Maldives President Mr. Mohammad Naseed is the current Secretary-General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum. He said that more Indian companies are investing in clean energy projects in Maldives and in other climate vulnerable countries. He priced that this is a good investment of India which will help the climate vulnerable countries to tackle climate change associated effects. This is the cracks of the news article given here. So we shall understand few facts about climate vulnerable forum CVF in this news article discussion. See the CVF was found in November 2009 by the Maldives government. It was founded at Malay which is the capital city of Maldives. The CVF is basically an international forum for countries that are most threatened by climate change. To put it simply the CVF serves as a platform for countries that are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Apart from this the forum also serves as a South-South cooperation platform for participating governments. This helps the member countries to act together to deal with climate change. Talking about the members of CVF, see when the CVF was founded in 2009 it was composed of only 10 member countries. But currently the forum is composed of 58 members. The member countries are from various regions like Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Latin America and Pacific. These countries represent some 1.4 billion people worldwide. The member countries of the CVF or displayed here you can go through it. Talking about the presidency of the forum the CVF is led by a rounding chair. Once a country is chosen as the chair it will serve as a chair for the period of 2 years. Note that Ghana which is a country in Africa is the current chair for the period 2022 to 2024. Finally let us see the working of the forum. Firstly the forum is actively involved in building cooperation, knowledge and awareness on climate change issues. Secondly the forum is working to achieve maximal climate resilience in order to adapt to climate change impacts. Finally the forum is working to meet 100% domestic renewable energy production as soon as possible. These are also some of the very important points that you have to remember about CVF. So with these learnt points now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this middle page article. As you all know election to the 5 state assemblies has concluded recently. The article discusses the deciding factors of voting in Chattisgarh state. See before the election the congress party was in power in Chattisgarh. But in the recent election the BJP won the majority seats and it is going to form the government. So the article here discusses the factors responsible for the congress being voted out of power in Chattisgarh. The article highlights the high unemployment rate is the main factor which created distress among the voters. Corruption and price rise or some other factors. The article reports that more than one third of people with higher education in Chattisgarh were unhappy with the efforts of the previous congress government to generate employment. Apart from this 2 out of every 10 of the urban voters and the poor in Chattisgarh were also disappointed with the previous congress government regarding its inability to deal with unemployment. So from these points we can say that unemployment rate is the main factor responsible for the defeat of the congress party in Chattisgarh. This is the cracks of the news article given here. So in this context we will approach this topic with mains answer writing approach. Now look at this question discuss the unemployment scenario of India and what measures can be taken to tackle this unemployment wave. See this question can be asked in GS paper 3 and it is a very straightforward question. So in the introduction part since the question is about unemployment we can write the definition of unemployment. The intro can be like unemployment refers to the situation when some people are willing and able to work but they do not have or they do not find a paid job. To say it in technical terms the unemployment rate is the percentage of people in the labour force who are unemployed. Some of the causes of unemployment include reduction of the labour force, workforce fluctuations, technological changes and etc. So this way you can write the introduction for the question moving on to the main body of the answer. See in the main body of the answer you can split the content into two headings. First you have to write about the scenario of unemployment in India. Second you have to write some measures to tackle unemployment in India. So first we will see the scenario of unemployment in India. Here let us analyse the scenario by looking into the data from the recently released periodic labour force survey PLFS annual report 2022-2023. According to the report the unemployment rate in urban areas had decreased from 8.4% in 2017-18 to 4.4% in 2022-23 whereas in urban areas the unemployment rate has decreased 9.5% in 2017-18 to 7% in 2022-23. Now let us see the changes in female and male unemployment rates. The report shows that unemployment rate for male in India has decreased from 8.7% in 2017-18 to 5.1% in 2022-23. Likewise the unemployment rate for females had decreased from 9% in 2017-18 to 5.1% in 2022-23. Overall the report shows that there was a decrease in overall unemployment rate in India. This is a positive sign but still these unemployment rates are very high. Now let us see the reasons for this high unemployment rate in India. See the first reason is 2016 demonetisation. As we all know the central government demonetised 1000 rupees and 500 rupees note in 2016. The demonetisation caused economic disruption particularly in the informal sector. This resulted in job losses and contributed to high unemployment rate. The second reason is the implementation of the goods and services taxes. The government has introduced the GST in 2017. It was introduced with the aim of simplifying the tax structure. But still it causes some disruption in the economy which in turn affects businesses and employment. Early COVID-19 pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown measures impacted the Indian economy. As a result some businesses were closed and the economic activities were halted temporarily. These factors resulted in a surge in the unemployment rate. Note that still some businesses are struggling for recovery which is affecting employment. And the final important reason is inflationary pressures. See India is facing high inflationary pressures over the years. High inflation rates can erode the purchasing power of consumers. This leads to reduced demand for goods and services. And this situation can have a cascading effect on businesses resulting in cost-cutting measures including layoffs and hiring freezes. This is also one of the reason for high unemployment rates. So this way you can finish the first part of the question. Moving on to the second part. Here you have to suggest some measures to tackle unemployment in India. Firstly the government should promote skill development and occasional training. For example the government can collaborate with private institutions and industry experts to offer comprehensive training programs aligned with market demands. This would equip individuals with industry relevant skills making them more employable. Secondly strengthening education and industry collaboration. This can lead to development of curriculum aligned with industry needs. This would equip students with practical skills and improve their employability. Thirdly encouraging entrepreneurship and startups can also have a positive impact. For example promoting entrepreneurship can create new job opportunities. So the government can provide financial incentives for startups. This encourages innovation and entrepreneurship resulting in employment generation. Finally enhancing rural employment opportunities will help to address the unemployment situation. See a substantial portion of India's population resides in rural areas where employment opportunities are often limited. So by focusing on rural development schemes like agricultural modernization, rural infrastructure development and skill training for rural industries, the employment prospects can be improved in rural areas. Finally the potential of digitalization and technology can be harnessed to help generate employment. So these are all some of the ways that can be taken to tackle unemployment in India. Now moving forward in the conclusion part you can write that India is currently the most populous country in the world. So it is also rich in demographic dividend which means India is having a high number of working population. So the Indian government should devise suitable policies to tap the potential of the working population. And on the other hand it will empower the youths of India economically and it will foster the economic growth of India. So this way you can end the conclusion for this particular question. So these learnt points now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article the article says that the essence of Buddhism which is a book written by Professor P. Lakshmi Narasoo has been appreciated as the best book on Buddhism by B. R. Ambedkar. So in this news article discussion tray we are going to see few points about Buddhism. See in the 6th century BCE India witnessed a wave of urbanization within the gadgetic plains. At the same time certain sections of the population were fed up with the prevailing Vedic rituals and the rigid caste system. They were seeking an alternative. These conditions favoured the rise of Buddhism in India. Buddha's teachings swiftly gained popularity across North India. It gained popularity among the merchants, artisans and political classes. Now before diving further into Buddhism let us see some points about Buddha. Gautama Buddha was born in 563 BC in Lumbini which is located in Prasande, Nepal. His parents are Queen Maya and King Siddhodana of the Sakyan Kingdom. Buddha was originally known as Siddhartha Gautam. One of the pivotal moments in the life of Buddha is the attaining Nirvana in Bodhkaya. After attaining Nirvana he delivered his first sermon known as Dharma Chakra Parvartana at the deer park in Sarnathniya, Varanasi. Here Nirvana in Buddhism signifies the cessation of desire marking the end of suffering. Gautama Buddha attained Mahapari Nirvana that is death at Kushinahar in UP at age of 80 around 483 BC. Now talking about Buddhism, see the foundation of Buddhism revolves around the three jewels or tri-ratna. The first jewel is Buddha himself who is the enlightened one. The second one is Dhamma which is the teaching of Buddha. The third one is Sangha which is the monastic order. The fundamental principles of Buddhism are encapsulated in the four noble truths. They are the truth of suffering, the truth of origin of suffering, the truth of cessation of suffering and the truth of path to the cessation of suffering. That is Thukka, Samudaya, Niroda and Marga. Buddhism also puts forth the adherents to the noble eight-fold path to attain freedom and peace. They are given here you can go through it. Buddhism advocated the middle path that is Madhyamaga as a way to liberation. Buddha also rejected the authenticity of Vedas. Unlike Jainism which believes that everything in nature even a stone and water has a soul of its own. Buddhism does not believe in the concept of soul. These are some of the important points about Buddhism. Moving forward let us see some points about Tripitaka. See following Buddha's Mahapari Nirvana in 1483 BC at Kushinahar efforts were made to compile his teachings. This led to the convening of four Buddhist councils over 500 years. In these Buddhist councils the teachings of Buddha were consolidated into the Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma Pitakas. These three are collectively known as Tripitaka. An additional point to note here is that they are all written in the Pali language. Finally before concluding let us see few points about Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma Pitaka. First let us take Sutta Pitaka. Sutta Pitaka contains the sermons and the teachings of Gautama Buddha. It includes a wide range of subjects from ethical teachings to philosophical discussions and practical guidance for spiritual practice. Vinaya Pitaka contains the rules and guidelines for the monastic discipline. It outlines the code of conduct, disciplinary rules and protocols for the Sangha monastic community. Then the Abhidhamma Pitaka contains more specialized and systematic psychological teachings. It presents a more analytical and abstract understanding of the Buddha's teachings found in the Sutta Pitaka. So these are all some of the very important points that I have to remember about Buddhism with these learnt points. Now let us move on to the next news article discussion. This news article is about mugger crocodiles. It mainly focuses on the mugger crocodiles that live in Moya River in Tamil Nadu. The article talks about how the Adivasis in this region learnt to coexist with the crocodiles, leading to almost no negative interactions. The article also talks about the threats faced by the mugger crocodiles living in the Moya River. This is about the article. So in this news article discussion, let us cover the basics about the mugger crocodiles. See the mugger crocodiles which is also called marsh crocodile is a large reptile species. It is found primarily in freshwater habitats across the Indian subcontinent. Mugger crocodiles are carnivorous and primarily feed on fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and small mammals. They are opportunistic hunters and will prey on whatever is possible in their habitat. As they grow larger, their diet may include larger prey like deer and domestic animals. Now what about their habitat? See as I said earlier these crocodiles live in freshwater environments like rivers, lakes, marshes and ponds. They generally prefer slow moving waters. They also prefer areas with ample vegetation and places for basking. Now look at this image of a mugger basking. Coming back, these crocodiles can also adapt to brackish water habitat and are sometimes found in man-made reservoirs or irrigation canals. This is about the habitat of mugger crocodiles. Talking about their distribution, they are native to parts of the Indian subcontinent. They can be found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. In India it is reported to be present in 15 of India's states including much of the Ganga River drainage. Significant populations occur in Middle Ganga i.e. Bihar and Jackend, Chambal River, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and in Gujarat. And I mentioned earlier in the article around 100 muggers are found in the Moya River. Talking about their conservation status, see the mugger crocodiles are listed as vulnerable by IOCN. They are placed under Schedule 1 of WPA 1972 and they are placed under Appendix 1 of Sites. Finally, let us see the threats faced by the muggers. The first issue is the destruction of their natural habitat due to human activities like agriculture, urbanization and dam construction. Additionally, illegal poaching for their valuable skin and meat as well as the utilization of their body parts in traditional machine provides a pressing concern for the species survivor. In India, the introduction of non-native fish into the water bodies where mugger crocodiles reside poses a significant threat. This disruption to the ecosystem can impact their food sources and environment. Furthermore, the use of dynamite for fishing in their habitat is an alarming issue. This causes disruption and potential harm to the crocodile population. Lastly, the proliferation of invasive species like prosopis, julephlora along river banks disrupts and encroaches upon the nesting sides of these crocodiles. This also poses a severe threat to their reproduction and survival. So these are also some of the threats faced by mugger crocodiles. So it is very essential to note that continued conservation efforts and public awareness are crucial to protect these animals and their habitat from further decline. So these learnt points now let us move on to the next part of the news article discussion which is the preliminary practice question discussion. Now look at this question which one of the following describes the best the concept of Nirvana in Buddhism. So the correct answer here is option A, the extinction of the flame of desire. Now look at the second question, you have to find how many of the following countries share border with Guyana. The correct answer is option B, only three. Here in this map you can see that Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela share border with Guyana. Moving on, here four statements are given and you have to find which crocodilian species is represented in the statement. Here look at the second statement, this statement says this species has a unique thin and elongated snout. And the fourth statement says it is the most aquatic of all crocodilians for it never moves far from the water. So with these two statements you can easily find the answer. The correct answer here is option B, Garial. Garial is a critically endangered species. Moving on here two statements about climate vulnerable forum is given and you have to find which of the statements given above is so raw correct. The statement one says it only consists of island nations around the world that are mostly affected by climate change. So this statement is incorrect. It is not only consists of island nation but also other countries from different continents. Statement two says Maldives is the current chair of the forum of the 2022 to 24 period. This statement is incorrect. In the discussion we saw right, Ghana is the current chair of the CVF for the period 2022 to 2024. So the correct answer here is option D neither one nor two. So the question displayed here is the mains practice question for you today. Just go through the question, try to answer it in the comment section. With this we came to the end of the news article discussion. If you like the video hit like, do comment and don't forget to subscribe to Shankar IAS Academy YouTube channel. Now thank you so much for listening.