 Good evening aspirants, welcome to daily news analysis where Shankara IS Academy, today's date is 19th August 2023, displayed here are the list of topics we are going to see today. Let us get into the discussion. Before the discussion, I have an important announcement to make, Shankara IS Academy's pre-storming the series is about to begin on 11th September. The first test will start from 18th September. The other details regarding the test series is given here, you can go through it. Now let us start the discussion. Now take a look at this news article. The article says that, while speaking at a conference at Ramana Dapuram, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister mentioned that, Retriving the Kachethivu Island from Sri Lanka will resolve the issues faced by TN Fisherman. In this conference, the Chief Minister also announced some subsidies for fishermen. This is about the news article. In this context, let us discuss the Kachethivu issue in detail. The Kachethivu issue is a territorial dispute between India and Sri Lanka over uninhabited island in Park Street. The island is located about 16 km from the coast of Tamil Nadu and 30 km from the coast of Sri Lanka. The island is uninhabited as there is no source of drinking water on the island. The only structure on the island is St. Anthony Church. The island has been a source of conflict between two countries since 20th century. During British colonial rule, the island was part of Madras Presidency. In 1974, India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement that gave Kachethivu to Sri Lanka. The agreement was signed under the leadership of then Indian Prime Minister Indra Gandhi. The agreement aimed to settle the maritime boundary dispute between India and Sri Lanka. The agreement was controversial in India and many people in Tamil Nadu continued to demand the return of island back to India. The main reason for the dispute is the island is a valuable fishing ground. The Indian fishermen have traditionally fished in the waters around the island but since 1974 agreement, they have been harassed and arrested by Sri Lankan Navy. This has caused a lot of resentment in Tamil Nadu and it is a major political issue in the state. In recent years, there have been a number of attempts to resolve the Kachethivu issue. In 2008, the Indian government appointed a committee to study the issue. The committee recommended that island to be returned to India but the Sri Lankan government rejected the recommendation of this committee. In 2013, the Indian government and Sri Lankan government signed a new agreement that allows Indian fishermen to fish in the waters around Kachethivu. However, the agreement was not effective in resolving the issue and there have been continued reports of harassment and arrest of fishermen in that area. So the Kachethivu is a complex issue and there is no easy solution. However, it is an important issue for both India and Sri Lanka and it should be resolved in a way that it is fair to both countries. There are many arguments for and against the return of Kachethivu to India. Now let us see the arguments in favour of returning Kachethivu to India. See many people claim that the island was part of India for centuries and it is a valuable fishing ground for Indian fishermen. Also the Sri Lankan navy has been harassing and arresting Indian fishermen in the waters around the island. So the return of island would solve many of the issues for TN fishermen. Now what are the arguments against returning the Kachethivu to India? See the island is now a part of Sri Lanka's territorial waters. The Sri Lankan government has invested in infrastructure on the island and the return of island would affect other territorial disputes in the region. Also the Sri Lankan fishermen claim that Indian fishermen uses big fishing trawlers and cause overfishing in the region which leads to loss to Sri Lankan fishermen. So the Kachethivu issue is a sensitive one and it is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. The Tamil Nadu government has always been critical of the issue because the island's transfer was done without consulting the Tamil Nadu assembly. This resulted in huge protests within the state. So this is all we need to know about Kachethivu issue. Now let us move to the next topic. Take a look at this article. This is about India's Chandra and 3 mission. On August 17, the propulsion module and the lander module of Chandra and 3 mission successfully separated from each other. Then yesterday August 18, the lander module underwent a deboosting operation. This is done to reduce the orbital diameter of lander module. This is about the article given here. In this discussion, we will see few points about the main components of this mission. So there are three main components in Chandra and 3. They are propulsion module, lander module and rover. First the propulsion module. This is the largest module of Chandra and 3 and it is responsible for carrying the lander and rover to the moon. It also has a communication system that allows the lander and rover to communicate with the earth. Next is lander module. This is a module that will land on the moon. It has a number of scientific instruments that will be used to study the lunar surface. It has a robotic arm that is used to deploy the rover. The lander module is named as Vikram lander. Next is the rover. This is a small wheeled vehicle that will explore the lunar surface. It has number of scientific instruments that will be used to study the lunar geology and environment. This rover is named as Pragyan. Now let us see these three components in detail. First let us take up the propulsion module. The propulsion module plays a critical role in Chandra and 3. It carries the lander module from the lunar vehicle injection stage to the final lunar orbit. In addition to this, the propulsion module has its own scientific payload. This payload will operate once the lander module separates from the propulsion module. The payload is called spectropolarimetry of habitable planet earth which is shape. This payload will be used to study the spectral signatures of earth. This scientific payload in the propulsion module is expected to function for a period of three to six months gathering data from the orbit around the moon. So this is all about the propulsion module. Now let us take up the lander module. As we know the lander module is named as Vikram lander. This Vikram lander is a crucial component of Chandra and 3. It is designed for soft landing on moon surface. As we saw earlier the lander module underwent a successful deboosting operation. The deboosting operation aims to gradually decrease the altitude of lander's orbit preparing it for controlled descent to the moon surface. The lander module is expected to land on moon surface on coming August 23. The lander has four scientific payloads. These payloads will help scientists study the quacks, thermal properties of lunar surface, changes in plasma near the surface and also a passive experiment to accurately measure the distance between earth and moon. And the fourth payload of Vikram lander comes from NASA. So this is all about the lander module. Finally let us see the rover module that is Pragyan. Since the lander module has successfully landed on the surface of moon, the Pragyan rover will be deployed. There are two payloads on this Pragyan rover. So this rover is designed to study the chemical and mineral composition of the lunar surface. It also determines the composition of elements such as magnesium, aluminum and iron in lunar surface and the rocks. This rover's mission lifespan is one lunar day, which is approximately 14 earth days. It will be able to travel up to a distance of 500 meters on lunar surface. The rover will also be used to search water on the moon. The Pragyan rover is a significant technological achievement for India because it is the first Indian rover to land on the moon. So this is all about this discussion. In this discussion, we saw few points about propulsion module, Vikram lander and Pragyan rover. Now let us move to the next part of our discussion. Take a look at this editorial article. As you can see in the title, this article speaks about technological ties between India and Japan. So why this topic suddenly appeared in the news? See last month, India and Japan agreed to collaborate on semiconductor technology. The collaboration aims to create a more resilient supply chain for semiconductor technology between India and Japan. Under the agreement, both the countries have agreed to work together for the joint development of semiconductor ecosystem. So because of this only, this article appeared in the news today. In this discussion, we will understand some important points provided in the news article. Before that, let us learn some basics about India and Japan ties. According to government sources, India and Japan ties date back to 6th century. As we all know, Buddhism originated in India and later it was spread to many other countries. Japan was also one of the countries that got attracted to Buddhism. So this was the main factor behind the establishment of ties between India and Japan. Later in 1752 AD, an Indian Buddhist monk named Bodhishena visited Japan. This was the earliest documented direct contact of India with Japan. Apart from this, some prominent Indian leaders like Swami Veharanda, Rabindranath Thawhur and Netaji Subash Chandra Bose have visited Japan. This also helped India to establish ties with Japan. Despite these factors, the formal diplomatic relations between India and Japan were established on 1952 after signing a peace treaty. However, since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have enjoyed cordial relations. So with this information, now let us learn some points about India's defence and economic relations with Japan. First let us see the defence relations. See the defence cooperation between India and Japan began in 1999. See in 1999, the respective coast guards of Japan and India conducted a maritime exercise. Even in 2004, both the defence forces of India and Japan had collaborated in repairing the damages caused by 2004 tsunami. However, the defence cooperation between two countries gained momentum only in 2014. In 2014, our prime minister visited Japan and the two countries elevated their relationship to special strategic and global partnership. So this marked a new era of defence cooperation between the two countries. Note that Japan is also one of the four countries that India has 2 plus 2 ministerial dialogue on defence cooperation. Apart from this, India and Japan conducts a regular joint military exercise called Dharma Guardian. It is an annual exercise which helps to enhance the defence cooperation between two countries. So now let us see about the economic ties. See the Japan is considered a key partner for India's economic transformation. This is because the volume of trade between two countries has increased year by year. See in 2021, Japan was the 13th largest trading partner for India. Also note that the direct investment from Japan has increased every year. So in 2021, Japan was the fifth largest investor for India. Apart from these factors, Japan has been extending bilateral loans and grants to India since 1958. For example, some projects in India like Ahamadabad-Mumbai High Speed Railway Line, Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor are being carried out with Japan's assistance. So this is all about the economic ties between India and Japan. Now let us see some technological ties between India and Japan. So this technological ties was discussed in the editorial. India and Japan have various agreements related to technology in the past. However, the recent prominent one is cooperation on semiconductor supply chain. This partnership on semiconductor supply chain will focus on five areas. It includes semiconductor design, semiconductor manufacturing, semiconductor equipment research and establishing resilience in semiconductor supply chain. And also it includes the talent development in semiconductor technology. So these are the five areas which the partnership will focus on. So by focusing on these five areas, both countries will cooperate with each other on semiconductor supply chain. Apart from this, it also facilitates technology transfer between two countries. As India is witnessing the growth in information technology sector, there is a huge demand for semiconductor products across various industries. So the semiconductor partnership between the two countries will help to strengthen Indian IT sector. In addition to this, the partnership will also diversify India's semiconductor imports as India is currently importing most of its semiconductor products from China and Taiwan. So these are some of the benefits to India regarding this partnership. So this is all about this discussion. In this discussion, we have seen some important points about India-Japan relationship and some points about technological cooperation, economic cooperation and defence cooperation. So this is all about this topic. Now let us move to the next part of our discussion. Look at this news. The news article says that our Prime Minister will visit South Africa to attend the 15th Brick Summit. This is a significant event because this will be the first in-person brick summit since 2019. This is about the news article and in this discussion we will understand the importance of bricks for India. As we know, bricks is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Bricks countries are all major emerging economies and they have been working together to promote economic cooperation and development. So now why bricks is important for India and what is the relevance of bricks to India? Firstly, it provides India with a platform to engage with other major economies. This is important for India because it helps to diversify India's economic ties and reduce its dependent on United States and Europe. Secondly, the bricks can help India to promote its economic interest. See the structural imbalances caused by global financial crisis of 2008 and new threats to the global economy posed by the trade wars are yet to be resolved. So in this time, the growing contribution of bricks to the world economy creates an opportunity for new initiatives that would support sustainable and inclusive growth. As the bricks countries have 17% share of world trade. Thirdly, the bricks can help India to address common challenges. For example, the bricks countries have been working together to address climate change and other environmental issues. Next is, India can use bricks to promote its soft power. See India has been trying to project itself as a responsible stakeholder in global community and bricks can help India to do this. Overall, bricks is an important forum for India to engage with other major economies and promote its own economic interests. So what is the relevance of bricks to India? See the bricks countries have increased the trade and investment with each other. For example, India's trade with Brazil has increased by more than 500% since the creation of bricks. The bricks countries have worked together on a number of development projects such as bricks bank and bricks contingent reserve agreement. As we know, the bricks bank is new development bank. Another importance of bricks is addressing the climate change. Bricks countries have worked together to address the climate change by taking many steps. For example, they have pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, bricks countries have worked together to promote security and stability in the region. They have condemned terrorism and called for increased cooperation against it. India can also use bricks to resolve regional disputes. We know that India is pursuing membership in international groups like United Nations Security Council and Nuclear Suppliers Group. However, challenges particularly from China have hinted the India's progress. So bricks can serve as a platform to engage constructively with China and resolving the mutual disputes and improving the cooperation. So this will help India's aim of becoming a member of United Nations Security Council. Finally, India can use bricks as an alternate forum for infrastructure financing. As the new development bank of bricks have provided funding for infrastructure projects in many member countries including India. So these are some of the importance of bricks in regard to India. So this discussion is important for main examination. Please take a note of it. So this is all about this topic. Now let us move to our next discussion. Now coming to this news article, it talks about Moody's Investor Service. Here the Moody's is actually a credit rating agency and it has reaffirmed the India's rating at BAA3. So this is the crux of the article given here and we can discuss about credit rating agencies in detail. A credit rating agency is an institution that assesses the credit risk of a company through a series of ratings. These assessments are often used in capital markets as a benchmark for investment decisions. So there are three largest credit rating agencies in the world, Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch. So these three agencies are called BAA3. In order to assign a credit rating, CRES use variety of factors including the company's financial statements, depth levels, management team and the industry it operates in. So the ratings are given using alphabetic quotes. These ratings are used by investors to assess the risk of particular investment. A higher rating means a lower risk, while a lower rating indicates a higher risk. So the investors use the rating to decide which investment to buy and which one to sell. So these are the basic information about credit rating agency. Now let us see the importance of credit rating agencies in capital market. Firstly, they boost the investor confidence. High rated debt securities are generally considered as safer investment. So they help investors and lenders to make informed decisions about where to allocate their funds. Secondly, the credit rating agencies help to reduce the risk in financial markets. Credit ratings can help to reduce the risk in financial markets by making it more difficult for borrowers with poor credit ratings to obtain financing. So this can help to prevent financial crisis. The next important thing about credit rating agencies is they help in improving the transparency of the market. This can reduce the risk of fraud and other financial crimes. Because the credit rating agencies provide investors with the information about credit worthiness of the borrowers. Finally, the credit rating agencies promote efficiency in the market. As the credit rating agencies make easier for investors to compare different investments and help to find the best investment for the investor. Despite the importance of credit rating agencies, they have been criticized for the role in financial crisis of 2008. Another major criticism is a conflict of interest. So some claim that there can be bias in the ratings provided by these agencies. Another criticism regarding the credit rating agencies is that they contribute to the market volatility by downgrading securities during economic downturns. This can lead to financial stress in the market. Finally, the methodologies used by credit rating agencies are often complex and not fully transparent. This can make it difficult for investors to understand the basis for ratings. So this is all about the criticism regarding credit rating agencies. With this, we can conclude this discussion and let us move to the prelims practice question discussion. Now look at the first prelims practice question. It is about Chandra and 3 mission. Look at the first statement. The aim of the mission is to demonstrate safe and soft landing on lunar surface. Yes, this statement is correct. Now coming to the second statement. It consists of land air module, propulsion module and air rover. Yes, it has three components as we seen in the discussion. So this statement is also correct. Look at the third statement. The Pragyan rover will be operated for 14 lunar days. This is incorrect because the Pragyan rover has a lifespan of one lunar day which is 14 earth days. So this statement is incorrect. Now look at the fourth statement. Only the lander and rover will carry scientific payloads. This is incorrect because all the three components including the propulsion module will carry the scientific payloads. So this statement is incorrect. So the answer is B. Now look at the second question. It is about BRICS. See the first statement. The first BRICS summit was held at Rio de Janeiro in 2009. This statement is wrong. Originally there were four nations grouped as BRIC which is Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa became the member only in 2010 and it was the last country to join the BRICS. So the first BRICS summit was held in Russia and not in Brazil. So the statement one is incorrect. The statement two is South Africa was the last to join BRICS grouping. So this statement is correct. So the correct answer is B. Two only. Now coming to the third prelims question. Each of the following statements regarding credit rating agencies is incorrect. Look at the four statements. The incorrect statement is option B. Credit rating agencies do not assign credit rating solely to the government issued securities. They issue credit ratings to a wide range of depth instruments including government, corporations, financial institutions and private companies. So the correct answer is option B. And now this is the quiz question for you today. Try to answer it in the comment section. And this is the main question for today. Try to write an answer and post it in the comment section. Now we have come to the end of our discussion. If you like the video, please share it with your friends. And don't forget to subscribe to Shankarai's YouTube channel. Thank you.