 Welcome to the Hindu News Analysis by Shankar Iyer's Academy for the date 26th of May 2019. Displayed are the list of news articles taken up for today's analysis along with the page numbers of Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram editions. The handwritten notes in PDF format and the time stamping of all the news articles taken up for today's analysis is available in the description section and also in the comment section for the benefit of smartphone users. Let us now start our analysis. The first news article of the day is Women's Strength in Lok Sabha up to a record 14.4%. This news article appears on page number 10 in Chennai and Delhi editions, page number 12 of Bengaluru edition and in page 8 of Thiruvananthapuram edition. This news article will be relevant in your prelims preparation under Indian policy and governance and also in your main preparation in general studies paper 1 under role of women in associated issues and their remedy. This article is based on the data compiled by Association for Democratic Reforms post the announcement of the election results. Now we shall see about association of democratic reforms after the analysis of the news article. This article completely deals with representation of women in the political sphere. In simple words, we are going to see about the political representation of women in the recently concluded 2019 Lok Sabha elections. All the elected candidates will represent the 17th Lok Sabha. Just have this in mind. Now the news tells that the 17th Lok Sabha will have the highest number of women members. The Prime Minister has said that this is the first time in independent India that such a large number of women MPs are sitting in the parliament. A small comparison is given here now between the 17th and the 16th Lok Sabha. In 17th Lok Sabha, 78 women members have been elected to the Indian parliament. This is 14.4 percentage of the strength of the Lok Sabha. If you see this is an increase when compared to the 16th Lok Sabha where the women's representation was 12.5 percentage. In terms of numbers, 65 women members were present in the 16th Lok Sabha. Now see this picture. In terms of numbers, BJP has the largest number of women representatives among the parties which is 40. It is because of the majority it has gained in the elections. BJP is followed by Trinamal Congress party of the West Bengal state which has nine women representatives. Then Congress party with six women representatives and then Biju Janathadal of Odisha with five and the YSR Congress party of Andhra Pradesh with four women representatives. However if you have seen the terms of ratio of women MPs to the total MPs of any particular party, the trend is higher in case of the regional parties and it is lower in case of the national parties. Now let us see them. Women account for 41.6 percentage of the Odisha's BJD party where five out of the 12 MPs are women in their party. Next, the ratio of women MPs is 40.9 percentage of the Trinamal Congress's total strength where nine out of 22 MPs are women in their party. If you see both BJD and TMC party chiefs pledged to ensure 33 percentage and 40 percentage women's representation respectively among their parties candidates just before the elections. Next, we shall see the winnability ratio or the strike rate. Winnability ratio of women means the total number of women who won a particular election out of the total number of women who contested in that particular election. First, we shall see the party-wise trend. BJP has the highest winnability ratio which is 75.5 percentage. 53 women candidates were fielded by the BJP in this election out of which 40 were elected to the Lok Sabha. Next highest is the BJD party from Odisha which has a strike rate of 71.4 percentage. Also, YSR Congress party of the Andhra Pradesh state and DMK party of Tamil Nadu state has a strike rate of 100 percentage but in terms of number of women MPs elected it is just 4 and 2 respectively which is very much less when compared to the other parties. The women MPs ratios very lower in Buddhist parties if you see YSR Congress as only 18.1 percentage women MPs and DMK 8.6 percentage. Out of the major parties, TMC party of West Bengal has the lowest winnability ratio of women which is at 39.1 percentage. Next, we shall see the nationwide winnability ratio or the strike rate trend. If you have seen the picture that was given in the news article, it mentioned that 716 women candidates were fielded by various political parties in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Now out of this 716 only 78 women were elected as MPs which means the winnability ratio or the strike rate is 10.9 percentage. But if you see in case of men the strike rate is 6.4 percentage only. So one can tell that the success rate is higher in case of women when compared to men. This trend is consistent with the past records meaning even in the previous Lok Sabha elections the success rate of women was higher than men. Now you can use all these statistics in any of the question that deals with representation of women in Indian society especially in the political sphere. Additionally, note down one more statistics. In this 2019 Lok Sabha elections, out of the total eligible voters in the electoral role, women constituted 48.1 percentage where the rest were men and other or the third gender. And out of the total voters who casted their vote 48.14 percentage were women where others are men and the third gender. Now let us see in brief about association for democratic reforms which compile this report. This association for democratic reforms is a non-governmental organization and which was established in the year 1999. It was established by a group of professors from the Indian Institute of Management located at Ahmedabad. The goal of this particular organization is to improve the governance and to strengthen the democracy how by continuously working for electoral and political reforms. Now this topic speaks about the political representation of women in the lower house of the parliament which is a Lok Sabha. Now equal political representation for women is very important because it will serve as a path to achieve gender equality and inclusive development. When there is equal political representation of women, it will help to bring in better and effective safeguards for women and children and also it will help to promote and protect human rights and social justice. Also remember that we have the Sustainable Development Goal number 5 which speaks about gender equality. Under this goal we have target 5.5. Now the target or this particular target is to ensure women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership. So this leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life. So whenever you get any main question on gender equality just try to mark the SDG goal number. Now this will give an advantage over the other answers during evaluation. Now have a look at the practice prelims question we shall discuss at the end of the analysis session. Let us move on to the next news article. The second news article is titled as Smart City Projects Moving at Snail Space. This article has appeared on page number 3 of Thiruvananthapuram edition only. The discussion under this article will be relevant in your prelims preparation under current events of national importance and also under economic and social development, sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, social sector initiatives etc. The discussion is also relevant in your main preparation in general studies paper 2 under the area government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation and also in your general studies paper 3 under infrastructure. The news article states that even after forming the special purpose vehicle for the implementation of this smart city project in the Thiruvananthapuram city of Kerala the work on the short term project is not yet completed. In mid 2017 the city corporation was chosen as one of the cities for the implementation of the smart city project. Now in this context let us understand what is the smart city project and also what is meant by special purpose vehicle. First a question arises about why do we need such a project? In the era of smart phones and smart homes smart cities are equally important because cities are the engines of growth for the economy of every nation which also includes India. According to the 2011 census nearly 31 percentage of India's current population lives in urban areas. The urban population contributes to 63 percentage of India's GDP. Moreover with increasing urbanization urban areas are expected to house 40 percentage of India's total population and also expected to contribute to 75 percentage of India's GDP by the year 2030. So this requires a comprehensive development of physical, institutional, social and economic infrastructure. Now all these infrastructure are important because they will help in improving the quality of life and attracting people and will also bring in investments to the city. All these factors when joined together help in the overall growth and development. So the development of smart cities is a step in that direction. Now let us see what is this smart city is. Actually there is no universally accepted definition for a smart city. This particular term means different things to different people. The conceptualization of smart city therefore varies from city to city and also from country to country. It depends on the level of development, willingness to change and reform, available resources and aspirations of the city residents. To provide for the aspirations and needs of the citizens the urban planners ideally aim at developing the entire urban ecosystem which is represented by the four pillars of comprehensive development namely institutional infrastructure, physical infrastructure, social infrastructure and finally the economic infrastructure. This can be a long-term goal and the cities can work towards developing such comprehensive infrastructure incrementally by adding on layers of smartness. Now in approach of the smart cities mission the objective is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens and also a clean and a sustainable environment and application of smart solutions. Here the smart solutions include information and communication technology interventions for e-governance and also for online government services and for improving the efficiency of core services at a relatively lower cost. The focus of the smart cities mission is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at a compact areas and to create a replicable model which will act like a light house to other aspiring cities which would like to become a smart city. The smart cities mission of the government is a very bold and a new initiative. It is meant to set examples that can be replicated both within and outside the smart city. This will be helpful in encouraging the creation of similar such smart cities in various regions and parts of the country. Enough the core infrastructure elements in a smart city would include these following. The first is the adequate water supply and the second assured electricity supply. Then third sanitation which also includes here solid waste management. Fourth efficient urban mobility and public transport. Fifth affordable housing especially for the poor sections of the society. Next sixth robust IT connectivity and digitalization. Seventh the most important good governance especially e-governance and citizen participation. Eighth sustainable environment. Next ninth safety and security of citizens particularly women children and the elderly and finally the health and education. The mission covers 100 cities distributed over the states and union territories. Now the duration for this particular mission is for 5 years that is from the financial year 2015-16 to the financial year of 2019-20 which is nothing but the current financial year. Now note that this mission may be continued thereafter based on the evaluation done by the ministry of urban development. Now this smart city mission is operated as a centrally sponsored scheme and the central government gives financial support to the mission. Then an equal amount on a matching basis is contributed by the state or urban local bodies. Some typical features of comprehensive development in smart cities are promoting mixed land use in area based developments. Then providing housing and inclusiveness by expanding housing opportunities for all. Then creating walkable localities. This is mainly to reduce the congestion also the air pollution and to reduce the resource depletion. Then boosting local economy promoting interactions and ensuring security. The road networks created or refurbished not only for vehicles and public transport but also for pedestrians and cyclists and necessary administrative services are also offered within walking or cycling distance. The next feature is preserving and developing open spaces such as parks, playgrounds and recreational spaces in order to enhance the quality of life for citizens and reduce the urban heat effects in areas and to generally promote the eco balance of the environment. Then promoting a variety of transport options like transit oriented development, public transport and last mile para transport connectivity. Here the transit oriented development or in short TOD means integrated urban places designed to bring people, activities, buildings and public space together. This will be achieved with easy walking and cycling connection between these and also near excellent transit services to the rest of the city. Additionally making the governance citizen friendly and cost effective. Now this will be done by increasingly relying on online services in order to bring accountability and transparency and especially using mobiles to reduce the cost of services and providing services without having to go to municipal offices. It also includes forming e-groups to listen to people and obtain feedback and then using online monitoring of programs and activities with the aid of cyber tour of worksites. Then giving an identity to the city based on its main economic activity such as local cuisine, health, education, arts and craft, culture, sports goods, furniture, hosiery, textiles, dairy etc. Finally applying the smart solutions to infrastructure and services in area based development in order to make them better. For example making areas less vulnerable to disasters using fewer resources and also providing cheaper services. Now in this picture some of the smart solutions for niche areas are given. Just have a look at it. You can give these as examples while writing a main's answer. Next there are three strategic components of area based development in the smart cities mission. They are number one city improvement or retrofitting. Number two city renewal or redevelopment and number three city extension or green field development. Plus a pan city initiative in which smart solutions are applied covering the larger parts of the city. Firstly we shall see about retrofitting. This retrofitting will introduce planning in an existing built up area in order to achieve the smart city objectives along with other objectives to make the existing area more efficient and livable. In retrofitting an area consisting of more than 500 acres will be identified by the city in consultation with the citizens. Next city renewal or redevelopment. So this redevelopment will bring a replacement of the existing built up environment and this will enable a co-creation of a new layout with enhanced infrastructure. Now the redevelopment envisages an area of more than 50 acres and this will be identified by the urban local bodies in consultation with the citizens. And finally the green development, green field development or the city extension. So this will introduce most of the smart solutions in a previously vacant area which is more than 250 acres. This development will be done using innovative planning, plan financing and plan implementation tools like land pooling etc. Now this will have a provision for affordable housing especially for the poor sections of the society. Also green field developments are required around cities in order to address the needs of the expanding population. The pan city development envisages application of selected smart solutions to the existing citywide infrastructure. For example applying smart solutions in the transport sector with intelligent traffic management system and reducing average commute time or cost of citizens which will have positive effects on productivity and also the quality of life of the citizens. Here note that for north eastern and Himalayan states the area proposed to be developed will be half of what is prescribed for any of the alternative models that is like retrofitting redevelopment or green field development. Next the news article also mentions about the special purpose vehicle. So let us see about that now. The special purpose vehicle or SPV is created for the purpose of the implementation of the mission at the city level. The special purpose vehicle will plan, appraise, approve, release funds, implement, manage, operate, monitor and also evaluate the smart city development projects. So it is an overall incompassive one. Each smart city now will have a special purpose vehicle which will be headed by a full-time CEO nothing but the chief executive officer and it will also have nominees of central government, state government and urban local bodies on its board. The special purpose vehicle will be a limited company incorporated under the Companies Act of 2013 at the city level in which the state or the union territory and the urban local body will be the promoters who will be having a 50 is to 50 equity shareholding. Now the funds provided by the government of India and the smart cities mission to the special purpose vehicle will be in the form of tight grant and this will be kept in a separate grant fund. Now have a look at the practice problems question we shall discuss at the end of the analysis session. Let us move on to the next news article. The third news article of the day is the front page article titled Modi underlines need for inclusiveness at NDA meeting. This article has appeared on page number 1 and 10 in Chennai and Delhi editions, pages 1 and 12 in Bengaluru edition and on page numbers 1 and 18 Thiruvananthapuram edition. This article will be relevant in your problems preparation under current events of national and international importance and also under Indian polity and governance. This article will also be relevant in your mains preparation in general studies paper 2 under significant provisions of Indian constitution. The news article states that the swearing in ceremony of Narendra Modi may take place on 30th of May 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been selected unanimously as the head of the parliamentary party of National Democratic Alliance coalition, in short the NDA coalition. The article refers the members of this NDA coalition who are newly elected as Lokshaba members to the 17th Lokshaba as parliamentary party. After the unanimous election as head of this parliamentary party or the coalition the prime minister has met the president to form the new government. So now let us see who appoints the prime minister. Note that under article 75 of Indian constitution the prime minister shall be appointed by the president. The other ministers shall also be appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister. Also article 74 states that the prime minister is the head of the council of ministers. The article says the council of ministers role is to aid and advise the president. The president shall act in accordance with such advice. However the president may also ask the council of ministers to reconsider such advice. But the president must act according to the advice that is given to him after the reconsideration. So this is also one of the reasons why in Indian polity they say that the real power rests with the prime minister and his council of ministers and not with the president. Note that in Indian parliamentary form of government the council of ministers generally include the prime minister, the cabinet ministers, ministers of state and the ministers of state with independent church. Now the parliamentary party that was referred by the article is not same as the council of ministers. The parliamentary party here refers to all the elected members to the Lok Sabha who are part of the national democratic alliance. Whereas the council of ministers refer to the total number of ministers which also includes the prime minister. And this numbers shall not exceed 15 percentage of the total number of the members of the house of the people which is nothing but the Lok Sabha. The NDA coalition or the NDA parliamentary party now has more than 60 percentage of the total number of the members of the house of people or the Lok Sabha in this 2019 general elections. The prime minister has asked all the MPs from NDA coalition to work in the spirit of inclusiveness and public service. So here the word inclusiveness refers to including everyone that is for example including the diverse sections of the population. He has asked the elected members to have solidarity with everyone, work for the development for all and with the trust of all. The prime minister has also mentioned that the Indian constitution is a rich and extensive social document that expresses the dreams of our freedom fighters for the nation. So such quotes used in the news articles can be used in your mains answer writing and also in essay writing. In the meeting the prime minister has also mentioned how a representative to the people should be. A representative of the people cannot show favoritism towards anyone. People's representatives have to work for those who supported them by voting and also those who did not in these elections without discriminating anybody. Also he asked the members to remove the fear built among the minorities. This mostly refers to religious minorities in India such as Muslims, Christian, Jains, Buddhists Sikh and Zoroastrians. Generally minorities include linguistic minorities, religious minorities, sexual minorities and gender minorities such as transgenders and also others. The article has stated that the prime minister has asked the members of the India coalition to promote and strengthen the spirit of coalition. We have to note that although it is said as coalition one party here as around 303 members out of almost 353 members of the coalition of all the political parties that are a part of this NDA alliance. This means there is a single party dominance within the coalition. Note that even without the support of any other party the Bharti Janta party can form a government because it has 303 elected members of the 17th Lok Sabha from its own party. We have also recently analyzed an open editorial on 17th of May which is titled as is coalition government worse than single party rule. The link for this 17th May analysis has been provided in the description box for your reference. Now have a look at the practice problems question we shall discuss at the end of the analysis session. Let us move on to the next news article. The fourth news article is titled as focus on mangrove conservation. This article has appeared on page number 3 of Thiruvananthapuram edition only. The discussion based on this article will be relevant in your prelims preparation under current events of national importance. Next under Indian physical geography and also under general issues on environmental ecology and biodiversity. The analysis will also be relevant in your main preparation in general studies paper one under the area salient features of world's physical geography and also in your general studies paper three under conservation. The news article states that the forest department of Kerala has initiated steps to evolve an institutional framework for the conservation of mangrove forests and marine biodiversity in the state. This is because of the concern over the dwindling mangrove cover. Here dwindling means gradually diminishing in size amount or strength. So it denotes the gradually diminishing size of mangrove's cover and its amount. Know that Kerala is estimated to have a mangrove cover of around 22.4 square kilometer and only around 300 hectares has been notified as reserve forests so far. Notification as a reserve forest is important because it will help in the conservation of the mangroves. So to address the lacunae the forest department organized a brainstorming session of forest officials, marine scientists and conservation experts. This is to chalk out a strategy to evolve an institutional framework for the conservation purpose. Now these efforts are in line with the National Wildlife Action Plan for 2017 to 2031. This action plan recommends for the formation of a separate cell as institutional framework in order to conserve the particular ecosystems. Now in this context let us understand some key facts about the mangroves from the examination point of view. The first question that arises is what are these mangroves? You would have noticed that near the coastlines short trees or bushes with a dense tangled roots are hanging out like the ones given in the picture. So these are called as mangroves. Mangroves can be trees, shrubs, ferns and palms that occupy the boundary between the land and the sea. They form in the tropical and subtropical intertidal coastlines that is they mainly grow in or adjacent to areas between the high tide and the low tide. The roots of mangroves are regularly exposed to saline water. So the mangroves are salt tolerant plants. At times they are also exposed to freshwater surface runoffs and flooding. Mangroves get their nutrition from these tidal, saline and freshwater resources and also coastal soils and also from the silt that gets deposited from the surrounding land after the erosion. Now some of the interesting characteristics of mangroves are given here. Let us see them. Firstly, as we saw mangroves are basically evergreen land plants growing on sheltered shores typically on tidal flats, deltas, estuaries, bay, creeks and the barrier islands. Secondly, they require high solar radiation and they have the ability to absorb freshwater from saline or brackish water. Mangroves can cope with high amounts of salinity by excreting salt through their leaves or by storing it within their tissues. Next, they have special roots that stick above the ground. These roots are called as breathing roots or blind roots or also nematophores. They are partly exposed to the air. So this helps them to breathe during the frequent floods or even during an anaerobic condition that is when there is low oxygen in that surrounding environment. Their well-developed root systems also help them to anchor firmly on sediments so that they do not get pushed around during tides and waves. In some mangrove species, to provide physical support to the plants, the roots travel some distance away from the main stem and also from the branches and they penetrate the soil. These roots are called as stilt roots. These roots have numerous pores on their surface through which they can take in oxygen. Then, the harsh conditions like saline water makes the germination of mangrove seeds very difficult. Here germination means the development of a plant from a seed. But mangroves have coped with this condition also through a unique way of reproduction known as viviparity. In this, the seeds germinate and develop into seedlings while still being attached to the parent tree. The parent tree supplies water and nutrients and the seedlings float in the water. Norf, this floating is only to develop the roots. Now, as and when these seedlings find suitable soil, they establish themselves as a separate plant. Norf, let us see why mangroves are important from ecological point of view. Mangroves support numerous flora, abiphona and wildlife. Here flora means trees, abiphona means the birds. They provide feeding and breeding grounds for crabs, prawns, mollusks, fish, birds, reptiles and mammals. Their stilt roots and nematophores help to impede or restrict the water flow. So, this helps in enhancing the deposition of sediment in those areas. This ultimately stabilizes the coastal shores and they provide breeding ground for the fishes and also for many fauna. Mangroves moderate the monsoonal tidal flood and they also reduce the inundation or flooding of the coastal lowlands. Also, mangroves guard against natural calamities like tsunamis, storms and floods. Very importantly, the mangroves prevent the coastal soil erosion. Mangrove forests are important sources of firewood, timber, cattle feed, honey and medicines. Mangrove forests not only provide food security and livelihoods to the coastal communities, but they also provide ecosystem services worth 1.6 billion US dollars each year. Next, mangrove forests protect groundwater aquifers from mixing with the seawater. Aquifers are underground layers of rock that are saturated with water that can be brought to the surface through natural springs or by pumping. Now, the groundwater contained in these aquifers is one of the most important sources of water on earth. These mangrove forests are spread over 123 countries and territories worldwide, especially in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. They are more extensively found in Asia, Africa and South America. South Asia has 6.8% of the world's mangrove cover out of which India's 45.8% of the total mangrove cover in the South Asia. So, this means globally, India will be having 3.3% of the global mangrove forest cover. If you see, Sundarbans in West Bengal accounts for almost half of the total area under mangrove in India. Know that Sundarbans is internationally recognized as the world heritage site of UNESCO. The Gangetic Delta in which Sundarbans is situated is the largest wetland with the highest sedimentation in the world. Sundarbans in India and also in Bangladesh put together, they form the largest mangrove forest and it is also the only mangrove colonized with the Royal Bengal Tigers in the world. Mangrove forests are spread across 12 states and union territories in India. Out of the 12 states and union territories which support mangroves, the states of West Bengal, Gujarat, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha have the maximum areas covered under the mangroves. You can refer the map given here. Almost one third of the world's mangrove forests have been lost over the last 50 years. The greatest threat has been from the shrimp aquaculture ponds if you see. These have led to the mangrove area losses between 20 to 50 percentage. A 25 percent decline in mangroves is projected by the year 2025 because of this shrimp industry in the developing countries. Besides these, some other causes are also given. Aggressive urbanization leading to the conversion of landscapes for urban infrastructure projects like dams, ports, road constructions and also activities such as agriculture and salt farming, growth and mining, refineries, oil pipeline passages, etc. These conditions are all taking a toll on mangrove ecosystems. At the same time, changes in hydrology, increasing salinity, pollution and over exploitation of coastal areas, salutation, cattle grazing etc. are also posing a threat to the mangrove cover across the world. Now, have a look at the practice prelims question which I will discuss at the end of the analysis session. Let us move on to the next news article. The final news article is titled, Beating Plastic Pollution, Individually and Socially. This article appears on page number 5 in the magazine supplementary which is published along with the newspaper. Note that the magazine is common for all the editions of newspaper. The discussion based on this article will be relevant in your prelims preparation under current events of international importance and also under general issues on environmental ecology and biodiversity. This can also be linked to your main syllabus in your general studies paper 1 under role of women and also in your general studies paper 3 under environmental pollution and degradation. In this news article, the author discusses about plastic pollution. So, let us first understand what is a plastic? Plastic is a lightweight, hygienic and resistant material which can be molded in a variety of ways and which can be utilized in a wide range of applications. Unlike metals, these plastics do not rust or corrode and most plastics do not biodegrade but instead they photodegrade meaning they slowly break down into small fragments known as micro plastics. The fragmentation of large plastic items into micro plastics is common on land such as beaches because of high UV radiation and abrasion by waves while the degradation process is much slower in the ocean due to cooler temperatures and reduced ultraviolet exposure. Next, there is a new term which we hear nowadays that is the single use plastics. They are often also referred to as disposable plastics. Single use plastics are commonly used for plastic packaging and they include items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. These single use plastics include grocery bags, food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups and cutlery and many. The author notes that as worn by the recent UN report, the world is drowning in plastic pollution. According to the UN Environment Report, 1 million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute while up to 5 trillion single use plastic bags are used worldwide every year. In total, half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once and thrown away. Now as a part of the global effort to battle plastic pollution, an all women team opened an expedition this month. The Sea to Source Ganges expedition is the first of several international river expeditions which aims to significantly reduce the amount of single use plastic reaching oceans. Now know that this is a part of the National Geographic's initiative. This expedition is through the Padma river in Bangladesh and will end at the source of the Ganges in the Himalayas which is located in India. The team is collecting samples along the river course such as from water and sediment and also from the air because small plastic particles float in the air. The expedition is designed to mobilize a global community of experts to help tackle the problem. Since this is an all women expedition, it will also elevate the women in science, technology, engineering and math field around the world who will help the team understand how plastic moves through the waterways. And this information will ultimately help to find ways to prevent plastic waste from entering the ocean. This expedition is based on rivers because oceans get clogged with an estimated 9 million tons of plastic every year. It is versed by rivers as they act as conveyor belts for plastic debris for helping them to flow into the oceans. It was found that 10 rivers carry more than 90% of the plastic waste. The Meghna river, the Brahmaputra river and the Ganges carry almost 73,000 tons of plastic waste every year. The bigger problem is that there is a major shift from using durable plastic to plastics that are meant to be thrown away after a single use nothing but the single use plastics. So the single use plastic products have become integral to our daily lives which means we keep on using it daily. Mainly the food and the beverage companies are globally marked as a reason for the increase in this single use plastic usage. So now the companies have started to realize the impact of plastic particularly of single use plastic on the environment. Some companies pay attention to reducing the impact of plastic and some companies are redesigning the way they provide their products which means not using a single use plastics or any other plastic sources but some other packaging materials. Now the author concludes by saying that the UN has urged people to meet plastic pollution in their everyday lives and has also asked global leaders to act fast. So whether these alterations will lead to an overall change or not we just have to wait and see. But this we come to the end of the analysis of all the news articles taken up for today's discussion. Let us now move on to the practice questions discussion session. The first question association for democratic reforms often seen in the news refers to four options are given here. Now this is a direct question during our analysis we saw that association for democratic reforms is a non-governmental organization which is working for promoting the democratic principles. The goal of the organization is to improve the governance and to strengthen the democracy by continuously working for electoral and political reforms. So the correct answer here is option C. In option D transparency international is mentioned the transparency international works to achieve the vision of a world where government, business, civil society and the daily lives of people are free of corruption. Moving on to the second question consider the following statements with reference to the smart cities mission they have given three statements and asked to choose the correct answer. So here the first statement is correct as we have already discussed in our analysis that smart cities mission objective is to promote the cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens a clean and sustainable environment and application of smart solutions. Here the question asked for the correct statement as statement one is correct we can eliminate option B and D. This indirectly eliminates statement three as well. So now we only have to see whether the statement two is correct or incorrect. Now if you remember in our discussion we discussed that the mission is operated as a centrally sponsored scheme and the central government gives financial support to the mission. Also an equal amount on a matching basis is contributed by the state or the urban local bodies which means statement two is also correct and the correct answer to this question is option C one and two only. But here if you do not want to go by the elimination method then you should also know about the fact that is mentioned in the statement three. It states 102 non-attainment cities try to remember that we used the term non-attainment cities in the national clean air program which was discussed in our previous session. So, this statement is incorrect know that 100 cities have been chosen for the smart cities program. Moving on to the third question consider the following statements they have given two statements and have asked to choose the correct answer. So, here the first part of this first statement says the prime minister shall be appointed by the president which is correct according to the article 75 of the Indian constitution. Now the second part of the first statement says that other ministers shall be appointed by the prime minister on the advice of the president. This part is wrong because other ministers are also appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister. Therefore, the overall statement becomes wrong and thus the first statement is not correct. The second statement is correct as the council of ministers including the prime minister shall not exceed 15 percentage of the total number of members of the Lok Sabha. Now know that Lok Sabha is also called the house of the people as the word Lok means the people. It is also called as the lower house. So, this statement is taken from article 75 class one capital A of the Indian constitution. This class one capital A was added to the constitution by the 91st constitutional amendment act of 2003. This statement thus limited the powers of prime minister in having any number of ministers in council of ministers to only up to 15 percentage of the total members of Lok Sabha. Note that 15 percentage limit also includes the prime minister. Therefore, the second statement here is correct. The answer for this question is option B 2 only since the question is asked for the correct statements. Moving on to the final question which of the following characteristics of mangroves is are correct and they have given 4 statements and have asked to choose the correct statement. So, here the first statement is correct as we already discussed that mangroves form in the tropical and subtropical intertidal coastlines that is they mainly grow in or adjacent to areas between the high tide and the low tide. From this we can eliminate options C and D and thus we can also directly eliminate statement 4 as well. Now here the second statement is wrong because if you try to recall what we have discussed we saw that mangroves were salt tolerant plants and they cope up with high amounts of salinity by excreting salt through their leaves or by storing it within their tissues. So, this also eliminates option A as well. Hence, the correct answer to this question is option B 1 and 3. But also try to know that in statement 4 it says Sundarbans are the only mangroves found in India. This statement is wrong as we have seen that mangroves are found across 12 states and union territories of India and out of these 12 states and union territories which support mangroves the states of West Bengal, Gujarat, Andaman and Nicobar islands, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha have the maximum number of or the maximum areas of mangroves. With this we come to the end of the analysis of all the news articles taken up for today's discussion. Please do like, comment and share the video and please do subscribe to Shankar IA's Academy YouTube channel for latest videos and updates. Stay focused and motivated friends. Thank you.