 A very good evening aspirants, I welcome you all to the Hindu Daily News Analysis brought to you by Shankar Ayes Academy. Today I am going to cover important news articles from the Hindu newspaper dated 20th of July 2023. Displayed here is a list of news articles that we will be discussing today, you can go through it. At the end of the video, we will also have prelims practice question discussions. So try to watch the entire video and a kind request to you all, those who haven't yet subscribed our YouTube channel, do subscribe and hit the bell icon button so that you will get regular notifications about our current affairs videos. Now let's get into our first news article discussion. Take a look at this news article, this news article is speaking about Henley Passport Index that was released recently as per the 2023 Henley Passport Index India's position as improved from last year. In 2022 India was ranked at 87th and now India is ranked at 80th place. So when compared with last year, this year India has climbed seven ranks on the Henley Passport Index. See for the past five years, Japan occupied the top position on the Henley Passport Index. But now Japan's rank was dropped and it is placed at third position. Then who is at the first place? It is none other than Singapore. So as of now Singapore's passport is the most powerful passport in the world. Then Germany, Italy and Spain occupied the second place. And along with Japan, the third position was shared by some other countries like Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea and Sweden. And this is all about the news article given here. Now in this context, let us discuss about Henley Passport Index. The Henley Passport Index is a ranking system that measures the strength of passports from different countries. This ranking is based on visa free access or visa on arrival access to other countries. The index is being published by the Henley and partners which is a global citizenship and residence advisory firm. The index was launched in 2006 and it includes 199 different passports. The index ranks the passport of countries based on the data that is being available from the International Air Transport Association. The Henley Passport Index is updated regularly. It provides valuable information to individuals and governments. The report gives insights into passport power and global mobility. See a higher rank on the index indicates that the passport holders from the country can travel to more destinations without obtaining a visa or with the option of obtaining a visa on arrival. Now let us understand the importance of Henley Passport Index. The Henley Passport Index is used to know the strength of particular countries' passport. A strong passport means it is easier for individuals to travel internationally for business, tourism and study etc. A strong passport can also provide greater access to foreign markets and economies which can be beneficial for individuals and businesses. And this is all about Henley Passport Index. Keep in mind this passport rankings can change from time to time. This is due to shifts in diplomatic relations, visa policies etc. Therefore I would recommend you to refer the latest Henley Passport Index when you are going to attend any exams. Now we will see some information provided in the news article. See apart from Henley Passport Index, the news article also provides some insight about Henley Openness Index. This Henley Openness Index was developed as a result of exclusive new research conducted by Henley and partners. The Henley Openness Index measures about visa free access. This index measures the fact that to how many nations a country is allowing visa free access. In this Henley Openness Index India was ranked at 94th out of total 97 ranks. India was ranked low because India is currently providing visa free access to only 4 countries. And at the bottom of the index there are 4 countries. They include Afghanistan, North Korea, Papua New Guinea and Turkmenistan. See these countries do not permit visa free access for any passport. So they are placed at the bottom of the index. And that's all regarding this discussion. This discussion we saw about Henley Passport Index, then about the importance of Henley Passport Index, then we saw about the recently released index and finally we saw some points about Henley Openness Index. See this topic is very much important for your prelims exam. So make note of each and every points that we discussed. Now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Take a look at this news article. This news article says that the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry is opposing the Central Government's plan to bring the new drugs, medical devices and cosmetic spill 2022. The association places its opposition on two grounds. The first concern is that none of the major stakeholders were consulted while the bill was being drafted. Then the second concern is that the parliamentary committee's 138th report which recommended a separate law for medical devices had not been taken into consideration. So these are the two main concerns of association of Indian medical device industry. And this is all about the news article given here. Now in this context, in our discussion today, we will cover the important provisions of the new drugs, medical devices and cosmetics bill 2022. Now before getting into discussion, I have highlighted the syllabus regarding this discussion. You can pause the video and go through it. Now why the central government is aiming to bring new law on drugs, medical devices and cosmetics? See until now, the medical industry has been regulated using the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940. So the new bill seeks to replace this decades old Drugs and Cosmetics Act. In addition to replacing the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, the bill also seeks to achieve various objectives. Now let us see the objectives one by one. Firstly, the bill aims to ensure that the medical products that are sold in India are safe, effective and they are within the limits of prescribed standards. Secondly, the bill aims to change and merge the laws in India relating to import, manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs, medical devices and cosmetics. Thirdly, the bill aims to ensure that both the clinical trail of new drugs and clinical investigation of investigational medical devices are done in a safe manner. Fourthly, the bill aims to ensure the quality of drugs, cosmetics and medical devices that are sold in India. Fifthly, the bill aims to adapt to the new changes in medical technology. And finally, the bill aims to boost domestic manufacturing of medical devices and it also aims to attract foreign direct investment into the health sector in India. These are the main objectives of the new drugs, medical devices and cosmetics bill 2022. Now moving on to see about the important provisions of the new bill. The first important provision is regarding online pharmacies. See the new bill for the first time seeks to regulate the online sale of drugs and pharmaceutical products. As per the bill, people who stock, exhibit, sell or distribute any drugs through online mode, they need to obtain license or permission from the competent authority. According to section 83, class 2 of the bill, the central government will make rules regarding the regulation of online pharmacies. And the next important provision is regarding medical devices. In this matter, firstly, the bill proposes to establish Medical Devices Technical Advisory Board. The board will have officials from various government departments and it also consists of experts who are nominated by the government from the field of medical devices industry. The main function of this board is to advise the government on technical matters related to medical devices. Apart from this, the bill prohibits the manufacture, import and distribution of medical devices that are not in conformity with the prescribed standards. In addition to this, the bill makes it mandatory to obtain permission from the central licensing authority for conducting any clinical investigation of medical devices on human participants. As per the bill, the central licensing authority can also remove the need for conducting clinical investigation in public interest during a health emergency. Also note that the central licensing authority does the similar function in relation to clinical trials of drugs. Apart from this, the bill also has provisions for the establishment of state drug laboratories and state medical devices testing centers. Finally, the bill has provisions regarding compensation and medical treatment in case of injury or death of a person who are participating in clinical investigation. These are some important provisions in the bill regarding medical devices. Now moving on to the board, the provisions of the bill in relation to AUSH products. Currently, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 only regulates Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha drugs and cosmetics. But the new bill proposes to include and regulate Sova, Rikpa, Homeopathy and traditional medicines. And as per the bill, they are treated as AUSH products. Apart from this, the bill proposes to constitute an Ayurveda, Siddha, Sova, Rikpa, Unani and Homeopathy Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Consultative Committee. This committee will advise both the state and central government to ensure that there is uniformity in all over the country regarding the regulation of Ayur Drugs and Cosmetics. Finally, the bill also has the provisions for the establishment of a Scientific Research Board. This board will support the regulatory authority on the scientific advances used for developing innovative drugs in Ayurveda, Siddha, Sova, Rikpa, Unani and Homeopathy. This is all about important provisions of the bill regarding AUSH products. Now moving forward, let us see the provisions of the bill regarding penalties. See the bill enhances the period of imprisonment for any contravention of provisions of the bill. The bill provides for imprisonment between 1 to 10 years which may extend to life imprisonment. And a fine of up to Rs. 15 lakhs can also be imposed. In addition to this, the bill introduces penalty provisions for clinical trials and clinical investigation that shall be conducted without permission. The new bill also has penalty provisions for failure to provide compensation for injury or death related to clinical trials. Finally, the new bill also has provisions that allows the drug control officer to seek the help of police officers in the investigation process and also to prevent the escape of suspected offenders. Okay, these are some of the important provisions of the new drugs, medical devices and cosmetics bill 2022. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about the new drugs, medical devices and cosmetics bill 2022. Then about the objectives of the new bill and then we saw about the important provisions of the bill. See this topic is very much important for your main exam. So make note of each and every points that we discussed. Now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Now take a look at this article from the text and context page. This article discusses about the tomato prices in India and the factors contributing to its price volatility. Now in this discussion, we will understand the points provided in this news article. Firstly, the article talks about tomato production in India. See tomatoes are grown in various states of India. Andhra Pradesh, Mathya Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha and Gujarat are the major contributors. And these states alone account for almost 50% of total production of tomatoes in our country. Now you should know about two main crops of tomatoes grown annually. One is cariff and the other is robby. Firstly, let us talk about the robby season tomatoes. See the term robby refers to the cropping season that starts from October to November and extends until April to May. This usually depends on the region and specific crop. So the robby season typically coincides with the winter months. The weather at this time is relatively cooler and conducive for certain crops growth. In the context of tomatoes, the robby crop is sown during the months of October to November and the harvesting takes place between March and August. This means that robby tomatoes start reaching the markets from March onwards and continue to be supplied until August. These tomatoes are well suited for storage and transportation over long distances. This is because they are grown during the cooler months. This is about robby season tomatoes. Now we will see about the cariff tomatoes. See for the cariff crop of tomatoes, the major production centres are in Uttar Pradesh and Nashik which is in Maharashtra. Know that the term cariff refers to the cropping season that begins with the onset of monsoon in India. That is usually around June and extends until September or October. During this period, the monsoon rains provide water for agricultural activities. See the tomatoes from the cariff crop start reaching the markets after August when the monsoon season is in full swing. These tomatoes have different characteristics compared to the robby crop of tomatoes because the cariff crop of tomatoes are grown in warmer and better conditions. The cariff tomatoes are generally suitable for consumption closer to the cultivation areas. This is due to the perishable nature of tomatoes that are grown during the rainy season. But if we see during summer months, Madhanappally which is in Andhra Pradesh alone takes care of tomato cultivation in the entire country. Now we look at some data. See the overall tomato production reached its peak in 2019-20 at 21.187 million tons. But it has been declining since then. It dropped to 20.69 million tons in 2021-22 and 20.62 million tons in 2022-23. Now we will see about the factors that fuel the price rise. See there are several factors that has contributed to dip in tomato production and the subsequent price rise. But there are two key reasons. One reason is extreme weather conditions. And the other reason is low commercial realization of the crop for farmers. See we know that there were heat waves and high temperatures in April and May. Besides that, monsoon showers were delayed in southern India and Maharashtra. This led to pest attacks in tomato crops. As a result, inferior quality tomatoes were brought to the markets earlier this year. These inferior quality tomatoes fetched very low prices for farmers ranging from Rs.62-11 per kg between December 2022 and April 2023. So many farmers were forced to sell their crop at these lower prices. And some farmers even abandoned their crops. And this led to scarcity in tomato supply. And later incessant rains in tomato growing regions further affected the new tomato crops. See incessant rains refers to continuous or uninterrupted rainfall that occurs for an extended period without any significant breaks or passes. These excessive and continuous rainfall can saturate the soil which in turn lead to water logging and drainage issues. This can be particularly detrimental to tomato plants because the tomato plants prefer well drained soil. Besides all this, July and August months are lean production period for tomatoes. That is, the production will be low during this June and August months. This further worsened the supply situation. Some reports indicate that many farmers in the Kolar district of Karnataka shifted to beans cultivation last year due to the higher prices. After that, Kolar region supplies a significant portion of tomatoes to the market. Now we will see the argument of central government regarding tomato price raise. See the Indian government has labelled this short price in tomato prices as seasonal and temporary. The government argued that tomatoes have a pattern of price volatility every year around this time. However, policy experts including the RBI and Abbott have expressed concerns about this high seasonal price volatility of tomatoes because this will impact the overall consumer price index. According to an Abbott study, tomatoes are the most volatile among the tomato onion potato that is the top vegetables. See vegetables have a relatively small weightage in the combined consumer price index but tomatoes had a significant contribution to the overall consumer price index with 8.9% share in June 2022. So such a price raise cannot be ignored lightly. Now how are we going to control the price volatility? See to address the issue of high price volatility, policy experts suggest some improvements. One key aspect is to develop better value and supply chains. Since tomatoes are highly perishable, an organized value chain should be developed and it should involve various entities working together to produce, process and market tomatoes more efficiently. Apart from this, some study recommends increasing process capacity for tomatoes. See we can process at least 10% of tomatoes into tomato paste and puree during peak seasons. This processed product can then be used in the lean season when fresh tomato prices spike. In addition to this, the development of integrated cold chains is also suggested to preserve tomatoes for longer periods. And another aspect is reducing the role of middlemen and empowering farmers. A study estimated that the farmers share of what consumer pay for tomatoes is only 32%. Now let me put this in perspective for you. Let us consider a consumer purchases a tomato from a grocery store for rupees 100 per kilogram. Out of this rupees 100, only 32 rupees goes to the farmers who originally grew the tomatoes. The remaining rupees 68 is shared between middlemen, retailers and other intermediaries involved in the supply chain. So by eliminating middlemen and encouraging farmers producer organization to sell produce directly, then the farmer can receive better prices for their crops. Apart from this, amending the rules of agricultural produce market committees to reduce commission and other fees can also benefit farmers. And that is all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about the production of tomatoes in our country. Then we saw about the reasons behind the recent price raise. And finally we saw some points about how to control the price volatility of tomatoes. Now with these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Now look at this news article here. This news article reports about the blooming of tiger orchids in the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute. This institute is situated at Palode near Tirunandaburam. The news article further says that the flowering of tiger orchids usually starts in June and lasts till August. Okay. This is all about the news. Now in this context, let us learn about orchids and then specifically about tiger orchids. Now first let us see about orchids in general. Orchids are a diverse group of flowering plants that are known for their vibrant and colorful flowers. According to a publication by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, India is home to about 1,256 species of orchids. Now coming to the types, see the orchids can be broadly classified into three types. Now let us understand the types one by one. The first one is epiphytic orchids. These types of orchids grow on other plants. Then the second one is terrestrial orchids. These orchids usually grow on land. And finally, mycoheterotrophic orchids. These types of orchids derive its nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi. Okay. Now let us learn about the types. And note that about 60% of all orchids found in India are epiphytic. The highest number of orchid species in India is present in Arunachal Pradesh. Apart from Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal also have a large number of orchids. If you look at the endemic orchids, the western gods have highest endemic orchid species. So from this fact, we can say that orchids are highly distributed in eastern Himalayas and western Ghats of India. Despite this vast diversity, only 11 species of orchids are protected under the Wild Life Protection Act of India. But note that the entire orchid family is listed under epiphytics two off-sides. That is the Convention on International Trading Endangered Species of Wild Fawn on Flora. So any trade of wild orchids is banned globally. Now with this understanding of orchids, now we will see about the tiger orchids. See the tiger orchids are native to Southeast Asia. As the name suggests, the flower of these orchids look like the skin of tiger. The flowers have brown spots against a yellow backdrop which will remain as tigers. This tiger orchid species recently in use because it is now the season for its blooming and it is spotted at Botanical Garden in Paload near Tiruvunandaburam. The important fact to note here is that the tiger orchid is the largest orchid species in the world. Each orchid plant can have 8 to 100 flowers. See after 8 to 12 years of growth, the tiger orchids produce flowers in alternate years in its natural habitat. Also note that the tiger orchid species is native to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. See the orchid in the natural habitat produces 5 centimeter thick stems and it can grow up to 3 meters in length. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, these tiger orchids are the world's tallest orchids with specimens reaching heights of up to 7.62 meters and these are all about tiger orchids. Now we have also come to the end of the discussion. In this discussion we saw about orchids, then about the distribution of orchids in India and finally we saw some points about tiger orchids. See this topic is very much important for your prelims exam. So make note of each and every points that we discussed. Now with these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Now take a look at this news article. According to the article, the cotton spinning mills in Tamil Nadu had declared a stop agent production since July 15. This is because the mills have been facing financial issues due to high cotton prices, then increased operational costs, then increased bank interest rates and finally poor demand in domestic and international markets. In response to this, the Tamil Nadu chief minister has appealed to the prime minister and he asked for three favors. Firstly, he asked for the withdrawal of 11 percentage import duty on cotton. Secondly, he asked for the restructure of emergency credit line guarantee scheme. And finally, he asked for a temporary ban on the export of waste cotton. The Tamil Nadu CM feels that these measures will help the spinning industry. And this is all about the news article given here. Now in this context, in our discussion today, we will cover about emergency credit line guarantee scheme. See the emergency credit line guarantee scheme was launched in 2020 as part of Atmanirbar package. See due to the COVID induced lockdowns, businesses all over India were struggling to meet their operational costs or working capital requirements. Here working capital refers to the fund that is available with businesses to cover its day to day operational expenses and short term financial obligations. See to help the small businesses which were struggling to meet their working capital requirements, the central government launched the emergency credit line guarantee scheme. Under the scheme, both the financial institutions and non banking financial institutions can extend credit to the small businesses. As part of the scheme, the Ministry of Finance established the National Credit Guarantee Trusty Company Limited. Through this company, the government provides 100% guaranteed coverage to the lending institutions like banks and non banking financial companies that have extended loans to the borrowers. As the National Credit Guarantee Trusty Company provides Guarantee under the scheme, no collateral is required for obtaining loans. In addition to this, processing charges, foreclosure and prepayment charges are waived off under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme and note that the interest rates on loans provided under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme were capped. This was done so that the business could avail credit at a more affordable cost while facing economic hardships. Finally note that the loans that are available under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme should be used for operational purposes and to meet financial liabilities such as payment of wages, rent and utilities and it must be used for any speculative or capital market activities. And note that the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme was launched in different phases. That is ECLGS 1.0, ECLGS 2.0, ECLGS 3.0 and ECLGS 4.0. Different phases, the scope of the scheme was increased to include multiple sectors. For example, ECLGS 1.0 covered MSMEs up to Rs 25 crore outstanding and Rs 100 crore turnovers. In ECLGS 2.0, special focus was provided to the health care sector with credit outstanding of more than Rs 50 crore and up to Rs 500 crore. Also note that the ECLGS 1.0 has a repayment window of four years and this was extended to five years in ECLGS 2.0. Likewise, with every version the focus and the limit were altered. And as we saw in the news article, the Tamil Nadu CM has appealed to the Prime Minister to restructure the loans provided under ECLGS to aid the ailing spinning mills of Tamil Nadu. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion, we saw about the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme in detail. Now with these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Now take a look at this news article. This news article says that India is going to support the Black Sea Grain Initiative which is devised by the United Nations. And this is the crux of the article. Now in this context, let us learn about Black Sea Grain Initiative in detail. In the exam point of view, we will see the location of Black Sea. Now look at this map here. See Black Sea is an inland sea which is bounded by many countries. The Black Sea is bounded by Ukraine to the north and northwest. Then Russia and Georgia to the east. And then Turkey to the south. And finally Bulgaria and Romania to the west. See the Black Sea is strategically important for many countries surrounding the Black Sea. Having seen the location of Black Sea, now we will see about the Black Sea Grain Initiative. See Ukraine is one of the world's biggest exporters of food grains such as wheat and corn. Apart from this, Ukraine is also a major contributor to the United Nations Food Aid programs. This went well until the invasion of Russia on Ukraine. See when Russia invaded Ukraine, Russia blocked the ports of Ukraine. As a result, Ukraine was not able to export food grains to other nations. And this situation led to increased food prices in some poor countries. So in order to solve the problem of food crisis, the United Nations and Turkey spoke with Russia on July 2022. As a result, they created the Black Sea Grain Initiative to mitigate the problem of food crisis. Under this deal, cargo ships would be allowed to safely travel to Ukraine ports after the inspection that they weren't carrying arms. This initiative allowed the export of food grains and fertilizer from Ukraine to some poorer nations. As part of the deal, nearly 32 million tons of corn and wheat have been exported by Ukraine. And this shows the importance of the deal in global food security. Note that this Black Sea Grain Initiative has been extended twice. But now Russia decided to withdraw from the deal, which may escalate the food prices again. Now why was Russia not agreed to renew the deal? See according to Russia, the promises made in the deal has not been made by the Western world. See the West imposed many sanctions on Russia. Even there were also barriers on payment platforms, insurance, shipping and other logistics regarding Russia's exports. Because of these obstacles, Russia was not able to export its own agricultural products. So the Russia stated that it will not support the deal anymore. Apart from this, the Russian President Putin said that he had agreed to the deal in order to ensure food security to poorer nations. That the Ukraine was exporting mainly to high and middle income countries. And this is why Russia doesn't want to renew the deal anymore. On the other hand, India showed its support for Black Sea Grain Initiative and expressed hope for yearly resolution to the deadlock created by Russia. Since Russia and India are close partners, the decision of India to support the deal may have impacts on their relationship. But it is too early to come to conclusion on this matter. So we have to wait and watch what will happen to this Black Sea Grain Initiative. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion, we saw about the location of Black Sea. Then we saw about Black Sea Grain Initiative. Then we saw about why Russia is not interested to renew Black Sea Grain Initiative. Now with these points in mind, let us move on to the next part of the news article discussion that is to discuss preliminary practice questions. Look at the first question. This question is regarding orchids. Look at the first statement. In India, the orchids are mostly distributed in western Himalayas and eastern gods. See this particular statement is incorrect because as we saw in the discussion, the orchids are distributed mostly in eastern Himalayas and western gods. So statement one is incorrect. Now coming to the second statement, all orchid species in India are protected under Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. See this statement is incorrect as we saw in the discussion, only around 10 species of orchids are protected under Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. So second statement is also incorrect. Now coming to the third statement, orchids are non-flowering vascular plants. See this statement is also incorrect. The orchids are flowering plants. See all the three given statements are incorrect. So the correct answer for the question is option D none. Moving on, let's take up the second question. See this question is regarding Henley passport index. Here three statements are given, we have to find how many of the statements are correct. Look at the first statement, India was ranked at eightieth place in 2023 Henley passport index. See this statement is correct. As we saw in the discussion, India was ranked at eightieth place in recently released Henley passport index. And the India's rank was improved seven place. So first statement is correct. Now coming to the second statement, the index is being framed based on the data available from the International Air Transport Association. See this statement is correct. As we saw in the discussion, the Henley passport index is framed based on the data available from International Air Transport Association. So second statement is correct. Now coming to the third statement, the index is being released by International Civil Aviation Organization. See this statement is incorrect because Henley passport index is released by Henley and partners or not by International Civil Aviation Organization. So third statement is incorrect. From the given three statements, only two statements are correct. So the correct answer for the question is option B, only two. Now moving on, let's take up the final question. See this is a previous question which was asked in 2020 UPSC film. Here description of a particular crop is given. We have to identify which of the following crop is described here. I will read the description. The crop is subtropical in nature. A hard frost is injurious to it. It requires at least two-ten frost-free days and five to hundred centimeters of rainfall for its growth. A light, well-drained soil capable of retaining moisture is ideally suited for the cultivation of the crop. Which one of the following is that crop? Option A cotton, option B jute, option C sugar can, option D tea. Here the correct answer is option A cotton. See cotton is the crop that grows well in the conditions which is provided in the cushion. In India there are ten major cotton growing states. They are Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Mathya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Odisha. Once again the correct answer is option A cotton. This is the quiz question for you today. I will post this quiz question in the community section, try to answer it and the answer for the quiz question is posted in the comment section of the quiz question itself. You can verify the answer and displayed here is the main question for your practice. Go through the question, write your answer and post it in the comment section. With this we have come to the end of the video. 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