 Greetings Aspirants! A warm welcome to the Hindu newspaper analysis brought to you by Shankar A.S. Academy. Today I am going to cover 8 news articles from the Hindu newspaper dated 3rd December 2022 and displayed here are the list of news articles that we are going to discuss today. You can go through it. Now without much delay let's get into the article discussion. Have a look at this news article. The news is that a retired former Indian forest officer has taken charge as the chairperson of National Biodiversity Authority. We shortly call this as NVA and this is about the news article given here. In this discussion we will see in detail about the National Biodiversity Authority. First of all know that the National Biodiversity Authority was established under India's Biological Diversity Act 2002. See it was established by the central government in the year 2003. So National Biodiversity Authority is a statutory body. This is a brief about NVA. Now coming to its composition. See NVA consists of one chairperson, three ex-officio members, seven ex-officio members from different ministries and five non-official members. See this table here. I have given the criteria for the appointment of members of NVA. Just go through it. Remember on fact here all the members including chairperson are appointed by the central government. And this is all about the composition of NVA. Now coming to the functions of National Biodiversity Authority. Firstly NVA gives approval for certain persons for obtaining any biological resource occurring in India. See these persons have to get the approval of NVA even for obtaining knowledge for research, commercial utilization, biosurvey and bioutilization. Now we will see who these persons are. See they include foreigners, then citizen who is a non-resident of that place, then organizations which are not incorporated or registered in India and organizations which are registered in India but has non-Indian participation in its share capital or management. See these people cannot undertake any biodiversity related activities without the approval of National Biodiversity Authority. And also they cannot obtain the results of the research conducted by other persons or organizations without the previous permission of NVA. And this is about the first function. Secondly NVA's approval is needed for applying for the intellectual property right for any invention based on any research or information about a biological resource obtained from India. This is about the second function. Thirdly NVA advises the central government on matters relating to the conservation of biodiversity, then sustainable use of its components and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of biological resources. This is about the third function. Fourthly NVA advises the state governments in selection of areas of biodiversity importance and that to be notified as heritage sites. This is about the fourth function. And finally NVA takes measures on behalf of the central government which are necessary to oppose the grant of intellectual property rights in any country outside India. See this is done when the intellectual property right is provided for any biological resource obtained from India or knowledge associated with such biological resources derived from India. So from this we can say that NVA performs facilitative regulatory and advisory functions for the government of India. And these functions are based on issues of conservation, sustainable use of biological resources and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of use of biological resources. See these are the main functions of NVA and there are N number of functions performed by NVA and we will see them in upcoming days. And that's all regarding this discussion. This discussion is about National Biodiversity Authority, its composition and some of the main functions of National Biodiversity Authority. See this topic is very very important for your prelims exam. Kindly make note of it and don't forget to revise these types of topics before the prelims exam. With these key points in mind, now let's move on to the next news article discussion. See this article here. Recently the Karnataka High Court issued an order to not use songs from KGF2 movie to promote Bharat Jodo Yatra. As this order was not implemented, the Karnataka High Court has issued a contempt of court petition to certain Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi. This is about the news article given here. In this context, let us learn about what is contempt of court and then about the constitutional and statutory provisions regarding contempt of court. First of all, what is contempt of court? See when someone is said to be in contempt of the court, then he or she has disrespected the court's order or lowered the authority of the court. This is about the contempt. Now what is the objective behind the concept of contempt of court? See the objective behind the concept of contempt of court is to safeguard the interest of the public because if the authority of the court is lowered, then public confidence in the administration of justice will be weakened or eroded. And this might result in the collapse of entire judicial system. So the concept of contempt of court is necessary for the judiciary to function smoothly. Now let me explain to you the importance of contempt of court with an example. Let us consider two people A and B. Now assume A and B are in legal dispute as B has encroached upon A's land. Then A approached the court and the court has given the judgment in his favor. But the thing is that B is not following the court's order. Since approaching the court has not yielded any good result to A even though he has committed nothing wrong. A now approaches a local rowdy R and A pays him some money and asks the rowdies help to evict B from his land. Then rowdy R sends his army of goons and helps A. Now what will A do? A go around his village saying that the judiciary failed him but the local rowdy R treated him fair. And A also says to the people that not to trust the court but to trust rowdy R. So some of the people of the village after hearing A story they will start approaching rowdy R to solve their problems instead of approaching the court. If this goes on what will happen? Some people in the village will think being a rowdy is a good money earning profession. So they will put their jobs and train and become rowdies. As the number of rowdies in the village increases there will be constant fighting among them and they will also intimate the people. In addition to this there will be a labor shortage as everyone in the village wants to become a rowdy R a goon. And this will result in total collapse of the system. See all this could have been avoided if the court had a mechanism to enforce its judgment. See in India we have this mechanism and this mechanism is called contempt of court. So in short for a well functioning modern democracy which has to ensure rule of law then people's conference in the judiciary must be ensured and this can be done by having a mechanism to punish people who are in the contempt of court. This is about the concept of contempt of court. Now moving on let's see the types of contempt of court. See contempt of court can be of two kinds. One is civil contempt and the other is criminal contempt. First let's take civil contempt. A person is said to be in civil contempt when that person will fully disobey any of the court's order or judgment. So from our earlier example the person B who was not following the court's order is said to be in civil contempt. This is about civil contempt. Now moving on to C criminal contempt. See a person is said to be in criminal contempt when that person does something which lowers the authority of the court or scandalizes the court. So from our earlier example the person A who goes around the village saying don't trust the court and to trust rowdy r is lowering the authority of the court. So A is in criminal contempt. This is about criminal contempt. Here I used the term scandalizing the court. What does scandalizing the court mean? Scandalizing the court refers to something that brings the authority and administration or law by the courts into distrust dispute creating distrust and disbelief in the minds of the public at large. Another point that you have to know regarding criminal contempt is that criminal contempt also includes the publication of any matter which interferes with any judicial proceeding or obstructs the administration of justice in any other manner. Here the publication could be words that is spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations. Basically the difference between civil and criminal contempt is that in case of civil contempt the order of the court is not followed. And in the case of criminal contempt the authority of the court is lowered. Having covered the basics now let's see some constitutional and statutory basis regarding contempt of court. Firstly let's go through constitutional provisions. First let's take article 129. See article 129 of the constitution declares the supreme court has a court of record and the supreme court shall have all the powers of a court of record including power to punish for its contempt of itself. Next is article 142 class 2. See article 142 class 2 states that the supreme court has all and every power to make any order for the purpose of securing the attendance of any person then the discovery or production of any documents or the investigation or punishment of any contempt of itself. So basically article 142 class 2 of the Indian constitution empowers the supreme court verdicts and rulings to be enforced. The article 142 class 2 also states that while performing its duty the supreme court may issue any verdict or order which is necessary to provide complete justice. This is about the constitutional provisions regarding supreme court. Now as far as the high court we have article 215. The article 215 declares high court as a court of record and that it shall have all the powers of such a court of record including the powers to punish for contempt for itself. See these are all the constitutional provisions regarding contempt of court. In addition to this we also have a statutory provision under contempt of court act 1971. But what is the necessity of this act? See if you notice carefully although article 129, 142 class 2 and 215 implicitly talks about contempt of court it does not define what contempt of court is. So it is the contempt of court act 1971 which defines what contempt of court is. We saw the types of contempt of court right they are defined by contempt of court act 1971. See civil contempt is mentioned under section 2b of the contempt of court act 1971 and criminal contempt is mentioned under section 2c of the act. Then the punishment for the contempt of court is also provided in this act. According to the contempt of court act 1971 contempt of court punishes the guilty person with imprisonment that may extend to 6 months or fine of 2000 or both. See this act also provides some protection against the contempt of court proceedings. As per section 3 of the act, Innocent publication and distribution of matter is not contempt. That is a person will not be guilty for anything published in connection with any pending civil or criminal proceeding if at the time of publishing the person was not aware that the case was pending in court. Then as per section 4 of the act fair and accurate report of judicial proceedings is not contempt. That is a person shall not be guilty of contempt of court for publishing a fair and accurate report of judicial proceedings. Then most importantly under section 5 fair criticism of judicial action is not contempt. That is a person shall not be guilty of contempt of court for publishing any fair comment on the merits of any case which has been here and finally decided by the court. Then there is also another section which is section 13. It states that no court shall impose a sentence unless it is satisfied that the contempt substantially interferes with the due course of the justice. So basically only if the court is satisfied that the contempt interferes with the due course of justice then only the court can award punishment. Finally there is section 20. Section 20 places a time limit to initiate contempt of court case proceedings. Section 20 places a limit of one year term from the date on which the contempt is alleged to have been committed. After this period of one year contempt of court proceedings cannot be initiated. See these are all the statutory provisions regarding contempt of court please make note of it. And that's all regarding this discussion. What is contempt of court then about the two types of contempt of court that is civil contempt and criminal contempt. And finally the important constitutional statutory provisions regarding contempt of court. See this topic is very very important for your mains exam because it is frequently coming in news. So we could expect a mains question regarding contempt of court. Please revise regularly and that will help to enrich your brains answer. With these key points in mind now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this editorial article as the title indicates this article talks about connecting India's east with the Indo-Pacific. The author of the article feels that even though India's look east and active policies have moved into the face of Indo-Pacific policy and strategy there are still more important issues that must be addressed. This includes the need to strengthen ties with the rest of India and selective countries in south and southeast Asia and to ensure adequate security and speeding up of economic development. So in this news article let's understand the significance of Indo-Pacific region then India's interest in the region and the challenges to the India in the Indo-Pacific region. Now before getting into discussion the syllabus relevant to this topic is given here kindly go through it. Let's begin with the significance of Indo-Pacific region but before that what does the term Indo-Pacific mean. See the term Indo-Pacific refers to the maritime space stretching from the Indian Ocean across east Asia to the western Pacific Ocean. See it is a relatively new concept based on the realization that the separate strategic theaters of the Indian and the Pacific Ocean form a linked strategic theater with unified power and influence. One of the reasons behind the popularity of Indo-Pacific is maritime routes. See both the oceans provide sea lanes and majority of the world's trade passes through these oceans. For example we know that there was a time before the Cold War when the center of gravity of the universe was across the Atlantic. That is the trade was actually transiting from the Atlantic but now it has shifted to Asia. And this Indo-Pacific region also includes world's four big economies. They are USA, China, Japan and India. And this is about the Indo-Pacific region. Now let's see about the interest of India in the Indo-Pacific region. See India aspires that the Indo-Pacific region should be an inclusive, open, integrated and a balanced space to pursue its interest. Make a note of each and every term. See here open means absence of any hegemonic power in the region. Then integrated means India aspires to transform a divided region into an integrated one, particularly in the case of ASEAN. See it is a countermeasure against Chinese dividend rule policy among Asian countries. Then finally balanced. The term balanced means India's vision is based on multipolar world. That is by working with all countries. And it also based on multipolar Asia. Here it consisting of India, China, Asia, Japan, Australia etc. India also ensures that in such an order no major powers will take over vital economic and trade routes. Now with this basic idea let's understand about India's Indo-Pacific strategy. See India's Indo-Pacific strategy has two components. First is strengthening India's national engagement with the region. This component elevates India's salience that is particularly noticeable in the Indo-Pacific region. And it raises Delhi's value for its partners. Then secondly to have stronger partnerships with like-minded nations. See this component helps India to boost its national capabilities and enhance its reach and impact. See these are the points that you have to remember with India's Indo-Pacific strategy. Apart from this globally Indo-Pacific is seen as an window to counter China. Especially against its informally established dominance in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. I hope you all know about the areas claimed by China through 9 dashed line in South China Sea. In Indian Ocean also Sri Lanka leased Hambandata port to China for 99 years. So to counter China's dominance in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean the Indo-Pacific strategy is important. So far we saw about the significance of Indo-Pacific region and India's interest in the Indo-Pacific region. Now we shall see some challenges to India in the Indo-Pacific region. See apart from securing trade routes from domination of a particular country there are many challenges behind India. The first challenge is terrorism and piracy. See it is a huge threat so maritime security and maritime domain awareness is required. Secondly we saw that India is working towards a multipolar world order right. It is working towards a resolution of like-minded countries to counter anyone who may challenge a multipolar world. However a large portion of the international community is varied of a such resolution and this resembles a cold war mentality such as NATO and Warsaw Pact. Thirdly India also envisions an international order which is rule bound. But there are worries regarding countries that challenge the order by use of force and power. So these are all some of the challenges pertaining to the Indo-Pacific region. Now finally let's see how the development of North Eastern states will help India to achieve its goal in the Indo-Pacific strategy. Firstly the author recommends improving of road linking in North Eastern towns. See this helps not only in ease of transportation of goods but also in enabling tourism. For example Manipur can be promoted as the hub of medical tourism for other Indian states. See it will promote regional economy thereby it helps India to achieve its Indo-Pacific strategy goals. Secondly the government should promote initiatives in North India that trigger job creation for thousands of graduates produced by local universities. See this will attract more investments from the Southeast Asian countries and it helps India to maintain the path towards Indo-Pacific strategy. Thirdly the research and development facilities in North Eastern states to leverage the regions biodiversity should be expanded and this will open the new areas of interest with regards to Indo-Pacific strategy. And finally investment by Indian corporates and foreign investors with better management should be promoted in the region to have accelerated development. So to conclude the author says that the reach of cultural diplomacy and people-to-people cooperation through greater educational exchanges tourism and trade should be encouraged. See this will first attract people within our country and later it will help India to achieve its Indo-Pacific strategy. So beyond look east and act east there lies think and relate east and the Indian government should consider this concern. And that's all regarding this discussion in this discussion we saw about significance of the Indo-Pacific region then India's interest in the Indo-Pacific region then the challenges to India in the Indo-Pacific region and finally about the development of North Eastern states to achieve the goal of India's Indo-Pacific strategy. See this topic is very important for your mains examination. See this is hot topic so we will expect mains question from this topic kindly make note of it. Now with these key points in mind now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Now for our next discussion we are going to take this article here. It says that not a single coal based thermal power plant in West Bengal has installed flue gas desulfurization technology. As per the analysis by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air the coal consumption has increased in the power plants of West Bengal. And this will lead to severe health risks due to the flue gas emissions because of burning coals. And this is the crux of the news article given here in this discussion let us concentrate on the sulfur gas emissions, its sources and finally the flue gas desulfurization technology. First of all know that sulfur that are released in the atmosphere are in the form of oxides. How does this happen? Let's take the example of coal power plants. See here the fuel content sulfur content right so while combustion they combine with oxygen to form oxides. And they released into the atmosphere with other gases and these gases are called as flue gases. With this information now let's see the different sources of sulfur oxides. See the important pollutant among sulfur oxides is sulfur dioxide and the majority of it comes from the production of electricity. That is from burning of fossil fuels especially coal. Other sources include petroleum refineries, cement manufacturing, paper pulp manufacturing and metals melting and processing facilities. See locomotives, large ships and some non-road diesel equipment currently burn high sulfur fuel. And finally in nature volcanic eruptions can release sulfur dioxide into the air. See these are the major sources of sulfur dioxide and know that India is the largest emitter of sulfur dioxide in the world. India contributes more than 21% of global emissions that is to mainly from coal based electricity generation. Then Russia is the second largest emitter of sulfur dioxide and it contributes more than 12% of global emissions. Now coming to its effects see sulfur dioxide affects the lung functioning. Some of the direct effects include eye irritation, then veezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, aggravation of asthma and chronic bronchitis. And it also cause inflammation of the respiratory tract. See these are the effects to humans. Then the environmental impact of sulfur dioxide is acid drain. Knowing it is serious now we know that there is a need for eliminating sulfur dioxide from atmosphere. Here only desulfurization technology becomes relevant. See flue gas desulfurization is a set of technologies that are used to remove sulfur dioxide from flue gases. See this desulfurization technology consists of two methods. One is wet scrubber and the other is dry scrubber. Typically the highest removal efficiency is achieved by wet scrubbers. So in this discussion we will see about wet scrubbing method. See in the wet scrubbing process the flue gas is drawn into the scrubber spray tower by a fan. In the lower part of the spray tower an alkaline based slurry is held. This is most commonly a mixture of ground up limestone and water. And this slurry is sprayed from the top using a centrifugal pump. When the alkaline slurry is sprayed from the top it comes into contact with gas. As the sulfur dioxide comes into contact with the slurry it is absorbed by the water and the limestone within the slurry. And the slurry neutralizes sulfur dioxide. And the reaction that has taken place in the slurry has produced calcium sulphide which in turn can be turned into calcium sulphate. This is turned using a process known as forced oxidation. See now the flue gas exited to the atmosphere will contain very low traces of sulfur dioxide. It will contain as little as 2% of sulfur dioxide. So this flue gas desulfurization technology will significantly reduce the impact of sulfur dioxide on the environment. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about the sources of sulfur dioxide then its effect on human and environment. And finally about flue gas desulfurization technology. With these key points in mind now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Have a look at this editorial page article. This article talks about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. So in this discussion we will learn about background of the Israel-Palestin issue then about the current issue. And finally let's understand about India's stand on Israel-Palestin issue. Before getting into discussion the syllabus relevant to this topic is highlighted here. You can go through it. Now first let's start with background. See the Israeli-Palestinian conflict dates back to the end of 19th century. See it is linked to the age-old tussle over ideology on the land. Around 1880s Jew people around the world gathered in Palestine. And there they started the movement for separate state. And this movement is came to be known as Aliyah movement. Then in 1917 the United Kingdom gained control over Palestine after the fall of Ottoman Empire in the World War I. See at that time the Arabs were in majority in Palestine. And Jew people were minority. Then the Balfour Declaration was issued after British gained control over Palestine. See this declaration aimed to establish a home for Jews in Palestine. As we know during that period the Arabs were in majority in Palestine. So Jews favored the idea while Arabs rejected it. Then during World War II the Nazis murdered nearly 6 million Jews. And this genocide is called as holocaust. See this holocaust also ignited further demand for separate Jewish state. See at that time Jews claimed that Palestine is their natural home while Arabs also claimed Palestine as their state and they did not leave the land. Then in 1947 the United Nations adapted Resolution 181. See this resolution is also known as Partition Plan. This resolution was moved in the UN because the British lifted its control over Palestine. See the UN Resolution 181 sought to divide Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. Then based on the UN Resolution in May 1948 the State of Israel was created by the Jewish leaders. See this sparked the first Arab-Israeli War. See the war ended in 1949 with Israel's victory. But many Palestinians were displaced. Also the territory was divided into three parts. That is the State of Israel, the Western Bank which is situated west of the Jordan River and the Gaza Strip. Then over the following years tensions rose in the region. Particularly between Israel and Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Here the Egypt, Jordan and Syria helped Arab people. Then six day war between Israel and Egypt and Syria was started. And Israel gained territorial control over many areas. Firstly the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Then the Western Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan and the Golan Heights from Syria. Then in Yom Kippur war or the October war Egypt and Syria launched a surprise two-front attack on Israel. See this is to regain their lost territory. Finally the Camp David Accords was signed. See this was signed after a series of ceasefires and peace negotiations. And it was signed by the representatives from Egypt and Israel. See this is a peace treaty that ended the third year conflict between Egypt and Israel. Even though the Camp David Accords improved relations between Israel and its neighbors. The question of Palestinian self-determination and self-governance remain unsolved. Then in 1987 thousands of Palestinians living in the Worst Bank and Gaza Strip rose up against the Israeli government. And this is known as First Intifeda. See the conflict was then mediated by 1993 Osloan Accords. See Osloan Accords was a framework that was set up for the Palestinians to govern themselves in the Western Bank and Gaza. And this enabled mutual recognition between the newly established Palestinian Authority and Israel's government. Then come the Oslo 2 Accords in the year 1995. See this Accord was the expanded version of the First Agreement. That is it mandated the complete withdrawal of Israel from 6 cities and 450 towns in the West Bank. Then in the year 2000 the Palestinians launched the Second Intifeda. In response to this the Israel government approved a construction of a barrier wall around the West Bank in the year 2002. See this was done despite opposition from the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. Then in 2013 the United States attempted to revive the peace process between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. However peace talks were disrupted when the Palestinian Authority's ruling party formed a unity government with its rival faction Hamas. See Hamas are Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood founded in 1987. See it was formed following the First Intifeda and it is one of two major Palestinian political parties. And it was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States in 1997. Coming back then in 2014 the clash between the Israeli military and the Hamas began. And it ended in late August 2014 with a ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt. Then the Palestinian President announced that no more bounding to the Oslo Accords. Then in 2018 fighting broke out between Hamas and the Israeli military. And this become the worst period of violence since 2014. And at this time the US administration under Donald J. Trump reversed the long standing US policy. Say for example he decided to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem. Here know that Israel considers the complete and united Jerusalem as its capital. While the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of future Palestinian state. Then in January 2020 the Trump administration released its long awaited peace to prosperity plan. But this was rejected by Palestinians. Then in the same year the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalised relations with Israel. And note that UAE and Bahrain became the third and fourth countries in the region to accept Israel. And who are the first and second then? Yes they are Egypt and Jordan. See the Israel Palestinian she was a cyclical one. On one side the Israeli security forces are killing the Palestinians. And on the other side the militant groups like Hamas and the newly emerged group like Lines Den and the Palestinian authorities are attacking Israeli troops and illegal Jewish settlers in Palestinian territories. And currently there is a leadership divide among the Palestinians itself. On one side the Palestinian Authority runs parts of the West Bank. While on the other side the over populated Gaza Strip is ruled by rival Hamas. Thus to end this Israel Palestinian issue there is need for a peace process. Because the two state formula is dying slowly and there is growing violence. This is because of the emerging leadership divide among the Palestinians. See this is all about the background and the ongoing issue between Israel and Palestine. Now we will see what is India's stand on the issue. See India was one of the major non-Arab non-Muslim countries to back the Palestinian demand for an independent state. In 1974 India recognised the Palestinian Liberation Organisation of Yassar al-Rafat as the sole and legitimate representative of Palestinian people. Then in 1975 the first Palestinian Liberation Organisation was set up in New Delhi and this was followed in 1980 with a full-fledged embassy. And in 1996 New Delhi had an office in Gaza city and which was later moved to Ramallah in 2003. See India also co-sponsored the draft resolution on the right of Palestinians to self-determination and voted in favour of it during the 53rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. Then at the UN in 2003 India stood against the construction of a separate wall by Israel. Also India supported the UNGA resolution that admitted Palestine as a non-member observer state at the UN without voting rights. But know that since 1992 India and Israel scaled up diplomatic ties and Israel is now a different supplier to India. But since India was one of the early supporters of Palestine New Delhi continues to support Palestine's right to exist as an independent country. For example while making the right noises at the UN and other international forums India like every other country started considering the problems of Palestinians as unimportant. So finally we conclude India should maintain a balance between its expanding ties with Israel and its old historical support for Palestine. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about the background of Israel-Palestine conflict and the ongoing issues between Israel and Palestine and finally about India's stand on Israel-Palestine conflict. Now these key points in mind now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Now see this article here it says that Amar Raja Batteries a battery manufacturing company has chosen Telangana for its proposed lithium ion battery Jigafactory. It is said that the company will invest around Rs 9,500 crore for the next 10 years. And as per the government it is the country's largest inverse in the lithium ion cell manufacturing sector. And this is about the news article given here in this context. Let us understand about lithium ion batteries. See a lithium ion battery is an advanced battery technology that uses lithium ions as a key component of its electrochemistry. See you can find these batteries in laptops, cell phones and iPods and they are some of the most energetic rechargeable batteries available. See the electrodes of a lithium ion battery are made up of lightweight lithium and carbon. The most common combination is lithium cobalt oxide which is acting as cathode and graphite which will act as anode. Then other cathode materials include lithium manganese oxide and lithium ion phosphate. See lithium ion batteries typically use ether as an electrolyte. Know that both the anode and cathode stores the lithium. The electrolyte that is the ether carries positively charged lithium ions from the anode to the cathode and vice versa through the separator. Here the movement of the lithium ions creates free electrons in the anode which in turn creates a charge at the positive current collector. The electrical current then flows from the current collector to the devices such as cell phone, computer, etc. See this is about the lithium ion batteries and its associated technologies. Now let's see some of the advantages of lithium ion batteries. Firstly, lithium ion batteries are more popular because they are generally much lighter than other types of rechargeable batteries of the same size. Secondly, lithium ion batteries are capable of having a very high voltage and charge storage per unit mass and unit volume. See a typical lithium ion battery can store 150 W of electricity in 1 kg of battery. But a nickel metal hydride battery can store only 60-70 W in 1 kg of battery. Then a lead acid battery can store only 25 W per kg. So what does this mean? This means that it takes 6 kg of lead acid battery to store the same amount of energy that a 1 kg lithium ion battery can handle. And this is the reason why lithium ion batteries are so famous. Then third advantage is a lithium ion battery pack loses only about 5% of its charge per month. This is less when compared to 20% loss per month for nickel metal hydride batteries. Then the fourth advantage is that they have no memory effect which means you do not have to completely discharge the lithium ion batteries before recharging. And finally, lithium ion batteries can handle hundreds of charge or discharge cycles. And this is all about advantages. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about lithium ion batteries and how it is functioning. And finally about some of the advantages of lithium ion batteries. Now with these key points in mind, now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Have a look at this news article. This news article talks about the Interpol Alert. The news is that the CBA is acting on an alert received from Germany via Interpol channels. Thus, CBA in its FIR said that a resident in Tamil Nadu had entered into a conspiracy for exchanging digital child pornography. And this is the crux of the news article given here. In this context, let us learn about Interpol. Now first let's learn about Interpol. See, the International Criminal Police Organization which is shortly called as Interpol was set up in the year 1923. Know that it is an intergovernmental organization and currently it has 195 member countries. And this is a brief about Interpol. Now let's see some of the important functions of Interpol. See, its main function is to help the police in all of its member countries to work together to make the world as a safer place. See, the Interpol acts as a secure information sharing platform. This facilitates criminal investigation of police forces across the globe. See, it is done through collection and dissemination of information received from various police forces. So in simple words, Interpol enables its member countries to share and assess data on crimes and criminals. Then Interpol also offers a range of technical and operational support to its member countries. This is the first main function. Secondly, the Interpol keeps a track on the movement of criminals and those under the police radar. See, this is to tip off police forces whenever the Interpol's assistance is sought. So it aims to promote the widest possible mutual assistance between criminal police forces. This is all about the functions. Now let's see about the organizational structure of the Interpol. See, the Interpol is headed by the president and he or she is elected by the General Assembly of the Interpol. Here the president comes from any one of the member nations and he or she holds office for four years. Know that the General Assembly of the Interpol is supreme governing body. It comprises representatives from each of its member countries and it meets once a year. See, this General Assembly only lays down the policies for execution and then the policies are carried out by Interpol's secretariat. Here the policies will be on several specialized directorates for cybercrime, terrorism, drug trafficking, financial crime, environmental crime, human trafficking, etc. See, the day-to-day activities of Interpol are overseen by a full-time secretary general and he or she is elected by the General Assembly. So this is all about the internal working of Interpol. Now let's see how Interpol works with other countries. See, every member nation represents Interpol in their nations. All communications between a national law enforcement agency and Interpol go through the top investigative body in that country. To be specific, each member country hosts an Interpol National Central Bureau. See, it serves as the country's focal point for all Interpol activities. Now that the CB assumes its role in India with one of its senior officers heading its exclusive interwing. See, they connect and communicate through a secure global police communications network called I-24 bar 7. So does all this mean that any member country can access any critical information anytime? Really not. See, to access information, notices should be raised and these notices are nothing but international requests for cooperation or alerts. Once notices are accepted, then the police in member countries will be allowed to share critical crime related information. And depending on the information sought, the notices are differentiated into colors. See here, I have listed different notices for your reference. Kindly go through it. And that's all regarding this discussion. This discussion is all about Interpol, its function and about the organizational structure of Interpol. With these key points in mind, now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Now have a look at this news article. See, this news article talks about the appointment of Lakshman Karanthikar as part-time chairperson of National Statistical Commission. So in this news article discussion, let us understand about National Statistical Commission. See, the National Statistical Commission was established in the year 2005 based on the recommendations of Rangarajan Commission. Know that National Statistical Commission was established through an executive order and it works under the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation. Now coming to the purpose, the main purpose of this commission is to serve as nodal and empowered body for all core statistical activities in the country. Also know that it is a permanent commission. Then coming to its objective, the main objective of National Statistical Commission is to reduce the problems faced by statistical agencies in the country with respect to the collection of data. And the commission also strengthen public trust in the numbers released by government of India. This is about objectives. Talking about this composition, see the National Statistical Commission as a part-time chairperson, four part-time members, and an ex-officer member. Each having specialization and experience in specified statistical fields. Know that the Chief Statistician of India is the Secretary of the Commission and he is also the Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation. Also remember, the National Statistical Commission is just a recommending body and its recommendations are not binding on the government. This is about composition of National Statistical Commission. Now talking about its functions, see the main function of National Statistical Commission is to improve the data quality in the statistical products and processes and to work closely to the statistical agencies in the central and state governments. Then the other function is it monitors and enforce statistical priorities and standards throughout the country. And finally, its main mandate is to ensure statistical coordination among the different agencies involved in statistics. And that's all regarding this discussion. This discussion we saw about National Statistical Commission, its objectives, then composition and finally about some of the important functions of National Statistical Commission. See this topic is very important for your prelims exam. A prelims question may be asked from this topic, so make note of it. With these key points in mind, now let's move on to the next part of the new statistical discussion that is to discuss preliminary practice questions. Now look at this first question, consider the following statements regarding National Biodiversity Authority. Now let's take up the first statement. National Biodiversity Authority is a statutory body and its headquarters is located in New Delhi. See this statement is incorrect because the first part of the statement alone is correct. As we know it is a statutory body and it was established under India's Biological Diversity Act 2002. But the second part of the statement is wrong because its headquarters is located in Chennai and not in New Delhi. So statement one is wrong. Now coming to the second statement National Biodiversity Authority exercises the power and perform the functions of a State Biodiversity Board for Union Territories. And this statement is correct. The Biological Diversity Act 2002 says that no State Biodiversity Board shall be constituted for a Union Territory. And in relation to Union Territory the National Biodiversity Authority shall exercise the power and performs the functions of a State Biodiversity Board for that Union Territory. It also says that the National Biodiversity Authority when delegate all or any of its powers or functions relating to Union Territories to such person or group of persons as the Central Government may specify. So statement two is correct. Now the question is asking for correct statement. So the answer for the question is option B2 only. Moving on let's take up the second question. Consider the following statements regarding contempt of court. Now look at this first statement the Constitution of India empowers the Supreme Court and the High Court to punish for contempt of themselves. See this statement is correct. The Supreme Court and the High Courts of India have been empowered with the power to penalize for contempt of court under Article 129 and 215 of the Constitution of India respectively. So statement one is correct. Now coming to the second statement the Constitution of India defines civil contempt and criminal contempt. See this statement is incorrect because the Constitution of India does not define civil contempt and or criminal contempt. Now coming to the third statement in India the Parliament is vested with powers to make laws on contempt of court. See this statement is correct as per Article 142 of the Indian Constitution it states that subject to the provisions of any law made on this big up by Parliament the Supreme Court shall have all and every power to make an order on the punishment of any contempt of itself. Thus the Parliament is vested with powers to make laws on contempt of court. So third statement is correct. Now the question is asking for correct statement. So the answer for the question is option B1 and 3 only. Moving on let's take up the third question. Which of the following is or the characteristic of Indian coal? Let's take up the first statement. High ash content. See this is correct because the most significant characteristic of Indian coal is it has high ash content which varies from 35 to 45% compared with the tough coal in other parts of the world which is around 15% So statement 1 is correct. Now coming to the second statement low sulphur content. Yes this is also correct Indian coal sulphur content is low and it's about 0.5% So second statement is also correct. Now coming to the third statement low ash fusion temperature. First of all know that ash fusion temperature is a measure when the ash will melt and transform into a solid to liquid state. See this temperature is an important parameter for the design and operation of gasification systems. Now coming to the Indian coals. See Indian coals have a high ash fusion temperature of more than 1400 degree Celsius. So statement 3 is incorrect because Indian coals have high ash fusion temperature. Now the question is asking for correct statement. So the answer for the question is option A1 and 2 only. Moving on let's take up the fourth question. Consider the following statements regarding lithium ion batteries. Let's take up the first statement. Lithium ion batteries are cheaper when compared to lead acid batteries. See this statement is incorrect because lead acid batteries are cheaper and are easier to install when compared to lithium ion batteries. And the price of lithium ion batteries is 2 times higher than lead acid battery with the same capacity. So the statement 1 is incorrect. Now coming to the second statement. Lithium ion batteries are capable of having a very high voltage and charge storage, per unit mass and unit volume. See this point we saw in the discussion itself and this statement is correct. Now coming to the question. The question is asking for correct statement. So the answer for the question is option B2 only. Moving on let's take up the final question. Consider the following statements with respect to Interpol. Now look at this first statement. India had used red notice. Yes this statement is correct because India used red notice in Vijay Malia case. See red notice is a structured communication which is issued by Interpol to all member nations. This communication notify the name of persons against women arrest warranties pending in particular country. So statement 1 is correct. Now coming to the second statement. I24 bar 7 is Interpol secure global police communication system. See this statement is correct as we saw in the discussion itself. The Interpol databases can be I24 bar 7 which is Interpol secure global police communication system. So statement 2 is correct. Now the question is asking for correct statement. So the correct answer for the question is option C both 1 and 2. And this is the question for you today. I will pose this question in community section. Try to answer it. And displayed here are the two main questions for your practice. Go through the questions, write your answers and post it in the comment section. With this we come to the end of the video. If you liked our video please like comment and share it with your friends. And don't forget to subscribe to Shankara IS Academy YouTube channel. Thank you for listening.