 A very good evening aspirants, before getting into a discussion I have an important announcement for you. This is regarding pre-fit batch 3. The first test in this batch was started yesterday, but still you have a chance to enter in this batch. There are total of 71 tests in this pre-fit batch 3 and the test is conducted in both online and offline mode. For your convenience, decoded discussion videos and explanation keys will be provided. So make use of this opportunity and practice well. With this note, now let us get into the daily Hindu news analysis. Today I am going to cover important news articles from the Hindu newspaper dated 10th of March 2023. Dispaired here are list of news articles that we will be discussing today. You can go through it. And a kind request to you all, those who haven't yet, subscribe our YouTube channel. Do subscribe and hit the bell icon button to get regular notifications regarding our content videos. Now let's get into our first news article discussion. Now have a look at this news article. It says that a rare moth species was sighted by two researchers in the buffer zone of Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve. See, this moth species is scientifically known as Mimusemia silonica. This species has never been photographed before and it has existed in description only. But now two researchers have photographed the moth species. This is the crux of the news article given here. Now we will use this opportunity to learn about Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve from an exam perspective. See, the Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve is situated in the southwestern Ghats in Tamil Nadu. Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve was declared as the first tiger reserve of Tamil Nadu. Note that this reserve forms a part of the Agastiyamalai biosphere reserve. The tiger reserve also includes three sanctuaries namely the Kalakard wildlife sanctuary, Mundandurai tiger sanctuary and part of Kanyakumari sanctuary with potions of Tirunelveli forest division. As many as 14 rivers originate from this reserve. Apart from this, there are 11 dams in and around the reserve with three hydroelectric power stations. Okay, now talking about the area of Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve, the core area of tiger reserve is 895 square kilometer and the buffer zone is 706.542 square kilometer. So the total area of Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve is 1061.542 square kilometer. Now talking about the floor of Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve, see the vegetation of the tiger reserve varies from Thronni scrub jungle to lush evergreen forest. Then there are as many as 448 endemic species of angiosperms have been identified in the Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve. Besides this, there are 161 phone species are also found in the tiger reserve. Now talking about the forest type, the forest type of Kalakard-Mundandurai can be mainly categorized under west coast tropical evergreen forest and southern dry mixed deciduous forest. In addition to these forests, grasslands, patches can also be seen in the Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve. Also there are tea and coffee plantations within the reserve. The tiger habitat also has old plantations of teak, eucalyptus and other miscellaneous species. Besides this, the Munnandurai Plateau and Nambi Coil Forest areas have been identified as a medicinal plant conservation area. This is all about flora and forest types of Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve. Now talking about the final diversity of the reserve, see around 84 threatened species have been reported in the reserve. The reserve has elephants, tigers, then co-predators like leopard, then ungulates like sambar and spotted deer are also seen in Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve. Then the tiger reserve also consists of birds, then reptiles like crocodile and some other fish species. Other animals in the tiger reserve include nilgri tar, nilgri langur, wild boar, chital, jungle cat and 67 other mammal species. Now talking about the bird species of Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve, the bird species such as great Indian hornbill, grey-headed bull bull, oriental bay baule, great pied hornbill, broad-tailed grass warbler and so on are also seen in Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve. That's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve, then we saw about the location of the tiger reserve and finally we saw some points about flora and fauna of Kalakard-Mundandurai tiger reserve. 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 key points in mind, let's move on to the next news article discussion. Now have a look at this news article. It says that India and the United States will sign a memorandum of understanding on semiconductors. As per the article, this MOU will help India to achieve its aspiration to play a leading role in the electronics supply chain. This MOU will be signed before the India-US commercial dialogue. Apart from this, on India's part, Air India has decided to purchase 220 Boeing aircraft. So MOU regarding this also included during India-US commercial dialogue. The news article says that this will create a tremendous number of jobs in the United States. Okay, this is about the news article given here. Now using this as an opportunity, let us understand about semiconductors from an example's perspective. But before that, the syllabus relevant to this topic is given here. You can go through it. First of all, what is a semiconductor? See semiconductors are nothing but the materials that have an electrical conductivity between conductors and non-conductors or insulators. This means that semiconductors conduct electricity more than an insulator, but less than a conductor. Aspirants, I have a task for you. Comment some examples of conductors and insulators in the comment section. Now coming back, know that the semiconductors conductivity can be altered with the introduction of impurities. This process is called doping. See doping is done to meet the specific needs of the electronic component in which the semiconductor resides. Now how semiconductors are made up of? Know that semiconductors are made from pure elements such as silicon or germanium or compounds such as gallium arsenide. See these elements are also known by the name semiconductor chips. Now what are all the uses of these semiconductor materials? See the main application of semiconductor chips is that its usage in electric components. Semiconductor chips are found in products such as computers, smartphones, then electronic appliances such as TV, then gaming hardware and even medical equipment. This is a brief about semiconductors. Now with this background information, let us see some India specific information. Now let's start with significance of semiconductors for a country like India. As we saw just now, semiconductors are used in almost all electric appliances. Its usage varies from smartphones to connected devices in the internet of things. See India is a developing country which uses all kinds of electronic devices for its development. Apart from this, we are also promoting digital India and making India. So all these initiatives require semiconductors. Know that as per the data of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India has over 1.2 billion mobile phone users and 600 million smartphone users. In simple terms, semiconductor chips can be considered as building block parts of contemporary automobiles, household gadgets and essential medical devices such as ECG machines. Apart from this, the COVID pandemic also increased the demand for the semiconductor chips. This is because online activities increased worldwide during COVID pandemic. During and after pandemic, people started spending most of their time on online activities like working from home, then online classes, etc. Because of this, the market demand for chip powered computers and smartphones increased exponentially. These are all some of the importance of semiconductors for India. But unfortunately as of now, almost all the semiconductor demand in India is met by imports from countries such as USA, Japan and Taiwan. Know that India is a hub for semiconductor research and design. But India lacks behind in the production of semiconductor chips locally and this should be changed. See, don't think that India has not taken any steps regarding this. India has took many steps for production of semiconductors locally. Now we will see them one by one. Firstly, a scheme for promotion of manufacturing of electric components and semiconductors was introduced on April 1, 2020. The scheme involves provisions of financial incentive of 25% on capital expenditure for the identified list of electronic goods. This includes electronic components, semiconductors or display fabrication units, ATMP units and specialized sub-assemblies. This is about the first scheme. Secondly, in December 2021, India launched Semicond India program with a total outlay of Rs 76,000 crore for the development of semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in India. Then thirdly, under the ages of the Semicond India program, the cabinet also approved for the setting up of India Semiconductor mission. Now that India Semiconductor mission is the nodal mission for efficient and smooth implementation of the schemes under the Semicond India program. See, there are four schemes approved under the India Semiconductor mission. Now we will see them one by one. The first scheme is the modified scheme for setting up of semiconductor fabs in India. Then the second scheme is modified scheme for setting up of display fabs in India. The third scheme is the modified scheme for setting up of compound semiconductors, silicon photonics, sensors fab, discrete semiconductors fab and semiconductor assembly testing, marketing and packaging or OSAT facilities in India. And the fourth scheme is Semicond India Future Design. And know that this is a design-linked incentive scheme. These are the four schemes approved under India Semiconductor mission to implement Semicond India program. See, these efforts will definitely boost the semiconductor sector of the country. See, already Indian Semiconductor market is valued at $27.2 billion in 2021. And according to the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association, India's Semiconductor market is expected to grow more than double between 2021 to 2026. And it is going to reach up to $64 billion. So the efforts by the government to domestically manufacture semiconductor chips will help in boosting the Semiconductor market in India. But setting up a chip manufacturing unit is not an easy task. There are certain challenges which are related to manufacturing of semiconductor chips. Now we will see the challenges one by one. Firstly, know that chip production is a resource intensive and expensive process. Manufacturing a chip typically takes more than three months. Also it involves chain factories, dust-free rooms, multi-million dollar machines, malt and tin and lasers. So resource intensive and expensive process is the first challenge in chip manufacturing. Secondly, chips manufacturing process requires gallons and gallons of ultra-pure water in a single day. This will be hard at times because India has only 4% of the world's freshwater resources and India is having a population of over 1.39 billion people. So providing water for the industries will be a difficult task. We can use sea water but it requires extensive treatment process before it could be used. This is because chips manufacturing needs ultra-pure water. So the requirement of water is another challenge. Thirdly, know that uninterrupted supply of power is central to the chip manufacturing industry. Just a second of fluctuations of spikes can cause millions in losses. So uninterrupted supply of power is the another challenge. And fourthly, lots of raw materials are needed for this process. But the problem here is that China controls many of the metals and alloys needed for the manufacturing of semiconductor chips. So India has to import these critical materials or it need to invest in its own mining industry. So lack of raw materials is also another challenge. Finally, India's semiconductor mission which is the India's semiconductor subsidy program lacks behind in providing incentives to the companies. The countries like USA, China and the European Union are providing tens of billions of dollars and tax incentives for the companies. So India should significantly invest and provide tax incentives to the companies to set up a manufacturing unit in India. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about semiconductors, then about the significance of semiconductors for India. Then we moved on to see about India's initiatives for semiconductor manufacturing process. And finally we saw some points regarding the challenges that are associated with semiconductor manufacturing process in India. See this topic is very much important for your mains exam. So make note of each and every points that we discussed. With these key points in mind, let's move on to the next news article discussion. Now look at this editorial here. This editorial talks about the increasing logistic competitiveness in India. Currently most of the freight movement in India is taking place via road transport. Due to this there is congestion in roads, then increase in pollution and then escalation in logistics cost. See railways on the other hand is cost effective and environment friendly. But due to increased convenience offered by roadways, freight movement in India mostly takes place via road. Therefore increased adoption of railways is crucial to improve India's logistics competitiveness. So recognizing the importance of railways, the government in Union budget 2023 has doubled the allocation of PM Ghazi Shakti national master plan to states from Rs. 5000 crore to Rs. 10000 crore. The government has also allocated Rs. 2.4 lakh crore for the Indian railways to increase the share of railways in freight movement from 27% to 45% by 2030. This editorial also gives some suggestions that can be adopted to increase the share of freight movement in railways. This is the essence of the article given here, in our discussion today we will see why people choose road transport over railways for freight movement, then we will see the issues associated with freight movement via railways in India and finally we will see the steps that can be taken to increase freight movement via railways. Now before getting into discussion, the syllabus relevant to this topic is given here you can go through it. Now first let's see some points about freight movement in India. See despite all the advantages that railway offer, freight movement in India mostly happens via road. According to the news article 65% of all freight movement happens via road. This is despite the fact that the freight movement cost is the highest in the road sector that is nearly twice the cost of railway sector. Now why is this happening? This is because the roadways have a bunch of other advantages. Now let us see the advantages of roadways one by one. The first advantage is flexibility. See roadways provide a greater flexibility compared to other modes of transport like railways. This is because the trucks can reach remote areas and can also make multiple stops which making it easier to transport goods to different destinations. So flexibility is the first major advantage of roadways. Then the second advantage is roadways offer better last mail connectivity. This is because using roads is easier to reach specific locations where other modes of transport may not be accessible. So better last mail connectivity is the other advantage. Then the third advantage is the road transport is cost effective for short distances. See for distances up to 500 kilometer road transport is often more cost effective compared to rail transport. This is because there are few additional costs involved such as loading and unloading fees in the railway transport. So the cost effectiveness of the road transport for short distances is also another advantage. Then the fourth advantage is reliability. In India roadways are considered more reliable than railways. This is because the railway infrastructure in India is often inadequate and congested. This might lead to delays and longer transit times when goods are transmitted via railways. So this makes road transport a more reliable option for time wheel delivery. So reliability is the other advantage. The last major advantage of roadways is security. The road transport is often pursued as more secure than railways. The two mainly for high valuable or fragile goods. This is because the trucks can be constantly monitored and tracked and the goods can be handled and transported with greater care. So the security is another advantage of roadways. So these are the advantages offered by roadways that make it the preferred choice of freight movement in India. Now coming to railways, freight movement by railways is the preferred choice for bulk commodities. And the non bulk commodities account for a very small share in rail freight movement. Here bulk commodities refer to goods like coal, grain or iron ore which are transported in a loose and unpackaged state. Then the non bulk commodities refers to goods like cars, bikes, refrigerators and other consumer durables that are typically packaged or contained when transported. According to the article in 2020-21, coal constituted 44% of the total freight movement by railways followed by iron ore, cement, food grains, fertilizers and iron steel. So as I already mentioned for movement of bulk commodities, railways is the preferred mode and for non bulk commodities, roadways is chosen. Now why is this happening? This is because railways in India faces various issues. Now let us see the issues associated with freight movement by rail in India. The first issue is limited connectivity. See this is the biggest drawback of freight movement by rail. See railways do not reach every nook and corner of the country. This making it the challenging task to transport goods to remote locations. Then the second issue is the old and ageing infrastructure of Indian railways. Railway network in India is old and needs significant investment in modernization and infrastructure development. The railway tracks and infrastructure are not adequately maintained, this leading to delays, accidents and other safety issues. So old infrastructure of Indian railways is the second issue. Then the third issue is the slow transit time associated with railways. See railways are not the fastest mode of transportation in India. See freight transported via railways often takes longer to reach its destination than other modes such as road transportation. This is mainly due to delays in wagon placement, loading and unloading operations and multimodal handling that happens in railway stations. So the slow transit time is another issue. Then the fourth issue is that railways offer limited flexibility. This is because the trains operate on fixed schedules which can be challenging for businesses that require just-in-time delivery. And the fifth issue is that the inefficient cargo handling by the railways. See inefficient cargo handling leads to cargo damage, delays and other issues. So this reduces the reliability of Indian railways. Then the last issue is security concerns. See freight transported via railways is often susceptible to theft and damage. Although this issue is addressed in most places, people still have this phobia of transporting goods via rail in fear of theft. So these are all some of the issues associated with freight movement via rail. To address this issue and make railways the preferred mode of freight movement, the Indian government has been taking a lot of efforts. Now let us see some of the efforts taken by the government of India. As we saw at the beginning of the discussion in the Union budget 2023, the government has doubled the PM Ghazi Shakti National Master Plan allocation to states from Rs. 5000 crore to Rs. 10000 crore. Apart from this, Indian railways was also allocated Rs. 2.4 lakh crore in this 2023 budget. Next, the government is also taking steps to establish dedicated freight corridors. Apart from this, the government has been taking steps to establish multimodal logistics parks. Here, multimodal logistics parks are integrated logistics hubs that serves as a one-stop solution for various modes of transportation. These parks are designed to facilitate the seamless movement of goods across different modes of transportation like rail, road, air and waterways by providing common infrastructure and services. These parks are being developed across different locations in the country and are expected to provide a boost to India's logistics sector by enhancing connectivity and reducing transportation costs. Apart from this, the government has also taken steps to incorporate technology to reduce train accidents and improve train timings. See, these are some of the steps taken by the government. Now finally, let us see some of the suggestions provided in this editorial. Firstly, the government can develop more double-tec container carriages in railways for greater efficiency in freight movement. Secondly, focused attention should be given to creating better terminal infrastructure and warehouses to reduce container handling costs in the railway station and to reduce transit time. Thirdly, private participation can be encouraged in operation and management of terminals, containers and warehouses to efficiently utilize the available resources. Fourthly, a special purpose vehicle can be created under Indian railways. This special purpose vehicle should be dedicated to handle intermodal logistics in railway stations. This will ensure last mail connectivity. And the last suggestion is the proper utilization of wagons in passenger trains. Currently, there are two cargo wagons in each passenger train. So efforts should be made for proper utilization of this wagon space. For this, the editorial suggests creating an Uber-like app through which customer can book the wagon online. This will increase the utilization rate of these wagons. See, if these steps are properly implemented, the government can achieve its goal of increasing the share of railways in freight movement from 27% to 45% by 2030. Okay, now that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion, we saw about freight movement in India. Then we saw about the advantages of roadways in freight movement. Then we moved on to see about challenges associated with freight movement by rail in India. And finally, we saw some points regarding the improvements needed in freight movement by rail. Now, with these key points in mind, let's move on to the next news article discussion. Now, have a look at this editorial here. This editorial talks about the issues with press freedom. This article came in the backdrop of survey action that was carried out in the offices of BBC in New Delhi and Mumbai. This survey action was conducted by the income tax department last month. After conducting the survey for three months, the central board of direct taxes issued a press release. The board alleged that the BBC has indulged in tax evasion on remittances and it has discrepancies in BBC's transfer pricing mechanism. Now that here, transfer pricing mechanism is nothing but a mechanism for dividing the net interest income of a company among its constant business units. Now, coming back, the press release by the central board of direct taxes also said that the crucial evidences like statement of employees, digital evidences and documents has also been seized. So many of the journalists across the country are opposing such actions by the government. They are of the opinion that the survey action is curbing the freedom of press in India. This is the background. Now, in this context, let us understand some of the points provided in this article and then we will understand about the freedom of press in India. Now, first, let us understand issues as mentioned in the editorial. See, the first issue over survey action is many of the people consider this survey action as the natural outcome of the BBC's two-part documentary series titled India, the Modi Question. I hope you all know about the documentary. This documentary was released by the BBC on January 17, 2023. Following an emergency secret order issued by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the documentary's web links were blocked immediately on January 20, 2023. Secondly, you have to note the wider trend of the extraction of sensitive data from journalists by using the tax and police departments across India. See, during the survey action, the computers of the journalists were searched, then their phones were intercepted and information on their working methods are also sought by the officials. See, the author of the article says that these survey actions is an attempt to induce fear and self-censorship among the media and press. And this reflect the colonial mentality of maximizing state interests while depriving any sense of production to the accused persons. See, these are all the issues that was mentioned in the editorial. Now, moving on to see about the freedom of press. See, freedom of press or media refers to the rights given by the Constitution of India under the freedom and expression of speech in article 19, class I subclass A. It encourages independent journalism and promotes democracy by letting the people's opinion far or against the government's actions. Remember, freedom of the press is nowhere mentioned in the Constitution. But since article 19, class I subclass A of the Indian Constitution states that all citizens have the right to freedom of speech and expression, the independent journalism is also the source of voice of the people. So we can say that freedom of press is recognized under article 19, class I subclass A of the Indian Constitution. Now talking about the rights of media, see, the media has certain rights to challenge the government and to highlight the issues that are gaining public attention through various media sources and houses. Here the rights of media include defamation and free press, freedom of speech and expression, right to publish and circulate, right to receive information, right to conduct interviews, right to report court proceedings and right to advertise. However, there are certain restrictions in article 19, class II, to protect the nation and its integrity. The restrictions can be imposed in the case of threats against sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order decency or morality, contempt of court, defamation and incitement to any offense. Okay, these are all some of the restrictions imposed on media. Now moving on to see about the significance of freedom of press in India. Firstly, as I said earlier, they enable free exchange of ideas. See, the press inspires people to think beyond the social norms and it gives a platform to exchange ideas and thoughts that decide to be heard by all people around the nation. Secondly, the freedom of press is important to hold the person or body accountable for their actions. See, often people try to cover up their actions and settle a case without bringing the media into it. So the press brings to light such situations and make sure that justices served correctly with the backing of common people. Thirdly, the press are the voice of the people. See, the press acts as a channel which writes and speaks the thoughts of the majority of the people. So it focuses on the issues that are suppressed and brings forward the ones that should be talked about. And finally, press is the fourth pillar of democracy. Since the media is an independent body that challenges the government, it can be referred to as the fourth pillar of democracy. Now, what are all the other pillars of democracy? Comment to your answer in the comment section below. And that's all regarding this discussion. This discussion we saw about the issues with the press freedom in India. Then we saw about the freedom of press. Then we moved on to see about the rights to media. And finally, we saw some points about the significance of freedom of press in India. See, this topic is very much useful for your main exam. So make note of each and every points that we discussed. Now, with these key points in mind, let's move on to the next news article discussion. Now, look at this news article here. It says that the Tiripura chief minister, Manik Saha, rejected the Tipra Mothas' demand for a greater Tipra land. But he assures that his government would go the extra mile for the development of indigenous communities. This is the crux of the news article given here. Now, in this context, let us learn about greater Tipra land and the reason for its demand. See, Tipra land is the name of a proposed state for the indigenous Tiripuri people in the tribal areas of Tirupura. The people demand for Tirupura tribal areas, autonomous district council and some surrounding areas to be made into a separate state from Tirupura. Now, see this image here. This green area here comes under the Tirupura tribal areas, autonomous district council. So the people are demanding this area to be created as separate state. See, the proposed state covers 68% of the total geographical area of the Tirupura. This is home to over one-third of the total population of Tirupura. Okay, this is a background. Now, let us see how did this demand originate. See, Tirupura was a kingdom ruled by the Manikya dynasty from the late 13th century. In 1949, instrument of accession was signed with the Indian government. The indigenous communities are worried about the changing demographics of the state. See, influx of different communities has reduced them to a minority in the Tirupura state. It happened due to the displacement of Bengalis in 1947. And as we all know, there was another influx during the 1971 liberation war in Bangladesh. So because of this, the population of the tribals in Tirupura went down from 63.77% in 1881 to 31.80% by 2011. Now the people want the central government to carve out the separate state under Article 2 and 3 of the Indian Constitution. Okay, this is the reason for the demand of separate state. Now, what has the government done so far to address this issue? See, 1985, the Tirupura tribal areas autonomous district council was formed under sixth schedule of the constitution. This is to ensure development and to secure the rights and cultural heritage of the tribal communities living in Tirupura. The council also has legislative and executive powers and it covers nearly two-thirds of Tirupura's geographical area. This council comprises 30 members of which 28 are elected and the other two are nominated by the government. Also, out of the 60 assembly streets in the Tirupura state, 20 are reserved for this scheduled tribes. But these measures has not subdued the demand. The demand for greater Tirupura land envisages the situation in which the entire autonomous council area will be a separate state. It also proposes dedicated bodies to secure the rights of the Tirupuris and other aboriginal communities living outside Tirupura. So, we have to wait and see for any further updates. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion, we saw about Tirupura land. Then we saw about the reasons for the demand of Tirupura land. And finally, we saw some points regarding the government's measure to address the demands of Tirupura people. Now, with these key points in mind, let's move on to the next news article discussion. Now, have a look at this news article. This news article says that after a cabinet meeting, the Tamil Nadu government decided to place a second bill to place a ban on online gambling. This is because earlier, the Tamil Nadu governor returned the Tamil Nadu prohibition of online gambling and regulation of online games bill. So, again, a second bill was planned to place in the state legislative assembly. This is the crux of the news article given here. Now, in this context, let us learn about online gaming, then about the issues with online gambling. First of all, what is online gambling? Online gambling refers to betting or playing games of chance over the internet. It includes a wide variety of activities such as casino games, sports betting, poker, and bingo. Online gambling allows players to participate in gaming activities from the comfort of their own homes. So, they no need to physically visit a casino or betting shop. See, online gambling sites typically requires players to create an account and deposit funds in order to play. They offer a range of games and betting options and use random number generators to ensure that the outcomes of the game are fair and unbiased. Apart from this, many online gambling sites also offer bonuses and promotions to encourage players to sign up and play. See, while online gambling can be a fun and entertaining activity for some, it has various issues associated with it. Now, let us see the issues associated with online gambling. The first issue is addiction. See, online gambling can be highly addictive and can lead to the development of a gambling addiction. This can have serious consequences for a person's finances, relationships, and overall well-being. In the second issue is increased vulnerability to fraud and scams. See, in some cases, the games could be rigid. In addition to this, the gambling sites that take deposits but never pay out winnings. Then the third issue is loss of privacy. See, online gambling sites requires players to provide personal and financial information that can be vulnerable to hacking or data breaches. Then the fourth issue is the issue of underage gambling. See, online gambling can be assessed easily by miners. They are more vulnerable and more susceptible to addiction. So, this will hamper their developmental process. And the fifth issue is lack of proper regulation. See, the lack of regulation in online gambling increases the risk of fraudulent or unethical practices. In addition to this, enforcing regulation is also very difficult since the online sites could place their servers in other countries and escape adhering to the regulation. And the last issue is social isolation. Since online gambling is solitary activity, people get addicted to it, then isolate themselves from others. So, this result in mental health issues like anxiety and depression. So, these are all some of the issues associated with online gambling. Now, what can be done to address these issues? First one is proper and strict government regulation. See, there should be some mechanism to proper age verification to prevent miners from assessing the gambling sites. Then the public could be educated about the dangers associated with online gambling addiction. Apart from this, strong cyber security measures could be implemented to prevent online fraud. And finally, all stakeholders like government, industrial regulators and online gambling sites could be collaborated to ensure a safe playing environment for the player. Let's see a complete ban on online gambling sites which the Tamil Nadu government is trying to implement is an extreme step. This is because when a complete ban is placed, the growth of this nascent sector would be affected. Also, there will be an increase in illegal gaming sites which will operate outside government regulation. So, a strict government regulation instead of a complete ban would be a better way to address issues with online gambling. Now, that's all we got in this discussion. In this discussion, we saw about online gambling. Then we saw about the issues associated with online gambling. And finally, we saw some points about the steps that are needed to be taken to address the issues with online gambling. Now, with these key points in mind, let's move on to the next news article discussion. See this article here. It highlights the contents of a report published by the Geneva-based Diplo Foundation. See this particular report talks about the IBSA Forum that is India, Brazil and South Africa Forum. It says that the IBSA may play a prominent role in the process of reforming digital governance. With a big population, IBSA countries views data as a national resource. So, it is expected that India, through its G20 presidency, will call for a new global standard for data. This is the crux of the news article given here. In our discussion today, we'll try to learn about the IBSA Forum. The IBSA is a trilateral developmental initiative between India, Brazil and South Africa. See, all these three countries have so much of common interests. They include developing pluralistic, multicultural, multi-ethnic, multilingual and multi-religious nations. So, to further develop these common interests, the IBSA was established. Now, what is the objective of this forum? See, the IBSA Dialogue Forum aims to promote South-South cooperation, and it also aims to build consensus on issues of international importance. Apart from this, IBSA also aims at increasing the trade opportunities among the three countries. That is between India, Brazil and South Africa. Then IBSA seeks to facilitate the trilateral exchange of information, technologies and skills to complement each other's strengths. Okay, this is the objective. Now, when was IBSA formed? On June 6th, 2003, the foreign ministers of India, Brazil and South Africa met in Brasilia. And they issued the Brasilia Declaration. Thereby, the grouping was formalized and named the IBSA Dialogue Forum. See, IBSA exemplifies the spirit of South-South cooperation. Know that IBSA does not have a headquarters or a permanent executive secretaryate. Okay, here you should also know about a joint maritime exercise called IBSA-MAR. Know that IBSA-MAR is an important part of IBSA trilateral defense cooperation. Then another main feature of the forum is the IBSA fund. See, the fund was established in 2004. IBSA fund is also known as the India, Brazil and South Africa facility for poverty and hunger alleviation. See, IBSA fund is a unique fund through which development projects are executed in fellow developing countries. The fund is managed by the United Nations Office for South-South cooperation. Know that each IBSA-Member country is required to contribute one million US dollars per annum to the IBSA fund. Okay, and that's all regarding this discussion. This discussion we saw about IBSA Dialogue Forum. Then we saw about the objective of the forum. Then we moved on to see about the formation of IBSA. And finally, we saw some points about IBSA fund. 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 key points in mind, let's move on to the next news article discussion. Now, have a look at this News in Numbers article from the Text and Context page. It talks about National Highways Authority of India. It is in news because the National Green Tribunal has ordered the National Highways Authority of India to pay rupees two crore for failing to comply with environmental norms while constructing a highway from Mukherba Chowk to Shingu. So in this context, let us learn about National Highways Authority of India from an example's perspective. The National Highways Authority of India was set up in the year 1995. It is a statutory body and it was constituted under the National Highways Authority of India Act 1988. Note that National Highways Authority of India is functioning under the administrative control of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. And it has its headquarters at New Delhi. This is a brief about National Highways Authority of India, that is N High. Now, talking about its composition, the N High consists of a full-time chairman and not more than five full-time members. Note that both the chairperson and the full-time members are appointed by the central government. Apart from this, the N High also consists of four part-time members. The part-time members include the secretary of road transport and highways, the secretary of expenditure, then the secretary of planning and the director general of road development. This is all about the composition of National Highways Authority of India. Now let us see about some of the important functions of the National Highways Authority of India one by one. Firstly, N High is responsible for the development, maintenance and management of national highways, which are entrusted to it by the government of India. Secondly, N High advises the central government on matters relating to highways in India. Then thirdly, N High regulates and controls the applying of vehicles and highways. And this is done for the proper management of highways. Fourthly, N High provides consultancy and construction services in India and also in abroad. Fifthly, N High provides facilities and amenities for the users of the highways. And this is for the smooth flow of traffic on highways. And finally, N High establishes and maintains hotels, motels, restaurants and restrooms near the highway for the users of the highways. Okay, now that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion, we saw about National Highways Authority of India, then about its establishment, then we saw about the composition of National Highways Authority of India. And finally, we saw some points regarding the functions of National Highways Authority of India. Now with these key points in mind, let us move on to the next part of the news article discussion. That is to discuss preliminary practice questions. Now look at this first question. This question is regarding Atal Tunnel. Let's take up the first statement. It was built by National Highways Authority of India. See, this statement is wrong because it was built by Barters Road Organization. Know that Atal Tunnel is the world's longest highway tunnel that spans for 9.02 kilometer. So statement one is wrong. Now coming to the second statement, it connects Manali to Lahore-Spiti Valley throughout the year. This statement is correct. See, Atal Tunnel connects Manali to Lahore-Spiti Valley throughout the year. Earlier, this valley was cut off for about six months each year owing to heavy snowfall. Now because of Atal Tunnel, it is connected throughout the year. Know that Atal Tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pyrrpanzel range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 meters from the mean sea level. So statement two is correct. Here the question is asking for correct statement. So the correct answer for the question is option B2 only. Moving on, let's take up the second question. This question is regarding IBSA Forum. Now look at this first statement. IBSA brings together four major democracies of the world. See, this statement is wrong. As we saw in the discussion, the IBSA Forum includes only three countries, namely Brazil, India and South Africa and not four countries. So statement one is incorrect. If you know this statement is wrong, you can easily arrive at the answer using elimination method. Therefore, the correct answer is option C213 only. Anyway, we need to verify other options right. Now look at this second statement. IBSA members are required to contribute one million US dollars per annum to the IBSA fund. See, as we saw in the discussion, every IBSA members are required to contribute one million US dollars per annum to the fund. So second statement is correct. Now coming to the third statement, India is the current IBSA chair. See, this statement is also correct. India is currently holding chairmanship of IBSA. So third statement is correct. Once again, the correct answer for the question is option C213 only. Moving on, let's take up the third question. This question is regarding wildlife production. It was asked in 2022 UPSC prelims. Now look at this first statement. Wild animals are the sole property of the government. See, statement one is correct. According to section 39 of the Wildlife Production Act 1972, every wild animal shall be the property of the state government. So statement one is correct. Now coming to the second statement, when a wild animal is declared protected, such animal is entitled for equal protection whether it is found in protected areas or outside. See, this statement is also correct. The Wildlife Protection Act 1972 does not discriminate between animals found in protected areas and outside. That provides for equal protection of wild animals irrespective of where they are found. So second statement is correct. Now coming to the third statement, apprehension of a protected wild animal becoming a danger to human life is sufficient ground for its capture or killing. See, this statement is incorrect. According to Wildlife Protection Act 1972, only if the wild animal becomes a danger to human life or is deceased or disabled beyond recovery, it can be allowed to be captured or killed by the competent authority. So mere apprehension or fear that a wild animal could endanger human life is not a ground for capture or killing the wild animals. So third statement is incorrect. Here the question is asking for correct statement. So the correct answer for the question is option A one and two. Moving on let's take up the final question. This question is regarding information technology, intermediary guidelines and digital media ethics code rules 2021. Here four statements are given. We have to find which of the following statements are not a provision under IT rules 2021. Now look at this first statement. Social media platforms must remove content within 24 hours of receiving a complaint from an individual or the government. See this statement is wrong because the IT rules require social media to remove a content that is considered harmful or unlawful within 36 hours of receiving a court order or a government directive and not 24 hours. So statement one is wrong. If you find the statement one is wrong, you can easily eliminate option C and D. Now we will lift with option A and B. Now coming to the second statement, streaming platforms must implement age verification mechanisms for content rated 18 plus. See this statement is correct. The IT rules mandates this provision. So if you find second statement is a provision under IT rules 2021, you can easily arrive at the answer option A one only. Now we have also verify other two statements. Now coming to the third statement, news publishers must establish a self regulatory body to oversee the ethical standards for their reporting. See this provision is also mentioned in IT rules 2021. Now coming to the fourth statement, online intermediaries are required to decrypt information on their platforms upon request from law enforcement agencies. See this provision also mentioned in IT rules 2021. And the question is also asking for which of these four provisions are not included under IT rules 2021. Here the first statement alone is incorrect. So the card answer for the question is option A one only. Displayed here is the quiz question for you today. I'll post this quiz question in a community section, try to answer it. And don't worry the answer for the quiz question is posted in the common section of the quiz question itself. You can verify it. And displayed here are the main questions for your practice. Go through the questions, write your answers and post it in the comment section. With this, we have come to the end of the video. If you liked our analysis, please like, comment and share. And don't forget to subscribe to Shankar Ayes Academy YouTube channel. Thank you for listening.