 Good evening aspirants, I welcome you all to the Hindu Daily News Analysis brought you by Shankar Ayes Academy for the newspaper dated 6th of June 2023. Displayed here are the list of articles that we will take up for discussion today. Go through it. Now without much delay we will get into the first article discussion. Now look at this article from the text and context page. This article is speaking about the trends in global trade. In the recent past, our world has witnessed many disruptions due to COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine War and so on. Because of these factors, the economy of many countries has slowed down and this has resulted in the overall decline of imports and exports. And if we take India, India is also one among the countries that witnessed decline in trade. Here the reports India's merchandise exports shrunk 12.7% in April and this was a 6 month low. Similarly, the imports have also fallen sharper by 14% during the same period. These facts affirm the notion that there is a slowing down of global demand. So this is the background of this article. Now in this discussion, we will understand the points provided in this particular article. First, we will look at the trends in global trade. As I said earlier, in the recent past, the world economies have slowed down. This has resulted in a decline of global trade. Now what are the reasons for such an economic slowdown? There are many reasons. Now we will see what are those reasons. Firstly, weaker economic activities worldwide. Secondly, inflation and tightening of monetary policies worldwide. Thirdly, the supply chain disrupted because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. And finally, financial stability in the world also collapsed because several financial institutions in the advanced economies also collapsed. So these are some of the main reasons for the economic slowdown. In addition to this, the energy prices have also increased in the recent past. This is because of the economic sanctions that were imposed on Russia. See, before the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia was one among the largest supplier of oil or gas to Europe. But because of the war, the sanctions were imposed on Russia. So the European countries were not able to import oil or gas from Russia. Therefore, Europe shifted their focus to other oil suppliers including the US, Qatar, Norway and Algeria. Due to the increase in demand, the oil and gas prices were spiked by the supplier countries. This in turn increased the gas prices elsewhere in Europe. Apart from this, the collapse of financial institutions, as I said earlier, is also another reason. We know that crypto exchange FDX and three banks in the US such as the Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and the First Republic Bank all collapsed and they also contributed to the economic slowdown. This is all about the reasons for economic slowdown. Now how does the economic slowdown affect global trade? See, in a period of economic slowdown, international trade that is, both the exports and imports tends to fall sharply. This is because of the fact that the overall demand for goods and services will tend to reduce during economic slowdown. So the people won't invest money in unnecessary or luxury items. Due to this fact only, the exports of engineering goods, then gems and jewelry, chemicals and readymade garments and plastics along with petroleum products have contracted in the recent past. In addition to this, inflation in essential such as food and energy have also eroded the purchasing power of an initial. This in turn reduced to the global demand for goods and services thereby contributing to the decline in global trade. So this is how economic slowdown affects global trade. Now coming to India specific information. Some officials have said that the global demand is not looking good that too in the markets of European Union and the US. Therefore for the next two to three months, the global demand is going to be at a stagnant stage. As India exports its major goods to the US and the European Union, the global slowdown would be a more disadvantageous one for India. So the officials advocate that the Indian government has to take initiatives for inter ministerial talks and find ways to sustain global trade. So this is all that I wanted to discuss regarding this news article. Now we will move on to the next article discussion. See this editorial article talks about the line of actual control. The author of this article is an infantry general. So he has vast experience on the line of actual control. And so he shares his opinion on the line of actual control in this context. Let us understand some of the important points mentioned in this news article. Before that the syllabus relevant to this discussion is highlighted here. You can go through it. Firstly what is this LAC? It is expanded as line of actual control. This line is related to the India-China border. See India shares around 3488 km of border with China. This runs along the states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and the Union territory of Ladakh. But the problem is this border is not fully demarcated. The border is not demarcated. This will create issues. Similarly both sides that is India and China have their own perception of this demarcation and they state it as their boundary. This boundary is what they call the line of actual control. So LAC is not a commonly delineated border. But we can say that basically LAC separates Indian control territory from Chinese control territory. As I said India's five states and a Union territory shares border with China. Hence these controlled territories are also many. Because of this the bordering areas are divided into three sectors. You can see that in this image here. The eastern sector comprises of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. The second is the middle sector comprising of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. And finally the western sector includes the Ladakh region. So all these sectors are in dispute between India and China. Above all these China also promotes something called as the five finger policy. See the five finger policy is nothing but the policy in which China considers Tibet as the palm and Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh as the five fingers. Apart from border issues the quantum jumps in surveillance technology also provides visibility of movement of the opposing forces in the areas. Also increased troop density, better roads, improved logistics and availability of aviation assets further worsen the situation and increases the face-offs and clashes. The author says that India and China have tried to solve their problems through agreements and engagements. But unfortunately things haven't gone very well. The engagement between the two countries started gaining momentum after the visit of our Indian Prime Minister to China in the year 1988. Since then four agreements have been signed between India and China in the years 1993, 1996, 2005 and 2013 and this is to maintain peace along the line of actual control. See these agreements were meant to deal with the border issue and facilitate communication from the highest level of government to field meetings of border personnel. For more than two decades these arrangements have served their purpose well. However the recent tension on LAC suggests that there are some inadequacies in this agreement. So now let's explore the author's suggestions to end this issue. Firstly the author suggests converting the LAC into a line of control. This can be achieved by delineating it on the map and on the ground without affecting the border climes of either country. By doing so it will reduce the tension among the troop station at the front. But for this to happen both countries need to show maturity and cooperation. Secondly, instead of treating the disputed areas on the LAC as no entry zones, both sides should be allowed to patrol these areas according to a mutually agreed frequency. This means that troops from both countries can visit these areas at specified times which can help reduce tensions. Thirdly, joint patrolling of the disputed areas can also be encouraged. This means troops from both India and China can patrol these areas together. This not only helps in maintaining the existing situation but also builds confidence between the two nations. Fourthly, the author suggests strengthening the existing confidence building measures and engagement mechanisms. So one such mechanism is the working mechanism for consultation and coordination on India-China border affairs. This facilitates information exchange on border related issues. Giving more opportunities to this mechanism and improving other border personal meeting points can help in better communication and understanding between the two countries. Finally, the author concludes the article by emphasising that looking ahead without prejudice to existing border climes is crucial in converting LAC into line of control. This means that both India and China should focus on future cooperation and not let past disputes hinder progress. So these are some of the suggestions put forth by the author to resolve the India-China border issue. By converting the LAC into a line of control and allowing patrols in disputed areas, encouraging joint patrolling and strengthening existing engagement mechanisms, both countries can work towards maintaining peace and cooperation. So it is important for both India and China to approach this matter with maturity and a forward-looking mindset. So this is all that I wanted to discuss regarding this news article. Now we will take up the next article for our discussion. Firstly, this news article mentions that the ranking of India's higher education institutions is out. The ranking is provided under India Rankings 2023. So let us see few details about this ranking and also we will see where each institution stands. Firstly, know that India Rankings 2023 is released under the National Institutional Ranking Framework. This is the 8th consecutive edition of NIRF. That is why this article mentions that it is NIRF rankings. See the NIRF was launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Education which is the erstwhile Ministry of Human Resource Development. So this framework outlines a methodology for ranking higher educational institutions across the country, especially it ranks them in different domains of knowledge. These domains are engineering, management, pharmacy, medical, dental, law and architecture. Other than this, the ranking is also provided for excelling overall under the overall category. Apart from these, it also ranks the higher education institutions under the categories of universities, colleges and research institutions. So these are the categories under which higher education institutions are ranked. But note that the ranking is based on the performance under each parameters. So these parameters are teaching, learning and resource, research and professional practices, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity and finally perception. Among these, teaching and research parameters have the highest weightage. Now these five parameters include sub-parameters or sub-heads. Just go through these. Before seeing the rankings, let me tell you why this ranking is first of all important or why do we need such ranking? First of all, rankings like the NIRF serve as a guide for students. They help students to choose the best universities based on certain criteria. Then, the universities themselves say rankings are super useful for them too. Think of it like a report card. You know how you get grades in different subjects, right? So similarly, universities are also graded. But this is in the form of rankings. These rankings will help universities to identify areas where they can improve and it works like a wake up call for the universities to improve their performance. Then this will also bring some sense of competition among the universities. Imagine you are in a race and you want to win. The rankings act as a scoreboard showing each university's position. The universities compete to get a higher rank. This competitive spirit pushes universities to perform better and when they do, it makes India shine as one of the top destinations for higher education worldwide. So now, we will see about the rankings. As you can see in this image, the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, retained its position as the best educational institution in overall ranking for the fifth consecutive term. Then Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, was rated the best university in the country for eight years in a row. Then Mirinda House Delhi was ranked the best college and the Indian Institute of Management Ahmadabad as the top management institute. Then the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Hyderabad was named the best institute in the field. The All India Institute of Medical Science Delhi was ranked the best medical college and Savita Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences Chennai got the honour of a top dental college. The National Law School of India University, Bengaluru was rated the best law college in the country. Then the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras also received the honour of the best engineering college for the eighth consecutive year. In the research category you see, the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru also stood first in the research institution category for the third consecutive year. The IAAC was followed by Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Milla Islamia as second and third best universities. Also while releasing the report, the Minister of State for Educational and External Affairs stated that 5,543 different institutions apply to be ranked for the 2023 rankings. So with the key points in mind, now we will move on to the next article discussion. Look at this article, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Mr. Faith Barol has said that the price of oil may shoot up as the OPEC plus countries have decided to reduce the oil supply. So by using this opportunity, let us learn about OPEC and OPEC plus. First we will see about OPEC. Imagine you and your friends have a big collection of candies. You want to make sure that everyone gets a fair share and you also want to keep the candy market stable. So that's exactly what OPEC does with oil. OPEC stands for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. It was created at the Baghdad Conference on September 1960. The objective of OPEC is to coordinate and unify petroleum policies among member countries. So in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum products, then to make an efficient economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations and ensure a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry, this OPEC was created. The headquarters of OPEC was at Geneva, Switzerland at the time of its establishment, but five years later it was moved to Vienna, Austria. Now we will look at its members. When OPEC was established, it had five founding members, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Countries which export crude petroleum at considerable rate can become its members. At present, it has 13 members, they are Algeria, Angola, UAE, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Republic of Congo, Libya, Nigeria, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Diabon and Equatorial Guinea. Then we will see about the functions of OPEC. As I said earlier, it controls the oil protection of members and it ensures that retail oil market is secure. Then it ensures consistent oil supply to the countries. So this is all regarding OPEC. See, in 2016, OPEC realized that they needed some extra help to deal with the problem. The oil market had too much supply and the prices were falling. So they invited some other countries that also produce oil like Russia, Kazakhstan, Mexico to join them. So that's when the OPEC Plus was formed. It is basically an alliance between OPEC and non-OPEC oil producing nations. The members of OPEC Plus includes Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan. Now that OPEC and OPEC Plus have a big influence on the price we pay for fuel and other oil-related products. So when they make decisions about production levels, it affects the global economy and energy markets. Now it's also important to know that OPEC and OPEC Plus face challenges and disagreements sometimes because each country has its own interests. They also have to deal with the conflicts and changes in the world economy. However, they continue to play a vital role in the oil market and have a big impact on our daily lives. So this is all that I wanted to discuss regarding this news article. Now we will move on to the next article discussion. See, this News and Numbers article says 225 members from India will represent our country at the Special Olympics. So this edition of Special Olympics will be held in Berlin, Germany from June 17 to June 25. In this context, let us discuss about the Special Olympics briefly. See, Special Olympics world games are the world's largest inclusive sporting event. This Special Olympics is for people with intellectual disabilities. Intellectual disability is a term used to describe a person with certain limitations in cognitive functioning. So some of the known intellectual disabilities are Down syndrome and Autism. First we will look at how this event started. Eunice Kennedy Shriver was the founder of the Special Olympics. She felt that people with intellectual disabilities are not treated fairly. So this Special Olympics was started with the mission of promoting inclusiveness and acceptance of all people. For the first ever Special Olympics was held at Illinois in Chicago in the year 1968. In this event, 1000 athletes from USA and Canada have participated. Today, Special Olympics have grown as world's largest sports event for people with intellectual disabilities. It is officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Special Olympics has more than 5 million athletes from 174 countries. The Special Olympics offer a wide range of sports activities and competitions and these are specifically designed for individuals with intellectual disabilities. These sports include Athletics, Swimming, Basketball, Saucer, Gymnastics and many more. The emphasis here is on participation, skill development and personal improvement rather than a sole focus on winning the games. This edition of Special Olympics will be held at Berlin as we discussed earlier. In this event, athletes with intellectual disabilities will compete in 26 summer sports and one more point to note here is that this event is happening for the first time in Germany. Berlin's Special Olympics will be the 16th edition of this event. The events will happen for 9 days with the support of over 2000 volunteers. The climb of this edition is unbeatable together. They believe that normal people and people with intellectual disabilities together can make a difference and together we are strong. In India, we have something called Special Olympics Bharat. It is the Indian chapter of Special Olympics movement. It was established in the year 1988 and it is recognized by the government of India as the national body for the development of sports for people with intellectual disabilities. Now you may also have a question, then what is Paralympics? So now we will understand the difference between Special Olympics and Paralympics. Know that Special Olympics and Paralympics are two separate organizations recognized by the International Olympic Committee. They are similar in that they both focus on sports for athletes with disability and are run by international non-profit organizations. Apart from that, both of these differ in three main areas. First is with respect to the disability categories for the athletes, then the criteria and the philosophy under which the athletes participate and finally the structure of their respective organizations. Say for instance, in Special Olympics, the focus is on personal achievement and inclusion while the Paralympics emphasize elite performance and qualification standards. Then Special Olympics operate globally with regional programs while Paralympics is governed by the IPC and includes national committees. So these are some small differences between the Special Olympics and Paralympics. With these learnt points in mind, now we will move on to the next article discussion. Look at this news article, it says that from the data and current trend, many researchers predict that this year is an El Nino year because there is a delay in the onset of monsoon. Indian Meteorological Department has said that this June to September months will receive 96% of average rainfall that is 87 cm. So in this context, let us discuss about the El Nino and La Nina briefly. See El Nino and La Nina are climatic conditions which happen in the Pacific Ocean. Both of these events have the potential to influence the weather conditions worldwide. First we will see about El Nino. The word El Nino means little boy in Spanish. Normally the west coast of South America has cool water because of the Peruvian current and the area near the Australia will be warmer. As we know the wind tends to move from colder area which has high pressure to warmer area which has low pressure. So in normal conditions, India will receive good rainfall. But if you see El Nino is a condition where the western coast of South America gets warmer and the area near Australia will be comparatively cooler. So the winds will start moving from the western Pacific to eastern Pacific. In El Nino conditions, the western coast of South America receives a good amount of rainfall and the areas like Australia and Indonesia will have very minimal rainfall and they will experience drought conditions. Now what is La Nina? La Nina means little girl in Spanish. La Nina is an exact opposite condition to the El Nino. During La Nina conditions, the western coast of South America that is the eastern Pacific will be colder and the western Pacific will be warmer. So the winds will move from eastern Pacific to the western Pacific and this brings a good amount of rainfall in Australia and Indonesia. And at this condition, India will receive good amount of rainfall. So this is about El Nino and La Nina in brief. With this we have come to the end of this discussion. Now we will move on to the practice questions. Today we have four questions. Three questions will be dealt by me and one question will be the quiz question for the day. Question number one. Consider the following statements regarding India in Olympics. Statement number one. India have never won any medal in the Winter Olympic Games. Statement number two. Indian Olympic Association is the governing body of Olympic Games only. Statement number three. Union Minister of Sports is the president of Indian Olympic Association. How many of the above statements are correct? See here statement number one is correct. India has only very few participants in Winter Olympics and we are yet to win a medal in Winter Olympics. Statement number two is incorrect because Indian Olympic Association governs Olympic as well as common wealth games in India. And then statement number three is also incorrect because it is governed by an executive council who elects the president of Indian Olympic Association. So the correct answer for this question is option A only one. Question number two. Consider the following statements regarding El Nino. Statement number one. It refers to the condition of warming up of the western coast of South America. Statement number two. It will influence the rainfall of India in a negative way. Statement number three. It will adversely affect the fishing activities in Peru. How many of the above statements are incorrect? Here statement number one is correct. El Nino refers to the condition of warming up of the western coast of South America. Then statement number two is also correct. India will receive a little or scanty rainfall during El Nino. Then statement three is also correct during El Nino conditions. The water near Peru gets warmer. This condition is not favourable for phytoplankton. So it affects the fishing adversely. But take a note that the question asks for the incorrect statements. So the correct answer for this question is option D none. Question number three. Consider the following statements regarding OPEC. Statement number one. It was created at Bhaktak conference. Statement number two. Countries which export more than 10% of the global crude petroleum are only allowed to join in this grouping. Statement number three. India is not a member of OPEC. How many of the above statements are correct? See statement number one is correct. We saw this in the discussion itself. Statement number two is incorrect because from a discussion we saw that any country which exports crude petroleum in considerable amount can join this grouping. So no such specific numbers are mentioned. Then statement number three is correct. India is not a member of OPEC and OPEC plus as well. So the correct answer for this question is option B only two. Now we will see the quiz question. This question is based on the NIRF discussion we had earlier. Read the question carefully and post the answers in the comment box. This page here are the main questions for your practice. Interested aspirants can write the answer and post it in the comment box below. If you found a video to be useful, hit the like button, share it with your friends. Subscribe to the channel. Happy learning.