 A very good evening viewers, clearing preliminary examination is a mammoth task for many. But why do you worry when you have the Shankar Ayes Academy with you? Yes, the Shankar Ayes Academy has come up with the pre-storming test batch 3. See already two batches are running successfully and here is the third batch which has already started with its orientation but you have a chance still because the first test is to begin on November 19th. So the ambitious aspirants are still left with a chance, are you all eagerly waiting to join? So if you want to join, click the link in the description. And with this happy note, let's get into the news article discussion for the day 14th of November 2022, displayed here are the list of news articles that we have chosen for today's discussion. See, we made it a point to discuss the editorial articles, yes, two important editorial articles are covered today and with that we have the other articles as well. And without wasting much time, let's get into the first news article discussion. Now take a look at this article here, as per the article form Achieve Justice of India said that the Collegium System of Appointment of Judges is perfect. This is about the news article given here. And in this context, we are going to learn about the Collegium System in preliminary perspective. See the Collegium System is concerned with the appointment of the judges. For the appointment of Supreme Court judges, the Constitution provides article 124. The clause 2 of article 124 says that every judge of the Supreme Court shall be appointed by the president by warrant under his hand and seal. But this is up to the consultation with the judges of the Supreme Court and high courts in the states as a precedent meeting necessary. Okay. See, note the word consultation very carefully. Based on this only, Collegium was established. See Supreme Court in the three judges case has provided interpretation of this word consultation. In the first judges case, that is in the year 1982, the Supreme Court held that consultation does not mean concurrence, it only means exchange of views. Then in the second judge case, that is in the year 1993, Supreme Court held that consultation means concurrence. So the advice of the Chief Justice of India is binding on the president in matters of appointment. Okay. Then came the third judge case in the year 1998. In this, the Supreme Court said that consultation process to be adopted by the Chief Justice of India requires consultation of plurality judges. See, this means that the sole opinion of the Chief Justice of India does not constitute the consultation process. And this is how Collegium came into being. See, we have already seen the Collegium in detail in our October 16, 2022 analysis. Go and watch it, it will be very much useful for you. So what we are going to see in this discussion, we will see who and all are consulted while appointing judges of Supreme Court and high court. Okay. Firstly, let us see the appointment of the judges of Supreme Court. For the appointment of the judges of Supreme Court, the president should consult Chief Justice of India, who in turn should consult Collegium of four senior most judges of the Supreme Court. And even if two judges give an adverse opinion, he should not send the recommendation to the government. Okay. And secondly, the appointment of Chief Justice of High Court and the High Court judges. See, while appointing the Chief Justice of High Court, president should consult Chief Justice of India and the governor of the state concerned. Okay. And then for the appointment of other judges, the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court is also consulted. Okay. And apart from this, the third judge case said that, in case of appointment of the High Court judges, the Chief Justice of India should consult a Collegium of two senior most judges of the Supreme Court. Okay. So in a way to conclude this, during the appointment of the judges of Supreme Court and High Court, the president should consult Chief Justice of India. And in the case of appointment of Supreme Court judges, the Chief Justice of India should consult a Collegium of four senior most judges of the Supreme Court. And in the case of the appointment of High Court judges, the Chief Justice of India should consult a Collegium of two senior most judges of the Supreme Court. Okay. So that's all we're done with this news article. So in this news article, we covered about the Collegium system, its origin. And then we saw about the appointment of the judges of the Supreme Court and the judges of the High Courts and the Chief Justice of High Court. Okay. So these key points in mind. Now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Have a look at this editorial article. It is talking about groundwater consumption. See, look at the title of the article. It says, saving the precious. Here the author denotes groundwater as precious. Firstly, what is groundwater? The water that exists underground in the saturated zones beneath the land surface is water termed as groundwater. And the upper surface of this saturated zone, it is what called as water table. And it varies from place to place. So we can say that the water found below the water table is what called as groundwater. Now what is the source of this groundwater? Sources include the rainwater and water from other sources such as rivers and ponds. All these water infiltrates or seeps through the soil and fills the empty spaces and cracks that are present deep below the ground. This will recharge the groundwater. And another source of groundwater is aquifiers. It denotes the places where the groundwater is stored naturally between layers of hard rock below the water table. See, this water can be pumped out with the help of tube wells or hand pumps. Okay. But my question is, is this groundwater everlasting? See, it could be everlasting if it gets replenished. That is, the water table does not get affected as long as we draw only as much water as what is replenished by natural processes. That is, we can say that it represents as much as water that can be recharged back by the natural processes. Okay. See, according to NCRT, total replenishable groundwater resources in India is only about 432 cubic kilometers. But this scenario changes when water is not sufficiently replenished. See, because it leads to depletion of groundwater. Now the reasons for this is, that is the reason for affecting water table is, like common factors you can say increase in population, industrial and agricultural activities, then scanty rainfall. Why is scanty rainfall caused? Like deforestation is one of the cause. Then you can take decrease in the effective area for a seepage of water. See, seepage occurs only when there is soil. Am I right? You are filling the soil with waste materials and how can the seepage of water take place? So all these are the common factors or the major factors which are affecting the water table level. And now with this basic understanding, let us see what is given in this editorial. See, according to a report by the Ministry of Water Resources, the total annual groundwater recharge which is defined as the groundwater stored for the entire country is 437.60 billion cubic meters. Okay. Out of this know, the quantity which we are extracting is 239.16 billion cubic meters. Okay. See, this one compared to the 2020 SS men shows that the groundwater extraction is the lowest since 2004. See, this decrease in groundwater extraction may indicate better water management. However, the report says that the improvement is only marginal. See, this is evident from the fact that the percentage of blocks where the groundwater was critically low know was around 14 percentage. See, this is roughly similar to that of the previous year. Okay. Here you have to know the regions with the most critical groundwater blocks. See, this will be helpful for you to address any kind of mains answers. See, if you know the regions, you will definitely be able to know the causes because you know those regions are having low groundwater level and you know what are all the activities occurring there. So, with that know, you can address the mains type of questions. Here, take the Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. They are having the most critical groundwater blocks. See, in these regions know indiscriminate groundwater withdrawal has led to the depression of the water table. This is despite the replenishable systems that are available. Okay. Then the other endangered blocks are in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Here know, due to an arid climate, groundwater recharge itself is limited. Okay. And then finally, take the parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and other Pradesh. They also have low groundwater availability. This is due to inherent characteristics of these areas. They have the crystalline water storing aquifers. Okay. This is what leading to low groundwater availability in these regions. Okay. So, now you saw what is groundwater, whether it is everlasting or not, how it is getting affected and which are the regions which are most affected. Now, coming to what has to be done. Firstly, there is no central law governing the use of groundwater. So, there is wasteful consumption of groundwater. And even when you take the state laws know, they are deployed in a hasty or careless manner. So, new laws governing the consumption of groundwater must be drawn. See, this is mainly to address the wasteful consumption and not to make money out of a natural resource. Okay. So, it is very clear on that. And secondly, take the recommendations of the draft national water policy. See, it has recommended a shift in usage from water-gustling crops. Also, it recommended to prioritize recycled water over fresh water for industrial purposes. See, all these know will help to lower the water consumption. So, following these recommendations will be really helpful in reducing the wasteful water consumption. Okay. So, that's all regarding this news article. See, this is such an important topic when you consider it for GS1 and the geography and the natural resources, groundwater can be put as a question. And when you talk about this groundwater, it can even come in GS paper 3. Because this groundwater depletion is an environmental hazard. So, that can also be there in the GS paper 3. So, when you take this topic, it is a very important topic for your mains. Okay. So, we have made this editorial as an opportunity to recollect what is groundwater and what are all the causes for the depletion of groundwater. And then we came into the news article discussion. So, these key points in mind, now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Have a look at this news article. In this news article, writer Bhairappa questioned the need for a statue for Tipu Sultan. This was during the release of the play Real Dreams of Tipu. See, this is the crux of the news article given here. And in this context, let us learn about the Anglo-Maisur Wars. See, Anglo-Maisur Wars are the longest military confrontations in the history of India. Know that they were fought for control over Mysore territories. And it was fought between the British and the rulers of Mysore. Now, coming to the wars, the first Anglo-Maisur War was fought between 1767 and 1769. See, in this war, the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Marathas and the English allied together against Hyderaly. They waged war against each other for more than a year without any conclusion. But when Hyderaly sneaked into enemy territory, it triggered chaos. This forced the British to end the war with the Treaty of Madras on 4th April 1769. And now comes the second Anglo-Maisur War. This was fought between 1780 and 1784. See, the main causes of this war were British not following the Treaty of Madras and Marathas attacking Mysore in the year 1771. And due to this, Hyderaly sought the help of French for guns and ammunition. He started importing French war materials through Mahi in Malabar coast. British attempted to capture Mahi also, but that was not successful. Finally, Hyderaly formed an alliance with Marathas and Nizam of Hyderabad. They plotted against the British and attacked the Karnataka. They also defeated the English army colonel Bailey in 1781. But the Marathas and the Nizam ditched Hyderaly after diplomatic efforts by Sir Ircote. Meanwhile, Hyderaly died in 1782 and his son, Tipu Sultan, carried the war for one more year. Since there was no positive outcome, both sides opted for peace and concluded the war with the Treaty of Mangalore in March 1784. So for the first Anglo-Maisur War, the Treaty was the Treaty of Madras and for the second it is Treaty of Mangalore. And then comes the third Anglo-Maisur War. It was fought between 1790 and 1792. The war began in 1790 when Tipu attacked Trevenko. Since it was the only source of pepper for the East India Company, the British sided with the Trevenko and attacked Mysore. Then in 1791, Lord Cornwallis marched to Serangipatnam. In this war also, the Nizam and the Marathas supported the British. See, Tipu offered serious opposition but he was eventually defeated in the year 1792. After the war, the Treaty of Serangipatnam was signed in the year 1792. Then comes the final 4th Anglo-Maisur War. It was fought between 1798 and 1799. See in 1798, Lord Wellesley came to India as the new Ghana general and Tipu's relation with the French were seen as a threat by him. So in order to overpower Tipu, Lord Wellesley forced him into submission through the subsidiary alliance but it was not enough for Wellesley. So the final war began on 17 April 1799 and ended on 4th May 1799. Note that the war ended with the fall and capture of Serangipatnam and the death of Tipu Sultan. See, it took 32 years to subjugate Mysore. As I said earlier, it was one of the longest military confrontations. And after the Anglo-Maisur Wars, the threat of French revival in the Deccan was also permanently eliminated. Note that the British chose a boy from Udaya dynasty as the Maharaja of Mysore and the Udaya dynasty ruled the state of Mysore until 1947 and know that they also joined the Union of India. Okay, so that's all about this news article. See through this news article, we covered about the most important wars in the Indian history. So through this discussion, we covered the most important topic for our UPSC prelims which is the Anglo-Maisur War. See, not only for prelims, also for your mains regarding the wars there might be questions. So this is a way of revising it. So here for your preliminary perspective, know the year of the war and the treaty that was signed to end that war. Also know who are the parties who are fighting against each other. This will be more than enough to address the preliminary type of questions. So with these key points in mind, now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Have a look at this editorial article. It talks about the issue of the climate financing. See, this article is written in the backdrop of ongoing negotiations as part of the Conference of Parties 27 to the UNFCC in Egypt. See, the article also discusses the issue of private climate financing and how developed countries are pushing for private financing over public financing. So this is the essence of the article written here. In this context, through this discussion, we will learn about the import and contemporary topic of climate financing in detail. Before that, the syllabus relevant to this discussion is highlighted here for your reference. Kindly go through it. Now, let's start a discussion. See, before starting, you have to have an understanding of what is this UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement of 2015. See, yesterday only we covered both of these topics. So kindly watch yesterday's Hindu News Analysis to get a complete understanding of this article. And to understand the issue which is discussed in the article, we have to start with a little bit of history. See, when we compare the accumulative carbon dioxide emissions of both the developed countries and the developing countries, we can see a stark difference. This difference is due to the difference in the start of industrialization between the two blocks. While industrialization started in the 19th century in the Western European countries and the United States, it took another hundred years to start in countries like India and China. Note that industrialization didn't even start in many of the sub-Saharan countries. See, I am saying this till date, okay? But the issue of greenhouse gas emissions and the subsequent effect on the environment are affecting the whole mankind, am I right? This is where the issue of climate financing takes central stage. So now, let's see the meaning of the term climate financing. Climate finance refers to local, national or transnational financing drawn from both public and private that seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address the climate change, okay? So this is what we are terming as climate finance. Note that the developing countries are asking for climate finance from the developed countries due to the historical emission gap between the two blocks. See, just now I explain the gap, am I right? So because of this only, developing countries are expecting from the developed countries. And due to this, in the COP 21, that is the Conference of Parties 21, which was held in Paris, the developed countries agreed to provide $100 billion every year by the year 2020 to the developing countries. This is to help them undergo transition from fossil-based energy to green energy. So this is all about the history of climate financing that you have to know. And now coming to the article, see the article says that the Western countries led by US are trying to shift the burden to private finance from the public finance. Here, note that public finance refers to the funding provided by the government. See, what the developing countries have for a long time insisted is that a significant portion of the climate finance should come from the public funds. Why are they doing so? Because private finance will not be enough to address their needs and priorities, that is why developing countries are insisting for public finance. Here, the author presents even the data from various sources to show that both the public and the private finance are falling short of the $100 billion pledge to be provided by the developed countries to the developing countries. So the author finally concludes that the blended financing model, that is with the private financing, is not apt for the needs of the developing countries. See, the reason stated by the author is that the vulnerable, debt-ridden and low-income countries with poor credit ratings are in need of climate finance. So they find it challenging to access the private finance. See, because they are already vulnerable and debt-ridden. How far they can reach to the private finance? This is a question mark, right? So therefore, addressing the urgent climate finance needs of the developing countries cannot be left to the mercy of the false promises of trillions of US dollars in mobilized private climate finance. And the editorial says that a major role should be played by grant-based and concessional international public climate finance. So this is to address the needs and the priorities of the developing countries. So this is a brief about what is written in the article. Now, before ending our discussion, let's see some important points relating to climate finance in India. See, India is planning to raise private finance in climate change-related industries in India. This is being done through Climate Finance Initiative. See, Climate Finance Initiative is functioning with an aim of building the early-stage ecosystem in India for climate startups. And apart from this, India also wants a concrete plan for accessing the public finance from the developed countries. And this is from the 100 billion dollar fund. So this is about the India stand on climate finance. With this, we have come to the end of this discussion. And through this discussion, we learned about what is meant by climate finance and the two types of climate finance, that is the public and the private, and also about the recent data sets relating to the 100 billion dollar pledge by the developed countries. Finally, we saw about India-specific information about the climate finance. So with these information, let's move on to the next news article discussion. Have a look at this news article. It says that Icelandic model of drug intervention will be a key topic of deliberations. And this is at the International Forum on Right to Drug-Free Childhood. So this is about the news article given here. In this context, let us understand about drug addiction in children in India and the steps taken by the government. See, in our country, the use of illegal drugs among youths is increasing. Particularly in Punjab, 75 percentage of the kids are using drugs and data shows that three out of every four children in Punjab are badly addicted to drugs. In India, an NGO survey revealed that 63.6 percentage of patients coming in for treatment were introduced to drugs at a young age, that is below 15 years. See, in the year, comprehensive national survey on extent and patent of substance use in India was conducted. I have given the details of drug abuse in this table here. This table shows the data regarding the drugs used and the number of population in the different ages who are using it. See, please go through it. This is the case in India. And globally also the data is shocking. According to the 2021 World Drug Report, nearly 275 million people used drugs worldwide in 2020. At over 36 million, people suffered from drug use disorders. Now, we know how bad is the situation in Indian and the global levels. Let us see about the today's news article. See, the meat which is called as children matter right to a drug-free childhood is organized by the Fourth Wave Foundation. Fourth Wave Foundation is organizing this in partnership with United Nations offers on drugs and crime and World Federation against drugs. See, this international forum on drug-free childhood will formulate a strategy. And this is for necessitating policy and legislative interventions regarding drug use. And it will establish the need to create substance abuse-free environments for children around the world. So, this is based on Article 33 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children. See, the article obligates states parties to protect children and youth from involvement with illicit drugs and drug trade. And it is also said that Icelandic model will be the key topic in this forum. This particular model know is important because it had shown significant changes in the Iceland. It is an environmental approach. In this model, parenting, parental supervision, organized leisure time activities, then together work increased normative pressures. That is curfew hearts and encouragement of joint family dinners. All these play a central role in reducing alcohol and drug consumption among young people. So, now with this model, let us see the steps that are taken by the government to resolve the situation. See, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing a scheme called National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction. Under this financial assistance is provided for various programs and rehabilitation centers that are working for the reduction of drug addiction. And secondly, the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has launched Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhyan. This is to address the problem of drug abuse among youth of India. And this was launched in two 72 most vulnerable districts since August 2020. Apart from this, no, we already have the narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances at 1985. See, under this Act, it is illegal for a person to produce, manufacture, cultivate, possess, sell, purchase, transport, store and or even consume any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance. See, there are more than 70 substances that are banned under this Act. And this includes cannabis, cocaine, heroin, then LSD, OPM, MDMA, DMT, etc., etc. So, that's all about this news article. See, in this news article discussion, we covered the much important topic for your mains perspective. See, this drug addiction, no, is very much important. And in this itself, I made a point to address what are all the steps we had taken to address this drug addiction in India. So, these steps taken, no, can be put as a preliminary type of question. And regarding this Icelandic model also, I had explained to you very clearly. So, with the dynamic topic, we had understood the static part as well. Okay. And with these key points in mind, now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Now, have a look at this article. See, this article is taken from the Education Plus column of the Hindu. It talks about the less concentrated side of children and teenagers by the educational institutions. What I am talking about? Yes, it is about the mental health. You note that this article becomes important in mains perspective. You can see here, role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values. This is the statement that is straight away given in your GS4 syllabus. So, you can use the points that we are going to discuss today in your mains answer directly. For example, if you get a question regarding the role of educational institution in addressing the student's mental health, you can easily take this point and put it over there. Okay. Now, let's see what is said in this article. See, the article starts with saying that COVID-19 has raised the mental health issues among the children and teenagers. Multiple reasons are put forward to explain this. And some of them are social distancing, induced isolation, the anxiety and uncertainty about the future going to the sudden outbreak of COVID. See, the author suggests some ways to promote emotional and mental well-being in children by the educational institutions. So, what are they? They are firstly, schools should be made to use student-centered teaching strategies. See, this will promote a pleasant environment which further increases cooperative learning. And secondly, there should be a well-defined zero-tolerance policy on bullying. See, any type of harassment should be combated effectively within a defined time frame. Okay. And thirdly, a curriculum must be developed which specifically supports positive mental health. And finally, there should be a dedicated team that focuses on wellness initiators. And it should work with vulnerable pupils who need special attention. So, these are some of the suggestions put forward by the author in the article. And apart from these, educational institutions must emphasize the development of an exclusive environment for all students. See, this is regardless of their socioeconomic or cultural background or gender. See, this will instill the students with a value system of accepting and accommodating people with a different culture and ideology when they become adults. And finally, the author ends the article by saying that joyful environment if maintained by schools will indirectly result in better academic performance of these students. So, with this, we have come to the end of this discussion. See, if you ask me, these are the points that are taken from the article. But when you utilize these points in your main answers, it is going to enrich your answer and make it look unique. So, that is why we had taken this opportunity to take some good points from good articles. Okay. So, with these key points in mind, now let's move on to the next part of the news article discussion which is the preliminary practice question discussion. See, today, we have three questions in which two I'll be discussing and one will be a quiz question for you. Okay. Now, look at the first question. It is regarding the Collegium system in the Indian judiciary. Two statements are given. So, we are going to go through both the statements before arriving at the answer. Now, look at the statement one. It says the word Collegium is not mentioned in the Constitution of India. What do you think about this? You might think this statement is wrong. But actually, this statement is correct. Yes, the word Collegium is not mentioned in the Indian Constitution. Okay. Actually, this Collegium system is a way by which judges of the Supreme Court and High Court are appointed and transferred. The Collegium system is not rooted in the Constitution or a specific law promulgated by the Parliament. It has evolved through judgments of the Supreme Court. Okay. And regarding this only, we saw the Three Judges case in the discussion. Am I right? If you haven't listened to the Three Judges case, please go and do listen to it. Okay. Now, coming to the second statement, the High Court Collegium consists of the Chief Justice of India and four senior most judges of Supreme Court. While if you take the Supreme Court Collegium, it will be consisting of Chief Justice of India and two senior most judges of the Supreme Court. See, just by looking at the statement, if you had keenly observed the discussion I am saying, okay, you can find that this both is just interchanged. So, what I am coming to say here, this statement is incorrect. See, I have just reversed the statement. For High Court Collegium, it will consist of the Chief Justice of India and two senior most judges of the Supreme Court. And in case of the Supreme Court Collegium, it will consist of the Chief Justice of India and four senior most judges of the Supreme Court. Okay. And since the question is demanding for incorrect statements, your answer here will be option B, two only. Okay. Now, coming to the second question, see, India is a party to which of the following convention? Here I had given three conventions. Am I right? First one is the convention on narcotic drugs, second one is the convention on psychotropic substances, then the convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. See, what is the answer here? It is option D, one, two and three. That is, India is a part of all these three conventions. See, regarding these conventions and all, you need not know it completely. Just know whether India is a party to it or not. That is more than enough to attempt any preliminary type of question. So, I am not going to discuss all these conventions in detail here. Today, I took this question so that you have to know that India is a party to these kind of conventions. Okay. Because all these data is based on a drug addiction among youth discussion. Okay. And now, look at the quiz question for today. See, it is regarding our Anglo-Maesurva discussion. If you had keenly observed the discussion and listened to it, it is very, very easy question. And you are going to comment me the answers in the comment section. Okay. Displayed here are two main practice questions. See, go through the question and try writing answer for this question. It is going to be really helpful for your main preparation. Okay. And with this, we are ending our today's discussion. If you like this video, do like, share and comment. And don't forget to subscribe to the Shankaray's Academy's YouTube channel. Thank you for listening.