 A very good evening aspirants, I welcome you all to the Hindu Daily News Analysis brought to you by Shankar Ayes Academy. Today, I am going to cover important news articles from the Hindu newspaper dated 21st of September 2023. Displayed here is a list of news articles that we will be discussing today. At the end of the video, we will also have problems practice question discussions. So try to watch the entire video. And a kind request to you all, those who haven't yet, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Do subscribe and hit the bell icon button so that you will get regular notifications about our current affairs videos. Now let us get into our first news article discussion. Look at this news article. See the Telangana Assembly election is going to happen soon. So various outreach programs are being organized by the authorities in various parts of the Telangana state under the election commission of India's sweep program. This program aims to spread awareness about the significance of voting. As part of this sweep program yesterday, a cycle rally was held in Karimnagar. This is all about the news. Now in this discussion, let us understand about sweep program. See the full form of sweep is the systematic voters education and electoral participation. The sweep is an initiative of the election commission of India. This initiative aims to promote voter education and it makes the citizens of the country aware of their rights and responsibilities. Note that sweep began in 2009. Since then, the program has been very active in creating awareness about the election process and about the role of voters in election. Under the sweep program, the authorities organize several general and targeted initiatives. These initiatives are designed according to the socio-economic, cultural and demographic profile of the state as well as the history of electoral participation in previous rounds of elections. Ultimately, sweep encourages voters registration and it ensures the maximum participation of registered voters to increase voter turnout in elections. Okay, I hope you understood about sweep program. Note that the sweep program is being carried out in various phases. Currently, we are in the sweep third phase. The sweep first phase was a small experimental program that held between 2009 to 2013. Then sweep 2 involved a planned strategy and it bridged various gaps in the election awareness. It was held between April 2013 to 2014 and the current sweep third phase is being implemented based on the learnings from 2014 Lokshaba elections. This means that the sweep third phase is carried out to bridge the gaps experienced in 2014 Lokshaba elections. The third phase focuses more on robust and in-depth planning. Some of the focus areas under third phase of sweep include enhanced interaction with the citizens through online and offline modes, awareness about new initiatives and a standardized yearly plan of activities. See the third phase gives more attention to the target groups of women, youth, urban voters and the marginalized sections to increase the voter turnout. Apart from this, the third phase also focuses on the inclusion of groups like service voters, NRAs, persons with disabilities and future voters. These are all the focus areas under sweep third phase. Now finally let us look into the implementation of sweep. See at the national level the systematic voter education and electoral participation wing is responsible for the implementation of sweep program. This wing formulates policies, it lays down the framework, then it plans interventions and it monitors implementation. Then at the state level an officer is assigned to look over the implementation of sweep program in the state and he is stationed at the office of state's chief electoral officer. Additionally, awareness observers are also appointed to monitor sweep program during elections in the state. Then at district level the district is responsible for the implementation of sweep program. For the implementation purposes a district sweep committee is constituted at the district level. It is usually headed by the chief executive officer of the Zilla Parishath or chief development officer who is mostly an additional district magistrate. The head of the committee will supervise the implementation of the sweep program in the district. And finally at the both level both level officers are responsible for the implementation of sweep program. Okay and that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw some points about sweep program. So you can use these points in your main censor. And there's also chance that this topic may appear in U.P.C. prelims. So revise all the facts that we discussed. Now with these points in mind let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this editorial. This editorial here covers humankind's quest for the earth's south pole. The editorial starts with the Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen's expedition to the earth's south pole. Then it talks about how Mr Amundsen become the first human to conquer the earth's south pole. Finally the editorial talks about how the world nations through the 1959 Antarctic conference agreed on two things. See the two things that the world nations adopted through 1959 Antarctic conference is that one is freedom of scientific research in Antarctica and the other one is peaceful use of Antarctica continent. Okay see the author of the editorial relates this story with the human exploration of outer space. Like the Antarctic conference the author adjusts the world nations to adopt a similar policy for outer space. See for outer space currently we have the moon agreement and the outer space treaty. So the author feels that the world nations should update the outer space treaty and moon agreement to match modern space activities and also to ensure the world nations follow ethical principles when exploring outer space. Okay this is the crux of the editorial. Now before going further I would like to ask all aspirants to go and read the section titled setting foot on the south pole in this editorial. See the story of Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen can be used in your main sensor. Now let us say UPSC is asking us to write an essay on the titles reach to get there first and fastest human or being competitive is part of the humans survival instincts. See in these essay topics you can use the story of Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen. You can also mention the story in essays to highlight the importance of perseverance. So please read the part and make a note of it. See to make this story stay in your long-term memory tell this story to your friends and family and you can also use the story in your daily conversations. This helps you to keep the story in your memory for longer periods of time. Okay now coming back see the central theme of the editorial is the need for updating the outer space treaty and moon agreement and making them more ethical. So in our discussion today we will look at the outer space treaty its important features and the limitations. Okay this is the plan. Now before getting into discussion I have highlighted the syllabus regarding this discussion. You can take a note of it. First of all what is outer space see outer space begins where the earth's atmosphere ends. The outer space extends far into the universe. In outer space there is near vacuum condition. It is the place where astronauts travel during space missions and where celestial objects like planets and stars are found. Okay this is a basic about outer space. Now let us see some points about the outer space treaty. See the outer space treaty is formally known as the treaty on principles governing the activities of states in the exploration and use of outer space including the moon and other celestial bodies. See outer space treaty is an international agreement that regulates the activities of nations in the outer space. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and it entered into force on October 10th 1967. The treaty was a product of the Cold War era during which both the United States and the Soviet Union were actively engaged in space exploration. Okay now let us see some important provisions of the outer space treaty. See one of the core principles of the treaty is that outer space should be used for peaceful purposes. See the states are prohibited from placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit around earth on celestial bodies or in outer space in general. See military activities are allowed in space but they should be for defensive purposes only. Okay this is the first important Secondly the outer space treaty states that outer space is not subject to national appropriation by any means. This means that no country can claim sovereignty over any part of the outer space or celestial bodies. Okay thirdly the outer space treaty promotes the freedom of exploration and scientific research in the outer space. It allows all the states to explore outer space and to conduct scientific experiments there without discrimination. Fourthly the outer space treaty also has a provision of reliability. According to the treaty the nations are held accountable if their space objects damage other nations space objects or other ground infrastructure. Fifthly the outer space treaty also says that countries exploring space must take measures to avoid harmful contamination of celestial bodies. Finally the outer space treaty encourages international consultation and cooperation in outer space activities. See the states are required to inform the international community about their space activities and coordinate with other countries to prevent harmful interference. Okay these are also some of the important provisions of the outer space treaty. Now what are the limitations of the outer space treaty? The first one is the lack of enforcement mechanisms. See there is no specific international body responsible for monitoring and enforcing the outer space treaty. This creates a lethargy among the space exploring nations. Secondly most of the provisions of outer space treaty are ambiguous with no clear definition. This might lead to potential disagreement among nations. For example the definition of peaceful use and what constitutes a weapon in space can be open to interpretation. Then thirdly there is the issue of limited coverage. The outer space treaty primarily focuses on activities in outer space but it does not cover the commercial space activities or the use of space resources. Okay finally the outer space treaty does not contain specific provisions for addressing the problem of space debris. Okay this is all about the limitations of outer space treaty. See due to the limitations of outer space treaty the United Nations in its policy brief titled for all humanity the future of outer space governance recommended creating a new treaty. Now let us see some of the important points mentioned in the policy of United Nations. See the policy brief of the United Nations provides various facts highlighting the need for a new space treaty. The first reason is the rapid increase in satellite launches. See the number of annual launches has grown exponentially. In 2013 there were 210 new launches which increased to 600 in 2019 and 1200 in 2020 and finally 2470 in 2022. It is mainly due to the active participation of private sector in developed countries and the enthusiasm shown in China, Japan and India for space exploration. Due to such a rapid increase in space launches there might be flares up between countries. So to prevent such conflict from arising a new space treaty is required. The next reason is the absence of international framework for the exploration of resources from outer space. See moon has rich deposits of helium-3 which is rare on earth. Similarly asteroids contain abundant deposits of valuable materials including platinum, nickel and cobalt. See some governments are in favor of exploration of space resources including the private sector. Currently there is no agreed international framework on space resource exploration. So conflict might arise between nations when there is no clear cut protocol for the exploration of resources from outer space. Then the next reason is lack of international space traffic management. Currently the coordination of space traffic is fragmented with each nation following its own set of rules. With increasing space traffic coordination among the nations is required in traffic management. Then the last reason is regarding the issue of space debris. See more than 24,000 debris which are 10 centimeter or larger and about 1 million debris smaller than 10 centimeter and more than 130 million debris smaller than 1 centimeter have been recorded. These space debris possesses huge risks. See currently there is no international framework to control space debris. These are all the reasons that necessitates the need for a new space treaty. See the report of UN also provides provisions that should be included in the new space treaty. The provisions include demilitarization of outer space, coordination among the space exploring nations, space debris removal and management and then effective framework for sustainable exploration, exploitation and utilization of space resources. See if these provisions find a place in the new outer space treaty then the humanity will benefit greatly. And that's all regarding this discussion and this discussion is about the important provisions of the outer space treaty. Then about the limitations of outer space treaty and finally we see the need for new outer space treaty. See this topic is very much important for your mains exam. So raise all the facts that we discussed. Now with these points in mind let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article here. The news article says that so far 309 projects worth of rupees 2,100 crore has been approved by the National Mineral Exploration Trust. Of the projects approved nearly 150 projects have been completed while the rest are in progress. This is the crux of the news article. Now in this discussion let us learn some points about National Mineral Exploration Trust. See National Mineral Exploration Trust which is in short known as NMET was established in 2015 under the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act 1957. The NMET is an autonomous body functioning under the Ministry of Mines. Now talking about the objective of NMET the primary objective of NMET is to boost mineral exploration in India by identifying and assessing mineral resources including metallic and non-metallic minerals and ores. Now coming to the function and funding pattern of NMET see the NMET is funded through contributions from the mining lease holders. The mining lease holders are required to contribute a portion of their royalty payments to the NMET fund. The funds collected by the NMET are used to support mineral exploration activities especially in areas that have not been explored extensively or remain under exploit. The support includes geophysical and geochemical surveys, drilling and other exploration techniques. In addition to this the NMET also provides financial incentives to the state governments to encourage them to take up exploration activities in their respective regions. This move is aimed at promoting mineral exploration at the state level apart from this the NMET also supports research and development activities and it operates with transparency and accountability. Okay this is all about the funding pattern and functions of national mineral exploration trust. Now coming to the organizational setup see the NMET has two tier structure which include governing board and executive committee. The governing board is responsible for the overall control, periodical reviews and policy directions of the national minerals exploration trust. Then the executive committee is responsible for managing, administering and supervising the day-to-day activities of the NMET. Okay note that the governing board is chaired by the union minister of mines and it comprises the members from union ministries of coal, petroleum and natural gas and atomic energy. Apart from this minister in charge of department of mines and geology from six state governments are also members of governing board. Now coming to executive committee the executive committee is chaired by the secretary of ministry of mines and it has representatives from the ministry of coal, petroleum and natural gas and atomic energy. Apart from this the representatives from four state governments are also members of executive committee on rotation basis. See apart from these two main bodies the NMET also has a technical cum cost committee. This committee evaluates the technical as well as cost parameters of the mineral exploration project proposals submitted by various notified exploration agencies. The technical cum cost committee comprises the domain exports from various central and state government organizations. The technical cum cost committee recommends the suitable proposals to executive committee for approval. Okay this is all about this discussion in this discussion we saw about national mineral exploration trust then about the functions of national mineral exploration trust and finally we saw some points about the organizational setup of national mineral exploration trust. Now with these points in mind let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article the news article says that a constitution bench led by the chief justice of India would hear petitions challenging the constitutionality of section 6a of the Citizenship Act 1955. This is all about the news now in this discussion let us learn some points about section 6a. See section 6a of the Citizenship Act 1955 was introduced through an amendment. This section was added to the Citizenship Act in 1985. Section 6a contains provisions related to the citizenship of individuals covered by the Azam Here what is the Azam Accord? See the Azam Accord was a memorandum of settlement signed in 1985 between the government of India the government of Azam and the leaders of Azam movement. The signing of agreement marked the end of a six year agitation led by the All Azam Students Union. See after the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971 there was an increase in illegal migration into Azam. So the All Azam Students Union demanded the identification and deportation of illegal migrants in Azam. As their demands were not met they started agitating. So to bring a long-lasting solution to this issue the Azam Accord was signed in 1985. See to implement the Azam Accord the Citizenship Act was amended and a new section named section 6a was added to the Act. Okay now let us see the important provisions of section 6a. Now first let's take up section 6a subsection 2. See according to this subsection people of Indian origin who came to Azam before January 1 1966 from certain areas including Bangladesh and have lived in Azam they are considered as Indian citizens. Apart from this subsection 2 also covers people who names were listed on the water rolls used during 1967 elections. Okay this is about subsection 2. Now coming to subsection 3 according to this subsection people of Indian origin who came to Azam between January 1 1966 and March 25 1971 are considered as foreigners. They go through a process where their status is checked according to the foreigners act 1946 and the foreigners tribunal order 1964. So if they are identified as foreigners their names are taken off from the water lists. Apart from this they must also register themselves with registration officers in their respective districts. Okay this is all about subsection 3. Now coming to subsection 4 according to this subsection people of Indian origin who arrived in Azam between January 1 1966 and March 25 1971 and got registered under subsection 3. They will enjoy most of the rights and duties of an Indian citizen like owning property and paying taxes. However they won't be eligible to vote in elections for the next 10 years. Okay this is about subsection 4. Now finally let us take subsection 5. According to this subsection people of Indian origin who came to Azam between January 1 1966 and March 25 1971 and got registered under subsection 3. They will be officially recognized as Indian citizens for all purposes after 10 years from the date when their status was determined. Following this 10 year waiting period they can participate in elections and they can be listed on voter rolls like any other Indian citizen. Okay this is all about section 6A of the citizenship act 1955. See the reason why some people are opposing this section is that this section establishes a different cut off date for Indian citizenship in Azam than in the rest of India. For example article 6 says that anyone who migrated to India before July 1948 would automatically become an Indian citizen if either of his parents or grandparents was born in India. But under section 6A of the act people of Indian origin who came to Azam before January 1 1966 from certain areas including Bangladesh and they have lived in Azam are considered as Indian citizens. So this difference is the reason why some people want this section to be removed. Okay and that's all regarding this discussion. This discussion is elaborately about section 6A of the citizenship act 1955. Now with these points in mind let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. Yesterday the Asian Development Bank released its forecast report on the Indian economy. The report stated that the economic growth of India in the current fiscal year will be 6.3 percentage. See earlier the economic growth was estimated to be 6.4 percentage but currently the report estimated that the growth will decline. The main reason for this decline is due to the impact of declining exports and unpredictable rainfall patterns that could reduce the farmer's outcome. The report further states that the inflation forecast in India for the year has increased from 5 percentage to 5.5 percentage. The report also says that the real GDP growth projection for 2024-25 has retained at 6.7 percentage. This is all about the news. Now in this discussion let us learn some points about Asian Development Bank. The Asian Development Bank which is in short known as ADB is a regional development bank that provides loans for development projects in its member countries. It was established in the year 1966 at Manila, the capital city of Philippines. It was established with 31 founding members but currently it holds 68 members. Among these 68 members, 49 are from within Asia and the Pacific and the remaining 19 members are from outside regions. Remember India is one of the founding members of the Asian Development Bank. Now coming to the objectives of Asian Development Bank, the main objective of Asian Development Bank is to achieve a prosperous, inclusive, resilient and a sustainable Asia and the Pacific. The bank aims to eradicate extreme poverty in the Asian Pacific region. So in this regard the bank assists its members and partners by providing loans, technical assistance, grants and equity investments to promote social and economic development. Now coming to the organizational setup, the highest policy-making body of the Asian Development Bank is the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors comprises one representative from each member nation. The Board of Governors meet formally once a year during the Asian Development Bank's annual meeting. See these Governors will elect 12 members in order to form a Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will perform their duties full-time at the Asian Development Bank headquarters. Know that the decision-making process at the Asian Development Bank is similar to the tough World Bank. That is, the number of votes controlled by a member is co-insured with the number of shares held by that member. As seen earlier, ADBs, shareholders consist of 14 countries in the Asia and Pacific region and 19 countries from outside the region. As of 31st December 2022, the five largest shareholders of Asian Development Banks were Japan and the United States, each with 15.6% of total shares followed by the People's Republic of China with 6.4% and then India with 6.3% of shares and finally Australia with 5.8% of shares. So ultimately, Japan and US has the highest voting power during decision-making. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion, we saw about the Asian Development Bank, then about the objectives of Asian Development Bank, then we saw about the organizational structure of Asian Development Bank and finally we saw some points about the shareholders of Asian Development Bank. With these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. Yesterday, the union home minister said that the women's reservation bill will be implemented only after 2029. See, the new women's reservation bill states that the reservation shall come into effect after an exercise of delimitation based on the immediate census that is conducted after the bill becomes an act. See, conducting census and delimitation is not possible before 2024 general elections. So that is why the home minister stated that the reservation will be implemented only after 2029. Okay, he further said that the census and the delimitation exercise will be conducted immediately after the general election of 2024. Okay, this is the crux of the news article. Now, in this discussion, let us learn some points about delimitation from example perspective. First of all, what is delimitation? Delimitation is the act of redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies. Basically, the delimitation is carried out based on the recent census. The delimitation is done to represent the changes in the population of the country. It also aims to ensure that each constituency seat has an almost equal number of votes. See, the basic idea of delimitation is to provide equal representation to all segments of population. Okay, note that the delimitation is carried out by the delimitation commission. Now, let us see some points about delimitation commission. Basically, the delimitation commission is constituted by the president from time to time. The delimitation commission works in collaboration with the election commission of India. Note that the delimitation commission had been set up four times, that is in 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002. The current boundaries of constituencies were drawn on the basis of 2001 census. However, the current number of Lokshaba and state assembly seats were derived based on the 1971 census. And note that the number of seats will remain frozen until 2026. Okay, see the orders of delimitation commission have the force of law and it cannot be questioned in a court of law. Okay, now let us see the composition of delimitation commission. The delimitation commission consists of a retired judge of the supreme court, the chief election commissioner and the state election commissioners of the respective states. Okay, this is the basic about delimitation commission. Now, let us see the process involved in delimitation exercise. See, as per article 82 of the Indian constitution, the parliament should enact a delimitation act after every census. See, the main objective of the act is to delimit the boundaries of parliamentary and state assembly constituencies. Once the act is enacted, the central government set up a delimitation commission on the approval of president. Okay, and this delimitation commission will perform the delimitation exercise. Okay, now having seen the process involved in delimitation, let us see the functions of delimitation commission. Firstly, the delimitation commission determines the number of constituencies and boundaries of parliamentary and assembly seats. It is being done to ensure that the population of all seats remains the same. Secondly, the delimitation commission identify the seats that is to be reserved for schedule costs and schedule tribes. It is done in the areas where the population of schedule costs and schedule tribes are high. Thirdly, the delimitation commission releases draft proposals to the public through the guest set. It also releases the drafts in regional news papers and conducts public sittings to hear public opinion. Okay, this is all about the important functions of delimitation commission. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about the various aspects of delimitation process. Now, with these points in mind, let us move on to the next part of the video that is to discuss preliminary practice questions. Today we are having four questions. I will solve three of them and one will be a quiz question for you. Look at the first question. This question is regarding national mineral exploration trust. Here three statements are given. We have to find how many of the statements are correct. Look at the first statement. NMET is a statutory body set up under the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Amendment Act 2015. See this statement is correct. It was set up under this amendment act of 2015. Now, according to the second statement, the NMET fund can be utilized to undertake studies for mineral development. See this statement is also correct. The funds obtained by the NMET can be utilized to undertake studies for mineral development. Now, according to the third statement, governing body of NMET is chaired by the union minister of mines. This statement is also correct. As we saw in the discussion, the national mineral exploration trust consists of governing body and executive committee and the governing body of NMET is chaired by the union minister of mines. So, third statement is also correct. Here all the given three statements are correct. So, the correct answer for the question is option C all three. Moving on, let's take up the second question. Here three statements are given. You have to find which of the statements are correct. Look at the first statement. There is only one citizenship and one domicile. See this statement is correct. The Indian constitution provides for only a single citizenship. That is the Indian citizenship and there is no separate state citizenship. Also, when an Indian citizen voluntarily acquires the citizenship of another country, his Indian citizenship automatically terminates. Okay. Now, coming to domicile, see there is only one domicile allowed in India. In 2010, the Uttarakhand High Court declared that there is no separate domicile for each state and there is only one domicile for the entire country. So, fourth statement is correct. Now, coming to the second statement, a citizen by birth only can become the head of state. See, this statement is incorrect. His head of state mentions the president. See, in India, both a citizen by birth, as well as a naturalized citizen are eligible for office of president. So, second statement is incorrect. Now, coming to the third statement, a foreigner once granted the citizenship cannot be deprived of it under any circumstance. See, this statement is incorrect. A foreigner who has been yearly granted Indian citizenship can be deprived of his citizenship. His Indian citizenship can be terminated by the central government. So, third statement is incorrect. Here only, first statement is correct. So, a card to answer for the question is option A1 only. Moving on, let's take up the final question. This question is regarding sweep. Here two statements are given, we have to find which of the statements are correct. Now, coming to the first statement, the primary objective of the initiative is to build an inclusive and participate in democracy by encouraging all eligible citizens to vote. See, this statement is correct. It is the primary objective of sweep program. Now, coming to the second statement, it is a flagship program of the ministry of parliamentary affairs. See, this statement is incorrect. As we saw in the discussion, the sweep is an initiative of election commission of India. So, second statement is incorrect. Here only, first statement is correct. So, the card to answer for the question is option A1 only. This is a quiz question for you today. I will post this quiz question in a community section, try to answer 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 found our video to be useful, do like, comment and share it with your friends. And don't forget to subscribe Shankar Ayesha Academy YouTube channel. Thank you for listening.