 A very good evening friends, I welcome you all to the Hindu newspaper analysis brought to you by the Shankar AIS Academy. Today's date is 19th January 2024. Displayed here are the news articles which we are going to discuss today. Before entering our discussion, I have an important announcement to make. See, Shankar AIS Academy's much-awaited problems fitness test or pre-fit test series is going to begin from 22nd January See, this test series will consist of 63 tests out of it 37 will be half test and there will be 6 revision tests and there will be 7 full tests. In addition to this, there will be a 10 CSAT test for you to practice. See, the test series will be conducted both in online and offline mode. The other details regarding the test series is given in the comment section. So, kindly check. So, coming back to our discussion, let's start our discussion. Take a look at this article. SBI borrowed 5000 crores by issuing a type of bond known as additional tier 1 bonds. See, these bonds do not have a fixed maturity date that is they are perpetual in nature. But, SBI can choose to redeem them after 10 years and on each subsequent anniversary. See, the interest rate on these bonds also known as coupon rate is 8.34%. Know that this is the annual interest that SBI will pay to its bond holders. See, this is the news given here. In this context, let us know about an economic concept called additional tier 1 bonds from Prillin's perspective. See, additional tier 1 or 81 bonds are also known as perpetual bonds or contingent convertible bonds. See, these bonds are a type of hybrid financial instruments which are being issued by the banks. Know that they are part of the regulatory capital of the bank. It means they serve as a form of capital that can observe the losses in times of financial stresses. Bank issues this bond to shore up their core capital base to meet the Basel 3 norms. These bonds are also listed and traded on the exchanges. So, if an 81 bond holder needs money, he can sell it in the secondary market. Investors cannot return these bonds to the issuing banks and get the money. That is, there is no put option available to the 81 bond holders. Banks which are issuing these bonds can skip the interest payouts for a particular year or even reduce the bonds face value. See, these are all the basics of 81 bonds. Now, let us see who regulates these bonds. See, 81 bonds are regulated by the Reserve Bank of India. If the RBI feels that a bank needs a rescue, it can simply ask the bank to write off the outstanding 81 bonds without even consulting the investors. Now, on continuing our discussion, there are four important aspects of 81 bonds. Let us see them one by one. Firstly, they are hybrid instruments. It means they have both depth and equity characteristics. They behave like a debt in normal circumstances, but can convert into equity or be written down in the time of financial distress. Secondly, perpetual tenures. See, 81 bonds usually have no mature date, making them a perpetual instrument. However, there may be call options allowing the issuer to redeem the bond under certain conditions. Thirdly, coupon payments. See, 81 bonds pay a fixed or floating rate coupon to the investors. The coupon payments are discretionary and can be cancelled by the issuer if the bank is in financial difficulty or if the regulatory capital requirements are not met. Fourthly, loss absorption mechanism. See, one of the key futures of the 81 bond is their ability to observe the losses. In the event that the issuing banks capital fall below a certain threshold, the bonds may be written down partially or fully or can be converted into a common equity. See, these are all some of the important futures of the 81 bonds. See, this is all about the discussion. In this discussion, we saw about the 81 bonds from the exam perspective. With these learned points, let us conclude this discussion and take up the next news article for our analysis. Take a look at this editorial article. This news article is criticizing the current state of Indian media, particularly television news. The author argues that the media landscape driven by breaking news culture and intense competition for viewership and rating has shifted the focus from providing public service to sensationalism. The author suggests that the emphasis on the sensational stories over the substantiative content has compromised the quality of news reporting. This is the crux of the article. In this context, let us understand the significance of the press freedom and the challenges to free press in India. We shall approach this topic in our usual mains answer rating pattern. Now, let us look at the question. Freedom of press is a precious privilege that no country can forego. In the light of a post statement, discuss the significance of press freedom and the challenges faced by Indian media to function freely. See, here the keyword is discuss. We have to list out the significance of the press freedom and also have to talk about the challenges faced by press. So, the body part can be divided into two halves. In the first half, we shall write about the significance of the free media. And in the second part, we shall write about the challenges of Indian press. Okay, now let us see the syllabus where we can fix this topic. This topic comes under the GS paper two under the subheading of development process and the development industry, the role of NGO, self-help group and various groups and associations, etc. Okay, now let us answering the question. Let us start with the introduction. See, press freedom is a fundamental principle that allows journalists and other media organization to operate without censorship or governmental interferences. It's a core component of the freedom of expression and it's very essential for a democratic society. The key aspects of the press freedom from censorship, access to information, independence, pluralism and diversity. See, this can do your introduction. Moving on to the body part of the answer, here we shall see about the significance of press freedom. Let us see. Firstly, with respect to democratic pillar. See, press freedom is fundamental to the functioning of a democratic society. Why? Because it allows for the free flow of information and ensures that the citizens are well informed. So, obviously the well informed citizenry will make them to take educated decisions in a democratic setup. See, the second significance is with the accountability and transparency. A free press access of watchdog and it holds the government and public institutions accountable for their actions. It helps in exposing the corruption, misuse of power and other moral practices. See, thereby it contributes to the transparency in governance. Thirdly, with respect to public awareness and education. See, press freedom plays a key role in disseminating the information on various issues, policies and events. It helps in educating the public, raising awareness about the societal challenges and promoting informed discussions. Fourthly, with respect to protection of human rights. See, a free press serves as a platform for reporting and exposing the human right violations. Journalists often access and advocates for the oppressed people, thus providing a voice for the voiceless. Fifthly, with respect to enhancing the debate and diversity in the country. See, press freedom encourages a diversity of opinion and perspective. It fosters a healthy debate, allowing citizens to be exposed to different viewpoints and promoting tolerance and inclusivity in the society. Lastly, with respect to good governance. See, media plays an important role in the audit of the government policy and spending. And unbiased media is important for transparent reporting. See, these are all some of the significance of the freedom of press. Now, let us look at the data regarding the freedom. See, in 2022 edition of the press freedom index, which was published by reporters without borders, India ranked at 150th position. See, this poor performance of India is due to the various challenges faced by the freedom of press in India. Now, moving forward, let us see the some of the threats which is faced by Indian media. The first issue is with the silencing of journalists who oppose the present day government. For example, as mentioned in the news article, FIR was filed against the president and some journalists of the editorial guilt of India under section 153A of the IPC. See, section 153A deals with promoting enmity between the different groups. Like this, journalists who often question the government are often being intimidated. Other legal tools which are often used for the intimidation are Shedition law, defamation and UAPA. The second threat is with the governmental control over the advertising revenue. See, Indian government posts a lot of advertisement in newspaper and adds a very important source of revenue for the newspaper. In 2020, the government reportedly withheld advertisements from certain media organizations which are critical of its policies. See, like this tactics, the government tries to bring independent media house under its control in an indirect manner. Thirdly, there is an issue of online harassment, particularly against the women journalists. When journalists express their opinion in social media, they are being harassed by the members of IT cells and trolls. The abuse and threats faced online might prevent them from reporting on sensitive issues. Fourthly, there is an issue of ownership concentration. For example, recently, an important business group took over NDTV. After the change of ownership, the NDTV might not publish the news which is critical about the business group. The last issue is politically affiliated news channels. For example, in Tamil Nadu, all major political parties have their own TV channels. All these TV channels often provide biostard news. See, these are all some of the challenges to freedom of press in India. Now, we have completed the body part of the answer. Now, let us move on to the conclusion. See, media should have enough freedom and must be neutral in airing the views. If media is honest and free, democracy is bound to function more effectively. If media is biased, corrupt and favours only a particular political party or few individuals, it can provide disastrous for the smooth functioning of democracy. In the interest of democracy, it is essential that the exchange of ideas takes place in an uninhibited manner where all citizens can access information free of bias and prejudice. See, in this way, you can give a balanced conclusion for this answer. See, this is all about the analysis. In this analysis, we saw about the importance of free press and the challenges hinging on them. With this, let us conclude this discussion and take up the next news article for our analysis. Look at the science page article. It talks about cervical cancer. See, one of the major causes of cervical cancer is the persistent infection by the Human Populomavirus or HPV. Recently, the World Health Organization recommends HPV DNA testing as the screening method for cervical cancer. See, this is the correct soft news article which is given here. In this context, let us quickly go through what cervical cancer is, its causes, symptoms and cure from the preliminary perspective. First of all, cervical cancer develops in a woman's cervix. See, what is cervix? Cervix is the entrance to the uterus from the vagina. Almost all cervical cancer cases, that is almost 99% of the cases, are linked to the infection with the high risk Human Populomavirus. Now, know that HPV or Human Populomavirus is a commonly sexually transmitted infection. Almost all sexually active people will be infected at some point in their life with the HPV but usually without symptoms. Because our body's immune system fights off the HPV most of the time. But if they persist for a longer period of time, then they may lead to the development of cervical cancer. Okay, now let us continue our discussion. See, HPV is a necessary cause of cervical cancer. But it is not a sufficient cause. That means other cofactors are necessary for the progression from cervical HPV infection into cancer. For example, long-term use of the hormonal contraceptives. High parity. Actually, parity means the number of pregnancies a female has carried out in the past 20 weeks. Then, early initiation of sexual activity, multiple sex partners, tobacco smoking and co-infection with HIV are identified as the established cofactors. These cofactors along with the HPV infection can lead to HPV-induced cervical cancer. See, this is the basic of the disease. Now, let us talk about the symptoms. As I said earlier, yearly stage cervical cancer generally produces no signs or symptoms. Signs and symptoms of the more advanced cancer includes vaginal bleeding after the intercourse or vaginal bleeding between the periods or after menopause. Secondly, watery or bloody vaginal discharge that might be very heavy and have a foul order. Thirdly, pelvic pain or pain during the intercourse. See, these are all the symptoms of the advanced stage cervical cancer. Now, let us understand why cervical cancer is dangerous. See, we are very concerned about the cervical cancer because this is the fourth most common cancer in women globally. In India, cervical cancer is the second most cancer among the women. India contributes the largest share of the global cancer burden of cervical cancer. According to a recent study published in Lancet, India accounts for nearly one in every four deaths globally due to cervical cancer. Surprisingly, cervical cancer is preventable and treatable if it is detected earlier. You can reduce your risk of developing cervical cancer by having screening test and receiving a vasin that protects against the HPV infection. Okay, now lastly, let us talk about the cure for the disease. See, CERVAVAC is the India's first indigenously developed HPV vasin. This vasin is based on VLP, that is, virus-like particles, which is similar to hepatitis B vaccination. And moreover, it gives protection by producing antibodies against the HPV virus L1 protein. See, these VLPs have the same outer layer L1 protein coat as HPV, but they do not contain any genetic material. So, the vasin uses these VLP as antigens to induce a strong protective immune response. If an exposure occurs, the vaccinated people's antibodies against the L1 protein will coat the virus and prevent it from releasing the genetic material. See, this is how this vasin works. Remember, this vasin should be given in two doses for 9 to 14 year old and a three-dose schedule for 15 to 26 year old women. See, this is all about this discussion. See, in this discussion, we saw about cervical cancer and the basics. Moreover, we saw about the burden of diseases and lastly, we saw about the vaccination for this disease. See, this is all about the discussion. With these learned points, let us conclude this and take up the next news article for our analysis. Look at this news article. Yesterday, there was a drone attack in Gulf of Aden. So, a Marshall Island flagged merchant vehicle raced a distress call which was subsequently responded by Indian Navy's destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam. See, this is the crux of the article. In this context, we are going to see about two map-based locations which are very important from our Pellum's perspective. See, they are Gulf of Aden and the countries along the Red Sea. First of all, let us get into discussion. Firstly, we shall see about the Gulf of Aden. See, Gulf of Aden is a deep-water basin that forms a natural sea link between Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. It is also popularly known as the Gulf of Berbera. It is situated between the coasts of Arabia and the Khan of Africa. To the west, it narrows into the Gulf of Tejura. Countries that have the coastlines of the Gulf are Yemen, Somalia and Djibouti. It contains several islands including the Volconic, Sokotra, and Chipalego. The Gulf's marine life is rich in both quantity and the variety of species. So, it is famous for its diverse marine species. It is also important as it acts as a primary navigation route for the most of the oil which got transported from the Persian Gulf that is being shipped into Swiss Camel. See, this is the Gulf of Aden. Now, let us move on to Red Sea. See, Red Sea is a narrow strip of water which extends from the Suez in Egypt to Bab Il Mandeb Strait. The Bab Il Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Hence, it connects with the Arabian Sea also. So, geologically, the Gulf of Suez which is in the northwest and the Gulf of Acaba which is into the northeast, both are considered as the northern extension of Red Sea. Note that Red Sea connects with the Mediterranean Sea through Suez Ken. The Red Sea border countries are Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea to the west and Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Israel, Jordan to the east. It contains some of the world's hottest and saltiest sea waters. See, this is all about the discussion. In this discussion, we have mapped two important geographical places which are very relevant for our example's perspective. See, with these 11 points, let us conclude this discussion and take up the next news article for our analysis. Look at this news article. It talks about the Petition's rise against the commercial release of GM Mustret in the Supreme Court. The Petitioners argued that the commercial release of the Dara Mustret Hybrid 11 or DMH 11, which is a genetically engineered variant of mustard, would cause environmental damage. They also argued that the commercial release of the GM variety might endanger the 5477 varieties of Mustret's, which is currently in India. But the Solicitor General of India argued that the GM variety would reduce the country's dependence on imported edible oil and would make it more affordable for the common man. See, currently Supreme Court is currently considering the government's argument since it is only wanted the good for India. See, this is the crux of the news article given here. In this context, let us quickly go through what are GM crops? Genetically modified crops or GM crops are the plants whose DNA has been altered using genetic modification technology. See, GM technology involves the introduction of specific genes, often from different species into the plant's DNA, to confer desirable characteristics or traits. Remember, the specific gene which was introduced does not necessarily have to be from different species. It means it can be also from the same species as well. Usually, such modified cells are grown in tissue culture in laboratories where they develop into plants. See, the seeds produced by these plants will inherit that new DNA. Know that the most common way of inserting is using the gene guns method. The other genetic engineering techniques are electroporation, micro-injection and agrobacterium. So, the main purpose of employing GM is to produce plants with desired traits like higher yields, enhanced nutritional value, longer shelf life, increased resistance to droughts, increased resistance to insects, pests and increased resistance to herbicides. See, BT cotton is the only genetically modified crop which was allowed in India. It is genetically modified to protect plants from the bowlworms which are the major pest of cotton. Remember, based upon the genes which is being introduced from different species or same species, the genetic modification can be categorized into three types. They are transgenic, cisgenic and intragenic. See, if the DNAF plant will be modified by introducing a gene from different species, then it is known as transgenic crops. The introduced gene may code for specific traits or characteristics that are not formed naturally in the organism. See, this is a common approach in creating a GMO in agriculture where genes from one species are inserted into the genome of another to confer desirable traits. See, the difference between transgenic, cisgenic and intragenic is given in this image. You can go through it. See, this is all about the discussion. In this discussion, we saw about the basics of GM crops from the prelims perspective. This is all about the discussion. With this, let us move on to the next part of our video that is to discuss the preliminary practice questions. Today, I am having four questions. I will solve three of them and one will be a quiz question for you to solve. Let us start the quiz. See the first question. With reference to the cervical cancer, consider the following statements. Statement one, it is caused by Epstein-Barr virus. See, Epstein-Barr virus is also a sexually transmitted disease. But as we all know from our discussion that human papillomovirus or HPV, which is also a sexually transmitted infection, plays a crucial role in causing most of the cervical cancers. So, the statement one is wrong. See the second statement. There are no vaccines available to this disease. See, this is also wrong because vaccines are available for the prevention of this disease. India recently has developed CervaVac, a vaccine for this cervical cancer. So, this is also wrong. Let us see the third statement. All women are at the risk for this deadly disease. See, statement three is correct because all women are at this risk for this deadly disease. Even though there are many other causes for this disease, which we have seen in our news article discussion. So, the third statement around is correct. So, the correct option is option A. See, the second question of the day. Which of the following countries border the Gulf of Aden? See, the four countries are being given here. There are Oman, Ayman, Iran and Qatar. I am sharing the map with you. Let us look at this map that we can see that Ayman, Somalia and Djibouti are the three countries which are bordering the Gulf of Aden. So, out of four countries which are given here, only Ayman shares the border with Gulf of Aden. So, the correct option is option A. See, the final question of the day. Consider the following statements with reference to the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee or GEAC. First statement, it is established under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. See, this statement is wrong because GEAC was established under the EPAC 1986 and it comes under the control of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. So, the statement one is incorrect. See, the second statement. It is the apex body for the approval of activities which involves large-scale use of the hazardous microorganisms and recombinants. See, the second statement is correct. See, the third statement is responsible for the approval of proposal relating to the release of the genetically engineered organisms and products including the experimental field trails. See, statement three is also correct. So, the first statement alone is incorrect. So, the correct option is option D. See, this is the quiz question of the day. I will post it in the community section. You try to answer it. If you like today's video, like, comment and share it with your friends. For more updates regarding UPC preparation, subscribe to Shankar IAS Academy. Thank you.