 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 7th of July 2023. Displayed here are the list of news articles that we will be discussing today. At the end of the video, we will also have prelims practice question discussions. So try to watch the entire video. And a kind request to you all, those who haven't yet, subscribe to the YouTube channel. Do subscribe and hit the bell icon button so that you will get regular notifications about our current affairs videos. Now let's get into our first news article discussion. Now take a look at this editorial article from the title itself, you would have guessed what this particular article is about. Yes, it is talking about the need for uniform civil code in India. This article is written by the former vice president of India Mr. Venkayan Aidu. He said that in India, we have various religions and each has its own set of laws governing important aspects of life such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption. The author feels that this can create inequalities and inconsistencies in our Indian society. So he calls for a uniform civil code. And this is the crux of the editorial. Now in this discussion, we will learn the concept of a uniform civil code and we will also see why uniform civil code is important for promoting equality, social harmony and gender justice in our country. Firstly, what is uniform civil code? See uniform civil code aims to have one law that applies to everyone in the country regardless of their religion or community. It is mainly in matters like property, marriage, inheritance and adoption. So we can say that the uniform civil code calls for the formulation of one law for India regarding civil cases. See in India, we have different personal laws for different religions. Now what exactly are these personal laws? See personal laws are a set of laws that are specially applicable to a particular group of people based on their religion, caste, faith or belief. These laws are formulated by taking into consideration the customs and religious texts of that particular group. Now let's take the example of Hindus. In Hinduism, there are Hindu Sakshishanath of 1956, Hindu Marriage Act 1955, etc. If we take the personal laws in Islam, it is governed by the Muslim law. That is the Shariat of 1937. So there are different set of rules that guide each religion. Now what a uniform civil code will do is that it will frame a uniform law for all religious communities. I hope you got an idea about uniform civil code. Now take a look at article 44 of the Indian Constitution. It reads like, the state shall endeavor to secure the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India. The article 44 basically directs the government to work towards a uniform civil code for all citizens in India. See the author here gives some historical background about uniform civil code. So let's go back to the Constituent Assembly debates and we'll understand that. See when our Constitution was being drafted, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar argued that having a uniform civil code is essential for ensuring fairness and eliminating social evils. He also suggested the importance of a uniform civil code in ensuring gender equality. Besides him, other members of the Constitutional Assembly like Allah the Krishna Swami Iyer and K. M. Munshi also supported the idea of uniform civil code. They believed that uniform civil code will unify our society and promote a secular way of life. However, due to differences of opinion, a consensus could not be reached. Because of this only, uniform civil code was included under article 44 of the Dharati Principles in our Constitution. So according to article 44, it is the responsibility of the state to enact a uniform civil code that applies to all citizens irrespective of their religious beliefs or personal laws. Here note that Goa is the only state in the country that currently has a uniform civil code. But it was implemented by the Portuguese in 1867 itself. This is all about the historical background about uniform civil code. What is the stand of Indian judiciary? See the Supreme Court has expressed support for a uniform civil code in various judgments, including the famous Shah Bono case. In the judgment of 1985, a divorced Muslim woman demanded maintenance from her former husband. The apex court, while deciding whether to give prevalence to the criminal procedure code or the Muslim personal law, the Supreme Court called for the implementation of uniform civil code. The Supreme Court observed that it is a matter of regret that article 44 has remained a dead letter. However, the Supreme Court has recognized the task of making laws lies with the parliament and so it has not issued any directives to the government regarding the implementation of uniform civil code. This is all about the stand of judiciary on uniform civil code. Now we will see the significance of uniform civil code. Nathar of the editorial says uniform civil code has several important benefits. Firstly, it helps in safeguarding the fundamental rights of all citizens and reduces social inequalities. The uniform civil code provides a common legal framework for everyone in our country. So uniform civil code ensures that no one is treated unfairly based on their religion or personal laws. Secondly, the uniform civil code plays a vital role in promoting gender equality. The uniform civil code will eliminate discriminatory practices and it provides equal rights to women in areas like marriage, divorce and inheritance. For example, under Hindu law, human can seek divorce on grounds of cruelty, adultery or desertion. But Muslim personal law follows the practice of triple talak. Here a man can divorce his wife by uttering the word talak three times. These disparities often result in unequal treatment of women during divorce proceedings. So in essence, uniform civil code could establish a uniform procedure for divorce where both parties have equal rights to initiate and obtain a divorce. Thirdly, the uniform civil code can promote social cohesion and national integration. See India is a divorce country so it is crucial to have a unified legal framework to bridge the gaps between different religious communities. In this regard, uniform civil code acts as a unifying force and it promotes social cohesion and it will strengthen our sense of national integration. Also uniform civil code ensures that personal laws are in line with the principles enshrined in our constitution. See our constitution upholds the values of justice, gender equality and secularism. So by having a unified code, we can ensure that personal laws are consistent with these constitutional principles. It will ensure equal rights and opportunities to all individuals regardless of their gender or religious background. Finally, the author concludes by saying that implementing a uniform civil code in India is essential for achieving equality, social harmony and gender justice. So to make this a reality, we need the support of every citizen, religious leaders and political parties. By implementing a uniform civil code, we can bring about social reform and ensure equal human rights for all people in our country. Okay, see this is one side of argument to know the arguments against uniform civil code then watch our Hindu newspaper analysis dated 20th June 2023. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about what is uniform civil code, then we saw about personal laws, then we moved on to see about the historical background of uniform civil code, then we saw about the stand of supreme code on uniform civil code and finally we saw some points about the significance of uniform civil code in our country. See this topic is very much important for your both prelims and mains. You can use these points while writing your main censor. This will definitely enrich your main censor. Now with these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Now take a look at this editorial article. This article is speaking about the internationalization of Indian currency. The author of the editorial covers three aspects in this article. One is what are the hurdles in internationalizing Indian currency. The next one is how China internationalized its currency. And finally the steps that India can take to internationalize its currency. So in our discussion today we will cover the points discussed in this editorial and we will also discuss some basics. Now before getting into discussion the syllabus relevant to this topic is given here. You can go through it. Now let us start the discussion by understanding the basics about currency internationalization. See currency internationalization refers to the process of a currency become widely accepted and used beyond its home countries borders. It means that the currencies adopted and recognized as a medium of exchange not only within its own country but also in international transactions. The United States dollar Euro, Japanese N, British pound and Chinese renminbi are some of the examples of internationalized currencies. What are the advantages of currency internationalization? The first one is an increase in trade. See currently India is using dollars for international trade. This is a cumbersome process as it involves currency conversion. But when rupee is internationalized then India can freely trade with its own currency which in turn increases trade. The second advantage is reduced exchange rate risks. See if a country relies solely on a dominant currency like the US dollar for international transactions any sudden change in its value can impact the country's economy significantly. However if the country's currency is internationalized it can mitigate such risks and have more control over its economic stability. Then the last major advantage is access to enhanced financial services. See once a currency gains international recognition international banks may set up branches or offer services in that country. This allows individuals and businesses to assess a wider range of financial services including international wire transfers, foreign investment options and access to global banking facilities. This in turn will give you a boost to investment in the country. Okay these are the basics about currency internationalization. See India for its part has some experience in currency internationalization. In the 1950s the Indian rupee was legal tender for almost all transactions in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar. Later in 1959 the Reserve Bank of India amendment act was brought in. This amendment enabled the creation of the Gulf rupee. The Gulf rupee was issued by the RBI for circulation only in the western Asian region. This exercise was happening smoothly until 1966. In 1966 India devalued its currency. Here devaluation is a process of deliberate decrease in the value of country's currency related to other currencies. Here note the word deliberate. See in case of devaluation it is not done by the market forces but done deliberately by the government or the central bank. So when the currency is devalued it takes more units of that currency to buy goods and services from other countries. For example if the exchange rate between Indian rupee and USD was rupees 50 is equal to 1 USD it would require 50 rupees to buy 1 dollar. And when India devalues its currency the exchange rate might become 70 rupees is equal to 1 US dollars. So it would require 70 rupees to buy 1 dollar. So when a currency is devalued it takes more units of that currency to buy goods and services from other countries. Now coming back the Indian government's 1966 devaluation exercise caused some worry among the Gulf countries. So some countries started replacing the Gulf rupee with their own currency. Later after the Gulf region saw an oil-led economic boom they switched to their own sovereign currency. So this is a small interesting story about India's experience in currency internalization. Now moving forward let us see the hurdles that India faces in Indian rupee internalization. The first hurdle is abrupt government actions hurting the confidence of other countries in the stability of Indian rupee. We know that Indian rupee is traded freely in Nepal and Bhutan. In 2016 when rupee was demonetized without any consultation it damaged the reputation of Indian rupee among India's neighbors. Apart from this the recent move of the RBI to withdraw the 2000 rupees notes has also impacted confidence in the rupee. So this abrupt government action is a major hurdle. The second hurdle is India's share in global trade is very low. Now look at this graph here. The graph shows that India's share in global trade is just 1.6 percentage while China holds 14.7 percentage share in global trade. So this is the main reason why even after taking steps internalization of Indian rupees is slow. For example India is negotiating with Russia to settle trade in rupees. Now let's assume that Russia accepts this proposal. In such a case if India imports rupees 100 billion worth of oil from Russia in a year but it exports rupees 60 billion worth of goods to Russia every year Russia will have an excess of rupees 40 billion which it cannot use. So Russia cannot use this excess rupees 40 billion to purchase other goods in the foreign market. This is because many other countries won't accept Indian rupee. Therefore this is the main reason why negotiations are going on to settle trade in rupee with Russia. India continues to purchase Russian oil with US dollars. So India has to increase its share in global trade to internationalize its currency. Then the last hurdle is limited convertibility of Indian rupee. Here currency convertibility is the ease with which a country's currency can be converted into other currency. India currently does not allow full capital account convertibility. For example an investor cannot freely come and invest in the Indian financial market or freely take away his investment from the Indian financial market. The RBI has placed this restriction to avoid volatility. But this is a major hindrance to internationalization of Indian rupee. This is because for a currency to be internationalized it needs to be fully convertible. Okay these are the hurdles that India faces in rupee internationalization. See our neighbor to the north that is the China has had significant assassin internationalization of its Chinese renminbi. Now what did the Chinese do? See before 2004 the Chinese renminbi could not be used outside China. In 2007 dim sum bonds were issued for the first time. Here dim sum bonds are bonds issued in international markets denominated in Chinese renminbi. This is similar to masala bonds that are denominated in Indian rupee. See from 2008 onwards China started taking steps to internationalize its currency. Firstly it allowed the use of Chinese renminbi outside China for current token transactions and for selective investment transactions. Secondly in 2009 the China signed currency swap agreements with countries such as Brazil, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan and Thailand. Here currency swap agreement also known as FOREXFAB is a contract between two parties or countries to exchange a specified amount of one currency for an equivalent amount of another currency at a predetermined exchange rates. See the countries signed currency swap agreements for several reasons. It is to primarily address liquidity issues, stabilize their respective currencies and to promote bilateral trade and investment. Okay and finally China allowed central banks, offshore clearing banks and offshore participating banks to invest excess Chinese renminbi in debt securities. For example let us say China and Russia decided to settle trade in renminbi instead of US dollars. Here let us assume that Russia exports more to China than China exports to Russia. In such scenario Russia will have excess renminbi at the end of the day and Russia cannot use this excess renminbi to trade with other countries since other countries will not accept renminbi. Now what will Russia do with this excess renminbi as China has allowed central banks to invest excess renminbi in debt securities. Russia will use the excess renminbi to invest in debt securities that is Chinese government bonds in China. See this is a win-win situation. On one hand by investing in debt securities Russia will earn interest and on the other hand Chinese dependence on US dollars to settle trade will get reduced. Okay these are the steps taken by China in the past in internationalizing its currency. Now finally let us see what are the steps that India can take to internationalize Indian rupee. Firstly India must make the rupee fully convertible in a great manner with the goal of making it fully convertible by 2060. Secondly RB must take steps to increase penetration of rupee denominated bonds in the international market. This will enable international use of rupee. Thirdly Indian exporters and importers should be encouraged to invoice their transactions in rupee. This has many advantages. It will aid in reducing transaction costs. Then it will have a greater degree of price transparency. Then it will lower trade settlement time and most importantly it will aid in internationalization of Indian rupee. Fourthly India can sign new currency swap agreements. Fifthly tax incentives could be provided for foreign businesses to utilize the rupee operations in India. Sixthly RB must take steps to ensure the stability of Indian currency. Seventhly the exercises that affect the confidence on Indian rupee like demonetization should not be taken up. And finally Thaurapur committee's recommendations like keeping fiscal deficits lower than 3.5 percentage then maintaining gross inflation rate in the 3 to 5 percentage band and a reduction in gross banking non-performing assets to less than 5 percentage must be seriously concerned. This will be helpful to internationalization of Indian rupee. So these are the steps that aid in internationalization of Indian currency. Now that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about what is currency internationalization. Then we saw about the hurdles that India faces in rupee internationalization. Then we saw some points about the internationalization of Chinese renminbi and finally we saw some points about the steps that can be taken by India to internationalize Indian rupee. See this topic is very much important for your main exam. So make note of each and every points that we discussed. Now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Now look at this news article here. It is taken from the Archive section. See 50 years ago that is on 7th July 1973 an interesting scientific experiment took place in Madras. The Indian meteorological department conducted an experiment to create artificial rain. See ground-based generators and common salt were used in this experiment. The purpose of the experiment was to study the process of rain formation and it mainly studied how rain formation could be influenced by these artificial methods. This is about the news. Now in this context let us learn about cloud seeding and the process involved in it. Now first let's see what is cloud seeding. See cloud seeding is a way to modify clouds in order to increase the chances of precipitation like rain or snow. Now let me break this down step by step for you. See we know clouds are made up of tiny water droplets. When these droplets come together they form water vapor or ice crystals. Normally this water vapor is not dense enough so it will not fall to the ground as rain. It will simply rise into the sky and becomes super cold which means it becomes very cold but remains in a liquid form. Now this super cold water vapor should turn into rain or snow. For that it needs something to condense around and this is where cloud seeding comes in. Cloud seeding involves adding small particles to the clouds. These particles will act as condensation nuclei. These particles are often made of silver iodide. This silver iodide basically provides a surface for the water vapor to condense on okay. Now talking about the process know that there are two common methods of cloud seeding. One way is by using large canons that shoot particles into the sky. The other way is by using aeroplanes that drop the particles from above. See once these particles are introduced into the clouds the super cold water vapor condenses around them. It then forms larger droplets. Now as more and more droplets come together they become heavier and larger so they became too heavy. Now they cannot stay suspended into the cloud. Therefore they fall into the ground as rain or precipitation. This is how cloud seeding helps to increase the chances of rain or snow okay. Now let's talk about the benefits of cloud seeding. See cloud seeding has various uses in different fields. For example sky resorts use it to increase snowfall because it will be great for skying and winter sports. Then hydroelectric companies also use cloud seeding because more snow means more water runoff in the spring which can be used to generate electricity. Then cloud seeding can also be used to clear away fog by turning the fog into precipitation. This helps in improving the visibility around airports and makes air travel safer. However there are some potential dangers to consider. One of the concerns is that the material used in cloud seeding that is the silver iodide is toxic to aquatic life. So when the precipitation from seeded clouds reaches the ground it can harm the environment. So to address these concerns scientists have been researching alternative materials that are less harmful to the environment such as calcium chloride. Also in the past weather modification techniques have been also used as a weapons during the Vietnam War. See during Vietnam War the United States conducted Operation Popeye which extended the monsoon season in Vietnam through weather modification. See the use of weather modification for military or hostile purposes is now banned by an international treaty. But such events have raised further doubts about cloud seeding. Finally it is important to note that the exact consequences of cloud seeding are not fully understood okay. That's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about what is cloud seeding. Then we saw about the process involved in cloud seeding and finally we saw some points about the advantages and disadvantages associated with cloud seeding. Now with these points in mind let us move on to the next news article discussion. Now look at this news article here this news article speaks about an interview given by Justice Adrash Kumar Goyal. He reted as the chairperson of National Green Tribunal yesterday. According to him complaints of National Green Tribunal orders by governments continues to be a serious issue. Apart from this he also said that there are three main challenges to environment in India. The challenges include waste management environmental safety and safety norms in industrial processes okay and this is about the news. Now in this discussion let us learn few facts about National Green Tribunal. The National Green Tribunal has been established in the year 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010. So we can say that National Green Tribunal is a statutory body. The National Green Tribunal is a specialized judicial body that is equipped with expertise solely for the purpose of adjudicating environmental cases in the country. The tribunal was set up as per the recommendations of the Supreme Court and the law commission. The National Green Tribunal was established for effective and expedious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. Apart from this the National Green Tribunal also looks after the enforcement of any right relating to environment. Know that National Green Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure 1908 but it shall be guided by the principles of natural justice. Now what was the recent beginning creation of National Green Tribunal? The National Green Tribunal was established for effective and expedious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection, conservation of forests and other natural resources. Know that the tribunal's orders are binding and it has power to grant relief in the form of compensation and damages to affected persons. Now talk about the location of National Green Tribunal. See the National Green Tribunal has its presence in five zones. They are North, Central, East, South and West zones. The principal bench is situated in the North Zone which is headquartered in New Delhi. Now coming to other zones, the central zone bench is situated in Bhopal, then East Zone in Kolkata, South Zone in Chennai and West Zone in Pune. Now moving on to see about the composition of National Green Tribunal and the qualification of the members. The National Green Tribunal is headed by the chairperson who sits in the principal bench. The chairman shall be the one who is or has been a judge of the Supreme Court or Chief Justice of the High Court. The tribunal has at least 10 judicial members, but the judicial members should not exceed 20. See the judicial member shall be a person who is or has been a judge of the High Court. Apart from judicial members, the tribunal also has at least 10 export members. Here also the export members should not exceed 20. See the export members should possess experience and qualification in the technological and scientific field or practical experience in matters related to environment. This is all about composition and qualification of members. Now coming to the appointment, the chairperson, judicial members and export members of the National Green Tribunal shall be appointed by the central government. The chairperson shall be appointed by the central government after consulting with the Chief Justice of India. This is all about appointment. Now coming to the functions of National Green Tribunal, firstly the National Green Tribunal has jurisdiction over all civil cases involving a substantial question relating to environment. Secondly, the National Green Tribunal is vested with the powers for the enforcement of any legal rights relating to environment. Thirdly, the National Green Tribunal can order the concerned parties to provide relief and compensation for damages to persons and property. Apart from this, if any person seeking relief and compensation for environmental damage which involving subjects in the legislations that are mentioned in Schedule 1 of the National Green Tribunal Act 2010, then they may approach the National Green Tribunal. See the legislations mentioned in the Schedule 1 of National Green Tribunal Act 2010 are given here past the video and just go through it. That's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about the establishment of National Green Tribunal, then we saw about the purpose of National Green Tribunal, then we saw about the composition and appointment process of National Green Tribunal and finally we saw some points about the functions of National Green Tribunal. Now with these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Now take a look at this text and context article. This article is speaking about dark patterns. See dark patterns is recently in news because the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Advertising Standards Council of India together conducted a joint consultation regarding the issues of dark patterns. Now in this context let us discuss what is this dark patterns, then about its types, then the legality of the dark patterns and finally how to address the issue of dark patterns. Now before getting into discussion the syllabus relevant to this topic is given here you can go through it. Now first we will understand what is dark pattern. See the term dark pattern was coined by Mr. Harry Brignel in 2010. Dark pattern refers to the design or user interface technique which is designed in a such a manner to influence the decisions and choices of the users. In other words dark pattern is a designing technique which manipulates or persuades an user to make a decision or an action which will be beneficial to the company but not to the user themselves. This practice is only called as dark pattern because it benefits only the company which implements it and it affects the users in the end. Now I will explain to you the dark pattern with an example. See sneak into basket is a dark pattern technique employed in e-commerce websites. It refers to the addition of extra items into the cart of the user without their knowledge. As a result of this users tends to buy more than what they have planned. This technique increases the sales of the company but on the other hand autonomy and the decision making ability of the users are curved. Okay this is what termed as dark pattern. That means dark pattern is a designing technique which manipulates an user to make a decision or an action that will be beneficial to the company but not the user themselves. Okay now moving on we look at the types of dark patterns. See there are many types of dark patterns now we will understand them one by one. See while browsing on internet some websites would ask for personal details like mobile number or email id to assess their content. The option to reject this pop-up will be designed in such a manner that it will be hard to locate. So the users have only two options either they have to give their personal information or they have to look for some other websites. So dark patterns like this restricts the users right to full transparency of services they use. This is one type of dark pattern. Some of the other dark patterns includes creating urgency or scarcity in online shopping. While shopping from an e-commerce website have you ever seen the pop-up which displays the offer is valid only for 2 hours. See such pop-up creates sense of urgency in the minds of users which persuades them to buy the product immediately. You might have also noticed another kind of pop-up which says only few stocks left hurry. See this kind of pop-up creates a perception that the product you are looking for is available only in limited quantity so if you want the product you have no other way than ordering it immediately. So this is one kind of dark pattern. Then some websites force their users to sign up for a service to assess their contents. In other cases the companies advertise one product or service and they deliver some other product of inferior quality. This particular technique is known as the bait and switch technique and this is also one kind of dark patterns. Then another dark pattern we all would have experienced at some point is hidden cost at the final payment page. See if you order food through food delivery platforms a particular amount will be shown when you add to the cart. But when you proceed to payment page the final bill will be inflated because of many changes like delivery charges, distant fee, surcharge etc. So many users won't notice these details and all. So this is another kind of dark patterns. See dark patterns tend to deceive the users and manipulate their decision making which amounts to the restriction of their rights of be well informed. So this would amount to unfair practices which prohibited under the Consumer Production Act 2019. Now you may have a question whether this dark pattern is illegal or not. See the legality of the dark pattern is a bit complicated. This is because it is hard to distinguish between manipulation and fraudulent intent. The individuals who are affected because of this dark pattern may claim compensation for the damages. Now with this knowledge about the dark patterns let us see about global regulators stand on dark patterns. See many international authorities and organizations have been working to sort out the issue by formulating rules. For example the competition and markets authority of UK listed out the practices which would violate the consumer production law and it also explains the actions which will be taken. Then the European data protection board had released a guideline for the designers and the users of social media platforms on how to deter the dark patterns in social media. Now when it comes to India the department of consumer affairs had warned the e-commerce platforms not to implement dark patterns in their user interface to influence the choice of customers. This is because this action affects the consumer rights under section 2-9 of the Consumer Protection Act 2019. So to conclude the Indian government should amend the existing laws and it has to frame new rules to address the issue of dark patterns and that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about what is dark pattern then we saw about the different types of dark pattern and finally we saw about the legality and global regulators stand on dark patterns. See this is a new concept so we may put a question in both prelims and mains so make note of each and every points that we discussed. Now with these points in mind let us move on to the next news article discussion. Now take a look at this text and context article this article speaks about marine biodiversity of areas beyond natural jurisdiction or the high seas treaty. See very recently on 19th June the United Nations adopted this high seas treaty. This article here covers various aspects of the treaty. Now we will see the major points discussed in this article. See the marine biodiversity of areas beyond natural jurisdiction or the high seas treaty became the third agreement to be approved under United Nations Conventional Law on Oceans and Seas. The other two agreements are the International Seabed Authority Treaty of 1994 and the Fish Stocks Agreement Treaty of 1995. Although the high seas treaty was adopted in 2023. Now when did the process start? In 2002 the idea of protecting the marine environment emerged. In 2008 a need for an international agreement emerged. So in 2015 through UNGA resolution a preparatory committee to create the treaty was formed. After five intergovernmental conferences the treaty was finally adopted in 2023. Now what are the important provisions of the treaty? The major objective of the high seas treaty is to implement international regulations to protect life in oceans beyond national jurisdiction through international cooperation. Apart from this the treaty aims to address various issues like increasing sea surface temperatures, over exploitation of marine biodiversity, overfishing, coastal pollution and unsustainable practices beyond national jurisdiction. Now how does the treaty plan on achieving its aims and objectives? Firstly the treaty aims to establish marine protected areas to protect oceans from human activities. Secondly the high seas treaty establishes a clear house mechanism. This mechanism will aid in the sharing of scientific information and monetary benefits obtained from marine genetic resources. The mechanism also ensure transparency by allowing for open access to information on marine protected areas, marine genetic resources and area-based management tools. Lastly the treaty establishes a scientific and technical body. This body will help create standards and guidelines for environment impact assessment procedures. The body will also aid countries with less capacity in carrying out assessments. So these are the steps through which the high seas treaty plans on achieving its aims and objectives. Now why did this treaty take so much time to get adopted? See this is because there were some important issues that need to be addressed. The first is about the monitoring of information sharing. As we saw earlier the treaty focuses on open access to knowledge on marine protected areas but to ensure that there is open access to knowledge and there must be a provision for monitoring of information sharing. So there were some agreement between island nations and developed countries like the US and Russia regarding this monitoring of information sharing. So this took some time to iron out. Then the second issue is that the treaty used vague phrases like promote or ensure in regard to sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources. So there was a lot of debate in this aspect as well. And finally there was also some issue between the coastal countries and landlocked countries regarding the extent of jurisdiction of coastal countries in the oceans. See all these issues needed sorting out and were heavily debated. This is why the treaty took such a long time to get adopted. Now finally let us see who opposed the treaty. Firstly many developed countries opposed to this high seas treaty. This is because it is the private entities in these developing countries that hold patents relating to marine genetic resources. When open access is provided these entities will face difficulty. So to support these private entities the developed countries opposed to the treaty. Then countries like China and Russia opposed to this treaty citing that the treaty failed to achieve a balance between conservation and sustainability. So these are some of the important points discussed in the text and context article. And that is all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about what is high seas treaty. Then we saw about the important provisions of high seas treaty. And we saw about the various actions that are going to carried out as a part of high seas treaty. Now with these points in mind let us move on to the next news article discussion. Now take a look at this news article. See last week extremists in Canada circulated posters regarding Kalistan and it provoked violence against Indian diplomats in Canada. In response to this India's Ministry of External Affairs said that the extremists in Canada are misusing freedom of expression to legitimize terrorism. The ministry also called Canada to do everything to bring the situation under control. And this is about the news article given here. Now in this context let us quickly go through some of the important facts about article 19 of the Indian Constitution. See article 19 guarantees to all Indian citizens the six rights. The rights include right to freedom of speech and expression. Right to assembly peacefully and without arms. Right to firm associations or unions or cooperative societies. Right to move freely throughout the territory of India. Right to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India. And finally the right to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation trade or business. See originally article 19 contained seven rights. But the right to acquire hold and dispose of property was deleted by the 44th Amendment Act of 1978. Remember these six rights are protected against only state action and not private individuals. Moreover these rights are available only to the citizens of India. But not to foreigners or legal persons like companies or corporations. Also know that the state can impose reasonable restrictions on the enjoyment of these six rights only on the grounds mentioned in article 19 itself and not on any other grounds. Such reasonable restrictions include sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, T's and C's or morality, contempt of court, defamation and incitement to an offense. See these restrictions are provided in article 19 itself. So the state can impose reasonable restrictions on the freedom based on these several grounds. Now let us move on to see about the six rights in detail. Now first let's take freedom of speech and expression. The freedom of speech and expression includes freedom of commercial advertisements right against banth called by a political party and freedom of silence. And it does not include right to strike. Then the second right is freedom of assembly. See this right can be exercised only on public land. Such assembly must be peaceful and unarmed. Here the reasonable restrictions include sovereignty and integrity of India and public order. Then the third right is freedom of association. See all citizens have the right to form associations or unions or cooperative societies. See it covers the negative right of not to form or join an association or union. But the right to obtain recognition of the association is not a fundamental right. So right to strike is not a constitutional right. So it can be regulated by appropriate law. Then the fourth right is freedom of movement. See freedom of movement entitles every citizen to move freely throughout the territory of the country. It can move freely from one state to another or from one place to another within the state. And note that the freedom of residence is complementary to this right. The reasonable restrictions to this right includes interest of general public and protection of interest of any scheduled tribes. And the final right is right to practice any profession. See all the citizens are given the right to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade or business. The right is very wide as it covers all the means of yearning once livelihood. Okay. And note that Article 19 does not deal with movement outside the country. And it is covered under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. And that's all regarding this discussion. This discussion is about Article 19 of the Indian Constitution in detail. See this topic is very much important for your prelims exam. So make note of each and every points that we discussed. Now let's move on to the next news article discussion. Now take a look at this news article. See recently the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that it has the competence to consider the dispute between India and Pakistan on the Indus Water Treaty. The dispute hears that regarding the construction of Kishen Ganga and Rattle hydropower projects in Kashmir. Following this India said that it cannot be compelled to participate in the proceedings since the dispute is being already examined by a neutral expert under the framework of the Indus Water Treaty. So in this context, let us quickly go through some of the facts about the Indus Water Treaty. See India and Pakistan signed the Indus Water Treaty in September 1960 after nine years of negotiations with the World Bank being a signatory to the pact. The treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between India and Pakistan on the use of waters of the Indus River and its five tributaries Sattelaj, BS, Ravi, Jilam and Chenab. Now moving on to say about the key provisions of the Indus Water Treaty. See the Indus Water Treaty prescribed how the water from the six rivers of Indus River system would be shared between India and Pakistan. The treaty allocated the three western rivers that is Indus, Chenab and Jilam to Pakistan for unrestricted use except certain non-consumptive agricultural and domestic uses by India. And the three eastern rivers namely Ravi, BS and Sattelaj were allocated to India for unrestricted usage. This means that 80 percentage of the share of water went to Pakistan while leaving the rest 20 percentage of water for use by India. Secondly, the treaty required both the countries to establish a permanent Indus Commission constituted by permanent commissioners on both sides. According to the provisions of Indus Water Treaty, the permanent Indus Commission is required to meet at least once a year. Thirdly, while Pakistan has rights over the waters of Jilam, Chenab and Indus, the Anakshar Sea of the Indus Water Treaty allows India to use water for certain agricultural uses. Then Anakshar Dee allows India to build a run-of-the-river hydropower projects. This means that India can build hydroelectric projects that does not require live storage of water. Then the fourth important provision is dispute resolution mechanism. See the Indus Water Treaty provides a three-step dispute resolution mechanism under Article 9 of the Indus Water Treaty. So the questions on both sides can be resolved at the permanent commission or it can be also be taken up at the inter-government level. In case of undisolved questions or differences between the two countries on water sharing, then either side can approach the World Bank to appoint a neutral export to come to a decision. And eventually if either party is not satisfied with the neutral exports decision or in case of disputes in the interpretation and the extent of the treaty, then the matters can be referred to a court of arbitration. These are some of the key provisions of Indus Water Treaty. And that's all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw about the basic information of Indus Water Treaty. Then we saw about the key provisions of Indus Water Treaty. Now with these key points in mind, let us move on to the next part of the news article discussion that is to discuss preliminary practice questions. Now look at the first question. This question is regarding national green tribunal. Here four statements are given. We have to find how many of the given statements are correct. Now look at the first statement. It is a statutory body set up for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests. See this statement is correct. The national green tribunal was set up as a specialized body under National Green Tribunal Act 2010. And it is set up for expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests. So statement one is correct. Now come to the second statement. It is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within six months of filing of the same. See this statement is correct. The national green tribunal is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within six months of filing of the same. So second statement is correct. Now come to the third statement. National green tribunal does not have CO motor powers to take up environmental issues across the country. See this statement is incorrect. Recently the Supreme Court empowered the national green tribunal with CO motor power that is it can take to initiate proceedings in case of environmental exigencies. So third statement is incorrect. Now come to the fourth statement. The tribunal does not have jurisdiction over the cases related to wildlife protection act 1972. See this statement is correct. The national green tribunal has not been vested with powers to hear any matters relating to wildlife protection act 1972. Then Indian forest act 1927 and various laws enacted by states relating to forests, tree preservation etc. So fourth statement is correct. Here of the given four statements only third statement is incorrect. So the correct answer here is option C only three. Moving on let's take up the second question. Here three hydroelectric projects are given. We have to find how many of the mentioned projects are contentious issues between India and Pakistan. Here all the given three hydroelectric projects are contentious issues between India and Pakistan. So the correct answer is option C all three. See the Pakistan contents that Rattle, Pakaldal and lower colony projects which is located on the Senap river basin were violating the industrial water treaty. So the all three projects are contentious issues between India and Pakistan. Note that Pakaldal is a one jihad hydroelectric project under construction in the village of Durang Durand in Jammu and Kashmir of India. Then lower colony project is a hydroelectric power project in Dhoda and Kistoa districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a 48 megawatt project that is being developed on the Chenna river. So one sign the correct answer is all three. Now moving on let's take up the third question. Here five points are given. We have to find how many of them are potential applications of cloud seeding technique. First one air pollution control, second one hail suppression, third one precipitation enhancement, fourth one climate change mitigation, fifth one storm prevention. Here air pollution control, hail suppression and precipitation enhancement are applications of cloud seeding technique. See cloud seeding is used for air pollution mitigation. It involves adding special particles into polluted air. These particles attract water vapour and form droplets. These droplets can capture and remove pollutants from the air. Now regarding hail suppression and precipitation enhancement we saw in our discussion itself. The cloud seeding helps to suppress hail and it also enhances precipitation. Now coming to climate change mitigation and storm prevention, see these are not the applications of cloud seeding technique. So only first, second and third are applications of cloud seeding technique. So the correct answer here is option B only three. Moving on let's take up the final question. This question is regarding bioprospecting. Here four options are given. We have to find which option best describes the term bioprospecting. The first option it is the exploration of biological materials for commercially valuable genetic and biochemical process. This is the exact definition of bioprospecting. So the correct answer is option A but we also need to verify other options as well. Now for the second option it is the unethical or unlawful appropriation or commercial exploitation of biological materials. See this is a definition of biopiracy and not bioprospecting. Now coming to the third option it is the technology that utilizes biological systems, living organisms or parts of this to develop or create different products. See this is a definition of biotechnology and not bioprospecting. Now coming to the fourth option it is the science of applying nature-inspired designs in human engineering and invention to solve human problems. See this is the exact definition of bio mimicry and not bioprospecting. So once again the correct answer is option A. Bioprospecting is the exploration of biological materials for commercially valuable genetic and biochemical processes. This is the quiz question for you today. I will post this quiz question in a community section try to answer it and don't worry the answer for the quiz question is posted in the comment section of the quiz question itself you can verify the answer 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 we found our video to be useful please like comment and share it with your friends don't forget to subscribe to Shankar ISE Academy YouTube channel. Thank you for listening.