 A very good evening aspirants, I welcome you all to the Hindu daily news analysis brought to you by Shankar Ayes academy. Aspirants many of you are watching our videos without subscribing to our YouTube channel, so please subscribe and hit the bell icon button so that you will get regular updates about our content of this videos. Today I am going to cover important news articles from the Hindu newspaper dated 23rd of November 2023. Displayed here is a list of topics that we will be discussing today, at the end of the video we will also have prelims practice questions discussions, so try to watch the entire video. Now let us get into our first news article discussion. Look at this news article, this article is taken from Science page. See the 2023 United Nations climate change conference, more commonly referred to as COP28 will take place at the expo city in Dubai. The article says that the COP28 will focus on reducing methane emissions. This is the crux of the news article given here, so in our discussion we shall see some basics about methane. See methane is the simplest alkene gas composed of 1 carbon atom and 4 hydrogen atoms. Methane is colorless, odorless and highly flammable gas. It is the primary component of natural gas which makes up about 95% of natural gas resource. Note that methane can be used as fuel for power generation and heating. What are the sources of methane? Methane is produced through both natural and manmade activities. Natural sources include wetlands, oceans and the digestive process of animals like cow and termites. Human activities such as agriculture, coal mining and fossil fuel extraction also contribute significantly to methane emissions. Here agriculture is the predominant source of methane emissions. Methane is also produced through anaerobic digestion of organic materials by microbes. So these are the sources of methane. Now what are the environmental impacts of methane? See methane is a potent greenhouse gas which traps heat in the atmosphere. It is about 28 times more effective than carbon dioxide in trapping heat. Methane is the second most abundant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. High levels of methane in the atmosphere contribute to global warming and associated climate change. Methane emissions are a significant concern because they have a huge impact on earth's climate system. So these are the environmental impacts of methane. Now finally we will see the initiatives taken by the Indian government to mitigate methane emissions. The first important step is the introduction of Harith Dara. See the Harith Dara is an anti-methanogenic feed supplement to the cattle. It was prepared and introduced by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research. The feed has the potential to cut down cattle methane emissions by 17 to 20 percentage. This feed can also result in higher milk production. This is the first initiative. The second important step is India Greenhouse Gas Program. This program is being led by World Resource Institute India, Confederation of Indian Industry and the Energy and Resource Institute that is DATERI. This program helps the Indian companies to measure and monitor their greenhouse gas emissions including methane. This program uses tools and methodologies from World Resource Institute's Greenhouse Gas Protocol. This program provides comprehensive measurement and management strategies to the Indian companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is the second important step taken by the Indian government to reduce methane emissions. And the last important step is the National Action Plan on Climate Change. This action plan was launched in 2008. This plan aims to create awareness about the greenhouse gases that causes climate change. This plan also provides some steps to counter greenhouse gas induced climate change. Under the plan, the awareness is being created among the public, different agencies of the government, scientists and industries to counter greenhouse gas emissions including methane. So these are all some of the important steps taken by the Indian government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions including methane. And that's all regarding this discussion and this discussion is all about the basics of methane, then we saw about the sources of methane, then we saw about the impacts caused by methane and finally we saw some points regarding the steps taken by the Indian government to reduce methane emissions. Now with these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article recently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation that is the DGCA imposed a fine of rupees 10 lakh on Air India. The fine was imposed for not following the DGCA rules regarding passenger facilities. Recently, the DGCA carried out inspections at Delhi, Kochi and Bangalore airports. While carrying out inspections, the DGCA observed that Air India was not complying with the provisions of civil aviation requirement as mandated by the DGCA. So this is why DGCA find Air India. Okay, this is the crux of the news article given here. Now in this discussion, let us understand the basics about the DGCA and its functions. Now let us start with DGCA. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation which is in short called as DGCA is the regulatory body that governs the safety aspects of civil aviation in India. It is an attached office under the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation. The DGCA headquarters are located in New Delhi with regional offices in various parts of India. The administration of the DGCA was with the Directorate General of DGCA. Now coming to the question, is the DGCA a statutory body? See India is having Aircraft Act 1934. This Act contains various provisions for the control of manufacture, position, use, operation, sale, import and export of aircrafts in India. This Aircraft Act 1934 was amended in 2020. The Section 4A of Aircraft Amendment Act 2020 talks about the creation of DGCA for the regulation of civil aviation in India. So as it is mentioned in the Parliamentary Act, the DGCA is a statutory body. Now with this basic information, let us see the functions performed by DGCA. The DGCA performs various functions in the aspect of regulation of civil aviation in India. Now let us see them one by one. Firstly, the DGCA regulates the registration of civil aircrafts. Secondly, the DGCA formulates the standards for civil aircrafts in India. It also provides airworthiness certificates to civil aircraft that meet DGCA's standards. Thirdly, the DGCA issues licenses to pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, air traffic controllers and flight engineers. It also conducts various exams to check their skills. Fourthly, the DGCA checks the proficiency of flight crew and other professionals like cabin crew and flight dispatchers. Fifthly, the DGCA issues certificates to aerodromes. Here aerodrome refers to a place or area where small aircraft can land and take off. Sixthly, the DGCA issues air operators certificates to airlines that are based in India. And lastly, the DGCA conducts investigations in various incidents and accidents involving the aircraft. It can also implement safety aviation management programs for preventing future incidents. So these are all some of the important functions performed by the DGCA. See the government of India is planning to replace this DGCA organization with a civil aviation authority. This is modeled on the lines of the USA's Federal Aviation Administration. And that's all regarding this discussion. This discussion is all about the basics of DGCA and then we saw about the functions performed by DGCA. Now with these points in mind, let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this editorial article. This article talks about the link between animal cruelty and child abuse. According to the editorial article, when animal abuse happens in a home, it often means there is child abuse too. The authors substantiate this point by quoting a study conducted in England. According to the study, out of the 23 families that had a history of animal abuse, 83% of children in such families were at risk of abuse or neglect. So increased reporting of animal abuse can help to prevent violence against animals and children. However, in India, the connection between child abuse and animal cruelty is often ignored. And in India, the anti-animal cruelty laws are not implemented effectively. For instance, the National Crime Records Bureau does not even collect data on offenses registered and prosecuted under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960. See not enforcing anti-cruelty laws harms both animal and people. So according to this editorial article, Indian government must take some steps to effectively report and monitor animal cruelty. This can help to prevent violence against both animals and children. So this is all about the editorial article. Now in this discussion, we will solve a main question related to child abuse in India. Look at the question. In 2022, about 2,400,000 cases related to child sexual abuse have been reported in India. In the light of this above statement, analyze the challenges in preventing child abuse in India and list out the steps taken by the Indian government to prevent child abuse. 250 words, 15 marks. See this is a straightforward question. The question demands us to do two things. First, we have to write the challenges in preventing child abuse in India. Then we have to write the steps taken by the Indian government to prevent child abuse in India. Okay. See this question can be asked in general studies paper one under the Indian society part or it can be asked in general studies paper two under the subheading welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the center and the states and the performance of these schemes. Okay. So this is all about the syllabus. Now, let us start answering the question. Let us start with introduction. Since the question is about child abuse, you can define child abuse in the introduction part. Since it is a 15 mark question, you can also mention about the impacts of child abuse in the introduction part. See you can either define child abuse on your own words or you can write a standard definition of child abuse as provided by the international organizations. Now I am going to provide you with a definition provided by UNICEF. So according to the UNICEF, child abuse include physical or emotional ill treatment of a child, sexual abuse of a child, negligent treatment of a child, then inflicting serious physical and emotional harm to a child, then commercial exploitation of child, then any act or failure to act that results in death of a child, then any act or failure to act that places the child in an imminent risk of serious harm. And finally it includes the act that harms a child's health, survival, development or dignity. See all these acts constitute as a child abuse according to UNICEF. The UNICEF says that child abuse can take place at home, school, childcare institutions, work and in the community. Often violence is prepared by someone known to the child. See this is the definition provided by UNICEF. Along with this definition of child abuse, you can also add a data about child abuse in India. See accordingly a study conducted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights that is the NCPCR nearly 55% of children in India experienced some kind of abuse. So you can also mention this data in the introduction part. Having covered the definition of child abuse, let us see the impacts of child abuse. See the UNICEF also mentioned about the impact of child abuse which can also be used in the introduction part. Some of the impacts of child abuse mentioned by the UNICEF include learning difficulties, poor performance at school, low self-esteem, depression, risk behavior and self-harm. So these are the impacts of child abuse. So you can use these points in the introduction part of the answer. Now moving on to the main body of the answer. As I mentioned earlier, the question demands two things. First you have to write about the challenges in preventing child abuse in India. And secondly you have to write the steps taken by the Indian government to prevent child abuse. Now first let us take up the challenges. The first challenge is lack of awareness. C6 education is one of the most neglected topics in India. It is often neglected due to cultural and social norms of the Indian society. So lack of knowledge about consent, sexual health and intercourse often make children, especially teens, vulnerable to manipulation and abuse. Many cases of child abuse go un-reported due to a lack of awareness among children, caregivers and communities. This lack of awareness lead to lack of reporting of child abuse. See according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, a significant percentage of children in India do not report abuse. Okay so the first challenge is lack of awareness. Then the second challenge is change in Indian family structure due to globalization. See the Indian family structure has seen a significant shift from a joint family setting to a nuclear setting in recent times. This has left the child more exposed and vulnerable to preparators of child abuse. As the family model transitioned from a joint to a nuclear one, the Indian child is also experiencing a transition from production by the other members of the joint family to vulnerability. So this is also a major challenge in addressing child abuse in India. The third major challenge is India's societal and cultural norms. In India there is a general acceptance of physical punishment as a means of discipline. As we already saw, physical punishment is also a type of child abuse. The physical punishment also has other impacts as well. When abuse occurs, children fail to open up to their parents out of fear of physical punishment. So the general acceptance of physical punishment as a means of discipline leads to underreporting of child abuse in India. Another unique thing to India context is that parents in India place high expectations on their children much beyond the child's capability. So when the child fails to meet such high standards, the parent tend to physically and emotionally abuse the child. So the acceptance of these kinds of emotional and physical abuse as a norm is one of the main challenges in addressing child abuse in India. So this is the third major challenge. Then the next challenge is due to socio-economic problems. See India is a faster developing country but still around 15% of its population is multi-dimensionally poor. As of 2021, 23 crore Indians lived in poverty. This high level of poverty is also a main reason for child abuse. It is because the children of low income households are very vulnerable to abuse. In addition to this, in India we have the infamous caste system. Children from marginalized communities often face abuse from their teachers and peers in schools. So the socio-economic condition in India is one of the major challenges in preventing child abuse in India. And lastly there is a clear lack of preventive steps taken by the Indian government. See India has a wide range of laws to protect children. But these laws come into play after the abuse happens. Even though the perpetrators of abuse get punished, the damage is already done as the child will be scared of life. So lack of preventive steps from the government to prevent child abuse is also a major challenge. So these are some of the challenges in preventing child abuse in India. Having covered the challenges, now let us see the steps taken by the government to address child abuse. First, we can mention about the POCSA Act. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, that is the POCSA Act 2012 is a comprehensive legislation that deals with all aspects of child sexual abuse. This act was enacted in response to the widespread cases of child sexual abuse that were being reported in the country. It is aimed at protecting children from all forms of sexual abuse including rape, molestation and sodomy. The government has also set up special courts to deal with child abuse cases. These courts are equipped with all the latest technology and tools to help speed up the trial process and ensure that justice is served swiftly and effectively. So this is the first important step taken by the Indian government to address child abuse. Then you can mention about the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, that is the NCPCR. The NCPCR is a statutory body established by the Government of India under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act 2005. It was set up with the mandate to protect, promote and defend child rights in India. See this commission is also functioning to prevent child abuse in India. Then to prevent the economic exploitation of children we have the Children Labor Prohibition and Regulation Act 1986. See this act prohibits the child labor practices in India. So this is the third important step. Then in 2013 the government launched a national helpline for children in distress. This helpline is open 24 bar 7 and it is staffed by experts who can provide counselling and support to children who have been abused or in danger of being abused. And finally the government has also started conducting various awareness programs related to child abuse. For example in 2020 NCPCR organized different online programs for awareness generation on various aspects of child sexual abuse and POXO Act. The awareness program was conducted in official social media platforms. Apart from this the NCPCR has also developed cyber safety guidelines for children. So these are all some of the steps taken by the Indian government to address child abuse in India. So this is all about the body part of the answer. Now coming to the conclusion part, see the conclusion for this question can be like a way forward. You can share your opinion about the steps that can be taken to address child abuse effectively. You can just mention about the points missed out by the government like community engagement to engage active participation by parent. Then you can write about engaging with NGOs for information dissemination. You can also mention about teaching the parent about positive parenting style and how to use positive reinforcement rather than corporal punishment. You can also mention about capacity building of all the stakeholders involving children, caregivers and teachers. So this can be a well-rounded conclusion for this question. And that's all regarding this discussion and this discussion is all about the challenges in preventing child abuse in India. Then you saw about the steps taken by the Indian government to prevent child abuses in India. And finally we saw some points regarding the steps that can be taken to prevent child abuse effectively. Now with these points in mind let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article recently the Kambala Samiti announced that Kambala race will take place at Bengaluru between November 25 and 26. See this is the first time the Kambala race is going to happen in Bengaluru. A total of 228 pairs of buffaloes from various parts of Karnataka will take place in this race. So this is the crux of the news article given here. Now in this context let us understand some important points about Kambala. The Kambala is basically a buffalo race. It is a popular festival takes place in coastal districts of Karnataka such as Dakshin Kannada and Udupi. Note that the people in Kasadogha district of Kerala also celebrates Kambala event. The Kambala event takes place between November and March months. Traditionally the Kambala event is sponsored by local Tulua landlords. Note that Tulua people are an ethnic group native to southern India. They are mostly living in coastal Karnataka. Now let us see how the race is performed. Kambala is performed on two parallel race tracks filled with slushy water. Buffaloes are usually raised in pairs during Kambala race event. They are held together with plows and ropes. During the race the racers try to bring the buffaloes under control by whipping them with sticks. Now why Kambala festival is celebrated? Traditionally the Kambala was non-competitive festival. The event begins after harvesting the paddy during the month of October. Kambala is a festival dedicated to Lord Kadri Manjunatha who is an incarnation of Hindu God Shiva. See buffaloes are a big part of the farming life of coastal Karnataka people. So they conduct the Kambala event as a gesture of thankfulness and gratitude towards the God for the good health of buffaloes. So this is the reason behind the celebration of Kambala event. And that is all regarding this discussion. In this discussion we saw various facts about Kambala event. See this question can be asked in prilams. So revise all the facts that we discussed. With these points in mind let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article from the business page. This news article is about the Crissel report. The report says that assets under management of the non-banking financial companies are expected to grow at 14 to 17 percentage. So this is about the news article given here. Now in this context let us see some important points about non-banking financial companies. The non-banking financial companies which is in short called as NBFCs or financial institutions that provide banking services but they do not hold a full banking license. In India for example NBFCs are registered under the Companies Act of 1956 whereas a commercial bank is required to obtain a license for commercial banking businesses from the Reserve Bank of India. The license is provided under the provisions of section 22 of the Banking Regulation Act 1949. Now coming to the regulation of NBFCs in India the non-banking financial companies are regulated by a variety of organizations. For instance the NBFCs like investment and credit companies and infrastructure finance companies are regulated by the RBI. On the other hand housing finance companies are regulated by the National Housing Bank then the NBFCs like merchant banker and venture capital fund are regulated by securities and exchange board of India that is the SEBI. Then the NBFCs like insurance companies are regulated by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India. Then the cheat fund companies are regulated by the respective state governments and finally the NIDI companies are regulated by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. So this is the reason I mentioned that the NBFCs are regulated by a number of organizations. Now moving forward let us see how NBFCs are different from banks. The first major difference is in relation to demand deposits while the banks can accept demand deposits the NBFCs cannot accept demand deposits. Here demand deposits are nothing but saving accounts. The second difference is that the NBFCs do not form part of the payment and settlement system while the banks are part of the payment and settlement system. Thirdly as the NBFCs are not part of the payment and settlement system they cannot issue checkbooks. Fourthly the NBFCs cannot offer money transfer service that is the fund transfer service like the traditional bank do. Then the next major difference is that the NBFCs do not have to maintain any reserve ratio such as cash reserve ratio or statutory liquidity ratio whereas banks must mandatorily maintain these reserve ratios. Also NBFCs cannot provide the deposit insurance facility offered by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation. Here deposit insurance is a protection mechanism provided by governments to safeguard depositors money held in banks. It assures the depositors that their funds up to a certain limit will be reimbursed even if the bank fails. In India non banking financial companies cannot provide deposit insurance so if you deposit money in a non banking financial company and if that particular NBFC becomes insolvent or bankrupt the money deposited with the NBFC will be completely lost. So these are all some of the differences between normal banks and non banking financial companies. Now we may have a question if we already have banks why do we need the non banking financial companies see we need non banking financial companies because they play an important role in India. Firstly they ensure credit expansion NBFCs play a significant role in providing credit to sectors that have difficulty in assessing credits from the traditional banking services. For example individuals who have a poor credit score find it extremely difficult to get a loan from any bank even if they are willing to pay a high interest rate. This is because traditional banks have fixed lending rates as well as specific sums that they can lend so these individuals therefore can assess credit from the non banking financial companies. Okay so this is the first important. Firstly the NBFCs provide flexible and niche financial products. The NBFCs provide financial services like vehicle financing, microfinance, housing finance, consumer loans and more. This helps broaden the scope of financial inclusion. Thirdly NBFCs also play an important role in infrastructure development. NBFCs like Indian Railway Finance Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited They provide long term funding for infrastructure development projects. Fourthly NBFCs help to support investment activities. They provide financial services related to wealth management, asset management and financial advisory. And finally the NBFCs act as a competition to traditional banks. Okay so these are all some of the reasons that why we have NBFCs along with traditional banking institutions. And that's all regarding this discussion and this discussion we saw about the basics about non banking financial companies then we saw about the differences between non banking financial companies and traditional banks and finally we saw some points regarding the creation of NBFCs in India. Now with these points in mind let us move on to the next part of the video that is to discuss preliminary practice questions. As friends today we are having three questions let us solve them one by one. Look at the first question I will read out the question which government body in India is responsible for regulating civil aviation and overseeing the safety of civil flight operations, maintenance of airworthiness standards and licensing of personal involvement in aviation activities. Option A Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Option B Airports Authority of India, Option C Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Option D Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. The correct answer is Option C see the DGCA is responsible for regulating civil aviation and overseeing the safety of civil flight operations and it also maintains airworthiness standards and it gives license to personal involvement in civil aviation activities. So the correct answer once again is Option C Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Moving on let's take up the second question I will read out the question which of the following is a primary source of methane emissions into the atmosphere. Option A Automobile Exhaust, Option B Industrial Smoke, Option C Livestock Forming, Option D Residential Waste Incineration. The correct answer is Option C Livestock Forming. See methane is generated during the digestive process of animals particularly from cattle, sheep and goats. The methane is produced in the air stomachs during the breakdown of food. When animals release gas, methane is expelled into the atmosphere. So Livestock Forming is the primary source of methane emissions into the atmosphere. So the correct answer once again is Option C Livestock Forming. Moving on let's take up the final question. This question is regarding NBFCs that is the Non-Banking Financial Companies. This question was asked in UPSC Problems 2010. Look at the first statement they cannot engage in the acquisition of securities issued by the government. See the statement is incorrect. Although the Non-Banking Financial Companies need not maintain CRR and SLR, they can invest in government securities and RB also mentions that NBFCs can engage in acquisition of shares, stock, bonds, debentures, securities that are issued by government or local authority. So four statement is incorrect. This is because the NBFCs can engage in the acquisition of securities issued by the government. Now coming to the second statement, they cannot accept demand deposits like savings account. See the statement is correct. As we saw in the discussion, the NBFCs cannot accept demand deposits like the normal banks. Here only second statement is correct. So the correct answer for the question is Option B 2 only. 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 Shankara's Academy YouTube channel. Thank you for listening.