
GS2: Polity
- Farm Acts – unwanted constitutional adventurism(TH) There is a case to argue that the three Acts have poor legal validity, may be unconstitutional and weaken federalism.
GS2: International Relations
- Quad will discuss vaccine, 5G(TH) India will also discuss how other Quad countries can help with building “EastWest” connectivity from India to ASEAN countries, to counter the “North-South connectivity” from China, as well as joint funding for infrastructure and connectivity projects in the Indo-Pacific region. A U.S. plan for a “Blue Dot Network” to rate infrastructure projects for funding, announced in January, is likely to be discussed as well.
- India, Quad and value of coalitions(IE) The Quad, whose foreign ministers are meeting today in Tokyo could certainly emerge, at some point in the future, as a critical element not only for India’s foreign and security policy but also a definitive moment in the evolution of post-War Asian economic and security architectures.
GS2: Social issues
- Reimagining education in an India at 100(TH) In 2047, a teacher’s role, based on five principles, will be to oversee the transformative re-birth of citizens
- Over 10 million cases, India’s 10 year Hepatitis C deadline seems far(IE) With a target to eliminate Hepatitis C by 2030, India has managed to put 50,000 people on treatment since 2018, when the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP), was launched.
GS3: Economy
- GST Council split on borrowing options(TH) The FM said interest repayments on ₹1.10 lakh crore borrowings would get the first charge on cess collected beyond June 2022. Of the rest, half would be used to repay the same loans' principal and half will be used to repay the loans taken for cess shortfalls arising from the COVID-19 pandemic impact.
GS3: Agriculture related issues
- Why, its an underestimate to say that only 6?rmers benefit from MSP(IE) Only 6% of Indian farmers benefit from minimum support prices (MSP)”. So widely-quoted is this figure — especially in the context of the recently-passed Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act — that it has become a factoid or even truism.
GS3: Environment
- Ecosystem services provided by Delhi zoo valued at ₹426 Cr(TH) These ‘ecosystem services’ constitute heads such as biodiversity conservation, employment generation, education and research, carbon sequestration and recreational and cultural contributions.
GS3: Science and Tech
- Virus find that won the nobel(IE) This year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine rewards an effort that eventually made blood transfusion safer for everyone. American scientists Harvey Alter and Charles Rice, and Michael Houghton of the UK, have been recognised for their contributions to the discovery of a new virus that was the cause of a vast majority of chronic hepatitis cases, or cases of serious liver inflammation, in patients who required blood transfusion. This virus was eventually called Hepatitis C virus.
PIB
Prime Minister inaugurates RAISE 2020 - a Mega Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence He urged to protect the world against weaponization of AI by Non-State Actors. He said human creativity and human emotions continue to be our greatest strength and are our unique advantage over machines. He urged everyone to think about how this intellectual edge over machines can be retained and ensure human intelligence is always a few steps ahead of AI. He said we should think about how AI can help humans to increase their own capacities.