Today's(December 20, 2021) Important Headlines

Subject	Page No. (The Hindu)	Headlines	Relevance(P & M)
GS 2 (Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India’s Interests)	1	Six nations call for ‘immediate’ aid for Afghans	1. India-Central Asian dialogue 2. OIC
GS 3 (Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Government Policies & Interventions)	4	Thar desert expanding fast with land degradation, finds study	1 Q. Along with the gradual destruction of the Aravali ranges, the mighty Thar desert in western Rajasthan is expanding fast because of migration of people, changes in the rainfall pattern, spread of sand dunes and unscientific plantation drives. Discuss. 2. Q. UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) 3. Q. The degradation of land is posing a threat to the desert ecology, while the climate change has contributed to the spread of arid region. Explain
GS 3 (Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Government Policies & Interventions)	5	Excess rain affects bird migration to Karnataka	1. Bar-headed geese? 2. Wildlife Conservation Foundation 3. Teals, pin-tailed ducks, Gargini, Coot, Sandpipers, common pochards?
GS 3 (Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Government Policies & Interventions)	5	Indian desert cat spotted in Panna Tiger Reserve	1. Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR)
GS 2 (India and its Neighbourhood, Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India’s Interests)	6	Testing the red lines in the Iran nuclear talks	1. Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) 2. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 3. Israel-Iran Relations 4. Q. The Chinese comments about the “nuclear hypocrisy” of the West suggested that it is sympathetic to the fundamental arguments of the Iranian negotiators, that has been dealt a fundamental injustice by the U.S. — an injustice in which the Europeans have been complicit. Elaborate.
GS 2 (Government Policies & Interventions, Welfare Schemes)	6	Age and marriage	1. The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, the Special Marriage Act, 1954, and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 2. Q. Coercive laws without wide societal support often fail to deliver even when their statement of objects and reasons aims for the larger public good. Discuss. 3. National Family Health Survey (2019-2021)
GS 2 (Indian Economy- Issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.)	7	Can India become a technology leader?	Q. India — which will soon have twice the number of Internet users as in the U.S. — is a large market for all kinds of new technologies. While this presents a huge opportunity, the domestic industry has not yet managed to derive the benefits.
GS 2 (Indian Economy- Issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.)	7	Neither ban nor regulate crypto	Q. It is neither feasible nor wise to ban or regulate cryptocurrencies. Government should Make it categorically clear that India will never permit cryptocurrencies to be currency and stop there. Discuss.
GS 2 (Government Policies & Interventions) GS 3 (Disaster Management)	8	Better coordination needed between NDRF, SDRF: Shah	1. Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) 2. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) 3. State Disaster Response Forces (SDRF)
GS 3 (Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Government Policies & Interventions)	9	Cautious welcome for Gadchiroli’s first jumbos	Q. Elephants are increasingly facing conflict with humans owing to shrinking forest habitats. Discuss.
GS 2 (Growth & Development)	12	The metamorphosis of Nifty	1. About Nifty Index
GS 2 (India and its Neighbourhood, Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India’s Interests)	01(Text)	Understanding the U.S. strategy of ‘Asia Pivot’	Q. What are the major challenges facing U.S. strategic policy in Asia and What specific goals is Washington pursuing in Asia? Explain.