Table of Contents
”UPSC News Diary For Today” is every day published in the evening between 6-7 PM and contains all current affairs articles from the day on a single platform. ”UPSC News Diary For Today” covers various topics from UPSC Syllabus and is very helpful and time managing for UPSC Aspirants. The framing of this daily current affairs compilation article is easy to read and understandable also.
In the ”UPSC News Diary For Today” article, we focus on both UPSC Preliminary and Mains exam-oriented current affairs & prepare a gist of daily important news articles from leading National Newspapers, PIB, and other various official sources.
Five Ecological regions mentioned in Ancient Tamil Sangam literature
In News
The rich cultural history of the Tamils will be featured in a project relating to the new Parliament being constructed by the Union government in New Delhi.
Which were the Five Ecological Regions Mentioned in Sangam Literature?
- The period roughly between the 3rd century B.C. and 3rd century A.D. in South India (the area lying to the south of river Krishna and Tungabhadra) is known as Sangam Period.
- It has been named after the Sangam academies held during that period that flourished under the royal patronage of the Pandya kings of Madurai.
- Great Tamil Literary Work ”Tolkappiyam refers” to the Five-fold division of lands – Kurinji (hilly tracks), Mullai (pastoral), Marudam (agricultural), Neydal (coastal) and Palai (desert).
Project NETRA
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has initiated ‘Project NETRA’ to monitor space debris.
- This domestic surveillance system would provide first-hand information on the status of debris, which would aid further planning on protecting space assets. In April 2022, India and the U.S. signed a new pact for monitoring space objects at the 2+2 dialogue. The controlled anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) tests and the risk of collisions must be collectively addressed.
- To provide in-orbit servicing, ISRO is developing a docking experiment called ‘SPADEX’.
- It looks at docking a satellite on an existing satellite, offering support in re-fuelling and other in-orbit services while enhancing the capability of a satellite.
- This would not only ensure the longevity of a mission but would also provide a futuristic option to combine missions/experiments.
UPI
The functioning of UPI
- The UPI was launched in 2016 and is operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
- The NPCI was formed in 2009 as an initiative of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) with the goal to create a robust payment and settlement infrastructure.
- UPI operates on top of the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) which was created by the NPCI for immediate fund transfers.
- The primary reason for the popularity of UPI is that it accepts transactions as small as one rupee and for merchants, the absence of MDR that they have to pay to their banks.
- UPI-based payments function broadly through three steps. First, one’s bank account is mapped to a Virtual Payment Address (VPA). Secondly, a Payment Service Provider (typically a bank) takes care of the to-and-fro transactions to this VPA (and hence to the underlying bank account) and finally, the UPI software orchestrates the fund movement from a customer’s VPA to a target VPA and completes the transaction.
Agradoot group of newspapers
In News
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Agradoot group of newspapers on 6th July, 2022
About Agradoot
- Agradoot was started as an Assamese bi-weekly.
- It was established by Kanak Sen Deka, senior journalist of Assam.
- In 1995, Dainik Agradoot, a daily newspaper, was started and it has developed as a trusted and influential voice of Assam.
Mahuli group of temples
In News
NMA to submit a report on comprehensive development of Mahuli group of temples to Ministry of Culture.
About Mahali Temples
- These are the famous group of temples – known as Dakshin Kashi, comprise of five temples belonging to 11th and 12th CE in Hemadpanthi style of architecture and are located near Satara.
- Samadhis of great Maratha queens Rani Tarabai Bhosle and Rani Yesho Bai Bhosle are also there in Mahuli (Satara).
Six unusual ways to harness water
In News
- With 87 countries set to face severe water scarcity by 2050, the world needs to build a diverse water portfolio.
- To highlight some unusual and underutilised water sources, UN agencies, led by the UN University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health, have published Unconventional Water Resources.
- The book identifies six broad categories of unconventional water sources.
Six broad categories of unconventional water sources
- The first category is by ”HARVESTING WATER FROM THE AIR” through cloud seeding and fog harvesting. Global research indicates seeding can increase rainfall by up to 15 per cent.
- The Second category is ”TAPPING FRESH AND BRACKISH GROUNDWATER” offshore and onshore through desalination.
- The third category is ”REUSING MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER” and agricultural drainage water as suitable alternatives to extracting high-quality freshwater and groundwater.
- The fourth category is ”MICRO-SCALE CAPTURE OF RAINWATER”, which has been recommended in dry regions where almost 90 per cent of rainwater gets evaporated.
- The fifth category is ”MOVING WATER PHYSICALLY” by either towing polar ice caps to water-scarce countries or reusing 10 billion tonnes of ballast water used by cargo ships for balance at sea every year. International norms dictate that all ships of 400 gross tonnage must desalinate ballast water and remove invasive aquatic organisms and unhealthy chemical compounds. It could be used in arid regions.
- The book finally recommends ”DESALINATION”, which today supports 5 per cent of the world’s population.
Global wealth inequality
In News
- Global wealth inequality widened in the past 2 years.
- IN THE 24 months since the pandemic struck in 2020, the wealth of the world’s billionaires has increased more than the combined growth of nearly two preceding years, according to an Oxfam report.
Key Observation on Rising Global Wealth Inequality
- According to Oxfam, some 573 new billionaires have been added in the last two years.
- Corporations in the energy, food and pharmaceutical sectors—the three sectors in which the world faces crises—have recorded the maximum profits in their lifetimes.
- There are 62 new billionaires in the food sector.
- The top five energy companies—BP, Shell, Total Energies, Exxon and Chevron—made a daily profit of $2,600 every second as the world remained under lockdown and extreme economic stress.
- The pandemic has also created 40 new “pharma” billionaires. Wages in the three sectors, though, have not increased during the period.
- The report adds that high food prices, health costs, loss of livelihood and the overall dip in earnings will push at least 263 million people into poverty in 2022.
World Cities Report
World Cities Report: Relevance
- GS 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
UN-Habitat: Context
- Recently, UN-Habitat has released a report titled, ‘World Cities Report 2022’ according to which urban areas are responsible for 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.
World Cities Report 2022: Key points
- The report seeks to provide greater clarity and insights into the future of cities based on existing trends, challenges and opportunities, and suggest ways that cities can be better prepared to address a wide range of shocks and transition to sustainable urban futures.
- The report says that cities must act as leaders of climate action to meet the 1.5 degree Celsius goal set by the Paris Agreement.
World Cities Report 2022: Key findings
- Cities are here to stay, and the future of humanity is undoubtedly urban: We are witnessing a world that will continue to urbanize over the next three decades—from 56 per cent in 2021 to 68 per cent in 2050.
- The future of cities is not uniform across regions and can lead to a range of scenarios: In developed countries, the key priorities for the future of cities also include managing cultural diversity, upgrading and modernizing ageing infrastructure, addressing shrinking and declining cities, and
meeting the needs of an increasingly ageing population.- In developing countries, however, urban priorities for the future are rising levels of poverty, providing adequate infrastructure, affordable and adequate housing and addressing challenge of slums, high levels of youth unemployment, and investing in secondary cities.
- Despite greater incidence of the virus in urban areas and the economic difficulties created by the pandemic, cities are once again serving as beacons of opportunity to people in search of employment, education and training or taking refuge from conflict.
World Cities Report India
- The report said that India’s urban population is estimated to stand at 675 million in 2035, the second highest behind China’s one billion.
- By 2035, the percentage of population in India at mid-year residing in urban area will be 43.2%.
- In Asia, in the last two decades, China and India experienced rapid economic growth and urbanisation, which led to a massive reduction in the number of people living in poverty.
- The report further said that with existing urban populations continuing to grow naturally through rising birth rates, the urban population is forecast to grow from 56% of the global total in 2021 to 68% by 2050.
- Cities in the warm climates or low-lying coastal areas face existential threats due to the risks and impacts of climate change and extreme weather events “such as increased heatwaves in Delhi, India.
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CCPA Order on Service Charges levied by Hotels
CCPA order on Service Charges- Relevance for UPSC Exam
- GS Paper 2: Indian Constitution- Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
CCPA order on Service Charges in News
- Recently, Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued guidelines asking hotels and restaurants not to collect service charge from customers.
CCPA Guidelines on Hotel Service Charges
- The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) guidelines say that these establishments should not add service charge automatically or by default to the food bill paid by customers.
- Service charge shall not be collected by adding it along with the food bill and levying GST on the total amount.
- CCPA guidelines adds that if any consumer finds that a hotel or restaurant is violating the guidelines, he or she may-
- Make a request to remove the service charge from the bill amount or
- Lodge a complaint with the National Consumer Helpline.
- Complaints against such malpractices can be filed with the Consumer Commission too or with the District Collector.
- The guidelines added that component of service is inherent in the price of food and beverages offered by the restaurant or hotel.
Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)
- About: Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has been constituted under Section 10(1) of The Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
- The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 has come into force from 20thJuly, 2020. As provided in section 10 of the Act, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has been established w.e.f. 24th
- About Consumer Protection Act, 2019: The Act replaced The Consumer Protection Act, 1986, and seeks to widen its scope in addressing consumer concerns.
- The new Act recognises offences such as providing false information regarding the quality or quantity of a good or service, and misleading advertisements.
- It also specifies action to be taken if goods and services are found “dangerous, hazardous or unsafe”.
- Mandate: The CCPA aims to protect the rights of the consumer by cracking down on unfair trade practices, and false and misleading advertisements that are detrimental to the interests of the public and consumers.
- The objective of the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) is to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers as a class.
- Powers: The CCPA will have the powers to inquire or investigate into matters relating to violations of consumer rights or unfair trade practices suo motu, or on a complaint received, or on a direction from the central government.
- Key functions: Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) will be empowered to-
- Conduct investigations into violation of consumer rights and institute complaints / prosecution,
- Order recall of unsafe goods and services,
- Order discontinuation of unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements,
- Impose penalties on manufacturers/endorsers/publishers of misleading advertisements.
Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) | CCPA Issues Notice to Ola, Uber
The Editorial Analysis: Right Intent, Confusing Content
E waste management in India: Relevance
- GS 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
E-waste management rules: Context
- Recently, Ministry of Environment has released the Draft E-waste Management Rules, 2022, for public comments. Last month marked a decade since the E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules came into effect in India.
E-waste Management Rules 2022: Key points
- The draft rules state that producers of e-goods have to ensure that at least 60% of their produced e-waste is recycled by 2023.
- The draft rules also state that producers of e-goods have to ensure that at least 60% of their produced e-waste is recycled by 2023.
- Introduction of a Steering Committee to oversee the “overall implementation, monitoring, and supervision” of the regulations.
E-Waste Management Rules 2022: Issues
- Large-scale recycling of e-waste is still in its infancy in India. Most of the recycling of valuable material is carried out within the informal sector using inefficient and unsafe technologies.
- If the regulatory targets were to create a vibrant market for recycling, the existing formal and informal players would have to play a crucial role. However, the complete silence on regulating registered collectors, dismantlers, and producer responsibility organisations is puzzling.
- The Rules propose the Chairman of the CPCB as the Chairperson of the Committee, which would include representatives of the Environment Ministry, the Electronics and IT Ministry, and the associations of producers and recyclers. It, however, has not much representation from science/academia and civil society organisations.
E-waste problem in India
- According to a report released at the World Economic Forum 2018, India ranks 177 amongst 180 countries and is amongst the bottom five countries on the Environmental Performance Index 2018.
- Also, India is ranked fifth in the world amongst top e-waste producing countries after the USA, China, Japan, and Germany.
- India recycles less than 2 per cent of the total e-waste it produces annually formally.
- India generates more than two million tonnes of e-waste annually, and also imports huge amounts of e-waste from other countries around the world.
- Dumping in open dumpsites is a common sight which gives rise to issues such as groundwater contamination, poor health, and more.
- E-waste collection, transportation, processing, and recycling is dominated by the informal sector.
E-waste meaning?
- Electronic waste or e-waste is generated when electronic and electrical equipment become unfit for their originally intended use or have crossed the expiry date.
- Examples: Computers, servers, mainframes, monitors, compact discs (CDs), printers, scanners, calculators, fax machines, battery cells, cellular phones, TVs, iPods, medical apparatus, washing machines, refrigerators, and air conditioners are examples of e-waste (when unfit for use).
- E-waste typically consists of metals, plastics, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), printed circuit boards, cables, and so on.
- The presence of toxic substances such as liquid crystal, lithium, mercury, nickel, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), cadmium, chrome, cobalt, copper, and lead, makes it very hazardous.
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States’ Startup Ranking
States’ Startup Ranking- Relevance for UPSC Exam
States’ Startup Ranking 2021: States’ Startup Ranking is released by DPIIT which assesses supports and facilitation provided by various states to promote start-up ecosystem in the state. States’ Startup Ranking 2021 is part of the UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 (Governance, Administration and Challenges- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.)
States’ Start-up Ranking 2021 in News
- States’ Start-up Ranking 2021 was recently released by the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Textiles and Consumer Affairs.
Key Facts about States’ Startup Ranking
- About: States’ Startup Ranking exercise was launched in 2018 which ranks states and UTs in terms of providing an easy regulatory environment to strengthen the startup ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs.
- Mandate: States’ Startup Ranking aims to encourage states and Union territories to work towards easing regulations for the growth of startups and strengthening the support to the startup ecosystem.
- Releasing Ministry: States’ Startup Ranking is released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- Significance: States’ Startup Ranking helps in promoting India’s vision of competitive and cooperative federalism.
- Evaluation Parameters: participants were evaluated across 7 broad Reform Areas consisting of 26 Action Points like–
- Institutional Support,
- Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship,
- Access to Market,
- Incubation support,
- Funding Support,
- Mentorship Support,
- Capacity Building of Enablers.
- Participation: A total of 24 states and 7 Union Territories participated in the States’ Startup Ranking 2021 exercise.
- In States’ Startup Ranking 2020 exercise, only 25 states and UTs participated.
- Categorization: For the purposes of the States’ Startup Ranking, States and Union Territories are classified into 5 categories, viz.
- Best Performers,
- Top Performers,
- Leaders,
- Aspiring Leaders and
- Emerging Start-up Ecosystems.
States’ Startup Ranking 2021 Results
- Gujarat and Karnataka emerged as the Best Performers in a category of States which included NCT of Delhi.
- Meghalaya won the top honour among UTs and North-eastern (NE) States.
- While Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa and Telangana got the Top Performers award among states, Jammu & Kashmir emerged as the Top Performer among UTs and NE states.
- Assam, Punjab, Tamil Nādu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh were adjudged the winners in the Leaderscategory among states;
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa bagged the Leaders honour among the UTs and NE states.
- Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were declared as Aspiring Leadersamong the States.
- Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Puducherry and Tripura were the Aspiring Leaders from the UTs and NE states.
- Andhra Pradesh and Bihar from States category and Mizoram and Ladakh from the UTs/NE States were clubbed under the Emerging Start-up Ecosystem.
National Startup Advisory Council
Shimla agreement
Shimla agreement UPSC: Relevance
- GS 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Simla agreement: Context
- 2022 marks 50 years of Shimla agreement—a peace treaty signed by India and Pakistan, following the India-Pakistan war of 1971.
What is Simla agreement?
- Shimla agreement or Simla agreement was much more than a peace treaty seeking to reverse the consequences of the 1971 war (i.e. to bring about withdrawals of troops and an exchange of PoWs).
- It was a comprehensive blue print for good neighbourly relations between India and Pakistan.
- Under the Simla Agreement, both countries undertook to abjure conflict and confrontation and to work towards the establishment of durable peace, friendship and cooperation.
Principles of Shimla agreement
- A mutual commitment to the peaceful resolution of all issues through direct bilateral approaches.
- To build the foundations of a cooperative relationship with special focus on people-to-people contacts.
- To uphold the inviolability of the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, which is a most important CBM between India and Pakistan, and a key to durable peace.
Simla agreement clauses
- India Pakistan relations were to be governed by the principles and purposes of the UN Charter.
- Differences between India and Pakistan were to be resolved through peaceful means and bilateral negotiations, neither side can unilaterally change the situation, which might render detrimental to maintaining peaceful and friendly relations.
- Both the countries were to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of each other.
- Peacefully, respecting each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and not interfering in each other’s internal affairs, is to act as a prerequisite to reconciliation, good neighbourliness and peace.
- There must be mutual recognition and honour for each country’s national unity, territorial integrity, political independence, and sovereign equality.
- Both governments were to take steps in their power to prevent hostile propaganda against each other and to encourage spreading such information which would develop friendly relations among India and Pakistan.
Effect of the Shimla agreement
- After the agreement, India returned the 93,000 prisoners of war in an organised manner as Pakistan was to work on converting the Line of Control to an international border.
- India returned the prisoners of war along with the territories that it captured.
- The prisoners of war were mostly militants as well as few civilians, who were mostly women and children.
- There was supposedly a meeting between Bhutto, the then Pakistan PM and Indira Gandhi, the then Indian PM, where Bhutto promised to turn the Line of Control to an International Border although at the time of finalising the Agreement such meeting’s happening was denied.
- There was no mention of the existence of such a meeting.
- Both India and Pakistan were busy focusing on their internal affairs and the promise made by Pakistan was never executed.
Shimla accord: Conclusion
- For the international relations point of view, the Shimla agreement is a perfect example of a bilateral agreement.
- However, it is a failed agreement for India because it could not achieve any of India’s objectives fully, be it maintaining peace or resolving the Kashmir issues.
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Rupee Depreciation in 2022: Indian Rupee at Record Low
Rupee depreciation UPSC: Relevance
- GS 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.
Rupee devaluation: Context
- Recently, Indian rupee recorded a historic low of 79.03 against the US dollar, it has declined nearly 6 per cent since January this year.
Rupee depreciation against dollar: Key points
- The depreciation of rupee is expected to impact the various segments of economy such as imports, mainly fuel prices, and push up inflation.
- The Finance Minister, however, said that the Indian currency is relatively better placed than other global currencies against the greenback.
Why rupee is falling?
- Demand and supply: If a country imports more than it exports, then the demand for the dollar will be higher than the supply and due to this, domestic currency like Indian rupee will depreciate against the dollar.
- Russia-Ukraine war: Global disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine war is making our imports costly, thus widening the current account deficit.
- Rising inflation: Rising inflation depreciates domestic currency since inflation can be equated with a decrease in a money’s buying power. As a result, countries experiencing high inflation tend to also see their currencies weaken relative to other currencies.
- High crude oil prices: Increasing crude oil prices are further widening our trade deficit thus leading to decrease in the value of rupee.
- Capital outflows from India: The US Federal Reserve recently increased the interest rates, and the return on dollar assets increased compared with those of emerging markets such as India. It has led to outflow of dollars from India to the US.
Fall in Indian rupee: Impact
- Increase cost of raw materials: Since, India imports many raw materials, the price of finished goods could go up thus impacting the consumers.
- Boosts exports: In an ideal scenario, devalued rupee could have led to increase in exports. However, in the current scenario of weak global demand and persistent volatility, exporters are not supportive of the currency fall.
- Inflation: The falling rupee’s biggest impact is on inflation, given India imports over 80 per cent of its crude oil, which is the country’s biggest import.
- Travellers and students studying abroad will have to shell out more rupees to buy dollars from banks.
- Stock market: Rupee depreciation may see foreign investors pulling out of Indian markets, resulting in a decline in stocks and equity mutual fund investments.
Will rupee fall further?
- The rupee is expected to remain under pressure due to strong dollar and elevating inflationary pressure in India.
- Moreover, persistent FPI outflows are also expected to weigh on the currency.
- Additionally, the outlook for the global economy is looking gloomy amid supply chain disruptions, the lockdown in China, and the war in Ukraine, which are expected to keep the safe-haven dollar in demand.
What is depreciation of rupee?
- Currency depreciation, in our case rupee, means that the domestic currency is losing its value against foreign currencies.
- Just like a commodity, a currency is subject to demand and supply fluctuations (in a floating exchange rate system).
- As US Dollar (USD) is the most traded currency in the world, most currencies are benchmarked against USD, including Indian rupee.
- For example, if rupee has depreciated from 70 to 75, it means that earlier when we paid Rs. 70 to buy a product of worth 1 USD, now we are paying Rs. 75 to buy the same product. However, in case of exports, it means we will get Rs. 75 in case of Rs. 70 for selling a product of worth 1 USD.
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NITI Aayog Releases Take Home Ration Report
Take Home Ration Report: Relevance
- GS 2: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes.
NITI Aayog: Context
- Recently, NITI Aayog and World Food Program launched a report titled ‘Take Home Ration-Good Practices across the State/Union Territories’.
Take Home Ration Report: Key points
- The report presents a set of good and innovative practices adopted in the implementation of the Take Home Ration value chain by the States and UTs.
- Government of India provides Take Home Ration (THR) under the Supplementary Nutrition component of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to fill the gap in nutrition among children as well as pregnant and lactating women (PLW).
Good practices adopted by states
- Procurement through e-tendering: States like Delhi and TN, paper-based methods were replaced by the electronic tendering (e-tendering). E-tendering streamlines the procurement process and brings in complete transparency.
- Procurement-based on quality parameters: Telangana followed a transparent online e-tendering system for procurement of commodities like milk, red gram, egg, and oil. Ensuring an effective quality during procurement reduces the risks of sourcing substandard and subsequent deterioration, thereby potentially reducing the incidence of product complaints risks and financial losses.
- Procurement through NGOs: In UT of Chandigarh, 450 AWCs are functional. Four non-profit organizations have been engaged through e-tenders to provide THR to the beneficiaries of 350 Anganwadi centers.
- Supply chain management: Odisha inaugurated Mo-chhatua (an end-to- end supply chain management system) using mobile application and web portal. This is helping the department in tracking the status at different stages starting from indenting and manufacturing to supply and payment updates.
- Engaging sakhi mandals SHG: Engaging sakhi mandals SHG in Jharkhand for distribution of THR has witnessed multiple benefits for the individual and community at large.
Take-Home Ration Report: Recommendations
- There is a need to further strengthen THR program to achieve the nutritional targets in a time-bound manner.
- There is a need to develop and maintain highest standards for ensuring quality in THR, where the entire THR value chain must ensure quality, transparency, and efficiency.
- All components of the value chain need to function at optimum, which requires building a robust system for procurement, supply chain management and monitoring.
- These measures improve THR access in rural areas, produce THR with high nutrient value, enhance community ownership involving SHGs and promote income generating activities and female empowerment.
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