[WpProQuiz 137]

THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. THE REGISTRATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES

THE CONTEXT: The Election Commission of India reduced the notice period from 30 days to seven
days for registration of political parties under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act,
1951, in view of the ongoing third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Election Commission had announced the poll schedule for Assembly elections in five
  states — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur.
• A party seeking registration under the section 29A of the Representation of the People’s
  Act with the Commission has to submit an application to the Commission within a period of
  30 days following the date of its formation as per guidelines prescribed by the Commission
  in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 324 of the Constitution of India.

Why registering with the EC is important?

• It is not mandatory to register with the Election Commission but registering as a political
  party with the EC has its advantage in terms of intending to avail itself of the provisions of
  the Representation of the People Act, 1951, (relating to registration of political parties).
• The candidates set up by a political party registered with the EC will get preference in the
  matter of allotment of free symbols vis-à-vis purely independent candidates.
• More importantly, these registered political parties, over course of time, can get recognition
  as a ‘state party’ or a ‘national party’ subject to the fulfilment of the conditions prescribed
  by the Commission in the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
• As per the rules, if a party is recognised as a ‘state party’, it is entitled for exclusive
  allotment of its reserved symbol to the candidates set up by it in the state in which it is so
  recognised, and if a party is recognised as a ‘national party’ it is entitled for exclusive
  allotment of its reserved symbol to the candidates set up by it throughout India.
• Recognised ‘state’ and ‘national’ parties need only one proposer for filing the nomination
  and are also entitled for two sets of electoral rolls free of cost and broadcast/telecast
  facilities over state-owned Akashvani/Doordarshan during the general elections.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

2. INDIA-CHINA TRADE GROWS TO RECORD $125 BILLION IN 2021

THE CONTEXT: According to the official data, two-way trade between India and China in 2021 stood
at $125.66 billion, up 43.3% from 2020 when bilateral trade was worth $87.6 billion.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Regardless of the disputes and military standoffs, bilateral trade between India and China
  reached a new high of over $125 billion in 2021, surpassing the $100 billion mark in a year,
  while India's trade deficit grew to over $69 billion.
• For more than a decade, India has expressed its alarm over China's rising trade deficit,
  urging Beijing to open its markets to Indian IT and pharmaceutical companies.
• The border stand off between India and China armies began on May 5 last year after a
  violent confrontation in the Pangong lake areas, and both sides have gradually increased
  their deployment by pouring in tens of thousands of soldiers and heavy weaponry. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the mountainous sector.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

3. AQUACULTURE TURNED KOLLERU LAKE

THE CONTEXT: Local farmers residing nearby area’s of kolleru lake, practicing Aquaculture in large scale
leads to local carp and shrimp industry expanded, the fish ponds to harvest them have been built farther
into the lake, and the water has been severely degraded.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Commercial fishing came to Andhra Pradesh in 1975, when the state allowed Kolleru Lake’s
  shoreline and shallows to be converted to fish farms. In the ensuing decades, the
  international demand for fish and shrimp products rapidly expanded, and farmers
  increasingly transitioned from rice to aquaculture with the help of government subsidies.
• In the process, the aquaculture industry encroached farther and farther into the lake.
  Around the same time, in 1999, the region was named a sanctuary under India’s Wildlife
  Protection Act. And in 2002, the Kolleru wetland was named a Ramsar site, a designation
  given to wetlands considered to be of international importance.
• The rapid development is a double-edged sword in Andhra Pradesh, India’s top seafood
  exporter. Local communities overwhelmingly support aquaculture’s expansion, but they
  also lament the loss of the lake as a source of food and drinking water.
• Scientists point not just to the pollution, but also to the dramatic declines in native fishes
  and migratory birds. The ecological imbalance will only get worse, they say, if the region’s
  aquaculture is allowed to expand.

About Kolleru Lake and Aquaculture :

• Kolleru is a largest freshwater lake and is located in Andhra Pradesh.
• It has been a bed for several migratory birds and has been acting as the flood balancing
  reservoir between two river deltas, Krishna and Godavari. Aquaculture, also known as
  aquafarming, is a practice of rearing aquatic creatures for commercial food purposes.
• Aquaculture is the fastest growing food production industry in the world, according to the
  UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, and India ranks second globally in aquaculture fish
  production, contributing more than 8 percent of the world’s farm-raised fish.

THE DEFENCE AND SECURITY

4. THE BRAHMOS ORDER FROM PHILIPPINES

THE CONTEXT: The BrahMos, the supersonic cruise missile system jointly made by India and Russia,
has been selected by the Philippines under a $374.96 million deal, making it the first export order
for the missile.

THE EXPLANATION:

• In recent years the Philippines has repeatedly accused China of violating its EEZ by sending
  hundreds of militia boats into its waters.
• The new anti-ship system aims to deter foreign vessels from encroaching on the country’s
  200-nautical-mile (370km) exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand
  are other South-East Asian countries that have shown interest in the system.
• India has already deployed a sizeable number of the BrahMos missiles in several strategic
  locations along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.

About the Missile:

• BrahMos Missile is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile. It can be launched
  from land, aircraft, submarine or ships. It is one of the fastest supersonic cruise missiles
  worldwide. The missile is a joint venture between the Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya and
  India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Both the organisation has together formed BrahMos Aerospace. It is based on Russian P-
  800 Oniks cruise missile. The name BrahMos has been taken from the names of two rivers,
  River Brahmaputra of India and River Moskva of Russia.

Characteristics of BrahMos

• BrahMos is the fastest anti-ship cruise missile of the world, currently in operation. Its land-
  launched and ship-launched versions are already there in service. In 2012, air-launched
  variant of BrahMos appeared and entered the service in 2019.
• Presently, a hypersonic version of the Missile called BrahMos-II, is under development. It has the speed of Mach 7–8. Missile is likely to be ready for testing by 2024.

Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)

India became a member of MTCR in 2016. With this partnership, India and Russia are planning to
develop a new generation of Brahmos missiles with a range of 800 km-plus. It has the ability to hit
protected targets with pinpoint accuracy.

THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT

5. THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION AND TSUNAMI HIT TONGA AND THE PACIFIC

THE CONTEXT: An underwater volcano near Tonga has erupted for the third time in January 2021
potentially threatening the ability of surveillance flights to assess the damage to the Pacific island
nation.
THE EXPLANATION:
According to Australia's meteorological service eruption was likely the biggest recorded anywhere
on the planet in more than 30 years, according to experts. Dramatic images from space captured
the eruption in real time, as a huge plume of ash, gas and steam was spewed up to 20 kilometers
(12.4 miles) into the atmosphere — and tsunami waves were sent crashing across the Pacific.
Where is Tonga's Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano?

• Tonga is a Polynesian country of more than 170 South Pacific islands and home to about
  100,000 people. It's a remote archipelago that lies about 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of
  Fiji and 2,380 kilometers (1,500 miles) from New Zealand.
• The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) southeast of
  Tonga's Fonuafo'ou island, sits underwater between two small islands at about 2,000
  meters (6,500 feet) high from the sea floor, with about 100 meters (328 feet) visible above
  sea level.

Where did the tsunami hit?

• The eruption caused a tsunami on Tonga's largest island, Tongatapu, with waves recorded
  at 1.2 meters (about 4 feet) near Nuku’alofa city flowing onto coastal roads and flooding
  properties.
• Tsunami warnings went into effect across Pacific Island nations including Fiji, Samoa and
  Vanuatu. Footage from the ground in Fiji shows people fleeing to higher ground in the
  capital, Suva, as large waves hit the coast.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY 17 TH JANUARY 2022

Q1. Vitamin-D plays vital role in which of the following?
1. Metabolic functions
2. Bone health
3. Immune system
4. Mental health

Select the correct answer using code given below:
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 2, 3 and 4 only
d) All of them

ANSWER FOR 14 TH JANUARY 2022.

Answer: b)
Explanation:
1. Nuakhai – Odisha
2. Wangala – Garo, Meghalaya
3. Bihu – Assam
4. Onam – Kerala

1. Forests: The good news and bad news READ MORE
2. Why India needs a Green Deal READ MORE
3. Will the wildlife amendment bill save India’s rich biodiversity? READ MORE
4. India’s New ‘State of Forest’ Report Is Not Really About Forests READ MORE

1. Countering hate in the digital world READ MORE
2. Confronting global racism READ MORE

1. State legislatures had fewer sittings than Parliament in 2021 READ MORE
2. Should electoral ID data be linked to Aadhaar? READ MORE
3. Call for Indianisation is a Fallacy, if Not a Fraud on the Constitution READ MORE

1. Countering hate in the digital world READ MORE
2. Overcome challenges with faith and patience READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Web3: A vision for the future READ MORE
2. Shockwave from Tonga volcanic eruption recorded in Chennai READ MORE
3. Muscles starve in the absence of vitamin D, study of mice finds READ MORE
4. India’s first dugong reserve will help protect the world’s only herbivorous marine mammal READ MORE
5. What is a digital AgriStack and why Indian farmers are opposed to it READ MORE
6. MeitY invites applications under the Chips to Startup (C2S) Programme from academia, R&D organisations, startups and MSMEs READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 1

1. In images: The anger in India against the Raj-appointed Simon Commission READ MORE
2. The Ramakrishna Movement READ MORE
3. Forests: The good news and bad news READ MORE
4. Countering hate in the digital world READ MORE
5. Confronting global racism READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. State legislatures had fewer sittings than Parliament in 2021 READ MORE
2. Should electoral ID data be linked to Aadhaar? READ MORE
3. Call for Indianisation is a Fallacy, if Not a Fraud on the Constitution READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Friend in need: On India-Sri Lanka ties READ MORE
2. Explained | Why is India challenging WTO verdict on sugar? READ MORE
3. Pakistan’s new policy: Not quite abandoning its ‘thousand cuts’ strategy READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Taxing cryptocurrency transactions: A streamlined tax regime is pivotal to a clear, constructive and adaptive regulatory environment READ MORE
2. The cryptocurrency deception READ MORE
3. A ‘rare’ opportunity for India READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Why India needs a Green Deal READ MORE
2. Will the wildlife amendment bill save India’s rich biodiversity? READ MORE
3. India’s New ‘State of Forest’ Report Is Not Really About Forests READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Countering hate in the digital world READ MORE
2. Overcome challenges with faith and patience READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. What do you mean by desertification? Explain how climate change affect the process of desertification.
2. The FRA, 2006 was never going to be a panacea to address all the issues of the tribal people, but the Act is important to improve the condition of the tribal people. Analyse.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• None of us is as smart as all of us.
• It is important to note that in times of peril, New Delhi and Colombo have established a robust channel of communication and demonstrated an ability to act on promises quickly, proving that adage about friends (and neighbours) in need.
• The practice of having separate mandatory disclosure requirements in tax returns (as is the case in the United States) should be placed on the taxpayers as well as all the intermediaries involved, so that crypto transactions do not go unreported.
• Content moderation should be considered a late-stage intervention. Individuals need to be stopped early in the path to radicalisation and extremist behaviour to prevent the development of apps such as Bulli Bai.
• Cryptocurrencies are neither a currency nor an investment. They need to be scrutinised.
• The world is in search of alternative supply chains. India with its reserves in rare earth elements must leverage this.
• Correcting electoral rolls in a society like India’s has to be done the hard way — going door to door. Quick fixes and tech solutions like Aadhaar can do more harm than good.
• The Indian Constitution through Article 13 showed us the way by declaring the then existing legal system as void in so far it was inconsistent with the fundamental rights.
• The conservative populists want to fight against any challenge to the erosion of white rights, whereas the progressives want more state intervention to address inequities.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

THE CONTEXT: Niti Aayog in its report on multi-dimensional poverty in India attempted for the first time to look at the poverty issue through a holistic perspective rather than the sole prism of income. This article lets us understand the state of multi-dimensional poverty in India and how India can overcome it.

METHODOLOGY OF THE REPORT

DIMENSION: Health

WEIGHT: 1/3

INDICATOR (WEIGHT): Nutrition (1/6)

DEPRIVED OF: A household is considered deprived if any child between the ages of 0 to 59 months, or woman between the ages of 15 to 49 years, or man between the ages of 15 to 54 years -for whom nutritional information is available- is found to be undernourished.

INDICATOR (WEIGHT): Child Adolescent Mortality (1/12)

DEPRIVED OF: A household is deprived if any child or adolescent under 18 years of age has died in the household in the five-year period preceding the survey.

INDICATOR (WEIGHT): Maternal Health (1/12)

DEPRIVED OF: A household is deprived if any woman in the household who has given birth in the 5 years preceding the survey has not received at least 4 antenatal care visits for the most recent birth or has not received assistance from trained skilled medical personnel during the most recent childbirth.

DIMENSION: Education

WEIGHT: 1/3

INDICATOR (WEIGHT): Years of Schooling (1/6)

DEPRIVED OF: A household is deprived if not even one member of the household aged 10 years or older has completed six years of schooling.

INDICATOR (WEIGHT): School Attendance (1/6)

DEPRIVED OF: A household is deprived if any school-aged child is not attending school up to the age at which he/she would complete class 8.

INDICATOR (WEIGHT): Cooking Fuel (1/21)

DEPRIVED OF: A household is deprived if the primary source of cooking fuel is dung, agricultural crops, shrubs, wood, charcoal or coal.

INDICATOR (WEIGHT): Sanitation (1/21)

DEPRIVED OF: The household has unimproved or no sanitation facility or it is improved but shared with other households.

INDICATOR (WEIGHT): Drinking-Water (1/21)

DEPRIVED OF: A household is deprived if it does not have access to improved drinking water or safe drinking water is more than a 30-minute walk from home (as a round trip).

DIMENSION: Standard of Living

WEIGHT: 1/3

INDICATOR (WEIGHT): Electricity (1/21)

DEPRIVED OF: A household is deprived if it has no electricity.

INDICATOR (WEIGHT): Housing (1/21)

DEPRIVED OF: A household is deprived if it has inadequate housing: the floor is made of natural materials, or the roof or walls are made of rudimentary materials.

INDICATOR (WEIGHT): Ownership of Assets (1/21)

DEPRIVED OF: The household is deprived if it does not own more than one of these assets: radio, Tv, telephone, computer, animal cart, bicycle, motorbike, or refrigerator; and does not own a car or truck.

INDICATOR (WEIGHT): Bank Account (1/21)

DEPRIVED OF: No household member has a bank account or a post office account.

FINDINGS OF THE REPORT

1. Poverty Levels: Bihar has the highest levels of poverty in the country followed by Jharkhand and UP. Kerala has the lowest level of poverty followed by Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Goa, and Sikkim.
2. Malnutrition: Bihar has the highest level of malnourished population followed by Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.

PROBLEMS WITH THE REPORT

1. Old Data: The report was created using the data of NFHS-4 which was conducted between 2015 and 2016 and thus doesn’t include the impact of recent government policies on poverty alleviation.
2. Focus on Subsistence: The indicators focus on minimum need and not a life that can uphold human dignity. For example, a household is deprived of electricity if it has no electricity. So, if the household gets electricity for just an hour then also it will not be counted as deprived.

USES OF THE REPORT

1. Sensitization of Agencies: The report will sensitize government, researchers, civil society, citizens, and other stakeholders on the need for and importance of MPI as a powerful policy instrument.
2. Policy Formulation: MPI can be used as a useful input for the design and development of policies schemes, budget allocations, and target setting. This can help India target SDG’s in a better manner.
3. District Levels: At the district levels, MPI could help decide the priority of execution and delivery.

 THE WAY FORWARD

1. Trend Analysis: Conducting NFHS every three years and then subsequent MPI revision will reduce the lag in the reflection of development outcomes and provide the required trend of poverty alleviations.
2. Reform Action Plans for the State/UTs: NITI Aayog has prepared a template for the reform action plan through consultations with central ministries, now the states need to modify it taking into account their realities, development challenges, and priorities.
3. Sharing of Good Practices: A dashboard needs to be created for sharing best practices between the states for overcoming poverty.

THE CONCLUSION: Poverty alleviation is the biggest goal of Indian governance and the Multi-dimensional Poverty Index by Niti Aayog is a step in the right direction for identifying the magnitude of the problem and for finding the key areas that require attention for poverty alleviation.