THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

IPC SECTION 295A

THE CONTEXT: Amid controversy surrounding the comments by Political Spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal have put the spotlight on the law that deals with criticism of or insult to religion. Provisions in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), primarily Section 295A, define the contours of free speech and its limitations with respect to offences relating to religion.

What is IPC Section 295A?

• Section 295A defines and prescribes punishment for deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.
• “Whoever, with the deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of citizens of India by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise, insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to [three years], or with fine, or with both.”
• Simply put, Section 295A is one of the key provisions in the IPC chapter to penalise religious offences.
• The chapter also includes offences to penalise damage or defilement of a place of worship with intent to insult the religion (Section 295); trespassing in a place of sepulture (Section 297); uttering, words, etc, with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person (Section 298); and disturbing a religious assembly (Section 296).
• Section 295A has been invoked on a wide range of issues from penalising political satire and seeking bans on or withdrawal of books to even political critique on social media.
• Note: India does not have a formal legal framework for dealing with hate speech. However, a cluster of provisions, loosely termed hate speech laws, are invoked. These are primary laws to deal with offences against religions.

What are the other similar Sections or Provisions?

• Section 153A IPC penalises ‘the promotion of enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony.
• Section 153B IPC penalises ‘imputations, and assertions prejudicial to national integration.
• Section 505 of the IPC punishes statements conducing to public mischief.
• Part VII of the Representation of People Act, 1951 classifies hate speech as an offence committed during elections into two categories: corrupt practices and electoral offences. The relevant provisions regarding hate speech in the RPA are Sections 8, 8A, 123(3), 123(3A) and 125.
• Model Code of Conduct (MCC) Item 1 (General Conduct)- prohibits parties and candidates from making any appeals to caste or communal feelings for securing votes.
• Section 66A of the Information Technology Act – In cases of hate speeches online, the section punishes sending offensive messages through communication services is added. In a landmark verdict in 2015, the Supreme Court struck down Section 66A as unconstitutional on the ground that the provision was “vague” and a “violation of free speech”. However, the provision continues to be invoked.

Why is Rangila Rasool case important ?

• Section 295A was brought in 1927. The case which becomes important as it is linked to the origin of Section 295A is Rangila Rasool case.

THE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

EXPLAINED: GOVT’S NEW GUIDELINES BANNING SURROGATE ADS

THE CONTEXT: Sellers of alcoholic beverages have asked the government to provide clarity on ‘surrogate advertisements’, which have been banned under the new guidelines to tackle misleading advertisements.

THE EXPLANATION:

According to the Consumer Affairs Ministry guidelines were issued on June 10 2022, by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), and include a Rs 10 lakh penalty for first violation and a Rs 50 lakh penalty for subsequent violations.

What do the new advertising guidelines say?

The Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022, have been released to “protect the consumers” and “to ensure that consumers are not being fooled with unsubstantiated claims, exaggerated promises, misinformation and false claims”.

• These guidelines focus on misleading ads and ads shown during programming for children.
• Surrogate ads, meanwhile, have been banned completely.
• Misleading ads have not been defined, instead characteristics of non-misleading ads have been mentioned such as those which “contain truthful and honest representation” and do not exaggerate benefits.

On advertisements aimed at children, detailed criteria has been spelt out to disqualify certain ads, such as: ads that encourage practices detrimental to children’s physical health or mental well-being, imply children are “likely to be ridiculed or become less popular” if they do not purchase the goods, and ads that use qualifiers such as ‘just’ or ‘only’ to make the price of goods seem less expensive even when additional charges are present.

What is surrogate advertising?

• Surrogate advertising is the strategy of advertising a product that cannot be advertised openly. Advertisers instead create ads that help in building a brand, and often involve popular celebrities – all without naming the actual product that is being indirectly advertised.
• In India, tobacco products and alcohol cannot be advertised openly under laws like the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, which bans all kinds of direct and indirect advertisements of tobacco products.
• To circumvent them, surrogate advertising is done.

Why are advertisers seeking clarity?

As per the new guidelines, a surrogate ad will refer to an ad which indicates directly or indirectly to consumers that it is an advertisement for the goods whose advertising is prohibited. Using any brand name, logo, colour, etc. associated with goods whose advertisement is banned is also not allowed.

EXPLAINED: WHY ARE JOB ASPIRANTS PROTESTING AGAINST THE ‘AGNIPATH’ SCHEME?

THE CONTEXT: Days after the government unveiled its Agnipath scheme for recruiting soldiers across the three services, protests raged in several cities against the new defence recruitment path with aspirants raising job security and post-service benefits as their major concerns.

THE EXPLANATION:

Why are job aspirants up in arms?

Job security and pension are two major issues being cited by protesters. Under the previous system, troops joined for a 17-year period, which could be extended for some personnel, and it resulted in a lifelong pension.

The new scheme, however, envisages just a four-year tenure for most, and the Agniveers will not be eligible for pension benefits.

What is the Agnipath scheme?

• The Agnipath scheme is the government’s defence recruitment reform under which around 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers will be recruited annually, and most will leave service in just four years.
• Of the total annual recruits, only 25 per cent will be allowed to continue for another 15 years under permanent commission.
• The new system is only for personnel below officer ranks (those who do not join the forces as commissioned officers). The scheme is not optional as all personnel below officer rank will be hired only through this route from now on. Under the Agnipath scheme, aspirants between the ages of 17.5 years and 21 years will be eligible to apply.

EXTENSION OF ENTRY AGE : AGNIPATH SCHEME

·         Amid tensions in Bihar and other states for the consequent to the commencement of the AGNIPATH scheme, the entry age for all new recruits in the Armed Forces has been fixed as 17 ½  – 21 years of age.

·         ​Cognizant of the fact that it has not been possible to undertake the recruitment during the last two years, the Government has decided that a one-time waiver shall be granted for the proposed recruitment cycle for 2022.

·         Accordingly, the upper age limit for the recruitment process for the Agnipath scheme for 2022 is increased to 23 years.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

I2U2 GROUPING OF INDIA, ISRAEL, UAE AND U.S. TO RE-ENERGISE AMERICAN ALLIANCES GLOBALLY

THE CONTEXT: According to the White House, the new I2U2 grouping of India, Israel, the UAE, and the U.S. will hold its first virtual summit next month (July 2022) as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to re-energise and revitalise American alliances across the world.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is I2U2?

I2U2 is the new grouping formed by four nations- India, Israel, UAE, and the US. The countries share various common global issues including food security crisis and defence, which will also be a highlight of the meeting of the four nations.

India-Israel-UAE-US grouping

• The grouping of the four nations- India, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and the United States met for the first time under a new framework in October 2021. The grouping dealt with the issues concerning maritime security, infrastructure, digital infrastructure, and transport.
• At that time, the Ambassador of UAE to India Ahmed Albanna had referred to the new grouping as the ‘West Asian Quad’.

I2U2 Grouping: Background

In October 2021, a meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries took place when the External Affairs Minister of India was visiting Israel. At that time, the grouping of the four-nation was called ‘International Forum for Economic Cooperation’. This time, the meeting between the grouping of four nations will take place at the level of the heads of government/state- an upgrade.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

THE MOVE TO LINK CREDIT CARDS WITH UPI

THE CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed to allow the linking of credit cards with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform. The move is part of the central bank’s efforts to enhance the scope of UPI.

THE EXPLANATION:

RBI Governor stated that RuPay credit cards issued by the RBI-promoted National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will be enabled first and will become available after system developments. The UPI, also managed by the NPCI, was first introduced in 2016.

What explains the effort to link credit cards with UPI?

The UPI has, over time, become a popular mode of payment in India with more than 26 crore unique users and five crore merchants on the platform. In May 2022, about 594 crore transactions amounting to ₹10.4 lakh crore were processed through the interface.

At present, the UPI facilitates transactions by linking savings/current accounts through users’ debit cards. It is now proposed to allow linking of credit cards on the UPI platform. This is intended to provide additional convenience to users and enhance the scope of digital payments.

When will the facility be made available?

This facility would be available after the required system development is complete. The RBI will issue necessary instructions to NPCI separately to facilitate the change. To begin with, the indigenous RuPay credit cards would be linked to the UPI platform. It is likely to be followed by other card networks such as Visa and MasterCard which would bring in more users.

What is the benefit of this provision?

The arrangement is expected to provide an additional avenue for payment to customers and hence enhance convenience. the linking of credit cards to UPI has been proposed to further deepen the reach and usage of credit cards.

Why do authorities expect this move to spur the use of credit cards?

• It is expected to bolster transactions and acceptance at more merchant sites. people who generally prefer to pay by credit card so as to avail of a longer pay-back period or loans on credit-card outstanding, or who do not wish to touch their savings at the moment of purchase, can pay using credit cards via UPI.
• Currently, many merchants do not have credit card point-of-sale (POS) terminals especially in semi-urban and rural areas but a significant number do have the QR code-based UPI acceptance facility. now, they too will be able to accept credit payments via UPI without needing a POS device.
• Linking of credit cards with UPI is likely to increase the use of such cards in small-ticket-size payments, as it would provide users with more options to pay from. the move will provide a significant boost to overall spending via credit cards — currently, spending through the use of credit cards is more than double the average spend via debit cards. more spending is generally a force multiplier for the economy.
• Besides accelerating digital transactions this measure is also expected to affect the average ticket size of financial transactions. currently the average ticket size per transaction is ₹1,600 while it is ₹4,000 in credit cards. so, with the new development the UPI transaction ticket size is likely to go up to somewhere around ₹3,000 to ₹4,000, analysts claim. many people use credit cards for rewards and benefits and UPI for its convenience & security. the new provision of linking credit cards to UPI brings both these advantages together.

Will a merchant discount rate be applicable for these payments?

• There is no word yet on the merchant discount rate (MDR) applicable on transactions using credit card numbers via UPI, other than for RuPay, which attracts no such charge. Today, since foreign card issuers such as Visa and MasterCard have a lion’s share of the credit card network business, part of the fees goes to them.
• However, the Indian government has shown its intent to promote the indigenous RuPay card system. It remains to be seen if it indeed does turn out more economical for merchants to accept payments from users with credit cards from foreign issuers.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

URBAN HEAT ISLANDS GROW IN CAPITAL

THE CONTEXT: According to experts, Delhiites await some respite from the intense heatwave, when the mercury surpassed 35 degrees Celsius even at night, discussions on the growing number of urban heat islands in the Capital have once again come to the fore.

“The combination of high day and night-time temperatures is dangerous as it seriously impacts the blood circulation and other bodily functions of people, especially the elderly,”

THE EXPLANATION:

• “The combination of high day and night-time temperatures is dangerous as it seriously impacts the blood circulation and other bodily functions of people, especially the elderly”.
• “As the house becomes hot and is unable to cool down by midnight, it starts acting as a heat trap. In such a situation, the body gets heated and the heart starts pumping more blood to fight dehydration if adequate water intake is not maintained. If one’s heart is already weak, it may fail and the person may die due to cardiac failure induced due to heatwaves.

Growing heat islands

An image captured by NASA on May 5, 2022, showed how night-time temperatures in Delhi and adjoining villages were above 35 degrees Celsius, peaking at about 39 degrees Celsius, while the rural fields nearby had cooled to around 15 degrees Celsius.

• According to Climate Activists Experts, “One way of looking at the cause of urban heat islands is global warming but the other is that these heat islands are linked to micro-climatic changes, which occur when we start disrupting our landscapes”.
• “Over 60% of Delhi’s landscapes are disrupted, signalling alteration or encroachment of tree cover, forest cover, wetlands and natural ecosystems”.
• One way to counter the growing impact of urban heat islands is ‘green infrastructure’ that includes cool roofs or painting house roofs in a light colour to reflect heat and using sustainable cooling mechanisms. Promoting urban forestry and green transport can also help curb heat emissions. Industries, which also act as heat traps, need to minimize heat emission through thermal innovations

Heat-related deaths

• Data on ‘Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India’ released by the National Crime Records Bureau show that over the years, heatstrokes have become the second leading cause of death from a natural force in India, with 11,555 people being killed from 2011 to 2020 due to the condition.
• In 2020, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, which have heatwave action plans that track every heat-related death, reported heatstroke to be the reason for the maximum – 50% – deaths due to natural forces. Delhi reported no such death, according to the data. The Delhi government did not provide a comment on whether it tracks heat-related deaths.
• Taking insights from India’s first heat action plan that came up in Ahmedabad in 2013, the Centre is currently working with 23 heatwave-prone States and over 130 cities, including Delhi, to implement a similar action plan.

Value Addition:

What is a heatwave?

A region is considered to be under the grip of a heatwave if the maximum temperature reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius or more in the plains and at least 30 degrees Celsius or more in hilly regions. When the maximum temperature departure ranges between 4.5 and 6 degrees, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) declares a heatwave. A severe heatwave is declared when the recorded maximum temperature of a locality departure from normal is over 6.4 degrees Celsius. Also, if an area records over 45 degrees and 47 degrees Celsius on any given day, then the IMD declares heatwave and severe heatwave conditions, respectively.

Lack of pre-monsoon showers

Except for the southern peninsula and northeast regions, the weather has remained dry across the rest of the country. Once, in the last week, parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi reported light to moderate rainfall. The lack of pre-monsoon showers has also led to an increase in the overall maximum temperature. Maharashtra recorded 63 per cent deficient rainfall from March 1 to April 26, 2022.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 17TH JUNE 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements:

1. Spending through use of debit card is more than credit card in India.
2. RuPay credit cards are issued by RBI.
3. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform is managed by National Payments

Corporation of India (NPCI).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. a) 1 and 2 only
2. b) 2 and 3 only
3. c) 3 only
4. d) 1 and 3 only

ANSWER FOR 16^TH JUNE 2022

Answer: C

Explanation:

Agnipath Scheme

• The government on 14^th June 2022, unveiled its new Agnipath scheme for recruiting soldiers in three services.
• Soldiers recruited under the scheme will be called

What is the Agnipath scheme?

• Under the new scheme, around 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers will be recruited annually, and most will leave the service in just four years.
• Of the total annual recruits, only 25 per cent will be allowed to continue for another 15 years under permanent commission.
• The move will make the permanent force levels much leaner for the over 13-lakh strong armed forces in the country. This will, in turn, considerably reduce the defence pension bill, which has been a major concern for governments for many years.

What is the eligibility criteria?

• New system is only for personnel below officer ranks (those who do not join forces as commissioned officers).
• Under the Agnipath scheme, aspirants between the ages of 17.5 years and 21 years will be eligible to apply. The recruitment standards will remain the same, and recruitment will be done twice a year through rallies.

What happens after selection?

• Once selected, the aspirants will go through training for six months and then will be deployed for three and a half years.
• During this period, they will get a starting salary of Rs 30,000, along with additional benefits which will go up to Rs 40,000 by the end of the four-year service.
• Importantly, during this period, 30 per cent of their salary will be set aside under a Seva Nidhi programme, and the government will contribute an equal amount every month, and it will also accrue interest.
• At the end of the four-year period, each soldier will get Rs 11.71 lakh as a lump sum amount, which will be tax-free.
• They will also get a Rs 48 lakh life insurance cover for the four years.
• In case of death, the payout will be over Rs 1 crore, including pay for the unserved tenure.
• However, after four years, only 25 per cent of the batch will be recruited back into their respective services, for a period of 15 years. For those who are re-selected, the initial four-year period will not be considered for retirement benefits.

How will the scheme benefit the armed forces and the recruits?

• The average age in the forces is 32 years today, which will go down to 26 in six to seven years, the scheme envisions.
• Announcing the scheme, Defence Minister said that “efforts are being made that the profile of the Armed Forces should be as youthful as the wider Indian population.” Youthful armed forces will allow them to be easily trained for new technologies.
• The minister added that it will increase employment opportunities and because of the skills and experience acquired during the four-year service such soldiers will get employment in various fields.
• The government will help rehabilitate soldiers who leave the services after four years. They will be provided with skill certificates and bridge courses. The impetus will be to create entrepreneurs.

THE HEALTH ISSUES

DRINKING COFFEE DOES NOT RAISE RISK DURING PREGNANCY: STUDY

THE CONTEXT: A new genetics-based study from the University of Queensland, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, has found that drinking coffee during pregnancy didn’t increase the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The researchers referred to WHO guidelines that pregnant women should drink less than 300 mg of caffeine (two to three cups) per day. “But that’s based on observational studies where it’s difficult to separate coffee drinking from other risk factors like smoking, alcohol or poor diet. We wanted to find out if coffee alone really does increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and the research shows this isn’t the case.
• The researchers used a method called Mendelian Randomisation, which used eight genetic variants that predicted pregnant women’s coffee-drinking behaviour and examined whether these variants were associated with birth outcomes.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

EXPLAINED: WHY THE UAE HAS ‘SUSPENDED’ RE-EXPORT OF INDIAN WHEAT-MILLING

THE CONTEXT: The United Arab Emirates’ decision, to “suspend” re-export of wheat and flour from grain originating in India is basically an assurance that whatever it imports will be used only for domestic consumption.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the sources, “India doesn’t want its wheat exported to Dubai or Abu Dhabi to go out to other countries, whether as grain or flour. It would want that wheat to be consumed locally, including the migrant Indian workers in UAE.
• This will, in turn, allow India to provide an exception to its wheat export ban and ship out some quantities to the Gulf federation. India, on May 14, banned export of all wheat, except against outstanding contracts backed by already-issued letters of credit and to countries on case-to-case food security considerations.
• India exported 4.71 lakh tonnes (lt) of wheat valued at $136.53 million to the UAE in 2021-22. That constituted about 6.5 per cent of its total 72.35 lt shipments of the cereal worth $2,120.27 million last fiscal.
• While the quantities exported may not be that big for India, they aren’t small for UAE. The US Department of Agriculture has estimated UAE’s annual wheat consumption, which is entirely imported, at 15 lt. The wheat-milling capacity is higher, at 16.7 lt, which is driven both by local consumption and re-export of flour sold to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Ethiopia, Taiwan and Philippines. Such exports amount to about 1 lt annually.
• More than 50 per cent of UAE’s wheat imports are from Russia, followed by Canada, Ukraine and Australia. From 2020-21, India also emerged as a key supplier, exporting 1.88 lt to the Gulf federation. Exports rose further in 2021-22, before the export ban decision that came on top of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has disrupted shipments from the Black Sea ports.
• The trade sources pointed out that the global wheat supply situation should ease somewhat, with the harvesting and market arrivals of Russian and Ukrainian wheat from July. The USDA has projected Ukraine’s wheat exports to nearly halve to 10 million tonnes (mt) in 2022-23, from 19 mt in 2021-22. However, it expects a substantial jump in Russia’s exports, from 33 mt in 2021-22 to a record 40 mt in the new marketing year.

EXPLAINED: WHAT IS THE FATF’S GREY LIST, AND COULD PAKISTAN BE TAKEN OFF IT AT LAST?

THE CONTEXT: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the international watchdog monitoring money laundering, terror financing, and other threats to global financial networks, is expected to decide whether to take Pakistan off the ‘grey’ list at the end of its ongoing plenary session in Berlin.

THE EXPLANATION:

Pakistan has been on the FATF grey list continuously since June 2018, working to comply with the requirements of the watchdog to combat money laundering and terror financing.

What is the FATF?

• The FATF is an inter-governmental body that sets international standards seeking to prevent international financial crimes that aid terrorism. It is a policymaking body that works to generate political will in national jurisdictions for legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas. (Headquartered at Paris).
• The FATF was established in 1989 by a G-7 Summit in Paris, initially to examine and develop measures to combat money laundering. After the 9/11 attacks, the FATF in October 2001 expanded its mandate to incorporate efforts to combat terrorist financing, and in April 2012, it added efforts to counter the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
• The FATF currently comprises 37 member jurisdictions and two regional organisations (European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council), representing most major financial centres in all parts of the globe. The FATF has developed the FATF Recommendations, or FATF Standards, which ensure a co-ordinated global response to prevent organised crime, corruption and terrorism. Over 200 jurisdictions around the world have committed to the FATF Recommendations through the global network of nine FATF-Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs) and FATF memberships.
• India has been a member of the FATF since 2010. It is also a member of its regional partners, the Asia Pacific Group (APG) and the Eurasian Group (EAG). Pakistan has argued unsuccessfully that India is biased and motivated against it.

What is the grey list, and why is Pakistan on it?

• Grey listing means FATF has placed a country under increased monitoring to check its progress on measures against money laundering and terrorism financing. The “grey list” is also known as the “increased monitoring list”.
• As of March 2022, there are 23 countries on the FATF’s increased monitoring list — officially referred to as “jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies” — that include, apart from Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, Myanmar, Philippines, South Sudan, Uganda, and Yemen.

How does grey-listing impact a country?

• Pakistan’s grey-listing by the FATF from 2008 to 2019 may have resulted in a cumulative GDP loss of USD 38 billion as per a working paper by Tabadlab, an Islamad-based advisory firm.
• This is because, although being added to the grey list does not imply any economic sanctions (unlike the black list), it signals to the global financial and banking system about increased risks in transactions with the country in question, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit.
• Also, given that major financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank are affiliated with FATF as observers, a grey-listed country “faces complications in accessing international lending instruments,” the Tabadlab paper said. One instance is of a USD 6 billion IMF loan contract from July 2019 that emphasised the need for Pakistan to comply with the FATF’s action.
• Pakistan’s economy is in poor shape, and it is staring at low reserves of foreign exchanges, despite loan assistance from Saudi Arabia and China.

What is the road ahead for Pakistan?

• After the plenary session of June 2021, FATF had said Pakistan needed to “investigate and prosecute” senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups, including Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and its ‘operational commander’ Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. The FATF gave Pakistan until October 2021 to meet the remaining conditions of compliance.
• Pakistan’s progress was appreciated in March this year by the global body, which noted that it had “completed 26 of the 27 action items in its 2018 action plan”. The FATF encouraged Pakistan to address the one remaining item by continuing terror financing investigations and prosecutions of senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups.
• Quoting unnamed diplomatic sources, the Pakistani daily Dawn reported that China, Malaysia, and some other allies of Pakistan were “quietly working” to get the country off the grey list. Dawn also reported Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) benchmark KSE-100 index opened in the green on (June 15), and one reason for investors’ regained confidence was hopes of Pakistan exiting the grey list.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

CABINET APPROVES MEGA 5G AUCTION

THE CONTEXT: The Union Cabinet has approved the auction of airwaves capable of offering fifth generation, or 5G, telecom services, including ultra-high-speed Internet, and gave its nod for setting up of captive 5G networks by big tech firms.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The 5G auctions at reserve prices are recommended by the sector regulator, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
• TRAI had earlier recommended a 39% reduction in the reserve or floor price for the sale of 5G spectrum for mobile services.
• While the 5G spectrum in nine frequency bands will be auctioned to telecom operators such as Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, the Notice Inviting Applications — a bid-related document issued by the Department of Telecom (DoT) — said big tech firms for the time being will be allowed to take the 5G spectrum for their captive non-public network, on lease from the telecom companies.
• The notice inviting offer said direct allocation to the big tech companies will follow a demand study and sector regulator TRAI’s recommendation on aspects such as pricing and modalities of such allocation.
• Big tech companies like Google have been seeking direct allocation of spectrum for applications such as machine-to-machine communications, IoT and AI, while telecom companies have been opposing direct allocation of 5G spectrum to them saying it will distort the level playing field and rob the government of revenues.

EXPLAINED: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NEXT MONTH’S SPECTRUM AUCTIONS

THE CONTEXT: The Union Cabinet cleared a proposal to auction 72,097.85 MHz of airwaves. The government has invited applications from potential bidders for spectrum auctions planned next month (JULY 2022), taking the first step towards rolling out 5G services in the country.

THE EXPLANATION:

Which spectrum bands will be auctioned?

• A total of 72,097.85 MHz of spectrum with a validity period of 20 years will be put on auction from July 26. The auction will be held for spectrum in the frequencies of 600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz, 2,300 MHz, 3,300 MHz and 26 GHz bands.
• “It is expected that the Mid and High band spectrum will be utilised by telecom service providers to roll out 5G technology-based services capable of providing speed and capacities which would be about 10 times higher than what is possible through the current 4G services”.

How will the auction be conducted?

The e-auction will be conducted on a simultaneous multiple rounds ascending model. Bidders will have to submit an earnest money deposit ahead of the auction, on the basis of which each bidder will be allocated eligibility points. During the auction, the company will be able to place its bids using these eligibility points.

How much will the spectrum cost?

• At reserve price, the entirety of the spectrum is valued at over Rs 5 lakh crore. Last year, the government announced a telecom sector relief package, and some facets of the scheme have been included in the terms of this auction. A mandatory requirement to make upfront payment by the successful bidders has been done away with for the first time.
• Payments for spectrum can be made in 20 equal annual instalments to be paid in advance at the beginning of each year. The bidders would be given an option to surrender the spectrum after 10 years with no future liabilities with respect to balance instalments.
• The government will also not collect any spectrum usage charge on airwaves auctioned in this round, and the requirement for bank guarantees and financial guarantees has been done away with.

What are some of the technical highlights of the auction?

• After years of keeping the decision in abeyance, the government has finally decided to increase the number of microwave backhaul carriers in the existing frequency bands of 13, 15, 18 and 21 GHz bands.
• In the official statement, the government said that it has decided to provisionally allot two carriers of 250 MHz each in the E-Band spectrum, and also decided to double the number of traditional microwave backhaul carriers in the existing frequency bands.
• Currently, across these bands, there are 2,090 microwave backhaul carriers available. This has been done because high bandwidth telephony services like 5G require additional backhaul capacity for smooth functioning.

What are private captive networks?

• The government has also cleared the path for tech companies to acquire spectrum directly from it to test and build industry 4.0 applications such as machine-to-machine communications, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, etc. Companies such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) have expressed interest earlier in building these non-public 5G networks to develop such solutions.
• These networks will not be accessible to the general public. DoT said it will undertake demand studies and thereafter seek TRAI recommendations for direct assignment of spectrum to such enterprises.

THE NEWS IN NUMBERS

ECONOMIC GAINS RISE-WORLD COMPETITIVENESS INDEX

According to a global study showed that India’s ranked 35^th in the World Competitiveness Index, an annual index compiled by the Institute for Management Development based on gains in economic performance. India has witnessed the sharpest rise among the Asian economies, with a jump of six positions from 43rd rank in 2021. Denmark has moved to the top of the 63-nation list from the third position last year, while Switzerland slipped from the top ranking to the second position and Singapore reached the third spot from the fifth.

POURING DOWN-IMD REPORT

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) 27 years after which Cherrapunji experienced a record high rainfall of 811.6 mm in 24 hours in 14^th June 2022, One of the wettest places in the world, Cherrapunji has recorded more than 750 mm of precipitation on a June day on 10 occasions since the IMD started keeping records. The department further informed that intense rainfall is likely to continue in the northeast and sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim in the next five days.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 16TH JUNE 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about Agnipath Scheme:

1. It is a new scheme launched for recruiting soldiers for the tenure of four years in the Army and Navy only.

2. Only 50 per cent of recruits will be allowed to continue for another 15 years under permanent commission.

3. The aspirants between the ages of 17.5 years and 21 years will be eligible to apply.
4. 30 per cent of their salary will be set aside under a Seva Nidhi programme.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 3 and 4 only

d) 1 and 4 only

ANSWER FOR 15^TH JUNE 2022

Answer: B

Explanation:

• It is founded in 1997 by Bangkok Declaration.
• Its permanent secretariat is in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

1. Attaining life in all its fullness READ MORE
2. The power of words READ MORE

1. Environmental fallout of the Ukraine war READ MORE
2. Interview: Why Our Cities Need To Have Their Own Net-Zero Plans READ MORE
3. Even if humans put a complete end to emissions, the world may not stop warming READ MORE

1. Caste genie threatens to come out of bottle READ MORE
2. National Disability Policy Draft Lacks Budgetary Allocations Towards Welfare of Disabled People: NPRD READ MORE

1. A ground plan for India’s COVID-19 response READ MORE
2. An Alternate Justice System Shames India’s Constitutional Democracy READ MORE
3. Whistle-Blowers in J&K Need Legal Protection READ MORE
4. Aadhaar advisory: the continuing saga of UIDAI’s breach of privacy rights READ MORE
5. Laws, flaws and accountability READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Demolition drives may challenge the rule of law READ MORE
2. Cabinet approves mega 5G auction READ MORE
3. Mammoth plan to sow 11 lakh seed balls through drones near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh READ MORE
4. Doval in virtual NSAs’ meet in run-up to BRICS meeting READ MORE
5. TRIPS Waiver: How India Abandoned its Own WTO Proposal READ MORE
6. British govt set to deport asylum-seekers of various nationalities to Rwanda READ MORE
7. PM inaugurates Jagatguru Sreesant Tukaram Maharaj Shila Mandir at Dehu in Pune READ MORE
8. President Ram Nath Kovind dedicates ISKCON Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda Temple built on Vaikunta hills in Bengaluru READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. Caste genie threatens to come out of bottle READ MORE
2. South India challenges the notions of medieval Islam—lessons from Deccan history READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. A ground plan for India’s COVID-19 response READ MORE
2. An Alternate Justice System Shames India’s Constitutional Democracy READ MORE
3. Whistle-Blowers in J&K Need Legal Protection READ MORE
4. Aadhaar advisory: the continuing saga of UIDAI’s breach of privacy rights READ MORE
5. Laws, flaws and accountability READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. National Disability Policy Draft Lacks Budgetary Allocations Towards Welfare of Disabled People: NPRD READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Win-win cooperation key to Asia-Pacific READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Upsurge affects poor the most, govt must retool policy to ensure that inequalities do not deepen READ MORE
2. What commodities should be distributed free or at a subsidised level READ MORE
3. WTO lurches to another crisis READ MORE
4. Regional imbalance: Focus on equitable growth READ MORE
5. To bridge the urban-rural divide, India should accelerate economy’s structural transformation READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Environmental fallout of the Ukraine war READ MORE
2. Interview: Why Our Cities Need To Have Their Own Net-Zero Plans READ MORE
3. Even if humans put a complete end to emissions, the world may not stop warming READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Securing Kashmir against emerging terror threats READ MORE
2. Making data privacy policies and ‘consent’ work READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Attaining life in all its fullness READ MORE
2. The power of words READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘The demand for equitable access to quality education and healthcare should complement agriculture reforms in the country’. Analyse.
2. Discuss the importance of short-term services like ‘Agnipath’ to solve the unemployment crisis in India.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• What we know about the global financial crisis is that we don’t know very much.
• Accountability jurisprudence must take root in our justice delivery system so that the culture of impunity that our officials have grown up with gets obliterated from our lexicon.
• Inaction is condoned even if there is loss of life, and high-handed action is acceptable even if it means loss of livelihood and shelter.
• Since our legal luminaries are busy rewriting laws, it might be a good idea to rewrite them in a manner that gives power in the hands of the poor and marginalized sections of our society, by making brazen officials accountable to the Constitution and the law, and by making the rich, powerful and politically influential also accountable to the law.
• The demand for equitable access to quality education and healthcare should complement agriculture reforms in the country.
• Most research and development initiatives in agriculture have either become redundant or lack basic infrastructure.
• Indeed, one could argue that premodern India’s economic muscle derived from its ability to integrate and leverage people of many ethnic, linguistic and cultural backgrounds, similar in some ways to the West today.
• Indian democracy has easily been able to grow beyond the region’s occasionally-violent medieval past; indeed the past has hardly been relevant to forging a new relationship between them.
• In our modern digital ecosystem, instead of farm produce, today, the new asset class is data (with personal data becoming the world’s most precious commodity) – which is created by us (the users) but seized by digital landlords (dominant tech companies).
• Digital Feudalism is getting established day by day. If left unchecked, this will restrict our future innovation and participation. As we progress, we must ensure that technology is our servant, not the other way around.
• Once again the Asia- Pacific region stands at another historical crossroad. In the face of the new situation, the Asia-Pacific has assumed a more important place in the world and has a greater role to play.
• The population-wide application of the pandemic response can be transitioned to be focused on individual protection.
• Inflation is here to stay because it has much to do with the decline in value of the rupee that has fallen to its lowest, which makes imports of oil and gas more expensive.
• If caste is to become the sole criterion for the distribution of power, opportunities and resources in a society and legitimised by the state, then we need to redraft our constitution and replace the dream of a casteless society of modern citizens with one in which people’s identities will be reinforced only by their castes.

50 WORD TALK

• Facing out-of-control military pensions, the government will now recruit soldiers on four-year contracts. By freeing funds for modernisation, the government is laying foundations for a smaller but smarter army, designed for future wars. The government must address concerns about motivation, regimental cohesion and post-career prospects which experts have raised.
• India needs new jobs but do they have to be in the traditionally inefficient and bloated government departments and ministries? That’s the big question after PM Modi’s announcement to create 10 lakh jobs in 1.5 years. The politics of the timing is not lost, and the minimum government is obviously history.

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 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 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

CABINET APPROVES MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION (MOA) BY INDIA FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF BIMSTEC TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTRE AT COLOMBO, SRI LANKA

THE CONTEXT: The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has approved a Memorandum of Association (MoA) by India for the establishment of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Technology Transfer Facility (TTF) was signed by the BIMSTEC member countries at the 5th BIMSTEC Summit held at Colombo, Sri Lanka on 30th March 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The main objectives of the BIMSTEC TTF are to coordinate, facilitate and strengthen cooperation in technology transfer among the BIMSTEC

  Member States by promoting the transfer of technologies, sharing of experiences and capacity building.

• The TTF shall facilitate transfer of technologies among the BIMSTEC Member States, amongst other things, in the following priority areas Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Information and Communication Technology, Space technology applications, Agricultural technology, Food processing technology, Pharmaceutical technology automation, New and renewable energy technology automation, New and Renewable energy technology, Oceanography, Nuclear Technology Applications, E-waste and solid waste management technology, Health Technologies, Technologies pertinent to Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation.

The TTF shall have a Governing Board and the overall control of activities of the TTF shall be vested in the Governing Board.  The Governing Board s

hall consist of one nominee from each Member State.

The expected outcomes of the BIMSTEC TTF are:

• Databank of technologies available in BIMSTEC Countries,
• Repository of information on good practices in the areas of technology transfer management, standards, accreditation, metrology, testing and calibration facilities,
• Capacity building, sharing of experiences and good practices in development, and
• Transfer and use of technologies among BIMSTEC countries.

THE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

‘MIGRATION IN INDIA 2020-21

THE CONTEXT: According to the report, ‘Migration in India 2020-21’, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), stated that, After the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, 0.7 per cent of the country’s population was a ‘temporary visitor’ in households during July 2020-June 2021.

THE EXPLANATION:

The findings of the report showed that a total of 48.9 per cent of the ‘temporary visitors’ moved to meet family/relatives/friends during July 2020-June 2021, while 15.7 per cent of such temporary visitors moved for health-related reasons and 12.2 per cent moved for loss of job/closure of unit/lack of employment opportunities.

• “That 0.7 per cent is male, and female combined at the all-India level and that percentage is in reference to the country’s population. 0.7 per cent o
• f the country’s population moved during July-June 2020-21 as temporary visitors in the households.
• If the absolute number has to be estimated, it has to be multiplied with the country’s population. The survey block was introduced in July 2
  020 and the period of survey for asking this information was July 2020-June 2021. crore (Census 2011), 0.7 per cent would imply to be about 85 lakh ‘te

  e but less than 6 months, ‘migrants’ have been defined as those, for whom the last usual place of residence, any time in the past, is different from the present place of enumeration.

  mporary visitors’ in the households.

• The all-India migration rate was 28.9 per cent in July-June 2020-21, with 26.5 per cent migration rate in rural areas and 34.9 per cent in urban areas. Females recorded a higher share of migration rate of 47.9 per cent, with 48 per cent in rural areas and 47.8 per cent in urban areas. The migration rate for males was seen at 10.7 per cent, with 5.9 per cent in rural areas and 22.5 per cent in urban areas.

REUTERS INSTITUTE DIGITAL NEWS REPORT 2022

THE CONTEXT: According to the 2022 Reuters Institute Digital News Report, trust in news is falling in nearly half the countries surveyed, with significant proportions of the public, especially younger age groups, beginning to turn away from news. Further, news consumption is increasingly happening via social media platforms such as TikTok rather than traditional media.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the scope of this report?

• This study, an annual one commissioned by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, tracks how news is consumed in different countries.
• This year’s report, the eleventh overall, is based on a survey conducted by YouGuv, a British market research and data analytics firm, in January/February 2022 through online questionnaires.
• It covers 46 markets in six continents. Since it is based on online questionnaires, the findings are not necessarily nationally representative, especially for countries with lower internet penetration. For India, the data is more representative of younger English speakers and not the national population as such.

What are the major trends highlighted in the report?

• Broadly, the report documents the ways in which “the connection between journalism and much of the public may be fraying”. It flags six major trends which could have wider socio-political implications.
• Firstly, people are trusting news content less and less.
• Second, consumption of traditional news media declined in nearly all the countries surveyed.
• Third, the proportion of news consumers who say that they “avoid news” has risen sharply across countries, with the report describing the phenomenon as “selective avoidance”.
• Fourth, despite small increases in the proportion of people willing to pay for online news (mostly in richer countries), the growth in digital subscriptions for news content seems to be leveling off.
• Next, “the smartphone has become the dominant way in which most people first access news in the morning”.
• Finally, the report notes that while Facebook remained the most-used social network for news, it is TikTok that has become the fastest-growing network, “reaching 40% of 18-24-year-olds, with 15% using the platform for news”. TikTok, however, is currently banned in India.

What does the report say about trends in India?

In the section on India, produced in collaboration with the Asian College of Journalism, the report, observing that “India is a strongly mobile-focussed market,” says that 72% of the survey respondents accessed news through smartphones and 35% did so via computers. Also, 84% of the Indian respondents sourced news online, 63% from social media, 59% from television, and 49% from print. YouTube (53%) and WhatsApp (51%) were the top social media platforms for sourcing news.

India registered a small increase in the level of trust, with 41% trusting news overall. While legacy print brands and public broadcasters continued to have high trust levels, only a minority — 36% and 35% — felt that the media was free from undue political influence and from undue business influence respectively.

• The 2022 Reuters Institute Digital News Report finds that trust in news is falling in nearly half the countries surveyed, with significant proportions of the public, especially younger age groups, beginning to turn away from news
• The average level of trust in news, at 42%, was found to be lower than the previous year
• India registered a small increase in the level of trust, with 41% trusting news overall. YouTube (53%) and WhatsApp (51%) were the top social media platforms for sourcing news.

PERIODIC LABOUR FORCE SURVEY (PLFS) 2020-21

THE CONTEXT: According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2020-21 released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the unemployment rate saw a decrease of 0.6% and fell to 4.2% in 2020-21, compared with 4.8% in 2019-20.

THE EXPLANATION:

• • This means that only 2% of adults who looked for jobs could not get any work in rural and urban areas of the country in 2020-21. Rural areas recorded an unemployment rate of 3.3% and urban areas recorded an unemployment rate of 6.7%.
  • The National Statistical Office (NSO) uses a “rotational panel sampling design” in urban areas to assess the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and the unemployment rate, and visits to selected households in urban areas four times. There was, however, no revisit for the rural samples.
  • 

The sample size for the first visit during July 2020-June 2021 in rural and urban areas was 12,800 first-stage sampling units (FSU) in 7,024 villages and 5,776 urban frame survey blocks.

First-stage sampling

• Out of this, 12,562 FSUs (6,930 villages and 5,632 urban blocks) were surveyed for canvassing the PLFS schedule.
• “The number of households surveyed was 1,00,344 (55,389 in rural areas and 44,955 in urban areas) and number of persons surveyed was 4,10,818 (2,36,279 in rural areas and 1,74,539 in urban areas),” the Ministry said in a release.
• The LFPR, the percentage of persons in the labour force (that is, working or seeking work or available for work) in the population, was 41.6% during 2020-21. It was 40.1% in the previous year. The WPR was 39.8%, an increase from 38.2% of the previous year. The WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.
• Migrants are defined in the survey as a household member whose last usual place of residence, at any time in the past, was different from the present place of enumeration. The migration rate, according to the survey, is 28.9%. The migration rate among women was 48% and 47.8% in rural and urban areas, respectively.

Rural jobs

• Experts point out that a second visit to the households in rural areas could have provided a bigger and larger picture of unemployment, which did not happen in the survey.
• “Overall, the report suggests shifting the government’s policy directions as it has become more rural-centric. Creation of rural jobs other than in the agricultural sector and MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) could be priorities for the government at the Union and State levels

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES IN THE NEWS

EXPLAINED: THE AGNIPATH SCHEME FOR RECRUITING SOLDIERS

THE CONTEXT: The government unveiled its new Agnipath scheme for recruiting soldiers across the three services. The new defence recruitment reform, which has been cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security, will come into effect immediately, and the soldiers recruited under the scheme will be called Agniveers.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the Agnipath scheme?

Under the new scheme, around 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers will be recruited annually, and most will leave the service in just four yea

rs. Of the total annual recruits, only 25 per cent will be allowed to continue for another 15 years under permanent commission. The move will make the permanent force levels much leaner for the over 13-lakh strong armed forces in the country.

This will, in turn, considerably reduce the defence pension bill, which has been a major concern for governments for many years.

What is the eligibility criteria?

• The new system is only for personnel below officer ranks (those who do not join the forces as commissioned officers).
• Under the Agnipath scheme, aspirants between the ages of 17.5 years and 21 years will be eligible to apply. The recruitment standards will remain the same, and recruitment will be done twice a year through rallies.

What happens after selection?

• Once selected, the aspirants will undergo training for six months and then be deployed for three and a half years.
• During this period, they will get a starting salary of Rs 30,000, along with additional benefits which will go up to Rs 40,000 by the end of the four-year service.

THE NEWS IN NUMBERS

PALM OIL IMPORTS

According to the industry body Solvent Extractors Association (SEA), 33 per cent by which India’s palm oil imports dipped during May 2022 The share of palm oil is about 50% of the country’s total vegetable oil imports. India’s total vegetable oil imports declined to 10,05,547 tonnes in May this year, compared to 12,13,142 tonnes in the year-ago period. Among soft oils, the import of soyabean oil increased sharply to 3.73 lakh tonnes in May this year, as against 2.67 lakh tonnes in the same period of the previous year.

POLLUTION TOLL

According to the University of Chicago’s (EPIC) Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), 5 years in life expectancy an average Indian stand to lose if the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines are not followed, “Of all the countries in the world, India faces the highest health burden of air pollution due to its high particulate pollution concentrations and large population”. The Indian population of about 130 crore people live in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the WHO guidelines.

RECORD HIGH-WPI

The 15.88 per cent by which India’s wholesale price-based inflation rose in May 2022 on the back of rising prices of food items and crude oil. The Wholesale Price Index-based (WPI) inflation was 15.08% in April and 13.11% in May last year. The WPI inflation has remained in double digits for the 14th consecutive month since April 2021. Inflation of food items in May was 12.34%, as prices of vegetables, wheat and fruits witnessed a sharp spike over the year-ago period.

                    THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 15TH JUNE 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about BIMSTEC countries:

1. It is founded in 1997 by Bangkok Declaration.
2. Its permanent secretariat is in Colombo.

Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR 14^TH JUNE 2022

Answer: B

Explanation:

• It is central to Maharashtra only.
• Sant Tukaram’s message about a casteless society and his denial of rituals had led to a social movement

1. Explained: Why is Delhi battling severe water shortage? READ MORE
2. Raining pollution: Fresh snow in Antarctica contained microplastics, another grim reminder of climate playing havoc READ MORE
3. Environmental Woes READ MORE

1. Without diversity, life cannot have full play READ MORE
2. Decisively rein in hate speech READ MORE
3. What is Intuition? READ MORE
4. Bulldozer justice is illegal, immoral and unjustifiable READ MORE

1. Study Finds Severe Malnutrition Spiked in Half of India in 5 Years READ MORE
2. The future of a Uniform Civil Code READ MORE

1. Unseemly exercise: RS polls are proving to be a disappointment READ MORE
2. Anti-defection law must be made more effective READ MORE
3. Rights violations: Right to speech and property must be protected READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Andhra Pradesh: Is the stray Bengal Tiger adapting to its new habitat? READ MORE
2. India aims to have 75 Ramsar sites on 75th anniversary of Independence READ MORE
3. Russia overtakes Saudi Arabia to become India’s second biggest oil supplier READ MORE
4. Special remission to prisoners to mark 75th year of Independence READ MORE
5. Centre begins supply of fortified rice in 90 districts from April 1 READ MORE
6. Extra chromosome in 1 in 500 men, disease risk higher: study READ MORE
7. If Plastic Comes From Fossil Fuels, Why Isn’t It Biodegradable? READ MORE
8. Explained: What is the e-Vidhan system for paperless legislation? READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. Musings on ‘Indic civilization’ and Indianness READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Unseemly exercise: RS polls are proving to be a disappointment READ MORE
2. Anti-defection law must be made more effective READ MORE
3. Rights violations: Right to speech and property must be protected READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Study Finds Severe Malnutrition Spiked in Half of India in 5 Years READ MORE
2. The future of a Uniform Civil Code READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Choosing sides: On intensifying rivalry between U.S. and China READ MORE
2. China keeping India on edge: Contradictory posture embedded in New Delhi’s policies apropos of Galwan@2 READ MORE
3. Qatar protest was a setback for Indian diplomacy READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Why MSP alone does not bring farmers prosperity READ MORE
2. Decoding the economy better READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Explained: Why is Delhi battling severe water shortage? READ MORE
2. Raining pollution: Fresh snow in Antarctica contained microplastics, another grim reminder of climate playing havoc READ MORE
3. Environmental Woes READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. With only 3 serious telecom operators, administrative allocation of spectrum space should take the place of auctions READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Without diversity, life cannot have full play READ MORE
2. Decisively rein in hate speech READ MORE
3. What is Intuition? READ MORE
4. Bulldozer justice is illegal, immoral and unjustifiable READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘As the U.S. and China intensify their rivalry, countries like India are faced with hard choices’. In the light of the statement, discuss the suitable strategy for India in present time.
2. ‘Apart from raising legitimate questions about the efficacy of monetary measures in fighting inflation, the current situation is pointing to the need for a rethink in India’s inflation-targeting framework’. Comment on the statement in the light of recent challenges facing by Indian economy.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• When faced with a challenge, look for a way, not a way out.
• It is plausible that a serious and honest exercise might end up causing more consternation among Hindus than Muslims.
• As the U.S. and China intensify their rivalry, other countries are faced with hard choices.
• One could argue that if all spectrum is assigned, direct revenue collections could be higher compared to the auction route, in which spectrum risks being unsold.
• Opposition parties and farmer lobbies protest that the increase in support prices is a sham, and wholly inadequate.
• The Ukraine war is not the sole driver of global wheat prices. Speculative activity has played a bigger role and policy inaction on that front can prove fatal.
• Apart from raising legitimate questions about the efficacy of monetary measures in fighting inflation, the current situation may well be pointing to the need for a rethink in India’s inflation-targeting framework.
• Defectors should be barred from holding public office for a reasonable period, and the vote cast by a defector should be considered invalid. The electorate should also have a right to recall the representative. Resort politics should also be banned.

50 WORD TALK

• Facing a Sri Lanka-style financial crisis, Pakistan needs an IMF bailout. The IMF, though, isn’t impressed with the new Budget, saying it doesn’t do enough to cut subsidies and raise direct taxes. Fearing electoral blowback, the government’s dithered—but as stock markets plunge, and the rupee haemorrhages value, time’s running out.
• In relations among nations, as in life, one should never assume that even time-tested friends would not object to something which is anathema to them. And that is what happened when a host of friendly Islamic countries across the Gulf, West Asia and other parts of the world made demarches against the controversial remarks by the two BJP functionaries who had crossed what is absolutely a red line for every Muslim. Qatar was the first nation to express condemnation.

ESSAY TOPIC

• The social justice movement of the 21st century is economic development.

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 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 INDIAN HISTORY: MEDIEVAL INDIA

EXPLAINED: THE SANT TUKARAM TEMPLE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister inaugurated the Sant Tukaram Shila Mandir in the temple town of Dehu in the Pune district.

THE EXPLANATION:

Shila refers to a rock that is currently on the Dehu Sansthan temple premises, and that for centuries has been the starting point of Wari, the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur.

The Shila Mandir

The Bhakti saint Sant Tukaram had sat on this piece of rock for 13 continuous days when challenged about the authenticity of the Abhyangs he had written. Nitin Maharaj More, president of the Jagatguru Sant Tukaram Maharaj Sansthan Dehu, said that prior to this, the saint had immersed his entire work in the Indrayani river; the work miraculously reappeared after 13 days, proving their authenticity. “The very rock where Sant Tukaram Maharaj sat for 13 days is pious and a place of pilgrimage for the Warkari sect.”

The Warkari sect

• Sant Tukaram and his work are central to the Warkari sect spread across Maharashtra. His message about a casteless society and his denial of rituals had led to a social movement. Sant Tukaram is credited with starting the Wari pilgrimage.
• The Wari sees lakhs of devotees congregating in the temple towns of Dehu and Alandi to accompany the padukas of Sant Tukaram and Sant Dyaneshwar respectively as they start for Pandharpur. Participants finish their sowing before they set off.

HISTORICAL TIDBITS- KABIR

THE CONTEXT: Recently, President inaugurated the Sant Kabir Academy and Research Centre Swadesh Darshan Yojana and paid tribute to the Bhakti saint, Kabir at Maghar in Uttar Pradesh.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to legends, Kabir is said to have departed from the mortal world in Maghar.
• The Bhakti movement, the Nirguni tradition and Kabir
• The Bhakti movement, which began in the 7th century in South India, had begun to spread across north India in the 14th and the 15th centuries.
• The movement was characterized by popular poet-saints who sang devotional songs to God in vernacular languages, with many preaching for abolishing the Varna system and some kind of Hindu-Muslim unity. They emphasized an intense emotional attachment with God.

The Bhakti movement, the Nirguni tradition and Kabir

• The Bhakti movement, which began in the 7th century in South India, had begun to spread across north India in the 14th and the 15th centuries.
• The movement was characterized by popular poet-saints who sang devotional songs to God in vernacular languages, with many preaching for abolishing the Varna system and some kind of Hindu-Muslim unity. They emphasized an intense emotional attachment with God.

• One school within the Bhakti movement was the Nirguni tradition and Sant Kabir was a prominent member of it. In this tradition, God was understood to be a universal and formless being.
• Many of the saints of the Bhakti movement came from the ranks of the lower to middle artisanal classes.
• Kabir was a ‘low caste’ weaver (Julaha), Raidas was a leather worker and Dadu a cotton carder.
• Their radical dissent against orthodoxy and rejection of caste made these poet-saints extremely popular among the masses and their ideology of egalitarianism spread across India.

Kabir and his compositions

• Kabir’s compositions can be classified into three literary forms – dohas (short two liners), ramanas (rhymed 4 liners), sung compositions of varying length, known as padas (verses) and sabdas (words).
• Kabir’s works had great influence on Bhakti Movement- Kabir Granthawali, Anurag Sagar, Bijak and Sakhi Granth.

Kabir and his life

• Most historians agree on the following facts about Kabir. He was born in Varanasi and lived between the years 1398 and 1448, or till the year 1518 according to popular belief.
• He was from a community of ‘lower caste’ weavers of the Julaha caste, a group that had recently converted to Islam.-
• He learned the art of weaving, likely studied meditative and devotional practices under the guidance of a Hindu guru and grew to become an eminent teacher and poet-singer.

THE HEALTH ISSUES

EXPLAINED: MANAGING TYPE 1 DIABETES

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (IMCR) released guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and management for type-1 diabetes. This is the first time the ICMR has issued guidelines specifically for type 1 diabetes, which is rarer than type 2 — only 2% of all hospital cases of diabetes in the country are type 1 — but which is being diagnosed more frequently in recent years.

THE EXPLANATION:

India is considered the diabetes capital of the world, and the pandemic disproportionately affected those living with the disease. Type 1 or childhood diabetes, however, is less talked about, although it can turn fatal without proper insulin therapy.

WHAT IS TYPE 1 DIABETES?

• Type 1 diabetes is a condition where the pancreas completely stops producing insulin, the hormone responsible for controlling the level of glucose in blood by increasing or decreasing absorption to the liver, fat, and other cells of the body. This is unlike type 2 diabetes — which accounts for over 90% of all diabetes cases in the country — where the body’s insulin production either goes down or the cells become resistant to the insulin.
• “Type 1 diabetes is predominantly diagnosed in children and adolescents. Although the prevalence is less, it is much more severe than type 2. Unlike type 2 diabetes where the body produces some insulin and which can be managed using various pills, if a person with type 1 diabetes stops taking their insulin, they die within weeks. The body produces zero insulin.

How rare is it?

• There are over 10 lakh children and adolescents living with type 1 diabetes in the world, with India accounting for the highest number. Of the 2.5 lakh people living with type 1 diabetes in India, 90,000 to 1 lakh are under the age of 14 years. For context, the total number of people in India living with diabetes was 7.7 crore in 2019, according to the Diabetes Atlas of the International Diabetes Federation.
• The guidelines, which distinguish type 1 diabetes from other less common forms, also talk about how increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes due to obesity in the younger population can lead to confusion. Among individuals who develop diabetes under the age of 25 years, 25.3% have type 2.

Who is at risk of type 1 diabetes?

• The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, but it is thought to be an auto-immune condition where the body’s immune system destroys the islets cells on the pancreas that produce insulin.
• Genetic factors play a role in determining whether a person will get type-1 diabetes. The risk of the disease in a child is 3% when the mother has it, 5% when the father has it, and 8% when a sibling has it.
•  The presence of certain genes is also strongly associated with the disease. For example, the prevalence of genes called DR3-DQ2 and DR4-DQ8 is 30-40% in patients with type 1 diabetes as compared to 2.4% in the general population, according to the guidelines.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

THE WORLD OF CRYPTO LENDING

THE CONTEXT: Major U.S. cryptocurrency lending company Celsius Network froze withdrawals and transfers, citing “extreme” market conditions, sparking a sell-off across crypto markets.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Crypto Lending?

• Crypto lending is essentially banking – for the crypto world.
• Just as customers at traditional banks earn interest on their savings in dollars or pounds, crypto users that deposit their bitcoin or ether at crypto lenders also earn money, usually in cryptocurrency.
• While savings at traditional banks offer paltry returns due to historically low-interest rates, crypto lenders offer much higher returns – at the very top end as much as 20%, though rates depend on the tokens being deposited.
• Crypto lenders make money by lending – also for a fee, typically between 5%-10% – digital tokens to investors or crypto companies, who might use the tokens for speculation, hedging or as working capital. The lenders profit from the spread between the interest they pay on deposits and that charged on loans.

Crypto lending has boomed over the past two years, along with as decentralised finance, or “DeFi,” platforms. DeFi and crypto lending both tout a vision of financial services where lenders and borrowers bypass the traditional financial firms that act as gatekeepers for loans or other products.

• The sites say they are easier to access than banks, too, with prospective clients facing less paperwork when lending or borrowing crypto.
• The total value of crypto at DeFi sites soared to a record $110 billion in November, up fivefold from a year earlier and reflecting record highs for bitcoin, according to industry site DeFi Pulse.
• Traditional investors and venture capital firms, from Canada’s second-biggest pension fund Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec to Bain Capital Ventures, have backed crypto lending platforms.

THE SECURITY AFFAIRS

38TH INDIA-INDONESIA COORDINATED PATROL BEGINS

THE CONTEXT: The 38th India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) between the Indian Navy Units of Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC) and the Indonesian Navy is being conducted from June 13 to 24 2022 in the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca. 

THE EXPLANATION:

• The 38th CORPAT is the first post pandemic Coordinated Patrol between the two countries. It includes a visit by the Indonesian Navy units to ANC at Port Blair from June 13 to 15, 2022 followed by a Sea Phase in the Andaman Sea and visit by IN Units to Sabang (Indonesia) from June 23 to 24, 2022.
• As part of the Government of India’s vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region), Naval Component under the aegis of HQ ANC undertakes coordinated patrols with other littoral countries of the Andaman Sea along respective Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) towards enhancing regional maritime security.
•  India and Indonesia have enjoyed especially close relations, covering a wide spectrum of activities and interactions which have strengthened over the years. The two Navies have been carrying out CORPAT along their International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) since 2002. This has helped build understanding and interoperability between both the Navies and has facilitated measures to prevent and suppress Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy, etc.
• The IND-INDO CORPAT contributes to forging strong bonds of friendship across the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THIS WORD MEANS: LaMDA

THE CONTEXT: A senior engineer at Google claimed that the company’s artificial intelligence-based chatbot Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA) had become “sentient”.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is LaMDA?

• LaMDA or Language Models for Dialog Applications is a machine-learning language model created by Google as a chatbot that is supposed to mimic humans in conversation. Like BERT, GPT-3 and other language models, LaMDA is built on Transformer, a neural network architecture that Google invented and open-sourced in 2017.
• This architecture produces a model that can be trained to read many words while paying attention to how those words relate to one another and then predict what words it will think will come next. But what makes LaMDA different is that it was trained on dialogue, unlike most models.

WHAT IS WEB 5.0 – THE BLOCKCHAIN-POWERED DIGITAL NETWORK

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the former Twitter CEO announced his vision for a new decentralized web platform that is being called Web 5.0 and is being built with an aim to return “ownership of data and identity to individuals”.

THE EXPLANATION:

What do the terms Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 mean?

• Web 1.0 was the first generation of the global digital communications network. It is often referred to as the “read-only” Internet made of static web pages that only allowed for passive engagement.
• The next stage in the evolution of the web was the “read and write” Internet. Users were now able to communicate with servers and other users leading to the creation of the social web. This is the world wide web that we use today.
• Web 3.0 is an evolving term that is used to refer to the next generation of the Internet – a “read-write-execute” web – with decentralization as its bedrock.
• It speaks about a digital world, built leveraging blockchain technology, where people are able to interact with each other without the need of an intermediary.
• Web 3.0 will be driven by Artificial Intelligence and machine learning where machines will be able to interpret information like humans.

Web 4.0 (Mobile Web)

• Web 4.0 is still a work-in-progress, with no precise description of what it will entail. The symbiotic web is another name for Web 4.0. Interaction between people and robots in symbiosis is the symbiotic web’s dream. Web 4.0 will enable the creation of more sophisticated interfaces, such as mind-controlled interfaces.
• To put it another way, computers would be adept at understanding the contents of the web and reacting in the form of executing and determining what to execute first in order to load websites quickly, with greater quality and speed, and construct more commanding interfaces. The read-write-execution-concurrency web will be Web 4.0.
• It reaches a critical mass of online networks engagement that provides global transparency, governance, distribution, participation, and cooperation to vital communities such as industry, politics, society, and others. Web 4.0, often known as webOS, will be a middleware that will eventually act as an operating system (Web 1.0 Web 2.0 Web 3.0 Web 4.0 Web 5.0).

What is web 5.0 called?

• Web 5.0, the sensory and emotive Web. Its goal is to create computers that can communicate with humans. For many people, this friendship will become a regular habit. It was normal practice in the information society to gather data over the Internet and have it examined by people.
• People, things, and systems are all connected in cyberspace in Society 5.0, and the best outcomes achieved by AI surpassing human capabilities are transmitted back into physical space. This process provides new value to industry and society in previously unimaginable ways (Web 1.0 Web 2.0 Web 3.0 Web 4.0 Web 5.0).
• Achieving Society 5.0 with these characteristics will allow Japan and the entire globe to attain economic progress while addressing critical social issues. T would also aid in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

THE PT PERSPECTIVE

LIST OF SAINTS AND TEACHERS OF THE BHAKTI MOVEMENT

                    THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 14TH JUNE 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about the Warkari Sect:

1. It is central to Western India.
2. Saint Tukaram’s message about a casteless society and his denial of rituals had led to a social movement

Which of the following is statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR 13^TH JUNE 2022

Answer: C

Explanation:

• It is published by researchers from Yale and Columbia Universities.
• It is a biennial index.
• India ranked last among 180 countries ranked in 2022.

THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

WHY IS DCP’S NOD REQUIRED FOR FILING POCSO FIRS?

THE CONTEXT: After facing criticism over a circular which mandated that no FIR for molestation or offences under the POCSO Act should be registered without the zonal DCP’s permission, the Mumbai police commissioner said the directive can be reconsidered.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012:

It was enacted to protect children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pornography with due regard for safeguarding the interest and well-being of children.

• It was amended in August 2019 to provide more stringent punishment, including the death penalty, for sexual crimes against children.
• It defines a child as any person below eighteen years of age and regards the best interests and welfare of the child as a matter of paramount importance at every stage, to ensure the healthy physical, emotional, intellectual and social development of the child.
• It deems a sexual assault to be “aggravated” under certain circumstances, such as when the abused child is mentally ill or when the abuse is committed by a person in a position of trust or authority like a family member, police officer, teacher, or doctor.
• It also casts the police in the role of child protectors during the investigative process.
• The Act stipulates that a case of child sexual abuse must be disposed of within one year from the date the offence is reported.
• Implementation of Act by statutory bodies-  the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and State Commissions for the Protection of Child Rights (SCPCRs).

POCSO (Amendment) Act 2019:

Provision of the death penalty in cases of sexual offences against children.

• Levy of fines and imprisonment to curb child pornography.
• Protection of children from sexual offences in times of natural calamities.

Why was the POCSO Act enacted?

• The act was required as the Indian Penal Code was inadequate to address Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, Pornography and Sexual Violence against boys and a child.
• The act is gender-neutral and recognizes both girls and a boy as a victim of sexual violence.
• The POCSO was also required as the procedure for the crime reported under IPC is more rigid and also not child friendly.
• Also, India is a signatory of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Children (UNCRC).
• The POCSO Act, 2012 was enacted to ensure a child-friendly procedure for the filing of the report and fulfils the requirement of Article 15(3) of the Constitution of India.
• Clause 3 of Article 15 of the Constitution gives powers to the legislature to create special provisions for women and children.

Features of the POCSO Act:

• The Act defines the various types of offences, touch-based, non-touch, penetrative, pornographic crimes etc., in detail and doesn’t leave any kind of offence.
• The act also defines a person under the age of 18 as a child.
• The act also has a feature to give compensation to the victim.
• Only the POCSO Court has the jurisdiction to deal with the matter related to the act.
• The INNOCENT TILL PROVEN GUILTY principle does not apply in the matter related to the POCSO Act, 2012.
• Once a complaint gets filed in this case, it gets presumed that the intention was to commit a sexual act.
• If a child goes through abuse at home, he will get relocated by the Child Welfare Commission for care and protection.

EXPLAINED: WHAT IS THE E-VIDHAN SYSTEM FOR PAPERLESS LEGISLATION?

THE CONTEXT: A delegation of MLAs from Gujarat visited the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly on June 9, to learn about the novel e-Vidhan system for paperless proceedings that has been recently adopted by the UP-state assembly.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Uttar Pradesh is one of the few state legislatures in India that has implemented the digital Vidhan Sabha system, and its last session was completely digitised. Earlier in May, a training programme was organised to familiarise the representatives with the technology.
• The National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) is a system for digitising the legislative bodies of all Indian states and the Parliament through a single platform on which house proceedings, starred/unstarred questions and answers, committee reports etc. will be available. Nagaland became the first state to implement NeVA, in March 2022.

What is the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) system?

The NeVA system has been developed to make all the work and data related to legislative bodies available online for the use of both citizens and the members of Assemblies. It includes a website and a mobile app.

Why is NeVA being introduced?

• This has been done for streamlining information related to various state assemblies, and to eliminate the use of paper in day-to-day functioning. Its website states: “Several thousand tons of papers would be saved, which in turn would help in saving lakhs of trees annually”.

In December 2021, the Government of Dubai became the world’s first government to go 100 per cent paperless. It announced all procedures were completely digitised. This, as per a government statement, would cut expenditure by USD 350 million and also save 14-million-manhours.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

INDIA-RUSSIA DEAL ON RADIO EQUIPMENT

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Radio technical Systems (RTS) of Russia has signed a large-scale contract with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the supply of radio equipment.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Russian company will manufacture 34 sets of instrument landing systems (ILS) 734 for the modernisation of 24 airports in India. The contract comes amid the war in Ukraine and pressure from the West on India to diversify its dependence on defence needs.
• “The domestic manufacturer received the right to conclude a contract based on the results of a global tender, in which, in addition to RTS, the world’s largest suppliers of radio equipment took part.
• According to the contract, the first part of landing systems ILS-734 must be shipped before November 2022. “The contract between RTS and AAI has become a breakthrough for Russian business in the highly competitive market of ground-based radio equipment in India. There is no doubt that the successful execution of the contract will open up new opportunities for the implementation of joint projects to modernise Indian airport infrastructure.

THE HEALTH ISSUES

EXPLAINED: WHY BABIES MUST ONLY BE BREASTFED FOR 6 MONTHS

THE CONTEXT: According to the recently published guidelines on nutrition, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences recommended that newborns be given a mixture of ghee and honey, a paste of gold, and several herbs some of which contain psychoactive ingredients.

THE EXPLANATION:

The guidelines recommend just honey and butter with some herbs on the first day of birth, ghee with herbs on the second day, and colostrum (mother’s first milk) with ghee and honey only on the third day of birth.

Several doctors have called out these guidelines for contradicting the proven benefits of breastfeeding. Some have noted that feeding newborns honey could lead to a rare but serious infection called botulism.

When should breastfeeding start?

According to the Doctors, the breastfeeding should start as soon as possible, preferably within one hour of birth, and babies should be exclusively breastfed for six months. “It is important that babies start breastfeeding soon after birth; the colostrum is rich in antibodies and protects them from infections. In fact, honey, sugar, salt, nuts, and cow’s milk should not be given to a child until age 1.

Why six months?

“Breast milk contains adequate calories needed for up to six months. Babies can consume only a certain amount of liquids. Say they can consume 800 ml fluids — if you give them 100 ml of water, they miss out on calories contained in 100 ml of milk”.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY

A LOOK AT THE 21-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE VERSATILE ASSET

THE CONTEXT: On June 12, 2001, the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was first tested from a land-based launcher in Chandipur. In the 21 years since, BrahMos has been upgraded several times, with versions tested on land, air and sea platforms., which recently bagged an export order from the Philippines.

BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT

• An Inter-Governmental Agreement was signed with Russia in Moscow in 1998 by Dr Kalam, who headed the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and N V Mikhailov, Russia’s then Deputy Defence Minister. This led to the formation of BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between DRDO and NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM), the Indian side holding 50.5% and the Russians 49.5%.
• In 1999, work on the development of missiles began in the labs of DRDO and NPOM after BrahMos Aerospace received funds from the two governments. The first successful test in 2001 was conducted from a specially designed land-based launcher. The missile system has since reached some key milestones, with the first major export order of $375 million received from the Philippines Navy in 2022.

PRESENT AND FUTURE

• According to scientists, what makes the missile system unparalleled is its extreme accuracy and versatility. Land-based BrahMos formations along the borders, BrahMos-equipped Sukhoi-30s at bases in Northern theatre and Southern peninsula, and BrahMos-capable ships and submarines deployed in sea together form a triad.
• With requirements evolving in multi-dimensional warfare, the BrahMos is undergoing a number of upgrades and work is on developing versions with higher ranges, manoeuvrability and accuracy.
• Versions currently being tested include ranges up to 350 km, as compared to the original’s 290 km. Versions with even higher ranges, up to 800 km, and with hypersonic speed are said to be on cards. Efforts are also on to reduce the size and signature of existing versions and augment its capabilities further.

Versions deployed in all three Armed forces are still being tested regularly, and so are versions currently under development.

LAND-BASED: The land-based BrahMos complex has four to six mobile autonomous launchers, each with three missiles on board that can be fired almost simultaneously. Batteries of the land-based systems have been deployed along India’s land borders in various theatres.

The upgraded land-attack version, with the capability of cruising at 2.8 Mach, can hit targets at a range up to 400 km with precision. Advanced versions of higher range and speed up to 5 Mach are said to be under development. The ground systems of BrahMos are described as ‘tidy’ as they have very few components.

SHIP-BASED: The Navy began inducting BrahMos on its frontline warships in 2005. These have the capability to hit sea-based targets beyond the radar horizon. The Naval version has been successful in sea-to-sea and sea-to-land modes. The BrahMos can be launched as a single unit or in a salvo of up to eight missiles, separated by 2.5-second intervals. These can target a group of frigates with modern missile defence systems.

AIR-LAUNCHED: On November 22, 2017, BrahMos was successfully flight-tested for the first time from a Sukhoi-30MKI against a sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal. It has since been successfully tested multiple times.

BrahMos-equipped Sukhoi-30s, which have a range of 1,500 km at a stretch without mid-air refuelling, are considered key strategic deterrence for adversaries both along land borders and in the strategically important Indian Ocean Region. The IAF is said to be integrating BrahMos with 40 Sukhoi-30 fighter jets across the various bases.

SUBMARINE-LAUNCHED: This version can be launched from around 50 m below the water surface. The canister-stored missile is launched vertically from the pressure hull of the submarine and uses different settings for underwater and out-of-the-water flights. This version was successfully tested first in March 2013 from a submerged platform off the coast of Visakhapatnam.

EXTRA CHROMOSOME IN 1 IN 500 MEN, DISEASE RISK HIGHER: STUDY

THE CONTEXT: According to researchers at the University of Cambridge around one in 500 men could be carrying an extra X or Y chromosome, most of them unaware. This puts them at increased risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis and thrombosis, the researchers report in a study published in Genetics in Medicine.

THE EXPLANATION:

• They analysed genetic data collected on over 200,000 men aged 40-70 from UK Biobank, a biomedical and anonymised database on half a million UK participants. They found 356 men who carried either an extra X chromosome or an extra Y chromosome.

• Sex chromosomes determine our biological sex. Men typically have one X and one Y chromosome, while women have two Xs. However, some men also have XXY or XYY.

• In the study, the researchers identified 213 men with an extra X chromosome and 143 men with an extra Y chromosome. As the participants in UK Biobank tend to be ‘healthier’ than the general population, this suggests that around one in 500 men may carry an extra X or Y chromosome.
• Only a small minority of these men had a diagnosis of sex chromosome abnormality on their medical records or by self-report: 23% men with XXY and only one of the 143 XYY men (0.7%) had a known diagnosis.
• By linking genetic data to routine health records, the team found that men with XXY have much higher chances of reproductive problems, including a three-fold higher risk of delayed puberty and a four-fold higher risk of being childless. These men also had significantly lower blood concentrations of testosterone. Men with XYY appeared to have a normal reproductive function.

• Men with either XXY or XYY had higher risks of several other health conditions. They were three times more likely to have type 2 diabetes, six times more likely to develop venous thrombosis, three times as likely to experience pulmonary embolism, and four times more likely to suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

                    THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 13TH JUNE 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about Environment Performance Index:

1. It is published by researchers from Yale and Columbia Universities.
2. It is published annually.
3. India ranked last among 180 countries ranked in 2022.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 1 and 2 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) 2 and 3 only

ANSWER FOR 11^TH JUNE 2022

Answer: D

Explanation:

Impact of rupee depreciation

• It benefits exporters.
• Non-resident Indians (NRIs) who send money back home will end up sending more in Rupee value.
• Costly imports: imported items get costlier e.g. oil imports, will get costlier, which can directly impact consumers.
• Costlier loans: Interest rates are hiked to stabilise inflation. High rates will make borrowing costlier, discouraging consumers and businesses to spend on big-ticket items.

• Foreign investors pull out of Indian equities. This means that there could be a sharp fall in equity markets, resulting in a decline in stock and equity mutual funds investments.
• Foreign education would get more expensive. This will be because one will have to give more Rupees for every Dollar due to its depreciation.
• Expensive foreign tours and travel.
• It poses a risk of imported inflation (cost-push inflation).
• The current account deficit will widen.
• Depletion of foreign exchange reserves.

[WpProQuiz 251]

1. For lasting happiness READ MORE
2. Dive into an inner sea of relaxation anytime READ MORE

1. Clash over ‘Green Gold’: Chhattisgarh tribals to file FIR against forest official over tendu leaf collection READ MORE

1. The Jal Jeevan and Swachh Bharat Missions are combining to improve people’s well-being READ MORE
2. Why Eradicating Open Defecation Is Not the Same as Setting up New Toilets READ MORE
3. Clash over ‘Green Gold’: Chhattisgarh tribals to file FIR against forest official over tendu leaf collection READ MORE

1. Warmer waters can drive higher predation rates: Study READ MORE
2. Chelonoidis phantasticus, a giant tortoise species discovered after a century READ MORE
3. If Plastic Comes from Fossil Fuels, Why Isn’t It Biodegradable? READ MORE
4. On the Environment Index, best to act READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Clash over ‘Green Gold’: Chhattisgarh tribals to file FIR against forest official over tendu leaf collection READ MORE
2. If Plastic Comes from Fossil Fuels, Why Isn’t It Biodegradable? READ MORE
3. What is the environment index, and why has India questioned it? READ MORE
4. The Sant Tukaram temple and its significance READ MORE

GS 1

1. Celebrating Indian universities’ rise in global rankings READ MORE
2. Warmer waters can drive higher predation rates: Study READ MORE

GS 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. The Jal Jeevan and Swachh Bharat Missions are combining to improve people’s well-being READ MORE
2. Why Eradicating Open Defecation Is Not the Same as Setting up New Toilets READ MORE
3. Clash over ‘Green Gold’: Chhattisgarh tribals to file FIR against forest official over tendu leaf collection READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Clash over ‘Green Gold’: Chhattisgarh tribals to file FIR against forest official over tendu leaf collection READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The gulf of sensitivity that India will have to cross READ MORE
2. Russia delivers more efficient nuclear fuel for Kudankulam reactors READ MORE
3. What India must do to protect its ties with the Islamic world READ MORE

GS 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. India is not the fastest growing big economy READ MORE
2. Divestment not for shutting CPSEs, but for efficiency: FM READ MORE
3. How would India fare on a ‘modified’ misery index? Better than US & UK, worse than most others READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Chelonoidis phantasticus, a giant tortoise species discovered after a century READ MORE
2. If Plastic Comes from Fossil Fuels, Why Isn’t It Biodegradable? READ MORE
3. On the Environment Index, best to act READ MORE

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. For lasting happiness READ MORE
2. Dive into an inner sea of relaxation anytime READ MORE

50 WORD TALK

• European Parliament decision making one common charger mandatory for all devices is a great idea whose time has come. India – world’s second largest mobile phone market and also the fastest growing – should emulate this. It will not only untangle our gadget-dependent digital existence a bit but also help reduce e-waste.

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. To what extent has Forest Rights Act (FRA) fulfilled the twin objectives of social welfare and conservation of natural resources?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• “We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race” – KOFI ANNAN
• The Jal Jeevan Mission is catalysing change at the grass roots level by reserving 50 per cent seats for women in village and water sanitation committees. They are encouraged to get involved in every aspect of planning, implementation, management and operation of village drinking-water supply schemes. In every village, at least five women have been entrusted with water quality surveillance and many of them have been trained as plumbers, mechanics and pump operators. These pioneering women are sure to influence others who could take over jobs generally monopolised by men.
• India is ranked 180th among 180 countries in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022 that was released on June 6. The index is a composite of 40 data-driven performance indicators by Yale and Columbia University researchers that ranks countries on their national efforts to protect environmental health, enhance ecosystem vitality and mitigate climate change. GoI has responded, stating that some indicators are extrapolated and based on surmises and unscientific methods.
• Happiness depends to some extent upon external conditions, but chiefly upon conditions of the inner mind. From today onward, make up your mind that when you meet your trying relatives, when you come in contact with your overbearing boss, and when you experience the trials of life, you will try to retain your internal calmness and happiness.

ESSAY TOPIC

• The social justice movement of the 21st century is economic development.

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 on maps and 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.