1. Matter may after all be only in the mind READ MORE
2. The dharmic duty of doubt READ MORE
3. Are you still evolving? READ MORE

1. Calamity-prone — urban India’s worrying storyline READ MORE
2. Stubble trouble: With more paddy sown this year, the problem of stubble burning is only going to get worse READ MORE
3. Climate risk index shows threats to 90% of the world’s marine species READ MORE

1. In a society that defines women by marital status, can the Supreme Court judgment on abortion make a difference? READ MORE
2. Protect the ethos of a multicultural India READ MORE
3. MENTAL HEALTH MUST BE A GLOBAL PRIORITY READ MORE

INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. THE CRITERION FOR SC STATUS

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court of India has sought the most recent position of the Union government on a batch of petitions challenging the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950, which allows only members of Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist religions to be recognised as SCs.
THE EXPLANATION:
Who all are included in the Constitution Order of 1950?
• When enacted, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950, initially provided for recognising only Hindus as SCs, to address the social disability arising out of the practice of untouchability.
• The Order was amended in 1956 to include Dalits who had converted to Sikhism and once more in 1990 to include Dalits who had converted to Buddhism. Both amendments were aided by the reports of the Kaka Kalelkar Commission in 1955 and the High Powered Panel (HPP) on Minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in 1983 respectively.
• On the other hand, the Union government in 2019 rejected the possibility of including Dalit Christians as members of SCs, rooting the exclusion on an Imperial Order of 1936 of the then colonial government, which had first classified a list of the Depressed Classes and specifically excluded “Indian Christians” from it.

Why are Dalit Christians excluded?
• Ever since the amendment to include Sikhs as SCs in 1956, the Office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) has been reluctant in expanding the ambit of the Order beyond members of Hinduism or Sikhism. Responding to the Ministry of Home Affairs’s (MHA) 1978 request for an opinion on the inclusion of Dalit Buddhists and Christians, the RGI had cautioned the government that SC status is meant for communities suffering from social disabilities arising out of the practice of untouchability, which it noted was prevalent in Hindu and Sikh communities.
• It also noted that such a move would significantly swell the population of SCs across the country. However, the amendment to include Buddhist converts as SCs was passed in 1990, which at the time did not require the approval of the RGI — a mandate introduced in the rules for inclusion framed in 1999.
• In 2001, when the RGI again opined against including Dalit Christians and Muslims as SCs, it referred to its 1978 note and added that like Dalit Buddhists, Dalits who converted to Islam or Christianity belonged to different sets of caste groups and not just one, as a result of which they cannot be categorised as a “single ethnic group”, which is required by Clause (2) of Article 341 for inclusion.
• Moreover, the RGI opined that since the practice of “untouchability” was a feature of Hindu religion and its branches, allowing the inclusion of Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians as SCs could result in being “misunderstood internationally” as India trying to “impose its caste system” upon Christians and Muslims.
• The 2001 note also stated that Christians and Muslims of Dalit origin had lost their caste identity by way of their conversion and that in their new religious community, the practice of untouchability is not prevalent.

Is there a case for inclusion?
• The petitions arguing for inclusion have cited several independent Commission reports that have documented the existence of caste and caste inequalities among Indian Christians and Indian Muslims, noting that even after conversion, members who were originally from SCs continued to experience the same social disabilities.
• This was substantiated in the First Backward Classes Commission’s report in 1953, the Report of the Committee on Untouchability Economic and Educational Development Of the Scheduled Castes in 1969, the HPP report on SCs, STs, and Minorities in 1983, the Mandal Commission Report, the report of the Prime Minister’s High-Level Committee formed in 2006, a 2008 study conducted by the National Commission for Minorities, the Ranganath Misra Commission Report and several other studies.
• In addition to this, the petitions have argued against the proposition that caste identity is lost upon conversion, noting that even in Sikhism and Buddhism, casteism is not present and yet they have been included as SCs. Furthermore, the above-mentioned reports argue that caste-based discrimination continues even after conversion, hence entitling these communities to SC status.
• However, the Union government refuses to accept the reports of the Commissions on the basis that these reports do not have enough empirical evidence to support their claims.

2. THE PARLIAMENT COMMITTEES, THEIR LEADERS, AND THEIR ROLE IN LAW-MAKING

THE CONTEXT: According to opposition party, a revamp of the Standing Committees of Parliament could potentially worsen the relations between the government and opposition parties.
THE EXPLANATION:
Of the 22 committees announced the Congress has the post of chairperson in only one, and the second largest opposition party, Trinamool Congress, none. The ruling NDA has the chairmanship of the important committees on Home, Finance, IT, Defence and External Affairs.
What are Committees of Parliament, and what do they do?
• Legislative business begins when a Bill is introduced in either House of Parliament. But the process of lawmaking is often complex, and Parliament has limited time for detailed discussions. Also, the political polarization and shrinking middle ground has been leading to increasingly rancorous and inconclusive debates in Parliament — as a result of which a great deal of legislative business ends up taking place in the Parliamentary Committees instead.
• A Parliamentary Committee is a panel of MPs that is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker, and which works under the direction of the Speaker. It presents its report to the House or to the Speaker.
• Parliamentary Committees have their origins in the British Parliament. They draw their authority from Article 105, which deals with the privileges of MPs, and Article 118, which gives Parliament authority to make rules to regulate its procedure and conduct of business.

What are the various Committees of Parliament?
• Broadly, Parliamentary Committees can be classified into Financial Committees, Departmentally Related Standing Committees, Other Parliamentary Standing Committees, and Ad hoc Committees.
• The Financial Committees include the Estimates Committee, Public Accounts Committee, and the Committee on Public Undertakings. These committees were constituted in 1950.
• Seventeen Departmentally Related Standing Committees came into being in 1993, when Shivraj Patil was Speaker of Lok Sabha, to examine budgetary proposals and crucial government policies. The aim was to increase Parliamentary scrutiny, and to give members more time and a wider role in examining important legislation.
• The number of Committees was subsequently increased to 24. Each of these Committees has 31 members — 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
• Ad hoc Committees are appointed for a specific purpose. They cease to exist after they have completed the task assigned to them, and have submitted a report to the House. The principal Ad hoc Committees are the Select and Joint Committees on Bills. Committees like the Railway Convention Committee, Committee on Food Management and Security in Parliament House Complex, etc. also come under the category of Ad hoc Committees.
• Parliament can also constitute a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) with a special purpose, with members from both Houses, for detailed scrutiny of a subject or Bill. Also, either of the two Houses can set up a Select Committee with members from that House. JPCs and Select Committees are usually chaired by ruling party MPs, and are disbanded after they have submitted their report.

How important are the recommendations of the Committees?
• Reports of Departmentally Related Standing Committees are recommendatory in nature. They are not binding on the government, but they do carry significant weight. In the past, governments have accepted suggestions given by the Committees and incorporated them into the Bill after it has come back to the House for consideration and passage. These panels also examine policy issues in their respective Ministries and make suggestions to the government.
• The government has to report back on whether these recommendations have been accepted. Based on this, the Committees table Action Taken Reports, detailing the status of the government’s action on each recommendation.
• However, suggestions by the Select Committees and JPCs — which have a majority of MPs and heads from the ruling party — are accepted more frequently.

SOCIAL ISSUES

3. WORLD BANK SAYS 70 MILLION PLUNGED INTO POVERTY IN 2020: WHAT CAUSED SETBACKS IN INDIA, WORLD

THE CONTEXT: According to a new World Bank report, titled “Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2022: Correcting Course”, the Covid pandemic has been the biggest setback to global poverty alleviation in decades.
THE EXPLANATION:
According to the report, “The world is unlikely to meet the goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030 absent history-defying rates of economic growth over the remainder of this decade”.

What has the report found?
• The report states that global poverty reduction has been slowing down since 2015 but the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine have completely reversed the outcomes.
• By 2015, the global extreme-poverty rate had been cut by more than half. Since then, poverty reduction has slowed in tandem with subdued global economic growth. The economic upheavals brought on by COVID-19 and later the war in Ukraine produced an outright reversal in progress.”

• As such, the global goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030 would not be achieved.
• In 2020 alone, the number of people living below the extreme poverty line rose by over 70 million; the largest one-year increase since global poverty monitoring began in 1990. As a result, an estimated 719 million people subsisted on less than $2.15 a day by the end of 2020.
• Inequalities, too, have risen the poorest people bore the steepest costs of the pandemic: income losses averaged 4 per cent for the poorest 40 per cent, double the losses of the wealthiest 20 per cent of the income distribution. Global inequality rose, as a result, for the first time in decades.
• Global median income declined by 4 per cent in 2020—the first decline since measurements of median income began in 1990.

What about India’s poverty levels?
Poverty has gone up in India too.
• “Previous estimates suggested a poverty headcount rate at the US$1.90 poverty line of 10.4 percent in 2017…The latest estimate based on Sinha Roy and van der Weide (2022) shows that poverty at the US$1.90 poverty line was 13.6 percent in 2017,” finds the report.
• However, the report uses data from Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), because there are no official estimates of poverty available since 2011.
• “The most recent survey data released by the National Sample Survey Office of India used to measure poverty is the 2011/12 National Sample Survey (NSS). The government decided not to release the 2017/18 NSS round because of concerns about data quality,” it states.
• But it could not have left India out of the poverty estimates simply because India is one of the countries with the biggest poor population. “Because of India’s size, the lack of recent survey data for the country significantly affects the measurement of global poverty, as was evident in Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2020.”
• It states that given the country’s size and importance for global and regional poverty estimates, the CMIE data helps fill an important gap.

What are the suggested solutions?
• According to President of World Bank Group, “fiscal policy—prudently used and considering the initial country conditions in terms of fiscal space—does offer opportunities for policy makers in developing economies to step up the fight against poverty and inequality”.
• To be sure, the average poverty rate in developing economies would have been 2.4 percentage points higher without a fiscal response. Yet government spending proved far more beneficial to poverty reduction in the wealthiest countries, which generally managed to fully offset Covid-19’s impact on poverty through fiscal policy and other emergency support measures.
• Developing economies had fewer resources and therefore spent less and achieved less: upper-middle-income economies offset just 50 per cent of the poverty impact, and low- and lower-middle income economies offset barely a quarter of the impact.

The World Bank has three specific suggestions when it comes to fiscal policy.
1: Choose targeted cash transfers instead of broad subsidies.
2: Prioritize public spending for long-term growth.
3: Mobilize tax revenues without hurting the poor.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

4. WHAT IS OPEC+ AND WHY HAVE THEY SLASHED OIL PRODUCTION?

THE CONTEXT: The grouping of the world’s largest oil-producing countries, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, together known as OPEC+, decided to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day (bpd).
THE EXPLANATION:
• According to sources, this is the largest cut since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was up 28 cents or 0.3%, at $92.08 a barrel after the cut was announced.
• In light of recent falling gas prices, OPEC+ officials had decided in September to reduce oil output by a modest 100,000 bpd after they first agreed in the previous month to increase production by the same amount.

What is OPEC+?
• Established in 1960 by founding members Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, OPEC has since expanded and now has 13 member states. With the addition of another 11 allied major oil-producing countries that include Russia, the grouping is known as OPEC+.
• The objective of the organisation is to “coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its Member Countries and ensure the stabilisation of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry”.
• Previously controlled by western-dominated multinational oil companies known as the “Seven Sisters,” OPEC sought to give the oil-producing nations greater influence over the global petroleum market. They account for roughly 40 per cent of the world’s crude oil and 80 per cent of the globe’s oil reserves, according to estimates from 2018. They usually meet every month to determine how much oil the member states will produce.
• However, many allege that OPEC behaves like a cartel, determining the supply of oil and influencing its price in the world market.

Why are they slashing production?
• Oil prices skyrocketed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, and have since begun to soften over the past few months, before dropping sharply to under $90 in September due to fears of a recession in Europe and reduced demands from China because of its lockdown measures.
• Today’s cut is the biggest of its kind since 2020 when OPEC+ members slashed outputs by 10 million bpd during the Covid-19 pandemic, Reuters reported. The reductions would boost prices and be extremely beneficial for the Middle Eastern member states, to whom Europe has turned for oil after levelling sanctions against Russia since it invaded Ukraine.
• OPEC+ members are concerned that a faltering global economy would reduce the demand for oil, and the cuts are seen as a way to protect profits. Increased oil prices, which first occurred during the invasion of Ukraine, have helped Saudi Arabia, one of the founding members of OPEC, become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

HEALTH ISSUES

5. NEW RESEARCH: SCIENTISTS ENGINEER MOSQUITOES THAT CAN’T SPREAD MALARIA, OFFER HOPE OF ERADICATING DISEASE

THE CONTEXT: Scientists have genetically modified mosquitoes to slow the growth of malaria-causing parasites in their guts — an advancement that can help prevent transmission of the disease to humans.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The disease is transmitted between people through a female mosquito after it bites someone infected with the malaria parasite. The parasite develops into its next stage in the mosquito’s gut and travels to its salivary glands, ready to infect the next person it bites.
• Now, the mosquitoes have been engineered to produce compounds that slow the growth of malaria-causing parasites.
• Though only around 10 per cent of mosquitoes live long enough for the infectious parasite to develop, malaria remains one of the most devastating diseases globally, putting at risk about half of the world’s population. In 2021, it infected 241 million people and killed 627,000 people.

The research
• Researchers from the Institute for Disease Modelling at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation developed a model to assess the impact of such modifications and found it could be effective even where transmission is high. While the technique, described in a paper published in Science Advances journal on September 21, has been shown to dramatically reduce the possibility of malaria spreading in a lab setting, if proven in the real world it could offer a powerful new tool to help eliminate malaria.
• Researchers from the Transmission: Zero team at Imperial College London, UK, genetically modified the main malaria-carrying species of mosquito in sub-Saharan Africa, Anopheles gambiae, such that the mosquito produced antimicrobial peptides in its gut when it had a blood meal.

How it works
• The peptides impair the malarial parasite’s development and also cause the mosquitoes to have a shorter life span. The co-first author of the study, Tibebu Habtewold, said new tools are increasingly needed as mosquitoes develop resistance to insecticides and treatments.
• To prevent malaria spread via genetic modification, the change needs to be spread from lab-bred mosquitoes to wild ones. The innovation is so designed that it can be coupled with existing ‘gene drive’ technology.
• “Gene drive is one such powerful weapon that in combination with drugs, vaccines and mosquito control can help stop the spread of malaria and save human lives,” study co-lead author Professor George Christophides said. Gene drive would cause the anti-parasite genetic modification to be preferentially inherited, making it spread more widely among any natural populations.

Applicability
• It would, however, require extremely careful planning to minimise risks before any field trials. The Transmission:Zero team is, therefore, creating two separate but compatible strains of modified mosquitoes — one with the anti-parasite modification and one with the gene drive.
• They can then test the anti-parasite modification on its own first, adding in the gene drive once it has been shown to be effective. With partners in Tanzania, the team set up a facility to conduct some first tests. They are also risk-assessing potential releases of modified mosquitoes and taking into account potential hazards, but are hopeful that their intervention can help eradicate malaria.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

6. THE NOBEL PRIZE 2022: MAKING CHEMISTRY CLICK

THE CONTEXT: The 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to chemists Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless from the U.S., and Morten Meldal from Denmark, for their work in the field of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry.
THE EXPLANATION:
• Dr. Sharpless was the first scientist to work on what is today called click chemistry – a branch of science that explores the assembly of molecules. In fact, this is not his first Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He previously won the award in 2001.

What is click chemistry?
• In simple terms, click chemistry is a functional field where molecules snap together quickly and efficiently – literally like a click.
• Dr. Sharpless talked about the field in the research paper in 2001, where he defined it as a “set of powerful, highly reliable, and selective reactions for the rapid synthesis of useful new compounds and combinatorial libraries through heteroatom links”. In the same paper, he talked about the need to develop synthetic strategies instead of trying to imitate naturally occurring compounds. He is of the view that even if click chemistry is unable to provide exact replicas of natural molecules, it can help find molecules that fulfil the same purpose.
• According to Dr. Sharpless, a reaction should be able to occur in the presence of oxygen and in water for it to be called that of click chemistry.

The need for click chemistry
• Replicating reactions that involve bonds between carbon atoms – that are vital to the existence of life – is expensive and often leads to side reactions and loss of material. Instead of trying to make carbon atoms react with each other, Dr. Sharpless’s research focuses on using smaller molecules that already have a complete carbon frame, The Nobel Foundation noted. These molecules can further be linked using oxygen or nitrogen atoms as bridges. Simpler reactions, “where there is a strong intrinsic drive for the molecules to bond together”, may avoid the loss of material as well as the unwanted side reactions.

1. Gubernatorial procrastination is unreasonable READ MORE
2. The fraying framework: Across the world, foundational ideas of major political systems are under challenge READ MORE
3. SC move to live-stream proceedings is good, but more needs to be done READ MORE
4. Democracy is dying of success!! READ MORE
5. Feasibility of freebies: Political parties need to spell out financial ramifications READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Explained | The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)- where does it stand today? READ MORE
2. Caves of Bandhavgarh not Buddhist, says Ashoka University Professor Nayanjot Lahiri READ MORE
3. Nobel Prize in Chemistry announced: The winners’ work, its significance READ MORE
4. ‘The picture for 2023 has darkened considerably’: The World Trade Organization says that global trade will decrease sharply next year as countries face a ‘multi-pronged crisis’ READ MORE
5. What are the EU’s new laws to regulate content online, and how do they compare with India’s? READ MORE
6. Debate over the collegium system: How are SC and HC judges appointed? READ MORE
7. Delhi’s air quality is now poor, GRAP measures enforced READ MORE
8. New research: Scientists engineer mosquitoes that can’t spread malaria, offer hope of eradicating disease READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. In a society that defines women by marital status, can the Supreme Court judgment on abortion make a difference? READ MORE
2. Protect the ethos of a multicultural India READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Gubernatorial procrastination is unreasonable READ MORE
2. The fraying framework: Across the world, foundational ideas of major political systems are under challenge READ MORE
3. SC move to live-stream proceedings is good, but more needs to be done READ MORE
4. Democracy is dying of success!! READ MORE
5. Feasibility of freebies: Political parties need to spell out financial ramifications READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. MENTAL HEALTH MUST BE A GLOBAL PRIORITY READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Neutrality, abstention: India must take a stand against Russia’s bombing and annexation of territory READ MORE
2. Creating a bridge between SCO, G20 READ MORE

 GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Leveraging value chains in farming READ MORE
2. India’s new logistics policy can fix foundational issues READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Calamity-prone — urban India’s worrying storyline READ MORE
2. Stubble trouble: With more paddy sown this year, the problem of stubble burning is only going to get worse READ MORE
3. Climate risk index shows threats to 90% of the world’s marine species READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. 5G must be evaluated READ MORE

SECURITY

1. CDS faces challenge of jointness in operations READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Matter may after all be only in the mind READ MORE
2. The dharmic duty of doubt READ MORE
3. Are you still evolving? READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. How far do you agree with this view that ECI and Courts are nit is position to address the issue of fiscal responsibility and an independent fiscal body, as recommended by fiancé commission, to do it? Analyse your view in light of ongoing freebies debate.
2. The National Logistics Policy can lead to greater integration of India into global value chains, higher share in international trade, higher employment, and accelerated economic growth. Examine.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Balance is not something you find, it is something you create.
• To treat the Bengaluru floods as an isolated case would be an urban planning mistake as every key city is in need of a comprehensive climate action plan
• India must take a stand against Russia’s bombing and annexation of territory.
• Across the world, foundational ideas of major political systems are under challenge.
• In societies of ethos, free and autonomous women cause trouble. They challenge familial ideologies and threaten state ideologies based on family, caste, and religion.
• FPOs can play a major role in aggregating small farmers and help in value addition.
• India is assuming the leadership of SCO and G20. While the two groupings have divergent goals, Delhi will need to ensure that the concerns of developing nations are not ignored. An assertive foreign policy that seeks to shape and steer conversations will help.
• The National Logistics Policy can lead to greater integration of India into global value chains, higher share in international trade, higher employment, and accelerated economic growth.
• A financially feasible road map for fulfilling poll promises is the need of the hour to help voters make informed choices and deter irresponsible governments from living beyond their means.
• Though 5G would be a game changer its ill effects on the human health must be evaluated and made known to the public.
• Using the power of democracy, India created a new paradigm. It rejected the view that a country must first become economically fit for democracy.
• Great leaders create more leaders, not gobs of followers.
• Democracy is a journey but also a destination. India hasn’t lost the path, but hasn’t found the way. There is a danger of democracy degenerating into power grabbing. India remains vulnerable to populist demagoguery and the predatory power of cross-border corporate and governing institutions.

ESSAY TOPIC

• Balance is not something you find, it is something you create.
• Great leaders create more leaders, not gobs of followers.

50-WORD TALK

• Modi government prioritising electoral politics over economic prudence through decisions on free grains, fuel tax and monetary policy is troubling. The pandemic-hit economy is still struggling to recover. Global headwinds triggered by geopolitical uncertainties are making recovery even more challenging. The economy should trump elections, not the other way round.
• The outrage from members of both communities over Muslims attending Hindu garba events is what India doesn’t need right now. Casual interfaith intermingling around Eid, Diwali, Dushera, Christmas is the way to go. Communities living in religious silos will hurt the India Story in the 21st century phase of nation-building.

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.

[WpProQuiz 347]

THE CONTEXT: The recent incidents of landslides in Himalayan states and the Western Ghats have again put the spotlight on the need for early detection, warning, and prevention systems and adopting sustainable solutions for better management of landslides disasters in India. This article analyses causes, impact & suggestive steps regarding Landslides.

WHAT IS A LANDSLIDE?

• Landslide is a physical phenomenon when a part of rock, and/or debris/ soil fall due to the action of gravity.
• It is caused by a set of terrain-specific geo-factors (e.g., slope, lithology, rock structure, land use/ cover, geomorphology, etc.) and in general is triggered by heavy rainfall or earthquake tremors.
• In Indian terrain, landslide events are mostly triggered by monsoonal rainfall but examples of earthquake-triggered landslides are also not uncommon in India (e.g., Uttarkashi Earthquake, Chamoli Earthquake, Sikkim Earthquake, etc).
• The entire Himalayan tract, hills/ mountains in sub-Himalayan terrains of North-east India, Western Ghats, the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu Konkan areas are landslide-prone.

RECENT LANDSLIDE DISASTERS

ü  On 26th July, nine people lost their lives when a landslide suddenly flung boulders down a hill in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district.

ü  On 18th July 18, a series of landslides in two areas of Mumbai claimed at least 32 lives.

ü  On 14th July, five died in HP’s Kangra district after heavy rainfall triggered floods and landslides.

IMPORTANT FACTS RELATED TO LANDSLIDE RISK IN INDIA

• India has mountainous and hilly areas in as many as 16 states and two UTs, located in the Himalayan and sub-Himalayan region and the Western Ghats.
• The area prone to landslides accounts for about 12.6% of the Indian landmass, translating into 4.2 lakh square kilometers in absolute terms.
• This area spans across more than 170 districts.
• India accounts for about 18 percent of the total global fatalities due to landslides in the hills. Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, and Ladakh record more than 65 percent of the landslides in the country, followed by the Northeast Himalayas and the Western Ghats.

WHY DO THE HIMALAYAS EXPERIENCE MORE LANDSLIDES THAN THE WESTERN GHATS?

• The Himalayas are one of the youngest fold mountains of the world. They are formed by the convergent movement of the Indian plate and Eurasian plate rather they are still rising in height. These tectonic movements cause frequent earthquakes in the region often resulting in landslides. Whereas the Western Ghats lies in the stable Deccan shieldless prone to landslides than the Himalayas.
• The Himalayas are greater in height than the Western Ghats. The slopes are comparatively steeper which increases the chance of landslide. Whereas the Western Ghats is much lesser in height than the Himalayas.
• The perennial rivers in the Himalayas carry a huge amount of silt and debris. The melting of glaciers even increasing the flow of water during summer thus leading to more amount of landslides. But the Western Ghats on the other hand does not face such a situation.

MAJOR LANDSLIDE PRONE AREAS OF INDIA

ANALYSING THE REASONS BEHIND LANDSLIDE

HUMAN INTERVENTION

• Human activity such as the construction of roads, buildings, and railways, mining and quarrying, and hydropower projects damage hilly slopes and impact natural drainage by removing soil and vegetation, loosening soil and gravel, and making the hills more susceptible to landslides.
• India accounted for 28% of construction-triggered landslide events, followed by China (9%), and Pakistan (6%).
• India also accounted for maximum landslides triggered by mining, at 12%, followed by Indonesia (11.7%), and China (10%).
• Bootstrapping an incompatible model of development in the hills, represented by big hydroelectric projects and large-scale construction activity involving the destruction of forests and damming of rivers, is an invitation to disasters like landslides.
• According to the GSI report, infrastructural development for tourism that involved the modification of slopes – construction of new roads and widening of existing ones, building houses, hotels, and homestays – increased the vulnerability of mountains in both the Himalayas and the Western Ghats to the rain and made the landslides and floods that much more devastating. For example, landslides in Kodagu.
• In the Western Ghats, Plantations are also the major reason for landslides. Imported tree species cannot withstand the local weather conditions and get uprooted even in a slight downpour. For example, Nilgiris initially had a lot of native trees and millet species but monoculture transformed the soil. With the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and repeat planting methods, the texture of the soil changed gradually.

UNPLANNED DEVELOPMENT, FLAWED REGULATIONS

• A study analyzing building regulations in eight towns in the Himalayan region found that building bylaws do not make provisions for the particular geo-environmental context of a settlement. The same land use regulations apply regardless of topographical location, slope angle and direction, and the hazard potential of a site.
• The National Landslide Risk Management Strategy published by the NIDM in September 2019 also flagged this anomaly. The regulations are mostly inspired by Delhi Master Plan(s).
• Lack of local land use planning or its updation in the urban local bodies of the Himalayan region and the Western Ghats is resulting in ill-conceived planning, unplanned development, and ultimately slope instability.

EXTREME WEATHER

• Severe, unpredictable weather events such as heavy, intense rainfall due to the climate crisis are adding another layer of complexity to landslide incidents in the country.
• Of the total landslides triggered by rainfall, 16% were reported from India. Of these, 77% occurred during the monsoon.

NDMA’S GUIDELINES FOR LANDSLIDE AND SNOW AVALANCHES DISASTER MANAGEMENT (2009) AND NATIONAL LANDSLIDE RISK

MANAGEMENT STRATEGY (2019)

LANDSLIDE HAZARD, VULNERABILITY, AND RISK ASSESSMENT

• It includes delineating areas susceptible to landslide hazards and the status of landslide hazards in different areas and to assess the resources at risk due to these hazards as per the requirement of communities and for planning and decision-making purposes.
• This also involves site-specific studies of landslides and preparation of landslide inventory.

MULTI-HAZARD CONCEPTUALISATION

• Integrating landslide concerns into multi-hazard disaster management plans at different levels for effective risk assessment, mitigation and response.

LANDSLIDE REMEDIATION PRACTICE

• Encouraging implementation of successful landslide remediation and mitigation technologies, and execution of pacesetter examples in mitigation and remediation strategies to build confidence amongst the affected communities.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT; MONITORING AND EARLY WARNING

• Research is of critical importance in managing landslides. Developing a predictive understanding of landslide processes and triggering mechanisms; regional real-time landslide warning systems based on threshold values of rainfall; real-time monitoring and establishing early warning systems are some of the important fields of research that need immediate attention.

KNOWLEDGE NETWORK AND MANAGEMENT

• Establishing an effective system for gathering information on landslides, loss assessment resulting from landslides, and the effective dissemination of technical information and maps is an essential component of the disaster management process.

PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATION

• Effective communication of landslide hazard issues to the affected communities through education, public awareness programmes, posters, audio-visual aids, media campaigns, etc., is required.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

• Development of coordinated landslide rapid response capability involving scientists, engineers, local authorities, the National Disaster Response Force, and paramilitary forces. Rescue, relief, and rehabilitation are covered in this component.

WAY FORWARD: LANDSLIDE-PRONE AREAS NEED TECH SUPPORT

HOW MAPPING LANDSLIDES CAN MINIMISE DAMAGE

• Improvement in early warning systems, monitoring, and susceptibility zoning can reduce the damage caused by landslides.
• The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has done a national landslide susceptibility mapping at 1:50,000 scale for 85% of the entire 420,000 square km landslide-prone area in the country.
• This would not only help avoid many new landslides that are caused heavily by human interventions but also reduce damages to life and property if an incident happens.
• The maps need to be localized to give a more magnified view of the locality to be more useful. This would help to build plans and local construction activities.

PLANNING AHEAD

• Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC) has developed a landslide action plan using 1:5,000 scale susceptibility maps and new regulations to guide construction activities.
• It has set up a landslide policy committee involving stakeholders from various departments and researchers to prepare a long-term safety plan.
• After years of facing tragedies, Kerala is also trying to ensure disaster-resilient development in its hilly regions. The ‘Rebuild Kerala’ action plan has given high priority to the preparation of landslide hazard zonation maps in hilly areas at the municipality and panchayat levels.
• NHAI while building roads took remedial measures such as concreting with wire mesh and rock bolting, use of rockfall nets, concrete cladding, and proper diversion of surface runoff through catch drains, chutes and toe drains on berms, etc. It provides stability to the slopes.

MONITORING FOR EARLY WARNING

• Local geographical indicators offer warning signs for landslides.
• New cracks, unusual bulges and depressions in the ground; tilting trees, telecom poles or retaining walls; soil moving away from foundations; and sudden increase in water flow in streams with more mud, or decrease in flow when it is still raining or rainfall has recently stopped, can signal landslides.
• Rainfall is a key indicator. The GSI started an experiment in Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) in Darjeeling (West Bengal) and the Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu), which could be expanded to other landslide-prone states if it proves successful. The model is based on rainfall threshold, which is the amount of rainfall a slope can hold before a landslide gets triggered, which is estimated using past cumulative rainfall data combined with landslide susceptibility data.
• Some experiments are also going on to monitor landslides through movement sensors and rain gauges. These systems alert the officials and scientists through SMS or emails once a threshold value is reached. Coimbatore-based Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, for instance, has set up real-time landslide monitoring and early warning systems in Munnar (Kerala) and Gangtok (Sikkim).
• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi, has also installed surface-level motion-sensor-based early warning systems in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The device collects weather parameters, soil moisture, soil movement, and rainfall intensities. When the device detects a significant displacement of the earth which could result in a landslide, it alerts the officials.

SWISS MODEL

• Prof.Madhav Gadgil who headed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) suggested ‘Swiss Model’ is the solution to prevent landslides in the Western Ghats

ü  The extensive forest cover of Switzerland has developed only over the last 160 years.

ü  Before that, only about 4% of that country’s lands had retained forest and there were disastrous landslides.

ü  This led to a public awakening and a restoration of the tree cover.

ü  This regeneration was managed by local communities, not by government departments.

ü  Working together, communities of Switzerland, practicing genuine participatory democracy, have revived the country’s ecology.

CONCLUSION: There is a cost to pursuing development goals without paying attention to environmental constraints. Therefore, development goals must be pursued without breaching environmental regulations. Recent devastating landslides signal the dire need for ramping up disaster alert systems while enhancing climate change mitigation efforts.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. CJI SENDS 2ND NOTE OVER NAMING NEW JUDGES: WHAT IS THE SC COLLEGIUM, HOW IT WORKS

THE CONTEXT: With two of the five-member Supreme Court Collegium against a proposal to recommend four new judges to the top court through a written note instead of a formal meeting, Chief Justice of India U U Lalit is learnt to have written to them again, seeking reconsideration of their stand.

THE EXPLANATION:

• CJI Lalit is due to retire in little over a month, leaving him with very little time for appointments. As per convention, the government writes to the outgoing CJI before his retirement and the CJI recommends the name of the most senior judge as the successor about a month before retirement.
• Once a new name is recommended, the incumbent CJI usually refrains from taking decisions on appointment of judges.

The Collegium system

• The collegium system is the way by which judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts are appointed and transferred. The collegium system is not rooted in the Constitution or a specific law promulgated by Parliament; it has evolved through judgments of the Supreme Court.
• The Supreme Court Collegium is a five-member body, which is headed by the incumbent CJI and comprises the four other senior most judges of the court at that time. A High Court collegium is led by the incumbent Chief Justice and four other senior most judges of that court. By its very nature, the composition of the collegium keeps changing.
• Judges of the higher judiciary are appointed only through the collegium system, and the government has a role only after names have been decided by the collegium. Names recommended for appointment by a High Court collegium reach the government only after approval by the CJI and the Supreme Court collegium.
• The role of the government in this entire process is limited to getting an inquiry conducted by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) if a lawyer is to be elevated as a judge in a High Court or the Supreme Court. The government can also raise objections and seek clarifications regarding the collegium’s choices, but if the collegium reiterates the same names, the government is bound to appoint them.
• Critics have pointed out that the system is non-transparent, since it does not involve any official mechanism or secretariat. It is seen as a closed-door affair with no prescribed norms regarding eligibility criteria, or even the selection procedure. There is no public knowledge of how and when a collegium meets, and how it takes its decisions. There are no official minutes of collegium proceedings.

2. THE SUPREME COURT SAYS ABORTION RIGHTS NOT LIMITED TO ‘CIS-GENDER WOMEN’: WHAT THIS TERM MEANS

THE CONTEXT: In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court said it was unconstitutional to distinguish between married and unmarried women while allowing abortion when the foetus is between 20-24 weeks. Going a step further, the court said the term ‘woman’ in the judgment included persons other than cisgender women.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The three-judge bench said in the order delivered by Justice D Y Chandrachud, “Before we embark upon a discussion on the law and its application, it must be mentioned that we use the term ‘woman’ in this judgment as including persons other than cis-gender women who may require access to safe medical termination of their pregnancies.”

What is cisgender?

• The term cisgender is used to define people whose gender identity and expression match the identity assigned to them at birth.
• When a child is born, it is assigned a gender identity based on its physical characteristics. Many believe that gender is a social construct, and growing up, the child may or may not confirm to the birth identity.
• For transgender people, their sense of gender identity does not match the one assigned to them at birth.
• Thus, a cisgender woman is a person who was assigned female at birth and continues to identify as a woman. On the other hand, a child assigned female at birth can feel it identifies more authentically as a man as it grows up.

Cisgender: Origins of the term

• The latin prefix ‘cis’ literally means ‘on the same side of’, while ‘trans’ means on the other side. Trans as a prefix is used commonly (transatlantic, trans-tasman), though cis is rarer in popular usage.
• ‘Cisgender’ entered Britain’s Oxford English Dictionary in 2015, and the USA’s Merriam Webster Dictionary in 2016. Both dictionaries document its first usage around 1994. Dana Leland Defosse, a biologist at the University of Minnesota, is believed to have first used the word in connection with a study on transphobia, in May 1994.
• What is commonly agreed upon is that the word existed in academic journals since the mid-90s. It was popularised by gender theorist and activist Julia Serano’s 2007 book Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity, and gradually, especially with the advent of the internet, became part enough of popular parlance to be included in the dictionaries.

Why the word cisgender is important?

• If there are ‘transgender’ people, there should be a word for those who are not. Giving a label to only one section of the population, especially when that is in the minority, implies that the others are default, ‘normal’, and only that section needs to be labeled.

Use of gender-inclusive vocabularies in official documents

• Before India’s Supreme Court used ‘cisgender’ in the context of reproductive rights, last year in June, the US government had replaced the word ‘mothers’ with ‘birthing people’ in a section on bringing down maternal mortality in its 2022 fiscal year budget, provoking quite a furore in Republican circles.

Those who advocate the use of ‘birthing people’ say it is not just women who give birth. Transmen — a person assigned the female gender at birth but who identifies as a man – and genderqueer people – who identify as neither man nor woman – also give birth.

THE HEALTH ISSUES

3. THE INCREASE IN CHOLERA CASES

THE CONTEXT: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a “worrying surge” in cholera cases across the globe.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Recently 26 countries have reported cholera outbreak in 2022. This is problematic since, normally, less than 20 countries report cholera outbreak every year.
• Haiti had recorded at least 7 cholera deaths for the first time in 3 years. The health crisis in the Caribbean country was worsened because of surge in fuel prices, which has caused shortages in clean drinking water and adversely affected the operations of healthcare facilities.
• Conflict, poverty and climate crisis are the main reasons behind the spike in cholera cases at the international level.
• Extreme climatic conditions like flooding, cyclones and droughts are reducing the access to clean water and supporting the spread of cholera.
• The WHO warned that these outbreaks are expected to be larger and more fatal in the coming years because of climate change.
• In 2021, the fatality rate has tripled when compared with the previous 5 years.
• Currently, the WHO does not have accurate figures on the cholera cases and deaths because of the absence of standard surveillance system in the affected countries.
• In India, cholera is endemic. This year, the number of cases in Maharashtra surpassed the last year’s figures, resulting in 261 cases and at least 6 deaths in July. The number of deaths in the state is highest in this decade.
• Though cholera cases are spreading, this disease can be prevented easily.
• The fatality rate can be reduced below one per cent through the timely and proper administration of oral rehydration and intravenous fluids.
• While GAVI, the vaccine alliance, has the emergency stockpiles of vaccines against cholera and other diseases, such measures are inaccessible to many countries.
• Though the WHO has these vaccines, there is a huge shortage because of manufacturing problems. There are insufficient number of vaccines to respond to both acute outbreaks and implement preventive measures.

VALUE ADDITION:

About Cholera:

Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but sometimes can be severe.

How does a person get cholera?

• A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium. In an epidemic, the source of the contamination is usually the feces (stool) of an infected person. The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.
• The cholera bacterium may also live in the environment in brackish rivers and coastal waters. Shellfish eaten raw have been a source of cholera. The disease is not likely to spread directly from one person to another; therefore, casual contact with an infected person is not a risk for becoming ill.

Can cholera be treated?

• Cholera can be simply and successfully treated by immediate replacement of the fluid and salts lost through diarrhea. Patients can be treated with oral rehydration solution, a prepackaged mixture of sugar and salts to be mixed with water and drunk in large amounts.
• This solution is used throughout the world to treat diarrhea. Severe cases also require intravenous fluid replacement. With prompt rehydration, less than 1% of cholera patients die.
• Antibiotics shorten the course and diminish the severity of the illness, but they are not as important as rehydration. Persons who develop severe diarrhea and vomiting in countries where cholera occurs should seek medical attention promptly.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES IN NEWS

4. THE SARTHAK INITIATIVE

THE CONTEXT: NIMHANS and HelpAge India are jointly implementing Sarthak to ensure mental well-being of elderly.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Sarthak is a community-based initiative that provides nurses, healthcare workers and volunteers training on geriatric mental health.
• The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) and an NGO named HelpAge India are collaborating to implement this initiative.
• Under Sarthak initiative, 10,000 mental health workers will be trained to identify and counter mental health issues faced by older people.
• The training will be provided for non-specialized health workers and community caregivers through customized online modules focusing on specific categories like Non-Specialist health workforce, Informal Caregivers and Institutional Caregivers.

Mental health situation among elderly

According to the NGO HelpAge, over 20 per cent of adults aging 60 and above suffer from a mental or neurological disorders like dementia and depression. During the pandemic, it found that in a sample size of 5,000 people, 60 per cent reported that they felt lonely and isolated. 40 per cent of them have felt depressed. This issue is expected to worsen in the coming years. The Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI) report forecasted 14 million senior citizens in India will face mental health issues by 2050. This is a significant increase from the current figure of 5 million. Currently, in India, 2 in 10 people facing mental health issues are not receiving any kind of assistance to address mental health problems. There is only 1 psychiatrist for over 2 lakh people.

About NIMHANS

The Bengaluru-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) is India’s apex centre for mental health and neuroscience education. It comes under the aegis of the Union Health Ministry and operates autonomously as the Institute of National Importance. The institute’s origin can be traced to the establishment of Bangalore Lunatic Asylum in 1847. The Indian Parliament had passed a law in 2012 to declare it as an Institute of National Importance.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS: BREAKTHROUGHS IN QUANTUM TECH

THE CONTEXT: The Nobel Committee announced the names of three physicists as Nobel Laureates for this year. They are Alain Aspect from the University of Paris-Saclay, France; John F. Clauser of John F Clauser and Associates, California, USA; and Anton Zeilinger, University of Vienna, Austria.

THE EXPLANATION:

They have been awarded for “experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science,” according to a press release by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the Nobel Prizes every year.

The award

• At the heart of the award is the concept of quantum entanglement, which Albert Einstein referred to as “spooky action at a distance.” The Prize has been given for experimental work in this area. Two of the laureates—John Clauser and Alain Aspect—worked on firming up this concept and developing more complex experiments that demonstrated this phenomenon, especially creating, processing and measuring what are called Bell pairs. The third laureate, Anton Zeilinger, has been chosen for his innovative use of entanglement and Bell pairs both in research and application such as quantum cryptography.
• Mechanics is the branch of physics that deals with the movement and interaction of various bodies. Classical mechanics is the study of the dynamics of a system at the very basic level of Newton’s laws of motion.
• When there are a few bodies or particles interacting, classical mechanics can be used in a straightforward manner. It can be extended to many particle systems like a box containing millions of molecules of a gas, by employing the powerful techniques of statistics. This is called statistical mechanics.

Breakdown of the classical

• Newton’s laws were, of course, very successful in describing a lot of everyday activities, from playing tennis to sending a rocket to Mars. However, they broke down, or were of no use, when describing the behaviour of subatomic particles or light quanta, for example.
• Despite all these innovations, there were phenomena that could not be explained by physicists. To understand these problems, in the early decades of the 20 th century, postulates of quantum mechanics were brought in. The chief architects of this were Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrodinger, Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr to name a few.
• Many of the concepts that were useful in visualising the movement of particles in the classical realm break down when you look at particles obeying quantum mechanics.

Trajectory and its absence

• For example, when a tennis ball is struck, you can observe it and see that it traces out a definite path in space. This path called a trajectory, and it is eminently possible to theoretically calculate the trajectory of the ball to any given accuracy.

THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

6. THE NANSEN AWARD

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently received the Nansen Refugee Award.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Ex-German Chancellor Angela Merkel received the UNHCR Nansen Award for providing asylum for refugees while in office.
• While Merkel was the Chancellor in 2015 and 2016, Germany welcomed more than 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers, especially from Syria.
• The UNHCR recognized Merkel’s determination to protect asylum seekers, helping them to survive and rebuild after facing war.
• The Nansen Award committee also honoured four regional winners. These include a refugee support cacao cooperative in Costa Rica in the Americas, a volunteer refugee firefighting group in Mauritia in West Africa, humanitarian organization Meikse Myanmar that helps internally displaced people in Asia and the Pacific and an Iraqi gynaecologist known for providing medical and psychological aid to Yazidi girls and women in North Africa and Middle East.
• The Nansen Awards will be bestowed to Merkel and other winners at a ceremony that will be organized in Geneva, Switzerland on October 10, 2022.
• While Merkel will receive a cash prize of 150,000 USD, the regional winners will each receive 50,000 USD.

About Nansen Award

• The Nansen Award is conferred every year by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to an individual, group or organization in recognition of their contribution towards aiding refugees, stateless or displaced people.
• It was created in 1954 in honour of the first United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Arctic explorer and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen. The first to receive this award is Eleanor Roosevelt. Regional awards for the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East are being conferred since 2017.

What is UNHCR?

The UNHCR is a UN agency involved in the protection of refugees and displaced and stateless communities. It is involved in their voluntary repatriation, local integration and resettlement in a foreign country.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

1. HOW CAN INDIA REDUCE ITS IMPACT ON GLOBAL WARMING

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has pointed out that since the industrial revolution, human activities have released large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2).
THE EXPLANATION:
Alarming Increase in Carbon Dioxide:
• Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased by over 40%, from 280 ppm in the 18th century to 414 ppm in 2020, and greenhouse gases level by over these 200 years.
• Reason: Due to fuel burning and other ‘greenhouse gases’ such as methane, nitrous oxide, and compounds of sulphur, phosphorous, ozone into the atmosphere, changing the earth’s climate.

India Specific Observations:
• Rise in Greenhouse gases: The industrial revolution started only after India’s Independence 75 years ago which has led to a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases.
• Need to Reduce Carbon Footprint in Farming Sector: India has a total food-grain production of 275 million tonnes. India is the second largest producer of rice, wheat, sugarcane, cotton and groundnuts. It, thus, becomes important that India try and reduce its carbon footprint as much as possible, more in its farming sector.
Innovative Initiatives in Agriculture to Reduce Global Warming
• Farmers are using solar panels in their fields, so that they can avoid diesel for groundwater pumps.
• Climate-friendly agriculture offers new income sources and is more sustainable and India’s carbon emissions could drop by 45-62 million tonnes annually.
• India has about 20-39% vegetarians and 70% of the population eat meat — mainly chicken, mutton and fish. India, with its many rivers, has a vast coastline which is rich in fishes and fishes have high nutritional value and help in reducing carbon footprint.

India’s Efforts
Updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs):
• India now stands committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030 from its 2005 levels, as per the updated NDC.
• The country will also target about 50 percent of cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
• To create an additional (cumulative) carbon sink of 2.5-3 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) by 2030 through additional forest and tree cover.
• To further a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, ‘LIFE’ ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ as a key to combating climate change” has been added to India’s NDC.
• The update is also a step towards achieving India’s long term goal of reaching net-zero by 2070.
Adaptation and Mitigation:
• The Government has launched many schemes and programs to scale up India’s actions on both adaptation and mitigation.
• Appropriate measures are being taken under these schemes and programs across many sectors, including water, agriculture, forest, energy and enterprise, sustainable mobility and housing, waste management, circular economy and resource efficiency, etc.
• As a result of the aforesaid measures, India has progressively continued decoupling of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions.
Focus on Renewable Energy:
• The PM has set the targets and reiterated that the Indian government is committed to increasing the share of renewable energy in India’s total energy share. Initially, the target for renewable energy was set at 175 GW, but now it has been further revised to 450 GW by 2030.
• It will lead to an overall increase in green jobs such as in renewable energy, clean energy industries- in automotives, manufacturing of low emissions products like Electric Vehicles and super-efficient appliances, and innovative technologies such as green hydrogen, etc.
Mobilisation of Resources:
• India is earmarking a large part of its developmental resources to the fight against climate change.
• This is a stupendous effort as compared to the western countries, which are already at the advanced stages of development.
International Solar Alliance (ISA):
• ISA is a global alliance being initiated by India as well as headquartered in India. It is aimed at promoting research to develop more efficient, low-cost solutions to the global energy requirements, by leveraging advanced technology as well as providing incentives and regulation.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

2. INDIA’S ECONOMY TO GROW 5.7% IN 2022, 4.7% IN 2023: UNCTAD

THE CONTEXT: The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) expects India’s economy to grow 5.7% in 2022 and 4.7% in 2023. India’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 8.7% in FY22.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The UN report expects the world economy to grow 2.6% in 2022. This is 0.9 percentage points below last year’s projected rate. The growth is expected to further decelerate in 2023 to 2.2%. This would leave the real GDP below the pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023.
• It warns that the rapidly increasing interest rates and fiscal tightening in the advanced economies, along with the Russia-Ukraine War, have already exacerbated the global slowdown into a global economic downturn.
• The advanced economies’ monetary and fiscal policies risk triggering a global recession and prolonging stagnation. This could lead to a situation worse than the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020 COVID-19 induced shock.
• The report holds that attempting to curb inflation by increasing interest rates is an impudent gamble and would lead to a recession.
• Excessive monetary tightening, especially given the current situation of declining real wages, financial turbulence and insufficient support and coordination from multilateral forum, could lead to stagnation and instability in many developing economies as well as some developed ones.
• The report expects the Indian economy, the largest in the region, to grow 5.7% in 2022 and 4.7% in 2023. In FY22, the country’s GDP grew 8.7%.
• The country’s economic activity is being affected by weaker public expenditure and higher financing costs, according to the 2022 report. While the government plans to boost capex, especially in the road and rail sectors, the weakening global economy will put pressure on the policymakers to reduce the fiscal imbalances. This would reduce expenditure elsewhere.

ABOUT:
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
The Geneva-based UN body has been releasing this report since 1981 to provide analysis the major current economic trends and policy issues of global concern. It provides recommendations to boost the global economy so that lives of people are improved and the future of the planet is secure.

THE SECURITY AFFAIRS

3. INDIGENOUSLY DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED LCH INDUCTED INTO INDIAN AIR FORCE

THE CONTEXT: In a big boost to Aatmanirbhartha in Defence, Raksha Mantri presided over the formal induction of Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Jodhpur.
THE EXPLANATION:
Naming LCH as “Prachanda”, Raksha Mantri said that its induction comes during the Amrit kal when the Nation is celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and a pointer to the future when IAF will be the top most force in the world, as also making the country fully AatmaNirbhar in Defence production requirements. Raksha Mantri also took a sortie onboard the LCH shortly after its induction into IAF.
• The LCH was developed after around 20 years of research and development post Kargil War. The name Prachand means “fierce”. It was designed and developed by the state-owned defence company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• The indigenous content in LSP version of the helicopter accounts for the 45 per cent of the cost, which is expected to raise to more than 55 per cent in the production version of the series.

FEATURES:

• This indigenously developed 5.5 tonne class combat helicopter is equipped with numerous stealth features, armoured protection, night attack capability and landing gear capable of survival.
• It has extended range and high-altitude performance capability as well as the round-the-clock, all-weather combat capability. It is capable of neutralizing adversary air defence, conducting counter-insurgency operations and combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations. It is useful for conducting high-altitude bunker busting operations and counter-insurgency operations in jungle and urban terrains.
• It can also be used for countering slow-moving aircraft and remotely operated aircrafts. This helicopter can also provide assistance to ground forces during combat situations.
• Presently, the Indian Armed Forces is expected to require a total of 160 LCHs, of which 65 is for IAF and 95 is for the Indian Army. The HAL has now created a strategy to achieve the peak rate production capacity of 30 helicopters per annum to manufacture the remaining 145 of these combat helicopters in 8 years from the date of inking the series production order.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES IN NEWS

4. SWACHH SURVEKSHAN AWARDS 2022

THE CONTEXT: Indore has been adjudged the cleanest city of India for the sixth year in a row, while Madhya Pradesh is the cleanest state in the country. Surat is the second cleanest city and Navi Mumbai comes a close third in the category of cities with a population more than a lakh.
THE EXPLANATION:
• In the population category of less than one lakh, Panchgani and Karad from Maharashtra bagged the first and third positions respectively, while Patan from Chhattisgarh bagged the second position.
• Tirupati received the best city award in Safai Mitra Suraksha category, while Haridwar in Uttarakhand received the award for the best Ganga town in more than one lakh population cities. Shivamogga in Karnataka received the fast mover city award.
• The State awards saw Madhya Pradesh emerge as the Cleanest State in the category of “more than 100 Urban Local Bodies”, relegating Chhattisgarh, the cleanest State of the previous three years, to second place. Maharashtra emerged as third cleanest State.
• Similarly, Tripura got the cleanest State award in the “less than 100 urban local bodies category”, dislodging Jharkhand, which had won in the past two consecutive years. Jharkhand and Uttarakhand received the second and third spots respectively.

VALUE ADDITION:
Swachh Survekshan:
• Swachh Survekshan, conducted by MoHUA since 2016, is the world’s largest urban sanitation and cleanliness survey.
o It is being conducted under the ambit of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)2.0.
• It has been instrumental in fostering a spirit of healthy competition among towns and cities to improve their service delivery to citizens and towards creating cleaner cities.
• It aims to encourage cities to improve the status of urban sanitation while encouraging large scale citizen participation.

THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

5. ICAR SCIENTISTS DISCOVER NEW FISH SPECIES IN METTUR DAM

THE CONTEXT: A new catfish species has been discovered in the river Cauvery near Mettur Dam.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The edible species has been named Pangasius icaria ( P. icaria) after the Indian Council of Agricultural Research that discovered the species. The species belongs to the Pangasius genus.
• The genus Pangasius is found in the Gangetic plains but not in peninsular India.
• Through this study, they found that Pangasius specimens from the river Cauvery are different from other species of the genus Pangasius.
• The new species is edible and the locals call it keluthi in Tamil.
• Catfish has high commercial value in aquaculture and wild capture fisheries.

THE MISCELLANEOUS

6. MEDICINE NOBEL GOES TO SWEDISH SCIENTIST SVANTE PÄÄBO FOR SEQUENCING NEANDERTHAL GENOME

THE CONTEXT: Swedish scientist Svante Pääbo has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology for the year 2022 “for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution.”
THE EXPLANATION:
• Through his pioneering research, Svante Pääbo – this year’s #NobelPrize laureate in physiology or medicine – accomplished something seemingly impossible: sequencing the genome of the Neanderthal, an extinct relative of present-day humans.
• “Through his groundbreaking research, Svante Pääbo established an entirely new scientific discipline, paleogenomics. Following the initial discoveries, his group has completed analyses of several additional genome sequences from extinct hominins. Pääbo’s discoveries have established a unique resource, which is utilized extensively by the scientific community to better understand human evolution and migration.
• New powerful methods for sequence analysis indicate that archaic hominins may also have mixed with Homo sapiens in Africa. However, no genomes from extinct hominins in Africa have yet been sequenced due to accelerated degradation of archaic DNA in tropical climates.

[WpProQuiz 346]

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