TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (30th JANUARY 2023)

HEALTH ISSUES

1. NATIONAL ANTI-LEPROSY DAY 2023

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-II- HEALTH ISSUES

THE CONTEXT: In India, the World Leprosy Day is celebrated on January 30. It is celebrated as the Anti – Leprosy Day in India. This is to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi ji. Gandhiji had compassion towards the people affected by leprosy throughout his life.

THE EXPLANATION:

Leprosy

  • Leprosy is also called Hansen disease. It is caused by bacterial infection. It is caused by the bacteria called Mycobacterium Leprae. It is a rod shaped bacteria. Leprosy is one of the oldest diseases and has still not been eradicated. The first occurrence of leprosy was reported as 600 BC. It has been mentioned in the oldest civilisations of the world such as India, Egypt and China.
  • Leprosy is air borne. It affects peripheral nerves, skin, and respiratory tract. It takes three to five years for the symptoms to appear. If not treated on time, leprosy leads to disfigurement, disability and permanent nerve damage.
  • Leprosy can be cured by Multi – Drug therapy.

Steps taken by GoI

  • In 1955, the National Leprosy Control Programme was started.
  • In 1993 – 93, the World Bank supported National Leprosy Elimination Project.
  • National Leprosy Eradication Programme: It aimed to reduce the leprosy levels to less than one per 10,000 at national level by 2005.
  • In 2019, Lok Sabha passed a bill on leprosy. The bill sought to remove leprosy as a ground for divorce.

National Leprosy Eradication Programme:

Objectives

  • To reduce Prevalence rate less than 1/10,000 population at sub national and district level.
  • To reduce Grade II disability % < 1 among new cases at National level
  • To reduce Grade II disability cases < 1 case per million population at National level.
  • Zero disabilities among new Child cases.
  • Zero stigma and discrimination against persons affected by leprosy.

ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & CLIMATE CHANGE

2. NOBLE’S HELEN: NEW SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY FROM ARUNACHAL PRADESH

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-III- ENVIRONMENT,ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

THE CONTEXT: The butterfly population has been increasing in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in recent times. The state is called the nature trove and is known for its biodiversity.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • Recently, a new swallowtail butterfly was spotted in the state. It is called the Noble Helen. The species does not occur in India. Its origin is in China, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The butterfly has been disappearing in these countries and was recently spotted in India.

Butterflies

  • The butterflies occur in all parts of the world except Antarctica. There are 18,500 butterfly species in the world.
  • Of these 775 are Nearctic. The Nearctic includes tropical, subtropical, arctic, and temperate regions of North America.
  • 7,700 are neo-tropical. Neotropical regions include eight biological terrains. They are south America, the Caribbean islands, Central America, Yucatan Peninsula, southern North America, southern Florida, and central Florida.
  • 1,575 are Palearctic. Palearctic includes Eurasia, North Africa, and Arabian Peninsula
  • 3650 are Afro-tropical. This includes Madagascar, Iran, the western Indian Ocean, and Pakistan
  • 4800 are in Australian regions.

Butterflies in India

  • In India, butterflies occur in Eastern Himalayas, Western Ghats, and in hills in the India – Myanmar border. These friends of humanity are becoming extinct mainly because of the loss of habitat.

VALUE ADDITION:

  • A Himalayan butterfly named Golden Birdwing is India’s largest, a record an unknown specimen had held for 88 years.
  • The smallest is the Quaker (Neopithecops zalmora) with a wingspan of 18 mm and forewing length of 8 mm.

Other State Butterflies:

  • Maharashtra was the first in the country to announce its state butterfly (Blue Mormon).
  • Uttarakhand has Common Peacock.
  • Arunachal Pradesh has Kaiser-i-Hind Butterfly.
  • Karnataka has the Southern Birdwing.
  • Kerala has Malabar banded peacock or buddha butterfly.
  • Tamil Nadu has declared the Tamil Yeoman Butterfly species (endemic to the Western Ghats) as the state butterfly.

3. WHAT IS ALBINISM?

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-III- ENVIRONMENT,ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

THE CONTEXT: Recently a partial albino dhole (Cuon alpinus) has been photo-documented in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Albinism:

  • Albinism is the result of cells that can’t produce melanin, the pigment needed to colour skin, scales, eyes and hair.
  • This genetic condition gets passed to offspring when both parents carry the recessive gene. When albinism is present, the animal can appear white or pink.
  • The production of melanin occurs within melanocytes, specialized cells that are present but not fully functional in albino mammals.

About Dhole

  • The dhole or Asiatic Wild Dog is found in three clusters across India namely the Western and Eastern Ghats, the central Indian landscape and North East India.
  • The Western and Eastern Ghats is a stronghold regions for dholes.

Conservation status

  • IUCN Red List: Endangered
  • The Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule II
  • CITES: Appendix II

About Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

  • It is extended over three districts, namely, Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Ramanagara in
  • The sanctuary provides a vital link between Bannerghatta National Park in the north and BRT Tiger Reserve and Male Mahadev Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in the south.
  • The area is drained by three rivers, namely, Cauvery, Arkavathi and Shimsha.
  • Flora: The forest is primarily of dry deciduous and scrub types, but a wide range of forest types including moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, evergreen, shola, riverine, Hardwicke forest, etc.
  • Fauna: Important animals found in the sanctuary are tigers, elephants, leopards, bison, wild dog etc.

4. WHAT IS SOLIGA ECARINATA?

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-III- ENVIRONMENT,ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the scientific community has named a new genus of wasp after the Soliga community.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Soligaecarinata:

  • The Soligaecarinata is a new wasp that belongs to the subfamily Metopiinae of the Darwin wasps family Ichneumonidae.
  • These are seen only in the Palaearctic region, Neotropical and Nearctic regions.
  • This is the second genus of this subfamily reported from India and the first from South India.
  • Scientists have named this wasp after the Soliga community.

Who are Soligas?

  • Soligas are an indigenous tribe of Karnataka, inhabiting the peripheral forest areas near Biligiri Rangana Hills and Male Mahadeshwara in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka.
  • The Soligas were dependent on hunting and shifting agriculture traditionally.
  • They are the first tribal community living inside the core area of a tiger reserve in India to get their forest rights officially recognised by a court of law.

Key facts about the BiligiriRangan Hills

  • It is located northwest of the Western Ghats and on the westernmost edge of the Eastern Ghats.
  • The unique geographical positioning and diversity of habitats make BRT one of the richest areas for biodiversity in India.
  • The Kapila and Cauvery Rivers flow through these hills.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. WHAT IS A SPIDER STAR SYSTEM?

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-III- SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Scientists at NASA have recently detected the first gamma-ray eclipses from a “spider” star system.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Spider Star System:

  • It is a binary star system in which a super dense star (pulsar) spins quickly, eats another star.
  • The super-dense object that begins to pull a matter from the companion resembles the habits of spiders of the genus Latrodectus, in which the female eats the male after mating, hence the name came.
  • Initially, the dense pulsar strips material from the outer atmosphere of its companion, periodically shedding the gathered material in violent explosions.
  • In the later stage of their lifetimes, the energetic particles streaming out of the pulsar can strip the atmosphere of its companion.
  • In either case, the pulsar slowly erodes its companion over time.

Two Types:

  • Black widows: Binary pulsar systems, in which the mass of a companion star is less than 5 percent of the pulsar.
  • Redback: Binary pulsar systems in which mass of the companion star is from 10 to 50 percent of the pulsar.

What is a Binary star system?

  • A binary system is one in which two stars orbit around a common centre of mass, that is they are gravitationally bound to each other.

What are pulsars?

  • Pulsars are rapidly spinning neutron stars, extremely dense starscomposed almost entirely of neutrons and having a diameter of only 20 km (12 miles) or less.
  • They emit concentrated streams of radiation far across the cosmos.

What are neutron stars?

  • They are the remnants of giant stars that died in a fiery explosion known as a supernova.
  • After such an outburst, the cores of these former stars compact into an ultradense object with the mass of the sun packed into a ball the size of a city.



TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (29th JANUARY 2023)

POLITY AND CONSTITUTION

1. PURI’S JAGANNATH TEMPLE: WHY NON-HINDUS AND FOREIGNERS CAN’T ENTER HERE

Tags: GS-II- Indian Polity- Prelims Perspective

THE CONTEXT: Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal has backed the entry of foreign nationals inside the world-famous Jagannath Temple in Puri, wading into a debate that has lasted for decades and periodically triggered controversy.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • According to Governor “If a foreigner can meet Gajapati, servitors, and Jagatguru Shankaracharya, he/ she should also be allowed to meet eyes with the Chakanayana (a name of Lord Jagannath). It is my personal opinion irrespective of whether people will appreciate it or not”.
  • Servitors at the 12th-century shrine and researchers of Jagannath culture have expectedly opposed the suggestion, saying that the traditions and practices of the Temple should not be broken.

The Jagannath Temple

  • The Temple is one of the four dhams (char dham) where Lord Jagannath, a form of Lord Vishnu, is worshipped along with his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra. Only Hindus are allowed inside the shrine to offer prayers to the sibling deities in the sanctum sanctorum. A sign at the Lion’s Gate (main entrance) of the Temple clearly states: “Only Hindus are allowed.”

Why no non-Hindus?

  • It has been the practice for centuries — even though there is no clearly articulated reason for it. Some historians believe that multiple attacks on the Temple by Muslim rulers might have led the servitors to impose restrictions on the entry of non-Hindus. Others have said that this was the practice from the time the Temple was built.

Patitapaban darshan

  • Lord Jagannath is also known as Patitabapan which literally means “saviour of the downtrodden”. So all those who are barred from entering the Temple because of religious reasons get the privilege of a darshan of the Lord in the form of Patitapaban at the Lion’s Gate.

When the Lord emerges

  • Jagannath, Lord of the Universe, comes to Bada Danda (the Grand Road) along with his siblings during the nine-day Rath Yatra (car festival) in June-July every year — an occasion when non-Hindus can have His darshan. As the deities go on a sojourn to the Gundicha temple, their birthplace, devotees from around the world throng Puri for a glimpse of the Lord.

2. HALWA, BRIEFCASE, AND OTHER UNION BUDGET-RELATED FACTS

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-

THE CONTEXT: The final stage of the Budget preparation process for 2023 kicked off with the traditional halwa ceremony on January 26 at the North Block, which houses the Finance ministry.

THE EXPLANATION:

Finance Minister will present the Budget on February 1. The halwa ceremony resumed this year after a Covid-induced break.

What is the Budget halwa ceremony?

  • Held some days before the Budget is to be presented, the halwa ceremony involves the Finance Minister stirring a large pan of the halwa, and the sweet then being distributed to ministry officials and staff members.
  • The ceremony marks the beginning of the budget ‘lock-in’ period. After the halwa is served, officials and support staff directly associated with the Budget process – its preparation and printing — stay in the North Block, cut off from everyone, including their families, till the Budget is presented. This is done to maintain the secrecy of the Union Budget.
  • The lock-in period ends only after the Finance Minister has given the Budget speech in Lok Sabha. The halwa is a gesture of appreciation for all those who work to bring out the Budget.

Briefcase and bahikhata

  • Till 2018, Finance Ministers carried the Budget papers to Parliament in a briefcase, a British-era tradition. However, in 2019, brought the documents in a red cloth tied with a string, with the national emblem emblazoned on it.
  • Red clothes are usually used to cover religious texts. Then Chief Economic Advisor had called it a sign of “departure from slavery of Western slavery”. “It is in Indian tradition. It symbolises our departure from slavery of Western thought. It is not a budget but a ‘bahikhata’ (ledger)”.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

  • THE FIRST EVER BUDGET: India’s first Budget was announced in pre-independent India, on April 7, 1860, when Scottish economist and politician James Wilson – of the East India Company – presented it to the British Crown.
  • Post Independence, India’s first budget was presented on November 26, 1947 by then Finance Minister R K Shanmukham Chetty.

Who has presented the most Budgets?

  • Former Prime Minister Morarji Desai holds the record of presenting the most number of Budgets of all time. He presented 10 budgets during his stint as Finance Minister during 1962-69, followed by P Chidambaram (nine), Pranab Mukherjee (eight).
  • The Black Budget: The 1973-74 Budget presented by Yashwantrao B Chavan in the Indira Gandhi government was called the Black Budget as the fiscal deficit during that year was Rs 550 crore. It was a time when India was going through acute financial distress.
  • Carrot & Stick Budget: The Union budget presented by VP Singh for the Congress government on February 28, 1986, was the first step towards dismantling licence raj in India. It was called the ‘Carrot and Stick’ budget as it offered both rewards and punishment. It introduced MODVAT (Modified Value Added Tax) credit for lowering the cascading effect of tax that consumers had to pay while also launching an intense drive against smugglers, black marketers, and tax evaders.
  • Epochal budget: Manmohan Singh’s landmark 1991 budget under the PV Narasimha Rao government that ended licence raj and began the era of economic liberalisation, is known as ‘Epochal Budget’. Presented at a time when India was on the brink of an economic collapse, it among other things slashed customs duty from 220 per cent to 150 per cent and took steps to promote exports.
  • Dream Budget: P Chidambaram in the 1997-98 budget used the Laffer Curve principle to lower tax rates to increase collections. He slashed maximum marginal income tax rate for individuals from 40 per cent to 30 per cent and that for domestic companies to 35 per cent besides unleashing a number of major tax reforms including a voluntary disclosure of income scheme to recover black money. Referred to as the ‘Dream Budget’, it also slashed customs duty to 40 per cent and simplified excise duty structure.
  • Millennium Budget: Yashwant Sinha’s Millennium Budget in 2000 laid the road map for the growth of India’s Information Technology (IT) industry as it phased out incentives on software exporters and lowered customs duty on 21 items such as the computer and computer accessories.
  • Rollback Budget: Yashwant Sinha’s 2002-03 budget for the NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee is popularly remembered as the Rollback Budget as several proposals in it were withdrawn or rolled back.

ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & CLIMATE CHANGE

3. HOW DO COWS AND SHEEP CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE CHANGE?

Tags: GS-III- Environment & Climate change

THE CONTEXT: According to a report in the BBC, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has invested in an Australian climate technology start-up that aims to curtail the methane emissions of cow burps.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • The start-up, Rumin8, has received funding worth $12 million from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, which Gates created in 2015. Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos, and Chinese entrepreneur and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma have also backed the Breakthrough fund.
  • Rumin8 is developing a variety of dietary supplements to feed to cows in a bid to reduce the amount of methane they emit into the atmosphere. The supplement includes red seaweed, which is believed to drastically cut methane output in cows.

How do cows and other animals produce methane?

  • Ruminant species are hooved grazing or browsing herbivores that chew cud. Ruminants such as cows, sheep, goats, and buffaloes have a special type of digestive system that allows them to break down and digest food that non-ruminant species would be unable to digest.
  • Stomachs of ruminant animals have four compartments, one of which, the rumen, helps them to store partially digested food and let it ferment. This partially digested and fermented food is regurgitated by the animals who chew through it again and finish the digestive process.
  • However, as grass and other vegetation ferments in the rumen, it generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Ruminant animals such as cows and sheep release this methane mainly through burping.
  • Given the very large numbers of cattle and sheep on farms in dairy-producing countries, these emissions add up to a significant volume. It is estimated that the ruminant digestive system is responsible for 27 per cent of all methane emissions from human activity.

Why is methane such a big problem?

  • Methane is one of the main drivers of climate change, responsible for 30 per cent of the warming since preindustrial times, second only to carbon dioxide. Over a 20-year period, methane is 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme.
  • It’s also the primary contributor to the formation of ground-level ozone, a colourless and highly irritating gas that forms just above the Earth’s surface. According to a 2022 report, exposure to ground-level ozone could be contributing to 1 million premature deaths every year.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

4. WHAT IS LIQUIFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG)?

Tags: Prelims perspective

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the EU is weaning itself off piped Russian gas by rapidly expanding imports of liquified natural gas, much of it fracked in the US.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • LNG is to compensate for lost Russian gas supplies, with four new terminals set to come online in Germany alone. But though touted as a short-term fix, many fear the gas is here for the long haul as the EU becomes the biggest LNG importer in the world.

What is Liquified Natural Gas or LNG?

  • LNG is natural gas reduced to a liquid state (liquefaction) through intense cooling to around -161 degrees Celsius (-259 Fahrenheit). This liquid gas is 600 times smaller than the original volume and is half the weight of water.
  • The compressed fossil fuel, which is constituted almost wholly of methane — a potent greenhouse gas —, can be transported around the world by ship. After arriving at its destination, the cargo is re-gasified in a floating terminal and redistributed through pipelines.
  • But despite LNG’s export potential, the high cost of liquefaction and producing LNG has limited its market. In Germany, the estimated cost of building floating LNG terminals for imports to substitute Russian gas has doubled, due in part to higher operating and infrastructure costs.
  • The cooling, liquefying and transport processes, as well as the post-transport regasification procedures, also require a lot of energy. “Between 10-25% of the energy of the gas is being lost during the liquefaction process”.

5. CHARAIDEO MAIDAMS

Tags: Prelims Perspective

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Assam Chief Minister announced that the central government has decided to put forth the name of Assam’s Charaideomoidams burial sites for addition to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites list.

THE EXPLANATION:

The Charaideomoidams are royal burial sites of the Ahom dynasty, which ruled over much of Assam and the North East from 1228 to 1826 AD. Located around 30 km from Sivasagar town in eastern Assam, even today, the tumuli in Charaideo are considered sacrosanct by many locals.

What are maidams?

  • A maidam is a tumulus – a mound of earth raised over a grave – of Ahom royalty and aristocracy. While Charaideo exclusively contains maidams of Ahom royals, other moidams of aristocrats and chiefs can be found scattered across Eastern Assam, in the region between the towns of Jorhat and Dibrugarh.
  • A typical maidam at Charaideo contains one or more chambers in a vault. On top of these is a hemispherical earthen mound, rising high above the ground, covered in grass. On top of this mound, there is a pavilion, known as the chow chali. A low octagonal wall surrounds the mound with one entrance.
  • Ahom kings and queens were buried inside these maidams. Unlike Hindus who cremate their dead, the predominant funerary method of the Ahoms, originating from the Tai people, was the burial. The height of a maidam is typically indicative of the power and stature of the person buried inside. However, except for those of Gadadhar Singha and Rudra Singha, most moidams remain unidentified.
  • Inside the chambers of the moidam, the dead king would be buried along with items he needed for the “afterlife”, as well as servants, horses, livestock and even their wives. It is the similarity of the Ahom burial rites with that of the ancient Egyptians that give Charaideo maidams the moniker of “Pyramids of Assam.”

Why was Charaideo important?

  • The word Charaideo has been derived from three Tai Ahom words, Che-Rai-Doi. “Che” means city or town, “Rai” means “to shine” and “Doi” means hill. In short, Charaideo means, “a shining town situated on a hilltop.”

 

 

 




Day-369 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | HISTORY

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TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (28th JANUARY 2023)

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. JHARKHAND’S FIRST SURVEY OF MIGRANTS

TAGS: GS-II- SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE CONTEXT: Around 8.5 lakh migrants returned to their home state, Jharkhand, during the COVID crisis. To help these migrants with a good livelihood, the State Government of Jharkhand started the State and Responsible Migration Initiative in 2021.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • Creating a robust database of the migrants in the state is a part of this initiative. To achieve this, the Jharkhand Government recently launched the first survey of Migrants. Jharkhand is not the only state to launch such states. Several other states like Tamil Nadu and Punjab had already launched such surveys.

About the Survey

  • The survey is to be conducted in 24 districts. Officers will knock on the doors of 11,000 households to take the survey
  • The survey outputs will be used to create a state-level policy
  • The survey will also help the State in identifying the cause of migration.

Why the Jharkhand people are leaving the state?

  • The survey will find out the factors influencing migration in the state
  • During the survey, the officers will talk to community leaders to get a greater insight into the problem
  • The survey has blocks of questions to understand and decipher the issue. They are household characteristics, incoming migrants, outgoing migrants, quality of life of migrants, understanding the mindset of migrants, etc.
  • The survey will also collect details on the nature of work the migrants are expecting and what is the role of women in the household and in the earnings.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. WHAT IS THE INDUS WATER TREATY?

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-II-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: India recently issued a notice to Pakistan for modification of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

THE EXPLANATION:

About Indus Water Treaty:

  • It was signed in September 1960 between India and Pakistan.
  • The treaty was brokered by the World Bank, which too is a signatory to the treaty.
  • The treaty fixed and delimited the rights and obligations of both countries concerning the use of the waters of the Indus River system.
  • It gives control over the waters of the three “eastern rivers’ — the Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej — to India, while control over the waters of the three “western rivers’ ‘ — the Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum — to Pakistan.
  • The treaty allows India to use the western river waters for limited irrigation use and unlimited non-consumptive use for such applications as power generation, navigation, floating of property, fish culture, etc.
  • It lays down detailed regulations for India in building projects over the western rivers.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

3. LUCY MISSION

TAGS:PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-III- SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: NASA recently announced that it is adding a new target for the Lucy mission as the spacecraft goes on its more than 6-billion-kilometre-long journey to study the Jupiter trojan asteroids.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Lucy Mission:

  • NASA’s Lucy mission is the first spacecraft launched to explore the Trojan asteroids, a population of primitive asteroids orbiting in tandem with Jupiter.
  • Lucy was successfully launched Oct. 16, 2021, and will visit eight asteroids over 12 years — one asteroid in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter, and seven Trojan asteroids leading and trailing Jupiter in its orbit.

 What are Trojan Asteroids?

  • Asteroids sharing an orbit with a planet, but which are located at the leading (L4) and trailing (L5) Lagrangian points, are known as Trojan asteroids.
  • These asteroids occupy a stable Lagrangian point in a planet’s orbit around the Sun.
  • Trojan Asteroids are some of the oldest remnants from the formation of our solar system 5 billion years ago.
  • There are currently over 4,800 known Trojan asteroids associated with Jupiter.
  • They orbit the Sun in two loose groups: one group leading ahead of Jupiter in its orbit, the other trailing behind at the same distance from the Sun as Jupiter.
  • Due to the combined gravitational influences of the Sun and Jupiter, these Trojan asteroids have been trapped on stable orbits (around what is known as the Lagrange Points) for billions of years.

 What is a Lagrange point?

  • Lagrange Points are positions in space where the gravitational forces of a two body system like the Sun and the Earth produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion.
  • The Lagrange Points are positions where the gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force required for a small object to move with them.
  • These can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES IN NEWS

4. EXTENDED REALITY (XR) STARTUP PROGRAM

TAGS:PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-II- GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS

THE CONTEXT:The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), and Meta have recently announced the list of 120 startups and innovators for the Extended Reality (XR) Startup Program.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Extended Reality (XR) Startup Program:

  • The XR Startup Program is a collaboration between Meta and MeitY Startup Hub (MSH).
  • Aim: To accelerate India’s contribution towards building the foundations of the metaverse and nurturing the development of Extended Reality (XR) technologies in India.
  • It includes two segments namely; an Accelerator and a Grand Challenge.

Accelerator:

  • The Accelerator will nurture and foster 40 early-stage startups working with XR technologies through a well-designed 6-month program.
  • Each startup will get access to many benefits, including a grant of ₹ 20,00,000, mentorship by industry experts and researchers, access to a network of potential strategic partners and investors, technology and infrastructure support, and opportunities to participate and present at relevant industry events.

Grand Challenge:

  • The Grand Challenge is aimed at supporting early-stage innovators to upscale from the R&D phase to developing workable prototypes and Minimum Viable Products (MVPs).
  • It will encourage early-stage innovators in sectors like Education, Learning and Skills, Healthcare, Gaming and Entertainment, Agritech& Climate Action and Tourism & Sustainability.
  • It will include 4 sector-specific challenges to advance the XR technology ecosystem in India.
  • A total of 80 shortlisted innovators will receive a grant of ₹ 50,000 and an opportunity to attend the boot camp.
  • Of the 80 shortlisted innovators, 16 innovators will be supported with grants worth ₹ 20,00,000 to help them develop MVP(s)/ prototypes.

5. NATIONAL TECHNICAL TEXTILES MISSION

TAGS:PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-II- GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS

THE CONTEXT:Recently, The Union Minister of Textiles cleared 15 R&D projects across key strategic areas such as Speciality fibre, Protective textiles, High-Performance Textiles , Medical Textiles etc under the National Technical Textiles Mission.

THE EXPLANATION:

What are Technical Textiles?

  • Technical Textiles are textile products which are manufactured primarily for their functionality and use rather than aesthetic appeal.
  • Technical textiles are classified into 12 major groups based on their application areas namely;Agrotech, Geotech, Buildtech, Mobiltech, Hometech, Clothtech, Indutech, Meditech, Sportstech, Protech, Packtech, Oekotech.

Key features of the National Technical Textiles Mission India

  • The Ministry of Textiles has launched NTTM to increase the penetration level of technical textiles in India while leveraging the extraordinary growth rate of the sector.
  • The mission aims to position India as a global leader in Technical Textiles.
  • The mission will comprise the following four components:
  • Research, Innovation and Development
  • Promotion and Market Development
  • Export Promotion
  • Education, Training, Skill Development
  • Implementation:It has been approved with an implementation period of four years starting from FY 2020-21 till FY 2023-24. The total outlay of the mission is INR 1480 Cr.



TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (27th JANUARY 2023)

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

1. WHAT IS T+1 SETTLEMENT?

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-III- ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT:After China, India will become the second country in the world to start the ‘trade-plus-one’ (T+1) settlement cycle in top listed securities bringing operational efficiency, faster fund remittances, share delivery, and ease for stock market participants.

THE EXPLANATION:

What’s the T+1 settlement plan?

  • The T+1 settlement cycle means that trade-related settlements must be done within a day, or 24 hours, of the completion of a transaction. For example, under T+1, if a customer bought shares on Wednesday, they would be credited to the customer’s demat account on Thursday. This is different from T+2, where they will be settled on Friday. As many as 256 large-cap and top mid-cap stocks, including Nifty and Sensex stocks, will come under the T+1 settlement from Friday.
  • Until 2001, stock markets had a weekly settlement system. The markets then moved to a rolling settlement system of T+3, and then to T+2 in 2003. T+1 is being implemented despite opposition from foreign investors. The United States, United Kingdom and Eurozone markets are yet to move to the T+1 system.

And what are the benefits of T+1?

  • In the T+1 format, if an investor sells a share, she will get the money within a day, and the buyer will get the shares in her demat account also within a day.

Could it also make markets safer?

  • According to a paper published by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), a T+1 settlement cycle not only reduces the timeframe but also reduces and frees up capital required to collateralise that risk.
  • A shortened settlement cycle also reduces the number of outstanding unsettled trades at any point of time, and thus decreases the unsettled exposure to Clearing Corporation by 50 per cent. The narrower the settlement cycle, the narrower the time window for a counterparty insolvency/ bankruptcy to impact the settlement of a trade.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

2. INDIA’S FIRST MISSION TO STUDY THE SUN

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-III- SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT:According to sources,  Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch the Aditya-L1 mission by June or July this year (2023). Aditya-L1 is the first Indian space mission to observe the Sun and the solar corona.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Aditya-L1 mission:

  • The Aditya-L1 mission will be launched by ISRO to the L1 orbit (which is the first Lagrangian point of the Sun-Earth system). L1 orbit allows Aditya-L1 to look at the Sun continuously.
  • Aditya-L1 has seven payloads in total, of which the primary payload is the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), designed and fabricated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru.
  • The other six payloads are being developed by the ISRO and other scientific institutions.
  • It is a joint venture between ISRO and physicists from other institutes of India.
  • Aditya- L1 satellite will be placed in the halo orbit around the Lagrangian point 1 (L1) of the sun-earth system
  • Utility: The data from Aditya mission will be immensely helpful in discriminating between different models for the origin of solar storms and also for constraining how the storms evolve and what path they take through the interplanetary space from the Sun to the Earth

Objectives of mission

  • Study dynamic nature of sun’s outer most layers, the corona and the chromosphere, and collect data about Coronal Mass Ejections (CME).
  • Study on origin of solar storms and their path through the interplanetary space from the Sun to the Earth.
  • The studies will also focus on collection of information for space weather prediction.

VALUE ADDITION:

What is Lagrange Point?

  • The L1 point is about 1.5 million km from Earth or about 1/100th of the way to the Sun.
  • L1 refers to Lagrangian/Lagrange Point 1, one of 5 points in the orbital plane of the Earth-Sun system.
  • These can be used by spacecraft to reduce the fuel consumption needed to remain in position.
  • A Satellite placed in the halo orbit around the Lagrangian point 1 (L1) has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/ eclipses.
  • The L1 point is home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite (SOHO), an international collaboration project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA).

ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

3. INDIA INKS PACT TO INTRODUCE DOZENS OF CHEETAHS FROM SOUTH AFRICA

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-III- ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: According to sources, the Memorandum of Understanding between New Delhi and Pretoria to bring 12 cheetahs to India from South Africa was finally signed after a long delay.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • These cheetahs will join the eight big cats from Namibia that arrived at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district on September 17, 2022.
  • The dates of their arrival are still uncertain. The Madhya Pradesh Forest department had hoped the cheetahs would arrive by February, but the latest speculations suggest it will take at least until the first week of March 2023.
  • Also, as per the sources Indian delegation will leave for South Africa sometime in the second week of February to bring the 12 big cats.

India’s effort related to the relocation of Cheetahs

  • This isn’t the first time India has attempted the relocation of the Cheetah.
  • In the early 1970s, negotiations were carried out with Iran on behalf of the Indira Gandhi administration.
  • Assessed sites-Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve and Shergarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kuno National Park, Madhav National Park and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.
  • Kuno National Park is identified for the relocation.
  • The site has been monitored since 2006 and identified for relocating the Asiatic Lion.

Significance of Reintroducing Cheetahs

  • A section of conservationists has long advocated the reintroduction of the species in the country.
  • It is a strategy to conserve threatened species and restore ecosystem functions.
  • The Cheetah is the only large carnivore that has been extirpated, mainly by overhunting in India in historical times.
  • India now has the economic ability to consider restoring its lost natural heritage for ethical as well as ecological reasons.”
  • The conservation of the Cheetah will revive grasslands, and their biomes and habitat, much like Project Tiger have done for forests and all the species that have seen their numbers increase.

Kuno National Park

  • Kuno National Park of Madhya Pradesh is a unique destination for all wildlife lovers and enthusiasts.
  • It has a healthy population of chital, sambar, nilgai, wild pig, chinkara and cattle. Currently, the leopard and striped hyena are the only larger carnivores within the National Park, with the lone tiger having returned to Ranthambore earlier this year.

PLACES IN NEWS

4. LAKE VICTORIA

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT:According to the report “Lake Victoria: Roadmap for Management of Water Quality in Mwanza City-Tanzania” it has been suffering from a variety of unsustainable human activities over the last five decades.

THE EXPLANATION:

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Lake Victoria and its flora and fauna support the livelihoods of about 45 million people. The ecologically unique water body is shared by three countries — Tanzania (51 per cent), Uganda (44 per cent) and Kenya (5 per cent).
  • The discussion paper released in July 2022 identified Mwanza city as a hotspot, contributing a substantial pollution load in the form of industrial effluents, domestic sewage and dumping of solid waste.
  • It also recognised two rivers — the Mirongo and the Nyashishi — as the major water bodies carrying domestic and industrial pollution loads, respectively.
  • Only 3 per cent of households are connected to sewer lines managed by the Mwanza Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (MWAUWASA), while 93 per cent — especially those living on the hills — are dependent on onsite sanitation (pit latrine and septic tanks), the report highlighted.
  • The city’s waste management practices have 70-80 per cent waste collection efficiency and there is no segregation of the garbage.
  • Lake Victoria is shared by three countries, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.

5. LAKE CHAD BASIN

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT:A recent report by a humanitarian organisation has highlighted the dangerous link between climate change and conflict in countries like Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria in the Lake Chad Basin.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • Shrinking natural resources due to adverse weather are heightening tensions across communities and displacing people, said the report by Refugees International published January 19, 2023. Around 3 million people have been displaced and an additional 11 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.
  • International actors and regional governments have ignored the interplay between climate change, community violence and the forced displacement of civilian populations.
  • International responses to the Lake Chad Basin crisis have singularly focused on the presence of armed groups.
  • For years, the lake has been supporting drinking water, irrigation, fishing, livestock and economic activity for over 30 million people in the region, as per the report. It is vital for indigenous, pastoral and farming communities in one of the world’s poorest countries.
  • Lake Chad is located in the Sahel, the vast semi-arid region south of the Sahara desert. It is fed mainly by the Chari River through the Lagone tributary, which used to provide 90 per cent of its water.
  • The area is particularly sensitive to drought and the lake has fluctuated dramatically in size during prolonged dry periods historically. As the lake shrinks, communities are struggling and there is competition for the dwindling resource.

 




Day-368 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | GEOGRPAPHY

[WpProQuiz 413]




TOPIC : INDIA NEEDS A HOLISTIC AND EFFECTIVE ‘TECHPLOMACY’ STRATEGY

THE CONTEXT: State behaviour is increasingly being shaped by a desire to acquire, secure or manipulate emerging technologies or the supply chains that produce them. This emerging friction will continue to accelerate as ‘techno-nationalism’ increasingly underpins industrial and trade policy choices.

HOW SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGICAL DIPLOMACY CAN SHAPE GLOBAL GEOPOLITICS?

  • Science in Diplomacy: It means the scientific inputs going into diplomacy and foreign policy making.
    o Global challenges such as weapons of mass destruction, climate change, cyber security, human health, energy and environment, outer space etc., all require scientific inputs in order to understand and deal with them.
    o These challenges are trans-border and require the application of science and technology in order to resolve them in addition to normal diplomatic efforts.
  • Science for Diplomacy: It offers alternative channels of engagement among countries that may have political differences, thus playing an important role by influencing the dynamics of power-balance between sovereign nations
    o Scientific values of rationality, transparency and universality are the same the world over. S&T cooperation, therefore, provides a non-ideological environment for the participation and free exchange of ideas.
  • Diplomacy for Science: It means making use of diplomacy to gain benefits in science and technology – bilaterally as well as multilaterally.
    o It seeks to acquire science and technology knowledge to strengthen the national economy and capacity and to participate more effectively in international discussions where science and technology are involved.

HISTORIC SCIENCE DIPLOMACY APPROACH OF INDIA

  • India’s global priorities in science and technology were clearly articulated by its first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during his address to the country’s Science Congress on January 21, 1959.
  • Nehru was aware of both the constructive and destructive power of science and made India’s intention of seeking international scientific advances for the country’s development and rise clear with added emphasis on averseness to inter-state rivalries.
  • This template would set the tone for India’s international science and technology engagement for much of the 20th century and met with mixed results as more powerful states, such as the United States, sought to curb its ambitions in critical spheres such as its nuclear and space programmers.
  • Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been categorical in placing science and technology at the forefront of the country’s diplomatic engagement.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE DIPLOMACY

  • Science diplomacy is analogous to economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, or sports diplomacy. The popular way of looking at science diplomacy is to regard it as composed of three components –‘science in diplomacy’, ‘diplomacy for science, and ‘science for diplomacy.
  • Science in diplomacy means the scientific inputs going into diplomacy and foreign policy making. Diplomacy for science means making use of diplomacy to gain benefits in science and technology – bilaterally as well as multilaterally and globally. Science for diplomacy means using science and technology collaboration to bring countries which have differences together.
  • Science diplomacy would be the integration of science and technology into the diplomatic and foreign policy framework, which not only determines its increasing importance in international relations but also determines global competitiveness, where the role of knowledge-based industries is becoming increasingly critical.

THE DEVELOPMENT MADE SO FAR

  • The Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) 2013 was one of the instances that an intersection of technology and diplomacy found a mention in an official government document.
    o The document states that the “policy framework will enable strategic partnerships and alliances with other nations through both bilateral and multilateral cooperation in science, technology and innovation.
    o Science diplomacy, technology synergy and technology acquisition models will be judiciously deployed based on strategic relationships.
  • International Solar Alliance (ISA) 2015 was launched by India and France to boost solar energy in developing countries.
  • It is an association of 121 signatory countries which majorly are sunshine countries (countries lying between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn), and is an excellent example of modern-day science diplomacy.
  • Draft Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, 2020 discusses the role of Science & Technology in re-organising India’s foreign policy priorities and shaping the global technology ecosystem.
  • In 2020, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) created technically specialised divisions, such as the cyber diplomacy division, e-governance and information technology division, and the new emerging and strategic technologies division.

Challenges

  • Interdependence With China
    o China’s Communist Party shares an opaque relationship with the country’s industrial and business sectors. The convergence of policies such as the Make in China 2025 Initiative and the Civil-Military Fusion Initiative, and China’s national cyber security laws, have arguably turned China’s technology ecosystem into an effective extension of its intelligence and information power.
  • Navigating Technological Protectionism
    o Another domain that needs immediate attention relates to new export controls, sanctions regimes, and a broader instinct to “guard” technology ecosystems that are fast emerging.
  • Global Data Governance
    o The third domain is cross-border data flows and related rules and regulations. Once subject only to domestic regulation, the subject of data flows is fast becoming a contested issue of global governance.
  • Coordinated drive
    o Government technology policy, whether it be externally or internally oriented, is often reactive rather than proactive. The Government of India was, for instance, a straggler on outlining a strategy for artificial intelligence. Moreover, while there is a coordinated push on capturing the data of Indian users of international platforms, there has been relatively little thought on how this data can be leveraged and on creating a policy ecosystem conducive to innovation.

THE WAY FORWARD

  • NEST enters a milieu of entrenched processes within the MEA itself and, as a new division, must both define itself vis-à-vis these practices while not diluting its mandate as a nodal agency.
    o About NEST and it’s functions:
    o The division will act as the nodal point in India’s foreign ministry for all matters connected to new and emerging technologies, including exchange of views with foreign governments and coordination with domestic ministries and departments.
    o It will also help assess foreign policy and international legal implications of emerging technology and technology-based resources.
    o The desk will also be involved in negotiations to safeguard Indian interests at multilateral fora like the United Nations or the G20 where rules governing the use and access to such technologies could be decided.
  • Fostering Multilateralism: In the technology sphere, diplomacy is not about seeking entry into an exclusive alliance or club but about maximising a state’s integration with the existing global value chains.
    o Promoting the growth of open source technologies (and built on open standards) which have very few entry barriers in the form of licences, can be a priority on the multilateral front. In this way, technology related diplomatic engagements will increase as well as improve India’s accessibility to key technologies.
  • Science Tourism: India can conceptualise science tourism promoting scientific locations around the nation like National Science Centre, Delhi and Birla Science Museum, Hyderabad that the people across the globe can visit to quench their thirst for knowledge in the various fields of science and technology.

THE CONCLUSION: Internationally, the trade and data flows that have helped India prosper are now in the midst of sovereign tussles, necessitating strong regulation at home backed by a consistent and assertive position at international rulemaking bodies. India must back its claim as a technology power with a strong and clear message, which in turn can become a clarion call for other nations navigating similar waters.

Questions
1. Identify the various sectors where technology can be leveraged as a tool of foreign policy.
2. Analyse India’s foreign policy in the context of changing technology.




Ethics Through Current Development (25-01-2023)

  1. Live life ethically READ MORE
  2. EDUCATION REFORM IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Geography (25-01-2023)

  1. Focus on saving India’s wetlands READ MORE
  2. Climate change fuelling conflict in Lake Chad Basin: Report READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Sociology (25-01-2023)

  1. Need economic policy to cope with ageing population READ MORE
  2. Developing schools without barriers READ MORE
  3. Can the debate be extricated from identity politics and refocused on gender equality? READ MORE
  4. EDUCATION REFORM IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Pub Ad (25-01-2023)

  1. The new and dark interpretations of ‘We the People’ READ MORE 
  2. Constitution as ‘North Star’: CJI turns spotlight on issues critical to democratic endurance of Indian State READ MORE
  3. Deepfake narratives: CEC triggers debate on threat to free and fair polls READ MORE
  4. Structural strength: The basic structure of the Constitution has authority READ MORE
  5. Roe versus Wade fifty years on: What does its fall teach us about the fragility of democratic institutions? READ MORE



WSDP Bulletin (25-01-2023)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

  1. Mission LiFE Pavilion to be set up at Bharat Parv event to encourage people to become Pro Planet READ MORE
  2. IMF confirms receipt of India’s financing assurances for Sri Lanka READ MORE
  3. What if risk of commercial release of GM Mustard is irreversible, Supreme Court asks government READ MORE
  4. Explained | What ails the Ken-Betwa river link project?  READ MORE
  5. Mass mortality of Olive Ridley turtles in Godavari region of Andhra Pradesh raises concerns READ MORE
  6. India said to likely peg FY24 nominal GDP growth at about 11% in Budget READ MORE
  7. Norovirus cases detected in Kerala: what is this virus and how dangerous is it? READ MORE
  8. Transition to expected credit loss-based provisioning may hit banks only one time: Icra READ MORE
  9. SC directs Centre to submit status report on ban of pesticides READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

  1. Need economic policy to cope with ageing population READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

  1. The new and dark interpretations of ‘We the People’ READ MORE 
  2. Constitution as ‘North Star’: CJI turns spotlight on issues critical to democratic endurance of Indian State READ MORE
  3. Deepfake narratives: CEC triggers debate on threat to free and fair polls READ MORE
  4. Structural strength: The basic structure of the Constitution has authority READ MORE
  5. Roe versus Wade fifty years on: What does its fall teach us about the fragility of democratic institutions? READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

  1. Developing schools without barriers READ MORE
  2. Can the debate be extricated from identity politics and refocused on gender equality? READ MORE
  3. EDUCATION REFORM IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

  1. In President Sisi visit, India and Egypt look to rekindle non-aligned era ties READ MORE
  2. India India, Egypt elevate bilateral ties to strategic partnership READ MORE
  3. Give peace a chance: G20 presidency is an opportunity to lead the initiative READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  1. Sovereign Green Bonds: What do they mean for investors, and the environment? READ MORE
  2. Lower tax rates, not a great idea READ MORE
  3. Budget needs a road map for reducing fiscal deficit READ MORE
  4. Irrigation and the spatial pattern of local economic development in India READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

  1. Focus on saving India’s wetlands READ MORE
  2. Climate change fuelling conflict in Lake Chad Basin: Report READ MORE

SECURITY

  1. Conference of top cops, attended by PM Narendra Modi, must not ignore basic policing problems READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

  1. Himalayan challenge: Prioritise sustainable development to save the hills READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

  1. Live life ethically READ MORE
  2. EDUCATION REFORM IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

  1. ‘New defense and security cooperation efforts are springing up across the Indo-Pacific’. In the light of statement, analyse how new security grouping in Indo-Pacific are fueling up regional tensions in region?
  2. ‘Careful management of hydropower resources is essential to ensure its positive impacts on climate change and avoid transboundary river conflicts’. Comment on the statement in light of transboundary riven conflicts between India and neighboring countries.
  3. ‘A system of checks and balances that prevents any one branch gaining the upper hand is essential for democratic functioning’. Comment on the statement in the light of recent stand-off between Judiciary and Executive.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • Constitution is not a mere lawyers’ document, it is a vehicle of life. Its spirit is always the spirit of the age. — BR Ambedkar
  • The increasing number of wild animals and reduction of food and water sources due to the increasing presence of exotic species rather than native varieties lead to wild animals invading human habitats.
  • Where the union government is busy stifling with the conduct of state governments through the post of the governor, one can only conclude that good governance is certainly not its top political priority.
  • When the RBI governor is emphatic in his view that crypto currency is going to be the instrument for next financial crisis, the policy makers must act quickly to ensure that our economy is insulated from such a crisis.
  • A bit of urgency on the part of the top court over the collegium would go a long way in smoothing its relationship with the Government. Two organs of the State bickering with each other all the time is not a good advertisement for either India or democracy.
  • The court may have perhaps missed an opportunity to clarify the true extent or limits to the guarantee of the currency by the state.
  • Technology can potentially meet the diverse needs of different demographic groups of workers, in terms of location, flexibility and hours of work.
  • India’s population presents a chance for growth, but inequality and elderly care need attention.
  • Like the larger policy framework within which they are set, the UGC’s draft rules emphasise quality without corresponding measures to safeguard equal access.
  • To suggest that the basic structure doctrine is by itself unsanctioned is to place the Constitution at the legislature’s whim.
  • A system of checks and balances that prevents any one branch gaining the upper hand is essential for democratic functioning.

50-WORD TALK

  • The Supreme Court has listened to experts and decided on simplifying the cumbersome procedure for execution of passive euthanasia. The commendable move will ensure that the ‘right to die with dignity’ is given teeth on ground and help families of terminally ill patients avoid the additional trauma of red tapism.
  • The policy must seek to bring down the maternal and infant mortality rates, improve nutrition levels and expand training. This will allow healthy mothers to go back to work after giving birth and their babies to grow up to become healthy youngsters and robust workers. The youngsters must be properly educated so that after completing schooling they are able to access vocational training and acquire skills which enable them to work with increasingly sophisticated technology.

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.



Day-367 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS

[WpProQuiz 412]




TOPIC : WHY THE QUALITY OF LEGAL AID SERVICES SHOULD BE IMPROVED?

THE CONTEXT: Speaking at the convocation ceremony at the National Law University in Cuttack in September 2022, the CJI UU Lalit admitted that legal aid work is still a neglected field in India and that young law graduates should devote their time and energy to provide the legal aid services and instil a sense of compassion. This article presents the various aspects of free legal aid in India and why they shall be improved.

LEGAL SERVICES AUTHORITIES (LSA) ACT

  • In 1987, the Legal Services Authorities (LSA) Act was enacted to give free and competent legal services to the poor and paved the way for the constitution of the National Legal Service Authority (NALSA) and other legal service institutions at the State, district and taluka levels.
  • Free legal services under LSA Act are available to a person belonging to Schedule Tribe and Schedule Caste, a woman, child, victim of human trafficking, a differently abled person, an industrial workman, and a person in custody in a protective home and the poor.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS

  • The preamble of the Indian constitution aims to secure for the people of India justice – socio-economic and political. Justice P.N. Bhagwati aptly stated that legal aid means providing an arrangement in the society which makes the machinery of administration of Justice easily accessible and within reach of those who have to resort to it for enforcement of rights given to them by law. Article 38(1) avows that the State shall promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting the social order, including justice.
  • Article 39A of the Constitution of India provides that State shall secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunity and shall, in particular, provide free legal aid by suitable legislation or schemes or in any other way, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disability.
  • Articles 14 and 22(1) also make it obligatory for the State to ensure equality before the law and a legal system which promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunity for all.

FREE LEGAL AID

ABOUT

  • It entails the provision of free legal aid in civil and criminal matters for those poor and marginalized people who cannot afford the services of a lawyer for the conduct of a case or a legal proceeding in any court, tribunal or before an authority

INSTITUTIONS

India has a robust institutional framework of legal aid bodies. This has National Legal Services Authority at the helm, 37 state legal services authorities, 673 district legal services authorities, 2351 taluka legal service authorities, 39 High Court legal services committees and the Supreme Court legal services panel for oversight.

  • National Level: National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). It was constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987. The Chief Justice of India is the Patron-in-Chief.
  • State Level: State Legal Services Authority. It is headed by the Chief Justice of the State High Court, who is its Patron-in-Chief.
  • District Level: District Legal Services Authority. The District Judge of the District is its ex-officio Chairman.
  • Taluka/Sub-Division Level: Taluka/Sub-Divisional Legal Services Committee. It is headed by a senior Civil Judge.
  • High Court: High Court Legal Services Committee
  • Supreme Court: Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.

ELIGIBLE PERSONS

    • Women and children
    • Members of SC/ST
    • Industrial workmen
    • Victims of mass disaster, violence, flood, drought, earthquake, and industrial disaster.
    • Disabled persons
    • Persons in custody
    • Those persons who have an annual income of less than the amount prescribed by the respective State Government if the case is before any court other than the Supreme Court and less than Rs. 5 Lakhs if the case is before the Supreme Court.
    • Victims of Trafficking in Human beings or begar.

CONCERNS RELATED TO FREE LEGAL AID

  • According to Justice A P Shah, despite having a formidable structure for free legal aid, the scheme has failed to attract competent lawyers, and there is no mechanism for the clients to question.
  • Justice S Muralidhar of the Delhi high court is of the opinion that there is a need to pay the legal aid lawyers better otherwise, ‘legal aid for the poor, will continue to be ‘poor legal aid’.
  • Justice UU Lalit has also highlighted two basic difficulties in providing free legal aid:
  • Most of the population is entitled to legal aid but they are not aware that they are eligible for legal aid due to various factors – lack of knowledge, lack of experience, or lack of exposure to the entire set-up. Legal aid continues to be the “hope” that many persons in custody turn to for a fair trial. Almost 80% of India’s 132 crores (1.32 billion) population is eligible for legal aid. An overwhelming number (41.5%) of those accused of criminal acts in India are from the economically weak and disadvantaged sections of society. Few are aware of their rights or procedures relating to the police, prosecution and courts or what the services of a lawyer involved.
  • The second pressing issue is Infrastructure. For example, if we have a legal aid set up in a remote district, that area must have the facility of an e-library where lawyers can have the assistance of law reports and the latest judgments at the click of a mouse, but we lack in that aspect also.
  • Inadequate monitoring frameworks have also contributed towards the less effectiveness of the free legal services, such as many lawyers do not visit their clients or even neglecting to represent them.

ANALYSIS OF LEGAL AID SERVICES IN INDIA

Legal aid is not a charity or bounty but is an obligation of the state and the right of the citizens. The focus of legal aid is on distributive justice, effective implementation of welfare benefits and elimination of social and structural discrimination against the poor.

Twenty-eight years on, however, the Legal Services Authorities Act has become yet another example of a social justice law that is well-intentioned on paper but riddled with problems on the ground. From daunting procedures that deter lawyers from taking up free cases to corruption, lawyers and social workers pointed out, legal aid is far from being ideally implemented. Hence it is imperative to improve the quality of free legal aid services in India to further the objectives and ideals enshrined in the Constitution.

Legal aid is a key element of access to justice. It is also at the heart of the equality requirement and of the overarching objective of the 2030 Agenda: to leave no one behind. Access to legal aid translates into access to justice for the poor, the marginalized, and the disadvantaged. Access to justice features prominently in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, whose Target 16.3 of Goal 16 is about promoting the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensuring equal access to justice for all. This is particularly important when a person’s fundamental rights to life and liberty are put at risk.

The Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers further place responsibility upon the government and the legal profession to ensure that everyone has access to counsel, regardless of means or background, to protect the right to equality before the law.

THE WAY FORWARD

EXPAND THE SCOPE OF SECTION 12

  • There is an urgent need to expand the scope of Section 12 so that more and more areas can be covered under the Act and assistance can be rendered. State Government should come up with appropriate amendments to the law and provide legal services in an effective and efficient manner.

ROLE OF NGOS

  • Involving and increasing the role of non-governmental organisations to create awareness amongst the people about their rights and effective justice delivery.

LEGAL AID PROGRAMMES AND LEGAL AWARENESS

  • There should be an organisation of legal aid camps and Lok Adalats at a mass level to spread awareness about the rights of the people and awareness about the free legal aid programmes for the needy ones.
  • There should be the establishment of entitlement centres at various backward areas to make them aware of their rights and laws and encourage them to opt for free legal services.

BETTER REMUNERATION TO THE LAWYERS

  • There should be an increase in remuneration paid to the lawyers by the courts or government, appearing or defending the accused for free.

FEEDBACK APPROACH

  • The monitoring of the work of the counsels should be evaluated through the feedback approach, i.e. by asking the people for the feedback of the work of the counsel and then there should be proper progress reports of every advocate. This all could be done by setting up a proper monitoring committee.

THE CONCLUSION: Reginald Heber Smith, in his book ‘Justice and the Poor’ wrote that “Without equal access to the law, the system not only robs the poor of their only protection, but it places in the bands of their oppressors the most powerful and ruthless weapon ever invented.” To have a successful legal aid movement in India, the government needs to take appropriate steps by spreading awareness and educating the people about their basic fundamental rights. The only objective or aim of the government should be to provide ‘equal justice to all.’

Mains Practice Questions:

  • “Free legal aid does not mean poor legal aid; free legal aid must mean quality service”. Comment.
  • Poor and marginalised citizens are legally entitled to get lawyers free of charge when they need them. Why do they often have to struggle for it? Suggest measures to improve the quality of free legal aid in India.
  • The guarantee of equal justice is meaningless if vulnerable sections cannot enforce their rights because of poverty, illiteracy or weakness. Discuss.



Ethics Through Current Development (24-01-2023)

  1. ChatGPT: Faking it, a genuine artificial concern READ MORE
  2. Open Letter to Mr Julio Ribeiro: Your Faith and Solidarity Give Me Strength READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Geography (24-01-2023)

  1. How has the inside of the Earth stayed as hot as the Sun’s surface for billions of years? READ MORE
  2. Save Africa’s forest elephants if you want the Congo rainforest to continue capturing carbon: Study READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Sociology (24-01-2023)

  1. An India chapter for foreign universities READ MORE
  2. UGC proposal for foreign universities in India: Three tiers of a crisis READ MORE
  3. Need to raise standard of education in rural India READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Pub Ad (24-01-2023)

  1. Democracy and its structural slippages READ MORE 
  2. SC judgments: Dire need to ensure availability in regional languages READ MORE
  3. As the SC, Centre play ping-pong over MoP, it is time for the Collegium to step up READ MORE



WSDP Bulletin (24-01-2023)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

  1. Charaideo Moidams: India’s latest nominee to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites READ MORE
  2. What the dry, cold winter (so far) foretells for the rabi crop READ MORE
  3. What is Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), and how it impacts the climate READ MORE
  4. Explained | India’s plan to eradicate measles, rubella READ MORE
  5. Employment days under Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme at a five-year low READ MORE
  6. China builds new dam in Tibet near Indian border READ MORE
  7. Ayushman Bharat School Health and Wellness Programme has less than 50% uptake READ MORE
  8. Of a bygone era: excavations reveal Buddhist monastery complex at Bharatpur of Bengal READ MORE
  9. PM Modi calls for prison reforms and repeal of obsolete laws READ MORE
  10. Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

  1. Beyond Tributes~I READ MORE
  2. Beyond Tributes~II READ MORE
  3. How has the inside of the Earth stayed as hot as the Sun’s surface for billions of years? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

  1. Democracy and its structural slippages READ MORE 
  2. SC judgments: Dire need to ensure availability in regional languages READ MORE
  3. As the SC, Centre play ping-pong over MoP, it is time for the Collegium to step up READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

  1. An India chapter for foreign universities READ MORE
  2. UGC proposal for foreign universities in India: Three tiers of a crisis READ MORE
  3. Need to raise standard of education in rural India READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

  1. Why China is forced to improve ties with US READ MORE
  2. Troubled times for Neighbours: Pakistan and China, the two neighbours India is ill at ease have domestic problems that they must counter before they take on India READ MORE
  3. Give peace a chance: G20 presidency is an opportunity to lead the initiative READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  1. Both government and non-government data show a healthy employment gain since pre-Covid 2019 READ MORE
  2. India needs to use its fiscal armoury to fight inequality READ MORE
  3. Start-ups can flourish with some policy reforms READ MORE
  4. Food subsidies can help India achieve 2030 goals READ MORE
  5. Key reforms to revive India’s fintech ecosystem READ MORE
  6. Popularity of gold is unproductive for economy READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

  1. Save Africa’s forest elephants if you want the Congo rainforest to continue capturing carbon: Study READ MORE

TECHNOLOGY

  1. Why artificial intelligence still has a long way to go READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

  1. Himalayan challenge: Prioritise sustainable development to save the hills READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

  1. ChatGPT: Faking it, a genuine artificial concern READ MORE
  2. Open Letter to Mr Julio Ribeiro: Your Faith and Solidarity Give Me Strength READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

  1. ‘New defense and security cooperation efforts are springing up across the Indo-Pacific’. In the light of statement, analyse how new security grouping in Indo-Pacific are fueling up regional tensions in region?
  2. ‘Careful management of hydropower resources is essential to ensure its positive impacts on climate change and avoid transboundary river conflicts’. Comment on the statement in light of transboundary riven conflicts between India and neighboring countries.
  3. ‘A system of checks and balances that prevents any one branch gaining the upper hand is essential for democratic functioning’. Comment on the statement in the light of recent stand-off between Judiciary and Executive.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • The secret of life is not enjoyment but education through experience.
  • The increasing number of wild animals and reduction of food and water sources due to the increasing presence of exotic species rather than native varieties lead to wild animals invading human habitats.
  • Where the union government is busy stifling with the conduct of state governments through the post of the governor, one can only conclude that good governance is certainly not its top political priority.
  • When the RBI governor is emphatic in his view that crypto currency is going to be the instrument for next financial crisis, the policy makers must act quickly to ensure that our economy is insulated from such a crisis.
  • A bit of urgency on the part of the top court over the collegium would go a long way in smoothing its relationship with the Government. Two organs of the State bickering with each other all the time is not a good advertisement for either India or democracy.
  • The court may have perhaps missed an opportunity to clarify the true extent or limits to the guarantee of the currency by the state.
  • Technology can potentially meet the diverse needs of different demographic groups of workers, in terms of location, flexibility and hours of work.
  • India’s population presents a chance for growth, but inequality and elderly care need attention.
  • Like the larger policy framework within which they are set, the UGC’s draft rules emphasise quality without corresponding measures to safeguard equal access.
  • To suggest that the basic structure doctrine is by itself unsanctioned is to place the Constitution at the legislature’s whim.
  • A system of checks and balances that prevents any one branch gaining the upper hand is essential for democratic functioning.

50-WORD TALK

  • Supreme Court has ushered transparency to some extent by making its position on the reiterated judges’ names public. But this should also extend to all candidates. Making these unsubstantial government arguments public can only intensify the executive-judiciary faceoff. This spat must end now. Larger public interest is at stake here
  • The proposed new amendment to IT Rules seeks to give outsized, Orwellian powers to the government over the news media. The State cannot appropriate the right to declare an article false and force publishers and platforms to take it down. It’s shocking that this incredible overreach is even being proposed.
  • If a robust national R&D, industrial and manufacturing base was deemed to be a critical determinant of composite military capability in the 20th century, it is axiomatic that in the current era, a high quality national education ecosystem is central to acquiring the kind of technological profile that a major power needs to deal with the complex challenges it will have to grapple with.

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.



Day-366 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | GEOGRAPHY

[WpProQuiz 411]



Day-366 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | GEOGRAPHY

[WpProQuiz 411]



Ethics Through Current Development (23-01-2023)

  1. Data ethics: What it means and what it takes READ MORE
  2. Understanding Chat-GPT, And Why It’s Even Bigger Than You Think READ MORE
  3. Knowing the difference between needs and wants READ MORE
  4. Like netas, some players have also abused fame READ MORE
  5. Born Free to Break Free READ MORE
  6. Jacinda Ardern is a true Gandhian READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Geography (23-01-2023)

  1. Explained | Why is China’s population shrinking? READ MORE
  2. ‘Climate change can triple flood damage by atmospheric rivers’ READ MORE