1. Live in peace, not in search of it READ MORE
2. Wealth and happiness READ MORE

1. Joshimath Crisis: We must learn to live with earthquakes in the Himalayas READ MORE
2. It’s been a dry winter in the hills & plains of North India. Here’s why READ MORE

1. Women’s proxies: Intervention needed to stop husbands from usurping powers READ MORE
2. India needs to expand quality manpower READ MORE
3. Disparities rising: Oxfam reports states the obvious – the gulf between the rich and poor is getting wider READ MORE

1. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju’s letter to CJI DY Chandrachud: Fox in the henhouse READ MORE
2. Digital markets. Why a new law against Big Tech? READ MORE
3. Explainer: How is the appointment of judges related to debate on the basic structure doctrine? READ MORE
4. Voter apathy in municipal elections READ MORE
5. PUCL Flags ‘Threat’ to Judiciary, Urges Public to Resist Attacks on Collegium READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Global recession likely in 2023; India may benefit from diversification of supply chains: WEF survey READ MORE  
2. RBI proposes expected loss-based approach for provisioning by banks READ MORE
3. James Webb telescope discovers its first Earth-sized exoplanet: What are exoplanets? READ MORE
4. Joshimath land subsistence: Supreme Court asks petitioner to move Uttarakhand High Court READ MORE
5. Nepal plane crash | Both black boxes recovered; four people still missing READ MORE
6. RBI floats paper on expected loss-based approach for loan loss provisioning by banks READ MORE
7. As talks with Tamil parties drag, Ranil pledges full implementation of 13th Amendment READ MORE
8. Lobsters versus right whales: The latest chapter in a long quest to make fishing more sustainable READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Joshimath Crisis: We must learn to live with earthquakes in the Himalayas READ MORE
2. It’s been a dry winter in the hills & plains of North India. Here’s why READ MORE
3. Women’s proxies: Intervention needed to stop husbands from usurping powers READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju’s letter to CJI DY Chandrachud: Fox in the henhouse READ MORE
2. Digital markets. Why a new law against Big Tech? READ MORE
3. Explainer: How is the appointment of judges related to debate on the basic structure doctrine? READ MORE
4. Voter apathy in municipal elections READ MORE
5. PUCL Flags ‘Threat’ to Judiciary, Urges Public to Resist Attacks on Collegium READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. India needs to expand quality manpower READ MORE
2. Disparities rising: Oxfam reports states the obvious – the gulf between the rich and poor is getting wider READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The illogical rejection of the idea of South Asia READ MORE
2. In light of China-Russia alliance and Ukraine conflict, India and the new Eurasia READ MORE
3. Global South expects results: Challenge for India to make other G20 nations take effective action READ MORE
4. Changing times bring changes in international ties READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. A fortuitous trend: On wholesale inflation data READ MORE
2. A case for reassigning GST to States: It is essential to restore fiscal balance between the Union and State governments READ MORE
3. Cleaning up FCI’s operations: Food distribution needs deeper reforms READ MORE
4. Bank harassment, hidden charges undoing gains of Modi’s PMJDY and financial inclusion READ MORE

TECHNOLOGY

1. Fourth industrial revolution: ‘4IR is not real’ READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Hold off: On UNSC sanctioning Abdur Rehman Makki as sanctioned terrorist READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Greed, not nature behid Joshimath: Unbridled construction in the name of development is becoming the a recipe for environmental mishaps READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Live in peace, not in search of it READ MORE
2. Wealth and happiness READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. How far do you agree with this view that incorporating Government representatives in the Supreme Court collegium will “infuse transparency and public accountability” in the process of appointment of judges? Analyse your view.
2. Do you agree with this view that the Centre consultation with state chief minister, while appointing governors, will be an ideal condition to restore the dignity of the post of governor? Analyse your views.
3. ‘There is a need to develop synergies in the Global South to address the current global crises and India have potential to lead it’. Examine.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Those in the developing world have so few rights — we take a lot for granted in the developed world.
• Judicial appointments are currently at the centre of a public fight between the judiciary and the Modi government.
• Infrequent or weak western disturbances from mid-November through the third week of January have affected Rabi crops.
• South Asia appears to be the exception and the outlier to the most logical principle now — regional cooperation.
• The Union government should effect equalisation transfers to address this issue of horizontal fiscal inequality.
• Japan is leading the way to show that the security of Europe, Indo-Pacific is indivisible. For Delhi, there are opportunities and challenge.
• The House panel’s push for a new law needs a rethink. The competition law provisions are adequate. The norms should rely on demonstrable effects.
• The reservation policy may have underestimated the degree to which inequalities pervade social and political life.
• China has made remarkable advances in science and technology and India, as it seeks to be the voice of the Global South, cannot be oblivious of that.
• The real challenge for India and the Global South is to ensure that the gap between the developed world and it in science and technology does not go back to what it became after the European Industrial Revolution.
• Banking is an integral sector, and improving financial inclusion among the unbanked is an essential function that public sector banks play.
• The World Economic Forum argues that the 4IR will lead to job losses because of automation, but a whole bunch of new jobs will also be created by the information technology universe.

50-WORD TALK

• The decline in India’s merchandise exports isn’t surprising considering many export destinations are seeing economic downturns. What is concerning, however, is the dip in merchandise imports, the first time in two years. These are warning signs of slowing domestic demand among consumers and manufacturers. Time for some innovative budgetary support.
• Constitutionally minded citizens and civil society groups need to stand up to collectively raise their voices and demand that the Central government and its functionaries stop the public attacks on the collegium and the judiciary, abide by the spirit of the Constitution and respect its values, ethos and proprieties.

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.

GEOGRAPHY

1. PINEAPPLE EXPRESS PHENOMENON

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-I-GEOGRAPHY

THE CONTEXT: Over the past two weeks, California and other parts of the West Coast have been hit with a series of what meteorologists call atmospheric rivers.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is atmospheric river?

• These are the long, narrow regions in the atmosphere that transport most of the water vapor outside the tropics.
• These columns of vapor move with the weather, carrying an amount of water vapor roughly equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River. When the atmospheric rivers make landfall, they often release this water vapor in the form of rain or snow.
• Although atmospheric rivers come in different shapes and sizes, for one to be a “true Pineapple Express,” location matters. The tail end, where the moisture is pulled into the atmosphere, must start near Hawaii. Then the river must stretch continuously through the atmosphere to the U.S. West Coast.
• Between 30% and 50% of the annual precipitation on the West Coast occurs from just a few atmospheric river events, according to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) US Govt agency.

Where do they occur?

• They can occur anywhere across the world but they are most dominant over the West coast of Northern America taking up the moisture from Pacific ocean.
• They also occur at the eastern United States, where they often channel moisture from the Caribbean.

Consequences:

• Positive: They bring much desired rainfall to the coastal areas which in turn is beneficial for economic activities like agriculture, transportation, fisheries and water supplies etc.
• Negative: High intensity atmospheric rivers lead to torrential rainfalls, flash floods, landslides, snowfall, sheet erosion and strong winter storms.

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

2. DEFAULT BAIL

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-II-POLITY AND CONSTITUTION

THE CONTEXT: Recent, the Supreme Court said that grant of default bail will not operate as an absolute bar to canceling it once the charge sheet is filed and the same can be considered if a strong case is made out.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is a Default bail?

• Also known as statutory bail, this is a right to bail that accrues when the police fail to complete investigation within a specified period in respect of a person in judicial custody.
• This is enshrined in Section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) where it is not possible for the police to complete an investigation in 24 hours, the police produce the suspect in court and seek orders for either police or judicial custody.
• Under Section 167(2) of the Code, a Magistrate can order an accused person to be detained in the custody of the police for 15 days. Beyond the police custody period of 15 days, the Magistrate can authorize the detention of the accused person in judicial custody i.e., jail if necessary. However, the accused cannot be detained for more than:

ninety days, when an authority is investigating an offense punishable with death, life imprisonment or imprisonment for at least ten years; or sixty days, when the authority is investigating any other offense.

• In some other special laws like Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, this period may vary. For eg: In Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the period is 180 days.
• At the end of this period, if the investigation is not complete, the court shall release the person “if he is prepared to and does furnish bail”. This is known as default bail.

Principles:

• It is a right, regardless of the nature of the crime.
• The stipulated period within which the charge sheet has to be filed begins from the day the accused is remanded for the first time.
• It includes days undergone in both police and judicial custody, but not days spent in house-arrest.
• A requirement for the grant of statutory bail is that the right should be claimed by the person in custody.
• If the charge sheet is not filed within the stipulated period, but there is no application for bail under Section 167(2), there is no automatic bail.
• Once the accused files an application for bail under Section 167(2), it is considered that he/she has enforced the right to be released on default bail.
• This right only comes into place after the stipulated time limit for investigation has expired.
• If the accused fails to apply for default bail after the investigation time period has expired, and the investigating agency files a charge-sheet or seeks more time before the accused makes such an application for default bail, then the right of default bail is no longer applicable.
• The Magistrate can then grant further time for completion of the investigation. However, the accused may still be released on bail under other legal provisions of the Code.

Default Bail as Fundamental Right:

The Supreme Court while hearing an appeal regarding default bail said that default bail under first proviso of Section 167(2) of the Cr.P.C. is a fundamental right and not merely a statutory right as it is, a procedure established by law under Article 21 of the Constitution.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

3. DUTY DRAWBACK SCHEME (DDS)

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-III-ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Recently the GST authorities found that exporters are misusing the government’s duty drawback scheme (DDS) by claiming it along with refunds of integrated goods and services tax (GST).

THE EXPLANATION:

Duty Drawback Scheme: Customs Act 1962

The duty drawback scheme allows exporters to get a refund on customs duties paid on imported products that:

• Are used or incorporated in other products for export
• Remain unused since importation

All the provisions in this scheme are described under Section 74 and Section 75 under the Customs Act, 19621.

As stated in these sections, the following conditions must be met to be able to claim duty drawback:

• If the imported goods are re-exported within two years from the date of payment of duty on the importation, then exporters can claim 98% of the duty paid.

To be able to claim duty drawback, the following aspects should be considered:

• Products being exported must be different from inputs
• Inputs refer to imported goods on which customs and taxes have been paid
• Products utilized in making the goods for export must have undergone a physical change
• Number of inputs utilized in processing export products per piece must not be uniform

The government fixes a rate of drawback (for different types of goods) to be paid per unit of the final product at the time of exports. This rate depends on how verified the mode of manufacturing, raw materials used, amount of duty paid on inputs and standards of making the final product are.

Duty drawback might not be allowed under the following conditions:

• Export value of products is less than the value of imported products.
• If the sale of finished products is not received by the exporter within the allowed time, then drawback shall be deemed by the government.

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. NEW DUST CONTROL TECHNOLOGY

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-III-ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL) invented method for Controlling Generation and Movement of Fugitive Dust.

THE EXPLANATION:

• It aims to minimize and control the fugitive dust in mining areas.
• Useful in Coal Mines, Thermal Power Plants, Railway Sidings and Ports
• It will help in reducing the dust generation from open sources.
• it will provide noise attenuation.
• Fugitive dust is a type of particulate matter that causes air pollution because it is produced by many sources but is released into the atmosphere without passing through a confined flow stream.

VALUE ADDITION:

About Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL):

• CMPDIL is a Government of India enterprise having its corporate headquarters at Ranchi in India.
• It is a fully owned subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL) and a Schedule-B company.
• It is a Mini Ratna (Category I) company since June 2019 and ISO 9001 certified since March 1998.
• In January 1974, CMPDI started functioning as a division of the then recently constituted Coal Mines Authority Limited (CMAL), and the planning wing of erstwhile National Coal Development Corporation (NCDC) forming its nucleus.
• In November 1975, CMAL was merged to form Coal India Limited, and CMPDI attained the status of a public limited company under CIL with declared scope of its business under its Memorandum of Association broadly in line with its original proposal.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. SHUKRAYAAN-1

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-III- SPACE TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: An advisor to the space science programme recently said that the Indian Space Research Organisation is yet to receive approval from the Indian government for the Venus mission and that the mission could as a result be postponed to 2031.

THE EXPLANATION:

About SHUKRAYAAN-1?

• It is also called the Venus Mission.
• The Shukrayaan I mission will be an orbiter mission.
• Its scientific payloads currently include a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar and a ground-penetrating radar.
• The mission is expected to study Venus’s geological and volcanic activity, emissions on the ground, wind speed, cloud cover, and other planetary characteristics from an elliptical orbit.
• Optimal launch windows from Earth to Venus occur once every 19 months.

About Venus

• Venus is often called “Earth’s twin” because they’re similar in size and structure, but Venus has extreme surface heat and a dense, toxic atmosphere.
• It rotates very slowly on its axis – one day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days.
• The thick atmosphere of Venus traps heat creating a runaway greenhouse effect – making it the hottest planet in our solar system.
• Phosphine, a possible indicator of microbial life, has been observed in the clouds of Venus.
• Unlike the other planets in our solar system, Venus spins clockwise on its axis.

THE CONTEXT: In August 2022, the International Federation of Association Football(FIFA) has suspended the All India Football Federation (AIFF) with immediate effect due to undue influence from third parties, which constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes. This incident is only a symptom of the larger issues of mis-governance, mal-administration and an all-pervading malaise of corruption that have plagued sports bodies in India. Against this backdrop this article analyses the problems of sports bodies and also suggest reforms so that India can emerge as champion among the sporting nations.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS RELATED TO SPORTS GOVERNANCE IN INDIA

1. BCCI ISSUE: In January 2015, the SC appointed a committee headed by Justice (Retd) RM Lodha to determine punishments for those named in the Mudgal Committee (2014) report and to recommend reforms for cricket in India particularly suggesting amendments to the processes followed by BCCI.R M Lodha panel recommendations (2016) to restructure the BCCI and disclosure of the assets by the members of the governing body of the BCCI. But, the problems with BCCI seem to continue despite changes in its working.
2. AIFF ISSUE: Recently in August 2022, FIFA, suspended the country’s top administrative organization, the All-India Football Federation (AIFF), for undue influence from third parties.

• AIFF’S President’s Unwillingness to Vacate His Post: President Praful Patel, also a FIFA council member, refused to relinquish his post as the head of football in the country.
• Third-Party Intervention: Despite the growing concerns about the working of AIFF, the Supreme Court of India intervened and removed Patel from his post.Further, The SC also appointed a Committee of Administrators (COA) to run the AIFF.
  o As per FIFA Statutes, member federations should not be subject to legal and political interference in their respective countries. [Third Party Intervention refers to a situation in which a member association of FIFA fails to remain independent, is co-opted, and no longer has control over its organization.]

SPORTS GOVERNANCE IN INDIA

• A federated model is the cornerstone of the Indian sporting infrastructure. The sport regulating organizations for each geographic location are distinct and unique for each sport.
• Numerous important organizations exist independently of the federated framework as well. Governments (both national and state), government organizations (such as the Sports Authority of India), and the Indian Olympic Association are among them (IOA).
• In India, private and non-profit organizations extensively and innovatively contribute to the sports industry in a manner that is unprecedented in other nations, be it in Kabaddi or in Football.
• Non-profit organizations such as GoSports Foundation and Olympic Gold Quest, rely on sponsorship through the enormous efforts of corporate social responsibility and offer athletes exceptional support and services that could not be accessed through the more formalized sports system.

CURRENT STRUCTURE OF SPORTS GOVERNANCE IN INDIA

The model in India has multiple stakeholders such as the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), Sports Authority of India (SAI), National Sports Federation (NSF), Indian Olympic Association (IOA), State Olympic Association (SOA), etc. The present scheme of arrangements of sports governance in India can better be understood by the pictorial representation given below:

In accordance with the Olympic Charter that restricts government influence of sports federations, the sports bodies in India are autonomous entities. While the IOA is the umbrella body under which all the NSFs and SOAs conduct various sporting events in the country, government bodies operate under MYAS, playing a support role such as training and infrastructure management.
In addition, there are federations for non-Olympic sports such as Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for cricket. These federations are directly affiliated to their respective international federations. Similar to the IOA and NSFs, government intervention is restricted by the charter of their respective international federations.

ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH SPORTS GOVERNANCE IN INDIA

UNCLEAR DEMARCATION OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITY

• Currently, there is very little distinction between management and governance within Indian sport.
• In many Indian sporting organizations, the executive committee, the body ostensibly responsible for governance, usually finds itself doing the management work.

LACK OF CHECKS AND BALANCES

• In the pretext of autonomy, sporting organizations have been allowed to function in any manner without checks and balances.

LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

• The current sports model faces accountability issues such as that of having unlimited discretionary powers and also there is no transparency in the decision-making with irregularity in revenue management. For instance:
• In July 2010, the Central Vigilance Commission released a report about irregularities in 14 projects of Commonwealth Games held in India.
• The 2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing and betting case.

LACK OF SUFFICIENT INFRASTRUCTURE

• Status of sports infrastructure in India is yet to reach the desired level. This creates an obstacle in developing a culture of sports in the country.

PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS

• Use of performance enhancing drugs is still a major problem in the sports sector.
• This problem still needs to be addressed effectively, despite the creation of the National Anti Doping Agency in the country.

IMPLICATIONS OF POOR SPORTS GOVERNANCE IN INDIA

1. Developing a strategic plan takes time and effort from a wide variety of stakeholders. Good governance provides the structures, tools and formal mechanisms to ensure the plan is implemented consistently and in line with the current and future aspirations. Poor sports governance leads to poor performance in sports and moral loss of the sportspersons as well as admirers of the sports.
2. Poor governance means a lack of transparent decision making processes, and can open the way for financial irregularities and/or corruption on and off the field – in part due to a lack of rules, regulations, formal guidance and/or unethical culture. Poor governance shows poor social responsibility.
3. Aside from the effect which poor governance can have on an organisation, the strongest consideration must also be given to the impact on the most important constituent of any sport: its people. Any negative impact on an organisation detracts from its ability to provide for its members, participants, staff, volunteers and fans. The most serious governance failings will lead to very real and grave implications on a human level.
4. The poor sports governance also have economic implications on the related industries manufacturing sport equipments, the livelihood of locals near and around the sport facilities, international tourism etc are all staring at a loss in view of poor sports governance.

WHETHER THE SPORTS BODIES SHOULD BE BROUGHT UNDER THE DEFINITION OF “STATE” FOR BETTER GOVERNANCE?

Over the years there have been many debates as to whether sports bodies like BCCI should be classified as a ‘State’ under Article 12 of the Constitution of India and to bring the sport bodies/federations under the realm of the Right to Information Act.
In case of Cricket the Court took into account the principles of absence of “deep and pervasive control and lack of substantial government funding” to rule out BCCI as ‘State’ under Article 12 of the Constitution of India. The Court ruled out BCCI from the purview of it being an ‘Instrumentality of the State’ but stated that these tests are not definitive as has been time and again specified by the Court.
The current status is that the Supreme Court has declared BCCI a public authority under the RTI Act. But the BCCI is yet to declare this by themselves.
The Olympic Charter also restricts government influence of sports federations and the sports bodies in India are autonomous entities. While the IOA is the umbrella body under which all the NSFs and SOAs conduct various sporting events in the country, government bodies operate under MYAS, playing a support role such as training and infrastructure management.
Against this backdrop it is imperative to maintain the balance between the autonomy of the sport federations and the overall governance mechanism by the state. However, areas where much of the public fund is utilised there shall be transparency and accountability on the part of the organisations.

NATIONAL SPORTS DEVELOPMENT CODE AND SPORTS GOVERNANCE

• National Sports Development Code of India (SPORTS CODE) was introduced in 2011 by the Central government to bring good governance practices in the management of sports at the national level without interfering with the autonomy of the national sports bodies.It enunciates the basic universal principles of good governance, ethics and fair play in the sports.The code prescribes restrictions on the age and tenure of the office-bearers of federations and also envisages transparent functioning along with free and fair elections.
• The Delhi High Court in 2014 held that the government can ‘insist upon adherence to these provisions (sports code), without the aid of legislation’ and added that the sports code provisions were ‘neither arbitrary’ nor did they ‘violate any freedom under the Constitution.’The court is also of the opinion that a federation which does not follow the guidelines should be suspended and it is indeed imperative that no further exemptions be granted to or lenience be shown to noncompliant NSFs.
• In 2021 the court had asked the sports ministry for the status of compliance with the Sports Code by 41 national federations. As of October 2022 the report has not yet been submitted.
• When a sports body is found in violation of the sports code the respective federations can be put under a Committee of Administrators (CoA). However even the CoA was accused by many of failing to implement the reforms proposed by Justice RM Lodha in BCCI case.
• Sports code was envisaged as a one stop solution to the malaises in the sports governance in India but it is hard to say that it had been efficient.
• Global professional sports clubs have contributed significantly to raise the standard of some sports. Football, tennis, cricket, basketball, baseball, track and field events in athletics and boxing, to name a few and currently more than 100 professional leagues in various sports exist across the world. (NFL, MLB and NBA are the top three, profitability wise.) India has an immense coaching talent with vast experience in different sports that can act as a catalyst for the development of India as a training hub for sports like Kabaddi and Cricket at an international sphere. For instance, a small town Iten in Kenya has produced more than 10 world champions in athletics in the last couple of decades. Such grassroot level interventions shall be made and sports be included in the school curriculum to attract the talented individuals early and train them for world platform.

THE WAY FORWARD:

1. Restructuring Governance and Management: There should be a proper demarcating of roles and responsibilities among different bodies involved in the Indian sport sector to maximize the use of resources and ensure there are no gaps in meeting the needs of sport. This will also bring transparency and accountability in the functioning of the respective sports federations.
2. Effective Legislative Backing: In the absence of strong legislation, there will be no efficacy in the functions of the sports authorities. Also, the political intervention can be easily checked with a well-drafted legislation reducing anomalies.
3. Sports Awareness: By incorporating sports into children’s daily lives, it will not only boost their confidence, self-image and personality, but also open the gateway to a possible career in sports. The quality of infrastructure can be scaled up to the village level and regional centres should be made available for those who are serious at taking their sport professionally.
4. Sports are governed by the International Sports Federations and the peculiar regional demands shall be incorporated so as not to encroach the sovereignty of the country in any way.

THE CONCLUSION: Needless to say, the current model of governance of Indian sports lacks accountability and transparency, which creates an environment that is conducive to wide-scale corruption, threatening a sports overall credibility. Unless mechanisms are brought in place to govern the huge sums of money and the interests of various stakeholders, sports will always run the risk of losing credibility, negatively impacting the future of its players and stakeholders.

Mains Practice Questions:

1) India cannot evolve into a sporting nation through watching television alone. Comment.
2) National Sports Development Code of India (2011) has failed to achieve its objective and a new model of Sports Governance is long overdue. Critically examine.
3) “The sports governance ecosystem in India requires immediate reforms”. Argue

[WpProQuiz 406]

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. COMPETITION COMMISSION OF INDIA

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-II- POLITY & GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Google has said that the order passed by India’s competition regulator — the Competition Commission of India (CCI) — against Android’s operating system policies will result in devices getting expensive in India and lead to proliferation of unchecked apps that will pose threats for individual and national security.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Competition Commission of India:

• The Competition Commission of India has been established to enforce the competition law under the Competition Act, 2002.
• It comes under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• It should be noted that on the recommendations of Raghavan committee, the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP Act) was repealed and replaced by the Competition Act, 2002.
• The Commission consists of a Chairperson and not more than 6 Members appointed by the Central Government.
• It is the statutory duty of the Commission to eliminate practices having an adverse effect on competition, promote and sustain competition, protect the interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade carried on by other participants, in markets in India as provided in the Preamble as well as Section 18 of the Act.
• The Commission is also mandated to give its opinion on competition issues to government or statutory authority and to undertake competition advocacy for creating awareness of competition law.
• Advocacy is at the core of effective competition regulation.
• Competition Commission of India (CCI), which has been entrusted with implementation of law, has always believed in complementing robust enforcement with facilitative advocacy.
• It is a quasi-judicial body.
• CCI also approves combination under the act so that two merging entities do not overtake the market.

The Competition Act

• The Competition Act, 2002, as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007, follows the philosophy of modern competition laws.
• The Act prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises and regulates combinations (acquisition, acquiring of control and M&A), which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

2. ALTERNATE INVESTMENT FUND AND CREDIT DEFAULT SWAP

TAGS:PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-III- INDIAN ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The Securities and exchange board of India has allowed alternative investment funds) to participate in credit default swaps (CDS) as protection for both buyers and sellers.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Category I and Category II AIFs may buy CDS on underlying investment in debt securities, only for the purpose of hedging.
• Category III AIFs may buy CDS for hedging or otherwise, within permissible leverage
• Credit default swap market is very illiquid at present.

Alternate Investment Fund(AIFs):

• In India, AIFs are defined in Regulation 2(1) (b) of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012.
• Meaning – It refers to any privately pooled investment fund, (whether from Indian or foreign sources), in the form of a trust or a company or a body corporate or a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP).
• They include angel funds, commodities, real estate, venture capital, private equity, etc.
• Categories of AIFs
• Category I: Mainly invests in start- ups, SME’s or any other sector which Govt. considers economically and socially viable
• Category II: private equity funds or debt funds for which no specific incentives or concessions are given by the government or any other Regulator
• Category III : hedge funds or funds which trade with a view to make short term returns or such other funds which are open ended and for which no specific incentives or concessions are given by the government

Benefits of AIF:

• Security against volatility – These schemes do not put their funds in investment options that trade publicly. Hence, they are not related to the broader markets and do not fluctuate with their ups and downs.
• Excellent portfolio diversification to a wide array of assets
• Profitable returns – as these funds have numerous investment options, They are a better source of passive income. Further, returns are less prone to fluctuations as these schemes are not linked to the stock market.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES IN NEWS

3. ‘SAHARSH’ INITIATIVE

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GOVERNMENT SCHEMES IN NEWS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Tripura government has launched a special education programme called ‘Saharsh’ in an effort to encourage social and emotional learning.

THE EXPLANATION:

The initiative was launched on a pilot basis in August 2022 in 40 schools in the state, and from January 2023, it will be extended to all government and aided schools of the state. The programme is aimed at empowering children to learn with happiness and contribute to empathetic development.

What is Social and Emotional Learning?

• Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults learn the skills they need to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
• SEL is critical for students to succeed in school and in life. The ‘Saharsh’ initiative is designed to help students develop these skills and become well-rounded, resilient individuals.

Effectiveness of the Program

• The ‘Saharsh’ initiative is based on a similar programme that was found to be effective in social and economic development in research studies of Harvard and Columbia Universities. The programme is being contextualised with local realities of India before implementing it in Tripura.
• According to the state government, it has already trained 204 schools for the ‘Saharsh’ curriculum while 200 more will be trained soon. Thirty assistant headmasters from different districts of Tripura were also selected to work as Saharsh implementation ambassadors.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

4. WHO ARE THE THARU PEOPLE?

TAGS:PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-I & III-CULTURE & HERITAGE- ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Recently, forest officials of the Katarniaghat division plans the works for the financial inclusion of the Tharu groups that live near the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) and are much affected by human-wildlife conflicts.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Tharu people

• They are an ethnic group indigenous to the Terai region of the Himalayan foothills, located in southern Nepal and in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.
• Tharu in Nepal officially numbered about 1.5 million and those in India about 170,000.
• They speak various dialects of Tharu, a language of the Indo-Aryan subgroup of the Indo-Iranian group of the Indo-European family, and they are largely Indian in culture.
• Most Tharu practice agriculture, raise cattle, hunt, fish, and collect forest products.
• Although they are Hindu, the Tharu use their own traditional ritual specialists in addition to the Hindu Brahman priests.
• Each Tahru village is governed by a council and a headman.

Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS):

• Location: It is situated in the Upper Gangetic plain falling in the Terai of Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh.
• It is part of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve Lakhimpur kheri.
• The Katarniya Ghat Forest provides strategic connectivity between tiger habitats of India and Nepal.
• Flora: The sanctuary has a mosaic of Sal and Teak forests, lush grasslands, numerous swamps and wetlands.
• Fauna: It is home to a number of endangered species including gharial, tiger, rhino, Gangetic dolphin, Swamp deer, Hispid hare, Bengal florican, the White-backed and Long-billed vultures.

REPORT AND INDEXES

5. OXFAM’S “SURVIVAL OF THE RICHEST” REPORT

TAGS: GS-III- ECONOMY- REPORT & INDEXES

THE CONTEXT: According to a new study by Oxfam International, the richest 1% of people in India now own more than 40% of the country’s total wealth, while the bottom half of the population together share just 3% of wealth.

THE EXPLANATION:

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:

• The report suggests that taxing India’s ten-richest at 5% could fetch enough money to bring children back to school. Additionally, if India’s billionaires were taxed once at 2% on their entire wealth, it would support the requirement of Rs 40,423 crore for the nutrition of malnourished in the country for the next three years.
• A one-time tax of 5% on the 10 richest billionaires in the country (Rs 1.37 lakh crore) is more than 1.5 times the funds estimated by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry (Rs 86,200 crore) and the Ministry of Ayush (Rs 3,050 crore) for the year 2022-23.

Impact on Earnings: The report also highlights the impact of gender inequality on earnings. It states that female workers earned only 63 paise for every 1 rupee a male worker earned. For Scheduled Castes and rural workers, the difference is even starker – the former earned 55% of what the advantaged social groups earned, and the latter earned only half of the urban earnings between 2018 and 2019.
Pandemic Impacts: Since the pandemic began in November 2022, billionaires in India have seen their wealth surge by 121% or Rs 3,608 crore per day in real terms, Oxfam said. On the other hand, approximately 64% of the total Rs 14.83 lakh crore in Goods and Services Tax (GST) came from bottom 50% of the population in 2021-22, with only 3% of GST coming from the top 10%. The total number of billionaires in India increased from 102 in 2020 to 166 in 2022.
Wealth Inequality in India: According to sources, “The country’s marginalized – Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims, Women and informal sector workers are continuing to suffer in a system which ensures the survival of the richest.” To implement progressive tax measures such as wealth tax and inheritance tax, which they said have been historically proven to be effective in tackling inequality.

• Citing a nationwide survey by Fight Inequality Alliance India (FIA India) in 2021, Oxfam said it found that more than 80% of people in India support tax on the rich and corporations who earned record profits during the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 90% participants demanded budget measures to combat inequality such as universal social security, right to health and expansion of budget to prevent gender-based violence.

[WpProQuiz 405]

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Ministry of Communication published  the draft of  the Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022 to replace the current legislation governing the telecommunication regime in India, including the Indian Telegraph Act, of 1885. Although the Bill has many laudable objectives, there are also some critical concerns raised regarding the impact of the Bill on various stakeholders. This article analyses these issues in detail from the UPSC perspective.

THE SALIENT FEATURES OF THE BILL

CLARITY ON SPECTRUM ASSIGNMENT

• The Bill reaffirms the government’s authority to assign spectrum, with or without auction, and declares common good and access to telecom services as the objective for spectrum assignment.

EASING CRIMINAL PENALTIES

• It seeks to remove several redundant penalties. Example- trespass in telegraph office under Section 23, The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.
• Further, introduces the settlement of offenses by payment of fines, and voluntary undertaking.
• This would augment the ease of doing business and considerably reduce the threat of criminal prosecution for operational issues faced by telecom operators.

LICENSING INTERNET-BASED APPS

• The Bill requires OTT communication services, which are essentially Internet-based apps/software, to obtain telecom licenses and thereby bring them under the telecom framework.

EXPANSION OF SHUTDOWN AND SURVEILLANCE POWERS

• The Bill allows the government to direct suspension of transmission of messages or provision of telecom networks or services.

COORDINATION

• It is based on Wireless Planning Coordination (WPC) reforms which are aimed at making the process more efficient and without physical interference for companies applying for permits. WPC is responsible for issuing amateur radio licenses, allotting the frequency spectrum, and monitoring the frequency spectrum.
• It is expected that time for licensing would reduce to 28 days ushering reforms in licensing through an online process.

REFUND/DEFAULT IN PAYMENT BY LICENSEES

• It has proposed a provision for refund of fees in case a telecom or internet provider surrenders his license.
• Further, it has provided a framework for governing payment defaults by licensees, registered entities, or assignees, and allows the government to write off such amounts or part thereof.

TELECOMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT FUND (TDF)

• It proposes to replace the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) with the TDF.
• USOF is the pool of funds generated by the 5% Universal Service Levy that is charged to all telecom fund operators on their Adjusted Gross Revenue.

RIGHT OF WAY (ROW)

• RoW is a pre-requisite for establishing telecommunication networks and improvement of telecommunication services.
• The Bill seeks to reduce approval permission for RoW down to 6-7 days promoting uniformity in telecommunication infrastructure.

TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA (TRAI)

• TRAI’s position has been reduced in a number of ways:

Ø  Reducing it to a recommendatory body from a regulatory body.

Ø  Department of Telecommunications will no longer be required to refer back to TRAI the recommendations for reconsideration.

• The removal of such powers is not in line with an international practice where telecom regulators are endowed with a greater degree of independence to ensure that investor confidence and consumer protection are maintained in the market.

THE RATIONALE FOR THE DRAFT INDIAN TELECOMMUNICATION BILL, 2022

India’s Telecom sector stands second in the world in terms of market share. On the contrary, it is coupled with a number of challenges, of which Policy overlapping is a major one. The Telecom sector in India has become a victim of an Institutional Jungle. The duality of control by various machineries of the government has created unresolved dilemmas for the Telecom Sector in India. This led to the drafting of the Telecom Bill 2022, so as to replace the obsolete colonial laws and to bring coordination in the sector.

Regulatory Framework of Telecom Sector in India

Ministry of Communication

Department of Telecommunication

Wireless Planning Commission (WPC)

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal

Laws and Regulations

The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885

The Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997

The Information Technology Act, 2000

The Broadband Policy 2004

National Digital Communications Policy, 2018

PROBLEMS IN THE TELECOM SECTOR IN INDIA

SUPPLY-SIDE ISSUES

• The telecom market is fragmented as it is divided into many players. According to TRAI, the market share of various Telecom companies as of June 2022 is- 36% of Jio whereas Airtel’s market share improved slightly to reach 31.63%.
• The telecom sector is accumulated in huge debt as it is likely to escalate to as much as Rs 6 lakh crore by this fiscal end following the spectrum purchase outgo, and network upgradation.

DEMAND SIDE ISSUES

• As per the white paper on broadband at the last International Telecommunication Union (ITU), states that broadband penetration in India is only 7% which is a matter of concern.
• The inadequate availability of spectrum is a major concern for India. Further, the situation is worsened as ISRO and India’s defense forces are demanding a major reservation in Spectrum allocation.

REGULATORY ISSUES-

• Since 2005, the DoT and telecom companies have had a dispute over the definition of AGR.
• The telecom companies argued that the AGR should include only the income from the telecom operations which was supported by TDSAT whereas, in 2019, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the DoT by accepting its definition so as to include non-telecom incomes like the asset sales, interests on deposits, rents, etc. in AGR.
• Thereby, ordering them to pay Rs.92,000 crores to the government within three months.

AVERAGE REVENUE PER USER (ARPU)

• The decline in ARPU is sharp and steady, which, combined with falling profits and in some cases, serious losses, is prompting the Indian telecom industry to look at consolidation as the only way to boost revenues.

LACK OF TELECOM INFRASTRUCTURE IN SEMI-RURAL AND RURAL AREAS

• Service providers have to incur huge initial fixed costs to enter semi-rural and rural areas. Key reasons behind these costs are the lack of basic infrastructures like power and roads, resulting in delays in rolling out the infrastructure.

CURRENT DEVELOPMENT- 5G SPECTRUM ALLOCATION A SETBACK FOR TELCOS

Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has made its position clear by allowing independent entities to set up private captive networks with direct 5G spectrum allotment would ‘severely’ impact revenues and degrade 5G’s business case for telecom operators.

REVOLUTIONARY PROVISIONS OF THE DRAFT INDIAN TELECOMMUNICATION BILL, 2022

• Consumer Protection Measures: The identity of the person communicating using any form of telecommunication services shall be available to the user receiving such communication, thereby curtailing spam calls and frauds.

This would mean that unlike now where only the phone number of the person making the communication is displayed, going forward the name of the person would also be displayed. This facility will be available for voice calls but also for users of OTT communication services.

• Commercial communications which are advertising and promotional in nature should be made only with the prior consent of a subscriber.
• Covering OTT services: One of the key changes is the inclusion of new-age over-the-top communication services like WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram in the definition of telecommunication services, which has been a long-standing demand of the Telecom Companies.

 CONCERNS OVER THE DRAFT INDIAN TELECOMMUNICATION BILL, 2022

It is argued that, if the bill is passed in its current state, it would not only fail to achieve its objectives but also prove an impediment to human liberties and the goal of digitization claimed by the world’s largest democracy.

1. INTERNET SHUTDOWNS

• The bill empowers the Union and state government under Clause 24(2), to suspend internet services in cases of “occurrence of any public emergency or in the interest of the public safety or in cases of national security”.
• This has raised concerns that the proposed provision gives the government power to order internet shutdowns explicitly.
• Currently, internet shutdowns are done under the Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017.

Statistics-Studies-Judgment on Internet Shutdown:

➢  The Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC), a legal services organization that tracks global internet shutdowns, has found that there have been 683 internet shutdowns in India since 2012, 66 of which were in 2022.

➢  The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, in its 26th report, titled ‘Suspension of Telecom Services/Internet and its Impact’, noted the human rights impact of the misuse of internet shutdowns in India, and how the grounds of “public emergency” and “public safety” are used as a tool of policing and for administrative purposes.

➢  In Anuradha Bhasin versus Union of India (2020), the Supreme Court also expressed displeasure regarding the frequent shutdowns of the internet, and opined that they should only be enacted if absolutely necessary and only after carrying out certain balancing tests as a restrictive step.

     2. SURVEILLANCE

• The bill not only mirrors but also expands the scope of Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act by expanding the scope to “telecommunication services or telecommunication network” to take OTT under its ambit.

Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, of 1885 states that the Union or state government or any officer authorized on their behalf to intercept messages through telegraph as a part of the surveillance framework of the country.

• It may cause OTT platforms practicing end-to-end encryption to disclose information to surveillance officers authorized by the government.
• The Justice B.N. Srikrishna-led Committee of Experts on a Data Protection Framework for India also noted the plague of surveillance without any protections from legislation and judiciary, which needed to be addressed.

    3. IMPACT ON TRAI(TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA)

The Bill considerably dilutes TRAI’s position in a number of ways, reducing it from a regulatory to a recommendatory body.

• First, the government would no longer be required to seek recommendations from the TRAI before issuing licenses.
• Second, it also removes the power of the TRAI to requisition from the government information or documents that are necessary to make such recommendations.
• Moreover, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will no longer be required to refer back to TRAI the recommendations for reconsideration, those recommendations that it does not agree with, as it was required to do previously.

     4. INFORMATION SHARING- CONCERN OVER PRIVACY

• It obligates license holders to identify the users of its service through a verifiable mode of identification. To ensure that a user provides correct details, the draft Bill penalizes providing wrong identification details.
• The users of the internet have a certain expectation of privacy which would be ultimately taken from them. Experts have called this an attack on people’s fundamental rights and freedoms, including that privacy and free expression.
• It has also been called an attempt to reinforce the colonial Indian Telegraph Act and an undoing of the progress made after the Supreme Court’s landmark Puttaswamy judgement.

     5. OTT COMMUNICATION SERVICES AS TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES

• The Bill expands the definition of “telecommunication services” to include OTT communication services as a consequence of this they may be subject to the same licensing conditions as TSPs(Telecom Service Providers).

TSPS ALLEGE OTT FOR USING THEIR RESOURCES

• Over-the-top (OTT) communication services refer to services that provide real-time person-to-person telecommunication services using the network infrastructure of telecom service providers like Airtel, Vodafone, and Jio.
• TSPs allege that these features result in a double whammy for them as OTT cuts into their sources of revenue (voice calls, SMS) while not having to deal with infrastructure and licensing costs that they have to undertake. Therefore, TSPs have been demanding a level playing field with OTT services.

THE WAY FORWARD:

1. The Government must address the concerns related to the privacy of the users.

• According to the Supreme Court in the Puttaswamy judgment (2017), the right to privacy is a fundamental right and it is necessary to protect personal data as an essential facet of informational privacy. Thus, Draft Telecom Bill coupled with Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 should be revised, strengthened, and come into force to avoid concerns over Privacy.

2. The role of the independent sector regulator, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), and the Telecom Dispute Settlement and Dispute Tribunal (TDSAT) should be strengthened.
3. The Bill places emphasis on the development of telecom infrastructure while covering new-age services to keep up with the times. The proposed legal framework seeks to be future-ready, provides certainty regarding spectrum management, and reserves the penalty of imprisonment or heavy fines only for a small set of critical offenses.

THE CONCLUSION: The Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022 is a much-awaited move as India’s Digital space is expanding at a very rapid pace with new technologies and new players. It will not only address the present issues but will also provide a future-ready law.

Mains Practice Questions.

Q.1 What are the challenges and opportunities of the draft Telecom bill, 2022? How does it aims to bring uniformity in the Spectrum allocation process?

Q.2 What are the main constraints in the current regulatory framework in the Telecom Sector in India? Do you think that the Draft Telcom Bill, 2022 can address these constraints?

Q.3 “The Draft Telecom Bill, 2022  suffers from constitutional, administrative and regulatory challenges ”  Comment.

1. Concern for Nature READ MORE
2. Public servants can be found guilty of graft on circumstantial proof: Supreme Court READ MORE
3. Approach truth directly, not via intermediaries READ MORE
4. Swami Vivekananda: true icon for youths READ MORE

1. Oceans Had Hottest Year on Record in 2022. And It Is Only Going To Get Worse. READ MORE
2. Nariman Point can be repositioned as an education hub for foreign universities READ MORE

1. Case in Supreme Court: Can an underage Muslim girl marry after attaining puberty? READ MORE
2. Old poison scheme: GoI must build a consensus against old pension system READ MORE

1. Bound supremacy: On Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s remarks and the basic structure doctrine READ MORE
2. As V-P Dhankhar criticises Basic Structure, recalling what BJP margdarshak L K Advani once wrote: ‘One of law’s greatest ever triumphs’ READ MORE
3. LG versus CM READ MORE
4. Governance Model READ MORE
5. Democracy not synonymous with `reasonable nexus’ or `good intentions’ READ MORE
6. Governor vs govt not new in India but Constitution doesn’t guarantee a solution READ MORE
7. Who Controls Delhi’s Civil Servants? Supreme Court Sets Out to Decide READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar sparks debate with remarks on Basic Structure of Constitution; what is it? READ MORE  
2. 13th Ministerial-level meeting of the India-United States Trade Policy Forum (TPF) in Washington, DC READ MORE
3. First time in India, FSSAI notifies comprehensive regulatory standards for Basmati Rice; Will be enforced from 1st August, 2023 READ MORE
4. Under Constitution, law declared by the Supreme Court is binding on all READ MORE
5. Notification of minorities | Centre submits views of 24 States to Supreme Court READ MORE
6. 80% shortfall of specialist doctors in CHCs: Health Ministry report READ MORE
7. Clean Ganga? 29 sewage treatment plants in UP not complying with standards, shows report READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Oceans Had Hottest Year on Record in 2022. And It Is Only Going To Get Worse. READ MORE
2. Case in Supreme Court: Can an underage Muslim girl marry after attaining puberty? READ MORE
3. Old poison scheme: GoI must build a consensus against old pension system READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Bound supremacy: On Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s remarks and the basic structure doctrine READ MORE
2. As V-P Dhankhar criticises Basic Structure, recalling what BJP margdarshak L K Advani once wrote: ‘One of law’s greatest ever triumphs’ READ MORE
3. LG versus CM READ MORE
4. Governance Model READ MORE
5. Democracy not synonymous with `reasonable nexus’ or `good intentions’ READ MORE
6. Governor vs govt not new in India but Constitution doesn’t guarantee a solution READ MORE
7. Who Controls Delhi’s Civil Servants? Supreme Court Sets Out to Decide READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Nariman Point can be repositioned as an education hub for foreign universities READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. BIMSTEC and the fate of multilateralism READ MORE
2. Analysing the current Chinese discourse on India READ MORE
3. India is the voice of the global south READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Punjab can sow seeds of a millet revolution READ MORE
2. Stop demonising demonetization READ MORE
3. India’s green GDP is improving, but govt faces tough choices to ensure environmental protection READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Why Amendments to the Wild Life Act Are Scheduled To Fail

TECHNOLOGY

1. AI CAN HELP FIGHT FOOD CRISIS READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Three reasons why govt is apprehensive of a National Security Strategy document for India READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Concern for Nature READ MORE
2. Public servants can be found guilty of graft on circumstantial proof: Supreme Court READ MORE
3. Approach truth directly, not via intermediaries READ MORE
4. Swami Vivekananda: true icon for youths READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘The main purpose of the basic structure doctrine is to ensure that some fundamental features of the Constitution are not legislated out of existence’. Examine.
2. Despite being a grouping that has members from what is frequently referred to as the least integrated region in the world, BIMSTEC continues to show intent. Critically analyse.  

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• I am by nature a dealer in words, and words are the most powerful drug known to humanity.
• The Chinese side is of the opinion that the real conflict between China and India is not at the LAC but on the development front.
• Despite being a grouping that has members from what is frequently referred to as the least integrated region in the world, BIMSTEC continues to show intent.
• A flawed process led to erroneous policy which is counterproductive and which resulted in not only damage to democracy but to huge adverse impact on the public, especially the poor. The process by which a policy is arrived at, also determines the outcomes.
• Two features about the post of the Governor are important to note when considering the relations between his office and the respective elected government.
• Sinking of Joshimath has provoked larger concerns about the environment. And though India’s green record is better, govt must heed environmental warnings, prioritise water conservation.
• ‘Minimum government and maximum governance’ is an idea implying that government will be efficient, and that a smaller bureaucracy with more trained and skilled people will be more effective than a large and untrained one.
• The main purpose of the doctrine is to ensure that some fundamental features of the Constitution are not legislated out of existence.

50-WORD TALK

• Bombay HC’s sharp words against CBI for flouting criminal procedural law in arresting Chanda Kochhar is a reminder to probe agencies to desist from arbitrary detentions and arrests. Investigations mustn’t become a tool for harassment. Judiciary guarding personal liberty is laudable. It must punish investigators showing wanton disregard for it.
• Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi is showing an uncanny penchant for controversies. Proclaiming himself Tamizhaga governor, dropping state emblem from Pongal invitations and changing government-approved assembly speech were unwarranted and provocative. Raj Bhawans in non-NDA-ruled states have made a charade of PM Modi’s cooperative federalism talks. Blame is on him.

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.

ART AND CULTURE

1. MAGH BIHU- MAKAR SANKRANTI

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-I-ART & CULTURE

THE CONTEXT:Recently, the President of India greeted fellow citizens on the eve of Lohri (which falls on 13th January 2023) Makar Sankranti, Magh Bihu and Pongal (which fall on 14th January 2023).

THE EXPLANATION:

Bihu

• Bihu is one of Assam’s most prominent cultural events, celebrating the changing seasons.
• The festival of Bihu has three forms: Bohag Bihu, Kati Bihu and Magh Bihu. Each of these falls in the agriculture calendar.
• This day is considered auspicious in the Hindu lunar year as well and is known as the Makar Sankranti, i.e., the day when the sun begins its northward journey or Uttarayan and transitions into the Hindu zodiac sign of Makara.

Makar Sankranti

• It is celebrated in different ways across India under different names, each region having its unique customs and traditions.
• In Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated as Thai Pongal, where the festival is celebrated for four days, with the first day being Bhogi Pongal, the second day being Surya Pongal, the third day being Mattu Pongal and the fourth day being Kaanum Pongal.
• In Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, Kerala, Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, and Uttar Pradesh, it is celebrated as Makar Sankranti.
• In Gujarat and Rajasthan, it is celebrated as Uttarayana, and people take a dip in holy rivers and perform rituals to mark the beginning of the sun’s northward journey.
• In Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, it is celebrated as Lohri, where people light bonfires and perform folk dances around them.

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE

2. UNITED NATIONS INSTITUTE FOR WATER, ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH (UNU-INWEH)

TAGS:GS-II & III- HEALTH ISSUES- ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE

THE CONTEXT:A report was recently released by United Nations Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) that stated that world will lose 26% storage by 2050 to trapped sediment.

THE EXPLANATION:

Key findings of the report:

• About 50,000 large dams across the world will lose 24-28 % water storage capacity by 2050 due to sediment trapped in them.
• These water reservoirs have already lost about 13-19 % capacity to sedimentation.
• Sedimentation is caused when a river carrying eroded soil is blocked by a dam at its watershed.
• Sediment helps to maintain the aquatic ecosystem.
• Poor management Sedimentation can lead to nutritional disbalances causing eutrophication, damages in habitations downstream, choke of dam and turbine system.
• Shallow water formed due to sedimentation also reduces the recreational value of the reservoirs.
• United Kingdom, Panama, Ireland, Japan and Seychelles will experience highest water storage losses by 2050 losing between 35% and 50% of their original capacities.
• Bhutan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Guinea and Niger will be five least-affected countries losing less than 15 % by 2050.
• Dredging can be costly and only temporary.
• PT POINTERS: Dredging– to clear the mud from the bottom of a river, canal, etc. using a special machine.

Major highlights of the report in the Asia-Pacific region:

• Asia has 35,252 large dams, making it the world’s most heavily dammed region.
• Region has 60% of the world’s population and water storage is crucial for sustaining water and food security.
• In 2022, region will lose 13% of its initial dam storage capacity.
• It will lose nearly a quarter (23%) of initial storage capacity by 2050.
• Loss of storage capacity of Japan’s 3,052 dams is most acute in the region.
• India’s Central Water Commission reported in 2015 that-
• Among 141 large reservoirs that are over 50 years old, one-quarter had already lost at least 30% of their initial storage capacity.
• UNU-INWEH estimates that India’s 3,700 large dams will have lost on average 26% of their initial total storage by 2050.
• China, world’s most heavily dammed nation has lost about 10% of its storage and will lose a further 10% by 2050.

VALUE ADDITION:

About UNU-INWEH:

• UNU-INWEH was established in 1996 as subsidiary body of the United Nations University (UNU) institutes and an academic arm of the UN.
• Its operations are secured through long-term host-country and core-funding agreements with the Government of Canada.
• The Institute is located in Hamilton, Canada; its facilities are supported by McMaster University.
• It specializes on water for development, working, primarily with countries in the Global South, and addressing water issues of global significance.
• It is the UN Think Tank on Water created by the UNU Governing Council.
• UNU-INWEH is the only Institute in UNU that focuses entirely and solely on water issues.
• It is also the only entirely water-focused UN entity in Canada.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

3. BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS (BIS)

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT:Union Minister for Commerce recently launched many initiatives to improve the quality of standards in India on the occasion of 76th Foundation Day of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

THE EXPLANATION:

• BIS is the National Standard Body of India established under the BIS Act 2016 for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• BIS has been providing traceability and tangibility benefits to the national economy in a number of ways –

• providing safe reliable quality goods;
• minimizing health hazards to consumers;
• promoting exports and imports substitute;
• control over proliferation of varieties etc. through standardization, certification and testing.

• BIS has its Headquarters at New Delhi and its 05 Regional Offices (ROs) are at Kolkata (Eastern), Chennai (Southern), Mumbai (Western), Chandigarh (Northern) and Delhi (Central).
• Keeping in view, the interest of consumers as well as the industry, BIS is involved in various activities as given below:

• Standards Formulation
• Product Certification Scheme
• Compulsory Registration Scheme
• Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme
• Hall Marking Scheme
• Laboratory Services
• Laboratory Recognition Scheme
• Sale of Indian Standards
• Consumer Affairs Activities
• Promotional Activities
• Training Services, National and International level and
• Information Services

4. DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY (DMD)

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, IIT Jodhpur, Dystrophy Annihilation Research Trust (DART) and AIIMS Jodhpur are working on developing an affordable treatment for a rare and incurable genetic disorder called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)?

• It is the most common and fatal type of muscular dystrophy marked by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness due to alterations of a protein called “dystrophin” that helps keep muscle cells intact.
• Patients (usually children) have reduced bone density and an increased risk of developing fractures.
• India has over 5 lakh patients in the country suffering from DMD and the condition is predominantly seen in boys, but in rare cases, it can also affect girls.
• It can begin as early as age 2 or 3, first affecting the proximal muscles (those close to the core of the body) and later affecting the distal limb muscles (those close to the extremities).
• Symptoms:  Enlargement of calves, a waddling gait, and lumbar lordosis (an inward curve of the spine)
• The current therapeutic options available to treat DMD are minimal and highly expensive treatment and are mostly imported from abroad.

5. BASMATI RICE

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, For the first time in the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has specified the identity standards for Basmati Rice.

THE EXPLANATION:

• As per these standards, Basmati rice shall possess natural fragrance characteristics of basmati rice and be free from artificial colouring, polishing agents and artificial fragrances.
• It was issued to Brown Basmati Rice, Milled Basmati Rice, Parboiled Brown Basmati Rice and Milled Parboiled Basmati Rice.
• The standards are aimed at establishing fair practices in the trade of Basmati rice and protecting consumer interest, both domestically and globally. These standards will be enforced from 1st August 2023.

What is the Uniqueness of Basmati Rice?

• It is cultivated in the Himalayan foothills of the Indian sub-continent and is universally known for its long grain size, fluffy texture and unique inherent aroma and flavour.

What are the Climatic conditions required for rice cultivation?

• Temperature: Between 22-32°C with high humidity.
• Rainfall: Around 150-300 cm.
• Soil Type: Deep clayey and loamy soil.
• Top Rice Producing States: West Bengal > Punjab > Uttar Pradesh > Andhra Pradesh

The Context- As the political parties are the most significant part of the democratic system in India, it is expected that they themselves function on a democratic basis. Hence, internal elections in parties are emphasized.  However, the appointment of a “Permanent President” by a political party in Andhra Pradesh recently, has reignited  the debate on the need for mandatory internal elections in the Indian political parties. This article examines this issue in detail.

LEGAL PROVISION FOR INTERNAL PARTY ELECTION IN INDIA

Presently, there is no statutory backing for internal democratic regulation of political parties in India, and the only governing provision is under Section 29A of the Representation of the Peoples’ Act, 1951. All rules and regulations apply more to candidates than to political parties in India.

However, Political parties in their constitution have elaborate provisions on Internal Party elections of which some can be cited as:

Ø  Indian National Congress- Its constitution says that each state has a Pradesh Congress Committee. No office bearer at the block or district level can hold the position for more than two consecutive terms, but this structure does not apply to the state or national level.

Ø  Bahujan Samaj Party- Its constitution says that the national president is elected by vote or by consensus among delegates. The national president then nominates other office bearers of the Central Executive Committee, which leads the party. The president’s power is absolute.

Ø  Communist Party of India- Its constitution says that members of the central committee, the highest authority of the party, elect delegates to the Polit bureau. The general secretary is part of the Polit bureau. The party has a system of checks and balances through which the general secretary is not given unmitigated power. There are elections for all posts every three years.

NECESSITY TO PROMOTE INTERNAL PARTY DEMOCRACY

On a pragmatic level, the parties using internally democratic procedures are likely to select more capable and appealing leaders, have more responsive policies, and, as a result, enjoy greater electoral success. Moreover, the political parties “practice what they preach,” in the sense of using internally democratic procedures for their deliberation and decisions, strengthening democratic culture generally. So, there is a necessity to promote Internal Party Democracy as:

REDUCE TRUST DEFICIT AND HERO WORSHIP

Inner-party democracy enhances the ‘visibility’ of fair and transparent procedures in selecting leaders within political parties which counters a general trust deficit amongst the public. In the absence of such a provision, parties often tend to be centered around charismatic figures which can foster blind hero worship as one individual becomes central to the power, vision, and authority in the party’s agenda.

INCLUSIVE REPRESENTATION

The opaque nature of selecting party candidates also runs the risk of excluding marginalized groups. A transparent process of election will allow proper ticket distribution and candidate selection. The selection would not be based on the whims of a few powerful leaders in the party but will represent the choice of the larger party.

DECENTRALIZATION AND PARTICIPATION.

Election at each level be it at the district or local level allows the creation of power centers at different levels. Further, providing  autonomy may lead to more creative, innovative, and responsive programs by allowing local  experimentation.

DECLINE IN CRIMINALIZATION OF POLITICS

Transparency deficit in selecting candidates within political parties becomes a breeding ground for criminalization in Indian politics. According to data released by the ADR, the 17th Lok Sabha holds the infamous record of 43% of members facing criminal charges against them.

COUNTERS FACTIONALISM

Democratizing political parties can also work as a safety valve against factionalism and splits into parties. Various incidents of internal party rivalry have culminated in splits, for instance, the split in Shiv Sena owing to differences between Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.

HOW DEMOCRATIZATION OF PARTIES ENRICH THE DEMOCRACY MATRIX?

The political parties are instrumental in carrying out free and fair elections. By virtue of their near monopoly in contesting elections, they determine the nature of (democratic) government. There are two types of democracy, procedural and substantive democracy. The first one focuses on the processes and procedures like conducting  free and fair elections, whereas the second one is more focused on bringing socio-economic change. The internal organization structure of parties would determine the way it participates in both these aspects of democracy. Activities like campaigns, canvassing, and grievance redressal mechanisms of political parties have huge implications for society at large.

A political party based on democratic lines would choose the candidate in the most transparent manner by conducting elections. It would select those candidates who are not only qualified but also those who showcase democratic ethos. It means a government that is formed on democratic credentials will act democratically. The laws and policies formulated by such a government would reflect democratic ideals of freedom, equality, and justice. In India, where the government touches every aspect of social life and follows individuals from cradle to grave, it is expected that the government will work to enhance and enrich democracy in society.

However, the  political parties structured on the basis of favoritism, caste, and communal lines, will end up polarizing society. When such political parties form the government, their actions eventually lead to a democratic deficit. Hence, political parties organized on democratic lines through internal elections can have a salutary effect on the institutions(broadest sense of the term) of the country. As politics and political institutions influence society, economy, administration, culture, and the people at large, their nature of working will ultimately decide whether democracy becomes a way of life.

PERSPECTIVE ON HOLDING INTERNAL PARTY ELECTION AS A CHALLENGE

‘One reason for the relative neglect of the internal life of political parties is that these organizations have long been commonly regarded in liberal theory as private associations, which should be entitled to compete freely in the electoral marketplace and govern their own internal structures and processes. Any legal regulation by the state, or any outside intervention by international agencies, was regarded in this view as potentially harmful by either distorting or even suppressing pluralist party competition with a country.’

WHY DO THE PARTIES RESIST INTERNAL PARTY ELECTIONS?

DYNASTY POLITICS

• The lack of intra-party democracy has contributed to the growing nepotism in political parties. With senior party leaders fielding their kin in elections, succession plans for “family” constituencies are being put in place.

CENTRALIZED STRUCTURE OF POLITICAL PARTIES

• The centralized mode of functioning of the political parties and the stringent anti-defection law of 1985 deters party legislators from voting in the national and state legislatures according to their individual preferences.

LACK OF LAW

• Currently, there is no express provision for internal democratic regulation of political parties in India and the only governing law is provided by Section 29A of the Representation of the Peoples’ Act, 1951 which provides for registration of political parties with the ECI. However, ECI does not have any statutory power to enforce internal democracy in parties or to mandate elections.

PERSONALITY CULT

• There is a tendency of hero worship in people and many times a leader takes over the party and builds his own coterie, ending all forms of intra-party democracy.

EASY TO SUBVERT INTERNAL ELECTIONS

• The ability of existing repositories of power to subvert internal institutional processes to consolidate power and maintain the status quo is unquestionable.

GLOBAL SCENARIO-BEST PRACTICES

●  Germany’s intra-party democracy regulations- They were originally enacted to respond to international political pressure to convince the world of the country’s objection to fascism and totalitarianism of all sorts. This resulted in regulations on intra-party democracy regarding party registration, candidate selection, and leadership elections which are present still today.

●  In Finland, both political elites, as well as the public, have continuously acknowledged the regulations on candidate selection, leadership elections, and democratic internal rules promoting Intra Party Democracy.

THE WAY FORWARD

• Political parties shall take appropriate steps to ensure the holding of elections at all levels. The recently concluded Presidential election in the Congress party can work as a template for other parties(See the box below)

CONGRESS PARTY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PROCESS

The Central Election Authority (CEA) of the Congress, recruited a massive team of 943 returning officers from within the party for overseeing the process of choosing the delegate from each block unit. Any of them could choose to contest for the post of president by getting the support of 10 other delegates. Voting is through a secret paper ballot under a rank-choice voting system. This mammoth exercise is only possible due to the institutional structure of the CEA, the constitutionally prescribed election rules, and an experienced team of nearly a thousand people working on it for over a year.

• Exploring options for providing such powers to the Election Commission of India and/or carrying out amendments in the RPA to bring meaningful internal democracy in the working of the political parties.
• The Anti-Defection Act of 1985 requires the party legislators to act according to the party whip which is decided by the diktats of the highest party leadership. One way to democratize political parties is to promote intra-party dissent.

THE CONCLUSION: Those who emphasize the participatory aspects of democracy place the most value on intra-party democracy as an end in itself. They see parties not primarily as intermediaries, but rather as incubators that nurture citizens’ political competence. Be that the case may be, the idea of  mandatory internal elections in parties may require wider debate on the constitutional, legal, administrative and logistical challenges.

Mains Practice Questions:

Q.1 Discuss the desirability of giving statutory status to Internal elections in political parties for enriching democracy in India.

Q.2 ‘Intra party democracy promotes accountability, inclusivity, and counter factionalism’. Comment.

Q.3. Can the vicious cycle of gender inequality be solved by engendering Intra Party Democracy? Analyze your view.

INDIAN POLITY

1. WHAT IS A CURATIVE PETITION?

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-II- INDIAN POLITY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Supreme Court told the Central Government that it cannot decide its curative plea seeking an additional Rs 7,844 crore from the successor firms of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) for giving compensation to the victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy as a lawsuit.

THE EXPLANATION:

The concept of curative petition originated from the case of Rupa Ashok Hurra Vs. Ashok Hurra and another case (2002) where the following question arose before the court of law- ‘whether an aggrieved person is entitled to any relief against the final judgment/order of the Supreme Court, after the dismissal of a review petition.

What is a Curative Petition?

• A curative petition is the final and last option for the people to acquire justice as mentioned and promised by the Constitution of India.
• A curative petition may be filed after a review plea against the final conviction is dismissed.
• Objective: It is meant to ensure there is no miscarriage of justice, and to prevent abuse of process.

Criteria for admission:

• The court ruled that a curative petition can be entertained if the petitioner establishes there was a violation of the principles of natural justice, and that he was not heard by the court before passing an order.
• It will also be admitted where a judge failed to disclose facts that raise the apprehension of bias.
• The SC has held that curative petitions must be rare rather than regular, and be entertained with circumspection.
• A curative petition must be accompanied by certification by a senior advocate, pointing out substantial grounds for entertaining it.

Who hears Curative petitions?

• A curative petition must be first circulated to a bench of the three senior-most judges, and the judges who passed the concerned judgment, if available.
• Only when a majority of the judges conclude that the matter needs hearing should it be listed — as far as possible, before the same Bench.
• A curative petition is usually decided by judges in chamber, unless a specific request for an open-court hearing is allowed.
• It shall be open to the Bench at any stage of consideration of the curative petition to ask a senior counsel to assist it as amicus curiae.
• In the event of the Bench holding at any stage that the petition is without any merit and vexatious, it may impose exemplary costs on the petitioner.

ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

2. WHITE TUFTED ROYAL BUTTERFLY

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

THE CONTEXT: Recently, a team of butterfly observers and researchers have found White Tufted Royal Butterfly, a rare butterfly species at Kalliyad in Kannur district of Kerala.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is White tufted royal butterfly?

• White tufted royal butterfly is a rare butterfly species.
• It is protected under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act.
• The wingspan of the butterfly is just 32-40 mm. Its larvae feed on Scurrula parasitica, a plant belonging to the Loranthaceae family.
• The species had been spotted in Agasthyakoodam in 2017 and the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary in 2018.
• Significance of finding: There were eight species of the butterfly. While two are common, the others are rare. Since we are able to get the egg, the life cycle of the butterfly can be documented.
• Threats: The survival of such rare species is under severe threat and steps should be taken to protect the hills.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

3. GLOBAL ECONOMIC PROSPECTS REPORT 2023

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-III- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS- REPORT AND INDEXES

THE CONTEXT: Recently, World Bank has released its latest report on Global Economic Prospects, outlining a slowdown in global growth due to a variety of factors including elevated inflation, higher interest rates, reduced investment, and disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

THE EXPLANATION:

The report warns that any additional negative developments, such as a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic or escalating geopolitical tensions, could push the global economy into recession, marking the first time in more than 80 years that two global recessions have occurred within the same decade.

Growth Projections

• According to the report, the global economy is projected to grow by 1.7% in 2023 and 2.7% in 2024. The downturn in growth is expected to be widespread, with forecasts in 2023 revised down for 95% of advanced economies and nearly 70% of emerging market and developing economies.
• Over the next two years, per-capita income growth in emerging market and developing economies is projected to average 2.8%, a full percentage point lower than the 2010-2019 average.

Impact on Developing Countries

• The report highlights that the crisis facing development is intensifying as the global growth outlook deteriorates. Emerging and developing countries are facing a multi-year period of slow growth driven by heavy debt burdens and weak investment as global capital is absorbed by advanced economies.
• This will result in a weakness in growth and business investment, compounding the already-devastating reversals in education, health, poverty, and infrastructure, as well as the increasing demands from climate change. In Sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for about 60% of the world’s extreme poor, growth in per capita income over 2023-24 is expected to average just 1.2%, a rate that could cause poverty rates to rise, not fall.

Advanced Economies

• Growth in advanced economies is projected to slow from 2.5% in 2022 to 0.5% in 2023. Over the past two decades, slowdowns of this scale have foreshadowed a global recession. In the United States, growth is forecast to fall to 0.5% in 2023, the weakest performance outside of official recessions since 1970. In 2023, Euro-area growth is expected at zero percent, and in China, growth is projected at 4.3% in 2023.

Emerging Market and Developing Economies

• Excluding China, growth in emerging market and developing economies is expected to decelerate from 3.8% in 2022 to 2.7% in 2023, reflecting significantly weaker external demand compounded by high inflation, currency depreciation, tighter financing conditions, and other domestic headwinds.
• By the end of 2024, GDP levels in emerging and developing economies will be roughly 6% below levels expected before the pandemic. Although global inflation is expected to moderate, it will remain above pre-pandemic levels.

Investment Growth

• The report also offers a comprehensive assessment of the medium-term outlook for investment growth in emerging market and developing economies. Over the 2022-2024 period, gross investment in these economies is likely to grow by about 3.5% on average—less than half the rate that prevailed in the previous two decades.
• The report suggests a menu of options for policymakers to accelerate investment growth, such as establishing sound fiscal and monetary policy frameworks and undertaking comprehensive reforms in the investment climate.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

4. HENLEY PASSPORT INDEX 2022

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- REPORT AND INDEXES

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Henley Passport Index released the global ranking of world’s passport according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the index, the strongest passport is defined by the number of countries people with a passport can visit visa-free or visa-on-arrival. The top 10 strongest passports in the world are:
  1. Japan (193)
  2. Singapore/South Korea (192)
  3. Germany/Spain (190)
  4. Finland/Italy/Luxembourg (189)
  5. Austria/Denmark/Netherlands/Sweden (188)
  6. France/Ireland/Portugal/United Kingdom (187)
  7. Belgium/Czech Republic/New Zealand/Norway/Switzerland/United States (186)
  8. Australia/Canada/Greece/Malta (185)
  9. Hungary/Poland (184)
  10. Lithuania/Slovakia (183)

India’s Position in the Index

• India ranks 85th on the index, up two places from last year’s 87th position. Despite having the world’s fifth-largest economy, Indian passport holders can access only 59 destinations worldwide and only 6.7% of global GDP, of which India’s own GDP accounts for about half. Indian passport holders have lost visa-free access to Serbia.
• Starting January 1, 2023, Indian passport holders are required to apply for a visa to enter the country, unlike in the past when visa-free travel to the country for 90 days was allowed. Indian passport holders can travel visa-free to 59 destinations such as Bhutan, Indonesia, Macao, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Iran, and Qatar. Some countries require visa-on-arrival.

VALUE ADDITION:

What is the Henley Passport Index?

• The Henley Passport Index is prepared by London-based Henley and Partners, a global citizenship and residence advisory firm. The index claims to be the “original ranking of all the world’s passports” and is updated quarterly according to countries’ visa policy changes.
• It gathers data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which manages inter-airline cooperation globally. The index covers 227 destinations and 199 passports and compares the visa-free access of 199 different passports to 227 travel destinations. If no visa is required, then a score with value = 1 is created for that passport. The same applies if you can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering the destination.

5. POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE(PET)

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: Researchers from the University of Cambridge, the United Kingdom have recently developed a system that can transform polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels and other valuable products using solar energy.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The researchers developed an integrated reactor with two separate compartments: One for plastic and one for greenhouse gases.
• The reactor uses a light absorber based on perovskite – a promising alternative to silicon for next-generation solar cells.
• Tests of the reactor under normal temperature and pressure conditions showed the reactor could efficiently convert polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles and CO2 into different carbon-based fuels such as CO, syngas or formate, in addition to glycolic acid.
• The reactor produced these products at a rate that is also much higher than conventional photocatalytic CO2 reduction processes.

What is Polyethylene terephthalate?

• It is a condensation polymer of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid.
• The by-product of the reaction is water so it is an example of condensation or step-growth polymerization.
• PET Plastic is a thermoplastic synthetic substance which malleable under heat and can be placed into nearly any shape.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

1. WHAT IS BASE EFFECT?

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-III-INDIAN ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: According to revised estimates, India’s industrial output measured in terms of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) bounced back to rise 7.1% in November 2022, after plummeting 4.2% in October 2022 and this rise was aided by base effects.

THE EXPLANATION:

The rise was aided by base effects as November 2021 had clocked just 1% growth, but also marked a 6% uptick in output levels over October 22, which incidentally recorded the lowest level for the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) since November 2021.

What is a Base Effect?

• The base effect is the impact that selecting a different reference point for a comparison between two data points can have on the comparison’s outcome.
• For Eg: In the context of inflation, the base effect is a distortion in a current inflation figure caused by exceptionally high or low levels of inflation in the previous reference period.
• If the inflation rate was low in the corresponding period of the last year, then even a small increase in the price index will give a high rate of inflation in the current year.
• When comparing two data points, choosing a reference point will be crucial as the base effect can highly distort or mislead the interpretation of numbers.
• The base effect could also result in major differences in percentage comparisons. If we chose a reference point that is too low, there could be an overestimation and if the base is too high, it could result in gross underestimation of the situation.

VALUE ADDITION:

Index of Industrial Production (IIP)?

• The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index which shows the growth rates in different industry groups of the economy in a stipulated period of time.
• Who publishes IIP? The IIP index is computed and published by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on a monthly basis.
• Currently IIP figures are calculated considering 2004-05 as base year.

ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

2. INDIAN SKIMMERS

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-III- ENVIRONMENT- SPECIES IN NEWS

THE CONTEXT: Recently around 250 Indian Skimmers were sighted in Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary in a day during the Asian Waterbird Census-2023.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Indian Skimmers:

• It is found in the coastal estuaries of western and eastern India.
• It occurs primarily on larger, sandy, lowland rivers, around lakes and adjacent marshes and, in the non-breeding season, in estuaries and coasts.
• About 20% of the total population of fewer than 2,500 birds nest along river Chambal.
• Protection status:
  • IUCN: Endangered

About the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is a wildlife sanctuary and estuary situated in Andhra Pradesh.
• Between this sanctuary area and the sea Hope Island blocks the direct confluence of the sea and Godavari. As a result, about 40% of the sanctuary is only sea backwaters and the rest of the area is intermingled with creeks and gets inundated with tidal waters.
• Flora: It has extensive mangrove and dry deciduous tropical forests. It is the second-largest stretch of mangrove forests in India.
• Fauna: It is home to the critically endangered white-backed vulture and the long-billed vulture.

3. SETHUSAMUDRAM PROJECT

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-III-INFRASTRUCTURE

THE CONTEXT: The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has recently moved a resolution in the state assembly seeking the revival of the Sethusamudram Project, a proposed shipping canal project in India that would connect the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The project, which has been controversial since its inception, was put on hold by the Government of India in 2007.
• The Sethusamudram Project aims to construct a shipping canal through the shallow waters of the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar, which would reduce the distance and time required for ships to travel between the east and west coasts of India. The project would bypass the traditional shipping route through the Palk Strait, which is considered a navigational hazard.

Controversies

The Sethusamudram Project has been met with opposition from various groups, who raise concerns about its potential impact on the environment, the Ram Setu, and its economic viability.

• Environmental impact: Critics argue that the construction of the canal would cause significant damage to the marine ecosystem of the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar. They claim that the dredging and blasting required for the construction of the canal would harm the coral reefs and other marine life in the area.
• Damage to Ram Setu: Some Hindus consider Ram Setu to be sacred and believe that the bridge was built by Lord Rama himself. They argue that the construction of the canal would cause damage to the bridge and desecrate a religious site.
• Economic viability: Critics question the economic viability of the project, arguing that the cost of construction would be high and the benefits would be limited. They say that the canal would not be able to accommodate large ships and would not offer a significant reduction in the distance travelled by ships, compared to the existing route through the Palk Strait.
• Technical feasibility: There are also concerns about the technical feasibility of the project, with critics arguing that the canal would not be able to handle the large tidal differences and would be susceptible to silting and other issues.
• Political and legal disputes: The project has been on hold since 2007 following a legal dispute involving the Indian government and the opposition party, which challenged the project on the grounds that it would cause damage to the Ram Setu.
• Security: Critics also argue that the project would increase the security risk for India, as it would provide an opening for foreign ships to enter into the Bay of Bengal, making it easier for hostile forces to attack India’s eastern coast.

VALUE ADDITION:

What is Ram Setu?

Ram Setu, also known as Adam’s Bridge, is a chain of limestone shoalsthat runs between the Indian mainland and Sri Lanka. According to Hindu mythology, the bridge was built by the monkey-god Hanuman and his army to help Lord Rama, an incarnation of the god Vishnu, rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana, who had abducted her and taken her to Lanka. The bridge is considered sacred by Hindus and is believed to be the physical manifestation of a bridge mentioned in the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

4. THIS WORD MEANS: MEGARAPTOR

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Scientists have found the remains of four species of dinosaurs, including a megaraptor, in an inhospitable valley in Chilean Patagonia for the first time.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Megaraptorid was a large theropod of the Cretaceous Period, 84 to 65 mya.
• Megaraptors possessed strong arms that wielded sickle-like claws that could inflict fatal wounds on prey, along with a more lightly built skull and jaws studded with smaller teeth.
• They also had air-filled, bird-like bones.
• Megaraptor was about 25–26 feet (7.5–8 meters) long.
• Incomplete Megaraptor remains were found in 1996 in Northwest Patagonia, Argentina, by paleontologist Fernando E. Novas. Novas named it in 1998.

Cretaceous Period:

• The Cretaceous Period, in geologic time, is the last of the three periods of the Mesozoic Era.
• The Cretaceous began 145.0 million years ago and ended 66 million years ago.
• It followed the Jurassic Period and was succeeded by the Paleogene Period.

What is a Theropod?

• This group includes all the known carnivorous dinosaurs as well as the birds.
• They have a carnivorous dentition and large, recurved claws on the fingers.
• They have a distinctive joint in the lower jaw.

Patagonian Region:

• It is a sparsely populated region located at the southern end of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile.
• The region comprises the southern section of the Andes mountains as well as the deserts, steppes and grasslands east of this southern portion of the Andes.
• Patagonia has two coasts; a western one towards the Pacific Ocean and an eastern one towards the Atlantic Ocean.

5. WHAT IS VISCOSE FIBRE?

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Association of Man-made Fibre Industry of India (AMFII) has appealed to the Union Finance Ministry to accept the recommendations of the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) on the levy of anti-dumping duty (ADD) on imports of Viscose Staple Fibre from Indonesia.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Viscose is a type of rayon. Originally known as artificial silk, in the late 19th century, the term “rayon” came into effect in 1924.
• The name “viscose” is derived from the way this fibre is manufactured; a viscous organic liquid used to make both rayon and cellophane.
• Viscose is made from tree wood pulp, like beech, pine, and eucalyptus, but can also be made from bamboo
• As a manufactured regenerated cellulose fibre, it is neither truly natural (like cotton, wool or silk) nor truly synthetic (like nylon or polyester) – it falls somewhere in between.
• Chemically, viscose resembles cotton, but it can also take on many different qualities depending on how it is manufactured.
• It is versatile, Highly absorbent and Inexpensive fibre.

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