HEALTH ISSUES

1. WORLD MALARIA DAY 2023

TAGS: GS-II-HEALTH ISSUES- PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT:World Malaria Day is observed every year on April 25 to raise awareness of the global effort to control, prevent and eventually eradicate malaria.

About World Malaria Day:

• The day was first recognized in 2007 by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a way to shine a light on the devastating impact of malaria and to encourage governments, health organizations, and individuals to take action against this deadly disease.
• Theme: The theme for World Malaria Day 2023 is “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement”, emphasizing the urgency to invest resources, innovate strategies and implement actions towards achieving the goal of zero malaria.
• World Malaria Day is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the ongoing fight against malaria and to mobilize support for malaria control and prevention efforts around the world.
• The day also provides an opportunity to celebrate the progress that has been made in the fight against malaria and to renew our commitment to achieving the ultimate goal of malaria eradication.

VALUE ADDITION

About Malaria:

• Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. Malaria is not contagious and cannot spread from one person to another. The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, called “malaria vectors.” There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat.
• Malaria continues to be a major global health challenge, with an estimated 229 million cases and 409,000 deaths worldwide in 2019. Most of these cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, where the disease disproportionately affects children under the age of five and pregnant women.

Symptoms

• Malaria is an acute febrile illness. In a non-immune individual, symptoms usually appear 10–15 days after the infective mosquito bite. The first symptoms – fever, headache, and chills – may be mild and difficult to recognize as malaria. If not treated within 24 hours, P. falciparum malaria can progress to severe illness, often leading to death.
• Children with severe malaria frequently develop one or more of the following symptoms: severe anemia, respiratory distress in relation to metabolic acidosis, or cerebral malaria.

Treatment

• Early diagnosis and treatment of malaria reduces disease and prevents deaths. It also contributes to reducing malaria transmission. The best available treatment, particularly for P. falciparum malaria, is artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT).

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. WHAT IS CARICOM?

TAGS:GS-II-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar co-chaired the 4th India-CARICOM ministerial meeting with his Jamaican counterpart Kaminaj Smith in Guyana’s capital and discussed a range of issues, including trade, climate change and counterterrorism.

About CARICOM:

• The Caribbean Community (CARICOM or CC) is an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states (14 nation-states and one dependency) throughout the Americas and Atlantic Ocean.
• The primary objectives is to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and coordinate foreign policy.
• The organisation was established in 1973, with its four founding members (Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago) signing the Treaty of Chaguaramas.
• The Chairmanship of the Community is rotated every six months among the member countries Heads.
• The Secretariat headquarters is in Georgetown, Guyana. CARICOM is an official United Nations Observer beneficiary.

Members & Associate Members:

• CARICOM has 15 members: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago. Of the 15, all are nation States except Montserrat.
• Associate Members: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Turks & Caicos Islands are Associate Members of the Community.

3. THE AZERBAIJAN-ARMENIA BORDER CLASHES

TAGS:GS-II- INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Azerbaijan had established a checkpoint at the start of the Lachin corridor, the only land route linking Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, a step that was followed by claims of border shootings by both Azeri and Armenian forces.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Nagorno-Karabakh?

Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh by Armenians, is a landlocked mountainous area in the South Caucasus. It was claimed by both Azerbaijan and Armenia after the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917 and has remained a point of tension ever since.

Latest developments:

• Armenia has been witnessing domestic unrest since April this year related to Pashniyan’s handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
• There have been plans to oust their government or at least increase street pressure to prevent the PM from providing further concessions to Azerbaijan and Turkey when it comes to the security and right of self-determination of Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh (called Artsakh) and the recognition of Armenian Genocide.

Criticism against Armenian PM:

• In Armenia, Pashinyan’s handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict received criticism after he agreed to hand over Armenian control of several territories to Azerbaijan.
• Pashinyan increased the salaries of the country’s security forces, in an attempt to win their loyalty.
• The ongoing protests in Armenia have been marked by police brutality and the detaining of protestors, activists as well as Parliament members.
• Pashinyan’s stance on Nagorno-Karabakh: There has been a clear shift in Pashinyan’s views on Nagorno-Karabakh post May 2018, when he was elected leader of Armenia. Much of Pashinyan’s rhetoric was aimed at winning nationalist support.

Challenges of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

• In this disputed region, there are hundreds of civilian settlements, residents of which would be directly impacted and potentially displaced if any large-scale war were to break out between the two countries.
• Any military escalation would draw regional powers like Turkey and Russia more deeply into the conflict.
• The energy-rich Azerbaijan has built several gas and oil pipelines across the Caucasus (the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea) to Turkey and Europe.
• This includes the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline (with a capacity of transporting 1.2 billion barrels a day), the Western Route Export oil pipeline, the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline and the South Caucasus gas pipeline.
• Some of these pipelines pass close to the conflict zone (within 16 km of the border) and in an open war between the two countries, the pipelines could be targeted, which would impact energy supplies.
• For both nations, these would create immediate challenges and war would not be in the interest of both countries.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

4. LOCKBIT RANSOMWARE

TAGS: GS-III-SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT:Recently, the LockBit ransomware was found to be targeting Mac devices.

THE EXPLANATION:

• It was first reported in September 2019 and dubbed the “abcd” virus, due to the file extension used when encrypting victims’ files.
• The LockBit ransomware is designed to infiltrate victims’ systems and encrypt important files.
• The virus is categorized as a “cryptovirus” due to its requests for payment in cryptocurrency to decrypt files on the victim’s device.
• The ransomware is therefore typically deployed against victims who feel hindered enough by the disruption to pay heavy sums in exchange for access to the files and can afford to do so.
• The gang behind the LockBit ransomware reportedly maintains a dark web portal to recruit members and release data of victims who refuse to meet their demands, as part of their business model.
• In the past, LockBit ransomware has been used to target enterprises and organizations in the U.S., China, India, Ukraine, and Indonesia.
• Attacks have also been recorded throughout Europe, including France, Germany, and the U.K.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

5. WHAT IS ZERO SHADOW DAY?

TAGS: PT PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: On 25^th April Karnataka’s Bengaluru city briefly witnessed a rare celestial phenomenon called ‘Zero Shadow Day’, wherein the sun was directly over the head at around 12:17 pm. As part of this rare phenomenon, there was no shadow of all vertically placed objects.

About Zero Shadow Day:

• Zero Shadow Day is a celestial phenomenon that takes place twice a year, where the position of the sun is directly overhead because of which no shadow gets cast on the surface of the Earth.
• On Zero Shadow Day, the sun moves to its highest point in the sky which results in the reduction of the shadow’s length. When a person stands on this shadow, their own shadow becomes invisible, hence it’s called “Zero Shadow”.
• ‘For people living between +23.5 and -23.5 degrees latitude, the Sun’s declination will be equal to their latitude twice – once during Uttarayan and once during Dakshinayan. On these two days, the Sun will be exactly overhead at noon and will not cast a shadow of an object on the ground’.
• In 2022, Kolkata & Kolhapur witnessed the Zero Shadow day.
• However, Bengaluru will observe the next Shadow Day on August 18, 2023. The dates when Zero Shadow Day will occur keep changing on the basis of the location and time zone.

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. NATIONAL CIVIL SERVICES DAY 2023

TAGS: GS-II-POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT:The National Civil Services Day is celebrated annually in India on April 21 to recognize the contributions and achievements of civil servants in the country. On this day, the Prime Minister of India awards officers from the central and state governments for their outstanding contributions to public administration.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The theme of this year’s Civil Service Day is – Viksit Bharat (विकसितभारत) aimed at ‘Empowering Citizens and Reaching the Last Mile’.
• The theme underscores the Government’s resolve and firm commitment to achieving a more equitable and prosperous India for all its citizens by engaging in inclusive growth.

History and Significance:

• The first National Civil Services Day was celebrated at a function held in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on April 21, 2006.
• The date April 21, is chosen for the celebration of National Civil Service Day, commemorates the day when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Independent India’s first Home Minister, addressed the probationers of the Administrative Services Officers in 1947.
• In his inspirational speech, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel acknowledged the civil servants of the country as the “steel frame of India.” National Civil Services Day recognises the exemplary services of the government workers in the country.
• The civil servants in India play a vital role in shaping the policies and programs that drive the country’s development. They work tirelessly to ensure that the government’s vision is translated into action on the ground. The day is a reminder of the importance of public service and the critical role that civil servants play in the development of the country.

PRIME MINISTER’S AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

• On the occasion of Civil Services Day,Prime Minister will address civil servants on April 21, 2023 in honour of National Civil Services Day.
• During the event, PM will confer the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration. These have been instituted with a view to recognize the extraordinary and innovative work done by districts and organizations of the central and State governments for the welfare of common citizens.

Exemplary work done in four identified priority programmes will be given awards and they are:

1. Har Ghar Jal Yojana
2. Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan
3. Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Center
4. Aspirational Districts Programme

Eight awards for these four identified programmes will be given while seven awards shall be for innovations.

HEALTH ISSUES

2. N-NITROSODIMETHYLAMINE (NDMA)

TAGS:GS-II-HEALTH ISSUES-PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT: The Gujarat High Court recently issued a notice to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), under the Union Health Ministry, and the Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA), in a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking immediate removal of drugs and medicines containing “cancerous impurities” such as NDMA from the Indian market.

THE EXPLANATION:

• N-Nitrosodimethylamine is a volatile, combustible, yellow, oily liquid nitrosamine with a faint characteristic odor that decomposes when exposed to light and emits toxic fumes of nitrogen oxides when heated to decomposition.
• N-Nitrosodimethylamine is primarily used in laboratory research to induce tumors in experimental animals.
• This substance may be formed during the cooking of foods, especially cured meats and fish, that contain sodium nitrite as a preservative, but is also found in several vegetables, cheeses, alcoholic beverages and fruits, and as a contaminant in rubber products.
• Exposure to Nitrosodimethylamine irritates the skin and eyes and damages the liver. This substance is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.

Applications:

• n-Nitrosodimethylamine is produced by industry only in small amounts for research. At room temperature, it is a yellow liquid with no distinct odor. It was used to make rocket fuel, but this use was stopped after unusually high levels of this chemical were found in air, water, and soil samples collected near a rocket fuel manufacturing plant. It is used in some cosmetic and toiletry products and in cleansers.n-Nitrosodimethylamine is unintentionally formed during various manufacturing processes and in air, water, and soil from reactions involving other chemicals called alkylamines. It is also found in some foods and may be formed in the body.

AGRICULTURE

3. TEA MOSQUITO BUG INFESTATION

TAGS: GS-III-AGRICULTURE-PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT:The United Planters Association of South India (UPASI) has urged the government to immediately intervene and take appropriate steps to control the Tea Mosquito Bug (Helopeltis theivora) (TMB) problem in the tea plantations in India.

THE EXPLANATION:

Tea Mosquito Bug (Helopeltis theivora):

• Tea mosquito bugs (TMB) (Helopeltis spp.)are serious pests of cashew during cropping season in India and other cashew growing countries.
• Pest damage begins during flushing stage of cashew and continues during flowering and fruiting. As such, TMB is a low-density pest, but causes reduction in nut yields ranging between 20 and 80 percent depending on the intensity of pest population.

Distribution and status: Serious pest of tea and widely distributed in Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

Host range: Cashew, neem, moringa and guava are other host plants.

Symptoms of damage:

• Adults and nymphs suck the sap from buds, young leaves and tender stems
• Puncturing the plant tissues with their needle like rostrum and inject toxic saliva.
• Punctures appear as reddish brown spots.
• Leaves curl up, badly deformed and shoots dry up.

Identification of the pest:

• Adult – black colour with red thorax, black and white abdomen and greenish brown wings.

4. BIOMASS PELLETS

TAGS: GS-III-AGRICULTURE-PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT:The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) revised the financial grants for biomass pellet manufacturing units in March 2023.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Biomass pellet is one kind of biofuel resources.
• Biomass pellets are of two kinds — torrefied and non-torrefied. Biomass, if processed at 250-350°C in the absence of oxygen, leads to the formation of torrefied biomass. Whereas, in the case of non-torrefied pellets, biomass is shredded, grinded and sent to a pellet reactor, where it is compressed into pellet form with the help of binders such as sawdust, bagasse, molasses, starch and others.

Biomass Pellets Application

• Building heating: Biomass pellets can be used in a pellet stove or furnace to heating room at school, hospital, marketplace, company, etc. Cooking with biomass pellets is also available.
• Industrial boiler: Bio-pellets can partly(or entirely) replace coal or fossil fuel in co-firing heating for large-scale industrial operation to reduce the energy cost.
• power plants :Biomass pellets can be used in power plants to solve the problem of insufficient power supply.
• Animal bedding:Bio-pellets made of softwood is a kind of slap-up animal bedding to raising animal experience.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INTERVENTIONS

5. SATHI PORTAL

TAGS:GS-III-GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

THE CONTEXT: The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister launched the Sathi (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory) portal and mobile app, a centralized online system designed to address seed production challenges, seed quality identification, and certification.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory (SATHI) portal is a Centralized Online System designed to deal with the challenges of seed production, quality seed identification and seed certification.
• Developed by the NIC in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the portal aims to curb the sale of spurious seeds and ensure quality seeds reach farmers.
• It will ensure a quality assurance system, and identify the source of seed in the seed production chain.
• The system will consist of integrated 7 verticals of the seed chain – Research Organisation, Seed Certification, Seed Licensing, Seed Catalogue, Dealer to Farmer Sales, Farmer Registration and Seed DBT.
• Seeds with valid certification can only be sold by valid licensed dealers to centrally registered farmers who will receive a subsidy through DBT directly into their pre-validated bank accounts.

About NIC:

The National Informatics Centre (NIC) was initially established in 1976 by Late N Seshagiri under the Electronics Commission of India. It was subsequently transferred under the then Planning Commission of India and eventually came under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. SEA CUCUMBER

TAGS: GS-III-ENVIRONMENT- PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT:Recently, 105 kilograms of sea cucumber was seized by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) near Attangarai in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu.

About Sea Cucumber:

• Sea cucumbers are echinoderms—like starfish and sea urchins. And they are marine invertebrates that live on the seafloor found generally in tropical regions. They’re named for their unusual oblong shape that resembles a fat cucumber.
• There are some 1,250 known species, and many of these animals are indeed shaped like soft-bodied cucumbers.
• They act like garbage collectors of the ocean world, and they recycle nutrients, thus playing an important role in keeping coral reefs in good condition.
• They are an important constituent of the marine ecosystem as they play a significant role in maintaining the health of the ecosystem.
• It has no limbs or eyes, or blood.

Demand:

• Sea cucumbers are in high demand in China and Southeast Asia, where they are consumed as food and used in medicine.
• This endangered species is primarily smuggled from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka.

Protection Status:

• As per IUCN Red List, Brown Sea Cucumber has been listed as an
• In India, it is listed under schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
• In 2022, COP19 of CITES listed sea cucumbers as ‘threatened’.
• Recently, Lakshadweep administration unveils world’s first sea cucumber conservation reserve.

2. ANIMAL BIRTH CONTROL RULES, 2023

TAGS: GS-III-ENVIRONMENT- PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT:The Central Government has notified the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 under Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960 and after superseding the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2001.

THE EXPLANATION:

• As per the extant Rules, Animal Birth Control programme for the sterilization and immunization of the stray dogs are to be carried out by the respective local bodies/municipalities/Municipal Corporations and Panchayats.
• Also, the Cruelty involved for carrying out of ABC programme need to be addressed. By effective implementation of these Rules, the Animal Birth Control programme can be conducted by the local bodies which will help in reducing the stray dog population addressing the animal welfare issues.
• The Municipal Corporations need to implement the ABC and Anti Rabies Program jointly. The Rules also provides the guidelines how to deal with the human and stray dog conflicts without relocating the dogs in an area.
• One of the requirements under the Rule is that the Animal Birth Control Programme needs to be carried out by Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) recognized organization specifically recognised for Animal Birth Control programme.
• The list of such Organizations will be made available on the website of the Board which will also be updated time to time. The Central Government has already issued letters to all the State Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries of Animal Husbandry Department and Urban Development Department.
• Therefore, the local bodies are requested to implement the Rules in letter and spirit and not to permit any Organizations to carry out ABC programme which are not recognized by AWBI and approved for ABC programme or otherwise elaborated in the Rules.

Connect the dots:

• Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI)
• Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (PCA), 1960

3. TRIPEDALIA MALIPOENSIS

TAGS: GS-III-ENVIRONMENT- PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Hong Kong scientists have discovered a new species of box jellyfish in Mai Po Nature Reserve in northern Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU).

THE EXPLANATION:

• It was the first discovery of a new box jellyfish species from the waters of China. A paper describing the new species was published in the international academic journal Zoological Studies in March 2023.
• The new jellyfish species was named Tripedaliamaipoensis, or Mai Po Tripedalia, by the research team.
• Box jellyfish are a small group with only 49 species reported worldwide, and are even poorly known in Chinese marine waters.
• The new species, as most other species of box jellyfish, has a transparent, colorless body and three tentacles at each of its four corners. A flat pedal-shaped structure at the base of each tentacle that looks like a boat paddle, allows box jellyfish to produce strong thrusts when contracting bodies, thus making them swim faster than other kinds of jellyfish.
• Named for its cube-shaped body, the box jellyfish, or scientifically known as class Cubozoa, includes some of the highly venomous marine animals that are widely known in the tropical waters.
• The newly discovered Tripedalia malipoensis belongs to the family Tripedaliidae of the class Cubozoa and is the fourth described species of Tripedaliidae around the world.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

4. NATIONAL QUANTUM MISSION (NQM)

TAGS: GS-III-SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT:The Union Cabinet, chaired by the  Prime Minister recently approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) at a total cost of Rs.6003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31, aiming to seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT).

THE EXPLANATION:

Objectives:

• The new mission targets developing intermediate scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in 8 years in various platforms like superconducting and photonic technology.
• Satellite based secure quantum communications between ground stations over a range of 2000 kilometres within India, long distance secure quantum communications with other countries, inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km as well as multi-node Quantum network with quantum memories are also some of the deliverables of the Mission.
• The mission will help develop magnetometers with high sensitivity in atomic systems and Atomic Clocks for precision timing, communications and navigation. It will also support design and synthesis of quantum materials such as superconductors, novel semiconductor structures and topological materials for fabrication of quantum devices.
• Single photon sources/detectors, entangled photon sources will also be developed for quantum communications, sensing and metrological applications.
• Four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) will be set up in top academic and National R&D institutes on the domains – Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing & Metrology and Quantum Materials & Devices.
• The hubs which will focus on generation of new knowledge through basic and applied research as well as promote R&D in areas that are mandated to them.
• NQM can take the technology development eco-system in the country to a globally competitive level. The mission would greatly benefit communication, health, financial and energy sectors as well as drug design, and space applications.
• It will provide a huge boost to National priorities like digital India, Make in India, Skill India and Stand-up India, Start-up India, Self-reliant India and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

5. LIMITED PURPOSE CLEARING CORPORATION (LPCC)

TAGS: GS-III- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) released a circular announcing a dispute resolution mechanism for Limited Purpose Clearing Corporation (LPCC). The mechanism will be placed for the settlement of disputes or claims arising out of transactions cleared and settled by the regulator, in the manner specified by SEBI in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

THE EXPLANATION:

• LPCC is an organization that has been created to manage the process of clearing and settling repo transactions. An efficient repo market enhances the growth of the debt securities market by increasing the liquidity of the underlying debt securities.
• Additionally, it enables market players to obtain funds temporarily by monetizing their debt holdings without disposing of the underlying assets.
• According to the circular, an LPCC shall adopt the dispute resolution mechanism prescribed by the market regulator.
• If there are any disagreements that arise among the clearing members of LPCC, they will be resolved through the process of conciliation or by an arbitration panel made up of three clearing members who are not involved in the dispute. The ruling of the arbitration panel would be considered final and binding for the parties involved.
• Moreover, SEBI has announced that any disputes between a clearing member and the LPCC will be settled following the prescribed dispute resolution mechanism.
• If either the LPCC or a clearing member is not content with the decision made through SEBI’s mechanism, then any disputes between them will be resolved using the procedure outlined in the Payment and Settlement Systems Act of 2007, along with the corresponding rules and directions that have been notified.

Connect the Dots:

• SEBI
• Payment and Settlement Systems Act of 2007

[WpProQuiz 464]

1. A sustainable future without us humans READ MORE
2. Gender makes no difference READ MORE

1. How clean-energy-based solutions can help Indian agricultural sector in achieving net zero target READ MORE
2. What is ‘heat dome’, the phenomenon causing record temperatures across US? READ MORE

1. India as most populous can be more boon than bane READ MORE
2. The dream of universal health care can be realized READ MORE

1. A judgment that upholds the Constitution READ MORE
2. Upendra Baxi writes on 50 years of Kesavananda Bharati judgment: It prescribed the basic structure doctrine, set limits to parliamentary sovereignty READ MORE
3. The debilitating disruption of Parliament READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Seven worst years for polar ice sheet melting occurred in past decade: study READ MORE  
2. Pushkaralu festival returns to the Ganga after a gap of 12 years READ MORE
3. Centre intensifies crackdown with aim to make India drug-free by 2047 READ MORE
4. ISRO launches PSLV-C55 with two Singapore satellites READ MORE
5. Jal Shakti Ministry plans network of groundwater sensors to monitor quality, contamination levels READ MORE
6. Explained | How can a juvenile be tried as an adult in Court? READ MORE
7. A new troika for India’s northeast region READ MORE
8. No small change: on the raising of returns on small savings schemes READ MORE
9. 50 years of Kesavananda Bharati case and its legacy: How Supreme Court has invoked the basic structure doctrine over the years READ MORE
10. What is sepsis? How to spot, manage and prevent it READ MORE
11. What is ‘heat dome’, the phenomenon causing record temperatures across US? READ MORE

 Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. India as most populous can be more boon than bane READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. A judgment that upholds the Constitution READ MORE
2. Upendra Baxi writes on 50 years of Kesavananda Bharati judgment: It prescribed the basic structure doctrine, set limits to parliamentary sovereignty READ MORE
3. The debilitating disruption of Parliament READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. The dream of universal health care can be realized READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Substance and subtext: On India-Bhutan ties READ MORE
2. Is the India-Bhutan relationship intact? READ MORE
3. In Middle East, how once improbable ties are setting a new tone READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. How to make India a human capital powerhouse READ MORE
2. India can’t beat poverty without growth in jobs and rise in wages READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Promise & politics of 6G: It is a fact that 35,000 Indian villages do not even have 2G network READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. How clean-energy-based solutions can help Indian agricultural sector in achieving net zero target READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Should India make tactical nukes to counter China? Delhi’s no-first-use rule has no room for it READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. A sustainable future without us humans READ MORE
2. Gender makes no difference READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. The current overemphasis on acquiring skills at the cost of compromising life fundamentals would be counterproductive in the long run and needs a relook. Discuss how work-life balance can be maintained?
2. To achieve its long-term goal of stable inflation and growth, RBI needs to look at different instruments to reduce the impact of supply shock-induced inflation volatility. Critically examine.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Consciousness is only possible through change; change is only possible through movement.
• As with the shrinkage of Russian space globally, the country that benefits most from this outcome is China, which is able to successfully portray itself as “the leader speaking on behalf of the Global South”.
• India may be face-to-face with China over its Himalayan borders, and it may even be a part of the Quad, a visibly anti-China alliance, but these only matter if the conflict comes to a head.
• Against the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, China is playing its cards tactically to expand its own influence at the expense of Russia, its ‘closest ally’.
• Developed, rather than emerging markets, have been the source of financial and economic instability since the 2008 global financial crisis.
• The future of employment might lie, counter-intuitively, in agriculture if India can adopt higher-value, employment-intensive farming practices that will increase productivity, jobs, and wages.
• For success in world-beating manufacturing, India has to invest in firm-level R&D and innovation.
• Integration into joint formation structures is a very important issue professionally impacting the functioning of the armed forces to best meet national security challenges.
• In such a complex scenario, where geoeconomics and geopolitics intersect, Chekunkov’s visit signifies Kremlin’s prioritisation of India as a key partner for the development of Russian Far East, although China is manifestly keen to connect the Arctic to its Belt and Road Initiative.
• The current overemphasis on acquiring skills at the cost of compromising life fundamentals would be counterproductive in the long run and needs a relook.
• In the recent times, there have been many challenges in managing the wildlife. A fresh innovative approach is required to manage the life on the planet.
• The first principle of democracy is to have deference for the views and feelings of others. Without this, democracy cannot endure.
• To achieve its long-term goal of stable inflation and growth, RBI needs to look at different instruments to reduce the impact of supply shock-induced inflation volatility.

ESSAY TOPIC

• Consciousness is only possible through change; change is only possible through movement.

50-WORD TALK

• Former US President Donald Trump’s claims that America is “going to hell” has charged up his base—but his demagoguery is deeply dangerous. Even if the hush-money case against Trump is fake, the place to win the argument is a courtroom. Elected politicians must respect the institutions on which democracies rest.

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.

1. UNFPA’S STATE OF WORLD POPULATION (SOWP) REPORT

TAGS:GS-II- SOCIAL ISSUES

THE CONTEXT: According to the latest edition of the UNFPA’s State of World Population (SOWP) report, India’s population has grown by 1.56 per cent in the past year and is estimated to be 1,428,600,000 million (142.86 crore), and more than two-thirds of its population or 68 per cent comprises people between the ages of 15 and 64, considered the working population of a country.

THE EXPLANATION:

• China has a population of 142.57 crore, according to the UN world population dashboard. The United States is a distant third, with an estimated population of 340 million.
• The population demographics of India vary from state to state. Kerala and Punjab have an ageing population while Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have a young population.
• The latest report also shows that India’s total fertility rate (births per woman in the reproductive age) is estimated at 2.0. The average life expectancy for an Indian male stands at 71 and for females at 74, states the report which has been published annually since 1978.
• The report also states that 44 per cent of partnered women and girls in 68 reporting countries do not have the right to make informed decisions about their bodies when it comes to having sex, using contraception and seeking health care. An estimated 257 million women worldwide have an unmet need for safe, reliable contraception, it states.
• Although India and China will account for more than one-third of the estimated global population of 8.045 billion, the population growth in both Asian giants has been slowing, at a much faster pace in China than in India.
• Last year, China’s population fell for the first time in six decades, a historic turn that is expected to mark the start of a long period of decline in its citizen numbers with profound implications for its economy and the world.
• India’s annual population growth has averaged 1.2% since 2011, compared with 1.7% in the 10 years previously, according to government data.

VALUE ADDITION:

• The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide.
• Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies and protocols, increasing access to birth control, and leading campaigns against child marriage, gender-based violence, obstetric fistula, and female genital mutilation.
• Headquarters: New York City, United States

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

2. SEA CUCUMBER

TAGS: GS-III- ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT:Recently, 105 kilograms of sea cucumber was seized by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) near Attangarai in Ramanathapuram district.

About Sea Cucumber:

• They are marine invertebrates that live on the seafloor found generally in tropical regions. They’re named for their unusual oblong shape that resembles a fat cucumber.
• They act like garbage collectors of the ocean world, and they recycle nutrients, thus playing an important role in keeping coral reefs in good condition.
• They are an important constituent of the marine ecosystem as they play an important role in maintaining the health of the ecosystem.
• It has no limbs or eyes, or blood.
• In India is treated as an endangered species listed under schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
• As per IUCN Red List Brown Sea Cucumber has been listed as
• Demand: Sea cucumbers are in high demand in China and Southeast Asia, where they are consumed as food and used in medicine.
• This endangered species is primarily smuggled from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka.
• Recently, Lakshadweep has created the world’s first conservation area for sea cucumbers.

3. ONE WORD A DAY: MAGNAPORTHE ORYZAE

THE CONTEXT: Scientists have warned that the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, which is destroying South American wheat crops, could spread worldwide. The pathogen affects the crop in a disease known as ‘wheat blast’.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The seriousness of the disease is indicated by the fact that crops are burnt to avoid this disease. Magnaporthe oryzae originated in South America, but cases of infection have also been reported in Asia in 2016 and Africa in 2018.
• Genomic analysis of fungus samples from all three continents showed that these fungi are part of the same family.
• Wheat crops around the world are susceptible to the fungus. pathogen is also resistant to fungicides. The biggest concern is that this fungus has the potential to affect not only wheat but also other major food crops.

How wheat blast destroys crops

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

4. WHAT IS SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE?

TAGS:GS-III- SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT:Recently, researchers from IIT Madras come up with the best way to neutralise carbon dioxide emissions in depleted oil and gas reservoirs.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Researchers found that supercritical carbon dioxide can be a good agent for simultaneous carbon dioxide sequestration and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) from depleted reservoirs when the gas is used along with surfactants in a ‘surfactant-alternating gas (SAG) injection’ approach.

What is Supercritical carbon dioxide?

·         Supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) is a fluid state of CO2 where it is heated and held at or above its critical temperature and pressure. In this supercritical phase, CO2 exhibits properties and behaviors between that of a liquid and a gas. In particular, supercritical CO2 possesses liquid-like densities with gas-like diffusivity, surface tension and viscosity.

·         When CO2 exceeds temperatures of 87.9°F (31.1°C) and is subjected to pressures above 1071 psi (7.39 MPa), it enters the supercritical phase. This phase of CO2 is commonly used as a solvent in chemical extraction processes due to its high solubility, low toxicity and minimal net effect on the environment.

• In this process, carbon dioxide gas is injected in the reservoir, where it becomes supercritical, followed by injection of water or surfactant solution.
• The study shows that the use of supercritical carbon dioxide for EOR resulted in greater storage of carbon dioxide for both water-alternating gas (WAG) and SAG approaches.
• However, SAG performed better at all pressures and temperatures as surfactant solution alters the interfacial tension between the oil and water phases, leading to a higher oil recovery percentage and more effective storage of carbon dioxide. The researchers also found that the reservoir pressure and temperature had a strong effect on the flow dynamics.
• This method not only promises improved recovery of oil but also safe, enhanced, and permanent storage of carbon dioxide gas emitted from human and other anthropological activities, for both WAG and SAG approaches.
• The use of supercritical carbon dioxide reduces oil viscosity, induces in situ swelling of the oil, and reduces the interfacial tension of the in-situ fluid system.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

5. SUDAN‘S CONFLICT

TAGS: PRELIMS -PLACES IN NEWS

THE CONTEXT: Amid the intensified fighting between the army and paramilitaries in Sudan has killed around 200 people and wounded 1,800, damaging hospitals and hampering aid after three days of urban warfare.

Background:

• A weeks-long power struggle exploded into deadly violence between the forces of two generals who seized power in a 2021 coup: Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

In this context from Prelims point of view, we may expect a Map based question on Sudan bordering countries.

Prelims Perspective:

• Sudan is a country in North Africa. It is bounded on the north by Egypt, on the east by the Red Sea, Eritrea, and Ethiopia, on the south by South Sudan, on the west by the Central African Republic and Chad, and on the northwest by Libya.

• Sudan’s capital Khartoum, which is located in the central part of the country where the White Nile and the Blue Nile rivers meet.

• The country is mainly composed of vast plains and plateaus that are drained by Nile river and its tributaries.
• Deriba Caldera is part of the volcanoes of the Marra mountains. It is considered to be the highest point in the whole of Sudan.
• Also, Sudan is part of the Great Green Wall Project, along with Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.

HEALTH ISSUES

1. WHAT IS BLASTOMYCOSIS?

TAGS: GS-II-HEALTH ISSUES- PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, a person has died of a fungal infection after an outbreak at a Michigan paper mill in United states that is likely to have infected nearly 100 people in the country.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Blastomycosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Blastomyces.
• The fungus lives in the environment, particularly in moist soil and in decomposing matter such as wood and leaves.
• In the United States, the fungus mainly lives in the midwestern, south-central, and southeastern states, particularly in areas surrounding the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, the Great Lakes, and the Saint Lawrence River. People can get blastomycosis after breathing in the microscopic fungal spores from the air.

Symptoms:

Approximately half of people who are infected with the fungus Blastomyces will show symptoms. The symptoms of blastomycosis are often similar to the symptoms of other lung infections, and can include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Night sweats
• Muscle aches or joint pain
• Fatigue

2. WHAT IS HEMOPHILIA?

TAGS: GS-II-HEALTH ISSUES- PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT: Every year, World Hemophilia Day is observed on April 17 to raise awareness about the rare blood disorder and help those suffering from it lead a better life.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The day was first commemorated by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) in 1989 in remembrance of Frank Schnabel, who was born on April 17, 1942, and spent his entire life working to make the lives of those who were affected by this ailment better.
• The theme for this year is “Access for All: Prevention of Bleeds as the Global Standard of Care,” and the goal is to persuade policymakers and governments to enhance access to care with a particular emphasis on better bleeding control.

What is hemophilia?

• Hemophilia is a genetic disorder that affects the body’s ability to form blood clots. People with hemophilia have deficiencies or abnormalities in certain clotting factors, which are proteins that help the blood clot.
• As a result, they may experience prolonged bleeding or spontaneous bleeding into muscles, joints, or organs.
• The signs and symptoms of hemophilia vary depending on the severity of the condition. Some common signs and symptoms include prolonged bleeding after injury, surgery or dental procedures, frequent nosebleeds, bruising easily, joint pain and swelling, especially in the knees, elbows, and ankles, blood in urine or stool, headaches, blurred vision, or other neurological symptoms, if bleeding occurs in the brain.

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

3. EXPLAINED: WHAT IS GREEN STEEL AND HOW  IT  CAN REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS IN THE STEEL INDUSTRIES?

TAGS: GS-III-ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT:The Union Minister of Steel and Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia recently  approved 13 Task Forces for defining the roadmap for ‘Green Steel’. The task forces with the involvement of experts and the industry stakeholders have been identified to deliberate on various aspects of ‘Green Steel’ production, and chalk out action points.

What is Green Steel ?

• Green Steel refers to the production of steel without relying on fossil fuels. Instead, alternative low-carbon energy sources such as hydrogen, coal gasification, or electricity are used in place of traditional coal-fired plants, which results in reduced greenhouse gas emissions, lower costs, and improved steel quality.

Why is Green steel the need of the hour?

• Currently, the steel industry is the largest industrial sector in terms of intensive energy and resource use.
• It is among the three biggest emitters of carbon dioxide (CO2), and with the aggressive expansion plans across companies globally, the emissions levels are only expected to rise if the traditional methods were to continue.
• According to data, the iron ore and steel industry globally accounts for around 8 percent of total CO2 emissions on annual basis, whereas in India, it contributes 12 percent to the total CO2 emissions.
• With such high emissions, steel producers in India and globally are facing escalating pressure from governments and investors to reduce their carbon footprint from both environmental and economic perspectives.
• Path to Net Zero:In view of commitments made at the Conference of the Parties (COP) climate change conference, the Indian steel industry needs to reduce its emissions substantially by 2030 and hit net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.

What are the Government steps to promote decarbonisation in steel industry

• The government has taken various steps to promote decarbonisation in the steel industry. The Steel Scrap Recycling Policy, 2019 increases the availability of domestically generated scrap to reduce the use of coal in steel production.
• The National Green Hydrogen Mission, launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), focuses on green hydrogen production and usage, with the steel sector being a stakeholder.
• The Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicles Scrapping Facility) Rules from September 2021 aim to increase scrap availability in the steel sector.
• The National Solar Mission, launched in January 2010 by the MNRE, promotes the use of solar energy and reduces emissions in the steel industry.
• The Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme incentivize the steel industry to reduce energy consumption. The steel sector has also adopted the Best Available Technologies globally in modernization and expansion projects.

VALUE ADDITION:

Steel production in India

• India is currently one of the leading producers of crude steel in the world, standing as the second largest producer with a production of 120 Million Tonnes (MT) during the financial year of 2021-2022.
• The majority of the country’s iron ore reserves, more than 80%, are located in the states of Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and the northern regions of Andhra Pradesh.
• These areas are important steel-producing centres and are home to some of the largest steel factories in the country, including Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Durgapur (West Bengal), Burnpur (West Bengal), Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Rourkela (Odisha), and Bokaro (Jharkhand).

4. MANGROVE PITTA BIRD CENSUS

TAGS: GS-III-ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Odisha forest officials recently have sighted 179 mangrove pitta birds in the first ever census conducted of these exotic and colourful birds in the country.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The census was carried out for the first time in the country to study the population analysis of these birds.
• The habitats of these beautiful birds are confined to mangrove forest areas in Odisha’s Bhitarkanika and Sundarban in West Bengal.
• The mangrove pitta (Pitta megarhyncha) is a species of passerine bird in the family Pittidae native to the eastern Indian Subcontinent and western Southeast Asia. It is part of a superspecies where it is placed with the Indian pitta, the fairy pitta and the blue-winged pitta but has no recognized subspecies.
• A colourful bird, it has a black head with brown crown, white throat, greenish upper parts, buff underparts and reddish vent area. Its range extends from India to Malaysia and Indonesia. It is found in mangrove and nipa palm forests where it feeds on crustaceans, mollusks and insects.
• IUCN Status: Near Threatened.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INTERVENTIONS

5. PM MITRA MEGA TEXTILES PARK

TAGS: GS-II- GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INTERVENTIONS

THE CONTEXT:The Prime Minister recently lauded the setting up of PM Mitra Mega Textiles Park across Lucknow and Hardoi districts in Uttar Pradesh.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Ministry of Textiles (MoT) has launched PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel Parks (MITRAs) Scheme to strengthen the Indian textile industry by way of enabling scale of operations, reduce logistics cost by housing entire value chain at one location, attract investment, generate employment and augment export potential.
• The scheme will develop integrated large scale and modern industrial infrastructure facility for total value-chain of the textile industry for example, spinning, weaving, processing, garmenting, textile manufacturing, processing & printing machinery industry.
• These parks are envisaged to be located at sites which have inherent strengths for textile industry to flourish and have necessary linkages to succeed. The scheme envisages to leverage Public Private Partnership model for fast paced implementation in a time-bound manner.

Significance

• It will reduce logistics costs and strengthen the value chain of the textile sector to make it globally competitive.
• It will lead to increased investments (FDI and local) and enhanced employment opportunities.
• It will give domestic manufacturers a level-playing field in the international textiles market & pave the way for India to become a global champion of textiles exports across all segments.

HISTORY AND HERITAGE

1. UTTARAMERUR INSCRIPTION

TAGS: GS-I- HISTORY AND HERITAGE- PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT:Prime Minister recently referred to the Uttaramerur inscription in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, while discussing India’s democratic history.

THE EXPLANATION:

Where is Uttaramerur?

• Uttaramerur lies in present-day Kanchipuram district, approximately 90 km southeast of Chennai. Today, it is a small town and had a population of roughly 25,000 in the census of 2011. It is known for its historic temples built during Pallava and Chola rule.
• The famous inscription from Parantaka I’s reign is found on the walls of the Vaikunda Perumal Temple.

What does the inscription say?

• The inscription gives details of the functioning of the local sabha, i.e. the village assembly. A sabha was an assembly exclusively of brahmans and had specialised committees tasked with different things.
• The Uttaramerur inscription details how members were selected, the required qualifications, their roles and responsibilities, and even the circumstances in which they could be removed.
• Qualification of the representative: To become a representative of the Gram Sabha, the age of a person should be 35 to 70 years. He must have a certain amount of land. To become a representative it was necessary to have knowledge of Vedas. Anyone could get exemption on the ownership of land, but for that he should have knowledge of one Veda and four commentaries. To become a representative, a person should also be proficient in business.
• Rules of disqualification of the representatives: The inscriptions has also been told about the rules of disqualification of the representatives. Those who have committed five great sins cannot become a representative. Four of these were murder of Papa Brahmin, drinking alcohol, theft and adultery. The one who wanted to become a member should not be of criminal nature himself.

HEALTH ISSUES

2. HEATSTROKE

TAGS: GS-II-HEALTH ISSUES- PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT:Recently, 11 persons reportedly died of heat stroke while attending the Maharashtra Bhushan Award ceremony at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is heatstroke?

• Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition that causes your body to overheat. It’s defined as a body temperature above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). Heatstroke, also called sunstroke, is the most severe form of hyperthermia, or heat-related illness. Heatstroke can lead to brain damage, organ failure or death.

Types of heatstroke:

There are two types of heatstroke:

1. Exertional heatstroke: This form of heatstroke is usually the result of physical overexertion in hot, humid conditions. It can develop in a few hours.
2. Non-exertional heatstroke: Also called classic heatstroke, this type can occur due to age or underlying health conditions. It tends to develop over several days.

Symptoms of heatstroke

• Anhidrosis (dry skin that doesn’t sweat, which is more common in non-exertional heatstroke).
• Ataxia (problems with movement and coordination).
• Balance problems.
• Delirium (confusion or disorientation).
• Excessive sweating that continues after you’ve stopped exercising (more common in exertional heatstroke).
• Hot, flushed skin or very pale skin.
• Low or high blood pressure.

SOCIAL ISSUES

3. SAME-SEX MARRIAGE’S LEGAL RECOGNITION IN INDIA

TAGS: GS-II- SOCIAL ISSUES

THE CONTEXT:Recently, the Supreme Court has set up a five-judge Constitution bench to hear the batch of petitions seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriages in India.

THE EXPLANATION:

Background:

• The Court has been hearing multiple petitioners’ requests for legal recognition of same-sex marriages under a special law. Initially, it took up the case of two partners who said the non-recognition of same-sex marriage amounted to discrimination that strikes at the root of “dignity and self-fulfilment” of LGBTQIA+ couples.
• The petitioners cited the Special Marriage Act, 1954, which provides a civil marriage for couples who cannot marry under their personal law, and appealed to the Court to extend the right to the LGBTQIA+ community, by making the “marriage between any two persons” gender neutral.

Why does the community want this right?

• Even if LGBTQIA+ couples may live together, legally, they are on a slippery slope. They do not enjoy the rights married couples do.
• For example, LGBTQIA+ couples cannot adopt children or have a child by surrogacy; they do not have automatic rights to inheritance, maintenance and tax benefits; after a partner passes away, they cannot avail of benefits like pension or compensation.
• Most of all, since marriage is a social institution, “that is created by and highly regulated by law,” without this social sanction, same-sex couples struggle to make a life together.

Which way are the Courts leaning?

• The Courts, leaning on Article 21 that guarantees the right to life and liberty, have time and again ruled in favour of inter-faith and inter-caste marriages, directing the police and other rights organisations to give them protection when they were threatened by parents or society, pointing out that “all adults have the right to marry a person of their choice.” In Navtej Singh Johar (2018), when homosexuality was decriminalised.
• “Members of the LGBT[QIA+] community are entitled to the benefit of an equal citizenship, without discrimination, and to the equal protection of law”.
• “The choice of whom to partner, the ability to find fulfilment in sexual intimacies and the right not to be subjected to discriminatory behaviour are intrinsic to the constitutional protection of sexual orientation.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

4. TAMIL NADU’S CUMBUM GRAPES GET GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION TAG

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: The Cumbum grapes also known as Paneer Thratchai, recently earned the Geographical Indication tag or GI tag.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is unique about these grapes?

• The Cumbum valley located at the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu is known as the ‘Grapes city of South India’ and cultivates the Paneer Thratchai. This variety which is also known as Muscat Hamburg constitutes almost 85% of the grape-growing areas in Tamil Nadu.
• Theni district is one of the highest grapes producing areas of Paneer Thratchai. However, the ‘Panneer’ variety is chiefly associated with Cumbum Valley, where the cultivation area covers around 2,000 acres at 10 villages.
• The agro climate and the soil condition of the Cumbum region is very conducive for the cultivation of the Muscat variety. This variety is popular for its quick growth and early maturity. This ensures that the crop is available in the market almost throughout the year.
• The rich soil and water of the land are said to enhance the flavour of the natural fruit. The grape bunches are medium to large in size and compact in nature. The grapes grown are suitable for making wine, spirit, jams, canned grape juice and raisins.
• The Panneer grapes were first introduced in Tamil Nadu by a French priest in 1832. These grapes are rich in vitamins, tartaric acid and antioxidants and reduces the risk of some chronic diseases. They are also known for a superior taste apart from the purplish-brown colour.

Connect the dots:

• What is GI tag?

PLACES IN NEWS

5. SHIVELUCH VOLCANO

TAGS: PRELIMS-PLACES IN NEWS

THE CONTEXT: One of the Russia’s most active volcano recently erupted on the far eastern Kamchatka peninsula region spewing ash up to 20 kilometres above sea level, according to the Russia Academy of Sciences (RAS) Geophysical Survey.

About Kamchatka Peninsula:

• The Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia is a 1,250 km long peninsula on the far eastern edge of Siberia. It sits at the junction of a triple plate collision between the North American, the Pacific and the Eurasian Plates. It occupies something called the Okhotsk Block which is being shoved into the Eurasian Plate and borders on the Bering Block which defines the area north of the Aleutian chain of volcanic islands.
• It is one of the most concentrated areas of geothermal activity in the world, with 160 volcanoes in the region, 29 of which are believed to be currently active.
• Also, it is a part of the vast belt of Earth known as the “Ring of Fire” which circles the Pacific Ocean and is prone to eruptions and frequent earthquakes.

Shiveluch Volcano:

• Shiveluch is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Kamchatka, having erupted at least 60 times in the past 10,000 years.
• It has two main parts: Old Shiveluch, which tops 3,283 metres (10,771 ft), and Young Shiveluch – a smaller, 2,800-metre peak protruding from its side.
• Young Shiveluch lies within an ancient caldera – a large crater-like basin that likely formed when the older part underwent a catastrophic eruption at least 10,000 years ago.
• It is this part that has become extremely active; the lava dome continues to grow and that stronger “fumarole activity” has been observed.

[WpProQuiz 463]

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. PREVENTIVE DETENTION LAW

TAGS:GS-II-POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT:Recently, the supreme court said that preventive detention laws in India are a colonial legacy with great potential to be abused and must be used only in the rarest of rare cases.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is preventive detention?

• Preventive detention is when a person is held in police custody only on the basis of a suspicion that they would conduct a criminal act or cause harm to society. The police have the authority to hold anyone they suspect of committing a criminal offence.
• The police have the ability to make arrests without a warrant or a magistrate’s authorization in certain cases. Preventive detention was undoubtedly an important part of the colonial legal system in India.
• Surprisingly, the framers of the Indian Constitution, who had been the most oppressed by the preventive detention legislation, did not fail to provide the statutory validity to the same in independent India.
• The word detention simply means when any person is arrested or taken into custody. It can be legal as well as illegal. But when it comes to the security of the state and benefit of the society, there comes a new term which is Preventive Detention.

There are commonly two types of detentions:

• Punitive detention, which means detention as a punishment for the criminal offence. It occurs after an offence is actually committed, or an attempt has been made towards the commission of that crime.
• On the other hand, preventive detention means a person’s incarceration in advance to prevent any further possibility of the commitment of crime or its engagement. Preventive detention is, therefore, an action taken on the basis of apprehension that the person in question might do some wrongful act.

HEALTH ISSUES

2. CHAGAS DISEASE

TAGS:GS-II-HEALTH ISSUES- PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT: The World Health Organization (WHO) is observing World Chagas Disease Day April 14, 2023 to raise awareness about this little-known disease that affects millions every year, especially the poor population and people in Latin America.

THE EXPLANATION:

• In 2019, the 72nd World Health Assembly dedicated this day to the disease. This year’s theme is “time to integrate Chagas disease into primary health care”.

What is Chagas disease?

• Chagas disease, also called American trypanosomiasis, is a communicable parasitic disease that has infected 6-7 million people and claims around 12,000 lives every year across the globe.
• It is caused by the parasite protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The parasites are mainly transmitted by a family of bugs called ‘triatomines’, also known as the ‘kissing bug’. These blood-sucking bugs transmit the disease from infected to healthy individuals through bites and by defecating on them.
• The systemic, chronic disease manifests as fever, headaches, rashes and inflammatory nodules, nausea or diarrhoea and muscle or abdominal pain. A majority of the patients (70-80 per cent) show an asymptomatic clinical course throughout their lives, making early detection challenging. It is often referred to as the “silent and silenced disease”.
• An individual can also contract this disease through congenital transmission (pregnant woman to their baby), blood transfusions, organ transplantation, consumption of uncooked food contaminated with faecal matter of infected bugs or even accidental laboratory exposure. The disease, however, cannot propagate by casual contact with infected humans or animals.
• The disease is named after physician Carlos Chagas who first detected it in a Brazillian child in 1909.

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

3. NEW FROG SPECIES FOUND IN MEGHALAYA SIJU CAVE

TAGS: GS-III- ENVIRONMENT- SPECIES IN NEWS

THE CONTEXT: Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered a new species of frogs from deep within the Siju cave in the South Garo Hills district of Meghalaya.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The ZSI team named the new cascade species Amolops siju after the cave from where this discovery was made, according to a press note by the researchers. Siju is a four-kilometre-long natural limestone cave.
• Cascade Frogs are named so because of their preference for small waterfalls or cascades in flowing hill streams.
• The genus Amolops is one of the largest groups of ranid frogs (family Ranidae) with currently over 70 known species that are widely distributed across northeast and north India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, through Indochina, to the Malaya Peninsula.
• The discovery of new species from a cave is very rare. This is the second time such a discovery has been made in India — the first being the discovery of the Micrixalus spelunca in 2014 from a cave in Tamil Nadu
• The specimens of Amolops siju were collected in January 2020 during a cave expedition by the ZSI team. The tissue samples of the specimen were subjected to molecular studies to ascertain their specific identity from the other known species of cascade Amolops frogs.
• Based on the morphological, molecular and spatial data, the team concluded this frog from the Siju cave was new to science and decided to name the new species after the cave.
• Although the specimens were collected 60-100 metres from the cave entrance and the dark zones beyond 100 m of the cave entrance, the team did not find any troglobitic or cave-adapted modification, suggesting that this species of frog is not a permanent resident of the shelter.

4. WHAT IS CRAB NEBULA?

TAGS: GS-III- SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY- PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, scientists have mapped the iconic Crab Nebula’s magnetic field in greater detail than ever before using NASA’s latest X-ray telescope.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Crab Nebula is the remnant of a massive stellar explosion, or supernova, that occurred in the year 1054 and left behind a dense object called the Crab Pulsar with a mass about twice that of Earth’s sun. This nebula is one of the most thoroughly studied cosmic objects, but new observations suggest that it’s far more complex than scientists had thought.
• In the 1970s, Weisskopf, now an emeritus astronomer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and his colleagues measured X-ray polarization from the Crab Nebula to understand its extreme environment and found that Crab has an average polarization of about 20%.
• The findings indicate that the X-rays in the Crab Nebula originate from the outer magnetic field region, known as the “wind” region. However, the exact location and mechanism of this process are yet to be determined.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES IN NEWS

5. A-HELP(ACCREDITED AGENT FOR HEALTH AND EXTENSION OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION) PROGRAMME

TAGS: GS-II-GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INTERVENTIONS

THE CONTEXT:Recently, the ‘A-HELP’ (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production) programme was launched in the State of Uttarakhand. It is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and the Ministry of Rural Development.

THE EXPLANATION:

• ‘A-Help’ are community-based women activist groups who do tasks like assisting veterinarians in local departmental activities, helping cattle rearers to get loans for entrepreneurship development, filling applications.
• Under the A-Help scheme envisaged by the Government of India, women have been selected to strengthen livestock related activities in remote rural areas. They help in implementing various schemes and providing information to the farmers at the ground level.
• Under this,trained A-Help workers will contribute significantly in prevention of various infectious diseases in animals, artificial insemination, animal tagging and animal insurance under Rashtriya Gokul Mission.

VALUE ADDITION:

About Rashtriya Gokul Mission

• The “Rashtriya Gokul Mission” aims to conserve and develop indigenous breeds in a focused and scientific manner.
• The potential to enhance the productivity of the indigenous breeds of India through professional farm management and superior nutrition is immense, for this it is essential to promote conservation and development of indigenous breeds.
• The Rashtriya Gokul Mission is a focussed project under National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development.
• The Mission will be implemented with the objectives to:
• Development and conservation of indigenous breeds
• Undertake breed improvement programme for indigenous cattle breeds so as to improve the genetic makeup and increase the stock;
• Enhance milk production and productivity;
• Upgrade non descript cattle using elite indigenous breeds like Gir, Sahiwal, Rathi, Deoni, Tharparkar, Red Sindhi
• Distribute disease-free high genetic merit bulls for natural service.

THE CONTEXT: One of the biggest announcements in the Union Budget 2019–20 was to promote zero-budget natural farming (ZBNF) on a massive scale. Terming it as “going back to basics,” the finance minister made a strong pitch for the implementation of ZBNF. However, there have been mixed results and responses ever since. The following article intends to analyse the efficacy of ZBNF in doubling farmers’ income in India.

ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING (ZNBF): KEY FACTS

• Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZNBF) means raising crops without using any fertilizers and pesticides or any other external materials. The word Zero Budget refers to the zero cost of production of all crops.
• ZBNF guides the farmers towards sustainable farming practices thus helps in retaining soil fertility, to ensure a chemical free agriculture and ensure low cost of production (zero cost) and thereby enhancing the farmers income.In short, ZBNF is a farming method that believes in growing crops in tune with nature.
• The concept was promoted by agriculturist & Padma Shri awardee Subhash Palekar, in the mid-1990s as an alternative to the Green Revolution’s methods driven by chemical fertilizers and pesticides and intensive irrigation.
• Government has been promoting organic farming under the dedicated scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) which encourages all kinds of chemical-free farming systems including Zero Budget Natural Farming.

FOUR PRINCIPLES OF ZBNF

• Jeevamrutha: A composition of cow dung and cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour, water and soil is applied on the farmland.
• Bijamrita: It is a mixture of neem leaves and pulp, tobacco and green chillies prepared for insect and pest management, that can be used to treat seeds.
• Acchadana (Mulching): It protects topsoil during cultivation and does not destroy it by tilling.
• Whapasa: It is the condition where there are both air molecules and water molecules present in the soil. Thereby, providing water to maintain the required moisture-air balance.

NEED TO IMPLEMENT ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING IN INDIA

• Soil degradation: The excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has led to soil degradation, which has negatively impacted the soil’s fertility and health. ZBNF promotes natural farming techniques that help to restore soil health and fertility.
• Chemical contamination: The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has led to contamination of the soil and water sources, posing a threat to public health. ZBNF avoids the use of chemicals, thus reducing contamination of the environment.
• High input costs: Traditional farming methods require a high input of resources such as water, seeds, and chemical fertilizers, which can be expensive for small-scale farmers.
  • National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data indicates more than 50 per cent of all farmers are in debt due to increased cost of farm inputs like fertilizers and chemical pesticides.
• Climate change: Agriculture is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, which are the primary cause of climate change. ZBNF promotes carbon sequestration in the soil and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
• Biodiversity loss: Modern farming practices have led to a loss of biodiversity, as they often involve the use of monoculture crops and the destruction of natural habitats. ZBNF promotes crop diversity and the preservation of natural habitats, which can help to conserve biodiversity.
• Farmer distress: Farmers in India face several challenges, including low income, debt, and crop failure. ZBNF can help to reduce farmers’ expenses and increase their income by promoting natural farming techniques that are cost-effective and yield better results.
  • The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data shows that almost 70% of agricultural households spend more than they earn and more than half of all farmers are in debt.
  • In States such as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, levels of indebtedness are around 90%, where each household bears an average debt of ₹1 lakh.
• Food security: India is facing a challenge of providing food security to its growing population. ZBNF can help to increase crop yields, thus improving food security in the country.
• Doubling Farm income: To achieve the Central government’s promise to double farmers’ income by 2022, one aspect being considered is natural farming methods such as the ZBNF which reduce farmers’ dependence on loans to purchase inputs they cannot afford.

CASE STUDY

• Andhra Pradesh launched ZBNF in September 2015 under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), Govt. of Andhra Pradesh is conducting experiments to generate the scientific evidence of the ZBNF in collaboration with University of Reading, UK World Agro forestry Centre, Nairobi, FAO & resource NGOs/Civil Society Organizations like Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Hyderabad.
• In June 2018, Andhra Pradesh rolled out an ambitious plan to become India’s first State to practice 100% natural farming by 2024.
• A study – “Life Cycle Assessment of ZBNF and Non-ZBNF in Andhra Pradesh” – reports the following benefits:

        o   ZBNF processes require 50–60 per cent less water and less electricity (than non-ZBNF) for all the selected crops.

      o   ZBNF reduces methane emissions significantly through multiple aeration. It also has the potential to avoid residue burning by practicing mulching.

GOVERNMENT STEPS FOR PROMOTING ZBNF

• Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP): It is a sub-mission under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY). BPKP aims at promoting traditional indigenous practices, which give freedom to farmers from externally purchased inputs. It focuses on on-farm biomass recycling with major stress on biomass mulching, use of cow dung–urine formulations; and exclusion of all synthetic chemical inputs either directly or indirectly.
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY):Under the PKVY scheme, several organic farming methods like zero budget natural farming (ZBNF), natural farming, vedic farming, rishi farming, cow farming, homa farming, etc. are included wherein states adopt any model of organic farming including ZBNF depending on the farmer’s choice.
• Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY): According to the RKVY scheme, organic farming or natural farming model components are considered by the respective State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC). Under this scheme, the government provides financial assistance to states to promote organic farming, including ZBNF.
• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): The NMSA is a scheme that aims to promote sustainable agriculture practices in India. Under this scheme, the government provides financial assistance to farmers to adopt sustainable agriculture practices, including ZBNF.
• ICAR through its Plan Scheme ‘Network Project on Organic Farming (NPOF)’ is undertaking research in 20 centers covering 16 states to develop location-specific organic farming package of practices for crops and cropping systems. Organic farming package of practices for 51 crops/cropping systems have been developed to provide technical backstopping to the line departments’ schemes implemented in the country.
• The Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCD-NER), promotes 3rd party certified organic farming of niche crops of north east region through Farmer Producer Organisations(FPOs) with a focus on exports. Farmers are given assistance of Rs. 25000/ha for three years for organic inputs including organic manure and bio-fertilizers etc. Support for formation of FPOs, capacity building, post-harvest infrastructure up to Rs. 2 Crores is also provided under the scheme.
• 100 percent assistance is provided to State Governments/ Government agencies through Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme (CISS) under Soil Health Management Scheme for setting up of mechanized fruit/ vegetable market place, waste/ agro-waste compost production unit to the extent of Rs.190.00 Lakh/unit (capacity of 3000 tonne/annum of finished compost). Similarly, for individuals/private agencies, assistance up to 33 percent of cost, limited to Rs. 63 lakh/unit as capital investment is provided for the purpose.
• The farmers are encouraged to use organic inputs by providing financial assistance through a number of other schemes. For example, under the National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) and National Food Security Mission (NFSM), financial assistance at 50 per cent subsidy to the tune of Rs. 300/- per ha is provided for the use of organic inputs.

ISSUES WITH IMPLEMENTING ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING IN INDIA

• Lack of awareness: Many farmers in India are not aware of ZBNF techniques, and there is a need for widespread education and awareness campaigns to promote the practice. This is particularly true for small and marginal farmers, who may lack access to information and resources.
• Lack of infrastructure: ZBNF requires infrastructure such as seed banks, compost pits, and cow sheds, which may be lacking in many rural areas in India. Building this infrastructure can be a significant challenge, particularly in remote and marginalized communities.
• Limited government support: While the Indian government has launched several initiatives to promote ZBNF, there is a need for more financial and technical support to help farmers adopt the practice. This includes the provision of subsidies, training programs, and access to credit.
  • The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, which was meant to promote organic farming and soil health has been allocated Rs 325 crore only, whereas Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, a flagship Green Revolution scheme had an allocation of Rs 3,745 crore for the financial year 2019-20.
• Resistance from farmers: Some farmers may be resistant to change, particularly if they have been using traditional fertilizer-intensive farming methods for generations which gives good volumes of produce.
• Market barriers: There are market barriers to the adoption of ZBNF, particularly if the demand for organic produce is low. Farmers may need to be assured of a market for their produce before they are willing to adopt ZBNF.
• Question of sustainability: Though limited studies in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have shown a decline in the input costs and improvement in yields, the long terms returns were seen dropping in a few years.
  • At a time when the estimates of the World Bank suggest that the percentage of agriculture workers of total workforce would drop to 25.7% by 2050 from 58.2% in 2001 (MoF 2018), these labor-intensive tasks in ZBNF will definitely pose a challenge to farmers.

BOTTOMLINE:

• Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) has been promoted in India as a sustainable option for doubling farm incomes. However, its effectiveness in achieving this goal depends on several factors, including the scale of implementation, the availability of resources and infrastructure, and the market demand for organic produce.
• ZBNF reduces the cost of inputs, which can increase farmers’ incomes, especially for small and marginal farmers who may not have access to expensive inputs.
• Furthermore, ZBNF can also improve soil health and fertility, increase crop yields, and reduce the risk of crop failure, which can lead to higher incomes. ZBNF can also promote the use of indigenous seeds, which can be more resilient to local conditions, and promote crop diversity, which can help to reduce the risk of crop failure.
• However, there are also some challenges in scaling up ZBNF to achieve the goal of doubling farm incomes. For example, there may be a lack of awareness among farmers, a lack of infrastructure and resources, and a lack of market demand for organic produce. Additionally, ZBNF may require a shift in mindset from farmers who have been using chemical-intensive farming methods for many years.

THE WAY FORWARD

• Promoting Awareness: One of the most crucial steps for the future of ZBNF in India is to create awareness among farmers about its benefits. This can be done through training programs, workshops, and field demonstrations. It is essential to educate farmers about the principles of ZBNF, the advantages of natural farming, and the techniques involved in implementing ZBNF.
• Scaling up ZBNF: To make ZBNF more effective, it is necessary to scale it up to a larger area. It can be done through government schemes and initiatives that provide financial assistance to farmers. The government can also collaborate with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders to promote the adoption of ZBNF practices.
• Infrastructure and Resource Availability: Availability of resources such as water, seeds, and fertilizers are essential for the successful implementation of ZBNF. The government needs to provide the necessary infrastructure to enable farmers to access resources and inputs. This includes the development of irrigation facilities, seed banks, and the provision of organic inputs.
• Market Linkages: Another critical aspect of the future of ZBNF in India is to establish market linkages for the sale of organic produce. The government can set up a robust supply chain network that connects farmers directly with consumers or through intermediaries. This will help farmers to get better prices for their produce, which will motivate them to continue with natural farming.
• Research and Development: Research and development are essential for the future of ZBNF in India. The government should promote research in ZBNF to develop new techniques and technologies that can improve the productivity and profitability of natural farming. The development of appropriate technologies and farm machinery for ZBNF can help farmers to reduce the drudgery of manual labor and increase productivity.
• Holistic approach for agriculture: In addition to improvising cropping patterns through ZBNF, the GOI also need to bring reforms in policies like MSP, which have brought about a trend of monocropping and fertilizer intensive cropping in India.

THE CONCLUSION: ZBNF can be a sustainable option for doubling farm incomes in India if implemented effectively and at scale. It has the potential to improve soil health, reduce input costs, increase crop yields, and promote sustainable agriculture. However, achieving this goal will require concerted efforts from policymakers, farmers, and other stakeholders to promote the adoption of ZBNF and address the challenges associated with its implementation.

Questions

• Discuss in detail how can the implementation of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) in India help in reducing the dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and promote the use of natural inputs.
• In the face of multi-dimensional issues like climate change and food security, the concept of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) provides a lasting solution for reviving Indian agriculture. Examine critically.

FREEDOM STRUGGLE- MODERN INDIA

1. JALLIANWALA BAGH MASSACRE

TAGS: GS-I- HISTORY-PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT: This year marks the 104th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, also known as the Amritsar Massacre. Check this article to know the answers to all your questions related to the heart-wrenching event of the Indian Freedom Struggle.

THE EXPLANATION:

• On April 13, 1919, what was planned as a protest gathering of Indians in a compound called Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab, in then British-ruled India, witnessed violence that would become one of the most lasting memories of the barbarity of colonial rule.

What is Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• The mass killing at Jallianwala Bagh took place on April 13, 1919, in Amritsar, Punjab, which later came to be known as the Amritsar massacre or Jallianwala Bagh massacre. To protest the Rowlatt Act and the detention of pro-independence activists Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satyapal, a large, peaceful crowd gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. In response to the gathering, the British Indian Army’s temporary brigadier general R. E. H. Dyer covered the protesters with Gurkha, Baloch, Rajput, and Sikh soldiers from the 2-9th Gurkhas, the 54th Sikhs, and the 59th Scinde Rifles.
• The Jallianwala Bagh had only one exit because the other three were blocked by structures. Without giving the mob a chance to disperse, Dyer closed the main exits. He gave the order for his soldiers to start firing at the densest groups of people in front of the few possible small entrances, as terrified multitudes were attempting to flee the Bagh.
• A total of 1650 rounds were discharged throughout the 10-15 minute period of shooting. Up until they ran out of ammunition, the soldiers continued to fire. General Dyer and Mr Irving assessed a total death toll of 291 people. However, according to other sources, including one from a committee led by Madan Mohan Malviya, there were around 500 or more fatalities.

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

2. DOCTRINE OF PROMISSORY ESTOPPEL

TAGS: GS-II- POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT:Recently, Advocate Prashant Bhushan argued that instead of implementing the Agnipath scheme, the government should complete the old process and cited the doctrine of promissory estoppel.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Doctrine of promissory estoppel:-

• The Doctrine of Promissory Estoppel works on the principle of equity, fairness and moral conscience.
• The doctrine of Promissory Estoppel means when an individual with an intention of forming a relationship which is lawful makes a clear promise to another individual and the latter individual acts on it, that promise becomes an obligation for the individual who made the promise.
• Hence, then going back from its words is not permissible.
• The law commission recommended suggestions to form a new section as Section 25A in the Indian Contract Act in the 108th report for this doctrine.
• No provisions as such are there which ensures availability of relief under this doctrine.
• At the same time, it can be implemented on the basis of equity, to defend the aggrieved party.
• The doctrine of estoppel in India is a rule of evidence included into Section 115 of The Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
• Promissory Estoppel’s application can invalidate the constitutional provision provided under Article 299, which talks about immunity granted against the personal accountability of an individual making the promise.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INTERVENTIONS

3. VIBRANT VILLAGES PROGRAMME

TAGS: GS-II GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INTERVENTIONS

THE CONTEXT:Recently, Union Home Minister launched the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ (VVP) in the border village of Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh. The constant threat along the country’s border amid the ongoing standoff with China has led to a concerted push to upgrade infrastructure in the border areas.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’?

• This village development scheme was first announced in the 2022 Budget. The programme’s targets are to provide comprehensive development of villages on the border with China and improvement in the quality of life of people living in identified border villages.
• The development in these villages will help prevent migration, and thus also boost security.
• The Parliamentary Standing Committee in 2018 had pointed towards backwardness, illiteracy, and lack of basic facilities and infrastructure in our border areas. The VVP aims to address all these issues.

What are the objectives of the scheme?

• The aims of the scheme are to identify and develop the economic drivers based on local, natural, human and other resources of the border villages, as per a press release by the Ministry of Home Affairs on February 15, 2023.
• Development of growth centres on the “Hub and Spoke Model” through promotion of social entrepreneurship, empowerment of youth and women through skill development is also one of the objectives of VVP.
• Moreover, the programme also intends to leverage tourism potential through promotion of local, cultural, traditional knowledge and heritage in the border areas, thus increasing the employment opportunities of the people and, as a result, stemming migration.
• Development of sustainable eco-agribusinesses on the concept of “One village-One product” through community-based organisations, cooperatives, SHGs, NGOs etc is also aimed at.
• The scheme envisages that drinking water, 24×7 electricity, connectivity with all weather roads, cooking gas, mobile and internet connectivity be made available in the border areas. Special attention will be given to solar and wind energy, tourist centres, multi-purpose centres and health infrastructure and wellness centres.

Which states come under VVP?

• Under this centrally sponsored scheme, 2,967 villages in 46 blocks of 19 districts have been identified for comprehensive development. These villages abut the border in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh. In the first phase, around 662 villages have been identified for priority coverage.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

4. GOND PAINTING

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT:Madhya Pradesh’s famous Gond paintings has received the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag. A geographical Indication (GI) tag is a label placed on products that have a specific geographical origin and have traits or a reputation originating from that origin.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Madhya Pradesh’s artform of Gond Painting has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. A GI tag is essentially a name or sign given to products that are attached to a specific geographical location, which may include a region, town or country. GI tags ensure that only the registered or authorised user uses the name of the concerned product.
• Gond painting is a form of folk art by the Gond tribal community, which mostly inhabit parts of central India. Traditionally, Gond paintings were done on walls and floors of houses, and featured images of animals and plants as well as traditional geometric patterns. Gond paintings usually feature bright colours derived from natural resources.

VALUE ADDITION:

What is a geographical indication?

• A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. In order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place.
• In addition, the qualities, characteristics or reputation of the product should be essentially due to the place of origin. Since the qualities depend on the geographical place of production, there is a clear link between the product and its original place of production.

5. EXERCISE ORION

THE CONTEXT: In the first overseas exercise for the Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF), four Rafales will depart to France to take part in multilateral exercise Orion at Mont-de-Marsan, an Air Force base of the French Air and Space Force (FASF).

THE EXPLANATION:

• The exercise will be conducted from April 17 to May 5, with the IAF contingent comprising four Rafale, two C-17, two ll-78 aircraft and 165 personnel. “Participation in this exercise would further enrich the employment philosophy of the IAF, by imbibing the best practices from other Air Forces.”
• Ex Orion is one the largest exercises held by France in recent times involving around 12,000 troops, including those from North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and being held in four phases.
• Besides the IAF and the FASF, Air Forces from Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, U.K. and U.S. would also be flying in this multilateral exercise.

[WpProQuiz 462]

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. BELAGAVI BORDER DISPUTE

TAGS: GS-II-POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT:Recently, the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing on the state of Maharashtra’s plea in a border row with Karnataka, as Justice Aravind Kumar recused himself.

THE EXPLANATION:

When did the dispute begin?

• Maharashtra and Karnataka have sparred over the inclusion of some towns and villages along the state border ever since the State Reorganisation Act was passed by the Parliament in 1956.
• The Act was based on the findings of the Justice Fazal Ali Commission, which was appointed in 1953 and submitted its report two years later.
• On November 1, 1956, Mysore state – later renamed Karnataka – was formed, and differences between the state and the neighbouring Bombay state – later Maharashtra – erupted.
• Maharashtra was of the view that the northwestern district of Karnataka, Belagavi, should be part of the state, leading to a decade-long violent agitation and formation of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES), which still holds sway in parts of the district and the eponymous city.

What was the Centre’s response?

• Amid protests and pressure from Maharashtra, the Union government set up a commission under retired Supreme Court judge Justice Mehar chand Mahajan on October 25, 1966. S Nijalingappa was the Karnataka Chief Minister then and VP Nayak was his Maharashtra counterpart.
• The report was expected to be a binding document for both states and put an end to the dispute. The commission submitted its report in August 1967, where it recommended merging 264 towns and villages of Karnataka (including Nippani, Nandgad and Khanapur) with Maharashtra, and 247 villages of Maharashtra (including South Solapur and Akkalkot) with Karnataka.

Legal issues in court

• Maharashtra approached the Supreme Court in 2004, challenging the State Reorganisation Act. It demanded 865 villages and towns from five Karnataka districts to be merged with the state. The five districts are Belagavi, Karwar, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi and Bidar.
• However, almost two decades after the petition, its maintainability remains challenged. Karnataka has resorted to Article 3 of the Indian Constitution to argue that the Supreme Court does not have the jurisdiction to decide the borders of states, and only Parliament has the power to do so.
• Maharashtra has referred to Article 131 of the Constitution, which says that the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in cases related to disputes between the Union government and states.

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

2. HUMAN COMPOSTING: A GREENER WAY TO DIE

TAGS: GS-III- ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, New York became the sixth state in the US to legalise human composting as a burial option.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Human composting, also known as natural organic reduction, is a process of transforming the human body into nutrient-rich soil that has emerged as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional burial or cremation.
• It has gained popularity, especially among the younger generation, for being an eco-friendly alternative to dispose of a corpse.

Process of human composting:

• The body is first washed and dressed in a biodegradable grown.
• It’s then placed in a closed vessel, usually measuring 8 feet by 4 feet, along with selected materials such as alfalfa, straw, and sawdust.
• The body is left to decompose for the next 30 days.
• To speed up the decay, oxygen is added to the vessel, which results in the unfolding of a process called “aerobic digestion”, in which microbes start to consume organic matter.
• Temperature inside the container is kept around 130 degrees Fahrenheit or 55 degrees Celsius to kill off contagions.
• By the time aerobic digestion is over, the body has been transformed into a soil-like material, containing nutrients, bones, and some medical devices — these are taken out from the compost pile and recycled.
• As the microbial activity comes to an end, the temperature inside the pile drops, marking the transformation from an active composite pile into the soil.

Concerns:

• The biggest opponent of this process has been the Catholic Church and called it an “unfortunate spiritual, emotional, and psychological distancing from the deceased.
• It has been believed that the ‘transformation’ of the remains would create an emotional distance rather than a reverence” for the remains.
• Even cremated remains must remain in a communal place befitting of the dignity inherent in the human body and its connection to the immortal soul.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

3. REVISION SERIES

PRADHAN MANTRI FASAL BIMA YOJANA

TAGS: GS-II-GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INTERVENTIONS

• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) scheme was launched in India by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers welfare, New Delhi from Kharif 2016 season onwards.
• National Insurance Company started participating in PMFBY from Rabi 2016 onwards and covered 8 States and 2 Union Territories during the past 5 seasons namely, Rabi 2016-17, Kharif & Rabi 2017 and Kharif & Rabi 2018 covering 70,27,637 farmers.
• Farmers share of premium is Rs. 453 crores and with subsidy from State/Central Govts RS.1909 Crores, gross Premium is Rs.2362 Crores for the 5 seasons together.

Objective of the Schemes

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) aims at supporting sustainable production in agriculture sector by way of:

• Providing financial support to farmers suffering crop loss/damage arising out of unforeseen events
• Stabilizing the income of farmers to ensure their continuance in farming
• Encouraging farmers to adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices
• Ensuring flow of credit to the agriculture sector which will contribute to food security, crop diversification and enhancing growth and competitiveness of agriculture sector besides protecting farmers from production risks.

Who can be covered?

• All farmers who have been sanctioned Seasonal Agricultural Operations (SAO) loans (Crop Loans) from Financial Institutions (FIs), i.e. loanee farmers, for the notified crop(s) season would be covered compulsorily.
• The Scheme is optional for non-loanee farmers.
• The insurance coverage will strictly be equivalent to sum insured/hectare, as defined in the Govt. notification or /and on National Crop Insurance Portal multiplied by sown area for notified crop.

Coverage of Crops

• Food crops (Cereals, Millets and Pulses),
• Oilseeds
• Annual Commercial / Annual Horticultural crops.

In addition for perennial crops, pilots for coverage can be taken for those perennial horticultural crops for which standard methodology for yield estimation is available.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

4. CHICHEN ITZA

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVES

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Archaeologists in Mexico have uncovered an intricately carved stone they believe was used as a scoreboard for pelota, a ball game played by the Maya hundreds of years ago.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The circular stone was found at the Chichen Itza archaeological site and is thought to be around 1,200 years old.
• At its centre are two players in elaborate headgear surrounded by hieroglyphic writing.
• Experts are now analysing the writing to decipher its possible meaning.
• The 40kg-stone (88lb) was found by archaeologist Lizbeth Beatriz Mendicut Pérez in an architectonic compound known as Casa Colorada (Red House).
• Casa Colorada is the best preserved of the buildings surrounding the main plaza in the pre-Columbian city of Chichen Itza.
• Experts believe the stone would have adorned an archway at the entrance to the compound during the late 800s or early 900s.
• It was found face down half a metre underground, where it is thought to have fallen when the archway collapsed.

5. EXERCISE COPE INDIA 23

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVES

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Exercise Cope India 23, a bilateral Air Exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the United States Air Force (USAF) is begins at Air Force Stations Arjan Singh (Panagarh), Kalaikunda and Agra.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The exercise aims to enhance mutual understanding between the two Air Forces and share their best practices.
• The first phase of exercise commenced on April 10, 2023. This phase of the exercise focused on air mobility and involved transport aircraft and Special Forces assets from both the Air Forces.
• Both sides fielded the C-130J and C-17 aircraft, with the USAF operating an MC-130J, as well. The exercise also included the presence of Japanese Air Self Defence Force aircrew, who participated in the capacity of observers.

US-India War Games Amid China Threat

• Meanwhile, India and United States Special Forces are also carrying out wargames with a focus on supporting fighter aircraft operations in forward areas. The war games came in view of an ongoing military standoff with China.
• The operations are likely to have focused on supporting the fighter aircraft operations including designating targets in frontline areas by laser so that the precision-guided bombs can reach their designated target accurately.

THE CONTEXT: With a steady rise in the number of extreme weather events, especially heavy rainfall capable of triggering landslides and floods, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently released the Landslide Atlas of India, a detailed guide identifying landslide hotspots in the country. The following article attempts to analyse the Landslide Atlas of India from UPSC perspective.

WHAT CAUSES A LANDSLIDE?

• Landslides are natural disasters occurring mainly in mountainous terrains where there are conducive conditions of soil, rock, geology and slope.
• A sudden movement of rock, boulders, earth or debris down a slope is termed as a landslide.
• Natural causes that trigger it include heavy rainfall, earthquakes, snow melting and undercutting of slopes due to flooding.
• Landslides can also be caused by anthropogenic activities such as excavation, cutting of hills and trees, excessive infrastructure development, and overgrazing by cattle.

CLASSIFICATION OF LANDSLIDES

• Falls: Falls are rapid movements of rocks and boulders detached from steep slopes or cliffs along fractures, joints, and bedding planes.
• Topple: It is the forward rotation of a mass of debris or rock out of a slope. The slope failure generally occurs at point near the base of the block of rock.
• Slides: A slide is a downslope movement of material that occurs along a slip surface.
• Rotational slide: In this slide the slide movement is roughly rotational about an axis which is parallel to the ground surface and transverse across the slide.
• Translational slide: In this slide the landslide mass moves along a planar surface with rotation or backward tilting

TYPES OF FLOWS

• Debris flow: It is a form of rapid mass movement in which a combination of loose soil, rock, organic matter, slurry that flows downslope. They are commonly caused by intense precipitation or rapid snow melt.
• Earth flow: It is down slope viscous flow of fine-grained material saturated with water.
• Mudflow: A mudflow is wet or viscous fluid mass of fine- and coarse-grained material flows rapidly along drainage channels.
• Creep: Creep is the slow, steady, downward movement of material under gravity occurs in large area.

LAND SUBSIDENCE

• According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), land subsidence is a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth’s surface due to the removal or displacement of sub-surface earth materials.
• Subsidence (sinking) of the ground because of underground material movement is most often caused by the removal of water, oil, natural gas, or mineral resources out of the ground by pumping, fracking, or mining activities.
• Subsidence can also be caused by natural events such as earthquakes, soil compaction, glacial isostatic adjustment, erosion, sinkhole formation, and adding water to fine soils deposited by wind (a natural process known as loess deposits).
• The recent incident of Joshimath in Uttarakhand is termed to be an event of land subsidence.

LANDSLIDE

• A landslide is defined as the sudden movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope.
• They are a type of mass wasting, which denotes any downward movement of soil and rock under the direct influence of gravity.
• The term landslide encompasses five modes of slope movement: falls, topples, slides, spreads, and flows.

NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC DRIVERS OF LANDSLIDES IN INDIA

India is a country that is prone to landslides due to its diverse geology, topography, and climatic conditions. Landslides can be caused by both natural and anthropogenic factors. Here are some of the major causes of landslides in India:

NATURAL CAUSES

• Geological Conditions: India has varied geological conditions, including soft rocks, steep slopes, and unstable soil conditions. These conditions can make slopes prone to sliding and cause landslides.

        o   India has a complex geological structure due to its location at the junction of three tectonic plates – the Indian, Eurasian, and Arabian.

      o   This has led to the formation of several mountain ranges and high-altitude regions that are prone to landslides.

• Heavy Rainfall: Monsoons in India can cause heavy rainfall, which can saturate the soil, reduce its strength and increase its weight, leading to landslides.
• Earthquakes: India is located in a seismically active zone, and earthquakes can cause landslides by destabilizing slopes.
• Erosion: The natural erosion of slopes due to wind and water can weaken the soil, making it more susceptible to landslides.

ANTHROPOGENIC CAUSES

• Deforestation: The removal of trees and vegetation can cause landslides by reducing the slope stability and increasing soil erosion.
• Mining Activities: Mining operations can destabilize slopes and cause landslides due to blasting, excavation, and removal of soil and rock.
• Construction Activities: Improper construction practices, such as improper grading or excavation, can destabilize slopes and cause landslides.
• Land Use Change: Changes in land use, such as urbanization, can increase the number of impervious surfaces, reducing infiltration and increasing runoff, which can lead to landslides.
• Water Management: Poor water management, such as improper dam operations or improper drainage, can increase water pressure on slopes, reducing stability and causing landslides.

IMPLICATIONS OF LANDSLIDES

Landslides in India have a range of implications, including social, economic, environmental, and infrastructure impacts.

• Loss of life and injury: Landslides can cause loss of life and injury to people living in affected areas. In many cases, landslides occur suddenly, leaving people little time to evacuate.
• Damage to infrastructure: Landslides can damage roads, bridges, buildings, and other infrastructure, disrupting transportation and communication networks. This can have significant economic impacts, particularly in rural areas where transportation is often the main means of accessing markets and services.
• Economic losses: Landslides can have significant economic impacts, particularly in rural areas where agriculture is the main source of income. Damage to crops, livestock, and infrastructure can lead to reduced income and increased food insecurity.
• Environmental degradation: Landslides can cause significant environmental damage, including soil erosion, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity. This can have long-term impacts on soil quality, water resources, and ecosystem services.
• Displacement of communities: Landslides can force people to evacuate their homes, leading to temporary or permanent displacement. This can have significant social impacts, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the elderly.
• Reduced tourism revenue: Landslides can also impact the tourism industry in India, particularly in areas known for their scenic beauty or cultural heritage. Disruptions to transportation and damage to infrastructure can deter tourists and reduce revenue.

INDIA’S DISASTER VULNERABILITY

• The vulnerability of India to landslides has been demonstrated by several major landslide events in recent years. In 2013, the Kedarnath landslide in Uttarakhand caused significant loss of life and property. Recently, Joshimath in Uttarakhand faced a similar fate with a series of alarming land subsidence incidents which lead to forced eviction of thousands of people.
• Approximately 0.42 million sq. km or 12.6% of land area, excluding snow covered area, is prone to landslide hazard. Out of this, 0.18 million sq. km falls in North East Himalaya, including Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalaya; 0.14 million sq. km falls in North West Himalaya (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir); 0.09 million sq. km in Western Ghats and Konkan hills (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra) and 0.01 million sq. km in Eastern Ghats of Aruku area in Andhra Pradesh. In India, landslides mostly occur in the monsoon season. Himalayas and Western Ghats are highly susceptible to mass movements due to hilly topography and heavy rainfall.
• The majority of landslides are triggered by variability in rainfall patterns, while sporadic events such as very heavy rainfall outside the monsoon period (Kedarnath event of 2013) and earthquakes (Sikkim earthquake) cause significant disruption to livelihood and infrastructure.
• The Northernmost Indian states, J&K, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, are the worst affected states by the landslides disasters as the majority of the territory falls within the Himalayas.

HOW COULD THE LANDSLIDE ATLAS BE OF HELP?

The landslide atlas released by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is a valuable resource that can be used in several ways. Some of the uses of the landslide atlas are:

• Disaster management: The landslide atlas can be used to identify areas that are prone to landslides and take preventive measures to avoid loss of life and property. It can also be used to plan rescue and relief operations in the event of a landslide.
• Land use planning: The atlas can be used to identify areas that are unsuitable for development or human habitation due to the risk of landslides. This can help in proper land use planning and prevent the occurrence of disasters.
• Infrastructure planning: The atlas can be used to plan the construction of infrastructure such as roads, railways, and buildings in areas that are safe from landslides.
• Geological studies: The atlas can be used by geologists to study the causes of landslides and the factors that contribute to their occurrence.
• Research: The atlas can be used as a reference for research on landslides and related topics such as climate change, soil erosion, and natural disasters.

NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY (NDMA) GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF LANDSLIDES

• Hazard mapping: The NDMA recommends the preparation of landslide hazard maps, which can help identify areas that are at risk of landslides and guide land-use planning and development activities.

         o   Pilot projects to be taken up in different regions of the country to carry out detailed studies and monitoring of selected landslides to assess their stability status and estimate risk.

• Early warning systems: The NDMA emphasizes the need for early warning systems that can provide alerts about impending landslides, allowing people to evacuate and take other precautionary measures.
• Land-use planning: The NDMA recommends that land-use planning and development activities should take into account the risks of landslides, and appropriate measures should be taken to minimize the risks.
• Slope stabilization: The NDMA recommends the use of appropriate slope stabilization measures to help reduce the risks of landslides, such as the construction of retaining walls or the use of vegetation to hold the soil in place.
• Preparedness measures: The NDMA recommends that communities and organizations should develop and implement preparedness measures, including emergency response plans and training programs.

         o   Setting up of institutional mechanisms for generating awareness and preparedness about landslide hazard among various stakeholders.Establishment of an autonomous national centre for landslide research, studies and management.

• Post-landslide measures: The NDMA recommends that post-landslide measures should be taken to restore essential services and infrastructure, as well as to provide support to affected communities.

         o   Complete site-specific studies of major landslides and plan treatment measures and encourage state governments to continue these measures.

THE WAY FORWARD: A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH FOR MITIGATING LANDSLIDES

Mitigating landslides in India requires a comprehensive approach that involves various stakeholders, including government agencies, local communities, and civil society organizations.

• Strengthen early warning systems: The government should continue to invest in early warning systems that can alert people living in landslide-prone areas. These systems should be equipped with modern technology, such as satellite imagery and remote sensing, to improve the accuracy of the warning and ensure that people have sufficient time to evacuate.
  • Geological Survey of India (GSI) in collaboration with the British Geological Survey (BGS) under the multi-consortium LANDSLIP project recently developed a prototype regional Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) for India, and the same is currently being evaluated and tested by GSI in two pilot areas in India(Darjeeling. West Bengal, and the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu).
• Enhance infrastructure development: The government should focus on developing infrastructure that is resilient to landslides. This can include building retaining walls, stabilizing slopes, and improving drainage systems. The government should also ensure that roads and bridges are built to withstand heavy rainfall and landslides.
• Promote reforestation and sustainable land use: The government should promote reforestation in areas that are prone to landslides. Trees can help stabilize the soil and reduce the risk of landslides. The government should also encourage sustainable land use practices, such as terrace farming, to reduce soil erosion and improve soil stability.
• Conduct more research and mapping: The government should invest in research and mapping to identify areas that are most vulnerable to landslides. This information can help local communities and authorities to take appropriate measures to prevent and manage landslides.
• Strengthen disaster management plans: The government should continue to strengthen disaster management plans to ensure that they are effective in responding to landslides. The plans should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that they are relevant to the changing landscape and the needs of the local communities.
• Build community awareness and capacity: The government should conduct awareness campaigns and capacity-building programs to educate local communities about the risks of landslides and how to prevent and manage them. This can include training on emergency response, early warning systems, and sustainable land use practices.

THE CONCLUSION: Mitigating landslides in India requires a multi-pronged approach that involves investment in infrastructure, reforestation, sustainable land use practices, research, and community engagement. The government should continue to work with various stakeholders to address the root causes of landslides and minimize their impact on people’s lives and livelihoods. In this endeavour of the government, the landslide atlas released by ISRO could be a valuable resource that can help in mitigating the risk of landslides and improving disaster management.

QUESTIONS

• “Technological innovations such as satellite mapping and remote sensing offer solutions for predicting and preventing landslides in India.” Discuss in the light of recently released the Landslide Atlas of India.
• India’s topography and geology make it particularly susceptible to landslides, which has potential implications for the country’s infrastructure and economy. Comment.

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. HOW IS A NATIONAL PARTY DEFINED?

TAGS: GS-II- POLITY AND PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT:Recently, the Election Commission recognised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a national party, while revoking that status of the All India Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI).

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Commission also revoked the state party status granted to RLD in Uttar Pradesh, BRS in Andhra Pradesh, PDA in Manipur, PMK in Puducherry, RSP in West Bengal and MPC in Mizoram.
• The Commission said that NCP and Trinamool Congress will be recognised as state parties in Nagaland and Meghalaya respectively based on their performance in the recently concluded Assembly elections.
• The BJP, Congress, CPI(M), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People’s Party (NPP) and the AAP are the remaining national parties now.

What is a national party?

• The name suggests that a national party would be one that has a presence ‘nationally’, as opposed to a regional party whose presence is restricted to only a particular state or region.
• National parties are usually India’s bigger parties, such as the Congress and BJP. However, some smaller parties are also recognised as national parties. A certain stature is sometimes associated with being a national party, but this does not necessarily translate into having a lot of national political clout.
• Some parties, despite being dominant in a major state — such as the DMK in Tamil Nadu, BJD in Odisha, YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh, RJD in Bihar, or TRS in Telangana — and having a major say in national affairs, remain regional parties.

How is a national party defined?

• The ECI has laid down the technical criterion for a party to be recognised as a national party. A party may gain or lose national party status from time to time, depending on the fulfilment of these laid-down conditions.
• As per the ECI’s Political Parties and Election Symbols, 2019 handbook, a political party would be considered a national party if:

1. it is ‘recognised’ in four or more states; or
2. if its candidates polled at least 6% of total valid votes in any four or more states in the last Lok Sabha or Assembly elections and has at least four MPs in the last Lok Sabha polls; or
3. if it has won at least 2% of the total seats in the Lok Sabha from not less than three states.

Where does the AAP fit into this scheme?

• The AAP is in power with big majorities — and very large vote shares — in Delhi and Punjab. In the Goa Assembly elections in March last year, it received 6.77% of the vote.
• This meant that going into the Gujarat-Himachal elections towards the end of 2022, the party already fulfilled the criteria for recognition as a state party in three states. It then required 6% of the vote in the Assembly elections in either Himachal or Gujarat to be recognised in a fourth state — which would qualify it for recognition as a national party.
• While the AAP got only 1% of the vote in Himachal, the almost 13% vote it got in Gujarat was more than double required to be recognised as a state party there. That made it four states.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. WHAT IS GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT?

TAGS: GS-II-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS- PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT:Recently, US President Joe Biden is visiting Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the Good Friday Agreement?

• The Good Friday Agreement was signed on April 10, 1998, between factions of Northern Ireland, and the governments of Britain and Ireland, to end decades of violence in Northern Ireland among those who wished to remain with the United Kingdom (UK) and those who wanted to join Ireland.
• The negotiators included then British Prime Minister Tony Blair, then Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, George Mitchell, a former Democratic senator who acted as the envoy of then US President Bill Clinton, and eight parties from Northern Ireland.

What were The Troubles?

• Northern Ireland was created in May 1921 by partitioning Ireland, and consists of the six northeastern counties of the island. In 1922, the rest of Ireland gained independence from the British (today’s Republic of Ireland, with its capital in Dublin).
• Northern Ireland remained with the United Kingdom, but tensions simmered between the side loyal to the Crown, mostly Protestants, and the faction wanting to join the Republic, mostly Catholics.

3. EXPLAINED: THE CONFLICT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND SYRIA

TAGS: GS-II-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT:Recently, Israeli jets have bombarded Gaza and Lebanon in response to Palestinian rocket fire over the two territories. Earlier the Palestinian factions in southern Lebanon had launched 34 rockets towards north-western Israel– the largest cross-border barrage since the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.

How did the current round of violence begin?

• Palestinian groups and Hezbollah have been angered by an Israeli police raid on Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.
• The raid took place against a backdrop of increasing violence in the West Bank, the overlap of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with the beginning of the Jewish Passover holiday, and the formation in December (2022) the most right-wing and anti-Arab government in Israel’s history.

What is Hezbollah?

• Hezbollah is the most powerful non-state actor in the Middle East. It was formed about 40 years ago in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, nominally as a bulwark to Israel’s presence in Lebanon, though it quickly became opposed to its arch-foe’s very existence.
• The group is financially and politically beholden to its backer, Iran, and is the most important arm of Iran’s foreign policy projection in the Middle East.
• Its members are Shia Muslims, whom regional Sunni leaders consider a formidable challenge to their own ambitions – so much so that they have been prepared to draw closer to Israel to combat Hezbollah threats.

How are events in Syria linked to the crisis?

• Israel has repeatedly attacked targets linked to Iran inside Syria. Iran, through proxies, including Hezbollah and the Syrian army, has used Syrian bases to smuggle and store parts for precision guidance systems to be fitted to crude rockets and for importing drones that could be used to fight Israel.
• Combatting these threats has been a preoccupation of the Israeli army, and has led to several thousand attacks inside Syria in recent years, many from airstrikes. At times Hezbollah members have been killed, raising tensions on the border.
• It is believed that at least five Hezbollah members were killed in Syria during the recent airstrikes.

What has been happening in Gaza?

• Palestinian factions in Gaza have been under pressure to respond to the violence in al-Aqsa, with rockets fired into southern Israel thought to be its comeback. The fire and the Israeli response has been limited and does not appear to herald a broader flare up.

What might happen next?

• As of now, the threat in southern Lebanon and northern Israel appears to have passed. Israel is content to stick to a charade that Hezbollah were not involved in recent rocket strikes, and Hezbollah will let the Israeli attacks on Palestinians slide. The clashes, however, were a wake-up call to just how close all-out war could be.

4. WHAT IS THE UN DEMOCRACY FUND?

TAGS: GS-II-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS- PRELIMS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, India stated that it has no objections to the UNDEF giving grants to NGOs funded by George Soros. However, it has put the same NGOs on the watchlist in India.

About:

• The United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) was created by the then UN Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan in 2005 as a United Nations General Trust Fund to support democratization efforts around the world.

Functions:

• UNDEF supports projects that strengthen the voice of civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes.
• The large majority of UNDEF funds go to local civil society organizations—both in the transition and consolidation phases of democratization.

Funding:

• UNDEF subsists entirely on voluntary contributions from Governments, it reached almost 170 million dollars in contributions and counts more than 40 countries as donors, including many middle- and low-income States in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The United States remain the largest donor.

Governance:

• As a secretary-General’s Trust Fund located within the UN Secretariat (New York City, USA) UNDEF falls under the direct authority of the UN Secretary-General.
• The secretary-general is guided by the UNDEF Advisory Board, which consists of the seven biggest UNDEF donor countries—as of 2010, the United States, India, Japan, Qatar, Germany, Australia and Spain.

India and United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF)

• India is a founding partner of the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF).
• India plays a prominent role in the UNDEF as a long-standing member of the Advisory Board, its apex governing body. Since its inception, India has contributed over $32 million to the Fund and remains its third-largest contributor, underscoring India’s deep commitment to democratic values.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

5. REMEMBERING SHRI GURU TEGH BAHADUR, THE NINTH GURU OF THE SIKHS

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT:Guru Tegh Bahadur Parkash Purab 2023 is celebrated to mark the birth of the Ninth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Tegh Bahadur and to remember his life and teachings. This year it was observed on April 11, 2023.

THE EXPLANATION:

Who is Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji ?

• Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji is the ninth Sikh Guru, was born on 01 April 1621 in Amritsar, to the sixth Guru Hargobind Ji and Mata Nanaki Ji.
• He grew up to be a brave young man and displayed considerable courage in the battles against Mughals. His father gave him the title of “Tegh Bahadur”, meaning “Mighty of Sword”, in recognition of his bravery.
• He is widely regarded as the saviour guru. Guru Tegh Bahadur is considered to be an honourable scholar and poet who greatly contributed to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism.

Parkash Purab Significance

• The Parkash Purab is celebrated to mark Guru Tegh Bahadur’s birth anniversary. Born as Tyaga Mal, he is widely regarded as the saviour guru who relentlessly fought for religious freedom.
• To celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, people, especially the Sikh community, holds religious processions, organise Shabad Kirtans and read about his life’s work.

Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom:

• The day of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom is often referred to as Shaheedi Diwas. Gobind Singh, the eleventh Guru, was his biological son. His execution and cremation sites in Delhi, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, later became Sikh sacred places.
• At birth, his name was Tyaga Mal. He also learned Gurmukhi, Hindi, and Sanskrit from a respected Sikh scholar. In Bakala, Guru Tegh Bahadur spent the majority of his time in meditation. The sudden passing of Guru Harkrishan left the Sikhs wondering who would be the next Sikh guru.
• When Guru Har Krishan was asked who would succeed him as he was on his deathbed, it is said that he simply stated, “Baba” and “Bakala.” This indicated that the next Guru will be from Bakala.

[WpProQuiz 461]

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. SUHELWA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

TAGS: GS-III-ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: In the recently released report on the tiger census in the country, it is said that Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary is a new area where photographic evidence of tigers has been recorded for the first time.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Located in Shravasti, Balrampur and Gonda districts of Uttar Pradesh, Suhelwa was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1988
• Occupying an area of 452 sq km, the sanctuary is covered with Sal, Sheesham, Khair, Sagaun (Teak), Asna, Jamun, Haldu, Phaldu, Dhamina, Jhingan and Bahera trees. The fauna found in the sanctuary includes Leopard, Tiger, Bear, Wildcat, Wild Boar and various birds.
• Sohelwa Wild Life Division is situated on the Indo-Nepal International Border.
• Fauna:Different types of mammals are found here viz. Leopard, Bear, Wolf, Hyena, Jackal, Wild Boar, Sambhar, Spotted Deer, Neelgaya, Barking Deer along with Monkeys of different types.
• Flora:In this Wild Life Sanctuary the main tree species are Sal, Asna, Khair, Teak etc. With these speciese Black Sheesham, Jamun, Haldu, Faldu, Zigna, Harra, Bahera, Rohani are other important species. The Sanctuary area is very rich in medicinal plants.

2. THE INTERNATIONAL BIG CATS ALLIANCE

THE CONTEXT: The Prime Minister of India recently launched the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) during an event commemorating 50 years of Project Tiger in Mysuru, Karnataka.

Aims and Objectives:

• The IBCA aims to conserve the planet’s seven big cats: Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma.
• India has extensive experience in big cat conservation, from the ongoing efforts for tigers, lions, snow leopards, and leopards to the recent translocation of the Cheetah to restore this extinct species to its natural habitat.
• The Alliance will expand its reach to 97 range countries, covering the natural habitats of these big cats, and strengthen global cooperation and efforts for their conservation.
• Big Cats as Mascots for Sustainable Development: The big cats can serve as mascots for sustainable development and livelihood security. Through the IBCA, India and other big cat range countries can promote environmental resilience and climate change mitigation.

Significance:

• The importance of conserving big cats and their habitats could secure crucial natural ecosystems, provide water and food security for millions, and support the livelihoods of forest communities.
• The Alliance will enhance global efforts and partnerships on big cat conservation while creating a platform for knowledge convergence, best practices, and support for existing species-specific intergovernmental platforms. It will also provide direct assistance to recovery efforts in potential range habitats.
• The initiative aims to ensure natural ecosystems continue to thrive and become central to economic and development policies in the “Amrit Kaal.”

The Seven Big Cats:

TIGER(PANTHERA TIGRIS)

SIZE:75-300 KG | STATUS: ENDANGERED

Tiger is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus Panthera.It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ungulates, such as deer and wild boar. Tigers are the largest cat species and is both flagship and Umbrella species. It is the national animal of India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and South Korea.

LION (PANTHERA LEO)

SIZE: 100-250 KG | STATUS: VULNERABLE

Native to Africa and Asia, the lion is the most social cat, and lives in groups called ‘prides”. They prefer open forests such as males have a prominent mane. The widely recognised of animal symbols-from the pillar of Ashoka to the main entrance of Buckingham Palace.

CHEETAH (ACINONYXJUBATUS)

SIZE:20-70 KG|STATUS: VULNERABLE

The fastest land mammal and it is the only cat without retractable claws-the grip helps it accelerate faster than a sports car (0-100km/hr in 3 secs). They are not aggressive towards humans; they have been tamed since the Sumerian era. They don’t breed well in captivity-females play hard to get. Cheetahs are not big; they hunt during the day to avoid competing with other big cats.

JAGUAR (PANTHERA ONCA)

SIZE: 50-110 KG | STATUS: NEAR THREATENED

The largest cat in the America’s, the jaguar has the strongest bite the leopard was force of all wild cats, enabling it to bite wild cats and the most scrubland, and adult directly through the all animals” for its “grace cannot roar, and has the skull of its prey. Melanistic(black) animal, its range is the lion is among the most jaguars are common, most adaptable of all big for balance while hunt- and are often called black panthers. Jaguar was a powerful motif in the Mayan civilisations.

COUGAR (PUMA CONCOLOR)

SIZE:40-100 KG | STATUS:LEAST CONCERN

The Cougar is the second-largest cat in the Americas: jaguar is largest. Cougars are also called mountain lion/panther across their range from the Canadian Yukon to Southern Andes.

LEOPARD (PANTHERA PARDUS)

SIZE:30-90KG | STATUS: VULNERABLE

Leopards are similar in appearance to the jaguar with a rosette patterned coat, described by Jim Corbett as “the most beautiful of movement and beauty of colouring”. The cats, they occupy diverse habitats at all altitudes across Africa and Asia. Like black jaguars. melanistic leopards are called black panthers.

SNOW LEOPARD (PANTHERA UNCIA)

SIZE:25-55KG | STATUS: VULNERABLE

Snow Leopards known as Ghost of the mountains. This Smokey-grey cat lives above the snow line in Central and South Asia. The most elusive of big cats, it longest tail of all which comes in handy for balance while hunting along cliffs, and also gives warmth when wrapped around the body. The snow leopard is the state animal of Ladakh and Himachal.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

3. RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY

TAGS: GS-III-SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Scientists have developed a new low-cost substrate that can increase the sensitivity of Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) — a vital analytical and sensing tool for detecting molecules. It can aid rapid detection of toxic pollutants present in water, food, etc.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has emerged as a vital analytical and sensing tool for detecting molecules. When molecules near the noble metal nanoparticles of gold, silver, platinum, etc., their Raman signals will substantially increase, which can help detect trace amounts of analyte molecules.
• However, as noble metals are expensive, have poor uniformity, and cannot be reused, there is a quest for alternative SERS active substrates involving non-noble metals. In this regard, semiconductor oxides have emerged as promising materials for the fabrication of SERS substrates.

What is Raman Spectroscopy?

• Raman Spectroscopy is a non-destructive chemical analysis technique which provides detailed information about chemical structure, phase and polymorphy, crystallinity and molecular interactions. It is based upon the interaction of light with the chemical bonds within a material.
• Raman is a light scattering technique, whereby a molecule scatters incident light from a high intensity laser light source. Most of the scattered light is at the same wavelength (or color) as the laser source and does not provide useful information – this is called Rayleigh Scatter.
• However a small amount of light (typically 0.0000001%) is scattered at different wavelengths (or colors), which depend on the chemical structure of the analyte – this is called Raman Scatter.

4. JUICE MISSION

THE CONTEXT: The JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) is a mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) set to launch on April 13, 2023, from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

THE EXPLANATION:

Science Goals of JUICE

• The primary focus of JUICE’s science goals is the Jupiter system, with a particular emphasis on Ganymede as a planetary body and potential habitat.
• The mission objectives for Ganymede include the characterization of the ocean layers and detection of putative subsurface water reservoirs, topographical, geological, and compositional mapping of the surface, studying the physical properties of the icy crusts, characterizing the internal mass distribution, dynamics, and evolution of the interiors, investigating the exosphere, and studying Ganymede’s intrinsic magnetic field and its interactions with the Jovian magnetosphere.
• JUICE’s investigations on Europa will be focusing on the chemistry essential to life, including organic molecules. It will help in the understanding the formation of surface features and the composition of non-water-ice material.

Mission Profile and Launch Details

• After launch, JUICE will take 7 to 8 years to reach Jupiter, utilizing Earth and Venus gravity assists. During the journey, the spacecraft will undergo multiple tests to ensure it can withstand the harsh conditions of space.
• Upon arrival at Jupiter in 2031, JUICE will flyby Ganymede and Callisto to optimize its orbit around Jupiter. These flybys will also include a flyby of Europa. After studying Jupiter and its moons, JUICE will enter a highly elliptical orbit around Ganymede, which will evolve to a 5000 km circular orbit, and will then be lowered into a 500 km circular orbit. After it maps and conducts other investigations at this altitude, it will move to a 200 km circular orbit.
• The nominal mission length for JUICE is about 3 years, with the possibility of an extension of 200 or more days. It will conclude with an impact on the Ganymede’s surface.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVES

5. INTERNATIONAL PRIZE IN STATISTICS 2023

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVES

THE CONTEXT: The Indian-American statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao has been awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics, which is statistics’ equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Rao, who is now 102 years old, is a ‘living legend’ whose work has influenced, in the words of the American Statistical Association, “not just statistics” but also “economics, genetics, anthropology, geology, national planning, demography, biometry, and medicine”.

About the Prize:

• The International Prize in Statistics is awarded every two years to an individual or team “for major achievements using statistics to advance science, technology and human welfare”. The International Prize in Statistics, along with the COPSS Presidents’ Award, are the two highest honours in the field of Statistics.
• The prize is modelled after the Nobel prizes, Abel Prize, Fields Medal and Turing Award and comes with a monetary award of $80,000. The award ceremony takes place during the World Statistics Congress.

The prize recognizes a single work or body of work, representing a powerful and original idea that had an impact in other disciplines or a practical effect on the world. The recipient must be alive when the prize is awarded.

Organisation:

The prize is awarded by the International Prize in Statistics Foundation, which comprises representatives of the following major learned societies:

1. American Statistical Association
2. International Biometric Society
3. Institute of Mathematical Statistics
4. International Statistical Institute
5. Royal Statistical Society

In addition to recognizing the contributions of a statistician, the Foundation also aims at educating the public about statistical innovations and their impact on the world and gaining wider recognition for the field.

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