THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

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

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

THE EXPLANATION:

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

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

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

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

hall consist of one nominee from each Member State.

The expected outcomes of the BIMSTEC TTF are:

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

THE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

‘MIGRATION IN INDIA 2020-21

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

THE EXPLANATION:

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

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

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

  mporary visitors’ in the households.

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

REUTERS INSTITUTE DIGITAL NEWS REPORT 2022

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

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the scope of this report?

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

What are the major trends highlighted in the report?

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

What does the report say about trends in India?

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

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

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

PERIODIC LABOUR FORCE SURVEY (PLFS) 2020-21

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

THE EXPLANATION:

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

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

First-stage sampling

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

Rural jobs

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

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES IN THE NEWS

EXPLAINED: THE AGNIPATH SCHEME FOR RECRUITING SOLDIERS

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

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the Agnipath scheme?

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

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

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

What is the eligibility criteria?

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

What happens after selection?

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

THE NEWS IN NUMBERS

PALM OIL IMPORTS

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

POLLUTION TOLL

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

RECORD HIGH-WPI

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

                    THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 15TH JUNE 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about BIMSTEC countries:

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

Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR 14^TH JUNE 2022

Answer: B

Explanation:

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

THE INDIAN HISTORY: MEDIEVAL INDIA

EXPLAINED: THE SANT TUKARAM TEMPLE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

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

THE EXPLANATION:

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

The Shila Mandir

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

The Warkari sect

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

HISTORICAL TIDBITS- KABIR

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

THE EXPLANATION:

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

The Bhakti movement, the Nirguni tradition and Kabir

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

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

Kabir and his compositions

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

Kabir and his life

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

THE HEALTH ISSUES

EXPLAINED: MANAGING TYPE 1 DIABETES

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

THE EXPLANATION:

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

WHAT IS TYPE 1 DIABETES?

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

How rare is it?

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

Who is at risk of type 1 diabetes?

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

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

THE WORLD OF CRYPTO LENDING

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

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Crypto Lending?

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

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

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

THE SECURITY AFFAIRS

38TH INDIA-INDONESIA COORDINATED PATROL BEGINS

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

THE EXPLANATION:

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

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THIS WORD MEANS: LaMDA

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

THE EXPLANATION:

What is LaMDA?

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

WHAT IS WEB 5.0 – THE BLOCKCHAIN-POWERED DIGITAL NETWORK

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

THE EXPLANATION:

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

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

Web 4.0 (Mobile Web)

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

What is web 5.0 called?

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

THE PT PERSPECTIVE

LIST OF SAINTS AND TEACHERS OF THE BHAKTI MOVEMENT

                    THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 14TH JUNE 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about the Warkari Sect:

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

Which of the following is statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR 13^TH JUNE 2022

Answer: C

Explanation:

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

THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

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

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

THE EXPLANATION:

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

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

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

POCSO (Amendment) Act 2019:

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

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

Why was the POCSO Act enacted?

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

Features of the POCSO Act:

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

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

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

THE EXPLANATION:

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

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

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

Why is NeVA being introduced?

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

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

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

INDIA-RUSSIA DEAL ON RADIO EQUIPMENT

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

THE EXPLANATION:

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

THE HEALTH ISSUES

EXPLAINED: WHY BABIES MUST ONLY BE BREASTFED FOR 6 MONTHS

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

THE EXPLANATION:

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

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

When should breastfeeding start?

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

Why six months?

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

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY

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

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

BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT

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

PRESENT AND FUTURE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE EXPLANATION:

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

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

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

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

                    THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 13TH JUNE 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about Environment Performance Index:

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

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 1 and 2 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) 2 and 3 only

ANSWER FOR 11^TH JUNE 2022

Answer: D

Explanation:

Impact of rupee depreciation

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

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

THE HEALTH ISSUES

RAMSAY HUNT SYNDROME

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the famous Canadian singer has been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which is causing him partial facial paralysis. 

THE EXPLANATION:

• Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, or herpes zoster oticus, is a rare neurological disorder which usually leads to paralysis of the facial nerve and a rash that generally affects the ear or mouth. It sometimes causes ear ringing, tinnitus, and hearing loss.
• The condition is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox in children and shingles in adults — the varicella-zoster virus. It generally occurs when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near your ear. Most commonly known to leave a painful shingles rash, the syndrome can also cause facial paralysis and hearing loss in more serious cases.

SYMPTOMS:

• The most common symptoms are a red, rainfall rash around the ear, facial weakness and paralysis.
• Ear pain, hearing loss, tinnitus, dry mouth and eyes, and difficulty closing one eye are also common symptoms of the condition. And it is not contagious.

THIS WORD MEANS: AMYLOIDOSIS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Pakistan’s former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf is hospitalised in the UAE after his health deteriorated due to a complication of his ailment (Amyloidosis).

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Amyloidosis?

• Amyloidosis is a rare disease that occurs when an abnormal protein, called amyloid, builds up in one’s organs, affecting their shape and functioning. Amyloid deposits can build up in the heart, brain, kidneys, spleen and other parts of the body, leading to life-threatening conditions like organ failure.
• Amyloid isn’t normally found in the body but can be formed from several different types of proteins. Some varieties of amyloidosis occur in association with other diseases. These types may improve with the treatment of the underlying disease. Some varieties of amyloidosis may lead to life-threatening organ failure.
• Amyloidosis may be secondary to a different health condition or can develop as a primary condition as well. Sometimes, it is due to a mutation in a gene, but usually, the cause of amyloidosis remains unknown.

What is the cause of the disease?

• Many different proteins can lead to amyloid deposits, but only a few lead to major health problems. The type of protein and where it collects tell the type of amyloidosis one has. Amyloid deposits may collect throughout one’s body or in just one area.
• Moreover, while some varieties are hereditary, others are caused by outside factors, such as inflammatory diseases or long-term dialysis.

There are also different amyloidosis that is prevalent:

• Light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is the most common type in developed countries which can affect the kidneys, spleen, heart, and other organs. People with conditions such as multiple myeloma or bone marrow illness are more likely to have AL amyloidosis.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

THIS WORD MEANS: CHELONOIDIS PHANTASTICUS

THE CONTEXT: A giant tortoise, found alive in 2019, has been confirmed to belong a Galápagos species long believed extinct.

THE EXPLANATION:

·         Named Fernanda after her Fernandina Island home, the tortoise is the first of her species, Chelonoidis phantasticus, to be identified in more than a century. Researchers have reported the confirmation in a paper in Nature Communications Biology.

·         Chelonoidis phantasticus means “fantastic giant tortoise”. Commonly called the Fernandina Island Galápagos giant tortoise, the species was so far known only from a single individual, collected in 1906.

·         To determine Fernanda’s species definitively, scientists sequenced her complete genome and compared it to the genome scientist were able to recover from the specimen collected in 1906. They also compared those two genomes to samples from the other 13 species of Galápagos tortoises — 12 living, one extinct.

CLASH OVER ‘GREEN GOLD’

THE CONTEXT: Tribal residents of 50 villages in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon and Kanker districts have decided to file an FIR against an official of the state forest department after he confiscated the tendu leaves that they had collected.

THE EXPLANATION:

ABOUT TENDU:

The tendu tree (Diospyros melanoxylon) is found widely across central India. Leaves plucked from its shrubs are used to wrap bidi, the poor man’s cigarette. About 550 billion pieces of bidi (rolled by 10 million people) are sold every year in India, according to the All India Bidi Industry Federation. Moreover, gathering tendu is labour-intensive and employs millions of tribals during the lean month of May, when they have very little else to earn from.

Why is there a dispute?

• Tendu is also called ‘green gold’ and is a prominent non-timber minor forest produced in In 1964, the trade-in tendu leaves were nationalised in then-undivided Madhya Pradesh. Until then, people were free to sell tendu leaves in markets across the country.
• Under this arrangement, the state forest department collects tendu leaves, allows their transportation and sells them to traders.
• In Chhattisgarh, tendu leaf is collected through the state minor forest produce federation. There are more than 10,300 collection centres or phads where tendu leaves are collected from collectors. About 1.37 million families collect tendu leaves every year in Chhattisgarh.

THE COVID CORNER

INDIA’S FIRST COVID-19 VACCINE FOR ANIMALS

THE CONTEXT: The Agriculture Ministry unveiled India’s first Covid-19 vaccine for animals. Developed by the Hisar-based National Research Centre on Equines, the vaccine, called Ancovax, can protect animals against the Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2.

THE EXPLANATION:

HOW IT WORKS:

• Ancovax can be used in dogs, lions, leopards, mice, and rabbits. It is an inactivated vaccine developed using an infectious part of the Delta variant. In addition, it uses Alhydrogel as an adjuvant to boost the immune response.
• This is the first Covid-19 vaccine for animals developed in India. There were reports from Russia in 2021 that that country, too, had developed a vaccine against animals such as dogs, cats, minks, and foxes.

THE NEED:

• There have been reports of Covid-19 infection in several animals, including dogs and cats. “The vaccine can protect animals in the zoo. It can also prevent transmission from companion animals to the humans”.
• The risk of animals spreading the infection to humans is considered low, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• The aim of the vaccine is to protect endangered animals such as lions and tigers. India reported at least nine Covid infections in Asiatic lions in Chennai zoo in 2021, with one of the lionesses likely to have died of it. This prompted the closure of tiger reserves for tourism. Other than that, a study by the Indian Veterinary Research Institute found at least three natural Covid infections in wild Asiatic lions, and a dead leopard cub was found dead and then tested positive for Covid-19.

THE PLACES IN THE NEWS

VALE DO JAVARI (BRAZIL-PERU BORDER)

THE CONTEXT: British journalist Dom Phillips and a Brazilian indigenous affairs expert, Bruno Araujo Pereira, recently

 went missing in a remote corner of the Amazon rainforest. The duo were last seen in Vale do Javari — the western section of the Brazilian Amazon named after the Javari River, which forms the country’s border with Peru.

THE EXPLANATION:

•  It is the western section of the Brazilian Amazon named after the Javari River.
•  It is home to the greatest concentration of isolated groups in the world with 14 indigenous tribes having nearly 6,000 inhabitants.
• Hotspot for violent crimes: Illegal gold prospecting & poaching, forms part of an international cocaine trafficking route.
• Subjected to environmental degradation which affects the inhabitants who depend on nature. Outside contact also puts these tribes at a grave health risk.

THE UPSC ESSENTIALS

ONE WORD A DAY- GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL

What is Gulf Cooperation Council?

• The GCC was formed in 1981 by an agreement among Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), that was concluded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• It is an economic and political union comprising all the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf except Iraq.
  • Although its current official name is the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, it is still popularly and unofficially known as the Gulf Cooperation Council.
  • The grouping was formed in view of the similar political establishments in the countries based on Islamic principles, their geographical proximity, joint destiny and common objectives.

Which countries are the GCC Members? (QUBOKS) 

The six members of the GCC are Saudi Arabia (absolute monarchy), Qatar (constitutional monarchy), Oman (absolute monarchy), UAE (federal monarchy), Bahrain, and Kuwait (constitutional monarchies).

Which are the possible future members of GCC?

The possible future members of GCC maybe Yemen, Jordan, and Morocco.

What is one of the ambitious projects of GCC?

The GCC aims of having a common market and economic nationality. There are also plans to have a single currency. Such a currency may be known as Khaleeji.

                    THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 11TH JUNE 2022

Q1. Which of the following is/are possible impacts of rupee depreciation?

1. Costly imports
2. Cheap foreign travel
3. Costly exports
4. Costly loans

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 3 and 4 only

d) 1 and 4 only

ANSWER FOR 10^TH JUNE 2022

Answer: B

Explanation:

Five species of Rhino in the world:

1. Sumatran Rhino: The Sumatran rhino has been on earth longer than any other living mammal. IUCN status- Critically endangered.
2. Javan Rhino: The Javan rhino is possibly the rarest large mammal on earth. IUCN status- Critically endangered.
3. Black Rhino: Black rhinos are the smaller of the two African species.
4. Greater one-horned Rhino: Greater one-horned rhinos are semi-aquatic and often take up residence in swamps, forests and riversides. IUCN status- Vulnerable
5. White Rhino: The White rhino is also known as the Square-lipped rhino. There are two subspecies of White rhino:

• Southern: Ceratotherium simum simum approximately between 19,666 and 21,085 individuals exist. The Southern white rhino can be found mostly in South Africa, with smaller translocated populations found in Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
• Northern: Ceratotherium simum cottoni (only two animals remain). The Northern White Rhino is critically endangered. The sub-species was declared extinct in the wild in 2008, and there are only two individuals remaining in Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.

THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

EXPLAINED: WHEN CAN A RAJYA SABHA VOTE BE REJECTED?

THE CONTEXT: Recently elections for 57 Rajya Sabha seats across 15 states are being held. With as many as 41 candidates having already been declared elected unopposed, the contest is on for 16 seats in four states — Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and Karnataka.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Members of the Rajya Sabha are elected through single transferable votes via an open ballot. Members of a state’s Legislative Assembly vote in the Rajya Sabha elections in what is called proportional representation with the single transferable vote (STV) system. Each MLA’s vote is counted only once.
• The commission turned to Article 324 of the Constitution, which gives the panel unprecedented powers to hold free-and-fair polls in situations not covered by the Representation of People’s Act, the law governing the election process in India.

How can votes be rejected in an open ballot system?

• Open ballot voting applies in elections to Council of States only. Every political party which has MLAs can appoint an authorised agent to verify whom its members have voted for.
• In 2016, Randeep Surjewala’s vote was rejected after he showed it to another MLA instead of his party’s authorised agent. Surjewala was an MLA in the 2016 Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana.

Can an authorised agent represent two parties simultaneously?

The spirit behind Rule 39AA of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 is that MLAs belonging to a political party shall show their ballot papers (after marking their vote) to the authorised agent of that party only and not to the authorised agent of other parties. As such, the same person cannot be appointed as the authorised agent of more than one party.

Can votes be rejected if a ballot paper is marked with another pen?

On the ballot paper, an MLA has to mark his or her choice of candidates by ranking them and they also have to use a special pen provided by the EC. If they use any other pen, or if their ballot papers remain incomplete, the vote would be regarded as invalid.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

RHINO REINTRODUCTION A HIT IN ASSAM RESERVE

THE CONTEXT: According to the 14th Assam rhino estimation census, the one-horned rhinos of western Assam’s Manas National Park, bordering Bhutan, are expected to have a high life expectancy and significant growth in population.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Manas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a tiger reserve, had about 100 resident rhinos prior to 1990, but a prolonged ethnopolitical conflict thereafter took a heavy toll with extremist groups known to have traded the horns of the herbivores for weapons.
• A rhino reintroduction programme under the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 was started in 2006. This entailed the translocation of rhinos from Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary besides orphans hand-reared at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation at Kaziranga.

VALUE ADDITION:

INDIAN RHINO VISION 2020 (IRV 2020)

• Launched in 2005.
• The initiative is led by the Forest Department, Government of Assam, in partnership with WWF India, the International Rhino Foundation.
• The goal of IRV2020 was to increase the rhino population in Assam to 3,000by, establishing populations in new areas.
• Rhinos are now found in four Protected Areas in Assam: Pabitora Wildlife Reserve, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, Kaziranga National Park, and Manas National Park.

ONE-HORNED RHINOS:

• Only the Great One-Horned Rhino is found in India.
• Also known as the Indian Rhino, it is the largest of the rhino species.
• It is identified by a single black horn and grey-brown hide with skin folds.
• They primarily graze, with a diet consisting almost entirely of grasses as well as leaves, branches of shrubs and trees, fruit, and aquatic plants.
• Conservation status:

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
• CITES Appendix I
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.

The Greater One-Horned Rhino is one among the five different species of Rhino. The other four are:

1. Black Rhino: Smaller of the two African species. (IUCN: Critically Endangered)
2. White Rhino: Recently, researchers have created an embryo of the northern white Rhino by using In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) process. (ICUN: Near Threatened)
3. Javan Rhino: Critically endangered in IUCN Red List.
4. Sumatran Rhino: Recently gone extinct in Malaysia, but Critically Endangered in IUCN Red List.

70 ELEPHANTS DIED IN KARNATAKA IN 2021

THE CONTEXT: According to the forest officials, Karnataka, which harbours around 6,000 elephants in the wild as per the 2017 census, has lost 70 of them due to various reasons in 2021.

THE EXPLANATION:

• 15 were attributed to unnatural causes, including 10 due to electrocution. One elephant was killed in a train accident, another was shot, and one elephant died due to injuries caused by snares while the cause of death was not ascertained in one case. The remaining were classified as death due to natural causes.
• While the deaths due to natural causes are not reckoned to be worrying given the elephant population range in the State, the deaths due to electrocution alone underline the prevailing human-elephant conflict in the State.
• According to the officials, as far as 15 unnatural deaths are concerned 10 are due to electrocution, and even here one cannot infer that the elephants were targeted because the illegally powered fences installed by the farmers were meant to prevent wild boars though elephants do die in the process. But very few were intended to kill elephants.

Value Addition:

Elephants

There are three subspecies of Asian elephants – the Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan. The Indian has the widest range and accounts for the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent.

• IUCN Red List of threatened species status- African elephants are listed as “vulnerable” and Asian elephants as “endangered”.
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) status-  Appendix I. Appendix I lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants. They are threatened with extinction and CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except when the purpose of the import is not commercial, for instance for scientific research.

Conservation Efforts

Project Elephant was launched by the Government of India in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.

• Establishment of elephant reserves and adoption of the “World Elephant Day” (August 12) to help conserve and protect elephants in India and improve their welfare.
• ‘Gaj Yatra’ is a nationwide awareness campaign to celebrate elephants and highlight the necessity of securing elephant corridors.
• The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), had come out with a publication on the right of passage in 101 elephant corridors of the country in 2017, stressed the need for greater surveillance and protection of elephant corridors.
• The Monitoring the Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme launched in 2003 is an international collaboration that tracks trends in information related to the illegal killing of elephants from across Africa and Asia, to monitor the effectiveness of field conservation efforts.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

EXPLAINED: TESTOSTERONE DEFICIENCY AND THE SAFETY OF REPLACEMENT THERAPY

THE CONTEXT: According to the new study in Lancet, Health Longevity looks at the short- to medium-term safety of testosterone treatment. Analysis of data from more than 3,400 patients with hypogonadism from 17 clinical trials found little evidence that testosterone treatment increases the risk of cardiovascular events such as arrhythmia, heart attack, and stroke, in the short to medium term.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Hypogonadism is a condition caused by the deficiency of the male sex hormone, testosterone.
• Testosterone replacement therapy is the standard treatment for hypogonadism, which can cause sexual dysfunction, weakening of bones and muscles, and reduced quality of life. Risk factors include ageing (as testosterone levels decline with age), obesity and diabetes.
• Despite being widely used, the cardiovascular safety of testosterone treatment had so far remained unclear due to inconsistent findings. Most previous clinical studies relied on aggregate data, rather than individual participant data and have not published details of individual adverse events.
• According to the scientist, prescribing of testosterone for hypogonadism is increasing globally, but conflicting messages about its safety may have led to many patients not receiving the treatment. Ongoing studies should help to determine the longer-term safety of testosterone but, in the meantime, our results provide much-needed reassurance about its short-to-medium-term safety.

THE MISCELLANEOUS

IISC, BENGALURU TOP INDIAN UNIVERSITY

THE CONTEXT: According to the QS World University Rankings, 2023, The Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (IISc) is the new national leader in the which also shows that all Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) improved their standing.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The latest edition of QS World University Rankings features 41 Indian universities, of which 12 improved their positions, 12 remained stable, 10 declined and seven are new entries.
• The IISc ranks 155th globally and is the global leader in the citations per faculty (CpF) indicator, which QS uses to evaluate the impact of the research produced by universities. It is the fastest-rising South Asian university among the top-200 universities in the QS rankings, having climbed 31 places year on year.
• The IIT Bombay, which was the top Indian university in the QS World University Rankings of the previous edition, is the second-best Indian institution this time and climbed five places globally to reach the 172 ranks.
• The third best Indian university is the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IITD), followed by IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur.
• The IISc is the world’s top research university, achieving a perfect score of 100/100 for CpF.
• The IIT in Guwahati and Roorkee and the University of Madras are also among the global top-50 research institutions. However, Indian universities struggle with teaching capacity and internationalisation. Thirty of India’s 41 ranked universities have suffered declines in the faculty-student ratio indicator with only four recording improvements.
• Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is the best-performing local institution for the proportion of international faculty ranking 411 globally and the Amity University is the national leader for the proportion of international students, ranking 542 globally.

                    THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 10TH JUNE 2022

Q1. Which of the following are critically endangered species of Rhino according to the IUCN Red Data Book?

1. Greater one-horned rhino
2. Sumatran Rhino
3. Javan Rhino

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

ANSWER FOR 9^TH JUNE 2022

Q1. Answer: D

Explanation:

• During each cropping season, the government announces minimum support prices for 23 crops. Simply put, the MSP for a crop is the price at which the government is supposed to procure/buy that crop from farmers if the market price falls below it.
• As such, MSPs provide a floor for market prices and ensure that farmers receive a certain “minimum” remuneration so that their costs of cultivation (and some profit) can be recovered.
• The MSPs serve one more policy purpose. Using them, the government incentivises the production of certain crops, thus ensuring that India does not run out of staple food grains.
• The MSPs are announced by the Union government and as such, it is the government’s decision. But the government largely bases its decision on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• MSPs have no statutory backing — a farmer cannot demand MSP as a matter of right

Q2. Answer: D

Explanation:

Crops covered by MSPs include:

1. 7 types of cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, bajra, jowar, ragi and barley),
2. 5 types of pulses (chana, arhar/tur, urad, moong and masur),
3. 7 oilseeds (rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, safflower, nigerseed),
4. 4 commercial crops (cotton, sugarcane, copra, raw jute)

THE BUDGET PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS 2022

DEFINITION UNDER THE STATE OF FOREST REPORT

THE CONTEXT:  In January 2022, the Environment & Forest Ministry released India State Forest Report 2021 (ISFR-2021), the forest cover figures are divided as ‘Inside Recorded Forest Area’ and ‘Outside Recorded Forest Area.’

THE EXPLANATION:

As per decision 19/Conference of Parties (CP) 9-Kyoto Protocol, the forest can be defined by any country depending upon the capacities and capabilities of the country as follows:-

Forest- Forest is defined structurally on the basis of

• Crown cover percentage: Tree crown cover- 10 to 30% (India 10%)
• The minimum area of stand: the area between 0.05 and 1 hectare (India 1.0 hectare) and
• Minimum height of trees: Potential to reach a minimum height at maturity in situ of 2 to 5 m (India 2m).

India’s definition of the forest has been taken on the basis of the above three criteria only and accepted by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for their reporting/communications.

The forest cover is defined as ‘all land, more than one hectare in area, with a tree canopy density of more than 10 per cent irrespective of ownership and legal status. Such land may not necessarily be a recorded forest area. It also includes orchards, bamboo and palm’. The definition of forest cover has clearly been defined in all the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) and in all the International communications of India.

The Interpretation of satellite data for classifying Very Dense Forest (VDF) is also supported by the ancillary data like field inventory data of FSI, ground-truthing data and high-resolution satellite imagery wherever required.

CHANDRAYAAN-3 IS SCHEDULED FOR LAUNCH IN AUGUST 2022

THE CONTEXT: According to the Budget Parliamentary proceedings of 2022, Minister for Science and Technology informed the parliament that India plans to execute the Chandrayaan-3 mission by August 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a follow-up of Chandrayaan-2 of July 2019, which aimed to land a rover on the lunar South Pole. It was sent aboard the country’s most powerful geosynchronous launch vehicle, the GSLV-Mk 3.
• However, lander Vikram, instead of a controlled landing, ended up crash-landing on September 7, 2019, and prevented rover Pragyaan from successfully travelling on the surface of the moon. Had the mission been successful, it would have been the first time a country landed its rover on the moon in its maiden attempt.
• The ISRO has planned 19 missions until December consisting of eight launch vehicle missions, seven spacecraft missions and four technology demonstrator missions.
• The ISRO has been allotted ₹13,700 crores for this financial year, nearly ₹1,000 crores more than it spent last year. Despite the several missions planned this year, the budgeted outlay this year is less than the ₹13,949 crores allotted in the year 2021.

Decoding Chandrayaan-3

• Chandrayaan-3 is a lander-and rover-specific mission, which will demonstrate India’s capability of soft landing on a celestial body, with the rover then communicating with Earth via the existing orbiter from Chandrayaan-2 and taking images 100 km from Moon’s orbit. The orbiter has an estimated lifespan of seven years.
• The unique exploration of Chandrayaan-3 aims at studying not just one area of the Moon but all the areas combining the exosphere, the surface as well as the sub-surface in a single mission.
• With Chandrayaan-1, ISRO achieved immense success as the ‘Moon Impact Probe’ by Chandrayaan-1 lunar remote sensing orbiter detected water in vapour form in trace amounts. The discovery was done along with JPL-Brown University payload Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) that confirmed that the formation of Hydroxyl ions and water molecules on the lunar surface is an ongoing process.
• With Chandrayaan-3, India aims to further study the lunar surface, focusing on the dark side of the Moon that has not seen sunlight in billions of years, which is believed to have ice and vast mineral reserves.

KHADI PRAKRITIK PAINT

THE CONTEXT: Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI), Jaipur, a unit of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the administrative control of the Ministry of MSME, developed Khadi Prakratik Paint has been developed from cow dung.

THE EXPLANATION:

• It is envisaged that the manufacture of Khadi Prakratik Paint will promote local manufacturing, create sustainable employment and generate additional revenue for farmers and cow shelter homes and will also generate employment in the rural areas, which will improve the rural economy and help in controlling the migration from rural to urban areas, in the country.
• Cow dung is a major constituent used in the manufacture of Prakritik Paint. 100 kgs. of cow dung is utilized for making 500 litres of paint. Therefore, setting up paint units would be helpful in the utilization of cow dung and thereby help in cleaning the environment.
• KNHPI imparts training in manufacture of Khadi Prakritik Paint. Prakritik Paint manufacturing units are being set up under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) scheme of the Ministry of MSME.

NATIONAL ADAPTATION FUND FOR CLIMATE CHANGE (NAFCC)

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and climate change, the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) was established to support adaptation activities in the States and Union Territories (UTs) of India that are vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. NAFCC is implemented in project mode and to date, 30 projects are sanctioned in 27 States and UTs.

THE EXPLANATION:  

The Ministry has demarcated the Hazard Line for the entire mainland coast of India under its Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project. Further, Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 2019 has been notified to conserve and protect the unique environment of coastal stretches and marine areas to promote sustainable development.

The NAFCC projects implemented in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh include activities relating to coastal areas and these projects are-

• Promotion of integrated farming system of Kaipad in coastal wetlands of North Kerala
• Management and rehabilitation of coastal habitats and biodiversity for Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Livelihood in Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu and
• Climate Resilient interventions in Dairy Sector in coastal and Arid areas in Andhra Pradesh. To date, a sum of Rs. 6,35,68,108/- has been released to the State of Andhra Pradesh under NAFCC

Definition of Integrated Coastal Zone Management:

• Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is a resource management system following an integrative, holistic approach and an interactive planning process in addressing the complex management issues in the coastal area
• The concept of Integrated Coastal Zone Management was borne in 1992 during the Earth Summit of Rio de Janeiro. The policy regarding ICZM is set out in the proceedings of the summit within Agenda 21.

HELI BORNE SURVEY TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has taken up a Heli-borne survey for the generation of aquifer related information and its management in certain Arid/Semi-Arid areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana.

THE EXPLANATION:

Under Ground Water Management & Regulation scheme, a Central Sector Scheme, with an estimated cost of Rs 54.00 Cr and likely date of completion as 31 March 2022.

Heli Survey Technology

• The state-of-the-art technology, Heli Survey Technology, will be used to map the groundwater sources in arid regions. The survey will help in utilizing groundwater for drinking purposes.
• Heli-borne geophysical mapping technique will provide a high-resolution 3D images for sub-surface up to a depth of 500 meters below the ground level.

Aim of the project

This project has been developed with the aim of mapping potential groundwater sources and its management in providing safe drinking water to people in the water-scarce arid regions of India.

Two Phases of the project

The mega project worth Rs. 150 crores will be implemented in two phases. To implement the project, CSIR has collaborated with the Ministry of Jal Shakti under the “National Aquifer Mapping Project”.  This project will bring high visibility to CSIR to implement the Jal Jeevan Mission project.

Significance of the technology

Water technologies of CSIR from source finding to water treatment will positively contribute towards “Har Ghar Hal se Jal” scheme as well as “doubling farmer’s income goals”.

Arid areas in India

Arid areas in northwestern India are spread across the States of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab. The area covers about 12% of the total geographical area in India and is home to about 8 crore people. Annual rainfall in arid areas is in the range of 100 to 400 mm. Thus, there is an acute shortage of water throughout the year.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

NASA’S RETIREMENT PLAN FROM SPACE STATION

THE CONTEXT: According to NASA’s press release, NASA plans to retire the International Space Station at the end of 2030 and crash it into the Pacific Ocean in an area called Point Nemo.

THE EXPLANATION:

For over two decades, the International Space Station (ISS) has been orbiting Earth at a speed of about eight kilometres per second, while an international crew of astronauts and cosmonauts onboard conducted ground-breaking scientific investigations that have thrown open the doors for deep space exploration.

What is International Space Station?

• The International Space Station is a large spacecraft in orbit around Earth. It serves as a home where crews of astronauts and cosmonauts live. The space station is also a unique science laboratory. Several nations worked together to build and use the space station. The space station is made of parts that were assembled in space by astronauts.
• It orbits Earth at an average altitude of approximately 250 miles. It travels at 17,500 mph. This means it orbits Earth every 90 minutes. NASA is using the space station to learn more about living and working in space. These lessons will make it possible to send humans farther into space than ever before.

What’s next for the ISS?

According to NASA, once it retires, the ISS will be replaced by “one or more commercially-owned and -operated” space platforms. “The private sector is technically and financially capable of developing and operating commercial low-Earth orbit destinations, with NASA’s assistance.

What about India’s Space Station?

According to the ISRO, India will launch its first indigenously made space station by 2030, just a few years after the ‘Gaganyaan’ mission which will kick off starting 2022.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY 4^th FEBRUARY  2022

Consider the following statements about the recently published India State Forest Report 2021.

1. India’s forest and tree cover is published every year by the Forest Survey of India under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
2. According to the report, Northeastern states shows consistently increased in the forest cover.
3. For the first time, the report assessed forest cover in tiger reserves, tiger corridors and the Gir forest which houses the Asiatic lion.

Which of the given statements is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR 3^rd FEB 2022

Answer: c)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Contracting Parties are expected (but not mandated) to manage their Ramsar Sites so as to maintain their ecological character and retain their essential functions and values for future generations.
• Statement 2 is correct: The convention specifies that “Contracting Parties shall (not may) formulate and implement their planning so as to promote the conservation of the wetlands included in the List”.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Many important wetlands extend as one ecologically coherent whole across national borders. In these cases, COP can agree to establish Ramsar Sites on their territory as parts of a bigger Transboundary Ramsar Site.

THE SOCIAL ISSUES & SOCIAL JUSTICE

NEW ZEALAND ANNOUNCES PLAN TO END SMOKING

THE CONTEXT New Zealand has announced it will outlaw smoking for the next generation so that those who are aged 14 and under will never be legally able to buy tobacco.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The government announced the rising age alongside other measures to make smoking unaffordable and inaccessible, to try to reach its goal of making the country entirely smoke-free within the next four years. Other measures include reducing the legal amount of nicotine in tobacco products to very low levels, cutting down the shops where cigarettes could legally be sold, and increasing funding to addiction services. The new laws will not restrict vape sales.
• New Zealand’s daily smoking rates have been dropping over time – down to 11.6% in 2018, from 18% a decade earlier.
• Smoking has already been widely replaced by vaping among teenage New Zealanders and is also attracting many young people who would never have taken up smoking – according to the surveying of 19,000 high school students this year, nearly 20% were vaping daily or several times a day, the majority with high nicotine doses. That’s compared to 3% of those aged 15-17 who smoked daily in 2018, or 13% who smoked a decade earlier.

INDIA’S MEASURES:

• India is the 2nd largest producer and consumer of tobacco and a variety of forms of tobacco use is unique to India. Apart from the smoked forms that include cigarettes, bidis and cigars, a plethora of smokeless forms of consumption exist in the country.
• The Government of India has enacted “The Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003”.
• India also ratified the WHO-Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) in February 2004.
• Further, in order to facilitate the effective implementation of the Tobacco Control Law, to bring about greater awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco as well as to fulfil the obligations under the WHO-FCTC, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India launched the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in 2007- 08 in 42 districts of 21 States/Union Territories of the country.

Objectives

• To bring about greater awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use and Tobacco Control Laws.
• To facilitate effective implementation of the Tobacco Control Laws.
• The objective of this programme is to control tobacco consumption and minimize the deaths caused by it. The various activities planned to control tobacco use are as follows:
• Training and Capacity Building
• IEC activity
• Monitoring Tobacco Control Laws and Reporting
• Survey and Surveillance

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE IMPACT OF GLOBAL WARMING ON THE ATMOSPHERE

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the number of Cyclones and the Number of stations reported very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall events have increased in recent years.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Also, the analysis of past data of cyclones over the North Indian Ocean (the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea) during the period from 1891 to 2020 indicates that the frequency of Very Severe Cyclonic Storms has increased in the recent few years over the Arabian Sea.
• However, the coastal vulnerability to the categories of Extremely Severe Cyclones is more continues over the Bay of Bengal region, as there is no significant trend in the frequency of Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storms (ESCS).
• On the other hand, the increase in frequency over the Arabian Sea has not posed a corresponding increase in the coastal vulnerability along the west coast since most of such Cyclones forming over the Arabian Sea are making landfall over the coasts of Oman, Yemen etc and hence the threat to Gujarat & Maharashtra coasts remains same.
• On average, out of 5 Cyclones developing over the North Indian Ocean (NIO) comprising the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, about 3 to 4 of them make landfall causing loss of life and property.
• Low lying coastal belts of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu & Puducherry are more prone to the impact of these systems. The number of deaths due to cyclones has decreased significantly, as a result of the improvement in the early warning skill by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and effective mitigation measures and response actions by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Still, there is a huge loss to property.

Oxygen makes up one-fifth of the air we breathe, and few recent studies reported declining oxygen content in the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels, population growth and deforestation. However, the loss of oxygen is negligible when compared to its abundance in the atmosphere and it is also found that the ecosystem is compensating for some of the loss.

Ministry of Earth Sciences has the mandate only to provide forecasts and early warnings. However, as an adaptive measure to minimize the effects of increasing temperatures, IMD in collaboration with local health departments have started a heat action plan in many parts of the country to forewarn about the heat waves and also advise action to be taken during such occasions.  The heat action plan became operational in 2013.

Heat Action Plan

The Heat Action Plan is a comprehensive early warning system and preparedness plan for extreme heat events. The Plan presents immediate as well as longer-term actions to increase preparedness, information-sharing, and response coordination to reduce the health impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable populations. NDMA and IMD are working with 23 states prone to high temperatures at present with respect to the heat action plans.

• IMD has started Forecast Demonstration Project (FDP) on heatwaves from April 2017 for the hot weather season under which a detailed daily report including realized data of heatwaves, weather systems leading to the occurrence of heatwaves, diagnosis on the basis of Numerical Model outputs and forecast and warnings for five days is prepared. This bulletin is disseminated to all concerned including health departments.
• From April 2018 onwards, IMD started issuing an additional bulletin on the heatwave in the morning (08 a.m.) valid for 24 hours to support the planning of activities for the day and this bulletin is also disseminated to all concerned. All these bulletins are posted to the IMD website also, on a special page created for heatwaves.

UNCBD AND INDIGENOUS LANDS

THE CONTEXT: The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi targets to set goals for each country to create protected areas in 2010, and roughly 15 per cent of the world’s land surface is under official state protection. Protected areas have largely been able to reduce deforestation.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The world lost more than 12 million hectares of tropical forest in 2020, an area about half the size of the UK. Tropical forests contain much of the world’s animal and plant species and store more than half of their terrestrial carbon. They are home to people who depend on them for their livelihoods, spiritual and cultural practices and wellbeing.
• But their creation can also mean the eviction of communities that have lived in forests for generations, barring them from resources and sacred sites. These injustices have often been made possible by human rights abuses, including violent intimidation and even killings by state forces and other groups.
• Areas managed by Indigenous peoples cover more than 25 per cent of the world’s land and overlap with 40 per cent of protected areas globally. Studies in Nicaragua and Brazil have found that Indigenous communities with ownership of their land have lower rates of deforestation than neighbouring areas. Often, deforestation in these places is even lower than in protected areas.
• This is usually because Indigenous peoples have developed practices and institutions that prevent the over-exploitation of forests. The Cofán community in Zábalo in the Ecuadorian Amazon, for example, see themselves as tsampima coirasundeccu (caretakers of the forest). They share their daily observations at community meetings and arrive at a consensus over whether to prohibit harvesting certain plants and animals if they are declining.

Indigenous lands and deforestation:

• Deforestation rates on Indigenous lands were between 17 per cent and 26 per cent lower on average compared to unprotected tropical forests globally. In Africa, Indigenous lands preserved forest cover better than protected areas, which had similar levels of deforestation to unprotected areas.
• In the Asia-Pacific region, spanning from India to Fiji, deforestation rates were similar on Indigenous lands and in protected areas. Both had deforestation rates that were roughly one-fifth lower than unprotected areas.

Forest degradation

• Research bolsters the status of Indigenous communities as effective stewards of the land. This is particularly important as countries prepare for the 15th UN biodiversity conference in April 2022, where they’ll set fresh targets for halting species and habitat loss and agree on a new global framework for protecting nature.
• Indigenous communities and their leaders must be at the negotiating table when the world meets to develop this roadmap. Growing evidence shows Indigenous peoples benefit the environment through their stewardship. Conservationists should support that by respecting their rights to land and autonomy and providing adequate funding.

Remedial Measures

• Intensive development schemes for afforestation should be adopted. High yielding varieties should be planted in suitable areas.
• The latest techniques of seasoning and preservation are necessary to avoid wastage.
• Proper arrangements to save forests from fires and plant diseases can go a long way to solve several problems.
• A thorough inventory of forest resources is necessary to make an accurate assessment of our forest resources and make plans for their proper use.
• Shifting cultivation should be discouraged and tribals depending on this type of cultivation should be provided with alternative sources of livelihood.
• People associated with forest protection should be properly trained.

Value Addition:

About CBD:

• At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for “sustainable development” — meeting our needs while ensuring that we leave a healthy and viable world for future generations. One of the key agreements adopted at Rio was the Convention on Biological Diversity.
• The Convention on Biological Diversity is the international legal instrument for “the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources” that has been ratified by 196 nations.

What are Aichi Targets?

The ‘Aichi Targets’ were adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at its Nagoya conference. It is a short term plan provides a set of 20ambitious yet achievable targets, collectively known as the Aichi Targets. They can be divided into:

• Strategic Goal A: Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society.
• Strategic Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use.
• Strategic Goal C: To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity.
• Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• Strategic Goal E: Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building.

A NEW TOOL FOR EXOTIC WILDLIFE TRADE

THE CONTEXT: Recent trends suggest that smugglers of exotic wildlife species might be trying to take advantage of the advisory brought out by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to regulate the growing market of exotic animals in the country.

 THE EXPLANATION:

• With a complete ban on wildlife trade of Indian species, there has been a surge in demand in India, for exotic species from different parts of the world, noted the Smuggling in India Report 2019-2020, published by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

What is the government’s voluntary disclosure scheme?

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has come out with an advisory on a one-time voluntary disclosure scheme that allows owners of exotic live species that have been acquired illegally, or without documents, to declare their stock to the government between June and December 2020.
• With this scheme, the government aims to address the challenge of zoonotic diseases, develop an inventory of exotic live species for better compliance under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and regulate their import. In its current form, however, the amnesty scheme is just an advisory, not a law.

How big a problem is the illegal trade of exotic animals in India?

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which enforces anti-smuggling laws,  stated India has emerged as a big demand centre for exotic birds and animals with an increase in the smuggling of endangered species from different parts of the world. Most of this exotic wildlife is imported through Illegal channels and then sold in the domestic market as pets.

What kind of exotic wildlife are covered?

The advisory has defined exotic live species as animals named under Appendices I, II and III of the CITES. It does not include species from the Schedules of the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972. The advisory excludes exotic birds from the amnesty scheme.

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora):

• It is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in wild animals, birds and plants does not endanger them.
• India is a member. Appendices I, II and III of CITES list 5,950 species as protected against over-exploitation through international trade. Many of these animals, such as iguanas, lemurs, civets, albino monkeys, coral snakes, tortoises, are popular as exotic pets in India.

Identification of beneficiaries eligible for assistance and their prioritisation to be done using information from Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) ensuring total transparency and objectivity. The list will be presented to Gram Sabha to identify beneficiaries who have been assisted before or who have become ineligible due to other reasons.

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. Which of the following is incorrectly matched?

1. Hurricane – Western Pacific Ocean
2. Willy Willy – Western Australia
3. Typhoons – South China Sea

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 only                       b) 1 and 2 only

c) 2 and 3 only           d) 3 only

ANSWER FOR 9^TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: C

Explanation: Ken river-

• It is a tributary of the Yamuna.
• It originates near the village Ahirgawan on the northwest slopes of Barner Range in Katni district and travels a distance of 427 km, before merging with the Yamuna at Chilla village, district Banda in Uttar Pradesh.
• Sonar River is its largest tributary.
• The Ken valley separates the Rewa Plateau from the Satna Plateau.
• The Raneh Falls on the Ken river and Ken Ghariyal Sanctuary are tourist attractions. 
• The Ken River passes through Panna National Park.

INDIAN GEOGRAPHY & WORLD GEOGRAPHY

THE 41^STINDIAN SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA (ISEA)

THE CONTEXT: Ministry of Earth Sciences launched the 41^st Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (ISEA), the first batch of 23 scientists and support staff reached the Maitri station for the Expedition will carry out various scientific activities in Antarctica, besides maintaining India’s two research stations viz Maitri and Bharati.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The 41^stexpedition has two major objectives.
• The first encompasses geological exploration of the Amery ice shelf at Bharati station to understand the geological link between India and Antarctica in the past.
• The second goal involves ice core drilling work near the Maitri station, focusing primarily on improving the understanding of Antarctic climate, westerly winds, sea ice and greenhouse gases. Apart from these, other long-term observations in the field of geology, glaciology, ocean observations, and upper atmospheric sciences are continuing.
• The major thrust area of the scientific projects being taken up in Antarctica are focused on furthering the existing knowledge under various themes such as Climate Process & Linkages to change, Crustal Evolution, Environmental Processes & Conservation, Ecosystem of Terrestrial & Nearshore, Observational Research.
• Institute and universities from all over the country participate in the Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (ISEA) with the operational support provided by NCPOR.
• Note: World Antarctica Day is celebrated on December 1.

THE DIFFERENT RESEARCH STATIONS IN THE ANTARCTIC

Dakshin Gangotri

• Dakshin Gangotri was the first Indian scientific research base station established in Antarctica, as a part of the Indian Antarctic Program.
• Located at a distance of 2,500 kilometres from the South Pole, it was established during the third Indian expedition to Antarctica in 1983/84.
• This was the first time an Indian team spent a winter in Antarctica to carry out scientific work.
• It has weakened and become just a supply base.

Maitri

• Maitri is India’s second permanent research station in Antarctica. It was built and finished in 1989.
• Maitri is situated on the rocky mountainous region called Schirmacher Oasis. India also built a freshwater lake around Maitri known as Lake Priyadarshini.

Bharti

• Bharti, India’s latest research station operation since 2012. It has been constructed to help researchers work in safety despite the harsh weather.
• It is India’s first committed research facility and is located about 3000 km east of Maitri. Bharti made India an elite member of the club of nine nations that have multiple stations in the region.

OTHER RESEARCH FACILITIES

Sagar Nidhi

• In 2008, India commissioned the Sagar Nidhi, the pride of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), for research.
• An ice-class vessel, it can cut through the thin ice of 40 cm depth and is the first Indian vessel to navigate Antarctic waters.

CYCLONE JAWAD

THE CONTEXT:  According to the Indian meteorological department, Cyclonic storm Jawad, currently over the west-central Bay of Bengal, is likely to weaken into a deep depression before making landfall near Puri in Odisha. With this Cyclone Jawad has become the fifth cyclone of 2021. The

THE EXPLANATION:

• The postmonsoon season has proved to be pretty damp for Odisha and Andhra Pradesh so far, and with Cyclone Jawad gradually unleashing its wrath upon the coastal districts of both states, it looks like things are about to get worse in terms of rainfall.
• As per India Meteorological Department (IMD), the depression over the Southeast Bay of Bengal moved towards the Indian coast at a speed of 22 km/h and strengthened into Cyclonic Storm ‘Jawad’
• As far as district-wise alerts are concerned, most Andhra Pradesh and Odisha districts are on yellow and orange alert for December 4. Red warnings have been placed on Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri Jagatsinghapur in Odisha and Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh.
• Fishermen have been advised against venturing into the southeast and neighbouring east-central Bay of Bengal, and the west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal, and along and off the north Andhra Pradesh-Odisha-West Bengal beaches.
• The rains are expected to cause traffic disruption due to localised flooding of roads, inundation and waterlogging in low-lying areas and closure of underpasses mainly in urban areas of the affected regions.

Note

• All tropical cyclones are named as per a treaty in 1953 in the Atlantic region. The member countries propose a list of names on their behalf after which names are given in alphabetical order.
• IMD’s classification of cyclonic disturbances in the North Indian Ocean (the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea) since 2015.
• Cyclone Jawad – pronounced as ‘Jowad’ – got its name from Saudi Arabia that means “generous and magnanimous”.

THE INDIAN SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

AID OF SEX WORKERS

THE CONTEXT:  The Supreme Court has reiterated its direction to States and Union Territories to supply dry rations to sex workers identified by the National AIDS Control Organisation and district legal authorities without insisting on the production of identity documents like ration cards.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The right to food has been recognised as a human right under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Though there is some improvement in the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are of the view that the constitutional obligation on the State governments and Union Territories to provide basic amenities to the citizens of this country takes into its fold that the sex workers are entitled to be provided dry ration”.
• One of the petitioners in the case, Durbar Mahila Samanway Committee, the country’s oldest collective of sex workers, had said sex workers were entitled to live with dignity with access to food, shelter and social protection. It said the pandemic had ravaged their lives and livelihoods and left the community impoverished.
• It explained that many in the community are single mothers unable to afford an education for their children in the current scenario. Attempts to secure alternative livelihoods have failed due to social stigma.

THE DURBAR MAHILA SAMANWAYA COMMITTEE

• Durbar, is a collective of 65,000 sex workers in West Bengal. Established on 15 February 1992, in Sonagachi, the largest red-light district in Kolkata, West Bengal, India with estimated 11,000 sex workers, Durbar has been working on women’s rights and sex workers’ rights advocacy, anti-human trafficking and HIV/AIDS prevention.
• Durbar states that its aims are the challenging and altering of the barriers that form the everyday reality of sex workers’ lives as they relate to their poverty or their ostracism.
• Durbar runs 51 free clinics for sex workers across West Bengal, with support from organisations such as the Ford Foundation and the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), who also help Durbar in its initiatives like networking, rights protection and creating alternative livelihood for sex workers.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

CHINA LAUNCHES ITS FIRST CROSS-BORDER BRI TRAIN WITH LAOS

THE CONTEXT: China on Friday launched the first cross-border train of its multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from Laos, which Beijing says will help the small and only landlocked country in Southeast Asia turn into a land-linked hub, boost regional connectivity and supply chain resilience.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The first train of the China-Laos Railway left Vientiane soon after the cross-border railway was officially put into operation.
• Besides China, Laos shares borders with Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia which offered Beijing to extend the train project to those countries.
• Laos is the only landlocked country in South East Asia. Like China, which is ruled by the Communist Party, it is a one-party socialist republic governed by the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.
• The 1,035-km electrified passenger and cargo railway, connecting Kunming in southwest China’s Yunnan Province with Laos’ capital Vientiane, fully adopts Chinese technical standards and consists of two sections.
• China believes that the railway could help Laos turn its strategy of turning from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub into reality, boost regional connectivity and supply chain resilience, and make contributions to regional development and prosperity.
• The railway will also establish a rapid transit and commercial link between the Southeast Asian country and China, the world’s second-largest economy, powering Laos’ economic growth.

Background:

BRI:

• BRI consisting of the land-based belt, ‘Silk Road Economic Belt, and ‘Maritime Silk Road’, aims to connect the East Asian economic region with the European economic circle and runs across the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa.
• BRI is China’s ambitious project announced in 2013. It covers about 65% of the world population, 60% of the world GDP and over 70 countries in six economic corridors.
• China is spending almost $1 trillion to revive and renew the overland and maritime trade links between China, Europe, West Asia, and East Africa through the construction of modern ports linked to high-speed road and rail corridors.

Concerns

• India argues that the BRI and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project violates its sovereignty because it passes through the part of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir that belongs to India.
• Debt trap: BRI projects are pushing recipient countries into indebtedness, do not transfer skills or technology and are environmentally unsustainable.
• China is planning to extend the CPEC to Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Maldives, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka are eagerly pursuing potential BRI projects.
• Through OBOR, China is countering the strategies of India in the North East region and is promoting its greater presence in North East India, part of which China claims as its own territory. This may have a security impact on India.
• The 99-year lease of the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka to China has raised red flags about the downside of the BRI and Beijing’s push for major infrastructure projects costing billions of dollars in smaller countries. However, the lack of transparency of the BRI agreements and mounting debt to China by smaller countries have raised global concerns.

THE INDIAN ECONOMY

NBFC’S BAD LOANS MAY RISE ON RBI NORMS

THE CONTEXT:  The recent clarification by the Reserve Bank of India on non-performing advances (NPA) may increase non-banking financial companies’ (NBFC) bad loans by one third, says a report.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The RBI had provided clarification on income recognition asset classification and provisioning (IRAC) norms for banks, NBFCs and All-India Financial Institutions.
• Bad loans reported by non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) may rise after March 2022 as the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) latest clarification on upgradation of non-performing assets (NPAs) kicks in. Analysts said while banks have been following the new rule on upgrades, it will be a fresh start for most NBFCs.
• NBFCs generally classify an account as stage 3 when there is a payment overdue for more than 90 days and typically for monthly payments, this would be when there are three or more instalments overdue on any account.
• But when the borrower makes part payment such that the total overdue is less than three instalments, the account is removed from NPA classification and classified as a standard asset, although it remains in the overdue category in case not all dues are cleared.
• NBFC borrowers are generally a weak class of borrowers and have volatile cash flows which could mean that once an account has been classified as NPA, it could remain there for a considerable period as the ability to clear all dues may be constrained.
• Meanwhile, the RBI circular also calls for daily stamping of accounts to count the number of days they are overdues instead of a monthly or quarterly stamping.

BACKGROUND

What are Nonbank Financial Companies?

Nonbank financial companies (NBFCs), also known as nonbank financial institutions (NBFIs) are financial institutions that offer various banking services but do not have a banking license. Generally, these institutions are not allowed to take traditional demand deposits—readily available funds, such as those in checking or savings accounts—from the public.

In line with the international practices and as per the recommendations made by the Narasimham Committee on the Financial System, the Reserve Bank of India has introduced,

• prudential norms for income recognition,
• asset classification and provisioning for the advances portfolio of the banks
• to move towards greater consistency and transparency in the published accounts.

The policy of income recognition should be objective and based on the record of recovery rather than on any subjective considerations.

INCOME RECOGNITION AND ASSET CLASSIFICATION NORMS

• IRAC are rules that prescribe when a loan should be declared as a non-performing asset (NPA).
• Once a loan is an NPA, the RBI requires that any recovery should not be classified as income.
• Banks are also required to share information regarding large borrowers with the RBI for its Central Repository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC).

CENTRAL REPOSITORY OF INFORMATION ON LARGE CREDITS (CRILC)

• The RBI has set up a CRILC to collect, store, and disseminate credit data to lenders.
• CRILC is a borrower-level supervisory dataset that keeps the record of loans of Rs 5 crore and above.
• In India, there are four privately owned credit information companies (CICs).
• They are CIBIL, Equifax, Experian, and High Mark Credit Information Services.
• The RBI has also mandated all its regulated entities to submit credit information individually to all four CICs.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

INDIA REVOKES PEPSICO’S POTATO PATENT

THE CONTEXT:  Two years after PepsiCo India provoked outrage by suing nine Gujarati farmers for allegedly infringing patent rights by growing its registered potato variety, the company’s registration of the variety has been revoked by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights’ Authority (PPV&FRA).

BACKGROUND:

• In 2019 the multi-billion-dollar conglomerate PepsiCo sued nine Gujarati farmers, asking them to pay ₹1.05 crore each as damages for ‘infringing its rights’ by growing the potato variety used in its Lays chips, farmers groups have launched a campaign calling for government intervention.
• Pepsi has sued the farmers for cultivating the FC5 potato variety, grown exclusively for its popular Lay’s potato chips. The FC5 variety has a lower moisture content required to make snacks such as potato chips.

Pepsico’s Stand:

• PepsiCo has invoked Section 64 of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001 to claim infringement of its rights.
• The section prohibits anyone other than the breeder of seeds or a registered licensee of that variety to sell, export, import or produces such variety.
• The farmers were allegedly growing a variety of potato namely FL 2027, also called FC5, on which PepsiCo claimed exclusive rights by virtue of a Plant Variety Certificate (PVC).

Farmers stand:

• However, farmers groups have said that section 39 of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001 allows farmers to grow and sell any variety of crop or even seed as long as they don’t sell branded seed of registered varieties.
• The farmers have requested the government to interfere on their behalf and ask Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) to make a submission in court and fund legal costs through the National Gene Fund.

THE PROTECTION OF PLANT VARIETIES AND FARMERS’ RIGHTS (PPV&FR) ACT, 2001

• In order to provide for the establishment of an effective system for the protection of plant varieties, the rights of farmers and plant breeders and to encourage the development of new varieties of plants it has been considered necessary to recognize and to protect the rights of the farmers in respect of their contributions made at any time in conserving, improving and making available plant genetic resources for the development of new plant varieties.
• The Govt. of India enacted “The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001” adopting sui generis system. Indian legislation is not only in conformity with International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), 1978, but also have sufficient provisions to protect the interests of public sector breeding institutions and the farmers.
• The legislation recognizes the contributions of both commercial plant breeders and farmers in plant breeding activity and also provides to implement TRIPs in a way that supports the specific socio-economic interests of all the stakeholders including private, public sectors and research institutions, as well as resource-constrained farmers.

Rights under the Act

• Breeders’ Rights : Breeders will have exclusive rights to produce, sell, market, distribute, import or export the protected variety. Breeder can appoint agent/ licensee and may exercise for civil remedy in case of infringement of rights.
• Researchers’ Rights : Researcher can use any of the registered variety under the Act for conducting experiment or research. This includes the use of a variety as an initial source of variety for the purpose of developing another variety but repeated use needs prior permission of the registered breeder.

Farmers’ Rights

• A farmer who has evolved or developed a new variety is entitled for registration and protection in like manner as a breeder of a variety;
• Farmers variety can also be registered as an extant variety;
• A farmer can save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety protected under the PPV&FR Act, 2001 in the same manner as he was entitled before the coming into force of this Act provided farmer shall not be entitled to sell branded seed of a variety protected under the PPV&FR Act, 2001;
• Farmers are eligible for recognition and rewards for the conservation of Plant Genetic Resources of land races and wild relatives of economic plants;
• There is also a provision for compensation to the farmers for non-performance of variety under Section 39 (2) of the Act, 2001 and
• Farmer shall not be liable to pay any fee in any proceeding before the Authority or Registrar or the Tribunal or the High Court under the Act.

To implement the provisions of the Act the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare established the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority on 11″ November, 2005.

National Gene Fund

• In 2007, the National Gene Fund was constituted under the PPV&FR Act 2001.
• It started with an initial amount of Rs 50 lakh from the Central government and gets a contribution from the money paid by plant breeders as registration and annual fee.

NEW BUTTERFLY SPECIES DISCOVERED

THE CONTEXT: The new species of butterfly, now named the Chocolate-bordered Flitter, also carries the scientific name Zographetus dzonguensis, after Dzongu in north Sikkim, the place where it was discovered.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Its closest relatives are Zographetus pangi in Guangdong, and Zographetus hainanensis in Hainan, both in southeastern China, close to Hong Kong, says Dr. Krushnamegh Kunte of NCBS.
• It is a golden yellow butterfly with brown borders and spots. The physical appearance of the species differ slightly and the internal structures of the males also differ slightly.
• It is mentioned on the ‘Butterflies of India’ website which is maintained by the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru.

BACKGROUND:

Butterfly

• Butterflies are insects from the order Lepidoptera of phylum Arthropoda which also includes moths.
• Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight.

Significance

• Rich Biodiversity: Abundance of butterflies in any area represents the rich biodiversity.
• Indicator Species: The butterfly acts as an indicator species.
• An indicator species provides information on the overall condition of the ecosystem and of other species in that ecosystem. They reflect the quality and changes in environmental conditions as well as aspects of community composition.
• Pollinator: It acts as a pollinator by helping in pollination and conserving several species of plants.

A LONG JOURNEY OF LESSER FLORICAN

THE CONTEXT: In a major discovery, the longest in-country migration route of lesser floricans, the endangered birds of the bustard group, has been tracked for the first time from Rajasthan to Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The mystery of the fast-disappearing birds may soon be resolved with the help of satellite transmitters fitted on them.
• The telemetry exercise was undertaken in the Shokaliya landscape of Ajmer district to trace the journey of lesser floricans from their breeding grounds to their places of origin, presumably in down South.
• Following initial failures, the scientific experiment has succeeded in locating a bird which travelled a distance of 1,000 km after breeding during the monsoon.
• The endangered bird is observed in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and some other regions during the monsoon season, when it breeds and later disappears with its chicks to unknown places.
• The bird is listed as “critically endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species and its population has been identified as “decreasing”.

Lesser florican

• The lesser florican (Sypheotides indicus), also known as the likh or kharmore, is the smallest in the bustard family and the only member of the genus Sypheotides.
• It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent where it is found in tall grasslands and is best known for the leaping breeding displays made by the males during the monsoon season.
• The male has a contrasting black and white breeding plumage and distinctive elongated head feathers that extend behind the neck. These bustards are found mainly in northwestern and central India during the summer but are found more widely distributed across India in winter.
• The species is highly endangered and has been extirpated in some parts of its range such as Pakistan. It is threatened both by hunting and habitat degradation.
• The only similar species is the Bengal florican (Houbarobsis bengalensis) which is larger and lacks the white throat, collar and elongated plumes.

THE MISCELLANEOUS

PENDENT: OLDEST SURVIVING JEWELLERY MADE BY HUMANS

THE CONTEXT: According to archaeologists, a newly discovered pendant carved from a woolly mammoth tusk could be the oldest surviving jewellery developed by humans. The pendant is dated 41,500 years old. The pendant was found in southern Poland inside the Stajnia cave.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The pendant from the Stajnia Cave has two holes drilled in it along with 50 other puncture marks (dots), the researchers reported in their research. Interestingly, the dots create a looping curve. However, the actual meaning of the
• se dots remains elusive. The researchers say that they may represent a counting system or a lunar observation, or something else. The radiocarbon dating has suggested that the mammoth tusk used to make the pendant was around 41,730 to 41,340 years ago. The awl was found to be 42,000 years old.
• This finding plays a unique role in demonstrating the importance of the direct date of an object of Paleolithic art to understand the origin of communication, celebration, and expression of Homo sapiens in Europe.
• The carbon dating has established that the pendant is thousands of years older than artefacts decorated similarly and found in other sites. In the Stajnia cave, the other objects found include an awl, a pointed tool used in making holes. The Stajina awl was 7-centimetre-long and carved from a horse bone.

What is Carbon Dating?

Radiocarbon dating or carbon dating or carbon-14 dating is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon a radioactive isotope of carbon. Unstable carbon-14 gradually decays to carbon-12 at a steady rate

How it works?

• Radiocarbon dating works by comparing the three different isotopes of carbon. Isotopes of a particular element have the same number of protons in their nucleus, but different numbers of neutrons. This means that although they are very similar chemically, they have different masses.
• The total mass of the isotope is indicated by the numerical superscript. While the lighter means its nucleus is so large that it is unstable.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1. Which among the following steps is most likely to be taken at the time of an economic recession?

a) Cut in tax rates accompanied by increase in interest rate.

b) Increase in expenditure on public projects.

c) Increase in tax rates accompanied by reduction of interest rate.

d) Reduction of expenditure on public projects.

ANSWER FOR DECEMBER 03^rd  2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

ANSWER: C

EXPLANATION:  Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was the secretary of Bethune school established in 1849 also known as Hindu female school. He was one of the pioneers of higher education for women in India.

WINTER PARLIAMENT PROCEEDINGS 2021

MODERNIZATION OF AGRICULTURE

THE CONTEXT: Agriculture exports excluding allied products (Marine, Meat etc.) have set a record in 2020-21 with total Agri export of Rs. 213513.38 Crore which has been highest since last two decades.

THE EXPLANATION:

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, the  Government has taken various steps to modernize agriculture for sustainable growth in the agriculture sector. Some of the interventions in this direction are:

• Creation of a network of 722 KrishiVigyanKendras (KVKs) for dissemination of knowledge and information about modern technology etc.
• Initiatives under Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) Scheme like Extension Reforms, Mass Media Support to Agricultural Extension, Kisan Call Centres, Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres, Exhibitions/ Fairs etc.
• Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)
• Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi.
• National Agriculture e-Market platform (e-NAM) has been established
• Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme.
• Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)
• The mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture.
• Promotion of 10,000 FPOs.

The top 10 agriculture commodities which are in demand in the international market are Rice (other than basmati), rice-basmati, spices, sugar, cotton, oil-meals, castor oil, fresh fruits, tea and fresh vegetables.

COVERAGE OF PMKSY-PDMC

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, the Per Drop More Crop Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY-PDMC) scheme is operational in the country from 2015-16 which focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at the farm level through Micro Irrigation (MI).

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the Ministry, the total area of 59.37 lakh ha has been covered under Micro Irrigation in the country under PMKSY-PDMC from 2015-16 to 2021.
• During the last three years, Central assistance of Rs. 8141.96 crore was released to States and an area of 32.68 lakh ha covered under Micro Irrigation through the scheme.
• With the objective of facilitating the States in mobilising resources for expanding coverage of micro-irrigation, a Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) with a corpus of Rs. 5000 crore was created with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) during 2018-19.
• The States are encouraged to access MIF for innovative projects / additional incentives to farmers for the installation of Micro Irrigation systems by interest subvention of 3% than the cost of funds mobilized by NABRAD from the market.  So far, projects with loans under MIF amounting to Rs. 3970.17 Crore have been approved for 12.81 lakh ha of Micro Irrigation area.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY-PDMC)

The PMKSY- PDMC is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and the funds under the scheme are shared between the Central Government and State Government in the ratio of 60:40 for all States except the North Eastern and Himalayan states wherein sharing pattern is 90:10. In the case of  Union Territories, the funding pattern is 100% granted by the Central Government.

Its objectives are:

• Convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level,
• To expand the cultivable area under assured irrigation (Har Khet ko pani),
• To improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water,
• To enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop per drop),
• To enhance recharge of aquifers and introduce sustainable water conservation practices by exploring the feasibility of reusing treated municipal based water for peri-urban agriculture and attract greater private investment in a precision irrigation system.

STATUS OF NIRBHAYA FUND

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Centre approved Rs 3856.70 crore under the Nirbhaya Fund for projects for women safety in 2021

THE EXPLANATION:

• The data states that the Centre released Rs 2282.59 crore of Rs 3856.70 crore allocated funds to the states and union territories. The funds are released to the states and union territories, as per project guidelines, in instalments, and depending on the demand specific to each project.
• As per information available, the total budgetary allocation for Nirbhaya Fund by the Government in the last three years is as below:

                Year                          Allocation (in Rs. Crore)

             2018-19                              550.00

             2019-20                             550.00

             2020-21                             1355.23

What is Nirbhaya Fund?

Post-2012, Nirbhaya Gang rape case, a dedicated fund was set up in 2013 with the focus on implementing the initiatives aimed at improving the security and safety of women in India. The fund was called “Nirbhaya Fund”, Nirbhaya meaning fearless, the pseudonym given to the gang-rape victim to conceal her identity.

The government’s contribution towards the non-lapsable corpus fund was Rs. 1000 crores.

Nodal agency:  Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance is responsible for the administration of the fund. While the Women and Child Development Ministry is the nodal agency for expenditure from the Nirbhaya Fund. It is involved in appraising, reviewing, and monitoring the progress of those schemes sanctioned under the Nirbhaya Fund. Earlier, it was the one releasing the funds but now it examines the programs submitted to it by the states under the Nirbhaya scheme, approves them and recommends to the Department of Economic affairs for allocating funds.

Under the Nirbhaya Fund, the Centre gives money to the states, which in turn spend it on programs meant for ensuring women’s safety.

Nirbhaya Fund – 3 Schemes

Considering the need to have a schematic intervention and a complete mechanism for providing support to the women in distress, three schemes are being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development under the Nirbhaya Fund.

Keeping in mind the need to have schematic interventions and a proper mechanism for handholding of women in distress, 3 schemes have been implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development

1. ‘One Stop Centre’
2. ‘Universalisation of Women Helpline
3. ‘Mahila Police Volunteer’

Schemes being implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs are as follows:

• Emergency Response Support System
• Central Victim Compensation Fund

It aims at creating awareness among the representatives of the public, different agencies of the government, scientists, industry and the communities on the threat posed by climate change and the steps to counter it. There are 8 National Missions.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE GLOBAL GATEWAY PLAN

THE CONTEXT: The European Commission announced a plan to mobilise €300 billion ($340 billion) in public and private infrastructure investment around the world, a move seen as a response to China’s Belt and Road strategy.

THE EXPLANATION:

• “Global Gateway will aim at mobilising investments of up to 300 billion euros between 2021 and 2027… bringing together resources of the EU, member states, European financial institutions and national development finance institutions.
• The money to be made available will not come from EU and member state coffers, and the plan will need funding from international institutions and from the private sector if it is to get anywhere near its target.
• The West, however, sees it as a tool for China to influence poorer countries. They criticise Beijing for inciting emerging economies to take on too much debt and allege the secretive tender process is prone to corruption.
• The EU strategy is an offshoot of a plan by G7 countries to offer developing countries an alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative, presented in June at the industrial powers’ summit in Cornwall.

China’s Belt and Road initiative:

• China Belt and Road initiative is a flagship project of the country launched in 2013. Officially, it aims to develop land and sea infrastructure to better connect China to Asia, Europe and Africa for trade and development. Many countries have become a part of this initiative. INDIA is not a part of the BRI project.
• There is a growing concern that China is using the BRI as a tool to influence poorer countries. China is being blamed for pushing forward financially unviable infrastructural projects which could push the countries into a debt trap.
• There are also concerns that China’s contractual terms ignore abuses of human, labour and environmental rights while also being a major cause of corruption in the recipient countries.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

5. KYHYTYSUKA SACHICARUM: NEW MARINE REPTILE

THE CONTEXT: An international team of researchers has discovered a new marine reptile. The specimen, a metre-long skull, has been named Kyhytysuka sachicarum.

THE EXPLANATION:

• A new 130-million-year-old swordfish-shaped marine reptile fossil sheds light on the evolution of hypercarnivory of these last-surviving ichthyosaurs.
• It is an extinct species. It was discovered from fossils found in central Columbia. Earlier scientists believed that it belonged to Platypterygius genus. Recently, it was discovered that it is a different species. And thus it is now named as Kyhytysuka sachicarum.

Kyhytysuka sachicarum honours Muisca tribal

• Kyhytysuka means “the one that cuts with something sharp”. The word belongs to the indigenous language of central Columbia.
• The new species has been named Kyhytysuka sachicarum to honour the Muisca culture of central Columbia. The Muisca are also called Chibcha. They were conquered by the Spanish in 1537. They were mainly agrarians. They also extracted salt from the sea.

Features of Kyhytysuka

• It was a mid–sized ophthalmosaurian. The Ophthalmosaurus belonged to the Jurassic period.
• It had extremely large sized eyes, dolphin – shaped body.
• The jaws had many robust teeth.
• It had several adaptations.
• It was a macro predatory vertebrate hunter, which means, it hunted larger vertebrates. Vertebrates are organisms with a backbone. Organisms without a backbone are called invertebrates.
• The species were mostly found in shallow waters.

Unique Feature: Teeth

• The dentary is the longest bone of the species. It measures 720 mm. The dentition is the most unique feature of the species. The teeth are seated in continuous grooves. The teeth are slightly curved posteriorly. Also, an alternating wave-like pattern is observed.

IMD DATA ON RAINFALL

THE CONTEXT: According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) the country saw 645 events of heavy rainfall and 168 events of very heavy rainfall in November 2021 the highest in the month in five years.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The IMD said India recorded 11 extremely heavy rainfall (more than 204.5 mm) events in November 2021 equalling the number reported last year. The country reported zero, four and one events of extremely heavy rainfall in November in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
• Peninsular India reported most of the extremely heavy to very heavy rainfall events which claimed 44 lives in Andhra Pradesh, 16 in Tamil Nadu, 15 in Karnataka and three in Kerala .
• Peninsular India comprises five meteorological subdivisions — Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikkal; coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam; Rayalaseema; Kerala and Mahe, and South Interior Karnataka.
• The IMD also said the region is most likely to see above-normal rainfall (more than 132% of the long period average) in December.
• Based on the data of the 1961-2010 period, the long period average of rainfall in peninsular India in December is 44.54 mm.
• To put things in perspective, the number of heavy rainfall events this November was more than the total such events in the last four years — 247 in 2020; 116 in 2019; 135 in 2018 and 139 in 2017.

   

What is a Retreating Monsoon?

During the months of October-November, the south-west monsoon winds become weaker and start to retreat from the skies

of North India. This phase of the monsoon is known as the retreating monsoon.

Impact of Retreating Monsoon

The retreating monsoon brings rainfall in an uneven amount to different places across India. Some  places receive heavy rainfall and places that witness scanty rainfall.

Areas of Heavy rainfall

• The western part of Western Ghats (200-400cm)
• North-eastern India (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, etc)

Areas of low rainfall

• Karnataka
• Gujarat
• Maharashtra

‘1,160 ELEPHANTS KILLED IN A DECADE’

THE CONTEXT: According to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), a whopping 1,160 elephants were killed in the country for reasons other than natural causes in the 10 years up to December 31, 2020.

THE EXPLANATION:

• While electrocution claimed the lives of 741 elephants, train hits led to the death of 186 pachyderms, followed by poaching (169) and poisoning (64).
• Karnataka and Odisha lost 133 elephants each to electrocution during the period and Assam reported 129 deaths. Among elephant casualties due to train hits, Assam stood first with 62 deaths, followed by West Bengal at 57. A total of 169 elephants were killed by poachers in the 10 years and Odisha reported the highest of 49, followed by Kerala 23. Assam reported the highest number of elephants poisoned, 32, and Odisha stood second with 15.
• According to the Ministry, India had a total of 29,964 wild elephants as per an estimate done in 2017. The southern region comprising Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra accounted for the highest population — 14,612 elephants.
• A Permanent Coordination Committee has been constituted between the Ministry of Railways and the MoEFCC for preventing elephant deaths due to train hits.

Value Addition:

Elephants

• There are three subspecies of Asian elephants – the Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan. The Indian has the widest range and accounts for the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent.
• IUCN Red List of threatened species status- African elephants are listed as “vulnerable” and Asian elephants as “endangered”.
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) status- Appendix I. Appendix I lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants. They are threatened with extinction and CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except when the purpose of the import is not commercial, for instance for scientific research.

Conservation Efforts

• Project Elephant was launched by the Government of India in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• Establishment of elephant reserves and adoption of the “World Elephant Day” (August 12) to help conserve and protect elephants in India and improve their welfare.
• ‘Gaj Yatra’ is a nationwide awareness campaign to celebrate elephants and highlight the necessity of securing elephant corridors.
• The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), had come out with a publication on the right of passage in 101 elephant corridors of the country in 2017, stressed on the need for greater surveillance and protection of elephant corridors.
• The Monitoring the Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme launched in 2003 is an international collaboration that tracks trends in information related to the illegal killing of elephants from across Africa and Asia, to monitor the effectiveness of field conservation efforts.

 THE BUTTERFLY SPECIES RECORD INCREASE

THE CONTEXT: The butterfly survey was conducted by the Kerala Forest Department and the Travancore Nature History Society (TNHS).

THE EXPLANATION:

• A butterfly survey at the Peechi-Vazhani wildlife division has recorded a remarkable increase in the species’ numbers. Southern Birdwing, the largest butterfly in India, and Grass Jewel, the smallest, were found during the survey. Buddha Peacock, the State butterfly of Kerala, was also recorded. Of the 326 found in Kerala, 156 species were recorded in the 242-sq. km. division.
• Peechi-Vazhany Wildlife sanctuary had 132 species of butterflies, Chimmony had 116 species, while Chulannur recorded 41 species. The survey noted 80 species, almost double, to the older record of Peechi-Vazhany, 33 to Chimmony, and 41 species to Chulannur.
• “The survey marks the beginning of a series of biodiversity assessments to prepare a new management plan for the region. It has a specific section targeting invasive species that are a threat to the indigenous biodiversity”.
• Other notable species are Nilgiri Grass Yellow, Travancore Evening Brown, Malabar Flash, Orange Tailed Awl, Southern Spotted Ace and Common Onyx. The report of Common Tinsel at Chulannur was another highlight. Altitudinal migration of Common Albatross was recorded in Chimmony.
• The division had 23 species of butterflies red-listed by the IUCN. Sixty-three species were protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The survey teams also recorded birds, odonates, reptiles, amphibians, and spiders — 152 bird species were recorded in Peechi-Vazhany, in Chimmony and 77 in Chulannur.

Peechi-Vazhani wildlife Sanctuary

• The sanctuary was established in 1958 consisting of Palappilli- Nelliyampathi forests including the area of Chimmony Wildlife sanctuary and is the second oldest sanctuary in Kerala.
• Kuthiran Tunnel, first road tunnel in Kerala, runs through the Peechi-Vazhani wildlife sanctuary.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES/ INITIATIVES IN NEWS

SUPPORT FOR MARGINALIZED INDIVIDUALS FOR LIVELIHOOD & ENTERPRISE (SMILE)

THE CONTEXT: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated a scheme “SMILE – Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise”, which includes sub-scheme – “Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging”.

THE EXPLANATION:

The scheme covers several comprehensive measures including welfare measures for persons, who are engaged in the act of begging. The focus of the scheme is extensively on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, basic documentation, education, skill development, economic linkages and so on.

About Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood & Enterprise (SMILE)

• Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood & Enterprise (SMILE) which is a new Scheme after merger of existing Schemes for Beggars and Transgenders.
• The budgetary outlay is Rs 70.00 crore.
• Objective: is to cover the welfare measures for both transgender persons and persons who are engaged in the act of begging.
• Focus: On rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counseling, education, skill development etc with the support of State Governments/UTs/Local Urban Bodies, Voluntary Organizations, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and institutions etc.
• It is estimated that an approximate 60,000 poorest persons would be benefited under this scheme for leading a life of dignity.

Comprehensive Rehabilitation Scheme of Beggars

Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

Highlights:

• It will be a comprehensive scheme for persons engaged in the act of begging.
• The scheme will cover identification, rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, education, skill development with the support of State Governments, Local Urban Bodies and Voluntary Organizations.
• The scheme will be implemented in the selected cities having large concentrations of Beggar community during the financial year 2020-2021.
• The government is working in a mission mode with complete commitment to ‘Har Ek Kaam, Desh Ke Naam’.

Implementation

• 100% Assistance under the Scheme shall be provided to the States/UTs for its implementation.
• During the year 2019-20, this Ministry has released an amount of Rs. One Crore to National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) and Rs. 70.00 Lakh to National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation (NBCFDC) for skill development programmes for beggars.

National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation:

• NBCFDC was incorporated 13th January 1992 as a non-profit company under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India to improve and develop the economic activities for the members of Backward Classes who are living below double the poverty line.
• The Corporation can assist loans for their self-employment ventures in sectors like agriculture, transport and service etc.
• NBCFDC also provides Micro Financing through SCAs/ Self Help Groups (SHGs).
• The Corporation can assist a wide range of income generating activities to assist the poorer section of these classes in skill development and self-employment ventures.

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1. Which one of the following effects of the creation of black money in India has been the main cause of worry to the Government of India?

a) Diversion of resources to the purchase of real estate and investment in luxury housing.

b) Investment in unproductive activities and purchase of precious stones, jewellery, gold etc.

c) Large donations to political parties and growth of regionalism.

d) Loss of revenue to the state Exchequer due to tax evasion.

ANSWER FOR DECEMBER 1^ST 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

ANSWER: C

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

WINTER PARLIAMENT PROCEEDINGS 2021

THE CONTEXT: Over 5 million hectares of agricultural area was affected due to heavy rains during 2021, according to a written reply in the Lok Sabha by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The 50.4 lakh hectare area was affected due to cyclonic storms/flash floods/floods/landslides / cloudburst and others as of November 25, 2021, was from a total of 20 states.
• Karnataka was the worst hit, with crop loss on 4 million ha area, followed by Rajasthan (679,000 ha), West Bengal (690,000 ha), Bihar (580,000 ha), Maharashtra (455,000 ha). Other states included Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha among others.
• Rains have wreaked havoc on almost all of these states, which received either ‘large excess’ or ‘excess’ rainfall this year.
• Karnataka, which has the highest area under crop damage, for example, received 102 per cent excess rainfall from October-November, according to data by the Indian Meteorological Department.
• In the absence of any adaptation measures, yields of rainfed and irrigated rice, wheat and Kharif maize are likely to be reduced under projected climate change scenarios.
• The Government under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), is addressing the risk associated with climate change by devising appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies, ensuring food security in the country.
• To support the objectives of NAPCC, 33 states and union territories have already prepared their State Action Plan on Climate Change to address state-specific actions.

National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture

• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India launched a flagship network project ‘National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) in 2011.
• The project aims at strategic research on adaptation and mitigation, demonstration of technologies on farmers’ fields and creating awareness among farmers and other stakeholders to minimize the climatic change impacts on agriculture.
• In the strategic research, the main thrust areas covered are (i) identifying the most vulnerable districts/regions, (ii) evolving crop varieties and management practices for adaptation and mitigation, (iii) assessing climate change impacts on livestock, fisheries and poultry and identifying adaptation strategies.

National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)

It was launched in 2008 by the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change.

It aims at creating awareness among the representatives of the public, different agencies of the government, scientists, industry and the communities on the threat posed by climate change and the steps to counter it. There are 8 National Missions.

CASTE DISCRIMINATION

THE CONTEXT: A scheduled caste (SC) person faced crime every 10 minutes in India in the past year, cumulating to a total of 50,291 cases registered in 2020, an increase of 9.4% from the previous year, data from the National Crime Records Bureau.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Uttar Pradesh constituted 25% of all crimes recorded against SCs and reported 12,714 cases in all. It was followed by Bihar (7,368), Rajasthan (7,017) and Madhya Pradesh (6,899).
• Together, these four states account for two-thirds of all crimes against SCs in India despite accounting for only around 40% of the country’s 197 million scheduled caste people.
• The rate of crimes – which is a measure of crime cases relative to the population of SC — was highest in Rajasthan, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.
• In 2020, a total of 1,485 crimes against SCs were registered in India’s 19 metropolitan cities with a population of two million or more – indicating that 97% of the crimes against Dalits occurred in small towns and villages.
• The nature of crimes against SCs in big cities was also different. In the 20 big towns, criminal intimidation and rape were the most common crimes against Dalits. Overall, simple hurt and atrocities cases were the most common.
• The court pendency rate of cases, especially in cases filed under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of) Atrocities Act, continues to below. This also confirms standalone reports of cases of major caste crimes taking years to reach the final stage in courts and the difficulty faced by Dalits in proving crimes against upper-castes.
• The court pendency rate of cases under the SC/ST Act stood at 96.5% in 2020, up from 94% last year. At the end of the year, 177,379 cases were pending trial under the special legislation meant to protect the marginal castes and tribes.
• As per the data provided by the National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, the total number of cases registered under these Acts for crime/atrocities against the members of SCs and STs in the last two years are as under:-

Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955

In 1976, the Untouchability (Offences ) Act, 1955 has been comprehensively amended and renamed as the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 to enlarge the scope and make penal provisions more stringent. The act defines a civil right as any right accruing to a person by reason of the abolition of untouchability by Article 17 of the Constitution.

The Protection of Civil Rights Act (1955) declares the following acts as offences:\

1. preventing any person from entering any place of public worship or from worshipping therein;
2. justifying untouchability on traditional, religious, philosophical or other grounds;
3. denying access to any shop, hotel or places of public entertainment;
4. insulting a person belonging to a scheduled caste on the ground of untouchability;
5. refusing to admit persons in hospitals, educational institutions or hostels established for public benefit;
6. preaching untouchability directly or indirectly;
7. refusing to sell goods or render services to any person.

The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) {PoA} Act, 1989.

It known as the SC/ST Act was enacted to protect the marginalized communities against discrimination and atrocities.

• The Act lists various offences relating to various patterns or behaviours inflicting criminal offences and breaking the self-respect and esteem of the scheduled castes and tribes community, which includes denial of economic, democratic, and social rights, discrimination, exploitation, and abuse of the legal process.
• Under section 18 of the act, the provision for anticipatory bail is not available to the offenders.
• Any public servant, who deliberately neglects his duties under this act, is liable to punishment with imprisonment for up to 6 months.

SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities (Amendment) Act, 2015

Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015 was introduced to make the act more stringent with the following provisions:

• It recognized more instances of “atrocities” as crimes against SCs and STs.
• It provided for the establishment of exclusive special courts and special public prosecutors to try offences under the PoA Act.
• Act defined the term ‘wilful negligence’ in the context of public servants at all levels, starting from the registration of the complaint to dereliction of duty under this Act.
• If the accused was acquainted with the victim or his family, the court will presume that the accused was aware of the caste or tribal identity of the victim unless proved otherwise.

2018 SC judgment

Supreme Court in its Kashinath Mahajan judgment, introduced the following safeguards to the accused under SC/ST act.

Key guidelines

• The bar on anticipatory bail under the Act need not prevent courts from granting advance bail if there is no merit in a complaint
• “Preliminary enquiry” to be conducted in all cases before registration of FIRs.
• The person can be arrested by an investigating officer, only if the “appointing authority” (in the case of a public servant) or the SP (in the case of others) approves such arrest.

2018 amendment to the Act

In 2018, in response to this dilution of the act and public uproar against it, Parliament introduced Section 18A to overturn safeguards introduced by the Supreme Court.

• The preliminary inquiry shall not be required for registration of a First Information Report against any person.
• No approval is required before the arrest of the accused under this act.
• It rules out any provision (Section 438 of the CrPC that deals with anticipatory bail) for anticipatory bail for the accused.

E-GOVERNANCE OF PANCHAYATS

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Panchayat, Currently, 2,58,694 Panchayati Raj Institutions have prepared Panchayat Development Plans for Financial Year 2021-22 and 2,75,252 Panchayati Raj Institutions have adopted eGramSwaraj for the purpose of accounting. Further, 2,53,523Panchayati Raj Institutions have on boarded eGramSwaraj-PFMS Interface for carrying out online transactions.

THE EXPLANATION:

• No direct financial assistance is provided to States / UTs for the implementation of e-governance in the Panchayats under the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project.
• Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has been providing programmatic support for the strengthening of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and capacity building of Elected Representatives and functionaries of PRIs to improve their functioning and effectiveness and make them self-reliant.

• 

  Panchayat being a State subject, providing basic infrastructure facilities including computers, electric power supply etc. is primarily the responsibility of concerned State Government / UT Administration for the proper working of e-governance of panchayats.

About Panchayati Raj Institutions:

• Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) is a system of rural local self-government in India.

  Local Self Government is the management of local affairs by such local bodies who have been elected by the local people.PRI was constitutionalized through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 to build democracy at the grassroots level and was entrusted with the task of rural development in the country.

• In its present form and structure, PRI has completed 28 years of existence. However, a lot remains to be done in order to further decentralization and strengthen democracy at the grass-root level.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

SOUTH AFRICA’S WHITE RHINOS’ TRANSLOCATION

THE CONTEXT: South Africa flies 30 white rhinos to Rwanda, this was the largest single transfer of white rhinos ever undertaken. The species is threatened by illegal poaching.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The animals traveled 3,400 kilometers from South Africa’s Phinda Private Game Reserve to Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda.
• They embarked on this 40-hour journey after months of preparation, said charity African Parks, which was involved in the operation.

Why were the rhinos transferred?

• It was part of a program to replenish the white rhino population, decimated by poaching since the 1970s.
• Also reintroduced to the Akagera National Park were lions and black rhinos, species which went extinct in the area due to poaching and destruction of habitat in the 1980s and 90s.
• The park also hosts African elephants, African buffalo, Masai giraffes and more than 490 species of birds.

Why is the white rhino threatened?

• The southern white rhino, one of two subspecies of white rhino, is considered “almost endangered” by the International Union for Conversation of Nature (IUCN).
• According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there are currently 20,000 southern white rhinos in the world. White rhino populations decreased by 12% between 2012 and 2017.
• The other subspecies, the northern white rhino, is on the brink of extinction, with only two females remaining. Scientists are trying to save the species by harvesting eggs from one of the two surviving females and sperm from two deceased males to create embryos in an unprecedented breeding program.
• The main threat to these animals is illegal poaching. In South Africa, 1000 rhinos were killed between 2013 and 2017 due to high demand for their horns in certain Asian countries, mainly China and Vietnam.

SIMILAR CASE IN INDIA

• In April 2021 the ambitious Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV2020) came with the release of two rhinos — an adult male and a female — in Assam’s Manas National Park transported from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary about 185 km to the east.
• Seven protected areas under IRV 2020 are Kaziranga, Pobitora, Orang National Park, Manas National Park, Laokhowa wildlife sanctuary, Burachapori wildlife sanctuary and Dibru Saikhowa wildlife sanctuary.

About Great One-Horned Rhino

• It is found only in India. Also known as the Indian rhino, it is the largest of the rhino species.
• It is identified by a single black horn and a grey-brown hide with skin folds.

Protection Status:

Greater One-Horned Rhino is one among the five different species of Rhino.

The other four are:

• Black Rhino: Smaller of the two African species.
• White Rhino: Recently, researchers have created an embryo of the northern white rhino by using In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) process.
• Javan Rhino: Critically endangered in IUCN Red List.
• Sumatran Rhino: Recently gone extinct in Malaysia.
• All three are listed under Appendix I (CITES).
• Greater one-horned rhino is Vulnerable and it is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

CLIMATE-FRIENDLY WAY TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY

THE CONTEXT:  According to the study published earlier this month by the Global Carbon Project (GCP), CO2 emissions are set to soar 4.9% in 2021, compared with the previous year.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Supporters of the controversial energy source say it’s a climate-friendly way to generate electricity. At the very least, it’s something we could use until we’re able to develop comprehensive alternatives.
• In 2020, emissions dropped 5.4% due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns. Most observers expected a rebound this year — but not to such an extent. The energy sector continues to be the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, with a share of 40% — and rising.

Is nuclear power a zero-emissions energy source?

• Nuclear energy is also responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, no energy source is completely free of emissions, but more on that later.
• When it comes to nuclear, uranium extraction, transport and processing produce emissions. The long and complex construction process of nuclear power plants also releases CO2, as does the demolition of decommissioned sites.
• Nuclear waste also has to be transported and stored under strict conditions — here, too, emissions must be taken into account.

How much CO2 does nuclear power produce?

• Results vary significantly, depending on whether we only consider the process of electricity generation, or take into account the entire life cycle of a nuclear power plant.
• A report released in 2014 by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), for example, estimated a range of 3.7 to 110 grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
• It’s long been assumed that nuclear plants generate an average of 66 grams of CO2/kWh — though scientist believes the actual figure is much higher. New power plants, for example, generate more CO2 during construction than those built-in previous decades, due to stricter safety regulations.

How climate-friendly is nuclear compared to other energies?

• If the entire life cycle of a nuclear plant is included in the calculation, nuclear energy certainly comes out ahead of fossil fuels like coal or natural gas. But the picture is drastically different when compared with renewable energy.
• According to the state-run German Environment Agency (UBA) as well as the WISE figures, nuclear power releases 3.5 times more CO2 per kilowatt-hour than photovoltaic solar panel systems. Compared with onshore wind power, that figure jumps to 13 times more CO2. When up against electricity from hydropower installations, nuclear generates 29 times more carbon.

THE INDIAN ECONOMY

WINTER PARLIAMENT PROCEEDINGS 2021

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the Government of Andhra Pradesh is developing Bhavanapadu, Machilipatnam and Ramayapatnam as Non-Major Port on a landlord basis.

THE EXPLANATION:

• It is intended to give a further boost to the maritime trade being largely done now by the State’s only major port at Visakhapatnam and the thriving private ports at Krishnapatnam (Nellore), Gangavaram (Visakhapatnam) and Kakinada (East Godavari).
• According to the sources, the Krishnapatnam, Ganagavaram and Kakinada ports together are handling over 100 million tonnes (mt) of cargo every year on an average.
• The Krishnapatnam port alone is handling 55 MT and it is followed by the Gangavaram port which accounts for about 35 MT.
• The Kakinada deepwater port is handling approximately 15 MT a year, up from a maximum of 4 MT two decades ago.
• The government recently got three additional berths constructed at the Kakinada port at a cost of ₹300 crore taking their total number to nine.
• The public sector port at Visakhapatnam is handling about 65 MT every year.
• Tenders are under preparation for the Bhavanapadu and Machilipatnam ports.

Ports in India are classified as Major and Minor Ports according to the jurisdiction of the Central and State government as defined under the Indian Ports Act, 1908 i.e., Major Ports are owned and managed by the Central Government and Minor ports are owned and managed by the State Governments.

Visakhapatnam Port is one of 13 major ports in India and the only major port of Andhra Pradesh. It is India’s third-largest state-owned port by volume of cargo handled and largest on the Eastern Coast.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES/ INITIATIVES IN NEWS

THE PRADHAN MANTRIAYUSHMAN BHARAT HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE MISSION

THE CONTEXT: In the Budget speech of FY 21-22, ‘Prime Minister Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana’ (PMASBY) scheme which has now been renamed PM – Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) was announced on 1st February 2021. This scheme is in addition to the National Health Mission.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The measures under the scheme focus on developing capacities of health systems and institutions across the continuum of care at all levels viz. primary, secondary and tertiary and on preparing health systems in responding effectively to the current and future pandemics/disasters.

What is the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission?

• It is the largest pan-India scheme since 2005 for the creation and improvement of long-term public healthcare infrastructure. It is meant to be implemented in each district of the country. The government will spend Rs 64,180 crore on the scheme from the financial year 2021-22 to 2025-26.

What is the first component of the mission?

• The first component is to establish comprehensive surveillance of infectious diseases.

At the district level, Integrated Public Health laboratories in all 730 districts will be set up. At the state level, five regional branches and 20 metropolitan units of the National Centre for Disease Control. And at the national level, an Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) will be established.

What is the second component of the mission?

• The second component is the creation of comprehensive diagnostics and treatment facilities. At the district level, 17,788 new rural health and wellness centres will be set up; 11,024 new urban health and wellness centres will be set up; critical care hospital blocks will be established in each of 602 districts, with a population of more than 5 lakh.
• At the state level, 15 health emergency operation centres will be set up. At the national level, two container-based mobile hospitals will be set up; and critical care hospital blocks in 12 Government of India hospitals will be set up — which will also act as mentor institutions for training and capacity building.

What is the third component of the mission?

• The third component of the mission will be comprehensive pandemic research. At the district level, strengthening of existing 80 viral diagnostics and research labs will be undertaken. At the state level, 15 new bio-safety level III laboratories will be operationalised.
• At the national level, four new regional national institutes for virology will be operationalized and a regional research platform (digital) for WHO southeast Asia Region will also be set up.

National Health Mission: 

• The National Health Mission is envisaged to establish a fully functional, community-owned, decentralized health delivery system with inter-sectoral convergence at all levels.
• NHM aims to provide universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care mainly focusing on primary and secondary care.
• However, PM-ABHIM is the largest pan-India scheme for strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the country which focuses on primary, secondary and tertiary care services.
• The major aim of PM-ABHIM is to establish a health system that is responding effectively to future pandemics/disasters.

THE MISCELLANEOUS

BARBADOS – THE WORLD’S NEWEST REPUBLIC

THE CONTEXT: Nearly 400 years after the country became a British colony, Barbados has become the world’s newest republic. The Caribbean Island nation removed Queen Elizabeth II as the head of the state in a ceremony attended by Prince Charles.

Who took over as the new head of Barbados?

Dame Sandra Prunella Mason, who was selected to become the first president of Barbados last month, took over as the President of the country.

History of Barbados as a British colony and after

Barbados, which is said to have been made a ‘slave society by the British, first became an English colony when a ship arrived at the Caribbean in 1625. On November 30, 1966, Barbados gained its independence. Barbados, however, will continue to be one of the 54 Commonwealth nations.

For how long has Barbados been preparing to become a Republic?

• While the decision to become a Republic is as recent as last year for Barbados, the island has been thinking about the move for decades. In 1979, the Cox Commission to attest to the feasibility of the republican system in Barbados was set up. The commission, however, had concluded that the public wished to remain under the system of constitutional monarchy.
• In 1998, a constitutional committee had recommended that the country adopt the republican status and end the monarchy. In 2003, Barbados changed its final court of appeal from the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council to the Caribbean Court of Justice.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. Consider the following statements:

1. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is appointed by the Central Government.
2. Certain provisions in the Constitution of India give the central Government the right to issue directions to the RBI in the public interest.
3. The Governor of the RBI draws his power from the RBI Act.

Which of the above statements are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR NOVEMBER 30^th 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: A

Explanation:

Blue carbon

• Blue carbon is the carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems.
• Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows sequester and store more carbon per unit area than terrestrial forests and are now being recognised for their role in mitigating climate change.
• These ecosystems also provide essential benefits for climate change adaptation, including coastal protection and food security for many coastal communities.
• However, if the ecosystems are degraded or damaged, their carbon sink capacity is lost or adversely affected, and the carbon stored is released, resulting in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) that contribute to climate change.
• Dedicated conservation efforts can ensure that coastal ecosystems continue to play their role as long-term carbon sinks.

INDIAN GEOGRAPHY

WHY WERE THERE NO CYCLONES IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER?

THE CONTEXT:  According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) data, “As many as seven low-pressure areas (LPA) have formed in the North Indian Ocean region since October 1, 2021 — but none of them has intensified into a cyclone. October and November constitute the peak cyclone season for India.

THE EXPLANATION:

• No cyclone formation in the rest of November would mean a first-time anomaly in the last 31 years for October and November.
• If December also remains cyclone-free, it would be the first time since 1961 that the post-monsoon season would remain without a cyclone. This has happened only five times since 1891: In 1900, 1911, 1953, 1954 and 1961.
• Initially, in the month of October 2021, the forecast for this system by the Global Forecasting System of the United States data had suggested it would intensify into a cyclone. But that did not happen. The IMD on October 18, 2021, said that cyclone formation did not happen because of unfavourable land interactions of the system.
• This is happening even though the La Nina phase of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon is currently prevailing. The La Nina is the cooling phase of the ENSO and is generally favourable for cyclone/hurricane/typhoon formation all over the world, including in the North Indian Ocean region.
• The North Atlantic Ocean experienced record storm and hurricane activity due to the emergence of La Nina or due to its potential emergence in the last two years. The phenomenon creates an extended region of low vertical wind shear, which is favourable for the intensification of cyclones.
• In fact, when cyclones Gulab and Shaheen had formed successively around the end of September 2021 it seemed like the cyclone season had started off. This had also come after the record-breaking formation of low-pressure areas in September that continued in October and November and caused excessive rainfall and floods in many parts of the country.

THE BACKGROUND:

What is Low Pressure and High-Pressure Area?

• A low-pressure system has lower pressure at its centre than the areas around it. Winds blow towards the low pressure, and the air rises in the atmosphere where they meet.
• A high-pressure system has higher pressure at its centre than the areas around it. Winds blow away from high pressure.

ENSO:

• El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an irregularly periodic variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, affecting the climate of much of the tropics and subtropics.
• The warming phase of the sea temperature is known as El Niño and the cooling phase as La Niña. The Southern Oscillation is the accompanying atmospheric component, coupled with the sea temperature change:
• El Niño is accompanied by high air surface pressure in the tropical western Pacific and La Niña with low air surface pressure there. The two periods last several months each and typically occur every few years with varying intensity per period.

THE SHALE EXPLORATION IN RAJASTHAN

THE CONTEXT: Cairn Oil & Gas has announced that it is partnering with US-based Halliburton to start shale exploration in the Lower Barmer Hill formation, Western Rajasthan.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is shale oil? How does it differ from conventional crude oil?

• Shale oil is a substitute for conventional crude oil; however, extracting shale oil is costlier than the production of conventional crude oil both financially and in terms of its environmental impact. Deposits of oil shale occur around the world, including major deposits in the United States.
• The key difference between shale oil and conventional crude is that the former, also called ‘tight oil’, is found in smaller batches, and deeper than conventional crude deposits.
• Its extraction requires the creation of fractures in oil and gas-rich shale to release hydrocarbons through a process called hydraulic fracking.
• Russia and the US are among the largest shale oil producers in the world, with a surge in shale oil production in the US has played a key role in turning the country from an importer of crude to a net exporter in 2019
• A number of US shale exploration firms, including Halliburton, have faced litigation from citizens living in areas adjacent to shale production sites who have claimed that hydraulic fracking has contributed to groundwater contamination.

What are the benefits of shale gas?

• It notes that done properly, shale gas development can enhance energy security and the availability of energy fuels, lower natural gas prices, offer a cleaner environmental footprint than some other fossil fuels, and enable local economic development.

What is the importance of shale?

• Black shale contains organic material that can generate oil and natural gas and trap the generated oil and natural gas within its pores. Shale natural gas resources are found in shale formations that contain significant accumulations of natural gas and/or oil. These resources, or plays, are found in about 30 states.

What are the prospects of shale oil exploration in India?

• Currently, there is no large-scale commercial production of shale oil and gas in India. State-owned ONGC had, in 2013, started exploration and, by the end of FY21, assessed shale oil and gas potential in 25 nomination blocks, but has reduced investments over the past few years after only getting limited success in shale exploration efforts.
• While ONGC’s assessment found prospects of shale oil at the Cambay basin in Gujarat and the Krishna Godavari basin in Andhra Pradesh, the company concluded that “the quantity of oil flow observed in these basins” did not indicate “commerciality” and that the general characteristics of Indian shales are quite different from North American ones.

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE REPEAL OF THREE FARM ACTS

THE CONTEXT:  The Prime Minister announced the repeal of three contentious farm laws, assuring farmer groups protesting against them for the past year that the legislative process for the repeal would be completed in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament.

THE EXPLANATION:

What are those laws?

The three laws that let to agitation by farmers across India are:

1. Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020
2. Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020
3. Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020.

What were Farmer’s concerns?

The main concerns of farmers were that these laws will abolish the Minimum Support Price (MSP), which is guaranteed by the Centre on select crops. It will eventually leave farmers at the mercy of big corporate houses.

The Centre’s Decision of the laws

• The PM noted that the majority of farmers are small scale farmers in India. Central government tool multi-faceted approach ranging from seed technology to crop insurance schemes, in order to help these farmers.
• The three farm bills were put forward to benefit small farmers, to empower & strengthen them.
• However, the government could not convince a section of protesting farmers. In that light, the laws were repealed.

Zero Budget Natural Farming

In his address pm also noted that the central government has decided to implement Zero Budget Natural Farming and make MSP more efficient. The government will set up a committee, comprising of centres, State representatives, scientists, economists and farmers.

HOW TO REPEAL A LAW?

• Article 245 of the Indian Constitution which gives Parliament the power to make laws also gives the legislative body the power to repeal them
• The government can repeal the laws in two ways — it can either bring a Bill to repeal the three laws or promulgate an ordinance that will have to be subsequently replaced with a Bill within six months.
• Article 245 of the Constitution which gives Parliament the power to make laws also gives the legislative body the power to repeal them through the Repealing and Amending Act. The Act was first passed in 1950 when 72 Acts were repealed.
• The Act was sixth such repealing act, aimed at repealing laws, tabled by the NDA government. The ruling government already repealed 1,428 Acts during its first term.
• Generally, laws are repealed to either remove inconsistencies or after they have served their purpose. When new laws are enacted, old laws on the subject are repealed by inserting a repeal clause in the new law.
• The Repealing and Amending (Amendment) Bill will pass through the same procedure as any other Bill. It will have to clear by both Houses of Parliament and the President would give his assent to make it a law.

To learn more about Three Farm Laws, Join our Exclusive Editorial Discussion programme.

THE UNIFORM CIVIL CODE

THE CONTEXT:  The Allahabad High Court has called upon the Central Government to forthwith initiate the process for its implementation. Also, stating that the Uniform Civil Code “is a necessity and mandatorily required today,”.

THE EXPLANATION:

• “A common civil code will help the cause of national integration by removing disparate loyalties to laws which have conflicting ideologies. No community is likely to bell the cat by making gratuitous concessions on this issue.
• It is the State which is charged with the duty of securing a uniform civil code for the citizens of the country (Article 44) and, it has the legislative competence to do so,” the court observed.
• HC made the observations while hearing a bunch of 17 petitions filed by inter-faith couples, seeking protection of their life, liberty and privacy guaranteed under Article 21, to live independently as man and woman without the interference of their family or others.
• Holding that “Intimacies of marriage lie within a core zone of privacy, which is inviolable”, HC said, “The absolute right of an individual to choose a life partner is not in the least affected by matters of faith.”

What is Uniform Civil Code?

The Directive Principles of State Policies (DPSP) in the Indian Constitution under Article 44 states that “The State shall endeavour to secure for citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.” Pursuant to this provision, the task of enforcing a UCC in the country was dropped in the bucket of the legislature by the Constitution makers. Being a DPSP, Article 44 is not enforceable in courts alike the fundamental rights.

The hope expressed in Article 44 of the Constitution that the State shall secure for its citizens Uniform Civil Code ought not to remain a mere hope.” This is an excerpt from a recent Allahabad High Court judgment, wherein the judiciary has once again conveyed the need of having a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in our country. Consequently, the debate and deliberations on the need for the uniform governance of personal laws has been brought back to the table.

What are Personal Laws?

• The people of India belong to different religions and faiths. They are governed by different sets of laws in respect to matters relating to family affairs, i.e., marriage, divorce, adoption, and succession.
• We inherited this system of having different sets of personal laws for different communities from the British colonial rule, as our lawmakers at the time of Independence preferred not to interfere with religious issues. But by providing a provision for UCC in our Constitution, the constituent assembly clearly manifested its vision about uniform India.

Need of the hour:

• However, the political unwillingness and incapacity to call spade a spade has lingered on this issue for very long. The Supreme Court and various High Courts in a catena of matters have counselled the governments to enforce a UCC for more than four decades.
• The Shah Bano case (1985) dealing with maintenance to divorced Muslim women, thereafter the Jordan Diengdeh case (1985) examining the Christian Succession Act, the Sarla Mudgal case (1995) against deceitful Islamic conversion for polygamy, and the John Vallamattom case (2013) on succession rights to the recent Delhi High Court judgment, are amongst the multiple instances when the courts have strongly urged the need of having uniform civil code for the country.

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

AMAZON DEFORESTATION

THE CONTEXT:  At the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow this month, COP26, Brazil’s government brought forward a pledge to end illegal deforestation by two years to 2028, a target that would require aggressive annual reductions in the destruction.

Image Courtesy: Shutterstock

THE EXPLANATION:

• Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest rose by almost 22 per cent from August 2020 to July 2021 compared with the same period the year before, reaching the highest level in 15 years.
• The National Institute for Space Research’s Prodes monitoring system showed the Brazilian Amazon lost 13,235 square kilometres of rainforest in the 12-month reference period from 2020 August to July 2021
• Brazil was among a number of nations, including China, Russia and the United States, who vowed to end and reverse deforestation by 2030 at climate talks in Glasgow, in a landmark agreement that encompasses some 85 per cent of the world’s forests.
• Against this backdrop, Brazil’s government announced a two-year deadline to halt illegal deforestation by 2028during the United Nations Climate Summit in Glasgow this month, a goal that would need drastic yearly reductions in deforestation.

Increase in Brazil’s carbon footprint by 9.6%

• Due to extensive deforestation and warming temperatures in the region, parts of Amazon now emit more carbon than they capture. With the increase in greenhouse gas emissions and the drop of 4.1 per cent in GDP, Brazil became poorer and polluted more.
• Emissions from agriculture, which covered 577 million tons of carbon dioxide (27% of the national total) in 2020, also increased by 2.5 per cent.
• This occurred in part for a counterintuitive reason: the economic crisis reduced meat consumption, with a reduction of nearly 8 per cent in cattle slaughter. The national herd increased by about 3 million heads, which, in turn, also increased methane emissions from enteric fermentation.

Reasons for Deforestation:

• State policies that encourage economic development, such as railway and road expansion projects have led to “unintentional deforestation” in the Amazon and Central America.
• Deforestation started in the 1970s and 1980swhen large-scale forest conversion for cattle ranching and soy cultivation began.

Spread of Amazon:

• These are large tropical rainforests occupying the drainage basin of the Amazon River and its tributaries in northern South America and covering an area of 6,000,000 square km.
• Comprising about 40% of Brazil’s total area, it is bounded by the Guiana Highlands to the north, the Andes Mountains to the west, the Brazilian central plateau to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
• The basin is shared by eight countries (Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname), as well as the overseas territory of French Guiana.

THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

FIRST LIGO PROJECT IN INDIA

THE CONTEXT:  Hingoli Income division of Maharashtra handed around 225 hectares of land right to the authorities of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) project for setting up the first such facility in the country.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Aim: To study Gravitational waves arriving at earth cataclysmic events in the distant universe, and carry out experiments.
• There are currently a couple of such labs in the US – at Hanford in Washington and Livingston in Louisiana – which study the gravitational waves.

What is LIGO?

LIGO is a massive observatory to detect cosmic gravitational waves and to carry experiments. Its main objective is to make use of gravitational-wave observations in astronomical studies. This project currently operates three gravitational waves (GW) detectors. Out of three, two are at Hanford in Washington while one is at Livingston in Louisiana.

LIGO India project

• The LIGO India project was proposed with the aim of moving one advanced LIGO detector to India, from Hanford. This project is piloted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
• This project in India will be coordinated and executed jointly by three Indian research institutions namely, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) in Indore, Department of Atomic Energy organisations: Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) in Gandhinagar and Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune.

Image Courtesy: Times of India

MISCELLANEOUS

NGO PRATHAM AWARDED INDIRA GANDHI PEACE PRIZE

THE CONTEXT:  Pratham, a pioneering civil society organization that is dedicated to improving the quality of education for underprivileged children in India and across the globe, has been awarded the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2021.

THE EXPLANATION:

Image Courtesy: Indira Gandhi Peace Prize

PRATHAM:

• Set up in 1995 by Mrs Farida Lambay and Dr Madhav Chavan in Mumbai, Pratham began its work in slum areas by setting up community-based pre-schools and by offering remedial education to students who lagged behind in their classes. Its outreach in India has now expanded to an average of one million children directly and to five million through government partnerships annually.
• “It also seeks to prevent children from dropping out of school, with special programs, especially for girls and women aimed at giving them a second chance to complete their education,”
• “The 2021 Prize is awarded for its pioneering work over more than a quarter century in seeking to ensure that every child has access to quality education, for its innovative use of digital technology to deliver education, for its programs to provide skills to young adults, for its regular evaluation of the quality of education, and for its timely response in enabling children to learn during the Covid-19 – related school closures,”.

ASER:

• The foundation’s Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), with the latest one being released in November 2021, serves as a model to assess educational outcomes and learning deficiencies across 14 countries on three continents.
• ASER 2021 is based on a survey conducted by the education foundation in 25 states and Union territories. This year, the survey, which covered a total of 76,706 households and 75,234 children between the age group of five to 16 years, said that between 2018 and 2021, government schools saw an increase in the proportion of enrolled students for all ages and grades.

INDIRA GANDHI PRIZE FOR PEACE:

• The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development was instituted in the memory of the former prime minister by a trust in her name in 1986. It consists of a monetary award of ₹25 lakh along with a citation. The jury is chaired by former Chief Justice of India, Justice T.S. Thakur.

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Which Article of the Constitution of India safeguards one’s right to marry the person of one’s choice? (UPSC Prelims 2019)

a) Article 19

b) Article 21

c) Article 25

d) Article 29

ANSWER FOR NOVEMBER 19^th, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: C

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The law considers children as those individuals below the age of 18 years of age.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The act is gender-neutral.
• Statement 3 is correct: The case under the provision of this law is disposed of within one year from the date of reporting of the offence.

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

ANNUAL STATUS OF EDUCATION REPORT-2021

THE CONTEXT: In November 2021, the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) -2021 was published highlighting School enrolment fell during pandemic and the gap between States in access to online education with varying levels of access to technology, school and family resources resulting in Digital Divide.

ABOUT 2021 REPORT

• The percentage of rural children who were not enrolled in school doubled during the pandemic, with Government schools seeing an increase in enrolment at the expense of private schools, according to the report. Over a third of children enrolled in Classes 1 and 2 have never attended school in person.
• In a survey of over 76,000 households with children aged six to 14, ASER found that while 92% of children had textbooks for their grade, only a third had access to any other learning resources or support.
• With smartphone availability and access limited, online learning was restricted to a quarter of students, though there were major differences in the experience of students from different States.
• For instance, 91% of students from Kerala and almost 80% from Himachal Pradesh had online education, but only 10% from Bihar and 13% from West Bengal.

THE MAJOR SHIFT

• In both the 2020 and 2021 surveys, that figure had jumped to 6%. Government school enrolment spiked significantly from 64.3% in 2018 to 70.3% in 2021, while private school enrolment dropped from 32.5% to 24.4% over the same period.
• “The shift to government school enrolment could be a result of financial distress, the closure of affordable private schools and the movement of migrants to rural areas,” Also,
  • Due to reverse Migration (Urban to Rural)
  • Loss of income during a pandemic
  • Small schools couldn’t Sustain

Tuition classes:

• During the pandemic, almost 40% of students took tuition classes, as many parents struggled to provide the learning support students were not receiving from closed schools.
• Although textbook distribution was a success story in most States, with 92% of students having the texts for their grade level, many students did not receive much else.

• Online learning (Digital Divide): With smartphone availability and access limited, online learning was restricted to a quarter of students.
  • Inter-state variations: 91% of students from Kerala and almost 80% from Himachal Pradesh had online education, but only 10% from Bihar and 13% from West Bengal.

• Access to study materials: textbook distribution was a success story in most States, with 92% of students having the texts for their grade level.

Measures taken by the Government:

• National Knowledge Network, (NKN)
• PRAGYATA Guidelines
• National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning
• SWAYAM MOOC’S

WHO GLOBAL REPORT ON TRENDS IN PREVALENCE OF TOBACCO USE 2000–2025

THE CONTEXT: World Health Organisation (WHO) published the 4^th edition of Global report on trends in the prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2025.

THE EXPLANATION:

• As per the report, South-East Asia Region achieved the fastest rate of decline in the use of tobacco. The average prevalence of smoking among men decreased to 25% in 2020, as against 50% in 2000.
• In South-East Region, tobacco smoking among women decreased from 9% in 2000 to 1.6% in the year 2020.
• India and Nepal are the countries, which is likely to achieve a 30% relative reduction in tobacco use in order to meet the Global NCD action target plan by 2025.
• WHO report highlights that, if tobacco control efforts continue with the current level, smoking rates in this region can reach as low as 11% in 2025. It will be the second-lowest Regional average rate after Africa, which is 5% in 2025.
• The South-East Asia Region has the highest rates of tobacco use, which is 29 per cent of the population. It accounts for 432 million users.
• This region is also home to 266 million smokeless tobacco users out of 355 million across the globe.

How was this progress achieved?

• This progress was the result of the effective implementation of the FCTC and MPOWER package of WHO as well as a set of six cost-effective & high impact measures in order to help countries in reducing the demand and supply of tobacco.
• Tobacco use is one of the key risk factors of non-communicable diseases and effective tobacco control is significant to prevent and control NCDs. It is a flagship priority of this region since 2014.

SEXUAL INTENT “NOT SKIN TO SKIN CONTACT: SC

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court quashed a Bombay High Court decision to acquit a man charged with assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) solely on the grounds that he groped the child over her clothes without “skin-to-skin” contact.

THE EXPLANATION:

• “The act of touching a sexual part of the body with sexual intent will not be trivialised and not excluded under Section 7 of the POCSO Act”.
• The Bench noted that the most important ingredient in Section 7 was the sexual intent of the offender and not skin-to-skin contact.
• The bench said that “where the intention of the Legislature cannot be given effect to, courts would accept the bolder construction for the purpose of bringing about an effective result. Restricting the interpretation of the words ‘touch’ or ‘physical contact’ to ‘skin-to-skin contact’ would not only be a narrow and pedantic interpretation of the provision contained in Section 7…but it would lead to an absurd interpretation of the said provision.”
• “Abuse and outraging the modesty of a child has been a matter of great concern. POCSO Act was enacted to deal with evil and to impart speedy justice, for addressing this issue, Special courts were needs to be formed.

About Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012:

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

POCSO (Amendment) Act 2019:

• Provision of the death penalty in cases of sexual offences against children.
• Levy of fines and imprisonment to curb child pornography.
• Protection of children from sexual offences in times of natural calamities.

INDIAN ECONOMY

INDIA IS THE LARGEST RECIPIENT OF REMITTANCES

THE CONTEXT: According to the report by World Bank, India received $87 billion in remittances in 2021 which constitutes India as the world’s largest recipient.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the report, the United States was the biggest source, accounting for over 20% of these funds.
• India is followed by China, Mexico, the Philippines, and Egypt in terms of overall remittance received.
• A resurgence in COVID-19 cases and the subsequent mobility restrictions pose the biggest risks to remittance flow.
• The resurgence of a new wave of COVID-19 cases and the subsequent mobility restrictions pose the biggest risks to the outlook for global growth, employment, and remittance flows to developing countries.

What are Remittances?

• Remittances represent one of the largest sources of income for people in low-income and developing nations. It often exceeds the amount of direct investment and official development assistance.
• The sender is typically an immigrant and the recipient a relative back home.

• Remittances help families afford food, healthcare, and basic needs.
• India is the world’s biggest recipient of remittances. Remittances bolster India’s foreign exchange reserves and helps fund its current account deficit.

ABOUT WORLD BANK

The World Bank Group is an international partnership comprising 189 countries and five constituent institutions that works towards eradicating poverty and creating prosperity.

Reports Published by World Bank:

• World Development Report
• Global Economic Prospects Report

NOTE:

• The ease of Doing Business Report was discontinued by World Bank in September 2021.

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

RARE FISH ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION

THE CONTEXT: In Assam, the rare Barca snakehead fish is on the brink of extinction, since it is an ornamental fish, it is in high demand in the international market and is susceptible to illegal trade.

THE EXPLANATION:

• “Pipli Cheng” or “Cheng Garaka” is the local name for the Channa barcaor the Barca snakehead fish.
• The fish Channa barca is endemic to the upper Brahmaputra river basin. The fish is mainly found in Orang National Park located on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river. 

What is Ornamental Fish?

Fishes that are kept in home aquariums, or for aesthetic purposes are considered ornamental fish.

Why the demand?

• This snakehead fish is attractive to look at and has high ornamental value amongst specialist aquarists, in national and international markets.
• Since it is rarely available and restricted to only a particular region of the Brahmaputra basin, it has become extremely expensive over the years and is now counted as one of the most expensive fish in the world.
• Overall, it has been assessed as data deficient by the IUCN and in 2014 it was assessed by the IUCN as critically endangered due to habitat loss in Bangladesh.

What’s the Way forward:

• “If threatened species are exported without captive breeding or mass propagation then they will soon cease to exist in the region.
• A proper and strict checking system should be put in place in exit points like the airport and the railway stations so that these highly threatened fish species cannot be smuggled out,”
• “Monoculture should also be done if captive breeding is done at all so that the female of the species is not exported out and so that the ornamental and endemic status of the species is not compromised.

RISE IN AMMONIA DUE TO BIOMASS BURNING

THE CONTEXT: In West Africa rise in ammonia level was observed which is linked to biomass burning. The trend was centred over Nigeria and the Southern coast.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Ammonia concentration in the air increased substantially in West Africa and the Lake Victoria region. According to a new study by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
• The rise was found to be linked with biomass burning as well as expansion and intensification of agricultural practices.
• The rise in ammonia concentration in Western Africa was previously linked to fertiliser use. However, this study found that most of the increase occurred before the start of the planting season. Fertiliser is not typically applied in West Africa until the start of the growing season (April).
• The study found regional hotspots in the Lake Victoria basin region, South Sudanese wetlands and along the Nile delta and river as well.
• In the Lake Victoria basin, the expansion of agricultural area and fertiliser use led to increases in ammonia concentration over the study period.
• Countries in Europe have committed to modest reductions of ammonia emissions in the framework of the Gothenburg Protocol, part of the convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution and the National Emissions Ceilings directive.

Ammonia:

• It is a colourless gas and is used as an industrial chemical in the production of fertilisers, plastics, synthetic fibres, dyes, and other products.
• Ammonia reduces the amount of oxygen as it is transformed into oxidised forms of nitrogen.
• It occurs naturally in the environment from the breakdown of organic waste matter, and may also find its way to ground and surface water sources through industrial effluents, contamination by sewage or agricultural runoff.

A CLEAN OCEAN BY 2030: SAYS UN EXPERTS

THE CONTEXT: The Clean Ocean International Expert Group of the UN Decade for Ocean Science for Sustainable Development will formally present its shortlist of activities and goals, and a strategy to reach them, in a “Clean Ocean Manifesto” at the outset of a three-day online conference on achieving a clean ocean.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The deep-sea biodiversity expert outlines “the challenges and some of the opportunities that the Ocean Decade can provide for a Clean Ocean.”

The statement charts the most direct route to a clean ocean citing these objectives for 2030:

• Enlarge understanding of pathways for spread and fates of pollutants
• Reduce and remove top-priority forms of pollution (e.g., marine debris) by large amounts, as much as 50% to 90%
• To prevent a recurrence, reduce sources or emission of pollutants (e.g., anthropogenic noise, discarded plastic and harmful chemicals, farming practices adding harmful sediment outflow)
• Improve dramatically the outcomes of control measures (e.g., to decrease amounts of mercury in tuna, die-offs of marine life, eutrophication)
• Improve monitoring (often as part of the Global Ocean Observing System [GOOS]) for more accurate, precise, timely, comprehensive real-time tracing of spills and monitoring of ocean soundscapes; improve systems to provide timely warning of pollutants emerging and increasing
• Identify and accelerate the development and adoption of technologies to promote a Clean Ocean. These could range from cleaner, more efficient motors and fuels to new forms of remediation and waste management; better ways to monitor, track and map marine pollutants and progress toward a clean ocean (such as aerial remote sensing, genomics, and hydrophone arrays); and better technologies for emergency clean-up.
• Improve national mechanisms (legal, regulatory) for control and prevention, better align financial incentives, and lift compliance with international treaties

Interim objectives for 2025

The expert group underlined that “This process should aim to define and attract financial and other support to meet an initial set of goals for 2025, followed by goals for the end of the Ocean Decade in 2030.”

The conference highlights more than 30 activities in place or in development around the world that can make important contributions by 2030 to a Clean Ocean.

These include initiatives to:

• Successfully and consistently monitor marine debris from space as part of an Integrated Global Marine Debris Observing System
• Operate deep-sea observatories in the Atlantic that document and publicize multiple stressors
• Observe the vast Southern Ocean give early warnings of possible pollution hot spots in this relatively pristine ocean
• Instrument 30% of coastal city ocean spaces to report on pollution changes including restoration
• Identify and greatly reduce persistent organic pollutants globally.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

INDIA RE-ELECTED TO UNESCO

THE CONTEXT: India was re-elected to the executive board of the UN’s cultural and education organisation for the 2021-25 term.

THE EXPLANATION:

• India was re-elected to Group IV of Asian and Pacific States which also include Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Cook Islands and China.

About the Executive Board:

• The UNESCO Executive Board is one of the three constitutional organs of the UN agency (the others being the General Conference and the Secretariat) and it is elected by the General Conference.
• The executive board consists of 58 member-states, each with a four-year term. It examines the programme of work for the organisation and corresponding budget estimates submitted to it by the director-general, according to UNESCO.

About UNESCO:

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN). It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, Sciences and Culture.

• Established in November 1965.
• It has 195 Members and 8 Associate Members and is governed by the General Conference and the Executive Board
• The Secretariat, headed by the Director-General, implements the decisions of these two bodies. Headquartered at Paris.
• UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of a culture of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.

Objectives:

• Attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning
• Mobilizing science knowledge and policy for sustainable development
• Addressing emerging social and ethical challenges
• Fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace
• Building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication
• It also focuses on a set of objectives in the global priority areas “Africa” and “Gender Equality”

MISCELLANEOUS

REZANG LA MEMORIAL

THE CONTEXT: Defence Minister inaugurates renovated memorial  during the Rezang La battle anniversary.

THE EXPLANATION:

• It will now include the names of Army personnel who lost their lives in the violent clash at Galway last year.

Where is Rezang La?

• Rezang La is a mountain pass on the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.
• It is located between the village of Chushul and the Spanggur Lake that stretches across both Indian and Chinese territories.
• Rezang La is one of the heights of the Kailash Range in the Chushul Sub-sector, occupied by India in August 2020, that provided leverage in the standoff negotiations.
• The positions India occupied on the Kailash Ranges allowed the Indian troops to dominate not only China’s Moldo Garrison but also the strategically sensitive Spanggur Gap, which was used by China to launch an offensive during the 1962 War.

 About the battle:

• Troops from the 13 Kumaon Regiment defeated several waves of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in 1962.
• Despite being heavily outnumbered, soldiers of the regiment fought to the last man standing, under freezing temperatures, and with limited ammunition.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. Consider the following statements about provisions of the POCSO Act 2012:

1. The law considers children as those individuals below the age of 16 years of age.
2. It dedicated law only for the protection of female children against sexual offences.
3. The case under the provision of this law is disposed of within one year from the date of reporting of the offence.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR NOVEMBER 17^th, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: It is published annually by GermanWatch, a non-profit organisation.
• Statement 2 is correct: India ranked at 7th position in Global CRI 2021 with a CRI score of 16.67. The score and position improvised in comparison to the 2020 report, where India ranked at the 5th position with a CRI score of 18.17.

THE CONTEXT: In May 2021 India’s as a member of the UNSC made a carefully crafted statement at the UN Security Council “open debate” on the escalated Israel-Palestine violence, striving to maintain a balance between India’s historic ties with Palestine and its blossoming relations with Israel. India’s statement at UNSC seeks a balance between its old ties with Palestine and growing relations with Israel. This article traces India’s journey through the world’s oldest conflict, from Nehru years to the Modi regime.

RECENT ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT

• The conflict erupted on May 10, when weeks of simmering tensions in Jerusalem among Palestinian protesters, the police and right-wing Israelis escalated, against the backdrop of a long-standing battle for control of a city sacred to Jews, Arabs and Christians.
• The root of the latest violence is an intense dispute over East Jerusalem, which is predominantly Palestinian.
• Protests had gone on for days before a Supreme Court ruling, originally expected on May 10 but then postponed, on the eviction of several Palestinian families from East Jerusalem. Israeli officials described it as a dispute over real estate.
• Many Arabs called it part of a wider Israeli campaign to force Palestinians out of the city, describing it as ethnic cleansing.
• The ceasefire came after 11 days of fighting, which left at least 255 people dead. Most of those killed were Palestinians in the territory of Gaza.

SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ON THE CONFLICT

• In May 2021 United Nations Security Council held an emergency open meeting on the escalated violence in Gaza.
• India, as a non-permanent UNSC member, also made a statement over the conflict and appealed for a peaceful solution to the conflict. Although India’s statement was about the peaceful solution there was a major shift in India’s statement.

SHIFT IN INDIA’S STATEMENT

 AN ANALYSIS OF THE INDIA’S STATEMENT

• The statement is seeing major shift in India’s policy toward the conflict and it was clear that in council India was careful not to upset Israel’s sensitivities.
• The crux of the Indian argument of a two-state solution, that East Jerusalem should be the capital of future Palestine state, was missing in India’s statement.
• This is the first time when India tried to create a balance in UNSC meetings and in past India’s always supported the two-state theory with East Jerusalem as Palestine capital.
• India dropped referring to East Jerusalem after Jerusalem was recognized as the capital of Israel by former President of America, Donald Trump, in 2017. A similar practice was followed in Modi’s statement during the visit of Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas in 2017 and during Modi’s visit to Ramallah in 2018.
• A closer look at the syntax of the statement delivered by India reveals the underlying nuances in India’s evolving Israel-Palestine policy.
• This is a subtle way of saying that India doesn’t stand with the Palestinian narrative.
• India’s carefully drafted statement backs Israel’s right to self-defence against indiscriminate attacks from a terrorist outfit that targets Israeli civilians

A balancing act:

• India went to support “the just Palestinian cause,” and an “unwavering commitment to the two-state solution”. But in essence, this was a balancing act, because even as India recognized this “just” cause for Palestinians, it also “condemned” the “indiscriminate” rockets coming from Gaza and targeting Israeli citizens.

However, the balancing did not appear to have gone down well with the Israeli side. When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has a good rapport with Narendra Modi, thanked 25 countries that he said stood with Israel, there was no reference to India.

WHY DOES INDIA TRIED TO CREATE A BALANCING ACT?

HOW DID INDIA’S PALESTINE POLICY EVOLVE?

ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT: UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE

A 100-year-old issue

• Britain took control of the area known as Palestine after the ruler of that part of the Middle East, the Ottoman Empire, was defeated in World War One.
• The land was inhabited by a Jewish minority and Arab majority.
• Tensions between the two peoples grew when the international community gave Britain the task of establishing a “national home” in Palestine for Jewish people.
• For Jews it was their ancestral home, but Palestinian Arabs also claimed the land and opposed the move.
• Between the 1920s and 1940s, the number of Jews arriving there grew, with many fleeing from persecution in Europe and seeking a homeland after the Holocaust of World War Two.
• Violence between Jews and Arabs, and against British rule, also grew.
• In 1947, the UN voted for Palestine to be split into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem becoming an international city.
• That plan was accepted by Jewish leaders but rejected by the Arab side and never implemented.

The creation of Israel and the ‘Catastrophe’

• In 1948, unable to solve the problem, British rulers left and Jewish leaders declared the creation of the state of Israel.
• Many Palestinians objected and a war followed. Troops from neighbouring Arab countries invaded.
• Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced out of their homes in what they call Al-Nakba, or the “Catastrophe”.
• By the time the fighting ended in a ceasefire the following year, Israel controlled most of the territory.
• Jordan occupied land which became known as the West Bank, and Egypt occupied Gaza.
• Jerusalem was divided between Israeli forces in the West and Jordanian forces in the East.
• Because there was never a peace agreement – with each side blaming the other – there were more wars and fighting in the following decades.

The map today

• In another war in 1967, Israel occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, as well as most of the Syrian Golan Heights, Gaza and the Egyptian Sinai peninsula.
• Most Palestinian refugees and their descendants live in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as in neighbouring Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
• Neither they nor their descendants have been allowed by Israel to return to their homes – Israel says this would overwhelm the country and threaten its existence as a Jewish state.
• image caption Israeli military commanders arrive in East Jerusalem, after Israeli forces seized East Jerusalem, during the Six-Day War in 1967
• Israel still occupies the West Bank, and although it pulled out of Gaza the UN still regards that piece of land as occupied territory.
• Israel claims the whole of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The US is one of only a handful of countries to recognise the city as Israel’s capital.
• In the past 50 years Israel has built settlements in these areas, where more than 600,000 Jews now live.
• Palestinians say these are illegal under international law and are obstacles to peace, but Israel denies this.

WAY FORWARD

CONCLUSION: India, which historically has been an ally to the Palestine cause, has resorted to a balancing act on issues concerning Israel and Palestine. But this act is a repudiation of India’s historical worldview and it disregards the harsh realities which are skewed against Palestine. By compromising on India’s longstanding policy by not acknowledging Eastern Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, which is the crux of the ‘two-state solution, India blemishes the geographical validity of the solution itself. India, with its history pulling through the partition, which essentially was a political issue with a religious dimension, to build an inclusive, secular democracy, can act as the viable model for the peaceful coexistence of formerly antagonistic groups. For this to materialize, India must relinquish its balancing act and call a spade a spade.

ART AND CULTURE

SABZ BURJ

THE CONTEXT: One of Delhi’s earliest Mughal-era monuments— Sabz Burj has been conserved and restored over the last four years using traditional materials and building-craft techniques favoured by 16th Century craftsmen.

ABOUT SABZ BURJ

• The tomb, which was built in 1530, does not have any markings pointing to the identity of those buried under it.
• It is of immense significance due to the ceiling on its double-dome structure painted in pure gold and lapiz and revealed after conservation efforts began.
• Conservationists believe that the painting on the ceiling that has floral motifs predates similar work that was seen in miniature paintings and textiles from the Mughal era and was covered with plaster sometime in the 20th Century when the structure was used as a police station.
• The monument stands at the entrance to Humayun’s Tomb and would have originally stood within an enclosed garden.

SOURCE: TH

THE PURI HERITAGE CORRIDOR

THE CONTEXT: Odisha Chief Minister is expected to soon lay the foundation stone of the much-awaited Puri heritage corridor, which is being developed at a cost of Rs 800 crore.

ABOUT THE PURI HERITAGE CORRIDOR PROJECT

• Conceived in 2016, the Puri Heritage Corridor Project was unveiled in December 2019 to transform the holy town of Puri into an international place of heritage.
• The project includes redeveloping major portions of the holy town and in the vicinity of the temple for visitors and tourists. A resolution for the project was passed in the state assembly unanimously by all the parties in February 2020 to begin the first phase of work estimated at a cost of Rs 800 crore.
• Following this, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) approved the architectural design plan of the project at an estimated cost of Rs 3,200 crore.
• A total of 22 different projects will be executed in a phased manner. After the initial funds of Rs 800 crore from the state government’s Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture at Puri (ABADHA) scheme, another Rs 265 crore will be provided in the first phase.
• The project will include Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) building redevelopment, a 600-capacity Srimandir reception centre, Jagannath cultural centre including Raghunandan library, integrated command, and control centre, Badadanda heritage streetscape, Srimandir amenities improvement, Sri Setu, Jagannath Ballav pilgrim centre, multilevel car parking, municipal market development, Swargadwar development, Pramod Udyan, Gurukulam, Mahodadhi market, beachfront development, Puri lake, Musa river revival plan, Atharnala and housing for sevayats.

SOURCE: IE

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

COVID’S IMPACT ON LEARNING

THE CONTEXT: 16th annual report of Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) survey, which is facilitated by Pratham Education Foundation, is the oldest survey of its kind in the country and is well regarded for the range of insights it provides on levels of foundational learning at the elementary level. In the context of the pandemic, the ASER Centre switched its focus to access to learning opportunities in 2020.
• The 16th edition of the report is based on a phone survey, conducted in September and October, of 75,234 children ages 5-16 across 581 rural districts in 25 states and three Union Territories. The surveyors also contacted teachers or headteachers from 7,299 government schools offering primary grades.

KEY FINDINGS

• Headline numbers: The report shows a “clear shift” from private to government schools — from 64.3 per cent in 2018 to 65.8 per cent in 2020, to 70.3 per cent in 2021; and a fall in private school enrolment from 28.8 per cent in 2020 to 24.4 per cent in 2021.
• Tuition-dependent: Students, especially those from poor families, are dependent more than ever on private tuition.
• Digital divide: From having no experience of pre-primary class to the lack of access to digital devices, the pandemic has left the youngest entrants in India’s formal education system particularly vulnerable, and not addressing their specific needs can have grave consequences. While the percentage of enrolled children having at least one smartphone at home has risen from 36.5 to 67.6 between 2018 and 2021, only 19.9 per cent of children in Classes I-II have access to the devices whenever they require. The access to smartphones increases with age, with 35.4 per cent of students in Classes IX and above having constant access.
• Falling behind:65.4 per cent of teachers flagged the problem of children being “unable to catch up” as one of their biggest challenges. During the recent National Achievement Survey (NAS) of the central government, teachers and field investigators across the country reported that primary grade kids struggled to make sense of questions to test basic comprehension and numerical skills.
• Silver lining: The report captured a decline in the proportion of children not currently enrolled in the 15-16 age group. The survey also found that 91.9 per cent of enrolled children have textbooks for their current grade. But only about a third (33.5 per cent) of children in grades I-II of yet-to-reopen schools reported having received learning materials.

SOURCE: IE        

CABINET APPROVED USOF SCHEME FOR UNCOVERED VILLAGES

THE CONTEXT:    The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval for the provisioning of mobile services in Uncovered Villages of Aspirational Districts across five States of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra & Odisha.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Project envisages providing 4G based mobile services in the 7,287 uncovered villages of 44 Aspirational Districts across five States at an estimated cost of implementation of about Rs 6,466 crore including operational expenses for 5 years.
• The project would be funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). The project will be completed within 18 months after the signing of the Agreement and is likely to be completed by November 23.
• The work related to the provision of 4G mobile services in identified uncovered villages will be awarded through an open competitive bidding process as per extant USOF procedures.
• It will enhance digital connectivity useful for self-reliance, facilitate learning, dissemination of information and knowledge, skill up-gradation and development, disaster management, e-Governance initiatives, the establishment of enterprises & e-commerce facilities, provision of adequate support to educational institutes for knowledge sharing & availability of job opportunity and fulfilling the vision of Digital India promoting domestic manufacturing and fulfilling the objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat etc.

SOURCE: PIB

GLOBAL BRIBERY RISK RANKINGS

THE CONTEXT: India has slipped to 82nd position in 2021, five places down from 77th rank last year, in a global list that measures business bribery risks.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The list by TRACE, an anti-bribery standard-setting organisation, measures business bribery risk in 194 countries, territories, and autonomous and semi-autonomous regions.
• According to this year’s data, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Eritrea pose the highest commercial bribery risk, while Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand present the lowest.
• This score is based on four factors — business interactions with the government, anti-bribery deterrence and enforcement, government and civil service transparency, and capacity for civil society oversight which includes the role of the media.
• India fared better than its neighbours – Pakistan, China, Nepal and Bangladesh. Bhutan, meanwhile, secured 62nd rank.

SOURCE:  IE 

INDIAN ECONOMY

CABINET APPROVED CONTINUATION OF PMGSY

THE CONTEXT: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval to the proposals of the Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development for the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-I and II up to September 2022 for completion of balance road and bridge works. The CCEA also approved the continuation of the Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA) up to March 2023.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The interventions/verticals for which extension of time have been solicited are already under implementation under PMGSY. All the projects under PMGSY-I and II are already sanctioned.
• The Ministry would constantly follow up the progress with the states to ensure completion of the balance projects with the extended timeline.
• A total of Rs. 1,12,419 crore, including state share, is likely to be incurred from 2021-22 to 2024-25 for completion of all the ongoing interventions of PMGSY

ABOUT PMGSY-I

• PMGSY-I was launched in the year 2000 to provide connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations of 500+ in plain areas and 250+ in North-East and Himalayan states as per census, 2001.
• The Scheme also included the component of up-gradation of existing rural roads for those districts where all the eligible habitations had been saturated.
• In the year 2013, it was decided to also cover habitations of population size 100-249 as per census, 2001 in the Left-wing Extremism Affected blocks identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Out of 1,78,184 habitations of 250+ and 500+ population size identified for coverage under the scheme, 1,71,494 habitations have already been connected and 1,968 habitations are balanced as of 15^thNovember, 2021.
• A total of 6,45,627 Km road length and 7,523 bridges have been sanctioned under PMGSY-I, of which only 20,950 Km road length and 1,974 bridges are balanced as of 15^thNovember, 2021.
• The majority of the pending projects are in North-East & Himalayan states/UTs.
• All the balance habitations are targeted for connectivity within the proposed extended period, i.e. up to September 2022 by constructing 20,950 Km road length and 1,974 bridges.

ABOUT PMGSY-II

• PMGSY-II, which was approved by the Cabinet in May 2013, envisaged the consolidation of 50,000 Km of the existing rural road network.
• All the proposals of states/UTs have been sanctioned.
• Out of a total of 49,885 Km and 765 bridges sanctioned under the scheme, only 4,240 Km road length and 254 bridges are balanced.
• The majority of the pending projects are in North-East & Himalayan states/UTs as also in the State of Bihar.
• All pending projects are targeted for completion within the proposed extended period, i.e. up to September 2022.

ABOUT ROAD CONNECTIVITY PROJECT FOR LEFT-WING EXTREMISM AFFECTED AREAS (RCPLWEA)

• Launched in 2016 for construction/up-gradation of 5,412 Km road length and 126 bridges of strategic importance in 44 districts in 9 states, viz. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, with an outlay of Rs. 11,725 crore.
• Implementation period: 2016-17 to 2019-20
• Road and bridgework to be taken up under the scheme have been identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs in consultation with states and security forces.
• 10,231 Km road length and bridges sanctioned under the scheme so far with an outlay of Rs. 9,822 crore, including the additional proposals recommended by MHA subsequently.
• 4,490 Km road length and 105 bridges have already been completed.
• Balance projects and additional projects of around 1,887 Km, which are yet to be sanctioned, are targeted for completion within the proposed extended period, i.e. up to March 2023.

 SOURCE: PIB                       

INTERNAL SECURITY

INDIA PLACED ORDERS FOR FRENCH HAMMER MISSILES

THE CONTEXT:   To strengthen the capabilities of the indigenous LCA Tejas fighter aircraft, the Indian Air Force has placed orders for HAMMER missiles from France which would allow it to take out any hardened bunkers or ground targets at stand-off ranges of more than 70 kilometres.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The capability enhancement of the LCA Tejas fighter aircraft is being done in the middle of a military stand-off with China using the emergency procurement power granted by the government to the defence forces.
• The Indian Air Force had acquired the first lot of these HAMMERs for the Rafale fighters at the time when the aircraft had started coming to the IAF from France to further enhance the air to ground targeting capabilities of its most advanced plane.
• Due to the urgency at that time in view of the Chinese aggression, the French authorities had agreed to supply them at a short notice for our Rafale combat aircraft.
• HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a medium-range air-to-ground weapon designed and manufactured for the French Air Force and Navy initially.
• The HAMMERs would give India the capability to take out any bunkers or hardened shelters in any type of terrain including mountainous locations such as Eastern Ladakh, the sources said.
• Indian armed forces have extensively utilised the emergency procurement powers granted to them in different phases by the government to equip themselves with necessary weaponry to handle any conflict or aggression by enemies on both sides.
• The Indian Air Force is strongly supporting the indigenous LCA Tejas fighter aircraft programme by adding more and more capabilities of the aircraft.
• The IAF has already operationalised two of its squadrons in the initial operational clearance and final operational clearance versions while a contract has been signed for the 83 Mark1As set to be delivered a couple of years from now.

SOURCE: ThePrint

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. To strengthen the capabilities of the indigenous LCA Tejas fighter aircraft, the Indian Air Force has placed orders for HAMMER missiles from which country?

a) Russia

b) The USA

c) France

d) Germany

ANSWER FOR NOVEMBER 17^th, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1 Answer: C

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: UNWTO was formed in 1975 as a UN specialised agency.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Its headquarters are based in Madrid, Spain.
• Statement 3 is correct: The Tourism Villages is a global initiative of UNWTO to highlight villages where tourism preserves cultures and traditions, celebrates diversity, provides opportunities and safeguards biodiversity. Statement 4 is correct: Pochampally village in Telangana is set to be named as one of the best Tourism Villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

THE CONTEXT: Data has become crucial for any country. After the Supreme Court Judgement in Puttaswamy Case in 2017, the debate about the privacy of users is on the floor every time. There is a demand for the proper setup for the protection of users’ data. Data protection Authority is an effective solution in this regard. This article analyses the importance of data protection authority in the securing of users’ data.

 WHAT IS DATA PROTECTION AUTHORITY AND WHY IS IT REQUIRED?

India’s data protection authority (DPA), as envisaged under the proposed Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill, has been entrusted with the crucial responsibility of protecting and regulating the use of the personal data of citizens.

• India has around 290 million social media users, 340 million messaging application users and around 400 million search engine users. These can easily be siphoned off to a foreign land and used for micro-targeting advertising.
• In similar cases, the EU has the General Data Protection Regulation and the US laws dealing with issues of privacy with the help of such authorities.
• In 2018, Srikrishna Committee also recommended Such Authorities for effective security of data.

PROTECTION FROM WHOM?

Basically, personal data is collected and processed by

• State actors => central and state governments and their instrumentalities;
• Non-state actors => private organisations providing services, social media intermediaries, e-commerce entities, big tech companies and employers
• The central and state governments are one of the largest data fiduciaries (who collect, hold and process data) in a wide array of state activities such as national security, welfare administration, subsidies, provision of municipal services and employment benefits etc.
• Similarly, in the age of big data, non-state data fiduciaries such as social media intermediaries like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and giant e-commerce platforms also collect large amounts of personal data on a day-to-day basis.

WHY DATA PROTECTION IS REQUIRED?

  WHAT IS RIGHT TO PRIVACY AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT?

• A right to privacy is defined broadly as “the right to be let alone.”
• It usually excludes personal matters or activities which may reasonably be of public interest.
• The right to privacy is our right to keep a domain around us, which includes all those things that are part of us, such as our body, home, thoughts, feelings, secrets and identity.
• The right to privacy gives us the ability to choose which parts in this domain can be accessed by others and to control the extent, manner and timing of the use of those parts we choose to disclose.

THE LANDMARK JUDGEMENTS
WHERE RIGHT TO PRIVACY HAS BEEN RECOGNISED AS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT
KHARAK SINGH V. THE STATE OF U.P. (1962)	In this case, a minority opinion recognised the right to privacy as a fundamental right but this was not the majority opinion. The minority Judges located the right to privacy under both the right to personal liberty as well as freedom of movement.
GOVIND V. STATE OF M.P. (1975)	Confirmed that the right to privacy is a fundamental right. The right to privacy was said to encompass and protect the personal intimacies of the home, the family marriage, motherhood, procreation and child-rearing. However, the right to privacy is subject to “compelling state interest”.
R. RAJAGOPAL V. UNION OF INDIA (1994)	The right to privacy is a part of the right to personal liberty guaranteed under the constitution. It recognized that the right to privacy can be both a tort (actionable claim) as well as a fundamental right.
UIDAI V/S CBI (2014)	The Unique Identity Authority of India should not transfer any biometric information of any person who has been allotted an Aadhaar number to any other agency without the written consent of that person.
JUSTICE K.S. PUTTUSWAMY (RETD.) & ANR. V. UNION OF INDIA & ORS. (2017).	Privacy is to be an integral component of Part III of the Indian Constitution, which lays down the fundamental rights of the citizens. The state must carefully balance the individual privacy and the legitimate aim, at any cost as fundamental rights cannot be given or taken away by law, and all laws and acts must abide by the constitution. The right to privacy is not an absolute right and any invasion of privacy by state or non-state actor must satisfy the triple test i.e. 1.       Legitimate Aim 2.       Proportionality 3.       Legality

In the Puttaswamy case, the SC instructed the government to pass a law that would regulate informational privacy not only from non-state actors but also from the state parties and other individuals.

DEVELOPMENTS AFTER THE SUPREME COURT JUDGEMENT?

• In August 2017, the Supreme Court held that privacy is a fundamental right, flowing from the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. The Court also observed that privacy of personal data and facts is an essential aspect of the right to privacy.
• In July 2017, a Committee of Experts, chaired by Justice B. N. Srikrishna, was set up to examine various issues related to data protection in India.
• The Committee submitted its report, along with a draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018 to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in July 2018.
• In 2019, the Personal Data Protection Bill was introduced in Parliament that is not passed yet.

OBJECTIVE OF THE BILL

• Its regulatory nature not only creates a safe environment for a data principal to get his/her data processed but also protects the right of data fiduciary to profess.
• Gives both the partners in this relationship certain rights and liabilities for it to work effectively.
• Makes sure that the judgement made by the Supreme Court and the rights under the Constitution is protected and safeguarded.
• It attempts to create a secure mechanism for processing of data, establishing certain norms for social media intermediaries, cross-border transfer, liabilities of agencies processing personal data, remedies for illegal, unauthorized and harmful processing, and to lay down a framework of a Data Protection Authority for India for the above said purpose.
• The need for the Bill is derived from the growth of the digital economy and the purpose of monitoring the valid use of data as a means of communication.

PROVISION REGARDING DATA PROTECTION AUTHORITIES

• The Bill sets up a Data Protection Authority which may:

1. 1. take steps to protect the interests of individuals,
2. 2. prevent misuse of personal data, and

• 3. ensure compliance with the Bill.
• It will consist of a chairperson and six members, with at least 10 years of expertise in the field of data protection and information technology.  Orders of the Authority can be appealed to an Appellate Tribunal.  Appeals from the Tribunal will go to the Supreme Court.

HOW DPA IS EMPOWERED TO PROTECT THE DATA?

• The Chairperson of the authority will have the power of superintendence and to give direction for the affairs. The authority will itself appoint members and officers it deems necessary for discharging its duties under this act.
• The most important function of the authority would be to protect the right to privacy that is to protect the interests of data privacy, prevent any misuse of the data, promote data security awareness and comply with the provisions of this act. Other responsibilities or the powers of the authority include formulating regulations and policies for all the purposes as stated above to regulate the data processing, inclusive of all such regulation required provisions.
• The authority has the power to enact code for the practice in the good faith of the data processing companies and entities. The code of practice shall be formulated for an agency, association, or industry involving personal data processing. The authority has the role of maintaining the code and making necessary changes to adapt to the needful.
• The Authority may, for the purpose of discharging of its functions under this Act, issue directions. From time to time as it may deem necessary directions can be issued to some data fiduciaries or data processors in general, or to a particular data fiduciary or a data processor. By the means of provisions of such order or directions, a data fiduciary could be bound to comply with the directions.
• The authority has the power to call for information for discharging its functions as required by the Bill from data fiduciaries and data processors. The authorized officer in the authority has the power to seize any computer resource or any other document if it gives any doubt of misconduct or violation of regulations under the act.
• The authorized officer in the authority has the power to seize any computer resource or any other document if it gives any doubt of misconduct or violation of regulations under the act.

WHAT ARE THE ISSUES: AN ANALYSIS?

WHAT INDIA CAN LEARN FROM BEST PRACTICES

1. EU MODEL

2. CHINA MODEL

There is no single regulatory authority that deals exclusively with data protection/privacy matters. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) is currently generally considered the primary data protection authority in the PRC, although various other legislative and administrative authorities have claimed jurisdiction over data protection matters, such as:

• National People’s Congress Standing Committee
• Ministry of Public Security
• Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
• State Administration for Market Regulation
• Ministry of Science and Technology

Other sector-specific regulators, such as the People’s Bank of China or the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, can monitor and enforce data protection issues of regulated institutions within their sector.

WAY FORWARD:

• The DPA must be established not as a regulatory body appointed by the central government but as a quasi-judicial independent body having judicial representation and should be subjected to only judicial oversight and monitoring and not executive supervision as envisaged in the current Bill.
• Need for a decentralised DPA structure with state bodies and bodies at the district level like the Consumer Protection regime and to a certain extent, the Right to Information regime.
• As DPA will be an umbrella regulator over the sectoral regulators, there is a greater need to make it not only independent and competent but also efficient and effective.
• There is a need to set up an independent DPA, which can implement the Personal Data Protection Bill in an unbiased manner. It cannot appear to be under the direct command and control of the central government.

CONCLUSION: Maintaining a balance between informational privacy and the development of a strong digital economy is a truly challenging task, requiring a qualified and neutral body at the helm. India can unlock its true digital potential as a data market only with an independent DPA, and not by a regime that irreparably harms our constitutional values and citizens’ right to informational privacy.

Just add to your knowledge

ART AND CULTURE

1. POCHAMPALLY VILLAGE

THE CONTEXT: The Pochampally Village in Telangana State has been selected as one of the best Tourism Villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

THE EXPLANATION:

• The prestigious award will be given on the occasion of the 24th session of the UNWTO General Assembly on 2nd December 2021 in Madrid, Spain.
• The Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO Pilot initiative aims to award those villages which are outstanding examples of rural destinations and showcase good practices in line with its specified nine evaluation areas.
• It also aims to support villages to enhance their rural tourism potential through training and access to opportunities for improvement.
• The Ministry of Tourism recommended three villages for the UNWTO Best Tourism Village entry from India. These were Kongthong in Meghalaya, Ladhpura Khas, Madhya Pradesh and Pochampally in Telangana. Pochampally, was awarded by UNWTO.

ABOUT POCHAMPALLY

• Pochampally, 50 Kms from Hyderabad, is a town in Nalgonda district of Telangana and is often referred to as the Silk City of India for the exquisite sarees that are woven through a unique style called Ikat.
• This style, Pochampally Ikat, received a Geographical Indicator (GI Status) in 2004.
• Ikat is a Malaysian, Indonesian word that means “Tie and Dye”. Ikat involves the process of wrapping (or tying) and dyeing sections of bundled yarn to a predetermined colour pattern before they are woven.
• The dye penetrates into exposed sections while the wrapped section remains undyed. This pattern formed by the yarn in this process is woven into fabric.
• Pochampally is also known as Bhoodan Pochampally to commemorate the Bhoodan Movement that was launched by Acharya Vinobha Bhave from this village on April 18th, 1951.

SOURCE: PIB

2. KARTARPUR CORRIDOR OPENS

THE CONTEXT: The Indian government said it was re-opening the Kartarpur corridor that connects Sikh shrines in India and Pakistan, given the decline in covid-19 cases.

ABOUT KARTARPUR CORRIDOR

• Guru Nanak is the founder and first Guru of Sikhism.
• He was born in 1469 at Talwandi Rai Bhoe near Lahore. The place is renamed later as Nankana Sahib.
• He undertook preaching tours, also called Udasis, to spread his message.
• In the later years of his life, Guru Nanak settled down at the township of Kartarpur, on the banks of river Ravi in Punjab.
• Kartarpur Corridor connects the Dera Baba Nanak Sahib Gurdwara in the India’s state of Punjab to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur shrine in Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province.
• It runs across over Ravi River.
• The Gurdwara Darbar Sahib was ordered by the Maharaja of Patiala between 1921-1929.
• Guru Nanak died at the age of 70. He appointed Bhai Lena as his successor and renamed him, Guru Angad.

SOURCE : TH

INDIAN ECONOMY

3. COUNTRY’S FIRST FISHERIES BUSINESS INCUBATOR

THE CONTEXT: Union Minister of Fisheries inaugurated the country’s first-of-its-kind, a dedicated business incubator to be known as LINAC- NCDC Fisheries Business Incubation Centre (LlFlC) in Haryana’s Gurugram costing Rs. 3.23 crore to nurture fisheries start-ups under real market-led conditions.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), an implementing agency for the LIFIC, has identified the first batch of ten incubatees from four states—Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• Out of them, 6 are from newly-created Fish Farmers Producer Organizations with the support of the financial grant under the PMMSY.
• Fisheries is a sunrise industry in India, growing at a 7 per cent rate annually.
• The PM has set a goal of 22 million tonnes of fish production and export to the tune of Rs one lakh crore by 2025.
• It is a very tall order to be achieved within next four years given that presently, fish production is 130  lakh tones and export worth Rs 46,000 crore.
• Overall, there are around 30,000 cooperatives in the fisheries sector.

 SOURCE: PIB                       

4. 20% USW’S REGISTERED WITH E-SHARM PORTAL

THE CONTEXT: About 7.7 crore unorganised sector workers, accounting for 20% of the targeted 38.37 crore workers, across the country had registered on the e-Sharm portal.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The e-Sharm portal is the first centralised database of unorganised workers nationwide seeded with Aadhaar.
• Odisha with the achievement of 87% of the targeted registrations emerged on the top, followed by West Bengal (65%), Chhattisgarh (33%), Jharkhand (31%) and Bihar (25%).
• The response to registration on the e-Sharm portal in these states could be an indication of the suffering faced by the unorganised sector and migrant workers in the aftermath of lockdown and restrictions imposed due to COVID-19.
• For the first time with the e-Sharm portal, the Union government will have a centralised database with Aadhaar numbers seeded of migrant workers, gig workers, agricultural workers, Anganwadi workers, street vendors, domestic workers, among other unorganised sector workers. So far there has been no such database for unorganised sector workers.
• Only data on organised sector workers is available through the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation.
• With the conception of the e-Sharm portal, the government claims that will be closer to providing a universal account number and an e-Sharm Card to unorganised workers. Efforts are on to link this number with social security schemes in the future.
• For now, the government has already announced its intention to link accidental insurance with registration on the e-Sharm portal. According to this, if a registered worker meets with an accident, she will be eligible for Rs 2 lakh on death or permanent disability, and Rs 1 lakh on partial disability.
• The government has set the deadline to complete the registration of 38.37 crore informal sector workers across the country by March 2022.

 SOURCE: TheWire                     

INTERNAL SECURITY

5. INDIAN OCEAN NAVAL SYMPOSIUM

THE CONTEXT:   The 7^th edition of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs is being hosted by French Navy in Paris from 15 – 16 Nov 21.

ABOUT IONS

• IONS was conceived by the Indian Navy in 2008 as a forum that seeks to enhance maritime cooperation among Navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive platform for discussions on regionally relevant maritime issues that would lead to a common understanding on the way ahead.
• The inaugural edition of IONS was held in Feb 2008 in New Delhi, with the Indian Navy as the Chair for two years. The IONS Chair is presently held with France.

SOURCE: PIB

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

6. RUSSIAN ASAT TEST

THE CONTEXT:  Russia has carried out a Direct-Ascent Anti-Satellite (DA-ASAT) test by shooting down an old satellite on Monday which has created huge debris in the low earth orbit.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the US space command, Russia has conducted the DA-ASAT test to shoot down an old Soviet Tselina-D SIGINT satellite, Kosmos-1408, which was launched in 1982 and had been dead for a long time.
• While Russia has previously tested ASAT weapons, the DA-ASAT is more advanced and similar to the ones the US has in its inventory.
• ASAT weapon gives the capability to destroy satellites in orbit disrupting the communications and surveillance capabilities of adversaries. Only a handful of countries have successfully demonstrated ASAT capability – China, India, Russia and U.S.
• Initial assessment by USSPACECOM is that the debris will remain in orbit for years and potentially for decades, posing a significant risk to the crew on the International Space Station and other human spaceflight activities, as well as multiple countries’ satellites.
• USSPACECOM continues to monitor the trajectory of the debris and will work to ensure all space-faring nations have the information necessary to safeguard their on-orbit activities if impacted by the debris cloud, a service the United States provides to the world, to include Russia and China.

 SOURCE: TH

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS:

Q1. Consider the following statements:

1. United Nations World Tourism Organisation was formed in 1975.
2. Its headquarters is located in Rome, Italy.
3. Tourism Villages is a global initiative of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.
4. Pochampally village in Telangana is selected as one of the best Tourism Villages in 2021.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

a) 1 and 3 only

b) 1, 2 and 3 only

c) 1, 3 and 4 only

d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

ANSWER FOR NOVEMBER 16^th, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1. Answer: D

Explanation:

• Birsa Munda was an Indian tribal freedom fighter, religious leader, and folk hero who belonged to the Munda tribe.
• He is also known as ‘Dharti Abba’ or the Earth Father.
• He started the faith of ‘Birsait’. He wanted to reform the tribal society and so, he urged them to let go of beliefs in witchcraft and instead, stressed the importance of prayer, staying away from alcohol, having faith in God and observing a code of conduct.
• He started a movement called ‘Ulgulan’, or ‘The Great Tumult’.
• His struggle against the exploitation and discrimination against tribals led to a big hit against the British government in the form of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act being passed in 1908. The act restricted the passing on of land from the tribal people to non-tribals.

THE CONTEXT:  Today, our justice delivery system is facing multiple challenges. Two of them are stark and need immediate attention – appointment of judges and managing the humongous number of pending cases. There is a large number of vacancies in the sanctioned strength of High Courts and the Sub Ordinate Judiciaries across the country. This has led to a delay in justice delivery and it is well known that delayed justice is denied justice. This delay also has serious implications for rule of law as the society at large starts losing trust in the justice delivery mechanism and begin to take law into their own hands. In this background, this article attempts to comprehensively address the reasons and solutions with respect to the large vacancies in the Indian Judiciary.

What does the statistic say?

• As per the Department of Justice (DOJ), Ministry of Law and Justice, the sanctioned strength of high court (HC) judges is 1,080.
• As of June 1, 2021, the vacancy of High Court judges is 430
• Earlier, even when the sanctioned strength was in the region of 700+ the zero vacancies could not be achieved.
• On 22 October 2018 the SC noted that according to the information submitted by Registries of the High Courts, there are 22,036 judicial posts in the District and Subordinate Courts:
  • 23% of these judicial posts are vacant, i.e. 5133 judicial posts
  • Recruitment processes are underway for 4180 posts
  • For 1324 vacant posts, there is no recruitment process underway
• As of Apr 15, 2021, in SC 67279 cases are pending while in High Courts the number is a whopping 57.53 lakh. (National Judicial Data Grid)
• The Subordinate judiciary (Districts courts and below) has a pendency of 3.81 crore cases as on the same date. (National Judicial Data Grid)

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF SUCH HUGE VACANCIES?

Apart from the huge pendency of cases in the courts, there are other serious consequences of a large number of vacancies. These are:

• Rule of Law: The common man’s faith in the justice system suffers due to a lack of timely justice delivery. This leads to people taking the law into their hands or approaching influential entities like Khaps, for resolving their disputes often leading to miscarriage of justice. Many revenge killings or riots stem from the perception that delays in the justice system will lead to culprits walking scot-free.
• Violation of Art 21: Vacancies denies the poor and under trial prisoners, their due of justice as their cases go on endlessly without speedy hearing and disposal. As per SC, the right to speedy trial is a fundamental right under Art 21. The consequence of delayed justice is injustice. Consider a few examples. In March this year, Vishnu Tiwari was held not guilty of rape by the Allahabad high court after he had spent 20 years in jail. In March, Dipak Jaishi a Nepali citizen was ordered to be released by the Calcutta high court from the Dum Dum Central Correctional Home after spending 40 years in judicial custody as an under trial prisoner.
• Economic reforms: without a speedier justice system the economic reforms and ease of doing business initiatives remain only on paper and thus becomes ineffective in achieving their policy goals. As per the EoDB Ranking by World Bank, India’s position is 163 in the Enforcement of Contract Thus foreign investors are increasingly doubtful about the timely delivery of justice, which affects the success of programs like ‘Make in India’.
• Over Worked Judiciary: Judiciary becomes overworked and lose its efficiency. Justice delayed is justice denied and Justice hurried is justice buried. The loss of judicial productivity leads to poor Quality of judgement. It is not uncommon to see over 100 matterslisted before a judge in a day leading to very little time on analyzing every fact of the case.
• Criminalisistaion of Politics: The vacancies across the courts results in the criminal or electoral malpractices cases against politicians dragging for years. This delay seems to provide impunity to the criminal elements in politics to continue with their actions which encourages others also to do the same. Lack of speedy disposal of cases with respect to politicians results in serious erosion of legitimacy of political institutions, subversions of constitutional entities and politicization and criminalization of administration.

Why is there such huge vacancies?

HOW THE JUDGES ARE APPOINTED?

WHAT MUST BE DONE TO ADDRESS THE HUGE VACANCIES?

• Reform the Memorandum of Procedure (MOP): The high courts and the Supreme Court should both be transparent as far as the process of appointing judges is concerned.
  • The Memorandum of Procedure (MOP) postulates that a proposal made by the chief justice of the high court should be sent to the chief minister of the state and “to avoid delay” to the governor.
  • It should simultaneously be sent to the CJI and the Union law minister “to expedite consideration.”
  • The emphasis is on avoiding delays and expediting the process.
  • Immediately on receipt of a copy of the proposal, the collegium of the Supreme Court can start its scrutiny
• Judicial Assertion: The judiciary must put its foot down and demand from the executive credible answers for the delay in responding to its recommendations and notifying the appointment.
  • In M/s. PLR Projects Pvt. Ltd v. Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, Apr 2020 the top court for the first time indicated an outer time limit of 18 weeks to complete the process for appointments of the High Court judges in a recent judgement
  • The court has said that in case the government has any reservation regarding certain recommendations, those names may be sent back to the Supreme Court collegium for specific reasons.
  • However, the bench held, if the collegium reiterates the recommendations unanimously, “such appointment should be processed and appointment should be made within three to four weeks”.
  • The court also emphasised the requirement of the chief justices of the 25 high courts to recommend vacancies as early as possible, and as and when new vacancies arose, irrespective of whether their old recommendations were cleared or not
• Role of the executive in appointments: Judicial appointments is the joint responsibility of the Executive and the Judiciary, with neither body having primacy over the other.  The Constitution provides for appointment t by President after ‘consultation’ with the judiciary, instead of ‘concurrence’.  The present interpretation of the Constitution by the Supreme Court that requires the concurrence of the judiciary may be reversed.
• Collegium versus Commission: over the decades, several high-level Commissions have examined this method of appointment of judges to the higher judiciary.  They have suggested that an independent body be set up to make recommendations for such appointments. For instance, the 2^ndAdministrative Reforms Commission suggested:
  • Judiciary: CJI; [For HC judges: Chief Justice of the relevant High Court of that state]
  • Executive: Vice-President (Chairperson), PM, Law Minister, [For HC judges: Includes CM of the state]
  • Legislature: Speaker of Lok Sabha, Leaders of Opposition from both Houses of Parliament
• Increase age of retirement:  The retirement age of SC judges may be increased to 67 years, and HC judges to 65 years.  This is based on increased life expectancy and is in line with international practice. This can prevent further vacancies from being added up due to the retirement of incumbent judges and attention can be focused on existing vacancies.
• Minimum tenure:  Most Chief Justices of higher courts have short tenures, for about a year or so.  The Department of Justice may create a fixed minimum tenure for Chief Justices of higher courts. This enables the CJ of HC to have sufficient time to plan and implement judicial human resource management not only in their own HC but also in the lower judiciary.

• National security and public interest:  The government proposes to decline the collegium’s recommendations for appointment on grounds of ‘national security’ and ‘larger public interest’.  These terms have also been proposed as parameters for appointments in the revised MoP.  If the government were to reject a candidate on these grounds, it would be similar to giving them a veto power, which is against the constitutional mandate.  The terms ‘national security’ and ‘larger public interest’, and the circumstances that would fall within their purview should be specified.

• Shortlisting of names: The views of all judges in the court and the Bar Association must be taken in shortlisting of candidates.  All such names may be placed before the HC collegium, which will submit a final shortlist of names to the SC collegium and central government.  A cell in the Registry of the courts could maintain a computerized database of persons eligible for appointment as judges

MEASURES SPECIFIC TO LOWER COURTS

• All India Judicial Service: The government is in the process of finalizing a bill to establish an All-India Judicial Service to recruit officers for subordinate courts through an entrance test. The provision of AIJS was included in Article 312 of the Constitution through the 42nd Amendment in 1976. The centralized timely recruitment process from a national pool of talented candidates can help reduce the problems of vacancies in the lower judiciary and will also provide quality manpower.
• The 15th Finance Commission grants: The performance-based grants provided by the XVFC under the theme governance and administrative reforms include grants for the judiciary also. Thus, these funds can incentivize the creation of human and physical infrastructure in the lower judiciary.
• Supreme Court Directions: It is important to note that the Supreme Court has been monitoring the vacancies in the district judiciary. It had prescribed timelines for the selection of judges at the state level in Malik Mazhar Sultan v UP Public Service Commission in 2006. In October 2018, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the vacancies in the district judiciary and asked state governments and high courts to file status reports with regard to the status of judicial vacancies and physical infrastructure in the states and it has been monitoring the selections since.
• Central Selection Mechanism: A centralized system with one exam held throughout India would provide more certainty to the selection process. This would attract young legal minds and incentivize them to consider the subordinate judiciary as a prospective career option. The Supreme Court is pursuing the filling of vacancies as its top-most priority and has taken suo-motu action and has asked the opinion of various High Courts on centralization of the appointments of District Judges.

UNITED KINGDOM MODEL:  A LEARNING CURVE FOR INDIA

• The UK used to have the Lord Chancellor (a political appointee) at the helm of decision-making.
• This was changed by the Constitutional Reform Act of 2005; now a Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) selects over 500 people each year for an appointment to judicial posts across the UK.
• The process is clear and transparent as set out on their website, emails and Twitter.
• In the, UK one can go to www.judiciary.uk and apply to be a tribunal judge or recorder/magistrate and there is a spreadsheet one can download to see the progression all the way up to the UK Supreme Court.
• The Lord Chancellor has a much reduced role now in the appointment of judges he must consult senior politicians and senior judges before accepting, rejecting or asking for reconsideration of the names put forward by the JAC.
• The JAC consists of 15 members, including six lay ones, five judges, one barrister, one solicitor, one magistrate and one tribunal member.
• Appointment of judges is solely on merit and a consultation with the chief justice or his equivalent is required.
• When assessing merit, the following factors are considered: intellectual ability, integrity, independence, objectivity, decisiveness, willingness to learn, ability to be fair, authority, efficiency and communication skills.

THE WAY FORWARD

• The problems of vacancies in Indian courts requires a multifaceted collaborative approach with the executive, judiciary and other relevant stakeholders.
• It is necessary that the “issue of justice delivery system” must become part of popular consciousness and not remain only in academic circles. This requires its inclusion in manifestos of political parties and electoral discourse.
• Civil society must exert pressure on the executive and the higher judiciary through advocacy, research reports, PILs etc. While providing constructive suggestions for addressing the vacancies in courts, it can also put moral pressure on these institutions to act quickly.
• The Law Commissions must be mandated to comprehensively study and review the current issues contributing for the vacancies and suggest relevant measures.
• The Union Government and respective state governments need to come out with a White Paper on the “Problems of vacancies “and they must establish a time-bound action plan to address them.

CONCLUSION: A large number of vacancies in the Indian judiciary have multiple causes many of them systemic (institutional) while others are environmental (for instance, lack of public pressure). As the causes are diverse, the solutions must be also diverse. The administration of justice is a concurrent list subject, meaning it requires a cooperative federalism approach with an equally proactive engagement from the judicial side. At a time when the sanctioned strength is below par the required strength of judges as per UN Norms, the vacancies in the judiciary must be filled immediately.

 The Practice Questions:

1. The persistence of a large number of vacancies in the Indian Judiciary has serious implications for the country. Analyse
2. It requires a multi-pronged approach to address the problem of vacancies of judges in the subordinate judiciaries in India. Elaborate.

ART AND CULTURE

1. BIRSA MUNDA MUSEUM

THE CONTEXT: PM inaugurated the Birsa Munda museum in Ranchi on ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ or tribal pride day. It is the first of 10 new museums dedicated to tribal culture and contribution to the freedom movement.

BIRSA MUNDA AND TRIBAL REVOLT

• He was an Indian tribal freedom fighter, religious leader, and folk hero who belonged to the Munda tribe.
• He is also known as ‘Dharti Abba’ or the Earth Father.
• He started the faith of ‘Birsait’. He wanted to reform the tribal society and so, he urged them to let go of beliefs in witchcraft and instead, stressed the importance of prayer, staying away from alcohol, having faith in God and observing a code of conduct.
• He started a movement called ‘Ulgulan’, or ‘The Great Tumult’.
• His struggle against the exploitation and discrimination against tribals led to a big hit against the British government in the form of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act being passed in 1908.
• The act restricted the passing on of land from the tribal people to non-tribals.

SOURCE: TH

2. RANI KAMALAPATI RAILWAY STATION

THE CONTEXT: PM inaugurated the revamped Rani Kamalapati railway station, earlier known as Habibganj, in Bhopal.

ABOUT RANI KAMLAPATI

• She was the Gond queen of the region in the 18th century and the widow of Ginnorgarh’s chief, Gond ruler Nizam Shah.
• She was one of Nizam Shah’s seven wives and daughter of Chaudhari Kirpa-Ramchandra. Queen was well known for her beauty and abilities and was often praised.
• Nizam Shah was poisoned to death by his cousin Chain Singh, who wanted to marry Rani Kamlapati.
• According to reports, she built the seven-storey ‘Kamlapati Palace’, which presently serves as an ASI protected monument and overlooks the Upper and Lower Lakes.
• Rani Kamlapati Palace is a secular architecture of the 18th century built of Lakhauri bricks, cusped arches over crumpled pillars.
• The merlons are shaped as water lotuses honouring the name of the Queen.
• With more than a 1.2 crore population, the Gond community is one of the largest tribal groups in India. Linguistically, the Gonds belong to the GondiManda subgroup of the South Central branch of the Dravidian language family

SOURCE: TH

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

3. ASSESSING THE DIGITAL GAP AND LEARNING LOSSES

THE CONTEXT: Schools are reopening for physical classes after 18 months of closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although a variety of efforts were taken by many schools and governments to reach them through remote education, surveys are now showing that only a minority of students was able to access lessons of any sort during the lockdown, and that widespread learning losses are likely.

THE EXPLANATION:

• As the new academic year got underway in June and July 2020, schools were forced to begin remote education and the Centre promoted its digital education platform DIKSHA.
• Over the last few months, independent surveys have shown that in 15 States only 8% of students in rural India were able to access online education, while at least 37% completely dropped out.
• With 22 States and UTs having completely opened their schools, teachers and students are now grappling with the new ground reality of learning gaps.

 SOURCE: TH

4. NCRB DATA ON CUSTODIAL DEATHS

THE CONTEXT:  Over the last 20 years, 1,888 custodial deaths were reported across the country, 893 cases registered against police personnel and 358 personnel charge-sheeted. But only 26 policemen were convicted in this period.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The dismal record — compiled from the National Crime Records Bureau’s annual Crime in India (CII) reports from 2001-2020.
• The NCRB data show that the highest number of policemen — 11 — convicted for custodial deaths was in 2006 when seven in UP and four in Madhya Pradesh were found guilty.
• According to the latest data, 76 custodial deaths were reported in 2020, with Gujarat reporting the highest, 15, deaths. The other states on the list are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal.
• The 113th report of the Law Commission had recommended the insertion of Section 114 B in the Indian Evidence Act, which puts the burden of proof on the police to explain any injury caused in custody.

SOURCE: IE

INDIAN ECONOMY

5. THE OTHER DIGITAL DIVIDE

THE CONTEXT: UPI has cut across the Indian socio-economic digital divide quite well and amazingly fast. However, it is a different type of digital divide that we should watch out for, namely, the chances of being defrauded when we use our phones to pay.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Some common frauds take advantage of the fact that we may be unclear how the app works and the dos and don’ts of online transactions. For example, when you initiate a payment, you have to key in your PIN to complete the transaction. However, to receive payments you don’t need a PIN. This can be grounds for confusion.
• Some UPI apps have an online/ real-time chat and it’s easy for users to mistake the chat as being official instructions from the app itself. So, if the fraudster asks for your PIN on the chat you may wall believe your app is prompting to enter the PIN. You just have to be alert always.
• Another fraud is based on your registered mobile number (RMN). The SIM card of your phone/ your RMN is at the heart of your account, its authentication and operations. Fraudsters try to replicate your SIM by cloning it or simply conning you to cooperate so that they can get a replacement SIM.
• Then it’s theirs to get OTPs (one-time passwords) and make digital transactions on your accounts.

SOURCE: TH                       

6. RBI ASKS BANKS TO STANDARDISE NPA’S

THE CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed banks that that loan accounts classified as non-performing assets (NPAs) should be upgraded as ‘standard’ assets only if the entire arrears of interest and principal are paid by the borrower.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the central bank, some lending institutions upgrade accounts classified as NPAs to the ‘standard’ asset category upon payment of only interest overdue and partial overdue.
• Banks have also been asked to specifically mention in the loan agreements the exact due date of a loan and the breakup of the principal and interest, among others, instead of giving a description of the due dates, which leaves scope for interpretation.
• Henceforth, all lenders have to clearly mention the exact due dates for repayment, frequency of repayment, break up between the principal and interest, examples of SMA/NPA classification dates etc.

SOURCE: TH                       

INTERNAL SECURITY

7. S-400 TRIUMF LONG-RANGE AIR DEFENCE SYSTEM

THE CONTEXT:   India is preparing for a visit from the Russian President in early December, but it is the arrival of the $5.4-billion Russian long-range surface-to-air missile defence shield “S-400”, that is likely to generate more international headlines.

ABOUT THE DEAL

• India has contracted five S-400 Triumf (NATO designation SA-21 Growler) regiments from Russia under a $5.43 billion deal signed in October 2018.
• Delivery was originally slated to begin in 24 months by the end of 2020 but was slightly delayed due to late payments as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Eventually, both sides worked out a Rupee-Rouble exchange for payments, following which India paid a 15% advance amount, triggering the delivery cycle.
• The delivery is likely to be completed by April 2023, as informed by the Government in Parliament in July 2019. The final timeline has not been stated.

WHAT IS THE S-400 SYSTEM?

• S-400 Triumf is considered one of the world’s most advanced air defence systems that can simultaneously track and neutralise a range of incoming objects spanning aircraft, missiles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) over very long ranges.
• The system can provide air interception against early warning aircraft, airborne missile strategic carriers, tactical and theatre ballistic missiles, medium-range ballistic missiles, among others, in a dense radio countermeasure scenario.
• Designed by Almaz-Antey Central Design Bureau, the S-400 is a successor to the S-300 system and entered operational service in 2007. In 2015, it was deployed in Syria by Russia to protect its military assets and has also been deployed in Crimea.
• The S-400 is fully mobile and each system has a 3D phased array acquisition radar that can track around 300 targets up to 600 km, command and control centre, automatic tracking and targeting systems, launchers and support vehicles.
• Each system has four different types of missiles for up to 40 km, 120 km, 250 km and a maximum range of 400 km and up to 30 km altitude. The different ranges and varying altitudes create a layered air defence net.
• An S-400 battalion has eight missile launchers, typically with four missiles each. The 30K6E Command and Control elements include the 55K6E combat control post.

WHY IS THE S-400 IMPORTANT FOR INDIA?

• The S-400 fills important gaps in India’s national air defence network and would complement India’s indigenous Ballistic Missile Defence system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and create a multi-tier air defence over the country.
• Given its long-range, it means that if deployed towards the Western borders, the system can track movements of Pakistan Air Force aircraft as soon as they take off from their bases.
• For the Indian Air Force (IAF), the high-end technology S-400 would give a fillip and make up for its falling fighter aircraft squadrons in the medium term.

WILL INDIA BE SANCTIONED FOR THE S-400 PURCHASES?

• The United States Government has made it clear that the delivery of the five S-400 systems is considered a “significant transaction” under its Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) of 2017, which could trigger sanctions against Indian officials and the Government.
• The CAATSA is designed to ensure that no country is able to increase military engagement with Iran, North Korea and Russia without facing deterrent punitive action from the U.S. The sanctions are unilateral, and not part of any United Nations decision, and therefore no country is bound to accept them.
• Section 231 says the President shall impose no fewer than five different sanctions on any Government that enters into a significant defence or intelligence deal with the Russian Government. Section 235 lists 12 options, including stopping credit lines from the U.S. and international banks such as the IMF, blocking sales of licensed goods and technology, banning banks, manufacturers and suppliers, property transactions and even financial and visa sanctions on specific officials.
• However, the law empowers the President to waive sanctions or delay them if he/she certifies that the deal is not a threat to the U.S. and allies, that waiver of sanctions is in the U.S.’s “vital national security interests” or that the country being sanctioned promises to reduce its future dependence on the “adversary country”.
• The U.S. has already placed sanctions on China and Turkey for the purchase of the S-400.
• The Biden administration has not given any firm indication on where it leans on India’s case yet.

SOURCE: TH

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

8. 41ST SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA

THE CONTEXT:  India has successfully launched the 41^st Scientific Expedition to Antarctica with the arrival of the first batch of its contingent at the southern white continent. The first batch comprising of 23 scientists and support staff reached the Indian Antarctic station Maitri.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The 41^stexpedition has two major programs. The first program encompasses geological exploration of the Amery ice shelf at Bharati station. This will help explore the link between India and Antarctica in the past.
• The second program involves reconnaissance surveys and preparatory work for drilling of 500 meters of ice core near Maitri. It will help in improving the understanding of Antarctic climate, westerly winds, sea-ice and greenhouse gases from a single climate archive for the past 10,000 years.
• The ice core drilling will be done in collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey and the Norwegian Polar Institute. In addition to accomplishing scientific programs, it will replenish the annual supplies of food, fuel, provisions, and spares for operations and maintenance of life support systems at Maitri and Bharati.
• The Indian Antarctic program, which began in 1981, has completed 40 scientific expeditions, and built three permanent research base stations in Antarctica, named DakshinGangotri (1983), Maitri (1988) and Bharati (2012).
• As of today, Maitri and Bharati are fully operational. The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa—an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences—manages the entire Indian Antarctic program.

SOURCE: PIB

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1.  With reference to the history of India, “Ulgulan” or the Great Tumult is the description of which of the following events? (UPSC Prelims 2020)

a) The Revolt of 1857

b) The Mappila rebellion of 1921

c) The Indigo revolt of 1859 – 60

d) Birsa Munda’s revolt of 1899-1900

ANSWER FOR NOVEMBER 15^th, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: B

Explanation:

Tiger reserves of Arunachal Pradesh:

1. Namdapha tiger reserve
2. Kamlang  tiger reserve
3. Pakke Tiger reserve

Note: Orang tiger reserve is located in Assam.

THE CONTEXT: India is facing a severe pandemic in its independence era. During the Second Wave of the covid-19 Pandemic, the situation has become more worsen. During this time many experts and other intellectuals claimed that India was completely failed to address the crisis that occurred by the Pandemic. Moreover, many experts believe that India is a failed state and it was totally failed to secure its citizen during that pandemic. In this article, we will analyse that Is India a failing state? Or Is India a really failed state?

HEALTH CRISIS DURING SECOND WAVE OF COVIS-19 PANDEMIC

• The second wave in India was accelerated in March 2021 and in the last of April, it was on peak. During this time India saw the highest no. of cases in the World for many days.
• At the starting of May India saw an average of more than 4,00,000 cases per day and more than 4000 deaths per day for a week.
• The scenario created a deadly health crisis in India and there were many cases when people were struggling for basic health services even in Metro cities.
• During the wave, India crosses 3 crores positive cases and 3 lakh deaths.
• The positivity rate during the wave was more than 30 per cent at the starting of May 2021.
• The crisis was more worsen in Rural areas.
• There was news about floating dead bodies in Rivers and Buried on their Bank.
• In conclusion, it can be said that it was the most deadly second wave in the world.

WHY DOES INDIA FAIL TO ADDRESS THE SECOND WAVE EFFECTIVELY?

There are mainly ten reasons for the dire situation:

1. WARNINGS BY EXPERTS WENT UNHEEDED: Genome sequencing was not prioritised even after concerns were articulated about mutants causing a second wave.
2. NOT AUGMENTING THE MEDICAL WORKFORCE: A dire shortage of health professionals has crippled India’s fight against Covid.
3. THE VANISHING HOSPITAL BEDS: Across states, health infrastructure created during the first wave was dismantled under the delusion that the pandemic was over.
4. FAILING THE CRUCIAL TEST: After expanding testing labs on a war footing in the first wave, the momentum was lost even before the second hit.
5. GOING OFF TRACK: With states going lax on contact tracing and tracking of positive cases, the virus was left to spread unchecked
6. THE BOOM IN BLACK MARKET FOR KEY DRUGS: The government’s failure to build up a stockpile of special drugs for covid treatment has left millions of Indians desperate
7. GRAVE ERRORS IN OXYGEN SUPPLY: One of the biggest lessons for medical institutions from the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic was that more than ventilators and ICU beds, what was essential was an adequate supply of oxygen in hospitals to treat critically ill patients. Nonetheless, when the second wave of the pandemic arrived earlier this year, India’s medical oxygen supply network collapsed.
8. THE VACCINE COMPLACENCY: India’s vaccine rollout was abysmally slow, marred by official complacency and a lack of vision about its critical role in fighting return waves.
9. A WAR ROOM THAT WORKS: The fight against Covid has lacked a nationwide technology solution to route help to the needy but there was clearly a lack of this step.
10. THE ABSENT STATE: While the government failed to perform its duty and instead focused on political rewards. Despite the warning by the experts, govt. organized many events

The above explanation shows that the second wave in India was a total failure of health services, administration and in term of governance at the centre, state, district level.

IS INDIA A FAILED STATE? AN ANALYSIS

WHAT IS A FAILED STATE?

• A failed state is one where the government is not in control. This is a simplistic explanation. In control of what? In control of the rule of law, the economy, security, stability and development.
• India’s history as a formal democracy and its generally benign image around the world has hidden our fragility elsewhere. Everyone knows that the State in India is weak, and the government is unable to control the nation meaningfully across a variety of subjects. This is not new, and this was always the case.

Fragile Index (Previously called the Failed States Index) shows India is headed into a scary future

• It categorises nation-states are being one of 11 categories in terms of risk and vulnerability in social cohesion, the economy and in the political space.
• The nations that are classified as being successful and most likely to sustain their success are the Nordic countries of Finland, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, along with some others like Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
• India is not in this category or the next one or even the one after that, which are sustainable or even stable.
• It is in a category fifth from the bottom, which is classified as “Elevated Warning”. Our fellow category members are those like Colombia, Brazil, Israel, Algeria, Russia and Senegal.
• There are 30 nations in this category, but only four of the 30 have declined since last year — Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia and India.
• It says because of the current government’s “poorly thought out and implemented reforms, India’s economic growth has slowed, declining to its lowest nominal level since 1978.

Is India really failing?

India has improved steadily over the past 30 years. India’s progress on these fronts has been, in general, superior to other large Emerging Markets (EMs) and to India’s immediate neighbours. If we compare India with emerging markets (China, Russia, and Brazil) and neighbouring countries (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan), we can easily assume that India has done very well in many fields..

Few comparisons are as follow (Source: United Nations Development Programme and World Bank database):

1. Life Expectancy

• Life expectancy at birth is the number of years a person is expected to survive. Exhibit 1 shows progress on this metric for India, large EMs and India’s neighbours.

• In the chart above, the rate of growth in life expectancy can be seen between 6 sets of countries on average and India. It is evident that India’s rate of growth – in terms of the number of years lived – has been the highest – even above that of the EMs – over the last 30 years

2. Infant mortality

• Infant mortality per 1000 live births is the measure of the number of deaths at birth for every 1000 live births. It has long been seen as a reliable measure of the ability of a state to provide basic health services to its people. Exhibit 2 shows progress on this metric for India in comparison to its neighbours and other large EMs. Whilst India has performed better than its neighbours, the other large EMs have performed significantly better than India on this front.

3. Average literacy rate

• This metric measures the number of people who are literate (over 15 years of age) as a percentage of the total population. Exhibit 4 shows this metric over the years for India, its neighbours, and large EMs. India clearly surpassed its neighbours and large EMs in terms of the rate of growth in literacy rate over the past three decades.

4. Average Human Development Index (HDI)

• This metric is a mixture of three metrics – life expectancy, the standard of living at Gross National Income, and education in terms of expected and mean years of schooling. Exhibit 6 shows this composite index for India, India’s neighbours, and large EMs. The exhibit makes it amply clear that in terms of the rate of growth in HDI, India has beat both, its neighbours and large EMs over the last 30 years.

5. Average GDP per capita (constant $ 2017 PPP)

• This metric measures GDP per capita that is converted to international dollars using purchasing power parity rates. It measures the overall income for countries on an equal footing. Exhibit 7 shows this data for India, its neighbours, and large EMs. The conclusion is self-evident from the chart.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO ADDRESS THE THIRD WAVE OR OTHER SECOND WAVE-LIKE SITUATIONS IN FUTURE?

1. There is an urgent need to rapidly act to prevent transmission and mount crisis response and state-wise estimates are provided. Using a multi-model approach, with the worst-case scenario being considered for planning and strategy development.
2. Adoption of a graded public health response for movement restriction and scaling it up guided by multi-indicator technical criteria.
3. A state-level dashboard that captures indicators guiding the graded public health response might be developed to ensure better decision making and build citizen trust in restriction measures.
4. A multi-component community-based intervention to remove barriers to access and promote mask usage consisting of the following components needs to be invested in and scaled up across India:
   1. Engaging community-based organisations to ensure availability of free surgical masks (free door-to-door distribution of surgical mask would be an appropriate strategy after the surge is over),
   2. Offering information on mask usage and disposal with videos on tab, brochure in local languages and other community-based platforms,
   3. Endorsement and advocacy by local community leaders – healthcare, social, political and cultural,
   4. Periodic in-person monitoring of mask usage including providing reminders and distribution in public spaces,
   5. Development of protocols for disposal of masks in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.
5. Ensuring health system preparedness:
6. Urgent investments to ensure the scaling up of a crisis health system (for both COVID and non-COVID needs) is required.
7. Shortfalls in ventilator requirements, after purchase through routine supply chains and those received through aid, might be met by requesting support from organisations with the capacity to manufacture open source ventilators.
8. There is an urgent need to support people with COVID-19 who can undergo home care safely and scale-up telemedicine provided by registered medical practitioners.
9. Telemedicine facilities should be linked to transportation and hospital admission facilities such that severe patients can be optimally managed.
10. The government needs to urgently develop and implement a fair, just and transparent triaging criterion for rational allocation of beds, oxygen, and other critical care resources in consultation with bioethicists. Evidence on different triaging strategies is presented in the form of an inventory.

CONCLUSION: Looking at the above analysis shows that it will not be fair to say that India is a failed or failing state. While India has lost a lot to COVID 19 in 2020 and 2021, one must not forget that it has achieved a lot in the last 7 decades.