THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court’s pronouncement that the extension to the Chief Secretary of Delhi does not violate any rule turned a nail-biting thriller into a damp squib. The Centre granted extension to the  Chief Secretary of Delhi, and the apex court said it found nothing wrong with that.

ABOUT THE CHIEF SECRETARY OF THE STATE

Appointment: Chief Secretaries are chosen by the Chief Minister of State.

• All Chief Secretaries of Delhi have invariably been appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is the cadre-controlling authority of IAS and IPS officers of the AGMUT cadre (to which now the J&K cadre has been added).

Position: The Chief Secretary is the senior-most cadre post in the state administration, ranking 23rd on the Indian order of precedence. The Chief Secretary acts as the principal advisor to the chief minister on all matters of state administration and is the seniormost functionary of the civil services in a state.

Tenure: The office of Chief Secretary has been excluded from the operation of the tenure system. There is no fixed tenure for this post.

Functions: The Chief Secretary of Delhi performs two kinds of functions. He reports directly to the Lieutenant Governor on entries 1, 2 and 18 of List II of the Constitution of India, which pertain to police, law and order and land.

ALL INDIA SERVICES

• Their recruitment, training, discipline, age of retirement and retirement benefits emanate from the All India Services Act.
• The Act does not acknowledge extensions as normal but the rules provide for exceptions.
• Rule 16 of the All India Services (Death Cum Retirement) Benefits Rules, 1958 required the State government to make a recommendation for the six-month extension with the prior approval of the Union government.

ISSUES

• The Chief Secretary of NCT of Delhi is answerable only to the central government for matters relating to these three entries, which form the core of any government. Hence, if the central government so chooses (as it has) to extend the services of the Chief Secretary, it has not only the authority but its own justification to continue with the officer, regardless of the Delhi government.
• Since the incumbent Chief Secretary of Delhi has been accused of corruption involving a company where his son works, the government should have come up with another name.

THE WAY FORWARD

• The government should implement the provisions of FR 56(j) and compulsorily retire those whose record doesn’t measure up – not sporadically — but by using transparent benchmarks to cut out the deadwood, before it becomes a burden.

CONCLUSION:

Extending tenures should not be a routine practice but a well-justified decision based on pre-determined criteria. This ensures the selection process is objective and merit-based, minimizing potential bias or political influence. Ultimately, the focus should remain on upholding high standards of governance and ensuring efficient administration for the benefit of the people.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION:

Q) Initially Civil Services in India were designed to achieve the goals of neutrality and effectiveness, which seems to be lacking in the present context. Do you agree with the view that drastic reforms are required in Civil Services. Comment. (2017)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q) “Is it appropriate for state governments to grant extensions to Chief Secretaries”, even if the government feels comfortable with known people’’. Discuss

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/sc-approves-extension-of-delhi-chief-secretary-naresh-kumar-9050067/

THE CONTEXT: The NITI Aayog released the ‘National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023’. However, the Union government’s claim that there is a significant decline in poverty in recent years based on Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is being questioned.

MULTIDIMENSIONAL POVERTY INDEX (MPI)

• NITI Aayog is the nodal agency for the National MPI which ranks States and UTs based on their performance. It has been responsible for constructing an indigenised index for monitoring the performance of States and Union Territories (UTs) in addressing multidimensional poverty.
• It captures overlapping deprivations in health, education and living standards to ascertain multidimensional poverty.
• Each of the specific parameters under 3 broad categories is assigned a value to calculate what is called a ‘deprivation score’. The deprivation score is the sum of the weighted status of all the indicators for an individual  if it is more than 0.33, only then an individual is considered multidimensionally poor.

FINDING OF MPI, 2023:

• India has achieved a remarkable reduction in its MPI value and Headcount Ratio between 2015-16 and 2019-21. Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Odisha and Rajasthan recorded steepest decline in number of MPI
• Improvement in nutrition, years of schooling, sanitation, and cooking fuel played a significant role in reducing the MPI
• The MPI estimates highlight a near-halving of India’s national MPI value and decline in the proportion of population in multidimensional poverty from 24.85% to 14.96% between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
• This reduction of 9.89 % in multidimensional poverty indicates that, at the level of projected population in 2021, about 135.5 million persons have escaped poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
• Besides, the intensity of poverty, which measures the average deprivation among the people living in multidimensional poverty, reduced from 47.14% to 44.39%.

ISSUES IN MPI:

• Similar issues as UNDP’ HDI: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) constructed an overall measure of human development with uniform weights of the three components. Following this methodology, NITI Aayog and the UNDP released recently a National Multidimensional Poverty Index/MPI: A Progress Review 2023. Hence, these reports suffer from the same flaws as the UNDP human development index aggregation with uniform weighting.
• Reliability on authenticity of data: The government had failed to provide access to authentic and unimpeachable data on many indicators. Rise in income alone cannot measure other dimensions of poverty such as access to healthcare, sanitation and transport. While the MPI should be seen in addition to data on income-level, the government was silent on income data. MPI relies upon National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 4 and NFHS 5, which are not detailed enough for its estimation. The government had not released a consumption expenditure survey conducted by the National Survey Organisation (NSO) in 2017-18. The NSO has announced consumption expenditure surveys for 2022-23 and 2023-24.
• Did not take into account pandemic situation: As a consequence of this pandemic, there was a huge economic shock from which the Indian economy has been struggling to recover. To illustrate, GDP growth has declined from 8% in 2015-16 to 3.78 % in 2019-20 and slumped -6.60 in 2020-21, as also per capita income. Country’s economy had not even gone back to the pre-pandemic level, this raises question of how such a large number of people had escaped poverty.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• Quality of data: There is a need to enhance the quality and availability of data on multidimensional poverty at more frequent intervals. It can be done by integrating the MPI into planning, budgeting, implementation and evaluation processes at all levels of government.
• Rigorous Analysis: There is a need of in-depth analysis of the parameters of multidimensional poverty at the national, State/UT, and district levels. It will help in development of the National MPI to act as public policy tool which monitors multidimensional poverty, informs evidence-based and focused interventions.
• Collaboration and coordination: There is a need to strengthen the coordination and convergence among different ministries, departments, agencies and stakeholders involved in addressing multidimensional poverty.
• Increase in investment: Government should focus on investments in critical areas as education, nutrition among others to eradicate poverty. It can be done through targeted policies, schemes, and developmental programmes rolled out at both the national and sub-national levels.
• Awareness: There is a need to increase the awareness and participation of civil society, media, academia and other actors in advocating for and monitoring multidimensional poverty reduction.

THE CONCLUSION:

Recently released MPI index have several lacunae which need reinterpretation to eradicate poverty with proper policy interventions. Consistent policy implementation across a diverse set of programmes and initiatives that have strong interlinkages will lead to a further reduction in deprivations across multiple indicators.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION

Q.1 Though there have been several different estimates of poverty in India, all indicate a reduction in poverty levels over time. Do you agree? Critically examine with reference to urban and rural poverty indicators. (2015)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q.1 Poverty impacts the social, economic and environmental aspects of the nation differently. Suggest the possible ways to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development goals in India.

Q.2 Recent assessment of poverty by Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) has been termed as flawed as the government estimates fail to paint an accurate picture of the realities. Critically analyse this statement.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/multidimensional-poverty-index-reduction-under-the-nda-is-flawed/article67611818.ece#:~:text=Astonishingly%2C%20the%20MPI%202023%20estimates,%2D16%20and%202019%2D21.

THE CONTEXT: There arise differences between Ambedkar’s expectations and the current situations of the marginalized communities of India under the rise of neoliberalism. Thus, there is a call for a redefined social justice framework aligned with Ambedkar’s principles, emphasizing inclusive integration into the economic order for marginalized groups.

ABOUT MODERN DEMOCRACY:

• Modern democracy is synonymous with both the values of social harmony and reforms that ensure dignity and self-respect to its participants, especially the historically deprived and socially marginalised people.
• Further, democratic institutions are mandated to engage with the worst-off social groups and ensure their substantive participation as a significant governing class in political affairs.
• The socially oppressed groups in India, especially Dalits, adored and celebrated such modern virtues because of their liberative potential and egalitarian goals.
• Though the mechanism of social justice is not radical and transformative, it provides moral sensibilities to institutions and makes it responsible towards the diverse population.

ISSUES:

• Neo-liberal Impact: Neo-liberal market is alien to the concept of social justice and celebrates the exclusive control of few corporate bodies and businessmen over capitalist development. Neo-liberal economic development has disrupted traditional support for Dalits and Adivasis from state institutions and their concerns has been neglected.
• Tokenistic presence: Various sectors witness the dominance of social elites, perpetuating the control of the conventional ruling class. In this scenario, socially marginalized groups experience tokenistic representation in power and privileges.
• Little impact of government policies: Though various political regimes vouch to implement social justice policies, this has little impact in ensuring the significant participation of the marginalized social groups in the domain of power.
• Exploitative impact: In the neo liberal market, there is distancing of the market from social responsibilities. It leads to neglect towards the aspirations and the demands of Dalits and Adivasis which make market enterprise more exploitative and closer to a crony capitalist mode. This version of the market economy needs reforms.
• Contrast views with Ambedkar: Ambedkar looked upon the modern state as the key transformative force for the emancipation of Dalits and Adivasis. However, in the neo-liberal realm, the state has been converted as the passive associate of big business that readily deviates from its social responsibilities and welfarist values.

AMBEDKAR VISION:

• Babasaheb Ambedkar emerged as a torchbearer of liberal enlightened ideas and expected that post-colonial India would be distinct from the exploitative Brahmanical past. He invited Dalits and other marginalised communities to be equal shareholders in the nation’s economic and political development.
• R. Ambedkar’s principles of social justice would disapprove the current realm of neo-liberal economy for its neglect of the concerns of Dalits and Adivasis. It would direct the market to be more responsible towards the marginalized groups.
• It would also direct the state to reduce the pitfalls and slippages now in social justice policies and make them more relevant in the present day.
• Ambedkar becomes crucial in such a discourse because his approach allows us to diagnose illnesses in the social and economic order. He offers ethical corrective measures to make institutions more democratic, representative and closer to the claims and the desires of marginalised social groups.

THE WAY FORWARD

• Implementing Policies: There is a need for adoption of affirmative policies to empower Dalit and Adivasi groups as industrialists, market leaders, and influencers. For which there is a need for expansion of social justice policies to the private economy for democratizing working classes and reducing poverty.
• Inclusivity of marginalized groups: There is a need for integration of Dalits and Adivasis as influential contributors to the market economy. This can make marginalised groups an integral part of the new economic order by reducing their perpetual subjugation as a passive exploited class. Dalits and Adivasis should not be identified only as the poor and migrant working class that is dependent upon the benevolence of corporate social responsibility for their livelihood. Instead, these groups should be advanced as the essential components of urbanisation, industrial production and technological innovations.
• Inculcating Ambedkar’s vision: Adopting Ambedkar’s version of social justice would help to redefine capitalism as a pluralist and cooperative mode of economic order. It can guarantees the participation of Dalits and Adivasis in the market economy and in the associated institutions of power and privileges.
• Marginalised groups as influential arbitrators: Marginalised groups concerns to protect their habitats, ecological order and cultural autonomy must be addressed, while endorsing the fact about the market economy’s inevitability. Therefore, it is necessary that the current phase of economic development and the expansion of the market economy should also be directed toward making marginalized as influential arbitrators in the neo-liberal discourse.

THE CONCLUSION:

Neo liberal economic model has significant impact on the marginalized groups that is in contrast to vision of Ambedkar’s vision of social justice. The leaders of the market economy should be educated to adopt welfarist measures for the marginalized groups to make them integral to economic development.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1 There is a growing divergence in the relationship between poverty and hunger in India. The shrinking of social expenditure by the government is forcing the poor to spend more on non-food essential items squeezing their food-budget – Elucidate. (2019)

Q.2 Multiplicity of various commissions for the vulnerable sections of the society leads to problems of overlapping jurisdiction and duplication of functions. Is it better to merge all commissions into an umbrella Human Rights Commission? Argue your case. (2018)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q.1 With the ascent of neo-liberal economic development, the conventional support that Dalits and Adivasis have received from state institutions has derailed. In this context, assess the impact of the neo-liberal economic model on social justice policies.

Q.2 Evaluate Ambedkar’s vision for making the neo liberal economic model more democratic and representative to address the concern of neglect of marginalized groups.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-ambedkar-touch-in-rethinking-social-justice-policies/article67608373.ece

THE CONTEXT: The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier “for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electro dynamics in matter”. This article explains in detail the various aspects of the work of these Nobel laureates from the UPSC perspective.

THE NOBEL LAUREATES

The three Nobel Laureates in Physics 2023 are being recognised for their experiments, which have given humanity new tools for exploring the world of electrons inside atoms and molecules.

• Their work on the development of attosecond pulses of light has revolutionized our understanding of the fundamental processes of physics and chemistry. Attoseconds are extremely short units of time, one attosecond is equal to one billionth of a billionth of a second. Attosecond pulses of light are so short that they can be used to capture the motion of electrons inside atoms and molecules.
• Attosecond pulses of light allow scientists to see the motion of electrons in real time. This has led to a deeper understanding of a wide range of phenomena, including the dynamics of chemical reactions, the properties of materials, and the behavior of electrons in lasers.
• Attosecond science is still a young field, but it has the potential to revolutionize many areas of science and technology. For example, attosecond pulses of light could be used to develop new materials, improve the efficiency of solar cells, and create new medical imaging techniques.

• Pierre Agostini (France):Professor, Ohio State University, USA
• Ferenc Krausz (Hungary): Professor, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Germany
• Anne L’Huillier (France):Professor, Lund University, Sweden

 NOBEL LAUREATES IN THE FIELD OF PHYSICS

ABOUT ATTOSECOND

• An attosecond (as) is a unit of time equal to 1×10−18 of a second (one quintillionth of a second). It is the shortest unit of time that has been measured directly.
• Attoseconds are so short that they are difficult to comprehend. To put it in perspective, an attosecond is to a second what a second is to about 31.71 billion years.
• Attosecond pulses of light are even shorter. They can be as short as a few attoseconds, which means that they can be used to capture the motion of electrons inside atoms and molecules.
• It is a rapidly growing field with the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the fundamental processes of physics and chemistry. It has also the potential to lead to the development of new technologies, such as attosecond microscopes and attosecond lasers.

Attosecond pulses have been used to study a wide range of phenomena, including:

• The dynamics of chemical reactions
• The properties of materials
• The behavior of electrons in lasers
• The interactions between light and matter

WHAT IS THE ATTOSECOND PULSES?

• It is extremely short pulses of light that last only a few attoseconds (one attosecond is equal to one quintillionth of a second). They are so short that they can be used to capture the motion of electrons inside atoms and molecules.
• It is generated using a variety of techniques, including high harmonic generation (HHG) and four-wave mixing (FWM). In HHG, a powerful laser pulse is focused onto a gas. The laser pulse ionizes the gas atoms, creating free electrons. The electrons are then accelerated by the laser field and interact with the gas atoms to produce high-energy photons. These photons are the attosecond pulses of light.
• In FWM, three laser pulses are focused onto a gas. The interaction of the three laser pulses produces a fourth laser pulse, which is the attosecond pulse.

WHAT ARE THE APPLICATIONS OF ATTOSECOND PHYSICS?

• It can be used to study the dynamics of chemical reactions and the properties of materials at the atomic and molecular level.
• It can be used to study the interaction of light with matter, which is essential for understanding how solar cells work.
• It can be used to develop new medical imaging techniques that can image biological systems at the atomic and molecular level.
• It can be used to study the behavior of electrons in quantum systems. This information could be used to develop new quantum computers that are much more powerful than conventional computers.

RESEARCH ON ATTOSECONDS

• It is providing shorter snapshots of atoms and molecules, attosecond spectroscopy has helped researchers understand electron behaviour in single molecules, such as how electron charge migrates and how chemical bonds between atoms breaks.
• The attosecond technology has been applied to studying how electrons behave in liquid water as well as electron transfer in solid-state semiconductors.
• As researchers continue to improve their ability to produce attosecond light pulses, they’ll gain a deeper understanding of the basic particles that make up matter.

WHAT IS ELECTRON DYNAMICS?

• It is the study of the motion of electrons in atoms, molecules, materials, and devices. It is a field of physics that is concerned with the fundamental processes that govern the behavior of electrons, such as their interactions with other electrons, with light, and with the electromagnetic field.
• It is a very important field of physics, as it has many applications in other fields, such as chemistry, materials science, and electronics. For example, the understanding of electron dynamics is essential for the development of new materials, such as semiconductors and superconductors, and for the development of new electronic devices, such as transistors and lasers.

HOW DID SCIENTISTS ACHIEVE ATTOSECOND PULSE GENERATION?

• Scientists achieved attosecond pulse generation by developing new techniques to create and measure extremely short pulses of light. Attosecond pulses are pulses of light that last only a few attoseconds (one attosecond is equal to one quintillionth of a second). They are so short that they can be used to capture the motion of electrons inside atoms and molecules.
• One of the most common techniques for generating attosecond pulses is high harmonic generation (HHG). In HHG, a powerful laser pulse is focused onto a gas. The laser pulse ionizes the gas atoms, creating free electrons. The electrons are then accelerated by the laser field and interact with the gas atoms to produce high-energy photons. These photons are the attosecond pulses of light.

How high harmonic generation (HHG) works to generate attosecond pulses?

1. A powerful laser pulse is focused onto a gas.
2. The laser pulse ionizes the gas atoms, creating free electrons.
3. The electrons are accelerated by the laser field and interact with the gas atoms to produce high-energy photons.
4. These photons are the attosecond pulses of light.

THE CONCLUSION: In future the Nobel Prize in Physics will continue to recognize and reward groundbreaking research in attosecond physics, as well as other areas of physics that are essential for the universe and the development of new technologies. These areas include quantum mechanics, astrophysics, materials science, and climate science.

MAINS QUESTION

Q 1. Discuss the potential applications of attosecond physics in the development of advanced electronic devices and energy storage technologies.

Q 2. Describe the work for which the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded. What implications does this work have for scientific and technological advancements?

UPSC CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION (PYQ)

Prelims

Q. Who among the following scientists shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with his son? (2008)

(a)    Max Planck

(b)    Albert Einstein

(c)    William Henry Bragg

(d)    Enrico Fermi

Ans: (c)

Q. Nobel Prize winning scientist James D. Watson is known for his work in which area? (2008)

(a)    Metallurgy

(b)    Meteorology

(c)    Environmental protection

(d)    Genetics

Ans: (d)

Mains

Q 1. The Nobel Prize in Physics of 2014 was jointly awarded to Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura for the invention of Blue LEDs in the 1990s. How has this invention impacted the everyday life of human beings? (2021)

Q 2. Discuss the work of ‘Bose-Einstein Statistics’ done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it revolutionized the field of Physics. (2018)

THE CONTEXT: The latest edition of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report reveals disturbing trends. The recorded crimes against women, children, senior citizens, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes show a steep increase, 468 people took their lives every day in 2022 and cybercrimes went up by nearly 25 per cent.

ABOUT NATIONAL CRIME RECORDS BUREAU(NCRB)

• The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analysing, crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws (SLL).
• NCRB is headquartered in New Delhi and is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.
• It was set up based on the recommendation of the Task force, 1985 and National Police Commission, 1977.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE NATIONAL CRIME RECORDS BUREAU(NCRB) REOPRT

Decline in registration cases: In 2022, a total of 58,24,946 cognizable crimes comprising 35,61,379 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 22,63,567 Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes were registered.

• This was a decline of 4.5% in the registration of cases over the second pandemic year, 2021.

Crime rate: The crime rate has declined from 445.9 in 2021 to 422.2 in 2022.

Crime against women: 4,45,256 cases of crime against women were registered in 2022. This was an increase of 4% over the 2021 numbers.

• The largest share of crimes against women under IPC sections was registered under ‘Cruelty by Husband or His Relatives’ (31.4%), followed by ‘Kidnapping & Abduction of Women’ (19.2%), and ‘Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty’ (18.7%).

Cybercrimes: Reporting of cybercrime increased significantly by 24.4 percentage points compared to 2021.

• Around 64.8% of registered cases were of fraud, followed by extortion (5.5%), and sexual exploitation (5.2%).

Suicides: An increase of 4.2% was observed in suicides reported during 2022 (1,70,924 suicides) as compared to 2021.

• Family Problems (other than marriage-related problems)’ (31.7%), Marriage Related Problems (4.8%) and Illness (18.4%) have together accounted for 54.9% of total suicides in the country during the year 2022.

State-wise data in the report: The states/ UTs reporting the highest charge sheeting rate under IPC crimes are Kerala (96.0%), Puducherry (91.3%), and West Bengal (90.6%).

• This is the percentage of cases in which the police reached the stage of framing charges against the accused, out of the total true cases.

ISSUES

Data Inefficiencies at the local level: NCRB report is only a compilation of data submitted at the local level, inefficiencies or gaps in data at that level have an impact on the accuracy of the report.

Pressure faced by marginalised social groups: There is also a growing body of scholarship which shows that people from marginalised social groups are often pressured into not reporting crimes against them.

Limitation due to Principal Offence Rule: The NCRB follows what is known as the ‘Principal Offence Rule’.

• This means that among the many offences registered in a single FIR, the crime that attracts the most severe punishment is considered as the counting unit.
• Thus, ‘Murder with Rape’ would be counted as ‘Murder’, not rape — which would result in an undercounting of the crime of rape.

Socio-economic causative factors are not captured: The socio-economic causative factors or reasons of crimes are not being captured by the Bureau.

Women find difficult to register FIRs: NFHS reports or recent studies that show that women find it difficult to register FIRs.

• Women find it very difficult to report abusers in their close circles (husbands, fathers, partners, family members, friends).

Unfilled vacancies in the relevant posts:  shortage of police officers or unfilled vacancies in the relevant posts at the local level may hinder the collection of data.

THE WAY FORWARD

Demands action: Policymakers and law enforcement agencies should not overlook that almost every NCRB compilation has framed the vulnerabilities of women and marginalised sections.

Sharpen its methodologies: The NCRB must sharpen its methodologies and make its reports more nuanced.

Modernizing police forces: The police force today needs to tackle traditional crimes and cybercrimes. This calls for better and modernized communication, tracking and monitoring equipment.

Strengthening support services for victims: We can suggest strengthening support services for victims, providing safe shelter homes, and making legal aid more accessible.

Leverage Technologies: We can also leverage technology to create safer environments, such as panic buttons in public spaces and enhanced surveillance systems.

Formulating the annual police strategy: States should use NCRB’s data in formulating their annual police strategy, it should have a multi-dimensional and multi-purposed use in crime control, only then will this institution become result oriented.

CONCLUSION:

The growing incidents of cybercrime, as highlighted in the NCRB report, demands that law enforcement agencies remain proactive. Across the world, data is becoming an important tool for ensuring public safety.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION:

Q) Explain why suicide among young women is increasing in Indian society. (2023)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q) While legal frameworks exist to address sexual violence against women, the disturbing reality is that these crimes continue to escalate. In this context, what innovative approaches can be implemented to tackle this menace effectively? Explain.

SOURCE: Express View on latest NCRB data: The crime story (indianexpress.com)

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Despite being recorded as the warmest decade in history, the period from 2011 to 2020 witnessed the lowest number of deaths attributed to extreme weather events, as reported by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

EXPLANATION:

• This anomaly is attributed to advancements in early warning systems, which have significantly improved due to enhanced forecasting capabilities and better disaster management practices globally.

Enhanced Early Warning Systems and Disaster Preparedness

• Notably, countries like India have seen substantial improvements in forecasting cyclone formations, allowing for timely warnings and evacuation procedures.
• These advancements in prediction have contributed to increased preparedness, particularly for populations vulnerable to such natural disasters.

Unprecedented Lack of Catastrophic Short-term Events

• A striking aspect highlighted in the report “The Global Climate 2011-2020: A Decade of Acceleration” is that, for the first time since 1950, there was not a single short-term event causing 10,000 or more deaths during the 2011-2020 decade.
• This significant change underscores the efficacy of improved early warning systems and disaster management practices.

Positive Environmental Trends: Ozone Hole Recovery and Glacial Changes

• The decade also witnessed noteworthy environmental shifts, including the visible recovery of the depleted ozone hole.
• However, glacial measurements exhibited concerning trends, with glaciers globally thinning by an average of approximately 1 meter per year during the period.
• The report highlights that Greenland and Antarctica collectively lost 38% more ice compared to the 2001-2010 decade.
• Additionally, the report references the 2021 Uttarakhand rock-avalanche, triggered by a breach in the Nanda Devi glacier in the Himalayas, underlining the continued vulnerability of certain regions to climate-induced events.

Impact of Human-Caused Climate Change

• Human-induced climate change remains a key factor amplifying the risks associated with extreme heat events.
• Heatwaves accounted for the highest number of human casualties during the decade, while tropical cyclones resulted in the most significant economic damages.

Climate Finance and Future Goals

• The report highlights a notable increase in both public and private climate finance during the 2011-2020 period.
• However, it emphasizes the necessity of a substantial increase, nearly sevenfold, by the end of the current decade to meet climate objectives.
• This includes crucial goals such as limiting global temperature rise to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

Conclusion: Climate Progress and Urgent Calls for Action

• The analysis of the 2011-2020 decade demonstrates encouraging strides in early warning systems and disaster management, leading to reduced casualties despite escalating climate challenges.
• However, the report underscores the critical need for intensified efforts in climate finance and mitigation strategies to address the escalating risks posed by human-induced climate change.
• Meeting these challenges is essential to achieving global climate objectives and averting further environmental crises in the future.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/2023-12-06/th_chennai/articleGELC3VAG2-5091755.ece

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Scientists have made a groundbreaking observation—an accretion disc of gas spinning around a star, marking the first time such a phenomenon has been detected outside our own Milky Way galaxy.

EXPLANATION:

• Despite being common during the formation of stars and their planetary systems, this discovery in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a dwarf galaxy located about 179,000 light-years away, challenges previous assumptions about the universality of star formation processes.

Significance of the Observation

• The detection of an accretion disc in the LMC signifies the potential universality of our understanding of star formation processes.
• This remarkable finding broadens our knowledge of these mechanisms beyond the confines of our own galaxy, suggesting that similar cosmic phenomena exist throughout the Universe.
• Astronomers involved in the discovery expressed astonishment at identifying the first extragalactic accretion disc.
• A researcher explained the phenomenon’s detection based on shifts in the emitted light’s frequency, drawing parallels to the change in sound frequency of an ambulance siren passing by.
• This mechanism helped astronomers discern the rotation of gas around the distant star in the LMC.

Understanding Star Formation

• Stars typically form in molecular gas and dust-rich regions of space. Dense clumps of gas gravitationally attract each other, leading to collapse and initiating the star formation process.
• As the protostar forms, it gathers material from its surroundings in an orderly manner, akin to water flowing down a drain.
• During this phase, a disc of gas becomes visible, revolving around the nascent star.
• Upon completion of the star’s formation, residual material continues to orbit the star.
• However, this material begins to contribute to the formation of planetary systems, including planets, asteroids, comets, and other celestial bodies.

Conclusion: Expanding Knowledge of Cosmic Phenomena

• The discovery of an accretion disc around a star in the LMC not only showcases the advancement in observational astronomy but also offers valuable insights into the consistency of star formation processes across galaxies.
• This significant finding extends our understanding of cosmic mechanisms and underscores the potential uniformity of fundamental astrophysical phenomena throughout the vast expanse of the Universe.

SOURCE: https://www.wionews.com/science/disc-of-gas-whirling-around-star-found-for-the-first-time-in-another-galaxy-666217

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: A recent research by geologists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), published in Nature Geoscience, highlights the significance of smectite, a clay mineral found in oceanic crust, in the process of capturing and storing carbon.

EXPLANATION:

• This discovery holds the potential to significantly impact the planet’s climate by contributing to Earth’s cooling mechanisms.

Smectite’s Carbon-Sequestering Abilities

• The accordion-like structure of smectite, discovered in the intricate layers of the seafloor, facilitates the trapping of organic carbon.
• This natural process occurs during tectonic activities, where smectite forms as a result of the collision between oceanic and continental plates.
• The mineral, once formed, descends back to the ocean bed, capturing remnants of deceased organisms within its microscopic folds, effectively preventing the release of carbon back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Historical Context and Geological Findings

• MIT researchers linked smectite production to major tectonic events over the past 500 million years.
• They suggest that the formation of significant quantities of these clays potentially contributed to the cooling of the Earth and even induced ice ages.
• This groundbreaking study establishes a direct correlation between plate tectonics and the onset of ice ages, attributing this relationship to the creation of carbon-sequestering smectite.

Scientific Methodology and Confirmation of Hypotheses

• The research team investigated geological records to analyze weathering patterns of magmatic minerals and the resulting types of clays.
• Using simulations of the Earth’s carbon cycle, they assessed the impact of various minerals.
• Smectite emerged as not only a product of tropical tectonics but also an exceptionally efficient captor of organic carbon.
• Despite challenges in directly measuring ancient smectite, the presence of trace elements such as nickel and chromium in sedimentary deposits provided crucial evidence supporting the theory.
• These elements, associated with rocks producing smectite, acted as identifiable “fingerprints.”

Quantifying Smectite’s Impact on Climate

• Although smectite’s contribution to carbon preservation seems small—less than one-tenth of a percent—it holds significant implications over geological timescales.
• The researchers estimate that this minor percentage played a pivotal role in triggering the planet’s major ice ages.

Implications and Future Applications

• Beyond understanding Earth’s climatic history, this discovery introduces possibilities for climate change mitigation strategies.
• Smectite could potentially be utilized to stabilize carbon-rich permafrost regions threatened by global warming, offering a natural solution to address human-induced climate challenges.

Conclusion: Harnessing Natural Processes for Climate Mitigation

• The MIT team’s findings emphasize the importance of comprehensively understanding the global carbon cycle.
• Furthermore, the discovery of smectite’s impact on climate paves the way for exploring and leveraging natural processes to mitigate human-induced climate change, presenting a promising avenue in the fight against the escalating climate crisis.

SOURCE: https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/mysterious-mineral-found-in-ocean-could-keep-earth-cool-even-induce-ice-age-2472168-2023-12-05

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), operating under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), convened in Nairobi to pursue the creation of an international legally binding treaty to combat plastic pollution worldwide.

EXPLANATION:

• The third round of negotiations, INC-3, aimed to refine the ‘zero draft’ text and establish a comprehensive global plastics treaty by 2025, as mandated by UNEA Resolution 5/14.

Outcome of INC-3: Evaluating the ‘Zero Draft’

• The ‘zero draft’ initially proposed robust measures for a binding treaty to address plastic pollution.
• However, during negotiations, member states diluted core obligations, particularly regarding high-impact elements like primary polymer production, chemical concerns, problematic plastics, trade regulations, and financial mechanisms.

Controversial Negotiations: Divergent Perspectives

• Member states debated the treaty’s objective and scope, with consensus on ending plastic pollution and safeguarding human health and the environment.
• Nevertheless, a group of nations, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Iran, and Gulf Cooperation Council members, advocated for a clause favouring sustainable development to protect economic interests.
• The reduction of primary polymer production faced opposition due to industry concerns.
• Lobbying from the fossil fuels and chemicals sector significantly influenced discussions, leading to debates about the treaty’s scope regarding plastic production.

Disagreements on Lifecycle Assessment and Key Provisions

• Disagreements emerged regarding the starting point of the plastic lifecycle, with some countries arguing for product design as the initiation stage to exclude production from the treaty’s scope.
• Additionally, objections were raised against provisions eliminating harmful compounds and polymers, hindering progress in combating plastic pollution.

Financial Control and Implications

• Financial mechanisms within the treaty, such as imposing pollution fees on plastic producers and reducing investments in environmentally detrimental technologies, faced opposition from certain countries.
• Implementing these measures could have required nations to curb fossil-fuel subsidies and investments in unsustainable practices, yet they were obstructed by opposing states.

Plastic Trade Regulations: Sovereignty vs. Restrictions

• Debates arose on regulating the trade of polymers, chemicals, plastic products, and waste.
• Concerns about infringing on national sovereignty clashed with efforts to strengthen regulations and align with the objectives of the Basel Convention.
• Some countries misconstrued WTO rules to resist trade restrictions, impeding progress.

Challenges with Rules of Procedure and Decision-Making

• INC-3 faced challenges finalizing rules of procedure, hindering effective decision-making.
• Disagreements persisted regarding the voting process, causing delays and impeding consensus-based decisions.
• This impacted negotiations and prevented significant advancements during the meeting.

Impact of Stalling and Resistance

• INC-3 encountered delays and blockades, resulting in an expanded, contentious draft text and a lack of consensus on intersessional work.
• The refusal to adopt a mandate for drafting the treaty’s first version underscored industry influence and identified states opposing a robust, binding treaty against plastic pollution.

Conclusion

• INC-3’s proceedings revealed divisions among member states, industry influence, and challenges in establishing a comprehensive global plastics treaty.
• Despite initial ambitions, divergent interests, resistance to strong provisions, and delays in decision-making have hindered progress toward an effective, binding framework to combat plastic pollution.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/inc-3-meeting-end-plastic-pollution-treaty-industry-pressure-explained/article67607097.ece

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Six of the world’s largest dairy companies will soon begin disclosing their methane emissions as part of a new global alliance launched at the United Nations climate summit.

EXPLANATION:

• This alliance aims to disclose and mitigate methane emissions in the dairy sector, recognizing the urgency of tackling this issue for environmental sustainability.

The Significance of Methane Emissions in Dairy Industry

• The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization highlights that approximately 30% of global anthropogenic methane emissions stem from livestock, primarily through sources like cow burps and manure.
• This underscores the pressing need to address methane emissions from the dairy industry as a crucial aspect of combating climate change.
• Six prominent dairy companies – Danone, Bel Group, General Mills, Lactalis USA, Kraft Heinz, and Nestle – have joined forces to form the Dairy Methane Action Alliance.
• This coalition’s primary objectives include disclosing methane emissions by mid-2024 and drafting actionable plans to mitigate these emissions by the end of the same year.

Focus on Reducing Methane: Importance and Challenges

• Methane, known for being nearly 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide, is a focal point in global efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
• The alliance acknowledges the complexity of reducing dairy methane emissions, emphasizing the necessity of providing comprehensive support to farmers worldwide.
• Strategies such as experimenting with feed additives are being considered to combat methane production from livestock.
• While the alliance members are not mandated to commit to specific emission reduction targets, enhanced measurement and reporting of methane emissions serve as crucial steps towards eventual mitigation.
• Companies like Danone have independently pledged significant reductions, aiming to cut methane emissions from their fresh milk supply chain by 30% by 2030.

Impact of Methane Reduction Goals on Global Warming

• Studies, including a 2021 assessment by the Climate & Clean Air Coalition and the United Nations Environment Programme, indicate that a 45% reduction in human-caused methane emissions by the end of this decade is critical in limiting global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius.

Environmental Defense Fund’s Role and Accountability

• The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), convening this alliance, stresses the importance of increased accountability through improved measurement and reporting.
• EDF considers these measures instrumental in compelling companies to eventually reduce their methane emissions.

COP28’s Focus on Food Sector Emissions

• Acknowledging that food production accounts for approximately a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, leaders at COP28 have pledged to prioritize actions addressing emissions from the food sector.
• The initiative by the Dairy Methane Action Alliance aligns with this overarching commitment to tackle emissions across industries.

Conclusion

• The formation of the Dairy Methane Action Alliance marks a significant step in addressing methane emissions in the dairy industry.
• The coalition’s commitment to disclosure, planning, and eventual mitigation of methane emissions signifies a collective effort by major players in the sector to contribute meaningfully to climate change mitigation efforts outlined at COP28.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE REFER TO 5^TH DECEMBER 2023 DNA

SOURCE: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/global-dairy-companies-announce-alliance-cut-methane-cop28-2023-12-05/

THE CONTEXT: Delimitation and readjustment of the seats in the Lok Sabha is due after 2026. Given the differential population matrix of northern and southern states such an exercise can lead to reduced political representation of southern states. As the time for reconsidering the freeze on delimitation exercise is coming closer, southern states are concerned that they would be marginalized further. This article analyses the various issues related to upcoming delimitation from the UPSC perspective.

THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS REGARDING THE DELIMITATION

• Article 81 of the Constitution states that Lok Sabha constituencies in the country should be equal by the size of the population.
• As per Article 82, after every census, the Parliament will enact a Delimitation Act. Once the Act is enacted, the Central Government sets up a Delimitation Commission.
• As per Article 170, the states also get classified into territorial constituencies after every census, according to the Delimitation Act.
• Based on the 1971 Census, the number of Lok Sabha constituencies for States was determined and frozen for the next 25 years through the 42nd Amendment Act 1976.
• In 2001, through the 84th Amendment Act, the freeze on the number of constituencies for each state was further prolonged until the first census after 2026.

REASONS FOR FREEZING OF SEATS

• An updated Census has been published every decade since 1951, but a Delimitation Commission has been set up on only four occasions – 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002
• In its 1973 order, the Commission raised the maximum Lok Sabha members to 545 to account for population growth and the formation of new states.
• Since then, the number of members has remained unchanged. Of the 545 members, 543 were directly elected and two were nominated posts for the Anglo-Indian community, until a 2019 Constitutional Amendment removed this provision. So, the Lok Sabha strength now is 543.
• In 1976, the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution froze the number of Lok Sabha seats and put off delimitation for 25 years until the 2001 Census under Article 82.
• The Congress government, at the time, cited “family planning policies” as the reason for this suspension. The government stated that it did not want to punish states with effective population control measures.
• As their representation in the Lok Sabha would fall compared to states with high populations. The idea was to give states time to reduce their fertility rates and ensure parity across the country.
• But in 2002, delimitation was delayed for another 25 years, with the 84th Amendment under the BJP government. Though constituency boundaries were redrawn to account for changes in population according to the 2001 Census, the total number of Lok Sabha seats and the number of seats allotted to each state remained unchanged.
• The Amendment froze the allocation of seats in Article 82 until “the relevant figures for the first Census taken after the year 2026 have been published”.
• In 2008, it seemed to be reverting the freeze on Delimitation, but it was done only to remove the freeze for the SC and ST seats and adjust them according to the 2001 Census. It was done via the Election Commission’s Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008.

REIGNITING THE DEBATE

In Indian federal democracy, a State’s relative population size gains political and economic significance. In sharp contrast to the northern States, population control has been achieved in the southern States through social development and economic growth. But as the delimitation exercise is set to begin, it seems to be unfair to southern states, which has reignited debate that allotting seats based on population would be a great injustice to states that have excelled in population control.

UPCOMING DELIMITATION

• If the Lok Sabha seats are reallocated in proportion to each state’s projected population in 2026, all the South Indian states would be losing seats.
• As, the share of the southern states in India’s population has drastically come down from 24.8% in 1971 to 19.9% in 2021 while for UP and Bihar it has gone up from 23% to 26%.
• Thus, the delimitation exercise of delimitation could reduce the political influence of the southern states.
• This political marginalisation of the south for demographic reasons could create tensions, some of which are already visible on the financial front.

NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE

• There is already a north south divide due to economic, social, political and historical factors. For example, the 15^th Finance Commission use of the 2011 population census as a basis for the devolution of taxes has already marginalized southern states with less share of funds.
• The exercise to delimit parliamentary constituencies could deepen the north-south divide.

POLITICAL DYNAMICS

• The ruling party at the centre gain more seats in elections in the northern of country compared to the south.
• The future delimitation can increase the number of seats allotted to northern states compared to southern states which will be beneficial for incumbent ruling party at the centre.

HIGHER STAKE OF BIG STATES

• It is more likely to be seen that after delimitation, big states like Uttar Pradesh is likely to get up to 143 seats, a 79 per cent increase, while smaller state like Kerala’s representation will remain unchanged and that of Tamil Nadu will increase only by 10 seats.
• Thus, similar to the existing condition where bigger states have more say in the formation of union government due to their large representation will continue.
• Even delimitation may give them more power with an increase in a number of seats, leading to centralization of power at the centre.

SUB REGIONALISM

• As further readjustment of seats may lead to more power to fewer big states, the other smaller states, whether in the South or North east, may feel left out.
• This division of power can lead to sub-regionalism, which can even lead to feeling of separation and secessionism and can create condition for threat to internal security.
• Therefore, as recognising a person’s equal voice in the democratic process is important, recognising the regional balance of power in a federal structure is also essential.

THE CONCERNS OF THE SOUTHERN STATES

DIFFERENCE IN POPULATION GROWTH RATES

• The population growth rates differ between the non-Hindi-speaking southern States and the Hindi-speaking northern States.
• Between 1971 and 2011, the proportion of the population of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh increased from 44% to 48.2%.
• Whereas the proportion of population of the five southern States (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana) declined from 24.9% to 21.1%.
• A population-based delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies has been long opposed by political parties in the south. They have argued that a population-based delimitation will give an undue advantage to northern and central states in the Lok Sabha.

DECREASED POLITICAL REPRESENTATION

• Based on the previous census data and population projection, after the 2026 delimitation, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh will have a total of 222 MPs(143+79), while four south Indian states will have a combined representation of 165 in the Lok Sabha.

• If equal size of Lok Sabha constituencies by population is enforced today as in the population projections of 2023, the five southern States will lose 23 seats, while the northern States will gain 37.
• In other words, the proportion of political representation of northern States will increase by 6.81% and that of southern States will decline by 4.24%.
• Southern states which have implemented family planning programs more effectively than the states in North India would be penalized through reduced political representation.

THE NEED FOR DELIMITATION

ISSUE OF INAPPROPRIATE REPRESENTATION

• There is a notable difference between the number of parliamentary seats and the extent of population in a geographical unit.
• This leads to the underrepresentation of the area with the higher population as, despite the increase in population, the number of seats is still the same as decided in 1971.

SUBVERTING DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES

• There are issues of distorted political representation, which results in unequal value of votes of citizens. For instance, an MP from the Gangetic Valley represents about 25% more people than a non-Gangetic MP.
• To ensure democratic principles, it is necessary that every person vote should have equal value.

CONCERNS WITH EXCESSIVE FEDERALISM

• Due to the freeze of seats, there is an overrepresentation of citizens in smaller states in comparison to bigger states, which indicates a minority of states making important decisions on national policies.
• For example, studies based on 2011 census indicate that Kerala, Tamil Nadu and undivided Andhra is over represented by 17 seats while UP, Bihar and Rajasthan is under represented by  19 seats.

INABILITY OF MPs TO ADDRESS THEIR CONSTITUENCIES

• There is an increasing issue of increasing the distance between government and the governed. According to a study, India has one MP in the Lok Sabha for 2.2 million people, while the USA has one Congressman for 0.6 million people.
• If there are so many people on one MP, they will not be able to communicate with people and cannot address their concerns which will affect governance and administration.

HOW TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES?

GRADUAL SHIFT IN POLITICAL POWER

• There is a need of gradual shift in political power, for which there should be a mechanism for reallocation of seats after each decennial census.
• For, now there is no need to further delay the process of delimitation as change in demography needs to be reflected in seat allocations.

STRENGTHENING THE SMALLER STATES

• There are concerns that smaller states will be dominated by bigger states. Hence, a second state reorganization is needed.

INCREASE RAJYA SABHA POWER

• There needs to expand the role and composition of Rajya Sabha. Here, steps as direct elections, restoring domicile requirements, fixed number of seats can be taken in this regard.
• Also, a federal arrangement need to be devised to enable equal representation for each state, so that large states do not dominate the proceedings in the House.

INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SEATS IN LOK SABHA

• There is a need of increase in number of seats in Lok Sabha to have adequate representation of people in the Parliament.
• It will also increase the responsiveness of Members of Parliament in their respective constituencies.

POPULATION CONTROL

• There is an urgent need for family planning in the states with higher populations. Although various government reports including NFHS V have observed that India is on course to achieve replacement level fertility rate, the TFR of Bihar (2.98) and Uttar Pradesh (2.35) is still  high compared to southern states which is lower than 2.
• Northern states should follow the success of southern states in fertility reduction. Government and civil societies in Northern states needs to proactively act to update entire state apparatus to achieve population balance.

STATUS OF TOTAL FERTILITY RATE(TFR) IN INDIA

• According to the NFHS-5 conducted from 2019-20, even though India’s overall decline of fertility rate has been encouraging and have achieved TFR of 2.
• There are wide inter-regional variations with five states still not having achieved replacement-level of fertility of 2.1.
• These states are Bihar (2.98), Meghalaya (2.91), Uttar Pradesh (2.35), Jharkhand (2.26) and Manipur (2.17). Sikkim and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have the lowest Total Fertility Rate (TFR). While, Southern states have TF R rate of less than 2.

THE CONCLUSION: It is not desirable to further delay delimitation and readjustment of legislative seats in the Lok Sabha and assemblies. This requires a consensus based approach involving all relevant stakeholders to devise an appropriate method for reconciling imperative of democracy and federalism. States that have effectively controlled their population should not be penalised through reduced political representation after delimitation in subsequent periods.

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q.1 Can we say that the new delimitation exercise post 2026 create asymmetry in the political representation between the North and the South? Suggest measures for their equitable representation in the Lok Sabha.

Q.2 In the federal political system, changes in population geography have a lasting impact on the political and economic geography. Explain.

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Recently the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a significant surge in suspected mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from January 1 to November 12, 2023.

EXPLANATION:

• A total of 12,569 suspected cases, with 581 deaths, were recorded, marking the highest annual case count in history.
• The outbreak encompassed 22 out of 26 provinces, including regions previously unaffected, such as Kinshasa, Lualaba, and South Kivu.

Key Milestones and Grim Firsts:

• Geographical Spread: The outbreak extended beyond previously endemic areas, indicating a rapid geographical expansion of mpox within the country.
• Sexually Transmitted Cases: A distressing development was the first documented instances of sexually transmitted mpox infections globally, notably observed with Clade 1 MPXV in the DRC. This unprecedented transmission mode raises new challenges in managing and understanding the disease.
• Capital City Affected: Kinshasa, the capital, reported its first mpox cases in August 2023, signaling a significant shift in the disease’s epidemiology. Clusters emerged due to travelers introducing the infection, causing local transmission in the urban setting.

Clade Differentiation and Transmission:

• Clade Classification:
  • Mpox virus (MPXV) is categorized into Clade I and Clade II (further divided into Clade IIa and Clade IIb).
  • Only Clade I MPXV has been identified in the DRC.
• Sexual Transmission of Clade I:
  • Before April 2023, no documented cases of sexual transmission involving Clade I MPXV existed globally.
  • However, the report highlighted the first-ever confirmed case of sexual transmission in March 2023, originating from a Belgian traveler in Kwango province and spreading through sexual contacts within the DRC.
  • Viral sequences showed a close genetic relationship among cases.

CLADE:

• A clade is a group of organisms that includes an ancestor and all its descendants.
• In the case of the Monkeypox virus (MPXV), it is categorized into two main clades: Clade I and Clade II, with Clade II further divided into Clade IIa and Clade IIb.
• It has been identified that only Clade I MPXV has been found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

MPOX:

• Mpox (monkeypox) is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. Two different clades exist: clade I and clade II.
• Common symptoms of mpox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last 2–4 weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
• Mpox can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with someone who is infectious, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals.
• Laboratory confirmation of mpox is done by testing skin lesion material by PCR.
• Mpox is treated with supportive care. Vaccines and therapeutics developed for smallpox and approved for use in some countries can be used for mpox in some circumstances.
• In 2022–2023 a global outbreak of mpox was caused by a strain known as clade IIb.
• Mpox can be prevented by avoiding physical contact with someone who has mpox. Vaccination can help prevent infection for people at risk.

Conclusion:

• The unprecedented mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, marked by a record number of cases, novel modes of transmission, and its spread to the capital city, Kinshasa, underscores the shifting landscape of the disease’s epidemiology.
• The identification of sexually transmitted cases and the challenges posed by this new mode of transmission call for a rapid and comprehensive response.
• Collaborative efforts between health authorities and international bodies are critical in understanding, containing, and managing this evolving public health crisis.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/africa/congo-reports-biggest-mpox-outbreak-with-first-sexually-transmitted-cases-in-the-world-who-93166

TAG: GS 2: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: The Rajya Sabha recently passed the Post Office Bill, 2023, aiming to revoke the longstanding Indian Post Office Act, a legislation in place for 125 years. This new bill is intended to consolidate, amend, and modernize the laws concerning post offices across India.

EXPLANATION:

PROVISIONS OF THE POST OFFICE BILL 2023 AND POST OFFICE ACT 1898

 WHY THERE IS A NEED TO REPEAL THE ACT?

• The Indian Post Office Act, 1898 was enacted in 1898 with a view to govern the functioning of the Post Office in India which was primarily related to mail services provided through the Post Office.
• With time the services available through the Post Office have diversified beyond mails and the Post Office network has become a vehicle for delivery of a variety of citizen centric services. Further with India Post Payments Bank the postal department has entered banking too.
• All this necessitated the repeal of the said Act and enactment of new law in its place.

SOURCE: https://www.business-standard.com/amp/india-news/rs-passes-post-office-bill-to-amend-125-year-old-indian-post-office-act-123120400816_1.html

TAG: GS 2: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released its annual report on crime in India for the year 2022 recently.

EXPLANATION:

• The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) annually releases a comprehensive report on crime statistics across India, offering a broad view of reported crimes and trends.
• This report, while a valuable resource, demands a nuanced interpretation due to potential inaccuracies and limitations in its data.

Overview of the 2022 NCRB Report:

• The 2022 report encompasses data on various crime categories, including crimes against women, Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), cybercrimes, and more.
• A total of 58,24,946 cognizable crimes were reported in 2022, with a decline of 4.5% compared to the previous year.
• The crime rate per lakh population decreased from 445.9 in 2021 to 422.2 in 2022, serving as a better indicator considering population growth.
• Crimes against women increased by 4%, with the highest percentages under IPC sections for ‘Cruelty by Husband or His Relatives,’ ‘Kidnapping & Abduction of Women,’ and ‘Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty.’
• Cybercrime reporting surged by 24.4%, predominantly involving fraud, extortion, and sexual exploitation.
• Suicides saw a 4.2% increase in reported cases, with causes primarily attributed to family problems, illness, and marriage-related issues.

Data Compilation Process:

• The NCRB functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs and serves as a repository for crime data and fingerprint records.
• Data for the annual Crime in India reports are sourced from police forces across 36 states and Union Territories and 53 cities with populations exceeding 10 lakhs.
• The data undergoes multiple validation stages at local, district, state, and NCRB

Interpreting State-wise Trends:

• The report highlights states with high charge sheeting rates under IPC crimes, such as Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal.
• However, high rates do not necessarily denote higher crime prevalence; they signify cases where charges were framed against accused individuals.

Limitations and Interpretational Challenges:

• The report records registered crimes, not actual crime incidence, acknowledging limitations in data accuracy.
• Increased reporting in certain categories might signify heightened awareness rather than a surge in actual crimes.
• The ‘Principal Offence Rule’ may lead to undercounting, where severe offenses overshadow lesser crimes within a single FIR.
• Local-level inefficiencies or biases can affect data accuracy. For instance, reasons cited for suicides might not capture underlying causes accurately, impacting the analysis.
• Socio-economic factors influencing crimes are not captured, leading to incomplete contextualization of crime trends.
• Certain groups may hesitate to report crimes due to fear or lack of trust, affecting the representativeness of the data.
• A shortage of police personnel or unfilled vacancies might hinder accurate data collection at the grassroots level.

Conclusion:

• While the NCRB report offers valuable insights into crime statistics, it requires careful analysis due to inherent limitations.
• The acknowledgment of data constraints, undercounting issues, and sociopolitical factors influencing reporting underscores the need for a cautious and contextual interpretation of the findings.
• Collaborative efforts to address data gaps and enhance reporting mechanisms are essential for more accurate representations of crime trends in India.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/ncrb-2022-report-crime-india-limitations-9054144/

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Venezuelan electoral authorities recently claimed that 95% of voters in a nonbinding referendum approved of the nation’s territorial claim on a huge chunk of neighbouring oil-rich Guyana.

EXPLANATION:

• The recent nonbinding referendum in Venezuela, purportedly showing an overwhelming approval for the nation’s territorial claim over a significant portion of oil-rich Guyana, has ignited both domestic enthusiasm and regional apprehensions.
• President of Venezuela hailed the outcome as a significant victory, emphasizing historical entitlements and the pursuit of what he deems rightfully belongs to Venezuela—the oil-rich Essequibo territory governed by Guyana.

Guyana:

• Guyana, a small country in South America, has recently become known for its significant oil reserves.
• Over the past decade, it has been discovered that Guyana has huge amounts of oil and gas under its coastal waters, with reserves of about 11 billion barrels of oil.
• This discovery has the potential to transform the Guyanese economy, with the country experiencing rapid growth and the expectation of substantial oil revenues in the coming years.
• However, there are concerns about whether Guyana is prepared to manage this influx of wealth, and there are also questions about the potential impact on the country’s democracy, economy, and environment.
• Additionally, Guyana has been involved in a long-standing territorial dispute with Venezuela, which has further complicated the situation regarding its oil-rich resources.

REFERENDUM OVER THE DISPUTE:

• Recently, there has been a referendum regarding the disputed oil-rich territory between Guyana and Venezuela.
• The referendum, held in Venezuela, asked voters whether they supported establishing a state in the Essequibo region, granting citizenship to its population, and incorporating it into Venezuelan territory.
• The “yes” vote in the non-binding referendum was 95% according to officials.
• However, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had warned Venezuela against “annexation” of the territory called Essequibo, which has long been ruled by Guyana.
• Guyana considers the referendum a step toward annexation, and the vote has its residents on edge.
• The referendum took place on December 3, 2023, and more than 10.5 million out of 20.7 million eligible voters cast their ballots.
• Venezuelan President claimed the referendum as a total success for his country and democracy.
• However, the low turnout during the referendum was noted, with long lines typical of electoral events not forming outside voting centers.
• The outcome of the referendum and its potential implications for the territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela remain uncertain.

Regional Reactions and Geopolitical Tensions:

• The tensions heightened following Guyana’s oil exploration initiatives and a substantial oil discovery, likened in reserves to Kuwait.
• The contest over this territory has implications for oil resources and geopolitical power in the region.
• Guyana’s assurance of border security and the solidarity demonstrated by its citizens underline the gravity of this dispute and its implications for regional stability.

Legal Disputes and International Involvement:

• Venezuela contends that the Essequibo River represents the natural border between the countries, dating back to Spanish rule, while Guyana upholds the border established during the British colonial era, validated by 1899 arbitration court.
• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) validated Guyana’s claims, but Venezuela proceeded with the referendum despite calls from the ICJ to refrain from actions affecting the disputed territory.

Current Situation and Future Implications:

• The outcome of the referendum, though nonbinding, fuels geopolitical tensions and concerns about regional stability.
• The contentious claims over the territory, coupled with its substantial oil reserves, underpin the high stakes involved for both nations and their neighbouring regions.
• This ongoing dispute highlights the complexities of historical claims, legalities, economic interests, and geopolitical maneuvering, indicating the need for diplomatic dialogue and international cooperation to navigate through this sensitive issue without escalating tensions or jeopardizing regional stability.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/venezuela-vote-shows-overwhelming-support-for-claim-on-region-of-guyana/article67604673.ece

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The recent data from the Climate Trace Project shows an increase in global greenhouse gas emissions since the Paris climate agreement in 2015.

EXPLANATION:

• The recent data from the Climate Trace project underscores some critical points in the global effort to combat climate change.
• It sheds light on the specific regions and sectors that have contributed significantly to the surge in greenhouse gas emissions since the signing of the Paris climate agreement in 2015.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions:

• China, India, and the US stand out as major contributors to the increase in emissions.
• Electricity generation in China and India, coupled with oil and gas production in the US, have been identified as the primary drivers behind this concerning trend.
• These revelations highlight the challenges in accurately reporting emissions, showcasing deficiencies in fulfilling obligations under the Paris Agreement by both countries and companies.

Rising Methane Emissions and Pledges:

• Despite global pledges to reduce methane emissions, the data indicates an alarming increase in methane levels, a potent greenhouse gas.
• China’s coal mines contributed to the surge in methane emissions.
• However, there’s a recent commitment from China to address methane emissions by including it in its national climate plans and collaborating with the US on this issue.

Importance of Accurate Emissions Information:

• The Climate Trace project plays a crucial role in pinpointing emission sources using satellite images and AI software.
• Al Gore emphasized the necessity of accurate emissions information to tackle the problem effectively, highlighting the significance of identifying precise emission sources to address the issue adequately.

Mitigating Methane and COP28 Summit:

• Scientists stress the urgency of sharp cuts in methane emissions to mitigate the severe impacts of global heating.
• The COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai aimed to assess progress towards emission cuts necessary to stay within the 1.5ºC temperature limit set by the Paris Agreement.
• Cooperation on methane reduction at this summit was seen as a positive step towards achieving the 1.5ºC target, with reductions potentially contributing up to 0.3ºC in lowering global temperature increases.

Efforts and Challenges in Decarbonization:

• More than 50 oil and gas companies at COP28 have pledged to join a “decarbonization accelerator” to reduce their climate impact.
• However, critics argue that the voluntary nature of these pledges presents challenges in ensuring accountability.
• They advocate for stronger legal agreements to phase out fossil fuels substantially.

Impact of Post-Covid Aviation and Positive Note on Deforestation:

• Emissions from aviation rebounded post-Covid lockdowns, with a significant surge in both international and domestic flight emissions, along with a rise in road transport emissions potentially linked to increased SUV sales.
• On a positive note, there’s a decline in emissions from deforestation in key regions like the Congo Basin, showcasing a reduction in forest degradation and destruction.
• Overall, the data underscores the pressing need for coordinated global efforts to address emissions from various sectors, emphasizing the importance of accurate reporting, urgency in mitigating methane, and the necessity for stronger commitments and actions to achieve meaningful climate goals.

CLIMATE TRACE:

• Climate TRACE is an independent initiative that aims to track greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with unprecedented detail, speed, and trusted independence.
• It was founded by a global coalition of nonprofits, tech companies, and universities to make meaningful climate action faster and easier by providing real-time or near-real-time data on GHG emissions.
• The project uses a combination of satellite data, artificial intelligence, and other remote sensing technologies to monitor and publish GHG emissions within weeks, improving monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of both carbon dioxide and methane.

SOURCE: https://www.wionews.com/world/surge-in-greenhouse-gas-emissions-points-to-china-us-and-india-as-primary-culprits-data-665785

THE CONTEXT: A groundbreaking report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), published earlier this month, has laid bare the staggering hidden costs of our global agri­food systems, surpassing an astonishing $10 trillion.

ABOUT AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS

Agri-food systems have three main components:

• Primary production: It includes food from agricultural and non-agricultural origins, as well as non-food agricultural products.
• Food distribution: It links production to consumption through food supply chains and domestic food transport networks.
• Household consumption: It is the downstream outcome of functioning agrifood systems, subject to varying degrees of demand shocks.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STATE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2023 REPORT

• The report blames “unsustainable business­as­usual activities and practices” for these escalating costs, pointing to a need to transform agri­food systems.
  • In middle-income countries like India, these costs constitute nearly 11% of the GDP, which manifests as higher poverty, environmental harm, and health related impacts, including undernourishment and unhealthy dietary patterns.
• One way to do so is to shift to multi-cropping systems that have the potential to protect farmers’ well-being, improve nutritional outcomes for our communities, and positively impact ecological health.

IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND ITS IMPACT:

• Impressive improvements in agricultural productivity have been achieved in India over the last five decades by mainstreaming mono­cropping systems and chemical­intensive farming practices.
• The Green Revolution focused on the marketing of high­yielding varieties of paddy and wheat on agricultural lands, which now constitute more than 70% of India’s agricultural production.
• The infusion of seeds purchased from multinational corporations and fertilizers undermined seed sovereignty, dismantled Indigenous knowledge systems, and fuelled a shift from diverse crop varieties and staples such as pulses and millets to monoculture plantations.
• This trend also compromised the nutritional needs of households and resulted in adverse ecological consequences including excessive extraction of groundwater.
• This privatisation and deregulation of agricultural inputs also increased indebtedness among agrarian households.
• In 2013, the debt to asset ratio of a farmer’s household in India was 630% higher than in 1992. Agriculture in India has increasingly become unviable:
  • The average monthly household income of a farming household sits at ₹10,816.

THE CROPS BEING FAVOURED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS ISSUES WITH IT

National Food Security Act 2013: 65% of households (around 800 million people) in India are legally assured a right to food at subsidised rates through the Public Distribution System and welfare programmes such as the Integrated Child Development Services and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.

The Procurement of food crops: Procurement of food crops is coordinated by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), which is required to maintain a central pool of buffer stock and to procure, transport, and store foodgrain stocks in the country.

• However, this procurement policy heavily favours rice and wheat.
• In 2019­2020, the FCI procured 341.32 lakh million tonnes (MT) of wheat and 514.27 lakh MT of rice.
• Whole wheat and rice also became export commodities.
• Not surprisingly, the area under cultivation of coarse grains dropped by 20% between 1966-1967 and 2017-­2018, whereas the area under rice and wheat increased by nearly 20% and 56% respectively.

Water-intensive cash crops: Water intensive cash crops like sugarcane and areca nut have also flourished under policies favouring investments in dams and canal irrigation (favourable for sugarcane) and free electricity for borewells (favourable for areca nut).

Threatens food security: Policies favour investments in water intensive cash crops, which threatens food security and the production of nutritional crops.

Affects Biodiversity: The expansion of sugarcane cultivation affects biodiversity, increases the pressure on groundwater resources, and contributes to air and water pollution.

Issues with small and marginal farmers:  Small and marginal farmers in India are among the most food and nutrition insecure.

• The global food system structure has a direct impact on the last mile on both farmers and soil.
• Between 2012 and 2016, large fluctuations in soya prices in the global market and a glut in supply from Latin American countries eroded income for soy farmers and agro companies in Malwa.
• Historically as well, global trade relations have influenced food production systems in the Global South. In the pre-independence era, tax systems were introduced to efficiently collect revenue for British-enforced exports of primary raw materials, such as cotton.

HOW CAN CROP DIVERSIFICATION HELP?

Diversification of farms:  A systemic shift in food regimes, from local to global value chains, is essential. The starting point for addressing these complex systemic issues could arise from local efforts, such as the diversification of farms.

Solution to revitalise degraded land and soil: Diversified multi-cropping systems, rooted in agroecology principles, could be a viable solution to revitalise degraded land and soil.

Improves soil health: Practices known by various names locally, like ‘akkadi saalu’ in Karnataka, involve intercropping with a combination of legumes, pulses, oilseeds, trees, shrubs, and livestock.

• This approach enables cash provision from commercial crops, food and fodder production, and offers ecosystem services such as nitrogen fixation and pest traps and supports the local biodiversity. They also collectively contribute to improving soil health.

FAO report: The FAO report says that there are substantial “hidden costs” associated with the current systems which need to be factored into long-term evaluations of income.

ISSUES WITH THE CROP DIVERSIFICATION

Arguments against alternative farming systems: Critics have often argued against alternative farming systems, suggesting they may lead to a decline in farmer income even if the environment improves.

Loss of productivity: While crop diversification will involve some loss of productivity using a narrow metric of kg/Ha, it would preserve natural capital and allow farmers to become nutritionally secure.

THE WAY FORWARD

Redirecting subsidies: By redirecting subsidies, currently accruing to corporations, we can pay farmers for their contribution to sustaining natural capital, instead of incentivising them to deplete it.

Systematic transition:  It is unrealistic to expect farmers to shift away from mono-cultivation of rice and wheat overnight. This transition needs to be systematic, allowing farmers to adjust gradually.

• For instance, moving from chemical-intensive practices to non-pesticide management, then adopting natural farming practices, can reduce input costs.

Visual representation of a diversified: Among the various transition pathways, a visual representation of a diversified farm involves allocating 70% for commercial crops, 20% for food and fodder, and 10% for environmental services like oilseeds (acting as trap crops).

• Over time, the fraction of commercial crops could be lowered to 50% and border crops could be replaced with locally suitable tree species for fruits and fodder.
• Integrating livestock rearing could further improve incomes.

Addressing challenges related to local seeds: Addressing challenges related to local seeds, institutional arrangements for market access, drudgery, and the need for farm labour is crucial when envisioning such a transition.

Value addition: Farmers can diversify income through value addition, incorporating livestock and poultry. Some of these practices could be experimented with partially on specific portions of their lands.

Collaborating among institutions: Scaling up these practices requires collaboration among institutions, policymakers, and social groups to articulate economic incentives for farmers to shift from high-input monoculture to diversified cropping.

Focusing on millets: millets, whose yield per hectare is comparable to those of rice and wheat, are also more nutritious, grow in semi-arid conditions without burdening groundwater tables, require minimal input, and provide a diversified food basket.

CONCLUSION:

Shifting from the current high-input monoculture system to diversified cropping presents a crucial opportunity for environmental sustainability and improved farmer livelihoods. By implementing the proposed strategies, we can create a more resilient agricultural sector that benefits both farmers and the environment.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS:

Q) What are the salient features of National Food Security Act, 2013? How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India? (2021)

Q) What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification? (2021)

Q) What are the reformative steps taken by the Government to make the food grain distribution system more effective? (2020)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q) Examine the need for transforming the agri-food systems for ensuring food security, protecting soil fertility and reducing the food subsidy of the government.

SOURCE:https://epaper.thehindu.com/reader?utm_source=Hindu&utm_medium=Menu&utm_campaign=Header

THE CONTEXT: The All-India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) recently announced its plans to open a Centre of Excellence for transgender healthcare in 2024.  

ABOUT THE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE:

• The centre will be established at the Burns and Plastic Surgery department of the institute.
• The move comes after a collaboration with the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, the National Aids Control Organization (NACO), and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW).
• It aims to not only deliver holistic care but become the seat of learning in the subject of Transgender Health under one roof and save patients from the hassle of running from one OPD to another.
• The institute has already been conducting gender-reassignment surgeries and aims to offer surgical, endocrinology-related, and psychiatry services.

ISSUES FACED BY TRANSGENDERS

• Discrimination: Transgenders face discrimination in employment, educational institutes, and within families which severely affects their overall wellbeing. They often face difficulty in property inheritance or child adoption. Because of being socially marginalised they are compelled to take up menial jobs despite good qualifications or forced into sex work. They face issues with the accessibility of even basic amenities as public toilets and public spaces.
• Inadequate access to healthcare: They have been subject to unscientific and inhuman practices like “conversion therapy” by medical practitioners. The community lacks access to healthcare because of structural barriers like exclusionary infrastructure, lack of services and trained and sensitised healthcare workers. State policies in primary and secondary healthcare have made no effort to ensure access for the community. Mental healthcare continues to be dominated by tertiary institutes that have failed to provide for gender-diverse people.
• Issue of legal recognition of gender: There are issues of legal recognition of gender in India. Certain documents in India, such as the passport, still do not have the provision of transgender as a gender marker. They are often forced to identify with a gender with which they are not associated despite Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 which allows the community the right to self-perceived gender identity.
• Against NALSA judgement: The Transgender Act makes it mandatory for a transgender person to undergo surgery to change their gender within the binaries of male and female. This is in contravention of the NALSA judgment, which states that any insistence on sex reassignment surgery for declaring one’s gender is illegal. There is a misplaced focus on tertiary care and surgical procedures. This is pushing transgender people to undergo surgery to get a binary gender marker.

STEPS TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT

• NALSA v Union of India (2014): The community was first given legal recognition in India in NALSA v Union of India(2014). The NALSA case judgement led to the recognition of transgender people as the ‘third gender’ by the Supreme Court of India. It affirmed that the fundamental rights granted under the Constitution will be equally applicable to them, and gave them the right to self-identification of their gender as male, female or third gender.
• Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019: The Act aims to stop discrimination against a transgender person in various sectors such as education, employment, and healthcare. It also directs the central and state governments to provide welfare schemes for them. It re-emphasised the role of governments in holistic healthcare services to the community as providing sex reassignment surgery, counselling services and mental health services. It also asked for a review of the medical curriculum and medical research that caters to transgender persons. Most importantly, it called for facilitating trans peoples’ access to hospitals and healthcare institutions.
• The Transgender Persons Rules, 2020: The Rules have been made under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. The rules seek to recognise the identity of transgenders and prohibit discrimination in the fields of education, employment, healthcare, holding property and use of public services and benefits. It added that state governments shall ensure the provision of separate wards and washrooms for transgender people in hospitals by 2022. It asked states to undertake the sensitisation of healthcare professionals and directed the publishing of an equal opportunity policy and notification of a complaint officer by every establishment. It also suggested that at least one government hospital in a state should provide safe and free gender-affirming surgery and related services.
• National Portal for Transgender Persons: It would help transgenders in digitally applying for a certificate and identity card from anywhere in the country, thus preventing any physical interaction with officials.It will help them track the status of application, rejection, grievance redressal, etc. which will ensure transparency in the process.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• Increase in number of centre of excellence: One centre of excellence cannot cater to the needs of transgender people across India. All government medical colleges and hospitals in India should provide gender-affirming services. This must be in addition to quality, inclusive, and accessible primary and secondary healthcare. Institutions aiming to be Centres of Excellence must comply with legal necessities like transgender-inclusive wards, washrooms, equal opportunity policy, and grievance mechanisms.
• Transgender-Inclusive Policies:There is a need to frame transgender inclusive policies by sensitizing the legal and law enforcement systems. It will increase their chance to be included in policies formulation and increase their public participation.
• Financial Security: There is a need to ensure financial security among transgenders to mainstream the community in the society. For example, liberal credit facilities and financial assistance must be ensured to start up their career as an entrepreneur or businessman.
• Sensitization and awareness:There is a need to increase awareness and sensitise the legal and law enforcement systems towards the challenges of the community. This requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders, including the transgender community, the government, civil society, and religious leaders.

THE CONCLUSION:

Transgenders face various disadvantages in the Indian society. Therefore, state along with civil society must develop effective measures and also there should be efforts in sensitising the society and increasing awareness for fostering a sense of respect and acceptance for transgender community.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1 Discuss the desirability of greater representation to women in the higher judiciary to ensure diversity, equity and inclusiveness. (2021)

Q.2 “Micro-Finance as an anti-poverty vaccine is aimed at asset creation and income security of the rural poor in India”. Evaluate the role of Self-Help Groups in achieving the twin objectives along with empowering women in rural India. (2020)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q.1 What are the roadblocks in improving the status of transgenders in India? Highlight some major government initiatives related to their empowerment.

Q.2 Despite the constitutional safeguards and special legislation, transgenders are historically marginalized and disadvantaged groups in accessing healthcare in India. Comment.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/aiims-transgender-care-centre-conversion-therapy-unscientific-practices-9054488/

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. What the World Malaria Report says about India READ MORE
2. COP28: What is Global Stocktake — and why is it important? READ MORE
3. RBI monetary policy: Why is the Monetary Policy Committee likely to leave repo rate unchanged? READ MORE
4. BCG revaccination study in high-risk adults to begin in 23 States READ MORE
5.  ‘India will be the largest cotton producer’ READ MORE
6. COP28 climate meet | India not among 118 nations that pledged to triple green energy READ MORE
7. Lithium supply strategy: India’s initiative with Argentina’s CAMYEN gains traction READ MORE
8. Natural superhero fungi boosts crop yields by 40% READ MORE
9. After COVID break, Centre approves fourth phase roll-out of GIAN scheme READ MORE
10. India agreed to withdraw soldiers from country, says Maldives President Muizzu READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. Re-criminalising adultery as a gender-neutral offence READ MORE
2. Weather Report: East India braces for wet days ahead as Cyclone Michaung builds up; North India to remain dry READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. The legal net to trap peddlers of deepfakes READ MORE
2. Private job quota for locals ends with order READ MORE
3. Role of Governors in focus again READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. India, disability inclusion and the power of ‘by’ READ MORE  

 INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Kissinger: Cold warrior of realpolitik READ MORE  
2. Time for a reset in India-US ties READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Growth surprise points to status quo on repo rate READ MORE
2. Economy well on track but growth not yet broad-based READ MORE
3. Why government is not worried about missing disinvestment target READ MORE
4. How Indian economy has silenced ‘perennial pessimists’ READ MORE
5. India’s geo-digital age is here – tech partnerships, data protection, semiconductors READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Why India will continue to rely on coal for foreseeable future READ MORE  
2. India reduced emissions intensity 33% in 2005-2019, shows new submission to UN READ MORE
3. COP28 must put global climate action back on track READ MORE
4. Will COP28 UAE shape climate justice amid clash between urgency and economic realities in global climate action? READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. The transformative benefits of population-level genome sequencing | Explained READ MORE   
2. Artificial Intelligence: Benefits outweigh the detriments READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. Combating cybercrimes READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. The Uttarakhand tunnel workers have been rescued. It’s time to ask hard questions about the project READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Panacea for grief: Realise the eternity within READ MORE
2. Your anger, your energy READ MORE
3. Serve Param Purush READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. A bottom-up approach to disability inclusion is needed to ensure that persons with disabilities are recognised as active members of society and the economy. In the light of the statement critically examine the schemes established as part of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016).
2. The goal of social justice cannot be achieved without the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all spheres of development, starting with rural areas and rural resilience. Comment.
3. The historic marginalisation of persons with disabilities and the backsliding of the progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, a fundamental shift in commitment, solidarity, financing and action is critical. Discuss how the voices and needs of persons with disabilities be prioritised at the centre of the global development agenda.
4. ‘Strategic Autonomy’ deployed by India in recent times owes itself to the foundational principle of realpolitik, as it allows the practitioner to not get closeted within the linear grouping. Critically examine the statement.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.
• There needs to be more inclusive opportunities and employment in the rural areas as a majority of persons with disabilities live here.
• The first step is awareness to ensure last-mile connectivity of the benefits enumerated for people with disabilities by the government, which begins with the capacity-building of community leaders who can advocate for this at the grass-roots level.
• A bottom-up approach to disability inclusion is crucial to build productive pathways out of poverty and ensure that persons with disabilities are recognised as active members of society and the economy.
• The goal of social justice cannot be achieved without the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all spheres of development, starting with rural areas and rural resilience.
• A bi-directional link to poverty, nutrition, and hunger, and as a consequence, there needs to be more inclusive opportunities and employment in rural areas.
• The historic marginalisation of persons with disabilities and the backsliding of the progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, a fundamental shift in commitment, solidarity, financing and action is critical.
• It is about time that the voices and needs of persons with disabilities be prioritised at the centre of the global development agenda.
• Though the domestic economy is on a stronger footing, inflation needs to sustain at 4 per cent for interest rates to be cut.
• Though the domestic economy is on a stronger footing and global headwinds are not too threatening as to upset inflation-growth dynamics, the lingering El Nino impact on the farm sector could be a cause of concern.
• ‘Strategic Autonomy’ deployed by India in recent times owes itself to the foundational principle of realpolitik, as it allows the practitioner to not get closeted within the linear grouping and associated puritanism of ‘allies’ to which a sovereign subscribed.
• As India meanders and navigates its rise in global relevance and animus simultaneously, it would do well to mull over and keep pace with the evolving nature of diplomacy.
• The extent of moral compromises, leniencies and even suppressions done by Superpowers in their quest to assert their geopolitical agendas and interests, is even more pronounced.
• It is imperative to foster a constructive working relationship to resolve the disharmony between the Centre and the states.
• Instead of engaging in public arguments, Chief Ministers and Governors should create a more conducive environment for the federal structure to operate seamlessly. Establishing a positive and productive relationship is crucial for the efficient functioning of the state.
• The core commitment of COP28 is to conceptualise a sustainable socio-economic model that will substantively decouple itself from conventional reliance on the fossil-related energy model.
• The alignment of AI use cases with the vision of the organisation is the most important aspect of the adoption of AI.
• The development of AI should not be an ad-hoc process but a part of a well-thought-out strategy which has the support of the top management and confidence of all stakeholders as a tool for reducing their burden rather than replacing them or their work.

ESSAY TOPIC

• Strategy is not the consequence of planning, but the opposite: its starting point.

50-WORD TALK

• Tamil Nadu police have a new target. It’s called ED. Scenes of police raiding ED office upend the playbook of what has become so routine and partisan that nobody even ponders anymore. It shows how broken the federal compact is. The primary responsibility of repairing centre-state balance lies with centre.
• China has become the first nation to accept the Taliban’s ambassador, starting the normalisation of the outfit in the global order. This is the destiny of Afghanistan that everyone will have to accept, even as efforts continue to sustain international pressure on the Taliban for women’s rights and curbing terrorism.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

THE CONTEXT: The UK has announced the completion of half a million whole-genome sequences, almost 0.7% of its population.

ABOUT THE DECODE INITIATIVE

• An early effort to use large-scale population genetic studies was initiated in Iceland by deCODE genomics in 1996, with most of the Icelandic population enrolling for genetic studies in around a decade’s time.
• The initiative provided the initial impetus for programmes that wished to use population-scale genomic data for precision medicine and public health.
• It also contributed significantly to the methods, infrastructure, and standards with which researchers handle large-scale genomic data and set up discussions on their bioethics.
• The project also laid the groundwork to integrate medical records and people’s genealogies, resulting in new drugs and therapeutics.
• deCODE’s success plus the wider availability of sequencing technologies gave rise to a number of population-scale genome initiatives around the world, including many pilot programmes initiated in the last decade.
• At first, several projects worked with hundreds to thousands of genomes, but in the last half a decade, such endeavours have leapfrogged to lakhs of genomes.

GENOME PROGRAMMES

Genome India Project (GIP): The government aims to sequence 10,000 genomes by the end of the year 2023 under the Genome India Project (GIP).

IndiGen: A pilot programme for population genomes in India named IndiGen provided an early view of more than a thousand genomes of individuals from cosmopolitan areas in India.

• It also yielded some clues to the landscape of many treatable genetic diseases and variants of clinical significance, including the efficacy and toxicity of drugs and the prevalence of rare disorders.

GenomeAsia project: The project led by multiple partners across the continent, plans to sequence a lakh whole genome from diverse populations.

• This includes a whole-genome sequencing reference dataset from 1,739 individuals of 219 population groups and 64 countries across Asia.

100K Genome: UK’s ‘100K Genome’ project, which aimed to bring genomics into routine healthcare.

Diversity Human Genome Initiative:  A recent initiative by the pharmaceutical companies Regeneron Genetics Center, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, and Roche, along with the Meharry Medical College, Tennessee, has even planned to sequence more than five lakh individuals of African ancestry through the Diversity Human Genome Initiative.

AllofUS programme: The AllofUS programme in the U.S, which will collect genetic information of a million people with funding from the National Institutes of Health.

1+ Million Genomes: The European Union recently launched the ‘1+ Million Genomes’ initiative. It aims to enable secure access to genomics and the corresponding clinical data across Europe for better research, personalised healthcare and health policy making.

Three Million African Genomes: A human genetics project inaugurated by Ambroise Wonkam of Cape Town University in South Africa.
Emirati Genome programme: The Emirati Genome Programme is a national project which aims to use genomic data to improve the health of the Emirati population.

SIGNIFICANCE

Direct healthcare benefits: According to one estimate, 18.5% of the UK’s 100K initiative was actionable, translating to direct healthcare benefits to participants.

Significantly diverse objectives: Many programmes take advantage of a unique population composition to understand disease prevalence and biomarkers for diseases and use that to inform the discovery of novel therapeutic targets.

Understanding the genetics of diseases: The deCODE effort considerably improved our understanding of the genetics of diseases and the utility of such data in risk assessment.

Long-term impact:  The long-term impact of population-scale genomics extends beyond individual health, shaping our comprehension of human evolution, migration patterns, and adaptation to diverse environments.

Knowledge of human biology: It will also contribute significantly to our knowledge of human biology.

Precise and personalized treatments: It has the potential to revolutionize healthcare by providing more precise and personalized treatments.

CHALLENGES

• They also confront new challenges, especially with regard to the ethics of and the access to these genomes, and the discoveries that build on them.
• There are also significant concerns regarding the equitable representation and access to the fruits of discoveries (e.g., over-representation of certain ethnic groups in population-scale data sets).

WAY FORWARD

Regulatory frameworks: Countries like the U.S. have also proactively created regulatory frameworks to prevent the misuse of genetic data, such as to prevent insurance and employment discrimination, using the terms of the Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act(GINA).

Restricting access to data resources: Restricting access to data resources, such as the database of genotypes and phenotypes (dbGaP)55, reduces privacy risks.

Synthetic data generation: Recently, researchers have proposed protecting anonymity by generating synthetic genomic data sets using deep learning models.

• The generated data aim to maintain utility by replicating most of the characteristics of the source data and thus have the potential to become alternatives for many genomic databases that are not publicly available or have accessibility barriers.

CONCLUSION:

Population-scale genomics stands at the forefront of a genomic revolution, poised to revolutionise healthcare, illuminate our evolutionary history, and propel us towards a future in which precise, personalised approaches will influence the landscape of medical and biological understanding.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION:

Q) What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of the society? (2021)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q) Briefly explain the deCODE initiative. Discuss the Importance and associated challenges of genome sequencing in India.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/population-level-genome-sequencing-transformative-benefits/article67597984.ece

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: With coal use set to be a key topic during the COP28 summit, India said it would continue to rely on coal for electricity generation for the foreseeable future, even as it rapidly expanded its renewable energy sources.

EXPLANATION:

• India, despite its aspirations towards achieving net-zero emissions, remains reliant on coal for electricity generation due to several factors.
• The country’s energy demands have been escalating significantly, with a considerable surge in power requirements in recent years.

Rising Energy Demand:

• India’s power demand has shown an annual increase of about 8%, nearly twice the rate of the Asia Pacific region, reaching approximately 149.7 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2022.
• This surge in demand has been attributed to heightened economic activity, with industries, commercial sectors, residences, and agriculture being substantial consumers of energy.

Projections for Future Energy Needs:

• Projections from the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggest that India will experience the most substantial growth in energy demand globally over the next three decades.
• The escalating demand is anticipated to be primarily driven by the increased requirement for electricity, particularly for household air conditioning, expected to multiply nine-fold by 2050, surpassing the total power consumption of Africa.

Increased Coal Production and Challenges with Renewables:

• India’s response to the mounting energy demand has been a substantial increase in coal production, rising from 778 million tons in 2021-22 to 893 million tons in 2022-23, and setting targets to further escalate production to meet growing needs.
• The country’s heavy reliance on coal is primarily due to limitations and challenges associated with renewable energy sources.
• Renewable Energy Constraints:
  • Currently, renewable sources contribute only 22% of India’s total energy generation.
  • Despite ambitious targets to source 50% of electricity from renewables by 2030, the actual contribution remains far below this goal.
• Reliability Concerns:
  • Renewable sources like solar and wind are dependent on natural elements such as sunlight and wind, making them intermittent and less reliable for constant power generation.
  • Additionally, grid-scale battery storage, necessary for ensuring continuous supply, faces challenges due to supply chain disruptions and high costs.
• Complexities of Hydropower:
  • While hydropower is a significant renewable energy source for India, ongoing projects in the Himalayan region have faced criticism for ecological damage and water resource conflicts.
  • Developing hydropower also requires substantial infrastructure improvements for reliability.
• Underutilization of Nuclear Power:
  • Despite plans to generate energy from nuclear power plants, India’s nuclear capacity contributes only about 3.15% to the total electricity generation, suggesting underutilization and limitations in expansion.

Future Energy Strategy:

• India aspires to amplify its renewable energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030, three times the current capacity.
• However, given the challenges and constraints associated with renewable sources, the country will continue to rely significantly on coal-generated electricity.
• The Union Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy emphasized that while India intends to decrease the share of fossil fuels in electricity generation to around 35% by 2030, the absolute capacity of coal may still rise to meet the escalating electricity demand.
• The country aims to implement a phase-down strategy for coal rather than an immediate phase-out, considering the imperative need to meet surging energy requirements.
• As India grapples with its increasing energy demand, the dilemma between pursuing cleaner energy sources and meeting immediate electricity needs through coal generation remains a significant challenge for the nation’s energy transition.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/india-coal-power-demand-9051441/

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: At COP28, the global community convened to address the critical issue of global warming. The conference was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 30 to December 3, 2023, and brought together parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to assess progress on the Paris Agreement and to chart a course of action for the future.

EXPLANATION:

• This climate summit involved representatives from nearly 200 nations, along with business leaders, climate scientists, Indigenous Peoples, journalists, and various experts.
• The Global Stocktake, a process assessing progress in curbing global warming since the inception of the Paris Agreement in 2015, is a pivotal component of this event.

Purpose and Importance of the Global Stocktake:

• The Global Stocktake serves as an evaluation mechanism to gauge the progress made by countries in combating global warming.
• This assessment holds significant importance as it determines the efficacy of measures taken under the Paris Agreement.
• It identifies areas requiring more robust action, whether through stricter national policies, ambitious goals, or facilitating transitions to clean energy in developing nations.

Objectives and Framework of the Paris Agreement:

• The Paris Agreement of COP21 in 2015 marked a turning point in global climate action, necessitating all countries to commit to emissions reduction targets and adapt to climate change impacts.
• This commitment, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), mandates periodic assessments of progress every five years.
• The Agreement aims to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels, striving to cap it at 1.5 degrees Celsius to mitigate severe climate change impacts.

First Global Stocktake Report:

• A significant milestone in this process was the publication of the UN’s technical report on the first Global Stocktake in September 2023.
• The report highlighted some progress but emphasized that the collective action taken was insufficient.
• It called for an accelerated pace of implementation across all sectors and urged an inclusive approach involving society to meet the Paris Agreement’s goals and address the climate crisis.

Challenges and Urgency for Action:

• The report indicated a rise in global temperatures by approximately 1.2 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times, underscoring the urgency for more robust efforts to curb climate change.
• While acknowledging progress, it also highlighted existing gaps and the need for innovative solutions and increased efforts to bridge these gaps.
• The urgency to accelerate implementation, foster greater action, and provide support to meet the Paris Agreement’s objectives was emphasized.

Conclusion:

• As COP28 unfolded in Dubai, the Global Stocktake becomes a focal point for assessing the global community’s efforts in combating climate change.
• It emphasized the critical need for heightened ambition, collective action, and innovative strategies to combat climate change effectively.
• The outcomes of this evaluation will guide nations toward charting a more sustainable and resilient future in mitigating the impacts of climate change.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-climate/cop28-what-global-stocktake-9051353/

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Twenty-three States have consented to participate in the BCG revaccination study in adults that will be undertaken in a “programme implementation study mode” to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine in reducing TB disease incidence.

EXPLANATION:

• The initiative to conduct a BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guérin) revaccination study in adults has stirred considerable discussion and debate due to the absence of comprehensive clinical trials in the country.
• The study aims to assess the effectiveness of the BCG vaccine in reducing Tuberculosis (TB) disease incidence, primarily targeting high-risk groups such as individuals older than 50 years, those with prior TB disease, underweight adults, diabetics, smokers, and alcohol consumers.

Lack of Prior Clinical Trials in India:

• India has not conducted clinical trials to ascertain the efficacy of BCG revaccination in adults for preventing TB disease.
• However, two clinical investigation studies by St. John’s Research Institute in Bengaluru have indicated the significant immunogenicity of BCG revaccination in adults.

Expert Committee Recommendations and Government Approach:

• An expert committee, including formerly of the WHO, recommended a comprehensive trial before implementation at the population level.
• Nevertheless, the Indian government has chosen a program implementation study over a clinical trial due to concerns regarding the lengthy trial process.
• This approach involves using some districts as intervention arms and others as control arms to capture TB incidence over a couple of years.

WHO’s Standpoint on BCG Revaccination:

• The WHO currently does not advocate for programmatic or pilot BCG revaccination, even in high TB burden countries like India.
• Their 2018 BCG vaccine position paper emphasizes that repeat BCG vaccination shows minimal or no additional benefit against TB or leprosy.

Challenges and Limitations of Previous Studies:

• The protective effect of a single dose of BCG vaccine given to infants in India wanes within a short time.
• The Chingleput BCG revaccination study in 1968, involving a small sub-group, indicated a 36% efficacy in reducing TB incidence after 15 years, but this study had limitations in sample size and knowledge gaps about confounding factors.

Proposed Methodology and Participating States:

• The study intends to follow a phase 4-like pragmatic evaluation by earmarking districts in participating states as intervention and control arms.
• States such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu have agreed to participate.
• Tamil Nadu planned to study lakhs of consenting participants and closely monitor a few thousand individuals for vaccine efficacy over two to three years.

Challenges Faced by Non-Participating States:

• Some states like Kerala, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Uttarakhand have chosen not to participate in the study due to field constraints and existing gaps in their immunization programs, which could overburden the staff involved.
• In essence, the BCG revaccination study in adults across various Indian states represents a shift from the usual clinical trial method to a program implementation study mode.
• This approach aims to evaluate the effectiveness of BCG revaccination in high-risk groups despite the reservations and recommendations from global health authorities like the WHO.

BCG VACCINE:

• Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is the live attenuated vaccine form of Mycobacterium bovis used to prevent tuberculosis and other mycobacterial infections.
• The vaccine was developed by Calmette and Guerin and was first administered to human beings in 1921.
• BCG is the only vaccine against tuberculosis.
• It is the most widely administered vaccine and usually a part of the routine newborn immunization schedule.
• BCG vaccine also offers protection against non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections like leprosy and Buruli ulcer.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/bcg-revaccination-study-in-high-risk-adults-to-begin-in-23-states/article67594580.ece/amp/