1. VIVAD SE VISHWAS II SCHEME

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The Centre has launched a settlement scheme Vivad se Vishwas 2″ to provide a much-needed impetus to the resolution of contractual disputes involving the government and government undertakings,

Explanation:

• The scheme was announced in the Union Budget, 2023 and was launched by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
• It aims to settle contractual disputes of government and government undertakings, wherein the arbitral award is under challenge in a court.
• The scheme will apply to all domestic contractual disputes where one of the parties is either the Government of India or an organisation working under its control.
• For cases involving Court awards, the settlement amount offered to the contractor will be up to 85% of the net amount awarded or upheld by the court, while the same threshold will be “up to” 65% of the net amount in case of arbitral awards.
• The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has developed a dedicated web page for the implementation of this scheme, and eligible claims shall be processed only through GeM.
• Eligible claims will be processed exclusively through the GeM platform, streamlining the settlement process and ensuring expeditious resolution.
• The move is aimed at promoting ease of doing business, and the deadline for submitting claims under the scheme is 31 October 2023.

Government e-Marketplace (GeM)

• It is a one-stop portal to facilitate online procurement of common-use Goods & Services required by various Government Departments / Organizations / PSUs.
• It aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement.
• It provides the tools of e-bidding, reverse e-auction and demand aggregation to facilitate the government users achieve the best value for their money.
• All Central government and State Government Ministries/Departments, including its attached/subordinate offices, Central and State autonomous bodies, Central and State Public Sector Units and local bodies etc., are authorized to make procurement through the GeM portal.

Earlier initiatives for dispute resolutions:

Vivad Se Vishwas’ Scheme

• It aimed at reducing litigations in the direct taxes payments and was introduced in Union Budget 2020-21.
• It has been launched with a similar goal in an attempt to reduce the number of direct tax litigation cases that are currently pending.
• The scheme provided for settlement of disputed tax, disputed interests, disputed penalty or disputed fees in relation to an assessment or reassessment order on payment of 100% of the disputed tax and 25% of the disputed penalty or interest or fee.

Sabka Vishwas:

• It was proposed in the Union Budget 2019 and was launched to reduce the number of indirect tax cases.
• It was introduced to resolve all disputes relating to the erstwhile Service Tax and Central Excise Acts.
• The scheme was notified by the CBIC to come into force on the 1st of September 2019 and shall be operational until the 31st of December 2019. It is now subsumed under GST.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/business/government-kicks-off-contractual-dispute-settlement-scheme/article67150095.ece

2. DRAFT NATIONAL DEEP TECH STARTUP POLICY

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government put out a draft National Deep Tech Startup Policy (NDTSP) for public comment.

EXPLANATION:

• The draft policy was shaped by the National Consortium and Working Group set up by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
• The draft policy seeks to preserve Indian firms’ interests while promoting more coordination to develop tech startups that work on fundamental problem-solving in key areas.
• The policy seeks to “ensure India’s position in the global deep tech value chain” in areas such as semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and space tech.
• The policy seeks to bolster research and development in deep tech start-ups, which work on fundamental and technical problems, unlike firms that monetise technology with distinguished business models, the draft says.
• Additionally, the policy seeks to simplify the intellectual property regime for such start-ups, ease regulatory requirements, and propose a slew of measures to promote these firms.
• For instance, the NDTSP suggests that an Export Promotion Board be created to ease barriers of entry for Indian deep tech start-ups into foreign markets and that clauses to ease such market access be included in foreign trade agreements.
• The policy suggests the creation of an “Inter-Ministerial Deep Tech Committee” to regularly review the requirements of enabling the deep tech ecosystem to function better.
• A deep tech startup involves early-stage technologies based on scientific or engineering advancements, which are yet to be developed for any commercial applications.
• The draft NDTSP suggests necessary changes in nine policy areas, such as
• nurturing research, development and innovation
• strengthening the intellectual property regime
• facilitating access to funding
• enabling shared infrastructure and resource sharing
• creating conducive regulations, standards, and certifications
• attracting human resources and initiating capacity building
• promoting procurement and adoption
• ensuring policy and program interlinkages
• sustaining deep tech startups.
• This policy complements and adds value to the existing Startup India policies, programmes and initiatives by fostering a conducive ecosystem for deep tech startups to thrive and address their unique and complex challenges.

Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC):

• It is an overarching council that facilitates the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India to assess the status of specific science and technology domains.
• It comprehends the challenges at hand, formulates specific interventions, develops a futuristic roadmap and advises the Prime Minister accordingly.
• The PM-STIAC is assisted by the Project Management Team (PMT) at Invest India, together with the Office of the PSA. The PMT at Invest India facilitates the delivery and progress of the ‘9 National Missions’ under the PM-STIAC.
• Four of the nine missions, Deep Ocean Mission, Natural Language Translation mission, AI mission, and Quantum Frontier mission have been approved.

• Besides the ‘9 National Missions’, the PMT also advises on other science and technology projects like establishment of The Indian Museum of The Earth (TIME), Developing City Research and Innovation Clusters across the nation, amongst others.

Nine National Missions are:

• Mission 1: Natural Language Translation: The Mission strives to make possibilities and advanced science and technology available to all by releasing the fence that the need for a high-level facility in English poses in modern times.
• Mission 2: Quantum Frontier: It strives to start work in the management of quantum mechanical methods, with a considerable number of grades of freedom, as one of the significant modern challenges in basic science and technology.
• Mission 3: Artificial Intelligence (AI): It will concentrate on handling societal requirements in education, agriculture, infrastructure, smart cities, including intelligent mobility and transport.
• Mission 4: National Biodiversity Mission: Exhaustive record of India’s biodiversity with the possibility of mapping and cataloguing all lifeforms in India, including associated traditional and cultural practices
• Mission 5: Electric Vehicles (EVs): It will create automobile sub-systems and elements for Indian needs, including rare-earth-based 4 electric engines, power electronics, Li-ion batteries, and using academic-industry partnership.
• Mission 6: BioScience for Human Health: It strives to create complete reference maps of genomes and to comprehend the dynamics of how vulnerability to different climates has an impact on human bodies.The Mission will concentrate on the genomic analysis of populations of humans to determine and solve the genetic basis and prevalence of irregular and inherited disorders.
• Mission 7: Waste to Wealth: It seeks to determine, design, and deploy technologies to treat waste to create power, recycle materials and extract value. The Mission will also recognize and sustain the growth of new technologies that hold promise in building a green and clean environment.
• Mission 8: Deep Ocean Exploration: It strives to scientifically analyze the in-depth oceans towards enhancing India’s knowledge of the blue border. It will handle problems arising from long-term transformations in the ocean due to weather changes.
• Mission 9: AGNIi (Accelerating Growth of New India’s Innovations): The Mission strives to sustain the national measures to strengthen the innovation ecosystem in India by linking innovators across industry, people, and the grassroots to the market and assisting in commercializing innovative solutions.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/draft-national-deep-tech-startup-policy-published-by-principal-scientific-adviser/article67142857.ece

3. SIMILIPAL TIGER RESERVE

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: To protect the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) and its wildlife in view of the killing of two forest frontline workers by alleged poachers, the Odisha government has set up a joint task force (JTF) comprising around 200 armed police and forest personnel.

EXPLANATION:

• The task force will gather intelligence and identify people with illegal arms and ammunition in the fringe and buffer villages of Similipal Tiger Reserve.
• The task force has been assigned the key responsibilities of collecting intelligence and identifying people holding illegal arms and ammunition in the fringe and buffer villages of the tiger reserve and preparing a database.
• It has also been empowered to take comprehensive action in ‘de-weaponing’ all the illegally acquired weapons in the fringe and buffer villages of the tiger reserve.
• The state government had recently granted immunity to forest personnel under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for the use of firearms for self-defence while dealing with poachers and in reserve forest areas.
• Odisha is the third state in India after Assam and Maharashtra to initiate such a measure.

Similipal Tiger Reserve:

• Similipal, which derives its name from ‘Simul’ (Silk Cotton) tree, is a national park and a Tiger Reserve situated in the northern part of Orissa’s Mayurbhanj district.
• The tiger reserve is spread over 2750 sq km and has some beautiful waterfalls like Joranda and Barehipani.
• The park is surrounded by high plateaus and hills, the highest peak being the twin peaks of Khairiburu and Meghashini (1515m above mean sea level).
• At least twelve rivers cut across the plain area, all of which drain into the Bay of Bengal. The prominent among them are Burhabalanga, Palpala Bandan, Salandi, Kahairi and Deo.
• The Tiger Reserve originated as a hunting ground for the surrounding royalty. It was formally designated a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in May 1973.
• The Government of Orissa declared Similipal as a wildlife sanctuary in 1979, with an area of 2750 sq. km.
• Later in 1980, the Government of Orissa proposed 303 sq. km of the sanctuary as National Park. Further, in 1986, the area of the National Park was increased to 845.70 sq. km.
• The Government of India declared it a biosphere reserve in 1994.
• UNESCO added this National Park to its list of Biosphere Reserves in May 2009.
• This tiger reserve also comes under Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes the adjacent Hadgarh and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuaries.
• Apart from its biodiversity, the region around Similipal forests is home to a variety of tribes. Prominent among these are Kolha, Santhala, Bhumija, Bhatudi, Gondas, Khadia, Mankadia and Sahara.

Flora and fauna:

• The vegetation is a mix of different forest types and habitats, with Northern tropical moist deciduous dominating some semi-evergreen patches.
• Sal is the dominant tree species here. These forests boast of many plants that have medicinal and aromatic properties.
• The park is known for the tiger, elephant and hill mynah. It holds the highest tiger population in the state of Orissa.
• Apart from the tiger, the major mammals are leopard, sambar, barking deer, gaur, jungle cat, wild boar, four-horned antelope, giant squirrel and common langur.
• Grey hornbill, Indian pied hornbill and Malabar pied hornbill are also found here.
• The park also has a sizeable population of reptiles, which includes the longest venomous snake, the King cobra and the Tricarinate hill turtle.
• The Mugger Management Programme at Ramatirtha has helped the mugger crocodile to flourish on the banks of the Khairi and Deo Rivers.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bhubaneswar/task-force-with-armed-personnel-to-protect-odishas-similipal-tiger-reserve-8874248/

4. POOR REPRESENTATION OF SCHEDULED CASTES AND TRIBES IN THE HIGHER BUREAUCRACY

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has flagged the poor representation of the SCs and STs in the higher bureaucracy at the central level in its recent report. The Committee submitted its report “Role of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (Department of Personnel and Training) in Formulation, Implementation and Monitoring of Reservation Policy” in the Lok Sabha.

FINDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE

• The Committee highlighted that the representation at various levels for SCs and STs is far below the constitutionally mandated percentage of 15 % and 7.5 %, respectively.
• The maximum number of SC and ST candidates were appointed at the level of deputy secretary or directors – 423 in 2017 to 509 in 2022.
• At the senior level of Joint Secretary /AS/Secretary, the figure remains almost the same with 35 in 2017 and 41 in 2022.
• It pointed out the increase in the number of SC and ST officers in the higher bureaucracy between 2017 (458) and 2022 (550).
• But the figure had remained far below the expected level.
• There are currently 12 additional secretaries and 25 joint secretaries against the sanctioned numbers of 90 and 242 from the SC and ST categories.
• At the deputy secretary or director level, there are just 79 officials from SC or ST communities against 509 sanctioned posts.
• It drew the attention towards negligible or no presence of SC and ST members on the boards of directors of almost all ministries, departments, public-sector units, and state-run banks.
• It highlighted that underrepresentation would deprive the marginalised communities of becoming part of the decision-making process on matters of policy.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE

• Names of candidates taking the public service exams should remain undisclosed during selection to ensure fair assessment and to avoid any possible form of discrimination.
• It recommended to provide unique identification numbers to candidates who appear in competitive exams.
• It directed the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to explore all possibilities to increase the representation of SCs and STs to ease out the current imbalance.
• DoPT may also consider setting up a separate regulatory authority to ensure meaningful implementation of reservation policies and orders till legislation to this effect is enacted by the government.
• It also directed DoPT to identify the backlog of vacancies and carry out special recruitment drives to fill the posts.
• It instructed the Department of Personnel and Training to submit an action taken report within three months.

RESPONSE BY DoPT

• DoPT said the appointment of officers to senior posts under the Government of India is filled on deputation.
• Out of the empanelled officers, those who give the option for deputation are considered for appointment for Joint Secretary and above under the Central Staffing Scheme (CSS).
• There is no provision for reservation in the posts filled up on a deputation basis under the CSS.
• The Officers of SC/ST community could not be appointed to the post of Members and Chairman, primarily due to non-availability of suitable candidates.
• However, the Committee is not willing to accept the reply as there are highly qualified deserving and meritorious candidates among SCS/STs available.

SOURCE: https://m.thewire.in/article/government/parliament-panel-headed-by-bjp-mp-slams-govt-on-dismal-sc-st-representation-in-higher-bureaucracy/amp

5. CASTE BASED SURVEY IN BIHAR

TAG: GS 2: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: Petitions were filed against the decision of the Bihar Government to conduct a caste-based survey in the Patna High Court but the court upheld the validity of Bihar Caste Survey.

EXPLANATION:

• The Patna HC has allowed the State government to continue with the survey.
• Patna High Court found State’s action ‘initiated with due competence’, and ‘not having violated the rights of privacy of the individual especially since it is in the furtherance of a ‘compelling public interest’’.
• Patna High Court stated that Census is a collection of accurate facts and verifiable details. Whereas a survey is intended at collection and analysis of opinions and perceptions of the public, which may be aimed at a specific community.
• The Bihar Government has submitted that it is competent to conduct a caste-based survey collecting data on the caste, Jati, and socio-economic well-being of the people of the state.
• The Government has also submitted that the people are not being forced to declare their caste and that participation in the entire exercise is purely voluntary and this fact makes it different from a caste-based census wherein declaration of caste is mandatory.

ARGUMENTS GIVEN AGAINST THE SURVEY

• Census falls under the union list of government.
• State does not have the right to conduct any caste census.
• Executive did not have the jurisdiction to conduct caste-based census.
• The privacy of the public will be violated by the caste-based survey.
• Caste enumeration is in the interest of the State, and it should be done across the country.
• Central government should get the caste census.

WHAT IS CASTE BASED SURVEY

• A caste-based survey is a data collection exercise that gathers information about individuals’ caste affiliations.
• It aims to understand the distribution and social dynamics of different caste groups within a particular population.
• Such surveys are often conducted to study caste-based disparities, identify social and economic inequalities, and inform policies to address issues related to caste discrimination and social justice.

IMPORTANCE OF CASTE SURVEY

• The caste survey holds significant importance in understanding social dynamics, inequalities, and historical imbalances within a society.
• Conducting a caste survey allows policymakers and researchers to gain valuable insights into the distribution.
• Representation of various caste groups, help to design targeted policies and affirmative action initiatives to address disparities and uplift marginalized communities.
• By collecting comprehensive data on caste demographics, educational attainment, employment opportunities, and socio-economic conditions, the survey helps identify areas requiring intervention and measures progress towards social equity.
• It also aids in monitoring the effectiveness of existing welfare schemes and policies.
• The caste survey facilitates a deeper understanding of the impact of caste-based discrimination, ensuring the protection of fundamental rights and human dignity for all individuals.
• It serves as a basis for fostering inclusive governance and promoting a society that values diversity and promotes social harmony.
• However, it is essential to conduct such surveys with sensitivity, respecting privacy and ensuring that the data is used responsibly to create a fair and just society.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/as-patna-high-court-upholds-bihar-caste-census-it-is-advantage-nitish-kumar-8873996/

1. SELF RELIANT INDIA (SRI) FUND

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: As a part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat package, the Rs 50,000 crore  Self Reliant India (SRI) Fund has been set up to infuse Rs. 50,000 crore as equity funding in those MSMEs which have the potential and viability to grow and become large units.

EXPLANATION:

• Under this fund, there is a provision of Rs 10,000 Crore from the government and Rs 40,000 crore through private equity and venture capital funds.
• The fund operates through a mother-fund and daughter-fund structure for equity or quasi-equity investments.
• NSIC Venture Capital Fund Limited (NVCFL) operates as Mother Fund in SRI Fund.
• It is registered as a Category-II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) with SEBI.
• The fund aims to enhance equity support to MSMEs and improve listing on stock exchanges as more enterprises get into the formal sector.
• The fund’s tenure is 15 years which may be extended as per AIF guidelines and subject to approvals from NVCFL and contributors.

How does the SRI fund work? 

• Employing a fund-of-funds strategy, the SRI fund invests in SEBI-registered Category I and Category II AIFs called daughter funds, which in turn invest in MSMEs.
• The government is the sole anchor investor in the fund, with the initial support of Rs 10,006 crore as the mother fund.
• The corpus is expected to be enhanced to Rs 50,000 crore with Rs 40,000 crore from daughter funds during the 15-year tenure of the fund, while the investment or commitment period is 13 years.

How many daughter funds are empanelled? 

• According to NSIC Venture Capital Fund (NVCFL), there are 44 daughter funds viz., TATA Capital Healthcare Fund, Aavishkaar India Fund, SVL-SME Fund, Gaja Capital India Fund, Avaana Sustainability Fund, ICICI Ventures’ India Advantage Fund S5 I and more.
• The investment manager of the fund is SBICAP Ventures – the private equity arm of State Bank of India (SBI).
• The target return for the daughter fund is a gross IRR (internal rate of return) of 12 per cent per annum. Gross IRR is referred to the return on investment without taking into account any management fees and costs.
• Management fees for daughter funds should not be more than 2 per cent per annum.

Are there preferred sectors for investment under SRI fund?

• According to NVCFL, SRI is a sector-agnostic fund to support MSMEs in agriculture, pharma, auto, chemicals, etc., undertaking manufacturing or services business except for investments in gambling, self-help groups, and any illegal or unlawful activities.

What type of MSMEs will be targeted for investments? 

• As per the fund’s guidelines, MSMEs with a “defined business plan for growth indicating positive funds flow” will be targeted.
• Moreover, compound annual growth of the business for the previous three years will also be considered.
• The Fund will also factor in non-monetary aspects in terms of employment, reduction in regional disparity, overall economic development and establishment of supply chains with depth and resilience.
• The investment made and equity diluted is based on the assessment of the MSME borrower.

Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/sme/self-reliant-india-sri-fund-equity-infusion-in-msmes-nears-rs-5000-crore/3190674/

2. ULLAS: NAV BHARAT SAKSHARTA KARYAKRAM

TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE CONTEXT: The Union Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship,  at the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam 2023 introduced the mobile application the ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram. The occasion coincided with the third anniversary of NEP 2020.

EXPLANATION:

• The ULLAS initiative aims to revolutionise education and literacy across the nation by fostering a comprehensive learning ecosystem that caters to every individual, bridging gaps in basic literacy and critical life skills.
• Its focus extends to promoting functional literacy, vocational skills and essential life skills such as financial literacy, legal literacy, digital literacy and empowerment of citizens to participate in nation-building.
• The newly-unveiled logo and slogan, “ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram”, symbolise the campaign’s enthusiasm and vigour in spreading knowledge and education to every corner of the country.
• The initiative aims to ignite the flame of curiosity and continuous learning in each individual, fostering a culture of knowledge-sharing in communities across India.
• It also fosters a culture of continuous learning and knowledge-sharing in communities across India.

Target Group of the initiative:

• The app serves as a digital gateway to engage learners with diverse educational resources through the DIKSHA portal of NCERT.
• Learners and volunteers can register through self-registration or via surveyors.
• The programme primarily targets citizens aged 15 and above who missed the opportunity to attend formal schooling.
• It operates through volunteerism, encouraging volunteers to participate as DUTY or Kartavya Bodh towards nation-building.
• Student volunteers will be incentivised with credits in school/university and appreciation through certificates, letters of appreciation, felicitation, among other means.

The National Policy on Education 2020:

• The NEP 2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986.
• It is built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability and is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• It aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower by making both school and college education more holistic, flexible, multidisciplinary.

Outcomes of NEP 2020:

• Universalization from Early childhood care and education (ECCE) to Secondary Education by 2030, aligning with SDG 4
• Attaining Foundational Learning & Numeracy Skills through National Mission by 2025
• 100% GER in Pre-School to Secondary Level by 2030
• Bring Back 2 Cr Out of School Children
• Teachers to be prepared for assessment reforms by 2023
• Inclusive & Equitable Education System by 2030
• Board Exams to test core concepts and application of knowledge
• Every Child will come out of School adept in at least one Skill
• Common Standards of Learning in Public & Private Schools

Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/centre-launches-ullas-mobile-application-promote-basic-literacy-check-whom-it-is-for-11690766375585.html

3. GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION (GI) TAG ACCORDED TO SEVEN PRODUCTS

TAG:  GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Seven products from across India, including four from Rajasthan, were given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai.

EXPLANATION:

• Seven products from across India, including four from Rajasthan, were given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai.
• The GI tags were secured by ‘Jalesar Dhatu Shilp’ (a metal craft), ‘Goa Mankurad Mango’, ‘Goan Bebinca’, ‘Udaipur Koftgari Metal Craft’, ‘Bikaner Kashidakari Craft’, ‘Jodhpur Bandhej Craft’, and ‘Bikaner Usta Kala Craft’.

1. Goa Mankurad Mango: This variety of mango is also known as malcorada, cardozo mankurad, corado, and Goa mankur. The Portuguese named the fruit malcorada, which means ‘poor coloured’, and with time, it became mank urad aam (mango) in Konkani.

1. Goan Bebinca: Bebinca, also known as the ‘queen of Goan desserts’, is a traditional Indo-Portuguese pudding.

1. Jalesar Dhatu Shilp: This craft belongs to Jalesar in Uttar Pradesh’s Etah district. These include gurus (anklets), giants (bells) and other decorative metal craft and brassware. The Thatheras community, which resides in a mohalla (locality) named Hathuras, makes these products.

1. Udaipur Koftgari Metal Craft: According to the documents submitted to the GI Registry, weapons are exquisitely ornamented by a complicated process of etching designs, heating, and then cooling, intertwined with embedding gold and silver wire and finally polishing it.

1. Bikaner Kashidakari Craft: These are traditionally created on cotton, silk or velvet with a variety of fine stitches and mirror-work, mainly for objects associated with marriage, especially gift items. The mirrors are believed to repel the ‘evil eye’ with their reflective surfaces. The weaving of fabrics by hand used to be done by the Meghwal community in Bikaner and nearby districts.

1. Jodhpur Bandhej Craft: It is the Rajasthani art of tying and dyeing. Bandhej is one of the most famous textile art forms in Rajasthan. The fabrics used for Bandhej are muslin, silk and voile. Cotton thread is used for tying the fabric.

1. Bikaner Usta Kala Craft: It is also known as gold Takashi or gold manual work due to the prominence of its long-lasting golden colour. Untreated raw camel hide is processed and moulded by the Dapgar community of leather craftspeople for the requirements of the Usta.

What is Geographical Indications Tag?

• A geographical indication (GI) tag is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
• The following types of goods are covered under the ambit of GI –

1. Agricultural (example, Basmati rice)
2. Natural (example, Makrana marble)
3. Handicrafts or of any industry (for example, Kashmiri pashmina)
4. Foodstuff (example, Dharwad pedha)

• The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, along with the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Rules, 2002 govern GI registrations and goods.
• It is in compliance with the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

(TRIPS ) The agreement of WTO  prescribes minimum standards for the protection of GI that all WTO members must provide.

• According to Section 58(1) of the GI Act, in any case where the validity of the registration of a geographical indication is questioned, the case would be under the jurisdiction of the Intellectual Property Appellate Board.
• Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai has complete jurisdiction over the GI goods in India, including, but not limited to, their registration and application process.

Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB):

• It is a quasi-judicial body that was constituted in September 1958 and entrusted with the task of adjudication of disputes pertaining to copyright registration, and assignment of copyright.
• The Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) has the appellate jurisdiction.
• It grants licenses in respect of works withheld from public, unpublished Indian works, production and publication of translations and works for certain specified purposes.
• It also hears cases in other miscellaneous matters instituted before it under the Copyright Act of 1957.
• The website of the IPAB boasts of being the only tribunal in India which has an international influence.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/gi-tags-for-goan-mangoes-and-bebinca-crafts-from-rajasthan-and-up/article67147303.ece

4. PAHARIS AND PADDARIS PROPOSED FOR THE SCHEDULED TRIBES STATUS IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR.

TAG: GS 1: SOCIETY; GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT:  Justice G D Sharma Commission was appointed by Govt. of Jammu and Kashmir in March 2020 to identify groups that were socially, educationally, and economically backward.

The Commission in its report recommended ST status for Gadda Brahmins, Kolis, Paddari Tribe, and Pahari Ethnic Group.

EXPLANATION:

• The government has brought a Bill to include four communities, Gadda Brahmin, Koli, Paddari Tribe, and Pahari Ethnic Group, in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 is one of the four Bills relating to the Union Territory that were introduced in Lok Sabha.

STATUS OF ST COMMUNITIES IN J&K

• The dominant ST communities in J&K are the Gujjars and Bakerwals.
• They live in the districts of Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Kishtwar, Anantnag, Bandipora, Ganderbal, and Kupwara.
• Bakerwals are nomadic and they migrate with their livestock to the higher reaches in the summer and return before the onset of winter.
• Gujjar-Bakerwals are the third largest group after Kashmiris and Dogras in J&K.
• They were given ST status in 1991, along with the two smaller groups of Gaddis and Sippis.
• This entitled these four communities to 10% reservation in government jobs and admission to educational institutions.
• In 2019, they were empowered politically after the Centre announced a 10% quota for them in Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in J&K.
• The proposed expansion of the ST list has triggered unrest among the Gujjar-Bakerwal, who apprehend a shrinking of their share of the quota benefits pie. The Bill says the amendment “may entail additional expenditure on account of benefits to be provided to persons belonging to the said [four] communities”.
• Gujjar-Bakerwal leaders are especially agitated with the proposed ST status for Paharis and Paddaris.
• Gadda Brahmins and Kolis are very small communities. Gadda Brahmins are a branch of the Gaddis while Kolis are a sub-caste of Sippis, and both these communities are already in the ST list.

PAHARI ETHNIC GROUP

• The Paharis are Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, and people of Kashmiri origin who settled in the districts of Rajouri and Poonch.
• In 1989, the J&K government recommended that Paharis should be included in the list of STs along with the Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gaddis, and Sippis.
• It was rejected on the ground that there was no caste/ tribe of that name in its records.
• An Advisory Board was setup for Development of Pahari Speaking People. The Board defined Paharis as all people living in Rajouri and Poonch except those who were STs.
• The Paharis finally got 4% reservation in jobs and educational institutions in 2019.
• Justice G D Sharma Commission was appointed which recommended ST status for Gadda Brahmins, Kolis, Paddari Tribe, and Pahari Ethnic Group.
• The report was sent to the Tribal Affairs Ministry, and the Registrar General approved it in 2022.

PADDARI TRIBE

• They live in the remote Paddar area of the hilly Kishtwar district, which is spread over two tehsils, the Paddari homeland borders Zanskar (Ladakh) in the north and the east, Pangi in Himachal Pradesh in the south, and the rest of J&K in the west.
• The 2011 census recorded the Paddari population at 21,548, comprising 83.6% Hindus, 9.5% Buddhists, and 6.8% Muslims.
• The people of the area, including those who have come from elsewhere to settle there, speak the Paddari language.
• Gujjar-Bakerwal opposition to the proposed inclusion of the Paddari Tribe in the ST list is based on the argument that they do not constitute a single ethic group but are a mix of individuals from different castes and religions who speak a particular language.
• Justice G D Sharma Commission recommended ST status for Paddari Tribe.

THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR SCHEDULED TRIBES (NCST)

• It was established by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the Constitution through the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003.
• By this amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was replaced by two separate Commissions namely- (i) the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), and (ii) the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) w.e.f.19 February 2004.
• Consultations by the union and the states
• Under Art. 338A: Union and every State Govt. to consult the Commission on all major Policy matters affecting Scheduled Tribes.

CONSTITUTIONAL SAFEGUARDS FOR STs

• EDUCATIONAL & CULTURAL SAFEGUARDS

• Art. 15(4) – Special provisions for advancement of other backward classes (which includes STs).
• Art. 29 – Protection of Interests of Minorities (which includes STs).
• Art. 46 – The State shall promote, with special care, the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and, of the Scheduled Castes, and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.
• Art. 350 – Right to conserve distinct Language, Script, or Culture.
• Art. 350 – Instruction in Mother Tongue.
• SOCIAL SAFEGUARD
• Art. 23 – Prohibition of traffic in human beings and beggar and other similar form of forced labour.
• Art. 24 – Forbidding Child Labour.
• ECONOMIC SAFEGUARDS
• Art.244 – Clause (1) Provisions of Fifth Schedule shall apply to the administration & control of the Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in any State other than the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura which are covered under Sixth Schedule, under Clause (2) of this Article.
• Art. 275 – Grants in-Aid to specified States (STs &SAs) covered under Fifth and Sixth Schedules of the Constitution.
• POLITICAL SAFEGUARDS
• Art.164 (1) – Provides for Tribal Affairs Ministers in Bihar, MP, and Orissa.
• Art. 330 – Reservation of seats for STs in Lok Sabha.
• Art. 332 – Reservation of seats for STs in State Legislatures.
• Art. 334 – 10 years period for reservation (Amended several times to extend the period.
• Art. 243 – Reservation of seats in Panchayats.
• Art. 371 – Special provisions in respect of NE States and Sikkim.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/who-are-the-paharis-and-paddaris-proposed-for-st-status-in-jk-8870220/

5. SUB-CATEGORISATION OF OTHER BACKWARD CLASSES (OBCs)

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: Over the years, a perception has taken root that only a few affluent communities among all the OBCs have benefited from the quota. There is an argument that a “sub-categorisation” of OBCs quotas within the 27% quota is needed in order to ensure “equitable distribution” of the benefits of reservation.

EXPLANATION:

• Commission set up to examine the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) has submitted its report to the President.
• The Commission consisted of four-members was headed by Justice G Rohini, a retired Chief Justice of Delhi High Court.
• The commission was tasked with suggesting corrective actions regarding the benefits available under the 27% quota for OBCs cornered by a few castes.

NEED FOR SUB-CATEGORISATION OF OBCS

• OBCs get 27% reservation in central government jobs and admission to educational institutions.
• There are more than 2,600 entries in the Central List of OBCs.
• Few affluent communities among all have benefited from the quota.
• Sub-categorisation of OBCs (quotas within the 27% quota) is needed to ensure “equitable distribution” of the benefits of reservation.
• Justice Rohini Commissionwas examined the matter, intervened in the sub-categorisation debate, and ruled that the 2005 decision of ‘E V Chinnaiah vs State of Andhra Pradesh’ must be revisited.
• ‘Chinnaiah’ had held that no special sub-quota can be introduced within the quota for SCs and STs for the benefit of castes or tribes that were more backward than the others on these lists.

TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE ROHINI COMMISSION

• The commission’s brief was originally to:
• Examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among the castes or communities.
• Work out the mechanism, criteria, norms, and parameters in a scientific approach for sub-categorisation within such OBCs.
• To identifying the respective castes or communities in the Central List of OBCs and classifying them into their respective sub-categories.
• The commission wrote to the government that it had noted several ambiguities in the list and recommended for the rectification before the sub-categorised central list is prepared.

FINDINGS OF THE COMMISSION

• The commission analysed the data of 1.3 lakh central government jobs under the OBC quota over the preceding five years.
• They also analysed OBC admissions to central higher education institutions, including universities, IITs, NITs, IIMs and AIIMS, over the preceding three years.
• The analysis showed 97% of all jobs and education seats have gone to 25% of OBC castes.
• 95% of these jobs and seats have gone to just 10 OBC communities.
• 37% of the total 983 OBC communities were found to have zero representation in jobs and educational institutions.
• 994 OBC sub-castes had a representation of only 2.68% in recruitments and admissions.
• This analysis suffered from limitations due to the absence of updated population data.

SOURCE:https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/rohini-panel-report-what-is-sub-categorisation-of-obc-8871628/

1. SILVOPASTURE SYSTEMS

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: A study on deforestation drivers in seven South American countries found that more than 70 per cent of deforestation was driven by an increased demand for pasture. In this regard, silvopasture systems can play a vital role in reversing the negative trend of deforestation for pasture land.

EXPLANATION:

• Livestock’s impact on land use is not only restricted to direct grazing land use but also through indirect land use for fodder crop production.
• In light of the global deterioration of natural resources and forests, silvopasture systems offer a relevant solution to deforestation trends.

Silvopasture system:

• It is an ancient and proven practice that harmoniously integrates trees, forage and livestock on the same land. It presently covers a vast expanse of 550 million hectares worldwide.
• By combining these elements, silvopasture brings numerous environmental advantages as it acts as a buffer against temperature and wind extremes, providing a favourable living environment for livestock.
• Moreover, the trees on silvopasture lands act as natural carbon sinks, sequestering significantly five-10 times more carbon than pastures without trees, all while maintaining or enhancing productivity.
• It also regulates local climatic conditions, buffering against temperature and wind extremes, providing a favourable living environment for livestock.
• Moreover, the extensive root systems of trees within silvopasture plots contribute to nutrient cycling, improved soil stability and quality, while effectively combating erosion.
• Soil infiltration rates in silvopasture systems surpass those of open pastures, enhancing water storage potential. It fosters milder microclimatic conditions compared to their open-pasture counterparts.
• The local climate buffering capacities suggest that silvopasture may offer a ‘middle ground’ between intact secondary forests and managed open fields, retaining the climate benefits of forests while enabling the expansion of agricultural land.
• It offers a multifaceted approach that enhances local climate resilience, mitigates carbon emissions, and promotes sustainable land use.

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/environment/harness-silvopasture-systems-for-local-climate-resilience-90813

2. THE GLOBAL CLIMATE LITIGATION REPORT

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the UNEP released the Global Climate Litigation Report: 2023 Status Review.

EXPLANATION:

Findings of the report:

• The cases for climate justice have more than doubled globally since 2017, showing that climate litigation is becoming an integral part of securing climate action and justice.
• While most climate litigation was in the US, about 17 per cent were reported in developing countries, including the Small Island Developing States
• Climate policies are far behind what is needed to keep global temperatures below the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold, with extreme weather events and searing heat already baking our planet.
• People are increasingly turning to courts to combat the climate crisis, holding governments and the private sector accountable and making litigation a key mechanism for securing climate action and promoting climate justice.
• As climate litigation increases in frequency and volume, the body of legal precedent grows, forming an increasingly well-defined field of law.
• These legal actions were brought in 65 bodies worldwide: International, regional and national courts, tribunals, quasi-judicial bodies and other adjudicatory bodies, including special procedures of the UN and arbitration tribunals.
• Some key climate litigation cases and matters covered in the report:
• UN Human Rights Committee concluded for the first time that a country has violated international human rights law through climate action, finding Australia’s government is in violation of its human rights obligations to Torres Strait Islanders.
• Brazil’s Supreme Court holding that the Paris Agreement is a human rights treaty, which enjoys “supranational” status and a Dutch court ordering oil and gas company Shell to comply with the Agreement were also covered.
• Most ongoing climate litigation falls into one or more of six categories:
• Cases relying on human rights enshrined in international law and national constitutions;
• Challenges to domestic non-enforcement of climate-related laws and policies;
• Litigants seeking to keep fossil fuels in the ground;
• Advocates for greater climate disclosures and an end to greenwashing;
• Claims addressing corporate liability and responsibility for climate harms;
• Claims addressing failures to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Global Climate Litigation Report: 2023 Status Review:

• It was published by the UNEP in cooperation with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University.
• It was launched in conjunction with the anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s recognition of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
• It provides an overview of the current state of climate change litigation and an update on global climate change litigation trends.
• It highlights that Climate litigation cases have increased in recent years, which shows courtrooms are increasingly relevant to efforts to address climate change across the world.
• It further demonstrates the importance of an environmental rule of law in combating the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

• It was established by Maurice Strong in June 1972 following the UN conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm.
• The organisation involves in coordinating the responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system.
• It provides leadership, delivers science and develops solutions to issues like climate change, management of marine & terrestrial ecosystems and green economic development.
• It also develops the international environmental agreement and helps in achieving the environmental targets.
• The primary aim of the UNEP is to help the world to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
• Environmental agreements such as the Minamata Convention on Mercury, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Convention on Migratory Species are organised by UNEP.
• It also helps in implementing the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol and Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/cases-for-climate-justice-more-than-doubled-globally-since-2017-finds-unep-90862

3. THE JAN VISHWAS (AMENDMENT OF PROVISIONS) BILL, 2023

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Jan Vishwas Bill was passed in Lok Sabha, which seeks to redefine the regulatory landscape of the country.

EXPLANATION:

• The proposed legislation was tabled in Parliament by the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry in December 2022 and was later referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for review.
• The JPC presented its report with seven general recommendations to Parliament during the Budget Session in March 2023.

What does the Bill propose?

• It seeks to redefine the regulatory landscape of the country with decriminalisation of minor offences under 42 acts to reduce compliance burden and promote ease of living and doing business in the country.
• It aims to decriminalise around 180 offences across 42 laws governing environment, agriculture, media, industry and trade, publication, and other domains that create barriers to the ease of doing business in the country.
• It seeks to completely remove or replace imprisonment clauses with monetary fines to provide a boost to the business ecosystem and improve the well-being of the public.
• The Bill also proposes compounding of offences in some provisions.
• Broadly, the draft proposes the following changes in existing Acts:
• Decriminalising of offences
• The Bill removes all offences and penalties under the Indian Post Office Act, 1898.
• Changes in grievance redressal mechanisms and the appointment of one or more Adjudicating Officers for determining penalties. These officers can conduct inquiries into violations of the respective Acts and even summon individuals for evidence.
• A periodic revision of fines and penalties for various offences in the specified Acts. The Bill proposes an increase of 10% of the minimum amount every three years.

Need for such a law:

• It can make a shift from Micro, small and medium-scale businesses to the formal sector and generate jobs and income through effective and efficient business regulations in place that eliminate unnecessary red tape.
• It can minimize excessive regulation that has proved onerous for business enterprises, especially MSMEs. As currently, there are 1,536 laws which translate into around 70,000 compliances that govern doing business in India.
• It envisages decluttering the system and shedding the baggage of archaic and obsolete laws.

A web of outdated rules and regulations causes a trust deficit, and reducing compliance burden gives impetus to business process reengineering and improves the ease of living of people.

• The Bill seeks to reduce compliance and remove the fear of imprisonment for minor offences, to give an impetus to businesses and improve ease of doing business and living, thus bolstering ‘trust-based governance’.

Criticism of the bill:

• The Bill uniformly substitutes imprisonment clauses with monetary fines or penalties, which experts say is not a good enough attempt at ‘decriminalisation’.
• The blanket removal of imprisonment provision might also remove the deterrence effect of the environmental legislation, especially for large corporations profiteering from the offence.
• The Bill empowers Adjudicating Officers to decide penalties under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986. These Adjudicating Officers may lack the technical competence necessary to decide all penalties under the Air Act and the EP Act.
• The Bill has nothing to do with its objective of decriminalising to promote ease of doing business like theft or misappropriation of postal articles.

Which are the key provisions under consideration?

• As stated above, there are a total of 42 laws under the purview of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill of 2023.
• These are administered by different Union ministries, including finance, agriculture, commerce, environment, road transport and highways, food production and distribution, and electronics and IT.
• Here are some key suggestions in the draft legislation:

The Indian Forest Act, 1927: Trespassing, permitting cattle to trespass; cutting timber; or causing damage in felling a tree in a reserved forest is a punishable offence with a jail term of up to six months or a fine up to Rs 500, or both. The Bill removes the clause of imprisonment. Only a fine of up to Rs 500 will be imposed in addition to compensation for damage done to the forest. The Bill also removes the jail term clause for burning trees near a reserved tree. The JPC has suggested an increase in penalty from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 for violation of sections 26 (1) (e) and 33(e) and (f) of the Act, which deal with the above.

The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981: The Bill proposes to replace imprisonment for lapses with heavier penalties. For instance, failure to comply with provisions that bar an industrial unit from operating in an air pollution control area will be liable to pay a penalty of up to Rs 15 lakh. The offence currently attracts a jail term of up to six years, along with a monetary penalty.

The Information Technology Act, 2000: The Bill proposes to remove Section 66A, which provides for punishment for sending offensive messages or false information through a communication service. For breach of confidentiality and privacy, the Bill proposes a penalty of Rs 5 lakh. The offence is presently punishable with imprisonment up to two years, with a fine up to Rs 1 lakh, or both.

Disclosing personal information in breach of a lawful contract is punishable with imprisonment of up to three years and/or a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh. The proposed Bill replaces it with a penalty of up to Rs 25 lakh.

The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: The Bill suggests a penalty of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 15 lakh for inadvertent compliance breaches, such as being unaware of excess discharge of pollutants under Sections 7 and 9 of the Act. The offence currently carries an imprisonment of five years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh.

The Copyright Act, 1957: The proposed law omits the penalty for making false statements for deceiving or influencing an authority or officer. The offence is presently punishable with imprisonment, which may extend to one year, or fine, or both.

The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988: Under Section 192A, a person using a motor vehicle without a valid permit faces a jail term of up to six months and a fine of Rs 10,000. The Bill proposes the same jail term but omits the compulsion of paying a fine of Rs 10,000.

The Railways Act, 1989: A person caught begging or selling goods without a permit in a railway carriage or at a railway station is liable for punishment. The Bill removes the punishment clause for beggars. It sets a clause of a jail term of up to one year or a fine of a maximum of Rs 2,000 for illegal hawkers, or both.

The Cinematograph Act, 1952: Unauthorised tampering of an already certified film will be punishable with up to three years in jail, a fine of up to Rs. 10 lakh, or both. It also proposes a penalty of up to Rs 10,000 for a person showing an adult movie (A-rated) to a minor.

The Patents Act, 1970: If a person wrongly claims a patent on an article sold by him, he will be liable to pay a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh and a further penalty of Rs 1,000 per day in case of a continuing claim. The offence is presently punishable with a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh.

The Agricultural Produce (Grading & Marking) Act, 1937: The Bill removes the provision of jail term for unauthorised marking of an article with a grade designation mark and its sale. Instead, it proposes a penalty of Rs 5 lakh.

The Trade Marks Act, 1999: Falsely representing a trademark as registered is punishable with imprisonment of up to three years, with a fine, or both. The Bill proposes a penalty of Rs 25,000-Rs 1 lakh.

The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: For the sale of unsafe food, the Bill proposes imprisonment for three months with a fine of up to Rs 3 lakh. Currently, the jail term for the offence is not more than six months, while the fine goes up to Rs 1 lakh. Similarly, for providing misleading or false information, a person can be jailed for up to three months, with a fine extending to two lakh. The Bill proposes that the offence be punishable by a fine extending to Rs 10 lakh.

The High Denomination Bank Notes (Demonetisation) Act, 1978: The Bill decriminalises offences under the Act, which was used to remove high-value banknotes as legal tender in 1978. Noting that the law has outlived its utility, the parliamentary committee suggested the Ministry of Finance repeal the Act.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/jan-vishwas-amendment-bill-2023-monsoon-session-parliament-bill-explains/article67095334.ece

4. STARFIRE

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Scientists at Raman Research Institute (RRI) developed a new algorithm called STARFIRE to quantify terrestrial Radio Frequency in space.

EXPLANATION:

• In order to study the early Universe and its evolution, astronomers tune their radio antennas within the 40 to 200 Mega Hertz (MHz) range in search of the 21-cm hydrogen line, believed to contain some of the unknown secrets about the cosmos.
• However, given their faint and weak strength, detecting these signals is extremely challenging. In this regard, scientists have developed new algorithms.

STARFIRE:

• It has been developed by scientists at Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology.
• It is a new algorithm to quantify terrestrial Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) in space for earth-orbiting radio astronomy experiments.
• It can estimate the RFI emitted by FM radio stations, WiFi networks, mobile towers, radar, satellites, and communication devices.
• It can use this calculation for designing and fine-tuning the antennas and other instrument components of missions like India’s Probing ReionizATion of the Universe using Signal from Hydrogen (PRATUSH).
• It is capable of estimating and mapping the unwanted Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) signals in space, and can help design instruments that are capable of offering optimal operations in the presence of RFI.
• It enriches the data obtained from the future space-based Astronomy missions.
• It is flexible for users to change properties of the antennas that transmit and receive RFI along with including the astrophysical radio signals from our own galaxy and the cosmos to derive meaningful conclusions about experiment sensitivity.

PRATUSH

• It is one of the several mission opportunities in space contemplated to address the growing RFI on land
• It can study the birth of the first stars and galaxies in the Universe using the 21-cm hydrogen line obtained from the far side of the moon.

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)  

• Radio frequency interference is the conduction or radiation of radio frequency energy that causes an electronic or electrical device to produce noise that typically interferes with the function of an adjacent device.
• It also refers to the disruption of the normal functionality of a satellite due to the interference of radio astronomy.
• It can disrupt and disturb the normal functioning of electronic and electrical devices, and thus it is important to limit it when possible.
• The fast-advancing technologies and expanding areas of human settlements have led to an increased number of sources emitting RFIs, many even constraining the efforts for recording astronomical observations on land.
• The RFI emitted by Frequency Modulation (FM) stations is one of the major concerns for the frequency band of our scientific interest.

Source: https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/technology/starfire-rri-develops-new-algorithm-to-quantify-terrestrial-radio-frequency-interference-in-space/102120458

5. NATIONAL COAL INDEX

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The National Coal Index (NCI) has shown a significant decline of 33.8% in May 2023 compared to May 2022, which indicates a strong supply of coal in the market, with sufficient availability to meet the growing demands.

EXPLANATION:

Findings:

• The National Coal Index (NCI) fell a significant 33.8% year-on-year to 157.7 points in May, in an indication that supplies in the country remain sufficient.
• Similarly, NCI for non-coking coal declined 34.3% on year to 147.5 points in May. Non-coking coal is mainly used in thermal plants for power generation due to its inherent lack of caking properties.
• There has been a sharp decline in coal auction premiums, too, pointing at sufficient coal availability. The Indian coal industry affirms a substantial stockpile, with companies holding impressive stock.
• This availability ensures a stable supply for various sectors dependent on coal, significantly contributing to the overall energy security of the nation.The trend witnessed in the NCI shows that a more balanced market prevails at the moment.
• With sufficient coal availability, the nation can not only meet the growing demand but also support its long-term energy requirements, thus building a more resilient and sustainable coal industry.

National Coal Index:

• The NCI is a price index which reflects the change in the price level of coal on a particular month relative to the fixed base year.
• This price index combines the prices of coal from all the sales channels- Notified Prices, Auction Prices and Import Prices.
• It was rolled out on 4th June 2020, and the aim is to have an index that will truly reflect the market price.
• The National Coal Index combines coal prices from all sales channels, including notified prices, auction prices and import prices.
• Established with the base year as fiscal year 2017-18, it serves as a reliable indicator of market dynamics, providing valuable insights into coal price fluctuations.
• The concept and design of the Index as well as the Representative Prices, have been developed by the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata.

Components of NCI

• The concept and design of the Index as well as the Representative Prices, have been developed by the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata.
• NCI is composed of a set of five sub-indices: three for Non-Coking Coal and two for Coking Coal.
• The three sub-indices for Non-Coking Coal are combined to arrive at the Index for Non-Coking Coal, and the two sub-indices for Coking Coal are combined to arrive at the Index for Coking Coal.
• As per the grade of coal pertaining to a mine, the appropriate sub-index is used to arrive at the revenue share.

Implementation of NCI

• The amount of revenue share per tonne of coal produced from auctioned blocks would be arrived at using the NCI by means of a defined formula.
• The Index is meant to encompass all transactions of raw coal in the Indian market.
• This includes coking and non-coking of various grades transacted in the regulated (power and fertilizer) and non-regulated sectors.
• Washed coal and coal products are not included.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/industry/energy/national-coal-index-nci-falls-33-8-in-may-2023-indicating-sufficient-coal-supply-in-new-delhi-market-11690360065671.html

1. MAGROVE CONSERVATION

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: West Bengal government announced the setting up of a ‘Mangrove Cell’ in the State on the occasion of the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.

EXPLANATION:

• Recently, several islands have been completely submerged, and 100 sq. km of mangroves have been lost in two decades.
• Mangrove Cell will bring certain continuity to the efforts of the State government in mangrove management.
• This cell will have an annual action plan for the plantation of mangroves, and it will look at maintenance and coordinate with NGOs.
• This platform will generate funds from private and international sectors, as well as publish books and conduct research on the subject.

Mangroves in India:

• Mangrove forests, also known as mangrove swamps, mangals, or mangrove thickets, occur in coastal intertidal zones.
• They are productive wetlands that grow mainly in tropical and sub-tropical latitudes. Mangrove forests live between the ocean, the land, and the atmosphere, which functions as a centre for the flow of matter and energy from one system to another.
• Mangrove forest reduces soil erosion caused by currents, waves, surges, and tides. Plants of these forests have dense prop roots, also known as breathing roots, with numerous pores through which the plants breathe.
• The presence of these roots allows the trees to slow down tides’ movement and hence settle down the mud in the water.
• India has about 3% of the total Mangrove cover in South Asia. The mangrove cover in the country is 4,975 sq km [(1.2 million acres)], which is 0.15% of the country’s total geographical area.
• West Bengal has 42.45% of India’s mangrove cover, followed by Gujarat 23.66% and A&N Islands 12.39%. Gujarat shows a maximum increase of 37 sq km in mangrove cover [(over 9,000 acres)].”
• South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal alone accounts for 41.85% of mangrove cover of the country.” South 24 Parganas holds the Sunderban National Park, home to one of the largest mangrove forests in the world.

Sundarbans

• The Sundarbans is in the delta formed by the confluence of the Brahmaputra, Meghna, and Padma rivers in the Bay of Bengal.
• Sundarban is a long stretch between Bangladesh and India. It spans from the Baleswar River of Bangladesh to the Hooghly River in India.
• Being home to the world’s largest mangrove forest area, its protected areas are enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• Sundarbans’ largest available tree species are Sundari (Heritiera fomes) and gewa (Excoecaria agallocha).
• The Sundarbans are threatened by natural and human-made disasters, even though a commitment to its protection is made.

Sustainable Aquaculture In Mangrove Ecosystem (SAIME) initiative:

• For several years, environmentalists and experts have expressed concerns over unsustainable aquaculture, particularly shrimp collection, after cleaning large tracts of mangrove forests in Sunderbans.
• It is a new initiative for sustainable shrimp cultivation and to restore mangrove cultivation in Sundarbans.
• Under the initiative, farmers have taken up cultivation of shrimp at 20 hectares at Chaital in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas and 10 hectares at Madhabpur in adjoining South 24 Parganas. However, they are doing their part in restoring the mangroves as well.
• The SAIME initiative was started in 2019, and sustainable shrimp cultivation is being conceived by NGOs- Global Nature Fund and Nature Environment and Wildlife Society. Bangladesh Environment and Development Society.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/wb-government-announces-mangrove-cell-on-international-day-of-mangrove-ecosystem/article67123522.ece

2. MULTI-STATE COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2023

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Lok Sabha also passed the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill to increase transparency, accountability and profit in multi-state cooperative societies.

EXPLANATION:

Highlights of the Bill

• The Bill amends the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002.
• It establishes the Co-operative Election Authority to conduct and supervise elections to the boards of multi-state co-operative societies, which seeks to strengthen cooperatives by making them transparent and introducing a system of regular elections
• A multi-state co-operative society will require prior permission from government authorities before the redemption of their shareholding.
• A Co-operative Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development Fund will be established for the revival of sick multi-state co-operative societies.  The Fund will be financed through contributions by profitable multi-state co-operative societies.
• The Bill allows state co-operative societies to merge into an existing multi-state co-operative society, subject to the respective state laws.
• The government has decided to form three new multi-state societies to strengthen cooperatives.

1. The first society will act as a platform to export the produce of the farmers.
2. The second society will associate small farmers with the production of seeds, and through these, farmers with 1 acre of land will also be able to associate with seed production.
3. The third society will provide suitable prices to the farmers for their produce by marketing their organic products across the country and the world.

• In addition, if one-third of vacancies are created on the board, a provision has been made to hold elections again for the vacant posts.
• Along with this, there are also provisions for discipline in board meetings and the smooth functioning of cooperative societies.
• The chairman, vice-chairman and members of the committees will be required to call board meetings in three months. A provision has been made to give a majority to the equity shareholders to bring transparency in the governance of the cooperative society.
• Reservation to one Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe and one woman in the committees has been provided in this Bill, which will increase representation of these sections in the committees.
• The minister said that non-compliance with various constitutional requirements could lead to the disqualification of the board members.
• No one will be given a job in blood relations or distant relations in the recruitment process of employees.
• Right to Information has also been included in this bill.
• The Union government has also decided to set up a cooperative university for cooperative education in the coming days.

Cooperative Society and its jurisdiction:

• Co-operatives are voluntary, democratic, and autonomous organisations controlled by their members who actively participate in its policies and decision-making.
• As per the Constitution, states regulate the incorporation, regulation, and winding up of state cooperative societies.
• Parliament can legislate on matters related to incorporation, regulation, and winding up of multi-state co-operatives.
• The Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002, provides for the formation and functioning of multi-state co-operatives.
• In 2011, the Constitution was amended (adding Part IXB) to specify guidelines for running cooperative societies.
• These guidelines provide for: (i) composition of the boards of co-operatives, (ii) election of members of the board, (iii) audit of accounts of co-operative societies, and (iv) supersession of the board.
• The Supreme Court, in July 2021 in Rajendra N Shah vs State of Gujrat held that Part IXB will only be applicable to multi-state co-operative societies, as states have the jurisdiction to legislate over state co-operative societies.

Criticisms of the Bill:

• The new fund will put an additional burden on MSCSs and affect their autonomy.
• Against the federal structure: The bill seeks to take away state governments’ rights and is against the country’s federal structure. The Bill seeks to amend Section 17 of the principal act to allow the merger of any State cooperative society with an existing MSCS.
• Against democratic principles: Central and state governments have been given veto powers over the redemption of their shareholding, which violate the principles of democratic member control and autonomy, as provided in the First Schedule of the Act.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/lok-sabha-passes-multi-state-cooperative-societies-amendment-bill-11690347273525.html

3. WHITE LABEL ATMs

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has informed that in order to drive ATM penetration in the country, non-bank companies have been permitted to set up, own and operate White Label ATMs (WLAs) in the country.

EXPLANATION:

• WLAs provide banking services to the customers of banks in India based on the cards (debit/credit/prepaid) issued by banks. In addition to dispensing cash, WLAs may offer many other services / facilities which inter-alia include:

1. Account Information
2. Cash Deposit

• Regular Bill Payment

1. Mini / Short Statement Generation
2. PIN Change
3. Request for Cheque Book

• RBI has started the steps taken to increase the presence of WLAs and to improve their viability and functioning, with a greater focus on Tier III to VI centres.
• RBI has allowed White Label ATM Operators (WLAOs) to source cash from retail outlets to address the cash sourcing constraints and has enabled on-tap authorisation for WLAs.
• To further give impetus to WLA deployment and to encourage more non-bank players to enter the ATMs industry, RBI has permitted WLAOs to:
• buy wholesale cash above a threshold directly from the Reserve Bank (Issue Offices) and Currency Chests
• source cash from any scheduled bank, including Cooperative Banks and Regional Rural Banks
• offer bill payment and Interoperable Cash Deposit service
• display advertisements pertaining to non-financial products / services, and in addition
• banks are permitted to issue co-branded ATM cards in partnership with the authorised WLAOs and extend the benefit of ‘on-us’ transactions to WLAs as well.

ATM and their types:

• An ATM (Automated Teller Machine) is an electronic machine used for financial transactions.
• It is an ‘automated’ banking platform that does not require any banking representative/ teller or a human cashier.
• ATMs can also be classified into 3 categories based on the labels assigned to them:

1. Bank owned ATMs
2. Brown Label ATMs
3. White Label ATMs

These categories of ATMs are on the basis of ownership of the ATM, ATM location, and service contract of the bank with the service provider.

1. Bank Owned ATMs:

• Such ATMs are set up and owned by the bank itself. Bank is responsible for its operation and maintenance.
• Banks are entitled to the responsibility for cash loading, AMC, and security of the ATMs. ATMs may also be categorized into two types on the basis of location – (i) ONSITE ATM (ii) OFFSITE ATM

ONSITE ATM – These ATMs are located at the premises of the bank branch.

OFFSITE ATM – Offsite ATMs are located at a location away from the bank premises. They are generally set up at important places like Railway Station, Airports, Bus Stand, Market etc.

2. Brown Label ATMs:

• In the case of Brown Label ATMs, service providers own the hardware of the ATM machine. The responsibility of identifying the ATM site, lease agreement with the landlord, and power supply to the ATM kiosk lies with the service provider.
• Thus, the service provider takes the responsibility for the maintenance of the ATM, whereas the sponsor bank takes the responsibility of cash management and provides connectivity to the ATM to the banking network.
• The logo of the sponsor bank is displayed on brown label ATM kiosk premises. Brown Label ATMs are the most cost-effective solution for banks.

3. White Label  ATMs:

• White Label ATMs are owned and operated by Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFC).
• RBI has granted licenses or permission to non-banking entities to open such ATMs.
• Any non-banking entity with a minimum net worth of ₹ 100 crore can apply for white label ATM.
• NBFCs rely on sponsor banks to settle all issues related to cash management, transaction settlement with other banks etc.
• Customers with debit cards from any bank may withdraw cash from such ATMs, but they will have to pay a fee for the services.
• Unlike Brown Label ATMs, White Label ATMs will not display the logo of any bank like SBI, CANARA BANK, PNB etc. The logo of White Label ATM operators is like Tata Indica, Muthoot Finance etc.
• White Label ATMs also reduce the pre-transaction cost for banks, and there is no hassle to maintain and run such a payment channel.

Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1942516

4. IMPORTANCE OF MANAGEMENT OF MICROPLASTIC FOR MEETING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT; GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Microplastics are a significant environmental problem and pose risks to marine life, terrestrial organisms, and human health. Therefore, managing microplastic pollution is important for meeting sustainable development goals in India.

EXPLANATION:

• Microplastics which can enter different ecosystems, pose a serious risk to marine life, terrestrial organisms, and human health.
• With a population of 1.42 billion, India is the most populous country in the world.
• India is facing a mammoth challenge of achieving United Nations-mandated sustainable development goals (SDG) by 2030.
• Access to water plays a critical role in all 17 SDGs, either directly or indirectly.
• Microplastics affect human health, and economic activities and threaten food and energy security. Urgent concerted efforts are required to shift the current trend of water use and misuse.

MICROPLASTICS

• Microplastics are tiny plastic particles up to 5mm in diameter.
• In the last four decades, concentrations of these particles appear to have increased significantly in the surface waters of the ocean.
• Its concern about the potential impact on the marine environment, terrestrial organisms, and human health has gathered momentum during the past few years.
• The number of scientific investigations has increased, along with public interest and pressure on decision-makers to respond.
• A significant environmental problem is microplastic pollution, which has not attracted attention as it is invisible.
• It demands serious and immediate attention before it is too late.

SDGs

• In June 1992, at the Earth Summitin Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, more than 178 countries adopted Agenda 21.
• Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to build a global partnership for sustainable development to improve human lives and protect the environment.
• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.
• There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership.

SDG GOAL RELATED TO WATER

• Here are some SDGs that have direct and intricate relation with water:
• SDG 2: Zero hunger
• SDG 3: Good health and well-being
• SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation
• SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy
• SDG 14: Life below water
• SDG 15: Life on land
• Let us focus only on the key targets of SDG 6, which are:

1. a) Achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
2. b) Improve water quality by reducing pollution and increasing water treatment.
3. c) Increase water-use efficiency in all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater.
4. d) Implement integrated water resources management to support the sustainable use of water resources.
5. e) Protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers, and lakes.
6. f) Access to clean water for every household is an ambitious goal set for India, as multiple stressors impact the water resources, starting from rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and wetlands in India.

ISSUE OF MICROPLASTICS IN INDIA

• Rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and population growth have led to increased plastic consumption and waste generation.
• Inadequate waste management systems, including limited recycling infrastructure and improper disposal practices, exacerbate the issue.
• The country’s vast coastline and numerous rivers make it susceptible to the transport of microplastics from inland areas to the marine environment.
• Due to urban runoff and industrial discharge, both Ganga and Yamuna rivers have been found to carry significant loads of microplastics.
• Coastal regions, including popular tourist destinations, also face the problem of microplastic pollution.
• Microplastics have been detected in seafood, indicating the potential for human exposure through the food chain.

WAY FORWARD

• India should focus on improving waste management infrastructure, promoting recycling and responsible consumption and raising awareness among the public and industries.
• MoEFCC (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, which prohibited single-use plastic items by the end of 2022.
• The permissible thickness of plastic carry bags was increased from 50 to 75 microns and then 120 microns from December 31, 2022.
• It is essential to implement stricter regulations, enhance monitoring and research on microplastics and promote sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics.
• It is important to note that managing microplastics is a complex task that requires interdisciplinary efforts from various stakeholders, including government bodies, research institutions, industries and the public.
• Addressing microplastic pollution requires a comprehensive approach involving government agencies, industries, communities and individuals working together to reduce plastic waste and protect the environment.

Source:https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/water/amp/managing-microplastic-pollution-is-important-for-meeting-sustainable-development-goals-in-india-90789

5. AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION (SCHEDULED TRIBES) ORDER

TAG: GS 2: POLITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE CONTEXT: Parliament Passes Amendment to Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order to Add Certain Chhattisgarh Communities in ST List.

EXPLANATION

• Recently, Rajya Sabha passed the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2022 to amend the Constitution (Schedule Tribes) Order, 1950
• It aimed for the inclusion of certain communities in the list of Schedule Tribes of Chhattisgarh that was passed in Lok Sabha in December 2022.
• The castes, namely Dhanuhar, Dhanuwar, Kisan, Saundra Saonra and Binjhia communities, are added to the list.
• The three Devanagari versions of the Pando community are also included.
• The Bill states that “The State Government of Chhattisgarh has recommended to modify the list of the Scheduled Tribes to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.”
• According to the provisions of Article 342 of the Constitution, the first list of the Scheduled Tribes was notified on 6th September 1950 in respect
• of various States and Union territories, vide the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950. This list was modified from time to time.

SCHEDULE 5 OF THE CONSTITUTION

• At present, 10 States, namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana, have Fifth Schedule Areas.
• According to Article 342 (1), the President may, after consultation with the Governor of the State, by public notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within tribes or tribal communities which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in relation to that State.
• The Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Tribes specified in a notification issued under clause (1) any tribe or tribal community or part of or group within any tribe or tribal community.
• In Article 244(1) of the Constitution, the expression Scheduled Areas means such areas as the President may by order declare to be Scheduled Areas.
• The President may at any time by order:
• direct that the whole or any specified part of a Scheduled Area shall cease to be a Scheduled Area or a part of such an area.
• increase the area of any Scheduled Area in a State after consultation with the Governor of that State.
• alter, but only by way of rectification of boundaries, any Scheduled Area.
• on any alteration of the boundaries of a State on the admission into the Union or the establishment of a new State, declare any territory not previously included in any State to be, or to form part of, a Scheduled Area.
• rescind, in relation to any State of States, any order or orders made under these provisions and in consultation with the Governor of the State concerned, make fresh orders redefining the areas which are to be Scheduled Areas.
• The criteria followed for declaring an area as Scheduled Area are:
• the preponderance of the tribal population.
• compactness and reasonable size of the area.
• under-developed nature of the area.
• marked disparity in the economic standard of the people.

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR SCHEDULED TRIBES

• The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) was established by amending Article 338.
• A New Article 338A was inserted in the Constitution through the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003.
• By this amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was replaced by two separate Commissions, namely-
• (i) the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).
• (ii) the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) w.e.f. 19 February 2004.
• It was established with a view to provide safeguards against the exploitation of Scheduled Castes and Anglo-Indian communities.
• Special provisions were made in the Constitution to promote and protect the social, educational, economic, and cultural interests.

Source: https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/rajya-sabha-passes-constitution-scheduled-tribes-order-fifth-amendment-bill-2022-233613?infinitescroll=1

1. MAHATMA GANDHI NATIONAL RURAL EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE SCHEME (MGNREGS)

TAG: GS 2: GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

THE CONTEXT: Rural Development Minister, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, informed that names of over five crore workers have been deleted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the financial year 2022-23.

EXPLANATION:

• The Ministry stated these deletions are a “regular exercise” conducted by State governments. They have listed five reasons for the deletions, including fake job cards, duplicate job cards, not willing to work, the family shifting from gram panchayat permanently, and a single person in job card and the person is expired.
• There has been a hike of 247% in the deletions during 2022-23 as compared to 2021-22. This year, till June 23, 61 lakh registered workers have been deleted.
• Among the 34 States and union territories, between the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23, West Bengal has reported the largest hike in deletion, a whopping 5,199%.
• The Centre has stopped all payments to the State under the MGNREGS for reportedly not following the programme’s guidelines. It is followed by Telangana (2727%) and Andhra Pradesh (1147%). Uttar Pradesh has reported a deletion of 466% and Uttarakhand 427%.
• As per the statistics maintained by the Rural Development Ministry, there are about 10 reasons listed for deletions of workers and job cards.
• incorrect job card
• fake applicant
• duplicate applicant
• family had been shifted
• person shifted to a new family
• single person in job card and expired
• unwilling to work
• person expired
• non-existent panchayat
• village becomes urban.
• It has been reported that the deletions are spiralling because of the government’s emphasis on linking MGNREGS job cards with Aadhaar cards and making wage payments through the Aadhaar-Based Payments System (ABPS).

About the Scheme:

• The Government of India passed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 in September 2005.
• The MGNREGA provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage.
• The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Govt of India, is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments.
• The Act will be applicable to areas notified by the Central Government.
• The objective of the Act is to enhance the livelihood security of the people in the rural areas by generating wage employment through works that develop the infrastructure base of that area.
• Roughly one-third of the stipulated workforce must be women.
• Cost Sharing: Financial assistance shall be provided by Central and State Governments in the ratio of 90:10 respectively.
• The Gram Panchayat registers households after making an enquiry and issues a job card. The job card contains the details of the adult member enrolled and his /her photo.

Implementation of the scheme:

• The programme is implemented through Panchayati Raj Institutions. The Block Programme Officer shall allot fifty percent works in terms of cost to the Gram Panchayat. Gram Sabha shall recommend works, and the Gram Panchayat shall identify/approve the works for implementation.
• The Block Programme Officer will scrutinize the Annual Plan. The Panchayat Samiti will maintain the priority of works indicated by the Gram Panchayat and approve the Block level Plan.
• The Chief Executive Officer is designated as District Programme Coordinator for the implementation of the Act/Scheme in the district. The DPC shall scrutinize the plan proposals of the Panchayat Samitis. The whole exercise shall be completed by DPC before the end of December each year.

MGNREGA Goals

• Strong social safety net for the vulnerable groups by providing a fall-back employment source when other employment alternatives are scarce or inadequate.
• Growth engine for sustainable development of an agricultural economy through the process of providing employment on works that address causes of chronic poverty such as drought, deforestation and soil erosion.
• The act seeks to strengthen the natural resource base of rural livelihood and create durable assets in rural areas.
• It fosters conditions for inclusive growth ranging from basic wage security and recharging rural economy to a transformative empowerment process of democracy.

Aadhaar-Based Payments System (ABPS):

• It is a bank-led model which allows online financial transactions at Point-of-Sale (PoS) and Micro ATMs through the business correspondent of any bank using Aadhaar authentication.
• Banking Services Offered by ABPS includes cash deposit, cash withdrawal, balance inquiry, mini statement, Aadhaar to Aadhaar fund transfer, authentication, and BHIM Aadhaar pay.
• The model removes the need for OTPs, bank account details, and other financial details.
• It allows fund transfers using only the bank name, Aadhaar number, and fingerprint captured during Aadhaar enrolment, according to the National Payments Corporation of India (NCPI).

The only inputs required for a customer to do a transaction under this scenario are:

• Bank Name
• Aadhaar Number
• Fingerprint captured during enrollment.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/parliament-proceedings-names-of-over-five-crore-mgnregs-workers-deleted-in-2022-23-minister-tells-lok-sabha/article67120001.ece

2. LUDWIGIA PERUVIANA

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: An invasion of Ludwigia peruviana over the last decade is suppressing edible forage for elephants, gaurs and other herbivores, increasing the risk of man-animal conflict in the area.

EXPLANATION:

• It is threatening elephant habitats and foraging areas in Valparai, a Tamil Nadu hill station close to the Kerala border, and reviving the risk of human-elephant conflicts in the region.
• It grows fast along water bodies, and has infested the majority of the hill station’s swamps, locally known as vails, where elephants used to find lush grass even in the summer.
• The rapid large-scale spread of this weed, which was probably introduced as an ornamental plant for its tiny yellow flowers, has limited the growth of grass and native plants that are palatable to elephants and other animals, including gaur.
• It mainly spreads along the swamps in the middle of the tea estates and forms thickets. These swamps are known for excellent grass covers, sedges and water sources that are very good for herbivores like gaur and elephant in particular.
• Swamps are unique habitats that support amphibians and otters besides the large herbivores. They act as water storage areas that need to be preserved. If Ludwigia colonises, it completely chokes swamps and does not allow grasses to grow.
• Unlike other invasive plants, Ludwigia poses a unique challenge as it grows in swamps, and there is little scope to use machinery which may further destroy the ecosystem.
• Even if Ludwigia is pulled out manually, the soft plant easily breaks, and it spreads again from the root or broken stems that fall in the swamp.

Ludwigia Peruviana

• It is an aquatic weed native to some countries in Central and South America, including Peru.
• It is deciduous species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family.
• Habitat: It is usually found in warmer temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions that are usually found in wetlands, swamps, marshes and along the edges of lagoons and slow-moving waterways (sometimes also floating on the water surface).

Environmental impacts:

• The Peruvian primrose-willow forms dense colonies along the shore then creep into the water, where it impedes navigation, damages structures, and competes with native vegetation.
• This species is classified as a category I invasive species by the United States state of Florida, where it clogs numerous lakes and rivers, and as a noxious weed by the government of Australia.
• It also causes more wide-ranging ecological damage through increased sedimentation and accumulation of organic material. This results in the deoxygenation of the water column and can lead to the death of aquatic animals.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/peruvian-weed-threatens-elephant-habitats-in-tamil-nadu/article67109844.ece

3. LAW OF THE SEA

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Small Island developing states are facing more extreme weather, increasingly acidic oceans, coral bleaching and harm to fisheries. In this regard, the law of the sea can be used to protect small island states from climate change.

EXPLANATION:

• Climate change will wreak havoc on small island developing states in the Pacific and elsewhere. Some will be swamped by rising seas.
• These communities face more extreme weather, increasingly acidic oceans, coral bleaching and harm to fisheries. Food supplies, human health and livelihoods are at risk.
• The international community has certain legal obligations under the law of the sea. So, island states are asking whether obligations to address climate change might be contained in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• If states do have specific obligations to stop greenhouse gas pollution damaging the marine environment, then legal consequences for breaching these obligations could follow. It is possible small island states could one day be compensated for the damage done.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

• It was adopted in 1982 and lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world’s oceans and seas, establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.
• It embodies in one instrument traditional rules for the uses of the oceans and, at the same time, introduces new legal concepts and regimes and addresses new concerns.
• The Convention also provides the framework for further development of specific areas of the law of the sea.
• The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations serves as the secretariat of the Convention on the Law of the Sea
• It provides information, advice and assistance to States with a view to providing a better understanding of the Convention and the related Agreements, their wider acceptance, uniform and consistent application and effective implementation.
• The convention set the limit of various areas, measured from a carefully defined baseline.

 International Tribunal under UNCLOS

• The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an independent judicial body established by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• The tribunal has jurisdiction over any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of the convention and certain legal questions requested of it. The answers to these questions are known as advisory opinions.
• Advisory opinions are not legally binding; they are authoritative statements on legal matters. They provide guidance to states and international organisations about the implementation of international law.
• The tribunal has delivered two advisory opinions in the past: on deep seabed mining and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities.
• These proceedings attracted submissions from states, international organisations and non-governmental organisations such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/climate-change/could-the-law-of-the-sea-be-used-to-protect-small-island-states-from-climate-change–90807

4. NIPAH VIRUS

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: An ongoing nationwide survey by the Pune-based Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV) has found evidence of the Nipah virus circulation in the bat population across nine states and one Union Territory.

EXPLANATION:

• The presence of Nipah viral antibodies has been found in bats in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya and the Union Territory of Pondicherry.
• The Nipah virus causes a highly fatal respiratory and encephalitic infection in humans. The Pteropus species of fruit bats, commonly called flying foxes, are the known carriers of the virus.
• One of the priority pathogens with a pandemic potential, case fatality is a big concern, and Nipah’s sudden emergence in 2018-19 in Kerala had warranted the need for constant surveillance.

Nipah virus (NiV)

• It is a zoonotic virus, meaning that it can spread between animals and people.
• Fruit bats, also called flying foxes, are the animal reservoir for NiV in nature.The Nipah virus is also known to cause illness in pigs and people.
• Infection with NiV is associated with encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and can cause mild to severe illness and even death.
• Outbreaks occur almost annually in parts of Asia, primarily Bangladesh and India.

Diagnosis

• It can be diagnosed during illness or after recovery. Different tests are available to diagnose NiV infection.
• During the early stages of the illness, laboratory testing can be conducted using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from throat and nasal swabs, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, and blood.
• Later in the course of illness and after recovery, testing for antibodies is conducted using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Transmission

Nipah virus (NiV) can spread to people from:

• Direct contact with infected animals, such as bats or pigs, or their body fluids (such as blood, urine or saliva)
• Consuming food products that have been contaminated by body fluids of infected animals (such as palm sap or fruit contaminated by an infected bat)
• Close contact with a person infected with NiV or their body fluids (including nasal or respiratory droplets, urine, or blood)

Symptoms

• Infection with Nipah virus (NiV) can cause mild to severe disease, including swelling of the brain (encephalitis) and potentially death.
• Symptoms typically appear in 4-14 days following exposure to the virus. The illness initially presents as 3-14 days of fever and headache and often includes signs of respiratory illness, such as cough, sore throat, and difficulty breathing.
• A phase of brain swelling (encephalitis) may follow, where symptoms can include drowsiness, disorientation, and mental confusion, which can rapidly progress to coma within 24-48 hours.
• Death may occur in 40-75% of cases. Long-term side effects in survivors of Nipah virus infection have been noted, including persistent convulsions and personality changes.
• Infections that lead to symptoms and sometimes death much later after exposure (known as dormant or latent infections) have also been reported months and even years after exposure

Prevention:

• Nipah virus infection can be prevented by avoiding exposure to sick pigs and bats in areas where the virus is present and not drinking raw date palm sap which can be contaminated by an infected bat.
• During an outbreak, standard infection control practices can help prevent person-to-person spread in hospital settings.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/icmr-niv-survey-finds-proof-of-nipah-virus-in-bats-across-nine-states-one-ut-8860154/

5. THE DNA TECHNOLOGY (USE AND APPLICATION) REGULATION BILL 2019

TAG:GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the government withdrew The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill 2019 from the Lok Sabha.

EXPLANATION:

• Withdrawing the Bill ended a 20-year effort to build a new regulatory framework for the use of DNA fingerprinting technologyin the criminal justice system.
• It has faced multiple opposition on grounds of the accuracy of DNA technology, potential threats to individual privacy, and the possibility of abuse.
• The present Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in July 2019 and was referred to the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology.
• The committee submitted its report in February 2021, recommending several changes in the draft, but instead of introducing a fresh Bill with changes, the government decided to withdraw it altogether.
• The main provisions of the Bill have already been enacted as part of another law, the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, that was passed by both houses of Parliament 2022.

 THE DNA TECHNOLOGY (USE AND APPLICATION) REGULATION BILL 2019

• The Bill had three primary objectives:
• It sought to set up a DNA profiling board as the regulatory body, one of the functions of which would be to provide accreditation to laboratories authorised to carry out DNA sample tests.
• It provided for the creation of databases DNA Data Banks for storing of DNA information collected from convicts and accused. This database could be indexed and searched for matching samples from crime scenes.
• It sought to facilitate the collection of DNA samples from the convicts and accused.

Criticism of the Bill:

The primary objections were on grounds of privacy, utility and possibility of misuse.

• DNA information can be very intrusive, revealing not just identification traits but also many other features that can be liable for misuse.
• Critics pushed for the inclusion of as many safeguards into the Bill as possible.
• In recent years, apprehensions have been raised about the possibility of this law being used for racial profiling.
• The Parliamentary Standing Committee had objected to the setting up of DNA banks in every state and suggested that one national DNA bank was sufficient.

Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022:

• Unable to get the DNA Bill passed in Parliament, the government in 2022 included several of its provisions in the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill that was brought in to replace the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920.
• The provisions related to collection, storage, access and sharing of DNA information that were part of the DNA Bill have more or less been included in the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill.
• It provides legal sanction to the police to take physical and biological samples of convicts as well as those accused of crimes.
• The police, as per the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, can collect Data.
• Data that can be collected: Finger-impressions, Palm-Print impressions, Footprint impressions, Photographs, Iris and Retina scan, Physical, Biological samples and their analysis, Behavioural Attributes among others.
• CrPC is the primary legislation regarding the procedural aspects of criminal law.
• Any person convicted, arrested or detained under any preventive detention law will be required to provide “measurements” to a police officer or a prison official.
• National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) will store, preserve, share with any law enforcement agency and destroy the record of measurements at national level. The records can be stored up to a period of 75 years.
• It aims to ensure the unique identification of those involved with crime and to help investigating agencies solve cases.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-is-the-dna-bill-8857810/

1. SILVER COCKSCOMB AND SOLIGA TRIBES

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: In Karnataka’s Chamarajanagara district, farmers of the Soliga tribe say controlling the weed can cost up to Rs 2,000 per acre (0.4 hectare) per year. Yet they do not consider silver cockscomb a weed.

EXPLANATION:

SILVER COCKSCOMB

• It is also referred to as anne soppu in Karnataka. It is also known as Lagos spinach.
• The plant is known as Celosia argentea in the scientific lexicon, kudu in Marathi and panini keerai in Tamil.
• It is believed to have originated in tropical Africa, according to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK, silver cockscomb grows abundantly in South and Southeast Asia, Latin America and parts of the US and Australia.
• Communities in these regions use it as a wild vegetable, for fodder and in medicine. Exploring and documenting their traditional knowledge may give this weed a makeover of a superfood.
• It is a beautiful but troublesome weed, and if left unchecked, it can spread quickly and suppress the growth of other crops, affecting their yield.
• It also attracts insects, caterpillars, worms and moths that can harm crops.
• It belongs to the Amaranthaceae family, which includes economically important plants like spinach (Spinacia oleracea), beetroot and quinoa.
• However, it is considered as a nutritious leafy green vegetable that grows well even on fallow land and in drought-like conditions by soliga tribes.
• It is a short-lived 50-60 cm-tall plant that bears simple, spirally arranged leaves around the stem with pinkish or silky white flowers.
• Since it grows widely on farmlands across the country, most farmers use the plant as fodder.

Medicinal uses:

• The women of the Soliga tribe collect young shoots of silver cockscomb to prepare a mash called massage, which is eaten just to help lower the body’s heat and reduce stomach burn, which often stems from indigestion.
• Scientists studied the antibacterial activity of silver cockscomb and found that its stem and root extracts provide protection against microbial pathogens.
• Silver cockscomb leaves are high in nutrients such as beta-carotene and folic acids and have “medium” levels of vitamin E, calcium and iron.
• Although it is of the same family as spinach, it does not pose the same risk to kidneys.
• The plant is frequently used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine for treating eye diseases and ulcers.
• Researchers reviewed studies available on the plant and found that the seed contains an edible oil that is beneficial for treating conditions such as bloodshot eyes and cataracts.

Soliga tribe:

• It is an ethnic tribe in south India that dwells in Biligirirangana Hills (BR Hills) situated in south-eastern Karnataka, at its border with Tamil Nadu.
• The term “Soliga” literally translates to “children of bamboo”, which reflects the tribe’s relationship with nature and their belief that they, too, have emerged from it.
• They are said to possess vast knowledge about the forests of Western Ghats and biodiversity conservation.
• The Soliga speak Sholga, which belongs to the Dravidian family. Under Indian law, they are recognized as a scheduled tribe.
• The Soliga used to practice shifting cultivation but have more or less given up this practice now. They grow Ragi for subsistence.

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/food/green-promise-silver-cockscomb-isn-t-a-troublesome-weed-for-karnataka-s-soliga-tribe-90593

2. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (AMENDMENT) BILL

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2022, is set to be tabled during the monsoon session of the Parliament.

EXPLANATION:

• The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill was introduced in Parliament in 2021 by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and climate change to amend the Biological Diversity Act of 2002.
• The Bill was moved to a joint committee due to concerns that the amendments favoured industry.

The main aims of the amendment Bills:

• To reduce the burden on wild medicinal plants and encourage their cultivation.
• To encourage the Indian system of medicine.
• To facilitate environmentalists for collaborative research and investments.
• To reduce the need for practitioners and companies making medicinal products for taking permission from the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA).
• Bill included the term “codified traditional knowledge”, under which the users, including practitioners of Indian systems of medicine, will be exempted from the provisions of approvals for access or sharing benefits.

Benefits of the Bill:

• This bill aims that the benefits from the use of biodiversity should be shared with the community that has conserved it for centuries. Access and benefit sharing remains an important part of this Framework.
• It will fast-track the approval as practitioners of Indian systems of medicine will be exempted from the provisions of approvals for access or sharing benefits.
• Since the time the Biological Diversity (Amendments) Bill was introduced first, the world has set new targets for biodiversity conservation at the 15th Conference of Parties to CBD held in Montreal in December 2022.

Criticism of the Bill:

• There can be cases of misappropriation of resources as it allows domestic companies to use biodiversity without the permission from biodiversity boards. Only ‘foreign-controlled companies’ would need to take permission.
• The Bill did not find favour among activists and legal experts as these amendments do not address the issues that biodiversity conservation in India face.
• The Bill de-criminalises violation and even withdraws the power given to the National Biodiversity Authority to file an FIR against a defaulting party which will encourage defaulters.

Biological Diversity Act, 2002:

• The act was enacted in 2002; it aims at the conservation of biological resources, managing its sustainable use and enabling fair and equitable sharing benefits arising out of the use.
• The act envisaged a three-tier structure to regulate the access to biological resources:
• The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)
• The State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs)
• The Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) (at local level)
• The act provides these authorities with special funds and a separate budget in order to carry out any research project dealing with the biological natural resources of the country.
• Under this act, the Central Government, in consultation with the NBA:
• Shall notify threatened species and prohibit or regulate their collection, rehabilitation and conservation
• Designate institutions as repositories for different categories of biological resources
• The act stipulates all offences under it as cognizable and non-bailable.
• Any grievances related to the determination of benefit sharing or order of the National Biodiversity Authority or a State Biodiversity Board under this Act shall be taken to the National Green

Criticism of the Act:

• One of the major criticism is that emphasis is on preventing profit-sharing from the commercial use of biological resources rather than provisions for efficient conservation.
• This legislation does not act as an umbrella and overlooks its possibilities of harmonizing with prior existing legislation.
• It does not lay down guidelines for the assignment of non-monopoly rights nor for assessing contributions made by firms, local communities, or individual inventions.

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/monsoon-session-of-parliament-to-decide-fate-of-biological-diversity-amendment-bill-90754

3. PRADHAN MANTRI UJJWALA YOJANA (PMUY)

TAG: GS 2: GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

THE CONTEXT: According to a recent report, after witnessing a rise in the number of subsidised LPG refills in the financial year 2020-21 under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), the trend has shown a decline in FY23.

EXPLANATION

• Out of the 95.9 million PMUY beneficiaries, 11.8 million (about 12%) did not get even a single LPG bottle during the last financial year.
• The report noted that this decrease reflects the stagnant income levels among the beneficiaries. However, it added that some smaller households may not require more than four refills annually.
• The Union government had admitted that the PMUY beneficiaries had not been able to fill cylinders due to high prices of LPG.
• As per Census 2011, there are 315 million domestic LPG consumers in India, covering 105.1% of estimated households.
• To promote the use of LPG, the government has implemented various measures, including subsidies that were extended for a year last March.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

• With the tagline “Swachh Indhan, Behtar Jeevan“, Union Government has launched a social welfare scheme “Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana” (PMUY) in 2016.
• The scheme envisages smoke-free Rural India and aims to benefit five crore families, especially the women living below the poverty line (BPL), by providing concessional LPG connections to the entire nation by 2019.
• It aims to increase the usage of LPG and would help in reducing health disorders, air pollution and deforestation.
• It is being implemented by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

Salient Features

• To provide 5 crore LPG connections to BPL families, with the financial support of Rs 1600.
• Connections will be issued in the name of women beneficiaries.
• EMI facility will also be provided for stove and refill costs.
• It is complementary to Prime Minister’s Give It Up campaign, under which 75 lakh middle-class and lower middle-class households have voluntarily given up their cooking gas subsidy

Objectives

• To promote women’s empowerment
• To provide a healthy cooking fuel
• To prevent hazardous health-related issues among the millions of rural population due to the use of fossil fuel.

Implementation

• The identification of eligible BPL families will be made in consultation with the State Governments and the Union Territories.

Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant should be women above the age of 18 years.
• The applicant must be a rural inhabitant carrying a BPL
• The women applicant should have a savings bank account in any nationalized bank across the country to receive a subsidy amount.
• The applicant’s household should not already own an LPG connection.

Ujjwala 2.0

• The target of releasing 80 million connections was achieved in 2019; therefore, in 2021, Ujjwala 2.0 was launched.
• It aims to provide additional one crore LPG connections to adult women of poor households under PMUY with a budgetary support of Rs. 1600 /connection.
• In addition to existing eligibility criteria, the following facilities have been provided to beneficiaries under Ujjwala 2.0:-
• Online Application facility on newly launched portal pmuy.gov.in
• Acceptance of self-declaration from migrants to declare family composition and address proof.
• Free of cost – first refill and stove.
• e-KYC using Aadhaar authentication

Source: https://thewire.in/government/in-fy23-lpg-refills-under-ujjwala-fell-12-of-beneficiaries-didnt-get-a-single-refill-govt

4. LARGE NUMBER OF CASES PENDING AGAINST LEGISLATORS.

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: The amicus curiae appointed by the Supreme Court in Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay vs. Union of India, 2016. Informed the court about the Criminal Cases Pending Against Members of Parliament.

EXPLANATION:

• Criminal cases against Lok Sabha members are 44% (236 out of 542) and 31% against Rajya Sabha members (71 out of 226).
• Criminal cases against State Legislators are 1723 of 3991 (43%).
• He stated this in the 17th report submitted in the case relying on a study done by the Association for Democratic Rights.
• The Supreme Court has been monitoring expeditious disposal of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs since 2016 in a PIL filed by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.
• In his 18th Report, the amicus has also sought for a hearing date to be fixed to consider the constitutional validity of Section 8 of the Representation of the People’s Act, 1951 which limits the period of disqualification of a person to contest an election as an MP/MLA only for a period of six years from the date of the release upon conviction, even for a heinous offence.
• The Apex Court had directed that the Presiding officers of the Special Courts involving prosecution of MPs or MLAs, shall not be transferred except with the leave of the Apex Court. But later, order was modified.

SUPREME COURT ROLE IN DECRIMINALISING POLITICS, SOME RECENT STEPS

• The Supreme Court has been monitoring expeditious disposal of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs since 2016.
• Initially 12 Special Courts were constituted.
• Subsequently Special Courts have been established in almost all the districts, where the criminal cases are pending.
• The Supreme Court had directed that the Special Courts shall “fix a calendar for each case to be taken up on day-to-day basis.”
• The Supreme Court had also directed that “Chief Justices of the High Court shall also designate a Special Bench, comprising themselves and their designate, in order to monitor the progress of these trials.”
• Court directed that “keeping in mind public interest involved in the matter and in order to prevent undue delay, we direct that no unnecessary adjournments be granted in these matters.”

AMICUS CURIAE

• An amicus curia is an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case.
• She is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case.
• The decision on whether to consider an amicus brief lies within the discretion of the court.
• The phrase is legal Latin and the origin of the term has been dated to 1605–1615.
• The scope of amici curiae is generally found in the cases where broad public interests are involved and concerns regarding civil rights are in question.

Source:https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/criminal-cases-pending-against-44-of-lok-sabha-members-and-31-of-rajya-sabha-members-as-of-july-2022-amicus-curiae-informs-supreme-court-233536?infinitescroll=1

5. THE MCA (MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS) EXEMPTS REGIONAL RURAL BANKS (RRBS) FROM CCI’S  (COMPETITION COMMISSION OF INDIA) MERGER CONTROL REGIME.

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY; GS 2: GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the MCA has exempted the RRBS from the purview of merger and acquisition regulations of CCI.

EXPLANATION:

• The exemption dispensation from prior scrutiny and approval of Competition Commission of India (CCI) would be available for five years.
• This move would pave the way for merger of RRBs without the prior scrutiny and approval of Competition Commission of India (CCI).
• The merger and acquisition regime of the CCI is directed towards establishing fair competition.
• This exemption will enable smooth consolidation of RRBs which will help in better service delivery with efficiency.

RRBs (REGIONAL RURAL BANKS)

• RRBs are financial institutions which ensure adequate credit for agriculture and other rural sectors. Regional Rural Banks were set up based on the recommendations of the Narasimham Working Group (1975), and after the legislations of the Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976. The first Regional Rural Bank “Prathama Grameen Bank” was set up on October 2, 1975.
• The equity of a regional rural bank is held by the Central Government, concerned State Government and the Sponsor Bank in the proportion of 50:15:35
• Regional Rural Banks (RRB) are Indian Scheduled Commercial Banks (Government Banks) operating at regional level in different states of India.
• They have been created with a view of serving primarily the rural areas of India with basic banking and financial services.
• However, RRBs may have branches set up for urban operations and their area of operation may include urban area too.
• The area of operation of RRBs is limited to the area as notified by Government of India covering one or more districts in the State. RRBs perform various functions in following heads:
• They Carry out government operations like disbursement of wages of MGNREGA workers, distribution of pension etc.
• They provide Para-Banking facilities like locker facilities, debit and credit cards, mobile banking, internet banking, UPI etc.

CCI (COMPETITION COMMISSION OF INDIA)

• The Competition Act, 2002, as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007.
• It follows the philosophy of modern competition laws.
• The Act prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises and regulates combinations (acquisition, acquiring of control and M&A), which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India.
• The objectives of the Act are sought to be achieved through the Competition Commission of India, which has been established by the Central Government with effect from 14th October 2003.
• CCI consists of a Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by the Central Government.
• It is the duty of the Commission to eliminate practices having adverse effect on competition, promote and sustain competition, protect the interests of consumers, and ensure freedom of trade in the markets of India.
• The Commission is also required to give opinion on competition issues on a reference received from a statutory authority established under any law.
• It undertakes competition advocacy, create public awareness and impart training on competition issues.

Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-and-banking/mca-exempts-regional-rural-banks-from-ccis-merger-control-regime/article67100587.ece

1. ANTHROPOCENE EPOCH

TAG: GS 1: GEOGRAPHY

THE CONTEXT: In a major development that could change the Earth’s official geological timeline, geologists have said sediments at Crawford Lake in Canada’s Ontario have provided evidence of the beginning of the Anthropocene epoch.

EXPLANATION:

• Geologists revealed the findings after analysing the lake’s bottom sediments, which have, over the years, captured the fallouts of large-scale burning of fossil fuels, explosion of nuclear weapons and dumping of plastic and fertilisers on land and in water bodies.
• The data show a clear shift from the mid-20th century, taking Earth’s system beyond the normal bounds of the Holocene, i.e. the epoch that started at the end of the last ice age 11,700 years ago.

What is the Anthropocene epoch?

• Anthropocene epoch began sometime between 1950 and 1954, is a proposed epoch that denotes the present geological time interval, in which the Earth’s ecosystem has gone through radical changes due to human impact.
• The Anthropocene epoch as a term was first coined by Nobel Prize-winning chemist Paul Crutzen and biology professor Eugene Stoermer in 2000 to denote the present geological time interval.
• This epoch is caused especially by the onset of the Industrial Revolution.
• There are numerous phenomena associated with this epoch, such as global warming, sea-level rise, ocean acidification,the advent of deadly heat waves, and deterioration of the biosphere, among others.
• Many of these changes will persist for millennia or longer and are altering the trajectory of the Earth System, some with permanent effects.
• They are being reflected in a distinctive body of geological strata now accumulating, with potential to be preserved into the far future.

What have the geologists found?

• The 79 feet deep and 25,800 square-foot-wide Crawford Lake was chosen for examination by the geologists over 11 other potential sites as its layers of sediment preserved the annual impact of human activities on the Earth’s soil, atmosphere and biology.
• Scientist who has studied that lake, said there are distinct and multiple signals starting around 1950 in the water body, which showed that “the effects of humans overwhelm the Earth system”.
• Scientists found that the presence of plutonium due to detonation of nuclear weapons which indicates unique global ‘fingerprint’ of human behavior on our planet.
• Anthropocene Working Group(AWG) plans to present a proposal in front of the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS), a constituent body of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), and if it passes, it will go to the ICS for the next round of approval.
• Both SQS and ICS are part of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), which represents more than 1 million geoscientists across the globe. A final approval might come at the 37th International Geological Congress in Busan, South Korea.

How is the Earth’s geological time divided?

• The planet’s geological time scale is divided into five broad categories: aeons, epochs, eras, periods, epochs and ages.
• While aeon is the broadest category of geological time, age is the smallest category.
• Each of these categories is further divided into sub-categories. For instance, Earth’s history is characterised by four aeons, including Hadeon (oldest), Archean, Proterozoic, and Phanerozoic (youngest).
• Most of the boundaries on the geological time scale correspond to the origination or extinction of particular kinds of fossils.
• This is also related to something called the principle of faunal succession, which states that different kinds of fossils characterise different intervals of time.
• As of now, officially, we are in the Phanerozoic aeon, Cenozoic era, Quaternary period, Holocene epoch and the Meghalayan age.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/anthropocene-epoch-meaning-significance-8831445/

2. EL NINO

TAG: GS 1: GEOGRAPHY

THE CONTEXT: The UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has confirmed that El Nino conditions have arrived and are expected to become moderate to strong as they develop over the coming year.

EXPLANATION:

• El Nino–Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is the hot phase of a natural fluctuation in the Earth’s climate system.
• It normally lasts for a couple of years and is happening on top of a long-term trend of human-driven global warming.

EL nino Coditions:

• An El Niño event is typically declared when sea surface temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise to at least 0.5C above the long-term average.
• In normal conditions, surface water in the Pacific Ocean is cooler in the east and warmer in the west.
• The “trade winds” tend to blow east-to-west, and heat from the sun progressively warms the waters as they move in this direction.
• During El Niño events, these winds weaken or reverse, sending warm surface waters eastwards instead.

Impacts of El Nino:

• Short-term heat extremes will continue to destabilise systems like coral reefs and the Amazon rainforest, which are thought to be vulnerable to tipping.
• With global average temperatures already high this year, El Niño strengthening into next year could make 2024 the hottest year on record. El Niño can add up to 0.2°C to global temperatures.
• Increasing global warming by continuing to burn fossil fuels will also make future El Niño events more intense
• The WMO says it is now very likely that the Earth’s temperature will temporarily exceed 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average by 2027, which is promised to limit in the Paris Agreement in 2015.
• El Nino events profoundly influence extreme weather events around the world, with far-reaching consequences for food production, water availability, and the well-being of both people and ecosystems.
• With the oceans absorbing around 93 per cent of the additional heat from global warming, El Ninos are becoming stronger.

El Nino and Tipping points

• This new El Niño event will directly trigger climate tipping points. El Niño events combined with human-driven global warming will continue to break temperature records, and there is high chance of tipping points being crossed.
• The tipping point is a self-sustaining shift in the climate system that locks in devastating changes once critical warming levels are passed. It is a critical threshold that, when crossed, leads to large and often irreversible changes in the climate system.
• Recent research led that several of these climate tipping points become likely beyond 1.5°C and can’t be ruled out even at current warming of around 1.2°C.
• Tipping points can also lock in extra global warming by amplifying greenhouse gas emissions from natural sources.

El Nino impact on India:

• India’s vital monsoon rains can be disrupted by an El Nino, which is a major concern for crop production.
• India’s monsoon was delayed, which meant far lower rainfall across the subcontinent in early June and a vicious heatwave.
• A delayed and weak monsoon is usually the case when an El Nino develops in the (northern hemisphere) Spring, as has been the case this year after three consecutive years of La Nina.
• Historically, at least half of the instances of El Nino have been directly linked to droughts during the summer monsoon season.
• The impact of these events serves as a stark reminder of the far-reaching effects that escalating extreme weather events can have on communities and economies.
• This increase is attributed to the global warming-induced rise in atmospheric moisture content.

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/climate-change/what-el-nino-means-for-the-world-s-perilous-climate-tipping-points-90528

3. PLACES OF WORSHIP ACT, 1991

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court gave the Centre “sufficient time” till October 31 to clarify its stand on the validity of the Places of Worship Act, which protects the identity and character of religious places as they were on Independence Day.

EXPLANATION:

• The Ayodhya judgment of the Supreme Court had found that the 1991 Act spoke “to our history and to the future of the nation. In preserving the character of places of public worship, the Parliament has mandated in no uncertain terms that history and its wrongs shall not be used as instruments to oppress the present and the future”.
• However, last year Solicitor General, who appeared for the government, stated that remarks made in the Ayodhya judgment about the 1991 Act would not prevent the court from examining the validity of the statute now.
• It was argued that the Act were merely ‘obiter dicta” and did not have the force of law.
• A slew of petitions has been filed in the apex court against the Act, contending that the law has barred Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs from approaching courts to “re-claim” their places of worship.
• The challenge to the Act questions the legality of the prohibition it imposes on any community laying claim to the places of worship of another.

Arguments by petitioners:

• As the Act deals with subject matters mentioned in the State List of 7th schedule of the Constitution, petitioners questioned that whether the parliament was legislatively competent to enact the act.
• Petitioner stated that the act is violative of fundamental rights as Article 14, 21, 25, 26 and 29(1) of the Indian constitution.
• It denies access to the Court of justice for peaceful resolution of disputes.
• Abatement of pending suits and other legal proceedings would result in a decision of cases by legislative fiat and without following any procedure of adjudication is contrary to basic feature of Rule of Law and Judicial Review

The Places of Worship Act:

• The law was enacted to freeze the status of all places of worship in the country on August 15, 1947. An exception was made to keep the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi dispute out of its ambit as the structure was then the subject of litigation.
• The Act says that no person shall convert any place of worship of any religious denomination into one of a different denomination or section. It contains a declaration that a place of worship shall continue to be as it was on August 15, 1947.
• Significantly, it prohibits any legal proceedings from being instituted regarding the character of a place of worship. It declares that all suits and appeals pending before any court or authority on the cut-off date regarding the conversion of the character of a place of worship shall abate.
• In other words, all pending cases will come to an end, and no further proceedings can be filed. However, any suit or proceedings relating to any conversion of status that happened after the cut-off date can continue.

In which cases will the act not apply?

• It will not apply to ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains that are covered by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958.
• It will also not apply to any suit that has been finally settled or disposed of, any dispute that has been settled by the parties before the 1991 Act came into force, or to the conversion of any place that took place by agreement.
• The Act specifically exempted from its purview the place of worship commonly referred to at the time as Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. It was done to allow the pending litigation to continue as well as to preserve the scope for a negotiated settlement.
• Anyone contravening the prohibition on converting the status of a place of worship is liable to be imprisoned for up to three years and a fine. Those abetting or participating in a criminal conspiracy to commit this offence will also get the same punishment.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/validity-of-places-of-worship-act-sc-gives-centre-time-to-clarify-stand-adjourns-case-to-october-31/article67066721.ece

4. SCHEME FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN TEXTILES SECTOR (SAMARTH) SCHEME

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: In a recent meeting, the Empowered Committee for the Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector (SAMARTH) announced significant developments to enhance skill development in the textiles industry.

EXPLANATION:

• The textiles ministry said that 43 new implementing partners had been empanelled under the scheme with an additional training target of 75,000 beneficiaries and a 5% increment in support to implementing partners.
• The government has partnered with 157 textile industries, industry associations, 16 central and state government agencies and three sectoral organisations to undertake training programmes under Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector (SAMARTH).
• The funding pattern has also been revised with an increment of 5% in cost norms, which will give much-needed additional financial support to industries imparting skills under this scheme.

SAMARTH Scheme:

• Samarth is a demand-driven and placement-oriented umbrella skilling programme of the Ministry of Textiles.
• The implementation period of the scheme is up to March 2024.
• The scheme was formulated under the broad skilling policy framework adopted by M/o Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
• Samarth aims to incentivize and supplement the efforts of the industry in creating jobs in the organized textile and related sectors, covering the entire value chain of textiles, excluding Spinning and Weaving.
• Samarth also caters to the upskilling/ re-skilling requirement of traditional textile sectors such as handloom, handicraft, silk and jute.
• The scheme is implemented through Implementing Partners (IPs) comprising of Textile Industry/ Industry Associations, State government agencies and Sectoral Organizations of Ministry of Textiles like DC/ Handloom, DC/Handicrafts and Central Silk Board.
• Samarth has been formulated with advanced features such as Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS), Training of Trainers (ToT), and CCTV recording of the training programme.
• It is equipped with a dedicated call centre with a helpline number, mobile app, Web-based Management Information System (MIS), online monitoring of the training process etc.
• The major processes/procedures adopted in the implementation of the scheme are: Training Centres proposed by the implementing partners are to be physically verified through dedicated Government agencies.
• Furthermore, a total of 184 courses aligned with the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) have been adopted under the scheme across various textile segments .

National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF):

• It is a nationally integrated education and competency-based framework that enables persons to acquire desired competency levels.
• It organizes qualifications according to a series of levels of knowledge, skills and aptitude.
• These levels are graded from one to ten, and are defined in terms of learning outcomes which the learner must possess regardless of whether they were acquired through formal, non-formal or informal learning.
• It provides vocational education, vocational training, general education and technical education, thus linking one level of learning to another higher level.

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/garments-/ textiles/government-adds-43-new-partners-to-implement-samarth-5-higher-support/articleshow/101676263.cms

5. INDIA US COLLABORATION ON CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The Ministry of Science & Technology said that India and the United States jointly launched a call for collaborative proposals on “Critical and Emerging Technology: Quantum Technologies and Artificial Intelligence for Transforming Lives”.

EXPLANATION:

• The Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) and the Secretariat for USISTEF have designed the program, which aims to foster technology innovation and entrepreneurship in commercially viable and socially relevant areas.
• The announcement comes in the wake of the Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to the United States, where he emphasized the need for a new chapter in bilateral comprehensive and global strategic partnership.
• The initiative reflects the commitment of both nations to carry forward the decisions made by the leaders and enhance cooperation in critical and emerging technologies. It highlights the importance of technology partnerships in the future, particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technologies.
• Investments in AI and quantum technology hold the potential to address global challenges and bring transformative advancements in various sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and climate change.
• Earlier cooperation includes the strategic framework being developed by NASA and ISRO for human spaceflight cooperation, including India’s participation in NASA’s astronaut program. India’s signing of the Artemis Accords, which envisions collaborative efforts in space exploration for the benefit of humanity.
• It will provide a significant boost to the domestic as well as the US priorities, looking at various facets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Quantum Computing: 

• It uses phenomena in quantum physics to create new ways of computing. It explains the behavior of energy and material on the atomic and subatomic levels.
• It involves Unlike a normal computer bit, which can be either 0 or 1, a qubit can exist in a multidimensional state. 
• The basic properties of quantum computing are superposition, entanglement, and interference.

1. Superposition:  It is the ability of a quantum system to be in multiple states simultaneously.
2. Entanglement: It means the two members of a pair (Qubits) exist in a single quantum state.
3. Interference:  Qubits can be in more than one place at any given time and also an individual particle, as a photon can cross its own trajectory and interfere with the direction of its path.

Artificial Intelligence:

• It is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. Specific applications of AI include expert systems, natural language processing, speech recognition and machine vision.
• AI systems work by ingesting large amounts of labelled training data, analyzing the data for correlations and patterns, and using these patterns to make predictions about future states.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/indiaus-launch-call-for-proposals-on-critical-and-emerging-technology-11689191486315.html

1. NARI ADALAT

TAG: GS 2: JUDICIARY

THE CONTEXT: The Centre is launching a unique initiative of setting up women-only courts at the village level as an alternate dispute resolution forum for issues like domestic violence, property rights and countering the patriarchal system.

EXPLANATION:

• The scheme would be launched on a pilot basis in 50 villages each in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir from August and would be extended to the rest of the country over the next six months.
• The Nari Adalat though does not hold any legal status.
• This platform leverages their potential as advisers and leaders within their communities, functioning as a pressure group.
• The Nari Adalat of each village would have 7-9 members, half of which would be the elected members of the gram panchayat and the other half women like teachers, doctors and social workers would be nominated by the villagers.
• It will cater to individual cases of all women and girls who require assistance or have grievances within the local community.
• Its main functions include raising awareness about the government schemes and legal rights and entitlements of women and resolving cases falling within its jurisdiction.
• The services provided will include alternate dispute resolution and grievance redressal, counselling, evidence-based decision making, pressure group tactics, negotiation, mediation among others.
• Additionally, the platform will engage with citizens, promoting awareness about women’s rights, legal opinions, various schemes and collecting public feedback.
• Members known as Nyaya Sakhis or legal friends will be nominated or selected by the gram panchayat. The head of Nari Adalat called the Mukhya Nyaya Sakhi or chief legal friend will be chosen among the Nyay Sakhis. The tenure of the head will be generally six months after which a new one will be selected.
• The scheme would be run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development under the Sambal sub-scheme of Mission Shakti, which is dedicated to strengthening women’s safety, security and empowerment.
• The implementation process will be done in collaboration with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the Ministry of Rural Development and Common Service Centers operated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information technology.
• The matters redressed through these Lok Adalats are related to family affairs, matrimonial disputes, bigamy, succession, and motor vehicle accident disputes related to labour.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR):

• The concept of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism is capable of providing a substitute to the conventional methods of resolving disputes.
• ADR offers to resolve all type of matters including civil, commercial, industrial and family etc., where people are not being able to start any type of negotiation and reach the settlement.
• Generally, ADR uses neutral third party who helps the parties to communicate, discuss the differences and resolve the dispute.
• It is a method which enables individuals and group to maintain co-operation, social order and provides opportunity to reduce hostility.

Few important provisions related to ADR:

• The Acts which deals with Alternative Dispute Resolution are Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 and, The Legal Services Authority Act, 1987
• Section 89 of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908 provides elements of settlement outside the court and refers to methods as : Arbitration, Conciliation, Mediation or Lok Adalat.

Lok Adalat:

• Lok Adalat is called ‘People’s Court’ presided over by a sitting or retired judicial officer, social activists or members of Legal profession as the chairman.
• National Legal Service Authority(NALSA) along with other Legal Services Institutions conducts Lok Adalats on regular intervals for exercising such jurisdiction.
• Any case pending in regular court or any dispute which has not been brought before any court of law can be referred to Lok Adalat.
• There is no court fees and rigid procedure followed, which makes the process fast.

Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996: This Act unites and manages the laws associated with domestic arbitration, international business arbitration, and the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. It also defines the law related to conciliation

The Legal Services Authority Act, 1987: The Act envisions that no one will be denied access to justice because of disability or economic reasons, and aims to educate the public about the law, offer free legal aid, and establish Lok Adalats.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/coming-women-only-courts-for-alternative-dispute-resolution/article67053956.ece

2. OUTCOMES OF THE RECENT GST COUNCIL MEETING

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY; GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, 50^th meeting of GST council took place in which decision to levy a uniform 28 per cent tax on full face value for online gaming, casinos and horse-racing among others were taken.

EXPLANATION:

Highlights of the meeting:

• Decision taken to levy a uniform 28% tax on full face value for online gaming, casinos and horse-racing to align it with the regulation of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Tax on online gaming companies would be imposed without making any differentiation based on whether the games required skill or were based on chance.
• There will be an amendment to Schedule III of the GST Act and bringing in online gaming into the actionable claim list. However, betting, gambling and lottery are already in it and online gaming and horse racing will be included also into it.
• Decision was taken to reduce the rate for uncooked/ unfried snack pellets and imitation zari thread.
• The GST Council exempted GST on import of cancer drug Dinutuximab, and food used in Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMP), along with satellite launch services provided by private operators.
• Food and beverages consumed in cinema halls will attract a GST of 5 per cent, equivalent to the levy charged in hotels and restaurants, instead of 18 per cent which was being charged by many cinema halls for composite food packages.
• The Council also recommended setting up of mechanism for appellate tribunals .
• Demands for state-wise benches were presented by various states, and the Council approved setting up of as many as 40 benches in phases.
• The definition of utility vehicles has been tweaked to allow the levy of 22 per cent cess over and above the 28 per cent GST rate.

GST Council 

• GST council was established under Article 279A of the Indian Constitution.
• It serves as the apex committee responsible for recommending modifications, reconciliations, and exemptions related to GST.

Objectives of GST Council 

• To ensure a smooth implementation of the GST, regulate the goods and services tax regime in India.
• To harmonize tax laws across states, to simplify the tax structure, eliminate cascading taxes, and reduce compliance costs.
• To monitor all the taxation processes to avoid fraudulent processes.

Regulation of Online gaming in India:

IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023) enacted for online gaming regulations:

• It mark an important milestone for the Indian online gaming industry.
• It contains rules for safeguarding Indian gamers and their funds against online scams and frauds,.
• It aims to encourage responsible gaming, and protect young and vulnerable users against online abuse and indecency.
• It has introduced the following concepts:
• Permissible online game:  This includes permissible online real money games and all other online games which are not real money games.
• Permissible online real money game:  This includes only such games which have been verified by a self-regulatory body (“SRB”)

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/business/gst-council-impose-28-per-cent-tax-online-gaming-firms-8827305/

3. MULTIDIMENSIONAL POVERTY INDEX (MPI)

TAG: GS 1: SOCIETY; GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE CONTEXT: As per UNDP Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), 415 million Indians came out of multidimensional poverty in 15 years. The UN report noted that deprivation in all indicators declined in India.

EXPLANATION:

Highlights of the index:

• The UN report noted that deprivation in all indicators declined in India and “the poorest States and groups, including children and people in disadvantaged caste groups, had the fastest absolute progress.
• A total of 415 million people moved out of poverty in India within just 15 years from 2005-2006 to 2019-2021 highlighting the remarkable achievement by the world’s most populous nation.
• It said that 25 countries, including India, successfully halved their global MPI values within 15 years, showing that rapid progress is attainable. These countries include Cambodia, China, Congo, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Serbia, and Vietnam.
• According to the report, people who are multidimensionally poor and deprived under the nutrition indicator in India declined from 44.3% in 2005/2006 to 11.8% in 2019/2021, and child mortality fell from 4.5% to 1.5%.
• Those who are poor and deprived of cooking fuel fell from 52.9% to 13.9% and those deprived of sanitation fell from 50.4% in 2005/2006 to 11.3% in 2019/2021.
• In the drinking water indicator, the percentage of people who are multidimensionally poor and deprived fell from 16.4 to 2.7 during the period, electricity (from 29% to 2.1%) and housing from 44.9% to 13.6%.
• According to the 2023 release, 1.1 billion out of 6.1 billion people (just more than 18%) live in acute multidimensional poverty across 110 countries. Sub-Saharan Africa (534 million) and South Asia (389 million) are home to approximately five out of every six poor people.
• Nearly two-thirds of all poor people (730 million people) live in middle-income countries, making action in these countries vital for reducing global poverty. Although low-income countries constitute only 10% of the population included in the MPI, these are where 35% of all poor people reside.

The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)

• It was developed in 2010 by the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the United Nations Development Programme .
• The Global MPI is released annually by UNDP and OPHI.
• The MPI is published along with the Human Development Index (HDI) in the Human Development Report.
• It measures poverty uses health, education and standard of living indicators to determine the incidence and intensity of poverty experienced by a population. It has since been used to measure acute poverty across over 100 developing countries.
• The global MPI monitors poverty reduction and informs policy, showing how people experience poverty in different aspects of their daily lives from access to education and health to living standards such as housing, drinking water, sanitation and electricity.
• The MPI as a poverty index can be pictured as a stacked tower of the interlinked deprivations experienced by poor individuals, with the aim of eliminating these deprivations.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/india-registers-remarkable-reduction-in-poverty-with-415-million-people-coming-out-of-it-in-15-years-united-nations/article67066698.ece

4. ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE (ED)

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: Supreme Court asks ED chief to quit; but upholds amendments

Bench holds that back-to-back service extensions given to the ED chief in 2021 and 2022 were both invalid and illegal; it however, gave him time till July 31 to quit office for “smooth transition

EXPLANATION:

What is the issue?

• The Supreme Court asked Enforcement Directorate (ED) Director to quit four months before his third extension ends. However, court upheld statutory amendments which facilitate the tenures of Directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation and the ED to be stretched piecemeal.
• CBI and ED chiefs have fixed tenures of two years. However, amendments enacted in 2021 to the Central Vigilance Commission Act, the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act and the Fundamental Rules allow them a maximum three annual extensions.
• Earlier the court had directed the government to stop giving extensions which was overruled by the government through amendments.
• By upholding the 2021 amendments, the court disagreed with the submissions made by its own amicus curiae, which had urged the court to strike down the amendments. As the amendments went against the very principle of insulating the Central investigative agencies from government pressure.

High Level Committees

• 2021 amendments require High Level Committees to recommend the officers for service extensions.
• A five-member panel composed of the Central Vigilance Commissioner and Vigilance Commissioners had to recommend if an ED Director was worthy of an extension in service.
• In case of the CBI Director, a High-Level Committee of the Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and the Chief Justice of India had to recommend.
• Besides, the committees were required to record reasons in writing in support of their recommendations.
• The court further said the 2021 amendments were enacted by the Parliament. They could not be declared unconstitutional lightly.

Enforcement Directorate (ED):

• The Directorate of Enforcement is a multi-disciplinary organization mandated with investigation of offence of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws.
• It functions under the Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance.
• ED with its headquarters at New Delhi, is headed by the Director of Enforcement.
• The statutory functions of the Directorate include enforcement of following Acts:

1. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA): It is a criminal law enacted to prevent money laundering and to provide for confiscation of property derived from, or involved in, money-laundering. ED has been given the responsibility to enforce the provisions of the PMLA by conducting investigation to trace the assets derived from proceeds of crime.
2. The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA): It is a civil law enacted to consolidate and amend the laws relating to facilitate external trade and payments and to and maintenance of foreign exchange market in India. ED has been given the responsibility to conduct investigation into suspected contraventions of foreign exchange laws and regulations.
3. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA): This law was enacted to deter economic offenders from evading the process of Indian law by remaining outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts. It is a law whereby Directorate is mandated to attach the properties of the fugitive economic offenders and provide for the confiscation of their properties to the Central Government.
4. Sponsoring agency under COFEPOSA: Under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA), this Directorate is empowered to sponsor cases of preventive detention with regard to contraventions of FEMA.

Directorate of Enforcement

• Recruitment of the officers is done directly and by drawing officers from other investigation agencies.
• It comprises officers of IRS (Indian Revenue Services), IPS (Indian Police Services) and IAS (Indian Administrative Services) and others.
• The tenure of the Director is fixed for two years, but can be extended from two to five years by giving three annual extensions.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-holds-piecemeal-extensions-given-to-ed-director-illegal-invalid-in-law/article67067194.ece

5. GREEN WASHING AND THE FOREST (CONSERVATION) AMENDMENT BILL, 2023

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT.

THE CONTEXT: Recently proposed  Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, is leading to complex challenges of greenwashing as various concerns have been raised by environmentalist against the provisions of the bill.

EXPLANATION:

• Industrialisation inevitably means usurping greater tracts of forest land and ecosystems, the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 has been the legislation that has empowered the state to regulate this and impose costs on such industrial exploitation.
• However, India’s forest cover has seen only marginal increases, as biennial reports of the Forest Survey of India illustrate.
• Growth in forest cover inside officially recorded forests is stagnant, or at best incremental. It is tree cover in orchards, plantations and village homesteads that has been on the rise and supplementing India’s claim that 24% of its area is under forest and tree cover.
• India has committed to increasing this number to 33% and adding a carbon sink of 2.5 billion to 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide this way, by 2030, as part of its international climate commitments.
• The existing Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 was insufficient for these ends, as it did not incentivise private agro-forestry and tree plantation activities.

Provision of the Forest (conservation) Amendment bill, 2023:

• The Bill amends the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 to make it applicable to certain types of land. These include land notified as a forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 or in government records after the 1980 Act came into effect.
• The Act will not be applicable for land converted to non-forest use before December 12, 1996.
• It also exempts certain types of land from the purview of the Act. These include land within 100 km of India’s border needed for national security projects, small roadside amenities, and public roads leading to a habitation.
• The state government requires prior approval of the central government to assign any forest land to a private entity.  The Bill extends this to all entities, and allows the assignment to be made on terms and conditions specified by the central government.
• The Act specifies some activities that can be carried out in forests, such as establishing check posts, fencing, and bridges.  The Bill also allows running zoos, safaris and eco-tourism facilities.
• Forest land authorised by States for non-forestry uses between 1980-1996 would not come under the provisions of the Act.
• The amendments effectively mean States can no longer classify unclassified forest land, or patches of trees with forest-like characteristics as ‘forest land’.
• The amendments also allow forest land, up to 100 km near India’s borders, to be appropriated, without central approval, for “strategic and security” purposes.

Need of the bill:

• The aim is to bring clarity to the country’s forest conservation law by increased provisions and guidelines.
• It aims to increase the forest area and to achieve 33% under forest area and adding a carbon sink of 2.5 billion to 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide this way, by 2030,
• Certain exemptions under act can fast-track strategic and security-related projects.

Criticism of the bill:

• There are no specific conditions laid by the environment ministry for outrightly denying permission for deforestation for development projects.
• The amendment Bill, instead of completing the demarcation process on the ground, seeks to limit the applicability of the FC Act only to land recorded as ‘forest’.
• The amendment also proposes to redefine the ambit of “non-forest purpose” exemptions. This allows enumerated activities to be carried out on the forest land without prior approval of the central government.

Green Washing

• It is a term used to describe a false, misleading action or set of claims made by an organization about the positive impact that a company, product or service has on the environment.
• It was first coined in 1986 by environmentalist Jay Westerveld .
• In an era where increasing numbers of consumers as well as governments are interested in taking environmentally responsible actions, there has been a growing emphasis on environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives in companies.
• The need to demonstrate ESG efforts has led to many organizations making environmental claims that have turned out to be greenwashing.

How the Bill leads to green washing?

• The Bill removes the mandatory central government approval for diversion of forests in certain cases and a blanket exemption for projects like zoos, eco-tourism facilities, and reconnaissance surveys has been proposed. Such activities will disturb the forest and end up bringing down the total green cover.
• The proposed exemptions leave the Center with a lot of discretionary authority and fewer projects will need to seek forest clearance. It will also assist developers in obtaining necessary forest clerances.
• Therefore, these amendments do not really contribute to regenerating natural forest, but rather incentivise afforestation for commercial ends.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/green-washing-the-hindu-editorial-on-amendments-and-the-forest-conservation-amendment-bill-2023/article67067924.ece

1. HINDU UNDIVIDED FAMILY AND UNIFORM CIVIL CODE

TAG: GS 1: SOCIETY, GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: The Law Commission of India has recently initiated a fresh deliberation on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and solicited public views on the same. This has resulted in a debate over the institution of Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) and its separate treatment under the tax laws of the country.

EXPLANATION:

Hindu Undivided Family and its tax structure:

• The concept of HUF is closely tied to the concepts of joint family and coparcenary. This is unique to Hindu personal law (deemed to include Jains, Buddhists & Sikhs).
• The existence of the Hindu Undivided Family as a legal entity is based on an acknowledgment of local customs during the British Raj.
• The HUF was seen as an institution which operated on a strong sense of blood ties and kinship, with a view to jointly exercise control over familial property among Hindu families.
• It gave way for family business arrangements to be based on Hindu personal laws rather than contractual arrangements.
• HUF as a legal entity has always portrayed a dual identity one of a family-backed institution and the other of an income-generating entity, solely for the purposes of maintenance of the family.

Tax structure related to HUF:

• As per the Income Tax provisions, the HUF is a family which consists of all persons lineally descended from a common ancestor and includes their wives and unmarried daughters.
• A HUF has its own Permanent Account Number (PAN) and files tax returns independent of members.
• The HUF consists of the ‘karta’ typically the eldest male member of the family with others in the family being coparceners. The ‘karta’ manages the day-to-day affairs of the HUF. Children are coparceners of their father’s HUF.
• Income Tax Act, 1886 which specifically recognised the HUF under the term “person”.
• When the income tax regime was overhauled in 1922, the idea of the HUF as a distinct category of tax payer was incorporated into the law. The Income Tax Act, 1922 formed the basis of the post-independence Income Tax Act, 1961, which is currently in force and recognises the HUF as a person under Section 2(31)(ii)

How Hindu Undivided Families receive beneficial tax treatment

• From 1922 to 1961, there was a practice of granting an additional exemption limit to the HUF when compared with other forms of taxpayers (including individuals).
• This resulted in the HUF paying lesser tax than other similarly placed taxpayers, despite earning the income in the same manner as others. This preferential exemption regime was done away with under the Income Tax Act, 1961.
• The institution of the HUF as a separate tax entity provides an avenue for Hindu families to reduce their tax burden in a number of ways.
• Lastly, Section 10(2) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 provides that any sum received by an individual as a member of the HUF out of the HUF income is not to be included in her total income.
• Additionally, the HUF is entitled to claim expenses, exemptions and several deductions from its taxable income. This further reduces the tax burden of a Hindu family.

Impacts of Uniform Civil Code on Hindu Undivided Family:

• Granting an additional tax treatment which lowers the tax burden only on the basis of religion is arbitrary and contradict Article 14 of the Constitution.
• If the UCC is ultimately implemented, the concept of HUF is tend to be dismissed.
• This may need an amendment in the Income Tax Act on the similar line as contained in the “Kerala Joint Hindu Family System (Abolition) Act, 1975” which provided that all the institutions of HUF will not be recognised in the state of Kerala.
• So, not only the provisions about the rights of persons taking birth after coming into force of UCC but also provisions about the existing joint family will have to be made either under the UCC or under the Income Tax Laws.
• The law may provide that all the assets of erstwhile HUF shall be deemed to have been divided and distributed amongst all the members who are entitled to get a share in the assets of the HUF.
• The properties cannot be divided in pieces, a deemed partition would be assumed and all the members shall hold the immovable property as tenant in common and a member will become a full-fledged owner for his share of the joint family property.

UNIFORM CIVIL CODE

• In India the purpose of Uniform Civil code is to replace the personal laws based on the scriptures and customs of each major religious community in the country with a common set of rules governing every citizen.

Indian constitution on uniform civil code:

• A uniform civil code will mean a set of common personal laws for all citizens. Currently, for example, there are different personal laws for Hindus and Muslims. Personal law covers property, marriage and divorce, inheritance and succession.
• Article 44 of the Constitution calls upon the State to endeavour towards securing a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.
• It falls within Part IV of the Constitution titled as Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) and states that The State shall endeavor to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.
• There are a number of cases where the Supreme Court has referred to Article 44 and the concept of uniform civil code, mainly to highlight the monotonous attitude of the executive and the legislature in the implementation of the directive.

International scenario on uniform civil code:

• Israel, Japan, France and Russia are strong today because of their sense of oneness which we have yet to develop and propagate.
• Virtually all countries have uniform civil code or for that matter uniform law- civil or criminal.
• The European nations and US have a secular law that applies equally and uniformly to all citizens irrespective of their religion.
• The Islamic countries have a uniform law based on shariah which applies to all individuals irrespective of their religion.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-law/expert-explains-hindu-undivided-family-ucc-8823492/

2. CHANDRAYAAN-3 MISSION

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Chandrayaan-3 will be the world’s first mission to soft-land near the lunar south pole. All the previous spacecrafts have landed a few degrees latitude north or south of the lunar equator.

EXPLANATION:

• Chandrayan-3 is set to be launched from Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota as, India’s third lunar mission.
• It is a follow-up to the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which partially failed after its lander and rover couldn’t execute a soft-landing on the Moon.
• Chandrayaan-3 will reach the lunar orbit almost a month after its launch, and its lander, Vikram, and rover, Pragyaan, are likely to land on the Moon.
• Notably, the landing site of the latest mission is more or less the same as the Chandrayaan-2e near the south pole of the moon at 70 degrees latitude.
• The furthest that any spacecraft has gone from the equator was Surveyor 7, launched by NASA, which made a moon landing way back in 1968. This spacecraft landed near 40 degrees south latitude.

Why hasn’t any spacecraft ever landed near the lunar south pole?

• Most of the landings on the Moon so far have happened in the equatorial region.
• Even China’s Chang’e 4, which became the first spacecraft to land on the far side of the moon the side that does not face the earth landed near the 45-degree latitude.
• It is easier and safer to land near the equator. The terrain and temperature are more hospitable and conducive for a long and sustained operation of instruments.
• The surface here is even and smooth, very steep slopes are almost absent, and there are fewer hills or craters.
• Sunlight is present in abundance, at least on the side facing the earth, thus offering a regular supply of energy to solar-powered instruments.
• The polar regions of the Moon, however, are a very different, and difficult, terrain. Many parts lie in a completely dark region where sunlight never reaches, and temperatures can go below 230 degrees Celsius.
• Lack of sunlight and extremely low temperatures create difficulty in the operation of instruments. In addition, there are large craters all over the place, ranging from a few centimetres in size to those extending to several thousands of kilometres.

Why do scientists want to explore the lunar south pole?

• Due to their rugged environment, the polar regions of the Moon have remained unexplored.
• There are indications of the presence of ice molecules in substantial amounts in the deep craters in this region.
• India’s 2008 Chandrayaan-1 mission indicated the presence of water on the lunar surface with the help of its two instruments onboard.
• In addition, the extremely cold temperatures here mean that anything trapped in the region would remain frozen in time, without undergoing much change. The rocks and soil in Moon’s north and south poles could therefore provide clues to the early Solar System.

Why don’t some parts of the lunar polar regions receive any sunlight?

• Unlike the Earth, whose spin axis is tilted with respect to the plane of the Earth’s solar orbit by 23.5 degrees, the Moon’s axis tilts only 1.5 degrees. Because of this unique geometry, sunlight never shines on the floors of a number of craters near the lunar north and south poles. These areas are known as Permanently Shadowed Regions, or PSRs.
• In a 2019 report, NASA said, “Water that happens to find its way into PSRs may remain there for long periods of time.
• Data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, robotic spacecraft currently orbiting the Moon which measures temperatures across the Moon indicate that some surfaces are cold enough so that water is stable at the surface.

Chandrayaan mission of India:

Chandrayaan 1:

• Chandrayaan-1 was the first lunar space probe of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• It found water on the Moon. It mapped the Moon in infrared, visible, and X-ray light from lunar orbit and used reflected radiation to prospect for various elements, minerals, and ice.
• It was launched in 2008 by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle launched, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota Island, Andhra Pradesh state.
• It launched a small craft, the Moon Impact Probe (MIP), that was designed to test systems for future landings and study the thin lunar atmosphere before crashing on the Moon’s surface.
• MIP impacted near the south pole, but, before it crashed, it discovered small amounts of water in the Moon’s atmosphere.

Chandrayaan 2:

• Chandrayaan-2 launched in, 2019, from Sriharikota by a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III.
• The spacecraft consisted of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover. The orbiter will circle the Moon in a polar orbit for one year at a height of 100 km.
• The mission’s Vikram lander was planned to land in the south polar region where water ice could be found under the surface.
• Vikram carried the small Pragyan rover. Both Vikram and Pragyan were designed to operate for 1 lunar day (14 Earth days).
• India would have been the fourth country to have landed a spacecraft on the Moon after the United States, Russia, and China if landed properly.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/chandrayaan-3-moon-south-pole-significance-8823703/

3. BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES (BEVs)

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Battery electric vehicles are at the heart of the government’s push for net zero. As it is clear that electrification is the future, the roadmap to achieve the same is not so clear.

EXPLANATION:

• The EVs that qualify for a clear upfront tax incentive are the ones referred to as BEVs.
• India’s electric mobility plan is largely focussed on battery electric vehicles (BEVs) replacing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, with Li-ion seen as the most viable battery option for now.

Issues in BEV push:

• Upfront Subsidy: There is need of an elaborate system of incentives as the electric push works only if it is backed by state subsidies.
• Charging network: A World Bank analysis found that investing in charging infrastructure is 4-7 times more effective in EV adoption than providing upfront purchase subsidies. There is need of development of infrastructure.
• Value chain: There is need to diversify the country’s dependency on Li-ion batteries in the EV mix. India is almost entirely dependent on imports from a small pool of countries to cater to its demand as more than 90% of the global Li production is concentrated in Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia alongside Australia and China.

New technologies

• Hybrids: The hybrid technology is seen as a good intermediate step towards achieving the all-electric goal. Hybrids typically have improved fuel efficiency through electrification of the powertrain, but do not require the charging infrastructure base that is an essential for BEVs. However, hybrids too have the issue of Li-ion batteries being the main source, even though the self-charging mode obviates the need for charging points.
• Ethanol & flex fuel: A flex fuel, or flexible fuel, vehicle has an internal combustion engine, but unlike a regular petrol or diesel vehicle, it can run on more than one type of fuel, or even a mixture of fuels such as petrol and ethanol.
• FCEVs & Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are practically zero emission, but a major hurdle to their adoption has been the lack of fuelling station infrastructure.
• Hydrogen Ice: Hydrogen Ice vehicles are similar to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles, with a few tweaks to prep them to run on hydrogen.

Government Measures:

• The Government of India is continuously showing its support to develop India as a global leader in the EV sector. Several schemes and incentives have been launched by the government to boost the demand for electric vehicles.
• FAME-II: The FAME India initiative was launched in 2015 to reduce the usage of petrol and diesel automobiles. It aims to incentivize all types of vehicles. The four focus areas of the Fame India Scheme are as follows: Demand for technology,  Pilot  Projects, Technology development, Infrastructure for  Charging.
• The FAME II scheme: It was introduced in 2019  to drive greater adoption of EVs in India. The scheme was supposed to end in 2022. But now, In the budget for FY2022-23, the Government of India has decided to extend the FAME-II scheme till 31 March 2024.
• PLI scheme: The Department of Heavy Industry launched the Production Linked Incentive for Advanced Chemistry Cell  Battery Storage (PLI-ACC Scheme). Its goal is to entice domestic and international investors to invest in India’s Giga scale ACC manufacturing facilities.
• Special E-mobility Zone: The government plans to establish dedicated mobility zones for electric vehicles. Only electric vehicles or comparable vehicles will be permitted to operate in the zones identified by the administration. It will help curb overcrowding due to private vehicles.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-economics/the-problem-with-battery-electric-vehicles-8822335/

4. INDIAN MONSOON

TAG: GS 1: GEOGRAPHY

THE CONTEXT: Unceasing rains over the weekend have brought north India to its knees, with deluges, landslides, and waterlogging in cities due to western disturbances.

EXPLANATION:

• The IMD said the intense rainfall over north India is because of an interaction between western disturbance and monsoonal winds.
• The excessive rains in many parts of India in the first eight days of July have bridged the rainfall deficit for the entire country (243.2 mm, which is two per cent above the normal of 239.1 mm).

Monsoon in India:

• Indian monsoon is the most prominent of the world’s monsoon systems, which primarily affects India and its surrounding water bodies.
• It blows from the northeast during cooler months and reverses direction to blow from the southwest during the warmest months of the year. This process brings large amounts of rainfall to the region during June and July.
• The southwest monsoon that starts around the first week of June, making the first landfall in Kerala. It is one of the most anticipated events of the year, as India receives 70-90 percent of its annual rainfall during this monsoon

Factors causing monsoon:

• Location of India near equator
• Frequent westerly winds occur at the surface almost constantly throughout the year
• Jet streams
• Westerly subtropical jet stream still controls the flow of air across northern India
• Availability of energy in the atmosphere,
• Intertropical convergence zone
• Coriolis effect
• Indian Ocean Dipole
• Equatorial Indian Ocean Oscillation

Western Disturbances:

• A western disturbance is an extratropical storm originating in the mediterranean region that brings sudden winter rain to the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent
• It extends as east as up to northern parts of Bangladesh and South eastern Nepal.
• It is a non-monsoonal precipitation pattern driven by the westerlies.
• It is global phenomena with moisture usually carried in the upper atmosphere, unlike their tropical counterparts where the moisture is carried in the lower atmosphere. In the case of the Indian subcontinent, moisture is sometimes shed as rain when the storm system encounters the Himalayas. Western disturbances are more frequent and stronger in the winter season.
• Western disturbances are important for the development of the Rabi crop , which includes the locally important staple wheat.

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/video/climate-change/incessant-rainfall-brings-north-india-to-its-knees-90513

5. LAMBANI EMBROIDERY

TAG: GS 1: ART AND CULTURE

THE CONTEXT: As part of the third G20 culture working group (CWG) meeting in Hampi, a Guinness world record was created for the ‘largest display of Lambani items’.

EXPLANATION:

• Over 450 women artisans and cultural practitioners from Lambani a nomadic community of Karnataka came together to create embroidered patches with GI-tagged Sandur Lambani embroidery.
• The display titled ‘Threads of Unity’ celebrates the aesthetic expressions and design vocabulary of Lambani embroidery.

Lambani embroidery:

• The Lambani embroidery is an intricate form of textile embellishment characterised by colourful threads, mirror-work and stitch patterns.
• It is practised in several villages of Karnataka such as Sandur, Keri Tanda, Mariyammanahalli, Kadirampur, Sitaram Tanda, Bijapur and Kamalapur.
• The Lambani craft tradition involves stitching together small pieces of discarded fabric to create a beautiful fabric.
• The embroidery traditions of the Lambanis are shared in terms of technique and aesthetics with textile traditions across Eastern Europe, West, and Central Asia.
• The Lambani embroidery is an amalgam of pattern darning, mirror work, cross stitch, and overlaid and quilting stitches with borders of “Kangura” patchwork appliqué, done on loosely woven dark blue or red handloom base fabric.
• Lambani embroidery is commonly mistaken as Kutchi (Kachhi) embroidery because of mirror work, but shells and coins are unique to this type of embroidery. Also, the stitches used are different.
• The 14 types of stitches used in Lambani embroidery are Kilan, Vele, Bakkya, Maki, Suryakanti Maki, Kans, Tera Dora, Kaudi, Relo, Gadri, Bhuriya, Pote, Jollya, Nakra. Products made with such embroidery have wonderful textures and a bohemian style, making them very popular with tourists.
• A distinctive design range is its revival and use of local mud-resist handloom fabric, and the mirrors, shells and white ornamental trims that are a traditional part of Lambani as well as the Irikil saris of Dharwad-Hubli and other local fabrics.
• Some of the villages around Hampi, where this craft is practiced are Kadirampur, Mariyammanahalli, Sitaram Tanda, Kamalapur, Keri Tanda.

Lambani community:

• Lambani elsewhere known as “Banjaras”, originally came from Marwar are semi-nomadic people who reside mostly in Southern and Middle India.
• As with many tribal groups, especially those with a nomadic heritage, there is a modern tendency to either isolate or assimilate.
• The Lambani women practice a unique mirror and embroidery craft, which they mostly use for making their own traditional dresses or for giving to their daughters for their weddings.

About Hampi:

• Hampi also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Vijayanagara district, east-central Karnataka.
• It predates the Vijayanagara Empire and is an important religious centre, housing the Virupaksha Temple.
• Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century. It was a fortified city.
• Hampi was a prosperous, wealthy and grand city near the Tungabhadra River, with numerous temples, farms and trading markets.
• Hampi and its nearby region remained a contested and fought-over region claimed by the local chiefs, the Hyderabad Muslim nizams, the Maratha Hindu kings, and Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan of Mysore through the 18th century.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/at-g20-meet-a-guinness-effort-to-shine-light-on-karnatakas-lambani-craft-8825059/

1. THE DIGITAL PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION BILL, 2022

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: Nearly six years after the Supreme Court held privacy to be a fundamental right, a reworked version of India’s long-awaited data protection law has been cleared by the Cabinet.  It could come before Parliament in the Monsoon Session.

EXPLANATION:

• Contents of the Bill will remain confidential until it is brought to Parliament. Some of the most contentious issues included are the wide-ranging exemptions to the Centre and its agencies and diluting the role of the Data Protection Board.
• The Bill, once it becomes law, will play a crucial role in India’s trade negotiations with other nations, and especially regions like the European Union, whose General Data Protection Rules (GDPR) are among the world’s most exhaustive privacy laws.

Significance of the bill:

• This is a crucial pillar of the overarching framework of technology regulations which also includes the Digital India Bill, the proposed successor to the Information Technology Act of 2000, the draft Indian Telecommunication Bill of 2022, and a policy for non-personal data governance.
• The proposed law will apply to the processing of digital personal data within India and to data processing outside the country if it is done for offering goods or services or for profiling individuals in India.
• It requires entities that collect personal data, called data fiduciaries, to maintain the accuracy of data, keep data secure, and delete data once their purpose has been met.
• It is expected to allow “voluntary undertaking”, where any violation of the provisions will be addressed by Data Protection Board by accepting settlement fees.
• It deals with cross-border data flows to international jurisdictions moving from a ‘whitelisting’ approach to a ‘blacklisting’ mechanism.
• The proposed law could allow global data to flow by default to all jurisdictions other than a specified ‘negative list’ of countries, essentially an official blacklist of countries where transfers would be prohibited.

Concerns around the draft bill regarding control of the central government:

• The central government can exempt “any instrumentality of the state” from adhering to the provisions on account of national security, relations with foreign governments, and maintenance of public order, among other things.
• Control of the central government in appointing members of the Data Protection Board, an adjudicatory body that will deal with privacy-related grievances and disputes between two parties.
• The chief executive of the board will be appointed by the central government, which will also determine the terms and conditions of their service.
• The Bill can dilute the Right to Information (RTI) Act, as the personal data of government functionaries is likely to be protected under it.

Regulation in other countries:

• According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), an estimated 137 out of 194 countries have put in place legislation to secure the protection of data and privacy.
• Africa and Asia show 61% (33 countries out of 54) and 57% (34 countries out of 60) adoption respectively. Only 48% of Least Developed Countries (22 out of 46) have data protection and privacy laws.
• EU model: The GDPR focuses on a comprehensive data protection law for processing of personal data. It has been criticised for being excessively stringent and imposing many obligations on organisations processing data.
• US model: Privacy protection is largely defined as “liberty protection” focused on the protection of the individual’s personal space from the government. It only enables collection of personal information as long as the individual is informed of such collection and use.
• China model: Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), which came into effect in November 2021, gives Chinese data principals new rights as it seeks to prevent the misuse of personal data. The Data Security Law (DSL), which came into force in September 2021, requires business data to be categorised by levels of importance and puts new restrictions on cross-border transfers.

Information Technology Act, 2000

• It is an act of the Indian Parliament notified in 2000. It is the primary law in India dealing with cybercrime and electronic commerce.
• The Act provides a legal framework for electronic governance by giving recognition to electronic records and digital signatures.
• It also defines cyber crimes and prescribes penalties for them. The Act directed the formation of a Controller of Certifying Authorities to regulate the issuance of digital signatures. It also established a Cyber Appellate Tribunal to resolve disputes arising from this new law.
• The Act also amended various sections of the Indian Penal Code of 1860; the Indian Evidence Act of 1872; the Banker’s Book Evidence Act of 1891; and the Reserve Bank of India Act of 1934, to make them compliant with new technologies.
• A major amendment was made in 2008. It introduced Section 66A, which penalized sending “offensive messages”.
• It also introduced Section 69, which gave authorities the power of “interception or monitoring or decryption of any information through any computer resource”.
• Additionally, it introduced provisions addressing – pornography, child porn, cyber terrorism and voyeurism. The amendment was passed on 22 December 2008 without any debate in Lok Sabha.

Draft Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022:

• The Draft Bill seeks to replace the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933, and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act of 1950.
• Operating a telecom network and providing telecom services will be licensed activities. Telecom services will also include broadcasting, OTT, M2M, and data communication services.
• Spectrum may be allocated through auction, administrative process, or other mechanisms decided by the central government.
• The central government may intercept, monitor, or block messages between two or more persons in the event of a public emergency or in the interest of the security of the state. Telecom services may be suspended on similar grounds.
• The Bill provides a mechanism to exercise the right of way for laying telecom infrastructure.

Digital India Bill, 2022:

• The Bill will replace the 23-year-old Information Technology Act(IT) and is a much sought-after legislation by the industry.
• The Digital India Bill is expected to address a variety of online safety issues, including combating child sexual abuse material, religious incitement material, patent violation material, and misinformation on social media platforms.
• The full list of 11 things includes porn, content harmful to children, copyright infringement, misleading content, impersonation, content deemed against India’s unity and integrity, computer malware, banned online games, and anything else that is illegal.
• These types of content are currently listed in the last update of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, but the Digital India Bill will give the government legal teeth to hold platforms accountable for hosting such content.

2. USA IS UNDERGOING A ‘GROWTH RECESSION

TAG: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: US stock markets are ascending even as the economy struggles to avoid recession. The US is neither fully in recession nor growing to its full potential. There is a need to look at the impacts of the growth recession in the USA and India.

EXPLANATION:

• Indian stock markets are getting impacted by the rise in the United States and its stock markets.
• Two of the key benchmark indices in the US, namely the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100, have registered quite remarkable gains over just the past six months.
• Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) are also pumping money into Indian markets as well.

What is expected during the recession?

• At the start of 2023, it was predicted that the US, which is the world’s largest economy, would experience a recession.
• During inflation, central bankers tend to rapidly raise interest rates to bring down economic activity and cool down inflation.
• Typically, during such phases, stock markets tend to suffer because:
• If interest rates are moving up, an investor feels less inclined to invest money in the riskier stock markets when they can earn more by just keeping it in the bank.
• A slowing economy essentially means more unemployment, lower consumption levels and lower profitability of companies which reduces the incentive to lend to these companies by investing in the stock markets.

Growth recession:

• A recession implies that the total economic activity in an economy contracts for two consecutive quarters. It means if an economy’s GDP in the first quarter is lower than what it was in the first quarter of last year and the same thing happens in the second quarter, then the economy is said to have gone into a recession.
• The phrase “growth recession” was coined by American economist Solomon Fabricant in a 1972 paper titled “The ‘recession’ of 1969-1970”.
• A growth recession is something above zero but below potential GDP growth. The eventual GDP growth rate is likely to be well below the potential GDP growth rate.
• In other words, there are times when it may not be a recession, but it feels like one. For instance, a key marker of recession is the rise of joblessness or unemployment, but if an economy grows along with rising unemployment, it can be termed a “growth recession”.

Potential GDP growth rate:

• The potential GDP growth rate is the rate of growth at which an economy can grow without spiking inflation.
• For instance, the US has the potential to grow (its GDP) by 1.8% each year. It is a combination of (increased) productivity (accounting for 1.5%) and changes in labour force (accounting for the remaining 0.3%).

India’s growth trajectory:

• India’s potential GDP growth rate has been sliding since the Global Financial Crisis of 2009.
• It used to be 8% during the high growth phase of 2004-2009. Since then, it had fallen to just 6% by 2019, just before the pandemic hit the economy.
• Coming out of the pandemic, India’s economy has grown much faster and given India the mantle of the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
• India seems to have grown faster in the last two financial years has been the effect of a low base because of Covid-induced contraction in 2020.
• Growth rates have started decelerating yet again from 9.2% in FY22 to 7.2% in FY23 to likely around 6% in the current financial year.
• Consumption levels of average Indians have largely remained subdued as companies have held back from aggressively ramping up fresh investments.

3. ZAPORIZHZHYA, THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT(NPP)

TAG: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: Zaporizhzhya plant has been compared to the Chornobyl disaster as the concerns intensified that the Russian-occupied nuclear reactor in southern Ukraine could be the target of fresh attacks.

EXPLANATION:

Reactor design and mechanism at Zaporizhzhya NPP:

• Zaporizhzhya NPP is located southwest of Zaporizhzhia city, along the Dnieper River. It has six VVER-1000 reactors providing a total power-generation capacity of 6 GW.
• The reactor complex consists of the reactor vessel, in which fuel rods are submerged in water. Control rods are inserted at the top. The water acts as both coolant and moderator. A pressuriser holds the water at a high but constant pressure (around 150 atm) to prevent it from boiling. This is the primary cooling circuit.
• As the water heats up, the heat is moved to a secondary cooling circuit, where it converts a separate resource of water into steam. This steam is fed to turbines that generate electricity.

Chernobyl NPP and Zaporizhzhya NPP:

• The principal difference between Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhya is that the former had RBMK reactors, and the latter has VVER-1000 reactors (this is the same reactor design installed at the Kudankulam NPP in India).
• In Zaporizhzhya, the primary coolant and the moderator are the same substance (water), and it doesn’t leave the reactor vessel at any time.
• In RBMK reactors like at Chernobyl, on the other hand, the coolant and the moderator are different (light water and nuclear graphite, respectively).

Chernobyl disaster:

• It was a nuclear accident that occurred near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union and called as the world’s worst-ever civil nuclear incident.
• The accident occurred during a safety test of the reactor.

Risk at Zaporizhzhya NPP:

• Primary water circuits could depressurise as steam and escape into the air along with radioactive material and other volatile substances.
• This mixture will contain the isotope iodine-131, which is easily dispersed by winds and accumulates in and damages the thyroid gland in humans.
• It has a half-life of around eight days and so, as per the report, “would only pose a threat for several weeks”.
• A breach and depressurisation would also release caesium-137, which has a half-life of 30 years and was responsible for contaminating much of Chornobyl’s surroundings after the accident.

Related news:

• Recently, the Kakhovka dam, which is downstream of the Zaporizhzhya NPP and in whose reservoir the plant is located, was breached.
• While the water level in the reservoir subsequently dropped, the Zaporizhzhya NPP wasn’t affected because the cooling pond from which it draws water is isolated from the water in the reservoir.
• The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant is in the city of Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region. The city is currently under Russian occupation. In the Kherson region, Russia occupies the left, or southern, bank, while Ukraine controls the right, or northern, bank.
• The dam was built in the Soviet era and is one of six that sit along the Dnipro River, which stretches from the very north of the country into the Black Sea.

4. BHARAT 6G ALLIANCE(B6GA)

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Telecom sector is a continuously evolving sector with high technological obsolescence from Wire-line to Mobile services to 2G to 3 G to 4G to 5G, and now 6G is on the horizon. Department of Telecommunications (DoT) launched Bharat 6G Alliance to drive innovation and collaboration in next-generation wireless technology.

EXPLANATION:

• It is a collaborative platform consisting of public and private companies, academia, research institutions, and standards development organizations aimed at promoting innovation and collaboration in next-generation wireless technology.
• B6GA will forge coalitions and synergies with other 6G Global Alliances, fostering international collaboration and knowledge exchange.
• The primary objective is to understand the business and societal needs of 6G beyond technical requirements, foster consensus on these needs, and promote high-impact open research and development (R&D) initiatives.
• B6GA aims to bring together Indian startups, companies, and the manufacturing ecosystem to establish consortia that drive the design, development and deployment of 6G technologies in India.
• It aims to achieve universal and affordable connectivity, foster indigenous technology development, and nurture the telecom and semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem in India.
• One of the key goals of B6GA is to facilitate market access for Indian telecom technology products and services, enabling the country to emerge as a global leader in 6G technology.

Differences between 5G and 6G network

• Use of different spectrum: 5G is allocated for low band and high band frequencies from 6 GHz to 24.25 GHz respectively while 6G will be operative at the frequency range 95 GHz to 3 THz.
• Faster than 5G technology: 6G speed is expected to be 100 times faster than 5G with enhanced reliability and wider network coverage.
• 6G wireless accelerates more connections: With 6G it is expected to connect ten times more devices per square kilometer with increase in number of connected devices in the upcoming years.
• Low latency in both G’s: 5G networks has a latency of about 5milliseconds but with 6G internet it will range from 1millisecond to 1microsecond which will make massive data transmissions possible in less than a second.

Related information:

Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF):

• Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme was launched by DoT.
• 5% of annual collections from the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) will be available for the TTDF Scheme to fund research & development of technologies, products, and services.
• The scheme is envisaged to bridge the digital divide among academia, start-ups, research institutes, and industry by developing and manufacturing state-of-the-art technologies.
• The Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme entails grants to Indian entities to encourage and induct indigenous technologies tailor-made to meet domestic needs.
• It aims to develop standards and create the ecosystem for research, design, prototyping, use cases, pilots, and proof of concept testing, among others.

Universal Service Obligation Fund:

• It was established with the fundamental objective of providing access to “Basic” telegraph services to people in remote and rural areas at affordable and reasonable prices.
• Subsequently, the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act of 2006 repealed the term “Basic”, wherein the scope of the USO Fund was widened to provide access to telegraph services in rural and remote areas.

5. CRIMINALISATION OF POLITICS

TAG: GS2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: The association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has approached the Election Commission of India seeking action against political parties that fail to publish details of criminal antecedents of candidates as per orders of the Supreme Court.

EXPLANATION:

• For years, activists and independent electoral watchdogs like ADR have been raising concerns over political parties fielding candidates with criminal antecedents.
• After the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, according to ADR, 43% of the newly-elected MPs had pending criminal cases against them.

Background:

• Responding to a petition filed by Public Interest Foundation, the Supreme Court in September 2018 made it mandatory for political parties to publish the details of criminal cases pending against their candidates, including on their websites, in a format prescribed by the Election Commission of India.
• It directed parties to publish the details of criminal cases pending against a candidate in bold letters and told the candidate with pending cases to inform the party about these cases.
• The court also ordered that the candidate and the party have to publish the information at least thrice after filing the nomination.
• In February 2020, the apex court reiterated that the parties would have to publish the details of candidates with pending criminal cases. It also added that they would have to include the reasons for selecting such a candidate.
• The reasons for selection shall be with reference to the qualifications, achievements and merit of the candidate concerned and not mere ‘winnability’ at the polls.
• It said the information would have to be published in one local vernacular newspaper, one national newspaper and on the official social media platforms of the political party within 48 hours of the selection or not less than two weeks before the first date of nominations, whichever is earlier.
• The parties would then have to submit a compliance report with the ECI within 72 hours.

Provisions under the Representation of Peoples (RP) Act:

• Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, provides for the disqualification of a person convicted of certain offences from being chosen as or continuing as, a Member of Parliament or a Member of a Legislative Assembly.
• Section 8 of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, 1951, disqualifies a person convicted with a sentence of two years or more from contesting elections.
• Currently, under the Representation of Peoples (RP) Act, lawmakers cannot contest elections after their conviction in a criminal case. But those under trial continued to be eligible to contest elections.

Lily Thomas Case:

• In 2005, Kerala-based lawyer Lily Thomas and NGO Lok Prahari filed a PIL before the SC which challenged Section 8(4) of the RPA as ‘ultra vires’ to the Indian Constitution, saying it protected convicted legislators from disqualification because their appeals were pending before higher courts.
• The case drew attention to Articles 102(1) and 191(1) of the Constitution. The former lays down the disqualifications for membership to the Houses of Parliament, while the latter lays down the disqualifications for membership to the Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council of the state.
• Supreme Court struck down Section 8(4) of the Representation of the People (Act) 2013 and concluded that there would be no window of appeal and a legislator stood disqualified immediately when convicted for two or more years of imprisonment

Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR):

• It is an electoral watchdog established in 1999 by a group of professors from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad. The objective of ADR is to improve governance and strengthen democracy by continuous work in the area of Electoral and Political Reform
• Purpose of the ADR:

1. Empowerment of the electorate through greater dissemination of information relating to the candidates and the parties
2. For a better and informed choice
3. Need for greater accountability of Indian Political Parties
4. Need for inner-party democracy and transparency in party functioning.

1. LIBERALISED REMITTANCE SCHEME

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

CONTEXT: Recently, The Finance Ministry deferred the imposition of an increased 20% rate for Tax Collected at Source (TCS) by three months to October 1,2023.

THE EXPLANATION:

Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS):

• Under the scheme all resident individuals, including minors, may remit up to $250,000 each financial year out of India for any current or capital account transaction, or a combination of both.
• It was introduced in February 2004 and has been revised recurrently in keeping with prevailing economic conditions. Its introductory threshold was $25,000.
• Relevant transactions may include private visits to any country (excluding Nepal and Bhutan), gift or donation, emigration, maintenance of close relatives abroad, business travel (or attending specialised conferences), medical treatment and foreign education, among other things.

What is Tax Collected at Source (TCS) and how does it work?  

• TCS refers to the tax collected by the seller of a commodity at the time of sale. It is over and above the price of the commodity and is required to be remitted to the government’s account.
• Under the mechanism, sellers could be the central government, state government, local authority, statutory authority, corporation and/or company registered under the Companies Act, among others.
• A buyer is classified as a person who obtains goods or the right to receive goods in any sale, auction, tender or any other mode.
• The tax does not apply to Indian individuals if they furnish a declaration that the purchased goods would be utilised for manufacturing, processing or producing articles or things (for purpose of generating power) and not for further sale.
• While LRS designates the upper limit of remittance, the TCS threshold would determine the taxation eligibility of the remittance.

Issue on international credit cards:

• The government announced that transactions facilitated using international credit cards while being overseas would not fall under the purview of the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).
• Thus transactions via credit cards when travelling abroad will not attract TCS.
• The intent behind the bringing credit cards under the ambit was to remove the differential treatment accorded to credit cards in relation to other modes of foreign exchange.
• Earlier in March,2023 while introducing changes to the Finance Act of 2023, that payments for foreign tours through credit cards were not captured under the LRS.

2. INTER-STATE RIVER WATER DISPUTE TRIBUNAL

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: The Union Government has submitted a proposal to the Cabinet Secretariat for formation of Pennaiyar Water Dispute Tribunal to resolve the Pennaiyar river dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

EXPLANATION:

Background of the issue:

• In January, 2019, the Supreme Court permitted the Tamil Nadu Government to seek the constitution of a Tribunal on the dispute over sharing of water of Pennaiyar river.
• In 2020, the Union Government had constituted a Negotiation Commission to resolve the water dispute.
• In December, 2022, the Apex Court was informed by the Additional Solicitor General that the cabinet nod for the constitution of Penniyar Water Tribunal has been approved by the concerned Ministry (Jal Shakti) & the same has been circulated to Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice.
• Thereafter, Gazette notification of Pennaiyar Water Disputes Tribunal was to be issued after the Union Cabinet’s approval. For the completion of the process, the Centre had sought for six months.
• In May, 2023, the Apex Court had granted one month’s additional time to the Union Government to constitute the Tribunal, including the issuance of the Gazette Notification.

Inter-State River Water Disputes Tribunal

Constitutional provisions

• As water comes under state list. According to Entry 17 of State List, states can legislate with respect to rivers.
• However, Entry 56 of the Union List gives the Central government the power to regulate and develop inter-state rivers and river valleys.
• Article 262 empowers Parliament to provide for the adjudication of any dispute with respect to the use, distribution or control of the waters in any inter-state river or river valley.
• As per Article 262, the Parliament has enacted the following:

1. River Board Act, 1956: This empowered GOI to establish Boards for Interstate Rivers and river valleys in consultation with State Governments. Till date, no river board has been created.
2. Inter-State Water Dispute Act, 1956: Under this act, if a state government or governments approach the Centre for the constitution of a tribunal, the government may form a tribunal after trying to resolve the dispute through consultations.

Features of River Boards Act 1956

• It provides for the establishment of River Boards, for the regulationand development of inter-State rivers and river valleys.
• Central Government may establish a board on a request of State Government for advising the interested government in relation to matters involve concerningthe regulation or development of an inter-state river or river valley.
• Different Boards may be established for different inter-State rivers or river valleys.
• The Board is to consist of the Chairman and such other members as the Central Governmentthinks fit to appoint. They must be persons having special knowledge and experience in irrigation,electrical engineering, flood control, navigation, water conservation, soil conservation,administration or finance.
• Functions of the Board includes conservation of the water resources of the inter-State river, schemes for irrigationand drainage, development of hydro-electric power, schemes for flood control, promotion ofnavigation, control of soil erosion and prevention of pollution.
• The functions of the Board are advisory and not adjudicatory.

Features of Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956

• A State Government which has a water dispute with another State Government may request theCentral Government to refer the dispute to a tribunal for adjudication.
• The Central Government, if it is of opinion that the dispute cannot be settled by negotiation, shallrefer the dispute to a Tribunal.
• The Tribunal consists of a Chairman and two othermembers, nominated by the Chief Justice of India from among persons who, at the time of suchnomination, are Judges of the Supreme Court. The Tribunal can appoint assessors to advise it in the proceedings before it.
• On the reference being made by the Central Government, the Tribunal investigates the matterand makes its report, embodying its decision. The decision is to be published and is to be finaland binding on the parties.
• Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and other courts in respect of the dispute referred to theTribunal is barred.

Water Dispute Tribunals in India:

3. IRAN IN THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION (SCO)

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Iran has joined as the ninth and newest member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at the virtual summit of the grouping. SCO leaders stated that the formation of a “more representative” and multipolar world order is in the global interest.

EXPLANATION:

Highlights of the summit:

• India is hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit for the first time.
• India refused to join other members on paragraphs relating to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and stayed out of a joint statement on SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030.
• The agreements signed included:

1. New Delhi Declaration outlining areas of cooperation between SCO countries
2. a joint statement on countering radicalization
3. a joint statement on digital transformation where India offered to share expertise on digital payment interfaces such as UPI.

• SCO members jointly criticised non-UN sanctions as “incompatible with the principles of international law”, which have a “negative impact” on other countries.
• SCO members also agreed to explore the use of “national currencies” for payments within the grouping, which would circumvent international dollar-based payments.

SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030:

• The document had not got universal endorsement as India didn’t sign on with the rest of the SCO member states who approved the document.
• India has refrained from signing the document as it is injected with too many references to Chinese diplomatic catchphrases and policies that reflected the pet policies of Chinese government.
• Since the SCO Economic Development Strategy has not yet been made public, it is not clear what it entails.
• The New Delhi Declaration indicates that the strategy document could involve areas of
• Digital economy
• High technology and innovation
• Modernisation of existing international routes for road and rail transport
• Multimodal transport corridors and logistics centres
• Finance and investment
• Energy and food security
• Diversified supply chains
• Industrial cooperation

Delhi Declaration:

• The Indian government coined the New Delhi Declaration and proposed at the SCO Summit, aiming to fight against terrorism.
• The Declaration also proposes four other joint statements on de-radicalisation, sustainable lifestyle to tackle climate change, production of millets and digital transformation.
• It listed a number of global challenges, including new and emerging conflicts, turbulence in the markets, supply chain instability, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

• The grouping came into existence in Shanghai in 2001 with six members, minus India and Pakistan.

• Its primary objective was to enhance regional cooperation for efforts to curb terrorism, separatism, and extremism in the Central Asian region.
• The SCO grouping now comprises China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia enjoy Observer status in the SCO, while six other countries Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka have Dialogue Partner status.

4. GIFT NIFTY

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The Singapore Stock Exchange Nifty (SGX) Nifty, which has been used by traders and investors for years to anticipate Nifty’s opening, has been rebranded as the Gujarat International Finance Tech (GIFT) Nifty. It started trading from GIFT City in Gujarat executing over 30,000 trades in a single session.

EXPLANATION:

• Recently, trading on SGX NIFTY ceased in Singapore and the entire trading volume and liquidity fully switched to GIFT IFSC. Therefore, it was renamed as GIFT Nifty.

Deal between SGX and NSE (National Stock Exchange):

• According to a five-year contract between the two, business will largely be shared on a 50:50 basis.
• Initially, for the business generated by Singapore, SGX will get 75 per cent of the revenue, while NSE will get the remaining 25 per cent.
• As per this deal, NSE IX will not be able to enter into similar arrangements with any other exchange. This contract can be extended for an additional two years after the five-year period concludes.

What is GIFT NIFTY?

• GIFT NIFTY is the first cross-border initiative in connecting India and Singapore’s capital markets.
• Currently, four products are being offered under the umbrella brand of GIFT Nifty GIFT Nifty 50, GIFT Nifty Bank, GIFT Nifty Financial Services and GIFT Nifty IT derivatives contract.
• The NSE IX says any trading member be it Indian or foreign, registered or non-registered setting up its office through subsidiary/branch model can start trading in the GIFT Nifty products by taking membership of NSE IX.

Benefits for India:

• GIFT Nifty is an important milestone for GIFT IFSC and its outreach towards foreign investors and enhancing the capital market ecosystem in GIFT City.
• It has linked two of the fastest growing economies of the world.
• This is the first of its kind trading link, with trading and matching in India and clearing and settlement in Singapore.

The GIFT International Financial Services Centre (GIFT IFSC)

• It is a financial centre and special economic zone in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) established in April 2015.
• It aims to provide world-class infrastructure and services for financial institutions and companies operating in areas such as banking, insurance, capital markets, and asset management.
• GIFT IFSC is regulated by the International Financial Services Centres Authority, an independent regulator exclusive to the zone.

The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)

• It is the regulatory body for the Indian special economic zones such as the GIFT International Financial Services Centre for International Financial Services and commodity markets under the ownership of the Government of India.
• It was established in 2020, under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019.
• The International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) is located in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City).

National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE):

• It is one of the leading stock exchanges in India, based in Mumbai.
• NSE is under the ownership of various financial institutions such as banks and insurance companies.
• It is one of the largest stock exchanges in the world by market capitalization.
• The NSE’s flagship index, the NIFTY 50, a 50 stock index is used extensively by investors in India and around the world as a barometer of the Indian capital market.
• The NIFTY 50 index was launched in 1996 by NSE.

5. DARK PATTERNS

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The Centre has asked e-commerce companies to not use “dark patterns” on their platforms that may deceive customers or manipulate their choices. The government has set up a 17-member task force to prepare guidelines to protect consumers.

EXPLANATION:

• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has started classifying complaints received on the National Consumer Helpline 1915 to compile information on dark patterns.
• This information can be used by the Central Consumer Protection Authority to initiate action under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Dark Patterns:

• Dark patterns which are also known as deceptive patterns, is a term used to describe ways or tricks implemented by websites or apps to discourage and manipulate user’s behavior.
• The term dark patterns were coined by Harry Brignull, a London-based user experience (UX) designer, in 2010.

The Consumer Affairs Ministry has identified nine types of dark patterns being used by e-commerce companies:

• False urgency:Creates a sense of urgency or scarcity to pressure consumers into making a purchase or taking an action.
• Basket sneaking:Dark patterns are used to add additional products or services to the shopping cart without the user’s consent.
• Confirm shaming:Uses guilt to make consumers adhere; criticizes or attacks consumers for not conforming to a particular belief or viewpoint.
• Forced action:Pushes consumers into taking an action they may not want to take, such as signing up for a service in order to access content.
• Nagging:Persistent criticism, complaints, and requests for action
• Subscription traps:Easy to sign up for a service but difficult to quit or cancel; option is hidden or requires multiple steps.
• Bait & switch:Advertising a certain product/ service but delivering another, often of lower quality.
• Hidden costs:Hiding additional costs until consumers are already committed to making a purchase.
• Disguised ads:Designed to look like content, such as news articles or user-generated content.

Regulation in other countries:

• In March 2021, California passed amendments to the California Consumer Privacy Act, banning dark patterns that made it difficult for consumers to exercise some of the rights that the law provides, like opting out of the sale of their data.
• In April 2019, the UK issued a set of guidelines under its Data Protection Act, 2018 which prohibited companies from using nudges to draw underage users into options that have low privacy settings.

1. THE LEGALITY OF THE DELHI ORDINANCE

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: The Ordinance promulgated by the President on May 19, 2023 amending the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act 1991(GNCTD Act) took away the services from the jurisdiction of the Delhi government. The services had been earlier restored to the Delhi government by the Supreme Court in a landmark judgment delivered on May 11, 2023.

EXPLANATION:

• Supreme Court has held in a large number of cases that since Parliament does not possess judicial powers, it cannot negate the decision of the Court. The Ordinance nullifies that judgment of the Supreme Court.
• The Court had found that if a government does not have control over its officers it would paralyse governance which cannot be the intention of the Constitution makers while incorporating Article 239AA, which gives a special constitutional status to Delhi.
• The Court held that “legislative and executive power over services such as the Indian Administrative Services or Joint Cadre Services which are relevant for the implementation of policies and vision of NCTD [National Capital Territory of Delhi] in terms of day-to-day administration of the region shall lie with the NCTD.”

Provision for Services under Delhi Government:

• Article 239AA (3)(a) which states that Delhi’s Legislative Assembly shall have the power to make laws with respect to any of the matters enumerated in the State list or the concurrent list except the three excluded items such as police, public order and land.
• Since the executive power is co-extensive with the legislative power the Government of NCTD gets all the powers to deal with the services. This position was affirmed by the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court.

How the ordinance is violating the constitutional provisions?

• Section 3A of the new GNCTD Act inserted through the Ordinance which states that notwithstanding anything contained in any judgment of any court, the legislative assembly shall not have the power to make laws with respect to any matter enumerated in entry 41 which means services.
• After taking away the services from the Delhi government, the Ordinance confers the powers of posting, transfer and disciplinary matters on an authority named the National Capital Civil Services Authority consisting of a chairman and two members.
• The Chief Minister is made the chairman and the Chief Secretary and the Home Secretary are the other members. With two members constituting the quorum and the fact that the two members can take all decisions makes the purpose of constituting this authority all too obvious.
• All decisions relating to posting, transfer, disciplinary issues etc. will be taken by the two officers and the opinion of the Chief Minister will have no value. These decisions will then be forwarded to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi whose decision shall be final.
• Such a statutory body, wherein all decisions are taken by bureaucrats and the opinion of an elected Chief Minister can just be ignored, is unheard of in administrative history.

Ordinance making power of the President

• Article 123 of the Indian Constitution grants the President of India certain lawmaking powers i.e. to Promulgate Ordinances when either of the two Houses of the Parliament is not in session which makes it impossible for a single House to pass and enact a law.
• When both the houses of the parliament or the legislatures are in session then there is no provision for the promulgation of the ordinances.
• Ordinances may relate to any subject that the parliament has the power to make law, and would be having the same limitations as
• When the legislature is not in session: the President can only promulgate when either of the House of Parliament is not in session.
• Immediate action is needed: the President though has the power of promulgating the ordinances but the same cannot be done unless he is satisfied that there are circumstances that require him to take immediate action.
• Parliament should approve: after the ordinance has been passed it is required to be approved by the parliament within six weeks of reassembling. The same will cease to operate if disapproved by either House.
• The President may withdraw an ordinance at any time. However, he exercises his power with the consent of the Council of Ministers headed by the President.
• The Ordinances may have retrospective effect and may modify or repeal any act of parliament or other ordinances. It may be used to amend a tax law but it can never amend the Constitution.

Few cases related to Ordinances:

Case 1: The Central farm laws which met with widespread protests were initially brought through the ordinance route. The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, and the ordinance to amend The Essential Commodities Act were brought in June 2020. Later, all three ordinances were replaced by laws in parliament during its monsoon session in 2022.

Case 2: An ordinance was brought for ‘Commission on Air Quality Management’ (CAQM) in October 2020, the ordinance allows for the setting up of a statutory body to manage air quality in India’s polluted National Capital Region and adjoining areas of the Indo-Gangetic plain, which includes Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

2. RECENT FINDING OF PARKER SOLAR PROBE

TAG: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Parker Solar Probe identifies mechanism driving the sun’s fast wind and finds magnetic energy near sun’s surface enables solar wind to reach gravity-defying speeds.

EXPLANATION:

Recent finding

• Researchers have utilized data from NASA’s Parker Solar Probe to understand how the sun’s wind, composed of ionized particles or plasma, can exceed speeds of 1 million miles per hour.
• This could assist in predicting large solar eruptions, enhance our understanding of cosmic wind phenomena, and aid in the search for habitable planets.
• They discovered that the energy released from the magnetic field near the sun’s surface is powerful enough to drive the fast solar wind, which is made up of ionized particles called plasma that flow outward from the sun.
• The solar wind forms a giant magnetic bubble, known as the heliosphere, that protects planets in our solar system from a barrage of high-energy cosmic rays that whip around the galaxy.
• Solar wind also carries plasma and part of the sun’s magnetic field, which can crash into earth’s magnetosphere and cause disturbances, including geomagnetic storms.
• These storms occur when the sun experiences more turbulent activity, including solar flares and enormous expulsions of plasma into space, known as coronal mass ejections.
• Geomagnetic storms are responsible for spectacular aurora light shows that can be seen near the Earth’s poles.
• Entire surface of the sun is covered in small “jetlets” of hot plasma that are propelled upward by magnetic reconnection, which occurs when magnetic fields pointing in opposite directions cross-connect which triggers the release of massive amounts of energy.
• First characterization of the bursts of magnetic energy occurs in coronal holes, that are openings in the sun’s magnetic field as well as the source of the solar wind.
• The researchers demonstrated that magnetic reconnection between open and closed magnetic fields known as interchange connection is a continuous process, rather than a series of isolated events. This led t to conclusion that the rate of magnetic energy release, which drives the outward jet of heated plasma, was powerful enough to overcome gravity and produce the sun’s fast wind.
• By understanding these smaller releases of energy that are constantly occurring on the sun, researchers hope to understand and possibly even predict the larger and more dangerous eruptions that launch plasma out into space.

The Parker Solar Probe:

• It is a NASA space probe launched in 2018 with the mission of making observations of the outer corona of the Sun.
• It will approach to within 9.86 solar radii from the center of the Sun, and by 2025 will travel, at closest approach, as fast as 690,000 km/h (430,000 mph), or 0.064% the speed of light.
• It is the fastest object ever built by humans.

3. PM-PRANAM (PM PROGRAMME FOR RESTORATION, AWARENESS, GENERATION, NOURISHMENT AND AMELIORATION OF MOTHER EARTH) SCHEME

TAG: SCHEMES

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the PM-PRANAM (PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) scheme.

EXPLANATION:

• The PM-PRANAM scheme is aimed to promote use of nutrient-based, biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture to save the soil by balanced use of fertilizers.
• Centre would incentivise those States which would adopt alternative fertilizers with the subsidy that was saved by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers.
• The scheme included a bouquet of various schemes which would boost farmers’ income, strengthen natural / organic farming, rejuvenate soil productivity, and ensure food security.

Objectives of PM PRANAM Scheme:

• The scheme aims to reduce the subsidy burden on chemical fertilisers, expected to increase by 39% to Rs.2.25 lakh crore in 2022-2023 compared to Rs.1.62 lakh crore in the previous year.
• It aims to discourage chemical fertiliser usage and promote sustainable agriculture practices.
• The government plans to introduce this scheme to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers in India by incentivising states.

Features of PM PRANAM Scheme:

• The scheme will be financed by the “savings of existing fertiliser subsidy” under the schemes run by the Department of Fertilisers scheme and will not have a separate budget.
• 50% subsidy savings will be given as a grant to the state that saves money.
• States can use 70% of the grant given under the scheme for asset creation related to alternate fertiliser production and technological adoption of alternate fertiliser units at the block, village and district levels.
• States can use the remaining 30% of the grant money to incentivise panchayats, farmer producer organisations, farmers and self-help groups involved in awareness generation and reducing fertiliser use.
• The government would compare a state’s reduction or increase in urea in a particular year to its average consumption of urea during the last three years.
• The data on a Fertiliser Ministry dashboard, IFMS (Integrated fertilisers Management System), would be used to collect the state’s urea consumption data.

Benefits of PM PRANAM Scheme:

• The scheme explicitly aims to promote the reduced use of chemical fertilisers.
• It would promote using other nutrients and fertilisers, including natural nutrients.
• Reduced use of chemical fertilisers may improve soil quality in the long run.
• Excessive exposure to chemical fertilisers affects human health through cancers and diseases caused due to DNA damage. It would promote a safe work environment.
• Environmental pollution due to chemical fertilisers can pollute water bodies, leading to algal bloom and affecting aquatic life. This scheme would prevent environmental damage.
• It would encourage natural farming, lower the burden of subsidies, increase yield, and encourage states.

4. GREEDFLATION AND ITS COUNTER ARGUMENTS

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, economists have questioned the validity of the argument that corporate thirst for higher profits is the cause behind inflation.

EXPLANATION:

• Greedflation refers to price inflation caused by corporate greed for high profits in products as food and energy.
• Here, where companies exploit inflation by raising prices excessively, going beyond covering their increased costs, and aiming to maximize their profit margins.
• Progressives in the United States have accused corporate greed as a major reason for the historically high price inflation in the U.S. since the pandemic.
• S. corporations have allegedly increased the prices of their goods by more than what was necessary to compensate for higher input costs caused by supply-chain bottlenecks.
• The proponents of the idea of greedflation argue that corporate profit margins have risen significantly since the pandemic even the larger economy has struggled which has contributed to high inflation.
• They also see this as a sign of increased market dominance by corporations and have called for efforts to rein in market power of large corporations and some have even advocated for a ban on price hikes to prevent “profiteering”.

Reasons for greedflation:

• Cost of inputs used by businesses has risen at a faster pace than the pace at which the prices of consumer goods have risen which indicates market dominance of U.S. corporations may have risen considerably could possibly be a sign of weakening competition among businesses.
• However, it still does not mean that rising profit margins are the reason behind high inflation as prices are ultimately determined by buyers and not by sellers.
• The only way corporations can influence the overall price level is by reducing the supply of goods and services. There is, however, no evidence of deliberate reduction in the output of U.S. corporations recently.
• The current high inflation in the U.S. is due to U.S. Federal Reserve’s expansionary monetary policy during the pandemic which increased the prices of goods and services in the economy.
• This condition combined with supply-chain bottlenecks caused by stringent lockdowns led to high inflation.

Greedflation and cost push inflation:

• Greedflation is compared to other theories of “cost-push” inflation which attribute inflation to a rise in input costs. For example, in the past, a rise in the wages demanded by workers has been blamed for the rise in the prices of goods and services. In the case of greedflation, it is the rise in the corporate thirst for profits that is seen as a cost that is driving up prices.
• A criticism of the cost-push theory of inflation has been that it ignores the fact that the cost of producing any good is itself determined indirectly, but ultimately, by consumers. It should be noted that the cost of inputs, which can be used towards different alternative ends of society, is determined by competitive bidding in the market.

Inflation:

• Inflation refers to a general rise in the price level (meaning a widespread rise in the prices of goods and services across the broader economy) rather than in the prices of individual goods and services.
• Inflation is the percentage change in the value of the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) on a year-on year basis. It effectively measures the change in the prices of a basket of goods and services in a year. In India, inflation is calculated by taking the WPI as base.
• Inflation occurs due to an imbalance between demand and supply of money, changes in production and distribution cost or increase in taxes on products. When economy experiences inflation, i.e. when the price level of goods and services rises, the value of currency reduces.

Types of inflation:

1. Demand-Pull Inflation: This type of inflation is caused due to an increase in aggregate demand in the economy.

Causes of Demand-Pull Inflation:

• A growing economy or increase in the supply of money
• Asset inflation or Increase in Forex reserves
• Government spending or Deficit financing by the government
• Depreciation of rupee. Low unemployment rate.

2. Cost-Push Inflation: Cost pull inflation is considered bad among the two types of inflation. Because the National Income is reduced along with the reduction in supply in the Cost-push type of inflation.

Causes of cost pull inflation:

• Increase in price of inputs
• Hoarding and Speculation of commodities
• Defective Supply chain, Increase in indirect taxes
• Depreciation of Currency
• Interest rates increased by RBI

5. DEEP SEA MINING

TAG: GS 1: GEOGRAPHY

THE CONTEXT: The International Seabed Authority that regulates the deep sea mining and world’s ocean floor is now preparing to resume negotiations that could open the international seabed for mining the materials critical for the green energy transition.

EXPLANATION:

• The ISA’s Legal and Technical Commission, which oversees the development of deep-sea mining regulations, will meet in early July to discuss the yet-to-be mining code draft. The earliest that mining under ISA regulations could begin is 2026. Applications for mining must be considered and environmental impact assessments need to be carried out.
• In the meantime, some companies such as Google, Samsung, BMW and others have backed the World Wildlife Fund’s call to pledge to avoid using minerals that have been mined from the planet’s oceans.
• More than a dozen countries including France, Germany and several Pacific Island nations have officially called for a ban, pause or moratorium on deep sea mining at least until environmental safeguards are in place.

What is deep sea mining?

• Deep sea mining involves removing mineral deposits and metals from the ocean’s seabed. There are three types of such mining: taking deposit-rich polymetallic nodules off the ocean floor, mining massive seafloor sulphide deposits and stripping cobalt crusts from rock.
• Deep sea mining can led to findings of nodules, deposits and crusts containing materials, such as nickel, rare earths, cobalt and more, that are needed for batteries and other materials used in tapping renewable energy and also for everyday technology like cellphones and computers.

Deep sea mining regulation:

• Countries manage their own maritime territory and exclusive economic zones, while the high seas and the international ocean floor are governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas. It is considered to apply to states regardless of whether or not they have signed or ratified it.
• Under the treaty, the seabed and its mineral resources are considered as the “common heritage of mankind” that protects the interests of humanity through the sharing of economic benefits and protecting marine environments.

Environmental concerns:

• Ecosystems will be damaged by mining, especially without any environmental protocols.
• Damage from mining can include noise, vibration and light pollution, as well as possible leaks and spills of fuels and other chemicals used in the mining process.
• Sediment dust from some mining can harm filter feeding species like corals and sponges, and could smother or otherwise interfere with some creatures.

International Seabed Authority (ISA):

• It is an intergovernmental body of 167 member states and the European Union established under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its 1994 Agreement on Implementation.
• The ISA’s dual mission is to authorize and control development of mineral related operations in the international seabed considered the “common heritage of all mankind and also protect the ecosystem of the seabed, ocean floor and subsoil in “The Area” beyond national jurisdiction.
• The ISA is to safeguard the international deep sea, the waters below 200 meters or 656 feet, where photosynthesis is hampered by inadequate light Governing approximately half of the total area of the world’s oceans, the ISA is to exercise oversight of activities that might threaten biological diversity and harm the marine environment.
• The Authority operates as an autonomous international organization with its own Assembly, Council and Secretariat.

India in International Seabed Authority:

• International Seabed Authority has officially designated India as a “Pioneer Investor”.
• Pioneer Investor is an early investment made in any new sector or technology. e.g. Polymetallic nodules at the ocean bed.
• International Seabed Authority (ISA) and Ministry of Earth Sciences also exchanged PMN (Polymetallic Nodules) exploration extension contract. This contract was initially signed on 25th March 2002 for a period of 15 years, which later was extended by the authority twice for 5 years period, during 2017 and 2022.

1. OPEN MARKET SALE SCHEME

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: States have been looking at alternative ways of procuring wheat and rice in the aftermath of the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) quantity restrictions followed by the refusal to allow states to procure the two food grains through its Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS).

EXPLANATION:

• Centre has made it clear that the reason for first restricting supplies per bidder and eventually excluding states for the OMSS was to curb inflation and regulate supply.
• State government in Karnataka announced that being unable to procure enough rice in the market at a reasonable cost in time to meet the needs of its free good grain distribution scheme for BPL families- the Anna Bhagya scheme, it had decided to temporarily give cash to the beneficiaries in lieu of the promised five kg of free rice.

What is the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS)?

• Firstly, the procurement of food grains like wheat and paddy for the central pool happens in Rabi and Kharif marketing seasons by the FCI and State corporations according to procurement estimates finalised by the government of India before the seasons. These purchases happen as per the Minimum Support Price.
• From the central pool, the government has to set aside wheat and rice for the beneficiaries of free foodgrains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), maintain a buffer stock, and have a marketable surplus.
• Under the Open Market Sale Scheme, the FCI from time to time sells surplus food grains from the central pool especially wheat and rice in the open market to traders, bulk consumers, retail chains and so on at pre-determined prices. The Corporation does this through e-auctions where open market bidders can buy specified quantities at the prices set at the start of a cycle and revised routinely.
• Usually, states are also allowed to procure food grains through the OMSS without participating in the auctions, for their needs beyond what they get from the central pool to distribute to NFSA beneficiaries.
• The idea is to activate the OMSS during the lean season, the time between harvests, to improve and regulate domestic supply and availability of the two grains and bring down their prices in the open market; essentially making the scheme a measure to curb food grain inflation.

How has the Centre revised the OMSS?

• Recently, the Centre decided to restrict the quantity that a single bidder can purchase in a single bid under the OMSS. While the maximum quantity allowed earlier was 3,000 metric tonnes (MT) per bid for a buyer, it will now range from 10-100 metric tonnes (MT).
• The rationale given for the same by the Corporation is that the quantities have been reduced this time “to accommodate more small and marginal buyers and to ensure wider reach of the scheme”.
• The body contends this move will allow the supplies to the general public immediately. The objective behind the move is also to curb retail prices as allowing smaller bids should ideally break monopolies of bulk buyers, allowing more competitive bids by small buyers.
• Another reason for the move is to meet the FCI’s food security obligations. The Centre said that in recent years, production of agriculture crops was affected due to untimely rains, rise in temperature in the month of March and so on, making it incumbent upon the FCI to release its stocks “judicious manner under the OMSS (D)” so that the overall stock position is maintained at a comfortable level”.

2. GREEN CREDIT PROGRAMME

TAG:  GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has notified draft rules for ‘Green Credit’, an incentive that individuals, farmer-producer organisations (FPO), industries, rural and urban local bodies, among other stakeholders, will be able to earn for environment positive actions. 

EXPLANATION:

• The ministry proposed the draft Green Credit Programme Implementation Rules 2023 in a notification issued June 26, 2023 and has invited for objections and suggestions within 60 days.
• The programme will incentivise individuals & organisations to take positive actions for the environment.
• By ‘green credit’, the government means a singular unit of an incentive provided for a specified activity, delivering a positive impact on the environment.
• The activities include:

1. Tree plantation-based green credit: To promote activities for increasing the green cover across the country through tree plantation and related activities
2. Water-based green credit: To promote water conservation, water harvesting and water use efficiency / savings, including treatment and reuse of wastewater
3. Sustainable agriculture-based green credit: To promote natural and regenerative agricultural practices and land restoration to improve productivity, soil health and nutritional value of food produced
4. Waste management-based green credit: To promote sustainable and improved practices for waste management, including collection, segregation and treatment
5. Air pollution reduction-based green credit: To promote measures for reducing air pollution and other pollution abatement activities
6. Mangrove conservation and restoration-based green credit: To promote measures for conservation and restoration of mangroves
7. Ecomark-based green credit: To encourage manufacturers to obtain ‘Ecomark’ label for their goods and services
8. Sustainable building and infrastructure-based green credit: To encourage the construction of buildings and other infrastructure using sustainable technologies and materials

• Through the programme, thresholds and benchmarks will be developed for each green credit activity.
• The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education shall be the administrator of the programme. The institute will develop guidelines, processes and procedures for implementation of the programme and develop methodologies and standards, registration process and associated measurement, reporting and verification mechanisms.
• The green credits will be tradable and those earning it will be able to put these credits up for sale on a proposed domestic market platform.
• It was first announced in the 2023-24 budget with a view to leverage a competitive market-based approach and incentivise voluntary environmental actions of various stakeholders.
• Apart from incentivising individual / community behaviour, the Green Credit Programme will encourage private sector industries and companies as well as other entities to meet their existing obligations, stemming from other legal frameworks, by taking actions which are able to converge with activities relevant for generating or buying green credits.
• It’s a first of its kind instrument that seeks to value and reward multiple ecosystem services to allow green projects to achieve optimal returns beyond just carbon. In fact, the scheme will allow project proponents to also access carbon markets additionally.

3. GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION HAS TILTED EARTH’S SPIN

TAG: GS 1: GEOGRAPHY

THE CONTEXT: Humans have caused marked tilts in the Earth’s axis by pumping water out of the ground and moving it elsewhere,  according to a new study. Pronounced shifts in the Earth’s axis of rotation can impact our planet’s climate, noted the study published in Geophysical Research Letters, the journal of the American Geophysical Union, on June 15, 2023.

EXPLANATION:

• Groundwater pumping has tilted the planet nearly 80 centimetres east between 1993 and 2010 alone. The water circulated across the planet determines how mass is distributed. Scientists had predicted that between 1993 and 2010, people pumped 2,150 gigatons of groundwater, or more than 6 millimetres (0.24 inches), of sea level increase. However, it is difficult to validate that estimate.
• Attempts to slow groundwater depletion rates in sensitive regions could alter the change in drift.
• Humans have caused marked tilts in the Earth’s axis by pumping water out of the ground and moving it elsewhere, according to a new study.
• The planet’s geographic north and south poles are where its axis intersects the surface; however, they are not fixed. The axis and hence the poles fluctuate due to variations in the Earth’s mass distribution.
• In the past, the poles’ drift was only caused by natural forces like ocean currents and the convection of heated rock deep beneath the Earth. But the new research pitched the redistribution of groundwater as the primary culprit for the drift.
• Rotational pole normally changes by several metres within about a year, so changes due to groundwater pumping don’t run the risk of shifting seasons. But on geologic time scales, polar drift can have an impact on climate.Our study shows that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole.

• Redistributing water from the mid-latitudes significantly influences polar drift; therefore, the location of redistribution determines polar drift. During the study period, most redistribution occurred in western North America and northwestern India both located at mid-latitudes.
• In the new study, researchers analysed changes in the drift of Earth’s rotational pole and water movement first, by accounting for just ice sheets and glaciers and then by adding different groundwater redistribution scenarios.
• Although the shift isn’t significant enough to have real-life consequences, the study shows that humans have extracted so much water from the ground that it has impacted the planet’s axis and contributed to global sea level rise.

Earth’s axis keeps shifting

• Earth spins around an imaginary axis which passes through the north pole, its centre of mass and the south pole — just like a top spins around its spindle. Scientists for years have known that the poles and the axis keep shifting naturally as the mass distribution in and on the planet changes. This phenomenon is known as “polar motion”.
• There are several other reasons responsible for polar motion like ocean currents and even hurricanes. But this phenomenon is also impacted by human activities. In 2016, a team of researchers demonstrated that climate-driven changes in water mass distribution, led by the melting of glaciers and ice in Greenland, can cause Earth’s axis to drift. Five years later, another study said climate change was causing the rotational axis to shift more than usual since the 1990s.

4. ‘HORIZONTAL’ RESERVATION

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: In the 2014 NALSA judgment, the Supreme Court ruled that transgender persons have a right to reservation, owing to the fact that they “are a socially and educationally backward class. In response to a clarification requested by the Bombay High Court, the Maharashtra government said on June 13 that it will be difficult to provide “additional reservations” to transgender persons in education and public employment, given the reservation that exists so far for various communities in India.

EXPLANATION:

• Considering the extent of vertical and horizontal reservations which are already provided, providing additional reservations for transgender persons seems difficult. The issue is pending before the Supreme Court.
• Trans persons in India have been fighting for the right to horizontal reservation for a long time.

What have the courts said on reservation for the transgender community?

• In the National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA) v Union of India (2014) case, the Supreme Court ruled that transgender persons have a right to reservation, owing to the fact that they “are a socially and educationally backward class”.
• With regards to reservation, the judgment noted: “We direct the Centre and the State Governments to take steps to treat them [transgender persons] as socially and educationally backward classes of citizens and extend all kinds of reservation in cases of admission in educational institutions and for public appointments.”
• The NALSA judgment entitles trans persons to reservations on constitutional grounds. It does not, however, mention the nature of reservations – whether they are to be vertical or horizontal.

First, what are horizontal reservations?

• In India, historically oppressed and disadvantaged communities have a right to affirmative action policies. Reservation in education and employment can be divided into two broad categories, namely, vertical and horizontal.
• Vertical reservations are provisions aimed at addressing social asymmetry arising out of caste hierarchy. These include reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
• Horizontal reservation, on the other hand, cuts across all vertical groups to provide affirmative policies for disadvantaged groups within categories. For example, disabled persons are guaranteed horizontal reservation in all the aforementioned vertical categories, general and reserved (vertical) alike, by the Central government States like Uttarakhand and Bihar have also rolled out policies that guarantee horizontal reservation for women. This means that a woman who belongs to the SC category should be able to avail reservation based on both caste and gender. The horizontal model ensures this. This is exactly what transgender persons are fighting for, as well.

What is the demand for horizontal reservation?

• It has to do with the need for mandating provisions for a community that has been marginalized for long in society and recognising the different aspects making up their social identity.
• In this regard, the NALSA verdict has largely been interpreted as directing reservations for transgender people in the OBC category. This perhaps stems from the bench identifying the community as “a socially and educationally backward class”. So far, no implementation has happened even to that end.
• Since the NALSA judgment, there has been no direction from the Central government on delivering on the right to reservation for trans persons.
• Alternatively, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, included in its purview the right of disabled persons to accrue horizontal reservation. Since this Act has been implemented, horizontal reservation for disabled people is now ensured under the Central government.

5. CRITICAL MINERALS

TAG: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: In a strategic move, the Centre has identified 30 critical minerals, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, tin and copper, which are essential for the country’s economic development and national security.

EXPLANATION:

• The identification of these minerals which form part of multiple strategic value chains, including clean technologies initiatives such as zero-emission vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels; information and communication technologies, including semiconductors; and advanced manufacturing inputs and materials such as defence applications, permanent magnets, ceramics was done on the basis of a report on critical minerals prepared by an expert team constituted by the Ministry of Mines November, 2022.
• The ministry will revisit the list periodically.

The exercise

• While elements such as cobalt, nickel and lithium are required for batteries used in electric vehicles or cellphones, rare earth minerals are critical, in trace amounts, in the semiconductors and high-end electronics manufacturing. Most countries of the world have identified critical minerals as per their national priorities and future requirements.
• In India too, some efforts have been made in the past to identify the minerals that are critical for the country, including an initiative in 2011 by the Planning Commission of India (now NITI Aayog) that highlighted the need for the “assured availability of mineral resources for the country’s industrial growth”, with a clear focus on the well-planned exploration and management of already discovered resources.
• That report analysed 11 groups of minerals under categories such as metallic, nonmetallic, precious stones and metals, and strategic minerals. From 2017 to 2020, a big thrust was accorded to the study of exploration and development of rare earth elements in the country.
• The specific trigger for the latest exercise are India’s international commitments towards reducing carbon emissions, which require the country to urgently relook at its mineral requirements for energy transition and net-zero commitments.
• In November 2022, the Ministry of Mines had constituted a seven-member Committee under the chairmanship of Joint Secretary (Policy), Ministry of Mines to identify a list of minerals critical to our country and the panel decided to have a three-stage assessment to arrive at a list of critical minerals. Critical minerals
• One of the definitions cited in the report characterises a mineral as critical when the risk of supply shortage and associated impact on the economy is (relatively) higher than other raw materials.
• This definition of a critical mineral was first adopted in the US and the subsequent legislation that resulted from the analysis, the report said. The European Union also carried out a similar exercise and categorised critical minerals on the basis of two prerequisites: supply risk and economic importance.
• Australia refers to critical minerals as: “metals, non-metals and minerals that are considered vital for the economic well-being of the world’s major and emerging economies, yet whose supply may be at risk due to geological scarcity, geopolitical issues, trade policy or other factors”.

Three-stage process

• In its three-stage assessment for identifying the minerals critical to India, the panel, in the first stage, looked at the strategies of various countries such as Australia, USA, Canada, UK, Japan and South Korea.
• Accordingly, a total of 69 elements/ minerals that were considered critical by major global economies were identified for further examination, the report said, adding that due importance was given to domestic initiatives as well.
• In the second stage of assessment, an inter ministerial consultation was carried out with different ministries to identify minerals critical to their sectors. Comments and suggestions were received from the Ministry of Power, Department of Atomic Energy, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Department of Fertilisers, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Pharmaceuticals, NITI Aayog, etc.
• The third stage assessment was to derive an empirical formula for evaluating minerals criticality, taking cognizance of the EU methodology that considers two major factors — economic importance and supply risk.
• Based on this process, a total of 30 minerals were found to be most critical for India, out of which two are critical as fertiliser minerals: Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, REE, Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium.

Domestic and global outreach

• The Geological Survey of India, an attached office of Ministry of Mines, has carried out a G3 stage mineral exploration (fairly advanced) during Field Season 2020-21 and 2021-22 in Salal- Haimna areas of Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir, and estimated an inferred resource of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium ore. The estimated value of lithium at that site will be estimated on completion of further exploration. Based on the mapping outcome, more exploration programmes on various mineral commodities including lithium will be taken up in future in different parts of the country, including Jammu & Kashmir.
• In addition, a joint venture company namely Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) has been incorporated with equity contribution from three Central Public Sector Enterprises. It is mandated to identify and acquire overseas mineral assets of critical and strategic nature such as lithium, cobalt and others so as to ensure supply side assurance. KABIL has initiated engagement with several state owned-organisations of the shortlisted source countries through the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassies in countries like Argentina and Australia to acquire mineral assets, including lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements.
• In a fresh boost, India has recently been inducted into the Mineral Security Partnership (MSP), a US-led collaboration of 14 countries that aims to catalyse public and private investment in critical mineral supply chains globally. India’s inclusion assumes significance given that one of the key elements of New Delhi’s growth strategy is powered by an ambitious shift in the mobility space through the conversion of a large part of public and private transport to electric vehicles.
• India is seen as a late mover in attempts to enter the lithium value chain, coming at a time when EVs are predicted to be a sector ripe for disruption. The year 2023 could be an inflection point for battery technology – with several potential improvements to the Li-ion technology, and alternatives to this combination in various stages of commercialization.

1. UNIFORM CIVIL CODE

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: 22nd Law Commission of India sought the views of religious organisations and the public on the issue of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

EXPLANATION:

• A notice issued by the Commission said those interested and willing may present their views within 30 days.
• This comes eight months after the Centre told the Supreme Court that the Constitution obligated the State to have a UCC for its citizens, saying that people of different religions and denominations following different property and matrimonial laws was an “affront to the nation’s unity”.
• Responding to petitions before the Supreme Court for uniformity in laws governing matters of divorce, succession, inheritance, adoption and guardianship, the Centre, in October 2022, had told the apex court that the Constitution obligated the State to have a UCC for its citizens. It had also submitted that the matter would be placed before the 22nd Law Commission.

What did the 21st Law Commission say on the matter?

• Underlining that the Uniform Civil Code is “neither necessary nor desirable at this stage”, the 21st Law Commission of India, in 2018, argued for reform of family laws of every religion through amendments and codification of certain aspects so as to make them gender-just
• In its ‘Consultation Paper on Family Law Reforms’, the Law Commission took a stand in favour of “equality ‘within communities’ between men and women” (personal law reform), “rather than ‘equality between’ communities” (UCC).
• It further noted that “women must be guaranteed their freedom of faith without any compromise on their right to equality” as it would be unfair to make women choose between one or the other.

What is Uniform Civil Code?

• A UCC would provide for one law for the entire country, applicable to all religious communities, in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption etc.
• Currently, Indian personal law is fairly complex, with each religion adhering to its own specific laws. Separate laws govern Hindus including Sikhs, Jains and Buddhist, Muslims, Christians, and followers of other religions.
• The exception to this rule is the state of Goa, where all religions have a common law regarding marriages, divorces, and adoption.

What does the Constitution say about a UCC?

• Article 44 of the Constitution lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a UCC for citizens throughout the territory of India.
• Article 44 is among the Directive Principles of State Policy. Directive Principles are not enforceable by court, but are supposed to inform and guide governance.
• While Article 44 uses the words “state shall endeavour”, other Articles in the ‘Directive Principles’ chapter use words such as “in particular strive”; “shall in particular direct its policy”; “shall be obligation of the state” etc.
• Furthermore, the phrase “by suitable legislation” is absent in Article 44. All this implies that the duty of the state is greater in other directive principles than in Article 44.

Why is there no uniform code for personal law?

• Article 25 lays down an individual’s fundamental right to religion.
• Article 26(b) upholds the right of each religious denomination or any section thereof to “manage its own affairs in matters of religion”.
• Article 29 defines the right to conserve distinctive culture.
• An individual’s freedom of religion under Article 25 is subject to “public order, health, morality” and other provisions relating to fundamental rights, but a group’s freedom under Article 26 has not been subjected to other fundamental rights.

2. HAWKISH PAUSE

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The Federal Reserve of the United States, the world’s most influential central bank, decided to pause raising interest rates. While it is a pause, many are calling it a hawkish one a characterisation used for India’s RBI as well.

EXPLANATION:

• Over the past two reviews (in April and June) of monetary policy which essentially involves the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) tweaking interest rates in such a manner as to contain inflation while promoting growth and employment  the RBI has decided to “pause” raising interest rates.

• In any policy review, a central bank either raises interest rates or cuts them or decides to maintain the status quo.

What is a “hawkish pause”?

• Those central banks (or bankers) who have a very low threshold for tolerating variation from the targeted inflation level (or a range), and who keep their eyes peeled for such divergence and immediately swoop in to raise interest rates, are called “Hawks”.
• “Doves”, on the other hand, favour boosting growth (by keeping the interest rates low) and are far more willing to risk having higher inflation.
• A hawkish pause then implies that while the central bank has decided to pause raising interest rates, ending a streak of repeated interest rate .
• Low interest rates, for instance, imply that stock markets will move higher because fresh credit is cheaper than previously imagined.
• These are the things that make a pause “hawkish”. Essentially, no one should take it for granted that the Fed (or the RBI) have stopped taking the threat of inflation lightly.

3. MIYAWAKI TECHNIQUE

TAG: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister during his latest ‘Mann ki baat’ episode spoke about Miyawaki plantation, the Japanese method of creating dense urban forests in a small area. The PM also cited the example of a Kerala-based teacher, Raafi Ramnath, who used the Miyawaki technique to transform a barren land into a mini forest called Vidyavanam by planting 115 varieties of trees.

EXPLANATION:

• Meanwhile, to fight climate change, curb pollution levels, and increase the green cover of the financial capital, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been creating Miyawaki forests in several open land parcels of Mumbai.

What is the Miyawaki plantation method?

• Named after Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, this method involves planting two to four different types of indigenous trees within every square metre. In this method, the trees become self-sustaining and they grow to their full length within three years.
• The methodology was developed in the 1970s, with the basic objective to densify green cover within a small parcel of land.
• The plants used in the Miyawaki method are mostly self-sustaining and don’t require regular maintenance like manuring and watering.

• Over the years, this cost effective method has become the go-to solution for the civic body to restore the green cover in a space-starved city like Mumbai.

How is Miyawaki useful?

• The dense green cover of indigenous trees plays a key role in absorbing the dust particles of the area where the garden has been set up. The plants also help in regulating surface temperature. Some of the common indigenous plants that are used for these forests include Anjan, Amala, Bel, Arjun and Gunj.

• With several infrastructure projects like real estate metro rail construction in progress in Mumbai over the past few years, it was recorded that the surface temperature in certain pockets of Mumbai has increased. Therefore, to fight this challenge, such forests are being created.
• These green patches play a major role in regulating the carbon levels of a given area, which may in return help in maintaining a clean year. Also, these forests encourage new biodiversity and an ecosystem is developed around it, which in turn increases the fertility of the soil and regulates surface temperature.

4. KAMALA SOHONIE

TAG: GS 1: HISTORY

THE CONTEXT: On June 18, Google Doodle honours scientist Kamala Sohonie on her 112th birth Anniversary and here is the brief account of how she made CV Raman change his stance on women in science institutions.

EXPLANATION:

• Kamala Sohonie was the first Indian woman to get a PhD degree in a scientific discipline and went on to win the Rashtrapati Award for her work on Neera, a palm extract that could fight malnutrition among children from tribal communities in India.

Early life of Kamala Sohonie:

• Kamala Sohonie (nee Bhagvat) was born on June 18, 1911 in Indore, in present-day Madhya Pradesh.
• Her father, Narayanarao Bhagvat, and his brother Madhavrao Bhagvat were both chemists who had studied at the Tata Institute of Sciences, now Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
• Following in their footsteps, Kamala graduated in 1933 with a BSc degree in Chemistry (principal) and Physics (subsidiary) from Bombay University, topping the merit list. She then applied for an MSc degree at the IISc, headed by CV Raman where she was rejected.
• Undeterred, the young Kamala went all the way to Bengaluru to confront Raman.
• In 1997, at an event to felicitate her at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), She challenged Raman that she would complete the course with distinction, and finally, he allowed her in, imposing several conditions.
• Sohonie completed her course with distinction and secured admission to Cambridge University, England, in 1936. “This incident forced Raman to change his opinion about women and from that year he admitted a few students every year.

Work at Cambridge and after

• At Cambridge, Sohonie finished her PhD in merely 14 months, and her thesis was just 40 pages. During her time there, she worked on potatoes and discovered the enzyme ‘Cytochrome C’, a type of protein in the mitochondria which plays an important role in cellular respiration.
• In 1939, she came back to India to serve her country.
• She served as head of the Department of Biochemistry at Lady Hardinge College, New Delhi.
• She then served as Assistant Director of the Nutrition Research Lab, Coonoor, before join the Royal Institute of Science in Mumbai. Here, she studied different food items to identify the nutrients present in them.

• According to an article on the website of the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, she worked on ‘neera’, a drink made from palm extract on the suggestion of the First Indian President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Her studies established that ‘neera’ was a good source of Vitamin C along with other vitamins, moreover there are sulfhydryl compounds in Neera that protect vitamins during storage. Realising that this would be a cheap and good supplement for poor tribals, she went to popularise this drink. The introduction of neera in the diet of tribal malnourished children and pregnant women improved their health significantly.
• She also worked with the administration of the Aarey Milk project to improve the quality of the milk produced.
• Apart from her academic work, Kamala Sohonie was among the founding members of consumer protection body Consumer Guidance Society.

5. SCIENTIFIC NAMES OF SPECIES

TAG: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: In recent years, the field of taxonomy, the science of naming and classifying all living beings, has been witnessing a raging debate whether species with objectionable scientific names should be renamed.

EXPLANATION:

• In recent years, the field of taxonomy, the science of naming and classifying all living beings, has been witnessing a raging debate whether species with objectionable scientific names should be renamed.
• Rare insects, exotic flowers and deadly arachnids have been named in honour of people linked to racism and anti-Semitism. Racial slurs have figured in names of flora and fauna. Now, a debate about changing these names is brewing.
• Although such discussions have always existed, they became mainstream only recently, especially after the emergence of Black Lives Matter (2013-present) in the USA.

What are some of the species with problematic names?

• The best known example of such a living being is Anophthalmus hitleri. Named after the former German Führer, Adolf Hitler, this rare blind beetle, popularly known as the Hitler beetle, was discovered in 1933 by “Oscar Scheibel, a German amateur entomologist and ardent Hitler fan, and is found in only around 15 caves in central Slovenia. The popularity of the Hitler beetle touched such heights that it became nearly extinct.
• Another example is the common small-blotched lizard. With the scientific name Uta stansburiana, the reptile, in 1852, was named after Howard Stansbury, who led a famous expedition to study the flora and fauna in the USA’s Utah region and collected this lizard’s type specimens. He was a vocal supporter of and played a key role in a locally-infamous massacre of Timpanogos Native Americans in which more than 100 were killed.

• The flowering shrub Hibbertia scandens is one more case in point. The plant has the moniker after George Hibbert, an English amateur botanist, who was one of the leading members of the pro-slavery and anti-abolition lobby during the late 1700s.
• Among the species which have been named after derogatory terms is the Hottentotta tamulus scorpion “colonialists in the 17th century used “Hottentot” as a derogatory term for Indigenous Black people in Africa.
• One more example is Rauvolfia caffra, commonly known as the quinine tree, which gets its moniker from another offensive term regarded as hate speech against Black communities in South Africa.

How are species given their scientific names?

• Every species of animal or plant has two scientific names. The first name denotes the genus to which the species belongs. It is a generic name and is always capitalised. The second name identifies the species within the genus and is never capitalised. Both names are italicised.
• A genus may comprise several closely related species. Thus many large hawks are placed in the genus Buteo. Just as closely related species are placed in the same genus, closely related genera (the plural of “genus”) are grouped into a family. Jaguars, tigers, and house cats all belong to the family Felidae.
• These names are usually of Latin or Greek origin. Oftentimes, species are named based on their distinctive features.
• But other times, organisms are named after people who discover them. They are also sometimes named in honour of somebody. These practices, as mentioned before, have been quite controversial in recent times.

Who makes the rules regarding giving scientific names to organisms?

• Although anybody can propose a name for a type of organism they think hasn’t been formally identified by anyone else, there are certain rules, or nomenclature codes, that they have to follow.
• A new name is considered to be valid only when it is published in an “openly distributed publication, and it must be accompanied by a detailed description of the specimens the author claims are typical for the group.
• These nomenclature codes are governed by international bodies such as the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) which governs the naming of animals, the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICNafp) that sees the naming of plants (including cyanobacteria), and the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria (ICNB) that governs the naming of bacteria (including Archaea) and the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) that governs virus names.

Can a species’ offensive scientific name be changed?

• The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) in its rulebook says, “The only proper reasons for changing a name are either a more profound knowledge of the facts resulting from adequate taxonomic study or the necessity of giving up a nomenclature that is contrary to the rules.”
• Similarly, as Financial Times reported last week, ICZN recently refused to change problematic names, saying its “commitment to a stable and universal nomenclature remains the priority”.

1. KAVACH: AUTOMATIC TRAIN PROTECTION (ATP) SYSTEM

TAG: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

CONTEXT: The death of over 288 passengers in the ghastly train accident on June 2 at Bahanaga Bazaar railway station in the Balasore district of Odisha has brought into sharp focus the safety mechanisms needed to prevent such tragedies.

EXPLANATION:

What is Kavach?

• Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) under Indian Railway (IR) in collaboration with Medha Servo Drives Pvt Ltd, HBL Power Systems Ltd and Kernex Microsystems.
• The railways has been developing its own automatic protection system since 2012 as Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), which got rechristened Kavach or ‘armour’.
• The trials were facilitated by the South Central Railway to achieve safety in train operations across Indian Railways.
• It is a state-of-the-art electronic system with Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) standards. It is meant to provide protection by preventing trains to pass the signal at Red (which marks danger) and avoid collision.
• ‘Kavach’ is one of the cheapest, SIL-4 certified technologies where the probability of error is 1 in 10,000 years.

Features of Kavach system:

• Kavach works on the principle of continuous update of Movement authority.
• It actively uses the SOS to prevent any kind of mishap and accidents.
• As part of the new system, railway tracks, signalling systems on railway tracks and the engines of trains are installed with radio frequency devices that continuously send signals back and forth on a real-time basis to indicate that the track on which the train is operating has no obstacles.
• The devices also continuously relay the signals ahead to the locomotive, making it useful for loco pilots in low visibility. Kavach also controls the speed of the train by an automatic application of brakes in case the loco pilot fails to do so. It helps the loco pilot in running the train during inclement weather conditions such as dense fog.
• Further operational improvement of Kavach is in the works, including change over from Ultra High Frequency (UHF) communication to LTE-4G communication.
• At the moment, Kavach uses ultra-high frequency radio waves but the Indian Railways is working to make it compatible with 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology and develop the product for global markets.
• Kavach uses a network of devices mounted on trains to avoid collisions. The devices use radio technology and GPS to precisely assess the location of two trains and automatically initiate the braking system if they are at risk of colliding.

How it works?

• This Traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), with the help of equipment on board the locomotive and transmission towers at stations connected with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, helps in two-way communication between the station master and loco-pilot to convey any emergency message.
• The instrument panel inside the cabin helps the loco-pilot know about the signal in advance without visual sighting, and the permissible speeds to be maintained.
• If a red signal is jumped and two trains come face to face on the same line, the technology automatically takes over and applies sudden brakes.
• Additionally, the hooter activates by itself when approaching a level crossing which serves as a big boon to loco-pilots during fog conditions when visibility is low.
• It activates the train’s braking system automatically if the driver fails to control the train as per speed restrictions.
• In addition, it prevents the collision between two locomotives equipped with functional Kavach systems.
• The system also relays SoS messages during emergency situations.
• An added feature is the centralised live monitoring of train movements through the Network Monitor System.

Where has Kavach been implemented?

• The trial of the Kavach working system implemented between Gullaguda-Chitgidda Railway stations on Lingampalli-Vikarabad section in the Secunderabad Division of South Central Railway.
• The South Central Railway (SCR) Zone is a pioneer in the implementation of the KAVACH – (TACS). The Kavach system has been deployed over 1,465 kms in the SCR limits in 77 locomotives and 135 stations till March this year.
• Additionally, the Secunderabad-based Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering & Telecommunications (IRISET) hosts the ‘Centre of Excellence’ for Kavach. IRISET has been mandated by the Railway Board to train the inservice railway staff on Kavach.

Earlier system:

• The Indian Railways has since 2002 been using an anti-collision device (ACD) developed by Konkan Railways, which was dubbed ‘Raksha Kavach’.
• The ACD system was invented by the former head of Konkan Railways Rajaram Bojji.
• While the older system is still in use in most trains operated by Indian Railways at the moment, the new system will be introduced across all trains in the next five years.
• The new Kavach system covers everything from railway stations, signalling systems and even types of trains, while the older ACD or the auxiliary warning system only works on individual trains and locomotives.
• The new system is also a lot more accurate in sending signals to trains and is faster as it works on a real-time basis while implementing safety measures as well.

2. ADVERSE POSSESSION

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

CONTEXT: 22nd Law Commission has said in its 280th report that there is no justification for introducing any change in the law relating to adverse possession. The Law Commission, headed by former Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court Ritu Raj Awasthi and comprising retired Kerala High Court judge KT Sankaran, said in its 280th report that there is no reason for increasing the period of limitation. However, two of its ex officio members filed a dissent note stating that the law does not stand judicial scrutiny and “promotes false claims under the colour of adverse possession”.

EXPLANATION:

What is adverse possession?

• The concept of adverse possession stems from the idea that land must not be left vacant but instead, be put to judicious use.
• Essentially, adverse possession refers to the hostile possession of property, which must be “continuous, uninterrupted, and peaceful.”
• According to the Law Commission’s report, the rationale behind this comes from considerations that the “title to land should not long be in doubt”, “society will benefit from someone making use of land the owner leaves idle,” and “persons who come to regard the occupant as owner may be protected.”
• The maxim that the law does not help those who sleep over their rights is invoked in support of adverse possession. Simply put, “the original title holder who neglected to enforce his rights over the land cannot be permitted to re-enter the land after a long passage of time.
• While the concept originally dates back to 2000 BC, finding its roots in the Hammurabi Code, the historical basis of “title by adverse possession” is the development of the statutes of limitation on actions for recovery of land in England.
• The first such statute was the Statute of Westminster, 1275. However, it was the Property Limitation Act, 1874, that set the period of limitation at twelve years from when the cause of action first arose, which laid the groundwork for the limitations model inherited by colonial India.
• The first attempt to bring the law of limitation to domestic shores was the “Act XIV of 1859”, which regulated the limitation of civil suits in British India. After the passage of the Limitation Act in 1963, the law on adverse possession underwent significant changes.

What provisions did the Limitation Act, 1963 bring with it?

• The 1963 Act fortified the position of the true owner of the land, as he now had to merely prove his title, while the burden of proof of adverse possession shifted to the person claiming it.
• Under the Limitation Act, 1963, any person in possession of private land for over 12 years or government land for over 30 years can become the owner of that property, as laid down in Articles 64, 65, 111, or 112 of the 1963 Act, relating to suits for possession of immovable property.
• According to Article 65 of Schedule I of the 1963 Act, a person in adverse possession of immovable property acquires title to that property.
• However, the possession must be open, continuous, and “in defiance of the title of the real owner for twelve years.”
• Similarly, Article 64 governs suits for possession based on previous possession and not on title.
• Meanwhile, Article 112, which applies to government property, mandates a requirement of 30 years for granting a title by adverse position.
• Further, Article 111 says that the limitation period for the State will be 30 years from the date of dispossession for land belonging to a private person where any public street or road or any part of it has been dispossessed and no suit has been moved for its possession “by or on behalf of any local authority”.

Why did the SC suggest changes to the law on adverse possession?

• A two-judge SC bench, in its 2008 ruling in Hemaji Waghaji Jat v. Bhikhabhai Khengarbhai Harijan and Others, while dealing with Article 65 of the Schedule of the Limitation Act, 1963, observed that the law of adverse possession “ousts an owner on the basis of inaction within limitation” and is “irrational, illogical, and wholly disproportionate”.
• “The law as it exists is extremely harsh for the true owner and a windfall for a dishonest person who has illegally taken possession of the property,” the court said. Adding that the law should not benefit the illegal action of a “rank trespasser” who had wrongfully taken possession of the true owner’s property, the court said that it also “places a premium on dishonesty”.
• Emphasising the “urgent need” for “a fresh look regarding the law on adverse possession”, the court recommended the government “to seriously consider and make suitable changes in the law of adverse possession”.
• Consequently, the 19th Law Commission prepared a “consultation paper-cum-questionnaire”. After receiving responses, the Commission concluded that the present provisions afforded sufficient protection to the land’s true owner and there was no need to amend the law. However, the Commission failed to file a final report on the subject.
• Owing to the importance of the subject, coupled with the fact that the reference had been pending since 2008, the present Law Commission found it “expedient to deliberate afresh over the subject.”
• While the Commission’s opinion was that the law on adverse possession should stay the same, two of its ex officio members, filed a dissent note saying that the law promotes false claims.

3. LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS (LLMS)

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

CONTEXT: With more people getting on the generative AI bandwagon for work and play, context and cross-verification are the tools we need to guard against misinformation. In this regard, there is need to take a look on large language models and associated terminologies.

EXPLANATION:

• Large Language Models (LLMs) are foundational machine learning models that use deep learning algorithms to process and understand natural language.
• These models are trained on massive amounts of text data to learn patterns and entity relationships in the language.
• LLMs can perform many types of language tasks, such as translating languages, analyzing sentiments, chatbot conversations, and more.
• They can understand complex textual data, identify entities and relationships between them, and generate new text that is coherent and grammatically accurate.
• A large-scale transformer model known as a “large language model” is typically too massive to run on a single computer and is, therefore, provided as a service over an API or web interface.

General Architecture

• The architecture of Large Language Models primarily consists of multiple layers of neural networks, like recurrent layers, feedforward layers, embedding layers, and attention layers. These layers work together to process the input text and generate output predictions.
• The embedding layer converts each word in the input text into a high-dimensional vector representation. These embeddings capture semantic and syntactic information about the words and help the model to understand the context.
• The feedforward layers of Large Language Models have multiple fully connected layers that apply nonlinear transformations to the input embeddings. These layers help the model learn higher-level abstractions from the input text.
• The recurrent layers of LLMs are designed to interpret information from the input text in sequence. These layers maintain a hidden state that is updated at each time step, allowing the model to capture the dependencies between words in a sentence.
• The attention mechanism is another important part of LLMs, which allowsthe model to focus selectively on different parts of the input text. This mechanism helps the model attend to the input text’s most relevant parts and generate more accurate predictions.

Few examples of large language models:

1. GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3) – This is one of the largest Large Language Models developed by OpenAI. It has 175 billion parameters and can perform many tasks, including text generation, translation, and summarization.
2. BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) – Developed by Google, BERT is another popular LLM that has been trained on a massive corpus of text data. It can understand the context of a sentence and generate meaningful responses to questions.
3. XLNet – This LLM developed by Carnegie Mellon University and Google uses a novel approach to language modeling called “permutation language modeling.” It has achieved state-of-the-art performance on language tasks, including language generation and question answering.
4. T5 (Text-to-Text Transfer Transformer) – T5, developed by Google, is trained on a variety of language tasks and can perform text-to-text transformations, like translating text to another language, creating a summary, and question answering.

5. RoBERTa (Robustly Optimized BERT Pretraining Approach) – Developed by Facebook AI Research, RoBERTa is an improved BERT version that performs better on several language tasks.

Few terminologies that take on new meaning with artificial intelligence

• Chatbot: A program that runs within websites and apps, and interacts directly with users to help them with tasks.
• Hallucination: When generative AI or a chatbot gives an answer that is factually incorrect or irrelevant because of limitations in its training data and architecture.
• Deep learning: A function of artificial intelligence that imitates the human brain by learning from the way data is structured, rather than from an algorithm that’s programmed to do one specific thing.
• Neural network: A method in artificial intelligence that teaches computers to process data in a way inspired by the human brain.
• Bias: A type of error that can occur in a large language model if its output is skewed by the model’s training data.
• Jailbreak: This is a way of breaching the ethical safeguards of a device. Every AI has content moderation guidelines to ensure it doesn’t commit crimes, or display graphic content. With the help of specific prompts, these guidelines can be bypassed.
• DAN (Do Anything Now): DAN is a prompt wherein ChatGPT is freed from the typical confines of AI. The bot can pretend to browse the Internet, access current information (even if made up), use swear words, display information that is unverified; basically, do everything that the original ChatGPT cannot.
• Abduction: A form of reasoning where baseless assumptions are made to explain observations, in contrast to deductive reasoning, where conclusions are based on perceivable facts and configurations.
• Prompt injection: This involves inserting malicious prompts that override an AI’s original instructions, to get it to manipulate and deceive users. As a result, hijackers can force an AI model to perform actions out of its purview. This is similar to a jailbreak, but more malicious.

4. CREDIT INFORMATION COMPANY AND CIBIL SCORE

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

CONTEXT: Kerala High Court said last week that a student’s credit score cannot be a factor in rejecting an education loan application. Calling students the “nation builders of tomorrow”, a Bench of Justice PV Kunhikrishnan added that the student’s education loan application should not have been rejected simply because he had a low CIBIL or credit score.

EXPLANATION:

What is the Issue?

• In a major move to ensure smooth process for the disbursement of loan from the financial Institutions, the The Kerala High Court ruled that application for education loan from the students should not be rejected by the banks simply because the CIBIL score of a student was low.
• The petitioner, who is a student, had availed two loans, of which one was overdue for and the other loan was written off by the Bank. The CIBIL score of the petitioner was low due to these reasons.
• The counsels placed reliance upon the decision and held that the unsatisfactory credit score of the parents of a student could not be a ground for rejecting an educational loan, since the repayment capacity of the student after his education ought to be the deciding factor as per the scheme.
• The counsels in this case averred that the petitioner had received a job offer from a Multi National Company and would thus be able to clear the entire loan amount. On the other hand, the counsels for the respondents argued that granting an interim order in this case, in accordance with the reliefs sought for by the petitioner, would be against the scheme framed by the Indian Banks Association as directed by the Reserve Bank of India.
• It was further submitted that the Credit Information Companies Act, 2005, the Credit Information Companies Rules, 2006 and the Circulars issued by the State Bank of India prohibits disbursement of loan in situations as that of the present petitioner.

What did the RBI circular say?

• On April 28, 2001, the RBI issued a circular in which it mentioned a comprehensive “model educational loan scheme” prepared by the Indian Banks Association (IBA) “for adoption by all banks”.
• The scheme aimed to provide financial support from the banking system to deserving or meritorious students pursuing higher education in India and abroad. Additionally, it was announced in the Union Budget for 2001–2002. While this scheme provided broad guidelines for banks to operationalise education loans, its implementation by banks varied.
• Following this, on June 24, 2019, the RBI advised all scheduled commercial banks to adopt the educational loan scheme formulated by IBA in 2001.

What is CIBIL score?

• A Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited (CIBIL) score is a three-digit numerical summary of one’s credit history, which involves an individual’s credit payment history across loan types and credit institutions over a period of time.

Credit Information Companies:

• A Credit Information Company (CIC) is an organization which collects and analyses credit and loan related data about individuals and companies and generates its products and services on the basis of this data.
• This data is provided to CICs by their member banks and other financial institutions. Credit Information Companies are also known as Credit Bureaus in India.
• A Credit Information Company needs to be a company that was formed and registered under the Companies Act, 1956 and is granted a Certificate of registration under sub-section (2) of Section 5, of CIC Act, 2005.
• They were licensed to work in the country under the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005 by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• RBI reserves the right to determine the number of Credit Information Companies that can be granted with the Certificates of Registration to carry out the business of Credit Information, by taking into consideration various factors like the available business of Credit Information, the scope of expansion of existing CICs etc.
• Furthermore, RBI has the right to cancel the Certificate of Registration of any CIC as per the conditions laid out in Section 6, of CIC Act 2005.
• Currently there are 4 authorized Credit Information Companies in India.

1. Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited – CIBIL
2. Equifax Credit Information Services Private Limited
3. Experian Credit Information Company of India Private Limited
4. CRIF High Mark Credit Information Services Private Limited

As per Section 2 of CIC Act , ‘Credit Information’ refers to any information relating to

• Amounts and nature of the loans or advances, amounts outstanding under credit cards and other credit facilities granted (or to be granted) by a Credit institution i.e. banks or financial institutions to any borrower.
• The type and nature of the security taken (or proposed to be taken) by the credit institutions from the borrower in relation to the credit facilities being provided.
• The guarantee furnished by a credit institution to its borrowers.
• The creditworthiness of any borrower
• Any other information which the RBI may consider it to be necessary to be included in the Credit Information.

5. BIMA VAHAK

TAG: SCHEMES IN NEWS

CONTEXT: IRDAI’s plan to improve insurance awareness and penetration in the hinterland is all set to gain momentum with the insurance regulator issuing draft guidelines for Bima Vahak, a dedicated distribution channel to reach out to every Gram Panchayat. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) issued draft guidelines for Bima Vahaks.

EXPLANATION:

Bima Vahak Scheme:

• It is a core component of IRDAI ‘Insurance for all by 2047’ goal.
• It will be the crucial last-mile connect for insurers in the form of a field force comprising corporate as well individual regardless of their geographical locations.
• From the collection of proposal information, KYC documents and submissions to coordination and support in policy and claims-related servicing, the scope of activities of Bima Vahak will be wide and aimed at improving accessibility and availability of insurance in every nook and corner of the country.
• However, the insurer will remain responsible for ensuring KYC and AML compliance with respect to the policies sourced through the Bima Vahaks.

Draft guidelines:

• The primary objectives of the Bima Vahak guidelines are to establish a dedicated distribution channel focused on enhancing insurance inclusion and creating awareness in every Gram Panchayat (village council).
• A Bima Vahak will be permitted to sell and service the Bima Vistaar product approved by the Authority and work with only one life insurer, one general insurer and one health insurer and, where permitted, with the Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd.
• The Bima Vahak scheme will be closely aligned with the Lead Insurers that IRDAI had mooted in every State and Union Territory. Such Lead Insurers will coordinate deployment of resources to ensure maximum coverage of Gram Panchayats.
• With the Bima Vahaks engaging with the diverse needs and aspirations in every Gram Panchayat, insurers can adapt their offerings to provide comprehensive coverage and address emerging financial protection needs.
• The guidelines emphasize the identification and development of local resources within each Gram Panchayat, with a special focus on encouraging the onboarding of women as Bima Vahaks to gain the trust of the locals.
• The guidelines define two types of Bima Vahaks: Corporate Bima Vahaks and Individual Bima Vahaks. Corporate Bima Vahaks refer to legal entities registered under Indian laws and engaged by insurers. On the other hand, Individual Bima Vahaks can be either appointed by an insurer or appointed by a Corporate Bima Vahak.
• The guidelines outline several key requirements and policies that insurers must adhere to.
• These include norms for the appointment and engagement of Bima Vahaks, territorial allocation, educational qualifications and training standards, code of conduct, operational workflows and standards, use of electronic handheld devices, setting up of retail outlets, deployment of technology, the confidentiality of policyholder data, payment of a commission, operational and compliance requirements, and database management of policies solicited through Bima Vahaks.

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI):

• It is a statutory body formed under an Act of Parliament, i.e., Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999 (IRDAI Act 1999) for overall supervision and development of the Insurance sector in India.
• The powers and functions of the Authority are laid down in the IRDAI Act, 1999 and Insurance Act, 1938.
• Its head office is located in Hyderabad and Regional offices at New Delhi and Mumbai. The Regional Office, New Delhi focuses on spreading consumer awareness and handling of Insurance grievances besides providing required support for inspection of Insurance companies and other regulated entities located in the Northern Region. This office is functionally responsible for licensing of Surveyors and Loss Assessors. Regional Office at Mumbai handles similar activities, as in Regional Office Delhi, pertaining to Western Region.
• The key objectives of the IRDAI include promotion of competition so as to enhance customer satisfaction through increased consumer choice and fair premiums, while ensuring the financial security of the Insurance market.
• The Insurance Act, 1938 is the principal Act governing the Insurance sector in India.
• It provides the powers to IRDAI to frame regulations which lay down the regulatory framework for supervision of the entities operating in the sector.
• Further, there are certain other Acts which govern specific lines of Insurance business and functions such as Marine Insurance Act, 1963 and Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991.
• Composition of IRDAI:

As per Sec. 4 of IRDAI Act, 1999, the composition of the Authority is:

1. a) Chairman;
2. b) Five whole-time members;
3. c) Four part-time members,

(appointed by the Government of India)

‘Insurance for all by 2047’:

• IRDAI is working on three-pronged approach — availability, accessibility and affordability — to ensure ‘Insurance for All by 2047’.
• India will attain 100 years of independence by 2047 and Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has taken several steps in the last 10-12 months to enhance penetration and density of life cover plan.
• A conceptual framework has been contemplated that this is being proposed through the Bhima trinity – Bhima Sugam, Bhima Vistar, and the woman-centric Bhima Vahak.
• IRDAI is moving from a rule-based approach to a principal-based approach, that the opportunity to invest in the insurance sector is immense given the size of the market, and low insurance penetration.
• To enhance penetration, attempts being made to reach the last mile through state level insurance plans in line with State-Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) on the banking side.
• There will be enhanced role of Insurance Information Bureau of India (IIB) in supporting data and tech-driven insurance solutions.
• Additionally, the need for risk based capital and solvency, convergence to Ind-AS, rationalizing expenses of management, developing talent pool, updating investment norms and sustainable growth of industry were also deliberated.
• It was also proposed to revamp the role and functioning of the life insurance and general insurance councils, to make them more vibrant bodies.

1. CONFLICT BETWEEN IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN OVER RIVER HELMAND

TAG: PLACES IN NEWS; GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

CONTEXT: Iran and Afghanistan are locked in a long-standing dispute over the sharing of water from the Helmand River. Clashes broke out recently along the border.

EXPLANATION:

Current Issue:

• Iran and the Taliban exchanged heavy gunfire on the Islamic Republic’s border with Afghanistan, killing and wounding troops while sharply intensifying rising tensions between the countries.
• The clash came amid an escalating dispute between Kabul and Tehran over the Helmand River, which is a vital source of water for both sides, supporting agriculture, livelihoods and ecosystems in the region.

Helmand river:

• The Helmand is Afghanistan’s longest river. It originates near Kabul in the western Hindu Kush mountain range and flows in a southwesterly direction through desert areas for a total of about 1,150 kilometers (715 miles) before emptying into Lake Hamun, which straddles the Afghanistan-Iran border.
• Lake Hamun is the largest freshwater lake in Iran and It used to be one of the world’s largest wetlands, straddling 4,000 square kilometers (1,600 square miles) between Iran and Afghanistan, fed by the Helmand. But it has since dried up, a trend experts blame on drought and the impact of dams and water controls.

Background:

• Afghanistan and Iran signed an agreement the Helmand River Treaty in 1973 to regulate the allocation of river water. But the accord was neither ratified nor fully implemented, causing disagreements and tensions to persist.
• Iran has accused Afghanistan of violating its water rights for years, arguing that far less water than the amount agreed to in the 1973 treaty flows into Iran.
• Afghanistan has rejected Iran’s accusations, underlining that climatic factors like a shortage of rainfall, resulting in reduced river water volumes, are to blame for the situation.
• A major source of concern for Iran is Afghanistan’s construction of dams, reservoirs and irrigation systems along the Helmand River. Tehran fears that these projects reduce water flow into Iran
• But Kabul argues that it is within its rights to expand water storage and irrigation capacities within Afghanistan.

What’s the state of Tehran-Taliban ties?

• Iran and Afghanistan share a 950-kilometer land border. Both countries have no major territorial disputes
• Tehran had cultivated good ties with the Taliban before the Islamic fundamentalist group captured Kabul in August 2021 as US and NATO troops were in the final weeks of their pullout from Afghanistan.
• Both sides were united in their opposition to the US’s presence in the region

2. VIOLENCE IN KOSOVO

TAG: PLACES IN NEWS;  GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

CONTEXT: After winning a match against Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics at the ongoing French Open tennis championship, Serbian great Novak Djokovic wrote on a camera lens in Serbian: “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence.” Djokovic, was referring to this week’s violence in the Kosovan town of Zvecan where Serbian protesters clashed with NATO peacekeepers, leading to more than 60 injuries  the worst violence in the region in more than a decade.

EXPLANATION:

Current issue:

• The current round of violence took place after ethnic Serbs who are a minority in Kosovo but are in a majority in northern Kosovo  tried to prevent Albanian mayors taking charge in local councils.
• The Albanians took control of the councils after Serbs boycotted local elections in Kosovo’s north in April. Results of the elections, which saw a turnout of less that 3.5%, were rejected by the Serbs as a sham.
• Northern Kosovo has seen frequent tensions that have their roots in the larger ethnic and political divide between the ethnic Serbs and the Albanians.

Location of Serbia and Kosovo:

• Serbia, a landlocked country in eastern Europe that shares borders with, among other countries, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.
• Kosovo is a region that lies to Serbia’s southwest, sharing borders with North Macedonia, Albania, and Montenegro. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia does not recognise Kosovo’s statehood.

What was the Kosovo conflict about?

• Serbs and Albanians are ethnicities who have been living in this region for centuries.
• Serbs are Eastern Orthodox Christians, while the Albanians in Kosovo are majority Muslims. Other ethnic groups, such as the Bosnians and the Turks, are minority populations. Serbs are in the majority in Serbia while Albanians are in the majority in the Kosovo region.
• For many Serbians, the Kosovo region, is the “heart” of its national and religious identity and home to numerous cherished mediaeval Serb Orthodox Christian monasteries.
• Serbian nationalists view the 1389 Battle of Kosovo between the Serbian prince Lazar Hrebeljanovic and the Ottoman Sultan Murad Hudavendigar as a defining moment in their national struggle.
• On the other hand, Kosovo’s majority ethnic Albanians view Kosovo as belonging to them, and accuse Serbia of occupation and repression.

Background:

• From 1945, after the end of World War II, until 1992, the area in the Balkans comprising present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia, was one country, officially known as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), or simply Yugoslavia, with its capital at Belgrade, which is now the capital of Serbia.
• As part of Yugoslavia, the republic of Serbia included the regions of Kosovo and Vojvodina. Within Serbia, Kosovo and Vojvodina held the status of autonomous provinces.
• In the early 1990s, as the USSR collapsed, Yugoslavia followed and each of these republics broke away to become independent countries, beginning with Slovenia in 1991.
• The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), a United Nations court of law that dealt with war crimes committed during this time, noted that coinciding with the collapse of communism and resurgent nationalism in Eastern Europe during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Yugoslavia experienced a period of intense political and economic crisis.
• Central government weakened while militant nationalism grew apace. Political leaders used nationalist rhetoric to erode a common Yugoslav identity and fuel fear and mistrust among different ethnic groups.
• Ethnic Albanian rebels launched a rebellion under the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in 1998 to rid the country of Serbian rule. Serbia’s brutal response under President Slobodan Milošević prompted an intervention by NATO in 1999, which forced Serbia to cede control to international peacekeepers.
• NATO then carried out a 78-day-long campaign of air strikes against targets in Kosovo and Serbia. In response, Serb forces further intensified the persecution of the Kosovo Albanian civilians, having accused them earlier of changing the demography of their nation.
• Ultimately, Milošević agreed to withdraw his troops and police from the province of Kosovo. Some 750,000 Albanian refugees came back home, and about 100,000 Serbs — roughly half the province’s Serb population fled in fear of reprisals.
• In June 1999, Serbia agreed to the international administration of Kosovo with the final status of the province still unresolved. Several Serb leaders, including Milošević, were indicted by the UN’s war crimes tribunal for their role in the war

What has been the status of Kosovo since then?

• While Kosovo declared independence in 2008, Serbia still considers it to be an integral part of Serbian territory. Countries such as India, China, and Russia do not recognise Kosovo as a separate country, while the US, the majority of EU countries, Japan and Australia do so.

3. CYBER SECURITY FOR PAYMENT SYSTEM OPERATORS

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India has released the draft Master Directions on Cyber Resilience and Digital Payment Security Controls for Payment System Operators.

EXPLANATION:

• The draft covers governance mechanism for identification, assessment, monitoring and management of cyber security risks including information security risks and vulnerabilities, and specify baseline security measures for ensuring safe and secure digital payment transactions.
• The directions are being issued to ensure that the authorised non-bank Payment System Operators (PSOs) are resilient to traditional and emerging information systems and cyber security risks,
• The Directions will also cover baseline security measures for ensuring system resiliency as well as safe and secure digital payment transactions.
• However, they will endeavour to migrate to the latest security standards. The existing instructions on security and risk mitigation measures for payments done using cards, Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) and mobile banking continue to be applicable hitherto.

PAYMENT SYSTEM OPERATORS:

• The payment System Operator is an authorized party that is registered under the Companies Act, 1956 or the Companies Act, 2013 that undertakes the operation of payment systems. They provide services and operate on a certain model and mainly deal in payment and settlement-related activities.
• PSOs in India include Clearing Corporation of India, National Payments Corporation of India, Cards Payment Networks, Cross border Money Transfer, ATM networks, Prepaid Payment Instruments, White Label ATM Operators, Instant Money Transfer, and Trade Receivables Discounting System, Bharat Bill Payment System.

4. 9TH ANNIVERSARY OF TELANGANA’S STATEHOOD

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

CONTEXT: With assembly elections just months away, political parties across the board are celebrating the 9th anniversary of Telangana’s statehood on June 2, 2023.

EXPLANATION:

• Telangana, the newest state of India, has a complex history. Pre-Independence, it was a part of the princely state of Hyderabad. While there were talks of statehood in the 1950s, the region was eventually merged with the adjoining Andhra State to form Andhra Pradesh.
• Finally, in 2014, after decades of struggle, Telangana was carved out of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.

PART I: Princely State of Hyderabad, post-independence Hyderabad State:

• Present-day Telangana comprised the south and south-east Telugu-speaking regions of the Princely State of Hyderabad. The city of Hyderabad itself lay at the heart of the region, but unlike the areas around it, was dominated by the Urdu-speaking Muslim elite. Ruled by Nizam Osman Ali Khan, Hyderabad was among the largest and most prosperous princely states in the country.
• In 1945, a communist-supported rebellion broke out in Telangana against the prevailing jagirdari (land-revenue) system. The Nizam’s response was brutal, unleashing a local militia, known as the Razakars, on the protesting peasants.
• After Independence and the Partition in 1947, the Nizam of Hyderabad was unwilling to accede to India. In the meantime, the Razakars under Kasim Razvi, terrorised the population, lest any attempts to overthrow the Nizam be made.
• In order to usher in a modicum of stability in the state, India signed the Standstill Agreement with Hyderabad in November 1947, which stated that all administrative agreements that were in place between the Nizam and the British Crown would continue between the Nizam and India.
• However, almost instantly, the terms of the agreement were violated by the Nizam. Not only did he let the Razakars run amok, he also restricted exports of precious metals to India, began negotiating with Pakistan, and stopped accepting the Indian rupee as legal tender. The Razakars even began carrying out “border raids” in neighbouring states.
• As the state started falling into anarchy, India intervened militarily, launching “Operation Polo” in September 1948. Within a week, India had taken control of Hyderabad’s administration.
• On January 26, 1951, when India became a republic, Hyderabad was accorded the status of a Part-B state, with the Nizam as the Rajpramukh and an elected chief minister.

PART II: Linguistic reorganisation and the creation of Andhra Pradesh

• The erstwhile Madras state was huge, covering areas which spoke all the major languages of South India. In 1952, Potti Sriramalu went on a fast-unto-death demanding a separate Telugu state. He died after 56 days, triggering unrest across the region and eventually leading to the formation of the Andhra State out of the north and north eastern regions of the Madras state in 1953
• Moreover, Sriramalu’s death made the government seriously reconsider its position on linguistic states. The States Reorganisation Committee came into existence in 1953 and submitted its report two years later. Notably, it recommended that Hyderabad be reorganised linguistically the Marathi-dominant Marathwada would be integrated into the bilingual Bombay state and south western Kannada-dominant districts would be integrated into the Mysore state.
• The status of the Telugu-dominant Telangana region was contentious. While Andhra wanted to merge with Telangana to create a united Vishalandhra, the SRC itself did not favour this, instead recommending Telangana be a separate state till at least 1961, when it would be given the opportunity to voluntarily merge with Andhra.
• But the States Reorganisation Act passed in 1956 ignored this recommendation, merging Andhra State and Telangana into a single state called Andhra Pradesh, with Hyderabad as the capital. For some, like KCR, this was the point where a struggle for a separate Telangana state began.

PART III: The struggle for Telangana and the creation Telangana State

• However, the sense of Telangana as a separate entity predated even Independence. Under the rule of the Nizam, the Telangana region had in force Mulki Rules domicile rules which ensured that only native residents were able to get government jobs in the region
• Since Independence, protests regularly broke out in Telangana demanding the strict adherence to these rules, the first one being in 1952. However, it was in January 1969, after the creation of Andhra Pradesh, that the region witnessed its most widespread protests yet.
• While the government sprung to action, promising to “transfer all non-Telangana employees holding posts reserved for Telangana domiciles”, the issue refused to die down. The protests gave birth to the Telangana Praja Samiti, which called for a separate Telangana state. Over the next few years, Mulki Rules were at the centre of protests as well as legal cases.
• Finally, in September of 1973, Indira Gandhi initiated the 32nd Amendment to the Constitution, which declared that Andhra Pradesh would be divided into 6 zones, with reservation for jobs being decided on the basis of zones. As a result, the original Mulki Rules Act was repealed, and the movement for Telangana lost some steam.
• It would finally be revived by KCR in 2001. A member of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), he resigned and established his own political party – the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) with the singular aim of creating a new state of Telangana with Hyderabad as its capital.
• While his performances in polls were underwhelming, the sudden death of Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister Y S Rajsekhara Reddy of the Congress in 2009, presented an opportunity to KCR. Reddy was the tallest leader of Andhra Pradesh at the time and post his death, political turmoil ensued. On November 29, 2009, KCR began a fast-unto-death demanding statehood. The Congress, which at the time was also under pressure nationally, relented within 10 days promising the creation of the state of Telangana.
• After extensive discussion on the specifics of the state boundary and the choice of capital (for the new Andhra State), Telangana came into existence around four and a half years later, in 2014. KCR was the first chief minister and Hyderabad was chosen the joint capital of both Andhra and Telangana for a period of ten years, after which Andhra would have to shift its capital elsewhere.

5. STRATEGIC OIL RESERVES IN INDIA

TAG: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

CONTEXT: Government-owned engineering consultancy firm Engineers India (EIL) is studying the prospects and feasibility of developing salt cavern-based strategic oil reserves in Rajasthan, in line with the government’s objective of increasing the country’s strategic oil storage capacity. India could get its first salt cavern-based oil storage facility if this become successful.

EXPLANATION:

Strategic Oil Reserves in India:

• Countries build strategic crude oil reserves to mitigate major supply disruptions in the global supply chain.
• India is the world’s third-largest consumer of crude, depends on imports for more than 85% of its requirement and strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) could help ensure energy security and availability during global supply shocks and other emergencies.
• India has three existing strategic oil storage facilities at Mangaluru and Padur in Karnataka, and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh  are made up of excavated rock caverns.

• India currently has an SPR capacity of 5.33 million tonnes, or around 39 million barrels of crude, that can meet around 9.5 days of demand.
• The country is in the process of expanding its SPR capacity by a cumulative 6.5 million tonnes at two locations Chandikhol in Odisha (4 million tonnes) and Padur (2.5 million tonnes).
• India’s strategic oil reserves come under the Petroleum Ministry’s special purpose vehicle Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve (ISPRL).

Strategic petroleum reserves programme: Background

• India’s strategic oil reserves are part of the effort to build sufficient emergency stockpiles on the lines of the reserves that the US and its Western allies set up after the first oil crisis of the 1970s. The three existing rock cavern-based facilities were built during the first phase of the programme.
• Crude oil from the reserves are to be released by an empowered committee set up by the government, in the event of supply disruptions due to a natural calamity or an unforeseen global event leading to an abnormal increase in prices.
• The International Energy Agency (IEA), a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organisation in which India is an ‘Association’ country, recommends that all countries should hold an emergency oil stockpile sufficient to provide 90 days of import protection.
• In India, apart from the SPR that are sufficient to meet 9.5 days of oil requirement, the oil marketing companies (OMCs) have storage facilities for crude oil and petroleum products for 64.5 days which means there is sufficient storage to meet around 74 days of the country’s petroleum demand.

Salt cavern-based reserves v. rock cavern-based reserves:

• Salt cavern-based storage, which is considered cheaper and less labour- and cost-intensive than rock caverns.
• Unlike underground rock caverns, which are developed through excavation, salt caverns are developed by the process of solution mining, which involves pumping water into geological formations with large salt deposits to dissolve the salt.
• After the brine (water with dissolved salt) is pumped out of the formation, the space can be used to store crude oil. The process is simpler, faster, and less cost-intensive than developing excavated rock caverns.
• Salt cavern-based oil storage facilities are also naturally well-sealed, and engineered for rapid injection and extraction of oil. This makes them a more attractive option than storing oil in other geological formations, according to a report by the Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
• The salt that lines the inside of these caverns has extremely low oil absorbency, which creates a natural impermeable barrier against liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons, making the caverns apt for storage.
• Also, unlike rock caverns, salt cavern-based storages can be created and operated almost entirely from the surface.
• Salt caverns are also used to store liquid fuels and natural gas in various parts of the world. They are also considered suitable for storing compressed air and hydrogen.
• The entire SPR programme of the United States has so far been based on salt cavern-based storage facilities. The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the world’s largest emergency oil storage, consists of four sites with deep underground storage caverns created in salt domes along the Gulf of Mexico coast in Texas and Louisiana. The US strategic oil reserves have a cumulative capacity of around 727 million barrels.