THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. SUPREME COURT QUOTA FOR DALIT MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS

THE CONTEXT: The Centre is likely to soon decide on setting up a national commission to study the social, economic and educational status of Dalits who converted to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Several petitions are pending before the Supreme Court seeking Scheduled Caste (SC) reservation benefits for Dalits who converted to Christianity or Islam.
THE EXPLANATION:
Why don’t Dalits who convert to Christianity and Islam get quota benefits?
• The original rationale behind giving reservation to Scheduled Castes was that these sections had suffered from the social evil of untouchability, which was practised among Hindus. Under Article 341 of the Constitution, the President may “specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall…be deemed to be Scheduled Castes”.
• The first order under this provision was issued in 1950, and covered only Hindus. Following demands from the Sikh community, an order was issued in 1956, including Sikhs of Dalit origin among the beneficiaries of the SC quota. In 1990, the government acceded to a similar demand from Buddhists of Dalit origin, and the order was revised to state: “No person who professes a religion different from the Hindu, the Sikh or the Buddhist religion shall be deemed to be a member of Scheduled Caste.”

Does this religion-based bar apply to converted STs and OBCs as well?
• According to Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) states, “The rights of a person belonging to a Scheduled Tribe are independent of his/her religious faith.” Following the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, several Christian and Muslim communities have found place in the Central and state lists of OBCs.

What efforts have been made to include Muslims and Christians of Dalit origin among SCs?
• After 1990, a number of Private Member’s Bills were brought in Parliament for this purpose. In 1996, a government Bill called The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill was drafted, but in view of a divergence of opinions, the Bill was not introduced in Parliament.
• The UPA government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set up two important panels: the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, popularly known as the Ranganath Misra Commission, in October 2004; and a seven-member high-level committee headed by former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Rajinder Sachar to study the social, economic, and educational condition of Muslims in March 2005.
• The Sachar Committee Report observed that the social and economic situation of Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians did not improve after conversion. The Ranganath Misra Commission, which submitted its report in May 2007, recommended that SC status should be “completely de-linked…from religion and…Scheduled Castes [should be made] fully religion-neutral like…Scheduled Tribes”.
The report was tabled in both Houses of Parliament on December 18, 2009, but its recommendation was not accepted in view of inadequate field data and corroboration with the actual situation on the ground.

2. THE CONTROVERSY OVER NAAC’S SYSTEM FOR ASSESSING HIGHER EDUCATION

THE CONTEXT: The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which carries out quality checks or assessments of Indian Higher-level Educational Institutions (HEIs), courted controversy recently over the rating of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and allegations of bribery in the process.
THE EXPLANATION:
When the NAAC released the ratings, the institute’s score changed from A to A+ on the back of improvement across parameters. The allegations have surfaced at a time when the NAAC is exploring changes in its approach.
What is NAAC?
The NAAC, an autonomous body under the University Grants Commission (UGC), assesses and certifies HEIs with gradings as part of accreditation. Through a multi-layered process, a higher education institution learns whether it meets the standards of quality set by the evaluator in terms of curriculum, faculty, infrastructure, research, and other parameters. The ratings of institutions range from A++ to C. If an institution is graded D, it means it is not accredited.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

3. JAPAN- INDIA MARITIME EXERCISE 2022 CONCLUDES

THE CONTEXT: The sixth edition of the Japan India Maritime Exercise 2022, JIMEX 22 hosted by the Indian Navy concluded in the Bay of Bengal with the two sides bidding farewell to each other with a customary steam past on 17 Sep 22.
THE EXPLANATION:
• JIMEX comprised of complex tactical drills in all dimensions of Naval warfare to enhance interoperability between two key maritime forces in the Indo-Pacific.
• JIMEX 22 witnessed some of the most complex exercises undertaken jointly by the two navies. Both sides engaged in advanced level anti-submarine warfare, weapon firings and Air Defence exercises. Shipborne helicopters, fighter aircraft and submarines also participated in the exercise. IN and JMSDF ships replenished each other at sea under the agreement on Reciprocal Provision for Supply and Services (RPSS).
• The exercise, which marked the tenth anniversary of JIMEX since its inception in 2012, consolidated the mutual understanding and interoperability between the two navies.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

4. HOW REPLACING COAL WITH PADDY STRAW IN BRICK KILNS CAN HELP ADDRESS STUBBLE BURNING MENACE

THE CONTEXT: The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) wants brick kiln owners in the state to replace at least 20% coal with the paddy-straw pellets for fuel requirements in the kilns. The PPCB believes that this will help tackle the problem of stubble burning in the state.
THE EXPLANATION:

The proposal,
In a letter to brick kiln owners, the PPCB has said that the Punjab government is formulating a policy for the mandatory replacement of 20% coal with paddy straw-based pellets. This is based on a study conducted jointly by the Punjab State Council For Science and Technology (PSCST) and PPCB regarding the partial replacement of coal with paddy straw pellets with an aim to reduce air pollution while ensuring economic benefit for kiln owners. A draft notification in this regard has already been issued by the state’s Department of Science, Technology and Environment, and public comments invited.

The rationale
• There are around 2,700 kilns in Punjab out of which nearly 2,100 have been upgraded and are in operation currently. The average coal consumption of a kiln, which runs for 6-7 months in a year, is around 900 tonnes of coal (with upgraded technology).
• So, the coal consumption of these operational kilns’ would come to around 19 lakh tonnes per year, costing around Rs 4,750 crores. The cost of one-tonne coal is around Rs 25,000 including the freight rate.
• In Punjab, kilns are operated two times from October to December and February to July in a year.
• A brick kiln, which is usually 120-ft high (part of which is under the earth), has around 36 chambers in which about 10-12 lakh clay bricks are placed for drying or hardening.
• Brick kiln owners said that the replacement of 20% coal with stubble pellets means that nearly 200 tonnes of coal burning can be reduced in every kiln per year (and to a total of 4.20 lakh tonnes worth Rs 1,050 crores).

Good for the environment?
• The paddy stubble fuel is environmentally friendly as it does not contain a high amount of sulphur like coal.
• According to the Department of Science and Technology and Environment, it can help achieve the stringent emission standard for particulate matter (PM) that is set for the brick kilns.

5. WORLD’S FIRST CLONED ARCTIC WOLF

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the scientists in China have successfully cloned wild Arctic Wolf for the first time.
THE EXPLANATION:
• A Beijing-based gene firm had succeeded in cloning the Arctic Wolf to prevent the endangered species from going extinct.
• The newly cloned wolf was named Maya, which means good health.
• The donor cell of the wolf came from a skin sample of a wild female Arctic Wolf. Its oocyte was obtained from a dog.
• The cloning process involved the construction of 137 new embryos from enucleated (process of removing nucleus from the cell) oocytes and somatic cells.
• 85 embryos were transferred to the uteri of seven beagles.
• The beagle was chosen as the surrogate mother since this dog breed is found to share genetic ancestry with ancient wolf.
What is cloning?
Cloning is the process of producing living organisms, including cells, tissues etc., with identical genetic materials ether through natural or artificial means. In nature, some organisms produce clones through asexual reproduction. Artificially, the first animal to be cloned was a sheep named Dolly. It was created in 1996 by a Scottish scientist using an udder cell from an adult sheep. Recently, in July 2022, Japanese scientists have succeeded in producing cloned mice using freeze-dried skin cells. This new breakthrough makes it possible to practice bio-banking, which involves saving animal cells and creating clones from them.
About Arctic Wolf
The Arctic Wolf is also known as white wolf or polar wolf. It is native to the High Arctic tundra of Canada’s Queen Elizabeth Islands. It is a subspecies of the grey wolf. This medium-sized wolf is smaller than the Alaskan timber wolf. Since the 1930s, there has been a significant decline in the size of the Arctic wolf’s skull because of the wolf-dog hybridization.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INTERVENTIONS

6. INSPIRE AWARDS CONFERRED TO 53,021 STUDENTS ACROSS INDIA

THE CONTEXT: Union Minister of Science and Technology has recently provided financial aid to around 53,000 students under the INSPIRE Scheme.
THE EXPLANATION:
What is INSPIRE Scheme?
• The Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) scheme has been implemented by Indian Government’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) to encourage people aging 10 to 32 years to pursue science and a career in research.
• Its purpose is to attract talent to science at an early age and create the required resource pool for strengthening the science and technology system and research and development base in the country.
• It has three components – Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent (SEATS), Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) and Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC).
About INSPIRE Award – MANAK
• The Indian Government confers INSPIRE Award – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) every year under the SEAT Program.
• Under the INSPIRE AWARDS – MANAK Scheme, students across India are encouraged to send original and creative technological ideas or innovations that can solve common problems.
• The chosen ideas will be provided with complete incubation support required to promote the entrepreneurial journey of students.
• This scheme has attracted 6.53 Lakh ideas and innovations from across India in 2020-21 – the highest till date.
• It represented ideas and innovations from 702 districts (96%) in India.
• This includes 123 of the 124 aspirational districts, 51 per cent representation from girls, 84 per cent from schools in rural regions and 71 per cent of schools run by state/UT governments.
• Of the 6.53 lakh students, 53,021 students have been provided with the financial support of Rs.10,000 to help them develop prototypes for the ideas they submitted.