RELEVANCE TO UPSC SYLLABUS: GS 2: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE: ELECTORAL BONDS; POLITICAL FUNDING; PROBITY IN GOVERNANCE; ELECTORAL REFORMS

THE CONTEXT

The Constitution Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, recently reserved its judgment on petitions challenging the validity of the electoral bonds scheme. The proceedings focused on arguments pertaining to the voters’ right to information vis-a-vis the right to confidentiality of donors. Transparency in election funding has become the central issue here.

POSITIVES OF STATE FUNDING OF ELECTIONS

Transparency: Public funding of elections can certainly bring transparency in the poll process with proper mechanism laid out. It would certainly be better than the existing system where candidates and political parties spend from their own pocket, and a lot of black money goes into election campaigning.

Level playing field: State funding of elections ensures that some influential people or groups don’t have undue influence over electoral processes. It enables a level playing field for the promotion of healthy competition by ensuring equality between large, well-known political parties and small parties and independent candidates.

Citizen centric decision: State funding of election will abstain political parties from the influence of crony capitalism and It can break up the corporate-political connection. If political parties are not financially influenced by the huge corporate sector, citizen-centric decisions will be encouraged.

Viable to economy: State funding of elections can cut down the huge expenditure spent on elections as only funds accounted by state funding will be used. Indrajit Gupta Committee Report, which is most often quoted in support of public funding of elections, it says state funding should be done only in kind and not in cash. However, it says State funding is viable only if parties are internally democratic in their functioning, transparent in their financial affairs.

ISSUES IN STATE FUNDING OF ELECTIONS

Unclear mechanism: There is no clear mechanism of how state funding of elections can work to maximize its potential. Also, for it being success there is need to bring in other electoral reforms in place.

Functioning of political parties:  Political parties nowadays mostly function as corporates. Their business is to win elections and make money to be able to win the next elections. So, this functioning of political parties as corporate entities or as family-run corporate entities is the fundamental problem which needs to be addressed.

Diversion of expenditure: The state expenditure on many essential public goods such as primary health care and public health engineering is already very small. Given this situation, the public resources have to be channeled towards and not diverted from such essential services, and that too to finance something that already gets abundantly financed.

Not prevent from additional financing: The state funding of elections will not prevent parties from lobbying and getting undisclosed supplementary private funding, with associated implications. Also, public funding may influence many people to enter politics solely to receive state subsidies rather than run for office and engage in development work.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON STATE FUNDING FOR ELECTIONS

The Indrajit Gupta Committee on State Election Funding (1998)

• To create a level playing field for parties with limited resources, the Indrajit Gupta Committee recommended state funding of elections in 1998.
• The Committee advised placing two restrictions on state funding.
• Firstly, only national and state parties with a symbol should receive state funding. Independent candidates should not.
• Secondly, only recognized political parties and their candidates should get short-term state funding in kind in the form of specific infrastructure.
• The Committee noted that at the time of the report, the nation’s economic climate was only conducive to partial, not complete, public funding of elections.

Law Commission Report on Electoral Law Reform (1999)

• According to the Law Commission of India’s 1999 report, state funding of elections is “desirable” as long as political parties are not allowed to accept money from other sources.
• Additionally, it strongly recommended that the appropriate regulatory framework should be put in place.
• The Commission agreed with the Indrajit Gupta Committee that, given the economic situation of the nation at the time, only partial public assistance was practicable.

The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, 2002

• It did not endorse state funding of elections.
• But it agreed with the 1999 Law Commission report that there is a need for an appropriate framework for the regulation of political parties.
• It needs to be implemented before the state funding is taken into consideration.

Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2008)

• The Second Administrative Reforms Commission’s “Ethics in Governance” report from 2008 advocated partial state funding of elections to cut down on “illegitimate and excessive funding” of election costs.

GLOBAL COMPARISON

• There are some 34 countries where state funding of elections is available in some form or the other. But there are different models. In some countries only parties get the fund, candidates do not. There are countries where it’s the other way round.
• The highest proportion of state funding of elections is in Norway, which is about 74% of the total expenses on the election.
• In most countries where there is public funding of elections, there are also strict transparency requirements. In the U.S., there is a rule that if the presidential candidate raises X amount of money, they are eligible to receive an equal amount of money from the government.
• But this is subject to certain conditions. In the last two or three presidential elections, no candidate has accepted government money. They have said that they do not want to accept these conditions and that they are able to raise enough money on our own.

THE WAY FORWARD

Evolving an efficient mechanism: For effective implementation of state funding of election an efficient mechanism needs to be devised. It can be done by proper stakeholder consultation of all the parties concerned. For example,  Part-public funding of election campaigns is a practice in some countries. e.g. United States and Britain. There is a need to evolve our own version.

Realistic campaign spending: In India, the main reason for the prevalence of black money in election spending is the unrealistically low limits set by the Election Commission of India on campaign spending by political parties and candidates. More realistic campaign spending limits should be set where Election Commission could determine the actual expenditure and ask the parties to show the source of income.

Strict monitoring: The strict monitoring of expenditure by political parties and their functionaries at every level, starting with the panchayat, polling booth area and municipal ward should be done. For example, every party should disclose its expenditure every month at every level.  This should be open to challenge by rival parties, media, etc.

Involvement of political parties: Political parties need to be part of the decision-making process. Political parties have to be made accountable to the public. They have to be democratic institutions if they are to deserve public money.

THE CONCLUSION

There is an ongoing debate on transparency in political funding, as there is unnecessary expenditure by political parties in elections. In this regard, the idea of state funding of elections is a concept long debated to reduce corruption by funding elections with government money as opposed to individual campaign contributions. It has potential to bring new and growing parties in par with the established parties, thus ensuring fair elections.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

1. The Indian party system is passing through a phase of transition which looks to be full of contradictions and paradoxes.” Discuss. (2016)
2. To enhance the quality of democracy in India, the Election Commission of India has proposed electoral reforms in 2016. What are the suggested reforms and how far are they significant to make democracy successful? (2017)

 MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. State funding of elections can be the best way to achieve transparency in political funding. Comment.

 Refer to the main focus article for more:

https://blog.lukmaanias.com/2023/11/10/regulating-political-funding-rules-around-the-world-indias-challenges/

 SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/should-elections-be-state-funded/article67540233.ece

THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. CAN NOT FORCE VACCINATION: SUPREME COURT

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court has ruled that no individual can be forced to take any vaccination but stated that the government can impose some restrictions in the interest of the community.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Supreme Court ruled that no individual can be forced to get vaccinated against Covid-19 but added that “as long as there is a risk of spreading the disease, there can be restrictions placed on individuals’ rights in larger public interest”.
• A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai delivered the judgement on the plea challenging mandatory Covid-19 vaccine mandates as unconstitutional, “Considering bodily autonomy, bodily integrity is protected under article 21. No one can be forced to get vaccinated. (But) government can regulate in areas of bodily autonomy.”
• Observing that restrictions on unvaccinated individuals imposed through various vaccine mandates by State Governments/Union Territories cannot be said to be proportionate, the court clarified that the suggestion to review the vaccine mandates imposed is limited to the present situation alone.
• The personal autonomy of an individual, which is a recognized facet of the protections guaranteed under Article 21, encompasses the right to refuse to undergo any medical treatment in the sphere of individual health,” said a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai in the judgment.
• The bench also reiterated that subject to the protection of privacy of individual subjects, with respect to ongoing clinical trials and trials that may be conducted subsequently for COVID-19 vaccines, all relevant data required to be published under the extant statutory regime must be made available to the public without undue delay.
• The bench said that no data has been placed by the Union of India or the States controverting the material placed by the petitioner in the form of emerging scientific opinion which appears to indicate that the risk of transmission of the virus from unvaccinated individuals is almost on par with that from vaccinated persons.
• In light of this, restrictions on unvaccinated individuals imposed through various vaccine mandates by State Governments/Union Territories cannot be said to be proportionate.
• The bench also approved the vaccination policy for children but directed that the clinical trial data be made public at the earliest.

2. THE DEBATE ON THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE

THE CONTEXT: The “national language” debate came back in focus recently, as Hindi actor Ajay Devgn took to Twitter to react to a comment by Kannada actor Kiccha Sudeep.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Under Article 343 of the Constitution, the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in the Devanagari script. The international form of Indian numerals will be used for official purposes.
• The Constituent Assembly was bitterly divided on the question, with members from States that did not speak Hindi initially opposing the declaration of Hindi as a national language. Proponents of Hindi were insistent that English was the language of enslavement and that it should be eliminated as early as possible. Opponents were against English being done away with, fearing that it may lead to Hindi domination in regions that did not speak the language.
• There were demands to make Sanskrit the official language, while some argued in favour of ‘Hindustani’. There were differences of opinion over the script too. When opinion veered towards accepting Hindi, proponents of the language wanted the ‘Devanagari’ script to be adopted both for words and numerals. Some advocated that the Roman script be adopted, as it would facilitate faster learning of Hindi. The predominant opinion was in favour of adopting ‘international numerals’ (the Arabic form used and understood throughout the world) instead of Hindi numerals.
• Ultimately, it was decided that the Constitution will only speak of an ‘official language’. And that English would continue to be used for a period of 15 years. The Constitution said that after 15 years, Parliament may by law decide on the use of English and the use of the Devanagari form of numbers for specified purposes.

WHAT IS THE EIGHTH SCHEDULE?

• The Eighth Schedule contains a list of languages in the country. Initially, there were 14 languages in the schedule, but now there are 22 languages. There is no description of the sort of languages that are included or will be included in the Eighth Schedule. There are only two references to these languages in the text of the Constitution.
• One is in Article 344(1), which provides for the formation of a Commission by the President, which should have a chairman and members representing these scheduled languages. The purpose of the Commission is to make recommendations for the progressive use of Hindi for official purposes of the Union and for restricting the use of English.
• The second reference, found in Article 351, says it is the Union government’s duty to promote the spread of Hindi so that it becomes “a medium of expression for all elements of the composite culture of India” and also to assimilate elements of forms and expressions from Hindustani and languages listed in the Eighth Schedule.

WHAT WERE THE 1965 PROTESTS ABOUT?

• The Official Languages Act, 1963 was passed in anticipation of the expiry of the 15-year period during which the Constitution originally allowed the use of English for official purposes. Its operative section provided for the continuing use of English, notwithstanding the expiry of the 15-year period. This came into force from Jan 26, 1965, a date which marked the completion of 15 years since the Constitution was adopted.
• Jawaharlal Nehru had given an assurance in 1959 that english would remain in official use and as the language of communication between the Centre and the States. The Official Languages Act, 1963, did not explicitly incorporate this assurance, causing apprehensions in some States as the January 1965 deadline neared. At that time, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri reiterated the government’s commitment to move towards making Hindi the official language for all purposes.
• In Tamil Nadu, then known as Madras, the prospect of the use of Hindi as the medium of examination for recruitment to the Union public services created an apprehension that Hindi would be imposed in such a way that the future employment prospects of those who do not speak Hindi will be bleak. With the Congress government in the State taking the view that the people had nothing to fear about, protests broke out in January 1965.
• It took a violent turn after more and more student activists joined the protest and continued even after key Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leaders were arrested. More than 60 people died in police firing and other incidents as the protests went on for days. The agitation died down later, but by then the Congress at the Centre realised the sensitivity of the language issue among Tamil-speaking people. When the Official Language Rules were framed in 1976, it was made clear that the Rules apply to the whole of India, except Tamil Nadu.

WHAT IS THE THREE-LANGUAGE FORMULA? Since the 1960s, the Centre’s education policy documents speak of teaching three languages — Hindi, English and one regional language in Hindi-speaking States, and Hindi, English and the official regional language in other States. In practice, however, only some States teach both their predominant language and Hindi, besides English. In States where Hindi is the official language, a third language is rarely taught as a compulsory subject. Tamil Nadu has been steadfastly opposing the three-language formula and sticks to teaching Tamil and English. It argues that those who need to know Hindi can learn on their own.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

3. INDIA-DENMARK TIES

THE CONTEXT: India and Denmark on 3 May 2022, agreed to further strengthen the Green Strategic Partnership with a focus on green hydrogen, renewable energy and wastewater management.

THE EXPLANATION:

• A number of agreements covering sectors such as green shipping, animal husbandry and dairying, water management, energy, cultural exchange were inked after the bilateral talks.
• The two Prime Ministers welcomed the Letter of Intent on the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on Green Shipping, which will further strengthen bilateral maritime cooperation.
• The two leaders also agreed to expand the cooperation on agriculture by a Joint Declaration of Intent establishing among others a Centre of Excellence on Dairy.
• India and Denmark also confirmed their continued collaboration in the field of antimicrobial resistance.
• India conveyed its acceptance of the Danish invitation to join the International Center for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) as Mission Partner.

4. INDIA EXTENDS MORE ASSISTANCE TO SRI LANKA

THE CONTEXT: On 2 April 2022, India had extended its current credit line by a further $200 million to replenish Sri Lanka’s rapidly depleting fuel stocks.

THE EXPLANATION:

• India has committed more than $3 billion to debt-ridden Sri Lanka in loans, credit lines and credit swaps since January this year,as the island nation tries to navigate through its worst economic crisis since independence.
• The ongoing crisis in Sri Lanka is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.
• A $400-million currency swap with the Reserve Bank of India, extended early this year, was on April 18 extended by another three months. A billion-dollar credit line for essential imports is operational and around 16,000 MT of rice has been supplied under it so far.
• India has helped Sri Lanka defer repayment of loans totalling $1 billion under the Asian Clearing Union. Further, 400,000 MT of fuel has been delivered to Sri Lanka through a $500 million credit facility.
• “Multi-pronged assistance provided by India testifies to the importance Government of India attaches to the welfare of the people of Sri Lanka and is guided by the twin principles of ‘Neighbourhood First’ and S.A.G.A.R (Security and Growth for All in the Region)”.
• Sri Lanka’s economic crash intensified from the beginning of this year, with the country’s foreign reserves plunging to barely a couple of billion dollars, owing to an acute balance of payments crisis in recent years.
• The crisis manifested in severe shortages of food, fuel and medicines, as the country experiences record inflation, that hit nearly 30% in April. Consequently, the ruling Rajapaksa administration’s popularity has plummeted over the last few months, with citizens demanding that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa quit.
• For almost a month now, demonstrators have been gathering at Colombo’s seafront, protesting every day against the government’s “failed” crisis response. Students, professionals, business people, worker unions, and scores of children, among others, can be spotted at the daily rallies, chanting anti-government slogans.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

5. GST SIGNALS: ON APRIL GST COLLECTIONS

THE CONTEXT: The first month of the new financial year has yielded a sharp surge in Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections, taking them well past ₹1.67 lakh crore — the highest, by a wide margin, in the five years since the levy was introduced by subsuming myriad State and central duties.

THE EXPLANATION:

• GST revenues have scaled fresh highs in three of the last four months, having hit ₹1.41 lakh crore in January and ₹1.42 lakh crore in March.
• Overall GST revenues had grown 30.8% in 2021-22 to ₹14.9 lakh crore, despite slipping below the ₹1 lakh crore mark for two months when the second COVID-19 wave raged.
• The 20% year-on-year revenue uptick this April could be seen as a comforting signal about 2022-23 revenue prospects for policymakers at the Centre and the States, whose treasuries are fretting about the prospect of income falling off a cliff from this July when the assured compensation for implementing the GST comes to an end.
• Compensation cess levies will persist till at least March 2026, but they will be used to pay off special borrowings of 2020-21 to bridge revenue shortfalls and recompense States.
• The Centre needs a mechanism to expedite the payment of outstanding compensation dues to States (₹78,700-odd crore, or four months of dues). The Finance Ministry has blamed ‘inadequate balance’ in the Compensation Cess fund and promised to pay up ‘as and when’ the requisite cess accrues.
• The Centre, which called the April inflows a sign of ‘faster recovery’, must also state whether these revenue levels warrant a rethink of its concern that the effective GST tax rate had slipped from the revenue-neutral rate envisaged at its launch.
• A clear acknowledgment is needed that the higher revenues are not solely driven by a rebound in economic activity. Persistently higher input costs facing producers for a year and their accelerating pass-through to consumers, seen in higher retail inflation, have contributed too, along with tighter input credit norms introduced in the Union Budget.
• That revenue growth from goods imports has outpaced domestic transactions significantly in recent months, also suggests India’s consumption story is yet to fully resurface. Urgent policy action is needed to rein in the inflation rally and bolster consumer sentiment, so as not to sink hopes of more investments, faster growth and even greater revenues.

6. NO SHORT CIRCUITS: ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES CATCHING FIRE

THE CONTEXT: A spate of incidents related to the burning of electric vehicles (EV) has resulted in the Union government announcing an expert panel to investigate the battery explosions causing them and a few manufacturers recalling batches of electric scooters after some caught fire.

THE EXPLANATION:

• EVs have increasingly become a viable transportation device, with more than 11 lakh electric/battery-operated vehicles registered in India (Vahan database, April 2022).
• The increase in the utilisation of EVs has also been largely helped by the significant reduction in costs of lithium-ion batteries that have fallen by an estimated 89% since 2010. With climate change concerns driving governments, including India’s, to incentivize the shift to EVs, their manufacture for commercial use has undergone an acceleration with an increase in indigenous companies in the Indian market as well.
• The enhanced use of EVs and utilization of the underlying technology is welcome as, despite the institution of fuel emission norms and building these into fossil fuel-driven vehicles, the shift to EVs from petrol and diesel ones is expected to gain significant net environmental benefits. But it must also be remembered that the Li-ion battery packs that form the core of the technology, are sophisticated devices and there should be no compromise on the inbuilt safeguards.
• Battery fires occur due to the convergence of heat, oxygen and fuel, and the controlled manufacturing of devices is specifically required to prevent these.
• Engineering higher safety into EVs can result in higher costs but the smooth functioning of Li-ion batteries without accidents is reliant on the absence of “shoddy engineering” and “cutting corner approaches”.
• With long-term device changes in Li-ion batteries such as the use of solid-state electrolytes, special safety switches, etc. still some time away in implementation, the onus is on manufacturers and regulators to ensure that testing and certification standards related to battery management systems such as devices that prevent accidental shorting of the cells, and thermal management solutions among others are met in existing EV systems and supply chains.
• The Ministry of Road Transport will issue guidelines for EVs which would include tests for compliance with specific safety norms. While the regulation of a fledgling albeit growing sector that has shown a lot of promise but requires adequate safety norms to be put in place is an imperative, manufacturers and other companies in the EV supply chain should also proactively work in recalling defective batches of vehicles and ensuring safety compliance to prevent the recurrence of mishaps.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

7. NASA TO SHUT DOWN SOFIA TELESCOPE

THE CONTEXT: NASA and the German Aerospace Center are permanently shutting down the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a telescope on an airplane that has been scrutinized for years for its high cost and low scientific output.

THE EXPLANATION:

The organisation announced April 28, 2022, it would shut down the operations of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) mission by September 30, 2022.

ABOUT SOFIA –

• SOFIA is a 2.7-meter infrared telescope sitting inside a Boeing 747 SP airplane, flying at an altitude of 38,000-45,000 feet above the surface.
• It’s the second-most expensive astrophysics mission, according to NASA’s Financial Year 2023 budget estimates report. The document mentioned a 2020 decadal survey report, which concluded that SOFIA’s science productivity did not justify its operating costs.
• SOFIA is a collaboration between NASA and the German Space Agency (DLR). “SOFIA is globally unique and, with the start of regular operations in 2014, has been successfully used for scientific research during a total of approximately 800 flights.
• Since its inception in 2014, SOFIA has been collecting data to understand star birth and death and the formation of new solar systems. It has also been keeping a close eye on planets, comets and asteroids in our solar system, nebulas and galaxies, celestial magnetic fields and black holes at the centre of galaxies.
• SOFIA was designed to observe cosmic objects in far-infrared wavelengths. This allows researchers to watch star formation by looking through huge, cold clouds of gas, according to NASA.
• NASA’s decision to shut down SOFIA closely follows the White House’s 2023 federal budget request released on 28 March 2022, which did not allocate money to SOFIA.

IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES:

• The project has generated 309 scientific studies, according to information on SOFIA’s website. In 2020, NASA announced that SOFIA discovered water molecules (H2O) on the sun-facing side of the Moon.
• The site is the Clavius Crater, located in the Moon’s southern hemisphere. The telescope’s data suggested that the site contained water in concentrations of 100 to 412 parts per million — roughly equivalent to a 12-ounce bottle [355 millilitres] of water, according to NASA.
• India’s Chandrayaan-1 mission and NASA’s ground-based Infrared Telescope Facility found evidence of hydration in the sunnier regions, they couldn’t confirm whether hydrogen was in the form of H2O or OH, the report stated.
• In 2019, SOFIA also discovered helium hydride — the first molecule formed in the Universe almost 14 billion years ago, the German space agency said.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Q.Consider the following statements:

1. Even if the bill after reconsideration is passed by the state legislature with or without amendments, the governor is not bound to give his assent to the bill.
2. Constitution does not lay down any time frame for the Governor to take action on the bill passed by the state legislature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR 1 & 2 MAY 2022

Answer: B

Explanation:

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

• It is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 193 Member States and Territories.
• It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), the roots of which were planted at the 1873 Vienna International Meteorological Congress.
• Established by the ratification of the WMO Convention on 23 March 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences a year later.
• The Secretariat, headquartered in Geneva, is headed by the Secretary-General.
• Its supreme body is the World Meteorological Congress.

THE PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS: BUDGET SESSION 2022

1. THE DELHI MUNICIPAL CORPORATION (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2022

THE CONTEXT: The Parliament passed Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill 2022 which seeks to merge three municipal corporations of Delhi into a single entity. 

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Bill seeks to amend the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 passed by Parliament.  The Act was amended in 2011 by Delhi Legislative Assembly to trifurcate the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi into: (i) North Delhi Municipal Corporation, (ii) South Delhi Municipal Corporation, and (iii) East Delhi Municipal Corporation.  The Bill seeks to unify the three corporations.

• Unification of Municipal Corporations in Delhi:  The Bill replaces the three municipal corporations under the Act with one Corporation named the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

• Powers of the Delhi government: The Act as amended in 2011 empowers the Delhi government to decide various matters under the Act. These include: (i) total number of seats of councillors and number of seats reserved for members of the Scheduled Castes, (ii) division of the area of corporations into zones and wards, (iii) delimitation of wards, (iv) matters such as salary and allowances, and leave of absence of the Commissioner, (v) sanctioning of consolidation of loans by a corporation, and (vi) sanctioning suits for compensation against the Commissioner for loss or waste or misapplication of Municipal Fund or property.  Similarly, the Act mandates that the Commissioner will exercise his powers regarding building regulations under the general superintendence and directions of the Delhi government.  The Bill instead empowers the central government to decide these matters.

• Number of Councillors: The Act provides that the number of seats in the three corporations taken together should not be more than 272.  The 14^th Schedule to the Act specifies 272 wards across the three Corporations.  The Bill states that the total number of seats in the new Corporation should not be more than 250.

• Removal of Director of Local Bodies: The Act provides for a Director of Local Bodies to assist the Delhi government and discharge certain functions which include: (i) coordinating between Corporations, (ii) framing recruitment Rules for various posts, and (iii) coordinating the collecting and sharing of toll tax collected by the respective Corporations.  The Bill omits the provision for a Director of Local Bodies.

• Special officer to be appointed by the central government: The Bill provides that the central government may appoint a Special Officer to exercise powers of the Corporation until the first meeting of the Corporation is held after the commencement of the Bill.

• E-governance system for citizens: The Bill adds that obligatory functions of the new Corporation will include establishing an e-governance system for citizen services on anytime-anywhere basis for better, accountable, and transparent administration.

• Conditions of service for sweepers: The Act provides that a sweeper employed for doing house scavenging of a building would be required to give a reasonable cause or a 14 day notice before discontinuing his service.   The Bill seeks to omit this provision.

2. THE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS, THE COST AND WORKS ACCOUNTANTS AND THE COMPANY SECRETARIES (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2021

THE CONTEXT: The Chartered Accountants, the Cost and Works Accountants and the Company Secretaries (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed by both the houses of the Parliament.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Bill seeks to amend
  • The Chartered Accountants Act, 1949,
  • The Cost and Works Accountants Act, 1959, and
  • The Company Secretaries Act, 1980.
• The three Acts provide for the regulation of the professions of chartered accountants, cost accountants and company secretaries, respectively.  The Bill seeks to strengthen the disciplinary mechanism under these Acts, and provide for time bound disposal of cases against members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, the Institute of Cost Accountants of India and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.

Key features of the Bill include:

• Registration of firms: The Bill adds that firms must register with the Institutes by making an application to the respective Councils of the Institutes.  The Councils must maintain a register of firms containing details such as pendency of any actionable complaint or imposition of penalty against the firms.
• Disciplinary Directorate: Under the Acts, the respective Councils of the three Institutes must each constitute a Disciplinary Directorate, headed by Director (Discipline) who is an officer of the Institute.  The Bill adds that each Directorate must also include at least two Joint Directors.
• Under the Acts, on receiving a complaint, the Director arrives at a prima facie opinion on the alleged misconduct.  Depending on the misconduct, the Director places the matter before the Board of Discipline or the Disciplinary Committee.  The Bill amends this to empower the Directorate to independently initiate investigations against members or firms.  The Director must decide whether a complaint is actionable within 30 days of receiving such complaint.  If the complaint is actionable, the Director must submit a preliminary examination report to the Board or the Committee (as the case may be), within 30 days.  Under the Acts, a complaint may be withdrawn if permitted by the Board or Committee.  The Bill provides that a complaint filed with the Directorate will not be withdrawn under any circumstances.
• Board of Discipline: Under the three Acts, each Council constitutes a Board of Discipline.  Members of the Board include: (i) presiding officer (having experience in law and knowledge of disciplinary matters), (ii) two members and (iii) Director (Discipline) as secretary.  Under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, one of the two members is nominated by the central government while the other is a member of the Council.  As per the other two Acts, both the members are from the Councils or the Institutes.
• The Bill empowers the three Councils to constitute multiple Boards.  The presiding officer and one of the two members must not be a member of the institutes and will be nominated by the central government from a panel of persons provided by the Councils.  An officer of the Institute, of the rank of Deputy Secretary, will function as the Secretary of the Board.  After receiving the preliminary examination report, the Board must conclude its inquiry within 90 days.
• Disciplinary Committee: Under the three Acts, the Councils constitute Disciplinary Committees consisting of: (i) Presiding Officer (President or Vice-President of the Council), (ii) two members elected from the Council, and (ii) two members nominated by the central government.  The Bill amends the Acts to provide that the Presiding Officer must not be a member of the institutes and shall be nominated by the central government.  The Committee must conclude its inquiry in 180 days from the receipt of preliminary examination report.
• Penalties:  Under the Acts, in cases of professional or other misconduct the Committees may: (i) reprimand or remove the member from the register of the Institute, or (ii) impose a fine of up to five lakh rupees.  The Bill increases the maximum amount of fine to ten lakh rupees.  The Bill also adds that if a partner or owner of a firm is repeatedly found guilty of misconduct during last five years, the Committee may take certain actions against the firm.  The actions include: (i) prohibiting the firm from undertaking activities related to the profession of chartered account, cost accountant, or company secretary, as the case may be, for up to two years, or (ii) impose a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.

Key Issues and Analysis

• The Bill proposes to change the composition of the two disciplinary entities to allow for more external representation.  However, these external members will be selected from a panel of persons prepared by the three Councils.  This may be against the objective of resolving conflict of interest between the disciplinary and administrative functions of the three professional Councils.
• The mandate of the proposed Coordination Committee may overlap with certain functions of the three Institutes.  Further, being chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, it may impinge on the independence of the three Institutes.
• The Bill provides for disclosure of pending complaints or actionable information against members and firms.  Disclosing details of pending complaints before finding guilt may tarnish their professional reputation.

• Though the President will have a non-executive role, he will be held responsible for implementation of decisions of the Councils.

 THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

3. MULLAPERIYAR SUPERVISORY PANEL CONTINUES FOR A YEAR WHILE AUTHORITY: CENTRE TO SUPREME COURT

THE CONTEXT: The Central Government suggested to the Supreme Court to let the Mullaperiyar dam supervisory committee continue for a year, by which time the National Dam Safety Authority under the new Dam Safety Act will become fully functional.

THE EXPLANATION:

• “According to the Government statement, during the period of one year, when the National Dam Safety Authority becomes fully functional, the Supervisory Committee on Mullaperiyar Dam may continue its functioning as per the existing mandate in regulating the operations of the Mullaperiyar dam”.
• The Centre suggested that the Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu and Kerala be made accountable in order to ensure that the decisions of the supervisory committee on the maintenance and safety of the dam are duly complied with by the two States.
• “To address the technical concerns of both the States, the Chief Secretaries of the States may be requested to nominate technical experts as members to participate in the meetings conducted by the supervisory committee. This would ensure accountability of the decisions/ action taken,” the Centre further recommended.

VALUE ADDITION:

ABOUT MULLAIPERIYAR DAM

• It is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River in the Indian state of Kerala.
• It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 and also reached an agreement to divert water eastwards to the Madras Presidency area.
• The dam created the Periyar Thekkady reservoir, from which water was diverted eastwards via a tunnel to augment the small flow of the Vaigai River.
• It originates from the Sivagiri hills of Western Ghats and flows through the Periyar National Park.
• The main tributaries of Periyar are Muthirapuzha, Mullayar, Cheruthoni, and Perinjankutti.
• According to a 999-year lease agreement made during British rule, the operational rights were handed over to Tamil Nadu.

Mullaiperiyar dam: The current dispute

The Supreme Court order came after a court-appointed supervisory committee had suggested 139.50 ft as the permissible level. The court has directed both states to go by the committee’s recommendation. Tamil Nadu had wanted the level increased to 142 ft as fixed by the Supreme Court in 2014, while Kerala wanted it within 139 ft as per a rule curve fixed until the end of the month.

Kerala’s stance: 

• The state governments of Kerala have pointed out the unfairness of the 1886 lease agreement and its validity itself. Its core issue is the safety of the Mullaperiyar Dam. Kerala wants to decommission the 100+-year-old dam and construct a new one in its place, as not doing so will endanger many lives in the process.
• The Kerala Government stated that it did not object to giving water to Tamil Nadu but pointed out that raising its level would add more pressure than the dam could take. The dams, as pointed out by Kerala, were leaking and had many structural faults.
• In addition, the Kerala government has accused Tamil Nadu of adopting an “obsolete” gate operation schedule dating back to 1939.

Tamil Nadu’s Stance:

• For Tamil Nadu, the Mullaperiyar dam and the diverted Periyar waters act as a lifeline for Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga, Dindigul and Ramnad districts, providing water for irrigation and drinking, and also for the generation of power in Lower Periyar Power Station.
• Tamil Nadu argues that building a new dam is for gaining unfair tax revenues from developing states.
• Tamil Nadu is not able to access data that is in Kerala’s terrain. There is no road built, the power supply has not been restored, although Tamil Nadu has paid for it.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES IN THE NEWS

4. BUDGET FOR PRADHAN MANTRI ANNADATA AAY SANRAKSHAN ABHIYAN(PM-AASHA)

THE CONTEXT: Under PSS, Government has provided Government Guarantee amounting to Rs. 40,500/- cr. for extending cash credit facilities to Central Nodal Agencies i.e. NAFED & FCI for procurement of pulses, oilseeds & copra at Minimum Support Price (MSP). Central Nodal Agencies withdraw the required funds against the Government Guarantee for making payment of MSP value to farmers and other incidental costs involved in the PSS operations.

THE EXPLANATION:

Components of PM-AASHA

The new Umbrella Scheme includes the mechanism of ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers and is comprised of,

Price Support Scheme (PSS):

• In Price Support Scheme (PSS), physical procurement of pulses, oilseeds and Copra will be done by Central Nodal Agencies with proactive role of State governments. It is also decided that in addition to NAFED, Food Cooperation of India (FCI) will take up PSS operations in states /districts.
• The procurement expenditure and losses due to procurement will be borne by Central Government as per norms.

Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS):

• Under Price Deficiency Payment Scheme this scheme (PDPS), it is proposed to cover all oilseeds for which MSP is notified. In this direct payment of the difference between the MSP and the selling/modal price will be made to pre-registered farmers selling his produce in the notified market yard through a transparent auction process. All payments will be done directly into the registered bank account of the farmer.
• This scheme does not involve any physical procurement of crops as farmers are paid the difference between the MSP price and Sale/modal price on disposal in the notified market. The support of central government for PDPS will be given as per norms.

The pilot of the Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPPS):

• Under this scheme, participation of the private sector in procurement operations will be piloted.
• States have the option to roll out the scheme on a pilot basis in selected districts/APMCs involving private stockists.

Need for PM-AASHA:

• A major issue with the MSP is its poor coverage. Further, there are certain problems with the implementation of MSP such as the procurement centres being far away resulting into heavy transportation cost, non-opening of Procurement centres timely, lack of covered storage/godowns facility for the temporary storage of produces, delays in payments, etc. Thus to address the gaps in the MSP system and give better returns to farmers, PM-AASHA is an important step.
• Increasing MSP is not adequate and it is more important that farmers should get full benefit of the announced MSP. Further, it is essential that if price of the agriculture produce market is less than MSP, then in that case State Government and Central Government should purchase either at MSP or work in a manner to provide MSP for the farmers through some other mechanism.
• A holistic approach of solving any issue is important rather than in fragments. Thus, to address issue of farmer’s income and enhancing livelihood, a compressive policy has been the need of the hour

Significance of PM-AASHA:

1. Income Security to farmers: The policy is an important step to achieve government’s commitment to double farmers’ income by 2022. If properly implemented, the scheme is expected to help revive the rural economy by assuring better income to farmers and thus address farmers’ distress
2. Stabilizing commodity markets: It will help in stabilising commodity markets and will also benefit the farmers by providing options to the state governments to compensate farmers when the market prices fall below MSP.
3. Better coverage of MSP: MSP procurement system has been very poor both in terms of geography and the crops covered. The new scheme would ensure better coverage of MSP and provision of crop-wise procurement is expected to benefit both farmers and states.
4. Reduce the need for physical procurement: The PDPS scheme under PM-AASHA will reduce the need for the government to physically procure food crops as the difference between the support and market prices can instead simply be paid in cash to the farmer.
5. Reduce storage and wastage: As the need for physical procurement will reduce, it will also reduce the consequent needs for transport and store them and then dispose of them under PDS. This would also reduce wastage of grains/crops.
6. Reduce food subsidy bill: In recent years, the government has been seeing the accumulation of large food grain stocks in its godowns over and above the buffer requirement. This entails storage and wastage costs that add on to the food subsidy bill. Thus the new policy would help in bringing down India’s food subsidy bill.

THE DATASHEET

5. THE CORPORATE DONATIONS TO POLITICAL PARTIES

VALUE ADDITION:

WHAT IS AN ELECTORAL BOND?

An electoral bond is like a promissory note that can be bought by any Indian citizen or company incorporated in India from select branches of State Bank of India. The citizen or corporate can then donate the same to any eligible political party of his/her choice. The bonds are similar to bank notes that are payable to the bearer on demand and are free of interest. An individual or party will be allowed to purchase these bonds digitally or through cheque.

How to use electoral bonds?

Using electoral bonds is quite simple. The bonds will be issued in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 100,000 and Rs 1 crore (the range of a bond is between Rs 1,000 to Rs 1 crore). These will be available at some branches of SBI. A donor with a KYC-compliant account can purchase the bonds and can then donate them to the party or individual of their choice. Now, the receiver can encash the bonds through the party’s verified account. The electoral bond will be valid only for fifteen days.

The 29 specified SBI branches are in cities such as New Delhi, Gandhinagar, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Mumbai, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chennai, Kolkata and Guwahati.

When are the bonds available for purchase?

The electoral bonds are available for purchase for 10 days in the beginning of every quarter. The first 10 days of January, April, July and October has been specified by the government for purchase of electoral bonds. An additional period of 30 days shall be specified by the government in the year of Lok Sabha elections.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Q1. Consider the following statements about Antarctic Treaty:

1. It was signed in 1959 and came into force in 1961.
2. India is the foundation member of this treaty.
3. The Treaty covers the area south of 60°S latitude.
4. Its one of the objective is to create a nuclear tests free zone.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

     a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2, 3 and 4 only

c) 1, 3 and 4 only

d) All of them

ANSWER FOR 5TH APRIL 2022

Answer: b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: It is built by the kings of the Ganga dynasty.
• Statement 2 is correct: It is an example of Kalinga Architecture.

THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. UNIFORM CIVIL CODE OF UTTARAKHAND

THE CONTEXT: Uttarakhand’s CM recently announced, that his government will implement the Uniform Civil Code in the state soon. The state cabinet unanimously approved that a committee of experts will be constituted at the earliest and it will be implemented in the state.

THE EXPLANATION:

The CM has claimed that it will boost equal rights for everyone in the state and enhance social harmony, boost gender justice and strengthen women empowerment.

What is UCC?

• The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) calls for the formulation of one law for India, which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption.
• The code comes under Article 44 of the Constitution, which lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.
• It is intended to replace the system of fragmented personal laws, which currently govern interpersonal relationships and related matters within different religious communities.

What Do We Have Now?

• Different religious communities in India are currently governed by a system of personal laws, which have been codified over the years through various pieces of legislation.
• These laws largely focus on the following areas: Marriage and divorce Custody and Guardianship Adoption and Maintenance Succession and
  • For example, Hindu personal law is codified in four bills: the Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Succession Act, Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, and Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act. The term ‘Hindu’ also includes Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists for the purpose of these laws
• Muslim personal law is not codified per se, and is based on their religious texts, though certain aspects of these are expressly recognised in India in acts such as the Shariat Application Act and Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act.
• Christian marriages and divorces are governed by the Indian Christian Marriages Act and the Indian Divorce Act, while Zoroastrians are subject to the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act.
• Then, there are more ‘secular’ laws, which disregard religion altogether, such as the Special Marriage Act, under which Inter-religion marriages take place, and the Guardians and Wards Act, which establishes the rights and duties of guardians.
• Furthermore, to protect distinct regional identities, the Constitution makes certain exceptions for the states of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh and Goa with respect to family law.
• Goa is, at present, the only state in India with a uniform civil code.
• The Portuguese Civil Code of 1867, which continues to be implemented after India annexed the territory in 1961, applies to all Goans, irrespective of their religious or ethnic community.

2. 13 NEW DISTRICTS INAUGURATED IN ANDHRA PRADESH

THE CONTEXT: Andhra Pradesh officially created 13 new districts taking the total number to 26.

THE EXPLANATION:

How are new districts carved?

The power to create new districts or alter or abolish existing districts rests with the State governments. This can either be done through an executive order or by passing a law in the State Assembly. Many States prefer the executive route by simply issuing a notification in the official gazette.

How does it help?

States argue that smaller districts lead to better administration and governance. For example, in 2016, the Assam government issued a notification to upgrade the Majuli sub-division to Majuli district for “administrative expediency”.

Does the Central government have a role to play here?

• The Centre has no role to play in the alteration of districts or the creation of new ones. States are free to decide.
• The Home Ministry comes into the picture when a State wants to change the name of a district or a railway station. The State government’s request is sent to other departments and agencies such as the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Intelligence Bureau, Department of Posts, Geographical Survey of India Sciences and the Railway Ministry seeking clearance. A no-objection certificate may be issued after examining their replies.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

3. BUDAPEST MEMORANDUM ON SECURITY ASSURANCES

THE CONTEXT: Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances refers to three identical political agreements signed at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) conference in Budapest, Hungary in 1994.

THE EXPLANATION:

About the memorandum

The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurance, signed on December 5, 1994, sealed Ukraine’s membership in the NPT and its status as a non-nuclear country in return for security assurances. The signatories were the presidents of Ukraine, the US , Russia, and the British Prime Minister.

• The signatories of the memorandum agreed to provide security assurances to Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine in return for their accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
• It came after the Lisbon Protocol of 1992, which made Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan parties to the first Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I). It was a treaty signed by the US and the Soviet Union in 1991 to reduce the number of nuclear weapons.
• As a result of the agreements and the memorandum, between 1993 and 1996, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons and became non-nuclear states.
• At that time, Ukraine had the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal.

Signatories

• The memorandum was originally signed by three nuclear powers: Russia, the USA, and the UK.
• Later, China, and France, who became NPT members in 1992, also became signatories. However, they gave weaker individual assurances in separate documents.

Provisions

Russia, the US, and the UK agreed to the following:

• Respect Belarusian, Kazakh & Ukrainian independence & sovereignty in existing borders.
• Refrain from the threat or the use of force against Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine.
• Refrain from using economic pressure on Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine to influence their politics.
• Refrain from the use of nuclear arms against Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine.
• Seek immediate UN Security Council action to assist Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine if they “should become a victim of an act of aggression or an object of a threat of aggression in which nuclear weapons are used”.

About OSCE It works to build and sustain stability, peace and democracy for more than one billion people, through political dialogue and projects on the ground. It works to prevent conflict, manage crises, and promote post-conflict rehabilitation. It has a comprehensive approach to security encompassing three dimensions: (a) politico-military (b) economic and environmental (c)human dimension. Origin– The OSCE’s origins date back to the early 1970s, to the Helsinki Final Act (1975) and the creation of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE), which during the Cold War served as an important multilateral forum for dialogue and negotiations between East and West. In 1994, the CSCE was renamed the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to reflect more accurately changes witnessed. With 57 participating States(India is not among the 57 states) in North America, Europe and Asia, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – is the world’s largest regional security organization.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

4. 99% OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION IS BREATHING POLLUTED AIR: WHO

THE CONTEXT: According to the data from the UN health agency showed that every corner of the globe is dealing with air pollution, although the problem is much worse in poorer countries. “Almost 100% of the global population is still breathing air that exceeds the standards recommended by the World Health Organization,”

THE EXPLANATION:

• In its previous report four years ago, WHO had already found that over 90% of the global population was affected, but it has since tightened its limits.
• “The evidence base for the harm caused by air pollution has been growing rapidly and points to significant harm caused by even low levels of many air pollutants”.
• WHO’s study provides air quality data from more than 6,000 cities and other settlements across 117 countries — representing around 80 percent of urban settings.
• In addition, WHO used satellite data and mathematical models to determine that air quality is falling short basically everywhere.
• The poorest air quality was found in the eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asia regions, and Africa.The findings were alarming, it said, and highlighted the need for rapidly curbing fossil fuel use.

WHO’S AIR QUALITY GUIDELINES:

Governments Measures taken:

• Notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards and sector-specific emission and effluent standards for industries;
• Setting up of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air quality;
• Introduction of cleaner gaseous fuels like CNG, LPG etc and ethanol blending;
• Launching of National Air Quality Index (AQI);
• Leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI standards for vehicles by 1st April 2020;
• Regulating the bursting of pollution-emitting crackers;
• Notification of graded response action plan for Delhi identifying source-wise actions for various levels of air pollution, etc.
• National Clean Air Programme.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. BIOLOGICAL E. TO RECEIVE MRNA VACCINE TECHNOLOGY FROM WHO

THE CONTEXT: Vaccine maker Biological E has been selected to receive mRNA technology from the World Health Organization technology transfer hub.

THE EXPLANATION:

• After examining a number of proposals from India, the WHO’s Advisory Committee on Vaccine Product Development has selected Biological E as a recipient.
• The WHO’s technology transfer hub has the potential to expand manufacturing capacity for other products as well, including treatments, and target other priorities such as malaria, HIV and cancer. The WHO and partners will work with the Indian government and Biological E to put in place training and support for the company to start producing mRNA vaccines.

BACKGROUND:

The COVID-19 pandemic awakened the world to the power of RNA therapies — two of the first vaccines that emerged in late 2020, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, used this technology. At Present, an Indian company is developing an mRNA vaccine from scratch, signalling possibilities of the use of the molecule in a variety of diseases beyond COVID-19.

What are mRNA vaccines and how do they work?

• Most vaccines contain weakened or dead bacteria or viruses. However, scientists have developed a new type of vaccine that uses a molecule called messenger RNA (or mRNA for short) rather than part of an actual bacteria or virus. Messenger RNA is a type of RNA that is necessary for protein production.
• In cells, mRNA uses the information in genes to create a blueprint for making proteins. Once cells finish making a protein, they quickly break down the mRNA. mRNA from vaccines does not enter the nucleus and does not alter DNA.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Q1. Consider the following statements about the Jagannath Puri temple:

1. It is built by kings of the Pala dynasty
2. It is an example of Kalinga Architecture

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWER FOR 4TH APRIL 2022

Answer: d)

Explanation:

UNEP hosts the secretariats of several multilateral environmental agreements and research bodies, including CBD, The Minamata Convention on Mercury, CMS and CITES.

THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. NEW CRIMINAL PROCEDURE (IDENTIFICATION) BILL, 2022

THE CONTEXT: According to the new provisions of the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, it will allow police and prison authorities to collect, store and analyze physical and biological samples including the retina and iris scans of convicted, arrested, and detained persons.

THE EXPLANATION

What is the legislation about?

• The Bill seeks to repeal the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920. The over 100-year-old Act’s scope was limited to capturing finger impressions, footprint impressions, and photographs of convicted prisoners and a certain category of arrested and non-convicted persons on the order of a Magistrate.
• The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the 2022 Bill said that new ‘‘measurement’’ techniques being used in advanced countries are giving credible and reliable results and are recognized the world over. It said that the 1920 Act does not provide for taking these body measurements as many of the techniques and technologies had not been developed then.

What are the major changes proposed?

It proposes four major changes.

• First, it would define ‘‘measurements’’ to include “signature, handwriting, iris and retina scan, physical, biological samples, and their analysis, etc.” It does not specify what analysis means, implying that it may also include storing DNA samples. The “etc.” mentioned in the text of the Bill could give unfettered powers to law enforcement agencies to interpret the law at their convenience, sometimes to the disadvantage of the accused.
• Second, it empowers the National Crime Records Bureau of India (NCRB), under the Union Home Ministry, to collect, store and preserve the record of measurements for at least 75 years. The NCRB will be able to share the data with other law enforcement agencies as well. Police is a State subject and NCRB works under the Union government, and experts contend this provision may impinge on federalism.
• Third, it empowers a Magistrate to direct any person to give vital details, which till now was reserved for convicts and those involved in heinous crimes.
• Fourth, it empowers police or prison officers up to the rank of a Head Constable to take details of any person who resists or refuses to do so.

What are some other changes?

• The Bill also seeks to apply to persons detained under any preventive detention law. The Bill also authorizes taking vital details of “other persons” for identification and investigation in criminal matters. It doesn’t define the “other persons”, implying its ambit extends beyond convicts, arrested persons, or detainees.
• The Bill’s stated objective is it provides legal sanction for taking such details and will make the investigation of crime more efficient and expeditious, and help in increasing the conviction rate.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. INDIA-AUSTRALIA ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND TRADE AGREEMENT (ECTA)

THE CONTEXT: India and Australia signed an Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (IndAus ECTA) which is set to provide zero-duty access to 96 percent of India’s exports to Australia including shipments from key sectors such as engineering goods, gems, jewelry, textiles, apparel, and leather.

THE EXPLANATION:

• ECTA encompasses cooperation across the entire gamut of bilateral economic and commercial relations between the two friendly countries and covers areas like Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade in Services, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, Dispute Settlement, Movement of Natural Persons, Telecom, Customs Procedures, Pharmaceutical products, and Cooperation in other Areas.
• Goods: The ECTA between India and Australia covers almost all the tariff lines dealt in by India and Australia respectively. India will benefit from preferential market access provided by Australia on 100% of its tariff lines.
  • This includes all the labor-intensive sectors of export interest to India such as Gems and Jewellery, Textiles, leather, footwear, furniture, food, agricultural products, engineering products, medical devices, and Automobiles.
  • On the other hand, India will be offering preferential access to Australia on over 70% of its tariff lines, including lines of export interest to Australia which are primarily raw materials and intermediaries such as coal, mineral ores and wines, etc.
• Services: As regards trade in services, Australia has offered wide-ranging commitments in around 135 sub-sectors and Most Favoured Nation (MFN) in 120 sub-sectors which cover key areas of India’s interest like IT, ITES, Business services, Health, Education, and Audiovisual.
  • Some of the keys offered by Australia in the services space include a Quota for chefs and yoga teachers; a Post-study work visa of 2-4 years for Indian students on a reciprocal basis; mutual recognition of Professional Services and Other licensed/regulated Occupations; and Work & Holiday visa arrangement for young professionals.
  • On the other hand, India has offered market access to Australia in around 103 sub-sectors and Most Favoured Nation in 31 sub-sectors from the 11 broad service sectors such as ‘business services’, ‘communication services’, ‘construction and related engineering services, and so on. Both sides have also agreed to a separate Annex on Pharmaceutical products under this agreement, which will enable fast-track approval for patented, generic, and biosimilar medicines.
• India and Australia are partners in the trilateral Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) arrangement along with Japan which seeks to enhance the resilience of supply chains in the Indo-Pacific Region. Further, India and Australia are also members of the recently formed Quad, also comprising the US, and Japan, to further enhance cooperation and develop partnerships across several issues of common concerns.
• The India-Australia ECTA will further cement the already deep, close, and strategic relations between the two countries and will significantly enhance bilateral trade in goods and services, create new employment opportunities, raise living standards, and improve the general welfare of the peoples of the two countries.

Background:

• India-Australia bilateral trade for both merchandise and services is valued at US$ 27.5 billion in 2021. India’s merchandise exports to Australia consist primarily of a broad-based basket largely of finished products like gold jewelry, polished diamonds, etc. India’s merchandise imports consist largely of raw materials, minerals, and intermediate goods.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

3. NFC TECHNOLOGY FOR INSTANT PAYMENTS

THE CONTEXT: Google Pay has recently launched a new feature in India, ‘Tap to pay for UPI’, in collaboration with Pine Labs. The feature makes use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is NFC and how does it work?

• NFC is a short-range wireless connectivity technology that allows NFC-enabled devices to communicate with each other and transfer information quickly and easily with a single touch — whether to pay bills, exchange business cards, download coupons, or share a document.
• NFC transmits data through electromagnetic radio fields, to enable communication between two devices. Both devices must contain NFC chips, as transactions take place within a very short distance. NFC-enabled devices must be either physically touching or within a few centimeters from each other for data transfer to occur.

 How will this technology work with the recently launched feature, ‘Tap to pay for UPI’?

• Google Pay has been the first among UPI apps to bring the Tap to Pay feature working on POS terminals. It will allow users with UPI accounts configured on Google Pay to make payments just by tapping their NFC-enabled Android smartphones on any Pine Labs Android POS terminal.
• Once users tap their phones on the POS terminal, it will automatically open the Google pay app with the payment amount pre-filled. Users can then verify the amount and merchant name and authenticate the payment, using their UPI PIN. They will be notified once the payment is successful.
• The process is much faster compared to scanning a QR code or entering the UPI-linked mobile number which has been the conventional way till now.

What are the other applications of NFC technology?

How safe is this technology?

• NFC technology is designed for an operation between devices within a few centimeters from each other. This makes it difficult for attackers to record the communication between the devices compared to other wireless technologies which have a working distance of several meters.
• The user of the NFC-enabled device determines by the touch gesture which entity the NFC communication should take place with, making it more difficult for the attacker to get connected. The security level of NFC communication is by default higher compared to other wireless communication protocols.
• The NFC Forum has also added Peer to Peer communication which is a mechanism to cipher all exchanged data to avoid external interpretation of recorded communication. Since the receiving device reads your data the instant you send it, NFCs also reduce the chance of human error.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES IN THE NEWS

4. IDEX INITIATIVE

THE CONTEXT: Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) framework was launched by the Government to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace Sector by engaging Industries including MSMEs, startups, individuals innovators, R&D institutes, and academia and promoting self-reliance.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Government has approved a central sector scheme for iDEX with budgetary support of Rs. 498.78 crore for the next 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• Aim: to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace Sector by engaging Industries including MSMEs, startups, individual innovators, R&D institutes, and academia and promote self-reliance.

About Innovations for Defence Excellence (IDX):

• The Government has approved a central sector scheme for iDEX with budgetary support of Rs. 498.78 crore for the next 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• Objective of the scheme: to provide financial support to nearly 300 Startups/ MSMEs/individual innovators and about 20 Partner incubators through the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO).
• For the current financial year 2021-2022, Rs. 45 crore have been released by the Government to iDEX-DIO.
• The iDEX framework and establishment of the DIO by the Department of Defence Production (DDP) is aimed at promoting innovation and indigenization in the aerospace and defense sector at the start-up level.
• iDEX will be funded and managed by a “Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO)‟ formed as a “not for profit‟ company as per Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013 for this purpose.
• It aims at empowering a culture of technology co-creation and co-innovation in the sector and boosts innovation among the start-ups and encourages them to be a part of the ecosystem.

THE HEALTH AND COVID CORNER

5. WHO RECORDS THE NEW SARS-COV-2 VARIANT

THE CONTEXT: The World Health Organization (WHO) has flagged the emergence of a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the XE recombinant, in the United Kingdom, and with a possibly higher rate of transmission.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The WHO, in its recent epidemiological update, said the recombinant was detected in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2022, and over 600 sequences have been reported and confirmed since.
• It also added, “the early-day estimates indicate a community growth rate advantage of about 10% as compared to BA.2, however, this finding requires further confirmation.”
• The U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which tracks SARS-CoV-2 variants, analyzed three recombinants, known as XF, XE, and XD. Of these, XD and XF is recombinant of Delta and Omicron BA.1, while XE is a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2.
• According to WHO, While XE only accounts for a small fraction of the cases, its extremely high transmissibility could mean that it becomes the most dominant strain shortly.
• A recombinant variant occurs when an individual becomes infected with two or more variants at the same time, leading to a mixing of genetic material in the human body. Several such recombinants have emerged in the past during the pandemic.
• The UKHSA has stated that in the United Kingdom, only 38 cases of XF recombinant have been identified, though none since mid-February 2022.
• The new variant is 10 percent more transmissible than the most contagious BA.2 subvariant.

THE DATASHEET

6. THE SPACE JUNK, A CAUSE OF CONCERN

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Q1. UNEP hosts a secretariat of which of the following?

1. Convention on Migratory Species
2. Minamata Convention
3. Convention on Biodiversity

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) All of them

ANSWER FOR 2ND APRIL 2022

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Olive Ridley Turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) are migratory species visiting Indian coasts for nesting.
• These turtles travel all the way from the South Pacific Ocean to breed on the coast of Gahirmatha.
• Their mass nesting phenomenon is called arribadas.
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable
• They have the highest degree of protection as they are included in Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• The turtle eggs normally take 45 days to hatch. After this, tiny hatchlings come out and make their way to the sea.
• Threats: Heavy predation of eggs by dogs and wild animals, indiscriminate fishing with trawlers and gill nets, and beach soil erosion.