9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – April 18th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• A win for constitutional values in Pakistan and Kenya
• ‘Dual-use’ learning

GS Paper 3

• Confidentiality ring amendment could make antitrust disputes more opaque
• A north pole for science and technology
• Medicinal plants await good marketing
• Focus on CPI inflation
• A six-point agenda for India to raise its trade competitiveness

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Explained: What is parboiled rice, and why Center wants to stop purchasing it
• Union Minister inaugurates 40th ‘Hunar Haat’ in Mumbai
• South Asia Economic Focus: World bank cuts India growth forecast on Ukraine crisis
• The functioning of the Enforcement Directorate
• Centre extends tenure of green permits
• All we know about the Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet, the largest one ever seen
• InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer: FDA authorizes first breath test for Covid
• Bihar sends fresh proposal seeking UNESCO’s heritage tag for 2,500-yr-old ‘Cyclopean wall’
• Explained: What is the ‘Tree City of the World’ tag that Mumbai, Hyderabad have been awarded?

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

A win for constitutional values in Pakistan and Kenya

News: The Supreme Court of Kenya has struck down the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) as unconstitutional. And The Supreme Court of Pakistan unanimously rejected the decision of the deputy speaker of parliament to disallow the no-confidence motion against the prime minister. It also rejected the follow-up decision of the president to dissolve the National Assembly. Both the decisions were declared unconstitutional.  

What are the issues in post-colonial societies?

There has been a trend of weak judiciary in many post-colonial societies. It was seen in Kenya, Pakistan and other fellow countries  

What are the key takeaways for the Supreme Courts of other post-colonial societies? 

Both the Supreme Court of Kenya and Pakistan have become examples of judicial independence.

– In 2017, the SC of Kenya nullified the election of the president due to irregularities.

– In 2021, the Pakistan SC instructed the executive to rebuild a Hindu temple that had been vandalised from its own resources and to recover the expenditure from the vandals. 

These rulings imply that the Judiciary in post-colonial societies have been retrieved from their zone of neglect. They have restored to its rightful place at the heart of the constitutional order. They have upheld the classical principle of constitutional democracy, known as “checks and balances”. 

The constitutional courts should act with judicial independence. They should regulate the flow of politics rather than be compromised and submerged by it. 

In the present cases, the judiciary has restored the sanctity of the constitution. They have upheld the principle of limited government. In fact, this principle is at the heart of a constitutional democracy. It means the electoral verdict does not give the legislature and the executive unlimited power.  

The judiciary of other post-colonial societies can learn the lesson that all stakeholders should be consulted by the judiciary before giving final verdict. For example, the Supreme court of Kenya and Pakistan consulted all the stakeholders. 

The Supreme Courts upheld the sanctity of the constitution by rejecting the “doctrine of necessity”. The doctrine mandates to live with the illegal decision of the executive since it is necessary. 

What are four factors that explain the boldness of the courts?  

(1) The law should be of good quality. They should be clear about the necessary constraints on the executive. The laws which are unambiguous make less difficult for the judiciary to arrive at the right ruling.  

(2) The political elites in the country must publicly question the actions of the executive. It emboldens the judiciary.  

(3) There has to be a robust public discourse about the unconstitutionality of the executive decision. It will also embolden the judiciary to reverse the declining legitimacy of the constitutional order.  

(4) The judges should be courageous. To become so, the judges require to have “vision” to imagine the future that the constitution envisages for the country, “Passion” to see themselves as the custodians of its constitutional values, and “a sense of responsibility” that makes them fair regulators of arrogant politics. 

‘Dual-use’ learning

News: The University Grants Commission (UGC) proposal to allow undergraduate and postgraduate students to pursue two degrees simultaneously is a progressive step forward in the higher education sector.

What are the potential benefits of this move?

First, this policy will help high-school students who are often unsure of whether to pursue the sciences or humanities stream in higher education.

Second, by promoting interdisciplinary study, the two-degree proposal addresses a growing requirement among employers for lateral thinking.

Today, even the global IT giants, have widened their recruiting focus from graduates in conventional science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, to those with multi-disciplinary exposure — in other words, it’s STEAM graduates, in which the A stands for Arts.

Thirdly, the proposal to allow domain experts and not just doctoral degree holders to teach is also a sensible move, since it will address a possible faculty shortage once the demand for dual courses expands.

What are some relevant concerns?

Quality of higher education courses and diploma programmes: The market for online courses and for, say, science- or arts-focused universities to start offering cross-over disciplines, will expand. Hence, the UGC will need to be cautious of its approval-granting and monitoring processes.

– All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), is facing problems due to its indiscriminate approval process and lax monitoring. Moreover, IT companies’ complaints of the need to retrain IT and science graduates from scratch after recruitment have been well documented.

Limited employment opportunities in India: The problem of unemployment for graduates and post-graduates in India has grown with the increased availability of university seats and the shrinkage of the public sector without the private sector picking up pace. This is one reason Indians tend to stay longer in the higher education system, equipping themselves with multiple qualifications to enhance their employability.

What is the way forward?

Without rapid economic expansion, India will have to deal with the added problem of thousands of dual-course graduates and diploma-holders, without any meaningful employment, a recipe for social unrest.

The government needs to understand the imperative of focusing on upscaling employment.

GS Paper 3

Confidentiality ring amendment could make antitrust disputes more opaque

News: Recently, the Director General of Competition Commission of India (CCI) has issued orders on the Amazon dispute. In this dispute, Amazon (the defendant) has decided to take the confidentiality route towards its submissions. 

The CCI has realised that disputes arising out of antitrust matters, also known as competition or cartelisation, require confidentiality.  

The problems that arise in the CCI’s investigation under Sections 3, 4 or 5 of the Competition Act are relevant to the suo motu powers given to the director-general of the commission, which have now extended toward establishing an opaque confidentiality ring. 

What are the international practices on Confidentiality in Anti-trust matters?  

In Europe, the confidentiality rings are provided under Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty of the European Union. The DG Competition (EU) can safeguard the rights of defence while respecting the legitimate interests in the confidentiality of the information providers.  

In addition, confidentiality rings remove or reduce the burden of preparing non-confidential versions of documents.” 

In 2015, the EU mandated the creation of a data room to respect the confidentiality of certain documents.  

What are the laws about confidentiality ring in anti-trust matters in India? 

India has imported the “Confidentiality Ring” from the EU. The Section 35 of the Act empowers the CCI to establish a confidentiality ring. It includes dissemination of the confidential information among the party to the disputes for which the confidentiality clause is invoked.  

The Competition Commission of India provides the confidentiality ring. However before doing so it provides a reasonable opportunity to the informant to represent its case before the Commission. 

The onus is on the informant to submit reasons to become a provider of confidential information, and seek confidentiality. The defendant has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the information is confidential.  

What are some associated issues? 

It can lead to prejudice against one agency. It happens if the informant seeks additional documents.  

In confidentiality related issues, the CCI is bound to be questioned when redacted information is provided to the party. 

The usual ground for seeking confidential information protection is the defendant’s reputation. It can be indiscriminately used to subdue any counter that may arise from the informant. 

How has the CCI’s approach been different from the EU’s approach and why is it important? 

The Regulation 8 of the “Confidentiality Ring” Amendment has furthered the confidentiality ring law in India. 

The new amendment has declared informants not to be part of the ring. It will reject the informant’s right to know the information. This information is necessary to establish their claim. 

Now, the CCI has decided to establish a confidentiality ring to protect the documents of the defendant instead of informants. 

It will empower the CCI to further its suo motu investigation. It will add secrecy to cases of high-value disputes.  

The CCI has taken such a move so that none of the decisions can be challenged. It is because the protection provided to the informants, unfortunately, turns out to be to the advantage of the defendants.  

A north pole for science and technology

News: This is the birth centenary year of Dr. Y. Nayudamma, Padma Shri recipient, noted scientist, former Director of the Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai and former Director-General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).  

What are the serious issues in blindfolded pursuit and application of science and technology?

At present, the developmental strategies are based on modern scientific and technological advances.

Consequential application of S&T have been resulting in rapid resource depletion, and ecological imbalances and inequities. 

How has Dr. Nayudamma’s work been an effective agent of change? 

Dr. Nayudamma reshaping of leather industry: He was a renowned leather scientist. Due to his efforts and contributions, the leather products and leather industry have gained better public acceptance. Indian leather products are in great demand in international markets now. He improved the skills of various communities associated to the leather industry. He was clearly an agent of social change. 

The choice of technology should not be guided by ‘materialism and consumerism’. It should be based on spiritual pursuit for internal peace to live in harmony with society and nature. It can enable development that is in harmony with nature. This is rooted in Indian philosophy. 

He advocated for the empowerment of all sections of society. For this, he advocated a bank account for women. This is aimed to enable financial inclusion and empowerment of women. The Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is guided by this philosophy. 

He strongly advocated self-reliance in science and technology. This is also the essence of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. 

He advocated for all to live in dignity, have worth, equality of rights, better standards of life, security, etc. with the participation of all in national endeavours. This is the underlying principle of the philosophy of ‘Sab Ka Sath-Sab Ka Vikas-Sab Ka Prayas’. 

We are living in times when “knowledge is the real power”. It is the best resource for every individual. Therefore, we need to empower all with knowledge. It will enable a resolution of the problems of our nation collectively. 

He advocated education as a means to release the inner potential of all to make everyone self-reliant and self-confident. 

He believed individual flourishes only with a sense of community participation and in an environment of collective endeavour. It can be achieved with the spirit of nationalism 

He believed the environment was not a piece of real estate. It is a heritage which is a serious responsibility of all and to be held for future generations. 

Ways Forward 

India has been making concerted efforts to restore the pride of being a ‘Vishawaguru’. It requires streamlining our systems of education, modes of science and research. 

What is needed are alternative development models to ensure sustainable and harmonious development. 

Science and technology should be adapted to the people, instead of people having to adapt to science and technology.  

Science should emerge from the felt needs and concerns of the people. It should not be driven from the top.

Medicinal plants await good marketing

Context: Recently, the Ministry of AYUSH launched e-CHARAK, an electronic platform for interaction between various stakeholders in the medicinal plants sector. It will allow sale, purchase and sharing of material as well as know-how between different stakeholders. In this relation, medicinal plants sector has come under focus.   

Why medicinal plant cultivation has become a lucrative agribusiness in India? 

Increasing use of relatively safe and affordable plant-based remedies for common ailments.  

There has been burgeoning demand from the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and other industries. About 40% of pharmaceutical products are derived from plants and other natural substances. 

The cultivation of these plants doesn’t require much investment, or large landholdings.  

The cultivation of medicinal plants yields high returns.  

In addition, knowledge of the medicinal plant-specific agronomic practices is now readily available from various sources.  

Many public– and private-sector institutions are providing training in growing medicinal plants.  

The advent of contract farming in the medicinal plant sector has made it more lucrative. The growers have guaranteed buy-agreement of their entire produce at mutually agreed prices.  

Several farmers’ producer organisations (FPOs) and start-ups are now pioneer in this field. They have developed their own brands, exports curative herbs, their extracts, and other products.  

The international demand is growing. For example, India shipped Ayurvedic drugs, skincare products, and other herbal items to Europe and other developed countries. 

Worldwide, 80% people rely on plant-based home remedies for minor health issues and primary health care.  

The traditional health management systems like Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Siddha and Unani have become a regular part of the Indian health care regime.  

Where can India’s plant species having curative traits be found?  

The plant species can be found in the country across 15 well-defined agro-climatic zones. 

They are found in the Himalayas, Western Ghats, and regions unaffected by anthropogenic interventions, like parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.  

In addition, a large number of them are found in botanical gardens located in different phytogeographical regions.  

The natural reserves are being depleted. Therefore, the plants are being cultivated on agricultural fields. For example, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar are important producers of the medicinal plants in India.  

What are the weaknesses in the medicinal plant market? 

The marketing is the weakest link in the value chain of herbal farming. There is dominance of middlemen and lack of transparency in price discovery. 

More reform-oriented interventions are required to allow the medicinal plants sector to grow to its potential. 

Ways Forward 

The BSI, the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) and the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) are engaged in conserving and preserving medicinal plants. 

Many states possess ample potential for herbal farming. Their potential remains untapped. 

Focus on CPI inflation

News: In 2021 and 2022, the present inflation rate in developed markets is much higher (8.5% in the US). Therefore, the central banks of developed markets (DM) like the US Fed, or the European Central Bank, or the Bank of England — all of them have chosen inflation targeting.

It has generated debate on the choice of the monetary policy between controlling inflation versus controlling the exchange rate, including in the context of India.  

What are the two strategies of monetary policy for price control? 

(A) Exchange Rate management: There is a connection between the price stability and the exchange rate management. The stabilization of the exchange rate can stabilise domestic prices.  The exchange rate is largely determined by the government and not through market forces. It induced price stability. 

(B) Inflation Targeting  

How is monetary policy strategy with exchange rate management successful for price control? 

It would foster price stability. However, the exchange rate management works well where products have goods arbitrage. It induces a low tradeables inflation while importing. For example, the RBI did exchange rate management between 1983-2021 period.

It had benefit of stabilising the tradeables inflation.  

Why is Inflation Targeting being chosen as part of monetary policy nowadays? 

(A) The exchange rate management have a lot of weaknesses 

The monetary policy with exchange rate management does not work for a product where the product has a fair degree of import parity pricing.  

The monetary policy with exchange rate management works well for a small country like Singapore. In India, which is a continental economy, many prices are not made through goods arbitrage, and low tradeables inflation is less valuable. 

The monetary policy strategy based on exchange rate management is not optimal. It only stabilises the prices of tradeables. However, It ultimately harms growth and stability. For example, A great inflation began in India in 2006. It also resulted in a currency defence in 2013.  

It works when global inflation is under control. For example, in this situation, if the RBI stabilises the USD/INR, it can lead to import of low tradeables inflation into India.  

(B) Inflation Targeting can lead to several advantages 

The inflation targeting works well for Import parity pricing. The prices of most commodities having merely feasible goods arbitrage are controlled by import parity pricing.  

It also works for big sized economies like India. For example, India has chosen it in 2015 as India is a continental size economy.  

Therefore, monetary policy shifted to inflation targeting in February 2015. 

Ways Forward 

For other developed markets, getting inflation down to a target of 2% consumer price index (CPI) inflation will take time. 

The RBI can deliver a predictable 4% CPI inflation. It can lead to macroeconomic stability

A six-point agenda for India to raise its trade competitiveness

Context: India recently signed trade deals with Australia and UAE. Many more are in pipeline. Such deals are important as exports lead to higher growth.

In a white paper on ‘Building Competitiveness for Inclusive Growth’, CUTS International, Institute for Competitiveness and Institute for Studies in Industrial Development have outlined an action agenda for improving Indian competitiveness.

The article outlines six action points for raising India’s trade competitiveness.

What are the action points that can help raise India’s trade competitiveness?

1]. India needs better and higher investment in intangible assets such as health and education, accompanied by ‘future friendly’ skills building.

– States must be let to devise their own strategies. They must promote peoples-first public-private partnerships to raise funding to cover health, jobs and skills, and ensure efficient implementation in consultation with all stakeholders. It would also be good if states come together and establish their own association to exchange information on good practices and lessons learnt. This would give them a better sense of ownership. Similar bodies exist in other federal countries like the US, Nigeria and Australia.

– India must also focus on our third tier of governance, by empowering district administrations to realize the potential of its districts.

2]. Free trade agreements (FTAs) will help India’s industry to participate in supply chains. Hence, there is also a need for intra- and inter-sectoral firm-level cooperation and participation without violating the Competition Act.

– Our FTAs should complement production-linked incentive schemes so that the products whose manufacturing is incentivized domestically can compete at a global level.

– India also need to rethink our decision to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

3]. Promotion of a more fair competition by implementing the draft National Competition Policy.

– Among other things, the policy advocates a level-playing field for all actors, thus promoting economic democracy.

– It also encompasses Ease of Doing Business (EODB); i.e. removing entry barriers, for which the DPIIT has prepared a comparative index across states. Those that have done well on EODB are found to be creating more jobs.

– The only problem is that it doesn’t talk about running a business smoothly. The inspector raj continues in most areas. To counter this, India needs a strong anti-corruption law with provisions of disgorgement so that perpetrators can’t get away with ill-gotten wealth.

4]. Modernize and enhance the capacity of public institutions in India. Reports of past administrative reform commissions need to be looked into. The present government is already carrying out some administrative reforms, such as the lateral entry of experts. This needs to be expanded to cover lateral exits through rigorous periodic evaluations.

5]. A ‘whole of government’ approach, that is monitored by policy-coherence units in the offices of the Prime Minister and state chief ministers, is needed.

– Also, policies need to work together instead of against each other. For example, a lack of cohesion between our trade and industrial policies has often resulted in inverted duty structures. This is despite both being under one ministry.

– Simultaneously, the civil services’ tendency to draft new laws and rules and retain old ones needs to be checked through institutionalized regulatory impact assessments involving three tests: a) legality b) necessity, and c) proportionality. Only if they pass all these tests should they should be retained or introduced, else scrapped.

6]. India needs to move ahead with a shared vision, mutual learning and a single market. It must implement cooperative federalism in letter and spirit.

We need to work diligently so that our demographic dividend is not wasted.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Explained: What is parboiled rice, and why Center wants to stop purchasing it

Source: This post is based on the article “Explained: What is parboiled rice, and why Center wants to stop purchasing it” published in Indian Express on 18th April 2022.

What is the News?

Telangana Chief Minister has staged a dharna demanding a uniform paddy procurement policy. This protest came after the Center said it was stopping the purchase of excess Parboiled Rice of which Telangana is a major producer. 

What is Parboiled Rice?

The dictionary meaning of ‘parboil’ is ‘partly cooked by boiling’. Thus, the expression parboiled rice refers to rice that has been partially boiled at the paddy stage before milling. 

Parboiling of rice is not a new practice and has been followed in India since ancient times. 

However, there is no specific definition of parboiled rice by the Food Corporation of India or the Food Ministry.

Are all rice varieties suitable for parboiling?

Generally, all varieties can be processed into parboiled rice, but it is ideal to use long slender varieties to prevent breakage during milling. However, aromatic varieties should not be parboiled because the process can make them lose their aroma.

What are the benefits and disadvantages of parboiled rice?

Benefits of Parboiled Rice: 1) Parboiling makes rice tougher. This reduces the chances of the rice kernel breaking during milling, 2) Parboiling increases the nutrient value of the rice, 3) Parboiled rice has a higher resistance to insects and fungi and 4) Loss of B-vitamins is less in parboiled rice compared to that in raw rice.

Disadvantages of Parboiled Rice: a) The rice becomes darker and may smell unpleasant due to prolonged soaking, b) Parboiled rice takes more time to cook to the same degree of softness than raw rice and c) Setting up a parboiling rice milling unit requires a higher investment than a raw rice milling unit.

About the demand for Parboiled Rice

The Food Ministry pegs the parboiled rice demand at 20 LMT per annum for distribution under the National Food Security Act, 2013.

However, the demand for parboiled rice from Telangana has come down in recent years as the production in parboiled rice-consuming states such as Jharkhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu has increased.

Union Minister inaugurates 40th ‘Hunar Haat’ in Mumbai

Source: This post is based on the article “Union Minister inaugurates 40th ‘Hunar Haat’ in Mumbai” published in PIB on 17th April 2022.

What is the News?

Union Minister of Minority Affairs inaugurated the 40th edition of the ‘Hunar Haat’ in Mumbai.

What is Hunar Haat?

Organized by: Ministry of Minority Affairs under USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills & Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development) scheme.

Purpose: It is an exhibition of handicrafts and traditional products made by artisans from minority communities.

Aim: To provide exposure and employment opportunities to various artisans, craftsmen and traditional culinary experts to display their handmade and indigenous products.

Significance: Hunar Haat has proved to be immensely beneficial and encouraging for artisans and craftsmen as lakhs of people visit the “Hunar Haat” and purchase indigenous handmade products of artisans on a large scale.

What is the USTTAD Scheme?

Launched by: Ministry of Minority Affairs in 2015

Type: It is a 100% Central sector scheme.

Aim: To preserve the rich heritage of traditional arts/crafts of minorities.

Objectives: 1) To build capacity and upgrade the traditional skills of master craftsmen/artisans, 2) To document identified traditional arts/crafts of minorities, 3) To train minority youths in various identified traditional arts/crafts and 4) To develop national and international market linkages.

South Asia Economic Focus: World bank cuts India growth forecast on Ukraine crisis

Source: This post is based on the article “World bank cuts India growth forecast on Ukraine crisis” published in Indian Express on 13th April 2022.

What is the News?

The World Bank has released its bi-annual report titled “South Asia Economic Focus”. The report analyzes the economic impact on South Asia of the war in Ukraine, presents growth forecasts and concludes that reshaping economies goes hand in hand with reshaping norms.

What are the key findings of the South Asia Economic Focus?

GDP Estimates: Economic growth in southern Asia will be slower than previously projected due to the impacts of the war in Ukraine.

Growth: It projects the region to grow by 6.6% in 2022 and by 6.3% in 2023. The 2022 forecast has been revised downward by a 1% point.

Gender Equality: The South Asian region lags in attitudes towards gender equality. Social norms are even more traditional than people’s individual attitudes.

Forecast on India: The World Bank has lowered India’s growth to 8% from the previous estimate of 8.7% for the current fiscal year 2022-23.

Why were India’s growth estimates lowered?

India’s growth estimates were reduced due to:

-Worsening supply chain and rising inflation risks caused by the Ukraine crisis.

-Household consumption is constrained by the incomplete recovery of the labour market from the pandemic and inflationary pressures.

-High oil and food prices caused by the war in Ukraine will have a strong negative impact on people’s real income.

What are the suggestions given by the report?

Firstly, Governments need to carefully plan monetary and fiscal policies to counter external shocks and protect the vulnerable.

Secondly, Countries need to implement interventions that tackle barriers to women’s economic participation, including norms that are biased against women.

Thirdly, countries should steer away from inefficient fuel subsidies that tend to benefit wealthier households and deplete public resources.

Lastly, countries should also accelerate the transition to a low-carbon development path and move towards a greener economy to reduce reliance on fuel imports.

The functioning of the Enforcement Directorate

Source: This post is based on the article “The functioning of the Enforcement Directorate” published in The Hindu on 18th April 2022.

What is the News?

The Enforcement Directorate(ED) has been in the news for summoning people for possible money laundering cases.

What is the Enforcement Directorate(ED)?

Read here about ED

How did the ED get powers under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)? 

The PMLA Act was brought in to prevent the parking of money outside India and to trace out the layering and the trail of money.  The ED got its power to investigate these crimes under Sections 48 and 49 of the PMLA Act.

When does the ED step in when a crime is committed? 

Whenever any offence is registered by a local police station, which has generated proceeds of crime over and above ₹1 crore, the investigating police officer forwards the details to the ED.

Powers of ED under PMLA Act

– The ED carries out search (property) and seizure (money/documents) after it has decided that the money has been laundered. On the basis of that, the authorities will decide if the arrest is needed or not.

– ED can also directly carry out search and seizure without calling the person for questioning. It is not necessary to summon the person first and then start with the search and seizure. 

– If the person is arrested, the ED gets 60 days to file the prosecution complaint (chargesheet) as the punishment under PMLA doesn’t go beyond seven years.

– If no one is arrested and only the property is attached, then the prosecution complaint along with the attachment order is to be submitted before the adjudicating authority within 60 days.

Can ED investigate cases of money laundering retrospectively?

If an ill-gotten property is acquired before the year 2005 (when the PMLA law was brought in) and disposed off, then there is no case under PMLA. 

But if proceeds of the crime were possessed before 2005, kept in cold storage and used after 2005 by buying properties, the colour of the money is still black then the person is liable to be prosecuted under PMLA. 

Centre extends tenure of green permits

Source: This post is based on the article “Centre extends tenure of green permits” published in The Hindu on 17th April 2022.

What is the News?

The Union Environment Ministry has extended the tenure of Environmental Clearances(EC) granted for existing or new projects in several sectors.

What is Environmental Clearance(EC)?

Environmental Clearance(EC) is a process that is mandatory for projects that are beyond a certain size.

Purpose: To assess the impact of the planned project on the environment and people and to try to abate/minimize the same.

Process: It involves an environmental impact assessment of a potential project and sometimes public hearings involving the local people who might be affected by the project.

What is the issue with the Environment Clearance(EC) process currently?

One of the conditions of an EC is that a project must begin construction in the period that it has been granted an EC and if unable, a fresh process must begin.

However, due to multiple factors like delays in forest clearance, land acquisition, local issues, rehabilitation and resettlement and other factors which are often beyond the control of project proponents, the projects are delayed. This leads to projects being financially unviable.

What has the Union Environment Ministry done to overcome this issue? 

The Environment Ministry has extended the tenure of environmental clearances(EC) granted for existing or new projects in several sectors such as: 

– EC for river valley projects will now have a 13-year validity.

– EC for nuclear power projects or those involving the processing of nuclear fuel will now have a 15-year validity.

– Mining leases are granted for a period of 50 years but the EC is valid for 30 years.

– Projects and activities other than the mining and river valley projects will have their EC valid for 10 years.

All we know about the Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet, the largest one ever seen

Source: This post is based on the article “All we know about the Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet, the largest one ever seen” published in The Hindu on 15th April 2022.

What is the News?

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s(NASA) Hubble Space Telescope has confirmed that the huge Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet is indeed the largest icy comet nucleus ever seen by astronomers.

Note: Comets are cosmic snowballs of frozen gases, rock and dust that orbit the Sun.

What is Bernardinelli-Bernstein?

It is the largest icy comet nucleus ever seen by astronomers. It is also called the C/2014 UN271.

Discovered by: It was discovered by astronomers Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein in archival images from the Dark Energy Survey at an astronomical observatory in Chile. It was discovered in 2010 and has been intensively studied since then.

Origin: The comet has been travelling towards the sun for over a million years, and it is believed to have originated in the Oort Cloud.

Note: Oort Cloud is a distant region of the solar system that is predicted to be the source of most comets. However, the Oort Cloud is still only a theoretical concept.

Features of Bernardinelli-Bernstein Comet

Diameter: It has an estimated diameter of almost 129 kilometres.

Nucleus: The nucleus of the comet is around 50 times larger than that of most known comets, and its mass is estimated to be around 500 trillion tonnes.

Temperature: It has an estimated temperature of minus 348 degrees Fahrenheit. This is warm enough to sublimate carbon monoxide (CO) from the surface to produce the dusty coma.

InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer: FDA authorizes first breath test for Covid

ource: This post is based on the article “FDA authorizes first breath test for Covid” published in The Hindu on 16th April 2022.

What is the News?

The US Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorization for the Covid-19 test named InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer.

What is InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer?

It is the first testing device that can detect COVID-19 in the breath samples of humans.

How does the test device work?

The device uses a technique called gas chromatography gas mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) to separate and identify chemical mixtures and rapidly detect five Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in exhaled breath. 

When the device detects the presence of VOC markers of SARS-CoV-2, a presumptive (unconfirmed) positive test result is returned and should be confirmed with a molecular test.

Significance of this device

Firstly, this device is about the size of a piece of carry-on luggage and can be used in doctor’s offices, hospitals and mobile testing sites.

Secondly, the device can provide results in less than three minutes.

Bihar sends fresh proposal seeking UNESCO’s heritage tag for 2,500-yr-old ‘Cyclopean wall’

Source: This post is based on the article “Bihar sends fresh proposal seeking UNESCO’s heritage tag for 2,500-yr-old ‘Cyclopean wall’” published in Indian Express on 15th April 2022.

What is the News?

The Bihar government has sent a fresh proposal to the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI) to get the Cyclopean wall listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Note: Bihar is currently home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites namely: 1) Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda and 2) Mahabodhi temple of Bodhgaya.

What is the Cyclopean Wall of Rajgir?

Cyclopean Wall is a 40 km long wall of stone built in Rajgir, Bihar.

Purpose: It was built to encircle the ancient city of Rajgir to protect it from external enemies and invaders.

Built by: It is believed to have been built in the pre-Mauryan era (before the 3rd century BC) using massive undressed stones.

Significance: The walls are mentioned in the Buddhist works. Moreover, the wall is already a Nationally protected monument under the ASI.

Why should it be included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

It is among the oldest examples of cyclopean masonry in the world.

It is believed that the Cyclopean Wall at Rajgir is similar to “Frontiers of the Roman Empire” that runs through Germany, the UK and Northern Ireland which was already included on UNESCO’s world heritage list in 1987.

Explained: What is the ‘Tree City of the World’ tag that Mumbai, Hyderabad have been awarded?

Source: This post is based on the article “Explained: What is the ‘Tree City of the World’ tag that Mumbai, Hyderabad have been awarded?” published in Firstpost on 13th April 2022.

What is the News?

Mumbai and Hyderabad have been recognised as ‘2021 Tree City of the World’ by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization(UN-FAO) and Arbor Day Foundation.

Note: Hyderabad and Mumbai are recognised alongside 136 other cities from 21 countries. While Mumbai has made the list for the first time, Hyderabad has been featured on the list for the second consecutive year.

What is the Tree City of the World?

Started by: United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) and the American non-profit organization Arbor Day Foundation.

Purpose: It is an international effort to recognise cities and towns committed to ensuring that their urban forests and trees are properly maintained, sustainably managed, and duly celebrated.

Criteria: ​​ To receive recognition, a town or city must meet five core standards:

Establish Responsibility: The city must have a written statement by city leaders. It must clearly delegate responsibility for the care of trees within its municipal boundary to either a staff member, a city department, or a group of citizens—called a Tree Board.

Set the Rules: The city should have a law or an official policy that governs the management of forests and trees.

Know What You Have: The city should have an updated inventory or assessment of the local tree resource. It will be helpful in effective long-term planning for planting, care, and removal of city trees.

Allocate the Resources: The city must have a dedicated annual budget for the implementation of the tree management plan.

Celebrate Achievements: The city holds an annual celebration of trees. It will raise awareness among residents, citizens and staff members who carry out the city tree programme.