Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Misogyny in the matrimonial market: Data shows Indian men prefer wives without jobs

GS Paper 2

• For judiciary, the red lines are bright and clear
• India’s semiconductor mission might need a compass
• Lahore Lesson – If Pak HC can scrap sedition law, surely SC can do it

GS Paper 3

• The focus of the new policy on reducing points of friction across the system is unmistakable
• Global warming will cause conditions beyond human tolerance — this will impact homes too
• Human Genome Editing: Scientists Vs Rogues

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Foreign Trade Policy 2023 announced
• Assamese Gamosa: How a ‘hybrid’ gamosa sparked protests across Assam
• U.S. NATO envoy says alliance open to deepening ties with India
• Scheme for refugees from Pakistan hits rough patch
• Atal Innovation Mission Launches Three Innovative Resources to Empower India’s Young Minds
• Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP): U.K. to join Asia-Pacific trade treaty

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Misogyny in the matrimonial market: Data shows Indian men prefer wives without jobs

News– A recent study we carried out on a large matrimonial website to understand the marital preferences of men.

What are the main findings of a survey of the matrimonial websites?

Female profiles who were employed received nearly 15% fewer responses from male relative to those who were not working. The preference for non-working female partners holds across all education groups of female profiles.

Moreover, women employed in “masculine” occupations were 3% less likely to receive responses compared to women employed in “feminine” occupations.

A woman in a “masculine” job who stated a preference to continue to work after marriage was less likely to generate male interest, relative to a woman in a “feminine” job who preferred to continue working.

Profiles of working women generated less interest from men even when their caste, education levels and family incomes matched those of the men.

Further, the level of discrimination against working women was higher by malewith lower education levels.

How does the working status of a married woman have an impact on domestic work performed by women?

In urban India, married women spend almost 7.5 times more time on domestic work as compared to married men. As per Time Use Survey 2019; women in north India spend more time on domestic work relative to women in the south.

Women who are not working spend much more time on domestic work. It is more than women in “feminine” occupations and much more than those in “masculine” fields. These findings suggest that male-dominated occupations may be characterised by more inflexible working schedules.

Other evidence suggests that women in male-dominated occupations may even be considered “sexually impure” due to greater interactions with men at work.

What are the socio-economic impacts of marriage preferences?

The marriage preferences are likely to contribute to India’s persistently low female labour force participation and high levels of occupational segregation by gender.

This segregation may also perpetuate the gender gap in earnings, because “feminine” occupations pay 30% lower daily wages on average than  “masculine” occupations.

GS Paper 2

For judiciary, the red lines are bright and clear

News–  Over the last few years, issues relating to tradition, culture and society have come before the constitutional courts of the country in the form of public interest litigation.

What are some facts about doctrine of basic structure and judicial review?

One of the most fundamental principles of constitutional morality is that every organ should look at its jurisdiction to discharge a particular role. It is to preserve the sanctity of the doctrine of separation of powers.

The doctrine is part of the basic structure of the Constitution. It is meant to preserve the respective power of the legislature, executive and judiciary.

The judiciary has the power of review over the other two organs. But, such power has limitations which must respect the institutional independence and competence of such organs.

The power of judicial review is not judicial supervision or superintendence over the legislature or executive. This position is especially applicable in matters of policy where domain expertise is required. This is also the case with societal experimentation where there is a need for a process of consultation between the electorate and the elected.

The doctrine of separation of power facilitates participative democracy in letter and spirit. It facilitates the right of the public to give effect to its will through the legislature.

Even if the decision of the majority is flawed, it cannot be reviewed by the judiciary except on the grounds of constitutionality.

What should be the way forward for the judiciary?

Judicial wisdom should not replace the will of the majority. The Constitution does not envisage replacing democracy with judicial paternalism.

The Constitution recognises that sometimes a good policy decision may be unconstitutional, and a bad policy decision may be constitutional. Only unconstitutionality is the ground for the intervention of the judiciary.

The judiciary should dissuade public interest litigants and civil society groups from seeking its intervention by crossing constitutional limits. In a democracy, those who wish to convince the legislature of their position must engage with societal and legislative stakeholders to put across their point of view.

There do exist areas where both the legislature and executive are not taking decisions because of their vested interests. It forces the affected parties to seek judicial remedy. In such instances, the Supreme Court may invoke its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to address an exigency until the legislature brings in a law on the subject. An example of this is the Vishakha guidelines.

The judiciary cannot go for judicial review merely because the judiciary or some members of the judiciary disagree with the social premise underlying the law. State interest can not be questioned based on judicial disagreement with the legislative or executive position.

Judicial disagreement with legislative policy is not proof of unconstitutionality. Only the constitution is the measure to assess constitutionality.

Judiciary should not express its opinion on matters of policy where it has no jurisdiction, with the intention of shaping public opinion or to put pressure on the other organs. It can have an impact on the public discourse.

The Constitution permits the judiciary to perform an advisory role in very limited circumstances and that too only when sought for. These red lines drawn by the Constitution cannot be breached by any constitutional Court.

India’s semiconductor mission might need a compass

News– The United States Department of Commerce and its Indian counterpart have recently concluded a memorandum of understanding in March 2023 to ensure that subsidies by each country does not impact India’s semiconductor mission.

What are issues with existing institutional structure for semiconductor manufacturing in India?

The Semi­ Conductor Laboratory (SCL) was set up in Mohali in 1983 by the then central government, with the vision of creating an electronics ecosystem in India.

However, the opening up of markets for consumer goods in 1991 and a fire that broke out in 1989 at the SCL, dashed these hopes.

The facility has not been successful in creating a domestic semiconductor ecosystem.

What is the way forward for the semiconductor mission of India?

The institutional framework already exists. SCL has been transferred back to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY), as part of the new semiconductor policy announced in December 2021. However, no joint venture partner has been found.

During this period, the focus at MeITY seems aimed at attracting Intel into India to set up a fab. However, Intel primarily operates at <22nm node and 300mm. It requires over $10 billion in upgrade cost to the SCL.

An alternate approach could be to leverage human and capital assets at the SCL to build on existing base in a targeted manner, by taking advantage of recent technological breakthroughs in a class of semiconductors that do not need advanced lithography equipment.

The segment of >180 nm node involves mixed signal analog, wide bandgap (GaN, GaAs, Silicon Carbide) for RF and power markets leveraging existing lithography capability already in place at the SCL.

In this scenario, an investment of $50­-$100 million may result in the development of Indian solutions for automotive electronics, PV­Inverters, 5G infra­power amplifiers, railway electronics.

However, the upgrade has to be backed by subsidies aimed at fabless design houses with proven design willing to fabricate at the SCL in the 180 nm+ node.

The subsidies have to be aimed at global design companies with products aimed at India­ specific markets such as motor drives for BLDC fans or e­bike chargers.

The recent efforts by the India Semiconductor Mission to open up subsidies to global small andmedium sized enterprises in the upstream supply chain are welcome. Existing facilities like the SCL will benefit from this. But this should be coupled with more incentives.

The SCL needs a full time director with field experience rather than a career scientist from the Department of Space.

Lahore Lesson – If Pak HC can scrap sedition law, surely SC can do it

News: Recently, Lahore High Court has scrapped Pakistan’s sedition law, calling it inconsistent with the country’s constitution. The progressive move should inspire removing sedition in India also.

What is Sedition Law?

About the history of Section 124-A

About sedition laws in India and Pakistan

The sedition law is a legacy of the colonial penal code for the subcontinent. For example, in the India Penal Code 1860 Section 124A, the section on sedition, was added as an amendment in 1870.

From the very start, Section 124A was used against anti-colonial voices against whom no other charges could be slapped.

Post Independence, this law has been sometimes used to intimidate and silence critics including the opposition, journalists, human rights activists, and even student protesters.

What are the key judgments under the Sedition Law after Independence?

What should be done?

In 2022, the Indian Supreme Court granted the Centre additional time to review the sedition law, telling the Centre to not register fresh FIRs under Section 124A.

Indian government can also consider removing the sedition law in India. As it is often used to punish wrong people for the wrong reasons.

GS Paper 3

The focus of the new policy on reducing points of friction across the system is unmistakable

News– Recently, the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 was unveiled by the Union government.

What are the aims of the new trade policy?

Shift from an incentive to a tax remission-based regime.

Improve the ease of doing business.

Promote exports through collaborations.

Focus on emerging areas.

The government has articulated the goal of achieving $2 trillion in export of goods and services by 2030.

What are the focus areas of the new policy?

The focus of the new policy is on reducing points of friction across the system. The measures focus on providing automatic approvals for various permissions.

For instance, the processing time for revalidation of various authorisations, which currently ranges from three days to one month, is expected to be brought down to one day.

Facilitation of e-commerce exports, widening the basket covered under RODTEP are also the focus areas.

Other thrust areas of the policy are steps being taken to boost manufacturing, rationalising the thresholds for recognition of exporters, merchanting trade reform, and greater use of the rupee in international trade.

Further, a one-time amnesty scheme has been introduced that aims at faster resolution of trade disputes.

What is the way forward for better implementation of the policy?

India accounts for a minuscule portion of global trade. Its share in global merchandise exports stands at around 1.8%, while that in services is roughly 4%. There is considerable scope for improvement for the country on this count.

The new policy needs to be supplemented with other measures to boost the country’s trade performance. These range from lowering import tariffs and ensuring a competitive exchange rate to signing broader and deeper free trade agreements.

Global warming will cause conditions beyond human tolerance — this will impact homes too

News: The article discusses the impact of climate change on homes.

What are some of the impacts of climate change on homes?

Indoor house temperature is often two to three degrees below the outside temperature, especially in tropical countries.

In the coming future, the indoor temperature is expected to rise to 36 to 38 degrees which is beyond human tolerance levels.

Further, the designs used for building homes are neither climate resilient nor good for health.

When building homes, high density and the number of units are preferred over the health advantages associated with climate adaptive building.

How can houses become climate resilient?

In warmer countries like India, natural ventilation can play a key role because there isn’t a sharp difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures.

Roshan Daans, the traditional windows can also reduce heat slowly and intelligently.

Vertical greening is also beneficial; however, it should not be used in places with high humidity.

People also install exhaust fans on windows, leaving little space for ventilation. Hence, buoyancy driven ventilation will be needed to lower heat.

It is also necessary to understand local climatic conditions before building houses. For example, tropical nations mustn’t mimic the tall glass building model which comes from very different climatic zones.

Further, factors like ease of using the technology, accessibility, awareness of co-benefits, affordable maintenance, etc. are responsible for adopting any climate resilient technology at homes.

However, any such technology would also require social acceptance.

Why is social acceptance necessary for adopting climate resilient technology at homes?

As per a study, it was found that women in India are reluctant to use air conditioners for themselves. In India, women didn’t take many energy decisions independently, rather they are mostly dependent on males of their families.

It was also found that despite temperatures over 30 degrees, women were not using air conditioners for themselves. Women suffer more than males from heat, which has a negative impact on their health and well-being.

Thus, approval across all genders and social classes is required for a climate resilient technology to succeed in the market.

What can be the way ahead?

Sustainability 1.0 gave materials which are low carbon value chain systems. But Sustainability 2.0 means thinking about people-centric metrices like the acceptability indices of technology.

Thus, engineers involved in developing such a kind of technology should also study the interaction between technology and society and understand people’s aspirations and constraints.

It will enable industry to help communities navigate climate change better within their homes.

Human Genome Editing: Scientists Vs Rogues

News: The Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing was held in London last month.

What are the excerpts of the summit?

Scientists found that changing genes in some of the cells of an existing person does not impact their heritable cells. Gene editing method like CRISPR is also being used by scientists to cure sickle cell disease.

However, extremely high costs and infrastructure needs of gene therapy treatments are not manageable for a vast majority of either patients or healthcare systems.

CRISPR has also been used in China to alter the embryos (created through IVF) of twin girls to try to make them resistant to HIV in 2018.

However, concerns remain over funding and monitoring of gene therapy, especially in a country like China.

There was news of efforts going in China to get access to cutting-edge western genomic and biotech ecosystems through academic espionage and early-stage investment.

There were also concerns over carrying gene therapies in China in the absence of scientific public documentation as it may have a catastrophic impact on humanity, as was seen in the case Covid-19.

Must Read: Gene Therapy: Approaches, Benefits and Concerns – Explained

What lies ahead for India in genome editing technology?

Developing Gene therapy technologies in India is not only about cost ownership and access but also the processes of knowledge production and knowledge produced.

Therefore, genome editing research reaching its full therapeutic potential for Indians will need science in India to step up.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Foreign Trade Policy 2023 announced

Source: The post is based on the following articles

• “Foreign Trade Policy 2023 announced” published in PIB on 31st March 2023
• “India aims for $2 tn in exports by 2030” published in Livemint on 1st April 2023
• “Foreign Trade Policy 2023 announced” published in PIB on 1st April 2023
• “Government vows swifter nod for exporters” and “FTP expands export promotion scheme to include PM MITRA” published in PIB on 1st April 2023 

What is the News?

The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry has launched the Foreign Trade Policy 2023.

What is Foreign Trade Policy 2023?

Foreign Trade Policy (2023) is a policy document which is based on continuity of time-tested schemes facilitating exports as well as a document which is nimble and responsive to the requirements of trade. It is based on principles of ‘trust’ and ‘partnership’ with exporters.

The policy is based on these 4 pillars: 1) Incentive to Remission, 2) Export promotion through collaboration – Exporters, States, Districts, Indian Missions, 3) Ease of doing business, reduction in transaction cost and e-initiatives and 4) Emerging Areas – E-Commerce Developing Districts as Export Hubs and streamlining SCOMET policy.

This policy comes after much delay as the last Foreign Trade Policy effective from 2015-20 saw four extensions amid major global supply chain disruptions such as covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war.

What are the key features of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023?

Process Re-Engineering and Automation: The policy emphasizes export promotion and development, moving away from an incentive regime to a regime which is facilitating, based on technology interface and principles of collaboration.

– Reduction in fee structures and IT-based schemes will make it easier for MSMEs and others to access export benefits.

– Duty exemption schemes for export production will now be implemented through Regional Offices in a rule-based IT system environment, eliminating the need for manual interface.

Towns of Export Excellence: Four new towns, namely Faridabad, Mirzapur, Moradabad, and Varanasi, have been designated as Towns of Export Excellence (TEE) in addition to the existing 39 towns.

– The TEEs will have priority access to export promotion funds under the Market Access Initiative (MAI) scheme.

– It will also be able to avail Common Service Provider (CSP) benefits for export fulfillment under the Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) Scheme.

Recognition of Exporters: Exporter firms recognized with ‘status’ based on export performance will now be partners in capacity-building initiatives on a best-endeavour basis.

– 2-star and above status holders would be encouraged to provide trade-related training based on a model curriculum to interested individuals.

Promoting Export from the Districts: The FTP aims at building partnerships with State governments and taking forward the Districts as Export Hubs (DEH) initiative.

– This would promote exports at the district level and accelerate the development of the grassroots trade ecosystem.

Streamlining SCOMET Policy: India is placing more emphasis on the “export control” regime as its integration with export control regime countries strengthens.

– There is a wider outreach and understanding of SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies) among stakeholders.

Facilitating E-Commerce Exports: E-commerce exports are a promising category that requires distinct policy interventions from traditional offline trade.

– Various estimates suggest India’s e-commerce export potential in the range of $200 to $300 billion by 2030.

– FTP 2023 outlines the intent and roadmap for establishing e-commerce hubs and related elements.

Facilitation under Advance authorization Scheme: Advance authorization Scheme accessed by Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) units provides duty-free import of raw materials for manufacturing export items.

– Based on interactions with industry and Export Promotion councils, certain facilitation provisions have been added in the FTP 2023.

Amnesty Scheme: Government is strongly committed to reducing litigation and fostering trust-based relationships to help alleviate the issues faced by exporters.

– In line with “Vivaad se Vishwaas” initiative, which sought to settle tax disputes amicably, the government is introducing a special one-time Amnesty Scheme under the FTP 2023 to address default on Export Obligations.

– This scheme is intended to provide relief to exporters who have been unable to meet their obligations under EPCG and Advance Authorizations.

Assamese Gamosa: How a ‘hybrid’ gamosa sparked protests across Assam

Source: The post is based on the article “How a ‘hybrid’ gamosa sparked protests across Assam” published in Indian Express on 1st April 2023

What is the News?

A newly formed Bangla Sahitya Sabha Assam (BSSA) used a hybrid creation — an Assamese gamosa and a Bengali gamcha, each cut in half and sewn together — to felicitate guests at a function.

Due to this, protests broke out in different parts of the state, particularly by Assam nationalist organizations and student groups, claiming that this creation was an insult to the Assamese gamosa.

What is Assamese Gamosa?

Assamese Gamosa/Gamusa or Gamucha is one of the most recognisable cultural symbols of Assam.

Features: It is a white rectangular piece of cloth with embroidered red borders.

– The red border is called the “anchu” and is believed to be a sign of Ahom strength. “Anchu” was derived from a certain red flower which was also known as “anchu”.

Made up of: While most Gamosas are made of cotton, few utilized in special occasions are made from Silk too.

Uses: It is mostly used as an article presented to guests, elders, family or friends on special occasions as a sign of respect. No important ceremony or event is complete without the Gamosa.

– It also has a special relationship with the Vaishnavite culture in Assam. The axon, the main place of worship, is considered incomplete without one.

GI Tag: Assamese Gamosa received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2022.

U.S. NATO envoy says alliance open to deepening ties with India

Source: The post is based on the article “U.S. NATO envoy says alliance open to deepening ties with India” published in The Hindu on 1st April 2023

What is the News?

A leading U.S. official has said the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is “open” to deepening ties with India. 

What is NATO?

Click Here to read

What did the US official say about NATO’s ties with India?

A US official has said that the NATO alliance is “open to more engagement” with India. 

Some informal exchanges have taken place between some NATO and Indian officials on the sidelines of the annual Raisina Dialogue in Delhi.

NATO currently has 40 different partners around the world. The NATO foreign ministerial meeting will take place in Brussels in April 2023, and it has invited Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan to attend it. 

The four countries of the Indo-Pacific region have formal partnerships with the mega alliance. 

What is the significance of this statement?

These remarks come at a time when major geopolitical changes have been seen in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Chinese aggressive actions from ASEAN to India. 

Russia has blamed the current Ukraine conflict on the expansion of NATO, something that has been dismissed by the member countries of the alliance.

Scheme for refugees from Pakistan hits rough patch

Source: The post is based on the article “Scheme for refugees from Pakistan hits rough patch” published in The Hindu on 1st April 2023

What is the News?

A Central government scheme to provide financial assistance to over 5,000 Hindu and Sikh families who migrated to India from Pakistan’s West Punjab after the 1947 partition, has hit a rough patch.

About the Scheme for refugees from Pakistan

Launched in: 2018

Aim: To provide financial assistance of ₹5.5 lahks per family to over 5,000 Hindu and Sikh families who migrated to India from Pakistan’s West Punjab after the 1947 partition.

Duration of the scheme: The scheme has been extended till March 31, 2024.

What are the obstacles faced by the scheme?

Less claims settled: Of the 5,764 eligible families, claims have been settled for only 903 families so far.

– Several claims could not be processed, as the individuals were not able to produce original documents such as refugee cards, when they entered India from Pakistan’s Sialkot in 1947.

Corruption: The entire scheme was mired in corruption and the revenue officials were demanding bribes before clearing the files.

Atal Innovation Mission Launches Three Innovative Resources to Empower India’s Young Minds

Source: The post is based on the article “Atal Innovation Mission Launches Three Innovative Resources to Empower India’s Young Minds” published in PIB on 31st March 2023

What is the News?

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog has launched three new resources aimed at fostering innovation and creativity among India’s youth.

What are the three new resources launched under Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)?

ATL Tinkering Curriculum: It is a structured learning pathway designed to help students develop and hone their innovation skills.

The curriculum has been developed in collaboration with Makerghat and covers a wide range of concepts, from basic electronics and mechanics to cutting-edge technologies such as 3D printing and the Internet of Things.

With this curriculum, students will be encouraged to identify and design creative solutions to everyday problems through hands-on, experiential learning.

Equipment Manual: It provides comprehensive guidance on the equipment provided in the Atal Tinkering Labs in schools across the country. 

The manual contains detailed information about each equipment and tool, including the specifications, applications, and examples of projects that can be built using them. 

It is a valuable resource for anyone looking to explore the possibilities of innovation and problem-solving.

Calendar of Activities for 2023-24: It outlines a year-long schedule of events, workshops, and competitions aimed at promoting innovation and entrepreneurship among students. 

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP): U.K. to join Asia-Pacific trade treaty

Source: The post is based on the article “U.K. to join Asia-Pacific trade treaty” published in The Hindu on 1st April 2023

What is the News?

The UK has agreed to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

What is the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)?

The CPTPP is a free trade agreement(FTA) between 11 countries: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam. It was signed in 2018 in Santiago, Chile.

The agreement evolved from the Trans-Pacific Partnership(TPP) which was never ratified due to the withdrawal of the United States.

The UK will become the 12th member, and the first to join the partnership since its inception.

What are the benefits to the UK of joining CPTPP?

Economic benefits: British exports to CPTPP countries were worth 60.5 billion pounds in the twelve months to end-Sept. 2022. Membership of the grouping will add another 1.8 billion pounds each year in the long run, and possibly more if other countries join.

Gateway to Indo-Pacific: The deal was a “gateway” to the Indo-Pacific region which would account for a majority (54%) of global economic growth in the future. The U.K. is currently also negotiating a “free trade” deal with India.

Geopolitical benefits: the UK will get a veto on whether China joins the treaty. China has applied to become a member of the bloc in September 2021.