Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Make In India. Indians Need It

GS Paper 2

• Equality and justice, for and beyond queer and trans community
• Invented names: On India’s response to China’s fresh attempt to lay claim over parts of Arunachal Pradesh

GS Paper 3

• Our K-shaped recovery is a story that adds up
• A new economics for a new world
• In controlled digital lending, the issue of public interest in controlled digital lending, the issue of public interest
• Foreign Trade Policy 2023: Old policy for new world

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• India Justice Report 2022 | Judge vacancies remain endemic
• Lokpal disposed of 68% corruption complaints against public servants without any action: Parliamentary panel report
• What was the U.N. water conference and what happened there?
• More than 90% of the world’s salt marshes may soon succumb to sea level rise: Study
• PM holds talks with Bhutan King; focus on bilateral ties, issues of national interest
• National Medical Council issues guidelines on professional responsibilities of students, teachers
• India seeks information from USFDA/CDC on alleged contamination of eye drops
• Chhattisgarh’s Nagri Dubraj rice variety gets geographical indication tag
• More than 90% of the world’s salt marshes may soon succumb to sea level rise: Study
• Kathua’s ‘Basohli Painting’ gets GI tag
• Prosopis chilensis: Triple trouble for Gulf of Mannar islands, study finds
• Competition Amendment Bill, 2023: Making sense of the changes in competition law

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Make In India. Indians Need It

News: The UN has projected that India would overtake China as the most populous country during April. This has led to debate over the benefits of high demographic dividend.

How can India utilize its demographic dividend?

India’s fertility rate has declined to replacement level last year. It has a median age of 28 years, significantly lower than 38 in the United States and 39 in China.

Hence, India can have the largest workforce in the world for at least the next 25 years. However, India can only materialize if it is able to generate jobs for the millions of youths.

According to the McKinsey Global Institute 2020 report, India needs to create at least 90 million new non-farm jobs to accommodate fresh entrants into the labor force by 2030.

Must Read: Reaping India’s demographic dividend

What is the present situation of unemployment in India?

According to the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy, the unemployment rate in March was 7.8%.

This is an underestimate because of the huge ‘disguised unemployment’. People who are involved in agriculture and other informal sectors on low wages are also counted as fully employed.

Further, the female labour force participation rate in India is not only low compared to other South Asian economies but is declining.

Moreover, it has become common in India for post graduates to apply for low-level government jobs. This highlights the quality of education and the problem of employment in India.

How can jobs be created and what are the challenges?

There is a misconception that the software industry as a service provider has been a big job creator. In reality, the large majority of jobs created in the services sector have been the low wage, low productivity type in the informal sector.

Further, there are views that India should focus on the services sector because the demand for services will grow as aging populations in rich countries will consume more services than goods.

However, along with skilling its labour force, India needs to focus on the growth of its manufacturing industry. It has the potential to meet the job challenge and create millions of jobs for youths.

In this regard, the government’s ‘Make in India’ campaign is the hope and expectation that India can replicate the China model of export to the rich world.

However, the development of robotics and machine learning are taking away jobs in the manufacturing sector and India is also looking for friend-shoring and reshoring of production.

Must Read: At the centre of job creation

What lies ahead?

India imports goods worth over $100 billion annually from China. If even half of this can be made at home by productivity improvement, it will mean millions of jobs.

Therefore, India should look forward to expand its manufacturing sector to reap the benefits of demographic dividend.

GS Paper 2

Equality and justice, for and beyond queer and trans community

News– The article deals with issues of equality and justice for discriminated communities.

What is progress achieved in India on rights of vulnerable communities?

In Naz Foundation v Govt of NCT (2009), the Delhi HC decriminalized homosexual sex between adults. The Supreme Court struck down Section 377 in 2018.

Today, the government is proactive in HIV/AIDS sensitization. The National AIDS Program has been a crucial step forward. It allows innumerable citizens to have access to free information, medicines, and healthcare.

What is needed for true equality and justice of vulnerable communities?

First, people-first policies are required. People are not at the center of government interventions. Implementation of policies and laws continues to be a challenge. Tackling this requires a change in strategy. There is a need for reimagining policy, law, and interventions.

There is a need to focus on values of empathy, love and respect. Children should be taught these values. These should be prompted as core values in our society.

Invented names: On India’s response to China’s fresh attempt to lay claim over parts of Arunachal Pradesh

News– Recently, China has announced that it would rename 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh.

What are the factors behind this Chinese move?

It may be China’s reaction after the Indian Army failed a PLA attempt to take over a post at Yangtse in the Tawang sector in December 2022.

It may be in response to India’s decision to hold a G­20 engagement group meeting on Innovation technology in Itanagar which the Chinese embassy had boycotted.

It reflects the low point in ties and the lack of meaningful dialogue for three years since the Chinese troops transgressed the LAC at Galwan in 2020. Political relations have not resumed despite many rounds of talks between two sides.

What is the way forward for India?

The government shows more clarity on the nature of its conversations thus far.

It should probe the reasons behind China’s moves and the motivation for its persistent aggressions. Otherwise, it will be hard to prepare for a future course of action.

GS Paper 3

Our K-shaped recovery is a story that adds up

News: The article discusses the various reasons behind declining tax-payers in India.

What are the different reasons about the decline in tax-payers in India?

The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data shows that all-India poverty went up during the lockdown quarter (till June 2020), but declined thereafter for four quarters.

The poverty declined due to state aid such as free food and remote employment.

However, an accurate picture of poverty caused by the pandemic is still cannot be determined by the data and statistics.

What are the findings associated with income tax data?

Income-tax data has been recently placed in the Parliament. There are debates over the shrunken population of the income tax payer under the ₹5 lakh category.

This group’s size peaked at 50 million in 2018-19, shrank to 46.3 million in 2019-20 and then again to 41.2 million in covid-stricken 2020-21.

The arguments like the net tax benefits and upward movement of the people from lower slab to the next are given to justify that reduction is not due to poverty increase.

However, reasons such as pre-pandemic distress, covid and a smaller tax base are the main reasons behind the decline in the taxpayers.

Moreover, if there has been decline due to upward shifts and tax benefits, the shortfall still suggests a base-level income crunch, as consistent with surveys like ICE360.

Further, it is argued that India’s income Gini coefficient dropped as a result of fiscal transfers. However, the Gini coefficient compares a huge population, so it does not become clear to know the beneficiary of the tax benefits.

It is also argued that India had a K-shaped recovery after the pandemic.

However, its K-shaped recovery is more about divergent wealth rather than income. For instance, asset prices soared and stocks portfolios made gains over the pandemic.

Due to which, Oxfam and other reports provided that India’s wealth gap is widening after the pandemic.

Must Read: The case for an inequality boom in India is greatly exaggerated

A new economics for a new world

News– The article explains the issues related to the current economic theories and practices.

What are the economic challenges faced by the Indian economy?

First is management of inflation, interest rates, and exchange rates. The Reserve Bank of India is expected to find a solution.

Second is negotiating bilateral and multilateral trade agreements that protect the interests of India’s farmers and workers. For which coordination is required amongst the Ministries of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture.

Third problem is secure employment with adequate incomes. It involves all Ministries and all State governments.

What are the lessons for India from the Chinese growth story?

Economists agree that more investments will boost growth. Therefore, there are lessons in China’s history.

China and India opened their economies to global trade around the same time. Both countries had similar levels of industrial technologies.

Since then, China has attracted many times more foreign investment than in India, and the incomes of its citizens have increased five times faster.

Wages in China have become much higher. So, India seems well placed to attract global investors. But Vietnam is proving to be more attractive than India to western and Japanese investors.

Western neo­liberal economists have attributed China’s remarkable economic growth to its free trade policies.

However, after Vietnam’s success, they rediscovered lessons from China. When both countries opened to foreign investors, they already had high levels of human development. Both had universal education and good public health systems.

Basic human development must precede growth. Moreover, incomes must be increased simultaneously to enable more consumption and attract more investments.

What are issues with the current paradigm of economics?

The current paradigm of economics cannot provide solutions. It is too linear, too mathematical, too mechanical. Economists have also separated themselves from other disciplines. They are working in silos.

They should break out of it and examine the complex systems. It will help policymakers to comprehend complex socio­economic systems in which many forces interact with each other.

As per current paradigm, the number of policy instruments must equal the number of policy goals. So, there is a need for independent monetary institutions for managing inflation, separate trade and industry specialists, and separate policies for environment management and agriculture.

What are the steps needed to remove the inadequacy of the current economic system?

­Economists search for global solutions. Trade and monetary policies that fit the United States, China, Vietnam, or India will not work for others. Their needs have emerged from their own histories.

Economists arrive at solutions by comparing data trends of different countries. In their models, people are numbers. Economists do not listen to real people.

Global solutions and economic theories invented in the West have caused problems. New solutions are essential. The inadequacy of the current paradigm was revealed by the 2008 global financial crisis; COVID­19 pandemic; and the global climate crisis.

A new economics is required. There is a need to change the paradigm of economics to bring perspectives from other systems. India’s economists must step forward and lead the changes.

In controlled digital lending, the issue of public interest

News– There is ongoing legal tussle in the United States between four major publishers and the Internet Archive, which is a not-for-profit organization trying to build a globally accessible digital library.

What are the questions raised by the legal tussle?

It poses a fundamental question about the interface of copyright law and technological advancements.

The publishers have argued that the Internet Archives has violated the diverse rights provided under copyright law.

The Internet Archives has argued that books under copyright protection are lent only in a regulated manner, through Controlled Digital Lending. It is not a violation of United States copyright law.

What is the Controlled Digital Lending used by Internet Archives?

The Internet Archive CDL model follows the lending approach generally seen in physical libraries. If one copy is owned by the physical library, that copy can be loaned to one person at a time. So, the Internet Archives use one digital copy of each non circulating print book it has stored.

Internet Archives count only one additional copy per library for the purpose of digital lending. It is irrespective of the number of physical copies of that book owned by libraries participating in the IA’s digitisation.

How is CDL beneficial for larger public interest?

Lending physical copies of books from libraries has been on the decline. But the demand for reading books is not going down. Rather, people’s reading habits are changing. Today, many people prefer to read books on devices such as their smartphones and tablets.

The CDL is a positive response to this trend. It helps bridge the gap between urban and rural, and the privileged and unprivileged. It allows even people in the remotest villages to access books from libraries that are far away.

CDL initiatives ease access to many books that may have gone out of print or may not be available to access in many physical libraries.

CDL has enormous public benefits for education, research, and cultural participation.

What is the scenario of CDL in India?

India is yet to have a major CDL initiative.  Some universities such as the NLSIU have initiated major digitisation projects that can facilitate CDL in future.

The outcome in the IA litigation will have considerable impacts on such initiatives in India.

What is the ultimate conclusion?

The copyright system is not just about protecting the interests of copyright holders. It is equally about protecting the rights of the users of copyrighted works, and  the broader public interest.

Foreign Trade Policy 2023: Old policy for new world

News: Recently, India’s commerce minister unveiled a new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP).

About the legal status of FTP in India

The FTP is notified by the Central Government, in the exercise of powers conferred under Section 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992.

The Act empower the Centre to “make provision for the development and regulation of foreign trade by facilitating imports and increasing exports” and to “make provision for prohibiting, restricting or otherwise regulating… import or export of goods or services or technology”.

What are the salient features of India’s FTP 2023?

How this FTP 2023 is different from previous ones?

What are the challenges associated with the FTP 2023?

Non-updation of Act reflect in FTP: The 1992 Act was set in the 20th-century mindset of regulating and restricting trade and accordingly included trade policy instruments. For example, the framework of trade policy in the 21st century has since moved towards the development and facilitation of trade, but there is no reflection of this in FTP 2023. Instead, the FTP 2023 is a compilation of “Foreign Trade Procedures” in which the words, regulate, prohibit, and restrict find more mentions than “facilitate”.

Not focusing on product and process standards: Most countries moved away from export incentives. Instead, they rely on improvements in product quality and production efficiencies coupled with rapid infusion of technology to expand their presence in global markets. This highlights that product and process standards are the new trade policy instruments. For example, the negotiating draft of the EU includes many of these regulatory standards. But the FTP 2023 still relies on export incentives. 

The role of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT): The DGFT’s primary role would have to be that of a facilitator while the regulatory functions should be reduced with effectiveness. But, FTP 2023 still make the DGFT to continue playing the role of imposing import “prohibitions” or “restrictions”.

Not addressing the weakness of the RoDTEP Scheme: The Rajya Sabha’s Standing Committee on Commerce examined the RoDTEP Scheme and found several weaknesses. The major one was about the rates of remission of duties which were lower than desirable. The FTP has failed to address these lacunae.

Not address the key issues with developing districts as export hubs: The FTP 2023 is missing a commitment to support the critical component of such a programme, namely, efficient infrastructure.

Inclusion of e-commerce might send wrong signals: India has opposed a) WTO discussions on e-commerce for extending the rules of the organisation and b) Data portability demands of advanced economies. But the inclusion of e-commerce in FTP might imply that India is ready to engage in the WTO.

Prelims-Oriented Articles (Factly)

India Justice Report 2022 | Judge vacancies remain endemic

Source: The post is based on the article “India Justice Report 2022 | Judge vacancies remain endemic” published in The Hindu on 5th April 2023

What is the News?

The third India Justice Report, 2022 has been released.

What is the India Justice Report?

India Justice Report is an initiative undertaken by Tata Trusts in 2019 in partnership with the Centre for Social Justice, Common Cause, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, DAKSH, TISS–Prayas, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and How India Lives.

The report compiles and categorizes data of states and UTs, based on “four pillars” of justice delivery: the police, judiciary, prisons and legal aid.

What are the key findings of the India Justice Report 2022?

Vacancies in courts: As of December 2022, against a sanctioned strength of 1,108 judges, the High Courts were functioning with only 778 judges. 

– The subordinate courts were found functioning with 19,288 judges against a sanctioned strength of 24,631 judges.

Rising Pendency in Cases: The number of cases pending per judge is rising in most States over the last five years.

– At High Court(HC) level, UP has the highest average pendency, where cases remain pending for an average of 11.34 years.

– The lowest average HC pendency is in Tripura [1 year], Sikkim [1.9 years] and Meghalaya [2.1 years].

Increasing caseload: The number of cases a judge has to deal with has steadily increased. Between 2018 and 2022, the caseload per judge increased in 22 States and Union Territories.

Case clearance rate (CCR): It is the number of cases disposed of in a year measured against the number filed in that year is a common metric used to determine the rate at which cases are disposed of. A CCR of more than 100% indicates that the number of pending cases is reducing.

– The HCs are increasingly clearing more cases annually than subordinate courts. Tripura is the only State where the CCR in district courts remained above 100%.

Judicial Infrastructure: Nationally, the number of court halls appears sufficient for the number of actual judges. However, that space will become a problem if all the sanctioned posts are filled.

Lokpal disposed of 68% corruption complaints against public servants without any action: Parliamentary panel report

Source: The post is based on the article “Lokpal disposed of 68% corruption complaints against public servants without any action: Parliamentary panel report” published in The Hindu on 5th April 2023

What is the News?

A Parliamentary Panel on the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has released a report on the performance of Lokpal.

What is Lokpal?

Click Here to read

What are the key findings of the report on the performance of Lokpal?

Complaints against public functionaries: Around 68% of corruption complaints against public functionaries that landed with the Lokpal of India were “disposed off” without any action in the past four years. Only three complaints were fully investigated.

A large number of complaints were being disposed of on the ground that the complaint is not in the prescribed format. 

Not prosecuted a single person: Lokpal has not prosecuted a single person accused of the graft to date and its performance seems to be far from satisfactory.

Vacant posts: The post of the chairperson of Lokpal has been vacant since May 2022. The panel has sought the government’s response on the action being taken to fill up the vacancies.

What are the suggestions given by the panel to improve the performance of Lokpal?

Lokpal was established in an effort to promote clean and responsive governance. Therefore, the Lokpal should act as an enabler rather than an inhibitor. 

The panel recommends Lokpal not to reject genuine complaints merely on the technical ground that the complaint is not in the prescribed format.

At a time when India is heading the G20 Anti Corruption Working group, Lokpal should rise to the occasion and make every effort to strengthen the anti-corruption landscape in the country.

What was the U.N. water conference and what happened there?

Source: The post is based on the article “What was the U.N. water conference and what happened there?” published in The Hindu on 5th April 2023

What is the News?

The 2023 UN Water Conference took place at UN Headquarters in New York.

What is the 2023 UN Water Conference?

The 2023 UN Water Conference was co-hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands.

Aim: To support the achievement of internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, including those contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

It took 46 long years for the UN to organize the Water Conference in 2023, the first being held in 1977 in Mar de Plata, Argentina.

The 1977 conference resulted in the first global ‘Action Plan’ recognising that all peoples, whatever their stage of development and social and economic conditions, have the right to have access to drinking water in quantities and of a quality equal to their basic needs. 

This declaration led to several decades of global funding and concerted effort to provide drinking water and sanitation for all.

What were the challenges in front of the 2023 UN Water Conference?

Firstly, finding money to pay for extending access to water and sanitation to underserved populations is challenging.

Secondly, improving access to water and sanitation no longer translates directly to sustained access to water and sanitation. For example, many drinking-water projects have failed because they drew too much groundwater or their water sources were contaminated. This in turn resulted in communities “slipping back” into having no access.

Thirdly, the water problem is no longer about access to water and sanitation; these represent only two of the eight water-related SDGs. The remaining SDG 6 targets address the need to sustain agriculture, industry, and natural ecosystems. They have metrics that track better governance, improve the efficiency of irrigation water use, restore the water quality in lakes and rivers and improve wastewater management.

– These problems are inherently harder because they can’t be fixed by better infrastructure. They require tough political choices, empowering agencies and strengthening democratic processes.

What was the outcome of the 2023 UN Water Conference? 

The complexity of today’s water problems was reflected in the conference’s proceedings –  fragmented discussions and no binding commitments.

Instead, there were 713 diverse voluntary commitments by philanthropic donors, governments, corporations, and NGOs. 120 of these were relevant to India. They included a USD 50-billion commitment from India to improve rural drinking water services under its Jal Jeevan Mission.

Some of the commitments announced at the event, with examples of projects that showed potential are,

– Technology: There were specific innovations in wastewater treatment or solar treatment of water in remote areas and a number of proposals for incubation platforms including IBM Sustainability Accelerator focused on water management.

– Data and models: Large investments must be done with careful simulation. But the simulation requires a large amount of data.

– Knowledge sharing: One useful tool here is the W12+ Blueprint, a UNESCO platform that hosts city profiles and case studies of programs, technologies, policies that addresses common water security challenges.

– Capacity building: Many people lack access to basic services because they are unable to advocate for themselves. Efforts like the Making Rights Real initiative offered to help marginalized communities and women understand how to exercise their rights. 

– Environmental, social, and corporate governance:  The conference concluded that a big barrier to farmers and industries using water more efficiently is that they have no incentive. Specifically, farmers aren’t becoming more efficient or going pesticide-free unless consumers are willing to pay a premium for more sustainably produced goods.

More than 90% of the world’s salt marshes may soon succumb to sea level rise: Study

Source: The post is based on the article “More than 90% of the world’s salt marshes may soon succumb to sea level rise: Study” published in Down To Earth on 4th April 2023

What is the News?

According to research, more than 90% of Salt Marshes may soon be lost to sea level rise by the turn of the century.

What are Salt Marshes?

Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides.

They are found in intertidal zones along coastlines, usually in protected areas such as estuaries or bays.

They are dominated by grasses and other salt-tolerant plants such as sedges, cordgrass, rushes, and mangroves.

Salt marshes occur worldwide, particularly in middle to high latitudes.

What is the importance of Salt Marshes?

Salt marshes are essential for healthy fisheries, coastlines, and communities—and they are an integral part of our economy and culture. They provide essential food, refuge, or nursery habitat for more than 75% of fisheries species, including shrimp, blue crab, and many finfish.

Salt marshes also protect shorelines from erosion by buffering wave action and trapping sediments. They reduce flooding by slowing and absorbing rainwater and protect water quality by filtering runoff, and by metabolizing excess nutrients.

What was the research conducted on Salt Marshes?

Scientists from the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) have been tracking vegetative cover in Great Sippewissett Marsh in Falmouth, Massachusetts, for the last 50 years to analyze the implications of higher nitrogen levels on marsh grass species.

The study noted that increased nitrogen favoured higher levels of vegetation and accretion of the marsh surface. However, these ecosystems won’t be able to outpace submergence from global sea level rise.

Even under the conservative sea level estimates, more than 90% of the salt marshes of the world will likely be submerged and disappear or be diminished by the end of the century. 

The only choice for salt marshes then would be to migrate landward. But even this choice can be impacted by anthropogenic activities and other factors.

PM holds talks with Bhutan King; focus on bilateral ties, issues of national interest

Source: The post is based on the article “PM holds talks with Bhutan King; focus on bilateral ties, issues of national interest” published in The Hindu on 5th April 2023

What is the News?

The Indian Prime Minister held talks with the Bhutanese King focusing on ways to bolster bilateral engagement in a range of areas including economic cooperation.

What are the key highlights from the meeting?

On Doklam issue: India has said that it is closely following developments on the Doklam issue that have a bearing on its national interest and would take all necessary measures to safeguard them.

– Note: In a recent interview, Bhutan’s Prime Minister said that China had an equal say in resolving the border dispute in Doklam. The remarks on the Doklam tri-junction were seen by many as Bhutan cosying up to China though Bhutan maintained that there was no change in its stance on the border dispute.

Economic Ties: India has agreed to provide relevant financial support for Bhutan’s 13th five-year plan and its reform projects. 

– Note: Bhutan is set to graduate from the list of Least Developed Countries in 2023, and its 21st-century Economic Roadmap aims to turn the Himalayan kingdom into a developed country with a per-capita income of $12,000 in the next 10 years.

Hydropower: India has agreed to a long pending demand from Bhutan to increase the power tariffs for the Chhukha hydro-electric project, which began operations with India’s help in 1986.

– India has also agreed to discuss buying power from the Basochhu hydel project that was built with Austrian support in 2008.

– The two sides would also try to expedite the long pending negotiations on the reservoir-based 2,500 MW Sankosh hydel project which has been stuck for decades over environmental and cost concerns.

Integrated check post: India is examining the possibility of setting up the first Integrated Check Post along the India-Bhutan border at Jaigaon and expediting the proposed Kokrajhar-Gelephu rail link project. 

National Medical Council issues guidelines on professional responsibilities of students, teachers

Source: The post is based on the article “National Medical Council issues guidelines on professional responsibilities of students, teachers” published in The Hindu on 5th April 2023

What is the News?

The National Medical Council has for the first time issued a set of guidelines specifying the professional responsibilities of medical students, teachers and institutions. 

What is the purpose of these guidelines?

The guidelines have explained the code of conduct for teachers and students while studying /working, the relationship between a teacher and student, expectations from the two (personal attributes and conduct) and their collective responsibility to the community. 

What are the key features of the guidelines?

Responsibilities of a Medical Student: Medical students are expected to be diligent about their study and research work, be responsible for their personal growth and stay away from substance abuse while seeking help in case of addiction.

– The student should dress modestly, approach appropriate authorities for grievance redressal, and seek professional help in case they feel overwhelmed.

– They should freely interact with all their colleagues without discriminating against anyone.

– Students were also advised to work towards ensuring an ethical doctor-patient relationship and maintaining public trust in the health system. They were warned about the possible professional hazards associated with the indiscriminate use of social media.

Norms for Teachers: Education is a moral enterprise and teachers should ensure that students are competent, caring and empathetic and ethical in their practice.

– Teachers are role models and they should also follow boundaries with their students, even during interactions on social media.

– Medical institutions have been told not to give false information during inspections and accreditation processes, pressurize teachers to give false information and apply pressure on teachers to show preference for individual candidates.

India seeks information from USFDA/CDC on alleged contamination of eye drops

Source: The post is based on the article “India seeks information from USFDA/CDC on alleged contamination of eye drops” published in The Hindu on 5th April 2023

What is the News?

The Drugs Controller General of India(DCGI) has written to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) seeking details on the alleged contamination of eye drops imported from India.

What was the issue about?

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) has recently said that three deaths, eight cases of vision loss and four cases of removal of eyeballs could be due to the use of an over-the-counter eye drop manufactured by a Chennai-based pharmaceutical firm.

It has cautioned that patients should stop using the eye drops pending additional information and guidance.

What was India’s response to this?

The Ministry of Health in India conducted an investigation in which samples of eye drops were found according to the standards. 

How do these incidents impact India’s image as a pharmaceutical hub?

These incidents raise questions about India’s credibility as a pharmaceutical hub.

This is not the first case. Earlier, WHO had raised questions regarding the cough syrup made in India. WHO had blamed the cough syrup for the death of 66 children in the African country Gambia.

Chhattisgarh’s Nagri Dubraj rice variety gets geographical indication tag

Source: The post is based on the article “Chhattisgarh’s Nagri Dubraj rice variety gets geographical indication tag” published in Business Standardon 4th April 2023

What is the News?

The Geographical Indication Registry has granted Chhattisgarh’s aromatic rice, Nagri Dubraj, a geographical indication(GI) tag.

What is Nagri Dubraj?

Nagri Dubraj is a variety of aromatic rice from Chattisgarh.

The women’s self-help group “Maa Durga Swasahayata Samuh” of Nagri in Dhamtari district has been harvesting Dubraj and has applied for the GI tag. 

Characteristics: It has small grains, is very soft to eat after cooking, and is known as the Basmati of Chhattisgarh because of its fragrance.

Significance:  The grain finds reference in Valmiki Ramayana.

Note: Earlier, Jeeraphool rice (also from Chhattisgarh) was granted a GI tag in 2019. Dubraj is the second brand to get the GI tag.

More than 90% of the world’s salt marshes may soon succumb to sea level rise: Study

Source: The post is based on the article “More than 90% of the world’s salt marshes may soon succumb to sea level rise: Study” published in Down To Earth on 4th April 2023

What is the News?

According to research, more than 90% of Salt Marshes may soon be lost to sea level rise by the turn of the century.

What are Salt Marshes?

Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides.

They are found in intertidal zones along coastlines, usually in protected areas such as estuaries or bays.

They are dominated by grasses and other salt-tolerant plants such as sedges, cordgrass, rushes, and mangroves.

Salt marshes occur worldwide, particularly in middle to high latitudes.

What is the importance of Salt Marshes?

Salt marshes are essential for healthy fisheries, coastlines, and communities—and they are an integral part of our economy and culture. They provide essential food, refuge, or nursery habitat for more than 75% of fisheries species, including shrimp, blue crab, and many finfish.

Salt marshes also protect shorelines from erosion by buffering wave action and trapping sediments. They reduce flooding by slowing and absorbing rainwater and protect water quality by filtering runoff, and by metabolizing excess nutrients.

What was the research conducted on Salt Marshes?

Scientists from the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) have been tracking vegetative cover in Great Sippewissett Marsh in Falmouth, Massachusetts, for the last 50 years to analyze the implications of higher nitrogen levels on marsh grass species.

The study noted that increased nitrogen favoured higher levels of vegetation and accretion of the marsh surface. However, these ecosystems won’t be able to outpace submergence from global sea level rise.

Even under the conservative sea level estimates, more than 90% of the salt marshes of the world will likely be submerged and disappear or be diminished by the end of the century. 

The only choice for salt marshes then would be to migrate landward. But even this choice can be impacted by anthropogenic activities and other factors.

Kathua’s ‘Basohli Painting’ gets GI tag

Source: The post is based on the article “Kathua’s ‘Basohli Painting’ gets GI tag” published in The Times of India on 3rd April 2023.

What is the News?

The world-famous ‘Basohli Painting’ from Kathua district has obtained the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag. This is the first time in the history of GI registration that the Jammu region got a GI tag for handicrafts.

About the Basohli painting

Originates in: Basholi region of Jammu and Kashmir

Style: It is popular for its miniature art style with vivid, evocative colours, bold lines, and deep-set facial patterns.

Patronage: The Basholi painting style flourished during the 17th and 18th centuries under the patronage of local rulers and wealthy merchants.

Themes: The portraits of local rulers, Radha-Krishna, and Madhava-Malati love themes and themes from the Bhagavata Purana.

Significance: It is considered the first school of Pahari paintings.

Salient features of Basohli painting:

-They have perfect geometrical patterns, bright colours and glossy enamel.

-The figures in the paintings are shown clad in rich costumes, stylised faces and large bulging eyes lending unique individuality to these paintings.

-These are painted on paper, cloth, or wood using natural pigments and dyes. Ochre yellow, brown, and green grounds are the predominant colours.

Prosopis chilensis: Triple trouble for Gulf of Mannar islands, study finds

Source: Thea post is based on the article “Triple trouble for Gulf of Mannar islands, study finds” published in The Hindu on 3rd April 2023.

What is the News?

According to an avian distribution study, Prosopis chilensis, an alien invasive plant is threatening to pulverise native vegetation across 21 islands in the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve (GoMBR).

About Prosopis chilensis

Prosopis chilensis is a drought-resistant plant native to the arid regions of four South American countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.

It is a small to medium-sized legume tree that grows up to 12 m in height and 1 m in diameter.

It is also known as Chilean mesquite.

What are the findings of the study on Prosopis chilensis?

The study found the Prosopis chilensis in seven or eight islands. This will a) Slowly kill the native trees, b) Cause irreparable damage to the mangroves and c) Create indiscriminate destruction of marine life.

The study could not find any major studies on the invasiveness of this species or how it came to India.

Note: Prosopis juliflora is another invasive species found in the Deccan Plateau, specifically Tamil Nadu. It was introduced by the British in 1877 to green the arid tracts. 

About the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve

Distribution: This Biosphere Reserve encompasses a chain of 21 islands (2 islands already submerged) and adjoining coral reefs off the coasts of the Ramanathapuram and the Tuticorin districts of Tamil Nadu.

Significance:

-It is India’s first marine biosphere reserve. It is also the first maritime biosphere reserve in South and South East Asia.

-It is one of the important habitats for coastal birds migrating as far as the Arctic Circle. The 21 islands also serve as resting places for birds migrating to and from the nearby Sri Lankan islands.

-Gulf of Mannar region in Tamil Nadu is one of the four major coral reef areas. The others are the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat, Lakhsadweep and Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Competition Amendment Bill, 2023: Making sense of the changes in competition law

Source: The post is based on the article “Making sense of the changes in competition law ” published in Livemint on 5th April 2023

What is the News?

Parliament has given its approval to the Competition Amendment Bill, 2023. The Bill amends the Competition Act, 2002.

Why did the Competition Act need amendments?

Shifts in economic activity, including the boom in start-ups, growth of the digital economy and the need to improve ease of doing business warranted updates to the Competition Act, 2002.

Moreover, the growth in new-age businesses meant that entities with huge valuation and market-impacting power escaped the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) merger regulations because they did not meet asset and sale-based monetary thresholds for seeking CCI clearance. 

Besides, a new approach to correcting market distortions was needed after penalties imposed by CCI tended to end up in courts affecting consumers.

What are the key changes made by the Competition Amendment Bill, 2023?

Firstly, the bill extends CCI’s regulatory reach to transactions valued at more than ₹2,000 crores even if they do not meet the conventional criteria for merger regulation based on assets and sales. 

Secondly, it proposes greater deterrence by way of higher penalty provisions based on the global sales of corporations.

Thirdly, it introduces a ‘leniency plus’ scheme to encourage entities facing cartel investigations to disclose information about other cartels. 

Fourthly, it proposes to expedite CCI clearance of mergers and acquisitions to within 150 days, down from a maximum of 210 days now. 

What about Digital Competition?

A separate Digital Competition Bill has been suggested by two Parliamentary committees to keep an eye on the digital economy where businesses can quickly attain scale, tip the market and erect entry barriers to new smaller firms. 

This Bill will likely propose ‘dos and donts’ for large digital economy firms so that market tipping behaviour is checked.