Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• Illegal, irrational, unconstitutional: The problem with recent suspensions of MPs
• Forest Rights Act in Jammu and Kashmir: A transformation in the making
• Faizan Mustafa writes: New penal code falls short of its laudable objectives
• Licence To Skill – GOI’s scheme for craftspeople is a good idea but its success critically depends on finding markets
• Poverty declines, but battle not over
• Is there a need to replace the IPC, the CrPC and the Evidence Act?
• Gaps in Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Act
• Word choice in data protection law, a dilution of rights

GS Paper 3

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

Illegal, irrational, unconstitutional: The problem with recent suspensions of MPs

News: In this article author discusses the rules for suspending members from India’s Parliament if they disrupt its proceedings. Recently, suspensions, including key leaders, have been longer than usual, going against traditional norms and rules. These extended suspensions are controversial and might be unconstitutional. The author suggests finding better solutions to manage disagreements in Parliament.

What are the methods of suspending members from India’s Parliament?

Process of Suspending in Lok Sabha:

In the Lok Sabha, members causing disruptions can be suspended under Rule 374. When a member consistently obstructs business or shows disregard to the Chair’s authority, the Chair has the right to name them.

Once the member is named, the government introduces a motion for their suspension. If the motion passes, the member gets suspended.

For example, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the leader of the Congress party, was recently suspended using this method.

Process of Suspending in Rajya Sabha:

In the Rajya Sabha, a similar procedure is followed under Rule 256. The Chair identifies any member causing undue disruptions. Following this, a motion is presented to the House for their suspension. If the House approves the motion, the member is suspended.

Recent instances include the suspensions of members like Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha.

Rule Used for Suspending:

Rules of the Houses of Parliament are framed under Article 118 of the Constitution and these can operate only subject to the provisions of the Constitution.

The standard procedure under both rules (374 and 256) dictates that suspension should typically last until the end of the ongoing session.

What are the implications of suspending members from India’s Parliament?

Disruption to Proceedings: Members can’t participate, potentially hindering legislative work.

Legal Implications: In 2022, the Supreme Court, in the Ashish Shelar vs Maharashtra Legislative Assembly case, declared suspensions beyond rule-prescribed periods unconstitutional. The plea of procedural irregularities under Article 122 was rejected. It was seen as substantial illegality, not just procedural error.

Deviation from Rules: Recent cases like those of Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury show suspensions extending beyond typical limits or pending investigations, against traditional norms.

Challenge to Democracy: Over-reliance on suspensions might stifle opposition voices, affecting democratic discussions.

Need for Conflict Resolution: Such suspensions highlight the need for better methods to handle disagreements in Parliament.

What actions should be taken?

Adhere to Established Rules: Parliament should strictly follow Rules 374 (Lok Sabha) and 256 (Rajya Sabha) when suspending members.

Avoid Extended Suspensions: Suspensions should not exceed the ongoing session’s duration. Cases like Sanjay Singh’s extended suspension go against this principle.

Review Recent Changes: The recent indefinite suspensions, like that of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, should be revisited to ensure they align with constitutional norms.

Seek Judicial Guidance: Referring to the Ashish Shelar vs Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (2022) decision can help clarify suspension durations’ legality.

Promote Dialogue: Political leaders should prioritize dialogue over suspensions to address disagreements in Parliament.

Forest Rights Act in Jammu and Kashmir: A transformation in the making

News: In this article author discusses the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and its importance for tribal communities. J&K took longer to implement FRA, which recognizes tribal rights over forests. Since 2021, efforts have been made to grant these rights, but challenges remain.

About India’s tribal population

2011 Census:

India’s tribal population estimated at 104.5 million.

Tribals constitute 8.6% of the country’s total population.

Jammu and Kashmir Tribes:

Tribes make up about 12% of J&K’s population.

Ethnic migratory pastoral population stands at 612,000.

Major tribes: Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gaddi, Sippi, Dard-Shin, and Bot.

These communities rely on livestock husbandry and biannual migration.

About Forest Rights Act (FRA)

Forest Rights Act (FRA) recognizes tribal rights over forests.

Originally enacted in 2006, implemented in 2008.

Jammu & Kashmir began FRA implementation in 2021.

Since September 2021 to May 2023, 4,500 titles issued in J&K.

60,000 families in J&K benefited.

What are the benefits of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) for tribal communities?

1. Land and Resource Rights:

Acknowledges tribal communities’ rights over forests.

Over 4,500 titles issued from September 2021 to May 2023.

60,000 families in J&K have accessed forest land/resources.

44.59% of the 9,423 claimants given titles for community forest resources.

December 2022 policy allows tribes to use non-timber forest produce.

2. Access to Services and Infrastructure:

FRA facilitates services like healthcare, education, energy, and connectivity.

Tribes can avail essential services improving overall well-being.

3. Community Empowerment and Participation:

Stresses on a community-led approach.

Only 7.43% of claims declined at higher administrative levels.

Acts against historic deprivation and exclusion faced by tribal communities.

4. Addressing Unique Tribal Challenges:

Safeguards interests and seasonal migrations of J&K’s large migratory pastoral population.

Efforts in place to support tribes with low literacy rates and socio-cultural challenges.

What challenges exist in implementing the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)?

1. Documentation Difficulties:

Low disposal rate of individual rights shows many can’t prove eligibility.

More than 92.57% of rejected claims declined by the Gram Sabha.

Tribes face challenges in producing required records.

2. Geographic and Lifestyle Barriers:

The unique migratory pattern of tribes complicates FRA implementation.

Difficult terrains and geographical barriers in J&K pose challenges.

3. Literacy and Socio-Cultural Issues:

Low literacy rates hinder understanding and use of FRA: less than 50% among the tribal population, and just 16.74% among migratory tribes.

Local socio-cultural nuances can complicate the act’s adoption.

4. Community Participation:

Absence of strong leadership from within the community.

Gram Sabha, with tribal members, declined a significant number of claims, pointing to potential internal community disagreements or lack of understanding.

5. Outsider Perception:

Many who overlooked the deprivation of rights in J&K questioned the delay in rights conferment after the FRA rollout, showing a lack of long-term engagement.

What steps should be taken?

Empower from Within: Promote community-led FRA implementation to ensure tribal engagement.

Education and Awareness: Address low literacy rates (less than 50% among tribes, 16.74% among migratory tribes) with literacy and FRA-awareness programs.

Streamlined Documentation: Simplify the process for tribes to prove eligibility and claim rights.

Capacity Building: Strengthen the Gram Sabha’s understanding of FRA, given 92.57% of rejected claims happened at this level.

Robust Outreach: The Tribal Affairs Department, NGOs, and youth groups should intensify efforts, ensuring tribes understand and utilize their rights.

Address Socio-Cultural Barriers: Recognize and accommodate unique migratory patterns and socio-cultural challenges of tribes.

Faizan Mustafa writes: New penal code falls short of its laudable objectives

News: In this article author discusses recent changes in the Indian Penal Code, highlighting the updated definitions, the removal of some terms, and the introduction of new provisions. They critique some revisions, emphasizing the need for clearer definitions and alignment with modern legal standards and constitutional values.

What is the importance of criminal law?

Importance of Criminal Law:

1. Instrument of Safety: Criminal law ensures the safety and well-being of citizens by deterring and penalizing harmful actions.
2. Reflection of State-Citizen Relationship: It is a direct representation of how the state interacts with its citizens, indicating the nature and priorities of governance.
3. Community Impact: Beyond individual consequences, criminal law affects the entire community’s harmony and order.
4. Constitutional Vision: Ideally, criminal law should align with a nation’s constitutional principles, upholding rights and ensuring justice for all.

What recent updates have been made in the Indian Penal Code of 1860?

1. Revised Definitions: The new code has revised some definitions. For instance, it has broadened definitions in cases like rape.
2. Sedition: The term “sedition” is removed, but its scope has broadened through terms like “subversive activities”. No definition of subversive activities given in the code.
3. Death Penalty: The death penalty remains, with added provisions for cases like the rape of a minor.
4. Adultery Modifications: The offense of adultery has been reframed to address cases where sex occurs on the false promise of marriage or other deceitful assurances.
5. Mob Lynching: There’s a new provision to punish mob lynching by groups of five or more, though the term “mob lynching” isn’t used.
6. New Penalties: For specific crimes, community service has been introduced as a potential punishment, especially for first-time offenders in minor offenses.
7. Forensic Emphasis: The code now includes provisions emphasizing the importance of forensic investigations in major crimes.

What are the issues with these new updates?

1. Ambiguous Definitions: Despite revisions, some terms remain unclear. The distinction between “culpable homicide” and “murder” is still not well-defined.
2. Sedition Ambiguity: While the term “sedition” was removed, introducing terms like “subversive activities” without clear definitions can lead to misuse.
3. Controversial Death Penalty: The retention of the death penalty, especially for the rape of a minor, reflects a belief in dated ideas of retribution and deterrence.
4. Gender Neutrality Absent: Despite aims for gender-neutrality, the crime of cruelty remains gender-specific. The new code also fails to recognize marital rape as an offense.
5. Incomplete Hate Speech Provisions: Sections 153A and 153B, dealing with hate speech, saw no substantial improvements, leaving gaps in addressing this crucial issue.
6. Conspiracy Concerns: The current provision on criminal conspiracy can penalize individuals merely for agreeing to commit an offense, even if no action follows. This approach, inherited from colonial times, can potentially punish mere intentions, raising concerns about its misuse against political or social activists.
7. Blasphemy: Retaining the blasphemy law places India alongside countries with restrictive views on freedom of expression.
8. Adultery Reappearance: The revised code brings back the offense of adultery in a new form, potentially infringing on personal liberties.

Licence To Skill – GOI’s scheme for craftspeople is a good idea but its success critically depends on finding markets

News: Recently, the government came up with the PM Vishwakarma Scheme.

What is the PM Vishwakarma Scheme?

Read Here: ‘Vishwakarma scheme will aid 30 lakh artisan families

It provides ₹13,000 crore over 5 years as concessional loans, mainly benefiting OBCs. Craftspeople with the relevant documents will be eligible for a loan of up to Rs 3 lakh.

What are the challenges with the scheme?

Market Access: The scheme focuses on preserving family-based traditional skills. However, the main obstacle is accessing markets because traditional practices often can’t match modern costs.

Hence, to be economically effective, the scheme needs to connect these skills to market value chains.

Modern Job Skills: The scheme’s soft loan approach will benefit many involved in traditional jobs, but India’s economic progress requires modern job skills.

Modern sectors align with the aspirations of young individuals from families with traditional occupations. However, Vishwakarma’s approach isn’t sufficient to create a workforce for a modern economy.

What can be the way ahead?

Preserving traditional skills is important for India’s cultural heritage. Hence, India could learn from Japan’s way of using fiscal resources and laws to keep their traditional skills alive while becoming a developed country.

Vishwakarma can support traditional craftspeople, but its success in the long run will depend on making a market where they don’t have to compete solely based on lower costs.

Poverty declines, but battle not over

News– The latest poverty numbers from the multidimensional poverty index (MDPI) for India for  showed that about 415 million people have come out of poverty between 2005-06 and

2019-21.

What are some facts about MDPI?

The MDPI encompasses health, education, and standard of living. It utilizes the Alkire-Foster methodology for measurement.

The standard of living aspect considers factors such as housing, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, and assets, excluding income. Therefore, it doesn’t rely on data from the National Sample Survey.

In India, maternal health and access to banking have been incorporated as additional indicators in the MDPI.

MDPI provides a comprehensive understanding of the nature of poverty, especially in a diverse country like India. Relying solely on measures of income poverty can be problematic.

What are some significant revelation from the survey?

The outcomes of the MDPI reveal significant progress in poverty reduction, particularly in rural regions.

During the period between 2005-06 and 2015-16, around 280 million individuals emerged from poverty. 135 million people escaped poverty from 2015-16 to 2019-21.

There has been a more rapid reduction in poverty within economically disadvantaged states

There has also been a marked decrease in poverty in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

The situation varies significantly across different parts of the country. Rajasthan demonstrated notable progress in terms of years of schooling and school attendance, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana did not fare as well.

Rajasthan faced challenges in terms of access to cooking fuel, along with several other states like MP, Bihar, UP, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, and Haryana.

Sanitation improvements played a significant role in poverty reduction in economically disadvantaged states like Bihar, UP, MP, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh.

States like UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Assam showed improvements in electricity connections, with Meghalaya lagging behind in this aspect.

Access to proper housing exhibited minimal improvements across most states in the country, indicating that a review of the PM Awas Yojana might be necessary.

Nutrition remains a significant issue in India, with insufficient progress seen in most states.

Significant disparities also exist among districts in addressing poverty. For instance, in Bihar, some districts have shown substantial improvements. However, districts continue to struggle in their anti-poverty endeavors.

Among the districts that witnessed the largest decline in poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21 are Kalahandi (Odisha), Alirajpur and Barwani (MP), Udaipur and Barmer (Rajasthan), Maharajganj and Gonda (UP), and Dang (Gujarat).

The sole district where poverty increased was Bijapur (Chhattisgarh).

Way forward-

There is need to implement national programs effectively at the district and municipal levels.

India still has the largest number of impoverished individuals globally, around 230 million in 2019-21. There is nedd top enhance their nutrition through improved meal programs in Anganwadis and schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic might have further increased poverty. It has pushed 300 million people in poverty.

The MDPI indicators provide valuable insights on where to intensify the battle against poverty. The struggle against poverty cannot be won solely through a top-down approach. it demands a concerted bottom-up endeavor.

Is there a need to replace the IPC, the CrPC and the Evidence Act?

News– Recently, three Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha- the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill to replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill to replace the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill to replace the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.

Why is there a need for change in criminal laws?

Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Indian Evidence Act were fully utilised in the criminal justice system. But, they did not reflect the changing values and the democratic aspirations of the people.

The entire socio-economic scenario and political system ever since the IPC was enacted in 1860 have changed.

In the IPC, 175 sections have been amended, eight new sections have been added and 22 sections have been repealed to generate the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill.

What are issues with the Bill?

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill– There are issues in the bill regarding the time duration to keep someone in detention without being charged.

Earlier the detention time in India was 60 days. The new Bill proposes 90 days.

The new CrPC also seems to give a lot of discretionary powers to the police, like the ‘right to handcuff’.

There is to arrest women after sunset in exceptional circumstances, and to use any force and means necessary when arresting a person. That could legitimise encounters and all kinds of violence.

As per Supreme Courtin the D.K. Basu vs State of West Bengal (1996) case, people should not be handcuffed.

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill– There is substantial alteration in the numbering of several critical sections. For instance, Section 302 of the IPC is set to become Section 101, and Section 420 will be renumbered as Section 316.

These sections have been deeply ingrained in the public consciousness for the past 164 years of the IPC’s existence.

The modification in these numerical designations will lead to significant challenges in maintaining accurate documentation within the National Crime Records Bureau and the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems.

A separate chapter is dedicated to sexual offenses. But, it is limited to those committed against women. The government seems to have overlooked sexual offenses involving men against men or women against women.

What are some significant provisions of the Bills?

Instances of violence and detentions without charges persist as before. The Bills endorse, legitimize, and formalize these practices.

Key sections have been reorganized, resulting in increased ambiguity and confusion. For instance, the Bill replaces sedition with the term subversive activities. It introduces significant vagueness.

The new Bills provide their own definitions of terrorist acts, despite the presence of specialized legislation such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Furthermore, causing damage to property is now included within the scope of a terrorist act. Another section addresses the provocation and intimidation of the government. Practically anything could be perceived as provocation and classified as a terrorist act.

Mob lynching is now classified as an offense. More stringent penalties have been suggested for crimes against women.

The concept of Love Jihad, defined as ‘concealing one’s identity before marriage’ in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, has been established as a separate offense.

Gaps in Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Act

News– Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023 has been passed by Parliament and has got the assent of the President of India.

What are significant provisions of the Bill?

The Bill makes it compulsory that the Registrar General of India maintains a national level database of births and deaths.

The Chief Registrar of births and deaths in every State is required to maintain a State-level database of registered births and deaths ‘using the portal approved by the Registrar General of India’.

These databases will provide information to update the National Population Register, the Aadhaar database, electoral rolls, ration card, passport, and other databases at the national level, as may be notified.

In the case of birth, the amendments provide for collecting the Aadhaar number of the parents. Nothing is mentioned about the Aadhaar number of the deceased.

The amendments mandate that for all deaths within medical institutions, a cause of death certificate must be forwarded to the Registrar of Births and Deaths. A copy should be provided to the closest relative.

In cases of deaths that transpire outside of hospitals, the medical practitioner who attended to the deceased during their recent illness is responsible for issuing this certificate.

What are some facts about central and State databases of births and deaths?

The responsibility of managing the registration lies with State governments. The Registrar General of India’s role is to coordinate and unify the registration system.

The Registrar General of India will now also oversee the maintenance of the central database, alongside the existing functions.

The Chief Registrars in the States are tasked with maintaining efficient databases to facilitate the issuance of birth and death certificates.

The national-level database will primarily consist of State-level databases, with the possibility of slight deviations to accommodate additional data elements that certain States may incorporate.

What are issues relating to the creation of a national-level database?

The proposal suggests that the central-level database should be accessible to authorities managing databases for population registers, electoral rolls, Aadhaar numbers, ration cards, passports, driving licences, property registrations, as notified.

If these entities need to access information from the registered births and deaths database, they would be required to make modifications to the laws or executive orders that oversee their respective databases.

The Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act only requires a provision enabling the sharing of information from the database.

Introducing a specific collection of databases for parliamentary evaluation, while also permitting potential future incorporations by the government, could be perceived as undermining the supremacy of Parliament.

The subsequent inclusions to this list might raise more significant concerns than those originally approved by the legislative body.

What are the issues with the provision related to medical practitioners issuing death certificates?

Firstly, the attending medical practitioner might not always have arrived at a definite diagnosis before the person’s passing.

Secondly, the forms used for recording the cause of death adhere to World Health Organization guidelines.

If the deceased was under the care of a practitioner from the AYUSH systems of medicine, the recorded cause of death might not be applicable for cause of death statistics due to non-classifiable under the International Classification of Diseases.

Thirdly, a person undergoing treatment for a particular ailment could die from an entirely different cause outside of a medical facility, where the attending medical practitioner wasn’t available for consultation.

In such cases, expecting the practitioner to issue a cause of death certificate becomes problematic.

Fourthly, while Section 17 of the Act prohibits the inclusion of the cause of death in any certificate issued under the Act, it now stipulates that the cause of death certificate should be furnished to the deceased’s relative.

These provisions appear contradictory, as the cause of death entered in the death register is derived from the very cause of death certificate issued by the medical practitioner.

Word choice in data protection law, a dilution of rights

News– India finally has a data protection law, called the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

What are provision in data protection law related to consent for providing their data?

The enduring dilemma in data protection lies in establishing the criteria for consent. There are concerns relted to individuals providing a genuine choice when their data is utilized.

The legislation includes two relevant clauses.

As per one provision, individual must be properly informed about the details of your consent. Only clear postive signal from the individual part will be interpreted as consent.

However, this provision is counterbalanced by a second one. It allows data usage if you have “voluntarily provided” the data and have not indicated non-consent.

If you have “not indicated” refusal, governmental bodies and corporations might presume your consent for diverse uses without formally notifying you.

This lack of clarity will create confusion in legal proceedings as well as uncertainty in business circles regarding the correct benchmark for obtaining consent.

What are issues related to consent provision in new data protection law?

Obtaining consent may not always be feasible for the utilization of personal data.

For example, an individual’s decisions regarding their data could hinder various public operations like identity verification, targeting welfare benefits, and enforcing laws.

In previous versions of  law, personal data can be used without consent only if it was “essential” for a specific purpose related to legitimate state functions, fulfilling legal obligations, and addressing emergencies.

The data custodian had to establish that there were no viable alternatives to collecting and utilizing the information in the specified manner.

The 2023 legislation allows for data processing without consent when it is “for” rather than “necessary for” certain legitimate purposes.

This slight alteration in wording can have a substantial effect on the actual level of protection offered. Privacy issues will be there.

When the data undergoes processing without your consent, individual will not receive any notification of this occurrence. He will not have the opportunity to rectify incorrect data or remove unnecessary information afterward.

Data collected for one non-consensual purpose can be freely utilized for other purposes. This is in contrast to the stance of the Supreme Court of India. It has recognized principles like necessity and purpose limitation as integral to the right to informational privacy.

GS Paper 3

Evolution will not save aircraft from bird hits”

News: The article discusses the increasing number of bird strikes with aircraft in India, the challenges birds face adapting to modern aviation threats.

Why are birds collisions with planes rising in India?

Reasons for Rising Bird Collisions with Planes in India:

Increased Incidents: Data shows 1,149 bird strikes in the first half of 2023, a 62.3% rise from the previous year.

Flight Growth: While the number of flights has grown, the rise in bird strikes is even steeper.

Airport Attractions: Airports inadvertently attract birds. The rumble of runways can shake worms out of the ground, providing food.

Urban Birds Behavior: Birds might be traveling across different time zones due to flight noises.

Slow Evolution: Birds haven’t evolved quickly enough to recognize and avoid the dangers of modern aviation, unlike other threats in their environment.

How are authorities addressing this issue?

Clean-Up Campaigns: Authorities clean around airports to reduce food that attracts avian scavengers.

Sound Deterrents: Sound buzz guns are deployed to scare birds away from airport areas.

Consulting Experts: Officials are consulting the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History for flight safety insights.

Message from the mountains – Himachal, Uttarakhand must check construction projects

News: The recent death in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand due to natural calamities have raised concerns over the state government’s decision to prioritize tourism revenue over the environment.

What are the reasons behind natural calamities in both states?

First, both states are experiencing serious issues due to increased deforestation, which weakens the mountains and increases the risk of landslides.

Second, roads and tunnels are being constructed without considering the mountain terrain, making it even more unstable in an earthquake-prone area.

Third, waste dumped in rivers is worsening flood threats during heavy rains.

Fourth, hydroelectric dams, instead of controlling the floods, are contributing to flooding because operators haven’t adjusted to climate change and unusual melting of ice on the mountains.

Fifth, the congested and poorly planned building construction is happening without considering proper systems for draining water and managing waste.

Sixth, the state administrations did not learn from the previous disasters of 2013 and continued construction in the ecological fragile regions to boost tourism.

Seventh, ecologists have also raised concerns about the Center’s Char Dham Yatra project, which aims to expand roads to the pilgrimage sites of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri in mountainous areas.

Eighth, over 50,000 trees were cut to build a new highway between Delhi and Dehradun, which passes through an elephant and tiger sanctuary, to reduce travel time. Parts of these constructions collapsed during heavy rainfall.

Must Read: Express View on Himachal Pradesh tragedy: A slippery slope and Himachal floods: a man-made disaster?

What lies ahead?

Both states heavily rely on tourism revenue. However, they are now dealing with great losses. Hence, it is important for both the states to learn from such calamities and focus on sustainable development.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Flood forecast app launched by Water Commission

Source: The post is based on the article “Flood forecast app launched by Water Commission”  published in The Hindu on 18th August 2023.

What is the News?

The Central Water Commission(CWC) has launched an app, called ‘Floodwatch’.

What is Floodwatch App?

Purpose: To forecast the chances of floods a day in advance.

– To provide a seven-day advisory on the chances of floods at various stations in the country where the CWC maintains its measurement gauges.

Source of data: The app utilizes advanced technologies such as satellite data analysis, mathematical modeling and real-time monitoring to deliver accurate and timely flood forecasts.

Features: The app has a map of India with coloured circles at water stations across the country indicating the current risk of flooding. 

– A ‘green’ circle indicates ‘normal’; yellow, above normal; orange, ‘severe’; and red, ‘extreme’.

– Clicking on the circle shows the water level at the station, the danger level and warning level. The warnings are in English or Hindi with an option for a voice-enabled prompt.

– The app will also provide State-wise/basin-wide flood forecast up to 24 hours or flood advisory up to seven days, that can be accessed via selecting specific stations.

Significance: The app marks a significant step towards utilizing smartphones to provide the public with up-to-date flood situation data and accurate forecasts spanning seven days.

Now, drones to monitor MGNREGA worksites

Source: The post is based on the article “Now, drones to monitor MGNREGA worksites”  published in The Hindu on 18th August 2023.

What is the News?

The Union Ministry of Rural Development has asked States to use drones to monitor worksites under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(MGNREGA) scheme.

How can drones be helpful in monitoring MGNREGA Scheme?

Drones will be helpful in addressing complaints about corruption in MNREGA works.

These complaints vary from machines being used in place of the workers, many receiving wages without doing work, or works beyond the approved list being undertaken and so on. 

Drones will be especially helpful in such cases for real-time monitoring and for garnering evidence.

How is the government planning to deploy drones to monitor MGNREGA works?

Drones will be used for four types of monitoring: surveying the ongoing works, inspecting the completed works, impact assessment  and special inspection in case of complaints.

Drones will be used by the ombudsperson. According to the MGNREGA Act, there should be one ombudsperson per district who is responsible for registering suo moto complaints and disposing of them within 30 days.

State governments will provide the drones to ombudspersons as needed.

However, the Union government will not be providing the States with any extra funds to deploy these drones.

State governments are expected to draw the necessary funds from the administrative head, which is roughly 10% of a State’s MGNREGA budget.

Instead of buying drones, States can hire drone-specializing agencies.

Government has also planned to form a centralized dashboard to store the videos and photos collected from the drones, for data analysis and reporting purposes.

What is the significance of these measures?

This will be the second big technological intervention introduced to keep a check on MGNREGA workers. 

From May 2022, the Union government has made it mandatory to capture attendance at all worksites using a specially-developed mobile-based application.

Rising methane could be a sign that Earth’s climate is part-way through a ‘termination-level transition’

Source: The post is based on the article “Rising methane could be a sign that Earth’s climate is part-way through a ‘termination-level transition”  published in Down To Earth  on 16th August 2023.

What is the News?

Since 2006, the levels of heat-trapping methane in the Earth’s atmosphere have been increasing rapidly. 

Unlike the rise in carbon dioxide, this increase in methane appears to be due to biological sources rather than fossil fuel burning. 

This could be due to natural climate cycles like El Niño, or it might indicate a significant shift in the Earth’s climate.

What is Methane?

Click Here to read

Rise in Methane Levels:

Methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than CO₂ but it lasts slightly less than a decade in the atmosphere compared with centuries for CO₂.

The rate at which methane is increasing in the atmosphere has accelerated recently.

Methane had risen fast in the 19th and 20th centuries but plateaued by the end of the 1990s.This rise was driven by fossil fuel emissions, especially from gasfields and coal mines.

Then in late 2006, the amount of methane in the air climbed fast.During the 2020s the growth rate has become yet faster, faster even than during the peak of gas industry leaks in the 1980s.

This growth seems to be driven by new emissions from wetlands, especially near the equator.

This is a result of climate change: increasing rainfall has made wetlands wetter and bigger while rising temperatures have boosted plant growth, providing more decomposing matter and so more methane.

What are Climate Terminations?

Climate terminations refer to periods of significant and often rapid climate change that mark the transition between glacial (cold) and interglacial (warmer) periods in Earth’s history. 

These transitions involve substantial shifts in temperature, ice sheet extent, sea level, and other climate-related factors.

During glacial periods, large ice sheets cover extensive areas of the Earth’s surface, and global temperatures are lower. Interglacial periods, on the other hand, are characterized by warmer conditions, with reduced ice coverage and higher sea levels.

Past climate terminations have been identified and numbered using Roman numerals (e.g., Termination I, Termination II), with higher numbers indicating more ancient events.

Methane and Climate Terminations:

Methane spike marked shift in past Climate Terminations.

It is worth noting that the methane levels have surged since 2006.There are also ongoing climate changes driven by human activities, particularly the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

This human-induced climate change is leading to shifts in temperature, sea levels, and weather patterns that have significant implications for ecosystems, societies, and economies worldwide.

This may be a signal that a great transition in Earth’s climate has begun.

A software solution for preventing attacks on 5G networks

Source: The post is based on the article “A software solution for preventing attacks on 5G networks”  published in PIB on 17th August 2023.

What is the News?

IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation at IIT Madras has developed a new indigenous software technology solution that can proactively detect and prevent zero-day vulnerability attacks in the 5G networks.

Why is 5G Technology vulnerable to zero day attack?

Traditional telecom networks were built using hardware components such as switches. But around 90% of the 5G technology is implemented in software. 

A 5G network incorporates several software-based technologies such as NFV, SDN, and control plane/user plane segregation.

Due to this, the attack surface area is increased multifold in this process and is impossible to manage manually. Automating the whole testing process and continuous monitoring is the only sustainable solution.

What have the researchers developed?

Researchers are developing an indigenous security testing solution for 5G core network functions and Radio Access Network (RAN) software. 

This technology solution can automatically identify zero-day vulnerabilities in the network in advance by using techniques such as fuzzing and test oracles.

Reducing zero-day vulnerabilities will reduce attack surface area, which in turn will reduce the need to pay ransom and also decrease network downtime of 5G networks which are crucial for communication.

What are Zero Day Attacks?

Zero-day is a term used in the cybersecurity world. It refers to an unknown vulnerability that can be exploited by any malicious hacker with sufficient know-how. 

Zero-day attacks take place when hackers exploit the vulnerability before the software developer has a chance to patch the flaw.

They can be devastating, since only the hacker knows about them and can even sell this valuable information on the darknet, or ‘simply wait to strike at an opportune moment.

No more bulk SIM cards as government steps in to curb fraud

Source: The post is based on the article “No more bulk SIM cards as government steps in to curb fraud”  published in The Hindu on 18th August 2023.

What is the News?

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced several steps to combat the issue of fraudulent SIM cards.

What are the steps announced by the government to combat the issue of fraudulent SIM cards?

Mandatory registration of SIM dealers: Telecom operators will do mandatory registration of franchisees, point of sale (PoS) agents and distributors. This will help in eliminating the rogue PoS who by fraudulent practices issue SIMs to anti-social/anti-national elements.

The PoS registration process includes indisputable verification by telcos.The process mandates-Written agreement between the PoS and the licensees. If a PoS indulges in any illegal activities, it will be terminated and blacklisted for a period of three years.

All the existing PoS will be registered as per this process by licensees within 12 months.

Bulk SIMs to companies discontinued: The facility to provide SIM connections in bulk to companies is being discontinued.

– The existing bulk system requires companies to preserve records of individual subscribers.

– Instead a “ new business” system is being put in place where each corporate subscriber has to undertake KYC (‘Know Your Customer’) when a SIM is being issued to them. 

– Physical Aadhaar printouts or cards provided as identity or address proof will also have to be verified by scanning the QR code to reduce fraud.

What are the other steps taken by the government?

Government of India has launched the Sanchar Saathi portal. The portal allows citizens to: 1) Check the connections registered on their names, 2) Report fraudulent or unrequired connections, 3) Block the mobile phones which are stolen/lost and 4) Check IMEI genuineness before buying a mobile phone.

Indian scientist develops novel method to improve accuracy and precision of nanomechanical testing technology

Source: The post is based on the article “Indian scientist develops novel method to improve accuracy and precision of nanomechanical testing technology”  published in PIB on 17th August 2023.

What is the News?

An Indian researcher has developed a new method to test nanomechanical properties of materials at very minute scales with high precision and accuracy.

This new method significantly improves the precision and accuracy of Nanoindentation Technique.

What is Nanoindentation Technique?

Nanoindentation is a materials testing technique used to measure mechanical properties such as hardness, elastic modulus and other material responses at very small scales, often on the order of nanometers. 

The technique involves applying a controlled and localized force to a material’s surface using a sharp indenter, typically a diamond tip, and then measuring the resulting depth of penetration.

The nanoindentation technique is particularly valuable for studying materials at the micro- and nanoscale, where traditional macro-scale mechanical testing methods are not suitable or accurate.

Applications: Nanoindentation is used in a wide range of applications, including characterizing thin films, coatings, biomaterials, ceramics, polymers, metals and composites. 

– It is also employed in research related to microelectronics, material development, quality control and failure analysis.

President launches indigenously built warship Vindhyagiri

Source: The post is based on the article “President launches indigenously built warship Vindhyagiri”  published in The Hindu on 18th August 2023.

What is the News?

The President has launched the sixth vessel of the Project 17 Alpha Frigates, ‘Vindhyagiri’, a stealth ship of the Indian Navy. 

What is INS Vindhyagiri?

INS Vindhyagiri is the sixth stealth frigate constructed under Project-17 Alpha.

Built by: Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) facility at Kolkata.

Named after: The ship is named after the Vindhyagiri hills in Karnataka.

Significance: Vindhyagiri pays a befitting tribute to the distinguished service of its predecessor, the erstwhile INS Vindhyagiri, the Leander Class ASW Frigate.

– The old Vindhyagiri in its nearly 31 years of service from 1981 to 2012 had witnessed various challenging operations.

What is Project-17 Alpha?

Project-17 Alpha is also known as the Nilgiri class frigate project. The project was launched by the Indian Navy in 2019.

It involves the construction of seven new-generation stealth frigates for the Indian Navy using advanced technologies.

These frigates are being built by two state-run shipyards: 

– Mazagon Docks Limited(MDL) is responsible for manufacturing four frigates — INS Nilgiri, Udaygiri, Taragiri and Mahendragiri.

– Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) will manufacture the remaining three frigates, INS Himgiri, Dunagiri and Vindhyagiri.

These ships are follow-on versions of the three Project-17 vessels, also known as the Shivalik class frigates in the Indian Navy.

Features: The P17A ships are advanced missile frigates measuring 149 meters in length, weighing about 6,670 tonnes, and can travel at a speed of 28 knots.

– These are capable of neutralizing threats in all three dimensions of air, surface and subsurface.

– They are being built using a special stealth design that has radar-absorbent coatings and is low-observable, making it possible for them to approach without being seen by adversaries. 

– Around 75% of the equipment and systems for these ships are sourced from local companies, including small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Kanniyakumari’s Matti is distinct with fragrance and honey-like taste

Source: The post is based on the article “Kanniyakumari’s Matti is distinct with fragrance and honey-like taste”  published in The Hindu on 18th August 2023.

What is the News?

The Matti banana variety, native to Kanniyakumari district in Tamil Nadu was recently granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

What is the Matti Banana variety?

Matti banana is a variety of banana native to Kanniyakumari district in Tamil Nadu 

It is also known as ‘Baby Banana’ owing to its nipple-like appearance.

Unlike typical banana bunches that grow straight, the Matti’s fingers exhibit a distinct wind-blown appearance. 

This banana has a sweet fragrance and honey-like taste.

Local marriages are incomplete without this banana variety, mixed with payasam served in the feast.

These bananas have low total soluble solids content (TSSC) which makes it suitable for a baby food.

The corm extract from the fruit is also used as a jaundice cure.

Varieties of Matti Banana: 1) Nal Matti boasts a yellowish-orange colour and fine aroma 2) Theyn [honey] Matti’s pulp tastes like honey 3) Kal Matti gets its name from the calcium oxalate crystals forming in its pulp and black dots on the skin 4) Nei Matti exudes the aroma of ghee and 5) Sundari Matti is facing extinction.

RBI launches web portal for searching unclaimed deposits

Source: The post is based on the article “RBI launches web portal for searching unclaimed deposits”  published in Indian Express on 18th August 2023.

What is the News?

The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has launched the UDGAM Portal.

What is UDGAM Portal?

UDGAM stands for Unclaimed Deposits – Gateway to Access information.

Purpose: To aid users to identify their unclaimed deposits/ accounts and enable them to either claim the deposit amount or make their deposit accounts operative at their respective banks.

Developed by: Reserve Bank Information Technology Pvt Ltd (ReBIT), Indian Financial Technology & Allied Services (IFTAS) and participating banks.

Coverage: Initially, users would be able to access the details of their unclaimed deposits in respect of seven banks presently available on the portal. 

– The search facility for remaining banks on the portal would be made available in a phased manner.

The following today’s current affairs articles have been covered in 7 PM Explained section of the day:

7 PM Editorial of the day: Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes: Explained, pointwise