Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• Going off-course: On the rural jobs scheme and the Centre’s bid to change its funding
• A Bigger Idea Of India – Why Indians already command economic heft of $5 trillion and how we can leverage this
• EC Needs A Smart Focus – Cooling-off periods are impractical in social media age
• Special Marriage Act: What is the Act, how does it work, what is the notice period?
• The protest test in India-Iran ties
• Missing link in UGC’s foreign university plans to set up campuses in India

GS Paper 3

• Supreme Court must use cases pending against UAPA to examine its scope
• Billionaire Raj: The rise of India’s multi-business conglomerates
• Social security and the story of two Budgets

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Element of mystery: Lead poisoning is a huge public health concern for India; here’s why
• Marine Spatial Planning framework, country’s first, launched in Puducherry
• Over 1,000 pangolins poached and trafficked in India between 2018 and 2022
• Designation of Organisations/individuals as ‘Terrorist Organization’/ ‘Terrorist’ under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967(UAPA)
• Nominated members cannot vote in Delhi Mayor poll: Supreme Court
• Scientists tested an electron’s response to a magnetic field with extreme accuracy. Why?
• Researchers discover new cuckoo bee in Kerala
• What is Lavani, and why is Maharashtra’s folk dance form in controversy?

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

Going off-course: On the rural jobs scheme and the Centre’s bid to change its funding

Source: The post is based on the article “Going off-course: On the rural jobs scheme and the Centre’s bid to change its funding” published in The Hindu on 18th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes.

Relevance: About the performance of MGNREGS.

News: The government has slashed the budget for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

What is Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)?

What is the rationale behind the reduction in funds for MGNREGA?

What are the positive impacts of MGNREGS?

17 yeGoing off-course: On the rural jobs scheme and the Centre’s bid to change its fundingsince the implementation of the MGNREGS studies have asserted its net positive impact in rural areas. These include, a) reducing poverty through providing off-season employment, b) improving household consumption among the invariably poor citizens who avail the scheme, c) acting as insurance during monsoon deficient seasons, and d) allowing greater food security through increased productivity by the works generated.

During the pandemic, the scheme acted as a lifeline for migrant workers from urban areas. Overall, the Scheme functioned as a robust welfare tool.

What are the challenges associated with the performance of MGNREGS?

-The scheme has still not reached the level of creating more useful assets beyond roads and irrigation canals. The scheme requires more inclusiveness and better implementation.

-There are also wage delays and underfunding in many areas.

-Aadhaar-based payments have neither reduced corruption nor reduced wage payment delays. Instead, they create hurdles for officials and workers during the implementation.

-The Union Rural Development Minister also suggested amending the Act to change the contribution of funds from 100% by the government to a 60-40 split between the Centre and the States in order to make States “more vigilant regarding corruption”. But this will only lead to further complications in funding as States’ share of taxes is diminishing following GST and the financial stresses.

What are the challenges associated with the inadequate allocation of funds and the demand for MGNREGS?

What should be done to improve the performance of MGNREGS?

MGNREGS is salient, especially in poorer States. Hence, the Centre must ensure its robust funding instead of putting the onus on individual States. The government must change its approach towards the MGNREGS by recognising its potential in catering to the poor’s right to work.

A Bigger Idea Of India – Why Indians already command economic heft of $5 trillion and how we can leverage this

Source: The post is based on the article “A Bigger Idea Of India – Why Indians already command economic heft of $5 trillion and how we can leverage this” published in The Times of India on 18th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Indian diaspora.

Relevance: About the Indian diaspora’s wealth.

News: Indian expatriates and persons of Indian origin overseas at present amount to around 3. 2 crores. They are highly skilled and successful, and they also have an emotional attachment to any Indian cultural events occurring overseas. It is time for India to leverage this strength.

About the Indian diaspora’s economic wealth

In several countries, Indians are among the top earners. A 2012 estimate of the diaspora’s wealth was $1 trillion. At present, this wealth has increased manyfold.

The collective economic heft of Indians abroad to India’s GDP will be around $ 3. 5 trillion at the end of March. Indians already generate an economic value of well over $5 trillion.

It means that geographical India will likely have a GDP of $5 trillion by 2025. But the other India (which includes persons abroad and invested in India) is already a $5 trillion-plus powerhouse.

What are the advantages of the Indian diaspora’s wealth?

A country’s top income earners are pivotal to the country’s economic progress. For instance, they invest, they innovate, they take risks, they back new technology and also they create jobs.

Indian diaspora already sends $100 billion in remittances to India annually. This is the highest remittance figure in the world.

What should be done to completely utilise the Indian diaspora’s wealth?

In business, network effects kick in when the value of a product is intrinsically tied to the increase in the number of users. The network effect of high-earning, high-performing Indians abroad should be entirely invested in the idea of India’s progress.

In the ET Global Business Summit, PM highlighted the immense value of the Indian diaspora. It is time for business leaders and policymakers to integrate the diaspora’s economic dynamism.

EC Needs A Smart Focus – Cooling-off periods are impractical in social media age

Source: The post is based on the article “EC Needs A Smart Focus – Cooling-off periods are impractical in social media age” published in The Times of India on 18th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

Relevance: About cooling-off periods before polls.

News: The Election Commission has issued notices to representatives of political parties for their controversial tweets during the polling day and the day before the Tripura assembly election.

What is the reason behind the Election Commission’s notice?

The EC notice says that the tweets violate parts of Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The Act prohibits electioneering 48 hours ahead of polling. The aim is to allow voters to decide without being “prejudiced” by last-minute appeals.

What are the challenges in enforcing cooling-off periods before polls?

The restriction on electioneering before polls are impossible to enforce in the age of social media and rapidly evolving communications technology.

EC fEC Needs A Smart Focus – Cooling-off periods are impractical in social media ageed a committee four years ago to look into the issue. But the committee’s suggestions were largely in the nature of exhortations.

Note: Australia has a similar provision called the blackout period. Australia also has issues in enforcing the blackout period and different media platforms are mentioning the blackout period as unfair. 

What should be done to address the challenges in cooling-off periods before polls?

EC’s credibility lies in conducting complex multiphase elections in the world’s largest democracy. In such a scenario, retaining the cooling-off period may end up undermining EC’s credibility.

Hence, Parliament needs to trust the maturity of voters and should get rid of the cooling-off period. This will help EC to focus on its core responsibility of conducting elections.

Special Marriage Act: What is the Act, how does it work, what is the notice period?

Source: The post is based on the article “Swara Bhasker gets married under Special Marriage Act: What is the Act, how does it work, what is the notice period?” published in The Indian Express on 18^th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Governance

Relevance: Special Marriage Act, 1954

News: The article explains the Special Marriage Act, 1954.

What is the Special Marriage Act, 1954?

The Special Marriage Act of 1954 (SMA) governs a civil marriage where the state sanctions the marriage rather than the religion.

The SMA allows marriage between inter-faith or inter-caste couples without giving up religious identity or opting for conversion.

Whereas, personal laws such as the Muslim Marriage Act, 1954, and the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, require either spouse to convert to the religion of the other before marriage.

Who can get married under the Special Marriage Act?

People of all faiths (Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists) across India are eligible to get married under the SMA.

Some customary restrictions such as parties not being within degrees of a prohibited relationship still apply to couples under SMA.

Further, Section 4 of the SMA requires that both the parties should be capable of giving consent and must be of sound mind.

The minimum age to get married under the SMA is 21 years for males and 18 years for females.

Section 19 of the Act provides that couples belonging to the undivided Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh or Jain religion shall be deemed to end their relationships with their family that might affect their inheritance rights.

What is the procedure for a civil marriage under SMA?

Under Section 5 of the Act, the parties to the marriage are required to give a notice, in writing, to a “Marriage Officer” of the district in which at least one of the parties has resided for at least 30 days immediately preceding the notice.

Under Section 6 of the Act, a copy of the notice is kept under the “Marriage Notice Book” which is opened for inspection at reasonable times.

After receiving the notice, the marriage officer publishes it to invite any objections to the marriage within 30 days.

Section 7 deals with “Objection to marriage”. 

It allows any person, within 30 days of publishing the notice, to object to the marriage on the ground of violation one or more of the conditions specified in Section 4 of the Act.

If an objection has been made, the Marriage Officer looks into the matter and marriage is not solemnized until the officer is satisfied against the objection or unless the person making such an objection withdraws it.

What are the problems with the publishing of the notice under the SMA?

This provision is often criticized because it is misused to harass couples.

Moreover, the Delhi High Court in 2009 struck down the practice of posting the notice of intended marriage under the SMA because it violated the right to privacy.

The Allahabad High Court in 2021, ruled that couples seeking to solemnize their marriage under the SMA can choose not to publish the mandatory 30-day notice of their intention to marry.

The protest test in India-Iran ties

Source: The post is based on the article “The protest test in India-Iran ties” published in The Indian Express on 18^th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – International Relations

Relevance: India and Iran bilateral relations

News: Iran foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has recently cancelled his visit to the Raisina meet in India.

This is because the event showed a video of Iranian women cutting their hair during a non-violent protest that began last September in Iran. This event highlights the changing bilateral relations between the two nations.

How has been the relations between India and Iran?

India has been quiet about the protest that happened in Iran.

However, at the UN Human Rights Council session, India did not vote against the resolution for a fact-finding mission on human rights violations committed by Iran to suppress the protests.

Moreover, the event organiser in Delhi refused to pull out the video as demanded by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

India also ended its energy trade with Iran when the Trump administration reimposed sanctions against it in 2019.

India’s proximity to the US and Iran’s increasing proximity to China have also been a challenge to ties.

Iran was among the Islamic capitals that reacted strongly during the Nupur Sharma blasphemy row.

These all events show that there has a been decline in the bilateral relation of both the countries.

However, both of them have joined hands on issues such as connectivity through Chabahar, terrorism in the region and Afghanistan, etc.

Hence, despite declining bilateral relations between the two nations, these issues will help them to move ahead together.

Missing link in UGC’s foreign university plans to set up campuses in India

Source– The post is based on the article “Missing link in UGC’s foreign university plans to set up campuses in India” published in the Business Standard on 18th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Issues related to development and management of education

Relevance: Higher education

News- Recently, UGC unveiled draft norms for allowing foreign universities to set up campuses in India with autonomy to decide the admission procedure and fee structure.

What are arguments against foreign university campuses in India?

Students and teachers believe that foreign campuses will not be enough to stop educational emigration.

A report by OECD re­cen­tly pointed out that Indians studying in economically developed countries were the most likely to stay back in their host country and join the local workforce.

The UGC’s move assumes that stud­e­n­ts will be satisfied with the tag of a prestigious global institution. But that is hardly the central motivation.

University campu­ses in the US not only offer a vibrant community of international scholarship, but also an ecosystem of internships, apprenticeships, skill development and vocational training courses.

Fore­ign varsities that offer their curricula in In­dia can only provide a part of the experien­ce enjoyed by students who study abroad.

The courses offered in foreign institutes have strong interdisci­plinary components that branch into skill-development and vocational trai­ning. Indian students who wish to bring their skills on a par with global in­d­ustry re­quirements, would prefer to go to a university’s home campus.

What are arguments in favour of foreign university campuses in India?

Indian students who want to study abroad will be more than a million in the near fut­u­re. Campuses of foreign universities in In­dia can admit only a fraction of the students going abroad.

The students who do not plan to emigrate may choose to study in the campuses of foreign higher education institutions in India.

Foreign universities in India will bridge the gap between the skill-development system and traditional de­gree education by ident­ifying and mitigating bottlenecks in India’s skill development ecosystem.

It will also augment technology transfer, re­search and innovation in the country. This will further lead to the creation of strategic training programmes and a pool of proficient individuals who can leverage emerging global opportunities.

This provides an opportu­nity to tap into the very large pool of NRI educators in universities all over the world and who can bring the best of both local knowledge and international experience and connections.

What is the way forward to improve higher education in India?

The high­er education ecosystem in India needs to be more thoroughly in­tegrated with the job market, in terms of apprenticeships, skill-training workshops, and vocational cou­rses. There is a need for investment in the post-curricular ecosystem.

India should address the skilling needs of its population. For vocational skills, it should look tow­a­rds the German, Swiss, Austrian and Sin­g­a­porean apprentice systems for inspiration.

The gover­nment must first focus on implementing its landmark announcements as the Nat­ional Research Foundation and the alloca­tion of 25% of the defense R&D bud­get for higher education system and the private sector in an effective way.

GS Paper 3

Supreme Court must use cases pending against UAPA to examine its scope

Source– The post is based on the article “Supreme Court must use cases pending against UAPA to examine its scope” published in The Indian Express on 17th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Security

Relevance: Measures adopted by government to deal with terrorism

News- In recent times, arbitrary use of India’s omnibus anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 has drawn attention.

What are the prominent anti-terror laws that have been used by the Indian government against terror activities?

Indian anti-terror laws include the Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act passed in 1985, and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) passed in 2002.

In 2004, started using UAPA against the terror activities. The government used UAPA to declare illegal any organization questioning India’s sovereignty.

Since then, the law has undergone three significant revisions — 2008, 2013 and 2019. Each modification has made it more stringent.

What are the problems associated with the legal approach adopted by the Indian government against terrorism?

The government has prosecuted political dissidents under anti-terror laws. But on the global stage, in 2022, India objected to the inclusion of “right-wing extremism” in the definition of terrorism in the UNGA Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

There appears to be a significant difference between what India considers to be terrorism and what other democracies like the UK, US do. But Indian anti-terror measures were inspired by legislation from these countries and United Nations Security Council resolutions.

TADA and POTA were known for their lengthy pretrial detention, in-custody torture, false prosecutions, and forced confessions. Minority community members paid a heavy price.

What has been the stand of SC on anti-terror legislations?

The Supreme Court had evolved many safeguards for application of TADA and POTA.

In Shaheen Welfare Association v Union of India, 1996; it categorized TADA detainees into four different brackets to grant bail.

In Kartar Singh v State of Punjab, 1994; SC ordered setting up state and central review committees to prevent the misuse of TADA.

But in the UAPA era, the court has been unable to provide adequate safeguards against arbitrary arrests, malicious prosecutions and long pretrial detentions. The Court’s ruling in NIA v Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali (2020) has made the grant of bail almost impossible.

What are issues related to UAPA?

Terms like “terrorist act”, “unlawful activity”, “advocacy”, “conspiracy”, “likely to threaten”, and “likely to strike terror” have been framed vaguely. These seem to give agencies arbitrary powers.

There is a lack of standards for prosecution. Instead, the act allows for a blind reliance on police cases. The terms like “terrorist act” are subjective and difficult to define.

UAPA has one of the worst records for prosecution success. According to a PUCL report in 2022, less than 3% of arrests made under the UAPA resulted in convictions between 2015 and 2020. Only 1,080 of the 4,690 people detained under the UAPA between 2018 and 2020 received bail.

What is the way forward for reforming UAPA?

The debate on UAPA needs to be taken beyond the validity of a few select provisions. The law’s purpose and scope need careful examination. The main question is proportionality which is a fundamental principle of our Constitution.

The Court must determine whether the breadth and consequences of UAPA are substantially out of proportion to its declared goals.

There is a need to have a law that effectively combat terrorism and still conform to the imperatives of our Constitution. The ability to identify, neutralize, and bring terrorists to justice should be a priority.

However, the authorities must be subject to stringent, clear controls and impartial oversight.

Billionaire Raj: The rise of India’s multi-business conglomerates

Source– The post is based on the article “Billionaire Raj: The rise of India’s multi-business conglomerates” published in the Business Standard on 18th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Indian economy

Relevance: Wealth concentration

News- Recently, two announcements of the past few days grabbed attention. One was Tata-owned Air India’s eye-popping order for 470 passenger planes. The second announcement was an investment commitment of about Rs 3.5 trillion by various business houses

How is the business being dominated by a few large firms in India?

Gautam Adani’s companies run some of India’s biggest ports, operate a fifth of its power transmission lines, and accommodate a quarter of its commercial air traffic.

Tata group’s chairman recently mentioned investment plans totalling $90 billion for the next five years.

Mukesh Ambani has made various pronouncements for investments of about Rs 10 trillion. His ambitions include producing a fifth of the country’s renewable energy.

The Rs 30-trillion investment mentioned by just the Big Three equals a tenth of India’s GDP. They account for 20% of the net profits of 3,250 out of India’s listed, non-financial companies.

What can be concluded by increasing wealth concentrations in the hands of a few conglomerates?

The increasing concentration of mega investments is because of their capital-intensive nature and the scale of the country’s ambitions.

The rise of multi-business conglomerates stands in contrast to the earlier rise of focused, single-business enterprises in telecom, IT services, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles.

The experience of South Korea, Japan, and Russia has shown, the conglomerate model often comes with political connections. But such comparisons can be overblown.

The six big groups have revenue equal to about 11% of India’s GDP. Samsung alone accounts for more than that in South Korea.

Social security and the story of two Budgets

Source– The post is based on the article “Social security and the story of two Budgets” published in The Hindu on 18th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Government schemes and interventions

Relevance: Socio-economic Welfare of vulnerable section

News- In Union Budget 2023-24, the finance minister asserted that since 2014, the central government has ensured a better quality of life, and a life of dignity for all its citizens. But Budget figures help distinguish rhetoric from the truth.

What are the issues with social security provisions provided by the central government?

Budgetary provisions– There have been severe cuts in various social security and welfare schemes such as food security and the MGNREGA in the budget.

Elderly and other social security pensioners are not given enough consideration.

Budget for the NSAP has remained constant, at approximately ₹9,000 crore. It is steadily reducing in real terms. This year, the NSAP saw a reduction of ₹16 crore.

Low amount of pension-Failure to index social sector expenditure to inflation has led to the even greater marginalisation of vulnerable people. India’s cumulative inflation rate from 2007 to 2023 is 193.19%. This means that ₹200 in 2007 would have become ₹586.38 in 2023 if indexed.

Since 2007, social security pensions under the National Social Assistance Programme have remained frozen at a low of ₹200 for the elderly and ₹300 per month for widows and persons with disabilities.

Numbers receiving pensions– For selecting beneficiaries, the central government relies on the obsolete Below Poverty Line lists based on Census 2001.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Element of mystery: Lead poisoning is a huge public health concern for India; here’s why

Source: The post is based on the article “Element of mystery: Lead poisoning is a huge public health concern for India; here’s why” published in Down To Earth on 17th February 2023

What is the News?

The widespread use of Lead has resulted in extensive environmental contamination, human exposure and significant public health problems in many parts of the world.

What is Lead Poisoning?

Lead is a naturally occurring toxic metal found in the Earth’s crust.

Lead poisoning is a serious and sometimes fatal condition. It occurs when lead builds up in the body.

Young children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning because they absorb 4–5 times as much ingested lead as adults from a given source.

What are the sources of Lead Poisoning?

What is the impact of Lead Poisoning in India?

Children: According to a 2020 report by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Pure Earth, half the children in India report high blood lead levels.

– Lead exposure can have serious consequences for the health of children. High levels of exposure to lead attack the brain and central nervous system, causing coma, convulsions and even death.

Disability-Adjusted Life Years: According to a 2016 analysis by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), Lead toxicity in India contributes to 4.6 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (number of years lost due to disease burden) and 165,000 deaths annually.

Impact on Health: Lead also causes long-term harm in adults, including increased risk of high blood pressure and kidney damage. 

– Exposure of pregnant women to high levels of lead can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and low birth weight.

What are the challenges in curbing Lead Poisoning?

In India, lead does not get as much attention as other potential public health concerns. 

This is because the country lacks systems to screen populations for possible exposure. India has some 48 national referral centres for lead projects where blood lead levels can be tested, but screening is usually done on a voluntary basis or at health camps by non-profits.

Even if screening occurs, determining the source of exposure is not easy. Moreover, poor implementation of safety norms also compounds the problem of Lead Poisoning.

What are the steps needed to be taken against Lead Poisoning?

Firstly, there are more than 20 occupations and household items that may be exposing people to high levels of lead, but research to even identify the geographical distribution of sources appears to be lacking.

– Regular screening and testing of lead sources will inform about region-wise prevalence and help tailor interventions.

Secondly, India must also enhance its capacity for testing, currently done for blood lead levels. This test only shows how much (lead) is present in circulating blood and not how much is stored in the body.

Thirdly, there are gaps in treatment protocols. CSIR underlines the need to train healthcare workers to monitor, detect and treat this condition.

Fourthly, there is a need for public awareness. Lead poisoning needs to be a part of the narrative of India’s health status. India needs to devise strategies on a state level, through regional bureaucracy, local press and vernacular language to have a tangible impact.

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Marine Spatial Planning framework, country’s first, launched in Puducherry

Source: The post is based on the article “Marine Spatial Planning framework, country’s first, launched in Puducherry” published in The Hindu on 17th February 2023

What is the News?

Puducherry has launched the country’s first Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) framework as part of a pact under the Indo-Norway Integrated Ocean Initiative.

What is Marine Spatial Planning(MSP)?

Marine Spatial Planning(MSP) is a public process of analyzing and allocating the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives that have been specified through a political process.

MSP is a practical way a) to create and establish a more rational use of marine space and the interactions among its uses, b) to balance demands for development with the need to protect the environment, and c) to deliver social and economic outcomes in an open and planned way.

About India-Norway Marine Spatial Planning(MSP) Framework

India and Norway have agreed to jointly work in the area of Marine Spatial Planning(MSP) in oceanic space for the next five years.

This is a part of the Indo-Norway Integrated Ocean Initiative under the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries in 2019. Lakshadweep and Puducherry have been identified as pilot sites for the project.

MSP will be implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences(MoES) through National Centre for Coastal Research(NCCR) for India. 

In its primary phase, NCCR will develop a marine spatial planning framework for Puducherry and Lakshadweep. These sites have been chosen for the pilot project in view of their setups with unique opportunities for multiple sectors (such as industries, fisheries, and tourism) to flourish.

In the future, the marine spatial planning framework of these two environmentally critical areas can be replicated in other coastal regions of the country.

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Over 1,000 pangolins poached and trafficked in India between 2018 and 2022

Source: The post is based on the article “Over 1,000 pangolins poached and trafficked in India between 2018 and 2022” published in The Hindu on 18th February 2023

What is the News?

TRAFFIC and WWF-India has brought out a publication titled ‘India’s Pangolins Buried in Illegal Wildlife Trade’.

What are the key findings of the report?

During the period between 2018-2022, 1,203 pangolins were poached and trafficked for illicit wildlife trade in 342 seizure incidents.

Among the 24 States and one Union Territory that reported seizure of pangolins, Odisha reported the maximum number of seizures.

Live pangolins represented 50% of the total number of seizure incidents.

Suggestions: The publication stresses the need to address the demand for pangolins in consumer countries and strengthen enforcement actions to deter trade.

About Pangolins in India

India is home to two species 1) Indian Pangolin, found across the sub-continent and 2) Chinese Pangolin, found across a larger area in south Asia. Bihar, West Bengal and Assam see the presence of both.

– Both species are included under India’s Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act which could result in a jail term for those hunting animals listed here.

Threats: India reports a significant number of pangolin trafficking incidents reflected by seizures across the country.

— They are poached mainly for international markets in China and Southeast Asia for their scales, which are used as an ingredient in traditional medicines and are believed to cure various ailments. Pangolin meat is also considered a delicacy and consumed for its alleged medicinal properties.

– An analysis of illegal pangolin trade in India by TRAFFIC in 2018 reported the poaching of 6,000 pangolins between 2009 and 2017.

Researchers discover new cuckoo bee in Kerala

Source: The post is based on the article “Researchers discover new cuckoo bee in Kerala” published in The Hindu on 18th February 2023

What is the News?

Researchers have discovered a new species of cuckoo bee named “Thyreus narendrani” in kole Wetland, Kerala. 

What is Thyreus narendrani?

Thyreus narendrani is a new species of cuckoo bee. It belongs to the family Apidae of order Hymenoptera. 

Cuckoo bees parasitise the nest of other bees by breaking and entering and laying their eggs.

Unlike other female bees, cuckoo bees lack pollen-collecting structures.

Once the cuckoo bee’s larva hatches out in the nest of the host bee, it consumes the food stored by the host for its own growing larva.

What is Kole Wetland?

Kole Wetland is located in Kerala. It is one of the largest brackish, humid tropical wetland ecosystem on the southwest coast of India.

It was declared as a Ramsar Site in 2002. It is situated in the central Asian Flyway of migratory birds.

The wetland extends from the northern bank of Chalakudy River in the south to the southern bank of Bharathapuzha River in the north.

The wetland is popular for its rice cultivation that dates back to 300 years. The wetland gets its name from its high productivity – ‘Kole’ literally translates to ‘bumper crop’ in Malayalam.

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Nominated members cannot vote in Delhi Mayor poll: Supreme Court

Source: The post is based on the article “Nominated members cannot vote in Delhi Mayor poll: Supreme Court” published in The Hindu on 18th February 2023

What is the News?

The Supreme Court has ordered the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi to announce within 24 hours the date of the polls to elect the mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

The court also made it clear that members nominated by the LG to the MCD cannot vote in the polls to elect the mayor.

What was the case in the Supreme Court about?

Click Here to read

What did the Supreme Court held?

The Supreme Court has held that the Constitution has imposed restrictions on the nominated members as they don’t have the right to vote. 

The same restriction finds statutory recognition in the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957. 

The court also emphasized that the Delhi Municipal Corporation Regulations, 1958 stipulates that as soon as the Mayor is elected, he shall preside over the meeting for the transaction of the rest of the business.

These provisions make it abundantly clear that the election of the Mayor has to be held first. The elected Mayor is then required to preside over the election of the Deputy Mayor as the presiding authority.