Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Asia the saver – The global savings glut may persist as, despite ageing rapidly, Asia can continue to be a net saver
• The delay in the decennial Census

GS Paper 2

• Indians abroad: History, spread, remittances
• A step towards fighting corruption
• Securing cyberspace for children: How to tackle online child sexual abuse and exploitation

GS Paper 3

• From RIL to L&T and Adani, corporate giants build on EPC rule change
• Has human-animal conflict increased in Wayanad?
• A mountain reeling under human aggression

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Report on municipal finances: Municipal corporations in India are gasping for funds
• What is the new US FDA-approved treatment for early Alzheimer’s?
• Year End Review- 2022 : Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
• Centre adopts new standards for digital TV receivers
• Joshimath crisis: What is land subsidence and why does it happen?
• Year End Review 2022: Ministry of Cooperation
• India, U.K sign and exchange letters for Young Professionals Scheme
• iVOFm: IISER Pune’s new material removes pollutants from water
• Glassfrogs: How do some animals become transparent?

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Asia the saver – The global savings glut may persist as, despite ageing rapidly, Asia can continue to be a net saver

News: The article discusses the impact of aging population and savings on the current account balance of Asian nations.

How an aging population may affect the saving of Asian nations?

The demographic shift in 10 major Asian economies (the A-10: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan) is faster than the economic transition.

Further, there is disparity among the A-10 on the current account balance. For example, India and Indonesia run deficits, whereas north Asian economies run in surpluses.

However, they have collectively accumulated a surplus of nearly $5 trillion in the last decade. These surpluses are invested in global assets which have also led a boom in the consumption of the world.

But an aging population may lead to a drop in the savings of A-10 because production would fall due to a smaller number of workers and consumption may keep rising due to the increasing lifespan.

The number of consumers per worker is known as the dependency ratio. A higher ratio could turn current account balances from surpluses to deficits.

How higher dependency ratio affects the current account balances?

First, the aggregate demand that affects current account balances includes domestic consumption and investment. Investment (households, corporations and the government) fall as population growth slows and then turns negative.

This in turn leads to lesser requirement of investments in growth of the economy and invest is more driven by global demand-supply balances and rather than local demand. This affects the current account balance.

Second, household savings depend on sufficiency of pensions, especially for the retirees who depend on pensions for their future. If pension mechanisms are not adequate, it leads to a drop in consumption. Therefore, there should be a better saving mechanism in order to have a better current account balance.

How better pension plans can help in the current account surplus?

The Japanese fund GPIF has nearly 10 percent of all Japanese wealth, with half of it deployed in foreign financial assets.

The accumulated foreign assets of Japan are so large that the income from them exceeds 4 percent of gross domestic product. This helps Japan’s current account to stay in surplus despite a shrinking workforce.

However, the pension plans of most of the Asian economy are not good enough to build higher savings which ultimately affects the current account.

Therefore, there is a need for personal savings or government-mandated savings in Asia to grow. This increase in savings with the increase in financial assets will make the A-10 economies as providers of capital to the world.

The delay in the decennial Census

News: The decennial Census exercise has been postponed till September 2023. Except for the 2021 census, none of the previous exercises has been delayed.

What is the Census?

Click Here to read

What does the Constitution say about the Census?

Click here to read

How is the Census conducted?

The decennial census is carried out by lakhs of enumerators empanelled and trained by the government in two phases.

First phase: It is the housing Census, where data on housing conditions, household amenities and assets possessed by households are collected.

Second phase: In this phase, data on population, education, religion, economic activity, Scheduled Castes and Tribes etc are collected.

What are the implications of the delaying census?

Census data is crucial for various administrative functions, welfare schemes, and other surveys. The implications of the delaying census are,

Firstly, outdated Census information (available from the last Census in 2011) often becomes unreliable and affects those who do and do not receive the benefits of welfare schemes. For instance,

As per the National Food Security Act, 2013, 67% of the country’s population (approximately 80 crore in 2011) is entitled to receive subsidised food grains from the government under the targeted public distribution system (PDS). Over the last decade means that if the 67% ratio is applied to 2020’s projected population of 137 crore, PDS coverage should have increased to around 92 crore people.

Secondly, census data are critical for other sample surveys conducted in the country as they use the Census data as a ‘frame’ or list from which a representative sample of the population is selected for surveys. For instance, for the latest edition of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) released last year, it was the 2011 data that served as the sampling frame.

Thirdly, census is crucial to determine the population of migrants and migration patterns. Despite the large-scale migration during the pandemic, the only data available from the government was from 2011, which could not answer queries on the numbers, causes and patterns of migration.

GS Paper 2

Indians abroad: History, spread, remittances

News– The article explains the history, classification, numbers, geographical spread of diaspora. It also explains the remittances sent by them and their involvement in politics of the host country.

What is the history of diaspora in India?

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, thousands of Indians were sent to countries in the east pacific and the Caribbean islands under the ‘Girmitiya’ arrangement as indentured labourers. They were taken to work on plantations in British colonies, which were reeling under a labour crisis due to the abolition of slavery in 1833-34.

As part of the second wave of migration, nearly 20 lakh Indians went to Singapore and Malaysia to work in farms.

The third and fourth wave saw professionals heading to western countries. Workers were going to the Gulf and west Asian countries due to opportunities provided by the oil boom.

How can we classify overseas Indians?

Overseas Indians are classified into three categories: Non-Resident Indians (NRI), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs).

NRIs are Indians who are residents of foreign countries. The PIO category was abolished in 2015 and merged with the OCI category.

According to the MEA, PIO refers to a foreign citizen who at any time held an Indian passport, or who or either of their parents/ grandparents/great grandparents was born and permanently resided in India as defined in Government of India Act, 1935, or who is a spouse of a citizen of India or a PIO.

A separate category of OCI was carved out in 2006. An OCI card was given to a foreign national who was eligible to be a citizen of India on January 26, 1950, was a citizen of India on or at any time after January 26, 1950, or belonged to a territory that became part of India after August 15, 1947.

What are the numbers and geographical spread of the diaspora?

According to a report of the Parliamentary committee on external affairs, as on December 31, 2021, there were 4.7 crore Indians living overseas. The number includes NRIs, PIOs, OCIs, and students.

The countries with over 10 lakh overseas Indians include the United States of America, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Saudi Arabia,  Myanmar, Malaysia, Kuwait and Canada.

According to the World Migration Report, by the International Organisation for Migration, India has the largest emigrant population in the world.

What is the situation of remittances in the case of India?

According to the latest World Bank Migration and Development Brief, for the first time, India is on track to receive more than $100 billion in yearly remittances.

The report notes that India, China, Mexico, the Philippines and Egypt in descending order are among the top five remittance recipient countries.

What is the level of involvement of the diaspora in politics of  their country of residence?

The vocal political positions taken by a section of the Indian diaspora is a recent phenomena. The Hindu American Foundation, a Hindu advocacy group based in the US, was set up in 2003.

What are the charges of biases against diaspora?

The parliamentary panel report pointed out that conventions such as the Pravasi Bharatiya Sammelan leaves out a large section of the diaspora that is not wealthy.

It expressed apprehension that low or semi-skilled and blue collar workers may not feel comfortable to participate in the said celebration. Participation and involvement should be more broad-based by accommodating the vulnerable sections of the diaspora community.

A step towards fighting corruption

News– The article explains the recent Supreme Court judgement on corruption in public life. It also explains the reason behind corruption by public servants and important aspects of the fight against corruption.

What are notable points of recent SC judgement in Neeraj Dutta v. State (Govt. of NCT of Delhi)?

It lowered the requirement for the quantum of evidence to convict persons charged with corruption.

It laid down that even if prosecution witnesses turn hostile, a conviction would be possible. This will be possible if circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution points unmistakably to the guilt of the accused.

The court has directed that infirmities such as non-availability of the complainant should impact the prosecution.

What are important aspects to fight against corruption?

There are two aspects to the fight against corruption. The first is the severity of the law and its application. The second is the strength of public opinion that would help carry forward the campaign for a clean public life.

Deterrence by strong laws works only up to a point. It disregards the fact that the more penalties for criminal behaviour will increase the quantum of proof required for conviction.

What are the reasons behind the misdeeds of public servants?

Corruption by public servants can be partly attributed to political corruption. No entitled service can be obtained without bribing the administrative or political hierarchy.

Jobs are often sold at a price. Many applicants are prepared to pay without a complaint as there is acute unemployment.

No approval for construction of a building or for registration of a property is possible without payment of a bribe.

Several public servants involved in this racket cite illegal demands from the political hierarchy as the reason for such bribes.

Will the SC judgement be effective in tackling corruption?

It may not deter people from corruption.

Corrupt public servants will find other means of covering up their misdeeds. Many are willing to offer bribes to public servants. This nexus between offender and victim has become a part of our ethos.

Securing cyberspace for children: How to tackle online child sexual abuse and exploitation

News– The article explains the increasing danger of online child sex exploitation and abuse and its impacts. It also explains the challenges in dealing with online child sex abuse and suggest solutions to handle these challenges.

Why the threat of online child abuse and exploitation has increased in recent times?

Multiple lockdowns during Covid-19 forced children to turn to the internet for education, entertainment and everything. It led to an increase in their average screen time.

This prolonged online exposure has increased threats to online safety for children.

The rapidly evolving digital landscape and advances in information technology have given rise to better encryption services and the dark net. It has provided a safe cover of anonymity to offenders.

What is online child sexual abuse and exploitation and its impacts?

It refers to activities such as the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material. It also includes live streaming of sexual assault of minors, obtaining sexually explicit material.

This poses serious harm to children. They experience psychological stress such as anxiety, trauma, and depression.

It can also lead to behavioural changes like drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm, and lower motivation for academics.

The consequences of online sexual abuse in childhood are far-reaching. It may extend into adulthood by creating issues with intimacy and affecting interpersonal relationships.

What are the main administrative challenges when dealing with online child abuse?

There exists limited law enforcement capacities and gaps in the legislative framework.

Lack of awareness and urgency around the issue are other challenges.

There is a lack of  workforce in relevant social welfare organisations.

What are the steps taken by the government to tackle online child sex abuse?

It has improved the mechanism for reporting online offences against children.

It has also developed new tools and software to control and remove the presence of child sexual abuse material on social media and other platforms.

Efforts have also been made to sensitise schools and boost the technological capacity of law enforcement agencies to further deal with the issue.

What is the way forward to prevent child abuse?

According to the Model National Response, there are six key domains that should be focussed to effectively address this issue. These are policy and governance, criminal justice, industry, society and culture, research and victim support.

It is imperative to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of cross-sectoral governance mechanisms that are set up to systematise the national response to child sexual abuse material. The huge backlog of child abuse cases must also be fast-tracked.

There is a need to institutionalise the collection of national-level data on child sex abuse. The recent Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 can provide an opportunity to meet this exigency.

There should be further development of clear mandates and creation of a logical framework. These should define the roles and duties of all relevant stakeholders within standard operating procedures for investigation.

Continuous dialogue between the industry, government and other collaborators, with a distinct agenda and division of responsibilities is necessary. Industry partners must be provided with suitable training and awareness of the magnitude of child abuse, along with proper toolkits and guidance.

There is need to promote a systematic and constant approach to training the judiciary and prosecution on child abuse. It should be centred around child-sensitive protocols.

Comprehensive remedies or reparations for victims are important. They need to be handled by a specialised workforce.

Basic online safety measures, parental support initiatives and community awareness training can be integrated into existing education programmes.

Existing systems must be evaluated by monitoring and documenting their overall effectiveness and accessibility. It should include assessment of relevant hotlines and portals.

Dedicated effort must be made for ethical and informed media reporting on relevant cases.

A collaborative effort of various institutions across the nation is required to build a safer cyberspace.

Stricter implementation of prevention laws, and adequate resources to sustain these efforts is required.

GS Paper 3

From RIL to L&T and Adani, corporate giants build on EPC rule change

News– The article explains the increasing preference of big infrastructure firms for EPC contracts.

Reliance Industries Ltd has decided that it would merge its engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) subsidiary Reliance Projects and Property Management.

Many big infrastructure companies are pivoting towards government EPC contracts in a major way.

What is the reason for major infrastructure companies preferring EPC contracts?

This shift is primarily on account of several initiatives by government agencies in 2022. Most prominent of them are the National Highways Authority of India and the Railways. As a result, new entrants will operate on a low-debt model to build greenfield assets. The government will be responsible for selling the completed projects.

Government agencies are now handing out infrastructure contracts stating that bidders have to separate the project financing plans from the post-construction phase.

The new paradigm for infrastructure projects suits companies like L&T, RVNL, Adani or RIL. They have large reserves of cash for implementing the project.

An EPC project begins life with a 20% upfront payment contract offered by the bidding agency. Subsequent payments are linked to achieving project milestones that can be monitored by technology. Bidders need to hardly raise any debt.

What was the reason behind these decisions?

This change was mainly the result of NHAI’s Rs 3.3-trillion debt burden.

The finance ministry discovered that most of the debt was due to hybrid annuity model-based projects for roads. Under this model, the bidders were offered to build the roads or bridges on a tight budget and timeline. They were allowed to compensate themselves from the returns when the projects became operational by charging tolls.

Many contractors were suspicious about collecting tolls or levying user charges, NHAI offered assured returns of up to 40% of the total project expenditure, payable usually over 10 years. The contractor had to arrange the rest.

Due to assured return, contractors inflated projections. Projects often came up late even as the government’s bill mounted.

As a result of this, NHAI not only now asks the contractors to show project construction cost. It has also begun to use drones and satellites to monitor the pace of the progress.

In June 2022, the finance ministry said the past experience of the contractors has to be checked before issuing tenders.

Has human-animal conflict increased in Wayanad?

News: There has been an increase in the human-animal conflict in Kerala. A daily worker was attacked by the elephant along with an attack on a bus.

What has led to an increase in the human-animal conflict in Kerala?

Human-animal conflict has become a serious wildlife management problem in Kerala in the last few years.

The reasons are – a) an increase in human population in wildlife habitats, b) habitat loss and fragmentation suffered by wild animals and c) change in cropping and land use patterns adopted by farmers.

Moreover, an analysis in various forest divisions of Kerala shows that human-wildlife conflict is a threat existing almost everywhere, but more frequently in the northern region and particularly in Wayanad.

What can be done to prevent human-animal conflict?

The only solution is mitigation of conflict. Both government and society should work together as a single entity to prevent human-animal conflict.

Further, forest conservation must be made more effective, through participatory programmes involving the people.

A mountain reeling under human aggression

News: The Himalayan town Joshimath is under tremendous stress, and a portion of it may sink.

About Joshimath

Joshimath, or Jyotirmath, is a temple town and a municipality in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district.

What are the challenges faced by Hilly areas?

Increase in rail and road network: The construction of highways and railway tracks has now become a prime cause for landslides and its occurrences have doubled over the years.

Increase in construction activities: For instance, in the next decade, the Government proposes to build 66 tunnels in the Uttarakhand Himalaya and 18 tunnels are already in operation.

Growth of the tourism sector: For instance, in Joshimath, in 2022, close to 5 crore tourists, 4 crore kanwar yatris and 45 lakh Char Dham pilgrims went to Uttarakhand. That’s about 10 crore.

Increased waste generation: For instance, the solid waste generation at Kedarnath was around 10,000 kg daily.

Depleting groundwater: Descending water levels have been observed in the hilly areas of tunnel construction. Further, erratic rainfall and ecological degradation associated with land use change are impacting mountain aquifer systems. For instance, the severity of the drinking water crisis in Darjeeling.

Low investment opportunity: People in tourist areas tend to invest in taxis and hotels. This again compounds the issue of urbanisation.

Increase in fallow land: Further, most of the farmers have now abandoned their traditional practices and only less than 20% of the agricultural land in the Himalayan districts of Uttarakhand is now being farmed and the rest has become fallow land.

What should be done to protect hilly areas?

The steep gradients of the Uttarakhand Himalayas make it dynamically heterogeneous, in terms of climatic variables, and biodiversity. To protect the hilly areas the government should do the following,

-Like cities, hills also need investments and infrastructure. But that should not damage the ecological balance. The development strategy should be based on the region’s natural resources such as forests, water, biodiversity and ecotourism.

-A scientific study of hill towns is needed to clearly define the carrying capacity of each hilly town.

-Proper planning: Sikkim railway project and Sevoke-Rangpo line are facing challenges due to improper planning.

-The Himalayan terrain demands sustainable tourism, not mass tourism.

-National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) report on the Chamoli disaster mentions that in the long term, it will be necessary to focus on finding alternative sources of energy.

In short, an appropriate strategy for human well-being should use traditional knowledge, agricultural practices, construction practices and local cultural aspects.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Report on municipal finances: Municipal corporations in India are gasping for funds

Source: The post is based on the article “Municipal corporations in India are gasping for funds” published in Business Standard on 10th January 2023

What is the News?

The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has released a study titled “Report on municipal finances”.

The study reveals how municipal bodies are increasingly dependent on fund transfers from the State and the Centre while their revenue earning capacity is limited. 

What are the key findings from the study?

The combined budget of all the municipal corporations in India is much smaller than that of the Central and State governments.

Inadequate Taxes: Taxes earned by municipal corporations in India are grossly inadequate to meet their expenditure needs.

– In India, the own tax revenue of municipal corporations, comprising property tax, water tax, toll tax and other local taxes, formed 31-34% of the total revenue in the FY18-FY20 period. This share was low compared to many other countries and it also declined over time. 

– Limited funds aside about 70% of it gets spent on salaries, pensions and administrative expenses with the rest left for capital expenditure. Above all, municipal corporations don’t borrow much leaving them gasping for funds.

Variations in Tax revenue: Large variations can be observed if the municipal corporations’ own tax revenue is sliced State-wise.

– The own tax revenue of municipal corporations as a share of the State’s GDP in 2017-18 crossed the 1% mark in Delhi, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, while it was 0.1% or less in Karnataka, Goa, Assam and Sikkim.

Major revenue from property taxes: Municipal corporations’ revenue-raising capabilities are dependent on property taxes. 

– In 2017-18, the property taxes formed over 40% of the municipal corporations’ own tax revenue. Despite such dominance, property tax collection in India was much lower compared to OECD countries due to undervaluation and poor administration.

Dependent on Funds: The ​​municipal bodies are increasingly dependent on fund transfers from the State and the Centre. Property taxes are not efficiently collected. The generated funds are mostly spent on revenue expenditure, leaving a much smaller pie for capacity building.

What is the new US FDA-approved treatment for early Alzheimer’s?

Source: The post is based on the article “What is the new US FDA-approved treatment for early Alzheimer’s?” published in Indian Express on 10th January 2023

What is the News?

The US Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has approved a new Alzheimer’s drug named Lecanemab which is to be marketed as Leqembi.

What is Alzheimer disease?

Click Here to read

What is Lecanemab?

Lecanemab, sold under the brand name Leqembi, is a medication approved for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Working of the drug: The drug is a monoclonal antibody that binds itself to a protein in the brain called Amyloid beta.

– By doing so, it helps the body destroy these proteins. People with Alzheimer’s have high levels of Amyloid beta in their brains and, in the trial, Leqembi significantly lowered those amounts. 

– However, it remains unclear whether the protein causes Alzheimer’s or how reducing it affects the disease’s progression.

Who can use this drug?

The drug should be used only for patients in the early and mild stages of Alzheimer’s disease, matching the status of patients in the clinical trials of the drug. 

– It instructs doctors not to treat patients without doing tests to confirm that they have one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s: a buildup of the protein amyloid, which Leqembi (like Aduhelm) attacks.

Year End Review- 2022 : Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

Source: The post is based on the article “Year End Review- 2022 : Ministry of Road Transport and Highways” published in PIB on 9th January 2023

What is the News?

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has launched several initiatives and schemes in 2022.

What are the schemes and initiatives launched by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in 2022?

Road Network in the Country: India has about 63.73 lakh km of the road network, which is the second largest in the world.

National Highways: The pace of National Highways (NH) construction has increased consistently between 2014-15 and 2021-22 due to the systematic push through corridor-based National Highway development approach. 

– In 2014-15, the pace of NH construction was about 12 km/ day which increased to about 29 km/ day in 2021-22.

Bharatmala Pariyojana 

National Highways Infra Trust(NHAI InvIT) Bonds

Amrit Sarovar

Surety Bonds

Banihal-Qazigund road tunnel 

Ropeways in India

MANTHAN: Manthan is a conference organized with the aim to anchor discussions across multiple issues and opportunities in the roads, transport and logistics sectors. The theme of Manthan was “IDEAS TO ACTION: Towards a smart, sustainable, road infra, mobility and logistics ecosystem”.

Compensation to Victims of Hit and Run Motor Accidents Scheme

Jogighopa Multimodal Logistics Park in Assam

Port Connectivity: India has a total of 226 ports which comprise 12 Major ports. MoRTH is working to enhance the ports logistics ecosystem by connecting Major & Minor Ports with National Highways, with National Highways Logistics Management Ltd(NHLML) spearheading this endeavour.

Hydrogen fuel cell EV launched

Vehicle Scrapping Policy

NHAI has created a Guinness World Record 

Centre adopts new standards for digital TV receivers

Source: The post is based on the article “Centre adopts new standards for digital TV receivers” published in The Hindu on 10th January 2023

What is the News?

The Bureau of Indian Standards(BIS) has come out with quality standards for three electronic devices—digital television receivers, USB Type-C chargers and Video Surveillance Systems (VSS).

What are the standards set up by BIS for these three electronic devices?

Digital television receivers with built-in satellite tuners

The TV sets manufactured as per this Indian standard would enable reception of free-to-air TV and radio channels just by connecting a dish antenna with the LNB (a receiving device) mounted on a suitable place, at the rooftop or wall of the building.

At present, television viewers in the country need to purchase a set-top box for viewing various paid and free-to-air (non-encrypted) channels, including the Doordarshan channels.

USB Type C receptacles, plugs and cables

This standard would provide common charging solutions for smartphones and other electronic devices sold in the country. This would reduce the number of chargers per consumer as they would no longer need to buy different chargers for every new device.

Currently, consumers need different chargers for different gadgets due to the incompatibility of ports, leading to extra expenditure, an increase in e-waste, and plenty of inconveniences.

Video Surveillance System(VSS)

VSS is a crucial security element that is utilized virtually everywhere to record any unauthorized behaviour.

The standard gives a comprehensive overview of all aspects of a video surveillance system, including specifications for the cameras, interfaces, system requirements etc.

Significance: Given the rapidly changing technology in the security sector and the wide range of VSS options available, it is now difficult for the average person to select the VSS that is best suited for their intended application.

– This set of guidelines will help them identify the proper equipment needed for their intended applications, and provide a way to evaluate the performance of the VSS objectively. Additionally, it will also make VSS more reliable, durable and economical.

Joshimath crisis: What is land subsidence and why does it happen?

Source: The post is based on the article “Joshimath crisis: What is land subsidence and why does it happen?” published in Indian Express on 9th January 2023

What is the News?

Joshimath, Uttarakhand has been declared as a landslide and subsidence-hit zone.

What is Land Subsidence?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA), subsidence is the sinking of the ground because of underground material movement. 

It can happen for a host of reasons, man-made or natural, such as the removal of water, oil, or natural resources, along with mining activities. Earthquakes, soil erosion, and soil compaction are also some of the well-known causes of subsidence.

The subsidence can happen over very large areas like whole states or provinces, or very small areas like the corner of your yard.

What can be the reasons behind Joshimath’s subsidence?

Firstly, Joshimath city has been built on an ancient landslide material — meaning it rests on a deposit of sand and stone, not rock, which doesn’t have high load-bearing capacity. This makes the area extremely vulnerable to ever-burgeoning infrastructure and population.

Secondly, the lack of a proper drainage system might have contributed to the sinking of the area. Experts say that unplanned and unauthorized construction has led to the blocking of the natural flow of water, which eventually results in frequent landslides.

Thirdly, subsidence might have been triggered by the reactivation of a geographic fault — defined as a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock — where the Indian Plate has pushed under the Eurasian Plate along the Himalayas.

Fourthly, the incident might have occurred because of unplanned construction, over-population, and obstruction of the natural flow of water and hydel power activities.

Fifthly, residents have blamed NTPC’s Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Power Project for the incident. They allege that the tunnel had water seepage from a punctured aquifer, leading to the drying of water sources in Joshimath.

Year End Review 2022: Ministry of Cooperation

Source: The post is based on the article “Year End Review 2022: Ministry of Cooperation” published in PIB on 9th January 2023

What is the News?

The Ministry of Cooperation has launched several initiatives and schemes in 2022.

What are the schemes and initiatives launched by the Ministry of Cooperation in 2022?

Computerization of Primary Agriculture Credit Societies(PACS) 

RBI announced very important policy decisions for the cooperative sector:

Firstly, RBI has increased the existing limits on individual housing loans provided by cooperative banks.

Secondly, rural cooperative banks have been allowed to lend to the commercial real estate residential housing sector.

Thirdly, urban co-operative banks have now been allowed to provide door-step banking facilities to their customers on the lines of commercial banks. 

Registration of cooperative societies as ‘Buyers’ on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) platform.

A National Level Committee under the Chairmanship of former Union Cabinet Minister Suresh Prabhu has been formed for drafting the National Cooperation Policy document.

Multi State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022 

Krishak Bharti Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) Bio-ethanol project was inaugurated in Hazira, Surat(Gujarat).

India, U.K sign and exchange letters for Young Professionals Scheme

Source: The post is based on the article “India, U.K sign and exchange letters for Young Professionals Scheme” published in The Hindu on 10th January 2023

What is the News?

India and the United Kingdom have signed and exchanged letters for the Young Professionals Scheme in London,UK.

What is the Young Professionals Scheme?

The Young Professionals Scheme was conceived as part of an India-U.K. Migration and Mobility MoU signed in 2021.

Purpose: The scheme will permit up to 3,000 of their degree-holding citizens aged between 18 and 30 to live and work in each other’s countries for two years.

Duration: The scheme will run for a period of three years initially.

Significance: India is the first visa-national country to benefit from such a scheme.

iVOFm: IISER Pune’s new material removes pollutants from water

Source: The post is based on the article “IISER Pune’s new material removes pollutants from water” published in The Hindu on 9th January 2023

What is the News?

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune has developed a Viologen-unit grafted organic-framework (iVOFm) to clean polluted water.

What is iVOFm?

iVOFm is a unique molecular sponge-like material to clean polluted water by soaking up the contaminants in it.

Method used: iVOFm employs an amalgamation of electrostatics-driven ion exchange combined with nanometer-sized macropores and specific binding sites for the targeted pollutants.

– The inherent cationic nature of iVOFm and macroporosity allows fast diffusion of pollutants.

– Unlike normal sorbent materials, this material is found to be very selective toward toxic pollutants. It can be used several times just like a bath sponge.

Significance of this technique: When tested for a variety of water pollutants, it demonstrated incredibly quick capture of all the pollutants—both organic and inorganic—removal rates of over 93% in just 30 seconds.

What is Ion exchange technique?

Ion Exchange (IX) is a water purification technique in which the water is passed through one or more beds of ion-exchange beads where impurity ions in water are taken up on the beads and replaced by hydrogen and hydroxyl ions, purifying the water.

Glassfrogs: How do some animals become transparent?

Source: The post is based on the article “How do some animals become transparent?” published in The Hindu on 7th January 2023

What is the News?

Recently, Scientists conducted studies to find out glassfrogs –a species known for their ability of becoming transparent– are able to achieve such transparency. 

What are Glassfrogs?

Glassfrogs live in the American tropics and are nocturnal amphibians that spend their days sleeping upside down on translucent leaves that match the colour of their backs — a common camouflage tactic. 

Their translucent skin and muscle allow their bones and organs to be visible – hence the name. 

How do other species achieve transparency?

Transparency is a common form of camouflage among animals that live in water, but rare on land. 

In vertebrates, attaining transparency is difficult because their circulatory system is full of red blood cells that interact with light. 

Studies have shown that ice fish and larval eels achieve transparency by not producing haemoglobin and red blood cells.

How do glassfrogs achieve transparency?

Glassfrogs use an alternative strategy. They increase transparency two- to threefold by removing nearly 90% of their red blood cells from circulation and packing them within their liver, which contains reflective guanine crystals. 

Whenever the frogs need to become active again, they bring the red blood cells back into the blood, which gives the frogs the ability to move around — at which point, light absorption from these cells breaks transparency.