Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Gandhi’s ideals of non-violence and communal harmony remain relevant 75 years after his assassination
• Welfare schemes will falter in the absence of accurate population data

GS Paper 2

• In NREGA reforms, prioritise the worker and her dues
• India must focus on health and education post-budget

GS Paper 3

• Green debut – Green bonds can help lower borrowing cost
• Revisit the tax treatment of tobacco products
• Intellectual property rights sensitivity should not be at the expense of public health obligations
• Build, But Smartly – Infra along LAC is strategically vital. But Joshimath shows why projects must respect mountain ecology
• Warning bells – India’s regulatory framework must infuse confidence in investors, savers

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Mughal Gardens renamed as Amrit Udyan: A brief history
• 50,000 years on, ‘green comet’ comes visiting again
• Student enrolments went up by 7.5% in 2020-21, All India Survey on Higher Education data show
• Ragi poori to jowar upma, Parliament gets a new millet men
• Artificial synapse developed for brain-like computing with industry-compatible Nitride Semiconductors
• Nitrate radicals’ are likely making air pollution worse in China, India
• India’s call to modify the Indus Waters Treaty
• Hindenburg report alleged fraud by its firms, Adani Group says ‘attack on India’
• Why are milk prices so high, and what can be done about it?

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Gandhi’s ideals of non-violence and communal harmony remain relevant 75 years after his assassination

News: Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948. The year 2023 marks the 75 years of his assassination and even after so many years, Gandhi’s ideals of non-violence and communal harmony remain relevant.

What were Gandhi’s beliefs?

He believed that the people of India could not be truly free unless there is an end to social discrimination, economic empowerment, solidarity and empathy towards different languages, religions and cultures.

He made the most humble and poverty-stricken Indian feel that he was one amongst them. He acted as an agent to connect different strata of the society.

Gandhi understood that the idea of violence taken up by revolutionaries cannot stay for a longer time. Hence, he preached non-violent resistance.

He transformed the idea of Indian independence from a small educated elite into a mass and people-centred movement. He gave the freedom struggle a vernacular dimension.

Gandhi was against untouchability and rejected distinctions based on caste, creed, and religion.

He believed that India could be a secular country with all religious faiths co-existing in harmony and in mutual respect.

He used his ideals among the masses to stop communal riots and indiscriminate killings.

However, the partition of India was a deeply wounding experience for him which he took as a personal failure.

How are these beliefs still relevant today?

Gandhi believed in masses and tried to bridge the gap between the lower strata and elite. However, in the present we can see this gap is widening.

Gandhi believed in the coexistence of all religions, caste, creed, etc. However, differences and discrimination still exist.

Gandhi believed in the empowered citizen, self-reliant and progressive India. However, we are back to the politics of entitlement with the distribution of welfare as offerings from the state and its leaders.

Hence, the ideals of Gandhiji can be applied even today in transforming India.

Welfare schemes will falter in the absence of accurate population data

News– The article explains the need for conducting the census, due in 2021.

Why is conducting the population Census, due in 2021, necessary?

Challenges in proper estimation– The biggest challenge is to estimate the district population. The district is the basic administrative unit for governing, planning, and executing government projects and schemes.

In the absence of updated Census data, annual population count at the district level is estimated by using past Census information.

Such exercises give reasonably fair estimates when the year of population estimation is within the range of a maximum of 10 years. Beyond this period, estimations can be erroneous due to dynamic patterns of population components.

Many districts of India are experiencing a faster demographic transition. So using census data of 2011  after 2021 becomes more of an assumption-based model.

Covid-19 further makes the situation complex as it impacts the fertility and mortality situation in the country.

Many states lack a complete civil registration system with a full count of birth and death data. So, the demographers face enormous challenges in providing population counts at the district level.

Migration data– It has great implications for economic activities and social harmony.With economic progress, the pattern of migration in India has been changing in unprecedented ways.

Representative data– The Census counts everyone across regions, classes, religions, languages, castes, marital status, and occupation patterns . Most national-level surveys such as NFHS and NSSO do not have representative data at the population subgroup level. It will be known only via population Census.

What is the way forward?

India has a long history of conducting Census without interruption from 1881 with the rare exception of Assam in 1981 and Jammu Kashmir in 1991.

A regular Census at the national and sub-national levels has been a matter of pride for India. It has to be continued until India achieves a fool-proof civil registration system and a dynamic National Population Register.

Postponing the Census has immediate and long-term negative consequences for India. The government and other stakeholders should take urgent steps to conduct the Census as early as possible.

GS Paper 2

In NREGA reforms, prioritise the worker and her dues

News– The article explains the issues with MGNREGA. It suggests the reforms needed for the scheme.

What are the issues with the MGNREGA scheme?

The majority of reforms related to MGNREGA have focused on centralisation such as the electronic fund management system, geo-tagging of assets and a national mobile monitoring system (NMMS). They have disrupted implementation.

Almost 3,000 women NREGA workers in Muzaffarpur district are protesting against the NMMS application after the app failed to capture their attendance.

The process of wage payments created by the central government has become even more complex. For instance, seven or more functionaries have to sign off before payment due to a worker can be approved.

There are slow and unpredictable releases of funds by the central government.It is one of the fundamental reasons for State governments inability to ensure the full potential of NREGA. As of today, ₹18,191 crore in liabilities is due to 24 States.

Worksites are not opened on time, and the work provided does not match demand.

What reforms are needed for MGNREGA?

Payment reforms– There is a need to address delays in wage payments to restore the faith of workers in the programme. In 2016, the Supreme Court of India directed the government to ensure that wages were paid on time.

The Ministry of Rural Development must simplify the payment process and has to be transparent about pending wage payments.

Implementation reforms– There is a need to strengthen implementation capacities where expenditure is low instead of curbing expenditure where employment generation is high. As per Economic Survey of 2016, states which are spending more are implementing the programme better because they have better capacities

For NREGA, reforms cannot be based on ‘targeting’ better. There has to be a focus on exclusion and not inclusion errors. Exclusion must be identified at the household level.

Panchayats, blocks and districts where employment of SCs and ST families is lower than their proportion in the population must be identified. Similarly, panchayats where the average wage being paid is lower than the notified wage rate must be identified as well.

The online Management Information System of NREGA can be used to find the shortcomings.

There is a need to run the programme like a demand-based law, and not a scheme.

Consultative process-The discussions on any proposed reforms should be made participatory. State governments have played a pivotal role in the successes and failures of NREGA.

Any proposed reforms must be tabled in State assemblies in addition to Parliament. Civil society organisations, worker unions and representatives of self-help groups should be brought into the discussion.

Other reforms– It is time the Government of India should map the impact of each of its reforms on access to NREGA, particularly in poorer States.

The central government must be held accountable for the denial of entitlements to NREGA workers as a result of top down reforms.

India must focus on health and education post-budget

News: The government must focus on improving the status of healthcare and education.

What is the status of healthcare and education?

Healthcare

-Low budget spending: The National Health Policy of 2017 set a target for government spending on healthcare which is 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by both the Centre and states.

But the budgetary outlay for healthcare has been range-bound between 1.2% and 1.4% in the period 2014-20. Thereafter, the covid pandemic saw it rising to 1.8% in 2020-21, and 2.1% for 2021-22.

-According to a public health research organization, India had 69,265 hospitals in 2019, which translates roughly to one hospital for every 20,350 Indians.

-The increased role of Private in health care: There are only 25,778 public hospitals against 43,487 private ones. Of the roughly 1.9 million hospital beds in India, there are only 0.71 million beds in public hospitals against 1.18 million in the private sector.

-Less health insurance penetration: Over 80% of India’s population is not covered by health insurance, forcing patients to pay for expensive treatment from their own pockets.

Education

-Unethical practices: Regulation in the sector has focused largely on higher education and elementary and secondary school stages. Regulation for the two other stages—pre-primary and tertiary (10+2) levels—is largely a grey area, leading to multiple unethical practices. A 2022 study by the ministry of education found that close to 61% of the Centre’s spending is focused on elementary and secondary education.

For example, many premier 10+2 institutions outsource their pedagogy to coaching outfits and charge exorbitant fees.

-Edtech and coaching classes are two other categories that require stricter regulation.

–Low spending: The 1968 education policy promised 6% of GDP. This was reaffirmed in the 1986 policy and its 1992 review, National Education Policy. But still, the combined Centre-state expenditure on education, as per Economic Survey 2021-22, has remained at 2.8% of GDP through 2014-20.

What should be done to improve the status of healthcare and education?

Regulating the healthcare and education sectors is not easy. So, there should be close coordination with states and their various institutions.

Budget is not the ideal vehicle to accomplish the complex task of improving regulatory structures. Hence, a post-budget start has to be made.

GS Paper 3

Green debut – Green bonds can help lower borrowing cost

News: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last week for the first time issued sovereign green bonds worth Rs 8,000 crore on behalf of the Government of India.

What is the present scenario of green bonds?

The government is planning to issue such bonds worth Rs 16,000 crore this year as part of the overall market borrowing programme.

Green bonds are attracting the investors who are willing to accept lower returns to support green initiatives.

Even at global level, governments have used green bonds in a limited way.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), sovereign green bonds constituted only about 2 percent of the total issuance between 2016 and 2022.

Moreover, the Indian government issued green bonds as five- and 10-year securities. The yields given by green bonds are lower than the regular bonds for the same tenure. This yield difference is referred to as “greenium”.

According to the IMF, greenium is initially lower between the two bonds but as the markets emerge the yields will increase.

Amongst those who participated in the auction of green bonds were public-sector banks, insurance companies and Foreign Institutional Investors.

Moreover, the government has constituted a Green Finance Working Committee (GFWC) for optimal utilisation of the funds raised through green bonds.

What is the Green Finance Working Committee (GFWC) and what are its functions?

GFWC will support the Ministry of Finance (MoF) in selecting and evaluating green projects within the framework.

It will also supervise an annual report with details on the allocation of proceeds, project details, the status of implementation, and the level of unallocated proceeds.

The committee will have representation from relevant ministries. It will be chaired by the chief economic adviser to the government.

A mechanism has been planned to ensure funds are used only for the stated purpose. The environmental impact of projects will be brought out separately.

The proceeds will be deposited in the Consolidated Fund of India and will be made available for green projects. For this, the MoF will maintain a separate account.

What is the way ahead?

The government has also decided to engage third-party reviewers to provide annual assessments of the funds utilized for the green projects.

Hence, transparency is necessary for implementing the framework because it would help lower the cost of borrowing for the government.

Revisit the tax treatment of tobacco products

News– The article explains issues with taxation structure on tobacco products

In 2017, the economic burden and health-care expenses due to tobacco amounted to ₹2,340 billion, or 1.4% of GDP. But, India’s average annual tobacco tax revenue stands at only ₹537.5 billion.

Tobacco use is also the cause for nearly 3,500 deaths in India every day. It impacts human capital and GDP growth in a negative way.

What are features of current taxation structure that are hindering efforts in regulating consumption of tobacco products?

One issue is the overuse of ad valorem taxes, which are not effective in reducing consumption. The GST system in India relies more on ad valorem taxes than the pre-GST system, which primarily used specific excise taxes.

In India, the share of central excise duty in total tobacco taxes decreased substantially from pre-GST to post-GST. It decreased for cigarettes from 54% to 8%, for bidis from17% to 1%.

A large part of the compensation cess as well as the National Calamity Contingent Duty currently applied on tobacco products is specific. If specific taxes are not revised regularly to adjust for the inflation, they lose their value.

There is a large discrepancy in taxation between tobacco products. Despite cigarettes accounting for only 15% of tobacco users, they generate 80% or more of tobacco taxes. Bidis and smokeless tobacco have low taxes.

Bidis are the only tobacco products without a compensation cess under GST.

The current six-tiered tax structure for cigarettes is complex. It creates opportunities for cigarette companies to avoid taxes legally by manipulating cigarette lengths and filters for similarly named brands.

The GST rates on certain smokeless tobacco ingredients such as tobacco leaves, tendu leaves, betel leaves, areca nuts have either zero or 5%-18% GST.

Smokeless tobacco products in India are taxed ineffectively due to their small retail pack size which keeps the price low.

GST currently exempts small businesses with less than ₹40 lakh annual turnover. Many smokeless tobacco and bidi manufacturers operate in the informal sector, which reduces the tax base on these products.

What is the way forward for effective taxation on tobacco products?

Inflation indexing should be made mandatory for any specific tax rates applied on tobacco products.

Taxes should be made more consistent across all tobacco products. The main principle behind tobacco taxation should be in protecting public health.

The tiered taxation system on cigarettes should be eliminated or reduced to two tiers, which can then be phased out over time to have a single tier.

It is important that all products that are exclusively used for tobacco making are brought under the uniform 28% GST slab.

The mandatory standardised packing should be implemented for smokeless tobacco pouches. This will also make it easier to implement graphic health warnings on the packaging.

The GST related exemptions should not be extended to businesses that produce or distribute tobacco products. Conditions should be imposed on these exemptions so that tobacco businesses do not benefit from them.

Intellectual property rights sensitivity should not be at the expense of public health obligations

News– The article explains the National IPR policy. It tells about changes introduced in the IPR ecosystem in India and issues relating to it. It also explains the rationale behind Patent Act.

What are some facts about the National IPR Policy?

The overall purpose was to spell out the government’s comprehensive vision for the IPR ecosystem in the country for a more innovative and creative Bharat. Seven broad objectives were spelt out. Three of important goals are-

To have strong and effective IPR laws, which balance the interests of right owners with larger public interest.

To modernise and strengthen service-oriented IPR administration.

To strengthen the enforcement and adjudicatory mechanisms for combating IPR infringements.

What are some structural and legislative changes introduced in the IPR ecosystem in the country?

The Intellectual Property Appellate Board was dissolved in April 2021 as part of tribunal reforms. Its jurisdiction was re-transferred to high courts.

This was followed by the establishment of dedicated IP benches by the Delhi High Court.

Efforts have been made to improve the infrastructure and strength of the Indian Patent Office.

What are the issues with the IPR ecosystem in India?

Patents have been provided in the pharmaceutical sector at the expense of public health and national interest. This is despite the presence of legislative safeguards in the Patents Act which were introduced between 1999 and 2005 to secure national interest.

Provisions such as Sections 3(d), 53(4) and 107A of the Patents Act were introduced to prevent the practice of “evergreening” of patents by pharmaceutical companies.

“Evergreening patents” on drugs relating to treatment of diabetes, cancers, cardiovascular continue to be granted to pharmaceutical innovator companies.

They are regularly enforced through courts at the expense of the statutory rights of generic manufacturers.

There is the non-application of the Supreme Court’s verdict in Novartis AG v. Union of India & Others (2013) to prevent the evergreening of a patent monopoly on drugs.

The Supreme Court ruling has not yielded mature outcomes from the Patent Office and subordinate courts.

The direct consequence of this is the delayed entry of generic versions of drugs. This adversely affects the availability of affordable medicines to patients in a lower middle-income country such as India.

What is the rationale behind IP legislations such as the Patents Act?

They do not exist for the sole benefit of IP right owners. The intended beneficiary of the underlying Patents Act is the society. It is expected to benefit from dynamic innovation-based competition between market players.

Patent monopolies are granted to innovators in the hope that they will disclose something inventive and of industrial value to the public. The public may use it without the need for a licence after the expiry of the patent.

It increases the general pool of knowledge in the public domain. The other economic assumption is that it is expected to trigger innovation-driven competition between market players.

It results in increasing the quality options for the consuming public.

What is the way forward?

There are four stakeholders under the Patents Act — the society, government, patentees and their competitors. Each of these stakeholders has rights under the statute.

To enforce the Act to the exclusive benefit of patentees abridges the legitimate rights of other stakeholders. It leads to anti-competitive market outcomes.

It is needed to reform the IPR ecosystem to attract investment. However, it should not be at the expense of public health obligations and long-term national interest.

Build, But Smartly – Infra along LAC is strategically vital. But Joshimath shows why projects must respect mountain ecology

News: India is finally ramping up infrastructure development across LAC.

About India’s infrastructure construction across LAC

Ever since Galwan in 2020, there has been an extra urgency to bridge the gap in infrastructure between the Indian and Chinese sides.

The government amended the Environment Impact Assessment Rules last year that exempt highway projects of strategic and defence importance that are 100 km from the borders from obtaining environmental clearance.

India’s construction of a 135 km road connecting Chushul and Demchok in eastern Ladakh should be one among other projects in that strategically important area and BRO must meet the two-year construction deadline.

What are the environmental concerns associated with infrastructure construction across LAC?

a) unsustainable construction, industries and tourism can bring catastrophic consequences to the fragile zone, b)  Studies by Kashmir University and other organisations show that glaciers in the Leh-Ladakh region will deplete by two-thirds unless conservation efforts are stepped up, c) The glaciers in the regions are already melting faster than expected due to construction of highways and human activities.

What should be done while creating infrastructure construction across LAC?

a) Strict protocols need to be worked out to ensure even strategic projects in sensitive regions have the least impact on the environment, b) The Joshimath crisis forced Indian troops stationed in the area to move to a different location. Therefore, infrastructure construction along LAC needs to be carefully planned and executed, not just for the environment but to ensure the projects’ own longevity.

Warning bells – India’s regulatory framework must infuse confidence in investors, savers

News: The latest stock market issues surrounding the Adani group highlighted challenges associated with India’s regulatory environment. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had stepped up scrutiny of the conglomerate’s transactions, but there has been no official word from the markets’ regulator.

Why the involvement of Public sector participation in the conglomerate is a cause of concern for India’s regulatory environment?

Major state-owned banks and the LIC are key pillars of the country’s financial system. a) This might trigger investor concern about broader financial sector stability, b) Deposits and life insurance policies as well as taxpayer resources that have been invested to keep the PSU lenders adequately capitalised. Investing such funds in the conglomerate will damage public trust and funds.

What should be done to improve India’s regulatory environment?

Regulators could enhance credibility in India as an investment destination by tightening not just the listing requirements. Regulators must enforce strict actions in case of egregious breaches of the laws. This will infuse confidence in investors, and savers.

SEBI and the Reserve Bank of India must ensure reforms in the regulatory framework when India holds the G-20 presidency.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Mughal Gardens renamed as Amrit Udyan: A brief history

Source: The post is based on the article “Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Mughal Gardens renamed as Amrit Udyan: A brief history” published in the Indian Express on 30th January 2023.

What is the News?

The Mughal Gardens at the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s House) in Delhi have been renamed as Amrit Udyan.

About the long history of Mughal Gardens in India

The Mughals were known to appreciate gardens. In Babur Nama, Babur says that his favourite kind of garden is the Persian charbagh style (literally, four gardens).

Salient features of Mughal Gardens: a) The charbagh structure was intended to create a representation of an earthly utopia – jannat – in which humans co-exist in perfect harmony with all elements of nature, b) A defining feature of these gardens is the use of waterways to demarcate the various quadrants of the garden. These were not only crucial to maintain the flora of the garden, they also were an important part of its aesthetic. Fountains were often built, symbolising the “cycle of life.”

From the gardens surrounding Humanyun’s Tomb in Delhi to the Nishat Bagh in Srinagar, all are built in this style.

How did the Rashtrapati Bhavan get Mughal Gardens?

In 1911, the British decided to shift the Indian capital from Calcutta to Delhi. About 4,000 acres of land was acquired to construct the Viceroy’s House with Sir Edwin Lutyens being given the task of designing the building on Raisina Hill.

Lutyens’ designs combined elements of classical European architecture with Indian styles. Lady Hardinge, the wife of the then Viceroy, urged planners to create a Mughal-style garden.

While building, the Britishers introduced more than 250 different varieties of hybrid roses gathered from every corner of the world.

How does the garden evolve after independence?

C Rajagopalachari, the last Governor General of India, during a period of food shortage in the country, ploughed the lands and dedicated a section of the garden to foodgrains. Today, Nutrition Garden, popularly known as Dalikhana, stands in that spot.

President R Venkatraman added a cactus garden and APJ Abdul Kalam added many theme-based gardens: from the musical garden to the spiritual garden.

50,000 years on, ‘green comet’ comes visiting again

Source: The post is based on the article “50,000 years on, ‘green comet’ comes visiting again” published in TOI on 30th January 2023

What is the News?

Comet C/2022 E3(ZTF), popularly known as the “green comet” which last visited Earth’s neighbourhood 50,000 years ago when the Neanderthals were still roaming its surface can now be viewed with a pair of binoculars from a dark location.

What is Green Comet or Comet C/2022 E3?

Green Comet is believed to have come from the Oort Cloud, a theorized vast sphere surrounding the Solar System that is home to mysterious icy objects.

The last time the green comet passed Earth was during the Upper Paleolithic period, when Neanderthals still roamed Earth i.e around 50,000 years ago.

Why is this comet green in colour?

Comets are frozen rocky or gas-filled objects that are remnants of the formation of the solar system. 

Just like other bodies in space, comets also have orbits. They are sometimes pulled in close to the sun because of the sun’s gravity acting on them. 

NASA explains that as comets orbit near the Sun, they heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head that can be larger than a planet. The remains of dust following this burning up, from a distance, look like a trail of light to humans on Earth. Comets, therefore, have often been seen giving out blue or whiteish light or even green.

In this case, the green glow is thought to arise from the presence of diatomic carbon – pairs of carbon atoms that are bound together – in the head of the comet. The molecule emits green light when excited by the ultraviolet rays in solar radiation.

Is the green comet rare?

Green comets are not easily spotted as they come under the category of long-period comets, which take more than 200 years to orbit the Sun.

With a highly elliptical orbit, the green comet will head back to the Oort cloud and make its next appearance roughly 50,000 years later. But given their orbits, it’s not unique for comets to reappear close to Earth only after many, many years.

Student enrolments went up by 7.5% in 2020-21, All India Survey on Higher Education data show

Source: The post is based on the following articles:

“Ministry of Education releases All India Survey on Higher Education(AISHE) 2020-2021” published in PIB on 29th January 2023

“Student enrolments went up by 7.5% in 2020-21, All India Survey on Higher Education data show” published in The Hindu on 30th January 2023

What is the News?

The Ministry of Education has released the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021.

What is the All India Survey on Higher Education(AISHE)?

The AISHE survey has been published by the Ministry of Education since 2011.

The survey covers all higher educational institutions located in Indian Territory imparting higher education in the country. 

The survey collects detailed information on different parameters such as student enrollment, teacher’s data, infrastructural information, financial information etc. 

For the first time, in AISHE 2020-21, HEIs have filled data using an entirely online data collection platform through the Web Data Capture Format(DCF) developed by the Department of Higher Education through the National Informatics Centre(NIC).

What are the key findings of the AISHE 2020-21 survey?

Higher Education enrolment: Enrolment in higher education has increased by 7.5% in 2020-21 from 2019-20, with female admissions increasing from 18.8 million to 20.1 million in this period.

– Since 2020-21, the year when the COVID-19 pandemic began, there was a 7% rise in enrolments in distance education programmes.

Female Enrolment: Female enrolment in higher education programmes had increased to 49% of total enrolments in 2020-21 compared to 45% the previous year.

– The highest enrolment was seen at the undergraduate level which accounted for 78.9% of all enrolments followed by postgraduate level courses, which accounted for 11.4% of the year’s total enrolments.

Popular courses: Among all undergraduate enrolments, the most popular remained the Bachelor of Arts programmes which saw 104 lakh enrolments (52.7% women; 47.3% men) followed by Bachelor of Science courses where women outnumbered men.

Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): The GER in higher education has increased to 27.3 from 25.6 in 2019-20. GER is the ratio of 18-23-year-old adults attending college to the total population. It has been calculated according to the 2011 census. 

– Female GER has overtaken Male GER since 2017-18. Gender Parity Index (GPI), the ratio of female GER to male GER, has increased from 1 in 2017-18 to 1.05 in 2020-21.

Social groups: The overall enrolment percentage of Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Class(OBC) students in higher education institutions have increased notably from 2014-15 to 2020-21, with ST students registering nearly a 50% growth.

Universities: During 2020-21, the number of Universities has increased by 70, and the number of Colleges has increased by 1,453.

Rajasthan hosts the maximum number of universities in India followed by Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

Teachers: The number of teachers increased across higher education institutes but still SC and ST teachers continued to be under-represented. 

– The survey also found that there were 75 women teachers for every 100 male ones across institutes in the country. 

– The teacher-pupil ratio was at 27 for all universities, colleges and standalone institutions and at 24 if only regular mode is considered. The best teacher-pupil ratio was found in States like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Ragi poori to jowar upma, Parliament gets a new millet men

Source: The post is based on the article “Ragi poori to jowar upma, Parliament gets a new millet menu” published in Indian Express on 30th January 2023

What is the News?

The menu of Parliament House canteens will soon have millet dishes such as jowar vegetable upma to bajra khichdi, ragi ladoo to bajre ka churma alongside traditional favourites biryani and cutlets.

What are Millets?

Millets are part of a group of small-grained cereal crops used as both food and fodder. 

Millets are one of the oldest foods known to humans and the first among cereals to be cultivated for domestic purposes. There is even evidence of the consumption of millet in the Indus Valley civilization.

About millets production in India

As per FAO, India is the largest producer of millet in the world with a share of 41% in 2020.

Nine types are grown as kharif crops in over 20 States in the country. Major millets include finger millet (ragi or mandua), pearl millet (bajra) and sorghum (jowar) and minor millets.

Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are leading producers.

Government’s efforts in promoting Millets

The Government of India promoted millets under the Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion (INSIMP), as a sub-scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) between 2011 and 2014. 

In the following years, NITI Aayog worked on a framework to introduce millets under the public distribution system for “nutritional support”.

The Union government declared 2018 as the ‘National Year of Millets’ to trigger an increase in demand. In the same year, these grains were officially rebranded as a nutri-cereal. 

The programme under INSIMP was merged with the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) as NFSM-Coarse Cereals and implemented in 14 States.

In 2021, the Centre approved the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN), earlier known as the mid-day meal scheme, in government and government-aided schools and advised State governments to include millets in the midday meal menu to enhance the nutritional outcome.

India’s efforts to promote the consumption and production of millet got a boost when the United Nations accepted India’s proposal to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYOM23).

Artificial synapse developed for brain-like computing with industry-compatible Nitride Semiconductors

Source: The post is based on the article “Artificial synapse developed for brain-like computing with industry-compatible Nitride Semiconductors” published in PIB on 29th January 2023

What is the News?

A team of scientists at Bengaluru’s Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have developed hardware for neuromorphic computing. 

They have used scandium nitride(ScN) to develop a device mimicking a synapse that controls the signal transmission as well as remembers the signal.

What is Neuromorphic computing?

​​Neuromorphic computing is a method of computer engineering in which elements of a computer are modeled after systems in the human brain and nervous system. 

Why Neuromorphic computing?

Traditional computers have physically separated memory storage and processing units. As a result, it takes enormous energy and time to transfer data between these units during an operation.

On the contrary, the human brain is a supreme biological computer that is smaller and more efficient due to the presence of a synapse (the connection between two neurons) that plays the role of both processor and memory storage unit.

The development of neuromorphic hardware aims at mimicking a biological synapse that monitors and remembers the signal generated by the stimuli.

How does Neuromorphic computing work?

The working of neuromorphic computing-enabled devices begins with the placement of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) that comprise millions of artificial neurons. These neurons are similar to human brain neurons. 

These neurons pass signals to each other in layers, converting input into output through electric spikes or signals, based on the architecture of Spiking Neural Networks (SNN).

This allows the machine to mimic the neuro-biological networks in the human brain and perform tasks efficiently and effectively, such as visual recognition and data interpretation.

What are the advantages of Neuromorphic computing?

Rapid Response: Neuromorphic computers are specifically known for their rapid response system because their processing is highly rapid. Compared to traditional computers, neuromorphic computers are built to work like a human brain and so their rapid response system is a major highlight. 

Low Consumption of Power: Owing to the concept of Spiking Neural Networks (SNN), neuromorphic machines work when electric spikes or signals are passed through the artificial neurons. These artificial neurons work only when electric spikes are passed through them thus consuming low energy. 

Nitrate radicals’ are likely making air pollution worse in China, India

Source: The post is based on the article “Nitrate radicals’ are likely making air pollution worse in China, India” published in Indian Express on 30th January 2023

What is the News?

According to a study, certain regions of China and India are nighttime hotspots for the generation of nitrate radicals that could increase the amount of harmful ozone and PM2.5 small particulate matter in the atmosphere.

What are Nitrate Radicals?

Nitrate radical is an oxide of nitrogen that consists of three oxygen atoms bound to a nitrogen atom.

These radicals could increase the amount of unhealthy ozone and PM2.5 fine particulate matter in the atmosphere.

What is the impact of Nitrate radicals?

Nitrate radicals will oxidise gas pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

These VOCs will then generate ozone and secondary organic aerosol, both deteriorating air quality.

Note: Ozone is an air pollutant that affects human health and crop yield. Secondary organic aerosol is an important component of PM2.5.

How to reduce Nitrate Radicals at night time?

Scientists believe that reducing the emissions of VOCs could reduce this night-time Nitrate Radicals in India and other regions.

Most human-made VOCs come from vehicle exhausts and industrial processes.

India’s call to modify the Indus Waters Treaty

Source: The post is based on the article “India’s call to modify the Indus Waters Treaty” published in The Hindu on 30th January 2023

What is the News?

India has sent a notice to Pakistan calling for the ‘modification’ of the Indus Waters Treaty owing to Pakistan’s persistent objections regarding India’s Kishenganga (KHEP) and Ratle hydropower projects in Kashmir.

What is the Indus Water Treaty?

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What are Pakistan’s objections over the Kishenganga and Ratle projects?

Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project(KHEP): Kishenganga, a tributary of the Jhelum river originates in J&K and joins the river in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

– The work for KHEP was started in 2007 with a proposal to build a dam on the Kishenganga, diverting its water for a 330 MW hydropower plant in Kashmir’s Bandipora and sending it back. 

– The work for the project was supposed to be completed by 2016, but before the construction started, Pakistan had raised objections regarding the height of the dam, fearing it would mean increased water storage for India. Consequently, India agreed to alter the design by lowering its height from 97 metres to 37 metres. 

– In 2010, Pakistan took the matter to the International Court of Arbitration objecting to the diversion of water from Kishanganga. The Court gave India a green signal for the project (subject to conditions) in its final ruling in 2013. 

–But the Pakistan approached the World Bank three years later in 2016 and again in 2018, objecting to the design. The project was, however, finally inaugurated in 2018.

Ratle hydroelectric power project: India’s 850-megawatt Ratle hydroelectric power project is on the Chenab river. Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns over its design, insisting that India would use the project’s reservoir to create deliberate and artificial water shortage or cause flooding in Pakistan. 

Why has India sent notice to Pakistan?

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Hindenburg report alleged fraud by its firms, Adani Group says ‘attack on India’

Source: The post is based on the article “Hindenburg report alleged fraud by its firms, Adani Group says ‘attack on India’” published in Indian Express on 30th January 2023

What is the News?

Adani Group has issued a detailed rebuttal to the allegations of stock manipulation and accounting malpractices levelled by Hindenburg Research. It has dismissed all allegations and called the Hindenburg report as an attack on India and its independent institutions.

What is Hindenburg Research?

Hindenburg Research is a company that specializes in forensic financial research.

It especially looks for accounting irregularities; undisclosed related-party transactions; illegal/ unethical business or financial reporting practices; and undisclosed regulatory, product, or financial issues in companies.

What has the Hindenburg Research report on Adani says?

Hindenburg Research said its two-year investigation has shown that the Adani group was involved in massive and “brazen stock manipulation” and an “accounting fraud scheme”.

Hindenburg, which has short-selling positions in Adani companies through US-traded bonds and non-Indian-traded derivative instruments, said key listed companies in the Adani group had “substantial debt” which has put the entire group on a “precarious financial footing”.

What is Short selling?

“Buy low, sell high” is the traditional investment strategy in which one buys a stock or security at a particular price and then sells it when the price is higher, thereby booking a profit. This is referred to as a “long position”, and is based on the view that the price of the stock or security will appreciate with time.

Short selling on the other hand is a trading strategy based on the expectation that the price of the security will fall. While fundamentally it is based on the “buy low, sell high” approach, the sequence of transactions is reversed in short selling — to sell high first and buy low later. Also, in short selling, the trader usually does not own the securities he sells, but merely borrows them.

Why are milk prices so high, and what can be done about it?

Source: The post is based on the article “Why are milk prices so high, and what can be done about it?” published in Indian Express on 30th January 2023

What is the News?

Since last year, the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation has raised the maximum retail price (MRP) of its Amul brand full-cream milk from Rs 58 to Rs 64 per litre. 

The National Dairy Development Board(NDDB)-owned Mother Dairy has also raised the price from Rs 57 to Rs 66 per litre.

Why are milk prices increasing?

Demand Supply mismatch: The pandemic-hit dairy industry has reported a complete recovery. This year, the demand for liquid milk is also high compared to previous years. But most dairies in the country are short on their supply of skimmed milk powder (SMP) and white butter.

Rise in cattle feed cost: The reduction in milk yield has come on the back of the rising cost of cattle feed. Cattle feed cost alone has gone up by over 25%.

Disease in cattle: Some major milk-producing states have seen a rise in cases of disease among cattle. Lumpy Skin Disease, which leads to falling in milk output, has been reported in Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana.

Rise in logistics cost: There has also been a rise in transport, logistics, manpower, and energy costs. Due to the rise in input costs, milk procurement rates have increased by 15-25%.

What can the government do now?

A shortage of milk, more specifically fat, is a concern when dairies would ordinarily be building up stocks for the summer. Since that’s not happening, it makes sense to allow duty-free imports of butter oil and SMP. 

Hence, the government can permit the National Dairy Development Board(NDDB) to import fat and SMP at zero duty for building up a buffer stock necessary for the summer when milk supplies will dry up in the normal course.