Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• The judicial pendency question: How to lighten the court’s load
• Political parties are not like companies
• Strategic space & diffidence
• The crisis in international law

GS Paper 3

• Armed drones in Indian military: Can machines understand the rules of war?
• UGC’s draft regulations-2023: Opening the campus door
• Who Tunnels Through A Sinking Town?
• Her story Of War – Peace has a better chance with women in charge

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• What are the regulations announced for foreign universities in India?
• To boost ‘Make in India’, Centre flags unfair tender norms
• SC directs committee to build a framework to ensure road safety
• Year End Review 2022: Ministry of Home Affairs
• Department of Telecommunications formulates the Indian Telegraph (Infrastructure Safety) Rules 2022
• Sagol Kangjei: The ancient polo of Manipur, played on the celebrated Manipur Pony
• U.K. ship on permanent deployment in Indo-Pacific makes first port call in India
• Caste-based survey of 12 cr. people in Bihar begins
• Remote work helped in saving jobs during COVID: ILO report

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

The judicial pendency question: How to lighten the court’s load

News: Indian courts have a high number of pending cases and out of these cases the government is the largest litigant in the court system.

What are the findings of the various reports?

Department of Justice: It released an Action Plan to reduce Government Litigation in 2017. This action plan was in response to the fact that 46 percent of the total pending cases in the court system is related to the government.

Legal Information Management Briefing System (LIMBS) Project: It was started in 2015 to connect 55 ministries and their departments for litigation management. It shows that there are 6,20,000 cases involving the government pending before the court system.

Law Commission of India: The 230th report of Law Commission noted that the government is the biggest litigant in the system.

National Litigation Policy, 2010: The status note on NLP 2010, was prepared based on the recognition that the government and its various agencies are the predominant litigants in the courts and tribunals in the country.

NLP aimed to transform the government into an efficient and responsible litigant. However, in response to a PIL inquiring about the NLP 2015, the government replied to the Delhi High Court that it was still under consideration.

Moreover, not all its litigation is initiated by the government but the government acts as the catalyst in inter-departmental litigation. Citizens also file writ petitions that involve the government.

Therefore, the government can control some of the litigation it is involved in, but not those that involve the government acting as the catalyst.

How can the government control the litigations?

The government’s 2010 National Litigation Policy (NLP) recognizes that service matters should not be normally appealed. Cases that involve questions of constitutional interpretation should only be taken to the Supreme Court.

The government should implement reforms suggested by its policymakers because the costs involved in pursuing litigation eat public funds.

Hence, the court system should be used more efficiently and cautiously and more judges should be appointed for speedy hearing of the cases.

Political parties are not like companies

News: Political parties have started being compared like corporations these days which is misleading and is not a feature of politics.

How are political parties different from corporations?

Political Parties: Political parties have claimants and volunteers while a company has employees. The purpose of a political party is to capture state power through raising social agendas. A party is itself seen as the part of the society which has individuals as volunteers rather than paid employees like companies.

Multiple claimants for every position often affect the party’s operations. Due to the public nature of political parties, it is not possible to exclude claimants from participation in the organisation’s functioning.

Further, internal conflicts of interest have a direct bearing on a party’s ability to perform, especially in a competitive electoral landscape.

For example, contradictory statements made by party functionaries during important campaigns has a cascading effect on all aspects of the party’s operations from outreach to fundraising.

So, it is not easy for a political party to fire any political functionaries like the companies because political functionaries don’t just perform a role but also serve as representatives of some or other interests.

In a political party, power is more informal and dynamic than in a corporation. Therefore, elements of a corporation such as hierarchy, discipline and accountability do not fit within a political party.

Corporations: Most private companies operate in a narrowly defined and apolitical space selling goods and services. Politics that deals with societal aspects is not part of the companies. Some sort of political judgment in the functioning of the corporation is exercised at the top level rather than employees.

A corporation is staffed by paid employees performing well-defined, non-overlapping roles with required professional skills for their works.

However, recent trends show that political parties are now being taken towards corporatization and professionalization.

What is the recent trend?

Political parties have now started to give political judgment from various positions which are different from the actual decision-making authority.

Chief Ministers are using the bureaucracy to bypass Ministers and political consultants to bypass the party organization. These are examples of professionalization of political parties.

However, instead of improving efficiency, this has resulted in further degradation of overall public purpose. 

Further. the reduction in political discretion from individuals has made them act like employees and less capable of negotiating the party’s internal power structures. This reduces the overall credibility of the political space.

Therefore, competence and accountability from political functionaries should be sought but not through the corporatization of political parties.

Strategic space & diffidence

News– The article explains the external security environment of India. It also explains India strategic outlook on issues impacting its national interest

What are different scanerios around external security environmenmt of India?

First scenario– There is relative stability on the border with China. Pakistan is facing internal challenges.

India’s alliances with the west and the east are becoming more durable. They are bound by the glue of the common threat of China.

Second scenario– The Chinese are consolidating their position and the Modi government has failed to deter them militarily or diplomatically.

Pakistan will get over its internal issues eventually and get back to its usual business. China and Pakistan continue to be close allies.

Chinese aggression has compelled India to move its firepower to the northern front. It will provide comfort to Pakistan on western front.

India’s Western allies will remain much too invested in Ukraine.

Third scenario– Both countries are now fully deployed and any quick, low-cost military gains are not possible. Fresh border disputes will bring bad reputation to aggressor internationally.

But things could change dramatically if there is a resolution of Ukraine war. Then China can return to bullying behaviour.

Biggest limitation of Pakistan is its weak economy. After Sri Lanka, Pakistan’s is the most bankrupt economy in the region. it has to manage a large army, maintain internal stability amid rising inflation and joblessness, manage an adversarial relationship with a growing India.

Economic frustrations will fuel support for a populist leader like Imran.

This scenario shows that strategic situation around India has neither improved nor worsened. It’s gone into a rare long and useful stalemate.

The situation of stability will end sooner rather than later. while this affords India some rare strategic breathing time, we should not will waste it.

This is the time to look to the future, accelerate the changes, and fast-forward the reforms.

What has been change in strategic outlook of India after Modi government coming to power?

Since 2014, the Modi government has instituted a significant change in its strategic position. India is no longer hesitate about being seen in alliances.

India old sensitivities still remain. India is the only Quad memeber unwilling to talk about the grouping’s military dimension. The equation with Russia is being managed sensitively.

Most of Indo-pacific allies have clearly stated, public, national security strategies. They also have Indo-Pacific strategies. India is only power with no stated national or Indo-Pacific strategy.

India is not able to craft a national strategic policy because of its location and live land borders. It’s also a challenge to find the resources to raise India’s maritime power.

The crisis in international law

News– The article explains the challenges created by emerging global order and rising populism for international law

What has been the shape of global order after the 2nd world war?

After the second world war, the world order was bipolar. There was great power competition between a ‘capitalist’ America and a ‘communist’ Soviet Union.

The end of the Cold War led to the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the collapse of communism. This ‘unipolar’ moment promoted multilateralism and led to “relative harmony” among the major powers for almost three decades.

However, during this period, NATO bombed Kosovo and the Western forces invaded Iraq in complete disregard to the UN Charter.

This phase saw the spread of democracy, greater acceptance of universal human rights, and a global consensus for maintaining international rule of law.

How has the changing global order in recent times impacted international law?

We have entered a multipolar world. These universal values are under threat.It involves the securitisation of international law. There is increasing rivalry between major powers. There is the decline of ‘liberal’ West and the rise of an ‘autocratic’ China and ‘expansionist’ Russia.

China is now flexing its muscles. It is weaponizing international law. China views law as an instrument in the service of the state. This is diametrically opposed to the rule of law theory in liberal democracies where the law’s function is to constrain uncontrolled state power.

Under the Chinese and Russian versions, the territorial integrity of nations and the sovereignty of states doesn’t quite matter.

The Russian approach towards international law believes that the basis of international law is not universal but cultural and civilisational distinctness. It distinguishes between countries that are truly sovereign and countries that possess nominal or limited sovereignty, such as Ukraine.

The geo-economic order has been impacted by economic protectionism. The U.S. is desperate to ensure its continued hegemony. It is backtracking on the neoliberal consensus of interdependence and non-discrimination in international economic law.

The U.S. has rejected the recent WTO panel reports that held the U.S.’s protectionist industrial policies masquerading as national security objectives illegal.

The U.S. has also weakened the WTO’s effective dispute settlement mechanism by continuously blocking the appointment of the Appellate Body members.

How the rise of populism is impacting international law?

2023 will continue to face challenges from populist and ethno-nationalist regimes in several countries such as Hungary, Turkey, Poland, and Israel. Populists’ leaders attack the legitimacy of international law. They refer to it as foreign law, which is inimical to their national interests. It is often reduced to a mere law of coordination.

Populists also attack international institutions and international courts for preventing them from pursuing the interests of the ‘pure’ people they claim to represent. They enact domestic laws to protect the ethnic identity of the ‘pure’ people even if these laws undermine international.

GS Paper 3

Armed drones in Indian military: Can machines understand the rules of war?

News– The article explains the issues related to AI-enabled warfighting approaches. It also explains the increasing use of drones and underwater combat drones. It also explains issues related to underwater combat drones.

What shows the increasing emphasis on drones by Indian armed forces?

Indian Army is inducting swarm drones into its mechanized forces.

The Indian Navy has been on a mission to expand surveillance in India’s near-seas. It has leased MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from the US. It has also released an unclassified version of its “unmanned roadmap” for the induction of remote autonomous platforms, including undersea vehicles. A key driver for the enterprise is underwater domain awareness.

India navy is also planning to procure a fleet of armed “Predator” drones from the United States.

Why is the Indian navy planning to induct underwater drone combat systems?

After the conflict in Ladakh in June 2020, there is a growing sense among Indian experts and military planners that China’s undersea presence in the Indian Ocean is increasing.

There were recent reports of the sighting of Chinese drones in the waters off Indonesian islands. It suggests that the PLA Navy has been studying the operating environment of the Indian Ocean.

There has been a rise in the deployment of Chinese research and survey vessels in the waters around India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Indian decision-makers are acknowledging the warfighting abilities of underwater autonomous platforms powered by artificial intelligence. They are recognizing the likely impact of disruptive technologies on the maritime domain.

AI powered by deep learning, data analytics, and cloud computing will alter the maritime battlefront.

What are issues with AI-enabled warfighting systems?

AI technology is more complicated than many imagine. There is an ethical paradox connected with artificially intelligent combat systems. AI compromises the control, safety, and accountability of weapon systems.

It also enhances the risk of shared liability between networked systems. It happens particularly when weapon algorithms are sourced from abroad, and the satellite and link systems are not under the control of the user.

AI is characterized by a predisposition to certain kinds of data. Biases in the collection of data, data analysis, and the selection of probabilistic outcomes impact rational decision-making. It is undermining confidence in automated combat solutions. AI-automated weapon systems are inconsistent with the laws of war.

Using nascent technologies without comprehensive testing puts both military personnel and civilians at risk. A system of targeting human beings based on probabilistic assessments by computers, is problematic because the computer does not have access to all relevant data to make an informed decision. It is difficult to decide accountability in case of erroneous use of force, as blame can’t be pinned on a machine.

There is no easy way of incorporating AI-enabled warfighting approaches into doctrine. Many technologies are in a nascent stage of development, and there is little clarity about how effective AI could be in combat.

Military doctrine is premised on a traditional understanding of conflict. There are rules and codes and ethical standards for warfare. “Proportionality” in force deployment is critical.

What are issues faced by the Indian navy for the use of AI powered technology and underwater combat systems?

For the Indian Navy, capacity limitation restricts the development of AI. A large gap exists in the development of critical technologies such as system engineering, airborne and underwater sensors, and weapon systems.

The legal issues related to underwater combat drones are complex. It is not yet clear if unmanned maritime systems enjoy the status of “ships” under the UN convention of the laws of the sea.

UGC’s draft regulations-2023: Opening the campus door

News– The article explain the new draft guidelines issued by central government to allow foreign universities in India

What are important provisions contained in draft guidelines?

The UGC draft regulations-2023 allow top 500 foreign universities to establish their branch campuses in India. The ranking will be decided by the UGC from time to time.

It set another criterion for a branch campus to be opened up in India that the applicant should be a reputed institution in its home jurisdiction.

The draft regulations-2023 allow foreign higher educational institutions to decide a fee structure that is “transparent and reasonable”.

Foreign higher educational institutions now have the freedom to decide qualifications, salary structure, and other conditions of service for appointing faculty and staff.

The Foreign Higher Educational Institutions should arrange for adequate physical infrastructure.

All Indian students with foreign degrees are required to get an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities. The draft regulations-2023 waive off equivalence requirement for the degrees granted by the foreign branch campuses in India.

Foreign Higher Educational Institutions shall not offer any such programme of study which jeopardises the national interest of India or the standards of higher education in India.

The operation of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions shall not be contrary to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency, or morality.

It allows for smooth repatriation of profits earned by the foreign branch campuses under the rules and FEMA, 1999.

What are issues with the draft guidelines?

It is not clear how the UGC would determine the reputation of such foreign universities that do not appear in any world rankings but are considered reputed in their home country.

The freedom to decide fee structure will make the courses offered by foreign universities expensive and not accessible to many students. It will not be in tune with the NEP-2020 commitment to cater to the needs of socio-economically disadvantaged groups.

The provision related to arrangement of physical infrastructure would be problematic for foreign higher education institutions. They will be  reluctant to go for major infrastructural investment.

it would be difficult to ensure that the degrees offered by the foreign branch campuses would be accepted by the employers in the home countries of the campuses.

The provisions related to sovereignty, security and national interest would be problematic for Humanities and Social Sciences where multiple interpretations are popular. The foreign faculty members may find it difficult to balance state policies, sensibilities and their intellectual standpoint.

A major bone of contention between foreign branch campuses and the Indian government had been the issue of repatriation of profit. Education in India is not a profitable enterprise. It is a public good.

Who Tunnels Through A Sinking Town?

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.

The math or monastery is one of the four cardinal institutions founded by Adi Shankaracharya in the four corners of India. The cantonment at Joshimath is one of the closest to the China border.

Thus, the town has both religious and strategic significance.

What has led to this disaster in Joshimath?

–Chamoli disaster: The glacial avalanche known as the Chamoli disaster led to flash floods in the Rishiganga and Dhaulganga rivers in February 2021. The two rivers are tributaries of the Ganga.

The disaster killed around 200 people, including workers trapped in the Tapovan Vishnugad hydropower plant’s tunnel on the Dhaulganga river.

-According to Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority, heavy downpour, cloudburst, rock fall, debris flow, avalanche, flood/ flash floods occurred in many locations of the state. The research explains that these disasters mostly relate to a) meteorological regime changes, b) unusual rainfall patterns, and c) indiscriminate human actions in high-risk areas.

–Findings of MC Mishra committee: In 1964, the government had appointed MC Mishra committee to find out why Joshimath was sinking. The committee found that a) Joshimath is situated in an old landslide zone, b) Joshimath could sink if rampant development is unchecked.

The committee recommended that substantial construction should be prohibited in the vicinity of Joshimath.

-Despite the region’s geological and environmental sensitivity, numerous hydroelectric projects including the Vishnugad hydel project have been approved in areas such as Joshimath and Tapovan.

-In 2010, two private researchers found that the tunnelling process in projects punctures the water-bearing strata and causes harm in water gushing out and flooding the area.

What are the threats posed by climate change on Himalayan ecosystem?

The Himalayan mountains are one of the youngest mountains of the world and therefore they are fragile and unstable. Small changes in the weather and climate pattern affect the mountain system strongly.

IPCC reports have made the following observations a) Due to global warming, the region has been experiencing extreme weather events as recorded in 2021-22. The number of extreme rainfall events that have hit Uttarakhand was unprecedented.

A transformative change in both thinking and the patterns of growth is necessary.

Her story Of War – Peace has a better chance with women in charge

News: India has sent an all-women platoon of peacekeepers to Abyei, Sudan. This is the second such deployment since the deployment of female peacekeeping police unit to Liberia in 2007.

Note: As of 2020, out of 95,000 UN peacekeepers, women made up only 4. 8% of military contingents and 10. 9% of police units.

What are the impacts created by the female peacekeeping police unit in Liberia?

a) The deployment prompted for recruiting of more women in the Liberian police, b) After the Indian women peacekeeping force left, Liberian women made up 17% of the country’s security sector, up from 6% before their arrival.

Why inclusion of women in the peace process is essential?

Various research have found that 1) When women make decisions, the risks of war and conflict reduce, 2) Civil society groups including women’s organisations make a peace agreement about 64% less likely to fail, 3) When women participate in peace processes, the agreement is 35% more likely to last at least 15 years, 4) Women face the worst brunt of war, in terms of sexual violence and abuse as well as displacement. The inclusion of women in the peace process will encourage women to reclaim public life without fear.

In short, Women will be safer if there are many more women in all ranks in various government branches, including the police.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

What are the regulations announced for foreign universities in India?

Source: The post is based on the article “What are the regulations announced for foreign universities in India?” published in Indian Express on 7th January 2023

What is the News?

Higher Education Regulator University Grants Commission(UGC) has released draft regulations to allow foreign universities to enter India.

What are the key provisions of draft regulations to allow foreign universities to enter India?

Click Here to read

What safeguards has the UGC proposed in these draft regulations to secure the interests of Indian students?

The draft states that the UGC will have the right to inspect the campuses at any time. They will not be outside the purview of anti-ragging and other criminal laws. 

The UGC can also impose a penalty and/ or suspend/ withdraw its approval at any time if the university’s activities or academic programmes are against the interest of India.

The regulations also require foreign universities to submit audit reports and annual reports to the UGC certifying that their operations in India are in compliance with FEMA 1999 and other relevant government policies.

Why did previous attempts to allow foreign university campuses in India fail?

Governments in the past have made several attempts to enact legislation for the entry, operation and regulation of foreign universities in the country. 

The first was in 1995 when a Bill was introduced but could not go forward. In 2005-06, too, the draft law could only go up to the Cabinet stage.

Then in 2010, the then government brought the Foreign Educational Institutions Bill which failed to get enough support in the Parliament. The bill lapsed in 2014.

One of the main reservations against foreign universities operating in India was that they would raise the cost of education (high tuition fees, faculty poaching from public universities), rendering it out of reach for a large part of the population.

How does this proposal relate to the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020?

The NEP 2020 says that top universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India and a legislative framework facilitating such entry will be put in place, and such universities will be given special dispensation regarding regulatory, governance and content norms on par with other autonomous institutions of India.

In a way, the draft regulations released only seek to institutionalize the NEP’s vision.

To boost ‘Make in India’, Centre flags unfair tender norms

Source: The post is based on the article “To boost ‘Make in India’, Centre flags unfair tender norms” published in The Hindu on 6th January 2023

What is the News?

The Union government has flagged over a dozen restrictive and discriminatory conditions which prevented local suppliers from participating in bidding processes initiated by its various departments and Ministries. 

These conditions were in violation of the Public Procurement-Preference to Make in India (PPP-MII) Order,2017.

About the Public Procurement-Preference to Make in India (PPP-MII) Order, 2017

The Public Procurement-Preference Order of 2017 was issued to promote domestic value addition in public procurement. 

The policy provided for purchase preference to domestic manufacturers and service providers who complied with local content requirements in public procurement activities over entities merely importing to trade or assemble items. 

What are the restrictive conditions highlighted by the government in the PPP-MII Order, 2017?

The Government of India has highlighted over a dozen restrictive and discriminatory conditions which prevented local suppliers from participating in bidding processes initiated by its various departments and Ministries.  For instance,

-Foreign technical standards like “minus 25-degree temperature compatibility” for certain equipment procured for airports were incorporated to eliminate ‘Make in India’ products.

-Excessive turnover requirement as a pre-qualifying criterion, insisting on the specific experience of supplying products to other nations such as export to G-8 countries, were among other conditions that prevented the local manufacturers from taking part in the procurement process.

-In the procurement of IT, electronic and electrical products, foreign brands specify either for finished products or for part of scope of work.

SC directs committee to build a framework to ensure road safety

Source: The post is based on the article “SC directs committee to build a framework to ensure road safety” published in The Hindu on 7th January 2023

What is the News?

The Supreme Court has heard a plea regarding road safety through electronic monitoring.

What was the case about?

The petitioner submitted to the court that overspeeding was the major cause of deaths on roads and that 70% of deaths were caused by such overspeeding. 

The petitioner thus urged the court to ensure that Section 136A introduced by the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019 was implemented and roads were electronically monitored to prevent such deaths. 

The petitioner also drew the attention of the court to Section 215B of the Motor Vehicle Act, which provides for the constitution of the National Road Safety Board. The Board shall render advice to the Central Government or State Government on all aspects pertaining to road safety and traffic management for this purpose.

What did the Supreme Court say?

The Supreme court acknowledged that speeding was the main cause of fatal accidents on Indian roads.

The court directed its committee led by a former apex court judge, Justice A.M. Sapre, to meet with the Road Transport Secretary and work out a framework to mould State-specific guidelines for the electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety. 

Year End Review 2022: Ministry of Home Affairs

Source: The post is based on the article “Year End Review 2022: Ministry of Home Affairs” published in PIB on 3rd January 2023

What is the News?

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

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

National Forensic Sciences University in Agartala in Tripura

Assam and Meghalaya signed historic agreement for settlement of inter-state border dispute 

70th Plenary Meeting of the North Eastern Council in Guwahati, Assam

Umbrella scheme of Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF) 

Prahari: It is an app for Border Security Force (BSF) Jawans. Through the app, jawans can get personal and service-related information, housing, Ayushman- Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and leave related information on their mobile.

Left-wing extremism: Left Wing Extremism(LWE) related violence in the country has declined by 77% from an all-time high of 2258 incidents in 2009 to 509 in 2021. 

Similarly, resultant deaths (Civilians + Security Forces) have declined by 85% from an all-time high of 1005 in 2010 to 147 in 2021. 

In the last two years, the incidents of LWE violence and the resultant deaths have come down by 24% and 27%, respectively.

As per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, subjects of ‘Police and Public Order’ are with the State Governments. 

However, to address the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) menace holistically, a National Policy and Action Plan were launched in 2015 to address LWE. The policy envisages a multi-pronged strategy involving security-related measures, development interventions, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities, etc. 

Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) project

Immigration Visa Foreigners Registration Tracking (IVFRT) Scheme 

Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana(SSSY) 

Umbrella scheme of Border Infrastructure & Management (BIM)

Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (in the Institutional category) and Professor Vinod Sharma (in the Individual category) selected for this year’s Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar

Damini app

90th INTERPOL General Assembly

3rd No Money for Terror Ministerial Conference

37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee 

Department of Telecommunications formulates the Indian Telegraph (Infrastructure Safety) Rules 2022

Source: The post is based on the article “Department of Telecommunications formulates the Indian Telegraph (Infrastructure Safety) Rules 2022” published in PIB on 6th January 2023

What is the News?

The Department of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Communications has formulated the Indian Telegraph (Infrastructure Safety) Rules 2022. 

What is the purpose of these rules?

Government/ Telecom Service Providers(TSPs) together have established the much-required pan-India telecom infrastructure networks for various telecom sector issues of concern. 

Various agencies often undertake excavation activities wherein underground utility assets get damaged either due to a lack of knowledge of agencies about existing utilities or a lack of coordination with utility asset owner agencies.

These damages cause economic loss to utility asset owners as well as business loss and inconvenience to the public. In the Telecom Sector alone, there are nearly 10 lakh OFC cuts per year causing an economic loss of approx. Rs 3000 Crore/year.

These rules need to address the issues of safety to the existing telecom infrastructure.

What are the salient features of the portal?

Any person who wishes to exercise a legal right to dig or excavate any property which is likely to cause damage to a telegraph infrastructure shall give notice to the licensee, prior to commencement through a common portal.

The licensee shall then provide, through the portal, the details of telegraph infrastructure owned/ controlled by them under or along the property with which the person intends to deal with precautionary measures.

The person digging or excavating shall take appropriate action on precautionary measures provided by the licensee.

Further, any person, who has dug/excavated any property causing damage to a telegraph infrastructure shall be liable to pay the damage charges to the telegraph authority. The damage charges shall be computed based on such expenses as may be incurred in restoring damages.

What are the benefits of these rules?

For Government – Central & State/UTs: Many utilities can be saved from unwanted cuts and wasteful costs towards restoration, thus saving thousands of crores for businesses and associated tax loss to Govt.

For Citizens: Inconvenience caused to citizens because of frequent breakdowns may be reduced due to better synergy between the agencies.

Sagol Kangjei: The ancient polo of Manipur, played on the celebrated Manipur Pony

Source: The post is based on the article “Sagol Kangjei: The ancient polo of Manipur, played on the celebrated Manipur Pony” published in Indian Express on 6th January 2023

What is the News?

Union Home Minister inaugurated a 122-foot-tall statue of a polo player astride a Manipur Pony in Imphal, a project that has been in the works for several years now.

Where did Modern polo originated from?

Modern polo is said to have originated from Sagol Kangjei.

Sagol Kangjei is the name of the game of polo played in Manipur. Sagol means pony/horse, kang means a ball or round object and jei is a stick used for hitting.

In this game, players ride horses, specifically the Manipur Ponies which are referenced in records dating back to the 14th century.

What is Manipur Pony?

The Manipuri Pony is a breed of horse mainly found in the plains of Manipur. 

It is one of five recognised equine breeds of India and has a powerful cultural significance for Manipuri society. In the past, it was used for warfare as well as for polo games.

However, the small and dwindling numbers of the Manipur Pony has been a cause for concern.

U.K. ship on permanent deployment in Indo-Pacific makes first port call in India

Source: The post is based on the article “U.K. ship on permanent deployment in Indo-Pacific makes first port call in India” published in The Hindu on 7th January 2023

What is the News?

The UK Royal Navy’s offshore patrol vessel, HMS Tamar, sailed to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as part of its permanent deployment in the Indo-Pacific.

What is the significance of a UK ship arriving in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?

HMS Tamar is one of two UK Royal Navy vessels on permanent deployment in the Indo-Pacific.

India is the first port of call for the ship and underlines the United Kingdom and India’s intent to collaborate in the Indian Ocean Region(IOR) and wider Indo-Pacific.

The ship and her crew will undertake capability demonstrations and maritime exercises with the Indian Navy.

What is a Port of Call?

Port of call means an intermediate stop for a ship on its scheduled journey for cargo operation or transporting supplies or fuel.

Caste-based survey of 12 cr. people in Bihar begins

Source: The post is based on the article “Caste-based survey of 12 cr. people in Bihar begins” published in The Hindu on 7th January 2023

What is the News?

The Bihar government is set to start the first phase of a caste-based survey.

What is a Caste based Census?

Click Here to read

How is the Bihar Government doing the caste-based survey?

The Bihar Government is doing the census in two phases. Data and information would be collected digitally through a mobile application.

The app will have questions about the place, caste, number of people in the family, their profession and annual income. The details of even family members living outside the State would be collected.

Why is Bihar Government doing the caste-based survey?

Updated caste-based data would help the Government to implement targeted welfare schemes for socially and economically disadvantaged groups. 

Moreover, in the absence of data pertaining to non-SCs and non-STs, the Bihar government says, it’s been difficult to estimate the population of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) correctly.

In the 1931 census, the population of OBCs was estimated to be 52%. The government conducted a socio-economic and caste census in 2011, but caste data was not released.

Those demanding a caste census also say that reservation to the SCs and STs was given based on their population but not in the case of the OBCs. They say the quota needs to be revised and a caste census is needed for that.

Remote work helped in saving jobs during COVID: ILO report

Source: The post is based on the article “Remote work helped in saving jobs during COVID: ILO report” published in The Hindu on 7th January 2023

What is the News?

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has released a report titled ‘Working Time and Work-Life Balance Around the World’.

What are the key findings of the report?

The report examines the effects that working hours and time schedules have on the performance of businesses and their employees.

Covering the periods before and during COVID-19, the report reveals that more than a third of all employees are regularly working more than 48 hours per week, while a fifth of the global workforce is labouring fewer than 35 hours per week on a part-time basis.

The report found that short-time work and work-sharing measures or other forms of job retention helped people reduce the volume of work and save jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moreover, the system of reduced working hours and flexible working time arrangements can benefit economies, enterprises and workers and lay the ground for a better and more healthy work-life balance.

The so-called ‘Great Resignation’ phenomenon has placed work-life balance at the forefront of social and labour market issues in the post-pandemic world.

However, the report also cautioned that the benefits of some flexible arrangements such as spending more time with the family may also be accompanied by greater gender imbalances and health risks. 

What are the recommendations given by the report?

Firstly, countries should continue to support pandemic-era initiatives such as inclusive short-time work schemes, which not only saved jobs but also boosted purchasing power and helped cushion the effects of economic crises.

Secondly, a public policy shift must happen to reduce the number of working hours in many countries and promote a healthy work-life balance.

Thirdly, encourage teleworking to help maintain employment and give workers more agency.

However, to contain potential negative effects, it warned that these and other flexible working arrangements need to be well-regulated, to support what is often called the “right to disconnect” from work.