9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – July 13th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• Concerns of Indian players should be taken care of while crafting FTAs
• Courts must safeguard common spaces online
• Bail’s in our courts: SC’s idea on new bail law must be taken up by GoI. But judicial officers need reforming too
• A new judicial device for ‘complete justice’
• The scale of municipal finances is inadequate

GS Paper 3

• The AltNews funding case and Razorpay’s data privacy worry
• Read The Signs, Upgrade Science
• Create more jobs, revamp employment policy
• Somit Dasgupta writes: Bonn meet shows slim chance of action on climate change

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Explained: The bail law and Supreme Court call for reform
• Youth in India 2022 report: India’s demography at crossroads: Elderly may outnumber the youth
• SII to launch vaccine to prevent Cervical Cancer
• Extremely dry winter in Western Mediterranean due to expansion of ‘Azores High
• Re-wilding red pandas: Darjeeling zoo attempts country’s first augmentation of endangered mammal in the wild
• Paper Import Monitoring System(PIMS) to come into effect from 1st October,2022
• Perovskite solar cell: New co-dopants identified can create better performing and more stable solar cells
• Explained: Interpol’s ICSE initiative on child sex abuse, now joined by the CBI
• ICMR launches national registry to collect data, conduct research on multiple sclerosis

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

Concerns of Indian players should be taken care of while crafting FTAs

News: A well-crafted trade agreement could help India enhance its share in global trade and help attain the government’s target of making the country a $5-trillion economy.

Signing FTAs with multiple countries

Recently, India has signed trade agreements with Australia and the UAE.

In the last week of June, New Delhi began talks for a similar agreement with the EU. These talks could have a bearing on tariff-related matters in agriculture and industry. India’s successful sectors like textiles, pharmaceuticals and leather could benefit from these deliberations.

Why an FTA with EU is significant to India?

In the last decade, India’s exports to EU countries have grown at a faster pace than the country’s overall exports.

The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and France have emerged as key markets for Indian products.

Hence, a successful free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU could help India to expand its footfall in markets such as Poland, Portugal, Greece, the Czech Republic and Romania. India’s exports have registered a double-digit annual growth rate in these countries in the last decade.

What are some concerns associated with signing of FTAs?

Before entering into trade agreements, India needs to take care of a few key concerns.

– Competing on equal terms: It has been observed that when India is an importer, the preferential tariffs under the FTA are significantly lower than the rates charged from countries given Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status by New Delhi. But when the partner country is the importer, preferential tariffs on Indian goods, in most cases, are closer to the MFN tariffs.

• As a result, Indian exporters do not get the same returns as their counterparts in the partner countries — India’s trade with South Korea is a case in point.

Hence, before entering into a trade agreement care should, therefore, be taken to ensure that the domestic industry is not made to compete on unequal terms with the partner countries.

Rules of Origin: The India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement includes a strong clause on the rules of origin. 40% value addition or substantial processing of up to 40% in the exporting country is required to qualify for lower tariffs. Rules of origin have been a bone of contention in most Indian trade agreements.

Way forward

Offset clauses should be built into trade agreements, especially for technology intensive sectors.

– Under such clauses, the exporter is obliged to undertake activities that directly benefit the importing country’s economy.

An emergency action plan could be another useful ingredient of trade agreements.

– In February 2020, the US made India ineligible for claims under GSP, America’s oldest preferential trade scheme. A contingency plan should be in place to tackle such situations.

Sunset Clause: India should also take a hint from the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, to incorporate a “sunset” clause in trade agreements. The pact between the three North American nations provides for periodic reviews and the agreement is slated to end automatically in 16 years unless the countries renegotiate it.

Finally, India should negotiate for parity between services and merchandise. India’s trade in services is low, and its overall score in the OECD’s Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI) exceeds the world average. It is especially high in legal and accounting services due to the licencing requirements in both these segments.

Courts must safeguard common spaces online

News: Recently, Twitter moved the Karnataka high court, asking it to overturn government orders to block tweets and handles.

Twitter has argued that the Centre’s demands are arbitrary and aimed at speech protected by Indian law; and complying with them would violate the right to free speech of its users.

Last year, WhatsApp went to court against internet rules that demand it to break end-to-end encryption, a challenge that’s still pending.

What is the Centre’s stance?

The Centre insists that foreign companies with operations in India must follow Indian law.

Under the Information Technology Rules, 2021, the chief compliance officer of a social media platform is criminally liable if it refuses official orders.

Is the demand for oversight of social media platforms justified?

Yes.

Such platforms now constitute public spaces, but are owned by overseas corporate entities. Unlike democratic governments, they are not accountable to citizens, only their shareholders and regulators, but wield power over people’s minds.

Their opaque algorithms and role in enabling fake news have come under scrutiny. As decisions taken by closely-held foreign firms cannot always serve our collective interest, sovereign administrations are justified in pressing for oversight of these platforms.

What are some associated concerns?

The need to impose oversight on these platforms should not ignore the necessity to protect basic freedoms enshrined in the Indian Constitution.

Hyper-vigilance and political overreach

– An analysis by The Indian Express of Twitter’s global transparency reports shows that takedown demands in India soared 48,000% between 2014 and 2019.

– The government stated in Parliament that content blocking orders to social media companies went up nearly 2,000% in that period.

Typically issued under Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, these orders often come wrapped in layers of secrecy; users aren’t informed or given prior notice, let alone an explanation of why their post was dropped.

The arrest of an AltNews co-founder for a tweet is but one among many examples of stiff action following a post, slogan or imaginary toolkit. While extant laws must apply, the limits of free speech need to be judiciously determined.

Way forward

The judiciary, as the guardian of our Constitution, must step in.

– It must hold both social media and the government to democratic principles. Voices of dissent that don’t incite violence must be shielded.

– Since what speech endangers lives can be a close call in some cases, the country needs to hear from judges rather than cops on what is broadly legitimate.

A massive chunk of our population now has an online life, with a stake in a free and open Digital India. People need clarity on liberties. It’s for the legal system to safeguard common spaces from violations of Article 19(1)(a).

Bail’s in our courts: SC’s idea on new bail law must be taken up by GoI. But judicial officers need reforming too

Context: SC recently took note of CrPC’s colonial biases that continue till date and issued directions.

GoI must follow through on the Supreme Court’s suggestion that India needs a comprehensive bail legislation, on the lines of the UK Bail Act.

What is the inequity that SC mentioned?

Police is quick to arrest citizens, and this puts poor and/or poorly educated citizens at a huge disadvantage as they are unable to take advantage of the legal system, unlike those with education and affluence and/or influence.

Around 70% of the prison population are undertrials, most of them poor and therefore unable to secure monetary bail.

What are the issues pointed by the SC?

Currently, provisions related to arrest and interrogation, issue of warrants and summons, execution of bonds and sureties, powers of police and courts, are dispersed across CrPC and various binding SC guidelines.

A law collating these in one place can check arbitrariness. But a problem, which SC notes too, is the attitude of judicial officers.

SC wondered whether the low rate of conviction tends to make judges adopt a negative attitude towards bail.

Sometimes, bail applications are kept pending for months. Unnecessary arrest coupled with no bail is a twofold blow.

– Inaction on bail happens in high courts too. Appeals by the convicted are pending for decades in some HCs.

What are the directions given by the SC?

Instead of a punitive approach to bail, SC has now directed that bail applications should be disposed of within two weeks in the normal course.

SC has reiterated that arrest is a draconian measure to be used sparingly, otherwise the “impression that it is a police state” will gain ground, which would be a disturbing description of a democracy.

Way forward

SC’s scepticism over the compliance with its 2014 Arnesh Kumar judgment reveals how well-intentioned verdicts are being subverted.

– The judgment had directed cops to diligently record specific reasons necessitating arrest, and magistrates to grant bail if the reasons don’t make a persuasive case.

Disciplinary action against errant officers – in police, judiciary or executive – may produce beneficial changes. But quick bail is a good corrective against unnecessary arrests.

A new judicial device for ‘complete justice’

News: In recent, Mohammed Zubair, the co-founder of Alt News was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police, under Section 295A and Section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for outraging religious feelings and promoting religious enmity respectively.

The Supreme Court (SC) of India granted him interim bail, but he will continue to be in jail because he is on remand in another case registered by the Delhi police. The court was aware of this, but didn’t grant bail in the other case.

SC cannot be seen helpless in cases involving personal liberty.

Powers of the SC of India

The SC of India is regarded as the world’s most powerful top court, on account of its wide power of judicial review.

Writ Jurisdiction: It has the jurisdiction to issue writs under Article 32 of the Constitution.

Original Jurisdiction: It also has the original jurisdiction under Article 131 of the Constitution.

Appellate Jurisdiction: There is also wide appellate power under Articles 132, 133, 134 and 136 of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court has the power to “make such an order if it is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it”, as per Article 142 of the Constitution.

What are the challenges before the judiciary?

Many political prisoners languish in prison because their bail pleas have been repeatedly rejected by different courts.

The executive is able to register multiple FIRs in different States to ensure that the dissident is not released from prison even if bail is granted in some cases. For example, the Mohammad Zubair Case.

Thus, the jail jurisprudence of the executive effectively surpasses the Court’s bail jurisdiction.

Way Forward

The Supreme Court cannot afford to work with conventional legal wisdom, which proclaims that every criminal case is a case which requires to be dealt with as such and taken to its logical conclusion.

The SC should invoke its extraordinary power under Article 142 in order to do complete justice. In Delhi Development Authority vs Skipper Construction Company (1996), the SC has said that the power under Article 142 should remain “undefined and uncatalogued, so that it remains elastic enough to be moulded to suit the given situation”.

The constitutional court should evolve a new mechanism of its own in order to preserve the democratic foundation of the country, like the Public Interest Litigation (PIL).

– For example, India can adopt the new doctrine of “unconstitutional state of affairs” that has been developed by the Constitutional courts in Colombia and Brazil. Under this doctrine, the court deviates from routine procedural rigour and is able to issue orders to address structural deficits or to protect fundamental rights with a sense of realism.

The courts should be determined to check the executive’s excesses and create and perpetuate a democratic judicial atmosphere that supports the cause of freedom like the SC’s intervention in the Centre’s COVID-19 vaccine policy and the Pegasus episode.

Treat them as a class: The SC can treat political prisoners and dissenters who are facing multiple FIRs and undergoing unjustified incarceration as a class. The SC should develop effective jurisprudence in which it can call for all the records pertaining to the multiple FIRs in order to do “complete justice”.

The scale of municipal finances is inadequate

News: Recently, the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) analysed data from 80 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across 24 States between 2012-13 and 2016-17 to understand their finance and spending, and found some key trends.

The legal regime for the local bodies in India

The 74th Constitution Amendment Act 1992 mandated setting up of ULBs as the lowest unit of governance in cities and towns in India.

Further, the constitution also mandated the devolution of powers to ULBs’, particularly ensuring their fiscal empowerment.

Importance of municipal finance

The health of municipal finances is a critical element of municipal governance. Further, it is also important for India to realise its economic and developmental promise.

What are the revenue sources for ULBs?

Taxes, fees, fines and charges, and inter-governmental transfers (IGTs) are the key revenue sources of the ULBs.

Inter-Governmental Transfers (IGTs) refers to transfers from Central and State governments. First, the transfers from the Central government are as stipulated by the Central Finance Commissions and through grants towards specific reforms. Second, the State government transfers are as grants-in-aid and devolution of State’s collection of local taxes.

What are the key findings?

ULBs’ own revenue was around 47% of their total revenue, in which the largest component was tax revenue. Their own revenues increased by 7% from 2012-13 to 2016-17.

(A) Own Revenue

The ULBs’ own sources of revenue were less than half of their total revenue. The share of ULBs own revenue, in GDP was only 0.5% for the five-year period.

Further, the share of India’s property tax, the single largest contributor to ULBs’ own revenue, accounted for only about 0.15% of the GDP. In contrast, its share was about 0.6% and 1% in the ULBs of developing and developed countries respectively.

(B) IGTs

It accounted for about 40% of the ULBs’ total revenue. It means ULBs are highly dependent on IGTs.

However, the dependence of ULBs on IGTs has dipped over the last 5 years between 2012-13 and 2016, due to modest increase in own revenue.

Furter, the scale of IGTs in India remained at around 0.5% of GDP, which is far lower than the international average of 2% to 5% of GDP.

(C) Inter-city variations

There are considerable differences in the composition of revenue sources across cities of different sizes.

For example, Class I-A cities (population of over 50 lakh) primarily depend on their own tax revenue, while Class I-B cities and Class I-C cities (population of 10 lakh-50 lakh and 1 lakh-10 lakh, respectively) primarily rely more on IGTs.

(D) Operations and maintenance(O&M)

The O&M expenses refers to expenses used to upkeep of infrastructure and for maintaining quality of service delivery like water supply, solid waste management, etc.

The share of O&M expenses in ULBs’ total revenue expenditure has increased from about 30% in 2012-13 to about 35% in 2016-17. However, these expenses remain inadequate.

Way Forward

The share of own revenue (property taxes, advertisements, and non-tax revenue from user charges and fees from building permissions and trade licencing etc.) to total revenue is an important indicator of ULBs’ fiscal health and autonomy. Therefore, it should be improved

The ULBs can mobilise their own revenue resources like property taxes, other land-based resources and user charges. The ULBs can also explore market-based instruments.

IGTs can be improved by increasing the revenue assigned to ULBs from the State governments. Further, a share of the State and Centre’s GST proceeds can be allocated to ULBs.

– IGTs can also incentivise ULBs to deliver better service quality and maintain fiscal discipline.

GS Paper 3

The AltNews funding case and Razorpay’s data privacy worry

News: Recently, Twitter has taken the Indian government to court over what it views as “arbitrary” and “disproportionate” directions to take down content and block accounts. Last year, Meta Platforms Inc’s WhatsApp began legal proceedings against India’s new internet rules demanding chat traceability. All these highlight the deteriorating operational environment for ordinary digital businesses in India.

What about the AltNews and Razorpay case?

One of AltNews’ co-founders, was arrested for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. AltNews also received money “through Razorpay from Pakistan, Syria, Australia, Singapore, and the UAE, which all require further investigation. Recently, Razorpay had been compelled to supply customer data in a police investigation against AltNews under Section 91 of India’s criminal procedure code. Thus leaving customers vulnerable to harassment for their political views.

Earlier, the Alibaba group’s bank account has been frozen for not compiling Section 91 of CrPC notice.

What is Section 91 of CrPC?

Section 91(1) provides that whenever any Court or any officer in charge of a police station can issue summon or order to any person within whose possession the officer or court thinks is the document or a thing necessary for the purpose of investigation.

But if the person does not produce the document or thing, then the court can issue a warrant of search to the officer, under Section 93(1) (a).

How can India ensure the proper functioning of digital businesses?

Enacting the data protection law: This will build trust if service providers are required to provide colour codes indicating whether a particular piece of personal data obtained by them will be given to the police on demand; or if at least a court order will be required first.

Provide adequate freedom: Digital startups must have the freedom to keep their operations running, their proprietary data secure and their reputation with customers intact. Further, the government should not arrest the intermediaries if the data asked from them is disproportional to the scope of the inquiry or irrelevant to its stated purpose.

Read The Signs, Upgrade Science

Context: India was the first country to explicitly adopt ‘scientific temper’ in its Constitution, with the 42nd amendment in 1976 declaring that it shall be the duty of every citizen to develop a scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.

Despite such constitutional focus, India did not usher in transformative reforms in the science and technology (S&T) ecosystem.

China, on the other hand, revitalized its science ecosystem through systematic reforms in the 1990s. It is now even ahead of the US in a few areas, like artificial intelligence.

How can India become an innovation-led economy?

India has the economic scale, the large talent pool, the huge market size and the vibrant startup ecosystem to invest in research and then unlock its economic value.

Four major reformist interventions could potentially revolutionise Indian science:

National Research Foundation: The NRF announced by GoI with an outlay of Rs 50,000 crore over five years is an opportunity to transform the research ecosystem, especially from the governance and funding perspectives.

– Eventually, this would also improve linkages between R&D, academia and industry.

– Given the enormity of the tasks involved, India now needs to fast-track the creation of an appropriately structured NRF as an organisation which has the requisite capacity to execute.

Ease of doing research: In India, scientists spend more time on managing administrative overheads than on research. Most systems in government universities and scientific labs continue to be bureaucratic.

– Indian institutions need to create centralised research and allied industry-interfacing and fundraising offices as well as administrative support. This will allow scientists to focus on research without getting bogged down by cumbersome processes.

– Compensation structures need revision to attract scientific talent, along with progressive HR policies that have performance centricity.

Collaborative research clusters: Most S&T labs in India are not an integral part of universities, unlike in most developed nations. It is time to bring together R&D labs and institutions of higher education in a geographical area under a unified thematic cluster through functional mergers, both hard and soft.

– Clustering would enable these entities to be competitive in securing international research projects, and to attract leading overseas faculty and superior researchers.

– These would eventually lead to improved global research ranking of universities.

– This cluster-like structure would lead to an overall increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of research outputs, ultimately leading to better economic and social value-creation for the country.

Science in the public imagination: India does not celebrate science and there are very few scientists in public imagination today. Print and electronic media rarely cover S&T and there are very few popular science films, OTT content or books.

– Institutionalise a robust science communication function in each university and S&T unit.

– Create an imaginative line-up of initiatives and activities round the year. This will go a long way in popularising and celebrating science in India.

Way forward

India now needs to narrow the gulf between science and society. It must be understood that scientific knowledge is a common public good in the country.

Scientific and technological research forms the backbone for innovations. It’s time to strengthen India’s research backbone by revitalising India’s S&T agenda.

Indeed, India should declare 2020-30 as a decade of radical transformation for its science.

Create more jobs, revamp employment policy

News: The Government of India has recently announced a plan to create 10 lakh government jobs and fill up the vacant posts in the next 18 months.

There are about 40 lakh sanctioned posts. At present, around 22% of the total posts are vacant

What are the issues with the government announcement?

The real number of vacant posts in the government might touch around 30 lakh. In addition to 8.72 lakh vacant positions in various departments of the Central government, there are also vacant positions in public sector banks, the defence forces and police, the health sector etc.

Further, the above cited numbers do not include vacancies in State government jobs.

The concerns have been raised on the quality of employment that will be generated. For example:

– The share of contract workers in total government employment has increased from 11.11 lakh in 2017 to 24.31 lakh in 2021.

– There are “honorary workers” such as Anganvadi and Accredited social health activist (ASHA) workers, etc, who receive very low consolidated wages and are not covered in a social security net as recommended by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

More jobs are needed: The magnitude of unemployment in India is very high.

– According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), there are about 30 million unemployed people, at present in India and according to the World Bank (WB), around 50 lakh-70 lakh workers will be added annually.

– Therefore, 10 lakh jobs in the next 18 months will not have much impact on the present unemployment problem.

Way Forward

The employment generated by the government under its proposed plan must be of a standard quality.

At present, the Government should take the lead over the private sector in creating as many jobs as possible. The private sector is struggling to overcome the shocks caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The private firms cannot be expected to create employment opportunities.

Focus on basic needs: The government can create more employment in areas where the government is required to provide basic needs. For example, health and nutrition, education, and other basic infrastructure, etc. The government should focus on serving the bottom 40% of the population without doing privatisation in these areas.

The government should reorient the industrialisation policy to focus on labour-intensive sectors of the economy, and to promote Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). For example, to provide better technology, finances (including working capital) and working towards cluster development for all industries.

Urban employment: The urban employment guarantee programme should be launched to create ample urban employment avenues for urban youth. For example, day-care centres can be set up for childcare to enable women to reduce their unpaid services etc.

Somit Dasgupta writes: Bonn meet shows slim chance of action on climate change

News: Recently, representatives from more than 100 countries met at Bonn to hold preliminary discussions on the final communiqué (climate finance) of the COP27, which is scheduled to be held at Sharm-el-Sheikh later in the year 2022.

Major issues discussed in the final communiqué of COP27

(1) Loss and damage: There are many smaller countries, especially with big coastlines, which are experiencing loss and damage, due to rising river levels, loss of agricultural productivity, loss of livelihoods, etc. Therefore, they are demanding financial assistance to cope with it because they can’t wait till 2030 or 2050.

Unfortunately, the idea to provide assistance for “loss and damage” was opposed by the US and the EU.

(2) There was debate on funding issues between adaptation and mitigation projects. So far, funding has mostly been directed towards mitigation efforts because mitigation projects are easily subjected to the cost-benefit analysis, and it is difficult to do so on the adaptation projects.

(3) The Green Climate Fund is considered too cumbersome and the process too lengthy. Hence, there’s a need for an alternate funding route.

Moreover, the developing countries believe that the climate finance requirement is much higher than $100 billion a year. The actual funding requirement for climate change issues may run into trillions of dollars.

(4) The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as of date, are not enough to limit the temperature rise to 1.5^oC. It requires the emissions to be cut down by half by 2030.

During the conference, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) expressed that the aim should be to reduce emissions by 20% by 2025 itself.

– The logic is that the next round of NDCs is due only in 2025 and by that time, it would be too late to formulate a plan that is achievable by 2030. Further, some countries have opined to revisit the NDCs by the end of 2022, to strengthen them.

In a response, Egypt and Australia have announced to enhance their emissions reduction target to 43% by 2030 compared to the 2005 level.

(5) There were discussions on the remaining carbon space available for use to limit temperature rise to 1.5^oC.

As per broad indications, keeping into mind the given emissions rate, the temperature rise cannot be limited to 1.5, if major steps are not taken within 10 years.

However, the other discussions were on how to distribute this available space equitably amongst all the countries.

(6) The US resisted being labelled as a “big emitter” and was not willing to take responsibility for its historical emissions. It wanted China and India (other big emitters) to take on greater responsibilities for cutting down emissions.

However, it was opposed by the like-minded group of developing countries (LMDCs) like China, India, Saudi Arabia and the Arab countries.

Issues and concerns

There was hardly any convergence of ideas between the developed and developing countries on the matter of climate finance.

The discussion on climate issues has been relegated to the background due to the Ukraine crisis. For example, the delegates walked out after a Russian official used the platform to criticise Ukraine.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Explained: The bail law and Supreme Court call for reform

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained: The bail law and Supreme Court call for reform” published in the Indian Express on 13^th July 2022.

What is the News?

Recently, the Supreme Court underlined that “there is a pressing need” for reform in the law related to bail and called on the government to consider framing special legislation on the lines of the law in the United Kingdom.

What is the law on bail in India?

The Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) does not define the word bail but only categories offences under the Indian Penal Code as ‘bailable’ and ‘non-bailable’.

The CrPC empowers magistrates to grant bail for bailable offences as a matter of right. This would involve release on furnishing a bail bond, without or without security.

For non-bailable offences which enable the police officer to arrest without a warrant, a magistrate would determine if the accused is fit to be released on bail.

What is the UK law on bail?

The Bail Act of the United Kingdom, 1976, prescribes the procedure for granting bail. A key feature is that one of the aims of the legislation is “reducing the size of the inmate population”. The law also has provisions for ensuring legal aid for defendants.

For rejecting bail, the prosecution must show that grounds exist for believing the defendant on bail would not surrender to custody, would commit an offence while on bail, or would interfere with witnesses or otherwise.

About the ruling of SC on bail reforms

The Bench issued certain clarifications to an older judgment delivered in July 2021 on bail reform (Satender Kumar Antil vs CBI).

Need for separate law: The court observed the idea of indiscriminate arrests to magistrates ignoring the rule of “bail, not jail” to a colonial mindset. The court underlined that the CrPC, despite amendments since Independence, largely retains its original structure as drafted by a colonial power over its subjects.

The court said, “Persons accused with same offense shall never be treated differently either by the same court or by the same or different courts. Such an action….would be a grave affront to Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution”

Hence, the court demanded a separate law that deals with the grant of bail.

On bail application: Section 88, 170, 204 and 209 of the Code relates to various stages of a trial where a magistrate can decide on the release of an accused. The court held that magistrates must routinely consider granting bail, without insisting on a separate bail application.

On arrests: The court noted that the culture of too many arrests, especially for non-cognisable offences, is unwarranted. It emphasised that even for cognisable offences, the arrest is not mandatory and must be “necessitated”.

The SC also directed all state governments and Union Territories to facilitate standing orders to comply with the orders and avoid indiscriminate arrests.

Youth in India 2022 report: India’s demography at crossroads: Elderly may outnumber the youth

Source: The post is based on the article “India’s demography at crossroads: Elderly may outnumber the youth” published in the Indian Express on 13^th July 2022.

What is the News?

‘Youth in India 2022’ report was released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

What are the key findings of the Youth in India 2022 report?

Demographic shift: The proportion of the population aged under 15 years is projected to decline, and the elderly in the population is expected to increase.

Declining youth population: The youth population is expected to increase initially but will start to decline in the latter half of the 2011-2036 period. The total youth population increased from 222.7 million in 1991 to 333.4 million in 2011 and is projected to reach 371.4 million by 2021 (27.2% of the population) and, thereafter, decrease to 345.5 million by 2036 (22.7%).

Increasing elderly population: The proportion of the elderly population to the total population has increased from 6.8% in 1991 to 9.2% in 2016 and is projected to reach 14.9% in 2036.

Findings related to states: The more populous states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which experienced a rise in the proportion of the youth population to the total population till 2021, are expected to see a decline from hereon. These two states, along with Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, are projected to have over half (52%) of the country’s youth.

States such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh are projected to see a higher elderly population than the youth by 2036.

What are the suggestions of the report?

The elderly population will put pressure on social security and public welfare systems. Hence, in the next 4-5 years, active labour market policies should be adopted to accelerate productive job creation along with the expansion of manufacturing.

The government should take steps to adapt public programmes to the growing proportion of older persons, including by improving the sustainability of social security and pension systems and by establishing universal health care and long-term care systems.

SII to launch vaccine to prevent Cervical Cancer

Source: The post is based on the article “SII to launch vaccine to prevent Cervical Cancer” published in The Hindu on 13th July 2022.

What is the News?

The Drugs Controller General of India(DCGI) has granted market authorisation to the Serum Institute of India(SII) for Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine(qHPV) against cervical cancer.

What is Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine(qHPV)?

It is India’s first indigenously-developed vaccine against cervical cancer.

Significance of this vaccine: Immunization with the qHPV vaccine can reduce the impact of cervical cancer. It can prevent most cases of cervical cancer if administered before girls or women are exposed to the virus.

What is Cervical Cancer?

Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix — the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.

Various strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection, play a role in causing most cervical cancer.

Globally, Cervical Cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer among women in the world. 

In India, Cervical cancer ranks as the second-most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age.

Extremely dry winter in Western Mediterranean due to expansion of ‘Azores High

Source: The post is based on the article “Extremely dry winter in Western Mediterranean due to expansion of ‘Azores High” published in Down To Earth on 11th July 2022.

What is the News?

A study has revealed that an extremely large ‘Azores High’ has resulted in abnormally dry conditions across the western Mediterranean, including the Iberian Peninsula primarily occupied by Spain and Portugal.

What is Azores High?

Azores High is a subtropical high-pressure system that extends over the eastern subtropical North Atlantic and Western Europe during winter.

It is associated with anticyclonic winds in the subtropical North Atlantic.

It is formed by dry air aloft descending the subtropics and coincides with the downward branch of the Hadley Circulation.

What is Hadley Cell?

Hadley Cells are the low-latitude overturning circulations that have air rising at the equator and air sinking at roughly 30° latitude. 

They are responsible for the trade winds in the Tropics and control low-latitude weather patterns.

What does the study say about ‘Azores High’?

The study identified a robust increase in the frequency of extremely large Azores High Area(AHA) events and an overall expansion signal in the winter Azores High over the past 100 years.

This expansion is driven by external climate forces and the only external forcing that produces this signal in the industrial era is atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations.

What is the impact of the extremely large ‘Azores High’?

Extremely large ‘Azores High’ results in abnormally dry conditions across the western Mediterranean including the Iberian Peninsula primarily occupied by Spain and Portugal.

For instance, an annual drying of 5-10 millimetres per year per decade has been recorded in the Iberian Peninsula throughout the second half of the 20th century.

These projected changes make agriculture in the Iberian region some of the most vulnerable in Europe.

Re-wilding red pandas: Darjeeling zoo attempts country’s first augmentation of endangered mammal in the wild

Source: The post is based on the article “Re-wilding red pandas: Darjeeling zoo attempts country’s first augmentation of endangered mammal in the wild” published in The Hindu on 10th July 2022.

What is the News?

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park has started an ambitious programme to release 20 Red Pandas in about five years to the forests. Singalila National Park will get Red Pandas as part of this programme.

What is Red Panda?

Red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China.

Conservation status: 

• IUCN Red List: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix I
• Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I

Habitat: The red panda inhabits coniferous forests as well as temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, favouring steep slopes with dense bamboo cover close to water sources. 

– It is solitary and largely arboreal. 

– It is the state animal of Sikkim.

Threats: Almost 50% of the red panda’s habitat is in the Eastern Himalayas. The loss of nesting trees and bamboo is causing a decline in red panda populations across much of their range because their forest home is being cleared.

What is Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park?

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park is located in Darjeeling in West Bengal. 

The zoo was opened in 1958. It is the largest high-altitude zoo in India.

The zoo is internationally recognized for its conservation breeding programmes for Red Panda, Snow Leopards, Tibetan Wolf and other highly endangered animal species of Eastern Himalayas.

What is Singalila National Park?

Singalila National Park is located in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. It is the highest protected area in West Bengal. The park is part of the Eastern Himalayas. 

The two highest peaks of West Bengal, Sandakphu and Phalut are located on the ridge and inside the park. 

Paper Import Monitoring System(PIMS) to come into effect from 1st October,2022

Source: The post is based on the article “Paper Import Monitoring System(PIMS) to come into effect from 1st October, 2022” published in PIB on 12th July 2022.

What is the News?

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade(DGFT) has introduced the Paper Import Monitoring System(PIMS) by amending the import policy of major paper products from ‘Free’ to ‘Free subject to compulsory registration under PIMS’. 

What is the Paper Import Monitoring System(PIMS)?

Introduced by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade(DGFT) 

Purpose: This system has been made mandatory for the import of 201 types of paper and paper boards such as glazed newsprint, handmade paper and tissue paper.

– However, paper products like currency paper, bank bonds, Cheque paper, and security printing paper have been excluded from mandatory registration.

Features: Under this system, an importer will be required to obtain an automatic registration number through the online system by paying a registration fee of Rs. 500/- only, not earlier than the 75th day and not later than the 5th day before the expected date of arrival of import consignment. 

– The automatic registration Number shall remain valid for a period of 75 days and multiple consignments Bill of Entry(BoEs) shall be allowed in the same registration number within the validity period of registration, for the permitted quantity.

What is the significance of this system?

The introduction of PIMS is intended to curb imports under the “Others” category Tariff Lines, dumping of paper products in the domestic market by way of under-invoicing, entry of prohibited goods by misdeclaration and re-routing goods through other countries in lieu of trade agreements.  

This may also promote the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atma Nirbhar’ initiatives under this category.

Perovskite solar cell: New co-dopants identified can create better performing and more stable solar cells

Source: The post is based on the article “New co-dopants identified can create better performing and more stable solar cells” published in PIB on 12th July 2022.

What is the News?

Scientists have identified co-dopants that can increase the photovoltaic performance of transparent metal oxides such as ZnO, In2O3 and SnO2 thereby creating the potential for more efficient, better performing and more stable solar cells.

Background

Silicon is the most common semiconductor material used in solar cells. However, now efforts are being made around the world to develop cost-effective options.  

Perovskites have emerged as a leading candidate for eventually replacing silicon as the material of choice for solar panels.

What is a Perovskite solar cell?

A perovskite solar cell consists of a perovskite layer as the light absorber, sandwiched between the electron transport layer (ETL) coated with transparent conducting glass and hole transport layer (HTL) coated with a metal back contact electrode.

They represent the most exciting approach to build solar cells that are inexpensive and highly efficient.

What is the study about?

Scientists have identified co-dopants that can increase the photovoltaic performance of transparent metal oxides such as ZnO, In2O3 and SnO2 thereby creating the potential for more efficient, better performing and more stable solar cells.

For instance, when aluminium (Al) and lanthanum (La) metals were used as suitable dopants in Tin oxide(SnO2), they amplified the photovoltaic performance, reproducibility and stability of the solar cell significantly.

Note: Doping is the practice of introducing very small amounts of certain foreign atoms into the crystal lattice of a semiconductor to modify its electrical properties. These foreign atoms are referred to as dopants. 

Explained: Interpol’s ICSE initiative on child sex abuse, now joined by the CBI

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained: Interpol’s ICSE initiative on child sex abuse, now joined by the CBI” published in Indian Express on 11th July 2022.

What is the News?

India’s Central Bureau of Investigation has joined Interpol’s International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) Initiative.

What is the International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) Initiative? 

Launched by: Interpol

Purpose: It is an intelligence and investigative tool which will allow it to collaborate with investigators in other countries for detecting child sexual abuse online and identifying abusers, victims, and crime scenes from audiovisual clips using specialised software.

Significance: The database avoids duplication of effort and saves precious time by letting investigators know whether a series of images have already been discovered or identified in another country or whether it has similar features to other images.

What has India done to combat child sex abuse?

India reported over 24 lakh instances of online child sexual abuse from 2017 to 2020, with 80% of victims being girls below the age of 14 years.

More than 60% of unidentified victims were prepubescent, including infants and toddlers. Around 65% of unidentified victims were girls, but severe abuse images were more likely to have boys.

In 2019, the CBI set up a special unit called the ‘Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Prevention/Investigation (OCSAE)’ for tracking and monitoring posting, circulation and downloads of CSEM online.

ICMR launches national registry to collect data, conduct research on multiple sclerosis

Source: The post is based on the article “ICMR launches national registry to collect data, conduct research on multiple sclerosis” published in Indian Express on 12th July 2022.

What is the News?

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Monday launched a National registry of multiple sclerosis(MS) and the Indian Multiple Sclerosis and Allied Demyelinating Disorders Registry and Research Network(IMSRN).

What is the National Registry of Multiple Sclerosis(MS)?

The registry will create an organized system for data collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, management and outcomes.

What is the Indian Multiple Sclerosis and Allied Demyelinating Disorders Registry and Research Network(IMSRN)?

The IMSRN was started in October 2021 with AIIMS New Delhi as the national coordinating centre.

It is the first Indian nationwide dedicated database research network for Multiple Sclerosis(MS) and allied demyelinating disorders.

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease affecting the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). 

It occurs when the immune system attacks the nerve fibres and myelin sheathing (a fatty substance which surrounds/insulates healthy nerve fibres) in the brain and spinal cord.

Symptoms: MS causes many different symptoms, including vision loss, pain, fatigue and impaired coordination. The symptoms, severity and duration can vary from person to person. 

Vulnerable Group: It affects young individuals between the ages of 20 to 40 years but may also occur in children and adolescents. Females are affected more by this disease than males.

Treatment: ​​There’s no cure for multiple sclerosis. However, treatments can help speed recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.