9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – July 26th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• It’s time India and Japan rethink their nuclear policy
• A global order caught up in a swirl of chaos
• The need of the hour: ASHA for elderly
• Reform bail law, but make the right diagnosis first
• What CJI Must Prioritise

GS Paper 3

• India needs joint commands & it needs a CDS
• Backsliding on climate action
• DESH needs to serve the country better
• Globalisation is dying; India needs sound industrial policy
• Green shift: Costs and opportunities

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• NDDB MRIDA Limited: Union Minister launches NDDB’s subsidiary for manure management
• Explained | What are the latest guidelines on arrests and bail orders?
• Digital Banks and the promise of digital inclusion
• Explained | Why is India’s space industry looking for private sector investment?
• Ministry of Culture Preserves and Promotes Indian Art, Literature and Culture through various autonomous organizations
• Explained: What is heteropessimism, and are you suffering from it?
• Migratory monarch butterflies officially declared ‘endangered’, but there’s hope
• N-Treat technology: Explained: How IIT-Bombay will help treat Mumbai’s sewage with new tech
• Explained: Four tribal revolts President Murmu invoked in her inaugural speech

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

It’s time India and Japan rethink their nuclear policy

News: A recent report on Asian nuclear transitions by Ashley Tellis of the Carnegie Endowment underlined the shared security challenges for Delhi and Tokyo. The shared challenge is increasing Chinese military power and the rapid modernisation of Beijing’s nuclear arsenal.

Until now, both Japan and India were relaxed by the fact that China’s modest nuclear arsenal is not an existential threat. But much has changed now.

What are the factors emphasising shared concerns of India and Japan with regard to China?

First, China’s modernisation and expansion of nuclear arsenal. As per some estimates, China’s arsenal could grow from about 350 now to 1,000 warheads by 2030.

Second, China’s muscular approach to its territorial disputes with other countries. It has adopted the strategies of salami slicing and coercive diplomacy at frontiers with Japan and India.

Third, Russian invasion of Ukraine has made it clear that if a nuclear power invade another country, international powers feel reluctant to interfere. It is due to the fear of facing nuclear war or attack.

Fourth, given the fact that China is closing the economic and military gap with US, credibility of the US-extended deterrence for Japan is under question.

Fifth, India’s policy of minimum deterrence and a doctrine of no-first-use of nuclear weapons are not sufficient against the China’s aggressive policies.

Sixth, both India and Japan are not well positioned to be champions for the global abolition of nuclear weapons. While India never agreed to give up its own nuclear weapons, Japan despite being the victim of nuclear weapons, is under US nuclear umbrella.

What should be done?

India needs to reconsider its India’s minimum deterrence posture.

US needs to revise its confronting attitudes towards India’s nuclear weapons programme. Instead US should facilitate India’s development of more sophisticated nuclear warheads.

“INFRUS” agreement — between India, France and the US could help India build an underwater deterrence based on ballistic missile carrying submarines (SSBN) as well as nuclear attack submarines (SSN).

A global order caught up in a swirl of chaos

News: Ukraine-Russia conflict is one of the many strands currently altering the shapes of world governance.

What are the various challenges that can alter world governance?

Europe: Germany has steered European politics for almost two decades under Angela Merkel. But their new Chancellor has hardly any foreign policy experience. Without Germany’s steadying hand, Europe would face significant challenges.

The United Kingdom: The UK is facing a political crisis ever since it came out of the EU.

Food crisis: Ukraine and Russia were generally viewed as the granaries of the world. The conflict between them placed few countries to confront the food scarcity.

Other issues: The other issues include the foreign exchange crisis, the spiralling cost of energy and fertilizers. Many of these problems may have existed earlier but have been aggravated by the ongoing conflict.

The impact is being felt now well beyond Europe. Outside Europe, the conflict is beginning to take on a different dimension, leading to the emergence of new patchworks of relationships.

How did China stand benefitted?

China-Russia ties: China and Russia appear to have further cemented their relationship and the situation is shifting towards a formal alliance. China’s growing influence in the Pacific region, including in the Indo-Pacific, is further strengthened by the alliance with Russia.

China in the Middle East: The U.S.’s relations with Arab nations in West Asia appear to weaken. Russia and China are beginning to play key roles, with Iran as the fulcrum for establishing new relationships.

So various efforts of the United States, including the AUKUS (Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.) and the Quad, or the launch of another Indo-Pacific entity, viz., ‘Partners in the Blue Pacific’ (comprising the U.S., the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and Japan) might not yield results.

What does India need to do?

Most Asian nations appear unwilling to take sides in the event of a conflict including India.

Ties with China and Russia: India cannot ignore the situation created by the stronger bonds between Russia and China. India will need to determine whether Russia can be expected to play a role as a ‘trusted friend’.

Ties in the Middle-East: India-Israel relationship dates back to the 1990s, and the India-UAE relationship has flourished in the past couple of years. But India-Iran relations seem to have reached a stalemate.

India’s membership in the I2U2 indicates that this body could become a ‘feature’ of the West Asian region, just like the Quad was for the Indo-Pacific.

Ties with other neighbourhood countries:

Afghanistan: India urgently needs to come to terms with a Taliban Afghanistan. Its attempt to devise a working relationship with Taliban Afghanistan is as yet in a very nascent stage.

Sri Lanka: The democratic upsurge in Sri Lanka presents India with a fresh set of problems. India needs to ensure that its advent does not result in the emergence of an anti-India atmosphere in Sri Lanka.

India’s nuclear deterrence: There is a wide gap that exists today in regard to China and India’s nuclear deterrent capabilities. The U.S. strategists blame India for its voluntary ban on testing and its ‘no-first-use’ doctrine.

India needs to guard against such attempts to undo the carefully negotiated and structured nuclear policy and doctrine, and should not be tempted by any anti-China western move on this front.

The need of the hour: ASHA for elderly

News: The United Nations’ “World Population Prospects” highlights the continuing growth of the population in the coming decades is largely driven by increasing life expectancy, rather than babies being born.

How much has the life expectancy improved?

During the time of Independence, the life expectancy was around 30 years. The population projections suggest that the country is already home to 30 million persons who are 75 or older. The World Population Prospects estimates there will be nearly 100 million persons older than 75 in India in 2039.

What are the vulnerabilities faced by older people?

1) Elderly people require vast sums of money, (out-of-pocket expenses), for the diverse types of care they required, 2) Threat of Dementia: It is a condition associated with ageing and resulting from progressive degeneration of the brain. Dementia poses an enormous burden of care as one gradually loses the ability to care for oneself and to think, plan and behave in a rational way. A private study reported that about 8% of the elderly population over 75 in India was afflicted by this condition.

3) Reduction in caregivers: India’s traditional multi-generational families could be relied upon for caregiving. The population transition has been accompanied by dramatic changes in the family structure, so an increasing proportion of the elderly will live only with their elderly spouse or alone.

4) There is no comprehensive, community-based, care system for elders. Families have to make their own arrangements through out-of-pocket payments for each service which is needed.

5) Civic infrastructure, such as public transport, is insensitive to the needs of persons with different abilities and elders with disabling conditions.

What should be done to improve the lives of the elderly?

India’s celebrated Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) have been singularly responsible not only for the dramatic reductions in maternal and infant mortality contributing to increased life expectancy but also for achieving impressive Covid vaccination coverage.

The ASHA program is a template for building a community-based workforce, anchored in the large and growing network of government Health and Wellness Centres across the country. This can be utilised to support the diverse health and social care needs of elders.

As the population projections show, India is rich with human resources and many are young and looking for work, the government could empower working-age adults who are jobless in the service of elders.

Reform bail law, but make the right diagnosis first

News: Over 75% of India’s prison population are undertrial while overcrowding in Indian prisons stands at 118%. The Supreme Court of India in the Satender Kumar Antil vs CBI case, acknowledged the ineffectiveness of India’s bail system and its contribution to the above crisis.

What is the significance of the court ruling?

What is the procedure to get bail?

The power to grant bail is largely based on the court’s discretion and depends on the facts of each case. The Supreme Court has many times laid down principles for guiding the exercise of such discretion by courts in deciding bail applications.

These guidelines stress the need to release applicants. Despite existing guidelines, courts do not usually record reasons for rejecting bail.

What are the challenges in bail compliance?

Marginalised sections are either denied bail or granted bail with onerous conditions. Some common conditions are the nature of cash bonds, surety bonds, proof of property ownership and solvency.

Lack of means to arrange for money/property and local sureties are the most significant reasons accounting for an undertrial’s inability to comply with bail conditions. Hence, more undertrial prisoners are languishing in jails.

The other factors are a) lack of residence and identity proof, b) abandonment by family and c) limitations in navigating the court system. These also undermine an undertrial’s ability to comply with bail conditions.

What should be done to reform the bail system comprehensively?

The bail system presumes that the risk of financial loss is necessary to ensure the presence of the accused in court. Such assumptions have the effect of rendering the rule of ‘bail not jail’ meaningless for a significant proportion of undertrial persons.

A careful re-evaluation of the presumptions is imperative. An effective bail law must be based on the correlation of the following,

a) Proportion of undertrials applying for bail, b) Proportion of bail applications accepted or rejected, c) The amount of bail compliance and the amount of denial of bail, d) demographics of undertrials, e) category of offences and timelines for bail, f) address socio-economic and structural barriers and g) effective enforcement of safeguards against arbitrary arrest that would eliminate the need to seek bail from courts.

What CJI Must Prioritise

News: Recently, The Supreme Court delivered a verdict, after a long period of 26 years, in a simple case. In this case, the politician Raj Babbar was accused of assaulting a police officer in 1996.  

The Chief Justice of India in his recent statement underlined that the judiciary is answerable to the Constitution and the Constitution alone.  

The motto of the Supreme Court of India is Yato Dharma Sthato Jaya. Therefore, the SC held that dharma can be upheld only if privilege and responsibility go hand-in-hand. It means higher the privilege, greater the responsibility. It can also be referred to “no free lunch in society” in terms of economics. 

What are the shortcomings of present functioning of Judiciary? 

In every society, judges and scholars are held in the highest esteem. Therefore, in return, the society also expects scholars and judges to pursue their respective dharma in the highest spirit. It is not right to blame politicians, the government, or us citizens for expecting far, far more from the judiciary. The CJI should acknowledge that the judicial system owes timely justice to the citizens of this country. This is because there are a lot of lacunae in the functioning of the Judiciary: 

(1) India is in the bottom 15th percentile of all nations in ease of enforcement of contracts. 

(2) Around 4. 5 crore cases are pending. Thereby, justice is getting delayed and is being denied to far more Indians than citizens in 160-odd countries.  

(3) The Indian judicial system enjoys total independence. Therefore, it should also fulfil greater accountability. 

Why should the judiciary move forward for the ease of enforcement of contract in India? 

The ease of enforcement of contracts is most fundamental to any society and economy. For example, attracting corporate investments, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, to enable greater competition in the economy etc. 

The judiciary has the obligation to secure to all its citizens JUSTICE, social, economic and political, as per the Constitution of India. 

What should be done? 

Every CJI should lay out a timebound plan to eliminate the Himalayan backlog of cases. The plan must include use of technology, the routine cases can be dealt with quickly using technology, and the innovative way to work with the government. 

The judicial system should focus exclusively on its primary function, until the backlog of cases is cleared. 

There should be ease of enforcement of contracts for India to grow 7-8% annually.  

Every CJI should evolve a time-bound plan for India’s judicial system to be ranked in the top quartile of nations. 

GS Paper 3

India needs joint commands & it needs a CDS

News: Recently, India’s Defence Minister re-emphasised that joint theatre commands are a defence reform priority.

The theatre commands are important as Warfare is changing. One modern response to these changes it joint commands that amalgamate manpower and resources of the three services.

What is the need of Joint theatre commands?

1) The rise of the China-Pakistan axis.

2) Strategic complications highlighted by the Ukraine war.

3) China’s rationalisation and transformation of its armies and establishment of five theatre commands.

What are the challenges to the establishing Joint Theatre Commands?

First, at present, India has 17 single-service commands spread across a wide geography. Converting these commands into joint theatre commands would require a radical change in the culture of armed forces.

Second, since air force assets have dual offensive and defensive roles, AF has already reservations about further splitting its assets. Government formed an eight-member panel under then Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat in June 2021. But after the death of General, the post of CDS is lying vacant. The position should be filled at the priority and panel should be reactivated.

Third, the protests and resistance against the Agnipath scheme can be a hurdle to implementation of Joint commands.

Backsliding on climate action

News: Climate policies around the world are facing significant challenges.

What are the challenges faced by EU climate policies?

a) Coal exports to Europe are surging after Germany, Austria and the Netherlands have started their coal plants again, b) Countries in Europe are rejecting the European Union (EU)’s plan to reduce natural gas consumption by 15% and c) Dutch, Polish and other European farmers are protesting against emission cuts from agriculture.

What are the challenges faced by other countries on climate policies?

The U.S.: The prices of fuel are increasing. This is causing inflation and a threat to energy security. This shows coal, oil and gas are not going anywhere in the developed world.

The developed countries also failed to mobilise $100 billion per year by 2020.

Many developing countries are facing unrest due to skyrocketing energy prices. This is threatening their governments.

What does the term global net-zero mean according to the Paris Agreement?

Article 4 of the Paris Agreement defines ‘Global Peaking’. This means parties aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, recognizing that peaking will take longer for developing country Parties.

Similarly, the term global net-zero logically means that when developing country parties will achieve net-zero later than developed countries. Hence, the developing countries can only be achieved if developed countries reach net zero earlier than 2050.

The agreement, therefore, calls on developed countries to “do a net negative” on mitigation by 2050 rather than just “net zero”, if they are serious about fighting climate change. Any other interpretation will be contrary to Article 4.

How developing countries will be forced to compensate for climate policy failures?

The EU Commissioner of Climate Action and Energy signalled that the U.S. can downgrade its pledge under the Paris deal. If the G7 countries start downgrading their pledges, then they expect the Global South to compensate.

The “global stocktake” of the Paris Agreement will be done in 2023 to assess the world’s collective progress towards achieving its long-term goals. In the current scenario, this stocktake will provide the developed countries with the right forum to shift the burden of their mitigation commitments on developing countries, knowing well that they will not be able to meet theirs by 2030.

What should the developing countries do to uphold climate policies?

With countries of the developed world almost sure to withdraw from their 2030 Paris Agreement commitment, the developing countries must do everything to hold the countries of the developed world to their commitments.

COP 27 in Egypt gives the developing countries an opportunity to hold the developed to make their net minus pledges. If the developing countries failed to collectively push for it, then the world will be collectively pushed back.

DESH needs to serve the country better

News: The government has introduced the Development of Enterprise and Service Hubs (DESH) Bill in the ongoing Parliament session. This is going to do a makeover of India’s 268 Special Economic Zones (SEZs). 

In 2019, the World Trade Organization (WTO) held that subsidies given to Indian SEZ units violated WTOs rules of fair trade. Thus, the new bill will ensure compliance to the WTO rules. 

Kandla in Gujarat was our first SEZ. It was kept up in the mid-1960s. Thereafter, Jamnagar became another SEZ in the Gulf of Kutch. It is home to Reliance oil refinery that logs major exports. 

There are hundreds of other SEZs, all of them governed by the SEZ Act of 2005. 

What are benefits provided to Special Economic Zones (SEZs)? 

These are duty-free enclaves, with the industrial estates exempted from various levies that went against export competitiveness.  

Units located here can freely import what they need and also enjoy many tax exemptions, such as zero GST on domestic supplies. However, for that, they need to earn more foreign exchange than spend over each five-year stretch. 

The SEZs operate like offshore zones. Therefore, products and services sold by the units in the SEZs, in the Indian market, face regular import tariffs. 

Problems with India’s SEZs? 

(1) Indian SEZs are much smaller in size and performance. For example, If Indian SEZ are compared with Shenzhen, then Shenzhen’s area (49,000 hectares) exceeds the combined area of Indian SEZs (47,000 hectares).  

(2) The minimum space needed for an SEZ in India is less than 50 hectares. Further, services SEZs can operate from a lonely building. 

(3) Small size of SEZs prevents them from offering high-quality common facilities and plug & play ecosystems.  

(4) Indian SEZs do not perform when tax exemptions end, and investments dry up. Today less than half the land approved for SEZ purposes is used. 

How does DESH plan to change this? 

(1) it will remove the restriction that exports should be more than imports over five years. Now units will be free to import any amount.  

(2) The SEZs units will be allowed to perform invoicing in rupee to facilitate domestic transactions. 

(3) More concessions will be provided to SEZ units which will be selling in the domestic market. For Example, today a firm pays both IGST and import duty on the shirt. But after DESH, a unit will pay IGST on the shirt and import duty payable on fabric. This will discourage the import of shirts and promote shirt-making in SEZ. 

(4) It will allow denotification of the selected floors/areas in IT/ITEZ SEZs so the owner can effectively use the space. At present, many buildings in these SEZ remain vacant. These are not being utilized for other purposes. Further, the trend will increase as the work-from-home concept catches on.   

What more changes are needed to make SEZs in India more effective? 

(1) Get big industries: The government should work to invite a large global anchor firms to kick-start operations in the sectoral hub. Their use of Indian ancillary and component supplier firms will benefit the entire sector. For example, as Suzuki did to India’s automobile sector in the early 1980s.  

(2) Be quick: There should be Speedy factory-to-ship movement. It can be done through dedicated freight corridors from all hubs etc. 

(3) Aim bigger: DESH should focus not just on SEZs but also on industrial parks for various sectors. 

(4) Break barriers:  The government can develop a GSTN-like system to monitor movement. Further, stringent provisions can be made for small-volume high-value items like gold and diamonds to check misuse. 

(5) No IT Enterprises: The government should remove IT/ITES firms from the purview of DESH law.  

(6) Be fair on land:  Many developers bought land with the help of state governments, which used the ‘public purpose’ clause to acquire land. However, a number of pieces of land acquired in the name of SEZs remain unutilized. Therefore, the government should return such non-operational SEZ land to rightful owners. 

(7) India needs to learn from Shenzhen, which acts as a self-contained economy. Tax benefits were just a small part and not the primary reason for Shenzhen’s success. The Shenzhen is a large SEZ. Therefore, it has attracted investors, professionals and large anchor firms. Further, the units established in electronics, computers, textiles and chemicals etc. are also large-scale.  

Globalisation is dying; India needs sound industrial policy

News: In the recent times, the concept of free market globalization, has been exposed due to its inherent shortcomings.  

The concept of free market globalization means free flow of goods, and knowledge around the world unimpeded by national boundaries.  

What are the Issues in Free Market globalization? 

In this, the national governments ceded their powers of governance to international bodies that set the rules of the game.  

The principle of cumulative causation suggests those who have more wealth, knowledge and power than others accumulate even more because they have the power to fix the rules.  This is exactly what is happening as per this concept. It has led to increase in the inequalities both within and among nations. Beneficiaries will advocate the continuation of this model until they start to face loses.  some of examples are:  

• the US sanction on Russia for the Ukraine War, has disrupted global flows of fuel and food. 
• Efforts by western countries when it found its economic power slipping to China.  

Its weaknesses were exposed during emergencies like the global covid lock-down, which disrupted the global supply chains of manufactured goods.  

Global trade is also subject to geopolitical considerations. For example, Citizens of poorer countries in the global South and East suffer more than the West in case of disruption in global trade flow. For example, the situation at present due to the Ukraine war and sanctions. 

Various Free trade economists criticised the industrial policies of the developing countries. These policies aim to increase domestic production and competition among domestic producers (and with foreign producers) through adjustment of tariffs and correction in the inverted duties, etc.  

These “industrial policies” were banned by Washington Consensus economics, and were labelled as protectionist measures. It halted the growth in the Indian industries compared to China.  

But now the same policies are being adopted by the western countries. For example, the US government supports the growth of its defence and technological industries with large subsidies and preferential treatment. The US’s CHIPS Act will subsidize domestic production of chips.  

How the ban on the Industrial Policy widened gap between India and China? 

The economies of both China and India, was roughly the similar size around 1990. 

After the 1990s Indian producers of power equipment, commercial vehicles, machine tools, etc, were as competent or more than Chinese companies. They built capabilities with technology legally transferred by foreign companies under ‘phased manufacturing programmes’ guided by India’s industrial policies.  

Such phased manufacturing programmes were explicitly banned under the World Trade Organization (WTO) regime post 1990. India complied with its new global rules. But despite the ban on phased manufacturing programme, China managed industry and trade in its own way.  

Therefore, the Chinese economy became six times larger than the Indian economy, and its manufacturing sector was 12 times larger and its capital goods sector was 50 times larger, by the year 2010.  

What should be done? 

The economic paradigm that frees trade is the only way has passed away. The myth of fair governance of the global economy by institutions controlled by Western powers has been exposed.  

Therefore, India must build more depth into its economy instead of focussing only to increase its size.  India’s trade policies must be guided by a sound industrial policy, rather than trade policy controlling industry, which has been the paradigm of policymaking since the 1990s’ liberalization of the Indian economy.  

The new paradigm of economic policies demands the countries to adopt what is called as “productivism” instead of protectionism. India needs ‘productive’ economic policies to increase domestic manufacturing for defence of its national sovereignty and resilience in its economic growth. 

Green shift: Costs and opportunities

Context: The single biggest long-term challenge being faced by the world today is decarbonising world energy.  

At present, atmospheric CO2 level is 420 ppm (parts per million). Further, about 2 ppm is being added every year.  

The atmospheric CO2 level needs to be contained, at least at 450 ppm. It will help in containing global warming within 2 degrees centigrade. Further, Carbon emissions will have to fall by 50% by 2030.  

What are the challenges in the decarbonisation pathway?  

(1) The energy transition models showing the path to net-zero carbon by 2050 make three key assumptions. 

First, it has been assumed that energy demand will peak around 2030, then it will flatten, and then there would be no further growth. This assumption is difficult to be believed looking at current scenarios of growth in population, and the growth in the global gross domestic product (GDP).  

Second, assumption in all the models related to change in the energy mix are unrealistic. For example, the share of fossil fuels will decline from the current levels of over 80% to less than 25% by 2050, Like Coal consumption has to drop from 25% of the energy mix to less than 3%. 

Third, all model’s assumption that more than 50 per cent of these residual GHG emissions will be absorbed by carbon capture and storage (CCS) is unrealistic. The technology has not been commercially proven at scale. 

(2) There are issues in the cost that will be incurred on the energy transition. This can be seen from two perspective: 

(a) Although the costs of solar, wind and lithium-ion batteries have declined dramatically over the last decade, the cost of raw materials now account for almost 70% of the costs, given the surge in commodity prices in 2022. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate the actual cost of the energy transition. 

(b) There would be a need of about $100-125 trillion cumulative investment till 2050 to get to carbon net-zero. It implies an annual investment of $3.5-4 trillion would be required in clean energy. But at present, total annual spending remains at the level of $1.5 trillion for the energy ecosystem. 

(3) The prospective of huge and visible growth will attract investors, but it does not always lead to shareholder value creation. 

What should be done? 

Energy transition is going to be the largest thematic investment opportunity of our lifetime.  There are huge investment opportunities for everyone involved. It can range from the banks funding the green transition to the companies putting up the plants to the technology providers. 

The Indian companies pivot to address the energy transition, must decide their niche areas where returns are higher and engineering capabilities matter.  

The Make in India cab provides opportunity for India to become one of the major investment destinations for green energy.  

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

NDDB MRIDA Limited: Union Minister launches NDDB’s subsidiary for manure management

Source: The post is based on the article “Union Minister launches NDDB’s subsidiary for manure management” published in PIB on 25th July 2022.

What is the News?

The Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has launched NDDB MRIDA Limited.

What is NDDB MRIDA Limited?

NDDB MRIDA Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary company of the National Dairy Development Board.

It was established as an Unlisted Public Limited Company under the Companies Act, 2013.

Purpose: It is a first-of-its-kind company focussing on the efficient utilization of dung by creating a manure management value chain.

Activities to be undertaken by the company: It will undertake research and development on cost-effective technologies for efficient dung management.

– The company will also provide marketing and sales support to agencies manufacturing gobar-gas slurry-based fertilizers and establish mechanisms to accrue carbon revenue from the projects to generate additional revenue streams for dairy farmers.

Note: NDDB has registered a trademark named “SuDhan” to provide a common identity to dung-based organic fertilizers.

What are the benefits of effective manure management?

Firstly, manure management initiatives have the potential to generate biogas equivalent to 50% of India’s present LPG consumption and to produce bio-slurry equivalent to 44% of India’s NPK (nitrogen, phosphorous and potash) requirement.

Secondly, it will open avenues of additional income for dairy farmers from the sale of slurry/ dung. 

Thirdly, efficient manure management promotes general well-being & cleanliness and contributes to increasing the productive economic life cycle of the milch animals beyond milking. Thereby helping tackle the problem of stray cattle & lowering of GHG emissions.

Explained | What are the latest guidelines on arrests and bail orders?

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained | What are the latest guidelines on arrests and bail orders?” published in The Hindu on 26th July 2022.

What is the News?

Recently, a division bench of the Supreme Court in Satender Kumar Antil vs CBI laid down fresh guidelines on arrests in order to have strict compliance with the provisions of Section 41 and 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. 

The Court has also emphasized upon separate legislation on the law relating to bail and has also issued specific directions in this regard.

These guidelines are in addition to the earlier ones which the apex court had already laid down in the case of Arnesh Kumar vs State of Bihar (2014). 

How is a person arrested? 

Arrest in its simplest form is defined as “when one is taken and restrained from his liberty”. The police have wide powers to arrest under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. 

Satender Kumar Antil case: The Court said that the investigating agencies and their officers are duty-bound to comply with the mandate of Section 41 and 41A and the directions issued in the Arnesh Kumar case.

What are Sections 41 and 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure?

Section 41 of the Code provides for the circumstances in which an arrest can be made by the police without a warrant and mandates for reasons to be recorded in writing for every arrest and non-arrest. 

Section 41A of the Code provides for the requirement of a notice to be sent by the investigating agencies before making an arrest in certain conditions prescribed by the Code.

What are the guidelines with respect to bail?

Regarding bail, the Court said that the Government of India may consider the introduction of a separate enactment, in the nature of a Bail Act, so as to streamline the grant of bails.

Further, the Court also said that there needs to be strict compliance of the mandate laid down in the Siddharth vs State of U.P Case in 2021. 

In this case, the court has said that the bail applications ought to be disposed of within a period of two weeks except if the provisions mandate otherwise — the exception being an intervening application. 

Further, the applications for anticipatory bail are expected to be disposed of within a period of six weeks with the exception of any intervening application.

What about Undertrial prisoners?

The Supreme Court has directed the High Courts to identify undertrial prisoners who cannot comply with bail conditions. 

After doing so, appropriate action will have to be taken under Section 440 of the Code, facilitating their release. Under Section 440, the amount of bond shall not be excessive, and high courts and sessions courts may reduce the amount prescribed by the magistrate or a police officer. 

An exercise will also have to be done similarly to comply with the mandate of Section 436A of the Code, under which a person imprisoned during investigation or trial shall be released on bail on completion of half of the jail term prescribed for that offence.

Digital Banks and the promise of digital inclusion

Source: The post is based on the article “Digital Banks and the promise of digital inclusion” published in Livemint on 26th July 2022.

What is the News?

NITI Aayog has released a report on digital banks offering a template for their licensing in India.

What are the planned digital banks? 

Digital Banks or DBs are full-scale banks to be licensed under the Banking Regulation Act. 

Unlike traditional banks, which require brick-and-mortar infrastructure or physical access points, digital banks simply leverage technology to provide banking services through mobile applications and internet-based platforms.

DBs behave like any other scheduled commercial bank like accepting deposits, giving loans etc. They will follow all prudential and liquidity norms at par with the commercial banks. 

How are digital banks different from digital banking units? 

The Union budget for FY23 proposed to establish digital banking units(DBUs) of scheduled commercial banks in 75 districts.

The objective is to ensure that the benefits of digital payments, banking and fintech innovations reach the grass-roots. 

DBUs are treated as banking outlets, equivalent to a branch. These units do not have a legal personality and are not licensed under the Banking Regulation Act. Only existing commercial banks may establish DBUs.

In contrast, digital banks will be licensed. These banks are expected to ensure credit penetration to underserved MSMEs and retail customers.

What purpose will digital banks serve? 

Digital banks are expected to further innovation and support the underserved segments.

However, some believe that it will only cater to customers with some level of comfort with digital transactions. According to them, RBI is not comfortable with this model as the central bank believes that cash handling and credit decisions require physical branches.

What does NITI Aayog suggest for DBs? 

What has been the global experience? 

The UK has led the pack in terms of digital banks with new entrants in the form of Monzo and Starling Bank.

Several jurisdictions in the South East Asian region have witnessed the rise of digital banks. Hong Kong has issued a separate license for virtual banks. The Philippines has also approved six licences for digital banks.

Explained | Why is India’s space industry looking for private sector investment?

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained | Why is India’s space industry looking for private sector investment?” published in The Hindu on 26th July 2022.

What is the News?

Principal Scientific Adviser has stated that the government would soon come up with a new space policy to increase private sector participation in the industry. 

Why is the development of the Space Sector important?

Enhancing space technology would be beneficial to bolster connectivity and combat climate-related implications through a more secure and effective means. For example: 

Weather Forecasts: Satellites provide more accurate information on weather forecasts and assess (and record) long-term trends in the climate and habitability of a region. This will help in preparing more pragmatic and combative plans of action for farmers and dependent industries.

Connectivity: Satellite communication can reach more remote areas where conventional networks would require heavy complimenting infrastructure. According to World Economic Forum, satellite communication can help connect 49% of the world’s unconnected population.

Where does India stand in the global space market?

Indian Space Industry: The Indian Space Industry was valued at $7 billion in 2019 and aspires to grow to $50 billion by 2024.

-As per SpaceTech Analytics, India is the sixth-largest player in the industry internationally having 3.6% of the world’s space-tech companies (as of 2021). The U.S holds the leader’s spot housing 56.4% of all companies in the space-tech ecosystem. 

-India’s standout feature is its cost-effectiveness. India holds the distinction of being the first country to have reached Mars orbit in its first attempt and at $75 million — way cheaper than Western standards.

Space-related investment: The U.S. and Canada were the highest receivers of space-related investment in 2021. Scrutiny of SpaceTech data puts forth that the U.S. alone has more companies in the sector than the next 15 countries combined. 

What are the reforms initiated in the space sector to promote private sector participation?

IN-SPACE: In 2020, the Union government announced the establishment of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre(IN-SPACe). It was mandated the task of promoting, authorizing and licensing private players to carry out space activities.

Establishment of Indian Space Association(ISpA)

Transferring technologies developed by ISRO to industries for commercialisation: NewSpace India Ltd(NSIL) constituted in 2019 is mandated with the task to transfer the matured technologies developed by the ISRO to Indian industries. 

Ministry of Culture Preserves and Promotes Indian Art, Literature and Culture through various autonomous organizations

Source: The post is based on the article “Ministry of Culture Preserves and Promotes Indian Art, Literature and Culture through various autonomous organizations” published in PIB on 25th July 2022.

What is the News?

The Ministry of Culture through its autonomous organizations preserves and promotes Indian Art, Literature and Culture.

What are those autonomous organizations which help in preserving and promoting Indian Art, Literature and Culture?

Sangeet Natak Akademi: Click Here to read

National School of Drama(NSD): It is a theatre training institute situated in New Delhi. It is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and became an independent school in 1975.

Centre for Cultural Resources and Training(CCRT): It is one of the premier institutions working in the field of linking education with culture. It was established in 1979 as an autonomous organization under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture.

Lalit Kala Akademi: It was established in 1954 in pursuance of the dream of cultural and national identity. It was given statutory authority in 1957, under the Societies Registration Act 1860. It is the principal establishment to direct its focus on activities in the field of visual arts. Headquarters: New Delhi.

Kalakshetra: It is a centre for the study and performance of fine arts. It was founded in 1936 by the Rukmini Devi Arundale. It was recognised by the Government of India as an Institute of National Importance by an Act of Parliament in 1993 and is now an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture.

Sahitya Akademi: Click Here to read

Bhasha Samman: It is an award constituted by Sahitya Akademi in 1996 to be given to writers, scholars, editors, collectors, performers and translators for promoting unrecognized languages of India

Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana(KSVY): It is a scheme through which the Ministry of Culture provides financial assistance to cultural organizations for the promotion of art and culture.

Explained: What is heteropessimism, and are you suffering from it?

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained: What is heteropessimism, and are you suffering from it?” published in Indian Express on 24th July 2022.

What is the News?

In India, a recent example of heteropessimism is men trending #MarriageStrike on Twitter when the Delhi High Court was hearing a plea to criminalise marital rape.

What is Heteropessimism?

Definition: Heteropessimism can be defined as public declarations of dissatisfaction with heterosexual relationships, by people who continue to be in those relationships.

Term Coined by: The term was coined in 2019 by American gender theorist Asa Seresin.

Factors causing Heteropessimism: It has been caused and shaped by larger social, economic and political currents which stem from patriarchy, gender inequality, an unfair burden of housework on women and the pressure of ‘provider and protector’ roles on men.

Migratory monarch butterflies officially declared ‘endangered’, but there’s hope

Source: The post is based on the article “Migratory monarch butterflies officially declared ‘endangered’, but there’s hope” published in Down To Earth on 22nd July 2022.

What is the News?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified Migratory Monarch Butterflies as Endangered under IUCN Red List.

What is a Migratory Monarch Butterfly?

Migratory Monarch Butterfly is a subspecies of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus).

They are important pollinators and provide various ecosystem services such as maintaining the global food web.

These butterflies follow a unique lifestyle: They traverse the length and breadth of the American continent twice a year, feasting on nectar from a variety of flora. But they breed in only one particular plant — the milkweeds.

Why has it been classified as Endangered?

The population of this butterfly has declined 23-72% over the last decade. 

Habitat destruction and climate change were the biggest contributors to this decline.

N-Treat technology: Explained: How IIT-Bombay will help treat Mumbai’s sewage with new tech

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained: How IIT-Bombay will help treat Mumbai’s sewage with new tech” published in Indian Express on 25th July 2022.

What is the News?

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC) has planned in-situ treatment of sewage from the drains to prevent sludge and sewage from water drains flowing into the sea.

This in-situ treatment will be done with the help of the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay’s (IIT-B) N-Treat Technology. 

What is N-Treat technology?

N-Treat is a seven-stage process for waste treatment that uses screens, gates, silt traps, curtains of coconut fibres for filtration, and disinfection using sodium hypochlorite.

What are the seven stages in the process?

First stage: It involves screening to prevent the entry of floating objects such as plastic cups, paper dishes, polythene bags, sanitary napkins, or wood. 

Second stage: It has proposed the construction of a silt trap which creates an inclination and ‘parking spot’ on the bed for sedimentation.

Next three stages: These are the installation of ‘bio zones’ in the form of coconut fibre curtains that will act as filters and promote the growth of biofilm to help in the decomposition of organic matter. 

Sixth stage: It proposes a floating wetland with aquatic vegetation planted on floating mats. In the floating wetlands, plants acquire nutrition directly from the water column for their growth and development, thus reducing the organic as well as inorganic pollutants.

Final stage: It will include disinfection using sodium hypochlorite to kill the bacteria in the water.

What are the advantages of this technology?

Firstly, it is a natural and environmentally friendly way for sewage treatment. 

Secondly, its setup takes place within the nullah channels, that is through the in-situ or on-site method of treatment and does not require additional space.

Explained: Four tribal revolts President Murmu invoked in her inaugural speech

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained: Four tribal revolts President Murmu invoked in her inaugural speech” published in Indian Express on 25th July 2022.

What is the News?

President Droupadi Murmu scripted history by becoming the country’s first tribal and only the second woman to occupy the country’s highest constitutional office.

Addressing the nation after being sworn in, she invoked four tribal revolutions that she said had strengthened tribal contribution to the freedom struggle.

What are the four tribal revolts invoked by the President?

Santhal Revolution

The Santhal rebellion was a rebellion against both the British East India Company (BEIC) and the zamindari system by the Santhal. 

The rebellion took place in 1855 in Bhognadih village in present-day Jharkhand.

Reason for the revolt: The seeds of the revolt were sown in 1832 when the East India Company created Damin-i-koh region in the forested belt of Rajmahal hills, and invited the Santhals to settle there. Over the years, Santhals found themselves at the receiving end of exploitative practices aided by the British.

Leaders of the revolt: The Murmu brothers – Sidho, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairab – were among those who led the revolt. 

Result of the revolt: After the rebellion broke out in 1855, both sides continued clashing till the uprising was crushed in 1856. The British defeated the Santhals using modern firearms and war elephants in decisive action in which both Sidho and Kanho died.

Paika Rebellion

Click Here to read

Kol revolt

Kol rebellion was a revolt of the adivasi Kol people of Chhota Nagpur against the British in 1831. 

Reason: The reason for the revolt was the gradual takeover of tribal land and property by non-tribal settlers who were aided by new land laws. The simmering discontent over the economic exploitation of the original inhabitants led to an uprising.

Leaders of the revolt: The revolt was led by Buddhu Bhagat, Joa Bhagat and Madara Mahato among others. The Kols were joined by other tribes like the Hos, Mundas and Oraons.

Result: The tribals fought with traditional weapons taking the battle to colonial forces who finally overpowered them with modern weaponry. 

Bhil Uprising

The Bhil uprising of 1818 was one of the first British resistance movements taken up by any group or tribe in the country.

Reason: The uprising started after the British intruded into the Bhil territory in Maharashtra’s Khandesh region.

Leaders: The revolt was led by their leader, Sewaram and was brutally crushed using the British military might.

This uprising again erupted in 1825 as the Bhils sought to take advantage of reverses being suffered by the British in the First Anglo-Burmese war.