Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Listen to the court – SC warning against renaming places by abusing history, and invoking it selectively, is valuable and timely

GS Paper 2

• Cooperation amid conflict is India’s burden for G20
• The middle path for India in the new world disorder
• International courts and climate change
• On regulating online sale of drugs in India
• No method in the madness – A new critique of the V-Dem democracy rankings highlights where the problem lies

GS Paper 3

• Our Railways are the Northeast’s leading engine for development
• A fresh beginning – New GM cotton can reverse the yield decline

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• 5 yrs after Punchhi panel work ‘completed’, Centre set to invite state views again
• Proton beam therapy out of reach for many with cancer
• Explained | RBI’s new pilot project on coin vending machine
• Legislator facing disqualification can’t attend floor test: Supreme Court
• Hummingbirds and Indian sunbirds
• Report: Karnataka, Gujarat making most progress in shift to clean power
• ISRO successful in key test for India’s third moon mission
• Show mature statesmanship, Supreme Court tells Governors, Chief Ministers
• MeitY launches Grievance Appellate Committee which will investigate users’ plaints about content in social media
• Union Minister launches VAIBHAV Fellowships for Indian Diaspora abroad to mark the National Science Day at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
• What is ALMA telescope, that will soon get a ‘new brain’?

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Listen to the court – SC warning against renaming places by abusing history, and invoking it selectively, is valuable and timely

News: The Supreme Court has recently dismissed a PIL that sought a renaming commission focussed on “ancient India”.

Note: Immediately after Independence, to reverse colonial legacies India changed the names of several places

About the case

A PIL has been filed and sought the Court’s intervention in restoring the “original names” of places “renamed by barbaric invaders”. The petitioner had contended that several roads, public places and cities in the country are named after “foreign looters” and argued that the “benevolent nature of Hinduism had resulted in wiping out of it from Pakistan and Afghanistan”.

However, the court dismissed the PIL and said that the “country cannot remain a prisoner of the past”. The bench criticised the petitioner for going by the playbook of those who “invoke history selectively” to create “schisms in society”.

Note: European names were inserted into towns, cities and countries in several parts of the world during the so-called Age of Discovery in the 15th to 18th centuries. For instance, Constantinople was renamed as Istanbul in 1930.

In recent times, such renaming exercises have become the stock-in-trade of the votaries of identity politics who obsess about “outsiders”, “invaders” and “looters”.

What is the significance of the SC’s comment?

The apex court reaffirmed the “rule of law, secularism and constitutionalism” and cautioned against bigotry. The court’s directive to abide by “the principle of fraternity enshrined in the Constitution’s Preamble” and its words of caution against the abuse of history must be heard.

Why India should revamp the philosophy of naming or renaming places after history?

India is expected to add another 416 million people to its cities by 2050, taking the urban population share to 50%. This will be associated with major infrastructure expansion. Each new project, street, or square will need a new name. So, India has to revamp the philosophy of naming.

Words have power, and names can act as economic multipliers. For instance, US data indicates homes on ‘Lake’ streets average 16% more than the national median home value.

What should be done while naming or renaming places?

Follow global protocol: Top airports around the world and most have straightforward geographical titles. For instance, Amsterdam, Beijing, Dubai, Incheon, Los Angeles, and Munich.

Similarly, in many countries, streets are named by their simple number and direction. All of this is both user-friendly and conflict-reducing.

Can pay homage to nature: Singapore Changi Airport has been permitted to be named after a legendary tree, and around 300-odd streets named after Oak in California. India can follow similar approach.

Name after famous personalities: Public spaces can be named after popular figures from arts, entertainment and sport in the contemporary world.

GS Paper 2

Cooperation amid conflict is India’s burden for G20

News- The inability of the G20 finance ministers to agree on a joint statement last week points to an important reality about multilateralism.

What is the history of multilateralism?

When great powers are at peace with each other, multilateralism has reasonable chances of success. But when they are in conflict with each other, there is less scope for global cooperation.

Multilateral institutions like the G20 need at least a minimal understanding among the major powers on the global rules for being functional.

Such an understanding was not there during the Cold War except in a few areas like nuclear arms control.

The Soviet Union collapse in 1991 opened doors for an expansive phase of multilateralism for nearly a quarter of a century. There was great power cooperation at the UN or in the creation of the WTO.

During the financial crisis of 2008, the Bush administration rallied the top 20 economies of the world to stabilise the global economy.

That type of cooperation among nations no longer exists. There is no consensus on key issues in G20 today.

How multilateralism is facing troubles in recent times?

The political conflict between Russia and the West is growing with the Ukraine war. There are chances that Washington and Beijing might engage in arm conflict over Taiwan.

The rising geopolitical conflict has repercussions for the economic domain. In the last few years, There has been diminishing faith in globalisation and active weaponization of interdependence for particular national objectives.

The new economic conflict has also entered the realm of emerging technologies — especially the digital domain. It promises to reshape the global economy as well as restructure the nature of military power in the international system.

How can India successfully manage its G20 presidency?

There is little possibility that the current military, political and economic tensions between the major powers can be mitigated any time soon.

Reducing the negative impact of the renewed great power conflict on the G20 in itself will be a diplomatic achievement for India.

Delhi’s multilateral diplomacy cannot stand apart from the great power conflict. India is very much part of the renewed great power rivalry. There are deep differences between Delhi and Beijing on multilateral issues.

What is the current status of India relations with major powers?

China has blocked India’s efforts to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Beijing does not support Delhi’s quest for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

There is also growing friction in a range of new areas. India rejected China’s Belt and Road Initiative when it was unveiled in 2017. It did not join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Beijing helped Pakistan to put the Kashmir question back on the active agenda of the UNSC in 2019. Yet, India continues to have a presence with China in various forums like the RIC, BRICS and SCO. It is also a member of the China-led AIIB.

India has deepened bilateral strategic ties with the US and Europe. Delhi has also revived the Quad forum with Australia, Japan and the US. The Quad is now one of India’s premier multilateral forums.

What has been the approach of the Indian foreign policy establishment towards multilateralism?

In the past, India seemed to focus on just one kind of multilateralism — the UN and the NAM. Delhi now participates in multiple kinds of multilateral institutions. The UN remains an important focus for India.

A less universal coalition like the G20 is important for multilateralism but is also quite vulnerable to geopolitics.

Delhi also participates in groupings of “like-minded countries” such as the Quad in the pursuit of national and regional interests. India is also a regular invitee to the G7 forum of advanced industrial democracies.

It is also actively trying to reactivate its past coalition with the Global South. Delhi approached the FATF to put some real pressure on Pakistan.

How are the foreign policy options for India in complex global order?

India can’t simply turn its back on China. Its growing economic and military weight makes it a powerful player in the international system. Nor can it ignore Russia, which has just reminded the world of its enormous capacity to disrupt the global order.

Delhi has no option but to try and cooperate with its adversaries to solve larger regional and global problems.

At the same time, national interests demand that India compete with its rivals and collaborate with like-minded countries in the multilateral domain.

The relative mix of cooperation and contestation depends on the context and the nature of the specific issue at hand.

The middle path for India in the new world disorder

News- International politics is undergoing major changes. A new world order is emerging.

What is the shape of current world order?

The U.S. still remains the world’s most powerful military power. But the U.S.’s ability to shape geopolitical outcomes is clearly in decline. It was seen in its withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war or the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

These changes actually leave the world in a flux. There’s a lack of clarity on which direction the world is headed. It makes policy making harder for middle powers like India.

Even if a new cold war breaks out between the U.S. and China, the global order is unlikely to be bipolar.

During the Cold War, the world was divided into two ideologies and two systems. Today’s world is much more diverse ideologically and integrated economically.

What are the foreign policy challenges faced by India in recent times?

India faces an entirely new set of challenges in the new global disorder. The arena of the looming U.S.­China great power contest is Asia. It is unfolding right in India’s neighbourhood.

During the Cold War, India didn’t have hostile relations with any of the opposing superpowers. Today, India would be tempted to join the American bloc as it faces the China problem. There is a convergence of interests between India and the U.S. when it comes to China.

The power imbalance between India and China has widened in recent years. China has also developed a strategic partnership with Pakistan. It is raising its influence in other South Asian and Indian Ocean countries. Besides, the border situation is hostile after the Glawan incident.

But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has complicated India’s options further.

Russia is a traditional partner with which India has deep defence ties. India is under huge pressure from its partners to take a more critical position on Russia’s actions.

Besides, India also worries that the West’s move to isolate Russia in Europe would push the country further into the Chinese embrace. Any policy decisions should factor in these delicate changes under way in global politics.

What is the way forward for Indian foreign policy establishment?

India should prepare itself for a prolonged strategic competition with China. India could perhaps learn a lesson from what China did in the 1970s.

The Soviet Union was China’s ideological brother and neighbour.  It broke away from the Soviet communist fold and built a quasi alliance with the U.S. It helped the ‘imperialist bloc’ to defeat the Soviet communists.

Once it acquired enough economic and military power, China started gradually challenging the U.S.

India’s primary focus should be on transforming itself economically and militarily. It should stay focussed on its rise and bridging the gap with China. It should present itself as a natural stabilising power in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region.

However, China is not the only problem India faces. In continental Asia, India sees a different set of challenges, especially after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s return to power.

India has to address its continental security challenges and manage its inroads into Central Asia. For this, India has to work with Eurasian powers such as Russia and Iran. Both of which are at odds with the U.S.

So, abandoning its strategic autonomy and joining a U.S.­led bloc would limit India’s options in the new world. It will also provoke China. An open conflict with China doesn’t serve India’s strategic interests.

There could be many power centres in the new world order. India should opt for multi­engagement not multi­alignment as some experts have suggested for a multipolar world.

It should aim to create new pillars of the new order by engagement and partnership with middle powers.

International courts and climate change

News- A group of 16 countries led by Vanuatu seeks an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the issue of climate change.

What are the various jurisdictions of ICJ? The ICJ has two types of jurisdictions: contentious and advisory.

Contentious jurisdiction– It refers to resolving legal disputes between consenting states,

Advisory jurisdiction– Under it, the UN General Assembly, the Security Council and other specialised bodies of the UN can request the ICJ for an opinion on a legal question.

Unlike contentious jurisdiction, the ICJ’s advisory opinions are non-binding. Yet, they carry normative weight and clarify international law on a relevant issue.

What are the legal opinions sought by Vanuatu from in its draft resolution?

First, what are the international law obligations of countries toward the protection of the climate system from anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases?

ICJ will not only interpret and clarify the existing international climate change law but also use the general and customary international law to fill the gaps in these treaties. Thus, the ICJ can use the ‘no-harm’ principle.

Second, what are the legal consequences for states that have caused significant harm to the climate system, the SID states and other people of the present and future generations?

This question seeks to determine the price that states should pay for not honouring their international legal obligations on climate change. As part of climate justice, there is a long-standing demand for climate reparations.

The rich countries have historically caused maximum greenhouse gas emissions. They should compensate developing countries that are disproportionately impacted by climate change.

They have sought the advisory opinion of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

ITLOS has been requested to determine the specific obligations of the countries under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea about preventing and reducing pollution of the marine environment. The challenges of ocean warming, sea level rise and ocean acidification are all linked to the marine environment.

What should be the approach of the international community towards the advisory jurisdiction of ICJ on climate change?

These advisory opinions are not a panacea. They may even turn out to be double edged swords depending on the kind of verdict delivered.

The role of international courts should be welcomed. Developed countries and groupings like the G­20 should support these laudable initiatives of the SID states.

Environment and climate sustainability are important themes of G­20. India, as the president of the G­20, should take a lead given its relentless emphasis on LiFE campaign.

On regulating online sale of drugs in India

News: The Ministry of Health has issued a show cause notice to pharmacy companies selling medicines online. The Health Minister has also said that e-pharmacies should be closed down.

Is banning e-pharmacies a viable option?

E-pharmacies flourished during the covid pandemic in the year 2020 where the need for home delivery of medicine was felt. The Ministry of Home affairs at that time issued orders to continue to operate.

The customers availing the benefits of online deliveries have also increased with the years.

Therefore, banning e-pharmacies is not a viable option because there is a possibility that some of these businesses will go underground if banned.

Hence, instead of banning, regulating them is a viable option.

What measures have been taken by the government to regulate e-pharmacy?

The draft e-pharmacy rules were brought by the Ministry of Health in 2018.

The rules were finalised, public comments were taken into consideration and they were ready to be notified.

However, when draft rules were referred to a Group of Ministers, the matter was considered sensitive due to political reasons.

Hence, despite orders from multiple courts to regulate e-pharmacies, the government had not notified the regulations.

How are e-pharmacies competing with offline pharmacies?

There has been tough competition between e-pharmacies and offline chemist shops due to the low profit margin over medicines.

Therefore, in order to reduce competition, online pharmacies have started to buy big and small wholesale drug distributors. They have also started to open their pharmacy shops.

However, e-pharmacies have also witnessed loss since 2015. It was the year when e-pharmacies came up in the market.

Moreover, looking at the online pharmacy companies, even offline chemist shops have started to offer home delivery options to their customers by introducing their own store apps.

They even give customers options to order medicines over WhatsApp.

What can be the course of action?

Looking at the demand, it is not viable to completely ban e-pharmacies. Therefore, the best option is to regulate them by bringing up laws.

No method in the madness – A new critique of the V-Dem democracy rankings highlights where the problem lies

News: Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) releases Democracy Report every year. It has consistently degraded India’s ranking for the past few years in its report.

What are the reasons behind downgrading the rank of India by V-Dem?

India was ranked 93 out of 140 countries in the Democracy Report, 2022.

V-Dem rankings are based on five sub-indices, namely, 1) elected officials, 2) universal suffrage, 3) clean elections, 4) freedom of association, and 5) freedom of expression.

The first two criteria (elected officials and universal suffrage) are scored on the basis of an analysis of the constitutions of the countries being ranked. Hence, if the constitution of a country claims it “elects” its officials, it gets a perfect score.

India falls short of a perfect score because till 2021 two Lok Sabha MPs were “selected” (two representatives of the Anglo-Indian community) and not elected.

However, this law was repealed in 2021, but still becomes the reason for V-Dem to give India a less than perfect score under this head in 2022.

The remaining three parameters (clean elections, freedom of association, and freedom of expression) are ranked purely with the help of scientific experts.

Political science experts judge a democracy on their own parameters. Therefore, there may be variations about a knowledgeable expert’s views on Indian democracy.

It may be subject to individual political, ideological or personal biases. For example, India’s rating on clean elections has fallen from 3.6 to 2.3 since 2014 despite free and fair elections conducted by the Election Commission.

This shows that there are flaws with the choices of indicators, unexplainable decisions, and vulnerability to expert biases in the V-Dem Report.

What measures can be taken by India to improve its ranking?

First, it should engage with V-Dem to modify its methodology so that it is truly reflective of trends in Indian democracy.

Second, it must evolve its own standards on how democracy must be ranked in a diverse and multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and pluralistic society like India.

GS Paper 3

Our Railways are the Northeast’s leading engine for development

News-  In the last 8 years, much work has been done to expand the footprints of railways across the northeastern region.

What are important initiatives taken by the government for developments of railway infrastructure in the north-east region?

Railway connectivity– The government has given an unprecedented impetus to connectivity in the region. The Railways in the last 9 years has spent over ₹50,000 crore in the region on laying new railway lines and building bridges, tunnels. It has sanctioned new projects worth nearly ₹80,000 crore.

India is building the Jiribam-Imphal rail line, which has the world’s tallest pier bridge at a height of 141 metres.

In comparison with expenditure of ₹2,122 crore per year between 2009 and 2014, there has been a 370% increase in average annual budget allocation.

Even the region’s farthest corners are being covered. 121 new tunnels are currently being constructed. This includes the 10.28 km-long Tunnel No. 12. It is India’s second longest.

Creating jobs and empowering youths– In an effort to promote local businesses and economy, the North-East Frontier Railway operated the first parcel cargo express train between Assam and Goa in 2022.

To promote more facilities for tourism, the North East Frontier Railways has introduced several modern Vistadome coaches. This is expected to raise tourist footfalls. It will further expand job opportunities, especially for women and disadvantaged communities.

The Indian Railways has also been instrumental in creating employment opportunities for the youth in the region. In the last 3 fiscal years alone, the Railways has engaged more than 20,000 unskilled workers and generated vacancies for skilled work.

A gateway to India’s Act East policy– In 2014, India’s ‘Look East’ policy that focused on forging better economic relations with our eastern neighbours was transformed into a geo-strategically important ‘Act East’ policy.

PM Modi mentioned that the Northeast region would be the gateway to this new policy’s implementation.

A glowing example of this policy is the landmark Agartala–Akhaura rail link being built betweenIndia and Bangladesh at a cost of over ₹1,100 crore. DoNER and the ministry of external affairs are co-funding this project.

Similarly, the Imphal railway line will be extended till Moreh. From there, it will join Myanmar Railways at Kalay, forming a trans-Asian railway.

Projects of geo-strategic importance– The government has decided to build a rail-cum-road corridor that will connect Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. This will include building India’s first underwater rail tunnel under the Brahmaputra river.

In 2017, the strategic Dhola–Sadiya Bridge, which connects northern Assam and eastern Arunachal Pradesh, was opened for traffic. It can support the weight of Indian battle tanks and facilitate quick movement of troops to India’s northeastern borders.

In 2018, Asia’s second longest rail-cum-road bridge, the Bogibeel Bridge over the Brahmaputra in Assam was inaugurated. It will cut down the travel distance between Assam and Arunachal by 80% and also provide logistical support to our defence forces.

A fresh beginning – New GM cotton can reverse the yield decline

News: Recently, Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) for bio-safety field trials has approved the new genetically modified (GM) pest-resistant cotton.

The move highlights a significant shift in the government’s policy concerning GM crops. In the future, more gene-tweaked crops, which are in different stages of development, may also be approved for the gainful utilisation of cutting-edge biotechnology for raising farm output and farmers’ income.

About the GM pest-resistant cotton

The crop is reported to have a set of genes derived from the soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The crop produces a kind of protein in the plant that proves lethal for pink bollworms.

Note: Pink bollworm is one of the most destructive pests which feed on the reproductive parts of the plant, depressing the overall yield and marring the lint quality of the produce.

This can prove a boon for cotton growers who are looking for innately pest-tolerant varieties to cut down the cost of repeated spraying of pesticides.

What is the need for GEAC approval of GM pest-resistant cotton?

The desperate need to increase cotton yields: India’s cotton production is stagnating over the past several years at 34-35 million bales (of 170 kg each). Average crop productivity also has descended from 558 kg a hectare in 2007 to around 457 kg in 2021. Hence, fresh Bt-cotton strains are needed.

Reduce cotton imports: India’s cotton exports witness a rise of 200% in value terms in the past 10 months of this fiscal year. Recently, the government waived off import duty on cotton, but this has limited effect.

Why Bt-cotton varieties are notwithstanding pests?

Farmers are also partly responsible for the Bt-cotton varieties losing their inherent capability to withstand pests. Farmers have to plant a strip of non-GM plants on the periphery of the Bt-cotton fields. This belt acts as a refuge for pests and minimises the chances of their acquiring immunity against the Bt toxin by feeding on the main crop. But, the farmers do not undertake this recommended precaution.

What are the challenges faced by Indian cotton industries?

Together price rise and reduced yields hit all segments of the employment-intensive textile sector, including ginners, yarn producers, textile mills, garment makers, and exporters.

The price competitiveness of Indian textile and garment units is not improved compared to Indian counterparts such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

What should be done before introducing GM pest-resistant cotton?

The farmers should be advised to strictly follow the planting of buffer in all GM crops. Else, the new GM pest-resistant cotton will also have limited life spans and would need to be replaced far more quickly than is normally necessary.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

5 yrs after Punchhi panel work ‘completed’, Centre set to invite state views again

Source: The post is based on the article “5 yrs after Punchhi panel work ‘completed’, Centre set to invite state views again” published in The Hindu on 1st March 2023

What is the News?

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to start the process of seeking the states comments on Punchhi Commission recommendations.

What is the Punchhi Commission?

The Punchhi Commission was constituted by the Government of India in 2007 under the chairmanship of former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Madan Mohan Punchhi. 

Mandate: To look into the new issues of Centre-State relations keeping in view the changes that have taken place in the polity and economy of India.

In 2010, the Commission submitted its report to the Centre in seven volumes.

What are the major recommendations given by the commission?

On Governors: Governor must not have participated in active politics at the Centre or State or local level for at least a couple of years before his appointment.

It is necessary to provide for impeachment of the Governor on the same lines as provided for impeachment of the President in Article 61 of the Constitution.

Governors should not be burdened with positions and powers which are not envisaged by the Constitution and which may expose the office to controversies or public criticism like the posts of the Chancellors of the universities.

On the imposition of the President’s rule: All alternative courses available to the Union government for discharging its responsibility under Article 355 should be exhausted to contain the situation. The exercise of the power under Article 356 should be limited strictly to rectifying a “failure of the Constitutional machinery in the State”.

What is the progress on the implementation of Punchhi Commission recommendations?

The Punchhi panel’s recommendations were considered by the Inter-State Council(ISC’s) Standing Committee at its meetings held in 2017 and 2018.

Following these meetings, the Centre announced the discussions on Punchhi Commission recommendations had been completed.

But the Centre has now again decided to go back to the states for another round of feedback on the report.

Proton beam therapy out of reach for many with cancer

Source: The post is based on the article “Proton beam therapy out of reach for many with cancer” published in The Hindu on 1st March 2023

What is the News?

Cancer patients in India face twin challenges when it comes to accessing proton beam therapy (PBT): insufficient number of facilities offering the treatment and cost running into many lakhs of rupees.

What is Proton Beam Therapy(PBT)?

Proton beam therapy (PBT) is a form of radiotherapy used to treat certain cancers. It uses high-energy beams of protons, rather than X-rays, to deliver a dose of radiotherapy.

The PBT is considered a viable alternative to radiation for treating solid tumors, especially head and neck cancers.

Benefits of Proton Therapy: The key benefit of proton therapy is the ability to target tumor cells, more precisely. Research shows that proton therapy results in a higher dose of radiation to the tumor, but significantly less radiation to healthy cells near the tumor. 

– With less healthy tissue affected by the radiation, side effects may be milder, and there is less risk of developing secondary cancers due to radiation.

What are the challenges in accessing PBT Therapy in India?

Not enough facilities offering PBT Treatment: Currently, there are 42 PBT machine installations in the U.S. followed by Europe (35), Japan (26), China (seven), Taiwan (three), and South Korea (two) while India has only one.

– Apollo Hospital is the only center in the whole of South and West Asia offering the PBT.

Huge cost to set up: Setting up a PBT center is fraught with infrastructural and regulatory challenges stemming from safety concerns from the Department of Atomic Energy. 

– A PBT machine is a huge contraption, up to three storeys tall, and costs nearly ₹500 crores.

Costly treatment: Apollo Hospital has been able to reduce the cost of PBT from nearly ₹1.2 crores (as charged in the U.S.) to between ₹5 lahks and ₹30 lahks. But it is still running into many lakhs of rupees.

– Note: ​​The PBT unit in the AIIMS was also planned. It was meant to benefit poor patients as the treatment would have been free of cost, but the plan has now been shelved.

Explained | RBI’s new pilot project on coin vending machine

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained | RBI’s new pilot project on coin vending machine” published in The Hindu on 1st March 2023

What is the News?

The RBI Governor has said that the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) in collaboration with banks, would be launching a pilot project to assess the functioning of a QR-code based coin vending machine.

What is a QR-code based coin vending machine(QCVM)?

QCVM is a cashless coin dispensation machine that would dispense coins with the requisite amount being debited from the customer’s account using United Payments Interface (UPI). 

It will eliminate the need for physical tendering of banknotes and their authentication.

It will be launched with the aim to promote the distribution of coins and enhance the accessibility to coins.

Customers will also have the option to withdraw coins in the required quantity and denominations in QCVMs.

Where will it be launched?

The pilot project is planned to be initially rolled out at 19 locations in 12 cities across the country.

These vending machines are intended to be installed at public places such as railway stations, shopping malls, and marketplaces to enhance ease and accessibility.

Are coins significant for our economy?

As per the latest RBI bulletin, the total value of circulation of rupee coins stood at ₹28,857 crore as of December 30 last year. The figure is an increase of 7.2% from the year ­ago period.

Circulation of small coins remained unchanged at ₹743 crores. For perspective, coins in India are issued in denominations of 50 paise, one rupee, two rupees, five rupees, ten rupees, and twenty rupees. 

Coins of up to 50 paise are called ‘small coins’ while those of one rupee and above are called ‘rupee coins’.

Legislator facing disqualification can’t attend floor test: Supreme Court

Source: The post is based on the article “Legislator facing disqualification can’t attend floor test: Supreme Court” published in The Hindu on 1st March 2023

What is the News?

According to the Chief Justice of India – if an MP or an MLA has caused a split in the party and, is facing disqualification under the anti-defection law due to that, he/she should not is allowed to participate in a floor test, which was caused by his own acts. Otherwise, it will defeat the very purpose of the Tenth Schedule.

What is Anti Defection Law?

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What is the Floor Test?

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What does the Constitution say on the role of the Governor in calling the Floor Test?

Click Here to read 

What are the observations made by the Supreme Court?

Members of a House are bound by the whip, and any section of MLAs within a political party, which is part of a ruling coalition saying they don’t want to go with the alliance, will attract disqualification.

Hence, permitting a legislator whose actions caused a split in the party and who is liable to be disqualified for defection to attend a trust vote would amount to “legitimizing” a “constitutional sin”. This will defeat the very purpose of the Tenth Schedule.

Hummingbirds and Indian sunbirds

Source: The post is based on the article “Aztec hummingbirds and Indian sunbirds” published in The Hindu on 25th February 2023

What is the News?

A study found that the loss of a key gene, FBP2 makes Hummingbirds more efficient at breaking down sugar to use it for energy.

What are Hummingbirds?

Hummingbirds are small, colourful birds found throughout the Americas. There are over 300 species of hummingbirds.

They are known for their unique ability to hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings, which can beat up to 50 times per second.

Hummingbirds feed on nectar from flowers and are important pollinators for many plant species. Tubular flowers that are bright red or orange (such as lantana and rhododendron) are preferred.

The energy demands of hovering are very high. Relative to their body mass, hummingbirds have the highest metabolic rate (calories burnt per minute) among vertebrates. 

– Most of this energy comes from nectar. Rapid sugar uptake by their digestive system ensures that they utilize energy from nectar ingested just a few minutes ago.

Their lungs are 10 times better at absorbing oxygen from the air than mammals of similar size.

Hummingbirds are capable of vocal mimicries like parrots and some songbirds. They are also able to align their muscular movements with auditory sensations that come to their ears, creating a dance.

What are the similarities between Hummingbirds and Indian Sunbirds?

Indian Sunbirds, though unrelated to Hummingbirds, share many common features through convergent evolution. They are part of the same Nectariniidae family.

Though slightly larger, the sunbirds can hover briefly, and go for bright, tubular flowers. They are critical pollinators of the ‘Flame of the Forest’.

As the energy demands of hovering are very high, sunbirds need to ‘perch’ while feeding, unlike Hummingbirds. Like hummingbirds, they may catch insects, especially to feed their young.

Report: Karnataka, Gujarat making most progress in shift to clean power

Source: The post is based on the article “Report: Karnataka, Gujarat making most progress in shift to clean power” published in Indian Express on 28th February 2023

What is the News?

Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis(IEEFA) along with EMBER has released a report — ‘Indian States Energy Transition’.

What is the purpose of the report?

The report has analyzed a total of 16 Indian states which account for 90% of the country’s annual power consumption.

It has measured the performance of these states in four dimensions: 1) decarbonisation 2) performance of the power system 3) readiness of the power ecosystem and 4) policies and political commitments.

These dimensions help in tracking how much a state is prepared to shift away from fossil-fuel based power plants, its capability to incentivise the green market and its government policy to push for power sector decarbonisation.

What are the key findings of the report?

Top State in clean electricity transition: Karnataka is the only state among the 16 analyzed states that scored well across all four dimensions of clean electricity transition.

– It has been an early adopter of renewable energy through proactive policies around open access, solar park development and public awareness.The state fared the best in decarbonising its power sector and has the highest share of renewables in its power supply mix(48%).

Other states: Gujarat was a little behind Karnataka in terms of decarbonising its electricity sector. 

– Rajasthan is second only to Karnataka with renewables supplying 29% of the state’s power mix. 

– Maharashtra with the highest power demand in India was found to be mid-table mainly due to slow renewable energy uptake in the state and the inability to shut down older polluting coal power plants.Its renewable energy share(11%) is lower than most other states.

ISRO successful in key test for India’s third moon mission

Source: The post is based on the article “ISRO successful in key test for India’s third moon mission” published in The Hindu on 28th February 2023

What is the News?

Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) has successfully conducted the flight acceptance hot test of the CE-20 cryogenic engine that will power the Cryogenic Upper Stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

CE-20 cryogenic engine will power the Cryogenic Upper Stage of the rocket called the LVM3 launch vehicle.

What is the Chandrayaan-3 Mission?

Chandrayaan­-3 is India’s third moon mission and is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan­-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.

The mission is slated to be launched later this year by Launch Vehicle Mark 3(LMV3) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.

The mission has three major modules — propulsion, lander and rover modules.The mission’s complexity calls for establishing radio­ frequency(RF) communication links between the modules.

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Show mature statesmanship, Supreme Court tells Governors, Chief Ministers

Source: The post is based on the article “Show mature statesmanship, Supreme Court tells Governors, Chief Ministers” published in The Hindu on 1st March 2023

What is the News?

The Supreme Court observed that the level of discourse between a chief minister and the governor must not degenerate into a “race to the bottom”, putting the implementation of constitutional values and affairs of the nation in jeopardy.

What was the case about?

Punjab Governor questioned Punjab CMs decision to send a batch of school principals to Singapore for training. 

Punjab Chief Minister wrote back to the Governor saying that he was answerable only to Punjabis and not any Governor appointed by the Centre.

Later, when the Governor was approached by the State Cabinet to convene the Budget Session, the Governor wrote back saying that he would consider convening the Assembly only after taking “legal advice”. 

The Governor’s inaction prompted the Punjab CM to approach the Supreme Court directly. 

Can the Governor refuse to summon the assembly?

The Governor has to act according to the aid and advice of the council of ministers. Constitutionally, the office of the Governor has little discretion to not act on the cabinet’s advice.

Under Article 174, a Governor shall summon the House at a time and place, as she or he thinks fit. Article 174 (2) (a) says a Governor may from “time to time” prorogue the House and 174 (2) (b) allows her or him to dissolve the Legislative Assembly.

Article 163(1) of the Constitution says that “there shall be a council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions, except in so far as he is by or under this constitution required to exercise his functions or any of them in his discretion”.

A joint reading of the two provisions leaves the Governor with minimal discretion in summoning the house.

In 2016, the SC (in Nabam Rebia case) held that the power to summon the House is not solely vested in the Governor.

What were the observations made by the Supreme Court?

The Governor has a right to seek information from the Chief Minister in terms of Article 167(B) on matters relating to the administration of affairs of the state and proposals for legislation. 

Once such information is sought, not furnishing the information would be a dereliction of constitutional duty imposed on the Chief Minister in terms of Article 167 (B). 

However, dereliction of the Chief Minister to do so would not furnish a justification for the Governor not to comply with the plain constitutional obligation to summon the House for its Budget Session in terms of the advice tendered by the Council of Ministers.

Hence, there was no occasion to seek legal advice on whether or not the budget session should be convened. The Governor is clearly bound by the advice tendered to him by the Council of Ministers.

MeitY launches Grievance Appellate Committee which will investigate users’ plaints about content in social media

Source: The post is based on the article “MeitY launches Grievance Appellate Committee which will investigate users’ plaints about content in social media” published in PIB on 1st March 2023

What is the News?

The Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology has launched the Grievance Appellate Committee(GAC).

What is the Grievance Appellate Committee(GAC)?

The Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) is established under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 made under the Information Technology Act, 2000. 

GAC aims to ensure a Safe & Trusted and Accountable Internet for Indian users. 

The GAC deals with the appeals of users (Digital Nagriks) aggrieved by decisions of Grievance Officers of social media intermediaries and other intermediaries on complaints of users or victims against violation of the IT Rules and any other matters pertaining to the computer resources made available by the intermediaries.

The GAC is an online dispute resolution mechanism.The entire appeal process, from filing to decision is in digital mode.

The DigitalNagriks can file an appeal with the GACs within a period of 30 days from the date of receipt of communication from the intermediary’s Grievance Officer.This Committee will subsequently endeavour to address the user’s appeal within a period of 30 days.

Union Minister launches VAIBHAV Fellowships for Indian Diaspora abroad to mark the National Science Day at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi

Source: The post is based on the article “Union Minister launches VAIBHAV Fellowships for Indian Diaspora abroad to mark the National Science Day at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi” published in the PIB on 28th February 2023.

What is the News?

On the occasion of “National Science Day”, the government has launched VAIBHAV Fellowship scheme for the Indian Diaspora abroad.

About the VAIBHAV Fellowship scheme

The fellowship offers NRI researchers an opportunity to work for a minimum of one month to a maximum of two months a year with a research institution or an academic institution in India.

Duration: Three years with the government offering the researchers an amount of up to Rs 37 lakh for the entire period.

Aim: Improving the research ecosystem of India’s Higher Educational Institutions by facilitating academic and research collaborations between Indian Institutions and the best institutions in the world. This is done through the mobility of faculty/researchers from overseas institutions to India.

Eligibility: Researchers from institutions featuring in the top 500 QS World University Rankings will be eligible for the fellowship.

The applicant should be a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Person of Indian Origin (PIO) or Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and she or he must have obtained Ph.D/M.D/M.S degree from a recognized University.

Significance: The best of Diaspora minds will collaborate with domestic Minds to deliver world-class projects and products.

What is ALMA telescope, that will soon get a ‘new brain’?

Source: The post is based on the article “What is ALMA telescope, that will soon get a ‘new brain’?” published in Indian Express on 27th February 2023.

What is the News?

The (Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array) ALMA telescope is set to get software and hardware upgrades that will help it collect much more data and produce sharper images.

About the ALMA Telescope

It is a radio telescope comprising 66 antennas located in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. It is a state-of-the-art telescope that studies celestial objects at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths. They can penetrate through dust clouds and help astronomers examine dim and distant galaxies and stars.

Founding members: It is an international partnership between various organisations in Europe, the U.S., Japan, Canada, Taiwan and the Republic of Korea in cooperation with the Republic of Chile.

What are the technical specifications of the ALMA Telescope?

The telescope has extraordinary sensitivity, which allows it to detect even extremely faint radio signals. The telescope consists of 66 high-precision antennas, spread over a distance of up to 16 km. Each of its 66 antennas is equipped with a set of receivers that are designed to detect specific ranges of wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum.

To combine the data collected by each antenna into a single image, ALMA uses a correlator.

Note: Correlator is a powerful supercomputer that processes the vast amounts of data collected by the antennas and creates detailed images of celestial objects. This allows astronomers to study distant galaxies, stars, and other celestial bodies.

What are the discoveries made by ALMA Telescope?

a) In 2013, ALMA discovered starburst galaxies that existed earlier in the universe’s history than previously thought, b) ALMA provided detailed images of a protoplanetary disc around a young star, HL Tauri, in 2014, which challenged existing theories about planetary formation, c) In 2015, the telescope helped scientists observe the Einstein ring phenomenon, where light from a galaxy or star passes by a massive object on its way to Earth, and d) More recently, as part of the Event Horizon Telescope project, it provided the first image of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy.

Why ALMA Telescope is located in Chile?

The millimetre and submillimetre waves observed by ALMA Telescope are very susceptible to atmospheric water vapour absorption on Earth. Hence, a) it is located at an altitude of 16,570 feet (5,050 metres) above sea level on the Chajnantor plateau in Chile’s Atacama Desert, b) Chile’s Atacama Desert is the driest place in the world. So, most of the nights here are clear of clouds and free of light-distorting moisture.