Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• AI’s best use case may actually be in our judicial system
• ‘Press must remain free if a country is to remain a democracy’: CJI Chandrachud at RNG awards
• Express View on President’s Xi’s Moscow visit: China-Russia tango is a challenge for India

GS Paper 3

• The Trident Approach To Making India An R&D Powerhouse
• Is India in the grip of a ‘stray dog’ crisis?
• India’s push for semiconductors
• Next-generation tech – on 6 G Technology
• Phone A Friend Friend-shoring is a chance for India to get deeply into telecom supply chains. But trade needs to be more open
• IPCC AR6 synthesis report: A climate change survival guide to act on

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Bharat 6G project: India plans to roll out high-speed internet by 2030
• New catfish species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh
• Bedaquiline: India rejects Johnson & Johnson’s attempt to extend monopoly on lifesaving TB drug
• India’s disputed compensatory afforestation policy at odds with new IPCC report
• One conviction for unsafe sewer cleaning so far, House panel raps government
• Mystery of our first interstellar visitor may be solved
• Stolen Chola-era Hanuman idol brought back to India
• Does Rahul Gandhi stand disqualified as an MP following his conviction?
• What does ‘guillotine’ refer to in legislative parlance?

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

AI’s best use case may actually be in our judicial system

News: The article discusses how AI can be adopted in our judicial system for improving its efficiency.

What are the key findings of the data?

There are around 47 million pending cases in the courts and more cases are added every year.

According to the World Bank’s Doing Business Report 2020, India ranks 136th out of 190 countries in the enforcement of contracts, which is lower than China (46th).

Further, the average time taken to enforce a contract in India is nearly four years which is more than four times the global average of 358 days.

What are the causes for the poor performance of contract enforcement and pending cases?

Friction in economic transactions: Lack of trust between the parties of the contract often leads to breach of the contract. This either leads to additional costs or reduces the volume of the contract transaction.

It also increases the burden on the judiciary for resolving disputes.Thus, the lack of proper enforcement of contracts leads to a market breakdown.

Vicious cycle limiting state capacity: The judiciary in India is often involved in checks and balances, i.e., holding executives responsible for the acts and policies.

The time spent in this by the judiciary reduces their time and attention to the actual delivery of services. This also reduces the overall capacity of the different branches of the government.

How can AI help in solving these problems?

Analyse and categorize cases: There are many types of disputes pending in the court. AI can analyze both,rulings and filings, to identify the majority number of pending cases.

It can also be used to conduct in-depth root-cause analyses for these cases, which may then be used to bring procedural and substantive reforms.

For example, if it is found that most of the disputes pending in the court are over land, then the dispute resolution mechanism could be changed to focus moreon settling these problems.

Provide a feedback loop: AI can help in providingreal time feedback of the caseload on courts due to theappeals made on the laws made by the legislatures. This feedback would help in improving the design of the laws formulated by the legislatures.

Must Read: How Artificial Intelligence can help in handling the pendency in courts in India?

What can be done going ahead?

China has already implemented a similar system known as Xiao Zhi 3.0 (Little Wisdom). The AI has helped to cut a judge’s average workload by over a third and saved Chinese citizens 1.7 billion working hours from 2019 to 2021.

Moreover, an estimate suggests that even a 10% improvement in judicial efficiency could help unlock at least ₹4,000 crore for India’s GDP.

Therefore, it becomes necessary to incorporate AI in our judicial system for better efficiency and for overall growth of the economy.

‘Press must remain free if a country is to remain a democracy’: CJI Chandrachud at RNG awards

News– CJI DY Chandrachud gave a speech as the chief guest at the RNG awards.

What is the importance of media?

Promoting debate and discussion– Debates and discussion are the first steps towards action. All societies inevitably become dormant, and immune to the problems faced by them. Journalism pushes them out of this collective inertia.

The media has always played an important role in shaping the course of current events, and the course of history itself. For example, the #MeToo movement had cascading effects all over the world and it was a watershed moment in history.

Importance for democracy– The media is the fourth pillar of the State, and an integral component of democracy.

A functional and healthy democracy must encourage the development of journalism as an institution that can ask difficult questions to the establishment.

Vice of common man– Local or community-based journalism has played an important role in encouraging social cohesion and political activism. It has the ability to raise the little-known concerns and set the agenda for debate on those issues at the policy level.

Community journalism opens the avenues for the members of marginalised communities to raise their own issues.

Relevance in emergency situations– The relevance of the media was best highlighted during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Electronic, print, and social media facilitated the State to disseminatethe relevant information to the general public during the lockdown.

The media highlighted administrative loopholes and excesses. Various high courts and the Supreme Court of India relied on news reports in taking suo motu cognisance of instances of violations of people’s rights during the pandemic.

How did the media play an important role in pre-independence India?

India has a great legacy of newspapers. They have acted as catalysts of social and political change.

Prior to independence, newspapers were run by social reformers and political activists. The objective was to raise awareness and outreach to people .

For instance, Dr. Ambedkar launched several newspapers such as Mooknayak, Bahishkrut Bharat, Janata, and Prabuddha Bharat to create awareness about the rights of the most neglected communities in India.

The newspapers and other publications of pre-Independence India also give us a picture of the detailed history of those times.

How is the media landscape changing?

Recently, social media has become a game changer for journalists by providing opportunities to individuals to launch their own online media channels. In that way, online platforms have led to the democratisation of the media.

Earlier, the paucity of space was a constraining factor. Now, it is the paucity of reader patience. Readers have short attention spans. News is reduced to shorts on YouTube or reels on Instagram.

In recent years, we are also witnessing a rising interest in legal journalism. Legal journalism is the storyteller of the justice system, shedding light on the complexities of the law. It is thus essential for journalists to provide a complete picture of events, rather than presenting a one-sided view. Journalists have a duty to report accurately and impartially.

What are the challenges faced by the media?

Fake news poses a serious threat to the independence and impartiality of the press in the current society.It has the capability to create tensions between communities by misleading people.

Another issue affecting the media is that of legitimacy. A diverse and representative newsroom is essential for media institutions to provide well-researched and complex stories.

Selective quoting of speeches and judgments of judges by journalists in India has become a matter of concern. This practice has a tendency to distort the public’s understanding of important legal issues. Judges’ decisions are often complex and nuanced.

What is the way forward to ensure a robust media?

It is the collective responsibility of journalists as well as other stakeholders to weed out any element of prejudice from the process of reporting events.

Journalists should provide a neutral view, in case of reporting on legal matters.

A comprehensive fact-checking mechanism should be in place to verify all news items before reporting.

As citizens, we may not agree with the approach of a journalist. But disagreement must not distort into hatred and hatred must not be permitted to evolve into violence. The Supreme Court of India has emphasised on the rights of journalists in a number of judgments.

Media institutions need to ensure that their newsroom culture reflects the diverse news content they are producing.

Express View on President’s Xi’s Moscow visit: China-Russia tango is a challenge for India

News: Recently, the Chinese President visited Russia and supported the Russian President in his upcoming election. Russia called the Chinese peace proposals between Russia and Ukraine as “constructive”.

Note: China lists “12 principles” for peace. This includes respect for “sovereignty of all countries”, “abandoning Cold War mentality”, resuming peace talks and stopping unilateral sanction,

What are the key highlights of the Russia-China joint statement?

The joint statement a) Neglected western sanctions and emphasised on strengthening trade and economic cooperation, especially energy cooperation, b) reaffirmed their commitment to the 2021 Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation, c) Decided to move ahead on China-Mongolia-Russia natural gas pipeline project and d) highlighted the areas of cooperation include civil aviation manufacturing, the automobile industry, etc, and e) condemned the Quad grouping, which India is a part.

Note: Russia is now China’s biggest supplier of oil. Ever since the sanctions, Russia’s access to critical technology is entirely dependent on China.

What are the global strategic implications of the Russia-China joint statement?

Implications for western countries: a) China will not let Russia fail in Ukraine. This may well affect the future trajectory of the conflict in Ukraine, b) US and Europe will need all the support to counter the Russia-China partnership.

Implications for India: a) Diminishes the “strategic autonomy” available with Russia, b) complicates the security environment with Russia, c) Reduces the reliability of Russia as Russia’s dependence on China is increasing rapidly, d) Might force India to align more towards the West, and e) The success of India’s presidency of the G20 will be measured on the outcome document, which needs the co-operation of both Russia and China. Thus, the recent developments of Russia-China might hamper the outcome document.

GS Paper 3

The Trident Approach To Making India An R&D Powerhouse

News: The article discusses the problems with scientific research in India and measures needed to boost R&D in India.

What are the problems with scientific research in India?

First,India wants to become a technological expert without focusing on scientific research, which is impossible. For example, without Einstein’s theory of relativity, our GPS devices would have been inaccurate by about eleven kilometres.

Second, India lacks incorporating its scientific research with universities. It is necessary to incorporate because scientific research is complex and cyclical. It needs expert scholars to dive in their thoughts on research for its successful practical working.

Third, India’s past regulatory regime didn’t differentiate between universities meant for carrying research and for teaching.

However, all these concerns have been addressed by National Education Policy 2020.

How did National Education Policy 2020 address the problems?

NEP 2020 tackles all three issues by categorizing India’s higher education system in three tiers – 1) Research universities (full spectrum, strong PhD programmes, small numbers), 2)Universities (focus on undergraduate and master’s degrees), and 3)Colleges (focus on undergraduate degrees with large numbers and low costs).

However, in order to achieve these targets a proper approach would be needed.

What can be done tofor proper implementation of the NEP 2020’s categorization?

Clustering: It involves drafting a budget that would merge city-wide scientific institutions into a single university while keeping identity and autonomy of the individual institutions.

The cluster would work together and have expertise and scale in research strategy, academic excellence, global collaboration, fund generation, etc. This would tackle the problem of university research in silos.

University engagement: Universities conducting research should be engaged with the relevant companies. It is important because 71% of global R&D spending comes from them.

For example, US and China’s R&D spending is 36 and 16 times more than India’s because their companies and universities work together.

Financing: It involves establishing the National Research Foundation (NRF) to provide universities with merit-based research funding under its supervision while also taking monetary risks on the research.

Must Read: Research and Development in India: Status, Challenges and Recommendations

What can be the way ahead?

Foreign weapon purchases have decreased by 11% since 2013, owing to the growth of R&D in defense, but there is still more to be done to limit weapon imports. This can be accomplished by providing financing for university research.

Moreover, bringing science and technology to universities will also boost size of India’s domestic defence industry, industry-creating startups, and universities.

Is India in the grip of a ‘stray dog’ crisis?

News– In recent weeks, there have been many attacks by stray dogs on people, especially children.

Are stray dogs a global problem?

This is not an Indian problem. It is very much a global issue. This is primarily because people like dogs and want to keep them.

Globally, supply always tends to exceed the demand for dogs. As a result, the surplus animals end up on the streets.

How is India’s approach towards stray dogs different from other countries?

The U.S. has a zero tolerance policy for stray dogs. They are euthanized every year. In India, we allow those animals to end up on the streets, and leave them there. This is in violation of our laws.

In case of India, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act recognises that dogs suffer on the streets due to homelessness and also impact human beings. They should therefore be sheltered, re-homed, removed or euthanised.

State Municipal Acts also mandate capture and removal, and they should be sheltered, re-homed or euthanised.

Historically, euthanasia was done in a crude, haphazard manner. Municipalities used the cheapest methods of killing them. Now, India has ended the mass killing and dogs are left on the road.

Stray dogs are being identified as community dogs and are now considered part of the community.

What are the reasons for the increasing menace of stray dogs?

The 2001 Animal Birth Control Rules took away the powers to euthanize by creating a category called ‘street dogs’ as opposed to strays.

The Ministry of Urban Development is supposed to bring together the policy and technical aspects. But, it does not have capacity and interest to get into sections of laws.

The Municipal Acts are ignored by officers. Their decisions are influenced by the political atmosphere. The political aspects depend on people’s beliefs. The general sense among people is that stray dogs are a public good.

There is a lack of human supervision and control due to confusion related to legal aspects for stray dogs. Dogs go back to the feral state. These large packs of dogs are becoming territorial and aggressive about public spaces where they are fed.

The courts have said there should be designated places for dogs to be fed and that these should be defined by the municipal and the Animal Welfare Board and the local Resident Welfare Associations.

But these three bodies are unlikely to come together for thousands of streets, societies and colonies in a State or in a city. There are issues with monitoring of these places also.

What is the way forward to resolve the issue of stray dogs?

Citizens will not accept euthanasia, even in the case of terminally ill animals. This would have to be built into people’s thinking. This is a public health responsibility.

Euthanasia or sterilisation cannot be the only answer to the problem. For instance, the most the prolific breeding population would have to be sterilised. Sick animals, aggressive animals, would have to be euthanized. A segment of the population can be sheltered.

We have to recognise that dogs are domestic companion animals and must be treated as such. They have no role ecologically or otherwise on the streets and in public places without human supervision. This is the starting point of all dog control in the country.

It is the duty of officials to implement the law and of legislators to amend law. Political will is necessary for it. Courts must stop the ambivalence in interpreting the law.

India’s push for semiconductors

News– The Union Government has disbursed around ₹1,645 crore in performance linkedincentives (PLI) for electronics manufacturers so far, as part of its efforts to bring in more of the electronics supply chain to India.

Why is the government encouraging semiconductor manufacturing?

Semiconductor fabrication units, or fabs turn raw elements such as silicon into integrated circuits that are fit to be a part of practically all electronic hardware in the world.

Fabs are highly capital­ intensive undertakings, costing billions of dollars for large facilities.

They require highly reliable and high quality supply of water, electricity, and insulation from theelements, reflecting the high degree of precision.

Countries look at semiconductor manufacturing from a strategic perspective. They want to have a share in the value chain for fabs, even if costs are high.

According to a report by the Semiconductor Industry Association, China pulled ahead of Taiwan last year, in terms of share of global sales from fabs.

It’s not just India that is wary of this dominance. The U.S. passed the CHIPS Act last August. It provides subsidies and investments to manufacturers for making semiconductors in the U.S. This has been combined with restrictions on the Chinese semiconductor industry.

What is the status of semiconductor manufacturing in India?

The government’s Invest India agency estimates that electronics manufacturing as a whole will be worth $300 billion by the financial year 2025–26.

Facilities for assembling finished products have been steadily growing in number. But fabrication units for making chipsets and displays are rarer.

What is the suitability of India for manufacturing both semiconductors and finished products?

SIA, US semiconductor manufacturers said in a report with APCO Worldwide in February that India should lean on its strength in the electronics manufacturing value chain.

The companies which turn silicone into semiconductors require high investments and entry costsrun into billions of dollars.

But companies that specialise in Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) are less expensive to set up, and generate better margins.

The OSAT facilities focus upon less capital­ intensive parts of chipmaking, such as assembling the precise components that have already been manufactured. India should focus on it.

A problem with many chip facilities is that they tend to be captive units of large companies. Some of Foxconn’s assembly facilities are dedicated to building Apple devices.

What are the advantages enjoyed by India in semiconductor manufacturing?

A large part of semiconductor manufacturing involves design and intellectual labour. India has an advantage here. A large portion of semiconductor design engineers globally are either Indian or Indian Origin.

This is an advantage as China is on backfoot due to sanctions and an ageing population.

Why should India’s semiconductor ambition be limited?

The government appears to be developing the parts of the fabs ecosystem that have promise for sustainable growth and fiscal feasibility.

Electronics value chain would have to be an international partnership among nations with common goals.

Like-minded nations should specialize in different aspects of the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing process.

Next-generation tech – on 6 G Technology

News– few months after the formal launch of commercial 5G service, India is set to commit resources to the development of 6G technologies with the release of a vision document and the inauguration of a 6G testbed for research & development (R&D).

What are some facts about 6G technology?

6G will be100 times faster than 5G.

It will have multiple applications. The 6G network could enable a host of autonomous cars to talk to one another in real time as they navigate crowded urban landscapes.

Virtual reality without lags could become a reality. Edge computing, where AI is deployed extensively, will be a possibility.

6G aims to be more energy-efficient and better at using whatever spectrum is available for the network. It would have huge positive externalities.

How can G be defined?

Every “G” from 2G onwards can be described as a set of globally agreed benchmarks that allow for standardized networks to interact with one another and equipment that can be used everywhere.

R&D at every stage has been focused on developing ways to transfer data more efficiently, and to develop new use cases.

What is the government plan to develop 6G?

India will set up six technology-innovation groups to explore the possibilities and drive R&D into possible directions that 6G could go.

The groups will identify priority areas for research involving industry, academia, and service providers in this process.

The R&D would encompass all areas from mmWave and Terahertz communications, to fibre-broadband, remote operations, multi-sensor man-machine interfaces and devices leveraging edge cloud computing.

What are the aspects that should be considered while launching 6G?

Earlier launching could give India the leverage to mould 6G standards in advantageous ways. It will generate intellectual property (IP) that could make it a world leader as 6G evolves.

The initiative must be followed through with robust policy implementation. Policymakers must ensure that roll-outs of commercial networks are not delayed.

In the case of 5G, India has been late in terms of network roll-outs due to complex telecom policy and the resulting litigation. Policymakers need to learn from those mistakes.

Phone A Friend Friend-shoring is a chance for India to get deeply into telecom supply chains. But trade needs to be more open

News: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has opened an area office and innovation centre in India. Further, India has also launched the domestic 6G test bed.

About telecom supply chains

China has a significant share in the supply chains of many products. Apart from that, Vietnam also has a significant presence in supply chains.

Apart from Asia, Mexico has the advantage of an FTA with both the US and Canada.

How India is improving its telecom supply chains?

India’s trustworthiness is in sync with the phenomenon of friend-shoring.

Note: Friend-shoring is a concept where supply chain relocation is influenced by similar values.

In addition to making rapid progress in key measures such as logistics and human capital, India’s trade policy has seen it join critical regional trade agreements such as RCEP and CPTPP.

On the manufacturing side, India has a) Production-linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, which incentivise companies through a subsidy to offset other disadvantages, b) States separately offer incentives to attract manufacturing investments.

What needs to be done to further improve telecom supply chains?

Leverage market: An industrial policy that encourages manufacturing is essential but the returns may be limited. For example, Taiwan’s technology investment in China was around 33% since 2012. Though the investment has plateaued, Taiwan’s deep specialisation characteristic of technology supply chains makes relocation slow-paced.

Hence, India needs to leverage the scale of its market and the overall economy.

Open trade policy: Open trade policy is needed for increasing the quantum of manufacturing investments in India.

IPCC AR6 synthesis report: A climate change survival guide to act on

News: Recently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Synthesis Report for the Sixth Assessment Cycle.

What is a Synthesis Report?

About the key findings and suggestions of the IPCC AR6 synthesis report

World on the threshold of carbon budget: The IPCC report points out that humanity had already consumed 4/5ths of its total carbon budget for 1.5° C by 2019, with developed economies consuming the lion’s share.

Some losses and damages of climate change are inevitable: The report finds that some coastal and polar ecosystems have already reached hard limits in their ability to adapt to a changing climate.

Cautions against maladaptation: The report cautions against certain forms of adaptation such as poorly planned seawalls which can defer and intensify the impacts of climate for short-term and often iniquitous adaptation gains.

Co-­benefits of climate action for air quality: A cost ­benefit analysis suggests that the air quality and health benefits of mitigation outweigh its costs.

Evidence of progress: The report finds some tangible evidence of progress in the proliferation of laws and policies, and confirms the effectiveness of existing policy tools such as regulations and carbon markets.

What are the concerns highlighted by the IPCC AR6 synthesis report?

a) There are gaps between modelled sustainable pathways and countries’ climate pledges, b) Delayed action from countries risks the creation of high carbon infrastructure in this decade, and creating stranded assets and financial instability in the medium term, c) Despite sufficient global capital, both adaptation and mitigation financing need to increase many­fold.

The IPCC AR6 synthesis report is a landmark report because it offers a blueprint for sustainable development. t is now up to governments and the people of the world to act.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Bharat 6G project: India plans to roll out high-speed internet by 2030

Source: The post is based on the article “Bharat 6G project: India plans to roll out high-speed internet by 2030” published in the Indian Express on 23rd March 2023

What is the News?

The Prime Minister has unveiled a Vision Document to roll out high-speed 6G Communication Services by 2030 and also launched Bharat 6G Project to identify and fund research and deployment of the next-generation technology in India.

What is 6G?

Click Here to read

What is Bharat 6G Project?

Objective: To enable India to become a leading global supplier of intellectual property, products and solutions of affordable 6G telecom solutions and identify priority areas for 6G research based on India’s competitive advantages.

Phases: The project will be implemented in two phases, the first one from 2023 to 2025 and the second one from 2025 to 2030.

-In the first phase, it will provide support to explore new ideas and pathways. With the government’s support, these ideas will then be used to develop use cases, intellectual properties (IPs) and testbeds.

-In the second phase, these IPs, prototypes and testbeds will be commercialized.

Apex Council: The Government has appointed an apex council to a) oversee the project and focus on issues such as standardization, identification of the spectrum for 6G usage, b) create an ecosystem for devices and systems, and c) figure out finances for research and development, among other things.

– A key focus of the council will be on new technologies such as Terahertz communication, radio interfaces, tactile internet, artificial intelligence for connected intelligence, new encoding methods and waveforms chipsets for 6G devices.

Is there any caution against the 6G Project?

The vision document said that while 6G promises growth, it will simultaneously have to be balanced with sustainability as most 6G supporting communication devices will be battery-powered and can have a significant carbon footprint.

Which other countries are focussing on the 6G network?

South Korea has unveiled its 6G research and development plan with an investment of Rs 1,200 crore till 2025. Dedicated research centres have been set up in the country and are working closely with the Korean Intellectual Property Office.

In Europe, the European 6G Vision has identified key features of this network and is currently conducting a research project named Hexa-X. It will end this year.

In Japan, the Integrated Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) Forum has published its Vision 2030 white paper for 6G. The paper laid out key technology directions for infrastructure evolution in four dimensions: cognitive capacity, responsiveness, scalability, and energy efficiency.

New catfish species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

Source: The post is based on the article “New catfish species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh” published in Tribune on 24th March 2023

What is the News?

A new catfish species named ‘Exostoma Dhritiae’ was discovered by scientists of the Zoological Survey of India(ZSI) in Arunachal Pradesh.

What is Exostoma Dhritiae?

Exostoma Dhritiae is a new species of catfish of the genus Exostoma.

It is a small fish locally called ‘Ngorang’ by local tribals.

The species has been named ‘Exostoma Dhritiae’ after Dhriti Banerjee, the first woman director of the ZSI.

It was found in Siking stream, a tributary of the Siang River in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

What is Catfish?

Catfish represent one of the largest groups of freshwater fishes, with more than 2000 species. 

Most catfish are found in freshwater, although there are two families that contain saltwater species.

Most species of catfish are nocturnal. Catfish are primarily benthic or bottom-dwellers. 

Catfish are an important group because they serve many different roles, including as ornamentals, as food fish in aquaculture, as research animals and for sport fishing. 

Bedaquiline: India rejects Johnson & Johnson’s attempt to extend monopoly on lifesaving TB drug

Source: The post is based on the article “India rejects Johnson & Johnson’s attempt to extend monopoly on lifesaving TB drug” published in The Hindu on 24th March 2023

What is the News?

The Indian Patent Office has rejected U.S. pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) attempt to extend its monopoly on the manufacturing of the anti-tuberculosis drug Bedaquiline in India beyond July 2023.

The patent office invoked Section 3(d) in its judgment as the Indian patent law does not allow the evergreening of patents and prevents pharma majors from extending the patent beyond the stipulated monopoly on the drug.

Note: Since 2007, J&J has indulged in ‘evergreening’ by making multiple claims in its applications for patent extensions.

What is Bedaquiline?

Bedaquiline is used in combination with other medicines to treat tuberculosis patients when the first line of treatment fails to kill the bacteria.

The use of this oral drug has been crucial for tuberculosis treatment in the country. It has lesser-known harmful effects than injectable drugs. 

The cost of tuberculosis treatment by bedaquiline is expected to significantly drop due to the rejection of the patent as it would allow Indian manufacturers to manufacture generic medicines.

What is Evergreening?

“Evergreening” is a term used in the context of intellectual property rights, particularly with regard to patents. It refers to the practice of extending the exclusivity period of a patent by making small modifications or improvements to the original invention.

The goal of evergreening is to extend the period during which the original inventor can profit from their invention. This is typically done by filing for new patents that cover variations or modifications of the original invention, even if those modifications are relatively minor.

Critics of evergreening argue that it stifles innovation by preventing other inventors from building on existing technology.They also argue that it drives up the cost of drugs and other patented products, making them less accessible to people who need them.

What is Section 3(d) of the Indian Patent Act?

Section 3(d) of the Indian Patent Act 1970 (as amended in 2005) states that inventions that are mere “discovery” of a “new form” of a “known substance” and do not result in increased efficacy of that substance are not patentable. 

This implied that India did not support patents for inventions which were minor modifications and prevented undue monopoly during the extended period of patent protection by the company.

India’s disputed compensatory afforestation policy at odds with new IPCC report

Source: The post is based on the article “India’s disputed compensatory afforestation policy at odds with new IPCC report” published in The Hindu on 24th March 2023

What is the News?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released its Synthesis Report. The report has challenged India’s compensatory afforestation policy that allows forests in one part to be cut down and replaced with those elsewhere.

Afforestation in India

Afforestation is part of India’s climate pledges: the government has committed to adding an additional (cumulative) carbon sink of 2.5-3 GtCO2e through additional forest and tree cover by 2030. (‘GtCO2e’ stands for gigatonnes of carbon-dioxide-equivalent).

Afforestation is codified in the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).

CAMPA is a body created on the Supreme Court’s orders in 2002 and chaired by the Environment Minister. It is meant to promote afforestation and regeneration activities as a way of compensating for forest land diverted to non-forest uses.

Note: According to the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, the project proponent that wishes to divert the land must identify land elsewhere to afforest and pay for the afforestation exercise.

What are the issues with CAMPA?

Unutilised fund: The money paid to CAMPA sits in a fund, but most of the fund remained unspent until 2013, leading to criticism of facilitating the destruction of natural ecosystems. 

Impacting Endangered landscape: CAMPA has also come under fire for funding projects that endangered landscape connectivity and biodiversity corridors.

Artificial plantations: Planting non-native species or artificial plantations wouldn’t compensate for the ecosystem loss as well be hazardous to the existing ecosystem.

– For example, the Haryana govt is planning to develop the world’s largest curated safari using CAMPA funds received from deforestation in Great Nicobar.

Why is the Afforestation policy of India at odds with the IPCC report?

IPCC’s latest Synthesis Report has pointed out that not degrading existing ecosystems in the first place will do more to lower the impact of the climate crisis than restoring ecosystems (through afforestation) that have been destroyed.

These findings are at odds with the afforestation policy in India that has allowed forests in one part of the country to be cut down and ‘replaced’ with those elsewhere.

What does the IPCC report say on renewable energy?

The IPCC report found that the sole option (among those evaluated) with more mitigating potential than “reducing conversion of natural ecosystems” was solar power and the third-highest was wind power. 

But many solar parks in India have triggered conflicts with people living nearby because they render the land inaccessible and increase local water consumption.

Moreover, wind farms in the Western Ghats had reduced the abundance and activity of predatory birds which consequently increased the density of lizards.

One conviction for unsafe sewer cleaning so far, House panel raps government

Source: The post is based on the article “One conviction for unsafe sewer cleaning so far, House panel raps government” published in The Hindu on 24th March 2023

What is the News?

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment in a report has said that the implementation of the Manual Scavenging (Prohibition) Act must be done strictly and that errant contractors should be “immediately held and convicted”.

What is Manual Scavenging?

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Deaths due to Manual Scavenging: A total of 1,035 people had died in India due to hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks since 1993.

Families of 836 victims have been given the full compensation of ₹10 lahks as mandated by the Supreme Court. In addition, families of 112 victims have received a little less than ₹10 lakh as compensation. 

What is Manual Scavenging (Prohibition) Act?

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Conviction rate under Manual Scavenging act: 616 FIRs have been registered under Manual Scavenging (Prohibition) Act where contractors had not provided safety gear and equipment to sewer workers. Among these cases registered, only one conviction has been secured so far.

About the Parliamentary committee report on Manual Scavenging

On low conviction rate under Manual Scavenging (Prohibition) Act: The Committee said that norms with regard to penalty and conviction for engaging sewer and septic workers by the Contractors are strictly implemented so that the Contractors are immediately held and convicted for any violation of norms.

On NAMASTE Scheme: The committee said that the scheme had been envisioned for a FY 2023-24 start and for this, the completion of the enumeration work is necessary. 

– On this, the Government informed the panel that they intend to count the number of such workers in over 4,800 Urban Local Body areas and profile them before starting the implementation of the scheme. 

– For this, the committee said that the Union government needs to push State and Union Territory governments to finish data collection on sewer workers as soon as possible and also encourage the governments to start setting up Responsible Sanitation Authorities and Emergency Sanitation Response Units so that targets can be set and achieved as envisioned. 

Mystery of our first interstellar visitor may be solved

Source: The post is based on the article “Mystery of our first interstellar visitor may be solved” published in Indian Express on 24th March 2023

What is the News?

Astronomers have solved the mystery behind Oumuamua.

What is Oumuamua?

Oumuamua is a comet. It is the first interstellar object found visiting our solar system.

It was first detected by the University of Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS1 telescope.

What did this study find about Oumuamua?

In 2018, a study suggested that ​​Oumuamua may have been an alien probe due to its unexpected behaviour such as 1) its curious acceleration as it hurtled away from the sun and 2) It lacks the tail of gas and dust characteristic of many comets.

But a recent study has said that Oumuamua was a comet. Its speed-up was due to the release of hydrogen gas as the comet warmed up in the sunlight.

The study has also found that Oumuamua was born like many other comets as what is called a planetesimal – a small object formed in the early stages of planet formation – and was essentially a large, icy space rock.

After it was somehow ejected from its solar system of origin, the comet’s chemistry changed as it was bombarded by high-energy radiation while venturing through interstellar space. 

This converted some of the comet’s ice – frozen water – into hydrogen gas that was trapped within the rest of its ice.

Stolen Chola-era Hanuman idol brought back to India

Source: The post is based on the article “Stolen Chola-era Hanuman idol brought back to India” published in The Hindu on 24th March 2023

What is the News?

A rare variety bronze idol of Hanuman which was stolen from a Chola-era temple in Ariyalur district a decade ago and auctioned in Australia was finally retrieved by Tamilnadu Police.

About the Chola era

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Sources of Chola Kingdom

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Who are the important rulers of Chola empire?

Vijayalaya: The Chola Empire was founded by Vijayalaya. He took over the Tanjore kingdom in the 8th century and led to the rise of the mighty Cholas by defeating the Pallavas. Tanjore was hence made the first capital of the eminent Chola Empire.

Aditya I: He succeeded Vijayalaya to become the ruler of the empire. He defeated king Aparajita and the empire gained massive power under his reign. He conquered the Pandya Kings along with the Vadumbas and establishes control over the Pallavas’ power in the region.

Rajendra Chola: He succeeded the mighty Rajaraja Chola. Rajendra I was the first to venture to the banks of the Ganges. He was popularly called the Victor of the Ganges. His new empire capital was called the Gangaikondacholapuram where he received the title of ‘Gangaikonda’. This period is referred to as the golden age of the Cholas. After his rule, the kingdom witnessed a widespread downfall.

Administration and Governance

The massive kingdom was divided into provinces which were known as mandalams.

Separate governors were held in charge for each mandalam. These were further divided into districts called nadus which consisted of tehsils. 

The system of rule was such that each village acted as a self-governing unit during the era of the Cholas. 

The Cholas were ardent patrons of art, poetry, literature and drama; the administration was seen investing in the construction of several temples and complexes with sculptures and paintings. 

The king remained the central authority who would make the major decisions and carry out the governance.  

Does Rahul Gandhi stand disqualified as an MP following his conviction?

Source: The post is based on the following articles:

–  “Does Rahul Gandhi stand disqualified as an MP following his conviction?” published in The Hindu on 24th March 2023

– “Rahul Gandhi has been convicted, but what happens to his MP status? Here’s what the law says” published in Indian Express on 24th March 2023

What is the News?

A Surat court sentenced Congress leader (Rahul Gandhi) to two years in jail in a 2019 defamation case and also granted him bail and suspended his sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal. His conviction has led to questions over his status as a Member of Parliament from Wayanad, Kerala. 

How can an MP be disqualified?

Disqualification of a lawmaker is prescribed in three situations:

First is through Articles 102(1) and 191(1) for disqualification of a member of Parliament and a member of the Legislative Assembly respectively. The grounds here include holding an office of profit, being of unsound mind or insolvent or not having valid citizenship.

The second prescription of disqualification is in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for the disqualification of the members on grounds of defection.

The third prescription is under The Representation of The People Act (RPA), 1951. This law provides for disqualification for conviction in criminal cases.

What does RPA Law say about disqualification?

Section 8 of the RPA deals with disqualification for conviction of offences. The provision is aimed at “preventing criminalisation of politics” and keeping ‘tainted’ lawmakers from contesting elections.

Disqualification is triggered for conviction under certain offences listed in Section 8(1). Section 8(1) includes certain specific offences such as promoting enmity between two groups, bribery and undue influence or personation at an election. Defamation does not fall under this list.

Section 8(3) of the RPA mandates that an MP can be disqualified if convicted and sentenced to not less than two years of imprisonment.

How does an appeal against the conviction impact disqualification?

As per Section 8(4) of the RPA the disqualification takes effect only after three months have elapsed from the date of conviction.

Within that period, the convicted lawmaker could have filed an appeal against the sentence before a higher court.

However, this provision was struck down as “unconstitutional” in the SC’s landmark 2013 ruling in ‘Lily Thomas v Union of India’.

This means that simply filing an appeal will not be enough but the convicted MP must secure a specific order of stay against the conviction of the trial court. 

Note: In 2018, in ‘Lok Prahari v Union of India’ case, the SC clarified that the disqualification will not operate from the date of the stay of conviction by the appellate court.

What does ‘guillotine’ refer to in legislative parlance?

Source: The post is based on the article “What does ‘guillotine’ refer to in legislative parlance?” published in Indian Express on 23rd March 2023

What is the News?

Amidst the ongoing stalemate in Parliament, some MPs said the government may guillotine the demands for grants and pass the Finance Bill without any discussion in the Lok Sabha. 

What is Guillotine?

In legislative language, “guillotine” means to bunch together and fast-track the passage of financial business. 

It is a fairly common procedural exercise in Lok Sabha during the Budget Session.

How is Guillotine used during a Budget session?

After the Budget is presented, Parliament goes into recess for about three weeks, during which time the House Standing Committees examine Demands for Grants for various Ministries, and prepare reports. 

After Parliament reassembles, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) draws up a schedule for discussions on the Demands for Grants. 

Given the limitation of time, the House cannot take up the expenditure demands of all Ministries; therefore, the BAC identifies some important Ministries for discussions. 

Once the House is done with these debates, the Speaker applies the “guillotine”, and all outstanding demands for grants are put to vote at once. This usually happens on the last day earmarked for the discussion on the Budget. 

The intention is to ensure the timely passage of the Finance Bill marking the completion of the legislative exercise with regard to the Budget.