Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• A chilling remark and the ‘price to pay’
• Tension in Indo-Pacific and Russia-Ukraine conflict are symptoms of an emerging global disorder

GS Paper 3

• IPCC Synthesis Report of the Sixth Assessment Cycle
• Don’t Look Back – Don’t change NPS’s fiscal fundamentals

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Why transgender female athletes can’t compete in female events
• ICMR releases ethical guidelines for AI usage in healthcare
• Technology and Innovation Report 2023: Deepening green tech divide between Global North, South to worsen economic inequality, warns UN
• Parliamentary panel recommends new law to define power, functions of CBI
• Novel bi-metallic joining process can create a composite from copper and steel for engineering applications which need high thermal & electrical conductivity
• NASA Is Tracking a Huge, Growing Anomaly in Earth’s Magnetic Field
• India failed to create positive impression among businesses moving away from China, says House panel report
• Government of India launches National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) for prevention and control of Rabies
• Supreme Court changes stand; now mere membership of a banned outfit is a crime under UAPA

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

A chilling remark and the ‘price to pay’

News-  The Union Law Minister  to label retired judges who question “state policies” as being “anti-India” elements. It is a flawed understanding of concepts and a matter of grave concern for citizens.

What are the rights of retired judges with respect to free speech?

Judges who demit office are also citizens of this country. They have a right to free speech and expression. They have a duty to speak up when they find the legislature, the executive or even the judiciary to be transgressing their limits.

The act of questioning the state is not a case of being “anti-national”.It is a case of being a “concerned patriot”. The response of the state has to be to either justify the measures it has adopted, or take the advice offered and course correct.

The remarks impact the rest of the citizenry. They will generate less ideas. There will be fewer discussions on issues of seminal importance as there could be a tendency from now on to play it safe.

Actions of the state will be unchecked because mere acts of questioning the state will endanger the individual.

What is the importance of freedom?

The final end of the state is to make men free to develop them. The deliberative forces should prevail over the arbitrary.

Liberty is both an end and means. Liberty ensures happiness.

Freedom to think is necessary to discover and spread political truth. Without free speech, assembly discussion would be futile.

The greatest threat to freedom is an inert people and public discussion is a political duty.

Tension in Indo-Pacific and Russia-Ukraine conflict are symptoms of an emerging global disorder

News- Japan PM has visited India and unveiled its Indo-Pacific strategy.

What are the key points of the Indo-Pacific strategy of India?

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled his strategy for the Indo-Pacific annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in 2018.

He spoke about freedom of navigation and open sealines. His emphasis was on inclusivity and ASEAN centrality.

What are some key points about Japan’s Indo-Pacific strategy?

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe coined the phrase Indo-Pacific, first in his 2006 address to the Indian Parliament. He said that the two oceans are bringing about a dynamic coupling as seas of freedom and prosperity.

Later in 2012, he emphasised “peace, stability, and freedom of navigation”.

Abe initially looked at the Indo-Pacific from the prism of regional peace and prosperity. But, developments in the South China Sea led to the concept acquiring a greater security dimension in the last few years.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida chose India to unveil Japan’s Indo-Pacific strategy. The focus of the strategy would be to promote a “free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)”. The initiative is aimed at curbing China’s growing regional assertiveness.

Kishida insisted that FOIP’s contemporary relevance goes beyond regional security concerns. it will be the defining feature of the new global order.

He emphasised that the world is at a major inflection point today. The Indo-Pacific conflict cannot be viewed apart from the ongoing conflict in the Eurasian region. Both are symptoms of an emerging global order.

In this new order, traditional superpowers are diminishing in influence. Newly emerged powers are not behaving as per norms. It appears as though a new Cold War has begun.

What is post -War world order?

The post-war world order was primarily about sovereign inter-state relations and a relatively open global economy. It is characterised by practices of inclusive, rule-bound multilateralism. It formed the core of multilateral institutions like the UN.

Western powers have added concepts like democracy, liberalism and human rights to this discourse.

How is China challenging the postwar world order?

Its entry into the WTO in 2001 was premised on the commitment that it would adhere to the core principles of this world order.  However, as it grew in strength, especially after Xi Jinping’s rule, it started to challenge that order.

China intends to undermine the existing liberal global order and replace it with a more hegemonic and less liberal order dominated by itself.

It has disregarded sovereign national boundaries in the name of historical claims and disputed the mandates of international agencies.

What is the role of India in this regard?

India is committed to rejecting the authoritarian and coercive world order that China wants to promote. India’s commitment to freedom, human rights and peace also are above board.

It contributed significantly to upholding multilateralism through the UN and allied institutions.

For upholding India’s principle of strategic autonomy, it is important to ensure that the Global South has a significant role in shaping the 21st-century world order.

GS Paper 3

IPCC Synthesis Report of the Sixth Assessment Cycle

News– The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its final report of the sixth assessment cycle, titled “AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023”

What are key findings of the IPCC Synthesis Report?

The GHG emissions have pushed the global average temperature up by nearly 1.2 degrees Celsius since 1850.

If no concrete action is taken on climate change, temperatures could rise to well above 2°C by the end of this century.

The pace of increase in GHG emissions has come down in the past five years. However, the world is close to exhausting its carbon budget. By the first half of the 2030s, the climate crisis could become irreversible.

To limit temperature increase below the threshold level of 1.5 degrees Celsius, temperatures must peak by 2025 and decline by 43% in the next five years.

The report is clear that an overshoot of the threshold level of 1.5 degrees Celsius is inevitable. But, deep and sustained cuts to fresh emissions that lead to net negative emissions after 2050 can bring the global heat down by 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

In 2014, Earth atmospheric concentration of CO2 was 397.45 ppm. In 2023, it is at 418 ppm. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations today are higher than at any time in at least 2 million years. The amount of methane in the atmosphere is the highest it has been for 800,000 years.

What is the relevance of the IPCC synthesis report?

The synthesis report is aimed at policymakers. In order to reach the 1.5 degree goal, deep and ambitious reductions are necessary. This report should be taken very seriously by governments at all levels.

The current discourse of extreme weather events has placed climate change in the public eye. Policymakers also understand its nuances. There is a lot more interest in science, a lot more appetite for action.  Despite this, climate action is “piecemeal and reactive”.

The report is a synthesis of knowledge on climate change, the magnitude of the problem, and its various solutions. The synthesis report is a repository of our best available climate science that is also policy-relevant.

The report has a list of options related to mitigation, adaptation for countries depending on their national circumstances. There is now enough scientific evidence for governments to act.

Such reports would also facilitate cross-learning between states, cities and regions. It is important to keep repeating the scientific warnings until there is meaningful action.

What is the way forward to tackle climate change?

There is a need for country-specific, or even region-specific, synthesis reports, especially for a country like India. There should be regular, institutionalised monitoring and progress of endeavours such as state action plans on climate change.

Climate issues must come on to party manifestos, into daily conversations in schools, and in our newsrooms. It’s a whole-of-society issue. It must be treated as such.

Don’t Look Back – Don’t change NPS’s fiscal fundamentals

News: Recently Finance Minister has made an announcement on the National Pension Scheme (NPS) in Lok Sabha.

About the announcement on NPS

A committee will be set up under the finance secretary. The committee will be tasked to evolve an approach for balancing the needs of government employees without diluting fiscal prudence. It will be designed for adoption by both states and the Centre.

About NPS

NPS was introduced two decades ago as a reform to ensure fiscal stability. It replaced the incoming government servants with a guaranteed pension, OPS.

NPS has tried to create schemes to attract savings from unorganised sector workers to provide an old age savings corpus.

What should be done while revising the NPS?

Keep in mind the fiscal fallout: The proposed committee should keep in mind that the defence ministry is struggling to cope with the fiscally unwise OROP for ex-servicemen.

Recently the Supreme Court allowed the government to pay out OROP arrears of Rs 28,000 crore to safeguard defence preparedness. The incident encapsulates the fiscal fallout of guaranteed pensions.

Pension comprises only a small corpus of the labour force: India’s labour force is dominated by the self-employed. So, it is unfair provide a guaranteed pensions for a tiny fraction of the workforce.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Why transgender female athletes can’t compete in female events

Source: The post is based on the article “Why transgender female athletes can’t compete in female events” published in The Indian Express on 25^th March 2023.

What is the news?

Transgender women have been barred from competing in the female category by World Athletics (WA). WA is the international governing body for track and field.

The ban has been put for those transgender women who have experienced male puberty.

Why have transgender women been barred?

The WA’s Eligibility Regulations for Transgender Athletes focuses on the physical advantages men have over women post-puberty.

The differences that arise from puberty require classification of the athletes. Due to this, there are separate competition for men and women athletes.

However, transgender women were misusing their categories. For example, Lia Thomas used hormone replacement therapy and moved from the men’s category to the women’s category. She started breaking records in the IVY League competition after that.

What were the previous rules for transgender women?

In January, WA implemented the ‘preferred option’ for transgender women. This required the reduction of blood testosterone limit to below 2.5nmol/L for two years to qualify as transgender woman to compete in the female category.

However, despite this, WA opted for a ban because the ‘preferred option’ did not have any takers. There was little support within the sport federations for the option presented to stakeholders.

Which other sports have banned transgender female athletes?

World Rugby in 2020 became the first international sports federation to bar transgender women from the female competition.

After this, Rugby Football League, Rugby Football Union, British Triathlon and FINA (the international swimming federation) also banned transgender women from the female competition.

What are other rules changed by WA?

According to WA, DSD (Differences in Sex Development) athletes, or those who have genes linked with one sex but whose reproductive organs may not be atypical, must keep their testosterone below 2.5 nmol/L for 24 months in order to compete in female events.

ICMR releases ethical guidelines for AI usage in healthcare

Source: The post is based on the article “ICMR releases ethical guidelines for AI usage in healthcare” published in The Hindu on 25^th March 2023.

What is the news?

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has released the country’s first “Ethical Guidelines for Application of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Research and Healthcare”.

About the Guidelines

The guidelines include sections on ethical principles, guiding principles for stakeholders, an ethics review process, governance of AI use, and informed consent.

It is intended for all stakeholders involved in research on AI in biomedical research and healthcare, including creators, developers, researchers, clinicians, ethics committees, institutions, sponsors, and funding organizations.

Aim: at creating “an ethics framework which can assist in the development, deployment, and adoption of AI-based solutions” in Biomedical Research and Healthcare.

It also aims to make AI-assisted platforms available for the benefit of common people with safety and highest precision. Also, addressing emerging ethical challenges to AI in biomedical research and healthcare delivery.

Committee: As per the guidelines, the ethical review process for AI in health comes under the domain of the ethics committee.

Why were guidelines needed?

There were ethical concerns with the deployment of AI-based solutions in healthcare such as data safety, data sharing, and data privacy.

Therefore, it was important to have processes that discuss accountability in case of errors.

What are other laws in which AI is integrated in healthcare?

India already offers streamlining of AI technologies in healthcare through the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017, National Digital Health Blueprint (NDHB 2019) and Digital Information Security in Healthcare Act (2018).

Technology and Innovation Report 2023: Deepening green tech divide between Global North, South to worsen economic inequality, warns UN

Source: The post is based on the article “Deepening green tech divide between Global North, South to worsen economic inequality, warns UN” published in Down To Earth on 24th March 2023

What is the News?

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development(UNCTAD) has released the Technology and Innovation Report 2023.

What is the purpose of the Technology and Innovation Report 2023?

The report highlights the opportunities that green innovation – goods and services with smaller carbon footprints – offer developing countries to spur economic growth and enhance technological capacities.

It analyzes the market size of 17 green and frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and electric vehicles, and their potential to create jobs.

It also assesses countries preparedness for frontier technologies. It presents a “readiness index” ranking 166 countries based on five building blocks: 1) ICT deployment, 2) skills 3) research and development (R&D) activity, 4) industry activity and 5) access to finance.

What are the key findings from the Technology and Innovation Report 2023?

Green and Frontier Technologies: The 17 frontier technologies covered in the report such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and green hydrogen already represent a $1.5 trillion market, which could grow to over $9.5 trillion by 2030 – about three times the current size of the Indian economy.

– But so far, developed economies are seizing most of the opportunities, leaving developing economies further behind.

– The total exports of green technologies from developed countries jumped from around $60 billion in 2018 to over $156 billion in 2021. 

– In the same period, exports from developing nations rose from a similar starting line of $57 billion to only about $75 billion. In three years, developing countries’ share of global exports has fallen from over 48% to under 33%.

Frontier Technology Readiness Index: The index shows that countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa are the least ready to use, adopt or adapt to frontier technologies and are at risk of missing current technological opportunities.

– In general, those most ready are high-income economies, notably the United States, Sweden, Singapore, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

– China, the most-ready developing country, ranked 35, followed by Brazil (40), India (46) and South Africa (56).

Overperformance in Frontier Technologies: The readiness index shows that some developing countries in Asia are performing better than expected.

– Their overperformance is measured as the difference between the actual index rankings and the projected rankings based on per capita income. In general, it results from increased investment in infrastructure, enhanced technical skills and a conducive business climate.

– India remains the greatest overperformer ranking at 67 positions better than expected, followed by the Philippines (54 positions better) and Vietnam (44 better).

Parliamentary panel recommends new law to define power, functions of CBI

Source: The post is based on the article “Parliamentary panel recommends new law to define power, functions of CBI” published in The Hindu on 25th March 2023

What is the News?

The Parliamentary standing committee on personnel, public grievances, law and justice has submitted its recommendations on the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI).

What is the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI)?

Click Here to read

What are the recommendations given by the Parliamentary Committee on the functioning of CBI?

Enact a new law: According to the provisions of the Delhi Special Police Establishment(DSPE) Act, the consent of the state government is a prerequisite for any investigation by the CBI and as of date, nine states have withdrawn the general consent.

– The committee said that the DSPE Act has many limitations and therefore, recommends that there is a need to enact a new law.

— The new law should define the status, functions and powers of the CBI and also lay down safeguards to ensure objectivity and impartiality in its functioning.

Fill up Vacant posts: Vacant posts in the CBI are not being filled up at the required pace. For instance, a total of 1,709 posts are vacant in the CBI against its sanctioned strength of 7,295.

– The committee recommended that every effort should be made to fill up vacancies at the earliest.

– It also said that the director of CBI should monitor the progress made in filling up vacancies on a quarterly basis and take necessary measures to ensure that the organization is sufficiently staffed.

Bring in Transparency: The committee ​​said that the details of cases registered with the CBI, the progress made in their investigation and the final outcome are not available in the public domain.

– It also observed that the annual report of CBI is also not accessible to the general public.

– Therefore, it recommended the CBI to publish case statistics and annual reports on its website.

Novel bi-metallic joining process can create a composite from copper and steel for engineering applications which need high thermal & electrical conductivity

Source: The post is based on the article “Novel bi-metallic joining process can create a composite from copper and steel for engineering applications which need high thermal & electrical conductivity” published in PIB on 24th March 2023

What is the News?

A new bi-metallic joining process has been developed by Indian researchers to produce a bimetallic composite made from copper and steel that is highly suitable for engineering applications.

What is the importance of bi-metallic structures?

Bimetallic structures offer a unique combination of individual material properties, making them highly customizable for a range of applications.

One such bimetallic composite is made from copper and steel. However, welding copper and steel together can be challenging due to the differences in their melting points, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion properties.

To address this challenge, researchers have developed a novel bi-metallic joining process using a technique called laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF) or selective laser melting (SLM) technique of metal 3D printing.

What is the Powder bed fusion(PBF) Technique?

Powder bed fusion (PBF) is a 3D printing method that joins powdered material point by point using an energy source, typically a laser beam or an electron beam.

It is one of the most common 3D printing techniques used for industrial additive manufacturing (AM).

This technique involves layer deposition by metal powder melting, which creates a small melt pool of stainless-steel powder with subsequent high cooling rates, limiting the intermixing of the stainless-steel melt on the copper surface.

This technique is possible with both metals and polymers, although not all materials are compatible.

What is Additive Manufacturing(AM)?

Click Here to read

NASA Is Tracking a Huge, Growing Anomaly in Earth’s Magnetic Field

Source: The post is based on the article “NASA Is Tracking a Huge, Growing Anomaly in Earth’s Magnetic Field” published in Science Alert on 24th March 2023

What is the News?

NASA is actively monitoring South Asian Anomaly in Earth’s magnetic field.

What is South Asian Anomaly?

The South Atlantic Anomaly signifies the weakening of the Earth’s magnetic field between Africa and South America.

This anomaly exists because the Earth’s inner Van Allen radiation belt comes closest to the planet’s surface, causing an increased flux of energetic particles.

Note: A Van Allen radiation belt is a zone of energetic charged particles, most of which originate from the solar wind, that are captured by and held around a planet by that planet’s magnetosphere.

Impact of South Asian Anomaly:

South Atlantic Anomaly(SAA) generally doesn’t affect life on Earth, but the same can’t be said for orbital spacecraft which pass directly through the anomaly as they loop around the planet at low-Earth orbit altitudes.

During these encounters, the reduced magnetic field strength inside the anomaly means technological systems onboard satellites can short-circuit and malfunction if they become struck by high-energy protons emanating from the Sun.

What causes South Asian Anomaly?

The primary source is considered to be a swirling ocean of molten iron inside Earth’s outer core, thousands of kilometers below the ground. The movement of that mass generates electrical currents that create Earth’s magnetic field, but not necessarily uniformly.

A huge reservoir of dense rock called the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province, located about 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) below the African continent, disturbs the field’s generation resulting in the dramatic weakening effect – which is aided by the tilt of the planet’s magnetic axis.

India failed to create positive impression among businesses moving away from China, says House panel report

Source: The post is based on the article “India failed to create positive impression among businesses moving away from China, says House panel report” published in The Hindu on 25th March 2023

What is the News?

A Parliamentary Panel on Commerce in its report has said that India has not been able to create a positive impression among businesses moving away from China.

What are the key highlights from the Parliamentary Panel on Commerce report?

China plus one strategy: India has not been able to take advantage of the “China Plus One Strategy,” through which multinationals shifted manufacturing and production away from China.

– Instead other southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia has emerged as viable alternatives to the manufacturing bases shifting away from China. 

– Factors such as cheap labour, lower corporate Income Tax, proactiveness in signing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), conducive business environment, etc, are providing an additional advantage to these countries along with their geographical positioning advantage.

India’s API import dependence on China: India’s competitive position in the pharmaceutical sector is undermined by its high import dependence on bulk drugs or Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) especially from China.

– In Financial Year 2022-23, the value of total import of APIs stood at ₹27,209 crore, out of which imports from China stood at ₹18,973 crore, nearly 70% of the total share. 

– The import increased despite the border row with China since mid-2020 when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent clashes with the Chinese soldiers in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley.

What are the steps taken by India to attract companies moving away from China?

The government has taken certain steps such as Production Linked Incentives (PLI) Schemes to make India a more attractive location for companies looking to diversify their supply chains away from China.

More than 3,500 provisions have been decriminalized by Ministries and States and the Jan Vishwas Bill which amends 42 Central Acts has been introduced to enhance trust-based governance.

India has also signed 13 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and six Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs).FTA negotiations with the U.K, Canada and the European Union will be concluded in the “upcoming year.”

What are the recommendations given by the Parliamentary Panel?

The committee recommended rationalization of direct taxes and indirect taxes must be done in sync with international norms and laws to increase the competitiveness of domestic industries in the global markets. 

It also asked the government to pursue Free or Preferential Trade Agreements with countries that seek to invest in India under the ‘China Plus One Strategy’.

Government of India launches National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) for prevention and control of Rabies

Source: The post is based on the article “Government of India launches National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) for prevention and control of Rabies” published in PIB on 24th March 2023

What is the News?

Government has informed the Lok Sabha about the steps taken against Rabies.

What is Rabies?

The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry & Dairying has jointly launched ‘National Action Plan For Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) from India by 2030’.

What are the steps taken against Rabies?

National Rabies Control Programme(NRCP)

The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry & Dairying has jointly launched ‘National Action Plan For Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) from India by 2030’.

The Central Government has framed the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2023 which is to be implemented by the local authority to control the population of stray dogs. The main focus of the rules is on anti-rabies vaccination of stray dogs and neutering of stray dogs as means of population stabilization.

State Governments have been directed to implement the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001 diligently by constituting the State Level Monitoring Committee & District Level Monitoring Committee to address the issues related to stray dogs in the respective local bodies. 

Supreme Court changes stand; now mere membership of a banned outfit is a crime under UAPA

Source: The post is based on the article “Supreme Court changes stand; now mere membership of a banned outfit is a crime under UAPA” published in The Hindu on 24th March 2023

What is the News? 

The Supreme Court has ruled that even a mere membership of a banned association is sufficient to constitute an offence under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967. 

What is the ruling given by the Supreme Court?

The Supreme Court has restored the Doctrine of “guilt by association” in criminal jurisprudence in India as it overruled several of its 2011 judgments and declared that mere membership of a banned organization will be a crime under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA),1967.

The court basically upheld the constitutional validity and the rationale of Section 10(a)(i), of the UAPA Act which makes continued membership of a banned organization a crime punishable with a jail term of up to two years.

The court also referred to Article 19(4) of the Constitution which mandated that the citizens’ right to form unions or associations was subject to the power of the state to make laws to impose “reasonable restrictions” in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India or public order or morality.

What did the earlier rulings of the Supreme Court say on this?

In 2011, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court in ‘Arup Bhuyan v State of Assam’ had said that a person’s association with an unlawful organization must be an active “membership” which required actual incitement to violence or the act of committing violence.

In this case, the petitioner had challenged similar provisions in the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) which are now repealed. However, UAPA, the anti-terror legislation that succeeded TADA, retained the same provision. 

Several High Courts and even subsequent benches of the SC relied on the principle in the Arup Bhuyan case to hold that membership meant active membership and not just “mere membership” without any proof of incitement to violence.