Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Lots Of People? Good. Tiny Plots? Bad

GS Paper 2

GS Paper 3

GS Paper 4

• In good faith: Why remission of sentences of Anand Mohan Singh and Bilkis Bano convicts is ethically wrong

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Lots Of People? Good. Tiny Plots? Bad

News: According to the United Nations (UN) population estimates, this year, the population of India surpassed or will surpass that of China. The article explains how the Indian economy would benefit from the increase in population.

How will a rise in the younger population benefit the Indian economy?

First, given the technology and volume of capital available, a younger population results in a larger workforce and hence a higher GDP.

Second, a younger population saves more than old and this higher savings translates into higher investment. The higher investment further adds to the GDP.

Third, a younger population brings greater energy and vibrancy to a nation, leading to more innovation and its greater exploitation.

What are the concerns with the rising younger population?

The concern with the rising younger population is that it leads to greater unemployment. However, the unemployment rate depends more on policies, rather than the age composition of the population.

Moreover, the unemployment rate in India has been low in the 3-5% range and the major concern with India is underemployment rather than unemployment.

Although India has witnessed a decline in the ratio of underemployment post 1991 policy reforms, still more policy measures are required to accelerate this decline.

What are other benefits of a larger population?

A larger population benefits the economy in terms of public goods. For example, India’s digital infrastructure.

On the cost side, with no additional cost for adding another user, the platform’s per-user cost decreases as the number of users increases.

On the benefits side, as more users come on board, the value of the platform to the existing users rises since they can now transact with a larger number of users.

The larger number of users also generates a larger volume of data increasing their utility to potential data users.

This same argument also applies to other forms of infrastructure.

For instance, once a road is constructed, adding additional users does not reduce its accessibility to other users until traffic congestion occurs. Existing roads become more useful as the road network grows.

What are the disadvantages of a larger population?

A major disadvantage of a larger population is the fixed quantity of agricultural land. There has been a consistent decline in the size of agricultural land holdings, e.g., 48% of land holdings, by 2015, had fallen below half hectare in size.

Since agriculture involves a larger number of populations, the small agricultural land becomes uneconomical for the growing population. Hence, it is argued that a larger population is a bane for the economy.

What can be the solution to underemployment in agriculture?

The solution to the underemployment in agriculture is not the small population but faster migration of the workforce out of agriculture into industry and services.

The migration out of agriculture has been a at a slow pace. This needs to be addressed by the government to reap the benefits of the larger younger population.

GS Paper 2

The fallout of Putin helping make NATO ‘great again’

News- NATO has added Finland as its 31st member in April 2023. Sweden will become a member eventually.

What are the changes happening in relationship dynamics between Russia and Europe and what are its implications?

First, managing relations with Russia has never been easy for the European Union. There are differences among member-states.

Some European countries such as Germany and France had a soft corner for Russia. Some Baltic states such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were in favour of treading a cautious path.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has deteriorated the security situation in Europe. It has given a blow to the EU’s image. Russia’s actions have now united European countries more than ever before.

Nordic countries may face a standoff with Russia is the Arctic region. It has received little attention till now. But, due to climate change and prospects of harnessing untapped oil, gas and mineral resources, it is receiving wide attention.

Apart from the United States, Canada, and Russia, the Nordic countries are members of the Arctic Council. They have a direct stake in Arctic affairs.

There have been localised confrontations between Russia and other actors here. NATO membership for the Nordic countries has brought a new geo-strategic dimension to the Arctic’s future.

For Russia, cohabitation, rather than confrontation, with NATO was an option. But, its military action has changed everything. It has triggered a NATO expansion in the Nordic and has complicated the security landscape and created more frontiers.

There is more justification for NATO’s existence now. Many countries now see their secure future in NATO.

What will be the implications of these developments for India?

First, India is unlikely to help Moscow in maintaining the balance of power to counter NATO. Whereas Russia may count on China for support. It will bring the two countries closer, strategically and militarily. It may not be in India’s interest.

Second, in recent years, the Nordic region has become strategically important for India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Copenhagen to participate in the Second India-Nordic Summit in May 2022, and underlined India’s deep interest in cooperation. This region now coming under a NATO umbrella will complicate India’s strategic choices.

Third, India has observer status in the Arctic Council. It pursues an Arctic Policy to promote multi-level cooperation. China is claiming itself as a ‘Near Arctic State’. Its partnership with Russia in this region and Finland’s NATO membership, may lead to the Arctic’s militarisation. It will affect the interests of all actors including India.

India’s global actor role will be tested in view of the new European security architecture led by NATO and contested by Russia.

GS Paper 3

Balancing regulatory approaches

News: There have been debates over whether regulators should follow a principle-based or rule-based approach (PBA or RBA) in framing regulations for the financial markets.

What is PBA and RBA?

Principle-based approach (PBA): It involves providing broad guiding factors in regulations while giving flexibility to regulated entities to work out on operational requirements.

Rule-based approach (RBA): It involves listing out possible scenarios and detailing specific penal consequences for violations.

Which is a better form of regulatory practice?

PBA is effective in developed countries with mature markets, wherein the reputational risks are taken seriously and the law enforcement mechanisms are robust.

Whereas, RBA may be effective in developing countries which lack market maturity and do not have a robust law enforcement mechanism.

While PBA appears to be more in line with free market philosophy, RBA appears intrusive with a control and command approach.

How does the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) regulate the financial markets in India?

Sebi follows a well-established procedure in drafting various regulations. It has subject-specific committees and various stakeholders as members to make recommendations.

These recommendations and changes are generally influenced by tribunals’/ courts’ rulings, and changes in the parliamentary laws.

What are the challenges with SEBI?

The most challenging part of the SEBI is the effective implementation of the law.

A law framed for the financial market needs to be strong enough to cater the demand of stakeholders as well as prevent miscreants to misuse the loopholes in the law.

Further, at times even a straightforward regulation may also create trouble for the regulator.

SEBI is often criticized for over-regulation. For instance, the primary function of the SEBI is to protect the investors interest. At times, the concerns over the investors in case of scam gets highlighted.

In such a case, SEBI comes up with more rule-based regulation, which also might have unintended consequences, giving a negative image of SEBI in the market.

Therefore, while SEBI is trying its best to function as an effective regulator, still it has to face the criticism and often finds itself isolated when a market mishap or scam happens.

What can be the way ahead?

Looking at the present scenario, the financial sector regulators in India are likely to continue favouring the RBA. However, this may be problematic for technology-driven regulated activities due to the rapid changing technology.

Moreover, if the industry favours principle-based laws, it must go beyond just wanting “ease of doing business” and show maturity, responsible behaviour, and self-discipline.

There is also a need to strengthen the tribunals/courts dealing with the financial sector in terms of trained manpower and infrastructure.

Hence, for a responsive and effective regulatory system, the entire ecosystem needs to support and encourage the regulatory practices.

A ground view of the Indian Space Policy 2023

News– Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released the Indian Space Policy 2023.

What are some facts about the space industry in India?

Until the early 1990s, India’s space industry and space economy were defined by ISRO. Private sector involvement was limited to building ISRO designs and specifications.

The Second Space Age began with the licensing of private TV channels, the explosive growth of the Internet, mobile telephony, and the emergence of the smartphone.

Today, ISRO’s budget is approximately $1.6 billion. India’s space economy is over $9.6 billion. Broadband, OTT and 5G promise a double-digit annual growth in satellite-based services.

The Indian space industry could grow to $60 billion by 2030. It will directly create more than two lakh jobs.

What have been various policy instruments adopted by the Indian government for the space sector and their impacts?

The first satellite communication policy was introduced in 1997, with guidelines for foreign direct investment in the satellite industry. But it never generated much enthusiasm.

Today, more than half the transponders beaming TV signals into Indian homes are hosted on foreign satellites, resulting in an annual outflow of over half a billion dollars.

A remote sensing data policy was introduced in 2001, which was amended in 2011. In 2016, it was replaced by a National Geospatial Policy. Yet, Indian users spend nearly a billion dollars annually to procure earth observation data and imagery from foreign sources.

A draft Space Activities Bill was brought out in 2017. It went through a long consultative process. It lapsed in 2019 with the outgoing Lok Sabha.

The government was expected to introduce a new Bill by 2021. Buit, it appears to have contented itself with the new policy statement.

What are the main key points related to the new space policy?

Security related aspects– There is little reference to ‘security’ in the document. The focus is on civilian and peaceful applications.

India is focussing on space-based intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, communication, positioning and navigation capabilities. it is reasonable to infer that a defence-oriented space security policy document will be a separate document.

Overall framework– The policy lays out a strategy. It spells out the roles of the Department of Space, ISRO, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), and the NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

ISRO role – it states that ISRO will move out of the manufacturing of operational space systems. Mature systems shall be transferred to industries for commercial exploitation.

ISRO shall focus on R&D in advanced technology, providing newer systems and realisation of space objects for meeting national prerogatives.

ISRO will share technologies, products, processes and best practices with non-government entities and Government companies.

This implies that ISRO will now use its talented manpower, to concentrate on cutting edge R&D and long-term projects such as Chandrayaan and Gaganyaan.

As ISRO’s commercial arm, NSIL will become the interface for interacting with the industry.

Role of non-government entities– Fourth, the non-government entities are allowed to undertake end-to-end activities in the space sector through establishment and operation of space objects, ground-based assets and related services, such as communication. Satellites could be self-owned, procured or leased. Communication services could be over India or outside; and remote sensing data could be disseminated in India or abroad.

The entire gamut of space activities is now open to the private sector.

IN-SPACe is expected to act as the single window agency for authorising space activities by government entities and NGEs.

What are issues with the new policy?

The policy sets out an ambitious role for IN-SPACe but provides no time frame for the necessary steps ahead.

The policy framework will need clear rules and regulations regarding FDI and licensing, government procurement, liability in case of violations. It will need an appellate framework for dispute settlement.

A regulatory body needs legislative authority. IN-SPACe is expected to authorise space activities for all, both government and non-government entities.

Currently, its position is ambiguous as it functions under the purview of the Department of Space. The Secretary (Space) is also Chairman of ISRO, the government entity to be regulated by IN-SPACe.

Economic weather warning

Inflation– The MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) meeting gives the impression that inflation is well under control. This is good from a policy stance but is worrying for households. They are facing a relentless increase in the prices of goods and services.

They have experienced a cumulative inflation of over 18% in the last three years.

Growth– The growth picture is also ambivalent. India is among the fastest-growing economies at 6-6.5%. But this picture too is different when looked at from a medium-term perspective.

There is not too much optimism about being on track for the 8% plus growth rate. The new normal appears to be 6-7%.

Exports– Policymakers are satisfied with new heights achieved in the exports of goods and services. Services have gone against the trend of the global slowdown in 2022. But exports of merchandise are not too satisfactory.

For example, if refinery products are excluded from the export’s basket, there has been a fall in FY23.

Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme aspires to make India the centre of all global chains. It seems to be only an aspiration as of today.

Indian exports are linked with global growth and a slowdown is not good for them. In 2022, higher crude prices got reflected in both imports and exports.

Investment– The investment picture has two sides as well. The official position is that investment is picking up in the private sector. It should get reflected on the funding side.

In the investment conclaves, major companies show a lot of interest. But, signing MoUs means little when not converted to action.

Data on all funding sources show that there is a slowdown. Bank credit is buoyant more on the retail end than manufacturing. Debt issuances are dominated by the financial sector. Manufacturing is still lagging.

External Commercial Borrowings have slowed down mainly due to the higher cost of loans.

Consumption– The consumption picture is also fuzzy. There are reports of rural demand being good in FY23. But, it is not reflected in the production of consumer goods.

The 16% growth in nominal consumption in FY23 would tantamount to just 7% in real terms, as inflation has pushed up costs. And this was also brought about by pent-up demand for both goods and services post the full removal of the lockdown in 2022.

Employment– A growing economy needs to create more jobs if consumption and investment have to be sustained. As per CMIE data, the average unemployment rate is around 7.5%. It can now be considered the natural rate of unemployment in India.

There are concerns related to the labour participation rate. It has come down  from 46.2% in FY17 to 39.5% in FY23. It indicates a growing population in the working age group that is not interested in working.

There has been a series of layoffs in several IT and fintech companies. The promise shown by start-ups has not yet been realised and hence.

Banking– The bright spot in this picture is the banking sector. The cleaning up operations and slowdown in the economy has helped the banks, especially in the public sector, to emerge stronger.

NPA levels have come down and banks are well-capitalised. Also, profitability has improved. Quality of assets means lower provisioning for NPAs.

When the economy gets into the take-off mode, banks will be well equipped to provide the funds. This was not the case 4-5 years ago.

Labour rules of states encourage inspector raj

News– The article explains the recent labour reforms introduced by central government and their impacts. It also explains the employment needs and structure of India economy.

What are estimates related to employment need of Indian population?

As per Planning Commission estimates, India needs to create 10 million or 12 million jobs every year. But these are dated figures. It does not take into consideration the impacts of slowing rate of population growth

The answer depends on the timeline, assumptions about future fertility and views on work participation rates. A rough range might be 5-8 million.

If the economy grows at 6.5%, there must be employment growth unless labour productivity increases at 6.5%.

There are legitimate concerns about not enough jobs, the quality of jobs being created, voluntary opting out of the labour force by both males and females.

What are some facts about employment elasticity of the economy?

Employment is inadequately measured in an informal economy. So, employment elasticity of growth ought to be higher. But, despite India’s demographic dividend, employment elasticity is not higher.

The composition of growth matters and employment elasticity varies across sectors. It will be considerably higher in construction than in manufacturing. Modern manufacturing can be technology and capital-intensive.

There are several reasons behind the high capital intensity of production. There is an extent to which capital and labour are substitutes. The choice depends on relative prices.

In a relatively labour-surplus economy, labour costs should be lower and labour costs do not mean wage costs alone. There are also skill and productivity issues.

What are some facts about recent labour reforms by Indian government?

The Central Government has codified 29 laws into four Codes. These Codes are on wages, social security, occupational safety, health and working conditions and industrial relations.

They certainly don’t cover every statute on labour and employment. They cover only those administered by the ministry, unlike labour law reforms in a country like Bangladesh.

This standardisation and simplification break down the unorganised versus organised divide. It strengthens protection for the unorganised and make organised labour markets more flexible. Such reforms are desirable.

Do these labour codes stimulate employment?

Even before these Codes, some states introduced labour reforms. The effects of such changes are conditional and qualified.

Taken in isolation, these changes have minimal effect. But they matter at the margin. Combined with other reforms, they lead to job growth.

Labour conditions vary across states. So, labour is in the Concurrent List of constitution, not in the Union List or State List. Hence, after those codes are framed, states need to publish rules. All states haven’t done that. It has nullified the intent behind the Codes.

Most states have published rules under wages, a few under industrial relations and social security, and least under occupational safety.

Non-transparent rules on occupational safety, health and working conditions facilitate corruption and the inspector raj, in the functioning stage of an enterprise.

Snap judgment – Every birth or death should not be seen as success or failure of Project Cheetah

News: It is almost three months since South Africa sent a batch of 12 cheetahs to India and three have already died. About 15% of the animals have not made it past the first phase of India’s ambitious Project Cheetah. This raises some doubts about Project Cheetah.

About Sasha, Cheetah Reintroduction Project and Kuno National Park

About the progress of the Cheetah Reintroduction Project so far

Note: The aim is to establish a sustainable population of about 35 cheetahs in the next decade by bringing in a few every year from Africa. 

What are the concerns highlighted by environmentalists on project Cheetah?

a) Kuno National Park is inadequate to host 20 cheetahs and some ought to be in other sanctuaries, b) The existing batch of animals lived far too long in captivity for the translocation and thus were excessively stressed and more vulnerable.

Can one measure the success of the project Cheetah now?

The success of wildlife breeding programmes must be measured over longer intervals.  The increase in the lion population in Gir, Gujarat, as well as tiger numbers, have been the result of sustained efforts over decades. So, it is premature to measure the success of the cheetah translocation programme.

So, every death and every birth should not be seen as markers of failure or success. To silence the critics, the government has to clearly define criteria with timelines that project managers must adhere to. This in future might aid in course correction of the project as well.

The troubles of India’s aviation industry

News: After low-cost carrier GoFirst’s insolvency, the aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed the airline to stop selling air tickets immediately.

What are the reasons behind Go Air’s insolvency?

How big is the Indian aviation sector?

As per the Civil Aviation Ministry, India will have more than 140 million passengers in FY2024 alone. There are currently 148 airports in the country and it is the third-largest domestic market in the world in terms of seat capacity. As of March 2023, IndiGo remained the domestic market leader with 56.8% of the market share, followed by Vistara (8.9%) and Air India (8.8%).

Does the Indian aviation sector financially viable?

Financial trouble has led to the folding of major airlines in the past few decades. Around seventeen airlines, domestic and regional, have exited the market. In 2019-20, IndiGo was the only airline to make a profit, while all other players posted losses. This is because,

– The consolidation of four carriers including Air India and Vistara under one umbrella is going to make it tougher for smaller airlines to capture the market.

-Air India consolidation will make around 75-80% of the market be captured by Indigo and Air India combined, leaving just about 20% for players like SpiceJet, GoFirst (if it revives), and the newest entrant Akasa.

-About 80% of India’s total commercial fleet is leased, according to PwC. However, leasing ends up adding high costs to operations as these leases of about six months each are denominated in U.S dollars. Leasing costs alone make up nearly 15% of the revenues of Indian Airlines, except Air India which owns a large part of its fleet.

The costs of these leases go up further if the Indian rupee depreciates during short and long term global financial developments.

– There are high costs associated with the training of airline crew. Besides, the crunch in pilots is also reflective of the inadequate number of Flight Training Organisations.

What are the government initiatives to boost India’s aviation industry?

Aviation policy is dealt with by the Ministry of Civil Aviation under the legal framework of the Aircraft Act 1934, and Aircraft Rules 1937.

The DGCA is the statutory regulatory authority which comes in for issues related to safety, licensing, airworthiness, and so on.

What are the issues with government policy in the Indian aviation sector?

India has not kept pace with modern technology in aerospace and increasing costs to the industry which ultimately affects passenger growth.

High taxes on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF): According to estimates, while India’s airfares are 15% below the break-even point. Heavily-taxed ATF alone contributes to the single biggest expenses of carriers, amounting to anywhere between 40-50% of operational expenses.

Some Indian States impose provincial taxes of as much as 30% on jet fuel. This also makes shorter flight routes unsustainable for smaller airlines.

Barriers to entry and growth: Indian aviation policy has posed barriers to entry and growth and also has not affected players uniformly.

For instance, from 2004 to 2016, new airlines in the country had to be in operation for at least five years and have a fleet of at least 20 aircraft to be able to fly internationally. The National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) in 2016 removed the five years of domestic experience. Many new players want this condition to be removed. But the older airlines oppose such a reversal.

Airport fees: Airlines have to bear costs in terms of airport fees for the use of airport facilities including aircraft landing, freight and other charges related to the use of airport infrastructure such as runways and passenger terminals.

What should be done?

The government have to plan and make leasing companies to set up shop in India. Not only that the policies should make a proper functioning of leasing hubs. Till then the expensive lease rents and repayment feuds will stay.

Fortifying food security – WTO norms should be made more realistic

News: Recently, the agriculture committee of the World Trade Organization (WTO) held a special session in Geneva. In that, India urged the WTO to find a permanent solution to the issue of farm subsidies and public stockholding for food security. 

About the history of the tussle between India and WTO

Food security matter has been hotly debated since the inception of the WTO’s Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). The AoA had prescribed an irrational outer limit for farm subsidies of 10% of the value of crop production, based on the prices prevailing between 1986 and 1988.

Any outgo on agricultural support in excess of this cap is deemed trade-distorting. However, an ad hoc relief measure was stipulated for the developing countries during the WTO’s ministerial summit at Bali in 2013 in the form of the “Peace Clause”.

India has often taken refuge under Peace Clause because of a) large stock accumulation due to its market, b) farm-income support policies entailing open-ended crop procurement at minimum support prices.

What are the issues with AoA?

a) The agreement limits the developing countries’ space for extending price support for farm commodities and restricts their policy space for taking up food-security programmes for the teeming poor, b) Relentless food inflation has rendered the existing food-stocking and farm-subsidy norms totally unrealistic, c) Exacerbated uncertainties about food production and global supplies due to climate change and geo-political factors, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict have also made the ceiling ineffective.

About the demand for a permanent solution

Many countries including China, South Africa, Egypt, Sri Lanka, and many other African and Asian nations are in support of India to find a permanent solution. Any alternative plan has to be better, and more practical, than the present Peace Clause-based interim arrangement.

What should be considered while formulating a permanent solution?

-Ideally, the benchmark prices should be revised periodically, taking the average prices of the previous five years into account. This should be included.

-The food security-oriented programmes launched by various countries after the introduction of the Peace Clause in 2013 should also be factored in while assessing the aggregate measure of support to agriculture.

India, China, and several other countries demanded text-based negotiations for fixing the agenda for the next WTO ministerial meeting scheduled in Abu Dhabi. The WTO members should adhere to this.

The SVB crash could cue how to fortify banks in India

News: The collapse in the US of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) might offer some lessons to strengthen Indian banking system. 

About the collapse of SVB

What will be US Fed decisions and How it will impact India?

How India can act as a role model to prevent a bank crisis? 

What are the tweaks that can be made to make Indian banks more robust and agile?

Categorization serves no purpose: In India, banks categorize retail and bulk deposits (each with their own definition) and disclose the profile of such deposits. The lesson from SVB is that this categorization serves no purpose.

Follow graded insurance premium: Only bank deposits of ₹5 lakh and below are insured in India, Indian banks must be mandated to disclose the percentage of their deposits below ₹5 lakh per customer in the deposit rate card published on their websites. So that the RBI can ensure that the banks with higher-than-average uninsured deposits pay a higher deposit insurance premium compared to banks with an appropriate level.

Blended SLR maintenance: If a deposit is insured and cash reserve ratio (CRR) is maintained on it, then there is no need to maintain high statutory reserves (statutory liquidity ratio or SLR) on insured deposits. Instead, India can have differential reserve prescriptions between insured and uninsured deposits. For example, RBI can mandate an SLR of 10% on insured deposits and 23% on uninsured deposits. This would incentivize banks to focus on granular deposits to lower their grossed-up cost of deposits.

Study the data: Data on the correlation of deposit behaviour among departments and entities of a single state government or multiple entities within a corporate group or bulk deposits from entities in a single industry can be studied and concentration metrics introduced to track the proportion of such deposits.

Remove regulatory arbitrage between NBFC and Banks: RBI has to regulate and supervise deposit-taking non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) which function like banks. This is because the deposit-taking NBFCs also maintain reserves on public deposits.

GS Paper 4

In good faith: Why remission of sentences of Anand Mohan Singh and Bilkis Bano convicts is ethically wrong

News: The recent remissions of Anand Mohan Singh and the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case seem to be politically motivated. 

About provisions for remission

The constitutional provisions on remission were framed after lengthy discussions on crime, punishment, guilt and redemption.

Articles 72 and 161 of the Constitution do mandate humanitarian remission. Sections 432, 433, 433A, 434 and 435 of the CrPC also empower the government to suspend or remit sentences.

Remission should not be seen as the fundamental right of convicts. This is clarified by the Supreme Court in Mahender Singh v State of Haryana (2007) case. In that, the SC said that the state must give due consideration to every case of clemency, but it also said that no convict has a right to remission.

What are the ethical dimensions of remission?

Remission of punishment is meant to uphold a sense of community justice. The mercy for convicts continues to remain a contentious matter.

Recognising the links between the severity of crime and punishment is one of the fundamental mandates of the criminal justice system. The remission should be based on the principle that the act of compassion towards a convict should not be insensitive to the victim of the crime. Convicts who have inflicted unequivocal damage on society should not be remitted prematurely. 

Why the remission of sentences in Bilkis Bano convicts is ethically wrong?

-The remission of the Bilkis Bano convict’s sentence seems to have been actuated by mistaken notions of mercy. Laws and principles of justice hinge on public respect. The recent remission will severely hamper public respect.

-The misuse of the Constitution’s humanitarian provision in recent times subverts the intentions of our founding fathers.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

iDrone Initiative: ICMR conducts trial run of blood bag delivery by drone

Source: The post is based on the article “ICMR conducts trial run of blood bag delivery by drone” published in The Hindu on 11th May 2023

What is the News?

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has successfully conducted a trial run of the delivery of blood bags under its iDrone initiative.

What is the iDrone Initiative?

Launched by: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Aim: To assess the feasibility of using drones to deliver vaccines and medical supplies. 

Features: i-Drone was first used by ICMR during the Covid-19 pandemic for distributing vaccines to hard-to-reach areas.

– It is now being used to deliver blood and blood-related products which are supposed to be kept at a low temperature. 

Which other countries use drones to deliver medical supplies?

Some countries are already using drones to deliver blood products, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and even organs to remote, rural areas or areas with poor infrastructure.

In Ghana, drone delivery of blood — both as laboratory samples and as emergency blood and blood product delivery — is now available for thousands of health facilities serving millions of people.

Study on sludge finds high potential for use as fertilizer after treatment

Source: The post is based on the article “Study on sludge finds high potential for use as fertilizer after treatment” published in The Hindu on 11th May 2023

What is the News?

A study has found that the sludge found in Indian sewage treatment plants (STP), has “high potential” to be used as fertilizer.

What is Sludge?

Sludge is a thick residue found in Sewage Treatment Plants set up to treat polluted water.

They are rich in organic chemicals but are also a repository of heavy metals, industrial effluents and bacterial contaminants.

What is the government initiative to treat sludge?

National Mission for Clean Ganga is a flagship programme of the government to establish treatment facilities and prevent pollution of the Ganga River.

One of the measures under this is “Arth Ganga” (economic value from Ganga). It aims to “monetise” and reuse treated wastewater and sludge. This means converting sludge into usable products such as manure and bricks.

Classification of Treated Sludge: As per standards of the United States Environment Protection Agency, treated sludge can be classified as:

Class A sludge: It is safe to be disposed of in the open and useful as organic fertilizer.

Class B sludge: It can be used in restricted agricultural applications, with the edible parts of the crop not exposed to the sludge-mixed soil, and animals and people not coming into extensive contact.

Note: India doesn’t yet have standards classifying sludge as class A or B.

What did the study find about Sludge treatment in India?

A study by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee found that most of the sludge analyzed after drying fell into the class B category. 

Hence, the study said that the sludge found in Indian sewage treatment plants (STP) has a high potential for use as fertilizer but required treatment before it could be used unrestricted on farms or as a potential biofuel.

National Medical Commission (NMC): Foreign medical graduates can intern in any State

Source: The post is based on the article “Foreign medical graduates can intern in any State” published in The Hindu on 11th May 2023

What is the News?

The National Medical Commission(NMC) has allowed foreign medical graduates who have passed their screening test to intern at non-teaching hospitals.

This has been announced as a one-time measure to help students who are in the last year of their studies and had returned to India due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and so on.

The State Medical Councils shall not deny allotment of medical colleges for internships to foreign medical graduates(FMG) on the basis of their domicile, and they can complete their internship from a medical college in any State or Union Territory if they are otherwise eligible. 

What is the National Medical Commission (NMC)?

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has been constituted by an act of Parliament known as the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 which came into force in 2020.

The mandate of the commission is to: 

1) improve access to quality and affordable medical education;

2) ensure the availability of adequate and high-quality medical professionals in all parts of the country; 

3) promote equitable and universal healthcare that encourages community health perspective and makes services of medical professionals accessible to all the citizens; 

4) encourages medical professionals to adopt the latest medical research in their work and to contribute to research; 

5) objectively assess medical institutions periodically in a transparent manner; (vi) maintain a medical register for India; 

6) enforce high ethical standards in all aspects of medical services; and 

7) have an effective grievance redressal mechanism.

Who are the Meitei, Manipur’s valley-dwellers with an old and rich history?

Source: The post is based on the article “Who are the Meitei, Manipur’s valley-dwellers with an old and rich history?” published in Indian Express on 11th May 2023

What is the News?

The All-Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) has carried out a solidarity march in order to oppose the demand of the Meitei Community to be included in the List of State’s Scheduled Tribes(ST).

The march broke into violent clashes after an order from the Manipur High Court, directing the State to pursue a 10-year-old recommendation to grant ST status to the non-tribal Meitei community.

Who are Meitis?

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The Meiteis are divided into seven Salai or clans — Mangang, Luwang, Khuman, Angom, Moirang Kha, Ngangba, and Sarang Leishangthem.

Why does the Meitei community want ST Status?

The Meitei community has been demanding ST status since 2012, asking to provide them with constitutional safeguards to preserve their culture, language, and identity.

The Meiteis argue that they were recognised as a tribe before the merger of Manipur with India in 1949 but lost their identity after the merger in India.

As a result of being left out of the ST list, the Meitei community feels marginalized and victimized without any constitutional protections.

Their population, which was 59% of the total population of Manipur in 1951, has now been reduced to 44% as per 2011 Census data.

They believe that granting ST status would help preserve their ancestral land, tradition, culture, and language, and safeguard them against outsiders.

Common uniform for brigadiers and above rank officers in Army

Source: The post is based on the article “Common uniform for brigadiers and above rank officers in Army” published in The Hindu on 11th May 2023

What is the News?

The Army has decided that brigadiers and above rank officers will have a common uniform irrespective of their parent cadre and appointment.

How will the uniforms worn by Senior Army officers change?

All officers of the rank of Brigadier, Maj General, Lt General, and General will now wear berets (caps) of the same colour, common badges of rank, a common belt buckle and a common pattern of shoes.

They will no longer wear regimental lanyards (cords) on their shoulders. They will also not wear any shoulder flashes like ‘Special Forces’, ‘Arunachal Scouts’, ‘Dogra Scouts’, etc.

Thus, there will be no item of uniform that will identify them as belonging to a particular Regiment or Corps. All officers of these higher ranks will dress alike in the same pattern of uniform.

What is the reason for making this change?

Regimental service in the Army ends at the rank of Colonel for most officers who rise further. Thus, all uniform affiliations with that particular Regiment or Corps must also end at that rank, so that any regimental parochialism that may exist is not promoted to the higher ranks.

Is this the first time that this is being done?

The Army is now reverting to the practice that was followed almost 40 years ago, when the changes towards wearing regimental affiliations took hold in the service.

Until about the mid-1980s, the regimental service was till the rank of Lt Colonel. Officers of the rank of Colonel and above had common uniform patterns and insignia. Colonels and Brigadiers shed their regimental insignia and wore the Ashoka emblem on their cap badges. The colour of the beret was khaki.

Union Minister launches ‘Harit Sagar’ the Green Port Guidelines 2023

Source: The post is based on the article “Union Minister launches ‘Harit Sagar’ the Green Port Guidelines 2023” published in PIB on 11th May 2023

What is the News?

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways has launched ‘Harit Sagar’ the Green Port Guidelines.

What is Harit Sagar?

Harit Sagar are guidelines released with the aim to achieve Green Ports.

Objective: The guidelines envisage ecosystem dynamics in port development, operation and maintenance while aligning with the ’Working with Nature’ concept and minimizing the impact on biotic components of the harbour ecosystem. 

Features of the guidelines: The guidelines lays emphasis on use of Clean / Green energy in Port operation, developing Port capabilities for storage, handling and bunkering of Greener Fuels viz. Green Hydrogen, Green Ammonia, Green Methanol / Ethanol etc.

– It also provides a framework for the Major Ports for drawing out a comprehensive action plan for achieving targeted outcomes in terms of quantified reduction in carbon emission over defined timelines, through focused implementation and close monitoring of Green Initiatives and to achieve Sustainable Development Goals(SDG).

Main Goals: The guidelines’ main goals are to reduce trash through the four R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle in order to achieve zero waste discharge from port operations.

– Additionally, it includes provisions for adopting the international Green Reporting Initiative (GRI) standard and covers parts of the National Green Hydrogen Mission related to ports, the creation of green hydrogen facilities, LNG bunkering, offshore wind energy, etc.      

Global warming: Why India is heating up slower than the world average

Source: The post is based on the article “Global warming: Why India is heating up slower than the world average” published in Indian Express on 10th May 2023

What is the News?

The annual mean temperature of the world is known to have increased by 1.1 degree Celsius from the average of the 1850-1900 period. But this increase is not uniform. It varies in different regions and also at different times of the year.

About the Temperature rises over lands and Oceans

Temperature rise over land is much higher than over oceans. 

According to the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, over land, the annual mean temperatures have risen by as much as 1.59 degree Celsius since preindustrial times. Oceans, in contrast, have warmed by about 0.88 degree Celsius.

The warming trends over the Indian region are very different. An assessment of climate change over the Indian subcontinent, published by the Ministry of Earth Sciences in 2020, said annual mean temperatures had risen by 0.7 degree Celsius from 1900. 

This is significantly lower than the 1.59 degree Celsius rise for land temperatures across the world.

Why is warming over India lower? 

The relatively lower rise in temperatures over India is not a surprise.

This is because the increase in temperatures is known to be more prominent in the higher altitudes, near the polar regions, than near the equator. This is attributable to a complex set of atmospheric phenomena, including heat transfers from the tropics to the poles through prevailing systems of air circulation. India happens to be in the tropical region, quite close to the equator.

How much is the Arctic region warming?

The IPCC report says the Arctic region has warmed at least twice as much as the world average. Its current annual mean temperatures are about 2 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial times. Some other studies suggest the Arctic could be warming even faster.

The prominent reason for this is what is known as the albedo effect, or how much sunlight a surface reflects. The ice cover in the Arctic is melting, because of which more land or water is getting exposed to the Sun. Ice traps the least amount of heat and reflects most of the solar radiation when compared with land or water. 

The warming in the polar regions accounts for a substantial part of the 1.1-degree Celsius temperature rise over the entire globe.

What is the impact of Aerosols on Global warming in India?

Aerosols refer to all kinds of particles suspended in the atmosphere. These particles have the potential to affect the local temperature in multiple ways. 

Many of these aerosols scatter sunlight back so that lesser heat is absorbed by the land. Aerosols also affect cloud formation. Clouds, in turn, have an impact on how much sunlight is reflected or absorbed.

Aerosol concentration over the Indian region is quite high, due to natural as well as man-made reasons. Due to its location in the tropics and the arid climate, India is no stranger to dust. But it also happens to be experiencing heavy pollution right now. Emissions from vehicles, industries, construction, and other activities add a lot of aerosols to the Indian region.

Hence, a reduction in warming could be an unintended but positive side-effect of aerosols.