9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – November 5th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• About rising global population: How we can achieve growth with balance

GS Paper 2

• Remote voting-Shorter term overseas migrants should be able to avail the postal ballot system
• What international jurisprudence says about the use of nuclear weapons

GS Paper 3

• The real issue at COP27 is energy security
• Don’t Delhi And Punjab Govt Breath The Same Air?
• Data goes private: Positive for India but also a challenge for the govt

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Indian Army Approves Five make II Projects Providing Impetus to “Atma Nirbhaarta”
• Aibawk cluster in the Aizwal, Mizoram becomes the first cluster to be completed under the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission
• Somewhere over the rainbow climate impact is visible
• A brush for change
• Remembering EK Janaki Ammal, India’s first woman PhD in Botanical Sciences
• India saw natural disasters almost every day in first 9 months of 2022: CSE report
• Explained | Can convicted legislators be disqualified from the Assembly?

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

About rising global population: How we can achieve growth with balance

News: World’s population is increasing rapidly. It is expected that India might be the world’s most populous country by 2050 with its population crossing 1.65 billion and replacing China from the top spot.

What are the different views on the rising global population? 

Positive aspect: Some argue that population growth will bring new ideas that will increase food production while others argue that population growth leads to the creation of more value than consumed by an individual. 

Negative aspect: Others argue that more people means more exploitation of resources and more carbon emissions which may ultimately harm nature.  

What are the projections for global population growth? 

China along with developed Western countries took measures to control their population in the last century. As a result, they witnessed low birth rates leading to a slowing down of population growth in this century. 

However, countries like the Middle East and Africa continue to register higher population growth rates. There is a projection that 40 per cent of the world population will reside in Africa by 2100.  

Moreover, Muslim countries’ population growth rates have increased to 1.5% compared to the rest at 0.7%. This population growth will also be witnessed in India which has raised alarms among the policymakers including in India. 

What are the concerns for India? 

Due to the rise in Muslim population, it is expected that India will have the largest Muslim population in the world by 2050 and this growth might endanger the unity of the nation. 

One of the consequences of the rising population is that it leads to a division of the country. South Sudan and Kosovo are examples of it. 

However, globally there has been a decline in the population growth rates including low fertility rates among Muslims. This has been highlighted by National Family Health Survey. 

What can be the course of action to control the rising global population? 

The population will continue to grow with time so balanced growth is needed with better living standards for future generations. Thus, the world need to ensure sustainable growth. 

The statement of Gandhiji “nature can offer a free lunch, if only we control our appetite” is relevant in this context. 

GS Paper 2

Remote voting-Shorter term overseas migrants should be able to avail the postal ballot system

News: The article explains the issue of allowing postal ballot facility to overseas citizens. This is important as India has a large diaspora population of 1.35 crore. 

What is the present voting system for overseas citizens? 

Currently, ECI allows enrolled overseas citizens to vote in person at the constituency where they are registered as a voter. 

What are the issues with the present system? 

The necessity to vote in person and the costs associated with overseas citizens have acted as a disincentive for their wanting to exercise their mandate. This was evident in the numbers of such voters in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. It was 25606 against 99,844 registered electors. 

What is the stand of ECI? 

In 2014, a committee constituted by the ECI to probe methods to enable overseas voters’ mandates concluded that proxy voting was the most viable. Some political parties objected to the idea.  

A Bill was passed in the 16th Lok Sabha to enable proxy voting but it lapsed.  

In 2020, the ECI approached the Government to permit NRIs to vote via postal ballots, similar to the system already used by service voters. 

Why is allowing postal ballots a good move? 

Several overseas countries allow this option to their overseas citizens. This is a better method of registering their vote rather than appointing a proxy. Proxy is allowed in case of service personnel who are limited in number. On other hand, NRIs are substantial in numbers. 

In the 2014 discussion organised by the ECI, some parties raised a question, how NRIs will get the benefit which is denied to internal migrant workers. But the higher costs of travel back to India, as opposed to travelling within justify this move 

What international jurisprudence says about the use of nuclear weapons

News: Recently, there has been much talk about the use of nuclear weapons due to the Ukraine conflict which has raised concerns over its use.  

What was the stand of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the use of nuclear weapons? 

The UN for Advisory Opinion requested the ICJ 30 years ago on the matter whether the use of nuclear weapons can go in hand with the basic principles of humanitarian law. 

A majority of 12 out of 15 judges at the ICJ concluded that the use of nuclear weapons can be made only in exceptional cases where the country’s survival is at stake. 

However, three judges disagreed and they said that the concept of the humanitarian laws of war is deeply rooted in the ancient cultures of different religions. 

They cited that the ancient South Asian tradition prohibited the use of “hyper destructive weapons”.  The judges also quoted the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharat where the use of such destructive weapons was prohibited in any case. 

For instance, Rama warned Lakshmana that destructive weapons should not be used in the war because they could lead to the destruction of masses which is forbidden in the ancient laws. 

Judges further said that this problem is universal and therefore ICJ should reflect the world’s principal cultural traditions and include representatives from all over the world. 

They also highlighted that international laws should be made in such a way that demotes the use of nuclear weapons but this might not be possible. 

What can be the course of action regarding the use of nuclear weapons? 

All countries whether nuclear or non-nuclear must adapt to a nuclear-free world. As per J Robert Oppenheimer (inventor of the atom bomb), the only defence against a nuclear weapon is peace. 

This has also been highlighted in the preamble of UNESCO that says “Wars begin in the minds of men, and it is in the minds of men (and women) that the defences of peace must be constructed.” 

GS Paper 3

The real issue at COP27 is energy security

News: The article explains the global energy inequality across the world. 

What are issues related to climate change negotiations? 

Climate declarations by developed countries are not enough to limit the temperature rise by 1.5-degree celsius. 

Four-fifths of the global carbon budget to limit warming to 1.5°C has already been exhausted. Developed countries are responsible for more than half of these historical CO2 emissions. But they are not assuming their historical responsibility. 

What are some facts related to global energy inequality? 

In 2021, 733 million people had no access to electricity. Almost 2.6 billion people lacked access to clean fuels and technologies. The average per capita energy use of the richest 20 countries is 85 times higher than that of the 20 poorest countries. 

The reality of global inequality was acutely evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America are facing severe agricultural and industrial slowdowns in the post-pandemic period.  

In 2022, these inequalities have been aggravated by rising energy and food prices. Poor and energy-importing countries of the global South suffer the most. Almost 90 million people in Asia and Africa, who gained access to electricity recently, cannot afford to pay their energy bills. 

Why addressing the issue of energy inequality is important? 

There is a strong correlation between energy supply and human development.  

The average annual per capita electricity consumption of sub-Saharan Africa is 487 kilowatt-hours. It has an infant mortality rate of 73 per 1000 live births and per capita GDP of $1,645. 

On the other hand, the OECD group of countries have a per capita electricity consumption of 7750 kWh. It has an infant mortality rate of 18 and per capita GDP of $42,098. 

What is the hypocrisy of the global north? 

In the United States, 81% of primary energy is from fossil fuels. In Europe, fossil fuels constitute 76% of energy consumption.  

The level of decarbonisation in the global North has been minuscule.  

In July 2022, the European Union voted to classify the use of natural gas for some uses as “green and sustainable”. Natural gas was responsible for 7.5 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2020. 

They are advocating the need for shifting to green energy by the developing world. They are using this argument for banning the financing of fossil fuels in poor countries. 

What is the way forward? 

At COP27, the question of energy poverty and the global inequalities in energy access should be the centre of all discussions.  

The world needs to achieve zero hunger, zero malnutrition, zero poverty, and universal well-being. There is a need for global cooperation against energy inequality. 

Developing countries should show leadership to ensure that discussion is based on equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

Don’t Delhi And Punjab Govt Breath The Same Air?

News: The article explains the issue of poor air quality in Delhi. 

Why is stubble burning in Punjab the leading cause of pollution in Delhi? 

In the month of November, the contribution of stubble burning to Delhi pollution is more than 30%. More than 90% of farm fires in the months of October and November are reported from Punjab. 

What are other factors responsible for air pollution in Delhi? 

There is a lack of robust public transport infrastructure in Delhi. It has fewer buses today than it had 10 years back. 

Biomass burning for cooking and heating leads to poor air quality in Delhi. The pollution intensity of open biomass burning is 100 to 1000 times more than those from vehicle and industries 

There is reluctance on part of the government to grass the sideways and open spaces. 

What is the way forward? 

There is a need for more investment in well-connected public transport and roads. 

Greening of open spaces should be prompted to reduce the dust. 

Delhi has to work with neighbourhood states to reduce pollution from open biomass burning and coal. 

There is a need for no-harm agreements with neighbour states. It should be a formal and binding agreement to stop fires. 

Data goes private: Positive for India but also a challenge for the govt

News: The article explains the increasing importance of private data in India. It also explains the issues related to government data. 

What is the importance of private data? 

Developing economies will have new and multiple sources of data sets. Digitisation has made a huge difference. The growth of online selling and payment systems has created new sources of data on consumer behaviour. For instance,  

-CMIE data provides the members related to employment. Its sample size matches those used by the government. 

-The most trusted source of data on the true state of Indian school education is the Pratham foundation. 

-IHS Markit’s purchasing manager’s index, which serves as a reliable guide to the economic indicators. CRISIL tells about the creditworthiness of companies.  

-A private monsoon forecaster like Skymet has in at least some years done better than the government’s meteorology department. 

What is the case of government data? 

The quality of important economic statistics by the government which has no private substitute is questionable and its frequency is low. 

There is no consumption survey data beyond 2011-12. The situation of employment statistics is similar. The government has suppressed numbers while trying to substitute the old accepted statistics with partial substitutes like the number of people with provident fund accounts. The census survey which was due in 2021 has not begun yet. 

Some data by the government have become more frequent like the quarterly GDP data. Some data sets have seen improvements in methodology. Some have come out faster than before, like trade statistics and some are more transparent, like tax and fiscal data. 

What is the way forward? 

The dream of the third-largest economy is not possible without data. The data should meet the tests of speed, frequency, reliability and completeness. So, the government should improve its record of producing timely and reliable statistics. 

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Indian Army Approves Five make II Projects Providing Impetus to “Atma Nirbhaarta”

Source: The post is based on the article “Indian Army Approves Five make II Projects Providing Impetus to  “Atma Nirbhaarta” published in PIB on 4th November 2022. 

What is the News? 

Indian Army has approved project sanction orders for five Make-II projects providing further impetus to Atma Nirbhaarta. 

Note: Make-II projects are essentially industry-funded projects involving design, development and innovative solutions by Indian vendors for the development of prototypes. 

What are the projects approved by the Indian Army under Make-II?

High-Frequency Man-Packed Software Defined Radio(HFSDR): It will facilitate blue-force tracking with map-based navigation using a geographic information system(GIS) thereby increasing real-time situational awareness. These radio sets will replace the existing HF radio sets in the inventory which have limited data handling capability and obsolete technology. 

Drone Kill System: A drone Kill System is a hard kill anti-drone system against low Radio Cross-Section (RCS) Drone/unmanned Aerial System (UAS), being developed to function in all types of terrains, both during day and night. The development of this project is reserved for MSMEs/start-ups. 

Infantry Training Weapon Simulator(IWTS): It is a modern training aid which will reduce recurrent expenditures on live ammunition, besides obviating the challenges of availability of firing ranges and inclement weather. Each IWTS will facilitate the training of 10 personnel at any one point in time. 

155mm Terminally Guided Munitions: The Indian Army plans to procure approximately 2000 rounds of 155mm TGM against High-Value Targets with assured Precision and Lethality for mission accomplishment and minimum collateral damage. 

Medium Range Precision Kill System (MRPKS): These systems can ‘Loiter’ in the air for up to two hours and acquire, designate and engage real-time high-value targets up to 40 km.  

Aibawk cluster in the Aizwal, Mizoram becomes the first cluster to be completed under the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission

Source: The post is based on the article “Aibawk cluster in the Aizwal, Mizoram becomes the first cluster to be completed under the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission” published in PIB on 4th November 2022. 

What is the News? 

Aibawk cluster in the Aizwal district of Mizoram has become the first cluster to be completed under the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission(SPMRM). 

What is Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission(SPMRM)? 

Launched in: 2016 by the Ministry of Rural Development 

Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme 

Aim: To preserve and nurture the essence of rural community life with a focus on equity and inclusiveness without compromising with the facilities perceived to be essentially urban in nature, thus creating a cluster of ‘Rurban villages’. 

Objective: To stimulate local economic development, enhance basic services, and create well-planned Rurban clusters. 

Target: To develop 300 clusters in the country holistically by provisioning economic, social and physical infrastructure facilities. 

Identification of Rurban Clusters: Rurban Clusters are identified across the country’s rural areas showing increasing signs of urbanization – i.e. increase in population density, high levels of non-farm employment, presence of growing economic activities and other socioeconomic parameters. 

– For the purposes of SPMRM, Rurban areas refer to a cluster of 15-20 villages having about 30 to 40 lakh population. 

– The clusters will be geographically contiguous Gram Panchayats with a population of about 25000 to 50000 in plain and coastal areas and a population of 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas. 

Role of States: The State Government identifies the clusters in accordance with the Framework for Implementation prepared by the MoRD. 

Funding: The mission has two fund streams: (1) Convergence through various Central sector schemes, centrally sponsored schemes, State sector/ sponsored schemes/ programmes, CSR funds, and (2) Critical Gap Funds (CGF): It provides for CGF upto Rs. 30 crores per cluster for Non-tribal clusters and upto Rs. 15 crores per cluster for Tribal and Hilly State clusters. 

Somewhere over the rainbow climate impact is visible

Source: The post is based on the article “Somewhere over the rainbow climate impact is visible” published in DTE on 4th November 2022. 

What is the News? 

A research has found that the changes in cloud cover and liquid precipitation due to increased greenhouse gas emissions are projected to lead to a net increase in mean global annual rainbow days. 

What is a Rainbow? 

A rainbow is a common atmospheric optical phenomenon.  

It is a multicoloured arc in the sky that results when water droplets refract sunlight. Sunlight and rainfall are therefore essential ingredients for rainbows. 

Rainbows can be viewed around the fog, sea spray or waterfalls. Rainbows are the result of the refraction and reflection of light.  

A rainbow is an optical illusion—it does not actually exist in a specific spot in the sky.  

The colors on a primary rainbow are always in order of their wavelength, from longest to shortest: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. 

What is the link between Rainbow and Climate Change? 

Human activities such as burning fossil fuels are warming the atmosphere, which changes patterns and amounts of rainfall and cloud cover. 

Climate change will, thus, alter the distribution of rainbow occurrence by affecting evaporation and convergence of moisture. This alters patterns of precipitation and cloud cover. 

What will be the impact of climate change on the rainbow? 

Mean days of rainbows are expected to go up globally by 4.0–4.9% in a year by 2100. Around 21–34% of land areas will lose rainbow days and 66–79% will gain rainbow days under higher emission futures. 

Areas that will lose rainbow days are projected to have lower total precipitation by 2100. India is one of the countries where the number of rainbow days will increase. 

Rainbow gain hotspots are mostly located at higher latitudes or at very high elevations, like the Tibetan Plateau where warming is predicted to lead to less snow and more rain. 

A brush for change

Source: The post is based on the article “A brush for change” published in The Hindu on 4th November 2022. 

What is the News? 

24 artists have attempted to draw attention to the severity of climate change, at a time when experts are preparing for COP27 in Egypt. 

What are the art forms drawn by artists to draw attention to climate change? 

Bada Dev: A revered deity for Gond-Pradhan tribes. He is believed to reside in the Saja tree. The Gond are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group and are one of the largest tribal groups in India. 

Warli paintings: It is a type of tribal art that is predominantly done by tribal people from Maharashtra’s North Sahyadri Range. This tribal art originated in Maharashtra and is still practiced. 

Madhubani painting: It is a well-known form of art famous in the state of Bihar in India. This exceptional art form has five different styles (Bharni, Kachni, Tantrik, Godna, Kohbar) with distinct features. 

Mata ni Pachedi: Literally meaning ‘behind the mother goddess’, the painting is mainly done by the nomadic Vaghari community of Gujarat. 

Remembering EK Janaki Ammal, India’s first woman PhD in Botanical Sciences

Source: The post is based on the article “Remembering EK Janaki Ammal, India’s first woman PhD in Botanical Sciences” published in the Indian Express on 5th November 2022. 

What is the News? 

The 125th birth anniversary of Janaki Ammal was recently observed.  

Who was Janaki Ammal? 

Janaki Ammal was born in 1897. She was a pioneering botanist and the first Indian woman to be awarded a PhD in the botanical sciences.  

She is known widely for her contributions to science – in the field of genetics, cytology, evolution and more. 

She worked on making several intergeneric and interspecific hybrids involving sugarcane and related grass species. These works were highly significant as they have been responsible for creating sugarcane hybrids that yielded sweeter sugar. 

She was invited by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to reorganize the Botanical Survey of India in 1951, which explores the plant resources of the country and identifies plant species with economic virtue.  

She served as the head of the Central Botanical Laboratory in Allahabad and as an Officer of Special Duty at the Regional Research Laboratory in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Her association with the Save the Silent Valley movement – a campaign to stop a hydroelectric project from flooding the Silent Valley forest in Palakkad district of Kerala is also well-known.  

India saw natural disasters almost every day in first 9 months of 2022: CSE report

Source: The post is based on the article “India saw natural disasters almost every day in first 9 months of 2022: CSE report” published in DTE on 1st November 2022. 

What is the News? 

According to a report by the Delhi-based non-profit organization Centre for Science(CSE), India saw natural disasters almost every day in the first 9 months of 2022. 

What are the key findings of the report? 

India recorded extreme weather events on 242 of the 273 days from January 1 through September 30, 2022. These include heatwaves, cold waves, cyclones, lightning, heavy rainfall, floods and landslides. 

Worst Hit: Madhya Pradesh was the worst hit, with one event every second day. 

Loss and Damage: The number of deaths due to these events was the highest in Himachal Pradesh. Assam reported the highest number of damaged houses and animal deaths. 

Note: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) in its working definition of loss and damage says that it is “negative effects of climate variability and climate change that people have not been able to cope with or adapt to”.  

Region-wise: Central and north-western India reported the highest number of days with extreme weather events. 

Explained | Can convicted legislators be disqualified from the Assembly?

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained | Can convicted legislators be disqualified from the Assembly?” published in The Hindu on 3rd November 2022. 

What is the News? 

Two legislators from Uttar Pradesh were convicted of criminal charges and one of them has been disqualified from the state assembly. 

When does conviction attract disqualification? 

Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA),1951 contains provisions to decriminalize electoral politics. 

There are two categories of criminal cases that attract disqualification upon conviction: 

Category 1 – Disqualification for 6 years upon any conviction. If the punishment is fine, the 6-year period will start from the date of conviction, but if there is a prison sentence, the disqualification will start on the date of conviction and will continue up to the completion of 6 years after the date of release from jail. 

Major IPC offences included under this category are: making speeches that cause enmity between groups (Sec.153A), bribery and personation during elections and offences relating to rape and cruelty to women by husband and latter’s relatives.  

– Besides, serious provisions of special laws such as the Protection of Civil Rights Act, Customs Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act are among the category of offenses that entail disqualification regardless of the quantum of punishment.  

– Laws for the prevention of Sati, corruption, terrorism and insult to the national flag and national anthem are also part of this group. 

Category 2: All other criminal provisions fall in the 2nd category under which at least 2 years in prison is needed for disqualification. 

Is there legal protection for legislators against disqualification? 

Under Section 8(4) of the RPA, legislators could avoid immediate disqualification until 2013. 

The provision said that with respect to a Member of Parliament or a State legislator the disqualification will not take effect for three months. If within that period, the convicted legislator files an appeal or revision application, it will not take effect until the disposal of the appeal or application. In other words, the mere filing of an appeal against conviction will operate as a stay against disqualification. 

However, in Lily Thomas vs. Union of India, the Supreme Court struck down clause (4) as unconstitutional, thus removing the protection enjoyed by lawmakers. 

Can the disqualification be removed? 

The Supreme Court has the power to stay not only the sentence but also the conviction of a person. In some rare cases, conviction has been stayed to enable the appellant to contest an election. However, the SC has made it clear that such a stay should be very rare and for special reasons. 

The RPA also provides a remedy through the Election Commission. Under Section 11 of the Act, the EC may record reasons and either remove or reduce the period of a person’s disqualification. 

The EC exercised this power for Sikkim Chief Minister P.S. Tamang who served a one-year sentence for corruption and reduced his disqualification so as to contest a byelection and remain in office.