9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – October 4th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• The evolution of the Mahatma’s thought and philosophy
• Kohinoor and other quarrels over stolen artefacts

GS Paper 2

• As India prepares to take over the G20 presidency, it can learn from Indonesia
• Every drop counts
• There are precedents to help the EC decide which is the real Shiv Sena
• Livestreaming Supreme Court proceedings: A step closer to a stronger democracy
• India’s Ukraine destiny: A foreign policy test

GS Paper 3

• FABS: The East Asian lesson for India
• Lessons unlearnt: The deadly football tragedy in Indonesia raises serious questions

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Online betting platform advertisements still visible on TV and digital media: I&B Ministry
• Indigenously Designed and Developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) inducted into Indian Air Force
• Svante Paabo awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine: Mapping Neanderthal genome
• Online betting platform advertisements still visible on TV and digital media: I&B Ministry
• 69% houses under PMAY in rural India are owned by women, says govt.
• Tri-services Missile Command on anvil as stand-off weapons era dawns
• The Mediation Bill, 2021
• MGNREGS to fund work to reverse desertification of land across the States
• Yunqing Tang bags SASTRA Ramanujan Prize 2022 for her contribution in maths

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

The evolution of the Mahatma’s thought and philosophy

News:  The article discusses the change in the views of Gandhiji after returning to India from South Africa.

Gandhi was greatly influenced by the writings of Leo Tolstoy and John Ruskin.

He adopted the idea of hatred of violence and consumerism from the writing of Leo Tolstoy. While respect for labour and concern for the poor was adopted from the writings of John Ruskin.

Gandhi included, acquired knowledge in his book Hind Swaraj, composed in 1909.

What did Gandhi write in his book Hind Swaraj?

He wrote that once India gains swaraj it will have to stay away from the evils of western societies.

According to Gandhi, evils of the western societies were –

• Electoral democracy because Parliaments were the emblems of slavery.
• Women should not go out for work as this will lead to the movement for the voting rights as it was in the West.
• Modern industry based on machinery should be rejected.

However, he thought that some faults that Indian society had was child marriage and polyandry. However, no mention was made of polygamy or untouchability in his book.

He indirectly praised caste system for lowering market competition as it assigns a fixed occupation to everyone. He also had faith on varnashram.

He proclaimed that India was being ruined by the three evils (railways, lawyers and doctors) brought by the British.

He said that India should continue to buy from Manchester rather than build cotton mills in India.

He believed that there was no need of compulsory education and religious education was enough.

Gandhi did not present any proposal in his book for the removal or alleviation of poverty even though he was concerned for the poor. He also did not provide any guidance on how India under Swaraj was to be governed.

The only modern idea adopted by Gandhi in his book was that a nation should not be identified with any one religion.

These were the views of Gandhi when he arrived India in 1915.

However, Gopal Krishna Gokhale was his teacher and he was against his views written in Hind Swaraj. He encountered Gandhi on the idea of untouchability that was ignored in Hind Swaraj.

How did Gandhi views evolve from writings in Hind Swaraj?

He did not mention anything about untouchables in his book but after the establishment of ashram at Ahmedabad in 1915 he admitted an untouchable couple into it.

Gandhi participated in Champaran struggle against indigo-planters. This made him go against his views on right of property.

Gandhi went on a hunger-strike in favour of striking textile mill workers which was against his views on the establishment of modern industry in India.

During the Non-Cooperation movement (1920-22), the main demand was for protection of Khilafat which was a purely Islamic institution under the Ottoman Empire in Turkey. This was the invocation of religion as a source of political action, while Gandhi’s view in his book were against using religion as a source of political action.

Moreover, Gandhiji formulated ‘Constructive Programme’ in 1924. The Programme concentrated to work in the villages to promote the use of Khadi and reject machine-made cloth and British made cloth. It also campaigned for Hindu-Muslim unity and removal of untouchability.

Gandhi also supported Nehru’s draft resolution on Fundamental Rights in the Karachi session of the Congress on 31 March 1931. This resolution provided many principles which Gandhi opposed earlier, such as, women should not only become voters but also appointed to public offices and exercise of trade, etc.

Gandhiji went on fast against the separate electorates created for depressed castes by the Government’s Communal Award of August 1932.

The Poona Pact proved a signal for Gandhiji from 1932 onward to initiate a nationwide campaign against untouchability and for their upliftment.

Gandhiji later avoided giving any sanction to the caste system or any philosophical defence of varnashram.

His concerns for Hindu-Muslim unity became ever more focused. He stood firm against communal violence in the year of Independence for which he paid with his life on January 30, 1948.

Kohinoor and other quarrels over stolen artefacts

News:  There has been a demand to return the Kohinoor diamond to India after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Recently Australia has also returned 29 artefacts belonging to India during the visit of PM Modi.

However, returning cultural artefacts to their country of origin will be a struggle unless both national and international laws are strengthened.

What are the arguments for repatriation?

First, artworks or artefacts belong to the cultures which produced them and are part of citizens’ identities.
Second, restorative justice prescribes that stolen or looted property should be returned to the rightful owner.
Third, colonial ideologies seem to continue if artefacts are not being returned.
Fourth, people are deprived of the opportunity to view artwork created by their ancestors as travelling to Europe or the US is beyond their capacity.

However, there has been a counter argument from the West.

What are the counter arguments from the West?

First, many objects were legally acquired while some like the Kohinoor diamond were gifted. Therefore, they cannot be returned to the previous colonies.
Second, the kingdoms these artefacts were taken from are currently spread across different countries. Their exact location of origin is not clear. Hence, it’s difficult to return them to a particular country.
Third, by returning these cultural objects one cannot end the colonial history of the countries. Imperialism is part of modern world history.

Fourth, returning artefacts may endanger them since some of the countries of origin do not have the means to protect these cultural objects and face unending conflict. Therefore, they are well-protected and secure in Western museums.
Fifth, western museums showcase art and cultures from different countries. Therefore, they reflect the common heritage of mankind.

Moreover, there are international laws meant to return the artefacts to their country of origin.

What are the international laws for repatriation of the artefacts?

1954: The 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property was signed after the destruction of cultural property during World War II. The convention commanded its signatories to safeguard and respect cultural property.

1970: UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property permitted return of stolen objects to rightful owners if there was proof of ownership.

1995: UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects advocated the return of the illegally exported artefacts to their country of origin.

These conventions led France in 2017 and Netherland in 2019 to return the artefacts acquired during the colonization to their country of origin.

This shows that there has been some progress in repatriations. However, most repatriations need case-to-case intervention which is time consuming.

In the case of India, Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 seeks to protect our cultural properties needs urgent amendment.

What are the provisions under Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972?

Section 3 of Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 prohibits export of antiques or art treasures. It can only be exported through the central government.

Punishment for the offence under Section 3 ranges from six months to three years of simple imprisonment whereas Egypt and China have death penalty for cultural crimes.

Hence, cultural crimes are treated as minor offences in India and Indian laws are ineffective.

What can be the course of action?

First, there is a need to include art and culture in school and college syllabi as children do not have any knowledge of Indian art and culture.

Second, art and culture should not be confined to museums and its awareness should be spread within the public.

Third, NGOs trying to bring back art treasures should be encouraged. For example, India Pride Project.

Fourth, art objects and historical monuments at the local, state and national level need to be catalogued, photographed and geotagged.
Fifth, there should be strict punishment for stealing artefacts.

GS Paper 2

As India prepares to take over the G20 presidency, it can learn from Indonesia

News– The article explains the lessons India can learn from Indonesia on economic engagement. These will be helpful for India’s presidency of G-20 nations.

G-20 is a grouping of developed and developing nations. It provides a common platform to discuss the issues related to global economic governance.

India is going to assume its presidency for 2022.

What can India learn from Indonesia?

Case of Indonesia– Indonesia is a trading nation. It is part of trade blocs like ASEAN FTA, RCEP and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Indonesian institutes are relatively outward.

It has strong intra-Asian relations. Indonesia has strong educational linkages with Australia. It has a long-term investment partnership with Japan.

Case of India– India has less multilateral and regional economic engagement. It has limited government and academia expertise on these issues.

Most trade agreements are shallow and have limited coverage. Even in areas where it excels globally like pharma and IT, India has reluctance to assume leadership roles

What is the way forward for India?

India can use its exemplary diplomacy to build goodwill and consensus. Strong economic base will help India in its engagement with the G-20.

India can shore up engagement with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). It can invite BIMSTEC nations to G-20 summit.

The G-20 summit should not be seen merely as a giant tourism and investment promotion opportunity. It requires dedicated and consistent policy engagement at every level, including the academic and business community.

India needs to assume a leadership role in the digital sector. India has a strong presence globally in these areas. It will be helpful for India’s leadership in the developing world.

Rather than bilateral engagement, India should go for a multilateral approach for building coalitions.

Every drop counts

News– The article explains the current status of the Jal Jeevan Scheme.

Main target of Jal Jeevan Mission is to ensure that at least 55 liters per person per day of potable water is available to every rural household.

What is the status of the Jal Jeevan Mission?

The government claims that 10.2 crore households or 53% of the population now have tap water access. This is a 37% increase from 2019.

A recent audit by a private agency found that around 62% of rural households in India had fully functional tap water connections.

A report of a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources stated that 46% of households had fully functional tap water connections.

What are the main observations from the survey?

The survey shows wide disparities in achievement. Some states like Tami Nadu and Himachal have 80% of households with fully functional connections. While some states like Rajasthan and Kerala have less than half of households with such connections.

About 75% of households received water every day of the week, and only 8% just once a week.

The report mentions a problem of chlorine contamination. Most of the anganwadi centers and schools had higher than the permissible range of residual chlorine.

Only 3% of rural households were surveyed by the agency for the updated figures. There is a possibility that the margin of error may be substantial.

There are precedents to help the EC decide which is the real Shiv Sena

News– The article explains the procedure for allotting symbols in case of conflict between two rival groups of party. It also explains the Supreme Court stand in this regard.

Recently the Supreme Court allowed the Election Commission of India to decide on Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde’s petition staking claim over the real Shiv Sena and the party symbol.

What is the procedure for symbol allotment in case there is a dispute between rival factions?

EC does not take suo motu cognisance. It decides the matter only when a party approaches it with its claim.

The Commission then starts proceedings under Section 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. The proceedings are quasi-judicial in nature.

It goes by the “Rule of Majority and Numerical Strength”. Both parties are asked to produce evidence in support of their claim.

The Commission takes into account all the available facts and circumstances of the case. Then, it decides which rival section or group is that recognised party. The decision of the Commission shall be binding.

If elections are scheduled– The name of the party and the symbol both are frozen. The two factions are given a temporary name like Party A and Party B, and symbol A and symbol B.

What is the Supreme Court ruling on this matter?

In the first judicial case related to symbols, the Supreme Court gave its observation. It observed that the symbol is not a property to be divided between co-owners. The allotment of a symbol to the candidates set up by a political party is a legal right.

In case of a split, the Commission has been authorised to determine which of the rival groups or sections is the party entitled to the symbol. The Commission does not decide as to which group represents the party. It decides which group is that party.

The court upheld the constitutionality of the “test of majority” in the Congress split case (Sadiq Ali v. Election Commission of India, 1971).

Livestreaming Supreme Court proceedings: A step closer to a stronger democracy

News:  The Supreme Court has allowed the live streaming of the hearing of cases from 27^th September 2022.  This decision was followed by the court’s original decision of live telecast of important proceedings four years back on 27^th September 2018.

It was held that the live-streaming of court proceedings is in the public interest and it will also strengthen constitutional values, democracy, and citizenship.

What are the benefits of the live-streaming of the cases by SC?

First, it will enable common people of the country to view the proceedings of the highest court. It will bring faith in the judiciary.

• It will also provide for transparency and accessibility of the process of justice delivery which in turn will strengthen the country’s democracy.

Second, it is also a step towards creating informed citizenry as people will be informed of the judicial proceedings of the court.

Third, it will enable people to understand the importance of the rule of law. The people will be able to see the efforts of judiciary in protecting the rights of the poor, marginalized and disempowered sections of society.

Fourth, it will promote transparency in judicial decision-making. Usually, the language of the court is only understood by lawyers and judges.

• Therefore, live proceedings will enable common people to understand the judicial proceedings.

Fifth, the decision could raise the quality and standards of the legal profession.

• It will help lawyers to prepare for the court proceedings in a proper manner and will also make them aware of irresponsible remarks.

Sixth, it will also create a level playing ground for the younger lawyers as their preparedness and intellectual skills will be visible to all.

Seventh, there has also been a concern that young lawyers are not ready to enter into the litigation field. Therefore, the live streaming could inspire law students to take up this field.

Eighth, it will motivate law faculty members and legal researchers to work on new areas of scholarship and research relating to the functioning of the judiciary and legal profession.

Therefore, SC has taken a historical decision of live-streaming the hearing of cases which bring transparency and faith in judiciary amongst the people of India.

India’s Ukraine destiny: A foreign policy test

News: Recently, India abstained from a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Russia’s illegal referendums in four regions of Ukraine and calling for an unconditional withdrawal of troops from that country.

What is the present course of the Ukraine crisis?

Russia organised “referendums” on Ukrainian territory late last month. Russia claimed that it unilaterally claimed victory. Following that, Russia is signing decrees to declare the four eastern Ukrainian territories — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—part of Russia.

How do global nations view India’s abstaining from resolution?

India has consistently maintained that the global order is based on the UN charter, international law, and respect for territorial sovereignty. However, India’s abstaining raised questions a) About India’s global commitment to nuclear disarmament and strengthening the non-proliferation order, b) India’s dependence on Russian defence supplies is limiting India from taking an independent stand.

What are the challenges faced by Russian defence production?

Why India needs to ask Russia to stop the war?

Recently, the US has indicated its disapproval of India’s position on Ukraine by excluding it from the critical Minerals Security Partnership and signing an F16 sustainment programme with Pakistan

What Russia needs to remember before escalating the Ukraine conflict?

The threat of nuclear escalation will alter the dynamics of the war in unpredictable ways. This is likely to send a political message to the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

What India needs to do?

It will be critical for India to craft a nuanced and consistent position on the Russia-Ukraine crisis that would establish greater credibility with its allies.

GS Paper 3

FABS: The East Asian lesson for India

News– The article explains the experience of East Asian countries in promoting semiconductor manufacturing.

Recently the central government has announced some changes in the production-linked incentive linked scheme for semiconductors.

It is now offering fiscal support of 50% of total project cost to companies setting up semiconductor plants irrespective of chip type.

The government wants to promote the chip making industry amid the global move to de-risk semiconductor manufacturing. There is a global effort to diversify their production after the pandemic.

What are the challenges in chip manufacturing?

High investments are needed both from cost and technological perspective.

Lower labour cost counts little in chip manufacturing.

Market is dominated by the biggest players that are both highly profitable and technologically sophisticated. It is not easy for new players to be competitive.

The chip manufacturing industry is highly dispersed geographically. The US leads in designing and Taiwan in manufacturing chips. They are highly interdependent. It creates a competitive advantage for them. Local players do not have the capability to match their scale.

What is the backstory of Taiwan in chip manufacturing?

In the 1980s, Japan assumed a major share in chip manufacturing at the expense of American products.

To lower Japan ‘s share, America outsourced low-tech processes in the chip value chain such as packaging to countries like South Korea and Taiwan.

Later developments in Taiwan were different from other Asian countries. Foreign investment was not very helpful in shifting up to high-tech processes of the supply chain.

It was government intervention in the form of promoting research that proved beneficial. The government supported the setting up of a research institute called Industrial Technology Research Institute. It transferred technology to the private sector.

Another important component of Taiwan’s strategy was the foundry model. Manufacturers did not design their own chips. They manufactured chips for American companies who had design experience.

What was the South Korean experience?

Initial developments were the same for almost all Asian countries. South Korea also benefited in the initial stage from low tech processes outsourcing by America.

But in later stages, Japan and the USA were reluctant to share licensing technology.

South Korea’s large industrial conglomerates hired engineers from Silicon Valley.

They approached Silicon startups for design experience. These startups were provided capital by industrial houses.

How have the governments of these countries helped in semiconductor manufacturing?

Financial support by the government was important but it was not a deciding factor for growth of semiconductor manufacturing in East Asian economies.

Investment in semiconductor fabrication was financed almost entirely by companies themselves.

Government support was crucial in the form of providing facilities for research. Government coordination and encouragement of investment in early stages was beneficial for these companies.

Lessons unlearnt: The deadly football tragedy in Indonesia raises serious questions

News: The crowd at Indonesia’s Kanjuruhan stadium ran onto the pitch after their team lost. This led to a stampede and around 125 people lost their lives.

Police used tear gas to control the crowd which led to low visibility leading to chaos. It will be counted as one of the darkest days in football.

What is the reason for such accidents?

One of the reasons for such an accident is the emotions of spectators with the team.

The spectators are often attached to the team they support and at times this attachment leads to accidents. There are also commercial and political interests involved in it.

However, using tear gas cannot control the spectators’ feelings.

When tear gases are used and why should it not be used in the stadiums?

Tear gases are used to bring order when violence goes beyond control and descends into riots and there is little thought for public safety.

FIFA prohibits the use ‘firearms’ or ‘crowd control gas’ to maintain order at a game.

Stadiums are regulated and closed spaces and using firearms or tear gas for crowd control would only result in chaos and threats to public safety.

Therefore, the authorities who have justified the use of tear gas must be held accountable in Indonesia.

Moreover, the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights is planning to investigate the matter.

What has caused past sport accidents?

This accident is reminder of other crowd-related tragedies such as the deaths of eight people during the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon in 2022, death of 97 Liverpool supporters at Hillsborough in Yorkshire, England in 1989, etc.

The deaths in these games were the result of police incompetence and crowd control failure.

What are the lessons learnt from this stampede?

First, the stadium had only one entry/exit point. Therefore, the stadium must be provided with multiple entry/exit points.

Second, there is a need to barricade players at the end of the match to prevent anyone entering the field.

Third, fans will need to be calmed and police will need to be trained to handle any eventuality with sensitivity and care.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Online betting platform advertisements still visible on TV and digital media: I&B Ministry

Source: The post is based on the article “Online betting platform advertisements still visible on TV and digital media: I&B Ministry” published in The Hindu on 4^th October 2022.

What is the News?

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry advised online news websites, OTT platforms, and private TV channels to refrain from publishing or broadcasting advertisements of online betting platforms or any surrogate product depicting them.

Why I&B Ministry advised to refrain from publishing advertisements promoting online betting?

A number of advertisements of online betting websites/platforms appear in print, electronic, social and online media. So, the I&B Ministry released the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements-2022 under the Consumer Protection Act.

The major reason for I&B Ministry’s guidelines are,

a) Betting and gambling are illegal in most parts of the country. They pose a significant financial and socio-economic risk for consumers, especially the youth and children.

b) The advertisements of online betting are misleading, and do not appear to be in strict conformity with 1) The Consumer Protection Act, 2) Advertising Code under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, and 3) Advertisement norms under the Norms of Journalistic Conduct laid down by the Press Council of India under the Press Council Act.

c) The concerned betting platforms, and the corresponding news websites, are also not registered with any legal authority under Indian laws.

What is the reason for advising again to refrain?

Some online offshore betting platforms had started using news websites as surrogate products to advertise on TV channels. Such companies had been advertising themselves as professional sports blogs, sports news websites, etc.,

Indigenously Designed and Developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) inducted into Indian Air Force

Source: The post is based on the following articles

“Indigenously Designed and Developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) inducted into Indian Air Force” published in the PIB on 3^rd October 2022.

“Light Combat Helicopter inducted into Indian Air Force: its features, weapons” published in the Indian Express on 4th October 2022.

What is the News?

The indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Prachand was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF).

What are India’s present combat Helicopters?

India has been operating sub-3-ton category French-origin legacy helicopters, Chetak and Cheetah, made in India by the HAL. These single-engine machines are primarily used for utility helicopters.

Indian forces also operate the Lancer, an armed version of Cheetah. The Indian Air Force currently operates the Russian-origin Mi-17 and its variants. But they are to be phased out starting in 2028.

What is the need for Light Combat Helicopters (LCH)?

Adequate attention was not paid to the development of indigenous attack helicopters for a long time after independence.

Heavy weapon systems and platforms do not allow for rapid movement on the battlefield. Thus, they are sometimes vulnerable and become easy targets for the enemy.

Since the Kargil War in 1999, the need for LCH was felt as it could hold precision strikes in all Indian battlefield scenarios. This meant a craft that could operate in very hot deserts and also in very cold high altitudes.

What are Light Combat Helicopters (LCH)?

The LCH is the first indigenous Multi-Role Combat Helicopter.

Technical specifications: The LCH has been designed as a twin-engine, dedicated combat helicopter of 5.8-ton class, thus categorised as light.

It has a maximum speed of 268 kilometers per hour, a range of 550 kilometres, an endurance of over three hours and a service ceiling — the maximum density altitude to which it can fly — of 6.5 kilometres.

It has a configuration for the pilot and co-pilot. The copilot is also the Weapon Systems Operator (WSO). A pressurised cabin offers protection from nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) contingencies.

The helicopter is equipped with a countermeasure dispensing system that protects it from enemy radars or infrared seekers of enemy missiles.

Designed and developed by: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Weapons and other technologies: The helicopter possesses modern stealth characteristics, robust armour protection and formidable night attack capability. Onboard advanced navigation system, guns tailored for close combat and potent air-to-air missiles make the LCH especially suited for the modern battlefield.

Unique features: The LCH is the only attack helicopter in the world which can land and take off at an altitude of 5,000 meters with a considerable load of weapons and fuel, meeting the specific requirements laid out by the Indian Armed Forces.

What are the advantages of Light Combat Helicopters (LCH)?

The LCH has the capabilities of combat roles such as destruction of enemy air defence, counter-insurgency warfare, combat search and rescue, anti-tank, and counter-surface force operations.

LCHs provide tremendous power and versatility to the Air Force. This is because a) LCHs enhance the combat capabilities of IAF, b) Enhance self-reliance in defence production.

Svante Paabo awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine: Mapping Neanderthal genome

Source: The post is based on the following articles

“Swedish scientist gets medicine Nobel for work on human evolution” published in The Hindu on 4^th October 2022.

“Svante Paabo awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine: Mapping Neanderthal genome” published in The Indian Express on 4^th October 2022.

What is the News?

Swedish scientist Svante Paabo has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology for the year 2022 “for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution”.

Note: Incidentally, his father, Sune K Bergstrom, is also a winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology, 1982, making them only the sixth father-son pair to have won a Nobel each.

About Nobel Prize

About Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology, 2022

Svante Pääbo has spearheaded the development of new techniques that allowed researchers to compare the genome of modern humans and that of other hominins — the Neanderthals and Denisovans.

Found the relation between modern humans and Neanderthals: He pieced together the genome sequence of the Neanderthal, modern human’s cousin species that went extinct about 30,000 years ago. His research helped to establish that modern humans and Neanderthals share a common ancestor that lived some 600,000 years ago.

Discovered Denisovans: During this process, he also discovered the existence of an unknown sub-species of the human family, now called Denisovans, who lived around the same time as the Neanderthals.

His research shows that the ancestors of modern humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans co-existed for about 20,000 years, during which they not only interacted with each other but also inter-bred.

For instance, he identified a skeleton of a human whose father was a Neanderthal and the mother a Denisovan.

Found new methodology to extract DNA samples from very old remains: He is credited with developing new and innovative methodologies to extract ‘clean’ DNA from human fossils tens of thousands of years old and reading the genetic information contained therein.

His methodologies provided the essential breakthrough for his work on the comparison of Neanderthal genomes with the modern man

What is the Significance of Svante Paabo discovery?

a) He replaced the indirect evidence in the genetic studies of archaeological remains with direct observational evidence. Earlier, scientists were studying the genomes of current human beings and extrapolating the information into the past. It is called deduction, which involves uncertainties.

b) He realised that one particular skull bone, called petrous, preserves DNA better than the rest of the body. This was a very useful revelation.

c) Establishing the genetic evolution of human beings can have important implications for medical science. For example, 1) it can reveal how the human immune system reacts to infections, 2) He showed that one particular gene from the Neanderthals aggravated the risk of severe diseases among Covid patients and another gene offers protection against severe Covid.

What are the limitations of Svante Paabo discovery?

Not effective for tropical climate: He was dealing with skeletal remains in Europe. Unlike in tropical climates in India, bones and skeletons are much better preserved in colder climates.

Online betting platform advertisements still visible on TV and digital media: I&B Ministry

Source: The post is based on the article “Online betting platform advertisements still visible on TV and digital media: I&B Ministry” published in The Hindu on 4^th October 2022.

What is the News?

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry advised online news websites, OTT platforms, and private TV channels to refrain from publishing or broadcasting advertisements of online betting platforms or any surrogate product depicting them.

Why I&B Ministry advised to refrain from publishing advertisements promoting online betting?

A number of advertisements of online betting websites/platforms appear in print, electronic, social and online media. So, the I&B Ministry released the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements-2022 under the Consumer Protection Act.

The major reason for I&B Ministry’s guidelines are,

a) Betting and gambling are illegal in most parts of the country. They pose a significant financial and socio-economic risk for consumers, especially the youth and children.

b) The advertisements of online betting are misleading, and do not appear to be in strict conformity with 1) The Consumer Protection Act, 2) Advertising Code under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, and 3) Advertisement norms under the Norms of Journalistic Conduct laid down by the Press Council of India under the Press Council Act.

c) The concerned betting platforms, and the corresponding news websites, are also not registered with any legal authority under Indian laws.

What is the reason for advising again to refrain?

Some online offshore betting platforms had started using news websites as surrogate products to advertise on TV channels. Such companies had been advertising themselves as professional sports blogs, sports news websites, etc.,

69% houses under PMAY in rural India are owned by women, says govt.

Source: The post is based on the article “69% houses under PMAY in rural India are owned by women, says govt.” published in The Hindu on 4^th October 2022.

What is the News?

The government has recently informed about the status of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

What is Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana?

About the performance of PMAY-Gramin

As on September 29, 2022, a total of two crore houses had been constructed out of the 2.46 crore houses that were sanctioned. Of this, 69% are owned partly or completely by women.

What is the reason behind the increase in women beneficiaries?

The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) was launched by the Prime Minister in 2016 with the aim of constructing 2.95 crore houses. The scheme had been the government’s endeavour to ensure women get a fair share of government schemes under the Nari Shakti initiative.

The idea behind the initiative is to have “women-led” development instead of “development of women”.

What are the other schemes which led to “women-led” development?

1) Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: The government informed that this scheme has helped safeguard the health of women and children by ensuring the supply of clean cooking fuel.

Over 9.4 crore LPG connections have been released under the Ujjwala Yojana. The International Energy Agency has described the scheme as a major achievement in improving the environment and health of women.

2) Swachh Bharat Mission: Under it, 11.5 crore toilets were constructed in the rural areas and 70 lakh were built in the urban areas. This scheme has helped women gain dignity and security.

After the construction of toilets, 93% of women reported that they were no longer afraid of being hurt by someone or harmed by animals while defecating.

As many as 93% of women reported they are no longer afraid of contracting health infections; 92% of women said they were no longer afraid of going to the toilet in the dark of night.

Tri-services Missile Command on anvil as stand-off weapons era dawns

Source: The post is based on the article “Tri-services Missile Command on anvil as stand-off weapons era dawns” published in the Hindustan Times on 3^rd October 2022.

What is the News?

The government is considering setting up of a tri-services missile/rocket command on the lines of the space and the cyber command as the first steps toward military theatre commands.

About the Tri-services Missile Command

The proposed missile command will be responsible for the deployment of missile and rocket regiments against any hostile adversary. For instance, conventional missiles like BrahMos and Akash as well as Pinaka rockets will be placed under one command for rapid deployment against any adversary.

The missile command will be on similar lines as the tri-services cyber command and the space command. This is because future wars will hardly have any contact between troops unless used for capturing enemy territory.

Headed by: commanders of the three services in rotation.

Need: The proposal to set up a missile command has been moved in the aftermath of the May 2020 East Ladakh stand-off with the PLA and the use of rockets and missiles in the Ukraine theatre by the Red Army.

The PLA has deployed rocket regiments in the depth areas of occupied Aksai Chin with missiles in the hinter in Tibet and Sinkiang region.

The Mediation Bill, 2021

Source: The post is based on the article “The Mediation Bill, 2021” published in The Hindu on 4^th October 2022.

What is the News?

The Mediation Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha. The Parliamentary Standing Committee is tasked with a review of the Bill. The committee’s report to the Rajya Sabha was submitted recently.

In its report, the Committee recommends substantial changes to the Mediation Bill, aimed at institutionalising mediation and establishing the Mediation Council of India.

What is Mediation Bill, 2021?

Why does India need to promote mediation?

Benefits of mediation: The Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee of the Supreme Court of India describes mediation as a tried and tested alternative for conflict resolution.

What are the concerns with the Mediation Bill, 2021?

The bill proposes mandatory mediation before litigation: But, as per Article 21 of the Constitution, access to justice is a constitutional right which cannot be fettered or restricted. Mediation should just be voluntary and making it otherwise would amount to the denial of justice.

Clause 26 of the Bill: According to Clause 26 of the Bill, court-annexed mediation, including pre-litigation mediation, will be conducted in accordance with the directions or rules framed by the Supreme Court or High Courts.

The Bill considers international mediation to be domestic when it is conducted in India with the settlement being recognised as a judgment or decree of a court.

The Singapore Convention does not apply to settlements that already have the status of judgments or decrees. As a result, conducting cross-border mediation in India will exclude the tremendous benefits of worldwide enforceability.

What are the recommendations of the Committee?

The Committee recommends substantial changes to the Mediation Bill, aimed at institutionalising mediation and establishing the Mediation Council of India.

Clause 26 is unconstitutional: The committee stated that Clause 26 went against the spirit of the Constitution. In countries that follow the Common Law system, the absence of statutes, apex court judgments and decisions carry the same weight.

The moment a law is passed, then it becomes the guiding force rather than the instructions or judgments given by the courts. Therefore, Clause 26 is unconstitutional.

MGNREGS to fund work to reverse desertification of land across the States

Source: The post is based on the article “MGNREGS to fund work to reverse desertification of land across the States” published in The Hindu on 4^th October 2022.

What is the News?

The government is now planning to bring convergence between the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). This is because of the limited funds to deal with the enormous task of restoring degraded land and reversing desertification in the country.

What is the status of degraded land in India?

According to the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas released by the Environment Ministry in 2021, at least 30% of India’s total geographical area is under the category of “degraded land”.

Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat and Goa have more than 50% of the land area undergoing desertification or degradation. On the other hand, States with less than 10% land degradation are Kerala, Assam, Mizoram, Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh.

What is the need for the convergence of MGNREGS and PMKSY?

In 2019, the government raised its target of restoration of degraded land from 21 million hectares to 26 million hectares by 2030 following a commitment made during the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (COP14).

The constraints posed to the economy by the pandemic restricted the target to 4.95 million hectares by 2025-26. Nearly three years on, the government is nowhere near this target.

Therefore, there is a compelling reason for the Ministry to explore alternative opportunities to fulfil the commitment.

What will be the impact of the convergence of MGNREGS and PMKSY?

By making use of the MGNREGS, which for the financial year 2022-23 has a budget of ₹73,000 crores, the government can scale up the degraded area to be covered.

As of now, there is the Centre allocated above ₹8100 crores for developing 4.95 million hectares.

Convergence with the MGNREGS and PMKSY could help take up treatment of about 30% more land than feasible with the current scheme size.

Yunqing Tang bags SASTRA Ramanujan Prize 2022 for her contribution in maths

Source: The post is based on the article “Yunqing Tang bags SASTRA Ramanujan Prize 2022 for her contribution in maths” published in The Hindu on 4^th October 2022.

What is the News?

The SASTRA Ramanujan Prize for 2022 will be awarded to Yunqing Tang, Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, U.S.A.

About SASTRA Ramanujan Prize

The award was influenced by Srinivasa Ramanjuan in a broad sense. It was instituted by the Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA) in 2005 with a cash prize of $10,000.

It is presented annually to individuals aged 32 and below, who made outstanding contributions in the field of mathematics.

What is the contribution of Yunqing Tang to Mathematics?

Her works display a remarkable combination of sophisticated techniques, in which the arithmetic and geometry of modular curves and of Shimura varieties play a central role. Her results and methods are bound to have a major impact on future research in this area.

Her most recent joint work with Frank Calegari and Vesselin Dimitrov on modular equations is of great significance and also has ties with Ramanujan’s own work