9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – October 7th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• Strengthening the CSR framework is a profitable idea
• Amrit Mahotsav reflections and India’s success against hunger
• Manoj Jha writes: Election Commission’s proposal on freebies and election promises raises questions of institutional overreach
• Domestic ideologies in external settings

GS Paper 3

• Towards integrated commands: It’s too late to turn around
• Chinese chequers on the China border
• Rice insecurity
• Is it time for the gig economy?
• Oil slick ahead?: Opec’s cut in crude output shows the futility of Western sanctions. India must brace for tougher times

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Cough syrups exported only to the Gambia, finds CDSCO probe
• India abstains on Sri Lanka vote at UN Human Rights Council
• The Indian-made LCH ‘Prachand’ and its significance
• Nobel Prize in literature goes to French author Annie Ernaux
• Carbon dots: A futuristic solution for sustainably managing aquatic environment?
• The impossible trinity: how the free movement of capital comes with a cost
• ‘Can read, talk’: Vyommitra’s skills get a lift-off with digital grey matter

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

Strengthening the CSR framework is a profitable idea

News: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was established under Section 135 of the Companies Act 2013.

Since its establishment CSR spending in India has risen from ₹10,065 crore in 2014-15 to ₹24,865 crore in 2020-21. However, there are other issues associated with it.

What are the present problems with the CSR funding?

Lack of data: There is no data to verify whether this increase in CSR funding is equivalent with the increase in profits of Indian and foreign companies.

Lack of adequate spending: There were 2,926 companies in 2020-21 with zero spend on CSR while companies spending less than the prescribed limit of 2% rose from 3,078 in 2015-16 to 3,290 in 2020-21.

Participation: There was also a decline in the number of companies participating in CSR from 25,103 in FY2019 to 17,007 in FY2021.

Trusts: Many private companies have registered their own trusts. They transfer the statutory CSR budgets for utilization in those trusts. However, it is not clear whether it is allowed under the Companies Act/CSR rules.

Therefore, there is a need to look at the provisions present in the Act that prevents companies from CSR spending.

What are the problems present in the provisions of Companies Act 2013 for CSR funding?

Local areas: Section 135(5) of the Act says that the company should give preference to local areas/areas around it where it operates.

However, as per the report of a committee in 2018 ‘local area’ in the Act is only directionary and a balance has to be maintained by the CSR companies.

Therefore, local area in the act has caused confusion for the companies which has led companies to use their discretion in CSR fundings.

Location of companies: A report says that that 54% of CSR companies are located in big cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, etc. whereas, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have very little CSR companies. This leads to unequal funding of the CSR.

Environment: Item (iv) of Schedule VII of the Act deals with environmental issues to create a countervailing effect. However, an analysis of CSR spending reveals that most CSR spending is in education (37%) and health and sanitation (29%) and only 9% was spent on the environment.

Reduced spending:  If a company spends an amount more than the prescribed minimum amount of 2%, then that excess amount will help companies to reduce spending in the succeeding three financial years.

This provision of the Act weakens the provision of minimum spending of 2%. Therefore, companies should be encouraged to spend more than this.

Expenditure Quality: The CSR funding companies submit their annual report to Corporate Affairs Ministry (MCA). The problem with the report is that it focuses on output rather than quality of the expenditure and its impact.

Lack of information: The Standing Committee on Finance had also observed that the information regarding CSR spending by companies is insufficient and difficult to access.

Lack of authorization: An auditor can only investigate the details of spending and at most can question the board about its authenticity. However, the auditor is not authorized to check the accounts for non-compliance or inadequate CSR performance in the audit report.

What can be the course of action?

First, there is a need to curate a national-level platform by the MCA where all States could list their CSR-admissible projects. It will help companies to decide where their CSR funds would be most impactful across India.

Second, companies should spend at least 25% of their CSR funding for environment regeneration.

Third, all CSR projects should be selected and implemented with the active involvement of communities, district administration and public representatives.

Fourth, the committee in 2018 recommended to improve the existing monitoring and evaluation regime. This should be incorporated in the current CSR framework.

Fifth, CSR non-spend, underspend, and overspend should be qualified by the auditor in the audit report as a qualification to accounts and not just as a note to accounts.

Sixth, the MCA and the line departments should exercise greater direct monitoring and supervision over CSR spending instead of only hosting all information on the Ministry’s website.

Amrit Mahotsav reflections and India’s success against hunger

News: The central government has recently extended the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) upto the end of December 2022.

It is great step as it provides free food to poor households. However, there other steps taken by government to ensure food security amongst the poor.

What step has been taken by the government to ensure food security?

The government launched National Food Security Act (NFSA) in 2013. It provided subsidized food for 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population.

This Act made government to provide food guarantee in India with the help of farmers by providing price support incentive to farmers to grow major foodgrain like cereals, rice and wheat.

However, the policy caused excessive ‘cerealization’ of the country’s cropping pattern. It damaged farmlands in northern states like Punjab by promoting rice cultivation where it was not a traditional grown crop.

The NFSA also included the provision to target vulnerable groups through mid-day meals in schools and direct feeding of pre-school children and pregnant and lactating mothers through the Integrated Child Development Scheme.

However, it is not clear how well they performed in practice.

Further, the pandemic changed the scenario of food security as mid-day meals were stopped due to the closure of the schools. This led the government to launch PMGKAY in April 2020.

What is Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY)?

It provided a free food supplement equal in proportion to the subsidized rations under the National Food Security Act.

This scheme along with rations doubled the foodgrains for the households which was more than requirement.

This enabled the poor to feed household members migrating back from urban areas and feed children denied school meals.

The scheme was criticized as did not provide supplementary needs like cooking oil and salt. But these needs were fulfilled by selling the extra grains.

The scheme was even praised by Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund.

Therefore, this scheme was beneficial for the poor households in the pandemic as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee was also not efficient in providing wages during the pandemic.

What is Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and how does it help rural areas?

MGNREGA provides work on demand for 100 days for the rural population but it was not effective during the pandemic due to health risks.

However, it is now increasing the rural households’ incomes at a time when small-scale enterprises are not active and unskilled employment has not picked up.

Moreover, the problem with MGNREGA is that there are delays between work and wage receipts and the wage is not increased with the increase in inflation.

Manoj Jha writes: Election Commission’s proposal on freebies and election promises raises questions of institutional overreach

News: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has recently issued a letter proposing mandatory disclosure of the financial implications of the promises made in manifestos by political parties.

According to the ECI, it will enable healthy debate on the financial implications and fiscal sustainability of promises made by political parties and it is also necessary for conducting the free and fair elections.

What is the recent proposal of the ECI and what are its benefits?

The proposal requires political parties to disclose the financial implications of the promises they make in their manifestos.

However, the idea of communicating electors about the fiscal rationale of promises is already the part of the Model Code of Conduct from 2015. But ECI is now proposing a form for such disclosures.

If this proposal is included in the MCC, it will require parties to explain about the target of particular promise, the extent of coverage, the number of likely beneficiaries, and the cost of implementing it.

It will provide a framework under which a manifesto can be assessed by the voter from the perspective of its financial feasibility.

It may also make parties treat manifesto preparation as a responsible exercise meant to convince rather than attract the voter.

However, it is being argued that ECI should not get involved into the implementation of manifestos as it is the political and administrative responsibility of the party that comes to power.

What are the stands of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Supreme Court (SC) on freebies?

Election Commission of India (ECI)

The ECI in April 2022 told the Supreme Court that it cannot de-register political parties for offering freebies to voters.

It is up to the voters to decide whether the distribution of freebies is financially feasible or such policies have an adverse effect on the economic health of the state.

But now it wants political parties to elaborate on the rationale for announcing such promises and their financing plan.

Supreme Court (SC)

SC in S. Subramaniam Balaji vs. State of Tamil Nadu (2013) has observed that the provisions of the Representation of the People Act (1951) place no limitation on the power of the political parties to make promises in their election manifesto.

The Court has further added that the manifesto of a political party is a statement of its policy and the question of implementing it arises only if the political party forms a government.

It upheld the right of parties to make electoral promises even if they involved distribution of consumer goods. It was held that such a promise would not lead to a corrupt practice.

Further the freebie schemes can be invalidated if they will be financed by budgetary allocations cleared by the legislature.

The court also suggested ECI to come up with guidelines to prevent useless promises and ensure a level playing field for the parties.

However, the guidelines of ECI were not successful in getting the information from the political parties as parties made only routine and ambiguous disclosures.

Moreover, the recent proposal of ECI raises many concerns.

What are the concerns with the Election Commission of India?

Article 324 of the Constitution defines role and responsibilities of the ECI. The ECI in that past has avoided in intervening any other matter other than conduction free and fair elections.

It seems that ECI is acting according to the direction given by the government which is not a good sign for the health of democracy in the country.

Further, the debate on freebies shows that there is a lack of understating on socioeconomic realities of the nation and the welfare state enshrined in the Constitution.

The ECI is considered to be the guardian of public value and democracy. However, in recent times, some of its positions have raised concerns.

The executive controls the ECI’s finances and personnel appointments and it has been observed that favourable election commissioners are appointed to limit the agency’s authority internally.

This damages the credibility of the institution which was supposed to ensure a level playing field for all parties.

Therefore, ECI should follow the Constitution of India and a balance between institutions should be maintained.

Domestic ideologies in external settings

News- The article explains articulation of the domestic agenda of the ruling party by the current Foreign Minister at the 77th UNGA session.

What are the main points of address that promote the domestic agenda of the ruling party?

Promoting the ideology of the ruling party– The Foreign Minister told UNGA that Indian society is rejuvenating itself from devastation caused by “centuries of foreign invasion” and “colonialism”. He made a distinction between centuries of foreign attacks and colonialism.

Century of foreign invasions is codeword for Muslim rule during the mediaval period. It represents the ideology of the current ruling party and their version of history.

Indian diplomatic tradition which has always presented nationally unified positions abroad, particularly at the UN and in multilateral forums. Domestic controversies should be avoided

Questioning earlier leadership– Mr. Jaishankar said that India’s rejuvenation is taking place in a democratic framework and is “reflected in more authentic voices and grounded leadership”. The statements question the choices made by choosing their representative since independence. It is clearly referring to the point that earlier representatives were less authentic and grounded

Damaging India record in decolonisation- Jaishankar recalled Modi’s pledge for Indian people to liberate them from colonial mindset. He added that externally it means reformed multilateralism and more contemporary global governance.

It damages India’s record as a pioneer and leader in the global decolonisation process in the 1950s and the 1960s. An entire generation of human rights workers in the United

States and South Africa were also inspired by Gandhiji and his non-violent anti-colonial struggle.

GS Paper 3

Towards integrated commands: It’s too late to turn around

News-  The article explains the concerns of the air force about the creation of integrated theatre command. It also tells about the basic framework of integrated theatre commands.

What is an integrated theatre command?

The Elements of all three service the army, navy and air force work in an integrated manner to maximise the military’s combat power.

This would involve restructuring India’s single service commands. It merges 17 army, navy and air force commands into five or six  tri-service commands.

The Andaman & Nicobar Command and the Strategic Forces Command are India’s only tri-service commands.

What are the concerns of the Air Force related to integrated theatre commands?

It has reservations about setting up joint command structures without having thought through the process and its consequences adequately.

The idea of dividing their 30-35 fighter squadrons among five-six integrated theatre commands, leaves all of them with a little strength.

The Air Force wants that planning should be centralised and execution decentralised. Centralised planning is essential for multiple tasking required by the Air Force. Aircraft are viewed as flexible assets that can be switched around among theatres.

What is the way forward?

New structures needed to be future ready. They need to be prepared for new forms of warfare such as cyber and space warfare.

With multiple tasking in mind, the decision-making levels must be reduced.

It is essential to address the concerns of the air force.

Chinese chequers on the China border

News- The article explains the concerns of Local Ladakhi people about China’s territorial claim on Indian territory in Ladakh. It also explains the Chinese strategy for their expansion.

What are the concerns related to the Indo-China border?

The nomadic yak graziers of Ladakh who live along the borders have disclosed the real situation of LAC.

They are saying that Chinese troops and border guards are denying them access to their traditional borderland pastures. The Indian government is not supporting them.

A local elected official from Ladakh has publicly refuted government claims that India and China have negotiated a mutual and equal troop disengagement and have created buffer zones on either side of the LAC.

Territorial claims by both armies are depriving them from their local identities . Traditional name of local Ladakhi places is replaced by military nomenclature. This is diluting their longstanding claim on the territory.

Territorial claims along the LAC rest on village records of grazing grounds. It must be reasserted each year by the physical presence of nomads with their herds.

What is Chinese strategy?

A study by Human Rights Watch (HRW) of the Tibetan areas bordering Arunachal Pradesh, revealed that an initiative has been directed personally by President Xi Jinping since 2017. It  involves setting up villages in disputed border areas. In a major investigative article in May 2021 in Foreign Policy magazine described its working.

Tibetan nomads are being used by the Chinese army. They have assigned duty to be physically present in border areas throughout winters.

They are being trained to assert China’s claim in these areas. Their methods include driving yak herds over land grazed by local herders, demanding tax payments from these herders, planting Chinese flags on peaks and painting the word ‘China’ on rocks throughout the area.

In July 2021, China’s President Xi Jinping visited Tibet for three days. His focus is on the Tibetan town of Nyingtri . This town  is of strategic interest to India as Beijing regards Arunachal Pradesh as a southward extension of Nyingtri Prefecture.

Over the years an estimated 250,000 Tibetans have been resettled thus in vulnerable pockets along the border.

Rice insecurity

News- The article explains the issues with the current government move to ban the export of rice. It also tells about the challenges for long-term sustainability of rice cultivation.

Government wants to regulate domestic prices and safeguard food security through this move.

What will be the impact of export ban on rice?

India exports rice to more than 130 countries. It constitutes 40% of global rice trade. Further 90 per cent of rice production across the world is consumed domestically. As a result, any small change in exports and imports has an enormous impact on prices.

The export uncertainties will affect the credibility of Indian exporters and create a disincentive for future exports. It will enable buyers to shift towards other major rice-exporting countries.

The export restriction may lead to fall in prices. It will impact Indian farmers.

India’s export restrictions will adversely affect several low-income and low-middle-income countries like Bangladesh, Senegal, Nepal. These are among the largest importers of Indian rice.

What are the challenges for long-term sustainability of rice cultivation?

Around 49 per cent of rice cultivation depends on groundwater. It is depleting rapidly. As per the FAO data, agricultural water withdrawal as a percentage of total available renewable water resources has increased from 26.7% in 1993 to 36% in 2022. The total per capita renewable water resources have also declined from 1909 cubic metres to 1412 cubic metres during this period.

Rice exports are leading to an indirect export of water to other countries. It is known as the virtual water trade.

The MSP regime is not sustainable. It is mainly available for wheat and rice. Further there is a skewed distribution towards selected states like Punjab and Haryana. The cost of cultivation in India is also increasing, and hence there will be a need for a higher MSP to make production remunerative

India’s rice yield is also lower than the world average.

Is it time for the gig economy?

News- The article explains the concept of moonlighting. It also tells about the laws dealing with moonlighting in India.

What is moonlighting?

Moonlighting is employees working for remuneration with entities other than their employers.

Kotak Securities said in a study that at least 60% of 400 employees surveyed said they themselves had or knew someone who had engaged in moonlighting.

How are companies reacting to moonlighting?

Some companies are supporting it while some are opposing it.

Wipro sacked 300 employees for moonlighting. On other hand, Swiggy has announced a

‘moonlighting policy’

What does the law say?

Moonlighting is not defined in any of the statutes in India. No Constitutional Court has rendered a decision on the subject.

Section 60 of the Factories Act deals with restriction on double employment. It says that no adult worker shall be allowed to work in any factory on any day on which he has already been working in any other factory. However this enactment is applicable only to employees working in factories.

There are State laws which deal with employment of persons working in offices, banks, shops, etc. However, there is no provision in these laws dealing with dual employment.

The Supreme Court’s observation in  Glaxo Laboratories (I) Limited vs Labour Court, Meerut and others held that The employer has hardly any extra territorial jurisdiction. If he has power to regulate the  behaviour of workmen outside duty hours or other places, it is equivalent to slavery.

The Supreme Court ruling means that the sphere of employment cannot be extended by the employer beyond working hours and outside his place of employment.

Court will not give severe punishment unless the employer has not worked against the interest of the company. Courts generally lean towards labour rights.

What is the way forward?

The ministries are of view that employers should not suppress employees who want to monetise, develop and demonstrate. It also urged employees not to violate their agreements

with employers.

In today’s world, every company ought to have a gig economy strategy.

Oil slick ahead?: Opec’s cut in crude output shows the futility of Western sanctions. India must brace for tougher times

News: Oil prices are likely to remain elevated as the OPEC plus, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia, decided to trim production in a bid to keep the price high. On the other hand, WTO forecast growth in merchandise trade volume is now projected to grow at 1%, lower than the 3.4% forecast a few months ago.

About OPEC Plus’s recent decision on oil production

The grouping produces a little more than 50% of the world’s crude. They planned to reduce output by 2 million barrels/day beginning November by using August’s production as a benchmark. It’s about 2% of production.

About the recent Trade volume growth

Trade volume growth is being dragged down by the economic slowdown in three major economic engines, the US, Europe and China. Such as, 1) The US monetary tightening will soon create major impacts, 2) Europe is facing energy shock in the form of a 350% year-on-year increase in gas prices. This will lead to reduced consumer spending, 3) In China, its zero-Covid strategy has taken a toll on its growth.

How Trade volume growth and OPEC Plus decision are interlinked?

The energy shock in Europe is partly due to the economic sanctions imposed by the US and Europe on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. This is because of  Europe’s dependence on Russian gas.

The rest of the world felt the impact through both an oil price surge and upward pressure on the prices of key food items.

Further, ongoing US-led sanctions on other oil producers such as Iran and Venezuela are hugely counterproductive and have restricted the free flow of oil.

How oil price rise and low trade volume growth will impact India?

Supply pressure on key commodities can keep domestic inflation elevated, and a global slowdown will drag down the growth of the Indian Economy.

This is visible in September’s purchasing managers’ survey for services as it showed the lowest reading in six months.

So, India’s policymakers have to tussle with the dual challenge from the external sector. Monetary and fiscal policies need to be flexible to adapt to a highly uncertain scenario.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Cough syrups exported only to the Gambia, finds CDSCO probe

Source: The post is based on the article “Cough syrups exported only to the Gambia, finds CDSCO probe” published in The Hindu on 7^th October 2022.

What is the News?

Four cough syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals were suspected to have caused the death of children in the Gambia. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning regarding this.

Recently, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) found that these were exported only to the West African nation.

About the present issue of Maiden Pharma cough syrups

The Haryana-based manufacturer is licensed by the State Drug Controller to make the products for export only. The company has no presence in the Indian domestic market.

According to the tentative results received by the WHO, four of the 23 samples tested have been found to contain diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

The CDSCO has requested the WHO to share, at the earliest, the report on the establishment of the causal relation to death with the medical products in question.

About diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol

Diethylene glycol was used as an illegal adulterant in medications and could result in renal and neurological toxicity. Because of its toxicity, it is not allowed in food or drugs.

Due to its solubility, drugmakers have inappropriately substituted it for non-toxic ingredients such as glycerine in pharmaceuticals such as cough syrups and acetaminophen.

Acute kidney failure is the number one cause of death in poisoning cases, and it starts between eight and 24 hours after exposure to lethal doses of the substance. If people don’t get treatment, symptoms progress to multi-organ failure in two to seven days.

India abstains on Sri Lanka vote at UN Human Rights Council

Source: The post is based on the article “India abstains on Sri Lanka vote at UN Human Rights Council” published in The Hindu on 7^th October 2022.

What is the News?

India abstained from voting on a resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council. India observed that Sri Lanka’s progress in implementing commitments on the 13th Amendment such as meaningful devolution and early provincial elections remains “inadequate”.

About the UN resolution on Sri Lanka

The resolution titled ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’ was adopted by the Council after 20 of its 47 members voted in its favour.

The resolution called upon the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation. If warranted the resolution demands for prosecution of all alleged crimes relating to human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law with the full participation of victims and their representatives.

The resolution also urged the government to address the ongoing economic crisis, including “by investigating and prosecuting corruption committed by public and former public officials.

About 20 countries abstained, and seven countries including China and Pakistan voted against it. Thus, effectively backing the Sri Lankan government.

The Sri Lankan government opposed the resolution reinforcing the Office of the High Commissioner’s capacity to “collect, consolidate, analyse, and preserve” information and evidence pertaining to rights violation.

About India’s view on UN Resolution

India has “taken note” of the Sri Lankan government’s commitments on the implementation of commitments “in the spirit of the 13th Constitutional Amendment”, meaningful devolution and the early conduct of provincial elections

India urges the Government of Sri Lanka to work meaningfully towards the early implementation of these commitments.

About India’s contribution to Sri Lanka in recent times

India has “substantively contributed” to the relief, rehabilitation, resettlement and reconstruction process in Sri Lanka after 2009.

More recently India provided “unprecedented assistance” to the people of Sri Lanka to face the challenges of the recent economic crisis.

The Indian-made LCH ‘Prachand’ and its significance

Source: The post is based on the article “The Indian-made LCH ‘Prachand’ and its significance” published in The Hindu on 7^th October 2022.

What is the News?

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

About Light Combat Helicopter

What is the LCH project?

The LCH project can be traced to the 1999 Kargil war when the armed forces felt the need for a dedicated platform capable of operating at high altitudes and delivering precision strikes as the existing attack choppers couldn’t effectively hit targets.

In 2006, the government sanctioned the design and development of the LCH. The ground run and first prototype ‘TD-1’ was completed in 2010. The Indian Army joined the programme in 2013.

The LCH received initial operation clearance in 2017. Earlier this year, the Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by PM approved the procurement of 15 limited series production (LSP) variants.

The Indian Army formally inducted its first Light Combat Helicopter on September 29.

How will the LCH give an edge to the armed forces?

The induction of the LCH into the Air Force has been termed as a “big boost” to the combat prowess of the armed forces and a “potent platform to meet the operational requirements of the IAF and the Army”.

The LCH helicopters can be deployed to assume air defence, anti-tank roles in high-altitude, counter-insurgency, and search and rescue operations, and are equipped with advanced technology which can be used to destroy the enemy’s air defence.

It can be deployed to perform Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), bunker-busting operations, counter-insurgency operations in the jungle and urban areas and support the ground forces.

Nobel Prize in literature goes to French author Annie Ernaux

Source: The post is based on the following articles

“Nobel Prize in literature goes to French author Annie Ernaux” published in The Hindu on 7^th October 2022.

“Nobel Prize in Literature 2022: Annie Ernaux, bearing witness to women’s experiences and memory” published in the Indian Express on 7^th October 2022.

What is the News?

French author Annie Ernaux has won the Nobel Prize in literature for 2022.

What are the contributions of Annie Ernaux?

Annie Ernaux works range from a history of France, her first sexual experience and the shame around it, her mother’s illness and death to her abortion to her class-linked shame. She uncovered the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory with clinical acuity and courage.

She consistently and from different angles, examines a life marked by strong disparities regarding gender, language and class.

She uses songs, slogans, meals from the time she is writing about, which many say blurs the line between fiction and autobiography.

About Annie Ernaux’s literary works

She has written over thirty literary works. Some of her famous literary works include,

‘L’occupation’ (2002): In this, she dissects the social mythology of romantic love. She confesses and attacks a self-image built on stereotypes in this work.

The Years: It was translated into English and was shortlisted for the Man Booker international prize.

Happening(2001): It was based on her abortion. It explains about the illegal abortion in the 1960s. The book brought limelight about abortion after abortion rights were curtailed in the US.

A Girl’s Story(2016): It was built on her own experiences at a children’s camp, that deals with the shaming an 18-year-old girl is subjected to for her sexuality.

Getting Lost (2022): It talks about her affair with a Russian diplomat, she was divorced, and he was married. It is a rare clear-eyed account of female desire.

What are the other awards and honours?

Her works overall have received the French language prize and the Marguerite Yourcenar prize.

The Quarto edition by Gallimard in 2011 published her complete works to date. Ernaux is the first woman writer to be published in this series in her lifetime.

Carbon dots: A futuristic solution for sustainably managing aquatic environment?

Source: The post is based on the article “Carbon dots: A futuristic solution for sustainably managing aquatic environment?” published in DTE on 3^rd October 2022.

What is the News?

According to scientists, modern technology like nanomaterials or carbon dots (CD) might be the solution to environmental issues like water pollution.

About carbon dots (CD)

CDs are one of the youngest members of the carbon nanomaterial family. They were discovered in 2004 and have an average diameter of less than 10 nanometres.

The dots show continuous and broad absorption spectra, intense fluorescent activity, excellent photostability and highly tunable photoluminescence.

How carbon dots (CD) are formed?

“Top-down” method: This approach converts large carbon structures into quantum-sized carbon dots by laser ablation, arc discharge, and chemical or electrochemical oxidation.

“Bottom-up” method: CDs are produced from carbonising small molecule precursors by pyrolysis, carbonisation, hydrothermal processes or microwave-assisted synthesis.

Note: CDs have also been produced from water hyacinth waste.

What are the advantages of carbon dots (CD)?

-CDs have garnered the attention of researchers mainly due to their convenient availability from both organic and inorganic materials.

-CDs have the potential to be used instead of quantum dots, which are more toxic and less biocompatible.

-CDs possess remarkable optical properties, which differ peculiarly based on the precursor used for synthesis.

-CDs are inexpensive, highly biocompatible, and environment-friendly.

What are the potential applications of carbon dots (CD)?

Pollutant Sensing: CDs are electron donors and acceptors. So they are becoming more popular as candidates in applications like sensing and bioimaging.

They are widely used as a fluorescent nanoprobe for pollutant detection because of their high fluorescence emission. They also enable the detection of pollutants by changing colour.

Note: Organic pollutants in polluted water can act as electron and hole-transferring agents, while carbon dots act as photosensitiser. 

Contaminant Adsorption: CDs can provide many surface adsorption sites due to their small size and large specific surface area.

Water Treatment: CDs contribute rich oxygen-containing moiety on their surface and are favourable for water solubility. Further, they are also promising nano-fillers in fabricating thin-film nanocomposite membranes. So, CDs can be used for water treatment.

For instance, CDs obtained from grass carp successfully detected mercury ions in lake water

Pollutant Degradation: The technology can also be useful for pollutant degradation by providing a cutting-edge approach for next-generation photocatalysis.

For instance, thio-urea and citric acid-based carbon dots were used for the degradation of harmful dyes.

Antimicrobial benefits: CDs in contact with the bacteria cell under visible or natural light could efficiently generate reactive oxygen species. This can damage Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) or Ribonucleic Acid (RNA), causing bacteria death.

The impossible trinity: how the free movement of capital comes with a cost

Source: The post is based on the article “The impossible trinity: how the free movement of capital comes with a cost” published in The Hindu on 6^th October 2022.

What is the News?

Recently, the U.S. Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates to fight rising prices. This brought the focus back to the impossible trinity or the trilemma.

In a world where capital is largely free to move across borders, the Fed rate hike has led many investors to pull money out of the rest of the world and rush to the U.S. in search of higher yields. Thus putting pressure on many currencies such as the Indian rupee.

What is the impossible trinity or the trilemma?

The idea was proposed independently by Canadian economist Robert Mundell and British economist Marcus Fleming in the early 1960s.

Accordingly, the impossible trinity, or the trilemma, refers to the idea that an economy cannot pursue independent monetary policy, maintain a fixed exchange rate, and allow the free flow of capital across its borders at the same time.

According to economists, any economy can choose to pursue only two out of the three policy options noted above simultaneously in the long-run.

The impossible trinity or the trilemma in the present world

Practically, in today’s world, capital is largely free to move across borders with ease. So, the choice before policymakers is between maintaining a fixed exchange rate and pursuing an independent monetary policy. So, the government may follow any of the two conditions below.

Condition 1: If policymakers choose to peg or maintain the value of their currency at a certain level against a foreign currency, this decision will limit the monetary policy they adopt in the long-run. This is because the decision to peg the exchange value of the currency can tie down the hands of central bankers when it comes to their domestic monetary policy stance.

Condition 2: If policymakers of a country choose to pursue independent monetary policy, they may not be able to maintain the foreign exchange value of their currency at the desired peg. This is because the kind of monetary policy adopted by an economy’s central bank invariably influences the exchange value of its currency against foreign currencies.

Note: In the past, when strict capital controls were used to regulate the flow of capital across borders, economies could choose to pursue independent monetary policy and still hope to maintain a certain exchange value against foreign currencies.

The impossible trinity or the trilemma on RBI

The Reserve Bank of India may also face the dilemma of choosing between maintaining the value of the rupee and holding on to its monetary policy independence. For example, the present Fed rate hike has been increasing pressure on the rupee. The Rupee has depreciated almost 10% against the U.S. dollar this year.

‘Can read, talk’: Vyommitra’s skills get a lift-off with digital grey matter

Source: The post is based on the article “‘Can read, talk’: Vyommitra’s skills get a lift-off with digital grey matter” published in The Hindu on 7^th October 2022.

What is the News?

Vyommitra, the humanoid, is undergoing pre-flight ground tests at the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU). The humanoid will fly aboard unmanned test missions ahead of the Gaganyaan human space-flight mission.

About Vyommitra

It is a “female” robot astronaut unveiled in 2020.

Designed and developed by: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Vyommitra is a half-humanoid lacking lower limbs. The IISU was responsible for the design, development, and integration of the robot. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thumba here developed its fingers.

It has been designed to resemble a human with facial expressions and speech and sight capabilities.

How Vyommitra will help in the Gaganyaan human space-flight mission?

Vyommitra will fly aboard the first unmanned test flight ahead of the manned Gaganyaan flight expected in 2024.

The AI-enabled robot is designed to fly aboard a rocket, withstanding vibrations and shock during the flight.

The IISU has successfully integrated Vyommitra with a computer “brain”. This enables it to “read” control panels aboard the unmanned test flights and communicate with the ISRO ground stations.

About Vyommitra twin

Vyommitra is set to get a digital twin. The “twin” will undergo computer simulations where the control systems are tested for microgravity conditions. The twin will be developed in collaboration with academic institutions such as the IITs.