Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• Tuning into news- Allow news on private FM radio, with effective self-regulation
• Still Just Five- With an even more aggressive China against UNSC permanent membership for India, reform looks tough
• Why simultaneous elections would militate against federalism
• Ridding India of food insecurity

GS Paper 3

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

Tuning into news- Allow news on private FM radio, with effective self-regulation

News: The article discusses the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (Trai) recommendation to permit private FM radio stations to broadcast news. It emphasizes the potential benefits for communication, particularly in rural areas, and underscores the necessity for a regulatory framework to guarantee accurate and unbiased reporting.

What are the recommendation of the Trai on  private FM radio stations.

Allow News Broadcasts: Trai recommends permitting private FM radio stations to air news bulletins.

Content Regulation: TRAI suggests a code of compliance for ethical standards, accurate reporting, and impartiality, ensuring news doesn’t incite violence, hatred, or misinformation.

Time Limit: Initially, news content should be capped at 10 minutes per clock-hour.

Code Similar to TV and Digital: The compliance code should be akin to those in place for television and digital platforms.

Licensing and Support: Trai emphasizes changing the licensing-fee regime, offering financial support, and promoting FM radio on smartphones.

What are the implications of allowing private FM radio stations to broadcast news?

Enhanced Reach: Many of the 388 operational private FM channels reach rural and remote areas, serving as a vital communication medium.

Local Language Connect: Broadcasting in local languages can establish stronger connections within communities.

Disaster Management Tool: FM radio can be useful during disasters when other mediums, like the internet and satellite TV, fail.

Ending AIR’s Monopoly: Currently, only the state-owned All India Radio (AIR) broadcasts news. This move would diversify sources.

Potential for Misinformation: Without regulation, there’s a risk of distorted news leading to societal issues, especially before elections.

Media Pluralism: The media landscape would become more diverse and pluralistic.

Still Just Five- With an even more aggressive China against UNSC permanent membership for India, reform looks tough

News: The article discusses India’s pursuit of a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, the challenges associated with UNSC reforms due to differing member group views, and China’s opposition to India’s bid. It also emphasizes the necessity of change to maintain the UN’s relevance.

Why does India want to reform the UNSC?

Growing Stature: India showcased its global influence at the G20 summit in New Delhi.

Reflecting Current Realities: India believes an expanded UNSC will more accurately represent today’s global dynamics.

Voice for the Global South: The handling of events like the Ukraine war shows that issues concerning the Global South often get sidelined. India’s inclusion can help address this imbalance.

Avoiding UN’s Obsolescence: To keep the UN relevant and prevent it from becoming ineffective like the League of Nations, countries with rising influence like India should have a permanent seat in the UNSC.

What are the challenges to UNSC reform?

High Bar for Amendments: The UN Charter requires a two-thirds vote from UN members for amendments. Additionally, the same number must ratify these changes, making reforms difficult.

Permanent Member Agreement: All five permanent UNSC members must approve reforms, making consensus challenging.

Differing Views: Groups like G4, Uniting for Consensus, and the African Union have distinct visions for reform, complicating unanimous decisions.

China’s Opposition: China, a permanent member, aligns with the Uniting for Consensus group, opposing India and Japan’s permanent membership.

Regional Rivalries: Some nations, such as Pakistan, oppose their regional rivals, like India, from gaining permanent seats.

Why simultaneous elections would militate against federalism

News– The Union government has constituted a committee headed by former President Ramnath Kovind to explore the possibility of conducting simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, the Legislative Assemblies, municipalities, and panchayats.

What are the issues with conducting simultaneous elections?

It would result in the shortening of the tenures of all Legislative Assemblies except for those in four States: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim.

In total, 17 States would experience a reduction in the duration of their Assembly terms by nearly a year and a half.

Among these, the terms of the Legislative Assemblies in Karnataka, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, and Gujarat would be shortened by approximately three and a half years or more.

The government has advocated for simultaneous elections as a measure to reduce costs. A 2018 report from the Law Commission asserted that  conducting the elections simultaneously would cut costs in half.

However, these reports tend to view election expenditure as “wasteful”. It overlooks the multiplier effect and the broader economic influence of holding elections on sectors such as transportation, printing, media, and infrastructure.

Simultaneous elections have significant implications for the distinct legislative and governance levels in India.

India elects 543 Lok Sabha representatives, over 4,100 Assembly legislators, representatives for 89,194 urban wards, and nearly 31.89 lakh elected panchayat representatives. Each of these tiers has its own set of roles and responsibilities.

The significant number of representatives across these tiers underscores the importance of each tier and the necessity for competition to address the specific needs of voters.

For example, if a voter is concerned about waste management in her area, she would give a vote to choose a candidate best suited to address the local ward’s issues.

Holding simultaneous elections could potentially merge the various issues related to these three tiers into a single electoral mandate for voters. This could undermine federalism and the fundamental structure of three-tier governance.

Ridding India of food insecurity

News– India is facing accelerating food-price inflation. The rise in the price of food first accelerated sharply in 2019. In July this year, annual inflation exceeded 11%, the highest in a decade.

What are challenges related to food insecurity in India?

As per the ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’ report from the FAO, an estimated 74% of the population in India cannot afford a healthy diet. This translates to approximately one billion individuals.

A study highlighted in The Hindu newspaper examined the price trends of food in Mumbai city from 2018 to 2023.

It revealed that during this period, the cost of preparing a homemade “thaali” has surged by 65%. In contrast, the average income of a manual laborer has increased by 38%, and that of a salaried worker has gone up by 28%.

The latest National Family Health Survey estimated that over 50% of adult women were suffering from anemia.

Traditional macroeconomic policies aimed at controlling inflation have proven ineffective in this context.

The Reserve Bank of India has faltered in this regard. Inflation rates have consistently exceeded their targets for the past four years. Their strategy of “inflation targeting,” does not address food inflation stemming from supply-side issues.

What are some facts about the green revolution?

The government launched a supply-side strategy by equipping farmers with high-yielding seeds, affordable credit, and guaranteed prices through procurement.

This endeavor achieved remarkable success. Within a short span, India no longer relied on food imports. It facilitated India’s aspiration for self-sufficiency.

However, there were some mistakes at the level of strategy. There was excessive use of chemical fertilizers that led to soil degradation.

There was also an overemphasis on procurement prices rather than boosting productivity to enhance farm incomes. It contributes to inflation.

The policy predominantly concentrated on cereals rather than pulses, a primary source of protein for most Indians.

What is the way forward to achieve the goal of food security?

The focus should be on rectifying the challenges created by the green revolution. There is a need to prioritize the specific objective of reducing the cost of food production.

The Green revolution paid insufficient attention to the cost of producing food. Therefore, a second agricultural revolution is now imperative.  Containing the escalating food prices necessitates multifaceted action. It demands a mission-oriented approach.

Farm-focused measures to boost yields and contain production costs are essential.

There is need for improvement in key areas like extending irrigation to cover 100% of the net sown area, eliminating land leasing restrictions, accelerating agricultural research, and reinstating extension services.

The ongoing subdivision of already small land holdings diminishes the potential for investments in productivity-enhancing capital. Allowing land leasing could provide a solution to this issue.

India’s network of public agricultural research institutions needs revitalization to reclaim the pivotal role they played in the 1960s. The extension services need to be reinvigorated.

The active participation of states is crucial. In the 1960s, the states selected for the adoption of new agricultural technology worked closely with the central government.

A similar collaborative approach is essential to make a substantial impact nationwide. The central government and states should work together in the spirit of cooperative federalism.

A pragmatic approach is necessary, both at the national level and within individual states, to bring about meaningful change.

An important aspect of the first Green Revolution was that it embraced a capitalist approach by relying on private enterprise, and compromised on socialist principles. The objective was to make India self-sufficient in food.

Therefore, in the current context, no approach should be dismissed if it aligns with ecological sustainability.

GS Paper 3

Nuclear energy is clean but too risky to rely on

News: The article discusses India’s desire to expand its nuclear energy to achieve climate goals. It also highlights challenges such as global politics, potential disasters, and waste disposal. This is particularly significant following a 2010 law that held suppliers responsible for accidents without establishing compensation limits.

Why is India exploring nuclear energy?

Climate Goals: India aims to achieve 500 gigawatts from non-fossil sources by 2030 to move towards carbon neutrality by 2070. Nuclear energy offers a way to meet this target.

Emission-Free Power: Nuclear plants don’t burn fossil fuels. They generate power by heating water, making it environmentally friendly from an emission standpoint.

Comparative Shortage: Despite the growth of renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydro, India still heavily relies on coal, with nuclear energy contributing only 1.6% of the country’s power. Therefore, there is potential for nuclear energy to grow and aid in reducing coal dependence.

Why didn’t the 2005 nuclear deal with the US boost nuclear energy in India?

Liability Law of 2010: India’s Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act made foreign suppliers accountable in case of a disaster. This law clearly stated that reactor makers and their supply chain would face consequences, not just operators.

No Compensation Cap: The law didn’t set a cap on compensation, making it challenging for insurers to price risk coverage.

Resulting Deterrence: The 2010 law’s conditions discouraged many nuclear suppliers, indicating the inherent risks in the nuclear industry and the high premiums possibly demanded by insurers.

What are the concerns around nuclear energy?

Potential Disasters: The extreme risk of a Chernobyl-like incident, though rare, is devastating. Such meltdowns can result in widespread radiation.

Increased Exposure: With more reactors in operation, the potential for accidents increases, heightening the country’s overall risk.

Waste Disposal: Handling nuclear waste remains a significant challenge. Current temporary solutions, like cooling ponds, can become problematic, as seen with the large volumes of coolant water Japan’s Fukushima plant had to dispose of.

Long-term Waste Management: Nuclear waste eventually needs safe storage deep underground or beneath seabed. This containment ensures no radiation escapes but is costly and often downplayed by nuclear proponents.

Laptop Decision Doesn’t Compute

News: The author discusses India’s choice to reintroduce licensing on specific tech imports, possibly to safeguard domestic industries. However, this move raises concerns about reverting to older trade policies. The author also stresses the importance of India enhancing its manufacturing sector for economic growth and job opportunities.

Why did India reintroduce licensing on tech imports?

Discreet Discrimination: Licensing could be a tool to discreetly target imports from specific countries without explicitly naming them.

Targeting China: China is a significant supplier, accounting for 54% of India’s tech imports in the HTS 8471 category in 2022.

Protection Over Retaliation: The objective might be to protect domestic industries rather than to retaliate against China.

Rapid Response: Licensing offers a quicker protective measure than safeguard or antidumping duties, which require investigations.

What are the other options available to India apart from licensing?

Tariffs: Instead of licensing, India could have simply relied on tariffs to regulate imports.

Discriminatory Tariffs: If India wanted to target specific countries, it could impose higher tariffs on them, like how the US restricted its steel and aluminum imports in 2018.

Safeguard Duties: For protection against sudden surges in imports, such as the rise in tech imports from $7.3 billion in 2020 to $11.1 billion in 2022.

Antidumping Duties: Used to counteract unfairly low-priced imports, though they require an investigative process.

What are the implications of reintroducing licensing on tech imports?

Possible Violation of WTO Agreements: The reintroduction of licensing might breach WTO agreements as this method is from a bygone era.

Potential for Discreet Discrimination: Licensing could allow India to quietly target specific countries, such as China, without having to overtly name them.

Unclear National Security Benefits: Restricting tech imports for national security reasons seems unlikely as potential threats, like malware, could be introduced through various components.

Minimal Economic Impact on China: Even though China accounted for 54% of India’s tech imports in 2022, India’s tech imports only comprise a small fraction of China’s total exports.

Protection of Domestic Industry: The main reasoning might be to safeguard India’s domestic industries from surging imports, which rose significantly between 2020 and 2022.

Potential Return to Old Trade Practices: Reintroducing licenses raises concerns of reverting to restrictive trade policies, signaling potential future challenges for India’s trade landscape.

What should be done?

Reevaluate Trade Policies: India should reassess the reintroduction of older trade tools like licensing and consider more effective and modern trade measures.

Expert Committee Consultation: After the 2024 elections, the new government should set up an expert committee to advise on policies that can boost manufacturing growth rates.

Focus on Manufacturing: Emphasize the importance of manufacturing for rapid productivity growth, job creation, and skill enhancement.

Employment Strategy: Address the current pattern where 85% of the workforce is in low-output sectors. Encourage the growth of larger enterprises that yield higher productivity.

Why the earthquake in Morocco has caused so much damage

News: Morocco has been hit by its most powerful earthquake. It has resulted in casualties of more than 2500 people.

Morocco was hit by an earthquake of magnitude 6.8. Its epicenter was located in the Al-Haouz province, in the Atlas Mountains of the historic city of Marrakech.

It has resulted in heavy casualties and many survivors are left without food, electricity and phone services.

The earthquakes in the North Africa are the result of northward convergence of the African plate with the Eurasian plate along a complex plate boundary. The present earthquake was attributed by USGS to “oblique-reverse faulting at shallow depth within the Moroccan High Atlas Mountain range”.

Why the Morocco earthquake was that dangerous?

Although the magnitude of the earthquake was 6.8, which in many other regions did not result in destruction and casualties. But in Morocco, it was a very shallow earthquake.

USGS reported the epicenter of earthquake roughly 18.5 km below the Earth’s surface. While Morocco’s own seismic agency pegged the depth at 11 km.

Shallow earthquakes carry a much higher amount of energy when they hit the surface. Whereas earthquakes with deep epicenters lose energy when they hit the surface. Although, deep epicenter earthquakes spread farther to great distances.

For example, the earthquakes, that hit Turkey and Syria were also shallow, originated 17.9 km below the Earth’s surface, with magnitude 7.8. it caused death of more than 50,000 people and destroyed about 1,60,000 buildings containing 5,20,000 apartments.

What are the measures of earthquake?

Apart from depth, magnitude is also an indicator of quake. Magnitude tells how big the seismic waves are. Each increasing number of magnitudes represents 32 times more energy release and 10 times more amplitude.

In simple terms, the seismic waves produced by a magnitude 6 earthquake have 10 times higher amplitude than the ones produced by a magnitude 5 earthquake.

What are the reasons behind heavy destruction in Morocco?

First, earthquakes are not very common in North Africa. Therefore, Morocco was not prepared for such a calamity.

Second, many changes were introduced to construction rules after Morocco faced the earthquake in 1960, but buildings in rural areas and older cities are not built to withstand the earthquake. Many houses collapsed in Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What are the earthquake zones in India?

Western Himalayan region of the 2500-km stretch from the Hindu Kush mountains to the end of Arunachal Pradesh, is the most dangerous seismic zones in the world.

A huge amount of energy is stored along the fault lines there, due to the continuous interaction of different tectonic plates.

Energy can be released only in the form of massive earthquakes.

Satwik Mishra writes: Cautiously on AI

News– The G20 Delhi Declaration stresses the importance of responsible artificial intelligence (AI) practices, including the protection of human rights, transparency, fairness, and accountability.

What is the potential of AI?

AI is currently playing a pivotal role in shaping our digital era and is fundamentally reshaping our concept of advancement.

According to Stanford’s Artificial Index Report of 2023, private investments in AI have surged by 18 times since 2013. The adoption of AI technologies by companies has doubled since 2017.

McKinsey’s estimates project that the annual worth of AI could span from $17.1 trillion to $25.6 trillion.

AI is on a steady upward trajectory. It is showing increasing capabilities, accessible affordability, and broad-ranging applications.

What are the challenges posed by AI?

AI poses established challenges such as biased models, privacy concerns, and obscured decision-making.

Generative AI carries the potential danger of undermining the integrity of public discourse through the spread of misinformation, disinformation, influence operations, and personalized persuasion tactics. It can erode societal trust.

In the defense sector, there is a concern that AI unexplained aberrations and unverified analyses could potentially lead to unforeseen and uncontrollable military escalations.

The concept of Artificial General Intelligence has been highlighted as a significant concern. There is growing apprehension about the potential for AI systems to become extremely powerful.

Way forward-

There is a need to establish a global consensus on the risks posed by AI. Even a single vulnerability can create opportunities for malicious actors to execute extensive breaches.

It would be wise to establish an international commission dedicated to continuously identifying AI-related risks

It is crucial to formulate a set of standards that should be met by any public AI service.

These standards play a pivotal role in enhancing safety by reducing risks, advancing quality, facilitating private-public collaborations, streamlining operations , and fostering compatibility across different regions.

There is a need to develop socio-technical standards. It should outline ideals and provide the technical means to achieve them. Since AI is an evolving technology, these standards must be adaptable.

Governments should have a substantial stake in the design, development, and deployment of AI. It is currently dominated by a small number of companies.

There is a need to reimagine models for public-private partnerships. It is required to establish regulatory sandbox zones where experiments aimed at boosting entrepreneurs’ competitive edge are balanced with fair solutions to societal challenges.

The signals from this ‘Made in China’ smartphone story

News–  Huawei has created ripples within the strategic and business community with its newly unveiled Mate 60 Pro which houses the Kirin 9000 processor. The chipset reportedly used Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC)’s second-generation 7nm fabrication technique.

What are the challenges before the Chinese advanced chips manufacturing ecosystem?

1. The manufacturing method employed by Huawei-SMIC for producing the Kirin 9000 processor is ineffective. The efficiency metric known as wafer yield falls well below 50% for this technology.

In contrast, Taiwan’s Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited utilizes a 7nm manufacturing process with a wafer yield exceeding 90%.

Consequently, Huawei SMIC’s approach becomes excessively costly. It is reaching up to ten times the expenses incurred by other market players.

2. The 7nm manufacturing process represents the highest level of China’s capabilities given the currently available Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) lithography tools.

Sanctions imposed by the United States denied Beijing access to the most advanced lithography tool in the market—the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUVs). It forced China to rely on DUVs for fabricating the Kirin 9000 chipset.

While DUVs can technically be used to create 7nm chips, the process is inefficient. It is leading to reduced yield.

3. There are doubts about Huawei-SMIC’s ability to engage in large-scale production of the current chipsets. Recent restrictions imposed by the U.S. and its allies pose a challenge for Chinese companies looking to scale up the production of 7nm chips.

What is the comparison between the Chinese chip manufacturing ecosystem and US chip manufacturing ecosystem?

1. The decentralized nature of the technology ecosystem led by the United States enables individual countries to specialize based on their unique comparative advantages.

This is evident in the current supply chain. The United States excels in Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools and design.

2. The Netherlands specializes in manufacturing lithography tools. Japan is known for producing specialized materials. Taiwan and South Korea excel in fabrication.

In contrast, China faces the challenge of achieving self-sufficiency in each segment of the semiconductor value chain and attaining a high level of sophistication in each of these areas to remain competitive.

Specializing in any single segment of the chip value chain alone requires substantial capital investment. It is practically impossible in every segment.

3. In the U.S.-led ecosystem, the costs can be shared among participating countries, most of which have significantly higher per-capita income levels than China.

So, to compete effectively with this larger resource pool, China must achieve a higher success rate for every research dollar it invests.

This presents a challenge. Breakthroughs in fundamental research often require substantial capital and do not always lead to successful outcomes.

4. The U.S.-led tech ecosystem benefits from its ability to attract talent from diverse regions due to its open immigration policies and widespread network.

In contrast, China will increasingly rely on its national or overseas talent pool. The movement of human capital to China becomes more challenging due to escalating competition in the high-tech sectors.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

PM, Saudi Crown Prince chair SPC meeting: What is the Strategic Partnership Council

Source: The post is based on the article “PM, Saudi Crown Prince chair SPC meeting: What is the Strategic Partnership Council”  published in Indian Express on 12th September 2023

What is the News?

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister co-chaired the first summit-level meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC).

What is the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC)?

Setup in: 2019

– Note: India is the fourth country with which Saudi Arabia formed such a partnership, after the UK, France, and China.

Aim: To establish a high-level council to steer the Indo-Saudi relationship.

Pillars: SPC has two main pillars: 1) Committee on Political, Security, Social and Cultural Cooperation and 2) Committee on Economy and Investments.

– Both committees have four functional levels of engagements: Summit level (Prime Minister & Crown Prince); Ministerial-level; Senior Officials Meetings and Joint Working Groups (JWGs).

What happened during the talks between India and Saudi Arabia?

India and Saudi Arabia have decided to expedite implementation of the $50-billion West Coast refinery project and identified energy, defence, semiconductor and space as areas for intensified cooperation.

– Note: The West Coast refinery project is a 60 million tonnes refinery-cum-petrochemical complex to be built on the Maharashtra coast by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) from India and Saudi Arabian Oil Co (Saudi Aramco) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (Adnoc).

The two countries also agreed to diversify the current status of their hydrocarbons relationship into a comprehensive energy partnership and inked eight pacts to boost cooperation in a range of areas, including digitisation and investment.

Both countries have also agreed to establish a joint task force to help identify and channel the $100 billion worth of investments committed by Saudi Arabia in 2019.(Half of this was for the West Coast refinery project).

Kota Police, coaching centres join hands to help students address mental health issues

Source: The post is based on the article “Kota Police, coaching centres join hands to help students address mental health issues”  published in The Hindu on 13th September 2023

What is the News?

Allen Career Institute and the Kota Police department have joined hands to organize a programme called ‘Creating Hope Through Action’.

The programme focused on the importance of mental health and strategies to reduce suicide rates, particularly among students.

What is the data on suicide rate in Kota among students?

According to police data, 15 students died by suicide in Kota in 2022, 18 in 2019, 20 in 2018, seven in 2017, 17 in 2016, and 18 in 2015.

In 2023, 23 students have died by suicide.This year has recorded the highest number of students’ suicides since 2013.

What are the steps taken by Kota Police to reduce suicide among students?

Kota Police has set up a dedicated “Student Cell” to reach out to students and make attempts to detect early signs of stress and depression.

The cell has a control room where personnel are deputed to receive calls on the dedicated helpline. 

They attend to the problems reported on calls and direct them to counselors if a student needs professional help. 

There are teams that conduct random checks in hostels, interact with students, counsel them and report to their parents if they spot some signs of pressure, stress or depression.

The police personnel chosen under this cell are all in their 40s and have teenage children which will help them in understanding the challenges faced by the students.

Election Commissioner of India visits Maldives to observe Presidential Elections 2023

Source: The post is based on the article “Election Commissioner of India visits Maldives to observe Presidential Elections 2023”  published in PIB on 12th September 2023

What is the News?

Election Commissioner of India is leading a three-member delegation to Maldives to observe the conduct of the Presidential Election, 2023. 

How is the Presidential Election conducted in Maldives?

Under the Election Laws of Maldives, the President is elected for a five-year term directly by the people by universal and secret suffrage.  

The voting system for election of the President is a direct election through a majority vote with the first-past-the-post method. 

The winning candidate has to secure a minimum of 50 % of total votes polled in one or multiple rounds.

How has been the India-Maldives relations in recent times?

Maldives has been a strong partner of India over the last few years.As India has been actively pursuing Neighborhood first policy, Maldives has been following an India-first approach.

India has proactively played the role of a first responder for Maldives during several crises including the 1988 coup, 2004 Tsunami and 2014 water crisis. 

The relations between the two countries have been taken to a new high over the last few years with India helping Maldives through several developmental projects. 

Apart from this, India has been involved in 47 High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP) of which 7 have been completed and inaugurated. 

It is also noteworthy that the Indian Prime Minister had attended the inauguration ceremony of Maldives President Solih in 2018.However, the Maldives opposition under Abdulla Yameen’s guidance has been vocal with their India Out Campaign.

Rice sowing area surpasses 400 lakh hectares marks

Source: The post is based on the article “Rice sowing area surpasses 400 lakh hectares marks”  published in PIB on 12th September 2023

What is the News?

The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has released the progress of area coverage under kharif crops.

What are the key takeaways from the data on Kharif Crops?

The area under kharif or summer-sown crops which account for half of the country’s annual food supply stands at 108.8 million hectares, nearly the same as 2022.

Rice dominates among the kharif crops with an area sown of 403.41 lakh hectares, surpassing last year’s 392.81 lakh hectares.This indicates the significance of rice cultivation in India’s agricultural landscape.

Pulses cultivation faced challenges but still covered 119.91 lakh hectares, slightly less than the 131.17 lakh hectares last year.

Coarse cereals like Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Small millets and Maize maintained steady planting at 182.21 lakh hectares, compared to 181.24 lakh hectares last year.

Oilseeds, including Groundnut, Soybean, Sunflower, Sesamum, Niger, Castor, and others, covered 191.49 lakh hectares, slightly down from 193.30 lakh hectares last year.

Sugarcane cultivation expanded to 59.91 lakh hectares from 55.65 lakh hectares last year.

Jute and Mesta covered 6.57 lakh hectares (compared to 6.97 lakh hectares last year), while Cotton covered 125.00 lakh hectares (down from 126.87 lakh hectares last year).

What is the significance of this data on Kharif Crops?

India’s agriculture sector operates in three cropping seasons: Summer, Kharif, and Rabi. 

Kharif crops are sown during June-July, dependent on monsoon rains, and typically harvested in October-November.

The progress in Kharif sowing, especially for essential crops like rice and sugarcane, reflects the resilience and dedication of Indian farmers, ensuring a robust agricultural sector in the country. 

President of India to Inaugurate ‘First Global Symposium on Farmers’ Rights’ at ICAR Convention Centre, NASC Complex, New Delhi

Source: The post is based on the article “President of India to Inaugurate ‘First Global Symposium on Farmers’ Rights’ at ICAR Convention Centre, NASC Complex, New Delhi”  published in PIB on 12th September 2023

What is the News?

The President of India will inaugurate the first ‘Global Symposium on Farmers’ Rights’ (GSFR) at the ICAR Convention Centre, National Agricultural Science Centre Complex in New Delhi.

What is the Global Symposium on Farmers’ Rights'(GSFR)?

Organized by: Secretariat of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (International Treaty) of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome.

Hosted by: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in collaboration with Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPVFR) Authority, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) among others.

Aim: To contribute to the understanding of the challenges and opportunities of implementing farmers’ rights by the signatory countries and other stakeholders. 

Significance: India is hosting its first ‘Global Symposium on Farmers’ Rights’.

– Note: India has been the first country in the world to include Farmers’ Rights in the context of Plant Variety Registration through its Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPVFR) Act, 2001.

India-UK hold 12th Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) in New Delhi

Source: The post is based on the article “India-UK hold 12th Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) in New Delhi”  published in PIB on 12th September 2023

What is the News?

The 12th Round of Ministerial India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue was held in New Delhi. 

What are the key highlights from 12th India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue?

UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge Initiative: India and the UK have launched the UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge Initiative.

– The initiative is co-led by NITI Aayog and the City of London Corporation. 

– The bridge aims to harness collective expertise in planning and implementing major infrastructure projects in India.

Indian companies to list on exchanges overseas: The United Kingdom has received the first confirmation from India that it would explore the London Stock Exchange (LSE) for overseas direct listing of Indian companies.

– Under the current regulations, Indian firms are not allowed to list directly on overseas exchanges.They can only list on foreign exchanges through instruments, such as depository receipts.

What is the UK-India Green Growth Equity Fund?

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CBI does not require permission to probe pre-2014 cases too: SC

Source: The post is based on the article “CBI does not require permission to probe pre-2014 cases too: SC”  published in The Hindu on 12th September 2023

What is the News?

A Constitution Bench held that a Supreme Court judgment of 2014 which declared Section 6A of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act invalid has a retrospective effect.

What is Section 6A of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act?

Section 6A of the DSPE Act was added in 2003 through Section 26 of the Central Vigilance Commission Act(CVCA).

The section mandated the government’s prior sanction to proceed in corruption cases against officers of the rank of joint secretary and above. 

However, an exception provided in Section 6A(2) states that no approval is necessary for cases involving arrest of a person on the spot on the charge of accepting or attempting to accept a bribe.

In 2014, a five-judge Constitution Bench struck down Section 6A of the DSPE Act, ruling that status or position cannot shield an officer of the level of joint secretary and above from an unconstrained probe by the CBI in cases of corruption. 

This court termed Section 6A a “discriminatory” provision that “impedes tracking down the corrupt senior bureaucrats”. 

But the 2014 ruling did not clarify what would happen to existing cases being probed by the CBI 

Therefore, a constitution bench was constituted to examine whether the 2014 decision would affect existing corruption cases.

What did the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court rule?

The main question before the constitution bench was related to the applicability of Section 6A in DSPE Act.

The constitution bench held that the Supreme Court’s 2014 ruling which struck down Section 6A of the DSPE Act will apply retrospectively.

This means that there would be no protection to the public servants on the premise of a sanction under Section 6A in pre-2014 cases.

IISc scientists develop novel approach to detect and kill cancer cells

Source: The post is based on the article “IISc scientists develop novel approach to detect and kill cancer cells”  published in The Hindu on 12th September 2023

What is the News?

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) scientists have developed a new approach to potentially detect and kill cancer cells.

What have scientists developed to detect and kill cancer cells?

Scientists have created hybrid nanoparticles made of gold and copper sulphide.

These hybrid nanoparticles have unique properties: 

– Kills Cancer cells: These hybrid nanoparticles can create heat and release toxic oxygen when illuminated with light, effectively targeting and killing cancer cells.

– Diagnose certain cancers: These nanoparticles can help diagnose certain cancers. Existing methods such as standalone CT and MRI scans require trained radiology professionals to decipher the images.

– The photoacoustic property of the nanoparticles allows them to absorb light and generate ultrasound waves, which can be used to detect cancer cells with high contrast once the particles reach them.

– Scans created from the generated ultrasound waves can also provide better clarity and can be used to measure the oxygen saturation in the tumour, boosting their detection.

Size of these Hybrid Nanoparticles: The hybrid nanoparticles are less than 8 nm in size.They can potentially travel inside tissues easily and reach tumours.

– The researchers believe that the nanoparticles’ small size would also allow them to leave the human body naturally without accumulating.

– However, extensive studies need to be carried out to determine if they are safe to use inside the human body. 

– In the current study, the researchers tested their nanoparticles on lung cancer and cervical cancer cell lines in the lab.They now plan to take the results forward for clinical development.

Indian Coast Guard participates in 19th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) in Istanbul, Türkiye

Source: The post is based on the article “Indian Coast Guard participates in 19th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) in Istanbul, Türkiye”  published in PIB on 11th September 2023

What is the News?

Indian Coast Guard participated in the 19th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) at Istanbul, Türkiye. 

What is the Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM)?

HACGAM is an annual event hosted by one of its member nations on a rotational basis.

It is an offshoot of the Japanese initiative to promote cooperation amongst regional Coast Guards, after the capture of the pirated vessel MV Alondra Rainbow by the Indian Coast Guard in Nov 1999.

Aim: It focuses on fostering cooperation between the Coast Guards of the member Asian states to ensure and promote safe, secure, and clean seas in the region. 

Groups: The forum comprises four Working Groups to enable a focused and goal-oriented approach towards coordinated response and synergy towards common maritime issues.

– The Indian Coast Guard chairs the search and rescue (SAR) working group. 

Member countries: Australia, Bahrein, Bangladesh, Brunei, Philippines, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, Republic of Korea, Laos, Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Türkiye and Vietnam. 

– Further, Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia- Information Sharing Center(ReCAAP-ISC) participates in the forum as an associate member.

18th edition: In 2022, the 18th edition of the meeting was hosted by the ICG in New Delhi

African Union in G20: A look at the G20’s latest member

Source: The post is based on the article “African Union in G20: A look at the G20’s latest member”  published in Indian Express on 12th September 2023

What is the News?

The African Union (AU) has been admitted as a new member of the G20.

This development took place at the ongoing 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi.

What is the African Union(AU)?

Launched in: 2002 (The grouping is the successor of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was formed in 1963)

Members: It is an intergovernmental organization of the 55 member states located on the continent of Africa.

Purpose: To build an Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens.

Secretariat: Addis Ababa. 

Significance: Collectively the group has a gross domestic product (gdp) of $3 trillion with some 1.4 billion people.

What are the objectives of the AU?

AU aims to unite African nations, accelerate the process of the political and socio-economic integration of the continent and address their social, economic and political challenges. 

It also aims to promote peace, stability, security and human rights in the region.

What are the notable achievements of the AU?

Firstly, AU’s peacekeeping missions have helped governments tackle terrorism across Africa, from the Sahel to northern Mozambique.

Secondly, AU’s diplomatic efforts have also resulted in resolving conflicts in Africa.In 2022, it brokered a peace deal between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in South Africa.

Thirdly, the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which came into force in 2021, is yet another achievement of the organization.With 54 member countries as signatories, AfCFTA is the world’s largest new free trade area since the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1994.

What have been the shortcomings of the AU?

Firstly, it has been unable to thwart coups in Africa.Since the 1960s, the continent has witnessed more than 200 coups – the most recent ones took place in Gabon and Niger.

Secondly, it has also been unable to get its member countries to pay their annual dues, leaving it starved of funds.As a result, it has to depend on external funding, which impacts its autonomy.

The following today’s current affairs articles have been covered in 7 PM Explained section of the day:

7 PM Editorial of the day: India Middle East Europe Corridor-Explained Pointwise