9 PM UPSC Current Affairs Articles 22nd June, 2024
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Mains Oriented Articles
GS PAPER - 2
Revision of NCERT Textbooks
Source-This post on Revision of NCERT Textbooks has been created based on the article “NCERT textbooks need to keep pace with changing times” published in “The Indian Express” on 22 June 2024.
UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper-2– Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Context– The article emphasizes the importance of revising textbooks meaningfully to ensure they offer a balanced, credible, and reliable historical narrative by focusing on positive examples of conflict resolution and mutual respect.
What are the issues with school textbooks?
1) Historical Narratives in School Textbooks: School textbooks in the past focused narrowly on India’s achievements, overlooking its contributions to art, literature, philosophy, and science. This distorted the country’s historical identity and perpetuated colonial mindsets.
2) Impact on Students: Introducing complex historical conflicts prematurely in school curricula may lead to emotional distress and perpetuate negative perceptions. This may divide communities.
3) Ethical Considerations- The biased historical accounts in outdated textbooks raised concerns about their potential to undermine unity and mutual respect among students.
Read more- Changes to the NCERT syllabus and associated issues
What should be the way forward?
1) Need for Balanced Narratives-Textbook revisions are important to provide a credible historical narrative that focuses on resolving conflicts and fostering mutual respect, helping students become responsible citizens with a better grasp of India’s heritage.
2) Role of Universities –It should offer an environment where mature discussions and critical analyses of historical controversies can take place.
3) Pedagogical Goals-School education should try to cultivate positive attitudes and critical thinking among students. This can prepare them for societal roles without early disillusionment.
4) Promoting National Unity and Inclusivity through Revised Textbooks– Revised textbooks should focus on national unity, inclusivity, and India’s cultural contributions. It should move away from divisive narratives and integrating contemporary global issues relevant to students’ lives.
5) Continuous Improvement: -Regularly updating textbooks, as mandated by the National Education Policy 2020, is important to meet changing educational demands and encourage empathy, curiosity, and critical thinking among students.
Question for practice
What are the concerns related to school textbooks? What steps should be taken to address them?
Reservation Judgements: An overemphasis on merit
Source-This post on Reservation Judgements: An overemphasis on merit has been created based on the article “Faizan Mustafa writes on Patna High Court reservation ruling: An overemphasis on merit Constitutional Provisions and Judicial Interpretation” published in “The Indian Express” on 22 June 2024.
UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper 2- Indian Constitution—Historical Underpinnings, Evolution, Features, Amendments, Significant Provisions and Basic Structure.
Context The Patna High Court annulled the Bihar govt’s notification increasing reservation from 50% to 65% for backward classes, scheduled castes, and tribes in government jobs and educational institutions. This expansion was based on the much-discussed Caste Survey of 2023.
The Indian Constitution promises social justice and allows the state to make special provisions for underprivileged groups. However, courts have often nullified expanded reservation policies for various groups (Jats, Gujjars, Marathas, Patidars, Muslims) using the “strict scrutiny” doctrine. The judiciary has prioritized “merit” and “efficiency in administration” in their decisions in the recent past.
Why did Patna High Court strike down 65% reservation?
1) The judgment firmly dismissed the idea of “proportionate representation” for Backward Classes, stating that this concept is not supported by Articles 15 and 16. Article 16 mentions “inadequacy of representation.” The High Court cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in Indra Sawhney (1992), where it stated that “adequate representation” should not be interpreted as “proportionate representation.”
2) Bihar reservation amendment exceeds the 50% reservation limit. The Supreme Court introduced this limit in M R Balaji (1962), considering it discriminatory under the right to equality. This principle has been upheld in subsequent rulings like Devadasan (1964), N M Thomas (1976), and Indra Sawhney (1992).
3) The 50% reservation rule is defended on grounds of efficiency and merit. The Patna High Court also noted that “merit cannot be entirely sacrificed.”
4) The proposed reservation was not proportionate given that Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and backward castes constitute 84.46% of Bihar’s population. The Supreme Court acknowledged in Indra Sawhney that the proportion of backward classes to the total population is relevant.
5) Indra Sawhney implied that strict adherence to the 50% limit is not necessary in remote or less developed areas. The High Court rejected the idea that Bihar is outside the national mainstream, highlighting its significant role in national politics.
6) The court observed that there was no analysis of the Caste Survey and consultation with the experts before increasing reservation.
Read more– Issues associated with Calcutta High Court’s judgement on reservation policies in India
What are the issues with this judgement as per the author?
1) Inconsistencies in policy implementation– Before extending reservation to the EWS category, no survey was conducted to assess their underrepresentation. However, the Janhit Abhiyan (2022) Supreme Court decision represents a departure from the typical strict scrutiny approach in judicial rulings where it allowed breach of 50% limit.
2) Neglect of Bihar’s socio-economic context – The government overlooked Bihar’s significant challenges in court, such as its lowest per capita income (less than $800), highest fertility rate, and lowest college density in the country. These factors present strong arguments.
3) Expert Consultation in Affirmative Action Policies– The requirement for analyzing the Caste Survey and consulting with experts could impose additional constraints on the government’s affirmative action policies in the future.
4) Over emphasis on Merit and Efficiency- There is no scientific or empirical evidence that supports the notion that SC/ST/OBC employees perform less efficiently than those recruited under the general category. Justice Chinnappa Reddy countered the efficiency argument in Vasanth Kumar (1985) case challenging the assumption that upper caste individuals appointed based on presumed merit naturally outperform those appointed through reservations.
Way forward
Justice Chandrachud in B K Pavitra II (2019) observed that we need to redefine our notions of merit in terms of a more inclusive and plural society. Merit cannot lead to exclusion. Merit must be measured in terms of social good.
Question for practice
Why did Patna High Court strike down 65% reservation? Highlight the issues with this judgement?
GS PAPER - 3
Vadhavan Port Project
Source-This post on Vadhavan Port Project has been created based on the article “MEGA PORT OF CALL” published in “Business Standard” on 22 June 2024.
UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper-3- Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Context– The Vadhavan port project, recently approved by the Union Cabinet, marks a significant development for India’s maritime infrastructure. Located in Dahanu, Maharashtra, it will be the country’s first major port since JNPA, commissioned in 1989, and will address longstanding challenges faced by Indian ports due to geographical limitations.
In India, no new major government-run ports have been established in over 50 years, although the private sector port at Mundra was commissioned 25 years ago. Presently, there are initiatives to upgrade Deendayal and Paradip ports into mega ports, with plans also set for a mega port at Galathea Bay in the Nicobar Islands.
What are the challenges posed by Indian Coastline?
1) Large oil tankers and container ships cannot approach India’s coastline due to its sprawling beaches, forcing them to unload their cargo primarily at Colombo. Occasionally, they conduct mid-sea transfers of goods closer to Indian ports.
2) Currently, most of India’s major ports offer depths ranging from 14 to 14.5 meters do not have adequate depth to accommodate large vessels effectively. Capesize ships, which are ultra-large carriers typically carrying around 170,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT), require a minimum water depth of at least 18 meters to safely navigate and dock at ports.
Read more- Port Infrastructure: Issues and Challenges
What is the significance of Vadhavan Port Project?
1) Economic Significance: – Mega port status: A mega port is a huge maritime facility that manages large amounts of cargo and can handle very large ships like Capesize vessels. These ports handle at least 300 million metric tonnes of cargo per year and are crucial hubs for global trade and shipping. It is going to be the first Indian port to begin as a true mega port (300+ MMTPA capacity). Its economic advantages are-
a) Lower freight costs per unit with larger volumes.
b) Ability to handle a wider range of goods than smaller ports, which are typically focused on dry or bulk cargo like JNPA and Mundra.
c) Capacity to host diverse suppliers, industrial complexes, and logistics firms, promoting economies of agglomeration.
d) Competition among operators, leading to reduced handling charges.
e) Feeding smaller ports in a hub-and-spoke model, where the mega port manages global maritime traffic and distributes cargo to smaller ports.
2) Trade implications:
- Potential to handle projected sea-based EXIM trade of $1.6-2 trillion by 2030.
- Could reduce dependence on foreign ports for transshipment.
3) Strategic importance: It is crucial node for IMEEC (India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor) and INSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor).
What are some challenges and considerations?
Infrastructure requirements:
- Extensive gantries, yard management capabilities, storage facilities.
- Inland connectivity network.
- Labor and capital for construction.
2) Environmental concern- An earlier proposal in 1998 was turned down because of environmental concerns. The current project needed to conduct 18 studies on environmental impact assessments.
Question for practice
What is the significance of Vadhavan Port Project?
Changing Demand for Cereals in India
Source-This post on Changing Demand for Cereals in India has been created based on the article “How demand for cereals in India is changing” published in “The Indian Express” on 22 June 2024.
UPSC Syllabus–GS Paper-3- Issues related to Direct and Indirect Farm Subsidies and Minimum Support Prices; Public Distribution System – Objectives, Functioning, Limitations, Revamping; Issues of Buffer Stocks and Food Security; Technology Missions; Economics of Animal-Rearing.
Context– The article points out that in India, demand for cereals for direct household consumption is decreasing, while there’s a growing demand for processed foods, animal feed, and fuel. Even though official data indicates that cereal production is higher than total consumption, there are unexplained factors that need clarification.
How has India’s cereal production and consumption changed in the last two decades?
1) India’s cereal production has increased significantly, rising from 196.4 million tonnes (mt) in 1999-2000 to 303.6 mt in 2022-23.
2) As per the National Sample Survey Office’s latest HCES report, the amount of cereals consumed per person has decreased steadily. In rural areas, it dropped from 12.72 kg to 9.61 kg per month, and in urban areas, from 10.42 kg to 8.05 kg per month between 1999-2000 and 2022-23.
3) Shift in cereal usage: Increasing use in processed form (bread, biscuits, cakes, noodles, etc.Growing application in animal feed, starch production, and ethanol fuel.
4) Coarse grains consumption: – Production of “other cereals” such as maize, barley, and millets amounted to 57.3 million tonnes. Direct household consumption of these grains was less than 5 million tonnes. These cereals were mainly consumed indirectly through animal products.
Gap between production and consumption: -The difference widened from 48 mt in 1999-2000 to nearly 151 mt in 2022-23.
Read more- Challenges Facing Indian Agriculture
Where is the surplus production of cereals going?
1) Cereal exports:
A) Record exports of 32.3 mt in 2021-22 (21.2 mt rice, 7.2 mt wheat, 3.9 mt other grains).
B) Exports totaled 30.7 mt in 2022-23 (22.3 mt rice, 4.7 mt wheat, 3.6 mt other grains).
2) Industrial usage:
A) Estimated 38 mt used in processed food forms (bread, biscuits, noodles, etc.).
B) Approximately 50-55 mt used for feed, starch making, and fermentation.
3) Food Processing and Industrial Applications
A) Maize utilization: 90% or more of the 38.1 mt produced are used in poultry, livestock, and aqua feed or for wet-milling and starch production.
B) Ethanol production: -Increasing use of cereals in multi-feed distilleries for ethanol production. The government program aims for 20% ethanol blending in petrol.
4) Public Distribution System and Food Security
A) Government procurement: 56.9 mt of rice and 26.2 mt of wheat procured in 2022-23. Procurement exceeds the annual cereal requirement of 59-60 mt for the public distribution system (PDS).
B) National Food Security Act: 813.5 million persons receive 5 kg of wheat or rice per month through PDS.PDS entitlement covers more than half of the monthly per capita cereal consumption.
What are the issues with surplus production?
1) Impact of this surplus on government stocks-Despite surplus production, government agencies like the Food Corporation of India are accumulating large stocks by procuring more than the total annual requirement for public distribution under the National Food Security Act.
2) Conflicting indicators: There is high cereal inflation (8.69% year-on-year in May) despite export restrictions. Further, the government warehouse stocks have depleted (16-year low for wheat on June 1). All this raise questions about the accuracy of official production estimates.
Question for practice
How has India’s production and consumption of cereals evolved over the past twenty years? Where is the excess cereal production being directed?
Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)
Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill 2024
Source– This post on Capsaicin has been created based on the article “Why chilis burn. And why humans still love them” published in “Indian Express” on 21 June 2024.
Why in the news?
The Union government notified the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. It has come into effect from 21 June 2024.
About Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill 2024
1. Objective: To prevent unfair practices in public examinations, ensuring greater transparency, fairness, and credibility.
2. Background: The Bill follows the cancellation of several recruitment exams due to paper leaks, such as the teacher recruitment exam in Rajasthan and the constable recruitment examination in Bihar.
Provisions of the Public Examinations Bill 2024
1. It defined Unfair Means under the Bill, Section 3 which Lists 15 actions considered as using unfair means in public examinations for monetary or wrongful gain.
2. It defined Public Examinations under the Bill, Section 2(k) which defines a “public examination” as any examination conducted by a “public examination authority” listed in the Schedule of the Bill.
3. Section 9 of the Bill deals with the nature of offences under the new Bill.
4. Nature of Offences– The offences under the new bill have been made Cognizable, Non-bailable and Non-compoundable.
a. Cognizable– An arrest can be made without a warrant
b. Non-bailable– Bail will not be a matter of right. A magistrate will determine whether the accused is fit to be released on bail
c. Non-compoundable– A non-compoundable offence is one in which the case cannot be withdrawn by the complainant even when the complainant and the accused have reached a compromise. A trial will necessarily follow for the accused.
5. Punishments under the Bill:
i) Punishment for any person or group of persons resorting to unfair means- 3–5 years in prison and fine up to Rs. 10 Lakh. In case of failure to pay the fine, additional punishment as per the provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 will be imposed.
ii) Punishment in case of organised Paper Leak- 5-10 years in prison and fine of more than one crore rupees. In case of failure to pay the fine, additional punishment as per the provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 will be imposed.
iii) Punishment for Service Provider- Fine of Rs 1 cr and are further barred from conducting future examination for period of 4 years.
UPSC Syllabus: Polity and nation
Sleeping Sickness
Source– This post on Sleeping Sickness has been created based on the article “Chad eliminates sleeping sickness as a public health problem” published in “Down to Earth” on 20 June 2024.
Why in the news?
Chad became the first country to eliminate a neglected tropical disease (NTD) this year and the 51st globally. The disease eliminated is the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness.
About World Health Organization (WHO) Validation
1. The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously validated the elimination of the gambiense form of HAT in seven countries: Togo (2020), Benin (2021), Ivory Coast (2021), Uganda (2022), Equatorial Guinea (2022), Ghana (2023), and Chad (2024).
2. The rhodesiense form of HAT has been eliminated as a public health problem in Rwanda.
About Sleeping Sickness
1. Scientific Name: Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT)
2. Cause: The disease is caused by protozoan parasites transmitted by infected tsetse flies.
3. Impact: HAT is typically fatal if untreated, causing symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and in severe cases, coma.
4. Types of HAT: There are two main types of HAT: Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, which accounts for 92% of cases, and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, which accounts for 8% of cases.
5. Diagnosis: It involves 3 steps:
i) screening for potential infection using serological tests (only available for T. b.gambiense) and clinical examination;
ii) confirmation by observing microscopically the parasite in body fluids; and
iii) staging the disease progression via clinical examination and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid obtained by lumbar puncture, if needed.
About Chad
1. Location: Chad is an independent state located at the crossroads of North and Central Africa.
2. Borders: The landlocked country is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon to the southwest, Nigeria to the southwest (at Lake Chad), and Niger to the west.
UPSC Syllabus: Science and technology
Verification of EVM Burnt Memory
Source– This post on Verification of EVM Burnt Memory has been created based on the article “11 candidates apply to verify EVM burnt memory: what is this process?” published in “Indian Express” on 21 June 2024.
Why in the news?
For the first time, 11 candidates from the 2024 Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections have requested verification of the burnt memory in EVMs and VVPAT units.
About Verification of EVM Burnt Memory
1. In April, the Supreme Court allowed losing candidates to seek verification of EVM and VVPAT burnt memories.
2. The burnt memory or microcontroller in 5% of the EVMs, including the control unit, ballot unit, and VVPAT, per assembly constituency or segment of a parliamentary constituency, shall be checked and verified by engineers from the EVM manufacturers.
3. After the results are announced, any candidate who finished in second or third place can submit a written request for verification to check for tampering or modifications.
4. The court stated that candidates or their representatives “must identify the EVMs to be verified by polling station or serial number” and “have the option to be present during the verification process.”
5. Requests for verification must be submitted within seven days of the result declaration.
6. The court stated that the Election Commission of India (ECI) will notify the actual costs for the verification, and the candidate requesting it must cover these expenses. If any tampering is found in the EVM, the expenses will be refunded.
About Verification Process for EVM Burnt Memory
The ECI released the administrative SOP for checking and verifying the burnt memory of EVMs and VVPATs. Key points include:
i) The District Electoral Officer (DEO) will be responsible for overseeing the verification process.
ii) Second and third-place candidates can request verification of up to 5% of EVMs and VVPATs in an Assembly constituency or Lok Sabha segment. If both candidates request, each can have 2.5% of the EVMs verified.
iii) Candidates can choose units to be verified by providing the polling station number or the unique serial number of the Ballot Unit, Control Unit, and VVPAT.
iv) Candidates must submit their requests in writing to the DEOs and deposit Rs 40,000 (plus 18% GST) per set of EVM (BU, CU, and VVPAT) with the manufacturer.
v) DEOs will send a list of applications to the state Chief Electoral Officer, who will notify the EVM manufacturers (Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd) within 30 days of the result declaration.
vi) Verification will start 45 days after the results are declared, provided no Election Petitions are filed. If Election Petitions are filed, verification will only begin after a court order.
vii)The process should start within 30 days of manufacturers being informed of any Election Petitions.
viii) Verification will take place in designated halls at the manufacturers’ facilities, equipped with strong rooms and CCTV cameras. Electronic devices, including cell phones and cameras, are prohibited inside the halls.
ix) The halls will have a single entry and exit point, with at least one section of armed police force deployed.
UPSC Syllabus: Polity and Nation
Claude 3.5 Sonnet
Source– This post on Claude 3.5 Sonnet has been created based on the article “What is Claude 3.5 Sonnet and how is it better than GPT-4o, Gemini-1.5 Pro?” published in “Indian Express” on 21 June 2024.
Why in the news?’
Anthropic has introduced Claude 3.5 Sonnet which is its latest AI model. This is the first model in Anthropic’s upcoming Claude 3.5 AI series.
About Claude 3.5 Sonnet
1. Claude 3.5 Sonnet is a large language model (LLM) developed by Anthropic, part of a family of generative pre-trained transformers. It follows Claude 3 Sonnet.
2. These models are pre-trained to predict the next word in large text datasets.
3. Anthropic claims Claude 3.5 Sonnet outperforms Claude 3 Opus significantly. It is twice as fast as Claude 3 Sonnet.
Performance of Claude 3.5
i) Claude 3.5 Sonnet sets new records in several areas. It excels in coding tasks as measured by HumanEval, performs well in tests for graduate-level reasoning known as GPQA, and shows strong knowledge at the undergraduate level according to MMLU.
ii) It has improvements in understanding subtle details, humor, and complex instructions. It is particularly good at writing high-quality content that sounds natural and relatable.
iii) Claude 3.5 Sonnet has outperformed other models like GPT-4o, Gemini 1.5 Pro, and Meta’s Llama 3 400B in seven out of eight overall benchmarks.
What About Claude 3.5 Sonnet’s Vision Capabilities?
i) It is their best vision model so far. A vision model in AI can understand and analyze visual data, like images and videos.
ii) It shows noticeable improvements in tasks that need visual reasoning, such as decoding charts and graphs. It can also accurately read text from unclear or imperfect images.
iii) It quickly identified the location by reading a poster and text on a distant wall.
iv) Claude 3.5 Sonnet’s ability to transcribe text from images is very useful for retail, logistics, and financial services. In these fields, AI often needs to get information from images, graphics, or illustrations rather than just from text.
UPSC Syllabus: Science and technology
Use of balloons and drones for 5G connectivity
Source– This post on Use of balloons and drones for 5G connectivity has been created based on the article “Govt conducts successful trial of 5G connectivity by balloons; drones next” published in “Business Standard” on 22 June 2024.
Why in the news?’
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) plans to conduct trials in the coming months to test the effectiveness of using drones and tethered balloons for 5G connectivity. The DoT aims to finalize its decision by June of next year.
About Use of balloons and drones for 5G connectivity
![Drone.](https://img.etimg.com/thumb/msid-110603778,width-300,height-225,imgsize-20484,resizemode-75/drone-.jpg)
1. The DoT is considering using drones and tethered balloons for restoring 5G connectivity during emergencies and natural calamities when normal telecom services get severely disrupted.
2. Objective: To restore 5G connectivity during disasters and emergencies when normal telecom services are disrupted.
3. This method is considered more convenient and quicker compared to setting up new mobile towers. For this, existing telecom spectrum can be used for these temporary networks. Power requirements can be met through backup solutions or solar technology.
4. The government mandates infrastructure sharing among telecom companies for disaster preparedness, allowing users to connect to any functioning tower in the affected area, regardless of ownership.
5. Operators are required to maintain power backups and have a stock of portable base stations and satellite equipment to restore service if towers are damaged.
About DoT’s disaster management unit
1. The DoT disaster management unit is responsible for guaranteeing telecom connectivity during and after disasters.
2. It ensures network connectivity, provides early warnings, and implements automated priority call routing during emergencies.
3. The DoT coordinates with telecom operators to restore connectivity swiftly, including setting up temporary networks or repairing damaged infrastructure.
UPSC Syllabus: Disaster management, Science and technology