9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – August 10th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• About NIRF rankings 2022: Rankings that make no sense
• A Fuller Right: SC offers hope that right to abortion won’t be restricted by a woman’s marital status
• How to talk to India’s unique digital polity of first-time, non-English internet-using voters
• A good privacy law could fend off Chinese-style surveillance

GS Paper 3

• Fair trial goes beyond courts, to the police and media
• Powering reforms
• A carbon market’s form must follow its function
• Step back from water’s edge

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Explained: Electricity Bill – promise, problems
• ‘Ocean thermal energy conversion plant coming up in Lakshadweep’
• Value of fake notes in banking system recorded over 80% decline from 2016-17 to 2021-22: Union Minister
• Dinosaur footprints in China: the discovery and its importance
• Union Minister for Cooperation e-launched the onboarding of cooperatives on the Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal
• Review of Guardianship and Adoption Laws report: Explained | On guardianship and adoption of minors
• Centre asks IBA to ready EASE-like plan for regional rural banks
• RPF undertakes month long Pan India Drive under ‘Operation Yatri Suraksha’ to enhance security of passengers
• Indian Army conducts Exercise Skylight to test resilience of its satellite communications

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

About NIRF rankings 2022: Rankings that make no sense

News: Recently the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)’s ranking of higher education institutions (HEIs) has been released.

What are the key highlights of the rankings?

How one can understand NIRF ranking data is flawed?

Firstly, generally, students who cannot secure a seat in national law universities (NLUs) are admitted to private institutions. Similarly, private universities and institutions are the last choices for those looking for a career in academia. This is clearly visible from Common Law Admission Test admissions.

But according to NIRF, some private multi-discipline institutions are ranked higher than many prestigious NLUs and law departments.

Secondly, while the National Assessment and Accreditation Council gives due weightage to publications in UGC-Care listed journals, the NIRF uses publication data only from Scopus and Web of Science.

Why there might be data fudging in NIRF’s ranking framework?

There is a Lack of a rigorous system for verification of details submitted by HEIs by the NIRF. For instance, a) Evidences suggests that some private multi-discipline universities have claimed the same faculty in more than one discipline, b) there are irregularities in financial resources utilisation reports (spending on library, academic facilities, etc.) by multi-discipline institutions, c) Research grants and consultancy charges received in one discipline appear to have been claimed by other departments.

Apart from that, the NIRF applies almost the same parameters to all the institutions across varied disciplines in research and professional practice.

How does the institutions violated transparency?

The NIRF requires the data submitted to it has to be published by all the participating HEIs on their website so that such data can be scrutinised. This didn’t occur because,

1) Some private multi-discipline universities have not granted free access to such data on their website. Such non-transparency is antithetical to the ranking exercise, 2) The data uploaded on the websites omit details on the number, name, qualification and experience of the faculty.

Hence, severe methodological and structural issues in the NIRF undermine the ranking process. The methodology must be revised in consultation with all the stakeholders.

A Fuller Right: SC offers hope that right to abortion won’t be restricted by a woman’s marital status

News: Recently the Supreme Court of India delivered a significant order, that the right to a medical abortion could not be denied to unmarried women.

What is the case?

What are the reasons behind the court ruling permitting abortion for an unmarried woman?

1) The 2021 Amendment to the MTP Act, no longer restricts itself to an unwanted pregnancy between a “husband” and “wife”, but to a woman and her “partner”, by marriage or not, 2) S Khushboo case, 2010: In this case, the court recognised the legality of live-in relationships and pre-marital sex, 3) Suchita Srivastava case, 2009: In this the court recognised woman’s right to make reproductive choices is part of the “personal liberty” guaranteed under Article 21, 4) K S Puttaswamy case, 2017: In this, the court reaffirmed that women’s right to bodily integrity is part of the fundamental right to privacy.

The US court recognised that the constitutional rights are interconnected: Unravel one and the entire edifice of protections could fall apart. Now, the SC offers hope that the right to abortion won’t be restricted by a woman’s marital status.

How to talk to India’s unique digital polity of first-time, non-English internet-using voters

News: The Internet and Mobile Association of India(IAMAI) has recently released its report titled “Internet in India”.

What are the key findings of the report?

The report highlighted India’s and the world’s most unique digital polity of first-time, non-English internet users who think, act and transact “mobile first”.

With anywhere between two to eight hours of daily usage, the Indian internet user is the ideal test case for any platform or app-based service looking to tap a global audience.

Online gaming has nearly five times the number of users relative to those using the internet for online education.

What is the significance of first-time voters with digital knowledge?

The 2014 elections were the first time internet streaming played a significant role in disintermediating broadcast media. The 2019 elections were marked by the extensive role played by social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp.

As per the UN’s estimates for births in India, between 2002 and 2006 nearly 150 million people were born. They will be the first-time voters in the 2024 General Elections a sizable and distinct digital constituency.

This generation of first-time voters has experienced all the significant digital shifts in their formative years.

This is also the generation that had the highest exposure to online education due to Covid-19 vastly increasing their screen time and use of internet tools and services.

How India is building techno-nationalism ahead of the 2024 election?

The unique digital characteristics of India’s first-time voters will require creative approaches for political engagement ahead of the 2024 elections and require techno-nationalism.

The Election Commission of India has opened up the voter registration process once every quarter. Further, the ECI also announced further liberalisation of the voter registration process with 17-year-olds being able to register a year ahead of being eligible to vote.

How other countries are promoting techno-nationalism?

From securing semiconductor supply chains to regulating data flows, techno-nationalism is on the political agenda of western democracies and eastern nations alike.

Indonesia is not just controlling online gaming apps and services but also actively promoting indigenously developed gaming apps.

From Kenya to Brazil the countries are witnessing preemptive actions to insulate the electoral processes of their respective democracies from the spread of viral fake news and disinformation on WhatsApp.

What should be done?

Over the next two years as the government seeks to put in place a comprehensive digital regulatory framework governing data, privacy, apps and algorithms, engaging the first digital generation of new voters on techno-nationalism will be crucial at every step.

A good privacy law could fend off Chinese-style surveillance

News: Recently, the government has withdrawn the personal data protection bill and has announced to replace it with, a comprehensive legal framework.

Background of data protection law and privacy law in India

In 2017, the Central government set up a panel under retired Justice B.N. Srikrishna to frame data protection norms.

Later in 2017, the SC held that the right to privacy is a part of the constitutional right to life and liberty.

Thereafter, the Central government introduced the data protection bill in Parliament in 2019.

Why does India need a robust data protection framework?

(1) At present, due to the absence of a robust data protection framework, there is a potential risk of the development of a mix of the surveillance state as well as surveillance capitalism in India. For example, The Police compelled Razorpay, a payment gateway, to supply data on donors to fact-checker AltNews. Although the records were obtained legally, there was no safeguard against their misuse because of the absence of data protection law in India.

(2) Rapid digitization without a strong data protection framework may leave the public vulnerable to exploitation. For example, the Government of India manages the world’s largest repository of biometric data. By 2026, India will have 1 billion smartphone users. Further, the consumer digital economy is poised for a 10-fold surge this decade to $800 billion.

(3) Other Countries; Europe’s general data protection law holds natural persons to be the owners of their personal data like names, email addresses, location, ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs, etc.

What were the issues in the Data Protection Bill 2019?

The bill gave the government unfettered access to personal data in the name of sovereignty and public order.

Srikrishna cautioned that the provisions in the bill could “turn India into an Orwellian State“.

The Central government sought to give the state an upper hand against both individuals and private-sector data collectors in the withdrawn data protection bill 2019.

Large global tech firms were concerned about the provisions of the withdrawn bill that insisted on storing “critical” personal data only in India for national security reasons. Localization gets in the way of efficient cross-border data storage and processing.

The bill also wanted to allow the platforms to do voluntary verification of social-media users, ostensibly to check fake news. However, the Internet Freedom Foundation pointed out that if social media platforms collect identity documents, it would leave users vulnerable to more sophisticated surveillance and commercial exploitation. Further, the platforms may start denying some services without identity checks. This may deprive the right to anonymity of whistle-blowers and political dissidents.

According to the government, a joint parliamentary panel that scrutinized the bill sought the 81 amendments.

GS Paper 3

Fair trial goes beyond courts, to the police and media

News: Recently, the Chief Justice of India objected to the lack of media accountability in the media’s coverage of legal issues.

How does media hamper a fair trial?

In criminal cases, media attention is often drawn toward investigation and early trial stages, with a notable disconnect from the eventual outcomes of a trial.

This makes the police a crucial source for the media and communication between the two institutions is often a starting point of trouble. For instance, in Bhima Koregaon violence (2018) the police exposed letters purportedly written by activists that were still undergoing forensic analysis.

Why do media reports hamper a fair trial?

1) Unregulated divulgence of case details by police and disproportionate reliance on this information by the media hampers a fair trial, 2) Government regulation is not uniform for print and television media and enforcement of these regulations is slow, 3) Media fails to check the accuracy of police narratives before making them public. Further, reporters bear the burden of translating the significance of police versions in a criminal trial.

Why police is revealing information to the media?

Police reveal crucial information to the media because a) They are more concerned with demonstrating dynamism and efficiency, rather than the protection of civil liberties, b) Most police departments do not have dedicated media cells, making officials of all levels authoritative sources of information and blurring the boundaries between an official and informal police account of events, c)

What are the potential impact of police revealing information to media?

Revealing information from police violates a) Presumption of innocence and b) The right to dignity and the privacy of suspects, the accused, victims, witnesses and persons closely related to them, c) Face social ostracisation and difficulties in retaining employment, making them vulnerable to crime and exploitation, d) Hampers the evidence-based narrative of criminal cases presented by the police to a court.

What are the various steps taken to restrict police from revealing information?

Firstly, the Supreme Court in Romila Thapar vs Union of India, (2018) case directed law enforcement authorities not to reveal details of their investigations, especially the personal details of the accused, before the trial is complete. This interpretation is held in various instances.

Secondly, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a sparse office memorandum outlining a media policy over a decade ago.

Thirdly, Kerala is one of the few States that have disallowed photographs and parades of persons in custody within its Police Act.

How do ensure the government can ensure a fair trial?

For media: In the immediate interest of the media and the general interest of the free press, the media institutions such as National Broadcasting Standards Authority and Indian Broadcasting Foundation must find answer this ethical crisis.

For police: In an ongoing case, the Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties asked the Supreme Court to issue guidelines to regulate media briefings by the police to ensure a fair trial.

So a structured and well-designed media policy with training and enforcement mechanisms is the need of the hour for the police.

Powering reforms

News: Recently, The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was tabled in the Lok Sabha, and it was immediately sent to the Standing Committee on Energy for closer scrutiny and debate.

The subject matter of electricity comes in the Constitution’s concurrent list. Therefore, the Government of India has introduced a bill for reform.

Background- The Electricity Act 2003

The act tried to provide a new architecture to promote competition in a system that was hitherto defined by a maze of cross-subsidies.

The Act tried to foster competition with the open access mechanism, which means a customer is not limited to a single supplier.

Features of the Proposed Bill

It proposes the principle of open access, i.e., the right of consumers to choose their electricity provider, regardless of who controls the physical infrastructure in their locality or state.

The state’s distribution infrastructure can be opened up to all licensees in the area.

It will segregate carriage and content to circumvent the conflict of interest that is faced by the State-DISCOMS due to simultaneous owning of the distribution infrastructure and retail.

There’s also a provision that can lead to trimming the cross-subsidies.

What are the possible challenges in front of the proposed bill and reforms?

Since 2003, a number of attempts have been made to introduce the principle of open access in India. But these efforts died down due to strong opposition and poor drafting.

There are fears that this Bill will die in committee because a number of members of parliament have argued that the bill infringes upon the states’ rights to regulate electricity supply and pricing. It would be an example of the encroachment by the Union government into the state’s regulatory and legal domains.

Further, the Central government has also not consulted the state governments during the drafting of the bill or before its introduction into the lower house. Therefore, the bill may face political backlash during passage in the house.

In the past, open-access provisions were undermined due to exceptions and legal wrangling. For example, earlier only large consumers were able to choose their provider, which reduced the competitive pressures in the power sector.

In 2015, a parliamentary panel said that open access was fairly good in the case of interstate access but unsatisfactory for intra-state.

What should be done?

The Union government is competent to introduce the bill because electricity is on the Concurrent List of the Constitution.

The principle of open access would lead to competition, and the poorly-performing state electricity utilities may turn into better-performing providers in the coming years.

The power subsidies should be transparently provided and not through cross-subsidization within the public-sector power company (state-owned DISCOMS. The cross-subsidies cause inefficiency and reduce competitiveness

A carbon market’s form must follow its function

News: This week, the Lok Sabha passed the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act of 2022 before sending an update of India’s plans to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Prime Minister of India revised India’s climate commitment at last year’s CoP-26 summit in Glasgow

(1) By 2030, India aims at around 50% energy drawn from sources other than fossil fuels.

(2) India would release 45% less dirty emissions for every rupee of economic output than we did in 2005.

(3) India would also achieve carbon neutrality by 2070.

Proposed bill

The bill amends the Energy Conservation Act 2001. The move will let the government specify standards of energy use by various groups of users, with mandates for clean sources in their usage mix.

The bill proposes to set up a market platform locally for the trading of carbon credits.

About the carbon market

The idea works by placing a price tag on a fungible tonne of carbon exhaust. Further, the prices of carbon units are based on the forces of demand and supply in a system of dynamic burden sharing. In this, the emitters pay the cost to buy credit for their own financial well-being, and the ones outperforming the green energy target will sell those credits.

The carbon market functions with a ‘cap and trade’ mechanism. In this, a legal limit is set on emissions.

It allows the entities which are spouting more gases than their annual allowance to buy add-on rights, while efficient carbon compressors could sell their surplus to the defaulters.

Why did India need a carbon market?  

It is a form of market intervention, which is a key element of economic success. For example, it works upon private incentives.

The deployment of private incentives and market signals helps to stall climate change.

What should be done?

The cap-and-trade limit should be tightened over the years in accordance with our climate goals.

For this, emission caps should be placed and should be calibrated with full transparency. For instance, the scientific data used for their basis, devices used for exhaust evaluation, and other elements of our policy frame must always be kept amenable to scrutiny.

It’s crucial that cap-and-trade does not end up as an inspect-and-extort regime in India. For this, a tech-enabled model of open verification can be adopted by the government.

The past certificates issued by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) could be enlisted under a cap-and-trade plan.

Step back from water’s edge

News: In recent days, there were reports that a Chinese “spy ship” known as Yuan Wang-5, was going to visit the Sri Lankan port of Hambantota. This happened amidst India’s emergency economic assistance to Sri Lanka.

History of the PLA’s vessel visit to Indian waters

In 2014, a PLA Navy’s (PLAN) Type-039, a diesel submarine was docked in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

It was followed by a port call by a Type-091 nuclear-powered attack submarine on the Sri Lanka Port.

Why did Sri Lanka give permission to the Chinese vessel to enter its domestic port?

Sri Lanka has cordial diplomatic relations and economic dependence on China. Therefore, there could be no plausible reason for Sri Lanka to deny entry to Yuan Wang 5, especially into Hambantota on which China has a 99-year lease.

Apart from India and the IMF, Sri Lanka also needs Chinese help for its economic recovery in this crisis time.

Although the actual mission of Yuan Wang 5 is not known, it is also assumed that it was on a legitimate space-related assignment. For example, Further, China is active in space programs. It has planned 50 space launches for 2022, like a return of three Chinese astronauts to earth from an 11-year-old space station, the Tiangong-3 space station is under-construction, etc. For these, space activities, China needs survey/research ships in dispersed oceanic locations ranging from the mid-Pacific and south Indian Ocean to the coast of Africa, for control and tracking as well as rescue tasks

International laws for the passage of vessels in the sea waters

The 1982 UN Convention for Law of the Seas permits unfettered freedom of navigation on the high seas. Therefore, a foreign warship has a right to be in the Indian Ocean, likewise, a similar Indian vessel would be allowed in the South China Sea.

In the 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), there exists the conditional right of “innocent passage” for all vessels, including warships.

During peacetime, UNCLOS mandates foreign vessels, especially warships, to have prior consent before entering foreign ports.

During wartime, the 1907 Hague Convention permits entry for warships of belligerents into neutral ports for limited durations.

Indian Issues with the Yuan Wang 5 in the Indian waters

(1) First, China has overtaken the US Navy and has become a “maritime Great Power”. It is mandated to safeguard the Maritime Silk Road that spans the Indo-Pacific and includes the China-Pakistan economic corridor.

(2) In recent years, China has created a string of ports, in India’s neighborhood, meant to contain India.

(3) The Yuan Wang 5 research/spy vessel comprises multi-spectral surveillance and eavesdropping devices. The ship has “lethal capabilities” and “aerial reach of more than 750 km”. Therefore, it could do reconnaissance of India’s atomic research centers within Indian borders.

(4) The visit of the PLA’s ship to Hambantota could lead to the infringement of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan Accord. The accord calls upon the two countries not to allow their respective territories to be used for “activities prejudicial to each other’s unity, integrity, and security”.

What should be done?

(1) However, Colombo has often acknowledged that the security and economic interests of both India and Sri Lanka are inextricably interlinked and any deliberate actions that harm Indian interests will eventually rebound on it.

(2) Indian armed forces and other agencies are aware of such reconnaissance. They have already taken precautionary policies and procedures relating to electronic emissions and missile-firing trials. Further, the Indian Navy’s maritime domain awareness matrix would follow the position and movements of Yuan Wang 5, if it was in our waters,

(3) India needs to bolster its economic and maritime power. Further, India can enforce its version of a “Monroe Doctrine,” because there would be the frequent presence of PLAN in the Indian Ocean.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Explained: Electricity Bill – promise, problems

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained: Electricity Bill – promise, problems” published in Indian Express on 10th August 2022.

What is the News?

The government has tabled the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 in the Lok Sabha soon after which it was referred to the parliamentary standing committee on energy for wider consultation with stakeholders.

What is the Electricity Amendment Bill,2022?

The Bill amends the Electricity Act, 2003. The Act regulates the electricity sector in India. It sets up the Central and State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (CERC and SERCs) to regulate interstate and intrastate matters, respectively.  

What are the key provisions of the Bill?

Multiple discoms in the same area: More than one power distributor can operate in an area and they will be allowed to use the power distribution infrastructure of other suppliers. This is aimed at boosting competition and giving more choice to the consumers. 

Tariffs: The Bill makes provision for “mandatory” fixing of minimum as well as maximum tariff ceilings by the “appropriate commission” to avoid predatory pricing by power distribution companies and to protect consumers.

Timely Tariff Revisions: The Bill has several provisions to ensure graded and timely tariff revisions that will help provide state power utilities with enough cash to be able to make timely payments to power producers.

Cross-subsidy Balancing Fund:  The Bill adds that upon grant of multiple licenses for the same area, the state government will set up a Cross-subsidy Balancing Fund. Cross-subsidy refers to the arrangement of one consumer category subsidizing the consumption of another consumer category.

Any surplus with a distribution licensee on account of cross-subsidy will be deposited into the fund. The fund will be used to finance deficits in cross-subsidy for other discoms in the same area or any other area.

Renewable purchase obligation(RPO): The Act empowers SERCs to specify renewable purchase obligations(RPO) for discoms. RPO refers to the mandate to procure a certain percentage of electricity from renewable sources.

The Bill adds that RPO should not be below a minimum percentage prescribed by the central government. Failure to meet RPO will be punishable with a penalty between 25 paise and 50 paise per kilowatt of the shortfall.

Strengthen Regulators: The Bill seeks to strengthen payment security mechanisms and give more powers to regulators. 

Why have opposition parties opposed this Bill?

Firstly, the bill is violative of India’s federal structure in as much as Electricity is a subject mentioned as item 38 in the Concurrent list. This implies that it is the duty of the Centre to have effective consultation with State governments. However, no consultation was done before introducing the bill.

Secondly, the provision to encourage competition may lead to more entities entering lucrative and urban areas, while loss-making areas may continue to be underserved.

Thirdly, some farmers are concerned that it will eventually lead to the end of subsidies power.

‘Ocean thermal energy conversion plant coming up in Lakshadweep’

Source: The post is based on the article “Ocean thermal energy conversion plant coming up in Lakshadweep” published in Down to Earth on 8th August 2022.

What is the News?

The National Institute of Ocean Technology, an autonomous institute under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is establishing an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion(OTEC) plant with a capacity of 65 kilowatts (kW) in Kavaratti, the capital of Lakshadweep.

The plant is the first of its kind in the world as it will generate drinking water from seawater using indigenous technology, green energy and environmentally friendly processes.

What is Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion(OTEC)?

Ocean thermal energy conversion(OTEC) is a process or technology for producing energy by harnessing the temperature differences (thermal gradients) between ocean surface waters and deep ocean waters. 

Especially in tropical regions, surface water can be much warmer than deep water because of the Sun’s heat. 

This temperature difference can be used to produce electricity and desalinate ocean water.

Note: OTEC systems use a temperature difference (of at least 77°F) to power a turbine to produce electricity.

How does OTEC plant work?

Warm surface water is pumped through an evaporator containing a working fluid. The vaporized fluid drives a turbine/generator.

Then the vaporized fluid is turned back to a liquid in a condenser cooled with cold ocean water pumped from deeper into the ocean.

OTEC systems use seawater as the working fluid and can use condensed water to produce desalinated water.

Advantages of OTEC: Two of the biggest advantages of OTEC are: 1) It produces clean environmentally friendly renewable energy and 2) Unlike solar plants which can’t work at night and wind turbines which only work when it’s windy, OTEC can produce energy at all times.

Disadvantages of OTEC: The disadvantages are that a) It is economically expensive and b) It only works in a few regions of the world as the required temperature difference is only present in tropical waters.

Value of fake notes in banking system recorded over 80% decline from 2016-17 to 2021-22: Union Minister

Source: The post is based on the article “Value of fake notes in banking system recorded over 80% decline from 2016-17 to 2021-22: Union Minister” published in The Hindu on 8th August 2022.

What is the News?

The Union Finance Minister has informed the Lok Sabha about the Counterfeit Currency in the Banking System.

What is the trend of Counterfeit Currency in the Banking System?

The value of counterfeit currency in the banking system reduced from ₹43.47 crore in 2016-17 to about ₹8.26 crore in 2021-22, amounting to a sharp decline of more than 80%.

Reason: The decline came after the Government of India decided to cancel the legal tender status of ₹1,000 and ₹500 denomination currency notes in 2016. 

– Note: The decision of demonetisation had several objectives including curbing the circulation of Fake Indian Currency Notes(FICN).

What are the steps taken by the Government of India to tackle the counterfeit currency issue?

Firstly, Terror Funding and Fake Currency Cell in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been constituted to conduct a focused investigation of terror funding and fake currency cases. 

Secondly, the government has set up an FICN Coordination Group to share intelligence and information with the security agencies in the States and the Centre.

Thirdly, a Joint Task Force is functioning between India and Bangladesh for building trust and cooperation for the exchange of information and analysis of smugglers of FICN. 

Fourthly, the government conducts capacity-building programmes for various law enforcement agencies at the Centre/State level. Training programmes are held for the police officers of Nepal and Bangladesh to sensitise them about the smuggling/ counterfeiting of Indian currency.

Dinosaur footprints in China: the discovery and its importance

Source: The post is based on the article “Dinosaur footprints in China: the discovery and its importance” published in Indian Express on 9th August 2022.

What is the News?

Scientists have discovered over 4,300 dinosaur footprints in Hebei province of Zhangjiakou in northern China.

About Dinosaur Footprints in China 

This is the largest number of footprint fossils found in one spot in the country.

The footprints show four different dinosaur species, one of which might be undiscovered.

The footprints belong to herbivores and carnivores dinosaurs. This area may have attracted dinosaurs due to the availability of water and trees at the time.

How did the dinosaur footprints become fossils?

Preserved footprints also known as ichnites, are trace fossils that have survived millions of years. These are found in earthen materials that were soft enough to form the foot impression and hard enough to retain it. 

Over time, the material dried, hardened and was covered with layers of sediment, helping the impression become fossilized. In numerous instances, soil erosion is now bringing these fossils to the surface.

Note: In India, in 2014, footprints dating back 200 million years were found in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

What do dinosaur footprints tell us?

The dinosaur footprints can denote the activity of an animal when it was alive.

It can not only reflect dinosaurs’ living habits and behaviour but also explain the relationship between dinosaurs and their living environment at the time.

Union Minister for Cooperation e-launched the onboarding of cooperatives on the Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal

Source: The post is based on the article “Union Minister for Cooperation e-launched the onboarding of cooperatives on the Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal” published in PIB on 9th August 2022.

What is the News?

The Union Cooperation Minister has launched the onboarding of cooperatives on the Government e-Marketplace(GeM) portal.

What is the Government e-Marketplace(GeM) portal?

Click Here to read

What has changed now?

The government has now allowed the cooperatives to procure through the GeM portal like other government buyers—Central and state ministries, departments, public sector enterprises, autonomous institutions and local bodies. 

Note: Till now only government buyers could procure through the GeM portal.

Which type of cooperatives will be allowed on the GeM portal?

In the first phase, all eligible cooperatives, with turnover or deposits of ₹100 crores, will be able to start placing orders on GeM.

National Cooperatives Union of India(NCUI) will be the nodal agency to facilitate the onboarding of cooperatives and coordinate with the GeM authorities.

Further, the cooperatives were also asked to register themselves as sellers on the GeM platform. This would provide a huge platform to sell their products to a large pool of government buyers.

Review of Guardianship and Adoption Laws report: Explained | On guardianship and adoption of minors

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained | On guardianship and adoption of minors” published in The Hindu on 9th August 2022.

What is the News?

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice has tabled its report in both Houses of Parliament titled ‘Review of Guardianship and Adoption Laws’.

What are the key highlights from the report?

Equal Rights to mothers as guardians: Amend the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act(HMGA),1956 and accord equal rights to mothers as guardians under this act instead of treating them as subordinates to their husband.

Joint Custody of Child: In cases of a marital dispute, there is a need to relook at child custody which is typically restricted to just one parent where mothers tend to get preference. It says courts should be empowered to grant joint custody to both parents when such a decision is conducive to the welfare of the child.

Adoption of Child: It has proposed allowing the LGBTQ community to adopt children as well.

Omit the word Illegitimate Child: HMGA Act,1956 makes use of the term ‘illegitimate’ in reference to a child born out of wedlock. The committee recommended that the word ‘Illegitimate’ should be omitted as no child is illegitimate and the law should be the same for all children whether born within or out of wedlock.

What does the law say on guardianship and adoption?

Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act,(HMGA) 1956: Under this, the natural guardian of a Hindu minor in respect of the minor’s person or property is the father and after him, the mother. Provided the custody of a minor who has not completed the age of five years shall ordinarily be with the mother.

Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937: It says that the Shariat or the religious law will apply in the case of guardianship according to which the father is the natural guardian, but custody vests with the mother until the son reaches the age of seven and the daughter reaches puberty though the father’s right to general supervision and control exists.

Supreme Court Judgement: The Supreme Court’s landmark judgement in Githa Hariharan v. The Reserve Bank of India in 1999 provided partial relief. In this case, the HMGA was challenged for violating the guarantee of equality of sexes under Article 14 of the Constitution of India.

– The court held that the term “after” should not be taken to mean “after the lifetime of the father “, but rather “in the absence of the father”. But the court failed to recognise both parents as equal guardians, subordinating a mother’s role to that of the father.

Law Commission of India: The Law Commission in its 257th report on “Reforms in Guardianship and Custody Laws in India” in 2015 recommended that the superiority of one parent over the other should be removed. Both the mother and the father should be regarded, simultaneously, as the natural guardians of a minor.

The current law on adoption of a child by LGBTQI: Adoption Regulations, 2017 is silent on adoption by LGBTQI people and neither bans nor allows them to adopt a child. 

Centre asks IBA to ready EASE-like plan for regional rural banks

Source: The post is based on the article “Centre asks IBA to ready EASE-like plan for regional rural banks” published in Business Standard on 10th August 2022.

What is the News?

The Centre has asked the Indian Banks Association(IBA) to prepare a viability plan for Regional Rural Banks(RRBs) similar to the Enhanced Access and Service Excellence (EASE) for public sector banks(PSBs).

What is EASE?

Enhanced Access and Service Excellence(EASE) is a common reform agenda for Public Sector Banks (PSBs). 

It is aimed at institutionalizing clean lending, better customer service, simplified and enhanced credit and robust governance and HR practices. 

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What are the reforms the government is planning for RRBs?

EASE-like Plan for RRBs: Government has asked the Indian Banks Association(IBA) to prepare a viability plan for Regional Rural Banks(RRBs) similar to the EASE plan for public sector banks(PSBs).

Restructure RRBs: The Department of Financial Services(DFS) had formed an expert committee to seek recommendations for making RRBs viable in the medium to long term.

– The panel has recommended operational and governance reforms for RRBs that will be based on the achievement of operational milestones.

– These include credit expansion, business diversification, NPA reduction, cost rationalization, technology adoption and improvement in corporate governance among others.

List RRBs on Stock exchange: The government is looking to list operationally-sound RRBs on the stock exchanges. This move is seen as providing additional sources to meet their regulatory capital requirement.

RPF undertakes month long Pan India Drive under ‘Operation Yatri Suraksha’ to enhance security of passengers

Source: The post is based on the article “RPF undertakes month-long Pan India Drive under ‘Operation Yatri Suraksha’ to enhance security of passengers” published in PIB on 6th August 2022.

What is the News?

Railway Protection Force(RPF) has launched a Pan-India Operation under the code name “Operation Yatri Suraksha”.

What is Operation Yatri Suraksha?

Launched by: Railway Protection Force(RPF)

Aim: To improve the security of passengers travelling by Indian Railways.

Under the operation, the RPF will take various steps including increasing CCTV surveillance, escorting trains, surveilling active criminals and increasing police presence at stations.  

What are the other operations launched by RPF?

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Indian Army conducts Exercise Skylight to test resilience of its satellite communications

Source: The post is based on the article “Indian Army conducts Exercise Skylight to test resilience of its satellite communications” published in The Hindu on 6th August 2022.

What is the News?

Indian Army has conducted a major pan-India Exercise codenamed ‘Skylight’.

What is Exercise Skylight?

Conducted by: Indian Army

Aim: To test the operational readiness and robustness of its satellite communication systems in the event of an attack by an adversary.

Does the Indian Army have its own dedicated satellite?

The Indian Army uses the services of a number of ISRO satellites that connect hundreds of communication terminals of various types.

Unlike the Indian Air Force and the Navy, the Indian Army currently does not have a dedicated satellite.

Indian Army Satellite by 2025

The Defence Acquisition Council has cleared a proposal for a GSAT-7B communications satellite. With this, the Indian Army is on course to get its own satellite by December 2025.

Note: GSAT 7 satellites are advanced satellites developed by the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) to meet the communication needs of the defence services.