Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Indian philosophy can guide the world in these troubled times

GS Paper 2

• The role of Parliamentary Committees
• India must board the Online Dispute Resolution bus
• Bhu-Aadhaar or ULPIN will digitise land records for efficient land usage — but incrementally
• Close trade ties with France and Italy will promote Indian exports
• Will Germany Inc, Bearish On China, Turn Bullish on India?
• Axe Some Acts – As long as central, state laws on preventive detention exist, their abuse is almost inevitable
• Skill over chance – Authorities must create an environment for healthy online games

GS Paper 3

• We need proactive regulation to fend off SVB-like bank failures
• Corporate power and Indian inflation

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Grassroots Innovations Accelerator program announced to support grassroots innovators with entrepreneurial, product & market development
• Biden in Belfast to mark 25 years of Good Friday Agreement: The deal that ended 3 decades of bloodshed
• A beginner’s guide to the Large Hadron Collider, its functions and its future
• Tracking the train to Kashmir: How the Vande Bharat is set to transform commute in the Valley
• SC to study if J. Ranganath Mishra panel data can be used to decide on quota for Dalit converts
• How the Bathinda military station, one of the country’s largest, came into being
• U.S. aviation watchdog retains India’s safety category after review
• Tamil Nadu’s Cumbum grapes get Geographical Indication tag
• JUICE mission: European Space Agency set to launch Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice): What is the mission about

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Indian philosophy can guide the world in these troubled times

News– Indian civilization, unlike its Persian or Roman counterparts, survived waves of invasions. Its philosophy has empowered it to withstand not just several attacks by foreign aggressors.

Why has India earned goodwill in global thinking circles?

India’s outlook towards human life and philosophical approach towards worldly concerns.

India is not the only civilizational nation in the world. But the philosophical underpinnings of the idea of India are almost unique.

Indian movies, dance and music, and historical monuments continue to be an attraction for the global community. These cultural aspects, from yoga and spirituality to traditional knowledge systems such as ayurveda, are manifestations of Indian philosophy.

What are five fundamental tenets of India philosophy that make India stand out?

First is the spiritual democracy of India. This country was never a theocratic state. Its approach has been ekam sat, vipra bahuda vadant. It rejects any monopolistic approach to ways of worship.

The second tenet is based on the first tenet. The country has unity inherent in its diversity. It has enabled it to accommodate and celebrate the pervasive diversity.

The third important tenet is our approach of confluence with mother nature. This approach is not in favour of conquering nature. It is gratitude towards nature. India has a well-established tradition of saluting mother nature practically at the start of every day.

Sustainability has now become the focal point of development policy at a global level. However, it has been a part of India’s philosophy of human life. Many traditions and rituals reflect this approach.

The fourth tenet is the concept of antyodaya. It puts the last man first. It is about considering the most deprived for distribution of the fruits of development. Antyodaya encompasses both social and economic justice.

Design of many welfare schemes and policies under Prime Minister Modi, effectively reflect the principles of antyodaya.

The fifth tenet is vasudhaiva kutumbakam. India has imagined the entire world as one family, where values like mutuality, sharing and collectivism are given primacy.

These five tenets emerge from scriptures and the teachings of sages and philosophers including Gautama Buddha, Adi Shankara and Guru Nanak.

GS Paper 2

The role of Parliamentary Committees

News: The article explains the role of Parliamentary Committees.

Why are Parliamentary Committees constituted?

Click Here to Read

What are the recent concerns with Parliamentary Committees?

These days a few bills are referred to Parliamentary Committees. For instance, only 14 Bills have been referred to Parliamentary Committees in the 17th session of Lok Sabha.

As per data from PRS, 25% of the Bills introduced were referred to committees in the 16th Lok Sabha, as compared to 71% and 60% in the 15th and 14th Lok Sabha respectively.

This represents a declining trend of national legislation being subjected to expert scrutiny.

How has the Parliamentary Committee evolved with time?

A structured committee system was only established in 1993. However, individual committees were formed for various reasons as far back as independence.

For instance, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Citizenship Clause was formed to discuss the nature and scope of Indian citizenship.

The Northeast Frontier (Assam) Tribal and Excluded Areas Sub-Committee (July 28, 1947) and the Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (Other than Assam) Sub-Committee (August 18, 1947) were formed concerning the North-Eastern region.

Hence, committees have been doing monumental work since the independence of India.

Today, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have their own Standing (permanent) Committees and Ad Hoc (need-based) Committees. There are also Joint Committees with representation from both Houses.

What are the roles performed by the Parliamentary Committees?

Click Here to Read

The committee reports are not binding on the government. The government is required to table an ‘Action Taken’ report for the House to judge the progress made on the suggestions of the committee.

The Business Advisory Committee prepares the entire schedule of both Houses when Parliament is in session. Papers laid on the table of the House are also prepared by committees.

Committees also go into issues that are crucial from a nation-building standpoint.

For instance, the Public Accounts Committee highlighted several concerns with the shipyards in a 2015 report which were not discussed in the Lok Sabha.

How has been the performance of Parliamentary Committees in recent years?

The most important work done by a committee in recent years is on the Digital Data Protection Bill. 

Following the Puttaswamy judgment, the Justice Srikrishna Committee was formed and tasked with preparing a data protection framework for India.

The committee presented a report in 2018. On the basis of this report, the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was tabled in the Lok Sabha.

Other laws such as the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, the Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill, etc. have also been referred to Parliamentary Committees.

What is the way ahead?

In the U.S., committees play a crucial role and Bills are referred to them post introduction for scrutiny. It allows changes to be made and the modified Bill to go for voting.

Therefore, the Parliament could consider a compulsory referral, for the Bills to the appropriate committees. It is also essential to institutionalize such procedures and not allow political considerations to hasten law-making.

India must board the Online Dispute Resolution bus

News– At the Delhi Arbitration Weekend in February 2023, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju emphasised the need for institutional arbitration to enhance the ease of doing business.

What are the issues with the dispute resolution process in India?

India has shown tremendous improvement in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report. It has risen from the 142nd rank among 190 countries in 2014 to 63rd in 2019.

However, India is ranked 163rd, in ‘Enforcing Contracts’, which is a marginal improvement from the 186th rank in 2015. It takes almost four years and 31% of the cost of the claim to enforce a contract in India. In contrast, it takes just over two years and costs 22% of the claim value in Brazil.

Why has India acquired the reputation of being arbitration-unfriendly?

Srikrishna Committee – There is a lack of preference for institutional arbitration over ad hoc arbitration. Frequent interference from the judiciary, from the appointment of arbitrators to the enforcement of awards, has an impact on the process.

There is also the setting aside of arbitral awards on grounds of ‘public policy’.

The amendments of 2015 and 2019 and a few recent judicial decisions have put India on the right path. The scope for using ‘public policy’ as a ground for setting aside awards has been narrowed.

Yet, India is not a preferred arbitration destination, even for disputes between Indian businesses. Many still seek arbitration abroad, even when the dispute is with another Indian entity.

Singapore, which opened its International Arbitration Centre in the 1990s has since emerged as a global arbitration hub and is ranked first in terms of ‘Enforcing Contracts’. Indian companies are among its top users.

What is the potential of ODR in India?

India can use its strengths in technology and emerge a leader in ODR. Universal dissemination of online technology during the COVID-19 pandemic has made it possible.

ODR involves more than just audio/video conferencing. It encompasses the integration of tools such as multi-channel communication, case management systems, automated case flows, digital signatures and stamping.

There is even the application of advanced technologies such as blockchain, natural language processing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Private platforms in India are already resolving lakhs of disputes through ODR. Many corporations have migrated to ODR to resolve small-value disputes.

The Reserve Bank of India, the National Payments Corporation of India, and the Open Network for Digital Commerce and a few other institutions have incorporated ODR mechanisms into several of their initiatives. The need now is to disseminate these on a mass scale.

What is the way forward to increase the use of ODR in India?

There is a need to incentivise the use of ODR by way of legislative measures. ODR can be set up as a default dispute resolution tool for disputes arising out of online transactions.

Fast-tracking enforcement of ODR outcomes and reducing stamp duty and court fees is required.

There is a need to solve infrastructural challenges and curb the digital divide. Existing setups such as Aadhaar kendras can be optimised to also function as ODR kiosks.

Each court can have an ODR cell along with supplemental technical and administrative support. A dedicated fund must be set up for furthering ODR.

Government departments should explore ODR as a grievance redress mechanism. It will not increase trust in the process and will ensure that citizens have access to a convenient and cost-effective means of resolving disputes with the government

Bhu-Aadhaar or ULPIN will digitise land records for efficient land usage — but incrementally

News– In March, there was a national conference on Bhu-Aadhaar.

What are issues related to the pendency of cases, related to land records?

As per “Access to Justice Survey” by Daksh, the GDP loss to the country’s economy is about 1.3% due to projects being stalled over litigation involving land disputes.

66% of all civil suits in India are related to land or property disputes, and the average pendency of a land acquisition dispute is 20 years.

But there are variations from court to court and the numbers are just based on perception surveys.

According to the NIPFP Working Paper from August 2021 such litigation constitutes the majority of a court’s workload. But it has not been sufficiently proved that most of it is rooted in land-titling issues.

17% of all disputes at the Delhi High Court are related to immovable property. In these cases, the largest proportion of litigation is between private parties. The Union government is the petitioner in 2% of such litigation but is the respondent in more than 18% of cases.

Tenancy disputes are the most common type of litigation, closely followed by land acquisition related matters. Disputes related to property records are 13.6% of immovable property litigation.

What is the Digital India Land Record Modernization Program?

It integrates the computerization of land records, strengthening of revenue administration, and updating of land records.

Once this has been done, every plot/parcel of land can get the 14-digit alpha-numeric ULPIN (Unique Land Parcel Identification Number) or Bhu-Aadhaar.

What are issues related to modernisation of land records?

Digitisation of cadastral records is easy. But there are issues related to consistency and reliability of these maps. Cadastral maps will typically not have latitude/longitude data.

There may be elevation and projection problems.

Land is a state subject and land rights are a complex bundle of rights. Unlocking this unproductive asset has many layers.

What is the way forward for modernisation of land records?

Modernisation of land records in absence of other changes such as multiplicity of laws on land, should not be overstated.

ULPIN is about incremental improvements. There are parts where land titles and records are in a mess. Cleaning them up is a huge task.

But there are parts where titles and records are clean. Those can readily have their ULPIN.

Close trade ties with France and Italy will promote Indian exports

News: The Union minister of commerce and industry is on a visit to Italy and France. 

About India’s trade relations with Italy and France

Bilateral merchandise trade between India and Italy was $13.23 billion in 2021-22, while the India-France bilateral trade in goods (excluding military equipment) was at $12.42 billion.

Top exports from India to Italy: Iron and steel, products made of these, aluminium and its products, petroleum products and cotton ready-made garments.

Top exports from India to France: Petroleum products, electric machinery and equipment, drug formulations, cotton ready-made garments (including accessories) and aircraft, spacecraft and parts.

Trade in Goods and Services: India had a positive trade balance in goods with both these European countries. India’s services exports to the two markets include telecommunication services, IT and IT-enabled services, business services and transport services.

What are the areas of cooperation in India-Italy relations?

Over 130 Italian companies are either present in India or sourcing from here, or have partnerships with Indian companies. Well-known Italian companies that have invested in India include Fiat Auto, Heinz Italia, Piaggio, etc. They have invested in sectors such as automobiles, trading, services, machinery and food processing.

India-Italy Strategic Partnership on Energy Transition: It was launched in 2021. The partnership provides opportunities for further exploration of joint investments.

What are the areas of cooperation in India-France relations?

France is the 11th largest foreign investor in India. This is spread across sectors such as services, cement and gypsum products, air transport, petroleum and natural gas. Notable French companies present in India include Airbus Group, BNP Paribas, etc.

Defence ties are a core component of the Indo-French strategic partnership. India has recently allowed foreign direct investment in the defence sector.

What are the potential opportunities in India’s ties with Italy and France?

a) Italian and French companies are trying to build resilient supply chains and are looking at the large and growing Indian market, b) India’s export baskets can be diversified in goods and services further, c) All three countries can collaborate in areas like research and development, technology-based services such as health-tech and edutech, and the startup and audio-visual sectors, d) India can be a low-cost post-production hub for Italian and French audio-visual companies, e) India’s large and growing market provides opportunities for manufacturers from Italy and France to explore and test-market their products, f) India’s strengths in organic production and traditional medicine and practices like Yoga and Ayurveda can be showcased to Italian and French consumers.

The other areas include 1) India’s focus on organic food and millet is aligned with the EU’s focus on a sustainable food system, 2) Identification of skill requirements in the EU and joint skill development and language training programmes with France and Italy could help Indian professionals and skilled workers access the EU market.

What India should be done?

The support of Italy and France is essential in concluding a broad-based, balanced, and comprehensive trade agreement with the EU. Hence, India should work closely with both Italy and France.

India-EU trade agreement will further boost trade and investment flows, encourage B2B collaborations, help diversify and secure supply chains, provide a stable operating environment for businesses, and create employment in both markets.

Will Germany Inc, Bearish On China, Turn Bullish on India?

News: World’s biggest economies are changing their views about China. This includes the US, Japan and Germany. This is because their investments in China are facing a combination of local competition, state policies favouring local businesses and geo-political tension calls.  This forced countries like Germany to critically rethink the future of German industry in China.

What is the present state of German investments in China?

A report from Rhodium Group shows that

German giants are investing: German Industry is heavily invested in China. After 2018, more than 80% of new European FDI has come from just the top 10 companies. This includes the three German automakers – Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW.

Declining investments from smaller companies: Additionally, cutting-edge technology investments from smaller companies are also declining. For example, the share of mid-sized companies from the EU has declined from 51% in the 10 years before 2018 to about 20% between 2018 and 2021.

Low service sector investment: There are relatively small European investments in the services sector.

Reasons for the declining investments: a) German investors’ declining interest in investing in mergers and acquisitions of Chinese companies is due to high valuations and nontransparent financials, b) China has created regulations that benefit local companies in terms of market access.

What are the other reasons for revisiting Germany’s Chinese diplomacy?

Raw material dependency: Excessive dependency on China for critical raw materials such as rare earth. This forced German industries to the diversification of critical raw materials, markets and investments. The German government has enacted the Critical Raw Materials Act, practising Foreign Direct Investment screening, and anti-coercion mechanisms.

The factor of Tik Tok: Germany is debating on banning TikTok like India. This is because of Tik Tok’s potential for misuse and manipulation of personal information.

Note: India’s banned a few Chinese apps that have the potential to gather personal data in an opaque and state-run Chinese way.

Why India is a perfect place for German investments?

India is not the default option. But India’s significant potential for fast growth and expanding domestic consumer market are significant attractions of German investments.

Recently, India’s physical infrastructure and laws & regulations have been changed to attract global businesses. But, local bureaucracy is still a matter of concern.

What India should do to attract German investments?

-India needs to make a sustained outreach to business associations in Germany that India is not a difficult place to do business.

-Both India and Germany have to work on a consensus to finalise the long pending negotiations on Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement. This will further create a robust economic relationship in a qualitatively new track.

Axe Some Acts – As long as central, state laws on preventive detention exist, their abuse is almost inevitable

News: Recently, two separate cases in the Supreme Court have highlighted the issues with preventive detention laws.

What is Preventive Detention?

At the central level, they have existed in different forms from 1950.

What are the observations of SC on preventive detention laws?

Case 1: The court criticised the UP government for inappropriately invoking the National Security Act in a case with political undertones.

Case 2: In Pramod Singla vs UoI case, the court pointed out that India’s preventive detention laws are a colonial legacy with the potential to be misused.

About the cases under preventive detention laws

Government data in 2021 shows that preventive detention cases increased by almost 24% to 1. 1 lakh. For instance, between 2017 and 2021, annual detentions under the National Security Act ranged between 483 and 741.

States, which have their own preventive detention laws, are among the worst offenders. For example, last year, Madras HC criticised Tamil Nadu for indiscriminate use of the Goondas Act to trigger preventive detentions.

What are the issues associated with preventive detention laws?

The root of the problem is both the intent and wording of laws. As these laws provide a broad reading of circumstances under which constitutional rights can be suppressed.

This has been the case since 1950. A recent example is the IT Rules 2021 and its amendments that can open the door to action against views deemed officially “unfavourable”.

This can be interpreted that as long as preventive detention laws are part of the statute, there is a higher chance of abuse.

Skill over chance – Authorities must create an environment for healthy online games

News: Recently, the Tamil Nadu governor has given assent to a Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill. This Act aims to prohibit online gambling and regulate online games in the State.

About the passage of the Bill

Earlier the Governor returned the Bill, on the grounds that the State Assembly had “no legislative competence” to enact such a law.

But by the time the House re-adopted and sent the Bill, the Centre has clarified that “betting and gambling” was in the State List (Entry 34). The government also clarified in Parliament that online gambling will come under the jurisdiction of States.

What should be done to ensure proper enforcement of online games?

As the Centre has notified the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, there should be no confusion as far as enforcing the law is concerned. The enforcement has to be done in conjunction with the IT Act, 2000.

The proposed Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority should ensure a balance. Further, there should be no restrictions on online games permitted under the Act as well as monitoring of online game providers. It is in the interests of all to create an environment for healthy online games.

GS Paper 3

We need proactive regulation to fend off SVB-like bank failures

News: The article discusses the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) crisis and provides measures to prevent such a crisis.

About Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) crisis

Click Here to Read

What were the steps taken by the US to minimize the impact of the crisis?

To calm down the financial markets, the US Treasury Secretary announced special protection even for uninsured deposits held with failed banks.

It is estimated to cost the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FIDC) over $20 billion.

The US Federal Reserve also opened up a special liquidity window, in the midst of its policy tightening to control inflation, against the face value of securities.

What were the scenarios at the time of the SVB crisis?

The gap in the value of assets and liabilities of US commercial banks stood at $2,137 billion. Mark-to-market losses were over $2 trillion which was more than 40% of the capital of all banks.

More than 50% of SVB’s long-dated securities had fewer financial values, with facing mark-to-market losses. Its capital ratios were unfavourable and its customer profile skewed in favour of bulk deposits.

What can be done to prevent a bank crisis?

It is necessary to come up with laws that bridge gaps and provide real-time necessary information on fresh developments, including the use of technology for financial transactions and the behaviour of participants.

There is also a need to constantly scan big data using machine learning and artificial intelligence. 

It will help to model alternate scenarios and provide solutions for authorities to intervene in time to avert disasters and minimize large-scale mishappening.

Corporate power and Indian inflation

News– The former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Viral Acharya, is reported to have observed that unlike in the West where it abated with COVID-19, core inflation remains elevated in India. He ascribed it to the pricing power of five big corporations.

What are counter arguments against Viral Acharya that core inflation in India is due to pricing power of big five companies?

First, a divergence between inflation rates in India and the rest of the world is not new. After the global financial crisis of 2008, Indian inflation surged. It reached levels higher than the economies of the United States and the United Kingdom.

This was due to a surge in food price inflation in India, driven by negative agricultural shocks. Food-price inflation tends to feed into core inflation. So, it cannot be concluded that Indian inflation is higher than in the West today due to corporate pricing power.

There is evidence that in India, food price inflation affects core inflation.

Second, the argument that corporate power plays a role in elevated core inflation is based on an observation of a short time period. Wholesale price inflation was considerably low in the six months preceding March 2023, but consumer price inflation was not.

A mismatch between WP and CP inflations is not new. In 2021-22, WP inflation surged by 12 percentage points, but CP inflation actually declined.

So, the maintenance of high price increases by firms in the retail sector even with low wholesale price inflation in 2022-23 may just be a compensating mechanism.

Third, attributing elevated core inflation in consumer prices to pricing power of the Big 5 assumes that these conglomerates have a high presence in retail trade. Their presence is greater in the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors than in retail. It may be noted that their presence in the economy itself may not be so high.

Fourth, to compare WP inflation with CPI inflation is not the right thing. The commodity basket of CPI is different from the wholesale price index. So, we would be comparing apples with oranges here.

The claim that corporate pricing power is driving current inflation in India has no solid basis. For the first three quarters of the financial year, over 75% of the direct contribution to inflation is by sectors where the Big 5 presentation is low.

What can be concluded ultimately about core inflation in India?

Corporate pricing power does exist. Pricing power in Indian industry and that the rate of profit in India is high in a global comparison.

However, the question is the extent to which corporate power is driving overall inflation in India beyond its obvious role in elevating the price level.

In theory, corporations can drive inflation if concentration rises continuously and if they come to dominate the economy. India is not in that position. But industrial concentration is most likely rising in India.

Prelims-Oriented Articles (Factly)

Grassroots Innovations Accelerator program announced to support grassroots innovators with entrepreneurial, product & market development

Source: The post is based on the article “Grassroots Innovations Accelerator program announced to support grassroots innovators with entrepreneurial, product & market development” published in PIB on 13th April 2023

What is the News?

A Grassroots Innovations Accelerator program has been announced at the ongoing Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) 2023.

What is the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE)?

FINE is organized by the President’s Secretariat in association with the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Innovation Foundation (NIF). 

It is an initiative to recognise, respect, showcase, reward innovations and to foster a supportive ecosystem for innovators.

What is the Grassroots Innovations Accelerator program?

Aim: To help grassroots innovators in farming with support for entrepreneurial, product and market development.

Collaboration between: The program is a result of a partnership between the NIF Incubation and Entrepreneurship Council (NIFientreC), a Technology Business Incubator(TBI) hosted by National Innovation Foundation and Publicis Sapient, a digital business transformation company.

Significance: This program is in sync with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 with the aim to build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

Biden in Belfast to mark 25 years of Good Friday Agreement: The deal that ended 3 decades of bloodshed

Source: The post is based on the article “Biden in Belfast to mark 25 years of Good Friday Agreement: The deal that ended 3 decades of bloodshed” published in Indian Express on 13th April 2023

What is the News?

The US President is visiting Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

What is the Good Friday Agreement?

The Good Friday Agreement also known as the Belfast Agreement was signed on 10th April 1988.

It was a political deal designed to bring an end to 30 years of violent conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles.

What were the Troubles?

Northern Ireland was created in 1921 and remained part of the UK when the rest of Ireland became an independent state.

This created a split in the population between unionists, who wish to see Northern Ireland stay within the UK, and nationalists, who want it to become part of the Republic of Ireland.

From the late 1960s, armed groups from both sides, such as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), carried out bombings and shootings – and British troops were sent to Northern Ireland.

The Troubles lasted almost 30 years and cost the lives of more than 3,500 people.

What does the agreement provide?

The agreement is based on the idea of cooperation between communities. It set up a new government for Northern Ireland, representing both nationalists and unionists.

The agreement says Northern Ireland is part of the UK and this can change only through a referendum – if most people in Northern Ireland want it to. People born in Northern Ireland can have Irish or British nationality or both.

As part of the agreement, armed groups agreed to dispose of their weapons. People who had been involved in violence were released from prison.

A beginner’s guide to the Large Hadron Collider, its functions and its future

Source: The post is based on the article “A beginner’s guide to the Large Hadron Collider, its functions and its future” published in The Hindu on 13th April 2023

What is the News?

The Large Hadron Collider(LHC) built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is on the energy frontier of physics research, conducting experiments with highly energized subatomic particles.

What is the Large Hadron Collider(LHC)?

Large Hadron Collider is the world’s largest and highest-energy particle collider. 

Built by: European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) between 1998 and 2008 in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists.

Located at: The accelerator lies in a tunnel 100 meters underground at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, on the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, Switzerland.

Purpose: To study minuscule subatomic particles which are the smallest known units of matter and the building blocks of all things. 

Working: Its work involves sending beams of protons, which are positively charged particles present in the nucleus of atoms, speeding towards each other at nearly the speed of light in the 27-kilometre ring of the LHC. 

– Scientists will record and analyze the collisions of the particles in the two beams as part of a set of experiments, which will be used to study dark matter, dark energy and other mysteries of the universe.

Achievements: In 2012, scientists at CERN announced to the world the discovery of the Higgs boson or the ‘God Particle’ during the LHC’s first run. This led to Peter Higgs and his collaborator François Englert being awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 2013. 

What lies ahead for the Large Hadron Collider(LHC)?

LHC is the biggest and most complex machine in the world and it may have paved the way for some of the most important scientific discoveries in recent times including the Higgs Boson. 

But CERN has plans for a future machine that will be called the Future Circular Collider. Compared to the 13.6 trillion electron volts energy level of LHC, the Future Circular Collider will work at energy levels of up to 100 trillion electron volts. 

The Future Circular Collider is an even bigger machine aimed at ensuring the seamless continuation of the world’s particle physics programme in the post-LHC era.

Tracking the train to Kashmir: How the Vande Bharat is set to transform commute in the Valley

Source: The post is based on the article “Tracking the train to Kashmir: How the Vande Bharat is set to transform commute in the Valley” published in Indian Express on 13th April 2023

What is the News?

Vande Bharat Express will soon run between Jammu and Kashmir as the work on the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) is completed.

About the History of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) Project

The first railway line in the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was built by the British in 1897 over a distance of 40-45 km between Jammu and Sialkot in the plains.

After Partition, Sialkot went to Pakistan, and Jammu was disconnected from the rail network of India.

Until the inauguration of the Pathankot-Jammu line in 1975, the railway station nearest to Jammu and Kashmir was Pathankot in Punjab.

In 1983, work began on a railway line between Jammu and Udhampur.The project was completed in 2004 and has 20 major tunnels and 158 bridges.

With work underway on the Jammu-Udhampur line, the government in 1995 approved the extension of the line from Udhampur to Srinagar, and then Baramulla – USBRL project.

The project was declared as a national project in 2002 on account of its being among the most challenging works undertaken by the Indian Railways after Independence.

What are the challenges in implementing the railway line project?

The Himalayas are young and the geologically unstable Shivalik Hills and Pir Panjal mountains lie in the seismically most active Zones IV and V.

The terrain, which sees heavy snow in winter, presents serious challenges in the construction of bridges and tunnels.

In view of the challenges in the construction, engineers of the Railways devised a novel Himalayan Tunneling Method (HTM).

Under this method, horseshoe-shaped tunnels were constructed instead of the usual D-shaped ones. In this method, the site comes down in a curve giving strength to the structure where the soil above it is loose.

What are the benefits of this project?

Firstly, it will bring down the travel time between Srinagar and Jammu to between three and three-and-a-half hours from the five to six hours that it takes by road currently.

Secondly, it will provide a reliable and cost-effective all-weather alternative to the Jammu-Srinagar national highway which is frequently shut down by landslides.

Thirdly, it will facilitate hassle-free transport of goods such as apples, dry fruits, pashmina shawls, handicrafts etc to other parts of the country in the shortest possible time and at a lesser cost.

SC to study if J. Ranganath Mishra panel data can be used to decide on quota for Dalit converts

Source: The post is based on the article “SC to study if J. Ranganath Mishra panel data can be used to decide on quota for Dalit converts” published in The Hindu on 12th April 2023

What is the News?

The Supreme Court has said that the government should recheck its stance on the 2007 report of the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities.

What is the case before the Supreme Court?

The Supreme Court is hearing a series of petitions filed 19 years ago which had challenged the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 as discriminatory and violative of Articles 14 (equality before law) and 15 (prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste etc) of the Constitution as it discriminates against Scheduled Caste converts to religions other than Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.

Note: The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, as amended from time to time, says no person professing a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste (SC).

What is Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission?

National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, also called Ranganath Misra Commission, was constituted by the Government of India in 2004 to look into various issues related to Linguistic and Religious minorities in India.

One of the recommendations of the commission was to permit Dalits who convert to Islam or Christianity to avail of reservation benefits under the Scheduled Caste reservation quota.

What is the present government’s stance on Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission’s report?

The present government has rejected the report. It has constituted a new Commission headed by a former Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan to prepare a report on the question of granting SC status to new persons who have historically belonged to the Scheduled Castes but have converted to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

The government has said that the new Commission’s terms of reference were in tune with the Supreme Court judgment in Soosai versus Union of India in 1985.

This judgment held that for inclusion in the 1950 Order, there should be proof through empirical data that Hindu Dalit converts were suffering from the same “oppressive severity” in the new environment of a different religious community.

How the Bathinda military station, one of the country’s largest, came into being

Source: The post is based on the article “How the Bathinda military station, one of the country’s largest, came into being” published in Indian Express on 13th April 2023

What is the News?

Four army soldiers were killed in the firing that took place at the Bathinda Railway Station in Punjab.

What is Bathinda military station? 

Bathinda military station is located along the National Highway-7 on the Chandigarh-Fazilka stretch that further leads to Rajasthan. 

The station is the headquarters of the 10 Corps of the Army, better known as Chetak Corps.

The military station is a vital operational as well as a logistics base for the Army units responsible for the defence of southern Punjab and adjoining Rajasthan.

What is the historical importance of Bathinda?

Bathinda’s military history is far older. It was always an important post when it came to invaders from the west and Qila Mubaraq Fort in Bathinda is a standing reminder of the historic past. 

Qila Mubaraq is believed to have been built in the 6th century as a defence against the invading Huns. Successive rulers made a number of additions and alterations to it.

During British rule, Bathinda and its surrounding areas remained under the British flag and away from the Khalsa Raj of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In the early 1900s, the British expanded their military footprint in Bathinda. 

During World War 1, it served as an important recruitment hub, feeding thousands of youth into the military supply chain for the British war machine.

Gradually, Bathinda also became an important transit point for military forces focussed on the northwestern frontiers of undivided India.

U.S. aviation watchdog retains India’s safety category after review

Source: The post is based on the article “U.S. aviation watchdog retains India’s safety category after review” published in The Hindu on 13th April 2023

What is the News?

The US aviation safety regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) has retained the “Category 1” status for India’s aviation safety oversight following a review.

How does the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) determine a country’s aviation safety?

The International Aviation Safety Assessment(IASA) programme of the FAA determines whether a country’s oversight of its airlines that operate or wish to operate to the U.S. or enter into codeshare partnerships with U.S. carriers comply with safety standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The assessment focuses on three broad areas which include: 1)  personnel licensing 2) operation of aircraft and 3) airworthiness of aircraft.

What did the FAA find about India’s aviation safety?

FAA has said that India meets the international standards for aviation safety oversight of the Chicago Convention and it continues to retain FAA Category 1 status.

Air carriers of Category 1 countries are permitted to operate/ expand their services to destinations in the USA and codeshare with US air carriers.

Significance: India’s Category 1 status has come at a time when Indian aviation is on a high growth trajectory and air carriers in India have major capacity induction and expansion plans.

Tamil Nadu’s Cumbum grapes get Geographical Indication tag

Source: The post is based on the article “Tamil Nadu’s Cumbum grapes get Geographical Indication tag” published in The Hindu on 13th April 2023

What is the News?

The Cumbum grapes have recently been given the Geographical Indication tag or GI tag.

What are Cumbum grapes?

Cumbum Panneer Thratchai also known as Cumbum grapes, is a variety of grapes grown in the Cumbum Valley located at the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, India.

These grapes were introduced in Tamil Nadu in 1832 by a French priest.

A unique factor is that in this Cumbum valley the ‘panneer’ grapes are available and harvested all through the year as against only during January and April in the rest of India. 

The grapes grown are suitable for making wine, spirit, jams, canned grape juice and raisins.

The grapes are rich in vitamins, tartaric acid, and antioxidants, and reduce the risk of some chronic diseases.

JUICE mission: European Space Agency set to launch Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice): What is the mission about

Source: The post is based on the article “European Space Agency set to launch Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice): What is the mission about” published in Indian Express on 13th April 2023

What is the News?

The European Space Agency (ESA) is all set to launch the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer or Juice mission. The spacecraft will reach Jupiter by 2031.

What is the purpose of the JUICE mission?

Launched by: European Space Agency(ESA) 

Objectives of the mission:

To make detailed observations of Jupiter and its three large ocean-bearing moons — Ganymede, Callisto and Europa by using remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments.

– The main focus will be on Ganymede, as it is the largest moon in the Solar System — larger than Pluto and Mercury — and the only one to generate its own magnetic field. 

To create a comprehensive picture of Jupiter by trying to understand its origin, history and evolution.

To analyze the chemistry, structure, dynamics, weather, and climate of Jupiter and its ever-changing atmosphere.

Is the JUICE mission capable of detecting life?

The three moons, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa are believed to hold immense amounts of water which could be around six times more than the volume of water in Earth’s oceans, there is a possibility that life is present on them. According to ESA, life on these moons could be in the form of microbes.

However, JUICE mission isn’t equipped to detect life. But it is capable of finding out whether there could be places around Jupiter, inside the icy moons, where the necessary conditions, such as water, biological essential elements, energy, and stability, to sustain life are present.

What is the significance of the JUICE mission?

Only two other spacecraft have ever examined Jupiter: the Galileo probe, which orbited the gas giant between 1995 and 2003, and Juno, which has been circling the planet since 2016. 

However, by the time the Juice mission reaches Jupiter, another spacecraft, NASA’s Europa Clipper, would already be orbiting the planet — scheduled to be launched in October 2023. Europa Clipper would reach Jupiter in 2030 and aims to study its Europa moon.