Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: JCPOA
Mains level: Paper 2- Peace and stability in the middle east
The assassination of Iran’s nuclear scientist has implication for the future of JCPOA and the peace and the stability of the region. The article explains why.
Context
- Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the Iranian scientist who led Iran’s nuclear weapons programme until it was disbanded, was assassinated last week.
JCPOA and U.S. Presidential election’s link with the
- Assassinations in which Israeli hands were suspected had stopped after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed.
- The U.S. withdrew from the agreement when Trump became the U.S. President.
- In retaliation of the withdrawal, Iran began enriching uranium and stockpiling it beyond JCPOA limits.
- With that, the strategy of targeted assassinations seems to be back.
- This strategy has assumed urgency with the election of Joe Biden in the U.S., who has expressed his desire to return to the JCPOA.
Understanding the Israel link
- Israel government is apprehensive that Mr. Biden will imperil Israel’s nuclear monopoly in West Asia.
- The assassination of Fakhrizadeh appears to be part of a larger Israeli plan in conjunction with Saudi Arabia to force the U.S. into taking military action against Iran.
- An Israeli-Saudi nexus on this issue, when combined with President Trump’s, could culminate in a major military strike on Iran before he leaves office.
Win-win situation for Israel
- If the Iranian government launches revenge attacks Mr. Netanyahu would be able to persuade the U.S. to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.
- If Iran shows restraint, Israel would have shown up the Iranian regime as weak while augmenting anti-American feelings in the country.
- That anti-American feeling would make it difficult for the Biden administration to resume negotiations with Tehran on reviving JCPOA.
Conclusion
The fallout of the assassination, while benefiting Israel, will add to the instability in the region.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Kyoto Protocol, Rio Declaration, Copenhagen Accord etc
Mains level: Paper 3- Paris Agreement and issues with it
The article highlights the fact that the provisions of the Paris Agreement would not be enough to avert the catastrophic and irreversible changes resulting from the global emissions.
Past efforts for environmental protection
- The most hopeful time for global cooperation in protection of the planet was between the time of the Stockholm Conference (1972) and the time of the Rio Conference (1992).
- Scientific evidence about role anthropogenic emission in global warming led to political initiatives to harmonise development and environment.
- The historic consensus in Rio led to the adoption of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).
- A distinction was made between the “luxury emissions” of the developed countries and the survival emissions of the developed countries, which were allowed to increase.
- Moreover, a huge financial package was approved to develop environment-friendly technologies in developing countries.
Copenhagen Accord: Abandonment of Rio Principles
- After the adoption of UNFCC, Conference of the Parties was held in Berlin in 1995 where developed countries backed off from their commitments.
- Though the G-77 was split, the Rio principles were maintained.
- The Kyoto Protocol enshrined the Rio principles.
- It fixed emission targets for developed countries and a complex set of provisions was included to satisfy their interests.
- The end of the Kyoto Protocol and the abandonment of the spirit of the Rio principles were reflected in the Copenhagen Accord (2009).
- Argument given was that a global climate action plan would be possible only if all reductions of the greenhouse gases were made voluntary.
Paris Agreement: Making emission reduction voluntary
- The Paris Agreement moved away from the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
- All countries were placed on an equal footing by making reduction of greenhouse gas emissions voluntary.
- It requires all parties to put forward their best efforts through nationally determined contributions (NDCs)
Shortcomings in Paris Agreement
- The NDCs so far submitted will not result in the desired objective of limiting increase of global warming to below 2°C.
- The Paris Agreement requires that all countries — rich, poor, developed, and developing — slash greenhouse gas emissions.
- But no language is included on the commitments the countries should make.
- Nations can voluntarily set their emissions targets and incur no penalties for falling short of their targets.
- Further temperature rise, even of 1.5°C, may result in catastrophic and irreversible changes.
- Even a 1°C hotter planet is not a steady state, says a report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Conclusion
The IPCC report acknowledges that “the pathways to avoiding an even hotter world would require a swift and complete transformation not just of the global economy but of society too”. This will only be possible if the world rejects nationalism and parochialism and adopts collaborative responses to the crisis. The Paris Agreement falls short of that imperative.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Recent Agricultural bills, MSP
Mains level: Concerns of farmers over this bill
Farmers all across the Punjab and Haryana have marched to New Delhi over the new legislations.
Major cause of Farmers’ protest
- Much of the opposition really is just to one of the three laws. It is the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act and its provisions that are seen as weakening the APMC mandis.
- Even in that one — the act — there are only some contentious provisions, which, although key, can still leave doors open for negotiation.
A fight for privilege
- Farmers, if anything, would gain from removal of stocking restrictions on the trade, as it potentially translates into unlimited buying and demand for their produce.
The contentious one: FPTC Act
- The FPTC Act is a bone of contention. It permits sale and purchase of farm produce outside the premises of APMC mandis.
- Such trades (including on electronic platforms) shall attract no market fee, cess or levy “under any State APMC Act or any other State law”.
- An issue here is the very right of the Centre to enact legislation on agricultural marketing.
- Article 246 of the Constitution places “agriculture” and “markets and fairs” in the State List.
- But entry 42 of the Union List empowers the Centre to regulate “inter-State trade and commerce”.
An example of Central hegemony
- While trade and commerce “within the State” is under entry 26 of the State List, it is subject to the provisions of entry 33 of the Concurrent List.
- Under this, the Centre can make laws that would prevail over those enacted by the states.
- Entry 33 of the Concurrent List covers trade and commerce in “foodstuffs, including edible oilseeds and oils”, fodder, cotton and jute.
- The Centre, in other words, can very pass any law that removes all impediments to both inter- and intra-state trade in farm produce, while also overriding the existing state APMC Acts. The FPTC Act does precisely that.
Farmers question
- Some experts make a distinction between agricultural “marketing” and “trade”.
- Agriculture per se would deal with everything that a farmer does — right from field preparation and cultivation to also sale of his/her own produce.
- The act of primary sale at a mandi by the farmer is as much “agriculture” as production in the field.
- “Trade” begins only after the produce has been “marketed” by the farmer.
The centre’s overriding logic behind
- Going by this interpretation, the Centre is within its rights to frame laws that promote barrier-free trade of farm produce (inter- as well as intra-state) and do not allow stockholding or export restrictions.
- But these can be only after the farmer has sold.
- Regulation of first sale of agricultural produce is a “marketing” responsibility of the states, not the Centre.
What do farmers’ want?
- Farmers would want no restrictions on the movement, stocking and export of their produce.
- For example, Maharashtra’s onion growers have vehemently opposed the Centre’s resort to ban on exports and imposition of stock limits whenever retail prices have tended to go up.
- But these restrictions relate to “trade”.
- When it comes to “marketing” — especially dismantling of the monopoly of APMCs — farmers, especially in Punjab and Haryana, aren’t very convinced about the “freedom of choice to sell to anyone and anywhere” argument.
Where lies the major issue?
- Much of government procurement at minimum support prices (MSP) — of paddy, wheat and increasingly pulses, cotton, groundnut and mustard — happens in APMC mandis.
- In a scenario where more and more trading moves out of the APMCs, these regulated market yards will lose revenues.
- They may not formally shut, but it would become like BSNL versus Jio.
- And if the government stops buying, farmers will be left with only the big corporates to sell to.
What could be negotiated?
- If the protesting farmer union leaders were to sit down at the negotiating table, the government can possibly get them to agree to drop the demand on repealing all the three laws.
- Their problem is essentially about the FPTC Act and its provisions that they see as weakening the APMC mandis.
- These may be just fears, but they aren’t small.
- From the government’s standpoint, the elephant in the room would be if the farmers insist on an additional demand: Making MSP a legal right.
- This would be still impossible to meet, even if the three farm laws were to be put on hold.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Ways to counter shortage of doctors in India
The Central Council of Indian Medicine, a statutory body set up under the AYUSH Ministry has allowed postgraduate (PG) Ayurvedic practitioners to receive formal training for a variety of general surgery, ENT, ophthalmology and dental procedures.
Debate over Ayurvedic surgeries
- The Indian Medical Association (IMA) decrying it as a mode of allowing mixing of systems of medicine by using terms from allopathy.
- The debate revolves Ayurveda doctors allowing ‘Shalya’ (general surgery) and ‘Shalakya’ (dealing with eye, ear, nose, throat, head and neck, oro-dentistry) to perform 58 specified surgical procedures.
- The AYUSH Ministry has clarified that the ‘Shalya’ and ‘Shalakya’ postgraduates were already learning these procedures in their (surgical) departments in Ayurvedic medical colleges as per their training curriculum.
Broader issue
- The broader issue is the feasiblity of short-term training equip them to conduct surgeries and if this dilutes the medicine standards in India.
- As such, the postgraduate Ayurvedic surgical training is not short-term but a formal three-year course.
- Whether the surgeries conducted in Ayurvedic medical colleges and hospitals have the same standards and outcomes as allopathic institutions requires explication and detailed formal enquiry, in the interest of patient safety.
Why such a move?
- The shortage and unwillingness of allopathic doctors, including surgeons, to serve in rural areas is now a chronic issue.
- The government has tried to address this by mechanisms such as rural bonds, a quota for those who have served in rural service in postgraduate seats.
- However, it would probably still continue to fall short of enough trained specialists in rural areas.
Are there any restrictions on Ayurveda practitioners?
- As of now, no such restriction exists that limits non-allopathic doctors, including those doing Ayurvedic surgical postgraduation, to rural areas.
- They have the same rights as allopathic graduates and postgraduates to practise in any setting of their choice.
Is it sensible to allow Ayurvedic surgeons to only assist allopathic surgeons, rather than perform surgeries themselves?
- The AYUSH streams are recognised systems of medicine, and as such are allowed to independently practise medicine.
- They have medical colleges with both undergraduate and postgraduate training, which include surgical disciplines for some systems, such as Ayurveda.
- There is, however, a difference in approach in the systems of medicine, and hence models, which allow for cross-pathy.
Various risks associated
- An apprenticeship model for Ayurvedic surgeons working with allopathic surgeons might fall into a regulatory grey zone.
- It might require re-training Ayurvedic practitioners in the science of surgical approaches in modern medicine.
- Even then, there might be a limit to what they are allowed to do. Any such experiment can put patient safety in peril, and hence, will need careful oversight and evaluation.
Can this lead to substandard care?
- Many patients prefer to receive treatment exclusively from AYUSH providers, while some approach this form of treatment as a complement to the existing allopathic treatment they are receiving.
- For invasive procedures, like surgery, the risk element can be high.
A matter of rights
- Patients have a right to know and understand who their surgeon would be, what system of medicine they belong to, and their expertise and level of training.
- There should not be a difference in quality of care between urban and rural patients — everyone deserves a right to quality and evidence-based care from trained professionals.
Way forward
- We need to explore creative ways of addressing this gap by evidence-based approaches, such as task-sharing, supported by efficient and quality referral mechanisms.
- The advent of mid-level healthcare providers, such as Community Health Providers in many States, is also an opportunity to shift some elements of healthcare (preventive, promotive, and limited curative) to these providers, while ensuring clarity of role and career progression.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: RT-PCR, LAMP
Mains level: COVID testing issues
Indian Council of Medical Research has recently validated the LAMP technology for COVID-19 testing.
What is RT-LAMP?
- RT-LAMP stands for Reverse Transcriptase loop-mediated isothermal amplification) technology.
- Agappe Diagnostics has recently developed the technology indigenously, and their kit has been validated and approved by the ICMR for marketing.
- It is named LUME Screen nCoV.
How does it work?
- RT-LAMP technology is a one-step nucleic acid amplification method to multiply specific sequences of RNA of the coronavirus.
- The RNA is first made into cDNA (copy DNA) by the usual reverse transcription. Then, the DNA is amplified by the LAMP technique.
Current method
- •The current method diagnosis is the real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test which detects the presence of viral nucleic acids in nasopharyngeal swab samples.
- But it has certain shortcomings.
- The test requires complex and costly equipment. It requires extensive training for potential users.
Benefits of LAMP over RT-PCR
- The LAMP technology is superior to the PCR technology–based COVID-19 kits where specificity is around 95% only.
- As the specificity and sensitivity of the test is about 95%, there is a possibility of false negative results.
- The turnaround time is about 10 hours, so that the result will be available only by the next day.
- In remote places, the turnaround time further increases depending on the distance the samples need to travel.
- In short, the RT-PCR does not have the capacity to keep pace with the increasing demand.
- The LAMP technology does not need laborious preparation as in the case of RT-PCR. LAMP is cost effective and does not need complex expensive equipment.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Quad needs naval heft
The article suggests projection of naval power to ensure the stability in the Indian Ocean.
Quad conducts Malabar exercise
- In November, the Quad converged to continue the Malabar series, with a total of just eight ships.
- The idea of Quad is to form a grouping of democratic nations in the Indian Ocean, and use naval power to convey a message to Beijing.
- The message a grouping of eight ships would convey to a nation thinking in terms of five aircraft carriers remains would not be taken seriously.
Importance of naval power in ensuring oceanic stability
- There is no substitute for naval power to ensure oceanic stability, but one alternative lies in the area of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
- Perhaps, some thought may already have been given to MDA in the twin agreement to BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement), and Maritime Information Sharing Technical Agreement (MISTA) signed between India and the US.
- There is little information available in the public domain about MISTA.
- But MISTA should cover an omnibus agreement for Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) operating and information sharing for the entire Indo-Pacific.
- The Pacific has a high density of MPA assets, while they are sparse in the Indian Ocean, particularly the western Indian Ocean.
- The Australians can cover the Malacca Straits, but for the west Indian Ocean, the US will probably have to base a squadron of P-8 aircraft at Masirah or Diego Garcia.
- Today, the primary weapon system of most warships is the surface-to-surface missile, with ranges of up to 200 km.
- The ships’ sensor range is only up to 100 km.
- So, accurate target information has to be supplied beyond 100 km by aircraft or helicopters in what is called Over the Horizon Targeting (OTHT).
- With the Indo-Pacific fully covered by the MPAs of the Quad, a PLAN ship in the Indian Ocean is in imminent danger of being sunk at will
Conclusion
A public announcement of a division of the Indo-Pacific into areas of responsibility for MDA, between members of the Quad will send an unmistakable signal to Beijing. With a desultory Quad naval exercise, once a year of a few ships, Beijing will only be amused that a “threat” exists to its ambition to become a global power.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: National Food Security Act 2013
Mains level: Paper 3- Food Security
The article takes stock of the food insecurity and malnutrition in India with the aid of two recently published reports.
Reports about food security in India
- Two recent reports — “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020” by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the 2020 Hunger report, “Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow” by the Bread for the World Institute – document staggering facts about Indian food insecurity and malnutrition.
- The reports use two globally recognised indicators, Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU) and the Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food Insecurity (PMSFI).
- Using these indicators, the reports indicate India to be one of the most food-insecure countries, with the highest rates of stunting and wasting among other South Asian countries.
Comparing rate of reduction in malnutrition with neighbouring countries
- Malnutrition in India has not declined as much as the decline has occurred in terms of poverty.
- On the contrary, the reduction is found to be much lower than in neighbouring China, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
- The decline in China is way higher than that of India, even though it had started with lower levels of PoU in 2000.
Food security during pandemic and National Food Security Act 2013
- Two crucial elements still got left out in the National Food Security Act – 2013.
- These two elements are the non-inclusion of nutritious food items such as pulses and exclusion of potential beneficiaries.
- Because of this, the current COVID-19 pandemic would make the situation worse in general, more so for vulnerable groups.
- Though States have temporarily expanded their coverage in the wake of the crisis, the problem of malnutrition is likely to deepen in the coming years.
- Hence, a major shift in policy has to encompass the immediate universalisation of the Public Distribution System which should definitely not be temporary in nature.
Conclusion
The need of the hour remains the right utilisation and expansion of existing programmes to ensure that we arrest at least some part of this burgeoning malnutrition in the country.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PM-Kisan
Mains level: Paper 2- Geo-targeted aid during disasters
The article suggests the provision for a safety net with geographic targeting in case of disasters as most disasters are location specific.
Safety net in the U.S.
- The US Congress enacted in March a Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to sends $1,200 to each individual below the income threshold of $75,000.
- Nonetheless, as The Washington Post reported, even in October, millions of households were yet to receive their stimulus payments.
- The tax authorities who were charged with disbursing the funds had no way of knowing how to send the cheques.
- But the poor had to cross several hurdles to get this money and the computer system did not make it easy for them to register their claim.
Safety net in India and issues with it
- In contrast to U.S., 23 per cent of Indians living in Delhi-NCR received a payment of Rs 500 in their Jan Dhan accounts within three weeks of the lockdown being declared.
- Farmers registered for PM-KISAN also received Rs 2,000 in their accounts immediately.
- However, there were some issues for example, recipients of PM-KISAN were not amongst the poorest households, nor were these the households that were most affected by the COVID-related lockdown.
- The PM-Kisan Yojana applies to landowners, thereby excluding agricultural labourers as well as the urban informal sector workers who were most affected by the lockdown.
- Similarly, for the PMJDY payment, BPL and non-BPL households record similar receipt transfers.
Twin challenges in designing social safety nets
- Unless a registry containing data about individuals and their bank accounts exists, money cannot be transferred expeditiously.
- 1) Registries based on specific criteria (for example, identified BPL households) may not identify individuals most vulnerable to crises.
- 2) Factors that contribute towards alleviating poverty may differ from the ones that push people into it — indicating the challenge of targeting welfare beneficiaries in response to shocks.
- About 40 per cent of the poor in 2012 were pushed into poverty by special circumstances and would not have been classified as being poor based on their 2005 conditions.
- Such exclusion errors can get magnified in the event of large-scale disasters when using pre-existing databases, since many people are likely to fall into poverty from an economy-wide negative shock, leading to coverage errors.
Way forward
- Recent estimates from the World Bank suggest that 88 to 115 million people could slide into poverty in 2020.
- These observations suggest that in a disaster response situation, we cannot rely on registries based on individual characteristics to identify beneficiaries.
- Most disasters are geographically clustered.
- If there is a way for us to set up social registries that identify individuals, their place of residence, and their bank accounts, these linkages can be used to transfer funds to everyone living in the affected area quickly.
- Aadhaar linkages of individuals and bank accounts already exist.
- If residential information in the Aadhaar database can be efficiently structured, this would allow for geographic targeting.
- Issue of violation of individual privacy can be addressed by providing that such social registries store only basic information such as location, instead of more sensitive identifiers.
Consider the question “Disasters underscores the importance of social safety nets. However, designing a social safety net that identifies and reach the vulnerable suffers from several challenges. What are these challenes. Suggest ways to address these challenges.”
Conclusion
As we try to disaster-proof future welfare programmes, these are some of the considerations that deserve attention.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GATI
Mains level: Women in sciences
One of the focuses of the new Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, currently being drafted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is to increase the participation of women in science.
Connect the dots:
Women in STEM presents a dismal picture of gender equality in India.
GATI
- The DST is incorporating a system of grading institutes depending on the enrolment of women and the advancement of the careers of women faculty and scientists.
- It will be called GATI (Gender Advancement through Transforming Institutions).
- The concept borrows from a programme started by the UK in 2005 called the Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network), which is now being adopted by many countries.
- The DST will soon launch a pilot, which the British Council has helped it develop.
Why need such initiative?
- India is ranked 108 out of 149 countries in the 2018 Global Gender Gap report.
- According to DST figures, in 2015-16, the share of women involved in scientific research and development was 14.71% — after it had actually increased from 13% in 2000-2001 to 29% in 2014-15.
- The DST has also found that women are either not promoted, or very often drop out mid-career to attend to their families.
What is Athena SWAN?
- The Athena SWAN Charter is an evaluation and accreditation programme in the UK enhancing gender equity in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM).
- Participating research organisations and academic institutions are required to analyse data on gender equity and develop action plans for improvement.
- Signatories commit to addressing various issues such as –
- Unequal gender representation;
- Tackling the gender pay gap;
- Removing the obstacles faced by women in career development and progression;
- Discriminatory treatment often experienced by trans people;
- Gender balance of committees and zero tolerance for bullying and sexual harassment.
Way ahead
- To get as many institutions as possible to sign up, the DST will need to manoeuvre around government red tape as most universities, barring the IITs and NITs, are run and funded by the government as well.
- This means that these institutions don’t have direct control over institutional policies, recruitment and promotions.
- The DST has tied up with the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), under the UGC, aiming to push gender equity through them.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: BEOSP
Mains level: Use of technolgy in crime investigations
A brain electrical oscillation signature profiling (BEOSP) test will be conducted on the convicts of the alleged rape and murder in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh.
Note: According to Article 20(3) of the Indian constitution, no person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself. The privilege against self-incrimination is a fundamental canon of common criminal law jurisprudence.
What is the BEOSP test?
- BEOSP also known as brain fingerprinting is a neuro-psychological method of interrogation in which the accuser’s participation in the crime is investigated by studying their brain’s response.
- The BEOSP test is carried out via a process known as an electroencephalogram, conducted to study the electrical behaviour of the human brain.
- Under this test, the consent of the accused is first taken and they are then made to wear caps with dozens of electrodes attached to them.
- The accused are then shown visuals or played audio clips related to the crime to check if there is any triggering of neurons in their brains which then generate brainwaves.
- The test results are then studied to determine the participation of the accused in a crime.
What differentiates a BEOSP test from a polygraph or a lie detector?
- The BEOSP procedure does not involve a question-answer session with the accused and is rather a neuro psychological study of their brain.
- In a polygraph test, the accused person’s physiological indicators are taken into account which includes blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration and skin conductivity.
- While a person might be able to control their pulse rate and BP even in times of distress, a BEOSP test
Can these tests be admitted as evidence?
- Not as a standalone, a/c to the 2010 Supreme Court judgment in the Selvi v. State of Karnataka case.
- The bench observed that narco analysis, polygraph and brain mapping tests cannot be forced upon any individual without their consent and the test results cannot be admitted solely as evidence.
- However, any information or material discovered during the tests can be made part of the evidence, observed the bench.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Brahmos Missiles
Mains level: India's missile arsenal
India’s Armed forces are conducting back-to-back tests of various versions of BrahMos missile.
Take a quick look at India’s missile arsenal:
[Prelims Spotlight] Missiles
The BrahMos Missiles
- A combination of the names of Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, BrahMos missiles are designed, developed and produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by DRDO and Mashinostroyenia of Russia.
- It is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster as the first stage and liquid ramjet as the second stage.
- The cruise missiles like BrahMos are a type of systems known as the ‘standoff range weapons’ which are fired from a range sufficient to allow the attacker to evade defensive fire from the adversary.
- These weapons are in the arsenal of most major militaries in the world.
- The versions of the BrahMos that are being tested have an extended range of around 400 km, as compared to its initial range of 290 km, with more versions of higher ranges currently under development.
Various versions
- Various versions of the BrahMos, including those which can be fired from land, warships, submarines and Sukhoi-30 fighter jets have already been developed and successfully tested in the past.
- The earliest versions of the ship launched BrahMos and land-based system are in service of the Indian Navy and the Indian Army since 2005 and 2007 respectively.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Bioluminescence, Noctiluca Scintillans
Mains level: Not Much
The blooms of Noctiluca Scintillans, commonly known as “sea sparkle” are being witnessed along the coasts of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
A stand-alone species being mentioned in the news for the first time find their way into the prelims. Note this down.
Noctiluca Scintillans
- Scintillans is a bioluminescent specie that brightens the seawater during the night.
- It grazes on other micro-organisms such as larvae, fish eggs, and diatoms. But the unicellular phytoplankton that lives inside it can photosynthesize, turning sunlight into energy.
- They help their host cell survive even when food was scarce.
- Thus, N. Scintillans acts as both a plant and an animal
Threats posed
- According to marine experts, the phenomenon is an indicator of climate change.
- While smaller blooms may be harmless, slow-moving larger blooms may have an impact on deep-sea fishes.
- The toxic blooms of N. Scintillans were linked to massive fish and marine invertebrate kills.
- Though the species does not produce a toxin, it was found to accumulate toxic levels of ammonia, which is then excreted into the surrounding waters, possibly acting as the killing agent in blooms.
- They have displaced microscopic algae called diatoms, which form the basis of the marine food chain. This has deprived food for the planktivorous fish.
Back2Basics: Bioluminescence
- It is the property of a living organism to produce and emit light.
- Animals, plants, fungi and bacteria show bioluminescence. A remarkable diversity of marine animals and microbes are able to produce their own light.
- It is found in many marine organisms such as bacteria, algae, jellyfish, worms, crustaceans, sea stars, fish and sharks.
- Luminescence is generally higher in deep-living and planktonic organisms than in shallow species.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: IoT , AI
Mains level: AI and its applications
An improvement in a Machine Learning (ML) model, called ‘federated learning’, is said to enable companies to develop new ways of collecting anonymous data without compromising their privacy.
Data privacy is the right of a citizen to have control over how personal information is collected and used. Data protection is a subset Right of Privacy under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
What is ‘federated learning’?
- Federated learning is an ML method used to train an algorithm across multiple decentralised devices or servers holding data samples.
- It doesn’t exchange data with the devices, meaning there is no central dataset or server that stores the information.
- Standard ML models require all data to be centralised in a single server. Implementation of federated learning eliminates the need for maintaining a storage hub.
- The term was first introduced in a 2016 Google study titled ‘Communication-efficient learning of deep networks from decentralized data.’
- Google emphasised mobile phones and tablets, stating that modern devices contain special features like speech recognition and image models that can store large amounts of data.
- Since then, Google has used the technique is various products, including Gboard, which provides text and phrase suggestions to the keyboard.
How this works
- Federated learning aims to train an algorithm, like deep neural networks, on multiple local datasets contained in local nodes, without explicitly exchanging data.
- The general principle involves simply exchanging parameters between these nodes. Parameters include a number of federated learning rounds, the total number of nodes, and learning rate.
- The distinct advantage of the model is its ability to reduce privacy and security risks by limiting the attack surface to only the device, rather than the device and the cloud, Google stated in the study.
Why need such technology?
- Smart home devices like speakers and smartwatches collect and share data with other devices and systems over the network.
- These Internet of Things (IoT) devices are equipped with sensors and software that store a user’s private information like body measurements and location.
- This large chunk of stored data is used by the device makers to improve their products and services.
Applications
- Federated learning is said to have application in healthcare, where hospitals and pharmaceutical companies can exchange data for treating diseases without sharing private clinical information.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GMRT
Mains level: Not Much
The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) has been selected as a ‘Milestone’ facility by the U.S.-based Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Note: GMRT is not an ISRO mission.
About GMRT
- The GMRT located near Pune is an array of thirty fully steerable parabolic radio telescopes of 45-metre diameter, observing at metre wavelengths.
- It is operated by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), a part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.
- It was conceived and built under the direction of Late Prof. Govind Swarup from 1984 to 1996.
- At the time it was built, it was the world’s largest interferometric array offering a baseline of up to 25 kilometres (16 mi).
- Astronomers from all over the world regularly use this telescope to observe many different astronomical objects such as HII regions (interstellar atomic hydrogen that is ionized), galaxies, pulsars, supernovae, and Sun and solar winds.
A significant feat
- IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organisation dedicated to advancing technology in all areas related to electrical and electronics engineering.
- The IEEE Milestones programme honours significant technical achievements which have a global or regional impact. This is only the third such IEEE ‘Milestone’ recognition for an Indian contribution.
- The previous two Indian IEEE Milestones were for the pioneering work done by Sir J.C. Bose to demonstrate the generation and reception of radio waves in 1895 (recognised in 2012), and for the Nobel Prize-winning (in 1930) ‘scattering of light’ phenomenon observed by Sir C.V. Raman in 1928.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Peatlands
Mains level: Ecological significance of Peatland conservation
Sustainably managing peatlands — peat-swamp forests found around the tropics — can protect humans from future pandemics, according to a new study.
What are Peatlands?
- Peatlands are terrestrial wetland ecosystems in which waterlogged conditions prevent plant material from fully decomposing.
- Consequently, the production of organic matter exceeds its decomposition, which results in a net accumulation of peat.
- Over millennia this material builds up and becomes several metres thick.
- They occur in almost every country on Earth, currently covering 3% of the global land surface.
- Peatland landscapes are varied – from blanket bog landscapes with open, treeless vegetation in the Flow Country of Scotland – a tentative World Heritage site – to swamp forests in Southeast Asia.
Their importance
- Peatlands are the largest natural terrestrial carbon store. This area sequesters 0.37 gigatonnes of CO2 a year.
- In their natural, wet state peatlands provide vital ecosystem services.
- By regulating water flows, they help minimise the risk of flooding and drought and prevent seawater intrusion.
- In many parts of the world, peatlands supply food, fibre and other local products that sustain local economies.
- They also preserve important ecological and archaeological information such as pollen records and human artefacts.
Try this PYQ now:
In the context of mitigating the impending global warming due to anthropogenic emission of carbon dioxide, which of the following can be the potential sites for carbon sequestration?
- Abandoned and Uneconomic coal seams
- Depleted oil and gas reservoirs
- Subterranean deep saline formations
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Why conserve peatlands?
- The protection and restoration of peatlands are vital in the transition towards a low-carbon and circular economy.
- Damaged peatlands contribute about 10% of greenhouse gas emissions from the land-use sector.
- CO2 emissions from drained peatlands are estimated at 1.3 gigatonnes of CO2 annually.
- This is equivalent to 5.6% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions.
- Draining peatlands reduces the quality of drinking water due to pollution from dissolved compounds.
What is the new study?
- Peatlands were rich in biodiversity, including many potential vertebrate and invertebrate vectors, or carriers of disease, the study said.
- These included numerous vertebrates known to represent a risk of spreading zoonotic diseases, such as bats, rodents, pangolins and primates.
- These areas also faced high levels of habitat disruption such as wild or human-made fires and wildlife harvesting that was perfect conditions for potential emerging zoonotic diseases.
- The first reported case of Ebola in 1976 was from a peatland area.
- The cradle of the HIV/AIDS pandemic was believed to be around Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, another area with extensive peatlands.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Vaccine nationalism and issues with it
Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the weaknesses in the multilateralism which is best exemplified by the race among countries for getting access to the vaccine.
Business out of pandemic
- It is a crime against humanity to make a profit during any human tragedy.
- The COVID-19 pandemic is also a human tragedy and needs global solidarity.
- However, in a liberalised economy, there is a shocking silence in the global market trying to do business out of human suffering
- This is where organisations of the United Nations and global networks for people should come together in one voice.
- WHO’s idea of a “voluntary pool to collect patent rights, regulatory test data for developing COVID-19 therapies, vaccines, and diagnostics” was met with criticism.
How to ensure equitable access to vaccine
- The advance purchase agreements that some countries have negotiated with pharmaceutical companies exemplify the rich grabbing everything first trends.
- Such vaccine nationalism undermines equitable access to vaccines.
- There has to be prioritisation for high-risk groups in all countries.
- That framework has to be accepted by the global community without dispute.
- In this, the COVAX partnership is a mechanism for ensuring that.
- GAVI, or the Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative, was in existence during the pre-COVID-19 period to ensure the pooled procurement and equitable supply of life-saving vaccines to low- and middle-income countries.
- It has been roped in for the COVID-19 vaccine too.
Role of the governments
- World Health Organization Director-General exhorted member countries to treat COVID-19 technologies as a “public good”.
- If it is a public good, governments must step in to regulate its development, innovation, manufacture, sale, and supply ultimately to the public.
- If such an idealistic outcome does not materialise based on basic human rights then some regulation mandated by the UN General Assembly must be thought of.
- Through the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and the Doha Ministerial Conference declaration 2001, the WTO made provisions for compulsory licensing.
Consider the question “Vaccine nationalism has consequences for cooperation on the global problem. Examine the issue of vaccine nationalism and suggest ways to ensure equitable distribution”
Way forward
- Compulsory licensing is an extreme step available with India if rich countries go for advance purchase and hoarding of a COVID-19 vaccine produced in India by multinational pharma companies and deny India’s supply needs.
- COVID-19 vaccine candidates are still in Phase 3 trials; the compulsory licence clause cannot be applied.
- So, coercion to issue “voluntary licensing” to subsidiary companies in many developing countries such as India, Egypt, Thailand and Brazil by the patent holder is another option.
- India and South Africa jointly sent out a communication, to the IPR Council of the WTO for a waiver of the protection of copyright, design, trademarks and patent on COVID-19 related technologies including vaccines.
- If this is decided favourably as a special case considering the unprecedented impact of the pandemic, it will set a precedent.
- Global campaigns through the media and civil society organisations can garner enough momentum to exert pressure on TRIPS.
Conclusion
Having nothing less than vaccines and life-saving medicines being treated as a public good must definitely be the long-term goal.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Trade Policy Forum
Mains level: Paper 3- India-U.S. trade ties
After tumultuous years of Trump administration in trade policies, the article examines the new possibilities under the next U.S. President in trade ties with India.
Approach towards WTO and India
- The new U.S. administration will have more constructive stance on multilateral issues in the World Trade Organization (WTO).
- The Trump administration went out of its way in seriously undermining WTO institutions when the organisation was already in need of reform and new direction.
- The Biden administration is less likely to engage in unilateral tariff increases and more likely to pursue remedies in the WTO.
- In case of India, the Trump administration it pursued an aggressive approach to resolve market access concerns through threats to eliminate India’s benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences programme.
- However, the follow-through was weak.
- The administration was on the brink of concluding a historic bilateral trade deal, yet it lost focus.
5 likely developements
- 1) It is clear that Mr. Biden plans to focus on domestic concerns first.
- There may be trade aspects to some of these efforts, but they may have limited early relevance for a future U.S.-India trade policy.
- 2) Two, as it turns to trade policy, the Biden administration is not likely to place India among its top few priorities.
- Among top priorities will include formulating its approach with China, such as finding alternatives to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to set new global standards that address China’s practices.
- That said, India should be among the priorities at the next level down.
- 3) The trade deal still pending with the Trump administration remains compelling.
- There could be an early opportunity to conclude these negotiations and for the Biden administration to get credit.
- A bilateral deal will not lead to serious consideration of FTA negotiations any time soon.
- But this first trade agreement could pave the way for later additional small agreements.
- 4) The existing Trade Policy Forum (TPF) met only once over the last four years.
- It seems likely that the Biden administration will see the TPF’s value as a venue for more regular discussions on a range of trade issues.
- 5) A reinvigorated TPF will present new opportunities for the two countries to take up a range of cutting-edge trade issues that will be critical in determining whether the U.S. and India can converge more over time or will drift further apart.
- These include digital trade issues, intellectual property rights and approaches to nurturing innovation, better health sector alignment, and more regular regulatory work on science-based agricultural policies.
Conclusion
The future looks bright for U.S.-India trade under a Biden administration, but that does not mean it will be any easier. It will be critical for leadership on both sides to commit to strong efforts to put the trade relationship on a new footing, which will have to involve a ‘can-do’ attitude to solving problems.
Back2Basics: Trade Policy Forum
- It was established in 2005.
- The Forum is part of the overall United States-India Economic Dialogue, replacing the Trade Policy Working Group pillar.
- It convenes on a regular basis.
- The Forum provides an opportunity to work together to expand trade between the two countries.
- The agenda could cover the following subjects: tariff and non-tariff trade barriers; foreign direct investment; subsidies; customs procedures; standards, testing, labeling and certification intellectual property rights protection; sanitary and phytosanitary measures; government procurement; and services.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Challenges in allowing industrial houses to own an operate banks
The article analyses the risks involved in allowing the corporate houses to own and operate the banks.
Context
- An internal working group of the RBI has recently made a recommendation to permit industrial houses to own and control banks.
Encourage bank but not owned by banks
- According to the report, the main benefit is that industry-owned banks would increase the supply of credit, which is low and growing slowly.
- Credit constraints are indeed a real problem, and creating more banks is certainly one way of addressing the issue.
- But this is an argument for encouraging more banks but it is not an argument for creating banks specifically owned by industry.
- The other powerful way to promote more good quality credit is to undertake serious reforms of the public sector banks.
Problems in allowing industrial houses in banking
- The problem with banks owned by corporate houses is that they tend to engage in connected lending.
- This can lead to three main adverse outcomes:
1) Over-financing of risky activities
- Lending to firms that are part of the corporate group allows them to undertake risky activities that are not easily financeable through regular channels.
- Precisely because these activities are risky, they often do not work out.
- And when that happens, it is typically taxpayers who end up footing the bill.
- In principle, connected lending can be contained by the regulatory authority.
- However, experiences in other nations show that regulating connected lending is impossible convincing most advanced countries that regulating connected lending is impossible.
- Indonesia tried to regulate the practice: It banned the practice.
- The only solution is to ban corporate-owned banks.
- Regulation and supervision need to be strengthened considerably to deal with the current problems in the banking system before they are burdened with new regulatory tasks.
2) Lack of exit
- The economic landscape is littered with failed firms, kept alive on life support, making it impossible for more efficient firms to grow and replace them.
- While some progress was initially made under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), this had stalled even before the pandemic, largely because existing promoters and owners mounted a stiff resistance.
- If industrial houses get direct access to financial resources, their capacity to delay or prevent exit altogether will only increase.
3) Increasing dominance
- The Indian economy already suffers from over-concentration.
- We not only have concentration within industries, but in some cases the dominance of a few industrial houses spans multiple sectors.
- If large industrial houses get banking licences, they will become even more powerful, not just relative to other firms in one industry, but firms in another industry.
Impact on regulator and government
- The power acquired by getting banking licences will not just make them stronger than commercial rivals, but even relative to the regulators and government itself.
- This will aggravate imbalances, leading to a vicious cycle of dominance breeding more dominance.
Impact on quality of credit
- Indian financial sector reforms have aimed at improving not just the quantity, but also the quality of credit.
- The goal has been to ensure that credit flows to the most economically efficient users, since this is the key to securing rapid growth.
- If India now starts granting banking licences to powerful, politically connected industrial houses we will effectively be abandoning that long-held objective.
Impact on economy and democracy
- Indian capitalism has suffered because of the murky two-way relationship between the state and industrial capital.
- If the line between industrial and financial capital is erased, this stigma will only become worse.
- Corporate houses that are already big will be enabled to become even bigger allowing them to dominate the economic and political landscape.
- A rules-based, well-regulated market economy, as well as democracy itself — will be undermined, perhaps critically.
Consider the question “What are the challenges and opportunities in allowing the industrial houses to own and operate the banks.”
Conclusion
The conclusion is clear. Mixing industry and finance will set us on a road full of dangers — for growth, public finances, and the future of the country itself.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not Much
Mains level: Issues with simultaneous elections
Prime Minister once again raised the pitch for “One Nation, One Election” and a single voter list for all to prevent the impact of the model code of conduct on development works due to frequent elections.
Try this question:
Q.Discuss how a common electoral roll and simultaneous elections are ways to save the enormous amount of effort and expenditure on Elections in India. Also discuss the centralizing tendency behind the idea.
Elections in India
- Currently, elections to the state assemblies and the Lok Sabha are held separately — that is whenever the incumbent government’s five-year term ends or whenever it is dissolved due to various reasons.
- This applies to both the state legislatures and the Lok Sabha. The terms of Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha may not synchronize with one another.
- For instance, Rajasthan faced elections in late 2018, whereas Tamil Nadu will go to elections only in 2021.
Simultaneous Elections
- But the idea of “One Nation, One Election” envisages a system where elections to all states and the Lok Sabha will have to be held simultaneously.
- This will involve the restructuring of the Indian election cycle in a manner that elections to the states and the centre synchronize.
- This would mean that the voters will cast their vote for electing members of the LS and the state assemblies on a single day, at the same time (or in a phased manner as the case may be).
Birth of the Idea: A backgrounder
- Simultaneous elections are not new to India. They were the norm until 1967.
- But following dissolution of some Legislative Assemblies in 1968 and 1969 and that of the Lok Sabha in December 1970, elections to State Assemblies and Parliament have been held separately.
- The idea of reverting to simultaneous polls was mooted in the annual report of the Election Commission in 1983.
- The Law Commission’s Report also referred to it in 1999.
- After PM floated the idea once again in 2016, the NITI Aayog prepared a working paper on the subject in January 2017.
What are the proposals under it?
There were two proposals to conduct elections synchronization in two batches.
- One proposal was to make the shift to simultaneous polls in a phased manner, where general elections, of few States and UT may be synchronised in 2019.
- For such a synchronization to happen, besides political consensus and extension of term up to six months in some states, amendments to the Constitution have to be made.
- Elections to the remaining States and UTs with will be synchronised by the end of 2021.
- Thereafter, elections to the Lok Sabha, all the State Legislative Assemblies and Union Territories (with legislatures) will be held simultaneously from 2024.
Advantages of simultaneous elections
- Reduce cost: The cost of an election has two components – one, expenditure incurred by the Election Commission and two, expenditure incurred by the political parties. A large number of government employees and public buildings are diverted from their regular responsibilities for election duties. Supporters of the simultaneous elections argue that it will reduce election expenditure in terms of finance and reduce diversion of human resources for election duties.
- Reduce disruption due to MCC: Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into operation during election season. MCC is seen as an obstacle to the government service delivery mechanism. Simultaneous elections may reduce such disruption.
- Reduce populism: During elections, political convenience takes precedence over public interest. To lure voters, political parties concede to popular demands without any consideration to public interest. Simultaneous elections reduce such opportunity for political parties.
- National prespective: Simultaneous election promotes national perspective over the regional perspective. This is important for the unity of the country.
- Strengthen National parties: Since it promotes national perspective, simultaneous elections strengthen national parties. This reduces mushrooming growth of political parties based on narrow vote bank politics.
- Strengthens federalism: Simultaneous elections bring States on par with the Center. If the elections are to be held simultaneously once in five years, the elected state governments cannot be dismissed easily. This reduces the anomalies created by the Article 356 (President’s Rule) of the Indian constitution and hence, it strengthens federalism.
- Stability: The simultaneous election once in five years provides stability to the governments. It allows the government to take difficult and harsh decision in larger public interest.
Arguments against simultaneous elections
- No guarantee that expenditure of the political parties will reduce: Simultaneous elections may reduce the expenditure incurred by the Election Commission. But there is no guarantee that expenditure of the political parties will reduce. Political parties may spend entire fund at once rather than in phases.
- Reduce importance of state elections: Center and States are equal and sovereign within their jurisdiction. Simultaneous elections may reduce the importance of state elections. Thus it affects the concept of federalism.
- Violates Article 83(2) and Article 172 : Article 83(2) and Article 172 of the Constitution requires that the Lok Sabha and State legislatures be in existence for five years from the date of its first meeting, “unless dissolved earlier”. Simultaneous elections ignore this phrase, as there would be no opportunity to dissolve Lok Sabha or State Assemblies.
- Negates NCM: A government can be in power as long as it enjoys the confidence of Parliament. Simultaneous elections can work only if governments last for a fixed tenure of five years regardless of confidence of Parliament. It negates the concept of ‘no confidence motion’ – an important tool for legislative control over the executive.
- Keep Government on toes: Elections are an important part of representative democracy. Simultaneous elections with fixed tenure of five years curtail people’s right to express their confidence or displeasure on the government.
- Ignores diversity: Simultaneous elections will relegate local issues or issues of state importance to the background. This completely ignores the diversity of the country.
- Logistical challenge: Holding simultaneous election once in five years may also face logistical challenges. For the free and fair conduct of the elections, security forces need to be deployed in large numbers. Given the current strength of security personnel, this may be a challenging task.
Way forward
- There needs to be a consensus and all hands on the deck to see whether the country suits for simultaneous elections.
- All political parties should at least cooperate in debating this issue, once the debate starts, the public opinion can be taken into consideration.
- India being a mature democracy, can then follows the outcome of the deliberation.
Shekhawat solution
- The former vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat proposed a solution. He called for a review of provisions of the no-confidence motion.
- He suggested that no-confidence motion must mandatorily be accompanied by an alternative government formation plan. This prevents premature dissolution of Lok Sabha on account of political instability.
- But critics point out that, this solution will take away people’s right to elect or dismiss a government.
Conclusion
- The constitution of India has essentially prescribed a federal structure of state governance.
- As we are aware that there are several levels of government such as Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha besides, state governments, Municipal Corporations and the Panchayats, which are forms of local governance.
- As a result the entire power is not concentrated with one government.
- But One Nation, One Election can lead to such concentration of power in a single hand.
- So the new government needs to ensure such vast power is not gathered by a single domain through One Nation, One Election.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Roshni Act, Art. 370
Mains level: Corruption in mainstream politics in Jammu and Kashmir
The J&K High Court has declared Roshni Act “illegal, unconstitutional and unsustainable” and a CBI probe has been ordered into the allotment of land under this law.
Must read:
[Burning Issue] One Year since the Repeal of Art. 370
What is the Roshni Act?
- The J&K State Lands (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act, 2001 is popularly known as the Roshni Act.
- It envisaged the transfer of ownership rights of state land to its occupants, subject to the payment of a cost, as determined by the government.
- It set 1990 as the cutoff for encroachment on state land.
- The government’s target was to earn Rs 25,000 crore by transferring 20 lakh kanals (one-eighth of an acre) of state land to existing occupants against payment at market rates.
- The government said the revenue generated would be spent on commissioning hydroelectric power projects, hence the name “Roshni”.
What is the recent controversy?
- In October this year, the High Court held the Roshni Act as ‘unconstitutional’.
- The court also directed the UT government to make public names of those who grabbed the land under the scheme.
- Last week, the UT government began publishing the names of beneficiaries on its websites.
- The first set of names included prominent politicians and their relatives, hotels, and a trust connected each to the dominant parties of the Gupkar declaration.
A scam being busted
- Investigations into the land transfers subsequently found that land in Gulmarg had been given over to ineligible beneficiaries.
- However several government officials illegally possessed and vested ownership of state land to occupants who did not satisfy criteria under the Roshni Act.
- A report by the CAG estimated that against the targeted Rs 25,000 crore, only Rs 76 crore had been realized from the transfer of land between 2007 and 2013, thus defeating the purpose.
- The report blamed irregularities including arbitrary reduction in prices fixed by a standing committee, and said this was done to benefit politicians and affluent people.
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