From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Coal shortage issue
Context
The blame cannot be placed on the doors of any one entity or ministry for the shortage of coal.
Ministries linked with coal shortage issue
The Ministry of Coal and Coal India must certainly accept that they slipped up somewhere — whether in managing the production process, planning supplies or leaving vacant crucial leadership positions.
The Ministry of Power/NTPC should also accept responsibility as they allowed coal inventories to fall below the recommended minimum in an effort to better manage their working capital.
But they can claim they had no other option because the state government electricity distribution companies do not pay their dues on time or fully.
The discoms will point a finger at their political bosses, who compel them to sell electricity to residential and agricultural sector consumers at subsidised tariffs.
Structural issues
There is no one public body at the central or state government level with executive oversight, responsibility and accountability for the entirety of the coal value chain.
This is a lacuna that afflicts the entire energy sector.
It will need to be filled to not only prevent a recurrence of another coal crisis but also for the country to realise its “green” ambition.
The word “energy” is not part of the political or administrative lexicon.
At least not formally. As a result, there is no energy strategy with the imprimatur of executive authority.
The NITI Aayog may well challenge this statement.
For they have produced an energy strategy.
Suggestions
Energy act: The government should pass an Act (possibly) captioned “The Energy Responsibility and Security Act.”
This Act should elevate the significance of energy by granting it constitutional sanctity; it should embed in law, India’s responsibility to provide citizens access to secure, affordable and clean energy.
The law should lay out measurable metrics for monitoring the progress towards the achievement of energy independence, energy security, energy efficiency and “green” energy.
Ministry of energy: Towards the fulfillment of this mandate, the government should redesign the existing architecture of decision-making for energy.
Preference would be for the creation of an omnibus Ministry of Energy to oversee the currently siloed verticals of the ministries of petroleum, coal, renewables and power.
The department would have a narrower remit than the other energy departments but by virtue of its location within the PMO, it would, de facto, be the most powerful executive body with ultimate responsibility for navigating the “green transition”.
Benefits
It is important to stress the positive impact the above redesign will have on investor sentiment.
Several corporates have signaled their intent to invest mega bucks in clean energy.
Reliance has committed $10 billion, Adani $ 70 billion over 10 years; Tata Power, ReNew Power and Acme Solar have also placed their stakes in the ground.
Conclusion
Energy sector will be immensely benefited if the current fragmented and opaque regulatory, fiscal and commercial systems and processes were replaced by a transparent and single-point executive decision-making body for energy.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Pegasus software
Mains level: Paper 2- Pegasus issue
Context
The Supreme Court of India appointed an independent committee to inquire into charges that the Union government had used the mobile phone spyware Pegasus to invade, access, and snoop into devices used by India’s citizens.
Background
The petitioners before the Supreme Court relied on an investigation conducted by a consortium of global media.
These reports revealed that hundreds of phone numbers from India had appeared on a global list of more than 50,000 numbers that were selected for surveillance by clients of the Israeli firm, the NSO Group.
The NSO has since confirmed that its spyware is sold only to governments, chiefly for the purposes of fighting terrorism.
Government’s defence
In response to the allegations made against it, the Government invoked national security.
What is more, according to it, the very adoption of this argument virtually forbade the Court from probing further.
In matters purportedly involving national security, the Court has shown an extraordinary level of deference to the executive.
The cases also posed another hurdle: a contest over facts.
The petitioners were asserting the occurrence of illegal surveillance.
The Government was offering no explicit response to their claims.
Now, to some degree, in its order appointing a committee, the Court has bucked the trend of absolute deference.
The Court has held that there is no magic formula to the Government’s incantation of national security, that its power of judicial review is not denuded merely because the state asserts that the country’s safety is at stake.
Accountability on part of the government
The order recognises, correctly, that spying on an individual, whether by the state or by an outside agency, amounts to an infraction of privacy.
This is not to suggest that all surveillance is illegal.
In holding thus, the Court has effectively recognised that an act of surveillance must be tested on four grounds:
First, the action must be supported by legislation.
Second, the state must show the Court that the restriction made is aimed at a legitimate governmental end.
Third, the state must demonstrate that there are no less intrusive means available to it to achieve the same objective;
Finally, the state must establish that there is a rational nexus between the limitation imposed and the aims underlying the measure.
The test provides a clear path to holding the Government accountable.
Way forward
The absence of a categorical denial from the Government, the order holds, ought to lead to a prima facie belief, if nothing else, that there is truth in the petitioners’ claims.
Having held thus, one might have expected the Court to frame a set of specific questions demanding answers from the state.
If answers to these questions were still not forthcoming, elementary principles of evidence law allow the Court to draw what is known as an “adverse inference”.
A party that fails to answer questions put to it will only risk the Court drawing a conclusion of fact against it.
If, on this basis, the petitioners’ case is taken as true, there can be little doubt that there has been an illegitimate violation of a fundamental right.
It is, therefore, unclear why we need a committee at all.
Ultimately, in the future, the Court must think more carefully about questions of proof and rules of evidence.
Conclusion
Ad hoc committees — sterling as their members might be — cannot be the solution. Far too many cases are consigned to the back burner on the appointment of external panels, and, in the process, civil liberties are compromised.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Mismatch between education aspirations and job availability
Context
There is a huge pool of unemployed university graduates with unfulfilled aspirations. This group of dissatisfied, disgruntled youth can lead to disastrous consequences for our society.
Enhanced enrollment
Reservation: The extension of reservations to OBCs and EWS increased the enrollment of students from these socio-economic backgrounds.
Increased education institutions: In addition, the massive increase in the number of higher education institutions has led to an enlargement of the number of available seats — there are more than 45,000 universities and colleges in the country.
The Gross Enrollment Ratio for higher education, which is the percentage of the population between the ages of 18-23 who are enrolled, is now 27 per cent.
Issues of employment opportunities
Unfortunately, the spectacular increase in enrollment in recent years has not been matched by a concomitant increase in jobs.
Employment opportunities in the government have not increased proportionately and may, in fact, have decreased with increased contractualisation.
Even in the private sector, though the jobs have increased with economic growth, most of the jobs are contractual.
Worse, the highest increase in jobs is at the lowest end, especially in the services sector — delivery boys for e-commerce or fast food for instance.
Thus what we see is a huge pool of unemployed university graduates with unfulfilled aspirations.
This group of dissatisfied, disgruntled youth can lead to disastrous consequences for our society, some of which we are already witnessing.
Way forward
A reduction in the rate of increase of universities and colleges might not be politically feasible given the huge demand for higher education.
Increase vocation institutions: A concurrent increase in the number of high-quality vocational institutions is something that can be done.
There are upwards of 15,000 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in the country currently.
Upgrading the existing ITIs, opening many more new ones with high-quality infrastructure and updated curriculum is something which should be done urgently.
There is a scheme to upgrade some ITIs to model ITIs.
However, what is required is not a selective approach but a more broad-based one that uplifts the standards of all of them besides adding many more new ones.
Industry might be more than willing to pitch in with funding (via the CSR route) as well as equipment, training for the faculty and internships for students.
Conclusion
These steps could help mitigate the mismatch between employment opportunities and the increasing number of educated youth in the country.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: MGNREGA
Mains level: Issues in MGNREGA
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) faces a negative net balance of Rs. 8,686 crores, including payments due.
About MGNREGA
It stands for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of 2005.
This is labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the ‘Right to Work’.
The act was first proposed in 1991 by P.V. Narasimha Rao.
The objectives of the MGNREGA are:
To enhance the livelihood security of the rural poor by generating wage employment opportunities.
To create a rural asset base that would enhance productive ways of employment, augment and sustain a rural household income.
Features of MGNREGA
MGNREGA is unique in not only ensuring at least 100 days of employment to the willing unskilled workers, but also in ensuring an enforceable commitment on the implementing machinery i.e., the State Governments, and providing a bargaining power to the labourers.
The failure of provision for employment within 15 days of the receipt of job application from a prospective household will result in the payment of unemployment allowance to the job seekers.
Employment is to be provided within 5 km of an applicant’s residence, and minimum wages are to be paid.
Thus, employment under MGNREGA is a legal entitlement.
News: MGNREGS runs out of fund
The MGNREGS has run out of funds halfway through the financial year.
Supplementary budgetary allocations will not come until the next Parliamentary session begins.
Implications on laborers
Delayed payment: Due to this, payments for MGNREGA workers as well as material costs will be delayed, unless States dip into their own funds.
Livelihood loss: MGNREGA data shows that 13% of households who demanded work under the scheme were not provided work.
Halt of work: Many workers are simply turned away by officials when they demand work, without their demand being registered at all.
Fall in demands: This has led to stop the generation of work. There is an artificial squeezing of demand.
Why has MGNREGS acquired so much importance?
The MGNREGA, a demand-driven scheme, has provided many returnees relief during the covid imposed a lockdown for a year.
During last year’s COVID-19 lockdown it has provided a critical lifeline for a record 11 crore workers.
Try this PYQ:
Q. Which principle among the following was added to the Directive Principles of State Policy by the 42nd Amendment to the constitution?
(a) Equal pay for equal work for both men and women
(b) Participation of workers in the management of industries
(c) Right to work, education and public assistance
(d) Securing living wage and human conditions of work to workers
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Katol L6, Interior of Earth
Mains level: Hypothesis of planetary system formation
Last month, researchers from the Geological Survey of India collected some meteorite fragments near the town of Katol in Nagpur in 2012. Studying this, IIT Kgp researchers have unravelled the composition expected to be present in the Earth’s lower mantle which is at about 660 km deep.
Katol L6
Initial studies revealed that the host rock was mainly composed of olivine, an olive-green mineral.
Olivine is the most abundant phase in our Earth’s upper mantle.
Our Earth is composed of different layers including the outer crust, followed by the mantle and then the inner core.
Key findings: Presence of Bridgmanite
The study reported for the first time, presence of veins of the mineral bridgmanite, which is the most abundant mineral in the interior of the Earth, within the Katol L6 Chondrite meteorite.
Bridgmanite consists of magnesium, iron, calcium aluminium oxide and has a perovskite structure. It is the most volumetrically abundant mineral of the Earth’s interior.
It is present in the lower mantle (from 660 to 2700 km), and it is important to understand its formation mechanism to better comprehend the origin and evolution of planetary interiors.
What is the hypothesis of moon-formation?
The discovery of Bridgmanite in Katol L6 adds evidence to the Moon-forming giant impact hypothesis.
The Moon-forming giant impact hypothesis occurred nearly 4.5 billion years ago.
The Earth collided with a planet the size of Mars named Thela.
The force of this impact was so huge as to melt the Earth down from the surface to a depth of 750 km to 1,100 km.
The hypothesis goes that this caused the Earth to be bathed in a magma ocean, and the ejecta from the collision led to the formation of the Moon.
Note: Earth was an ocean of magma in the past. The heavier iron and nickel went to the core while the lighter silicates stayed in the mantle.
Future prospect of the study
This finding could help investigations of high-pressure phase transformation mechanisms in the deep Earth.
Back2Basics: Interior of Earth
Earths Structure
The earth is made up of three different layers: the crust, the mantle and the core.
The crust
This is the outside layer of the earth and is made of solid rock, mostly basalt and granite. There are two types of crust; oceanic and continental. Oceanic crust is denser and thinner and mainly composed of basalt. Continental crust is less dense, thicker, and mainly composed of granite.
The mantle
The mantle lies below the crust and is up to 2900 km thick. It consists of hot, dense, iron and magnesium-rich solid rock. The crust and the upper part of the mantle make up the lithosphere, which is broken into plates, both large and small.
The core
The core is the centre of the earth and is made up of two parts: the liquid outer core and solid inner core. The outer core is made of nickel, iron and molten rock. Temperatures here can reach up to 50,000 C.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Guru Nanak Dev
Mains level: Not Much
The Punjab Police has proposed that the birth anniversary (Gurpurab) of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev be declared as ‘World Pedestrian Day’.
Why is Guru Nanak Dev considered the world’s most notable and revered pedestrian?
The founder of Sikhism, Shri Guru Nanak Dev had traveled far and wide during the 15th and 16th centuries.
It is believed that Nanak Dev, along with his companion Bhai Mardana, undertook most part of his journeys on foot.
He aimed to spread the message of oneness and to break barriers across faiths by engaging in spiritual dialogues.
Places visited by him
From Mecca to Haridwar, from Sylhet to Mount Kailash, Guru Nanak visited hundreds of interfaith sites related to Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and Jainism.
His journeys are referred are also called udaasis. At some sites, gurdwaras were constructed to commemorate his visit.
Later his travels were documented in texts called ‘janamsakhis’.
These sites are now spread across nine nations as per current geographical divisions — India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, China (Tibet), Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.
Motive behind Punjab Police’s proposal
The idea is to spread awareness on road safety for pedestrians by introducing Guru Nanak Dev’s own life as an inspiration.
The best results are achieved only when the community is mobilized for a cause.
Walking is a universal form of travel. It is the best way which convey equality amongst all.
Try answering this PYQ:
Q. Consider the following Bhakti Saints:
Dadu Dayal
Guru Nanak
Tyagaraja
Who among the above was/were preaching when the Lodi dynasty fell and Babur took over? (CSP 2018)
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: M. Thevar, Forward Bloc
Mains level: Not Much
The Prime Minister has recalled the rich contributions of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar on Thevar Jayanthi.
Who was M. Thevar (1908-1963)?
Muthuramalingam was a politician and a patriarch of Thevar community in the state of Tamil Nadu.
He was elected three times to the national Parliamentary Constituency.
His legacy:
(a) Association with INC
Thevar attended the 52nd annual session of the Indian National Congress, held in Tripuri in March 1939.
At this meeting the presidency of Subhas Chandra Bose was challenged by Pattabhi Sitaramayya. Sitaramayya had the active support of Gandhi.
Bose was elected president again over Gandhi’s preferred candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya.
Thevar strongly supported Bose in the intra-Congress dispute and joined the Forward Bloc.
(b) Opposition to the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA)
The CTA had been enacted in 1920 by the government of the Madras Presidency and was subsequently implemented in a piecemeal fashion.
CTA criminalized entire communities by designating them as habitual criminals.
Adult males of the groups were forced to report weekly to local police, and had restrictions on their movement imposed.
Thevar mobilised resistance to it, touring villages in the affected areas and leading protest rallies for the rights of the individuals registered under it.
(c) Temple entry movement
The Temple Entry Authorisation and Indemnity Act was passed by the government of C. Rajagopalachari in 1939.
This removed restrictions prohibiting Dalits from entering Hindu temples.
Thevar supported this reform and on 8 July 1939 he helped the activist A. Vaidyanatha Iyer take Dalits to Meenakshi Temple in Madurai.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Types of farming mentioned in news
Mains level: NA
A paper has recently published in the US has found that Integrated farming with intercropping increases food production while reducing environmental footprint.
What is the finding?
This work found that:
Relay planting enhances yield
Within-field rotation or strip rotation allowing strips for planting other plants (such as grass, fruits) besides the major crop was more fruitful
Soil munching that is, available means such as crop straw, in addition to the major crop such as wheat or rice, and
No-tillor reduced tillage, which increases the annual crop yield up by 15.6% to 49.9%, and decreasing the environmental footprint by 17.3%, compared with traditional monoculture cropping
Various terms mentioned
[A] Relay planting
Relay planting means the planting of different crops in the same plot, one right after another, in the same season.
Examples of such relay cropping would be planting rice (or wheat), cauliflower, onion, and summer gourd (or potato onion, lady’s fingers and maize), in the same season.
Benefits: It is less risk since you do not have to depend on one crop alone. It also means better distribution of labour, insects spread less, and any legumes actually add nitrogen to the soil.
[B] Strip cropping
Strip cropping has been used in the U.S. (where the fields are larger than those in India), where they grow wheat, along with corn and soybean, in the same farm in an alternative manner.
However, this needs large lands. The land is divided into strips, and strips of grass are left to grow between the crops.
Benefits: Planting of trees to create shelters has helped in stabilising the desert in Western India.
[C] Soil mulching and no-till
Soil mulching requires keeping all bare soil covered with straw, leaves, and the like, even when the land is in use.
Benefits: Erosion is curtailed, moisture retained, and beneficial organisms, such as earthworms, kept in place. The same set of benefits are also offered by not tilling the soil.
Significance of the findings
This research has led to the conclusion that small farm holders can grow more food and have reduced environmental footprint.
Current statistics reveal that our country has a significant population of small farmers, many owning less than 2 hectares of land.
About 70% of its rural households still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood, with 82% of farmers being small and marginal.
