Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: mullaperiyar dam
Mains level: dam safety bill ,DRIP.
Context
- Integrated risk assessment of dam safety required to prevent human-made disasters: Experts
Why in news?
- The recent floods in the Mahanadi basin in Odisha have brought to the fore, the faulty management of dam safety, which were built to mitigate floods and not be the cause of them.
What is a dam?
- A dam is a barrier that stops the flow of water and results in the creation of a reservoir. Dams are mainly built in order to produce electricity by using water. This form of electricity is known as hydroelectricity.
- Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aquaculture, and navigability.
Key facts
India has 5,745 large dams according to the National Register of Large Dams, 2019, prepared by the Central Water Commission. Some 5,334 of them are operational and the remaining 411 are under construction.
- The Act comprehensively postulates for surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of dams to prevent disasters.
Features
- National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS): It will be constituted and will be chaired by the chairperson, Central Water Commission. Its’ functions will include formulating policies and regulations regarding dam safety standards and prevention of dam failures, analyzing the causes of major dam failures, and suggesting changes in dam safety practices.
- National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA): It will be headed by an officer, not below the rank of an Additional Secretary, to be appointed by the central government. The main task of this authority includes implementing the policies formulated by the NCD, resolving issues between State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSOs), or between an SDSO and any dam owner in that state, specifying regulations for inspection and investigation of dams.
- State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO): Its functions will be to keep perpetual surveillance, inspection, monitoring the operation and maintenance of dams, keeping a database of all dams, and recommending safety measures to owners of dams.
- Dam Safety Unit: The owners of the specified dams are required to provide a dam safety unit in each dam. This unit will inspect the dams before and after the monsoon session, and during and after any calamity or sign of distress.
- Emergency Action Plan: Dam owners will be required to prepare an emergency action plan, and carry out risk assessment studies for each dam at specified regular intervals.
- Certain offences: The act provides for two types of offences – obstructing a person in the discharge of his functions, and refusing to comply with directions issued under the proposed law.
Dam rehabilitation and improvement programme DRIP
- Government of India, with financial assistance from the World Bank initiated Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) in April 2012 with an objective to improve the safety and operational performance of selected existing dams along with dam safety institutional strengthening with system wide management approach. It was a State Sector Scheme with Central component.
Do you know?
Four dams — Mullaperiyar, Parambikulam, Thunakkadavu and Peruvaripallam — located in Kerala but owned, operated and maintained by the Tamil Nadu Government.
Conclusion
- The bill aims to help all States and Union Territories to adopt uniform dam safety procedures which will ensure safety of dams and safeguard benefits from such dams. In order to iron out the differences and issues in the bill, central government should take the state governments into consideration and hold talks with all the stakeholders. This will go a long way in ensuring the safety of dams in India, which ranks third in the world in terms of number of large dams.
Mains question
Q. India, which ranks third in the world in terms of number of large dams. Ageing dams poses several challenges for India. In this context discuss the importance of dam safety bill 2021.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: James Webb Space Telescope, Jupiter
Mains level: Not Much
The James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s latest and most powerful telescope, has captured new images of our solar system’s largest planet, Jupiter, presenting it in a never before seen light.
What is so special about snapping Jupiter?
- The photographs have captured a new view of the planet, presenting in detail its massive storms, colourful auroras, faint rings and two small moons — Amalthea and Adrastea.
- While most of us are familiar with the yellow and reddish-brown gas giant.
- The JSWT’s Near-Infrared Camera, with its specialized infrared filters, has shown Jupiter encompassed in blue, green, white, yellow and orange hues.
- Jupiter’s famous Great Red Spot, a storm so big that it could swallow Earth, appeared bright white in the image, since it was reflecting a lot of sunlight.
- The brightness here indicates high altitude — so the Great Red Spot has high-altitude hazes, as does the equatorial region.
- The numerous bright white ‘spots’ and ‘streaks’ are likely very high-altitude cloud tops of condensed convective storms.
About James Webb Space Telescope
- JWST is a space telescope jointly developed by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
- It is planned to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope as NASA’s flagship astrophysics mission.
- It will conduct a broad range of investigations across the fields of astronomy and cosmology, including:
- Observing some of the most distant events and objects in the universe such as the formation of the first galaxies
- Detailed atmospheric characterization of potentially habitable exoplanets
How is it different from other telescopes?
- JWST is much more powerful and has the ability to look in the infrared spectrum, which will allow it to peer through much deeper into the universe, and see through obstructions such as gas clouds.
- As electromagnetic waves travel for long distances, they lose energy, resulting in an increase in their wavelength.
- An ultraviolet wave, for example, can slowly move into the visible light spectrum and the infrared spectrum, and further weaken to microwaves or radio waves, as it loses energy.
- Hubble was designed to look mainly into the ultraviolet and visible regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
- JWST is primarily an infrared telescope, the first of its kind.
Special features of JWST
(1) Time machine in space
- Powerful space telescopes, like JWST or the Hubble Telescope, are often called time machines because of their ability to view very faraway objects.
- The light coming from those objects, stars or galaxies, which is captured by these telescopes, began its journey millions of years earlier.
- Essentially, what these telescopes see are images of these stars or galaxies as they were millions of years ago.
- The more distant the planet or star, the farther back in time are the telescopes able to see.
(2) Farthest from Earth
- JWST will also be positioned much deeper into space, about a million miles from Earth, at a spot known as L2.
- It is one of the five points, known as Lagrange’s points, in any revolving two-body system like Earth and Sun, where the gravitational forces of the two large bodies cancel each other out.
- Objects placed at these positions are relatively stable and require minimal external energy to keep them there. L2 is a position directly behind Earth in the line joining the Sun and the Earth.
- It would be shielded from the Sun by the Earth as it goes around the Sun, in sync with the Earth.
(3) Engineering marvel
- JWST has one large mirror, with a diameter of 21 feet (the height of a typical two-storey building), that will capture the infra-red light coming in from the deep universe while facing away from the Sun.
- It will be shielded by a five-layer, tennis court-sized, kite-shaped sunscreen that is designed to block the heat from Sun and ensure the extremely cool temperatures that the instruments are built to operate at.
- Temperatures on the sun-facing side can get as high as 110°C, while the other side would be maintained at –200° to –230°C.
- The extremely cold temperatures are needed to detect the extremely faint heat signals from distant galaxies.
- The mirror as well as the sunscreen is so large they could not have fit into any rocket. They have been built as foldable items and would be unravelled in space.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Automatic Number Plate Reader (ANPR)
Mains level: Toll collection models in India
In light of congestion at toll plazas, the Road Transport and Highways Ministry is now moving ahead with a plan to replace toll plazas with cameras that could read number plates, also known as Automatic Number Plate Reader (ANPR) cameras.
ANPR cameras
- The plan is to remove toll plazas on national highways and instead rely on ANPR cameras, which will read vehicle number plates and automatically deduct toll from the linked bank accounts of vehicle owners.
- The model is simple: Entry and exit of toll roads will have cameras capable of reading number plates, and toll will be deducted based on these cameras.
Can all number plates be read by the cameras?
- Not all number plates in India can be read, and only those that have come after 2019 will be registered by the cameras.
- The government, in 2019, had come up with a rule mandating passenger vehicles to have company-fitted number plates, and only these number plates can be read by cameras.
- The government plans to come up with a scheme to replace older number plates.
- A pilot of this scheme is underway and legal amendments to facilitate this transition are also being moved to penalise vehicle owners who skip toll plazas and do not pay.
Current model for toll collection: FASTags
- Currently, about 97 per cent of the total toll collection of nearly Rs 40,000 crore happens though FASTags — the remaining 3 per cent pay higher than normal toll rates for not using FASTags.
- With FASTags, it takes about 47 seconds per vehicle to cross a toll plaza.
- There’s a marked throughput enhancement – more than 260 vehicles can be processed per hour via electronic toll collection lane as compared to 112 vehicles per hour via manual toll collection lane, according to government data.
- While FASTags have eased traffic at toll plazas across the country, congestion is still reported as there are toll gates that need to be crossed after authentication.
Why such move?
- Congestion at toll plazas on national highways continues to impact commuters despite 97 per cent of tolling happening through FASTags.
- Apart from ANPR helping to ease congestion, the government is also looking at GPS technology as one of the options for toll collection.
Are there issues with ANPR?
- The success of ANPR cameras will depend on creating an ecosystem that is in sync with the requirements of the camera.
- The biggest problem being faced during the trials is when things are written on number plates, beyond the nine digit registration number, such as ‘Govt of India/Delhi’ etc.
- Another problem that ANPR cameras face is in reading number plates on trucks, as most of the time they are hidden or soiled etc.
- A pilot on a key expressway has found that about 10 per cent of vehicles with such number plates are being missed by the ANPR cameras.
Back2Basics: What is ‘FASTag’?
- As per Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, since 1st December 2017, the FASTag had been made mandatory for all registered new four-wheelers and is being supplied by the Vehicle Manufacturer or their dealers.
- It has been mandated that the renewal of fitness certificate will be done only after the fitment of FASTag.
- For National Permit Vehicles, the fitment of FASTag was mandated since 1st October 2019.
- FASTags are stickers that are affixed to the windscreen of vehicles and use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to enable digital, contactless payment of tolls without having to stop at toll gates.
- The tags are linked to bank accounts and other payment methods.
- As a car crosses a toll plaza, the amount is automatically deducted, and a notification is sent to the registered mobile phone number.
How does it work?
- The device employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for payments directly from the prepaid or savings account linked to it.
- It is affixed on the windscreen, so the vehicle can drive through plazas without stopping.
- RFID technology is similar to that used in transport access-control systems, like Metro smart card.
- If the tag is linked to a prepaid account like a wallet or a debit/credit card, then owners need to recharge/top up the tag.
- If it is linked to a savings account, then money will get deducted automatically after the balance goes below a pre-defined threshold.
- Once a vehicle crosses the toll, the owner will get an SMS alert on the deduction. In that, it is like a prepaid e-wallet.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Floor Test
Mains level: Not Much
Bihar Chief Minister has won the floor test in the Assembly.
What is a floor test?
- A floor test is a measure to check whether the executive is enjoying the confidence of the legislature.
- It is a constitutional mechanism under which a Chief Minister appointed by the Governor can be asked to prove majority on the floor of the Legislative Assembly of the state.
How is it conducted?
- As per the Constitution, the Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor of the state.
- When a single party secures the majority of the seats in the house, the Governor appoints the leader of the party as the Chief Minister.
- In case the majority is questioned, the leader of the party which claims majority has to move a vote of confidence and prove majority among those present and voting.
- The Chief Minister has to resign if they fail to prove their majority in the house.
- This happens both in the parliament and the state legislative assemblies.
- In situations when there are differences within a coalition government, the Governor can ask the Chief Minister to prove majority in the house.
Can a floor test be postponed?
- The Supreme Court recently had given some respite to some rebel leaders in Maharashtra to respond to the disqualification notice issued by the Speaker.
- Citing this as the reason, the original party leaders and loyalists have stated that it is ‘unlawful’ to initiate a floor test when the disqualification decision of the rebel leaders is pending.
- However, the previous judgments of the Supreme Court had ruled that the floor test needs not to be deferred even if the decision to disqualify the members is pending.
- In the 2020 Shivraj Singh Chouhan v/s Speaker case, the court had clarified the same.
- Additionally, the top court had allowed the rebel leaders to skip the floor test during the political crisis in Karnataka in 2019.
What is composite floor test?
- There is another test, Composite Floor Test, which is conducted only when more than one person stakes claim to form the government.
- When the majority is not clear, the governor might call for a special session to see who has the majority.
- The majority is counted based on those present and voting. This can also be done through a voice vote where the member can respond orally or through division voting.
- Some legislators may be absent or choose not to vote.
- In division vote, voting can be done through electronic gadgets, ballots or slips.
- The person who has the majority will form the government. In case of tie, the speaker can also cast his vote.
Governors’ discretion
- When no party gets a clear majority, the governor can use his discretion in the selection of chief ministerial candidate to prove the majority as soon as possible.
Issues with the floor test
- Sometimes ruling party MLAs are lured with rewards, political or otherwise.
- Thus, the “floor test” becomes constitutionally immoral and unjust.
- This will amount to circumventing the Tenth Schedule through engineered defections through the judicial process.
Back2Basics: No Confidence Motion
- The process is explained under rule 198 of the Lok Sabha.
- Though there is no mention of the term ‘No confidence motion’ or ‘floor test’ in the Constitution, Articles 75 and 164 do mention that the executive both at the Centre and state is collectively responsible to their respective legislatures.
- Any member from the Opposition can move the no-confidence motion against the ruling government.
- The motion has to receive the backing of at least 50 members before it is accepted and subsequently.
- A date for the discussion of the motion is announced by the Speaker, which has to be within 10 days from the date of acceptance.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Competition Amendment Bill 2022
Mains level: Read the attached story
The long-awaited Bill to amend the Competition Act, 2002, was finally tabled in the Lok Sabha recently.
What is the Indian Competition Act?
- The Indian Competition Act was passed in 2002, but it came into effect only seven years later.
- The Competition Commission primarily pursues three issues of anti-competitive practices in the market: anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominance and combinations.
- As the dynamics of the market changes rapidly due to technological advancements, AI, and the increasing importance of factors other than price, amendments became necessary to sustain and promote market competition.
- Therefore, a review committee was established in 2019 which proposed several major amendments.
Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022: Key features
(1) Regulation of combinations based on transaction value
- The Act prohibits any person or enterprise from entering into a combination which may cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition.
- Combinations imply mergers, acquisitions, or amalgamation of enterprises.
- The prohibition applies to transactions where parties involved have: (i) cumulative assets of more than Rs 1,000 crore, or (ii) cumulative turnover of more than Rs 3,000 crore, subject to certain other conditions.
- The Bill expands the definition of combinations to include transactions with a value above Rs 2,000 crore.
(2) Definition of control for classification of combination:
- For classification of combinations, the Act defines control as control over the affairs or management by one or more enterprises over another enterprise or group.
- The Bill modifies the definition of control as the ability to exercise material influence over the management, affairs, or strategic commercial decisions.
(3) Time limit for approval of combinations
- The Act specifies that any combination shall not come into effect until the CCI has passed an order or 210 days have passed from the day when an application for approval was filed, whichever is earlier.
- The Bill reduces the time limit in the latter case to 150 days.
(4) Anti-competitive agreements
- Under the Act, anti-competitive agreements include any agreement related to production, supply, storage, or control of goods or services, which can cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.
- Any agreement between enterprises or persons, engaged in identical or similar businesses, will have such adverse effect on competition if it meets certain criteria.
- These include: (i) directly or indirectly determining purchase or sale prices, (ii) controlling production, supply, markets, or provision of services, or (iii) directly or indirectly leading to collusive bidding.
- The Bill adds that enterprises or persons not engaged in identical or similar businesses shall be presumed to be part of such agreements, if they actively participate in the furtherance of such agreements.
(5) Settlement and Commitment in anti-competitive proceedings
- Under the Act, CCI may initiate proceedings against enterprises on grounds of: (i) entering into anti-competitive agreements, or (ii) abuse of dominant position.
- Abuse of dominant position includes: (i) discriminatory conditions in the purchase or sale of goods or services, (ii) restricting production of goods or services, or (iii) indulging in practices leading to the denial of market access.
- The Bill permits CCI to close inquiry proceedings if the enterprise offers: (i) settlement (may involve payment), or (ii) commitments (may be structural or behavioral in nature).
- The manner and implementation of settlement and commitment may be specified by CCI through regulations.
(6) Relevant product market
- The Act defines relevant product market as products and services which are considered substitutable by the consumer.
- The Bill widens this to include the production or supply of products and services considered substitutable by the suppliers.
(7) Decriminalization of certain offences
- The Bill changes the nature of punishment for certain offences from imposition of fine to penalty.
- These offences include failure to comply with orders of CCI and directions of Director General with regard to anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position.
Most notable amendment on: Merger and acquisition
- Any acquisition, merger or amalgamation may constitute a combination.
- Section 5 currently says parties indulging in merger, acquisition, or amalgamation need to notify the Commission of the combination only on the basis of ‘asset’ or ‘turnover’.
- The new Bill proposes to add a ‘deal value’ threshold.
- It will be mandatory to notify the Competition Commission of any transaction with a deal value in excess of ₹2,000 crore and if either of the parties has ‘substantial business operations in India’.
Key note on gun-jumping
- Parties should not go ahead with a combination prior to its approval.
- If the combining parties close a notified transaction before the approval, or have consummated a reportable transaction without bringing it to the Commission’s knowledge, it is seen as gun-jumping.
- The penalty for gun-jumping was a total of 1% of the asset or turnover.
- This is now proposed to be 1% of the deal value.
What next?
- By implementing these amendments, the Competition Commission should be better equipped to handle certain aspects of the new-age market and transform its functioning to be more robust.
- The proposed amendments are undoubtedly needed; however, these are heavily dependent on regulations that will be notified by the Commission later.
- These regulations will influence the proposals.
- Also, the government needs to recognize that market dynamics change constantly, so it is necessary to update laws regularly.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Yakshagana
Mains level: Not Much
This newscard is an excerpt of the original article published in TH.
What is Yakshagana?
- Yakshagana is a traditional theater, developed in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Shimoga and western parts of Chikmagalur districts, in the state of Karnataka and in Kasaragod district in Kerala.
- It emerged in the Vijayanagara Empire and was performed by Jakkula Varu.
- It combines dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form.
- Towards the south from Dakshina Kannada to Kasaragod of Tulu Nadu region, the form of Yakshagana is called as ‘Thenku thittu’ and towards north from Udupi up to Uttara Kannada it’s called as ‘Badaga Thittu‘.
- It is sometimes simply called “Aata” or āṭa (meaning “the play”). Yakshagana is traditionally presented from dusk to dawn.
- Its stories are drawn from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata and other epics from both Hindu and Jain and other ancient Indic traditions.
Try this question from CSP 2017:
Q.With reference to Manipuri Sankirtana, consider the following statements:
- It is a song and dance performance.
- Cymbals are the only musical instruments used in the performance.
- It is performed to narrate the life and deeds of Lord Krishna.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3.
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 only
Post your answers here.
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