Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Rule 267 of Rajya Sabha
Mains level: Significance of Rajya Sabha
Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook, which allows for suspension of day’s business to debate the issue suggested by a Member, has become a bone of contention in the Upper House.
What is Rule 267 of Rajya Sabha?
- The Rule gives special power to a Rajya Sabha member to suspend the pre-decided agenda of the House, with the approval of the Chairman.
- The Rajya Sabha Rule Book says, “Any member, may, with the consent of the Chairman, move that any rule may be suspended in its application to a motion related to the business listed before the Council of that day.
- If the motion is carried, the rule in question shall be suspended for the time being: provided further that this rule shall not apply where specific provision already exists for suspension of a rule under a particular chapter of the Rules”.
Why this rule has become important?
- In the Upper House, the Opposition members have been consistent in demanding a debate on the India-China border situation.
- There have been hundreds of notices by Members to invoke Rule 267 in the past eight years.
- After the latest clash between the two sides in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang, the Opposition members have become more vocal with their demand.
- Every day, Opposition leaders are demanding that the Chair suspends all other business and allow a discussion on the latest situation in India-China border by applying Rule 267.
Is Rule 267 the only way to raise important issues in the House?
In Parliament, a member has a number of ways to flag issues and seek the government’s reply.
- Question Hour: An MP can ask questions related to any issue during the Question Hour in which the concerned minister has to provide oral or written answers.
- Zero Hour: An MP can raise the issue during Zero Hour. Every day, 15 MPs are allowed to raise issues of their choice in the Zero Hour.
- Special Mention: An MP can even raise it during Special Mention. A Chairman can allow up to 7 Special Mentions daily.
- Debate over president’s address: An MP can try to bring the issue to the government’s notice during other discussions such as the debate on the President’s speech.
- Budget speech: Opposition leaders have also used the Budget debate to attack the government politically.
Why the Opposition is insisting on Rule 267?
- Any discussion under Rule 267 assumes great significance in Parliament simply because all other business would be put on hold to discuss the issue of national importance.
- No other form of discussion entails suspension of other business.
- If an issue is admitted under Rule 267, it signifies it’s the most important national issue of the day.
- Also, the government will have to respond to the matter by replying during the discussions under Rule 267.
What is the current controversy over Rule 267?
- Opposition members have alleged that the Rajya Sabha chairman has consistently refused to allow any discussion under Rule 267 for a long time.
- While Dhankhar has not allowed any matter under Rule 267, his predecessor M Venkaiah Naidu too didn’t allow any admission under Rule 267 during his entire five years.
Has the Rule been ever used?
- The rule has been used several times.
- The Chair had agreed to suspend the business to discuss urgent national issues in the past.
- The last time it was used was in November 2016, when the Upper House invoked Rule 267 to discuss demonetization.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: World Heritage Cites
Mains level: Not Much
Gujarat’s Vadnagar town, the iconic Sun Temple at Modhera, and the rock cut sculptures of Unakoti in Tripura have been added to the tentative list of UNCESO World Heritage Sites.
What is UNESCO tentative list?
- The UNESCO tentative list is an inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination.
- With these 3 sites, India now has 52 sites on UNESCO Tentative List.
About the sites
(1) Sun Temple, Modhera
- The Sun Temple at Modhera is located on the left bank of the river Pushpavati, a tributary of river Rupan in Becharaji taluka of Mehsana district.
- The temple description states that it is built in Maru-gurjara architectural style, consists of the main temple shrine (garbhagriha), a hall (gadhamandapa), an outer hall or assembly hall (Sabhamandapa or rangamandapa) and a sacred pool (Kunda), which is now called Ramakunda.
- This east-facing temple is built with bright yellow sandstone.
- It is the earliest of such temples which set trends in architectural and decorative details, representing the Solanki style at its best.
(2) Vadnagar
- Vadnagar is a historic town, which had continuous habitation for more than 2,700 years.
- A multi-layered historic town, the history of Vadnagar stretches back to nearly 8th century BCE.
- The town still retains a large number of historic buildings that are primarily religious and residential in nature.
- It has evolved with time and has an early historic fortified settlement, hinterland port, centre for industries of shells and beads, late medieval town, religious centre/temple town, a significant junction on trade routes and mercantile town.
- Rampart datable to second century BCE, fortification along the lake from third-fourth century CE, findings of Indo-Pacific glass beads and marine shells, palaeo-seismic evidence evidently point towards historical authenticity of the town.
(3) Unakoti
- Located in the northeastern region of Tripura, Unakoti is known as an ancient holy place associated with Shaiva worship.
- It is famously known as the ‘Angkor Wat of the North-East’
- The structures of the rock-cut sculptures are gigantic and have distinct mongoloid features and display almost the same mystical charm as the spellbinding figures in the Angkor Wat temple of Cambodia.
Back2Basics: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area, selected by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance, which is legally protected by international treaties.
- The sites are judged to be important for the collective and preservative interests of humanity.
- To be selected, a WHS must be an already-classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance (such as an ancient ruin or historical structure, building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, mountain, or wilderness area).
- It may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet.
- The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored/uncontrolled/unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence.
- The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Program administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 “states parties” that are elected by their General Assembly.
UNESCO World Heritage Committee
- The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.
- It monitors the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
- It is composed of 21 states parties that are elected by the General Assembly of States Parties for a four-year term.
- India is NOT a member of this Committee.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Solstice
Mains level: Not Much
Today, December 21, is Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, conversely, it was Summer Solstice, the year’s longest day.
What is Winter Solstice?
- The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun.
- This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere.
What are Solstices?
- Solstices occur because Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted about 23.4 degrees relative to Earth’s orbit around the sun.
- This tilt drives our planet’s seasons, as the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get unequal amounts of sunlight over the course of a year.
- From March to September, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted more toward the sun, driving its spring and summer.
- From September to March, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away, so it feels like autumn and winter.
- The Southern Hemisphere’s seasons are reversed.
- On two moments each year—what are called solstices—Earth’s axis is tilted most closely toward the sun.
Impact on day-time
- The hemisphere tilted most toward our home star sees its longest day, while the hemisphere tilted away from the sun sees its longest night.
- During the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice—which always falls around June 21—the Southern Hemisphere gets its winter solstice.
- Likewise, during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice—which always falls around December 22—the Southern Hemisphere gets its summer solstice.
Impact of the tilted axis
- The Northern Hemisphere spends half the year tilted in the direction of the Sun, getting direct sunlight during long summer days.
- During the other half of the year, it tilts away from the Sun, and the days are shorter.
- Winter Solstice, December 21, is the day when the North Pole is most tilted away from the Sun.
- The tilt is also responsible for the different seasons that we see on Earth.
- The side facing the Sun experiences day, which changes to night as Earth continues to spin on its axis.
Un-impacted regions
- On the Equator, day and night are equal. The closer one moves towards the poles, the more extreme the variation.
- During summer in either hemisphere, that pole is tilted towards the Sun and the polar region receives 24 hours of daylight for months.
- Likewise, during winter, the region is in total darkness for months.
Celebrations associated with the Winter Solstice
- For centuries, this day has had a special place in several communities due to its astronomical significance and is celebrated in many ways across the world.
- Jewish people call the Winter Solstice ‘Tekufat Tevet’, which marks the start of winter.
- Ancient Egyptians celebrated the birth of Horus, the son of Isis (divine mother goddess) for 12 days during mid-winter.
- In China, the day is celebrated by families coming together for a special meal.
- In the Persian region, it is celebrated as Yalda or Shab-e-Yalda. The festival marks the last day of the Persian month of Azar and is seen as the victory of light over darkness.
- Families celebrate Yalda late into the night with special foods such as ajeel nuts, pomegranates and watermelon, and recite works of the 14th-century Sufi poet Hafiz Shirazi.
In Vedic tradition
- In Vedic tradition, the northern movement of the Earth on the celestial sphere is implicitly acknowledged in the Surya Siddhanta.
- It outlines the Uttarayana (the period between Makar Sankranti and Karka Sankranti). Hence, Winter Solstice is the first day of Uttarayana.
Try this MCQ:
Q. On 21st June, the Sun
(a) Does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle
(b) Does not set below the horizon at Antarctic Circle
(c) Shines vertically overhead at noon on the Equator
(d) Shines vertically overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Credit Rating Agency
Mains level: Not Much
Fitch Ratings on December 20, 2022, retained its rating for India at ‘BBB’-with a stable outlook.
What does BBB mean?
- A ‘BBB’ rating indicates that expectations of default risk are currently low.
- The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
What is a Rating Agency?
- Rating agencies assess the creditworthiness or potential of an equity, debt or country.
- Their reports are read by investors to make an informed decision on whether or not to invest in a particular country or companies in that geography.
- They assess if a country, equity or debt is financially stable and whether it at a low/high default risk.
- In simpler terms, these reports help investors gauge if they would get a return on their investment.
What do they do?
- The agencies periodically re-evaluate previously assigned ratings after new developments geopolitical events or a significant economic announcement by the concerned entity.
- Their reports are sold and published in financial and daily newspapers.
What grading pattern do they follow?
- The three prominent ratings agencies, viz., Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch subscribe to largely similar grading patterns.
- Standard & Poor’s accord their highest grade, that is, AAA, to countries, equity or debt with the exceedingly high capacity to meet their financial commitments.
- Its grading slab includes letters A, B and C with an addition a single or double letter denoting a higher grade.
- Moody’s separates ratings into short and long-term definitions. Its longer-term grading ranges from Aaa to C, with Aaa being the highest.
- Fitch, too, rates from AAA to D, with D being the lowest. It follows the same succession scheme as Moody’s and Fitch.
Criticism of rating agencies
- Popular ratings agencies publicly reveal their methodology, which is based on macroeconomic data publicly made available by a country, to lend credibility to their inferences.
- However, credit rating agencies were subjected to severe criticism for allegedly spurring the financial crisis in the United States, which began in 2017.
- The agencies underestimated the credit risk associated with structured credit products and failed to adjust their ratings quickly enough to deteriorating market conditions.
- They were charged for methodological errors and conflict of interest on multiple counts.
Do countries pay attention to ratings agencies?
- Lowered rating of a country can potentially cause panic selling or offloading of investment by a foreign investor.
- In 2013, the European Union opted for regulating the agencies.
- Over reliance on credit ratings may reduce incentives for investor to develop their own capacity for credit risk assessment.
- Ratings Agencies in the EU are now permitted to issue ratings for a country only thrice a year, and after close of trade in the entire Union.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ASAT, space debris and related facts
Mains level: Space weaponization why ASAT test band is important
Context
- There is growing momentum behind a global moratorium on destructive kinetic anti-satellite (ASAT) tests. A few days ago, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution calling for a ban on kinetic ASAT tests.
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What the resolution is all about?
- Sponsored by United states: The resolution was sponsored by the United States along with a number of other countries that have been concerned about the consequences of ASAT tests on the safety and sustainability of outer space.
- Majority voted in support: As many as 155 countries voted in support of the resolution, nine voted against it, and nine others abstained.
- Those who voted against the resolution: Belarus, Bolivia, Central African Republic, China, Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, Russia, and Syria.
- Countries with abstention: The nine abstentions were India, Laos, Madagascar, Pakistan, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Togo, and Zimbabwe.
Provisions of the resolution over the ban of ASAT
- No binding effect but urges to prevent arms race in outer space: The ASAT test-ban resolution has no binding effect on states and simply calls on states to put a stop to ASAT tests and to develop further practical steps and contribute to legally binding instruments on the prevention of an arms race in outer space.
- Other space related resolutions also passed: Along with the ASAT test-ban resolution that was passed on December 7, there were several more space- and nuclear-related resolutions, including No First Placement of Weapons in Outer Space (NFP).
- Support to minimize risks in space: Indeed, the resolution continues to support the broader efforts at developing “further practical steps” to minimize risks in space.
What is ASAT?
- ASATs (Anti-Satellite Weapons): According to a document of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), ASATs (Anti-Satellite Weapons) are aimed at destroying or disabling space assets, whether military or civilian, offensive or defensive.
- They are generally of two types: kinetic and non-kinetic.
- Kinetic ASATs: They must physically strike an object in order to destroy it. Examples of kinetic ASATs include ballistic missiles, drones or any item launched to coincide with the passage of a target satellite. This means any space asset, even a communications satellite, could become an ASAT if it is used to physically destroy another space object.
- Non-kinetic ASATs: A variety of nonphysical means can be used to disable or destroy a space object. These include frequency jamming, blinding lasers or cyberattacks. These methods can also render an object useless without causing the target to break up and fragment absent additional forces intervening.
- Threat to peaceful utilization of outer space: ASAT tests represent a direct threat to peaceful utilization of outer space on which everyone in the global community depends.
- Threat to safety of satellites: In recent years, there has been a spurt in activities that threaten the safety and functioning of satellites. The November 15, 2021, ASAT test by Russia, which destroyed the Cosmos 1408 satellite, is a case in point.
- Space debris a potential hazard to Space station: The test created about 1,800 tracked pieces of space debris and possibly many more pieces that are difficult to track, and a hazard for astronauts aboard the International Space Station
- Rare, high-tech, and risky to test: ASAT is an anti-satellite weapon that can target enemy satellites, blinding them or disrupting communications besides providing a technology base for intercepting ballistic missiles.
Way ahead
- There are other initiatives underway in the U.N., such as the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on reducing space threats through norms, rules, and principles of responsible behaviours.
- Like the ASAT test ban, these are needed to make progress on the broader space security agenda.
- Whether a legal measure or a norm, states have to take small preventative steps before space becomes completely a warfighting domain.
Conclusion
- Given the worsening space security conditions, with more countries pursuing development of ASATs and other counterspace capabilities, it is time that more countries join the current initiative to stop further ASAT tests. Unless countries can make a conscious decision to come together and work on ways to halt the current trends with regard to space weaponization, continued access to outer space is not a given.
Mains question
Q. What are ASATs? There is growing momentum behind a global moratorium on destructive kinetic anti-satellite (ASAT) tests. In light of this discuss Why ASAT must be banned?
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