Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Inner party women representation and hardships
Central idea
- The Communist Party of India (Maoist) claims to fight for gender equality, but the reality is that women cadres are subject to structural violence and exploitation.
- Negligible representation in the council: Despite constituting 35%-40% of the party, women’s representation in the Central Committee and the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) is negligible
- Members in the cadre: Only one-woman cadre is a Central Committee member out of more than 20 members, and only two women cadres are DKSZC members out of approximately 20 members
Concerns over women’s health and nutrition
- Health challenges: Women face additional health challenges in the jungle and receive inadequate nutrition and healthcare. Most women become anaemic due to the lack of proper nutrition.
- Menstrual hygiene challenges: Women cadres do not receive menstrual leave and need to be alert all the time with a gun. Only one loin cloth is provided to two women cadres to be shared as a sanitary napkin for six months.
- Fundamental necessities are not adequate: Women cadres are not allowed to liberally use water and are at the mercy of the unit commander who carries some medical necessities
Conditions for marriage and reproduction
- Marriage is not to enjoy family life: The party permits marriage only between willing partners to fight together, not to enjoy family life.
- Forced vasectomy: Male cadres are forced to undergo vasectomy either before marriage or immediately after marriage.
- Forced abortion: If a woman cadre gets pregnant, she has to undergo an abortion
- Silent on divorce and polygamy: The party is silent on issues of divorce and polygamy
Sexual exploitation and ill-treatment of women
- Sexual exploitation and ill treatment: Sexual exploitation of women is not uncommon in the party, and instances of suicide by women cadres due to ill-treatment and suspicion are reported.
- Nominal punishment: Disciplinary action is taken against cadres for moral turpitude, but the maximum punishment is only suspension for a year or demotion.
Conclusion
- Women who join the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in the hope of bringing about a revolution for the proletariat and the landless class are often subject to the same structural violence that they are supposed to fight. The party needs to ensure gender equality in reality, not just in its claims, and provide better conditions for women cadres.
Mains Question
Q. How do structural inequalities and power dynamics within political movements impact the fight for gender equality? Illustrate.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ODR applications
Mains level: Online Dispute Resolution mechanism in India, advantages , challenges and measures
Central Idea
- India can still become a leader in dispute resolution despite missing the opportunity to establish itself as an arbitration hub. The use of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) can enable India to enhance its ease of doing business and become a more preferred destination for dispute resolution.
India’s shortcomings in arbitration
- India’s low rank in the ‘Enforcing Contracts’ category in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report, which indicates the difficulties in enforcing contracts in India.
- Although India has taken steps to improve its arbitration laws and regulations, it is not yet a preferred destination for arbitration.
India’s strengths in technology
- India’s has demonstrated its strengths in technology, especially in the field of ODR.
- India has a unique advantage in this area due to the widespread adoption of online technology during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the judiciary lead the way in online hearings.
- ODR is a method of resolving disputes through the use of digital technology and the internet, without the need for physical presence in a traditional courtroom setting.
- It involves the use of various tools and platforms such as video conferencing, case management systems, digital signatures, and even advanced technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to resolve disputes.
- ODR offers many advantages over traditional methods of dispute resolution, such as reduced burden on courts, time and cost savings, and increased accessibility to dispute resolution services for parties located in different geographical locations.
- ODR is becoming increasingly popular around the world, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic which has made physical hearings and meetings difficult or impossible in many cases.
Advantages of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) in India
- Convenience: ODR provides a convenient way for parties to resolve disputes without the need to physically travel to a court or other dispute resolution center. This can save time and money, especially in cases where parties are located in different parts of the country.
- Efficiency: ODR can help to streamline the dispute resolution process by providing tools such as case management systems, automated case flows, and digital signatures and stamping. This can help to reduce the time and costs associated with traditional dispute resolution methods.
- Accessibility: ODR can make dispute resolution more accessible to individuals and businesses, especially those who may not have the resources to pursue traditional legal remedies.
- Expertise: ODR platforms can provide access to experts in specific fields, such as intellectual property, international trade, or e-commerce, which can be especially useful in resolving disputes that involve complex legal issues.
- Confidentiality: ODR can provide a confidential environment for parties to resolve disputes, which can be especially important in cases where sensitive business information is involved.
- Flexibility: ODR can be tailored to the specific needs of the parties and the dispute, providing a more flexible and adaptable approach to dispute resolution than traditional legal methods.
Opportunities for ODR in India
- ORD already in use: Private platforms in India are already resolving lakhs of disputes through ODR and that many corporates have migrated to ODR to resolve small-value disputes.
- Look beyond the conventional tools: The ODR can be used for more than just audio/video conferencing and can encompass tools such as multi-channel communication, case management systems, automated case flows, digital signatures and stamping, and even advanced technologies such as blockchain, natural language processing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
Measures to promote ODR
Three key measures that can be taken to promote ODR in India are as follows:
- Incentivizing the use of ODR: Incentivizing the use of ODR through legislative measures such as setting ODR as a default dispute resolution tool for online transactions, fast-tracking enforcement of ODR outcomes, and exempting or reducing stamp duty and court fees.
- Solving infrastructure challenges: Solving infrastructural challenges and optimizing existing setups such as Aadhaar kendras to also function as ODR kiosks. Each court can have an ODR cell along with supplemental technical and administrative support.
- Proactive use of ODR by government: Government departments should explore ODR as a grievance redress mechanism. Proactive use of ODR by government entities will not only increase trust in the process but also ensure that citizens have access to a convenient and cost-effective means of resolving disputes with the government.
Conclusion
- The ODR has the potential to ensure justice for all, at everyone’s fingertips. While India may have missed the bus to become an arbitration hub, it can still catch up and overtake other countries in ODR.
Mains Question
Q. What is Online Dispute Resolution (ODR)? Discuss the advantages of ODR in India and suggest measures that can be taken to promote its use.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Parliamentary Committees
Mains level: Legislative consultation
Central idea: This article discusses the importance and functions of parliamentary committees in India.
Why in news?
- As little as 25% of the Bills introduced were referred to committees in the 16th Lok Sabha, as compared to 71% and 60% in the 15th and 14th Lok Sabha respectively.
- This represents a declining trend of national legislation being subjected to expert scrutiny.
What is a Parliamentary Committee?
- A committee appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker that works under the direction of the Speaker and presents its report to the House or the Speaker.
- Two kinds of committees: Standing Committees and Ad hoc Committees.
(1) Standing Committees
- Permanent and regular committees constituted from time to time in pursuance of the provisions of an Act of Parliament or Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
- The work of these Committees is of continuous nature.
- Examples include the Financial Committees and DRSCs.
(2) Ad hoc Committees
- Appointed for a specific purpose and cease to exist when they finish the task assigned to them and submit a report.
- The principal Ad hoc Committees are the Select and Joint Committees on Bills.
- Examples include the Railway Convention Committee and Joint Committee on Food Management in Parliament House Complex.
Why need Parliamentary Committee?
- Parliament scrutinizes legislative proposals (Bills) in two ways: discussion on the floor of the two Houses and referring the Bill to a parliamentary committee.
- Since Parliament meets for 70 to 80 days in a year, there is not enough time to discuss every Bill in detail on the floor of the House.
Role of the committee in the passage of a Bill
- The debate in the house is mostly political and does not go into the technical details of a legislative proposal.
- Referring a Bill to a parliamentary committee takes care of the legislative infirmity of debate on the floor of the House.
- However, referring Bills to parliamentary committees is not mandatory.
What is a Select Committee?
- India’s Parliament has multiple types of committees.
- Departmentally related Standing Committees focus on the working of different ministries.
- Each committee has 31 MPs, 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
- The main purpose is to ensure the accountability of Government to Parliament through a more detailed consideration of measures in these committees.
When does a committee examine a Bill?
- Bills can reach a committee through a recommendation by the minister piloting the Bill or the presiding officer of the House.
What happens when a Bill goes to a Committee?
- The committee undertakes a detailed examination of the Bill, inviting comments and suggestions from experts, stakeholders and citizens.
- The government also appears before the committee to present its viewpoint.
- The committee’s report makes suggestions for strengthening the Bill.
- While the committee is deliberating on a Bill, there is a pause in its legislative journey.
- The Bill can only progress in Parliament after the committee has submitted its report.
What happens after the report?
- The report of the committee is of a recommendatory nature.
- The government can choose to accept or reject its recommendations.
- Select Committees and JPCs have an added advantage of including their version of the Bill in the report.
- The minister in charge of that particular Bill can move for the committee’s version of the Bill to be discussed and passed in the House.
Importance of these Committees
- Parliamentary committees analyze the impact that a specific piece of legislation may have on governance indicators.
- It recommends the government to take an ‘Action Taken’ report for the House to judge the progress made on the suggestions of the committee.
- Though committee reports aren’t binding on the government, it helps the legislature ensure oversight of the executive.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: National Credit Framework (NCrF)
Mains level: Read the attached story
The University Grants Commission (UGC) released the National Credit Framework (NCrF), which will allow students to earn educational credits at all levels, irrespective of the mode of learning i.e. offline, online, or blended.
What is National Credit Framework (NCrF)?
- The NCrF is a meta-framework that integrates the credits earned through school education, higher education, and vocational and skill education.
- It consists of three verticals:
- National School Education Qualification Framework (NSEQF)
- National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF) and
- National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF)
- The NCrF provides a mechanism for the integration of general academic education and vocational and skill education, ensuring equivalence within and between these two education streams.
- Institutions would be free to notify their detailed implementation guidelines with flexibility for catering to their academic requirements.
Key features
(1) Credit System
- Under the NCrF, one credit corresponds to 30 notional learning hours in a year of two semesters.
- A student is required to earn a minimum of 20 credits every semester.
- A student can earn more than 40 credits in a year.
- Maximum credits a student can earn during schooling period is 160.
- A three-year bachelor’s degree course will result in a total of 120 credits earned.
- A Ph.D. degree is at Level 8 and earns 320 credits upon completion.
(2) Study of Vedas: Students can obtain credits for their proficiency in diverse areas of the Indian knowledge system, including the Puranas, Vedas, and other related components.
(3) Indian Knowledge System (IKS): UGC notified the final report, which includes the components of the IKS. The IKS comprises 18 theoretical disciplines called vidyas and 64 practical disciplines, including vocational areas and crafts. These disciplines were the foundation of the 18 sciences in ancient India, as per the report.
(4) Educational Acceleration: The NCrF supports educational acceleration for students with gifted learning abilities. It provides scope for crediting national/international achievers in any field, including but not limited to sports, Indian knowledge system, music, heritage, traditional skills, performing & fine arts, master artisans, etc.
(5) International Equivalence: The international equivalence and transfer of credits shall be enabled through various multilateral/bilateral agreements between respective regulators of the countries concerned. NCrF would lend credibility and authenticity to the credits being assigned and earned under various programs in India, making these credits more acceptable and transferable internationally.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
Mains level: Not Much
Central idea: The article provides an overview of the LHC, its construction, how it works, and what it has discovered. It also discusses the future of the LHC, including plans to upgrade it and build a bigger version.
Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
- The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s largest science experiment built by the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN).
- It is a collider that smashes two beams of particles in opposite directions and these particles are hadrons.
- The LHC is on the energy frontier of physics research, conducting experiments with highly energized particles.
- Currently, the LHC is being warmed up for its third season of operations following upgrades that have made it more sensitive and accurate.
How does the LHC work?
- Hadrons are subatomic particles made up of smaller particles, and the LHC typically uses protons.
- Protons are energized by accelerating them through a narrow circular pipe that is 27 km long.
- The pipe encircles two D-shaped magnetic fields created by almost 9,600 magnets.
- Protons are accelerated through the beam pipe by rapidly switching the direction of the magnetic field.
- Eventually, protons move at 99.999999% of the speed of light, according to the special theory of relativity.
What happens when particles are smashed?
- When two antiparallel beams of energized protons collide head-on, the energy at the point of collision is equal to the sum of the energy carried by the two beams.
- The highest centre-of-mass collision energy the LHC has achieved so far is 13.6 TeV.
- At the moment of collision, there is chaos, and energy coalesces into different subatomic particles under the guidance of the fundamental forces of nature.
- Different particles take shape depending on the amount and flavour of energy available.
What has the LHC found so far?
- The LHC consists of nine detectors, and they study particle interactions in different ways.
- The ATLAS and CMS detectors discovered the Higgs boson in 2012 and confirmed their findings in 2013.
- Using the data from collisions, scientists have tested the predictions of the Standard Model of particle physics, observed exotic particles, and pieced together information about extreme natural conditions.
What is the LHC’s future?
- The LHC has not been able to find ‘new physics’ that can explain the nature of dark matter or why gravity is such a weak force.
- One way forward is to improve the LHC’s luminosity by 10x by 2027 through upgrades.
- Another idea is to build a bigger and more powerful version of the LHC, based on the hypothesis that it can find ‘new physics’ at even higher energies.
- Physicists are divided on whether to invest in building a bigger machine or less expensive experiments with guaranteed results.
B2BASICS
What is Hadron?
- Hadron is any member of a class of subatomic particles that are built from quarks and thus react through the agency of the strong force. The hadrons embrace mesons, baryons (e.g., protons, neutrons, and sigma particles), and their many resonances.
CERN
- European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) is the world’s largest nuclear and particle physics laboratory.
- CERN is based in Geneva on the French-Swiss border. It has 23 member states.
- India in 2016 became an associate member of the CERN. Indian scientists have played a significant role in the ALICE experiment, which is a dedicated experiment for search and study of Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP).
Try this MCQ
Which of the following is a subatomic particle made up of smaller particles and is commonly used in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)?
(a) Protons
(b) Electrons
(c) Neutrons
(d) Photons
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: IASA Program
Mains level: Not Much
Central idea
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the US has retained the “Category 1” status for India’s aviation safety oversight following a review.
- The FAA uses the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program to determine whether a country’s oversight of its airlines that operate or wish to operate to the US or enter into codeshare partnerships.
What is the IASA Program?
- The International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program is conducted by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
- The program evaluates the safety oversight of civil aviation authorities in countries worldwide.
- It determines whether a country’s oversight of its airlines that operate or wish to operate to the U.S. or enter into codeshare partnerships with U.S. carriers comply with safety standards established by the UN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
- The IASA program focuses on three broad areas, including personnel licensing, operation of aircraft, and airworthiness of aircraft.
- Countries are rated as Category 1 if they comply with international safety standards, or Category 2 if they do not comply with international safety standards.
- The IASA program is conducted over a one-year period, which includes physical audits and a further review.
India’s commitment to aviation safety
- The assessment by the ICAO as well as the FAA is a testimony to India’s commitment of having an effective safety oversight for its civil aviation system.
- In November 2021, the ICAO conducted an audit, and India scored an Effective Implementation (EI) of 85.65%, an improvement from the previous EI of 69.95%.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Teja Singh Sutantar
Mains level: NA
Punjab Chief Minister unveiled a statue of Teja Singh Sutantar, a former MP and revolutionary leader.
Teja Singh Sutantar
- Teja Singh was born as Samund Singh in 1901 in Aluna village of Gurdaspur district.
- After completing his schooling, he joined Khalsa College in Amritsar.
- Following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, he joined the Akali Dal to participate in the movement to liberate gurdwaras from degenerate mahants.
- However, in September 1921, he formed his own squad called the Sutantar Jatha, which successfully liberated a gurdwara in a village called Teja in Gurdaspur district from the mahants.
- He later freed another gurdwara in Othian village from mahants.
Early life and revolutionary activities
- In early 1923, Teja Singh went to Kabul as a Sikh missionary and there he came into contact with a few leaders of the Ghadar Party, who were preparing for their second attempt to overthrow the British government.
- They persuaded Teja Singh to undergo military training, so he joined the Turkish military academy in 1925 under the pseudonym Azad Beg.
- He later moved to Berlin and then to Canada and the United States, where he addressed congregations of Indians, mainly Punjabi Sikh immigrants.
Political Career
- After visiting several countries, Teja Singh returned to India and became a prominent leader of the communist party (CPI).
- He contributed revolutionary articles to the party journal, the Kirti, frequently writing about issues that plagued peasants.
- In May 1937, he was elected unopposed to the Punjab Legislative Assembly as a nominee of the Indian National Congress while he was still in prison.
- He continued to remain a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly till 1945.
- He was also the secretary of the Communist Party (Punjab) from 1944 to 1947.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Exercise Cope India 23
Mains level: NA
The Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters, including Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Rafale, SU-30MKI, and Jaguars, are set to participate in bilateral air Exercise Cope India 23 with US Air Force (USAF) F-15 fighters and B-1B long-range bombers.
Exercise Cope India
- Cope India began in 2004 as a fighter training exercise held at Air Station Gwalior.
- The exercise has evolved to incorporate subject matter expert exchanges, air mobility training, airdrop training and large-force exercises, in addition to fighter-training exercises.
- The exercise was last held in 2009.
- The exercise showcases US and India’s efforts and commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Highlights of the 2023 version
- The exercise will be conducted in two phases, with the first phase practicing the air-mobility component involving transport aircraft of both countries.
- The IAF element will include the Su-30MKI, Rafale, Tejas, and Jaguar fighter aircraft, while Japan is taking part in the exercise as an observer.
- The second phase of the exercise will witness the participation of B-1B bombers of USAF, and F-15 fighter aircraft of the USAF will join the exercise subsequently, according to an IAF statement.
- The exercise will be supported by aerial refuellers, Airborne Warning and Control System, and Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft of the IAF.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Juice Mission
Mains level: Not Much
The European Space Agency (ESA) is all set to launch the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or Juice, mission from its spaceport in French Guiana on an Ariane 5 launcher.
What is the Juice Mission?
- Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) mission is a project by the European Space Agency (ESA) to explore the Solar System’s largest planet Jupiter and its three largest moons, Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.
- Juice is constructed by an industrial consortium led by Airbus Defence and Space and is planned to reach Jupiter in 2031 using remote sensing, geophysical, and in situ instruments.
Goals of the Juice mission
- Juice aims to create a detailed map of the surfaces of Jupiter’s moons and to look beneath them to probe their potential habitability by creating a comprehensive picture of Jupiter.
- One of the primary goals of the Juice mission is to gain insight into how planetary systems form and evolve over time and how possibly habitable environments can arise in Jupiter-like systems around other stars.
- Juice will also analyze the chemistry, structure, dynamics, weather, and climate of Jupiter and its ever-changing atmosphere.
Ganymede: Focus of the Juice mission
- Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System and the only one to generate its magnetic field.
- Juice will move into Ganymede’s orbit after approximately four of arriving at Jupiter.
- Juice will use its suite of ten sophisticated instruments to measure how Ganymede rotates, its gravity, its shape and interior structure, its magnetic field, its composition, and to penetrate its icy crust using radar down to a depth of about nine km.
Can Juice detect life?
- Juice is not equipped to detect life on Jupiter or its moons.
- It is, however, capable of finding out whether there could be places around Jupiter, inside the icy moons, where the necessary conditions, such as water, biological essential elements, energy, and stability, to sustain life are present.
- Scientists believe that there is a possibility that life is present on Jupiter’s moons, in the form of microbes or more advanced species, such as those found in deep-sea trenches and at hydrothermal vents on Earth.
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