Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: National educations policy, Importance of History
Central Idea
- The controversy over the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) reducing the content on Mughal history in the school curriculum has sparked a heated debate in the country. While some argue that this move is part of a larger agenda to erase the Mughal legacy, others believe that it is a necessary step towards reducing the burden on students and providing a more balanced approach to teaching Indian history.
NCERT’s changes
- The NCERT removed overlapping material from grades 6 to 12 to reduce the burden on students.
- Grade 12 has been designed around themes in Indian history. It is divided into three parts spanning over 2,000 years. One theme out of 12 focuses on Kings and Chronicles. It revolves around the significant policies that redefined the landscape and mindset of the people. Akbar’s policies feature in this theme in the rationalized syllabus as well.
- This is over and above the extensive coverage they get in the middle school curricula, at the cost of the exclusion of the rest. Mughals have been overrepresented in Indian history books and were an obvious area for right-sizing.
What NCERT has said on omitting chapters?
- Part of rationalisation process: According to NCERT director, Chapters on Mughals have not been dropped. There was a rationalisation process last year because due to COVID, there was pressure on students everywhere.
- Reducing the burden without affecting the knowledge: The expert committees examined the books from standards 6-12. They recommended that if some sections or this chapter is dropped, it won’t affect the knowledge of the children and an unnecessary burden can be removed.
- Transition towards National Education Policy (NEP): NCERT working as per NEP, 2020. This is a transition phase. NEP 2020 speaks of reducing the content load. NCF (National Curriculum Framework) for school education is being formed, it will be finalised soon. Textbooks will be printed in 2024 as per NEP.
Need for a balanced approach
- Purpose of studying Indian history: The purpose of studying Indian history should be to understand who we are and how we got here, by understanding the demography, culture, and practices of the various components of India over the last two-and-a-half millennia.
- Dive deep into all polities: This requires us to dive deep into all polities that have resided in the subcontinental region for significant periods.
- Mughal history is just one part: Mughal history is just one part of just one period (medieval) of Indian history, and there is a lot more to our history that needs attention.
- Rich and long history: Indian history is too rich, long, and unwieldy for any curriculum to do justice.
- Children needs to have broader understanding: In the age of Wikipedia, we need to expose our children to the broad themes and grand sweep of history, create an understanding of their origins, and equip them with the tools and curiosity to read and research further as they grow.
- Step is in good direction: The current reorganization is a good step in that direction.
Conclusion
- The real debate should be how to teach 2,500 years of Indian history to children in an engaging and informative manner. Those quibbling over the current rearrangement lack both a perspective on the scale of Indian history and an understanding of the complexities of teaching it. They would be better served by picking up a few history books themselves.
Mains Question
Q. The national education policy speaks of reducing the content load and ensure the understanding in this light discuss the significance of teaching history of India in more rational and comprehensive manner.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Constitutional bodies
Mains level: Independence of Constitutional bodies and independent appointments
Central Idea
- The recent comments made by the Supreme Court regarding the independence of constitutional authorities in India is an important issue. The need for independent institutions and a system of checks and balances is essential to prevent the arbitrary use of power by the government. The appointment process of key constitutional positions needs to be safeguarded from the whims of the executive.
Need for Independent Institutions
- Executive interference: The Constituent Assembly of India had recognized the need for independent institutions to regulate sectors of national importance without any executive interference.
- Constitutional bodies: Various constitutional authorities such as the Public Service Commission, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Finance Commission, and the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Backward Classes (BC) have been set up for this purpose.
- Need complete independence: Such constitutional bodies must be provided complete independence to enable them to function without fear or favor and in the larger interests of the nation.
Appointment Process for Constitutional Authorities
- Appointments are critical for independence: The appointment of individuals heading these institutions is critical to ensuring their independence.
- Safeguarded from the whims of the executive: While empowering the President of India to appoint all constitutional authorities, the Constitution-makers had kept in mind those institutions whose independence is of paramount importance to the country and the manner in which the independence of these authorities could be safeguarded from the whims of the executive
Appointment of Judges and Other Constitutional Positions
- The Constitution provides for certain conditions to be fulfilled by those who may be considered for such appointments.
- Role of governors: The appointment of Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Court, the CAG of India, and Governors are to be kept free from political or executive pressure.
- For instance, appointment of the CAG:
- In the draft Constitution, the article for the appointment of the CAG had provided that, there shall be an Auditor General who shall be appointed by the President. The Constituent Assembly further discussed that The Auditor-General should be always independent of either the legislature or the executive.
- The process of selecting a person to be appointed as the CAG of India should begin by appointing a committee consisting of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India, and the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee to shortlist names to be considered for appointment as the CAG of India; and a panel of three names should be forwarded to the President for him to make the final selection as in Article 148 of the Constitution of India.
- Appointment of CEC and EC’s: The Supreme Court has taken an important step in ensuring the independence of the Election Commission of India by divesting the executive of its sole discretion in appointing the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs) by forming a committee to suggest suitable names to man these constitutional posts.
- Appointment of Governors: The Court expressed serious concern over the active role being played by Governors in State politics, observing that Governors becoming part of political processes is disconcerting. The appointment process for Governors needs to be unrestricted and unfettered to ensure that the President is free from the influence of the Legislature.
Conclusion
- It is necessary to ensure the independence of constitutional authorities to enable them to function without fear or favor and in the larger interests of the nation. The appointment process for key constitutional positions must be safeguarded from the whims of the executive. The recent comments of the Supreme Court regarding the independence of constitutional authorities in India are a reminder of the need to ensure that the appointment process for such positions is free from political or executive pressure.
Mains Question
Q. The issues over the independence of constitutional authorities in India is often in the headlines. In this light discuss why is it necessary to ensure the independence of constitutional authorities, and what are the implications of failing to do so?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Forex reserves, BoP
Mains level: Read the attached story
India’s forex reserves increased by $6.306 billion to $584.755 billion last week, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Why discuss this?
- In October 2021, India’s forex reserves reached an all-time high of $645 billion.
- Since then, the reserves have been declining.
What is Foreign Exchange (Forex) Reserve?
- Foreign exchange reserves are important assets held by the central bank in foreign currencies as reserves.
- They are commonly used to support the exchange rate and set monetary policy.
- In India’s case, foreign reserves include Gold, Dollars, and the IMF’s quota for Special Drawing Rights.
- Most of the reserves are usually held in US dollars, given the currency’s importance in the international financial and trading system.
- Some central banks keep reserves in Euros, British pounds, Japanese yen, or Chinese yuan, in addition to their US dollar reserves.
India’s forex reserves cover:
- Foreign Currency Assets (FCAs)
- Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)
- Gold Reserves
- Reserve position with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Countries with the highest foreign reserves
- Currently, China has the largest reserves followed by Japan and Switzerland.
- India earlier overtook Russia to become the fourth-largest country with foreign exchange reserves. (Data from August 2022)
- China – $3,349 Billion
- Japan – $1,376 Billion
- Switzerland – $1,074 Billion
- Russia – $597.40 Billion
Why are these reserves so important?
- All international transactions are settled in US dollars and, therefore, required to support India’s imports.
- More importantly, they need to maintain support and confidence for central bank action, whether monetary policy action or any exchange rate intervention to support the domestic currency.
- It also helps to limit any vulnerability due to sudden disturbances in foreign capital flows, which may arise during a crisis.
- Holding liquid foreign currency provides a cushion against such effects and provides confidence that there will still be enough foreign exchange to help the country with crucial imports in case of external shocks.
Initiatives taken by the government to increase forex
- To increase the foreign exchange reserves, the Government of India has taken many initiatives like AatmaNirbhar Bharat, in which India has to be made a self-reliant nation so that India does not have to import things that India can produce.
- Other than AatmaNirbhar Bharat, the government has started schemes like Duty Exemption Scheme, Remission of Duty or Taxes on Export Product (RoDTEP), Nirvik (Niryat Rin Vikas Yojana) scheme, etc.
- Apart from these schemes, India is one of the top countries that attracted the highest amount of Foreign Direct Investment, thereby improving India’s foreign exchange reserves.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NISAR, Seismic Zones
Mains level: Read the attached story
Central idea
- The ISRO and the NASA have jointly developed a forthcoming satellite called NISAR.
- It will map the most earthquake-prone regions in the Himalaya.
What is NISAR?
- NISAR stands for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar.
- The mission aims to provide global measurements of the causes and consequences of land surface changes using advanced radar imaging.
- The satellite is equipped with two types of synthetic aperture radars (SAR): L-band and S-band, which will allow for high-resolution, all-weather imaging of the Earth’s surface.
- The NISAR satellite is expected to be launched in January 2024.
How it will be used for earthquake monitoring?
- It will generate data that can potentially give advance warning of land subsidence and identify places that are at greatest risk from earthquakes.
- The geoscience community can use this to determine how strain is building up in various parts of the Himalayas.
- Strain refers to the deformation that occurs in rocks when it is under pressure from other rocks.
- Movements of continental plates that are sliding, colliding, or subducting against each other cause strain.
- With a frequency of 12 days and the ability to provide images even under cloudy conditions, NISAR would be a valuable tool to study deformation patterns, such as in Joshimath.
Strain Map already in place
- In 2021, scientists from the Geological Survey of India published a “strain map” of the Himalayas based on data from 1,252 GPS stations along the Himalayas.
- It identified regions that had the greatest odds of generating earthquakes of magnitude above 8 and their extent.
- However, these many stations are still too few, and there’s only one satellite (Sentinel) that we rely on.
- With NISAR, the costliest space mission ever, we can have a game-changer in earth-science observation.
Seismic Zones of India
India is divided by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) into 4 seismic zones based on the level of seismicity and the frequency of earthquakes that occur in that particular region.
These zones are as follows:
1. Zone 2: This is a low seismic zone comprising of areas with the lowest risk of earthquakes. It includes regions like the northeastern states of India, parts of J&K, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
2. Zone 3: This is a moderate seismic zone comprising of areas that are at moderate risk of earthquakes. It includes regions like Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, parts of UP, Bihar, West Bengal, and parts of Jharkhand.
3. Zone 4: This is a high seismic zone comprising of areas that are at high risk of earthquakes. It includes regions like the A&N Islands, parts of Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Uttarakhand, and the entire northeastern region.
4. Zone 5: This is a very high seismic zone comprising of areas that are at the highest risk of earthquakes. It includes regions like the entire state of J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, the entire northeastern region, parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and the A&N Islands. |
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Mahad Satyagraha
Mains level: Dalit movement
Central idea
- B.R. Ambedkar’s life was full of milestones, and he was the first Dalit to study at Elphinstone College in Bombay.
- He was also the chair of the drafting committee of the Constitution of India and became the first law minister of independent India.
- Moreover, he contributed significantly to the movement for Dalit emancipation, awakening Dalit consciousness and leading the community’s bid for political power.
Context of the Mahad Satyagraha
- The Mahad Satyagraha of 1927 was one of the earlier and most significant milestones in Ambedkar’s life.
- The events leading up to it began in August 1923, when the Bombay Legislative Council passed a resolution to allow the Untouchable classes to use all public water sources.
- Although the Bombay government adopted the resolution, the situation on the ground remained unchanged, with upper-caste Hindus still not allowing lower castes to access public water sources.
What happened at the Satyagraha?
- Ramchandra Babaji More, a Mahad-based Dalit political leader, approached Ambedkar to preside over a conference of the Untouchables in Konkan, and Ambedkar agreed.
- Around 2,500 delegates, workers, and leaders of Depressed Classes attended the conference, including boys of fifteen to old men of seventy.
- On the first day of the conference, progressive non-Dalit leaders addressed the attendees and promised to help them in their struggle.
- Ambedkar stressed creating “a wave of awakening” among the lower caste people of Konkan.
- After the day’s proceedings, Ambedkar and the other organizers and attendees marched to the nearby Chavadar tank the next morning, where people from untouchable communities were not allowed to draw water from.
- They implemented the resolution by picking up water with their cupped hands and drank it.
Key event: Burning of Manusmriti
- Despite the court injunction prohibiting Babasaheb and other Dalits from going to the tank or taking water from it until further orders, the Satyagraha was held on a much larger scale on December 26, 1927.
- Although most people wanted to go ahead, the Satyagraha was suspended on the advice of Ambedkar, and unlike the last time, no water was drawn from the Chavadar tank.
- Ambedkar and his followers burnt the Manusmriti, a powerful rejection of the caste system, for the first time in symbolic action.
Significance of the Satyagraha
- The Mahad Satyagraha is considered to be the “foundational event” of the Dalit movement.
- The community collectively displayed its resolve to reject the caste system and assert their human rights for the first time.
- It became the blueprint for organizing future movements against the caste system and its practices.
- It marked an important point in Ambedkar’s political journey, catapulting him to the leadership of the downtrodden and oppressed classes in the country.
Try this PYQ:
Which of the following parties were established by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar?
- The Peasants and Workers Party of India
- All India Scheduled Castes Federation
- The Independent Labour Party
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 2 and 3 only
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Magnetoresistance
Mains level: NA
Researchers in the UK, led by Nobel laureate Andre Geim, have discovered magnetoresistance in graphene – a single-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms bonded in a honeycomb pattern – that further distinguishes this ‘wonder’ material.
Graphene’s anomalous Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR)
- Graphene displayed an anomalous giant magnetoresistance (GMR) at room temperature.
- GMR is the result of the electrical resistance of a conductor being affected by magnetic fields in adjacent materials.
- It is used in hard disk drives and magnetoresistive RAM in computers, biosensors, automotive sensors, micro-electromechanical systems, and medical imagers.
What is GMR?
- GMR is a phenomenon where the electrical resistance of a conductor is affected by magnetic fields in adjacent materials.
- Say a conductor is sandwiched between two ferromagnetic materials (commonly, metals attracted to magnets, like iron).
- When the materials are magnetised in the same direction, the electrical resistance in the conductor is low.
- When the directions are opposite each other, the resistance increases.
Significance of the finding
- The magnetoresistance observed in the graphene-based device was almost 100 times higher than that observed in other known semimetals in this magnetic field range.
- In the study, the magnetoresistance in monolayer graphene at 27º C held between two layers of boron nitride increased by 110% under a field of 0.1 tesla.
- To compare, the magnetoresistance in these conditions increases by less than 1% in normal metals.
- The team attributed this to the presence of a ‘neutral’ plasma and the electrons’ mobility.
Try this MCQ
Which of the following best describes magnetoresistance?
(a) The magnetic resistance of a conductor to electrical current flow
(b) The phenomenon where the electrical resistance of a conductor is affected by magnetic fields in adjacent materials
(c) The ability of a conductor to produce a magnetic field when an electrical current is passed through it
(d) The resistance of a magnet to demagnetization by an external magnetic field
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Bioluminiscence
Mains level: NA
The blooms of Noctiluca Scintillans, commonly known as “sea sparkle or bioluminescence” are being witnessed along the coasts of Visakhapatnam, AP.
Noctiluca Scintillans
- Scintillans is a bioluminescent specie that brightens the seawater during the night.
- It grazes on other micro-organisms such as larvae, fish eggs, and diatoms. But the unicellular phytoplankton that lives inside it can photosynthesize, turning sunlight into energy.
- They help their host cell survive even when food was scarce.
- Thus, N. Scintillans acts as both a plant and an animal
Threats posed
- According to marine experts, the phenomenon is an indicator of climate change.
- While smaller blooms may be harmless, slow-moving larger blooms may have an impact on deep-sea fishes.
- The toxic blooms of N. Scintillans were linked to massive fish and marine invertebrate kills.
- Though the species does not produce a toxin, it was found to accumulate toxic levels of ammonia, which is then excreted into the surrounding waters, possibly acting as the killing agent in blooms.
- They have displaced microscopic algae called diatoms, which form the basis of the marine food chain. This has deprived food for the planktivorous fish.
Back2Basics: Bioluminescence
- It is the property of a living organism to produce and emit light.
- Animals, plants, fungi and bacteria show bioluminescence. A remarkable diversity of marine animals and microbes are able to produce their own light.
- It is found in many marine organisms such as bacteria, algae, jellyfish, worms, crustaceans, sea stars, fish and sharks.
- Luminescence is generally higher in deep-living and planktonic organisms than in shallow species.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Gond Painting
Mains level: Contribution of GI tags in tribal economy
The Gond painting of Madhya Pradesh has received the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Other recent GI tags awarded in UP
10 products from UP got GI Tag on March 31:
- Aligarh Tala
- Bakharia Brassware
- Banda Shazar Patthar Craft
- Pratapgarh Aonla (Amla)
- Ramnagar Bhanta (Brinjal)
- Muzaffarnagar Gur (jaggery)
- Banarasi Pan
- Nagina Wood Craft
- Hathras Hing
- Banaras Langda Aam
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Gond Art
- Gond painting is a traditional art of Madhya Pradesh and belongs to the Gond tribe.
- Patangarh village of Dindori district is famous for Gond paintings, where there is an artist in every house.
- Their work is famous in the state and abroad for its unique style, theme, and motifs.
- Gond art has been passed down through generations, traditionally adorning the walls of each artist’s home in Patangarh.
Features of Gond Painting
- Gond paintings showcase the beauty of nature, including trees, plants, animals, the moon, sun, river, drains, God, and Goddesses.
- The paintings also portray daily life activities such as food, plough making, and even how the king used to fight.
Back2Basics: Geographical Indication (GI)
- A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
- Nodal Agency: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 w.e.f. September 2003.
- GIs have been defined under Article 22 (1) of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.
- The tag stands valid for 10 years.
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