Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Doctrine of Pleasure
Mains level: Not Much
The Kerala Governor has sought dismissal of a minister from the Cabinet, declaring that he has withdrawn the pleasure of having him in the Council of Ministers.
Doctrine of Pleasure: The concept behind
- The pleasure doctrine is a concept derived from English common law.
- It says is that a civil servant of the Crown holds office during the pleasure of the Crown.
- This means his services can be terminated at any time by the Crown, without assigning any reason.
How is it practised in India?
- In India, Article 310 of the Constitution says every person in the defence or civil service of the Union holds office during the pleasure of the President.
- Similarly, every member of the civil service in the States holds office during the pleasure of the Governor.
- However, Article 311 imposes restrictions on the removal of a civil servant.
How arbitrary is this doctrine?
- It provides for civil servants being given a reasonable opportunity for a hearing on the charges against them.
- There is also a provision to dispense with the inquiry if it is not practicable to hold one, or if it is not expedient to do so in the interest of national security.
- In practical terms, the pleasure of the President referred to here is that of the Union government, and the Governor’s pleasure is that of the State government.
Is the governor entitled to exercise his/her displeasure?
- Under Article 164, the Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor; and the other Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the CM’s advice.
- It adds that Ministers hold office during the pleasure of the Governor.
- In a constitutional scheme in which they are appointed solely on the CM’s advice, the ‘pleasure’ referred to is also taken to mean the right of the CM to dismiss a Minister, and not that of the Governor.
Why in news now?
Ans. Issue over appointment of Vice-Chancellor
- The latest controversy has arisen after the Governor sought the resignation of several vice-chancellors following a Supreme Court judgment.
- The V-C’s appointment of a technical university was contrary to the regulations of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
- The appointment Committee had identified only one candidate and recommended the name to the Chancellor for appointment.
- However, under UGC regulations, a panel of three to five names should be recommended so that the Chancellor has a number of options to choose from.
How is Governor involved in this?
- The Governor, in his capacity as Chancellor of universities, responded by directing the V-Cs of nine universities to resign the very next day.
- He contended that the infirmities pointed out by the Supreme Court in one case also vitiated their appointments.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Kalanamak Rice
Mains level: NA
Kalanamak, a traditional variety of paddy is all set to get a new look and name.
Kalanamak Rice
- Kalanamak rice is a paddy with black husk and strong fragrance, which is considered a gift from Lord Buddha to the people of Sravasti when he visited the region after enlightenment,
- It is grown in 11 districts of the Terai region of northeastern Uttar Pradesh and in Nepal.
- The traditional Kalanamak rice is protected under the Geographical Indication (GI) tag
- It’s recorded in the GI application that Lord Budhha gifted Kalanamak paddy to the people of Sravasti so that they remembered him by its fragrance.
What is the upgrade?
- The traditional paddy has been prone to ‘lodging’, a reason for its low yield.
- Lodging is a condition in which the top of the plant becomes heavy because of grain formation, the stem becomes weak, and the plant falls on the ground.
- Addressing the problem, the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) has successfully developed two dwarf varieties of Kalanamak rice.
- They have been named Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1638 and Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1652.
Back2Basics: Geographical Indication
- 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.
- GI is granted for a term of 10 years in India. As of today, more than 300 GI tags has been allocated so far in India (*Wikipedia).
- The tag stands valid for 10 years.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Air Quality Index
Mains level: Not Much
Air Quality Index (AQI)
- AQI measures how safe the air around you is for breathing. Organizations that report AQI measure the density of various pollutants in the air (such as PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, etc) at different monitoring stations.
- The widely-used National Air Quality Index (NAQI) given by the Central Pollution Control Board is a 24-hour average.
- Its unit is micrograms per cubic meter.
- A particular amount of one pollutant may not be as harmful as the same amount of another pollutant.
- So, each pollutant’s quantity in the air is adjusted to a common scale (say, 0 to 500) that works for all pollutants.
- Finally, the pollutant with the worst sub-index determines the AQI for that time and location.
What are NAAQ standards?
- The mandate provided to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act empowers it to set standards for the quality of air.
- Hence the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards were notified in November 2009 by the CPCB.
- Prior to this, India had set Air Quality standards in 1994, and this was later revised in 1998.
- The 2009 standards further lowered the maximum permissible limits for pollutants and made the standards uniform across the nation.
- Earlier, less stringent standards were prescribed for industrial zones as compared to residential areas.
Pollutants covered:
- Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)
- Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2),
- Particulate Matter (size less than 10 µm) or PM 10
- Particulate Matter (size less than 2.5 µm) or PM2.5
- Ozone (O3)
- Carbon Monoxide (CO)
- Ammonia (NH3)
(Air Pollutants that most of us NEVER heard of)
- Lead
- Benzene (C6H6)
- Benzo(a)Pyrene (BaP)
- Arsenic(As)
- Nickel (Ni)
What are Initiatives taken by India for Controlling Air Pollution?
- System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) Portal
- Air Quality Index: AQI has been developed for eight pollutants viz. PM2.5, PM10, Ammonia, Lead, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, ozone, and carbon monoxide.
- Graded Response Action Plan
- For Reducing Vehicular Pollution: BS-VI Vehicles, Push for Electric Vehicles (EVs),Odd-Even Policy as an emergency measure
- New Commission for Air Quality Management
- Subsidy to farmers for buying Turbo Happy Seeder (THS) Machine
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Tambo Art
Mains level: NA
Wayanad farmer creates Ashoka Chakra using Tambo art.
What is Tambo Art?
- Tambo art is an artistic technique that consists of creating a design with different varieties of rice directly in a rice field.
- The origin of this art can be traced to Japan where people plant paddy of various varieties and hues to create the desired images.
- The image of Ashoka Chakra has been created using four varieties of paddy seeds such as Nazar bath, Kala bath, Kaki sala and Ramlee.
- They will ripen in shades that range from brown to golden, light brown to black, green to black and green to white and black.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Blue Flag Certification
Mains level: Not Much
The globally recognised and coveted international eco-label ‘Blue Flag’ has been accorded to two new Indian beaches — Minicoy Thundi Beach and Kadmat Beach, both in Lakshadweep.
What is Blue Flag?
- The Blue Flag is an exclusive eco-label or certification that is given to coastal locations around the world as a badge of environmental honour.
- The programme is run by the Copenhagen, Denmark-headquartered Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), a non-profit organization.
- It seeks to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.
- It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and in areas outside Europe since 2001 when South Africa joined.
- Certification is awarded annually. A total 5,042 beaches, marinas, and tourism boats in 48 countries have been awarded the label so far.
Criteria for certification
It has 33 stringent criteria under four major heads for the beaches, that is-
- Environmental Education and Information
- Bathing Water Quality
- Environment Management and Conservation and
- Safety and Services
Total blue beaches in India
India now has 12 blue beaches. The other 10 Indian beaches on the list, according to the FEE site, are-
- Shivrajpur in Gujarat’s Devbhumi Dwarka district
- Ghogla beach in Diu
- Kasarkod (Uttara Kannada) and
- Padubidri (Udupi) in Karnataka;
- Kappad (Kozhikode) in Kerala
- Eden beach in Puducherry
- Kovalam (Chennai) in Tamil Nadu
- Rushikonda (Visakhapatnam) in Andhra Pradesh
- Golden beach in Puri, Odisha; and
- Radhanagar Swarajdeep in Andaman and Nicobar
About the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)
- The FEE is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.
- It was founded in 1981 as the Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe (FEEE).
- Currently, it has 77 member countries.
Its other programmes include:
- Green Key
- Eco Schools
- Young Reporters for the Environment
- Learning about Forests
- Global Forest Fund
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Overhauser Magnetometers
Mains level: Not Much
Indian scientists have developed an indigenous Overhauser Magnetometer, one of the most accurate magnetometers extensively used by all magnetic observatories around the world.
What are Overhauser Magnetometers?
- A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the strength and direction of the magnetic field.
- OVH magnetometers are known for their higher accuracy, higher sensitivity, and efficient power consumption.
- They find applications in all magnetic observatories worldwide as well as in international space programs.
- It has so far been imported for such purposes in India.
Feats achieved
- The performance of this indigenously made magnetometer is at par with a commercial OVH sensor that is currently installed at the magnetic observatories of IIG.
- The Indian OVH sensor reproduced the geomagnetic diurnal variations accurately and precisely.
- It showed the signatures of various space weather events such as geomagnetic storms, sudden impulses, etc.
- It would also be of potential help to develop a sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) instrument.
Benefits of OVH magnetometers
- OVH magnetometers reduce the cost of sampling and sensing experiments essential for geomagnetic sampling.
- It can reduce India’s dependence on commercial OVH magnetometers for performing geomagnetic field measurements.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Mangarh Massacre of 1913
Mains level: Tribal revolts in India
Ahead of PM Modi’s visit to Mangarh Dham in Banswara district, Rajasthan CM has sought the declaration of the memorial for tribals as a monument of national importance.
About Mangarh Massacre
- Mangarh Dham is known for the massacre of tribals by the British Indian Army in 1913.
- This place is widely referred to as Adivasi Jallianwala.
- About 1,500 Bhil tribals and forest dwellers were killed at Mangarh on November 17, 1913, when the British Indian Army opened fire on the protesters.
- The people were gathered to demand abolition of bonded labour system and relaxation in heavy agricultural taxes imposed by the rulers of princely states.
- The tribals in the southern Rajasthan region were led by social reformer Govind Guru.
Course of events
- Govind Guru started his movement among Bhils in the early 1890s.
- The movement had, as its religious centrepiece, the concept of a fire god, which required his followers to raise sacred hearths in front of which Bhils pray while performing the purifying havan called dhuni.
- In 1903, the guru set up his main dhuni on Mangadh Hill.
- Mobilised by him, the Bhils placed a charter of 33 demands before the British by 1910 primarily relating to forced labour, high tax imposed on Bhils and harassment of the guru’s followers by the princely states.
- The Bhil struggle for justice under Govind Guru took a serious turn after the British and local rulers refused to accept the demands and tried to break the Bhagat movement in 1913.
Try this PYQ:
Q. Which amongst the following provided a common factor for tribal insurrection in India in the 19th century?
(a) Introduction of a new system of land revenue and taxation of tribal products.
(b) Influence of foreign religious missionaries in tribal areas.
(c) Rise of a large number of money lenders, traders and revenue farmers as middlemen in tribal areas.
(d) The complete disruption of the old agrarian order of the tribal communities.
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PDNA
Mains level: Not Much
Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) is now being done simultaneously in Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha and Meghalaya.
Why in news?
- PDNA is now being used to evaluate the financial and social cost of local disasters in eight states in India.
- These states all experienced severe flooding in the last few months.
- The results of these assessments are likely to come out next month.
What is PDNA?
- PDNA is an internationally accepted methodology for determining the physical damages, economic losses, and costs of meeting recovery needs after a natural disaster through a government-led process.
- It is an international framework for assessing losses and damages in the aftermath of a disaster.
- The framework helps get recovery and reconstruction efforts right following a disaster.
- Globally, of the 55 PDNAs conducted worldwide since 2008, only two droughts — one in Malawi and the other Marshall Islands in 2016 — were of slow-onset disasters.
Components of PDNA
- PDNA includes a calculation of the disaster’s impact on Gross Domestic Product, the balance of payment and fiscal budget.
- Secondly, how this affects the flow of revenue to multiple sectors is evaluated.
- For example, the number of farmers’ income affected per damaged acre of land and the livelihoods lost.
- Overall, a quantitative assessment is additionally done on the social and environmental impact of the disaster.
History of PDNA in India
- This is not the first time PDNA has been conducted in India.
- It was first adopted during the Kerala floods of 2018 and again during the cyclone in Odisha in 2019, both unprecedented disasters.
- Until now, the assessment was only limited to massive disasters that required international funding from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations.
15th Finance Commission provision
- The 15th finance commission report of 2021, for the first time, made a provision for recovery and reconstruction in the national disaster management budget, which is at the core of the PDNA.
- The states did not receive international funding to do the current ongoing PDNAs, as they are expected to take the money from the budget.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Eclipses
Mains level: Read the attached story
India recently witnessed a partial solar eclipse. Let’s take a look over all dynamics of Eclipses.
What are Eclipses?
- An eclipse takes place when one heavenly body such as a moon or planet moves into the shadow of another heavenly body.
- There are two types of eclipses on Earth: an eclipse of the Moon and an eclipse of the Sun.
[I] A Lunar Eclipse
- The moon moves in an orbit around Earth, and at the same time, Earth orbits the sun. Sometimes Earth moves between the sun and the moon.
- When this happens, Earth blocks the sunlight that normally is reflected by the moon. (This sunlight is what causes the moon to shine.)
- Instead of light hitting the moon’s surface, Earth’s shadow falls on it. This is an eclipse of the moon — a lunar eclipse.
- A lunar eclipse can occur only when the moon is full. (But not every full moon is also a lunar eclipse. Can you guess why?)
Observing a Lunar Eclipse
- A lunar eclipse can be seen from Earth at night.
- A lunar eclipse usually lasts for a few hours.
- At least two partial lunar eclipses happen every year, but total lunar eclipses are rare.
There are two types of lunar eclipses: total lunar eclipses and partial lunar eclipses.
- A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon and the sun are on exact opposite sides of Earth. Although the moon is in Earth’s shadow, some sunlight reaches the moon. The sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere, which causes Earth’s atmosphere to filter out most of the blue light. This makes the moon appear red to people on Earth.
- A partial lunar eclipse happens when only a part of the moon enters Earth’s shadow. In a partial eclipse, Earth’s shadow appears very dark on the side of the moon facing Earth. What people see from Earth during a partial lunar eclipse depends on how the sun, Earth and moon are lined up.
- In a penumbral lunar eclipse, only the more diffuse outer shadow of Earth – the penumbra – falls on the moon’s face. This third kind of lunar eclipse is much more subtle, and much more difficult to observe than either a total or partial eclipse of the moon.
[II] A Solar Eclipse
- Sometimes when the moon orbits Earth, it moves between the sun and Earth.
- When this happens, the moon blocks the light of the sun from reaching Earth.
- This causes an eclipse of the sun or solar eclipse.
- During a solar eclipse, the moon casts a shadow onto Earth.
There are three types of solar eclipses.
The first is a Total Solar Eclipse
- A total solar eclipse is only visible from a small area on Earth.
- The people who see the total eclipse are in the centre of the moon’s shadow when it hits Earth.
- The sky becomes very dark as if it were night. For a total eclipse to take place, the sun, moon and Earth must be in a direct line.
The second type is a Partial Solar Eclipse
- This happens when the sun, moon and Earth are not exactly lined up.
- The sun appears to have a dark shadow on only a small part of its surface.
The third type is an Annular Solar Eclipse
- An annular eclipse happens when the moon is farthest from Earth. Because the moon is farther away from Earth, it seems smaller. It does not block the entire view of the sun. The moon in front of the sun looks like a dark disk on top of a larger sun-coloured disk. This creates what looks like a ring around the moon.
- During a solar eclipse, the moon casts two shadows on Earth. The first shadow is called the Umbra. This shadow gets smaller as it reaches Earth. It is the dark centre of the moon’s shadow.
- The second shadow is called the Penumbra. The penumbra gets larger as it reaches Earth. People standing in the penumbra will see a partial eclipse. People standing in the umbra will see a total eclipse.
Observing a Solar Eclipse
- Solar eclipses happen once every 18 months.
- Unlike lunar eclipses, solar eclipses only last for a few minutes.
Why don’t solar eclipses happen at every New Moon?
- The reason is that the Moon’s orbit tilts 5° to Earth’s orbit around the Sun.
- Astronomers call the two intersections of these paths nodes.
- Eclipses only occur when the Sun lies at one node and the Moon is at its New (for solar eclipses) or Full (for lunar eclipses) phase.
- During most (lunar) months, the Sun lies either above or below one of the nodes, and no eclipse happens.
[III] Planet Transits
- When a planet comes between Earth and the Sun, it is called a transit.
- The only 2 planets that can be seen transiting the Sun from Earth are Venus and Mercury because they are the only planets that orbit inside Earth’s orbit.
- From 2000–2199, there will be 14 transits of Mercury.
- However, Venus transits are even rarer with only 2 this century, in 2004 and 2012.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CAR, Basel Norms
Mains level: Not Much
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has placed a private bank under tight monitoring and greater public scrutiny.
What is the news?
- The XYZ Bank’s capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) dropped to around 13% at the end of March this year from 14.5% a year ago.
- This has dropped below the Basel III in the past and it has even been placed under the prompt corrective action framework (PCA) by the RBI to deal with serious deteriorations in its financial position.
- Under Basel-III norms banks are supposed to maintain their CRAR at 9% or above.
What is Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR)?
- Capital adequacy ratio is an indicator of the ability of a bank to survive as a going business entity in case it suffers significant losses on its loan book.
- The CRAR is a ratio that compares the value of a bank’s capital (or net worth) against the value of its various assets weighted according to how risky each asset is.
- It is used to gauge the risk of insolvency faced by a bank.
How do it affects bank functioning?
- A bank cannot continue to operate if the total value of its assets drops below the total value of its liabilities as it would wipe out its capital (or net worth) and render the bank insolvent.
- So, banking regulations such as the Basel-III norms try to closely monitor changes in the capital adequacy of banks in order to prevent major bank failures which could have a severe impact on the wider economy.
- The capital position of a bank should not be confused with cash held by a bank in its vaults to make good on its commitment to depositors.
Alternatives for bank
- The said Bank has been trying to issue additional shares in the open market through a rights issue in order to deal with its capital adequacy woes.
- Through a rights issue, the bank will be able to raise more equity capital from existing shareholders.
- This is in contrast to an initial public offering where shares are issued to new shareholders.
Back2Basics: Basel Norms
- Basel is a city in Switzerland. It is the headquarters of the Bureau of International Settlement (BIS), which fosters co-operation among central banks with a common goal of financial stability and common standards of banking regulations.
- Basel guidelines refer to broad supervisory standards formulated by this group of central banks – called the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS).
- The set of the agreement by the BCBS, which mainly focuses on risks to banks and the financial system is called Basel accord.
- The purpose of the accord is to ensure that financial institutions have enough capital on account to meet obligations and absorb unexpected losses.
- India has accepted Basel accords for the banking system.
Basel I
- In 1988, BCBS introduced a capital measurement system called Basel capital accord, also called as Basel 1.
- It focused almost entirely on credit risk. It defined capital and structure of risk weights for banks.
- The minimum capital requirement was fixed at 8% of risk-weighted assets (RWA).
- RWA means assets with different risk profiles.
- For example, an asset-backed by collateral would carry lesser risks as compared to personal loans, which have no collateral. India adopted Basel 1 guidelines in 1999.
Basel II
- In June ’04, Basel II guidelines were published by BCBS, which were considered to be the refined and reformed versions of Basel I accord.
- The guidelines were based on three parameters, which the committee calls it as pillars:
- Capital Adequacy Requirements: Banks should maintain a minimum capital adequacy requirement of 8% of risk assets.
- Supervisory Review: According to this, banks were needed to develop and use better risk management techniques in monitoring and managing all the three types of risks that a bank faces, viz. credit, market and operational risks.
- Market Discipline: This needs increased disclosure requirements. Banks need to mandatorily disclose their CAR, risk exposure, etc to the central bank. Basel II norms in India and overseas are yet to be fully implemented.
Basel III
- In 2010, Basel III guidelines were released. These guidelines were introduced in response to the financial crisis of 2008.
- A need was felt to further strengthen the system as banks in the developed economies were under-capitalized, over-leveraged and had a greater reliance on short-term funding.
- Also, the quantity and quality of capital under Basel II were deemed insufficient to contain any further risk.
- Basel III norms aim at making most banking activities such as their trading book activities more capital-intensive.
- The guidelines aim to promote a more resilient banking system by focusing on four vital banking parameters viz. capital, leverage, funding and liquidity.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Bhoota Kola
Mains level: NA
There has been a controversy over the folk art of Bhoota Kola recently depicted in a famous Kannada movie.
What is Bhoota Kola?
- Bhoota Kola is an animistic ritual dance performance where local spirits or deities are worshipped.
- It is believed that a person performing the ritual has temporarily become a god himself.
- This performer is both feared and respected in the community and is believed to give answers to people’s problems, on behalf of the god.
- There are several ‘Bhootas’ who are worshipped in the Tulu-speaking belt of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts.
- It is usually performed in small local communities and rural areas.
How is it performed?
- The Kola (or dance performance for the Gods) is basically performed in an area near the temple of the village deity which is usually close to large open fields.
- The ritual involves music, dance, recital, and elaborate costumes.
- Recitals in Old Tulu recount the origins of the deity and tell the story of how it came to the present location.
- The divine medium start their traditional performances as the local folklore called ‘paddanas’ are recited.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Sukapaika River
Mains level: Rejuvenation of River
Sukapaika, a small river that stopped flowing 70 years ago in Odisha’s Cuttack district is set to be rejuvenated.
Sukapaika River
- The Suka-paika (the dead) River originated from another river, the Mahanadi, near Ayatpur village.
- It flowed 27.5 km before meeting the Mahanadi again at Bankala.
- In the 1950s, the State’s water resource engineers had in their wisdom closed the Sukapaika river mouth enabling development of the Taladanda Canal System, a major canal of the State.
- This led to the river mostly drying up.
- The process was aggravated by agricultural encroachments that had sprung up on the riverbanks.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Basmati Rice
Mains level: Not Much
Five new Basmati varieties, developed by a group of scientists from Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), in 2020 and 2021 are all set to bring revolutionary changes in the way this type of paddy is cultivated in the country.
About Basmati Rice
- Basmati, pronounced is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which is traditionally grown in India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
- As of 2019, India accounted for 65% of the international trade in basmati rice, while Pakistan accounted for the remaining 35%.
- Many countries use domestically grown basmati rice crops; however, basmati is geographically exclusive to certain districts of India and Pakistan.
- India accounts for over 70% of the world’s basmati rice production.
- The areas which have a geographical indication are in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Western Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir
Export potential of Basmati
- Basmati rice has a market abroad and brings about ₹30,000 crore in foreign exchange every year.
- While 75% of the export is to West Asian countries, European Union countries also import Indian Basmati.
- However, recently, the export to EU countries faced certain hurdles due to the increase in the pesticide residue levels in the rice from India.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Agni Missiles
Mains level: Not Much
India has successfully test-fired indigenously-developed new generation medium-range ballistic missile Agni Prime from the Odisha coast.
Agni-Prime Missile
- Agni-P is a new generation advanced variant of the Agni class of missiles.
- It is the sixth missile in the Agni series of ballistic missile.
- It is a two-staged canisterised missile with a range capability between 1,000 and 2,000 km.
- Many advanced technologies including composites, propulsion systems, innovative guidance and control mechanisms and state-of-the-art navigation systems have been introduced.
- Significantly, it weighs 50 per cent less than the Agni 3 missile and has new guidance and propulsion systems
- The missile strengthens India’s credible deterrence capabilities.
Back2Basics: Agni Missiles
- Agni missiles are long range, nuclear weapons capable surface to surface ballistic missile.
- The first missile of the series, Agni-I was developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) and tested in 1989.
- After its success, Agni missile program was separated from the IGMDP upon realizing its strategic importance.
- It was designated as a special program in India’s defence budget and provided adequate funds for subsequent development.
Variants of Agni missiles
- Agni I: It is a Medium Range Ballistic Missile with a Range of 700-800 km.
- Agni II: It is also a Medium Range Ballistic Missile with a Range more than 2000 km.
- Agni III: It is also an Inter-Medium Range Ballistic Missile with Range of more than 2,500 Km
- Agni IV: It is also an Inter-Medium Range Ballistic Missile with Range is more than 3,500 km and can fire from a road mobile launcher.
- Agni-V: Currently it is the longest of Agni series, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of over 5,000 km.
- Agni- VI: The longest of the Agni series, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of ICBM 11,000–12,000 km.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Great Indian Bustard
Mains level: NA
The recent sighting of three Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) deep in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert has given rise to speculation that the endangered birds might have flown across the international border from India.
Great Indian Bustards
- GIBs are the largest among the four bustard species found in India, the other three being MacQueen’s bustard, lesser florican, and the Bengal florican.
- GIBs’ historic range included much of the Indian sub-continent but it has now shrunken to just 10 percent of it. Among the heaviest birds with flight, GIBs prefer grasslands as their habitats.
- GIBs are considered the flagship bird species of grassland.
Protection accorded
- Birdlife International: uplisted from Endangered to Critically Endangered (2011)
- Protection under CITES: Appendix I
- IUCN status: Critically Endangered
- Protection under Wildlife (Protection) Act: Schedule I
Threats
- Overhead power transmission: This has resulted in the electrocution of the bustards.
- Poor vision: Due to their poor frontal vision, can’t detect powerlines in time and their weight makes in-flight quick maneuvers difficult.
- Windmills: Coincidentally, Kutch and Thar desert are the places that have witnessed the creation of huge renewable energy infrastructure.
- Noise pollution: Noise affects the mating and courtship practices of the GIB.
- Changes in the landscape: by way of farmers cultivating their land, which otherwise used to remain fallow due to frequent droughts in Kutch.
- Cultivation changes: Cultivation of cotton and wheat instead of pulses and fodder are also cited as reasons for falling GIB numbers.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Consider the following pairs:
Protected Area: Well-known for
- Bhitarkanika, Odisha — Salt Water Crocodile
- Desert National Park, Rajasthan — Great Indian Bustard
- Eravikulam, Kerala — Hoolock Gibbon
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched? (CSP 2014)
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2
(c) 2 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Gift Tax
Mains level: NA
The Supreme Court recently ruled that shares within the lock-in period are not ‘quoted shares’, and thus they need to be valued as ‘unquoted shares’ to determine the gift tax liability.
What are quoted and unquoted shares?
- According to the Wealth Tax Act, ‘quoted share’ in relation to an equity share or a preference share means a share quoted on any recognised stock exchange with regularity from time to time.
- The quotations of such shares are based on current transactions made in the ordinary course of business.
- An ‘unquoted share’ is simply a share that is not a quoted share.
- So according to the SC order, if the locked-in shares of the promoter falls in the ‘unquoted share’ category, their price treatment can’t be that of the ‘quoted shares’, and so gift tax will not be applicable.
What are Gift Taxes?
- Gift tax is a provision introduced by the Parliament of India in 1958.
- It was introduced to impose tax on giving and receiving gifts under certain circumstances which is specified under the act.
- These gifts can be in any form including cash, jewellery, property, shares, vehicle, etc.
Gift Tax on Transfers
- The gift tax is also applicable on certain transfers that is not considered as a gift.
- The transfer of existing movable or immovable property in money or money’s worth qualifies for gift tax.
Certain exemptions
- Though gift tax is applicable on gifts whose value exceeds Rs.50,000, the gift is exempted from tax if it was given by a relative.
- The income tax rule specifies who can be considered as a relative and the list is mentioned below.
- Parent
- Spouse
- Siblings
- Spouse’s siblings
- Lineal descendants
- Lineal descendants of the spouse
Listed below are other situations in which the gift will be exempted from tax.
- Gifts received during weddings are usually exempted from tax.
- Gifts received as part of inheritance is exempted from tax.
- Cash or rewards received by local authorities or educational institutions on the basis of merit is exempted from tax.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Web 3.0
Mains level: Not Much
India has a rapidly-growing Web3 ecosystem with more than 450 active start-ups in the space that raised $1.3 billion in funding till April 2022.
What is Web 3.0?
- Web3 help users interact with decentralized applications built on blockchain technology.
- Web3 technologies like distributed ledgers, artificial intelligence, Metaverse and others aim to create the next-generation internet, which is accessible to everyone and offers benefits.
- Web2 is what we know and use today.
Why need Web 3?
- Centralization has helped onboard billions of people to the World Wide Web (www) and created the stable, robust internet infrastructure.
- At the same time, a handful of centralized entities have a stronghold on large swathes of the World Wide Web.
- They unilaterally decide what should and should not be allowed over Internet.
Key features of a Web3
- Immutable ecosystem, i.e., trust that people will download the digital product just as the original creator intended.
- Enhanced transparency and security,
- Quicker browsing performance,
- Complete user anonymity and confidentiality,
- Integrating cryptocurrency wallets with multiple blockchains,
- Complete control over the content due to decentralization.
Evolution of (world-wide) web
- The Web most of us know today is quite different from originally imagined.
- To understand this better, it’s helpful to break the Web’s short history into loose periods—Web 1.0 and Web 2.0.
(1) Web 1.0: Read-Only (1990-2004)
- The first inception of ‘Web 1.0’, occurred roughly between 1990 to 2004.
- It was mainly static websites owned by companies, and there was close to zero interaction between users – individuals seldom produced content – leading to it being known as the read-only web.
(2) Web 2.0: Read-Write (2004-now)
- The Web 2.0 period began in 2004 with the emergence of social media platforms.
- Instead of a read-only, the web evolved to be read-write.
- Instead of companies providing content to users, they also began to provide platforms to share user-generated content and engage in user-to-user interactions.
- As more people came online, a handful of top companies began to control a disproportionate amount of the traffic and value generated on the web.
- Web 2.0 also birthed the advertising-driven revenue model.
- While users could create content, they didn’t own it or benefit from its monetization.
How is Web3 prospected to be?
- The premise of ‘Web 3.0’ was coined by Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood shortly after Ethereum launched in 2014.
- Gavin put into words a solution for a problem that many early crypto adopters felt: the Web required too much trust.
- That is, most of the Web that people know and use today relies on trusting a handful of private companies to act in the public’s best interests.
Core ideas of Web3
Although it’s challenging to provide a rigid definition of what Web3 is, a few core principles guide its creation.
- Web3 is decentralized: instead of large swathes of the internet controlled and owned by centralized entities, ownership gets distributed amongst its builders and users.
- Web3 is permission-less: everyone has equal access to participate in Web3, and no one gets excluded.
- Web3 has native payments: it uses cryptocurrency for spending and sending money online instead of relying on the outdated infrastructure of banks and payment processors.
- Web3 is secure: It operates using incentives and economic mechanisms instead of relying on trusted third-parties.
Why is Web3 important?
- Ownership: Web3 gives you ownership of your digital assets in an unprecedented way. Web3 allows for direct ownership through non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
- Censorship resistance: The power dynamic between platforms and content creators is massively imbalanced.
- Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs): As well as owning your data in Web3, you can own the platform as a collective, using tokens that act like shares in a company.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CCI
Mains level: Not Much
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a ₹1,337.76-crore penalty on Google for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem.
What did Google do?
- Google had abused its dominance in the licensing of its operating system for smart mobile devices, app store market for Android smart mobiles among others.
- The CCI examined various practices of Google with respect to its licensing and various proprietary mobile applications, including Play Store, Google Search, Google Chrome, YouTube, etc.
About Competition Commission of India
- CCI is the competition regulator in India.
- It is a statutory body responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 and promoting competition throughout India and preventing activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.
- It was established on 14 October 2003. It became fully functional in May 2009.
Its establishment
- A need was felt to promote competition and private enterprise especially in the light of 1991 Indian economic liberalization.
- The idea of CCI was conceived and introduced in the form of The Competition Act, 2002 by the Vajpayee government.
- The Competition Act, 2002, as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007, follows the philosophy of modern competition laws.
- The Act prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises, and regulates combinations (acquisition, acquiring of control, and Merger and acquisition), which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Game of chance
Mains level: Online gaming and related issues
Online gambling and online games of chance have been banned in Tamil Nadu. At the same time, the other online games will be regulated.
What is Online Gaming?
- Online games refer to games that are played over some form of computer network, most often the Internet.
Types of gaming
- The types of online gaming include:
- E-sports (well-organized electronic sports which include professional players) ex. Chess
- Fantasy sports (choosing real-life sports players and winning points based on players’ performance) ex. MPL cricket
- Skill-based (mental skill) ex. Archery
- Gamble (based on random activity) ex. Playing Cards, Rummy
Online gaming sector in India
- In the past few years, India’s nascent online gaming industry witnessed an unprecedented rise, catapulting it to the top five mobile gaming markets in the world.
- Registering a growth rate of 38%, online gaming is the next sunrise industry.
- Currently, there are more than 400 gaming companies in India, and it is home to 420 million online gamers, second only to China, according to an analysis by KPMG.
Why is the gaming industry booming in India?
- Digital India boom in the gaming industry
- Narrowing of the digital divide
- IT boom
Other factors promoting the boom
- Growing younger population
- Higher disposable income
- Inexpensive internet data
- Introduction of new gaming genres, and
- Increasing number of smartphone and tablet users
Prospects of online gaming
- State List Subject: The state legislators are, vide Entry No. 34 of List II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule, given exclusive power to make laws relating to betting and gambling.
- Distinction in laws: Most Indian states regulate gaming on the basis of a distinction in law between ‘games of skill’ and ‘games of chance’.
- Classification on dominant element: As such, a ‘dominant element’ test is utilized to determine whether chance or skill is the dominating element in determining the result of the game.
- Linked economic activity: Staking money or property on the outcome of a ‘game of chance’ is prohibited and subjects the guilty parties to criminal sanctions.
- ‘Game of Skill’ debate: Placing any stakes on the outcome of a ‘game of skill’ is not illegal per se and may be permissible. It is important to note that the Supreme Court recognized that no game is purely a ‘game of skill’ and almost all games have an element of chance.
Need for regulation
- No comprehensive regulation: India currently has no comprehensive legislation with regards to the legality of online gaming or boundaries that specify applicable tax rates within the betting and gambling industry.
- Ambiguity of the sector: The gaming sector is nascent and is still evolving, and many states are bringing about legislation seeking to bring about some order in the online gaming sector.
- State list subject: Online gaming in India is allowed in most parts of the country. However, different states have their own legislation with regards to whether online gaming is permitted.
- Economic advantage: Well-regulated online gaming has its own advantages, such as economic growth and employment benefits.
Issues with online gaming
- Gaming addiction: Numerous people are developing an addiction to online gaming. This is destroying lives and devastating families.
- Compulsive gaming: Gaming by children is affecting their performance in schools and impacting their social lives & relationships with family members. Ex. PUBG
- Impact on psychological health: Online games like PUBG and the Blue Whale Challenge were banned after incidents of violence and suicide.
- Threat to Data privacy: Inadvertent sharing of personal information can lead to cases of cheating, privacy violations, abuse, and bullying.
- Betting and gambling: Online games based on the traditional ludo, arguably the most popular online game in India, have run into controversy, and allegations of betting and gambling.
Why hasn’t a comprehensive law yet materialized?
- Earlier, states like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka also passed laws banning online games.
- However, they were quashed by state High Courts on grounds that an outright ban was unfair to games of skill:
- Violation of fundamental rights of trade and commerce, liberty and privacy, speech and expression;
- Law being manifestly arbitrary and irrational insofar as it did not distinguish between two different categories of games, i.e. games of skill and chance;
- Lack of legislative Competence of State legislatures to enact laws on online skill-based games.
Way forward
- Censoring: Minors should be allowed to proceed only with the consent of their parents — OTP verification on Aadhaar could resolve this.
- Awareness: Gaming companies should proactively educate users about potential risks and how to identify likely situations of cheating and abuse.
- Regulating mechanism: A Gaming Authority in the central government should be created.
- Accountability of the gaming company: It could be made responsible for the online gaming industry, monitoring its operations, preventing societal issues, suitably classifying games of skill or chance, overseeing consumer protection, and combatting illegality and crime.
- All-encompassing legislation: the Centre should formulate an overarching regulatory framework for online games of skill. India must move beyond skill-versus-chance debates to keep up with the global gaming industry.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: RNA Origami
Mains level: Not Much
This newscard is an excerpt of the original article published in The Hindu.
Note: It appears to be too much biological. And suddenly out of our ease of understanding.
What is Ribo Nucleic Acid (RNA)?
- RNA is an important biological macromolecule that is present in all biological cells.
- It is principally involved in the synthesis of proteins, carrying the messenger instructions from DNA, which itself contains the genetic instructions required for the development and maintenance of life.
- In some viruses, RNA, rather than DNA, carries genetic information.
- The type of RNA dictates the function that this molecule will have within the cell.
- Aside from the coding region of messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules that will be translated into proteins, other cellular RNA elements are involved in different processes.
What are RNA Origami?
- RNA origami is the nanoscale folding of RNA, enabling the RNA to create particular shapes to organize these molecules.
- It is an attempt to generate complex human-made RNA-based devices.
- They are stable in cells, interact with other biomolecules, including other RNA and proteins, and enable unique applications, particularly in the context of gene regulation.
Why are they used?
So far there have been two approaches in RNA origami and both attempt to regulate the production of protein.
(1) To achieve precise control of protein production
- Self-inhibiting protein expression cassettes were made by installing a strong binding site for the expressed protein in its own gene.
- Afterwards, RNA origami decorated with the same protein-binding sites was expressed in large excess.
- In this way, the RNA origami serves as a protein-sponge that sequesters proteins in the cell and allows expression of the self-inhibited protein.
- This approach helped to regulate several proteins simultaneously and turn on enzymatic pathways for improved product yields.
(2) Using for gene editing
- The RNA origamis were integrated in the small RNAs that guide CRISPR-Cas9 enzyme to target specific sequences in the DNA genome.
- Its scaffolds were decorated with protein-binding sites capable of recruiting transcription factors.
- By targeting the RNA scaffolds to promoter regions, the transcription factors activated gene expression.
- Researchers have shown that the expression strength can be tuned by the orienting the scaffold and level of transcription factors recruited.
- These multi-enzyme pathways could be controlled for high-yield production of the anti-cancer drug violacein.
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