Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: North Star
Mains level: Features of parliamentary democracy
Vice President said Parliament is the “North Star” of democracy, “a place of discussion and deliberation to realize the aspirations and dreams of the people”.
What is North Star?
- North Star is a metaphor to refer to something constant/permanent that leads and provides direction.
- Polaris, also known as the North Star or the Pole Star, is a very bright star (around 2500 times more luminous than our sun) placed less than 1° away from the north celestial pole.
- Its position and brightness have made humans use it for navigation since late antiquity.
- It is a part of the constellation Ursa Minor and is around 323 light-years away from Earth.
How it helps navigation?
- It stands almost motionless in the night sky, with all the stars of the northern sky appearing to rotate around it.
- This makes it an excellent fixed point from which to draw measurements for celestial navigation.
- Simply the elevation of the star above the horizon gives the approximate latitude of the observer and in the northern hemisphere, if you can see Polaris you can always tell which way is north.
- Upon crossing the equator to the South, the North Star is lost over the horizon and hence stops being a useful navigational aid.
When the North Star was first used to navigate?
- Polaris seems to have been first charted by the Roman mathematician and astronomer Ptolemy, who lived from about 85 to 165 B.C.
- While there does exist some evidence pointing at how the star was used for navigation in late antiquity, it is during the ‘Age of Exploration’ that it becomes such a central part of human history.
- Christopher Columbus, on his first trans-Atlantic voyage of 1492, “had to correct (his ship’s bearings) for the circle described by the pole star about the pole”, wrote his son in his biography.
- As European colonizers set sail for exotic locations across the world, the North Star became an ever-so-important feature.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Muons
Mains level: Not Much
As per a new study, researchers are examining the fortress wall of Xi’an, an ancient city in China, by using tiny outer space particles ‘Muon’ that can penetrate hundreds of metres of stone surfaces.
What are Muons?
- Muons are subatomic particles raining from space.
- They are created when the particles in Earth’s atmosphere collide with cosmic rays — clusters of high-energy particles that move through space at just below the speed of light.
- About 10,000 muons reach every square metre of the Earth’s surface a minute.
- These particles resemble electrons but are 207 times as massive.
- Therefore, they are sometimes called “fat electrons”. Because muons are so heavy, they can travel through hundreds of metres of rock or other matter before getting absorbed or decaying into electrons and neutrinos.
- In comparison, electrons can penetrate through only a few centimetres. Muons are highly unstable and exist for just 2.2 microseconds.
What is muon tomography or muography?
- Muography is conceptually similar to X-ray but capable of scanning much larger and wider structures, owing to the penetration power of muons.
- As these high-energy particles are naturally produced and ubiquitous, all one needs to do is place a muon detector underneath, within or near the object of interest.
- The detector then tracks the number of muons going through the object from different directions, to form a three-dimensional image.
Muons and archaeology
- The technique was first used in the late 1960s, when Nobel Laureate and US experimental physicist Luis Alvarez joined hands with Egyptologists to search for hidden chambers in the Pyramid of Khafre, Giza.
- Nothing was found at the time.
Recent feats achieved
- In 2017, modern archaeologists repeated the experiment with more sophisticated and advanced muon detectors and stumbled upon a major finding.
- By placing several detectors, the archaeologists were able to discover a previously unknown chamber at least 30 metres long.
- It was the first major inner structure to be found in the pyramid since the 19th century.
Uses of muography beyond archaeology
- Apart from archaeology, muography has found use in customs security, internal imaging of volcanoes and others.
- Around 2015, scientists used the technique to look inside the Fukushima nuclear reactors after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
- As the site was highly radioactive, they put the two muon detectors in 10 centimetres thick boxes to protect them from radiation and then carried out the scanning.
- Muography is also being used by researchers to analyse Mount Vesuvius, a volcano in Italy.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Military coup in Myanmar
It is exactly two years since the Myanmar army seized power.
Myanmar Coup: A quick recap
- A coup in Myanmar began on the morning of 1 February 2021, when democratically elected members of the country’s ruling party, were deposed by the Tatmadaw—Myanmar’s military.
- The coup occurred the day before the Parliament of Myanmar was due to swear in the members elected at the 2020 election, thereby preventing this from occurring.
- Pivot leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained, along with ministers, their deputies, and members of Parliament.
India’s continuing policy tightrope in Myanmar
- For some three decades, India has pursued a ‘Dual-Track Policy’ which essentially means doing business with the junta.
- India shares a 1,600 km border with Myanmar along four NE states.
- It has a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal, the failure of the Myanmar state presents a foreign policy dilemma that it is struggling to resolve.
- It has ruled over Myanmar for all but five years since 1990, with tea and sympathy for the pro-democracy forces.
Why in news now?
Ans. Pro-democracy armed rebellion within
- Hundreds of armed pro-democracy civilian resistance groups (People’s Defence Forces) are fighting the junta and turning swathes of the country into no-go areas for the army.
- In addition some among the two dozen ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) that have been fighting the Myanmar state for autonomy for the last seven decades, have joined hands with the PDFs.
India’s concerns
- Chinese inroads: Over the last two decades, as China with its deep pockets emerged as a rival in the region, engaging with the junta was also seen as a way to retain Indian influence in Myanmar.
- No democratic restoration: Delhi had to calibrate this engagement during the “democratic transition” of the last decade and rebalance the dual track.
- Narrowed interests: These are becoming apparent, even going by India’s narrowly defined national interests: border security management, and restricting China in Myanmar.
- Limitations to strategy: India has limited to its old template of engagement— doing business with the military regime, encouraging it restore democracy, and offering sympathy to democratic forces.
Recent success: Completion of Sittwe Port
- In the first week of January, Sittwe port, developed by India as part of the Kaladan project, was ready for operation.
- It is set to be inaugurated soon.
Five ways in which India’s calculations have been upset
- Bluff over connectivity: While maritime trade was one objective, the primary objective of this project, to provide alternate access to India’s landlocked north-east states, now seems like a bridge too far.
- Huge refugee influx: Mizoram is hosting tens of thousands of refugees from the adjoining Chin state in Myanmar. Refugees have come into other Northeastern states, though in fewer numbers.
- Clouds of terrorism: More dangerously, the recent bombing by the Myanmar Air Force of a Chin militia headquarters on the border with Mizoram, with shrapnel hitting the Indian side during this operation, triggered panic in the area.
- Narcotics smuggling: Another potential cross-border spillovers is contained in the latest report of the UN Office for Drugs and Crime on Myanmar (Myanmar Opium Survey).
- Supporting insurgents in India: Myanmar junta has recruited Indian insurgent group (IIGs) in regions adjoining Manipur and Nagaland to fight against the local PDFs and other groups.
- Worsening of Rohingya crisis: The military cannot resolve the Rohingya crisis, another regional destabilizer.
Way forward for India
- Championing this cause in G20: India has projected its year-long presidency of the G20 as an opportunity to project the voice of the global south.
- Extra-diplomatic engagement: India can open channels to the democratic forces and to some ethnic groups; it can work more actively with ASEAN; it could open an army-to-army channel with the junta; increase people-to-people channels; offer scholarships to Myanmar students like it did for Afghan students in a different era.
- Ensuring fair elections: The junta is mulling elections later this year after rejigging the first-past-the-post system to proportional representation to undermine the NLD’s electoral might.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Shaligram Stone
Mains level: NA
Two sacred Shaligram stones arrived in Ayodhya for crafting the idols of Lord Ram and Janaki at the Ram Temple.
What is a Shaligram Stones?
- Shaligram stones are fossils of ammonite, which is a type of mollusk that lived between 400 million and 65 million years ago.
- They are found in the Shaligram Pilgrimage in the Nepal Himalayas.
- They date specifically from the Early Oxfordian to the Late Tithonian Age near the end of the Jurassic Period some 165-140 million years ago.
- Mostly found in riverbeds or banks of the Kali Gandaki, a tributary of the Gandaki River in Nepal, this stone is revered as a representation of Lord Vishnu.
- The stone is considered to have divine powers and is seen as a symbol of good luck and prosperity.
Mythological significance
- Historically, the use of shaligrama shilas in worship can be traced to the time of Adi Shankara through the latter’s works.
- Specifically it finds mention in the Taittiriya Upanishad.
- The statue of Vishnu in the Padmanabhaswamy Temple of Thiruvananthapuram and Badrinath Temple of Garhwal region, and that of Krishna in Krishna Matha of Udupi and Radha Raman Temple of Vrindavana are also believed to be made from shaligrama shilas.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Section 33 (7) of the RPA, 1951
Mains level: Not Much
The Supreme Court has refused to set aside a provision in the election law that allows candidates to contest polls from two constituencies simultaneously.
What is the issue?
- The petition had sought the court to declare Section 33(7) of the Representation of People Act invalid and ultra vires.
- Like one-person-one-vote, one-candidate-one-constituency is the dictum of democracy, argued the petition.
What did the SC say?
- This is a policy matter and an issue concerning political democracy.
- It is for the Parliament to take a call, CJI observed.
Provision for contesting polls from two constituency
- Under section 33 (7) of the RPA, 1951, a person is allowed to contest polls, whether a general election, more than one by-elections or biennial elections, from a maximum of two seats.
- Before this law, candidates could run in any number of constituencies.
- If candidates win both seats, they must vacate one within 10 days, triggering a by-election, as stated under section 70 of the Act.
- Under the Constitution, an individual cannot simultaneously be a member of either House of Parliament (or a state legislature), or both Parliament and a state legislature, or represent more than one seat in a House.
Issues with two polls provision
- Issues with twin victories: There have been cases where a person contests election from two constituencies, and wins from both. In such a situation he vacates the seat in one of the two constituencies.
- Expenses of bye-election: The consequence is that a by-election would be required from one constituency involving avoidable expenditure on the conduct of that bye-election.
ECI supports one-candidate-one-constituency
- The Election Commission had, in an affidavit in 2018, supported the petition.
- It had informed the Supreme Court that it had proposed an amendment to Section 33(7) in July 2004.
Way ahead
- Heavy election deposits: A candidate should deposit an amount of ₹5 lakh for contesting in two constituencies in an Assembly election or ₹10 lakh in a general election.
- Recurring election expenses: The amount would be used to cover the expenses for a by-election in the eventuality that he or she was victorious in both constituencies and had to relinquish one.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Additional surveillance mechanism (ASM)
Mains level: Not Much
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) placed very famous enterprises of business tycoons under the additional surveillance mechanism (ASM).
Why in news?
- The Adani Group has shed $108 billion in market value since Hindenburg Research accused it of stock manipulation and accounting fraud.
What is Additional Surveillance Mechanism (ASM)?
- 2018 saw the establishment of the Additional Surveillance Measure (ASM), a measure by SEBI and recognised stock exchanges to control the incredibly volatile stocks on the Indian stock market.
- ASM in the stock market functions as a control measure for speculative trading to safeguard the interests of retail investors and keep them out of potentially dangerous trading situations.
- There are two parts of additional margins:
- Long-term ASM
- Short-term ASM
What is ASM list in the stock market?
- ASM list means a collection of securities currently under observation owing to variables like price volatility, volume variation, etc.
- Investors are alerted to unexpected price movement by stocks that have been shortlisted for the ASM list.
- These equities are subject to various trading restrictions to halt any speculation.
- The regulations that apply to stocks on the ASM list are more stringent.
- They are prohibited from being pledged and using intraday leverages like bracket and cover orders, among others.
How does it work?
- For instance, the stock will be moved to a 5% price band the day it joins the ASM list; from then on, it may only move 5% up or down from the previous day’s closing level.
- As a result of this limit violation, the stock can no longer trade on the market once this limit is violated.
- In addition, the investor ought to have 100% margin money to trade the stock as of the fifth day.
- The selected securities will be monitored further, based on predetermined criteria and transferred into Trade to Trade settlement once the criterion is met.
Criteria to determine ASM list stocks
The following criteria are used to select stocks for inclusion in ASM and were mutually decided upon by SEBI and Exchanges:
- Close-to-Close Price Variation
- Market Capitalisation
- Volume Variation
- Delivery Percentage
- High Low Variation
- Client Concentration
- of Unique PANs
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Red Sanders
Mains level: Not Much
The CITES trade database has recorded 28 incidents of Red Sanders confiscation, seizure, and specimen from the wild being exported from India.
Red Sanders
- The species, Pterocarpus santalinus, is an Indian endemic tree species, with a restricted geographical range in the Eastern Ghats.
- It is a very slow-growing tree species that attains maturity in natural forests after 25-40 years.
- It is endemic to a distinct tract of forests in Andhra Pradesh.
- It is mainly found in Chittoor, Kadapa, Nandhyal, Nellore, Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh.
- It was classified as ‘near threatened’ in 2018 and has now joined the ‘endangered’ list once again in 2021.
- It is listed under Appendix II of CITES and is banned from international trade.
Legal protection in India
- The Union Environment Ministry had decided to keep Red Sanders (red sandalwood) OUT of the Schedule VI of Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, arguing that this would discourage the cultivation of the rare plant species.
- Schedule VI regulates and restricts the cultivation, possession, and sale of a rare plant species.
Threats to this specie
- Red Sanders are known for their rich hue and therapeutic properties, are high in demand across Asia, particularly in China and Japan.
- They are used in cosmetics and medicinal products as well as for making furniture, woodcraft and musical instruments.
- Its popularity can be gauged from the fact that a tonne of Red Sanders costs anything between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore in the international market.
Try this question from CSP 2016:
Q.With reference to ‘Red Sanders’, sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements:
- It is a tree species found in a part of South India.
- It is one of the most important trees in the tropical rain forest areas of South India.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Post your answers here.
Back2Basics: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
- CITES stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
- It is as an international agreement aimed at ensuring “that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival”.
- It was drafted after a resolution was adopted at a meeting of the members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1963.
- It entered into force on July 1, 1975, and now has 183 parties.
- The Convention is legally binding on the Parties in the sense that they are committed to implementing it; however, it does not take the place of national laws.
- India is a signatory to and has also ratified CITES convention in 1976.
CITES Appendices
- CITES works by subjecting international trade in specimens of selected species to certain controls.
- All import, export, re-exports and introduction from the sea of species covered by the convention has to be authorized through a licensing system.
- It has three appendices:
- Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade-in specimens of these species are permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
- Appendix II provides a lower level of protection.
- Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling trade.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Lab grown diamonds
Mains level: Not Much
During her Budget speech, Finance Minister announced the government’s move to focus on lab-grown diamonds (LGDs).
What did the FM announce?
- Customs duty on the seeds used in lab-grown diamond manufacturing will be reduced, announced the finance minister.
- She also announced a grant to IITs to facilitate the growth of LGDs in India.
What are Lab-Grown Diamonds (LGD)?
- Lab-grown diamonds are diamonds that are produced using specific technology which mimics the geological processes that grow natural diamonds.
- They are not the same as “diamond simulants” – LGDs are chemically, physically and optically diamond and thus are difficult to identify as “lab-grown.”
- While materials such as Moissanite, Cubic Zirconia (CZ), White Sapphire, YAG, etc. are “diamond simulants” that simply attempt to “look” like a diamond.
- LGDs have basic properties similar to natural diamonds, including their optical dispersion, which provide them the signature diamond sheen.
- They lack the sparkle and durability of a diamond and are thus easily identifiable.
- However, differentiating between an LGD and an Earth Mined Diamond is hard, with advanced equipment required for the purpose.
How are LGDs produced?
There are multiple ways in which LGDs can be produced.
- High pressure, high temperature (HPHT) method: This method requires extremely high pressure, high temperature presses that can produce up to 730,000 psi of pressure under extremely high temperatures (at least 1500 Celsius). Usually graphite is used as the “diamond seed” and when subjected to these extreme conditions, the relatively inexpensive form of carbon turns into one of the most expensive carbon forms.
- Other processes: These include “Chemical Vapor Deposition” (CVD) and explosive formation that creates what are known as “detonation nano-diamonds”.
What are LGDs used for?
(1) Production
- For instance, LGDs are most often used for industrial purposes, in machines and tools. Their hardness and extra strength make them ideal for use as cutters.
- Furthermore, pure synthetic diamonds have high thermal conductivity, but negligible electrical conductivity.
(2) Electronics industry
- This combination is invaluable for electronics where such diamonds can be used as a heat spreader for high-power laser diodes, laser arrays and high-power transistors.
(3) Jewelleries
- Lastly, as the Earth’s reserves of natural diamonds are depleted, LGDs are slowly replacing the prized gemstone in the jewellery industry.
- Crucially, like natural diamonds, LGDs undergo similar processes of polishing and cutting that are required to provide diamonds their characteristic lustre.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Puisne Judges, Three Judges Case
Mains level: Not Much
While recommending two names for appointment as judges of the Supreme Court, the Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said that the collegium had taken into “consideration the seniority of Chief Justices and senior puisne Judges…”
Who are Puisne Judge?
- According to the dictionary, the word puisne has French origins, which means “later born” or younger.
- It is pronounced / “puny”, the English word that means small or undersized.
- Puisne is almost always used in the context of judges, and essentially denotes seniority of rank.
- The term puisne judge is used in common law countries to refer to judges who are ranked lower in seniority, i.e., any judge other than the Chief Justice of that court.
Now again, what is common law?
- Common law is the body of law that is created by judges through their written opinions, rather than through statutes or constitutions (statutory law).
- Common law, which is used interchangeably with ‘case law’, is based on judicial precedent.
- The United Kingdom (UK) and the Commonwealth countries, including India, are common law countries.
Legal reference to Puisne Judges
In the Third Judges Case ruling in 1998, one of the two cases that led to the evolution of the collegium system, the Supreme Court clarified that-
- The CJI must make a recommendation to appoint a Judge of the Supreme Court and to transfer a Chief Justice or puisne Judge of a High Court in consultation with the four seniormost puisne Judges of the Supreme Court.
Is a “puisne judge” in India the same as in the UK?
- In the UK, puisne judges are judges other than those holding distinct titles.
- The Supreme Court of Judicature Act, 1877 defined a “puisne judge” as any judge of the High Court besides the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice of England, and the Master of the Rolls.
- In India, all judges have the same judicial powers.
- As the seniormost judge of a court, the Chief Justice has an additional administrative role.
- In India, there is a reference to a puisne judge only while considering the order of seniority for appointments, elevations to High Courts, etc., but it does not have a bearing on the exercise of a judge’s judicial power.
What is the recent context?
- The Supreme Court collegium recommended current Chief Justices of the Allahabad and Gujarat High Courts respectively, for appointment as judges of the Supreme Court.
- While giving reasons for its recommendation, the collegium said that the decision was made taking “into consideration the seniority of Chief Justices and senior puisne Judges in their respective parent High Courts.
- This was done because seniority is one of the several criteria that are considered while making appointments to the higher judiciary.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PVTGs
Mains level: Tribal upliftment
The Union Budget 2023-24 has provided to launch the Pradhan Mantri PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group) Development Mission in order to saturate the PVTG families and habitations with basic facilities.
What is the budgetary announcement about?
- The Pradhan Mantri PVTG Mission will be launched as part of ‘Reaching The Last Mile’, one of the seven Saptarishi priorities enlisted in this year’s Budget.
- More details are awaited for this new.
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)
- There are certain tribal communities who have declining or stagnant population, low level of literacy, pre-agricultural level of technology and are economically backward.
- They generally inhabit remote localities having poor infrastructure and administrative support.
- These groups are among the most vulnerable section of our society as they are few in numbers, have not attained any significant level of social and economic development.
- 75 such groups have been identified and categorized as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
Origin of the concept
- The Dhebar Commission (1960-1961) stated that within Scheduled Tribes there existed an inequality in the rate of development.
- During the fourth Five Year Plan a sub-category was created within Scheduled Tribes to identify groups that considered to be at a lower level of development.
- This was created based on the Dhebar Commission report and other studies.
- This sub-category was named “Primitive tribal group”.
Features of PVTGs
- The features of such a group include a:
- Pre-agricultural system of existence
- Practice of hunting and gathering
- Zero or negative population growth
- Extremely low level of literacy in comparison with other tribal groups
- Groups that satisfied any one of the criterion were considered as PTG.
- In 2006 the government of India proposed to rename “Primitive tribal group” as Particularly vulnerable tribal group”.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India:
- PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory.
- A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.
- There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.
- Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs.
Which of the statements given above are correct? (CSP 2019)
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 2 and 4
(d) 1, 3 and 4
Post your answers here.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Multi-capital states
Visakhapatnam will be the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, announced the Chief Minister.
AP’s move for three capitals
- AP had introduced a ‘Three Capitals Act’ titled Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020.
- Thus, it was decided that:
- Amaravati was to be the Legislative capital
- Visakhapatnam the Executive capital and
- Kurnool the Judicial capital
- However, the Andhra Pradesh High Court repealed this Act citing that the legislature has no competence to enact any law for shifting the three organs of the capital.
Concerns raised by AP government
- AP contended that the judgement was in violation of the basic structure of the Constitution as the HC cannot hold that the State does not have the powers to decide on its capital.
- The judgement was against the doctrine of separation of powers as it sought to preempt the legislature from taking up the issue (of three capitals).
- Further, it is argued that under the federal structure of the Constitution, every State has an inherent right to determine where it should carry out its capital functions from.
Reasons for AP’s consideration
(1) Viable option of Visakhapatnam
- Vizag always had been the biggest city, after Hyderabad, even in the combined State.
- It has all the settings to become a good living space.
(2) Sri Krishna panel recommendations
- The advantages and qualities of Visakhapatnam to become the capital was elaborately deliberated by the Sri Krishna Committee to study the alternatives for a new capital for the State of Andhra Pradesh.
- Coming to suggestion for the alternative capital, the Committee primarily took up three things for consideration — creation of single city or super city in greenfield location, expanding existing cities and distributed development.
(3) Decentralisation
- This idea was elaborately described in the Sri Bagh pact.
- The pact clearly defined decentralisation, for the benefit of all three main regions such as Coastal AP, Godavari and Krishna districts and Rayalaseema.
Major practical problems
- Continuum of work: The government argues that the Assembly meets only after gaps of several months, and government Ministers, officers, and staff can simply go to Amaravati when required.
- Logistics nightmare: coordinating between seats of legislature and executive in separate cities will be easier said than done.
- Time and costs of travel: The distances in Andhra Pradesh are not inconsiderable. Executive capital Visakhapatnam is 700 km from judicial capital Kurnool, and 400 km from legislative capital Amaravati.
Examples of multi-capital states in India
- Among Indian states, Maharashtra has two capitals– Mumbai and Nagpur (which holds the winter session of the state assembly).
- Himachal Pradesh has capitals at Shimla and Dharamshala (winter).
- The former state of Jammu & Kashmir had Srinagar and Jammu (winter) as capitals where Darbar Move is carried out.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Shumang Leela
Mains level: NA
This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in TH.
Shumang Leela
- Shumang Leela is a unique traditional form of theatre in Manipur.
- The tradition is believed to be descended from Lai Haraoba, a ritual of the Meitei community of Manipur.
Types of this dance
Shumang Leela is of two types:
- Nupa Shumang Leela: It performed only by men. Here the roles of women are all played by men, called Nupi Shabis.
- Nupi Shumang Leela: It performed only by women and the roles of men are played by women.
Performance details
- The plays serve as a medium to spread awareness among people of social, political and economic issues. Shumang Leelas may also discuss moral values, unity and integrity.
- This theatre form has for long been trying to strengthen the bond of brotherhood and friendship among various communities in the State.
Significance of the art
- In a society marked by heteronormativity, the gender-bending nature of Shumang Leela makes it a unique art form that is fraught with complexity.
- The men who take up female roles or vice versa are highly appreciated and laughed at.
- The traditional theatre form has preserved its original form, and its aim to inform and entertain has remained unchanged.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Project ELLORA
Mains level: Not Much
Microsoft’s Project ELLORA is helping small languages like Gondi, Mundari become eloquent for the digital world.
Project ELLORA
- To bring ‘rare’ Indian languages online, Microsoft launched the Project ELLORA or Enabling Low Resource Languages in 2015.
- Under the project, researchers are building digital resources of the languages.
- They say that their purpose is to preserve a language for posterity so that users of these languages “can participate and interact in the digital world.”
How is ELLORA creating a language dataset?
- The researchers are mapping out resources, including printed literature, to create a dataset to train their AI model.
- The team is also working with these communities on the project.
- By involving the community in the data collection process, researchers hope to create a dataset that is both accurate and culturally relevant.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Methane Pollution
Mains level: Not Much
Bill Gates has invested in a climate technology start-up that aims to curtail the methane emissions of cow burps.
What is the news?
- The startup Rumin8 is developing a variety of dietary supplements to feed to cows in a bid to reduce the amount of methane they emit into the atmosphere.
- The supplement includes red seaweed, which is believed to drastically cut methane output in cows.
What is Methane?
- Methane is a greenhouse gas, which is also a component of natural gas.
- There are various sources of methane including human and natural sources.
- The anthropogenic sources are responsible for 60 per cent of global methane emissions.
- It includes landfills, oil and natural gas systems, agricultural activities, coal mining, wastewater treatment, and certain industrial processes.
- The oil and gas sectors are among the largest contributors to human sources of methane.
- These emissions come primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, decomposition in landfills and the agriculture sector.
How do cows and other animals produce methane?
- Ruminant animals such as cows, sheep, goats, and buffaloes release this methane mainly through burping.
- They have a special type of digestive system that allows them to break down and digest food that non-ruminant species would be unable to digest.
- Stomachs of ruminant animals have four compartments, one of which, the rumen, helps them to store partially digested food and let it ferment.
- This partially digested and fermented food is regurgitated by the animals who chew through it again and finish the digestive process.
- However, as grass and other vegetation ferments in the rumen, it generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
How much do these ruminants contribute to emissions?
- Given the very large numbers of cattle and sheep on farms in dairy-producing countries, these emissions add up to a significant volume.
- It is estimated that the ruminant digestive system is responsible for 27 per cent of all methane emissions from human activity.
Why is methane such a big problem?
- Methane is one of the main drivers of climate change, responsible for 30 per cent of the warming since preindustrial times, second only to carbon dioxide.
- Over a 20-year period, methane is 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide, according to a report by the UNEP.
- It’s also the primary contributor to the formation of ground-level ozone, a colourless and highly irritating gas that forms just above the Earth’s surface.
- According to a 2022 report, exposure to ground-level ozone could be contributing to 1 million premature deaths every year.
- Several studies have shown that in recent years, the amount of methane in the atmosphere has dramatically shot up.
Mitigating methane emissions
- Scientists have been working on to make these animals more sustainable and less gassy.
- A 2021 study, published in the journal PLUS ONE, found that adding seaweed to cow feed can reduce methane formation in their guts by more than 80 per cent.
- Apart from this, researchers are also trying to find gene-modifying techniques to curtail methane emissions in these animals.
- Last year, scientists in New Zealand announced they had started the world’s first genetic programme to address the challenge of climate change by breeding sheep that emit lower amounts of methane.
Global collaboration against methane pollution
Ans. Global Methane Initiative (GMI)
- GMI is a voluntary Government and an informal international partnership having members from 45 countries including the United States and Canada.
- India last year co-chaired along with Canada the GMI leadership meet held virtually.
- The forum has been created to achieve global reduction in anthropogenic methane emission through partnership among developed and developing countries having economies in transition.
- The forum was created in 2004 and India is one of the members since its inception and has taken up Vice-Chairmanship for the first time in the Steering Leadership along with USA.
Back2Basics: CO2 Equivalents
- Each greenhouse gas (GHG) has a different global warming potential (GWP) and persists for a different length of time in the atmosphere.
- The three main greenhouse gases (along with water vapour) and their 100-year global warming potential (GWP) compared to carbon dioxide are:
1 x – carbon dioxide (CO2)
25 x – methane (CH4) – I.e. Releasing 1 kg of CH4into the atmosphere is about equivalent to releasing 25 kg of CO2
298 x – nitrous oxide (N2O)
- Water vapour is not considered to be a cause of man-made global warming because it does not persist in the atmosphere for more than a few days.
- There are other greenhouse gases which have far greater global warming potential (GWP) but are much less prevalent. These are sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
- There are a wide variety of uses for SF6, HFCs, and PFCs but they have been most commonly used as refrigerants and for fire suppression.
- Many of these compounds also have a depleting effect on ozone in the upper atmosphere.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Domestic breeds of Goat
Mains level: Therpautic use of goat milk
India’s domestic goats have attracted the attention of biotechnology companies wishing to produce therapeutic proteins in bulk.
Domestication of Goats
- The domestic goat (Capra hircus) is a familiar presence in the rural landscape of India and in many developing countries.
- The goat has played an important economic role in human communities from the time it was domesticated about 10,000 years ago.
- It has even been argued that the domestication of goats was an important step in mankind’s shift from a hunting-gathering lifestyle to agricultural settlements.
Various breeds found in India
- The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that the world has 830 million goats belonging to about 1,000 breeds.
- India has 150 million from over 20 prominent breeds including-
- Marwari: Rajasthan has the most number of goats — the Marwari goat found here is hardy and well-adapted to the climate of deserts.
- Osmanabadi: Another hardy breed, found in the dry regions of Maharashtra, Telangana and North Karnataka is the Osmanabadi.
- Malabari: Also called Tellicherry of North Kerala, it is a prolific breed with low-fat meat, and shares these traits with the beetal goat of Punjab.
- Black Bengal goat: The east Indian Black Bengal goat is a vital contributor to the livelihoods of the rural poor of Bangladesh. It contributes over 20 million square feet of skin and hides to the world’s demands for leather goods, from fire-fighters gloves to fashionable handbags.
- Jamunapari: These goats from Uttar Pradesh were favoured as they yield 300 kg of milk during eight months of lactation. Once in England, the Jamunapari was bred with local breeds to produce the Anglo-Nubian, a champion producer of high-fat milk.
Why are goats significant for farmers?
- Goats have a quick generation time of about two years.
- General benefits of goat milk out-powers the high-fat buffalo milk.
- As many farmers lack the space or funds to rear cattle, the goat is rightly called “the poor man’s cow”.
- There are no specific fodder requirements for goat. It can feed even on the neem leaves.
Significance in therapeutics: Antithrombin production
- Goats have attracted the attention of biotechnology companies wishing to produce therapeutic proteins in bulk.
- The first success came with ATryn, the trade name for a goat-produced antithrombin III molecule.
- Antithrombin keeps the blood free from clots, and its deficiency (usually inherited) can lead to serious complications such as pulmonary embolisms.
- Affected individuals need antithrombin injections twice a week, usually purified from donated blood.
- Recently, the monoclonal antibody cetuximab, which has been approved by the FDA as an anti-cancer drug against certain lung cancers, has also been produced in cloned goat lines.
Why is it a significant development?
- Transgenic goats carrying a copy of the human antithrombin gene have cells in their mammary glands that release this protein into milk.
- It has been claimed that one goat could produce antithrombin equivalent to what was obtained from 90,000 units of human blood.
- Large quantities can be made this way (10 grams per litre of milk).
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Two nation theory
Mains level: Pakistan's prospected economic default and collapse
In this article, we take you to the history of Pakistan (which is on the brink of its demise) and the facts behind its naming.
Jinnah and Pakistan
- Muhammad Ali Jinnah is remembered as the founder of Pakistan, its “Qaid e Azam”, or the “Great Leader.”
- He led a movement that transformed a weak idea of a sovereign Islamic state in British India’s north western provinces into reality.
- But he was not the first to come up with the idea of Pakistan, nor was he its original champion.
Rehmat Ali: Coining the term ‘Pakistan’
- Choudhary Rehmat Ali can be credited with coining the “term” Pakistan, styling himself as the “Founder of the Pakistan National Movement”.
- On January 28, 1933, he released a pamphlet titled “Now or Never: Are we to live or perish forever”.
- In it he made a vehement “appeal on behalf of the thirty million Muslims of PAKISTAN, who live in the five Northern Units of India… for the recognition of their national status.
- He highlighted the distinctiveness with the other inhabitants of India citing religious, social and historical grounds.
- According to many historians, this can be seen as the genesis of the very idea of Pakistan; an idea which would become mainstream by the 1940s.
Ali’s appeal
- Rehmat Ali’s appeal was as much a critique of Nationalism wave.
- He distributed pro-Pakistan pamphlets in the Third Round Table Conference (1932).
- Fearing that the Muslim minority will be subsumed by the Hindu population under the proposed constitution, he advocated for a separate, sovereign entity.
- For him, British India was not the home of one single nation but rather the designation of a State created by the British for the first time in history.
His idea of Pakistan
- This nation that Rehmat Ali called his own was Pakistan, including “five Northern Provinces of India” – Punjab (P), North- West Frontier Province or the Afghan Province (A), Kashmir (K), Sindh(S) and Balochistan (tan).
- He would call its Pakistan.
- He argued that this region, with its “distinct marks of nationality,” would be “reduced to a minority of one in ten,” in a united Indian federation.
Exposition of the “Two Nation Theory”
- Rehmat Ali was not a politician. In 1947, Ali’s dream became a reality.
- Nor did he stay in the subcontinent for much of the 1930s and 1940s when the struggle for Pakistan was taking shape.
- His contribution to Pakistan are solely limited to his writings and ideas.
- Unlike Iqbal, more popularly known as the philosopher behind Pakistan’s creation, Ali’s work remained restricted to a far smaller audience.
- But it was important, arguably essential, for Pakistan’s creation.
- In his work, we see the most radical exposition of the “Two Nation Theory”, later made famous by Jinnah and the Muslim League.
How Jinnah overtook Rehmat Ali?
- Things began to change from 1937 onwards, after Jinnah fell out with the Congress.
- With the leader’s rhetoric turning increasingly separationist, Rahmat Ali’s articulation of Pakistan found its way into mainstream discourse.
- In 1940, at the Muslim League’s Lahore session, the famous Lahore Resolution was passed.
- It advocated that the geographical contiguous units in the Muslim-majority areas in India’s “North-Western and Eastern Zones of India, be grouped to constitute Independent States.
- While this resolution did not mention “Pakistan,” Jinnah’s ideas echoed Rahmat Ali’s.
- Somewhere between 1940 and 1943, the term “Pakistan” started being used by Jinnah and other Muslim League leaders in their speeches and correspondence.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Mahatma Gandhi undertook fast unto death in 1932, mainly because:
(a) Round Table Conference failed to satisfy Indian political aspirations
(b) Congress and Muslim League had differences of opinion
(c) Ramsay Macdonald announced the Communal Award
(d) None of the statements (a), (b) and (c) given above is correct in this context
Post your answers here.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Mughal Garden/ Amrit Udyan
Mains level: Charbagh gardening style
The Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens — popularly known as the Mughal Gardens was renamed as Amrit Udyan.
The Amrit Udyan
- Edwin Lutyens had finalized the designs of the Mughal Gardens in 1917, but it was only during the year 1928-1929 that planting was done.
- It is spread across 15 acres and it incorporates both Mughal and English landscaping styles.
- The main garden has two channels intersecting at right angles dividing the garden into a grid of squares- a Charbagh (a four-cornered garden)- a typical characteristic of Mughal landscaping.
- There are six lotus-shaped fountains at the crossings of these channels rising to a height of 12 feet.
- The gardens house nearly 2500 varieties of Dahlias and 120 varieties of roses.
Why was it earlier named as Mughal Gardens?
- The garden is designed in Persian style of landscaping or what we call as ‘‘Mughal Gardens”.
- In fact, Edward Lutyens who designed the Viceroy’s House, what we call today as Rashtrapati Bhavan had deliberately used Mughal architectural details as part of the British appeasement plan.
- We see Chajja (dripstone), the Chattri (domed kiosk), the Jali (pierced screen) and many other Indian architectural features liberally used there.
- Mughal canals, terraces and flowering shrubs are beautifully blended with European flowerbeds, lawns and private hedges.
Back2Basics: Mughal Gardening in India- The Charbagh Style
- The Mughals were known to appreciate gardens. In Babur Nama, Babur says that his favourite kind of garden is the Persian charbagh style (literally, four quadrants garden).
- The charbagh structure was intended to create a representation of an earthly utopia – ‘jannat’ – in which humans co-exist in perfect harmony with all elements of nature.
- Defined by its rectilinear layouts, divided in four equal sections, these gardens can be found across lands previously ruled by the Mughals.
- From the gardens surrounding Humanyun’s Tomb in Delhi to the Nishat Bagh in Srinagar, all are built in this style – giving them the moniker of Mughal Gardens.
- A defining feature of these gardens is the use of waterways, often to demarcate the various quadrants of the garden.
- Fountains were often built, symbolising the “cycle of life.”
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Munroe Island
Mains level: Not Much
A study conducted by the National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS) has revealed anthropogenic interventions as the main reason for the sinking of Munroe Thuruthu Kerala’s, Kerala’s Sinking Island.
Note: This Island has nothing to do with Thomas Monroe, the erstwhile Governor of Madras Presidency (1820-27).
Munroe Thuruthu
- Munroe Thuruthu is an inland island group located at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River, in Kollam district of Kerala.
- The place is named in honour of Resident Colonel John Munro of the former Princely State of Travancore.
- It is a group of eight small islets comprising a total area of about 13.4 km2.
- This island is also known as “Sinking Island of Kerala”.
How was this island inhabited?
- In 1795 the British established their supremacy in South India and the princely state of Travancore came under their governance.
- From 1800 onwards, a Resident was appointed by East India Company as administrative head of Travancore.
- The first Resident was Colonel Colin Macaulay, followed by Colonel John Munro.
- During his tenure Munro oversaw the land reclamation efforts in the delta where Kallada River joins Ashtamudi Lake and the reclaimed island was named after him as Munroe Island.
Why in news?
- The islanders are facing steady land subsidence, tidal flooding and lower agricultural productivity, all of which have triggered a mass exodus from the region.
- According to the study, almost 39% of the land area of the Munroe Thuruthu has been lost with Peringalam and Cheriyakadavu islands recording a land depletion of around 12% and 47% respectively.
- The study finds that anthropogenic activities have considerably affected the isostatic conditions and land neutrality of Munroe Thuruthu.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Jatar Deul
Mains level: NA
Jatar Deul- an ancient terracotta temple in West Bengal’s Sundarbans, which has survived the ravages of time for a millennia, is now facing erosion threat due to increase in air salinity.
Jatar Deul
- Jatar Deul also called tower temple (rekha-deul), is located in the numerous rivers criss-crossed by stone-free alluvial and bush landscape of the southern Sundarbans settlements in West Bengal.
- The temple has a curvilinear tower similar to temple architecture of the Nagara order of Odisha temples.
- However, this type of brick temple we can see at Nebia Khera, Uttar Pradesh.
- There is neither a cult nor any other sculptural or inscriptional evidence available also the consecration of the temple is unclear.
- Some believe it was originally for a Buddhist structure; others see it as a building in honor of the Lord Shiva), whose colorful image, is visible at the interior of the Cella (garbhagriha).
How old is it?
- The ASI website states that Jatar Deul is traditionally connected to an inscription, no longer traceable, by one Raja Jayantachandra, purported to have been issued in 975 AD.
- The discovery of Jatar Deul dates back to the middle of the nineteenth century, when land surveyors stumbled upon a towering brick structure in the midst of the Sundarban.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Immune Imprinting
Mains level: NA
A slew of recent studies has shown that a phenomenon in our bodies, called immune imprinting, might be making new boosters vaccines far less effective than expected for coronavirus infection.
What is Immune Imprinting?
- Immune imprinting is a tendency of the body to repeat its immune response based on the first variant it encountered.
- Our body does this through infection or vaccination — when it comes across a newer or slightly different variant of the same pathogen.
- The phenomenon was first observed in 1947, when scientists noted that “people who had previously had flu, and were then vaccinated against the current circulating strain, produced antibodies against the first strain.
- At the time, it was termed the ‘original antigenic sin’ but today, it’s commonly known as imprinting.
How imprinting works for immune system?
- Imprinting acts as a database for the immune system, helping it put up a better response to repeat infections.
- After our body is exposed to a virus for the first time, it produces memory B cells that circulate in the bloodstream and quickly produce antibodies whenever the same strain of the virus infects again.
- The problem occurs when a similar, not identical, variant of the virus is encountered by the body.
- In such cases, the immune system, rather than generating new B cells, activates memory B cells.
- This in turn produce antibodies that bind to features found in both the old and new strains, known as cross-reactive antibodies.
Are the booster doses completely useless?
- These cross-reactive antibodies do offer some protection against the new strain,.
- However they are not as effective as the ones produced by the B cells when the body first came across the original virus.
How to circumvent immune imprinting?
- Currently, several ongoing studies are trying to find a way to deal with imprinting.
- Some scientists have said nasal vaccines might be better at preventing infections than injected ones.
- They believe the mucous membranes would create stronger protection, despite carrying some imprint of past exposure.
- Researchers are also trying to find if spacing out coronavirus vaccine shots on an annual basis, could help with the problem of imprinting.
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