Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Angadias
Mains level: NA
An FIR has been registered against some Mumbai Police officials last week for allegedly threatening Angadias and extorting money from them in south Mumbai.
Who are Angadias?
- The Angadia system is a century-old parallel banking system in the country where traders send cash generally from one state to another through a person called Angadia that stands for courier.
- It is by and large used in the jewellery business with Mumbai – Surat being the most popular route as they are two ends of the diamond trade.
- The cash involved is huge and it is the responsibility of the Angadia to transfer cash from one state to another for which they charge a nominal fee.
- Generally, it is the Gujarati, Marwari and Malbari community that are involved in the business.
How does the system work?
- The Angadia system works completely on trust as large sums, at times in crores, are involved.
- Generally, traders have the same Angadias for decades together.
- If a trader from Zaveri Bazaar in south Mumbai wants to pay a diamond trader in Surat, he will send an Angadias who usually delivers the money within 24 hours.
- They also have fixed trains that leave from Mumbai at night and reach Gujarat by early morning.
- Usually, to verify authenticity, the trader will, for example, will give a Rs 10 note to the Angadia and provide the number of the note to the recipient.
- It is only after the recipient confirms the note number that the Angadia will hand over the money to the person.
- After making the payment, the Angadias return to Mumbai the same day.
Is the system legal?
- While the Angadia system per se is legal, there hangs a cloud over the activity as it is suspected that a lot of times it is used to transfer unaccounted money.
- Since the business deals in cash and there is no account maintained for the same, there have been suspicions that it is also used for transfer of black money like the hawala.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: EV Battery Swapping Policy
Mains level: Electric mobility
NITI Aayog is holding a consultation on the upcoming electric vehicle (EV) battery swapping policy.
What is BaaS?
- Battery-as-a-service (BaaS) is seen as a viable charging alternative.
- Manufacturers can sell EVs in two forms: Vehicles with fixed or removable batteries and vehicles with batteries on lease.
- If you buy an electric scooter with battery leasing, you do not pay for the cost of the battery—that makes the initial acquisition almost 40% cheaper.
- Users can swap drained batteries for a fully charged one at a swap station. The depleted batteries are then charged on or off-site.
- The advantages of swapping include low downtimes for commercial fleets, reduced space requirements, and lower upfront costs.
- It is also a viable solution for those who don’t have parking spots at home.
What is battery interoperability?
- That’s when a battery is compatible across vehicles and chargers, so you can seamlessly swap a battery at any swap station. This can help achieve scale.
- However, manufacturer and service providers say there are safety concerns around the ‘one-size-fits-all’ model and caution too much standardization can kill innovation.
Why hasn’t BaaS taken off yet?
- There are economic and operational constraints.
- Energy service providers offering swapping solutions have to charge 18% goods and services tax (GST) for swapping, compared to 5% GST on the purchase of an EV.
- Additionally, the government’s FAME-II incentives are not offered to vehicles sold with BaaS or swap station operators.
- While these are economic disadvantages compared to direct charging solutions, the lack of a dense and interoperable battery swap infrastructure has also hindered the roll-out.
- Manufacturers, on the other hand, are keen to create proprietary battery and charging systems.
Issues with BaaS
- There is a need for standardization of safety specifications as well as the battery.
- Swapping in the various permutations and combinations of batteries at a station where they have not been tested for compatibility could lead to safety hazards.
- Also, mandating only one type of battery to be eligible for concessions would be disadvantageous to many players.
Who offers BaaS in India?
- Bengaluru-based startup Bounce is the first e-two-wheeler maker to sell its scooters with BaaS, and claims to have achieved a million battery swaps.
- Others like Ola Electric and Ather have stuck to direct charging solutions, while Hero Electric offers both fixed and removable batteries.
- Many makers are working with energy service providers to offer battery swapping.
- The global precedent is a mixed bag: Ample, which offers swaps in the US, has found success with commercial fleets, while most personal users charge at home.
Why is Battery Swapping needed?
- High Cost of EVs: An EV, by industry standards, is 1.5-2x costlier than IC Engine counterpart and at least half the cost is from the battery pack.
- Cost reduction: Many manufacturers are offering batteries separately from a vehicle, reducing the cost. In that case, a fleet owner can buy vehicles without battery and utilize battery swapping.
- Range Anxiety: Another major reason stopping people from buying EVs is range anxiety, or in simple terms, the fear of battery getting empty without finding a charging station.
- Inadequate charging infrastructure: Unlike petrol pumps, EV charging stations are rare to spot and that further increases the range anxiety exponentially, especially while going on a road trip.
- Hazard management: In case of a Swapping Station, one can simply locate a station, go and replace the empty battery with a new one.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Fleet Review
Mains level: Indian Naval Arsenal
The President of India recently took part in the Indian Navy’s 12th Presidential Fleet Review.
What is the President’s Fleet Review?
- In simplest terms, it is the country’s President taking stock of the Navy’s capability.
- It showcases all types of ships and capabilities the Navy has.
- It takes place once under every President, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces.
- The President is taken on one of the Naval ships, which is called the President’s Yacht, to look at all the ships docked on one of the Naval ports.
- The yacht will be distinguished by the Ashoka Emblem on her side and will fly the President’s Standard on the Mast”.
Importance of Presidential Fleet Review
- A fleet review is usually conducted once during the tenure of the President.
- So far, 11 Presidential Fleet Reviews have been conducted since Independence, of which two have been International Fleet Reviews, in 2001 and 2016.
- In terms of significance, the Navy’s Presidential review is second only to the Republic Day Parade.
- The President will be given a 21-gun salute before embarking on the yacht.
Do all naval ships participate?
- The idea is to showcase not all the Navy’s ships, but every type of ship — and the kind of capabilities it has at that time.
- The review also includes merchant ships as well.
What else happens in the fleet review?
- In this most formal of naval ceremonials, each ship dressed in full regalia will salute the President as he passes.
- The President will also be reviewing the Indian Naval Air Arm in a display of spectacular fly-past by several helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
- In the final stage of the review, a mobile column of warships and submarines will steam past the Presidential Yacht.
How many of these reviews have been held?
- There have been 11 President’s Fleet Reviews since Independence.
- The first was conducted in 1953, under Dr Rajendra Prasad.
- The next one was done not by the President but by the then Defence Minister, Y B Chavan, in 1964.
- Since then, it has been the President reviewing the fleet.
- The longest gap between reviews was of 12 years — between 1989 (President R Venkatraman) and when 2001 (President K R Narayanan).
- The last one was done in 2016, under President Pranab Mukherjee.
Significance of the event
- It is one of the most important events for the Navy, which is essentially showing its allegiance and commitment to defending the country.
- It is a long-standing tradition followed by navies across the world, and according to Navy officials it is a strong bond that links seafarers of the world.
- Historically, a Fleet Review is an assembly of ships at a pre-designated place for the purpose of displaying loyalty and allegiance to the Sovereign and the state.
- In turn, the Sovereign, by reviewing the ships, reaffirms his faith in the fleet and its ability to defend the nation’s maritime interest.
- It is perhaps conceived as a show of naval might. Though it still has the same connotation, assembling of warships without any belligerent intentions is now the norm in modern times.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Sealed Cover Jurisprudence
Mains level: Fair trial issue
Some Parliamentarians and prominent figures have issued a statement expressing discontent over the Kerala High Court’s verdict upholding the transmission ban on a Malayalam news channel.
What is the news?
- The channel went off air as the Centre suspended its telecast over “security reasons”.
- The High Court’s decision was based entirely on the assessment of documents presented by the MHA in a sealed cover.
- The contents of which were not shared with the news channel.
What is Sealed Cover Jurisprudence?
- It is a practice used by the Supreme Court and sometimes lower courts, of asking for or accepting information from government agencies in sealed envelopes that can only be accessed by judges.
- A specific law does not define the doctrine of sealed cover.
- The Supreme Court derives its power to use it from Rule 7 of order XIII of the Supreme Court Rules and Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.
Nature of the power: Upholding Secrecy
- If the Chief Justice or court directs certain information to be kept under sealed cover or considers it of confidential nature, no party would be allowed access to the contents of such information.
- There is an exception to this if the Chief Justice himself orders that the opposite party be allowed to access it.
- It also mentions that information can be kept confidential if its publication is not considered to be in the interest of the public.
- As for the Evidence Act, official unpublished documents relating to state affairs are protected and a public officer cannot be compelled to disclose such documents.
Grounds of such secrecy
Other instances where information may be sought in secrecy or confidence is when its publication:
- Impedes an ongoing investigation
- Details which are part of the police’s case diary or
- Breaches the privacy of an individual
Prominent cases of sealed jurisprudence
Sealed cover jurisprudence has been frequently employed by courts in the recent past.
(1) Rafale Deal
- In the case pertaining to the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal, a Bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi in 2018, had asked the Centre to submit details related to deal’s decision making and pricing in a sealed cover.
- This was done as the Centre had contended that such details were subject to the Official Secrets Act and Secrecy clauses in the deal.
(2) Bhim Koregaon Case
- In the Bhima Koregaon case, in which activists were arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
- The Supreme Court had relied on information submitted by the Maharashtra police in a sealed cover.
Criticism of such acts
- Critics of this practice contend that it is not favorable to the principles of transparency and accountability of the Indian justice system.
- It stands in contrast to the idea of an open court, where decisions can be subjected to public scrutiny.
- It is also said to enlarge the scope for arbitrariness in court decisions, as judges are supposed to lay down reasoning for their decisions.
- Besides, it is argued that not providing access to such documents to the accused parties obstructs their passage to a fair trial and adjudication.
How has judiciary responded to this?
- In the 2019 judgment in the case of P Gopalakrishnan V. The State of Kerala, the Supreme Court had said that disclosure of documents to the accused is constitutionally mandated.
- This is possible even if the investigation is ongoing and said documents may lead to breakthrough in the investigation.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Dark Matters
Mains level: NA
A recent hypothesis says that dark matter comprises a large number of compact objects such as primordial black holes.
What are Dark Matters ?
- Astronomical observations suggest that a significant part of the universe is made up of dark matter which interacts with the rest of the universe only through the gravitational pull.
- Many large lab experiments have tried to detect elementary particles that could be candidates for dark matter.
- However, such dark matter particles have not been detected until now.
- Several astronomical observations suggest that all galaxies are embedded in a “halo” of dark matter.
- The “visible” galaxy is like a disc embedded in a dark matter halo that is much larger in size.
What is the recent proposition?
- When the universe was very young, hot and dense – soon after the Big Bang, it must have had quantum fluctuations of its density.
- This, in turn, would have caused some regions to become extremely dense, and therefore, to collapse under their own gravity to form the primordial black holes.
- While we have no conclusive evidence of spotting these objects, some of the binary black hole mergers detected by the LIGO gravitational wave detectors might be primordial black holes.
- The question is open there is good reason to believe that primordial black holes did form in the young universe.
Observing dark matter: Gravitational Lensing
- The paper explores what happens when such objects get in the way of gravitational waves traveling towards the Earth from the distance.
- It invokes a phenomenon called gravitational lensing that is used regularly in astronomy.
- When light travels through space and passes near a massive or compact body – a star, a galaxy or a black hole, for example, the intense gravity of that body may attract the light towards it.
- This causes bending it from its rectilinear (straight line) path.
- This phenomenon is known as gravitational lensing and was first observed by Arthur Eddington in 1919.
How intense are they?
- Massive objects like galaxies can bend light significantly, producing multiple images, this is called strong lensing.
- Lighter objects like stars or black holes bend light less, and this is called micro-lensing.
- A similar lensing can happen to gravitational waves travelling towards the Earth, and this would leave signatures in the detected gravitational waves.
- This can be used to detect the presence, or the existence, of primordial black holes.
Assessing dark matter
- Until now, individual black holes have not marked out these signatures on gravitational waves detected by the LIGO-VIRGO detectors.
- However, if all of the dark matter is made of primordial black holes, they should have produced detectable signatures on the gravitational wave signals.
- The researchers use the non-observation of the lensing signatures to assess what fraction of the dark matter could be made of black holes.
Way ahead
- This provides a new way of constraining the nature of dark matter.
- The study concludes that black holes in the mass range from a hundred to a million solar masses can contribute only up to 50-80% of the dark matter in the universe.
- This is an upper limit and the actual fraction can be much smaller.
- These upper limits will get better and better with more and more observations.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Lagrange Points, Lucy Mission
Mains level: NA
NASA is set to send its first spacecraft to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids to glean new insights into the solar system’s formation 4.5 billion years ago.
Lucy Mission
- Lucy will fly by eight Jupiter asteroids—seven Trojans and one main-belt asteroid — over the next 12 years.
- It is NASA’s first single spacecraft mission in history to explore so many different asteroids.
- Lucy will run on solar power out to 850 million km away from the Sun.
- This makes it the farthest-flung solar-powered spacecraft ever, according to NASA.
What is Jupiter Trojan Asteroids?
- Simply known as Trojans, they are a large group of asteroids that share Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun.
- Thousands of such asteroids exist in a gravitationally stable space.
- The swarms lead and follow the planet Jupiter along its orbit around the Sun.
What exactly are Trojans?
- Lucy’s Trojan destinations are trapped near Jupiter’s Lagrange (L) points, which are gravitationally stable locations — it is where the gravity from the Sun and from Jupiter cancel each other out.
- This means their orbits are stable and the Trojans are trapped in the space between.
- This also means that asteroids are as far away from Jupiter as they are from the Sun.
- Jupiter’s leading and trailing Lagrangian points (L4 and L5) have been stable over the age of the solar system.
- This means that their orbits have accumulated many, many asteroids.
- It makes sense to call a Trojan a co-orbital object, which moves around one of the two stable Lagrangian points.
When and how were they discovered?
- It took many a scientist to understand Trojans, and subsequently, name them so.
- A German astrophotographer in 1906 made an important discovery: An asteroid with a particularly unusual orbit. As Jupiter moved, this asteroid remained ahead of Jupiter.
- It was observed that the asteroid was nearly 60 degrees in front of Jupiter.
Students with engineering background would better understand who Lagrange was. Rest need not care.
Lagrange’s propositions
- This specific position of a particular behavior was predicted by the Italian-French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange over 100 years earlier.
- Lagrange had argued that if a small celestial body is placed at one of two stable points in a planet’s orbit around the Sun (the L4 and L5), the asteroid would remain stationary from the planet’s perspective.
- This is due to the combined gravitational forces of the planet and the Sun.
- Thus, Lagrange’s prediction acquired credibility. More such asteroids were discovered over subsequent months in Jupiter’s Lagrange point L5.
Behind the name: Lucy
- It is the fossil of a hominin that lived 3.2 million years ago.
- She is known to be one of the most famous pre-human fossils in history.
- Nearly 40 percent of the fossilized skeleton of this hominin was discovered in 1974 by a team of paleoanthropologists led by Donald Johanson.
- The name was inspired from the famous Beatles song “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” which Johanson’s team listened to at camp the night of their discovery.
Back2Basics: Lagrange Points
- Lagrange points are positions in space where objects sent there tend to stay put.
- They are named after Italian-French mathematician Josephy-Louis Lagrange.
- At Lagrange points, the gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force required for a small object to move with them.
- These points in space can be used by spacecraft to reduce the fuel consumption needed to remain in position.
- There are five special points where a small mass can orbit in a constant pattern with two larger masses.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Mullaperiyar Dam
Mains level: Not Much
Kerala plans to build a new dam to replace the 126-year-old Mullaperiyar dam in the Idukki district.
Mullaperiyar Dam
- It is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River in Kerala.
- It is located on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District.
- It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 by John Pennycuick and also reached in an agreement to divert water eastwards to the Madras Presidency area.
- It has a height of 53.6 m (176 ft) from the foundation, and a length of 365.7 m (1,200 ft).
Operational issue
- The dam is located in Kerala but is operated and maintained by Tamil Nadu.
- The catchment area of the Mullaperiyar Dam itself lies entirely in Kerala and thus not an inter-State river.
- In November 2014, the water level hit 142 feet for first time in 35 years.
- The reservoir again hit the maximum limit of 142 feet in August 2018, following incessant rains in the state of Kerala.
- Indeed, the tendency to store water to almost the full level of reservoirs is becoming a norm among water managers across States.
The dispute: Control and safety of the dam
- Supreme court judgment came in February 2006, has allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the level of the dam to 152 ft (46 m) after strengthening it.
- Responding to it, the Mullaperiyar dam was declared an ‘endangered’ scheduled dam by the Kerala Government under the disputed Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2006.
- For Tamil Nadu, the Mullaperiyar dam and the diverted Periyar waters act as a lifeline for Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga, Dindigul and Ramnad districts.
- Tamil Nadu has insisted on exercising the unfettered colonial rights to control the dam and its waters, based on the 1886 lease agreement.
Rule of Curve issue
- A rule curve or rule level specifies the storage or empty space to be maintained in a reservoir during different times of the year.
- It decides the fluctuating storage levels in a reservoir.
- The gate opening schedule of a dam is based on the rule curve. It is part of the “core safety” mechanism in a dam.
- The TN government often blames Kerala for delaying the finalization of the rule curve.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Participatory and Non-Participatory Funds
Mains level: NA
The amendment to Section 24 of the LIC Act, brought prior to commencing the IPO, segregated the previously single ‘Life Fund’ into the participatory and non-participatory fund.
What are Participatory and Non-Participatory Funds?
- Under a participatory policy, a policyholder can get a share of the profits of the company.
- This is received as a bonus. Examples of such products offered by LIC include Jeevan Labh and Bachat Plus.
- No such sharing of profits happens under non-participatory products, which under the LIC fold includes policies such as Saral Pensionand Nivesh Plus.
- As all insurance companies do, LIC also reinvests premium monies that policyholders pay.
- The profits or surplus that comes about, as a result, was till September last year held in one single fund. This was the Life Fund.
- The surplus was divided in the 95:5 ratio between policyholders (in the form of bonuses) and shareholders (in the form of dividends).
What has the Amendment changed?
- But the amendment to Section 24 of the LIC Act has necessitated the segregation of the Life Fund into participatory and non-participatory funds, depending on the nature of the policies they support.
- The amendment stipulates terms on how surplus is to be shared with respect to participatory and non-participatory funds.
- As for non-participating funds, surplus from the non-participating business would be transferred to shareholders.
- Surplus from participatory business, however, would be shared between policyholders and shareholders.
How does this change impact the shareholder?
- The change, especially the one that has enabled 100% of the surplus in non-participatory funds to flow to the shareholder, has led to a massive jump in the Indian Embedded Value, or IEV.
- IEV is a measure of future cash flows in life insurance companies and the key financial gauge for insurers.
- The embedded value will help establish the market valuation of LIC and determine how much money the government raises in the flotation.
- That will be crucial for the government to help meet its divestment targets and keep its fiscal deficit in check.
Why is it a risk, then?
- LIC has stated in the document that a significant portion of its business premiums come from participating and single premium products.
- It added, should the participating products generate lower than expected returns for policyholders, it could lead to increased surrenders.
- This could also potentially bother their financial condition, operations, and cash flows.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: HIV/AIDS
Mains level: Communicable diseases burden on India
There is considerable excitement in the world of medicine after scientists reported that a woman living with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and administered an experimental treatment is likely ‘cured’.
What is HIV/AIDS?
- HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases.
- First identified in 1981, HIV is the cause of one of humanity’s deadliest and most persistent epidemics.
- It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected sex, or through sharing injection drug equipment.
- If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
- The human body can’t get rid of HIV and no effective HIV cure exists.
Treating HIV
- However, by taking HIV medicine (called antiretroviral therapy or ART), people with HIV can live long and healthy lives and prevent transmitting HIV to their sexual partners.
- In addition, there are effective methods to prevent getting HIV through sex or drug use, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
What is the new breakthrough?
- US researchers have described the case of a 60-year-old African American woman who was diagnosed with an HIV infection in 2013.
- She was started on the standard HIV treatment regimen of anti-retroviral treatment (ART) therapy consisting of tenofovir, emtricitabine, and raltegravir.
- She was given cord blood, or embryonic stem cells, from a donor with a rare mutation that naturally blocks the HIV virus from infecting cells.
- She was also given blood stem cells, or adult stem cells, from a relative.
What actually worked?
- The adult stem cells boosted the patient’s immunity and possibly helped the cord blood cells fully integrate with the lady’s immune system.
- Now she has no sign of HIV in her blood and also has no detectable antibodies to the virus.
- Embryonic stem cells are potentially able to grow into any kind of cell and hence their appeal as therapy, though there is no explanation for why this mode of treatment appeared to be more effective.
Is this treatment the long-sought cure for AIDS?
- Not at all. While this approach is certainly a welcome addition to the arsenal of treatments, stem cell therapy is a cumbersome exercise and barely accessible to most HIV patients in the world.
- Moreover, this requires stem cells from that rare group of individuals with the beneficial mutation.
- Anti-retroviral therapy, through the years, has now ensured that HIV/AIDS isn’t always a death sentence and many with access to proper treatment have lifespans comparable to those without HIV.
- A vaccine for HIV or a drug that eliminates the virus is still elusive and would be the long-sought ‘cure’ for HIV/AIDS.
What is the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in India?
- As per the India HIV Estimation 2019 report, the estimated adult (15 to 49 years) HIV prevalence trend has been declining in India since the epidemic’s peak in the year 2000 and has been stabilizing in recent years.
- In 2019, HIV prevalence among adult males (15–49 years) was estimated at 0.24% and among adult females at 0.20% of the population.
- There were 23.48 lakh Indians living with HIV in 2019.
- Maharashtra had the maximum at 3.96 lakh followed by Andhra Pradesh (3.14 lakh) and Karnataka.
- ART is freely available to all those who require and there are deputed centers across the country where they can be availed from.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Eat Right Movement
Mains level: Food habits and prevalence of NCDs
Four police stations of New Delhi district have been certified as ‘Eat Right Campus’ by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Eat Right Campus
- Eat Right India is a flagship mission of FSSAI, which aims at ensuring that the citizens of the country get safe and nutritious food.
- The ‘Eat Right Campus’ initiative led by FSSAI aims to promote safe, healthy and sustainable food in campuses such as schools, universities, colleges, workplaces, hospitals, tea estates etc. across the country.
- The objective is to improve the health of people and the planet and promote social and economic development of the nation.
- The initiative is not mandatory to adopt.
Evaluation Criteria
- Benchmarks have been created on four different parameters based on which campuses are evaluated and certified as ‘Eat Right Campus’.
- These parameters include
- Food safety measures, steps to ensure the provision of healthy, Environmentally sustainable food, and Building awareness to make the right food choices.
- These practices include mandatory steps such as licensing and registration of food service providers in the campus and compliance to food safety and hygiene standards as per Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006.
Benefits of Eat Right Campus
- It can provide immense benefits to the campus and the individuals on the campus not only in terms of health but also economics.
- Safe, healthy, and sustainable food on the campus would reduce the incidence of food-borne illnesses, deficiency diseases, and non-communicable diseases among the people on the campus.
- This means less absenteeism and loss of working hours and greater wellbeing, motivation, and productivity of people.
- This would also reduce the burden of healthcare costs for the workplace, institution, hospital, jail, or tea estate.
Back2Basics: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- The FSSAI is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
- It has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.
- It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
- It is headed by a non-executive Chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Tarapur Massacre of 1932
Mains level: NA
Bihar CM has announced that February 15 would be celebrated as “Shahid Diwas” in memory of the 34 freedom fighters who were killed by police in Tarapur town of Bihar’s Munger district 90 years ago.
Why such move?
- The Tarapur massacre was the biggest carried out by the British police after the one in Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in 1919.
- The freedom fighters had never got their due, the CM said.
- PM Modi too had referred to the Tarapur massacre in his Mann ki Baat radio address of January 2021.
Tarapur Massacre: Course of events
- On February 15, 1932, a group of young freedom fighters planned to hoist an Indian national flag at Thana Bhavan in Tarapur.
- Police were aware of the plan, and several officers were present at the spot. Around 2 pm, even as the police carried out a brutal lathicharge, Gopal Singh succeeded in raising the flag at Thana Bhavan.
- A 4,000-strong crowd pelted the police with stones, injuring an officer of the civil administration.
- The police responded by opening indiscriminate fire on the crowd.
- After about 75 rounds were fired, 34 bodies were found at the spot, even though there were claims of an even larger number of deaths.
Trigger for protest
- The hanging of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru in Lahore on March 23, 1931, sent a wave of grief and anger around the country.
- Following the collapse of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, the Mahatma was arrested in early 1932.
- The Congress was declared an illegal organization, and Nehru, Patel, and Rajendra Prasad were also thrown in jail.
- In Munger, freedom fighters Srikrishna Singh, Nemdhari Singh, Nirapad Mukherjee, Pandit Dasrath Jha, Basukinath Rai, Dinanath Sahay, and Jaymangal Shastri were arrested.
- A call given by the Congress leader Sardar Shardul Singh Kavishwar to raise the tricolour over government buildings resonated in Tarapur.
Back2Basics:
Explained: Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Tilka Manjhi
Mains level: Tribal Revolts during colonial times
The Nation is remembering revolutionary freedom fighter and tribal leader Tilka Manjhi on his 272nd birth anniversary.
Tilka Manjhi (1750-1785)
- He organized Adivasis into an army and led the famous Santhal Hool in 1784 against the exploitative British.
- In 1770, there was a severe famine in the Santhal region and people were dying of hunger.
- Tilka Manjhi looted the treasury of the East India Company and distributed it among the poor and needy.
- Inspired by this noble act of Tilka, many other tribals also joined the rebellion.
- With this began his Santhal Hool, the revolt of the Santhals.
- He continued to attack the British and their sycophantic allies.
- From 1771 to 1784, Tilka Manjhi never surrendered.
Offensive with the colonists
- Tilka Majhi attacked Augustus Cleveland, an East India Company administrator and fatally wounded him.
- The British surrounded the Tilapore forest from which he operated but he and his men held them at bay for several weeks.
- When he was finally caught in 1784, he was tied to the tail of a horse and dragged all the way to the Collector’s residence at Bhagalpur, Bihar, India.
- There, his deeply wounded body was hung from a Banyan tree.
Try this question from CSP 2018:
Q.After the Santhal uprising subsided, what was/ were the measure/measures taken by the colonial government?
- The territories called ‘Santhal Paraganas’ were created.
- It became illegal for a Santhal to transfer land to a non Santhal.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Various articles mentioned in news
Mains level: Need for UCC
Poll-bound Uttarakhand CM’s announcement to prepare a draft of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the State, raises questions over whether an individual State can bring its own family law code.
What is a Uniform Civil Code?
- A Uniform Civil Code is one that would provide for one law for the entire country, applicable to all religious communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, etc.
- Article 44, one of the directive principles of the Constitution lays down that the state shall endeavor to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.
- These, as defined in Article 37, are not justiciable (not enforceable by any court) but the principles laid down therein are fundamental in governance.
Why need UCC?
- UCC would provide equal status to all citizens
- It would promote gender parity in Indian society.
- UCC would accommodate the aspirations of the young population who imbibe liberal ideology.
- Its implementation would thus support the national integration.
Hurdles to UCC implementation
- There are practical difficulties due to religious and cultural diversity in India.
- The UCC is often perceived by the minorities as an encroachment on religious freedom.
- It is often regarded as interference of the state in personal matters of the minorities.
- Experts often argue that the time is not ripe for Indian society to embrace such UCC.
UCC vs. Right to Freedom of Religion
- Article 25 lays down an individual’s fundamental right to religion;
- Article 26(b) upholds the right of each religious denomination or any section thereof to “manage its own affairs in matters of religion”;
- Article 29 defines the right to conserve distinctive culture.
- An individual’s freedom of religion under Article 25 is subject to “public order, health, morality” and other provisions relating to FRs, but a group’s freedom under Article 26 has not been subjected to other FRs.
- In the Constituent Assembly, there was division on the issue of putting UCC in the fundamental rights chapter. The matter was settled by a vote.
- By a 5:4 majority, the fundamental rights sub-committee headed by Sardar Patel held that the provision was outside the scope of FRs and therefore the UCC was made less important.
Enacting and Enforcing UCC: A reality check
- Fundamental rights are enforceable in a court of law.
- While Article 44 uses the words “the state shall endeavor”, other Articles in the ‘Directive Principles’ chapter use words such as “in particular strive”; “shall, in particular, direct its policy”; “shall be an obligation of the state” etc.
- Article 43 mentions “state shall endeavor by suitable legislation” while the phrase “by suitable legislation” is absent in Article 44.
- All this implies that the duty of the state is greater in other directive principles than in Article 44.
What are more important — fundamental rights or directive principles?
- There is no doubt that fundamental rights are more important.
- The Supreme Court held in Minerva Mills (1980): Indian Constitution is founded on the bedrock of the balance between Parts III (Fundamental Rights) and IV (Directive Principles).
- To give absolute primacy to one over the other is to disturb the harmony of the Constitution.
- Article 31C inserted by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, however, lays down that if a law is made to implement any directive principle, it cannot be challenged on the ground of being violative of the FRs under Articles 14 and 19.
What about Personal Laws?
- Citizens belonging to different religions and denominations follow different property and matrimonial laws which are an affront to the nation’s unity.
- If the framers of the Constitution had intended to have a UCC, they would have given exclusive jurisdiction to Parliament in respect of personal laws, by including this subject in the Union List.
- But “personal laws” are mentioned in the Concurrent List.
Various customary laws
- All Hindus of the country are not governed by one law, nor are all Muslims or all Christians.
- Muslims of Kashmir were governed by a customary law, which in many ways was at variance with Muslim Personal Law in the rest of the country and was, in fact, closer to Hindu law.
- Even on registration of marriage among Muslims, laws differ from place to place.
- In the Northeast, there are more than 200 tribes with their own varied customary laws.
- The Constitution itself protects local customs in Nagaland. Similar protections are enjoyed by Meghalaya and Mizoram.
- Even reformed Hindu law, in spite of codification, protects customary practices.
Minority opinion in the Constituent Assembly
- Some members sought to immunize Muslim Personal Law from state regulation.
- Mohammed Ismail, who thrice tried unsuccessfully to get Muslim Personal Law exempted from Article 44, said a secular state should not interfere with the personal law of people.
- B Pocker Saheb said he had received representations against a common civil code from various organizations, including Hindu organizations.
- Hussain Imam questioned whether there could ever be uniformity of personal laws in a diverse country like India.
- B R Ambedkar said, “no government can use its provisions in a way that would force the Muslims to revolt”.
- Alladi Krishnaswami, who was in favor of a UCC, conceded that it would be unwise to enact UCC ignoring strong opposition from any community.
- Gender justice was never discussed in these debates.
Conclusion
- Article 44 of the Constitution creates an obligation upon the State to endeavour to secure for citizens a Uniform Civil Code throughout the country.
- The purpose behind UCC is to strengthen the object of “Secular Democratic Republic” as enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution.
- This provision is provided to effect the integration of India by bringing communities on the common platform on matters which are at present governed by diverse personal laws.
- Hence UCC should be enforced taking into confidence all the sections of Indian society.
- Goa’s Portuguese Civil Code of 1867 is an example of a common family law existing in harmony.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Drones
Mains level: Ban on drone import
The Government has banned the import of drones barring for R&D, defense, and security purposes.
Why in news?
- To promote Make-in-India drones.
- Before this order, the import of drones was “restricted” and needed prior clearance of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and an import license from DGFT.
India’s sources of Imports
- For its defense needs, India imports from Israel and the US.
- Consumer drones such as those used for wedding photography come from China and drones for light shows also come from China apart from Russia.
Why need drones?
- Indian drone manufacturers and service providers arrange drones for a variety of use cases such as survey and mapping, security and surveillance, inspection, construction progress monitoring, and drone delivery.
What does the order say?
- The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued an order prohibiting with immediate effect the import of drones in Completely-Built-Up (CBU), Semi-knocked-down (SKD), or Completely-Knocked-down (CKD) forms.
- Import of drones by government entities, educational institutions recognized by the Central or State governments, government-recognized R&D entities, and drone manufacturers for R&D purposes as well as for defense and security purposes will be allowed.
- For this, there has to be an import authorization obtained from the DGFT.
- The import of drone components is “free”, implying that no permission is needed from the DGFT allowing local manufacturers to import parts like diodes, chips, motors, lithium-ion batteries, etc.
Steps taken to promote indigenous drone manufacturing
- In August last year, the Government brought out liberalized Drone Rules, 2021 which reduced the number of forms to be filled to seek authorization from 25 to five.
- They also dispensed with the need for security clearance before any registration or issuance of the license.
- R&D entities too have been provided blanket exemption from all kinds of permissions, and restrictions on foreign-owned companies registered in India have also been removed.
- The Government has also announced a production-linked incentive scheme for drones and drone components with the aim to make India a “global drone hub by 2030”.
- Foreign manufacturers will be encouraged to set up assembly lines in India.
Why such a blanket ban?
- Most drone manufacturers in India assemble imported components in India, and there is less manufacturing.
- The import ban will ensure that an Indian manufacturer has control of the IP, design, and software which gives him or her a total understanding and control of the product.
- Over a period of time, this can enable further indigenization.
Possible repercussions of the ban
- The ban is likely to hurt those who use drones for photography and videography for weddings and events.
- These drones primarily come from China because they are cheaper and easy to use and India still has a lot of catching up to do in manufacturing them.
Also read
[Sansad TV] Perspective: Keeping Drones in Check
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Modernization of Police Forces Scheme
Mains level: Police reforms in India
The Union government has approved the continuation of a police modernization scheme for five years up to 2025-26 with a financial outlay of ₹26,275 crores.
What is the Modernization of Police Forces Scheme?
- Police’ and ‘law and order’ fall under the category of subjects within the domain of the State as per Entry 2 of List II of the VIIth Schedule in the Constitution of India.
- Thus, the principal responsibility for managing these subjects lies with the State Governments.
- However, the States have not been able to fully modernize and equip their police forces up to the desired level due to financial constraints.
- It is in this context that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been supplementing the efforts and resources of the States, from time to time, by implementing the MPF Scheme since 1969-70.
Objectives:
- The focus of the scheme is to strengthen police infrastructure at cutting edge level by constructing secure police stations, training centers, police housing (residential), equipping the police stations with the required mobility, modern weaponry, communication equipment, and forensic set-up, etc.
Components of the scheme
- The scheme included security-related expenditure in J&K, northeastern States, and Maoist-affected areas, for raising new battalions, developing high-tech forensic laboratories and other investigation tools.
- Provisions have been made under the scheme for internal security, law and order, and the adoption of modern technology by the police.
- Assistance will be given to the States for narcotics control and strengthening the criminal justice system by developing a robust forensic setup in the country.
Funding pattern
- Under the Scheme, the States are grouped into two categories, namely Category ‘A’ and Category ‘B’ for the purpose of funding both under ‘Non-Plan’ and Plan.
- Category ‘A’ States, namely, J&K and 8 North Eastern States including Sikkim will be eligible to receive financial assistance on a 90:10 Centre: State sharing basis.
- The remaining States will be in Category ‘B’ and will be eligible for financial assistance on a 60:40 Centre: State sharing basis.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Capital Gains Tax
Mains level: Not Much
The capital gains tax structure in India is complicated, and it is time for a relook since the union budget has provisions for 30% tax on cryptocurrency.
What is Capital Gains Tax?
- Capital gains tax is levied on the profits made on investments.
- It covers real estate, gold, stocks, mutual funds, and various other financial and non-financial assets.
Types
- It is divided into long-term capital gains tax (LTCG) and short-term capital gains tax (STCG) depending on how long you have held the investment in question.
- Unlike income tax, the percentage of tax does not change on the basis of your overall tax slab.
- The LTCG tax, excluding surcharge, on equity is the same for gains of ₹10 lakh or ₹10 crore.
- There is also a separate set of deductions that apply to LTCG, which do not apply to ordinary income.
Why is it so complicated?
Capital gains tax is complicated for a few primary reasons.
- First, the rate changes from asset to asset. LTCG tax on stocks and equity mutual funds is 10% but on debt mutual funds is 20% with indexation.
- Second, holding period changes from asset to asset. The holding period for LTCG tax is two years in real estate, one year for stocks, and three years for debt mutual funds and gold.
- Third, exemptions available against it come with their own complex conditions. For instance, buying a house after selling one can get you an exemption, but the new house must be bought in two years or built in three years of the sale.
Is cryptocurrency taxed as capital gains?
- The 2022 budget has proposed a 30% tax on cryptocurrency, which is higher than capital gains tax in many cases.
- Besides, under capital gains tax, investors can adjust profits and losses on different investments against each other or against profits/losses in the future.
- However, this cannot be done with cryptocurrency.
What distortions does it create?
- As capital gains tax is the same regardless of your overall income it can compound inequality.
- For instance, a person with a salary of ₹40 lakh will pay 30% tax on it but just 10% LTCG tax on gains from stock trading.
- A person with a salary of ₹5 lakh will pay a 5% tax on it but the same 10% LTCG tax on stock trading.
- Second, the smaller one-year qualifying period for LTCG in stocks compared to three years in debt mutual funds may encourage short-term trading in equity.
What can be done to fix these anomalies?
- The government can bring about uniformity in rates and holding periods for various assets to ensure that the tax for one asset is not more attractive than another.
- A uniform and long holding period to qualify for LTCG can also discourage short-term trading and speculative behavior in assets such as stocks.
- The exemptions for LTCG such as reinvestment in another house property or capital gains bonds can also be made simpler, with fewer conditions.
- Small investors can also be given relief by reducing rates of capital gains.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Earth Observation Satellites (EOS)
Mains level: Not Much
After a disappointing 2021 which saw just one successful launch, ISRO is getting back to business with the EOS-04, an earth observation satellite.
What are EOS?
- An EOS or Earth remote sensing satellite is a satellite used or designed for Earth observation (EO) from orbit.
- It includes spy satellites and similar ones intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, cartography, and others.
- The most common type is Earth-imaging satellites that take satellite images, analogous to aerial photographs.
- Some EOS may perform remote sensing without forming pictures, such as in GNSS radio occultation.
What is EOS-04 all about?
- The EOS-04 is fourth in a series of earth observation satellites that are being launched under a new generic name.
- It is designed to provide high-quality images for applications such as agriculture, forestry, and plantations, flood mapping, soil moisture, and hydrology.
- It will complement the data from Resourcesat, Cartosat and RISAT-2B series of satellites that are already in orbit.
Why such different nomenclature?
- Two years ago, ISRO had moved to a new naming system for its earth observation satellites which till then had been named thematically, according to the purpose they were meant for.
- The Cartosat series of satellites were meant to provide data for land topography and mapping, while the Oceansat satellites were meant for observations overseas.
- Some INSAT-series, Resourcesat series, GISAT, Scatsat, and a few other earth observation satellites were named differently for the specific jobs they were assigned to do, or the different instruments that they.
- All these would now become part of the new EOS series of satellites.
What other satellites are being launched?
- Besides EOS-04, two other small satellites —INSPIREsat-1 and INS-2TD — will ride on the heaviest version of the PSLV rocket in the early hours from the Sriharikota launch range.
- The other co-passenger, INS-2TD, is a technology demonstrator for the first India-Bhutan joint satellite that is scheduled to be launched next month.
- The two countries had signed a space agreement last year, and its first outcome would be the launch of Bhutan-Sat, or INS-2B, on a PSLV rocket.
How many satellites does India have in space?
- India currently has 53 operational satellites, of which 21 are earth observation ones and another 21 are communication-based.
- EOS-4 launch would be the 54th flight of the PSLV rocket, and the 23rd of its most powerful XL-version that has six strap-on boosters.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Chandernagore
Mains level: Colonization of India
The Registry Building, a two-storey structure at Chandernagore built in 1875 and a symbol of French settlement of the colonial town, has been awaiting restoration for a long time.
French in India
- France was the last of the major European maritime powers of the 17th century to enter the East India trade.
- The French settlement in India began in 1673 with the purchase of land at Chandernagore from the Mughal Governor of Bengal.
- The next year they acquired Pondicherry from the Sultan of Bijapur. Both became the centers of maritime commercial activities of the French in India.
- Joseph Francois Dupleix who was initially appointed as Intendent of Chandernagore in 1731, sowed the seeds of colonization.
- The village, which hitherto was engaged in maritime commerce along with Pondicherry, got fortified by him.
Significance of Chandernagore
- Chandernagore, though a part of French colonies in India, was unique in many ways.
- It was very active in spearheading the freedom movement against the British. Due to its close proximity to Calcutta, it became a safe haven for freedom fighters of all hues.
- Even Aurobindo Ghosh who was one of the accused in the Alipore Bomb case of 1909, was acquitted unconditionally and after a short stay at Chandernagore moved to Pondicherry.
- Since the partition of Bengal in 1905, Chandernagore was in the thick of activities of freedom fighters against the British and produced several martyrs including Kanailal Dutt.
Merger into India
- As the British decided to hand over powers to the people of India by August 15, 1947, the people living under French rule in Pondicherry, Chandernagore, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam were eager to join their homeland.
- But the French were yet to learn their lessons. They tried all the tricks in the book to avert this.
- Facing the onslaught from the people under their rule and the British and Indian rulers, the French declared Chandernagore as free city in 1947.
- In June 1948, they conducted a referendum in which an overwhelming majority of 97 per cent people opted for a merger with India.
- After so many legal hurdles, it became a part of India on October 2, 1955.
Back2Basics: European Colonies in India
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Exercise Milan
Mains level: NA
Exercise Milan as well as the Fleet Review by President is scheduled to be held this month for which 46 countries have been invited.
Exercise Milan
- Milan began in 1995 and is held biennially and brings together Navies of all the countries in the region.
- It has so far been held at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar but is now being shifted to Visakhapatnam which offers more infrastructure as well as sea space for the exercise.
- It has several themes such as anti-submarine warfare among others along with deliberations, including by subject matter experts.
What is Fleet Review?
- A Fleet Review is usually conducted once during the tenure of the President.
- The first PFR was held in 1953 for the first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
- Since Independence 11 PFRs have been conducted by the Navy, of which two have been International Fleet Reviews in 2011 and 2016.
- In terms of significance, the Navy’s Presidential review is second only to the Republic Day Parade.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Privilege Motion
Mains level: Parliamentary privileges
An MP from Telangana submitted a Privilege Motion against PM regarding his remarks over the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh.
What is Parliamentary Privilege?
- Parliamentary privilege refers to the right and immunity enjoyed by legislatures.
- The legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made in the course of their legislative duties.
- They are granted so that the MPs/MLAs can effectively discharge their functions.
- The powers, privileges, and immunities of either House of the Indian Parliament and of its members and committees are laid down in Article 105 of the Constitution.
- Article 194 deals with the powers, privileges and immunities of the State Legislatures, their members and their committees.
What is a Privilege Motion?
- When any of the rights and immunities are disregarded, the offence is called a breach of privilege and is punishable under the law of Parliament.
- A notice is moved in the form of a motion by any member of either House against those being held guilty of breach of privilege.
- Each House also claims the right to punish as contempt actions which, while not breach of any specific privilege, are offenses against its authority and dignity.
What are the rules governing privilege?
- Rule No 222 in Chapter 20 of the Lok Sabha Rule Book and correspondingly Rule 187 in Chapter 16 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook govern privilege.
- It says that a member may, with the consent of the Speaker or the Chairperson, raise a question involving a breach of privilege either of a member or of the House or of a committee thereof.
- The rules however mandate that any notice should be relating to an incident of recent occurrence and should need the intervention of the House.
- Notices have to be given before 10 am to the Speaker or the Chairperson.
What is the role of the Speaker/Rajya Sabha Chair?
- The Speaker/RS chairperson is the first level of scrutiny of a privilege motion.
- The Speaker/Chair can decide on the privilege motion himself or herself or refer it to the privileges committee of Parliament.
- If the Speaker/Chair gives consent under Rule 222, the member concerned is given an opportunity to make a short statement.
What is the Privileges Committee?
- In the Lok Sabha, the Speaker nominates a committee of privileges consisting of 15 members as per respective party strengths.
- A report is then presented to the House for its consideration. The Speaker may permit a half-hour debate while considering the report.
- The Speaker may then pass final orders or direct that the report be tabled before the House.
- A resolution may then be moved relating to the breach of privilege that has to be unanimously passed.
- In the Rajya Sabha, the deputy chairperson heads the committee of privileges, which consists of 10 members.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.With reference to the Parliament of India, which of the following Parliamentary Committees scrutinizes and reports to the House whether the powers to make regulations, rules, sub-rules, by-laws etc. conferred by the constitution of delegated by the Parliament are being properly exercised by the Executive within the scope of such delegation?
(a) Committee on Government Assurances
(b) Committee on Subordinate Legislation
(c) Rules Committee
(d) Business Advisory Committee
Post your answers here.
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