Type: Prelims Only

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Centre notifies new rules for Consumer Panels

Prelims Only | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Governance, Transparency & Accountability, Citizens Charters
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Consumer Disputes Redressal mechanism

Mains level: Consumer protection

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution has notified monetary jurisdiction for various Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (CDRC) under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

What are the new changes?

  • The Centre has notified new rules to revise pecuniary jurisdiction for entertaining consumer complaints at district, state and national level commissions, a move aimed at fast disposal of cases.
  • The NCDRC will now have jurisdiction to entertain consumers’ complaints where the value of the goods or services exceeds Rs 2 crore as against the earlier limit of over Rs 10 crore.
  • The state commissions will have jurisdiction to similar complaints with value of goods or services between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 2 crore, and the National Commission over Rs 2 crore.
  • District commissions have jurisdiction to entertain complaints where value of goods or services paid as consideration does not exceed Rs 1 crore.

Legal basis of these changes

  • The Act provides a “three-tier quasi-judicial mechanism” for redress of consumer disputes: district commissions, state commissions, and the national commission.
  • The law also provides pecuniary jurisdiction of each tier of consumer commission.

Benefits of the move

  • Fast-track disposal of cases: Reduction of limit of pecuniary jurisdiction of district and state commissions will reduce workload at these two tiers of dispute resolution system, and thereby reduce pendency at these two levels.
  • Easy litigation: Besides, with E-Dakhil in place, consumers can take their complaints to a state or national commission without visiting the commission physically.

Back2Basics: Features of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019

[1] Definition of consumer

  • A consumer is defined as a person who buys any good or avails a service for a consideration.
  • It does not include a person who obtains a good for resale or a good or service for commercial purpose.
  • It covers transactions through all modes including offline, and online through electronic means, teleshopping, multi-level marketing or direct selling.

[2] Rights of consumers

Six consumer rights have been defined in the Bill, including the right to:

  • be protected against marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property
  • be informed of the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods or services
  • be assured of access to a variety of goods or services at competitive prices and
  • seek redressal against unfair or restrictive trade practices

[3] Central Consumer Protection Authority

  • The central government will set up a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers.
  • It will regulate matters related to violation of consumer rights, unfair trade practices, and misleading advertisements.
  • The CCPA will have an investigation wing, headed by a Director-General, which may conduct inquiry or investigation into such violations.

[4] Penalties for misleading advertisement

  • The CCPA may impose a penalty on a manufacturer or an endorser of up to Rs 10 lakh and imprisonment for up to two years for a false or misleading advertisement.
  • In case of a subsequent offence, the fine may extend to Rs 50 lakh and imprisonment of up to five years.
  • CCPA can also prohibit the endorser of a misleading advertisement from endorsing that particular product or service for a period of up to one year.

 [5] Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

  • CDRCs will be set up at the district, state, and national levels.
  • A consumer can file a complaint with CDRCs in relation to: (i) unfair or restrictive trade practices; (ii) defective goods or services; (iii) overcharging or deceptive charging; and (iv) the offering of goods or services for sale which may be hazardous to life and safety.
  • Complaints against an unfair contract can be filed with only the State and National Appeals from a District CDRC will be heard by the State CDRC.
  • Appeals from the State CDRC will be heard by the National CDRC.
  • Final appeal will lie before the Supreme Court.

[6] Jurisdiction of CDRCs

  • The District CDRC will entertain complaints where value of goods and services does not exceed Rs one crore.
  • The State CDRC will entertain complaints when the value is more than Rs one crore but does not exceed Rs 10 crore.
  • Complaints with value of goods and services over Rs 10 crore will be entertained by the National CDRC.

[7] Product liability

  • Product liability means the liability of a product manufacturer, service provider or seller to compensate a consumer for any harm or injury caused by a defective good or deficient service.
  • To claim compensation, a consumer has to prove any one of the conditions for defect or deficiency, as given in the Bill.

 

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Blockchain Technology: Prospects and Challenges

What are Blockchain Funds?

Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Mutual funds, Blockchain funds

Mains level: Not Much

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has ruled that Indian mutual funds (MFs) cannot invest in crypto-related products until government regulations on are clear.

What are Blockchain Funds?

  • Blockchain is a digital ledger system that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets in a network.
  • It is possible to have blockchain without crypto, but in practice the two are highly interlinked.
  • Cryptocurrency tends to power the resources needed for a public blockchain network.
  • Unlike specific crypto-based investments, blockchain funds invest in multiple companies that are driving sustainable earnings from blockchain businesses.
  • Some key companies in this ecosystem are US-based Coinbase Global Inc and Advanced Micro Devices Inc, and Japan’s GMO internet Inc.

Why has SEBI blocked Blockchain funds?

  • Absence of regulations: SEBI concerns stem from unclear regulations around cryptocurrencies in India.
  • Unclear future: While investing, trading and holding crypto assets are allowed in India as of now, the laws are still not clear as to how they are regulated and taxed.
  • Possible ban: There is a possibility that the government may ban trading in crypto altogether or come up with stringent thresholds for investors to delve into this new asset.
  • Taxing the gains: For taxation purposes, short-term capital gains from individual crypto investing are taxed at personal taxation rates, however, there are no clear guidelines for fund investing.

Are blockchain funds good investments?

  • The technology is creating value by revolutionizing the way assets and digital records are managed and transferred.
  • Many companies, particularly in financial services, are investing millions of dollars in researching and building Blockchain infrastructure.
  • Although the technology is still in the nascent phase in India, its potential across the board is huge.

Back2Basics: Mutual Funds

  • A mutual fund is a company that pools money from many investors and invests the money in securities such as stocks, bonds, and short-term debt.
  • The combined holdings of the mutual fund are known as its portfolio. Investors buy shares in mutual funds.
  • Each share represents an investor’s part ownership in the fund and the income it generates.

Mutual funds are a popular choice among investors because they generally offer the following features:

  • Professional Management. The fund managers do the research for you. They select the securities and monitor the performance.
  • Diversification or “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Mutual funds typically invest in a range of companies and industries. This helps to lower your risk if one company fails.
  • Affordability. Most mutual funds set a relatively low dollar amount for initial investment and subsequent purchases.
  • Liquidity. Mutual fund investors can easily redeem their shares at any time, for the current net asset value (NAV) plus any redemption fees.

Risks with MFs

  • With mutual funds, one may lose some or all of the money invested because the securities held by a fund can go down in value.
  • Dividends or interest payments may also change as market conditions change.
  • The more volatile the fund, the higher the investment risk.

 

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Monetary Policy Committee Notifications

What is the Regression Theorem?

Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3:
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Regression Theorem

Mains level: Not Much

This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in the TH e-paper edition.

Regression Theorem

  • The regression theorem refers to a theory of the origin of money.
  • It states that money must have originated as a commodity with intrinsic value in the marketplace.
  • The idea was first proposed by Austrian economist Carl Menger in his 1892 work “On the Origins of Money.”
  • This theory is offered as an alternative to the state theory of money which states that money (fiat money) can come into existence only when it is backed by the government.

Evolution of Money

  • The regression theory argues that money comes into existence through a gradual process of evolution in the marketplace, without the need for any government sanction.
  • Economists who try to explain the regression theory generally start with the question of why money, particularly fiat money which is simply just a piece of paper, has any value at all in the marketplace.
  • The most common answer to this question is that fiat money can be used to buy other useful goods such as houses, cars etc.
  • But this answer is insufficient —it tries to tackle the question of why fiat money can buy other useful goods by simply saying that it can buy other useful goods.

Why is fiat money, which has little intrinsic value, considered valuable?

  • In real life, people accept money in exchange for goods in the present because they are aware that money was accepted as a medium in exchange for other goods in the past.
  • For example, people accept wages in the US dollar today because they are aware that the dollar was used to buy cars, groceries and other goods in the market yesterday.
  • This gives them confidence in the value of their money.

What made people accept money in exchange for other useful goods in the past?

Ans. Intrinsic Value

  • Economists who advocate the regression theory of money argue that money must have originated as a useful commodity like gold or silver or the barter system.
  • This is the only way, they argue, it could have possibly been accepted by people in exchange for other useful goods at some point in the past.
  • If a thing did not possess any intrinsic value, it is unlikely that people in the marketplace would have accepted it in exchange for other goods and services.
  • So, commodities like gold and silver must have been traded in exchange for other goods and services at some point in history purely because they offered some kind of personal utility to people.
  • For example, these precious metals could have been used to make ornaments, to fill teeth, etc., which gives them intrinsic value.
  • They maintain value over time because their supply cannot be easily ramped up as mining gold involves significant production costs.

 

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Historical and Archaeological Findings in News

Back in news: Aryan Invasion Theory

Prelims Only | | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Indus valley civilization and its decline

Mains level: Aryan Invasion Theory

The 2022 calendar of the IIT, Kharagpur on the theme of “evidence” for “rebutting the Aryan invasion myth” has caused controversy.

What is the Aryan Invasion Theory?

  • It has always been understood that the Aryans migration from the Steppe happened after 2000 BCE.
  • In 1953 Mortimer Wheeler proposed that the invasion of an Indo-European tribe from Central Asia, the “Aryans”, caused the decline of the Indus Civilization.
  • As evidence, he cited a group of 37 skeletons found in various parts of Mohenjo-daro, and passages in the Vedas referring to battles and forts.
  • However, scholars soon started to reject Wheeler’s theory, since the skeletons belonged to a period after the city’s abandonment and none were found near the citadel.

Basis of this theory

  • This was first propounded when linguistic similarities between Sanskrit and the major European languages were discovered by European scholars during the colonial era.
  • This tool was used by the colonizers to legitimize their rule in India.
  • The theory hypothesizes that during 2000BC Aryans from Europe invaded or migrated into the Asian subcontinent.
  • It states these ‘invaders’ killed the original Dravidians and set up the Aryan race in the South-Asian subcontinent.
  • The Aryan Invasion Theory claimed that these ‘invaders’ were the root of modern Indian civilization, not the Harappan civilization.

Its rebuttal

  • Recent studies have debunked the theory after DNA samples from 5000-year old Harappan remains were proven to be similar to modern Indians’ DNA as part of the Rakhigarhi Project.

Who were the Harappans then?

  • The Harappans who created the agricultural revolution in northwestern India and then built the Harappan civilization were a mix of First Indians and Iranians who spoke a pre-Arya language.
  • The Arya were central Asian Steppe pastoralists who arrived in India between roughly 2000 BCE and 1500 BCE, and brought Indo-European languages to the subcontinent.
  • The new study says the Iranians arrived in India before agriculture or even herding had begun anywhere in the world.
  • In other words, these migrants were likely to have been hunter-gatherers, which means they did not bring a knowledge of agriculture.

Try this PYQ:

Q With reference to the difference between the culture of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, which of the following statements correct?

  1. Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them.
  2. Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver and copper whereas Indus Valley people knew only copper and iron.
  3. Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people having been aware of this animal.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) Only 1

(c) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

 

Post your answers here.

 

 

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Capital Markets: Challenges and Developments

SEBI tweaks share sale norms for IPOs

Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: IPO

Mains level: Not Much

The Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has approved amendments to a slew of regulations to tighten the Initial Public Offering (IPO) process and norms governing the utilization of IPO proceeds by promoters.

What is an IPO?

  • Every company needs money to grow and expand.
  • They do this by borrowing or by issuing shares.
  • If the company decides to opt for the second route of issuing shares, it must invite public investors to buy its shares.
  • This is its first public invitation in the stock market and is called the Initial Public Offering (IPO).

What does it mean for investors to buy shares?

  • When one buys such shares, he/she makes an IPO investment.
  • He/she gets ownership in the company, proportionate to the value of your shares.
  • These shares then get listed on the stock exchange.
  • The stock exchange is where you can sell your existing shares in the company or buy more.

How does an IPO work?

  • The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) regulates the entire process of investment via an IPO in India.
  • A company intending to issue shares through IPOs first registers with SEBI.
  • SEBI scrutinizes the documents submitted, and only then approves them.

Who can hold IPOs?

  • It could be a new, young company or an old company that decides to be listed on an exchange and hence goes public.

What are the recent regulations?

  • In its board meeting, SEBI approved conditions for sale of shares by significant shareholders in the Offer-For-Sale (OFS) process via an IPO and has extended the lock-in period for anchor investors to 90 days.
  • Shares offered for sale by shareholders with more than 20% of pre-issue shareholding of the issuer, should not exceed 50% of their holding.
  • If they hold less than 20%, then the offer for sale should not exceed 10% of their holding of the issue.
  • These changes are as per proposals recommended by SEBI’s Primary Market Advisory Committee.

Also read:

[Sansad TV] The IPO Boom

 

Try this question from CSP 2019:

Q.In India, which of the following review the independent regulators in sectors like telecommunications, insurance, electricity, etc.?

  1. Ad Hoc Committees set up by the Parliament
  2. Parliamentary Department Related Standing Committees
  3. Finance Commission
  4. Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission
  5. NITI Aayog

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 1, 3 and 4

(c) 3, 4 and 5

(d) 2 and 5

 

Post your answers here.

 

 

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Historical and Archaeological Findings in News

Places in news: Konark Sun Temple

Prelims Only | | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Konark Sun Temple

Mains level: Kalinga and other temple architecture

The Archaeological Survey of India is working on a preliminary roadmap to safely remove sand from the interiors of Odisha’s Sun Temple, which was filled up by the British 118 years ago to prevent it from collapsing.

Konark Sun Temple

  • Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century CE Sun temple at Konark about 36 kilometres northeast from Puri on the coastline of Odisha, India.
  • The temple is attributed to king Narasinga Deva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty about 1250 CE.
  • Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984 it remains a major pilgrimage site for Hindus, who gather here every year for the Chandrabhaga Mela around the month of February.

Its architecture

  • Dedicated to the Hindu Sun God Surya, what remains of the temple complex has the appearance of a 100-foot (30 m) high chariot with immense wheels and horses, all carved from stone.
  • Its architecture has all the defining elements of the Kalinga architecture – it includes Shikhara (crown), Jagmohana (audience hall), Natmandir (dance hall), and Vimana (tower).
  • Also called the Surya Devalaya, it is a classic illustration of the Odisha style of Architecture or Kalinga Architecture.
  • Once over 200 feet (61 m) high, much of the temple is now in ruins, in particular the large shikara tower over the sanctuary; at one time this rose much higher than the mandapa that remains.
  • The structures and elements that have survived are famed for their intricate artwork, iconography, and themes, including erotic kama and mithuna scenes.
  • The Jagamohan is the only structure that is fully intact now.

Earlier restoration efforts

  • It had been filled with sand and sealed by the British authorities in 1903 in order to stabilize the structure, a/c to ASI.
  • The sand filled in over 100 years ago had settled, leading to a gap of about 17 feet.
  • However, the structure was found to be stable.

 

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GI(Geographical Indicator) Tags

Plea seeks GI tag for Arunachal Apatani textile product

Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Intellectual Property Rights
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Apatani textile, GI tags

Mains level: Not Much

An application seeking a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the Arunachal Pradesh Apatani textile product has been filed by a firm.

Apatani textile

  • The Apatani weave comes from the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh living at Ziro, the headquarters of lower Subansiri district.
  • The woven fabric of this tribe is known for its geometric and zigzag patterns and also for its angular designs.
  • The community weaves its own textiles for various occasions, including rituals and cultural festivals.
  • The tribe predominantly weaves shawls known as jig-jiro and jilan or jackets called supuntarii.
  • The traditional handloom of this tribe is a type of loin loom, which is called Chichin, and is similar to the traditional handloom of the Nyishi tribe.

What makes it special?

  • The people here use different leaves and plant resources for organic dying the cotton yarns in their traditional ways.
  • Only women folk are engaged in weaving.

 

Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

 

Q.Which of the following has/have been accorded ‘Geographical Indication’ status?

  1. Banaras Brocades and Sarees
  2. Rajasthani Daal-Bati-Churma
  3. Tirupathi Laddu

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

 

Post your answers here.

About Geographical Indication

  • A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
  • Nodal Agency: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 w.e.f. September 2003.
  • GIs have been defined under Article 22 (1) of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.
  • GI is granted for a term of 10 years in India. As of today, more than 300 GI tags has been allocated so far in India (*Wikipedia).
  • The tag stands valid for 10 years.

 

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Health Sector – UHC, National Health Policy, Family Planning, Health Insurance, etc.

NITI Aayog releases fourth edition of State Health Index

Prelims Only | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: State Health Index

Mains level: Competitive Federalism

NITI Aayog has released the fourth edition of the State Health Index for 2019–20.

State Health Index

  • The State Health Index is an annual tool to assess the performance of states and UTs. It is being compiled and published since 2017.
  • The index is part of a report commissioned by the NITI Aayog, the World Bank, and the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry.
  • The reports aim to nudge states/UTs towards building robust health systems and improving service delivery.

Components of the index

  • It is a weighted composite index based on 24 indicators grouped under the domains of ‘Health Outcomes’, ‘Governance and Information’, and ‘Key Inputs/Processes’.
  1. Health outcomes: It includes parameters such as neonatal mortality rate, under-5 mortality rate, and sex ratio at birth.
  2. Governance: This includes institutional deliveries, average occupancy of senior officers in key posts earmarked for health.
  3. Key inputs: It consists of the proportion of shortfall in healthcare providers to what is recommended, functional medical facilities, birth, and death registration, and tuberculosis treatment success rate.

Performance of the states

  • For the fourth year in a row, Kerala has topped a ranking of States on health indicators. Uttar Pradesh has come in at the bottom.
  • Kerala is followed by Tamil Nadu and Telangana, which improved its ranking.

 

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Labour, Jobs and Employment – Harmonization of labour laws, gender gap, unemployment, etc.

Every third informal worker is now registered on E-Shram Portal

Prelims Only | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Laws, Institutions & Bodies Constituted For The Vulnerable Sections
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: E-Shram Portal

Mains level: Welfare of the unorganized workers

Every third informal sector worker in India is now registered on the e-Shram portal with registration on the portal crossing the 14 crore mark in four months.

About E-Shram Portal

  • The Ministry of Labour and Employment has launched the E-Shram Portal for creating a National Database of Unorganized Workers (NDUW) this year.
  • The E-Shram portal will cover all unorganised workers of the nation and help link them to social security schemes of the Government of India.
  • Aadhaar with mobile number linked is mandatory for the registration.

Category of unorganized workers covered:

  1. Construction Worker
  2. Migrant Worker
  3. Gig & Platform Worker
  4. Street Vendor Worker
  5. Agriculture Worker
  6. Others

Broad objectives of this portal

  • Creation of a centralized database of all unorganized workers (UWs)
  • To improve the implementation efficiency of the social security services for the unorganized workers
  • Integration of Social Security Schemes meant for UWs being administered by MoLE and subsequently, those run by other ministries as well
  • Portability of the social security and welfare benefits to the migrant and construction workers
  • Providing a comprehensive database to Central and State Governments for tackling any National Crises like COVID-19 in future

Benefits of registration

  • Under the scheme, Rs 2.0 Lakh Accidental Insurance cover will be provided to every registered (on E-Shram portal) unorganized worker.
  • Every registered unorganized worker shall be issued an E- Shram card with a unique Universal Account Number (UAN).
  • He/She will be able to access the benefits of the various social security schemes through this Card anywhere anytime.

Who can register on this Portal?

Any individual satisfying the following conditions can register on the portal:

  • An unorganized worker (UW).
  • Age should be between 16-59 years.
  • Not a member of EPFO/ESIC or NPS (Govt. funded)

What is required for registration?

Following is required to register on the portal:

  • Aadhaar Number
  • Mobile number linked with Aadhaar.
  • Savings Bank Account Number with IFSC code

Registrations done so far

  • The latest data of the portal shows that the top five States in terms of number of registrations on e-Shram are U.P., West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand.
  • Gender analysis of the data shows that 52.56% are female while 47.44% are male.
  • The data show that 42.64% of the registered workers are other backward classes (OBC) followed by 26.45% from general category, 22.54% from the scheduled caste and 8.38% from the Scheduled Tribe.
  • It also show that over 94% registered workers’ income is ₹10,000 per month or below while over 4% have income in the rage of ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 per month.
  • About 51% workers are farm laborers, 11% in construction, 10% in domestic and household work and 6.5% in the apparel segment.

 

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International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

Study of distant Magnetar reveals facets of the Exotic Star

Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Magnetars

Mains level: Not Much

An international group of researchers has succeeded in measuring for the first time the characteristics of a flare on a distant magnetar.

What is a Magnetar?

  • Magnetars are the most magnetic stars in the universe.
  • It is a rare compact type of neutron star teeming with energy and magnetism.
  • It is an exotic type of neutron star, its defining feature that it has an ultra-powerful magnetic field.
  • The field is about 1,000 times stronger than a normal neutron star and about a trillion times stronger than the Earth’s.
  • Magnetars are relatively rare objects, with only about thirty having been spotted within the Milky Way so far.

What is the recent study?

  • The studied magnetar is about 13 million light years away, in the direction of the NGC 253, a prominent galaxy in the Sculptor group of galaxies.
  • Its flare spewed within a few tenths of a second as much energy as the Sun would shed in 100,000 years.
  • It was captured accidentally on April 15, 2020, by the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor instrument (ASIM) of the International Space Station.
  • This is the first study to characterize such a flare from so distant a magnetar.

How do magnetars form?

  • During the course of their evolution, massive stars – with masses around 10-25 times the mass of the Sun – eventually collapse and shrink to form very compact objects called neutron stars.
  • A subset of these neutron stars is the so-called magnetars which possess intense magnetic fields.
  • These are highly dense and have breathtakingly high rotation speeds – they have rotational periods that can be just 0.3 to 12.0 seconds.

What characterizes Magnetars?

(1) Violent flares

  • The observed giant flare lasted approximately 160 milliseconds and during this time 1039 joules of energy was released.
  • The flare spewed as much energy in a tenth of a second that our Sun will radiate in 100,000 years.

(2) Starquakes

  • Eruptions in magnetars are believed to be due to instabilities in their magnetosphere, or “starquakes” produced in their crust – a rigid, elastic layer about one kilometer thick.
  • This causes waves in the magnetosphere, and interaction between these waves causes dissipation of energy.

 

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Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

Who was Archbishop Desmond Tutu?

Prelims Only | | Mains Paper 1:
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Desmond Tutu

Mains level: Anti-apartheid struggle in Africa

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and veteran of South Africa’s struggle against white minority rule has died on December 26 at the age of 90.

Try this question from CS Mains 2016:

 

Q. The anti-colonial struggles in West Africa were led by the new elite of Western-educated Africans. Examine.

Desmond Tutu (1931- 2021)

  • Tutu was a South African Anglican cleric who in 1984 received the Nobel Prize for Peace for his role in the opposition to apartheid in South Africa.
  • A decade later, he witnessed the ends of that regime and he chaired a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, set up to unearth atrocities committed during those dark days.
  • He was considered the nation’s conscience by both, the black majority and the white minority, an enduring testament to his faith and spirit of reconciliation in a divided nation.

His notable works

  • During South Africa’s moves toward democracy in the early 1990s, Tutu propagated the idea of South Africa as “the Rainbow Nation”.
  • The term was intended to encapsulate the unity of multi-culturalism and the coming together of people of many different nations, in a country once identified with the strict division of white and black under the Apartheid regime.
  • In 1995 South African Pres. Nelson Mandela appointed Tutu head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which investigated allegations of human rights abuses during the apartheid era.

 

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Tribes in News

In news: Tai Khamti Rebellion

Prelims Only | | Mains Paper 1: Modern Indian History
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Tai Khamti Rebellion

Mains level: Various tribal uprisings in India

The Arunachal Pradesh Deputy CM urged the Centre to recognize the Tai Khamti-British war as India’s first for independence.

Tai Khamti Rebellion

  • The Tai Khamti Rebellion is the first such war took place in 1839 between the Tai Khamti people and the British.
  • The theatre of this war was some 2,400 km east of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh where the mutiny began.
  • Tai Khamtis resisted colonization by the British. Some 80 British soldiers, including Col. Adam White, were killed in the resultant conflict.

Who are the Tai Khamti people?

  • The Tai Khamti people, who follow Theravada Buddhism, number a little more than 1,00,000 today and live in areas straddling Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Other revolts in Arunachal

  • Arunachal Deputy CM also batted for recognition of battles between other communities of Arunachal Pradesh and the British.
  • They include a series of Anglo-Abor wars from 1858 to 1911 and the Wancho-British war in Tirap district’s Ninu in 1875.
  • The Abors, now called Adis, inhabit central Arunachal Pradesh, while the Wanchos live in the southern part of the State.

 

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International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

How James Webb Telescope seeks to unlock Universe’s Secrets

Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: JWST

Mains level: Not Much

Today, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the largest and most powerful space telescope ever built, will be launched from French Guiana, on the northeast coast of South America on the European Ariane 5 rocket.

James Webb Space Telescope

  • JWST is a space telescope jointly developed by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
  • It is planned to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope as NASA’s flagship astrophysics mission.
  • It will conduct a broad range of investigations across the fields of astronomy and cosmology, including:
  1. Observing some of the most distant events and objects in the universe such as the formation of the first galaxies
  2. Detailed atmospheric characterization of potentially habitable exoplanets

How is it different from other telescopes?

  • JWST is much more powerful and has the ability to look in the infrared spectrum, which will allow it to peer through much deeper into the universe, and see through obstructions such as gas clouds.
  • As electromagnetic waves travel for long distances, they lose energy, resulting in an increase in their wavelength.
  • An ultraviolet wave, for example, can slowly move into the visible light spectrum and the infrared spectrum, and further weaken to microwaves or radio waves, as it loses energy.
  • Hubble was designed to look mainly into the ultraviolet and visible regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
  • JWST is primarily an infrared telescope, the first of its kind.

Special features of JWST

(1) Time machine in space

  • Powerful space telescopes, like JWST or the Hubble Telescope, are often called time machines because of their ability to view very faraway objects.
  • The light coming from those objects, stars or galaxies, which is captured by these telescopes, began its journey millions of years earlier.
  • Essentially, what these telescopes see are images of these stars or galaxies as they were millions of years ago.
  • The more distant the planet or star, the farther back in time are the telescopes able to see.

(2) Farthest from Earth

  • JWST will also be positioned much deeper into space, about a million miles from Earth, at a spot known as L2.
  • It is one of the five points, known as Lagrange’s points, in any revolving two-body system like Earth and Sun, where the gravitational forces of the two large bodies cancel each other out.
  • Objects placed at these positions are relatively stable and require minimal external energy to keep them there. L2 is a position directly behind Earth in the line joining the Sun and the Earth.
  • It would be shielded from the Sun by the Earth as it goes around the Sun, in sync with the Earth.

(3) Engineering marvel

  • JWST has one large mirror, with a diameter of 21 feet (the height of a typical two-storey building), that will capture the infra-red light coming in from the deep universe while facing away from the Sun.
  • It will be shielded by a five-layer, tennis court-sized, kite-shaped sunscreen that is designed to block the heat from Sun and ensure the extremely cool temperatures that the instruments are built to operate at.
  • Temperatures on the sun-facing side can get as high as 110°C, while the other side would be maintained at –200° to –230°C.
  • The extremely cold temperatures are needed to detect the extremely faint heat signals from distant galaxies.
  • The mirror as well as the sunscreen is so large they could not have fit into any rocket. They have been built as foldable items and would be unraveled in space.

 

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Swachh Bharat Mission

Meendum Manjappai Scheme

Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Meendum Manjappai Scheme

Mains level: Not Much

Tamil Nadu CM has launched the ‘Meendum Manjappai’ Scheme to promote the use of cloth bags by the public and discourage the use of plastic bags.

Meendum Manjappai Scheme

  • This awareness campaign on using ‘yellow’ cloth bag or ‘manjapai’ as it is called in Tamil, is aimed at encouraging the people to return to the use of this eco-friendly bag and discard the plastic bags.
  • Manjal means turmeric in Tamil which has curative power. The manjapai was an integral part of daily life in the past.
  • Traditionally the manjapais were used for shopping, carrying books, ration and even cash.
  • The state government had enforced a ban on the production, use, storage, distribution, transportation or sale of 14 types of plastics with effect from January 1, 2019.

 

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Indian Army Updates

Indian Army inducts Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle (AERV)

Prelims Only | Security Issues | Mains Paper 3: Indigenization Of Technology
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicles (AERV)

Mains level: Not Much

The first batch of next-generation indigenously designed Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicles (AERV) was inducted by the Indian Army.

About AERV

  • AERV is indigenously designed and developed by DRDO and manufactured by the Pune unit of Bharat Electronics Limited.
  • It has more than 90% indigenous content.
  • It is a versatile BMP-IIK amphibious Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) fitted with instruments for water reconnaissance, land reconnaissance, navigation, and data backup.

Unique capabilities of AERV

  • AERV is capable of measuring soil bearing capacity on riverbanks.
  • It works to determine if they are motorable for military vehicles on Go-No Go basis (critical parameters for bridge laying), dry and wet gaps in day and night conditions, slopes and height of river banks or canals.”
  • AERVs can navigate terrain using Military Grid Coordinate System, measure and plot underwater beds and water currents of rivers or canals.
  • They can store data from various instruments on Control Console for further analysis and decision-making.

 

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Festivals, Dances, Theatre, Literature, Art in News

‘Chillai Kalan’ begins in Kashmir

Prelims Only | History and Art & Culture | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Chillai Kalan

Mains level: Not Much

Kashmir is in a deep freeze as the 40-day harshest spell of winter, locally called ‘chillai kalan’ has started with the minimum temperature already sub-zero in the entire Valley.

Chillai Kalan

  • Chillai Kalan is the coldest 40-day period of harsh winter of winter in the Jammu and Kashmir region.
  • It is traditionally defined as a seasonal period of harsh winter accompanied by a change in increase in both frequency and quantity of precipitation usually snow.
  • It begins from December 21 and ends on January 31 next year.
  • It is followed by a 20-day long Chillai-Khurd (small cold) that occurs between January 31 and February 19 and a 10-day long Chillai-Bachha (baby cold).
  • According to Persian tradition, the night of 21st December is celebrated as Shab-e Yalda-“Night of Birth”, or Shab-e Chelleh “Night of Forty”.

Its’ celebration

  • In the Persian tradition, the night of December 21, the longest of the year, is celebrated as Shab-e-Yalda (night of birth) or Shab-e-Chelleh.
  • Dozens of netizens from Kashmir named it the ‘Pheran Day’, after the long woollen gown worn during the winters in Kashmir.
  • Use of a traditional firing pot called Kangri increases.
  • Tap water pipelines partially freeze during this period. The Dal Lake also freezes.
  • The famous tourist resort of Gulmarg receives heavy snow which attracts skier’s from every part of the world.

 

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Capital Markets: Challenges and Developments

SEBI suspends Futures Trading in key farm crops

Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Derievatives, Commodity trading

Mains level: NA

Market regulator Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued an order suspending futures trading in paddy (non-basmati), wheat, Bengal gram (chana dal), mustard seeds and its derivatives, soyabean and its derivatives, crude palm oil and green gram (moong dal) for a year.

What are Derivatives?

  • A derivative is a contract between two parties which derives its value/price from an underlying asset.
  • The value of the underlying asset is bound to change as the value of the underlying assets keep changing continuously.
  • Generally, stocks, bonds, currency, commodities and interest rates form the underlying asset.

Types of Derivatives

The most common types of derivatives are futures, options, forwards and swaps:

(1) Futures

  • Futures are standardized contracts that allow the holder to buy/sell the asset at an agreed price at the specified date.
  • The parties to the futures contract are under an obligation to perform the contract. These contracts are traded on the stock exchange.
  • The value of future contracts is marked to market every day.
  • It means that the contract value is adjusted according to market movements till the expiration date.

 (2) Options

  • Options are derivative contracts that give the buyer a right to buy/sell the underlying asset at the specified price during a certain period of time.
  • The buyer is not under any obligation to exercise the option.
  • The option seller is known as the option writer. The specified price is known as the strike price.

(3) Forwards

  • Forwards are like futures contracts wherein the holder is under an obligation to perform the contract.
  • But forwards are unstandardized and not traded on stock exchanges.
  • These are available over-the-counter and are not marked-to-market.
  • These can be customized to suit the requirements of the parties to the contract.

(4) Swaps

  • Swaps are derivative contracts wherein two parties exchange their financial obligations.
  • The cash flows are based on a notional principal amount agreed between both parties without the exchange of principal.
  • The amount of cash flows is based on a rate of interest.
  • One cash flow is generally fixed and the other changes on the basis of a benchmark interest rate.
  • Swaps are not traded on stock exchanges and are over-the-counter contracts between businesses or financial institutions.

What are Agri-Futures?

Like equity, currency or interest rate futures, they allows to buy or sell an underlier at a preset price on a future date. All agri contracts end in compulsory delivery.

  • Agri products available for trade include wheat, sugar, chana, soyabean, castor, chilli , jeera futures, etc. Edible oil seeds and oils, spices and items like guar are among the more liquid contracts.
  • An objective of futures trading is gains reaching farmers, by establishing an efficient price-discovery platform.
  • This has been achieved to a large extent on NCDEX, in products such as castor, chana, soy complex, mustard, guar, cumin, etc.

National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) is an Indian online commodity and derivative exchange. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance.

What are the reasons for this ban?

(1) To cool off Food Inflation

  • India’s retail inflation rose to a three-month high of 4.91 % in November from 4.48 % in the previous month primarily because of a rise in food inflation to 1.87 % from 0.85 % over this period.

(2) Double Digits WPI

  • Wholesale Price Index-based inflation has remained in double digits for eight consecutive months beginning in April, mainly because of the surging prices of food items.
  • In November, the wholesale price-based inflation surged to a record high of 14.23 % amid the hardening of prices of mineral oils, basic metals, crude petroleum, and natural gas.

(3) To insulate future Price Shock

  • In view of Rabi Output that might be affected morbidly because of fertilizer shortage faced in many parts of the country.
  • By banning future’s trade, the government is trying to insulate any price shock the market might feel in the days to come in case the production is not up to par.

What will be the impact?

(1) The imports in such commodities, especially edible oils, would reduce in the short term as traders will not have a hedging platform.

  • Hedging, which is speculative in nature, has been made difficult.
  • This will lead to the release of blocked local produce supplies into the market, which should cool the prices.
  • Imports of commodities for speculative gains will be discouraged.

(2) It is believed that speculators have a role in jacking up prices and this needed to be discouraged to curb inflation and support growth as the economy is recovering from the COVID-19 impact.

(3) India is the world’s biggest importer of vegetable oil and this measure will make it difficult for edible oil importers and traders to transact business since they use Indian exchanges to hedge their risk.

(4) Agri-futures, driven mainly by NCDEX, have a checkered history with bans often pushing NCDEX back.

  • Such frequent bans are not a good development for the market as it affects confidence levels.
  • Often, a contract that is banned may not return to the table, which were very effective in price-discovery.
  • Even when the contracts are restored, traders hesitate because of the fear of bans.
  • As it involves losses for market participants with open positions as they must square off contracts before maturity.

What are the other steps taken?

  • Supply-side interventions by the Government had limited the fallout of continuing high international edible oil prices on domestic prices.
  • The Union Government substantially reduced taxes on imports of palm, soy and sunflower oil.
  • Union and State Governments had also recently reduced excise duty and VAT on petrol and diesel, aimed at bringing down inflation.
  • It has both direct effects as well as indirect effects operating through fuel and transportation costs.

Way Forward

  • The ban is expected to be lifted by March when the next mustard crop starts hitting the market and prices cool down.
    • If the weather remains benign in the coming weeks, India is on course to harvest a bumper 11 million tonnes of mustard in 2021-22, up from 8.5 million tonnes in 2020-21.
  • The way out is not to ban any contract, but make sure to correct any serious aberration through a combination of higher margins so that if at all the price is getting distorted due to market manipulation, the correction takes place immediately.
  • Further, talking to potential wrongdoers is another way out, provided trading patterns noticed by the exchange reveal such tendencies.
    • Position limits can be changed to ensure undue influence is not exerted by any set of traders.

 

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Mother and Child Health – Immunization Program, BPBB, PMJSY, PMMSY, etc.

Risks of mandatory Iron Fortification

Prelims Only | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Iron fortification

Mains level: Isuses with fortified food

Many things have been said about the necessity for mandatory iron fortification of foods in India.

Iron fortification

  • Iron fortification of food is a methodology utilized worldwide to address iron deficiency.
  • A critical problem in some food fortification programs is the lack of bioavailability of iron compounds.

Why need iron fortification?

Ans. Prevalence of Anaemia

  • Iron deficiency anaemia is due to insufficient iron.
  • National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 provides insights into anaemia prevalence in the country, indicating that 57.2% of women ages 15 to 49 are anaemic, up from 49.7% in NFHS-4.
  • Without enough iron, the body can’t produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (hemoglobin).
  • Severe anemia during pregnancy increases your risk of premature birth, having a low birth weight baby and postpartum depression.
  • Some studies also show an increased risk of infant death immediately before or after birth.

Concerns over iron fortification

Ans. Fear of diabetes and heart ailments

  • Iron increases the risk for many non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension and even high blood cholesterol.
  • A US based survey shows that high ferritin level had a four-fold higher risk of having diabetes.
  • The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey of Indian adolescents to resulted in such scary outcomes.
  • There was a clear and significant risk for each of these conditions as serum ferritin increased.

India’s vulnerability

Ans. India is world capital of diabetes and hypertension

  • No less than 50% of Indian children, aged 5-19 years, already had a biomarker of either high blood sugar or high blood lipids, even when thin or stunted.
  • Thus, the risk of chronic disease is already very high in our children.
  • Thus mandatory cereal fortification has severe hazards for India.

Why mandatory fortification is not a feasible option?

  • Occurrence of deficiencies: We do not even know if anaemia is as rampant to warrant such mandatory measures.
  • Manipulating food choices: When mandatory fortification is enforced in parts of the population that do not need this, it removes their choice of foods, or autonomy.
  • Morbidities due to excess: It could even be unethical if the risk of other morbidities is increased.
  • No successful example: Rice fortification has not been shown to work in a combined analysis.

Conclusion

  • Food fortification is not a magic bullet.
  • It should be viewed as a complementary strategy for the prevention and control of micronutrient deficiencies.
  • As dietary patterns and deficiency states change, monitoring and periodic evaluation will be essential in helping to make necessary changes.

 

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What is Nord Stream Pipeline?

Prelims Only | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Effect Of Policies & Politics Of World On India'S Interests
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Nord Stream Pipeline

Mains level: Not Much

Germany has warned about severe consequences for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany if Moscow attacked Ukraine.

Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

  • It is a system of offshore natural gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.
  • It includes two active pipelines running from Vyborg to Lubmin near Greifswald forming the original Nord Stream, and two further pipelines under construction running from Ust-Luga to Lubmin termed Nord Stream 2.
  • In Lubmin the lines connect to the OPAL line to Olbernhau on the Czech border and to the NEL line to Rehden near Bremen.
  • The first line Nord Stream-1 was laid and inaugurated in 2011 and the second line in 2012.
  • At 1,222 km in length, Nord Stream is the longest sub-sea pipeline in the world, surpassing the Langeled pipeline.

Why is the pipeline controversial?

  • The US believed that the project would increase Europe’s dependence on Russia for natural gas.
  • Currently, EU countries already rely on Russia for 40 percent of their gas needs.
  • The project also has opponents in eastern Europe, especially Ukraine, whose ties with Russia have seriously deteriorated in the aftermath of the Crimean conflict in 2014.
  • There is an existing land pipeline between Russia and Europe that runs through Ukraine.
  • The country feels that once Nord Storm 2 is completed, Russia could bypass the Ukrainian pipeline, and deprive it of lucrative transit fees of around $3 billion per year.
  • Ukraine also fears another invasion by Russia once the new pipeline is operational.

 

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Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

[pib] Durga Puja gets UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage tag

Prelims Only | History and Art & Culture | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Intangible Cultural Heritages in India

Mains level: Not Much

UNESCO has inscribed ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

What is Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)?

  • ICH means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated with them that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as a part of their cultural heritage.
  • Furthermore, its importance is not in the cultural manifestation itself, but in the wealth of knowledge, know-how and skills that are transmitted from one generation to the next.

About Durga Puja

  • Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival that reveres and pays homage to the goddess Durga.
  • It is an important festival in the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism.
  • It is celebrated because of Durga’s victory over Mahishasur.
  • It is particularly popular and traditionally celebrated in the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha among other states.
  • It is a ten-day festival, of which the last five are of the most significance.

Citation for the UNESCO tag

  • The UNESCO Committee commended its initiatives to involve marginalized groups, and individuals as well as women in their participation in safeguarding the element.
  • The festival is also marked by scripture recitations, performance arts, revelry, gift-giving, family visits, feasting, and public processions.
  • Durga Puja not only is a celebration of the feminine divinity but is a consummate expression of dance, music, crafts, rituals, practices culinary and cultural aspects.
  • The festival transcends the boundaries of caste, creed and economic classes and joins the people together in its celebration.

Also read: National List for Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)

Other ICH in India

  • With the inscription of Durga Puja in Kolkata, India now has 14 intangible cultural heritage elements on the prestigious UNESCO Representative List of ICH of Humanity.
  • In recent years, the ICH elements that saw inscriptions are Kumbh Mela (inscribed 2017), Yoga (inscribed 2016) among others.
  • Also, India is a SIGNATORY of the 2003 UNESCO Convention which aims for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage along with traditions and living expression.

 

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