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27st Aug 2021

Constitutional bodies

	Appointment	Tenure	Removal	Process of removal	Eligibility for reappointment w/i govt.
Attorney general (Advocate general)	President (governor)	Pleasure of President (governor)	President (governor)	No reason needs to be mentioned	Yes
Election Commission (SEC)	President (governor)	6 years/ 65	President	CEC and SEC by a special majority Other ECs on the recommendation of CEC	Yes
Finance commission (SFC)	President (governor)	Specified by president	NA	NA	Yes
UPSC (SPSC)	President (governor)	6 years/ 65	President	After enquiry by supreme court	Members can become Chair, state members can become chair or member or chair of UPSC
CAG	President	6 years/ 65	President	Special majority	No

 

Statutory bodies

	Appointment	Committee members	Other members	Tenure	Removal
NHRC (SHRC)	President (Governor)	6 (PM + LOP Lok Sabha)	Speaker, Deputy CP RS, LOP RS, home minister	3 years*/ 70	President after Supreme Court inquiry
CIC (SIC)	President (Governor)	3 ((PM + LOP Lok Sabha)	Cabinet Minister nominated by PM	As prescribed by the Central Govt*./ 65	President (governor for SIC) after supreme court inquiry
CVC	President (governor)	3 ((PM + LOP lok sabha)	Home minister	4 years/ 65	President after Supreme court inquiry
Lokpal	President	5 (PM + LOP lok sabha	Speaker, CJI, eminent jurist	5 years/ 70	Like a Supreme Court judge

* After amendments in the respective acts in 2019.

In the news: 

1. Amendment to the RTI Act (July 2019)

• Section 13 of the original Act sets the term of the central Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners at five years(or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier). The amendment proposes that the appointment will be “for such term as may be prescribed by the Central Government”.
• The amendment proposes that the salaries, allowances and other terms of service of the Chief Information Commissioner and the Information Commissioners “shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government” which was earlier at par with Chief Election Commissioner.

2. Amendment to Protection of Human Rights Act (July 2019)

• It reduced the term of the Chairperson and Members of the Commission and the State Commissions from five to three yearsand shall be eligible for re-appointment.
• Provision was added which says a person who has been a Judge of the Supreme Court is also eligible to be appointed as Chairperson of the Commission in addition to the person who has been the Chief Justice of India.
• The amendment made provision that a person who has been a Judge of a High Court is also made eligible to be appointed as Chairperson of the State Commissionin addition to the person who has been the Chief Justice of the High Court.
• It conferred upon State Commissions, the functions relating to human rights being discharged by the Union territories, other than the Union territory of Delhi, which will be dealt with by the Commission.

 

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Context  

• Bilateral ties between New Delhi and Paris cover a gamut of issues including defense, maritime, space, security, and energy.
• The two nations have managed to carve out a forward-looking partnership that is aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation on issues such as terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, urbanization, and science and technology.

Background

• France-India have a ‘special relationship’ with each other, so much so that by August 2019, France has been called “India’s new best friend” by a researcher of the Hudson Institute.
• Both nations have a centuries-old history of trade relations.
• From the 17th century until 1954, France maintained a colonial presence in the Indian subcontinent; Puducherry, one of its former Indian territories, is a popular tourism destination for French travellers to India.
• India has largely referred French constitutional principles in its constitution making

Highlights of the recent meet

• India and France explored ways to strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, including under a trilateral mechanism with Australia to address emerging challenges in the maritime and space domains.
• The two foreign ministers held extensive talks covering all aspects of the bilateral strategic ties as well as regional and global challenges.

Key areas collaboration

(A) Strategic cooperation

• France has decided to be part of India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
• Both nations have explored ways to strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
• This includes the India-France-Australia trilateral mechanism, addressing emerging challenges in the maritime and space domains and working together in the area of climate action and biodiversity protection.

(B) Trade

• Bilateral trade with France has witnessed a steady rise in the last decade reaching USD 10.75 billion in 2020.
• The two sides also recognised the importance of fast tracking the discussions on an India-EU trade and investment agreement.

(C) Defence collaboration

• The defence and security ties between India and France are on an upswing in the last few years.
• India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.
• Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafales, has delivered 14 jets to the Indian Air Force so far.

(D) Technological collaboration

• The first space agreement between France and India dates back to 1964. Existing partnerships between the two nations cover almost all areas of space activity.
• Space agencies of India and France inked an agreement for cooperation for the country’s first human space Mission Gaganyaan.
• The agreement provides for CNES to support implementation of a scientific experiment plan on validation missions, exchange information on food packaging and the nutrition programme, and above all the use by Indian astronauts of French equipment, consumables and medical instruments.
• ISRO will also be launching the joint Oceansat 3-Argos mission this year.
• With the new agreement, France will be taking part in the great technological and human challenge that is the Gaganyaan programme.

Energy

• India-France alliance is the main pillar of the International Solar Alliance launched by India.

(E)Cultural ties

• Indian culture enjoys wide following amongst the people of France. An Indian Cultural Centre, named Vivekananda Cultural Centre, is being opened in Paris.
• The International Day of Yoga has been organized by the Embassy of India in Paris and other cities of France since 2016 and have received wide acclaim and press coverage.

Conclusion

• India and France both share the same vision for a new balanced multipolar world, which must be based on the rule of law.
• They also share the same vision on the main challenges of the times, be they security developments in Asia and the Indo-Pacific, or combating international terrorism. But it is by possessing the capability of ensuring national security and making strategic choices that most efficiently defend their shared principles and visions.

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UPSC PRELIMS-2021 || Current Affairs Based Most Probable Questions on Science and Technology by Sukanya Rana

Q1) Consider the following statements with respect to the Broadbalk Experiment.

It aims to study the optimum nutrition requirements to improve crop yield.

1. It tests the effects of different organic and inorganic fertilisers on soil fertility.
2. The experiment result states that effects of soil-borne pests and diseases are minimised in case the field gets a two year break.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 1 and 3 only

C. 2 and 3 only

D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2) Which of the following statement(s) is/ are correct with respect to Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)?

1. It is used as a common treatment for acute pain and rheumatological diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthrosis.
2. It blocks the production of certain body chemicals that cause inflammation.
3. It may lead to higher rates of death or severe disease in patients who are hospitalised with Covid-19.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 1 and 3 only

C. 3 only

D. 2 and 3 only

Q3) Consider the following statements with respect to Uranium Mineral.

1. It is listed under minor minerals, the rulemaking powers on uranium have been delegated to the States through Mines & Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act.
2. Significant quantities of Uranium reserves were available in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana between Seshachalam forest and Srisailam.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

Q4) Which of the following statement(s) is/ are correct with respect to FLEUDA Test:

1. It uses the gene-editing tool Crispr-Cas9 to target and identify genomic sequences of the novel coronavirus.
2. It is costlier and takes longer time to produce results than RT-PCR tests.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

Q5) Which of the following statement(s) is/ are correct with respect to White Fungus?

1. It can be caused by the unsterile use of oxygen cylinders or the overuse of steroids.
2. It predominantly attacks body parts such as lungs, skin, nail, brain, kidney, mouth etc.
3. It is treated with antifungals and white fungal infections may eventually require surgery.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 1 and 3 only

C. 2 and 3 only

D. 1, 2 and 3

UPSC PRELIMS-2021 || Most Probable Questions on Science & Technology by Santosh Gupta

Q1) Consider the following statements regarding NASA’s Mars  exploration 2020 Mission:

1. The name of the rover is Perseverance
2. The space shuttle will land on Jezero Crater.
3. It also carries a Mars Helicopter  called Zhurong to test whether the helicopter can fly in the sparse atmosphere on Mars.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 

B. 2 and 3

C. 1 and 3

D. All of them

Q2) Consider the following statements regarding China’s Chang’e-5 Mission:

1. It is a manned spacecraft sent to the moon to bring back rocks to be brought back to Earth.
2. Till now only the United States was able to retrieve lunar samples.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

Q3) Consider the following statements about Tiangong space station

1. It is  second space station being built by China to be ready by 2022
2. Recently  Shenzhou-12 delivered first crew to Tianhe module

Which of the above statements is/are true?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

Q4) Consider the following statements about India’s Interplanetary missions: 

1. Mangalyaan-3 will be a manned mission to Mars in 2030.
2. ISRO has planned three missions to space by 2023
3. ISRO is also planning a mission to Jupiter, tentatively called Shukrayaan.

Which of the above statements are true?

A. 1 and 2

B. 2 only

C. 1  and 3 only

D. None of them

Q5) This mission of NASA will map and explore the moon’s resources on and under the lunar surface, particularly water-ice.

The mission in the question refers to?

A. VIPER 

B. New horizons

C. Voyager-2

D. Hope Mission

 

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26th Aug 2021

Emergency provisions

 

	National emergency   (art 352)	State Emergency/ President’s rule  (Art 356)	Financial emergency
Grounds	War, External aggression, armed rebellion <threat or actual>	Failure of constitutional machinery of state or can’t comply with the directions of centre	Threat to financial credit
Who declares	President after written cabinet recommendation	President	President
Parliamentary approval	w/i 1 month by both houses	w/i 2 month by both houses	w/i 2 month by both houses
Type of majority	Special	Simple	Simple
Duration	6 months from approval	6 months from approval	Indefinitely
Reapproval	Any number of times	Max 3 years	Not applicable
Revocation	By president or by LS only by simple majority	By president,	By president
Legislature and laws on state list	Continues, both parliament and state can pass laws	Suspended or dissolved and only parliament can make laws	Can issue directions to reserve money bill and finance bills for president
Executive	Continues, both union govt and state govt have powers	Dismissed, president administers through governor	Can issue direction to reduce salaries including those of supreme court and high court judge
FRs,	Art 19 automatically suspended, 20 and 21 can’t be, right to move courts for others can be suspended by presidential orders	NA	NA

Schedule 5 and 6

	Schedule 5	Schedule 6
Deal with –	Scheduled area and STs in any state except ATMM	Administration of tribal areas Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram
Autonomy	Limited autonomy. Only tribal advisory council at state level	More autonomy, autonomous districts
Schedule area	President declares, can increase or decrease the area	Governor can organize, reorganize autonomous districts
Executive power of state	Applicable but special responsibility of governor	Same
Acts of parliament or legislature	Governor can modify the law or state that they are not applicable	same

Special Provisions for the Other States

Part XXI of the Constitution
 The part ‘Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions’, includes, apart from Article 370 (Temporary Provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir) Articles 371, 371A, 371B, 371C, 371D, 371E, 371F, 371G, 371H, and 371J.
 These define special provisions with regard to other states of the Indian Union.

Special Provisions but not special treatment
 All these provisions take into account the special circumstances of individual states and lay down a wide range of specific safeguards that are deemed important for these states.
 In this range of Articles from 371 to 371J, Article 371I, which deals with Goa, stands out in the sense that it does not include any provision that can be deemed “special”.
 Article 371E, which deals with Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, too, is not that “special”.
 The special provisions laid down in Article 370 before it was modified were obviously much more far-reaching than the special provisions for other states, described in Articles 371, 371A-H, and 371J.
The following special provisions are guaranteed by the Constitution to states
other than Jammu and Kashmir:
Maharashtra and Gujarat (Article 371)
The Governor has a “special responsibility”-
 To establish “separate development boards” for “Vidarbha, Marathwada, and the rest of Maharashtra”, and Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat;
 To ensure “equitable allocation of funds for developmental expenditure over the said areas”, and “equitable arrangement providing adequate facilities for technical education and vocational training, and adequate opportunities for employment” under the state government.

Nagaland (Article 371A, 13th Amendment Act, 1962)
 Parliament cannot legislate in matters of Naga religion or social practices, the Naga customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law.
 Parliament also cannot intervene in ownership and transfer of land and its resources, without the concurrence of the Legislative Assembly of the state.

 This provision was inserted in the Constitution after a 16-point agreement between the Centre and the Naga People’s Convention in 1960, which led to the creation of Nagaland in 1963.
 Also, there is a provision for a 35-member Regional Council for Tuensang district, which elects the Tuensang members in the Assembly.
 A member from the Tuensang district is Minister for Tuensang Affairs. The Governor has the final say on all Tuensang-related matters.
Assam (Article 371B, 22nd Amendment Act, 1969)
 The President of India may provide for the constitution and functions of a committee of the state Assembly consisting of members elected from the tribal areas of the state.
Manipur (Article 371C, 27th Amendment Act, 1971)
 The President of India may provide for the constitution and functions of a committee of elected members from the Hill areas of the state in the Assembly, and entrust “special responsibility” to the Governor to ensure its proper functioning.
 The Governor has to file a report every year on this subject to the President.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (Article 371D, 32nd Amendment Act, 1973; substituted by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014)
 The President must ensure “equitable opportunities and facilities” in “public employment and education to people from different parts of the state”.
 He may require the state government to organize “any class or classes of posts in the civil service of, or any class or classes of civil posts under, the State into different local cadres for different parts of the State”, and allot them.
 The President has similar powers vis-à-vis admissions in any university or state government-run educational institution.
 Also, he may provide for setting up of an administrative tribunal outside the jurisdiction of the High Court to deal with issues of appointment, allotment or promotion in state civil services.
 Article 371E allows for the establishment of a university in Andhra Pradesh by a law of Parliament. But this is not really a ‘special provision’ in the sense of the other provisions in this part of the Constitution.
Sikkim (Article 371F, 36th Amendment Act, 1975)
 The members of the Legislative Assembly of Sikkim shall elect the representative of Sikkim in the House of the People.
 To protect the rights and interests of various sections of the population of Sikkim, Parliament may provide for the number of seats in the Assembly, which may be filled only by candidates from those sections.
 The Governor shall have “special responsibility for peace and for an equitable arrangement for ensuring the social and economic advancement of different sections of the population”.
 All earlier laws in territories that formed Sikkim shall continue, and any adaptation or modification shall not be questioned in any court.
Mizoram (Article 371G, 53rd Amendment Act, 1986)
 This provision lays down that Parliament cannot make laws on “religious or social practices of the Mizos, Mizo customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Mizo customary law, ownership and transfer of land… unless the Legislative
Assembly… by a resolution so decides”.
Arunachal Pradesh (Article 371H, 55th Amendment Act, 1986)
 The Governor has a special responsibility with regard to law and order, and he shall, after consulting the Council of Ministers, exercise his individual judgment as to the action to be taken.
 Should a question arise over whether a particular matter is one in which the Governor is “required to act in the exercise of his individual judgment, the decision of the Governor in his discretion shall be final”, and “shall not be called in question”
Karnataka (Article 371J, 98th Amendment Act, 2012)
 There is a provision for the establishment of a separate development board for the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, the working of which will be reported annually to the Assembly.
 There shall be “equitable allocation of funds for developmental expenditure over the said region”, and “equitable opportunities and facilities” for people of this region in government jobs and education.
 An order can be made to provide for reservation “of a proportion” of seats and jobs in educational and vocational training institutions and state government organisations respectively in the Hyderabad-
Karnataka region for individuals who belong to that region by birth or domicile.

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Context

• In the past decade, there has been long term peace all over the Northeast region leading to new ideas flourishing and investments flowing in.
• There are many examples that the North East is changing as this new breed is going into unchartered territory as the region provides more opportunities than challenges.
• There are sporadic incidents, slow pace in achieving a Naga solution, but the peace has taken an irreversible stand and today in front of the mighty denim of peace for all the people.
• The emerging challenge is to invent new ways of ensuring the participation of States in the formulation of national policies and motivating them for effective implementation in key development areas.

Achievements in NER

• Today the North East is insurgency free.
• Occasional incidents arc too insignificant in front of the grater picture.
• Sooner or later the last remaining accord- the Naga Accord will be signed.

Opportunities for NER: Gateway to the East

• The region is a vantage entry point to southeastern Asian markets.
• Moreover, no less than five major bridges over Brahmaputra, along with the world’s longest bridge at Dhubri-Phulbari are in the various stages of construction which are going to unlock North East India completely.
• The two single biggest fast-moving projects is the 1500-kilometer-long Trans Arunachal Highway from Sousa north of Teepee to Naharkatiya near Nagaland through Arunachal Pradesh. The project is worth $1.4 Billion.
• The other one is the Jirbam-Imphal railway line, opening up Manipur to the vast railway network of India.
• Under the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in North-East (SARDP-NE), the Trans-Arunachal highway is being developed.
• Under the initiative, a sub-regional Motor Vehicle Agreement allows buses and later private vehicles with a Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal (BBIN) permit.

Concerns

• Lack of Agricultural Infrastructure: The absence of efficient cold storage chains exposes cultivators to market fluctuations.
• Tourism isn’t in full capacity: Tourism, too, has not made much headway due to poor infrastructure development.
• Federal Issues: There are uncoordinated and fragmented efforts by individual states.
• High expenditure: Each Ministry of the Union Government is required to spend at least 10 per cent of its budget in the North-East.
• Lack of investment: To harness the full potential of these sectors, significant investments will be required in upgrading the region’s infrastructure, education and skill development.

SWOT Analysis of the NER

Strengths

• Several tourist attractions such as Blue Mountain (Phawngpui-Mizoram), Palak Lake (Mizoram), Kangla Fort (Manipur), Majuli (river island in Assam).
• Presence of an ethnic, tribal culture each with unique customs and traditions.
• The north-eastern region has a very well-performing gender development index.
• Rich bamboo reserves.
• The abundance of natural resources like limestone as well as water for hydropower potential.
• Safe and clean, pollution-free environment.

Weakness

• Lack of proper connectivity.
• Limited tourism infrastructure facilities.
• Scarcity of skilled and unskilled labour.
• Floods and landslides in the monsoons make places inaccessible.
• Landlocked states.

Opportunities

• Development of the handicraft industry.
• Flood management system to improve accessibility.
• Linkages to existing tourism circuits.
• Trade can drastically be improved by improving infrastructural facilities and accessibility.

Threats

• Overuse and commercialization of eco-sensitive zones could lead to depletion of resources and weakening of attraction.
• Regional connectivity concerns.
• Land banks and land availability not addressed.
• Migration of local people to urban areas for employment prospects.

Conclusion

• The North-East region has great potential to develop not just as a self, sustaining economic unit of India but also contribute to the success story of the country, which is reflected by the PM’s focus on this region.

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