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GS Paper: GS1

  • #MeToo and Defamation Cases

    The Delhi High Court has dismissed former Union Ministers’ criminal defamation complaint against a famous journalist over her tweets accusing him of sexual harassment.

    What is the #MeToo Movement?

    • The #MeToo movement, with variations of related local or international names, is a social movement against sexual abuse and sexual harassment towards women, where people publicize allegations of sex crimes.
    • The phrase “Me Too” was initially used in this context on social media in 2006, on Myspace, by sexual harassment survivor and activist Tarana Burke in the US.
    • It is aimed at demonstrating how many women have survived sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace.

    You must know this!

    The Vishaka Guidelines were a set of procedural guidelines for use in India in cases of sexual harassment. They were promulgated by the Indian Supreme Court in 1997 and were superseded in 2013 by the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

    What did the court say?

    • Women have the right to put their grievances at any platform of their choice and even after decades.
    • The court also rejected the argument that the former union minister was a man of a stellar reputation.

    What is the case?

    • The former minister had filed a criminal defamation case against the person in October 2018 since she did not produce any proof.
    • The criminal case was initiated to create a chilling effect against women who spoke out about their experience of sexual harassments.

    Legal backing of the acquittal

    • Criminal defamation is defined in Section 499 of the IPC as making or publishing any imputation about a person intending to harm, or knowing it will harm the reputation of a person.
    • Any statement or article criticizing a person or accusing them of any sort of problematic behaviour will obviously lower their reputation.
    • Hence this is always emphasised in legal notices and complaints to courts alleging defamation.
    • However, the law recognizes that a person’s reputation can’t be a shield against their own bad behaviour and that there can be various circumstances when outing this bad behaviour is in the public interest.
    • This is why Section 499 of the IPC also prescribes several exceptions to claims of defamation.

    Is it a win for the survivors?

    • It should be noted that this does not necessarily mean that a corresponding criminal case for sexual harassment against the man would be successful.
    • This is because the allegations of harassment would have to be proved against the man beyond all reasonable doubt.
    • Therefore even though the present defence of truth was accepted by Delhi HC, this would not guarantee that the former minister would be convicted, as the standard of proof is different.

    Conclusion

    • This judgement will set an example for the reluctant or other ousted women who are willing to revisit the cases of sexual misconduct against them.

  • India and Australia were evolutionary neighbours

    Bhimbetka, which has yielded a fossil of Dickinsonia dating back about 550 million years, is the first time the particular fossilized organism has been recorded in India.

    Why does this fossil matter?

    • It dates back to an era regarded as the precursor to the explosion of life on earth during the Cambrian period.
    • Thus it puts India firmly on the map for studies of the Ediacaran era along with Australia and Russia.

    Here’s what makes the discovery a global milestone:

    (a) Ediacaran Period

    • The finding gives lead about the earliest living species during a period of the earth’s history known as the Ediacaran, named after the Ediacara Hills in South Australia.
    • This is the period in Earth’s history when Dickinsonia and several multicellular organisms existed.
    • It was approximately 635 million years ago (Ma) and 541 Ma, with the living creatures of the era, called vendobionts.

    Now take this opportunity to revise the Geological time scale from your NCERTs. Try differentiating between different era, periods and epoch.

    (b) India’s Proximity to Australia

    • Studies of the rock characteristics in and around Bhimbetka show that they share several characteristics with rocks in Australia.
    • Dickinsonia fossils from India were found by the scientists to be identical to the Rawnsley Quartzite in South Australia.
    • This provides evidence of their age and the proximity of the two landmasses in Gondwanaland in that era.
    • The evidence however did not support reconstructions adjusted for the polar wander phenomenon [which involves motion of continents over geologic time and its impacts].

     Use of Zircon dating

    • The age of fossil rock is determined using Zircon isotopes.
    • Zircon dating of the youngest Maihar sandstone in Madhya Pradesh puts its age at 548 Ma.
    • The lower Bhander group in the Son and Chambal valleys yielded an isotope-derived age for limestones ranging from 978 Ma to 1073 Ma, situating it in the older Tonian period.
    • The Ediacaran period was the precursor to the Cambrian (about 541 Ma to 485.4 Ma) when the earth witnessed an explosion of life forms and much of which makes up modern animal life today.

  • India’s internal migration

    This newscard presents data on India’s internal migration considering the mass exodus which was visible during the lockdowns.

    The displacement of people during the imposition of lockdown has been described as the second-largest since the Partition of the country.

     

    Also read:

    [Burning Issue] Migrant workers amid COVID-19 outbreak

    India’s internal migration

    (1) Number of migrants

    • As of 2020, India has an estimated 600 million migrants. Roughly half of India is living in a place where it wasn’t born.
    • It would be roughly double the size of the fourth-largest nation on the planet — the United States.

    (2) Nature of migration

    • The bulk of the internal migration in India is within one district itself. An estimated 400 million Indians “migrate” within the district they live in.
    • The next 140 million migrate from one district to another but within the same state.
    • And only about 60 million — that is, just 10% of all internal migrants — move from one state to another.

    (3) Type of Migration

    • There are other misconceptions as well. Typically, it is thought that most migration happens when people from rural areas move to urban areas.
    • That is incorrect. The most dominant form of migration is from rural to rural areas.
    • Only about 20% of the total migration (600 million) is from rural to urban areas.
    • In fact, 20% of the total migration is from one urban area to another urban area.
    • As such, urban migration (rural to urban as well as urban to urban) accounts for 40% of the total migration.

    (4) Comparison with other countries

    • India’s proportion of internal migrants (as a percentage of the overall population) is much lower than some of the comparable countries such as Russia, China, South Africa and Brazil.
    • All have much higher urbanisation ratios, which is a proxy for migration level.
    • In other words, as India adopts a strategy of rapid urbanisation, levels of internal migration will increase further.

    Impact of COVID

    The reality of a migrant worker’s existence is much more complicated than those sharply defined numbers.

    Not all migrants were equally affected

    • The worst-hit were a class of migrants that felt under the group “vulnerable circular migrants”.
    • These are people who are “vulnerable” because of their weak position in the job market and “circular” migrants because even though they work in urban settings, they continue to have a foothold in the rural areas.
    • Such migrants work in construction sites or small factories or as rickshaw pullers in the city but when such employment avenues dwindle, they go back to their rural setting.
    • In other words, they are part of the informal economy outside agriculture.

    “Data insufficient”

    • The truth is that even now all the estimates mentioned above are individual estimates.
    • The official data — be it the Census or the National Sample Survey — is more than a decade old.
    • In fact, Census 2011 migration data was made publicly available only in 2019.

  • [pib] Swami Dayanand Saraswati

    Information and Broadcasting Minister paid his tributes to Swami Dayanand Saraswati on his birth anniversary.

    Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883)

    • Swami Dayanand Saraswati was a philosopher, social leader and founder of the Arya Samaj, a reform movement of the Vedic dharma.
    • He was the first to give the call for Swaraj as “India for Indians” in 1876, a call later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak.
    • Denouncing the idolatry and ritualistic worship, he worked towards reviving Vedic ideologies.
    • Subsequently, the philosopher and then President, S. Radhakrishnan called him one of the “makers of Modern India”, as did Sri Aurobindo.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Which among the following event happened earliest?

    (a) Swami Dayanand established Arya Samaj

    (b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan

    (c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath

    (d) Satyendranath Tagore became the first India to succeed in the Indian Civil Services Examination

    His influence

    • Those who were influenced by and followed him included Madam Cama, Shyamji Krishna Varma, Kishan Singh, Bhagat Singh, VD Savarkar, Bhai Parmanand, Lala Hardayal, Madan Lal Dhingra, Ram Prasad Bismil, MG Ranade, Ashfaq Ullah Khan, , Lala Lajpat Rai etc.

    Philosophy

    • He was ascetic from boyhood and a scholar.
    • He believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas.
    • He advocated the doctrine of Karma and Reincarnation.
    • He emphasized the Vedic ideals of Brahmacharya, including celibacy and devotion to God.

    His contribution

    • Among Dayananda’s contributions were his promoting of the equal rights for women, such as the right to education and reading of Indian scriptures.
    • He wrote his commentary on the Vedas from Vedic Sanskrit in Sanskrit as well as in Hindi.

  • Art in news: Tholpavakkoothu

    A shadow leather puppet in Kerala’s famous temple art Tholpavakkoothu is being animated by a robot in Palakkad.

    Tholpavakkoothu

    • Tholpavakkoothu or shadow puppetry is a temple art form which is prevalent in the Bhagavathy temples (mother Goddess) in Palakkad district and nearby regions in Kerala.
    • Tholppava (Thol means leather, Pava means puppet) are moved with the help of strings, and their shadows are depicted on a screen with the help of a row of oil lamps in the background.
    • The story of Tholpavakkoothu performance is from the Indian epic, Ramayana.
    • In the olden days, it was performed elaborately over a period of forty-one days.
    • The narrative used for the performance is a mixture of prose and poetry called Adalpattu.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.With reference to Manipuri Sankirtana, consider the following statements:

    1. It is a song and dance performance.
    2. Cymbals are the only musical instruments used in the performance.
    3. It is performed to narrate the life and deeds of Lord Krishna.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1, 2 and 3.

    (b) 1 and 3 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1 only

    Setup of the art

    • Tholppavas are made of the skin of deer and the puppet forms are made by making small holes in the leather that is then attached vertically to a bamboo stick.
    • Accompanying instruments include Ezhupara, Chenda and Maddalam.
    • The artists have to undergo several years of rigorous training to master this art form.
    • The puppetry is staged on a special structure in temple premises called Koothumadam.

  • Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in Uttarakhand

    A massive glacier burst at Chamoli in Uttarakhand yet again bringing back our focus to the dangers of climate change.

    A wake-up call!

    Uttarakhand is often at the heart of various Himalayan disasters such as flash floods, cloud bursts, avalanches and earthquakes.

    The Chamoli incident signifies the dawn of ugly faces of climate disaster for which the mankind is clueless. At last, someone has to be blamed, isn’t it?

    What is the news?

    • Experts are uncertain about what caused the massive glacier burst at Chamoli in Uttarakhand.
    • It is unclear whether there was an avalanche in the area recently or whether the lake breach was the result of construction, anthropological activities, climate change etc.

    What is GLOF?

    • A GLOF is a type of outburst flood that occurs when the dam containing a glacial lake fails.
    • An event similar to a GLOF, where a body of water contained by a glacier melts or overflows the glacier, is called a jökulhlaup.
    • The dam can consist of glacier ice or a terminal moraine.
    • Failure can happen due to various factors such as:
    1. Erosion, a buildup of water pressure
    2. Avalanche of rock or heavy snow
    3. Earthquake or volcanic eruptions under the ice or
    4. Displacement of water in a glacial lake when a large portion of an adjacent glacier collapses into it

    Possible causes for Chamoli

    Avalanche

    • An avalanche is falling masses of snow and ice which gathers pace as it comes down the slope.
    • But an avalanche is unlikely to result in the rise of water of that magnitude what Chamoli witnessed.

    Cloudburst

    • What happened in Uttarakhand in 2013 was a multi-day cloudburst.
    • It is a sudden, very heavy rainfall accompanies by a thunderstorm. But it generally happens in monsoon.
    • In fact, the season in which such a disaster was witnessed has surprised experts as there is no immediate trigger that can be pointed to as the reason why water level rose to that level washing away two hydro projects.

    Why always Uttarakhand?

    • Human activities profoundly affect the earth’s climate and mountains are a sensitive indicator of that effect.
    • The mountain ecosystem is easily disrupted by variations in climate owing to their altitude, slope and orientation to the sun.
    • As the earth heats up, mountains glaciers melt at unprecedented rates.
    • Several scientists believe that the change occurring in the mountain ecosystems may provide an early glimpse of what could come to pass in a lowland environment.

    Conclusion

    • The current policy of the government of pursuing hydro-power projects indiscriminately cannot be ignored.
    • The entire State of Uttarakhand is categorised as falling in Zone-IV and V of the earthquake risk map of India.
    • The potential of the cumulative effect of multiple such projects has turned out to be more environmentally damaging than sustainable.

  • [pib] Monpa Handmade Paper of Tawang

    PC: East Mojo

    The sale of the 1000-years old heritage Monpa handmade paper or “Mon Shugu” is quickly catching pace after a special mention by PM in his Mann ki Baat.

    Monpa Handmade Paper

    • Monpa paper is made from the bark of tree Shugu Sheng grown locally in Tawang and is identified by its distinctive translucent fibrous texture.
    • The paper is weightless but its natural fibres add great tensile strength to this paper making it apt for various artworks.
    • It has been used for writing Buddhist scriptures, manuscripts and for making prayer flags.
    • Writing on this paper is also known to be tamper-proof.

    Note: This paper is yet to be awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

    Revitalized by KVIC

    • Khadi and Village Industries Commission, which revived this ancient art at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on 25th December 2020.
    • It has made Monpa Handmade paper available online through its e-portal.
    • The revival of this art assumes significance as Monpa Handmade paper was once produced in every household in Tawang and the paper was exported to many countries like Tibet, Bhutan, Myanmar and Japan among others.
    • However, with the new technologies coming in, the handmade paper industry almost disappeared in the last 100 years.

  • Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) to revive urban water bodies

    The urban water supply mission under the Jal Jeevan Mission announced in the Budget would include rejuvenation of water bodies as well as 20% of supply from reused water.

    Access to safe drinking water has been a grave problem for India, especially in rural areas where lack of usable water has resulted in decades-old sanitation and health problems.

    Jal Jeevan Mission

    • Jal Jeevan Mission, a central government initiative under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, aims to ensure access of piped water for every household in India.
    • The mission’s goal is to provide to all households in rural India safe and adequate water through individual household tap connections by 2024.
    • The Har Ghar Nal Se Jal programme was announced by FM in Budget 2019-20 speech.
    • This programme forms a crucial part of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
    • The programme aims to implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through greywater management, water conservation, and rainwater harvesting.

    Urban component of the mission

    • The mission is meant to create a people’s movement for water, making it everyone’s priority.
    • There are an estimated gap of 2.68 crore urban household tap connections that the Mission would seek to bridge in all 4,378 statutory towns.
    • The Mission would also aim to bridge the gap of 2.64 crore sewer connections in the 500 cities under the existing Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
    • The mission would include rejuvenation of water bodies to boost the sustainable freshwater supply and the creation of green spaces.

  • [pib] Centenary of ‘Chauri Chaura’ Incident

    PM will inaugurate the centenary Celebrations at Chauri Chaura at Gorakhpur Dist. Uttar Pradesh.

    ‘Chauri Chaura’ Incident

    • The incident took place on 4 February 1922 at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur district of the United Province.
    • A large group of protesters participating in the Non-Cooperation Movement clashed with police who opened fire.
    • In retaliation the demonstrators attacked and set fire to a police station, killing all of its occupants.
    • The incident led to the death of three civilians and 22 policemen.
    • Mahatma Gandhi, who was strictly against violence, halted the non-co-operation movement on the national level on 12 February 1922, as a direct result of this incident.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.The ‘Swadeshi’ and ‘Boycott’ adopted as methods of struggle for the first time during the

    (a) Agitation against the Partition of Bengal

    (b) Home Rule Movement

    (c) Non-Cooperation Movement

    (d) Visit of the Simon Commission to India

    Background

    • In the early 1920s, Indians, led by Mahatma Gandhi, were engaged in a nationwide non-cooperation movement.
    • Using non-violent methods of civil disobedience known as Satyagraha, protests were organised by the INC to challenge oppressive regulations such as the Rowlatt Act.

    Course of the incident

    • Two days before the incident, on 2 February 1922, volunteers participating in the Non-cooperation Movement led by a retired Army soldier named Bhagwan Ahir.
    • The protest was planned against high food prices and liquor sale in the marketplace.
    • Several of the leaders were arrested and put in the lock-up at the Chauri Chaura police station.
    • In response to this, a protest against the police was called on 4 February, to be held at the local marketplace.
    • Infuriated by the gunfire into their ranks, the crowd set the chowki ablaze, killing all of the Indian policemen and other staff trapped inside.

    Aftermath

    • Appalled at the outrage, Gandhi went on a five-day fast as penance for what he perceived as his culpability in the bloodshed.
    • In reflection, Gandhi felt that he had acted too hastily in encouraging people to revolt against the British Raj without sufficiently emphasizing the importance of non-violence.
    • On 12 February 1922, the Indian National Congress halted the Non-co-operation Movement on the national level as a direct result of the Chauri Chaura tragedy.

  • Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill, 2020

    A panel of doctors to decide on the termination of pregnancy beyond 24 weeks as proposed in the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill, 2020, is “unfeasible” as 82% of these posts are lying vacant in the country, finds a new study.

    Q. What are the differing opinions with regards to the Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill, 2020? Discuss.

    About the MTP Amendment Bill

    The MTP Bill was passed in Lok Sabha in March 2020 and is likely to be brought before Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Budget Session. Its salient features included:

    • Proposing requirement for the opinion of one provider for termination of pregnancy, up to 20 weeks of gestation and introducing the requirement of the opinion of two providers for termination of pregnancy of 20-24 weeks of gestation.
    • Enhancing the upper gestation limit from 20 to 24 weeks for special categories of women which will be defined in the amendments to the MTP Rules and would include ‘vulnerable women including survivors of rape, victims of incest and other vulnerable women (like differently-abled women, Minors) etc.
    • Upper gestation limit not to apply in cases of substantial foetal abnormalities diagnosed by Medical Board. The composition, functions and other details of Medical Board to be prescribed subsequently in Rules under the Act.
    • Anonymity of the person: Name and other particulars of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated shall not be revealed except to a person authorised in any law for the time being in force.

    Benefits sought with the bill

    • It is seen as a step towards the safety and well-being of the women and many women will be benefitted by this.
    • Recently several petitions were received by the Courts seeking permission for aborting pregnancies at a gestational age beyond the present permissible limit on grounds of foetal abnormalities or pregnancies due to sexual violence faced by women.
    • The proposed increase in gestational age will ensure dignity, autonomy, confidentiality and justice for women who need to terminate the pregnancy.

    Flaws in the bill

    • The Bill allows abortion after 24 weeks only in cases where a Medical Board diagnoses substantial foetal abnormalities.
    • This implies that for a case requiring abortion due to rape, that exceeds 24-weeks, the only recourse remains through a Writ Petition.
    • The Bill does not specify the categories of women who may terminate pregnancies between 20-24 weeks and leaves it to be prescribed through Rules.
    • The Act (and the Bill) require an abortion to be performed only by doctors with specialization in gynaecology or obstetrics.
    • As there is a 75% shortage of such doctors in community health centres in rural areas, pregnant women may continue to find it difficult to access facilities for safe abortions.

    Key Issues and Analysis

    • There are differing opinions with regard to allowing abortions. One opinion is that terminating a pregnancy is the choice of the pregnant woman and a part of her reproductive rights.
    • The other is that the state has an obligation to protect life, and hence should provide for the protection of the foetus.
    • Across the world, countries set varying conditions and time limits for allowing abortions, based on foetal health, and risk to the pregnant woman.
    • Several Writ Petitions have been filed by women seeking permission to abort pregnancies beyond 20-weeks due to foetal abnormalities or rape.