Why in the News?
RTI activists across India marked 20 years since the Right to Information Act, 2005, came into effect.
About the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005:
- Overview: Passed by Parliament in 2005, replacing the Freedom of Information Act, 2002.
- Objective: Empower citizens to access information freely from public authorities to promote openness and good governance.
- Scope: Applicable to Central, State, and Local Governments, public sector undertakings, and statutory bodies.
- Key Provision: Under Section 22, the RTI Act overrides all other laws that may restrict access to information.
- Constitutional Basis:
- It is derived from Article 19(1)(a), the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression.
- The Supreme Court has recognized access to information as implicit in freedom of expression.
- Backed by Article 32 and Article 226, citizens can seek redress for violations through the Supreme Court and High Courts.
- RTI upholds constitutional principles of equality (Article 14) and personal liberty (Article 21) by ensuring informed citizen participation.
- Timeframe for Response:
- 30 days in general cases.
- 48 hours when life or liberty is involved.
- Exemptions from Disclosure:
- Section 8(1): Exempts disclosure of information that could compromise sovereignty, national security, strategic or economic interests, or affect foreign relations.
- Section 8(2): Allows disclosure if public interest outweighs potential harm to protected interests.
- Proactive Disclosure: Every public authority must digitize records and proactively publish information to minimize formal RTI requests.
- RTI (Amendment) Act, 2019:
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- The amendment removed fixed tenure (5 years) and salary parity with Election Commissioners.
- It vested powers in the Central Government to determine terms of service, tenure, and allowances for CIC and ICs.
- This was viewed as reducing the institutional autonomy of the RTI framework, raising concerns among transparency advocates.
Institutional Framework:
-
Central Information Commission (CIC)
- Composition: Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) + up to 10 Information Commissioners (ICs).
- Appointment: By the President on recommendation of a committee comprising the Prime Minister (Chairperson), Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha), and a Union Cabinet Minister.
- Tenure: As prescribed by the Central Government or until 65 years of age, whichever is earlier.
- Functions:
- Inquire into complaints and appeals under RTI.
- Exercise civil court powers for summoning witnesses or documents.
- Conduct suo motu inquiries in cases of systemic non-compliance.
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State Information Commissions (SICs)
- Composition: State Chief Information Commissioner + up to 10 Information Commissioners.
- Appointment: By the Governor, based on recommendations from a committee chaired by the Chief Minister, along with the Leader of Opposition and a Cabinet Minister.
- Qualifications: Persons of eminence in public life, not affiliated with political parties or profit-making roles.
- Functions: Parallel to CIC at the state level, ensuring local compliance with RTI obligations.
| [UPSC 2019] There is a view that the Officials Secrets Act is an obstacle to the implementation of RTI Act. Do you agree with the view? Discuss.
[UPSC 2018] The Right to Information Act is not all about citizens’ empowerment alone, it essentially redefines the concept of accountability.” Discuss. |
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Why in the News?
The Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru team has mastered the Leggett–Garg Inequality (LGI)–based quantum randomness certification technique.
What is Quantum Randomness?
- Overview: Quantum randomness means true unpredictability, results that even nature or science cannot predetermine. They arise from the laws of quantum physics, not from computer programs or hidden causes.
- Ordinary Computers: In normal computers, random numbers come from formulas called pseudorandom generators. They look random but can be predicted if someone knows the starting point (the “seed”).
- Quantum Systems: In quantum physics, when you measure something tiny, like the spin of an electron or the path of a light particle (photon), the result is decided only at the moment of measurement. No one, not even nature, “knows” the answer before that.
- Why it Matters: True randomness is important for data security, safe online transactions, scientific research, and encryption, where predictability can lead to hacking or errors.
What has RRI achieved?
- Discovery: Scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, led by Prof. Urbasi Sinha, have found a way to create and verify true quantum randomness using a regular cloud-based IBM quantum computer.
- Why it’s Important: Earlier, proving quantum randomness needed expensive lab equipment. Now it can be done remotely and cheaply, accessible to anyone with internet and quantum cloud access.
- How it Works: The RRI team used just one qubit (the quantum version of a computer bit) to show that the randomness came from quantum effects, not from hardware noise or computer errors.
- Key Finding: This demonstrates that even imperfect quantum computers can still generate trustworthy and verifiable random numbers, a capability that classical computers cannot achieve.
What is the Leggett–Garg Inequality (LGI)–Based Test?
- Basic Idea: The Leggett–Garg Inequality (LGI) is a scientific test that checks whether something behaves like everyday objects (predictable) or like quantum systems (unpredictable).
- How it was Used: The RRI scientists measured one qubit at three different times to see if its behavior followed normal physics or quantum rules.
- Two Conditions Checked:
- LGI Violation – confirmed the qubit was behaving in a truly quantum way.
- No Signalling in Time – ensured that each measurement was independent and not influenced by the previous one.
- Result: Meeting both tests proved that the numbers generated were certified as truly random, coming purely from quantum physics, not from any background noise or interference.
Real-life Applications:
- Cybersecurity: Such randomness can make unbreakable encryption keys, protecting sensitive data from hackers.
- Cloud Computing: People using quantum computers online can now access trusted random numbers for research or secure systems anywhere in the world.
- Testing Quantum Machines: Helps scientists check the quality of quantum computers, since randomness shows how genuinely quantum the machine is.
- Better Science: Used in simulations, artificial intelligence, and data analysis where unpredictability makes results more reliable.
- Big Scientific Message: Confirms that the quantum world is truly uncertain, proving one of the most fascinating truths of modern science, that randomness is built into nature itself.
| [UPSC 2025] Consider the following statements:
I. It is expected that Majorana 1 chip will enable quantum computing.
II. Majorana 1 chip has been introduced by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
III. Deep learning is machine learning.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) I and II only (b) II and III only (c) I and III only * (d) I, II and III |
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Why in the News?
The Finance Ministry has approved the establishment of Maitri II, India’s newest Antarctic research station, to be built in eastern Antarctica by January 2029.
About Maitri II Research Station:
- Objective: Advance research in climatology, glaciology, seismology, biology, and atmospheric sciences while maintaining eco-compliance.
- Overview: India’s upcoming 4th Antarctic base, to be completed by January 2029 near Schirmacher Oasis, eastern Antarctica, replacing the aging Maitri (1989) which will operate as a summer camp.
- Implementing Agency: Executed by National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES); estimated cost ₹2,000 crore.
- Design & Technology: Features AI-enabled systems, automated sensors, solar and wind power, and upgraded modular accommodation with strict environmental standards.
- Construction Phases: Prefabrication in India → shipment via Cape Town → transport to Indian Barrier (120 km from Maitri) → on-site assembly during Antarctic summer.
Back2Basics: India’s Polar Programmes
- Antarctica Programme: Began in 1981; coordinated by NCPOR.
- Dakshin Gangotri (1983) – first base, now decommissioned.
- Maitri (1989) – inland station near Lake Priyadarshini.
- Bharati (2012) – modern coastal station 3,000 km east.
- Maitri II (2029) – to be India’s largest and greenest base.
- Research covers ice-core climate records, marine ecosystems, space weather, and climate modelling.
- Arctic Programme (2007): Also led by NCPOR; permanent station Himadri at Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard, Norway) studies Arctic warming, polar-monsoon linkages, biodiversity; India holds Observer Status in the Arctic Council (since 2013).
|
Key Laws & Treaties governing Polar Expeditions:
- India Antarctica Act 2022: Implements the Antarctica Treaty (1959); creates Central Committee on Antarctica Governance; bans mining, nuclear activity, non-native species; introduces permit system and Antarctica Fund; severe penalties (up to 20 years).
- Antarctica Treaty (1959): 54 members (India joined 1983); ensures peaceful scientific use, bans territorial claims and military activity, upholds environmental cooperation.
- Madrid Protocol (1991): Declares Antarctica a “natural reserve for peace and science”; forbids mineral extraction; mandates Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
- Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR, 1982): Conserves Antarctic marine biodiversity, regulates fishing and resource use to maintain ecosystem balance.
| [UPSC 2015] The term ‘IndARC’, sometimes seen in the news, is the name of Options: (a) an indigenously developed radar system inducted into Indian Defence
(b) India’s satellite to provide services to the countries of Indian Ocean Rim
(c) a scientific establishment set up by India in Antartic region
(d) India’s underwater observatory to scientifically study the Arctic region * |
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Why in the News?
This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in the Indian Express.
About the Volga River:
- Overview: The longest river in Europe (about 3,500 km), originating in the Valdai Hills northwest of Moscow and flowing southeast to the Caspian Sea at Astrakhan.
- Drainage Basin: Covers around 1.35 million sq. km, among Europe’s largest river systems, with major tributaries, Kama, Oka, Vetluga, and Sura.
- Historical Role: Served as a critical front during the Battle of Stalingrad (World War II) and remains central to Russian historical and strategic narratives.
- Cultural Significance: Revered as “Mother Volga”, symbolising Russian unity, resilience, and identity, deeply embedded in folklore and national consciousness.
- Economic Importance: It contributes one-fourth of Russia’s agricultural output, supports industrial fishing, and sustains key industries, oil refining, shipbuilding, hydroelectric power.
- Navigation & Connectivity: Linked to the Baltic, Black, and Caspian Seas through an extensive network of canals and reservoirs, forming the backbone of Russia’s inland transport system.
- Urban & Industrial Corridor: Major cities like Kazan, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, and Volgograd lie along its course, forming Russia’s industrial-agricultural heartland.
- Ecological Richness: Supports about 260 bird species and 70 fish species, making it a key biodiversity hotspot within Eurasia.
| [UPSC 2020] Consider the following pairs: River Flows into
1. Mekong: Andaman Sea
2. Thames: Irish Sea
3. Volga: Caspian Sea
4. Zambezi: Indian Ocean
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Options: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 3 only (c) 3 and 4 only * (d) 1, 2 and 4 only |
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Why in the News?
India is launching Bharat Taxi, a cooperative-based national ride-hailing platform under Digital India, with NeGD partnering Sahakar Taxi Cooperative for technical and advisory support.
About the Bharat Taxi Initiative:
- Objective: To create a citizen-centric alternative to global ride-hailing corporations, ensuring fair wages, cooperative governance, and local ownership.
- Nature: A cooperative-owned, technology-driven national ride-hailing platform designed to provide affordable, secure, and transparent mobility solutions.
- Timeline: Expected by December 2025, targeting both urban and rural transport needs.
- Promoters: Supported by leading cooperative and financial institutions NCDC, IFFCO, AMUL, KRIBHCO, NAFED, NABARD, NDDB, and NCEL.
Key Features:
- Cooperative Ownership Model: Operated and governed by driver cooperatives, ensuring profit-sharing, fair pricing, and collective decision-making.
- Digital Integration: Linked with national platforms such as DigiLocker, UMANG, and API Setu, allowing seamless identity verification, license validation, and service delivery.
- Inclusive Design: Provides multilingual UI, accessibility for differently-abled users, and equal participation for women drivers.
- Transparent Fare System: Uses open-source algorithms for real-time fare calculation to prevent overcharging or surge pricing manipulation.
- Integration with Digital Public Infrastructure: Aligned with Aadhaar, UPI, and DigiLocker, facilitating digital payments and paperless onboarding.
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Why in the News?
President Droupadi Murmu met members of Gujarat’s Siddi Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) community and praised their 72% literacy rate as a sign of social progress.
About the Siddi Community:
- Overview: An Afro-Indian tribal group descended from Bantu-speaking peoples of Southeast Africa, brought to India via the Indian Ocean slave trade (7th–19th centuries).
- Arrival in India: First arrived at Bharuch port (628 CE) with Arab traders; major influxes during Muhammad bin Qasim’s conquest (712 CE) and later under Portuguese and British.
- Migration & Settlement: Brought as soldiers, sailors, slaves, and servants; some escaped bondage to form independent forest settlements.
- Genealogy: Studies show 60–75 % African admixture mixed with Indian and Portuguese ancestry accumulated over two centuries.
- Geographic Distribution: Concentrated in Karnataka (Uttara Kannada, Belgaum, Dharwad) and Gujarat (Junagadh, Gir-Somnath, Saurashtra); smaller groups in Maharashtra, Goa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh; total population 40 k–2.5 lakh.
- Historical Role: Served in Deccan Sultanate and Nizam armies; most famous figure, Malik Ambar (1600–1626), Ethiopian-origin prime minister of Ahmadnagar (now Ahilyanagar).
Cultural and Demographic Features:
- Social Status: Recognised as Scheduled Tribe (ST) in five regions and as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
- Language & Culture: Speak regional languages, Gujarati, Konkani, Marathi, Kannada, but retain African musical and spiritual traditions, notably the Goma/Dhamaal dance rooted in Ngoma drumming and ancestral worship.
- Religion: Predominantly Muslim (≈ 99 % in Gujarat) with Hindu and Christian minorities; practices blend Sufi, African, and Indian folk elements.
- Livelihoods & Economy: Depend on agriculture, forest labour, crafts, and daily wage work; socio-economic deprivation and limited access to education, health, housing persist.
- Cultural Continuity: Maintain African-Indian fusion in music, attire, and cuisine; Marfa music in Hyderabad and Dhamaal dance near Sasan Gir remain iconic.
- Sports & Identity: Active in boxing and football, using sport for youth empowerment and social mobility.
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