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  • E-governance

    op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 2: E-Governance

    Context

    There are several reforms and governance initiatives that have successfully steered India to its current strength.

    Contribution of Digital India program

    • A report carding of Digital India’s performance shows impressive progress.
    • Thus far, the government has transferred more than Rs 17 lakh crore through DBT while saving Rs 2.2 lakh crore.
    • Today, India has the world’s fastest-growing and most vibrant startup ecosystem with close to 70,000 registered startups and around 100 unicorns, with a unicorn coming up every week.
    • GST regime: Thanks to the most significant reform in indirect taxation through the GST and tax compliance, India has registered its highest ever collections.
    • Revenue increased from Rs 22 lakh crore in FY 21 to Rs 27 lakh crore in FY 22 — a whopping 22 per cent growth.
    • Role in India’s response to pandemic: Digital India played a significant role in India’s response to the pandemic.
    • It ensured that the government could reach people in remote parts of the country.
    • Health, education and other essential services migrated swiftly to the online mode.

    Use of technology for governance amid pandemic

    • Digital India played a significant role in India’s response to the pandemic.
    • It ensured that the government could reach people in remote parts of the country.
    • Health, education and other essential services migrated swiftly to the online mode.
    • It would not be an aberration to say that post-Covid, India emerged as a preeminent nation in the use of technology for governance.

    Conclusion

    The rapid digitalisation of the world along with a new focus on trust in the global supply chains for digital products and services presents tremendous opportunities for India and its youth.  It is now up to all of us to engage in a collective “sabka prayas” to realise New India’s economic potential.

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  • Minority Issues – SC, ST, Dalits, OBC, Reservations, etc.

    Reservation in Public Employment: Key Events

    | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Indian Constitution – historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure

    This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in the TH.

    Reservation in Promotion

    • The jurisprudence of reservation relies on the symbiotic coexistence of constitutionally guaranteed equality of opportunity in public employment under Article 16 (1) of the Constitution of India.
    • The classifications were various clauses of the same article, especially Article 16(4) and Article 16 (4 A).
    • It specifically aimed to provide reservation in promotion to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, respectively.
    • These articles vested a discretion on the government to consider providing reservations for the socially and educationally backward sections of the society.

    Reservation not a fundamental Right

    • It is a settled law, time and again reiterated by the Supreme Court, that there is no fundamental right to reservation or promotion under Article 16(4) or Article 16(4 A) of the Constitution.
    • Rather they are enabling provisions for providing reservation, if the circumstances so warrant (Mukesh Kumar and Another vs State of Uttarakhand & Ors. 2020).
    • However, these pronouncements no way understate the constitutional directive under Article 46.
    • Article 46 mandates that the state shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people and in particular SCs and STs.
    • However such provisions resulted in the ever-evolving jurisprudence of affirmative action in public employment.

    Major events

    (1) Mandal storm

    • Reservation in employment which was otherwise confined to SC and STs got extended to new section called the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
    • This was the basis of the recommendations of the Second Backward Class Commission as constituted, headed by B.P. Mandal.
    • The Mandal Commission (1980) provided for 27% reservation to OBC in central services and public sector undertakings.
    • This was over and above the existing 22.5% reservation for SCs and STs, was sought to be implemented by the V.P. Singh Government in 1990.
    • The same was assailed in the Supreme Court resulting in the historic Indra Sawhney Judgment.

    (2) Indra Sawhney Judgment (1992)

    • In the judgment, a nine-judge bench presided by CJI MH Kania upheld the constitutionality of the 27% reservation.
    • But it put a ceiling of 50% unless exceptional circumstances warranting the breach, so that the constitutionally guaranteed right to equality under Article 14 would remain secured.
    • While Article 16(1) is a fundamental right, Article 16(4) is an enabling provision and not an exception.
    • Further, the Court directed the exclusion of creamy layer by way of horizontal division of every other backward class into creamy layer and non-creamy layer.

    (3) The Constitution (Seventy-seventh Amendment) Act, 1995

    • In Indra Sawhney Case, the Supreme Court had held that Article 16(4) of the Constitution of India does not authorise reservation in the matter of promotions.
    • However, the judgment was not to affect the promotions already made and hence only prospective in operation, it was ruled.
    • By the Constitution (Seventy-seventh Amendment) Act, 1995, which, Article 16(4-A), was inserted.
    • It aimed to provide the State for making any provision for reservation in matters of promotion to any class or classes of posts in the services under the State.
    • This was to be in favour of the SCs and the STs which, in the opinion of the State, are not adequately represented in the services under the State.
    • Later, two more amendments were brought, one to ensure consequential seniority and another to secure carry forward of unfilled vacancies of a year.

    (4) M. Nagaraj (2006) Case

    • A five-judge bench of Supreme Court declared the 1995 amendment as not vocative of basic structure of the Constitution.
    • It laid down ceratin conditions which included the collection of quantifiable data showing backwardness of the class and inadequacy of representation of that class in public employment.
    • The bench held that the creamy layer among SCs and STs is to be excluded from reservation.

    (5) Jarnail Singh vs Lachhmi Narain Gupta (2018)

    • It was authored by Justice Rohinton Nariman and indicates a critical turn in the jurisprudence of reservation.
    • In this case, a constitution bench of Supreme Court was called on to examine wisdom of the 2006 judgment.
    • This task was to examine the constitutionally recognised socio-economic backwardness of the SCs and STs which may not require any further substantiation.
    • It was also contended that the requirement to identify creamy lawyer among SC and STs fell foul of Indra Sawhney decision.
    • The constitution bench invalidated the requirement to collect quantifiable data in relation to SCs and STs.
    • It upheld the principle of applicability of creamy lawyer in relation to SCs and STs.

    (6) The Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019

    • The 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) other SCs, STs and backward classes for government jobs and admission in educational institutions.
    • This is currently under challenge before the Supreme Court which has referred the same to a constitution bench.
    • This was a critical milestone to specifically include economic backwardness without social backwardness as is traditionally seen.

    (7) Dr. Jaishri Laxmanrao Patil vs Chief Minister (2021)

    • Despite the Indra Sawhney ruling, there have been attempts on the part of many States to breach the rule by way of expanding the reservation coverage.
    • The Maharashtra Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act 2018, (Maratha reservation law) came under challenge before the Supreme Court.
    • This case was referred to a bench of five judges to question whether the 1992 judgment needs a relook.
    • Interestingly, the Supreme Court affirmed the Indra Sawhney decision, and struck down Section 4(1)(a) and Section 4(1)(b) of the Act which provided 12% reservation for Marathas in educational institutions and 13% reservation in public employment respectively.
    • This judgment gave out a strong message that some State governments blatantly disregard the stipulated ceiling on electoral gains rather than any exceptional circumstances.

     

     

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  • Goods and Services Tax (GST)

    Price Rise and GST

    | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    The GST regime is due for an overhaul in tax rates levied on different products because of structural anomalies and to reduce the multiple tax slabs.

    What is GST?

    • GST launched in India on 1 July 2017 is a comprehensive indirect tax for the entire country.
    • It is charged at the time of supply and depends on the destination of consumption.
    • For instance, if a good is manufactured in state A but consumed in state B, then the revenue generated through GST collection is credited to the state of consumption (state B) and not to the state of production (state A).
    • GST, being a consumption-based tax, resulted in loss of revenue for manufacturing-heavy states.

    What are GST Slabs?

    • In India, almost 500+ services and over 1300 products fall under the 4 major GST slabs.
    • There are five broad tax rates of zero, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%, plus a cess levied over and above the 28% on some ‘sin’ goods.
    • The GST Council periodically revises the items under each slab rate to adjust them according to industry demands and market trends.
    • The updated structure ensures that the essential items fall under lower tax brackets, while luxury products and services entail higher GST rates.
    • The 28% rate is levied on demerit goods such as tobacco products, automobiles, and aerated drinks, along with an additional GST compensation cess.

    Why rationalize GST slabs?

    • From businesses’ viewpoint, there are just too many tax rate slabs, compounded by aberrations in the duty structure through their supply chains with some inputs are taxed more than the final product.
    • These are far too many rates and do not necessarily constitute a Good and Simple Tax.
    • Multiple rate changes since the introduction of the GST regime in July 2017 have brought the effective GST rate to 11.6% from the original revenue-neutral rate of 15.5%.
    • Merging the 12% and 18% GST rates into any tax rate lower than 18% may result in revenue loss.

    Haven’t GST revenues been hitting new records?

    • Yes, they have – GST revenues have scaled fresh highs in three of the first four months of 2022, going past ₹1.67 lakh crore in April.
    • But there is another key factor — the runaway pace of inflation.
    • Wholesale price inflation, which captures producers’ costs, has been over 10% for over a year and peaked at 15.1% in April.
    • Inflation faced by consumers on the ground has spiked to a near-eight year high of 7.8% in April.
    • The rise in prices was the single most important factor for higher tax inflows along with higher imports.

    Can we expect the rate reset this year?

    • Any re-arrangement of GST rates will entail some products being taxed higher, with concomitant ripple effects on prices.
    • The Centre and the States are not unmindful of the desperate need to rationalise the rate slabs and structure but we just need to get the timing right.
    • Presently inflation is the top worry.
    • With inflation, much of it imported through pricier fuels, commodities and food items, expected to hover high through the year, the GST rate reset hopes appear bleak in 2022-23.

     

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  • Monsoon Updates

    Monsoon sets in over Kerala

    Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 1: Geographical Features & Their Location

    The monsoon has reached Kerala, the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

    What does the “Onset of Monsoon” mean?

    • The onset of the monsoon over Kerala marks the beginning of the four-month — June-September — southwest monsoon season over India.
    • It brings more than 70 per cent of the country’s annual rainfall. This marks a significant day in India’s economic calendar.
    • IMD announces it only after certain newly defined and measurable parameters, adopted in 2016, are met.
    • Broadly, the IMD checks for the consistency of rainfall over a defined geography, its intensity, and wind speed.

    (1) Rainfall

    • The IMD declares the onset of the monsoon if at least 60% of 14 designated meteorological stations in Kerala and Lakshadweep.
    • The 14 enlisted stations are: Minicoy, Amini, Thiruvananthapuram, Punalur, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Thalassery, Kannur, Kasaragod, and Mangaluru.
    • It records at least 2.5 mm of rain for two consecutive days at any time after May 10.
    • In such a situation, the onset over Kerala is declared on the second day, provided specific wind and temperature criteria are also fulfilled.

    (2) Wind field

    • The depth of westerlies should be up to 600 hectopascal (1 hPa is equal to 1 millibar of pressure) in the area bound by the equator to 10ºN latitude, and from longitude 55ºE to 80ºE.
    • The zonal wind speed over the area bound by 5-10ºN latitude and 70-80ºE longitude should be of the order of 15-20 knots (28-37 kph) at 925 hPa.

    (3) Heat

    • According to IMD, the INSAT-derived Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) value (a measure of the energy emitted to space by the Earth’s surface, oceans, and atmosphere) should be below 200 watt per sq m (wm2).
    • This is measured in the box confined by 5-10ºN latitude and 70-75ºE latitude.

    Is it unusual for the monsoon to hit the Kerala coast early?

    • Neither early nor late onset of the monsoon is unusual.
    • In 2018 and 2017, the onset over Kerala occurred on May 29 and May 30, respectively.
    • In 2010, onset was realised on May 31.
    • In 2020 and 2013, the monsoon was exactly on time, hitting the Kerala coast on June 1.

    Does an early onset foretell a good monsoon?

    • No, it does not — just as a delay does not foretell a poor monsoon.
    • The onset is just an event that happens during the progress of the monsoon over the Indian subcontinent.
    • A delay of a few days, or perhaps the monsoon arriving a few days early, has no bearing on the quality or amount of rainfall.

    How does the monsoon spread across the country after hitting Kerala coast?

    • The northward progression of the monsoon after it has hit the Kerala coast depends on a lot of local factors, including the creation of low pressure areas.
    • Though this year monsoon has arrived early, it is possible that despite a late onset over Kerala, other parts of the country start getting rain on time.
    • After its onset over Kerala, the monsoon spreads over the entire country by July 15.

    Back2Basics:

    Various terms related to Indian Monsoon

     

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

    What is the West Nile Virus?

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

    The Kerala health department is on alert after the death occurred due to the West Nile Virus.

    West Nile Virus

    • The West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne, single-stranded RNA virus.
    • According to the WHO, it is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the Japanese Encephalitis antigenic complex of the family Flaviviridae.

    How does it spread?

    • Culex species of mosquitoes act as the principal vectors for transmission.
    • It is transmitted by infected mosquitoes between and among humans and animals, including birds, which are the reservoir host of the virus.
    • Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, which circulate the virus in their blood for a few days.
    • The virus eventually gets into the mosquito’s salivary glands.
    • During later blood meals (when mosquitoes bite), the virus may be injected into humans and animals, where it can multiply and possibly cause illness.
    • WNV can also spread through blood transfusion, from an infected mother to her child, or through exposure to the virus in laboratories.
    • It is not known to spread by contact with infected humans or animals.

    Symptoms of WNV infection

    • The disease is asymptomatic in 80% of the infected people.
    • The rest develop what is called the West Nile fever or severe West Nile disease.
    • In these 20% cases, the symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, body aches, nausea, rash, and swollen glands.
    • Severe infection can lead to encephalitis, meningitis, paralysis, and even death.
    • It is estimated that approximately 1 in 150 persons infected with the West Nile Virus will develop a more severe form of the disease.
    • Recovery from severe illness might take several weeks or months.
    • It usually turns fatal in persons with co-morbidities and immuno-compromised persons (such as transplant patients).

     

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  • Forest Conservation Efforts – NFP, Western Ghats, etc.

    What are Community Forest Rights?

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

    The Chhattisgarh government has become the only second state in the country to recognize the Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights of a village inside a national park.

    What is the news?

    • The CFR rights of tribals living in a hamlet inside the Kanger Ghati National Park in Bastar district, were recognised.
    • It gave the community the power to formulate rules for forest use.

    Try this PYQ first:

    Q.Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, who shall be the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and extent of individual or community forest rights or both?

    (a) State Forest Department

    (b) District Collector/Deputy Commissioner

    (c) Tahsildar/Block Development Officer/Mandal Revenue Officer

    (d) Gram Sabha

     

     

    Post your answers here.

    What is a Community Forest?

    • The community forest resource area is the common forest land that has been traditionally protected and conserved for sustainable use by a particular community.
    • The community uses it to access resources available within the traditional and customary boundary of the village; and for seasonal use of landscape in case of pastoralist communities.
    • Each CFR area has a customary boundary with identifiable landmarks recognised by the community and its neighboring villages.
    • It may include forest of any category – revenue forest, classified & unclassified forest, deemed forest, DLC land, reserve forest, protected forest, sanctuary and national parks etc.

    Legal basis for Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights

    • The CFR rights are acknowledged under the Section 3(1) (i) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act.
    • This is commonly referred to as the Forest Rights Act or the FRA.
    • It aims to provide for recognition of the right to “protect, regenerate or conserve or manage” the community forest resource.
    • These rights allow the community to formulate rules for forest use by itself and others and thereby discharge its responsibilities under Section 5 of the FRA.

    Nature of rights included

    • CFR rights, along with Community Rights (CRs) under Sections 3(1)(b) and 3(1)(c), which include: nistar rights and rights over non-timber forest products, ensure sustainable livelihoods of the community.
    • ‘Nistar’ means the concession granted for removal from forest coupes (small trees) on payment at stipulated rates, specified forest produce for bonafide domestic use, but not for barter or sale.
    • These rights give the authority to the Gram Sabha to adopt local traditional practices of forest conservation and management within the community forest resource boundary.

    Why is the recognition of CFR rights important?

    • Aimed at undoing the “historic injustice” meted out to forest-dependent communities due to curtailment of their customary rights over forests, the FRA came into force in 2008.
    • It is important as it recognises the community’s right to use, manage and conserve forest resources, and to legally hold forest land that these communities have used for cultivation and residence.
    • It also underlines the integral role that forest dwellers play in the sustainability of forests and in the conservation of biodiversity.
    • It is of greater significance inside protected forests like national parks, sanctuaries and tiger reserves as traditional dwellers then become a part of management of the protected forests.

    How many CFR certificates have been given in Chhattisgarh?

    • According to state government officials, Chhattisgarh has recognised nearly 4,000 CFR rights in the state.
    • Kanger Ghati National Park is the second national park, after Simlipal in Odisha, where CFR rights have been recognised.

     

     

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  • Surrogacy in India

    Allow Surrogacy For Single Men, Mothers: Delhi HC

    | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

    The Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Union government on a petition challenging some provisions of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act and the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act.

    Issues raised by the petition

    • Currently, the laws does not allow single men to have child through surrogacy.
    • Married women can only avail surrogacy services if they are unable to produce a child due to medical conditions.
    • Otherwise, for women to avail of surrogacy services, they must be aged between 35 and 45 and widowed or divorced.
    • Women can only offer surrogacy if they are aged between 25 and 35 and married with at least one biological child.
    • The laws also require a surrogate to be genetically related to the couple who intend to have a child through this method, their petition said.

    Basis of the Petition

    • The personal decision of a single person about the birth of a baby through surrogacy, i.e., the right of reproductive autonomy is a facet of the right to privacy guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
    • Thus, the right to privacy of every citizen or person affecting a decision to bear or beget a child through surrogacy cannot be taken away.

    Distinct features of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021

    • Definition of surrogacy: It defines surrogacy as a practice where a woman gives birth to a child for an intending couple with the intention to hand over the child after the birth to the intending couple.
    • Regulation of surrogacy: It prohibits commercial surrogacy, but allows altruistic surrogacy which involves no monetary compensation to the surrogate mother other than the medical expenses and insurance.
    • Purposes for which surrogacy is permitted: Surrogacy is permitted when it is: (i) for intending couples who suffer from proven infertility; (ii) altruistic; (iii) not for commercial purposes; (iv) not for producing children for sale, prostitution or other forms of exploitation; and (v) for any condition or disease specified through regulations.
    • Eligibility criteria: The intending couple should have a ‘certificate of essentiality’ and a ‘certificate of eligibility’ issued by the appropriate authority ex. District Medical Board.

    Eligibility criteria for surrogate mother:

    • To obtain a certificate of eligibility from the appropriate authority, the surrogate mother has to be:
    1. A close relative of the intending couple;
    2. A married woman having a child of her own;
    3. 25 to 35 years old;
    4. A surrogate only once in her lifetime; and
    5. Possess a certificate of medical and psychological fitness for surrogacy.
    • Further, the surrogate mother cannot provide her own gametes for surrogacy.

    Also read

    [Burning Issue] Surrogacy in India

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  • Agricultural Sector and Marketing Reforms – eNAM, Model APMC Act, Eco Survey Reco, etc.

    System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Technique

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

    Experts in Punjab has said that System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Technique is beneficial for the soil, environment and farmers at par with the Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) technique.

    What is SRI technique?

    • SRI was first developed in Madagascar in the 1980s and since then several countries in the world have been practising it, including India.
    • It promises to save 15 to 20% ground water, improves rice productivity, which is almost at a stagnant point now.
    • Experts said that it gives equal or more produce than the conventional rice cultivation, with less water, less seed and less chemicals.
    • The net effect is a substantial reduction in the investments on external inputs.

    How does it take place in the field and in which soil?

    • First, the field is prepared by ploughing.
    • It should be laser levelled before transplanting for proper water management and efficiency for a good crop stand.
    • Then irrigation is applied in the field which is not a flooding of field like traditional methods but less than that of a well irrigated field.
    • Then 10-12 days old nursery (young paddy plants) along with soil particles around the root with minimum disturbance to the roots are transplanted in lines.
    • They are marked at a distance of 10 inches from each other with the help of a rope meter.

    Benefits over DSR technique

    • Unlike DSR, which is suitable only for mid to heavy textured soils, SRI is suitable in all types of soil including less fertile soil as in such soil the number of seedlings can be increased to double.
    • Under SRI 2kg seed is required to grow a nursery for one acre against 5kg seed required in the traditional method.

    Does the SRI method require continuous flooding after transplantation of nursery?

    • In traditional sowing from the day of transplanting till the crop turns 35-40 days fields are kept under flood-like conditions.
    • And then fields are filled every week till a few weeks before harvesting.
    • But SRI doesn’t require continuous flooding, it needs intermittent irrigation.
    • Indeed the plants’ roots should not be starved for oxygen through flooding.
    • Irrigation is given to maintain soil moisture near saturation initially, and water is added to the field when the surface soil develops hairline cracks.

    What are the limitations of SRI?

    • If unchecked, greater weed growth will cause substantial loss of yield.
    • In Punjab, it is not promoted by the government except demonstration plots sown over a decade ago.
    • It can be sustainable if organic inputs in the soil structure are maintained.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.With reference to the current trends in the cultivation of sugarcane in India, consider the following statements:

    1. A substantial saving in seed material is made when ‘bud chip settlings are raised in a nursery and transplanted in the main field.
    2. When direct planting of setts is done, the germination percentage is better with single-budded setts as compared to setts with many buds.
    3. If bad weather conditions prevail when setts are directly planted, single-budded setts have better survival as compared to large setts.
    4. Sugarcane can be cultivated using settlings prepared from tissue culture.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 3 only

    (c) 1 and 4 only

    (d) 2,3 and 4 only

     

    Post your answers here.

     

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  • Nobel and other Prizes

    Booker Prize awarded to first Indian language book

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

    Author Geetanjali Shree’s translated Hindi novel, Tomb of Sand, became the first Indian language book to win the International Booker Prize.

    Note: Such topics hold very little relevance for CSE prelims. However, last year experience make such topics more uncertain. Still such topics hold relevance for other exams such as CAPF and state PSCs.

    What is the Booker Prize?

    • The Booker Prize is one of the best-known literary awards for fiction writing in English, including both novels and collections of short stories.
    • It was first awarded in 1969.
    • Every year a panel of judges decides the best work of the year, with the criteria being that it must be written in English and published in the UK and Ireland.
    • This panel of judges is picked from among eminent cultural historians, writers, professors, and novelists, and others from related fields.
    • For the Booker Prize, the winner receives £50,000.

    About the book

    • The 2018 novel titled ‘Ret Samadhi’ was translated by Daisy Rockwell and published as ‘Tomb of Sand’ in 2021.
    • The prize is one of two literary awards given out annually by the Booker Prize Foundation, a charity whose stated aim is to “promote the art and value of literature for the public benefit”.

    What about the International Booker Prize?

    • The International Booker Prize began in 2005.
    • A biennial prize initially, it was then awarded for a body of work available in English, including translations, with Alice Munro, Lydia Davis and Philip Roth becoming some of the early winners.
    • In 2015, the rules of the International prize changed to make it an annual affair.
    • The new rules stipulated that it will be awarded annually for a single book, written in another language and translated into English.
    • The £50,000 prize money is divided equally between the author and translator each year.

    Why is it called the ‘Booker’?

    • The Booker Prize, from 1969 to 2001, was named simply after the Booker Group Limited – a British food wholesale operator that was its initial sponsor.
    • The Man Group, an investment management firm based in the UK, began to sponsor the prize in 2002 and it thus came to be known as The Man Booker Prize.
    • The Man Group ended their sponsorship in 2019.
    • Crankstart, an American charitable foundation, has been the sponsor after that. The prize name has changed back to the ‘Booker’ since then.

    Who have been some prominent winners?

    • Prominent winners of the coveted prize include Margaret Atwood (‘The Testaments’), Yann Martel (‘Life of Pi’), and Julian Barnes (‘The Sense of an Ending’).
    • Many Indian-origin writers have won the Booker in the past, such as Arundhati Roy (‘The God of Small Things’), Salman Rushdie (‘Midnight’s Children’), Kiran Desai (‘The Inheritance of Loss’), and Aravind Adiga (‘The White Tiger’).
    • Shree is the first Indian to win an international prize.

     

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  • New Species of Plants and Animals Discovered

    Species in news: Sela Macaque

    Species | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

    A new species of old world monkey recorded from Arunachal Pradesh has been named after a strategic Sela pass at 13,700 ft above sea level.

    Sela macaque (Macaca selai).

    • This new primate was identified and analysed by a team of experts from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the University of Calcutta.
    • Earlier it was called as White- Cheeked Macaque displaying white cheeks, long and thick hairs on the neck area, and a longer tail.
    • Their study has been published in the latest edition of Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
    • Phylogenetics relate to the evolutionary development and diversification of a species or group of organisms.
    • The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Sela macaque was geographically separated from the Arunachal macaque (Macaca munzala) of Tawang district by Sela.
    • This mountain pass acted as a barrier by restricting the migration of individuals of these two species for approximately two million years.

    Protection status

    • It has NOT been yet included in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India.
    • The potential threat to all species of macaques in the landscape is due to hunting by locals for consumption and habitat degradation due to urbanization and infrastructure development.

     About Sela Pass

    • The Sela Pass is a high-altitude mountain pass located on the border between the Tawang and West Kameng districts in Arunachal Pradesh.
    • It has an elevation of 4170 m and connects the Indian Buddhist town of Tawang to Dirang and Guwahati.
    • The pass supports scarce amounts of vegetation and is usually snow-covered to some extent throughout the year.
    • While Sela Pass does get heavy snowfall in winters, it is usually open throughout the year unless landslides or snow require the pass to be shut down temporarily.
    • The strategically-significant Sela Tunnel project is now nearing completion well before the deadline.

     

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