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  • Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN)

    An apex body of Naga tribes has asked the Nagaland government not to be hasty with the exercise to prepare the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN), seen as a variant of Assam’s National Register of Citizens.

    Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN)

    • The Government of Nagaland has decided to set up a Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) with the aim of preventing fake indigenous inhabitants’ certificates.
    • The RIIN will be the master list of all indigenous inhabitants of the state.

    How will the list be prepared?

    • The RIIN list will be based on “an extensive survey”.
    • It will involve official records of indigenous residents from rural and (urban) wards and would be prepared under the supervision of the district administration.
    • The preparation of the list will start from July 10, 2019, and the whole process will be completed within 60 days from the start.
    • Designated teams of surveyors will be formed within seven days from the date of publication of the notification, and thereafter these teams will be sent across each village and ward.
    • The database will note each family’s original residence, current residence as well as the concerned Aadhaar

    What is the review procedure?

    • Respondents will be given an opportunity to make their case before the authorities.
    • Eventually, respective Dy. Commissioners will adjudicate on the claims and objections based on official records and the evidence produced.
    • This process will be completed before December 10, 2019.

    Unique identity through Indigenous Inhabitant Certificate

    • Based on the adjudication and verification, a list of indigenous inhabitants will be finalised and each person will be given a unique ID.
    • The final list or the RIIN will be created and its copies will be placed in all villages and ward.
    • Electronic copies of the list will also be stored in the State Data Centre. A mechanism or electronic and SMS-based authentication will be put in place.
    • All indigenous inhabitants of the state would be issued a barcoded and numbered Indigenous Inhabitant Certificate.
    • The process will be conducted across Nagaland and will be done as part of the online system of Inner Line Permit (ILP), which is already in force in Nagaland.

    Back2Basics: Inner Line Permit (ILP)

    • ILP is an official travel document required by Indian citizens residing outside certain “protected” states while entering them.
    • The ILP is issued by the Govt. of India and is obligatory for all those who reside outside the protected states.
    • With the ILP, the government aims to regulate movement to certain areas located near the international border of India.
    • ILP’s origin dates back to the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, which protected the British Crown’s interest in tea, oil and elephant trade.
    • It prohibited “British subjects” or Indians from entering these protected areas.
    • After Independence, in 1950, the word “British subjects” was replaced by Citizens of India and the focus of the ban on free movement was explained as a bid to protect tribal cultures in northeastern India.

  • Sushil Chandra appointed Chief Election Commissioner

    The President has appointed Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra to take over as Chief Election Commissioner.

    Chief Election Commissioner

    • The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India heads the Election Commission of India.
    • The ECI is a body constitutionally empowered to conduct free and fair elections to the national and state legislatures and of President and Vice-President.
    • This power of the Election Commission of India is derived from Article 324 of the Constitution of India.
    • CEC of India is usually a member of the Indian Civil Service and mostly (not necessarily) from the Indian Administrative Service.

    His/ Her Removal

    • It is very difficult to remove the authority of the Chief Election Commissioner once appointed by the president.
    • The two-thirds of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha need to present and vote against him for disorderly conduct or improper actions.

  • Indian Rhino Vision 2020

    The ambitious Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV 2020) came to a close with the release of two rhinos — an adult male and a female — in Assam’s Manas National Park transported from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary about 185 km east.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Recently there was a proposal to translocate some of the lions from their natural habitat in Gujarat to which one of the following sites?

    (a) Corbett National Park

    (b) Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary

    (c) Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary

    (d) Sariska National Park

    What is IRV 2020?

    • In 2005, conservationists, alongside the Bodoland Territorial Council and the Government of Assam, came together to develop a long-term strategy to manage the species.
    • Their vision was ambitious; to build a 3,000-strong wild population of Greater one-horned rhinos by 2020, spread across seven sites in the state of Assam.
    • Thus the “Indian Rhino Vision 2020” (IRV2020) was born.

    Success of the IRV

    • Designed in 2005, the IRV2020 is believed to have achieved its target of attaining a population of 3,000 rhinos in Assam.
    • But the plan to spread the Rhinoceros unicornis across four protected areas beyond Kaziranga National Park, Orang National Park and Pobitora could not materialise.
    • Assam had at least five rhino-bearing areas till the 1980s.
    • Manas, in focus for the near-extinction of the pygmy hog, lost the World Heritage Site tag it received in 1985 along with Kaziranga from the UNESCO.
    • The translocated rhinos helped Manas National Park get back its World Heritage Site status in 2011.

  • [pib] Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) Galaxy

    Astronomers have discovered a new active galaxy identified as the farthest gamma-ray emitting galaxy that has so far been stumbled upon. This active galaxy called the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Recently, scientists observed the merger of giant ‘blackholes’ billions of light-years away from the Earth. What is the significance of this observation?

    (a) ‘Higgs boson particles’ were detected.

    (b) ‘Gravitational waves’ were detected.

    (c) Possibility of inter-galactic space travel through ‘wormhole’ was confirmed.

    (d) It enabled scientists to understand ‘singularity’.

    NLS1 Galaxy

    • Indian scientists have studied around 25,000 luminous Active galactic nuclei (AGN) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS).
    • They identified it as a gamma-ray emitting NLS1 galaxy, which is a rare entity in space.
    • It is about 31 billion light-years away, opens up avenues to explore more such gamma-ray emitting galaxies that wait to meet us.

    What makes it intriguing?

    • Ever since 1929, when Edwin Hubble discovered that the Universe is expanding, it has been known that most other galaxies are moving away from us.
    • Light from these galaxies is shifted to longer (and this means redder) wavelengths – in other words, it is red-shifted.
    • Scientists have been trying to trace such red-shifted galaxies to understand the early Universe.
    • Powerful relativistic jets, or sources of particles in the Universe travelling nearly at speed to light, are usually produced by AGN powered by large black holes and hosted in a giant elliptical galaxy.

    Why NLS1 is unique?

    • NLS1s are a unique class of AGN that are powered by the black hole of low mass and hosted in a spiral galaxy.
    • As of today, gamma-ray emission has been detected in about a dozen NLS1 galaxies, which are a separate class of AGN identified four decades ago.
    • All of them are at redshifts lesser than one, and no method was present to date to find NLS1 at redshifts larger than one.
    • This discovery opens up a new way to find gamma-ray emitting NLS1 galaxies in the early Universe.

  • [pib] E-SANTA: Electronic marketplace to connect Aqua farmers and buyers

    Union Commerce and Industry Ministry has inaugurated E-SANTA, an electronic marketplace providing a platform to connect aqua farmers and buyers.

    Note:

    Aquaculture also known as aquafarming is the farming of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, aquatic plants, algae, and other organisms. It involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish.

    Mariculture commonly known as marine farming refers to aquaculture practiced in marine environments and in underwater habitats, opposed to in freshwater.

    E-SANTA

    • The term e-SANTA was coined for the web portal, meaning Electronic Solution for Augmenting NaCSA farmers’ Trade-in Aquaculture.
    • It will enable the farmers to get a better price and the exporters to directly purchase quality products from the farmers enhancing traceability, a key factor in international trade.
    • National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture (NaCSA) is an extension arm of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
    • It will raise income, lifestyle, self-reliance, quality levels, traceability, and provide new options for our aqua farmers.
    • The platform will change the traditional way of carrying out business from a word of mouth basis to become more formalized & legally binding.

    E-SANTA will RAISE the lives & income of farmers by:

    1. Reducing Risk
    2. Awareness of Products & Markets
    3. Increase in Income
    4. Shielding Against Wrong Practice
    5. Ease of Processes

    Its’ utility

    • E-SANTA is a Digital Bridge to end the market divide and will act as an alternative marketing tool between farmers & buyers by eliminating middlemen.
    • It will revolutionize traditional aqua farming by providing cashless, contactless and paperless electronic trade platform between farmers and exporters.
    • It can become a tool to advertise collectively the kind of products the buyers, fishermen & fish producing organisations are harvesting.

    How does it work?

    • E-SANTA is a completely paperless and end-to-end electronic trade platform between Farmers and exporters.
    • The farmers have the freedom to list their products and quote their price while the exporters have the freedom to list their requirements and also to choose the products based on their requirements.
    • This enables the farmers and buyers to have greater control over the trade and enables them to make informed decisions.
    • The platform provides a detailed specification of each product listing and it is backed by an end to end electronic payment system with NaCSA as an Escrow agent.
    • After crop listing and online negotiation, a deal is struck, advance payment is made and an estimated invoice is generated.

  • [pib] MANAS Platform

    The MANAS App to promote wellbeing across age groups was recently launched.

    Name, acronym and the purpose; thats all. The rest of the theory is of less importance.

    MANAS Platform

    • MANAS is an acronym for Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation System.
    • It is a comprehensive, scalable, and national digital wellbeing platform and an app developed to augment the mental well-being of Indian citizens.
    • MANAS was initiated by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and jointly executed by NIMHANS Bengaluru, AFMC Pune and C-DAC Bengaluru.
    • It was endorsed as a national program by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
    • It integrates the health and wellness efforts of various government ministries, scientifically validated indigenous tools with gamified interfaces developed/researched by various national bodies and research institutions.

  • Monkeydactyl: the flying reptile with the ‘oldest opposable thumbs’

    Researchers have described a pterosaur species with opposable thumbs, which could likely be the earliest-known instance of the limb.

    Monkeydactyl

    • The pterosaur species were reptiles, close cousins of dinosaurs and the first animals after insects to evolve powered flight.
    • They evolved into various species; while some were as large as an F-16 fighter jet, others were as small as paper aeroplanes.
    • The new pterosaur fossil was discovered in the Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning, China, and is thought to be 160 million years old.
    • It has now been described by an international team of researchers from China, Brazil, the UK, Denmark and Japan, and has been named Kunpengopterus antipollicatus, also dubbed “Monkeydactyl”.

    What has the team found?

    • “Antipollicatus” in ancient Greek means “opposite thumbs”, and it was attached to the name because the researchers’ findings could be the first discovery of a pterosaur with an opposed thumb.
    • Researchers suggested that K. antipollicatus could have used its hand for grasping, which is likely an adaptation for arboreal life.

    What makes it special?

    • Opposability of the thumb enables the species to “simultaneously flex, abduct and medially rotate the thumb” in a way that one is able to bring the tip of the thumb to touch the tips of the other fingers.
    • Along with humans, some ancient monkeys and apes also had opposable thumbs. Humans, however, have a relatively long and distally placed thumb, and larger thumb muscles.
    • This means that humans’ tip-to-tip precision grip when holding smaller objects is superior to non-human primates.
    • This is the reason that humans are able to hold a pen, unscrew an earring stopper, or put a thread through a needle hole.
    • The grasping hands of primates developed as a result of their life in the trees — an opposable thumb made it easier for the common ancestor of all primates to cling on to tree branches.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Some species of plants are insectivorous. Why?

    (a) Their growth in shady and dark places does not allow them to undertake sufficient photosynthesis and thus they depend on insects for nutrition

    (b) They are adapted to grow in nitrogen deficient soils and thus depend on insects for sufficient nitrogenous nutrition

    (c) They cannot synthesize certain vitamins themselves and depend on the insects digested by them

    (d) They have remained in that particular stage of evolution as living fossils, a link between autotrophs and heterotrophs

  • [Prelims Spotlight] Polity Titbits: Fundamentals of Polity and Constitution

    15 Apr 2021

    Form of Government:

    1. Autocracy/ Absolute Monarchy – Concentration of power in one unelected hand
    2. Democracy – government on the basis of elections
    3. Constitutional Monarchy – head of state is king/ queen but acts on the aid and advice of elected council of ministers
    4. Republican Govt.- head of state is elected not a monarch

    Democracy

    Direct -people vote on every issue, they make laws for themselves

    Indirect/ Representative – people choose their representatives who make laws on their behalf

    Referendum -people voting on certain important issues in representative democracies

    Plebiscite – vote where people choose whether or not they want to remain in a state

    In representative democracy

    Written constitution – Laws can not be in violation of constitution. Constitution is supreme. Two types of laws – ordinary laws and constitutional laws

    Unwritten constitution – Laws framed by parliament is supreme i.e parliament is supreme. Ordinary law and constitution law one and the same

    So constitution basically limits the power of state. It has to abide by the constitution

    Who will interpret the constitution – Judiciary. It can review laws and policies of govt – not violative of constitution i.e Judicial review

    Legislature will frame the laws.

    Who will implement – Executive

    Two systems here

    1. Parliamentary form – Executives/ ministers come from Parliament/ must get themselves elected within 6 months.
    2. Presidential form – Executive is not part of legislature
    System of Govt Presidential Parliamentary/ Cabinet form
    Executive Not part of legislature Part of legislature
    Separation of Power Complete Incomplete
    Responsibility to legislature Not responsible Responsible to LokSabha
    Term Fixed term of both legislative and executive Loksabha and cabinet can be dissolved any time
    Govt and state Both head of govt and state Head of state, head of govt is PM, real power vests in PM

    Titbits

    1. In parliamentary form, head of government is prime minister while head of state is president (republic) or monarchy (constitutional monarchy) whereas president is both head of government as well as head of state in presidential form
    2. Incomplete separation of power in parliamentary form; complete separation of power in presidential form

    Form of Govt

    1. Unitary – Only 1 tier of govt for the whole country. Units do not get any power directly from the constitution. There may be local bodies and provinces but parliament delegates power to them
    2. Federal – more than 1, generally 2 tier. Units i.e states/ provinces derive power directly from the constitution

    Shades of Federalism:

    Federal features Unitary features
    Written constitution Area, names, boundaries of states can be changed
    Dual govt, Separate lists – union, state and concurrent Governor
    Judicial review Integrated and unified Judiciary – Supreme court at top
    Rigid constitution – when amending articles having interest of state Emergency provisions
    Bicameral legislature – RS is council of state CAG, EC, All India services, Single citizenship, single constitution

    Note:

    1. Federal government is possible only in countries with written constitution
    2. 3rd tier of governance i.e Panchayati Raj and Municipalities is not federalism but more decentralisation and local self governance.

    Various constitutional doctrines

    1. Separation of Powers – among legislative, executive and judiciary so that no one becomes all powerful
    2. Checks and Balances-  among the three: for instance, judicial review is judicial check on executive and legislature
    3. Doctrine of repugnancy – state law on concurrent list liable to be struck down if inconsistent with central law
    4. Doctrine of harmonious reconstruction – Constitutional provisions interpreted not in isolation but to be construed as to harmonize with those other parts
    5. Doctrine of pith and substance – finding out the true nature of a statute, an act or a provision created by the State is valid if the true nature of the act or the provision is about a subject that falls in the State list
    6. Doctrine of colorable legislation- Whatever legislature can’t do directly, it can’t do indirectly It is most commonly applied wrt article 246 (3 lists)when a Legislature does not possess the power to make law upon a particular subject but nonetheless indirectly makes one
    7. Basic Structure – Constitution has some basic structure which can not be amended even if all members of both the house vote to amend that provision (Keshvananda Bharati Case)
    8. Judicial review – Constitutional courts to examine whether laws or policies violate the constitution

    Historical background

    Timeline

    1. Regulating Act, 1773 – Governor of Bengal became Governor General of Bengal (not india) i.e Bombay and Madras presidency subordinate, Supreme court in Calcutta
    2. Pitts Act 1784 – Board of Control for political affairs, 1st time called British Possession in India
    3. Charter Act of 1833 – Centralization complete, Governor General of Bengal became that of India, law member introduced in the council
    4. Charter Act 1853 – Open competition for civil services
    5. Government of India Act 1858 – Act for good govt, abolished EIC, under direct rule of British govt/ crown now, Secretary of state post created
    6. Act of 1861 – Recognition to portfolio system, some indians nominated to council
    7. Act of 1892 – same story
    8. Act of 1909/ Morley – Minto – element of election introduced, 1st Indian in executive council of viceroy, Separate Electorate
    9. Act of 1919/ Montagu – Chelmsford – Dyarchy or dual govt in provinces – transferred and reserved subject, Bicameral legislature
    10. GOI Act 1935 – Federation, Autonomy to provinces, 3 lists, residuary powers in viceroy

    Titbits:

    1. From 1858 under direct control of British govt. Therefore, GOI acts, before that charter act (EIC charter) and regulating act
    2. Concurrent list was borrowed from GOI act 1935 as well as Australian constitution. Residuary power vests with centre now while it vested in viceroy in GOI act 1935
    3. 1st name is secretary of state and 2nd name is viceroy i.e Montagu and Morley are secretaries
    1st Governor General (GG) of Bengal (1773) Warren Hastings
    1st GG of India (1833) William Bentinck
    Last GG and 1st Viceroy (1858) Lord Canning
    1st law member (1833) Macaulay
    1st Indian to Viceroy’s executive council Satyendra Sinha

    Features from other constitution (Only Imp things)

    USA Federalism, Bill of rights, Judicial review, due process of law
    Britain Parliamentary system, Rule of law, Bicameralism
    Russia Fundamental duties, Justice
    France Republic, liberty, equality, fraternity
    Ireland DPSP, Nomination to RS
    Australia Concurrent list, Joint sitting
    Canada Federation with strong centre, residuary powers with centre, office of governor.
  • UPSC mock interview at CivilsDaily on 17-18th April | Book your slot now

    UPSC mock interview at CivilsDaily on 17-18th April | Book your slot now

    Schedule your mock interview with civilsdaily

    Schedule of Special Habitat sessions planned for interviews.

    Upcoming Mock interview and session

    This week’s mock interview dates have been fixed on 17-18th April.

    • Mock interview- 17-18th April (Book your slot)   
    • Time: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.  
    • Mode: Online 

    Interview slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.  

    Schedule your mock interview with Civilsdaily

    Panelists for Mock Interviews: 

    1. Shri Shankar Aggarwal, IAS (retd.)
    2. Dr. Noor Mohammad, IAS (retd.)
    3. Shri T. N. Thakur, IAAS (retd.)
    4. Shri V. P. Singh, IRPS
    5. Mrs.Aditi Gupta, Corporate Leadership Specialist 
    6. Prof. U.M. Amin, Jamia Milia University
    7. Mr. Himanshu Arora, Economist, JNU, PMEAC 

    Tentative: Shri Harsh V. Pant (Observer Research Foundation), Shri SN Tripathi, IAS (Director IIPA), Shri Yogesh Narain (Retd. Defence Secretary), Shri Dipankar Gupta (Indian Sociologist), and others.   

     You all are supposed to submit your DAFs and selfie videos answering four questions provided to you. These will form the basis for mock interviews, DAF analysis, and personalized DAF-based questionnaire.  

    About Transcend 2020: IGP mock interviews

    Mock Interviews at Civilsdaily form a crucial part of UPSC interview preparation. The quality and diversity of the panel help prepare an aspirant for the actual interview at UPSC. 

    Aspirants have benefited greatly from the mock interview and the feedback they get from the panel members after their mock interview. At the same time, we work with the aspirants to improve upon the areas highlighted by the panel.

    Aspirants will also get a personalized DAF-based questionnaire based on extensive research and linkages with the issues of national and international importance. 

     Note- For any query/sending DAFs and videos reach out to ajay@civilsdaily.com 

    Special Habitat session for UPSC interviews 2020

    Click here for habitat club for UPSC interviews

    Interview Club on Habitat brings together senior bureaucrats, serving officers, UPSC mentors, toppers and peers under one roof for a collaborative and cohort based learning and preparation for the UPSC interviews.

    From today onwards our we are starting a special session on Habitat’s Transcend: Interview Guidance Club to take up activities directed towards specific dimensions of the Personality Test.

    Habitat session timings: 6-7:30 pm

    Click here for habitat club for UPSC interviews

  • Develop analytical skills for UPSC IAS exam| Analytica by Alankrit Bhatia | Join 2 weeks workshop (link inside)

    Develop analytical skills for UPSC IAS exam| Analytica by Alankrit Bhatia | Join 2 weeks workshop (link inside)

    Enroll here in analytica program

    UPSC IAS is not just about information loading. Whatever you are studying must be analyzed in detail and linked with other topics. Moreover, you must learn how to utilize that information for different stages of the exam.

    Analytical skills help you visualize a problem’s complexity, process and organize it, solve it, make projections and generate new ideas. Analytical thinking involves using existing information to accurately assess situations and provide insight into how different factors interact.

    What is Analytica?

    In this Habitat club by Alankrit sir, you will be developing, learning, and practicing the analytical skills required for UPSC IAS preparation. An engaging discussion around important editorials and articles of the day along with daily worksheets you would be developing these skills.

    • Course fee: Rs 1200 + GST = 1416
    • Course start date: 19th April 2021
    • Duration: 2 weeks (5 days/week)
    • Join free sessions on Habitat general club (3pm).
    • Mode- Chat based

    Program inclusion

    • Important articles/editorials and other documents
    • Daily and a weekly worksheet
    • Twice a day Habitat session.
    • Mentorship by Alankrit Bhatia
    Enroll here in analytica program

    How the discussions will take place?

    The course will proceed by giving 3-5 news articles/topics a day. The links of the articles will be shared in advance. You’ll have to read it before the discussion. We will discuss in the Habitat clubs.

    The students will be encouraged and guided to share their views and
    develop linkages with the topics via the use of questions.

    The objective of the course is not to give a definite content but to make students brainstorm then and there and indulge in making new connections and linkages.

    How Habitat sessions are going to take place?

    Habitat is a chat-based learning platform and here Alankrit sir will be handholding and guiding you all through the course.

    Daily two sessions are planned, first one by Alankrit sir completely and second, driven by peers under the supervision of Alankrit sir.

    How to attend Analytica sessions and join the club?

    Click on the link below. It will take you to the Habitat course page. Click on enroll.

    Enroll here in analytica program

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