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  • [Burning Issue] Nobel Prizes 2021

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    On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace – the Nobel Prizes. In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank) established ‘The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences’ in Memory of Alfred Nobel.

    Let us learn more about the Nobel Prize laureates in 2021 here and what is their contribution to society.

    The Nobel Prize in Physics 2021

    The 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded one half jointly to Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann, and the other half to Giorgio Parisi “for groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of complex physical systems.”

    • This is the first time climate scientists (Manabe and Hasselmann) have been awarded the Physics Nobel. Last year, the award was given for the research into black holes.
    • Three scientists received the Nobel Prize in Physics for work that is essential to understanding how the Earth’s climate is changing, pinpointing the effect of human behaviour on those changes and ultimately predicting the impact of global warming.

    Who are the laureates?

    • The winners were Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann of Germany, and Giorgio Parisi from Italy.
    • In 2015, at a UK-based climate-focused online publication sought to identify the three most influential climate change research papers ever published.
    • The paper that received the most votes was one by Syukuro Manabe and Richard Wetherald way back in 1967.
    • These reports for the first time, had described the impact of carbon dioxide and water vapour on global warming.

    Citation for their Climate Model

    • Manabe is a senior meteorologist and climatologist at Princeton University.
    • In the 1960s, he led ground-breaking research into how increased levels of carbon dioxide lead to higher temperatures on the surface of the Earth.
    • This laid the foundation for the development of current climate models.
    • Hasselmann is a German physicist and oceanographer who greatly advanced public understanding of climate change through the creation of a model that links climate and chaotic weather systems.
    • Parisi has focused on quantum field theory and complex systems.

    Why it is a significant feat?

    • This is the first-time climate scientists have been awarded the Physics Nobel.
    • The IPCC had won the Peace Nobel in 2007, an acknowledgement of its efforts in creating awareness for the fight against climate change.
    • A Chemistry Nobel was also awarded to Paul Crutzen in 1995, for his work on the ozone layer, is considered the only other time someone from atmospheric sciences has won this honour.
    • The recognition of Manabe and Hasselmann, therefore, is being seen as an acknowledgement of the importance that climate science holds in today’s world.

    The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021

    • The 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Benjamin List and David MacMillan for their development of a precise new tool for molecular construction: organocatalysis.
    • This has had a great impact on pharmaceutical research, and has made chemistry greener.
    • Last year, the honour went to Frenchwoman Emmanuelle Charpentier and American Jennifer Doudna, for developing the gene-editing technique known as CRISPR-Cas9 – DNA snipping “scissors”.

    What are Catalysts?

    • When two or more compounds react to form new compounds, the process is often aided by other chemicals that do not change themselves but help speed up the reaction.
    • These catalysts have been known at least since the middle of the 19th century, and are used in virtually every chemical process these days.
    • Till around 2000, only two kinds of chemicals were known to act as effective catalysts: metals, mainly heavier metals; and enzymes, naturally occurring heavy molecules that facilitate all life-supporting biochemical processes.
    • Both these sets of catalysts had limitations.

    Issues with conventional catalysts

    • Heavier metals are expensive, difficult to mine, and toxic to humans and the environment.
    • Despite the best processes, traces remained in the end product; this posed problems in situations where compounds of very high purity were required, like in the manufacture of medicines.
    • Also, metals required an environment free of water and oxygen, which was difficult to ensure on an industrial scale.
    • Enzymes on the other hand, work best when water is used as a medium for the chemical reaction.
    • But that is not an environment suitable for all kinds of chemical reactions.

    Nobel invention: Organo-catalysis

    • List and MacMillan, the both, started experimenting with simple organic compounds.
    • Organic compounds are mostly naturally occurring substances, built around a framework of carbon atoms and usually containing hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, or phosphorus.
    • Life-supporting chemicals like proteins, which are long chains of amino acids (carbon compounds containing nitrogen and oxygen) are organic.
    • Enzymes are also proteins, and therefore, organic compounds.
    • List and MacMillan started working with individual amino acids in enzymes — and struck gold.

    What is asymmetric catalysis?

    • Substances can have exactly the same chemical composition and molecular formula; yet differ widely in their properties. They are known as isomers.
    • One type of isomers are those that differ in the way individual atoms are oriented in three-dimensional space.
    • Two molecules could be exactly the same, except that they are mirror images of each other, like our hands.
    • For simplicity, scientists often refer to these molecules as left-handed or right-handed.
    • This simple difference can sometimes have enormous consequences because it allows the molecules to bind in different locations when they interact with other molecules.
    • The end product in a chemical reaction is usually a mixture of left-handed and right-handed molecules.
    • List and MacMillan discovered that by using a natural compound like an amino acid as a catalyst, they were obtaining only one specific mirror image of the end-product.
    • This was later named asymmetric catalysis.

    Significance of their discovery

    • The new catalysts, derived from naturally occurring chemicals, were greener and cheaper and ensured that the end product of the chemical reaction was of a specific variety.
    • The end product need not go through a purification process to yield the desired type of compound.
    • The discovery being awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 has taken molecular construction to an entirely new level.
    • Its uses include research into new pharmaceuticals and it has also helped make chemistry greener.

    Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences 2021

    • The 2021 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences has been awarded in one half to Canadian-born David Card and the other half jointly to Israeli-American Joshua D Angrist and Dutch-American Guido W Imbens.
    • David Card has been awarded for his empirical contributions to labor economics. Joshua D Angrist and Guido W Imbens won the award “for their methodological contributions to the analysis of causal relationships.”
    • The 2020 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to Paul R Milgrom and Robert B Wilson “for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats”.
    • Unlike the other Nobel prizes, the economics award wasn’t established in the will of Alfred Nobel but by the Swedish central bank in his memory in 1968.

    What makes this year’s award special?

    • This is the first time the economic prize has been divided in this fashion with one half going to one awardee and other half divided across two awardees.
    • In the past, prize money was divided equally between the awardees even if the prize was for different topics as is the case this time around.
    • It may appear that the Nobel Prize has been given for two different contributions, but there is a common theme: “natural experiments.”

    What are Natural Experiments?

    • Economists are often interested in causal questions such as the impact of education on incomes, impact of COVID-19 on poverty and so on.
    • They are also interested is understanding the direction of causality.
    • Economists have used two kinds of experiments to study these causality and direction of causality questions: random experiments and natural experiments.

    (I) Random experiments

    • Under randomized experiments, the researchers allocate say medicines to a treatment group and compare the effect of the medicine with the control group which is not given the medicine.
    • In 2019, the Nobel Committee gave awards to three scholars for their contribution to the field of randomized experiments.
    • However, one cannot randomize experiments to study issues such as why certain people and regions are more unequal or have fewer educational opportunities and so on.

    (II) Natural experiments

    • In natural experiments, economists study a policy change or a historical event and try to determine the cause and effect relationship to explain these developments.
    • The trio used such natural experiments to make some landmark contributions to economic development.
    • Natural experiments are more difficult for two reasons. The first is to identify what will serve as a natural experiment.
    • Second, in a random experiment, the researcher knows and controls the treatment and control groups which allows them to study the cause and effect of medicine.
    • But in natural experiments, such clear differentiation is not possible because people choose their groups on their own and even move between the two groups.
    • Despite the limitations, the researchers could use the natural setting to answer some big policy questions.

    Natural experiments conducted by David Card

    • One question of interest for policymakers is to understand the impact of higher minimum wages on employment.
    • Earlier studies showed that increasing minimum wages leads to lower unemployment.
    • Economists were also not sure of the direction of causation between minimum wages and employment.
    • Say a slowdown in the economy leads to higher unemployment amid lower income groups.
    • This could lead to lower income groups demanding higher minimum wages. In such a case, it is higher unemployment which leads higher minimum wages.

    Contribution of Angrist and Imbens

    • Angrist and Imbens showed how natural experiments can be used to identify cause and effect precisely.
    • We have discussed above how natural experiments make it difficult to separate control and treatment groups. This makes it difficult to establish causal relations.
    • In the 1990s, the duo developed a methodology – Local Average Treatment Effect (or LATE) – which uses a two-step process to help grapple with these problems of natural experiments.
    • Say, one is interested in finding the impact of an additional year of schooling on the incomes of people.
    • By using the LATE approach, they showed that effect on income of an additional year of education is around 9%.
    • While it may not be possible to determine individuals in the group, one can estimate the size of the impact.

    What is the importance of the award today?

    • Earlier it was difficult to identify natural experiments and even if one identified them, it was difficult to generate data from these experiments.
    • With increased digitalization and dissemination of archival records, it has not just become easier to identify natural experiments but also get data.
    • Economists have been using natural experiments to help us understand the impact of past policies.
    • As the 2020 pandemic struck, economists used the natural experiments approach extensively to analyze how previous pandemics impacted different regions and tried to draw policy lessons.

    India context

    • The methodology date back to the early and mid-90s and they have already had a tremendous influence on the research undertaken in several developing countries such as India.
    • For instance, in India, too, it is commonly held that higher minimum wages will be counterproductive for workers.
    • It is noteworthy that last year, in the wake of the Covid-induced lockdowns, several states, including UP, had summarily suspended several labour laws.
    • This included the ones regulating minimum wages, arguing that such a move will boost employment.
    • The main learning is that minimum wages can be increased in India without worrying about reducing employment.

    The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2021

    • Recently, two United States-based scientists, David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian, have been awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize for Physiology/Medicine for their discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch.
    • Their discoveries have unlocked one of the secrets of nature by explaining the molecular basis for sensing heat, cold and mechanical force, which is fundamental for our ability to feel, interpret and interact with our internal and external environment.
    • They have focused their work on the field of somatosensation, that is the ability of specialized organs such as eyes, ears and skin to see, hear and feel.

    Who are the Laureates?

    • David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian, working independently in the United States, made a series of discoveries in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
    • They figured out the touch detectors in our body and the mechanism through which they communicate with the nervous system to identify and respond to a particular touch.

    What did they discover?

    • They discovered the molecular sensors in the human body that are sensitive to heat, and to mechanical pressure, and make us “feel” hot or cold, or the touch of a sharp object on our skin.
    • In 1997, Dr. Julius and his team published a paper in Nature detailing how capsaicin, or the chemical compound in chili peppers, causes the burning sensation.
    • They created a library of DNA fragments to understand the corresponding genes and finally discovered a new capsaicin receptor and named it TRPV1.
    • This discovery paved the way for the identification of many other temperature-sensing receptors.
    • They identified another new receptor called TRPM8, a receptor that is activated by cold. It is specifically expressed in a subset of pain-and-temperature-sensing neurons.
    • They identified a single gene PIEZO2, which when silenced made the cells insensitive to the poking. They named this new mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1.

    How do they work?

    • The human ability to sense heat or cold and pressure is not very different from the working of the many detectors that we are familiar with.
    • When something hot, or cold, touches the body, the heat receptors enable the passage of some specific chemicals, like calcium ions, through the membrane of nerve cells.
    • It’s like a gate that opens up on a very specific request. The entry of the chemical inside the cell causes a small change in electrical voltage, which is picked up by the nervous system.
    • There is a whole spectrum of receptors that are sensitive to different ranges of temperature.
    • When there is more heat, more channels open up to allow the flow of ions, and the brain is able to perceive higher temperatures.

    Therapeutic implications

    • Breakthroughs in physiology have often resulted in an improvement in the ability to fight diseases and disorders. This one is no different.
    • There are receptors that make us feel pain. If these receptors can suppress, or made less effective, the person had felt less pain.
    • Chronic pain is present is a number of illnesses and disorders. Earlier, the experience of pain was a mystery.
    • But as we understand these receptors more and more, it is possible that we gain the ability to regulate them in such a way that the pain is minimized.

    The Nobel Peace Prize 2021

    GN41861C_EN
    • Recently, the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to journalists Maria Ressa of the Philippines and Dmitry Muratov of Russia for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.
    • In 2020, the award was given to the World Food Programme (WFP), a United Nations (UN) agency.
    • The Norwegian Nobel Committee is convinced that freedom of expression and freedom of information are crucial prerequisites for democracy and protect against war and conflict.
    • The 2021 peace prize laureates are representative of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions.

    Maria Ressa:

    • She is an investigative journalist; in 2012 she co-founded Rappler, a digital media platform for investigative journalism, which she continues to head.
    • Rappler has focused critical attention on President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime’s controversial, murderous anti-drug campaign.
    • In the 2021 World Press Freedom Index, the Philippines ranked 138 of 180 nations (India was ranked lower, at 142).
    • She has also authored Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al-Qaeda’s Newest Center, and From Bin Laden to Facebook: 10 Days of Abduction, 10 Years of Terrorism.
    Short biographies of Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, winners of the Nobel Peace Prize 2021 – AFP / AFP

    Dmitry Muratov:

    • Muratov has for decades defended freedom of speech in Russia under increasingly challenging conditions.
    • Russia has ranked 150 in the 2021 World Freedom Index.
    • He along with around 50 colleagues started Novaya Gazeta (Newspaper) in 1993, as one of its founders. He has served as the newspaper’s editor-in-chief since 1995.
    • Committee to Protect Journalists, a US-based non-profit, had felicitated Muratov as one of its International Press Freedom awardees in 2007.
    • Six of Muratov’s colleagues have been killed since the newspaper started, which has often faced harassment, threats, violence and murder from its opponents.
    • Despite the killings and threats, editor-in-chief Muratov has refused to abandon the newspaper’s independent policy.

    What is the significance?

    • Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propaganda.
    • Without freedom of expression and freedom of the press, it will be difficult to successfully promote fraternity between nations, disarmament and a better world order to succeed in our time.

    World Food Programme

    • The WFP is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations and the world’s largest humanitarian organization focused on hunger and food security.
    • Founded in 1961, it is headquartered in Rome and has offices in 80 countries.
    • In addition to emergency food aid, WFP focuses on relief and rehabilitation, development aid, and special operations, such as making food systems more resilient against climate change and political instability.
    • It is an executive member of the United Nations Development Group, which collectively aims to fulfil the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and has prioritized achieving SDG 2 for “zero hunger” by 2030.

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  • Why India needs a Ministry of Energy?

    Context

    The blame cannot be placed on the doors of any one entity or ministry for the shortage of coal.

    Ministries linked with coal shortage issue

    • The Ministry of Coal and Coal India must certainly accept that they slipped up somewhere — whether in managing the production process, planning supplies or leaving vacant crucial leadership positions.
    • The Ministry of Power/NTPC should also accept responsibility as they allowed coal inventories to fall below the recommended minimum in an effort to better manage their working capital.
    • But they can claim they had no other option because the state government electricity distribution companies do not pay their dues on time or fully.
    • The discoms will point a finger at their political bosses, who compel them to sell electricity to residential and agricultural sector consumers at subsidised tariffs.

    Structural issues

    • There is no one public body at the central or state government level with executive oversight, responsibility and accountability for the entirety of the coal value chain.
    • This is a lacuna that afflicts the entire energy sector.
    • It will need to be filled to not only prevent a recurrence of another coal crisis but also for the country to realise its “green” ambition.
    • The word “energy” is not part of the political or administrative lexicon.
    • At least not formally. As a result, there is no energy strategy with the imprimatur of executive authority.
    • The NITI Aayog may well challenge this statement.
    • For they have produced an energy strategy.

    Suggestions

    • Energy act: The government should pass an Act (possibly) captioned “The Energy Responsibility and Security Act.”
    • This Act should elevate the significance of energy by granting it constitutional sanctity; it should embed in law, India’s responsibility to provide citizens access to secure, affordable and clean energy.
    • The law should lay out measurable metrics for monitoring the progress towards the achievement of energy independence, energy security, energy efficiency and “green” energy.
    • Ministry of energy: Towards the fulfillment of this mandate, the government should redesign the existing architecture of decision-making for energy.
    • Preference would be for the creation of an omnibus Ministry of Energy to oversee the currently siloed verticals of the ministries of petroleum, coal, renewables and power.
    • The department would have a narrower remit than the other energy departments but by virtue of its location within the PMO, it would, de facto, be the most powerful executive body with ultimate responsibility for navigating the “green transition”.

    Benefits

    • It is important to stress the positive impact the above redesign will have on investor sentiment.
    • Several corporates have signaled their intent to invest mega bucks in clean energy.
    • Reliance has committed $10 billion, Adani $ 70 billion over 10 years; Tata Power, ReNew Power and Acme Solar have also placed their stakes in the ground.

    Conclusion

    Energy sector will be immensely benefited if the current fragmented and opaque regulatory, fiscal and commercial systems and processes were replaced by a transparent and single-point executive decision-making body for energy.

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  • SMASH ETHICS || Target 110+ in Mains GS Paper 4 || Batches for 2021 and 2022

    SMASH ETHICS || Target 110+ in Mains GS Paper 4 || Batches for 2021 and 2022

    CLICK HERE TO JOIN SMASH ETHICS
    CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE SCHEDULE FOR 2021 BATCH
    CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE SCHEDULE FOR 2022 BATCH

    Paper 4 aka Ethics is the most dynamic General studies paper out of the lot. There is no “ONE WAY approach” in ethics. In our experience of working with 1000+ students, ethics is a gamechanger for the UPSC examination. As compared to other paper, it has less syllabus and require less time to master but can be very rewarding.

    The TRICK is to learn the static portion, link them to current affairs and bring it in writing. So, ethics needs hold over ART OF ANSWER WRITING as well as STATIC MATERIAL.

    The Smash ethics program will focus on both the needs of answer writing and static coverage of the syllabus.

    REMEMBER: General studies paper 4 is the only paper where you can score 110+ marks easily. Considering the fact that the syllabus is least out of all the other General studies papers. The amount of time this paper requires is also relatively less. Thus, this paper can play a major role in boosting your score in the final mark sheet.

    TRENDS IN ETHICS PAPER

    • Shift towards more conceptual questions than direct static questions

    Consider the first questions of 2 years:

    What do you understand by ‘values’ and ‘ethics’? In what way is it important to be ethical along with being professionally competent? (PYQ 2013)

    Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power viz. human capital, soft power, and social harmony. (PYQ 2020)

    The difficulty level of paper has more or less increased. This requires more practice and smart work.

    • More current affairs focused

    The number of questions linked to current affairs is increasing. So, here you have to be careful to link the theory with current affairs.

    “Education is not an injunction, it is an effective and pervasive tool for all-round development of an individual and social transformation”. Examine the New Education Policy, 2020 (NEP, 2020) in light of the above statement. (PYQ 2020)

    There is a view that the Official Secrets Act is an obstacle to the implementation of the Right to Information Act. Do you agree with the view? Discuss. (PYQ 2019)

    • Complex case studies

    Parmal is a small but underdeveloped district. It has rocky terrain that is not suitable for agriculture, though some subsistence agriculture is being done on small plots of land. The area receives adequate rainfall and has an irrigation canal flowing through it. Amria, its administrative center, is a medium-sized town. It houses a large district hospital, an Industrial Training Institute, and some privately owned skill training centers. It has all the facilities of a district headquarters. A trunk railway line passes approximately 50 kilometers from Amria. Its poor connectivity is a major reason for the absence of any major industry therein. The state government offers a 10 years tax holiday as an incentive to the new industries.

    In 2010 Anil, an industrialist decided to take benefits to set up Amria Plastic Works (APW) in Noora village, about 20 km from Amria. While the factory was being built, Anil hired the required key labor and got them trained at the skill training centers at Amria. This act of his made the key personnel very loyal to APW.

    APW started production in 2011 with the labor drawn fully from Noora village. The villagers were very happy to get employment near their homes and were motivated by the key personnel to meet the production targets with high quality. APW started making large profits, a sizeable portion of which was used to improve the quality of life in Noora. By 2016, Noora could boast of a greener village and a renovated village temple. Anil liaised with the local MLA to increase the frequency of the bus services to Amria. The government also opened a primary health care center and primary school at Noora in buildings constructed by APW. APW used its CSR funds to set up women’s self-help groups, subsidize primary education to the village children and procure an ambulance for use by its employees and the needy.

    In 2019, there was a minor fire in APW It was quickly extinguished as fire safety protocols were in place in the factory. Investigations revealed that the factory had been using electricity in excess of its authorized capacity. This was soon rectified. The next year, due to a nationwide lockdown, the requirement of production fell for four months. Anil decided that all employees would be paid regularly. He employed them to plant trees and improve the village habitat. APW had developed a reputation for high-quality production and a motivated workforce.

    Critically analyze the story of APW and state the ethical issues involved. Do you consider APW as a role model for the development of backward areas? Give reasons. (PYQ 2020)

    Not only the length but also, complexity levels of the case studies has also increased.

    • Lengthier paper

    Gone are the days when solving Ethics papers within the time limits without practicing mocks seemed achievable. Today, with lengthy case studies and tricky Section A questions, this paper demands more answer writing practice.

    Here’s what the program includes:

    VIDEO LECTURES

    Structured video lectures of Paper 4 for a concrete understanding of the syllabus. Our novel methodology accompanied by an in-depth explanation ensures comprehensive coverage of every topic in the syllabus. Added to this, we have made sure to add that extra element of fun.

    Here’s a snapshot of the lecture for you:

    8 FLT TESTS

    FLT tests will help to bring together the ideas and concepts to the art of answer writing. Practice full-length tests to evaluate your levels. With every test and discussion on strategies to follow, one can improve with every test.

    Questions framed are from the most important UPSC relevant themes and papers are based on the latest pattern of UPSC. Get model answers covering all the aspects of a question and providing enriching points to the student.

    MENTORSHIP SUPPORT ON ZOOM CALL

    A schedule is created where dedicated days are kept to discuss your doubts regarding each test and lecture. Weekly zoom calls can help boost ideas and discussion on various techniques, also among peers so that one can get a lot of exposure on various answer writing techniques and points to write in the answer.

    Also, the best answer copy of the week can be taken for discussion so that you can get an idea of how to write better.

    CIVILSDAILY’S HANDHOLDING

    You’ll be given membership to an exclusive group on Civilsdaily’s Habitat. The group will be headed by Sukanya ma’am herself. From doubt resolution and discussion will be done by Sukanya ma’am only. Here you can directly connect with ma’am.

    Habitat is where everything comes together learning, doubt clearing, mentor’s support, and a focused community. You’re going to learn and discuss it like never before.

    Program inclusion

    • Comprehensive Video Lectures covering Paper 4
    • 8 FLT tests with dedicated days for test discussion
    • Mentorship support over weekly zoom calls by Sukanya ma’am
    • Membership of Ethics group (exclusive) on Civilsdaily’s Habitat
    • Doubt resolution session on lecture on Habitat
    CLICK HERE TO JOIN SMASH ETHICS
    CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE SCHEDULE FOR 2021 BATCH
    CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE SCHEDULE FOR 2022 BATCH

    *Note: The test in the module will be uploaded as per the 2021 schedule…2022 students can follow their respective schedules or flexible ones*

    About the mentor:

    Sukanya Rana Ethics Civilsdaily IAS 2021 upsc 2021

    Sukanya Rana:

    Sukanya ma’am has firsthand experience of 4 mains and 2 interviews of UPSC. She has also appeared in the State PCS interview. Before she has worked as an officer in a public sector bank and now as a Mentor at Civilsdaily, she aims to guide future aspirants in finding success.

    Sukanya Ma’am has scored consistently 100+ marks in ethics and in 2019 her marks were 140 in GS 4. In 2020, under her mentorship, many smash mains students were able to secure 110+ marks.

  • The Court’s order on Pegasus still falls short

    Context

    The Supreme Court of India appointed an independent committee to inquire into charges that the Union government had used the mobile phone spyware Pegasus to invade, access, and snoop into devices used by India’s citizens.

    Background

    • The petitioners before the Supreme Court relied on an investigation conducted by a consortium of global media.
    • These reports revealed that hundreds of phone numbers from India had appeared on a global list of more than 50,000 numbers that were selected for surveillance by clients of the Israeli firm, the NSO Group.
    • The NSO has since confirmed that its spyware is sold only to governments, chiefly for the purposes of fighting terrorism.

    Government’s defence

    • In response to the allegations made against it, the Government invoked national security.
    • What is more, according to it, the very adoption of this argument virtually forbade the Court from probing further.
    • In matters purportedly involving national security, the Court has shown an extraordinary level of deference to the executive.
    • The cases also posed another hurdle: a contest over facts.
    • The petitioners were asserting the occurrence of illegal surveillance.
    • The Government was offering no explicit response to their claims.
    • Now, to some degree, in its order appointing a committee, the Court has bucked the trend of absolute deference.
    • The Court has held that there is no magic formula to the Government’s incantation of national security, that its power of judicial review is not denuded merely because the state asserts that the country’s safety is at stake.

    Accountability on part of the government

    • The order recognises, correctly, that spying on an individual, whether by the state or by an outside agency, amounts to an infraction of privacy.
    • This is not to suggest that all surveillance is illegal.
    • In holding thus, the Court has effectively recognised that an act of surveillance must be tested on four grounds:
    • First, the action must be supported by legislation.
    • Second, the state must show the Court that the restriction made is aimed at a legitimate governmental end.
    • Third, the state must demonstrate that there are no less intrusive means available to it to achieve the same objective;
    • Finally, the state must establish that there is a rational nexus between the limitation imposed and the aims underlying the measure.
    • The test provides a clear path to holding the Government accountable.

    Way forward

    • The absence of a categorical denial from the Government, the order holds, ought to lead to a prima facie belief, if nothing else, that there is truth in the petitioners’ claims.
    •  Having held thus, one might have expected the Court to frame a set of specific questions demanding answers from the state.
    • If answers to these questions were still not forthcoming, elementary principles of evidence law allow the Court to draw what is known as an “adverse inference”. 
    • A party that fails to answer questions put to it will only risk the Court drawing a conclusion of fact against it.
    • If, on this basis, the petitioners’ case is taken as true, there can be little doubt that there has been an illegitimate violation of a fundamental right.
    • It is, therefore, unclear why we need a committee at all.
    • Ultimately, in the future, the Court must think more carefully about questions of proof and rules of evidence.

    Conclusion

    Ad hoc committees — sterling as their members might be — cannot be the solution. Far too many cases are consigned to the back burner on the appointment of external panels, and, in the process, civil liberties are compromised.

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  • There’s a mismatch between India’s graduate aspirations and job availability

    Context

    There is a huge pool of unemployed university graduates with unfulfilled aspirations. This group of dissatisfied, disgruntled youth can lead to disastrous consequences for our society.

    Enhanced enrollment

    • Reservation: The extension of reservations to OBCs and EWS increased the enrollment of students from these socio-economic backgrounds.
    • Increased education institutions: In addition, the massive increase in the number of higher education institutions has led to an enlargement of the number of available seats — there are more than 45,000 universities and colleges in the country.
    • The Gross Enrollment Ratio for higher education, which is the percentage of the population between the ages of 18-23 who are enrolled, is now 27 per cent.

    Issues of employment opportunities

    • Unfortunately, the spectacular increase in enrollment in recent years has not been matched by a concomitant increase in jobs.
    •  Employment opportunities in the government have not increased proportionately and may, in fact, have decreased with increased contractualisation.
    •  Even in the private sector, though the jobs have increased with economic growth, most of the jobs are contractual.
    • Worse, the highest increase in jobs is at the lowest end, especially in the services sector — delivery boys for e-commerce or fast food for instance.
    • Thus what we see is a huge pool of unemployed university graduates with unfulfilled aspirations.
    • This group of dissatisfied, disgruntled youth can lead to disastrous consequences for our society, some of which we are already witnessing.

    Way forward

    • A reduction in the rate of increase of universities and colleges might not be politically feasible given the huge demand for higher education.
    • Increase vocation institutions: A concurrent increase in the number of high-quality vocational institutions is something that can be done.
    • There are upwards of 15,000 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in the country currently.
    • Upgrading the existing ITIs, opening many more new ones with high-quality infrastructure and updated curriculum is something which should be done urgently.
    • There is a scheme to upgrade some ITIs to model ITIs.
    • However, what is required is not a selective approach but a more broad-based one that uplifts the standards of all of them besides adding many more new ones.
    • Industry might be more than willing to pitch in with funding (via the CSR route) as well as equipment, training for the faculty and internships for students.

    Conclusion

    These steps could help mitigate the mismatch between employment opportunities and the increasing number of educated youth in the country.

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  • MGNREGS faces negative net balance

    The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) faces a negative net balance of Rs. 8,686 crores, including payments due.

    About MGNREGA

    • It stands for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of 2005.
    • This is labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the ‘Right to Work’.
    • The act was first proposed in 1991 by P.V. Narasimha Rao.

    The objectives of the MGNREGA are:

    • To enhance the livelihood security of the rural poor by generating wage employment opportunities.
    • To create a rural asset base that would enhance productive ways of employment, augment and sustain a rural household income.

    Features of MGNREGA

    • MGNREGA is unique in not only ensuring at least 100 days of employment to the willing unskilled workers, but also in ensuring an enforceable commitment on the implementing machinery i.e., the State Governments, and providing a bargaining power to the labourers.
    • The failure of provision for employment within 15 days of the receipt of job application from a prospective household will result in the payment of unemployment allowance to the job seekers.
    • Employment is to be provided within 5 km of an applicant’s residence, and minimum wages are to be paid.
    • Thus, employment under MGNREGA is a legal entitlement.

    News: MGNREGS runs out of fund

    • The MGNREGS has run out of funds halfway through the financial year.
    • Supplementary budgetary allocations will not come until the next Parliamentary session begins.

    Implications on laborers

    • Delayed payment: Due to this, payments for MGNREGA workers as well as material costs will be delayed, unless States dip into their own funds.
    • Livelihood loss: MGNREGA data shows that 13% of households who demanded work under the scheme were not provided work.
    • Halt of work: Many workers are simply turned away by officials when they demand work, without their demand being registered at all.
    • Fall in demands: This has led to stop the generation of work. There is an artificial squeezing of demand.

    Why has MGNREGS acquired so much importance?

    • The MGNREGA, a demand-driven scheme, has provided many returnees relief during the covid imposed a lockdown for a year.
    • During last year’s COVID-19 lockdown it has provided a critical lifeline for a record 11 crore workers.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. Which principle among the following was added to the Directive Principles of State Policy by the 42nd Amendment to the constitution?

    (a) Equal pay for equal work for both men and women

    (b) Participation of workers in the management of industries

    (c) Right to work, education and public assistance

    (d) Securing living wage and human conditions of work to workers

     

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”nptq4a88id” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

    Also read:

    [Burning Issue] Reorienting MGNREGA in times of COVID

     

     

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  • Katol L6 Chondrite Meteorite

    Last month, researchers from the Geological Survey of India collected some meteorite fragments near the town of Katol in Nagpur in 2012. Studying this, IIT Kgp researchers have unravelled the composition expected to be present in the Earth’s lower mantle which is at about 660 km deep.

    Katol L6

    • Initial studies revealed that the host rock was mainly composed of olivine, an olive-green mineral.
    • Olivine is the most abundant phase in our Earth’s upper mantle.
    • Our Earth is composed of different layers including the outer crust, followed by the mantle and then the inner core.

    Key findings: Presence of Bridgmanite

    • The study reported for the first time, presence of veins of the mineral bridgmanite, which is the most abundant mineral in the interior of the Earth, within the Katol L6 Chondrite meteorite.
    • Bridgmanite consists of magnesium, iron, calcium aluminium oxide and has a perovskite structure. It is the most volumetrically abundant mineral of the Earth’s interior.
    • It is present in the lower mantle (from 660 to 2700 km), and it is important to understand its formation mechanism to better comprehend the origin and evolution of planetary interiors.

    What is the hypothesis of moon-formation?

    The discovery of Bridgmanite in Katol L6 adds evidence to the Moon-forming giant impact hypothesis.

    • The Moon-forming giant impact hypothesis occurred nearly 4.5 billion years ago.
    • The Earth collided with a planet the size of Mars named Thela.
    • The force of this impact was so huge as to melt the Earth down from the surface to a depth of 750 km to 1,100 km.
    • The hypothesis goes that this caused the Earth to be bathed in a magma ocean, and the ejecta from the collision led to the formation of the Moon.

    Note: Earth was an ocean of magma in the past.  The heavier iron and nickel went to the core while the lighter silicates stayed in the mantle.

    Future prospect of the study

    • This finding could help investigations of high-pressure phase transformation mechanisms in the deep Earth.

    Back2Basics: Interior of Earth

    Earths Structure

    ​​The earth is made up of three different layers: the crust, the mantle and the core.

    The crust

    This is the outside layer of the earth and is made of solid rock, mostly basalt and granite. There are two types of crust; oceanic and continental. Oceanic crust is denser and thinner and mainly com​posed of basalt.  Continental crust is less dense, thicker, and mainly composed of granite.

    The mantle

    The mantle lies below the crust and is up to 2900 km thick.  It consists of hot, dense, iron and magnesium-rich solid rock. The crust and the upper part of the mantle make up the lithosphere, which is broken into plates, both large and small.

    The core

    The core is the centre of the earth and is made up of two parts: the liquid outer core and solid inner core. The outer core is made of nickel, iron and molten rock. Temperatures here can reach up to 50,000 C.

     

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  • 1st November 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1    Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc, geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

    GS-2    Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

    GS-3    Inclusive Growth and issues arising from it.

    GS-4    Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships

    Questions:

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has declared that La Nina has re-developed. In this context, explain what do you understand by El Nino and La Nina. What are their impacts on India’s climate? (15 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 The structural changes in the region and the breakdown of the old certitudes demand that India reboot its ASEAN engagement. Delhi has its task cut out in explaining its vision of the Indo-Pacific, reassuring the region on Delhi’s membership of the Quad, and intensifying its own bilateral cooperation with the ASEAN states. Comment. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 Recognising the power of technology to drive inclusion at a massive scale, the state is doubling down on technology to reach more citizens and serve them better. Large segments of Indians still can’t access or haven’t learned to trust digital artefacts. In the context of this, suggest the elements to make the “digital public” a reality. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 What do you understand by “public” in public service? List out the principles of Public Life as recommended by the Nolan Committee in this context. (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

    2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

    3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

    4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

    6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  October is uploaded on 11th October then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

    7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th October is uploaded on 13th October, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

    8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

    For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 

    CLICK HERE To join Daily AWE

  • Shri Guru Nanak Jayanti to be declared World Pedestrian Day

    The Punjab Police has proposed that the birth anniversary (Gurpurab) of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev be declared as ‘World Pedestrian Day’.

    Why is Guru Nanak Dev considered the world’s most notable and revered pedestrian?

    • The founder of Sikhism, Shri Guru Nanak Dev had traveled far and wide during the 15th and 16th centuries.
    • It is believed that Nanak Dev, along with his companion Bhai Mardana, undertook most part of his journeys on foot.
    • He aimed to spread the message of oneness and to break barriers across faiths by engaging in spiritual dialogues.

    Places visited by him

    • From Mecca to Haridwar, from Sylhet to Mount Kailash, Guru Nanak visited hundreds of interfaith sites related to Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and Jainism.
    • His journeys are referred are also called udaasis. At some sites, gurdwaras were constructed to commemorate his visit.
    • Later his travels were documented in texts called ‘janamsakhis’.
    • These sites are now spread across nine nations as per current geographical divisions — India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, China (Tibet), Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.

    Motive behind Punjab Police’s proposal

    • The idea is to spread awareness on road safety for pedestrians by introducing Guru Nanak Dev’s own life as an inspiration.
    • The best results are achieved only when the community is mobilized for a cause.
    • Walking is a universal form of travel. It is the best way which convey equality amongst all.

    Try answering this PYQ:

    Q. Consider the following Bhakti Saints:

    1. Dadu Dayal
    2. Guru Nanak
    3. Tyagaraja

    Who among the above was/were preaching when the Lodi dynasty fell and Babur took over? (CSP 2018)

    (a) 1 and 3

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 2 and 3

    (d) 1 and 2

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”tue49ypt5a” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

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  • [pib] Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar

    The Prime Minister has recalled the rich contributions of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar on Thevar Jayanthi.

    Who was M. Thevar (1908-1963)?

    • Muthuramalingam was a politician and a patriarch of Thevar community in the state of Tamil Nadu.
    • He was elected three times to the national Parliamentary Constituency.

    His legacy:

    (a) Association with INC

    • Thevar attended the 52nd annual session of the Indian National Congress, held in Tripuri in March 1939.
    • At this meeting the presidency of Subhas Chandra Bose was challenged by Pattabhi Sitaramayya. Sitaramayya had the active support of Gandhi.
    • Bose was elected president again over Gandhi’s preferred candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya.
    • Thevar strongly supported Bose in the intra-Congress dispute and joined the Forward Bloc.

    (b) Opposition to the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA)

    • The CTA had been enacted in 1920 by the government of the Madras Presidency and was subsequently implemented in a piecemeal fashion.
    • CTA criminalized entire communities by designating them as habitual criminals.
    • Adult males of the groups were forced to report weekly to local police, and had restrictions on their movement imposed.
    • Thevar mobilised resistance to it, touring villages in the affected areas and leading protest rallies for the rights of the individuals registered under it.

    (c) Temple entry movement

    • The Temple Entry Authorisation and Indemnity Act was passed by the government of C. Rajagopalachari in 1939.
    • This removed restrictions prohibiting Dalits from entering Hindu temples.
    • Thevar supported this reform and on 8 July 1939 he helped the activist A. Vaidyanatha Iyer take Dalits to Meenakshi Temple in Madurai.

     

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