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  • [pib] National Commission for Women

    The Central Government has nominated Smt. Rekha Sharma, as Chairperson of the National Commission for Women for another term of three years.

    National Commission for Women

    • The NCW is the statutory body generally concerned with advising the government on all policy matters affecting women.
    • It was established on 31 January 1992 under the provisions of the Indian Constitution as defined in the 1990 National Commission for Women Act.
    • The first head of the commission was Jayanti Patnaik.

    Constitutional provision

    • The Indian Constitution doesn’t contain any provision specifically made to favor women intrinsically.
    • Article 15 (3), Article 14 and Article 21 protect and safeguard women. They are more gender-neutral.

    Objectives

    • The objective of the NCW is to represent the rights of women in India and to provide a voice for their issues and concerns.
    • The subjects of their campaigns have included dowry, politics, religion, equal representation for women in jobs, and the exploitation of women for labor.
    • They have also discussed police abuses against women.

    Composition of National Commission for Women

    The Commission shall consist of:

    • A Chairperson, committed to the cause of women, to be nominated by the Central Government.
    • five Members to be nominated by the Central Government from amongst persons of ability, integrity and standing who have had experience in law or legislation, trade unionism, management of an industry potential of women, women’s voluntary organizations (including women activist), administration, economic development, health, education or social welfare;
    • Provided that at least one Member each shall be from amongst persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes respectively;

    Powers of NCW

    • Provide consultation on all major policy matters that affect women.
    • Issuing summons for the examination of documents and the witnesses.
    • It has the power to make any public record.
    • Receiving evidence on affidavits
    • Discovery and production of documents
    • Summoning and enforcement

    Functions of the NCW

    • Presentation of reports: Table reports should be submitted to the Central Government every year. When the commission feels it’s appropriate. The reports upon the functioning and working of the safeguards.
    • Investigation and Examination: There should be proper investigation and examination made under the Constitution and other laws. This is related to the protection of the rights of women.
    • Review of laws: Constantly all laws are reviewed and scrutinized. And necessary amendments and alterations are made to meet the needs of the current world.
    • Cases of Violation: Ensure there is no violation against women and taking due care of such cases.
    • Suo Motu Notice: It takes care of complaints and also suo motu matters about the deprivation of rights of women. Implementation of laws favoring the welfare of women.
    • Evaluation: Assessing the development and the progress of the women community under the Center and State level.
    • Special studies and investigation: To understand the limitations in the system and curb it with strategic plans and mechanisms.

    Powers of the NCW

    • Not concrete powers: The NCW is only recommendatory and has no power to enforce its decisions. Often it takes action only if the issues are brought to light.
    • Legal powers: Commission lacks constitutional status, and thus has no legal powers to summon police officers or witnesses.
    • Less funding: NCW’s functions are dependent on the grants offered by the central government. Financial assistance provided to the Commission is very less to cater to its needs.
    • Political interference: It does not have the power to choose its own members.

  • Who was Major Dhyan Chand?

    The PM has announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award will now be named after Major Dhyan Chand.

    Despite being a trillion population, what ails India’s limted success (not failure) at the Olympics in your opinion?

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”j4lq2ymhod” question=”What do you think?” opened=”1″]Spark the debate![/wpdiscuz-feedback]

    Who was Dhyan Chand?

    • Quite simply, he was the first superstar of hockey, considered a wizard or magician of the game.
    • He was the chief protagonist as India won three consecutive Olympic hockey gold medals — Amsterdam 1928, Los Angeles 1932, and Berlin 1936.
    • He is said to have wowed the watching public with his sublime skills, intricate dribbling and gluttonous scoring ability.
    • During those tournaments, there was no team that could compete with India — and most of the matches saw huge victory margins.
    • India beat hosts the Netherlands 3-0 in the 1928 final, the US were thrashed by a scarcely-believable margin of 24-1 in the 1932 gold medal match, while Germany went down 8-1 in the 1936 decider.
    • In all, Dhyan Chand played 12 Olympic matches, scoring 33 goals.

    Legends associated with Dhyan Chand

    • It is said that once his sublime skill and close control of the ball aroused such suspicion that his stick was broken to see whether there was a magnet inside.
    • During the 1936 Berlin Games, Adolf Hitler offered him German citizenship and the post of Colonel in his country’s Army, a proposition the Indian ace refused.

    Why does the name evoke such emotion?

    • Dhyan Chand played during India’s pre-independence years, when the local population was subjugated and made to feel inferior by the ruling British.
    • Hence, seeing an Indian dominating the Europeans in a sport invented by them evoked a lot of pride in them.
    • There has been a long-running campaign arguing that Dhyan Chand be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest honour.
    • Before Independence and for some years after that, hockey was the only sport in which India consistently excelled at the international and Olympic stage.
    • In fact, starting from Amsterdam 1928, India won seven of the eight hockey gold medals at the Games.
    • Apart from K D Jadhav’s wrestling bronze at Helsinki 1952, India had to wait until Atlanta 1996 and tennis player Leander Paes for an Olympic medal in a sport other than hockey.

    Why is the renaming of the award significant?

    • The eight gold medals in hockey have often been termed as the millstone around the necks of the subsequent generation of players.
    • The modern game is an altogether different sport from the one played in Dhyan Chand’s era.
    • The Europeans and Australians have become much more proficient over the decades, while the change of surface has put a premium on fitness, speed, stamina, and physical strength.
    • India had not managed to get into the top four at the Olympics since the boycott-affected Moscow Games in 1980.
    • The later generations may have felt out of touch with the golden years, about which one could only read in books or listen to in tales of the protagonists and those who witnessed the heroics.

  • Honour of the National Flag

    Ahead of Independence Day, the Centre has urged all citizens not to use a national flag made up of plastic and asked states and Union Territories to ensure strict compliance with the flag code.

    Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act

    • The law, enacted on December 23, 1971, penalizes the desecration of or insult to Indian national symbols, such as the National Flag, the Constitution, the National Anthem, and the Indian map, as well as contempt of the Constitution of India.
    • Section 2 of the Act deals with insults to the Indian National Flag and the Constitution of India.

    Do you know?

    Article 51 ‘A’ contained in Part IV A i.e. Fundamental Duties asks:

    To abide by the constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem in clause (a).

    Other provisions

    • Section 3.22 of The Flag Code of India, 2002 deals with laws, practices and conventions that apply to the display of the national flag.
    • Section 3.58 says: On occasions of State/Military/Central Paramilitary Forces funerals, the flag shall be draped over the bier or coffin with the saffron towards the head of the bier or coffin.
    • The Flag shall not be lowered into the grave or burnt in the pyre.

    Try this

    Q.The national motto of India, ‘Satyameva Jayate’ inscribed below the Emblem of India is taken from:

    (a) Katha Upanishad

    (b) Chandogya Upanishad

    (c) Aitareya Upanishad

    (d) Mundaka Upanishad

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”bqrsust0mi” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Answer this PYQ here: [/wpdiscuz-feedback]

    Use of flag in funerals

    • The flag can only be used during a funeral if it is accorded the status of a state funeral.
    • Apart from police and armed forces, state funerals are held when people who are holding or have held the office of President, Vice-President, PM, Cabinet Minister, or state CM pass away.
    • The status of a state funeral can be accorded in case of death of people not belonging to the armed forces, police or the above-mentioned categories by the state government.
    • Then too, the national flag can be used.

    Disposing of the national flag

    • A/c to the Flag Code, such paper flags are not to be discarded or thrown on the ground after the event.
    • Such flags are to be disposed of, in private, consistent with the dignity of the flag.

    Back2Basics:

    Story of our National Flag

     

  • Who was Dara Shikoh (1615-1659)?

    The final resting place of Mughal prince Dara Shikoh remains a mystery, with the Archaeological Survey of India saying it has not located the grave within the Humayun’s Tomb complex.

    Dara Shikoh

    • Dara Shikoh, who was Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s son and expected heir, was killed on the orders of his brother Aurangzeb in 1659 after losing the war of succession.
    • He was the eldest son and heir-apparent of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
    • Dara was designated with the title Padshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba (Prince of High Rank) and was favored as a successor by his father and his older sister, Princess Jahanara Begum.
    • In the war of succession which ensued after Shah Jahan’s illness in 1657, Dara was defeated by his younger brother Prince Muhiuddin (Aurangzeb).
    • He was executed in 1659 on Aurangzeb’s orders in a bitter struggle for the imperial throne.

    His legacy

    • Dara was a liberal-minded unorthodox Muslim as opposed to the orthodox Aurangzeb.
    • He authored the work The Confluence of the Two Seas, which argues for the harmony of Sufi philosophy in Islam and Vedanta philosophy in Hinduism.
    • It was Dara Shikoh who was responsible for making the Upanishads available to the West as he had them translated.
    • He had commissioned a translation of Yoga Vasistha.
    • A great patron of the arts, he was also more inclined towards philosophy and mysticism rather than military pursuits.
    • The course of the history of the Indian subcontinent, had Dara Shikoh prevailed over Aurangzeb, has been a matter of some conjecture among historians.

    Q.Who among the following Mughal Emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to album and individual portrait?

    (a) Humayun

    (b) Akbar

    (c) Jahangir

    (d) Shah Jahan

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”wxdghzxxyf” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Answer this PYQ here: [/wpdiscuz-feedback]

  • CHAPEA Mission by NASA

    NASA is seeking applications for its new mission called the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA), which is related to Mars.

    CHAPEA

    • The mission is set to begin in 2022 and will give four successful applicants the chance to live and work in a 1,700 square-foot module that is created by a 3D printer and is called the Mars Dune Alpha.
    • The simulated quarters include a kitchen, areas for medical, recreation, fitness, work, crop growth, a technical work area and two bathrooms.
    • This habitat will simulate what it feels like to carry out missions on Mars including resource limitations, equipment failure, communication delays and any other environmental stressors.
    • The crew will be expected to perform simulated spacewalks, scientific research and use virtual reality and robotic controls and exchange communications.

    What is the purpose of this mission?

    • The habitat in which the crew members will stay will be as Mars-realistic as possible.
    • The results from this analog mission will provide scientific data that will help in validating the systems that will be used for actual missions to Mars and also help in solving problems for spaceflight research.
    • CHAPEA is not the only analog mission, there are others including Aquarius/NEEMO, Concordia, Desert RATS, and HESTIA.
    • Analog missions are required because not all experiments can be carried out in space because resources and money are limited.

  • What is Absorption Spectroscopy?

    Researchers from IIT Madras and IISER Kolkata have developed a method to detect minute quantities of chemicals in solution using Absorption Spectroscopy.

    Note: These days there has been a rise in questions from biology (rather cell biology in particular).

    Absorption Spectroscopy

    • Absorption spectroscopy is a tool to detect the presence of elements in a medium.
    • Light is shone on the sample, and after it passes through the sample is examined using a spectroscope.
    • Dark lines are seen in the observed spectrum of the light passed through the substance, which correspond to the wavelengths of light absorbed by the intervening substance and are characteristic of the elements present in it.
    • In usual methods, about a cubic centimeter of the sample is needed to do this experiment.
    • In the method developed here, minute amounts of dissolved substances can be detected easily.
    • Usually in absorption spectroscopy, the principle used is that light because of its wavelike nature, shows diffraction patterns, that is, dark and light fringes, when it scatters off any object.

    Studying small objects

    • A related concept called the Abbe criterion sets a natural limit on the size of the object being studied.
    • According to this criterion, the size of the observed object has to be at least of the order of the wavelength of the light being shone on it.
    • If one wants to perform absorption spectroscopy using visible light, namely, blue, green and red, the wavelengths [of these colours] are about 400 nm, 500 nm and 600 nm, respectively.

    What has Indian researchers achieved?

    • In the method used by the researchers here, tiny, nano-sized particles that can absorb light being shone on them and re-emit red, blue and green light were employed.
    • The particles emit electric fields that are analogous to how a tiny magnet would give off magnetic lines of force – this is called a dipole, and the particle is like a tiny mobile phone’s antenna.
    • This dipole generates an electromagnetic field depending upon the quantum properties of the erbium dopants in the glass.
    • The absorption leaves a gap in the reflected light, which is what is observed and used to analyse the nature of the absorbing material.

    Applications of this technology

    • There are many potential applications.
    • Small molecules almost ten-millionth of an mm in diameter can be detected while these pass the emission region of the glass particle.
    • The future is to use it to measure individual molecules, see absorption spectroscopy of a single DNA or protein molecule.

    Try this

    Q.Which of the following statements are correct regarding the general difference between plant and animal cells?

    1. Plant cells have cellulose cell walls whilst animal cells do not.
    2. Plant cells do not have plasma membranes unlike animal cells which do.
    3. Mature plant cell has one large vacuole whilst an animal cell has many small vacuoles.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”zkyreycvm5″ question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Answer this PYQ here: [/wpdiscuz-feedback]

  • Webinar Link Inside || Free Webinar by First Attempt UPSC Topper || Arnav Shivendu, AIR 283 || My Love for Civil Services and How to Clear the Exam in First Attempt

    Webinar Link Inside || Free Webinar by First Attempt UPSC Topper || Arnav Shivendu, AIR 283 || My Love for Civil Services and How to Clear the Exam in First Attempt

    Webinar Date: 8th August

    Time: 7 PM

    Join Zoom Meeting
    https://zoom.us/j/95489014790?pwd=Q2Z3T3J6TDY0bzdHenM5dmVzZW94QT09

    Meeting ID: 954 8901 4790
    Passcode: 388887

    You and I share the same love and the same dream…to become an IAS officer. But that’s not all that we share. I also share with you the fear and anxiety that comes with this dream. 

    Register For The Free Webinar (Click Here)

    It’s the same struggle every day, isn’t it? 

    1. How do I complete the syllabus?
    2. How do I maintain consistency?
    3. What to study, what not to study?
    4. How do I manage my time?
    5. How do I complete my optionals?
    6. How do write better answers?
    7. How can I remember this all?
    8. How can I manage current affairs? Etc.

    It was the same for me. The same concern every day. I felt lost and overwhelmed too. And I totally understand what you are going through right now!

    But, here’s the thing – All of these are SOLVABLE PROBLEMS!

    You CAN learn how to manage your syllabus, you CAN learn to manage your time, you CAN learn how to write good answers. All you need is the right support and guidance. For example – I too was inconsistent with my studies. But then I broke down the syllabus into small pieces. I prioritised the topics. And my mentors helped me frame a schedule that matched my learning pace. That’s it! With such a small change I was able to bring more consistency in my studies.

    And that’s exactly what I want to share with you. What are the small changes that you can make? What kind of schedule you can keep? Where can you look for the right study materials? Etc. And I would like you to learn from my experience so that your journey is smoother than mine.

    Quite frankly, I am inviting you to share my experiences with you. I would like to share the mistakes I made and how I corrected them. I am hoping that you would learn from these experiences and clear the exam on your first attempt!

    Register for the free webinar (click here)

    Remember, you can definitely clear this exam and I would like to share everything I learned with you. Do join me on the webinar at 7 P.M. on 8th August, and we can solve the problems together.

    About The Webinar Host:

    The Webinar is being hosted by a civil service officer Arnav Shivendu who cleared his exam in his first attempt in 2019 with AIR 283.

  • Registration Closing at 6 PM || Free Webinar by First Attempt UPSC Topper || Arnav Shivendu, AIR 283 || My Love for Civil Services and How to Clear the Exam in First Attempt

    Registration Closing at 6 PM || Free Webinar by First Attempt UPSC Topper || Arnav Shivendu, AIR 283 || My Love for Civil Services and How to Clear the Exam in First Attempt

    Webinar Date: 8th August

    Time: 7 PM

    You and I share the same love and the same dream…to become an IAS officer. But that’s not all that we share. I also share with you the fear and anxiety that comes with this dream. 

    Register For The Free Webinar (Click Here)

    It’s the same struggle every day, isn’t it? 

    1. How do I complete the syllabus?
    2. How do I maintain consistency?
    3. What to study, what not to study?
    4. How do I manage my time?
    5. How do I complete my optionals?
    6. How do write better answers?
    7. How can I remember this all?
    8. How can I manage current affairs? Etc.

    It was the same for me. The same concern every day. I felt lost and overwhelmed too. And I totally understand what you are going through right now!

    But, here’s the thing – All of these are SOLVABLE PROBLEMS!

    You CAN learn how to manage your syllabus, you CAN learn to manage your time, you CAN learn how to write good answers. All you need is the right support and guidance. For example – I too was inconsistent with my studies. But then I broke down the syllabus into small pieces. I prioritised the topics. And my mentors helped me frame a schedule that matched my learning pace. That’s it! With such a small change I was able to bring more consistency in my studies.

    And that’s exactly what I want to share with you. What are the small changes that you can make? What kind of schedule you can keep? Where can you look for the right study materials? Etc. And I would like you to learn from my experience so that your journey is smoother than mine.

    Quite frankly, I am inviting you to share my experiences with you. I would like to share the mistakes I made and how I corrected them. I am hoping that you would learn from these experiences and clear the exam on your first attempt!

    Register for the free webinar (click here)

    Remember, you can definitely clear this exam and I would like to share everything I learned with you. Do join me on the webinar at 7 P.M. on 8th August, and we can solve the problems together.

    About The Webinar Host:

    The Webinar is being hosted by a civil service officer Arnav Shivendu who cleared his exam in his first attempt in 2019 with AIR 283.

  • Last Few Seats left || Free Webinar by First Attempt UPSC Topper || Arnav Shivendu, AIR 283 || My Love for Civil Services and How to Clear the Exam in First Attempt

    Last Few Seats left || Free Webinar by First Attempt UPSC Topper || Arnav Shivendu, AIR 283 || My Love for Civil Services and How to Clear the Exam in First Attempt

    Webinar Date: 8th August

    Time: 7 PM

    You and I share the same love and the same dream…to become an IAS officer. But that’s not all that we share. I also share with you the fear and anxiety that comes with this dream. 

    Register For The Free Webinar (Click Here)

    It’s the same struggle every day, isn’t it? 

    1. How do I complete the syllabus?
    2. How do I maintain consistency?
    3. What to study, what not to study?
    4. How do I manage my time?
    5. How do I complete my optionals?
    6. How do write better answers?
    7. How can I remember this all?
    8. How can I manage current affairs? Etc.

    It was the same for me. The same concern every day. I felt lost and overwhelmed too. And I totally understand what you are going through right now!

    But, here’s the thing – All of these are SOLVABLE PROBLEMS!

    You CAN learn how to manage your syllabus, you CAN learn to manage your time, you CAN learn how to write good answers. All you need is the right support and guidance. For example – I too was inconsistent with my studies. But then I broke down the syllabus into small pieces. I prioritised the topics. And my mentors helped me frame a schedule that matched my learning pace. That’s it! With such a small change I was able to bring more consistency in my studies.

    And that’s exactly what I want to share with you. What are the small changes that you can make? What kind of schedule you can keep? Where can you look for the right study materials? Etc. And I would like you to learn from my experience so that your journey is smoother than mine.

    Quite frankly, I am inviting you to share my experiences with you. I would like to share the mistakes I made and how I corrected them. I am hoping that you would learn from these experiences and clear the exam on your first attempt!

    Register for the free webinar (click here)

    Remember, you can definitely clear this exam and I would like to share everything I learned with you. Do join me on the webinar at 7 P.M. on 8th August, and we can solve the problems together.

    About The Webinar Host:

    The Webinar is being hosted by a civil service officer Arnav Shivendu who cleared his exam in his first attempt in 2019 with AIR 283.

  • Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill

    Context

    With the government proposing to repeal the ‘retrospective tax’ amendment introduced in the Union Budget 2012-13, a 14-year-story has come to an end.

    Background of retrospective tax

    • In 2007 Vodafone acquired Hutchison Essar, the telecom company, for $11 billion. But the deal did not take place in India.
    • Yet, Vodafone was slapped with a huge income tax demand in India.
    • The Supreme Court rule in favour of Vodafone and said that the Indian authorities could not tax a deal executed in Cayman Islands.
    • This verdict led to the 2012 amendment in the Income Tax Act, to the effect that if an Indian asset was held by a foreign company and an acquirer bought this holding company, such a transaction was deemed to be taxable in India because the underlying asset was located in India.
    • More importantly, this change was made retrospectively from 1962.
    • Now, the government has introduced The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 to undo this insidious provision from the Finance Bill, 2012.
    • The government will not raise tax demands in any such case if the transaction occurred before 28 May 2012.
    • The tax on the indirect sale of assets located in India still stays on the statute books, but it is fully visible to and understood by any parties looking to enter into such a transaction.

    Why repeal of retrospective taxation is a good move?

    • Resolution of case the cases: This will potentially help resolve 17 cases in which income tax demand had been raised, including two high profile cases—Cairn and Vodafone.
    • Visibility and stability: The government is putting to rest the concept of retrospective taxation and is also creating visibility and stability for the future.
    • Predictability: The most important aspect of any tax regime is its predictability and this decision helps bring that.
    • Honouring the rule of law: It also reiterates India’s commitment to honour the rule of law and treaties.
    • Build confidence: Apart from the various reform measures and incentives being offered, the sanctity of contracts is a key factor that any investing entity will look at when deciding on expanding business operations in India.
    • The government’s move would help build confidence and provide a fillip to Atmanirbhar Bharat.

    Conclusion

    As the post-covid recovery picks up, focus needs to be on the future rather than keeping a sword of uncertainty for the past dangling on potential investors. Such a decision needs political capital and ownership, which comes through strongly in this case.

     

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