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Type: Prelims Only

  • Monsoon Updates

    Southwest Monsoon begins early Withdrawal/Retreat

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Retreat of Monsoon

    Mains level: Not Much

    The southwest monsoon rainfall, 7% more than normal, has started to withdraw.

    What is Monsoon Withdrawal/Retreat?

    • In India, retreating monsoon is the withdrawal of south-west monsoon winds from North India.
    • The withdrawal is gradual and takes about three months.
    • With the retreat of the monsoons, the clouds disappear and the sky becomes clear. The day temperature starts falling steeply.
    • Monsoon rains weaken all over India except few southeastern states.
    • It is helpful in Rabi crop cultivation.

    Factors affecting the retreat

    Two predominant factors cause the phenomenon:

    (1) Land topography

    • First, the low mountain range in each region runs from north to south, shielding it from west-bound winds that trigger summer monsoon.
    • After summer, the range aids in the ‘orographic lift’ or rising of east-bound air mass from a lower to higher elevation, forming clouds and resulting in rain.

    (2) Atmospheric convection

    • The second factor is atmospheric convection or vertical movement of air.
    • As the earth is heated by the sun, different surfaces absorb different amounts of energy and convection may occur where the surface heats up very rapidly.
    • As the surface warms, it heats the overlying air, which gradually becomes less dense than the surrounding air and begins to rise.
    • This condition is more favorable from September to February because of the role played by sea surface temperature or water temperature.

    Immediate factors influencing withdrawal

    • The withdrawal of the monsoon is based on meteorological conditions such as-
    1. Anti-cyclonic circulation (dry air that is the opposite of a cyclone)
    2. Absence of rain in the past five days and
    3. Dry weather conditions over the region

    When does it occur?

    • The monsoon withdrawal is a long-drawn process and extends into mid-October, though the IMD considers September 30 to be the final day of the season over India.
    • The rain after that is categorised as “post-monsoon” rainfall.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical characteristic of:

    (a) Equatorial climate

    (b) Mediterranean climate

    (c) Monsoon climate

    (d) All of the above climates

     

    Post your answers here.

     

    Also read:

    Various terms related to Indian Monsoon

     

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  • Monsoon Updates

    What is a Triple-Dip La Nina?

    Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 1: Important Geophysical Phenomena

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Triple Dip La-Nina

    Mains level: Read the attached story

    nina

    Parts of the world are expected to experience severe weather for the rest of the year and into 2023, as part of a rare “triple dip La Nina” event, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

     What is the “Triple-Dip” La Nina?

    • A “triple-dip” La Nina is a multiyear cooling of the surface temperature of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which can cause droughts, fierce winds and heavy rainfall.
    • According to WMO, the current La Nina is projected to span three consecutive northern hemisphere winters. It began in September 2020.
    • If it continues for the next six months, it will be the first “triple-dip” La Nina event of the 21st century, WMO says.

    How rare is this triple-dip?

    • It is exceptional to have three consecutive years with a la Nina event.
    • Its cooling influence is temporarily slowing the rise in global temperatures – but it will not halt or reverse the long-term warming trend.
    • La Nina’s are usually preceded by El Nino, a weather pattern that warms the surface of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
    • However, an El Nino event did not occur before the current La Nina.

    Has it happened before? Will it happen again?

    • La Nina’s occurred several times between 1903 to 2010 and 2010 to 2012.
    • This would be the first “triple-dip” La Nina this century.
    • However, it is not unprecedented for the weather pattern to last more than nine months to a year, which is typical for a La Nina.

    Evaluating the likely impact

    • In the Indian context, La Nina is associated with good rainfall during the monsoon season.
    • This is the opposite of El Nino which is known to suppress monsoon rainfall.
    • Thus, a continued spell of La Nina could lead to expectation of another year of good, or normal, rainfall during the monsoon.
    • Until now, the monsoon season this year has produced 7% more rain compared to normal. Last year, the seasonal rainfall was almost 100%.
    • But, even though powerful, ENSO condition is only one of the several factors affecting monsoon rainfall in India.

    Impact on rainfall

    • There is no one-on-one correlation between the ENSO condition and the amount of rainfall.
    • Also, the influence of ENSO is at a macro level.
    • There are wide variations in rainfall at the local level, which are getting exacerbated by climate change.

    Differential impacts of this triple-dip event

    • The continuance of La Nina further into 2023 is not bad news from the Indian standpoint. But it is not the same for many other regions where La Nina has very different impacts.
    • In most parts of the United States, for example, La Nina is associated with very dry winters.
    • In Australia and Indonesia, and generally in the tropical region, La Nina is expected to bring more rainfall.
    • The excessive rainfall in Pakistan, which is experiencing its worst flooding disaster, can also be blamed in part on La Nina.
    • It said that the persistence of La Nina was most likely to result in a worsening of the drought in Africa.

    What is its climate change link?

    • Every unusual weather event these days is attributed to climate change, but science is not conclusive right now.
    • The occurrences of El Nino or La Nina are not very regular.
    • Sometimes they emerge every two years, at other times there has been a gap of even seven years.
    • Historical records do not go very far in the past.
    • As a result, the natural variability of ENSO is not understood very clearly.
    • And when the natural variability itself is not clear, the influence of global warming is difficult to quantify.
    • But there is clearer evidence of another kind of linkage with global warming.
    • During La Nina years, the colder surfaces allow the oceans to absorb more heat from the atmosphere.
    • Consequently, the air temperatures tend to go down, producing a cooling effect.

     

     

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

    SC quota for Dalit Muslims and Christians

    Prelims Only | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Laws, Institutions & Bodies Constituted For The Vulnerable Sections

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: NA

    Mains level: Quota benefits for religious convertees

    The Centre is likely to soon decide on setting up a national commission to study the social, economic and educational status of Dalits who converted to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

    What is the news?

    • Several petitions are pending before the Supreme Court seeking Scheduled Caste (SC) reservation benefits for Dalits who converted to Christianity or Islam.

    Dalit Convertees and Quota Benefits

    • The original rationale behind giving reservation to Scheduled Castes was that these sections had suffered from the social evil of untouchability, which was practised among Hindus.
    • Under Article 341 of the Constitution, the President may specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall…be deemed to be Scheduled Castes.
    • The first order under this provision was issued in 1950, and covered only Hindus.
    • Following demands from the Sikh community, an order was issued in 1956, including Sikhs of Dalit origin among the beneficiaries of the SC quota.
    • In 1990, the government acceded to a similar demand from Buddhists of Dalit origin, and the order was revised to state: “No person who professes a religion different from the Hindu, the Sikh or the Buddhist religion shall be deemed to be a member of Scheduled Caste.”

    Does this religion-based bar apply to converted STs and OBCs as well?

    • It does not.
    • The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) website states, “The rights of a person belonging to a Scheduled Tribe are independent of his/her religious faith.”
    • Following the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, several Christian and Muslim communities have found place in the Central and state lists of OBCs.

    What efforts have been made to include Muslims and Christians of Dalit origin among SCs?

    • After 1990, a number of Private Member’s Bills were brought in Parliament for this purpose.
    • In 1996, a government Bill called The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill was drafted, but in view of a divergence of opinions, the Bill was not introduced in Parliament.
    • Then government headed by PM Manmohan Singh set up two important panels:
    1. Ranganath Misra Commission: The National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, popularly known as the Ranganath Misra Commission, in October 2004 and
    2. Sachar Committee: A seven-member high-level committee headed by former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Rajinder Sachar to study the social, economic, and educational condition of Muslims in March 2005.

    What did they recommend?

    • The Sachar Committee Report observed that the social and economic situation of Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians did not improve after conversion.
    • The Ranganath Misra Commission, which submitted its report in May 2007, recommended that SC status should be completely de-linked from religion and Scheduled Castes should be made fully religion-neutral like Scheduled Tribes.

    Reception to these recommendations

    • The report was tabled in Parliament in 2009, but its recommendation was not accepted in view of inadequate field data and corroboration with the actual situation on the ground.
    • Few studies, commissioned by the National Commission for Minorities, was also not considered reliable due to insufficient data.

    What lies ahead?

    • Based on the recommendations of the Ranganath Misra Commission, there are some petitions pending before the Supreme Court, seeking reservation benefits for Christians and Muslims of Dalit orgin.
    • In the last hearing, a three-judge Bench gave the Solicitor General of India three weeks’ time to present the stand of the Union government on the issue.
    • The next hearing is awaited.

     

     

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  • Foreign Policy Watch: United Nations

    What is the Plant Treaty?

    Prelims Only | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Plant treaty

    Mains level: Not Much

     

    The ninth session of the governing body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) has recently begun in New Delhi.

    Theme of this years event

    • The theme of the meeting is ‘Celebrating the Guardians of Crop Diversity: Towards an Inclusive Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework’.

    What is the Plant Treaty?

    • The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) was adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations November 3, 2001.
    • It was signed in 2001 in Madrid, and entered into force on 29 June 2004.
    • It is the first legally-binding international instrument to formally acknowledge the enormous contribution of indigenous people and small-holder farmers as traditional custodians of the world’s food crops.
    • It also calls on nations to protect and promote their rights to save and use the seeds they have taken care of for millennia.
    • The parties to this treaty have come together after nearly three years to discuss governance of agricultural biodiversity and global food security.

    Objectives of the treaty

    The treaty aims at:

    1. Guaranteeing food security through the conservation
    2. Exchange and sustainable use of the world’s plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA)
    3. Fair and equitable benefit sharing arising from its use, as well as
    4. Recognition of farmers’ rights.

    Key feature: Annex 1 Crops

    • The treaty has implemented a Multilateral System (MLS) of access and benefit sharing, among those countries that ratify the treaty, for a list of 64 of some of the most important food and forage crops essential for food security and interdependence.
    • The genera and species are listed in Annex 1 to the treaty. The treaty facilitates the continued open exchange of food crops and their genetic materials.
    • The list of plant genetic material included in the Multilateral System of the Treaty is made of major food crops and forages.
    • The Forages are also divided in legume forages and grass forages.
    • They were selected taking into account the criteria of food security and country interdependence

     

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    How Hyderabad became a part of India?

    Prelims Only | | Mains Paper 1: Modern Indian History

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Hyderabad's accession into India

    Mains level: Post-independence consolidation

    The Government of India began its year-long celebrations for the ‘Telangana Liberation Day’ on September 17, marking how on the same day in 1948, the state of Hyderabad got its independence from Nizam’s rule, as said in a press release.

    Why in news?

    • From 1911 to 1948, Nizam Mir Usman Ali, the last Nizam of Hyderabad, ruled the state composed of Telangana and parts of present-day Karnataka and Maharashtra (Marathwada).
    • While these states mark the Liberation Day officially, Telangana has never done so.

    Hyderabad’s accession into India: A backgrounder

    (1) Reluctance of Nizam

    • At the time of India’s independence, British India was a mix of independent kingdoms and provinces that were given the options of joining India, Pakistan, or remaining independent.
    • One among those who took a long time to make a decision was the Nizam of Hyderabad.
    • Believed to be one of the richest people in the world at the time, the Nizam was not ready to let go of his kingdom.

    (2) Sufferings for the people

    • Meanwhile, the majority population of Hyderabad state was far from enjoying the same kind of wealth as the Nizam did.
    • The feudal nature of the state at the time caused the peasant population to suffer high taxes, indignities of forced labour, and various other kinds of exploitation at the hands of powerful landlords.

    (3) Lingual friction

    • There was also a demand by the Andhra Jan Sangham for Telugu to be given primacy over Urdu.
    • By the mid-1930s, apart from a reduction in land revenue rates and the abolition of forced labour, introducing Telugu in local courts became another important issue.

    (4) Mass movement

    • Soon after the organisation became the Andhra Mahasabha (AMS), and Communists became associated with it.
    • Together, the two groups built a peasant movement against the Nizam that found local support.

    Who were the Razakars and the Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen?

    • By October 1946, the Nizam banned the AMS.
    • A close aide of the Nizam, Qasim Razvi, leader of the Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen, became closely involved in securing the Nizam’s position.
    • The Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen was a political outfit that sought a greater role for Muslims in the early 20th century, but after Razvi took over the organisation, it became extremist in its ideology.
    • It was under him that a militia of the ‘Razakars’ was formed to suppress the peasant and communist movement, launching a brutal attack.
    • Around this time, the Standstill Agreement was also signed between the Nizam and the Indian government in November 1947, declaring a status quo.
    • This meant that until November 1948, the Nizam could let things be as they were and not finalise a decision as negotiations with the Indian union continued.

    How did the situation escalate to military action?

    • In the first half of 1948, tensions grew as the razakar leaders and the government in Hyderabad began to speak of war with India and began border raids with Madras and Bombay Presidencies.
    • As a response, India stationed troops around Hyderabad and began to ready itself for military intervention.

    India commences Operation Polo

    • With the Nizam importing more arms and the violence of the Razakars approaching dangerous proportions, India officially launched ‘Operation Polo’ on September 9 and deployed its troops in Hyderabad four days later.
    • On September 17, three days after the deployment, the Nizam surrendered and acceded to the Indian Union in November.
    • India has decided to be generous and not punish the Nizam.
    • He was retained as the official ruler of the state and given a privy purse of five million rupees.

    The legacy of Operation Polo

    • It has also been said that the army’s march into Hyderabad did not just target the razakars and the radical extremist forces.
    • A four-member goodwill mission led by Pandit Sunderlal was constituted by the then Prime Minister.
    • At the request of then PM Nehru, a month was spent in Hyderabad in November 1948 where evidence was gathered and at the end, a report was filed.
    • Estimated thousands of people died in communal violence during the military action.

    Why debate now?

    • The debate about whether the day of independence was about integration into the Indian union after months of negotiations, or liberation from an autocratic monarch has continued.
    • Hyderabad’s history continues to affect today’s politics.
    • After Qasim Rizvi left India for Pakistan, the organisation was handed over to Abdul Wahed Owaisi, the grandfather of a present day Parliamentarian.
    • And communal-sectarian politics is storming up the city of Hyderabad leading to religious tensions.

     

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  • Euthanasia Mercy Killing

    Complex issue of Assisted Suicide

    Prelims Only | Ethics | Mains Paper 4: Ethics

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Assisted Suicide

    Mains level: Assisted Suicide and issues involved

    suicide

    A renowned French filmmaker died earlier this week by assisted suicide at the age of 91.

    What is Assisted Suicide?

    • Assisted suicide and euthanasia are practices under which a person intentionally ends their life with active assistance from others.
    • These have long been contentious topics of debate as they involve a complex set of moral, ethical and in some cases, religious questions.
    • Several European nations, some states in Australia and Colombia in South America allow assisted suicide and euthanasia under certain circumstances.

    Difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia

    • Euthanasia is the act of intentionally ending a life to relieve suffering – for example a lethal injection administered by a doctor.
    • Intentionally helping another person to kill themselves is known as assisted suicide.
    • This can include providing someone with strong sedatives with which to end their life or buying them a ticket to Switzerland (where assisted suicide is legal) to end their life
    • Euthanasia can further be divided into active and passive.
    • The practice of passive euthanasia involves simply stopping lifesaving treatment or medical intervention with the consent of the patient or a family member or a close friend representing the patient.
    • Active euthanasia, which is legal in only a few countries, entails the use of substances to end the life of the patient.

    India and Assisted suicide/ Euthanasia

    • In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court of India legalised passive euthanasia in 2018, stating that it was a matter of ‘living will’.
    • According to the judgment, an adult in his conscious mind is permitted to refuse medical treatment or voluntarily decide not to take medical treatment to embrace death in a natural way, under certain conditions.

    Consideration for ‘living will’

    • In the 538-page judgment, the court laid down a set of guidelines for ‘living will’ and defined passive euthanasia and euthanasia as well.
    • It also laid down guidelines for ‘living will’ made by terminally ill patients who beforehand know about their chances of slipping into a permanent vegetative state.
    • The court specifically stated that the rights of a patient, in such cases, would not fall out of the purview of Article 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Indian Constitution.
    • The SC’s judgment was in accordance with its verdict in March 2011 on a separate plea.
    • While ruling on a petition on behalf of Aruna Shanbaug Case, the court had allowed passive euthanasia for the nurse who had spent decades in a vegetative state.

    Who was Aruna Shanbaug?

    • Shanbaug had become central to debates on the legality of right to die and euthanasia in India.
    • Shanbaug died of pneumonia in March 2015 at the age of 66, 42 years of which she had spent in a room at KEM Hospital in Mumbai, after a brutal rape left her in a permanent vegetative state.

    Recent cases in India

    • In 2018, an old couple from Mumbai wrote to then President Kovind, seeking permission for active euthanasia or assisted suicide.
    • Neither of them suffered from a life-threatening ailment.
    • The couple stated in their plea that they had lived a happy life and didn’t want to depend on hospitals for old age ailments.

    Justification for Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide

    • It provides a way to relieve extreme pain.
    • Euthanasia can save  life  of  many  other  people  by  donation  of  vital organs.

    Issues with such killings

    • Euthanasia can be misused. Many psychiatrists are of the opinion that a terminally ill person or someone who is old and suffering from an incurable disease is often not in the right frame of mind to take a call.
    • Family members deciding on behalf of the patient can also lead to abuse of the law legalizing euthanasia as it can be due to some personal interest.

     

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  • Primary and Secondary Education – RTE, Education Policy, SEQI, RMSA, Committee Reports, etc.

    Eklavya Schools get short shrift in teacher recruitments

    Prelims Only | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: EMRS

    Mains level: Schooling for Tribal students

    The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has so far been unable to fix the teacher shortage faced across 378 of Eklavya model residential schools (EMRS) that are currently functional.

    Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)

    • EMRS started in the year 1997-98 to impart quality education to Scheduled Tribes (ST) children in remote areas in order.
    • It aims to enable them to avail of opportunities in high and professional educational courses and get employment in various sectors.
    • The schools focus not only on academic education but on the all-round development of the students.
    • Each school has a capacity of 480 students, catering to students from Class VI to XII.
    • Hitherto, grants were given for construction of schools and recurring expenses to the State Governments under Grants under Article 275 (1) of the Constitution.
    • Eklavya schools are on par with Navodaya Vidyalaya and have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development.

    Features of Eklavya Schools

    • Admission to these schools will be through selection/competition with suitable provision for preference to children belonging to Primitive Tribal Groups, first-generation students, etc.
    • Sufficient land would be given by the State Government for the school, playgrounds, hostels, residential quarters, etc., free of cost.
    • The number of seats for boys and girls will be equal.
    • In these schools, education will be entirely free.

    Where are the Eklavya schools located?

    • It has been decided that by the year 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an EMRS.
    • Wherever density of ST population is higher in identified Sub-Districts (90% or more), it is proposed to set up Eklavya Model Day Boarding School (EMDBS) on an experimental basis.
    • They aim for providing additional scope for ST Students seeking to avail school education without residential facility.

     

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  • Medical Education Governance in India

    Centre cites law to deny medical seats to Ukraine-returnees

    Prelims Only | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: NA

    Mains level: Medical education pursuance in foreign and issues

    medical

    The Centre has told the Supreme Court that the law does not allow undergraduate medical students, who fled the “war-like situation” in Ukraine, to be accommodated in Indian medical colleges.

    Which laws is the govt talking about?

    • There are no provisions either under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, or the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 to accommodate or transfer medical students.
    • Till now, no permission has been given by the National Medical Commission to transfer or accommodate any foreign medical students in any Indian medical institute/university.

    Why foreign undergraduates are not permitted?

    • Absence of law: The extant regulations in India do not permit migration of students from foreign universities to India.
    • No backdoor entry: The public notice cannot be used as a back door entry into Indian colleges offering undergraduate courses.
    • Merit issue: The students had left for foreign universities for two reasons, poor marks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and affordability of medical education in foreign countries.
    • High cost: Besides, these students, if admitted in Indian colleges, would again face the problem of affordability.

    Why do Indians go abroad for medical studies?

    • According to estimates from Ukraine, reported in the media, around 18,000 Indian students are in Ukraine (before Operation Ganga).
    • Most of them are pursuing medicine.
    • This war has turned the spotlight on something that has been the trend for about three decades now.

    Preferred countries for a medical degree

    • For about three decades now, Indian students have been heading out to Russia, China, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Philippines to pursue a medical degree.

    Hype of becoming a Doctor

    • Prestige: The desire to study medicine still holds a lot of value in the Indian community (the other is becoming an IAS officer).
    • Shortages of Doctor: In many rural areas, people still look at doctors as god’s incarnate.
    • Rarity of opportunity: The lack of equal opportunities exacerbated by the caste factor in the Indian context, has a great deal of impact on the prestige still associated with being a doctor.
    • Social upliftment ladder: For years, certain communities were denied the opportunities, and finally they do have a chance at achieving significant educational status.

    Why do Indians prefer going abroad?

    • No language barrier: The medium of education for these students is English, a language they are comfortable with.
    • Affordability: The amount spent on living and the medical degree are far more affordable than paying for an MBBS seat in private medical colleges in India.
    • Aesthetics and foreign culture: People are willing to leave their home to study far away in much colder places and with completely alien cultures and food habits.
    • Practice and OPD exposure: It broadens students’ mind and thinking, expose them to a whole range of experiences, and their approach to issues and crises is likely to be far better.

    Doesn’t India have enough colleges?

    (a) More aspirants than seats

    • There are certainly far more MBBS aspirants than there are MBBS seats in India.
    • In NEET 2021, as per a National Testing Agency press release, 16.1 lakh students registered for the exam, 15.4 lakh students appeared for the test, and 8.7 lakh students qualified.
    • As per data from the National Medical Commission (NMC), in 2021-22, there were 596 medical colleges in the country with a total of 88,120 MBBS seats.
    • While the skew is in favour of Government colleges, it is not greatly so, with the number of private medical institutions nearly neck-to-neck with the state-run ones.

    (b) Fees structure

    • That means over 50% of the total seats are available at affordable fees in Government colleges.
    • Add the 50% seats in the private sector that the NMC has mandated must charge only the government college fees.
    • In fully private colleges, the full course fees range from several lakhs to crores.

    (c) Uneven distribution of colleges

    • These colleges are also not distributed evenly across the country, with States such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala having many more colleges.

    What about costs?

    • The cost factor on both sides of an MBBS degree is significant.
    • The costs of an MBBS degree in a Government college tot up to a few lakhs of rupees for the full course, but in a private medical college, it can go up to ₹1 crore for the five-year course.
    • In case it is a management seat, capitation fees can inflate the cost by several lakhs again.
    • Whereas, an MBBS course at any foreign medical university in the east and Eastern Europe costs far less (upto ₹30lakh-₹40 lakh).

    Way forward

    • While PM Modi emphasised that more private medical colleges must be set up in the country to aid more people to take up MBBS, medical education experts have called for pause on the aspect.
    • If the aim is to make medicine more accessible to students of the country, the path ahead is not in the private sector, but in the public sector, with the Central and State governments’ involvement.
    • Starting private medical colleges by reducing the strict standards set for establishing institutes may not actually be the solution to this problem, if we think this is a concern.

    Conclusion

    • Creating more medical colleges will be beneficial for the country, if access and availability can be ensured.
    • This will not be possible by resorting to private enterprise only.
    • The State and Central governments can start more medical colleges, as recommended by NITI Aayog, by utilising district headquarters hospitals, and expanding the infrastructure.
    • This way, students from the lower and middle socio-economic rung, who are otherwise not able to access medical seats, will also benefit.

     

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  • Primary and Secondary Education – RTE, Education Policy, SEQI, RMSA, Committee Reports, etc.

    Tamil Nadu’s new Breakfast Scheme in Schools

    Prelims OnlySchemes | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Laws, Institutions & Bodies Constituted For The Vulnerable Sections

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Meal schemes for students

    Mains level: Not Much

    breakfast

    Tamil Nadu CM has launched the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme for students of Class I to V in government schools.

    CM’s Breakfast Scheme

    • The scheme covers around 1.14 lakh students in 1,545 schools which include 417 municipal corporation schools, 163 municipality schools and 728 taluk and village panchayat-level schools.
    • The inauguration of the scheme marks an important milestone in the State’s history of providing free meals to school students.

    How has the idea evolved?

    (a) Pre-independence

    • In November 1920, the Madras Corporation Council approved a proposal for providing tiffin to the students of a Corporation School at Thousand Lights at a cost not exceeding one anna per student per day.
    • Theagaraya Chetty, the then President of the Corporation and one of the stalwarts of the Justice Party, said the boys studying at the school were poor, which affected the strength of the institution ‘greatly’.
    • The scheme, which was extended to four more schools and facilitated higher enrollment of students.

    (b) Post-independence

    • The concept saw a Statewide application in 1956 when the then CM K. Kamaraj decided to provide free noon meal to poor children in all primary schools across the State.
    • The Budget for 1956-57 contained a provision for supplying mid-day meals to schoolchildren for 200 days a year, initially covering 65,000 students in 1,300 feeding centres.
    • In July 1982, it was left to the then CM MG Ramachandran to extend the programme to children in the 2-5 age group in Anganwadis and those in 5-9 age group in primary schools in rural areas.
    • Subsequently, the scheme now called Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Nutritious Meal Programme — was extended to urban areas as well.
    • Since September 1984, students of standards VI to X have been covered under the scheme.

    Beneficiaries of the programme

    • As of now, there are nearly 7 lakh beneficiaries spread over 43,190 nutritious meal centres.
    • This includes around 3,500 students of National Child Labour Project (NCLP) special schools.
    • Besides, as a consequence of the collaborative implementation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and the nutritious meal programme, around 15.8 lakh children in the age group of 2+ to 5+ years receive nutritious meals.

    Impact on school education

    • Rise in enrolment: After the improved version of the mid-day meal scheme in 1982, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) at primary level (standards I to V) went up by 10% during July-September, 1982 as compared to the corresponding period in 1981.
    • Girls’ enrolment: The rise in boys’ enrollment was 12% and in the case of girls, 7%, according to a publication brought out by the Tamil Nadu government on the occasion of the launch of the Scheme.
    • Increase in attendance: Likewise, attendance during July-September 1982 rose by 33% over the previous year’s figure.

    Focus areas programme

    • Anaemia is a major health problem in Tamil Nadu, especially among women and children, says the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5’s report.
    • From 50% during the period of the 2015-16 NFHS-4, the prevalence of anaemia in children now went up to 57%.
    • This and many other health issues can be addressed through the combined efforts of the departments of School Education, Public Health and Social Welfare and Women Empowerment.
    • Besides, a continuous and rigorous review of the progress of the scheme and nutritious meal programme should be carried out in a sustained manner.

     

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  • Wildlife Conservation Efforts

    What are the Big Seven Cats?

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Big cats

    Mains level: NA

    We often get confused to differentiate between Cheetah/Bagh/Sher/Puli. The cheetah, which is being re-introduced to India from Africa, is not to be confused with the leopard, which too has spots that look somewhat similar.

    How are all Big Cats differentiated?

    [A] Genus Panthera

    • This is the genus of large wild cats that can roar but can’t purr.
    • Among them, the lion, the leopard, and the jaguar are more closely related, while the other strand has the tiger and the snow leopard.
    • The snow leopard is an exception to the rest of the group in that it can’t roar.

    (1) Tiger (Panthera Tigris)

    Size: 75-300 kg | IUCN status : Endangered

    • Jim Corbett’s “large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage”, the solitary and strongly territorial tiger is the largest of all wild cats and also the earliest Panthera member to exist.
    • Primarily a forest animal, they range from the Siberian taiga to the Sunderban delta.
    • The national animal of India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and South Korea, the tiger was voted the world’s favourite animal ahead of the dog in a 2004 Animal Planet global online poll.

    (2) Lion (Panthera Leo

    Size: 100-250 kg | IUCN status: Vulnerable

    • Native to Africa and Asia, the lion is the most social cat, and lives in groups called prides.
    • They prefer open forests such as scrubland, and adult males have a prominent mane.
    • The lion is arguably the most widely recognised animal symbol in human culture — be it the Ashoka pillar in Sarnath, the main entrance to Buckingham Palace, or the 20th Century Fox and MGM logo.

    (3) Jaguar (Panthera Onca)

    Size: 50-110 kg | IUCN status: Near Threatened

    • The largest cat in the Americas, the Jaguar has the strongest bite force of all wild cats, enabling it to bite directly through the skull of its prey.
    • Melanistic (black) Jaguars are common and are often called black panthers.
    • Jaguar was a powerful motif in the Mayan and Aztec civilisations.

    (4) Leopard (Panthera Pardus)

    Size: 30-90 kg | IUCN status: Vulnerable

    • Similar in appearance to the Jaguar with a rosette patterned coat, the leopard was described by Jim Corbett as “the most beautiful of all animals” for its “grace of movement and beauty of colouring”.
    • The most adaptable of all big cats, they occupy diverse habitats at all altitudes across Africa and Asia.
    • Like black jaguars, melanistic leopards are called black panthers.
    • In some African cultures, leopards are considered to be better hunters than lions.

    (5) Snow leopard (Panthera Uncia)

    Size: 25-55 kg | IUCN status : Vulnerable

    • The ghost of the mountains, this smokey-grey cat lives above the snow line in Central and South Asia.
    • The most elusive of all big cats, it cannot roar, and has the longest tail of them all — which comes in handy for balance while hunting along the cliffs, and also gives warmth when wrapped around the body.
    • The snow leopard is the state animal of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.

    [B] Genus Puma

    • Closely related to the domestic cat, this genus has only one extant species, the cougar.

    Cougar (Puma concolor)

    Size: 40-100 kg | IUCN status: Least Concern

    • The cougar is the second-largest cat in the Americas. (The Jaguar is the largest.)
    • Cougars are also called ‘mountain lion’ and ‘panther’ across their range from the Canadian Yukon to the Southern Andes.
    • Concolor is latin for “of uniform colour”. The Incas designed the city of Cusco in the shape of a cougar.

    [C] Genus Acinonyx

    • This is a unique genus within the cat family, with only one living member, the cheetah.

    Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

    Size: 20-70 kg | IUCN status: Vulnerable

    • The fastest land mammal, the cheetah is the only cat without retractable claws — the grip helps it accelerate faster than any sports car (0-100 km/hr in 3 seconds).
    • Cheetahs are not aggressive towards humans, and they have been tamed since the Sumerian era.
    • They don’t breed well in captivity — picky females play hard to get.
    • Cheetahs are not really big, and they hunt during the day to avoid competing with other big cats.

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