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Type: Prelims Only

  • Anti Defection Law

    Election Symbol Disputes and ECI

    Prelims Only | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Representation Of People’s Act

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Read the attached story

    Mains level: Anti-defection law

    A political party in Maharashtra has approached the Election Commission of India (ECI), requesting it to hear its side before deciding claims to the party’s bow-arrow symbol.

    What is the news?

    • A party has lost a large number of members in the rebellion that eventually caused the fall of the government in Maharashtra.
    • The rebel has claimed to be the only original leader of the party on the basis of the support of more than two-thirds of the party’s legislators in the Maharashtra Assembly.

    Options for ECI

    • The ECI in all likelihood can freeze the symbol so that neither of the two sides is able to use it until a final decision is made.
    • EC hearings are long and detailed, and may take at least six months.

    EC’s powers in Election Symbol Dispute

    • The question of a split in a political party outside the legislature is dealt by Para 15 of the Symbols Order, 1968.
    • It states that the ECI may take into account all the available facts and circumstances and undertake a test of majority.
    • The decision of the ECI shall be binding on all such rival sections or groups emerged after the split.
    • This applies to disputes in recognised national and state parties.
    • For splits in registered but unrecognised parties, the EC usually advises the warring factions to resolve their differences internally or to approach the court.

    How did the EC deal with such matters before the Symbols Order came into effect?

    • Before 1968, the EC issued notifications and executive orders under the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
    • The most high-profile split of a party before 1968 was that of the CPI in 1964.
    • A breakaway group approached the ECI in December 1964 urging it to recognise them as CPI(Marxist). They provided a list of MPs and MLAs of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal who supported them.
    • The ECI recognised the faction as CPI(M) after it found that the votes secured by the MPs and MLAs supporting the breakaway group added up to more than 4% in the 3 states.

    What was the first case decided under Para 15 of the 1968 Order?

    • It was the first split in the Indian National Congress in 1969.
    • Indira Gandhi’s tensions with a rival group within the party came to a head with the death of President Dr Zakir Hussain on May 3, 1969.

    Is there a way other than the test of majority to resolve a dispute over election symbols?

    • In almost all disputes decided by the EC so far, a clear majority of party delegates/office bearers, MPs and MLAs have supported one of the factions.
    • Whenever the EC could not test the strength of rival groups based on support within the party organisation (because of disputes regarding the list of office bearers), it fell back on testing the majority only among elected MPs and MLAs.

    What happens to the group that doesn’t get the parent party’s symbol?

    • The EC in 1997 did not recognise the new parties as either state or national parties.
    • It felt that merely having MPs and MLAs is not enough, as the elected representatives had fought and won polls on tickets of their parent (undivided) parties.
    • The EC introduced a new rule under which the splinter group of the party — other than the group that got the party symbol — had to register itself as a separate party.
    • It could lay claim to national or state party status only on the basis of its performance in state or central elections after registration.

     

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    In news: National Emblem of India

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Ashokan Pillar

    Mains level: Not Much

    A day after the National Emblem cast on top of the under-construction Parliament unveiled, controversy has erupted over its aggressive posture.

    National Emblem of India

    • On 26 January 1950, a representation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka placed above the motto, Satyameva Jayate, was adopted as the State Emblem of India.
    • The emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka, an ancient sculpture dating back to 280 BCE during the reign of the Maurya Empire.
    • It was originally made of Chunar sandstone.
    • The statue is a three-dimensional emblem showing four lions.

    Features of the emblem

    • The actual Sarnath capital features four Asiatic lions standing back to back, symbolizing power, courage, confidence, and pride, mounted on a circular base.
    • At the bottom is a horse and a bull, and at its center is a Dharma chakra.
    • The abacus is girded with a frieze of sculptures in high relief of The Lion of the North,
    • The Horse of the West, The Bull of the South, and The Elephant of the East, separated by intervening wheels, over a lotus in full bloom, exemplify the fountainhead of life and creative inspiration.
    • Carved from a single block of sandstone, the polished capital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law.

    Historical significance

    • One of the Buddha’s names is ‘Shakya Simha’, meaning ‘Lion of the Shakyas’.
    • The Buddha’s first sermon at Sarnath was known as the ‘Simhanada’ (Lion roar) of the Buddha.

     

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  • International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

    James Webb Space Telescope

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: JSWT

    Mains level: Not Much

    NASA has unveiled images from the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most powerful orbital observatory ever launched.

    What is the image about?

    • NASA released a deep field photo of a distant galaxy cluster, SMACS 0723, revealing the most detailed glimpse of the early universe recorded to date.
    • The collection also included fresh images of another galaxy cluster known as Stephan’s Quintet, first discovered in 1877.

    James Webb Space Telescope

    • JWST is a joint NASA–ESA–CSA space telescope that is planned to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope as NASA’s flagship astrophysics mission
    • It is the most powerful space telescope ever built.
    • It will enable a broad range of investigations across the fields of astronomy and cosmology, including observing some of the most distant events and objects in the universe,
    • It would help understand events such as the formation of the first galaxies, and detailed atmospheric characterization of potentially habitable exoplanets.

    Its significance

    • Some have called JSWT the “telescope that ate astronomy.”
    • It is said to look back in time to the Dark Ages of the universe.

    What does the ‘Dark Ages’ of the universe mean?

    • Evidence shows that the universe started with an event called the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, which left it in an ultra-hot, ultra-dense state.
    • The universe immediately began expanding and cooling after the Big Bang.
    • One second after the Big Bang, the universe was a hundred trillion miles across with an average temperature of an incredible 18 billion F (10 billion C).
    • Around 400,000 years after the Big Bang, the universe was 10 million light-years across and the temperature had cooled to 5,500 F (3,000 C).
    • Throughout this time, space was filled with a smooth soup of high-energy particles, radiation, hydrogen and helium.
    • There was no structure. As the expanding universe became bigger and colder, the soup thinned out and everything faded to black.

    This was the start of what astronomers call the Dark Ages of the universe.

    How will JWST study this?

    Ans. Looking for the first light

    • The Dark Ages ended when gravity formed the first stars and galaxies that eventually began to emit the first light.
    • Astronomers aim to study this fascinating and important era of the universe, but detecting first light is incredibly challenging.
    • Compared to massive, bright galaxies of today, the first objects were very small and due to the constant expansion of the universe, they’re now tens of billions of light years away from Earth.
    • Also, the earliest stars were surrounded by gas left over from their formation and this gas acted like fog that absorbed most of the light.
    • It took several hundred million years for radiation to blast away the fog. This early light is very faint by the time it gets to Earth.

     

     

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  • Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Global Implications

    What is the Nord Stream 1 Gas Link?

    Prelims Only | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Important International Institutions

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Nord Stream Pipelines

    Mains level: NA

    The Nord Stream 1, Germany’s main source of gas from Russia, was recently shut down for scheduled maintenance work.

    Why in news?

    • There are growing concerns in European countries that Russia would shut down its gas supplies in retaliation against the current sanctions against Moscow.

    What is Nord Stream 1?

    • It is a system of offshore natural gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.
    • Nord Stream 1 is a 1,224 km underwater gas pipeline that runs from Vyborg in northwest Russia to Lubmin in northeastern Germany via the Baltic Sea.
    • Two further pipelines under construction running from Ust-Luga to Lubmin termed Nord Stream 2.
    • Majority owned by the Russian energy giant Gazprom, the pipeline is the primary route through which its gas enters Germany.

    Worry for Europe

    • There have been growing concerns that there could be further restrictions to European gas supplies.
    • European countries rely on Russian energy for their cold winters.
    • But now they believe that Russia could weaponized their dependency as a response to their sanction due to the conflict in Ukraine.

    What are Europe’s alternative sources of energy?

    • As an alternative source for energy, European countries have increasingly turned towards the US, from whom they purchase liquified natural gas (LNG) that comes via ships.
    • Since ship-delivered gas ends up being far more expensive, there are also attempts to get non-Russian pipeline gas from Norway and Azerbaijan.
    • While EU countries were earlier seeking to phase out fossil fuels and emphasize renewable forms of energy, many are now returning to coal to deal with the energy crisis.

     

     

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  • Historical and Archaeological Findings in News

    Sannati and Kanaganahalli Buddhist Sites

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Ashokan edicts, Stupa Architecture

    Mains level: NA

    Left almost unattended to for 20 years after excavation, the ancient Buddhist site on the bank of Bhima river near Kanaganahalli (forming part of Sannati site) in Kalaburagi district, has finally got some attention.

    About Sannati

    • Sannati is a small village on the banks of the River Bhima in Chittapur Taluka of Kalaburagi (Gulbarga).
    • It came into prominence after the collapse of the roof of the Kali temple in Chandralamba temple complex in 1986.
    • The collapse revealed the historically valuable Ashokan edicts written in Prakrit language and Brahmi script at the foundations of the temple, attracting historians from across India.
    • While the Stupa is believed to be one of the largest of its time.
    • The stone-portrait is considered to be the only surviving image of the Mauryan Emperor which had the inscription ‘Raya Asoko’ in Brahmi on it.

    Significance of Sannati

    • Further revelations led to the discovery of the magnificent Maha Stupa, which had been referred to as Adholoka Maha-Chaitya (The Great Stupa of the Netherworlds) in the inscriptions.
    • More importantly, a sculpture-portrait of Ashoka seated on his throne with his queens was also discovered.
    • Historians believe that the Sannati Ranamandal (war zone) was a fortified area spread over 210 acres, of which only a couple of acres have been excavated so far.

    Try this PYQ:

    In which of the following relief sculpture inscriptions is ‘Ranyo Ashokan’ (King Ashoka) mentioned along with the stone portrait of Ashoka?

    (a) Kanganahalli

    (b) Sanchi

    (c) Shahbazgarhi

    (d) Sohgaura

     

    Post your answers here.

     

     

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  • North-East India – Security and Developmental Issues

    KHADC to invite talks on Instrument of Accession

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Autonomous District Council (ADC)

    Mains level: Read the attached story

    The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) in Meghalaya has called for a meeting of traditional heads to revisit the Instrument of Accession that made the Khasi domain a part of the Indian Union.

    About KHADC

    • KHADC is an autonomous district council in the state of Meghalaya in India.
    • It is one of the three autonomous district councils within Meghalaya, and one of twenty-five autonomous regions of India.
    • Meghalaya is divided into three regions dominated by as many matrilineal communities — the Khasis, Garos and Jaintias.
    • The Khasi hills straddle 25 Himas or States that formed the Federation of Khasi States.

    Why in news?

    • Some members of the KHADC agreed that the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement signed with the Dominion of India between December 15, 1947 and March 19, 1948, should be studied.
    • The treaty was signed by Governor General of India, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, on August 17, 1948.

    What is Instrument of Accession?

    • It was a legal document first introduced by the Government of India Act, 1935.
    • It was used in 1947 to enable each of the rulers of the princely states under British paramountcy to join one of the new dominions of India or Pakistan created by the Partition.
    • The instruments of accession executed by the rulers, provided for the accession of states to the Dominion of India (or Pakistan) on three subjects, namely, defence, external affairs and communications.

    Back2Basics: Autonomous District Council (ADC)

    • The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution allows for the formation of autonomous administrative divisions which have been given autonomy within their respective states.
    • Most of these ADC are located in North East India with the exception of two in Ladakh and one in West Bengal.
    • Presently, 10 Autonomous Councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura are formed by virtue of the Sixth Schedule with the rest being formed as a result of other legislations.

    Powers and competencies

    (1) Executive and legislative powers

    Under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule, ADCs can make laws, rules and regulations in the following areas:

    • Land management
    • Forest management
    • Water resources
    • Agriculture and cultivation
    • Formation of village councils
    • Public health
    • Sanitation
    • Village and town level policing
    • Appointment of traditional chiefs and headmen
    • Inheritance of property
    • Marriage and divorce
    • Social customs
    • Money lending and trading
    • Mining and minerals

    (2) Judicial powers

    • ADCs have powers to form courts.
    • They can hear cases where both parties are members of Scheduled Tribes (STs) and the maximum sentence is less than 5 years in prison.

    (3) Taxation and revenue

    • Autonomous district councils have powers to levy taxes, fees and tolls on: building and land, animals, vehicles, boats, entry of goods into the area, roads, ferries, bridges, employment and income and general taxes for the maintenance of schools and roads.

     

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  • Climate Change Impact on India and World – International Reports, Key Observations, etc.

    What are Cloudbursts?

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Cloudburst

    Mains level: Extreme weather events

    At least eight people have died after a cloudburst occurred at the Amarnath Cave Shrine near Pahalgam in south Kashmir.

    What is a Cloudburst?

    • Cloudbursts are short-duration, intense rainfall events over a small area.
    • According to the IMD, it is a weather phenomenon with unexpected precipitation exceeding 100mm/h over a geographical region of approximately 20-30 square km.

    What causes Cloudburst?

    • A study published last year studied the meteorological factors behind the cloudburst over the Kedarnath region.
    • They analysed atmospheric pressure, temperature, rainfall, cloud water content, cloud fraction, cloud particle radius, cloud mixing ratio, total cloud cover, wind speed, wind direction, and relative humidity during the cloudburst, before as well as after the cloudburst.
    • The results showed that during the cloudburst, the relative humidity and cloud cover was at the maximum level with low temperature and slow winds.
    • It is expected that because of this situation a high amount of clouds may get condensed at a very rapid rate and result in a cloudburst.

    Impact of climate change

    • Several studies have shown that climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts in many cities across the globe.
    • As temperatures increase the atmosphere can hold more and more moisture and this moisture comes down as a short very intense rainfall for a short duration.
    • This results in flash floods in the mountainous areas and urban floods in the cities.
    • Also, there is evidence suggesting that globally short-duration rainfall extremes are going to become more intense and frequent.

    Try this PYQ

    Q.During a thunderstorm, the thunder in the skies is produced by the:

    1. meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky
    2. lightning that separates the nimbus clouds
    3. violent upward movement of air and water particles

    Select the correct option using the codes given below:

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) None of the above

     

    Post your answers here.

     

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  • Climate Change Impact on India and World – International Reports, Key Observations, etc.

    Derecho: A storm that turned the sky green in the US

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Derecho

    Mains level: Not Much

    States of Nebraska, Minnesota and Illinois in the US were hit by a storm system called a Derecho which turned the skies green.

    What is a Derecho?

    • A derecho is a widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms.
    • The name comes from the Spanish word ‘la derecha’ which means ‘straight’.
    • Straight-line storms are those in which thunderstorm winds have no rotation unlike a tornado.
    • Being a warm-weather phenomenon, a derecho generally – not always – occurs during summertime beginning May, with most hitting in June and July.
    • However, they are a rare occurrence as compared to other storm systems like tornadoes or hurricanes.

    Why does the sky turn green during the derecho?

    • Severe thunderstorms result in a ‘green sky’ due to light interacting with the huge amount of water they hold.
    • The big raindrops and hail scatter away all but the blue wavelengths due to which primarily blue light penetrates below the storm cloud.
    • This blue then combines with the red-yellow of the afternoon or the evening sun to produce green.

    Are there different types of derechos?

    They fall into three categories – progressive, serial and hybrid.

    1. Progressive derecho is associated with a short line of thunderstorms that may travel for hundreds of miles along a relatively narrow path. It is a summer phenomenon.
    2. Serial derecho, on the other hand, has an extensive squall line – wide and long – sweeping across a large area. It usually occurs during spring or fall.
    3. Hybrid derecho are that ones have the features of both progressive and serial derechos.

    Where do derechos usually occur?

    • They mostly occur across central and eastern parts of the United States.
    • Derechos have also been documented elsewhere across the world.
    • In 2010, Russia witnessed its first documented derecho.
    • They have also swept through Germany and Finland, and more recently in Bulgaria and Poland.

     

     

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

    Who are the Pasmanda?

    Prelims Only | Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Salient features of Indian Society

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Pasmanda community

    Mains level: Upliftment of minorities

    In a political conclave in Hyderabad, PM made a special mention for the Pasmanda muslim community and their social upliftment.

    Who are the Pasmanda Muslims?

    • The word Pasmanda is derived from the Persian language meaning ‘left behind’.
    • The Pasmanda community comprise of Dalits and Backward Muslims who are fighting a different social battle inside the society.
    • This community has its stronghold in Uttar Pradesh where the Pasmandas account for around 75% of the total Muslim population.
    • In fact, 85% of the total population of Muslims in the country is known as Pasmanda.
    • It is believed that the so-called untouchable Hindu converts are categorised as Pasmanda.

    A caste system in minorities

    • The caste system is applicable to Asian Muslims in the same way as it is applicable in the Indian society.
    • Among the South Asian Muslims including those living in India, 15% are considered upper class or upper caste, called Ashraf.
    • The remaining 85% Muslims known as Arzal and Ajlaf are considered to be Dalit and backward. Arzal means degraded.

    Why political parties are focusing on them?

    • If reports are to be believed then the creamy section of the Muslim society looks down upon them.
    • They are backward and oppressed economically, socially and educationally. This oppressed section among Muslims is called Pasmanda in India.

    A social movement in making

    • Actually the Pasmanda movement in India is 100 years old. A Muslim Pasmanda movement had emerged in the second decade of the last century.
    • After this, in the 90s in India, two big organisations were formed in favour of the Pasmanda Muslims.
    • This was the All India United Muslim Front, whose leader was Ejaz Ali.
    • Apart from this, Ali Anwar of Patna founded an organisation named All India Pasmanda Muslim Merej.
    • However, both are termed as non-Islamic by Muslim religious leaders.
    • All the small organisations of Pasmanda Muslims are mostly found in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

     

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  • Parliament – Sessions, Procedures, Motions, Committees etc

    Nominated Members in Rajya Sabha

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Nominated members in Rajya Sabha

    Mains level: Functioning of Rajya Sabha

    Olympic sprinter PT Usha and music composer Ilaiyaraaja among others have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha in the category of eminent persons nominated by the President.

    Nominated Members in RS

    • Twelve members are nominated to the RS by the President of India for six-year term.
    • This is for their contributions towards arts, literature, sciences, and social services.
    • This right has been bestowed upon the President according to the Fourth Schedule under Articles 4(1) and 80(2) of the Constitution of India.

    Normal composition

    • The present strength is 245 members of whom 233 are representatives of the states and UTs and 12 are nominated by the President.
    • The Rajya Sabha is not subject to dissolution; one-third of its members retire every second year.

    Constitutional provisions for nominated members

    • 80(1)(a) of Constitution of India makes provision for the nomination of 12 members to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India in accordance with provisions of Arts.80(3).
    • 80(3) says that the persons to be nominated as members must be possessing special knowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as the following namely: Literature, science, art and social service.

    Powers and privileges of such members

    • A nominated member enjoys all the powers and privileges and immunities available to an elected Member of Parliament.
    • They take part in the proceedings of the House as any other member.
    • Nominated members are however not entitled to vote in an election of the President of India.
    • They however have rights to vote in the vice presidential election.
    • As per Article 99 of the Constitution, a nominated member is allowed six months’ time should he join a political party.

    Try this PYQ:

    Consider the following statements:

    1. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha are not the members of that House.
    2. While the nominated members of the two Houses of the Parliament have no voting right in the presidential election, they have the right to vote in the election of the Vice President.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

     

    Post your answers here.

     

    Also read:

    [Sansad TV] Perspective – Rajya Sabha: The Upper House

     

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