From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PMFBY, Beed Model of Crop Insurance
Mains level: Crop insurance
Andhra Pradesh has decided to rejoin the crop insurance scheme Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) from the ongoing kharif season.
Why in news?
Andhra Pradesh was one of six states that have stopped the implementation of the scheme over the last four years.
The other five, which remain out, are Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Telangana.
What is PMFBY?
The PMFBY was launched in February 2016. It is being administered by Ministry of Agriculture.
It provides a comprehensive insurance cover against failure of the crop thus helping in stabilising the income of the farmers.
It is implemented by general insurance companies.
Its functioning
PMFBY insures farmers against all non-preventable natural risks from pre-sowing to post-harvest.
Farmers have to pay a maximum of 2 per cent of the total premium of the insured amount for kharif crops, 1.5 per cent for rabi food crops and oilseeds as well as 5 per cent for commercial / horticultural crops.
The balance premium is shared by the Union and state governments on a 50:50 basis and on a 90:10 basis in the case of northeastern states.
Farmers covered
All farmers growing notified crops in a notified area during the season who have insurable interest in the crop are eligible.
Earlier to Kharif 2020, the enrolment under the scheme was compulsory for following categories of farmers:
Farmers in the notified area who possess a Crop Loan account/KCC account (called as Loanee Farmers) to whom credit limit is sanctioned/renewed for the notified crop during the crop season. and
Such other farmers whom the Government may decide to include from time to time.
Risks covered under the scheme
Comprehensive risk insurance is provided to cover yield losses due to non-preventable risks, such as Natural Fire and Lightning, Storm, Hailstorm, Cyclone, Typhoon, Tempest, Hurricane, Tornado.
Risks due to Flood, Inundation and Landslide, Drought, Dry spells, Pests/ Diseases also will be covered.
Post-harvest losses coverage will be available up to a maximum period of 14 days from harvesting for those crops which are kept in “cut & spread” condition to dry in the field.
For certain localized problems such as loss/damage resulting from the occurrence of identified localized risks like hailstorm, landslide, and Inundation affecting isolated farms in the notified area would also be covered.
Why many states has opted out?
The opting-out states had mentioned several reasons:
The scheme should be voluntary.
States should be given options to choose the risks covered and the scheme should be universal.
State should be given option to use their own database of E-crop, an application used by the state government to collect information about crops.
Many state government wanted zero premium for farmers (meaning the entire premium should be paid by the government.
The non-payment of the State Share of premium subsidy within the prescribed timelines as defined in the seasonality discipline lea to the disqualification of the State Government.
The reason for West Bengal not implementing the PMFBY is purely “political” as it wants to implement the scheme without mentioning Pradhan Mantri in the name.
How was the scheme structured, and what has changed since?
Initially, the scheme was compulsory for loanee farmers; in February 2020, the Centre revised it to make it optional for all farmers.
Now states and UTs are free to extend additional subsidy over and above the normal subsidy from their budgets.
In February 2020, the Centre decided to restrict its premium subsidy to 30% for unirrigated areas and 25% for irrigated areas (from the existing unlimited). Earlier, there was no upper limit.
Food crops (cereals, millets and pulses); oilseeds; and annual commercial / annual horticultural crops are broadly covered under the scheme.
Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CAD
Mains level: Not Much
The Finance Ministry has asserted that the current account deficit (CAD) could, however, deteriorate this year mainly due to rising trade deficits.
What is Current Account Deficit (CAD)?
A current account is a key component of balance of payments, which is the account of transactions or exchanges made between entities in a country and the rest of the world.
This includes a nation’s net trade in products and services, its net earnings on cross border investments including interest and dividends, and its net transfer payments such as remittances and foreign aid.
A CAD arises when the value of goods and services imported exceeds the value of exports, while the trade balance refers to the net balance of export and import of goods or merchandise trade.
Components of Current Account
Current Account Deficit (CAD) = Trade Deficit + Net Income + Net Transfers
(1) Trade Deficit
Trade Deficit = Imports – Exports
A Country is said to have a trade deficit when it imports more goods and services than it exports.
Trade deficit is an economic measure of a negative balance of trade in which a country’s imports exceeds its exports.
A trade deficit represents an outflow of domestic currency to foreign markets.
(2) Net Income
Net Income = Income Earned by MNCs from their investments in India.
When foreign investment income exceeds the savings of the country’s residents, then the country has net income deficit.
This foreign investment can help a country’s economy grow. But if foreign investors worry they won’t get a return in a reasonable amount of time, they will cut off funding.
Net income is measured by the following things:
Payments made to foreigners in the form of dividends of domestic stocks.
Interest payments on bonds.
Wages paid to foreigners working in the country.
(3) Net Transfers
In Net Transfers, foreign residents send back money to their home countries. It also includes government grants to foreigners.
It Includes Remittances, Gifts, Donation etc
How Current Account Transaction does takes place?
While understanding the Current Account Deficit in detail, it is important to understand what the current account transactions are.
Current account transactions are transactions that require foreign currency.
Following transactions with from which component these transactions belong to :
Component 2 : Interest on loans to other countries and Net income from investments in other countries
Component 3 : Remittances for living expenses of parents, spouse and children residing abroad, and Expenses in connection with Foreign travel, Education and Medical care of parents, spouse and children
What has been the recent trend?
In Q4 FY 2021-22, CAD improved to 1.5% of GDP or $13.4 billion from 2.6% of GDP in Q3 FY 2021-22 ($22.2 billion).
The difference between the value of goods imported and exported fell to $54.48 million in Q4FY 2021-22 from $59.75 million in Q3 FY2021-22.
However, based on robust performance by computer and business services, net service receipts rose both sequentially and on a year-on-year basis.
Remittances by Indians abroad also rose.
What are the reasons for the current account deficit?
Intensifying geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions leading to crude oil and commodity prices soaring globally have been exerting upward pressure on the import bill.
A rise in prices of coal, natural gas, fertilizers, and edible oils have added to the pressure on trade deficit.
However, with global demand picking up, merchandise exports have also been rising.
How will a large CAD affect the economy?
A large CAD will result in demand for foreign currency rising, thus leading to depreciation of the home currency.
Nations balance CAD by attracting capital inflows and running a surplus in capital accounts through increased foreign direct investments (FDI).
However, worsening CAD will put pressure on inflow under the capital account.
Nevertheless, if an increase in the import bill is because of imports for technological upgradation it would help in long-term development.
Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: RoSCTL Scheme
Mains level: Not Much
The RoSCTL scheme will continue for export of garments/apparels, and made-ups till March 31, 2024, according to a press release from the Union Ministry of Textiles.
What is RoSCTL Scheme?
RoSCTL stands for Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL).
It is an export incentive in the form of transferable and sellable duty credit scrips (certificate) offered on the basis of the value of the export.
It replaces the Rebate of State Levies (RoSL) scheme, a monetary incentive scheme under which Customs would deposit the rebate directly into the exporter’s bank account.
This scheme was seen as India’s reaction to the increasing international pressure on export incentives provided by the Indian government.
Why was this scheme introduced?
The US, in particular, has been very vocal, urging the discontinuation of export incentive schemes like the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS).
It held that they flouted the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.
Why was this scheme extended to textile sector?
With a view to boost exports and job creation in the textile sector, the government has approved the continuation of the scheme.
The scheme aims to help them cut high logistics and other costs and enable them to compete globally.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Monkeypox
Mains level: Rise in zoonotic diseases
The first known lab-confirmed case of monkeypox in India has been reported in a 35-year-old man in Kerala.
What is Monkeypox?
The monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus, which is a genus of viruses that also includes the variola virus, which causes smallpox, and vaccinia virus, which was used in the smallpox vaccine.
It causes symptoms similar to smallpox, although they are less severe.
While vaccination eradicated smallpox worldwide in 1980, monkeypox continues to occur in a swathe of countries in Central and West Africa, and has on occasion showed up elsewhere.
According to the WHO, two distinct clade are identified: the West African clade and the Congo Basin clade, also known as the Central African clade.
Its origin
Monkeypox is a zoonosis, that is, a disease that is transmitted from infected animals to humans.
Monkeypox virus infection has been detected in squirrels, Gambian poached rats, dormice, and some species of monkeys.
According to the WHO, cases occur close to tropical rainforests inhabited by animals that carry the virus.
Symptoms and treatment
Monkeypox begins with a fever, headache, muscle aches, back ache, and exhaustion.
It also causes the lymph nodes to swell (lymphadenopathy), which smallpox does not.
The WHO underlines that it is important to not confuse monkeypox with chickenpox, measles, bacterial skin infections, scabies, syphilis and medication-associated allergies.
The incubation period (time from infection to symptoms) for monkeypox is usually 7-14 days but can range from 5-21 days.
There is no safe, proven treatment for monkeypox yet.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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:
meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky
lightning that separates the nimbus clouds
violent upward movement of air and water particles
Select the correct option using the codes given below:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha are not the members of that House.
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?
The Union Environment Ministry proposes to soften the provisions of the EP Act (EPA) by replacing a clause that provides for imprisoning violators with one that only requires them to pay a fine.
Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986
EP Act was passedunder Article 253 of the Constitution, which empowers the Centre to enact laws to give effect to international agreements signed by the country.
The purpose of the Act is to implement the decisions of the UN Conference on the Human Environment.
They relate to the protection and improvement of the human environment and the prevention of hazards to human beings, other living creatures, plants and property.
It was enacted in 1986 on the backdrop of Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
The Act was last amended in 1991.
Why this Act?
The Act is an “umbrella” legislation that has provided a framework for the environmental regulation regime in India.
It covers all major industrial and infrastructure activities and prohibits and regulates specific activities in coastal areas and eco-sensitive areas.
The Act also provides for coordination of the activities of various central and state authorities established under other environment-related laws, such as the Water Act and the Air Act.
Key provisions
The Environment (Protection) Rules lay down procedures for setting standards of emission or discharge of environmental pollutants.
The objective of Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 is to control the generation, collection, treatment, import, storage, and handling of hazardous waste.
The Manufacture, Storage, and Import of Hazardous Rules define the terms used in this context, and sets up an authority to inspect, once a year.
The Cells Rules,1989 were introduced with a view to protect the environment, nature, and health in connection with the application of gene technology and micro-organisms.
Try this PYQ:
Q. Consider the following statements:
The Environment Protection Act, 1986 empowers the Government of India to
State the requirement of public participation in the process of environmental protection, and the Procedure and manner in which it sought.
Lay down the standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various sources.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PMI
Mains level: Not Much
India’s services firms saw growth in new business and output accelerate to a 11-year high in June, as per the survey-based S&P Global India Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI).
What is the news?
The index rose to 59.2 last month, from 58.9 in May, signalling a strengthening in demand across the services sector, which had borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)
PMI is an indicator of business activity — both in the manufacturing and services sectors.
It is a survey-based measure that asks the respondents about changes in their perception of some key business variables from the month before.
It is calculated separately for the manufacturing and services sectors and then a composite index is constructed.
The PMI is compiled by IHS Markit based on responses to questionnaires sent to purchasing managers in a panel of around 400 manufacturers.
How is the PMI derived?
The PMI is derived from a series of qualitative questions.
Executives from a reasonably big sample, running into hundreds of firms, are asked whether key indicators such as output, new orders, business expectations and employment were stronger than the month before and are asked to rate them.
How does one read the PMI?
A figure above 50 denotes expansion in business activity. Anything below 50 denotes contraction.
Higher the difference from this mid-point greater the expansion or contraction. The rate of expansion can also be judged by comparing the PMI with that of the previous month data.
If the figure is higher than the previous month’s then the economy is expanding at a faster rate.
If it is lower than the previous month then it is growing at a lower rate.
What are its implications for the economy?
The PMI is usually released at the start of the month, much before most of the official data on industrial output, manufacturing and GDP growth becomes available.
It is, therefore, considered a good leading indicator of economic activity.
Economists consider the manufacturing growth measured by the PMI as a good indicator of industrial output, for which official statistics are released later.
Central banks of many countries also use the index to help make decisions on interest rates.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Quarks
Mains level: Not Much
The Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) experiment has observed three never-before-seen particles.
What is the discovery?
CERN was investigating the slight differences between matter and antimatter by studying a type of particle called the “beauty quark”, or “b quark”.
The three “exotic” additions — a new kind of “pentaquark” and the first-ever pair of “tetraquarks” — to the growing list of new hadrons were found.
This discovery will help physicists better understand how quarks bind together into these composite particles.
What are Quarks?
Quarks are elementary particles that come in six “flavours”: up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom.
They usually combine together in groups of twos and threes to form hadrons such as the protons and neutrons that make up atomic nuclei.
But they can also combine into four-quark and five-quark particles, called tetraquarks and pentaquarks.
These exotic hadrons were predicted by theorists about six decades ago — around the same time as conventional hadrons — but they have been observed by LHCb and other experiments only in the past 20 years.
What about tetraquarks and pentaquarks?
Most exotic hadrons discovered in the past two decades are tetraquarks or pentaquarks.
They contain a charm quark and a charm antiquark — with the remaining two or three quarks being an up, down or strange quark or their antiquarks.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Fields Medal
Mains level: NA
Ukrainian mathematician Maryna Viazovska was named as one of four recipients of the prestigious Fields Medal, which is often described as the Nobel Prize in mathematics.
What is Fields Medal?
The Fields Medal is awarded by the International Mathematical Union (IMU), an international non-governmental and non-profit scientific organisation.
It is awarded every four years to one or more mathematicians under the age of 40 in recognition of “outstanding mathematical achievement for existing work and for the promise of future achievement”.
The winners are announced at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM), which was supposed to be held in Russia this year, but was moved to Helsinki.
Belongings of the award
The honour carries a physical medal of 14K gold, 63.5 mm in diameter and weighing 169 g, and with a unit price of approximately 5,500 Canadian dollars.
There is also a cash award of CAD 15,000.
The obverse of the medal is embossed with the head of Archimedes facing right, and some Latin quotes.
History of the Medal
According to the IMU website, the 1924 ICM in Toronto adopted a resolution that at each conference, two gold medals would be awarded to recognise outstanding mathematical achievement.
The Canadian mathematician Prof J C Fields, who was secretary of the 1924 Congress, later donated funds to establish the medals, which were named in his honour.
In 1966, it was agreed that, in light of the great expansion of mathematical research, up to four medals could be awarded at each Congress.
Indian-origin winners
Among the more than 60 mathematicians who have been awarded the Fields Medal since 1936, there are two of Indian origin.
Akshay Venkatesh of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, won in 2018, the last time the honour was announced.
Manjul Bhargava of the Department of Mathematics at Princeton University was awarded in 2014.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
Mains level: Not Much
The world’s most powerful particle collider, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), will begin smashing protons into each other at unprecedented levels of energy beginning July 5.
What is the LHC?
The Large Hadron Collider is a giant, complex machine built to study particles that are the smallest known building blocks of all things.
Structurally, it is a 27-km-long track-loop buried 100 metres underground on the Swiss-French border.
In its operational state, it fires two beams of protons almost at the speed of light in opposite directions inside a ring of superconducting electromagnets.
The LHC’s second run (Run 2) began in 2015 and lasted till 2018. The second season of data taking produced five times more data than Run 1.
The third run will see 20 times more collisions as compared to Run 1.
How does it work?
The magnetic field created by the superconducting electromagnets keeps the protons in a tight beam and guides them along the way as they travel through beam pipes and finally collide.
Just prior to collision, another type of magnet is used to ‘squeeze’ the particles closer together to increase the chances of collisions.
The particles are so tiny that the task of making them collide is akin to firing two needles 10 km apart with such precision that they meet halfway.
Extreme conditions involved
Since the LHC’s powerful electromagnets carry almost as much current as a bolt of lightning, they must be kept chilled.
The LHC uses a distribution system of liquid helium to keep its critical components ultracold at minus 271.3 degrees Celsius, which is colder than interstellar space.
Given these requirements, it is not easy to warm up or cool down the gigantic machine.
What is the latest upgrade?
Three years after it shut down for maintenance and upgrades, the collider was switched back on this April.
This is the LHC’s third run, and it will operate round-the-clock for four years at unprecedented energy levels of 13 tera electron volts.
Note: A TeV is 100 billion, or 10-to-the-power-of-12, electon volts. An electron volt is the energy given to an electron by accelerating it through 1 volt of electric potential difference.
Targets this year
It now aims to be delivering 1.6 billion proton-proton collisions per second.
The last time, the proton beams will be narrowed to less than 10 microns — a human hair is around 70 microns thick — to increase the collision rate.
ATLAS is the largest general purpose particle detector experiment at the LHC.
The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment is one of the largest international scientific collaborations in history, with the same goals as ATLAS, but which uses a different magnet-system design.
Previous runs & ‘God Particle’ discovery
Ten years ago, in 2012, scientists at CERN had announced to the world the discovery of the Higgs boson or the ‘God Particle’during the LHC’s first run.
The discovery concluded the decades-long quest for the ‘force-carrying’ subatomic particle, and proved the existence of the Higgs mechanism, a theory put forth in the mid-sixties.
This led to Peter Higgs and his collaborator François Englert being awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 2013.
The Higgs boson and its related energy field are believed to have played a vital role in the creation
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Chenkurinji
Mains level: Not Much
This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in The Hindu.
Chenkurinji
Chenkurinji (Gluta travancorica) is a species endemic to the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.
Belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, the tree was once abundant in the hills on the southern parts of the Aryankavu Pass in Kerala’s Kollam district.
The Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary derives its name Chenkurinji (Gluta travancorica), a species endemic to the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.
Why in news?
It is very susceptible to climate change and the present condition of the species is quite bad with low regeneration performance.
Though there are seemingly enough number of the tree, most are not productive, generating a negative trend in its population.
The majority of the trees is old with poor flowering and fruiting rates.
Though the flowering usually happens in January, of late, the species has reported a tendency to extend the process due to climate change.
Significance of Chenkurinji
It is reported to have medicinal properties and is used to lower blood pressure and treat arthritis.
