SECTION-I
MAINS
ARTICLES 226 AND 355
GS Paper-II
Context: A High Court does not have the authority to direct the Centre to invoke Article 355 under Article 226 of the Constitution (its writ jurisdiction).
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Article 355 of the Indian Constitution [Part XVIII (Article 352-360) – “Emergency Provisions”] |
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| Description | It shall be the duty of the Union to protect every state in India against external aggression and internal disturbances and to issue directions to any state to ensure compliance with the Union’s laws and regulations. |
| Significance | The provision is designed to ensure that the government can act swiftly and decisively in the event of any disturbance or threat to the peace and security of the state/country. Recently, it was invoked in Manipur. |
| Article 355 vs 356 | Article 356 empowers the President to impose President’s Rule in a state in case of a failure or breakdown of constitutional machinery in a state. |
| Under Article 356, all of the state machinery is taken under the centre’s jurisdiction. However, under Article 355, only the state’s law and order (a state subject) is taken under the centre’s jurisdiction (duration not specified in the Constitution). | |
| Recommendations to prevent misuse | S.R. Bommai’s case (1994), which held that the power of the President to dismiss a State government (under Article 356) is not absolute. |
| Sarkaria Commission Report, which had explained a whole range of actions on the part of the Centre possible under Article 355. | |
Indian Constitutional Writs
- Defined as: A court-issued legal instrument that commands a person or entity to carry out a specified conduct or to stop carrying out a specific activity.
- Constitutional provisions: formulated by the High Court in accordance with Article 226 and Article 32 of the Indian Constitution, respectively.
- Types include Quo Warranto (by what warrant), Habeas Corpus (to have a body of), Mandamus (we command), Certiorari (to certify), and Prohibition.
- 226 vs. Article 32:
The decision:
- The Madras High Court made the decision while rejecting a writ petition that claimed the constitutional system had collapsed as a result of a mob attack on IT officials.
- According to the HC, Article 355 appears to have drawn inspiration from both the US and Australian Constitutions.
The Union is able to provide all aid under the purview of Article 355, even in the absence of a particular request from the State Government.
- Under the definition of Article 355, the episode in which IT officials were mobbed would not be considered an internal disturbance.
- The following phrases
Internal disturbance could only be a feeling of household disorder (which could take the form of a security issue) and
A significant public disturbance would be necessary for “external aggression,” jeopardising state administration and security.
Prelims:
What conditions allow the President of India to declare a financial emergency? What effects does a declaration that is still in effect have? (UPSC 2018)
UPSC 2022 Prelim
Consider the following claims in relation to the writs issued by the Indian courts:
- Mandamus won’t accuse a private company of wrongdoing unless it has been given a public obligation.
- Even if a company is a government company, Mandamus won’t falsely accuse it.
- Any anyone with a concern for the public may petition the court to issue a writ of Quo Warranto.
Which of the aforementioned statements is true?
- only 1 and 2
- just numbers two and three
- only numbers 1 and 3
- 1, 2 and 3
Ans: 3
Origin: TH
INDIA’S ISSUE WITH MANUAL SCAVENGING
GS Paper-II
Mechanisms, Laws, Institutions, and Bodies Established for the Protection and Improvement of Vulnerable Sections are on the course syllabus.
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, according to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE), has made all filthy latrines sanitary, eliminating the issue of manual scavenging.
Manual scavenging is a common practise in India:
- Defined: Manual scavenging includes cleaning and maintaining septic tanks, sewers, and gutters as well as manually removing human waste from dry latrines, public streets, and other locations.
- India’s prevalence of:
- As of 2018, up to 58,000 people worked as manual scavengers.
o Sewer cleaning that was dangerous resulted in 48 fatalities in 2022. In 2021, 49 people were involved; in 2020, 19, and in 2019, 117.
o People from lower castes and Dalits are more likely to engage in the practise, which is said to be the worst remaining example of untouchability.
Attempts to eradicate manual scavenging:
The 2013 Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act’s key characteristics are:
- Manual scavenging is prohibited.
- By incorporating all types of manual removal of human excreta, it expanded the definition of manual scavengers.
- By conducting training programmes (with a salary of Rs. 3,000) and providing scholarships to their offspring, it places a significant emphasis on the rehabilitation of manual scavengers.
- It makes manual scavenging a cognizable offence that is not subject to bail.
- It mandates that workers receive protective equipment from their employers.
Other initiatives
- The manual scavenger rehabilitation programme provided a one-time cash payment of 40,000 apiece to the 58,000 recognised sewage employees.
o Additionally, 22,000 of them have been linked to courses for skill development.
- The NAMASTE programme aims to completely automate sewage work. The NAMASTE programme has now amalgamated with the rehabilitation programme for manual scavengers, which was introduced in 2022.
Concerns:
- Lack of funding: The Union Budget for 2023–24 allocated just 100 crores for the NAMASTE programme and none for the rehabilitation programme.
- Less than half of the sewage employees identified are enrolled in programmes for skill development.
- Manual scavenging continues to be done in India despite all efforts. Only 520 districts nationwide declared themselves to be free from manual scavenging.
Future:
- Administrations should put a priority on ensuring that there are no fatalities from cleaning septic tanks and sewers in a dangerous manner.
- Each local government must list and describe every septic tank/sewer worker in their jurisdiction.
- Offer them safety gear and occupational training.
- Enrol them in the Ayushman Bharat health insurance programme.
Top recommendations:
- The startup Genrobotics created the world’s first robotic scavenger, the Bandicoot Robot, as part of the Make in India and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiatives.
- Kerala became the first state in the nation to clean every commissioned manhole with robotic technology (Bandicoot).
Origin: TH
SUMMIT OF THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION (SCO)
GS Paper-II
Context: India hosted the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting for the first time as a full member, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Summit conclusions (New Delhi Declaration):
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Outcomes |
Significance |
| Inclusion of Iran as the ninth member of the SCO | Expansion of the SCO’s membership, bringing in additional regional dynamics.
Note: Other 8 members of SCO are– China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan |
| Agreement on countering radicalization | Cooperation among member states to address activities of terrorist, separatist and extremist groups, preventing the spread of religious intolerance, aggressive nationalism, ethnic and racial discrimination, xenophobia etc |
| Joint statement on digital transformation | Sharing of expertise and cooperation in digital technologies and payment systems |
| SCO Year of Environment | Members agreed to declare 2024 as the SCO Year of Environment. |
| Criticism of non-UN sanctions | Rejection of non-UN sanctions that negatively impact other countries |
| Exploration of national currencies for payments | Potential reduction of dependence on international dollar-based payments |
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India’s Initiatives: |
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| Five new pillars of Cooperation within SCO | Pillars include: Startups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Youth Empowerment, Digital Inclusion, and Shared Buddhist Heritage |
| Engagement with People | Enhancing engagement among people through SCO Millet Food Festival, Film Festival, International Conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage etc. |
| Culture | Varanasi was declared the first tourism and cultural capital of SCO |
| India’s abstention from endorsing China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) | Reflects concerns over China’s influence and projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir |
Analysis:
India decided to join the SCO because of its economic importance, concerns about local security, and the chance to interact with Central Asian markets and resources. The Prime Minister’s State visit to the United States and worries about tensions with China and Pakistan may have had an impact on the SCO summit, which was originally scheduled as an in-person event but later changed to a virtual summit. There may be a perception of decreasing rewards from India’s engagement with the SCO after its term as chair of the organisation comes to an end, it is feared.
Conclusion:
Despite the SCO’s limitations, the current results demonstrate the importance of India’s hosting the summit, the SCO’s membership expansion, collaboration on important topics, and India’s position on regional security concerns.
Prelims
The SCO helps India achieve its goals of geopolitical balance and regional participation, while China and Pakistan’s presence negates any positive effects. Has India benefited significantly from the SCO? Examine critically. (15M)
Origin: TH
SECTION-II
PRELIMS
JAMI MO JUNGLE YOJANA
The “Mo Jungle Jami Yojana” (MJJY) programme, which aims to successfully execute the terms of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006, has been declared by the government of Odisha.
If implemented effectively, Odisha will be the first state to fully adhere to the Forest Rights Act, encompassing
- Exclusive forest rights
Rights in community forests
- Habitat rights for indigenous communities that are more susceptible
- Forest conversion and unsurveyed villages
The plan will give Scheduled Tribes and the populace who live in forests access to land ownership and improved livelihoods and food security. It includes digitising records, turning unsurveyed and uninhabited communities into economically viable ones, and setting up Forest Rights Cells for oversight and evaluation.
Application: The plan can be used as an illustration in the paper on Indian society or anthropology.
Source: DTE
INFOCHEMICALS
Animal chemical communication is being impacted by climate change, with significant ramifications for ecosystems and human welfare. Infochemicals, or chemical signals, control ecological processes and are essential in interactions between organisms. The synthesis of these compounds, including pheromones, is changing due to climate change, which affects many species and disrupts essential behaviours.
- Example 1: Some ant species’ pheromones degrade in warm temperatures, making it challenging for ants to follow trails.
- Example 2: Coral reef damselfish lose their ability to recognise predators, while rising CO2 levels in the water impact water fleas’ ability to evade predators.
Example 3: Chemical interactions across entire ecosystems are disrupted by stressors linked to climate change, which has ramifications for pathogens that cause disease and their hosts.
In order to reduce the consequences of climate change on communication and maintain ecological balance, it is crucial to understand these repercussions.
Use: Environmental papers may make use of the examples.
Source: DTE
APPEAL TO “RELIGION-NEUTRALIZE” THE SCHEDULED CASTE STATUS
The SC has taken into consideration a request to prohibit giving or taking away groups’ status as Scheduled Castes based on their religious identity.
The request:
- Has disputed the constitutionality of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950, which was adopted in accordance with Article 341(1).
O In accordance with Article 341 (1), the President may designate certain castes and classes as Scheduled Castes in a State (after consulting with the Governor) or a UT.
o According to the 1950 Order, no one who is not a Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist may be classified as a Scheduled Caste.
- Since the word “religion” doesn’t even appear in Article 341(1), the 1950 Order’s prohibition on Christians and Muslims should be repealed.
Dalit converts’ scheduled caste status:
- The Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission (2007) recommended that Dalit Muslims and Christians be given Scheduled Caste Reservation. The report had been rejected by the Centre.
- In order to investigate the issue of awarding SC status to people who have traditionally belonged to the SC but have converted to other religions outside Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, a new Commission (headed by G. Balakrishnan) was constituted in 2022.
Origin: TH
INVESTMENT FUND SWAMIH
The PM congratulated the newly-homeowners in Bengaluru’s inaugural SWAMIH Fund project, which assisted more over 3000 people in purchasing their ideal residences.
The SWAMIH Investment Fund is what?
- In 2019, a social impact fund called the Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) was established with the sole purpose of completing residential projects that were under pressure and in limbo.
- SBICAP Ventures Ltd., a State Bank Group company, manages the Fund on behalf of the Ministry of Finance.
- Because it takes into account – it is regarded as the lender of last resort for distressed projects.
o First-time programmers,
o Proven developers with problematic projects,
o Contractors who have a history of postponed projects,
o NPA accounts and customer complaints, and even in cases where there are legal concerns.
- The Fund’s involvement in a project frequently serves as a catalyst for improved sales and collections, especially in projects that have been put off for years.
- With a goal of providing priority debt financing for the completion of stressed, brownfield, and RERA-registered residential projects that fall under the affordable, mid-income housing category, it has raised Rs 15,530 crore so far.
Source: PIB
REGULATING THE DIGITAL MARKET
To eliminate the duplication of rules on digital markets, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and the Ministry of Information Technology (MeitY) in India have clarified their separate duties in the regulation of the digital market.
Defined Roles:
| Ministry |
Role |
| Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) | Oversees all competition issues in the digital market. |
| Ministry of Information Technology (MeitY) | Handles sector-specific and technical issues in the digital market. |
Indian digital market situation:
- The digital market in India is expanding and changing quickly. It includes a number of industries, including social networking, digital advertising, digital payments, and e-commerce. By 2025–2026, it is anticipated to reach $1 trillion.
- To control the expanding digital market, the government is seeking to introduce regulations like the Digital India Act and the Digital Competition Law.
Source: HBL
‘TIME DILATION’ IN THE EARLY COSMOS IS SHOWN BY VIOLENT BLACK HOLES.
Context: To show “time dilation” in the early universe, researchers used studies of quasars, strong black holes.
- The research revealed that at a time when the universe was far more primitive, 12.3 billion years ago, time moved just about a fifth as swiftly as it does now.
The Quasars:
Supermassive black holes known as quasars are extremely active objects that are millions to billions of times more massive than the sun and are typically found at the centres of galaxies.
- A brilliant disc of matter spins around them as they consume matter brought to them by their powerful gravitational attraction and unleash a hail of radiation, including jets of high-energy particles.
Significance:
- The universe has been expanding since the Big Bang, according to Einstein’s theory of relativity, which is supported by this.
A second would still feel like a second if one could travel back in time, but from the viewpoint of someone living now, a second back then would pass in five seconds. This study demonstrates the complexity of time in contemporary physics and contributes to the body of evidence for time dilation based on studies of supernovas.
Origin: IE
GRAVITY HOLE
An enormous and enigmatic “Gravity Hole” in the Indian Ocean may contain the remains of a former sea that vanished millions of years ago, according to a recent research.
Describe Gravity Hole.
A huge gravity anomaly, or place where gravity differs noticeably from the surrounding areas, is referred to as a “Gravity Hole”. It is distinguished by a markedly lower gravitational attraction than would be predicted based on the Earth’s typical gravitational field.
Gravity holes can have a variety of causes, including as geological features, changes in mass distribution, or other elements that have an impact on the gravitational field at a specific location.
The phenomena is anticipated to last for millions more years after having evolved roughly 20 million years ago.
Details about the News
The Gravity Hole is a vast area in the Indian Ocean that is 1,200 kilometres southwest of India’s southernmost tip. Because of the gravity’s weak pull, the sea level in the Indian Ocean above the “hole” is around 106 metres lower than the normal level for the entire world. The Indian Ocean Geoid Low (IOGL), a prominent oceanic depression, was first identified in 1948.
- This enormous depression, known as the Indian Ocean Geoid Low (IOGL), is approximately 2 million square miles in size and is located more than 600 miles beneath the Earth’s crust.
- The study suggests that the IOGL is made up of chunks from the Tethys Ocean, which was a body of water that once stood between the supercontinents of Laurasia and Gondwana.
- It is thought that the Tethys Ocean had an impact on the African Large Low Shear Velocity province, causing plumes to form beneath the Indian Ocean.
Origin: Hindustan Times
TOMV AND CMV
Context: Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) outbreaks in Maharashtra and tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) attacks in Karnataka and other South Indian states have resulted in crop losses for tomato growers in both regions.
- The two viruses have different viral families and modes of transmission.
- Whereas CMV is spread by aphids, ToMV mostly spreads through contaminated seeds, saplings, and agricultural implements.
- The spread of CMV is aided by high temperatures followed by brief periods of rain.
Following biosafety guidelines, treating seeds, getting rid of infected material, and using proper agricultural practises are all necessary for viral control. ToMV can slumber in weeds and plant remnants, whereas CMV can have a broad variety of hosts, making management more difficult.
Origin: IE
LAW FOR NATURE RESTORATION
The European Union (EU) has been urged by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to engage in nature restoration, highlighting the long-term financial consequences of doing otherwise.
What is the law for nature restoration?
A piece of proposed legislation called the Nature Restoration Law would restore and protect ecosystems and natural regions. In a variety of fields, including agriculture, forestry, marine, freshwater, and urban systems, it establishes legally obligatory goals for nature restoration.
Accord with the EU:
- The IUCN encouraged the EU to develop a focused and significant restoration for boosting the resiliency and sustainability of the EU economy in May 2023.
- The EU Council recently vowed to restore all of its ecosystems by 2050 and agreed to restore 20% of its land and sea by 2030.
Restoration of nature is crucial
- The IUCN emphasises the outstanding returns on investing in nature restoration, with every Euro invested yielding benefits of 38 Euros and an eight-fold return.
- Restoring the environment is crucial for achieving resilience, climate, and biodiversity goals.
- It is essential to fulfil these aims for preserving healthy ecosystems.
IUCN facts
The International Union for Conservation of wildlife is a global organisation that works to conserve wildlife and ensure the sustainable use of natural resources. Its headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland. It is involved in activism, education, field initiatives, research, data collection, and analysis.
Source: DTE