WAM 2022 L December

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ENVIRONMENT & GEOGRAPHY ....................... 39

INDIAN POLITY ....................................................... 1
1. UN BIODIVERSITY CONFERENCE: COP 15 .... 39
1. KARNATAKA - MAHARASHTRA BORDER
2. GREEN METHANOL ............................................ 40
DISPUTE ............................................................................ 1
3. STATE OF GLOBAL WATER REPORT, 2021 ... 41
2. RULE 267 OF THE RAJYA SABHA RULEBOOK ... 1
Context ....................................................................... 41
3. CAG’S AUDIT REPORT ON ASSAM NRC ............ 2
4. WORLD BANK REPORT ON AIR POLLUTION .. 42
4. REVIEW PETITION ................................................ 3
5. WESTERN DISTURBANCES ................................ 42
5. ARTICLE 200 ......................................................... 4
6. CCUS POLICY FRAMEWORK ............................. 44
6. ELECTION COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS ......... 6
7. WORLD BANK REPORT ON INDIA’S COOLING
7. ZONAL COUNCILS .................................................. 8
SECTOR ........................................................................... 44
8. MULTI-STATE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES
8. ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION, AWARENESS AND
(AMENDMENT) BILL, 2022 .......................................... 9
TRAINING ....................................................................... 45
9. APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL OF GOVERNORS
9. EFFECT OF GM CROPS ON LIVELIHOOD .......... 46
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10. GREAT BARRIER REEF IN DANGER ............ 46
GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL ISSUES ................. 12 11. HIMALAYAN MEDICINAL PLANTS: IUCN LIST
1. CITY FINANCE RANKINGS 2022 ...................... 12 47
2. ONLINE GAMBLING ............................................. 12 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ................................... 48
3. POCSO - CRIMINALISATION OF CONSENSUAL
1. INDIA’S FIRST SPACE VEHICLE LAUNCHPAD ... 48
RELATIONSHIPS .............................................................. 14
2. SPIN ..................................................................... 48
4. JAN VISHWAS BILL, 2022 ................................. 16
3. TRISONIC WIND TUNNEL .................................. 49
5. CONJUGAL RIGHTS OF PRISONERS .................... 17
4. HAKUTO - R MISSION ........................................ 50
6. BAN ON THE SALE OF SINGLE STICKS OF
5. GEMINIDS METEOR SHOWER ........................... 51
CIGARETTES .................................................................... 19
6. SURFACE WATER AND OCEAN TOPOGRAPHY
7. MIGRANT WORKERS .......................................... 20
(SWOT) ........................................................................ 51
8. PRIVATE HEALTHCARE IN INDIA ...................... 22
7. CHINA REGULATES DEEPFAKE TECHNOLOGY 52
9. MINISTRY FOR DIVYANG IN MAHARASHTRA .. 23
8. UNCONTROLLED RE-ENTRIES OF SATELLITE . 52
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS .......................... 24 9. ZOMBIE VIRUS .................................................... 53
1. INDIA-CENTRAL ASIA NSA MEET ................... 24 10. SAND BATTERY ............................................. 53
2. GLOBAL MINIMUM TAX ..................................... 25 INTERNAL SECURITY & DEFENCE ................... 55
3. STANDING COMMITTEE REPORT ON INDIA’S
1. RANSOMWARE ATTACK .................................... 55
SOFT POWER .................................................................. 26
2. VOICE RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY ................ 56
4. UN COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
3. SMUGGLING IN INDIA REPORT 2021-22 ....... 57
27
4. GLOBAL RESPONSE TO TERRORISM ................. 58
5. LUSOPHONE COUNTRIES .................................... 28
5. INS MORMUGAO ................................................ 59
6. PARIS CLUB .......................................................... 28
6. AGNI-V BALLISTIC MISSILE ............................... 60
ECONOMY ................................................................ 29 7. VAGIR SUBMARINE ............................................. 61
1. FREE FOOD GRAINS FOR 81 CRORES NFSA HISTORY & CULTURE .......................................... 63
BENEFICIARIES ............................................................... 29
1. HORNBILL FESTIVAL ......................................... 63
2. CONTRACTUAL LABOUR ..................................... 30
2. VEER BALDIWAS ................................................ 63
3. RURAL MANUFACTURING .................................. 31
3. THREAT TO GEOGLYPHS IN RATNAGIRI .......... 64
4. BIG TECH AND THE LAW .................................... 33
4. KUMBHALGARH FORT ....................................... 65
5. SUSTAINED GROWTH IN REMITTANCES .......... 34
5. PROTECTION OF GLACIAL-PERIOD COASTAL
6. INCREASING LABOUR CRISIS POST-PANDEMIC
RED SAND DUNES ......................................................... 65
36
6. JALLIKATU ........................................................... 66
7. E-RUPEE LAUNCHED BY RBI ............................. 37
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INDIAN POLITY
1. Karnataka - Maharashtra Border Dispute

Context
● The dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra over areas that are claimed by both
States has deepened leading to violence.
● Campaigners favoring the merger of Karnataka’s Marathi-speaking regions with
Maharashtra upped the ante by organizing a conference in Belgaum.
Details
● Almost all States in India comprise linguistic minorities that are accorded special rights. The
Maharashtra-Karnataka dispute arises due to a lack of appreciation of this reality.
● In 1957, the Government of Maharashtra claimed 814 villages and the 3 urban settlements
of Belagavi, Karwar, and Nippani in Karnataka. In retaliation, Karnataka not only rebuffed
these claims but also began to claim areas in Kolhapur, Sholapur, and Sangli districts in
Maharashtra.
● On 22nd of December 2022, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly passed a resolution to
protect its interests and regarded the dispute as a “closed chapter”.
● On 27th of December 2022, the Maharashtra government retaliated by passing a resolution
unanimously to legally undertake the inclusion of 865 Marathi-speaking villages of
Karnataka into the State.
Mahajan Commission
● In 1966, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi set up a one-man commission led by former
Chief Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan.
● The Commission submitted its report in August 1967 and recommended that 264 villages
be transferred to Maharashtra and that Belgaum and 247 villages remain with Karnataka.
● Maharashtra rejected the report and has called it biased and illogical.
○ Maharashtra has been demanding another review ever since.
● On the other hand, Karnataka has welcomed the report and has urged for its
implementation, as it has not been formally done by the Centre.
2. Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook

Context
Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook has become a bone of contention in the ongoing Winter
Session (2022) of the Parliament.
Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook

● Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook deals with the “Suspension of rules”.
● According to the Rule, “any member, may, with the consent of the Chairman, move that
any rule may be suspended in its application to a motion related to the business listed
before the Council of that day and if the motion is carried, the rule in question shall be
suspended for the time being”.

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● The Rule mainly allows for the suspension of the day’s business to debate an important
issue suggested by a member.
● As per the Rule, the Chairman alone has the power to give consent for moving a motion
for suspension of a rule and it is for the House to decide whether a particular rule should
be suspended or not.
● Further, any member of the House can issue a notice to the Chairperson for a discussion
on an issue under Rule 267.
● The last instance of the use of this provision was in 2016 when the then Chairman Hamid
Ansari allowed for a debate on the “demonetisation of currency”.
3. CAG’s Audit Report on Assam NRC

Context
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its compliance report of “logistical
arrangements for NRC update project in Assam” has found several anomalies in the updating of
the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.
What is the NRC exercise in Assam?

● The National Register of Citizens (NRC) was first created in Assam in 1957.
● NRC was created with the aim to identify individuals born in India and migrants from
Bangladesh (former East Pakistan).
● In 2013, the Supreme Court directed the Union and the State Governments to undertake
an exercise to update the 1951 register in Assam.
● Thus the key objective of the drive was to identify illegal immigrants who had migrated to
Assam during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war. The NRC has only been published once
in 1951 and it has not been updated since then.
● The first draft was notified in 2018 and a final list was published in 2019. This register
included those who could establish their Indian citizenship by being residents or
descendants of people living in Assam before March 25, 1971, which was the cut-off date
for deportation of foreigners according to the Assam Accord of August 1985.
● Over 19.06 lakh people out of 3.3 crore applicants were not included in the register due to
inadequate documentation in order to prove their citizenship.
● The issue has become controversial as various political parties have dismissed the final list
as faulty and the process is now paused because the Registrar General of India (RGI) has
not yet released the final list.
Concerns highlighted by the CAG

● Cost overrun: When the process to update the NRC was initiated in December 2014 and
was to be completed by February 2015, the project cost was estimated to be ₹288.18
crores.
○ However, the CAG report has pointed out a fivefold increase in the cost by March
2022 because of the extended time taken to complete the process.
○ As per the report, the final draft was notified in August 2019 and the project cost
had increased to ₹1,602.66 crores.

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○ The test check of records has further revealed irregularities in the usage of funds
such as excess and inadmissible payments to vendors.
● Payment of wages: The CAG in its report has noted that the wages paid to the outsourced
staff were about 45% to 64% less than the amount approved by the NRC coordination
committee.
○ Further, this difference in wages was used to extend an undue benefit of ₹155.83
crores to the system integrator beyond the 10% reasonable profit margin.
● Irregularities with the system: The CAG in its report has pointed out that secure and reliable
software was needed to facilitate the NRC exercise, but more than 215 software utilities
were added to the core software.
○ Further, this was done without abiding by the due process of software
development and vendor selection through the means of tendering.
○ Wipro Limited was one of the prime software installation companies for NRC.
Recommendations of the CAG

● The report of the CAG has recommended strict actions against the State Coordinator of
National Registration (SCNR) for excess, irregular and inadmissible payments.
● The CAG report has also recommended holding the SCNR accountable as the principal
employer for its failure to comply with the Minimum Wages Act.
● Further, the CAG has also recommended penal actions against Wipro Limited for not
complying with the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act as payments to the data
operators were made at rates less than the amount prescribed as minimum wages.
4. Review Petition
Context
The Supreme Court dismissed the review petition of Bilkis Bano on 13 December 2022.
Constitutional Provision: Under Article 137 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court has the power
to review any of its judgments or orders.
Scope of Review
● The Court has the power to review its rulings to correct a “patent error” and not “minor
mistakes of inconsequential import”. A review is by no means an appeal in disguise.
● That means the Court is allowed not to take fresh stock of the case but to correct grave
errors that have resulted in the miscarriage of justice.
Filing Review Petition
● As per the Civil Procedure Code and the Supreme Court Rules, any person aggrieved by a
ruling can seek a review. This implies that it is not necessary that only parties to a case can
seek a review of the judgment.
● A Review Petition has to be filed within 30 days of the date of judgment or order.
● In certain circumstances, the court can condone the delay in filing the review petition if the
petitioner can establish strong reasons that justify the delay.
Associated Concerns - Aspects which were overlooked: Bilkis Bano petition

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● Writ petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution are not maintainable against judicial
orders, particularly High Court (HC) orders as it is a constitutional court. It should be
remembered that the Gujarat HC rejected the writ petition of the convict on July 17, 2019.
● The foundation of the SC’s judgment of May 13, 2022, was its finding that the State of
Gujarat was the appropriate government instead of Maharashtra, which finding is
rendered without considering Section 432(7)(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
● It is argued that a two-judge Bench of the apex court could not have adopted a contrary
interpretation without referring the issue to a larger Bench.
● Additionally, SC had relied heavily on a Bombay High Court order of August 5, 2013, which
did not hold what the Court ascribed to it in paragraphs 5 and 12 of the judgment under
review.
● It is contended that SC ignored a binding nine-judge Constitution Bench decision in Naresh
Shridhar Mirajkar (1966) and another five-judge Constitution Bench in Triveniben (1989),
which held that a judgment of a court can never be challenged in a writ petition under
Article 32.
● Moreover, the apex court also overlooked another Constitution Bench decision in Union of
India vs V. Sriharan (2015) which held that if an offence is committed in State A, but the trial
takes place and a sentence is passed in State B, it is the government of the latter which
should be considered the appropriate government.
● In Madhya Pradesh vs Ratan Singh (1976) it was decided to make “an authoritative decision
on the important principle involved in the case”, and held that “it is the State where the
accused was convicted which alone has the power to grant remissions of the sentence”.
● One of the major concerns associated with the case is that the rejection of a compelling
review petition not only does injustice to the victim but also questions the prestige of the
Supreme Court.
5. Article 200
Context
The Telangana State Planning Board’s Vice Chairman in a letter addressed to the Law Commission’s
Chairman requested to amend Article 200 of the Constitution of India to ensure more
accountability on part of state governors.
About Article 200

● Article 200 of the Indian Constitution deals with the powers of the Governor with regard
to assent given to bills passed by the State legislature and other powers of the Governor
such as reserving the bill for the President’s consideration.
● When a Bill has been passed by the State legislature, it shall be presented to the Governor
and the Governor can,
○ Give his assent
○ Withhold his assent
○ Return the bill
○ Reserve the bill for the President’s consideration (In instances where the bill
introduced in the state legislature endangers the position of the state High Court.)

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● The Governor shall reserve for the consideration of the President any Bill which in the
opinion of the Governor would, if it became law, so derogate from the powers of the High
Court as to endanger the position which that Court is by this Constitution designed to fill.
Rationale behind Article 200

● The real objective behind Article 200 was to let an independent Governor act as a check
and balance, to avoid the state-enacted law being repugnant to the Union laws.
● Some State governments expressed an opinion before the Sarkaria Commission that a
“Governor will act as a safety valve against hasty legislations and by their operation enable
the State Government and Legislature to have a second look at it”.
Issues with Article 200

● Article 200 does not prescribe a timeline for the Governor to provide assent to Bills sent by
the Legislative Assembly.
● This has been used to advantage by the Governors of various States to obscure the
mandate of democratically elected governments.
● When a Governor refuses to sign a bill that has been duly enacted by the legislature, he
undermines the federal structure of the Constitution.
● Even the President is taking too long to give assent to the bills that the Governor had
deferred for the President’s consideration.
○ For Instance, The President has not yet acted on the National Eligibility cum
Entrance Test (NEET)-exemption Bill passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly, after it
was referred to the President in May 2022.
● There is no timeline prescribed for the President, under Article 201 of the Constitution, to
decide on the outcome of the Bill.
Several Calls for Reforms

● In Purushothaman Nambudiri vs State of Kerala (1962), a Constitution Bench of the
Supreme Court clarified that the Constitution does not impose any time limit within which
the Governor should provide assent to Bills.
● However, the Court has maintained that the Governor must honour the will of the
Legislature and that the President or a Governor can act only in harmony with their Council
of Ministers.
● The ‘National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution’ headed by Justice
Venkatachaliah recommended that “there should be a time-limit — say a period of six
months — within which the Governor should take a decision whether to grant assent or to
reserve a Bill for consideration of the President.”
● The Sarkaria Commission suggested that delay can be avoided by streamlining the existing
procedures thus by making prior consultation with the Governor at the stage of the
drafting of the Bill itself, and by prescribing time limits for its disposal.
Way Forward
● An unreasonable delay in granting administrative sanction would be violative of the rule of
law. Therefore, it implies that the Governor will have to grant assent or decline the same
within a ‘reasonable time’.

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● The Supreme Court in a case on anti-defection law held that the Speaker must act on
disqualification petitions against the defecting MLAs within a ‘reasonable time’.
○ It clarified in the same judgment that reasonable time is three months in the case
of disqualification petitions.
● The Constitution should be read contextually to provide a meaning that the Governor must
act on the Bills within a reasonable time- three months, in line with the above judgment.
6. Election Commission Appointments

Context
● A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India heard an important case about the way
in which the Election Commission of India (ECI) is constituted, and the appointment of
Election Commissioners.
● The issues before the Court are:
○ Constitutionality of complete executive control over appointments to the ECI.
○ If unconstitutional, then the procedure of appointment preserving the
independence of the ECI, and the fairness of elections.
Introduction
● A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is examining a bunch of petitions
recommending reforms in the process of appointment of members of the Election
Commission.
● A batch of four public interest litigations (PILs) pressed for the issuance of directives to the
Centre for setting up a neutral and independent selection panel for recommending names
to the President for appointments as CEC and ECs.
● The Supreme Court Bench is also expected to examine electoral reforms suggested to
governments by successive Election Commissions over the last two decades or so.
● A list of over 20 reform proposals was compiled in 2004. More proposals were added to
the list over time and are pending with the government.
● These range from strengthening the Commission’s inherent structure to handling the
misuse of muscle and money power during elections that violate the Model Code of
Conduct.
Current issues with appointments

● At present, ECI is a three-member body, with a CEC and two ECs. Under Article 324(2) of
the Constitution, the President is empowered to appoint the CEC and ECs.
● This provision further stipulates that the President, who acts on the aid and advice of the
Prime Minister and the council of ministers, will make the appointments ‘subject to the
provisions of any law made in that behalf by Parliament’.
● However, with no such law having been framed till date, CEC and ECs are appointed by the
Prime Minister and the council of ministers under the seal of the President. The rules for
such appointments are also silent on the qualification of a candidate.
● This may result in the
○ likelihood of bias in the appointments
○ possibility of biased conduct by CEC and ECs in the future
○ scope for personal whimsy in appointments of EC

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● Uncertainty over the elevation of an Election Commissioner to the post of CEC makes them
vulnerable to government pressure.
● The ECs must also be provided with security of tenure as they can be removed from office
on the CEC’s recommendation.
○ Without the security of tenure, they may hesitate to act independently, which they
otherwise might if they were truly secure.
Various recommendations on appointments to Election Commission

● Dinesh Goswami Committee in 1990 suggested that the Chief Election Commissioner be
appointed by the President in consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the Leader
of the Opposition (and in case the Leader of the Opposition was not available, then
consultation be held with the leader of the largest opposition group in the Lok Sabha). It
said this process should have statutory backing.
○ It also applied the same criteria to the appointments of Election Commissioners,
along with consultation with the Chief Election Commissioner.
● National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, under Justice M.N.
Venkatachaliah, said that the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election
Commissioners should be appointed on the recommendation of a body comprising the
Prime Minister, the Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the
Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
● 255th Report of the Law Commission, chaired by Justice A.P. Shah, said the appointment
of all the Election Commissioners should be made by the President in consultation with a
three-member collegium consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition of
the Lok Sabha (or the leader of the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha), and the
Chief Justice of India.
○ It also suggested measures to safeguard Election Commissioners from arbitrary
removal similar to the Chief Election Commissioner, who can only be removed by
impeachment.
● Supreme Court in its judgment in the T.N. Seshan case 1995, conferred equal powers on
the Election Commissioners as those enjoyed by the Chief Election Commissioner and even
offered majority power, whereby any two can overrule even the Chief Election
Commissioner.
‘Fourth Branch Institution’ of Modern Democracy

● As per the classical understanding of modern democracy, there are 3 “wings” of the state:
the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary.
● Conventionally, bodies that are involved with administrative and implementation issues
like elections fall within the executive domain.
● However, in contemporary times, it is a well-accepted fact that healthy constitutional
democracies require “fourth branch institutions” (or “integrity institutions”) as various
basic rights and guarantees cannot be effective without an infrastructure of
implementation.
● The “fourth branch institutions” should be functionally independent of the political
executive because they are the vehicles for implementing rights against the executive.

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Examples from different countries

● The Constitutions of South Africa and Kenya have dedicated constitutional provisions for
“fourth branch institutions” like Human Rights Commissions, Election Commissions, etc.
calling them “integrity institutions”, and requiring them to be “independent.”
● The appointment procedure for these bodies usually involves multiple stakeholders from
different wings of the state.
● The constitutional court of South Africa observed in one of its landmark judgments that
true and functional independence is effectively impossible if the power to appoint rests
entirely within a single individual/office/entity.
India
● The Indian Constitution also has similar provisions for bodies like ECI, Comptroller and
Auditor General, the Public Service Commission(s), and the National Commission for
Scheduled Castes. Though it grants some degree of independence to these institutions like
a high threshold on the removal of officers, the power of appointment lies exclusively with
the executive.
● The Supreme Court in the Vineet Narain case held that for the rule of law to prevail, the
appointment of the CBI Director should be ratified by a three-member body comprising the
Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India.
Way Ahead
● Appointment processes should involve the government, the Opposition, independent
experts, and judicial experts, in a way such that no one has dominance or veto power.
● The Court should carefully avoid band-aid or stop-gap solutions. One possible alternative is
to suggest certain interim guidelines and leave a more permanent, structural solution to
the legislature.
● Functional and effective independence from the executive, from the moment of
appointment to retirement, and then beyond should be the guiding principle.
● Accepting and implementing various recommendations made by previous Commissions
would go a long way in strengthening the independence of the Election Commission.
● The Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners should be appointed by a
collegium. The collegium should be wide-based with selection by the top constitutional
luminaries of the country.
● The Election Commission must also be protected equally from arbitrary removal with a
constitutional amendment to provide the same removal process to other election
commissioners that currently applies only to the Chief Election Commissioner.
7. Zonal Councils
Context
25th Eastern Zonal Council meeting was held in Kolkata on December 17, 2022.
Highlights of the meeting

● Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah presided over the 25th Eastern Zonal
Council meeting in Kolkata.

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● Issues of cross-border smuggling and illegal infiltration along the India-Bangladesh border
as well as left-wing extremism were raised at the meeting.
● In his inaugural address, the Union Home Minister suggested that States should also share
the responsibility for the security of border areas along with the Border Security Force.
● The Union Home Minister said that Left Wing Extremism has almost been eliminated from
the Eastern region of India and efforts should be made to sustain this decisive dominance
over Left Wing Extremism.
● He urged states to ensure the creation of a district-level structure of the Narco
Coordination Center (NCORD) mechanism and its regular meetings for the prevention of
narcotics with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
● The meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of West Bengal and Jharkhand, the
Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and Ministers from Odisha and other senior officials of the
Ministry of Home Affairs and the States under the Council.
About Zonal Councils

● Zonal Councils are statutory bodies established under the States Reorganisation Act 1956.
● They are advisory bodies and were established to promote interstate cooperation and
coordination.
● There are five zonal councils in India, as follows:
○ Northern Zonal Council: Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and
Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan
○ Central Zonal Council: Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar
Pradesh
○ Eastern Zonal Council: Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal
○ Southern Zonal Council: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil
Nadu, and Telangana
○ Western Zonal Council: Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, and
Maharashtra
● Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as well as Lakshadweep, are not members but are special
invitees to the Southern Zonal Council.
● The north-eastern states are not members of any of the above councils. Their problems are
addressed by another statutory body, the North Eastern Council, created by the North
Eastern Council Act, 1971.
● The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils.
● The Chief Ministers of the States included in each zone act as Vice-Chairman of the Zonal
Council for that zone by rotation, each holding office for a period of one year at a time.
● Chief Minister and two other Ministers as nominated by the Governor from each of the
States and two members from Union Territories included in the zone.
8. Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022

Context
The Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, was introduced in the Lok Sabha.
What are multi-State cooperatives?

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● According to the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), cooperatives are people-
centered enterprises jointly owned and democratically controlled by and for their
members to realize common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations.
● Multi-State cooperatives are societies that have operations in more than one State — for
instance, a farmer-producers organization which procures grains from farmers from
multiple States.
● The board of directors, which represents all the States where these collectives do business,
is in charge of all administrative and financial decisions.
○ In India, there are around 1,500 MSCSs registered, with Maharashtra having the
most.
Issues with the cooperative sector
● The inclusion of cooperatives in the planning process as development instruments made it
an avenue for giving patronage to the supporters of ruling political parties.
● Cooperative societies have to follow certain rules and regulations as imposed on them by
the cooperative departments of the state government concerned. These rules include
submission and auditing of accounts which results in excessive state control.
● The management of a cooperative society generally comprises part-time or inexperienced
people who are not well equipped with the skills required to handle the managerial
functions effectively.
● MSCSs are also facing issues regarding trust, which is the very basis of cooperation. This
has brought MSCSs under multiple controls from the Centre.
● Central government monitoring takes a top-down approach as opposed to a grassroots
one.
Key provisions of the Bill

● Under the Act, elections to the board of a multi-state co-operative society are conducted
by its existing board. The Bill amends this to specify that the central government will
establish the Co-operative Election Authority to conduct and supervise such elections.
● Further, only active members will be eligible to be elected as a board member or office
bearer of the co-operative society.
○ Active members are those who are availing a minimum level of products or services
of the society, or attending at least three consecutive general meetings.
● The Union government will appoint one or more Co-operative Ombudsman with territorial
jurisdiction to inquire into complaints made by members of co-operative societies.
○ Appeals against the directions of the Ombudsman may be filed with the Central
Registrar (appointed by the central government) within a month.
● The Bill allows co-operative societies (registered under state laws) to merge into an
existing multi-state co-operative society.
○ At least two-thirds of the members of the co-operative society present and voting
at a general meeting must pass a resolution to allow such a merger.
● The Bill establishes the Co-operative Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development
Fund for revival of sick multi-state co-operative societies.
○ This fund shall be financed by existing profitable multi-State co-operative societies
which will have to deposit either ₹1 crore or 1% of the net profit into the Fund.

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● The Bill amends the composition of the board of directors to mandate the inclusion of: (i)
one Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe member, and (ii) two women members.
○ This will promote equity and facilitate inclusiveness.
○ Further, the co-opted members should have experience in the field of banking,
financing, co-operative management or specialization fields related to the
functioning of multi-state co-operative society.
Issues with the amendment bill

● Provisions enabling central Co-operative Election Authority appointed by the Centre may
lead to the concentration of power of the Centre, which could impact the “autonomy” of
MSCSs and create potential for “misuse”.
● The constitutional domain of States in regulating cooperative societies was upheld by the
Supreme Court in 2021 when it struck down a part of the 97th Constitution Amendment.
○ In 2021, the Supreme Court in Union of India vs Rajendra Shah and others case had
upheld a judgment of the Gujarat High Court which struck down Part IXB on the
ground that the amendment was passed without the requisite ratification by the
States.
● Creation of a Co-operative Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development Fund financed
by existing profitable multi-State co-operative societies would put an additional burden on
MSCSs.
9. Appointment and Removal of Governors

Context
A Rajya Sabha MP has brought a Constitutional Amendment Bill seeking to set guidelines regarding
Governors.
Key Details of the bill

● According to the bill, if a person has even been a Governor of a State, he or she shall be
disqualified from becoming a member of either House of Parliament.
● It says that the Governor of a State shall be appointed by the President by warrant under
his hand and seal, after obtaining the concurrence of the Chief Minister of the State.
● It also adds that a Governor may be removed from office before the expiry of his term by
the President on the recommendation of the Chief Minister.
● The Bill suggests amendments to Article 157 so that no person shall be eligible for
appointment as Governor unless they are an eminent personality in some walk of life.
● The person shall be disqualified if they have attained the age of 75 years or have been in
the employment of the Union or State governments or any local authority in the preceding
10 years.
● It also blocks a person who has served as a Minister in the Union, any State or Union
Territory government, or a Member of Parliament or Assemblies, or judges in higher courts,
or members of local governments in the preceding 10 years from becoming a Governor.
● It is proposed that this Bill prohibits people from serving as governors if they have held
office in a registered or recognised political party within the previous ten years.

12
GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
1. City Finance Rankings 2022

Context
The Centre has released guidelines for a new finance-based ranking of cities which tends to
evaluate urban units based on 15 key parameters which include resource mobilisation, expenditure
performance, and fiscal governance, among others.
Highlights
● A finance-based ranking of cities is aimed at encouraging city and State officials to
implement municipal financial reforms.
○ The initiative also aims to identify areas of improvement in the financial
performance of the cities which helps officials to deliver quality infrastructure and
services to ensure good quality of life for citizens.
● Cities will be ranked at the national level based on their scores under any one of the four
population categories, namely above four million, between 1 to 4 million, between 100,000
to 1 million, and less than 100,000.
○ The top three cities in each of the above categories will be recognised and
rewarded at the national level and within each State or State cluster.
● A “City Beauty Competition” initiative has also been launched which ranks cities based on
accessibility and aesthetics. Further, a separate ranking will also evaluate cities on
beautification.
○ The city beauty competition would recognise and facilitate the most beautiful
wards and public places at the city level.
2. Online Gambling
Context
Tamil Nadu government’s ordinance to ban online gambling lapsed on November 27, 2022, as the
Governor failed to grant assent to the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation
of Online Games Bill. The governor also met with representatives of the E-Gaming Federation
where they highlighted that the Supreme Court and Madras High Court had identified poker and
rummy as games of skill.
Introduction
● According to the All India Gaming Federation, India’s online gaming industry is expected to
be worth ₹15,500 crores by 2023.
● The types of online gaming include e-sports (well organised electronic sports which include
professional players), fantasy sports (choosing real life sports players and win points based
on players’ performance) and skill based (mental skill) and chance based (based on random
activity like roll of a dice) online games.

13
Need for regulation of Online Gambling
● Addiction implications: Several online games are addictive in nature and when played with
monetary stakes may lead to other issues.
○ Addicted to virtual games, losing money and falling into a debt trap have resulted
in deaths by suicide. As per an official estimate, in the last one and a half years, 32
persons died by suicide and there was one case of murder in Tamil Nadu.
○ There have reportedly been a few incidents where young people have committed
other crimes including theft and murder due to mounting debt brought on by
losses in online games.
○ Some experts think that websites that host online games may manipulate them
and that it’s possible that users aren’t playing them against other people at all, but
rather against computer programmes known as “bots,” meaning that there is no
fair chance for a regular user to win.
○ The World Health Organisation (WHO) had announced a plan to include “gaming
disorder” as a mental health condition.
● Economic implications:
○ The online gaming industry is expected to generate revenues in excess of Rs 29,000
crore in 2025 with over 65.7 crore users. It is estimated that more than 15,000 direct
and indirect jobs will be created,
○ The GST and Income Tax generated from this industry will add to the Government’s
revenue.
○ Potential to attract significant global investments;
○ Offshore gambling websites: Most of the betting in India is done on cricket
matches, through websites like Betaway, Bet365 and DafaBet. These websites are
headquartered in tax havens like Malta, Cyprus and Gibraltar but are accessible to
Indian users.
○ Third-party wallets: In India, third-party wallets like Skrill and Neteller are used to
funnel money into gambling sites. Users deposit money from their bank accounts
into these prepaid wallets, which can be used to make payments anonymously.
● Threat to Data privacy: Inadvertent sharing of personal information can lead to cases of
cheating, privacy violations, abuse, and bullying.
● Betting and gambling: Online games based on the traditional ludo, arguably the most
popular online game in India, have run into controversy, and allegations of betting and
gambling.
Laws related to online gaming in India

● Indian Constitution has enabled the State governments to formulate their own laws and
there exists no uniformity among the state laws and these mostly deal with Physical
Gambling while Online gambling remains out of the scope.
○ Betting and gambling can be found in Part II of the State list.
● Section 67 of the Information Technology Act of 2000 vaguely deals with Online Gambling
which prohibits online transmission and publication of material that “corrupts” persons.
● Rulings like Varun Gumber vs Chandigarh (Punjab & Haryana High Court), Gurdeep Singh
Sachar vs Union of India (Bombay High Court) and Avinash Mehrotra vs Rajasthan
(Supreme Court) – have found fantasy sports of a predominant format to be games of skill.

14
● In the Junglee Games case, the Madras High Court ruled that games like Poker and Rummy
are games of skill that do not come under the purview of gaming laws.
● Gambling is a non-cognisable and bailable offence in India.
Alternative routes
● Regulation of online games is better than an outright ban as it is already happening in a
massive way.
● Niti Aayog submitted a draft report titled ‘Guiding Principles for the Uniform National-Level
Regulation of Online Fantasy Sports Platforms in India’, and recommended the formation
of a self-regulatory organisation to govern fantasy gaming.
● Government regulation can help in anti-money laundering processes, and bar minors from
accessing real money games.
● Keeping in mind the sensitivity and vulnerability of children to advertisements, an
aggrieved person can approach the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) if he or
she regards any advertisement on online games as misleading.
○ According to Section 21 of the Consumer Protection Act, the CCPA can impose a
penalty of up to ₹10 lakh on manufacturers, advertisers and endorsers for any
misleading advertisement.
● The State and Union Governments should collaborate to develop specific guidelines in
cooperation with industry stakeholders in order to fully realise the potential of the online
gaming business.
3. POCSO - Criminalisation of Consensual relationships

Details
● India has the largest share of the adolescent population in the world.
● The National Family Health Surveys showed that a significant proportion of Indian
teenagers are sexually active.
POCSO and its Misuse

● The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act aims to protect children
below 18 years from sexual abuse.
● However, it is argued that it has been misused by parents of adolescent girls to curtail
sexual expression and “safeguard family honour.”
● It is also said that POCSO has the unintended effect that includes criminal prosecution and
the deprivation of liberty of young people in consensual relationships.
● The criminal investigation, trial, and simultaneous inquiry adversely impact the
adolescents’ development, education, employment, self-esteem, social reputation, and
family life.
● Adolescent boys are by default considered children in conflict with the law and can even
be tried as adults. Furthermore, the long-term consequences of a conviction for statutory
rape are incarceration and inclusion in the sex offenders registry.
● However, adolescent girls are treated as “victims” and are rendered voiceless.
● As per an analysis by Enfold Proactive Health Trust, ‘romantic cases’ (where the
relationship was consensual, according to the girls, their family members, or the court)

15
constituted around 24.3% of the total cases registered and disposed of under the POCSO
Act from 2016 to 2020 by special courts in Assam, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.
● A blanket criminalization of consensual sexual acts is in gross oversight of sexual
development, bodily integrity, and autonomy. It further violates adolescents’ right to life,
privacy, and dignity.
● The penal provisions also hamper their right to barrier-free access to sexual and
reproductive health services and information recognized under the Rashtriya Kishor
Swasthya Karyakram.
● The fear of the partner being reported to the police deters girls from availing of medical
services and forces them towards unsafe abortions.
● The inclusion of consensual and non-exploitative acts detracts from the objective of the
POCSO Act and diverts time and resources from the investigation and trial of actual cases
of sexual violence and exploitation.
○ It was found the average time between the lodging of the FIR and the disposal of
such romantic cases was 1.4 years in Assam and 2.3 years each in Maharashtra and
West Bengal.
○ There were also high acquittal rates in such romantic cases (93.8%).
○ In 81.5% of the cases, the girl refused to say anything incriminating against the
accused.
○ Moreover, in 46.5% of the cases, the victims were married to the accused. The
acquittal rate in these cases was 98.1% as courts did not wish to disturb the marital
life of the couple.
● Approximately 92.6% of cases under the POCSO Act were pending disposal in 2021, as
highlighted by Crime in India. Consensual cases are thus overburdening the criminal justice
system.
● Several High Courts have recognized that adolescent relationships are normal and
criminalization of such acts affects both parties. For example, Madras High Court in
Vijayalakshmi v. State Rep. (2021).
● The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in General Comment No.
20 urged states to balance the protection of children from sexual exploitation and abuse
with respect for their evolving autonomy.
● In 2019, it further asked states to remove status offences, which criminalize adolescents
who engage in consensual sexual acts with one another.
Way Ahead
● Comprehensive sex education should be provided to bridge knowledge gaps and build
positive skills and attitudes to enable adolescents to make informed decisions and realize
the importance of their health and dignity.
● Appropriate knowledge and skills should also be imparted to vulnerable groups like
children with disabilities or those out of school.
● An amendment to the POCSO Act and the Indian Penal Code that decriminalizes consensual
acts involving adolescents above 16 years should also be considered. However, it should
also be ensured that those in the age bracket of 16-18 are protected against non-consensual
acts.

16
● Furthermore, a provision recognizing the criminalization of acts that involve consent under
fear of death or hurt, intoxication, or if the accused is in a position of authority should be
incorporated.
● Till the time such amendments are made law enforcement agencies, child welfare
committees and juvenile justice boards may exercise their discretion in the best interest of
children.
4. Jan Vishwas Bill, 2022

Context
The Jan Vishwas Bill, 2022, was tabled in Parliament by the Union government.
Highlights
● The key objective of the Bill is to reverse the trend of overcriminalization in India by
decriminalizing about 183 offences across 42 legislations.
● Through this Bill, the government aims to improve the ease of living and doing business in
the country.
● The Bill either removes penal provisions or introduces fines in their place in various existing
laws such as the Air Act, Cinematograph Act, Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Environment
Protection Act, Forest Act, Patents Act, etc.
● And, in a few other Acts, offences would be decriminalized by imposing a penalty instead
of a fine. Further, the Bill empowers the Union Government to appoint adjudicating officers
for the purpose of determining penalties.
Concerns associated with overcriminalization

● An unprincipled growth of criminal law has been a significant issue for a long time. This act
has been termed “overcriminalization” by scholars of law.Since criminal law has often been
used as a political tool, the act of criminalisation has been used by the governments to
influence its image rather than using it to punish wrongful conduct.
● According to the National Judicial Data Grid, out of the 4.3 crore cases pending, close to
3.2 crore cases are related to criminal proceedings. Experts opine that the increasing
number of pending criminal cases has a direct relation with the number of criminal laws in
the country.
● Further, according to the National Crime Records Bureau’s data (2021), about 5.54 lakh
prisoners were housed in prisons across the country with a total capacity of only 4.25
lakh.The increase in the prison population can also be attributed to overcriminalization.
● While introducing the new Bill, the Union Commerce Minister said that the issues of
overcriminalization have impacted the ease of doing business and ease of living in the
country and the Bill has been formulated to win back the trust of the people and the
business class and therefore it is called “Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill”.
Key concerns associated with the Bill

17
● The analysis of the provisions of the Bill indicates that there has been an increased focus
on the replacement of imprisonment clauses with fines and experts believe that this alone
cannot be termed as “decriminalization” instead they term it as “quasi-decriminalisation”.
● According to Andrew Ashworth’s seminal piece titled “Is the Criminal Law a Lost Cause?”,
the objective of a “tax” is mainly regulatory in nature whereas a “fine” carries an element
of censure and stigma with it.
○ This functional difference is being increasingly diluted under the legislative
frameworks which use these elements of censure and stigma in regulatory
domains.
● According to the report of the Observer Research Foundation titled “Jailed for Doing
Business”, there were over 26,134 imprisonment provisions in about 843 economic laws,
rules and regulations which regulated economic activities in India.
○ Considering the above numbers, the number of offences deregulated by the new
Bill seems to be very few.
Way forward
● The regulatory offences which are considered for “decriminalisation” must not just be
prioritised based on the view of ease of doing business, but also by considering the wider
views of the issues that hinder the country’s criminal justice system.
● An examination of the Bill indicates that the government’s move to decriminalisation is
limited only to the regulatory domains. However, experts suggest that it is now time to
shift the focus also towards existing penal offences.
● Acknowledging the controversies and debates surrounding various penal offences in
legislations that govern sedition and offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances (NDPS) Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), anti-conversion laws,
etc. the government should undertake the assessment of these offences on a priority
basis.
5. Conjugal Rights of Prisoners

Context
The State of Punjab has allowed conjugal visits for prison inmates in order to ensure the right to
life and personal liberty of prisoners.
Conjugal Rights of Prisoners

● Conjugal rights broadly refer to the rights created by marriage i.e. the right of the husband
or the wife to the company of their spouse.
● With respect to prisons, conjugal visits refer to the concept of permitting prisoners to
spend time privately with their spouses within the prison premises.
● There have been several arguments about conjugal visits having positive impacts on
prisoners in the form of psychological health benefits, preservation of marital ties and, the
reduction in the rates of homosexuality and sexual aggression within prisons.
● Further, there are arguments that say that conjugal visits are a fundamental right of the
spouses of the prisoners.

18
Are Conjugal Rights of Prisoners recognised through Law?
● Conventions, treaties and regulations such as the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules
for the Treatment of Prisoners, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, etc. have recognised prisoner rights
internationally.
○ These treaties and conventions guarantee prisoners the right to life and inherent
dignity.
○ The right to maintain family relations including conjugal visits is also included in
these treaties.
● The concept of a conjugal visit has been adopted by various countries such as the U.S.,
Canada, Germany, Brazil, Russia, Spain, Belgium, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Israel.
● Further, most of the Laws and Rules related to prisons across India also acknowledge the
importance of maintenance of continuity in family and social relations.
Supreme Court’s views on extending conjugal rights to prisoners

● In Sunil Batra v.s Delhi Administration case, 1979, the Supreme Court held that the visits by
family and friends are solace in isolation to prisoners and only a dehumanised system can
deprive prisoners of this humane opportunity.
● In the Jasvir Singh v/s State of Punjab case where a couple convicted of murder and on
death row had filed a petition to the court to enforce their right to procreate.
○ The key contention before the court was to determine whether the right to
conjugality and procreation is a part of the right to life.
○ The High Court in the case had held that the right to conjugality is also available to
prisoners under Article 21 which is subjected to reasonable restrictions.
● However, in Meharaj v/s State case, 2022, the Madras HC while hearing the argument on
whether conjugal rights form part of the right to life and personal liberty (Article 21), said
that there should be differential standards in enforcement of Article 21 for law abiders and
law violators.
○ Further, the Court had said that even though conjugal visits could not be held as a
fundamental right, the prisoner would still be eligible to avail leave for conjugal
visits if there are extraordinary reasons such as infertility treatments.
Punjab government’s stand

● The State guidelines have clarified that conjugal visits are considered a matter of privilege
rather than a right.
● According to the guidelines notified, the average time for conjugal visits would be two
hours which would be allowed once every two months.
● Further, the visiting spouse must have proof of marriage and medical certificates which
show that the individual is free from HIV or any other sexually transmitted disease (STDs),
COVID-19 or any other infectious disease.
● Additionally, such facilities will not be provided to high-risk prisoners such as terrorists,
child abuse convicts, death row convicts, sexual offenders, death row convicts, prisoners
who suffer from HIV, etc.

19
6. Ban on the sale of single sticks of cigarettes

Context
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has proposed a ban on the
sale of single sticks of cigarettes.
Recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare
● The Standing Committee in its report on cancer management, prevention and diagnosis
has recommended various measures to the government to curb the consumption and
reduce the accessibility of tobacco products.
● The Committee has recommended the government put in place a ban on the sale of single
sticks of cigarettes. It also recommends the government remove all the designated
smoking areas in various places such as airports, hotels, restaurants, etc. and encourage a
smoke-free policy in organisations.
● The Committee, citing that India has the lowest prices for tobacco products, has
recommended the government increase taxes on all tobacco products and use the
acquired revenue from such taxes for cancer prevention and awareness.
● The report of the Committee makes a reference to the National Health Policy which had
aimed to reduce current tobacco use by 30% by 2025 and urges the government to
undertake effective actions to restrict the sale of tobacco products.
Reasons for the proposed ban on single-stick cigarettes

● According to reports, single sticks are considered more economical as compared to a full
pack of cigarettes and this has particularly attracted adolescents and youth into smoking
as they generally have limited money.
● Further, single sticks of cigarettes are also preferred by individuals who may want to
experiment and have not yet started smoking on a regular basis.
● Thus a ban on the sale of single sticks of cigarettes would force an individual to buy the
entire pack, which might not be economical thus reducing the potential experimentation
of smoking and the frequency of regular intake.
● Additionally, the potential ban would require the consumer to carry around the cigarette
packet which has statutory warnings to consumers whereas loose cigarettes do not carry
any such warnings.
The need for encouraging the public to quit smoking

● According to the World Health Organization (WHO), all forms of tobacco are harmful and
smoking cigarettes is the most common way of tobacco use across the world.
● The WHO also notes that the nicotine present in tobacco products is highly addictive and
without cessation support, only about 4% of its users who attempt to quit would succeed.
● Further, the Lancet journal points out that over 7 million annual deaths would be expected
in low and middle-income countries on account of smoking by 2030.
Way forward
● The State Convenor of the Tamil Nadu People’s Forum for Tobacco Control (TNPFTC) has
recommended the government introduce vendor licensing.

20
● According to experts, without the presence of a vendor licensing regime, the ban on single
sticks of cigarettes would not be effective.
● Experts feel that allowing lakhs of shops to sell tobacco would make it difficult for the
government to implement and enforce a ban on the sale of single sticks of cigarettes.
7. Migrant Workers
Context
International Migrants Day is observed annually on December 18.
Background Details
● The factors which have resulted in large-scale migration in the past few years are:
○ COVID-19 pandemic
○ Taliban takeover of Afghanistan
○ Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
○ Worsening poverty in the sub-Saharan region
○ Climate change
Data on Migration
● As per the World Migration Report 2022 of the International Organization of Migration
(IOM), there were approximately 281 million international migrants globally in 2020, with
around two-thirds being labour migrants.
● The share of South Asia is 40%. Moreover, the South Asia-Gulf Migratory Corridor is the
world’s largest migrant corridor.
● The long-term data analysis has shown that migration is not uniform across the world. It is
shaped by economic, geographic, and demographic factors, that result in distinct
migration patterns.
● As per a document tabled in the winter session of Parliament, about nine million Indian
migrants are working in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC)
countries.
Associated Concerns
● It is argued that though India is the largest source of migrants and remittance-receiving
country, the welfare of Indian migrants abroad is hardly prioritized by policymakers.
● It is also a matter of serious concern that India lacks a tangible and comprehensive
migration policy to ensure the safe movement of migrants and decent living.
● India still governs international migration through the four-decades-old Emigration Act of
1983.
● The situation in many GCC countries is worrisome. For instance, the existing exploitative
nature of the Kafala system has resulted in the mass retrenchment of the labour force.
○ Kafala system is described as a sponsorship system that regulates the relationship
between employers and migrant workers.
● COVID-19 has increased the cases of unemployment, under-employment, reduction in
salaries, and, even non-payment of salaries, compensation, and residual dues.

21
● Other recurring issues faced by migrant labourers are irregular payment, poor working
conditions, the negation of labour rights, the absence of proper grievance redress
mechanisms, and inaccessibility to a transparent judicial system.
Challenges of Migration
● In urban areas, migrants are forced to live in ghettos with no access to amenities like clean
drinking water, electricity, safe houses, etc.
● They form groups in public places or markets waiting to be recruited as manual labourers.
● This makes them vulnerable to exploitation, which includes physical assaults, lack of a fair
wage etc.
● Even though the cheap labour provided by them keeps the prices of commodities and
services low, they are often portrayed as anti-social elements and face significant
discrimination from other sections of society. The slums/ghettos where they are forced to
live are routinely pictured as “crime infested” and they are harassed by law enforcement
authorities.
● Because of the unstable nature of their jobs and residence, they are frequently declared
illegal residents and are evicted or arrested.
● Social media has added to their misery. Migrants are often portrayed as criminals and this
barrage of social media messages escalates into targeted violence against them. Eg: Fake
messages triggered a mass exodus of labourers from North-east in Bangalore.
● An increase in extreme climate events also triggers mass migration. These migrants are at
an added disadvantage because in most cases, they have lost their relevant documents and
any capital/asset that could facilitate an easy translocation.
● Another factor that contributes to an upward trend in internal migration is rural distress.
Initiatives for Migrant Issues in Asia

● Several South Asian countries along with their civil society organizations, scholars, and
activists are leading a ‘justice for wage theft’ campaign for the disbursement of the
pending salary benefits and other associated dues of labour.
● Countries like the Philippines have recorded the wage theft of their migrants and are legally
working on the issue.
Way Ahead
● Women Migrants
○ It should be noted that Indian nurses and caregivers have been working in the most
volatile and remote countries like Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Israel, and Papua New
Guinea.
○ Moreover, the women migrant workforce is largely limited to GCC countries and
also to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
countries.
○ Indian Government should thus comprehensively assess the situation of migrant
women and create women-centric, rights-based policies.
● The Government should revisit its policies in the context of the post-pandemic scenario by
engaging all stakeholders and passing the Emigration Bill 2021.

22
● The policies should be aligned with the United Nations’ Global Compact for Safe, Orderly
Migration and Regular Migration. It is a non-binding resolution that recognizes the
challenges of migrant labour across the world.
8. Private Healthcare in India

Introduction
● The Covid-19 pandemic has brought to light the specificities and some of the shortcomings
of India’s healthcare infrastructure.
● India ranks poorly on multiple health financing indicators. Its public health expenditure as
a percentage of its GDP (1.28%) and share of general government expenditure dedicated to
health (4.8%) is similar to the poorest countries.
● While the Indian population has grown by 160 million people (approximately 13.25%) from
2011 to 2020, health expenditure only grew by 0.39% during the same decade.
● India’s private healthcare system is an industry undergoing rapid development but is
unaffordable to the majority of the population and thus does not sufficiently complement
public healthcare.
○ Private spending still constitutes nearly 60% of overall expenditure on health.
Issues with the private healthcare sector

● The private sector in India is widely dispersed, with marked inequities between rural and
urban areas and widespread market failure.
● India also lacks organised networks of providers like health maintenance organisations,
which can be regulated easily.
● Up to 80.9% of people in urban India and 85.9% in rural India do not have any health
coverage. Over 80% of Indians have been paying for private healthcare from their own
pockets.
○ Public health insurance schemes are burdened with unreasonable package rates
on empanelled private providers with weak regard for actual costs of care.
● Medical education costs have sharply increased over the past decade. Because medical
school is so expensive, resource-intensive methods of practice are used to recuperate
expenditures.
Way Forward
● Government must focus on making private healthcare more affordable without affecting
care quality. Such policies have to be enshrined in our national health policy.
● Business process innovations (BPI) in the healthcare sector must be incentivised and
propagated for more cost-reducing innovations.
● Task shifting in healthcare can hold down costs, especially in under-resourced settings.
○ ‘Task shifting’ is the process of delegation whereby tasks are moved, where
appropriate, or from a highly specialised workforce to less specialised health
workers.
○ The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 can be a
boost in this direction.

23
● Health policy should place a major emphasis on expanding the scope of practice for nurses
and other associated professionals while also mainstreaming these practice roles in the
commercial sector.
● India can follow the Canadian model which has conceived regional health boards that
organise care equitably within regions, exploit economies of scale, and bring down
healthcare costs.
○ Such boards should have adequate representation from communities and enough
power to determine local policy and resource allocation, impose caps on the
maximum number of healthcare providers, and build working networks of care.
9. Ministry for Divyang in Maharashtra

Context
On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Maharashtra government
inaugurated the Ministry for Divyang (differently-abled) in Mumbai, to cater to people with special
physical and mental needs educationally and professionally.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities

● International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is observed every year on 3 December.
● The theme for this year is “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of
innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world.”
About the Ministry

● Maharashtra has become the first State to have an independent Ministry for disabled
persons.
● The Ministry is envisaged for the welfare of the persons with disabilities and effective
implementation of various government schemes for them.
● Earlier all complaints and issues related to the disabled persons were handled by the Social
Justice department headed by the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.

24
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. India-Central Asia NSA Meet

Context
Recently, NSAs of India and Central Asian countries met for the first time in Delhi to discuss
common security challenges, such as counter-terrorism and regional security in relation to
Afghanistan.
Highlights of the meeting

● A joint communique that
focused on regional security
issues such as Afghanistan and
counterterrorism.
● A condemnation of all forms of
terrorism and an emphasis on
the need for international
cooperation in fighting against
terrorism.
● A commitment to work
together to help Afghanistan
in light of the humanitarian
crisis caused by the Taliban's
takeover.
● A recognition of the importance of improved connectivity to strengthen economic and
trade ties between India and Central Asia.
● An agreement to include the Chabahar port in the International North South Transport
Corridor (INSTC) to make it more economically viable.
● Kazakhstan's initiative to establish a Network of Regional Centers for Disease Control and
Biosafety under the auspices of the UN, and the International Agency for Biological Safety
(IABS) was also noted.
Significance of Central Asia for India

● Energy Security: Central Asia is a crucial source of hydrocarbon fields and Uranium
reserves, making it an important alternative energy source for India as it looks to decrease
its reliance on imports.
● Geostrategic Significance: Central Asia's location in the middle of the Eurasian continent
makes it an ideal transit route for trade and commerce.
● Economic Interest: Both India and Central Asia have complementary resources, labor
forces, and markets, making it a potential area for mutually beneficial trade and
investment.
● Geopolitical Importance: The region is currently the subject of increased interest from
major global powers such as Europe, the US, China, and Iran, leading to potential high-
stakes power politics.

25
● Internal Security: India views Central Asia as a potential source of religious extremism and
is concerned about the rise of radical Islamist groups that may pose a terrorist threat.
2. Global Minimum Tax

Context
Recently, the members of the European Union agreed in principle to implement a minimum tax of
15% on big businesses.
Background
● Corporate tax rates have been dropping globally in recent decades due to competition
between governments to spur economic growth through greater private investments.
● The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) proposed a plan to
redistribute tax rights across jurisdictions and enforce a minimum tax rate of 15% on large
multinational corporations.
EU Agreement
● Members of the European Union have agreed in principle to implement a minimum tax of
15% on big businesses in accordance with Pillar 2 of the OECD's global tax agreement.
● This is to ensure that big businesses with global operations do not benefit by domiciling
themselves in tax havens to save on taxes.
● Pillar 1 of the OECD's tax plan addresses the question of taxing rights, giving more taxing
rights to the governments of countries where large businesses conduct a substantial
amount of their business.
Need for a Global Minimum Tax

● The OECD's tax plan aims to put an end to the "race to the bottom" in corporate tax rates,
which has made it harder for governments to fund their rising spending budgets.
● The minimum tax proposal is particularly relevant at a time when the fiscal state of
governments across the world has deteriorated.
What Lies Ahead

● Some governments, particularly those of traditional tax havens, are likely to disagree and
stall the implementation of the OECD's tax plan.

26
● High tax jurisdictions like the EU are more likely to fully adopt the minimum tax plan, while
low tax jurisdictions are likely to resist unless they are compensated sufficiently in other
ways.
● The OECD's plan may face the risk of losing out to low-tax jurisdictions outside the cartel
and cheating by members within the cartel.
Impact on the Global Economy

● Supporters of the OECD's tax plan believe that it will end the global "race to the bottom"
and help governments collect the revenues required for social spending.
● They also believe that the plan will help counter rising global inequality by making it
tougher for large businesses to pay low taxes by availing the services of tax havens.
● Critics argue that without tax competition between governments, the world would be
taxed more than it is today, adversely affecting global economic growth.
Conclusion
● The implementation of the OECD's minimum tax rate of 15% on big businesses is expected
to boost global tax revenues by $150 billion annually. However, the plan is facing resistance
from traditional tax havens, and the long-term impact on the global economy remains to
be seen.
3. Standing Committee Report on India’s Soft Power

Context
Recently, the Standing Committee on External Affairs submitted its report on “India’s Soft Power
and Cultural Diplomacy: Prospects and Limitations”.
Background
● Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) defines soft power as the ability to influence others
through appeal and attraction, using non-coercive means.
● MEA has noted four limitations that inhibit India’s soft power and cultural diplomacy.
These are: (i) inadequate financing, (ii) lack of coordination among various institutions, (iii)
shortage of skilled manpower, and (iv) lack of clarity on the mandate of Indian Council for
Cultural Relations (ICCR).
Recommendations
● Restructuring of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is recommended for better
projection of Indian culture.
● Budgetary allocation of ICCR to be increased by Rs 500 crore for conducting India’s soft
power and cultural diplomacy in a robust manner.
● Coordination Committee to be established under the monitoring of the Ministry of External
Affairs (MEA) for better coordination between different line ministries.
● Working group between MEA and Ministry of Culture to be formed for coordination and
planning of cultural diplomatic activities.
● Yoga Certification Board to be established for Indian yogic practices and therapies.

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● Mechanism to proactively interact with Indian diaspora in Indian Missions/Posts abroad to
be formulated.
● Country-specific approach for tourism promotion to be adopted.
4. UN Commission on the Status of Women

Context
Recently, UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) adopted a resolution to remove Iran from the
Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for the remainder of its four-year term ending in 2026.
About the resolution

● Resolution was adopted by a recorded vote of 29 in favour to 8 against and 16 abstentions.
India abstained from the vote.
● The resolution expresses serious concern over the actions of the Government of Iran since
September 2022, citing their continuous undermining and suppression of the "human
rights of women and girls, including the right to freedom of expression and opinion, often
with the use of excessive force, by administering policies flagrantly contrary to the human
rights of women and girls and to the mandate of the Commission on the Status of Women,
as well as through the use of lethal force resulting in the deaths of peaceful protestors,
including women and girls."
● The resolution decides to remove Iran “with immediate effect” from membership in the
Commission on the Status of Women for the remainder of its 2022–2026 term.
● Iran has been rocked by protests since the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini,
who died after being detained by the country's morality police.
● At least 475 people have been killed in the demonstrations amid a heavy-handed security
crackdown, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that's been monitoring
the protests since they began. Over 18,000 have been detained by authorities.
Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)

● Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is a functional commission of the United
Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
● Established in 1946 with the goal of promoting gender equality and the empowerment of
women.
● CSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion
of gender equality and the empowerment of women.
● Meets annually at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for a two-week session.
● Consists of 45 member states that are elected by ECOSOC for a four-year term.
● CSW evaluates progress on gender equality, identifies challenges, sets global standards,
and formulates concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women
worldwide.
● CSW also monitors implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action,
which was adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 and is the most
progressive blueprint for advancing women’s rights.

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5. Lusophone Countries
Context
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in partnership with the Indian Council of Cultural Relations
(ICCR) and the Government of Goa organised the International Lusophone Festival in Goa.
About Lusophone Countries

● Lusophones are peoples that speak Portuguese as a native or as a common second
language and nations where Portuguese features prominently in society.
● The Lusophone world is spread over nine countries across four continents and Portuguese
is the most widely-spoken language in the Southern Hemisphere.
Community of Portuguese Language Countries(CPLP)

● CPLP is also known as the Lusophone Commonwealth (Comunidade Lusofona).
● It is a multilateral forum, founded in 1996 at the 1st CPLP Heads of State & Government
Summit in Lisbon.
● The founding members were Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique,
Portugal and Sao Tome Principe; while Timor Leste and Equatorial Guinea joined later.
● These 9 Lusophone countries comprise approximately 300 million people on 4 different
continents (Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe).
● Lusophone economies are among the fastest-growing in the world. India’s trade with the
Lusophone world has grown six-fold in the last decade.
● India joined the CPLP as an associate observer in July 2021. As part of India’s engagement
with CPLP, the Ministry of External Affairs celebrated World Portuguese Language Day in
Delhi on 5 May 2022.
6. Paris Club
Context
Recently, Paris Club proposed a 10-year moratorium on Sri Lankan debt and another 15 years of
debt restructuring to resolve the country's debt crisis.
About Paris Club

● Paris Club is a group of officials from 22
creditor countries who work to find
sustainable solutions for challenges
faced by debtor countries.
● The group was formed in 1956 and is
based in Paris, France.
● There are currently 22 Permanent
Members of the Paris Club including US,
UK, Australia, Russia etc. India is not a member.

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ECONOMY
1. Free Food grains for 81 crores NFSA beneficiaries

Context
The Union Cabinet announced free foodgrains to all 81 crore beneficiaries covered under the
National Food Security Act (NFSA) for one year.
National Food Security Act

● The National Food Security Act (NFSA) was enacted on 5th July 2013.
● The launch of NFSA has marked a paradigm shift in the approach to food security from
welfare to a rights-based approach.
● The Act is being implemented throughout the country with over 81.34 crore beneficiaries.
● The NFSA at present covers over 50% of the urban population and 75% of the rural
population.
● In order to facilitate women’s empowerment, the eldest woman of a household of age 18
years and above is considered the head of the household for the purpose of issuing ration
cards under the Act.
● According to NFSA, the Union government is tasked with the job of allocation and
transportation of food grains to States and Union Territories (UTs).
○ The administrations of States and UTs are responsible for the effective
implementation of the scheme which includes the identification of eligible
households and issuing ration cards.
● The NFSA brought about reforms to the Targeted Public Distribution System by including
provisions such as cash transfers via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) as the mode for the
provisioning of food entitlements.
● Two categories of beneficiary households under the NFSA:
○ Antyoday Anna Yojana (AAY): These beneficiaries are entitled to 35 kg of
foodgrains every month irrespective of the number of family members.
○ Priority Households. These households get foodgrains depending on the number
of family members i.e. each member 5 kg per month.
Details of the program

● The beneficiary households who earlier paid ₹1 for coarse cereals, ₹2 for wheat and ₹3 for
rice per kilogram will now be provided 35 kilograms of foodgrains free of cost every month
for the next year.
● Further, other beneficiaries covered under the NFSA will now get five kilograms of food
grains free of cost for every month till December 2023.
● According to the Union government estimates, about ₹2 lakh crores will be required
additionally to facilitate the scheme and the Union government will bear the entire cost.
Significance of the move

● The move is regarded as a historic decision as it aims to ensure food security to the poor
free of cost across the country.

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● As per the Union Food Minister, the latest initiative is yet another reflection of the
government’s pro-poor stand.
● According to the Union Food Minister, a decision has been taken to extend the benefits of
the schemes such as Antyodaya Anna Yojana, Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and
the NFSA to more beneficiaries by merging these schemes.
○ Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) was started during the initial
phases of the COVID lockdown in April 2020.
○ The Scheme had been extended multiple times and was finally scheduled to end
on December 31, 2022.
○ The PMGKAY had ensured five kg of food grains for the poor free of cost.
● With the merger of PMGKAY with the NFSA, the entire quantity of 5 kg and 35 kg of food
grains would be available free of cost.
2. Contractual Labour
Background
● As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2021, India has about 100 million casual
workers and 50 million salaried workers without a written job contract. This amounts to
about 150 million contract workers or around 30% of the total labour force in the country.
● The overall share of contract employment in industrial employment expanded from 24% in
2004 to 38% in 2017, as highlighted by the Annual Survey of Industries. These non-payroll
contract workers are technicians, drivers, housekeeping staff in offices/commercial
complexes, or simply unskilled labour in factories.
● As outsourcing increased, many manpower supplier firms sprouted in the country.
● Even the public sector enterprises outsourced many vacancies post-2001. The Public
Enterprises Survey 2021 showed that the share of casual/contract workers in public sector
units (PSUs) gradually increased from 17.1% in 2011-12, 19% in 2015-16 to nearly 37.2% in 2020-
21.
● There were approximately 4,81,395 contractual workers in central Public Sector
Enterprises (CPSEs) in 2021 whereas, in 2011, it was around 2,68,815. This indicates the
conversion of many permanent jobs into contractual work.
Significance of Contractual Jobs

● The cost to the company (CTC) is relatively lower for contract employment when compared
to permanent employment.
● The reduced CTC improves profits for Indian companies. It also attracts foreign
investment, thereby benefitting the economy.
● It should be noted that there are five human resource costs namely hiring costs, induction
costs, career progression costs, severance, and superannuation costs. Hiring cost for the
public sector is very high due to the scale of conducting the examination. This makes hiring
through manpower suppliers both cost and time efficient.
● Furthermore, as contract labour requires minimal training, CTC is further reduced.
● Contract labours are not entitled to generous paid leave like permanent employees, thus
making it more attractive for the management to hire them.

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● Moreover, there is no commitment to promotion or post-retirement benefits for
contractual workers.
● The flexibility of firing contractual workers is considered to be positively impacting labour
productivity.
Disadvantages of Contractual Labour

● The contractors pay less than minimum wages to labour. This implies that a majority of the
150 million contractual workers are underpaid.
● Several platforms and tech companies have devised innovative measures like designating
employees as business partners (in the case of online cab booking and food delivery
companies) and segmenting core activity as tech business (in the case of most of the
service aggregators) to get around the legal provisions of labour acts.
● The overall economy tends to lose on account of reduced consumption and saving due to
low wages.
● Due to low investment in the skilling and upskilling of contractual workers, the overall
productivity of the economy is impacted.
● Furthermore, cost cuts in hiring and training result in a deterioration of service quality,
which causes second-order losses, and sometimes accidents. Poor quality of the product
and services impacts the export competitiveness of the economy.
● As underpaid workers cannot afford quality health care for themselves and their families,
the country’s overall human capital declines.
○ It was observed in a study by The Lancet that an annual increase in outsourced
spending of 1% in the National Health Service in England is associated with a rise in
treatable mortality of 0.38%.
● The exploitative nature of contract employment has a detrimental distributional impact
which suppresses the wages of permanent employees also.
Conclusion
● Substituting permanent jobs with contract employment impacts the country’s economy as
millions of workers are underpaid and vulnerable to health hazards.
● The public sector should instead focus on reforming its appraisal mechanism to reward the
efficiency of permanent workers.
● The private sector should realize that outsourcing’s cost to the country is much more than
the cost to the company in the long run.
3. Rural Manufacturing
Context
Recent evidences suggest that India is witnessing a shift of manufacturing activity and
employment from bigger cities to smaller towns and rural areas.
Details
● Various studies and evidence suggest that India is experiencing a shift in manufacturing
activity and employment from bigger cities to smaller towns and rural areas.

32
● The movement of manufacturing away from urban areas was first highlighted in a World
Bank report in 2012. The study investigated the urbanization of the Indian manufacturing
sector by combining enterprise data from both formal and informal sectors. It was found
that:
○ o Manufacturing plants in the formal sector are moving away from urban areas to
rural areas.
○ o Whereas the informal sector is moving from rural to urban locations.
○ o This is a consequence of higher urban-rural cost ratios.
● Similarly, data from the Annual Survey of Industries 2019-20, highlights that the rural
segment is a crucial contributor to the manufacturing sector’s output. It was reported that
42% of factories and 62% of fixed capital are in rural areas. This is the outcome of consistent
investments in rural locations for almost two decades.
● Moreover, in the context of output and value addition, rural factories contributed nearly
half of the total sector whereas in terms of employment, rural areas accounted for 44%
share. However, it had a share of only 41% of the total wages of the sector.
Causes for the rise of rural manufacturing

● Rural areas have lower wages, land, and property costs than most metropolitan areas
which attracts manufacturing firms.
● The increased capital intensity of production:
○ One of the major explanations for the shift is the factory floorspace supply
constraints. As these locations get more urbanized and congested, the space
constraints become greater.
○ However, the driving force behind the shift is the continuing displacement of
labour by the machinery of new production technology. Thus factories cannot be
expanded beyond a limit in cities.
● Production Cost Differentials:
○ Many firms experience substantially higher operating costs in urban areas that
have repercussions on the profitability and competitiveness of the firm.
● Possibility of capital restructuring
○ Capital restructuring is an approach favoured by radical and Marxist geographers.
○ According to this approach, there is a tendency for increasing capital accumulation
and centralization by large corporations. Large firms purposely shift production
from urban areas to take advantage of the availability of less skilled, less unionized,
and less costly labour.
Consequences of the Shift of the Manufacturing sector to rural areas

● The shift has helped in maintaining the significance of manufacturing as a source of
livelihood diversification in rural India.
● It has further helped in making up for the loss of employment in some traditional rural
industries.
● Furthermore, the growth of rural manufacturing provides an economic base for the
transition out of agriculture by generating employment.
● It could transform the rural economy and ensure better growth.

33
Challenges
● Though firms benefit from lower costs via lower rents, the cost of capital seems to be
higher for firms operating in rural areas. For instance, the rural segment accounted for only
35% of the total rent paid, whereas it had 60% of the total interest payments. Thus, it was
observed that benefits reaped from one source seem to be offset by the other front.
● There is a major issue of “skills shortage” in rural areas. The manufacturing sector requires
highly skilled workers for newer technologies.
○ o The solution to this issue is better education and skilling for rural workers. This
would ensure higher reliability and productivity and expedite the process of the
movement out of agriculture to higher-earning livelihoods.
4. Big Tech and the law

Context
The Competition Commission of India’s move to impose a penalty on Google.
Details
● The Competition Commission of India (CCI), India’s anti-trust body, imposed a penalty of
about ₹1,337.76 crores on Google on October 2022 for abusing its dominant position in the
android mobile device ecosystem.
● The CCI was established under the Indian Competition Act 2002 with an aim to protect and
promote competition in markets and curb practices that hinder competition. However, the
act is limited to account for the network effect of Big Tech companies.
● The European Union, the United States, and Australia realizing the market-distorting
abilities of these companies transformed their competition law. For example, the EU’s
Digital Market Act.
Issue of Market Dominance

● Preventing Competition: The case of Google highlights this issue.
○ According to CCI, google intended to make users abide by its revenue-earning
service, i.e., an online search to influence the sale of their online advertising
services. Thus it created serious entry barriers for competitors along with a status
quo bias.
○ Though the competition laws address this concern, their response is pretty slow in
complex technical sectors. This results in significantly benefitting the dominant
player Google.
○ Thus there is a need for ex-ante legislation to prevent market failures and mitigate
possible anti-competitive conduct.
● Predatory Pricing: This refers to lowering prices to an extent that forces out other firms.
○ Amazon and Flipkart were accused of deep discounting and creating in-house
brands that challenged the local sellers.
○ The CCI responded by raiding their offices. It further forced Amazon to curb its ties
with Cloudtail.

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○ It should be noted that pricing plays a crucial role in defining the position of any
digital platform in the marketplace. It is therefore important to formulate an ex-
ante framework that guarantees a level playing field for local sellers.
○ The Government’s Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform is a step
in the right direction, especially for small players.
● Bundling of service and elimination of competition without consumers’ consent: A critical
facet of self-preferencing beyond the search algorithms is the bundling of services,
particularly with pre-installed apps, where the manufacturers eliminate competition
without the consent of the consumer.
○ For instance, Apple is being probed in the U.S. and Europe for pre-installed apps
after Russia forced Apple to provide third-party apps during installation.
○ Indian law should also remain vigilant in this aspect.
Issue of Consumer Protection

● There is still an issue regarding the regulation of sensitive data like financial records,
medical history, etc stored on these platforms. Big tech companies have asserted
ownership of the right to use or transfer this data without restriction.
● There is also an issue of the storage of women’s and children’s data that requires to be
dealt with more caution in a digital environment.
● Moreover, market distortion can also result in poor service quality, data monopoly, and
also hamper innovation.
Way Ahead
● Harmony should be established between the Competition law and the new Consumer
Protection Act 2020 and e-commerce rules.
● Furthermore, the new law should incorporate a mechanism to ensure fair compensation
for consumers who are impacted by the anti-competitive practices of the Big Techs.
● The imposition of penalties and restrictions on companies should also consider
proportionate compensation for consumer losses.
● It is essential to provide a level-playing field and ensure a fair opportunity for start-ups and
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.
● There is an immediate need to contextualize the law in accordance with the digital
marketplace and devise new provisions with adequate ex-ante legislation as the
Competition Act of 2000 largely focused on the physical marketplace.
5. Sustained Growth in Remittances

Context
● As per the World Bank’s latest Migration and Development Brief named the “Remittances
Brave Global Headwinds”, remittances to India are expected to reach a record level of $100
billion in 2022.
● In 2021, India received about $89.4 billion and is expected to become the first ever country
to reach the $100 billion mark.

35
Reasons for the sustained growth in remittances
● Post-pandemic reopening, revival and recovery of various sectors in home countries.
● Improvement in the income of migrant workers and employment situations has improved
their ability to send remittances.
● According to the report, the 10.2% growth in remittances achieved in 2021 was due to
various stimulus measures introduced in high-income countries such as the U.S. and Europe
to support their fluctuating economies.
○ This helped to better the employment situation and led to an increase in the
incomes of migrant workers.
● Further, there seems to be an increased determination among migrant workers to help
their families back home in the post-pandemic recovery phase.
Reasons for the sustained inward remittance flows in India

● The report highlights the fact that remittances to India have benefited from a structural
change with respect to top destinations from low-skilled, informal employment in the GCC
countries to high-skilled jobs in countries like the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, Japan, Australia
and New Zealand.
● The share of remittances from the U.S., the U.K. and Singapore has improved from 26% to
36% between 2016-17 and 2020-21, whereas the share from GCC countries has declined from
54% to 28%.
● The U.S. (with a share of 23%), displaced Saudi Arabia as India’s top source country for
remittances.
● This structural change has made a huge impact during the pandemic as Indian migrants in
high-income countries worked from home and also benefited from large fiscal stimulus
packages and in the post-pandemic phase, wage hikes and record-high employment levels
have led to a gradual growth in remittances.
● Additionally, the migrant workers in the GCC countries also benefited from the direct
support measures undertaken in these countries to check the increasing inflation.
● The report also expects the Indian migrants to have taken advantage of the depreciation
of the Indian rupee as compared to the U.S. dollar which might have also increased their
remittances.
Way ahead
● The report expects the growth in remittances to decline by about 2% in 2023 as the drop in
the GDP growth in high-income countries would affect migrant workers’ wage gains.
● The growth in remittances is estimated to decline from 3.5% in 2022 to 0.7% in 2023 in South
Asian countries.
● Also in the U.S., the higher inflation rate along with a slowdown is expected to restrict
remittance flows and the GCC countries are also expected to witness a slowdown in
remittance outflows.
● Despite this global trend, remittances to India are expected to grow by 4% in 2023 as a large
percentage of Indian migrants are earning relatively high salaries in developed countries
and their salaries are expected to be more resilient than those of lower-wage migrants in
GCC countries.

36
6. Increasing Labour Crisis post-pandemic

Context
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has released two reports that provide an idea about
the situation and trends in global employment post-pandemic.
Details
● The “Global Wage Report 2022-2023: The Impact of inflation and COVID-19 on wages and
purchasing power” report talks about the twin crises namely the inflation and economic
slowdown which have led to a fall in the real monthly wages across the world.
○ This report also discussed the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war in worsening the
global energy crisis.
○ In the Global Wage Report, the main aim is to collect wage data from about 190
countries and territories which are then categorised into five separate regions.
● The “Asia-Pacific Employment and Social Outlook 2022: Rethinking sectoral strategies for
a human-centred future of work” report points out that the Asia-Pacific region has lost
over 2.2 crore jobs in 2022.
Key findings of the reports

● Global Wage Report analysed the trends in the real and nominal wages of employees.
○ According to the report, the term “wage” was defined as the total gross
remuneration including regular bonuses extended to employees during a specified
period for time (monthly for the report) worked and also for the time not worked
which includes paid leaves and paid sick leaves.
○ As per the report, the nominal wage refers to the adjusted figures after considering
consumer price inflation and real wage growth is nothing but the year-on-year
change in the real average monthly wages of all employees.
● The reports note that the nominal wages increased from ₹4,398 in 2006 to ₹17,017 per
month in 2021 in India.
○ This data for the computation of the report was taken from the Union Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation.
● Despite the increase in nominal wages, the real wage growth rate in the country has fallen
from 9.3% in 2006 to -0.2% in 2021 when inflation is accounted for.
○ This negative growth in India has begun ever since the COVID pandemic.
● The real wage growth rate has plunged not just in India but also in countries like China,
where the growth rate has declined from 5.6% in 2019 to 2% in 2022 and Pakistan, where the
growth is -3.8%. In 2022.
● The report also notes that the increasing cost of living has had a severe impact on lower-
income earners and their households because they are spending most of their disposable
income on essential goods and services, which are experiencing greater price increases as
compared to non-essentials.
● According to the report on employment in Asia-Pacific, only the trends in the high-skill jobs
showed a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, which is also seen across all subregions.

37
● There have been concerns about the increasing inequality as the employment gain was
seen to be 1.6% among high-skill workers between 2019 and 2021 and there was no
improvement among low-to-medium-skill workers.
● Further, among the G-20 countries, there was a significant gap in the average level of real
wages between advanced G-20 countries and emerging G-20 countries.
● The average level of real wages was found to be around $4,000 per month in advanced
economies and about $1,800 per month in emerging economies.
Recommendations
● Reports recommend a set of policy measures to address the issue of the cost-of-living
crisis. Acknowledging the fact that over 7.5 to 9.5 crore people were pushed into extreme
poverty during COVID-19, the report said that the bargaining process for future nominal
wage adjustments should adopt a sufficiently large and prudent price expectation.
○ This way the standard of living of households, especially low-income households
could be protected against unexpected future inflation and prevent an undesirable
wage-inflation spiral.
● The reports also say that there is a need to strengthen labour market institutions and wage
policies.
● The ILO opines that the development of decent formal wage employment is a prerequisite
for an equitable distribution of wages and income, and the major contributor to equitable
and sustainable wage growth.
● Further, the ILO has urged governments to focus on the gender pay gap because when
women leave the labour market, they are less likely to return than men.
● There is also a need for adopting a multilateral approach that helps tackle the adverse
effects of climate change, increasing inequalities, poverty, discrimination, violence and
exclusion and also the increasing digital divide between poor and rich countries.
7. e-Rupee launched by RBI

Context
Reserve Bank of India launched the digital rupee on a pilot basis.
Details
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched the digital currency on a pilot basis in a few major
cities in India. The digital rupee will be offered by some specific public and private banks.
● The digital rupee can be used for both person-to-person as well as person-to-merchant
transactions.
Digital Rupee
● The e-rupee (or digital rupee) is a digital currency issued by the central bank of India. They
are held electronically in a digital wallet overseen by RBI.
● It is recognized as a legal tender by the RBI and thus should be accepted by everyone in
the country as a medium of exchange.

38
● However, it should be noted that it is different from the deposits held in the bank as they
will not be paid any interest by the central bank. Though deposits held in banks can be
converted to digital rupees and vice-versa.
Need for Digital Rupee

● According to RBI digital rupee will make the rupee a more attractive currency in
comparison to cryptocurrencies which gradually lose value over time due to debasement
by the central bank.
● Central banks across the world are trying to release their own digital currencies as
cryptocurrencies can threaten their sovereignty.
● Moreover, it would be easier and more economical to produce digital currency in contrast
to physical cash notes.
● Additionally, digital transactions are more easily traceable by authorities in comparison to
physical transactions.
Associated Risks
● There are apprehensions that the introduction of central bank digital currencies
internationally might disrupt the overall banking system.
● In the case of low-interest rates offered by banks, a large number of people might convert
their bank deposits into digital currencies as they would not lose much in terms of interest
income. This would considerably reduce the cash holdings of banks and hinder their
capacity to create loans.
● The e-rupee would also play a critical role in the transition towards a cashless society.
● An increase in the use of the digital rupee could ultimately free banks from having to
maintain sufficient cash deposits before they expand their loan books. In such a scenario
banks will be freed from the risk of bank runs which usually serves as a check on the
unrestricted expansion of loan books.
● Critics are of the view that the introduction of the digital rupee could act as a deterrent to
economic growth if legitimate economic activities are deemed illegal by governments.
● It is also argued that the future of central bank digital currencies as a substitute for private
cryptocurrencies may be overblown. It should be noted that the popularity of private
cryptocurrencies was because it was considered a better store of value and exhibited more
stable purchasing power than fiat currencies.

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ENVIRONMENT & GEOGRAPHY
1. UN Biodiversity Conference: COP 15

Context
UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) concluded in Montreal, Canada, promising to take urgent
action to protect and restore the world’s biodiversity that inhabit this planet.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

● Objectives of CBD
○ Conservation of biological diversity
○ Sustainable use of the components of biological diversity
○ Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic
resources
● In total, 196 countries, including India, have ratified the CBD and are parties to the COP
● The US is a notable outlier as the only UN member state not to have ratified the treaty
although it still has a presence at biodiversity COPs
● The CBD has given rise to two supplementary agreements
➔ The Cartagena Protocol of 2003
➔ The Nagoya Protocol of 2014
● Signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), meet every two years to work
on a plan to stop biodiversity loss and restore natural ecosystems.
● The meeting in Montreal was the second part of COP15, the first part having been held in
Kunming in China in 2021 and adopted the Kunming Declaration.
● The Montreal Conference has delivered a new agreement called the Global Biodiversity
Framework (GBF) that need to be achieved by 2030.
Aichi Targets
● The Aichi Targets are a set of 20 biodiversity-related goals adopted by the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2010.
● These targets aim to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity by 2020, and are intended
to provide a framework for action at the national, regional, and global levels.
● Some of the key targets include:
○ Target 1: Significantly reduce the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including
forests, oceans, wetlands, and mountains.
○ Target 2: Protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial and inland
freshwater ecosystems.
○ Target 3: Increase the area of protected terrestrial and inland water ecosystems,
and marine areas.
○ Target 5: Significantly reduce the number of threatened species of flora and fauna.
○ Target 14: By 2020, the degradation of ecosystem and the decline of biodiversity
are halted, and their resilience and contribution to carbon stocks enhanced.
○ Target 20: Enhance the implementation of the prior and existing commitments by
2020, and integrate biodiversity across government and society.

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● The Aichi Targets are intended to be a guide for conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity, and are not legally binding.
Key Takeaways of COP15 to CBD

● 30x30 target - Delegates committed to protect 30% of land and 30% of coastal and marine
areas by 2030. Indigenous and traditional territories will also count toward this goal, as
many countries and campaigners pushed for during the talks. The deal also aspires to
restore 30% of degraded lands and waters throughout the decade, up from an earlier aim
of 20%.
● Money for nature - Signatories aim to ensure 200 billion per year is channelled to
conservation initiatives, from public and private sources. Wealthier countries should
contribute at least 20 billion dollars of this every year by 2025, and at least 30 billion dollars
a year by 2030.
● Reporting the impacts on biodiversity - Companies should analyse and report how their
operations affect and are affected by biodiversity issues.
● Harmful subsidies - Countries committed to identify subsidies that deplete biodiversity by
2025, and then eliminate, phase out or reform them. They agreed to slash those incentives
by at least 500 billion dollars a year by 2030.
● Pollution and pesticides – It aims to reduce the risks associated with pesticides by at least
half, and focus on other forms of pest management.
● Monitoring and reporting progress - National action plans will be set and reviewed,
following a similar format used for greenhouse gas emissions under U.N.-led efforts to curb
climate change.
What are the concerns?

● Implementation - A major issue is realization of targets contained within the framework
because lack of implementation was the major factors behind the failure of the Aichi
targets.
● Finance - Democratic Republic of Congo staunchly opposed the package, regarding the
issues over financing.
● New fund - Demands from the global South for a new fund were only partially fulfilled, as
it proposed to create the fund within the Global Environment Facility, the UN’s existing
biodiversity financing fund.
● Eliminating harmful subsidies - India’s demand against a numerical target to eliminate
harmful subsidies has been partially addressed.
● Cutting pollution - India was against a numerical goal of cutting pollution to zero.
2. Green Methanol
Context
NTPC has signed a non-binding MOU with Tecnimont (Indian subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont Group,
Italy) to jointly evaluate and explore the possibility of developing a commercial scale Green
Methanol Production facility at an NTPC project in India.
What is Green Methanol?

41
Green methanol is methanol that is produced renewably and without polluting emissions, one of
its variants being generated from green hydrogen. This chemical compound can be used as a low-
carbon liquid fuel and is a promising alternative to fossil fuels in areas where decarbonisation is a
major challenge, such as maritime transport.
Highlights
● The green methanol project involves capturing carbon from NTPC power plants and
converting it into a green fuel.
● Green methanol has a wide range of applications, including serving as a base material for
the chemical industry, storing renewable electricity, and even as a transportation fuel.
● For the automotive industry, Methanol can be blended with gasoline in low-quantities and
used in existing road vehicles, or it can be used in high-proportion blends such as M85 in
flex-fuel vehicles or M100 in dedicated methanol-fuelled vehicles as a substitute for
gasoline or diesel.
Value chain of Green Methanol

● Key benefits for using methanol as a fuel include: low-emission fuel, can be made from a
variety of sources, high octane, economical, accessible globally, and used in the
automotive industry.
● This project aligns with NTPC's commitment to sustainability and renewable energy and
will contribute to India's energy transition.
3. State of Global Water Report, 2021

Context

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The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has published its first State of Global Water
Resources report to assess the effects of climate change, environmental change, and societal
change on the Earth's water resources.
Highlights
● The report provides an overview of river flow, major floods and droughts, and changes in
freshwater storage.
● It also highlights hotspots for changes in freshwater storage and the crucial role and
vulnerability of the cryosphere (snow and ice).
● The report shows that large areas of the globe recorded drier than normal conditions in
2021, due to climate change and a La Niña event.
● Currently, 3.6 billion people face inadequate access to water at least a month per year, and
this is expected to increase to more than 5 billion by 2050.
● The report also highlights the lack of accessible verified hydrological data and the need for
the sharing of hydrological data, including river discharge and transboundary river basins
information.
4. World Bank Report on Air Pollution

Context
The World Bank has published a report on the effects of climate, environmental and societal
change on the Earth’s water resources, with a focus on South Asia, and the need for coordinated
policies across airsheds to effectively reduce particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure.
Highlights
● Currently, over 60% of South Asians are exposed to an average 35 µg/m3 of PM2.5 annually.
In some parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) this spikes to as much as 100 µg/m3, nearly
20 times the upper limit of 5 µg/m3 recommended by the World Health Organisation.
● The report identifies six major airsheds in South Asia where air quality in one area affects
the other: West/Central IGP, Central/Eastern IGP, Middle India, Northern/Central Indus
River Plain, Southern Indus Plain and further west.
● The report finds that even if the Delhi National Capital Territory were to fully implement all
air pollution control measures by 2030, while other parts of South Asia continued to follow
current policies, it would not keep pollution exposure below 35 µg/m3. However, if other
parts of South Asia also adopted all feasible measures, it would bring pollution below that
number.
● The report analyses multiple scenarios to reduce air pollution with varying degrees of
policy implementation and cooperation among countries. The most cost-effective
scenario, which calls for full coordination between airsheds, would cut the average
exposure of PM 2.5 in South Asia to 30 µg/m³ at a cost of $278 million (₹2,400 crore) per
µg/mᶾ of reduced exposure, and save more than 7,50,000 lives annually.
5. Western Disturbances
Context

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Recently, the daytime’s temperatures in Delhi were above normal in December 2022 because of
fewer Western Disturbances (WD).
Western Disturbance
● The disturbance travels from the “western” to the eastern direction. Disturbance means
an area of “disturbed” or reduced air pressure. Equilibrium exists in nature due to which
the air in a region tries to normalise its pressure.
● In the term “extra-tropical storm”, storm refers to low pressure. “Extra-tropical" means
outside the tropics. As the WD originates outside the tropical region, the word “extra-
tropical” has been associated with them.
● A WD is associated with rainfall, snowfall and fog in northern India. Upon its arrival in
Pakistan and northern India, clouds along with rain and snow also arrive. The moisture
which WDs carry with them comes from the Mediterranean Sea and/or from the Atlantic
Ocean.
Highlights
● In 2021, Delhi witnessed the rainiest October in 65 years, with the Safdarjung weather
observatory recording 122.5 mm of rainfall against a normal of 28 mm, on account of
western disturbances.
● Excess rainfall was also recorded in January and February this year. In contrast, there was
no rainfall in November 2021 and March 2022, and the summer saw an unusually early start
with heat waves setting in at the end of March 2022.
● Multiple western disturbances that brought cloud cover had also kept the maximum
temperature low in February 2022, when the lowest maximum temperature in 19 years was
recorded.
● Active western disturbances eluded northwest India in March 2022, and absence of cloud
cover and rain allowed temperatures to remain high.

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6. CCUS Policy Framework

Context
NITI Aayog has released a study report, titled ‘Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS)
Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism in India’.
Highlights
● Outlines the importance of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage as an emission
reduction strategy to achieve deep decarbonization from hard-to-abate sectors.
● India has updated its NDC targets for achieving 50% of its total installed capacity from non-
fossil-based energy sources, 45% reduction in emission intensity by 2030 and taking steps
towards achieving Net Zero by 2070.
● CCUS can enable the production of clean products while still utilizing coal and reducing
imports, leading to an Atmanirbhar Indian economy.
● CCUS projects will also lead to significant employment generation, with an estimated 8-10
million jobs on a full-time equivalent basis by 2050.
● India's dependency on fossil-based energy resources is likely to continue, making a CCUS
policy in the Indian context necessary.
● The report suggests that CCUS can provide a variety of opportunities to convert captured
CO2 to value-added products such as green urea, food and beverage form application,
building materials, chemicals, polymers, and enhanced oil recovery, contributing to a
circular economy.
7. World Bank Report on India’s Cooling Sector

Context
The report, “Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling Sector” was released by the
World Bank.
● The report builds upon the India Cooling Action Plan, a government initiative to bring
affordable and energy-efficient cooling at the forefront of the country’s policy agenda.
Highlights
● By 2030, 160 million to 200 million people in India could be exposed to lethal heatwaves
every year, and 34 million Indians could face job losses due to heat stress-related
productivity decline.
● The demand for cooling is expected to be 8 times higher by 2037.
● The World Bank has released a report stating that deploying alternative and innovative
energy efficient technologies for cooling could open an investment opportunity of $1.6
trillion by 2040, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating 3.7 million
jobs.

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● With the increasing demand for cooling, there will be a need for a new air conditioner every
15 seconds, leading to an expected 435% increase in annual greenhouse gas emissions over
the next two decades.
● The report proposes a roadmap to support India's Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) 2019 through
investments in building construction, cold chains and refrigerants.
● The report suggests that India's affordable housing program for the poor can adopt
climate-responsive cooling techniques as a norm, to ensure that those at the bottom of the
economic ladder are not disproportionately affected by rising temperatures.
● The report proposes enacting a policy for "district cooling" which could lead to a
consumption of 20-30% less power than the most efficient conventional cooling solutions.
● The report suggests guidelines for implementation of local and city-wide urban cooling
measures such as cool roofs should also be considered.
8. Environment Education, Awareness and Training

Context
The Environment Education, Awareness and Training (EEAT) scheme has been revamped into the
Environment Education Programme.
Highlights
● Environment Education, Awareness and Training (EEAT) is a Central Sector scheme
implemented by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to promote
environmental awareness and mobilize students’ participation for environment
conservation.
● Two major programs are being implemented under this scheme, National Green Corps
(NGC) and National Nature Camping Program (NNCP).
● Under the NGC program, over 1 lakh Eco-clubs have been formed in schools and colleges
to educate students and spread awareness on environmental issues. A financial assistance
of Rs 5,000/- per Eco-club is provided under this program.

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● Activities undertaken by Eco-clubs include plantation drives, cleanliness drives, celebration
of important environmental days, awareness and capacity building on solid waste
management, etc.
● Under NNCP, field visits/ nature camps in different Protected Areas/ Nature Parks/ Tiger
Reserves of the country for students are supported. Activities like preparing checklist of
flora and fauna, bird watching, trekking, green pledges, group discussions, sharing of
experiences, etc. are undertaken during these camps.
● These camps provide ‘nature experience’ to students and have huge potential to trigger
their sensitivity towards nature and its conservation. A financial assistance not exceeding
Rs. 2,000/- per student for a camp of 2 nights and 3 days is provided under this program,
with a ceiling of 20 camps per State/ Union Territory.
9. Effect of GM Crops on livelihood

Context
The Supreme Court of India has expressed concern about the plight of thousands of women
agricultural labourers in rural areas who traditionally engage in deweeding as they would be part
of the human cost if the government permitted the commercial cultivation of herbicide-tolerant
crops such as GM mustard.
Highlights
● Women are experts in removing weeds and are a vital part of the labor force in agriculture
in India.
● Widespread use of herbicide-tolerant crops would encourage farmers to spray chemical
weed-killers, leaving toxic chemical residue in large amounts on the crops.
● India had 5,477 varieties of mustard, which would be at risk and that the regulatory system
under the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) was "horrendous" and riddled
with conflict of interest.
● GM mustard, if approved for commercial cultivation, would be the first genetically
modified food crop available to Indian farmers and would open the door wide for
multinational corporations.
● Hybrid crops should not be released in the open fields and allowed to contaminate other
crops as it would trigger a chain reaction which would be irreversible.
10. Great Barrier Reef in Danger

Context
A joint report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and UNESCO’s World
Heritage Centre (WHC) has expressed concern about the status of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in
Australia, recommending that it “be inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.”
Highlights
● The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system with over 2,900 individual
reefs, 900 islands and an area covering approximately 344,400 square kilometers.
● It is an irreplaceable part of the global ecosystem and one of the biggest biodiversity
hotspots in the world as well as one of its largest carbon sinks.

47
● The GBR is a crucial contributor to the economy of Australia, supporting over 64,000 jobs
and bringing in billions of annual revenue.
● The report cites “major threats that could have deleterious effects on its inherent
characteristics” and makes 10 priority and 12 additional recommendations to preserve the
“Outstanding Universal Value” (OUV) of the coral reef system.
● The report states that the GBR is currently adversely and significantly impacted by climate
change factors, affecting its resilience to sustain and regenerate itself.
11. Himalayan medicinal plants: IUCN list

Context
Three medicinal plant species found in the Himalayas have been listed on the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species following a recent assessment.
About
● Meizotropis pellita has been assessed as ‘critically endangered’, Fritillaria cirrhosa as
‘vulnerable’, and Dactylorhiza hatagirea as ‘endangered’.
● Meizotropis pellita, commonly known as Patwa, is a perennial shrub that is endemic to
Uttarakhand and threatened by deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and forest fires. It
possesses strong antioxidants and can be used as a substitute in the pharmaceutical
industry.
● Fritillaria cirrhosa (Himalayan fritillary) is a perennial bulbous herb that is threatened by
population decline, poor germination potential, high trade value, extensive harvesting
pressure, and illegal trade. It is used in China for the treatment of bronchial disorders and
pneumonia.
● Dactylorhiza hatagirea (Salampanja) is threatened by habitat loss, livestock grazing,
deforestation, and climate change. It is extensively used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and
other alternative systems of medicine to cure dysentery, gastritis, chronic fever, cough and
stomach aches.

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
1. India’s first space vehicle launchpad

Context
Agnikul Cosmos is a Chennai-based space tech startup, it has launched India's first private
launchpad and mission control centre at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.
Highlights
● The facility consists of two parts: the Agnikul launchpad and the Agnikul mission control
centre, which are 4km apart.
● The launchpad is designed to accommodate and support liquid stage-controlled launches
and the company plans to launch its Agnibaan rocket from this launchpad.
● Agnibaan is a two-stage launch vehicle that can take payloads of up to 100 kg to a low-earth
orbit around 700 km from the Earth's surface.
● The Agnibaan rocket will be powered by the company's 3D-printed Agnilet engines, which
are semi-cryogenic and use a mixture of liquid kerosene and supercold liquid oxygen for
propulsion
● Agnikul test-fired the Agnilet engine at ISRO's facilities earlier this year.
● The company plans to launch the Agnibaan rocket by the end of the year and will use the
debut launch to test the rocket's systems including avionics packages, guidance and
navigation systems.
2. SpIN
Context
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed an MoU with Social Alpha to launch
SpaceTech Innovation Network (SpIN).
Highlights
● SpIN is India's first dedicated platform for innovation, curation, and venture development
for the burgeoning space entrepreneurial ecosystem.
● This is a one-of-a-kind public-private collaboration for start-ups and SMEs in the space
industry
● SpIN will primarily focus on facilitating space tech entrepreneurs in three distinct
innovation categories: Geospatial Technologies and Downstream Applications; Enabling
Technologies for Space & Mobility; and Aerospace Materials, Sensors, and Avionics.
● The partnership aims to provide further stimulus to India's recent space reform policies
and to identify and unleash the market potential of the most promising space tech
innovators and entrepreneurs in India.
● SpIN has launched its first innovation challenge, encouraging early-stage start-ups to
develop solutions in areas of maritime and land transportation, urbanisation, mapping, and
surveying, disaster management, food security, sustainable agriculture, environmental
monitoring, and natural resources management.

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● Selected start-ups and innovators will have access to Social Alpha's and ISRO's
infrastructure and resources and will be provided active hand-holding in critical areas such
as product design, testing and validation infrastructure, intellectual property
management, go-to-market strategy, and access to long-term patient capital.
3. Trisonic wind Tunnel

Context
The new trisonic wind tunnel at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) was inaugurated on
Thursday by conducting the first blow-down test successfully.
Highlights
● The wind tunnel is a massive
structure that can perform tests in
three speed regimes and will equip
the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) with a robust
in-house support system for space
missions.
● Wind tunnels are devices used to
study the effects of air flows on
solid objects, in this case, scale
models of ISRO rockets and
spacecraft.
● The trisonic wind tunnel at VSSC is
about 160 meters long and measures 5.4 meters at its widest part.
● Blow down test is a test in which stored gases are released and blown through the tunnel’s
test section, simulating flight conditions.
● The tunnel can simulate flight conditions from 0.2 times the speed of sound (68 meters per
second) to four times the speed of sound (1,360 meters per second).
● 'Trisonic' refers to the tunnel’s capability to test in three speed regimes—below the speed
of sound (subsonic), at the speed of sound (transonic), and above the speed of sound
(supersonic).
● The wind tunnel was implemented through Tata Projects India Ltd with the assistance of
industries across the country.
● For years, ISRO had depended on the trisonic wind tunnel at the National Aerospace
Laboratory (NAL), Bengaluru.
● The VSSC is already equipped with a hypersonic wind tunnel for testing parameters of re-
entry missions. Commissioned in 2017, this tunnel can simulate flow speeds up to Mach 12.

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4. Hakuto - R Mission
Context
Hakuto is a Japanese team participating in the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition, which challenges
teams to land a robot on the moon, drive it 500 meters, and send back high-definition imagery and
video.
Highlights
● The primary objective is to meet these
requirements while also exploring the
lunar surface, with a particular interest in
caves that may exist beneath the surface
known as lunar lava tubes.
● Lunar lava tubes have been proposed as
potential locations for a future lunar base
due to their potential to provide a stable
environment for sheltering astronauts.
● Hakuto has developed a pair of rovers, called Moonraker and Tetris, that can work
independently or in collaboration.
● The goal is to reduce cost and time through the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)
products.
● Already built and tested prototypes and is currently working on the detailed design and
fabrication of a pre-flight model for testing.
● The long-term aim of the company leading the financial and management aspects of
Hakuto is to develop space resources in order to offer human habitation outside the
confines of the Earth.

51
5. Geminids Meteor Shower

Context
● The Geminids meteor shower is widely recognized as one of the best and most consistent
annual meteor showers.
About
● Its name comes from the constellation
Gemini, from whose location in the sky the
meteor shower appears to originate.
● It is expected to generate 120 meteors per
hour and be active from November 19 to
December 24, 2022, peaking on December
14th.
● According to NASA, the Geminids meteor
shower is a unique astronomical
phenomenon that can be observed during
the night and predawn hours.
● Geminids are made up of fragments of rock comets that pass close to Earth once a year.
● The Geminids meteor shower is known for its high speed, moving at 78,000 mph, which is
1000 times quicker than a cheetah, 250 times faster than the world's fastest automobile,
and 40 times faster than a speeding bullet.
● The meteor shower can be seen from both Hyderabad and Delhi.
● The Geminids are debris left behind by comets and our solar system is still littered with
debris, which is why these meteor showers happen.
6. Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT)

Context
NASA and the French space agency CNES have jointly launched the Surface Water and Ocean
Topography (SWOT) spacecraft.
About
● It is a satellite altimeter jointly developed and operated by NASA and CNES in partnership
with the space agencies of the UK and Canada.
● It will measure the height of water in freshwater bodies and the ocean on more than 90%
of Earth’s surface.
● It will cover the entire Earth’s surface between 78° south and 78° north latitude at least
once every 21 days sending back about one terabyte of unprocessed data per day.
● The scientific heart of the spacecraft is an innovative instrument called the Ka-band radar
interferometer, KaRIn, which marks a major technological advance.
➢ KaRIn bounces radar pulses off the water’s surface and receives the return signal
using two antennas on either side of the spacecraft.
Significance of SWOT
● It will provide vital information, given the urgent challenges posed by climate change and
sea level rise.

52
● It will also help researchers, policymakers, and resource managers better assess and plan
for things, including floods and droughts.
● This information will provide insights into how the ocean influences climate change; how a
warming world affects lakes, rivers, and reservoirs; and how communities can better
prepare for disasters.
7. China regulates Deepfake technology

Context
The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s cyberspace watchdog, is rolling out new
regulations to restrict the use of deep synthesis technology and curb disinformation.
About Deepfake
● Deepfakes are digital manipulations that use machine learning algorithms to superimpose
one person's face or voice onto another person's body or speech.
● These manipulations can be used to create realistic-looking or sounding videos or audio
recordings that depict someone doing or saying something that they never actually did or
said.
● Deepfakes can be used for a variety of purposes, including entertainment, political
manipulation, and impersonation.
● They have the potential to be used for malicious purposes, such as spreading
misinformation or damaging someone's reputation.
● The technology behind deepfakes is becoming increasingly sophisticated and accessible,
making it easier for people to create convincing manipulations.
8. Uncontrolled re-entries of Satellite

Context
The Outer Space Institute (OSI) has published an open letter signed by over 140 experts and
dignitaries calling for efforts to restrict uncontrolled re-entries of rocket parts falling back to Earth
after their missions are complete.
Highlights
● Rockets have multiple stages, and once a stage has increased the rocket’s altitude and
velocity by a certain amount, the rocket sheds it.
● In an uncontrolled re-entry, the rocket stage simply falls back to Earth without guidance,
and its path is determined by its shape, angle of descent, air currents and other
characteristics. It will also disintegrate as it falls.
● Debris from these re-entries can be deadly, as they travel at high speeds, and can cause
damage to people and property on the ground.
● The OSI letter cites examples of parts of Russian and Chinese rockets in 2018, 2020 and
2022 that have struck parts of Indonesia, Peru, India and Ivory Coast among others.
● The letter estimates that the casualty risk from uncontrolled rocket body re-entries is on
the order of 10% in the next decade, and that countries in the ‘Global South’ face a
“disproportionately higher” risk of casualties.

53
● There is no international binding agreement to ensure rocket stages always perform
controlled re-entries nor on the technologies with which to do so.
● The letter recommends that re-entering bodies aim for an ocean in order to avoid human
casualties.
● The letter concludes by asking for national and multilateral efforts to control re-entries,
and to develop technology and international agreements to ensure controlled re-entries
and minimize damage.
9. Zombie Virus
Context
European researchers have raised concerns of a new pandemic after resurrecting a 48,500-year-
old virus from a frozen lake in Russia.
Highlights
● The virus, called "Zombie Virus," is one of 13 new pathogens characterized as remaining
infectious despite spending many millennia trapped in frozen ground.
● The virus emerged due to thawing of permafrost as global temperatures rise.
● One-quarter of the Northern hemisphere is underlain by permanently frozen ground,
referred to as permafrost.
● Due to climate warming, irreversibly thawing permafrost is releasing organic matter frozen
for up to a million years, which includes dormant viruses from prehistoric times.
● All of the "zombie viruses" have the potential to be infectious and pose a "health danger"
after being researched in live cultures.
● It is believed that pandemics like Covid-19 will become more common in the future as
melting permafrost releases long-dormant viruses.
10. Sand Battery

Context
Finland has installed the world’s first fully working "sand battery" in its town called Kankaanpaa,
capable of storing green power for months at a time. The batteries can also solve the issue of year-
round supply.
What is a Sand Battery?

● A “sand battery” is a high temperature thermal energy storage that uses sand or sand-like
materials as its storage medium. It stores energy in sand as heat.
● Sand is a very effective medium for retaining heat over a long period, storing power for
months at a time.
● Its main purpose is to work as a high-power and high-capacity reservoir for excess wind
and solar energy. The energy is stored as heat, which can be used to heat homes, or to
provide hot steam and high temperature process heat to industries that are often fossil-
fuel dependent.
● The sand battery helps to ambitiously upscale renewables production by ensuring there’s
always a way to benefit from clean energy, even if the surplus is massive.

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55
INTERNAL SECURITY & DEFENCE
1. Ransomware Attack
Context
The e-services at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) were recently affected by a
suspected ransomware attack.
Details
● AIIMS has a Local Area Network (LAN) which consists of over 6,500 computers and
supports the institute, hospital, centres and other departments. Due to the cyber-attacks,
most of the servers stopped working and also the e-hospital network which is managed by
the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
● The Delhi Police’s Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) have initiated
investigations and due to the pending sanitisation of the LAN and its nodes, all the critical
hospital services are at present being executed manually.
● Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO)
○ IFSO is the cybercrime unit of the Delhi Police.
○ IFSO is a specialised unit that manages complex and sensitive cybercrime cases,
including those in which the victims are women and children.
○ IFSO is equipped with a cutting-edge cyber lab with cyber forensic capabilities, the
ability to recover deleted data, forensic servers, and portable forensic tools.
○ It was earlier known as Cyber Prevention Awareness Detection (CyPAD) and was
renamed IFSO in 2021.
○ IFSO has been involved in some of the most sensitive cybercrime cases such as the
Bulli Bai case and the Sulli deal app case.
Ransomware Attacks
● Ransomware is a category of malicious cyber-attack software, used by cybercriminals.
● This malicious software first infects a computer system by blocking access to the stored
data by encrypting the files and later demands a ransom amount from the owner in
exchange for the decryption key.
● These types of malware usually are injected remotely by manipulating the user into
downloading it upon clicking a link sent through email or other means.
● The ransomware malware has the ability to spread throughout the network by exploiting
existing network vulnerabilities.
● Ransomware attacks can also facilitate the theft of sensitive and confidential data for evil
motives.
Agencies that deal with cyber-crimes in India

● Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is the national-level nodal agency
that collects, analyses and circulates inputs on cyber-attacks.
○ CERT-In is further tasked with issuing guidelines, recommending preventive
measures, forecasting, alerting and extending training.

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○ CERT-In is also responsible for undertaking measures to handle any significant
cyber security event.
● The National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) under the National Security Council
Secretariat, coordinates with various agencies at the national level on cybersecurity issues.
● National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) which has been
established under Section 70A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 is entrusted with
the protection of the critical information infrastructure of the country.
● Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) has been set up
for the detection of malicious software programmes and to provide free tools to address
the issues of malicious software.
● National Cyber Coordination Centre is tasked with creating awareness about existing and
potential threats.
2. Voice Recognition Technology

Introduction
● According to data from the Reserve Bank of India, bank and cyber frauds in India are on
the rise and they have cost the country an estimated ₹100 crore a day over the last seven
years.
● The main reasons for the rise in fraud include greater use of digital payments, telephone
banking, and online banking services. India ranks second only to China, with more than 690
million active internet users - 41% of our country’s total population.
● RBI has issued instructions on Cyber Security Framework in Banks and has mandated
Scheduled Commercial Banks to report all unusual cyber incidents to RBI within two to six
hours of the occurrence of such incidents.
● These incidents are analysed for the pattern of attack and the vulnerabilities exploited.
Where needed, advisories/alerts are issued to the banks so as to avoid repeat
attacks/exploitation of the same vulnerabilities.
Voice Technology
● Adoption of Voice Technology (VT), which encompasses voice biometrics or voice/speech
recognition technology is one of the safest ways can be adopted by banks and
establishments to reduce fraud and identity theft risks,
● Voice Technology uses the unique characteristics of a person’s voice as identification. It
creates a digital voiceprint and compares it to a caller’s voice.
● Voice authentication can significantly improve security over knowledge-based
authentication methods, exploited by fraudsters to scam people.
● The voice biometrics industry is growing exponentially now. Experts expect the market to
reach a market size of $3.9 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 22.8%.
● Banks have traditionally relied on passwords, which are the weakest link in security (81% of
hacking-related breaches involve weak passwords).
Advantages of Voice Technology

● Compared to other biometrics, voice use is the cheapest technology as it does not require
a reader or particular device.

57
● It is also non-invasive, and portable and affords remote identification.
● Unlike a password, a customer’s voice is impossible to spoof or copy and is far more
challenging to hack.
● It verifies a caller swiftly in seconds by analysing the caller’s voice and flags suspicious calls.
● It allows privacy because it does not require users to reveal personal information.
● Voice biometrics can help financial institutions to ensure higher levels of protection for
customers and employees.
○ Since HSBC introduced a voice authentication system in its telephone banking
services in 2019, fraud there has declined by 50%.
Growing applications of Voice Biometrics

● Law enforcement agencies in India can leverage voice to improve investigation efficiency,
identify criminals, track criminals, and better respond to and prevent crimes.
● It can also be used to verify criminal background at airport security as it has a much lower
error rate, and requires no eye contact.
● Face recognition technology has a high error rate and works best when the person is
looking directly at the camera.
● Voice could be an excellent tool for the Government to disburse money for various
schemes and verify the proof of life of pensioners from their homes.
○ It has the advantage of improving user experience, reducing call handle times and
call centre costs, besides ensuring high-accuracy authentication in seconds.
○ The technology is sensitive enough to detect if someone is impersonating the user
or playing a recording. It can identify even if the user has a cold or a sore throat.
3. Smuggling in India Report 2021-22

Context
Release of Smuggling in India Report 2021-22 by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.
Details
● The ‘Smuggling in India Report, 2021-22’ shows the volume of illegal commodities seized
and describes the types of items smuggled and the challenges associated with such
operations.
● Some items that are seized almost daily by Indian Customs and the Directorate of Revenue
Intelligence (DRI) in Airports, Sea routes, and border areas are gold, dried seahorses,
heroin, and red sander logs.
● It has been noted that whenever there is a surge in gold imports, gold smuggling also
typically goes up.
● According to the World Gold Council (WGC), smuggling could increase by 33% to touch 160
tonnes in 2022 compared to the pre-Covid period due to the increase in the import duty on
gold to 12.5% from 7.5%.
● In the last 10 years, Maharashtra has smuggled most of the Gold into India followed by
Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)

58
● It is India's chief anti-smuggling intelligence, investigations and operations agency.
● It works under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Ministry of Finance.
● It is headed by a Director General of the rank of Special Secretary to the Government of
India.
● DRI works to secure India's national and economic security by preventing the outright
smuggling of firearms, gold, narcotics, fake Indian Currency notes, antiques, wildlife and
environmental products.
● Moreover, it also works to prevent the proliferation of black money, commercial frauds
and trade-based money laundering.
● It is headquartered in New Delhi.
4. Global response to Terrorism

Context
Several meetings and conferences on the issue of countering terrorism were conducted in recent
days across the globe.
Introduction
● The United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, No Money for Terror
Conference, and an Interpol Conference with the main focus on terrorism met recently to
discuss various issues of counter-terrorism and to wage a coordinated fight against
terrorism.
● These meetings are conducted with the objective to achieve a world free from terrorism
by adapting and innovating to counter terrorism by promoting multilateral cooperation.
● But these meetings seem to have neglected newer terror groups whose ambit of activities
has widened and become more widespread and have focused majorly on al-Qaeda and the
IS.
New Age Terrorism

● The world witnessed several landmark terror attacks including the September 11, 2001
terror attack in New York, and the November 26, 2008 attacks on multiple targets in
Mumbai which had profound strategic implications.
○ 9/11 attack came to be regarded as ‘new age terrorism’, while the Mumbai attacks
showed the dangers of state-sponsored terrorism. These events changed the
cognitive map of terrorism.
● Terrorist Attacks in Paris in November 2015 signalled the emergence of ‘new age’ terrorism
and also the rise of new terrorist entities such as the Islamic State (IS) and al Qaeda — each
with their own caliphs.
● Attacks by IS across Asia, Europe and North Africa indicate a new complicated pattern of
relationships among various terrorist conglomerates.
○ It has given numerous fringe extremist groups with a propensity for terrorism a
boost.
● While several terrorist organisations continue to target Europe and Asia, al-Qaeda and IS
militants have turned their attention to Africa and northwest Asia.

59
● Linkages among terrorist groups have strengthened in recent days. This can be seen in
recent statements and activities by al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
○ Al-Qaeda is finding fertile ground in the Sahel region of Africa and in Eastern Africa,
apart from Afghanistan.
○ Taliban is one of the firmest allies of al-Qaeda today. The Haqqani Network within
the new Taliban government provides many opportunities for al-Qaeda to find
greater traction across the region.
● The declining level of serious terrorist incidents does not translate into a decline in
terrorism.
○ Although scaled-down attacks of little-known targets may appear relatively
insignificant, they are symptomatic of growing radicalisation and suggestive of the
fact that a sizeable base is being built in the southern region of India, which could
lead to the creation of organisations on the model of the Indian Mujahideen.
Way Forward
● Constant and careful vigil by counter-terrorism experts is needed to keep track of these
activities and the kind of links that are being established by smaller global terrorist outfits.
● The Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) which intends to
criminalise all forms of international terrorism and deny terrorists, their financiers and
supporters access to funds, arms, and safe havens shall be pushed in the UNGA.
● Global counter-terrorism agencies shall upgrade their skills and capabilities to counter ‘new
age terrorism’. They shall also function in a more coordinated manner, exchanging
intelligence and tactics.
● They should consider and focus on newer patterns of terror such as ‘enabled terrorism’
and ‘remote control terrorism’, which refers to acts of violence planned and directed by
controllers hundreds of miles away and poses Internet-enabled terrorist risks.
5. INS Mormugao
Context
INS Mormugao has been officially commissioned into the Indian Navy.
● The warship named after the port city of Mormugao in Goa was commissioned on
December 18th, 2022 which is a day before the Goa Liberation Day celebrations.
● INS Mormugao is a stealth-guided missile destroyer built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
Limited (MDSL).
● It is the second of the four Visakhapatnam-class destroyers being built under the Project
15B (P15B) of the Indian Navy.
Capabilities of INS Mormugao

● INS Mormugao is 163 metres long, and 17 metres wide and displaces 7,400 tonnes when
fully loaded. It can accommodate around 300 personnel.
● The destroyer is propelled by four gas turbines in a combined gas and gas (COGAG)
configuration.
○ This propulsion mechanism helps the ship to achieve speeds of more than 30 knots
(50km/h) and a maximum range of 4,000 nautical miles.

60
● INS Mormugao destroyer has multi-dimensional combat capabilities such as surface-to-
surface missiles, surface-to-air missiles and advanced surveillance radar.
○ The enhanced stealth capabilities ensure a reduced Radar Cross Section or radar
signature.
● INS Mormugao’s firepower consists of BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles, Barak-8
surface-to-air (SAM) missiles for a long range of shore and sea-based targets and a 76mm
super rapid gun mount.
● The destroyer is also equipped with RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers and
533mm torpedo launchers.
● The ship is also designed to carry and operate multi-role helicopters.
● The ship has been designed with various automated features with complex digital
networks such as the Automatic Power Management System (APMS), Combat
Management System (CMS), Gigabyte Ethernet-based Ship Data Network (GESDN),
Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) and Ship Data Network (SDN).
○ CMS is used to undertake threat evaluation and resource allocation.
○ APMS controls the power management systems.
○ IPMS helps control and monitor machinery and auxiliaries.
○ SDN acts as the information highway for data from sensors and weapons.
● Additionally, the warship has been designed to include various battle damage control
systems, fire zones, distributional power systems which help during emergencies and a
total atmospheric control system which helps safeguard the crew against biological,
chemical as well as nuclear threats.
Strategic significance of INS Mormugao

● INS Mormugao has been developed with more than 75% indigenous content which is in line
with India’s AatmaNirbhar Bharat initiative and is important for the 15-year Indian Naval
Indigenisation Plan (INIP) 2015-2030 and overall plans to make India self-reliant in defence
technologies.
● With China expanding its naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region, bolstering India’s
maritime capabilities to counter the potential threat has become extremely significant.
● The adoption of advanced technologies into stealth warships will provide a strategic edge
to India and adds to the combat capabilities of the armed forces.
● Further, advanced stealth warships not just help in surface operations, but are also capable
of engaging in anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare.
6. Agni-V ballistic missile

Context
India on December 16, 2022, successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-V.
Details about Agni-V

● Agni-V is the most advanced surface-to-surface indigenously built ballistic missile.
○ Agni-V is a fire-and-forget missile, which once fired cannot be stopped, except by
an interceptor missile.

61
● The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) which operates the Agni-5, carried out the successful
test of the missile from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
○ SFC is a key tri-services formation that manages and administers all the strategic
assets and falls under the purview of the Nuclear Command Authority of India.
● The missile, which uses a three-stage solid-fuelled engine, has been developed by the
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided
Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
● The missile can strike targets at ranges up to 5,000 km which brings almost entire Asia
including the northernmost part of China and regions in Europe under its striking range.
7. Vagir Submarine
Context
● The fifth Scorpene-class submarine, Vagir, was delivered to the Navy by the Mazagon Dock
Shipbuilders Ltd.
● The Vagir submarine was launched into the water in 2020 and had started its sea trials in
February 2022.
Details
● Six Scorpene-class submarines are being constructed under Project-75 by Mazagon Dock
Shipbuilders Ltd with the help of technology transfer from the Naval Group of France under
a $3.75-billion deal signed in October 2005.
Submarine Name Commission Date
INS Kalvari December 2017
INS Khanderi September 2019
INS Karanj March 2021
INS Vela November 2021
INS Vagir January 2023
INS Vagsheer Soon
● The Indian Navy at present has 15 conventional and one nuclear submarine in service. The
Naval fleet of submarines includes
○ Seven Russian Kilo-class submarines
○ Four German HDW submarines
○ Four Scorpene-class submarines
○ The indigenous nuclear ballistic missile submarine INS Arihant
IAF test-fires extended range BrahMos cruise missile
● The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully completed the test fire of the Extended Range
(ER) version of BrahMos air-launched supersonic cruise missile from a SU-30MKI fighter
aircraft.
● The test has provided a significant boost to the capabilities of the IAF to carry out precision
strikes from SU-30MKI aircraft against land/sea targets over a long range.

62
● The extended range capability of the BrahMos missile and the high performance of the SU-
30MKI aircraft give the IAF a strategic edge and helps it to dominate future battlefields.
● Further, the development of BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) will make sure that the
current weight of the air-launched missile would come down from 2.65 tonnes to 1.33
which will enable SU-30MKI to carry up to four BrahMos-NG missiles, while the Light
Combat Aircrafts (LCA) would be able to carry two missiles
● BrahMos is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) of India and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
○ BrahMos missile derives its name from the two major rivers of India and Russia
namely Brahmaputra and Moskva.
○ The missile can be launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface- and sea-
based targets.

63
HISTORY & CULTURE
1. Hornbill Festival
Context
● The 23rd edition of the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland featured cultural presentations and
unity dances representing all Naga tribes.
About Hornbill Festival

● Hornbill Festival is an annual cultural festival celebrated in Nagaland.
● The festival is named after the Indian hornbill bird, which is revered in the Naga culture.
● The festival is held in the first week of December and is organized by the Nagaland
government's tourism department.
● The festival features a wide variety of cultural events, including traditional dances and
music, food fairs, sports, and games.
● The festival also includes a traditional Naga morung (youth dormitory) exhibition,
showcasing the customs, artifacts and way of life of the Naga tribes.
2. Veer Baldiwas
Context
December 26 shall henceforth be marked as “Veer Baal Diwas” to pay homage to the courage of
the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the last Sikh guru.
About
● Guru Gobind Singh ji had four sons – Sahibzada Ajit Singh, Sahibzada Jujhar Singh,
Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh.
● All four of his sons were initiated into the Khalsa and all were executed by Mughal forces
before the age of 19.

64
● The day marks when Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh attained
martyrdom when they were executed by the Mughals (1705).
● The brothers were captured with their grandmother Mata Gujari, the mother of Guru
Gobind Singh.
● They were imprisoned with their grandmother and put to death on the orders of
Aurangzeb, who attempted to suffocate them inside a brick enclosure.
● At the time of martyrdom, the ages of Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh were 9 years and 6
years respectively.
3. Threat to Geoglyphs in Ratnagiri

Context
● Experts and conservationists have
raised concerns over the proposed
location of a mega oil refinery in Barsu
village of Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri
district, claiming that the refinery might
damage prehistoric geoglyphs found in
the area.
● The geoglyphs are protected by the
state archaeology department and the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
● In April of this year, these sites in the
Konkan region were added to a tentative list of UNESCO’s world heritage sites.
● UNESCO listing dates these sites to be over 12,000 years old, but some experts have
claimed that these sites might be 20,000 years.
Geoglyphs
● Geoglyphs are a form of prehistoric rock art, created on the surface of laterite plateaus
(Sada in Marathi) by removing a part of the rock surface through an incision, picking,
carving or abrading.
● They can be in the form of rock paintings, etchings, cup marks and ring marks.
● The UNESCO listing mentions Konkan geoglyphs, however elsewhere, the term petroglyph
is also used. Petroglyphs and geoglyphs share similarities as both require the skills of
removing parts or engraving a symbol on the rock surface.
● Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra has more than 1,500 pieces of such art, also called Katal
shilpa, spread across 70 sites.
● UNESCO’s tentative world heritage list mentions seven sites with petroglyphs in Ratnagiri
district, one in Sindhudurg district, and nine sites at Phansamal in Goa.
● The figures depicted in the geoglyphs include humans and animals such as deer, elephant,
tiger, monkey, wild boar, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, cattle, pig, rabbit, and monkey, as
well as reptilian and amphibian creatures such as tortoises and alligators, aquatic animals
such as sharks and sting rays, and birds like peacocks.
● The largest rock engraving or geoglyph in India is at Kasheli in the Ratnagiri district, which
has a large figure of an elephant with dimensions of 18X13 metres.

65
4. Kumbhalgarh Fort
● The Sherpas of the G20 countries and invitees from countries and international
organisations recently visited the
famous Kumbhalgarh Fort in
Udaipur, which is a UNESCO
heritage site.
● Kumbhalgarh is the second most
important fortress after
Chittorgarh in the Mewar region.
The fort was built in the 15th
century AD by Rana Kumbha.
● It has the 2nd-longest wall of the
world after the Great Wall of
China.
● The massive fort is 3,600 feet tall
and 38 kilometres long, and it surrounds the city of Udaipur.
● It contains seven fortified gateways, as well as the Lakhola Tank, the most famous tank
within the fort, which was built by Rana Lakha.
● It contains several Hindu and Jain temples, which demonstrate the rulers' religious
tolerance and how they patronised the Jains and encouraged their culture in the kingdom.
● Due to a lack of drinking water, its defences were only breached once by the combined
armies of the Mughals and Amber.
● The fort has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the group of
Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
● The six hill forts of Rajasthan that have made it to UNESCO's World Heritage List are:
Chittorgarh Fort, Kumbhalgarh Fort (Rajsamand), Ranthambore Fort (Sawai Madhopur),
Jaisalmer Fort, Amber Fort (Jaipur) and Gagron Fort (Jhalawar).
5. Protection of Glacial-period Coastal Red Sand Dunes

Context
● The coastal red sand dunes, also known as Erra Matti Dibbalu, in Visakhapatnam are a site
of geological importance.
● The site is located 20 km north-east of Visakhapatnam city and 4 km south-west of
Bheemunipatnam and it was declared as a geo-heritage site by the Geological Survey of
India (GSI) in 2014 and it is listed as a protected site by the Andhra Pradesh government in
2016.
● The site is considered significant geologically, archaeologically, and anthropologically and
it needs to be protected for further study and evaluation.
● The site is also important to study the impact of climate change as it has seen both glacial
and warm periods.
● The site is about 18,500 to 20,000 years old and relates to the last glacial period.

66
● Such sand deposits are rare and have been reported only from three places in the tropical
regions in south Asia such as Teri Sands in Tamil Nadu, Erra Matti Dibbalu in Visakhapatnam
and one more site in Sri Lanka.
● The Erra Matti Dibbalu are spread across an area of about 20 sq km and the entire area has
been notified as a Geo Heritage Site.
6. Jallikatu
Context
A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court reserved for judgment a batch of petitions seeking to
strike down a Tamil Nadu law which protects Jallikattu by claiming that the bull-taming sport is a
cultural heritage of the State and is protected under Article 29 (1) of the Constitution.
While these practices may be deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of certain communities,
they are often controversial and have been criticized by animal welfare advocates.
What is Jallikattu?
● Jallikattu is a traditional sport that is popular in
Tamil Nadu.
● The sport involves releasing a wild bull into a
crowd of people, and the participants attempt to
grab the bull's hump and ride it for as long as
possible, or attempt to bring it under control.
● It is celebrated in the month of January, during
the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal.
Petitions
● The primary question involved was whether
Jallikattu should be granted constitutional protection as a collective cultural right under
Article 29 (1).
● Article 29 (1) is a fundamental right guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution to protect
the educational and cultural rights of citizens.
● The court examined if the laws “perpetuate cruelty to animals” or were actually a means
to ensure “the survival and well-being of the native breed of bulls”.
● The five-judge Bench heard parties on whether the new Jallikattu laws were “relatable” to
Article 48 of the Constitution, which urged the state to endeavor to organize agriculture
and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines.
● The Constitution Bench also looked into whether Jallikattu and bullock-cart races laws of
Karnataka and Maharashtra would actually sub-serve the objective of “prevention” of
cruelty to animals under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960.
What are the Associated Legal Interventions?

● In 2011, the Centre added bulls to the list of animals whose training and exhibition is
prohibited.
● The Supreme Court banned Jallikattu through a judgment in May 2014 in the Animal
Welfare Board of India vs A. Nagaraja case on the grounds of cruelty to animals.

67
● In 2018, the Supreme Court referred the Jallikattu case to a Constitution Bench, where it is
pending now.
● The bone of contention is the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment)
Act of 2017 and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Conduct of Jallikattu) Rules of 2017, which
had re-opened the gates for the conduct of the popular bull-taming sport in the name of
culture and tradition despite a 2014 ban by the Supreme Court.
What were the arguments for and against Jallikattu?

Argument in Favour:
● In Tamil Nadu, jallikattu is both a religious and cultural event celebrated by the people of
the State and its influence extends beyond the confines of caste and creed.
● “A practice which is centuries-old and symbolic of a community’s identity can be regulated
and reformed as the human race evolves rather than being completely obliterated,” the
State government submitted.
● It added that any ban on such a practice would be viewed as “hostile to culture and against
the sensitivities of the community”.
● Describing jallikattu as “a tool for conserving this precious indigenous breed of livestock,”
the government argued that the traditional event did not violate principles of compassion
and humanity.
● It contended that the traditional and cultural significance of the event and its intertwining
with the sociocultural milieu was being taught in high school curriculum so that “the
significance is maintained beyond generations.”
Arguments in Opposition:
● The petitioners’ line of argument was that animal life was inextricably connected to the
lives of humans. Liberty was “inherent in every living being, whether it be in any form of
life,” an aspect that had been recognized by the Constitution.
● The Tamil Nadu law was brought to circumvent the ban on jallikattu imposed by the
Supreme Court.
● Deaths and injuries have been caused to humans as well as bulls which had taken place in
several districts of the State while conducting jallikattu.
● The petitioners contended that contrary to the arguments advanced by Tamil Nadu,
several tamers pounced on bulls.
● According to them, “extreme cruelty” was inflicted on the animals.
● There was no material to justify jallikattu as a part of culture.
● The critics had equated the event with practices such as sati and dowry, which were also
once recognized as part of culture and stopped through legislation.
What is the Position in Other States for Similar Sports?

● Karnataka too passed a law to save a similar sport, called Kambala.
● Except in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, where bull-taming and racing continue to be
organized, these sports remain banned in all other states including Andhra Pradesh, Punjab
and Maharashtra due to the 2014 ban order from the Supreme Court.

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1

ENVIRONMENT & GEOGRAPHY ....................... 39

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1. Karnataka - Maharashtra Border Dispute

2. Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook

Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook

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3. CAG’s Audit Report on Assam NRC

What is the NRC exercise in Assam?

Concerns highlighted by the CAG

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Recommendations of the CAG

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About Article 200

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Rationale behind Article 200

Issues with Article 200

Several Calls for Reforms

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6. Election Commission Appointments

Current issues with appointments

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Various recommendations on appointments to Election Commission

‘Fourth Branch Institution’ of Modern Democracy

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Examples from different countries

Highlights of the meeting

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About Zonal Councils

8. Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022

What are multi-State cooperatives?

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Key provisions of the Bill

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Issues with the amendment bill

9. Appointment and Removal of Governors

Key Details of the bill

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GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. City Finance Rankings 2022

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Laws related to online gaming in India

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3. POCSO - Criminalisation of Consensual relationships

POCSO and its Misuse

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4. Jan Vishwas Bill, 2022

Concerns associated with overcriminalization

Key concerns associated with the Bill

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5. Conjugal Rights of Prisoners

Conjugal Rights of Prisoners

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Supreme Court’s views on extending conjugal rights to prisoners

Punjab government’s stand

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6. Ban on the sale of single sticks of cigarettes

Reasons for the proposed ban on single-stick cigarettes

The need for encouraging the public to quit smoking

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Initiatives for Migrant Issues in Asia

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