20-02-2023

20-FEBRUARY-2023

The Hindu News Analysis – 20th February 2023 – Shankar IAS Academy
S. Page Number*
News Articles
No. C B D H T
T&C T&C T&C T&C T&C
1 The SC on sealed cover jurisprudence 1 1 1 1 1

T&C T&C T&C T&C T&C

2 How is India addressing sickle cell anaemia? 1 1 1 1 1

3
Navy plans for another Vikrant-size carrier before 12 8 10 8 8
Vikramaditya retires

4 Income tax ‘raids’ surge amid poor conviction rate 11 7 9 7 7

5 Chandrayaan-3 lander successfully completes key test 8 1 6 - -

*C – Chennai; B – Bengaluru; D – Delhi; H – Hyderabad; T – Thiruvananthapuram

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The Hindu News Analysis – 20th February 2023 – Shankar IAS Academy
Page Number*
S.
News Articles
No.
C B D H T

6 The curious case of the disqualification of a politician 10 8 8 6 6

7
Measuring an electron’s magnetic moment with T&C T&C T&C T&C T&C
2 2 2 2 2
extreme accuracy

8 Prelims Practice Questions

@ end of the video

9 Mains Practice Questions

*C – Chennai; B – Bengaluru; D – Delhi; H – Hyderabad; T – Thiruvananthapuram

Text and Context Pg: 1 – C, B, D, H, T

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Part A—Preliminary Examination

Paper I - (200 marks)
 Current events of national and international importance.
 Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc

Part B—Main Examination

PAPER-III
General Studies‐II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
• Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary — Ministries and Departments of the
Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity
• Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act..

Recent cases where sealed cover Jurisprudence

was used
Sealed cover jurisprudence
• Rafale jets’ purchase deal case
• Special option available to govt. to present
• Assam National Register of Citizens case
its arguments in an opaque manner
• Ayodhya title dispute
 Contents present in the sealed cover cannot
be retrieved by petitioners • Gujarat Police ‘fake’ encounter case

 Becomes difficult for them to defend • Narendra Modi biopic release case
themselves against the govt
• Sexual harassment relating to former CJI
Ranjan Gogoi
Origin of sealed cover jurisprudence • Electoral bonds case
• Can be traced to service/administrative cases • Bhima Koregaon case &
 To protect the reputation of official involved • Anticipatory bail plea for former union finance
• Usage now extended to other cases minister P. Chidambaram

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Order 13 of Supreme court rules, 2013

Evidence act, 1872
Rule 7
Section 123
Notwithstanding anything contained in this order, no
Evidence as to affairs of State ––
party or person shall be entitled as of right to receive
copies of or extracts from any minutes, letter or
No one shall be permitted to give any
document of any confidential nature or any paper sent,
evidence derived from unpublished official
filed or produced, which the Chief Justice or the
records relating to any affairs of State,
Court directs to keep in sealed cover or considers to
except with the permission of the officer at
be of confidential nature or the publication of which is
the head of the department concerned, who
considered to be not in the interest of the public,
shall give or withhold such permission as he
except under and in accordance with an order specially
thinks fit
made by the Chief Justice or by the Court

Recent observation by SC relating to Sealed

cover jurisprudence
Practice Question – Mains
• Media one case – Burden of proof lies
with Govt. GS – II
 How sharing some particular records in
Q. In the light of increasing usage of Sealed
cover jurisprudence. Explain the origin of
an open forum would prove detrimental
the concept and the rules which are
to national security & public order
backing it. Also bring out the negatives
of the concept.
(150 Words, 10 Marks)

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Text and Context Pg: 1 – C, B, D, H, T

Problem
Sickle cell anaemia
• Non-flexibility of sickle shaped cells
• Inherited disorder
 Blockage of blood flow
• Affects the shape of red-blood cells

• Haemoglobin – Carries oxygen

 4 subunits – 2 alpha + 2 bets

• Mutations in beta producing gene – changes

the shape of red blood cell (sickle shaped)

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• Shortage of red-blood cells Result of sickle cell anaemia

 Life of normal cell – 90-120 days • Chronic anaemia, pain, fatigue, acute
chest syndrome, stroke
 Life of sickle shaped cell – 10-20 days
• Treatment necessary
 Deprivation of oxygen because of
shortage • Cure - stem cell transplant

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Consider the following statements
regarding Sickle Cell Anaemia:
1. If a child inherits one faulty gene from
the parent, then the child will get the
Sickle cell disease.
2. The sickle-shaped cells cannot deliver
oxygen properly to the body and
causes attacks of sudden severe pain,
called pain crises.
Which of the above statements is/are
incorrect?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

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Pg: 12 – Chennai edition

Pg: 10 – Delhi edition
Pg: 8 – B, H, T

INS Vikrant Facts

• Commissioning • Design by Warship Design Bureau

 September 02, 2022, Kerala  Built by Cochin Shipyard Limited

 Shows the capacity to indigenously • Contains state of art automation

design & build Aircraft Carriers features

• Specifications

 Length - 262.5 m

 Width - 61.6 m

 Max speed - 28 Knots + endurance -

7,500 Nautical Miles

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• Contains 2,200 compartments + crew of

1,600

• Capacity to hold 30 aircrafts

 MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31, MH-

60R multi-role helicopters, Advanced
Light Helicopters (ALH) & Light
Combat Aircraft (LCA) (Navy).

• Contains novel feature - Short Take Off

But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR).

 Ski-jump for launch

 Arrester wires for recovery

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Consider the following statements
regarding INS Vikrant:
1. India’s first indigenously built and the
only aircraft carrier is INS Vikrant.
2. INS Vikrant has the novel feature of
Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery
(STOBAR).
Which of the above statements is/are
correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

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Pg: 11 – Chennai edition

Pg: 9 – Delhi edition
Pg: 7 – B, H, T

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Previous Year Question – Prelims 2020

Q. Consider the following statements:
1. According to the Constitution of India, a person who is
eligible to vote can be made a minister in a State for six
months even if he/she is not a member of the Legislature of
that State
2. According to the Representation of People Act, 1951, a
person convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to
imprisonment for five years is permanently disqualified from
contesting an election even after his release from prison
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

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Pg: 8 – Chennai edition

Pg: 6 – Delhi edition
Pg: 1 – Bangalore edition

Title Chandrayaan-1 Chandrayaan-2 Chandrayaan-3

Launch Vehicle Polar Satellite launch Vehicle Geosynchronous Satellite
(PSLV-C11)
Launch date October 22, 2008
Components Orbiter at distance of 100
kms from lunar surface
Role Chemical, mineralogical &
photo-geologic mapping
Payloads 5 ISRO payloads + 6 from
NASA, ESA & Bulgaria
Mission success Mapping of chemical
characteristics & three-
dimensional topography.
312 operation days
Geosynchronous Satellite
Launch Vehicle (GSLV MK-III Launch Vehicle (GSLV MkIII)
M1)
July 22, 2019 June, 2023
1. Orbiter 1. Lander
2. Lander (Vikram) 2. Rover
3. Rover (Pragyan)
Orbiter – study about Demonstration of capability
surface in safe landing & roving
Lander – soft-landing
Rover – taking
measurements from surface
13 payloads – Europe (3) + Image in next slide
US (2) + Bulgaria (1)
Vikram lander lost contact Yet to be launched
with ISRO

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Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Which among the following countries
have soft-landed on the moon surface?
1. China
2. United States of America
3. Soviet Union
4. European Space Agency
Which of the given statements are
correct?
a) 1, 2 and 3 only
b)2, 3 and 4 only
c) 1, 2 and 4 only
d)1, 2, 3 and 4

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Pg: 10 – Chennai edition

Pg: 8 – Delhi edition
Pg: 6 – B, H, T

Part A—Preliminary Examination

Paper I - (200 marks) Disqualification – 3 types
 Current events of national and international • Article 102 – specifies disqualification for
importance. contesting elections & being a Member of
 Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political Parliament.
System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues,
etc.  Office of profit

Part B—Main Examination  Being of unsound mind or insolvent

PAPER-II
 Not being a citizen of India
General Studies‐ II: Governance, Constitution, Polity,
Social Justice and International relations.  Undischarged insolvent

• Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings,  A Law made by Parliament

evolution, features, amendments, significant
provisions and basic structure.
• Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.

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• Anti-Defection Law - 10th schedule

• Section 8 - Representation of the People Major offences

Act, 1951 • Making speeches that cause enmity between groups
• Bribery during elections and other electoral
 Category 1 - offences that entail offences
• Offences relating to rape and cruelty to women by
disqualification for a period of six husbands and relatives
years upon any conviction • The Protection of Civil Rights Act
• Customs Act
 Fine - six-year period will run • Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act
• Laws for prevention of Sati, corruption, terrorism
from the date of conviction. • Insult to the national flag and national anthem

 Prison - start on the date of

conviction and last for six years
after the date of release from
prison.

 Category 2 - all other criminal

• Exception clause –
provisions - disqualified if
convicted and sentenced to  Mere filing of an appeal by sitting members
imprisonment for two years or more. against conviction will operate as a stay
against disqualification.

• 2005 judgement in K. Prabhakaran vs P.

Jayarajan

 Strength of the party in the legislature would

change.

 Election results should have to be reversed.

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102. Disqualification for membership

1. A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and
for being, a member of either House of Parliament
a) if he holds any office of profit under the Government
• 2013 - Lily Thomas vs Union of India case of India or the Government of any State, other than
an office declared by Parliament by law not to
 Article 102 applies equally to candidates disqualify its holder;
and sitting members b) if he is of unsound mind and stands so declared by a
competent court;
 Once disqualified the his seat will become c) if he is an undischarged insolvent;
d) if he is not a citizen of India, or has voluntarily
vacant immediately under Article 101 acquired the citizenship of a foreign State, or is under
any acknowledgement of allegiance or adherence to a
 A disqualified person may obtain a stay foreign State;
on his conviction & disqualification would e) if he is so disqualified by or under any law made by
Parliament Explanation For the purposes of this
be removed from the date of the stay clause a person shall not be deemed to hold an office
order. of profit under the Government of India or the
Government of any State by reason only that he is a
Minister either for the Union or for such State
2. A person shall be disqualified for being a member of
either House of Parliament if he is so disqualified under
the Tenth Schedule

Practice Question – Mains

GS – II
Q. What is Criminalization of Politics?
Discuss the reasons for Criminalization of
Politics and its effects.
(250 Words, 15 Marks)

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Text and Context Pg: 2 – C, B, D, H, T

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Subatomic particles

• Protons - two up-quarks and a down-quark

• Neutron - two down-quarks and an up-quark.

Hadrons

• First known hadrons - proton and neutron.

• Strongly interacting particles.

• Different from leptons.

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. ‘God particle’ is
a) Neutrino
b) Higgs Boson
c) Meson
d) Positron

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Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Consider the following statements
regarding Sickle Cell Anaemia:
1. If a child inherits one faulty gene from
the parent, then the child will get the
Sickle cell disease.
2. The sickle-shaped cells cannot deliver
oxygen properly to the body and
causes attacks of sudden severe pain,
called pain crises.
Which of the above statements is/are
incorrect?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

18
 20-02-2023

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Which among the following countries
have soft-landed on the moon surface?
1. China
2. United States of America
3. Soviet Union
4. European Space Agency
Which of the given statements are
correct?
a)1, 2 and 3 only
b)2, 3 and 4 only
c) 1, 2 and 4 only
d)1, 2, 3 and 4

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. ‘God particle’ is
a) Neutrino
b) Higgs Boson
c) Meson
d) Positron

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Previous Year Question – Prelims 2020

Q. Consider the following statements:
1. According to the Constitution of India, a person who is
eligible to vote can be made a minister in a State for six
months even if he/she is not a member of the Legislature of
that State
2. According to the Representation of People Act, 1951, a
person convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to
imprisonment for five years is permanently disqualified from
contesting an election even after his release from prison
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

Quiz Question – 20/02/2023

Q. Consider the following statements
regarding INS Vikrant:
1. India’s first indigenously built and the
only aircraft carrier is INS Vikrant.
2. INS Vikrant has the novel feature of
Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery
(STOBAR).
Which of the above statements is/are
correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

20

Practice Question – Mains
GS – II
Q. In the light of increasing usage of Sealed
cover jurisprudence. Explain the origin of
the concept and the rules which are
backing it. Also bring out the negatives
of the concept.
(150 Words, 10 Marks)
20-02-2023
Practice Question – Mains
GS – II
Q. What is Criminalization of Politics?
Discuss the reasons for Criminalization of
Politics and its effects.
(250 Words, 15 Marks)
21