Headlines

National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) - Page No.1 ,

GS 2
The Indian seafarer deserves better in choppy high seas - Page
No.6 , GS 2
The reality of the Swacch Bharat Mission - Page No.7 , GS 2
Tensions grow in West Asia - Page No.7 , GS 2
Text and Context - National Clean Air Programme

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Questions 1.

Which of the following statements best describes Sustainable

Development Goal 6 (SDG 6)?

(a) Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote

lifelong learning opportunities for all.
(b) Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
(c) Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and
sanitation for all.
(d) Reduce inequality within and among countries.
Answer :-

Ans: (c)

• Explanation:

• Sustainable Development Goal 6 declares the importance of achieving

“clean water and sanitation for all”. It is one of the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals established by the United Nations General
Assembly to succeed the former Millennium Development Goals.
Questions 2.

Which of the following statements about ‘Pink hydrogen’ is correct?

(a) Pink hydrogen is produced from natural gas through steam methane
reforming without carbon capture.
(b) Pink hydrogen is generated through electrolysis powered by nuclear
energy.
(c) Pink hydrogen is a form of hydrogen produced from coal gasification
with carbon capture.
(d) Pink hydrogen is another term for blue hydrogen produced from
natural gas with carbon capture.
Answer :-

Ans: (b)

• Explanation:

• Context: India is considering amending the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, to allow
private investments in the nuclear sector, aiming to boost nuclear capacity
and promote clean energy initiatives, particularly hydrogen.
• Currently, the Act restricts private ownership of nuclear plants, but proposed
amendments would enable private companies to participate in certain
activities, such as financing, project development, and equipment supply.
• The production of ‘pink’ hydrogen, which is generated through electrolysis
powered by nuclear energy.
Questions 3.

Right to free legal aid, Right to fair trial, Right to hearing and Right to
speedy trial and are provided to citizens under which of the following
fundamental rights?

a) Equality before law and equal protection of laws

b) Right against exploitation

c) Protection of Life and Personal Liberty

d) Right against arbitrary arrest and detention

Answer :-

Solution: c)

The Supreme Court has reaffirmed its judgement in the Menaka case in the subsequent cases. It has declared the
following rights as part of Article 21:

(1) Right to live with human dignity.

(2) Right to decent environment including pollution free water and air and protection against hazardous industries.

(3) Right to livelihood.

(4) Right to privacy.

(5) Right to shelter.

(6) Right to health.

(7) Right to free education up to 14 years of age.

(8) Right to free legal aid.

Questions 4.

Powerful newspapers emerged during the years before the Swadeshi

movement. Match the following newspapers and their editors.

1. Swadesamitran: G. Subramaniya Iyer

2. Amrita Bazar Patrika: Motilal Ghosh
3. Voice of India: N. N. Sen

How many of the above statements are correct?

a) Only one
b) Only two
c) All three
d) None
Answer :-

Solution: b)
• Option 3 is incorrect.

• Swadesamitran under the editorship of G. Subramaniya Iyer; Kesari and

Mahratta under B.G. Tilak; Bengalee under Surendranath Banerjea; Amrita
Bazar Patrika under Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Motilal Ghosh; Sudharak under
G.K. Gokhale; Indian Mirror under N.N. Sen; Voice of India under Dadabhai
Naoroji.

• In fact, there hardly existed a major political leader in India who did not
possess a newspaper or was not writing for one in some capacity or the
other.
Questions 5.

Bharatanatyam dance is known as ekaharya, which implies

a) Bharatanatyam leans heavily on the abhinaya or mime aspect of

dance
b) Bharatanatyam is accompanied by musical syllables with a few lines
of sahitya.
c) Bharatanatyam performance always ends with a tillana
d) Bharatanatyam dancer takes on many roles in a single performance
Answer :-

• Solution: d)

• Bharatnatyam dance is known to be ekaharya, where one dancer takes

on many roles in a single performance.
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Page No. 5, GS 2
Content :-

• National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) Chairperson

Hansraj Gangaram Ahir on Wednesday said it is going to summon the
Chief Secretary of the Karnataka government over the State’s
categorisation of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota, which
provides for “blanket reservation” to Muslims under Category II-B.

• The statement has come when 14 constituencies in Karnataka are

scheduled to vote in the Lok Sabha election on Friday.

• Mr. Ahir said the Commission has been evaluating OBC reservations in
Karnataka and in its correspondence with the State government it
found that it listed Muslims under Category II-B of the OBC
categorisation.
Facts :-

• 102nd Constitution Amendment Act, 2018 provides constitutional

status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).

• It has the authority to examine complaints and welfare measures

regarding socially and educationally backward classes.

• Previously NCBC was a statutory body under the Ministry of Social

Justice and Empowerment.

• Two Backward Class Commissions were appointed in 1950s and 1970s

under Kaka Kalelkar and B.P. Mandal respectively.
Facts :-

• In Indra Sawhney case of 1992, Supreme Court had directed the

government to create a permanent body to entertain, examine and
recommend the inclusion and exclusion of various Backward Classes
for the purpose of benefits and protection.

• In pursuant to these directions parliament passed National

Commission for Backward Classes Act in 1993 and constituted the
NCBC.
Facts :-

• The amendment inserted Article 338B, Article 342A, and Clause 26C in
Article 366.

• Composition: The Commission consists of a Chairperson, a Vice-

Chairperson, and three other Members in the rank and pay of
Secretary to the Government of India.

• The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and other Members of the

Commission shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his
hand and seal.
Page No. 6, GS 2
Content :-

• Amid rising safety concerns among Indian seafarers following the recent
attacks on commercial ships in sensitive geographical areas such as the
Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, India submitted three papers to the 111th
Session of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Legal Committee
(LEG), which is from April 22 to 26, 2024.

• The maritime industry, vital for global trade, depends heavily on seafarers
who often face challenges and risks.

• India, with 9.35% of global seafarers and ranking third globally, confronts
these issues, evident from recent incidents such as the seizure of MSC Aries
and the detention of MT Heroic Idun at Nigeria (this last case went on for
several months).
Content :-

• In response, the Indian government and the National Human Rights

Commission (NHRC) launched the ‘human rights at sea’ initiative. Reports
reveal cases of seafarers being held in foreign jails, stranded in foreign
waters, and subjected to illegal detentions.

• Despite these risks, many Indian seafarers remain committed to their careers
at sea, which makes it imperative to have improved rights and protection.

• Currently representing 9.35% of the global seafaring population, India aims

to increase its share to 20% in the next 10 to 20 years, with ship management
companies playing a crucial role.
Facts :-

International Maritime Organisation

• The IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that is

responsible for regulating shipping and preventing marine pollution
from ships.
• IMO was established in 1948 following a UN conference in Geneva and
came into existence in 1958.

Members:
• IMO has 175 Member States and three Associate Members, and its
headquarters are in London, United Kingdom.
• India joined the IMO in 1959.
Facts :-

• Established on 12th October 1993, under the Protection of Human

Rights Act (PHRA), 1993.
• Amended by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2006,
and Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2019.
• Established in conformity with the Paris Principles, adopted for
promoting and protecting human rights.

• The Commission consists of a chairperson, five full-time Members and

seven deemed Members.
• Chairman is a former Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge.
Facts :-

• Chairman and members appointed by the President on the

recommendations of a six-member committee.

• The committee consists of the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Lok
Sabha, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, leaders of the
Opposition in both Houses of Parliament, and the Union Home
Minister.

• The chairman and members hold office for a term of three years or
until they reach the age of 70.
Page No. 7, GS 2
Content :-

• India was ranked right at the bottom of 180 countries in the

Environment Performance Index (EPI) in 2022.

• The EPI ranks countries on climate change performance,

environmental health, and ecosystem vitality.

• It measures 40 performance indicators across 11 issue categories,

such as air quality, and drinking water and sanitation.

• The government responded to the rank saying the methodology is

faulty and does not quantify the Indian scenario objectively.
Content :-

• The SBM is meant to address the issue of WASH (Water, Sanitation,

and Health).

• Sanitation and waste management in India are associated with the

wide prevalence of caste.

• The Union government claims that India is open defecation-free, but

the reality is different. A Comptroller and Auditor General report in
2020 raised many questions about the government’s claims over the
success of the SBM on this front.
Content :-

• It indicated the poor quality of construction of toilets under this

scheme.

• A few urbanisation studies pointed out that in some metros,

communities in slums still do not have access to public toilets.

• Even in rural India, toilet construction has not been linked to waste
treatment.

• In peri-urban areas, the faecal sludge generated is tossed into the

environment. Septic tanks are cleaned by manual scavengers and the
sludge is thrown into various water systems.
Facts :-

• The Environment Performance Index (EPI) is an international ranking system

that measures environmental health and sustainability of countries.

• The EPI, a biennial index, was started in 2002 as Environmental

Sustainability Index by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the
Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and the Columbia University
Center for International Earth Science Information Network.

• Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) was launched on October 2, 2014, by

the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs as a national campaign to promote
cleanliness, sanitation, and proper waste management in urban areas
Facts :-

What is Open Defecation Free Status?

• ODF: An area can be notified or declared as ODF if at any point of the day,
not even a single person is found defecating in the open.

• ODF+: This status is given if at any point of the day, not a single person is
found defecating and/or urinating in the open, and all community and public
toilets are functional and well maintained.

• ODF++: This status is given if the area is already ODF+ and the faecal
sludge/septage and sewage are safely managed and treated, with no
discharging or dumping of untreated faecal sludge and sewage into the open
drains, water bodies or areas.
Page No. 7, GS 2
Content :-

• West Asia supplies the most extractive resources for the world’s energy
consumption, which makes peace an imperative in the region.

• Yet tensions are escalating in the region on account of the Israel-Gaza

conflict, the hostilities between Iran and Israel, and the attacks and counter-
attacks between Israel and Iran-backed militias from Lebanon and Yemen.

• Apart from this, the region has also become one of the most heavily
militarised in the world.

• According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s ‘Trends

in International Arms Transfers 2023’, four of the top 10 largest importers of
arms last year were from West Asia, with the U.S. being the main supplier
Content :-

• West Asia today accounts for almost 30% of the global arms imports and
spends the most on the military among all other regions in the world.

• Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the oil and natural gas rich nation-states, have
consistently spent over 5% of their GDP on defence in recent years, the
highest among countries in this region. Jordan, Oman, Kuwait and Israel
have also spent close to 5% of their GDP on their militaries in the last
decade.

• This is also the region where the share of the labour force employed in the
armed forces is the highest.
Content :-

• When the Indian government launched the National Clean Air

Programme (NCAP) in 2019, it was to cut the concentration of
atmospheric Particulate Matter (PM) by 20-30% by 2024, from 2017
levels. This was later revised to 40% by 2026.

• Under NCAP, cities continuously violating annual PM levels in India

need to prepare and implement annual Clean Air Action Plans
(CAAPs).

• Most cities proactively submitted their CAAPs yet their implementation

has been inconsistent. On average, only 60% of the allocated funds
have been used thus far, according to the Ministry.
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