Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 15-02-2021

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 15-02-2021

• [message]
• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Energy - Meghalaya starts 7-hour power cut due to electricity purchase dues - The Meghalaya Electric Corporation Ltd (MeECL) on 14-02-2021 began a seven-hour daily load-shedding as the power deficient state owes ?74.65 crore to Power Grid Corporation of India Limited as transmission charges. The outages are being carried out in three shifts on a rotational basis. The state government has availed a loan of Rs 1,345 crore under #AatmanirbharBharat from the Centre to clear all outstanding power purchase dues of the MeECL. The loan under the special package will be disbursed to all gencos and transcos which include NEEPCO, OTPC, NHPC and PGCIL.
2. Governance and Institutions - Govt to infuse Rs. 3,000 cr in general insurance companies this quarter - The Finance Ministry will infuse ?3,000 crore capital into state-owned general insurance companies during the current quarter (Jan-March). The move, aimed at improving their financial health and approved in 2020, will target the National Insurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance. The Union Cabinet also decided to increase the authorised share capital in these companies. In Budget session 2021, the government sought Parliament nod for gross additional expenditure of ?6.28 lakh crore for 2020-21 as part of second and final batch of supplementary demands for grants.
3. History - 'World's oldest' beer factory unearthed in Egypt, pictures shared - American and Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed what is believed to be the oldest known beer factory at an archaeological site in Egypt. The factory dates back to the era of King Narmer, who is known for his unification of ancient Egypt at the beginning of the First Dynastic Period (3150BC - 2613BC). Archaeologists found eight huge units at the site. Beer is the oldest recorded recipe in the world. The ancient Egyptians first documented the brewing process on papyrus scrolls around 5,000 B.C. These first beers were brewed with things like dates, pomegranates, and other indigenous herbs, and were probably quite harsh by modern standards. As for breweries still existing, the Weihenstephan Brewery (Freising, Germany) began brewing beer in 1040, and is widely regarded as the oldest brewery in the world – though the nearby Waltenburg started brewing only ten years later and often disputes the claim
4. Healthcare and Medicine - NZ reports first COVID-19 cases after Jan, lockdown arrives - Three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases were reported in New Zealand on 13-02-2021, making it the first cases since January 24. PM Jacinda Ardern announced a three-day lockdown in the country's biggest city Auckland. The cases reported are of a couple and their daughter, who are being tested to see if the infection is from more infectious variants. Until early March 2020, the NZ response to COVID-19 followed the existing pandemic plan, based on a mitigation approach for managing pandemic influenza. The plan includes steps designed to slow entry of the pandemic, prevent initial spread and then apply physical distancing measures progressively to flatten the curve and avoid overwhelming health services. The concept of elimination is well known to infectious disease epidemiologists.10 It refers to the reduction of the incidence of a disease to zero in a defined geographical area.
5. Trivia and Miscellaneous - Guinea (Africa) records four Ebola deaths, first since 2016 - Four people have died of Ebola in Guinea after a fresh resurgence of the disease in the country, its Health Minister Remy Lamah said. These fatalities are the first since the 2013-16 epidemic, which had begun in Guinea and had left 11,300 people dead across the region. Lamah told AFP news agency that officials were "really concerned" about the fatalities. Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia were the main countries affected in the world's worst recorded Ebola outbreak, from 2014 to 2016. After an 18-month old was likely infected by bats in December 2013, the virus spread throughout Guinea and to neighboring countries. Ultimately, more than 28,000 people were infected, of which over 11,000 died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ebola is a rare but deadly virus that causes fever, body aches, and diarrhea, and sometimes bleeding inside and outside the body. As the virus spreads through the body, it damages the immune system and organs. Ultimately, it causes levels of blood-clotting cells to drop. This leads to severe, uncontrollable bleeding.
6. World Politics - Donald Trump acquitted by 57-43 votes in second impeachment trial - Ex-President Donald Trump was acquitted of inciting the attack on the US Capitol in his second impeachment trial in a year, concluding a historic impeachment trial that spared him the first-ever conviction of a current or former US President. The Senate vote of 57-43 fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict Trump on the charge of incitement of insurrection. Seven Republicans joined with Democrats to seek Trump's conviction, making it the most bipartisan impeachment trial in US history. Trump welcomed the verdict, denouncing the proceedings as "yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country." Democrats argued that Trump's behavior was an "open and shut" case of impeachable conduct, retracing how he spent two months repeating the falsehood that the election was stolen, before inciting his supporters to attack Congress and stop the certification of Joe Biden's victory.
7. Healthcare and Medicine - India Covid update - India reported 12,194 new COVID-19 cases and 92 more deaths till Sunday morning 8:00 am according to the Union Health Ministry. With this, India's tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 1,09,04,940 while the death count increased to 1,55,642. Meanwhile, on Saturday, India started second dose vaccination for beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receiving the first dose of vaccine.
8. Governance and Institutions - Tesla in India - The Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said in Feb 2021 that Elon Musk-led Tesla will set up an electric car manufacturing unit in Karnataka. Reently, Tesla registered its subsidiary Tesla India Motors and Energy Private Limited in Bengaluru and listed Vaibhav Taneja, Venkatrangam Sreeram and David Jon Feinstein as the three directors for the company. Tesla claims it is accelerating the world's transition to sustainable energy with electric cars, solar and integrated renewable energy solutions for homes and businesses. Tesla builds not only all-electric vehicles but also infinitely scalable clean energy generation and storage products.
9. Infrastructure - India has 1% of vehicles, 11% accidents: World Bank - India has one percent of the total vehicles around the world but accounts for 11% of the global road accidents, World Bank's report titled 'Traffic Crash Injuries and Disabilities: The Burden on Indian Society' stated. The report states that 75% of low-income households in India reported a decrease in their income if there was a road accident in the family. In 2019 alone, the country reported over 151 thousand fatalities due to road accidents. Each year, about three to five percent of the country's GDP was invested in road accidents.
10. Science and Technology - First-ever picture of Mars taken by UAE's Hope spacecraft released - The UAE's Hope spacecraft, which entered the red planet's orbit in Feb 2021, took pictures of Mars that have now been released. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, shared the picture on Twitter. He was optimistic and wrote, "The transmission of the Hope Probe's first image of Mars is a defining moment in our history." Reasons for possibly 'colonizing' Mars include pure curiosity, the potential for humans to provide more in-depth observational research than unmanned rovers, economic interest in its resources, and the possibility that the settlement of other planets could decrease the likelihood of human extinction.

• [message]
• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

• [message]
• 1. ECONOMY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)

What should India do with Cryptocurrencies

1. A consufing scene: In 2020 and 2021, India witnessed many developments on the global front within the Bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrency space. Some large firms have embraced it, and some have invested in it too. Firms like PayPal have openly embraced and enabled purchase of BTC and other digital assets for their massive user bases. Canada has approved the world’s first BTC exchange-traded fund (ETF). Several US companies like Tesla, MicroStrategy and fintech company Square have added BTC holdings to their treasuries, while large funds of repute have publicly disclosed their BTC investments.
2. A new law in India: A new Bill listed for introduction in Parliament seeking to bar all private cryptocurrencies threatens to leave India out of this new ‘financial internet’. An official digital currency approved by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and private cryptocurrencies are mutually exclusive. A digital rupee is an excellent domestic policy that can be complemented with a foreign policy supported by global public blockchains like BTC and Ethereum.
3. No one knows: The actual contents of the Bill were unknown till date, but it is in the interest of GoI, the bureaucracy and India’s citizens that such a Bill be finalised after careful considerations from industry, key technologists, global regulators and millions of Indian investors who have investments in digital assets. To ensure there is a dialogue with the government, India’s leading crypto companies, venture capital investors and experts have joined hands to build awareness among policymakers and the public about cryptocurrencies through the #IndiaWantsBitcoin campaign, with the aim that regulators will look after their concerns while drafting the framework of the Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill.
4. What if no discussion: A failure to regulate cryptocurrencies will be a futile effort that will lead to huge economic losses for India, creating a crypto black market. Bans in countries like Russia and Nigeria have proven ineffective, as an effective ban can only be achieved by shutting down the internet. There is a thriving cryptocurrency ecosystem in India. Dismantling this ecosystem will result in losses worth billions. Further, it will put India in a peculiar position as an outlier while leading economies like the US, China, Japan, Germany, South Korea and Australia would have already accepted cryptocurrencies, building strong regulatory frameworks and innovation hubs around them.
5. What if it's banned: Some experts feel that banning cryptocurrencies will dent India’s reputation as a technology hub and its standing in ‘ease of doing business’. It could make India a laggard when it comes to adopting applications based on distributed ledger technology. In terms of trading activity and holdings, India is the second-biggest BTC nation in Asia after China, and the sixth biggest in the world after the US, Nigeria, China, Canada and Britain. Some experts feel that cryptocurrencies are not ideal for India due to the misuse for nefarious reasons.
6. Larger angle: The crypto ecosystem in India is still at a nascent stage, and banning BTC will further strengthen China’s position in the Asian money market. While China claims to have banned BTC, of all the G10 currencies, the renminbi has the strongest correlation to BTC over the last 12 months, at around 84%. That not only means that as the renminbi gets stronger against the dollar, so does BTC, but also that despite the ban, Chinese BTC holders continue to have large investments as a hedge against the government. If India were to ban BTC, renminbi’s position would be strengthened globally, as unlike China, India does not have vast BTC reserves. Also, India’s lack of BTC holdings could create a truly adverse scenario if it were to emerge as a global currency reserve.
7. Covid was the boon: During the Covid-19 pandemic, when a majority of Indians were facing pay cuts and job losses, the average daily crypto assets trading volumes across top Indian exchanges grew by nearly 500% since March 2020 when the Supreme Court struck down RBI’s April 2018 circular. All major crypto exchanges in India are already complying with know your customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) laws. If GoI provides clarity on taxation around crypto, this industry can contribute hugely to the economy.
8. Worldwide trend: All developed economies barring China have granted legal status to cryptocurrencies. Most of them are working on creating regulatory frameworks around the purchasing, storing and usage of cryptos. Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland and Denmark have well-developed regulatory frameworks including AML/combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) and tax-related considerations for cryptocurrencies. Many other developed economies like the US and Britain are in the process of building their frameworks. None of these countries have banned or prohibited BTC or cryptocurrencies, private or public.

• [message]
• 2. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper

What the Himalayas are reminding us

• India and the West: When a glacier in the Indian Himalayas burst apart in February 2021, releasing a torrential flood that destroyed one hydroelectric dam project and damaged another, some were killed and hundreds injured and issing. To the Western world, it may seem like a tragedy far away, but everything today in inter-linked. After all, the disaster was a direct result of extreme climate change in the world’s highest mountains. The rapid warming there offers a warning of the potential consequences for the United States and the rest of the world as greenhouse gases continue to heat the planet.
• Biden's approach: Since taking office, US President Biden has sought to reaffirm what scientists have been saying for decades: An effective climate response must be guided by strong research. As his administration works to restore scientific integrity in government and slow climate change, it should also support research in the Himalayas. Logistical barriers facing scientists in these remote mountains have complicated research efforts. Much more needs to be done to monitor weather and ecological changes and disruptions to the water cycle resulting from global warming.
• Geological inputs: Like the Arctic and Antarctic poles, the Himalayas are warming much faster than other parts of the world, at a rate estimated to be up to three times the global average. Warming has been rapid over the past century. Though temperatures have varied depending on location, they have averaged 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit higher since 2000 compared with the 25-year period preceding it. The Himalayas thus offer a natural experiment: They are showing the havoc that can occur if we continue business as usual with greenhouse gas emissions.
• There are signals: Severe warming in parts of this towering mountain range, which stretches for 1,500 miles across Asia, from Pakistan to Bhutan, is demonstrating, for example, how climate change can drastically disrupt a region’s water cycle. Glaciers have lost mass and retreated significantly. Even moderate projections predict that the region’s massive ice flows will decline by approximately 60 percent by the end of this century, with a large number of glaciers disappearing outright. A recent assessment of warming by a group of scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology warned that continued warming in the broader Hindu Kush Himalaya region, “will further exacerbate the snowfall and glacier decline leading to profound hydrological and agricultural impacts.” The region is home to the largest area of permanent ice cover outside the North and South poles.
• The water equation: Compounding this loss of freshwater, the dry season has been more arid and drought-like, while the monsoon season has brought more intense, destructive rainstorms that have increasingly caused flooding and fatal landslides. All of these changes threaten the flow of the great rivers of Asia that are the primary water source for more than one billion people. They have brought particular upheaval to the approximately 240 million residents of the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.

1. As ecosystems unravel, these people are struggling to adapt to changes that attack their livelihoods on all fronts.
2. Herders are suffering because warming is hurting productivity in already overgrazed rangelands that are producing less feed for livestock. Farmers are seeing crop failures because of drier conditions.
3. Based on observations of forests in Europe, researchers would have predicted that the timberline would advance to those higher, cooler altitudes, as they have in other mountain ranges. But some forests in the Himalayas did the opposite, underscoring how hidden and chaotic variables can upend expectations.
4. Other uncertainties that require attention include how these miles-high mountains affect the path of the jet stream, which can have an outsize impact on the Northern Hemisphere; the pace and extent of melting permafrost, which releases greenhouse gases; the long-term impact of planetary warming on the seasonal monsoons of South Asia; and the geopolitical implications of food and water scarcity in a region where tensions already run high.

• Learn and apply: Researchers also have an opportunity to develop mitigation strategies usable elsewhere. For example, to prevent deadly floods caused by rapidly melting glaciers, international organisations have lowered the level of glacial lakes and created downstream warning systems. Some of these flood-prevention efforts have been successful; others have proved ineffective. Both outcomes have provided lessons with the potential to save limited funds and countless lives.
• Research and applications: To face humanity’s greatest crisis, we must look across the planet to understand what may come next. In that spirit, long-term environmental research in the Himalayas is critical. When dealing with global climate change, the Himalayas are not as far away as they may seem. The third pole of the planet can do with some human help, before it's too late and irreversible.

• [message]
• 3. FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)

India’s new Foreign Trade Policy

• What it is: India has an existing FTP (Foreign Trade Policy) that expired in March 2020, and was extended for a year. This is one of the most troubled times for exporters almost anywhere in the world. Due to political considerations and also pandemic-induced lockdowns, more nations seem to have withdrawn into protectionist shells. India, now more than ever, needs a robust Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) that can tackle the new normal while nations struggle to deal with a covid-19 pandemic and economic downturn.
• What of the existing one: The existing FTP, which was to end in March 2020, was extended in light of the pandemic till 31 March 2021. It’s now time for a new FTP to be framed. Questions persist on what it will contain, and will it be strong enough to deal with the unforeseen repercussions of a pandemic, lockdown, and an increasingly protectionist world? Here are just a few expectations from this policy.

• Some suggestions and measures can be:

1. Rationalize duty structure: In a paper, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) made a case for a careful calibration of import and export duties. Pushing for India’s increased participation in the global value chain, the paper said that creating a transparent import environment will encourage companies to import components and raw material, which can then be exported after value addition. Ideally, India should follow the example of many nations, where a pyramid duty structure is in place for imports, with the lowest duty on the raw material. India does have a scheme in place to encourage exporters. The EPCG (Export Promotion Capital Goods) allows duty-free import of capital goods on condition that at least a part of it is used to produce goods for export. However, the scheme has not been as successful as envisaged. The problem may lie in the low penalty imposed on companies that do not meet their export obligation.
2. MEIS: The existing FTP focuses on the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS), an amalgamation of previous export promotion schemes. The MEIS is essentially an incentive scheme, where exporters receive duty credit scrips for a percentage of the value of the goods exported. These scrips can be used to pay a variety of taxes and duties. Incentivising exporters may seem like a great idea, except when such incentives are against the World Trade Organization (WTO) norms. India has decided to withdraw the MEIS and replace it with a more nuanced Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) scheme.
3. DBK: The government also has the duty drawback scheme (DBK) in place to help exporters. However, as it stands, the DBK scheme isn’t quite effective, and we would like to see it overhauled in the new FTP. It offers a duty drawback as a percentage of the exported price -- but with a cap. Effectively, this gives an exporter of expensive, high-quality goods the same DBK as an exporter of cheap goods. The new DBK (or its equivalent) should account for the value of exports and promote it accordingly.
4. WTO compliant schemes: This should be at the core of the FTP. The WTO works to dissuade governments from heavily subsidizing exporters to provide a level playing field to all nations. The Indian government is well aware of the need to stay within the WTO norms and has already taken significant steps to withdraw subsidy-led schemes. However, more needs to be done at a fundamental level to promote exports and ensure that Indian exports are competitive in the global market. To do this will mean an overhaul of the government’s policy regarding foreign trade.
5. Infrastructure improvement: An efficient and extensive infrastructure network -- warehouses, ports, SEZs, quality testing labs, certification centers, and so on -- will help exporters stay competitive in a cut-throat market. The Trade Infrastructure for Export Sector (TIES) is a good initiative set up to provide funding assistance for export infrastructure including cold chains, quality testing labs, ports, cargo terminus, and so on. TIES was launched in 2017 for three years. But a lot remains to be done.
6. Tech upgradation and upskilling: Like infrastructure, upgrading the technology and skills of exporters could be a good option. This will allow Indian exporters to be competitive on their advantage, rather than relying on government subsidies and other financial sops opposed to the WTO. Industry bodies have already sought an agri tech upgradation fund, which will not just help the sector but also promote exports. There are sector-specific schemes for technology upgradation and skills improvement.
7. Export assistance: MSME exporters form a large chunk of Indian exporters. They are often unaware of global laws and requirements. The government already offers assistance to these smaller players by way of courses and workshops to keep them abreast of what’s going on. This is something that the new FTP needs to take ahead. In fact, along with information on laws and global markets, MSME exporters would need information on credit availability. There is also a crying need to educate exporters about intellectual property rights, patents, GI, and so on. These are crucial to help exporters stay on the right side of IP law.

• Why exports: These are a vital part of India's GDP. Foreign trade must be given sufficient importance and investment. Several good steps have already been taken, but there’s a long way to go. Rather than take reactive stopgap measures, the FTP could take proactive steps to ensure that exports are sustainable for Indian companies and in line with WTO norms. The new FTP could be one more step on the path to a vibrant, export-led economy.

• [message]
• 4. GOVERNMENT SCHEMES (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)

PM dedicates Bharat Petroleum's petrochemical complex in Kerala to the nation

1. What it is: BPCL said the Propylene Derivative Petrochemical Project (PDPP) located close to its Kochi Refinery here will produce Acrylic Acid, Oxo-Alcohol and Acrylates, which are predominantly imported, at present. These products have applications in paints and coatings, solvents, adhesives, water treatment chemicals, construction industry and super absorbent polymer among others.
2. Dedication: The PM on 14-02-2021 dedicated to the nation a Rs 6,000 crore petrochemical complex of oil major Bharat Petroleum NSE -0.91 % here and Ro-Ro vessels of Inland Waterways at Willingdon Islands, asserting these projects would energise India's growth trajectory. On a brief visit to Kerala, the Prime Minister also inaugurated the Cochin Port Trust's International Cruise Terminal and Cochin Shipyard NSE -0.28 %'s Vigyana Sagar, a campus for Marine Engineering Training Institute.
3. More projects: He also laid the foundation stone of Cochin Port Trust's South Coal Berth and said these projects covered a wide range of sectors and will energise India's growth trajectory. Referring to the Propylene Derivative Petrochemical Project (PDPP) located close to its Kochi Refinery that will produce Acrylic Acid, Oxo-Alcohol and Acrylates, which are predominantly imported, at present, he said it would save considerable foreign exchange every year. Besides, a wide range of industries would gain, and employment opportunities will be generated, he noted.
4. Applications: According to BPCL, these products have applications in paints and coatings, solvents, adhesives, water treatment chemicals, construction industry and super absorbent polymer among others. The two new Roll-on/Roll-off vessels, deployed between Bolgatty and Willingdon Island on National Waterway-3, will have the capacity to carry six 20-feet trucks, three 20-feet trailer trucks, three 40-feet trailer trucks and 30 passengers each.
5. Details: The service, operated by Inland Waterways Authority, will benefit trade as a result of reduced transportation cost and transit time, and will also lead to reduced congestion on the roads of Kochi, it was stated. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Mansukh L Mandaviya and V Muraleedharan attended the event held at Ambalamedu near here.

 

• [message]
• 5. POLITY AND CONSTITUTION (Prelims, GS Paper 2, GS Paper 3)

Some laws you should be aware of

• To be aware: For citizens of a nation, to be aware of their rights is crucial, to ensure accountability in the system. Here are four important laws that you must know.

• Four crucial laws:

1. Right to Information (Article 19 (1) (a)): The Right to Information (RTI) is an act of the Indian Parliament that makes the right to information a fundamental right for the citizens of India. This Right to Information was passed by Parliament on June 15, 2005, and came fully into force on October 12, 2005. Under the RTI Act, any citizen of India can request information from any public authority and the authority will have to revert back at the earliest or within thirty days. If the matter involving a petitioner's life and liberty, the information has to be provided within 48 hours.
2. Right to Equality (Article 14): The Right to Equality (Article 14) of the Indian constitution give equality before the law within the territory of India. This law is applicable to anybody and everybody who is inside the territory of India including an Indian citizen, corporations, and foreigners. This article permits classification, so long as it is 'reasonable', but forbids class legislation. Classification of groups of people is considered reasonable when: the classification is based upon intelligible differentia that distinguishes persons or things that are grouped from others that are left out of the group, the differential has a rational relation with the objective of the act.
3. Right to Education (Article 21A): The Right to Education Act (RTE), is an Act of the India Parliament which was made on August 4, 2009. This law describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21 (a) of the Indian Constitution. RTE makes accessibility of education a fundamental right of every child between the ages of 6 and 14 and specifies minimum norms in elementary schools. This law states that all private schools have to reserve 25 percent of seats to children (to be reimbursed by the state as part of the public-private partnership plan). It also prohibits all unrecognised schools from practice and makes provisions for no donation or capitation fees and no interview of the child or parent for admission. The Act also provides that no child will be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board examination until the completion of elementary education. There is also a provision for special training of school drop-outs to bring them up to par with students of the same age.
4. Right to Life (under Article 21): The Right to life (Article 21) says that nobody, including the Government, has to authority to end your life. Under this law, it is mandatory for the Government to take appropriate measures to safeguard life by making laws to protect you. Right to Life also makes it necessary for the govt to take appropriate steps to protect you if your life is at risk. Public authorities should also consider your right to life when making decisions that might put you in danger or that affect your life expectancy. If a member of your family dies in circumstances that involve the state, you may have the right to an investigation.

• Rights versus duties: The constitution of India is built around ensuring the fundamental rights of every citizen, irrespective of their background. It is also important to know that duties are, hence, inbuilt into this. When one citizen enjoys his rights, he automatically ensures that the State is performing its duties well. When one citizen crosses the line (set by his rights), he steps into another's domain, and his right has to be protected by the State. This system of checks and balances ensures that everyone enjoys their rights responsibly. Of course, there's an additional set of 'fundamental duties' also in the Constitution, which lists what every citizen must do. An example is the creation of a scientific temperament.

• [message]
• 6. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

NASA’s TESS Mission discovers exoplanet

1. Details of the planet: A planet named TOI-561b orbiting outside our solar system is 1.5 times the size of the Earth, has more mass than Earth but almost the same density. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) discovered this exoplanet in the Milky Way galaxy.
2. Age and more: Researchers believe it is 10 billion years old, more than twice as old as our Sun. The planet named TOI-561b orbiting outside our solar system is 1.5 times the size of the Earth, has more mass than Earth, but almost the same density. The planet orbits around its sun, which is located in the galactic thick disk, very quickly and completes it in about 12 hours. The discovery of the planet was made public in the 237th meeting of the American Astronomical Society and later accepted for publication in Astronomical Journal. The meeting was held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
3. Temperature and antiquity: The study also mentions that the temperature on the planet’s surface reaches 1,726 degrees Celsius which makes it not suited for habitation. The rocky planet’s mass, radius and density were calculated with the help of data collected at the WM Keck Observatory in Hawaii. TOI-561b is one of the oldest rocky planets yet discovered. So the universe has been forming rocky planets almost since its inception 14 billion years ago.”
4. Interesting find: What makes this ‘Super-Earth’ more intriguing is its density, considering the size in comparison to Earth. However, older planets are less dense owing to the less quantity of heavy metals found on them. These elements are found on our planet because it was formed after the Sun exploded in Supernova and distributed these elements into space.

 

Farfarout confirmed as the most distant celestial body in our solar system

1. A record: The faint planet named Farfarout has been confirmed as the most distant object in our solar system. The planet was discovered two years ago in January 2018 with the help of the Subaru Telescope at Mauna Kea, Hawaii. This was confirmed with the help of research done in the last two years at the International Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab, and other ground-based telescopes. As per the statement released, Farfarout is currently 132 astronomical units (AU) away from the sun which translates to 132 times away from where Earth is in our solar system.
2. Estimating: The celestial body located far away in our solar system received this designation from the International Astronomical Union (IAU). At that time experts did not know the object’s orbit as they only had the Subaru discovery observations over 24 hours, but it takes years of observations to get an object’s orbit around the Sun.
3. Pluto: It is more than three times away from dwarf planet Pluto which is 39 AU away from the Sun. The previous-known farthest planet of our solar system was Farout, which is 124 AU away from the Sun. However, Farfarout’s distance from the Sun fluctuates depending on its elongated orbit. The closest it can get to the Sun is 27au whereas the farthest it reaches is 175au. While completing its 1,000-year orbit around the Sun, it also comes close to the eighth planet of our solar system, Neptune. Astronomers believe that Neptune may have played a role in the change of Farfarout’s change in orbit. Farfarout may also help them understand the history of Neptune and the outer solar system.
4. History: Farfarout was likely thrown into the outer Solar System by getting too close to Neptune in the distant past,” said Trujillo. Farfarout will likely interact with Neptune again in the future since their orbits still intersect. Judging from the brightness and the distance from Sun, Farfarout is expected to be 400 km across which means there is a low possibility that it will get the status of a dwarf planet from IAU.

• [message]
• 7. SOCIAL ISSUES (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

Girls Education - a good investment

• Some statistics: Nearly 6 crore children are out of school in India, the highest number of out of school children of any country in the world. Out of these nearly 40% of the girls in the age group 15-18 are not attending any attending any educational institutions. Almost 30% of girls from the poorest families have never set foot inside a class -room as per the data provided by different government and international agencies(UNESCO 2013).
• Discrimnation: Gender based discrimination against girl child are common phenomenon worldwide and India is no better. It is visible in all the sections of the society in various forms. The gender equality and women empowerment in spite of being important components of Millennium Development Goals (MDG) are still a mirage. The education of the girl child in India is an important social indicator to measure the status of gender equality.

1. According to 2011 census, the female literacy stands at 65% to 83% of male literacy rate. Out of 30.76 crore population between the age -group of 7-18 years, 3.60 crore population (11.7%) are illiterate. Women (1.9crore) of this age bracket shares 53% of total illiterate population.
2. In the adolescent population (10-19 years), 9.9% (2.52 crore) adolescents are illiterate out of which 56% (1.42 crore) are girls. The 78.23-lakh adolescent girls in the age -group 15-19 years are found to be illiterate and vulnerable whereas 63.57 lakh adolescent girls in the age -group 10- 14 years are illiterate out of total adolescent girls.

• A 2014 survey: The National Survey on Estimation of out of school children, 2014 reveals that out of an estimated 20.41 crore children in the age-group 6-13 years, 60.41 lakh children are out of school. At a national level, a higher proportion of girls (3.23%) are out of school than boys (2.77%). Also more rural children (3.13%) are out of school than the urban areas (2.54%). About 1.12 crore urban children live in slums out of which 2.14% are out of school. At the national level 4.34% children drop out at the primary level whereas it is 17.86% at the secondary level.
• Marriage: If we look at the statistics related to child marriage in India as per 2011 census, 10.26 crore girls got married before the age of 17. Out of which 6.05 crore girls were illiterate and 2.78crore were literate but not even completed primary education. Out of 10.26 crore girls,1.90 crore girls got married before the age of 13 years whereas 8.36 crore girls got married between the age -group of 14-17 years. 7.66 crore cases of child marriage happened in rural India.
• Severe condition: The situation of drop out of girls from the rural and marginalized sections of the society continues to be severe. Once the girl crosses the primary level and sets out to complete her middle and secondary schooling there are number of socio-economic factors which act as barriers making access to education difficult for her. Poverty and reluctance of parents to educate the girls over boys are major deterrents to girls' education. The distances of the schools from the home and parents insistence on learning household skills for the marriage market once crossing puberty prevents girls especially in the rural areas from seeking secondary education.
• What RTE promises: India's Right to Education Act 2009 guarantees every child between 6 and 14 the right to free and compulsory schooling. However, the act is not widely implemented and it excludes secondary school children between 15 and 18 years of age, leaving many children, and girls in particular, without the education they need to build a better future for their families, communities and country. ? Data from the Annual Status on Education Report (ASER) 2017 shows that secondary school children's foundational reading and math abilities are poor and average achievement scores of Class V students have declined in all subjects between 2011 and 2014. Right of every child especially girl child to free and compulsory education is still a dream.
• Benefits: The benefits of educating girl child are manifold and can contribute to healthy and progressive society. Education, particularly formal secondary education, is the most effective way to develop the skills needed for work and life. As such, it is widely considered one of the best investments to expand prospects of skilled and adequately paid employment. Those with access to quality upper secondary education are significantly less likely than workers with lower secondary to be in vulnerable employment or to work informally without a contract or social benefits. Quality education can counteract the social factors that hinder women's labour market participation. Education increases women's wages later in life by 15- 25%.1% increase in female education raises the average level of GDP by 0.37%.
• Action needed: The government needs to some solid action both at the policy and ground level. It is important to reverse declining expenditure on education by increasing expenditure to atleast 6% of GDP with specific allocation dedicated to senior secondary education. The provisions of RTE Act are required to implemented with the inclusion of higher secondary education for the children especially girls up to 18 years.

• [message]
• 8. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, GS Paper 1, GS Paper 2)

Breach of Privilege Motion

1. Remembering dead farmers: In Feb 2021, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led his party members and others in a 2-minute silence in the light of the death of farmers who lost their life in the ongoing protests. After this, the BJP MPs Sanjay Jaiswal and P.P Chaudhary alleged Rahul Gandhi had shown unparliamentary behaviour and brought a breach of privilege motion against him.
2. What is it: Breach of Privilege means violation of any of the privileges of Members of Parliament (MPs). It includes any action that casts reflections on MPs, parliament or its committees. The actions include publishing any news items or  editorials; any statements made in newspaper or magazine or TV interviews or any statements made in public speeches by the MPs.
3. How Breach of Privilege is checked: The breach of privilege is checked upon in accordance with the Article 105 of the constitution in Parliament while in case of state legislature the motion is passed in accordance with the Article 194. It is also governed by the Rule no.222 of chapter 20 in the Lok Sabha. While in case of Rajya Sabha, it is governed by Rule no.187 in chapter 16 of the rule book. These rules governing the Breach of Privilege mandates that the notice should be related to the incident of recent occurrence. It should also need the intervention of the House. The member can raise question on the motion of breach of privilege or contempt of member of contempt of the house after having consent of the Speaker. The notice regarding it should be given before 10 am to the Speaker or the Chairperson.
4. How the motion is scrutinized: The Speaker or the Rajya Sabha chairperson at first do the scrutiny of any privilege motion. They can either decide on the privilege motion or refer it to privileges committee of Parliament for further considerations. In Lok Sabha, the privilege committee is nominated by the Speaker consisting of 15 members. While in Rajya Sabha, Chairperson nominates the privilege committee comprising 10 members.

Digital Agriculture: National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGPA)

1. Introduction: The National e-governance plan in agriculture (NeGPA) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The scheme was initially launched in the year 2010-11 in 7 States. Recently, this scheme was extended up to March 31, 2021.
2. Key facts: The scheme was launched with the aim of achieving the rapid development in India by using Information & Communication Technology (ICT). It helps in timely access of the agriculture related information to the farmers. In the year 2014-15, scheme was extended to cover all the remaining States and 2 UTs.
3. Phase-II of the scheme: Under this phase, the funds were released to the States in order to carry out the activities such as, (a) site preparation of offices to install the hardware, (b) to establishment of computer training labs, (c) procurement, installation and accounting of the system software, (d) to back-up power arrangements, (e) to set-up the State Project Management Unit (SPMUs) and (f) to hire manpower on contractual basis.
4. Recent developments: The NeGPA guidelines were amended in 2020-2021 in order to infuse the modern information technologies in the farm sector. For that matter, funds were also released to sanction the projects in order to customize and shift the web & mobile applications to the platform that were to be developed using digital or the emerging technologies. Initiatives such as Unified Farmers Service Platform (UFSP) was launched in order to bring a paradigm change in accessing the data related to farmers.
5. Unified Farmer Service Platform (UFSP): This is a combination of Core Infrastructure, Applications & tools and Data. The platform helps in seamless interoperability of various public and private IT systems in the agriculture domain. It acts as a central agency in the agri ecosystem such as UPI in the e Payments does. It also enables the Registration of Service Providers.

Digital Insurance Policies to be issued via Digilocker app

1. What it is: The Insurance sector regulator Insurance Regulatory Authority of India (IRDAI) has advised all the Insurance companies to issue digital insurance policies using the government’s Digilocker app.
2. Highlights: Issuance of the policies through the Digilocker app will result in to better customer experience. Using this app, claims processing and settlement of the policies will be faster. This app will also reduce the disputes and reduction in fraud. To promote the of adoption of Digi locker in the insurance sector, IRDAI have advised all the insurers to enable their IT systems so as to interact with Digi locker facility. It will also enable the policyholders to preserve all their policy documents. Necessary technical guidance and logistic support to facilitate the adoption of Digi locker will be provided by the Digilocker team in National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under MeITY.
3. Digilocker: It is an initiative under the Digital India program, run by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). Citizens can get the authentic documents or certificates in digital format. The certificates can be generated from original issuers of these certificates. The initiative was launched with the aim of eliminating or minimising the use of physical documents. It seeks to enhance the effectiveness of service delivery by making it hassle-free and citizens friendly.
4. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI): It is an autonomous and statutory body in India. The body does the task of regulating and promoting the insurance and reinsurance industries. It was established by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999. It is headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana. It is a 10-member body comprising of a chairman, five full-time members and four part-time members.

  Inter-caste marriage to reduce communal tensions

1. What it is: The Supreme Court of India in a 2021 judgement said that educated youngsters are showing a way forward to reduce caste and community tensions across India by involving into the Inter-caste marriage.
2. Story: The Court made this judgment in the backdrop of a case filed by a woman who tied the knot with a man against her family’s wishes. The investigating officer had directed her to leave her husband and be present at the police station. The investigating officer directed her to so following a complaint filed by her relatives.
3. What Court said: The court rejected the case against the couple, and directed the police authorities to counsel the investigating officers. The SC also asked the authorities to devise a training programme in order to deal with such cases in a way that it benefits the police personnel. The SC Bench while hearing the judgement, referred to the Hadiya case. In this case, privacy of an individual was declared a fundamental right under Article 21 (Right to life) of Constitution. As per the judgement, Consent of the family or community or clan is not required, once two adult individuals have agreed to enter into knot. Further, their consent has to be given primacy. The SC also quoted B. R. Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste where he agrees with the fact that, “real remedy is intermarriage”.
4. Special Marriages Act, 1954: This legislation is used to register the inter-religious and inter-caste marriages in the country. It includes all the marriages belonging to Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists. The act also allows two individuals to solemnise their marriage by a civil contract.

9.1 Today's best editorials to read

• We offer you 7 excellent editorials from across 10 newspapers we have scanned. 

CLICK HERE TO OPEN AND READ!

• [message]
• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

Solve the online quiz given, right now. Check scores, and relative performance!

---