Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 22-02-2021

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 22-02-2021

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Defence and Military - India, China to mutually resolve remaining LAC issues The tenth round of India-China Corps Commander Level meeting was held on 20-02-2021 on the Chinese side of border meeting point, as per Indian Defence Ministry. "The two sides positively appraised smooth completion of disengagement of frontline troops in Pangong Lake area," it said. India and China have agreed to push for a "mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues", it further added. The Indian delegation was led by Lt Gen PGK Menon, the Commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps. The Chinese side was headed by Maj Gen Liu Lin, the commander of the South Xinjiang military district of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The focus areas of these talks are outstanding problems with PLA at Depsang, Hot Springs and Gogra in eastern Ladakh. Apart from military commander talks, backchannel talks between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, both special representatives (SRs) on boundary resolution, may take place soon. India will try t ensure that no side unilaterally alters the status quo along the 3488-km long LAC and the status quo ante is restored on all points.
2. Social Issues - Covid India update - Amravati placed under 1-week complete lockdown - The Maharashtra government announced one-week complete lockdown from 22-02-2021 in Amravati district, excluding Achalpur city, amid rise in COVID-19 cases in the state. Only essential services will be allowed in the district during the period. This came after Maharashtra reported over 6,000 fresh COVID-19 cases on 20-02-2021, of which about 27% were recorded within Mumbai and Amravati civic limits. The cases are also rising in some states amid the COVID-19 vaccination drive. 240 new strains of the coronavirus have surfaced across India, which are behind the fresh surge of infections being seen. The government's vaccination plan depends on creating herd immunity by immunising a critical mass of people. In the first phase of vaccination, the government plans to immunise 3 crore health workers and frontline workers. After it will be the turn of 27 crore people who are above the age of 50 years or have co-morbidities. Overall, India recorded 14,264 fresh cases of COVID-19 and 90 deaths, highest since January 29. With this, total tally reached 1,09,91,651 and the death toll rose to 1,56,302.
3. Science and Technology - Chandrayaan-3 launch delayed to 2022 - India's Chandrayaan-3 mission is likely to be launched in 2022, ISRO chief K Sivan has said. "We are working on it. It is the same configuration like Chandrayaan-2 but it will not have an orbiter. The orbiter launched during Chandrayaan-2 will be used for Chandrayaan-3," Sivan said. ISRO plans to launch the first unmanned mission under the Gaganyaan mission in December 2021. The Gaganyaan mission aims to send a three-member crew to space for a period of five to seven days by 2022 when India completes 75 years of Independence. As for the astronauts (vyomanauts), after 11 months of training in Russia, the astronauts will receive module-specific training in India. They will be trained in crew and service module designed by ISRO, learn to operate it, work around it and do simulations.
4. World Politics - India Lines of Credit pact with Maldives - External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on 20-02-2021 offered a USD 40 million Line of Credit to the Maldives in a bid to boost the sports infrastructure. He said that India acknowledges the high priority accorded by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to sports. Jaishankar was on the first leg of his two-nation tour and will go also to Mauritius. He handed over 1,00,000 additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the Foreign Minister and Health Minister Kerafa Naseem. Later, India on 21-02-2021 extended a $50-million line of credit to the Maldives for defence projects and the two signed an agreement to develop and maintain a key naval facility for the armed forces of the Indian Ocean archipelago. The Maldives doesn’t have a navy and the Coast Guard functions as the armed maritime component of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). In the past, India has provided patrol vessels and maritime surveillance aircraft to bolster MNDF’s capabilities.
5. Healthcare and Medicine - H5N8, strain of bird flu virus infects Russians - Russia reported the world's first case of a bird flu virus strain H5N8 infecting humans via birds. H5N8 is a subtype of the influenza A virus that causes flu-like symptoms in birds and poultry and is deadly for them. Reported in poultry in Russia, Europe, China, the Middle East and North Africa in recent months, it's not lethal for humans. The H5N8 strain of avian influenza is not lethal for humans. The Russian poultry farm workers who had been infected were doing okay. Recently, an H5N8 outbreak was reported in Beed district of Maharashtra. Properly cooked meat or poultry and boiled eggs are considered to be safe for human consumption. Consuming raw, half-cooked poultry meat or eggs is unwise.
6. Governance and Institutions - NHAI achieves 100 percent cashless toll collection - The government is promoting the free FASTag campaign to encourage highway users to adopt FASTag. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has successfully realized 100% cashless toll collection in some National Highway toll plazas. From February 16, 2021, all lanes on the National Highway toll plaza will be declared FASTag lanes. Since the FASTag specification was notified, more than 2,50,000 labels have been sold. In one day, a total of 6 million transactions were completed and a toll of Rs.95 crore was collected through FASTag. So far, FASTag's total penetration rate has reached 87% of India. FASTag employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly from the prepaid or savings account linked to it. It is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle and enables to drive through toll plazas without stopping for transactions. There are two main components of RFID technology - (a) the RFID Tag, known as FASTag, and (b) the RFID Scanner, which scans the Fastag. As soon as the vehicle enters the lane, RFID Scanner starts scanning the FASTag sticker pasted on it.
7. Science and Technology - NASA's helicopter attached to Perseverance rover 'phones' from Mars - NASA confirmed that its Ingenuity helicopter, attached to the belly of Perseverance rover on Mars, has "phoned home". "The downlink, which arrived, via a connection through the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, indicates that both the helicopter, which will remain attached to the rover for 30 to 60 days, and its base station, are operating as expected. Ingenuity is a technology demonstration, featuring four specially made carbon-fiber blades, arranged into two rotors that spin in opposite directions at around 2,400 rpm. It has innovative solar cells, batteries, and other components. Mars' thin atmosphere - 99% less dense than Earth's - makes it difficult to achieve enough lift. So helicopters have to be light, with rotor blades that are much larger and spin much faster what on Earth. So the aircraft has to be lightweight, able to generate enough lift in Mars' thin atmosphere, and capable of surviving in a Mars-like environment.
8. World Politics - India, Ethiopia sign agreements on leather technology, visa facilitation - India and Ethiopia agreed on expanding the bilateral agenda especially on economic, defence, digital, Science and Technology, and cultural cooperation. Both signed two agreements on visa facilitation and leather technology. Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister was on a four-day visit to India, since February 16, 2021. The agreements between both the countries were signed in the presence of the External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar. Ethiopia, in the Horn of Africa, is a rugged, landlocked country split by the Great Rift Valley. With archaeological finds dating back more than 3 million years, it’s a place of ancient culture.
9. World Politics - Hackers will be made to pay - National Security Advisor (NSA) to US President Joe Biden, Jake Sullivan, warned that the US will hold those responsible for SolarWinds cyber attack accountable. The administration will respond soon and was looking at "a broad range of responses", including sanctions and hardening of its defences. In 2020, a major cyberattack by a group backed by a foreign government penetrated thousands of organizations globally including multiple parts of the United States federal government, leading to a series of data breaches. Hackers had managed to access a system that cyber firm SolarWinds used to put updates to its Orion product. From there, they inserted malicious code into otherwise legitimate software update.
10. Energy - Petroleum minister explains fuel price rise - India's Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan explained that there were "two main reasons" behind fuel price rise. First was the international market's reduced fuel production to gain more profit. That was making the consumer countries suffer. Second was the COVID-19 related development work. So the Centre and state governments collected tax. The Minister did not explain technically what had changed from 2013 to 2021, when his party would earlier consider price rise as detrimental for consumers and the country, and now it was the opposite. Experts suggest that fuel pricing had become extortionate and unfair for Indian consumers, and one of the highest in South Asia. The trade parity pricing formula was responsible, in addition to heavy central taxes.

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• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

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

India unfreezes China FDI plans as LAC cools

1. Open the freezer now: The Indian government has begun clearing foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals from China on a “case-by-case” basis, ending the freeze on such clearances that lasted around nine months. Over the last few weeks, approvals have started, although it is so far limited to “smaller cases”.
2. Committee will check: Various indications make it clear that the large proposals would be take up later after a careful analysis of the situation. To help smoothen the process, the government has also set up a coordination committee comprising officers from the ministries of home, external affairs, commerce & industry and Niti Aayog, which looks at the issues.
3. Neighbouring countries: The committee is not like the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), which used to look at all the cases. All FDI proposals from neighbouring countries are to be vetted by the ministry concerned. In April, the government had changed the rules to allow FDI from neighbouring countries only with its prior approval, even in sectors where “automatic” clearances were allowed. The move had hit Chinese investors hard given that they had emerged as a major source of flows in recent years, especially in the technology and digital space.
4. Piled up investment proposals: As a result, even transfer of one share required the Centre’s clearance. While the rule was changed after the Covid-19 outbreak, no consent was given as tension mounted at the Ladakh border, resulting in a pile-up of investments totalling over Rs 12,000 crore. The stated objective was to keep a check on opportunistic takeover by Chinese entities from across the border with sources citing a clampdown in several countries across the world.
5. No business-as-usual approach: Although some approvals have come through, the 2020 hostility at the border — which resulted in India banning several Chinese mobile apps, including popular ones such as TikTok — meant that the government is unlikely to move towards a business as usual approach with restrictions to be in place.
6. Need to keep investments coming: While the steps taken by the government made it clear that there can be no compromise on national security, the recent step of “limited opening up” suggests that it is also aware of the need to ensure that investments are not adversely impacted at a time when all efforts are being made to revive growth and create jobs.

Musk has created his own billion-dollar rivals.

1.  PayPal is famous not just for its pioneering of electronic payments but also for its group of successful alums who went on to start or fund companies ranging from Yelp and LinkedIn to Palantir and Affirm.
2. Now Elon Musk, the most famous entrepreneur with his vast Tesla wealth, has spawned a newer mob that might one day rival the original. A string of former employees at the carmaker have gone on to form electric vehicle and battery companies, mostly in California. Many others have landed at EV companies like busmaker Proterra and truckmaker Rivian. These ex-Tesla staffers are poised to have an outsize impact on the $6 trillion global auto industry in the decades to come.
3. Some say that “Tesla can’t do it alone,” and “needs some competition”. So ex-Tesla standouts are getting ready to both compete with, and aid, Tesla’s push to electrify and automate the auto industry. Their companies already have a combined value of more than $30 billion. That’s a fraction of Tesla’s $780 billion market cap, but it’s just the beginning.

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

Fifth Environment Assembly of UN

• Linked together: Various environmental crises are linked with achieving of sustainable goals. Addressing those crises will help reach sustainable goals such as poverty-alleviation, food and water security and good health. Climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation should be tackled together.
• New report: A new report released by United Nations ahead of its fifth Environment Assembly (February 22-23) 2021 on the theme ‘Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals’ makes this point. It calls for strengthened action to protect and restore nature and nature-based solutions to achieve the sustainable development goals in its three social, economic and environmental dimensions.
• Making peace: The new 168-page report called ‘Making Peace with Nature’ presents a strong case for innovation and investment to tackle climate, biodiversity and pollution —the three environmental emergencies within the framework of sustainable development goals. “It is time to re-set and reevaluate our relationship with nature,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his address while launching the report.
• Growing triple crisis: The three self-inflicted planetary crises are closely interconnected and put the well-being of current and future generations at unacceptable risk, warned the report.

1. Inequity in economic growth has left 1.3 billion people poor. At the same time,  extraction of natural resources has multiplied three times creating a planetary emergency.
2. More than one million of the estimated 8 million plant and animal species are increasingly at risk of extinction.  
3. Every year, nine million people die prematurely due to pollution.
4. Even though the causes and mechanisms of climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation are complex, these should be considered together, the report proposed. They are reinforcing each other and driving further to the environment and our health. That is the central message of the UNEP synthesis report.

• Report's thrust: The report delves into the ‘triple crisis’ by drawing on global assessments, including those from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. It also refers to UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook report, the UNEP International Resource Panel and new findings on the emergence of zoonotic diseases such as the novel coronavirus diseases (COVID-19). Three sustainable development goals — poverty alleviation, food and water security and good health for all — will also be reached by addressing environmental crisis, said the report.
• Advocacy: It advocates for advancements in science and bold policymaking for a carbon neutral world by 2050, while bending the curve on biodiversity loss and curbing pollution and waste. By innovating and investing in those activities that that protect both people and nature, it will be possible to reap success in the form of restored ecosystems and healthier lives, as well as a stable climate.
• For a sustainable future: Natural capital can be included by the governments to measure the economic performance. Nations are advised to put a price on carbon and shift trillions of dollars in subsidies from fossil fuels, non-sustainable agriculture and transportation towards low-carbon and nature-friendly solutions. There is a need for setting ambitious international targets for biodiversity, such as expanded and improved protected area networks. New variants of coronavirus has made the fight against COVID-19 challenging and the pandemic may soon turn endemic in many countries.
• Summary: In context of this, the report cautions how ecosystem degradation heightens the risk of pathogens making the jump from animals to human. It has strongly advocated for importance of a ‘one health’ approach that considers human, animal and planetary health together. A sustainable economy driven by renewable energy and nature-based solutions will create new jobs, cleaner infrastructure and a resilient future, said the report. It is the bedrock of hope in the post-COVID-19 world.

• Knowledge centre:

1. UNEP - The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. It is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
2. UNEA - The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment. UNEA enjoys the universal membership of all 193 UN Member States and the full involvement of major groups and stakeholders. It gathers ministers of environment in Nairobi, Kenya every 2 years. Through UNEA, the hope is humans can work together to build a healthier environment to support humanity for generations to come.

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

South Asia needs more cooperation

• Covid prompts cooperation: In Feb 2021, India's PM suggested that neighbouring countries should consider creating a special visa scheme for doctors and nurses, so that they could travel quickly within the region during health emergencies, on the request of the receiving country. This suggestion was made during a workshop on ‘Covid19 Management: Experience, Good Practices and Way Forward’ hosted by India with nine neighbouring nations, including Pakistan.
• SAARC: The eight members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and Mauritius and Seychelles participated in the workshop. The SAARC comprises member states Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• What India proposed: Various measures

1. Creating a special visa scheme for doctors and nurses.
2. Civil aviation ministries should coordinate on a regional air ambulance agreement for medical contingencies.
3. Creating a regional platform for collating, compiling and studying data about the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines among populations.
4. A regional network for promoting technology assisted epidemiology for preventing future pandemics.
5. Sharing of successful public health policies and schemes.
6. From India, Ayushman Bharat and Jan Arogya schemes may be useful case-studies for the region.

• Other Highlights: Barring Pakistan, which hasn’t requested vaccines from India, the other participating countries thanked India for supplies of vaccines, medicines and equipment amid the pandemic. South Asia was among the first regions to come together in recognising the threat (Covid-19) and committing to fight it together. Countries in the region created a Covid-19 emergency response fund and shared resources, equipment and knowledge.
• Common challenges: The region shares many common challenges – climate change, natural disasters, poverty, illiteracy, and social and gender imbalances, and also share the power of centuries-old cultural and people-to-people linkages.
• Significance: The participation of all the SAARC members including Pakistan has opened an opportunity to resolve the issues among its members and restart the regional development cooperation initiatives such as South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).

• SAARC Issues: Despite large potential, the nations have not been able to focus on growth.

1. No single vision - Consensus building continues to be a challenge on major decisions. For e.g. During the 18th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu in 2014, the signing of the SAARC motor vehicle agreement (MVA) had to be stalled as Pakistan declined to it.
2. Unhealthy rivalry - Most of the smaller states and external players believe that the India-Pakistan conflict has undermined SAARC. Pakistan’s use of terror as an instrument of foreign policy has made normal business impossible. Therefore, India pulled out of the summit that was to be held in Pakistan in 2016 in the aftermath of the Uri terror attack. Dispute between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the Durand line, is also a reason for tussle within SAARC.
3. One large economy - India’s economic position vis-a vis other SAARC countries, has often been the subject of criticism that India acts as a big brother rather than a strategic partner.
4. Marginalisation - SAARC has become almost marginal to the regions' collective consciousness and other organisations such as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) came into the forefront.

• Summary: India should enhance cooperation in the manner it contributed USD 10 million to SAARC Covid-19 Emergency Fund and supplied vaccines for countries in the SAARC region (Eg. Operation Sanjeevani for Maldives). SAARC revival by promoting confidence building measures (CDM) among its members will facilitate India’s neighbourhood first policy in meeting the challenge of regional strategic encroachment by China through its Belt and Road Initiative.

• Knowledge centre:

1. SAARC - Formed in 1985, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Last one to join was Afghanistan, in 2007, in the 14th summit at Delhi.
2. Durand Line - The Durand Line is the 2,640-kilometer border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It's the result of an agreement between Sir Mortimer Durand, a secretary of the British Indian government, and Abdur Rahman Khan, the emir, or ruler, of Afghanistan. It cuts through Pakistan and Afghanistan, dividing ethnic Pashtuns, who live on both sides of the border. It demarcates Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan of northern and western Pakistan from the northeastern, eastern, and southern provinces of Afghanistan.

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

Bare Necessities Index (BNI)

1. Economic Survey's bare necessities: Despite the widespread efforts and improvements, inequalities in access to bare necessities like drinking water, sanitation, hygiene and housing conditions continue to exist between urban and rural India. The above inference is drawn from the Economic Survey for 2020-21 in its newly constructed “Bare Necessities Index” (BNI).
2. Key points: The BNI is built on the idea of Thalinomics in the Economic Survey for 2019-20, through which it had sought to examine the access to food in the country. The Survey underlined the need to focus on reducing variations in the access to bare necessities across states, between rural and urban areas, and between income groups. In this digital era, the bare necessities are no more confined to “Roti, Kapda aur Makan” but goes beyond it. Access to technology, smartphones, internet and connectivity with the whole nation are the newly added bare necessities to go hand in hand with the world.
3. Thalinomics: In the 2019-20 Economic Survey, Thalinomics was introduced to make an attempt to relate economics to the common person using something that an individual encounters every day - a plate of food i.e a Thali. Affordability of Thalis vis-à-vis a day’s pay of a worker has improved over time, indicating improved welfare of the common person.
4. Bare Necessities Index: It is based on the large annual household survey data, and constructed using suitable indicators and methodology at district level for all/targeted districts. It summarises 26 indicators on five dimensions - water, sanitation, housing, micro-environment, and other facilities and has been created for all states for 2012 and 2018 using NSO data. It classifies areas on three levels of access- high, medium, low to bare necessities.
5. Utility: It will help check inter state disparities or a progress of a particular state over time, and also check the efficacy of policies/ schemes implemented to meet these bare necessities.
6. Learning: Bare necessities have improved across all States in the country in 2018 as compared to 2012. Increase in equity is noteworthy as the rich can access private options for public goods.
7. Steps taken: Many steps include Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Saubhaggya yojana for housing, PM-JAY and National Health Mission for the health sector,
8. increased allocations for some of the bare necessities in the budget 2020-21 such as the health, PM eVIDYA, Swayam Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and PRAGYATA in the educational sector, Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (aimed at incentivising the creation of new employment opportunities during the Covid-19 economic recovery phase) etc.
9. Sustainable Development Goals Index: NITI's SDG index documents the progress made by India’s States and Union Territories towards achieving the 2030 SDG targets.
10. Multiplicity of schemes: There are about 250-300 poverty alleviation schemes launched by central and state government at the district level which are almost similar in nature. This multiplicity of schemes brings inefficiency within the effective functioning of schemes and opens windows for corruption.
11. Summary: The schemes shall be futuristic keeping in mind that the idea of bare necessities have changed over the years and will definitely change even more for the upcoming generation. Digital India and Bharat Net must be accelerated. Quality of schemes should be raised instead of quantity, a few but well organised and effective schemes must be preferred. Convergence of schemes is needed, so that the schemes which are not necessary should be done away with. The newly introduced “digital aspect” of bare needs must be addressed but the traditional needs must not be compromised. The most important traditional bare need is public health which adheres to sewage and sanitation. A medical condition called environmental enteropathy is caused by poor health and sanitation conditions which infects people’s ability to absorb nutrition. Environmental enteropathy (also called tropical enteropathy) is a subclinical condition caused by constant fecal-oral contamination and resulting in blunting of intestinal villi and intestinal inflammation. Every block hospital should be upgraded, upgradation of the hospitals will ultimately lead to the quantum leap in the health services available at the block level.

Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission (ASIIM)

1. What it is: Union Social Justice Minister launched the Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission (ASIIM) under Venture Capital Fund for SCs, with a view to promoting innovation and enterprise among SC students studying in higher educational institutions.
2. ASIIM : Under the Ambedkar Social Innovation Incubation Mission initiative, 1000 SC youth will be identified in the next four years with start-up ideas through the Technology Business Incubators in various higher educational institutions. They will be funded Rs.30 lakh in three years as equity funding to translate their start-up ideas into commercial ventures. Successful ventures would further qualify for venture funding of up to five Crore rupees from the Venture Capital Fund for SCs.
3. Venture Capital Funds: The Social Justice Ministry had launched the Venture Capital Fund for SCs in 2014-15 with a view to developing entrepreneurship amongst the SC and Divyang youth and to enable them to become job-givers. The objective was to provide concessional finance to the entities of the SC entrepreneurs. Under this, 117 companies promoted by SC entrepreneurs have been sanctioned financial assistance to set up business ventures.

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

Right to Reputation versus Right to Dignity

• MeToo case: In Feb 2021, a Delhi court rejected a criminal defamation case filed by former Union Minister (MJ Akbar) against a journalist over her tweets accusing him of sexual harassment.
• What court said: The Court took consideration of the systematic abuse at the workplace due to the lack of mechanism to redress the grievance of sexual harassment at the time of the incident of sexual harassment against the accused journalist took place. It was prior to the issuance of the Vishaka Guidelines by the Supreme Court and enactment of The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
• The ruling: The right to reputation cannot be protected at the cost of the right of life and dignity of women.

1. Right to Reputation - As per the SC, the right to reputation is an integral part of Article 21 of the Constitution. Further, existence of Section 499 (Criminal Defamation) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 is not a restriction on the freedom of speech and expression because it ensures that the social interest is served by holding a reputation as a shared value of the public at large.
2. Right to Life (Article 21) - No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law. It confers on every person the fundamental right to life and personal liberty.
3. Right to Live with Dignity - In Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India 1978, the SC gave a new dimension to Article 21 and held that the right to live is not merely a physical right but includes within its ambit the right to live with human dignity. A woman has a right to put her grievance at any platform of her choice and even after decades.

• Defamation: In India, defamation can both be a civil wrong and a criminal offence. The difference between the two lies in the objects they seek to achieve. A civil wrong tends to provide for a redress of wrongs by awarding compensation and a criminal law seeks to punish a wrongdoer and send a message to others not to commit such acts.
• Laws for defamation: In Indian laws, criminal defamation has been specifically defined as an offence under the section 499 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) whereas the civil defamation is based on tort law (an area of law which does not rely on statutes to define wrongs but takes from ever-increasing body of case laws to define what would constitute a wrong). The Section 499 states defamation could be through words, spoken or intended to be read, through signs, and also through visible representations. These can either be published or spoken about a person with the intention of damaging the reputation of that person, or with the knowledge or reason to believe that the imputation will harm his reputation.
• Exceptions: Section 499 also cites exceptions. These include “imputation of truth” which is required for the “public good” and thus has to be published, on the public conduct of government officials, the conduct of any person touching any public question and merits of the public performance.
• Punishment: The Section 500 of IPC, which is on punishment for defamation, reads, “Whoever defames another shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.” Moreover, in a criminal case, defamation has to be established beyond reasonable doubt but in a civil defamation suit, damages can be awarded based on probabilities. The SC of India, in the Subramanian Swamy vs Union of India, 2014, upheld the constitutional validity of the criminal defamation law.

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

Ingenuity helicopter sends first status report from Mars!

• Mission controllers at NASA have received the first status report from the Ingenuity Helicopter, which was strapped to the underbelly of the Perseverance rover that touched down on Mars in Feb 2021. Both the helicopter and its base station are operating “as expected”. If things go as planned, Ingenuity, a 1.8-kilogram rotorcraft, will become the first helicopter to fly on another planet.
• Scientists were looking at two items in the data: the state of charge of Ingenuity’s batteries as well as confirmation the base station is operating as designed, commanding heaters to turn off and on to keep the helicopter’s electronics within an expected range. With a positive report, scientists will move forward with charge of the helicopter’s batteries. The helicopter will remain attached to the rover for 30 to 60 days from the time of touch down.
• Unlike the Perseverance rover, the Ingenuity Mars helicopter is not carrying any science equipment onboard. Instead, its primary objective is to check whether flight is possible in Mars’ extremely thin atmosphere. The helicopter was able to send a status update to NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,  which relays messages between Mars and Earth and has been orbiting the red planet since 2006.
• Presently the helicopter is receiving recharges from the rover’s power supply. But once it is deployed on the surface of the Red Planet, its batteries will be charged solely by its own solar panel. If Ingenuity succeeds in hovering during its first flight, over 90% of the project’s goals will have been achieved. If the rotorcraft lands successfully and remains operable, up to four more flights could be attempted, each one building on the success of the last.
• NASA’s Perseverance rover make a historic landing on Mars after seven months in space. The robotic vehicle covered over 472 million km before entering the Martian atmosphere at 12,000 miles per hour (19,000 km per hour) to begin its approach to touchdown on the planet’s surface. NASA released a number of stunning images of the surface of the Red Planet taken by the Perseverance rover. After it touched down near an ancient river delta, the rover will now search for traces of ancient life and will gather the most vital rock samples for a possible return to Earth.

• Knowledge centre:

1. Life in universe - The Universe is extremely huge. Can it be possible that humanity is the only form of intelligent life that exists in all this immensity? The possibility that there is life in the Universe has always excited the general public and scientists are equally enthusiastic. Extraterrestrial life is hypothetical life which may occur outside Earth and which did not originate on Earth. Such life might range from simple prokaryotes (or comparable life forms) to intelligent beings and even sapient beings, possibly bringing forth advanced civilizations. The Drake equation speculates about the existence of sapient life elsewhere in the universe. The science of extraterrestrial life in all its forms is known as astrobiology.
2. Helicopters - These are rotorcrafts where lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally-spinning rotors. The helicopter takes off and lands vertically, and can hover, fly forward, backward and laterally. These allow helicopters to be used in congested or isolated areas where fixed-wing aircraft and many forms of VTOL (Vertical TakeOff and Landing) aircraft cannot perform. The configuration of a single main rotor (monocopter) accompanied by a vertical anti-torque tail rotor has become the most common helicopter configuration. Twin-main rotor helicopters (bicopters), in either tandem or transverse rotors configurations, are used for greater payload capacity than the monorotor design.

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

Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Amazing feat: In Feb 2021, a 12-year-old girl from Maharashtra, with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), successfully swam across the Arabian Sea from Bandra-Worli Sea Link to Gateway of India in Mumbai.
• What it is: ASD refers to a range of conditions characterised by some degree of impaired social behaviour, communication and language, and a narrow range of interests and activities that are both unique to the individual and carried out repetitively. It is a complex brain development disability which makes itself visible during the first 3 years of a person’s life. It is not mental retardation as people with autism may show excellent skills in spheres like art,music, writing etc. The level of intellectual functioning in individuals with ASDs is extremely variable, extending from profound impairment to superior levels.
• Reasons: There are probably many factors that make a child more likely to have an ASD, including environmental and genetic factors. The signs and symptoms include difficulty with social communication and interaction, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors. Cure is not sure, but symptoms can be addressed with appropriate interventions like evidence-based psychosocial interventions, behavioural treatment and skills training programmes for parents and other caregivers, health promotion, care, rehabilitation services, etc.
• Initiatives: United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), Sustainable Development Goals deal with rights of people with disabilities including autism. The Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 increased the types of disabilities from 7 to 21. It also added autism spectrum disorder among others, which were largely ignored in earlier Act. In 2014, the World Health Organisation (WHO) adopted a resolution entitled "Comprehensive and coordinated efforts for the management of autism spectrum disorders (ASD)," which was supported by more than 60 countries. In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 2nd April as World Autism Awareness Day.

• Knowledge centre:

1. Autism - It is a serious developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) impacts the nervous system and affects the overall cognitive, emotional, social and physical health of the affected individual. The range and severity of symptoms can vary widely. Common symptoms include difficulty with communication, difficulty with social interactions, obsessive interests and repetitive behaviours.
2. Early recognition, as well as behavioural, educational and family therapies may reduce symptoms and support development and learning.
3. UNCRPD - The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is an international treaty which identifies the rights of disabled people as well as the obligations on Parliament and the NI Assembly to promote, protect and ensure those rights. It has been effectice since 2008.
4. UNGA - Established in 1945 under the Charter of the United Nations, the UN General Assembly occupies a central position as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. Comprised of all 193 Members of the United Nations, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter. It also plays a significant role in the process of standard-setting and the codification of international law.

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

Mass migration of Blue Earthworms in Meghalaya

1. Blue migration: The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has prepared a report on two-way mass migration of the blue earthworms in the state of Meghalaya.
2. Things to know: The blue earthworms, measuring up to 1.6 feet in length, migrate up and down to 300 metres in the East Khasi Hills of the state. Uphill migration of the earthworms starts in April-May. With the onset of monsoon, they emerge from the rivers and streams. Downhill migration occurs during September-October when the vegetation starts to dry and temperature & humidity drop.
3. Concerns: Some areas in the state have unsustainable land-use practices and have drastically reduced the population of earthworms. The damage has been caused mostly by the stone quarry and heavy earth-cutting. The factors including the developmental activities, erratic weather patterns, predation, and climate change results into the mass migrations of earthworms.
4. Blue earthworm: Its scientific name is Perionyx excavates. It is also called composting worms, blues, or Indian blues. The species is known for its ability to create the fine worm castings so quick. The species have become popular in North America recently where it is used for composting purposes. Scientists believe that its origins are in the Himalayan mountains. It is also suited for vermicomposting in tropical and subtropical regions.

Uttarakhand brings ordinance to give co-ownership rights to women

1. The proposal: The Uttarakhand government has put forward an ordinance providing the co-ownership rights to women in the ancestral property of their husband.
2. Key points: The ordinance was put forward in the backdrop of large-scale migration of men from hill areas of the state to look for livelihood. It was passed with the aim of providing financial independence to women who are left behind at home and get dependent on agriculture to sustain themselves. Uttarakhand has become the first state that provides co-ownership rights to women in ancestral property of their women.
3. Importance: In the state, specifically in the hilly regions, husbands and wives both are involved in farming for their livelihood. But it is usually observed that husbands do the heavy-labour intensive work like ploughing the field. On the other hand, women are involved in the 90 percent of farming-related work. Despite that, women’s hard work is not recognised and they don’t get any form of ownership right on the land. The decision of the Uttarakhand government will facilitate the ownership right to the women who works in the fields owned by their husbands which usually was transferred to the men and then to their sons.
4. Women’s property rights in India: The property rights of women in India vary with respect to the religion and tribe. Usually, the right is subject to a complex mix of law and custom. However, Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 is a step towards granting the women equal legal property rights. Further, the Hindu personal laws of 1956 which is applicable to Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains provides the women rights to inheritances.

NCBC Chairman on sub-categorisation of OBCs

1. OBC issue: The chairman of National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), Bhagwan Lal Sahni, said that the NCBC is in favour of four subcategories of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). This move complies with the recommendation of the Justice Rohini Commission.
2. Justice Rohini Commission: It was constituted on October 2, 2017. This commission has been appointed in order to study and report about the sub-categorisation of OBCs. The commission will be submitting the report by July 2021. The panel’s terms of reference are to study the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among castes or communities. The panel will also work out on the mechanism, criteria and parameters for sub-categorisation within the OBCs.
3. Sub-Categorisation of OBCs: The sub-categories of the OBCs will be done by keeping those sections in mind which have either benefited adequately or less benefited from the reservation. While the two other categories will be for the least benefited and those who have not been benefited from present reservation structure of the OBCs.
4. Existing OBC categorisation: The subcategorization of OBCs is already in place in Bihar. Bihar has subcategorised it as OBCs and EBCs.
5. National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC): It was constituted on August 14, 1993 in the aftermath of commission was the outcome of Indra Sawhney & Ors. Vs. Union of India case. It was given the status of constitutional body in accordance with the 123rd constitutional amendment bill 2017 and the 102nd amendment of 2018. Article 338B of the Indian Constitution deals with the NCBC. The body works under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. NCBC was established to pursue the provisions of National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.
6. Article 338 B: The commission comprises of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and three other Members. The appointment, conditions of service and tenure of office of all of them is decided by the President.

Saudi Arabia opens up Armed Forces for women

1. The decision: Saudi Arabia has opened up the armed forces for Women. Following the order, the female recruits can now trade their abayas for military uniforms.
2. What to know: Saudi women will now be recruited as soldiers, lance corporals, corporals, sergeants, and staff sergeants. The government has also added some additional criteria for female applicants. This move aims to increase the rights of women in the country.
3. Criteria: The female applicants are required to pass admission procedures in accordance with the specified conditions, should have a clean record, be medically fit for service, should be between 21 and 40 years old, should not be a government employee, will be required to hold an independent national identity card, must have acquired at least a high school education, and not be married to non-Saudi citizens.
4. Women’s rights in Saudi Arabia: Rights of the women in Saudi Arabia have been limited when compared to the rights of women in many of its neighbouring countries. There is a strict interpretation and application of sharia law in the country. However, in the year 2017, Mohammed bin Salman was appointed the Crown Prince. Since then, he has been bringing a series of social reforms witnessing the women’s rights. As per the World Economic Forum’s 2016 Global Gender Gap Report, Saudi Arabia was ranked at 141 out of 144 countries with respect to gender parity.
5. Recent decisions: In 2015, Women were allowed to vote in elections. In 2017, women were allowed to access the government services like health and education. The government allowed women to drive in 2017. In 2019, women were given right to register the divorce. In 2019, marriage age was capped at and above 18 years. In 2021, it was decided that women can now be appointed as court judge.

9.1 Today's best editorials to read

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• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

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