CNA 18 April 2023:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related SOCIAL JUSTICE 1. The petitions around same sex marriage C. GS 3 Related ENVIRONMENT 1. How coastal species are living on plastic debris in the ocean D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. Chinese shenanigans on Arunachal Pradesh ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY 1. Dealing with extreme heat F. Prelims Facts 1. Mangrove Pitta G. Tidbits 1. Chhattisgarh CM writes to PM seeking inclusion of higher quota Bills in Ninth Schedule 2. WTO panel rules against India in IT tariffs row with EU, others H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. The petitions around same sex marriage
Syllabus: Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of vulnerable sections
Mains: Issues associated with the legalisation of same-sex marriages in India
Context
A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of India will be hearing a series of petitions seeking recognition of same-sex marriage in India on the 18th of April 2023.
Various petitions
- The key argument of the petitioners is that the non-recognition of same-sex marriage amounts to discrimination that has affected the dignity and self-fulfilment of LGBTQIA+ couples.
- As per the petitions filed, LGBTQ+ citizens form about 7% to 8% of the total population in India and various existing legal protections guaranteeing the rights of wages, gratuity, adoption, surrogacy, etc, were not available to LGBTQIA+ citizens.
- Further, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) has stated that same-sex couples would make equally good parents as heterosexual parents.
- Petitions citing this statement say that by depriving legal status to homosexual marriages, the government is denying the legal security of dual parenthood and guardianship to the child.
- Ever since 2000, when the Netherlands legalised same-sex marriages more than 34 countries have legalised same-sex marriages.
- Currently, over 50 countries allow same-sex couples to legally adopt children.
- According to a study conducted by the American Sociological Review, academic results of children raised by same-sex parents from birth was seen to be better than those children with heterosexual parents.
Government’s Stand
- According to the Union government the idea of same-sex marriage is merely an “urban elitist view” and the judicial creation of a “new social institution” like same-sex marriage cannot be claimed as a matter of right.
- The government has held that same-sex marriages threaten the “holy union” of marriage between a biological man and woman in India and has said that it is Parliament and not the courts that have the powers to decide on same-sex marriages.
- Furthermore, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), has argued that same-sex marriage violates the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.
- The Juvenile Justice Act of 2015 prohibits a single man from adopting a girl child.
- The NCPCR also cited a study conducted by the Catholic University of America. According to this, children raised by same-sex couples experienced emotional problems two times more than children raised by heterogenous parents.
Also read – Sansad TV Perspective: Legalising Same-Sex Marriage
The stand of various religious bodies and NGOs
- As per Shri Sanatam Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha, legaslisation of same-sex marriages would be “catastrophic” and have an adverse effect on Indian culture and society.
- The Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind also has raised concerns over the legalisation of same-sex marriage and says that marriage between opposite sexes is a “basic feature” of marriage.
- According to the Telangana Markazi Shia Ulema Council, children or individuals raised by same-sex couples would most likely suffer from depression, low academic achievement, unemployment, etc.
- The Kanchan Foundation has said that deep-rooted stereotypes and mental and social barriers cannot be dismantled by a judicial ruling and opined that Indian society requires time to accept same-sex marriages.
- As per the Call for Justice NGO, “marriage flows from natural law” and any changes to the centuries-old institution of marriage between opposite sexes must come from a popular will through the legislature only.
For more information on this issue refer to the following article:
UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis dated 28 Nov 2022
Nut graf: As a five-judge Supreme Court Bench gets ready to hear a series of petitions seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage, the Union government along with various religious bodies and NGOs have expressed concerns over same-sex marriages and its potential adverse impact on Indian society.
C. GS 3 Related
1. How coastal species are living on plastic debris in the ocean
Syllabus: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation
Prelims: About the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Mains: Key challenges associated with marine plastic pollution
Context
Linsey E. Haram, et al. ‘Extent and reproduction of coastal species on plastic debris in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre’, Nature Ecology & Evolution, published in April 2023.
Key Details
- Various scientists have proposed the name “The Anthropocene epoch” for a new period in the history of Earth which has been characterised by the influence of one species (i.e. Homo sapiens) on the planet’s geology and its ecosystems.
- Experts are trying to figure out when actually the Anthropocene epoch really began as some believe that it was when the first nuclear weapon was tested while others feel that it was during the rapid industrialisation phase post the Second World War.
- A few researchers and environmentalists opine that the creation of plastic trash can also be considered the start of the epoch.
- Plastic waste or trash has now become abundant in urban areas, rivers, and also forests.
- Plastic wastes are seen from the slopes of the highest peaks to the depths of abyssal trenches.
- In a recent study conducted by researchers from Canada, the Netherlands, and the U.S., it was found that coastal lifeforms have colonised plastic items in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Image source: Image Source: National Geographic
- The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean.
- The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is also known as the Pacific trash vortex.
- The garbage patch seen in this region or location consists of two distinct collections of debris inside the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre.
- There are water currents in the ocean that form loops mainly due to winds and the Coriolis force. These are called gyres.
- The North Pacific Subtropical Gyre is a gyre situated immediately to the north of the equator in the Pacific Ocean.
- The gyre consists of the ocean currents such as Kuroshio, North Pacific, California, and North Equatorial currents and moves in a clockwise direction.
- Inside the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, just north of Hawai’i, lies a long east-west strip of debris that has been collected by the ocean currents over the years.
- As per estimates, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch consists of about 45,000 to 1,29,000 metric tonnes of plastic, mainly in the form of microplastics.
Key findings of a latest study
- According to researchers, the Japanese tsunami in 2011 contributed significantly to the pile of debris.
- Researchers until 2017 had seen debris washing ashore on the West coast of North America containing live lifeforms that were originally found in Japan.
- Between November 2018 to January 2019, researchers found about 105 pieces of plastic debris from the eastern part of the patch and studies were conducted on this debris.
- Studies revealed that close to 98% of the items found in the debris had invertebrate organisms.
- Researchers also reported that pelagic species (i.e. species of the open ocean) were found on 94.3% of items and coastal species were found on 70.5% of the items.
- Further, the number of coastal species like the arthropods and molluscs seen rafting on such human-made plastic islands of waste was three times more than that of pelagic species.
- Overall organisms belonging to about 46 taxa were found, out of which 37 of them were coastal and the rest were pelagic.
- The coastal species were most seen on fishing nets while the pelagic species were found on crates.
- Among all the species, crustaceans (i.e. animals usually with a hard covering such as crabs, lobsters, shrimps, etc.) were the most common species found.
Relevance of the findings
- The report notes that the creation of a vast sea of relatively permanent anthropogenic plastic patches since the 1950s has led to the development of a new kind of standing coastal community in the open ocean which has been named the “neopelagic community”.
- According to the researchers, the neopelagic community is not misplaced like the coastal species which were seen on human-made objects in the past, as neopelagic species now thrive on the plastic items in the garbage patch, including reproducing there.
- The researchers have noted that 68% of the coastal taxa and 33% of the pelagic taxa on such garbage patches reproduced asexually.
- Researchers also found that polyethylene films had chemically bonded with rocks in China. This helps us understand the formation of other instances such as:
- The “anthropoquinas” of Brazil where sedimentary rocks were found embedded with plastic earrings.
- The “plastiglomerates” of Hawai’i where beach sediments were found embedded with organic debris, basaltic lava and melted plastic.
Nut graf: It is now a known fact that plastic wastes are found everywhere from the slopes of the highest peaks to the depths of deep trenches. Studies are finding new evidence that plastic waste is becoming one of the biggest challenges for nature as one such study has found that coastal lifeforms have colonised plastic items in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Chinese shenanigans on Arunachal Pradesh
Syllabus: GS-2, India and Neighborhood Relations.
Mains: India-China Relations.
Context: The government of China announced that it would “standardize” the names of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh.
Introduction:
- China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs released new names for 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Some of the renamed places are located along the Pangchen-Tawang-Jang-Sela axis while others are situated near old Buddhist pilgrimage circuits in the Upper Subansiri district, Menchuka-Tato tehsil in West Siang, and Lohit and Anjaw districts (near Walong).
For detailed information, read here: 09 Apr 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis?
Background Details:
- Earlier in 2020, China named almost 80 geographical features in the Paracels and Spratlys in the South China Sea.
- Notably, it named 287 geographical features in the South China Sea in 1983.
- In the 1950s, China started using “Diaoyutai” for Senkaku Island in the East China Sea, much before disputing with Japan.
- It is argued that it is a Chinese strategy where it adopts the approach of fictional renaming of alien territories and then embraces “three warfare” namely propaganda, psychological and legal warfare.
- It should be noted that China has also named several under-sea features in the Indian Ocean. It has used the names of Chinese musical instruments.
- China introduced the Geographical Name Regulation in 1986 for naming, renaming, and standardization exercises. It was amended in May 2022.
- The Chinese Government enacted a new Coast Guard Law in February 2021 to safeguard “sovereignty” (even with the use of force).
- Similarly, it also passed a new land boundary law (with effect from 1 January 2022).
- Since 2017, China is constructing dual-purpose villages called Xiaokang villages, in areas adjacent to the border with India, from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
- The Indian government has outrightly rejected the renaming of the areas and has highlighted that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India.
Historical Aspect:
- According to Hugh Edward Richardson (Tibet And Its History), Qing presence in Tibet emerged around 1720, during the succession struggle after the sixth Dalai Lama (1683-1706).
- Thus, there is no basis for the Chinese claim over Tawang.
- Arunachal Pradesh (earlier known as North-East Frontier Agency) has been home to various tribes and is a part of India’s civilizational heritage.
- There are references to these tribes in various ancient scriptures like the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Kalika Purana, the Vishnu Purana, the Yogini Purana, and Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsa.
- Some instances that show Arunachal Pradesh’s history are:
- It is mentioned that the boundaries of the kingdoms of Pragjyotisha and Kamarupa included the entire Arunachal Pradesh.
- The Shiva Linga in Ziro, Parshuram Kund, and the temple ruins of Malinithan reflect an ancient Hindu influence in the region.
- Some Mishmis claim to be the descendants of King Bhishmaka and some Akas claim their descent from King Bhaluka.
- Several silver coins and inscriptions unearthed from the region are associated with a Muslim ruler of Bengal.
- The architecture in the region like Bhalukpong, Ita, and Bhismaknagar (built between the 10th and 16th centuries), seems to be heavily inspired by the architectural principles mentioned in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and Arthashastra.
Conclusion:
- Arunachal Pradesh represents the finest of India’s cultural and civilizational heritage.
- It is recommended that the government should assign Indian names to places and territories under the illegal occupation of China. For example, Aksai Chin can be renamed.
Nut Graf:
China’s move to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh is a strategy that it has followed even in the South and East China Sea in the past. There are multiple historical references that show Arunachal Pradesh to be an integral part of India. The government should reject these claims and proactively deal with the matter before it becomes serious.
Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
Syllabus: GS-3, Climate Change.
Mains: Weather variability and Urban Heat Island Effect.
Prelims: Urban Heat Island Effect.
Details:
- It is highlighted that approximately 350 million people in India were exposed to extreme heat between April and May 2022.
- During the period from 1990 to 2019, the average summer temperatures increased by 0.5-0.9°C in the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
- It is estimated that between 2021 and 2050 the maximum temperature will increase by 2-3.5°C in 100 districts and by 1.5– 2°C in nearly 455 districts.
- A similar pattern will also be observed in winter temperatures of approximately 485 districts.
- As an effect of climate change, April-May temperatures will reach record highs every three years.
Also read: Climate Change in India
Impact of Climate Change on Weather Variability:
- Indian cities are experiencing the urban heat island effect.
- Moreover, humidity has exacerbated the felt temperature, with wet bulb temperatures reaching above 32°C in many cities.
- In an instance of weather variability in Northern India, January 2023 (Winters) was followed by a heat wave in February and early March. Moreover, hailstorms and heavy rain were experienced in early April 2023.
Impact of Weather Variability:
- It impacts agriculture. For example, the weather variability in the past few months in Gujarat and Rajasthan (90% production area of cumin) has destroyed most cumin crops.
- It leads to drought.
- It is responsible for higher mortality.
- The rising temperatures make the cities increasingly unliveable.
- It impacts labour productivity. According to a study, heat exposure for labourers can result in the loss of 162 hours per year.
- The marginal farmers, labourers at construction sites, street vendors, and even the gig-economy workers are affected.
Way Ahead:
- Every urban citizen should have at least seven trees in the urban landscape to mitigate the problem of extreme heat.
- Development plans for Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities should focus on increasing the density and area of urban forests.
- The wetlands should be expanded and the dead and decaying water bodies should be restored.
- In order to reduce the urban heat island effect, permeable materials can be used in civic infrastructure and residential construction.
- Anthropogenic heat emissions from vehicles and factories should be reduced.
- Other measures include the use of brick jalis for ventilation and terracotta tiles to allow hot air to escape.
- Urban building standards should be upgraded to restrict the usage of heat-absorbent galvanized iron and metal roof sheets.
- Cleaner cooking fuels will reduce indoor air pollution.
- Some more methods include:
- Embracing public transportation and reducing personal vehicle usage.
- Reducing the size of landfills.
- Waste segregation along with solid waste management at source.
- Forecasting ability should be improved.
- Detailed policies and guidelines on weather variability and urban heat management at the State, district, city, and municipality ward levels should be prepared.
- Policymakers should take mitigatory measures and institute structural infrastructure to help India adapt to such situations.
Case Study of Chandigarh
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Also read: Heat wave risk reduction
Nut Graf: Climate change has greatly impacted the weather variability in India. The urban areas are the most affected regions. Thus, measures should be taken to deal with issues like Urban Heat Island effect and consequently climate change.
F. Prelims Facts
Syllabus: GS-3; Biodiversity Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation
Prelims: About Mangrove Pitta
Context
The first-ever census of Mangrove Pitta birds was undertaken in two coastal districts of Odisha and about 179 such birds were sighted.
Mangrove Pitta
Image source: Image Source: eBird.org
- Mangrove Pitta (Pitta megharencha) is a small bird species belonging to the family Pittidae which is native to the eastern Indian Subcontinent and western Southeast Asia.
- The Mangrove Pitta species is distributed in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
- This bird species is found in coastal mangrove forests of India such as Bhitarkanika in Odisha and the Sundarbans in West Bengal.
- Mangrove Pitta is brightly coloured with a black mask, green-and-black wings, and a yellow belly.
- Mangrove Pitta generally feeds on crustaceans, molluscs and insects.
- IUCN Red List status: Near Threatened
- WPA Schedule: Pittas belonging to the family Pittidae are listed under Schedule IV.
G. Tidbits
1. Chhattisgarh CM writes to PM seeking inclusion of higher quota Bills in Ninth Schedule
- The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh wrote to the Prime Minister seeking the inclusion of two amendment Bills allowing for higher quotas in jobs and educational institutions, in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
- The Ninth Schedule includes a list of Central and State laws that cannot be challenged in courts.
- The Chief Minister in his letter highlighted the demographics of the State and said that the “socio-economic and educational condition of the OBC people of the State is as weak as that of the SC/ST people as three-fourths of these classes are farmers, marginal and small farmers and a large number of them are agricultural labourers”.
- He further said that considering the special circumstances of the State, the inclusion of an amendment in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution is required to ensure that the people of the backward classes get justice.
- In September 2022, the Chhattisgarh High Court squashed a 2013 State government order to allow a 58% quota, saying that the reservation above the 50% ceiling was “unconstitutional”.
- The State government then passed the Chhattisgarh Public Service (Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes Reservation) Amendment Bill and the Chhattisgarh Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Amendment Bill to which the State Governor has refused to sign.
Read more – Schedules of the Indian Constitution
2. WTO panel rules against India in IT tariffs row with EU, others
- A World Trade Organization (WTO) panel has held that India has violated the global trading rules in a dispute with the European Union (EU), Japan and Taiwan over import duties on IT products.
- The WTO Panel report recommended India bring such measures into conformity with its obligations.
- In 2019, the EU challenged India’s introduction of import duties of between 7.5% and 20% for a wide range of IT products which included mobile phones and components such as integrated circuits, saying that they exceeded the maximum rate.
- Later, Japan and Taiwan also filed similar complaints.
- The panel further added that India had already made changes to some of the challenged tariffs in line with global trading rules and also rejected Japan’s claim that India’s customs notification lacked “predictability”.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. What is the “One week-one lab” program that is in news recently? (Level – Difficult)
- Program by WHO to promote awareness regarding anti-microbial resistance in microbiology labs across the world.
- Initiative to highlight the work done by CSIR labs in India.
- Global collaboration to develop intelligence against synthetically developed pathogens.
- Initiative for the detection of gravitational waves via the LIGO network.
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- The “One Week One Lab” campaign highlights India’s global excellence in technology, innovation and start-ups.
- Each of the 37 Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) Labs spread across the nation dedicated to a different exclusive area of work will be given an opportunity under the “One Week One Lab” to showcase the work being done by it.
Q2. Which of the following statements is/are true? (Level – Easy)
- The Golden Triangle lies to the East of India while the Golden Crescent lies to our West.
- The Central government has set up a multi-agency committee to recommend against drug peddling via sea routes.
Options:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct. Read more about the Golden Triangle and the Golden Crescent in the links provided.
Image source: India Today
- Statement 2 is correct, The Central government has set up a committee comprising senior representatives of multiple probe agencies to review the checking mechanisms at all ports and plug the loopholes to prevent the smuggling of drugs into the country primarily through the sea route.
- Officials from the agencies such as the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Navy and Indian Coast Guard are part of the multi-agency committee.
Q3. Which of the following statements is/are true about the Gold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)? (Level – Moderate)
- They are a form of electronic gold, backed by real gold.
- They were introduced in India in 2007.
- Their trade is not allowed on the stock markets, but they can be encashed at the banks.
Options:
- Only 1 statement
- Only 2 statements
- All 3 statements
- None of the statements
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct, Gold Exchange Traded Funds allow investors to buy gold in digital form as units of the ETF and the prices of Gold ETFs are based on the price of gold.
- Statement 2 is correct, Gold Exchange Traded Funds were introduced in India in 2007.
- Statement 3 is not correct, Gold ETFs can be sold at the stock exchange through the broker using a demat account and trading account and can be encashed by selling the units on the stock exchange.
Q4. Which of the following statements is/are true about Starship? (Level – Moderate)
- It is the most powerful rocket ever built, developed by NASA in collaboration with the ESA.
- It will be used to ferry astronauts to the moon under the Artemis III mission of NASA.
Options:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is not correct, Starship is a super heavy-lift launch vehicle which is being developed by SpaceX.
- Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is an American spacecraft manufacturer, launcher, and satellite communications company founded in 2002 by Elon Musk.
- Statement 2 is correct, The U.S. space agency NASA has picked the Starship spacecraft to ferry astronauts to the Moon in late 2025 as a part of the Artemis III Mission.
Q5. Consider the following statements: (Level – Moderate) [PYQ 2017]
- The Election Commission of India is a five-member body.
- The Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections.
- Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognized political parties.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 3 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is not correct, Since its inception in 1950 and till October 1989, the Election Commission of India (ECI) was a one-member body with only the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) as its sole member.
- In October 1989, the ECI became a three-member body as it now consists of a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners (ECs).
- Statement 2 is not correct, The Election Commission of India decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections.
- Statement 3 is correct, Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
Read the previous CNA here.
CNA 18 April 2023:- Download PDF Here
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