CNA 26 Dec 2022:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related POLITY 1. Retirement Age of Judges C. GS 3 Related SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1. “Dark Patterns” on the Internet D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials POLITY 1. Article 200 of the Indian Constitution GOVERNANCE 1. Menace Of Online Gambling ENVIRONMENT AND BIODIVERSITY 1. Forest rights and heritage conservation F. Prelims Facts 1. Veer Baal Diwas 2. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Polluted Rivers G. Tidbits 1. Srimukhalingam temple H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
Syllabus: Structure, Organization & Functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary
Mains: Impact of rising retirement age of judges
Context: The Department of Justice made a presentation before the parliamentary panel on Personnel, Law, and Justice recently.
Introduction:
- The Department of Justice made a presentation before the parliamentary panel on Personnel, Law, and Justice that was chaired by BJP MP and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi.
- The presentation comprised details of judicial processes and reforms, including the possibility of increasing the retirement age of high court and Supreme Court judges.
- In July 2022, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju had informed Parliament that there was no proposal to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court and High Court judges.
Key measures recommended by the Justice Department:
- The Department of Justice told the panel that raising the retirement age for Supreme Court and high court judges could result in non-performing judges remaining in office longer and could have a domino effect with other government workers making a similar request.
- It also suggested that raising the retirement age of judges should be considered along with bringing down pending cases and bringing transparency in the judiciary.
- It said increasing the retirement age may deprive tribunals of having retired judges as presiding officers or judicial members.
Retirement age of Judges:
- The retirement age for Supreme Court judges in India is 65 years while it is 62 years for High Court judges.
- The Venkatachaliah Report (Report of the National Commission to review the working of the Constitution, 2002) recommended that the retirement age of the Judges of the High Court should be increased to 65 years and that of the Judges of the Supreme Court should be increased to 68 years.
- The 114th Amendment Bill was introduced in 2010 to increase the retirement age of High Court judges to 65 years. However, it was not taken up for consideration in Parliament and lapsed with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha.
- Judges are appointed for life to the Supreme Court of the United States as well as the constitutional courts in Greece and Austria.
- In Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Australia, the retirement age for judges is 70 years.
Significance of raising the retirement age:
- The judge-population ratio in India is among the lowest with 21.03 as on December 31 2021. Therefore, an increase in retirement age will enable the judiciary to deal with the enormous pendency of cases.
- It will also ensure the continued presence of a strong talent pool of experienced judges.
- It will be a buffer against impending litigation explosion. As the Indian economy grows, the ratio of litigation to population will increase exponentially.
- Advanced economies such as Australia, Canada, France, the U.S., the U.K., and Japan have much higher litigation-to-population ratios.
- It will render post-retirement assignments unattractive and, as a consequence, strengthen the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, both of which are crucial to sustaining democracy.
Nut Graf: The Department of Justice recently expressed its concerns over the enhancement of the retirement age of judges as it could have a domino effect with other government workers making a similar request. Therefore, it would be prudent to examine the issue in totality.
C. GS 3 Related
Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. “Dark Patterns” on the Internet
Syllabus: Awareness in Different Fields- IT & Computers
Mains: Privacy issues with digital platforms and big tech companies
Context: This article discusses the deceptive tactics deployed by tech firms called “dark patterns”.
What are dark patterns?
- The term “dark patterns” was first coined by UI/UX (user interface/user experience) specialist Harry Brignull to describe the ways in which software can subtly trick users into doing things they didn’t mean to do, or discouraging behaviour that’s bad for the company.
- Such patterns are unethical user interface designs that deliberately make your Internet experience harder or even exploit you.
- They are designed to benefit the company or platform employing the designs.
Image Source: netsolutions
How do companies use dark patterns?
- Different Big Tech companies, like Apple, Amazon, Skype, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Google, employ dark patterns to downgrade the user experience for their own benefit.
- For Instance, when you want to unsubscribe from a mailing list, the company makes the “Unsubscribe” button tiny, low-contrast, and buried in paragraphs of text at the bottom of an email putting up subtle roadblocks between you and cancellation.
- Amazon came under fire in the European Union for its confusing, multi-step cancelling process for Amazon Prime subscriptions. After communicating with consumer regulators, Amazon this year made its cancellation process easier for online customers in European countries.
- The last few seconds of a video are obscured by thumbnails of other videos as YouTube nags users to sign up for YouTube Premium, interfering with user experience.
- In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission [FTC] has taken note of dark patterns and the risks they pose. It listed over 30 dark patterns which are standard practice across social media platforms and e-commerce sites.
- These include “baseless” countdowns for online deals, conditions in fine print that add on to costs, making cancellation buttons hard to see or click, making ads appear as news reports or celebrity endorsements, auto-playing videos, forcing users to create accounts to finish a transaction, silently charging credit cards after free trials end, and using dull colours to hide information that users should know about.
- In one instance, the FTC report took legal action against Amazon in 2014, for a supposedly “free” children’s app that fooled its young users into making in-app purchases that their parents had to pay for.
How do dark patterns affect user experience?
- Dark patterns jeopardise Internet users’ experiences and increase their susceptibility to data and financial exploitation by Big Tech companies.
- Dark patterns trick consumers, present online barriers, lengthen the completion of routine tasks, get them to sign up for undesirable services or products, and coerce them into paying more money or disclosing more personal information than they had originally meant.
- According to the FTC, dark patterns will likely follow augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) platforms and devices as they grow in usage.
Nut Graf: By using dark patterns, digital platforms take away a user’s right to full information about the services they are using and their control over their browsing experience. Internet users who are able to identify and recognise dark patterns in their daily lives can choose more user-friendly platforms that will respect their right to choose and privacy.
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
1. Article 200 of the Indian Constitution
Syllabus: GS-2, Indian Constitution
Mains: Role of Governor in Indian Polity
Context: This article discusses various issues with Article 200 of the Indian Constitution.
What is Article 200:
- Article 200 of the Indian Constitution deals with the powers of the Governor with regard to assent given to bills passed by the State legislature and other powers of the Governor such as reserving the bill for the President’s consideration.
- When a Bill has been passed by the State legislature, it shall be presented to the Governor and the Governor can,
- Give his assent
- Withhold his assent
- Return the bill
- Reserve the bill for the President’s consideration (In instances where the bill introduced in the state legislature endangers the position of the state High Court.)
- The Governor shall reserve for the consideration of the President, any Bill which in the opinion of the Governor would, if it became law, so derogate from the powers of the High Court as to endanger the position which that Court is by this Constitution designed to fill.
Rationale behind Article 200:
- The real objective behind Article 200 was to let an independent Governor act as a check and balance, to avoid the state-enacted law being repugnant to the Union laws.
- Some State governments expressed an opinion before the Sarkaria Commission that a “Governor will act as a safety valve against hasty legislations and by their operation enable the State Government and Legislature to have a second look at it”.
Issues with Article 200:
- Article 200 does not prescribe a timeline for the Governor to provide assent to Bills sent by the Legislative Assembly.
- This has been used to advantage by the Governors of various States to obscure the mandate of democratically elected governments.
- In Tamil Nadu alone, almost 20 Bills are awaiting assent by the Governor. The situation is no different in Telangana and West Bengal as well.
- When a Governor refuses to sign a bill that has been duly enacted by the legislature, he is directly undermining the federal structure of the Constitution by using unlawful methods.
- Even the President is taking too long to give assent to the bills that the Governor had deferred for the President’s consideration.
- For Instance, The President has not yet acted on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)-exemption Bill passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly, after it was referred to the President in May 2022.
- There is no timeline prescribed for the President, under Article 201 of the Constitution, to decide on the outcome of the Bill.
Several Calls for Reforms:
- In Purushothaman Nambudiri vs State of Kerala (1962), a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court clarified that the Constitution does not impose any time limit within which the Governor should provide assent to Bills.
- However, the Court has maintained that the Governor must honour the will of the Legislature and that the President or a Governor can act only in harmony with their Council of Ministers.
- The ‘National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution’ headed by Justice Venkatachaliah recommended that “there should be a time-limit — say a period of six months — within which the Governor should take a decision whether to grant assent or to reserve a Bill for consideration of the President.”
- The Sarkaria Commission suggested that delay can be avoided by streamlining the existing procedures thus by making prior consultation with the Governor at the stage of the drafting of the Bill itself, and by prescribing time limits for its disposal.
Way Forward:
- An unreasonable delay in granting administrative sanction would be violative of the rule of law. Therefore, it implies that the Governor will have to grant assent or decline the same within a ‘reasonable time’.
- The Supreme Court in a case on anti-defection law held that the Speaker must act on disqualification petitions against the defecting MLAs within a ‘reasonable time’.
- It clarified in the same judgement that reasonable time is three months in the case of disqualification petitions.
- The Constitution should be read contextually to provide a meaning that the Governor must act on the Bills within a reasonable time- three months, in line with the above judgement.
Nut Graf: Giving assent to a Bill passed by the legislature is a part of the legislative process and not of the executive power. Article 200 of the Indian Constitution has been used to advantage by the Governors of various States to neutralise the entire legislative exercise which obscures the mandate of democratically elected governments.
Syllabus: GS-2, Government Policies & Interventions for Development
Mains: Impact of Online Gambling
Context: The Tamil Nadu government’s ordinance to ban online gambling lapsed on November 27, 2022, as the Governor failed to grant assent to the related bill.
Introduction:
- The Tamil Nadu government’s ordinance to ban online gambling lapsed on November 27, 2022, as the Governor failed to grant assent to the related Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill.
- The Governor’s office raised some doubts regarding the and is seeking opinions from legal experts.
- The governor also met with representatives of the E-Gaming Federation where they highlighted that the Supreme Court and Madras High Court had identified poker and rummy as games of skill.
- The Bill was passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly earlier on October 19 2022.
- An explanation was sought from the Governor regarding the delay in giving assent to the Bill, and the state government emphasised the need for a law to ban online gambling in the state.
Impact of Online Gambling:
- Several online games are addictive in nature and when played with monetary stakes may lead to other issues.
- Addicted to virtual games, losing money and falling into a debt trap have resulted in deaths by suicide.
- As per an official estimate, in the last one and a half years, 32 persons died by suicide and there was one case of murder in Tamil Nadu.
- There have reportedly been a few incidents where young people have committed other crimes including theft and murder due to mounting debt brought on by losses in online games.
- Some experts think that websites that host online games may manipulate them and that it’s possible that users aren’t playing them against other people at all, but rather against computer programmes known as “bots,” meaning that there is no fair chance for a regular user to win.
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) had announced a plan to include “gaming disorder” as a mental health condition.
Laws related to online gaming in India:
- Indian Constitution has enabled the State governments to formulate their own laws and there exists no uniformity among the state laws and these mostly deal with Physical Gambling while Online gambling remains out of the scope.
- Betting and gambling can be found in Part II of the State list.
- Section 67 of the Information Technology Act of 2000 vaguely deals with Online Gambling which prohibits online transmission and publication of material that “corrupts” persons.
- Rummy and horse racing have been classified by the courts as games of skill that do not come under the purview of gaming laws
- Gambling is a non-cognisable and bailable offence in India.
Alternative routes:
- Regulation of online games is better than an outright ban as it is already happening in a massive way.
- Niti Aayog submitted a draft report titled ‘Guiding Principles for the Uniform National-Level Regulation of Online Fantasy Sports Platforms in India’, and recommended the formation of a self-regulatory organisation to govern fantasy gaming.
- Government regulation can help in anti-money laundering processes, and bar minors from accessing real money games.
- Keeping in mind the sensitivity and vulnerability of children to advertisements, an aggrieved person can approach the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) if he or she regards any advertisement on online games as misleading.
- According to Section 21 of the Consumer Protection Act, the CCPA can impose a penalty of up to ₹10 lakh on manufacturers, advertisers and endorsers for any misleading advertisement.
- The State and Union Governments should collaborate to develop specific guidelines in cooperation with industry stakeholders in order to fully realise the potential of the online gaming business.
Nut Graf: The Indian Constitution has enabled the State governments to formulate their own laws regarding online gambling and there exists no uniformity among the state laws. This poor regulation of online gambling has resulted in the loss of lives and revenue. Thus, policymakers must engage with the stakeholders for better policy design and enforcement.
Category: ENVIRONMENT AND BIODIVERSITY
1. Forest rights and heritage conservation
Syllabus: GS-3, Biodiversity conservation – National Guidelines, Legislations & Other Programmes.
Mains: Issues with Forest Rights Act
Context: This article discusses various issues faced by forest dwellers in protected areas.
Introduction:
- Before recognising areas as world heritage sites, UNESCO seeks the opinion of the inhabitants on the implication of the possible declaration on their lives and livelihoods.
- A recent interaction with different stakeholders in the gram panchayats located close to the world heritage sites in Karnataka shows that an overwhelming majority of the stakeholders were not aware of the process that leads to the declaration of UNESCO heritage sites.
- The primary stakeholders were Scheduled Tribes (STs). Other traditional forest dwellers include Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes, minorities and the general category.
Forest Rights Act:
- The Forest Rights Act or the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act deals with the rights of the communities that dwell in the forests (including Scheduled Tribes), over land and other resources, which have been denied to them over the years because of the continuation of forest laws from the colonial era in the country.
Issues with the Forest Rights Act:
- The majority of the forest dwellers claimed land measuring not more than one acre which is nowhere close to the ceiling of four hectares permitted under the Forest Rights Act (FRA).
- In the case of the STs, the reasons for the rejection of rights under FRA were,
- fresh encroachments;
- the claimants not living on the lands claimed;
- claimed lands being on ‘paisari bhoomis’ (wasteland and forest lands which have not been notified as protected forests or reserved forests) or revenue lands; and
- multiple applications made in a single family.
- In the case of other traditional forest dwellers, it was mainly failure to produce evidence of dependency and dwelling on forest land for 75 years.
- Most forest dwellers were deprived of basic facilities and other government benefits extended under various schemes and programmes as they don’t possess the ‘Records of Rights, Tenancy and Crops’ that is required along with the title of the land.
Issues with Protected Areas:
- The people in the villages falling under eco-sensitive zones are experiencing severe restrictions on their entry into the forest.
- Development activities like road repair have been stopped.
- Normal Farming is not allowed as the use of fertilisers is banned.
- The people are prohibited from cutting trees falling on their houses to undertake repair work or move the earth.
- The increasing animal insurgency is causing damage to the crops of the farming forest dwellers.
- Those who don’t have recognition over their lands are not given compensation for the loss.
- People refuse to ‘re-locate’ on the grounds of their attachment to the land fearing extinction of their culture and religious roots.
Way forward:
- The government must bring more clarity to the Forest Rights Act to avoid conflicts between the government agencies conserving biodiversity and the people living in the forest for over decades and centuries.
- Forest dwellers willing to live in the forest must be allowed to stay whereas those wanting to experience the fruits of development must be relocated according to their choice of a new place and a suitable package.
- Declaration of a ‘protected’ area must be done only after consultations with the local population.
Nut Graf: Democratic and transparent consultations must be done with the relevant stakeholders of the protected areas before the possible declaration of UNESCO heritage sites to achieve the objectives of ensuring the rights of forest dwellers and fulfilling conservation efforts.
F. Prelims Facts
Syllabus: GS01 – History, Indian history from the eighteenth century until the present – significant personalities.
Prelims: Veer Baal Diwas, Sahibzadas and Guru Gobind Singh
Context: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on December 25, 2022 asked the Sikh community to observe the martyrdom day of the sons of Guru Gobind Singh as ‘Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas’ instead of ‘Veer Bal Diwas.’
Background:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in January 2022 announced that December 26 will be observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ to mark the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s two sons Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji.
- The SGPC too had earlier objected to the name of the day and asked the government to change it to ‘Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas’.
Char Sahibzade:
- Guru Gobind Singh had four sons, called the ‘Chaar Sahibzade’.
- Ajit Singh, Jujhar Singh, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh.
- The Sahibzades were initiated into the Khalsa, an elite warrior group among the Sikhs started by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
- All four Sahibzades were executed by Mughal forces before the age of 19.
- Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, the two youngest of the Chaar Sahibzade were told by Wazir Khan, the Nawab of Sirhind to be bricked alive on 26th December 1705 because they refused to become Muslims.
- Before the Chaar Sahibzade attained martyrdom, they were captured and kept in a cold tower called “Thanda Burj” with their grandmother Mata Gujari, in the middle of winter.
- The two older Princes, Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh fought in the Chamkaur battle, and attained martyrdom.
Battle of Chamkaur:
- The Battle was fought in 1704 between the Khalsa group led by Guru Gobind Singh and the coalition forces of Mughals led by Wazir Khan, the Nawab of Sirhind.
- While Guru Gobind Singh was crossing the Sarsa river with his disciples, the Mughals and hill chiefs attacked, marking the start of the battle.
- The battle was fought for three days between 21st to 23rd of December, 1704.
- Guru Gobind Singh lost two of his elder sons in battle.
- The Guru claimed that he was proud that his sons had died fighting in the battle.
- Guru Gobind Singh makes a reference to this battle in his victory letter Zafarnama.
2. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Polluted Rivers
Syllabus: GS03-Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Prelims: Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
Context: Recent CPCB report shows fewer polluted river stretches.
Key Details:
- A recent report by CPCB shows a decline in the number of polluted stretches in India’s rivers from 351 in 2018 to 311 in 2022.
- But the number of most polluted stretches is practically unchanged.
- The CPCB network monitors water quality at 4,484 locations across the country.
- Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) exceeding 3 milligrams per litre (mg/l) is identified as a polluted location. Two or more polluted locations identified on a river in a continuous sequence are considered a “polluted river stretch.”
- A BOD less than 3 mg/l means the river stretch is fit for “outdoor bathing.”
- Further, stretches with BOD exceeding 30 mg/l are considered “Priority 1” (P1), meaning, the most polluted and thus needing the most urgent remediation.
- While Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of “Priority 1” river stretches (6), Maharashtra had the most polluted river stretches (55), followed by Madhya Pradesh (19), Bihar (18), Kerala (18), Karnataka (17) and Uttar Pradesh (17).
G. Tidbits
- The chief priest of Srimukhalingam temple in Andhra Pradesh, has urged the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to get the temple included on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.
- The temple was built in the Kalinga architectural style and is located by the Vamsadhara River.
- It is dedicated to lord Srimukha Lingeswara.
- It was Constructed in the 9th century CE by kings of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty.
- The main temple of Srimukhalingam was built by Eastern Ganga Dynasty King Kamaranava deva II, great-grandfather of Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva of Kalinga.
- Later in the 17th century, the Maharaja of Paralakhemundi Estate Renovated this temple.
Read more on UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to Emperor Penguins: (Level-Difficult)
- It is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species.
- This is the only penguin species that breeds during the Antarctic winter.
- They are listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List.
How many of the given statements is/are INCORRECT?
- One statement only
- Two statements only
- All three statements
- None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: a
Explanation:
- Statement 01 is correct, The emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica.
- Statement 02 is correct, Of the 17 species of penguins, only emperor penguins breed during the extreme Antarctic winter, when temperatures can drop to below -50C and winds can reach 300 kilometres per hour.
- Statement 03 is incorrect, They are listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List.
Q2. How many of the following schemes/initiatives are exclusively aimed at addressing gender imbalance and encouraging women scientists? (Level-Difficult)
- MANAK Programme
- KIRAN Scheme
- SERB-POWER Scheme
- NIDHI Programme
Options:
- One only
- Two only
- Three only
- All four
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Option 01 is incorrect-MANAK Programme: The objective of the scheme is to target one million original ideas/innovations rooted in science and societal applications to foster a culture of creativity and innovative thinking among school children.
- Option 02 is correct, The Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN) Scheme is one of the several pioneering initiatives started by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) for promoting women in science.
- Option 03 is correct, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a Statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology, initiated several schemes like “SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research)” which has been designed exclusively for women scientists to take up R&D at the highest level.
- Option 04 is incorrect, NIDHI (National Initiative for Development and Harnessing Innovations) is an umbrella program initiated by the Science & Technology department (DST) of the Indian government for cultivating knowledge-based innovations and ideas driven by technology into fruitful start-ups.
Q3. Consider the following statements: (Level-Medium):
- The Good Governance Index is prepared by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).
- Good Governance Index takes into consideration 10 sectors.
- India’s First “District Good Governance Index” was released for the districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
How many of the given statements are correct?
- One statement only
- Two statements only
- All three statements
- None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Statement 01 is correct, The Centre launched National Good Governance Index on 25 December 2021, to provide quantifiable data to compare the state of governance in all states and union territories, enable them to formulate and implement suitable strategies for improving governance and shift to result-oriented approaches and administration.
- It is prepared by the Department of Administration Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).
- Statement 02 is correct, Good Governance Index covers ten sectors and 58 indicators.
Image Source: darpg.gov
- Statement 03 is correct, India’s First “District Good Governance Index” was released for the districts of Jammu and Kashmir. This index has been prepared by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in collaboration with the Government of Jammu & Kashmir.
Q4. Consider the following statements with respect to the PRASHAD scheme: (Level-Medium)
- It is a central sector scheme implemented by the Ministry of Tourism.
- The scheme focuses on identifying and developing pilgrimage sites across India for enriching the religious tourism experience.
- The scheme is partially funded by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
Options:
- One statement only
- Two statements only
- All three statements
- None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation:
- Statements 01 and 02 are correct, The ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD)’ was launched by the Ministry of Tourism in the year 2014-15 with the objective of holistic development of identified pilgrimage destinations.
- Statement 03 is incorrect, For components within public funding under this scheme, the Union Government will provide 100% funding and for the improvement in the sustainability of the project, the scheme seeks to involve Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) as well.
Q5. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Smart India Hackathon 2017? (CSE-PYQ-2017) (Level-Medium)
- It is a centrally sponsored scheme for developing every city of our country into Smart Cities in a decade.
- It is an initiative to identify new digital technology innovations for solving the many problems faced by our country.
- It is a programme aimed at making all the financial transactions in our country completely digital in a decade.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 only
- 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Explanation: Smart India Hackathon is a nationwide initiative to provide students with a platform to solve some of the pressing problems we face in our daily lives, and thus inculcate a culture of product innovation and a mindset of problem-solving.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- The Constitution is silent on a timeframe for gubernatorial assent or rejection of a bill. In the light of the statement, explain the relevant provisions of the Constitution and suggest reforms. (250 words, 15 marks) [GS-2, Polity]
- Why is the online gaming industry booming in India? Discuss the reasons for Tamil Nadu government banning online gambling. (150 words, 10 marks) [GS-2, Governance]
Read the previous CNA here.
CNA 26 Dec 2022:- Download PDF Here
Comments