A. GS 1 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

B. GS 2 Related

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. ‘HC appointments an ongoing process’

Context:

• Information provided by the Law Ministry to the Rajya Sabha on the process of appointments to the High Courts.

Background:

Constitutional provisions related to appointment to High Courts:

• The Chief Justice and Judges of the High Courts are to be appointed by the President under clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution.

Appointment process to High Courts:

• High Court judges are appointed by the President under Article 217 of the Constitution read with Supreme Court’s decision in the Second and Third Judges’ case. The Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) indicates the process of appointment to be followed.
• The high court collegium, which comprises the chief justice of the high court and two senior-most judges, recommends a name for a high court judgeship to the Supreme Court collegium. The Supreme Court Collegium, which comprises the CJI and two senior-most judges, takes a final call on the high court collegium’s recommendations.
• The Supreme Court Collegium can either approve the recommendation and then transmit the same to the Government of India for giving effect to it, or it can disagree with the high court collegium or defer the proposal.
• The Chief Justice of a High Court is appointed by the President with the consultation of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Governor of the State. The other judges are appointed by the will of the President, Governor and the Chief Justice of the High Court.

Eligibility for appointment to High Courts:

• There are two requirements for being eligible for a high court judgeship: the person concerned must be a citizen of India and have, for at least ten years, been an advocate of a high court or two or more such courts in succession. If the person concerned is from the subordinate judiciary, he must have held a judicial office in the territory of India for at least ten years.
• Besides, jurists whom the President of India may consider as eminent are also eligible for appointment as High Court judges.

Concerns over high vacancies:

• The total sanctioned strength of judges across the 25 High Courts is 1,098 but the working strength was only 645, a shortfall of 453 judges.
• This would adversely impact the functioning of the High Courts.

Details:

• As per the Law Ministry, the Supreme Court Collegium, in the past year, has recommended 80 names to be appointed judges of various High Courts, out of which 45 were appointed as judges and the remaining are under various stages of processing.
• The Law Minister has stated that the time needed for filling up of vacancies of the judges in the higher judiciary cannot be indicated given that filling of vacancies in the higher judiciary was a continuous, integrated and collaborative process between the Executive and the Judiciary, requiring consultation and approval from constitutional authorities at the State as well as Central levels.

C. GS 3 Related

Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Analysis by NGO reveals microplastics in Ganga

Context:

• The study, ‘Quantitative analysis of Microplastics along River Ganga’, conducted by the Delhi-based environment NGO, Toxics Link.

Background:

Microplastics:

• Microplastics are defined as synthetic solid particles sized ranging from 1 micrometre to 5 millimetres (mm), which are insoluble in water.
• Microplastics come in a large variety of sizes, colours and chemical compositions, and include fibres, fragments, pellets, flakes, sheets or foams.

Details:

• The study notes pollution by microplastics all along the stretches of the river Ganga.
• The study attributes this observation to the poor state of solid and liquid waste management in the surrounding areas. Untreated sewage from many cities along the river’s course, industrial waste and religious offerings wrapped in non-degradable plastics pile pollutants into the river as it flows through several densely populated cities. These plastic products dumped in the river break down and are eventually broken down into microparticles.
• The study notes the presence of both single-use and secondary plastic products with at least 40 different kinds of polymers as microplastics in the studied samples.
• Microbeads were observed along some stretches of the Ganga.
  • Microbeads are manufactured small solid particles and do not degrade or dissolve in water. They are added to a range of products, including rinse-off cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products. Microbeads are a relatively cheap ingredient and are used in these products for a variety of purposes. This includes as an abrasive or exfoliant, a bulking agent, to prolong shelf-life, or for the controlled release of active ingredients.

Concerns:

• Microplastics are not captured by most wastewater treatment systems.
• The river finally transports significantly large quantities of the microplastics downstream into the ocean and as a result, the ocean acts as a sink to a large amount of such plastic waste.
• Microplastics persist in the environment for a long time and have a damaging effect on marine life, the environment and human health. This is due to their composition, ability to adsorb toxins and potential to transfer up the marine food chain.
  • Microplastics are recognised as a major source of marine pollution. They cause plastic particle water pollution.
  • Microplastics pose an environmental hazard for aquatic animals in freshwater and ocean water as these microplastics adsorb toxins.
  • A variety of wildlife, from insect larvae, small fish, amphibians and turtles to birds and larger mammals, mistake microplastics for their food source. The accumulation of microplastics in their cells and tissues leads to chronic biological effects in these marine organisms.
    • Microfibres have been identified in the intestinal tract of zooplankton, river-bed organisms, and mussels. They can result in gut blockage and starvation.
  • This ingestion of plastics introduces the potential for toxicity not only to these animals but to other species higher in the food chain. The potential hazardous effects on humans by alternate ingestion of microparticles can cause alteration in chromosomes which lead to infertility, obesity, and cancer.

Recommendations:

• The following measures could be considered to help reduce microplastic pollution.
  • It is important to control the excessive use of plastic additives and to introduce certain legislation and policies to regulate the sources of plastic litter.
    • Bans on single-use plastics and microplastics in personal care and cosmetic products have already been introduced in some countries.
  • There is a need to set up adequate plastic recycling plants.
  • The stakeholders, including industries, governments and civil society organisations, need to collaborate to improve plastic waste management.
  • There is a need to promote plastic awareness programmes through different social and information media to promote the reduction in usage of plastic.

Additional information:

National Mission for Clean Ganga:

• The National Mission for Clean Ganga envisions measures at the national, state and district levels for prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution in river Ganga and to ensure continuous adequate flow of water so as to rejuvenate the river Ganga.

D. GS 4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

F. Prelims Facts

1. Govt. portal for children orphaned by COVID-19

PM CARES for children:

• The scheme under the PM CARES fund was meant for children who have lost both parents or the lone surviving parent or a legal guardian or an adoptive parent due to COVID-19.
• PM CARES for Children envisages support and empowerment of COVID affected children.
  • Such children to get a monthly stipend once they turn 18 and a fund of Rs 10 lakh when they turn 23 from PM CARES
  • Free education to be ensured for such children
  • The children will be assisted to get an education loan for higher education & PM CARES will pay interest on the loan
  • The children will get free health insurance of Rs 5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat till 18 years & premium will be paid by PM CARES

Context:

• The central government has introduced a web portal through which anyone can share the details of a child orphaned by COVID-19 and help the child claim benefits under the PM CARES for children scheme.

G. Tidbits

1. Inflation situation very alarming: Basu

• Former World Bank chief economist Kaushik Basu has expressed concerns over the alarmingly high wholesale price-based inflation in India which is currently at a 30-year high.
• The economist though brushed aside fears of hyperinflation, has warned that if retail inflation follows wholesale prices, it might lead to an “inflationary crisis” in India.
• The economist has called for the intertwining of monetary policy and fiscal policy to address the high inflation rates.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. PRAGYATA guidelines issued by the government of India refer to a set of guidelines issued 
for:

1. Protection of women at workplace.
2. Provision of shelter, rehabilitation and care to children orphaned due to COVID-19.
3. Promotion of traditional indigenous practices in agriculture.
4. Planning and implementation of Digital Education.

Q2. Which of the given statements is/are INCORRECT?

1. The 97th Constitutional amendment act dealt with the issues related to the effective management of co-operative societies in the country.
2. The Parliament alone can enact laws with regard to cooperative societies including multi-State co-operative societies.
3. The subject “co-operative societies” falls in the concurrent list.

Options:

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 2 only
4. None of the above

Q3. Which of the given statements is/are correct?

1. As money supply in the economy falls the interest rate also has the tendency to fall.
2. An expansionary monetary policy is implemented by lowering key interest rates.
3. The policy interest rate required to achieve the inflation target is decided by the Reserve Bank of India.

Options:

1. 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 2 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. The Democracy Index is published by

1. World Bank
2. Reporters Without Borders
3. Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
4. Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute

Q5. Consider the following pairs of Terms sometimes seen in news vs Context/Topic: (UPSC 2018)

1. Belle II experiment: Artificial Intelligence
2. Blockchain technology: Digital/ Cryptocurrency
3. CRISPR — Cas9: Particle Physics

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. Reforms in the cooperative sector should not be at the cost of federal principles. Explain the statement in reference to the recent Supreme Court judgment on cooperative Societies. (10 Marks, 150 Words) [GS-2, Polity and Governance]
2. Microplastics pollution in the Ganga River may accumulate up the food chain, potentially impacting whole ecosystems. Discuss. (10 Marks, 150 Words) [GS-3, Environment and Ecology]