18 Nov 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

A. GS 1 Related
WORLD AND INDIAN GEOGRAPHY
1. Extreme Weather Events
B. GS 2 Related
POLITY
1. Collegium system review
C. GS 3 Related
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
SOCIAL JUSTICE
1. Weighing in on PMGKAY, the free grains scheme
GOVERNANCE
1. Opaque political financing could cost democracy dear
ECONOMY
1. Trade tumult
F. Prelims Facts
1. National Investment and Infrastructure Fund
G. Tidbits
1. International Maritime Boundary Line
2. Electoral Bonds
3. Measles
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

A. GS 1 Related

Category: WORLD AND INDIAN GEOGRAPHY

1. Extreme Weather Events

Syllabus: Important Geophysical Phenomena

Mains: Role of Climate change on poor livelihoods in India

Context: A recent report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down to Earth captured extreme weather events that occurred in India in 2022 so far.

Key Details:

• As per the report, India recorded extreme weather events on 242, or 88.6%, of the 273 days between January 1 and September 30 in 2022.
• This means that India has experienced a disaster “nearly every day in the first nine months of this year”, ranging from heat waves, cyclones, and lightning, to heavy rain, floods and landslides. 
• Such events claimed the lives of 2,755 people, and affected 1.8 million hectares of crop area across the country.
• The country recorded its warmest March, and the third warmest April, in over a century. Madhya Pradesh witnessed the highest number of days with extreme weather events, with such events occurring every second day in the state.
  • Himachal Pradesh saw the highest number of human deaths, at 359.
• Region-wise, the central region (the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Goa) witnessed the highest number of days with extreme weather events at 198 and resulting in 887 deaths.
  • The east and northeast regions witnessed 783 deaths in all.
• Overall, extreme weather events affected 1.8 million hectares of crop area, destroyed over 4 lakh houses and killed almost 70,000 livestock.
  • More than 50% of Karnataka’s crop area has been affected over the year.

What are Extreme weather events?

• Extreme weather events are those that are “rare at a particular place and time of year”, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classifies lightning and thunderstorms, heavy to very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall, landslides and floods, cold waves, heatwaves, cyclones, snowfall, dust and sandstorms, squalls, hail storms and gales as extreme weather events. 

Significance of the report: 

• The report is timely and quantifies direct damages such as deaths and crop loss. However, it does not capture indirect impacts (such as impacts on human health and mental stress) caused by such extreme events because there is no mechanism to record them. 
• Therefore, it demonstrates the need for “transparent and coherent methodologies” to quantify such losses and damages, “especially in data-poor and multi-hazard countries such as India”.
• This will also add to the discussions on loss and damage in the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27).

Nut Graf: Recent report by the Centre for Science and Environment shows the increased severity of extreme weather events  and the losses and damages they caused in India. This analysis acts as a timely intervention to pay attention to non-economic losses and damages, such as increased mental stress, loss of cultural practices, or escalating conflict due to climate variability.

B. GS 2 Related

Category: POLITY

1. Collegium system review

Syllabus: Doctrine of Checks & Balances

Mains: Efficiency of Collegium system in judicial appointments

Context: Supreme Court of India recently agreed to list in due course a writ petition to reconsider the Collegium system of judicial appointments.

Introduction: 

• Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud agreed to list a writ petition to reconsider the Collegium system of judicial appointments to the Supreme Court and the High Courts.
• The petition sought the revival of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), which briefly gave the government an equal role with the judiciary in the appointment of judges to the constitutional courts before it was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015.
  • The petition said the 2015 judgement should be rendered void ab initio as it had revived the Collegium system which they called a “synonym for nepotism and favouritism”.
• The petition follows recent verbal attacks by Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on the Collegium system, calling it opaque.

Background:

• NJAC  was a constitutional body proposed to replace the present Collegium system of appointing judges.
• The NJAC was established by amending the Constitution [Constitution (Ninety-Ninth Amendment) Act, 2014] passed by the parliament in 2014.
• In a 4-1 majority verdict in 2015, the Supreme Court held that both the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act, 2014, and the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014, were unconstitutional as they would undermine the independence of the judiciary.

Reed more on the Indian judiciary in the link.

Nut Graf:  A writ petition is filed in the Supreme Court for the revival of NJAC and challenges the Collegium of appointment of judges to bring a transparent and open process in judicial appointments. The apex court has agreed to list the petition to find a solution to make judicial appointments more transparent, accountable and democratic.

C. GS 3 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

F. Prelims Facts

1. National Investment and Infrastructure Fund

Syllabus: Economy-Infrastructure

Prelims: Infrastructure-related schemes and policies

Context: 5th Meeting of the Governing Council of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) was held recently.

Key Details: 

• Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 5th meeting of the Governing Council (GC) of NIIF in New Delhi.
• NIIF’s first bilateral fund – an “India Japan Fund” with a contribution from the union government has been proposed through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) and Japan Bank for International Development (JBIC). 
• The GC noted that NIIF has developed into an internationally credible and commercially viable investment platform, backed by several highly respected global and domestic investors who have invested alongside the Government of India in NIIF Funds. 
• The GC also guided NIIF to undertake advisory activities proactively to support central and state governments to create a pipeline of investible PPP projects.
• The Finance Minister also urged the NIIF to expand its operations and explore ways to crowd in private capital for projects under the National Infrastructure Pipeline, PM Gati Shakti and National Infrastructure Corridor.

Read more on PM Gati Shakti.

G. Tidbits

1. International Maritime Boundary Line

• Fourteen fishermen from Tamil Nadu were reportedly detained by the Sri Lankan Navy for trespassing into the territorial waters of Sri Lanka.
• A maritime boundary is a conceptual division of the Earth’s water surface areas using physiographic or geopolitical criteria.
• As such, it usually bounds areas of exclusive national rights over mineral and biological resources, encompassing maritime features, limits and zones.
• In some countries the term maritime boundary represents the borders of a maritime nation that are recognized by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Read more on UNCLOS Maritime Zones in the link.
• The maritime boundary between India and Sri Lanka was established through a pair of bilateral agreements that were reached in 1974 and 1976 and spans 288 km from the tripoint with the Maldives in the west to the 200 nautical mile limit of India and Sri Lanka in the east.
• The portion of the boundary that passes through the Palk Strait, which is defined as historic waters, was established based on the principle of modified equidistance in a 1974 Agreement. 
• The boundary in the Indian Ocean/Gulf of Mannar and in the Bay of Bengal was established in 1976 and follows a simplified equidistance line.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. With respect to Sant Kabir Das, which of the following statements is/are correct?
 (Level-Difficult)

1. He did not undertake any formal education but was well-trained as a weaver.
2. He never opposed idol worship as he felt it is a means to focus one’s religious pursuits and bhakti.
3. His famous writings include ‘Sakhi Granth’, ‘Anurag Sagar’ and ‘Bijak’.

Options:

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

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: 

• Statement 01 is incorrect, Sant Kabir Das did not undertake any formal education. He was also not trained as a weaver. While his poems abound with weaving metaphors, his heart was not fully in this profession. He was on a spiritual journey to seek the truth, which is clearly manifested in his poetry.
• Statement 02 is incorrect, Kabir always opposed the idea of worshipping the idols and showed clear confidence in Bhakti and Sufi ideas.
• Statement 03 is correct, Sant Kabir Das was a highly acclaimed poet of his time.  His writings significantly influenced the Bhakti movement. 
  • Some of his famous writings include ‘Sakhi Granth’, ‘Anurag Sagar’, ‘Bijak’ and ‘Kabir Granthawali’.

Q2. Consider the following statements with respect to the transfer of High Court 
Judges: (Level -Medium)

1. Consent of a Judge for his first or subsequent transfer would not be required.
2. Only the transferred judge and no one else is entitled to file a case challenging such transfer.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both
4. None

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: 

• Statement 01 is correct, Article 222 of the Indian Constitution makes provision for the transfer of a Judge (including Chief Justice) from one High Court to any other High Court. 
  • The initiation of the proposal for the transfer of a Judge should be made by the Chief Justice of India whose opinion in this regard is determinative. 
  • Consent of a Judge for his first or subsequent transfer would not be required. 
• Statement 02 is correct, A Division Bench of Madras High Court held that only the transferred judge and no one else was entitled to file a case challenging such transfer and that even the aggrieved judge concerned could question the transfer order only on limited grounds such as the proposal not having emanated from the Chief Justice of India (CJI). 

Q3. Which of the following is the best description of Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis
 (CTX)? (Level-Difficult)

1. It is a rare genetic condition characterised by short stature and multiple facial, limb and genital abnormalities.
2. It is a rare disorder characterised by abnormally elevated levels of iron in the body.
3. It is a disorder characterised by abnormal storage of fats (lipids) in many areas of the body.
4. It is a rare genetic disorder that can cause structural changes of the skull, bones of the face and other skeletal abnormalities.

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: 

• Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis is a disorder characterised by abnormal storage of fats (lipids) in many areas of the body. People with this disorder cannot break down certain lipids effectively, specifically different forms of cholesterol, so these fats accumulate in the body in the form of fatty yellow nodules called xanthomas.
• People with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis often develop neurological problems in early adulthood that are thought to be caused by an abnormal accumulation of fats and an increasing number of xanthomas in the brain. 
• These neurological problems include recurrent seizures (epilepsy), movement disorders, impaired speech (dysarthria), loss of sensation in the arms and legs (peripheral neuropathy), a decline in intellectual function (dementia), hallucinations, and depression.

Q4. With respect to Baliyatra, which of the following statements is/are correct?
(Level-Difficult)

1. It is a festival held in the State of West Bengal.
2. It is a unique socio-cultural event with a glorious history which commemorates the past association of the people of West Bengal with Bali remembering the glorious maritime tradition of transoceanic voyages.

Options:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both
4. None

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation: 

• Statement 01 is incorrect, Baliyatra is the major festival held at Cuttack, Odisha at Gadagadia Ghata of the Mahanadi river on Kartik Purnima. It is considered to be one of Asia’s largest open trade fairs. 
• Statement 02 is incorrect, It is celebrated to mark the day when ancient Sadhabas (Odia mariners) would set sail to Indonesia and Sri Lanka for trade and cultural expansion from Odisha.
  • To commemorate this, the festival is celebrated every year from the day of Kartika Purnima (full moon day of the month of Kartika) according to the Odia calendar.

Q5. With reference to the proposals of Cripps Mission, consider the following 
statements: (Level-Medium) (CSE-PYQ-2022)

1. The Constituent Assembly would have members nominated by the Provincial Assemblies as well as the Princely States.
2. Any Province, which is not prepared to accept the new Constitution would have the right to sign a separate agreement with Britain regarding its future status.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

• Statement 01 is incorrect, As per the proposals of the Cripps Mission, after the end of the war, a constituent assembly would be convened to frame a new constitution. Members of this assembly would be partly elected by the provincial assemblies through proportional representation and partly nominated by the princes.
• Statement 02 is correct, Cripps Mission also proposed that the provinces not agreeing to the new constitution would have the right to keep themselves out of the proposed Union. Such provinces would also be entitled to create their own separate Union and have the right to sign a separate agreement with Britain regarding its future status.