08 Oct 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA 8 Oct 2022:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
C. GS 3 Related
ECONOMY
1. Primary Agricultural Credit Society
2. Strategic Disinvestment in IDBI
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
SOCIAL ISSUES
1. The growth and limitations of Dravidian urbanism
SOCIETY
1. The atrophy of the neo-Buddhist movement in India
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Where the stars must not twinkle
F. Prelims Facts
1. Nobel Peace Prize
2. Chief Justice of India
3. Panel to study SC status of Dalits post conversion
G. Tidbits
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

Nothing here for today!!!

Nothing here for today!!!

C. GS 3 Related

Category: ECONOMY

1. Primary Agricultural Credit Society

Syllabus: Inclusive Growth

Mains: Financial inclusion and strengthening service delivery to farmers 

Context: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah pitches primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) in every panchayat of the country.

Key Details:

• Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah recently conveyed the union government’s intention to set up primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) in every panchayat of the country to boost various agriculture-related activities over the next five years.
• The minister noted that there are only 65,000 active PACS in the country at present, and it is imperative that all panchayats must have one such body by 2027 to promote farming and dairy activities at the grassroots level.
• Such PACS will carry out activities like the sale of gas and petrol and storage and marketing of dairy and farm products with an aim to alleviate poverty and empower women.
• The union minister also pointed out that the eastern and northeastern states will benefit the most from the establishment of the PACS as its farm and dairy products will be efficiently marketed, thus generating optimum financial benefits for people engaged in animal husbandry and allied sectors.

Primary Agriculture Credit Societies:

• PACS are ground-level cooperative credit institutions that provide short-term and medium-term agricultural loans to farmers for various agricultural and farming activities.
• PACS generally provide the following facilities to their members: 

1. Input facilities in the form of cash or kind component
2. Agriculture implements on a hiring basis
3. Storage facility

• It works at the grassroots gram panchayat and village levels.
• The first Primary Agricultural Credit Society was formed in 1904.
• In June 2022, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved to digitise around 63,000 PACS at a cost of RS 2,516 crore.
  • Each PACS will get around Rs 4 lakh to upgrade its capacity and even old accounting records will be digitised and linked to a cloud-based software.
  • Digitisation of PACS is aimed at increasing their efficiency, bringing transparency and accountability in their operations and facilitating them to diversify their business and undertake multiple services.
  • Digitisation software will be in vernacular language having the flexibility of customisation as per the needs of the States.

Image Source: Medium.com

 

Nut Graf: PACS as financial institutions play a very important role at the grassroots level in the development of local areas. They are multifunctional organisations that dispense a host of activities like banking (short and medium-term credit), marketing produce and trading in consumer goods. Hence the effective performance of primary agriculture cooperative credit societies is crucial.

2. Strategic Disinvestment in IDBI

Syllabus: Banking Sector & NBFCs

Context: Government of India kicks off the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) disinvestment process.

Background:

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment along with the transfer of management control in IDBI Bank Ltd in May 2021.
• The Government of India and the Life Insurance Corporation of India together own more than 94% of the equity of IDBI Bank.
  • LIC holds a 49.24% stake, the government’s stake comes to 45.48%, while public shareholders hold 5.28%.
• LIC is currently the promoter of IDBI Bank with Management Control and the Government of India is the co-promoter.
• Resources through strategic disinvestment of govt. equity from the transaction would be used to finance developmental programmes of the government benefiting the citizens.

Preliminary information memorandum:

• The government began the process for the strategic disinvestment of IDBI Bank along with the transfer of management control, by issuing a preliminary information memorandum to invite expressions of interest from prospective buyers. 
• The Government of India will sell 30.48% of its stake in the bank, and LIC shall sell 30.24%, aggregating to 60.72% of IDBI Bank’s share capital, along with a transfer of management control in the lender. 
• Strategic investors interested in taking over the bank have been given time till October 28 to submit any queries they have on the memorandum and submit expressions of interest by December 16. 
• Only qualified bidders will be given the RFP (Request for Proposal) document in the second stage of the transaction. 
• A minimum net worth of ₹22,500 crore has been set for firms looking to bid individually or via a consortium, which can include a maximum of four entities with a lead member holding at least a 40% stake.

Nut Graf: Strategic disinvestment in IDBI Bank Ltd. is expected to infuse fresh funds, new technology and best management practices for optimal development of business potential and growth and generate more business without any dependence on LIC and Government assistance.

Category: SOCIETY

1. The atrophy of the neo-Buddhist movement in India

Syllabus: Diversity of India

Prelims: About Neo-Buddhism

Mains: Neo-Buddhist movement in India and the key problems faced by them

Context: This article discusses various aspects of Neo-Buddhism.

Neo-Buddhism

• On the 14th of October, 1956, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and his several followers embraced Buddhism. They are known as Neo-Buddhists.
• It is said that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism after studying various religions to understand their ability to liberate individuals of socially marginalised communities from the exploitative caste order. 
• Ambedkar believed that Buddhism is rooted in India’s civilization, supports modern ethical values and is against social hierarchies and patriarchal domination. 
• Neo-Buddhism was said to be a mass movement that would help better the lives of the untouchables and achieve dignity and self-respect in these communities. 
• Neo-Buddhism helped to provide strong psychological support to the struggling Dalit community individuals.
• The majority of the neo-Buddhists currently reside in the state of Maharashtra.
• The neo-Buddhists have established various social and educational institutions, started several cultural movements, and organised public festivals to promote Buddhism.
• Further, Buddhist associations from countries like Japan, Thailand and the U.K. have established close ties with the neo-Buddhists of India.

Various Problems of Neo-Buddhists

• At present, the Buddhist population in the country is one of the smallest among minorities. 
• Further, the key ideological challenges of Buddhism against the Hindu social order have often been neglected or ignored.
• Almost 80% of Indian Buddhists reside only in the State of Maharashtra. 
  • However, it is mainly the Mahar community and other smaller sections of the Matang and Maratha communities who have called themselves as neo-Buddhists and various other socially marginalised communities are still defined under the broader ambit of Hindu caste.
• Conversion to Buddhism even among Dalits is not looked at as a suitable means to achieve social emancipation.
  • Dalits in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab, West Bengal and Odisha have not shown interest in adopting Buddhism.
• Further, the neo-Buddhist movement is perceived as an ideological challenge to the dominant social and political ideas of the ruling elites and has often been suppressed.

Nut graf: The principles of Ambedkar’s neo-Buddhist movement have the ability to challenge social hierarchies and patriarchal domination and effective cultural strategies are to be formulated to revive the movement from the clutches of suppression.

Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Where the stars must not twinkle

Syllabus: Awareness in the fields of Space

Prelims: About Dark Sky Reserves, Vainu Bappu Observatory and Hanle Space Observatory

Context: As the Department of Science & Technology (DST) announced the establishment of the country’s first Dark Sky Reserve in Ladakh, there has been an increased focus on various space observatories of the country.

Space observatories

• Space observatories help astronomers identify stars and various cosmic phenomena such as supernovae and nebulae which are light years away.
• The location of these space observatories plays a crucial role in helping astronomers detect the faintest of stars and their radiation that usually lie outside the range of visible light. 
• The cosmic radiations are easily absorbed by water vapour and hence the telescopes must be placed at observatories that are high above the ground where the atmosphere is drier and a dry, high-altitude desert is an ideal location.
• Various expeditions have been launched to identify such places to set up space observatories in India.

Vainu Bappu Observatory 

• The Vainu Bappu Observatory is one of India’s foremost observatories and is administered by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru.
• Vainu Bappu Observatory is set up in Javadi hills in Kavalur, Tamil Nadu.
  • The location was chosen in the 1960s due to its altitude of 750 metres above sea level, amidst a forest that offered unobstructed visibility of the night sky.
• Astronomers led by R. Rajamohan discovered an asteroid that was named “4130 Ramanujan” with the help of a 45-cm Schmidt telescope housed at Vainu Bappu Observatory.
• However, the location of this observatory is not ideal as Kavalur is placed in the region which is in the path of both monsoonal clouds (June-September) as well as retreating northeast monsoon (November) which forces the close down of the observatory. 
  • The monsoon or rain clouds absorb radiations from cosmic objects thereby preventing them from being seen on a telescope.

Hanle Space Observatory

Image Source: The Better India

• The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) located at Hanle near Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary (Leh) in Ladakh is said to be one of the most promising observatory sites globally.
• Hanle is a small village located over 14,000 ft above sea level. The Observatory is placed on the highest peak in Digpa-ratsa Ri called Mount Saraswati.
• The region offers numerous advantages such as more clear nights, minimal light pollution, background aerosol concentration, extremely dry atmospheric conditions, and uninterrupted by rains.
• The observatory consists of a multicoloured dish called the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment Telescope (MACE) which was jointly built by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd. and the IIA. 
  • The dish, with a diameter of 21 m, is the second largest of its kind in the world and the goal of which is to detect Cherenkov radiation.
    • Cherenkov radiation is a special kind of light from gamma rays, or the most energetic sources of radiation, that can result from dying stars or several galactic events.
• The observatory also consists of a seven-telescope contingent, called HAGAR (High Altitude Gamma Ray) which also looks at Cherenkov radiation.
• Further, the highest of the observatories is the Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT), which has been active since 2000. 
  • HCT is an optical-infrared telescope with a 2-metre lens designed to detect light from the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum and also the ones below the infrared spectrum. 
• The second capsule which is located lower than the HCT is the GROWTH-India telescope which is a 70-cm telescope made by IIA and the IIT-Mumbai which helps detect and monitor various cosmic events.
• The telescopes at IAO are controlled remotely via a satellite link from the IIA’s Centre for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST), near Bengaluru.

Dark Sky Reserve

• A Dark Sky Reserve is public or private land with a distinguished nocturnal environment and starry nights that have been developed responsibly to prevent light pollution.
• As per the International Dark Sky Association (IDSA), Dark Sky Reserves comprise a core area with minimum criteria for sky quality and natural darkness, and a peripheral area that supports dark sky preservation in the core areas.
• The key objectives of the Dark Sky Reserves are to:
  • Promote astronomy tourism in a sustainable and environment-friendly manner
  • Facilitate astronomical observations 
  • Protect nocturnal species which rely on darkness to hunt and forage
  • Use of various scientific methods to preserve the night sky from ever-increasing light pollution

Dark Sky Reserve in India

• The country’s first-ever “Dark Sky Reserve” will be located at Hanle in Ladakh as a part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. 
• Hanle Dark Sky Reserve (HDSR) will be situated at a height of over 4,500 metres above sea level. 
• For this purpose, a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh, and the UT administration.
• The Department of Science and Technology and experts from IIA in Bengaluru will be providing scientific and technological support in developing the facility. 
• The 22-km radius around the Hanle observatory, where the core Dark Sky Reserve will be established, will have restrictions imposed on outdoor lighting. 
  • Vehicles will be barred from using high-beam headlights and households in the region would be urged to use curtains of darker shades, install light-reflecting shields and switch off all unwanted illumination.
• The establishment of the Dark Sky Reserve will help promote astro-tourism which will help boost local tourism and the overall economy of the region.

Nut graf: The setting up of the country’s first Dark Sky Reserve at Hanle in Ladakh has gained a lot of significance as the establishment of this facility will further help in improving the research capabilities of the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle and also promote Astro-tourism.

F. Prelims Facts

1. Nobel Peace Prize

Syllabus: Current events of national and international importance.

Prelims: Nobel Awards 2022

Context: Recently, the Nobel Committee announced the Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2022.

Key Details:

• The Nobel Peace Prize for 2022 has been awarded to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial, and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Centre for Civil Liberties.
• They are awarded the Peace Prize for promoting the right to criticise power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens by documenting war crimes, human rights abuses and the abuse of power. 
• They demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy.

Image Source: The Hindu

2. Chief Justice of India

Syllabus: GS02-Polity

Prelims: Supreme Court of India

Context: Union government seeks CJI’s recommendation on the appointment of his successor.

Key Details:

• The Ministry of Law and Justice recently sought the Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit’s recommendation for the appointment of his successor. 
• The recommendation was sought as per the MoP [Memorandum of Procedure] on the appointment of the Chief Justice of India and Supreme Court Judges.
• This kick-starts the appointment process for the 50th Chief Justice of India. 
• Justice D.Y. Chandrachud is next in line to be Chief Justice of India in accordance with the seniority norm. 
  • The Supreme Court in the Second Judges Case (1993), ruled that the senior most judge of the Supreme Court should alone be appointed to the office of the CJI.

Read more on the Appointment and removal of Supreme Court Judges

The process of appointment:

• According to the ‘Memorandum of Procedure of Appointment of Supreme Court Judges’, the process begins with the Union Law Minister seeking the recommendation of the outgoing CJI about the next appointment. 
• The Minister has to seek the CJI’s recommendation “at the appropriate time”. The Memorandum does not elaborate on or specify a timeline. 
• Usually, the Law Minister sends his request and the outgoing CJI makes his recommendation with a month to spare before his retirement. 
• The Union Law Minister forwards the recommendation to the Prime Minister who, in turn, advises the President.
• The Chief Justice of India and the Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President under clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution.

3. Panel to study SC status of Dalits post conversion

Syllabus: GS02-Issues related to SCs and STs

Prelims: Important Commissions

Context: The Union government recently formed a Commission of Inquiry to study the SC status of Dalits post-conversion.

Key Details:

• The Union government formed a three-member Commission of Inquiry headed by former Chief Justice of India, Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, to examine whether the Scheduled Caste (SC) status can be accorded to Dalits who have over the years converted to religions other than Sikhism or Buddhism.
• The three-member commission also consists of Professor Sushma Yadav, Member, UGC, and retired IAS officer Ravinder Kumar Jain.
• The commission has been given a two-year deadline to submit a report on the issue — starting from the day Justice Balakrishnan takes charge of the commission.
• The commission’s inquiry will look into the changes an SC person goes through after converting to another religion and its implications on the question of including them as SCs.  
  • These will include examining their traditions, customs, social and other forms of discrimination and how and whether they have changed as a result of the conversion. 
  • The Commission has also been tasked with examining the impact of such a decision on these existing SC communities.
• Recently, the Supreme Court has sought the government’s position on petitions challenging the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950, which allows only members of Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist religions to be recognised as SCs.
  • Petitions seek the inclusion of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims and the removal of religion as a criterion for inclusion as SCs. 
  • The petitions have cited several independent commission reports since the First Backward Classes Commission headed by Kaka Kalelkar in 1955 that have documented the existence of caste and caste discrimination among Indian Christians and Indian Muslims, concluding that Dalit converts continued to face the same social disabilities even after leaving the Hindu fold. 

Image Source: The Hindu

Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950:

• Currently, the 1950 order provides for only those belonging to Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist communities to be categorised as SCs. 
• When enacted, the Order only allowed for Hindu communities to be classified as SCs based on the social disabilities and discrimination they faced due to untouchability. 
• It was amended in 1956 to include Sikh communities and again in 1990 to include Buddhist communities as SCs.

G. Tidbits

Nothing here for today!!!

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Consider the following statements: (Level-Medium)

1. Gambling is a concurrent subject allowing both the Union and State Governments to regulate.
2. Teen Patti is a game of chance.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

• Statement 01 is incorrect, Gambling is a state subject under Schedule 7 of the Indian Constitution. Only states in India are entitled to formulate laws for gambling activities within their respective states.
• Statement 02 is correct, India mainly puts the games into two broad categories as either a Game of Chance or a Game of Skill.
  • Game of chance: Games of chance are all those games that are played randomly. These games are based on luck. A person can play these games without prior knowledge or understanding. For instance, Teen Patti, dice games, picking a number, etc. Such games are considered illegal in India.
  • Game of skill: Games of skill are all those games that are played based on a person’s prior knowledge or experience of the game. A person will require skills such as analytical decision-making, logical thinking, capability, etc. Such games are considered legal by most of the Indian states.

Q2. With respect to Basavanna, which of the following statements is/are correct?
(Level-Difficult)

1. Basavanna was a 12th-century philosopher and a social reformer during the reign of the Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I.
2. Ankita nama or the signature name of Basavanna is Chennamallikarjuna.
3. He launched Anubhava Mantapa, a public assembly and gathering that attracted men and women from various walks of life from distant lands to openly discuss spiritual, economic and social issues of life.

Options: 

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

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

• Statement 01 is correct, Basavanna was a 12th-century philosopher, statesman, Kannada poet and social reformer during the reign of the Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I in Karnataka, India.
• Statement 02 is incorrect, Ankita Nama of Sri Basavanna is ‘Kudalasangamadeva’.
• Statement 03 is correct, Basavanna established the Anubhava Mantapa, which was a common forum for all to discuss the prevailing problems of socio, economic and political strata including religious and spiritual principles along with personal problems.
  • It was the first and foremost Parliament of India, where Sharanas sat together and discussed the socialistic principles of a democratic set-up.

Q3. Which of the following are considered as Minor Forest Produce (MFP)? (Level-Easy)

1. Arjuna Bark
2. Bamboo
3. Sandalwood
4. Tendu leaves
5. Tussar

Options:

1. 1 and 4 only
2. 2, 3 and 5 only
3. 1, 2, 4 and 5 only
4. 2, 4 and 5 only

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

• MFP includes all non-timber forest produce of plant origin and includes bamboo, canes, fodder, leaves, gums, waxes, dyes, resins and many forms of food including nuts, wild fruits, honey, lac, tussar, etc.
• It does not include Sandalwood.

Q4. Arrange the following Islands from North to South: (Level-Difficult)

1. Fiji
2. New Caledonia
3. Solomon Islands

Options:

1. 1-2-3
2. 2-3-1
3. 3-1-2
4. 1-3-2

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

Image Source:  twinkl.com

Q5. With reference to Indian history, consider the following statements: 
(Level-Difficult)(CSE-PYQ-2022)

1. The first Mongol invasion of India happened during the reign of Jalal-ud-din Khalji.
2. During the reign of Ala-ud-din Khalji, one Mongol assault marched up to Delhi and besieged the city.
3. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq temporarily lost portions of north-west of his kingdom to Mongols.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect, The first Mongol invasion of India took place in the reign of Sultan Shams-ud-din lltutmish.
• Statement 2 is correct, Mongols invaded during the reign of Ala-ud-din Khalji. The Mongols attacked and pillaged Delhi and surrounding areas. 
• Statement 3 is incorrect, The next major Mongol invasion took place after the Khiljis had been replaced by the Tughlaq dynasty in the Sultanate. In 1327 the Chagatai Mongols under Tarmashirin laid siege to Delhi and he only lifted it when he was paid a huge ransom by the Tughlaqs. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq temporarily lost portions of the northwest of his kingdom to Mongols.

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. What is Cherenkov radiation? Elucidate its significance and its possible applications. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS-3; Science & Technology)
2. Despite a huge boost given to Buddhism by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the religion still remains one of the smallest minority groups in India. Identify the possible reasons behind the same. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS-1; Indian Society)

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CNA 8 Oct 2022:- Download PDF Here