15 Sep 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

15 September 2023 CNA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
GOVERNANCE
1. Jal Jeevan Mission
C. GS 3 Related
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
ENVIRONMENT
1. Disentangling the 2030 global renewable energy targets
GOVERNANCE
1. The new Post Office Bill, 2023
F. Prelims Facts
1. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana
G. Tidbits
1. Govt. limits wheat stocks
2. National Judicial Data Grid
3. Floods in Libya
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
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Category: GOVERNANCE

1. The new Post Office Bill, 2023

Syllabus: GS-2, Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation.

Mains: Issues with the Indian Post Office Act of 1898 and how The new Post Office Bill, 2023 address it.

Context: 

  • The Indian Post Office Act of 1898 primarily focused on traditional mail services.
  • It lacked provisions for the evolving role of post offices in offering citizen-centric services.
  • The Rajya Sabha introduced the new Post Office Bill in 2023 during the monsoon session of Parliament.
  • The purpose of the new bill is to replace the outdated 1898 Act, recognizing the changing role of post offices in delivering a wide range of citizen-centric services.

Changes and Provisions in the New Post Office Bill:

  • Expanded Role and Flexibility:
    • The new Bill grants the Director General of Postal Services authority to create regulations for various services beyond traditional mail.
    • This flexibility allows the postal department to adjust service prices to stay competitive and respond swiftly to market demands.
  • Empowering the Central Government:
    • The central government, through the new Bill, gains the power to intercept, open, or detain postal items in the interest of national security, public order, or other emergencies.
    • This provision aims to combat smuggling and unlawful transmission of contraband through postal parcels.
  • Limitations on Courier Firms:
    • While the new Bill empowers India Post, courier firms remain largely unregulated in this context.
    • India Post holds less than 15% of the market share in the courier/express/parcels (CEP) industry, limiting the effectiveness of this provision.
  • Registration of Small Courier Players:
    • The Bill lacks provisions for small courier operators to register with designated authorities.
    • Such a provision could strengthen the Bill’s ability to control contraband goods in parcels within the courier industry.
  • Futuristic Postal Delivery:
    • The new Bill introduces standards for addressing items, address identifiers, and the use of postcodes.
    • This move may lead to the adoption of digital addressing using geospatial coordinates to identify premises.
    • Digital addressing has the potential to enhance sorting and enable accurate drone deliveries.
  • Ending Exclusive Privilege:
    • The most significant change in the new Bill is the elimination of the provision granting the central government an exclusive privilege to convey letters and perform related services.
    • This change reflects the evolving communication landscape, with written personal communication via letters becoming less common in the age of mobile technology.
    • The distinction between ‘letter’ and ‘document’ will become less relevant under the new Act.
  • Acknowledging Changing Realities:
    • The removal of the “exclusive privilege” provision in the new Post Office Bill acknowledges the changing nature of communication and postal services in India.
    • It aligns the legal framework with the modern reality of communication and service delivery.

Nut Graf: The new Post Office Bill (2023) recognizes the evolving role of post offices, introduces provisions for enhanced security, addresses the challenges in the courier industry, and acknowledges the changing dynamics of communication in India.

F. Prelims Facts

1. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana

Syllabus: GS 2- Government Schemes

Prelims: Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana

Introduction

  • In 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated reforms in the Indian fisheries sector to harness the Blue Economy‘s potential.
  • Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, PM Modi announced the Atmanirbhar Bharat package for the fisheries sector.
  • ₹20,050 crore allocated for the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the largest-ever investment in Indian fisheries.

Addressing Critical Gaps in the Fisheries Value Chain

  • PMMSY aimed at addressing key challenges in the fisheries sector.
  • Identified strategic priority areas: marine fisheries, inland fisheries, fishermen’s welfare, infrastructure, post-harvest management, cold water fisheries, ornamental fisheries, aquatic health management, and seaweed cultivation.
  • Focus on improving fish production, productivity, quality, technology, infrastructure, and marketing.

Empowering Youth and Entrepreneurs

  • PMMSY inspired youth to venture into fisheries.
  • Example: Young woman entrepreneurs in Kashmir rearing cold water rainbow trout using recirculatory aquaculture.
  • Aquapreneurs in Nellore became successful exporters through biofloc-cultivated shrimps.

Expanding Fisheries to Non-traditional Areas

  • Efforts to expand fisheries to non-traditional regions.
  • Conversion of saline wastelands into productive aquaculture areas in Haryana and Rajasthan.
  • Nearly 20,000 hectares of fresh pond area dedicated to inland aquaculture.

Empowering Fisherwomen and Diversifying Livelihoods:

  • The PMMSY enables women in fishing communities to seek profitable alternatives and diverse sources of income, including engaging in activities like ornamental fisheries, pearl farming, and seaweed cultivation.
  • A good example includes the recently launched ₹127-crore Seaweed Park in Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district.

Support for Research and Infrastructure

  • Establishment of 900 fish feed plants and 755 hatcheries.
  • Support for research and genetic improvement, including Indian White Shrimp development, pathogen-free brood stock, and tiger shrimp domestication.

Achievements

  • India now ranks among the world’s top three countries in fish and aquaculture production.
  • India is the world’s largest shrimp exporter.

G. Tidbits

1. Govt. limits wheat stocks

  • The Indian government is taking action to prevent wheat hoarding ahead of the festive season due to rising prices.
  • Wheat stock limits have been reduced from 3,000 MT to 2,000 MT for traders, wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers, and processors in all states and union territories.
  • Rising prices are attributed to “artificial scarcity” by some entities.
  • Wheat-stocking entities must register on the wheat stock limit portal and update stocks weekly; non-compliance may result in punitive action under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
  • Entities exceeding stock limits must reduce stocks within 30 days.
  • Central and State Government officials will closely monitor enforcement to prevent artificial scarcity.
  • The government expects a possible reflection of price upticks in the retail market.
  • Retail prices of essential items like foodgrains, sugar, and edible oil are expected to remain stable ahead of festivities.
  • Adequate stocks of essential items are assured, and vigilance against hoarding is in place.
  • Rumours of sugar shortages have caused price increases in some areas, but there is an ample stock of 85 lakh tonnes.
  • Two lakh tonnes of sugar were released in August, exceeding the usual release.
  • Favourable agricultural production is anticipated, with expectations of bumper rice production in the upcoming Kharif season and good sugarcane production in states like Karnataka and Maharashtra.

2. National Judicial Data Grid

  • Real-time data on Supreme Court case filings and dispositions is now accessible to the public through the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG).
  • Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud made this announcement.
  • NJDG is a national repository containing data on cases across Indian courts.
  • The move is based on the ‘open data policy’ and involves daily updates to the NJDG.
  • Users can easily access information on case institution, disposal, and pendency by type, year, stage, and quorum.
  • This initiative promotes coordination, informed decision-making, and efficient resource allocation within the judiciary.
  • Data available on the NJDG-SCI portal includes current pendency figures for civil and criminal cases, filings, and dispositions for the previous month.
  • As of 2023, the Supreme Court has 64,854 registered and 15,490 unregistered pending cases.
  • Pending cases involve various Bench configurations, including three-judge, five-judge, and nine-judge Benches.
  • To expedite pending cases, Chief Justice Chandrachud plans to establish additional special three-judge Benches.

3. Floods in Libya

  • A massive flash flood in Libya resulted in at least 4,000 deaths and thousands missing.
  • The UN attributed part of this high death toll to the aftermath of years of war and chaos in the region.
  • The flood was caused by a surge of stormwater that breached two upstream river dams, devastating the city of Derna.
  • The UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) noted that better early warning and emergency management systems could have prevented most of the casualties.
  • Derna is now in a state of devastation, with bodies lining the streets and residents searching for missing loved ones.
  • International organisations and nations, including the UN, the United States, the European Union, and several Middle Eastern and North African countries, are sending rescue teams and aid, including food, water tanks, emergency shelters, medical supplies, and body bags.
  • Access to Derna in the east is severely limited due to destroyed infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and power and phone lines.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, which of the following statements is 
correct?
  1. It empowers the government to regulate and control the production, distribution, and pricing of essential commodities.
  2. It applies only to food items and agricultural products.
  3. It was enacted primarily to promote the export of essential commodities.
  4. It does not specifically mention the setting of a minimum support price by the government.
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation: The Essential Commodities Act, 1955, empowers the government to regulate and control the production, distribution, and pricing of essential commodities to ensure their availability to the general public at fair prices.

Q2. Consider the following statements, with reference to the National Judicial Data 
Grid (NJDG):
  1. NJDG monitors the pendency and disposal of cases.
  2. It provides a comprehensive database of orders and judgments.
  3. It serves as a decision support system to the management authorities like the Supreme Court and respective High Courts.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: All three statements are correct. 

Q3. Consider the following statements, with reference to the Unlawful Activities 
(Prevention) Act (UAPA):
  1. The union government can designate organizations and individuals as terrorists under UAPA.
  2. The highest punishments under UAPA include the death penalty and life imprisonment.
  3. Under UAPA, only Indian nationals can be charged.

How many of the statements given above are incorrect?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation: Under UAPA, both Indian and foreign nationals can be charged. The offenders will be charged in the same manner whether the act is performed in a foreign land, outside India.

Q4. Consider the following statements about the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana:
  1. The scheme aims to modernize the value chain by focusing on post-harvest management and quality enhancement.
  2. It is a flagship scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare 
  3. It focuses on the sustainable growth of the fisheries sector.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation: The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying is implementing the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.

Q5. Consider the following countries:
  1. Algeria
  2. Tunisia
  3. Morocco
  4. Libya
  5. Egypt
  6. Sudan

How many of the above-mentioned countries are part of the Maghreb region of North Africa?

  1. Only two
  2. Only three
  3. Only four
  4. Only five
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: The Maghreb region is in North Africa and includes countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, and Mauritania. 

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

  1. Discuss the salient features of the Jal Jeevan Mission and examine its progress. (250 words, 15 marks) [GS-2; Social Justice]
  2. Examine the history of posts in India and evaluate the provisions of the new Post Office Bill, 2023. (250 words, 15 marks) [GS-2; Governance]

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