Daily Current Affairs

2024

Current Affairs

Issues in estimating GDP

Context: National Statistical Organisation (NSO), the nodal agency responsible for estimating the GDP estimates is considering using GST data for estimating value addition. However, there are concerns about using unverified datasets and methodology for estimating GDP.

About Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

  • Most significant measure of a country’s economic size.
  • Universal denominator for comparing economic indicators across countries for comparing tax burdens or welfare expenditures.
  • For GDP calculation, economic output of all Residents (Includes foreign Residents within India & excludes Indian Citizens outside India.)
  • GDP is measured at two prices:
    • Nominal GDP: Refers to GDP at current market prices i.e., the GDP is calculated as per the market prices for the year for which the GDP is calculated. 
    • Real GDP: Refers to GDP at base year prices i.e., GDP is calculated as per market prices in the base year. Thus, the Real GDP negates the inflation in goods and services. After a regular interval of 5-10 years, the GDP base year is revised to update the GDP for changes in relative prices and output basket of the economy.
    • In case of high rate of inflation, nominal GDP would be quite higher than real GDP. However, in case of deflation, real GDP would be higher than nominal GDP.
  • The current GDP series was last revised in 2015 with 2011-12 as the base year. This GDP series is again due to revision with 2020-21 being proposed as the new base year. 

Changes introduced in GDP estimating methodology

In 2015, the Central Statistical Office (CSO) made changes to computing methodology of GDP based upon recommendations of K Sundaram Committee. This has brought India’s methodology in line with international standards of System of National Accounting 2008.

  • Change in the base year from 2004-2005 to 2011-2012.
  • Change in Default GDP from the GDP at Factor Cost to GDP at Market Prices.
  • Sector wise estimates using GVA at Basic Prices i.e., GDP at Factor Cost + Production Taxes – Production Subsidies.
  • Calculation of GDP: GVA at basic prices + Product Taxes – Product subsidies.
  • Change in database from Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) to MCA-21 database of Ministry of Corporate affairs. MCA-21 database is used for estimating value addition by Private Corporate Sector, which accounts for 38% of GDP.
  • Improved coverage of financial corporations through information provided by SEBI, PFRDA, IRDA etc.

MCA-21 Database for GDP estimation

  • Before the MCA-21 database being used for GDP estimation, the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) was used for estimating factory manufacturing value-added.
  • RBI’s small sample of large companies with majority paid-up capital of private corporate sector was used to estimate the non-financial corporate sector output.
  • Issues with the earlier approach:
    • Annual Survey of Industries missed out on value addition outside factory premises in a corporate entity.
    • RBI sample was inadequate to account for increasingly important private corporate sector.
    • MCA-21 data is obtained from mandatory corporate annual and quarterly filings of corporate results. This database was expected to capture the corporate sector data more effectively.

Issues with the new series

  • Some economists have highlighted that these changes have inflated GDP numbers by around 2.5% on account of – Change in default GDP, Presence of shell firms(38%) in MCA database etc. However, Eco Survey 2018-19 has highlighted that these concerns are unfounded.
  • The new series of GDP in 2011-12 showed a marginally smaller absolute GDP size and a faster growth rate. 
  • For the manufacturing sector in 2013-14, the new series showed an annual growth rate of 5.4% as compared to 1.9% using the earlier series. 
  • Also, the sharp uptick in industrial sector in the new series did not correlate with other aggregates such as bank-credit growth, industrial capacity utilisation.
  • Long-term divergence between ASI & National Accounts data: Average annual growth rate of GVA in NAS was 6.2%, while it was only 3.2% in ASI. The deference was much sharper in GFCF: 4.5% by NAS and 0.3% by ASI, respectively. 
  • This divergence led to scepticism against the new series of GDP estimates. For economists, the principal problem is the untested or unverified nature of MCA-21 database which leads to issues of overestimation of GDP.

Way forward

Thus, there is a need for caution when employing new datasets and methodologies while estimating GDP. 

  • NSO should first employ pilot studies to validate the suitability of GST datasets for estimating value addition for specific industries, sectors and states. This is essential for confidence and integrity of GDP data.
  • NSO can explore reverting to the use of Annual Survey of Industries data as this data is now available with shorter time lag.

State Food Safety Index 2024

Context: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Jammu & Kashmir were ranked as the top three performers on the State Food Safety Index 2024.

Key findings of State Food Safety Index 2024: 

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  • Kerala has, for the second time in a row, topped the sixth State Food Safety Index (SFSI) 2024 and has achieved more than 100 per cent of its inspections target in FY24, improved its food-testing infrastructure and organised special drives to increase the number of license-holders and registrations, among other achievements. 
  • Tamil Nadu has got a “significant number of full-time designated food safety officers.
  • Jammu and Kashmir got third position in the Index while Gujarat secured fourth position in the Index.
  • Nagaland was given special acknowledgement among the northeastern states as the index said that the hilly state showed overall progress in improving the food safety ecosystem compared to the previous year.
  • Eat Right campaign, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, and the promotion of millets as important initiatives the centre took to ensure safe and good food.

About State Food Safety Index (SFSI):

  • Released by: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
  • Released on: June 7 on the occasion of World Food Safety Day.
  • 1st report: Since 2019.
  • Parameters: Human resources and institutional data , compliance, food testing infrastructure, training and capacity building, and consumer empowerment. In the 2023 index, a new parameter ‘Improvement in SFSI Rank’ was added
  • Objective: To foster healthy competition and catalyse positive change in the food safety ecosystem throughout the country, ultimately ensuring the provision of safe and wholesome food to all residents.

About FSSAI:

Body: Statutory body has been established under Food Safety and Standards , 2006. It works as an independent authority and attained a special status. The FSS Act took 7 older acts into one umbrella.

  • Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. 
  • Fruit Products Order, 1955 
  • Meat Food Products Order, 1973
  • Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947  
  • Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order 1998  
  • Solvent Extracted Oil, De- Oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control) Order, 1967  
  • Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992 
  • Nodal ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, is the Administrative Ministry for the implementation. 
  • Headed by: Non-executive chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary.
  • Objective: To establish a single reference point for all matters relating to food safety and standards, by moving from multi- level, multi- departmental control to a single line of command. 
  • Function: 
    • Framing of regulations to lay down food safety standards
    • Laying down guidelines for accreditation of laboratories for food testing
    • Providing scientific advice and technical support to the Central Government
    • Contributing to the development of international technical standards in food
    • Collecting and collating data regarding food consumption, contamination, emerging risks, etc.
    • Disseminating information and promoting awareness about food safety and nutrition in India.

A Fresh Look at Water Policy – Water governance

Context - 2019 Mihir Shah-led Committee, constituted to draft the National Water Policy, submitted their report almost four years ago but still no actions have been taken.

What are the present issues in water governance in India?

  • Fragmented institutional network: multiple institutions like CWC, CGWB, state level agencies etc lead to poor coordination.
  • Over reliance on structuralist interventions: like creation of dams, canals, reservoirs and barrages to manage water supply largely ignored social, environmental, and ecological impacts.
  • Inefficient irrigation practices and excessive groundwater extraction.
  • Inter-state water disputes, such as the Cauvery and Yamuna water-sharing conflicts
  • Lack of decentralized approach in water management.
  • Water is viewed as a free commodity and no monetary value is attached with it
  • Ineffective implementation of laws related to waste water discharge. 

What were the key recommendations of Mihir Shah committee?

  • Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM): It proposed a systems approach to water, focusing on managing water resources sustainably within river basins and aquifers.
  • Creation of a National Water Commission (NWC) to replace the existing Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) to combining both surface and groundwater management and focus on water governance.
  • Decentralized water management: empowering local communities and stakeholders to take part in decision-making.
  • Water demand management: a shift from supply-side interventions (like dam construction) to demand-side management like water-saving techniques in agriculture, industrial, and domestic sectors.
  • Data and Technology: data collection, monitoring, related to water resources using modern technologies like remote sensing, GIS, and hydrological modelling and to create National Water Informatics Centre.

What future steps can be taken in this regard?

National water policy 2020 is the latest document which gives us a way ahead

  • Water should be understood as a dynamic component integral to the eco-hydrological cycle, rather than as a stock of resources to be exploited. 
  • Valuation of ecosystem services linked to water flow regimes must be done
  • The river basin should be construed as the fundamental unit of governance.
  • Water efficiency must be focussed by shifting towards adopting water-saving methods.
  • A comprehensive assessment of water development projects is necessary, considering the integrity of the hydrological cycle. 
  • Droughts and floods are not extreme events, but integral components of the global eco-hydrological cycle. 
  • Gender considerations are critical, as emphasised in the Dublin Statement, which recognises that “women play a central role in the provision, management, and safeguarding of water”. 

Starlink satellites

Context: A recent study published in ‘Astronomy & Astrophysics’ reveals that Elon Musk's Starlink satellites are disrupting the work of astronomers. Experts argue that this growing issue underscores the urgent need for regulations governing satellite operators, similar to those in place for controlling radio pollution from ground-based sources like cell-phone towers.

The impact of Starlink Satellites on Radio astronomy: 

  • Starlink, a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, currently has over 6,300 active satellites orbiting Earth at an altitude of approximately 550 km.
  • While these satellites are instrumental in delivering high-speed internet to remote areas, they are also a source of unintended electromagnetic radiation (UEMR), commonly referred to as ‘radio noise.’ 
  • This interference poses significant challenges to radio astronomers, as it disrupts their ability to observe celestial objects from Earth.

Understanding Radio astronomy and Radio noise: 

  • Radio astronomy is a specialized branch of astronomy that focuses on studying celestial bodies by detecting radio frequencies, which are much higher in wavelength and lower in frequency than the visible light detected by optical telescopes.
  • Unlike optical telescopes, which rely on visible light, radio telescopes are designed to capture radio waves emitted by objects in space.
  • However, much like how bright visible light can overwhelm a viewer’s vision-akin to the glare of oncoming car headlights-radio frequencies can similarly ‘blind’ radio astronomers.
  • Cees Bassa, a researcher at the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), explained that the radio noise from satellites is making it increasingly difficult to study the faint signals from distant objects in the universe.
  • ‘Blinding’ scientists means that the eyes are collecting too much light to see anything clearly. 

The growing challenge of UEMR:

  • The study found that Starlink’s second-generation satellites-though currently accounting for less than a third of the overall network-emit UEMR at levels that are 32 times brighter than their first-generation counterparts.
  • This is a worrying trend, especially since the first-generation satellites had already raised concerns regarding radio leakage.
  • The situation could worsen further as the satellite industry continues to expand. With advancements in technology making satellite launches cheaper, estimates suggest that up to 100,000 satellites could be orbiting Earth by 2030.
  • As of June 2023, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) reported the presence of around 11,330 satellites in orbit.
  • The growing number of satellites will only increase the risk of UEMR and radio interference for astronomers.

Need for regulatory oversight: 

  • These developments underscore the urgent need for regulations governing satellite operators, much like the existing regulations that control radio pollution from ground-based electronic sources such as cell-phone towers.
  • Currently, astronomers rely largely on good faith agreements with companies like Starlink to minimize interference.
  • However, this informal approach may not be enough as the number of satellites and the intensity of UEMR increase.
  • In the absence of stringent regulations, the increasing UEMR from satellite constellations could pose an existential threat to radio astronomy, blinding telescopes to the faint signals that scientists rely on to explore the universe.

About Starlink Project:

  • It is the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a Low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls, and more.
  • It delivers high-speed, low-latency internet to users all over the world. This system is ideally suited for rural and geographically isolated areas where internet connectivity is unreliable or non-existent.
  • The satellites are equipped with Hall thrusters, which are used to manoeuvre in orbit, maintain altitude, and guide the spacecraft back into the atmosphere after their missions. Hall thrusters generate an impulse using electricity and krypton gas.
  • It operates on a satellite internet service technology that has existed for decades. Instead of using cable technology to transmit internet data, a satellite system uses radio signals through the vacuum of space. 
  • It offers unlimited high-speed data through an array of small satellites that deliver up to 150 Megabits per second (Mbps) of internet speed.
  • It uses Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and a phased array antenna to help keep its performance intact during extreme weather conditions.
  • In 2019, SpaceX initiated the launch of these satellites into space.
  • Unlike conventional internet providers, it operates without the need for ground infrastructure. Users only require a small satellite dish or a receiver device, similar to satellite TV, to access high-speed internet.
  • It can withstand extreme cold, heat, hail, sleet, heavy rain, gale-force winds, and even rocket engines.

Pulikali Dance: A Tiger Dance of Kerala

Context: Artists in Thrissur, Kerala, performed Pulikali, the traditional tiger dance, marking the grand conclusion of the Onam festivities. 

About the Pulikali dance:

Pulikali Dance: A Tiger Dance of Kerela

Introduction: 

  • Pulikali, a vibrant recreational folk art from Kerala, is an integral part of the state's cultural heritage.
  • This captivating performance is held annually during the Onam festival, which is Kerala's largest and most significant harvest celebration.
  • On the fourth day of Onam, also known as Naalaam Onam or Chathayam, trained artists perform Pulikali to entertain the masses.
  • The performance is marked by artists painted as tigers and leopards, dancing to the rhythmic beats of traditional instruments such as the Chenda, Chengila, Udukku, and Thakil.
  • Usually, men and children perform this art form. For the first time, 3 women among a 51-member team participated in the Pulikali at Thrissur in 2016.
  • The theme of the dance revolves around tiger hunting, which is symbolized by the performers' costumes and movements.

Significance of Pulikali in Thrissur:

  • Pulikali is predominantly performed in Kerala's Thrissur district, where it enjoys a 200-year-old tradition.
  • This region is considered the heart of the art form, with thousands of people gathering each year to witness the spectacle.
  • Although Pulikali is also performed in other regions, such as the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, the Thrissur Pulikali remains the most popular and classical of all variations.

History: 

  • Pulikali traces its origins back to the reign of Maharaja Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran, the ruler of Cochin over 200 years ago.
  • The Maharaja introduced Pulikali as a form of entertainment for the local populace, where dancers would put on tiger costumes and mimic the movements of a tiger in a performance called 'Pulikkettikali.'
  • Over time, the event gained popularity and became a central feature of Thrissur’s Onam celebrations, held in memory of this historic tradition.

Performance: 

  • It is also known as Kaduvakali in some regions and the dancers are called Pulikalikkar. 
  • The elaborate body paint, in shades of yellow, red, and black, plays a crucial role in the performance.
  • The stripes, ranging from simple ‘patta vara’ to intricate ‘zebra vara’ designs, are applied with great care to achieve the authentic look of a tiger.
  • The tune used for Pulikali Onam dance has a unique rhythm and is popularly known as pulimelam.
  • The special rhythm, composed by Thottungal Ramankutty Asan 70 years ago, is unique to Thrissur’s Pulikali.
  • Each Pulikkali team comprises 50 dancers.

Rituals and preparation: 

  • The preparation for Pulikali is not just physical but also spiritual.
  • Performers observe a 41-day fasting period starting from the first day of the Malayalam month Karkidakam.
  • During this period, they purify their bodies and prepare mentally for the dance. The ritual of getting into costume begins the night before the event.

While Pulikali remains a significant part of Onam celebrations, it is also performed during other festive occasions in Kerala. Today, Pulikali is not only a folk art but also a major cultural spectacle that draws thousands to Thrissur, preserving its legacy for future generations. 

Note: 

  • Rama Varma Kunji Pillai Thampuran (1751–1805), also known as Sakthan Thampuran Sakthan means powerful), was the ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin.
  • Sakthan Thampuran was born at Vellarapally Palace to Anujan Namboodiripad of the Chennamangalam Mana and Ambika Thampuratti of the Cochin Royal Family.
  • The present-day city of Kochi in southern India was once part of this princely state. 
  • He is credited with shaping the city of Thrissur, and it was under his patronage that the renowned Thrissur Pooram festival was initiated.
  • Sakthan Thampuran shifted his capital from Thrippunithura to Thrissur, laying the foundation for the city.

Continuation of PM-AASHA Schemes

Continuation of PM-AASHA Schemes

  • Union Cabinet Approval: The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) schemes.
  • Objective:
    • Ensure remunerative prices for farmers.
    • Control price volatility of essential commodities to benefit consumers.

Financial Details

  • Budgetary Requirement:
    • Total financial outgo for PM-AASHA: ₹35,000 crore during the 15th Finance Commission cycle (up to 2025-26).
    • Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for rabi season (phosphatic and potassic fertilizers) set at a tentative budget of ₹24,475.53 crore.

Components of PM-AASHA

  • Converged Schemes:
    • Price Support Scheme (PSS)
    • Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF)
    • Price Deficit Payment Scheme (PDPS)
    • Market Intervention Scheme (MIS)

Consumer Protection Measures

  • Extension of PSF:
    • Aims to protect consumers from extreme price volatility of agri-horticultural commodities.
    • Involves maintaining a strategic buffer stock of pulses and onions for calibrated release.
    • Discourages hoarding and speculation.
    • Ensures affordable supply to consumers.

Fertilizer Subsidy

  • Subsidy Assurance:
    • Ensures availability of fertilizers to farmers at subsidized, affordable prices.
    • Rationalization of subsidy on P and K fertilizers based on recent trends in international prices.

ISSB Standards

Context: The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB, a part of IFRS Foundation) has issued two standards under the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standard programme.

  • Issuance: The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), part of the IFRS Foundation, has released two standards:
    • IFRS S1: General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information.
    • IFRS S2: Climate-related Disclosures.
  • Objective of IFRS S1:
    • Requires entities to disclose sustainability-related risks and opportunities affecting cash flows, access to finance, or cost of capital over various timeframes.
    • Aims to provide useful information to primary users of financial reports for resource allocation decisions.
    • Excludes risks and opportunities not expected to impact the entity’s prospects.
  • Definition of Financial Information:
    • Relates to critical factors affecting operations (e.g., water resource depletion impacts).
    • Appendix A defines sustainability-related financial disclosures.
    • Appendix D discusses qualitative characteristics of useful disclosures.
  • Influence from IASB:
    • Draws on IASB accounting standards for definitions of ‘Materiality’ and ‘Reporting Boundaries’.
    • Incorporates judgments in preparing disclosures, estimates, uncertainties, and error corrections.

Comparison with ESRS

  • ESRS Overview:
    • Comparable standards for the EU, piloted by EFRAG, with collaboration from GRI.
    • Extends applicability beyond primary users to additional stakeholders.
  • Materiality Concepts:
    • ISSB: Focuses on the financial impact of environmental factors.
    • ESRS: Employs a ‘double materiality’ approach, requiring disclosure of both financial impacts and environmental impacts of the entity.

Core Content of ISSB Standards

  • Built around four key areas:
    1. Governance: Management controls for monitoring risks and opportunities.
    2. Strategy: Approaches for managing identified risks and opportunities.
    3. Risk Management: Processes for assessing and prioritizing risks.
    4. Metrics: Measurement and target-setting for goals.
  • Influenced by the TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures).

Reporting Requirements

  • Disclosures must align with financial statements covering the same period.
  • Comparative information should be included.
  • An explicit compliance statement is required.
  • Special Consideration (Paragraph 34):
    • Entities must disclose the effects of sustainability-related risks on financial position, performance, and cash flows.
    • May complicate auditors' assessments regarding financial statement impacts.

Historical Context and Developments

  • In 2019, Nick Anderson highlighted that existing IFRS standards could support climate-related disclosures, but no framework existed for mandatory disclosures.

Conclusion and Future Considerations

  • Concerns about interoperability among ISSB, ESRS, and the SEC standards (2024).
  • Entities operating in multiple jurisdictions will need to meet varied reporting requirements.
  • Assurance Requirement: Essential for credibility of disclosures.
  • Emerging Frameworks: The TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures) aims to shape future sustainability reporting standards.
  • Adoption Status: ISSB standards not yet officially adopted in any jurisdiction, while ESRS is part of EU legislation.
  • Current requirement in India: Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) by SEBI.
  • Endorsement: In July 2023, the ISSB standards were endorsed by the International Organization for Security Councils, enhancing their global acceptability.
  • Momentum: Developments in sustainability reporting are gaining significant traction.

The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) was established in November 2021 during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. The ISSB’s primary goal is to develop global standards for sustainability disclosures, ensuring that companies provide high-quality, comparable information on sustainability-related risks and opportunities.

Key points about the ISSB:

  • Global Baseline: The ISSB aims to create a comprehensive global baseline of sustainability disclosures focused on the needs of investors and financial markets.
  • Support and Collaboration: The ISSB’s work is backed by major international bodies like the G7, G20, and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).
  • Integration of Existing Initiatives: It builds on the work of existing initiatives such as the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) and the Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
  • Leadership: Emmanuel Faber is the first chair of the ISSB.
  • The ISSB’s standards are designed to be cost-effective, decision-useful, and market-informed, helping companies report necessary information globally to investors

Capital Punishment in India

Context: The Aparajita bill introduced by the West Bengal Government seeks to amend the Bhartiya Nyaya Samhita, Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Samhita and POCSO Act in their application to West Bengal, this has reignited the debate around Capital Punishment.

Meaning of Capital Punishment:

  • Capital punishment, also called death penalty, results in execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law for a criminal offence. 
  • The term “Capital Punishment” stands for most severe form of punishment. It is the punishment which is to be awarded for the most heinous, grievous and detestable crimes against humanity.

Death Penalty in India and its Legal Validity

  • The death penalty is a legal punishment for certain serious offenses under the Indian Penal Code, the newly introduced Bhartiya Nyaya Samhita has expanded its scope by increasing the number of offences punishable by death from 12 to 18. However, it is imposed only in the most severe cases. 
  • The decision to impose the death penalty is made by a judge after considering the nature and severity of the crime and any aggravating or mitigating factors. 
  • The death penalty is only given in cases where the judge considers the crime to be of such a nature that it warrants the most severe punishment possible.

Death Penalty in Confirmation to Article 21

  • Article 21: No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.
  • Indian Penal Code under Section 302/ BNS 103 provides reason for death penalty and Criminal Procedure Code establishes the process of awarding death penalty.
  • Thus, awarding death penalty or capital punishment cannot be said to be against the principles of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

Furthermore,

In Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab, 1980

  • Hanging is done in India in the rarest of rare cases as per the Criminal Procedure Code.
  • S.C. held that the death penalty given to a convict is constitutional and will be done in rarest of rare cases.
  • The Court said that death penalty is a lawful infliction of death by the state as a punishment for wrongful and heinous committed by the accused.
  • The Court said that capital punishment is not against Right to life and personal liberty as guaranteed under Article 21 because death penalty through capital punishment has been established under law (Section 366 of Code of Criminal Procedure) and is a legal process.
  • Thus, State is empowered to take away life of citizens through procedure established by law if they are found guilty of crime committed which is punishable with death penalty and is a rarest of rare cases.

Other arguments in favor of Death Penalty:

  • It is based on deterrent theory of punishment: and instils fear of punishment including death among wrong doers.  
  • Morally Wrong: Keeping an accused of heinous crimes alive at the cost of the lives of number of citizens or potential victims in the society is morally wrong.   
  • Article 21: Death Penalty in India in accordance with Article 21 and is also used in Rarest of the Rare Cases.
  • Death Penalty allows for Right to Appeal: Indian laws and the constitution allow for appeal against the decision of High Court and even Supreme Court. Article 72(c) allows the convict to appeal against the decision of Supreme Court to the President of India if death sentence has been awarded. 

However, there are equally valid arguments against the Death penalty:

  • Retribution by State:  It ensures retributive justice by the state which deprives a person of his/her life based on the retributive theory of punishment. It is generally argued that retribution even by state is immoral and is a sanitized form of vengeance. 
  • Person suffering from Mental Illness: The United Nations Commission on Human Rights calls upon countries “not to impose the death penalty on a person suffering from any form of mental disorder or to execute any such person. 
  • It does not help in reducing or deterring heinous crime.   
  • Time Gap: Generally there is a large gap between awarding of death penalty between awarding of death penalty and execution. This keeps offenders waiting on death row
  • Globally, 114 Countries have abolished Death penalty in law and practice.
  • Psychological agony of the prisoners: Since it takes a lot of time to execute the death penalties, death row prisoners go through various physical, psychological, and mental health issues.
  • Marginalized communities: Three fourth of death row convicts come from marginalized communities with no adequate legal representation and are left to fend for themselves.
  • Justice Verma Committee: It has argued that the death sentence does not necessarily act as a deterrent against crimes such as sexual offences, including gang rapes.

Law Commission 262nd Report on Death Penalty: Law Commission has argued for the removal of death penalty from all statutes, the rationale given is;

  • Does not Serve as Deterrence: Death penalty is no more a deterrent than life imprisonment, which in India can be for the whole life with limited remissions granted after 30-60 years in many cases of serious crimes.
  • Retribution versus Vengeance: Retribution is important in punishment but not synonymous with vengeance. The “eye for an eye” notion has no place in our constitutionally mediated criminal justice system, and capital punishment doesn’t achieve any valid societal goals.
  • Restorative & Reformative Justice loses focus on death penalty as the ultimate measure of justice to victims, the restorative and rehabilitative aspects of justice are forgotten through which accused behaviour can be changed.
  • Reliance on the death penalty diverts attention from other problems ailing the criminal justice system such as poor investigation, crime prevention and rights of victims of crime.
  • Death Sentence disproportional for Vulnerable Sections: The vagaries of the system also operate disproportionately against the socially and economically marginalized who may lack the resources to effectively advocate their rights within an adversarial criminal justice system.

Way forward

  • Addressing Structural issues: Structural issues of redistribution of land and wealth for the marginalized communities, their representation in all spaces and institutions, and a radical shift towards properly funded public education and health care could act as deterrent towards rape.
  • Educational and social campaigns: Institutional reforms in form of ‘beta padhao, beti bachao (educate the son, to protect the daughter’) policy initiative to eliminate the patriarchal notion of the honour of the family, community, and nation residing in female bodies and virginity has to be promoted.
  • Reforming the Police, prosecution and judiciary: The death penalty is the safest escape route from accountability as it does not burden the state with the hard work of reforming the police, prosecution, judiciary and supporting survivors. A culture of utilizing existing research for an evidence-based informed policymaking by the central and State legislatures needs to be inculcated to avoid knee-jerk populist reactions that lead to criminal injustice.

What is a Telescope?

A telescope is an optical instrument that allows us to observe distant objects by collecting and focusing light. 

  • Contrary to the common belief that telescopes are primarily designed to make objects appear larger, their main function is to increase the brightness of celestial objects. This is achieved through their light-gathering power, which determines how much light they can collect from faint or distant sources.
  • The key factor that influences a telescope’s light-gathering ability is its aperture (the size of the opening through which light enters). The larger the aperture, the more light the telescope can capture, resulting in brighter and clearer images of celestial bodies.
    • Aperture refers to the diameter of the telescope's opening (objective lens) that controls how much light is allowed to pass through. A larger aperture allows more light to be gathered, making faint objects, such as distant stars and galaxies, visible.
    • For instance, when the human eye’s pupil is fully dilated, its aperture area is about 153.9 square millimetres. In contrast, a small 0.07-meter reflecting telescope (commonly available as a toy) has an aperture area of 18,241.4 square millimetres. This means the telescope has 118.5 times more light-collecting area than the human eye, allowing it to capture much more light and make dim objects easier to see. 
primary mirror - Telescope

Two types of telescopes:

Celestial objects emit light in all directions. But only light rays travelling in the direction of the earth will reach us. And when these rays reach us after a lengthy journey, they are virtually parallel.

There are two ways to concentrate these rays and create an image. 

Reflecting Telescopes:

  • In a reflecting telescope, rays reflected by the primary mirror (concave mirror) are diverted to a secondary mirror, which reflects them into an eyepiece with a small lens (convex lens) to enhance the image. 
  • The image produced by this reflecting telescope is real, inverted, and smaller. Most contemporary telescopes are such reflecting telescopes. E.g., Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb Space Telescope, Very Large Telescope (Chile) etc. 
  • Primarily used for Deep-Sky observation: Reflecting telescopes have larger mirrors (and thus larger apertures). Larger apertures allow reflectors to gather more light, which is crucial for viewing faint objects like distant galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. 
image 35
  • Advantages:
    • More cost-effective to produce larger mirrors (for reflecting telescopes) than larger lenses (used in refracting telescopes).
    • No chromatic aberration since mirrors reflect all wavelengths equally.
  • Disadvantages:
    • Requires regular maintenance (e.g., mirror alignment).

Refracting telescope:

  • A refracting telescope is an optical instrument that uses lenses to gather and focus light in order to magnify distant objects. It typically consists of two main lenses:
    • Objective Lens: The primary lens that collects light and brings it to a focus, forming an image.
    • Eyepiece Lens: The secondary lens that magnifies the image formed by the objective lens for viewing.
  • Primarily used for high-magnification observations: Refractors excel at viewing bright objects (e.g., planets, Moon, stars) because their lenses can focus light sharply without the interference of additional mirrors. They are better suited for high-magnification observations where sharp, clear images are priority. E.g., Yerkes Observatory Refracting Telescope, the US. 
refractor telescope
  • Advantages:
    • Produces sharp, high-contrast images, especially for planetary observations.
    • Generally easier to maintain than reflecting telescopes.
  • Disadvantages:
    • Can become expensive as lens size increases. (Can be more expensive than reflecting telescopes of the same aperture)
    • Limit on lens size: To observe fainter cosmic objects, much bigger lenses are required, which will slump under their own weight and distort the image. The maximum practicable lens size in a refracting telescope is around 1 m. The world’s largest refracting telescope is at Yerkes Observatory in the U.S., with a 1.02-m lens. 
    • Chromatic aberration (colour fringing) can occur, especially in larger refractors.

Chromatic aberration:

  • Chromatic aberration is a type of optical distortion that occurs when a lens fails to focus all colours of light at the same point. This results in a blurred image with colour fringes around objects, especially noticeable in high-contrast scenes.
  • Cause: Light consists of various wavelengths (colours). Lenses bend (refract) light differently based on its wavelength. Shorter wavelengths (blue light) are bent more than longer wavelengths (red light).
  • Since, mirrors reflect light (not refract), so, chromatic aberration is present in lenses, not in mirrors. Reflection does not depend on the wavelength of the light, all colours of light are reflected uniformly. 

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Limits to reflecting telescopes: 

  • A telescope with a higher limiting magnitude (Limiting magnitude is the brightness of the faintest object visible to an optical instrument) is required to look deep into the universe, which demands a larger primary mirror. However, there is a limit to the size of the primary mirror. A mirror wider than around 8.5 m will sink under its own weight, distorting its surface.
  • Hence, instead of a single primary mirror, today’s large reflecting telescopes have many small mirrors. Each piece is small enough to remain firm without slumping. And when they are combined, the overall light-collecting area (aperture) is still large. E.g., James Webb Space Telescope’s primary mirror is composed of 18 hexagonal segments. These segments work together to form a single, large mirror with a diameter of 6.5 metres. 
hubble space telescope james webb space

Advanced telescopes around the world: 

  • Large Binocular Telescope: The largest telescope to date is the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), which has two 8.4-m-wide mirrors and an effective combined aperture of 11.9 m. It is located at the Mount Graham International Observatory in Arizona, USA.
  • Extremely Large Telescope: The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is under construction atop the Cerro Armazones in the Atacama Desert in Chile, as part of the European Southern Observatory. It has five mirrors and a combined aperture of 39.3 m. It is expected to be completed by 2028. The ELT’s light-gathering power will exceed that of any telescope to date. Our eyes can discern two lights burning 30 cm apart and kept 1 km away. In perfect conditions, the ELT can distinguish two lights kept 30 cm apart from 12,000 km away.
  • Subaru Telescope is an 8.2-m-wide Japanese telescope located at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii. It recently used 10 hours of exposure time to capture a faint celestial object with a visual magnitude of 27.7, which is 100-million-times fainter than what any human eye can detect. 
  • James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): Launched in 2021 by NASA, JWST is orbiting the Sun at the L2 Lagrange point (1.5 million km from Earth). The infrared telescope has a 6.5 metre primary mirror. It detects near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelengths to observe faint and distant objects.
Telescpope

Why are telescopes setup on mountains?

The earth’s tumultuous atmosphere interferes with the telescope’s functioning. Telescopes are often set up on mountains for several key reasons:

  • Reduced Atmospheric Interference: At higher altitudes the atmosphere is thinner. The thinner atmosphere absorbs and scatters less light, improving the visibility of faint celestial objects.
  • Less Air Turbulence: Higher altitudes often experience less air turbulence compared to lower elevations, where weather systems can cause more turbulent air movement. This reduces blurring or distortion of images caused by atmospheric turbulence.
    • Space telescopes are more than 400 km above sea level, allowing them to entirely escape atmospheric disturbances. That is why the Hubble Space Telescope has a resolving power of around 0.04 arcsec, 10-times greater than the best ground-based telescopes.
  • Clearer Skies: Higher elevations generally have lower humidity levels, which means there is less water vapour in the atmosphere. This helps reduce cloud cover and atmospheric absorption, allowing for more frequent and prolonged observations.
  • Minimised Light Pollution: Mountain locations are often remote and away from large cities, which helps reduce light pollution and makes high-altitude locations ideal for clear, unobstructed observations.

What is Precision Farming?

Context: Centre to invest Rs 6,000 crore in smart farming with AI, drones, and data to boost crop yields

Precision Farming

Precision farming, also known as precision agriculture, is a modern farming management strategy that uses technology to observe, measure, and respond to variability in crops and fields. This approach aims to optimize agricultural production by tailoring farming practices to specific conditions within a field, thereby improving efficiency and sustainability.

application of Precision farming

Key technologies in precision farming include:

  • GPS and GNSS: These systems provide accurate positioning, allowing for precise mapping and management of fields.
  • IoT Devices: Sensors and connected devices gather real-time data on soil conditions, weather patterns, crop health, and equipment performance.
  • Drones: Used for aerial surveys, capturing high-resolution imagery and data for detailed field analysis.
  • Variable Rate Technology (VRT): Equipment like seeders and sprayers that adjust the amount of inputs (e.g., water, fertilizers) based on data collected.
components of Precision farming

Challenges Associated with Conventional Farming

  • Resource Inefficiency: Conventional methods often lead to overuse or underuse of resources like water and fertilizers.
  • Environmental Impact: Traditional farming practices can have significant negative effects on the environment, including soil degradation and water contamination.
  • Climate Vulnerability: Farmers relying on conventional methods are more susceptible to the impacts of climate change and weather unpredictability.
  • Limited Technological Integration: Conventional farming often lacks the integration of advanced technologies such as AI, drones, and IoT, which can enhance farming efficiency and sustainability.

Benefits of Precision Farming

  • Increased Efficiency: Utilizes resources like water, fertilizers, and pesticides more effectively.
  • Enhanced Production: Improves both the quality and quantity of crop yields.
  • Sustainability: Helps in insulating farmers from climate change and other uncertainties.
  • Support for Farmers: Provides financial aid through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), including interest subvention of 3% on loans for technology adoption.
  • Collaboration with Experts: Plans to collaborate with countries like the Netherlands and Israel to incorporate advanced farming solutions.
  • Development Centers: Establishment of 22 Precision Farming Development Centres (PFDCs) to test and adapt technologies for local conditions.

Government measures to boost precision farming

  • Investment: The Centre plans to invest Rs 6,000 crore in the Smart Precision Horticulture Programme under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) scheme.
  • Coverage: The initiative will cover 15,000 acres over five years (2024-25 to 2028-29) and benefit around 60,000 farmers.
  • Current Infrastructure: The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) supports projects related to smart and precision agriculture, offering loans for technological solutions in farm practices.
  • CoEs Expansion: The number of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) is expected to reach 100 in the next five years, complementing existing CoEs under the Indo-Israel Agriculture Project.
  • Geographical Spread: PFDCs are established across various states and central agricultural institutions in India, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and others.

Low & High-skilled Jobs: Gap Rising as Manufacturing Stagnation Continues

Context: According to the Economic Survey 2023-24, India needs to create nearly 7.85 million jobs annually in the non-farm sector to accommodate the growing workforce. Therefore, a country with a population of 1.4 billion cannot rely solely on the services sector and will need all sectors of the economy to contribute to job creation.

Why Has India Struggled to Accommodate its Growing Workforce?

  • Lower Growth of Manufacturing Exports from India: While India’s services exports constitute 4.3% of the world’s commercial services exports, goods exports barely account for 1.8% of the global goods market, resulting in low job generation in the manufacturing sector.
  • Decline in Export-related Jobs: Direct employment linked to exports peaked at 9.5% of total domestic employment in 2012 but fell to 6.5% in 2020. 
job created by exports - 2000-2020
  • Limited participation in Global Value Chains (GVCs) is one reason India has struggled to generate sufficient trade-related jobs, according to the World Bank. Around 70% of international trade involves GVCs, but despite rapid economic growth, India’s trade in goods and services has decreased as a % of GDP, and its participation in GVCs has declined over the past five years.
    • India’s participation in GVCs has been declining due to issues such as difficulties in procuring raw materials, high transport costs and rise in average tariffs from 13% in 2014 to 18.1% in 2022.
    • High import tariffs on key intermediate inputs and non-tariff barriers in export markets have raised production costs, making Indian producers less competitive in international markets compared to countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and Mexico.
  • Service Sector-Driven Growth: Over the past two decades, India’s economic growth has increasingly been driven by the services sector.
    • But the expansion of the services sector has coincided with a noticeable decline in traditional industries such as apparel and footwear, which provide livelihoods for millions of low-skilled workers. 
    • The stagnation in manufacturing has exacerbated the divide between high-skilled and low-skilled jobs.
  • Dominance of High-Skilled Service Sector: This is due to dominance of the service sector and high-skill manufacturing in India’s export basket.
    • India has emerged as a key market for multinational companies to establish data analytics and software development centres, known as Global Capability Centres (GCCs), to leverage the large pool of qualified IT engineers in the country.
    • Since these sectors are less suited to absorbing large portions of the Indian workforce, job creation due to trade has diminished.
  • Slowdown in IT Services Sector: The IT services sector, a bellwether of Indian skilled employment, has recently seen a slump in hiring. Leading companies who are major recruiters of young Indians, have witnessed a significant drop in their workforce in 2024 compared to 2023, with their collective headcount reducing by more than 61,000 individuals.
  • Lack of Skill Development: Only 16% of India’s labour force have undergone some form of skill training. Hence, insufficient vocational skills and low education levels among the workforce reduces their employability. Only 45% of graduates are considered employable according to the India Skills Report.
India's high & low skill- intensive manufacturing

What are the Measures Taken by the Government?

  • PM MITRA Scheme: With an aim to boost scale in the Indian textile sector, the Centre in 2023 had approved the setting up of seven PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks to develop world-class infrastructure with an outlay of Rs 4,445 crore for a period up to 2027-28. 
  • Setting Up of New Industrial Smart Cities: Last month, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also approved setting up of 12 industrial smart cities under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) with an estimated investment of Rs 28,602 crore. 
  • Reduction in Tariff: In the FY25 Union Budget, the government announced tariff reductions on various items, including medical equipment, mobile phones and related parts, critical minerals, solar energy products, marine products, leather and textiles, precious metals, electronics, petrochemicals, and telecom equipment.
  • Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP): The Government is implementing PMEGP for assisting entrepreneurs in setting up new units in the non-farm sector. It aims to provide employment opportunities to traditional artisans/ rural and urban unemployed youth at their doorstep. Since 2018-19 to 30 January 2024, estimated employment generated (no. of persons) are 37.46 lakhs. 
  • Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission: (DAY-NULM): The Mission aims to reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households by enabling them to access self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities, resulting in an appreciable improvement in their livelihoods on a sustainable basis. From 2018-19 to 30 January 2024, estimated number of skill trained candidates placed under DAY- NULM are 5.48 lakhs.
  • Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY): PMMY is being implemented by the Government for facilitating self-employment. Under PMMY, collateral free loans up to ₹10 lakh, are extended to micro/small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to set up or expand their business activities. Around 47.7 crore loans were sanctioned under the scheme as on 29 March 2024.
  • Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY): PMMY is being implemented by the Government for facilitating self-employment. Under PMMY, collateral free loans up to ₹10 lakh, are extended to micro/small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to set up or expand their business activities. Around 47.7 crore loans were sanctioned under the scheme as on 29 March 2024.

Creating Large Scale Employment (Way Forward)

  • Identifying Skilling Needs through decentralised community action. This can help enumerate all those  wanting employment in a community register and making it the basis of finding skill providers and employers.
  • Converging initiatives for education, health, skills, nutrition, livelihoods, and employment (at the local government level) with women’s collectives to ensure community accountability. Employment does not improve in isolation. All human development indicators achieve better when they devolve and converge. 
  • Introducing need-based vocational courses/certificate programmes alongside undergraduate programmes in every college. This will greatly improve employability on scale by making graduation programmes employable.
  • Investing in Industrial Training Institutes (ITI), polytechnics as these technical institutions can also work as a hub for feeder schools. Schools must develop an equivalence framework for academic and vocational inputs in terms of credits and hours. The focus should be on States/districts with the least institutional structure for vocational education.
  • Introducing enterprise and start-up skills through professionals in high schools: Schools need to introduce technology and enterprise as a subject at the upper primary/high school-level onwards. It is important that experimentation and innovation with an understanding of business processes are a part of the regular school curriculum. Visits by professionals to schools can impart finishing skills to students.
  • Having a co-sharing model of apprenticeships with industry is critical as far as manufacturing sector opportunities or even the services sector is concerned. Skilling costs must be shared with potential employers as standalone government-funded skilling is not always the best way forward. 
  • Streamlining working capital loans for women-led enterprises/first-generation enterprises to enable them to go to scale. While efforts to create comprehensive credit histories of every woman borrower are underway (Reserve Bank Innovation Hub), technology can be a great enabler in going to scale. 
  • Starting a universal skill accreditation programme for skill providing institutions, and let the state and industry jointly sponsor candidates for courses. Skill providers can be accredited after a rigorous assessment process. Candidates can be co-sponsored by the state and employers.
  • Apprenticeships on scale can facilitate the absorption of youth in a workplace. The scale must go up. The focus must be on skill acquisition and the government’s condition for employer subsidies in any form must always be for wages of dignity on successful completion of apprenticeship. 

A human touch to India’s mineral ecosystem

Context - In 2015, the Narendra Modi government amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act mandating auctions. As a part of the Bill, the government created a new body in the form of a District Mineral Foundation (DMF) where licensees and leaseholders pay the DMF a certain amount of the royalty.

Performance of District mineral foundation till now:

  • DMF has received a corpus of almost ₹1 lakh crore through which decentralised community-centric development works are carried out in mining affected districts.
  • Three lakh projects being sanctioned across 645 districts.
  • DMF has been instrumental in setting up of women led SHGs in different states for example Odisha.
  • some DMFs are ensuring inclusivity by including elected representatives in the governing bodies while some have non-elected members of gram sabhas as well. 
  • Some DMFs have also adopted measures such as establishing a dedicated engineering department and deputing personnel from the State Public Works Department to ensure the efficient implementation of projects.

About District Mineral Foundation

  • Established under Mines & Minerals (Development & Regulation) (MMDR) Act, in 2015 in all the districts affected by mining. 
  • Accordingly, Section 9(B) of the MMDR Act provides for the establishment of DMF as a non-profit body.
  • The objective of the District Mineral Foundation is to work for the interest and benefit of persons, and areas affected by mining related operations.
  • State Government shall, by notification, establish a trust, as a non-profit body, to be called the District Mineral Foundation.
  • The composition and functions of the District Mineral Foundation shall be such as may be prescribed by the State Government.
  • The holder of a mining lease or a prospecting licence-cum-mining lease granted on or after the date of commencement of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015, shall, share some amount of royalty with DMF.  

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