Daily Prelims Notes 18 July 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

18 July 2023

Table Of Contents

1. First-past-the-post (FPTP)
2. CHILDLINE
3. 5 Crore Indians move out of Multidimensional Poverty in Five Years: NITI Aayog Report
4. New guidelines for designation of senior advocates in the SC
5. Heat waves across Southern Europe
6. International Relations Cultural Property Agreement with US
7. ISRO’s second orbit-raising manoeuvre successful
8. DRDO’s propulsion system in focus as India expects three more Scorpenes
9. US. and India working to make investment easier for energy transition, says Yellen
10. James Webb space telescope
11. Regulating cryptos: FSB recommends framework 
12. Panel moots triple agenda to harness the potential of MDBs
13. NITI Aayog’s export preparedness report paints a mixed picture
14. Gambusia: This solution could actually be an invasive problem
15. 2020 order on floodplain zoning declaring Gomti ‘non-perennial river’ draws flak
16. Gymnosperms that are critical for coniferous forest health may be steadily declining in response to climate change
17. Climate change aiding spread of deadly virus in Europe: What is CCHF
18. The curious link between endometriosis and an infectious bacterium
19. ‘Bharat Dal’ brand: Piyush Goyal launches sale of subsidised chana dal at Rs 60 per kg
20. Uniform Civil Code: Why it can impact Hindu Undivided Family’s tax benefits
21. Kalka-Shimla heritage tracks that survived a century fall to ‘poor drainage’

1. First-past-the-post (FPTP)

Subject :Polity

Section: Constitution

Indian elections since 1952 have under gone massive social changes. This has contributed to each caste polity reclaiming its share, giving rise to coalition governments, thus going against the maximum of FPTP

Concept –

• The first-past-the-post (FPTP) system is also known as the simple majority system. In this voting method, the candidate with the highest number of votes in a constituency is declared the winner.
• This system is used in India in direct elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
• While FPTP is relatively simple, it does not always allow for a truly representative mandate, as the candidate could win despite securing less than half the votes in a contest.

Proportional Representation (PR)

• Proportional representation (PR) is a concept in which the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received.
• India is not new to PR system; in our country, the following elections are held on the basis of proportional representation:
  • President
  • Vice President
  • Members of Rajya Sabha
  • Members of state legislative council

2. CHILDLINE

Subject :Schemes

• CHILDLINE 1098 is a phone number that spells hope for millions of children across India. It is a 24-hour a day, 365 days a year, free, emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance. We not only respond to the emergency needs of children but also link them to relevant services for their long-term care and rehabilitation. We have, till date, connected to three million children across the nation offering them care and protection.
• CHILDLINE India Foundation (CIF) is the nodal agency of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development for setting up, managing and monitoring the CHILDLINE 1098 service all over the country. CIF is the sole agency/body responsible for establishing the CHILDLINE service across the country, monitoring of service delivery and finance, training, research and documentation, creating awareness, advocacy as well as resource generation for the service.

3. 13.5 Crore Indians move out of Multidimensional Poverty in Five Years: NITI Aayog Report

Subject : Schemes

Concept :

• The NITI Aayog has published the second edition of the Multidimensional Poverty Index titled ‘National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A progress of Review 2023’.

Background:

• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a universal aspiration that unites all nations in their collective endeavour to foster an equitable and inclusive future.
• India has wholeheartedly embraced the SDGs, leaving no stone unturned in its successful realization.
• At the core of India’s priorities, lies SDG target 1.2, with its powerful mission to reduce poverty in all its forms by at least half by 2030.

What is Multidimensional Poverty?

• A person who is poor can suffer multiple disadvantages at the same time – for example they may have poor health or malnutrition, a lack of clean water or electricity, poor quality of work or little schooling.
• Focusing on one factor alone, such as income, is not enough to capture the true reality of poverty.
• Multidimensional Poverty is a measure of poverty that captures deprivations in education and access to basic infrastructure in addition to income or consumption at the USD 1.90 international poverty line (as per World Bank).

National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI):

• The MPI has been used by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its flagship Human Development Report since 2010.
• In this context, NITI Aayog had published the first edition of national Multidimensional Poverty Index for India in 2021.
• Purpose –
• A national MPI statistic for a country is tailored to the national priorities and therefore, countries choose their own set of dimensions, indicators, weights, and cut-offs, according to their plans and contexts.
• The report presents an in-depth analysis of the headcount ratio and intensity of multidimensional poverty at the national, State/UT, and district levels.
• The first report was based on the reference period of 2015-16 of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)- 4.
• MPI Parameters & Methodology:
• The Index is based on the Alkire-Foster methodology developed by its technical partners — the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and has three equally weighted dimensions –
• Health,
• Education, and
• Standard of Living.
• These three dimensions are represented by 12 indicators–
• The index is calculated by first setting the deprivation cut-offs for each indicator, i.e., the level of achievement considered normatively sufficient for an individual to be considered not deprived in an indicator.
• For example, the individual has completed at least six years of schooling. Such a cut off would be applied to determine whether the individual is deprived in each indicator.
• Weights are added to each indicator and a composite metric is then used to calculate the index.

National Multidimensional Poverty Index 2023:

• Recently, the NITI Aayog published the ‘National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A progress of Review 2023’.
• The report is based on the latest National Family Health Survey (2019-21) and represents progress made by India in reducing multidimensional poverty between the two surveys, NFHS-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-21).

Key Results – Steep Decline in Poverty

• India has achieved a remarkable reduction in its MPI value and Headcount Ratio between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
• About 135.5 million (13.5 crore) persons have exited poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
• Rural areas saw a faster reduction in their MPI value, compared to urban areas.
• The incidence of poverty fell from 32.59% to 19.28% in rural areas compared to a decline from 8.65% to 5.27% in urban areas between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
• Nearly 3.43 crore people escaped poverty in Uttar Pradesh, registering the largest decline among the 36 States and Union Territories.
• NITI Aayog said the government’s dedicated focus on improving access to sanitation, nutrition cooking fuel, financial inclusion, drinking water, and electricity has led to significant advancements in these areas.
• It further said improvements in nutrition, years of schooling, sanitation, and cooking fuel played a significant role in bringing down poverty.

4. New guidelines for designation of senior advocates in the SC

Subject : Polity

Section: Judiciary

Concept :

• The Supreme Court has published new guidelines for the designation of senior advocates practicing mainly in the Apex Court.
• In doing so, the apex court, replaced the guidelines issued by the top court in 2018, in the aftermath of its 2017 ruling in Indira Jaisingh v. Union of India.

Senior advocates/lawyers in India

• Under Section 16 of the Advocates Act 1961 two classes of advocates are classified; Senior Advocate and Junior or those who are not designated as seniors.
• The Senior advocates play the role of legal experts in India who have significant knowledge in the field of law.
• They are associated with many prominent cases as they are good contributors to the principle of Rule of Law.

Legal provisions related to the Designation of Senior Counsel

• Section 16(2) of the Advocates Act, 1961 and Rule 2(a) of Order IV of the Supreme Court Rules, 1966 provide certain guidelines to be followed for the designation of a senior counsel.
• As per these provisions:
• The Chief Justice and other judges of the concerned court should believe that a particular advocate is fit to hold the position of a senior advocate.
• The concerned advocate should have exceptional legal expertise and knowledge of the law.
• The consent of such an advocate should be obtained prior.
• The selection should be on the sole ground of his knowledge and expertise in the area of law.

Restrictions imposed on a Senior Advocate

• A senior advocate is not permitted to appear without an Advocate-on-record or any junior.
• He/she is refrained from drafting pleadings or affidavits before any court or authority mentioned under Section 30 of the act.
• He/she shall not accept directly from a client any brief or instructions to appear in any Court.
• A senior cannot file any pleading or represent his client neither can draft an application by his own handwriting.
• The senior advocate must maintain a code of conduct, different from the other advocates.

Indira Jaising Case

• India’s first woman Senior Advocate Indira Jaising filed a petition in SC challenging the existing process of designation.
• She termed this process as opaque, arbitrary and fraught with nepotism and sought greater transparency in the process of designating.
• As a result, the Apex Court decided to lay down guidelines for itself and all High Courts on the process of designating senior advocates.

Verdict in Indira Jaising Case

• The judgment decided the set up:
• A permanent committee, and
• a permanent secretariat,
• Secretariat was tasked with receiving and compiling all applications for designation with relevant data, information, and the number of reported and unreported judgments.
• Besides creating permanent bodies, the verdict laid down the procedures and assessment criteria for the designation process.

New Guidelines

• Minimum age to apply for the senior advocate designation
• The new guidelines prescribe the minimum age as 45 years to apply for the ‘senior advocate’ designation.
• This age limit may, however, be relaxed by the Committee, the Chief Justice of India, or a Supreme Court judge if they have recommended an advocate’s name.
• The 2017 guidelines say that the CJI along with any judge can recommend an advocate’s name for designation.
• However, the 2023 guidelines specify that the CJI along with any Judge of the Supreme Court may recommend in writing the name of an advocate for designation.
• Marks set aside for publications
• Earlier, the guidelines stated that 15 marks were set aside for publications.
• However, the new guidelines state that only 5 marks will be given for:
• publication of academic articles, experience of teaching assignments in the field of law, and
• guest lectures delivered in law schools and professional institutions connected with law.
• Weightage given to reported and unreported judgements
• The weightage given to reported and unreported judgements (excluding orders that do not lay down any principle of law) has increased from 40 to 50 points in the new guidelines.

5. Heat waves across Southern Europe

Subject : Geography

Section: Climatology

Concept :

• The intense heat wave experienced in southern Europe, particularly in Italy.
• Italian health officials intensified heat warnings as southern Europe experienced a brutally hot week.
• Temperatures were expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
• The Health Ministry issued recommendations to protect vulnerable groups from the heat, including the elderly, sick, and pets.
• Recommendations included staying indoors, consuming at least 1.5 liters of water daily, and avoiding strenuous exercise during peak daylight hours.
• Weather Conditions and Impact in Italy
• Italy experienced a third heat wave, affecting much of the Mediterranean and lasting until Wednesday.
• Rome recorded temperatures of 39 degrees Celsius, with expectations of exceeding 40 degrees Celsius the following day.
• Power outages occurred in parts of Rome due to increased demand from air conditioners.
• Wildfires in Spain and Greece
• A wildfire that started on the Canary island of La Palma continued to burn out of control, although weaker winds and cooler temperatures were assisting firefighters.
• In Greece, two wildfires threatened homes in areas outside Athens.

Causes for Intense Heat Waves

• Climate change
• The Earth’s atmosphere has been warming for decades, due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels. This warming is causing heat waves to become more frequent, intense, and prolonged.
• A study by the World Meteorological Organization found that the probability of a heat wave like the one that hit Europe in 2022 has increased by at least 100 times due to climate change.
• Double jets
• A double jet is a type of weather pattern that occurs when two jet streams, or bands of strong winds in the atmosphere, are present over Europe. This can cause hot air to be trapped over the continent, leading to heat waves.
• A study by the University of Oxford found that double jets have become more common in recent years, and that they are likely to become even more common in the future due to climate change.
• Drought
• Drought can make heat waves more intense by drying out the soil and vegetation, which can trap heat.
• A study by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service found that the risk of drought in Europe has increased by 20% since 1971.
• Other factors
• Other factors that can contribute to heat waves include urban heat island effect, deforestation, and changes in ocean currents.
• The urban heat island effect occurs when cities are warmer than surrounding areas due to the heat generated by buildings, vehicles, and other human activities.
• Deforestation can reduce the amount of shade and moisture in an area, which can make heat waves more intense.
• Changes in ocean currents can affect the distribution of heat around the globe, which can lead to heat waves in some regions and droughts in others.

6. International Relations Cultural Property Agreement with US

Subject : History

Section :Art and Culture

Concept :

• Recently, as many as 105 trafficked antiquities have been returned to India by the United States.
• The Ministry of Culture will sign a Cultural Property Agreement with the US for “smooth repatriation” of all such antiquities smuggled out of the country.

About:

• Around 50 artefacts relate to religious subjects (Hinduism, Jainism and Islam) and the rest are of cultural significance.
• These include;
• A terracotta Yakshi plaque belonging to the 1st century BC, which was stolen from ‘eastern India’;
• A red sandstone Dancing Ganesha from the 9th century, with its provenance in central India;
• A 10th century Kubera, also belonging to central India, and several other valuable antiquities and objects in mediums such as marble, terracotta and sandstone.

Procedure of return

• International organizations such as UNESCO and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC have been at the forefront of the fight against cultural heritage crimes.
• Their combined expertise and global partnerships have led to the establishment of standard-setting instruments that enhance responses to and the protection against cultural theft.
• The process involves the following steps:
• Identification: Identify cultural properties that may have been wrongfully acquired or removed.
• Legal and Ethical Considerations: Consider international conventions, national laws, and ethical guidelines pertaining to repatriation.
• Collaboration and Negotiation: Collaborate and negotiate with the country of origin and the current possessor to reach an agreement.
• Evidence and Documentation: Gather evidence and documentation supporting the claim for repatriation, such as historical records and provenance research.
• Public Awareness and Advocacy: Raise public awareness and advocate for repatriation through campaigns and outreach efforts.
• Restitution and Return: Arrange for the safe return of the cultural property to its country of origin, considering logistics and storage.
• Future Preservation and Collaboration: Ensure the proper care, conservation, and display of the repatriated cultural property, and foster ongoing collaboration between the country of origin and international institutions.

International agreements

• The 1970 UNESCO Convention: on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (hereafter, the 1970 Convention) mandate in the prevention of organised crime and cultural trafficking, and offer systematic tools to strengthen national capacity.
• UN resolution 2347: Condemns the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage, including the destruction of religious sites and artefacts, and the looting and smuggling of cultural property from archaeological sites, museums, libraries, archives, and other sites, notably by terrorist groups.

7. ISRO’s second orbit-raising manoeuvre successful

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Concept :

• Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has now moved into a new, higher orbit around the Earth after the successful completion of the second orbit-raising manoeuvre, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• The manoeuvre was performed by the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru to place the Chandrayaan 3 spacecraft in the 41,603 km x 226 km orbit.
• This means that Chandrayaa-3 is now in an orbit, which when closest to Earth is 226 km away and farthest is at a distance of 41,603 km.
• Hoping to make a soft landing on the moon’s surface next month, Chandrayaan-3 is now going around the Earth in an elliptical orbit that is 41,603 km at its furthest and 226 km at the closest from the Earth’s surface, ISRO said in an official statement.
• The spacecraft is supposed to make five such orbit-raising manoeuvres to continuously move into higher orbits before beginning to move directly towards the moon.

ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), over the years, has established a comprehensive global network of ground stations to provide Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TTC) support to satellite and launch vehicle missions.
• These facilities are grouped under ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network

What is the role of ISTRAC?

• ISTRAC is responsible for providing Space Operation services that include spacecraft control, TTC support services and other related projects and services, for the launch vehicle and low earth orbiting spacecraft and deep space missions of ISRO and other space agencies around the world.
• Development of RADAR systems for tracking & atmospheric applications and Establishment of Ground Segment Network for Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System of ISRO are the additional responsibilities of ISTRAC.
• ISTRAC will communicate with the spacecraft, correct its course and command it throughout the life of the spacecraft.

8. DRDO’s propulsion system in focus as India expects three more Scorpenes

Subject :Science

Section: Defence

Concept :

• As India begins negotiations with France for three more Scorpene-class submarines, Naval Group has already invested over ₹100 crore for three workshops for maintenance of critical systems of Scorpene submarines which have the tools and infrastructure for important tasks and also stocking spares and is also working on qualifying the Defence Research and Development Organisation- developed (DRDO) Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system for installation on the Scorpenes.
• Naval Group and Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), Mumbai, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation on three additional Scorpenes on July 6.

About Scorpene-Class Submarines

• The Scorpene-class submarines are one of the most advanced conventional submarines in the world.
• The submarine has superior stealth features, such as low radiated noise levels, advanced acoustic silencing techniques and the ability to attack with precision-guided weapons on board.
• The Indian Navy intends to use the submarines for missions such as intelligence gathering, area surveillance, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and minelaying operations.
• The submarines are armed with six torpedo-launching tubes, 18 heavy weapons, tube-launched MBDA SM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles and precision-guided weapons.
• It can launch crippling attacks on the surface and underwater enemy targets.
• Moreover, the attack submarines can travel at a maximum submerged speed of approximately 20 knots and have the ability to remain submerged for 21 days.
• These Submarines have a diving depth of more than 350 m.
• The Scorpene class of submarines were designed by French naval shipbuilding firm DCNS in partnership with Spanish shipbuilding firm Navantia.

9. U.S. and India working to make investment easier for energy transition, says Yellen

Subject : Environment

Section: International Conventions

Concept :

• The United States is working with India to develop ways to lower the cost of capital and increase private investment to fast-track India’s energy transition, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Monday.
• After a bilateral meeting with India’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the sidelines of a G20 meeting, Yellen said the two nations have been collaborating across a range of economic issues, including commercial and technological collaboration and strengthening supply chains.
• Yellen did not refer to this platform as a ‘Just Energy Transition Partnership’ (JET-P), though other countries including South Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam have already agreed with public and private sector lenders to help accelerate their shift away from fossil fuels via JET-Ps established with wealthier nations.

About Just Energy Transition Partnership (JET-P):

• It is a mechanism for multilateral financing by developed countries to support an energy transition in developing countries.
• It aims to reduce emissions in the energy sector and accelerate the coal phase-out.
• Transition describes the gradual movement towards lower carbon technologies, while ‘Just’ qualifies that this transition will not negatively impact society, jobs and livelihoods.
• It was launched at the COP26 in Glasgow with the support of the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US), France, Germany, and the European Union (EU).
• Senegal has become the fourth country after South Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam to sign the JET-P deal, with the International Partners Group comprising France, Germany, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada.
• India refused to give its consent saying that coal cannot be singled out as a polluting fuel, and energy transition talks need to take place on equal terms.

10. James Webb space telescope

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Concept :

• NASA released an image obtained by the James Webb Space Telescope of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, the closest star-forming region to Earth, as the U.S. space agency marked one year since it unveiled the telescope’s first scientific results.
• The Webb telescope, which was launched in 2021 and began collecting data last year, has reshaped the understanding of the early universe while taking stunning pictures of the cosmos.
• The Rho Ophiuchi image was an example of that, showing a nebula – a humongous cloud of interstellar gas and dust that serves as a nursery for new stars – located in our Milky Way galaxy roughly 390 light years from Earth. A light year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km).
• Rho Ophiuchi is only about a million years old, a blink of the eye in cosmic time.

James Webb space telescope

• JWST will study various phases in the history of the universe, from the formation of solar systems to the evolution of our own Solar System.
• The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is an orbiting infrared observatory that will complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope, with longer wavelength coverage and greatly improved sensitivity.
• Webb will be the premier space observatory for astronomers worldwide, extending the.tantalizing discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope.
• The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST or “Webb”) is a joint NASA–ESA–CSA space telescope that is planned to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope as NASA’s flagship astrophysics mission
• The JWST will provide improved infrared resolution and sensitivity over Hubble, and will enable a broad range of investigations across the fields of astronomy and cosmology, including observing some of the most distant events and objects in the universe, such as the formation of the first galaxies.
• Unlike the Hubble telescope, which observes in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared (0.1 to 1 μm) spectra, the JWST will observe in a lower frequency range, from long-wavelength visible light through mid-infrared (0.6 to 28.3 μm), which will allow it to observe high redshift objects that are too old and too distant for Hubble to observe
• The telescope must be kept very cold in order to observe in the infrared without interference, so it will be deployed in space near the Sun–Earth L2 Lagrange point,
• The JWST is being developed by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is managing the development effort, and the Space Telescope Science Institute will operate Webb after launch
• It is named for James E. Webb, who was the administrator of NASA from 1961 to 1968 and played an integral role in the Apollo program.

11. Regulating cryptos: FSB recommends framework 

Subject :Economy

Section: External sector

In News: The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has come out with a 9-point recommendation for regulating crypto assets. It has recommended that crypto-asset issuers and service providers should have a comprehensive governance framework with clear and direct lines of responsibility and accountability for all functions and activities.

Key Points:

• FSB was asked by G20 to suggest a regulatory framework. The recommendations are contained in ‘FSB Global Regulatory Framework for Crypto-asset Activities’.
• This framework is based on the principle of ‘same activity, same risk, same regulation’ and provides a strong basis for ensuring that crypto-asset activities and so-called stablecoins are subject to consistent and comprehensive regulation, commensurate to the risks they pose.
• FSB is an international body that monitors and makes recommendations about the global financial system.
• Final recommendations draw on the implementation experiences of jurisdictions and build on the principles – ‘same activity, same risk, same regulation’
• Strengthened recommendations areas such as ensuring adequate safeguarding of client assets, addressing risks associated with conflicts of interest, and strengthening cross-border cooperation.
• Which Risks are addressed ?
  • Focus on addressing risks to financial stability only.
  • And do not comprehensively cover all other specific risk categories related to crypto-asset activities such as Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT); data privacy; cyber security etc.
• Central Bank Digital Currencies envisaged as digitalised central bank liabilities, not subject to these recommendations.

12. Panel moots triple agenda to harness the potential of MDBs

Subject :Economy

Section: External sector

In News: Independent Expert Group (IEG), appointed under the auspices of the India G20 Presidency, has recommended a triple agenda to harness the potential of multilateral development banks (MDBs). MDBs include World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Key Points:

• About three elements of triple agenda, the report suggested adopting a triple mandate of:
  • Eliminating extreme poverty,
  • Boosting shared prosperity, and contributing to global public goods (GPG), tripling sustainable lending levels by 2030 and
  • Creating a third funding mechanism which would permit flexible and innovative arrangements for purposefully engaging with investors willing to support elements of the MDB agenda.
• Other recommendations:
  • Timelines for project preparation should be shrunk and procedures rationalised.
  • They must also increase the scale and nature of their activities.
  • Engagement with the private sector should be leveraged for transformation in MDB.
  • Coordination between private and public sector arms of the MDBs on the use of the Cascade principles, guarantees, blended finance, political risk insurance, and foreign exchange hedging should be systematic rather than episodic.
  • MDBs only mobilise 0.6 dollars in private capital for each dollar they lend on their own account. They should aim to at least double this target.
• Monetary targets:
  • Additional spending of some $3 trillion per year needed by 2030, of which $1.8 trillion represents additional investments in climate action and $1.2 trillion in additional spending to attain other SDGs.
  • To support this, the international development finance system should be designed by providing $500 billion in additional annual official external financing by 2030.
  • Mobilise and catalyse an equivalent amount of private capital, implying a total additional external financing package of $1 trillion.

13. NITI Aayog’s export preparedness report paints a mixed picture

Subject :Economy

Section: External sector

In News: NITI Aayog releases Export Preparedness Index (EPI) for 2022.

Key Points:

• The EPI 2022 Report evaluates the performance of the states across four pillars – Policy, Business Ecosystem, Export Ecosystem, and Export Performance. The index uses 56 indicators which holistically capture the export preparedness of States and UTs in terms of exports at both the state and district-level.
• Tamil Nadu has been ranked the No. 1 State in Export Preparedness Index (EPI) for 2022. It is followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka.
• Gujarat has been pushed to the fourth slot this time. Tamil Nadu has been in the top 5 list among Large/Coastal States’ categories in the past two years.
• Concerns:
  • Twenty six States in India saw a decrease in gross value addition by their manufacturing sector, indicating the continued presence of impact of pandemic,
  • Some ten States have also reported a decrease in inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI).
•  Amongst the Union Territories and small States, Haryana and Goa are ranked one; while the top spot among the Himalayan States goes to Uttarakhand.
• In comparison, landlocked States have had a “satisfactory performance” with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana being the “positive outliers”. In case of States like Punjab and Telangana, “their regional advantages are untapped”.
• Himalayan States and Union Territories, barring four- Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Delhi, have reported “unsatisfactory performances” indicating the urgent need for reforms here.
• At the district level, 73 per cent have an export action plan in place and over 99 per cent are covered under the ‘One District One Product’ scheme.
• States have a decent business environment with many States boasting of dedicated industrial presence, single-window clearance, and health export credit rates
• Some 10-odd commodities account for 90 per cent of the exports; whereas 100 districts in the country account for nearly 87 per cent of the exports.
• Among export districts, Jamnagar in Gujarat topped the chart. It was followed by Surat.
• While Jamnagar is the hub of petroleum, Surat is the main centre for gems and jewellery.
• The report also mentioned that Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have the highest number of GI products being exported.

Recommendations

• The Niti Aayog report adds that States have lagged in transport connectivity. The absence of air connectivity hampers the movement of goods across regions, especially which are landlocked or geographically dis-advantaged
• Recommendations include diversification of export markets including tapping of GI products for export purposes.
• States should also identify other markets for their existing products.
• Promoting high growth sectors like IT, automotive, textiles and renewable energy also enhances export competitiveness.
• Leveraging FTAs and improving data availability for exports have also been suggested.

14. Gambusia: This solution could actually be an invasive problem

Subject :Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Context:

• The Andhra Pradesh government has released approximately 10 million Gambusia fish into the state’s water bodies to combat mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue.

Details:

• Andhra Pradesh reported approximately 6,391 dengue cases and 2,022 malaria cases in 2022.

About gambusia fish:

• The fish, also known as mosquitofish, is widely used as a biological agent for controlling mosquito larvae.
• Gambusia affinis (G affinis) is native to the waters of the southeastern United States and a single full grown fish eats about 100 to 300 mosquito larvae per day.
• G affinis has a sister species, Gambusia holbrooki (G holbrooki), also known as the eastern mosquito fish.
• Mosquitofish has been part of various malaria control strategies in India since 1928, including the Urban Malaria Scheme.

Effectiveness of Gambusia fish:

• While there are studies that showed reduction in malaria cases where the fish were introduced, there are others that reported increased mosquito larvae population where they were introduced, as the latter preyed on other predators that ate mosquito larvae.
• There are also studies that reported that Gambusia’s predatory efficacy reduced when they were introduced in running water streams, water bodies with high insecticide levels and waterbodies with thick vegetation.

Highly invasive:

• The fish has a high breeding capacity. A single female may produce between 900 and 1,200 offspring during its lifespan.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature has declared Gambusia one of the 100 worst invasive alien species in the world.
• It is declared an invasive alien species in India as well.
• They are known to eat the eggs of competing fishes and frog tadpoles.

WHO report on Gambusia fish:

• A World Health Organization publication supported the effectiveness of breeding and use of G affinis as a larval control method in man-made breeding habitats, like swimming pools and garden ponds, with no access to the natural environment.
• Instead of relying on Gambusia, the 2020 paper suggested encouraging “biologists and fish taxonomists to come up with river basin-based lists of native fish species that can control mosquito larvae and releasing them into the natural environment.”

15. 2020 order on floodplain zoning declaring Gomti ‘non-perennial river’ draws flak

Subject :Geography

Section: Rivers in news

Context:

• A three-year-old government order (GO) issued on September 3, 2020, by the irrigation department of the Uttar Pradesh government declaring the Gomti as a “non-perennial river” has drawn flak from water experts and river rights activists.

Details:

• The order states: As it’s a non-perennial river, e-flow (environmental flow) cannot be maintained throughout the year and no surplus water is available to augment the flow.
• The order also declared a 50 metres area from both banks of the river as a no-construction zone.
• On June 18, 2010, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court ordered the UP government to stop all construction activities within 100 metres of the banks of the river.

About Gomti river:

• Gomti is a tributary of Ganga river and an alluvial river of the Ganga Plain.
• It originates near Mainkot, from Gomat Taala lake also known as Fulhar Jheel in Madhotanda. This is located around 30 kilometres from Pilibhit town in UP.
• The river flows through Sitapur, Lucknow, Barabanki, Sultanpur and Jaunpur before meeting the Ganga at Kaithi, Ghazipur district.
• It empties into the Ganga near Saidpur. The 960-km-long river also supplies around 450 million litres per day of water to Lucknow. 
• As per a CPCB report from 2022, Gomti is the fifth most polluted river in the country.
• Tributaries: Sai river, Sukheta river, Choha river and Andhra Choha river.

 Pollution in Gomti river:

• Recently, thousands of dead fish are found along the bank of the Gomti river.
• The fish had died as dissolved oxygen level of the river water had dipped too low.
• Officials of the pollution prevention board blame untreated muck for this situation.
• The dissolved oxygen levels dipped to as low as one milligramme per litre (mg/l). A minimum level of four to six mg/l is considered essential to sustain aquatic life.
  • Dissolved Oxygen is a measure of the amount of free oxygen available in river systems.
  • The quality of water increases with an increase in DO levels.
• Cause of pollution:
  • Discharge of untreated sewage
  • Discharge of industrial effluents and domestic wastes
  • Encroachment of floodplains

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD):

• BOD is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by bacteria in decomposing the organic wastes present in water. It is expressed in milligrams of oxygen per litre of water.
• The higher value of BOD indicates low DO content of water.

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD):

• COD measures the amount of oxygen in parts per million required to oxidise organic (biodegradable and non-biodegradable) and oxidizable inorganic compounds in the water sample.

Presence of Solariella in Gomti river:

• Monitoring by the state pollution control board reveals the water is unfit for consumption.
• A marine species of molluscs — Solariella — was recently found in the river.
• This is alarming, as Solariella is endemic to coastal waters that ordinarily have high levels of ph.
• The presence of Solariella was revealed during the first-ever biomapping of the river done by the Geological Survey of India (gsi), Lucknow.
• According to the gsi report, the invertebrate species, Solariella, may have been introduced in the river by birds like waders.
• In other areas (Madhavpura, Isauli and Bashariaghat) they have found Hemicypris arorai — another organism that survives in highly alkaline water.
  • The high ph levels of these areas were mainly attributed to the use of fertilisers in nearby fields.

16. Gymnosperms that are critical for coniferous forest health may be steadily declining in response to climate change

Subject :Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Context:

• Gymnosperm species of cold, high-altitude northwestern Himalayas are predicted to decline as their habitats reduce in the light of climate change impacts.

Details:

• Slow-growing gymnosperms have a relatively long lifespan and have varied adaptability to environmental changes, which is currently under-studied.
• A study predicted a severe decline in several gymnosperm species, including the Himalayn fir (Abies pindrow), Himalayan silver fir (A. spectabilis), and Himalayan spruce (Picea smithiana).
• Experts suggest several conservation strategies, including biotechnological interventions, creation of seed banks and assessment of tree phenology patterns.
• A study finding revealed that under the projected future climate scenarios, all conifers except Pinus roxburghii are expected to show a steady decline in high potential areas (HPA) with the decline being most severe for Abies pindrow, A. spectabilis, and Picea smithiana in both near (2050) and distant (2070) futures.

Gymnosperms:

• Gymnosperms belong to kingdom ‘Plantae’ and sub-kingdom ‘Embryophyta’.
• Gymnosperms, unlike angiosperms, don’t bear flowers or fruits and produce seeds at the surface of scales or leaves, or at the end of stalks, forming a cone-like structure.
• The distribution of gymnosperms varies with altitude.
• They are well-adapted to cold environments and typically found in high-elevation forests.
• Gymnosperms tend to grow slower and generally live longer than angiosperms, thriving for hundreds of years.
  • For example, the redwood tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum) conserved at Yarikhah Drug Farm (Tangmarg) in Kashmir is 150 years old.
• Out of 88 gymnosperm species found in the Indian Himalayan Region, 41 are found in northwestern Himalayas in Kashmir, with 20 occurring in the wild and 21 under cultivation.
• Elite gymnosperms are populations/collections/ accessions that are known to/bred to perform better under different climatic conditions, because of the inherent genetic variations that occur in populations.

Jammu and Kashmir region:

• Jammu and Kashmir has a total forest cover of 20,230 square kilometres.
• These forests are characterised by the presence of gymnosperm species such as Himalayan deodar (Cedrus deodara), blue pine (Pinus wallichiana), silver fir (Abies pindrow), spruce (Picea smithiana) and Himalayan yew (Taxus wallichiana).

Why are gymnosperms important?

• Angiosperms exhibit greater diversity compared to gymnosperm species worldwide as well as in the northwestern Himalayas.
• The most significant role of gymnosperms is carbon sequestration, as they contain significant biomass and help regulate the climate.
  • Their deep root systems allow long-term storage of captured carbon in the ground, thus interrupting the carbon cycle.
• They act as effective wind-breakers, slowing down soil erosion and protecting watersheds.
• They are a rich source of diverse economic and medicinal products, providing innumerable products, including timber, fuel, gums, resins, medicines and many more useful products.
  • The pine needles are used to make handicrafts and bio-briquettes which are a biofuel substitute to coal and charcoal.
• They also serve as ‘green mufflers’, reducing noise pollution.
• They emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) when there is unusually warm weather or heat. These compounds are involved in plant-to-plant communication as alarm signals. Thus, gymnosperm species play a crucial role in the overall functioning of the forest ecosystem.

Forest dieback:

• Forests often exhibit yellowed patches where a large number of trees have died, and this phenomenon is known as forest dieback.
  • such dieback can be attributed to reduced precipitation, increased heating, diseases, and other related factors.

PhenoMet stations:

• The CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, in collaboration with the Space Application Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has set up a PhenoMet station to study the impact of climate change on pine forests in Himachal Pradesh.
• PhenoMet stations are being installed at 17 locations throughout the country, with eight having been installed so far under ISRO Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP).
• Forest phenology is one of the important indicators of climate change.
• Vegetation phenology is the timing of seasonal developmental stages in plant life cycles including bud burst, canopy growth, flowering, and senescence, which are closely coupled to seasonally varying weather patterns.

International Geosphere- Biosphere Programme (IGBP):

• The IGBP was a research programme that ran from 1987 to 2015 dedicated to studying the phenomenon of global change.
• Its primary focus was coordinating “international research on global-scale and regional-scale interactions between Earth’s biological, chemical and physical processes and their interactions with human systems.”
• The International Council of Scientific Unions, a coordinating body of national science organizations, launched IGBP.
• IGBP research was organised around six projects representing the Earth system – land, atmosphere, ocean and where they meet (land-atmosphere, land-ocean, atmosphere-ocean) and two further projects looking at the Earth system as a whole: Past Global Changes (PAGES), which looks at palaeoclimate, and the Analysis, Integration and Modelling of the Earth System (AIMES), which helps set the agenda for Earth system models, as well as four joint projects – carbon, water, human health and food security – with the other three international global-change programmes.

17. Climate change aiding spread of deadly virus in Europe: What is CCHF

Subject :Science and technology

Section: Health

Context:

• There is an alarming fear of spread of  Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), due to the rising temperatures in Europe.

Details:

• The Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an infection spread by ticks that has a high fatality rate, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
• The CCHF is endemic to Africa, the Balkan countries, Middle East, and parts of Asia.
• The first fatality from the disease in Europe was in Spain, in 2016.
• Cases have so far been reported in a Spain, Russia, Turkey, and the UK.
• In India, one person succumbed to CCHF last month in Gujarat.

What is CCHF?

• Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral haemorrhagic fever usually transmitted by ticks.
• It can also be contracted through contact with viraemic animal tissues (animal tissue where the virus has entered the bloodstream) during and immediately post-slaughter of animals.
• CCHF outbreaks constitute a threat to public health services as the virus can lead to epidemics, has a high case fatality ratio (10–40%), potentially results in hospital and health facility outbreaks, and is difficult to prevent and treat.
• The virus is present in the tick family of insects.
• Animals such as cattle, goats, sheep and hares serve as amplifying hosts for the virus. Transmission to humans occurs through contact with infected ticks or animal blood.
• CCHF can be transmitted from one infected human to another by contact with infectious blood or body fluids such as sweat and saliva.
• The ticks can also be hosted by migratory birds, thus carrying the virus over long distances.
• While the disease was first detected among soldiers in the Crimean Peninsula (near the Black Sea) in 1944, in 1969, it was found that an ailment identified in the Congo Basin was caused by the same pathogen.
• Thus, the disease was named the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever.

What are the symptoms, cure of CCHF?

• CCHF symptoms include fever, muscle ache, dizziness, neck pain, backache, headache, sore eyes and sensitivity to light.
• There may be nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and sore throat early on, followed by sharp mood swings and confusion.
• After 2–4 days the agitation may be replaced by sleepiness, depression and lassitude.
• There is no vaccine for the virus in either humans or animals, and treatment generally consists of managing symptoms.
• The antiviral drug ribavirin has been used to treat CCHF infection with apparent benefit.

Climate change and spread of diseases

• As temperature patterns are disrupted, pathogens are thriving in geographies that traditionally had a climate hostile to them.
• The ticks are moving up through Europe due to climate change, with longer and drier summers.
• The climate change contributes to the spread of diseases in multiple ways, including:
  • Warmer temperatures expanding the habitat of ticks and other insects and giving them more time to reproduce;
  • The habitat offered by water undergoing changes; and
  • Animals moving to newer areas and people coming into contact with them.

18. The curious link between endometriosis and an infectious bacterium

Subject :Science and technology

Section: Health

Context:

• A new study points to a link between a bacteria associated with infections in the oral cavity, and endometriosis.
• Though, scientists are yet to figure out why the locations of the lesions vary in each woman.

Endometriosis:

• Endometriosis, a reproductive disease affecting one in 10 women worldwide, involves the growth of lesions on pelvic organs such as the ovaries.
  • These lesions are composed of endometrium, a layer of tissue lining the uterus.
• It causes infertility, chronic pain during periods, pelvic pain, bloating, nausea, fatigue, and is also associated with depression and anxiety among women.
• Researchers have also linked endocrine-disrupting substances to the endometriosis as they interfere with the signalling, production, transport and metabolism of hormones such as oestrogen and progesterone, which are causal factors of endometriosis. The condition has also been linked to genetic and metabolic factors.

Common condition, unknown cause

• Scientists worldwide have come up with different ideas of the disease’s cause.
  • One is retrograde menstruation – when some part of the menstrual blood flows backwards, into the abdominal region, instead of flowing out of the vagina.
    • But this is common, occurring in close to 90% of menstruating women, whereas endometriosis affects only 10%.
  • Another possibility: The inability of the immune system to detect and eliminate blood cells from retrograde menstruation, allowing it to persist in the pelvic region, points to some dysfunction in the immune system.
• Treatment options are limited to hormone therapies, contraceptive pills, and laparoscopic surgery to remove the lesions.

Gut microbes and Fusobacterium:

• There’s a link between inflammatory bowel disease with endometriosis; the latter’s proximity to the gut has had scientists asking whether a bacteria could be the problem.
• Fusobacterium already has known links to infections of the gum, vagina, and rectum – yet it isn’t commonly found in meaningful quantities in the gut.
• Experts have suggested that it could be moving to the abdomen through the bloodstream or to the vaginal region from the rectum.

What do the findings portend?

• Endometriosis currently takes six years on average to be diagnosed. And even after a diagnosis, few treatment options are available.
• Fibrous food can help manage the condition because, while metabolites released by certain microbes can aggravate endometrial lesions, other metabolites produced by the fermentation of certain types of food can protect from the condition. This is because the latter can decrease the abundance of Fusobacterium and other infectious bacterial species.
• This is why the consumption of food with high amounts of antioxidants, probiotic foods (with Lactobacillus gasseri bacteria), and food rich in omega-3 fatty acids have also been found to help suppress the development of endometriosis.

19. ‘Bharat Dal’ brand: Piyush Goyal launches sale of subsidised chana dal at Rs 60 per kg

Subject :Geography

Section: Economic geography

Context:

• Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal launched the sale of ‘subsidised’ chana dal under the brand name ‘Bharat Dal’ at the rate of Rs 60 per kg for one kg pack and Rs 55 per kg for 30 kg pack.

Details:

• The Centre’s move to launch chana dal at a ‘subsidised’ rate comes at a time when retail prices of tur (arhar) have risen sharply.
• The all-India daily average retail price of tur (arhar) was recorded at Rs 134.48 per kg on Monday, which is 32.91 per cent higher than Rs 101.18 per kg a year ago.
• The retail prices of urad and moong are also 10-11 per cent higher as compared to their levels last year.
• Only masoor dal prices are lower than their last year’s levels.
• The milling and packaging of chana dal is undertaken by NAFED for distribution through its retail outlets in Delhi-NCR and also through the outlets of NCCF.

About Tur or Arhar Dal:

• The pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), often referred to as arhar or tur dal, is a perennial legume that is indigenous to the Old World and belongs to the Fabaceae family.
• Pigeon peas are widely grown around the world in tropical and subtropical areas, and they are popular in South Asia, South East Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
• Climatic requirements:
  • In the rainy season (June to October), arhar can be cultivated at temperatures between 26 °C and 30 °C, and in the post-rainy season (November to March), at temperatures between 17 °C and 22 °C.
  • Pigeonpea flowering during the monsoon and overcast weather results in poor pod production because the plant is extremely susceptible to low radiation at the time of pod development.
  • It can be cultivated successfully on black cotton soils that are well-drained and have a pH range of 7.0 to 8.5.

Pulses in India:

Important Major Pulses Growing Zones / States in India 

Varietal Development programme of pulses got strengthened in 1967 with the initiation of All-India Co-ordinated Research Improvement Programme. Through this programme, the varieties suitable for across the country i.e. agro-climatic zones: Northern Hills Zone – J&K, Himachal Pradesh, North West of Uttar Pradesh; North West Plain Zone – Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, western Uttar Pradesh; North East Plain Zone – eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Northern Odisha; Central Zone – Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh; South Zone – Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and southern Odisha have been developed.

Climatic Requirement

Pulse crops are cultivated in Kharif, Rabi and Zaid seasons of the Agricultural year. Rabi crops require mild cold climate during sowing period, during vegetative to pod development cold climate and during maturity / harvesting warm climate. Similarly, Kharif pulse crops require warm climate throughout their life from sowing to harvesting. Summer pulses are habitants of warm climate. Seed is required to pass many stages to produce seed like germination, seedling, vegetative, flowering, fruit setting, pod development and grain maturity / harvesting.

Area, Production And Yield Of Major Pulse Crops Growing States In India

There was 239 lakh ha area in India at triennium ending 2010-11, which was mainly contributed by Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. From this area, 158 lakh tonnes production of pulse was received. The major contributors of this production were Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. During this period, productivity of pulses was recorded as 661 kg / ha with highest in Punjab (905 kg/ha), Haryana (891), Bihar (839), Uttar Pradesh (823) and West Bengal (811).

NAFED:

• The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) is an organisation of marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce.
• It was established on October 2 1958 under the Multi State Cooperative Societies Act.
• It was set up with the aim of promoting co-operative marketing of agricultural produce that would benefit farmers.

20. Uniform Civil Code: Why it can impact Hindu Undivided Family’s tax benefits

Subject : Polity

Section: Constitution

Context:

• The LAW Commission of India has initiated fresh deliberation on a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which has triggered discussion on the institution of Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) and its separate treatment under tax laws.

Genesis and structure:

• The existence of HUF as a legal entity is based on an acknowledgment of customs by the BritishRaj in India.
• It was seen as an institution that operated on a strong sense of blood ties and kinship to jointly exercise control over property in Hindu families, and led to business arrangements based on Hindu personal laws rather than contractual arrangements.
• As a legal entity, HUF portrayed a dual identity of a family-backed institution and an income-generating entity solely for the maintenance of the family.
• For income tax purposes, an HUF consists of all persons lineally descended from a common ancestor, and includes their wives and unmarried daughters.
• An HUF has its own Permanent Account Number (PAN) and files tax returns independent of its members.
• An HUF has a karta who is typically the eldest male person in the family, and manages its day-to-day affairs. Other members are coparceners; children are coparceners of their father’s HUE.

The historical view:

• The Indian Income Tax Act of 1886 recognised HUF under the term “person”.
• In an effort to shore up finances for World War I, the British introduced the Super Tax Act, 1917, which recognised HUF as a separate entity for tax purposes for the first time. Super tax was levied in addition to income tax.
• The idea of HUF as a distinct category of taxpayer was incorporated in the Income Tax Act, 1922, which formed the basis of the post-independence Income Tax Act, 1961.
• The law currently in force recognizes HUF as a person under Section 2(31 )(ii).

Revenue loss:

• The Income Tax Enquiry Report of 1936 flagged the substantial revenue loss owing to the special exemptions for HUFs.
• The Taxation Enquiry Commission of 1953-54 acknowledged the anomalies created by the preferential tax treatment for HUFs.
• But since the treatment of HUF under tax law was tied to the legal position of HUF under Hindu personal law, and owing to the pendency of the Hindu Code Bill during that period, the Commission decided not to change the tax position of HUF.
• The Justice Wanchoo Committee Report of 1971 explicitly stated that the institution of HUF was being used to avoid tax.
• In 2018, a Law Commission consultation paper declared that “it is high time that it is understood that justifying this institution on the ground of deep-rooted sentiments at the cost of the country’s revenues may not be judicious”.

Not available to all

• The concept of HUF is closely tied to the concepts of joint family & coparcenary.
• This is unique to Hindu personal law (deemed to include Jains, Buddhists & Sikhs).
• Kerala abolished the joint family system in 1975 through the Kerala Hindu Joint Family (Abolition) Act, 1975. The Supreme Court adjudicated on the interplay of this abolition with the Income Tax Act in CIT vs. N. Ramanatha Reddiar (HUF) (1996) by holding that once the entity of joint family and HUF has been abolished by a competent legislature, the Tax Department can no longer make an assessment on an HUF assessee.
• As a corollary, the individual taxpayer also can’t avail of tax benefits by creation of an HUF.
• However, this benefit of statutory tax planning is not available to a taxpayer of other religions, such as Muslims, Christians, Parsis, etc., which raises concerns over the lack of uniform application of tax laws.

About the Uniform Civil Code (UCC):

• The Uniform Civil Code is mentioned in Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, which is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy.
• These principles are not legally enforceable but are meant to guide the state in making policies.
• It has been supported by some as a way to promote national integration and gender justice, but opposed by others as a threat to religious freedom and diversity.
• The only state in India that has a UCC is Goa, which retained its common family law known as the Goa Civil Code after it was liberated from Portuguese rule in 1961.
• The rest of India follows different personal laws based on their religious or community identity.

21. Kalka-Shimla heritage tracks that survived a century fall to ‘poor drainage’

Subject : History

Section: Art and culture

Context:

• On July 8, amid the commemoration of its 15th anniversary as a UNESCO Protected World Heritage site, the iconic 122-year-old Kalka-Shimla narrow gauge railway connection suffered its worst-ever calamity as its 96.6-km tracks got damaged at 135 points.

Details:

• Cause of destruction is the unscientific laying of drainage pipelines beneath the four-lane Kalka-Shimla national highway.
• The tracks saw obstructions at more than 135 locations — 100 between Kalka and Solan, and 35 between Solan and Shimla.
• The tracks pass through 102 tunnels with 988 bridges, and were given the UNESCO World Heritage Site status on July 8, 2008.
• The tracks were constructed more than a century ago and became operational in 1903.
• Over the last 122 years, it has endured heavy rain, cloudbursts, and survived due to its scientifically designed bridges.
• The engineers built these bridges after studying the natural waterfalls and landslide-prone areas, ensuring that water flows smoothly under them without harming the track.
• Before the tragedy struck, trial runs of four soundproof panoramic Vistadome coaches were under way.

About the Kalka–Shimla Railway:

• It is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge railway in North India which traverses a mostly mountainous route from Kalka to Shimla.
• It is known for dramatic views of the hills and surrounding villages. The railway was built under the direction of Herbert Septimus Harington between 1898 and 1903 to connect Shimla, the summer capital of India during the British Raj, with the rest of the Indian rail system.
• Its early locomotives were manufactured by Sharp, Stewart and Company. Larger locomotives were introduced, which were manufactured by the Hunslet Engine Company.
• Diesel and diesel-hydraulic locomotives began operation in 1955 and 1970, respectively.
• On 8 July 2008, UNESCO added the Kalka–Shimla Railway to the mountain railways of India World Heritage Site.

List of UNESCO Natural World Heritage sites in India

List of UNESCO Cultural World Heritage sites in India

UNESCO Mixed World Heritage Sites

• A mixed site comprises components of both natural and cultural importance: