Daily Prelims Notes 25 July 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

25 July 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Fishers groups ask govt not to ratify ‘unequal’ WTO pact
2. SEBI to review delisting regulation among other measures
3. ₹33000­ cr backstop fund for bonds to be launched
4. Most tax filers report zero income tax liability
5. Semiconductors: what exactly is India going to manufacture?
6. ICMR argues for controlled human infection studies
7. Scientists find a way to make fluorochemicals production much safer
8. Integrate mpox with HIV, STI prevention & control programmes: WHO
9. CAG finds Chhattisgarh mining department underutilised District Mineral Fund Trusts, delayed projects
10. ISRO to launch PSLV-C56, carrying Singapore’s new imaging satellite
11. Is there a rural bias in national surveys?
12. Bill introduced in LS to add Mahara, Mahra in Chhattisgarh SC list
13. CM inaugurates the city’s first ‘water ATM’, 500 more to be set up
14. King Mihir Bhoj
15. What does India’s first gig workers rights bill stipulate?
16. Govt plans memorial for Brave hearts in all villages
17. House panel expresses concern over slow documentation of antiquities
18. Minister seeks CBFC explanation over Oppenheimer scene

1. Fishers groups ask govt not to ratify ‘unequal’ WTO pact

Subject: Economy

Section: External Sector

Context:

• Fishermen trade bodies urge the government to not sign the fisheries subsidies agreement which is being ratified at the WTO saying it will not be favourable for Indian fishing communities.

Key Points:

• A trade trade body representing thousands of fish workers in India has urged the commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal to not sign the Fisheries Subsidies agreement at the World Trade Organization (WTO) during the upcoming ministerial conference in Geneva, arguing that it would destroy fishermen’s livelihoods and food security for millions in the country.
• The representation by the trade body has appealed to the government to get together with other developing nations to ensure that the “unequal” pact does not come into effect.

What is the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement?:

• The WTO proposal aims to eliminate subsidies for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and promote sustainable fishing.
• The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies was concluded at the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the WTO in Geneva in June 2022 and it is now being ratified by members individually.
• India is pressing for a longer transition period under the agreement as the sector is still at a nascent stage.
• India has highlighted that developing countries not engaged in distant water fishing should be exempted from overfishing subsidy prohibitions for at least 25 years.

Why the pact is “unequal”?

• The agreement caps the subsidies for all countries based on fishing area, which indirectly favors the developed countries. The subsidy should be on the basis of per fisher subsidy, but the WTO agreement does not acknowledge this fact.
• The negotiations so far failed to make a distinction between small subsidisers and large subsidisers.
• India had demanded that there should be discipline in use of non-specific subsidies (which are not specific to the fishing sector but general fuel subsidies) but it was rejected in the negotiations and ignored in the final agreement.
• The Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) provisions for developing countries and LDCs in the agreement were highly inadequate as they allowed a transition period of only two years from the date of entry into force of this agreement.
• Developed countries have obtained ‘reverse S&DT’, where they do not have to cut their subsidies if they can show these as sustainable and replenishing fish stocks.

Way out?

• Instead of ratifying the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, India should begin talks on the Comprehensive Agreement which is already mandated on disciplines for industrial fishing nations under Article 5 pertaining to overcapacity and overfishing.
• This should specifically target the infrastructural subsidies which are overwhelmingly provided by the developed countries and thus need to be disciplined.

2. SEBI to review delisting regulation among other measures

Subject: Economy

Section: Capital Market

Context:

SEBI to 1. Review regulations for delisting of shares by considering a fixed price option, and 2. Review trading plans for insiders 3. To bring in a mechanism of instantaneous settlement in exchanges.

Key Points:

• At present, 90 per cent stake by the parent or promoter is the threshold for delisting and price discovery is through a reverse book-building process.
• SEBI is reviewing in view of certain constituents who have made it their business model to corner shares in the market before the delisting process and jack up prices, which may not be the fair price of the stock.
• An advisory committee under Keki Mistry has been formed to relook at the delisting regulations, which is expected to be ready by the end of the year. One of the options being discussed is to have a fixed price for delisting of the shares.

3. ₹33000­ cr backstop fund for bonds to be launched

Subject: Economy

Section: Capital Market 

Context:

Finance Minister to launch ₹33,000 crore backstop fund for the corporate bond market and limited purpose clearing corporation for repo transactions in corporate bonds

Key Points:

• Earlier this year the capital markets regulator had approved setting up a backstop facility for the Corporate Debt Market Development Fund in the form of an alternative investment fund.
• During times of stress in the bond market the corpus would be utilised to buy illiquid investment grade corporate debt.
• The fund will be managed by SBI Asset Management Company. The fund is small relative to Rs 39 lakh crore ($471 billion) Indian corporate bond market, but its size could be increased later.

What is the Corporate Debt Market Development Fund ?

• SEBI introduced the “Corporate Debt Market Development Fund”, a backstop facility for specified debt funds during market dislocations and to prevent recurrences of events such as the one with Franklin Templeton MF.
• The need for a buyer and seller of last resort for corporate bonds was highlighted by Franklin Templeton India’s move to stop redemptions from six debt funds in April 2020 as investors withdrew money and the fund house was unable to sell debt investments in the market.
• This backstop facility fund comes out of Indian market peculiarity that the bonds are investment grade and still illiquid. The market for secondary corporate bonds is thin which is why there is a need for a buyer and seller of last resort, which the backstop fund will act as.

4. Most tax filers report zero income tax liability

Subject: Economy

Section: Fiscal Policy

Context:

70% ITR fillers have zero tax liability as per data presented to the Parliament by finance minister.

Key Points:

• Around 70% of people who filed income tax returns in FY23 reported no tax liability.
• In FY23, 7.4 crore persons filed income tax returns but 5.16 crore reported zero tax liability, showed the data. That represents 70% of all tax return filers.
• There has been a 6.18 % increase in the number of persons filing income tax returns in FY23.
  • The government took several steps to increase the number of tax return filers, the minister said.
  • The scope of Tax Deducted at Source / Tax Collected at Source (TDS/TCS) has been expanded by bringing several new transactions into their ambit.
  • Newer points of taxation include TDS/TCS on huge cash withdrawals, foreign remittance, purchase of luxury car, e-commerce participants, sale of goods, acquisition of immovable of property, purchase of overseas tour programme, transfer of virtual digital assets, net winnings from online games and interest on listed debentures paid to the resident.

Tax base:

The tax base is the total amount of assets or revenue that a government can charge tax on. For example, the assessed value is the tax base for property taxes and taxable income is the tax base for income tax. It can also be defined as the total of taxable income, taxable assets, and the assessed value of property within the government tax jurisdiction.

Widening of text base mean that the people who are filing returns should be much more.

5. Semiconductors: what exactly is India going to manufacture?

Subject: Economy

Section: External Sector

Context:

• In a major setback, Foxconn Technology Group recently withdrew its support from its joint venture with Vedanta, Ltd. to establish a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Gujarat.

Details:

• Initially, the plan was to establish a manufacturing unit for a 40-nm node.
• After Foxconn’s withdrawal, Vedanta has maintained that it acquired the relevant technologies from another major company. It is also in the process of acquiring the technologies for the 28-nm, 63-nm, and 90-nm nodes.

What is a semiconductor chip?

• A semiconductor chip is composed of transistors, which in turn are meticulously crafted from a specially selected material, typically silicon.
  • One major function of a transistor is to encode information in the form of 0s and 1s, and to manipulate them to produce new information.
• These transistors have three parts:the source, the gate, and the drain (or the sink).
  • The flow of current between the source and the drain points is regulated by the voltage applied to the gate. This arrangement gave rise to the specific meaning of ‘gate’ in computing – analogous to a physical gate, but operating with electrical means rather than mechanical ones.
  • By manipulating the gate to ‘open’ or ‘close’, the transistor stores and manipulates the data in a semiconductor chip.
• The semiconductor stores information in the form of bits. Each bit is a logical state that can have one of two values (represented by voltage levels) at a time.
  • The more bits a semiconductor can store and the more quickly it can manipulate them, the more data transistors can process.
• The three parts of a transistor are connected to multiple metal layers on top of them that apply voltages, forming a complex mesh of electrical connections with the transistors.
• The metal layers allow selective access to a transistor and provide the versatility required for the chip to execute multiple tasks.

What does the node number mean?

• Through history, the names of semiconductor nodes have been based on two numbers:

1. The length of the gate and
2. The distance between adjacent metal strips connected to the gate;

• The latter, when measured centre to centre, is called the pitch. These dimensions were often equal.
• The size of transistors has progressively shrunk over the years. The smaller a transistor becomes, the more of them can be fit on a semiconductor chip, the more data the chip can store, the more computing power there will be.
• Yet as transistors continued to become smaller, researchers spotted a discrepancy between the gate length and the metal pitch, rooted in the fact that while smaller transistors generally resulted in faster operation, reducing the size of metal wires created different problems, including not being able to transport data fast enough.
• Since 1997, as the miniaturisation continued, both the half-pitch and gate length ceased to contribute to the node name.
• From a technical standpoint, node names hold no significance vis-à-vis the actual physical dimensions. Instead, marketers use them to mean one node is better than a previous iteration.
• In fact, different companies have also been using “nm” in the name to mean different things. The only information that can be derived from the node number of a particular company is that it is an improvement on its predecessor.

Does India need legacy nodes?

• The choice of nodes involves compromises. While advanced nodes range from 10 nm to 5 nm, India’s current focus is around 28 nm or higher.
• Starting with legacy nodes can offer numerous advantages, including equipping us for long-term success.
• Many applications require legacy nodes, including robotics, defence, aerospace, industry automation tools, automobiles, Internet of Things, and image sensors – because they are more cost-effective.
• The principal revenue source for any fabrication facility, or ‘fab’, is its most advanced node. But almost every commercial fab also maintains the production of legacy nodes to fulfil demands in the aforementioned areas.
• As the demand for electric cars and electric equipment in the car increases, the demand for legacy nodes will also increase.

What are the Initiatives related to Semiconductors?

1. Semi-conductor Laboratory (SCL):
   • MeitY will take requisite steps for modernization and commercialization of Semi-conductor Laboratory (SCL).
2. For Compound Semiconductors:
   • Government will support fiscal support of 30% of capital expenditure to approved Compound Semiconductors units.
3. Production Linked Incentives:
   • Incentive support to the tune of 55,392 crore (7.5 billion USD) have been approved under Product Linked Incentive (PLI ) for Largest Scale Electronics Manufacturing, PLI for IT Hardware, SPECS Scheme and Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) Scheme.
4. India Semiconductor Mission (ISM):
   • Launched in 2021 with a total financial outlay of Rs76,000 crore under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY).
   • The programme aims to provide financial support to companies investing in semiconductors, display manufacturing and design ecosystem.

6. ICMR argues for controlled human infection studies

Subject: Economy

Section: External Sector

Context:

• India has taken its first step to introduce Controlled Human Infection Studies (CHIS), used in many countries for vaccine and treatment development.

About CHIS:

• The CHIS is proposed by the Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) Bioethics Unit.
• Outside of India, this relatively new research model which involves intentionally exposing healthy volunteers to pathogens in a controlled environment, has been used to study malaria, typhoid, dengue, etc.
• The deterrents include technical, clinical, ethical and legal contentions, amid unique socio-cultural context.
• Concerns include:
  • India has so far stayed away from CHIS, because regardless of the potential scientific benefits, these studies are ethically sensitive and raise concerns about contentious research ethicsissues like:
    • deliberate harm,
    • possible disproportionate payment and hence inducements,
    • third-party risk,
    • withdrawal from the study and research with vulnerable participants.

Need for the CHIS:

• India carries a high burden of morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases.
• They contribute about 30% of the disease burden in the country.
• Finding novel, efficient, and cost-effective alternatives to existing methods of research in these diseases and their prevention is imperative to reduce this burden.
• CHIS is a relatively new research model that helps provide unique insights into disease pathogenesis and can accelerate the development of novel medical interventions.
• CHIS offers accelerated, cost-effective, and efficient outcomes using smaller sample sizes in comparison to large clinical trials.
• Its social value includes:
  • potential contributions to public health response to diseases of concern,
  • healthcare decision-making,
  • policies and economic benefits,
  • improved pandemic preparedness, and
  • community empowerment.
• ICMR has also cautioned that CHIS is a highly complex area and may require collaborations at different levels between researchers, institutions, organisations and/or between different countries.
• These studies may play a crucial role in advancing the scientific understanding of infectious diseases and thereby accelerating the development of treatment strategies.

About ICMR:

• The Government of India funds ICMR.
• It comes under the Department of Health Services (DHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW).
• The headquarters of ICMR is in New Delhi.
• It is neither a statutory body nor a regulatory body.
• ICMR hosts Clinical Trials Registry – India (CTRI). It was established on 20th July 2007.
  • It is a free and online public record system for the registration of clinical trials being conducted in India.
  • Till 15th June 2009, the clinical trial registry was a voluntary measure; after which the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has made trial registration at CTRI mandatory.
• Importance – It encourages registration of clinical trials before the enrolment of the first participant.
• It has been publishing the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR) since 1913.
• ICMR’s National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) was established in 1918 as ‘Beri Beri Enquiry’ at the Pasteur Institute, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.
  • Sir Robert McCarrison was the founder of the ‘Beri Beri’ enquiry unit now known as NIN.
• Union Health Minister of India presides over the governing body of ICMR.
• Prof. Balram Bhargava, secretary of DHS, is the Director-General of ICMR.
• There are 27 institutes/regional medical research centres under ICMR.

7. Scientists find a way to make fluorochemicals production much safer

Subject: Economy

Section: External Sector

Context:

• Scientists from the University of Oxford have come up with a new way to obtain fluorine atoms, used to manufacture important chemical compounds used in industry and research, in a much safer and less energy-intensive way.

Process of Fluorochemicals production:

• Fluorine is a highly reactive element used to make fluorochemicals, which in turn are used to produce plastics, agrochemicals, lithium-ion batteries, and drugs.
• Fluorine comes from a calcium salt called calcium fluoride, or fluorspar.
• Fluorspar is mined and then treated with sulphuric acid at a high temperature to release hydrogen fluoride (HF).
• HF is then made to react with other compounds to create fluorochemicals.

Drawback of this process:

• A major downside of this process is that HF is an extremely poisonous and corrosive liquid that irritates the eyes and respiratory tract even at low concentrations.
• It also requires special transportation and storage requirements.
• Despite stringent safety regulations, HF spills have occurred numerous times in the last decades, sometimes with fatal accidents and detrimental environmental effects.

What is the new method?

• The new method produces fluorochemicals through calcium phosphate biomineralisation.
• Scientists ground fluorspar in a ball-mill with potassium phosphate.
• While fluorine is very reactive, calcium atoms prefer phosphorus even more, so the milling created calcium phosphate and another compound with fluorine atoms. They called the latter Fluoromix.
• When Fluoromix was reacted with organic compounds, it could create around 50 fluorochemicals with up to 98% yield.
• Future steps of the research group include producing Fluoromix at a larger scale and to figure out how its cost will scale.

8. Integrate mpox with HIV, STI prevention & control programmes: WHO

Subject: Economy

Section: External Sector

Context:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) released new scientific and normative guidance for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at the 12th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science at Brisbane, Australia, on July 23, 2023.

About the new guidelines:

• The new recommendations shed light on the critical role of HIV viral suppression and undetectable virus levels in enhancing individual health and preventing transmission of the virus.
• The WHO guidelines described key HIV viral load thresholds as well as methods for measuring virus levels in relation to these thresholds.
• The United Nations’ health agency also recommended countries integrate mpox detection, prevention and care with existing and innovative HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention and control programmes.

Cases of mpox and HIV:

• Over 82,000 mpox cases were reported to the WHO. Of these cases, around 32,000 cases had information on HIV status.
• Among those, 52 per cent were living with HIV. More than 80 per cent of them reported sex as the most probable route of getting infected with mpox.
• Around one quarter (25 per cent) had advanced HIV disease or immunosuppression — leading to an increased risk of hospitalization and death.

People living with HIV (PL-HIV):

• People living with HIV (PL-HIV) who were taking the treatment and with good immunity had similar hospitalization and death outcomes as those who were HIV negative.
• The evidence also suggests that there is a negligible, or nearly zero, risk of transmitting HIV when a person has a viral load measurement of less than or equal to 1000 copies per mL, also known as having a suppressed viral load.
• An estimated 40 million people living with HIV globally depend on a cocktail of drugs to suppress the viral load in their blood. The drugs, known as ART, delay the progression of the infection into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and result in fatal consequences.

About Mpox

• Mpox (previously known as monkeypox) is a rare disease caused by a virus.
• Origins and Nature
  • First identified in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo region
• Symptoms of Mpox
  • Infected people break out in a rash that looks like chickenpox. Symptoms include fever, malaise, headache, and enlarged lymph glands
• Transmission of Mpox
  • Primary infection is through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, or cutaneous or mucosal lesions of an infected animal. Eating inadequately cooked meat of infected animals is also a risk factor. Human-to-human transmission can occur.
• Vulnerability
  • Mpox spreads rapidly and can cause one out of ten deaths if infected
• Treatment and Vaccine
  • There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for Monkeypox infection, but the European Union has recommended the Smallpox Vaccine, Imvanex.

9. CAG finds Chhattisgarh mining department underutilised District Mineral Fund Trusts, delayed projects

Subject: Economy

Section: External Sector

Context:

• The CAG report found several irregularities in the working of the trust, including the delays in projects and underutilisation of funds.

District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT):

• The mining department’s District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT) was setup by the Chhattisgarh government in 2015 as a nonprofit in all districts of Chhattisgarh to work for the interest and benefit of people and areas affected by mining operations.
• It is funded through the contribution from miners. They derive their legal status from section 9B of mines and minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 2015. This amendment came into force from 12 January 2015.
• Under Rule 6 of DMFT regulations, the department is required to prepare and maintain an updated list of directly and indirectly affected areas by mining operations. They are also required to keep an updated list of mining-affected people and local communities.
• Directly affected areas are locations where mining, blasting, excavation and waste disposal take place during mining operations.
• Indirectly affected areas by mining-related activities are where the local population suffers from economic, social and environmental repercussions.

Composition and Functions of DMFT:

• Composition and Functions of the DMF is prescribed by the State Governments taking guidelines from article 244 of Indian Constitution, fifth and sixth schedules, Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 and the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
• Funds every mining lease holder of will pay a fraction of royalty, not exceeding one-third of the royalty, to the DMF as per rates prescribed by Central Government.
• This fund will be used for welfare of the people affected in the mining affected areas.

Pradhan Mantri KhanijKshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY):

• The Ministry of Mines launched PMKKKY in 2015 for the welfare of areas and people affected by mining-related operations, using the funds generated by District Mineral Foundations (DMFs).
• Objectives:
  • to implement various developmental and welfare projects in mining affected areas, complementing the existing ongoing schemes of State and Central Government;
  • to minimize/mitigate the adverse impacts, during and after mining, on the environment, health and socio-economics of people in mining districts; and
  • to ensure long-term sustainable livelihoods for the affected people in mining areas.
• Implementation:
  • It will be implemented by DMFs of the respective districts using the funds accruing to the DMF. The Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015, mandated the setting up of DMFs in all districts in the country affected by mining related operations.
  • The Central Government has notified the rates of contribution payable by miners to the DMFs.
  • In case of all mining leases executed before 12th January, 2015 miners will have to contribute an amount equal to 30% of the royalty payable by them to the DMFs. If mining leases are granted after 12.01.2015, the rate of contribution would be 10% of the royalty payable.
• Utilisation of Funds:
  • At least 60% of PMKKKY funds to be utilized for High priority areas.
    • The high-priority areas include drinking water supply, healthcare, education, sanitation, skill development, environment preservation, pollution control measures, the welfare of women and children and the welfare of elderly and disabled people.
  • Up to 40% of the PMKKKY to be utilized for other priority areas such as- Physical infrastructure, Irrigation, Energy and Watershed Development etc.

10. ISRO to launch PSLV-C56, carrying Singapore’s new imaging satellite

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Space Technology

Concept :

• Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that the launch of the PSLV-C56 carrying Singapore’s DS-SAR satellite will take place on July 30.

About PSLV-C56:

• The PSLV-C56 carrying DS-SAR satellite along with six co-passengers will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
• It is configured in its core-alone mode, similar to that of C55.
• It would launch DS-SAR, a 360 kg satellite into a Near-equatorial Orbit (NEO) at 5 degrees inclination and 535 km altitude.

DS-SAR satellite

• It is developed under a partnership between DSTA (representing the Government of Singapore) and ST Engineering.
• It will be used to support the satellite imagery requirements of various agencies within the Government of Singapore.
• ST Engineering will use it for multi-modal and higher responsiveness imagery and geospatial services for their commercial customers.
• It carries a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
• This allows the DS-SAR to provide for all-weather day and night coverage and is capable of imaging at 1m resolution at full polarimetry.

Along with DS-SAR, the PSLV-C56 will carry

• VELOX-AM: A 23 kg technology demonstration microsatellite.
• ARCADE : Atmospheric Coupling and Dynamics Explorer (ARCADE), an experimental satellite.
• SCOOB-II: A 3U Nano satellite flying a technology demonstrator payload;
• NuLIoN :An advanced 3U Nano satellite enabling seamless IoT connectivity in both urban and remote locations;
• Galassia-2: A 3U Nano satellite that will be orbiting at low earth orbit.
• ORB-12 STRIDER: Satellite is developed under an International collaboration.

11. Is there a rural bias in national surveys?

Subject :Economy

Section: National Income

Concept :

• The Government of India has appointed a panel under the chairmanship of Pronab Sen, former Chief Statistician of India, to review the methodology of the National Statistical Organisation (NSO).

About

• Need for review: The usage of outdated survey methodology by national surveys such as the National Sample Survey (NSS), National Family Health Survey (NFHS) and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), have systematically underestimated India’s development.
• Significance of survey/data collection: National level data is a key resource for research, policymaking and development planning, so it is of utmost importance to understand and analyse both claims in the light of existing evidence.
• Agencies involved: For this purpose, we will be taking a closer look at NFHS data, which is being conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the last 30 years with the International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS) as the nodal agency.

Data collection survey method

• Data collection surveys collect information from a targeted group of people about their opinions, behaviour, or knowledge.
• Common types of example surveys are written questionnaires, face-to-face or telephone interviews, focus groups, and electronic (e-mail or website) surveys.

What are claims against the present methodology?

• Rural bias: There is evidence of rural population underestimation by NFHS-3. Overestimation of rural population seems to have taken place by NFHS-2 and NFHS-5.
• Only NFHS-1 and NFHS-4 estimates seem to be really close to World Bank estimates and projections based on Census data. However, these errors seem random rather than systematic.
• Less scope to overcome errors: Generally, there are higher percentages of no-response in urban areas compared to rural areas. However, this also does not seem to have any systematic relation with either rural or urban bias in estimation.
• No response or not, there seems to be room for improvement in minimising the errors and the way sample weights are assigned.

12. Bill introduced in LS to add Mahara, Mahra in Chhattisgarh SC list

Subject : Polity

Section: Constitution

Concept :

• he Union Social Justice Ministry has introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order and include two synonyms for the Mahar community in Chhattisgarh to the State’s Scheduled Castes list.
• The Bill will benefit about two lahks more people from these communities by making them eligible for various government schemes and benefits meant for Scheduled Castes (SCs) in the state.

Details

• The Bill proposes to add “Mahara” and “Mahra” as synonyms for the Mahar community in Chhattisgarh.
• The Mahar community is already listed as a Scheduled Caste in the state, but members of the “Mahara” and “Mahra” communities, who identify themselves as Mahar, are not able to avail themselves of the benefits available to SCs.
• The Bill seeks to rectify this anomaly and ensure that members of these communities are not deprived of their constitutional rights and entitlements as SCs.

Why are these synonyms being added?

• The inclusion of these two synonyms was initiated by the Chhattisgarh State government, which sent a proposal to the Centre for amending the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order.
• The proposal was based on the recommendations of the State-level Scrutiny Committee, which verified the claims of these communities to be Mahar.
• The State government also conducted a socio-economic survey of these communities and found that they were facing similar problems and challenges as other SCs in terms of education, employment, health, and social status.
• The State government argued that adding these synonyms would help in addressing the issues of identity, dignity, and inclusion of these communities and bring them into the mainstream of society.

Scheduled Castes (SCs) list and how it is updated

• Scheduled Castes (SCs) are a group of historically disadvantaged people in India who are recognized by the Constitution of India and given certain rights and protections.
• The term “Scheduled Caste” derives from the fact that they are listed in the Schedule (Annexure) of the Constitution.
• The list of SCs is not static, but dynamic. It can be updated by the President of India, in consultation with the state governor, by issuing an order under Article 341 of the Constitution.
• The order can include or exclude any caste, race or tribe, or part of or group within any caste, race or tribe, from the list of SCs.

Process of Inclusion and Update of the SCs List

• Constitutional Provision
• Article 341 of the Indian Constitution empowers the President to specify, through a public notification, the castes, races, tribes, or parts of groups within castes and races that are to be considered as Scheduled Castes.
• State Government Proposal
• To add or delete any caste or community from the SCs list, the concerned State Government must propose the change to the President.
• The State Government conducts a thorough examination of the social, educational, and economic conditions of the community and submits a detailed proposal to the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Verification and Recommendations
• The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment examines the proposal and conducts its investigation to verify the claims made by the State Government.
• It may seek additional information or recommendations from various authorities, including the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), State-level Commissions, and other relevant bodies.
• Consultation with NCSC
• The NCSC plays an important role in advising the government on matters related to Scheduled Castes.
• The Ministry may consult the NCSC for its views and recommendations regarding the inclusion or exclusion of a particular caste or community from the SCs list.
• Presidential Notification
• After careful examination and considering all the recommendations, the President of India issues a public notification specifying the inclusion or exclusion of a caste or community from the SCs list. This notification is then published in the Official Gazette of India.
• Amendment to the Constitution
• Once the President’s notification is issued, the SCs list is updated accordingly. The inclusion or deletion of any caste or community in the list becomes part of the Indian Constitution.
• Rights and Benefits
• With the inclusion in the SCs list, the identified communities become eligible for various affirmative action programs, reserved seats in legislatures, educational institutions, and other special provisions aimed at their social upliftment.

13. CM inaugurates the city’s first ‘water ATM’, 500 more to be set up

Subject :Science and Technology

Section: Msc

Concept :

• The Delhi government has planned to install 500 water ATMs to provide drinking water treated using the Reverse Osmosis (RO) process to people in slums and other such densely populated areas, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday.

Water ATMs

• Anytime Water Machines (ATM) is a water dispensation system which can be automatic with a coin or smart card, or manually.
• Operated by private companies, water ATMs provide an alternative solution to the safe drinking water challenge.
• Essentially water ATM is a community RO (Reverse Osmosis).
• Installed at various public places such as railway stations, bus stands, places of worship and slums where the need for potable water is acute.

Osmosis and RO:

• Osmosis involves ‘a solvent (such as water) naturally moving from an area of low solute concentration, through a membrane, to an area of high solute concentration.
• A reverse osmosis system applies an external pressure to reverse the natural flow of solvent and so seawater or brackish water is pressurised against one surface of the membrane, causing salt-depleted water to move across the membrane, releasing clean water from the low-pressure side’.

14. King Mihir Bhoj

Subject: History

Section: Ancient India

Concept:

• The controversy around the lineage of Mihir Bhoj has surfaced recently in Haryana.
• The current controversy in Haryana
• The Gurjar community in Haryana’s Kaithal had planned to unveil a statue of Mihir Bhoj, calling him a GurjarPratihar Samrat (king).
• The Rajput community members objected to this.

About Mihir Bhoj

• Mihir Bhoj (c. 836-885 CE) was a successful and ambitious ruler of ninth century India.
• At that time, the Gurjara-Pratiharas were ruling over a vast empire, from Kashmir to Gujarat.
• Mihir Bhoj successfully conquered areas of Deccan and Malwa too.
• During the ninth century, the major political struggle was for control over Kannauj as it was considered that whoever conquered Kannauj would be emperor of the country.
• Hence, the country witnessed a tripartite struggle among three big powers of the times —
• the Gurjara-Pratihara,
• the Rashtrakutas of Deccan and
• the Palas of Bengal.
• In that struggle, Mihir Bhoj was, by and large, the most successful.
• He conquered areas of Gujarat and Malwa from the Gujarat-Rashtrakutas.
• Similarly, the king launched a campaign towards Bengal and conquered territories of Gorakhpur from the Palas of Bengal too.

His contested lineage:

• Gurjar Pratiharas, the group to which Mihir Bhoj belonged, are often considered both Rajputs and Gurjars.
• Gurjars were a nomadic tribe in ancient India, initially spreading in Rajasthan and Gujarat regions.
• It is believed that Mihir Bhoj belonged to this tribe.
• However, it is also believed that he claimed Kshatriya status for himself.
• The Pratihara branch of the dynasty was linked to Rajputs.
• It was considered that only a Kshatriya (warrior) could become a king.
• In ancient India, all kings claimed Kshatriya status.

15. What does India’s first gig workers rights bill stipulate?

Subject :Economy

Section: Employment

Concept :

• Rajasthan became the first state to enact legislation on the rights of gig workers titled ‘The Rajasthan Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, 2023.’

Key Highlights of the Bill

• Applicability:
• The Bill applies to “aggregators” (digital intermediaries connecting buyers and sellers) and “primary employers” (individual or organisations engaging platform-based workers).
• Welfare Board:
• The Bill proposes a Welfare Board comprising State officials, five representatives each from gig workers and aggregators, and two others from civil society.
• The Board will set up a welfare fund, register platform-based gig workers, aggregators and primary employers.
• The board will facilitate guarantee of social security to platform-based gig workers.
• The Board will maintain a database of companies and workers and each worker will receive a unique ID which “shall be valid in perpetuity.”

Who is a ‘Gig Worker’?

• Gig workers refer to workers outside of the traditional employer-employee relationship.
• There are two groups of gig workers:
• Platform workers: When gig workers use online algorithmic matching platforms or apps to connect with customers, they are called platform workers.
• Non-platform workers: Those who work outside the above platforms are non-platform workers, including construction workers and non-technology-based temporary workers.

Status of Gig Economy in India

• According to a report titled ‘India’s Booming Gig and Platform Economy’ released by NITI Aayog, 77 lakh workers were engaged in the gig economy in 2020–21. They constituted 2.6% of the non-agricultural workforce or 1.5% of the total workforce in India.
• The gig workforce is expected to expand to 2.35 crore (23.5 million) workers by 2029–30.
• Gig workers are expected to form 6.7% of the non-agricultural workforce or 4.1% of the total livelihood in India by 2029–30.
• At present, about 47% of the gig work is in medium skilled jobs, about 22% in high skilled, and about 31% in low skilled jobs.
• Trend shows the concentration of workers in medium skills is gradually declining and that of the low skilled and high skilled is increasing.

16. Govt plans memorial for Brave hearts in all villages

Subject :History

Section: Modern India

Concept :

• The Union government has launched the ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ campaign, envisaged as a culminating event of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebration of 75 years of Indian Independence, in which soil collected from different parts of the country in August will be used to develop a garden along the Kartavya Path in Delhi.
• The five-point agenda includes the installation of a shilaphalakam (memorial plaque), as per specifications, bearing the “names of those who have made the supreme sacrifice”.
• These memorials will be built in each village and will be inaugurated between August 9 and August 15.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched Mission Amrit Sarovar in April 2022, aiming to rejuvenate 75 waterbodies in each district of the country to mark Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• In case no waterbody is available, the Shilaphalakam may be constructed in the local panchayat building, or local school, or at some other prominent location, the note says.

About Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Programme

• Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav is a series of events to be organised by the Government of India to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence. The Mahotsav will be celebrated as a Jan-Utsav in the spirit of Jan-Bhagidari.
• A National Implementation Committee headed by the Home Minister has been constituted to chalk out policies and planning of various events to be undertaken under the Commemoration.
• The curtain raiser activities are beginning from 12th March 2021, 75 weeks prior to 15th August 2022.
• Padyatra: The Padyatra to be flagged off by PM, will be undertaken by 81 marchers from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to Dandi in Navsari, a journey of 241 miles that will end on 5th April, lasting for 25 days.
• A cultural program presenting the celebration of the indomitable spirit of the country will also be organized. It will include music, dance, recitation, reading of the Preamble (each line in a different language, representing the different regions of the country).
• Depicting the youth power, as the future of India there will be 75 voices in the choir as well as 75 dancers in the event.

17. House panel expresses concern over slow documentation of antiquities

Subject :History

Section: Art and culture

Concept :

• The Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture noted in the Rajya Sabha on Monday that the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) has only been able to document 16.8 lakh antiquities out of a estimated total of 58 lakh.

National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities

• The National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) is an Indian government agency responsible for maintaining cultural heritage database under the Ministry of Culture of the government of India.
• It was launched in 2007 aimed at studying, researching and preserving the cultural heritage of India.
• National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) is a pan India mission which has been launched to prepare National Register and set up state level database on built heritage, sites and antiquities, promote awareness and sensitize people about such heritage, extend facility for capacity building and help in synergizing between various organizations on heritage issues.

Objectives of National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities

• Documentation and creation of suitable database on built heritage and sites for information and dissemination to planners, researchers etc. and for better management of such cultural resources.
• Documentation in a uniform format developed by NMMA, of all Antiquities that are available in the form of Registered Antiquities, Catalogued Antiquities with Central as well as State Governments, Private museums and collections, Universities, etc.
• Promote awareness and sensitize people concerning the benefits of preserving the historical and cultural aspects of built heritage, sites and antiquities.
• Extend training facility and capacity building to the concerned State Departments, Local bodies, NGOs, Universities, Museums, Local communities etc.
• Help in developing synergy between institutions like Archaeological Survey of India, State Departments, concerned Institutions and NGOs to generate close interaction.
• Publication and Research

18. Minister seeks CBFC explanation over Oppenheimer scene

Subject :Polity

Section: National body

About Central Board of Film Certification:

• Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory body under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952.
• Films can be publicly exhibited in India only after they have been certified by the Central Board of Film Certification.
• The Board consists of non-official members and a Chairman (all of whom are appointed by Central Government) and functions with headquarters at Mumbai.
• It has nine Regional offices, one each at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack and Guwahati. The Regional Offices are assisted in the examination of films by Advisory Panels.
• The members of the panels are nominated by Central Government by drawing people from different walks of life for a period of 2 years.
• Films are certified under 4 categories.
  • “U” (unrestricted public exhibition)
  • “A” (restricted to adult audiences]
  • “U/A” (unrestricted public exhibition subject to parental guidance for children below the age of twelve) and
  • “S” (restricted to specialized audiences such as doctors or scientists).
• In addition to these certifications the board may also refuse to certify.
• Refuse to certify — The board’s guidelines are:
  • Anti-social activities (such as violence) may not be glorified
  • Criminal acts may not be depicted
  • The following is prohibited:
    • Involvement of children in violent acts or abuse
    • Abuse or ridicule of the physically or mentally handicapped
    • Unnecessary depictions of cruelty to animals
  • Gratuitous violence, cruelty, or horror
  • No scenes encouraging alcohol consumption, drug addiction or smoking
  • No vulgarity, obscenity, depravity, double entendres or scenes degrading women, including sexual violence (as much as possible)
  • No denigration by race, religion or other social group
  • No promotion of sectarian, obscurantist, anti-scientific and anti-national attitudes
  • Relations with foreign countries should not be affected.
  • No national symbols or emblems, except in accordance with the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 (12 of 1950)