Daily Prelims Notes 10 June 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

10 June 2024

1. What are Cabinet committees, and why is the CCS the most important of them all?

Sub: Polity

Sec: Executive

Context:

While the allocation of portfolios is likely to be known soon, it is expected that the BJP — with 240 seats in Lok Sabha — will not cede the four big portfolios of Home, Defence, Finance, and External Affairs to its alliance partners, so it is able to retain its hold on the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

Cabinet Committees

• They are extra-constitutional in emergence.
• In other words, they are not mentioned in the Constitution. However, the Rules of Business provide for their establishment.

Background:

• Exercising powers vested by virtue of Article 77, the President has made the “The Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules”. The Rules stipulate that the business of the Government of India shall be transacted in the Ministries, Departments, Secretariats and Offices specified in the First Schedule to these rules (all of which are hereinafter referred to as “departments”). The distribution of subjects among the departments shall be as specified in the Second Schedule to these Rules. The manner in which the officers are required to help the Minister in discharge of his/her executive functions is governed by the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules. The Rules provide that all business allotted to a Department shall be disposed of by, or under general or special directions of, the Minister-in-charge, subject to certain limitations where consultation is required with other departments or where cases have to be submitted to the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and its Committees or the President. These Rules also provide for the constitution of the following Standing Committees of the Cabinet and each Standing Committee shall consist of such Ministers as the Prime Minister may, from time to time, specify. As of now, these Committees are
• There are 8 cabinet committees –
  • Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
  • Cabinet Committee on Accommodation.
  • Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
  • Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.
  • Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.
  • Cabinet Committee on Security.
  • Cabinet Committee on Investment and Growth.
  • Cabinet Committee on Employment & Skill Development.

The Rules also provide for appointment of ad hoc Committees of Ministers for investigating and reporting to the Cabinet, and, if so authorized, for taking decisions on such matters. The Rules also stipulate that it shall be the responsibility of the Departmental Secretary, who shall be the administrative head thereof, to ensure observance of these Rules in the Department

The Prime Minister constitutes Standing Committees of the Cabinet and sets out the specific functions assigned to them. He can add or reduce the number of committees.

• In addition to cabinet committees, several Groups of Ministers (GoMs) are constituted to look into different issues/subjects.
• All committees except Cabinet Committee on Accommodation and Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs are headed by the Prime Minister.
• The committee is responsible for debates, discussions and appointments of/in the national security bodies.
• Major decisions with respect to the significant appointments, issues of national security, defence expenditure of India are taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
• CCS is chaired by the Prime Minister of India.
• The following are the members of the CCS:
  • Prime Minister
  • Minister of Defence
  • Minister of Home Affairs
  • Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs
  • Minister of External Affairs.

Why is CCS so important?

• With the Prime Minister helming it, the CCS has the ministers for Finance, Defence, Home Affairs and External Affairs as its members. It is responsible for debates, discussions and appointments of/ in the national security bodies. Major decisions with respect to the significant appointments, issues of national security, defence expenditure of India are taken by CCS.
• Besides dealing with defence related issues, the CCS also brainstorms on issues relating to law and order and internal security, and policy matters concerning foreign affairs on security-related issues. It also considers matters relating to atomic energy.
• The great importance of the CCS is the reason why it is expected that the BJP will resist the pressure from allies, including from crucial ones such as TDP and JDU, to cede any of these important portfolios.

2. Who Will Get Lok Sabha Speaker Post? Big Question After Modi 3.0 Signs In

Sub: Polity

Sec: Parliament

Context: Multiple reports have claimed that kingmakers TDP and JDU are looking at the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post

How Speaker Is Elected? 

• According to the Constitution, the Speaker’s post falls vacant just before the new Lok Sabha meets for the first time.
• A pro-tem Speaker appointed by the President administers the oath of office to the new MPs.
• Subsequently, a Lok Sabha Speaker is elected by a simple majority.
• While there is no specific criteria to be elected as a Lok Sabha Speaker, an understanding of the Constitution and parliamentary rules is an advantage. In the last two Lok Sabhas, in which the BJP enjoyed a majority, Sumitra Mahajan and Om Birla were the Speakers.

About Speaker:

• The speaker of Lok Sabha is the chair person or presiding officer.
• The members of Lok Sabha elect speaker and deputy speaker from among its members after elections or when vacancy exists.
• To maintain independence of the office of speaker his salary on the consolidated Fund of India and the same is not subject to vote of Parliament.
• He is sixth in the Order of Precedence of Government of India.
• The speaker decides the agenda of discussions and has a casting vote (vote not in first place, but, only if tie exist).
• The Committees of the House function under the overall direction of the Speaker. He nominates the chairpersons of the committee.
• Committees like the Business Advisory Committee, the General Purposes Committee and the Rules Committee work directly under her Chairmanship
• The speaker has the power to adjourn or suspend the house/meetings if the quorum is not met. The Speaker ensures the discipline and decorum of the house. If the speaker finds the behaviour and a Member of Parliament is not good, he/she can punish the unruly members by suspending.
• The Speaker of Lok Sabha does not leave the office just after dissolution of the assembly. He continues to be in the office till the newly formed assembly takes its first meeting and elects the new Speaker.
• The final power to decide whether a particular bill is a Money Bill or not is vested in the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• The Speaker of Lok Sabha presides over the joint sitting of both the Houses.

Removal from office:

• If no more a member of house; resigns by writing to deputy speaker; he is of unsound mind declared so by the court of law; if he is declared undischarged insolvent; if he is no longer the citizen of India;
• He is removed from the post of Speaker by passing a resolution by majority of the members of Lok Sabha. This is to note that during resolution for removal of Speaker, the Speaker is not in position to cast his vote even if there is tie.

3. EU vote in closing stretch as far right eyes gains

Sub: IR

Sec: Int groupings

Context:

• The final stretch of voting for the EU’s next parliament occurred on June 9, with early exit polls indicating gains for far-right parties, particularly in Austria and Germany, where it was a significant setback for Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Details:

• The election involved over 360 million eligible voters across 27 EU nations, occurring amidst various global challenges including Russia’s war in Ukraine, US-China trade tensions, climate change, and the potential return of Donald Trump to the US presidency.
• There is a noticeable rise in anti-immigrant sentiment and populist support across the bloc.
• This election will influence the selection of the next European Commission leader, with German conservative Ursula von der Leyen seeking a second term.
• The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban framed the election as a choice between “pro-peace or pro-war,” amidst concerns of Russia’s threat, particularly in eastern EU countries.

European Parliament:

• The European Parliament is an important forum for political debate and decision-making at the EU level.
• The Members of the European Parliament are directly elected by voters in all Member States to represent people’s interests with regard to EU law-making and to make sure other EU institutions are working democratically.
• The European Parliament is made up of 705 Members elected in the 27 Member States of the European Union.
• President of EP:
  • The President is elected for a renewable term of two and a half years, i.e. half the lifetime of a Parliament.
  • The President represents the European Parliament vis-à-vis the outside world and in its relations with the other EU institutions.
• Beside legislative work, MEPs (Members of European Parliament):
  • oversee the work of the Commission and other EU institutions
  • scrutinise the implementation of EU policies
  • decide on the annual budget together with the Council, and monitor the use of EU funds
  • vote to elect the president of the Commission, and approve the whole line-up of commissioners.
  • have the right to dismiss the Commission.

Elections to European Parliament:

• Elections to the European Parliament take place every five years by universal adult suffrage; with more than 400 million people eligible to vote, they are the second largest democratic elections in the world after India’s.

Emergence of far-right wing across Europe:

• In France, Marine Le Pen‘s National Rally was predicted to secure around 30% of the vote, significantly outperforming President Emmanuel Macron‘s liberals.
• Germany saw its highest voter turnout since 1979 at 64%, but Scholz’s Social Democrats lagged behind both the far-right Alternative for Germany and the conservative CDU-CSU bloc.
• In Austria, the far-right Freedom Party led the vote count.
• In the Netherlands, the Green-Labour coalition outpaced the far-right Freedom Party of Geert Wilders.
• In Italy, the ruling far-right Brothers of Italy party was expected to come out on top.
• The far-right’s rise is attributed to increasing dissatisfaction with high living costs and immigration. 

Terms:

1. Far-right politics:
   • Far-right politics include “persons or groups who hold extreme nationalist, xenophobic, racist, religious fundamentalist, or other reactionary views.” While the term far right is typically applied to fascists and neo-Nazis, it has also been used to refer to those to the right of mainstream right-wing politics.
2. Right-wing politics:
   • It is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property, religion, biology or tradition.
   • Hierarchy and inequality may be seen as natural results of traditional social differences or competition in market economies.
3. Left-wing politics:
   • It describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy as a whole or certain social hierarchies.
   • It involves a concern for those in society whom its adherents perceive as disadvantaged relative to others as well as a belief that there are unjustified inequalities that need to be reduced or abolished through radical means that change the nature of the society they are implemented in.
   • Supporters of left-wing politics “claim that human development flourishes when individuals engage in cooperative, mutually respectful relations that can thrive only when excessive differences in status, power, and wealth are eliminated.

Origin of these terms:

• Left and Right were coined during the French Revolution, referring to the seating arrangement in the French National Assembly.
• Those who sat on the left generally opposed the Ancien Régime and the Bourbon monarchy and supported the Revolution, the creation of a democratic republic and the secularisation of society while those on the right were supportive of the traditional institutions of the Ancien Régime.

Source: TH

4. Thousands rally in Armenia against PM

Sub: IR

Sec: Places in news

Context:

• Thousands of Armenians protested in Yerevan against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan‘s decision to return territory to Azerbaijan, a move seen as a concession to the long-time rival.

Details:

• The controversy follows Armenia‘s recent return of four border villages to Azerbaijan, a decision defended by Pashinyan as a peace effort following two wars over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenia- Azerbaijan conflict:

• Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh by Armenians, is a landlocked mountainous area in the Caucasus region (the transcontinental region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea).
  • It is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but its inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Armenians.
  • They have their own government which has enjoyed close links to Armenia‘s but has not been officially recognised by Armenia or any other country.
• The conflict dates back to the late 1980s when the region declared its independence from Azerbaijan as the Soviet Union collapsed.
  • The first war erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the territory, which ended with a ceasefire in 1994, leaving Nagorno-Karabakh and some surrounding areas under Armenian control.
  • The ceasefire was frequently violated by both sides, and several attempts to negotiate a peaceful settlement failed.
• In 2020, Azerbaijan launched the Second Karabakh War, winning a resounding victory and retaking seven surrounding districts and about a third of Nagorno-Karabakh.
  • Russia brokered a peace deal after the Second Karabakh War in 2020 and provided for up to 1,960 Russian peacekeepers stationed in the region.

Azerbaijan:

• Azerbaijan is a country in Asia that is bordered by Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Iran.
  • The east of the country is bordered by the Caspian Sea.
  • Much of the north and west is covered by the Caucasus Mountains.
• Capital city: Baku.
• Azerbaijan is abundant in oil and natural gas.
• Yanar Dag, a famous site in Azerbaijan, has a natural eternal fire fueled by seeping natural gases, burning for over 65 years along the Caspian Sea. This unique phenomenon aligns with Azerbaijan’s nickname, “The Land of Fire.”

Armenia

• A landlocked country in the Caucasus with Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, and Azerbaijan to the east.
• Capital: Yerevan.
• Armenia is a mountainous country.
  • Highest Peak: Mount Ararat.

5. Migrants left stranded as Tunisia tries to keep them from reaching Europe

Sub: IR

Sec: Places in news

Context:

• Migrants stranded in Tunisia, near the Mediterranean coast, face dire conditions as they seek to reach Europe.
• Tunisia’s coast guard has ramped up efforts to prevent crossings with European support.

Details:

• Encampments like Kilometer-19, notorious for violence, have grown as police push migrants out of cities.
• Tunisia’s measures, bolstered by a 1 billion euro deal with the EU, have significantly reduced the number of migrants reaching Italy.
• However, the increased migrant presence in Tunisia has led to local backlash, xenophobic rhetoric, and calls for expulsions.
• The EU’s focus on limiting migration continues to clash with the humanitarian crisis unfolding on Tunisia’s coastline.

EU- Tunisia Deal:

• This financial support from the EU comes under the Memorandum of Understanding on a strategic and global partnership (MoU) concluded between the European Union and Tunisia in Tunis on 16 July 2023.
• The MoU is based on five pillars: macroeconomic stability, economy and trade, the green energy transition, people-to-people contacts, and migration and mobility.
• Under this deal, Tunisia agreed to tighten border controls in exchange for aid.

Tunisia:

• Tunisia is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a part of the Maghreb region of North Africa, bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares maritime borders with Italy through the islands of Sicily and Sardinia to the north and Malta to the east.
• Tunisia is home to Africa’s northernmost point, Cape Angela.
• Capital and largest city: Tunis, located on its northeastern coast.
• Tunisia was inhabited by the indigenous Berbers.
• It is a member of the United Nations, La Francophonie, the Arab League, the OIC, the African Union, the Non-Aligned Movement, the International Criminal Court, and the Group of 77, among others.
• It maintains close economic and political relations with some European countries, particularly with France, and Italy, which geographically lie very close to it.
• Tunisia also has an association agreement with the European Union and has also attained the status of a major non-NATO ally of the United States.

6. Vizag Port’s Themed Cruises: Showcasing Andhra Pradesh’s Heritage and Adventure

Sub: History

Sec: Art and Culture

Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) is introducing themed cruises to highlight the rich heritage and diverse attractions of Andhra Pradesh. These specialized cruises cater to wildlife enthusiasts, adventure sports lovers, and culinary tourists, aiming to position Vizag as a premier cruise destination.

 Wildlife Enthusiast Cruise

• Attraction: Guided visits to Andhra Pradesh’s wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
• Activities: Observation of diverse biodiversity, participation in conservation activities.

 Adventure Sports Cruise

• Water Sports: Scuba diving and snorkeling in the Bay of Bengal.
• Trekking and Rock Climbing: Adventure activities in the Eastern Ghats.
• River Rafting: Thrilling experiences on the Godavari and Krishna rivers.

 Culinary and Cultural Cruises

Local Cuisine: Tours designed for culinary tourists to explore regional food.

Heritage Sites: Visits to historical and cultural landmarks.

 Strategic Initiatives

Bespoke Cruise Experiences: Tailored to leverage unique attractions of Andhra Pradesh.

Promotion Efforts: VPA is actively promoting these special interest cruises.

Economic Impact: Encouraging former crew members to establish local businesses to support the cruise sector.

Conclusion

 Vizag’s themed cruises offer a unique way to experience Andhra Pradesh’s natural beauty, adventure sports, and cultural heritage. By fostering specialized tourism and supporting local businesses, VPA aims to boost the local economy and solidify Vizag’s status as a top cruise destination.

7. Low-Cost MRI Machine: A Game Changer for Diagnostics in India

Sub: Science and tech

Sec: Health

Overview

A newly designed MRI machine offers a cost-effective and accessible solution for diagnostic imaging, potentially transforming healthcare in India. This innovation, developed by scientists at the University of Hong Kong, employs low-strength magnets and store-bought hardware to drastically reduce costs and improve portability.

What is Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI?

It is a noninvasive medical imaging test that produces detailed images of almost every internal structure in the human body, including the organs, bones, muscles and blood vessels. MRI scanners create images of the body using a large magnet and radio waves. No ionizing radiation is produced during an MRI exam, unlike X-rays. These images give your physician important information in diagnosing your medical condition and planning a course of treatment.

How does an MRI scan work?

• The MRI machine is a large, cylindrical (tube-shaped) machine that creates a strong magnetic field around the patient and sends pulses of radio waves from a scanner. Some MRI machines look like narrow tunnels, while others are more open.
• The strong magnetic field created by the MRI scanner causes the atoms in your body to align in the same direction. Radio waves are then sent from the MRI machine and move these atoms out of the original position. As the radio waves are turned off, the atoms return to their original position and send back radio signals. These signals are received by a computer and converted into an image of the part of the body being examined. This image appears on a viewing monitor.
• MRI may be used instead of computed tomography (CT) when organs or soft tissue are being studied. MRI is better at telling the difference between types of soft tissues and between normal and abnormal soft tissues.
• Because ionizing radiation is not used, there is no risk of exposure to radiation during an MRI procedure

Key Features of new MRI?

Cost: Approximately ₹18.4 lakh ($22,000), making it around 50 times cheaper than conventional MRI machines which cost between ₹9 crore and ₹13 crore.

Portability: Lightweight and portable, this machine does not require specialized infrastructure such as shielded rooms or helium coolants.

Power Requirements: Can be plugged into standard wall sockets, eliminating the need for high-power sources.

 Technological Innovations

Magnetic Field Strength: Uses 0.05 T magnets compared to the 1.5 T to 3 T magnets in conventional MRI machines.

Deep-Learning Algorithm: Enhances image quality by reducing background noise and sharpening images, compensating for the lower magnetic field strength.

 Clinical Applications

Preliminary Diagnostics: Suitable for initial scans, especially in rural or remote areas where access to advanced medical facilities is limited.

Emergency Response: Ideal for use by doctors responding to accidents and emergencies, enabling quick assessment and decision-making on-site.

Pediatric Use: Less noisy operation makes it suitable for scanning children.

Metal Safety: Lower magnetic strength reduces the risk of pulling metal objects into the machine, enhancing safety for patients with implants or prosthetics.

 Testing and Validation

Clinical Testing: Successfully tested on 30 healthy adult volunteers, producing clear images of various organs including the brain, spinal cord, liver, kidneys, spleen, lungs, heart, and knee structures.

Comparative Quality: The image quality, enhanced by AI, was found to be comparable to that of conventional 3-T MRI machines.

 Potential Impact

Accessibility: By significantly lowering costs and reducing infrastructure requirements, this MRI machine could democratize access to advanced diagnostic imaging across India, particularly benefiting low- and middle-income populations.

Complementary Tool: While not a replacement for high-field MRI machines, it can serve as a complementary tool in radiology departments, especially for preliminary assessments and in settings where high-resolution imaging is not critical.

Conclusion

The introduction of a low-cost, portable MRI machine represents a significant advancement in medical technology, with the potential to greatly improve diagnostic access and healthcare outcomes in India. By addressing cost and infrastructure barriers, this innovation promises to bring high-quality imaging to underserved regions and enhance emergency medical response capabilities.