Daily Prelims Notes 25 October 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

25 October 2023

Table Of Contents

1. National Single Window system to start companies, LLPs
2. Household investments on physical assets on the rise
3. Ahead of Diwali warning issued on illegal import of firecrackers
4. Nuseirat refugee Camp
5. Why the ‘world’s most gender-equal country’ is protesting inequality
6. Telangana’s law under scanner
7. India to outpace Japan to become second largest economy in Asia by 2030
8. How do SIM cards work?
9. How Olympic cities are selected
10. A rare form of lightning
11. Weakening of Tej in Arabian Sea might have strengthened Hamoon in Bay of Bengal: IMD Expert
12. Nearly half a million Indians migrated to OECD countries in 2021: Report
13. Why India is launching a national framework for climate services
14. SC uses rare power to help man fighting for postal job for 28 years
15. Food labels to have QR code to help the visually disabled
16. What separates classical and quantum chaos?
17. Center to introduce DNA and face matching systems at police stations across country

1. National Single Window system to start companies, LLPs

Subject : Economy

Section: Capital market

In News: Company incorporation now available under the centre’s single-window approval system.

Key Points:

• Companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) can now be incorporated using the central government’s National Single Window System (NSWS) which offers various central and state approvals in one place.
• The ministry said that its system has been integrated with the NSWS for the incorporation of companies and LLPs. This service can now be availed from both the NSWS portal and the MCA21 portal.
• The move is part of the government drive to bring various regulatory services under a single platform for ease of doing business.
• In the MCA21 portal, the ministry offers various services like getting a permanent account number (PAN), bank account and GST registration while applying for incorporation of a business in one go.
• The ministry is also in the process of offering adjudication of a host of compliance defaults and other lapses which have been decriminalised, entirely virtually in a new IT module, which will be added to the MCA21 portal.
• The trend is to cut down the physical interface between the authorities and the business community and to manage approvals and adjudication virtually, which will also introduce more objectivity in decision-making.

 What is the National Single Window system?

• NSWS allows securing government approvals without having to go to individual ministries or to states.
• This portal also offers live tracking of application status, quick response to queries and document security.
• It hosts applications for approvals from 31 central government departments and 22 state governments, according to information available from the portal.

2. Household investments on physical assets on the rise

Subject :Economy

Section: National income

In News: Households optimistic about future earnings prospects according to the Ministry of Finance’s Monthly Economic Review (MER).

Key Points:

• With Net household financial savings dropping to a multi-decade low of 5.1% of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022-23, the MER finds possible explanations for this change.
• According to the Finance Ministry, household investment in physical assets grew much faster in FY22, compared to the pre-pandemic decade (FY12 to FY20) in response to release of pent-up demand.
• This is seen in the steady double-digit growth in housing loans since May 2021 till the present. A low-interest rate regime in the last two years might be behind the sharp fall in household savings in India and an increase in liabilities.
• Households are making a smart investment choice by acquiring physical assets, taking advantage of larger credit availability from banks and after a long period of elevated returns in financial assets.
• Given that the real estate sector has a vast network of forward and backward linkages (such as cement and steel, among others, besides various services), the increase in housing demand is inducing broad-based growth and job creation.
• Acquisition of physical assets has been financed by a rise in financial liabilities of households by 5.8% of GDP compared with 3.8% in FY22.
• The housing sector recorded consistent double-digit expansion (13.8 per cent in August), while vehicle loan growth strengthened to 20.6 per cent. Credit card loans maintained high growth (30 per cent in August).
• Of the total gross fixed capital formation (GFCF or fixed investment), households held the highest share of 40.4 per cent in FY22, acquired majorly through ownership of residential properties, followed by the private corporate sector at 34.9 per cent, and the public sector at 24.7 per cent.
• Thus the report finds that the data indicates confidence of households in their future employment and income prospects for increased demand for housing and vehicle loans.
• This view is further supported by the Future Expectations Index of the Consumer Confidence Survey of RBI, which has hit a four-year high in the latest survey round.

3. Ahead of Diwali warning issued on illegal import of firecrackers

Subject :Economy

Section: National Income

Key Points:

• The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) has warned against the import of foreign-made fireworks illegally using false declarations.
• Fireworks have been declared as a restricted item under Indian Trade Classification (Harmonised System) — ITC (HS) with respect to imports.
•  To date, no licence for the import of fireworks has been granted for possession and/or sale under the Explosives Rules, 2008, by PESO.
• Possession and sale of fireworks of foreign origin in India is illegal and punishable under law.

4. Nuseirat refugee Camp

Subject : IR

Section: Places in news

Context: Israel attacked the Nuseirat Refugee camp in central Gaza.

Some more details about the -Nuseirat refugee Camp:

• Nuseirat is a Palestinian refugee camp located five kilometers north-east of Deir al-Balah.
• The refugee camp is in the Deir al-Balah Governorate, Gaza Strip.
• The Nuseirat camp was named after the local Nuseirat tribe, part of the larger Hanajira confederation, that historically dominated the area between Deir al-Balah and Gaza.
• Nuseirat camp was established in the aftermath of the 1948 War

What are the some other refugee camps in Gaza Strip:

• There are  8 Palestine refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. They are:
  • Beach camp
  • Bureij camp
  • Deir El-Balah Camp
  • Jabalia Camp
  • Khan Younis Camp
  • Maghazi camp
  • Nuseirat camp
  • Rafah camp

5. Why the ‘world’s most gender-equal country’ is protesting inequality

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context: Iceland PM joins women’s strike

More about the news:

• Women of Iceland, often called the world’s most gender-equal country, went on a one-day strike to protest against gender discrimination.
• The striking women were joined by the Prime Minister, Katrin Jakobsdóttir.
• For 14 years in a row, Iceland has topped the World Economic Forum’s global gender gap rankings. 

What is the reason for the strike:

• Iceland, a small European island nation with a population of less than 400,000, has made significant progress in women’s rights, including workforce representation and legal support for gender equality.
• These advancements were driven, in part, by a nationwide “women’s day off” observed in 1975. 
• However, despite these gains, challenges persist in two critical areas: the gender pay gap and gender-based violence.
• Some professions still witness women earning 21% less than men, and over 40% of women have experienced gender-based or sexual violence.
• The strike organizers aim to draw attention to the existing gender disparities in Iceland, highlighting that, despite its reputation as an “equality paradise,” there is a pressing need for action to address these issues.

How the strike is playing out:

• Icelandic women are leading a strike called “Kallarðuþettajafnrétti?” (You call this equality?), inspired by the 1975 women’s strike.
• Women are refusing all types of work, paid and unpaid, to address gender-based disparities.
• Sectors like healthcare and education, where women are predominant, are affected.
• The strike calls for solidarity, including non-binary individuals, to challenge patriarchy.
• Activists seek to connect gender-based violence and the gender pay gap, highlighting the common problem of women being undervalued.
• The strike aims to shift societal attitudes and address deep-rooted inequalities.

What is the 1975 strike:

• Women in Iceland organized a full-day strike, in 1975  which saw almost 90% of working women participating.
• The strike significantly impacted various sectors, including schools, theaters, and even the national airline.
• Men were left to care for their children, leading to creative solutions, like armed with sweets and color pencils.
• This 1975 strike contributed to Iceland passing a law in 1976 granting equal rights regardless of gender.

Some facts about Icelands:

• Iceland is an island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean, between Greenland and Norway.
• The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik, which is also the largest city in the country.
• Iceland is also a world leader in renewable energy, with over 100% of its electricity coming from hydroelectric and geothermal sources.
• Iceland is a parliamentary republic.
• The head of state is the president, who is elected to a four-year term.
• The head of government is the prime minister, who is appointed by the president.
• Iceland has a unicameral parliament, the Althing, which has 63 seats.
• It is home to the world’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull.
• It is also home to the world’s oldest known geyser, Geysir.
• Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe.

6. Telangana’s law under scanner

Subject : Polity

Section: Constitution

Context: Telangana stringent preventive detention law is under the spotlight.

More about the news:

• Telangana stringent preventive detention law is under the spotlight.
• In at least three separate instances, the Supreme Court has red-flagged the Telangana government’s use of the law.
• The latest was in a ruling on September 4, where the court underlined that the pernicious trend prevalent in the state of Telangana has not escaped the Court’s attention

What is preventive detention:

• Preventive detention is the state’s authority to detain a personbased on suspicion,without trial or conviction, for up to a year with the possibility of extension.
• This differs from pre-trial detention, where a person awaits trial for a specific crime.
• In India, the Constitution permits preventive detention under Part III, which deals with fundamental rights, even though it emphasizes individual liberty.
• Despite its inclusion in the fundamental rights section, the Constitution contains provisions, notably under Article 22, that allow the state to suspend these rights for preventive detention.
• This sets India apart from countries like Britain, the United States, and Canada, where preventive detention is typically considered a wartime measure.

Under what laws can the state order preventive detention:

• Preventive detention is permitted under various central and state legislations in India. At the central level, examples include the National Security Act and the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA).
• In addition to central laws, as many as 25 states also have preventive detention legislations, like the Telangana law, which is called The Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities of BootLeggers, Dacoits, Drug-Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Land-Grabbers, Spurious Seed Offenders, Insecticide Offenders, Fertiliser Offenders, Food Adulteration Offenders, Fake Document Offenders, Scheduled Commodities Offenders, Forest Offenders, Gaming Offenders, Sexual Offenders, Explosive Substances Offenders, Arms Offenders, Cyber Crime Offenders and White Collar or Financial Offenders Act, (PD Act), 1986.
• These are expansive laws specifically addressed to local law and order issues. Other examples are the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Trafficking Offenders and Slum Grabbers Act, 1982; the Gujarat Prevention of Antisocial Activities Act, 1985; the Bihar Control of Crimes Act, 1981, etc.
• These state laws are designed to address local law and order issues and are quite expansive in their scope. and also have similar acts focused on combating antisocial activities and maintaining public order.
• These laws allow authorities to detain individuals on preventive grounds to manage and prevent potential threats or criminal activities.

What are the powers of the state:

• Article 22 of the Indian Constitution provides protections against arrest and detention, but it has an important exception specified in Article 22(3)(b), which excludes these protections when an individual is detained under a law related to preventive detention.
• The operational procedures for preventive detention are explained within this legal framework.
• First, the state, often represented by the district magistrate, can issue a detention order when it is deemed necessary to maintain “public order.” This authority can also be delegated to the police.
• If the detention extends beyond three months, Article 22(4) requires the approval of an Advisory Board, typically consisting of retired judges and bureaucrats.
• Importantly, detainees are not typically granted legal representation before these Boards.
•  If the Board affirms the detention, the detainee has the right to challenge the order in court.
• Additionally, Article 22(5) mandates that the state must promptly communicate the grounds for detention to the detainee and provide them with the earliest opportunity to present their case against the order.
• This communication must be in a language that the detainee understands.
• However, Article 22(6) does somewhat diminish these safeguards by permitting the state not to disclose facts it deems against the public interest.
• In summary, Article 22 balances individual rights with the need to maintain public order by outlining protections and procedures for preventive detention in India.

How do courts assess the detention orders:

• In cases of preventive detention, the Constitution places significant weight on the state’s “subjective satisfaction” when ordering a detention, limiting the grounds for judicial review. 
• The court’s assessment primarily centers on the state’s subjective judgment rather than the constitutional rights. This means the court cannot independently verify the accuracy of the facts cited as reasons for detention.
• Judicial review is thus confined to ensuring the Advisory Board’s due diligence, consideration of all relevant facts, and the absence of any clear misconduct by the state.
• Due to these limitations, courts often invalidate detention orders based on technical issues, such as delays in Advisory Board decisions or problems related to the timely communication of grounds in a language understandable to the detainee.

What is the history of Preventive Detention Laws in India:

• The history of preventive detention laws dates back to the Bengal Regulation Act, 1818 under which people could be detained on mere suspicion which was applicable to the three Presidencies, that is, Calcutta, Bombay and Madras during the British era.
• Later the ‘Black law’ commonly called the Rowlatt Act was introduced in the year 1919 which ensured indefinite detention on mere suspicion without formal trial and judicial review.
• Under Entry 9 of List I (Union List), the Constitution of India provides the Parliament with the exclusive power to enact a law for preventive detention for the reasons connected with defence, foreign affairs, or security of India.
• On the other hand, under Entry 3 of List III (Concurrent List), both Parliament and State Legislature have powers to enact such laws for the reasons related to maintenance of public order or maintenance of supplies or services essential to the community.
• Subsequently, the Parliament has enacted several laws in this respect –
  • Preventive Detention Act, 1950
  • The National Security Act, Section 13, 1980 
  • The Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974
  • The Prevention of Black-marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, Section 13, 1980
  • The Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Section 10, 1988.

7. India to outpace Japan to become second largest economy in Asia by 2030

Subject: Economy

Section: National Income

Context: India to outpace Japan as second-largest economy in Asia by 2030

More about the news:

• India is on a remarkable economic journey, with its Gross Domestic Product projected to reach USD 7.3 trillion by 2030 as per S&P Global Market Intelligence.
• This would make India the second-largest economy in the Asia-Pacific region, surpassing Japan and Germany.
•  As of 2022, India had already surpassed the UK and France to become the world’s fifth-largest economy.
• India’s rapid economic growth is expected to continue, attracting multinational companies across various sectors, from manufacturing to services.
• In 2023, India’s GDP showed strong growth, expanding at a rate of 7.8% year-on-year. 
• Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been increasing, driven by India’s promising long-term outlook, youthful demographics, and rising urban incomes.
• A growing middle class and the ongoing digital transformation are pivotal in driving consumer spending and making India an attractive investment destination.
• The future looks bright, with India’s expanding internet access and e-commerce growth drawing global tech giants and enhancing its economic prospects further

8. How do SIM cards work?

Subject : Science and Tech

Section: Awareness in IT

Context:

• In 2021, there were more than 14 billion cellular devices in the world even though there were only seven billion people.

What is a SIM card?

• ‘SIM’ stands for ‘subscriber identification module’.
• It is an integrated circuit, or a microchip, that identifies the subscriber on a given network by allotting a number known as international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).
• A SIM card is mandatory to connect to any cellular network that follows the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard.
• This relationship is established using a unique authentication key — a piece of data that a user needs to ‘unlock’ access to the network.
• Every SIM card stores this data and it is designed such that the user can’t access it through their phone. Instead, signals sent by the phone into the network are ‘signed’ by the key, and the network uses the signature to understand whether the phone’s connection is legitimate.
• It is possible to duplicate a SIM card by accessing its key and storing it in multiple cards.
• SIM cards also store information about its own ID number (the integrated circuit card identifier), the IMSI, the subscriber’s location area identity (their current location), a list of preferred networks (to whom the subscriber can connect when roaming), emergency numbers, and – depending on the space available – the subscriber’s contacts and SMS messages.

How does a SIM card work?

• SIM cards are designed according to the ISO/IEC 7816 international standard maintained by the International Organisation for Standardisation and the International Electrotechnical Commission. It applies to electronic identification cards, including smart cards.
• In this standard, the card itself consists of the integrated circuit, which is glued to a silicon substrate on the top side. On the other side of the substrate are metal contacts, which form the gold-coloured side of the SIM card.
• Wires connect the integrated circuit from its bottom side to the metal contacts on the top side, and the contacts interface with the phone’s data connectors.
• The metal contacts have a segmented appearance. Each segment is called a pin and has a specific purpose.
  • For example, pin 1 collects the operating voltage that gives it the power to operate. Pin 3 is to access the SIM’s clock and pin 5 is the grounding. Pin 7 transmits data in and out of the SIM. These pin-wise roles are specified by the ISO/IEC 7816-2 standard; others, numbered 1 through 15, specify various functions of a SIM card and how they are to be implemented, from their “transmission protocols” to “cryptographic information applications”.
• On the network side, the SIM helps a phone establish its place within a cellular network. When a subscriber dials a recipient’s number, the phone sends data via the network – signed by the key on the SIM card – to a telephone exchange. If the recipient is connected to the same exchange, the network establishes their identity and the call is routed to them. If the recipient is ‘located’ elsewhere, a computer connected to the network routes the call there according to the most optimum route.

How have SIM cards changed?

• In 1960s:  West German engineer Helmut Gröttrup first had the idea to stick an integrated circuit in a plastic panel the size of a credit card.
• The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) prepared the GSM Technical Specification 11.11 regarding the SIM card.
• After developing the 11.11 standard, ETSI transferred some of its responsibilities to an international consortium of seven organizations called 3GPP (the Telecommunications Standards Development Society in India is one).
• 3GPP subsequently developed the standards for the third (3G), fourth (4G), and fifth generation (5G) of networks.
• Until 2G networks, the term ‘SIM card’ denoted both the hardware and the corresponding software.  With 3G networks, ‘SIM’ became only the software; the hardware was called the Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). With 5G, it is being called the Universal SIM (USIM).

What is an eSIM?

• SIM cards shrank from SIM to micro SIM to nano SIM. to the eSIM, with specifications defined by the GSM Association.
• In the eSIM paradigm, the SIM software is loaded on to a UICC that is permanently installed in the mobile equipment in the factory itself, that it can’t be removed (This is called the eUICC).
• Users using mobile equipment with this capability don’t have to physically replace their SIM cards when they join or switch networks. Instead, the network operator simply has to reprogram the eSIM, which can also be done remotely.
• An eSIM has two immediate advantages:

1. Environmentally friendlier: its reprogrammability means no need for more plastic and metal for a new SIM.
2. If a malicious person gains access to your phone, they won’t be able to separately access the SIM application nor be able to duplicate it.

• There are at least two disadvantages:

1. In some countries, including the U.S., eSIMs can be programmed by subscribers themselves.
2. An eSIM can in theory allow network operators to track subscribers’ data, including inside apps on the device, especially in the absence of data privacy laws.

3GPP:

• Established in December 1998.
• The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is an umbrella term for a number of standards organizations which develop protocols for mobile telecommunications. Its best known work is the development and maintenance of:
  • GSM and related 2G and 2.5G standards, including GPRS and EDGE
  • UMTS and related 3G standards, including HSPA and HSPA+
  • LTE and related 4G standards, including LTE Advanced and LTE Advanced Pro
  • 5G NR and related 5G standards, including 5G-Advanced
  • An evolved IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) developed in an access independent manner
• 3GPP is a consortium with seven national or regional telecommunication standards organizations (One of them is India) as primary members and a variety of other organizations as associate members.
• The 3GPP organizes its work into three different streams: Radio Access Networks, Services and Systems Aspects, and Core Network and Terminals.

Source : TH

9. How Olympic cities are selected

Subject :IR

Section: International organisation

Context:

• India has declared its intention to host the Olympic Games, preferably in 2036, and Youth Olympics in 2029 during the opening ceremony of the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Mumbai on October 14.

Details:

• Only three Asian countries have ever hosted the Olympics — China, South Korea and Japan, with Japan hosting the games twice in 1964 and 2020.

How was a host country selected?

• Older system:
  • Cities, through their respective national Olympic committees, would submit a letter of interest to the IOC to start a multi-year, multi-step evaluation process. Then a series of questionnaires, evaluated by the IOC.
  • Second step involves scrutiny from the IOC Evaluation Commission and a series of inspections of all venues before the final bids are put to vote at an IOC session, ending in a host being decided seven years in advance as per the Olympic Charter. It often leads to excessive spendings from the bidders.
• New system of host selection:
  • Thomas Bach took over as the IOC president in 2013 and introduced the Olympic Agenda 2020 that includes the new process of host city selection, called the ‘new norms’, that was officially adopted during the 2019 IOC session in Lausanne.
• ‘New norms’:
  • Emphasis on three main aspects — flexibility, sustainability and cost-effectiveness — with the motto being ‘The Games adapt to the region, the region does not adapt to the Games’.
  • There is now a two-stage process — a continuous dialogue and a targeted dialogue — without any fixed deadlines, to assess, discuss and guide potential hosts.
  • Continuous dialogue: Unlike the past, the Games can be planned to be held across cities or even in conjunction with another country.
  • Targeted dialogue: It explores the proposals to host a specific edition of the Olympic Games and brings the IOC’s executive board into the picture for detailed discussions. This is where each of the ‘preferred hosts’ answer the (Future Host Commission) FHC’s questions and provides guarantees on infrastructure, accommodation, security and public services among others and makes the final submission. The FHC then prepares an advisory report for the executive board which has the power to either recommend a single host or shortlist more than one for elections by the IOC members.
  • In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the infrastructure and to avoid any public backlash, hosts are encouraged as far as possible to use existing and temporary venues. Any new venues built must be in line with existing developmental plans and have a long-term justification irrespective of the Games.
  • The focus on using existing and temporary venues has led to an 80% decrease in the bid budgets for the 2026 Winter Games compared to the 2018 and 2022 editions.

Who are the other potential bidders apart from India for the 2036 Games?

• Mexico (spread across the four cities of Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Tijuana), Indonesia (at the new capital of Nusantara which is still under construction), Turkey (Istanbul) and Poland (Warsaw). India has not yet decided the cities.
• Among these, Mexico is the only one to have previously hosted the Games in 1968.
• Other potential bidders include Egypt, Seoul, China, Qatar, Hungary, Italy, Denmark, Canada and Germany.

Multi-discipline events held in India:

• Regional South Asian Games in 2016,  2010 Common Wealth Games, 2003 Afro-Asian Games, the Asian Games (1951 and 1982) and the 2007 World Military Games.

Source: TH

10. A rare form of lightning

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Space technology

Ball lightning:

• Also called globe lightning, it is one of the most rare and mysterious forms of lightning  usually associated with thunderstorms.
• It’s a ball of luminosity that usually occurs near the impact point of a flash and moves horizontally at a speed of a few centimeters per second. These balls are said to be plasmas.
  • Plasma is a completely ionized state of matter, at high temperature, in which positive and negative ions freely move about.
• It can penetrate closed windows, is usually accompanied by a hissing sound, and has a lifetime of several seconds. The color is quite variable and the ball often ends with an explosion. Though it is not usually destructive.
• It occurs at times of intense electrical activity in the atmosphere.
• It has not been produced in the laboratories by the scientists.

Source: TH

11. Weakening of Tej in Arabian Sea might have strengthened Hamoon in Bay of Bengal: IMD Expert

Subject :Geography

Section: Physical geography

Context:

• Two cyclonic storms ‘Tej’ and ‘Hamoon’ have developed over Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal simultaneously.

Details:

• The weakening of Cyclone Tej in the Arabian Sea might have strengthened its counterpart Cyclone Hamoon across Peninsular India in the Bay of Bengal.
• Previously in 2018, Cyclones Luban and Titli formed over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal respectively.
• In a twin cyclonic system often one gets stronger. In this case, Tej was the stronger one. But as it has already made landfall, shifted and is gradually weakening. Now Hamoon is set to become a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’, maybe due to the sea surface temperature of the region where it is now located is more than the earlier position.
• As a system moves away from the coast; the influx of warm air gets reduced. Consequently, the system gets stronger.

The FUJIWHARA effect:

• Identified by SakuheiFujiwhara, a Japanese meteorologist.
• The FUJIWHARA effect is any interaction between tropical storms formed around the same time in the same ocean region with their centres or eyes at a distance of less than 1,400 km, with intensity that could vary between a depression (wind speed under 63 km per hour) and a super typhoon (wind speed over 209 km per hour).
• The interaction could lead to changes in the track and intensity of either or both storm systems.
• In rare cases, the two systems could merge, especially when they are of similar size and intensity, to form a bigger storm.
• There are five different ways in which the Fujiwhara effect can take place:

1. The first is elastic interaction in which only the direction of motion of the storms changes and is the most common case.
   • These are also the cases that are difficult to assess and need closer examination.
2. The second is partial straining out in which a part of the smaller storm is lost to the atmosphere.
3. The third is complete straining out in which the smaller storm is completely lost to the atmosphere.
   • The straining out does not happen for storms of equal strength.
4. The fourth type is a partial merger in which the smaller storm merges into the bigger one.
5. The fifth is a complete merger which takes place between two storms of similar strength.

Source: DownToEarth

12. Nearly half a million Indians migrated to OECD countries in 2021: Report

Subject :Economy

Section: External Sector

Context:

• The ‘International Migration Outlook 2023’ is released.
• Colombia introduced a bill to recognise climate-induced displacement, the first of its kind in Latin America.

Details of the report:

• Report released by: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
• India saw the highest migration flows to OECD countries in 2021 and 2022. Though the number of new migrants from India has dropped by 15% compared to 2019.
• India replaced China as the main country of origin of new migrants to OECD countries in 2020. In 2021, for the second consecutive year, India, with 0.41 million new migrants, was the top country of origin.
• China at second (0.23 million new migrants) followed by Romania (200,000 new migrants).
• 0.13 million Indian citizens acquired the nationality of an OECD country in 2021.
• In terms of workers, migration flows from India (+172 per cent), Uzbekistan (+122 per cent) and Turkey (+240 per cent) rose sharply.

OECD:

• Founded in 1961
• Member: 38 countries.
• It is a forum whose member countries describe themselves as committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a platform to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices, and coordinate domestic and international policies of its members.
• The majority of OECD Members are high-income economies ranked as “very high” in the Human Development Index, and are regarded as developed countries.
• Their collective population is 1.38 billion.
• As of 2017, OECD Member countries collectively comprised 62.2% of global nominal GDP (US$49.6 trillion) and 42.8% of global GDP (Int$54.2 trillion) at purchasing power parity.
• The OECD is an official United Nations observer.

Source: DownToEarth

13. Why India is launching a national framework for climate services

Subject: Environment

Section: Climate change

Context:

• India is about to launch its maiden national-level framework towards providing climate services and information.

National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS):

• Spearheaded by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
• Aim: To bring a seamless working platform for users of climate information and services, and help decide and mitigate climate risks for key sectors — agriculture, energy, disaster management, health and water.
• It is based upon the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS).

What will the NFCS do?

• Initially, the NFCS will work in bridging functioning gaps between the various agencies who require climate services. These include the hydrological, power, renewable energy, transport, dams and irrigation, health agencies are central, state and other levels.
• Along with the identified sectors of focus, India could add other relevant sectors like transport, tourism and other emerging sectors from time to time.

Why is NFCS needed?

• It is needed to have a complete composite of climatological information of all the weather parameters, in order to make climate predictions.
• With this IMDaims to strengthen the observational network on land and the seas, improve the data inflow and eventually use it to run weather and climate models for deriving climate predictions.

Which other countries have launched NFCS?

• Switzerland, China, Germany, the United Kingdom, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Madagascar, Moldova, Niger, Senegal, Chad, Togo, Tanzania, Vanuatu and South Africa.

What is GFCS?

• It was announced in 2009 during the third World Climate Conference held in Geneva.
• It is a partnership of governments and organisations at a global level, for the production and better usage of climate information and services.
• It aims to facilitate researchers and users of climate information and services to join hands in order to make informed and actionable decisions for the long-term betterment.
• This framework, led by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) in their respective nations, includes active participation of policymakers, planners, investors and vulnerable communities or sectors, as they need climate information and services in a user-friendly format, so that they can prepare for expected trends and changes in the long run.
• GFCS envisages to generate high-quality data from national and international databases on temperature, rainfall, wind, soil moisture and ocean conditions and other vital weather parameters.
• The five major components under GFCS are Observations and Monitoring, Research, Modelling and Prediction, Climate Services Information System, User Interface Platform and Capacity Building. At present, the priority sectors where the GFCS focuses upon are agriculture and food security, energy, health, water and disaster risk reduction.

Source: IE

14. SC uses rare power to help man fighting for postal job for 28 years

Subject: Polity

Section: Constitution

Context:

The Supreme Court has used its extraordinary constitutional power to do complete justice for a 50 year old man who fought for nearly three decades against the postal department’s refusal to give him a job despite his name figuring high on the merit list.

Article 142 of the Constitution

Article 142 provides a unique power to the Supreme Court, to do “complete justice” between the parties, where, at times, the law or statute may not provide a remedy.

In those situations, the Court can extend itself to put an end to a dispute in a manner that would fit the facts of the case.

Earlier Instances

• SC has defined its scope and extent through its judgments over time.
• Prem Chand Garg case (1962):  SC held that an order to do complete justice between the parties “must not only be consistent with the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, but it cannot even be inconsistent with the substantive provisions of the relevant statutory laws,” referring to laws made by Parliament.
• Union Carbide Corporation vs Union of India Case (1991):  The SC in 1991 ordered UCC to pay $470 million in compensation for the victims of the tragedy, placing itself in a position above the Parliamentary laws.
• Siddiq v. Mahant Suresh Das: Popularly known as the Ayodhya dispute, the Supreme Court had exercised the powers mentioned under Article 142 of the Constitution.

Significance of Article 142

• Prevents Injustice: It provides a special and extraordinary power to the Supreme Court to do complete justice to the litigants who have suffered traversed illegality or injustice in the proceedings.
• Uphold citizen’s rights: Article 142 has been invoked for the purpose of protecting rights of the different sections of the population.
• Check on Government: Works as a system of checks and balances with the Government or Legislature.

Criticism of Article 142

• The sweeping nature of these powers has invited the criticism that they are arbitrary and ambiguous.
• Ambiguity: The Supreme Court tried to explain the phrase ‘complete justice’ but it is still blurred. The judgments passed by the Apex Court have created a lot of confusion and there is no clarity on invoking Article 142.
• Against Separation of powers: The power has been criticized on grounds of the separation of powers doctrine, which says that the judiciary should not venture into areas of lawmaking and that it would invite the possibility of judicial overreach.
• Promotes Judicial Overreach: In some judgments, it is mentioned that it could be used when the law of statutes is silent. However, by analyzing judgments on the use of Article 142 it seems like it is used to fill the lacuna of the law.
• Negative impact on the economy: The judgment on the ban on the sale of liquor near national and state highways has affected many hotels, bars, restaurants and liquor shops which resulted in the unemployment of lakhs of people.

Way Ahead & Conclusion

• The Apex Court could make a strict guideline that justifies the use of Article 142 and promotes judicial restraint.
• The SC can, in every such case, ensure that it would be a “complete justice” for the society without affecting the rights of citizens.
• The Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution was mindful of the wide-reaching nature of the powers and reserved it only for exceptional situations.

15. Food labels to have QR code to help the visually disabled

Subject : Science and Tech

Section: Awareness in IT

Context:

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recommended the use of quick response (QR) codes on food products for accessibility by persons with visual disabilities, stating that this would ensure access to safe food for all, including those with special needs.

More About News:

• The FSSAI under its Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display)Regulations, 2020 has comprehensively outlined the information to be included on the labels of food products.
• This includes product name, shelf life, nutrition facts, vegetarian/non­vegetarian logos, ingredient lists, allergen warnings, and other product specific labeling requirements.
• The information is aimed at empowering consumers to make informed choices when selecting food products.
• The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 recognises the rights and needs of individuals with disabilities, which emphasize accessibility and the promotion of health for persons with disabilities.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

• It is a statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act).
• FSS Act, of 2006 consolidated various acts & orders that had earlier handled food-related issues in various Ministries and Departments.
• Nodal ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

What are QR codes?

A QR code is a type of barcode that can be read easily by a digital device and which stores information as a series of pixels in a square-shaped grid. QR codes are frequently used to track information about products in a supply chain and – because many smartphones have built-in QR readers – they are often used in marketing and advertising campaigns. More recently, they have played a key role in helping to trace coronavirus exposure and slow the spread of the virus.

The first QR code system was invented in 1994 by the Japanese company Denso Wave, a Toyota subsidiary. They needed a more accurate way to track vehicles and parts during the manufacturing process. To achieve this, they developed a type of barcode that could encode kanji, kana, and alphanumeric characters.

Standard barcodes can only be read in one direction – top to bottom. That means they can only store a small amount of information, usually in an alphanumeric format. But a QR code is read in two directions – top to bottom and right to left. This allows it to house significantly more data.

The data stored in a QR code can include website URLs, phone numbers, or up to 4,000 characters of text. QR codes can also be used to:

• Link directly to download an app on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
• Authenticate online accounts and verify login details.
• Access Wi-Fi by storing encryption details such as SSID, password, and encryption type.
• Send and receive payment information.
• And much more – a company in the UK called QR Memories even creates QR codes for use on gravestones, allowing people to scan the code to read more about that deceased person’s life (if they have an obituary or news story relating to them online).

16. What separates classical and quantum chaos?

Subject : Science and Tech

Section: Awareness in IT

Chaos in Weather Forecasting

• Randomness in the Atmosphere: Earth’s atmosphere, a laboratory of randomness, constantly changes in terms of pressure, density, gas flow rates, and temperature, making the paths of gas molecules unpredictable.
• The Butterfly Effect: The “butterfly effect” illustrates the idea that a butterfly’s wings flapping in one place can trigger a storm elsewhere, emphasizing the sensitivity of chaotic systems to initial conditions.
• Deterministic Chaos: Chaotic systems, like a pinball machine, follow deterministic physical laws but exhibit seemingly unpredictable behavior. The term “deterministic chaos” implies that precise knowledge of the present is required for accurate future predictions.

Chaos and the Lyapunov Time

• Diverse Applications: Chaos theory finds applications in various fields, from fluid dynamics and human heartbeat irregularities to voting patterns and planetary dynamics.
• Sensitivity to Initial Conditions: Chaotic systems are highly sensitive to their initial conditions, often leading to seemingly random behavior.
• Lyapunov Time: The predictability of a chaotic system depends on factors such as the accuracy of its initial state knowledge and the Lyapunov time, which varies from milliseconds for electrical circuits to millions of years for the inner solar system.

What is Quantum Chaos?

• Quantum Mechanics vs. Chaos: Quantum mechanics, while probabilistic, differs from chaos theory. Subatomic particles lack point-like locations, making it impossible to precisely determine their positions.
• Perturbation Theory: Quantum physics addresses mild disturbances in atomic systems using perturbation theory. Chaos, however, requires a distinct approach, leading to the field of quantum chaos.
• The Rydberg Atom: The Rydberg atom bridges classical and quantum domains. When an atom’s energy levels become nearly continuous due to high excitation, it exhibits classical behavior.
• Spectrum Signatures: Chaos in a Rydberg atom manifests in the spectrum of its energy levels, with irregularities that contrast with the randomness of non-chaotic quantum systems.

Significance of studying Quantum Chaos

• Discrete Energy Steps: Quantum systems feature discrete energy levels, in contrast to classical systems with continuous energy. The Rydberg atom offers a link between these realms.
• Regularities in Chaos: Chaotic quantum systems surprisingly display strong regularities in the distribution of energy levels, an area ripe for exploration.
• Expanding Horizons: Quantum chaos is a burgeoning field of research with implications in thermalization, quantum information, and black hole quantum mechanics, presenting exciting challenges and opportunities.

17. Center to introduce DNA and face matching systems at police stations across country

Subject : Science and Tech

Section: Biotechnology

Context:

More than a year after the Criminal Procedure Identification Act was passed by Parliament, the Centre is all set to roll out “DNA and face­ matching” systems at 1,300 police stations across the country.

Criminal Procedure Identification Act 2023:

In April 2022, the Indian Parliament passed the Criminal Procedure Identification Act (CrPI), granting police and Central investigating agencies the authority to collect, store, and analyze physical and biological samples, including retina and iris scans of arrested individuals. 

Integration with NAFIS

The National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS), managed by the NCRB, has been integrated into the CrPI Act’s implementation. NAFIS includes fingerprint data for over 1 crore people, including accused and convicts, and is available at around 1,300 police stations across the country.

Facial recognition system

• A facial recognition system, which is often used to verify individuals through ID verification services, works by identifying and measuring facial features from a given image. It may match a human face from a digital image or a video frame against a database of faces.
• The purpose of facial recognition software is to help increase safety and security in various situations. The police in India are using it more frequently for identifying purposes and in criminal investigations.
• A few examples were the police departments of India using facial recognition technology systems are:
• TSCOP and Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) in Telangana, Punjab Artificial Intelligence System (PAIS) in Punjab, Trinetra in Uttar Pradesh, Police Artificial Intelligence System in Uttarakhand, Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS) in Delhi, and Automated Multimodal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS).
• The Delhi police used a facial recognition system for over 100 of the 1,818 arrests they made during the riots against the Citizen Amendment Act in December 2019. Thousands of Indian citizens came out to protest this new law that is believed to be discriminatory towards Muslims and other marginalized communities.
• In another situation, the police used facial recognition technology along with CCTV footage to arrest over 200 protesters who were protesting an agriculture reform that favored corporations over farmers at Delhi’s Red Fort.

The advantages of using technology in law enforcement in India:

• Technology helps in increasing the productivity and efficiency of Law Enforcement Agencies. A strong partnership between police and technology would facilitate quick criminal investigations, greatly reduce crime, and help to uphold law and order.
• Technological assistance helps the police to reduce the burden of daily manual tasks.
• Big Data can be quite useful in identifying crime trends and hotspots. The smartphone apps are connected to centralized databases and give the investigating officer real-time access to data on missing individuals, vehicles, bodies, and criminal histories very quickly.
• Reduce Malpractices: The use of technology like body-worn cameras will reduce the scope of malpractices by the officers on duty.
• Technology helps in bridging the gap between the public and the police. The digital services provided by police may help the public to make use of these services from the comfort of their house. For example, in Punjab Police’s SAANJH, people can submit their concerns online using the State public grievance redressal portal for the state police. The main goal of this portal is to allow citizens to file complaints online, track their progress, and receive reports in a timely manner while sitting at home.

The challenges of using technology in law enforcement in India:

• The lack of proper data security legislation may result in data breaches and the subsequent use of this data for terrorism and other illegal acts.
• The unequal distribution of infrastructure across India’s rural and urban environments makes widespread adoption of technology difficult. Remote places might not have adequate internet penetration to access the technology made available to the public by law enforcement authorities.
• The failure of present police reforms to teach the effects of technology and incorporate it into crime investigation.
• Budget constraints are a problem at many police stations around the nation, making the deployment of new equipment financially impractical.
• Due to a lack of adequate training and access to this technology, the Indian law enforcement authorities are unable to keep up with the rapid developments in technology, which has resulted in a large technological gap.
• Many agencies lack the necessary mobile or software tools to enhance interagency collaboration or maintain officers in the community.