Daily Prelims Notes 3 May 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

3 May 2024

1. Why are Indian spices facing the heat?

Subject: Science and tech

Sec: Health

Context:

• Several countries, namely Singapore, Hong Kong, and the U.S., are investigating Indian spice brands MDH and Everest for possible contamination with ethylene oxide (used as food stabiliser), a harmful chemical exceeding safe levels.
• In response, the Spices Board of India has mandated product testing for exports and is collaborating with exporters to pinpoint the contamination source.
  • Ethylene Oxide is prohibited from being used even as a fumigant in India.

Product is tested for:

• Up to 139 pesticide residues
• Nearly seven metal contaminants including lead, arsenic, copper, cadmium and mercury.
• In terms of biological parameters, tested for yeast, mould, salmonella and staphylococcus among others.
• 25 physical parameters and 22 chemical parameters such as total ash, crude fibre and argemone oil among others.
  • Argemone oil- native to Maxico, now widespread globally. Non-edible oil plant (toxic and poisonous). It’s seed resemble those of mustard (Brassica nigra), thus used as an adulterant in mustard oil. 1% adulteration can cause clinical disease.
• In terms of food additives, tested for Sorbates, Neotame and Sulfites among others.
  • Salmonella are agents known to cause salmonellosis — a common bacterial food-borne illness.

Health concerns:

• The spice mixes from MDH and Everest are reportedly contaminated with high levels of ethylene oxide (EtO), a banned pesticide.
• Initially used to sterilize medical devices, EtO is employed across various industries, including in the spice industry to reduce microbial contamination and extend shelf life.
• However, improper usage can lead to residues that form toxic and potentially carcinogenic compounds, such as ethylene glycol — recently linked to fatal contaminations in cough syrups.
• Long-term exposure to EtO is also associated with an increased risk of cancers like lymphoma and leukaemia.

Impact on India’s spice exports:

• With nearly $700 million in exports to key markets at risk and potential cascading losses that could halve India’s total spice exports, urgent action is needed to preserve the industry’s reputation.
• If regulatory actions similar to those in Hong Kong and Singapore are adopted by China and ASEAN countries, and possibly followed by the EU, which has a history of rejecting Indian spices over quality issues, Indian spice exports could dramatically downturn. The total potential loss could amount to 58.8% of India’s global exports, impacting $2.17 billion in value.

India’s response:

• In response to reports of ethylene oxide contamination in spices, the Spice Board of India has implemented several corrective actions.
• These include mandatory testing of spice consignments shipped to Singapore and Hong Kong, and demanding technical and analytical reports from food and drug agencies.
• They have also updated guidelines for exporters on how to prevent EtO contamination, covering testing protocols, storage, and alternative treatments to reduce chemical use.
• Following a similar advisory in 2021 due to concerns from the EU, the FSSAI has instructed state regulators to test major spice brands like MDH and Everest for EtO.
• Activists are pushing for more rigorous safety checks on spices, and a recent report suggests updating food safety standards to meet global norms and enhancing industry compliance through better information dissemination.

Spice Board of India:

• Indian government agency under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Responsible for regulating and promoting the export of Indian spices, headed by Chairman Shri A G Thankappan.
• Established in 1987 under the Spices Board Act 1986, it oversees the production and development of cardamom and promotes the export of 52 listed spices.
• Headquartered in Kochi, the board operates state-of-the-art testing laboratories in several cities including Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Tuticorin, Kandla, and Guntur, ensuring mandatory quality checks for exported spices.

Source: TH

2. A computer science conundrum that could transform healthcare

Subject: Science and tech

Sec: S&T

Introduction to P vs NP:

• The P vs NP problem is an unsolved question in computer science that explores whether every problem whose solution can be quickly verified (NP) can also be solved quickly (P).
  • In simpler terms, consider multiplying two prime numbers (a P problem, solvable in polynomial time) versus factoring a product back into primes (an NP problem, verifiable but potentially time-consuming to solve).
• Healthcare Applications:
  • Healthcare management involves complex scheduling challenges, such as allocating shifts for medical staff, reserving operating rooms, and arranging patient appointments.
  • If the P vs NP problem were resolved with P equalling NP, it would mean that complex healthcare scheduling could potentially be optimized quickly, improving operational efficiency and patient care.
• Overall, resolving the P vs NP problem could significantly reduce resource constraints and improve health outcomes by enabling more efficient handling of complex healthcare-related decision-making processes.

Other applications of P vs NP problem:

• Antibiotic Resistance: If P equals NP, rapid analysis of bacterial genomes could become feasible, allowing for quick predictions of antibiotic resistance patterns. This would enable doctors to prescribe the most effective antibiotics, enhancing treatment outcomes and aiding in the battle against antibiotic resistance.
• Cancer Treatment: Cancer involves numerous possible mutations, making treatment decisions complex (NP problems). A solution to P vs NP could allow for the fast determination of optimal combinations of drugs and therapies tailored to individual patients, potentially saving more lives.
• Insurance Sector: Insurance companies face NP problems when setting premiums and designing packages that consider a wide range of variables (e.g., age, health status, lifestyle). A breakthrough in solving P vs NP would enable more efficient and fair decision-making, leading to more precisely tailored insurance offerings.
• Government Healthcare Spending: Efficient solutions to NP problems could also enhance government healthcare programs like Ayushman Bharat, optimizing resource allocation, minimizing wastage, and better achieving universal health coverage goals.
• Broad Sector Benefits: Beyond healthcare, solving the P vs NP problem would benefit multiple sectors including logistics, finance, and climate modelling. Each could see significant shifts in operations and efficiencies due to improved problem-solving capabilities.

Implications and Challenges of Solving the P vs NP Problem

• A major concern of P equalling NP would be the vulnerability it creates in cryptography. Many current encryption methods rely on NP problems, which are difficult to solve but easy to verify. If these become easy to solve (P problems), it would compromise the security of digital data.

Source: TH

3. How diplomatic passports, visa regimes work

Subject: IR

Sec: Int convention

Context:

• After allegations of sexual abuse by Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna came to light, the politician fled to Germany on a diplomatic passport.

What is a diplomatic passport? Who can get one?

• Unlike normal passports, which have dark blue covers and are valid for 10 years (for adults), diplomatic passports have maroon covers, and are valid for five years or less. 
• Holders of such passports are entitled to certain privileges and immunities as per the international law.
• Various immunities available to diplomatic passport holders are immunity from arrest, detention, and certain legal proceedings in the host country.
• The MEA’s Consular, Passport & Visa Division issues diplomatic passports (‘Type D’ passports) to people falling in  broadly five categories:
  • those with diplomatic status;
  • government-appointed individuals traveling abroad for official business;
  • officers working under the branches A and B of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), normally at the rank of Joint Secretary and above; and
  • relatives and immediate family of officers employed in IFS and MEA.
  • Diplomatic passports are also issued to select individuals who are authorized to undertake official travel on behalf of the government.
  • This includes union ministers and MPs who often travel abroad representing the government. The validity of these passports is concurrent with the term of the MP.

Why did Prajwal Revanna not need a visa to travel to Germany?

• Germany is among the 34 countries with whom India has operational visa exemption agreements for holders of diplomatic passports.
• According to a reciprocal deal signed in 2011, holders of Indian diplomatic passports do not require a visa to visit Germany, provided their stay does not exceed 90 days.
• India has similar agreements with countries such as France, Austria, Afghanistan, Czech Republic, Italy, Greece, Iran, and Switzerland. 
• India also has agreements with 99 other countries wherein apart from diplomatic passport holders, even those holding service and official passports can avail operational visa exemption for stays upto 90 days.
• Countries in this list include Bahrain, Brazil, Egypt, Hong Kong, Oman, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.

Who can revoke a diplomatic passport?

• As per the Act, the passport authority may impound or revoke a passport in the following cases:
  • if the holder is in wrongful possession, or 
  • if it was obtained by the suppression of material information; or 
  • if the passport authority deems it necessary to do so in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, or 
  • friendly relations of India with any foreign country.
• It can also be revoked if the holder has, after the issue of the passport, been convicted by a court in India, and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years.
• Finally, a diplomatic passport can be revoked upon orders from a court during proceedings with respect to an offense allegedly carried out by the passport holder before a criminal court.

About Visas:

A visa is an official document that allows the bearer to legally enter a foreign country. 

The visa is usually stamped or glued into the bearer’s passport. 

There are several different types of visas, each of which afford the bearer different rights in the host country.

About Henley Passport Index:

Henley Passport Index is the only one of its kind based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA).

India ranks 80th in the 2024 Henley Passport Index. 

France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain hold the top spot.

India’s passport facilitates visa-free access to 62 countries.

4. Sounding the gavel on curative jurisdiction

Subject: Polity

Sec: Judiciary

Context:

• SC’s recent ruling in the DMRC-DAMEPL case may undermine India’s image regarding dispute resolution.

The Delhi Metro Rail judgment:

• This was a decision of a three-judge Bench of the Court in a curative petition in Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (“DMRC”) vs Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd (“DAMEPL”)
• DAMEPL succeeded before an Arbitral Tribunal in a high value claim.
• The challenge to the award moved to the Supreme Court which upheld the award after setting out the limited scope to challenge an award under Indian law.

What is Curative Jurisdiction:

• ‘Curative Petition’ is a term coined by the Supreme Court in 2002 by its judgment in the case of Rupa Ashok Hurra v. Ashok Hurra.
• Curative Jurisdiction allows the Court to correct its judgments even after they have become final.
• This is distinct from the power of review under Indian law, which enables all courts to rectify errors which are apparent from their records.
• The Supreme Court held that to prevent abuse of its process and to cure gross miscarriage of justice, it may reconsider its judgements in exercise of its inherent powers.
• It is guaranteed under Article 137 of Constitution of India, which gives the power to the Supreme Court to review its own judgements and orders.
•  It says that, subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament or any rules made under article 145, the Supreme Court shall have the power to review any judgment pronounced or order made by it.

Process of Curative Jurisdiction:

• The court has devised what has been termed as a curative petition in which the petitioner is required to aver specifically that the grounds mentioned therein had been taken in the review petition filed earlier and that it was dismissed by circulation, which must be certified by a senior advocate.
• The curative petition is then circulated to the three most senior judges and to the judges who delivered the impugned judgment if available.
• No time limit is given for filing curative petition

Requirements for Curative Petition:

• To entertain a curative petition, the Supreme Court has laid down specific conditions:
  • The petitioner must establish that there was a genuine violation of principles of natural justice and fear of the bias of the judge and judgment that adversely affected him.
  • The petition must state specifically that the grounds mentioned had been taken in the review petition and that it was dismissed by circulation.
  • The curative petition must accompany certification by a senior lawyer relating to the fulfillment of the above requirements.
  • The petition is to be sent to the three senior most judges and judges of the bench who passed the judgment affecting the petition, if available.
  • If the majority of the judges on the above bench agree that the matter needs hearing, it is sent to the same bench if possible.
  • The court may impose “exemplary costs” to the petitioner if his plea lacks merit.

How is Curative Jurisdiction different from power of review?

• Curative Jurisdiction is distinct from the power of review under Indian law, which enables all courts to rectify errors which are apparent from their records.
• Examples of changes in the Court’s views include the right of privacy, decriminalization of homosexuality and so on.
• Curative Jurisdiction is different as it is not merely the Court changing its view on a position of law but is a reversal of the Court’s own view in a specific case, above and beyond even the power of review.