Daily Prelims Notes 4 May 2023

May 4, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

4 May 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Citing report, SC declines Rajoana’s mercy plea

Subject :Polity

Section: Judiciary

Context: The Supreme Court found it inappropriate to direct the government to commute the death penalty of Balwant Singh Rajoana — who is on death row for the 1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh — in view of the Home Ministry’s conclusion that a decision on the mercy petition now would impact national security

Mercy petition

The mercy petition talks about the power to pardon the convict under a few sections of the criminal code of procedure.
Mercy Petition lies in saving an innocent person from being punished due to miscarriage of justice or in cases of doubtful conviction.

Constitutional backing:

Under Article 72 of the Constitution, the President has the power to grant pardons and decide on mercy petitions.
Under Article 161 of the Indian Constitution, the Governor of State also possess the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites and remission or suspend, remit or commute the sentence of a convict against state law.

Procedure to apply for mercy petition:

A convict under the sentence of death is allowed to file a mercy petition within a period of seven days after the date on which the Superintendent of Jail informs him about the dismissal of the appeal or special leave to appeal by the Supreme Court.
The petitions are to be presented to the President of India. The President office seeks the cabinet advice.
The appeal is examined by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry before giving recommendations to the President, takes the view of State concerned.
There is no written procedure to deal with mercy petition.

Judicial review:

President’s pardon/rejection/delay is also subjected to judicial review.
However, if a court finds that the process of the decision taken by the President under Article 72 was not arbitrary or unreasonable; the decision then cannot be interfered with.
A curative petition is the last judicial corrective measure which can be pleaded in any judgment or decision passed by the Supreme Court which is normally decided by Judges in-chamber.

Who else can give pardon?

In Dhananjoy Chatterjee alias Dhana v State of West Bengal, 1994 case the Supreme Court has said that “The power under Articles 72 and 161 of the Constitution can be exercised by the Central and State Governments, not by the President or Governor on their own”.
The advice of the appropriate Government binds the Head of the state.

2. UN top prize for 3 Iranian women journalists who reported protests

Subject : International Relations

Section : International Organization

Context: UNESCO marked World Press Freedom Day by awarding its annual World Press Freedom Prize to three imprisoned Iranian female journalists. The winners, Niloufar Hamedi, Elaheh Mohammadi, and Narges Mohammadi, were recognized for their work in reporting on human rights abuses in Iran and their commitment to truth and accountability.

The UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize, named after Colombian journalist Guillermo Cano who was assassinated in 1986, is awarded to those who have made an outstanding contribution to press freedom.
UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay emphasized the importance of paying tribute to women journalists who are prevented from doing their jobs and who face threats and attacks on their personal safety.

3. International Leopard Day 2023

Subject :Environment

Section: Species in news

Context: A new portal dedicated to leopards (Panthera pardus) was launched by the Cape Leopard Trust (CLT), an active predator conservation working group, on International Leopard Day (May 3, 2023) to promote and celebrate leopards worldwide.

More on the News:

The launch of the website org follows the Global Leopard Conference held from March 13-19 by CLT, global wild cat organization Panthera and some other organizations.
A statement by CLT noted that “despite being a well-known and charismatic species, the conference presentations and discussion groups overwhelmingly indicated that leopards are still greatly in need of awareness raising, support and investment — especially considering their ‘Vulnerable’ status as listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature”.
In comparison to other large carnivores, leopards are quite adaptable with respect to their habitat needs and food requirements, being found in agro-pastoral landscapes, plantations and near human habitation (both rural and urban).
Leopards are a species that have never been as well acknowledged and studied as, say, tigers. It is good that this website has been created. It means there will be more knowledge out there in the public domain.

Indian Leopard

The Indian leopard is a leopard subspecies widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent.
It is one of the big cats occurring on the Indian subcontinent, apart from the Asiatic lion, Bengal tiger, snow leopard and clouded leopard.
Habitat – India, Nepal, Bhutan and parts of Pakistan.
Leopard is a middle-sized wild cat has a slim and long body with short, sturdy legs and a long tail, helping the animal to keep balance when in the trees.
Leopards are generally asocial animals, living solitarily and avoiding other leopards.
The leopard is distinguished by its well-camouflaged fur, opportunistic hunting behavior, broad diet, strength, and its ability to adapt to a variety of habitats ranging from rainforest to steppe, including arid and montane areas.
Conservation Status:
- It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule 1

4. Biosynthetic Clock

Subject :Science and Technology

Section: Msc

Biosynthetic Clock

A biosynthetic ‘clock’ keeps the body’s cells from getting old or in other words, reaching normal levels of deterioration related to ageing.
Human lifespan relates to how quickly individual cells age. Recent research has shown that cells follow two distinct paths during ageing, and these are controlled by a central, genetic regulatory circuit.
Manipulating these processes can be used to extend the lifespan of cells. Cells, including those of yeast, plants, animals and humans, all contain gene regulatory circuits that are responsible for many physiological functions, including ageing.
Cells follow a variety of molecular changesthrough their entire lifespan until they eventually degenerate and die. But cells of the same genetic material and within the same environment can travel along distinct ageing routes.
About half of the cells age through a gradual decline in the stability of DNA, where genetic information is stored. The other half ages along a path tied to the decline of mitochondria, the energy production units of cells. Thus directing the cell’s journey among these paths can significantly influence ageing.
From its normal role of functioning like a toggle switch, these regulatory circuits can be engineered to generate a negative feedback loop to stall the ageing process. The rewired circuit operates as a clock-like device, called a gene oscillator, that drives the cell to periodically switch between two detrimental “aged” states – or pathways–avoiding prolonged commitment to either, and thereby slowing the cell’s degeneration.
These advances resulted in a dramatically extended cellular lifespan, setting a new record for life extension through genetic and chemical interventions.

5. Tele Manas counsels Kashmir’s distressed souls

Subject :Schemes

Concept :

Over the past six months, the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) in Srinagar has received 10,500 calls from people in distress across Jammu and Kashmir’s toll-free numbers 14416 and 1800-891-4416.

About

The Tele-MANAS cell at IMHANS was launched on November 4 with the support of the National Health Mission, Jammu and Kashmir.
It aims to provide mental health support, early screening, first-aid, distress management, mental well-being, suicide prevention, and psychological crisis management in Jammu and Kashmir.
The centre operates through a toll free-number—11416/1-800-891-4416. The crisis counsellors or the first-time responders are the first points of contact for callers at the 24*7 helpline

Tele-MANAS

It was launched on World Mental Health Day (10 October).
The Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) initiative is a comprehensive mental health care service.
Tele-MANAS aims to provide free tele-mental health services all over the country round the clock, particularly catering to people in remote or under-served areas.
The Tele-MANAS programme consists of a network of 23 tele-mental health centres of excellence, with NIMHANS as the nodal centre.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bengaluru and the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHRSC) have been roped in for technical support.

6. India slips to 161 on World Press Freedom Index

Subject : International Relations

Section: International Reports

Concept :

India’s ranking has fallen to 161 in the World Press Freedom Index-2023 in the list of 180 countries. In 2021, India’s ranking was 150, down from a ranking of 142 on the press freedom index.

Key Findings of the Report

Toppers: Norway, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, Portugal and Timor-Leste occupy the top 10 ranks in the World Press Freedom Index 2023.
India’s neighbours: The relative rankings of some countries — Pakistan rose up seven ranks and was placed at 150th, and Afghanistan was ranked 152nd.
The World Press Freedom Index revealed that press freedom in 31 is in a “very serious situation”.
Two years ago, the number was 21 countries.

About the Report

The World Press Freedom Index Report is an annual report.
It is published by Reporters Without Borders, a non-governmental organization that advocates for freedom of the press worldwide.
The report ranks 180 countries based on their level of press freedom, taking into account factors such as censorship, media independence, and the safety of journalists.
The World Press Freedom Index is based on five different factors that are used to calculate scores and rank countries. These five sub-indicators include the:
Political indicator
Economic indicator
Legislative indicator
Social indicator
Security indicator

About RSF

Reporters Without Borders is an international NGO whose self-proclaimed aim is to defend and promote media freedom.
Headquartered in Paris, it has consultative status with the United Nations.

7. India to build harbour for Maldivian coast guards

Subject : International Relations

Section: India Neighbor

Concept :

The Indian Defence Minister and his Maldivian counterpart laid the foundation for “EkathaHarbour”.

About EkathaHarbour

EkathaHarbour is being constructed in the Maldives for the Maldives National Defence Forces Coast Guard.
The Harbour is being constructed at Sifavaru in UthuruThilaFalhu (UTF) atoll.
India is assisting the construction of the naval dockyard and it is regarded as one of the biggest grant-in-aid projects of India.
The Indian Defence Minister also Maldives National Defence Forces Coast Guard an additional Landing Craft in line with India’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).
Maldives is said to be one of India’s crucial maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the Indian government is looking to expand ties with Male in areas of defence and security amid China’s efforts to expand its influence in the region.
The Ministers further have agreed to explore additional avenues for cooperation, including in the areas of defence trade, capacity building and joint exercises.

8. India to release manual for organ donation

Subject :Schemes

Concept :

From standardising the course for transplant coordinators to developing a manual for setting up an organ transplant programme at a hospital, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) is working towards structural reforms to improve organ donation and transplant in the country.
The organisation has been working towards standardising processes for registering to receive organs and the allocation of organs across the country, with a call for a “one nation, one policy”.
The government recently granted special casual leave of up to 42 days to central government employees who donate organs.

About NOTTO

National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) is set up under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, located in New Delhi.
Organ donation in India is regulated by the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994.

About National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP):

National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP) aims to promote organ donation and transplantation across all States/Union Territories (UTs).
Implementing Agency: Directorate General of Health Services(DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is implementing the National Organ Transplant Programme.

Objectives of the Programme:

To organize a system of organ and tissue procurement & distribution for transplantation.
To promote deceased organ and Tissue donation.
Furthermore, to train required manpower.
Also, to protect vulnerable poor from organ trafficking.
Lastly, to monitor organ and tissue transplant services and bring about policy and programme corrections/ changes whenever needed.

Key Features of the Programme:

The key activities under the programme include:
Setting up of State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisations (SOTTOs) in each State/UT.
Setting up of National/ Regional/State Bio-material centres.
Financial support for establishing new Organ Transplant/retrieval facilities and strengthening of existing Organ Transplant/retrieval facilities.
Training to transplant experts including surgeons, physicians, transplant coordinators, etc.
Financial support for the hiring of Transplant Coordinators to medical colleges and trauma centres.
Post-transplant immune-suppressant drugs to Below Poverty Line (BPL) patients.

Nodal Centre:

National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has been set up as the apex center for all Indian activities of coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of organs and tissues and registry of Organs and Tissues Donation and Transplantation in the country.

9. International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO)

Subject : Environment

Section: International conventions

Context:

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has announced has recently announced that India will start participating in the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and the Long-Term Aspirational Goals (LTAG) from 2027.

CORSIA:

CORSIA is the first global market-based measure for any sector and represents a cooperative approach that moves away from a “patchwork” of national or regional regulatory initiatives. It offers a harmonized way to reduce emissions from international aviation, minimizing market distortion, while respecting the special circumstances and respective capabilities of ICAO Member States.
CORSIA complements the other elements of the basket of measures by offsetting the amount of CO₂emissions that cannot be reduced through the use of technological improvements, operational improvements, and sustainable aviation fuels with emissions units from the carbon market.
CORSIA is applicable only to flights originating from one country to another.

LTAG:

41^stICAO Assembly adopted LTAG for international aviation of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 in support of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement’s temperature goal.
The LTAG does not attribute specific obligations or commitments in the form of emissions reduction goals to individual States. Instead, it recognizes each State’s special circumstances and respective capabilities e.g., the level of development, maturity of aviation markets.

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO):

It is a specialised agency of the United Nations and its primary function is to coordinate the principles and techniques of international air navigation.
The organisation is also responsible for promoting the planning and development of international air transport.
ICAO’s mission is to ensure the safe and orderly development of the international aviation industry.
The organisation works with its member states to develop and implement policies and regulations related to air navigation and air transport.
ICAO also provides technical assistance and training to help its member states meet international aviation standards and regulation

10. Quality control Order not protective

Subject :Economy

Section: msc

Quality Council of India (QCI)

The Quality Council of India (QCI) works for promotion of Quality Standards across various economic and social sectors such as manufacturing, education, health and environment.
The QCI has been established as a National body for Accreditation on recommendation of Expert Mission of EU after consultation in Inter-Ministerial Task Force, Committee of Secretaries and Group of Ministers through a Cabinet decision in 1996.
Accordingly, the QCI was set up through a PPP model as an independent autonomous organization with the support of Government of India and the Indian Industry represented by the three premier industry associations, (i) Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), (ii) Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and (iii) Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

The QCI is the umbrella organisation of five boards:

NABL – National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories;
NABH- National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare;
NABET- National Accreditation Board for Education and Training;
NABCB- National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies; and
NBQP- National Board for Quality Promotion.

Besides carrying out accreditation, certification, empanelment and third-party assessment activities through its Boards, QCI is also involved in project initiation, planning & development and its successful execution for various ministries, Government departments and State Governments. It carries out such activities through its five Boards and three divisions under Special Projects namely:

[ZED] – ZERO DEFECT ZERO EFFECT,
[PADD] – Project Analysis and Documentation Division; and
[PPID] – Project Planning & Implementation Division.

The projects are carried out as and when allotted by the concerned departments/organizations and as per the scope, guidelines and timelines as agreed with the concerned organizations/ departments.

QCI operates its quality assurance activities in areas related to industry, education & training, laboratory, environment, health care, sports, etc. through its above five constituent Boards.

11. WTO needs to look at farm subsidy issue with open mind: FM

Subject :International relations

Section: International Organization

Context: Speaking at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Governor’s seminar on ‘Policies to support Asia’s rebound’ FM said that the World Trade Organization (WTO) should look at the issue of farm subsidies with an open mind as it impacts the food security needs of emerging economies in the backdrop of COVID19 and the Russia.

Agri Subsidies and WTO

In WTO terminology, subsidies in general are identified by “boxes” which are given the colours of traffic lights: green (permitted), amber (slow down — i.e. need to be reduced), red (forbidden).
The Agriculture Agreement has no red box, although domestic support exceeding the reduction commitment levels in the amber box is prohibited; and there is a blue box for subsidies that are tied to programmes that limit production.
There are also exemptions for developing countries (sometimes called an “S&D box” or “development box“, including provisions in Article 6.2 of the Agreement).

Amber box

Nearly all domestic support measures considered to distort production and trade (with some exceptions) fall into the amber box, which is defined in Article 6 of the Agriculture Agreement as all domestic supports except those in the blue and green boxes.
These include measures to support prices, or subsidies directly related to production quantities.
These supports are subject to limits. “De minimis” minimal supports for both product-specific and non-product-specific support are allowed, defined as a share of the value of agricultural production.
- This threshold is generally 5% of the value of agricultural production for developed countries, 10% for most developing countries — although some WTO members agreed to a different level when they negotiated to join the WTO.
- Furthermore, 32 WTO members with larger subsidies than the de minimis levels at the beginning of the post-Uruguay Round reform period committed to reducing these support levels.
The reduction commitments are expressed in terms of a “Total Aggregate Measurement of Support” (Total AMS) which includes all supports for specified products together with supports that are not for specific products, in one single figure. In the Agriculture Agreement, AMS is defined in Article 1 and Annexes 3 and 4.

Blue box

This is the “amber box with conditions” — conditions designed to reduce distortion.
Any support that would normally be in the amber box, is placed in the blue box if the support also requires farmers to limit production (details set out in Paragraph 5 of Article 6 of the Agriculture Agreement).
At present there are no limits on spending on blue box subsidies.

Green box

The green box is defined in Annex 2 of the Agriculture Agreement.
In order to qualify, green box subsidies must not distort trade, or at most cause minimal distortion.
They have to be government-funded (not by charging consumers higher prices) and must not involve price support.
They tend to be programmes that are not targeted at particular products, and include direct income supports for farmers that are not related to (are “decoupled” from) current production levels or prices.
They also include environmental protection and regional development programmes.
“Green box” subsidies are therefore allowed without limits, provided they comply with the policy-specific criteria set out in Annex 2.

Development Box

Article 6.2 of the Agriculture Agreement allows developing countries additional flexibilities in providing domestic support.
The type of support that fits into the developmental category are measures of assistance, whether direct or indirect, designed to encourage agricultural and rural development and that are an integral part of the development programmes of developing countries.
They include investment subsidies which are generally available to agriculture in developing country members, agricultural input subsidies generally available to low-income or resource-poor producers in developing country members, and domestic support to producers in developing country members to encourage diversification from growing illicit narcotic crops.

De minimis

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) defines de minimis as the “minimal amounts of domestic support that are allowed even though they distort trade — up to 5% of the value of production for developed countries, 10% for developing”.

Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM)

The WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures disciplines the use of subsidies, and it regulates the actions countries can take to counter the effects of subsidies.
Under the agreement, a country can use the WTO’s dispute-settlement procedure to seek the withdrawal of the subsidy or the removal of its adverse effects. Or the country can launch its own investigation and ultimately charge extra duty (“countervailing duty”) on subsidized imports that are found to be hurting domestic producers.
All countries that become members of the WTO will automatically be subject to the Subsidies Agreement