Daily Prelims Notes 9 September 2022
Daily Prelims Notes
9 September 2022
Table Of Contents
- Voters in Chile have overwhelmingly rejected a new constitution which was due to replace the one drawn up under Gen Augusto Pinochet’s military rule.
- Unemployment rate lowest since 2019; workforce participation largely unchanged
- The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, was instituted in January 1954. The award is conferred upon individuals in recognition of exceptional service/achievements in any field of human endeavour.
- IMF reforms
- Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
- Breakthrough in Ladakh: Indian, Chinese troops disengaging in Gogra-Hot Springs
- The history of the Grand Canopy at India Gate — and all about the statue of Netaji Bose that was unveiled there
- People do not know how to survive without insects: Human Development Report 2022
- India slips 2 places on HDI as Covid-19 reverses global gains
- Heckler’s veto cannot be allowed- petitioner tells Supreme Court
- Wildlife panel OKs IAF base and other infra in Ladakh sanctuaries near LAC
- Queen Elizabeth’s reign in numbers
Subject: Polity
Section: In a referendum, almost 62% voted against the progressive draft.
The margin of the defeat is much larger than opinion polls had suggested.
Background:
The process to replace Chile’s military rule era constitution started three years ago after mass protests rocked the nation, which is normally seen as a haven of stability in the region.
Almost 80% of Chileans voted in favour of replacing the old constitution in a referendum in October 2020.
Constitution:
It is described as the fundamental law of the land which contains the fundamentals of its polity and on the altar of which all other laws and executive acts of the state are to be tested for their validity and legitimacy.
Constitutionalism
Constitutionalism implies that the exercise of political power, should be bound by limitations, controls, checks and rules whether these exist in the form of a written or unwritten constitution. Constitutionalism becomes a living reality to the extent that these rules curb the arbitrary exercise of power and permit scope for the enjoyment of certain rights by the citizens.
Types of Direct Democracy
- Direct democracy has 4 devices – Referendum, Initiative, Recall and Plebiscite
- Referendum – procedure in which a proposed legislation is referred to the electorate for acceptance through direct voting.
- Initiative – method by means of which the people can propose a bill to the legislature for enactment.
- Recall – way for voters to remove a representative or an officer before the expiry of his/her term, when he fails to discharge his duties properly.
- Plebiscite – method of obtaining the opinion of people on any issue of public importance. It is generally used to solve territorial disputes.
2. Unemployment rate lowest since 2019; workforce participation largely unchanged
Subject : Economy
Section: Unemployment
According to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey quarterly bulletin released by the Ministry of Statistics Planning and Implementation, urban unemployment rate in the country between April and June 2022 was 7.6 per cent, 0.6 per cent lower than the last quarter of FY22. This was also lower than the pre-Covid times.
- In the October-December 2019 quarter, urban unemployment rate was 7.9 per cent, which subsequently rose to 9.1 per cent and then 20.9 per cent during the beginning of the first wave of the pandemic. According to the government numbers, it has been falling since July 2021. While the unemployment among men is 5.7 per cent, it is 9.5 per cent for women.
- This also corresponds with the Centre for Monitoring Economics data, which said that the average urban unemployment rate between April and June 2022 was 7.37 per cent.
- Among the States, the unemployment rate is highest in Rajasthan and Kerala — 12.8 per cent and 12.5 per cent respectively- followed by Uttarakhand and Odisha, where the urban unemployment rate is at 11.5 per cent each.
Labour force participation
- As of June 2022, urban India’s labour force participation rate (LFPR) was 37.2 per cent. This means of the people in the working age population, residing in urban areas, only 37.2 per cent are in the labour force. This number has been stagnant since October 2021.
- However, it remained pretty much unchanged during the pandemic too. For instance, between April and June 2020, it was 35.9 per cent, but in the next quarter, it shot up to 37 per cent.
- A closer look at the LFPR also shows a stark gender divide. While 57.2 per cent of urban men in the working age population are in the labour force, the proportion is a mere 16.4 per cent among women between April and June 2022.
- Of the employed people in urban India, almost half of them have salaried jobs. At the same time, 39.2 per cent of them are self-employed. Among them, the proportion of employers dipped massively during the beginning of the pandemic, but then started picking up. From 20.9 per cent in the first quarter of FY21, it rose to 32.9 per cent in the first quarter of the ongoing financial year.
Subject : Polity
Section:
From 1954 until May 2022, the Union government has honoured 48 distinguished persons with the Bharat Ratna. Among them, politicians were the dominant recipients with 25 awardees. The remaining recipients included social reformers, musicians, engineers, industrialists, scholars, physicists, sportsperson, etc. However, no agricultural scientist or related expert has received this coveted award so far!
Since independence, India has made tremendous progress in integrated agricultural sector which includes food crops, horticultural crops, plantation crops, oil seed crops, poultry and animal husbandry, fish and other aqua cultures, sericulture and apiculture as also in plant protection, fertilisers, harvesting, food processing, etc. Some of the major path-breaking revolutions in these areas include:
(i) Green Revolution (foodgrains: wheat, rice and other crops) – from 1965;
(ii) Silver Revolution (poultry and eggs) – from 1969;
(iii) Silver Fiber Revolution (cotton crop) – from 1970;
(iv) White Revolution (milk/dairy) – from 1970;
(v) Blue Revolution (fish/aquaculture) – from 1985;
(vi) Golden Revolution (horticulture — fruits, vegetable, flowers; and apiculture – honey production, etc.) — from 1991.
There are also others like Yellow Revolution (oilseeds), Grey Revolution (fertilisers), and Red Revolution (meat production).
Despite these achievements, no agricultural scientist or expert has been honoured with the Bharat Ratna. Prof MS Swaminathan, who is now 97, has been hailed as the ‘Father of Green Revolution in India’ while the late Verghese Kurian was the undisputed ‘Father of White Revolution.’ They were recommended several times in the last 3-4 decades for the Bharat Ratna, but not considered!
Subject: IR
Section: IR
- The IMF is a quota-based institution. Quotas are the building blocks of the IMF’s financial and governance structure.
- An individual member country’s quota broadly reflects its relative position in the world economy.
- Quotas are denominated in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), the IMF’s unit of account.
Multiple roles of quotas
General Quota Reviews
- The IMF’s Board of Governors conducts general reviews of quotas at regular intervals (no more than five years apart).
- Any changes in quotas must be approved by an 85 percent majority of the total voting power, and a member’s own quota cannot be changed without its consent.
- The two main issues addressed in a general review of quotas are
- (i) the size of an overall quota increases
- (ii) the distribution of the increase among the members.
- Size of overall quota increase – A general review allows the IMF to assess the adequacy of quotas in relation to both the members’ balance of payments financing needs and the Fund’s ability to help meet those needs.
Distribution of the quota increase among members
- A general review allows for realignments in members’ quota shares to reflect changes in their relative positions in the world economy.
- In addition, a member may request an ad hoc quota adjustment at any time outside of a general review.
Quota formula
- A quota formula is used to help assess members’ relative position in the world economy and it can play a role in guiding the distribution of quota increases.
- The current formula was agreed in 2008.
With micro forests, how a district in Punjab expands its green cover
They launched a pilot project called “My village, my forest” in October last year. The idea was to target an unused one-acre plot of land in Kuharianwali village undeveloped “forest” by applying the so-called Miyawaki method.
Concept:
- Miyawaki is a technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, that helps build dense, native forests.
- The approach is supposed to ensure that plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual.
- It involves planting dozens of native species in the same area, and becomes maintenance-free after the first three years.
5. Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
Subject :Government schemes
Section: Health
- The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has been envisioned to bring together all community stakeholders to support those on TB treatment and accelerate the country’s progress towards TB elimination.
- Hon’ble President will also launch the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative which forms a vital component of the Abhiyaan. The Ni-kshayMitra portal provides a platform for donors to provide various forms of support to those undergoing TB treatment.
- The three pronged support includes nutritional, additional diagnostic, and vocational support. The donors, called Ni-kshayMitras, could be a wide range of stakeholders from elected representatives, political parties, to corporates, NGOs, and individuals.
- The launch event aims to highlight the need for a societal approach that brings together people from all backgrounds into a Jan Andolan to achieve the ambitious target of eliminating TB from the country by 2025. Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan is a step towards garnering community support towards a patient-centric health system.
TB in India: https://optimizeias.com/tb-in-india/
6. Breakthrough in Ladakh: Indian, Chinese troops disengaging in Gogra-Hot Springs
Subject: Geography
- Gogra is one of the several friction points in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a stand-off since April-May 2020. The troops have disengaged from the north and south banks of the Pangong Tso and Gogra sector, creating “no zones” in areas along the un-demarcated Line of Actual Control (LAC) that was regularly patrolled by Indian troops prior to April 2020.
- The Army had stopped the villagers’ access to the Kiu La pass that was till a few years ago frequented by the villagers of Lukung, Phobrang and Yourgo for cattle-grazing.
Location of Hot Springs and Gogra Post:
- Hot Springs is just north of the Chang Chenmo river and Gogra Post is east of the point where the river takes a hairpin bend coming southeast from Galwan Valley and turning southwest.
- The area is north of the Karakoram Range of mountains, which lies north of the Pangong Tso lake, and south east of Galwan Valley.
Subject: History
Section: Art and Culture
- A statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at India Gate on Thursday (September 8) evening. The jet black granite statue was placed under the Grand Canopy to the east of India gate, halfway on the east-west axis to the National War Memorial.
How big is this statue?
- The statue of Netaji which is 28 feet tall stands at the same place where his hologram statue was unveiled earlier this year by the Prime Minister on Parakram Diwas, January 23 — Netaji’s 125th birth anniversary. On January 21, Modi had said that a grand granite statue of Netaji would be installed at India Gate as a mark of the grateful nation’s indebtedness to him.
What is the significance of the India Gate Canopy?
- About 150 m to the east of India Gate, at a centre of the C-hexagon, stands the 73-foot canopy, inspired by a sixth-century pavilion from Mahabalipuram. The canopy, designed by Edwin Lutyens, was added to the India Gate complex in 1936 as a tribute to the then recently deceased Emperor of India, King George V, and housed his 50-foot marble statue.
- Coronation Park was the venue of the Delhi Durbar of 1877 at which Queen Victoria was proclaimed as the Empress of India in addition to her existing title of Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, as also of the two subsequent Delhi Durbars of 1903 — to mark the accession of King Edward VII, the father and predecessor of George V — and 1911, when George V was proclaimed Emperor of India. The 1911 Durbar was the only one that was attended by the Emperor himself.
What will happen at the ceremony?
- The Prime Minister’s arrival at the canopy for the unveiling of the statue of Netaji will be heralded with traditional Manipuri ShankhVadayam and Kerala’s traditional PanchVadyam and Chanda. The unveiling of the statue will be accompanied by the tune of Kadam KadamBadhaye Jaa, the song of Netaji’s Indian National Army, which was first formed by Rash Behari Bose in 1942 and revived by Subhas in 1943, with regiments named after Gandhi, Nehru, Maulana Azad, and himself, and a women’s regiment named after Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi.
- A cultural festival by 500 dancers drawn from all parts of the country would be showcased on Kartavya Path, the erstwhile Rajpath. Glimpses of the same would be shown to the Prime Minister on the step amphitheatre near India Gate by 30 artistes who will perform tribal folk art forms such as Sambalpuri, Panthi, Kalbelia, Kargam and dummy horse with live music by Nashik dholpathiktasha and the drums.
- Mangalgaan penned by Pt. Shri Krishna Ratanjankarji on the occasion of the first Independence Day in 1947 will be presented by Pt. Suhas Vashi along with a team of singers and musicians.
Sambalpuri
- Sambalpur, in Orissa, India, is a region that has a distinct cultural identity. The songs, clothing, dances, language and festivals celebrated in Sambalpur are unique.
- The grand festival of “Lok Mahotsav” is a Folk and Tribal Arts and Culture Festival
- Nuakhai – This is the most important social festival of Sambalpur. It is a paddy harvest festival.
- Dalkhai Dance – It is a ritual folk dance. Songs sung on this occasion are known as Dalkhai songs. Young girls from Binjhal, Soura and Mirdha tribes perform this dance during Dusshera, Bhaijuntia and other festive occasions.
Panthi
- Panthi dance is one of the important dance forms of Chhattisgarh State of India. This Indian folk dance is basically a prominent ritual of the Satnami community of Chhattisgarh.
Kalbelia
- Kalbeliya dances are an expression of the Kalbelia community’s traditional way of life.It is associated with a Rajasthani tribe of the same name.
- It was included in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in 2010.
- Women in flowing black skirts dance and swirl, replicating the movements of a serpent, while men accompany them on the “khanjari” instrument and the “poongi”, a woodwind instrument traditionally played to capture snakes.
- Another unique aspect of the Kalbelia dance is that it is only performed by women while the men play the instruments and provide the music.
Kargam
- Karagam is a folk dance from Tamil Nadu, India. In this dance a pitcher is used as a ritual object and the dance is accompanied by a procession. The dance has interesting elements of acrobatics. The orchestra that accompanies the dance is called NiyandiMelam.
8. People do not know how to survive without insects: Human Development Report 2022
Subject : Governance
Section: Indices
- Biodiversity collapse and the extinction of more than a million plant and animal species, including insects, will lead to a world where humans will not know how to survive. This is according to the Human Development Report (HDR) 2021-22 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) September 8, 2022.
- It added that humans did not know how to live in a world without an abundance of insects. “Without an abundance of insect pollinators, we face the mindboggling challenge of growing food and other agricultural products at scale,” the report read.
- It noted that human societies and ecological systems influenced one another. But the speed at which human impact had risen because of the Anthropocene was unprecedented.
- The 2017 book Insect Biodiversity: Science and Society says insects are important because of their diversity, ecological role and influence on agriculture, human health and natural resources.
- Insects create the biological foundation for all terrestrial ecosystems. They cycle nutrients, pollinate plants, disperse seeds, maintain soil structure and fertility, control populations of other organisms and provide a major food source for other taxa.
- But currently, all of them, from the introduction of chlorofluorocarbons to DDT and nuclear proliferation have been stacked on top of each other, interacting and amplifying in unpredictable ways.
9. India slips 2 places on HDI as Covid-19 reverses global gains
Subject : Governance
Section: Indices
Human Development Report (HDR)
- It is released by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
- Human Development Index
- Based on three Basic Dimensions of Human Development:
- A long and healthy life,
- Access to knowledge, and
- A decent standard of living.
The other indices that form the part of the Report are:
- Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI),
- Gender Development Index (GDI),
- Gender Inequality Index (GII) and
- Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations’ global development network, headquartered in New York City.
- UNDP advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.
- UNDP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from member nations. The organization operates in 177 countries, where it works with local governments to meet development challenges and develop local capacity.
- In September 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. UNDP is working to strengthen new frameworks for development, disaster risk reduction and climate change by supporting countries’ efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, or Global Goals, which will guide global development priorities through 2030.
Highlights of HDI 2022
- India slipped two slots to rank 132 out of 191 countries in the latest Human Development Index (HDI) report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In 2020 India was ranked 130.
- However, UNDP says the rankings are not comparable as in 2020, the HDI was measured for 189 countries while this year it is for 191 nations.
- It also said that nine out of 10 countries have fallen backward in human development in the face of multiple crises like Covid-19, the Ukraine war and climate change. At the same time, it acknowledged that compared to 2019, the impact of inequality on human development is lower in India.
- HDI measures progress on three key dimensions of human development – a long and healthy life, access to education and a decent standard of living. It is calculated using four indicators – life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, expected years of schooling, and the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita.
Falling life expectancy
- According to UNDP, in India’s case, the drop in HDI from 0.645 in 2019 to 0.633 in 2021 can be attributed to life expectancy falling from 69.7 to 67.2 years. Various studies have said this happened due to Covid-19. India’s expected years of schooling stand at 11.9 years and the mean years of schooling at 6.7 years. The GNI per capita level is $6,590.
- According to Shoko Noda, UNDP Resident Representative in India, “Compared to 2019, the impact of inequality on human development is lower. India is bridging the human development gap between men and women faster than the world. This development has also come at a smaller cost to the environment.”
- The report said that India’s HDI value has been steadily catching up to the world average since 1990 – indicating a faster than the global rate of progress in human development. This is a result of policy choices by the country over time, including investments in health and education, it said.
- The report also highlighted that over the last decade, India has lifted a staggering 271 million out of multidimensional poverty.
10. Heckler’s veto cannot be allowed- petitioner tells Supreme Court
Subject :Polity
Section: Constitution
- Wearing a hijab in the street does not offend public order, but can schools not intervene to maintain public order if a student wears it to school, the Supreme Court asked on September 8, 2022.
- To this, senior advocate DevadauttKamat, appearing for AishatShifa, a student from Karnataka who was banned from entering her classroom wearing a hijab,said schools have no say in deciding public order.
- Maintaining public order is the responsibility of the State, Mr. Kamat contended.
- What is Heckler’s veto?
- If anyone wear a headscarf and someone is offended and shouts slogans, the police cannot turn to that person and say not to wear hijab. That will be called the heckler’s veto.
Arguments given for wearing Hijab by advocate:
- Whether the government can restrict speech and expression of honest beliefs and choices merely on the possibility of a violent reaction by hecklers.
- It is the State’s obligation to protect belief as long as it does not violate public order, health or morality.
- Asking how a display of “honest belief” by wearing hijab affects any of the three criteria.
- The state can’t restrict practices even though it may not be part of essential religious practice, as long as it do not hamper public order, health or morality.
- Just because other people can get offended is not a ground for prohibiting someone from wearing a hijab
- To make a Muslim student choose between education and the hijab was a violation of Article 19 (freedom of expression).
Constitutional Provisions
Article 19(1)(a): Freedom of speech and expression, provides every citizen with the right to express one’s views, opinions, beliefs, and convictions freely by word of mouth, writing, printing, picturing or in any other manner.
Article 19(2) confers the right on the State to impose reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the freedom of speech and expression on the grounds of,
- Sovereignty and integrity of India,
- Security of the state,
- Friendly relations with foreign states,
- Public order, decency or morality,
- Contempt of court, defamation, and incitement to an offence.
Article 25: says that all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion.
- Freedom of conscience: Inner freedom of an individual to mould his relation with God or Creatures in whatever way he desires.
- Right to Profess: Declaration of one’s religious beliefs and faith openly and freely.
- Right to Practice: Performance of religious worship, rituals, ceremonies and exhibition of beliefs and ideas.
- Right to Propagate: Transmission and dissemination of one’s religious beliefs to others or exposition of the tenets of one’s religion.
- Article 25 covers religious beliefs (doctrines) as well as religious practices (rituals).
- Moreover, these rights are available to all persons—citizens as well as non-citizens.
- These rights are subject to public order, morality, health and other provisions relating to fundamental rights.
- The State is permitted to regulate or restrict any economic, financial, political or other secular activity associated with religious practice.
11. Wildlife panel OKs IAF base and other infra in Ladakh sanctuaries near LAC
Subject: Geography
Section: The standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has cleared the setting up of a new IAF base in Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops have been facing off along the Line of Actual Control since May 2020.
- The base, which will be located in the Changthang wildlife sanctuary in eastern Ladakh, will be spread over 508.187 hectares of land, not very far from the LAC.
- The NBWL cleared eight Defence projects in the Changthang and Karakoram wildlife sanctuaries as India takes steps to ramp up its defence infrastructure near the LAC to match similar initiatives being taken by China to upgrade its military infrastructure in the area.
- The projects were cleared by the Chief Wildlife Warden of Ladakh before being sent to the NBWL for clearance.
- The Ministry of Defence will now require environmental clearances, including under the Forest Conservation Act (1980) and Environment Protection Act (1986), as the region falls under Ladakh’s protected cold desert.
Concept:
Changthang sanctuary
- Spread over 1600 sq km, the Changthang sanctuary is located on the Tibetan Changthang plateau and has some of the highest altitude lakes including Tso Moriri and is famous for being the home of the snow leopard.
- The Tibetan wolf (IUCN: Endangered), wild yak(IUCN: Vulnerable), bharal (IUCN: Least Concern), brown bear(IUCN : Critically endangered), mormot (IUCN: Least Concern), Tibetan wild ass(IUCN: Least Concern) and dark-necked crane(IUCN : Near Threatened, only found here , Ladakh’s state animal) are also found in the sanctuary apart from almost 200 species of wild plants.
Karakoram sanctuary
- The Karakoram sanctuary is spread over 5,000 sq km in Leh district and houses the famous Tibetan antelope or Chiru(IUCN : Near Threatened)(known for Shahtoosh). This is the first time that the NBWL has looked at proposals from the Ladakh region as the area did not fall under the Wildlife Protection Act prior to the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir
National Board for Wildlife (NBWL)
- National Board for Wildlife is a statutory Board constituted officially in 2003 under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- The NBWL is chaired by the Prime Minister and is responsible for promotion of conservation and development of wildlife and forests.
- The board is ‘advisory’ in nature and can only advise the Government on policy making for conservation of wildlife.
- It is an important body because it serves as an apex body for the review of all wildlife-related matters and for the approval of projects in and around national parks and sanctuaries.
- The standing committee of NBWL is chaired by the Minister of Environment Forest and Climate Change.
- The standing committee approves all the projects falling within protected wildlife areas or within 10 km of them.
12. Queen Elizabeth’s reign in numbers
Subject: Polity
Section: Basic
- Queen Elizabeth II was the 40th monarch in England since Norman King William the Conqueror obtained the crown. Her reign of 70 years, 7 months and 2 days was the longest in the history of what became the United Kingdom. During that time, she has given her assent to more than 4,000 Acts of Parliament.
- Elizabeth visited well over 100 countries during her reign. In 2016, Buckingham Palace said she had travelled at least 1,032,513 miles (1,661,668 km) to 117 nations. She paid the most visits to Canada.
- She had 15 prime ministers, starting with Winston Churchill through to Liz Truss. During her reign there were 14 US presidents and seven popes.
- She had four children, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
- She sent more than 300,000 congratulatory cards to people celebrating their 100th birthdays, and more than 900,000 messages to couples marking their Diamond (60th) Wedding Anniversaries.
- She loved dogs and owned more than 30 Corgis and Dorgis during her reign, most of which have been descended from her first Corgi, Susan, which was given to Elizabeth when she turned 18 in 1944.
The Queen was the Head of State of 15 countries:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Belize
- Canada
- Grenada
- Jamaica
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Santa Lucia
- The Solomon Islands
- Tuvalu
- The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Monarchy
Monarchy is the world oldest political institution. It is a form of government in which the supreme power is actually lodged or nominally lodged in a monarchy. In the absolute or despotic monarchy when monarch’s authority is not limited by laws or it is a constitutional monarchy when the authority limited.