General Studies Paper 1

Context: India, with nearly 18% of the world’s population, occupies about 4(two point four)% of the total geographical area and consumes 4% of total water resources.

• Groundwater is the water present below the earth’s surface and is a vast resource of water.
• Almost 22 percent of water is below the surface land in the form of groundwater.
• World Bank report: India is the largest groundwater user.

Importance of Groundwater:

• Groundwater is the backbone of India’s agriculture and drinking water security in rural and urban areas
• It meets nearly 80% of the country’s drinking water and two-thirds of its irrigation needs.
• Groundwater is pivotal to India’s water security.

Steps taken by the government for sustainable groundwater management:

• Reduction in groundwater extraction to below 70%
• Increasing the network of groundwater observation wells,
• Installing digital water level recorders for real-time monitoring,
• Periodic monitoring of groundwater quality
• Aquifer mapping and data dissemination
• Having better regulation of groundwater extraction by industries
• Promoting participatory groundwater management
• Periodic groundwater resource assessment.
• Creation of Jal Shakti Ministry (a merger of the erstwhile Ministries of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation along with Drinking Water and Sanitation).
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan was launched to transform Jan Shakti into Jal Shakti through asset creation
  • Rainwater harvesting (‘Catch the Rain’ campaign)
  • extensive awareness campaign.

Initiatives for the effective management and regulation of groundwater:

• Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY): It looks to inculcate behavioral change made possible by incentivisation.
• National Project on Aquifer Management (NAQUIM): It envisages the mapping of subsurface water bearing geological formations (aquifers) to help gather authentic data and enable informed decision-making.
• There are around 65,025 groundwater monitoring stations in India, which include 7,885 automated stations.
• Samples from fixed locations are obtained to check for the presence of heavy and trace metals.
• A software, ‘India-Groundwater Resource Estimation System (IN-GRES)’, has also been developed.

What does the latest groundwater assessment show?

• There has been a 3% reduction in the number of ‘overexploited’ groundwater units and a 4% increase in the number of ‘safe’ category units as compared to 2017.
• There was an improvement in groundwater conditions in 909 units.
• A reduction in annual extraction (of about 53(nine point five three) billion cubic meters)
• Overall extraction saw a declining trend, of about 25(three point two five)% since 2017.

What does the groundwater assessment indicate?

• It shows that a time-bound and scientific approach is being adopted to monitor precious water resources.
• It indicates a positive inclination in the management of groundwater.

Reasons for success:

• Implementation of comprehensive groundwater guidelines in 2020 for regulation in various sectors
• Making the processes of issuing a no-objection certificate transparent and time-bound using a web-based application.
• The government’s interventions in enabling a positive impact on the overall groundwater scenario. 

Way Forward

• The Theme of UN World Water Day 2022: ‘Groundwater, Making the Invisible Visible’ is a reflection of the importance given to the resource across the globe.
• A heli-borne based survey (state-of-the-art technology), has also been used along with traditional exploratory methods for rapid and accurate aquifer mapping.
• Region-wise aquifer management plans are being prepared and shared with States.
• Dynamic groundwater assessments will be done annually now and a groundwater estimation committee formed to revise the assessment methodology.
• The positive change in groundwater: It reflects the spirit of cooperative federalism in managing this precious resource.
  • Around 37(nine point three seven) BCM of additional groundwater potential was created through artificial water conservation structures
• India will need adequate groundwater resources to manage anthropogenic pressures.
• It is important to ensure source sustainability to provide safe drinking water to all rural households by 2024, under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
• Communities will have to manage their groundwater resources better with the help of various government agencies and non-governmental organizations.
• Find solutions that are essential for sustainable development.
• Steps must be taken to make India a water surplus nation, thus fulfilling the objective of a key United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, of water for all.

General Studies Paper 3

Context: Davos and Delhi have framed the moral and intellectual crises affecting Indian economic policies.

• Chairman of Tata Sons in the World Economic Forum said: The three things most important are growth, growth, and growth.”

Background of Indian Economy:

After Independence India’s strategy of development comprised four elements:

• Raising the savings and investment rate
• Dominance of state intervention
• Import substitution
• Domestic manufacture of capital goods

Reason for Economic reforms of 1990-91:

• Economic crisis of 1990-91.
• Model India had chosen was not delivering.

Moral crisis in employment:

• Cover up the declining employment elasticity of India’s shining growth.
• Job creation has not kept pace with the demand for jobs.
• Most jobs hardly pay enough and have no social security.
• The Indian economy is not generating enough good jobs.
• Organized manufacturing and service sectors are also employing fewer people per unit of capital in order to improve their own labor productivity.

Solution:

• Productivity of the agriculture sector must be improved by using more capital-intensive methods
• Moving people out of agriculture and rural areas, into cities and into manufacturing and modern services (such as information technology).

Problem of Indian economy:

• Large size of its “informal” sector and the small scale of its enterprises.

What is the current global scenario?

• Innovations in business models are changing the forms of large enterprises and creating more informality of employment.
• Employment in the formal sector is also becoming informal with outsourcing, contract employment, and gig work.
• Concepts of “economies of scale” are changing to “economies of scope
• Enterprise forms from concentrated to dispersed units.

Problems in employment policies:

• India’s formal sector cannot create enough good jobs.
• Too few Indian women venture out of their homes to earn money.

Role of Indian women:

• More Indian women have been working outside their homes to earn money
• Women have worked in large numbers on farms, as caregivers and domestic workers in others’ homes, as municipal sweepers, and weavers and producers of handicrafts in small enterprises.
• They are employed as teachers and as Anganwadi and ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) providing essential services to communities.

Issues:

• The essential services that women provide to society (including mothering and family care) are not considered productive work for the economy.
• Their work is not valued and they are paid too little.
• They are being pulled into the limited jobs the formal economy offers to increase GDP.

Way Forward

• Pushing more women into the formal economy will improve the “female participation rate” in the formal economy and may add to GDP too.
• Young men need jobs: As increasing numbers of young and underemployed males are leading to more crime and violence, and sexual assaults of women in Indian cities.
• Capitalism needs to reinvent itself: The paradigm of “growth, growth, growth” treats human society and nature as a means to its goals of producing more wealth for investors and more GDP.
  • Human work and intelligence are commodities for producing value for investors in capitalist enterprises.
  • The state must take care of its citizens.
• India’s leaders must find a path to reach “poorna swaraj” — social, political, and economic freedoms — for all Indians.
• Economic growth must create equal opportunities for all to learn and earn with dignity and not harm the natural environment that sustains all life.
• A new paradigm of economic science and policy is required, the development of which has become essential for humanity’s survival in this millennium.
  • India should lead the way in the G-20 and beyond.

General Studies Paper 1

Context: India aspires to be a $10 trillion economy by 2035. To achieve this, conducting population Census, due in 2021, postponed, is necessary.

Census:

• The census provides information on size, distribution and socio-economic, demographic and other characteristics of the country’s population.
• The Census was first started under British Viceroy Lord Mayo in 1872.
• It helped in framing new policies, government programs to uplift areas of improvement in the community.
• The first synchronous census in India was held in 1881.
• Every ten years: Since then, censuses have been undertaken uninterruptedly once every ten years.

Who conducts the census?

• The responsibility of conducting the decennial Census rests with the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

The Census is one of the most credible sources of information on the following:

• Economic Activity.
• Literacy and Education.
• Housing & Household Amenities.
• Urbanization, Fertility, and Mortality.
• Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Census in India:

• India’s first Census was held in 1872, conducted non-synchronously in different parts of the country.
• After that, India has held its decadal censuses regularly from 1881 to 2011.

What does the constitution say about the census?

• Delimitation: The use of Census data for delimitation of constituencies
• For determining the quantum of reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• Periodicity of census: It does not say what should be the periodicity of the census.
• The Census Act, 1948: It provides the legal background for several activities relating to the Census without mentioning anything about its periodicity.
• It says: “The Central Government may declare its intention of taking a census, whenever it may consider it necessary or desirable to do so, and thereupon the census shall be taken”.

Importance of Census data:

• It is essential for planning at the village or block level to usher in economic and social development
• Governance: Ensure better governance
• Increase the transparency of public schemes and programmes.

Challenge faced by demographers, planners, and other stakeholders:

• How to estimate the district population.
  • The district is the basic administrative unit for governing, planning, and executing government projects and schemes.

Reasons why conducting a Census is a prerequisite for economic development:

• In the absence of updated Census data, demographers estimate the annual population count at the district level using past Census information for the intercensal or postcensal period.
  • Demographic exercises give reasonably fair estimates when the year of population estimation is within the range of a maximum of 10 years. Beyond this period, estimations can be erroneous.
• Many districts of India are experiencing a faster demographic transition with varying fertility and mortality rates.
  • Using the growth rate of 2001-2011 for the period after 2021 becomes more of an assumption-based model than a model that reflects empirical reality.
• Covid-19 further makes the situation complex: It impacts the fertility and mortality situation in the country.
• Many states (and districts) lack a complete civil registration system with a full count of birth and death data, and demographers face enormous challenges in providing population counts at the district level.
• Migration data collected in the Census has great implications for economic activities and social harmony.
  • The pattern of migration within the country, within states as well as outside the country has been changing in unprecedented ways.
  • The migration pattern in India in the present decade is very different from what the data in Census 2001 and 2011.
• The Census counts everyone across regions, classes, creeds, religions, languages, castes, marital status, differently-abled populations, occupation patterns etc.
  • Most national-level surveys such as NFHS and NSSO do not have representative data at the population subgroup level, unlike the Census.

Importance of census:

• The Census can provide population data for every village and town in the country.
• Sample surveys can provide reliable data on social and demographic indicators only at higher geographic levels.
• Census has been providing data on population characteristics, housing and amenities.
• The Census data are used to determine the number of seats to be reserved for SCs and STs in Parliament, State legislatures, local bodies, and government services.

Implications of delay:

• Surveys have limitations and cannot be used to find answers to how many villages have literacy rates below 75% or which tehsils have a low percentage of people getting protected water supply.
• In case of panchayats and municipal bodies, reservation of seats for SCs and STs is based on their proportion in the population.
  • There is no other source that can provide this information.
• Delay in the Census means that the data from the 2011 Census would continue to be used.
• Rapid changes in the composition of the population over the last decade.
  • This means that either too many or too few seats are being reserved.
• The rural-urban distribution of population has been rapidly changing over the years.
  • For example: Areas under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike grew by 3(forty nine point three)% during 2001-11 etc
• The pandemic; It resulted in deaths among adults and the aged relatively more than children.
  • It would give indirect estimates of the number of deaths.

Way Forward

• The existence of numerous faiths and languages as well as the expansion or extinction of such communities will be known only via population Census.
• A regular Census at the national and sub-national levels has been a matter of pride for India.
  • It has to be continued until India achieves a fool-proof civil registration system and a dynamic National Population Register.
• Census is necessary since it forms the basis of all the plans and programmes that the government wants to implement.
  • Postponing the Census has immediate and long-term negative consequences for India.
• Separate census from NPR: It is advisable to separate these two and disassociate the Census from a politically sensitive issue.
  • This would help complete the Census as early as possible and maintain reliability of data.

General Studies Paper 2

Context: The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been reformed many times over years.

MGNREGA:

• The scheme was introduced as a social measure that guarantees “the right to work”.
• The local government will have to legally provide at least 100 days of wage employment in rural India to enhance their quality of life.
• The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Govt of India is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments.
• Within 15 days of submitting the application or from the day work is demanded, wage employment will be provided to the applicant.
• Right to get unemployment allowance in case employment is not provided within fifteen days of submitting the application or from the date when work is sought.
• Social Audit of MGNREGA works is mandatory, which lends to accountability and transparency.
• The Gram Sabha is the principal forum for wage seekers to raise their voices and make demands.
• The Gram Sabha and the Gram Panchayat approve the shelf of works under MGNREGA and fix their priority.

Issues with MGNREGA:

• Poorer States struggle more to adapt when compared to those that are better off because of weaker administrative capacity.
• Programme’s “regressive” spending pattern, where poorer States spend less NREGA funds than better-off ones.
• Its most basic design principles have been forgotten or wilfully ignored.
• The process of wage payments created by the central government has become even more convoluted.
  • For example: seven or more functionaries have to sign off before payment due to a worker can be approved (stage one of the wage payment cycle).
• Intermittent and unpredictable fund releases by the central government are one of the fundamental reasons why State governments are unable to ensure the full potential of NREGA.
  • Inadequate funds, typically discourage and often deny demand for work.
• Worksites are not opened on time, and the work provided does not match demand.
• Majority of reforms have focused on centralisation such as the electronic fund management system, geo-tagging of assets and a national mobile monitoring system (NMMS)
  • They have disrupted implementation.

How to address violation of entitlements?

• Address delays in wage payments to restore the faith of workers in the programme.
• The Ministry of Rural Development must simplify the payment process
• Transparency about pending wage payments in stage one and two so that bottlenecks can be corrected.
• Strengthen implementation capacities where expenditure is low instead of curbing expenditure where employment generation is high.
• Instead of using expenditure and income poverty as the only markers: exclusion must be identified at the household level.
  • Evidence shows that NREGA is fairly well targeted, benefiting the poorest, especially SC and ST families.
• The online Management Information System of NREGA can be used in areas where entitlements are violated instead of being used as a tool by bureaucrats to centralize and control things.
• Run the programme like a demand-based law, and not a scheme.
• Make discussions on any proposed reforms participatory: Public participation, which gave NREGA an institutional architecture is needed.
• Government should make an earnest attempt to map the impact of each of its “reforms” on access to and the expenditure of NREGA, particularly in poorer States.

Alternative Steps taken to address problems with NREGA:

• The Kaam Mango Abhiyan was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development in 2013 — due to declining demand of work under NREGA)
• The Union Ministry of Rural Development launched this campaign, “ask for work” — with the help of civil society organizations in six districts in six States

Cases of not getting work or wages:

• 53,000 workers demanded work in Katihar district: dated receipts were provided.
  • workers demanding work were let down by the Ministry because funds were not released to States in time.
• Workers in Barari block of Katihar were on indefinite strike as they have not been provided work and wages for the work they have done.
• Almost 3,000 women NREGA workers in Muzaffarpur district are protesting against the NMMS application after the app failed to capture their attendance.
  • They have been denied their wages.

Way Forward

• States which are spending more are implementing the programme better because they have better capacities (as several studies including the government’s own Economic Survey concluded in 2016).
  • For a universal, demand-based social security programme such as NREGA, reforms cannot be based on targeting better.
  • There has to be a focus on exclusion and not inclusion “errors”.
• Panchayats, blocks and districts where employment of SCs and ST families is lower than their proportion in the population must be identified.
  • This would indicate pockets where the most marginalized are being nudged out of the programme.
• Panchayats where the average wage being paid is lower than the notified wage rate must be identified as well.
  • This would indicate places where the implementing authorities need to be hauled up for failing to ensure work is completed
• Given the financial needs of this programme: The General Financial Rules need to be reimagined so that budgetary allocations remain flexible to the need for funds by States in response to demands for work.
• State governments have played a pivotal role in the successes and failures of NREGA, and any proposed reforms must be tabled in State assemblies in addition to Parliament.
  • Bring civil society organizations, worker unions and representatives of self-help groups into the discussion.
• The central government must be held accountable for the denial of entitlements to NREGA workers as a result of top down “reforms” that workers had no say in designing.
• Reforms to NREGA must prioritize the access of workers to entitlements with ease and dignity, rather than focus on administrative and fiscal efficacy alone.

General Studies Paper 2

Context: Recently, the University Grants Commission (UGC) uploaded a draft regulation on the ‘Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions (FHEIs) in India’. A legislative framework facilitating such entry will be put in place, and such universities will be given special dispensation regarding regulatory, governance, and content norms on par with other autonomous institutions of India.

Initially, permission would be granted for ten years, with renewal being subject to the fulfilment of requisite conditions. The foreign universities would have the freedom to devise their own curricula and admission process.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020  provided that “selected universities e.g., those from among the top 100 universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India.

What is the Significance of this Step?

• Benefits to India:
  • Cut-down Outflow of Indian Money and Brain Drain:
    • There are a number of Indian students who opt for foreign degrees,which means an outflow of Indian money.
      • A recent report by a leading consulting firm estimated that Indian students’ overseas spending is set to grow from the current annual USD28 billion to USD80 billion annually by 2024.
      • The number of Indian students opting for higher education abroad rose from 4.4 lakh in 2016 to 7.7 lakh in 2019; it is set to grow further to roughly 18 lakh by 2024, resulting in higher overseas expenditure on higher education.
    • Address the issue of Gross Enrollment Ratio:
      • The advent of foreign universities in India may increase the enrollment ratio by providing more options for higher education and potentially attracting more students to pursue degrees.
        • Despite having one of the largest higher education systems in the world, India’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education is just 27.1%, among the world’s lowest.
      • Cultural Exchange:
        • Having foreign universities in India can foster cultural exchange and understanding between India and other countries.
      • Increased Competitiveness:
        • By having foreign universities in India, the country can become more competitive globally in terms of education and research.
      • Brand Building:
        • It can also increase the brand value of the country, providing an opportunity to showcase the country’s potential and strengths to the world.
      • Benefits to Foreign Universities:
        • India has a large and rapidly growing population of young people,many of whom are eager to pursue higher education.
        • India has a large pool of highly educated and skilled workers,making it an attractive destination for foreign universities looking to establish research centers or other operations.
        • India’s economy is growing rapidly, and this presents an opportunity for foreign universities to establish a foothold in the country.

What will be the Challenges with the Setting up of Foreign Universities in India?

• Quality of Education:
  • The quality of education provided by FHEIs may not be up to the standards of Indian institutions,which could negatively impact the employability and future prospects of Indian students.
• Fees:
  • The fees charged by FHEIs are often much higher than those charged by Indian institutions, which could make higher education less accessible to students from lower-income families.
• Lack of Oversight:
  • The regulatory oversight of FHEIs in India may be inadequate,which could lead to situations where students are taken advantage of or left without recourse in case of problems.
• Cultural Impact:
  • The influx of foreign institutions and students could lead to a loss of Indian culture and values, as well as a lack of integration between Indian and foreign students.
• National Security Concerns:
  • The foreign institutions may be used for espionage and other illegal activities.
• Not Enough Resources:
  • Truly reputed higher educational institutions operate on a not-for-profit basis and have no materialistic motives to go offshore.
    • A few countries that have such offshore campuses had to hard-sell the institutions the idea by leasing land at almost no cost, bearing the bulk of infrastructure cost and promising them the academic, administrative and financial autonomy that they enjoy in their home country.
  • India could hardly afford any such incentives.
• Autonomy to Foreign Institutions:
  • The draft notification promises academic, administrative and financial autonomy to foreign institutions but takes that away by asserting that they abide by all the conditions that the UGC and the Indian government prescribe from time to time.
  • The provision that the foreign higher education institutions must not do anything “contrary to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality” might deter the best universities that most value their academic autonomy.

Way Forward:

• Developing Clear and Transparent Regulations:
  • The government should establish clear guidelines and regulations for the establishment, operation, and accreditation of foreign universities in India. This can help ensure that these institutions operate in a way that is consistent with Indian laws and regulations.
• Promoting Collaboration and Partnerships:
  • Instead of allowing foreign universities to establish standalone campuses in India, the government could encourage them to collaborate and partner with existing Indian institutions. This could help to mitigate competition and ensure that the benefits of foreign universities are shared with Indian institutions and students.
• Reforming Universities of India:
  • Government need to reform universities in India that would involve a number of different steps, such as improving the quality of education, increasing funding for higher education, and promoting research and innovation.
• Setting up EEZs:
  • Another step can be Setting up Education Excellence Zones (EEZs) and International Universities.
  • As a result,knowledge production would be clustered in India, and FHEIs could be invited into these EEZs for true inter-university excellence and competition.

General Studies Paper 3

Context: India is lagging behind in the targets to increase the number and quality of tree- and forest-cover plantations set in the National Mission for a Green India (GIM).

• States with significant shortfall in tree cover include Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerela.

How is Tree Cover Different from Forest Cover?

• Tree cover refers to the total area of land that is covered by trees, regardless of whether or not the trees are part of a forest ecosystem.
  • Forest cover,on the other hand, refers specifically to the area of land that is covered by a forest ecosystem, which is defined as an area with a tree canopy density of more than 10% and an area of more than 1 hectares.
• So, all forest cover is tree cover, but not all tree cover is forest cover.

What is the National Mission for a Green India?

• GIM is one of the eight Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
  • It aims at protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s forest cover and responding to climate change.
    • The target under the Mission is 10 million hectares (Mha) on forest and non-forest lands for increasing the forest/tree cover and to improve the quality of existing forest.
  • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change supports the States/Union Territories for carrying out afforestation activities through this Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
  • Improving tree cover is critical to sequester carbon and bolster India’s carbon stocks as part of its international commitments to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

What is the Status of Forests in India?

• About:
  • As per the India State of Forest Report-2021, forest and tree cover in the country increased by 2,261 square kilometres since the last assessment in 2019.
  • India’s total forest and tree cover was 9 million hectares,which accounted for 24.62% of the geographical area of the country.
    • The report said 17 States and Union Territories had more than 33% of their area under forest cover.
    • Madhya Pradesh had the largest forest cover, followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra.
    • The top five States in terms of forest cover as a percentage of their total geographical area were Mizoram (84.53%), Arunachal Pradesh (79.33%), Meghalaya (76%), Manipur (74.34%) and Nagaland (73.90%).
  • Issues Associated with Forests in India:
    • Shrinking Forest Cover:According to the National Forest Policy of India, the ideal percentage of total geographical area under forest should be at least 33% to maintain ecological stability.
      • However, it currently covers just 62%of the country’s land and is shrinking rapidly.
    • Resource Access Conflict:There is often conflict between the interests of local communities and those of commercial interests, such as pharmaceutical industries or timber industries.
      • This can lead to social tensions and even violence,as different groups struggle to access and use the resources of the forests.
    • Climate Change:Forest disturbances caused by climate change, including insect outbreaks,  invasive species due to climate led migration, wildfires, and storms, reduce forest productivity and change species distribution.
      • By 2030, 45-64% of forestsin India will experience the effects of climate change and rising temperatures.
    • Government Initiatives for Forest Conservation:
      • National Afforestation Programme
      • Environment Protection Act of 1986
      • Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006

How can India Enhance its Forest Cover?

• Utilising Technology for Conservation:Technology can be utilised such asremote sensing,  to monitor and track forest cover, forest fire and identify areas in need of protection.
  • Also, Potential resource mapping can be done in unexplored forest areas, and they can be brought under scientific management and sustainable resource extraction maintaining density and forest health
• Dedicated Forest Corridors:For safe intrastate and interstate passage of wild animals and protecting their habitat from any external influence, dedicated forest corridors can be maintained giving a message of peaceful-co existence.
• Promoting Agroforestry:This practice involves integrating trees and forest-based products into farming systems. This can help increase forest cover and also provide farmers with additional income and resources.

General Studies Paper 3

Context:

Recently, the Visible Line Emission Coronagraph (VLEC), the primary payload on board   Aditya-L1, was handed over to  Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)  by the  Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).

• ISRO is planning to launch the Aditya-L1 mission, first Indian space mission to observe the Sunby June or July 2023 to observe the Sun and the solar corona.

What is Aditya-L1 Mission?

• Launch Vehicle:
  • Aditya L1 will be launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) with 7 payloads (instruments) on board.
  • The 7 payloads include:
    • VELC
    • Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)
    • Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS)
    • Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX)
    • High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS)
    • Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA)
    • Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers
  • Objective:
    • Aditya L1 will study the Sun’s corona, Sun’s photosphere, chromosphere, solar emissions, solar winds and flares, and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and will carry out round-the-clock imaging of the Sun.
      • The mission will be launched by ISRO to the L1 orbit which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth. The orbit allows Aditya-L1 to look at the Sun continuously.

What is L1?

• L1 refers to Lagrangian/Lagrange Point 1, one of 5 points in the orbital plane of the Earth-Sun system.
  • Lagrange Points are positions in space where the gravitational forces of a two-body system like the Sun and Earth produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion.
• These can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position.
• A Satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/ eclipses.
• The L1 point is home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite (SOHO), an international collaboration project of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA).

What are the Features and Significance of VELC Payload?

• Features:
  • VELC will be the main payload among seven designed to study various aspects of the sun and is one of the most precise instruments made in India.
  • It was conceptualised and designed in 15 years which will help in solving mysteries related to solar astrophysics.
• Significance:
  • It will help in studying the temperature, velocity and density of the corona,understand the processes that result in heating of the corona and acceleration of the solar wind, aid studies on drivers of space weather, measure the magnetic field of corona and study the development and origin of coronal mass ejection.

What are the Other Missions to the Sun?

• NASA’s Parker Solar Probe:  Aims to trace how energy and heat move through the Sun’s corona and to study the source of the solar wind’s acceleration.
  • It is part of NASA’s ‘Living With a Star’ programme that explores different aspects of the Sun-Earth system.
• Helios 2 Solar Probe:The earlier Helios 2 solar probe, a joint venture between NASA and space agency of erstwhile West Germany, went within 43 million km of the Sun’s surface in 1976.
• Solar Orbiter:  A joint mission between the ESA and NASA to collect data that will help answer a central question of heliophysics like how the Sun creates and controls the constantly changing space environment throughout the solar system.
• Other Active Spacecraft Monitoring the Sun:Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), WIND, Hinode, the Solar Dynamics Observatory, and Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO).

General Studies Paper 2

Context:

• Recently, Supreme Court ruled that all women, irrespective of their marital status, are entitled to safe and legal abortion.

More about the ruling

• Issue:
  • The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act of 1971 and its Rules of 2003 prohibit unmarried women who are between 20 weeks to 24 weeks pregnant to abort with the help of registered medical practitioners.
• SC’s Judgement:
  • In a landmark judgement, the country’s apex court said that the rights available to married women under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971,to abort a foetus will also be available to unmarried women.
  • Court said that the“artificial distinction” between married and unmarried women cannot be sustained, and women must have the autonomy to have free exercise of these rights.
• Marital rape:
  • The bench also noted that for the sole purpose of the MTP Act, the meaning of rape must include marital rape.

Significance of the ruling

• On the same level:
  • The judgement would put unmarried women on par with anguished women with less than 20-week-old pregnancies.
• Similar risks for both:
  • Unmarried women run the danger of suffering a mental breakdown because they had conceived due to the failure of “family planning devices or methods”.
    • Medical risk is the same for both married and unmarried women
  • Safe abortion practice has been a concern in our country, and with this judgement, we can expect a reduction in morbidity and mortality associated with unsafe abortion practice.
• International significance:
  • The significant decision came months after the US Supreme Court overturned the historic 1973 Roe v Wade decision in a 6-3 decision that made abortion a constitutional right in the country.

Salient features of the “Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 2021”:

• Abortions before 20 weeks of pregnancy:
  • Terminating a pregnancy up to 20 weeks will only require the medical advice of one doctor.
• Abortions up to or beyond 24 of pregnancy:
  • Abortion is legal for women in certain circumstances up to 24 weeks.
  • It would include:
    •  survivors of rape, victims of incest and other vulnerable women (like differently-abled women, minors) etc.
  • Opinion of 2 providers is required for termination of pregnancy of 20-24 weeks of gestation.
  • A state-level medical board will be set up to decide:
    • if pregnancy may be terminated beyond 20 months till 24 months.
    • Such a decision can be taken by the medical board only after
      • due consideration and
      • ensuring that the procedure would be safe for the woman.
      • The time frame available to the Medical Board is 3 days.
  • The upper gestation limit does not apply in cases of substantial foetal abnormalities diagnosed by the Medical Board.
• Anonymity: 
  • Name and other particulars of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated shall not be revealed except to a person authorised in any law for the time being in force.
• Marital and age criteria:
  • Unmarried women can also access abortion under the above-mentioned conditions because it does not mention the requirement of spousal consent.
  • If the woman is a minor, however, the consent of a guardian is required.
• Intentionally causing a miscarriage:
  • Section 312 of the Indian Penal Code holds intentionally causing a miscarriage as a criminal offence.

Significance of the MTP Act

• Constitutional right:
  • The reproductive choice is personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian constitution.
• Reproductive Rights of a Woman:
  • The laws provide greater reproductive rights and dignity to women as abortion is considered an important aspect of the reproductive health of women.
• Right to Privacy:
  • The rape victims and vulnerable victims are also benefitted from Privacy Clause.
• Encouragement to Safe Abortion: 
  • Deaths and injuries from unsafe abortions are largely preventable provided services are performed legally by trained practitioners.
  • The procedures are performed under proper medical and surgical supervision if done in the hospital setting.
  • If termination pills are taken at home, it must be under medical supervision and follow up.

Criticisms:

• No Personal Choice:
  • The boards are unnecessary and an invasion of privacy of the pregnant women which pushes the laborious process a woman had to undergo in order to get an abortion.
  • As the law does not permit abortion at will, critics say that it pushes women to access illicit abortions under unsafe conditions.
• Increase in Gestational limit only in certain cases: 
  • It enhances the gestational limit for legal abortion from 20 to 24 weeks only for specific categories of women.
  • A woman who does not fall into these categories would not be able to seek an abortion beyond 20 weeks.
• Shortage of medical staff:
  • According to a 2018 study in the Lancet, 15.6 million abortions were accessed every year in India as of 2015.
  • The Act requires abortion to be performed only by doctors with specialisation in gynaecology or obstetrics.
  • However, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s 2019-20 report on Rural Health Statistics indicates that there is a 70% shortage of obstetrician-gynaecologists in rural India.

Way ahead

• Access to legal and safe abortion is an integral dimension of sexual and reproductive equality and must be a crucial element of conventional society.

General Studies Paper 2

Context:

• Recently, Singapore Minister in PMO was on a 2-day visit to India.

More about the visit

• The strategic partnership:
  • The strategic partnership between India and Singapore has shown its resilience and both sides look forward to further strengthening this important relationship in areas like trade, defence, science and innovation, education, governance and the digital economy.
• The upcoming collaborations:
  • India and Singapore are closely collaborating in cutting-edge areas that will shape the future.
    • The two countries are collaborating in fintech, information technology, cyber security, skill development, smart city solutions, renewable energy and food security.
  • Other areas of association:
    • Both sides also discussed establishing the Exchange Program of Civil Services and the PM Excellence Award to Singaporean Institutes of Excellence.
    • The Future of Work, Workforce and Workplace of Singapore has agreed to work closely with the Vision India-2047.

India and Singapore Relations

• Cultural relations:
  • Relations between the two countries have traditionally been strong and friendly, with the two nations enjoying extensive cultural and commercial relations.
• Economic partnership:
  • Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA):
    • India and Singapore have signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) in order to increase trade, investments and economic cooperation, and expanded bilateral cooperation on maritime security, training forces, and joint naval exercises, developing military technology and fighting terrorism.
  • Strategic Partnership:
    • This robust relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2015 during the visit of Prime Minister Modi and on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations
  • Investment partner:
    • Singapore is among India’s largest trade and investment partners in ASEAN and accounted for 22.13 % of our overall trade with ASEAN in 2014-15.
    • FDI:
      • Singapore has emerged as the top source nation in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) equity flows into India for the financial year 2021-22.
      • The amount of FDI inflow from Singapore to India in fiscal year 2022 was estimated to be almost 16 billion U.S. dollars.
• Diplomatic relations:
  • India and Singapore are part of numerous groupings like G20, Commonwealth, IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association), East Asia Summit, and IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium.
    • Singapore supported India’s bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and expand its role and influence in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
  • Singapore also supported India in its war against Pakistan in 1965 and the Kashmir conflict.
• Military cooperation:
  • SIMBEX:
    • India and Singapore began their annual naval combat exercise, now called “SIMBEX” Several warships from India and Singapore took part in this interoperable combat exercise.
  • Defence Cooperation Agreement:
    • India and Singapore signed a Defence Cooperation Agreement, allowing the Singapore army and air force to conduct training on Indian soil.
  • Naval Cooperation:
    • India-Singapore Bilateral Agreement for Navy Cooperation was signed which gave Indian Navy ships access to Singapore’s Changi Naval Base near the disputed South China Sea, mutual logistical support and refuelling rights at the port.
  • India and Singapore signed the agreement for the “strategic relationship” across the board including defence and military, security and intelligence cooperation, political exchanges, enhancing trade and investment, improving financial linkages, improving air connectivity and cooperation in multilateral forums.
• Smart cities:
  • Singaporean companies continue to participate in a number of smart city, urban planning, logistics and infrastructure projects.
  • Singapore is working with Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra in preparing Master Plans for townships.
• Skill development:
  • Singapore is working with the Central and State Governments as well as Government organisations to establish skill development centres in various sectors.

General Studies Paper 3

Context:     

• Recently, it is reported that a rapidly spreading disease, commonly known as yellow band disease,is killing corals over vast stretches of the sea floor of
• Scientists believe overfishing, pollution and rising water temperatures because of climate change may be making the reefs more vulnerable to yellow-band disease.

What is Yellow Band Disease?

• Yellow-band disease – named for the colour it turns corals before destroying them-was first spotted decades ago and has caused widespread damage to reefs in the Caribbean. There is no known cure.
• The Yellow Band disease is caused by a combination of environmental stressors, including increased water temperatures, pollution, and sedimentation, as well as increased competition for space from other organisms.
  • These factors can weaken the coral and make it more susceptible to infection by pathogens,such as bacteria and fungi.
• The disease’s impact cannot be reversed, unlike the effects of  coral bleaching.

Significance of Coral Reefs:

• Ecological Importance:Coral reefs are one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on Earth, providing habitat for a wide variety of plant and animal species.
  • They also play a critical role in regulating the planet’s climate by absorbing carbon dioxide and protecting coastlines from erosion and storm damage.
• Economic Importance:Coral reefs support a variety of industries, including fishing,  tourism, and recreation. They also provide resources for medicine and biotechnology.
• Climate Regulation: Coral reefs act as natural buffers against the impact of climate change by absorbing wave energy, protecting coastlines and reducing the impact of storms and sea level rise.
• Biodiversity:Coral reefs are home to a vast array of marine life, including fish, sharks, crustaceans, mollusks and many more. They are considered as the rainforests of the sea.

• Threats:
  • Climate change:Coral reefs are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which is causing ocean acidification  and coral bleaching.
    • Coral bleaching occurs when coral polyps expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues, causing the coral to turn completely white.
  • Pollution:Coral reefs are also threatened by pollution, including sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial discharge.
    • These pollutants can cause coral death and disease, as well as reduce the overall health of the reef ecosystem.
  • Overfishing: Overfishing can disrupt the delicate balance of coral reef ecosystems, which can lead to the decline of coral populations.
  • Coastal Development:Coastal development, such as the construction of ports, marinas, and other infrastructure, can damage coral reefs and reduce the overall health of the reef ecosystem.
  • Invasive Species:Coral reefs are also threatened by invasive species, such as the lionfish, which can outcompete native species and disrupt the overall balance of the reef ecosystem.
• Initiatives to Protect Corals:
  • Technological Intervention:
    • Cyromesh: Storage of the coral larvae at -196°C and can be later reintroduced to the wild
    • Biorock: Creating artificial reefs on which coral can grow rapidly
  • Indian:
    • National Coastal Mission Programme
  • Global:
    • International Coral Reef Initiative
    • The Global Coral Reef R&D Accelerator Platform