Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Why in news?

• The Parliament has passed the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in order to establish Carbon Markets  in India and specify a Carbon Trading Scheme.
• The Bill amends the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.

What is the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022?

• About:

• The Bill empowers the Centre to specify a carbon credits trading scheme.
• Under the Bill, the central government or an authorised agency will issue carbon credit certificates to companies or even individuals registered and compliant with the scheme.

• These carbon credit certificates will be tradeable in nature. Other persons would be able to buy carbon credit certificates on a voluntary basis.
• Concerns:

• Bill does not provide clarity on the mechanism to be used for the trading of carbon credit certificates— whether it will be like the cap-and-trade schemes or use another method— and who will regulate such trading.
• It is not specified, which is the right ministry to bring in a scheme of this nature,

• While carbon market schemes in other jurisdictions like the U.S., United Kingdom, and Switzerland are framed by their environment ministries, the Indian Bill was tabled by the power ministry instead of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

• The Bill does not specify whether certificates under already existing schemes would also be interchangeable with carbon credit certificates and tradeable for reducing carbon emissions.

• Two types of tradeable certificates are already issued in India— Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and Energy Savings Certificates (ESCs).
• These are issued when companies use renewable energy or save energy, which are also activities which reduce carbon emissions.

What are Carbon Markets?

• About:

• Carbon markets are a tool for putting a price on carbon emissions. It allows the trade of carbon credits with the overall objective of bringing down emissions.
• These markets create incentives to reduce emissions or improve energy efficiency.

• For example, an industrial unit which outperforms the emission standards stands to gain credits.
• Another unit which is struggling to attain the prescribed standards can buy these credits and show compliance to these standards. The unit that did better on the standards earns money by selling credits, while the buying unit is able to fulfill its operating obligations.

• It establishes trading systems where carbon credits or allowances can be bought and sold.

• A carbon credit is a kind of tradable permit that, per United Nations standards, equals one tonne of carbon dioxide removed, reduced, or sequestered from the atmosphere.
• Carbon allowances or caps, meanwhile, are determined by countries or governments according to their emission reduction targets.

• Article 6 of the Paris Agreement provides for the use of international carbon markets by countries to fulfill their NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions).

• NDCs are climate commitments by countries setting targets to achieve net-zero emissions.

Types of Carbon Markets:

• Compliance Markets:

• Compliance markets are set up by policies at the national, regional, and/or international level and are officially regulated.

• Today, compliance markets mostly operate under a principle called ‘cap-and-trade”, most popular in the European Union (EU).
• Under the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS) launched in 2005, member countries set a cap or limit for emissions in different sectors, such as power, oil, manufacturing, agriculture, and waste management. This cap is determined as per the climate targets of countries and is lowered successively to reduce emissions.

• Entities in this sector are issued annual allowances or permits by governments equal to the emissions they can generate.
• If companies produce emissions beyond the capped amount, they have to purchase additional permits. This makes up the ‘trade’ part of cap-and-trade.
• The market price of carbon gets determined by market forces when purchasers and sellers trade in emissions allowances.

• Voluntary Markets:

• Voluntary markets are those in which emitters— corporations, private individuals, and others— buy carbon credits to offset the emission of one tonne of CO₂ or equivalent greenhouse gases.
• Such carbon credits are created by activities which reduce CO₂ from the air, such as afforestation.
• In this market, a corporation looking to compensate for its unavoidable GHG emissions purchases carbon credits from an entity engaged in projects that reduce, remove, capture, or avoid emissions.

• For Instance, in the aviation sector, airlines may purchase carbon credits to offset the carbon footprints of the flights they operate. In voluntary markets, credits are verified by private firms as per popular standards. There are also traders and online registries where climate projects are listed and certified credits can be bought.

• Status of Global Carbon Markets:

• In 2021, the value of global markets for tradeable carbon allowances or permits grew by 164% to a record 760 billion euros (USD 851 billion), according to an analysis by Refinitiv.
• The EU’s ETS contributed the most to this increase, accounting for 90% of the global value at 683 billion euros.
• As for voluntary carbon markets, their current global value is comparatively smaller at USD 2 billion.
• The World Bank estimates that trading in carbon credits could reduce the cost of implementing NDCs by more than half — by as much as USD 250 billion by 2030.

What are the Challenges to Carbon Markets?

• Poor Market Transparency:

• The UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) points out serious concerns pertaining to carbon markets- ranging from double counting of greenhouse gas reductions and quality and authenticity of climate projects that generate credits to poor market transparency.

• Greenwashing:

• Companies may buy credits, simply offsetting carbon footprints instead of reducing their overall emissions or investing in clean technologies.

• May Increase Net Emission through ETS:

• As for regulated or compliance markets, ETSs (Emissions Trading System) may not automatically reinforce climate mitigation instruments.
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) points out that including high emission-generating sectors under trading schemes to offset their emissions by buying allowances may increase emissions on net and provide no automatic mechanism for prioritizing cost-effective projects in the offsetting sector.

What is the Related Indian Initiative?

Clean Development Mechanism:

• In India, the clean development mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol provided a primary carbon market for the players.

 Way Forward

• In order to keep global warming within 2°C, ideally no more than 1.5°C, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions need to be reduced by 25 to 50% over this decade. Nearly 170 countries have submitted their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) so far as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which they have agreed to update every five years.
• The UNDP emphasises that for carbon markets to be successful, “emission reductions and removals must be real and aligned with the country’s NDCs”.
• There must be “transparency in the institutional and financial infrastructure for carbon market transactions”.

Question For Practice

Discuss global warming and mention its effects on the global climate. Explain the control measures to bring down the level of greenhouse gases which cause global warming, in the light of the Kyoto Protocol, 1997.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

• Recently, a girl was attacked with an acid-like substance in Delhi by three assailants. The incident has brought back to focus the heinous crime of acid attacks and the easy availability of corrosive substances.

Acid Attacks in India: What’s the Scenario?

• According to the data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there were 150 such cases recorded in 2019, 105 in 2020 and 102 in 2021.
• West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh consistently record the highest number of such cases generally accounting for nearly 50% of all cases in the country year on year.
• The charge sheeting rate of acid attacks stood at 83%and the conviction rate at 54% in 2019.

• In 2020, the figures stood at 86% and 72% respectively. In 2021, the figures were recorded to be 89% and 20% respectively.
• In 2015, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)issued an advisory to all states to ensure speedy justice in cases of acid attacks by expediting prosecution.

What is the Law on Acid Attacks in India?

• Indian Penal Code: Until 2013, acid attacks were not treated as separate crimes. However, following amendments carried out in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), acid attacks were put under a separate section (326A) of the IPC and made punishable with a minimum imprisonment of 10 years which is extendable to life along with a fine.
• Denial of Treatment: The law also has provisions for punishment for denial of treatment to victims or police officers refusing to register an FIR or record any piece of evidence.
• Denial of treatment (by both public and private hospitals) can lead to imprisonment of up to one year and dereliction of duty by a police officer is punishable by imprisonment of up to two years.

What is the Law on the Regulation of Acid Sales?

• The Poisons Act, 1919:In 2013, the Supreme Court took cognizance of acid attacks and passed an order on the regulation of sales of corrosive substances.

• Based on the order, the MHA issued an advisory to all states on how to regulate acid sales and framed the Model Poisons Possession and Sale Rules, 2013 under The Poisons Act, 1919.
• As a result, states were asked to frame their own rules based on model rules, as the matter fell under the purview of states.

• Maintenance of the Data: Over-the-counter sale (without a valid prescription) of acid was not allowed unless the seller maintains a logbook/register recording the sale of acid.

• This logbook was to also contain the details of the person to whom acid is sold, the quantity sold, the address of the person, and also specify the reason for procuring acid.
• Age Restriction & Documentation: The sale is also to be made only upon presentation of a photo ID containing his address issued by the government. The buyer must also prove he/she is above 18 years of age.
• Confiscation of Acid Stocks: Sellers are also required to declare all stocks of acid with the concerned Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) within 15 days and in case of undeclared stock of acid. The SDM can confiscate the stock and suitably impose a fine of up to Rs 50,000 for a breach of any of the directions.
• A Record-Keeping Requirement: As per the rules, educational institutions, research laboratories, hospitals, government departments and the departments of Public Sector Undertakings, which are required to keep and store acid, to maintain a register of usage of acid and file the same with the concerned SDM.
• Accountability: As per the rules, a person shall be made accountable for the possession and safe keeping of acid in their premises. The acid shall be stored under the supervision of this person and there shall be compulsory checking of the students/ personnel leaving the laboratories/place of storage where acid is used.

What is the Compensation and Care for the Acid-attack Victims?

• Compensation: Acid attack victims are paid compensation of at least Rs. 3 lakhs by the concerned State Government/Union Territory as the aftercare and rehabilitation cost.
• Free of Cost Treatment: States are supposed to ensure that treatment provided to acid attack victims in any hospital, public or private, is free of cost. The cost incurred on treatment is not to be included in the Rs 1 lakh compensation given to the victim.
• Reservation of Beds: Acid attack victims need to undergo a series of plastic surgeries and hence 1-2 beds at private hospitals could be reserved for the treatment of acid attack victims.
• Social Integration Programs: States should also extend social integration programs to the victims for which Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) could be funded to exclusively look after their rehabilitative requirements.

What can be the Way Forward?

• A Promise to Leave No One Behind: Violence against women continues to be an obstacle to achieving equality, development, peace as well as to the fulfillment of women and girls’ human rights.

• All in all, the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – to leave no one behind – cannot be fulfilled without putting an end to violence against women and girls.

• Holistic Approach: Crime against women cannot be resolved in a court of law alone. A holistic approach & changing the entire ecosystem is what is required.
• Participation: All the stakeholders need to get their act together, including Law makers, police officers, forensic dept, prosecutors, judiciary, medical & health dept, NGOs, rehabilitation centers.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2Why in News?

• Recently, Kerala Assembly passes University Laws (amendment) Bills to amend laws relating to the governance of State universities and remove the Governoras the Chancellor of State universities.

 What is the Background?

• The Governor and the State Government of Kerala had been at loggerheads for months now.
• It got worse when the Governor denied assent to the controversial Lok Ayukta (Amendment) and University Laws (Amendment) Bills earlier passed by the State Assembly.
• The worsening relationship between the State Government and governor reached a tipping point with the Supreme Court order invalidating APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) Vice-Chancellor’s (VC) appointment on the grounds that it violated University Grants Commission (UGC)
• Following this, the governor had sought the resignations of 11 other VCs on the ground that the government had appointed them through the same process deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court.

What are the University Laws (Amendment) Bills?

• The proposed legislation will amend the statutes of 14 universities established by legislative Acts in Kerala and remove the Governor as the Chancellor of those universities.
• The Bills will supplant the Governor and give the government power to appoint eminent academicians as Chancellors of various universities, thus ending the Governor’s watchdog role in university administration.
• The Bills also provide provision to limit the term of the appointed chancellor to five years . However , it also says that the serving chancellor can be reappointed for another term.

What stands in Favour and Against the Proposition?

• Favour

• Earlier UGC Guidelines used to be mandatory for Central universities and “partially mandatory and partially directive” for State universities, had been made legally binding for all universities by way of recent rulings by the Supreme Court.
• Such precedence pointed towards a scenario in which the legislative powers of the Assembly on all subjects on the Concurrent List (of the Constitution) could be undermined through a subordinate legislation or an executive order issued by the Centre.
• It is said that the bill was brought in order to avoid legal tangles in future.

• Against:

• If Chancellors were appointed by the Government, they would be indebted to the ruling front, thus leading to the erosion of Universities’ autonomy.
• It may facilitate appointment of people close to the ruling front.

• This will lead to a scenario in which the governor can appoint only those who are close to the government.

What is the Procedure for Appointing a Vice-Chancellor under UGC rules?

• According to the UGC Regulations, 2018, the VC of a university, in general, is appointed by the Visitor/Chancellor, from a panel of three to five names recommended by the duly constituted Search cum Selection Committee.
• A visitor is empowered to call for a set of fresh names in case of dissatisfaction with the given panel.
• In Indian universities, the President of India is the ex-officio Visitor of all the Central Universities and the Governor of the respective states is the Chancellor of all the state universities.
• Necessarily this system is not uniform in all the universities. As far as the procedures adopted by different states are concerned, they vary.

What are the Governor’s and President’s Powers related Universities?

State Universities:

• While as Governor he functions with the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, as Chancellor he acts independently of the Council of Ministers and takes his own decisions on all University matters.

Central Universities:

• Under the Central Universities Act, 2009, and other statutes, the President of India shall be the Visitor of a central university.
• With their role limited to presiding over convocations, Chancellors in central universities are titular heads, who are appointed by the President in his capacity as Visitor.
• The Vice Chancellor too are appointed by the Visitor from panels of names picked by search and selection committees formed by the Union government.
• The Act adds that the President, as Visitor, shall have the right to authorise inspections of academic and non-academic aspects of the universities and also to institute

Way Forward

• Anandakrishnan Committee, set up by the Kerala State Higher Education Council in 2009, recommended that universities should have complete autonomy in academic and administrative matters.
• It is advisable to create statutory structures that would distance the Governor and Minister for Higher Education from the day-to-day administration of the universities.
• It is also recommended to immediately incorporate UGC Regulations, 2010 in the
• As recommended by the Punchhi Commission on Centre-State Relations, the Governor should not be burdened with positions and powers that are not specified in the Constitution and may cause controversy or public criticism.
• Governments should devise alternative means of protecting university autonomy so that ruling parties do not exercise undue influence on the functioning of universities.

Question For Practice

Discuss the essential conditions for exercise of the legislative powers by the Governor. Discuss the legality of re-promulgation of ordinances by the Governor without placing them before the Legislature. (UPSC 2022)

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

• Recently, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) has said that the Supreme Court will not have a vacation bench when it breaks for its annual winter vacation.
• While this judicial schedule has its origins in colonial practices, it has come under criticism for quite some time now.

What are Court Vacations?

• About:

• The Supreme Court has 193 working days a year for its judicial functioning, while the High Court’s function for approximately 210 days, and trial courts for 245 days.
• High Courts have the power to structure their calendars according to the service rules.
• The Supreme Court takes two long vacations each year, the summer and winter breaks, but is technically not fully closed during these periods.

• Vacation Bench:

• A Vacation Bench of the Supreme Court is a special bench constituted by the CJI.
• Litigants can still approach the Supreme Court and, if the court decides that the plea is an “urgent matter”, the Vacation Bench hears the case on its merits.
• Cases such as bail, eviction, etc. often find precedence in listing before vacation benches.

• It is not uncommon for courts to hear important cases during vacation.
• In 2015, a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court heard the challenge to the constitutional amendment setting up theNational Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) during the summer vacation.
• In 2017,a Constitution Bench held a six-day hearing in the case challenging the practice of triple talaq during summer vacation.

• Legal Provisions:

• Under Rule 6 of Order II of The Supreme Court rules, 2013, the CJI has nominated the Division Benches for hearing of urgent miscellaneous matters and regular hearing matters during the summer vacation for the period.
• The rule reads that CJI may appoint one or more Judges to hear during summer vacation or winter holidays all matters of an urgent nature which under these rules may be heard by a Judge sitting singly.
• And, whenever necessary, he may likewise appoint a Division Court for the hearing of urgent cases during the vacation which require to be heard by a Bench of Judges.

What are the Issues with Court Vacations?

• Not Convenient for Justice Seekers:

• The long vacation which the courts obtain is not very convenient for justice-seekers.

• Not good Optics in Light of Pendency:

• Extended frequent vacations are not good optics, especially in the light of mounting pendency of cases and the slow pace of judicial proceedings.
• For an ordinary litigant, the vacation means further unavoidable delays in listing cases.

• Incongruous with European Practices:

• The summer break perhaps began because European judges of the Federal Court of India found Indian summers too hot — and took the winter break for Christmas.

Way Forward

• The issue cannot be resolved until a “new system” on the appointment of judges is evolved
• In 2000, the Justice Malimath Committee, set up to recommend reforms in the criminal justice system, suggested that the period of vacation should be reduced by 21 days, keeping in mind the long pendency of cases. It suggested that the Supreme Court work for 206 days, and High Courts for 231 days every year.
• In its 230^threport, the Law Commission of India in 2009 called for reform in this system, considering the staggering arrears, vacations in the higher judiciary must be curtailed by at least 10 to 15 days and the court working hours should be extended by at least half an hour.
• In 2014, when the Supreme Court notified its new Rules, it said that the period of summer vacation shall not exceed seven weeks from the earlier 10-week period.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Why in News?

Recently, the World Bank released a report titled ‘Striving for Clean Air: Air Pollution and Public Health in South Asia’.

• The report details how persisting with policies currently being implemented (largely since 2018) will yield results but not to the desired level.

What are the Highlights of the Report?

• Airsheds:

• Six large airsheds exist in South Asia, where the air quality in one can affect the air quality in another. They are:

• West/Central Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP)that included Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab (India), Haryana, part of Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh.
• Central/Eastern IGP: Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bangladesh
• Middle India: Odisha/Chhattisgarh
• Middle India: Eastern Gujarat/Western Maharashtra
• Northern/Central Indus River Plain: Pakistan, part of Afghanistan; and
• Southern Indus Plain and further west: South Pakistan, Western Afghanistan extending into Eastern Iran.

• When the wind direction was predominantly northwest to the southeast, 30% of the air pollution in Indian Punjab came from the Punjab Province in Pakistan and, on average, 30% of the air pollution in the largest cities of Bangladesh (Dhaka, Chittagong, and Khulna) originated in India. In some years, substantial pollution flowed in the other direction across borders.

• Exposure to PM 2.5:

• Currently over 60% of South Asians are exposed to an average 35 µg/m3 of PM2.5 annually.
• In some parts of the IGP it spiked to as much as 100 µg/m³ – nearly 20 times the upper limit of 5 µg/m³ recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

• Dominant Sources of Air Pollution:

• Large industries, power plants and vehicles are dominant sources of air pollution around the world, but in South Asia, other sources make substantial additional contributions.
• These include combustion of solid fuels for cooking and heating, emissions from small industries such as brick kilns, burning of municipal and agricultural waste, and cremation.

What are the Suggestions?

• Reducing Airsheds:

• Governmental measures can reduce particulate matter, but significant reductions in airsheds require coordinated policies across the airsheds.

• If Delhi National Capital Territory were to fully implement all air pollution control measures by 2030 while other parts of South Asia continued to follow current policies, it wouldn’t keep pollution exposure below 35 µg/m3.
• However, if other parts of South Asia also adopted all feasible measures it would bring pollution below that number.

• Changing Approach:

• South Asian countries including India need to change their approach in order to improve air quality and reduce pollutants to levels considered acceptable by the WHO.

• Close Coordination Required:
• Curbing air pollution requires not only tackling its specific sources, but also close coordination across local and national jurisdictional boundaries.
• Regional cooperation can help implement cost-effective joint strategies that leverage the interdependent nature of air quality.
• The most cost-effective one, which calls for full coordination between airsheds, would cut the average exposure of PM 2.5 in South Asia to 30 µg/m³ at a cost of USD 278 million per

What is Airsheds?

• The World Bank defines an airshed as a common geographic area where pollutants get trapped, creating similar air quality for everyone.

Question For Practice – Describe the key points of the revised Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) recently released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). How are these different from its last update in 2005? What changes in India’s National Clean Air Programme are required to achieve revised standards?

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Ko Kaam Karyakram (PMKKK)has been named as Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) Scheme by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
• What are the Key Points of the Scheme?
• About:

• It is a Central-Sector Scheme, which focuses on the skilling, entrepreneurship and leadership training requirements of the minority and artisan communities across the country.
• This is an integrated scheme that converges five erstwhile schemes of the Ministry of Minority Affairs viz,

• Seekho aur Kamao:

This is a placement linked skill development scheme for minorities aiming to upgrade the skills of minority youth in various modern/traditional skills depending upon their qualification, present economic trends and market potential

• USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills & Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development):It aims to promote and preserve the rich heritage of the traditional arts & crafts of the minority communities.
• Hamari Dharohar: It has been formulated to preserve rich heritage of minority communities of India.
• Nai Roshni: It is a Leadership Development Programme for women belonging to minority communities in the age group of 18 to 65 years. It was started in 2012-13.
• Nai Manzil: The scheme aims to benefit the youth (both men & women) belonging to six notified minority communities of 17-35 years of age, who do not have formal school leaving certificate.

• The scheme has been approved by the Cabinet for the period of 15^th Finance Commission.

• Components:

• Skill and Training
• Leadership and Entrepreneurship
• Education
• Infrastructure Development

• Objectives:

• PM VIKAS aims to improve the livelihoods of the minorities, particularly the artisan communities, using the components of skill development, education, women leadership & entrepreneurship.
• These components complement each other in the ultimate objective of the scheme to increase the incomes of the beneficiaries and provide support by facilitating credit and market linkages.

What are the Other Schemes Related to the Minority?

• Pradhan mantri Jan Vikas Karykram : The programme aims to develop socio-economic and basic amenities assets like school, college, polytechnic, girls’ hostel, ITI, skill development centre etc for the minority communities.
• Begum Hazrat Mahal Girls Scholarships : Scholarships for economically backward girls belonging to the six notified Minority communities.
• Gharib Nawaz Employment Scheme : It was launched so that short-term job-oriented skill development courses may be provided to minorities’ youth in order to enable them for skill based employment.
• Hunar Haat : Launched to provide market and employment and employment opportunities to master artisans, craftsmen and traditional culinary experts.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

• Recently, a Supreme Court (SC) judge recused herself from hearing a writ petition filed by Bilkis Bano against a Gujarat government decision to prematurely release 11 men sentenced to life imprisonment for gang-raping her during the 2002 riots.

What is Recusal?

• About:

• It is the act of abstaining from participation in an official action such as a legal proceeding due to a conflict of interest of the presiding court official or administrative officer.

• Rule for Recusal:

• There are no formal rules governing recusals, although several SC judgments have dealt with the issue.

• In Ranjit Thakur v Union of India (1987), the SC held that the test of the likelihood of bias is the reasonableness of the apprehension in the mind of the party.
• The judge needs to look at the mind of the party before him, and decide that he is biased or not.

• Reason for Recusal:

• When there is a conflict of interest, a judge can withdraw from hearing a case to prevent creating a perception that he carried a bias while deciding the case.
• The conflict of interest can be in many ways such as:

• Having a prior or personal association with a party involved in the case.
• Appeared for one of the parties involved in a case.
• Ex parte communications with lawyers or non-lawyers.
• An appeal is filed in the SC against a judgement of a High Court (HC) that may have been delivered by the SC judge when he was in the HC.
• In a matter of a company in which he holds shares unless he has disclosed his interest and there is no objection to it.

• The practice stems from the cardinal principle of due process of law that nobody can be a judge in her own case.

• Any interest or conflict of interest would be a ground to withdraw from a case since a judge has a duty to act fair.

What is the Process of Recusal?

• The decision to recuse generally comes from the judge himself as it rests on the conscience and discretion of the judge to disclose any potential conflict of interest.

• Some judges orally convey to the lawyers involved in the case their reasons for recusal, many do not. Some explain the reasons in their order.

• In some circumstances lawyers or parties in the case bring it up before the judge. Once a request is made for recusal, the decision to recuse or not rests with the judge.

• While there are some instances where judges have recused even if they do not see a conflict but only because such an apprehension was cast, there have also been several cases where judges have refused to withdraw from a case.

• If a judge recuses, thecase is listed before the Chief Justice for allotment to a fresh Bench.

What are the Concerns related to Recusal?

• Undermining Judicial Independence:

• It allows litigants to cherry-pick a bench of their choice, which impairs judicial fairness.
• Also, the purpose of recusal in these cases undermines both independence and impartiality of the judges.

• Different Interpretations:

• As there are no rules to determine when the judges could recuse themselves in these cases, there are different interpretations of the same situation.

• Delays the Process:

• Some requests for recusal are made with the intent to intimidate the court or to get better of an ‘inconvenient’ judge or to obfuscate the issues or to cause obstruction and delay the proceedings or in any other way frustrate or obstruct the course of justice.

Way Forward

• Recusals should not be used as a tool to manoeuvre justice, as a means to pick benches of a party’s choice, and as an instrument to evade judicial work.
• Judicial officers must resist all manner of pressure, regardless of where it comes from and if they deviate, the independence of the judiciary would be undermined, and in turn, the Constitution itself.
• Therefore, a rule that determines the procedure for recusal on part of judges should be made at the earliest.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Why in News?

• Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) will charge a “small fee” from platforms that will contribute towards “maintenance and development” of the network.
• The network will seek to reduce the compulsory commissions charged from sellers and logistics partners on the network by private e-commerce firms such as US-based Amazon and homegrown Flipkart — the two largest e-commerce firms in the country. 

What is ONDC?

• About:

• It is an open e-commerce protocol set up by the Ministry of Commerce’s Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
• Under ONDC, it is envisaged that a buyer registered on one participating e-commerce site (for example, Amazon) may purchase goods from a seller on another participating e-commerce site (for example, Flipkart).
• Presently, buyers and sellers have to be on the same app for a transaction which happens through the same platform. For example, a buyer needs to go to Amazon, to buy a product from a seller on Amazon.

• Objectives:

• Democratisation and decentralization of eCommerce
• Inclusivity and access for sellers, especially small and medium enterprises as well as local businesses
• Increased choices and independency for consumers

What Benefits Does the ONDC Offer?

• Level Playing Field: ONDC is keen to level the playing field for e-commerce operators and widen the digital market access for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and small traders in the country.
• Competitive and Innovative Ecosystem: ONDC will empower suppliers and consumers by breaking the monopoly of giant platforms to drive innovation and transform businesses in sectors like retail, food, and mobility.
• Freedom of Choice for Consumers: Consumers can potentially discover any seller, product or service in a common platform, thus increasing freedom of choice for consumers.
• Neutral and Regulated Platform: ONDC aims at fostering open networks developed on open-sourced methodology, using open specifications and network protocols, and independent of any specific platform.

• It will set protocols for cataloguing, vendor match, and price discovery on an open source-basis, like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

What are the Issues with ONDC?

• ONDC is a complex ecosystem to implement, unlike UPI.
• Switching customers from the incumbents, which are offering a satisfactory service, will be difficult.
• Network participants may not make significant market development investments
• Growth in the seller base will not necessarily improve buyer experience on the network.
• Monetisation on the network is not very clear.
• Attaining critical mass will be difficult as buyer and seller sides are disconnected.
• Lack of clarity on accountability, especially in addressing customer complaints and returns. 

Way Forward

• A better digital space for e-commerce must be built by the government in order to compete with the dominant e-commerce platforms.

• Along with this, it’s important to create a proper digital education policy that takes into account various languages and user-friendly interface for the benefit of the consumers as well as sellers.

• A massive, well-funded adoption campaign will be needed to bring over tens of millions of kirana stores to the platform.
• The demand and supply sides should be able to access a secured single window to resolve issues such as information asymmetry, opaque pricing, quality concerns, and buyer-seller disputes.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

• Recently, the Union Government has approved the continuation of the Scheme ‘Indian Footwear and Leather Development Programme (IFLDP)’till 31^st March 2026 or till further review.
• IFLDP was approved as continuation of the erstwhile IFLADP (Indian Footwear Leather and Accessories Development Programme).

What is IFLDP Scheme?

• About:

• It is a Central Sector Scheme, which aims at development of infrastructure for the leather sector, address environmental concerns specific to the leather sector, facilitate additional investments, employment generation and increase in production.
• It was launched by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

• Sub-Schemes:

• Sustainable Technology and Environmental Promotion (STEP)
• Integrated Development of Leather Sector (IDLS)
• Mega Leather Footwear and Accessories Cluster Development (MLFACD)
• Establishment of Institutional Facilities (EIF)
• Brand Promotion of Indian Brands in Footwear and Leather Sector
• Development of Design Studios in Footwear and Leather Sector

What is the Impact of erstwhile IFLADP?

• The programme has a direct benefit towards quality employment generation especially for women, skill development, decent work, making the industry more environment friendly and prompting a sustainable production system.
• The leather clusters located in different parts of the country have accrued benefit in terms of reduction of poverty, gender equality, sector specific skill/education,, thus touching many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Other National Development Plans (NDPs)such as economic growth, generation of employment, good health and well-being, infrastructure development, affordable and clean energy and other environmental benefits are well-served by the IFLAD Programme.

What is the Current Status of India’s Leather Industry?

• The Leather industry in India accounts for around13% of the world’s leather production of hides/skins and handles a robust annual production of about 3 bn sq. ft. of leather.
• The industry is known for its consistency in high export earnings and it is among the top 10 foreign exchangeearners for the country.
• India has an abundance of raw materials with access to 20% of the world’s cattle and buffalo and 11% of the world’s goat and sheep population.
• The Leather industry is an employment intensive industry providing jobs to more than 4 million people, mostly from the weaker sections of the society.

• Women employment is predominant in Leather products industry with about 30% share.
• The Leather industry in India has one of the youngest workforces with 55% of the workforce below 35 years of age.

• As of 2022, India is the second largest producer of footwear and leather garments, second largest exporter of leather garments and fifth largest exporter of leather goods & accessories in the world.
• The major production centres of leather and footwear products in India are located in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.
• The major markets for Indian Leather & Footwear Products are USA, Germany, U.K, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands, U.A.E, China, Hong Kong, Belgium, and Poland.

• USA is the largest importer of leather and leather products from India and accounted for 25.19% of the country’s total leather exports during April-August 2022.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The American football writer Grant Wahl died last week after a catastrophic tear in a major blood vessel leading out of his heart. The autopsy found that Wahl had an “ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm”, a weakening of the blood vessel that often goes undetected. 

About Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm

• As the aneurysm grows, it may produce a cough, shortness of breath or chest pain.
• An aneurysm is a localised weakening of the wall of a blood vessel, which causes the vessel to bulge in that area — as a result of which the vessel may widen to more than 50 per cent of its usual diameter. Aneurysms are more commonly seen in arteries than in veins.
• The aorta is the main artery that carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body; it is also the body’s largest blood vessel.
• An aortic aneurysm is a weakening and bulging in a portion of the aorta; “thoracic” refers to that section of the blood vessel that passes through the chest. 
• According to a note by Johns Hopkins Medicine, aneurysms occur more often in the portion of the aorta that runs through the abdomen rather than the chest (causing what is called “abdominal aortic aneurysm”).
• An aneurysm increases in size over time, and the wall of the blood vessel gets progressively weaker in that area. 
• The vessel may ultimately burst or separate, triggering a bleeding rush that can be life-threatening, and potentially lethal.

Causes and symptoms

• Among the possible causes of thoracic aortic aneurysm, the Johns Hopkins note lists 
• Degenerative disease that causes breakdown of the aortic wall tissue; 
• Genetic disorders
• Family history
• Vasculitis, or inflammation of the arteries
• Atherosclerosis, or the build-up of plaque on the walls of the artery. In rare cases, an infection can also trigger an aneurysm.
• Wahl had Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that increases the risk of this type of aneurysm. 
• He was tall and thin and had long arms, all of which can be signs of the syndrome.
• The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) page on Marfan syndrome describes it as a genetic condition that affects connective tissue and can damage the blood vessels and cause aneurysms of the aorta. 
• The syndrome presents in around 1 in 5,000 individuals and is caused by a mutation in the FBN1 gene that limits the body’s ability to make the proteins needed to build connective tissue, according to the CDC.

Treatment

• Treatment may include monitoring the size and rate of growth of the bulge through an MRI or CT, and managing risk factors or a surgery.

Question: What is the Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm? What are its symptoms and causes.