Syllabus: General Studies Paper 4

As Kerala debates the Supreme Court order for maintaining at least a kilometre of Eco-Sensitive Zone for protected areas, the WGEEP report, popularly known as the Gadgil report, once again springs back to public discourse.

Gadgil Committee Recommendations:

• The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) designated the entire hill range as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
• The panel, in its report, has classified the 142 taluks in the Western Ghats boundary into Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) 1, 2 and 3.
• ESZ-1 being of high priority, almost all developmental activities (mining, thermal power plants etc) were restricted in it.
• Gadgil report recommended that “no new dams based on large-scale storage be permitted in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1
• It specifies that the present system of governance of the environment should be changed. It asked for bottom to top approach (right from Gram Sabhas) rather than a top to bottom approach. It also asked for decentralization and more powers to local authorities.
• The commission recommended constitution of a Western Ghats Ecology Authority (WGEA), as a statutory authority under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, with the powers under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Examination of Madhav Gadgil Report

• The major criticism faced by Gagdil Committee report was that it was more environment-friendly and not in tune with the ground realities.
• Recommendations were cited as impractical to implement.
• Gadgil report has asked for complete eco-sensitive cover for Western Ghats which hamper different states on energy and development fronts.
• There was criticism against the constitution of a new body called WGEA. States insist that protection can be given under existing laws.
• Gadgil report doesn’t give solution for revenue losses due to implementation of its recommendations.
• Gadgil report is against dams in Western Ghats, which is a crucial blow on the ailing power sector. Considering the growing energy needs of India, critics argue that this recommendation cannot be taken.

Major Anthropogenic Threats to The Western Ghats

The Western Ghats of India is facing severe threats to its ecosystem. In the period between 1920 to 1990, 40 percent of its natural vegetation was depleted. This is coupled with dangers arising from encroachments. The major anthropogenic threats include:

• Large dam projects in Western Ghats have resulted in environmental and social disruption despite cost-benefit analyses and environmental impact assessments being done by the government and companies.
• The rise in human settlements has led to the over-exploitation of forest products through activities such as livestock grazing.
• Livestock grazing within and bordering protected areas by high densities of livestock (cattle and goats) is a serious problem causing habitat degradation across the Western Ghats.
• The mining establishments, especially iron-ore mining, have greatly contributed to damaging the ecological balance, by destroying farms, polluting rivers and damaging the top soil.
• Diversion of forests for agriculture, mining and industrial projects, road construction etc over the past few decades have resulted in the state of Kerala losing 9064 sq kms between 1973 and 2016 and Karnataka losing 200 sq km of forest land in the Western Ghats between 2001 and 2017.
• Given that the Western Ghats exists within an intensely human-dominated landscape, human-wildlife conflicts are a common phenomenon.
• Pollution is also playing its part, with high mercury levels in the water, and agrochemicals from tea and coffee plantations going unchecked.
• Plantations owned by private individuals and corporate sector continue to grow in the Western Ghats and constitute an important source of fragmentation of natural habitat.
• The other culprit for loss of native flora in the Western Ghats is the plantation of alien species such as Eucalyptus, Pinus by the British which can be seen across the upper slopes of the Nilgiris interspersed with Lantana Camara. They create a mat-like structure leading to degradation of the land and destruction of the native biodiversity.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Anthrax, an infectious disease which affects domestic as well as wild animals, has been reported in wild boars.

• Anthrax is caused by a spore-forming bacterium/gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis which can be found naturally in soil. It mainly affects animals.
• Humans can be infected through contact with an animal or by inhaling spores.
• Symptoms depend on the route of infection. They can range from a skin ulcer to difficulty breathing.
• Antibiotics cure most infections. Inhaled anthrax is harder to treat and can be fatal.

Mortara

• Italy
• The worst drought Italy has faced in 70 years is thirsting paddy fields in the river Po valley and jeopardizing the harvest of the premium rice.
• Italy’s largest river is turning into a long stretch of sand due to the lack of rain, leaving the Lomellina rice flats — nestled between the river Po and the Alps — without the necessary water to flood the paddies.
• The lack of rainfall has brought governors of various Italian regions to declare a state of emergency in order to conserve water and coordinate the management of minimal resources.
• The region’s main water sources, the rivers Po and Dora Baltea, are eight times lower than the average seasonal levels.

Po River Basin

• The Po River is the longest river in Italy (661 km)
• It originates from Pian del Re of Monte Viso, and flows eastward till the Adriatic Sea near Venice
• The basin population is close to 17 million inhabitants, almost 1/3 of the population of Italy.
• The main land use of the Po plain is intensive agriculture.

GST Council hikes tax on over two dozen goods and services from July 18.

• Tax hikes will kick in for over two dozen goods and services, ranging from unbranded food items, curd and butter milk to low-cost hotels, cheques and maps.
• At the same time, tax rates will be lowered for about half a dozen goods and services, including ropeways and truck rentals where fuel costs are included, and scrapped for products imported by private vendors for use by defence forces.
• In its 47th meeting, the GST Council discussed recommendations of four ministerial panels — on rate rationalisation, on movement of gold and precious stones, system reforms, and casinos, horse racing and online gaming.
• The GoM headed by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has been given a three-month extension for rate rationalisation measures including tweaking the tax slabs.
• On the valuation mechanism for taxing casinos, a Group of Ministers headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has been asked to consider submissions of stakeholders again and submit its report by July 15.
• Modifications in GST’s IT systems to bolster compliance and crack down on tax evasion have been agreed, based on recommendations of a GoM led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
• Suggestions by another GoM led by Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal on the movement of gold and precious stones were also accepted by the Council, enabling States to decide on the best way to implement an e-way bill system for intra-State movement of gold worth over ₹2 lakh.
• To resolve the long-pending issue of constituting a GST Appellate Tribunal, the Council has decided to form a fresh Group of Ministers whose report will be taken up at its next meeting

On GST Compensation extension

• At the meeting, over a dozen States wanted the GST compensation to continue for some more time.
• About 16-17 State representatives in the Council spoke on the GST compensation issues, of which about 12-13 sought an extension of the assured compensation period, while three-four spoke about the need to wean themselves away from the dependence on assured revenues.
• Union Finance Minister assured that issue to be discussed.

GST Council

• The 101st Amendment Act of 2016 paved the way for the introduction of a new tax regime (GST) in the country
• The amendment provided for the establishment of a GST Council.
• The amendment inserted a new Article 279-A in the Constitution of India.
• This article empowered the President to constitute a GST Council by an order.

Composition of GST Council

• The Union Finance Minister of India will serve as the chairperson of this council.
• The respective states will nominate the State Finance Ministers/ or any other Minister as a member of the council.
• The Union Minister of State in charge of revenue or finance will also be a member of this council.
• The representatives of the states shall choose amongst themselves one “Vice-president”.

Working of the council

• The decisions of the Council are taken at its meetings.
• One-half of the total numbers of members of the Council is the quorum for conducting a meeting.
• Every decision of the Council is to be taken by a majority of not less than three-fourths of the weighted votes of the members present and voting at the meeting.
• The vote of the central government shall have a weightage of one-third of the total votes cast in the meeting.
• The votes of all the state governments combined shall have a weightage of two-thirds of the total votes cast in that meeting.

Functions of the Goods and Services Tax Council

The Council is required to make recommendations to the center and the states on the following matters:

• The taxes, cesses, and surcharges levied by the center, the states, and the local bodies would be merged in GST.
• The goods and services that may be subjected to GST or exempted from GST.
• Model GST Laws, principles of levy, apportionment of GST levied on supplies in the course of inter-state trade or commerce, and the principles that govern the place of supply.
• The threshold limit of turnover below which goods and services may be exempted from GST.
• The rates include floor rates with bands of GST.
• Any special rate or rates for a specified period to raise additional resources during any natural calamity or disaster.
• Special provision with respect to the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
• Any other matter relating to GST, as the Council may decide.
• In addition, the council shall also recommend the date on which the GST may be levied on petroleum crude, high-speed diesel, petrol, natural gas, and aviation turbine fuel.

NASA’s new satellite will test a unique lunar orbit that will be used by future missions.

• NASA launched CAPSTONE, a microwave oven-sized CubeSat weighing just 55 pounds (25 kg).
• CAPSTONE, short for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, is designed to test a unique, elliptical lunar orbit.
• The satellite, launched on Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, is heading toward an orbit intended in the future for Gateway, a Moon-orbiting outpost that is part of NASA’s Artemis program.
• CAPSTONE aims to help reduce risk for future spacecraft by validating innovative navigation technologies, and by verifying the dynamics of the halo-shaped orbit.
• The orbit is known as a near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO).
• It is significantly elongated, and is located at a precise balance point in the gravities of Earth and the Moon. This offers stability for long-term missions like Gateway.

Artemis mission

• NASA’s Artemis mission is the next generation of lunar exploration, and is named after the twin sister of Apollo from Greek mythology.
• With the Artemis programme, NASA aims to land humans on the moon by 2024, and it also plans to land the first woman and first person of colour on the moon.
• NASA will establish an Artemis Base Camp on the surface and a gateway (the lunar outpost around the Moon) in lunar orbit to aid exploration by robots and astronauts.
• The gateway is a critical component of NASA’s sustainable lunar operations and will serve as a multi-purpose outpost orbiting the moon.

Artemis I Mission

• It will be the first integrated flight test of NASA’s Deep Space Exploration Systems
• Orion spacecraft: Orion spacecraft is going to remain in space without docking to a space station, longer than any ship for astronauts has ever done before.
• Space Launch System (SLS) rocket: It is the most powerful rocket in the world — and travels 2,80,000 miles from the earth for over four to six weeks during the course of the mission.
• Newly upgraded Exploration Ground Systems at Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• It is an uncrewed space mission where the spacecraft will launch on an SLS rocket.
• The primary operating goal of the mission is to assure a safe crew module entry, descent, splashdown, and recovery.
• Artemis II will be the first crewed flight test and is targeted for 2023.
• Artemis III will land astronauts on the Moon’s South Pole in 2024.

Attorney-General (A-G) K.K. Venugopal has been reappointed the country’s top law officer for a period of three months.

• Venugopal was appointed the 15th AG of India in 2017. He succeeded Mukul Rohatgi who was AG from 2014-2017.

Attorney General Of India

• Article 76 of the Constitution provides for the office of AG of India
• AG is the top legal officer in the country & part of Union Executive
• AG is assisted by 2 Solicitor Generals & 4 Additional Solicitor Generals.
• AG is not considered as a government servant

Eligibility

• S/He must be a person who is qualified to be appointed a judge of the Supreme Court .i.e.
• he must be a citizen of India and
• he must have been a judge of some high court for five years or an advocate of some high court for ten years or an eminent jurist

Tenure:  not fixed by the Constitution

• The remuneration of the AG is not fixed by the Constitution. He receives such remuneration as the president may determine

Removal:

• The Constitution does not contain the procedure and grounds for his removal. He holds office during the pleasure of the president.
• He may also quit his office by submitting his resignation to the president.

Functions

• Advise Government on legal matters.
• Perform legal duties assigned by President.
• Appear on behalf of Government in all cases in SC or HC.
• Represent Government under Article 143.
• Discharge functions conferred by Constitution or law.

Rights

• Right to speak & take part in proceedings of both Houses of Parliament/joint sitting/any committee of Parliament of which he/she may be named a member.
• Enjoys privileges & immunities of a Member of Parliament.
• S/he is not debarred from private legal practice.

Limitations

• No Right to Vote in House proceedings/committees.
• Should not advise against or hold a brief against Government.
• Should not defend accused persons in criminal prosecutions without the permission of the Government of India.
• Should not accept appointment as a director in any company or corporation without the permission of the Government of India.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) with the aim of increasing efficiency of PACS, bringing transparency and accountability in their operations.

• This project proposes computerization of about 63,000 functional PACS over a period of five years with a total budget outlay of Rs 2,516 crore with the central government’s share of Rs 1,528 crore.

Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies (PACS)

• The PACS constitute the lowest tier of the three-tier short-term cooperative credit (STCC) in India comprising of nearly 13 crore farmers as its members.
• Through computerization PACS will become nodal service delivery point for interest subvention scheme (ISS), PM Fasal Bima Yojana, Direct Benefit Transfer and provision of inputs like fertilisers, seeds etc.
• It will ensure speedy disposal of loans, lower transition cost, faster audit and reduction in imbalances in payments and accounting with State Cooperative Banks (SCBs) and District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs)
• PACS account for 41% of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans given by all entities in the country and 95 % of these KCC loans through PACS are to the small and marginal farmers.
• The other two tiers viz. SCBs and DCCBs have already been automated by the NABARD and brought on Common Banking Software (CBS).

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Delhi Health Minister and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with his alleged involvement in a ‘hawala transactions’ case.

About The Prevention of Money Laundering Act

It was enacted as a response to India’s global commitment (including the Vienna Convention) to curb the menace of money laundering.

Objectives of the Act: PMLA was enacted in 2002 and it came into force in 2005, to curb money laundering (process of converting black money into white) and to provide for seizure of property derived from money-laundering.

There are mainly 3 objectives of PMLA:

• To prevent and control money laundering.
• To confiscate and seize the property obtained from the laundered money.
• To deal with any other issue connected with money laundering in India.

Dispute Redressal

• The Adjudicating Authority is appointed by the central government. It decides whether the property attached or seized is involved in money laundering.
• The Adjudicating Authority shall not be bound by the procedure laid down by the Code of Civil Procedure,1908, but shall be guided by the principles of natural justice and subject to the other provisions of PMLA.

Appellate Tribunal: An Appellate Tribunal appointed by the Government is given the power to hear appeals against the orders of the Adjudicating Authority. Orders of the tribunal can be appealed in the appropriate High Court.

Special Court: Provision for establishing special court by the Union government under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).

PMLA (Amendment) Act, 2012:

• Adds the concept of ‘reporting entity’ which would include a banking company, financial institution, intermediary etc.
• PMLA, 2002 levied a fine up to Rs 5 lakh, but the amendment act has removed this upper limit.
• It has provided for provisional attachment and confiscation of property of any person involved in such activities.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The Single Nodal Agency (SNA) Dashboard of PFMS (Public Financial Management System) was recently launched by the Union Ministry of Finance.

What is SNA Dashboard?

It is a major reform initiated in 2021 with regards to the manner in which funds for Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) are released, disbursed and monitored.

• Under this system, each state is required to identify and designate an SNA for every scheme.
• All funds for that State in a particular scheme are now credited in this bank account and all expenses by all other Implementing Agencies involved are affected from this account.

 Significance of SNA Model:

1. Ensures timely allocation of funds.
2. Brought in greater efficiency in CSS fund utilization.
3. Tracking of funds has become easier.

 About PFMS:

• It was previously known as Central Plan Schemes Monitoring System (CPSMS).
• It is a web-based online software application developed and implemented by the Office of Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Ministry of Finance.
• Objective: To facilitate a sound Public Financial Management System for the Government of India (GoI) by establishing an efficient fund flow system as well as a payment cum accounting network.
• Coverage: At present, the ambit of PFMS coverage includes Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes as well as other expenditures including the Finance Commission Grants.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The Agriculture Ministry unveiled India’s first Covid-19 vaccine for animals.

• Developed by the Hisar-based National Research Centre on Equines, the vaccine, called Ancovax, can protect animals against the Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2.
• This is the first Covid-19 vaccine for animals developed in India.
• There were reports from Russia last year that that country, too, had developed a vaccine against animals such as dogs, cats, minks, and foxes.

HOW IT WORKS

• Ancovax can be used in dogs, lions, leopards, mice, and rabbits.
• It is an inactivated vaccine developed using an infectious part of the Delta variant.
• In addition, it uses Alhydrogel as an adjuvant to boost the immune response.

THE NEED:

• There have been reports of Covid-19 infection in several animals, including dogs and cats.
• The vaccine can protect animals in the zoo.
• The animals develop similar symptoms to humans – cough, cold, fever, and lung lesions
• It can also prevent transmission from companion animals to the humans
• The aim of the vaccine is to protect endangered animals