General Studies Paper 3

Centre to promote dragon fruit cultivation in 50,000 hectares.

• Following the footsteps of the Gujarat and Haryana Governments, the Centre has decided to promote the cultivation of dragon fruit, known as a super fruit for its health benefits.
• The Centre feels that considering the cost effectiveness and global demand for the fruit due to its nutritional values, its cultivation can be expanded in India.
• At present, the fruit is cultivated in 3,000 hectares; the plan is to increase cultivation to 50,000 hectares in five years.

Dragon Fruit

• The dragon fruit – Hylocereus undatus is indigenous to the Americas.
• It is a member of the cacti family.
• It is also known as ‘Pitaya’, ‘Pitahaya’, strawberry pear, noblewoman and queen of the night throughout the world.

Features:

• Its flowers are hermaphrodites (male and female organs in the same flower) in nature and open at night.
• The plant sustains yield for more than 20 years, is high in nutraceutical and good for value-added processing industries.
• It is a rich source of vitamins and minerals.

Climatic Condition:

• It is hardy and grows in diverse climatic conditions with varied soils, especially in the semi-arid and arid regions of India.

Popularity in India:

• The dragon fruit was introduced to home gardens in India in the 1990s.
• The low maintenance and high profitability of dragon fruits has attracted the farming community throughout India.
• The cost of cultivation is initially high. But the plant doesn’t need productive land; it gives maximum production from non-productive, less fertile area.
• Presently Mizoram tops among the States that cultivate this fruit.
• India is now importing about 15,491 tonnes of dragon fruits and has potential to match the production of China, where cultivation of the fruit takes place in 40,000 hectares, and Vietnam, which grows the fruit in 60,000 hectares.

General Studies Paper 1

Some states of USA were hit by a storm system called a Derecho.

• As the storm hit, it turned the skies green.

What is a Derecho?

• A Derecho, according to the US’s National Weather Service is a widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms.
• The name comes from the Spanish word ‘la derecha’ which means ‘straight’.
• Straight-line storms are those in which thunderstorm winds have no rotation unlike a tornado. These storms travel hundreds of miles and cover a vast area.
• Being a warm-weather phenomenon, a derecho generally – not always – occurs during summer time beginning May, with most hitting in June and July.
• They are a rare occurrence as compared to other storm systems like tornadoes or hurricanes.
• For a storm to be classified as a derecho it must have wind gusts of at least 93 km per hour; wind damage swath extending more than 400 km.

General Studies Paper 3

Recently, Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways approved a Draft GSR (general statutory rules) Notification seeking comments on a proposal to introduce the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat-NCAP).

What is Bharat NCAP?

• It is a new car safety assessment program which proposes a mechanism of awarding ‘Star Ratings’ to automobiles based upon their performance in crash tests.
• Bharat NCAP standard is aligned with global benchmarks and it is beyond minimum regulatory requirements.

Bharat NCAP Rating:

• The proposed Bharat NCAP assessment will allocate Star Ratings from 1 to 5 stars.
• The testing of vehicles for this programme will be carried out at testing agencies, with the necessary infrastructure.
• The voluntary Bharat NCAP would assign vehicles between one and five stars on parameters such as Adult Occupant Protection (AOP), Child Occupant Protection (COP) and Safety Assist Technologies (SAT).

Applicability:

• It will be applicable on type approved motor vehicles of category M1 with gross vehicle weight less than 3.5 tonnes, manufactured or imported in the country.
• M1 category motor vehicles are used for the carriage of passengers, comprising eight seats, in addition to driver’s seat.

Significance

• The proposed move follows focus on zero tolerance for road accidents.
• It is intended to increase the export-worthiness of vehicles and competition on safety parameters among manufacturers, as well as instil consumer confidence in their safety.
• Bharat NCAP will prove to be a critical instrument in making our automobile industry Aatmanirbhar with the mission of making India the Number 1 automobile hub in the world.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2 

The Union Cabinet gave the 13th extension to the Justice Rohini Commission, to submit its report.

• The commission was set up on October 2, 2017 under Article 340 of the Constitution.
• It was tasked with sub-categorisation of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and equitable distribution of benefits reserved for them.
• In 2015, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) had recommended that OBCs should be categorised into extremely backward classes, more backward classes and backward classes.

Article 340

• The President may by order appoint a Commission consisting of such persons as he thinks fit to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes within the territory of India.
• A Commission so appointed shall investigate the matters referred to them and present to the President a report.
• The President shall cause a copy of the report so presented together with a memorandum explaining the action taken thereon to be laid before each House of Parliament.

OBC Reservation

• The Kalelkar Commission, set up in 1953, was the first to identify backward classes other than the SCs and STs at the national level.
• The Mandal Commission Report, 1980 estimated the OBC population at 52% and classified 1,257 communities as backward.
• It recommended increasing the existing quotas, which were only for SC/ST, from 22.5% to 49.5% to include the OBCs.
• The central government reserved 27% of seats in union civil posts and services for OBCs under Article 16(4).
• The quotas were subsequently enforced in central government educational institutions under Article 15 (4).
• In 2008, the Supreme Court directed the central government to exclude the creamy layer (advanced sections) among the OBCs.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

As Twitter initiated legal action against some of the government ordering it to take down certain content posted on the microblogging site, the focus is back on Section 69A of IT Act, 2000

• Alleging disproportionate use of power by officials, the social media company moved the Karnataka High Court against the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology’s order content-blocking orders issued under Section 69 (A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
• IT Ministry had written to Twitter, asking it to comply with its orders by July 4 or lose its safe harbour protection under the intermediary rules.

Information Technology Act, 2000

• The Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, governs all activities related to the use of computer resources.
• It covers all ‘intermediaries’ who play a role in the use of computer resources and electronic records.

Section 69 of the IT Act:

• It confers on the Central and State governments the power to issue directions to intercept, monitor or decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource.

The grounds on which these powers may be exercised are:

• In the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state.
• Friendly relations with foreign states.
• Public order, or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to these.
• For investigating any offence.

Process of Blocking Internet Websites:

• Section 69A, for similar reasons and grounds (as stated above), enables the Centre to ask any agency of the government, or any intermediary, to block access to the public of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored or hosted on any computer resource.
• Any such request for blocking access must be based on reasons given in writing.

Intermediaries as per the IT Act 2000:

• Intermediary is defined in Section 2(1) (w) of the IT Act 2000.
• The term ‘intermediaries’ includes providers of telecom service, network service, Internet service and web hosting, besides search engines, online payment and auction sites, online marketplaces and cyber cafes.
• It includes any person who, on behalf of another, “receives, stores or transmits” any electronic record. Social media platforms would fall under this definition.

Obligations of Intermediaries under the Law:

• Intermediaries are required to preserve and retain specified information in a manner and format prescribed by the Centre for a specified duration.
• Contravention of this provision may attract a prison term that may go up to three years, besides a fine.
• When a direction is given for monitoring, the intermediary and any person in charge of a computer resource should extend technical assistance in the form of giving access or securing access to the resource involved.
• Failure to extend such assistance may entail a prison term of up to seven years, besides a fine.
• Failure to comply with a direction to block access to the public on a government’s written request also attracts a prison term of up to seven years, besides a fine.

Liability of Intermediaries:

• Section 79 of the IT Act 2000 makes it clear that “an intermediary shall not be liable for any third-party information, data, or communication link made available or hosted by him”.
• Third party information means any information dealt with by a network service provider in his capacity as an intermediary.
• This protects intermediaries such as Internet and data service providers and those hosting websites from being made liable for content that users may post or generate.
• Sections 79 also introduced the concept of “notice and take down” provision.
• It provides that an intermediary would lose its immunity if upon receiving actual knowledge or on being notified that any information, data or communication link residing in or connected to a computer resource controlled by it is being used to commit an unlawful act and it fails to expeditiously remove or disable access to that material.

Why has Twitter filed the lawsuit?

• It is learnt that in its filing, Twitter has claimed that many of the blocking orders are procedurally and substantively deficient under Section 69 (A) of the Act.
• This includes aspects such as not giving prior notice to users before taking down content posted by them.
• The company alleged that MeitY has failed to demonstrate how some of the content it wants taken down falls under the purview of Section 69 (A).
• The company has claimed that the basis on which multiple accounts and posts have been flagged by the Ministry are either “overbroad and arbitrary” or “disproportionate”

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

To prevent the slide in the rupee and shore up foreign exchange reserves, the RBI announced a series of measures.

• This includes relaxation in foreign investment in debt, external commercial borrowings, and Non-Resident Indian (NRI) deposits.

Stats

• The rupee depreciated 4.1 per cent to 79.30 against the US dollar in the current financial year.
• Foreign portfolio investors pulled out 2.32 lakh crore in six months, and $50 billion being shaved off forex reserves over the last nine months.

Measures taken

• RBI has allowed banks temporarily to raise fresh Foreign Currency Non-Resident Bank i.e. FCNR(B) and Non-Resident External (NRE) deposits without reference to the current regulations on interest rates.
• Currently, interest rates on FCNR(B) deposits are subject to ceilings of overnight Alternative Reference Rate (ARR) for the respective currency/ swap plus 250 basis points for deposits of 1-3 years maturity and overnight ARR plus 350 basis points for deposits of 3-5 years maturity.
• In the case of NRE deposits, interest rates should not be higher than those offered by the banks on comparable domestic rupee term deposits.
• Investments by FPIs in government securities and corporate debt made till October 31, 2022, will be exempted from this short-term limit.
• These will not be reckoned for the short-term limit of one year till maturity or sale of such investments.
• Currently, not more than 30 per cent of investments each in government securities and corporate bonds can have a residual maturity of less than one year.
• FPIs will be provided with a limited window till October 31, 2022, during which they can invest in corporate money market instruments like commercial paper and non-convertible debentures with an original maturity of up to one year.
• FPIs can continue to stay invested in these instruments till their maturity or sale.
• Also the central bank decided to increase the limit under the automatic route for external commercial borrowing (ECB) from $750 million or its equivalent per financial year to $ 1.5 billion.
• The all-in cost ceiling under the ECB framework is also being raised by 100 basis points, subject to the borrower being of investment grade rating.
• Further incremental FCNR(B) and NRE deposits will be exempt from the maintenance of cash reserve ratio and statutory liquidity ratio (SLR).
• This relaxation, which will add to the returns of NRIs

External Commercial Borrowings

• ECBs is a loan availed by an Indian entity from a nonresident lender with a minimum average maturity.
• Most of these loans are provided by foreign commercial banks buyers’ credit, suppliers’ credit, securitized instruments such as Floating Rate Notes and Fixed Rate Bonds etc.

Advantages of ECBs:

• ECBs provide opportunity to borrow large volume of funds.
• The funds are available for relatively long term.
• Interest rate are also lower compared to domestic funds.
• ECBs are in the form of foreign currencies. Hence, they enable the corporate to have foreign currency to meet the import of machineries etc.

Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) account

• FCNR(B) accounts can be opened by NRIs and Overseas Corporate Bodies (OCBs) with an authorized dealer.
• Rate of interest applicable to these accounts are in accordance with the directives issued by RBI from time to time.

NRE accounts

• NRE accounts can be opened by NRIs and OCBs with authorized dealers and with banks authorized by RBI.
• These can be in the form of savings, current, recurring or fixed deposit accounts. Deposits are allowed in any permitted currency.
• Rate of interest applicable to these accounts are in accordance with the directives issued by RBI from time to time.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

India and Australia decided to strengthen their partnership in the field of projects and supply chains for critical minerals.

• Australia confirmed that it would commit a $5.8 million to the three-year India-Australia Critical Minerals Investment Partnership.

What are critical minerals?

• Critical minerals are elements that are the building blocks of essential modern-day technologies, and are at risk of supply chain disruptions.
• These minerals are used everywhere from making mobile phones, computers to batteries, electric vehicles and green technologies like solar panels and wind turbines.
• It mostly include graphite, lithium and cobalt, which are used for making EV batteries; rare earths that are used for making magnets and silicon which is a key mineral for making computer chips and solar panels.

Why is this resource critical?

• As countries around the world scale up their transition towards clean energy and digital economy, these critical resources are key to the ecosystem that fuels this change.
• Any supply shock can severely imperil the economy and strategic autonomy of a country over-dependent on others to procure critical minerals.
• But these supply risks exist due to rare availability, growing demand and complex processing value chain.
• Many times the complex supply chain can be disrupted by hostile regimes, or due to politically unstable regions.

What is the China ‘threat’?

• According to the 2019 USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries report, China is the world’s largest producer of 16 critical minerals.
• China, according to a report by the International Energy Agency, is responsible for some 70% and 60% of global production of cobalt and rare earth elements, respectively, in 2019.
• The level of concentration is even higher for processing operations, China’s share of refining is around 35% for nickel, 50-70% for lithium and cobalt, and nearly 90% for rare earth elements.
• It also controls cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, from where 70% of this mineral is sourced.
• In 2010, China suspended rare earth exports to Japan for two months over a territorial dispute.
• The decision made the market prices of RREs jump anywhere between 60% to 350%.

What are countries around the world doing about it?

USA

• After reviewing the vulnerabilities in its critical minerals supply chains and found that an over-reliance on foreign sources US has shifted its focus on expanding domestic mining, production, processing, and recycling of critical minerals and materials.

India

• India has set up KABIL or the Khanij Bidesh India Limited, a joint venture of three public sector companies, to ensure a consistent supply of critical and strategic minerals to the Indian domestic market.
• Australia’s Critical Minerals Facilitation Office (CMFO) and KABIL had recently signed an MoU aimed at ensuring reliable supply of critical minerals to India.

United Kingdom

• The UK recently unveiled its new Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre to study the future demand for and supply of these minerals.

Other Countries

• In June last year, the US, Canada and Australia had launched an interactive map of critical mineral deposits with an aim to help governments to identify options to diversify their critical minerals sources.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Central Consumer Protection authority (CCPA) under the Department of Consumer Affairs has notified ‘Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022’.

What are the guidelines?

Objective

• To curb misleading advertisements and protect the consumers, who may be exploited or affected by such advertisements.

Key Provisions

A ‘valid’ advertisement:

• The guidelines lay down the conditions for non-misleading and valid advertisements.
• An advertisement can be considered non-misleading if it contains true and honest representation of goods and does not exaggerate the accuracy, scientific validity or practical usefulness or capability.
• In case of unintentional lapse, the advertisement may still be considered as valid if the advertiser has taken prompt action in letting the consumer know the deficiency.

Advertisements targeting children

• Advertisements that condone, encourage, inspire or unreasonably emulate behaviour that could be dangerous for children or take advantage of children’s inexperience, credulity or sense of loyalty etc. have been prohibited.
• The guidelines further require that the goods which require a health warning should not be advertised through children as well as personalities from music, sports and cinema.
• Advertisements that state any health or nutritional claims or benefits without being adequately and scientifically substantiated or any surgery which may have adverse effects on the physical and mental health of children are prohibited.
• The guidelines also require that advertisements including chips, carbonated beverages and such other snacks and drinks shall not be cast on channels exclusively meant for children.

Prohibits Surrogate Advertising:

• It bans surrogate advertising, a practice where a seller promotes a product whose advertisement is not allowed by disguising it as another product.
• Liquor ads commonly indulge in such practices — under the guise of selling soda, CDs, and even holiday packages.

Free claims advertisements:

• A free claims advertisement shall not describe any goods, products, or service to be ‘free’, ‘without charge’, or use such other terms if the consumer has to pay anything.

Bait Advertisements:

• The guidelines lay down conditions to be complied with while issuing bait advertisements.
• Bait advertisement means an advertisement in which goods, products, or service is offered for sale at a low price to attract consumers.

Other reforms

• The guidelines have also introduced the need to have “disclaimers in advertisements” to “clarify a claim made in such advertisement or make qualifications or resolve ambiguities therein in order to explain such claim in further detail.”
• Moreover, the advertiser must not attempt to hide material information with respect to any claim made in such advertisement, the omission or absence of which is likely to make the advertisement deceptive or conceal its commercial intent.

Significance

• The guidelines are pathbreaking because they fill significant consumer protection gaps while explicitly outlining advertiser duties.
• It also tries to discourage the promotion of illogical consumerism aimed at children.
• It performs an essential function in bringing the Indian regulatory framework at par with international norms and standards.
• The guidelines are momentous in empowering customers against mischievous advertisers.

While the guidelines must be hailed as a step in the right direction, there is a definite need to ensure their implementation in the spirit they have been drafted with.

General Studies: 2

Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution released the 1st edition of ‘State Ranking Index for NFSA during the conference of Food Ministers of States/UTs on ‘Food Nutrition and Security in India’

• The State ranking Index for NFSA attempts to document the status and progress of implementation of NFSA and various reform initiatives across the country, post consultation with states.
• It highlights the reforms undertaken by States and UTs and create a cross-learning environment and scale-up reform measures by all states and union territories.
• The Index is built on three key pillars which covers the end-to-end implementation of NFSA through TPDS. These pillars are:
• NFSA— Coverage, targeting and provisions of the Act,
• Delivery platform, and
• Nutrition initiatives.
• Odisha topped the index, it is followed by Uttar Pradesh at the 2nd spot and Andhra Pradesh at 3rd amongst the General Category States.
• Among the Special Category states/UTs, Tripura stood first followed by Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim respectively.
• Among the 3 UTs where Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) – Cash is operational, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu is the top ranked UT.

Sowing of Rice

• In the conference the Centre has asked the States to increase the sowing of paddy in the wake of reports that there is a decrease in its sowing.
• The Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution said the international demand for both rice and wheat has increased and asked the States to increase the sowing of paddy in this kharif season.
• The Centre’s data says that paddy has been sown on 43.45 lakh hectares till July 1, which is 05% less than last year’s sowing of 59.56 lakh hectares during the same period of 2021.
• Minister also stated the States should increase the sowing as wheat’s demand has increased globally.

General Studies: 3

Around 100 students in Sikkim have reported skin infections after coming in contact with Nairobi flies.

• The population of Nairobi flies, a species of insect native to East Africa, is growing at a fast pace in Sikkim.

What are Nairobi flies?

• Nairobi flies, also called Kenyan flies or dragon bugs, are small, beetle-like insects that belong to two species, Paederus eximius and Paederus sabaeus.
• They are orange and black in colour, and thrive in areas with high rainfall, as has been witnessed in Sikkim in the past few weeks.
• Like most insects, the beetles are attracted by bright light.

How are humans affected by them?

• Usually, the insects attack pests that consume crops and are beneficial for humans — but at times, they come in contact with humans directly are cause harm.
• These flies do not bite, but if disturbed while sitting on anyone’s skin, they release a potent acidic substance that causes burns.
• This substance is called pederin, and can cause irritation if it comes in contact with the skin, leading to lesions or unusual marks or colouring on the skin.
• The skin begins to heal in a week or two, but some secondary infections can occur, especially if the victim scratches the irritated skin.

Have there been outbreaks of the disease?

• Major outbreaks have happened in Kenya and other parts of eastern Africa. In 1998, unusually heavy rain caused a large number of insects to come into the region.
• Outside Africa, outbreaks have happened in India, Japan, Israel, and Paraguay in the past.