Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Radio electronics refers to a broad range of technologies that can transmit, receive and process wireless signals. While these technologies can utilize electromagnetic spectrum that goes all the way up to 300GHz, the lower frequencies of this spectrum are particularly attractive.

• Lower frequency signals can travel longer distances and penetrate obstacles with lesser attenuation.
• Electronic components (amplifiers, transmitters, receivers) operating at lower frequencies are also easier to design and manufacture.
• Consequently, much of the bandwidth in the lower frequencies of this spectrum has already been allocated for several applications (mobile communications currently use the spectrum from 800MHz to 2.5 GHz).

New spectrum for 3GHz

• With the increasing demand for mobile services, the currently allocated spectrum is proving inadequate.
• At the simplest level, 5G represents the allocation of new spectrum to increase capacity.
• Since most of the spectrum at lower frequencies is already being utilised — much of this new spectrum is being allocated at higher frequencies.
• The first deployments in India will be around 3GHz, but will expand to 25 GHz and beyond.

While operating at higher frequencies has some fundamental challenges, it offers some unique opportunities as well

• As 5G services evolve to occupy higher frequencies, it will significantly increase the bandwidth available for mobile services.
• However, at these frequencies the design of the transmitting and receiving equipment becomes more complex.
• Signal attenuation also increases. So, the coverage area of each cell tower will decrease which will require the towers to be more closely spaced.
• At higher frequencies it becomes easier to direct a signal in specific direction.
• So, signals transmitted from a cell tower can be more precisely directed at a specific user
• Intuitively, this enhanced directivity results in less interference between signals meant for different users which directly translate to increased capacity.
• Since much of the 5G infrastructure is being built from ground up, there is a chance to redesign the technology to make it more suitable for the evolving communication needs of the future.
• 5G places special emphasis on low latency, energy efficiency and standardization – Low delays between transmission and reception of messages are extremely critical to avoid accidents. For instance, Self-driving cars is an illustrative example
• As 5G rolls out, over the next several years the volume of data is expected to exponentially increase. To ensure that there isn’t a corresponding increase in the energy usage, 5G places a lot of importance on energy efficiency
• Greater attention to standardisation is another important aspect of 5G enable the rapid deployment of 5G infrastructure there is an industry-wide effort to standardise interaction between components.

Thus, while operating at higher frequencies has some fundamental challenges, it offers some unique opportunities as well.

Way forward

• There should be lot of research in both industry and academia centred around 5G.
• Convergence of positioning, sensing and communication – traditionally, positioning, sensing and communication have been seen as separate technologies (for e.g., GPS is used for positioning, and radar for sensing). However, all three technologies involve transmission and reception of radio signals — hence it is possible for positioning and sensing to piggy back on 5G infrastructure that is primarily meant for communication.
• There should be research around cost and energy efficient electronic devices that can transmit and receive high frequency signals. This involves delving into the fundamental physics of semiconductor technologies and is expected to lay the foundation for the growth of wireless technology into higher frequency bands.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

First developed in Madagascar in the 1980s by Father Henri, and since then several countries in the world have been practising it, including India.

• Involves cultivating rice with as much organic manure as possible, starting with young seedlings planted singly at wider spacing in a square pattern; and with intermittent irrigation that keeps the soil moist but not inundated, and frequent inter cultivation with weeder that actively aerates the soil.

Benefits of SRI

• Higher yields – Both grain and straw; Increase in income security for farmers
• Reduced duration (by 10 days)
• Lesser chemical inputs
• Less water requirement
• Systemic regulation of climate, soil and water
• Reduction in Methane evolution
• Less chaffy grain %
• Grain weight increased without change in grain size
• Reduced vulnerability & risks
• Improved farm health
• Higher head rice recovery
• Withstand cyclonic gales
• Cold tolerance
• Soil & water health improves through biological activity (reduction in nitrogen)
• Public health improvement with improvement in food security

Limitations with SRI

• If unchecked, greater weed growth will cause a substantial loss of yield.
• Higher labour costs in the initial years – needs 50% more man-days for transplanting and weeding.
• Difficulties in acquiring the necessary skills.
• Not suitable when no irrigation source is available.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

A new species of old-world monkey recorded from Arunachal Pradesh has been named after a strategic mountain pass at 13,700 ft above sea level.

The Sela macaque was geographically separated from the Arunachal macaque ((Macaca munzala) of Tawang district) by Sela, the Eastern Himalayan pass at 13,700 ft (phylogenetic analysis revealed).

• Acted as a barrier by restricting the migration of individuals of these two species for approximately two million years.
• Protection Status: Not yet included in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India.
• Potential threats: Hunting by locals for consumption and habitat degradation due to urbanization and infrastructure development.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

First Indian language book to win the International Booker Prize: Author Geetanjali Shree’s translated Hindi novel, Tomb of Sand

• The 2018 novel titled ‘Ret Samadhi’ was translated by Daisy Rockwell and published as ‘Tomb of Sand’ in 2021.

The Booker Prize Award

• One of the best-known literary awards for fiction writing in English, including both novels and collections of short stories.
• First awarded in 1969
• Criteria: Must be written in English and published in the UK and Ireland
• International Booker Prize: Awarded annually for a single book, written in another language and translated into English. The £50,000 prize money is divided equally between the author and translator each year.

Many Indian-origin writers have won the Booker in the past, such as

• Arundhati Roy (‘The God of Small Things’)
• Salman Rushdie (‘Midnight’s Children’)
• Kiran Desai (‘The Inheritance of Loss’)
• Aravind Adiga (‘The White Tiger’)
• Shree is the first Indian to win an international prize

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The key to an improved criminal justice system is quality forensic labs and well-trained staff, not more legislation and harsher punishments, Part of the process of investigation that results in the collection of proof pointing to innocence or guilt involves the deployment of forensic science.

• Forensic science is the application of scientific perspectives and techniques to the legal process, including investigations and courtroom protocol. It is the use of scientific data and procedures specifically for the legal system.
• There is rigorous procedure involved, including controlled conditions, reliable data collection and the attempt to disprove hypotheses.

Challenges include

• India has amongst the highest disparities in police-citizens and judge-citizens ratios
• Woefully inadequate number of forensic science laboratories (FSL)
• Lack of adequate qualified personnel = often trials were delayed to non-receipt of FSL reports.
• Lack of information on staffing from the labs

This means that India has inadequate state forensic facilities-

• Takes an inordinate amount of time for the report to be prepared.
• Often, forensic analysis is simply not conducted and the criminal justice system relies principally on witness statements.

In 2017, The Hindu reported that while the United Kingdom completes DNA testing on over 60,000 crimes annually, India with over 13 times the population completes such tests on less than 7,500 cases. The average pendency at each lab is huge.

The Way Forward

• More investment in the establishment of FSL laboratories
• Proper training and appointment of personnel adept at forensic methodologies
• Reforms within our police to establish a trained and skilled detective cadre tasked with solving complex and heinous crimes.
• Good quality training facilities, standards of accreditation and continuous education programmes for forensic experts.
• Study of Forensic science as it evolves, as it is important to know which facets of the science are still credible and what methodologies must be discarded.

It is not more legislation and harsher punishments that will solve crimes, but well-trained forensic staff plying their craft in good quality laboratories that will aid our criminal justice system.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The Chhattisgarh government has become only the second state in the country (after Simlipal in Odisha) to recognize Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights of a village inside a national park (rights of tribals living in Gudiyapadar, a hamlet inside the Kanger Ghati National Park in Bastar district).

Community Forest Resource Area:

• The common forest land that has been traditionally protected and conserved for sustainable use by a particular community.
• The community uses it to access resources available within the traditional and customary boundary of the village; and for seasonal use of landscape in case of pastoralist communities.
• Has a customary boundary with identifiable landmarks recognised by the community and its neighboring villages.
• It may include forest of any category – revenue forest, classified & unclassified forest, deemed forest, DLC land, reserve forest, protected forest, sanctuary and national parks, etc.

Community Forest Resource Rights:

Provide for recognition of the right to “protect, regenerate or conserve or manage” the community forest resource.

• Rights allow the community to formulate rules for forest use by itself and others and thereby discharge its responsibilities under Section 5 of the FRA.
• Include nistar rights and rights over non-timber forest products, ensure sustainable livelihoods of the community.
• Authority to the Gram Sabha to adopt local traditional practices of forest conservation and management within the community forest resource boundary.

Significance

Aimed at undoing the “historic injustice” meted out to forest-dependent communities due to curtailment of their customary rights over forests, the FRA came into force in 2008.

• Recognises the community’s right to use, manage and conserve forest resources
• To legally hold forest land that these communities have used for cultivation and residence.
• Underlines the integral role that forest dwellers play in sustainability of forests and in conservation of biodiversity.
• Traditional dwellers then become a part of management of the protected forests using their traditional wisdom.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

In a momentous order, the Supreme Court of India recognised sex work to be a ‘profession.’

• The apex court was hearing a plea that has raised the problems faced by sex workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The plea has highlighted the destitution faced by sex workers on account of COVID-19 and sought relief measures for over nine lakh women and transgender sex workers across India.

The Verdict

1. Police forces in all states and Union territories should treat sex workers with dignity and not to abuse them, verbally or physically.
2. The authorities have a duty to protect them under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956.
3. The police and other law enforcement agencies should be sensitised to the rights of sex workers.
4. The newly introduced Section 354C, IPC which makes voyeurism a criminal offence, should be strictly enforced against electronic media, in order to prohibit telecasting photos of sex workers with their clients in the garb of capturing the rescue operation.
5. State governments should do a survey of shelter homes so that cases of adult women who are detained against their will can be reviewed and processed for release in a time-bound manner.
6. The Central Government and the State Governments, through National Legal Services Authority, State Legal Services Authority and District Legal Services Authority, should carry out workshops for educating the sex workers abut their rights.

What necessitated this?

The attitude of the police to sex workers is often brutal and violent.

Significance of the Verdict: The court held that every individual in this country has a right to a dignified life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Challenges

• Sex workers are exposed to a slew of abuses that range from physical to mental attacks.
• Most of them do not have access to clean and safe housing, as they are refused outrightly by owners or the society.
• Access to essential health services are limited.

Relevant Court Judgements

• In Kajal Mukesh Singh vs State of Maharashtra (2021), the Bombay High Court said “Prostitution is not an offence, a woman has a right to choose her vocation”.
• In Manoj Shaw vs State of West Bengal (2003), the Calcutta High Court observed that sex workers should be treated as victims of crime rather than the accused.
• In Budhadev Karmaskar vs State of West Bengal (2011), the High

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

PARAM PORUL, a state-of-the-art Supercomputer was inaugurated at NIT Tiruchirappalli recently. It has been established under Phase 2 of the National Supercomputer Mission (NSM).

What is National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)?

• It is being implemented and steered jointly by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY).
• Implemented by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

Focus of the mission:

• The Mission envisages empowering national academic and R&D institutions spread over the country by installing a vast supercomputing grid comprising of more than 70 high-performance computing facilities.
• These supercomputers will also be networked on the National Supercomputing grid over the National Knowledge Network (NKN). The NKN is another programme of the government which connects academic institutions and R&D labs over a high speed network.
• The Mission includes development of highly professional High Performance Computing (HPC) aware human resource for meeting challenges of development of these applications.

Achievements:

• The first supercomputer assembled indigenously, called Param Shivay, was installed in IIT (BHU).
• Similar systems Param Shakti and Param Brahma were installed at IIT-Kharagpur and IISER, Pune. They are equipped with applications from domains like Weather and Climate, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Bioinformatics, and Material science.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

India’s GDP to take a big hit due to pandemic-linked learning losses for students: ADB study. A new working paper titled ‘Potential Economic Impact of COVID-19 related School Closures’ was published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Findings

• The GDP of India, which is among the countries with the longest school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, would see the highest decline in South Asia due to learning losses for the young
• Starting with a $10.5 billion dent in 2023, the country’s economy could take a nearly $99 billion hit by 2030, translating into a 3.19% reduction in GDP from the baseline growth trends
• India may thus account for over 10% of the global GDP decline of $943 billion estimated by the ADB on account of earning losses in 2030, with jobs for skilled labour expected to decline by 1%, and unskilled labour by 2% that year.
• Economies with a significant population of schoolchildren and college-going youth in rural areas and in the poorest and second wealth quintile — have been worst-hit as they lack access to stable Internet connection needed to study online
• Learning and earning losses are significant because a notable portion of the impacted population will migrate to the unskilled labour force
• A large part of India’s work force is constituted by unskilled labour — 4 million as per the ADB paper’s estimates, compared to 72.65 million skilled workers.
• In terms of absolute change, India experiences the highest GDP decline in South Asia, at about $98.84 billion in 2030.
• School closures lead to declines in global GDP and employment. Moreover, the losses in global GDP and employment increase over time. Declines in global GDP amount to 0.19% in 2024, 0.64% in 2028, and 1.11% in 2030.

Recommendations

• India has the highest number of children enrolled in primary and secondary education among the Asian economies covered in the paper, at 255.74 million.
• The number of students in tertiary education were second only to China at 36.39 million
• While mooting greater investments in education and skills with a focus on narrowing the digital divide, the study has suggested the most immediate challenge for governments is to help students recover “lost opportunities” by conducting assessments among impacted children.
• Governments need to direct adequate funding and resources to young populations most affected by closures, such as those from the poor, rural and socially disadvantaged groups.
• It is important to keep school-age children in education as much as possible by providing financial support and incentives, while giving additional support for skills training to youth already out of school

Asian Development Bank

• ADB is a regional development bank established on 19th December 1966.
• ADB now has 68 members, 49 from within Asia.
• ADB is headquartered in Manila, Philippines.
• ADB’s five largest shareholders are Japan and the United States (each with 15.6% of total shares), the People’s Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), and Australia (5.8%).
• It aims to promote social and economic development in Asia.
• ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

• It is an uninhabited off-shore island in the Palk Strait originally owned by a king of Ramnad (present-day Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu).
• The island is used by fishermen to dry their nets.
• During the British rule, it was administered jointly by India and Sri Lanka.
• In the early 20th century, Sri Lanka claimed territorial ownership over the islet, so in 1974 India ceded the island to Sri Lanka, through a joint agreement.
• Two years later through another accord, India further gave up its fishing rights in the region.
• Initially the 1974 border agreement did not affect fishing on either side of the border.
• In 1976, through an exchange of letters, both India and Sri Lanka agreed to stop fishing in each other’s waters.
• In 1974 and 1976 treaties were signed between the two countries to demarcate the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
• However, the agreement could not stop the fishermen from fishing in these waters, as fishermen know no boundary.
• Despite the signing of maritime boundary agreements, fishermen communities of both the countries continued their fishing in the Palk Bay area peacefully until the Eelam war broke out in 1983.
• Nonetheless, after the end of War in 2009, the Sri Lankan fishermen have been raising their objection to Indian fishermen fishing in their waters.
• The small islet of Katchatheevu, hitherto used by the fishermen for sorting their catch and drying their nets, fell on the other side of the IMBL
• Fishermen often risk their lives and cross the IMBL rather than return empty-handed, but the Sri Lankan Navy is on alert, and have either arrested or destroyed fishing nets and vessels of those who have crossed the line.