General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court reserved for judgment a batch of petitions seeking to strike down a Tamil Nadu law which protects Jallikuttu by claiming that the bull-taming sport is a cultural heritage of the State and is protected under Article 29 (1) of the Constitution.

• While these practices may be deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of certain communities, they are often controversial and have been criticized by animal welfare advocates.

What is Jallikattu?

• Jallikattu is a traditional sport that is popular in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
• The sport involves releasing a wild bull into a crowd of people, and the participants attempt to grab the bull’s hump and ride it for as long as possible, or attempt to bring it under control.
• It is celebrated in the month of January, during the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal.

What are the Associated Concerns?

• The primary question involved was whether Jallikattu should be granted constitutional protection as a collective cultural right under Article 29 (1).
  • Article 29 (1)is a fundamental right guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution to protect the educational and cultural rights of citizens.
• The court examined if the laws “perpetuate cruelty to animals” or were actually a means to ensure “the survival and well-being of the native breed of bulls”.
• The five-judge Bench heard parties on whether the new Jallikattu laws were “relatable” to Article 48 of the Constitution, which urged the state to endeavour to organize agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines.
• The Constitution Bench also looked into whether Jallikattu and bullock-cart races laws of Karnataka and Maharashtra would actually sub-serve the objective of “prevention” of cruelty to animals under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960.

What are the Associated Legal Interventions?

• In 2011, the Centre added bulls to the list of animals whose training and exhibition is prohibited.
• The Supreme Court banned Jallikattu through a judgment in May 2014 in the Animal Welfare Board of India vs A. Nagaraja case on the grounds of cruelty to animals.
• In 2018,the Supreme Court referred the Jallikattu case to a Constitution Bench, where it is pending now.
• The bone of contention is the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act of 2017and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Conduct of Jallikattu) Rules of 2017, which had re-opened the gates for the conduct of the popular bull-taming sport in the name of culture and tradition despite a 2014 ban by the Supreme Court.

What were the Arguments adduced for and against Jallikattu?

• Argument in Favour:
  • In Tamil Nadu, jallikattu is both a religious and cultural event celebrated by the people of the State and its influence extends beyond the confines of caste and creed.
  • “A practice which is centuries-old and symbolic of a community’s identity can be regulated and reformed as the human race evolves rather than being completely obliterated,” the State government submitted.
  • It added that any ban on such a practice would be viewed as “hostile to culture and against the sensitivities of the community”.
  • Describing jallikattu as “a tool for conserving this precious indigenous breed of livestock,” the government argued that the traditional event did not violate principles of compassion and humanity.
  • It contended that the traditional and cultural significance of the event and its intertwining with the sociocultural milieu was being taught in high school curriculum so that “the significance is maintained beyond generations.”
• Arguments in Opposition:
  • The petitioners’ line of argument was that animal life was inextricably connected to the lives of humans. Liberty was “inherent in every living being, whether it be in any form of life,” an aspect that had been recognized by the
  • The Tamil Nadu law was brought to circumvent the ban on jallikattu imposed by the Supreme Court.
  • Deaths and injurieshave been caused to humans as well as bulls which had taken place in several districts of the State while conducting
  • The petitioners contended that contrary to the arguments advanced by Tamil Nadu , several tamers pounced on bulls.
  • According to them, “extreme cruelty” was inflicted on the animals.
  • There was no material to justify jallikattu as a part of culture.
  • The critics had equated the event with practices such as sati and dowry, which were also once recognized as part of culture and stopped through legislation.

What is the Position in Other States for Similar Sports?

• Karnatakatoo passed a law to save a similar sport, called
• Except in Tamil Naduand Karnataka, where bull-taming and racing continue to be organized, these sports remain banned in all other states including Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra due to the 2014 ban order from the Supreme Court.

Question For Practice

1. What are the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of Secularism? (2019)

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

Ahead of Odisha State Pollution Control Board’s (OSPCB) hearing on Environment Clearance of Mali Parwat Bauxite Mining Lease, local people have started protests demanding permanent cancellation of the lease.

What is the Issue?

• Background:
  • The opposition to the mining activities in Maliparbat dates back to 2003, when a public hearing was organized by the Odisha SPCB for environmental clearance.
  • After a lease was granted to Hindalco in 2007, villagers had alleged that their grievances and objections to the project were ignored.
  • According to activists, the company’s Environment Impact Assessment report mentioned that there was no water-body in Maliparvat.
  • Villagers had, however, argued that 36 perennial streams flow down from the Maliparvat, which was the source of water for villagers for their agricultural and drinking purposes and the bauxite mining project should be cancelled.
  • Till 2011 the company failed to carry out mining and subsequently, its environmental clearance expired. But, in 2012-2014 it started mining illegally without going in for renewal of environmental clearance.
  • The industry has got afresh lease for 50 years for which the public hearing was necessitated.
• Concerns:
  • Tribals residing in nearby villages have alleged that mining activities in Maliparbat would affect around 42 villages under Sorishapodar, Dalaiguda and Pakhajhola panchayats.
  • Environmentalists have also said that mining can deplete water sources from around 32 perennial streamsand four canals in Maliparbat, adversely affecting the livelihoods of the tribals.
    • The Mali and forest area are inhabited by members of Kondha, Paraja and Gadaba tribes.

What is the Environment Impact Assessment?

• It can be defined as the study for predicting the effect of a proposed activity/project on the environment.
• It is statutory under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 for some projects.
• Process:
  • Screening based upon scales of investment, type of development, and location of the development is done to see whether a project requires an environmental clearance as per the statutory notifications.
  • Scoping is a process of detailing the Terms of Reference (ToR) of EIA, that is the main issues or problems in the development of a project.
  • Impact Prediction involves mapping the environmental consequences of the significant aspects of the project and its alternatives.
• The public mandatorily needs to be informed and consulted on the proposed development after the completion of the EIA report.

What is Bauxite?

• About:
  • Bauxite is an ore of aluminium. It is a rock consisting mainly of hydrated aluminium oxides.
  • The deposits of Bauxite are mainly associated with laterites and occur as capping on hills and plateaus, except in coastal areas of Gujarat and Goa.
  • Bauxite is primarily used to produce alumina through the Bayer process.
  • Like many metals, world demand for aluminium, and therefore bauxite, has grown substantially over the past several years in response to economic growth in emerging Asian economies.
• World Distribution:
  • Reserves:As per 2015 data, world bauxite reserves are estimated at 30 billion tonnes and are located mainly in Guinea (25%), Australia (20%), Vietnam (12%), Brazil (9%), Jamaica (7%), Indonesia (4%) and China (3%).
  • Australia continued to be the major producer and accounted for about 29% share in the total production, followed by China (19%), Guinea (18%), Brazil (10%) and India (7%).
• Distribution in India:
  • Reserves:By States, Odisha alone accounts for 51% of country’s resources of bauxite followed by Andhra Pradesh (16%), Gujarat (9%), Jharkhand (6%), Maharashtra (5%) and Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh (4% each) in 2019. Major bauxite resources are concentrated in the East Coast bauxite deposits in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
  • Production:In terms of production, in 2020, Odisha accounted for 71% of the total output followed by Gujarat (9%) and Jharkhand (6%).

Question For Practice

1. Which of the following minerals are found in a natural way in the State of Chhattisgarh?

General Studies Paper 3

Under the Honey Mission, 1 lakh and 75 thousand bee boxes have been distributed so far by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) after providing beekeeping training to 17 thousand 500 beneficiaries across the country.

• As per the National Horticulture Board (NHB), Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Bihar, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka were the top ten honey-producing states in 2021-22.

What is Honey Mission?

• It was launched in 2017 in line with the ‘Sweet Revolution’.
• Under the mission, the KVIC under Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises provides the farmers or beekeepers –
  • Practical training about the examination of honeybee colonies,
  • Identification and management of bee enemies and diseases along with the management of bee colonies in all seasons.
  • Acquaintance with apicultural equipment’s and
  • Honey extraction and wax purification.

What is Sweet Revolution?

• About:
  • It is an ambitious initiative of the Government of India for promoting apiculture, popularly known as ‘beekeeping’.
    • To provide a booster shot to Sweet Revolution,the government launched the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission in 2020 (a central sector scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) as part of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat scheme.
  • Aim:
    • It aims to accelerate the production of quality honey and other related products.
      • The demand for good quality honey has grown over the years as it is considered a naturally nutritious product.
      • Other apiculture products such as royal jelly, beeswax, pollens, etc., are also used extensively in different sectors like pharmaceuticals, food, beverage, beauty, and others.
    • Significance:
      • Technology intervention through this mission will ensure bee conservation, prevent diseases or the loss of bee colonies and provide quality and quantity of apiculture products.
        • Farming practices will yield superior-quality honey and other products for the domestic as well as international market.
      • Beekeeping is a low investment and highly skilled enterprise model, in which technology application has emerged as a great enabler for socio-economic growth.
        • Scaling up beekeeping will double farmers’ income, generate employment, ensure food security and bee conservation, and increase crop productivity.

What is KVIC?

• KVIC is a statutory body established under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act, 1956.
• The KVIC is charged with the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of programmes for the development of Khadi and other village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.
• It functions under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Question For Practice

1. Assess the role of National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing the income of farmers? ( UPSC 2018)

General Studies Paper 3

Why in News?

The Union Government has approved a Rs 19,744 crore National Green Hydrogen mission that aims to make India a ‘global hub’ for using, producing and exporting green hydrogen.

What is the National Green Hydrogen Mission?

• About:
  • It is a program to incentivise the commercial production of green hydrogen and make India a net exporter of the fuel.
  • The Mission will facilitate demand creation, production, utilization and export of Green Hydrogen.
• Sub Schemes:
  • Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT):
    • It will fund the domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and produce green hydrogen.
  • Green Hydrogen Hubs:
    • States and regions capable of supporting large scale production and/or utilization of hydrogen will be identified and developed as Green Hydrogen Hubs.
  • Objective:
    • Developing green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonne) per annum, alongside adding renewable energy capacity of about 125 GW (gigawatt) in India by 2030.
    • It aims to entail over Rs 8 lakh crore of total investments and is expected to generate six lakh jobs.
    • It will also lead toa cumulative reduction in fossil fuel imports by over Rs 1 lakh crore and an abatement of nearly 50 MT of annual greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Nodal Ministry:
    • Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
  • Significance:
    • It will help entail the decarbonisation of the industrial, mobility and energy sectors ; reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and feedstock; developing indigenous manufacturing capabilities; creating employment opportunities; and developing new technologies such as efficient fuel cells.
  • Potential:
    • India has a favourable geographic location and abundance of sunlight and wind for the production of green hydrogen.
    • Green hydrogen technologies are being promoted in sectors where direct electrification isn’t feasible.
    • Heavy duty, long-range transport, some industrial sectors and long-term storage in the power sector are some of these sectors.
    • The nascent stage of this industry allows for the creation of regional hubs that export high-value green products and engineering, procurement and construction services.

What are the Challenges?

• In Nascent Stages Globally:
  • Green hydrogen development is still in the nascent stages globally and while India can take the lead in being a major producer, it doesn’t have the necessary infrastructure yet to execute all these intermediary steps.
• Economic Sustainability:
  • One of the biggest challenges faced by the industry for using hydrogen commercially is the economic sustainability of extracting green hydrogen.
  • For transportation fuel cells, hydrogen must be cost-competitive with conventional fuels and technologies on a per-mile basis.

What is Green Hydrogen?

• About:
  • Hydrogen is a key industrial fuel that has a variety of applications including the production of ammonia (a key fertilizer), steel, refineries and electricity.
  • However, all of the hydrogen manufactured now is the so-called ‘black or brown’ hydrogen because they are produced from coal.
  • Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. But pure, or the elemental hydrogen, is very scarce. It almost always exists in compounds like with oxygen to form H2O, or water.
  • But when electric current is passed through water, it splits it into elemental oxygen and hydrogen through electrolysis. And if the electricity used for this process comes from a renewable source like wind or solar then the hydrogen thus produced is referred to as green hydrogen.
  • Colors attached to hydrogen indicate the source of electricity used to derive the hydrogen molecule. For instance, if coal is used, it is referred to as brown hydrogen.
• Current Production:
  • Green hydrogen currently accounts for less than 1% of global hydrogen production due to it being expensive to produce.
  • A kilogram of black hydrogen costs USD 0.9-1.5 to produce while grey hydrogen costs USD 1.7-2.3 and blue hydrogen can cost anywhere from USD 1.3-3.6. However, green hydrogen costs USD 3.5-5.5 per kg, according to a 2020 analysis by the Council for Energy, Environment and Water.
• Need for Producing Green Hydrogen:
  • Hydrogen is a great source of energy because of its high energy content per unit of weight, which is why it is used as rocket fuel.
  • Green hydrogen in particular is one of the cleanest sources of energy with close to zero emission. It can be used in fuel cells for cars or in energy-guzzling industries like fertilizers and steel manufacturing.
  • Countries across the world are working on building green hydrogen capacity as it can ensure energy security and also help in cutting carbon emission.
  • Green hydrogen has become a global buzzword, especially as the world is facing its biggest-ever energy crisis and the threat of climate change is turning into a reality.

What are the other Initiatives Related to Renewable energy?

• Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).
• International Solar Alliance.
• PM- KUSUM.
• National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy.
• Rooftop Solar Scheme.

Way Forward

• There is a need to announce incentives to convince enough users of industrial hydrogen to adopt green hydrogen.
• India needs to develop supply chains in the form of pipelines, tankers, intermediate storage and last leg distribution networks as well as put in place an effective skill development programme to ensure that lakhs of workers can be suitably trained to adapt to a viable green hydrogen economy.
• India has the potential to bring down the cost of green hydrogen by using low-cost renewable generating plants and cost-curtailment experience gained through solar and wind reverse auctions.
  • Huge market potential, owing to the young demography and thriving economy, will be a long-term benefit for the government while pushing the application of hydrogen-based technologies.

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

The Ministry of Science and Technology has notified a National Geospatial Policy (NGP) 2022, with the goal of making India a world leader in the Global Geospatial Sector.

• India’s geospatial economy is expected to cross Rs 63,000 crore by 2025 at a growth rate of 12.8% and to provide employment to more than 10 lakh people.

What is Background?

• In 2021, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued “Guidelines for acquiring and producing Geospatial Data and Geospatial Data Services including Maps”.
• While the Guidelines deregulated the Geospatial sector by liberalizing Geospatial data acquisition/production/ access, the 2022 Policy takes it further by laying down an overarching framework for holistic development of the Geospatial ecosystem.

What is National Geospatial Policy 2022?

• About:
  • It is a citizen-centric policy based on Geo-Spatial technology, which seeks to strengthen the Geospatial sector to support national development, economic prosperity and a thriving information economy.
  • The policy is aimed to set up high resolution topographical survey and mapping, with a high-accuracy Digital Elevation Model (DEM)by 2030.
• Vision and Goals:
  • It aims to make India a World Leader in Global Geospatial space with the best in the class ecosystem for innovation.
  • To develop a coherent national framework in the country and leverage it to move towards a digital economy and improve services to citizens.
  • To develop Geospatial infrastructures, Geospatial skill and knowledge, standards, Geospatial businesses.
  • To promote innovation and strengthen the national and sub-national arrangements for generation and management of Geospatial information.
• Institutional framework:
  • A Geospatial Data Promotion and Development Committee (GDPDC) at the national level shall be the apex body for formulating and implementing strategies related to promotion of the Geospatial sector.
  • GDPDC would replace and subsume the functions and powers of the National Spatial Data Committee (NSDC) constituted in 2006 and GDPDC constituted in 2021.
  • Department Of Science & Technology shall continue to be the nodal Department of the Government and GDPDC shall make suitable recommendations to DST in the discharge of its functions relating to the Geospatial regime.

Milestones towards Realization of the Policy’s Vision:

• Year 2025:
  • Put in place an enabling policy and legal framework that supports liberalization of Geospatial sector and democratization of data for enhanced commercialization with Value Added Services.
• Year 2030:
  • High resolution topographical survey & mapping(5-10 cm for urban & rural areas and 50 cm-100 cm for forests & wastelands).
• Year 2035:
  • High resolution/accuracy Bathymetric Geospatial Data of inland waters and sea surface topography of shallow/deep seas– to support Blue Economy.
  • National Digital Twin of major cities and towns. The Digital Twin is a virtual replica of a physical asset, process or service that lies at the core of the new digital revolution.
    • National Digital Twin would be an ecosystem of smart, dynamic, connected Digital Twins, enabled by secure and interoperable data sharing, to facilitate better decision-making.

Significance:

• Geospatial technology and data can act as agents of transformation for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• This is a vibrant initiative to promote the Start-Up & reduce the last mile dependencies on the foreign soil.
• Geospatial data play a vital role in a wide spectrum of frequencies for critical data management applications, such as military operations, disaster and emergency management, environmental monitoring, land and city planning.

What are the Related Concerns?

• Complex Data:
  • Geospatial data can be described as complex data objects with complex relationships among them.
  • Securing this type of data poses major challenges and bottlenecks that are yet to be fully understood and addressed.
• Security Concerns:
  • Although a variety of models and techniques are available to manage access and share geospatial data, little attention has been paid to addressing the National security concerns, such as access control, securities and privacy policies, the development of secure and in particular interoperable GIS applications in the areas of Defence (Tri-Services).
• Data Misuse and Privacy Violations:
  • If the entire body of geospatial data would be made available by simply integrating the data from the different repositories, there is severe chances of potential data misuse and privacy violations.
  • And “also sensitive information such as building ownerships might be revealed or information about critical infrastructure could become publicly accessible and it is a major concern in context to the applications in Defence.

What is Geospatial Technology?

• Geospatial technology uses tools like GIS (Geographic Information System), GPS (Global Positioning System) and Remote Sensing for geographic mapping and analysis.
• These tools capture spatial information about objects, events and phenomena (indexed to their geographical location on earth, geotag). The location data may be Static or Dynamic.
• Static location data include position of a road, an earthquake event or malnutrition among children in a particular region while dynamic location data include data related to a moving vehicle or pedestrian, the spread of an infectious disease etc.
• The technology may be used to create intelligent maps to help identify spatial patterns in large volumes of data.
• The technology facilitates decision making based on the importance and priority of scarce resources.

Way Forward

• Given the number of people and organizations involved in a disaster preparation scenario, security measures must be taken to provide users and applications only with data on a need-to-know basis.
• A clear roadmap should be drawn and SOP should be developed in National Geospatial Policy 2022 for the National Securities Issues for the country wherein it is the three services, Para military or Critical Infrastructure Sectors.

General Studies Paper 3

Why In News?

Recently, corporate tax collections exceeded 3% of the GDP after a gap of two years in 2021-22.

• It is reflecting overall improvement in profitability of India Inc propelled by an increase in demand for goods and services.
• However, the corporate tax collection is yet to surpass its five-year high of 3.51% of GDP recorded in 2018-19.

What are the Key Highlights?

• In actual terms, the net corporate tax collection in 2021-22 stood at Rs 7.12 lakh crore.
• The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at the current market price was Rs 236.64 lakh crore.
• The percentage of net corporate tax to GDP worked out to be 01%.
• In 2019-20, government cut corporate tax rates for new manufacturing units by almost 10% points as it looked to pep up investments.
• The rate of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) too had been reduced to 15 % from 5 % in 2019.
  • The Minimum Alternate Taxis a strategy designed to close the income tax loophole for all businesses. The MAT makes sure that no business, even one with strong financial standing and significant revenue, may escape paying income tax, even after claiming exemptions.
• The tax cut was reflected in the realization of corporate taxes in 2019-20, when collections fell to over Rs 5.56 lakh crore (2.77% of GDP).

What is the Corporate Tax?

• Corporation tax is payable by both public and private companies registered in India under the Companies Act 1956.
• Corporation taxis a direct tax placed on a company’s net income or profit from its operations.
  • The tax is imposed on the net profits of the corporation, which is calculated by subtracting allowable expenses such as the cost of goods sold, operating expenses, and depreciation from the corporation’s total revenue.

What is the Significance of Corporate Tax?

• Corporate taxis an important source of revenue for governments, as it helps to fund public goods and services such as schools, hospitals, roads, and
• Corporate tax also plays a role in redistributing wealth and addressing income inequality, as it imposes a higher tax burden on corporations that are more profitable.
• In addition, corporate tax can also have other economic and social impacts.
  • For example, corporate tax can affect the competitiveness of businesses, as a higher corporate tax rate may make a country or region less attractive for investment compared to other jurisdictions with lower tax rates.
• Corporate tax can also influence the location and type of businesses that operate in a jurisdiction, as businesses may be more or less likely to invest in a particular area depending on the tax environment.

Conclusion

Overall, the importance of corporate tax depends on the specific context and goals of the government and the society. Some may view corporate tax as a necessary tool for financing public goods and promoting social justice, while others may view it as a burden on businesses and a deterrent to economic growth.

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

The Jain community has been protesting over demands related to two holy sites — Sammed Shikhar on Parasnath hill in Jharkhand and Shatrunjaya hill in Palitana of Gujarat.

• In Jharkhand, the issue is about Parasnath hill being declared a tourist spot and an eco-sensitive zone without consulting the people from the Jain community, while in Gujarat, the row is over the vandalising of a shrine and related security concerns in Shatrunjaya Hill.

What are the Key Facts about Parasnath Hills and Shatrunjaya Hill?

• Parasnath Hills:
  • Parasnath Hillsare a range of hills located in Giridih district of Jharkhand.
  • The highest peak is 1350 metres. It is one of the most important pilgrimage centre for Jains. They call it Sammed Sikhar.
  • The hill is named after Parasnath, the 23^rd
  • Twenty of Jain Tirthankaras attained salvation on this hill. For each of them there is a shrine (gumti or tuk)on the hill.
  • Some of the temples on the hill are believed to be more than 2,000 years old.
  • The Santhals call it Marang Buru, the hill of the deity.They celebrate a hunting festival on the full moon day in Baisakh (mid-April).
  • Every year, thousands of Jains from across the world undertake the 27 km long trek of climbing the hills to reach the summit.
• Palitana and Shatrunjaya Hill:
  • Shatrunjaya Hill is a sacred site containing hundreds of shrines in Palitana town, Bhavnagar District, Gujarat.
  • The shrines were sanctified when Rishabha, the first Tirthankara of Jainism,gave his first sermon in the temple on the hilltop.
  • It is one of the Jainism’s holiest pilgrimage sites, the Shatrunjaya hill is an incredible hill studded with temples, built over 900 years.
  • It is said that Adinath (also known as Rishabha), the founder of Jainism, meditated beneath the rayan tree at the summit.

What is Jainism?

• Jainism came to prominence in the 6^thcentury B.C., when Lord Mahavira propagated the religion.
• There were 24 great teachers,the last of whom was Lord Mahavira.
• These twenty-four teachers were called Tirthankaras-people who had attained all knowledge (Moksha) while living and preached it to the people.
• The first Tirthankara was
• The word Jaina comes from the term Jina, meaning conqueror.
• Tirthankara is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘Ford maker’, i.e., one who is able to ford the river, to cross beyond the perpetual flow of earthly life.
• Jainism attaches utmost importance to ahimsa or non-violence.
• It preaches 5 mahavratas (the 5 great vows):
  • Ahimsa (Non-violence)
  • Satya (Truth)
  • Asteya or Acharya (Non-stealing)
  • Aparigraha (Non-attachment/Non-possession)
  • Brahmacharya (Celibacy/Chastity)
• Among these 5 teachings,the Brahmacharya (Celibacy/Chastity) was added by Mahavira.
• Thethree jewels or Triratna of Jainism include:
  • Samyak Darshana (right faith).
  • Samyak Gyana (right knowledge).
  • Samyak Charitra (right conduct).
• Jainism is a religion of self-help.
  • There are no gods or spiritual beings that will help human beings.
  • It does not condemn the varna system.
• In later times, it got divided into two sects:
  • Shvetambaras (white-clad) under Sthalabahu.
  • Digambaras (sky-clad) under the leadership of Bhadrabahu.

What is the Pilgrimage vs Tourism Debate?

• Pilgrimage:
  • Pilgrimage is the purpose of traveling to the destination, which is mostly focused on religion.Pilgrimage shrines are an important aspect of any religion’s materiality and sacred geography.
  • Despite using the term Pilgrimage and Tourism interchangeably, the two cannot be mixed, if a pilgrimage shrine is declared a tourist spot, even people who may not have the distinct sensibilities for the shrine may enter the sacred place, thus affecting the sanctity and the “purity” of the place.
  • Also, the sacred character of the place helps to protect the entire landscape from degradation.
    • Consider the sacred groves spread throughout India, protected by local deities of different communities and connected to people’s behaviour in these places, showing us the traditional example of ecological conservation practiced by local communities.
  • Therefore, declaring the area open for tourism may be doing more harm than good, not only to the community and its faith but also to nature and its fragile ecosystem.
    • We have seen what happened in Kedarnath, especially when the cloudburst occurred in June 2013.
    • The lack of planning, clearing of forests, and absence and violation of construction codes in a fragile Himalayan ecosystemmeant that a natural calamity turned into a human-made disaster.
  • Tourism:
    • Tourism attracts more people in the country and thus creates more employment opportunity, also brings in focus the importance of sites and need to preserve them.
    • Tourism as a form of soft power, helps in promoting cultural diplomacy, people to people connect and thereby promotes friendship and cooperation between India and other countries.
    • The growth of domestic tourism largely depends on the Pilgrimage tourism in India and restricting any sort of tourism may affect the economic growth of the place and of the country.

Way Forward

Pilgrimage tourism is the type of tourism that entirely or powerfully motivates tourists for the achievement of religious attitude and practices. Thus, pilgrimage and “religious tourism could become an enduring source of employment and income, without sacrificing the important social and religious functions of the sanctuaries and their pilgrimages.

General Studies Paper 1

Why in News?

Several countries in Europe recorded their hottest January weather ever in 2023 with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees Celsius above average.

• These included Poland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia.
• Experts said that the continent is experiencing an extremely warm spell because of the formation of a heat dome over the region.
• In 2021, a heat dome formed over western Canada and the US, causing deadly heat waves.
• Another heat dome settled over the US in September 2022and raised temperatures to a new high.

What is a Heat Dome and Heat Wave?

• Heat Dome:
  • A heat dome occurs when an area of high-pressure traps warm air over a region, just like a lid on a pot, for an extended period of time.
  • The longer that air remains trapped, the more the sun works to heat the air, producing warmer conditions with every passing day.
  • Heat domes generally stay for a few days but sometimes they can extend up to weeks , which might cause deadly heat waves.
  • Scientists suggest that any region of high pressure, whether a heat dome or not, forces air to sink and once it reaches the ground, it gets compressed and becomes even warmer.
  • Moreover, when air sinks, it gets drier and further raises the temperature of the area.

Heat Domes and the Jet Stream:

• The heat dome’s formation is related to the behaviour of the jet stream.
  • Jet streams are relatively narrow bands of strong wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere
• The jet stream is believed to have a wave-like pattern that keeps moving from north to south and then north again.
• When these waves get bigger and elongated, they move slowly and sometimes can become stationary.
• This is when a high-pressure system gets stuck and leads to the occurrence of a heat dome.
• Although heat domes are likely to have always existed, researchers say that climate change may be making them more intense and longer.
• They suggest with the rising temperatures, it is expected that the jet stream will become more wavy and will have larger deviations, causing more frequent extreme heat events.

What are the Causes of Formation of Heat Dome?

• Change in Ocean Temperature: The phenomenon begins when there is a strong change (or gradient)in ocean temperatures.
  • In the process known as convection, the gradient causes more warm air, heated by the ocean surface, to rise over the ocean surface.
  • As prevailing winds move the hot air east, the northern shifts of the jet stream trap the air and move it toward land, where it sinks, resulting in heat waves.
• Change in Atmospheric Pressure: Heat waves begin when high pressure in the atmosphere moves in and pushes warm air toward the ground. This effect is fueled by heat rising from the ocean, creating an amplification loop.
  • The high-pressure system pressing down on the ground expands vertically, forcing other weather systems to change course.
    • It even minimizes wind and cloud cover, making the air more stifling.
    • This is also why a heat wave parks itself over an area for several days or longer.
  • Climate Change:The rising temperatures lead to hotter weather. Heat waves have been a regular phenomenon on land.
    • However, global warming has caused them to be hotter with a longer duration and an increased frequency.
    • Scientists studying the climate tend to agree that the heat waves occurring today are more likely to be a result of climate change for which humans are responsible.

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

In a recent Constitution Bench judgment, the Supreme Court held that a country with a multi-party system cannot afford to crack the whip every time a Minister makes an offensive or disparaging statement.

What is Whip?

• About:
  • A whip is an official of a political party who acts as the party’s ‘enforcer’ inside the legislative assembly or house of parliament.
  • In India, every major political party appoints a whip who is responsible for the party’s discipline and behaviour on the floor of the House.
  • A whip is an important office-bearer of the party in the Parliament.
  • Parties appoint a senior member from among their House contingents to issue whips — this member is called a Chief Whip, and he/she is assisted by additional Whips.
  • India inherited the concept of the whip from the British parliamentary system.
• Violation of Whip:
  • A legislator may face disqualification proceedings if she/he disobeys the whip of the party unless the number of lawmakers defying the whip is 2/3rds of the party’s strength in the house.
    • Disqualification is decided by the Speaker of the house.
  • Limitations of Whip:
    • There are some cases such as Presidential elections where whips cannot direct a Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) to vote in a particular fashion.
  • Types of Whips:
    • The One-line whip to inform the members about a vote. It allows a member to abstain in case they decide not to follow the party line.
    • The Two-line whip is issued to direct the members to be present in the House at the time of voting. No special instructions are given on the pattern of voting.
    • The Three-line whip is issued to members directing them to vote as per the party line. It is the strictest of all the whip.

What are the Functions of Whip?

• The whip plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth and efficient conduct of business on the floor of the House.
• He is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the attendance of his party members in large numbers and securing their support in favour of or against a particular issue.
• He ensures discipline among party members in the House.
• He identifies the signs of discontent among MPs and informs the respective leaders of their party.
• He or she acts as a binding force in the party and responsible for maintaining the internal party organisation in the Parliament.
• Under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law)a political party has a constitutional right to issue a whip to its legislators.

Question For Practice

1. The role of individual MPs (Members of Parliament) has diminished over the years and as a result healthy constructive debates on policy issues are not usually witnessed. How far can this be attributed to the anti defection law which was legislated but with a different intention? (UPSC 2013)

General Studies Paper 2

Why in News?

Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued the proposed draft regulations related to the National Exit Test (NExT).

What is the Objective of the Regulation?

• To provide consistency across the nation in the summative evaluation with regard to the minimum common standards of education and training for a medical graduate.
• The objective of the NExT is to improve the quality of healthcare in India by ensuring that all doctors have a minimum level of competency and knowledge before they begin practicing medicine.

What is National Exit Test?

• The NExT is a medical licensing exam that is designed to assess the competency of medical graduates.
• Students who received their medical degrees from NMC approved medical institutions and overseas students also will have to qualify the National Exit Test.
• To register for medical practice in India, they must pass the NExT
• This centralized common exam will be conducted by a body formed by the commission for this purpose.
  • National Medical commission (Amendment) Bill,2022,proposes an autonomous board, ‘Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences’, which, when comes to effect, will be responsible for holding the NExT exam.
  • Currently, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS)is responsible for holding exams like NEET PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate), Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE).
• NExT will take the place of tests likeFMGE and NEET PG.
• The NExT will comprise two separate exams called ‘Steps’.

Who is Eligible to Appear in the NExT?

• All the students who have completed the final MBBS course from a Commission-recognised medical college would be eligible to appear in the exam.
• There is no restriction in the number of attempts provided that the candidate passes both the steps within 10 years of joining
• Just by clearing the NExT exam the foreign medical graduates will get licentiate to become practicing doctors.

What is the National Medical Commission?

• About:
  • The National Medical Commission (NMC)is a statutory body in India that was established in 2019 by the Indian government to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI).
  • The NMC has been constituted by an act of Parliament known as National Medical Commission Act, 2019
  • The NMC is a regulatory body for the medical education sector in India.
• Mission and Vision:
  • The Aim of the National Medical Commission are to
    • Improve access to quality and affordable medical education.
    • Ensure availability of adequate and high quality medical professionals in all parts of the country.
    • Promote equitable and universal healthcare that encourages community health perspective and makes services of medical professionals accessible to all the citizens.
    • Encourages medical professionals to adopt the latest medical research in their work and to contribute to research.
    • Objectively assess medical institutions periodically in a transparent manner.
    • Maintain a medical register for India.
    • Enforce high ethical standards in all aspects of medical services.
    • Have an effective grievance redressal mechanism.
    • It also has the authority to regulate fees for medical courses and to conduct inspections of medical colleges to ensure that they meet the necessary standards.