Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

Leaders across the political spectrum on Monday paid tributes to India’s first Home minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel on his birth anniversary, calling him “a hero” whose “contributions shaped modern India”. 

• National Unity Day marks the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31.

Sardar Patel

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a a prominent figure in the Indian Freedom Struggle, who later became India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and first Home Minister. 
• He is known for his contribution in integrating 565 princely states into a newly independent India. 
• Sardar Patel who is popularly known as the Iron Man of India made many important contributions to Indian freedom struggle and modern India.
• In 1918, Vallabhbhai took the responsibility of leading the farmers of Gujarat. He started the Kheda satyagraha that demanded the suspension of the revenue collection from farmers as there was a drought.
• In 1920, the Congress started the non-cooperation struggle and Vallabhbhai gave up his practice. He setup the Gujarat Vidyapeeth where children could study instead of attending Government schools.
• In 1928 he successfully organized the landowners of Bardoli against British tax increases. It was after this that Vallabhbhai was given the title of Sardar (Leader).
• In 1931 he served as President of the Indian National Congress in its Karachi session which changed the nature of movement from a political struggle and added to it new socio-economic dimensions. As part of congress, he was part of the No changers faction and emphasised on the crucial role of constructive work in village regeneration and carrying the message of nationalism to the masses.
• Toured during the Kheda campaign (1918) which was a success, supported Gandhi in Non-cooperation Movement (1920), was arrested during the Dandi Salt March (1930).
• He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1991. His birth anniversary is observed as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) since 2014.

Headed following Committees of the Constituent Assembly:

• Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights.
• Committee on Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas.
• Provincial Constitution

About Statue of Unity

• The Statue of Unity is a memorial to Sardar Vallabhai Patel.It was inaugurated on 31st October 2018 in commemoration to Sardar Patel on his 143rd birth anniversary.
• It is situated in the Kevadia town,Narmada district Gujarat. It has been built on the Sadhu Bet Island, on the Narmada River.
• It is the tallest statue in the world with a height of 182 mts.
• The Statue of Unity has been included in the 8 wonders of Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO).

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Describing the simultaneous placement of 36 OneWeb satellites in space a week ago as a major feat, Prime Minister said the move would strengthen digital connectivity across the whole country.

One Web

• OneWeb is a global communications company that aims to deliver broadband satellite Internet around the world through its fleet of LEO satellites.
• OneWeb satellites are built at a OneWeb and Airbus joint venture facility in Florida that can produce up to two satellites a day.
• The launch roll-out of the satellites is facilitated by French company Arianespace using Russian-made Soyuz rockets.

OneWeb Satellite

• A set of 36 satellites of the UK-based Network Access Associated Ltd (OneWeb).
• It is a global communications network, powered from space, enabling connectivity for governments, businesses, and communities. 
• OneWeb has teamed up with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of national space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to facilitate the launch.

OneWeb Constellation Summary

• OneWeb Constellation operates in a LEO Polar Orbit
• Satellites are arranged in 12 rings (Orbital planes) with 49 satellites in each plane.
• Each satellite completes a full trip around the earth every 109 minutes.
• The earth is rotating underneath satellites, so they will always be flying over new locations on the ground.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a PIL challenging changes made to the right to freedom of speech and expression by the first amendment to the Constitution in 1951, with the petitioner contending that the amendment damages the basic structure doctrine.

The plea urged the court to declare Section 3 (1)(a) and 3 (2) of the First Amendment “beyond the amending power of Parliament” and void since the “same damage the basic or essential features of the Constitution and destroy its basic structure”.

About

• Section 3(1) of the 1951 Amending Act substituted original Clause (2) of Article 19 – dealing with reasonable restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) – with a new Clause (2), which contained “two objectionable insertions” allowing restrictions also “in the interest of public order” and “in relation to incitement to an offence”. The new Clause (2) also omitted the expression “tends to overthrow the State” as appearing in the original Clause (2).
• The petition contended that these two insertions protect Sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code “from the vice of unconstitutionality”.
• The two questionable expressions inserted unduly abridge the fundamental right under Article 19 (1)(a),” .
• This undue abridgement “does not advance or sub serve any constitutional objectives” but “damages, inter alia democracy and republicanism and supremacy of the Constitution.
• The amendment also neglects national security by dropping the expression ‘tends to overthrow the State’, 

The plea urged the court to declare Section 3 (1)(a) and 3 (2) of the First Amendment “beyond the amending power of Parliament” and void since the “same damage the basic or essential features of the Constitution and destroy its basic structure”.

First Amendment

• Passed in 1951 by the then Provisional Parliament headed by Jawaharlal Nehru.
• It amended articles 15, 19, 85, 87, 174, 176, 341, 342, 372 and 376.
• It inserted articles 31A and 31B and Ninth Schedule to protect the land reform and other laws present in it from the judicial review.
• It placed reasonable restrictions on fundamental rights and added three more grounds of restrictions on freedom of speech such as public order, friendly relations with foreign states and incitement to an offence.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The WHO released the Global TB Report 2022 which took into account the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis, treatment and burden of disease for TB all over the world.

• India’s TB incidence for the year 2021 is 210 per 100,000 population – compared to the baseline year of 2015 (incidence was 256 per lakh population in India).
• There has been an 18% decline which is 7 percentage points better than the global average of 11%.

Report Findings

• According to the WHO report an estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) in 2021, an increase of 4.5% from 2020, and 1.6 million people died from TB (including 187 000 among HIV positive people). 
• The organisation’s 2022 Global TB report added that the burden of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) also increased by 3% between 2020 and 2021, with 450 000 new cases of rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) in 2021.
• First time in many years an increase has been reported in the number of people falling ill with TB and drug resistant TB. 
• TB services are among many others disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

Indian Context

• While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted TB Programmes across the world.
• India was able to successfully offset the disruptions caused, through the introduction of critical interventions in 2020 and 2021 – 
• This led to the National TB Elimination Programme notifying over 21.4 lakh TB cases – 18% higher than 2020.
• The TB Programme’s nutrition support scheme – Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana – has proved critical for the vulnerable.
•  Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan was launched in India to provide additional nutritional support to those on TB treatment, through contributions from community including individuals and organisations. 

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The rapid and unselective use of traditional antibiotics gives rise to the emergence of drug resistant phenotype in typhoidal and non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars, which has increased the difficulties in curing Salmonella-induced food-borne illnesses (majorly typhoid or paratyphoid fever, gastroenteritis, and diarrhoea) worldwide.

About Salmonella Typhimurium:

• Salmonella is a group of bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses known as salmonellosis. 
• Salmonella bacteria typically live in animal and human intestines and are shed through feces.Humans become infected most frequently through contaminated water or food.
• The symptoms of Salmonella include nausea, diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12-72 hours after contracting the infection
• Salmonella Typhimurium can be transferred to humans through raw or undercooked infected food including meat and eggs.
• Salmonella Typhimurium causes gastroenteritis (inflammation of the gut).

• Salmonella typhimurium ST313, an invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella serovar, causes bloodstream infection in the malnourished and immunocompromised population of sub-Saharan Africa.
• Recent studies have reported the emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) phenotype in Salmonella tphimurium DT104, which causes infection in humans and cattle. 

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The NITI Aayog report (2018) says that India’s water demand will exceed water supply by a factor of two by 2030. These call for urgent attention for ensuring water security in the coming years.

• According to World Water Development Report 2015 (UNESCO), India is a frontrunner in groundwater extraction. 
• The water table is going down in several areas. 
• The reasons for this decline are multi-fold;

• Overexploitation of shared water resources, 
• Mismanagement, and 
• Climate change impact.

• India covers around 2.45% of the world’s surface area and has 4% of the world’s water resources.
• In India, rainfall is the primary source of freshwater.
• For a country of its size, India receives the second most amount of rainfall.
• Several metropolitan cities are already facing difficulties meeting water demand due to high population density and limited water resources. 
• For example, Delhi has a water supply of approximately 930 million gallons a day (mgd) while its demand is 1,380 mgd.

Rain Water Harvesting

• Rain water harvesting is collection and storage of rain water that runs off from roof tops, parks, roads, open grounds, etc.
• This water runoff can be either stored or recharged into the ground water. 

A rainwater harvesting systems consists of the following components:

• Catchment from where water is captured and stored or recharged,
• Conveyance system that carries the water harvested from the catchment to the storage/recharge zone,
• First flush that is used to flush out the first spell of rain,
• Filter used to remove pollutants,
• Storage tanks and/or various recharge structures.

Government Efforts to conserve the rainwater

• For improving access to water, the government has given special focus to implementing “source sustainability measures such as

• Recharge and reuse through grey water management 
• Water conservation
• Rainwater harvesting

• A campaign to “Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls”, which aims to push stakeholders to create appropriate rainwater harvesting structures, has also been launched.
• Several government schemes, for example, Atal Bhujal Scheme, are currently focusing on aquifer mapping to construct artificial reservoirs and rainwater harvesting structures. 
• These mapping techniques take into account hydrogeology and source water availability. 
• These efforts are expected to reduce groundwater depletion. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) process will help in this regard.

Agenda Ahead

• Efforts that could help attain the target of reducing dependency on groundwater, 
• Enhancing water security, 
• Include rejuvenation and 
• Recharge of natural and constructed water bodies, 
• Increased reuse of treated wastewater through local sewage treatment plants and well-designed rainwater harvesting systems across residential and commercial areas. 
• There is a need for stringent policy initiatives for long-term and sustainable solutions. 
• An integrated water management plan must be brought up by local bodies and implemented at the local level. 

Therefore, the need of the hour is to promote rainwater harvesting using a mix of traditional ecologically safe, viable and cost-effective systems with modern rainwater saving techniques, such as percolation tanks, injection wells and subsurface barriers to rejuvenate India’s depleted water resources. But using only traditional methods is not enough. Productively combining these structures could be the answer to India’s perennial water woes.

Traditional water conservation systems around India

• Phad – It is a community-managed irrigation system in the tapi river basin in Maharashtra. It starts with check dam built across a river and canals to carry water to agricultural blocks with outlets to ensure excess water is removed from the canals.
• Zing – It is found in Ladakh, are small tanks that collect melting glacier water. A network of guiding channels brings water from the glacier to the tank.
• Kuhls – They are surface water channels found in the mountainous regions of Himachal Pradesh. The channels carry glacial waters from rivers and streams into the fields.
• Zabo or Ruza System– It is practised in Nagaland. Rainwater that falls on forested hilltops is collected by channels that deposit the run-off water in pond-like structures created on the terraced hillsides.
• Jackwells – The Shompen tribe of the Great Nicobar Islands uses this system, in which bamboos are placed under trees to collect runoff water from leaves and carries it to jackwells which are pits encircled by bunds made from logs of hard wood.
• Pat system – It is developed in Madhya Pradesh, in which the water is diverted from hill streams into irrigation channels by diversion bunds. They are made across the stream by piling up stones and teak leaves and mud.
• Eri – It is tank system, widely used in Tamil Nadu which acts as flood-control systems, prevent soil erosion and wastage of runoff during periods of heavy rainfall, and also recharge the groundwater.
• Johads – They are small earthern check dams used to conserve and recharge ground water, mainly constructed in an area with naturally high elevation.
• Panam keni – The Kuruma tribe (a native tribe of Wayanad) uses wooden cylinders as a special type of well, which are made by soaking the stems of toddy palms and immersed in groundwater springs.
• Ahar Pynes – They are traditional floodwater harvesting systems indigenous to South Bihar. Ahars are reservoirs with embankments on three sides and Pynes are artificial rivulets led off from rivers to collect water in the ahars for irrigation in the dry months.
• Jhalara – Jhalaras are typically rectangular-shaped stepwells that have tiered steps on three or four sides in the city of Jodhpur.
• Bawari – Bawaris are unique stepwells that were once a part of the ancient networks of water storage in the cities of Rajasthan.
• Taanka – It is a cylindrical paved underground pit into which rainwater from rooftops, courtyards or artificially prepared catchments flows. It is indigenous to the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan.
• Khadin – Also called dhora, is a long earthen embankment that is built across the hill slopes of gravelly uplands. It is indigenous to Jaisalmer region and similar to the irrigation methods of Ur region (Present Iraq).
• Kund – It is a saucer-shaped catchment area that gently slopes towards the central circular underground well. It is found in the sandier tracts of western Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Kalanamak, a traditional variety of paddy with black husk and strong fragrance, which is considered a gift from Lord Buddha to the people of Sravasti when he visited the region after enlightenment, is all set to get a new look and name.

Kalanamak Rice

• Also known as Buddha Rice, Kalanamak is a scented, one of the finest and short grain rice with an unusual black husk (kala = black; namak means salt).
• It is currently grown in 11 districts of the Terai region of northeastern Uttar Pradesh and in Nepal (specifically Kapilvastu).
• This rare rice has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2013 which recognised Siddharthnagar and the adjacent districts for the tag.
• Under the One District One Product (ODOP) Scheme, it has earned the Prime Minister’s award for Excellence in Public Administration 2021.
• It was featured in the book ‘Speciality Rices of the World’ by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
• The Government of Uttar Pradesh is promoting Kala Namak rice under One District One Product (ODOP) and has sanctioned a project of Rs. 12.00 crore for promotion of Kala Namak rice.
• The Government of India, through Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), has taken various initiatives to promote Kala Namak rice .

The dwarf varieties by IARI

• The Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) has successfully developed two dwarf varieties of Kalanamak rice. 
• They have been named Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1638 and Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1652.
• The new name is in recognition of its association with the Acharya Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and Technology in Ayodhya, for testing the two varieties.
• The problem with the traditional variety of Kalanamak paddy is that it’s tall and prone to lodging, which badly impacted grain filling and quality. 
• The yield, as a result, fell drastically, and the market for the rice dwindled, too.
• The objective was to bring dwarfness into the variety and make the plant sturdy to prevent lodging.
• They combine the quality of traditional Kalanamak with high-yielding varieties. Its grains are short. 
• The breeding programme by bringing the dwarfing genes from the rice variety Bindli Mutant 68, and also the gene of Pusa Basmati 1176 was used as a parent to cross with Kalanamak, and the progenies were further back-crossed with Kalanamak to restore its quality.

Benefits

• This rice is rich in micronutrients such as iron and zinc and can help prevent Alzheimer’s
• It also contains 11% protein which is almost double of common rice varieties.
• Besides, it has a low Glycaemic Index (49% to 52%) making it sugar free and suitable for even diabetic people.
• It also contains antioxidants such as anthocyanin which is useful in preventing heart disease and also helps in improving the health of the skin.
• It has also been found helpful in regulating blood pressure and blood-related problems.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The report was released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Key Findings

• Current pledges by countries for reducing greenhouse gas emissions would still leave the world warmer by 2.4-2.6 degrees celsius by the end of the century.
• This will increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
• It would also mean that many of the climate-tipping elements, essential atmospheric, oceanic and ecosystems responsible for maintaining life on Earth would cross their tipping points and push the planet into a never-before-seen environment.
• The report found that the updated pledges by countries, also known as nationally determined contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, only reduce the projected greenhouse emissions by 1 per cent by 2030.
• The world is falling short of the goals set forth in the Paris Climate Agreement adopted in 2015.
• No credible pathway is currently in place to restrict global warming to under 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
• The top seven emitters (China, the EU27, India, Indonesia, Brazil, the Russian Federation and the United States of America) plus international transport accounted for 55 percent of global GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions in 2020.
• In India and six other top emitters, emissions have rebounded in 2021, exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
• Collectively, G20 members are responsible for 75 percent of global GHG emissions.
• The global average per capita GHG emissions was 6.3 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) in 2020.
• The report finds that the world must cut emissions by 45 percent to avoid global catastrophe.

About the report

• This is the 13th edition of the Report.
• Title: ‘The Closing Window — Climate Crisis Calls for Rapid Transformation of Societies’
• An overview of the difference between where greenhouse emissions are predicted to be in 2030 and where they should be to avert the worst impacts of climate change.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

1. P. promotes tombs of Muslim devotees of Krishna for tourism.

Raskhan or Syed Ibrahim Khan 

• He was a 16th century Sufi Muslim poet born either in Amroha or Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh. 
• He became a follower of Krishna and spent his life in Vrindavan. 
• He accepted Krishna as the supreme god (Svayam Bhagavan) and became a Vaishnava.
• He died in 1628 AD.
• His samadhi is at Mahaban, about six miles east of Mathura.
• He translated Bhagavata Purana into Persian.
• The poetry of Raskhan focuses on Lord Krishna.
• Rachnavali is the collection of Raskhan’s poetry
• His poetry is in the form of Doha, Padawali and Savayya.
• Raskhan’s Khariboli writings are numerous, the five most important being the Sujana Raskhana, the Premavatika, the Danalila, the Astayama and a collection of Padas (rhymed couplets).

Taj Bibi, 

• She is also known as the ‘Mughal Mirabai ’, was the daughter of a Muslim nobleman, appointed by the Mughals to protect the Gokul area. 
• Taj Bibi wrote poetry during the Mughal time when the ruling class belonged to the Muslim religion. 
• She had shown great courage by giving up recitation of Kalma Quran and announcing that she was a Hindu devotee.
• Taj Bibi was married to Emperor Akbar.
• Emperor Akbar had great reverence for Gusain Shri Vitthalnath Ji and he used to come to Govardhan from time to time to have darshan of Gusain Ji.
• Once Taj Bibi came to Govardhan to see Gusain Ji with permission from Akbar.
• Taj Bibi returned to Delhi after a few days as per Akbar’s orders.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The NBDSA is an independent body set up by the News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA), which serves as a representative of private television news, current affairs and digital broadcasters.

The News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA)

• It is a self-regulatory agency set up by news and digital broadcasters, has fined the Hindi TV channel Rs 50,000 for turning a news debate on hijab into a “communal issue” and not adhering to guidelines.
•  The NBDSA held that the programme was in violation of the principles relating to impartiality, neutrality, fairness and good taste and decency.
• The NBDSA, which adjudicates upon complaints about news broadcasts, said it did not have any problem with the subject but with the narrative of the debate. 
• This is not the first time a channel has seen a complaint against it through the NBDSA, and though it is not a government or legal organisation, its rulings matter within the industry.
• The NBDSA is an independent body set up by the News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA), which serves as a representative of private television news, current affairs and digital broadcasters. 
• It describes itself as “the collective voice of the news, current affairs and digital broadcasters in India.”
• Funded entirely by its members, the NBDA has 26 news and current affairs broadcasters (comprising 119 news and current affairs channels) as its members. 
• Various senior members of Indian media organisations serve on its Board of Directors.
• Apart from presenting a unified front, it carries out activities “to promote, protect and secure the interests including the right of freedom of speech and expression of the news broadcasters, digital news media and other related entities.”
• It shares developments in the industry with members, provides a space for achieving common goals and consensus and aims to protect all its members from persons carrying “unfair and/or unethical practices or who discredit the television news broadcasters, digital news media and other related entities.

Functions and Powers

• It’s standards mention a focus on objectivity, impartiality, maintaining discretion when reporting on crime against women and children, not endangering national security, etc.
• The body includes a chairperson who is to be an eminent jurist, and other members such as news editors, and those experienced in the field of law, education, literature, public administration, etc. nominated by a majority of the Board.
• The Authority may initiate proceedings on its own and issue notice or take action in respect to any matter which falls within its regulations.
• This can also be through complaints referred to the Authority by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting or any other governmental body, or by anyone else via its website
• A “two-tier” procedure is in place for redressing grievances, where any person aggrieved by the content of any broadcast is required to first make a complaint to the concerned broadcaster and if they are not satisfied by the redress, a complaint can be filed before the Authority.
• Within 14 days from the date of receipt of a complaint, the Authority will issue notice to the concerned broadcaster to show cause why action should not be taken under the regulations.
• An inquiry is held in which proof, documents, and people can be called in by the authority.
• If the complainant or the respondent does not get back to the Authority, the complaint can be set aside.
• It can also recommend to the concerned authority for suspension/revocation of the license of such broadcaster.
• The fine imposed by the Authority shall not exceed Rs. 1 lakh and such fine shall be recovered from the concerned broadcaster.