Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Researchers have announced that they have made a precise measurement of the mass of the so-called W boson.

What did the researchers find? Why is it significant?

They stated that the W boson is slightly heavier than that predicted by the so-called Standard Model of particle physics.

• This result is highly significant because this implies the incompleteness of the standard model description.

What is the standard model description?

The Standard Model of Particle Physics is scientists’ current best theory to describe the most basic building blocks of the universe. It explains how particles called quarks (which make up protons and neutrons) and leptons (which include electrons) make up all known matter.

• The Standard Model explains three of the four fundamental forces that govern the universe: electromagnetism, the strong force, and the weak force.

Why is the standard model believed to be incomplete?

• It gives a unified picture of only three of the four fundamental forces of nature. It totally omits gravity.
• The model does not include a description of dark matter particles. So far these have been detected only through their gravitational pull on surrounding matter.

What is W Boson?

Discovered in 1983, the W boson is a fundamental particle.

Together with the Z boson, it is responsible for the weak force.

The W boson, which is electrically charged, changes the very make-up of particles.

It switches protons into neutrons, and vice versa, through the weak force, triggering nuclear fusion and letting stars burn.

In contrast to the photon, which is massless, the W bosons are quite massive, so the weak force they mediate is very short ranged.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

India is taking part in the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Cote d’Ivoire (Western Africa).

About COP15 of UNCCD:

• Theme: The COP15 theme, ‘Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity’, is a call to action to ensure land, the lifeline on this planet, continues to benefit present and future generations.
• Mandate: COP15 of UNCCD to drive progress in the future sustainable management of land and will explore links between land and other key sustainability issues.
• UNCCD COP 15 Agenda: Drought, land restoration, and related enablers such as land rights, gender equality and youth empowerment are among the top items on the Conference agenda.

About UNCCD:

• Established in 1994.
• It is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
• It is the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference’s Agenda 21.
• Focus areas: The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

A two-judge Bench of the Delhi High Court has delivered a split verdict in a batch of petitions challenging the exception provided to marital rape in the Indian Penal Code

• The court was hearing a clutch of four petitions challenging the constitutionality of the exception to Section 375
• While one judge held that the exception under Section 375 of the IPC is unconstitutional, the other judge held that the provision is valid

What is the marital rape exemption?

• Section 375 defines rape and lists seven notions of consent which, if vitiated (violated), would constitute the offence of rape by a man.
• The provision contains a crucial exemption: “Sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under eighteen years of age, is not rape.”
• This exemption essentially allows a marital right to a husband who can with legal sanction exercise his right to consensual or non-consensual sex with his wife.

What happens when there is a spilt verdict?

• In case of a split verdict, the case is heard by a larger Bench.
• The larger Bench to which a split verdict goes can be a three-judge Bench of the High Court, or an appeal can be preferred before the Supreme Court.

Arguments for criminalizing Marital Rape

• A marriage should not be viewed as a license for a husband to forcibly rape his wife with impunity.
• The Doctrine of Coverture: The marital exception to the IPC’s definition of rape was drafted based on Victorian patriarchal norms
• The Doctrine of Coverture – It did not allow married women to own property, and merged the identities of husband and wife
• Against Basic Rights of Women – Indian women deserve to be treated equally under Article 14
• Bodily Integrity is intrinsic to Article 21: A woman is entitled to refuse sexual relations with her husband as the right to bodily integrity and privacy is an intrinsic part of Article 21 of the Constitution
• The Justice Verma committee set up in the Nirbhaya gang-rape case and the UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 2013 had recommended that the Indian government should criminalize marital rape
• Rape is rape, irrespective of the identity of the perpetrator, and the age of the survivor.

Arguments against criminalizing Marital Rape

• Destabilize marriage as an Institution – It will create anarchy in families and destabilize the institution of marriage
• Misuse of law – It may become an easy tool for harassing the husbands by misusing the law similar to misuse of Section 498A (harassment caused to a married woman by her husband and in-laws) of IPC and the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.
• Diversity in Cultures of the states – Criminal law is in the Concurrent List and implemented by the states and there is a vast diversity in the cultures of these states

Way forward

• The legislature should take cognizance of this legal infirmity and bring marital rape within the purview of rape laws by eliminating Section 375 (Exception) of IPC
• Adopt multi-stakeholder approach while deciding the sentencing
• Bringing behavioral changes awareness campaigns sensitizing the public regarding the importance of consent, medical care and rehabilitation

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

The 161st birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was celebrated across the nation on May 7. He was born on 7 May 1861.

Early life:

• Popularly known as ‘Gurudev’, he was born in an affluent family.
• Tagore was primarily known as a writer, poet, playwright, philosopher and aesthetician, music composer and choreographer, founder of a unique educational institution – Visva- Bharati and a painter.
• Tagore wrote his first poetry aged16 under the pen name Bhanusimha.
• He had spoken at the World Parliament for Religions in the years 1929 and 1937.

 Contributions:

• He wrote the National Anthems of India and Bangladesh.
• He left his imprint on art and played a role in transforming its practices and ushering into modernism.
• Between 1928 and 1940, Rabindranath painted more than 2000 images. He never gave any title to his paintings.
• Expressionism in European art and the primitive art of ancient cultures inspired him.

Awards:

In 1913, he became the first Indian to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature for his novel ’Geetanjali’.

Role in the freedom struggle:

• He denounced British imperialism, yet he did not fully support or agree with Gandhi and his Noncooperation Movement.
• He viewed British rule as a symptom of the overall “sickness” of the social “disease” of the public.
• In his writings, he also voiced his support of Indian nationalists.
• Rabindranath Tagore wrote the song Banglar Mati Banglar Jol (Soil of Bengal, Water of Bengal) to unite the Bengali population after Bengal partition in 1905.
• He also wrote the famed ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ which helped ignite a feeling of nationalism amongst people.
• He started the Rakhi Utsav where people from Hindu and Muslim communities tied colourful threads on each other’s wrists.
• Tagore rejected violence from the British as well and renounced the knighthood that had been given to him in by Lord Hardinge in 1915 in protest of the violent Amritsar massacre in which the British killed at least 1526 unarmed Indian citizens.
• The cornerstone of Tagore’s beliefs and work is the idea that anti-colonialism cannot simply be achieved by rejecting all things British, but should consist of incorporating all the best aspects of western culture into the best of Indian culture.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Supreme Court expressed displeasure over the Centre changing its stand on a plea that sought minority status for Hindus where their numbers have gone below other communities

What Happened?

• In the earlier (March) affidavit, the Centre had sought to shift the onus of granting minority status on states, stating centre and state have concurrent powers to do so
• However, in a fresh affidavit it said “the power is vested with the Centre to notify minorities”

Background

What is the case?

• The plea contended that Hindus are in a ‘minority’ in six states and three Union Territories of India but was allegedly not able to avail themselves of the benefits of schemes meant for minorities.
• Plea Showed as per 2011 census Hindus have become a minority in Lakshadweep (2.5%), Mizoram (2.75%), Nagaland (8.75%), Meghalaya (11.53%), J&K (28.44%), Arunachal Pradesh (29%), Manipur (31.39%), and Punjab (38.40%).
• They should be given minority status in these states in accordance with the principle laid down by the SC in its 2002 TMA Pai Foundation and 2005 Bal Patil Case ruling.
• The petition also argued that NCMEI (National Commission for Minority Education Institution) Act 2004 gives unbridled power to the Centre and is “manifestly arbitrary, irrational, and offending”.
• Section 2(f) of NCMEI Act 2004 confers power to the Centre to identify and notify minority communities in India

TMA Pai Case:

• The SC had said that for the purposes of Article 30 that deals with the rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions, religious and linguistic minorities have to be considered state-wise.

Bal Patil Case:

• In 2005, the SC in its judgement in ‘Bal Patil’ referred to the TMA Pai ruling.
• The legal position clarifies that henceforth the unit for determining status of both linguistic and religious minorities would be ‘state’.

What was the Centre’s stand (earlier)?

• Earlier centre stated that Parliament and State legislatures have concurrent powers to enact law to provide for the protection of minorities and their interests.
• States can also “certify institutions as being minority institutions” as per the rules of the said state.
• The Centre pointed out that Maharashtra had notified Jews as a minority community in 2016 and Karnataka had notified Urdu, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Tulu, Lamani, Hindi, Konkani and Gujarati as minority languages.
• But now in a fresh it contended that “the power is vested with the Centre to notify minorities”

How is a community notified as a minority?

• Under Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act of 1992 central government has the power to notify a community as a minority

Notified Minorities in India

• Currently, only those communities notified under section 2(c) of the NCM Act, 1992, by the central government are regarded as minority.
• In 1993, the first Statutory National Commission was set up and five religious communities viz. The Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians (Parsis) were notified as minority communities.
• In 2014, Jains were also notified as a minority community.

 National Commission for Minorities  (NCM) 

• In 1992, with the enactment of the NCM Act, 1992, the Minority Commission became a statutory body and was renamed as the NCM

Composition:

• NCM consists of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and five members and all of them shall be from amongst the minority communities.
• Total of 7 persons to be nominated by the Central Government should be from amongst persons of eminence, ability and integrity.
• Tenure: Each Member holds office for a period of three years from the date of assumption of office.

Functions:

• Evaluation of the progress of the development of minorities under the Union and States
• Monitoring of the working of the safeguards for minorities provided in the Constitution and in laws enacted by Parliament and the state legislatures
• Making recommendations for the effective implementation of safeguards for the protection of the interests of minorities by the central or state governments
• Investigates matters of communal conflict and riots
• Looking into specific complaints regarding deprivation of rights and safeguards of minorities

Constitutional Provisions for Minorities

Article 29

• It provides that any section of the citizens residing in any part of India having a distinct language, script or culture of its own, shall have the right to conserve the same.
• It grants protection to both religious minorities as well as linguistic minorities

Article 30:

• All minorities shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
• The protection under Article 30 is confined only to minorities (religious or linguistic) and does not extend to any section of citizens (as under Article 29).

Article 350-B:

• The 7th Constitutional (Amendment) Act 1956 inserted this article which provides for a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities appointed by the President of India.
• It would be the duty of the Special Officer to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided for linguistic minorities under the Constitution

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Punjab Government is promoting the cultivation of green manure these days.

• The state government is providing a subsidy on the seed at the rate of Rs 2,000 per quintal.

 What is green manure?

• These are crops grown specifically for maintaining soil fertility and structure.
• They are normally incorporated back into the soil, either directly, or after removal and composting.
• Green manure varieties are incorporated into the soil when the crop is 42-56 days old.

Examples:

• There are three main varieties of green manure, including Dhaincha, Cowpea, Sunhemp. Also some crops such as summer moong, mash pulses and guar act as green manure.

Benefits:

• Helps in enhancing the organic matter in the soil.
• Meets the deficiency of the micronutrients.
• Reduces the consumption of the inorganic fertilisers.
• It is a good alternative to the organic manure.
• It conserves the nutrients, adds nitrogen and stabilises the soil structure.
• It decomposes rapidly and liberates large quantities of carbon dioxide and weak acids, which act on insoluble soil minerals to release nutrients for plant growth.
• It contains 15 to 18 quintals of dry matter, which also contains phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, iron and manganese, per acre and 20 to 40kg per acre of nitrogen.

 Why is sowing of green manure important in Punjab?

Punjab’s per hectare fertiliser consumption, which is around 244 kg, is one of the highest in the country and is also higher than the national average.

• Green manure can curtail this consumption to a large extent by 25 to 30% and can save huge input cost for the farmers.
• Regular use of chemical fertilisers such as urea, diammonium phosphate (DAP) lead to deficiencies of micronutrients like iron and zinc, especially in the soils where rice is cultivated thus affecting productivity.
• PH level of the soil in several parts of Punjab is more than 8.5 and 9 per cent. Green manure helps maintain it.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The Union Finance Ministry has ordered revised rules for the scheme, under which the interest that the fund accrues will be deposited in the Consolidated Fund of India

• So far, the interest accrued on the fund used to be added to the MPLADS account and could be used for the development projects.

Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS)

• It is a Central Sector Scheme which was announced in December 1993.
• To enable MPs to recommend works of developmental nature with emphasis on the creation of durable community assets primarily in their Constituencies

Implementation

• The process under MPLADS starts with the Members of Parliament recommending works to the Nodal District Authority.
• The Nodal District concerned is responsible for implementing the eligible works

Funding

• Each year, MPs receive Rs. 5 crore in two installments of Rs. 2.5 crore each.
• Funds under MPLADS are non-lapsable.
• Lok Sabha MPs have to recommend the district authorities projects in their Lok Sabha constituencies, while Rajya Sabha MPs have to spend it in the state that has elected them to the House.
• Nominated Members of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the country.

Guidelines for MPLADS implementation

• The document ‘Guidelines on MPLADS  was published by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in June 2016
• It recommended MPs to recommend works in the area with at least 15 per cent of their entitlement for the year for areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste population and 7.5 per cent for areas inhabited by ST population.
• According to the Guidelines MPLAD funds can also be used for implementation of the schemes such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), conservation of water through rain water harvesting and Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana, etc.
• The district authority must inspect at least 10% of all works under implementation every year.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Wheat procurement by government agencies is set to dip to a 15-year low in the current marketing season, from an all-time high scale last year.

Procurement this year likely to

• Likely procurement this time: The 18.5 million tonnes (mt).
• This would be the first time that wheat procured from the new crop (18.5 mt) is less than the public stocks at the start of the marketing season (19 mt).
• This is also a 15-year-low. This is the lowest since the 11.1 mt bought in 2007-08.

Reasons of low wheat procurement

• Rise in export demand: Mainly fuelled by Russia – Ukraine war. The war has led to skyrocketing prices and a further increase in demand for Indian grain. Farmers find it more profitable to export now.
• Lower production: The sudden spike in temperatures from the second half of March — when the crop was in the grain-filling stage, with the kernels still accumulating starch, protein and other dry matter — has taken a toll on yields.

Impact on availability:

• This would affect the minimum operational stock-cum-strategic reserve of government agencies.
• This would also affect the public distribution system, midday meals and other regular welfare schemes.

Farmers Benefit

Farmers will certainly benefit from the scenario as they are being offered a price above the MSP. Amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis, new markets in countries like Israel, Egypt, Tanzania and Mozambique have opened up for India.

• However, on the other hand, if private traders continue to buy above MSP, eventually that could stoke inflation.

About Wheat:

• This is the second most important cereal crop in India after rice.
• Wheat is a rabi crop that requires a cool growing season and bright sunshine at the time of ripening.
• Temperature: Between 10-15°C (Sowing time) and 21-26°C (Ripening & Harvesting) with bright sunlight.
• Rainfall: Around 75-100 cm.
• Soil Type: Well-drained fertile loamy and clayey loamy (Ganga-Satluj plains and black soil region of the Deccan).

Factors leading to increase in Wheat cultivation in India:

• Success of the Green Revolution contributed to the growth of Rabi crops, especially wheat.
• Macro Management Mode of Agriculture, National Food Security Mission and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana are few government initiatives to support wheat cultivation.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

Cyclone Asani, has developed over southeast regions of Bay of Bengal

How the cyclones are named and what are the guidelines on adopting their names?

• In 2000, a group of nations called WMO/ESCAP (World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific), which comprised Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, decided to start naming cyclones in the region.
• After each country sent in suggestions, the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC) finalised the list.
• The WMO/ESCAP expanded to include five more countries in 2018 — Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
• The list of 169 cyclone names released by IMD in April 2020 were provided by these countries — 13 suggestions from each of the 13 countries.

Why is it important to name cyclones?

• Adopting names for cyclones makes it easier for people to remember
• With a name, it is also easy to identify individual cyclones, create awareness of its development, rapidly disseminate warnings to increase community preparedness and remove confusion where there are multiple cyclonic systems over a region.

What are the guidelines to adopt names of cyclones?

While picking names for cyclones, countries need to follow some rules.

• The proposed name should be neutral to (a) politics and political figures (b) religious believes, (c) cultures and (d) gender
• Name should be chosen in such a way that it does not hurt the sentiments of any group of population over the globe
• It should not be very rude and cruel in nature
• It should be short, easy to pronounce and should not be offensive to any member
• The maximum length of the name will be eight letters
• The proposed name should be provided with its pronunciation and voice over
• The names of tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean will not be repeated. Once used, it will cease to be used again. 

Tropical Cyclone

Tropical cyclones are intense low-pressure areas confined to the area lying between 30° N and 30° S latitudes, in the atmosphere around which high velocity winds blow. Horizontally, it extends up to 500-1,000 km and vertically from surface to 12-14 km. A tropical cyclone or hurricane is like a heat engine that is energised by the release of latent heat on account of the condensation of moisture that the wind gathers after moving over the oceans and seas.

There are differences of opinion among scientists about the exact mechanism of a tropical cyclone. However, some initial conditions for the emergence of a tropical cyclone are:

1. Large and continuous supply of warm and moist air that can release enormous latent heat.
2. Strong Coriolis force that can prevent filling of low pressure at the centre (absence of Coriolis force near the equator prohibits the formation of tropical cyclone between 0°-5° latitude).
3. Unstable condition through the troposphere that creates local disturbances around which a cyclone develops.
4. Finally, absence of strong vertical wind wedge, which disturbs the vertical transport of latent heat.

Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Tropical Cyclone in India

Owing to its Peninsular shape surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east and the Arabian Sea in the west, the tropical cyclones in India also originate in these two important locations. Though most of the cyclones originate between 10°-15° north latitudes during the monsoon season, yet in case of the Bay of Bengal, cyclones mostly develop during the months of October and November. Here, they originate between 16°-2° N latitudes and to the west of 92° E. By July the place of origin of these storms shifts to around 18° N latitude and west of 90°E near the Sundarbans Delta.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Major Findings

Total Fertility Rate:

• The Total Fertility Rate (TFR), the average number of children per woman, has further declined from 2.2 to 2.0 at the national level between National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 4 and 5.
• There are only five States — Bihar (2.98), Meghalaya (2.91), Uttar Pradesh (2.35), Jharkhand (2.26) Manipur (2.17) — in India which are above the replacement level of fertility of 2.1

Institutional Births

• Institutional births increased from 79% to 89% across India and in rural areas around 87% of births being delivered in institutions and the same is 94% in urban areas.

Under Age Marriage

• While the national average of underage marriages has come down, the rate has increased in Punjab, West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura, and Assam
• 3% of women surveyed got married before attaining the legal age of 18 years, down from 26.8% reported in NFHS-4. The figure for underage marriage among men is 17.7% (NFHS-5) and 20.3% (NFHS-4)
• Tripura has seen the largest jump in marriages under the legal age of 18 years for women from 33.1% (NHFS-4, conducted 2015-1) to 40.1%, and from 16.2% to 20.4% among men.
• Underage marriages are lowest in J&K, Lakshadweep, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Nagaland, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu
• Teenage pregnancies, the Survey reports, is down from 7.9% to 6.8%
• According to NFHS-5, women who are employed are more likely to use modern contraception. The data says 66.3% of women who are employed use a modern contraceptive method, compared with 53.4% of women who are not employed.

Immunization

• More than three-fourths (77%) of children aged between 12 and 23 months were fully immunized, compared with 62% in NFHS-4.

Stunting

• The level of stunting among children less than five years has marginally declined from 38% to 36% in the country since the last four years. Stunting is higher among children in rural areas (37%) than urban areas (30%) in 2019-21.

Women Empowerment

Decision Making: The extent to which married women usually participate in three household decisions (about health care for herself; making major household purchases; visit to her family or relatives) indicates that their participation in decision-making is high, ranging from 80% in Ladakh to 99% in Nagaland and Mizoram. Rural (77%) and urban (81%) differences are found to be marginal.

Financial Inclusion: The prevalence of women having a bank or savings account has increased from 53% to 79% in the last four years.

Domestic violence has come down marginally from 31.2% in 2015-16 to 29.3% in 2019-21

Obesity

• Compared with NFHS-4, the prevalence of overweight or obesity has increased in most States/UTs in NFHS-5. At the national level, it increased from 21% to 24% among women and 19% to 23% among men. More than a third of women in Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Sikkim, Manipur, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Punjab, Chandigarh and Lakshadweep (34-46 %) are overweight or obese.

National Family Health Survey (NFHS):

• The NFHS is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India.

Conducted By:

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has designated the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) Mumbai, as the nodal agency for providing coordination and technical guidance for the survey.
• IIPS collaborates with a number of Field Organizations (FO) for survey implementation.
• Its report released by Union Ministry of Health Affairs

Funding:

• The funding for different rounds of NFHS has been provided by USAID, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, UNFPA, and MoHFW (Government of India).

History of NFHS

Objective: The main objective of each successive round of the NFHS has been to provide high-quality data on health and family welfare and emerging issues in this area.

• The NFHS-1 was conducted in 1992-93.
• The NFHS-2 was conducted in 1998-99 in all 26 states of India.
• The NFHS-3 was carried out in 2005-2006
• The NFHS-4 in 2014-2015