Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) rolled out its Artemis I moon mission to the launchpad.
• Along with NASA, Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are also involved in the Artemis programme

What is the Artemis mission?

• NASA’s Artemis mission is touted as the next generation of lunar exploration, and is named after the twin sister of Apollo from Greek mythology. Artemis is also the goddess of the moon.
• Artemis I is the first of NASA’s deep space exploration systems. It is an uncrewed space mission where the spacecraft will launch on Space Launch System (SLS) — the most powerful rocket in the world
• The SLS rocket has been designed for space missions beyond low-earth orbit and can carry crew or cargo to the moon and beyond. With the Artemis programme, NASA aims to land humans on the moon by 2024, and it also plans to land the first woman and first person of colour on the moon.
• NASA will establish an Artemis Base Camp on the surface and a gateway in lunar orbit to aid exploration by robots and astronauts.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context

• The establishment of the National Land Monetization Corporation has been approved by the Union Cabinet (NLMC).
• A totally owned Government of India corporation, the NLMC would have an initial authorised share capital of Rs 5000 crore and a paid-up share capital of Rs 150 crore.
• The National Land Management Corporation (NLMC) would be responsible for the monetization of surplus land and building assets owned by ‘Central Public Sector Enterprises’ (CPSEs) and other government entities.
• The proposal is in accordance with the Budget Announcement for the fiscal years 2021-22.

The following are the primary functions of the NLMC:

• The National Land Management Corporation (NLMC) is anticipated to acquire, retain, manage, and monetize surplus land and building assets of CPSEs that are being closed, as well as surplus non-core land assets of government-owned CPSEs that are being strategically disinvested.
• This would expedite the closure of CPSEs and make the process of strategic disinvestment in CPSEs held by the government more seamless.
• It is possible to transfer these assets to NLMC in order for them to be held, managed, and monetized.
• Additionally, NLMC will provide advice and help to other government bodies (including CPSEs) in identifying their surplus non-core assets and monetizing them in a professional and efficient way in order to get the greatest possible value from those assets.
• In certain instances, the National Land Management Corporation (NLMC) will perform surplus land asset monetization as an agency function.
• It is anticipated that the National Land Monetization Center (NLMC) would serve as a repository of best practises in land monetization, as well as assist and give technical assistance to the government in the execution of the asset monetization programme.

Context

• During the last four years, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has been dysfunctional, according to a new report by a parliamentary committee.
• During that time, the commission has failed to provide a single report to Parliament.

About NCST

• The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) was founded by modifying Article 338 of the Constitution and introducing a new Article 338A into the Constitution by the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003.
• The old National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was abolished and replaced by two independent commissions, namely, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), and  the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), which were established by this amendment.

Organizational structure: The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and each member serve three-year terms beginning on the day they are appointed to their positions.

• The Chairperson has been elevated to the level of Union Cabinet Minister, while the Vice-Chairperson has been elevated to the post of Minister of State, and the other members have been promoted to the rank of Secretary to the Indian Government.
• They are appointed by the President by a warrant signed by him and sealed with his seal.
• At the very least, one of the members should be a woman.
• The Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson, and the other Members serve three-year terms in their respective positions.
• Members are not eligible for re-appointment after serving for more than two consecutive terms.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Context

The current status of Gaganyaan programme is as follows:

• An Astronaut training facility has been commissioned in Bengaluru. Training activities are progressing well at the newly commissioned Astronaut training facility.
• The design of all systems and sub-systems for Gaganyaan has been completed. Realisation of the same is in different stages of progress.
• Long duration qualification test of human rated cryogenic engine and First phase testing of human rated VIKAS Engine completed. First phase of demonstration tests for Gaganyaan service module propulsion system completed.
• The MoU, Contracts and Implementation Arrangements (IA) related activities with both national and international agencies are progressing well. The design of various human centric products has been completed and various prototypes are under realization.
• Roles and responsibility for crew recovery operations and rehearsals finalized. Detailed operational requirements for nominal missions scenarios worked out.
• The activities related to development of microgravity experiments have commenced. The conceptual design for experiments is under review.

About the Mission

• Announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018, Gaganyaan is the first Indian Human Space Flight Programme (HSP) with the objective to demonstrate the capability to send humans to low earth orbit on board an Indian launch vehicle and bring them back to earth safely.
• A geosynchronous orbit is a high Earth orbit that allows satellites to match Earth’s rotation. Located at 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above Earth’s equator, this position is a valuable spot for monitoring weather, communications and surveillance.
• The spacecraft, which is being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), consists of a service module and a crew module, collectively known as the Orbital Module.

• With this, India could potentially become the fourth country to send a man to space, after the erstwhile USSR, the US and China. (Denmark also has a manned space flight scheduled for 2022)
• The first of the two pre-Gaganyaan flights with a humanoid will be launched soon along with some of the six shortlisted micro-gravity experiments.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

• Recently, the Karnataka High Court decided in favour of the state’s circular requiring students at educational institutions to only wear uniforms that were specified by the school. The ruling came in response to the hijab dispute.
• Accordingly, the ruling effectively supported the restriction of access to students who were wearing the hijab.
• When it came to Muslim females wearing head scarves, the court rejected an argument based on the concept of ‘reasonable accommodation’ in favour of the practise.

The ‘Reasonable Accommodation’ principle is defined as follows:

• ‘Reasonable accommodation’ is a principle that promotes equality, allows for the giving of positive rights, and prohibits discrimination on the basis of a disability, health condition, or personal belief.
• Its primary application is in the field of disability rights.
• It highlights the affirmative duty of the state and private parties to give additional help to people with disabilities in order to enable them to participate fully and effectively in society.
• It is impossible for a disabled person to claim the constitutionally established fundamental rights to equality (Article 14), the six freedoms (Article 19), and the right to life (Article 21) without receiving the additional support that helps to make these rights real and meaningful for themselves.
• Article 2 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) states that it is necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments that do not impose a disproportionate or undue burden on persons with disabilities in order to ensure that they can enjoy or exercise all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with others (including voting).

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

• In spite of the fact that India has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, it is one of the world’s unhappiest countries.
• The World Happiness Report 2022, released ahead of the United Nations International Day of Happiness, which will be marked on March 20, ranks India 136th, ninth from the bottom of the list.

The World Happiness Report

• The World Happiness Report is a publication of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network that is based on data from the Gallup World Poll and is released every year.
• Beyond economic and social characteristics, the study, now in its 10th year, makes use of worldwide survey data to report on how individuals perceive their own lives, in addition to economic and social parameters.
• In order to arrive at these rankings, They used average data from a three-year period between 2019 and 2021.
• The World Happiness Report assesses levels of happiness throughout the world by taking into consideration characteristics such as GDP, social support, personal freedom, and degrees of corruption in each country.

Highlights of the report

• According to the 10th edition of the World Happiness Report, Finland topped the list for the fifth year in a row, surpassing the United States.
• Finland came in first, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Finland was the only country to make the top five.
• When it comes to other western countries, although the United States came in at number 16, Britain was at number 17 and France came in at number twenty.
• India’s performance in the World Happiness Measure remained weak, with its place improving just barely to 136 from 139 the previous year, according to the index.
• Only Afghanistan, which is administered by the Taliban, performed worse than India among the South Asian countries.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

• The Navy said it is building capacity to ensure that whatever capacity China can bring into the region, it has all those capabilities to counter that, at the parliamentary standing committee on defence.

How geography helps India 

• India’s central location in the Indian Ocean makes it the natural naval power in that ocean. India can use historical ties, the influence of diaspora communities, and the guarantee of security to increase its naval involvement in both the eastern and western extremities of the Indian Ocean, near the Straits of Malacca and in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea.
• Lord Curzon pointed out that India could veto any rival in Tibet, but India has lost its position there since the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China moved into Tibet in 1950. Having lost control of the high ground — literally — in regards to Tibet, there is little India can do to exert influence in that direction, or over a stronger China.
• India could shore up its relations with Southeast Asia, which shares both land and sea borders with India and the Indian Ocean.
• India’s only foreign military base is located in Tajikistan, which allows it to continue to be involved in Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• Modern India is situated between the Middle East, Central Asia, China, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean.
• India can also use its central location in the Indian Ocean to become a hub of transportation, communication, and trade.
• On the high seas it commands the routes to Australia and the China Sea.
• In the case of China, the Navy said China’s coastline is 18,000 km and has other adversaries. So, the number of assets that China can bring into the Indian Ocean is much less.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

• Japan has conveyed that it still has not given up hope that India might reconsider joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that it quit in 2019, indicating that India-Japan collaborations in other countries may be impacted if India continues to stay out.
• The Japanese Government said that India will be treated exceptionally as a founding member and if India is willing to negotiate its re-entry to RCEP, Japan would be happy to take a lead on that.

About RCEP

• 15 Asia-Pacific nations has signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which covers over 2.2 billion people and accounts for 30 per cent of the world’s economy. It came into force on January 1 this year.
• The signatory countries include 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam — and their five trade partners — Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
• Described as the “largest” regional trading agreement to this day, RCEP was originally being negotiated between 16 countries — ASEAN members and six countries namely Australia, China, Korea, Japan, New Zealand and India.
• The purpose of RCEP was to make it easier for products and services of each of these countries to be available across this region. The agreement also includes rules on intellectual property, telecommunications, financial and professional services, and e-commerce.
• Negotiations to chart out this deal had been on since 2013, and India was expected to be a signatory.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

• During the current financial year, Annual Action Plans of 33 States/ Union Territories (UTs) have been approved under RGSA and an amount of Rs. 547.411 crore has been released to 23 States/ UTs for undertaking approved activities including Capacity Building & Training of ERs and other stakeholders. Nearly 25,75,636 participants have been trained during the current financial year.

Rationale of the Scheme

• Mahatma Gandhi envisioned villages as mini-republics and advocated that true democracy should begin with participation from the grass-root level by the people of every village.
• The 73rd Constitutional Amendment mandated the three tier Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to function as units of local self–government and envisioned a people-led development at the grass roots level.
• Panchayati Raj System was mandated with the twin objectives of ensuring economic development and social justice for the people living in the rural areas.

About Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA)

• The Union Budget 2016-17 announced the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for building capabilities of Panchayati Raj Institutions for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Key local development challenges faced by the country viz. poverty, public health, nutrition, education, gender, sanitation, drinking water, livelihood generation, etc. are in sync with SDGs and fall within the realm of Panchayats.
• The Panchayats have therefore been designated as a key player for implementation of the United Nations SDGs to be achieved by 2030.
• The scheme extends to all States and UTs including non-Part IX areas where Panchayats do not exist.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Context

• The International Court of Justice has ruled that Russia should suspend its military operations in Ukraine immediately. The ICJ in its order said that the Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the military operations that it commenced recently in the territory of Ukraine.

About ICJ

• The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). It was established in 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in 1946.
• The court is the successor to the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ), which was brought into being through, and by, the League of Nations, and which held its inaugural sitting at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, in 1922.
• After World War II, the League of Nations and PCIJ were replaced by the United Nations and ICJ respectively. The PCIJ was formally dissolved in 1946, and its last president, Judge José Gustavo Guerrero of El Salvador, became the first president of the ICJ.
• The first case, which was brought by the UK against Albania and concerned incidents in the Corfu channel — the narrow strait of the Ionian Sea between the Greek island of Corfu and Albania on the European mainland — was submitted in 1947.