Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Exam – August 07, 2024

{GS1 – AH – Dynasty} Taxation During Cholas

Context (TP): Stone inscriptions in temple walls of Tamil Nadu details the land surveys conducted by the Cholas. Tax assessments were conducted periodically and collected through local grandees.
Rajakulavar (lordly families) avoided tax by donating lands to religious institutions or by appointing their dependents as cultivators.

Types of lands

Vellanvagai: Land of non-Brahmin farmers (Taxed).
Brahmadeya: Land gifted to Brahmanas (Tax exempted).
Shalabhoga: Land for school (Tax exempted).
Devadana, Tirunamattukkani: Land gifted to temples (Tax exempted).
Pallichchhandam: Land for Jain institutions (Tax exempted).

Related Terms

Puravuvari-tinaikkalam: Department of land revenue.
Naduvagaiseykira: The surveyors of the land from the landholding communities.
Ur: General assembly of the village.
Urar: Landholders in the village who played a crucial role in village administration.

Important Taxes

Kudimai: Primary source of revenue collected from cultivators as rent.
Opati: Levied and collected by the king and local chiefs.
Iraikattina-nellu: Tax paid in kind (paddy or rice).
Vetti: A form of forced labor, where people had to work for the king or landlords without pay.
Eriayam tax: Collected by village assemblies for maintenance and repairing of irrigation tanks.

{GS2 – Governance – Initiatives} Door Delivery of Alcohol

Context (TH): Many states are planning to allow the doorstep delivery of alcohol.

India is the sixth-largest alcohol market and has seen a steady rise in alcohol consumption.

Advantages

More government revenue: Excise duties contribute up to 25% of all revenue generated.
Help reduce drunk-driving incidents: Alcohol use caused 6-48% of fatal road traffic accidents in India.
Increase women safety: Shutting liquor bars reduced on-premise violence against women in Kerala.

Disadvantages

Economic burden: Disease, injuries and productivity losses due to alcohol consumption can cost India more than Rs 121.3 lakh crore between 2011 and 2050.
Binge Drinking: On-demand availability can increase alcohol consumption.
Speculative assumptions: The assumptions of responsible drinking and reduced drunk-driving maybe wrong while sobriety checkpoints and stringent penalties are more effective.

Way Forward

Increase prices of and taxes on alcohol and restrict the availability and marketing of alcohol.
Invest in Healthcare: Investing alcohol revenue in psychosocial treatments for alcohol-use disorders.
Evaluate impact: To understand the health and economic impacts of door-delivery and revise decision.

{GS2 – Governance – Laws} Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2024.

Context (TH): Amendments to U.P’s anti-conversion law worsen its unconstitutional features.

The amendments were implemented stating that the penal provisions under the 2021 Act were ‘not sufficient to prevent and control religious conversion and mass conversion’.
The 2021 Act led to the registration of over 400 cases by 2023.

Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021

Prohibits religious conversion of minors, people with disabilities, women, and persons belonging to SC and ST communities through “unlawful” means.
Treats ‘conversion by marriage’ as a mean of ‘unlawful conversion’, and mandates prior intimation to the authorities for those intending to change their religion.

Amendments

Enhanced punishments and fines:
- Increase imprisonment up to 20 years (10 years in 2021 Act) and even for life for conversion through use of force, threat, coercion or ‘promises or instigates of marriage’.
- 7-14 years imprisonment and a fine of at least Rs. 10,00,000 for receiving funds from foreign organisations in connection with unlawful conversion.
Stringent bail conditions like PMLA and NDPS act: Accused cannot get bail unless the public prosecutor opposes it & the court is convinced of the innocence and is unlikely to repeat the offense.
Filing of case: Anyone can file an FIR against supposedly forcible or fraudulent conversions.

Criticisms

Making the regressive anti-conversion law more stringent would ease its misuse.
Introduction of stringent requirements for bail enhance the perceived seriousness of the offence.
Amendments exacerbate the violations of fundamental rights reflecting a medieval-mindset incompatible with a progressive democratic framework.
Gives communal organisations to get those opting for or supporting an inter-faith marriage arrested.

Way Forward

Uphold Constitutional Guarantees: Amend law to align with fundamnetal rights, especially freedom of religion and personal liberty, upheld by the SC in Shafin Jahan vs. Ashokan K.M case (2018).
Prevent Law Abuse: Implement safeguards to protect against misuse, such as limiting complaint filings to directly affected parties and conducting preliminary investigations.
Protection to inter-faith marriages: SC ruling in Lata Singh vs. State of Uttar Pradesh case (2006) emphasized the protection to inter-faith marriages from harassments.
Ensure Fair Bail Process: Avoid denying bail without strong evidence of coercion or fraud. In Arnesh Kumar vs. the State of Bihar case (2014), SC ruled to balance justice with the accused’s right to liberty.
Strong Judicial Oversight: To prevent misuse of the law and uphold constitutional values. Gujarat HC stayed certain provisions of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act of 2021 to underscore the importance of protecting interfaith couples from harassment.
Conduct Awareness Campaigns: Educate citizens about religious conversion laws and interfaith marriage rights by partnering with civil society and legal experts.

Read More > Need for anti-conversion laws

{GS2 – MoAFW – Schemes} Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

Context (PIB): Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare replied about the revival of PMFBY in Lok Sabha. The scheme is now the largest in the world in terms of farmers insured.

Reasons for its success

Low premium burden on farmers capped at 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi Crops and 5% for commercial/horticultural crops and high claim settlement ratio of 98%.

Reasons for delay of claims

Delayed remittance/non-remittance of farmer’s share and late release of State’s premium share.
Delay in yield data transmission and yield related disputes between insurance companies and States.
Non-receipt of account details of eligible farmers for the transfer of claims.
Erroneous/incomplete entry of individual farmers data on National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP).

Steps taken to address delays

Advance release of central share of premium subsidy.
Penal interest on insurance companies for delayed payments.
Regular monitoring of insurance companies’ performance.
Use of technology for transparent claim management. For example, Digiclaim Module.

Read More > PMFBY

{GS2 – Polity – IC – Federal Structure} SC Verdict on Nomination of Alderman by Delhi LG

Context (IE): SC declared its verdict on the issue of nomination of ‘aldermen’ (persons with special knowledge in Administration) to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi by Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G).

The court rejected the claim based on the 2018 SC verdict, which stated that the L-G must follow the advice of the Council of Ministers for matters under the State and Concurrent lists (Article 239AA).
It held that DMC Act gives the Delhi L-G ‘explicit’ power to nominate aldermen without the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers from the Delhi Government.
In Government of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India case, the SC ruled that Parliament can legislate on State List matters for Delhi which includes ‘local government’.

Article 239AA of the Indian Constitution

It provides for the creation of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, the Council of Ministers (CoM), and the offices of the Chief Minister and the the Delhi L-G.
The Legislative Assembly (LA) of Delhi has the power to make laws with respect to any matters in the State List or in the Concurrent List, except matters with respect to public order, police and land.
The CoM and CM will aid and advise the L-G in exercise of his functions related to matters in which the LA has power to make laws, except in the matters he is required to act in his discretion.

{GS2 – Polity – IC – Judiciary} Law Ministry Report on District Courts in India

Context (TH): A recent report published by the Ministry of Law and Justice highlights significant deficiencies in the infrastructure of district courts across India.

Major Challenges of District Courts

Overcrowded Courtrooms: 37.7% of judicial officers report inadequate courtroom space.

Fire Safety Lapses: 39% of judicial officers report no fire safety equipment.

IT Infrastructure Deficiencies:
- Only 45% of judicial officers have electronic display facilities.
- 32.7% lack video conferencing capabilities.
- 41% of support staff are without computer units and multifunctional printers.

Basic Amenities Shortages:
- Only 14.6% of male and 10.7% of female support staff have common rooms.
- 73.7% of all support staff without attached toilets.
- 36.3% of judicial officers report insufficient seating and essential furnishings.

Human Resource Deficit:
- Data indicates that there are approximately 21 judges per million people in India, compared to the Law Commission’s recommendation of 50 judges per million.
- As of 2023, over 45 million cases are pending in Indian courts, with a significant proportion being over five years old.

Initiatives to Improve District Courts

Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the Development of Infrastructure Facilities for the Judiciary (1993-94): Aimed at improving the physical infrastructure requirements of the courts.
National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms (2011): Aimed to increase access by reducing delays and arrears in the system and enhancing accountability through structural changes.
E-Courts Integrated Mission Mode Project: Focused on the computerization of District and subordinate courts to improve access to justice using technology.
Nyaya Vikas portal: For monitoring the Development of Infrastructure for the Judiciary.

Way Forward

Independent IT Department: To be equipped with the latest hardware and software with sufficiently trained manpower to manage and service at District and Taluka courts.
Dedicated Court Divisions: Each headed by separate Judicial Officers (JOs). Eg., in Maharashtra and Karnataka, separate divisions has noticeably improved case resolution speed and quality.
Strengthen E-Court System: To streamline court processes, reduce paperwork & improve efficiency.
National Judicial Infrastructure Authority of India (NJIAI): For adequate court infrastructure (suggested by former CJI N.V. Ramana).
Transforming the Appointment System: To implement the All-India Judicial Services (AIJS) to improve the judicial appointment system.
Data Analytics and Case Prediction: To assist judges in making informed decisions, reducing inconsistencies, and improving the quality of judgments. Ensure that AI plays only a secondary role.
Citizen Feedback Mechanism: Establish a feedback mechanism where citizens can provide feedback on the judicial process and court experiences.

{GS3 – Agri – Horticulture} Horticulture Clusters

Context (IE): Recently, the Union Agriculture Minister announced an ₹18,000 crore expenditure to establish 100 export-oriented horticulture clusters over the next five years.

These are geographical areas where specific crops are cultivated, processed, and marketed to boost horticultural export and farmers income.
Under the Digital Agriculture Mission, farmers will get a digital identity for their land, crops, and damage reports, improving transparency and preventing record tampering.

Digital Agriculture Mission

It aims to leverage technology, data, and analytics to transform the agricultural sector.
It empowers farmers through precision agriculture, drones, and satellite imaging to optimize crop management and reduce input costs.
It includes major components such as the India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA), the Unified Farmers Service Interface (UFSI), National E-governance Plan in Agriculture, the revamping of the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC), and soil health, fertility, and profile mapping.

Read More > Horticulture in India

{GS3 – IE – Insurance} Catastrophe Insurance

Context (IE): Proposals to bring the population and properties in the country under a catastrophe insurance plan is on rise after Wayanad landslide.

Over 350 people died and properties worth hundreds of crores got destroyed in the landslide and they are largely uninsured.

Need of Catastrophe Insurance

Less than 10% of the people and property have insurance coverage (IC) in any region in India (global average is 54%). In 2020 floods, India only got 11% as IC for its $7.5 billion economic loss.
India ranks 3^rd after the US and China for the highest number of natural disasters since 1900.
India has suffered an economic loss of $150 billion (where the loss is reported) with largest loss from floods ($92.1 billion) followed by storms ($44.7 billion) since 1900.

Challenges

High Level of Protection Gap: Only around 8% of the total losses are covered during the period 1991 to 2022 showing around 92% protection gap.
Formulating a voluntary common catastrophe rate: If the rates are too low, premium will not be sufficient to cover the risk.
Red Tapism: The Insurance Catastrophe Pool(INCIP) proposed by Standing Committee of the Lok Sabha is stuck with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India for over a decade.
Unviability of CAT (catastrophe) Bonds: In India as the interest rates are high. Generally, re-insurers mobilise funds through CAT bonds at lower costs so that they can pay huge catastrophe losses.

An insurance protection gap is the difference between the amount of insurance coverage one need and the amount one actually have.

A CAT bond is a security that pays the issuer when a predefined disaster risk is realised.

Way Ahead

A specialised insurance scheme by one of the public sector general insurance companies with subsidised premiums for disaster-prone areas like that in USA for the hurricane-prone Florida.
Set up a working group of IRDAI with all stakeholders to examine these issues and provide appropriate policy recommendations.
Implement INCIP with cost up to Rs 5,000 crore, to bring down the present undefined bill to rebuild lives after the catastrophes, providing a big comfort to citizens and the government.
Encourage CAT Bonds proposed by General Insurance Corporation of India Limited (GIC Re), which are common in developed countries.

General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re)

It was formed under Section 9 (1) of the General Insurance Business (Nationalization) Act to superintend, control, and carry on the business of general insurance across the country.
It is registered as a private company under the Companies Act of 1956.
It works under Ministry of Finance as the sole Indian reinsurer which provides insurance to other insurance companies.

Also Read > Insurance Sector

{GS3 – S&T – Tech} Concerns Over Violent Video Games

Context (TH): Concerned over violent online games and their impact on children’s health, Rajya Sabha MP urged the Centre to regulate content.

India currently lacks specific legislation and judicial focus on video game content.

Negative Impacts

Aggressive Behaviour: Games like PubG, Call of Duty, GTA, and Blue Whale Challenge are linked to aggressive behaviour.
Inappropriate Content: Contains violence, foul language, substance abuse, sexual content, gender stereotypes, and legal disregard.
Health Issues: Excessive exposure can cause anxiety, and phobias, and negatively impact cognitive development (reduce control over emotions and delay the development of the brain’s frontal regions).
Academic and Social Impact: Addiction can impair academic performance, social skills, and mental health (a 15-year-old boy influenced by a video game committed suicide in Pune).
Exposure Risks: Risks include cyberbullying and cyber crimes.

Way forward

Regulatory Body: Establish a dedicated division for content oversight and categorisation.
Counselling Services: Provide support and counselling for teens at risk from such games.
Specific Legislation: Develop laws specifically addressing video games.
Parental Role: Efficient parental control is also needed alongside government regulations.

{Prelims – Envi – Species} Methanotrophs

Context (PIB): India’s first indigenous natural methane-mitigating agents, primarily Methylocucumis oryzae, reported from rice fields and wetlands in Western India.

It is characterised by its cucumber-like shape, large size, strict mesophilic nature (grows below 37ºC), and pale pink colonies.
It promotes rice plant growth by inducing early flowering and increasing grain yield.
It remains phylogenetically unique, with no strains reported or cultured in any other country.

Methanotrophs (methane-oxidizing bacteria)

These are natural methane-mitigating agents found in all environments where both methane and oxygen are present.
They oxidize methane to build their biomass, breathing oxygen and producing CO₂ and H₂O.
These grow abundantly in wetlands, rice fields, ponds, and other water bodies.

Read More > Methane

{Prelims – In News} Ladki Bahin Yojana

Context (IE): Recently, Bombay High Court dismissed a PIL challenging Ladki Bahin Yojana.

The petitioner argued that taxes should fund infrastructure and not schemes. However, the court ruled that paying taxes is compulsory and their use cannot be controlled by individuals.
It is a Maharashtra government’s scheme where Rs 1,500 will be transferred into the bank accounts of eligible women aged between 21 and 65 every month.
Eligibility: Family income below Rs 2.5 lakh and has no member paying income tax.
The scheme is available only to Maharashtra residents who are married, widowed, divorced, abandoned, or destitute women, and to one unmarried woman per family.

Read More>PIL, Taxation

{Prelims – In News} World Craft City

Context (TH): The World Craft Council (WCC) included Srinagar in its list of World Craft Cities.

It is located on the historic Shahra-e-Abresham (Silk Route) and has generated ideas through exchanges in arts, crafts, trade, culture, and science.
Known for its handicrafts, such as Pashmina and Shahtoosh shawls, Persian carpets, crewel-stitched and embroidered fabrics, silk, walnut carvings, papier-mache, namdas (rugs), and basketry.
Jaipur, Mamallapuram, and Mysore are the other World Craft Cities in India.

World Crafts Council (WCC)

It is an international non-profit organisation affiliated with UNESCO.
It aims to preserve, protect, and develop traditional crafts and global craftsmanship.
The WCC-World Craft City Programme, launched in 2014, establishes a dynamic network of craft cities across the globe.