Current Affairs – July 23, 2024

Table of contents

{GS2 – IR – Middle East} ICJ ruling on Israel’s occupation of West Bank

Context (IE | TH): The International Court of Justice held Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal and should come to an end “as soon as possible”.
The opinion was issued in response to a request from the UNGA in 2022. While it predates the Israel-Hamas conflict, it is likely to amplify pressure on Israel to bring an end to its ongoing military offensive.
The ICJ’s opinion is not binding or enforceable.

‘Occupation’ under international law

Israel has occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the Six-Day War in 1967. Prior to this, the territories were under Jordanian control.
As per Article 42 of the 1907 Hague Regulations, a “territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army.”
The occupation extends only to the territory where such authority has been established and can be exercised. However, an occupation must be temporary and cannot entail any transfer of sovereignty to the occupying power.
Once a territory is seized, the occupying power assumes specific obligations toward individuals within the occupied territory, such as ensuring that provisions of food and medical care are extended to the population of an occupied territory and prohibiting the use or threat of force against civilians.

What did the ICJ opine?

Israel abused its position as an occupying power by annexing Palestinian territories, asserting permanent control over them and consistently denying the Palestinian people their right to self-determination.
Israel’s settlement policy and military measures have pushed Palestinians to leave parts of occupied territories against their will, which violates Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The court held that measures such as the building and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the use of the area’s natural resources, the annexation and imposition of permanent control over lands contravened “the prohibition of the use of force” under international law.
Israel’s policies serve to maintain “near-complete separation” in the occupied territories between the settlers and Palestinians in clear violation of Article 3 (the obligation to eradicate apartheid and practices of racial segregation) of International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies”

Learn in detail about the Israel-Palestine conflict.

{GS2 – MNRE – Schemes} PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana

Context (PIB): The GoI issues Operational Guidelines for Implementation of ‘Incentives to DISCOMs’ under PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which the Ministry of Renewable Energy launched.

The scheme aims to increase the share of solar rooftop capacity and empower residential households to generate their own electricity.

Benefits

1 crore households will get 300 units of free electricity each month.
The government will give subsidies to purchase solar panels.
The government will assist in making available loans for purchasing solar panels from banks.
It will help households earn income by selling surplus power to local DISCOMs.

{GS2 – Polity – IC – Parliament} Parliamentary Reforms

Context (TW): Parliamentary Reforms are the Need of the Hour.

Issues with Parliament Functioning

Bulldozing Legislations: GOI has passed important legislation with minimal or no discussion, and sometimes Bills that don’t qualify as Money Bills are often classified as such, bypassing the Rajya Sabha.
Insufficient discussion on controversial topics: The government is running away from key debates like unemployment, violence in Manipur, or the NEET paper leaks.
- In the 17th Lok Sabha, around half of the bills were passed with less than two hours of discussion.
The decline in Parliamentary Days: The number of days Parliament sat for decreased from 331 in the 16^th Lok Sabha to a record low of 274 in the 17^th.
Poor scrutiny of Bills: During the 17^th Lok Sabha, only 16% were referred to standing committees.
Deviation from Norms: The Lok Sabha failed to elect a deputy speaker, breaking with the tradition of electing an opposition member to this crucial post.
Silencing the voice opposition: Speeches in the parliament that dealt with issues such as paper leaks, unemployment, the Agniveer scheme, rising inequality, and unfair treatment of minorities were expunged by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
In the 2023 Winter Session of the 17^th Lok Sabha, 146 MPs were suspended, and nearly 290 of their questions were removed.

Need of the Hour

Fixed annual calendar: Establishing a fixed annual calendar for parliamentary sessions and empowering a minimum number of members to convene the parliament.
Time for a Private Member’s business: Allocating more time for a Private Member’s business (legislative work introduced by MPs who are not part of the government) and setting aside a specific number of days for the opposition to decide the business.
Ensure accountability: By instituting a prime minister’s ‘question day’ where the Prime Minister must respond directly to a set number of questions.
Neutrality: Appointing neutral presiding officers who do not act as spokespersons for the ruling party.
Encouraging Bipartisan Solutions: Parliamentarians should engage in bipartisan (cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other’s policies) solutions and provide space for diverse voices.
Effective use of existing systems in the parliament: Such as the question hour, matters of urgent public importance, short-duration discussions, half-hour discussions, and special mentions can be utilized by MPs to address important issues, provided the speaker permits it.

{GS2 – Vulnerable Sections – Women} Unlocking Rural Women’s Economic Potential

Context (TH): A better female labour force participation rate can improve overall family income and welfare, especially in rural India.

Women and Employment

According to The India Employment Report (IER) 2024, the Female Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in India is low when compared to the world average (53.4%, 2019).
Although it has decreased from 38.9% (2000) to 23.3% (2018), the rise of 12% in rural India (2018-22) indicates an untapped opportunity for employment generation.
In 2022, 36.5% of females engaged in unpaid family labour work, while men stood at 9.3%.
The difference between female and male unpaid family labour employment is one-third in rural areas against urban areas (only 8.1%).

Scope of rural women in employment

Increased Productivity and Innovation

Larger Workforce: Higher female labour force participation correlates with GDP growth. For example, Kerala’s high female literacy and social mobility are reflected in its above-average Female LFPR (49%) and Gross State Domestic (grew by approximately 8.02%).
Diverse Skills and Perspectives: Women bring unique skills to sectors like agriculture and handicrafts, fostering innovation. For example, The Kudumbashree Mission in Kerala empowers women through SHGs, leading to successful micro-enterprises in food processing and handicrafts.

Improved Household Income and Well-being

Increased Family Earnings: Women’s income boosts household finances, enabling investments in food, education, and healthcare.
Empowerment and Decision-Making: Women’s earnings influence household decisions, particularly children’s education. For example, IFPRI studies show women’s participation in agriculture in India increases spending on girls’ education.

Stronger Rural Economies and Communities

Entrepreneurship: Women-led businesses diversify rural economies, creating employment opportunities. For example, the MSME Development Institute (MSME-DI) shows a significant increase in women-led micro-enterprises in Andhra Pradesh (which has grown by over 30% in the past five years).
Improved Community Development: Women reinvest earnings in community infrastructure and services. For example, SHGs in Rajasthan collaborate to address village needs by pooling resources and effectively utilising government schemes.

Unlocking Agricultural Potential

Women’s Knowledge: Women’s expertise and deep agricultural knowledge enhance productivity through improved practices. For example, the Biodiversity Authority of India (NBAI) shows that women farmers in Odisha manage over 70% of indigenous millet seed varieties compared to just 20% by men.

Causes of lower participation of rural women in employment

Social Norms and Gender Roles: Women are often expected to prioritise household chores and childcare, limiting their acceptance of outside work. For instance, NFHS-5 data shows rural women spend over four times more time on unpaid care work than men.
Lack of Appropriate Employment Opportunities: Rural women may not align with formal job requirements, and preference for home-based work limits the options for women.
Education Gap: According to Census 2011, rural women’s literacy rate (56.8%) is significantly lower than that of urban women (79.9%).
Limited Access to Resources: Women may face barriers to accessing resources like irrigation for farming. According to a study by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), only about 9% of rural women in India have access to irrigation facilities, compared to 36% of rural men.
Work-Life Balance Challenges: Only a small percentage of rural communities in India have access to formal childcare facilities, which impacts women’s workforce participation.
Safety Concerns: According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) of India, there were over 97,000 reported cases of crimes against women in rural India in 2020.
Limited Access to Market Opportunities: Insufficient linkages and information networks prevent rural women from accessing broader markets.
- About 87% of rural households in India do not have access to markets within a 5-kilometer radius, impacting rural women’s accessibility (Sample Survey Office, NSSO).
Discriminatory Land Ownership Laws: Laws favouring men restrict rural women’s access to land. NFHS-5 data reveals that only a small percentage of rural women own land or property in their names.
Cultural Barriers and Social Stigma: Women are expected to prioritise household duties in rural communities. NFHS-5 data reveals that almost 60% of rural women in India spend over four hours daily on unpaid domestic chores.

Government initiatives

Deendayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY): This program provides skill development training to rural poor youth, with a focus on women (over 1.1 crore women have been trained).
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM): Promotes self-employment and income generation activities for rural women through SHGs (As of 2022, it covered over 4.6 crore rural women across India).
Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP): A sub-scheme of DAY-NRLM specifically focused on empowering women in agriculture by providing training, credit, and market linkages.
Ujjawala Scheme: Provides LPG connections to BPL households, focusing on enhancing the quality of life for rural women by reducing their time spent cooking and collecting firewood.
Lakhpati Didi: To elevate the economic status of women in Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by setting a target for their annual income to reach ₹1 lakh or above.

Way forward

Skill Development and Training Programs: Train women in region-specific skills like organic farming, food processing, etc. For Example, The Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HIMFED) offers fruit and vegetable processing programs for women SHGs.
Promoting Home-Based Work: Establish e-commerce platforms for SHGs to sell handicrafts and apparel directly. For Example, TRIFED’s Tribes India e-Marketplace connects tribal artisans, including rural women, with broader markets.
Addressing Infrastructure Gaps: Invest in childcare facilities such as Anganwadi (rural daycare centres) and upgrade transportation infrastructure. For Example, Tamil Nadu’s Integrated Child Development Services Scheme provides childcare and health services, supporting mothers in workforce participation.
Market accessibility: Enhance capacity through training and ensure access to resources and market linkages. For Example, Ima Keithel market in Manipur.
Promoting Gender Equality and Awareness: Run social awareness campaigns to challenge gender stereotypes. For Example, the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign aims to improve gender equality.
Leveraging Technology: Provide digital literacy training to access online resources and government services and develop mobile applications for job opportunities and market information. For Example, Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan promotes digital literacy among rural women.

Ima Keithel

Source: CNN

Also known as the “Mothers’ Market,” this unique market is located in Imphal, Manipur, and is run entirely by women.
Established in the 16^th century, Ima Keithel has been an important centre of commerce for centuries, providing a space for women to sell their products and services.
The market is a hub for various goods, including traditional textiles, jewellery, spices, and local cuisine.
Beyond its economic significance, it symbolises women’s empowerment and resilience in Manipur.

{GS3 – IE – Industry} Parametric Insurance

Context (TH): Given South Asia’s status as the world’s most ‘climate-vulnerable zone,’ India could explore parametric insurance products. At present, the globally accepted method of disaster risk reduction is to transfer risk through indemnity-based insurance products.

Indemnity-based Insurance: pays out based on the cost of the loss incurred.
Parametric-based Insurance: pays out when a predefined loss event occurs and the loss event exceeds a specific amount previously agreed to in the policy.

Examples of adopting parametric insurance

In 2023, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco, the country received $275 million in parametric insurance cover arranged with the help of the World Bank.

In India

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is based on loss verification. In contrast, a new parametric product, the Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme, is based on threshold limits and does not require field verification.
Nagaland was the first State to buy a parametric cover for extreme precipitation in 2021.
The Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation in Kerala has also implemented parametric insurance for dairy farmers to lower milk yields due to heat stress to cattle.

Climate Vulnerability of India

According to the Climate Vulnerability Index prepared by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water:

More than 80 per cent of India’s population lives in districts highly vulnerable to extreme hydro-met disasters.
The southern zone of India is the most vulnerable to extreme climate events and their compounding impacts, followed by the eastern, western, northern, north-eastern and central zones.
59 and 41 per cent of the total districts in India’s eastern and western zones are highly vulnerable to extreme cyclone events.
The states in India’s northeast are more vulnerable to floods, while the southern and central parts are more vulnerable to extreme droughts.
Five out of six zones in India, i.e., South, North, North-East, West and Central, have a low adaptive capacity to extreme hydro-met disasters. The Eastern Zone has a medium-range capacity.
Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Bihar are highly vulnerable to extreme climate events such as floods, droughts and cyclones, according to the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI).
Unsustainable landscape, lack of infrastructure planning and human-induced microclimate change are the key drivers of this high vulnerability.

Vulnerability map of India

vulnerability map of India

Credits: CEEW

{GS3 – IE – Industry} Schemes For Payment Solutions For MSMEs

Context (PIB): The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises has introduced several schemes and programs to offer payment solutions for MSMEs through emerging technologies.

TReDS

To address delayed payments, RBI has issued guidelines for the TReDS platform, which facilitates the electronic financing of MSME trade receivables from corporates, government departments, and PSUs.

MSME Trade Enablement and Marketing Initiative (TEAM Scheme)

Launched as a sub-scheme of the Central Scheme “Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance”.
It assists five lakh MSMEs in using the ONDC platform through workshops, hand-holding, and subsidies for catalogue preparation, account management, logistics, and packaging.

Finance, Income and Trade Rank (FIT Rank)

Developed by CIBIL and Online PSB Loans Limited (OPL) to rank MSME loan applications using GST data, bank statements, and income tax returns.
It uses machine learning algorithms to arrive at the probability of an MSME becoming a non-performing asset (NPA) in the next 12 months. The scale ranges from 1 to 10, where Rank 1 indicates the lowest risk and Rank 10 indicates the highest risk.

{GS3 – S&T – AI} Rogue Waves and AI Prediction

Context (IE): Researchers have created an AI program to predict rogue waves.

What are Rogue Waves?

These are unusually large waves, threatening ships, infrastructure, and human lives.
These waves defy the average sea state (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)).
These waves often form when swells from distant weather systems converge or when ocean currents compress swells to create strong billows.
These were responsible for at least 386 fatalities and the sinking of 24 ships (2011-2018).
There has been no method to forecast in real-time, leading to deadly consequences.

Sea state refers to the condition of the surface of a large body of water at a certain location at a certain point in time. Sea state code ranges from 0 (no waves) to 9 (waves over 14 meters) (World Meteorological Organization (WMO)).

AI’s Predictive Capabilities

The AI program can predict about 75% of waves one minute in advance and 73% of waves five minutes in advance.
The tool has demonstrated predictive capabilities near buoys at widely different depths, suggesting potential universal application.
Incorporating physical quantities (water depths, wind speeds, and buoy locations) could improve the accuracy and advance warning time.
Harnessing more powerful AI architectures alongside more data may lead to near-perfect predictions in the future.

Buoys are instruments that collect weather and ocean data.

{GS3 – S&T – BioTech} DNA Fingerprinting Under New Criminal Laws

Context (TP): DNA fingerprinting in India’s new criminal laws is beneficial for law enforcement while at the same time emphasising the need for robust regulatory frameworks.

Legal Framework in India for DNA Fingerprinting

2006: The Code of Criminal Procedure introduced mandatory DNA profiling for rape case suspects.
2022: The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act replaced the colonial-era Identification of Prisoners Act, allowing biological sample analysis from convicts, preventive detainees, and those arrested for serious offences.
The National Crime Records Bureau was tasked with maintaining a national database of these records.
The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023:
- Retained the provision for mandatory DNA profiling of rape case suspects.
- Mandated forensic evidence collection for crimes punishable by seven years or more.

Benefits of DNA Profiling Provisions Under New Criminal Laws

Enhanced accuracy by providing reliable evidence for identifying and linking suspects to crime scenes.
Aids in solving cases with higher precision, potentially improving conviction rates.
Database utilisation helps match DNA profiles with previous convicts, aiding in solving unsolved crimes.
Supports the collection of forensic evidence from crime scenes and suspects.
Assists in victim identification.

Shortcomings of DNA Fingerprinting Provisions Under New Criminal Laws

DNA Regulatory Board proposed in the 2019 bill to oversee DNA labs and data banks, but the bill was withdrawn in 2023.
Undefined terms like DNA profiling can lead to misuse.
Some regulatory functions are assigned to the NCRB but lack full-time oversight capabilities.
Unclear which agency will maintain and match DNA profiles from crime scenes.
Contamination is common during sample handling and PCR amplification, potentially leading to false results. Notable instances include the Pune Porsche hit-and-run case.
Complications in DNA data sharing with foreign law enforcement bodies.
No proposed body to oversee the NCRB, raising concerns about standardising procedures and maintaining public trust.
State governments may face financial and capacity-building challenges in implementing technologies.
Potential misuse and ethical considerations in collecting and using DNA samples.

Way Forward

Create a DNA Regulatory Board separate from law enforcement to oversee DNA labs and data banks and ensure adherence to quality standards.
Define terms like ‘DNA profile’ in laws to prevent misuse.
Enhance quality control like those used by the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System for sample collection, handling, and analysis to prevent contamination and ensure reliability.
Regular audits and accreditation for forensic labs.
Ensure secure digital DNA data storage with strong encryption like the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.
Invest in programs like the US’s National Institute of Justice’s DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program to train forensic scientists and upgrade labs with advanced technology.
Maintain transparency in the use and application of DNA evidence.
Form an ethics committee akin to the Human Genetics Commission in the UK to review cases and policies involving DNA fingerprinting.
Ensure DNA profiling is restricted to non-coding regions to protect personal genetic information as GeneWatch UK recommends.
Collaborate with international bodies like Interpol to adopt best practices in DNA profiling.