Current Affairs – September 18, 2024

{GS2 – Governance – Issues} Manipulation of Fuel Prices Before Elections

• Context (TP): Fuel prices in India have remained frozen since June 2022. Reductions aligned with election dates, raising concerns about political manipulation over transparent market-driven pricing.

• International oil prices have declined. Despite this, domestic fuel prices have not been adjusted.
• Government-run oil marketing companies, such as Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation, have recorded significant profits in FY 2022-23 and FY 2023-24.

Challenges

• Election-Related Price Manipulation: Fuel prices have been strategically reduced before elections, with price hikes occurring after elections, suggesting political influence on pricing decisions.
• Abandonment of Dynamic Pricing: The dynamic fuel pricing policy introduced in 2017, which linked domestic fuel prices to international markets, has been effectively abandoned since June 2022.
• Prioritisation of Government and OMC Profits: Despite OMCs recouping their losses and generating profits, fuel prices have not been lowered to benefit consumers.
• Lack of Transparency: The discrepancy between official fuel pricing policy and actual practice has led to a lack of credibility in the pricing mechanism.

Way Forward

• Reinstate Dynamic Pricing to ensure daily fuel price adjustments based on international oil prices. The Rangarajan Committee emphasised the need for market-driven pricing reforms.
• Independent Regulatory Oversight to oversee fuel pricing and ensure OMCs operate free from political influence (Kelkar Committee on Energy Security).
• Enhance Institutional Accountability: Clarify the government’s and OMCs’ roles in fuel pricing to ensure pricing decisions are made transparently and independently.
• Public Engagement and Awareness: Foster greater public scrutiny and civil society involvement in fuel pricing to ensure transparency and accountability in decision-making processes.

{GS2 – IR – UN} Reforming The United Nations

• Context (IE): The UN is struggling to keep that role in the face of growing geopolitical tensions.

Challenges Faced by UN

• Geopolitical Tensions and Conflicts: The UN has been ineffective in resolving modern conflicts, such as the Ukraine war and Palestine Conflict.
• Inequality in Representation: The UN Security Council’s permanent membership, dominated by five countries (P5), reflects outdated power dynamics, excluding emerging powers like India and Brazil.
• Failure to Address Climate and Development Issues: The UN has struggled to impose binding climate actions on developed nations while addressing food security and SDGs in the Global South. E.g. Disputes over climate finance commitments and compensation from the Global North to the Global South.
• Economic Disputes and Trade Stagnation: The WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism has been stalled since 2019, and hundreds of trade agreements have not been resolved.
• Bilateral and Regional Bypassing: Major powers often bypass the UN system through regional or bilateral agreements, undermining the organisation’s global authority. Initiatives like AUKUS and CANZUK reflect growing tendencies to bypass multilateralism in favour of exclusive agreements.
• Lack of Accountability and Reform Resistance: The P5 resists changes that would reduce their power.

Way Forward

• Reform the Security Council: Expand UNSC to include emerging global powers like India, Brazil, and African nations, making it more representative and democratic.
• Strengthen Multilateralism: Foster global cooperation by reinforcing multilateral systems, ensuring that global issues are dealt with through inclusive and transparent processes.
• Revitalize Trade and Economic Mechanisms: Restore the WTO dispute settlement body and promote fair global trade practices by ensuring that trade agreements are properly resolved.
• Promote Global South’s Leadership: Strengthen the voice and influence of the Global South in shaping the UN’s agenda, particularly on climate change and development issues. For example, initiatives like India’s G20 Presidency promote the leadership role of developing countries in global governance.
• Conflict Resolution Mechanisms: Strengthen the UN’s peacekeeping and diplomatic mediation efforts by depoliticising decision-making and involving regional organisations in conflict resolution.
• Ensure Accountability of Powerful Nations: Develop mechanisms to hold all member states, including the P5, accountable for international law violations and breaches of UN resolutions. E.g. Strengthening the International Court of Justice’s role in adjudicating conflicts can enhance accountability.

Read more> United Nations.

{GS2 – MoA – Schemes} Smart Precision Horticulture Programme

• Context (TH): The Union Ministry of Agriculture plans to allocate Rs 6,000 Cr for a Smart Precision Horticulture Programme under MIDH scheme to advance precision farming with smart technology.

Key Features

• Technological Integration: The program will utilise smart technologies such as AI, drones, the Internet of Things (IoT), and data analytics to optimise resource use while minimising environmental impacts.
• Funding Mechanism: The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), established during the COVID-19 pandemic, will facilitate financing for infrastructure projects related to smart and precision agriculture.
• Collaborations and Centres of Excellence: Under the Indo-Israel Agriculture Project, 100 new Centres of Excellence will be built over five years, with countries like Israel and the Netherlands.
• Precision Farming Development Centres: 22 PFD Centres have been set up at key agricultural universities and research institutes across India to test new technologies tailored to local needs.

{GS2 – Polity – IC – Elections} EVM Debate and Need for Democratic Reforms

• Context (IE): Despite introducing VVPAT machines to improve transparency, conspiracy theories and concerns over EVM integrity persist, diverting focus from critical electoral reforms.

Issues and Allegations Around EVMs

• Turnout Delays in the ECI’s announcement of turnout data led to suspicions of manipulation.
• ADR Report (2019 & 2024): Discrepancies between votes cast and counted were flagged in over 537 constituencies, with mismatches averaging over 1,000 votes.
• Vote For Democracy Report: Alleged that 4.65 crore votes were added post-poll, potentially benefiting the ruling party by 79 seats, though this remains unverified.
• Focus on EVM Mechanism: Excessive attention is being given to the technical aspects of EVMs, sidelining more pressing issues such as electoral malpractices.
• Lack of Election Commission (EC) Transparency: The EC has failed to adequately address concerns like the turnout mismatch, fuelling further speculation and conspiracy theories.

The Way Forward

• Retaining EVMs with Improvements: India should continue using EVMs but ensure more robust voter verification. The T.S. Krishnamurthy Committee recommended using VVPAT slips as the official record.
• Increased Transparency: The Indrajit Gupta Committee on State Funding of Elections emphasised transparency in the electoral process.
• Election Commission must reconcile all data before declaring results and publish detailed voter information within a stipulated time frame.
• Focus on Larger Electoral Reforms: As per the Justice V.S. Malimath Committee on electoral reforms, addressing money power, media bias, and unequal access to state resources should be a priority.

Read more> Election Commission of India (ECI), Verification of EVM and VVPAT Units

{GS2 – Polity – IC – Federalism} Elections in Delhi

• Context (IE): Former Delhi CM has requested early Assembly elections in Delhi.

Assembly elections decision in Delhi

• Under Art 324 of the IC, the ECI has the powers of superintendence, direction, and control of elections. The ECI ensures that the election is completed before the end of the five-year term of the assembly.
• However, under Section 15(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the election cannot be notified less than six months before the end of the term of the Assembly — unless the Assembly is dissolved before it completes its term.

Can a Chief Minister force the ECI to hold an election before it is due?

• Art 174(2)(b): The Governor “may from time to time” dissolve the Legislative Assembly on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers before the end of its term. Once the Assembly has been dissolved, the ECI has to conduct fresh elections within six months.
  • E.g. In September 2018, the Telangana Assembly, whose term was to end in June 2019, was dissolved, due to which Assembly elections were held in 2018.

Case in Delhi

• Delhi is not a ‘full’ state. It is governed by the Govt of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991.
• Under Section 6(2)(b) of the Act, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) may, from time to time, dissolve the Assembly; even if Delhi CM recommends the dissolution of the Assembly, the final say is with the LG.

{GS2 – Polity – IC – State Government} Nature of J&K Assembly

• Context (IE): Post abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections will begin shortly.

Changes in J&K post abrogation of Article 370

• The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019 created two UTs:
  1. UT of Ladakh without a legislature
  2. UT of Jammu and Kashmir with a legislature.
• An amendment was made to the First Schedule of IC, which lists all states and UTs, and to Art 3, which deals with the “Formation of new States and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing States”.
• Section 13 of the 2019 Act states that Art 239A of the IC, which provides for the administration of the UT of Puducherry, shall also apply to the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.

Article 239 deals with the administration of Union Territories. It states that “every union territory shall be administered by the President, acting, to such extent as he thinks fit, though an administrator”.

Read in detail about the Administration of the Delhi Government.

Powers of J&K Assembly

• The legislative assembly may make laws for any of the matters in the State List except “public order” and “police”, which will remain the preserve of the Union government.

Broad Powers of the LG

• As per the Reorganisation Act of 2019, LG has a much bigger role than the state Assembly. The LG shall, in the exercise of his functions, act at his discretion in a matter:
  • “Which falls outside the purview of the powers conferred on the Legislative Assembly;
  • In which he is required by or under any law to act in his discretion or to exercise any judicial functions;
  • Related to All India Services and Anti-Corruption Bureau.”
• Any Bill or amendment shall not be introduced in the Assembly except on the recommendation of the LG if such Bill deals with, among other aspects, “the amendment of the law with respect to any financial obligations undertaken or to be undertaken by the Government of the Union territory”.
• In July 2024, under the transaction rules under the 2019 Act, a series of administrative changes have extended the powers of the LG, granting him the power to appoint the Advocate General and law officers and to give him a say in decisions regarding prosecutions and sanctions.

{GS2 – Social Sector – Education} Education in Madrasas against RTE

• Context (IE): The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights held that education imparted in madrasas is not comprehensive and is against the provisions of the Right to Education Act.

History of Madrasas

• Madrasa is an Arabic word for an educational institution. The earliest evidence of madrasas comes from Khorasan and Transoxania (modern eastern and northern Iran, Central Asia, and Afghanistan).
• In the early centuries of Islam, mosques served as places of education. From the 10^th century onwards, madrasas acquired a distinct identity as religious and secular learning institutions in the Islamic world.

Madrasas in India

• As of 2018-19, there were 24,010 madrasas in India, 19,132 of which were recognised madrasas, and the remaining 4,878 were unrecognised.
• Recognised madrasas are governed by state boards for madrasa education; unrecognised ones follow the curriculum prescribed by seminaries, such as Darul Uloom Deoband.
  • State madrasa boards are governed by the state government concerned; the state govt appoints teachers and other officials at recognised madrasas. About 20 states have their madrasa boards.
• Share of Madrasas in India: Uttar Pradesh (60%) followed by Rajasthan.
• Curricula followed: Most madrasa boards in the country now follow the NCERT curriculum.
• Funded: The bulk of the funding for madrasas comes from the respective state governments.
  • The central government has a Scheme for Providing Education to Madrasas/ Minorities (SPEMM), under which financial assistance is provided to madrasas and minority institutions nationwide.

Read more about Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Law.

{GS2 – Vulnerable Sections – Women} Fair Compensation for Surrogates

• Context (IE): SC must closely examine the question of payments to the women who act as surrogates.

Who is a Surrogate

• Under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act 2021, Any “willing woman” between the ages of 25 and 35 years can act as a surrogate, once in her lifetime, altruistically, which includes coverage of medical expenses and a provision for insurance.
• The Surrogacy Act prohibits any compensation for carrying the child in her womb other than the necessary insurance and medical costs.

Arguments against payments to Surrogates

• Payment to surrogates was a regular practice in the private healthcare sector.
• The prohibition on payments was proposed in 2016 through the Surrogacy Act for the following reasons:
  • Possibility of sale of children (The draft ART Bills addressed this by proposing payment schedules at different points in pregnancy for the “service” of gestation).
  • Exploitation of poor or distressed women who act as surrogates at the behest of intermediaries.

Fair Compensation to Surrogates

• The Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Rajya Sabha’s 102^nd Report recommended allowing “reasonable compensation” over and above medical expenses and insurance coverage. This Compensation should be fixed by the regulatory bodies.
• Further, the compensation should be commensurate with the lost wages for the duration of pregnancy, psychological counselling of the surrogate, child care support or psychological counselling for the surrogate mother’s children, dietary supplements and medication, maternity clothing and post-delivery care.

Read in detail about Surrogacy Laws in India.

{GS3 – Agri – Crops} Jute: the golden fiber

• Context (TH): Jute, India’s second-largest cash crop after cotton, is vital for Assam’s economy, providing jobs and eco-friendly alternatives to plastic.

Potential Climate Impact of Jute Production

• Biodegradable Alternative: Jute is biodegradable and serves as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic products, helping to reduce environmental pollution.
• Carbon Sequestration: Jute cultivation contributes to carbon sequestration, aiding in mitigating climate change effects.
• Soil Health Improvement: Jute acts as a soil saver, preventing soil erosion and maintaining soil fertility, which is crucial for sustainable agriculture.
• Low Resource Requirement: Jute is a rain-fed crop requiring minimal fertiliser and pesticide, making it a more sustainable option than other cash crops like cotton.
• Support for Rural Livelihoods: The jute industry supports approximately 14 million livelihoods in India, contributing to rural economies and enhancing community resilience against climate impacts.
• Adaptation to Climate Change: Jute cultivation can adapt to varying climatic conditions, making it a viable crop in the face of changing weather patterns.

Initiatives for the Jute Sector

• Jute-Improved Cultivation and Retting Exercises (ICARE): To enhance jute farming practices with certified seeds, mechanisation & improved retting techniques to increase farmers’ income and productivity.
• Jute Diversification Scheme: Supports the development of new jute-based products, encouraging innovation and diversification within the industry.
• Minimum Support Price (MSP) Enhancement: The government increased the MSP for raw jute from ₹500 crore to ₹700 crore, ensuring better price stability for farmers.
• Incentive Scheme for Acquisition of Plant & Machinery (ISAPM): Provides financial incentives to modernise jute mills and support technology upgrades.
• Jute Smart Scheme: To enhance the jute sector through technology, innovation, and sustainable practices, promoting eco-friendly alternatives.

About Jute Temperature Requirements: 24°C to 38°C, making it suitable for hot and humid climates. Rainfall: 160 to 250 cm annually. Soil Type: alluvial soil, particularly in regions near river deltas like the Ganges Delta. Largest Producer: India is the largest producer of jute in the world, with an annual production of approximately 1.72 million tons, followed closely by Bangladesh. Major Producing States in India: West Bengal (over 60%), Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh. Uses of Jute: Textiles, Packaging, Construction, Eco-Friendly Products.

{GS3 – Envi – CC} Impacts of Climate Change on Floods

• Context (IE): Climate change is impacting the frequency of heavy downpours.

Reasons behind extreme flooding

• Release of Greenhouse gases into the atmosphere: GHGs act like a blanket on the earth, trapping heat and raising temperatures. This leads to rapid evaporation of water on land and at sea, causing intense rainfall and flooding.
• Hot air holds more moisture: Air’s capacity to hold moisture rises by 7% with every rise of 1 degree Celsius. Since the pre-industrial era, global air temperatures have increased by around 1.3 degrees Celsius.
• Temperature rise causes more precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow, making high-altitude regions vulnerable to flooding and landslides.
  • A 2022 study in the journal Nature found that in snowy, high-elevation parts of the Northern Hemisphere, rainfall extremes increased by an average of 15% per 1 degree Celsius of warming.

How is climate change impacting global rainfall?

• Globally, at a 1.5C temperature rise, heavy precipitation that would have been a once-in-a-10-year rainfall event will occur 1.5 times every decade and be over 10% wetter (IPCC).
  • In 2023, Europe was around 7% rainier than normal. Heavy precipitation triggered floods in Italy, Norway, Sweden, and Slovenia.
  • More recently, Brazil’s floods in April and May are believed to have been made twice as likely to occur and up to 9% heavier due to the burning of fossil fuels.
  • Last year, the average rainfall was 20% higher than the average for 1991-2020.

Impacts of floods on people

• Since 2000, the proportion of people exposed to floods has been estimated to have increased by 24%.
• In 2023, one-third of Europe’s River network saw flows exceeding the ‘high’ flood thresholds and 16% exceeding the “severe” levels.
• An estimated 89% of people exposed to high flood risk live in low- and middle-income countries. Most live in South and East Asia, with 395 million exposed people in China and 390 million in India.

Future Impact of Climate Change on Floods

• According to the IPCC, at 2 degrees Celcius of warming above pre-industrial levels, the world would be 14% wetter. At 4 degrees Celcius, the world would be 30% wetter.

{GS3 – Envi – Conservation} Challenges continue for Cheetah reintroduction

• Context (TH): India’s Cheetah Action Plan faces challenges with prolonged captivity and fatalities.

Challenges Faced

• Prolonged Captivity: Extended captivity of 12 out of 20 cheetahs for almost a year raises concerns about their survival fitness, exceeding Namibian policy limits.
• High Mortality: Seven of 20 cheetahs have died in India due to health issues and captivity injuries.
• Health Issues Related to Climate: Some cheetahs developed thick winter coats during the Indian summer, leading to health complications such as skin infections and septicaemia.
• Limited Habitat Capacity: Kuno National Park may struggle to support a viable population of free-ranging cheetahs due to its limited capacity, estimated at 10 to 15 cheetahs.
• Failure to Release: The release of cheetahs is delayed, now expected by late 2024 or early 2025, raising doubts about their ability to adapt once finally released.

Alternative Strategies to Improve Cheetahs’ Chances of Survival

• Enhanced Pre-Release Training: Implement a structured training program for captive-raised cheetahs to develop essential survival skills before release.
• Coalition Formation: Encourage the formation of male coalitions during captivity. Research indicates that bonded male cheetahs have higher survival rates in the wild, as they can work together to hunt and defend against predators.
• Wildlife Corridors: Establish wildlife corridors to connect fragmented habitats, allowing cheetahs to move freely between areas.
• Community Engagement: Involve local communities in conservation efforts by providing education on the ecological role of cheetahs and creating economic incentives through eco-tourism.
• Focus on Habitat Restoration: Prioritize habitat restoration efforts in protected areas to ensure a sustainable cheetah prey base.
• Monitoring and Adaptive Management: Implement rigorous monitoring of released cheetahs to assess their health, behaviour, and adaptation to the wild.

{Prelims – Envi – Species} Coelacanth

• Context (TH): Paleontologists discovered a new extinct coelacanth species that highlights the role of plate tectonics in the evolution of Earth.

• The discovery of Ngamugawi wirngarri in the Gogo Formation (Western Australia) bridges the gap between primitive and modern coelacanths, offering valuable anatomical insights.

Coelacanth species

• Coelacanths are lobe-finned fish that first appeared during the Early Devonian epoch. Once believed extinct for 66 million years, they were rediscovered in 1938 off South Africa’s coast.
• Two Living Species: Latimeria chalumnae in eastern Africa & Latimeria menadoensis in Indonesia.
• Influence of Tectonic Activity: Research reveals that coelacanth evolution is significantly influenced by tectonic plate activity, with new species emerging more frequently during heightened tectonic movement that alters habitats. They are called living fossils due to their minimal evolutionary change.
• Coelacanths inhabit deep-sea environments, typically found at depths of 500-800 feet, where they feed primarily on cephalopods and other fish.
• They reproduce via ovoviviparity, where embryos develop inside the mother and are born as fully formed young after a gestation period of about one year.

Other Examples of Living Fossils Horseshoe Crabs: These marine arthropods have existed for around 450 million years and retained a similar body plan throughout history. Ginkgo Biloba: This tree species has existed for nearly 300 million years and has few close relatives, making it a classic example of a living fossil. Tuatara: A reptile from New Zealand that has changed little since the Mesozoic era, often cited as a living fossil due to its primitive characteristics. Nautilus: This cephalopod has remained relatively unchanged for millions of years and provides insights into early molluscan evolution.

{Prelims – In News} Changes made to PF withdrawal

• Context (HT): The government has announced major changes to Provident Fund savings.

• Provident-fund savings are mandatory under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952 for a firm having 20 or more employees.
• At least 12% of an employee’s salary is compulsorily deducted to be saved in provident funds, while an employer co-contributes another 12%.

Changes announced

• Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation subscribers can now withdraw up to ₹1 lakh at once from their accounts for personal financial needs, which was earlier capped at ₹50,000.
• A person can withdraw in the first six months of their new job.
• The government has allowed organisations not part of the EPFO to transition to the State-run retirement fund manager. Certain businesses can operate their own private retirement schemes due to an exemption, primarily because their funds were established before the EPFO was created in 1954.

{Prelims – In News} Rangeen Machhli Mobile App

• Context (TH): The Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, launched by Rangeen Machhli Mobile App at ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA).

• Development Support: Developed by ICAR-CIFA with support from PM Matsya Sampada Yojana.
• Target Audience: Designed for hobbyists, aquarium shop owners, and fish farmers, providing essential knowledge resources.
• Multilingual Information: Offers information on popular ornamental fish species in eight Indian languages, making it accessible to a diverse audience.
• Key Features: Care and Breeding Guidance, Find Aquarium Shops Tool, Educational Modules.

Read more > Fisheries.

{Prelims – In News} Reservoir Storage Position

• Context (IE): The latest river basin data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) show that the overall reservoir storage position is better than that of the previous year.

• The current available stock of the reservoirs stands at 85% of the total live storage capacity (153.757 BCM)
• Of the 155 reservoirs, 141 have more than 80% of their live storage capacity; only five have 50% or less.
• Major river basins have normal or above storage. These include Barak, Krishna, Brahmaputra, Cauvery, Narmada, Godavari, Tapi, Ganga, Mahanadi, Mahi.