Current Affairs – January 03, 2025

{GS2 – IR – India-US} US OPT Program

• Context (IE | IT): The Optional Practical Training (OPT) program is facing scrutiny from MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporters and policymakers in the US.

Key Features of the OPT Program

• OPT permits international students on F-1 visas to work in the US for 12 months in fields directly related to their study area.
• Eligibility: Full-time international students in the US for at least one academic year can apply.
• Types of OPT: Pre-completion OPT allows part-time work during academic sessions and full-time during breaks, while Post-completion OPT mandates at least 20 hours of work per week.
• STEM Extension: Students in STEM fields can extend OPT for an additional 24 months, totalling 3 years.
• Approval Process: Institutions recommend eligible students, and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services grants final approval.

Significance of OPT

• Participation Rate: 27.47% of international students in the US, approximately 2.42 lakh, were in the OPT program in 2023-24.
• Indian Student Involvement: 97,556 Indian students participated in OPT in 2023-24, a significant increase from 69,062 in 2022-23.
• STEM Dominance: A large proportion of OPT participants are in STEM fields, with 42.9% in mathematics or computer science and 24.5% in engineering.
• Economic Impact: International students, including those in OPT, contribute billions to the US economy through tuition, living expenses, and taxes.
• Talent Attraction: OPT attracts global talent, enriching innovation and workforce diversity.
• Pathway to Employment: OPT provides a strong pathway to H-1B visas, benefiting US industries in need of skilled labour.

Issues with OPT

• Job Displacement: Critics argue it reduces job opportunities for US graduates, particularly in STEM fields.
• Policy Challenges: OPT is criticised as a “backdoor” immigration pathway bypassing Congressional oversight and alleged misuse by universities for financial gain.
• Political Divides: Policymakers debate between retaining OPT for economic benefits and eliminating it to protect American jobs.

Way Forward

• Promote Domestic Talent: Strengthen STEM education for US students to address workforce gaps.
• Highlight the economic contributions of international students to mitigate public resistance.
• Enhance oversight to prevent exploitation and align OPT policies with broader immigration reforms.

{GS2 – Polity – IC – Parliament} Declining quality of Parliamentary Proceedings

• Context (TH): The recent winter session of Parliament was characterised by disruptions, resulting in substantial loss of productive time and low productivity rates.

Major Issues in Parliamentary Functioning

• Low Productivity: Lok Sabha at 54.5% and Rajya Sabha at 40%.
• Disruptions Impacting Time: 65 hours and 15 minutes lost in Lok Sabha due to disruptions.
• Decline of Parliamentary Civility: Disruptions normalised due to weak enforcement of rules and reliance on adjournments.
• Lack of Discipline: Speakers avoid strict actions like expulsions to maintain consensus.
• Government – Opposition Acrimony: Mutual distrust and hostility impede cooperation critical for democratic functioning.
• Decline in Debates: Disruptions overshadow meaningful discussions, degrading the quality of debates.
• Media Perception: Focus on televised confrontations, reducing focus on legislative contributions.

Impacts of Parliamentary Disruptions

• Legislative Delays: Important bills and policies passed without proper scrutiny or postponed indefinitely.
• Neglect of Public Issues: Key concerns of citizens remain under-addressed due to lack of time & debate.
• Economic Costs: Wastage of taxpayer money on non-productive sessions.
• Weakened Democracy: Erosion of public trust in Parliament as a cornerstone of democracy.
• Loss of Private Members’ Voice: Minimal focus on private members’ bills and resolutions.
• Bad Precedents: Normalization of disruptions undermines parliamentary decorum for future sessions.
• Diminished Public Expectations: Voters prioritise MPs’ local influence over legislative effectiveness and debate quality.

Way Forward

• Restore Decorum and Dialogue: Political parties must prioritise maintaining decorum and engage in constructive dialogue.
• Enhance Government-Opposition Communication: Regular and meaningful communication between the government and Opposition can bridge gaps.
• Modernise Parliamentary Procedures: Introduce reforms to address inefficiencies and adapt to contemporary challenges.
• Public-Centric Legislation: Focus on addressing critical national issues through informed debates.

{GS2 – Social Sector – Education} UGC’s Biannual Admission Policy

• Context (TH): The University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced a biannual admission cycle in June and December, marking a shift in India’s higher education system.

Advantages for Students

• Enhanced Accessibility & Flexibility: The biannual system lets students enrol twice a year, avoiding the loss of an academic year due to missed deadlines or unforeseen circumstances.
• Global Synchronisation: Aligning India’s academic calendar with international standards facilitates smoother transitions for students planning to study abroad and participate in exchange programs.
• Opportunities for Non-traditional Students: The December intake offers individuals returning to education after a break or professionals seeking to reskill the opportunity to restart their academic journey.
• Relief for Competitive Examination Candidates: Students preparing for exams like NEET, JEE, or UPSC can utilise both admission windows to secure a timely academic progression without losing a year.
• Personalised Learning Trajectories: The flexibility encourages modular degree structures, allowing students to take breaks for internships or work experience and rejoin academic pursuits in the next cycle.

Benefits for Recruiters

• Continuous Talent Supply: The biannual system ensures a consistent flow of graduates throughout the year, catering to industries with year-round hiring needs or project-based demands.
• Workforce Readiness: Graduates become available at different times, allowing companies to align hiring strategies with business cycles (e.g., December for fiscal year-end needs, June for summer-specific roles).
• Refined Recruitment Strategies: Recruiters can target specific cohorts through customised recruitment drives, ensuring a better fit for organisational needs.
• Expanded Internship Opportunities: Overlapping academic calendars allows companies to design internships that align with the academic schedule, providing students with practical exposure and organisations with a pre-trained talent pool.

Challenges

• Harmonised Academic Calendars: Syncing schedules for two cohorts without compromising quality.
• Efficient Resource Allocation: Overlapping cycles may strain academic and administrative resources.
• Seat Split: Clarification is needed on whether intake numbers should be split between cycles or adjusted.

Way Forward

• Staffing and Digital Tools: Hire additional staff and employ digital tools for resource management.
• Collaboration with Industries: Universities and industries should collaborate to keep recruiters informed about the new timelines.
• Policy Collaboration: Institutions should collaborate with policy bodies to address intake adjustments.

{GS2 – Social Sector – Health – Diseases} Tinnitus Management Device

• Context (IT): IIT Bombay researchers developed an affordable tinnitus diagnostic device, ensuring accurate diagnosis, personalised treatment, and improving the quality of life.

Features of the Device

• Offers customisable, multimodal treatment approaches tailored to individual patient needs.
• Includes precise tinnitus matching to identify perceived sounds’ exact nature and frequency.
• Equipped with tools to monitor disease progression over time.
• Portable and cost-effective, enhancing accessibility for patients.

Funding and Development

• Supported by the Tata Centre for Technology and Design (TCTD) and the Wadhwani Research Centre for Bioengineering (WRCB) at IIT Bombay.
• The device has passed EMI/EMC testing.

{GS3 – Infra – Roads} Winter Char Dham Circuit

• Context (IE): The Uttarakhand government has inaugurated the Winter Char Dham circuit to promote tourism during off-season winter months.

Winter Seats of Char Dham

Objectives of Winter Char Dham Circuit

• Tourism Boost: Attract tourists during traditionally low-traffic winter months.
• Economic Diversification: Encourage visits to lesser-known sites near winter abodes.
• Seasonal Tourism Shift: Promote Uttarakhand as a winter and “sun tourism” destination.

Concerns

• Infrastructure Strain: Overcrowding and pressure on local amenities.
• Ecosystem Degradation: Disturbance to wildlife like snow leopards and mountain sheep during migration to lower altitudes in winter.
• Carrying Capacity Assessment: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the state to assess pilgrimage capacity; the report is pending by the Wildlife Institute of India.

Also refer Char Dham All-Weather Road Project.

{Prelims – In News} Belly Landing

• Context (IE): Recently, a Jeju Air flight made a belly landing, overran the runway, and burst into fire at the Muan International Airport in South Korea.

Source: Calltofly

• A belly landing or gear-up landing occurs when an aircraft lands without its landing gear fully extended and uses its underside, or belly, as its primary landing device.
• A cockpit crew decides to land an aircraft on its belly in the following situations:
  • Landing gear fails to deploy.
  • A stricken aircraft cannot reach an airport, and landing is done in a field. The pilot considers skidding the aircraft to a stop safer than touching down on wheels.
  • Ditching: when an aircraft makes an emergency landing on water.
  • Any other situation a pilot considers a belly-landing safer than landing on wheels.

Risks

• Aircraft Damage: When an aircraft lands on its belly, the fuselage can sustain significant damage, often resulting in costly repairs.
• Fire Hazard: The friction between the aircraft’s belly and the runway can create sparks, which might ignite fuel or other flammable materials. The risk of fire is heightened, especially if there are fuel leaks.
• Injury Risk: The non-standard landing procedure puts passengers and crew at a higher risk of injury.

{Prelims – PIN World – SA} State of Emergency in Trinidad and Tobago

• Context (IE): Trinidad and Tobago declared a state of emergency on December 30, 2024, following a deadly weekend of violence.

• Threatened public safety due to a wave of reprisal attacks, with heightened criminal activities in urban areas; however, no curfew has been imposed.

  

Reasons Behind the Violence

• Increased gang violence and retaliation killings were reported, with armed gunmen attacking known gang leaders and engaging in mass shootings.
• A surge in the use of high-calibre firearms, including high-velocity assault weapons, largely imported from the US, exacerbates the violence.

History of Emergencies in Trinidad and Tobago

• 2014: A state of emergency was declared following a similar rise in violence.
• 2011: A limited state of emergency was enforced due to drug-related crimes.
• 2021: A state of emergency was imposed to address COVID-19 restrictions.

Way Forward

• Long-term solutions: Addressing the root causes of gang violence, including unemployment and lack of social services, is necessary for a more peaceful future.
• Strengthening international cooperation: Trinidad and Tobago must work with other countries, particularly the US, to stem the flow of illegal firearms into the country.

{Prelims – PIN} Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award

• Context (IE | PIB): The govt announced the major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024 awardee.

• D Gukesh (Chess), Manu Bhakar (Shooting), Harmanpreet Singh (Hockey), and Praveen Kumar (Para-athletics) are recipients of this award.
• It was formerly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and is the highest sporting honour in India.
• It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
• The award is personally bestowed upon recipients by the President of India during the ceremony. No proxies are allowed to receive the award or prize money.

Criteria

• The award is given for exceptional performance in sports over the previous four years. Achievements in the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Championships are considered.
• A maximum of two sportspersons can be nominated for each sport discipline.

Selection Process

• Nominations: Nominations are invited through an online portal, and sportspersons can self-apply. The government can also nominate up to two sportspersons in deserving cases.
• Verification: Sports Authority of India verifies the achievements & performance records of nominees.
• Selection Committee: The committee includes eminent sportspersons (Olympians or previous Major Dhyna Chand Khel Ratna or Arjuna Awardees), sports journalists, and administrators.
• Recommendations: The committee submits its recommendations to the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports for approval.
• Final Decision: The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports approves the final list of awardees.

{Prelims – S&T – Defence} Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) System

• Context (TH | NDTV): The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) for air-independent propulsion (AIP) plugs. The plugs will integrate the DRDO-developed AIP system into the Kalvari class submarines.

• AIP is any marine propulsion technology that allows a non-nuclear submarine to operate without access to atmospheric oxygen (by surfacing).
• AIP enables conventional submarines to remain submerged for two to three weeks at a time.

Scorpene Class Submarines

• Scorpene class submarines are a series of diesel-electric attack submarines designed for various missions, including anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, long-range strikes and intelligence gathering.
• They use diesel-electric propulsion systems, with an additional air-independent propulsion (AIP) system that allows them to remain submerged for longer durations.
• The Indian Navy has commissioned six Scorpene class submarines under Project 75, with names like INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, and INS Vela. INS Vaghsheer is set for commissioning.

{Prelims – S&T – Defence} INS Sarvekshak *

• Context (BS): India and Mauritius held a coordination meeting onboard the INS Sarvekshak to initiate the Joint Hydrographic Survey. It is a hydrographic survey ship (Sarvekshan in Hindi = Survey) under the Southern Naval Command.

• It has state-of-the-art survey equipment like the multi-beam swath echo sounding system, Side Scan Sonar, Sound Velocity Profilers, and a fully automated digital surveying and processing system.
• In addition, the ship carries a Chetak helicopter, which was extensively deployed during the survey.
• In 2017, Sarvekshak became the first ship of the Indian Navy to deploy solar power. It replaces the ship’s emergency diesel alternator.
• It has undertaken foreign cooperation surveys in Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Seychelles, Tanzania, and Kenya.

Source: Indian Navy FB | NIE

Hydrographic Survey

• A hydrographic survey involves measuring & describing physical features of oceans, seas, lakes, & rivers.
• It focuses on mapping water bodies’ depth, shape, and features, including the seabed.
• It provides information for safe navigation, helping to identify hazards like reefs, rocks, and shipwrecks.
• It supports managing and exploring marine resources like fisheries, oil, and gas reserves.