UPSC Key-12 June, 2023: What you should read in the news today

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, during a rally at Ramlila Maidan over Centre’s ordinance that effectively grants control of running the government to the Centre through the L-G, had a warning for the states ruled by Opposition parties.

• What do you understand by the word ‘ordinance’?

• Who issues ordinance in India?

• What is Article 123 of the Constitution?

• Why Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is warning other states?

• What is wrong with the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 and why?

• Quick Recall- On May 19, the central government promulgated an Ordinance that undid the unanimous verdict of a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, which on May 11 gave the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of Delhi control over the transfer and posting of officials in the National Capital Territory (NCT), except with regard to public order, police, and land. The Ordinance promulgated by President Droupadi Murmu gave the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, who is appointed by the Centre, power over services, and established a “National Capital Civil Service Authority” comprising the Chief Minister and two senior IAS officials, which would decide matters “by majority of votes of the members present and voting”, essentially creating a situation in which the view of the elected CM could potentially be overruled.

• ‘The ordinance-making power is the most important legislative power of the President’-why?

• The Constitution empowers only the President of India to promulgate ordinances-True or False?

• Ordinance making Power of President and Governor-Compare and Contrast

• For Your Information-Under Article 123 of the Constitution (“Power of President to promulgate Ordinances during recess of Parliament”), “if at any time, except when both Houses of Parliament are in session, the President is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action, he may promulgate such Ordinances as the circumstances appear to him to require.” An Ordinance “shall have the same force and effect as an Act of Parliament”. But the government is required to bring an Ordinance before Parliament for ratification — and failure to do so will lead to its lapsing “at the expiration of six weeks from the reassembly of Parliament”. The Ordinance may lapse earlier if the President withdraws it — or if both Houses pass resolutions disapproving it. (Rejection of an Ordinance would, however, imply the government has lost majority.) Also, if an Ordinance makes a law that Parliament is not competent to enact under the Constitution, it shall be considered void.

• If, for whatever reason, an Ordinance lapses, then what are the options for the government?

• The judgement of the Supreme Court in the D C Wadhwa case (1987) is highly relevant when it comes to re promulgation of ordinance by the President-Why?

• The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023-Know the key provisions

• Why centre government came up with the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023?

• Can a decision of the Supreme Court be undone?

• How does the ordinance fare against the judgement of the Supreme Court?

• For Your Information-Two constitution benches of the Supreme Court, in 2018 and on May 5, have dealt with the issue of the powers of the Delhi government. Both these judgements involve the interpretation of Article 239AA of the Constitution that deals with the governance structure of the national capital. In 1991, when Article 239 AA was inserted, Parliament also passed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 to provide a framework for the functioning of the Legislative Assembly and the government of Delhi. The ruling on May 5 places three constitutional principles – representative democracy, federalism and accountability – to an elected government within the interpretation of Article 239AA. The judgement also recognises “principles of democracy and federalism” to be part of the basic structure of the Constitution. Since the basis for the Court’s decision is found in interpretation of constitutional provisions, it can be debated whether a law amending the GNCTD Act, 1991 will suffice to nullify the effect of the judgements. The Delhi government can argue that a legislation that nullifies the effect of the ruling must be an amendment to the Constitution and not just an amendment to the statutory law. The Court also clearly held that Part XIV of the Constitution that contains provisions for regulating the employment of persons to the public services under the union and States is applicable to union territories which includes Delhi.

• Can the Ordinance impact the basic structure of the Constitution?

• What was the Supreme Court’s verdict on May 11?

• What was the issue before the Court?

• For Your Information-In 2015, a Union Home Ministry notification said that the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi shall exercise control over “services”. The Delhi government challenged this before the Delhi High Court, which in 2017 upheld the notification. On appeal, a two-judge Bench of the Supreme Court referred the issue to a larger constitution Bench. In 2018, a five-judge Constitution Bench, headed by then CJI Dipak Mishra, in a unanimous verdict laid down the law that governs the relationship between Delhi and the Centre. The ruling was in favour of the Delhi government. While the Constitution bench decided the larger questions, the specific issues were to be decided by a two-judge Bench. In 2019, two judges, (who were also part of the larger 5-judge Bench in 2018), Justices Ashok Bhushan and AK Sikri, delivered a split verdict on the specific issue of “services.” The split verdict then went to a three-judge Bench and eventually a five-judge Constitution Bench, which has now delivered its verdict.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Govt’s power to promulgate, repromulgate Ordinances — why, how

📍SC vs Centre in Delhi: Unanimous verdict overturned within days, what can happen now?

📍Supreme Court empowered Delhi govt, Centre gets ordinance to put bureaucrats over CM

Alert sounded as cyclone changes its path, heads to Gujarat coast

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

• General Studies III: Disaster and disaster management.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The cyclone Biparjoy in the Arabian Sea, which earlier seemed headed towards the Pakistan coastline, is now predicted to move slightly east towards the northern Gujarat coast, with a landfall expected on June 15.

• Cyclone Biparjoy-Know its features

• Cyclone Biparjoy is a temperate cyclones or tropical cyclones?

• Temperate cyclones and Tropical cyclones-Compare and Contrast

• In India, how cyclones are classified?

• Cyclones are given many names in different regions of the world-What are they?

• Typhoons, hurricanes, tornados, willy-willies and tropical cyclones-Know the difference

• How Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) classifies the low pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea on the basis of capacity to damage?

• Low Pressure, Depression, Deep Depression, Cyclonic Storm, Severe Cyclonic Storm and Severe Cyclonic Storm-Know the differences

• Cyclones are also classified into five different levels on the basis of wind speed-can you tell how exactly?

• Explain and elaborate cyclogenesis?

• The development cycle of tropical cyclones may be divided into three stages-What are those?

• When it comes to cyclone then the Indian subcontinent is one of the worst affected regions in the world-why?

• For Your Information-According to NDMA Website, “The Indian subcontinent is one of the worst affected regions in the world. The subcontinent with a long coastline of 8041 kilometres is exposed to nearly 10 per cent of the world’s tropical cyclones. Of these, the majority of them have their initial genesis over the Bay of Bengal and strike the East coast of India. On an average, five to six tropical cyclones form every year, of which two or three could be severe. More cyclones occur in the Bay of Bengal than the Arabian Sea and the ratio is approximately 4:1. Cyclones occur frequently on both the coasts (the West coast – Arabian Sea; and the East coast – Bay of Bengal). An analysis of the frequency of cyclones on the East and West coasts of India between 1891 and 1990 shows that nearly 262 cyclones occurred (92 of these severe) in a 50 km wide strip above the East coast. Less severe cyclonic activity has been noticed on the West coast, where 33 cyclones occurred the same period, out of which 19 of were severe”

• What is the institutional setup to address the cyclone’s damage?

• The cyclone ‘Biporjoy’, which is highly likely to develop into a low-pressure area, once again has scientists worried about the onset of the monsoon-why?

• What is the difference between Arabian Sea cyclone and Bay of Bengal cyclone?

• How Cyclone ‘Biporjoy’ will affect Monsoon?

• Why Bay of Bengal Receives more Cyclone than Arabian Sea?

• World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)-About, Role, Vision and Mission

• India Meteorological Department (IMD)-About, Role, Vision and Mission

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Fewer cyclones in Bay of Bengal but frequency increased in Arabian Sea: Report

📍What is Cyclone Biparjoy and how was it named?

In south, more women availed loan scheme for street vendors

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– About 41 per cent of the beneficiaries of the government’s loan scheme for street vendors – PM-SVANidhi (PM Street Vendors’ AtmaNirbhar Nidhi) – are women, but southern states fare much better than those in the north.

• What is PM-SVANidhi (PM Street Vendors’ AtmaNirbhar Nidhi)?

• Why PM-SVANidhi (PM Street Vendors’ AtmaNirbhar Nidhi) was launched?

• For Your Information-The scheme, which was launched as a part of the COVID-19 response measures, completed three years on June 1. According to data from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, of the total number of beneficiaries (36.33 lakhs) of the scheme in the country, 21.31 lakh are men and 15.02 lakh are women. The scheme also includes 219 beneficiaries of the “others” gender category. In 10 states and Union territories, almost all in the Southern and North-East region, women are the majority of the beneficiaries. Among the 10 are Andhra Pradesh (70 per cent women), Telangana (66 per cent women), Tamil Nadu (64 per cent women) and Karnataka (50 per cent women%). Kerala is an exception, but this state has been a pioneer in fostering women’s empowerment through its own programmes like the Kudumbashree which in June this year completed 25 years.

• Who are street vendors in India?

• Street Vendors in India-What data’s and statistics says?

• What are the issues and challenges faced by Street Vendors?

• Do we have any Government’s Initiatives for Street Vendors?

• How PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme for street vendors helped alleviate poverty?

• What are the various challenges that vendors are facing while applying for the loan?

• What is the National Association for street vendors of India?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: How scheme for street vendors will help alleviate poverty

📍Explained: What is the PM SVANidhi scheme for street vendors, and why was it launched?

THE CITY

Construction of twin tunnels beneath southern ridge: SC committee recommends approval

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court has recommended for approval the construction of underground twin tunnels beneath the southern ridge in Delhi, a protected forest area. The project will involve felling of around 685 trees on non-forest land, and trees in the ridge area are not expected to be affected, according to the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) proposal for the tunnels.

• What is the definition of a ridge?

• What is the speciality of Delhi Ridge?

• The ridge in Delhi is called as the capital’s ‘lungs’-why?

• Map Work-Delhi Ridge

• Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee-Know its area of work?

• The Ridge is an extension of the Aravallis, and parts of it have been notified as a reserved forest-What is reserved forest?

• Map Work-Aravallis (North to south and east to west stretch)

• Which peak is the highest point of the Aravalli Range?

• The Aravalli Range is arguably the oldest geological feature on Earth, having its origin in which era?

• The Aravalli Range, is believed to be the oldest range of fold mountains in India-True or False?

• What is fold mountain?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍4-km tunnel under Ridge in Delhi gets Board nod; SC committee to consider next

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

No textbook conspiracy

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit Writes: Recently, the alarmist news was circulated that key concepts and segments, notably the theory of evolution and the periodic table, have been dropped from science textbooks by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) . The usual suspects took to social media to declare the death of secularism and scientific temper in India. The story received widespread global attention, including from Al-Jazeera, Deutsche Welle and the noted scientific journal Nature.

• How the content of NCERT textbooks are decided?

• Who writes the NCERT books?

• Who prepares the National Curriculum Framework for school education?

• What are some of the key changes carried out in the textbooks?

• “The updating of textbooks is a regular process carried out by the NCERT, but one needs to understand these changes are not random”- Who decides the content of NCERT textbooks?

• The current process of rationalisation is motivated by another critical factor-what are those?

• “The controversy caused by confusion and misinformation is self-evident”-What confusion and misinformation the writer is highlighting?

• For Your Information-Changes and revisions in textbooks, and controversies thereafter, are nothing new. In 1978-79, a controversy over revising the contents of history books dominated the political space during the short tenure of Prime Minister Morarji Desai. In 2006, during the UPA rule, a chapter on Sikhism had to be changed because of enormous controversy. Another controversial incident occurred in 2012, when the Shahi Imam of the Fatehpuri Mosque in Delhi, Mohammed Mukarram Ahmed, demanded the removal of two mediaeval paintings from history textbooks arguing that their inclusion violated Sharia law.

• What are some of the key changes carried out in the textbooks?

• What are the most sweeping changes in social science school textbooks since 2014 in India?

• Do You Know-Education as a subject comes under both the state and central governments according to the Constitution, meaning both the states and central governments have a role to play here. Further, India has multiple education boards across the country that decide crucial matters such as conducting exams and deciding the syllabus in schools. State education boards, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), are a few examples. They are autonomous or independent bodies. They make decisions based on the guidelines laid down by The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). An autonomous organisation, set up in 1961 by the government “to assist and advise the Central and state governments” for improving the quality of education, NCERT’s objectives include the task of preparing and publishing model textbooks. Its chairman is appointed by the central government. For deciding the content of textbooks, the NCERT is currently preparing a document called the National Curriculum Framework (NCF). It was last prepared in 2005 under the UPA government, and before that, it was revised in 1975, 1988 and 2000. The NCF will have broad guidelines for the revised syllabus that will be followed by the boards for their textbooks.

• Growth of Education in India: Historical Background from Vedic Period to British Period

• Growth of Education in the Post-Independence Period-Reforms taken so far

• Education was initially a state subject but following an amendment (42nd) to the Constitution in 1976, it became a concurrent subject-True or False?

• The gains in terms of the literacy rates of the Indian population since independence-Know in detail

• Constitutional Provisions Regarding Education- What Article 28, Article 29, Article 30, Article 21A, Article 45 and Article 46 says about Education?

• Education System in India-Know the Present Structure from Pre-primary level to Primary or elementary Level (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) to Secondary level (Rastriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan) to Higher education (Rastriya Uchhattar Shiksha Abhiyan)

• Goal 4 of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related to Education and Govt of India’s initiatives/schemes/programmes to achieve the SDG Goal 4-Know in detail

• How National Policy on Education (NEP) 2020 and Sustainable development goals are linked?

• What are the salient features of New Education Policy 2020?

• How many policies India had so far and what was the fundamental objective of each which makes every policy unique?

• Know the Kothari Commission (1964–1966) recommendations to formulate a coherent education policy

• National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986 and New Education Policy (NEP) 2020-Compare and Contrast

• What do you understand by National Curriculum Framework?

• National Policy on Education (NPE) and National Curriculum Framework (NCF)-Connect the dot

• “If NEP is the guiding philosophy, then NCF is the pathway”-Elaborate

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍History textbook deletions: Why NCERT argument that it is trying to reduce pressure on students is weak

GOVT & POLITICS

At meet with officers, PM stresses capacity building, ending silos

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Stating that it is the responsibility of each government official to increase people’s faith in the system, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday exhorted bureaucrats to break the “shackles of hierarchy” and use the experience of every person in the organisation. Launching the inaugural ‘National Training Conclave’, Modi emphasised the significance of strengthening expertise, promoting collaboration, and improving service provision.

• What is the capacity building commission?

• ‘Mission Karmayogi’ or The National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB)-Know the aim and objectives

• The Mission Karmayogi or National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB)-Know the rationality behind

• What are the important Features of the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB)

• Mission Karmayogi or National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB) is guided by 8 principles that are applied in tandem across all of the programmes covered by it-What are they?

• What is iGOT Karmayogi?

• Mission Karmayogi or National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB)- What are the Key Programme Components?

• Mission Karmayogi or National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB)- Know the Institutional Structure in detail

• Special Purpose Vehicle for National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB)-Know Structure & Function

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What is Mission Karmayogi?

EXPLAINED

The American hand

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies I: Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.

• General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-The Soviet Union’s role in independent India’s early industrialization through supply of capital equipment and technology is well-known. Not as widely known is the part that the United States, and the likes of Rockefeller and Ford Foundation, played in India’s agricultural development during the 1950s and 1960s. A brief history of this involvement – through the establishment of agricultural universities and the Green Revolution – is useful in the context of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the US for strengthening the “global strategic partnership” between the two countries.

• Green Revolution-Know in detail

• Who was the Norman Borlaug?

• What were the objectives of Green Revolution?

• What led the Green Revolution to come to India?

• What effects did the Green Revolution have on the economy of India?

• Traditional wheat and rice varieties and the Green Revolution entailed breeding semi-dwarf varieties-Compare and Contrast

• How those seeds came to India?

• Why did the US help India?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why India needs a Green Revolution 2.0

Why Nagaland ban on sale of dog meat was quashed

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– The Kohima bench of the Gauhati High Court recently quashed a 2020 government notification, which had banned the trade and sale of dog meat in Nagaland.

In its judgement, the single-judge bench of Justice Marli Vankung made a number of observations on what is considered acceptable for human consumption and the extent to which the state can regulate this.

• What is the government notification in question?

• For Your Information- The order had been issued on July 4, 2020, by the office of the Chief Secretary of Nagaland and it had banned dog markets, the commercial import and trading of dogs, as well as the commercial sale of dog meat in markets and in dine-in restaurants.
This had come after a 2014 circular by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) stating that the slaughter of any species other than the ones listed in Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011 is not permissible. The Nagaland government order had stated that the ban was necessary to “regulate the safety of food articles safe for human consumption”.

• What are these animals which are listed in the regulations?

• What were the court’s comments on this categorisation?

• Was there discussion on cruelty to animals as well?

• What were the court’s observations on the power of the FSSAI to issue prohibition orders on food items?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Gauhati HC quashes 2020 Nagaland order banning sale of dog meat

ECONOMY

OPEC+ working against ‘uncertainties and sentiment’, says Saudi minister

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Sunday that the latest OPEC+ agreement involved comprehensive reform, but that the alliance was also working against “uncertainties and sentiment” within the market.

• What is the OPEC+?

• Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus (OPEC+)-Difference

• Map Work-Locate OPEC+ Member Countries

• OPEC+ more influential than OPEC?

• Map Work-Locate OPEC+ Member Countries

• OPEC+ more influential than OPEC?

• Why is OPEC+ cutting oil output?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Express View on OPEC’s new move: Crude cuts

📍Why is OPEC+ cutting oil output?

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