UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 11th January 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Context

The necropolis of noblemen dating from the Asaf Jahi era known as Paigah Tombs Complex in Hyderabad is set to be restored with funding by the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.

Who were the Paigahs?

• Paigah tombs are 200 years old and represent the final resting places of the Paigah Nobles of several generations.
• During the conquest of the Deccan region by Emperor Aurangzeb, the Paigahs came along with him.
• The House of Paigah was founded by Shams-ul-Umra I also known as Nawaz Abul Fatah Khan Tegh.
• Their ties with Nizams were further cemented through matrimonial alliances.
• They also constructed several palaces in the city and the notable amongst them are the famous Falaknuma Palace, Asman Garh Palace, Khursheed Jah Devdi and Vicar-ul-Umarahi palace.
• They were believed to be rich than the average Maharajah of the country.

Paigah Tombs

• Paigah Tombs are the tombs belonging to the nobility of Paigah family, who were fierce loyalists of the Nizams, served as statespeople, philanthropists and generals under and alongside them.
• They are among the major wonders of Hyderabad State which known for their architectural excellence as shown in their laid mosaic tiles and craftsmanship work.

Its architecture

• These tombs are made out of lime and mortar with beautiful inlaid marble carvings.
• It consists of marvelous carvings and motifs in floral designs and inlaid marble tile-works.
• It depicts Indo-Islamic architecture, a mix of both the Asaf Jahi and the Rajputana styles of architecture.
• There is fabulous stucco (plaster) work, representing the Mughal, Persian and Deccan style too.

Source: The Hindu 

Ozone Hole filling up now

Context

The ozone ‘hole’, once considered to be the gravest danger to planetary life, is now expected to be completely repaired by 2066, a scientific assessment has suggested.

What is Ozone and Ozone Layer?

• An ozone molecule consists of three oxygen atoms instead of the usual two (the oxygen we breathe, O2, makes up 21% of the atmosphere).
• It only exists in the atmosphere in trace quantities (less than 0.001%), but its effects are very important.
• Ozone molecules are created by the interaction of ultra-violet (UV) radiation from the Sun with O2 molecules.
• Because UV radiation is more intense at higher altitudes where the air is thinner, it is in the stratosphere where most of the ozone is produced, giving rise to what is called the ‘ozone layer’.
• The ozone layer, containing over 90% of all atmospheric ozone, extends between about 10 and 40km altitude, peaking at about 25km in Stratosphere.

Why need Ozone Layer?

• The ozone layer is very important for life on Earth because it has the property of absorbing the most damaging form of UV radiation, UV-B radiation which has a wavelength of between 280 and 315 nanometres.
• As UV radiation is absorbed by ozone in the stratosphere, it heats up the surrounding air to produce the stratospheric temperature inversion.

What is Ozone Hole?

• Each year for the past few decades during the Southern Hemisphere spring, chemical reactions involving chlorine and bromine cause ozone in the southern polar region to be destroyed rapidly and severely.
• The Dobson Unit (DU) is the unit of measure for total ozone.
• The chemicals involved ozone depletion are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs for short), halons, and carbon tetrachloride.
• They are used for a wide range of applications, including refrigeration, air conditioning, foam packaging, and making aerosol spray cans.
• The ozone-depleted region is known as the “ozone hole”.

Tropical Ozone Hole

• According to the study, the ozone hole is located at altitudes of 10-25 km over the tropics.
• This hole is about seven times larger than Antarctica, the study suggested.
• It also appears across all seasons, unlike that of Antarctica, which is visible only in the spring.
• The hole has become significant since the 1980s. But it was not discovered until this study.

What caused an ozone hole in the tropics?

• Studies suggested another mechanism of ozone depletion: Cosmic rays.
• Chlorofluorocarbon’s (CFC) role in depleting the ozone layer is well-documented.
• The tropical stratosphere recorded a low temperature of 190-200 Kelvin (K).
• This can explain why the tropical ozone hole is constantly formed over the seasons.

Source: Indian Express

GS-II

NCPCR draft guidelines for trying Minors as Adults

Context

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has come up with draft guidelines on the preliminary assessment of whether certain minors are to be tried under law as adults in particular cases, under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and Adults

• The JJ Act, 2015 replaced the Indian juvenile delinquency law, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.
• It allows for juveniles in conflict with Law in the age group of 16–18, involved in Heinous Offences, to be tried as adults.
• The Act also sought to create a universally accessible adoption law for India.
• It came into force from 15 January 2016.

Preliminary assessment as per the JJ Act

• Assessment of the offender child: The Act directs that the Board shall consider the mental and physical capacity of the child for committing the alleged offence, the ability to understand the consequences of the offence, and the circumstances in which the offence was committed.
• Psychological ‘trial’: It states that the Board can take the assistance of experienced psychologists or psychosocial workers or other experts. The Act also gives a disclaimer that the assessment is not a trial, but is only to assess the capacity of the child to commit and understand the consequences of the alleged offence.
• Arriving at conclusion: After the assessment, the Board can pass an order saying there is a need to try the said child as an adult and transfer the case to a children’s court with the relevant jurisdiction.
• Penalty: If tried as a minor, the child could be sent to a special home for a maximum of three years. If tried as an adult, the child can be sentenced to a jail term, except being sentenced to death or life imprisonment without the possibility of release.

Why has the NCPCR come up with draft guidelines now?

• The Supreme Court is hearing a case related to the murder of a Class 2 student in Haryana, allegedly by a 16-year-old.
• The task of preliminary assessment under the JJ Act is a ‘delicate task’, concluded SC.
• It said that the consequences of the assessment on whether the child is to be tried as an adult or a minor are “serious in nature and have a lasting effect for the entire life of the child”.
• It said that the assessment requires expertise and directed that appropriate and specific guidelines be put in place.
• It had left it open to the Central government and the National and State Commissions for the Protection of Child Rights to consider issuing the guidelines.

Major draft guidelines by NCPCR

The draft relying on already existing provisions in the Act says that the preliminary assessment has to determine following aspects:

• Physical capacity of the child: To determine the child’s ‘locomotor’ abilities and capacities, particularly with regard to gross motor functions such as walking, running, lifting, throwing…such abilities as would be required to engage in most antisocial activities.
• Mental capacity: To determine the child’s ability to make social decisions and judgments. It also directs assessments pertaining to mental health disorders, substance abuse, and life skills deficits.
• Circumstances in which the offence was allegedly committed: Psychosocial vulnerabilities of the child. This is to include life events, any trauma, abuse, and mental health problems, stating that the offence behaviour is a cumulative consequence of a lot of other circumstances.
• Ability to understand the consequences of the alleged offence: To determine the child’s knowledge or understanding of the alleged offence’s social, interpersonal and legal consequences. These include what others will say or perceive him, how it might affect his personal relationships and the knowledge of relevant laws, respectively.
• Building a rapport: It also states that the experts must be given an optimal opportunity to interact with the child to build a rapport. Experts can be from the field of child psychology and psychiatry. It also states they must undergo regular training.
• Others: Other reports that the Board is to rely on include the Social Investigation Report, Social Background Report an Individual Care Plan, statements of witnesses and interaction with parents, guardians, school staff, peer groups and neighbours.

Way forward

• Government should amend JJ Act 2015.
• Such an amendment would go a long way in providing the requisite balance between the rationales underlying the juvenile justice system and the criminal justice system and realizing the objectives professed by both.

Source: Indian Express

Malnutrition in the North-eastern states of India

Context

Between the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4 (2015–16) and the fifth round (2019–2020), there has been a considerable increase in the number of malnourished children in India, and the progress made during the first half of the decade appears to have been undone. Malnutrition in the North-eastern states of India is worse than the country average.

What is malnutrition?

• Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.
• For a child’s motor, sensory, cognitive, social, and emotional development, malnutrition has substantial long-term effects. It impedes productivity and academic progress.

The term malnutrition covers two broad groups of conditions

• Undernutrition: Undernutrition includes stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height), underweight (low weight for age) and micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals).
• Overnutition: The other is overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer).

Did you know?

• Stunting, or low height for age, is a recognized risk factor for children’s delayed development.
• According to a study, a 1% reduction in adult height as a result of childhood stunting is linked to a 1.4% reduction in economic productivity.
• Children who are stunted, earn 20% less as adults.

Malnutrition in North East India

• Upsurge in stunting: Four states in the Northeast Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura have seen an upsurge in stunting among children under the age of five. Stunting is highest in Meghalaya at 46.8 %, followed by Nagaland (32.7%), Tripura (32.3 %), and Mizoram (28.9%). In Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, the percentage of kids who are stunted, wasting, underweight, or overweight has increased
• Levels of stunting decreased in Assam: The NFHS-5 shows Assam, Manipur and Sikkim have shown a drop in stunting levels. In Assam, stunting has decreased by almost one percentage point, although rates of overweight (2.3% to 4.9%), underweight (29.8% to 32.8%), and stunting (17% to 21.7%) have all increased, whereas that of wasting and underweight have decreased by more than 2% in each instance.
• Sikkim performs better than other NE states: As the number of stunted, wasting, and underweight children has dropped, Sikkim has done considerably better than other NE states so has Manipur, with a decrease in wasting from 6.8% to 9.9% in under-five children.
• Increase in no of overweight people in every NE state: Every state in the Northeast saw an increase in the number of overweight people, which amplifies the growing double burden of malnutrition in the states.

Appropriate foods and feeding practices show Higher immunity

• Feeding practices adequate only in Meghalaya and Tripura:  The percentages of breastfeeding children receiving adequate complementary foods have improved only in Meghalaya and Tripura. Early initiation of breastfeeding is on the decline in six out of the eight northeastern states, with highest levels in Sikkim (33.5%) and Assam (15.3%).
• Reduction in exclusive breastfeeding rates (EBF): Sikkim, Tripura, and Manipur all exhibit a notable reduction in exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates. EBF in Sikkim is the lowest at 28.3 percent, far lower than the national average of 63.7 percent. Tripura demonstrated a gain of 39.5 percentage points in the practice of timely introduction of semi-solid food, whereas Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh showed a slight fall.
• All NE states except Assam performed well on diet adequacy: Minimum Adequate Diet (or diet adequacy) is a combined indicator of feeding frequency and diet variety. From 8% to 29.8%, there is a significant range throughout the northeastern states. All states, with the exception of Assam, have performed better on this measure than the nation as a whole.
• The situation with obesity is more complicated: Only Meghalaya and Nagaland have seen decreases, while the other six states have seen increases. It is heartening to see a declining trend in underweight women (BMI < 18.5) in all eight northeastern states.
• Anaemia is increased: In six of the eight northeastern states, anaemia among women of reproductive age has increased, with Tripura worst at 67.2%, and Assam at 65.9%.

How malnutrition can be tackled in NE?

• Finding out the causes: Stunting among children in the Northeast is caused by a number of factors, including poor maternal health, a lack of antenatal care, inadequate infrastructure and healthcare facilities, inadequate feeding and nutrition for women, and limited access to education, clean drinking water, and sanitary facilities.
• For instance: Lack of toilets, drinking water and cooking fuels in the home environment have an impact on child malnutrition, according to a 2015 study on indigenous peoples in the Northeast.
• Improving the maternal nutrition: Manipur, Mizoram, and Sikkim fare better than the national average in most measures. Newborns’ chances of being stunted are decreased by better maternal nutrition prior to conception, throughout pregnancy, and after delivery. According to data for Sikkim, Manipur, and Mizoram, the risk of stunting decreases as the number of underweight mothers decreases.
• Upgrading the service availability: In the northeastern states, the use of supplementary food at the anganwadi centres (ANC) varies greatly, from about 35% in Arunachal Pradesh to 70% in Tripura. A low of 20.7% in Nagaland and a high of 79.4% in Manipur is the ANC coverage across the Northeast.
• Improving the required intake of Iron and Folic acid: All states have lower percentages of iron and folic acid (IFA) intake than the national average of 26%, with the exception of Manipur where 30.3% of pregnant women completed the full 180-day course of IFA tablets. Nagaland has the lowest rate, at just 4.1%. Overall, the NE states show a wide variation in service availability and uptake.

Note it down: The innovative programmes to enhance mother and child health

• Nutrition gardens: For example, the Assam government encouraged women in rural communities to develop “nutrition gardens” where they could grow vegetables.
• My school my Farm: “Kan Sikul, Kan Huan (My School, My Farm)” programme in the most impoverished and disaster-prone area in Mizoram-Lawngtlai.
• Lunchbox exchange: The “dibbi adaan pradaan (lunchbox exchange)” initiative in Hailakandi district of Assam for promoting better nutrition and variety in menu.

Conclusion

Malnutrition in the Northeast has to be addressed holistically through the scaling up of direct nutrition interventions and the coupling of them with nutrition-sensitive measures to close the nutrition gap. In the long run, it could be beneficial to improve the monitoring and evaluation of current interventions by building on the POSHAN Abhiyaan and health projects.

Source: The Hindu 

Context

Governor of Tamil Nadu left the assembly session of house while chief minister was point out that governor skip the certain portion of the speech which he was suppose to read. This has again raised the questions over powers and functions of governor.

History about powers of governor and assembly address

• Non-interference of Governors under British: A good governor must stay above politics and manifestly be seen as impartial and fair. In 1937, when the Congress won elections in seven provinces, it took office on the condition that the British governors would not interfere in the functioning of its ministries and refrain from exercising “discretion and special powers”.
• Special powers under the constitution: However, after Independence, India conferred the same special powers on governors.
• Yogender Singh Handa v. State of Rajasthan (1967): In 1967, Rajasthan Governor Sampuranand skip a part the speech. In Yogender Singh Handa v. State of Rajasthan (1967), the Rajasthan High Court held that some portion read by the governor was good enough to deem the whole address as read.
• Governor Padmaja Naidu case: On February 8, 1965, when her request for “silence, silence, permit me to address” was ignored, West Bengal Governor Padmaja Naidu left the assembly without delivering the ceremonial address. The Speaker took the chair and announced that the governor had been pleased to make her speech and lay a copy of her speech on the table of the House.

Powers and functions of the governor

• Integral part of assembly: The governor is an integral part of the legislative assembly. He calls its sessions and he dissolves the House.
• Right to address first session of the house: Under Article 176(2(b), he has the right to address the first session of the House. This address is an integral part of constitutional symbolism and has huge significance.
• Powers of cabinet, not Governor’s: The Constitution gives no discretion to governors in the matter of convening the session of the assembly. Parliamentary democracy being the basic structure of our Constitution, this is the prerogative of the Cabinet though Article 174 does say that the governor from time to time summons the assembly to meet at such time and place “he thinks fit”.
• Nabam Rebia (2016) case: Governors have no business to question the purpose of convening the sessions of the House. A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court in Nabam Rebia (2016) had observed that the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, J P Rajkhowa, who advanced the session of the assembly without the advice of the chief minister, had exceeded his jurisdiction as he had no discretion in convening the assembly session.

Legality of governor skipping the mandatory speech to assembly

• Governor cannot decline to give a speech: Justice B N Banerjee of the Calcutta High Court in Andul Gafoor Habibullah v. Speaker, West Bengal Assembly (1966) held that the governor cannot decline to deliver his address and refuse to fulfil his constitutional duty.
• Failure to address is irregularity not legality: The address under Article 176 is mandatory. However, the HC held that when the governor fails to deliver his address under Article 176 and walks out of the House after laying down the address on the table of the House, this is mere irregularity, not illegality.
• Non-judiciable in court: It cannot be questioned under Article 212, wherein the validity of the House proceedings cannot be challenged on the ground of mere irregularity in the procedure. The petitioner’s claim, in this case, was that since the House did not start its proceedings with the customary address by the governor, it has vitiated the proceedings of the House.

Implications: If governor refuses/fails to deliver assembly address?

• Possibility of constitutional crisis: Governors editing/deleting the speech may indeed create a constitutional crisis. The chief minister may refuse to defend the address in his response at the end of the debate on the governor’s address and with the chief minister commanding a majority, the House may reject the resolution on the governor’s speech.
• CM may need to resign: When the governor’s/president’s address faces such a defeat, it is considered a no-confidence motion and the chief minister or the prime minister as the case may be, needs to resign.
• Resignation over irregularity: Such a resignation for something that the government did not include in the ceremonial address but the governor had said on its own would not only be grossly unjust and unethical but absolutely undemocratic.
• Past precedence of resignation: Chief Minister Gurnam Singh of Punjab in 1967 had resigned when the governor’s address was defeated on the floor of the House. UP CM C B Gupta too had to resign in similar circumstances when a resolution thanking the governor was defeated in the UP assembly. Thus, the governor has no discretion in editing the address.

Conclusion

Governor is neither a decorative emblem nor a glorified cipher. His powers are limited but he has an important constitutional role to play in the governance of the state and in strengthening federalism. He is the head of the state and all chief ministers, including the Tamil Nadu chief minister, must remember it. All governors too must remain true to their oath of preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution.

Source: Indian Express

GS-III

Context

Recently, Delhi High Court asked the Central government to respond to a plea seeking sale and marketing of coronary stents in the country only after submission of adequate supporting clinical studies.

About:

• What is a Stent? A stent is a tiny, expandable metal mesh coil. It is put into the newly opened area of the artery to help keep the artery from narrowing or closing again.
• This revascularization procedure is termed as a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary angioplasty with stent placement.
• Coronary stents are now used in nearly all angioplasty procedures.
• Most stents are coated with medicine to prevent scar tissue from forming inside the stent. These stents are called drug-eluting stents (DES).
• Compared to coronary artery bypass surgery, which is much more invasive, people who get stents have less discomfort and a shorter recovery time.

Angioplasty:

• It is a procedure used to open blocked coronary arteries caused by coronary artery disease.
• It restores blood flow to the heart muscle without open-heart surgery.
• Angioplasty can be done in an emergency setting such as a heart attack. Or it can be done as elective surgery if your healthcare provider strongly suspects you have heart disease.
• Performed with local anesthesia and mild sedation, angioplasty involves no major incisions and usually takes about an hour.

Source: PIB

Context

Recently, DAC gave nod to purchase indigenous defence systems amounting to Rs. 4,276 crore. These include helicopter-launched Nag missiles and BrahMos cruise missile launchers for ships.

About:

• What is it? The DAC is the highest decision-making body of the defence Ministry on procurement.
• Chairman: The defence minister is the chairman of DAC. Its members include Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force.
• Objective: The main objective of the DAC is to ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the armed forces.
• Formation: It was formed, after the Group of Ministers recommendations on 'Reforming the National Security System', in 2001, post Kargil War (1999).

Functions of DAC includes

• Give in principle approval of a 15 years Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP) for defence forces.
• Accord of acceptance of necessity to acquisition proposals.
• Categorisation of the acquisition proposals relating to ‘Buy’, ‘Buy & Make’ and ‘Make’.
• Look into issues relating to single vendor clearance.
• Take decisions regarding ‘offset’ provisions in respect of acquisition proposals above Rs 300 crore.
• Take decisions regarding Transfer of Technology under the ‘Buy & Make’ category of acquisition proposals.

Source: The Hindu

Context

Recently, Government started the process of arming members of VDGs with assault rifles in Jammu region and CRPF to provide arms training to VDGs in the wake of recent terror attacks in the region.

About:

• The aim of VDGs is to organize a small group of volunteer armed civilians in the identified villages along the borders as well as in-depth areas of the Jammu division, with a view to instill a sense of self-protection and ensure safety and security of such villages.
• VDGs shall be charged with the responsibility of protecting community installations and infrastructural facilities within the defined areas of their village.

Key facts about VDGs:

• The Village Defence Committees (VDCs) were set up in the 1990s to arm villagers for self-defense purposes in the J&K region.
• In 2020, the policy of Village Defence Committees was revamped and Village Defence Groups were introduced, members of whom are called Village Defence Guards (VDGs).
• Based on assessment by law enforcement agencies, a group of armed civilians belonging to the ‘more vulnerable areas’ not more than 15 in number in each group, who shall be designated as VDGs shall be formed.
• Each group will be called the ‘Village Defence Group’ and shall be headed by a retired officer of the Army/Central Para Military Force (CPMF)/J&K Police.
• All VDGs are eligible for a monthly remuneration.
• The VDGs also function under the supervision of district superintendent of police(SP)/Senior superintendent of police(SSP).

Source: Indian Express