UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 24th October 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

The Uneven Spread of Medical Colleges in India

Subject: Social Issues

Why in News?

Nagaland got its first medical college earlier this month — the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR) at Phriebagei in Kohima will have 100 MBBS seats for the coming academic session next year.

Background:

• The Central government, on multiple occasions, has been emphasizing on an equal distribution of medical colleges across the country.
• In August, a regulation issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) put a hold on new medical colleges and expansion of existing medical colleges in states with more than 100 medical education seats per million population.
• This notification has received criticism from the southern states, none of which are now eligible for any more medical education seats.
• The NMC has argued that the guidelines will bring down regional disparities in the availability of doctors, and ensure effective quality education for all.
• The NMC says that with this ratio, there will be still potential for the addition of about 40,000 MBBS seats in the country id the medical colleges are evenly distributed.

How are Seats Currently Distributed?

• At least 13 states and UTs have more than 100 seats/million population.
• Tamil Nadu (11,225) has the most seats, followed by Karnataka (11,020) and Maharashtra (10,295).
• Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have exceeded the NMC’s norm by 46% and 63% respectively.
• The deficiency of medical college seats in relation to population is the most acute in Meghalaya, Bihar, and Jharkhand, all of which are in deficits of more than 75% from the NMC’s ratio.
• Meghalaya has only 50 seats for an estimated 33.5 lakh people; these numbers for Bihar and Jharkhand are 2,565 and 12.7 crore, and 980 and 3.9 crore respectively.
• Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state, has 9,253 seats, a deficiency of 61%.
• Over the last 9 years, the government has doubled the number of both undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats. Still, the there is a stark deficiency in some states.

Will States with an Excess Have to Start Shutting Down Colleges or Cutting Seats?

• No, the NMC’s notification says the ratio will be applicable only if new medical colleges are sought to be established or seats in existing colleges are sought to be increased from the 2024-25 batch.

Reasons Behind NMC’s Notification w.r.t. No. of Seats in States:

• With the increase in number of private medical colleges, experts agree that there is a need to rationalize.
• This notification was necessary to ensure a good distribution of medical colleges across the country. Opening more colleges in, for example Bihar, could result in a reverse migration of staff from the southern states.
• Also, the NMC’s ratio is based on the WHO’s recommended number of physicians per unit of population.

About National Medical Commission:

• The National Medical Commission is a statutory body established under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
• The NMC replaced the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI) which was established in 1934.
• Objectives of NMC:
  • Improve access to quality and affordable medical education;
  • Ensure availability of adequate and high-quality medical professionals in all parts of the country;
  • Promote equitable and universal healthcare that encourages community health perspective and makes services of medical professionals accessible to all the citizens;
  • Objectively assess medical institutions periodically in a transparent manner; 
  • Maintain a medical register for India;
  • Enforce high ethical standards in all aspects of medical services;
  • Have an effective grievance redressal mechanism.
• Composition of NMC
• NMC is a 25-member body, majority of them being nominated by the Central government.
• Tenure of NMC members is four years (except for part-time members whose tenure is two years).
  • The NMC has 11 part-time members representing states or state medical councils.
• The NMC chairpersons and other members, nominated by the Central government, cannot be renominated.
• Any decision requires approval of the majority (minimum 13 out of 25) of the Commission.

Source: Indian Express

Patachitra paintings

Subject: Art and Culture

Why in News?

 In a village in Bengal, a unique tradition of creating Durga traces its origins to Odisha’s Patachitra paintings.

Background:-

• The ‘pat er Durga’, where the Goddess Durga is created on cloth instead of the more conventional clay, traces its origins to Odisha’s Patachitra paintings.

About Patachitra paintings:-

• Pattachitra art is one of the oldest forms of art from Pattachitra – giving the art form its name.
• Pattachitra paintings come from Orissa in the 5th century.
• The earliest records of Pattachitra art come from the village of Puri.
• Pattachitra art is still popular in this region today.  
• The craftsmen behind this art form are known as ‘Maharanas’ and ‘Mohapatras’.
• Puri was originally established by King Narasingha Deva 1 of the 13th-century Eastern Ganga dynasty. 
• The artists who live in this village trace their origins back to the Savar tribe.
• Pattachitra paintings originally emerged of three deities (Jagannath and his brother and sister).
• It was a means for devotees to worship them when the idols were kept away for the 15 days following the bathing.
• This style of art was originally known as ‘Anasar Patti’ in honour of the 15 days of seclusion before becoming known as Pattachitra.
• The word ‘pattachitra’ means cloth painting and comes from the two words ‘pata’ and ‘chitra’.
• This type of art form is known as scroll painting and was typically carried out on cloth.
• This art style was used to depict images of Hindu mythological stories and fascinating characters.
• It has distinctive bold colours and Italian craftsmanship.
• These paintings incorporate Indian customs, rituals, and values in a unique and beautiful way that celebrates the Hindu faith and religion.
• This traditional art has evolved to appear in clothing and accessories, becoming living art that you can incorporate into your everyday life.

Source: Indian Express

GS-II

Aadi Mahotsav

Subject: Polity and Governance

Why in News?

The Union Minister for Tribal Affairs will inaugurate the Aadi Mahotsav - the National Tribal Festival - on 25th Octber, at Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

About Aadi Mahotsav:

• The mega event is being organised by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED).
• It serves as a unique, symbiotic bridge to embark on a journey through the tapestry of India's indigenous heritage.
• In this event, a total of over 100 stalls would showcase the kaleidoscope of India's tribal culture, craftsmanship, culinary artistry, and economic endeavours.
• This Aadi Mahotsav, besides other attractions of handicrafts, handloom, pottery, jewellery, will be showcasing ‘Millets grown by Tribals’.

Key points about TRIFED

• It is a national-level organisation under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• It is primarily engaged in the development and marketing of tribal handicrafts and natural products.
• It came into existence in 1987 and got registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 1984 (now the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002).
• Mandate: Capability enhancement for Tribals, promotion of tribal products, and creation of marketing opportunities for the Tribals with a view to ensuring remunerative prices for their products and augmenting their income on a sustainable basis.
• It has been entrusted by the Government of India to implement its proposed Minimum Support Price Scheme for Minor Forest Produce.
• Head Office: New Delhi

Source: PIB

Electoral Bonds

Subject: Polity 

Why in News?

The former Chief Election Commissioner of India, SY Quraishi, spoke on the need for transparency in political funding and Electoral Bonds. 

What is an Electoral Bond?

• Government of India notified the Electoral Bond scheme in 2018.
• An electoral bond is like a promissory note that can be bought by any Indian citizen or company incorporated in India from select branches of State Bank of India. 
• The citizen or corporate can then donate the same to any eligible political party of his/her choice. 

How does it Work?

• The bonds are issued in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 100,000 and Rs 1 crore . 
• The receiver can encash the bonds through the party’s verified account. The electoral bond will be valid only for fifteen days.
• The electoral bonds are available for purchase for 10 days at the beginning of every quarter. 
  • An additional period of 30 days shall be specified by the government in the year of Lok Sabha elections.
• Eligibility: Any party that is registered under section 29A of the Representation of the Peoples Act, 1951 and has secured at least one percent of the votes polled in the most recent General elections or Assembly elections is eligible to receive electoral bonds. 
• Anonymous Donation: The electoral bonds will not bear the name of the donor. Thus, the political party might not be aware of the donor’s identity.
• Tax exemption: A donor will get a deduction and the recipient, or the political party, will get tax exemption, provided returns are filed by the political party.

Need for the Electoral Bonds

• The government contended that it would make political donations transparent while also protecting the identity of the donor.
• The electoral bonds would keep a tab on the use of black money for funding elections. 

Concerns with Electoral Bonds

• Lack of Transparency: The government amended Section 29C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, effectively exempting political parties from informing the ECI about the details of contributions made to them through electoral bonds.
  • This would impact transparency and keep citizens from vital information about how much contribution a political party received and through what source. 
• Influx of Black Money: Opponents of the electoral bond scheme argue that since the identity of the donor has been kept anonymous, it could lead to an influx of black money. 
• Corporate Funding: Earlier there was a cap on the amount of profit a corporation can donate and required the entity to disclose this amount and the name of the beneficiary political party but now, there is no limit to the amount companies can donate.
  • This could increase opacity in political funding and the danger of exchange of advances between such companies by political parties.
• Funding by Foreign Companies: The amendment to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA), allowing foreign companies to fund Indian political parties, could expose Indian politics and democracy to international lobbyists having their own agendas. 
• Infringing the ”Right to Know”: The opacity and anonymity made political parties more unanswerable and unaccountable to the citizens at large.
• Derailing of Election Commission of India guidelines: The ECI said that the amendments derailed its 2014 guidelines on disclosure of expenditure and contributions received by political parties. 

Conclusion

• All election funding should be made completely transparent so that voters know who is funding whom. 
• A set of rules on limiting funding shall be brought to prevent private interests from unduly influencing elections or Governments. 
• Elections should be a more level playing field so that good politicians, candidates and parties with less funds also stand a chance of competing in elections. 

Source: Indian Express

GS-III

Fukushima nuclear plant tragedy

Subject: Environment

Why in News?

Scientists recently, tested the fish after water release from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Background:-

• A team of international scientists collected fish samples from a port town near Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, seeking to assess the impact of the plant’s recent release of treated radioactive water into the sea.

About the Fukushima nuclear plant tragedy:-

• Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear power plant meltdown: (Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant)
  • Nuclear power plant: a type of power plant that uses the process of nuclear fission in order to generate electricity.
  • Nuclear fission: atoms are split apart to form smaller atoms, releasing energy.
• Location: Japan. 
• Causes: a massive earthquake and tsunami.
• Impact: It released large amounts of radioactive materials into the environment.
• Causalities: No deaths were initially attributed to the incident.
  • Although around 18,000 people lost their lives as a result of the earthquake and tsunami. 

Development after tragedy:-

• Since then, Japan has been storing the cooling water for nuclear fuel, and rain and groundwater seeping through the damaged reactor buildings in large tanks on site.
• The water is treated using a filtering system called Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS).
  • ALPS: a filtering system that removes most of the radioactive elements except for tritium.
  • Tritium: a hydrogen isotope that is difficult to separate.

Source: The Hindu

Exercise Harimau Shakti 2023

Subject: Defence

Why in News?

Recently, Exercise Harimau Shakti 2023 commenced in Umroi Cantonment, India.

About Exercise Harimau Shakti 2023: 

• It is a joint bilateral training exercise between Indian & Malaysian Armed Forces.
• The Malaysian Army contingent comprises troops from the 5th Royal Battalion of the Malaysian Army. The Indian contingent is being represented by a battalion of the Rajput Regiment.
• Aim: To enhance military capability for conducting of Multi Domain Operations in a sub conventional scenario.
• During the exercise, both contingents will establish a Joint Command Post & establish an integrated surveillance grid along with a Joint Surveillance Centre.
• Both sides will rehearse employment of joint forces in jungle/ semi urban / urban environment. In addition, intelligence collection, collation and dissemination drills will also be rehearsed.
• The Exercise will also witness employment of Drones/UAVs & Helicopters. Two sides will also practice casualty management and evacuation drills.
• Both the contingents will discuss logistics management and practice survival training at the Battalion level.
• The training will focus primarily on high degree of physical fitness, conduct of drills at tactical level and sharing of best practices with each other.
• The Exercise will culminate with a 48-hour long validation exercise in a semi-urban area.
• Last edition of the Exercise was conducted in Pulai, Kluang, Malaysia in November 2022.

Source: PIB

Ecological Health of the Himalayas

Subject: Environment

Why in News?

The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court for taking steps to assess the carrying capacity of the 13 Himalayan states in a time-bound manner.

• 13 Himalayan Indian States/Union Territories, namely Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Assam and West Bengal, stretching across 2500 km.

What is the carrying capacity of a region?

• Carrying capacity of a region is based on the maximum population size that an ecosystem or environment can sustainably support over a specific period without causing significant degradation or harm to its natural resources and overall health.
• It is crucial in understanding and managing the balance between human activities and the preservation of natural ecosystems to ensure long-term sustainability.
• The carrying capacity for any given area is not fixed, and can be altered by improved technology, but mostly it is changed for the worse by pressures which accompany a population increase.

Vulnerabilities of Himalayan region

• The Himalayan ecosystem is vulnerable and susceptible to the impacts and consequences of changes on account of natural causes, climate change resulting from anthropogenic emissions; and developmental paradigms of modern society. 
• It has led to significant disruption in ecosystems leading to shifts in range, migration patterns, seasonal activities and abundance of territorial and marine species, affecting the livelihood of resource dependent communities.
• Such threats and uncertainties have undermined the socio-economic development of the Indian Himalayan Region.

Importance of Himalayas

• Nearly 50 million people reside in this region, which is characterised by a diverse demographic, and versatile economic, environmental, social and political systems.
• Climate: The Himalayas prevent India from cold Siberian winds. Without the Himalayas, India would have been a dry, cold land.
  • They intercept south-west monsoon winds, which are responsible for monsoon rain, very crucial for agriculture and the economy of India. 
• Natural resources: The Himalayas are a source of perennial rivers viz. Indus, Ganga and the Brahmaputra river system.
  • They provide minerals and forest produce for the Economic development of the country.
  • They are the source of soil for the fertile plains of northern India as well as the region of North East. 
• Defence, Tourism and Pilgrimage: The Himalayas form a natural boundary with China and Myanmar, thus providing a cover against any adventure by the foreign militaries.
  • The Doons, Valleys, scenic hill stations and religious sites attract millions of tourists from India and the world. 

Initiative to overall development of Himalayan ecosystems

• The National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) 2010: It is coordinated and implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), aims to understand the complex processes affecting the Himalayan ecosystem and evolve suitable management and policy measures for sustaining and safeguarding the Himalayan ecosystem.
  • NMSHE attempts to address issues concerning Himalayan Glaciers and associated hydrological consequences, Biodiversity conservation and protection, Wildlife conservation and protection, Traditional knowledge societies and their livelihood, and Planning for sustaining of Himalayan ecosystem.
• Other initiatives like the Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme, Secure Himalaya Project, and Guidelines on ‘Carrying Capacity in the Indian Himalayan Region’ etc are vital for the overall development of the Indian Himalayan Region.

What needs to be done?

• It is highlighted that the suggestion made by the government focuses on one institution, i.e., the G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, while others are just a part of the technical group.
  • Almost all the other institutes are important players in their respective domains and should be equal partners in policy making.
• People-centric approach: It needs to involve the local population and grass-roots bodies, from panchayats and other urban local bodies, in determining the carrying capacity of the Indian Himalayan Region.
• Focus on social aspect: There is a wider and longer term need for assessing the overall sustainable capacity of the environment, including all biological species, food, habitat, water including ecology and agriculture.
  • The expert committee should be asked to focus on the social aspects or population sustainability of the respective States.
• Sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem as a National Mission, will focus on the rapid generation of four types of national capacities, dealing with Human and knowledge capacities, Institutional capacities, Capacities for evidence based policy building and governance and Continuous self learning for balancing between forces of Nature and actions of mankind. 

Source: The Hindu