UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 27th May 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

Why in News?

On May 27, 1964, the first Prime Minister of India took his last breath. He was the PM from 1947 to 1964 till he died at the age of 74.

• Nehru’s birth anniversary on November 14 is also celebrated as Children’s Day every year in India. He had a great fondness for kids, and children use to call him Chacha Nehru.

Facts about Jawahar Lal Nehru:

• Jawahar Lal Nehru was born on November 14, 1889, in Allahabad (officially known as Prayagraj) to Pandit Motilal Nehru and Swarup Rani.
• He went to Trinity College in Cambridge in October 1907 and graduated with an honours degree in natural science in 1910. After completing his degree in 1910, Nehru moved to London and studied law at Inner Temple Inn.
• After returning to India in August 1912, he enrolled himself as an advocate of the Allahabad High Court.
• Inspired by Mahatama Gandhi's ideology of fighting British imperialism, Nehru joined the freedom struggle.
• He became the Indian National Congress president on two occasions -- in 1919 and 1928. Jawaharlal Nehru was first imprisoned in 1929.
• In the 60s, he played a key role in the formation and operation of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). NAM was a platform for newly liberated third-world colonies to empower each other during the Cold War while staying away from the two power blocs (Communist and Capitalist). It opposed "imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, and all forms of foreign aggression".
• Nehru wrote several books, including 'The Discovery of India', 'Glimpses of World History', and his autobiography, 'Toward Freedom'. A collection of letters he had written to his daughter Indira Gandhi was published as a book: 'Letters from a Father to His Daughter'.
• His elder sister Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was the first female president of the United Nations General Assembly, and youngest sister, Krishna Hutheesing, became a noted writer.

Source: The Hindu

Mohenjodaro’s Dancing Girl

Why in News?

On the occasion of International Museum Day PM Modi unveiled the Expos mascot – a “contemporised” version of the famous Dancing Girl of Mohenjodaro. The traditional craft of Channapatna toys was used to create this mascot.

Channapatna toys

• Channapatna toys are a particular form of wooden toys and dolls that are manufactured in the town of Channapatna in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka.
• This traditional craft is protected as a Geographical Indication (GI).
• As a result of the popularity of these toys, Channapatna is known as the Gombegala Ooru (toy- town) of Karnataka.
• Traditionally, the work involved lacquering the wood of the Wrightia tinctoria tree, colloquially called Aale mara (ivory-wood).

Mohenjo-Daro

• Mohenjo-Daro or the “Mound of the dead” lies in Larkana district of Sindh (Pakistan), about 5 km away from the Indus.
• It is one of the largest of the Indus Valley Civilization sites.
• It was discovered by archeologists Rakhaldas Banerji and Sir John Marshall.
• The site is famous for its elaborate town planning with street grids with brick pavements, developed water supply, drainage, and covered sewerage systems, homes with toilets, and monumental buildings.
• Its excavations revealed findings like the Great Bath, Great Granary, a large assembly hall, temple-like structure, the seal of Pashupati and a bust of a bearded man.
• It is the most glaring example of town planning in the Harappan civilization. The city is divided into citadel and lower city.
• The civilization went into decline in the middle of the second millennium BC for reasons that are believed to include catastrophic climate change.

About the Mohenjo Daro Dancing Girl

• The Dancing Girl was discovered in 1926, by British archaeologist Ernest McKay in a ruined house in the ‘ninth lane’ of Mohenjodaro’s citadel.
• Even though Mohenjodaro and Harappa became part of Pakistani territory after the Partition, the Dancing Girl remained in India as part of an agreement.
• Today, the bronze figurine sits in the National Museum of India as an artifact, often referred to as its “star object”.

Why is it called Dancing Girl?

• Over the years, the Dancing Girl has been an object of fascination for archaeologists and historians. Of particular interest has been the pose the woman strikes and what that means.
• John Marshall, Director-General of the ASI from 1902 to 1928 who oversaw the initial excavations in Harappa and Mohenjodaro, described the figurine as “a young girl, her hand on her hip in a half-impudent posture, and legs slightly forward as she beats time to the music with her legs and feet”.
• As Marshall’s description suggests, it is the pose that the figurine strikes that has led historians to believe that the woman depicted was a dancer. However, there is no other evidence to support this claim.
• Recent work on the issue has suggested that the “dancer” label came from readings of Indian history from later dates, when court and temple dancers were commonplace.

Significance

• The Dancing Girl is evidence of the civilisation’s knowledge of metal blending and lost-wax casting – a complicated process by which a duplicate sculpture is cast from an original sculpture to create highly detailed metallic artefacts.
• Moreover, the very existence of a figurine such as the Dancing Girl, indicates the presence of high art in Harappan society.
• While art has probably been around since the very beginning of human existence, the degree of its sophistication indicates a society’s advancement.
• The Dancing Girl by all appearances is not an object built for some utilitarian purpose – artists took great time to create an artefact of purely symbolic, aesthetic value.

Source: Indian Express

GS-II

Debate over Fortified Rice

Why in News?

The Union Food Ministry refuted the allegations made by the Opposition regarding the distribution of Fortified Rice through fair price shops.

What is Fortified Rice?

• Fortified rice refers to the process of enhancing regular rice with essential nutrients to address nutritional deficiencies in populations that heavily rely on rice as a staple food.
• These added nutrients aim to improve the nutritional value of rice and combat specific deficiencies prevalent in certain regions or population groups.
• The fortification process involves coating the rice grains with a nutrient-rich powder or premix.
• The specific nutrients added to fortified rice can vary, but commonly include:

1. Iron: Iron is often added to fortified rice to address iron deficiency anaemia, a widespread nutritional problem globally.
2. Vitamins: Essential vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B-complex (including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid), and vitamin D may be included in fortified rice to address specific vitamin deficiencies prevalent in target populations.
3. Minerals: Other minerals like zinc, calcium, and iodine may be incorporated into fortified rice, depending on the specific nutritional needs and deficiencies of the target population.

Need for fortification

• Data from the National Family Health Survey 2019-21 shows that 57 per cent of women in the reproductive age group (15-49) are deficient in iron.
• Moreover, studies have shown that about a fifth of the children (0-5 years) who do not have access to a nutritious and diversified diet suffer from vitamin-A deficiency.
• Vitamin D deficiency has been termed a silent epidemic.

Advantages offered

• Health: Fortified staple foods will contain natural or near-natural levels of micro-nutrients, which may not necessarily be the case with supplements.
• Taste: It provides nutrition without any change in the characteristics of food or the course of our meals.
• Nutrition: If consumed on a regular and frequent basis, fortified foods will maintain body stores of nutrients more efficiently and more effectively than will intermittently supplement.
• Economy: The overall costs of fortification are extremely low; the price increase is approximately 1 to 2 percent of the total food value.
• Society: It upholds everyone’s right to have access to safe and nutritious food, consistent with the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger.

Issues with fortified food

• Against nature: Fortification and enrichment upset nature’s packaging. Our body does not absorb individual nutrients added to processed foods as efficiently compared to nutrients naturally occurring.
• Bioavailability: Supplements added to foods are less bioavailable. Bioavailability refers to the proportion of a nutrient your body is able to absorb and use.
• Immunity issues: They lack immune-boosting substances.
• Over-nutrition: Fortified foods and supplements can pose specific risks for people who are taking prescription medications, including decreased absorption of other micro-nutrients, treatment failure, and increased mortality risk.

Possible health hazard

• Thalassemia, sickle cell anaemia and malaria are conditions where there is already excess iron in the body, whereas TB patients are unable to absorb iron.
• Consumption of iron-fortified foods among patients of these diseases can reduce immunity and functionality of organs.

Ministry’s justification of Fortified Rice

• The Ministry cited various studies to support the assertion that consumption of fortified rice leads to a significant improvement in haemoglobin levels and a reduction in the prevalence of anaemia.
• Rice fortification has been adopted by seven countries, including the U.S., since 1958, highlighting its effectiveness as a public health intervention.
• Ongoing evaluation, conducted by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research, is being carried out to assess the impact and effectiveness of fortified rice.
• Evaluation studies focusing on pilot districts are currently underway to gather comprehensive data and insights.

Way Forward

• Collaborative efforts between the Ministry, NITI Aayog, and other relevant institutions should be prioritized to conduct a thorough and independent evaluation of the fortified rice program.
• Transparent communication of evaluation results and findings is crucial to foster trust and address any potential shortcomings or areas of improvement.
• Incorporating feedback and recommendations from stakeholders will be valuable in enhancing the implementation and impact of the fortified rice distribution program.
• Continuous monitoring and assessment of the program’s effectiveness should be a priority, enabling necessary adjustments and improvements to be made in a timely manner.

Source: Indian Express

What is Narco Analysis Test?

Why in News?

Wrestlers at Jantar Mantar expressed their willingness to undergo narco analysis test.

• One of them emphasized that the test should be monitored by the Supreme Court.

What is a Narco Test?

• In a ‘narco’ or narcoanalysis test, a drug called sodium pentothal is injected into the body of the accused.
• This transports the accused to a hypnotic or sedated state, in which their imagination is neutralised.
• In this hypnotic state, the accused is understood as being incapable of lying, and is expected to divulge information that is true.
• Sodium pentothal or sodium thiopental is a fast-acting, short duration anaesthetic, which is used in larger doses to sedate patients during surgery.
• It belongs to the barbiturate class of drugs that act on the central nervous system as depressants.

 Difference from Polygraph Tests

• It is important to differentiate narco-analysis tests from polygraph tests, as they serve different purposes.
• Polygraph tests rely on physiological responses to detect lies, measuring variables such as blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration, and sweat gland activity while the suspect is being questioned.
• In contrast, narco-analysis tests induce a hypnotic state through the administration of drugs, aiming to weaken the subject’s resolve to lie.

Reasons to use such tests

• In recent decades, investigating agencies have sought to employ these tests in investigation, which are sometimes seen as being a “softer alternative” to torture or “third degree” to extract the truth from suspects.
• However, neither method has been proven scientifically to have a 100% success rate, and remain contentious in the medical field as well.

Restrictions on these tests

• No self-incrimination: The Bench took into consideration international norms on human rights, the right to a fair trial, and the right against self-incrimination under Article 20(3) of the Constitution.
• Consent of the accused: In ‘Selvi & Ors vs. State of Karnataka & Anr’ (2010), a Supreme Court Bench comprising then CJI ruled that no lie detector tests should be administered “except on the basis of consent of the accused”. The subject’s consent should be recorded before a judicial magistrate, the court said.
• Legal assistance to such convicts: Those who volunteer must have access to a lawyer, and have the physical, emotional, and legal implications of the test explained to them by police and the lawyer.
• Guidelines at place: It said that the ‘Guidelines for the Administration of Polygraph Test on an Accused’ published by the National Human Rights Commission in 2000, must be strictly followed.

Previous Cases and Supreme Court Ruling

• Narco analysis tests have been employed in significant cases like the 2002 Gujarat riots, the Abdul Karim Telgi fake stamp paper scam, the Nithari killings case in 2007, and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case involving Ajmal Kasab.
• However, it was in 2010 that the Supreme Court delivered a ruling addressing the legality and admissibility of narco tests.
• According to the Supreme Court ruling in “Selvi & Ors vs State of Karnataka & Anr” (2010), lie detector tests should not be administered without the consent of the accused.
• The ruling emphasized that those who volunteer for the test must have access to legal counsel and be fully informed about the physical, emotional, and legal implications of the test.

Court Decisions and Examples

• The Supreme Court, relying on its 2010 ruling, rejected a petition to produce narco-test reports in the case of Aarushi Talwar, deeming it an attempt to delay the trial proceedings.
• In 2019, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) wanted to conduct narco-analysis tests on a former Punjab National Bank (PNB) staffer involved in an alleged fraud case, but the manager did not provide consent.
• Last year, a Delhi court allowed a narco test on Aaftab Poonawalla, a murder suspect, after he voluntarily consented and acknowledged the potential consequences.

Legal Position before Supreme Court Ruling

• In 2006, the Madras High Court stated that scientific tests could be used by investigating agencies when the accused did not come forward with the truth, as it did not violate testimonial compulsion.
• Similarly, the 2008 Delhi High Court ruling in “Sh. Shailender Sharma vs State & Another” acknowledged the need for thorough investigations and stated that narco-analysis tests do not suffer from constitutional infirmities.

Can the results of these tests be considered as “confessions”?

• Not a confession: Because those in a drugged-induced state cannot exercise a choice in answering questions that are put to them.
• Assumed as evidence: However, any information or material subsequently discovered with the help of such a voluntarily-taken test can be admitted as evidence.
• Supports investigation: It reveals the location of, say, a physical piece of evidence (which is often something like a murder weapon) in the course of the test.

Way Forward

• Evaluate the demand and implications of narco analysis tests in legal proceedings, considering both the benefits and ethical concerns.
• Engage in a broader discussion on the forced intrusion into an individual’s mental processes and its impact on human dignity and rights.
• Explore alternative methods of gathering evidence while ensuring constitutional rights are respected and upheld.

Source: The Hindu

Judges Recusal

Why in News?

Recently, there have been various instances of judges recusing themselves from hearing cases.

When does a judge recuse?

• When there is a conflict of interest, a judge can withdraw from hearing a case to prevent creating a perception that she carried a bias while deciding the case.
• The conflict of interest can be in many ways — from holding shares in a company that is a litigant to having a prior or personal association with a party involved in the case.
• Another instance for recusal is when an appeal is filed in the Supreme Court against a judgement of a High Court that may have been delivered by the SC judge when she was in the HC.

Reasoning

• The practice stems from the cardinal principle of due process of law that nobody can be a judge in her own case.

What is the process for recusal?

• The decision to recuse generally comes from the judge herself as it rests on the conscience and discretion of the judge to disclose any potential conflict of interest.
• In some circumstances, lawyers or parties in the case bring it up before the judge. If a judge recuses, the case is listed before the Chief Justice for allotment to a fresh Bench.
• There are no formal rules governing recusals, although several Supreme Court judgments have dealt with the issue.
• In Ranjit Thakur v Union of India (1987), the Supreme Court held that the tests of the likelihood of bias is the reasonableness of the apprehension in the mind of the party.
• The 1999 charter ‘Restatement of Values in Judicial Life’, a code of ethics adopted by the Supreme Court states that “A Judge shall not hear and decide a matter in a company in which he holds shares… unless he has disclosed his interest and no objection to his hearing and deciding the matter is raised.”

Can a judge refuse to recuse?

• Once a request is made for recusal, the decision to recuse or not rests with the judge.
• While there are some instances where judges have recused even if they do not see a conflict but only because such an apprehension was cast, there have also been several cases where judges have refused to withdraw from a case.
• For instance, in 2019, Justice Arun Mishra had controversially refused to recuse himself from a Constitution Bench set up to re-examine a judgement he had delivered previously, despite several requests from the parties.
• Justice Mishra had reasoned that the request for recusal was really an excuse for “forum shopping” and agreeing could compromise the independence of the judiciary.

Do judges record reasons for recusal?

• Since there are no formal rules governing the process, it is often left to individual judges to record reasons for recusal. Some judges disclose the reasons in open court; in some cases, the reasons are apparent.

Concerns

• Undermining Judicial Independence: It allows litigants to cherry-pick a bench of their choice, which impairs judicial fairness. Also, the purpose of recusal in these cases undermines both independence and impartiality of the judges.
• Different Interpretations: As there are no rules to determine when the judges could recuse themselves in these cases, there are different interpretations of the same situation.
• Delays the Process: Some requests for recusal are made with the intent to intimidate the court or to get better of an 'inconvenient' judge or to obfuscate the issues or to cause obstruction and delay the proceedings or in any other way frustrate or obstruct the course of justice.

Way Forward

• Recusals should not be used as a tool to manoeuvre justice, as a means to pick benches of a party’s choice, and as an instrument to evade judicial work.
• Judicial officers must resist all manner of pressure, regardless of where it comes from and if they deviate, the independence of the judiciary would be undermined, and in turn, the Constitution itself.
• Therefore, a rule that determines the procedure for recusal on part of judges should be made at the earliest.

Source: The Hindu

GS-III

Son Ghadiyal Wildlife Sanctuary

Why in News?

Recently, The National Green Tribunal has imposed a fine of Rs 15.96 crore on two private firms engaged in mining activities near River Son in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.

About Son Ghadiyal Wildlife Sanctuary:

• The Son Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary in Sidhi District of Madhya Pradesh.
• It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1981 by the State government to protect and preserve the faunal diversity of the river, specifically the critically endangered Gharial and the vulnerable Marsh Crocodile.
• Sanctuary consists an altogether length of 210 km encompassing lengths of 161 km of Son river, 23 km of Banas river, and 26 km of Gopad River.
• Fauna:
  • The sanctuary is home to a significant population of Gharials, as well as other species of fauna such as Indian flapshell turtles, smooth-coated otters, Indian Skimmer and a variety of fish species.
  • It is also a breeding ground for the Indian Skimmer.
  • About 101 species of birds registered in the sanctuary make it rich in aquatic and avifaunal biodiversity.

Source: Indian Express

Special Protection Group (SPG)

Why in News?

Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notified fresh rules for the elite Special Protection Group (SPG).

What are the New Rules?

• The Special Protection Group (SPG) will now be handled by an officer not less than the rank of an Additional Director-General belonging to the Indian Police Service, while junior officers will be appointed on deputation for an initial period of six years.
• The appointment for the 2nd tenure may be done with the prior approval of the central government for reasons to be recorded.
• The SPG, will have its headquarters in New Delhi and now be handled by an officer not less than the rank of an Additional Director-General belonging to the Indian Police Service.
• The general superintendence, direction, command and control, supervision, training, discipline, and administration of the SPG will be vested in the director.
• These parameters were fixed through a new set of rules issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Special Protection Group Act, 1988 (34 of 1988).

Special Protection Group (SPG)

• The SPG is an elite force, specifically raised for the protection of the country’s Prime Minister, former PMs and their immediate family.
• The force is currently 3,000 strong and it was started in 1985 in the wake of the killing of PM Indira Gandhi in 1984.
• After Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in 1991, the SPG Act was amended, offering SPG protection to all former Prime Ministers and their families for a period of at least 10 years.
• The SPG is highly trained in physical efficiency, marksmanship, combat and proximate protection tactics and is assisted by all central and state agencies to ensure fool proof security. SPG Special Agents assigned to the PM security detail wear black, Western-style formal business suits, with sunglasses, and carry a two-way encrypted communication earpiece, and concealed handguns. They wear safari suits on occasions.

Special Protection Group (SPG) Act 1988

• The Special Protection Group (SPG) Act 1988 provides the constitution & regulation of SPG to provide security to the Prime Minister of India and the former prime ministers and members of their immediate families.
• The term ‘proximate security’ as mentioned in the Act means the protection provided from close quarters, during the journey by road, rail, aircraft, watercraft or on foot or any other means of transport and shall include the places of functions, engagements, residence.

Special Protection Group (Amendment) Act, 2019

• The Act amends Special Protection Group Act 1988 which was in application.
• The Act reduces Special Protection Group cover to only Prime Minister, former Prime Minister and their immediate family members up to 5 years after ceasing post if they are residing at the residence allotted.

Source: Indian Express