UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 11th December 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-II

Context

As India assumed the G20 Presidency, the External Affairs Minister of India iterated the country’s role as the “voice of the Global South”, that is otherwise under-represented in global forums.

What is Global North and Global South?

• ‘Global North’ refers loosely to countries like the US, Canada, Europe, Russia, Australia and New Zealand, while ‘Global South’ includes countries in Asia, Africa and South America.
  • This classification is more accurate as the countries share similarities in terms of wealth, indicators of education and healthcare, etc.
• Some of the South countries like India and China have emerged economically, in the last few decades.
  • The progress achieved by many Asian countries is also seen as challenging the idea that the North is the ideal.

What were the Earlier Used Classification Systems?

• First World, Second World and Third World Countries:
  • First, Second and Third Worlds countries refer to countries associated with the Cold war-era alliances of the US, the USSR, and non-aligned countries, respectively.
• World Systems Approach:
  • It emphasises an interconnected perspective of looking at world politics. There are three major zones of production: core, peripheral and semi-peripheral.
  • The core zones reap profits, being the owners of cutting-edge technologies – countries like the US or Japan.
  • Peripheral zones, on the other hand, engage in less sophisticated production that is more labour-intensive.
  • Semi-peripheral zone is in the middle including countries like India and Brazil.
• Eastern and Western Countries:
  • Western countries generally signify greater levels of economic development and prosperity among their people, and Eastern countries considered as being in the process of that transition.

What Led to the Emergence of Global North and South?

• Non-Feasibility of Earlier Classification:
  • In the post-Cold War world, the First World/Third World classification was no longer feasible, because when the Communist USSR disintegrated in 1991, most countries had no choice but to ally at some level with the capitalist US, the only remaining global superpower.
  • The East/West binary was also seen as often perpetuating stereotypical thinking about African and Asian countries.
  • Categorising incredibly diverse countries into a monolith was felt to be too simplistic.
• Commonalities in Global South Countries:
  • Most of the Global South countries share a history of colonisation. The region has mostly remained under-represented in international forums such as their exclusion from the permanent membership of the UNSC.
  • This exclusion is seen as something that contributes towards the slower growth of global south.

What are the Initiatives for South-South Cooperation?

• Global:
  • Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Forum
  • India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) Forum
• International Day for South-South Cooperation:
  • Originally observed on December 19, the date for the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation was moved to September 12 in 2011.
  • It commemorates the date when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a plan of action in 1978 to promote and implement technical cooperation among developing countries.
• Indian:
  • Proposal on TRIPS Waiver:
    • Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver, first proposed by the India and South Africa in 2020, would involve a temporary global easing of intellectual property rights (IPRs) on COVID-19 vaccines and treatments to enable them to be produced on a far larger scale, to support global health and a way out of the pandemic. agreement on Covid-19 vaccines, drugs, therapeutics, and related technologies.
• Vaccine Maitri Campaign:
  • In 2021, India began its historic campaign called the “Vaccine Maitri” initiative which is in accordance with the ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy.

What are the Roadblocks to the Development of Global South?

• Issue of Green Energy Fund:
  • Despite Global North countries’ higher contribution towards global emissions, they are neglecting to pay for funding green energy, for which the ultimate sufferers are the least emitters – the lesser developed countries.
• Impact of Russia-Ukraine War:
  • The Russia-Ukraine war severely affected the least developed countries (LDCs) aggravating the concerns related to food, energy and finance, thereby, threatening the development prospects of LDCs.
• China’s Interference:
  • China is increasingly making inroads in the Global South through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for developing infrastructure.
  • However, it is still questionable that whether BRI will be a win-win situation for both parties or it will focus only on China’s Profit.
• US Hegemony:
  • The world is now considered to be multipolar by many but still, it is the US alone who dominates international affairs.
• Inadequate Access to Resources:
  • Global North-South divergences have been historically characterised by major gaps in the access to resources required for crucial developmental outcomes.
  • Industrialisation, for example, has been skewed in the favour of advanced economies since the early 1960s, and no major evidence of global convergence was found in this regard.
• Impact of Covid-19:
  • Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the already existing divides.
  • Not only have the countries faced different challenges in dealing with the initial phases of the pandemic, but the social and macroeconomic implications being faced today have been far worse for the global South.
  • The vulnerability of the domestic economies is far more apparent now in countries ranging from Argentina and Egypt to Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

How can India be the Voice of Global South?

• Championing the Global South today would demand more active Indian engagement with the messy regional politics within the developing world.
• India must also come to terms with the fact that the Global South is not a coherent group and does not have a single shared agenda. There is much differentiation within the South today in terms of wealth and power, needs and capabilities.
• This demands a tailored Indian policy to different regions and groups of the developing world.
• India is eager to become a bridge between the North and the South by focusing on practical outcomes rather than returning to old ideological battles. If India can translate this ambition into effective policy, there will be no contradiction between the simultaneous pursuit of universal and particular goals.

Source: Indian Express

Context

Recently, four Bills, seeking to modify the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list in 4 States - Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, were introduced in Lok Sabha via amendments proposed in the Constitution (STs) Order, 1950.

What are the Proposed Changes?

• The Bill Seeks To:
  • Add the Narikoravan and Kuruvikkaran hill tribes to the ST list of Tamil Nadu.
  • The Lokur Committee (1965), in its report, also recommended their inclusion in the list.
• Introduce Betta-Kuruba as a synonym for the already categorised Kadu kuruba in the ST list of Karnataka.
• Add a number of synonyms in Devanagri script for the already categorised Bhariya Bhumia tribe in the ST list of Chhattisgarh.
  • As per the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, they are all part of the same tribe but had been kept out of the list just because they are pronounced and spelled their names differently.
  • Add Hattee community of Trans-Giri region in Sirmaur district to the ST list of Himachal Pradesh (after almost five decades).

What is the Process of Inclusion in the ST List?

• Recommendation from State:
  • The process to include tribes in the ST list begins with recommendations from the respective State governments, which are then sent to the Tribal Affairs Ministry, which reviews and sends them to the Registrar General of India for approval.
• Approval from NCST: This is followed by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) approval before the list is sent to the Cabinet for a final decision.
• President's Assent: The final decision rests with the President (under Articles 342).
  • The inclusion of any community in the STs comes into effect only after the President assents to a Bill amending the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.

What are the Provisions Related to STs in India?

• Definition:
  • The Constitution of India does not define the criteria for recognition of STs. As per Census-1931, STs are termed as "backward tribes” living in the "Excluded" and "Partially Excluded" areas.
  • The Government of India Act of 1935 called for the first time for representatives of "backward tribes" in provincial assemblies.
• Constitutional Provisions:
  • Article 366(25): It only provides a process to define STs: “STs means such tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this Constitution.”
  • Article 342(1): The President with respect to any State/UT (after consultation with the Governor in case of state) may specify the tribes/tribal communities/part of or groups within tribes/ tribal communities as a Scheduled Tribe in that State/UT.
  • Fifth Schedule: It lays out provisions for the Administration and Control of Scheduled Areas and STs in states other than 6^th Schedule States.
  • Sixth Schedule: Deals with the administration of the tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
• Statutory Provisions:
  • Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 against Untouchability.
  • Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
  • Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996.
  • Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

Source: The Hindu

Context

The Supreme Court has suggested a less cumbersome and even “out-of-the-box” thinking, including roping in senior lawyers to act as ad hoc judges in High Courts, to meet the rising tide of pendency.

• Senior advocates in High Courts may not be willing to give up their lucrative legal practices permanently but may be interested in joining the Bench as ad hoc judges under Article 224A of the Constitution for a limited period of may be two years.
• Retired judges who were willing to come back to the Bench as ad hoc judges would bring their experience in dealing with arrears.

Background: In April 2021, the court had identified five situations in which the judiciary could seek the aid of ad hoc judges:

• If the vacancies are more than 20% of the sanctioned strength.
• The cases in a particular category are pending for over five years.
• More than 10% of the backlog of pending cases are over five years old.
• The percentage of the rate of disposal is lower than the institution of the cases either in a particular subject matter or generally in the Court.
• Even if there are not many old cases pending, but depending on the jurisdiction, a situation of mounting arrears is likely to arise if the rate of disposal is consistently lower than the rate of filing over a period of a year or more.

The Way Forward

• The ad-hoc judges to be appointed to the High Court are not being appointed for the first time. They have served previously and thus have the expertise to deal with the heavy workload. Therefore, the process for their appointment ought to be simpler than regular appointments.
• If the appointment is not made within a few days of the commendation of the Chief Justices of the High Courts, then meritorious candidates end up losing interest and the justice delivery system faces a huge loss.

NOTE:

Article 224A of Indian Constitution

• Deals with the appointment of ad hoc judges in High Courts.
• It is used rarely
• It says “the Chief Justice of a High Court for any State may at any time, with the previous consent of the President, request any person who has held the office of a Judge of that Court or of any other High Court to sit and act as a Judge of the High Court for that State”.
• The Chief Minister will forward his recommendation to the Union Minister of Law and Justice after consultation with the Governor.

Pendency of cases

• Over 59 lakh cases were pending in the High Courts until July 22.
• Allahabad High Court has the highest number of pending cases at over 10 lakh.
• Next are the High Courts of Rajasthan (just over 6 lakh) and Bombay (just under 6 lakh).

Source: The Hindu

GS-III

According to a research paper, Pharmaceutical Pollution is an overlooked but urgent issue that needs coordinated action from across the pharmaceutical, healthcare and environmental sectors.

• Almost half, or 43% of the world’s rivers are contaminated with active pharmaceutical ingredients in concentrations that can have disastrous ramifications on health.

What is Pharmaceutical Pollution?

• About:
  • Pharmaceutical plants are often incapable of filtering out all the chemical compounds used in their manufacturing process and as such, the chemicals will seep into the surrounding freshwater systems and eventually into the oceans, lakes, streams, and rivers.
  • Wastewater from pharmaceutical manufacturers is also sometimes discharged into open fields and nearby water bodies, thereby increasing the pharmaceutical waste or their by-product load in the environment, landfills, or dumping areas. All this is basically known as pharmaceutical pollution.
• Effects:
  • Effects on Fish and Aquatic Life:
    • A number of studies have indicated that estrogen found in birth control pills and postmenopausal hormone treatments, have a feminizing effect on male fish and can alter female-to-male ratios.
  • Disruption of Sewage Treatment Process:
    • Antibiotics present in the sewage treatment systems can, therefore, inhibit the activities of the sewage bacteria, and therefore seriously affect the organic matter decomposition.
  • Effect on Drinking Water:
    • The chemicals present in these pharmaceuticals, find a way into waterways, after being excreted from the body or after being flushed down the toilet.
    • Most municipal sewage treatment facilities can’t remove these pharmaceutical compounds from drinking water and people end up consuming the same compounds.
    • Chronic exposure to these compounds could result in serious health issues.
  • Long-term Effects on the Environment:
    • Some pharmaceutical compounds can persist for long in the environment and in water supplies.
    • These bioaccumulate, enter a cell and move up food chains, becoming more concentrated in the process. This can have disastrous effects on life and environment, in the long run.
  • Solutions:
    • Investment in public education on the proper disposal of drugs should be done as part of the drug take-back programs
    • Tougher Regulations to limit large-scale medicine flushing in hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare institutions.
    • Additional research is desperately required to assess the potential human effects of pharmaceutical pollution.
    • Limiting bulk purchases will ensure only the required amount is supplied and therefore,b
    • Proper trashing must be preferred over flushing as it leads to them being incinerated or buried in landfills.

What is the Status of Pharmaceutical Pollution in India?

• World’s Third-Largest Producer:
  • India is the world’s third-largest producer of pharmaceuticals, in which about 3000 drug companies and about 10500 manufacturing units are involved.
  • Pharmaceuticals production has been considered one of the most polluting industries in various parts of India.
• Bulk Drug Capital of India:
  • In India, the dominant pharma industries are located in the city of Hyderabad (known as the ‘Bulk Drug Capital of India”).
  • It accounts for more than about 800 pharma/biotech units.
  • According to the survey, local people argue that the groundwater is highly contaminated in the regions where industries are situated.
• Multi-Drug Resistance Infections:
  • It has been estimated that about 60000 newborns die annually in India because of multidrug-resistance infections, where pharmaceutical water pollution with antimicrobial drugs is responsible for that.

What are the Related Government Initiatives?

• National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance 2017: It was proposed to tackle the problem related to limits on antibiotics in industrial waste.
• Zero Liquid Discharge Policy: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has introduced guidelines to various pharma industries to achieve zero liquid discharge.
  • Around 86 of the 220 bulk drug makers in Hyderabad have zero liquid discharge facilities, which showed that they could recycle almost all the liquid effluent.
• Continuous Monitoring of Effluents: The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has also announced that industries must install devices to monitor the effluent continuously.

Source: Down To Earth

Context

Three medicinal plant species (Meizotropis pellita, Fritillaria cirrhosa, Dactylorhiza hatagirea) found in the Himalayas have been added to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species following a recent assessment.

• This assessment in the Himalayan region shows deforestation, habitat loss, forest fires, illegal trade and climate change pose a serious threat to the species. The fresh data is expected to aid conservation efforts in the region.

What are the Key Highlights of these Species?

Meizotropis pellita:

• About:
  • It is commonly known as Patwa, is a perennial shrub with a restricted distribution that is endemic to Uttarakhand.
• Enlisting in IUCN:
  • The study stated that the species is listed as ‘critically endangered’ based on its limited area of occupancy (less than 10 sq. km).
  • The species is threatened by deforestation, habitat fragmentation and forest fires.
• Significance:
  • The essential oil extracted from the leaves of the species possesses strong antioxidants and can be a promising natural substitute for synthetic antioxidants in pharmaceutical industries.

Fritillaria cirrhosa:

• About:
  • It is commonly known as Himalayan fritillary, is a perennial bulbous herb.
• Enlisting in IUCN:
  • Considering the rate of decline, long generation length, poor germination potential, high trade value, extensive harvesting pressure and illegal trade, the species is listed as ‘vulnerable’.
• Significance:
  • In China, the species is used for the treatment of bronchial disorders and pneumonia. The plant is also a strong cough suppressant and a source of expectorant drugs in traditional Chinese medicine.

Dactylorhiza hatagirea:

• About:
  • It is commonly known as Salampanja, is a perennial tuberous species endemic to the Hindu Kush and Himalayan ranges of Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.
• Enlisting in IUCN:
  • It is threatened by habitat loss, livestock grazing, deforestation, and climate change, the species is listed as ‘endangered’.
• Significance:
  • It is extensively used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and other alternative systems of medicine to cure dysentery, gastritis, chronic fever, cough and stomach aches.

Source: The Hindu