UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 21st December 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Gujarat’s Vadnagar town, the iconic Sun Temple at Modhera, and the rock cut sculptures of Unakoti in Tripura have been added to the tentative list of UNCESO World Heritage Sites.

• A Tentative List is an inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination.

• With this, India now has 52 sites on UNESCO Tentative List.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):

• It is a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN), headquartered at the World Heritage Centre in Paris, France.
• It was founded in 1945 as the successor to the League of Nation's International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation.
• It was established with an aim to promote world peace and security through international cooperation in five key program areas - Education; Natural sciences; Social or human sciences; Culture; Communication/information.
• UNESCO is a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.
  • Thus, UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the SDGs defined in the 2030 Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.
• UNESCO's activities have expanded over the years.
  • It aids in the translation and dissemination of world literature, assists in the establishment and protection of World Heritage Sites of cultural and natural importance, works to bridge the global digital divide, etc.

World Heritage Site

• These sites have been designated as having “outstanding universal value” under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage 1972.
  • The convention provides a framework for international cooperation in preserving and protecting cultural treasures and natural areas throughout the world.
• Categorisation of Sites – The sites are categorised in three types:
  • Cultural heritage sites – It includes historic buildings and town sites, important archaeological sites, and works of monumental sculpture or painting
  • Natural heritage sites – It includes those natural areas that have excellent ecological and evolutionary processes, endangered species etc.
  • Mixed heritage sites – It contain elements of both natural and cultural significance.
• India has 40 world heritage sites, including 32 cultural properties, 7 natural properties and 1 mixed site.

News Summary

• Two heritage sites from Gujarat — the Sun Temple at Modhera and Vadnagar — both in Mehasana district, have found place among the three sites from India that were added to the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• The third site added to the list is rock-cut relief sculptures of Unakoti in Tripura.

Sun Temple at Modhera

• Modhera is known for the Sun temple situated on the bank of the Pushpavati river.
  • It enjoys the same significance as other two well-known sun-temples in Kashmir (Martand) and Orissa (Konark).
• The temple was built after 1026-27 CE during the reign of Bhima I of the Chalukya dynasty.
• The temple description states that it is built in Maru-gurjara architectural style.
  • Maru-Gurjara architecture is the style of West Indian temple architecture that originated in Gujarat and Rajasthan from the 11th to 13th centuries, under the Chaulukya dynasty (also called Solaṅkī dynasty).
• It consists of the main temple shrine (garbhagriha), a hall (gadhamandapa), an outer hall or assembly hall (Sabhamandapa or rangamandapa) and a sacred pool (Kunda), which is now called Ramakunda.
• This east-facing temple is built with bright yellow sandstone.

Vadnagar

• Vadnagar is a historic town, which had continuous habitation for more than 2,700 years.
• It has evolved with time and has an early historic fortified settlement, hinterland port, centre for industries of shells and beads, late medieval town, religious centre/temple town, a significant junction on trade routes and mercantile town.
• The present urban fabric of the town effectively showcases the continuity of the historic planning and architectural design elements.
• The continuity of the historic town proves its resilience/outstanding universal value unlike the site like Harappa and Kalibangan, which were abandoned eventually.

Unakoti

• Unakoti, located in the northeastern region of Tripura, is known as an ancient holy place associated with Shaiva worship.
• The site is a massive gallery set in a forested area displaying a number of towering low relief images in a unique style, making it a masterpiece of human creative genius.

Source: The Hindu

Context

Today, December 21, is Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, conversely, it was Summer Solstice, the year’s longest day.

What is Winter Solstice?

• The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun.
• This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere.

What are Solstices?

• Solstices occur because Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted about 23.4 degrees relative to Earth’s orbit around the sun.
• This tilt drives our planet’s seasons, as the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get unequal amounts of sunlight over the course of a year.
• From March to September, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted more toward the sun, driving its spring and summer.
• From September to March, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away, so it feels like autumn and winter.
• The Southern Hemisphere’s seasons are reversed.
• On two moments each year—what are called solstices—Earth’s axis is tilted most closely toward the sun.

Impact on day-time

• The hemisphere tilted most toward our home star sees its longest day, while the hemisphere tilted away from the sun sees its longest night.
• During the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice—which always falls around June 21—the Southern Hemisphere gets its winter solstice.
• Likewise, during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice—which always falls around December 22—the Southern Hemisphere gets its summer solstice.

Impact of the tilted axis

• The Northern Hemisphere spends half the year tilted in the direction of the Sun, getting direct sunlight during long summer days.
• During the other half of the year, it tilts away from the Sun, and the days are shorter.
• Winter Solstice, December 21, is the day when the North Pole is most tilted away from the Sun.
• The tilt is also responsible for the different seasons that we see on Earth.
• The side facing the Sun experiences day, which changes to night as Earth continues to spin on its axis.

Un-impacted regions

• On the Equator, day and night are equal. The closer one moves towards the poles, the more extreme the variation.
• During summer in either hemisphere, that pole is tilted towards the Sun and the polar region receives 24 hours of daylight for months.
• Likewise, during winter, the region is in total darkness for months.

Celebrations associated with the Winter Solstice

• For centuries, this day has had a special place in several communities due to its astronomical significance and is celebrated in many ways across the world.
• Jewish people call the Winter Solstice ‘Tekufat Tevet’, which marks the start of winter.
• Ancient Egyptians celebrated the birth of Horus, the son of Isis (divine mother goddess) for 12 days during mid-winter.
• In China, the day is celebrated by families coming together for a special meal.
• In the Persian region, it is celebrated as Yalda or Shab-e-Yalda. The festival marks the last day of the Persian month of Azar and is seen as the victory of light over darkness.
• Families celebrate Yalda late into the night with special foods such as ajeel nuts, pomegranates and watermelon, and recite works of the 14th-century Sufi poet Hafiz Shirazi.

In Vedic tradition

• In Vedic tradition, the northern movement of the Earth on the celestial sphere is implicitly acknowledged in the Surya Siddhanta.
• It outlines the Uttarayana (the period between Makar Sankranti and Karka Sankranti). Hence, Winter Solstice is the first day of Uttarayana.

Source: Indian Express

GS-II

Context

The Bill to amend the Multi State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on the first day of the Winter Session on December 7.

• Later, the Lok Sabha referred the Bill to a joint committee of Parliament comprising 21 members from the Lower House and 10 from the Upper House.

What are Multistate Cooperative Societies?

• Cooperatives are a ‘State’ subject in the 7^th Schedule of the Constitution.
• However, there are many societies such as those for sugar and milk, banks, milk unions etc whose members and areas of operation are spread across more than one state.
• The Multi State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002 was passed to govern such cooperatives.
• For example, most sugar mills along the districts on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border procure cane from both states.
  • They draw their membership from both states, and they are thus registered under the MSCS Act.
  • Their board of directors has representation from all states they operate in.
• Since MSCS Act was enacted, 1,479 such societies have been registered.
  • Maharashtra has the highest number at 567, followed by Uttar Pradesh (147) and New Delhi (133).

What are the issues with MSCS?

• MSCSs were formed to ease the operation of collectives throughout the country.
• However, MSCSs are facing issues regarding trust, which is the very basis of cooperation.
• MSCSs were, therefore, brought under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in 2018, and all urban and MSCS banks were brought under the radar of the Reserve Bank of India in 2020.
• These developments have brought MSCSs under multiple controls from the Centre, giving rise to fears that monitoring would take a top-down approach as opposed to a grassroots one.
• Also, in 1991, the Choudhary Brahm Perkash Committee of the planning commission made far-reaching recommendations to reorganise MSCSs, but the MSCS Act was not enacted as per the report.

What does the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022 seek to change?

• To plug the “loopholes” in the MSCS Act, the Centre introduced a Bill seeking to amend the 2002 law for more “transparency” and increase the “ease of doing business”.
• The Bill proposes merger of any cooperative society into an existing multi-state cooperative society.
  • As per the present law, only multi-state cooperative societies can amalgamate themselves and form a new multi-state cooperative society.
• The Bill also seeks to improve the composition of the board and ensure financial discipline, besides enabling the raising of funds in MCSCs.
• Central Election Authority –
  • The Bill provides for the creation of a central Co-operative Election Authority to supervise the electoral functions of the MSCSs.
  • The Authority will have a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and up to three members appointed by the Centre.
• Centralised Fund –
  • The Bill envisages the creation of a Co-operative Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development Fund for the revival of sick MSCSs, financed by existing profitable MSCSs which will have to deposit either Rs. 1 crore or 1% of their net profit.
• In order to make the governance of these societies more democratic, transparent and accountable, the Bill has provisions for appointing a Cooperative Information Officer and a Cooperative Ombudsman.
• To promote equity and inclusiveness, provisions relating to the representation of women and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe members on MSCS boards have been included.
• The bill also proposes to insert a new Section relating to concurrent audit for such multi-state societies with an annual turnover or deposit of more than the amount as determined by the Centre.

Source: The Hindu

Context

Health needs to be a central agenda for the G20 2023. It has been one of the priority areas for G20 deliberations since 2017, when the first meet of health ministers of G20 countries was organised by the German presidency. The G20 now has health finance in its financial stream and health systems development in the Sherpa stream.

Background: Prioritizing Health

• An annual G20 meeting of health ministers and a joint health and finance task force reflects the seriousness the subject has gained.
• The Berlin Declaration 2017 of the G20 health ministers provided a composite approach focusing on pandemic preparedness, health system strengthening and tackling antimicrobial resistance.
• The Covid-19 pandemic gave added urgency to pandemic preparedness and the Indonesian presidency in 2022 made it the major focus. The Indian presidency needs to advance these agendas.

Global community engagement to strengthen Health systems

• Universal Health Coverage (UHC): The concept of UHC was born in the 2000s to prevent catastrophic medical expenditures due to secondary and tertiary level hospital services by universalizing health insurance coverage.
• UHC as a strategy to ensure healthcare for all: The UHC has been the big global approach for health systems strengthening since 2010, also adopted in 2015 as the strategy for Sustainable Development Goal-3 on ensuring healthcare for all at all ages.
• Limited impact of UHC: However, the limited impact of this narrow strategy was soon evident, with expenditures on outdoor services becoming catastrophic for poor households and preventing access to necessary healthcare and medicines, while many unnecessary/irrational medical interventions were being undertaken.

What are the new approaches developed to strengthen healthcare system?

• Highlighted the need to prioritise primary healthcare (PHC): In 2018, the Astana Conference organised by WHO and UNICEF put out a declaration stating that primary healthcare (PHC) is essential for fulfilling the UHC objectives.
• Combined UHC- PHC approach: In 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted the combined UHC-PHC approach as a political declaration.
• World bank report on benefits of PHC services during pandemic: The World Bank published a report in 2021, “Walking the Talk: Reimagining Primary Health Care After COVID-19”. The dominant hospital-centred medical system is becoming unaffordable even for the high-income countries, as apparent during the 2008 recession and subsequently.

What is PHC-with-UHC approach?

• It means strengthening primary level care linked to non-medical preventive action (food security and safety, safe water and air, healthy workspaces, and so on)
• It works through whole-of-society and whole-of-government approaches, and extending the “PHC principles” to secondary and tertiary care services.
• This could be the most cost-effective systems design the comprehensive game changer that global health care requires.

What is to be strengthened, what initiatives can be applied and how?

• Making health central to development in all sectors: Health in all policies, one health (linking animal and human health for tackling antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic diseases), planetary health, pandemic preparedness.
• Health systems strengthening: Designing PHC-with-UHC for diverse contexts. Conceptualised as a continuum of care from self-care in households to community services, to primary level para-medical services and first contact with a doctor, services provided as close to homes as possible, affordable and easily deliverable.
• Appropriate technologies to be adopted as a norm: By strengthening health technology assessment, ethics of healthcare, equitable access to pharmaceutical products and vaccines, integrative health systems using plural knowledge systems rationally.
• Health and healthcare from the perspective of the marginalised: Gendered health care needs, Health care of indigenous peoples globally, occupational health, mental health and wellbeing, healthy ageing.
• Easy access to health knowledge for all: decolonization and democratization of health knowledge, with interests and perspectives of low-middle-income countries (LMICs), prevention and patient-centred healthcare.

India’s G20 Presidency: An opportunity to contribute and make inclusive healthcare system

• India has several pioneering initiatives that can contribute to the PHC-with-UHC discussion:
  • National Health mission and dedicated health facilities: Lessons from the National Health Mission for strengthening public health delivery; the HIV-control programme’s successful involvement of affected persons/communities and a complex well-managed service structure.
  • Democratized health knowledge: Pluralism of health knowledge systems, each independently supported within the national health system.
  • Certified Health personnel: Health personnel such as the ASHAs, mid-level health providers and wellness centres, traditional community healthcare providers with voluntary quality certification;
  • R&D and widely acknowledged pharmaceutical capacity: Research designed for validation of traditional systems; pharmaceutical and vaccines production capacity;
  • Digital health as an example: Developments in digital health; social insurance schemes and people’s hospital models by civil society.

Conclusion

What is required is the drafting of PHC-with-UHC (a PHC 2.0) with a broad global consensus and commitment to a more sustainable and people-empowering health system. Pursuing such an agenda would involve much dialogue within countries, regions and globally. India should use its presidency to draft a model policy focusing on primary healthcare that commits to a universal, affordable, inclusive and just healthcare system

Source: Indian Express

Context

Recently, there has been confrontation between the Centre and judiciary on the interpretation of Article 124 (2) and 217 (1) of the Constitution.

Provisions related to the appointment of judges to the supreme court and high court

Article 124 (2): It highlights that every judge of the Supreme Court will be appointed by the president after consultation with such of the judges (in particular, the chief justice) of the Supreme Court and of the high courts in the states as necessary.

Article 217 (1): Similarly, for high courts, Article 217 (1) highlights that every judge of a high court will be appointed by the president after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the governor of the state, and the chief justice of the high court.

Judicial independence and Collegium system: Judicial interpretation in SP Gupta vs Union of India (1981), The Supreme Court Advocates-on Record Association vs Union of India (Second Judges case) (1993) and Article 143(1) vs Unknown (Third Judges Opinion) (1998) has further evolved the principle of judicial independence and led to a collegium system for recommending judges.

Role of central government: Currently, the Centre can accept or reject recommendations made by the collegium system however, if a recommendation was reiterated, the government was obliged to accept it.

What the ongoing tussle is all about?

• More recently established consensus has given way to a stalemate, as the Centre stalls recommendations reiterated by the Collegium.
• The Supreme Court pulled up the government for not following timelines laid down in the Second Judges Case.
• The Standing Parliamentary Committee on Law and Personnel has also highlighted its disagreement with the Department of Justice that the time for filling vacancies cannot be indicated.

What will be the impact of this tussle?

• Decline in the capacity of India’s judicial system: The net effect of this historic tussle between the independent judiciary and overweening Centre has been a decline in the capacity of India’s judicial system
• Vacancies in higher judiciary: There were approximately three vacancies (of 34) in the Supreme Court, along with about 381 (of 1,108) vacancies for judges in the high courts.
• In lower judiciary: The lower judiciary had about 5,342 (of 24,631) seats vacant, accounting for 20 per cent of its capacity.
• Impact on judicial efficiency: Such vacancies, particularly in the high courts of Bombay, Punjab & Haryana, Calcutta, Patna and Rajasthan are bound to have an impact on judicial efficiency (with about four crore cases pending, as of August 2022)

A study: Process of appointment of judges in other countries and by political institutions

• In Italy: Here, appointments to the Constitutional Court are made by the president, the legislature and the Supreme Court, with each entity allowed to nominate five judges.
• In US: Supreme Court justices are nominated (for life) by the president and then approved by Senate via a majority vote. Whereas, the state governor appoints state judges based on recommendations provided by a merit commission.
• In Germany: The German Constitutional Court is appointed by the Parliament (each House gets four appointments in each of the Court Senates) with a supermajority vote (2/3). Naturally, this can lead to a partisan judiciary.
• In Iraq: All judges are graduates of a Judicial Institute, with all applicants undergoing written and oral tests, along with an interview with a panel of judges.
• In Japan: The Supreme Court Secretariat controls lower-level judicial appointments, along with their training and promotions.
• Judicial elections to enhance the accountability of judiciary: Judicial elections have also been utilised to enhance the accountability of the judiciary a variety of states in the US using elections for judicial appointments to the State Supreme Courts.
• Judicial councils: Other countries have experimented with judicial councils (often comprising of existing judges, representatives of the Ministry of Justice, members of the bar association, laymen etc)

Appointments through Judicial Commission

• Centres push Judicial Commission: for Recently, the Centre pushed for judicial appointments to be conducted via a Judicial Commission (National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2014).
• Supreme court says collegium system open to greater transparency: The Supreme Court struck down the NJAC Act (2014) with a 4:1 majority, while highlighting that it was open to greater transparency in the collegium system in particular, making the collegium more transparent, fixing eligibility criteria for appointing judges and debating whether an empowered secretariat was required to appoint judges.

In this scenario what are suggested reforms?

• Empower secretariat to select and recommend candidates: The Collegium system can continue; however, a secretariat may be empowered to select and recommend candidates, with the Executive continuing to hold power to appoint judges.
• Greater representation of our society in the judiciary: The secretariat could be staffed with current judges, members of the bar association, representatives of the law ministry and laymen and should push for greater representation of our society in the judiciary. There were only three women and two SC judges in the Supreme Court.
• New Court of appeal: Beyond judicial appointments, there is a clear need for having a new Court of Appeal (refer PIL by V Vasanthakumar). The Supreme Court was never intended to be a regular court of appeal against orders in high courts (Bihar Legal Society vs Chief Justice of India, 1986) the Supreme Court should not be hearing bail applications.
• Federal court of Appeal: Instead, as recommended by the Law Commission, we need to have a Federal Court of Appeal, with branches in major metros.
• Transform Supreme court into constitutional court: The Supreme Court should be transformed into a Constitutional Court (via a constitutional amendment) doing this would mean fewer cases (about 50, anecdotally) being kept pending at the highest level.
• Defined retirement age for all judges: There need a push for a defined retirement age, say 65, for all judges, whether at a high court or Supreme Court level post retirement, there should also be a mandatory cooling-off period for judges to be nominated to roles in government.

Conclusion

Judicial independence continues to be important for the health of India’s democracy. A credible and impartial system of appointing judges is necessary to achieve judicial independence. Any appointment must ensure judicial accountability, fostering a judiciary which, at an individual and systemic level, is independent from other branches of government.

Source: The Hindu 

GS-III

Context

Fitch Ratings on December 20, 2022, retained its rating for India at ‘BBB’-with a stable outlook.

• A ‘BBB’ rating indicates that expectations of default risk are currently low.
• The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

• Rating agencies assess the creditworthiness or potential of an equity, debt or country.
• Their reports are read by investors to make an informed decision on whether or not to invest in a particular country or companies in that geography.
• They assess if a country, equity or debt is financially stable and whether it at a low/high default risk.
• In simpler terms, these reports help investors gauge if they would get a return on their investment.

• The agencies periodically re-evaluate previously assigned ratings after new developments geopolitical events or a significant economic announcement by the concerned entity.
• Their reports are sold and published in financial and daily newspapers.

• The three prominent ratings agencies, viz., Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch subscribe to largely similar grading patterns.
• Standard & Poor’s accord their highest grade, that is, AAA, to countries, equity or debt with the exceedingly high capacity to meet their financial commitments.
• Its grading slab includes letters A, B and C with an addition a single or double letter denoting a higher grade.
• Moody’s separates ratings into short and long-term definitions. Its longer-term grading ranges from Aaa to C, with Aaa being the highest.
• Fitch, too, rates from AAA to D, with D being the lowest. It follows the same succession scheme as Moody’s and Fitch.

• Popular ratings agencies publicly reveal their methodology, which is based on macroeconomic data publicly made available by a country, to lend credibility to their inferences.
• However, credit rating agencies were subjected to severe criticism for allegedly spurring the financial crisis in the United States, which began in 2017.
• The agencies underestimated the credit risk associated with structured credit products and failed to adjust their ratings quickly enough to deteriorating market conditions.
• They were charged for methodological errors and conflict of interest on multiple counts.

• Lowered rating of a country can potentially cause panic selling or offloading of investment by a foreign investor.
• In 2013, the European Union opted for regulating the agencies.
• Over reliance on credit ratings may reduce incentives for investor to develop their own capacity for credit risk assessment.
• Ratings Agencies in the EU are now permitted to issue ratings for a country only thrice a year, and after close of trade in the entire Union.

Source: The Hindu