UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 23rd December 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Context

Recently, dense fog has enveloped north-western India, including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, parts of Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Rajasthan.

About Formation of Fog:

Formation:

• With the land surface cooling down at night, the air close to the surface also cools down.
• Since cooler air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air, the water vapour in the air condenses to form fog.
• Fog begins to form in the early hours of the morning, when the temperature is at its lowest.

Favourable Conditions:

• The presence of moisture and a fall in the temperature are key factors for the formation of fog.
• Fog can have “high spatial variability”, and its intensity can depend on factors like humidity, wind, and temperature.
• Areas near water bodies, for instance, may see denser fog because of the higher humidity.
• The Indo Gangetic Plain is most vulnerable to fog occurrences, with major, weeks-long spells of dense fog in the months of December and January.

Types of fog

• Advection fog is larger in scale for both area covered and duration.
  • It forms when warm, moist air passes over a cool surface, causing water vapour to condense.
  • It occurs where warm tropical air meets cool ocean water.
  • If wind blows in right direction, sea fog is transported over coastal land areas.
• Valley fog is formed due to mountains preventing dense air from escaping.
  • Fog gets trapped at bottom of valley which lasts for several days.
• Freezing fog is result of liquid droplets freezing on solid surfaces.
  • It occurs at Cloud-covered mountaintops.
• They are not found in Indo Gangetic Plain.

Conditions Favouring Fog over North-western India

Decreasing Temperature:

• Temperatures have begun to dip over north-western India.
• Recently, Delhi recorded the lowest minimum temperature of the season so far — 6 degrees Celsius.
• Cold wave conditions, in which the minimum temperature is significantly lower than normal, have been recorded recently over Punjab, Haryana, and parts of Rajasthan.

Dense Fog:

• The fall in temperature along with moisture and light winds over the Indo Gangetic Plain has resulted in dense fog over the region.

Effect of Western disturbances:

• Western disturbances, which are storms that originate in the Mediterranean Sea, bring moisture-bearing winds to northwest India.
• This can result in increased moisture levels over the region.
• In the absence of western disturbances, local moisture sources like water vapor from rivers and soil moisture can also cause fog.

Link between Pollution Levels and Fog

More Fog at Polluted Places:

• According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi being more polluted, records more fog days compared to others.

Fog increases Pollution:

• As temperature declines, local wind speed also falls. The inversion layer comes down and vertical mixing reduces.
• This results in fog formation and particulate matter hangs on the boundary layer, increasing pollution levels.
• Recently, Delhi recorded a spike in pollution levels with AQI in the ‘severe’ category.

Rapid Growth of Pollutants:

• Advection fog episodes last longer and secondary particulate formation then begins leading to rapid build-up of pollutants.

Source: Indian Express

GS-II

Context

The Central government introduced Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022, in Lok Sabha, which seeks to amend 183 provisions across 42 laws and is meant to decriminalise several offences.

• On the list of provisions proposed to be omitted is the controversial Section 66A from the Information Technology Act that saw adverse court rulings.

Background on Section 66A of the IT Act:

• The Information Technology Act was enacted in 2000 when Internet was still relatively new in India.
• As social media websites and mobile apps gained popularity in India, misuse and abuse of the platforms came up as a challenge.
• As a result, Section 66A was inserted into the IT Act in 2009.

Provisions under Section 66A:

• Section 66A made sending of offensive messages using a computer or any other communication devices a crime.
• The police had to determine whether an information sent in the message qualified as offensive or not.
• To be booked under Section 66A, the information in the message had to be –
  • Grossly offensive;
  • False and meant for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will;
  • Meant to deceive or mislead the recipient about the origin of such messages.
• The crime was punishable with three-year jail term and fine.

Why was it struck down?

• The problem was with the vagueness about what is “offensive”.
• The word having a very wide connotation, was open to distinctive, varied interpretations.
• It was seen as subjective, and what might have been innocuous for one person, could lead to a complaint from someone else and, consequently, an arrest under Section 66A if the police prima facie accepted the latter person’s view.

Shreya Singhal vs Union of India (2015):

• One of the PILs was filed by Shreya Singhal, then a 21-year-old law student in Delhi.
• She challenged Section 66A arguing that it curbed freedom of speech and expression and violated fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.
• Her petition contended that the law was “vague”, “ambiguous” and subject to “wanton abuse” as it conferred subjective powers on the police to interpret Section 66A of the IT Act.

Supreme Court’s Judgement:

• In March 2015, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India declared Section 66A unconstitutional for “being violative of Article 19(1)(a) and not saved under Article 19(2).
  • Article 19(1)(a) gives people the right to speech and expression whereas Article 19(2) accords the state the power to impose “reasonable restrictions” on the exercise of this right.
• The decision was considered a landmark judicial pushback against state encroachment on the freedom of speech and expression.
• The Court observed that –
  • Section 66A is cast so widely that virtually any opinion on any subject would be covered by it …and if it is to withstand the test of constitutionality, the chilling effect on free speech would be total.
• In its order, the Supreme Court rendered Section 66A extinct from the very date of its insertion into the IT Act — October 27, 2009. But it lived on.

Law beyond expiration date:

• When the Supreme Court in March 2015 struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act 2000, it was thought as the end of what was called a ‘draconian’ law.
• However, in 2021, the Supreme Court found out that the law was still being invoked by police in around 11 states. The Supreme Court termed it “a shocking state of affairs”.
• The Supreme Court’s remark led the Centre to direct all states and Union Territories not to register cases under the repealed Section 66A of the IT Act.

News Summary:

• The Central government introduced Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022, in Lok Sabha, which seeks to amend 183 provisions across 42 laws and is meant to decriminalise several offences and allow for compounding and rationalisation of penalties.
• Over the last few years, the Central government has sought to decriminalise several laws, such as the Companies Act, but this is the most comprehensive exercise.
• On the list of provisions proposed to be omitted is the controversial Section 66A from the Information Technology Act that saw adverse court rulings.
• The list also includes aspects like carrying/using non-biodegradable nature-polythene bags, which currently carries an imprisonment of up to six months under the Cantonments Act,2006.
• Similarly, imprisonment of up to two years under Indian Post Office Act, 1898, for sending unpaid postal articles is being removed.

Source: Indian Express

Recently, the 17th round of the corps-commander-level meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Chinese side.

• The meeting saw India pressing China for early and complete disengagement at the remaining friction points, including in Demchok and Depsang.

Background 

• In May 2020, Indian and Chinese troops clashed at various points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• These points included:
  • Pangong Tso, Galwan Nalah and Demchok in Ladakh and at Naku La (a mountain pass at an altitude of over 5000 metres) in Sikkim.
• Later, a violent clash at Galwan Valley started between Indian troops and soldiers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on the night of June 15, 2020.
  • It was the first deadly clash between India and China in at least 45 years. 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives.
• After this incident, both sides deployed a large number of troops in the area along with heavy weaponry.
  • The infrastructure build-up has also been very heavy and the standoff between the two forces is continuing.

The Corps Commander level talks

• India and China have been holding the talks on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh area to resolve the standoff.
  • Earlier to the current talk, the 16 round of Corps Commander-level talks had been held between the two countries.
    • The 16^th round took place in July 2022.

Outcomes of the previous rounds of talks

• Troops were disengaged on the north and south banks of Pangong Tso and Gogra Post.
  • However, at Hot Springs they continue to face each other.
    • China had refused to complete the stalled troop disengagement at the Patrolling Point (PP) – 15 in the Hot Springs-Gogra-Kongka La area.
• The Chinese have also been preventing Indian troops from accessing five traditional patrolling points on the Depsang Plains.
  • These five traditional patrolling are —PP10, PP11, PP11A, PP12 and PP13.
  • Depsang plains are not far from the strategic Indian outpost at Daulat Beg Oldie near the Karakoram Pass in the north.
• The no-patrol buffer zones have been created after disengagement at
  • PP-14 in Galwan Valley,
  • PP-17A near Gogra
  • Pangong Tso
    • However, these zones have largely come up in what India claims to be its territory.

News Summary

• Military commanders from India & China held a fresh round of high-level talks in order to resolve the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.
• During the meeting, India pressed China for early and complete disengagement at the remaining friction points, including in Demchok and Depsang.
  • India maintained that disengagement, followed by de-escalation, is essential for bilateral ties to return to normal.
  • China, however, believes the border situation in eastern Ladakh is no longer as serious as it was in 2020, when the military stand-off started, and wants to resume bilateral exchanges.
• However, there was no sign of any breakthrough in the talks.
• In a joint statement, issued after the meeting, they agreed to maintain security and stability in the western sector.
• They also decided to maintain dialogue for a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.

Source: The Hindu

GS-III

Context

Recently the fifth Scorpène-class conventional submarine, Vagir, was delivered to the Navy.

About Submarine Vagir:

• INS Vagir (S25) is the fifth submarine of the first batch of six Kalvari-class submarines for the Indian Navy.
• It is a diesel-electric attack submarine based on the Scorpène class, designed by French naval defence and manufactured by Mazagon Dock Limited.
• The submarine inherits its name from INS Vagir (S41) which served in the Navy from 1973–2001, and was named after a species of sandfish.
• Kalvari class:
  • The Kalvari class is a class of diesel-electric attack submarines based on the Scorpène-class submarine being built for the Indian Navy.
  • The class and submarines take their names from the first submarines inducted in the Indian Navy.
• The Sixth and last of the Scorpène-class submarines, Vagsheer, was launched into water in 2022 and is expected to be delivered to the Navy by 2023-end.
• The first submarine, INS Kalvari, was commissioned in 2017, the second INS Khanderi in 2019, the third INS Karanj in 2021 and the fourth INS Vela in 2021.

Source: Indian Express

Context

Recently National Test House (NTH) will set up testing facilities for EV batteries and charging systems at its Mumbai and Kolkata centres.

About National Test House:

• It is also known as Government Test House.
• It was established in 1912 in Calcutta by the then Railway Board.
• To cater to the needs of the Indian Railways by import substitution
• It is headquartered at Kolkata.
• It provides link between industrial research and manufacture of finished products under rigid quality control.
• It has 6 regional offices at Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Ghaziabad, Jaipur and Guwahati.

Functions of NTH:

• Test and evaluation of materials, products, equipment’s, modules, system and sub-system in practically all branches except pharmaceutical and arms & ammunitions.
• Calibration in Electrical and non-electrical measurements.
• Test and Certification of Welders.
• Assist Bureau of Indian Standards in formulation of National Standards.
• Assist National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories [NABL] in accreditation of Testing & Calibration Laboratories in the country.
• World class scientific laboratory system is being established by NTH for ease of users.
  • It introduced fully digital Laboratory Management Information System (LIMS).
  • Consumers can test their samples through courier from any part of country.
• Microbiology laboratory at Guwahati branch of NTH.
  • It will test drinking water and spices.
  • Tansformer testing facility” at Jaipur, Rajasthan Tto support Gati Shakti.

Source: Indian Express

Context

Recently 10 Giant Asian Tortoise were soft released into protected area of Intanki National Park in Nagaland for conservation.

About Asian Giant Tortoises (Manouria emys):

• It comprised of two subspecies: Manouria emys phayrei and Manouria emys emys.
• They are the largest tortoises in mainland Asia.
• It is the only tortoise that lays its eggs above ground in a nest, which the female constructs of leaf litter.

Habitat:

• Evergreen Forest, dry evergreen forest including bamboo forest.
• They are native to South Asia found in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Singapore (Extinct).
• In India, the Nengpui Wildlife Sanctuary, North Cachar Hills and Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary have wild populations in less disturbed habitats.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
• CITES: Appendix II.
• Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972: Schedule IV

Threats:

• Over exploitation and unsustainable use for consumption and trade of meat resulted into species on the verge of being extinct.
• Total 507 live specimens in seven shipments are seized from illegal trade during 2000-2015.
• It is threatened by shrinking habitat availability as lowland and mid-elevation evergreen forests are degraded.
• These are lost through logging, clearing for agriculture, forest fires, and hydroelectric dams and reservoirs and associated infrastructure.
• Organised large bamboo-cutting in forests impact the tortoises by removing a prime food resource.
• Ethnic violence is a regional issue, and resettlement sites tend to be located in forest areas.

Conservation Efforts:

• Nagaland and non-profits Turtle Survival Alliance and Wildlife Conservation Society conducted soft release of the juvenile tortoises to rewild the species.
• Soft release: It is a process of gradually releasing captive-raised species into the wild.
  • It helps the species to develop site fidelity among released individuals and eventually develop the habit to live in the vicinity of the release closure.
• The Joint Asian Giant Tortoise Recovery Project was started in 2017 with the Nagaland Zoological Park (NZP) and Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA).
• Nagaland zoological park has the highest number of Asian Giant Tortoise with 110 hatching from 13 adults.
• Long term programme includes creating awareness in local communities to make them participate in conservation.

Source: DownToEarth

Context

Parliament has passed the Maritime Anti-Piracy Bill 2022 with Rajya Sabha approving it.

• In 2014 to 2022, 19 incidents of piracy happened in which 155 Indian crew members were involved.
• More than 90 percent of trade taking place by sea routes

Aim:

• Strengthen India’s credentials as a partner with other countries to make the world more piracy free.
• Provide an effective legal instrument to combat maritime piracy, not only in India’s territorial waters in the Exclusive Economic Zone but also on the high seas.
• Enhance India’s global credentials and strengthen maritime security.

About the bill:

• The Bill defines piracy as any illegal act of violence, detention, or destruction against a ship, aircraft, person, for private purposes, by the crew or passengers of a private ship or aircraft.
• The Bill enables Indian authorities to act against piracy on the high seas.
• It applies to the sea beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ)
• EEZ is beyond 200 nautical miles from India’s coastline.

Source: NewsOnAir