UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 28th December 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-II

Russia – Ukraine War

Context

Recently, Ukraine President Zelenskyy had a telephonic conversation with prime minister Narendra Modi.

• During the conversation, Zelensky emphasised that as the current president of the G20, India should support his 10-point peace plan to end the war with Russia.
  • Ukrainian President had laid out the “Peace Formula” at the G-20 summit, held in November 2022, at Bali.

Russia – Ukraine War

• On February 24, 2022, Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea. This was the biggest attack on a European state since World War II.
• So far, Moscow has been denied the swift victory it anticipated, and has failed to capture major cities across the country, including Kyiv, the capital.
• Still, Russia has superior military might, and Putin has indicated that his ultimate goal is to capture Kyiv, topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government, and subsume the country into Russia’s orbit.

Why Russia invaded Ukraine?

• Russia wants a guarantee that Ukraine can never join NATO
  • Russia's main demand is a commitment from NATO to end its further expansion into former Soviet republics — especially Ukraine.
    • Russia wants NATO to rescind a 2008 promise that Ukraine could someday join the defense alliance.
• Russia wants NATO arms out of Eastern Europe
• 
  
  • Russia wants NATO to stop deploying its weapons and forces in countries in Central and Eastern Europe that joined the alliance after 1997.
• Russia wants a ban on NATO missiles within striking distance
  • Russia has nervously watched as NATO has demonstrated it can deepen its involvement in Ukraine — providing weapons and training.
  • NATO missiles on Ukrainian soil might pose serious threat to Russia’s security.
• Russia wants autonomy for eastern Ukraine
  • Russia says Ukraine must meet its obligations under 2015 agreements.
    • The peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, was signed to end the fighting between Ukraine's army and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
    • The Minsk agreements also provided additional autonomy to the separatist Russian-speaking territories in the Donbas.

News Summary: Peace Formula

• Radiation & Nuclear Safety
  • Russia’s nuclear arsenal has fuelled worries amid the war. Also, there is a growing concern regarding attack near the Europe’s largest nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine.
  • Zelenskyy is seeking demilitarisation and guarantees against attacks on Zaporizhzhia and other Ukrainian nuclear plants.
• Food Security
  • A global food crisis triggered by the war led to an unprecedented agreement in the form of Black Sea Grain Initiative.
    • The agreement, brokered in July by the UN and Turkey , allows Ukraine to export its agricultural products from Black Sea ports via a protected corridor.
    • It also allows Russian food and fertilisers to reach global markets.
  • The agreement is an ad-hoc measure that requires renewal every 120 days.
  • Hence, Ukraine is seeking a lasting solution to enable it to safely ship agricultural consignments without the need for periodic deals with Moscow.
• Energy Security
  • Russia has destroyed at least 40% of Ukraine’s energy facilities since the war began and has stepped up attacks against such targets with the onset of winter.
  • Zelenskyy wants an assurance that Russia will not hamper or further hurt his country’s ability to provide energy to the people.
• Release Of All Prisoners of War, Deported Persons
  • Zelenskyy has called for the return of all prisoners of war and deportees held by Russia.
• Implementation Of UN Charter, Restoration Of Territorial Integrity, World Order
  • Zelenskyy has sought that territory annexed by Russia should be restored to Kyiv’s control.
• Withdrawal Of Russian Troops, End Of Hostilities
• Justice, War Tribunals And Reparations
  • Ukrainian officials said in September they had documented 34,000 potential war crimes committed by Russian forces.
  • They also claimed that mass burial sites had been found across territory wrested from Russian control.
  • Ukraine wants the war tribunals to look into the matter.
• Countering Ecocide
  • Zelenskyy has sought to highlight the loss to the environment as a result of the war.
• Security Guarantees
  • Zelenskyy is seeking guarantees that will ensure it does not have to live in constant fear of further Russian aggression.
• Confirmation Of War’s End - To assure the world that the war is really over.

Source: The Hindu

Context

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court quashed the state government’s draft notification on urban local body elections and ordered that the polls be held without reservation for OBCs. 

Precursor to the news

• The Uttar Pradesh government had issued a draft notification for the reservation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in urban local body elections.

Why did the HC strike the draft down?

• The verdict comes on the back of PILs challenging the state’s OBC reservation draft.
• It was alleged that it was prepared without following the “triple test” formula prescribed by the Supreme Court.
• The Court said that OBC reservation in local body polls cannot be provided until conditions mandated in the “triple test” are complied with.

What’s the Triple Test formula?

• A five-judge Constitution Bench in the K. Krishnamurthy (Dr.) v. Union of India (2010) judgment said that barriers to political participation are not the same as barriers to education and employment.
• While deciding on the legality of OBC reservations in Maharashtra local body elections in March 2021, the Supreme Court set out a three-layered test – also called triple test.
• This is something that State governments have to follow to provide reservations-
  • Step 1: States must set up a dedicated commission to examine backwardness in local bodies.
  • Step 2: they must determine the size of the quota for communities on the basis of data collected by the commission.
  • Step 3: These reservations, combined with the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes quotas, cannot exceed 50% of the total seats in the local body.

What did the court observe now?

• Reservation to OBCs in local body elections without empirical base can no more be sustainable in law.
• The latest order in RR Wagh v. State of Maharashtra & others makes it mandatory that the principles laid down by the Supreme Court for providing reservation to OBCs in local bodies shall be scrupulously followed across the country.

Major takeaways of K. Krishnamurthy Case

• In this case, the Supreme Court had interpreted Article 243D(6) and Article 243T(6), which permit reservation by enactment of law for backward classes in local bodies respectively.
• It held that barriers to political participation are not the same as that of the barriers that limit access to education and employment.
• However, for creating a level playing field, reservation may be desirable as mandated by the aforementioned conditions.
• Above articles provide a separate constitutional basis for reservation, as distinct from what are conceived under Article 15 (4) and Article 16 (4) which form the basis for reservation in education and employment.

Reception of the Krishnamurthy Judgment

• The Indian political class usually displays apathy to the law declared by the courts as contrary to the enacted law.
• The 2010 judgment was not acted upon and the constitutionality of the enacted reservation was challenged.
• This resulted in the 2021 judgment of a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court.

What about other states?

• In 2021, OBC reservations in local bodies were set aside in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh too on similar grounds by courts.
• Earlier this year, the Karnataka and Patna high courts have set aside notifications reserving seats for OBCs in municipal elections in Bengaluru and Bihar.
• In May this year, the top court, however, allowed local body polls with OBC reservation in Madhya Pradesh after it proved compliance to the triple test formula.

Source: Indian Express

The Election Commission is set to begin the delimitation exercise of Assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Assam using census figures of 2001.

Why discuss this?

• The last delimitation of constituencies in Assam was done on the basis of census figures of 1971 by the then Delimitation Commission in 1976.

What is Delimitation?

• Delimitation is the act of redrawing boundaries of an Assembly or Lok Sabha seat to represent changes in population over time.
• This exercise is carried out by a Delimitation Commission, whose orders have the force of law and cannot be questioned before any court.

Why is it needed?

• The objective is to redraw boundaries (based on the data of the last Census) in a way so that the population of all seats, as far as practicable, be the same throughout the State.
• Aside from changing the limits of a constituency, the process may result in a change in the number of seats in a state.

How is delimitation carried out?

• Delimitation is carried out by an independent Delimitation Commission (DC).
• Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.
• Once the Act is in force, the Union government sets up a DC made up of a retired Supreme Court judge, the Chief Election Commissioner and the respective State Election Commissioners.

Terms of reference for DC

• The Commission is supposed to determine the number and boundaries of constituencies in a way that the population of all seats, so far as practicable, is the same.
• The Commission is also tasked with identifying seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; these are where their population is relatively large.
• All this is done on the basis of the latest Census and, in case of difference of opinion among members of the Commission, the opinion of the majority prevails.

Implementation

• The draft proposals of the DC are published in the Gazette of India, official gazettes of the states concerned and at least two vernacular papers for public feedback.
• The Commission also holds public sittings.
• After hearing the public, it considers objections and suggestions, received in writing or orally during public sittings, and carries out changes, if any, in the draft proposal.
• The final order is published in the Gazette of India and the State Gazette and comes into force on a date specified by the President.

How often has delimitation been done in the past?

• The first delimitation exercise in 1950-51 was carried out by the President (with the help of the Election Commission).
• The Constitution at that time was silent on who should undertake the division of states into Lok Sabha seats.
• This delimitation was temporary as the Constitution mandated redrawing of boundaries after every Census. Hence, another delimitation was due after the 1951 Census.
• Pointing out that the first delimitation had left many political parties and individuals unhappy, the EC advised the government that all future exercises should be carried out by an independent commission.
• This suggestion was accepted and the DC Act was enacted in 1952.
• DCs have been set up four times — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 under the Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002.

Why postponed till 2026?

• There was no delimitation after the 1981 and 1991 Censuses.
• Although the freeze on the number of seats in Lok Sabha and Assemblies should have been lifted after the 2001 Census, another amendment postponed this until 2026.
• This was justified on the ground that a uniform population growth rate would be achieved throughout the country by 2026.
• So, the last delimitation exercise — started in July 2002 and completed on May 31, 2008 — was based on the 2001 Census and only readjusted boundaries of existing Lok Sabha and Assembly seats and reworked the number of reserved seats.

Source: Indian Express

GS-III

Context

Recently, South Korea reported its first case of the rare yet fatal infection - Naegleria fowleri or “brain-eating amoeba”.

About:

What is Naegleria fowleri?

• It is a single-celled organism which can infect humans. It was first discovered in Australia in 1965 and is commonly found in warm freshwater bodies, such as hot springs, rivers and lakes.
• According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with the rising global temperatures. The organism best grows in high temperatures up to 46°C and sometimes can survive at even higher temperatures.

How does it infect humans?

• The amoeba enters the human body through the nose and then travels up to the brain. In some cases, it was found that people got infected when they cleaned their nostrils with contaminated water.
• Scientists haven’t found any evidence of the spreading of Naegleria fowleri through water vapour or aerosol droplets.
• Once Naegleria fowleri goes to the brain, it destroys brain tissues and causes a dangerous infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

Symptoms of PAM:

• The first signs of PAM start showing within one to 12 days after the infection. In the initial stages, they might be similar to symptoms of meningitis, which are headache, nausea and fever.
• In the later stages, one can suffer from a stiff neck, seizures, hallucinations, and even coma.

Treatment for the infection:

• As the Naegleria fowleri infection is rare and progresses quickly, scientists haven’t been able to identify any effective treatments yet.
• At present, doctors treat it with a combination of drugs, including amphotericin B, azithromycin, fluconazole, rifampin, miltefosine, and dexamethasone.

Source: PIB

Context

In a bid to cut emissions and become a major export player in the field, India is planning a ₹180-billion ($2.2 billion) incentive programme for the green hydrogen industry.

What is green hydrogen?

• Hydrogen gas can be used as a fuel and it does not release greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as carbon dioxide when it is burned. Hence, a potential clean alternative to fossil fuels.
  • Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in the universe, however, it does not naturally exist as a gas in usable quantities, occurring almost entirely in compounds, such as water.
  • Therefore, hydrogen must be produced using industrial methods like reforming natural gas (a fossil fuel), electrolysis (in an electrolyser) - an electric current is used to split water into its basic components: hydrogen and oxygen.
  • In a fuel cell (device that converts the energy of a chemical into electricity), hydrogen gas reacts with oxygen to produce electricity and water vapour.
• Green hydrogen is the name given to hydrogen gas that has been produced using renewable energy, such as wind or solar power, which create no GHG emissions.
• Comparing with grey and blue hydrogen:
  • While hydrogen gas does not emit GHGs when burned, the electricity used to produce it, may have been generated by fossil fuels. This is commonly known as ‘grey hydrogen’, which currently accounts for 95% of the total production.
  • Hydrogen produced using electricity generated by burning fossil fuels, but paired with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, which prevent GHGs from entering the atmosphere, is labelled ‘blue’.

Applications of green hydrogen:

• Globally, most of the hydrogen produced today is used in the refining and industrial sectors - to make ammonia for the fertiliser industry, has applications in the steel industry.
• In developing countries such as India, which is investing in the National Hydrogen Mission, hydrogen could be used in transportation, power generation and industry.
• By the end of the decade, the International Energy Agency (IEA) anticipates that hydrogen will find a host of new applications, including powering grids and fuelling the building and transportation sectors.

News Summary:

• Current scenario in India:
  • Indian oil refineries and fertiliser and steel plants annually use 5 million tonnes of hydrogen made from natural gas, called grey hydrogen.
  • Higher gas prices have pushed the Indian grey hydrogen price to about ₹200 per kg from ₹130 a year ago.
  • Recently, the U.S.-based Ohmium International commissioned India's first green-hydrogen factory in Bengaluru.
• Proposal:
  • The green hydrogen proposal is likely to be called "Strategic Intervention for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT)."
  • It will be split into ₹45 billion for electrolyser manufacturing for five years and ₹135 billion for green hydrogen and green ammonia production for three years. The incentive for making green hydrogen is likely to be ₹50 per kg for three years.
  • India aims to sell 70% of the production to countries such as South Korea, Japan and in the European Union, and derivatives, including green ammonia, had an equally strong demand.
  • The Indian aid could be announced in the February 1 Budget for the fiscal year beginning April 1.
• Significance of the incentive: It aims to reduce the production cost (from current ₹300 - ₹400 per kg) of green hydrogen by a fifth over the next five years, by increasing the scale of the industry.
• Announcements and expectations:
  • Earlier, the government announced plans for India to make 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030, a figure that could be doubled, depending on international demand - estimated to exceed 100 million tonnes by 2030, from just under 75 million tonnes now.
  • The government also plans for the country to achieve electrolyser manufacturing capacity of 15 gigawatts in phases by 2030. That would be almost 10 times the current global capacity.
  • The Indian government expects industry to invest ₹8 trillion in green hydrogen and its derivative green ammonia by 2030. Adani had said recently that along with France's TotalEnergies, it would create the "world's largest green hydrogen ecosystem".

Source: Indian Express

Context

With the India-Australia interim trade deal set to kick off, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has recently notified the Rules of Origin.

About:

• The notification, which relates to the eligibility requirement to claim the preferential customs duty on trade in goods, under the economic cooperation and trade agreement (ECTA), will come into effect from December 29. This is when the ECTA will also come into effect.
• India and Australia had in April this year signed the ECTA, which is expected to cover 90% of the bilateral trade between the two.

What is Rules of Origin?

• Rules of origin are the criteria needed to determine the national source of a product. Their importance is derived from the fact that duties and restrictions in several cases depend upon the source of imports.

Where are rules of origin used?

Rules of origin are used:

• to implement measures and instruments of commercial policy such as anti-dumping duties and safeguard measures;
• to determine whether imported products shall receive most-favoured-nation (MFN) treatment or preferential treatment;
• for the purpose of trade statistics;
• for the application of labelling and marking requirements; and
• for government procurement.

No specific provision in GATT

• GATT has no specific rules governing the determination of the country of origin of goods in international commerce.
• Each contracting party was free to determine its own origin rules, and could even maintain several different rules of origin depending on the purpose of the particular regulation.

Source: Indian Express