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UPSC Current Affairs Pointers brings you essential current affairs of the past week, every Monday, to aid you in your Prelims and Mains preparation of UPSC, State PCS, and other competitive examinations.
If you missed the UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | December 2 to December 8, 2024, from the Indian Express, read it here.
(FYI: The data provided in these reports can be used to substantiate your Mains answer and create a broad understanding of the topic.)
— The female labour force participation rate (LFPR) increased in almost all states in India during 2017-18 to 2022-23, with rural areas seeing larger gains than urban areas, a new working paper released by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) stated.
— Rural female LFPR rose to 41.5 per cent (~69 per cent growth) from 24.6 per cent during 2017-18 to 2022-23, while urban LFPR rose to 25.4 per cent from 20.4 per cent.
— It pointed out that even after excluding all those who worked as unpaid family workers or helpers in household enterprises from 2004-05 until 2022-23, the overall trends for increase in female LFPR remain the same as before.
— Punjab and Haryana have recorded low female LFPR among the northern states. Among the eastern states, rural Bihar had the lowest LFPR in the country.
— Among the northeastern states, there has been improvement in female LFPR in rural areas with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh leading among the states of the region.
— Union Health Minister JP Nadda officially launch the ambitious 100-Day TB Elimination Campaign in Panchkula, Haryana on December 7, 2024.
— The campaign, focused on enhancing detection, reducing diagnostic delays and improving treatment outcomes, will be implemented in 347 districts of 33 states where the prevalence of the disease is higher.
— According to the latest World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report, while the estimated number of tuberculosis (TB) cases in India decreased slightly in 2023, the number of cases reported increased – a positive sign that the gaps in diagnosis are closing.
— TB is caused by an organism called mycobacterium tuberculosis, which mainly affects the lungs, but can also impact other parts of the body.
— The Rajya Sabha on December 3 passed the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2024.
— The Bill amends the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act of 1948. It draws a clear line between the law governing the mining of “minerals” — defined under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 — and the Oilfields Act.
— The Bill defines mineral oils as “any naturally occurring hydrocarbon, whether in the form of natural gas or in a liquid, viscous or solid form, or a mixture thereof”.
— The Bill scraps criminal punishment for those who contravene provisions of the Oilfields Act, replacing it with fines.
— The Opposition gave notice for a motion of no-confidence against Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar on December 10, the first such action in India’s parliamentary history.
— Since the Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairperson must be the same individual, the process for their removal is also the same – and is laid down under Article 67.
— Under this provision, the Vice President “shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office” unless the Vice President resigns before that by sending a letter to the President, or is removed from office.
— The requirements for removing or impeaching the Vice President are provided under Article 67(b).
— It states that the Vice President may be removed if a majority “all the then members of the Council (Rajya Sabha)” passes a resolution for his removal, which must then be “agreed to” by the House of the People (Lok Sabha).
— Under this provision, “no resolution…shall be moved unless at least fourteen days’ notice has been given of the intention to move the resolution”.
— Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has launched the ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’ of the state-owned Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) in Panipat, Haryana.
— It is a Stipendiary Scheme, exclusively for Women, with a stipendiary period of 3 years.
An impeachment motion was moved in Rajya Sabha against Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav over his remarks at an event organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad last week.
— The process of impeachment of a judge of the Supreme Court is laid down in Article 124(4) of the Constitution of India. Article 218 says the same provisions shall apply in relation to a judge of the High Court as well.
— Under Article 124(4), a judge can be removed by Parliament through a laid-down procedure on only two grounds: “proved misbehaviour” and “incapacity”.
— For an impeachment motion against an SC or HC judge to go through, at least two-thirds of those “present and voting” in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha must vote in favour of removing the judge — and the number of votes in favour must be more than 50% of the “total membership” of each House.
— Once the MPs submit the motion, the presiding officer of the House can either accept or reject it. If accepted, a three-member committee, comprising two judges and a jurist, is constituted to probe the complaint and determine if it is a case fit for initiating the process of impeachment.
— The RBI has created an AI-powered model called MuleHunter.AI, which could reduce digital fraud by helping banks deal with the increasing problem of “mule” bank accounts.
— It has been developed by the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), Bengaluru, a subsidiary of the central bank.
— A mule account is a bank account that criminals use for illegal activities, including the laundering of illicit funds.
— The related term “money mule” is used to describe the innocent victims who are used by the criminals to launder stolen or illegal money via their bank accounts.
— It is a forum for ministers, policymakers, and decision-makers to debate the Middle East’s most pressing foreign-policy, defence and security challenges. The dialogue was held from 6-8 December and was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
— Held annually since 2004 in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Dialogue is a central element of the Middle East’s security architecture.
— The theme of the 20th edition of the event was ‘Middle East leadership in shaping regional prosperity and security’.
— The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) central to the Syrian Civil War has overthrown President Bashar al-Assad, whose Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party had been in power since the 1960s.
— The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which Abu Mohammad al-Jolani leads, was founded in 2011 as Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria.
— HTS has been designated as a terrorist outfit by the United Nations, the United States, and Turkey.
— Switzerland has suspended the Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) clause in the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) that India and Switzerland entered originally in 1994 and amended in 2010.
— The Swiss authorities said that the suspension was enforced due to a lack of “reciprocity” in the DTAA by the Indian government.
— India and four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA), an intergovernmental grouping of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland signed a free trade agreement where the EFTA countries committed investment worth $100 billion investment in India over a 15-year.
— Tax experts said that the move by the Swiss could “impact investments” in India as dividends would be subject to “higher withholding tax”.
— The Russian-manufactured multi-role stealth-guided missile frigate INS Tushil was commissioned on December 9 in the coastal city of Kaliningrad. It is an upgraded Krivak III class frigates of the Project 1135.6 of which, six are already in service
— INS Tushil has been constructed in Russia as part of an over USD 2.5-billion deal that New Delhi had inked with Moscow in 2016 for four stealth frigates for the Indian Navy.
— Under the deal, two ships were to be built in Russia, while the other two were to be manufactured in India.
— Sanjay Malhotra has been appointed as the new Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Governor, replacing Shaktikanta Das. He assumes charge as the 26th Governor of the RBI.
— The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor is appointed in accordance with the RBI Act, 1934, which specifies that the Governor is selected by the Central government.
— The Financial Sector Regulatory Appointment Search Committee, comprising the Cabinet Secretary, the current RBI Governor, the Financial Services Secretary, and two independent members, prepares a list of eligible candidates for the position.
— The shortlisted candidates are interviewed, and their names are forwarded to the Cabinet Committee on Appointments, chaired by the Prime Minister. The committee finalizes the selection by confirming the appointment.
— The Governor’s tenure is limited to a maximum of five years, with the duration determined by the government at the time of appointment. The RBI Governor is also eligible for reappointment or an extension of their term.
— Celebrating the significance of social justice and literary excellence, the 2024 Vaikom Award was conferred upon Devanur Mahadeva, one of Kannada literature’s most celebrated voices and a lifelong advocate for the oppressed.
— The Vaikom Award, instituted in 2023 to honour individuals or organisations from across India who embody the values of equality and justice, recognises Mahadeva’s extensive work in advocating for Dalit rights, his literary achievements, and his ideological synthesis of Gandhi and Ambedkar’s philosophies.
— The award is linked to the Vaikom Satyagraha, between 1924 to 1925, aimed at challenging caste-based restrictions on access to the Vaikom Temple in Kerala.
— The Satyagraha, which marked a significant step in India’s struggle against untouchability and inspired subsequent temple entry movements across the country, was backed by Mahatma Gandhi, and E V Ramasamy, or ‘Periyar’, the Tamil social reformer.
(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places that were in the news, such as Aleppo and Kirkuk, in the 2018 UPSC Prelims. Plotting them on a world map is the best way to remember them.)
— The Notre Dame cathedral in Paris witnessed its first Mass service in five years on December 8, a day after it was reopened to the world in a lavish ceremony featuring firefighters, world leaders, and artists.
— In 1160, Notre Dame was envisioned by Maurice de Sully, the Bishop of Paris, as a grand Gothic cathedral that would accommodate the city’s growing population. Construction began three years later and is believed to have been completed by 1260.
— During the French Revolution, its spiritual significance took a dramatic turn, as it was repurposed into the “Temple of Reason” and later the “Temple of the Supreme Being.”
— It was also the site of King Napoleon’s coronation in 1804.
— It is the finest example of Gothic architecture, featuring soaring spires, intricate stained glass windows, and impressive flying buttresses.
(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions like the ICC World Test Championship question 2021, you can’t be sure of anything. It is wise to know what it is and not go into too much detail.)
— D Gukesh became the youngest world chess champion after defeating defending champ Ding Liren in Singapore. He became the 18th World Champion.
— Gukesh surpassed Russian great Garry Kasparov, who won the crown in 1985 at 22.
— Gukesh is the second grandmaster from his country to hold the world title. Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand was the undisputed world champion for six years starting in 2007.
— Saudi Arabia was officially announced as the hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2034 while the 2030 edition will take place in Morocco, Spain and Portugal.
— The 2030 World Cup, which will also be the 100th anniversary of the showpiece will be hosted in six different countries, on 3 different continents.
— Saudi Arabia is also the host for the 2034 Asian Games as well as the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
— De-dollarisation: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said that India is not pursuing “de-dollarisation”. It refers to the reduction of the alliance on the US Dollar currency as a chief reserve currency.
(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)
A. Consider the following statements:
1. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is appointed by the Central Government.
2. Certain provisions in the Constitution of India give the Central Government the right to issue directions to the RBI in the public interest.
3. The Governor of the RBI draws his power from the RBI Act.
Which of the above statements is correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
B. MuleHunter.AI has been launched by which of the following?
(a) Niti Aayog
(b) Ministry of Defence
(c) RBI
(d) World Bank
C. Which of the following articles concerns the impeachment of the Vice-President?
(a) Article 65
(b) Article 66
(c) Article 67
(d) Article 68
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