UPSC Key—9th November, 2023: Cloud Seeding Technology, Comptroller and Auditor General of India and Electoral Trusts

Ethics panel draft report recommends Moitra expulsion from LS, pulls up Ali

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha, which inquired into the cash-for-query allegations levelled by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey against TMC MP Mahua Moitra, is learnt to have recommended her expulsion from the 17th Lok Sabha in its draft report.

• What Rule 275 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha says?

• What is exactly cash for query case?

• Has there been an allegation earlier about an MP handing over access to the Parliament website to someone else?

• Is there a rule that specifically bars Members from giving their Parliament login and password to a third person?

• So is the Ethics Committee the right forum for a matter such as this?

• What exactly is the Parliamentary Ethics Committee?

• What is the primary role of the Ethics Committee?

• For Your Information-The members of the Ethics Committee are appointed by the Speaker for a period of one year. The Committee is currently headed by the BJP’s Kaushambi MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, and includes Vishnu Datt Sharma, Sumedhanand Saraswati, Aparajita Sarangi, Dr Rajdeep Roy, Sunita Duggal, and Dr Subhash Bhamre of the BJP; Ve Vaithilingam, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, and Preneet Kaur (Congress); Balashowry Vallabbhaneni (YSR Congress); Hemant Godse (Shiv Sena); Giridhari Yadav (JD-U); P R Natarajan (CPI-M); and Kunwar Danish Ali (BSP). A Presiding Officers’ Conference held in Delhi in 1996 first mooted the idea of ethics panels for the two Houses.
Then Vice President (and Rajya Sabha Chairman) K R Narayanan constituted the Ethics Committee of the Upper House on March 4, 1997, and it was inaugurated that May to oversee the moral and ethical conduct of members and examine cases of misconduct referred to it. The Rules applicable to the Committee of Privileges also apply to the ethics panel.
In the case of Lok Sabha, a study group of the House Committee of Privileges, after visiting Australia, the UK, and the US in 1997 to look into practices pertaining to the conduct and ethics of legislators, recommended the constitution of an Ethics Committee, but it could not be taken up by Lok Sabha.
The Committee of Privileges finally recommended the constitution of an Ethics Committee during the 13th Lok Sabha. The late Speaker, G M C Balayogi, constituted an ad hoc Ethics Committee in 2000, which became a permanent part of the House only in 2015.
In 2005, the two Houses adopted motions to expel 10 Lok Sabha MPs and one Rajya Sabha MP who were accused of agreeing to ask questions in Parliament for money. The motion in Lok Sabha was based on the report of a special committee set up by the Speaker under Chandigarh MP P K Bansal to examine the issue. In Rajya Sabha, the complaint was examined by the House Ethics Committee.
The BJP, which lost six MPs, demanded that the Bansal Committee’s report be sent to the Privileges Committee, so that the parliamentarians could defend themselves.
Former Lok Sabha Secretary General P D T Achary said there was “a lot of evidence” in the 2005 case — it was based on a sting operation — the challenge in the Mahua Moitra case will be to link the questions asked by the TMC MP to a money trail.
Any person can complain against a Member through another Lok Sabha MP, along with evidence of the alleged misconduct, and an affidavit stating that the complaint is not “false, frivolous, or vexatious”. If the Member himself complains, the affidavit is not needed.
The Speaker can refer to the Committee any complaint against an MP.
The Committee does not entertain complaints based only on media reports or on matters that are sub judice. The Committee makes a prima facie inquiry before deciding to examine a complaint. It makes its recommendations after evaluating the complaint.
The Committee presents its report to the Speaker, who asks the House if the report should be taken up for consideration. There is also a provision for a half-hour discussion on the report.

• How long could the Committee take to reach a decision and, should they find merit in the complaint, what is the maximum punishment it could recommend?

• Could the Committee refer the matter to an investigative agency like the CBI or police?

• Mahua Moitra has pointed out that the Ethics Committee has an “absolute majority of BJP members”-Comment

• Can the MP appeal a potentially adverse decision in a court of law?

• Code of Conduct in Lok Sabha and Code of Conduct in Rajya Sabha-Compare

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee: its history, constitution and members

Possible answer to farm fires: New rice variety can replace Pusa-44

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, – different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- In its order on Tuesday (November 7) directing the Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan governments to ensure that the burning of crop stubble be “stopped forthwith”, the Supreme Court mentioned a “particular kind of paddy… grown mostly in Punjab”. This variety and “the time period in which it is grown” were seen as major causes of stubble burning and the resultant pollution problems in the National Capital Region.

• What is Pusa-44?

• For Your Information-Bred by the New Delhi-based Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa-44 is a long-duration variety that takes 155-160 days to mature, from the time of nursery sowing of seeds to harvesting of grain. Thus, the crop that is transplanted in mid-June after nursery sowing a month earlier is ready for harvesting only towards late-October. And since that leaves very little time for field preparation to sow the next wheat crop, ideally before mid-November, farmers resort to burning the standing stubble and loose straw that remains after harvesting using combine machines.
The longer duration notwithstanding, what makes Pusa-44 an attractive option to farmers is that it is a high-yielding variety — 35-36 quintals an acre, with some farmers even harvesting 40 quintals an acre. It is the standing stubble from this variety that is largely being burnt since the start of November.

• What is Pusa-2090? How different it is from Pusa-44?

• When did Punjab farmers begin cultivating PUSA-44?

• How much yield farmers are getting from PUSA-44 as compared to other varieties?

• Why has the Punjab Agriculture Department discouraged its cultivation?

• How does PUSA-44 aggravate stubble burning in Punjab?

• Do You Know-Due to its extended maturity period, PUSA-44 is harvested just before the sowing of wheat, typically at the end of October, while the ideal time for wheat sowing is November 1. Ideally, farmers need 20 to 25 days between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing to manage stubble disposal properly.
This limited timeframe makes it challenging to manage stubble through in-situ and ex-situ methods (within the fields and outside the fields, respectively), leading to increased incidents of stubble burning. Additionally, PUSA varieties generate around 2 per cent more stubble than short varieties, which becomes a significant concern when cultivated on a large scale.
PUSA-44 is grown extensively in several districts of Punjab, including Barnala, Sangrur, Ludhiana, Moga, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Muktsar, Bathinda, Faridkot, and Mansa. Stubble-burning incidents are notably higher in these districts.
According to the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC) in Ludhiana, in 2022, Sangrur saw stubble in 73 per cent of its rice cultivation areas being burned. Also, Ferozepur was at 69 per cent, Faridkot at 66 per cent, Fatehgarh Sahib at 62.7 per cent, Muktsar at 61 per cent, Bathinda at 59 per cent, Mansa at 58 per cent, Moga at 56 per cent, Faridkot at 66 per cent, and Mansa at 58.8 per cent.
PRSC records show that these fires typically began in the third week of October, coinciding with the harvest of the long-duration PUSA variety, and persisted until November 25. There are a couple of districts, like Ferozepur, Fazilka etc., which also showed considerable burning but here some other long-duration paddies and Basmati varieties are sown that are also harvested close to the wheat sowing period.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why Punjab wants to ban the cultivation of PUSA-44 paddy variety

THE CITY

In two weeks, Delhi govt plans to make it rain — artificially — to curb pollution levels

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology

Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- If raindrops fall in Delhi on November 20 and 21, they could be ‘artificial’. The Delhi government said there is a possibility for a cloud seeding pilot in the city on these two dates to reduce pollution levels, if things go to plan.

• What is cloud seeding?

• For Your Information-Cloud seeding is a kind of a weather modification technology to create artificial rainfall. It works only when there is enough pre-existing clouds in the atmosphere. Rain happens when moisture in the air reaches levels at which it can no longer be held, and cloud seeding aims to facilitate and accelerate that process by making available chemical ‘nuclei’ around which condensation can take place. These ‘seeds’ of rain can be the iodides of silver or potassium, dry ice (solid carbon dioxide), or liquid propane. The seeds can be delivered by plane or simply by spraying from the ground.

• Where all has it been tried earlier?

• What is the IIT Kanpur study?

• Did state governments adopt this technology?

• How successful is the cloud seeding technology?

• What are the challenges and concerns with this technology?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What caused pollution last winter? Stubble burning, secondary inorganic aerosols & vehicles, shows study

GOVT & POLITICS

Maiden INDUS-X investors meeting held ahead of 2+2 India-US ministerial dialogue

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Ahead of the 2+2 Indo-US ministerial dialogue Friday, the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) under India’s Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defence, organised the first ever INDUS-X investors’ meet Wednesday, where the INDUS-X Educational Series (Gurukul) was also launched.

• Is India a Defence partner of US?

• United States (US) and India relations in defence sector-Know in detail

• The US-India defence relationship, despite its remarkable rise in the past two decades, is intermittently impeded by functions of political, bureaucratic, economic and strategic realities-Discuss

• What is India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X)?

• India-USA Relations-Know the background

• What are India’s major imports from USA?

• How much India import from USA?

• The current India-US defence relationship is important for both commercial and strategic reasons-Comment

• Do You Know-India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) was launched at an event in Washington DC, USA on 21 June 2023. It was during the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US to expand strategic technology partnership and defense industrial cooperation between governments, businesses, and academic institutions of India and US. The INDUS X event was co-organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Ministry of Defence, and US Department of Defence (DoD) and hosted by US-India Business Council (USIBC).
In a statement, the US Department of Defense said the INDUS-X will vitalise defence industrial cooperation between the two countries and unlock new innovations in technology and manufacturing.
INDUS-X will catalyse innovation and help equip both countries’ armed forces with the capabilities they need to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍INDUS-X unveiled, Indian and US startups to boost defence ties, innovations

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

Odd and Even of Delhi’s Air

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology

Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Rohit Negi Writes: In 1996, the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment published a report on air pollution in the city. It discussed in detail the main culprit (vehicles), outlined policy measures, and described a series of quite creative awareness-building actions that they had undertaken primarily through the print media. According to CSE, almost two-thirds of the city’s pollution load was accounted for by vehicular pollution, and so, it made an argument to impose stringent emission standards, improve fuel quality, invest in public transport, and more generally, monitor air better.

• “Almost 30 years later, air quality continues to be poor for most of the year, and severe for several weeks”-Discuss

• “The turning point in our interest in the issue was a 2014 WHO report, promptly rejected by the Indian government, which called Delhi the most polluted capital in the world (a distinction hitherto held by Beijing)”-Elaborate this further

• For Your Information-From 2014 to 2022, the number of functional continuous monitors across Delhi increased from five to over 40. They tell us that vehicular pollution is only one of several critical sources contributing to Delhi’s toxic air. Industries, roadside and construction dust, and waste burning contribute significantly as well. Then there are the seasonal sources like farm fires, the burning of biomass to keep warm in the winters, and the festive burning of firecrackers. In the last two decades, multiple studies have conclusively linked pollution to extremely dangerous health impacts. We know that while the weeks of heavy smog are particularly tough for those with diminished lung function or other vulnerabilities, persistent exposure to toxic air is equally bad in the long run for all the residents.
This is a crucial point. While attention is understandably intense during the smog episodes and emergency measures are important, anti-pollution action must be perennial just like the problem. This is especially true given our unfavourable geographical context, with the desert or arid regions to our south, and the Himalayas to the north. Delhi receives dust storms making their way through the thinning Aravalis during the summer, while the mountains lock in pollutants in the winters, as is the case right now. Taking cognisance of the present situation, the Supreme Court has come down heavily on state governments on stubble burning, even hinting at police enforcement on the ground. Thankfully, the discussion in the Court continued to span questions around the shift to paddy, corporatised marketing of water-guzzling cultivars, and the shrinking margins for farmers. This is a welcome conversation because strategies that are socially attuned rather than follow formulaic or coercive prescriptions have a greater likelihood of long-term success.
Experts working on the science-to-policy pathway have made compelling arguments related to actions spanning the legislative, institutional, and technical arenas. They contend that an inordinate focus on Delhi is unhealthy since the problem encompasses a much wider region, making airshed level approaches critical. They argue that policy must be informed by ecological thinking since the replacement of functioning ecosystems with plantations of trees (as the compensatory afforestation or tree transplantation policies contend) is self-defeating. Experts also agree that privatised fixes like air purifiers or semi-private ones like smog towers are not going to make the situation better for most breathers. Public interventions cutting across sectors like transportation, agriculture, and power must be prioritised.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Odd-even scheme back in Delhi: Has it helped bring down air pollution in the past?

THE IDEAS PAGE

A matter of integrity

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Main Examination: General Studies II: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Girish Chandra Murmu Writes: Shedding the shackles of foreign domination, India awoke to “life and freedom” on August 15, 1947. On January 26, 1950, the Constitution of India came into effect. Thus ensued our democratic journey, emphasising the principles of individual rights, equality, accessibility, rule of law, separation of powers, universal suffrage and public participation. Today, India stands as the world’s largest democracy, with a vibrant political landscape, a diverse society, and ongoing efforts to overcome various socio-economic challenges.

• “The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) plays a crucial role in this democratic framework by ensuring transparency, accountability, and financial integrity in government’s functioning”-Comment

• Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) and Article 148 of the Constitution

• Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) is appointed by Whom?

• Independence of Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)-Provisions

• Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)-Functions and Powers

• Social audit and Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)-Connect the dots

• For Your Information-The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) plays a crucial role in this democratic framework by ensuring transparency, accountability, and financial integrity in government’s functioning. CAG helps maintain the separation of powers between legislature and executive by ensuring that the government’s financial activities align with legislative intentions. Through its audit findings and recommendations, the CAG promotes good governance practices and helps governments streamline their operations, reduce inefficiencies and adhere to financial discipline. As India’s democracy matures, the CAG’s role becomes even more vital in promoting good governance and safeguarding the people’s interests. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments marked a quantum leap in India’s democratic set up, as they created tiers of self-governance below the level of states. The structured origins of local governance in India can be traced to the “Janpadi and Pancha” system. Fast forwarding to independent India, the 1958 Balwant Rai Mehta Committee recommendations laid the foundations for a three-tier structure for rural self-governance, culminating in the 73rd and 74th amendments.
The primary audit of the accounts of local governments and issue of audit certificates is done by local fund auditors designated by state governments. Hand holding by the CAG to improve local governance, and, hence, strengthen democracy, includes capacity building of state local fund auditors in Audit Planning and Audit Methodologies, through Technical Guidance and Support (TGS) as recommended by the 11th Finance Commission. Over the years, CAG has issued numerous manuals/ guidance, forming the bedrock of auditing and accounting by local governments. Annual Technical Inspection Reports (ATIR) are issued by CAG’s state audit offices entrusted with TGS. The primary focus of CAG’s local government audit is an assessment of how well the delivery of the services pertaining to devolved functions have reached the last mile or the grassroots, through the efforts of the local governments.

• What do you understand by “Comptroller”?

• What do you understand by “Auditor General”?

• Compare CAG of India with that of CAG of United Kingdom

• Public Accounts Committee and Government of India Act of 1919-Connect the Dots

• Public Accounts Committee-Members and Selection Procedure

• Public Accounts Committee and Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)-Connect the Dots

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍 Of accounts and accountability

EXPLAINED

Electoral Bonds and Electoral Trusts: how they are different

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Main Examination: General Studies II: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- After a three-day hearing, the Supreme Court on November 3 reserved its judgment on the challenge to the central government’s Electoral Bonds Scheme. Before the controversial Electoral Bonds (EB) Scheme was introduced in 2018, there was something called an Electoral Trusts (ET) Scheme, which was introduced by the UPA government in 2013.
Both schemes were meant to facilitate donations to political parties by corporates and individuals. But while the EB scheme seeks to ensure anonymity for the donor, the electoral trusts under the previous scheme were required to submit to the Election Commission of India a report on contributions from individuals and companies, and their donations to parties every year.

• First, what are electoral trusts?

• And how does the working of this scheme differ from that of the EB Scheme?

• How do donations through electoral trusts stack up against donations made through EBs?

• Which parties have received how much from electoral trusts?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Can’t disclose identity of electoral bond donors to protect citizen’s right to privacy, Solicitor General tells SC

📍What are electoral bonds, how has govt defended them, what Supreme Court has to decide

One year of Project Cheetah

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change

Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- A year after it was launched, Project Cheetah, India’s ambitious attempt to introduce African cats in the wild in the country, has claimed to have achieved short-term success on four counts: “50% survival of introduced cheetahs, establishment of home ranges, birth of cubs in Kuno”, and revenue generation for local communities.

• The Reintroduction of the Cheetah in India is the first such trans-continental project which is taking off-Know how Reintroduction of the cheetah in India plan is executed?

• What is the Reintroduction of the cheetah in India plan?

• Cheetah in India- Background

• Extinction of Cheetah from Indian Landscape-know the reasons

• Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India-Important Highlights

• What Critics of Project Cheetah Says?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍The 360° UPSC Debate: Project Cheetah — Is it problematic, or is it too early to judge?

Why Bhutan’s first military op in 140 yrs came against Indian insurgents

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighborhood- relations.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi today (November 7) after a historic three-day visit to Assam. Despite the 265.8 km border shared by Assam and Bhutan, this marked the first visit of a Bhutanese monarch to the state.

The visit was also significant as it came after a tense period, in which the peaceful relationship between the neighbours became complicated in the 1990s when insurgent groups from Assam began setting up camps and operating out of forests in southeast Bhutan.

• Why were Indian insurgent groups present in Bhutan?

• What was Bhutan’s initial approach towards these militant groups?

• What finally led to the crackdown?

• What was the result of the operation?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Bhutan King arrives on week-long visit today, 1st stop Assam

ECONOMY

‘Notable exception’: What is India’s Energy Conservation Building Code, 2017?

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– India was cited as a “notable exception” for being among the few emerging market and developing economies to have energy efficiency building codes. Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA), in its World Energy Outlook 2023, report has highlighted that India’s Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC), 2017 for commercial buildings sets it apart from other developing economies where “energy efficiency in buildings stands out as a laggard”.

The ECBC was first released by the Ministry of Power’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in 2007, followed by an update in 2017. Currently, 23 states have notified rules to enforce ECBC compliance, while large states like Maharashtra and Gujarat are still in the process of drafting rules.

• What is ECBC?

• Do You Know-ECBC sets minimum energy standards for commercial buildings, with the objective of enabling energy savings of between 25 and 50 per cent in compliant buildings. The code is applicable to commercial buildings like hospitals, hotels, schools, shopping complexes, and multiplexes which have a connected load of 100 kW or more, or contract demand of 120 kVA or more. It primarily looks at six components of building design including envelope (walls, roofs, windows), lighting systems, HVAC systems, and electrical power system, and the requirements under each of these components are split between mandatory and prescriptive. ECBC is for both new buildings and retrofitting existing buildings. Compliant buildings are assigned one of three tags in ascending order of efficiency, namely ECBC, ECBC Plus, and Super ECBC.
Compared to ECBC, 2007, the updated 2017 code has additional priorities of renewable energy integration, ease of compliance, inclusion of passive building design strategies, and flexibility for the designers.
While ECBC acts as a national standard, states across India have the flexibility to modify the code depending on unique regional needs. To enforce the code, states have to draft rules and notify them as state laws.

• Where do states stand in ECBC implementation?

• What can we expect moving forward?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Cabinet approves energy-saving code for new govt buildings

For any queries and feedback, contact priya.shukla@indianexpress.com
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