UPSC Key | Criminal laws, northern lights, flash floods and more

Express Network

Explore legal options if forensic assistants can be called experts under new crime laws: Home Ministry to UTs

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: Government policies and interventions

What’s the ongoing story- Before the implementation of three new criminal laws — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Act, the Ministry of Home Affairs told all UTs that legal examination has to be done whether the existing forensic assistants can be notified as forensic experts since after the implementation of new laws, their visits will increase substantially.

Prerequisites:

— Why new criminal laws have been introduced?

— What are the important changes made?

Key takeaways: 

— In February, the Centre issued three gazette notifications, informing that the three new criminal laws will be effective July 1.

— According to the section 176(3) of BNSS, it provides for the visit of forensic experts to the scene of crime to collect evidence in offences with punishment of 7 years or more.

— In the meeting, a source said it was also discussed that since e-FIRs can be lodged by anyone, it should not be available for public viewing or in other police searches unless the complaint has been signed within 3 days by the complainant.

— Current status of various UTs: Delhi: Training has been organised in collaboration with central detective training institutes, Bhopal and Ghaziabad. The FSL has also been restructured and 120 technical posts created…

For Your Information:

— Detail of the bill: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, to replace the Indian Penal Code; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, for CrPC; and Bharatiya Sakshya (BS) Bill, 2023, for the Indian Evidence Act.

— The new criminal law code makes some crucial changes. The Bills for the first time bring terrorism, corruption and organised crime under the ambit of ordinary criminal law. These aspects were reserved for stringent special legislation since they upend the general protections by reversing the burden of proof on the accused to restrict bail.

— Other changes, like extending the time limit for police custody from 15 to 90 days, raise concerns about personal liberty and misuse of police powers.

— Justice Chandrachud said, “These laws aim at digitising various aspects of criminal procedure. This is a significant step towards modernising the justice system. From the initial registration of a first information report (FIR) to the final delivery of judgment, every stage of a criminal investigation is slated to be recorded digitally under the purview of the proposed legislation,”

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the key provisions of the new criminal laws?

— What are the issues related to the new criminal law?

— Evolution of criminal laws in India.

— What committees were formed to reform India’s Criminal Justice System?

Post Read Question:

What was the need to introduce new criminal laws in India? Analyze the potential benefits and concerns associated with these new laws.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Express View on new criminal law code: Law and liberty

Lok Sabha passes three criminal law Bills: Here are the key changes

Govt may ask big companies to test each batch of spices

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance.

Mains Examination: GS-II: Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health.

What’s the ongoing story- With Singapore and Hong Kong recalling spice mixes from India for having higher than prescribed limit of a pesticide residue, the country’s apex food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mulling a way to ensure all batches of spices and spice mixed for Indian markets by big manufacturers are tested by the companies themselves.

Prerequisites:

— What is FSSAI?

— What are the legislative frameworks of FSSAI?

— What is ethylene oxide?

Key takeaways: 

— “It is still under discussion but we are planning to mandate testing for each batch of spices — only for the big manufacturers. There are several vendors who process spices in small quantities and sell it locally, this move would not be applicable to them,” said a senior government official in the know of the matter.

—  Asking smaller manufacturers to test each batch would be a cost burden for them, the official said. More importantly, smaller vendors are unlikely to use fumigators like ethylene oxide.

— At present, spices, like most other food products, are tested during the random checks conducted by FSSAI and state food safety departments.

— The move to test every batch of spices would be on the lines of the quality control and testing that FSSAI already has in place for fortified foods.

— Ethylene oxide, used to fumigate spices to prevent contamination, was the compound found in higher quantities in spices in Singapore and Hong Kong. After spraying, it breaks down into 2-chloroethanol, which is also considered when testing a product for the maximum residue limit.

— Ethylene Oxide is not approved for use in spices in India, however, it is commonly used world over and is usually found in spices that are exported.

For Your Information:

— Ethylene oxide is used by the spice industry as a fumigant to reduce microbial contamination, such as E. coli and Salmonella. It is a colourless, highly flammable and very reactive gas that kills bacteria, viruses and fungi. It is an industrial chemical.

Points to Ponder: 

— Why is food safety an important issue?

— What are the challenges associated with food safety in India?

— What are some of the important initiatives for food safety in India?

— What is the State Food Safety Index (SFSI)?

— What are E. coli and Salmonella?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements: (2018)

1. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.

2. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is under the charge of Director General of Health Services in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

UPSC Issue at a Glance | Food Safety : 5 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains

FSSAI sets up lab network to test food for pathogens

The World 

Nature holds a light show

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance, physical geography.

Mains Examination: GS-I, GS-III:  Important Geophysical phenomena, Environment,  Science & Technology.

What’s the ongoing story- The night sky was lit up by northern lights, or aurora borealis, at Hanle village in Ladakh early Saturday morning. Northern lights were also witnessed in other parts of the world, including in the United States and the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, southern lights, or aurora australis, were spotted in countries such as New Zealand and Australia.

Prerequisites:

— What are auroras?

— Why do auroras occur?

— What is a geomagnetic storm?

Key takeaways: 

— The northern lights- also known as aurora usually don’t reach that far south. They are most often seen in higher latitudes closer to the North Pole.

— Solar storms occur when the Sun emits huge bursts of energy, leading to the release of a stream of charged particles, some of which get caught in the polar regions of the Earth. These particles interact with gas molecules in the upper atmosphere and produce a color called Aurora. The current solar storm was the biggest in 20 years.

For Your Information:

— Auroras are essentially natural lights that appear as bright, swirling curtains in the night sky and can be seen in a range of colours, including blue, red, yellow, green, and orange. These lights primarily appear near the poles of both the northern and southern hemispheres all year round but sometimes they expand to lower latitudes (to know why, scroll down). As mentioned before, in the north, the display is called the aurora borealis; in the south, it is known as the aurora australis.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is meant by a solar storm?

— What is Earth’s magnetic field?

— How are solar flares different from Coronal Mass Ejections’ (CMEs)?

— What is the scientific significance of the aurora?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements with regard to auroras:

1. Auroras are essentially natural lights that appear as bright, swirling curtains in the night sky.

2. In the north, it is called the aurora borealis; in the south, it is known as the aurora australis.

3. It occurs due to activity on the surface of the Sun.

How many of the statements given above are true?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) All three

(d) None of the above

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

What are northern and southern lights? Why do they occur?

Over 300 killed as flash floods hit north Afghanistan, says UN

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography 

Mains Examination: GS-I: Geography

What’s the ongoing story- Flash floods, that have ripped through northern Afghanistan, have left more than 300 people dead, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said. The WFP, which operates throughout Afghanistan, said on X that floods had killed more than 300 people in the worst-hit province of Baghlan, where more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed. However, it did not give a source for its figure.

Prerequisites:

— What is a flash flood?

— What are the reasons for climate change?

— Where is Afghanistan located on the map?

Key takeaways: 

— A climate-sensitive nation, Afghanistan was battered by a similar calamity in April as heavy rains and flash floods resulted in the deaths of at least 100 people across 10 provinces in Afghanistan.

— Afghanistan’s vulnerability to climate change is exacerbated by its relatively dry winter, making it challenging for the soil to absorb rainfall.

— This vulnerability is compounded by the nation’s prolonged history of conflict, spanning four decades, and its status as one of the poorest countries globally.

— According to scientists, Afghanistan is among the least prepared nations to confront the consequences of global warming.

For Your Information:

— Excessive or continuous rainfall over a period of days, or during particular seasons can lead to stagnation of water and cause flooding. Flash floods refer to such a situation, but occurring in a much shorter span of time.

— In India, flash floods are often associated with cloudbursts – sudden, intense rainfall in a short period of time. Himalayan states further face the challenge of overflowing glacial lakes, formed due to the melting of glaciers, and their numbers have been increasing in the last few years.

—  India is the worst flood-affected country in the world after Bangladesh and accounts for one-fifth of the global death count due to floods. Flash floods have been commonly witnessed in cities like Chennai and Mumbai.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the government initiatives to tackle flash floods?

— How anthropogenic activities are responsible for these climate disasters?

— What is the impact of floods in India?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements with respect to ‘flash flood’:

1. Flash floods lead to sudden and intense rainfall in a short period of time.

2. GLOP that occurred in Sikkim is a type of flash flood.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Explained: What are flash floods and why they may increase in the next few years

Economy

After coal and gas, govt bolsters hydro capacity to meet rising peak demand

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II, III: Government policies and interventions; Infrastructure-Energy, Environment

What’s the ongoing story- The Ministry of Power said it has “optimised” hydropower generation to make available an additional 4GW capacity, weeks after it instructed fifteen imported coal-based and all gas-based thermal plants to be operational during the summer months. With peak power demand set to touch 240 GW in June, the ministry’s latest effort to avoid supply shortfall reflects growing concern over risk of outages…

Prerequisites:

— What are the state-owned discoms?

— What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy?

— What is the share of renewable and non-renewable energy in India’s energy production?

Key takeaways: 

— The reliance on coal and gas to meet peak demand is more pronounced given the absence of adequate energy storage infrastructure in the country, which can help store excess energy generated by solar and wind plants during non-peak hours and release it during peak hours.

— In India, which is the world’s third largest producer of renewable energy, around 40 percent of installed electricity capacity comes from non-fossil fuel sources. This green push has resulted in a sharp 24 percent reduction in the emission intensity of GDP between 2005 and 2016, but it has also thrown up challenges in meeting peak demand with a grid being increasingly powered by renewables.

— Even as the share of installed capacity of renewables like solar and wind has increased to nearly 29 percent of total capacity in FY24, compared to 20 percent in FY20, these sources of power do not have high capacity utilisation as they are variable in nature.

— Energy storage is needed alongside green energy sources to primarily balance out the variability in renewable generation – electricity is generated only when the sun shines or when the wind blows. This is not always in sync with the demand cycle. Storage can help tide over this shortcoming associated with renewables.

— With lithium-ion battery storage being ruled out as unviable for grid application, at least for now, an emerging policy resolve is that solar and wind-based generation cannot continue to be pushed down to struggling electricity distribution companies or discoms.

— To compensate for the intermittency, pumped-storage hydroelectric plants – where it stores energy in the form of the gravitational potential energy of water … is being seen as the most viable alternative. These projects thereby work similarly to a giant battery, because they can store power and then release it when needed.

For Your Information:

— In its latest World Energy Outlook, IEA said India will see the largest energy demand growth of any country or region in the world over the next three decades.

— It projected India’s energy supply to rise from 42 exajoules (EJ) in 2022 to 53.7 EJ in 2030 and 73 EJ in 2050 under stated policies scenarios and 47.6 EJ by 2030 and 60.3 EJ by 2050 as per announced pledges.

Points to Ponder: 

— What steps need to be taken to strengthen energy storage infrastructure in the country?

— Why there is an increase in the electricity demand in the state?

— What are the government schemes related to renewable energy?

Post Read Question:

“In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for development”. Discuss. (2017)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

The difficulty with renewables

Express View on India’s energy future: Going solar

Khanij Bidesh India may acquire lithium assets in Australia in FY25

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance, Economy, General Science.

Mains Examination: GS-I, GS-III: Distribution of Key Natural Resources, Mineral & Energy Resources, Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

What’s the ongoing story- Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL) hopes to acquire a lithium block in Australia this year, a top official said on Saturday. KABIL, a joint venture of three PSUs to scout for mineral assets overseas, has been working in Australia for the last year, Mines secretary V L Kantha Rao said.

Prerequisites:

— What is lithium?

— What is a ‘lithium triangle’?

— Read about the KABIL.

Key takeaways: 

— KABIL is owned by three public sector undertakings — National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco), Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL) and Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Ltd (MECL).

— Lithium is the most important mineral for the energy transition, a fundamental component of lithium-ion batteries, which power electric vehicles and battery energy storage systems.

— The government had earlier said that India would pump in about Rs 200 crore to explore and develop five lithium mines in Argentina. Argentina is part of the ‘lithium triangle’ along with Chile and Bolivia with more than half of the world’s total lithium resources.

For Your Information:

— Lithium is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal, which is a vital ingredient of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles, laptops, and mobile phones.

— India is 100 per cent reliant on imports for its lithium.

Points to Ponder: 

— Which country has the largest reserves of lithium in the world?

— What is the status of lithium in India? Lithium reserves in India.

— What are lithium-ion batteries? How do they work?

— What is the importance of lithium in today’s world?

(Thought Process: What are the areas where lithium is used? What properties of lithium make it significant?)

— What do you understand by critical minerals?

— What are the side-effects of lithium mining?

— Map work: Location of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Australia; global lithium reserves; lithium reserves in India. (Refer atlas)

Post Read Question:

Regarding Lithium-ion batteries, consider the following statements:

1. It uses aqueous electrolyte solutions.

2. The energy density of lithium-ion batteries is nearly ten times that of nickel-cadmium batteries.

3. It does not undergo corrosion as lithium is a non-reactive metal.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Lithium ‘inferred’ in J&K — how significant is this find, what next?

AI chatbots want to be factual. But can they be a credible news source?

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-III: Science and Technology

What’s the ongoing story- First it was the Browser Company’s Arc web browser, and now it is social networking platform X’s artificial intelligence (AI) tool Grok – AI platforms are now being trained to produce summaries of content on a particular site, triggering concerns over its impact on traffic to news publishers, and their potential to generate and propagate misleading content harming the online information economy.

Prerequisites:

—  What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

— What are chatbots?

Key takeaways: 

— While offering summaries of news events and trending topics on X is not new and was a feature under the leadership of Jack Dorset when the social network was called Twitter, this is the first time the platform will use AI to create summaries of events.

— Many have questioned whether AI tools should ever even be seen as a factual source. Many people in the industry have argued that AI bots are better at creative tasks than being authoritative news sources given their hallucination problem.

— In countries with low digital literacy, there could be a potential that users assume such chatbots to be an authoritative source of factual information without realising some of their pitfalls.

For Your Information:

— According to Google, Large Language Models (LLMs) are large general-purpose language models that can be pre-trained and then fine-tuned for specific purposes. In simple words, these models are trained to solve common language problems such as text classification, question answering, text generation across industries, document summarisation, etc.

— An LLM is like a super smart computer program that can comprehend and create human-like text. It is trained on massive data sets which are essentially patterns, structures, and relationships with languages. An LLM can also be seen as a tool that helps computers understand and produce human language.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the ethical issues concerning AI?

— What are the challenges of the AI?

— Problem of fake news and misinformation with these AI chatbots

Post Read Question:

With the present state of development, Artificial Intelligence can effectively do which of the following? (2020)

1. Bring down electricity consumption in industrial units

2. Create meaningful short stories and songs

3. Disease diagnosis

4. Text-to-Speech Conversion

5. Wireless transmission of electrical energy

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2, 4 and 5 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Explained: What is an LLM, the backbone of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini?

 

The Sunday Express Magazine eye

Gut bacteria can chew up your cholesterol

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General Science

Mains Examination: GS-III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

What’s the ongoing story- Dr Suranjit Chatterjee writes- “Nowadays, we hear many conversations on gut bacteria being the pivot of our health and well-being, impacting our key lifestyle markers like cholesterol, blood sugar, triglycerides, body fat and haemoglobin. In fact, latest research by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, along with Massachusetts General Hospital, has found that specific bacteria in the gut can chew up cholesterol, lowering its levels in the blood and consequently eliminating the risk of plaque formation in the heart arteries.”

Prerequisites:

— What is the Oscillibacter bacteria?

— Where are Oscillibacter bacteria found?

— What is cholesterol and its types?

Key takeaways: 

— Over a decade-long study, researchers found that people who had Oscillibacter bacteria in their gut had lower cholesterol levels than those with poor levels of the same.

— They break down cholesterol so that it cannot be absorbed into bloodstream. Rather the end product passes through stool. Earlier research has also shown similar effects. Several strains of Lactobacillus bacteria — a common gut bacteria — entrap cholesterol from their surroundings and incorporate it into their membranes. This is another way of eliminating cholesterol from bloodstream.

— Oscillibacter bacteria influence bile acids, which are essential for fat digestion and absorption. Once they finish their functions, bile acids return to the liver for recycling. But some amount remains in the gut, becoming the food for gut bacteria and growing them. In this process, the gut bacteria break down bile acids into secondary bile acids, which regulate cholesterol metabolism.

— Furthermore, bacteria break down dietary fibres through fermentation and produce short chain fatty acids. These inhibit cholesterol formation and keep their levels low.

Points to Ponder: 

— What diseases are associated with high cholesterol?

— How do gut bacteria help control cholesterol levels in blood?

— What are Lactobacillus bacteria?

— Where are Lactobacillus bacteria found?

— What is the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol?

— Why is cholesterol important?

— What is the difference between fat and cholesterol?

Post Read Question:

What are Non-Communicable Diseases? Why are non-communicable diseases increasing in India?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Do high levels of ‘good’ cholesterol mean lower risk of heart disease? How HDL-C is actually linked to cardiovascular health

For any queries and feedback, contact manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.