UPSC Key- December 28, 2022: Why you should read ‘Delimitation Commission’ or ‘Caste census’ or ‘Nolan committee’s Seven Principles’ for UPSC CSE

Syllabus:

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

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The Election Commission of India said Tuesday it has begun the process of delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in Assam. The process will be based on Census data from 2001. The last delimitation of constituencies in Assam was done in 1976 on the basis of the 1971 Census. In 1971, Assam’s population was 1.46 crore. In 2001, it increased to 2.66 crore and to 3.12 crore in 2011. The EC also issued a directive banning the creation of new administrative units in the state with effect from January 1 next year until completion of the delimitation exercise in the state.

• Quick Recall- In the last delimitation exercise, completed in 2008, Arunachal, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland were kept out due to apprehensions over use of the 2001 Census. The Centre’s move to club the four with J&K comes in the backdrop of unrest in the region over CAA.

• What is delimitation and why is it needed (with respect to the principle “One Vote One Value”) ?

• How is Delimitation Commission established? What is its Constitutional basis (Articles 82, 170)? What are its compositions and functions?

• How is delimitation carried out? When was the Delimitation Commission set up and who headed it?

• When was the first delimitation exercise was carried out? How often has delimitation been done in the past?

• There was no delimitation after the 1981 and 1991 Censuses. Why was there no delimitation then? Why is the Assam oppositon questioning the delimitation exercise?

• Why is Constitutional Amendments of 1976 significant?

• Why is delimitation for Jammu and Kashmir in the news?

• Who is SK Mendiratta? Why he called the new Delimitation Commission “illegal” and “unconstitutional” with reference to Section 8A of the RP Act 1950 ?

• The delimitation process in J&K and North East ensure greater fairness and balance, and it is an act of accomodation. Comment

• With reference to the Delimitation Commission consider the following statements: (UPSC PYQ 2012)

1. The orders of the Delimitation Commission cannot be challenged in a Court of Law.

2. When the orders of the Delimitation Commission are laid before the Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assembly, they cannot effect any modification in the orders.

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:

How states are split into seats?

Why questions have been raised about the move for delimitation in the Northeast?

 

Demonetisation Case

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- In affidavits submitted to the Supreme Court hearing a clutch of petitions on demonetisation in which the verdict is scheduled January 2, the government said it was a “well-considered” decision and the consultation process with the Reserve Bank of India had begun in February 2016, a good nine months before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on November 8, 2016.

The RBI, too, in its affidavit said that due process was followed and it was the one that recommended the demonetisation. What the Government and the RBI affidavits don’t mention is the fact that the RBI’s recommendation for the noteban – a procedural requirement – came after the central bank critiqued many of the government’s justifications. These were put on record just hours before the announcement of the decision as minutes of the RBI’s Central Board meeting.

• Quick Recall- In a surprise move, the Central government demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes in 2016. The move is aimed at fighting black money. Demonetisation is a radical monetary step in which a currency unit’s status as a legal tender is declared invalid. This is usually done whenever there is a change of national currency, replacing the old unit with a new one. In India, it was first implemented in 1946 when the Reserve Bank of India demonetised the then circulated Rs 1,000 and Rs 10,000 notes.

• What have been the major outcomes and criticisms of Demonetizaton? How was demonetization a digital push?

• What was Operation Clean Money?

• What the affidavits mention with reference to currency in circulation (CIC), quantum of fake currency, storing black money, terrorism, timing of demonetization? What the affidavit doesn’t mention?

• Which one of the following statements correctly describes the meaning of legal tender money? (UPSC PYQ 2018)

(a)The money which is tendered in courts of law to defray the fee of legal cases

(b)The money which a creditor is under compulsion to accept in settlement of his claims

(c)The bank money in the form of cheques, drafts, bills of exchange, etc.

(d)The metallic money in circulation in a country

• Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

What is demonetisation, what are different ways of demonetisation, and demonetisation in India by PM Modi explained.

Six years after demonetisation: A look at what happened and changed

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Caste census in Bihar

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.

Main Examination: General Studies I- Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Preparing to begin the caste survey exercise from January 7, the Bihar government plans to compile data on each family digitally through a mobile application as part of the eight-level survey — from the panchayat to the district level. The mobile app will have a set of questions in a format, mentioning place, caste, the number of people in a family, their profession, and annual income, among others.

• A government official told The Indian Express, “The General Administration Department has issued a circular, stating that it would entirely be up to a district magistrate to select census workers from among teachers, Anganwadi workers, MGNREGA or Jeevika workers.”

• What is Census? What kind of caste data is published in the Census? What is Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC)? What is the difference between Census and SECC?

• History and Census: Every Census in independent India from 1951 to 2011 has published data on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, but not on other castes. Before that, every Census until 1931 had data on caste.
However, in 1941, caste-based data was collected but not published. M W M Yeats, the then Census Commissioner, said a note: “There would have been no all India caste table… The time is past for this enormous and costly table as part of the central undertaking…” This was during World War II.

• Why are Mandal and Rohini Commissions important?

• What are the positives and negatives of conducting a census?

• Consider the following statements: ( UPSC PYQ 2009)

1. Between Census 1951 and Census 2001, the density of the population of India has increased more than three times.

2. Between Census 1951 and Census 2001, the annual growth rate (exponential) of the population of India has doubled.

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:

Do we need to count caste in census?

President’s address to IPS probationers

Syllabus:

Mains Examination: General Studies IV: Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Police officers should keep in mind and demonstrate through action, the five fundamental attributes of integrity, impartiality, courage, competence and sensitivity, President Murmu said on Tuesday.

• What is the motto of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy? What does it mean?

• Define with examples:
Integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance, competence, and compassion towards the weaker sections.

• How Nolan committee’s Seven Principles of Public Life that serve as guide for civil servants?

• What is the difference between police as ‘force’ and police as ‘service’? How should be the colonial police sysytem different from the police sysytem of independent India?

• What is the code of conduct of Law enforcement officers?

• Why do we need police reforms? What have been various Committees/Commissions on Police Reforms and the major recommendations?

• Recently PM Narendra Modi calls for ‘One Nation, One Uniform’ for police: who decides what the police wear on duty?

• What are the Various Issues with Ethical Policing in India? Give suggestions addressing the challenges of police in India.

• What does wearing a police uniform mean?

• Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

UPSC Essentials | Experts talk with Renuka Mishra, DG State SIT, UP: What does wearing a police uniform mean?

How to fix India’s broken police forces, CBI and IB

EXPRESS NETWORK

Mixing technology with epics

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General Science and Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nanotechnology, bio-technology.

• What’s the ongoing story- Video games inspired by Ramayan and Mahabharat, a dedicated Doordarshan channel for children to promote indigenous animation, at least two teachers in every school to impart relevant training, and special degree courses approved by the UGC.These are among avenues being explored by the government to promote the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVCG) sector in the country.

An inter-ministerial task force headed by Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra has made the recommendations, now being studied by the government, according to top officials of I&B, Education, and Skill Development ministries, who were involved in preparing three sets of reports on this. The committee was formed by the I&B Ministry in April following a proposal in the Budget.

• What you should know- According to the report, the Indian media and entertainment sector is expected to grow at 8.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate to reach $53.75 billion in 2026. Within the industry, the AVGC sector may see a growth of 14-16% in the next decade, it noted.

• What is the main recommendation of the report?

• How can Indian media and entertainment sector showcase India’s “culture and heritage across geographies”?

• What are the challenges with the AVGC sector in India?

• What are epics? How are they sources of history? Why are epics important for human life?

• FYI: The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) will soon publish rules for online gaming platforms and start public consultation on the regulations, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Tuesday.
According to an official gazette on Monday, MeitY is now the nodal ministry regulating online gaming.

“The decision is in line with the government’s initiative to push for the growth of the animation, visual effects, gaming and comics (AVGC) sector and making India a global hub for online gaming. We are sure that the online gaming industry will grow responsibly under MeitY in creating a well-balanced regulatory framework,”said Joy Bhattacharjya, director general, Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS).

• India’s percentage of new paying users (NPUs) in gaming has been the fastest growing in the world for two consecutive years, at 40 per cent in 2020 and 50 per cent in 2021. According to a report by EY and FICCI, transaction-based games’ revenues grew 26 per cent in India, with the number of paying gamers increasing by 17 per cent from 80 million in 2020 to 95 million in 2021.

• With reference to the cultural history of India, the memorizing of chronicles, dynastic histories and Epictales was the profession of who of the following? (UPSC PYQ- 2016)

(a) Shramana

(b) Parivraajaka

(c) Agrahaarika

(d) Magadha

 

Intranasal vaccine

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General Science and Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nanotechnology, bio-technology.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Days after the Government included Bharat Biotech’s intranasal vaccine Incovacc as a booster option in its Covid immunisation programme, the company announced that doses will be available from the fourth week of January, 2023. The doses will be priced at Rs 800 each in the private market and Rs 325 for large government orders, according to a company statement.

• You should know- Incovacc, which has been added to the vaccine management portal CoWIN, will be available as a mix-and-match, or heterologous, booster dose. People who have received the first two doses of Covaxin or Covishield will be eligible to get Incovacc.

• What is a nasal vaccine?

• How will a nasal vaccine work?

• What is the importance of vaccines delivered through nasal, oral route?

• Should you club nasal vaccines and booster jabs?

• What accounts for India’s vaccination success story?

• Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Nasal vaccine gets emergency use nod, how will it help combat Covid-19?

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

The suitable officer

Syllabus:

Mains Examination: General Studies II- Role of civil services in a democracy.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Maruti chairman R C Bhargava writes: One reason why attempts to skill officers have not worked in the past has been issues related to promotions and postings. That has prevented the right man from being posted in the right job and the widespread perception that the IAS has failed in the area of economic development. This problem has to be resolved in the larger interest of nation-building.

• Why were the Make in India and Ease of Doing Business policies were framed as schemes? Despite these efforts, manufacturing has till now not shown any significant increase in its growth. Why?

• What is the of the recruitment system for the higher civil services?

• How to equip IAS officers to become much more effective in dealing with the manufacturing sector as well as other areas of development?

• Why is it important to skill officers? Why attempts to skill officers have not worked in the past?

• What is the Generalist vs specialist debate in civil services? Is lateral entry a positive step in bureaucracy?

• An increasingly specialised, complex and changing world demands a more effective bureaucracy. Discuss.

• Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

India needs a new IAS

Generalist vs specialist

The Green in our weaves

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Uzramma writes: The world today is looking for ‘green’ industries. So the handloom industry of India, particularly if it can use yarn made from cotton fresh from the field, might just have the last laugh over mass production after all.

• What is the significance of the Indian handloom industry?

• What are the positive and negative trends in the Indian handloom industry?

• What has been the history of textile industry in India, especially in the colonial times?

• What did post independent India provide to Indian Cotton farmers?

• Connect the dots- India’s geography, climate, environment and fabric production.

• What is Malkha?

• Why textile and garment industries want ban on cotton exports?

• Do you know- Nearly 15 textile dyeing and printing mills in Surat have shut down, unable to maintain due to high costs and short supply of lignite coal and imported coal, on account of the Russia-Ukraine war and low production from mines in Gujarat.

• Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Why textile and garment industries want ban on cotton exports ?

EXPLAINED

China, West, G20 Presidency: Opportunities & concerns for India in 2023

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.

• What’s the ongoing story- Shubhajit Roy writes : As India hosts the G20 summit, 2023 is the year when politics and economics will intertwine with diplomacy. A belligerent Beijing remains a concern, and there are elections to watch out for in crucial neighbouring countries, including Pakistan. New Delhi has to strike a balance between old ties and new alliances.

• What are the six hard realities?

(Russia-UkrainewarChina’s aggression, Ties with the West being tested, Taliban engagement, Pakistan turmoil, Neighbourhood in crisis)

• What are six challenges?

(Dealing with China, Engaging with Russia, G20 as a global stage, Ties with the West, Challenge in the neighbourhood, Pakistan’s crucial year)

• What is the G20? How does the G20 work? What were the major takeaways from the G20 summit at Indonesia?

• How G20 presidency is an opportunity for India to make a mark as a global leader?

• MCQ:

In which one of the following groups are all the four countries members of G20? (2020)

(a) Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey

(b) Australia, Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand

(c) Brazil, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam

(d) Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea

• Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

UPSC Essentials: Issue at a glance — G20 and India’s presidency

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