UPSC Key | Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification, Waqf Bill, Pyrocumulonimbus clouds and more

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A hundred grams, a billion hearts

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-III: Science and Technology

What’s the ongoing story- IN A heartbreaking twist of fate, wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the 50-kg gold medal bout at the Paris Olympics after failing the weigh-in because she was 100 grams overweight. The Indian contingent later filed an appeal against her disqualification in the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with the demand that Phogat be awarded the silver medal.

Prerequisites:

— What are weight-ins?

— What is the recent controversy regarding Vinesh Phogat?

Key takeaways: 

— Combat sports — wrestling, boxing, judo, mixed martial arts (MMA), etc. — are organised according to weight classes. This is to facilitate fair and competitive matches. Fighters of similar weight (and thus, size) are more likely to have similar physical attributes, making for a more even playing field.

— Athletes in a particular weight class (say 50 kg) have to weigh equal to, or less than, the stipulated weight… Moreover, it is impractical to constantly monitor an athlete’s weight throughout a competition… Thus, combat sports use a system of weigh-ins. There are designated times before (and in some competitions, after) when an athlete has to be weighed, and meet the requirements of their weight class.

— Since the Olympics competition goes on for two days, there are two weigh-ins — there is a 30 minute period on Day 1, and a 15 minute period on Day 2.

— In simple words, weight cutting involves athletes drastically reducing their weight in a short period of time. This is done by athletes to make the stipulated weight in time for weigh-ins.

— This is because weight cuts primarily involve ridding the body of any accumulated water — this is the “easiest” weight to shed. Athletes do not drink water, carry out intense exercise, use saunas, wear heavy clothing, etc. to lose this water weight through sweat.

— In the highest levels of sport, where a lot (including handsome monetary rewards) rides on an athlete’s performance, there is an incentive to push the limits of what is safe — sometimes with dangerous, even deadly, consequences.

— “Severe (or even moderate) dehydration used for weight loss in weight restricted sports increases the risk of acute cardiovascular problems…” researchers O R Barley, D W. Chapman, and Chris Abbiss wrote in ‘The Current State of Weight-Cutting in Combat Sports’, published in journal Sports (Basel) in 2019.

— This is why some experts have called for a ban on weight cutting. However, not everyone agrees, especially athletes. Many believe that it is possible to cut weight safely by following a strict, longer-term regime to do so.

— That said, critics argue that there is simply no scientific evidence to show that weight cutting can be done safely, and so-called “safe strategies” too may have an impact on an athlete’s health years down the line.

For Your Information:

From Wordly Wise

“Gold medals aren’t really made of Gold. they’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.” — Dan Gable

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the impact of drastic weight reduction on athletic performance?

— What are the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) guidelines regarding this?

— What are the United World Wrestling (UWW) guidelines on weight-in?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Paris Olympics: Opaque rules forced Vinesh Phogat to compete in a category she struggled to cut weight for

From non-Muslims on state boards to DC as arbiter: Sweeping changes in waqf Bill

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Polity 

What’s the ongoing story- From giving the government a big say in regulating waqf properties, redefining how a property is deemed to be in the possession of waqf to changing the composition of waqf boards in states, the Centre is set to bring in key amendments to overhaul the regulatory framework of Muslim charitable endowments.

Prerequisites:

— What is the waqf board?

— What is the composition of the waqf board?

— What is a waqf tribunal?

— What are the constitutional provisions for freedom of religion?

Key takeaways: 

— The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, proposes to allow even a non-Muslim Chief Executive Officer and at least two non-Muslim members to be appointed by the state government to the waqf boards at the state level.

— Among the key changes proposed is to bring the District Collector as the arbiter on whether a property is waqf property or government land.

—  The Bill states that “any government property identified or declared as waqf property, before or after the commencement of this Act, shall not be deemed to be a waqf property.” However, the amendment states that the Collector will make this determination in case of a dispute and not the Waqf Tribunal. Currently, under the 1995 Act, this decision is made exclusively by the Waqf Tribunal.

— The amendments also seek to completely remove the concept of “waqf by use” which means that a property can be deemed to be a waqf through use even if the original declaration is suspect.

— The proposed Bill, if enacted, will give the Central government the power to “direct the audit of any waqf at any time by an auditor appointed by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India, or by any officer designated by the Central Government for that purpose”.

— In Islamic law, the dedication of a property as waqf was done largely orally until documentation became the standard norm. For example, even in the absence of a waqfnama, a masjid can be deemed to be waqf property if it is continuously used as such.

— Another key change in the Bill is introducing the concept of “adverse possession” with respect to waqfs.

— For the establishment and constitution of Central Waqf Council (which works for advising Central government, state governments and the waqf boards), the proposed Bill intends to give the power to the Centre to include three MPs (two from Lok Sabha and one from Rajya Sabha) without specifying that they have to be Muslim. In the original Act, the three MPs to be included in the Council had to be from the Muslim community.

For Your Information:

From Editorial

— M R Shamshad writes: “The concept of Waqf emanates from Islamic religious beliefs. It is not a religious obligation, but a form of religious charity.”

— “From a reading of the draft Waqf (Amendment) Bill, it would appear that the government has forgotten that Waqf properties are the private and self-acquired properties of the followers of Islam, except those which non-Muslims may have donated.” 

— “They are not public properties, nor have they been acquired using public funds. In this background, the government must realise that its control over administration, management and further creation of new Waqfs has to be minimal.”

— “The proposed amendments seek to facilitate interference from “government organisations” in Waqf properties. This is not just an egregious violation of the rights of Muslim citizens but also of Article 26 of the Constitution, which protects the properties of religious denominations from take over.”

— “The amendments reflect the presumption that government land has been taken over by the Waqf Board. As mentioned earlier, the Collector makes the final decision in this regard and then directs the revenue authorities to give effect to his/her decision in the revenue record. By introducing the concept of adverse possession for Waqf properties, many could become victims to the Collector’s notes on a file.”

— “This encroachment of rights by the government is clearly against the guarantees under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India… By bringing religion-centric legislation, governments have made Muslims of this country vulnerable to police excesses.”

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the criticisms of the proposed waqf bill?

— What was the need for introducing the Bill?

— How does Constitution protect the religious minorities?

— How does the Constitution provide for the freedom to manage religious affairs?

(Thought Process: Right to Freedom of Religion has been provided in Article 25-28. Article 26 provides for the Freedom to manage religious affairs.)

Post Read Question:

(1) Consider the following statements:

1. Article 25 provides the Right to propagate one’s religion by extending the right to convert another person to one’s own religion.

2. Article 27 lays down that no person shall be compelled to pay any taxes for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or religious denomination.

Which of the following statements 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:

AIMPLB member: ‘Constitution gives all religions right to manage their affairs. How can you keep someone from another religion in Waqf bodies?’

For its plans to amend the Waqf Act, Modi govt finds a familiar supporter: Sufi council

 

The Ideas Page

Lesson from Wayanad

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

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

What’s the ongoing story- Madhav Gadgil writes: “On the early morning of July 30, the serene hills of Meppadi in Kerala’s Wayanad district were violently transformed by a series of catastrophic landslides. In a matter of moments, entire villages — Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha —were buried under massive debris. The toll is staggering: At least 300 lives have been lost, and countless more remain missing.”

Prerequisites:

— What is the Gadgil Committee Report?

— What are landslides?

— What is the impact of landslides?

— Why did Britishers introduce rubber and tea plantations?

Key takeaways: 

— This a tragedy that exposes the terrible chasm in Indian society between the haves and the have-nots.

— This river of mud had left no trace of the eucalyptus plantations in its ruthless march, but one tree stood proud and erect on its route: It was Ficus beddomei, characteristic of the original vegetation.

—  The economic interests of the British lay in rendering people resourceless, and dedicating forest tracts to tea and coffee plantations owned by their compatriots and growing timber for their military and construction needs.

— The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) took on board this historical background and painted a realistic picture of what was happening in India. The theme of our report was that any nation, including India, may be viewed as harbouring four capital stocks, namely, natural, social, human, and man-made capital.

— India is exclusively focused on building up highly subsidised man-made capital at serious costs to natural, human and social capitals, worsening economic, social, educational and health disparities and thereby depressing overall social welfare as well as the ability of our industrial enterprises to compete internationally. 

— This is leading to increasing frequency and intensity of human interventions such as mines and quarries, roads, and buildings on hill slopes everywhere, including in ecologically highly sensitive regions.

— The only way to bring these unfortunate trends under check would be to follow the WGEEP’s carefully drafted guidelines for regulation as well as the promotion of developmental activities graded with respect to zones with three different levels of ecological sensitivity — high, moderate and low.

— Governments set the WGEEP’s proposals aside since they have no interest in protecting nature and empowering people. This 13-year delay in acting on the WGEEP’s suggestions is impacting the region more and more adversely, resulting in an increasing frequency of floods and landslides.

For Your Information:

— The Western Ghats have been classified as an ecologically fragile region. Recent research by experts at the Indian Institute of Science divided the 1.6 lakh sq km of Western Ghats into four ecologically sensitive regions (ESR). Promoting sustainable land-management practices such as reforestation, controlled deforestation, and sustainable agriculture is crucial to maintaining hillside stability and reducing soil erosion, thereby mitigating the effects of heavy rains.

— The Central government on Friday issued the sixth iteration of a draft notification, declaring 56,825.7 sq km of the Western Ghats an ecologically sensitive area (ESA) in the states of Gujarat,Maharashtra,Goa,Karnataka, Kerala andTamil Nadu.

— The ESAs proposed across these states are spread over 449 sq km in Gujarat, Maharashtra (17,340 sq km), Goa (1,461 sq km), Karnataka (20,668 sq km), Tamil Nadu (6,914 sq km), and Kerala (9,993.7 sq km). The Centre has provided a window of 60 days to submit objections and suggestions on the draft.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the impact of plantation agriculture on the topography of western ghats?

— Why western ghats are vulnerable to landslides?

— How far anthropogenic activities are responsible for landslides?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(2) ‘Gadgil Committee Report’ and ‘Kasturirangan Committee Report’, sometimes seen in the news, are related to (UPSC CSE 2016)

(a) constitutional reforms

(b) Ganga Action Plan

(c) linking of rivers

(d) protection of Western Ghats

Mains

Differentiate the causes of landslides in the Himalayan region and Western Ghats. (UPSC CSE 2021)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Govt reissues draft notification to declare over 56,000 sq km of Western Ghats as eco-sensitive

A Crime against women 

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: 

Mains Examination:

What’s the ongoing story- Bibek Debroy writes— “Labelling of women with mental health issues as witches in large parts of the country points to failures of society, abdications of law.”

Prerequisites:

— Read about the UN Human Rights Council. 

— What do you understand by the terms “witchcraft”?

— Read about “Project Garima” and “Project Prahari”,

Key takeaways: 

— “In July 2021, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on the elimination of harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks (HPAWR). Through the UN, we have data on documented HPAWR (between 2009 and 2019) in 60 countries…..e might think this is an African problem. As the UN compilation shows, that perception isn’t true. The intensity might be higher in Africa. But HPAWR exists in the USA and Europe, and even in India.”

— “Since 1953, NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) has been a standard source of data on crime in India. That has a category on “motives for murder” and mentions witchcraft. In 2022, there were 85 such murders, concentrated in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha. In addition, there are instances from Assam, Bihar and Telangana. The numbers may have declined a bit. But we are still at about 100 a year and these are just murders with witchcraft as a motive.”

— “The word “witch” is gender-neutral, etymologically, although there is a popular perception that the male of the species is wizard (wicca), while the female is a witch.”

— In principle, witchcraft can be benevolent. But in perception and practice, it is dubbed malevolent. The roots are old. However, that dubbing as malevolent is used for crimes against women, not always leading to murder.” 

— “As a less diabolical motive, there is a lack of education and ignorance, with mental health patients dubbed as witches, especially when there is disease in the neighbourhood. As a more diabolical motive, there are widowed and single women, with their property being a target.”

— “What do we do about witch-hunting practices? —One can invoke parts of the Constitution, IPC (Indian Penal Code) and Protection of Human Rights legislation. But some states have specific legislation – Prevention of Witch (Daain) Practices Act (1993) in Bihar; Prevention of Witch (Daain) Practices Act (2001) in Jharkhand; Tonahi Pratadna Nivaran Act (2005) in Chhattisgarh; Prevention of Witch Hunting Act (2013) in Odisha;…Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Act (2017) in Karnataka; Prevention of Witch Hunting Act (2015) in Rajasthan; and Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act (2015) in Assam. 

— Notice the vintage of legislation. These are all relatively recent, reflecting the belief that a modern country should have specific legislation to address the issue.”

For Your Information: 

— Jharkhand has “Project Garima”, to restore the dignity of women branded as witches. Assam has “Project Prahari”, a community-policing initiative. 

Points to Ponder: 

— Is there any union legislation for the prevention of witch-hunting?

—  What are the issuea and challenges faced by women in Indian society?

— What initiatives have been taken by the government for women empowerment?

Post Read Question:

“Empowering women is the key to control population growth”. Discuss. (UPSC CSE 2019)

 

Express Network 

Chhattisgarh to get new tiger reserve amid dwindling big cat population

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.

Mains Examination: GS-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story– With its tiger population plunging in recent years, Chhattisgarh Wednesday cleared a long-pending proposal to notify a new tiger reserve – the third largest in the country.

Prerequisites:

— What is the conservation status of the tiger?

— What is India’s tiger population? 

— Know about the National Tiger Conservation Authority. 

— Map work: Tamor Pingla Sanctuary, Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve and Other tiger reserves in Chhattisgarh. 

Key takeaways: 

— The Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, which integrates an existing national park with a wildlife sanctuary, is Chhattisgarh’s fourth reserve for the big cats. It spans 2,829 square kilometres across four northern districts of the state.

— The decision comes after the Chhattisgarh High Court, while hearing a PIL on July 15, granted four weeks to the state government to clear its stand on declaring that area a tiger reserve.

— On Wednesday, the state cabinet merged the regions of the Guru Ghasidas National Park and the Tamor Pingla Sanctuary, located in the districts of Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Koriya, Surajpur and Balrampur, to create the new reserve.

— Andhra Pradesh’s Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve is the country’s largest tiger reserve, covering 3,296.31 sq km. Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam is the second largest with an area of 2,837.1 sq km. Both have 58 tigers.

For Your Information:

— Project Tiger was launched by the Central government on April 1, 1973, in a bid to promote conservation of the tiger. The programme came at a time when India’s tiger population was rapidly dwindling.

Points to Ponder: 

— How many tiger reserves are in India?

— What are the persisting threats facing the tiger across its habitats?

— What are the government initiatives for tiger conservation?

Post Read Question:

(3) Consider the following protected areas: (UPSC CSE 2012)

1. Bandipur

2. Bhitarkanika

3. Manas

4. Sunderbans

Which of the above are declared Tiger Reserves?

(a) 1 and 2 only 

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Revival of the tiger: A joint effort, a cultural renaissance

 

Explained

What went wrong for Hasina, what her falls mean for Bangladesh

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: International Relations

What’s the ongoing story- An interim government under Nobel prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus, and facilitated by the Army, has taken over from the Awami League. Sheikh Hasina is in India after fleeing Bangladesh on Monday.

Prerequisites:

— What is the reason for the ongoing protest in Bangladesh?

— Who is Sheikh Hasina?

— Who are Razakars?

— Who is Muhammad Yunus?

Key takeaways: 

— Public demonstrations and protests are hardly unusual in Bangladesh. A few weeks ago no one would have predicted that the student movement protesting quotas in government jobs would lead to the end of the road for Bangladesh’s longest-serving prime minister.

— Hasina’s response to these protests exposed her as a leader out of touch with the ordinary people, and the political sensibilities of the younger generation of Bangladeshis. 

— The protests against quotas in government jobs for the children and grandchildren of those who fought in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War brought to light a level of economic disaffection that was sweeping the country’s educated youth.

— Perhaps the most egregious example of the former prime minister’s insensitivity was her criticism of the protests at a press conference on July 14. “If the grandchildren of freedom fighters do not receive (quota) benefits,” she asked “who would get it? The grandchildren of Razakars?” The term refers to the much-hated collaborators with the Pakistani army during the country’s liberation war.

— Right now, the power vacuum is the most urgent issue facing Bangladesh. Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, attacks on police stations have made policemen fearful of doing routine policing.

— The political landscape of Bangladesh is considerably more complex than the binary of the secularists and the Islamists. It is too early to say how the future politics of the country unfolds. But right now, one can say that neither the student protests nor the initial moves to forming the interim government point towards the return of Islamists to power.

— For the past fifteen years India had put most of its eggs in the Awami League basket. While the relationship between the two countries has improved significantly during the Awami League regime, there is a widespread perception in Bangladesh that the relationship has brought more benefit to India than to Bangladesh.

— Given the unexpected nature of the political change in Bangladesh, India’s foreign policy establishment will now need to carefully navigate the fluid new political environment in the country. There is no reason to fear that there will be dramatic shifts in Bangladesh’s foreign policy of the kind that would go against Indian interests.

For Your Information:

— In trade terms, Bangladesh is India’s biggest partner in the subcontinent, and India is Bangladesh’s second biggest partner in Asia after China. Their total bilateral trade amounted to $13 billion in the financial year 2023-24, according to the Union Ministry of Commerce.

— Infrastructure and connectivity has been a growing part of India-Bangladesh ties, according to the Minister of External Affairs. India has extended three lines of credit to Bangladesh since 2016 amounting to $8 billion for the development of road, rail, shipping and port infrastructure. In November 2023, two joint projects – the Akhaura-Agartala cross-border rail link and Khulna-Mongla Port rail line – were inaugurated.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the status of the India-Bangladesh relationship?

— What is India’s foreign policy towards Bangladesh?

— What necessary measures have been taken by India to ensure border and diaspora protection?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

(4) With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2017)

1. The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim.

2. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta.

3. River Teesta flows into the Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Mains

The protests in Shahbag Square in Dhaka in Bangladesh reveal a fundamental split in society between the nationalists and Islamic forces. What is its significance for India? (UPSC CSE 2013)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

How Sheikh Hasina’s ouster may impact India-Bangladesh trade ties

Pyrocumulonimbus clouds: When wildfires spit storms, lightning

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Science and Environment 

Mains Examination: GS-III: Environment and Science 

What’s the ongoing story- The wildfires currently raging in the United States and Canada are so intense that they have created ‘pyrocumulonimbus’ clouds, which have the potential to spit out thunder and spark more fires.

Prerequisites:

— What are forest fires and their types?

— What causes wildfires? 

— What are Pyrocumulonimbus clouds?

Key takeaways: 

—The development of these clouds has become more frequent in recent years. Not every wildfire leads to the creation of pyrocumulonimbus clouds. They occur only when there is an extremely hot wildfire — volcanic eruptions can also lead to the formation of pyrocumulonimbus clouds. 

— The intense heat from the fire warms the surrounding air which moves upward into the atmosphere. As this hot and very buoyant air — carrying water vapour, smoke, and ash — rises, it expands and cools down. Once it is cool enough, water vapour condenses on ash, forming a grey or brown cloud. At this stage, the cloud is known as a pyrocumulus cloud, also known as ‘fire cloud’. 

— But if there is sufficient water vapour available and the upward movement of hot air intensifies, pyrocumulus clouds can evolve into a pyrocumulonimbus cloud. These clouds can reach heights of 50,000 feet and generate their own systems of thunderstorms.

— Although pyrocumulonimbus clouds can produce lighting, they do not generate much rain. As a result, they can spark new wildfires many kilometres away from the main blaze. These clouds can also trigger strong winds that can make the spread of the wildfire faster and unpredictable.

— The exact reason for the frequent pyrocumulonimbus cloud events remains unclear as unlike in the case of other extreme weather events, the study of these clouds is relatively new. However, scientists believe that climate change could have a role to play in the increase of their frequency.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the different types of clouds?

— How does climate change lead to extreme weather events? 

— How far Anthropogenic activities are responsible for forest fires? 

Post Read Question:

(5) Consider the following statements:

1. High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth.

2. Low clouds have a high absorption of infrared radiation emanating from the Earth’s surface and thus cause warming effect.

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 you know your clouds?