[Mission 2023] INSIGHTS DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS + PIB SUMMARY 1 June 2023

GS Paper 2

 Syllabus: Parliament – Structure, Functioning, Conduct of Business, Powers & Privileges and Issues Arising out of these

Source: TH

Context: A new Parliament building was inaugurated with both celebration and controversy.

Controversy:

• The exclusion of the President of India – the formal head of the executive – from the inauguration.
• The symbolism around the Sengol – was originally used to signify the transfer of power between Chola rulers.

An overlooked fact: The increasing subordination of the Parliament in India’s parliamentary democracy.

Parliamentary democracy:

• It is a system of government in which citizens elect representatives to a legislative parliament to make the necessary laws and decisions for the country.
• This parliament directly represents the people.

Issues faced by the Indian Parliament:

• Frequent adjournments: Parliament sits for fewer and fewer days in a year and Bills are passed with minimal or no deliberation.
• Frequent use of ordinance route: The presidential ordinances have become a parallel if not dominant form of law-making.
• The concentration of power: Within a dominant executive.

Safeguards against executive dominance or abuse:

• The executive must command a majority in Parliament. This opens up the space for intra-party dissent.
• The Opposition is granted certain rights in Parliament to hold the executive accountable.
• The Speaker – a neutral and independent authority, represents the interests of Parliament against the executive.
• Bicameralisme., a second “Upper House” that acts as a revising chamber, where interests other than those of the brute majority are represented.

Problems with the above safeguards:

• The Tenth Schedule to the Constitution: The possibility of intra-party dissent within Parliament has been eliminated by virtue of anti-defection law.
  • Enacted to curb horse trading, it penalises disobedience of the party whip with disqualification from the House.
  • It has strengthened the hand of the party leadership – cabinet/executive (in the case of the ruling party), against its own parliamentarians.
• The Opposition enjoys no specific Constitutional powers: The manner of proceedings in Parliament is under the complete control of the executive, with no real constitutional checks.
• The Speaker is not independent: S/he is not required to give up membership of their political party, and is not constitutionally obligated to act impartially.
  • This has led to an increasing trend of Speakers acting in a partisan manner to advance the interests of the executive over the interests of the House.
  • This affects the quality of the deliberations in the lower house.
• The role of the Upper House is undercut: Not only by the Speaker’s misclassification of Bills (as a “money bill”) but also by the constitutionally-sanctioned ordinance making power.

The only effective check upon the executive: When the electorate has thrown up a fractured mandate and the ruling party is forced to govern in a coalition.

The urgent question that needs to be asked: Whether India remains a parliamentary democracy, or has gradually morphed into an executive democracy?

Conclusion:

• The quality of parliamentary deliberations has declined because of Parliament’s own structural marginalisation under the Constitution.
• Therefore, if India wants to return to parliamentarianism, necessary constitutional changes and reforms should form the ethos of the new Parliament.

Insta Links:

India’s New Parliament: Need and Significance

Mains Links:

The role of individual MPs (Members of Parliament) has diminished over the years and as a result healthy constructive debates on policy issues are not usually witnessed. How far can this be attributed to the anti-defection law, which was legislated but with a different intention? (UPSC 2013)

GS Paper 2

 Syllabus: Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, and mandate.

 Source: ADB, ET

Context: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced its India strategy for the period 2023-2027, with a key focus on employment creation and promoting green growth

What is Country Partnership Strategy for India (CPS): 2023-2027

 The Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for India (2023-2027) is a plan by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to deepen its engagement with India and support its drive for robust, climate-resilient, and inclusive growth.

About CSP 2023-2027:

India’s engagement with ADB:

About ADB:

The Asian Development Bank (Est. 1966; HQ: Manila, Philippines) is a regional development bank to promote social and economic development in Asia and the Pacific. ADB is an official United Nations Observer. The Asian Development Bank has 68 member countries, with 49 from the Asia-Pacific region and 19 from outside the region. The Asian Development Bank is owned by its member countries, with Japan and the United States being the largest shareholders. India is one of ADB’s founding members. The bank operates with a weighted voting system, similar to the World Bank, where votes are distributed based on members’ capital subscriptions.

Insta Links:

• ADB’s IF-CAP

Mains Links:

Analyse the engagement of the Asian Development Bank in India’s development project. (15M)

GS Paper 2

 Syllabus: International Relations – Organisations

Source: TH

 Context: India has played a significant role in the United Nations peacekeeping missions over the past 75 years. This is in continuation of the FFP article published two days ago.

The UN Peacekeeping, guided by the Department of Peace Operations, aims to assist conflict-torn countries in their journey towards sustained peace. Indian personnel have made substantial contributions to these missions, currently ranking third in terms of the number of peacekeepers deployed.

Indian peacekeepers have served in various UN missions worldwide, with a current deployment of 6,097 personnel. However, India has also experienced the highest number of fatalities due to malicious acts during these missions. Out of the 71 peacekeeping operations conducted so far, three missions stand out with significant Indian troop casualties.

About UN Peacekeeping Forces: Click Here

Is UN Peacekeeping losing its appeal?

UN Peacekeeping is losing its appeal due to several factors. The collapse of the Soviet Union ended the need for an impartial army to mediate between the United States and the Soviet Union. Modern conflicts are too messy and chaotic for traditional peacekeeping methods to be effective. The factions that once allowed for easy ceasefires no longer exist. There is also a lack of public support in Western nations for costly and risky peacekeeping missions. This lack of support is leading to reduced involvement and mission endings, as seen in France’s counterterrorism mission in Mali.

Way forward and Conclusion:

Proposed reforms for the future of UN peacekeeping include implementing the recommendations from the Brahimi Report, which aim to address flaws and improve the efficiency of peacekeeping missions. These reforms involve harmonizing the conditions of service for field and headquarters staff and developing guidelines and standard operating procedures. Additionally, there is a need for a rapid reaction force administered by the UN and deployed by the Security Council to ensure quick deployment in the event of genocide. India has been advocating for more administrative control of UN forces for the countries contributing most to it.

Insta links:

UN Peacekeeping forces

Mains Links: 

Write a note on UN Peacekeeping and its significance. (10M)

GS Paper 3

 Syllabus: Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment

Source: HT 

Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released its annual report for the year 2022-23, providing information on the RBI’s functioning through the fiscal year as well as the state of the economy

Insta Links:

RBIs report on currency and finance

GS Paper 3

 Syllabus: Effects of Liberalisation on the Economy, Changes in Industrial Policy and Their Effects on Industrial Growth

Source: TH 

Context: India has recently turned a net exporter of toys (in 2020-21 and 2021-22), ending decades of import dominance.

An overview of the Indian toy industry: 

• In 2015-16, the industry had about 15,000 enterprises (in both organised and unorganised sectors), producing toys worth ₹1,688 crores and employing 35,000 workers.
  • Registered factories (employing 10 or more workers) accounted for 1% of the number of factories and enterprises, employed 20% of workers, and produced 77% of the value of output.
• Between 2000 and 2016, industry output was halved in real terms (net of inflation) with job losses.
  • Imports rose by nearly three times as much as exports and accounted for up to 80% of domestic sales.
  • India hardly figures in the global toy trade, with its exports at a mere half a percentage point.
• Between 2014-19, the Indian toy industry witnessed negative productivity growth.

Evolution of the Indian toy industry:

• Asia’s successful industrialising nations promoted toy exports for job creation, starting with Japan (a century ago), China (since the 1980s) and currently Vietnam.
• However, India followed an inward-oriented industrial policy in the Planning era. This sheltered domestic production through import tariffs and reservation policy.
  • Thus, toy manufacturing remained stagnant, archaic and fragmented in India.
• With the LPG reforms in India in the 1990s, new firms entered the organised toy manufacturing sector and productivity growth improved.
  • Despite early positive trends, industry de-reservation failed to sustain output, investment, and productivity growth after 2007-08.

Recent data related to toy trade in India:

• Toy exports increased from $109 million (₹812 crore) to $177 million (₹1,237 crore) between 2018-19 and 2021-22.
• Imports declined from $371 million (₹2,593 crore) to $110 million (₹819 crore).

The achievement is widely credited to:

• The ‘Make in India’ initiative launched in 2014.
• Basic custom duty on toys tripled from 20% to 60% in 2020.
• Numerous non-tariff barriers (such as production registration orders and safety regulation codes) were imposed as well.

Challenges:

• The potential for sustaining net exports appears slim as the industry has hardly made sustained investments to boost output and exports.
• Rise in protectionism, COVID-19 pandemic.

Way ahead: Examine the ground reality of industrial locations and clusters to tailor policies and institutions to nurture the labour-intensive toy industry in India.

Insta Links:

India’s Toy Story

Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

Source: IE

France has implemented a ban on domestic short-haul flights that can be replaced by train journeys of up to two-and-a-half hours, in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. However, critics argue that the ban may lead to an increase in car usage, negating the environmental benefits.

While air transport contributes only about 2% of global CO2 emissions, it is a concern due to its rapid growth and the fact that emissions from international flights are not attributed to any specific country.

In 2016, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) established the CORSIA offset mechanism to compensate for any emission increases beyond 2020 levels by investing in carbon-saving projects.

Usage: The example can be used in Environment/ Essay paper to argue carbon emission mitigation strategies.

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: TH

Context: New excavations at Delhi’s Purana Qila (Old Fort) have uncovered evidence of a pre-Mauryan era settlement.

Aim of the excavation: The ongoing excavation aims to establish a complete chronology of the site and provide further insights into the ancient city of Indraprastha. The site is considered significant as it may have been the location of Indraprastha mentioned in the Mahabharat.

The findings:

• The findings include pottery shards dating back to around 1200 BC to 600 BC, a 2,500-year-old ring well from the Mauryan era, and a four-room complex believed to be 2,300 years old.
• Nine cultural levels, representing different historical periods including the pre-Mauryan period
• The excavations have also revealed coins, seals, and other artefacts, indicating the site’s role as a trade centre.
• The stone image of Vaikuntha Vishnu, a terracotta plaque of Gaja Laxmi, a stone image of Ganesha, terracotta figurines of humans and animals, beads of various stones, a bone needle etc.

Previous excavation:

Earlier excavations have revealed a continuous existence of human habitation and activities spanning 2500 years. Excavation so far has revealed nine cultural levels, representing different historical periods, including Pre-Mauryan, Mauryan, Sunga, Kushana, Gupta,

About Purana Qila

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: IEA

 Context: The International Energy Agency has released the World Energy Investment Report 2023

Key findings of the Report:

About International Energy Agency

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: TH

 Context: Scientists have used machine learning to discover a potential new antibiotic called abaucin, which targets the highly resistant Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria.

What is Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria? 

Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative bacteria known for its ability to develop resistance to many antibiotics. It is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections and is considered a “red alert” pathogen. A. baumannii has a protective outer membrane that allows it to resist antibiotics, making it challenging to treat.

What is the threat?

It is commonly found in the environment, like in soil and water. It can cause infections in blood, urinary tract, and lungs, or in wounds. WHO has classified it as a critical threat among its “priority pathogens” – a group of bacteria families that pose the greatest threat to human health.

Working of abaucin:

Abaucin works by disrupting the normal function of a protein called CCR2 in bacteria. This disruption affects the movement of certain molecules inside the bacteria, preventing them from reaching the outer membrane. As a result, the growth of Acinetobacter baumannii is inhibited, making it less able to cause infections. Abaucin is selective in its action and mainly targets Acinetobacter baumannii, leaving other bacteria unharmed.

About Gram-negative bacteria:

It is a type of bacteria characterized by its cell structure and response to a staining method called the Gram stain. E.g., Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: TH

 Context: India needs to catch up in the research and production of graphene, a revolutionary material with numerous applications.

About Graphene:

Aspect	Description
Graphene is a one-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. It is the thinnest, strongest, and most conductive material in the world, while also being flexible, transparent, and impermeable to gases. It was discovered in 2004, but it has been difficult to produce high-grade large-scale graphene.
Applications	Electronics, sensors, displays, solar panels, batteries, supercapacitors, composites, aerospace, etc.
Market Size	The global graphene market was valued at over $175 million in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 46% between 2023 and 2030
Research and Production	Leading countries in graphene research and production include China, the US, Brazil, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and Singapore
India’s Progress	India’s progress in graphene has been slower compared to leading countries like China and Brazil. India  opened its first Graphene Innovation Centre in  Thrissur, Kerala last year (2022); Tata Steel has succeeded in growing graphene (about 50 micrometres large domains) using annealing and extracting atomic carbon from steel surface; IIT Roorkee-incubated Log 9 has patented a technology for graphene-based ultracapacitors
Reforms needed	While India has made some advancements and established innovation centres, there is a need for a national graphene mission and government support to ensure India’s competitiveness in this emerging field.

Tags: graphene

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: BS

 Context: Recently, the PM has inaugurated India’s first facility to produce rare earth permanent magnets in Visakhapatnam.

What are Permanent Magnets?

A permanent magnet is a type of magnet that can create a magnetic field without needing any external power source. It is called “permanent” because once it is magnetized, it can maintain its magnetism for a long time.

Permanent magnets are usually made from certain types of metals or alloys, such as iron, nickel, and cobalt, or rare earth elements like neodymium and samarium.

What are Rare earth permanent magnets?

Rare earth permanent magnets are a type of permanent magnet that is made from rare earth elements. Rare earth elements are a group of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, including elements such as neodymium, samarium, and dysprosium.

More about the Permanent Magnet:

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Source: CNN

Context: A team of researchers recently discovered that a diet low in flavanols – a type of nutrient found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and beverages such as tea, cocoa, or wine – plays a fundamental role in driving age-related memory loss. 

• These findings suggest that the ageing brain requires specific nutrients for optimal health in a similar way that the developing brain needs specific nutrients for proper development.

About Flavanols:

Flavanols are a type of flavonoid, a class of compounds with antioxidant effects. Flavonoids are a diverse group of phytonutrients (plant chemicals) found in almost all fruits and vegetables. They are known for their health benefits, which are often attributed to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting properties.

Source: TH

Context: A new Jupiter-size exoplanet with the highest density known to this date and mass 13 times that of Jupiter, has been discovered by ISRO.

• The discovery of this massive exoplanet was made using the indigenously made PRL Advanced Radial-velocity Abu-sky Search spectrograph (PARAS).
• The newly discovered exoplanet is found around the star called TOI4603 or HD 245134.
• NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) initially declared TOI4603 as a possible candidate to host a secondary body of unknown nature.
• It is located 731 light years away. It orbits a sub-giant F-type star TOI4603 every 7.24 days.

What sets this discovery apart is that the planet falls into the transition mass range of massive giant planets and low-mass brown dwarfs with masses ranging from 11 to 16 times the mass of Jupiter. Only fewer than five exoplanets are currently known in this mass range so far.

About PARAS:

The PRL optical fibre-fed high-resolution cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph (Prl Advanced Radial-velocity Abu-sky Search), was commissioned at the Mount Abu 1.2 m telescope in India in 2012.