UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 27 July 2024

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 27 July 2024 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles

InstaLinks :  Insta Links help you think beyond the  current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.

Table of Contents 

GS Paper 2: (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 27 July 2024)

1. Supreme Court Verdict on States’ Right to Tax Mineral-Rich Lands

GS Paper 4:

2. Gender Equality in Sports

3. Ethics of Philanthropy

Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

4. Initiatives by Minal Karanwal (IAS)

Facts for Prelims (FFP) 

1. Charaideo Moidams

2. NATIONAL MISSION FOR MANUSCRIPTS

3. Listeria

4. Tinzaparin

5. ‘White category’ sectors 

6. Climate Finance Action Fund (CFAF)

7. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) 

Mapping:

8. Lithium in Mandya and Yadgiri districts (Karnataka)

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 27 July 2024

GS Paper 2:

Supreme Court Verdict on States’ Right to Tax Mineral-Rich Lands

Syllabus: Government Policies and Interventions

Source: TH

Context: The Supreme Court ruled that States have the unlimited right to tax mining lands and quarries, independent of the Parliament’s Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act of 1957.

The 8:1 judgment, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, affirmed that State Legislatures’ power to tax is derived from the Constitution and is essential for their revenue generation.

Background of the Case

In 1989, a seven-judge Bench ruled that the Centre holds primary authority over mining regulation under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and Entry 54 of the Union List. States could only collect royalties, not impose additional taxes, as royalties were classified as taxes.

In 2004, a five-judge Bench suggested there might have been a typographical error in the 1989 ruling, indicating that royalties were not a tax. This discrepancy led to the current nine-judge review.

What did SC decide now?

1. State Taxation Authority: The power to tax mineral rights is enumerated in Entry 50 of List II (State List), and Parliament cannot use its residuary power with respect to this subject matter.
   1. While Parliament can impose limitations on states’ mineral taxation via laws, the MMDRA has no specific provision imposing such limitations.
2. Regulatory Power: Entry 54 of List I (Union List) pertain to the Union’s power over minerals and is regulatory, not inclusive of taxing authority.
3. Definition of “Land“: The term “land” in Entry 49 of List II includes mineral-bearing lands, granting states the competence to tax such lands.
4. Overruling 1989 Judgment: The court overruled its 1989 judgment and held that royalty is not within the nature of a tax and does not come under the MMDRA.
5. Clarification on Taxing Authority: The ruling clarifies that the power to impose taxes on mineral rights resides solely with the states, while Parliament may only impose limitations to prevent hindrances to mineral development.
6. Ensuring Non-Obstruction: Parliament can set constraints on how states levy taxes on mineral rights to ensure mineral development is not obstructed, but cannot impose taxes directly.

What was the dissenting opinion of one of the judges?

Dissenting Opinion: One of the 9 bench judges, warned that allowing states to levy taxes on mineral rights might lead to attempts to impose taxes on lands and buildings under Entry 49 of List II, potentially disrupting the federal system and uniformity in mineral pricing and development.

Economic Consequences: States levying taxes on minerals could lead to legal uncertainty and adverse economic consequences, impacting metal development in India.

Difference between Royalty and a Tax:

About the MMDRA Act:

Insta Links:

11. Amendment to Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act
12. Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023

Mains Links:

Q1. Despite India being one of the countries of Gondwanaland, its mining industry contributes much less to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in percentage. Discuss. (UPSC 2021)

Q2. “In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for development”. Discuss (UPSC 2021)

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 27 July 2024 GS Paper 4:

Gender Equality in Sports

Syllabus: Applications of Ethics

Source: UNESCO

Context: With the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, history will be made as an equal number of men and women compete, marking the largest gender-equal sporting event.

As per recently released, UNESCO’s Sport and Gender Equality Game Plan 

Key Observations:

1. Sexual Abuse: 21% of women athletes and 11% of men reported childhood sexual abuse in sports.
2. High Dropout: 49% of girls drop out of sports during adolescence, 6 times higher than boys, due to lack of role models, safety concerns, lack of confidence, and negative body image.
3. Inequality: No women in the top 50 highest-paid athletes.
4. Leadership: Only 30% of major sports federations were chaired by women in 2023.

Suggested Actions:

1. Use sports media to change attitudes and address gender inequalities.
2. Promote gender equality in sports leadership and decision-making.
3. Develop gender-responsive infrastructure and budgeting.
4. End all forms of gender-based violence in sports.

Ethical Values from Gender Equality in Sports:

1. Fairness: Ensuring equal opportunities for all genders in sports participation and competition.
2. Inclusivity: Promoting a diverse and welcoming environment for athletes of all genders.
3. Respect: Valuing and recognizing the contributions of athletes regardless of gender.
4. Empowerment: Encouraging and supporting female athletes to reach their full potential.
5. Integrity: Upholding honesty and transparency in sports governance and decision-making.
6. Safety: Creating a secure and harassment-free environment for all athletes.
7. Equity: Addressing and reducing disparities in resources, pay, and representation.

Ethics of Philanthropy

Source: Indian Express

Context: The article highlights the growth and potential of Indian philanthropy

“We must consider the time and the place, and the character of the receiver, which is the weights in the scale, which cause our gifts to be well or ill received.” – Seneca

Definition: Philanthropy can be defined as an act or gift done or made for humanitarian purposes.

Philanthropy in India:

In pre-independent India, Mahatma Gandhi encouraged businessmen to contribute their wealth for the betterment of society. Industrialists like Jamnalal Bajaj and G.D. Birla supported Mahatma Gandhi’s initiatives during the freedom movement while pursuing their own philanthropic interests.

Philanthropy in the West: 

America: Carnegie-Rockefeller era of philanthropy.

Andrew Carnegie built impressive institutions (like Carnegie Library and Carnegie Mellon University), but also inspired (and instigated) the rich; the last line of his book reads: “The man who dies rich, dies disgraced.”

The Rockefeller Foundation also developed a vaccine to eradicate yellow fever. Both Carnegie and Rockefeller became role models, inspiring generations (including myself) to give away their wealth to improve society.

Issues with Philanthropy:

1. The parochial nature of giving, which risks some of the poorest regions being ignored
2. Programmatic giving doesn’t add up (for example: a number of foundations and NGOs work on school education, yet learning outcomes have not improved).
3. A recipient may violate the donor’s intentin spirit or in law.
4. A donor’s activities may be considered incompatiblewith those of the institution’s mission.
5. Recipient may be perceived as complicit with or oblivious to a donor’s unethical practices, thus tainting its own good name, especially when an institution grants naming rights.
6. A donor may receive a quid pro quo for all or part of a donation.

The way forward for philanthropy in India:

1. Build institutions: Donors can fund think tanks and build area-specific (say, on energy transition) or geography-specific (such as eastern Uttar Pradesh) institutions.
   1. For e.g.: The Tata family built the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the Tata Memorial Hospital, etc.
2. Fund risky R&D for the government:
   1. For example, Nandan Nilekani built an innovation ecosystem such as Aadhaar, UPI and eKYC.
3. Support governments to improve delivery: Partnering with the government as a philanthropic entity is the most effective way to make a scalable and sustainable impact.
   1. For example, The Piramal Foundationis supporting the Aspirational Districts collective
4. Veddis Foundationis funding initiatives to improve the evidence base and outcome orientation of governments.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 27 July 2024 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME) :

Initiatives by Minal Karanwal (IAS)

Source: TH

Context: Nanded (Maharastra) ZP CEO Minal Karanwal has launched several innovative features

These initiatives promote ethical values such as altruism, community support, fairness, empowerment, gender equality, leadership, responsibility, inclusivity, and equity.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 27 July 2024 Facts for Prelims (FFP):

Charaideo Moidams

 Source: IE

 Context: Assam’s Charaideo Moidams, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are royal burial sites of the Ahom dynasty, which ruled Assam from 1228 to 1826 AD.

• A moidam is a mound of earth over a grave, typically containing one or more chambers with an earthen mound covered in grass and a pavilion on top.
• Unlike Hindus who cremate their dead, the Ahoms, originating from the Tai people, practiced burial.
• Charaideo, the first capital established by King Sukaphaa in 1253 AD, remained a symbolic and ritual center of power for the Ahoms.
• The burial sites contain items for the afterlife and are reminiscent of ancient Egyptian rites, earning the nickname “Pyramids of Assam.”

NATIONAL MISSION FOR MANUSCRIPTS

 Source: PIB

Context: The National Mission for Manuscripts in India aims to document, conserve, digitize, and disseminate the country’s manuscript heritage.

• To achieve this, over 100 Manuscripts Resource Centres and Manuscripts Conservation Centres have been established nationwide.

Key achievements of the mission include:

• Documenting approximately 5.2 million manuscripts.
• Conserving 90 million folios of manuscripts.
• Digitizing 350,000 manuscripts, comprising 35 million pages.
• Conducting over 100 conservation workshops.
• Uploading around 140,000 manuscripts on its web portal, with 75,000 available for free public access.
• Publishing over 100 books since its inception.

Listeria

 Source: IE

Context: Recent listeria outbreaks in the US and Canada have resulted in four deaths and numerous hospitalizations.

• Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria found in soil and contaminated food, causes listeriosis, an infection that can be severe for the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and pregnant women.
• Symptoms of listeriosis include vomiting, nausea, cramps, severe headache, constipation, and fever. The infection can be treated with antibiotics, especially if it becomes invasive.

Tinzaparin

 Source: TH

 Context: Researchers have discovered that tinzaparin, a drug used to prevent blood clots, can significantly reduce the damage caused by spitting cobra venom to human cells.

• The venom of the red spitting cobra, native to Tanzania, can cause severe pain and permanent damage or death to its victims.
• Current antivenom treatments, derived from animal antibodies, are costly, difficult to produce, and can have severe side effects.
• They found that many of these genes are involved in the synthesis of heparan sulphate, a compound regulating blood vessels and clot formation.
• Tinzaparin mimics heparan sulphate, causing the body to shut down the synthesis pathway, thus blocking the venom’s effects.
• Experiments showed that tinzaparin protected human cells and reduced skin damage in mice exposed to cobra venom.

‘White category’ sectors

 Source: IE

 Context: Industries classified under the ‘white category’ by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), considered non-polluting, will no longer need prior permissions (‘consent to establish’ (CTE) and ‘consent to operate’ (CTO)) from state pollution control boards to operate under the Air Act, 1981, and Water Act, 1974, according to draft notifications from the Environment Ministry.

• White category industries, such as wind and solar power projects and air cooler assembly, must now inform state boards of their operations via self-declarations.

XClimate Finance Action Fund (CFAF)

 Source: Business Standard

Context: Azerbaijan, hosting this year’s COP29 UN climate talks, replaced a planned fossil fuel production levy with the launch of the “Climate Finance Action Fund” (CFAF).

• The fund aims to raise $1 billion annually from fossil fuel-producing countries and companies to support climate projects in developing nations.
• Key focuses include clean energy, energy efficiency, climate resilience, and new technologies.

Half of the CFAF’s capital will go to these projects, while the remaining half will help countries meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to maintain the 1.5-degree Celsius target.

Additionally, 20% of the funds will support immediate disaster response in vulnerable regions.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)

 Source: Hindustan Times

 Context: The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has been upgraded to an “attached office” of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

• This change provides I4C with greater operational independence and resources to address cybercrime.

 About The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C):

• The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) was initially established as a scheme under the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Cyber and Information Security (C&IS) division in 2018.
• Its objective is to act as a central point to curb cybercrime, serve as an early warning system for cybercrime prevention and detection, and facilitate easy complaint filing.
• I4C operates through various verticals, including the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, the National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit, and the National Cybercrime Research & Innovation Centre.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 27 July 2024 Mapping:

Lithium in Mandya and Yadgiri districts (Karnataka)

 Source: PIB

 Context: The Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) found lithium in Mandya and Yadgiri districts, Karnataka. Preliminary surveys have identified 1,600 tonnes of lithium in Mandya.

India has several states with significant lithium reserves, including Karnataka, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh. Lithium was first discovered in Jammu and Kashmir in 1999, and other active lithium blocks in India Katghora in Chhattisgarh.

Mandya and Yadgiri Districts

1. Mandya: Located in Karnataka, known for its sugarcane farming and rich cultural heritage.
2. Yadgiri: Also in Karnataka, primarily an agricultural district.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 27 July 2024 [PDF]

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