1. FALCON-9 (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)
Context: The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket following an upper stage engine failure that left 20 Starlink satellites in an unsustainable orbit.
Falcon-9
- About: It is a partially reusable medium-lift launch vehicle that can carry cargo and crew into Earth orbit.
- It can also be used as an expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle
- Launched by: American aerospace company SpaceX.
o SpaceX: A private spaceflight company, founded by Elon Musk, that sends satellites and people to space, including NASA crews to the International Space Station (ISS).
- The rocket has two stages:
o First stage or booster stage: It comprises nine Merlin engines (a family of rocket engines developed by SpaceX), and aluminium-lithium alloy tanks containing liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellant.
o Second stage: It consists of a single Merlin engine.
- The first stage, which is reusable, is capable of re-entering the atmosphere, and landing vertically after separating from the second stage.
Problem with Falcon 9
- Technical Failure: The rocket’s second stage experienced a liquid oxygen leak, and failed to complete a second, short engine burn needed to put 20 Starlink satellites in the correct orbit.
- Engine Anomaly: After a planned relight of the upper stage engine to raise perigee — or the lowest point of orbit — the Merlin Vacuum engine experienced an anomaly and was unable to complete its second burn.
- Orbital Inaccuracy: Although the stage survived and still deployed the satellites, it did not successfully circularize its orbit.
- Safety Assurance: SpaceX claimed that the stranded satellites do not pose any threat to other satellites, or public safety as they are expected to entirely burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere.
2. GRAM NYAYALAYAS (Syllabus GS Paper 2 – Polity)
Context: The Supreme Court has sought a full report from States and High Courts on the establishment and functioning of gram nyayalayas, meant to provide affordable and quick justice to rural India and de-clog local courts.
Gram Nyayalayas
- About: The Law Commission of India, in its 114th Report, suggested the establishment of Gram Nyayalayas for providing affordable and quick access to justice to citizens at their doorsteps.
- Legal Framework: These are established under the Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008, for speedy and easy access to the justice system in the rural areas of India.
- Composition: The Gram Nyayalayas are presided over by a Nyayadhikari, who has the same power, salary, and benefits as a Judicial Magistrate of First Class.
- Appointment: The Nyayadhikari is appointed by the State Government in consultation with the respective High Court.
- Jurisdiction: It is specified by a notification by the State Government in consultation with the respective High Court.
oGram Nyayalayas have both civil and criminal jurisdiction over offences.
- Mobile Court Function: The Court can function as a mobile court at any place within its jurisdiction after giving wide publicity.
- Acceptance of Evidence: Gram Nyayalayas can accept certain evidence which would otherwise not be acceptable under the Indian Evidence Act.
- Procedure: Gram Nyayalayas can follow special procedures in civil matters deemed just and reasonable in the interest of justice.
- Appeals in Criminal Cases: An appeal in criminal cases shall lie to the Court of Session, to be heard and disposed of within six months from the date of filing.
- Appeals in Civil Cases: An appeal in civil cases shall lie to the District Court, to be heard and disposed of within six months from the date of filing.
3. WORLD POPULATION PROSPECTS REPORT (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Social Issues)
Context: According to the UN's World Population Prospects report, India's population is projected to peak at 1.701 billion in 2062.
World Population Prospects Report
- About: It is the twenty-eighth edition of official United Nations population estimates and projections.
- Prepared by: Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat.
- Coverage: It covers population estimates spanning from 1950 to the current year for 237 countries or areas worldwide.
- Projection: It provides insights into future population trends and dynamics at multiple levels global, regional, and national enabling policymakers and researchers to anticipate and plan for demographic changes.
Key Findings of 2024
- Population Growth Projection: The world’s population is expected to peak at around 10.3 billion by the mid-2080s, up from 8.2 billion in 2024.
o Subsequently, global population is anticipated to gradually decline, reaching 10.2 billion by the end of the century.
- Fertility Trends: Global fertility rate stands at 2.25 live births per woman as of 2024, a decrease from 3.31 births in 1990.
o Over half of all countries globally have fertility rates below the replacement level of 2.1 live births per woman.
- Growth Hotspots: Rapid population growth is projected in nine countries including Angola, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, and Somalia, with their populations expected to double between 2024 and 2054.
- Life Expectancy Increase: Global life expectancy at birth was 73.3 years in 2024, marking an increase of 8.4 years since 1995.
- Global Population Rankings: India is currently the most populous country with 1.451 billion people, followed by China at 1.419 billion and the United States at 345 million.
o By 2054, India and China will maintain their positions, while Pakistan is projected to surpass the United States as the third most populous country with 389 million people, maintaining this ranking through the end of the 21st century.
4. U-WIN PORTAL (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health)
Context: The U-WIN portal, modeled after CoWIN for vaccine management, is scheduled for a nationwide launch anticipated by late August.
U-WIN Portal
- About: It is a replication of the Covid-19 vaccine management system Co-WIN.
- Announcement: Interim budget 2024-25
- Under: Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)
- The U-WIN platform records all vaccination events for pregnant women and children under the UIP.
- Targeted Beneficiaries: The portal targets 2.9 crore pregnant women and 2.6 crore infants annually, providing 11 vaccines against 12 diseases through over 1.2 crore vaccination sessions nationwide.
- Objective: To maintain an electronic registry of routine immunisations.
oCurrently, U-WIN is in pilot mode across all states and Union Territories, except for West Bengal.
- Benefits of U-WIN: Digitization of session planning and real-time updating of vaccination status.
Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)
- Origin: It is a vaccination programme launched by the Government of India in 1985.
- Part of NRHM: It became a part of the Child Survival and Safe Motherhood Programme in 1992 and is currently one of the key areas under the National Rural Health Mission since 2005.
- Objectives: UIP prevents mortality and morbidity in children and pregnant women against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases.
5. AGRI SURE’ FUND (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)
Context: Recently, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has announced an agri fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises (Agri-SURE).
Agri SURE’ Fund
- About: It is a fund initiated by NABVENTURES, a subsidiary of NABARD, with an initial corpus of Rs 750 crore.
- Contributions: The fund received contributions of Rs 250 crore each from NABARD and the Ministry of Agriculture, along with Rs 250 crore from other institutions.
- Objectives: To promote investment in high-risk, high-impact activities in agriculture and allied areas.
- Focus Areas:
o Promoting innovative, technology-driven initiatives in agriculture
o Enhancing the farm produce value chain
o Creating new rural ecosystem linkages and infrastructure
o Generating employment
o Supporting Farmers Producer Organisations (FPOs)
- Entrepreneurship and Development: Agri-SURE aims to encourage entrepreneurship through IT-based solutions and machinery rental services for farmers, fostering sustainable growth in the agricultural sector.
- Investment Strategy: Agri-SURE supports startups through investments in sector-specific and sector-agnostic Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), as well as direct equity investments.
o The fund aims to back approximately 85 agri startups with investments up to Rs 25 crore each by the end of its tenure.
6. MAHARASHTRA SPECIAL PUBLIC SECURITY BILL (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)
Context: The Maharashtra government has proposed a sweeping new law to deal with the “increasing presence of Naxalism in urban centres”.
Maharashtra Special Public Security (MSPC) Bill, 2024
- Power to Declare Unlawful Organisations: The Bill grants the government authority to declare any suspect “organisation” as an “unlawful organisation.”
- Four Punishable Offences:
o Being a member of an unlawful organisation.
o Raising funds for an unlawful organisation without being a member.
o Managing or assisting in managing an unlawful organisation.
o Committing an “unlawful activity.”
- Punishments and Fines: The offences carry jail terms of two to seven years and fines ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, with the toughest punishment for committing an unlawful activity, which includes seven years imprisonment and a Rs 5 lakh fine.
- Cognizable and Non-bailable Offences: Offences under the proposed law are cognizable, allowing arrests without a warrant, and are non-bailable.
Differences Between Maharashtra Bill and UAPA
- Primary Use and Scope: The UAPA is India’s main anti-terror law, frequently applied in Naxalism-related cases, while the MSPC Bill is specific to Maharashtra.
- Authority to Designate Unlawful Associations: Both the UAPA and the MSPC Bill empower the state to designate associations as “unlawful associations.”
- Procedure for Declaration Confirmation: Under the UAPA, a Tribunal headed by a High Court judge confirms the declaration, whereas in the MSPC Bill, an advisory board consisting of three persons qualified to be High Court judges handles the confirmation process.
7. CENTRE-STATE FINANCIAL RELATIONS (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)
Context: Since the beginning of the Fourteenth Finance Commission award period (2015-16), the Union government has steadily decreased financial transfers to states.
Centre State Financial Relations
8. ICSSR (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)
Context: The Indian Council of Social Science Research has invited study proposals on the central government’s Jal Jeevan Mission to assess the socioeconomic impact of the scheme.
Indian Council of Social Science Research
- About: The council, under the education ministry, calls for proposals aligned with UN sustainable development goals, specifically focusing on clean water and sanitation.
- Establishment: 1969
- Recommendation; Prof. V. K. R. V. Rao Committee
- Focus: To evaluate JJM's impact on rural water access, quality, and management, as outlined in the recent council notification.
- Socioeconomic Evaluation:
o The study will assess the socioeconomic impact of JJM on Indian households, identifying implementation challenges and sustainability issues.
o Development of strategies to overcome challenges and enhance the effectiveness of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
o Government's objective under JJM is to provide safe drinking water to rural households through taps by 2024.
o The call for empirical research projects aims to gather primary data-driven studies on the Har Ghar Nal Yojana, providing evidence for policy decisions.
- Council's Priorities: Five priorities set by the council include health impact, water resource sustainability, community and gender inclusion, governance policies, and technological innovations.
9. GENERAL CONSENT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)
Context: The Supreme Court upheld the West Bengal government's suit against the Union government, alleging "constitutional overreach" for using the CBI to investigate cases in the state without its general consent.
General Consent
- Definition: It is the approval given by State governments to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to carry out investigations within their jurisdictions without requiring individual case-by-case permissions.
- Purpose: It is given by States to facilitate the CBI's seamless investigation into corruption charges against Central government employees in their territories.
- Legal Requirement under the DSPE Act: Under Section 6 of the DSPE Act, the CBI must obtain consent from the concerned State government before initiating an investigation within its jurisdiction.
- Importance of Permission: This permission is crucial since “police” and “public order” are subjects that fall within the State List under the seventh schedule of the Constitution.
- Exception: No such prior consent is necessary for investigations in Union territories or railway areas.
- Withdrawal: Since 2015, several States such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Mizoram, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Meghalaya, and West Bengal have revoked their general consent.
o These States allege that the Centre is misusing the federal agency to unfairly target the Opposition.
- Impact of Withdrawal: In the absence of such an omnibus consent, the CBI is unable to register any fresh cases in these States without the explicit permission of the respective State governments.
10. NEW RULES OF FSSAI (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health)
Context: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has approved changes to nutritional information labelling on packaged food items.
New Rules of FSSAI
- Bold Display: FSSAI approved displaying total sugar, salt, and saturated fat in bold and larger font sizes on packaged food labels.
- Decision: The decision to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, was made during the 44th meeting of the Food Authority.
- Empowering Consumers with Clear Information: The amendment aims to empower consumers by enhancing understanding of nutritional value and encouraging healthier food choices.
- Mandatory Per-Serve Percentage of RDAs: Packaged food brands must now include per-serve percentage contributions to recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for total sugar, total saturated fat, and sodium content in bold letters.
- Existing Regulations and Required Information: Current regulations mandate the declaration of product name, ingredients, nutritional information, allergens, FSSAI logo and license number, "best before" or "use by" date, net quantity, country of origin, storage conditions, and usage instructions on product packaging.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- Statutory status: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- Objective: Its primary objective is to lay down science-based standards for food articles and regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
theIASHub | 15 Jul, 2024 | 4
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