1. Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Economy)

Context: The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA), in partnership with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), successfully conducted a significant webinar under the theme 'Investor Protection Framework in India: Challenges and Road Ahead'.

About Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA)

• Established: In 2016 under the Companies Act, 2013.
• It is a special organization set up by the government because of a law called the Companies Act 2013.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Corporate Affairs
• It takes care of a fund that's made to help and educate people who invest money. This fund is called the Investor Education and Protection Fund.
• Objective: To spread knowledge and awareness among investors, and to keep them safe from any problems that might come up.
• Article 266: All the money that goes into the IEPF is kept in the big pool of money that belongs to the whole country.

National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER)

• NCAER began in 1956 when Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister.
• It is a research institute in India that studies how money and policies affect the country's economy.
• It's the oldest and biggest research institute of this kind in India, and it's not run for profit.
• When NCAER started, it was a partnership between the government and private businesses. Both sides helped with money and support.

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2. Eco Sensitive Zones (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: Ecological well-being of Jammu & Kashmir stands at a critical juncture

• Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is also an ecologically sensitive region.
• The Centre said 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves have been found for the first time in the country in J&K in February

About Eco-Sensitive Zones

• The Indian Government designates Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) around Protected Areas, National Parks, and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
• Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)
• ESZ could go up to 10 Km around Protected Areas.
• Prohibited Activities: Mining, sawmills, the establishment of major hydroelectric projects, commercial use of wood, Tourism

About Lithium 

• Lithium (Li), which is sometimes called 'White gold' because it's in high demand for rechargeable batteries, is a soft, shiny, white metal.
• In normal situations, it's the lightest metal and the lightest solid element.
• Countries with Largest Reserves: Chile> Australia> Argentina are the top countries with Li reserves.
• There are around 14,100 tonnes of Li reserves in a small area of land that was examined in the Mandya district of Southern Karnataka.
• The GSI has identified around 5.9 million tonnes of inferred Lithium resources (G3) in the Salal-Haimana region of the Jammu & Kashmir UT.
• Other Li Reserves in India: Mica belts in Rajasthan, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh.
• Pegmatite belts in Odisha and Chhattisgarh & Rann of Kutch in Gujrat.

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3. POCSO ACT 2012 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Polity)

Context: The Supreme Court recently sought the Centre’s response on the application of the Romeo-Juliet law to India to decriminalize consensual teenage sex as a PIL claimed millions of under-18 girls and over-18 boys engage in consensual sex but a boy gets arrested for statutory rape if the girl gets pregnant and her parents lodge a police complaint.

• Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012, consent of a child below 18 years of age is immaterial and any person who attempts sexual activity with such an underage person would be guilty of sexual assault. Under Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, sex with a girl below the age of 16 is rape even if she gave her consent.

About Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012

• It's the initial comprehensive legislation in India that addresses child sexual abuse, established in 2012.
• Managed by: Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• Aim: To safeguard children from sexual assault, harassment, and explicit content offenses, and to create Special Courts for these cases.
• A person responsible for an institution (excluding children) who doesn't report a sexual offense involving a subordinate can be penalized.
• The POCSO Act creates a gender-neutral approach within the legal structure for victims of child sexual abuse. It defines a child as "any individual" below 18 years old.

Section 375

• Section 375 of the IPC outlines the actions that count as rape when done by a man.
• This rule also includes two exceptions.
• It doesn't consider marital rape a crime anymore.
• Additionally, it states that medical procedures or actions won't be treated as rape.

Romeo Juliet Law

• The "Romeo and Juliet" law is a section in French laws about the age of consent.
• It allows young people under 15 to have a sexual relationship with someone up to 5 years older without getting in trouble.
• But this rule doesn't apply if the situation involves rape.

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4. Tobacco (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health)

Context: The health ministry of India has proposed to place nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) under Schedule K so that in the future they would be available only on the prescription of authorized medical practitioners and not as over-the-counter (OTC) preparation.

Tobacco Consumption in India

• In India, more than 1.3 million deaths are caused by tobacco use annually, resulting in around 3500 deaths daily. 
• Apart from the toll on health and lives, tobacco also negatively affects the country's economic progress.
• According to the WHO study titled "Economic Costs of Diseases and Deaths Attributable to Tobacco Use in India," the economic impact of diseases and deaths linked to tobacco use was estimated to be approximately equivalent to about 1% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Efforts By the Government 

• Director General’s Special Recognition Awards: Annually, the WHO acknowledges individuals or groups within its regions for their achievements in the field of tobacco control.
• National Health Policy 2017: The goal is to cut down tobacco usage by 30 percent by 2025, with this aim aligning with the targets for Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) control.
• National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP): To increase understanding about the negative impacts of tobacco use and regulations related to tobacco control.

What is Nicotine?

• Nicotine is an alkaloid present in various plants like tobacco and can also be made artificially, containing nitrogen.
• It acts as both a sedative and a stimulant.
• Consumption of any tobacco product can result in nicotine addiction.
• This is because nicotine has the potential to alter brain function, leading to increased cravings for it.
• e-Cigarettes are the direct source of nicotine and are even more addictive than cocaine.

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5. INFLATION (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Economy)

Context: Retail inflation rate surged to a 15-month high of 7.44 percent in July, primarily driven by a rise in prices of vegetables, cereals, pulses, spices, and milk and products. The effect was seen countrywide. Headline inflation is likely to average above 6 percent in the July-Sept quarter, and a rate cut by RBI seems unlikely.

About Inflation

• Inflation happens when the cost of things goes up in an economy, which makes it harder for people to buy stuff and reduces the value of the money they have.
• Measured By: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
• Inflation tracks how the prices of a collection of goods and services change on average as time passes.
• Two main sets of inflation indices: The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Retail Inflation

• It is also known as Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation, which is the speed at which prices of items people purchase for their personal needs go up over a period.
• It checks how much the cost changes for a set of items that families usually get, like food, clothes, homes, transport, and medical help.

Headline Inflation: The total economic inflation that includes food and energy (not included in core inflation)  prices. 

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6. AYUSHMAN BHARAT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Polity)

Context: CAG audit reveals serious shortcomings in the implementation of the scheme. The inadequacy of public healthcare in India is a well-acknowledged fact. Public healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP at around 2 per cent, places India among the underdeveloped economies.

About Ayushman Bharat

• It is also known as Jan Arogya Abhiyaan, or the National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) or Modicare
• This initiatives has been created with the goal of aligning with SDG principles, which is “leave no one behind”.
• Aim: To make significant changes in healthcare by addressing all aspects of health (like prevention, promotion, and outpatient care) across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
• Launched by: National Health Policy 2017, to achieve the vision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

What are the Issues Highlighted By CAG?

• Patients who were initially marked as "dead" continued to receive treatment through the program.
• The highest cases were in Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and Jharkhand, while the fewest cases were found in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Assam, and Chandigarh.
• Pensioners in specific states were discovered to have PMJAY cards and were utilizing the scheme for medical care.
• The report from CAG uncovered systemic problems, such as private hospitals doing procedures meant for public hospitals, lack of proper infrastructure and equipment, and instances of medical negligence.

Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG)

• The Constitution of India (Article 148) provides for an independent office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
• The CAG is the leader of India's audit and accounting department and the main overseer of public funds.
• This institution guarantees that the government and other organizations using public money answer to the Parliament and State Legislatures, thus ensuring accountability to the people.

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7. MINES & MINERAL AMENDMENT BILL 2023 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Polity)

Context: Lithium to niobium, export ban on 4 critical new energy metals on the table.

• The 2023 Bill Allows Private Exploration And Mining For The First Time On Six Atomic Minerals, With These Four Minerals Included Among Them.
• The government is planning to introduce a ban on the export of these minerals because of their importance in powering sectors critical to national security and technological advancements,”

About Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023
Omission of minerals- It omits of 6 minerals from the list of 12 atomic minerals specified in Part-B of the First Schedule of the Act.

• It gives the Central Government the authority to conduct sole auctions for essential mineral rights.
• Allows prohibited activities: It now permits activities like pitting, trenching, drilling, and sub-surface excavation for reconnaissance purposes, which were previously not allowed.
• Net Zero by 2070: It would help India to achieve carbon net neutral by 2070 that was committed at COP26 Glasgow summit.
• Once it's passed into law, the Central government will be authorized to hold auctions for mining leases and combined licenses for vital minerals like gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, nickel, and more.

Lithium (Li): A soft and shiny gray metal, that is present in the Earth's crust. It's an extremely reactive and alkaline element.

• Primarily utilized in ceramics, glasses, greases, pharmaceuticals, air conditioners, and aluminum production.
• Its most significant application is in batteries due to its exceptional energy storage capacity per kilogram.

Beryllium (Be): Beryllium is a somewhat soft metal that's both fragile and sturdy. 

• It's applied as a covering on X-ray tubes due to its ability to let X-rays pass through. It finds uses in the military and nuclear sectors.

 Niobium (Nb): It is an element in the Periodic Table with atomic number 41, and it's denoted by the symbol Nb.

• It's a gentle, stretchable transition metal that doesn't corrode easily because it has a protective oxide layer on its surface.

Tantalum (Ta): In its pure state, tantalum has a bright and silvery appearance.

• This metal can withstand corrosion and is not easily affected by chemicals at temperatures below 150°C.
• Tantalum is present in nature in significant quantities, similar to the presence of uranium.

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8. BRICS (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – International Relations)

Context: Next week's (August 22-24) Brics Summit in South Africa will see the largest gathering so far at an event of the bloc, with the hosts inviting more than 60 countries, enabling Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a series of meetings including with some of the African leaders on the sidelines of the Summit.

About BRICS

• It  is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (included in 2010)
• Founded By: 2009
• Headquarter: Shanghai
• The heads of the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) gathered for the first occasion in St. Petersburg, Russia, during the G8 Outreach Summit in July 2006.
• BRICS is a significant alliance that gathers the major growing economies. These countries make up 41% of the global population, contribute to 24% of the world's GDP, and are responsible for more than 16% of the world's trade.
• In December 2010, South Africa received an invitation to become a part of BRIC, leading to the adoption of the acronym BRICS for the group.

Initiatives of the BRICS

• New Development Bank: At the 2014 6th BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, leaders signed the agreement for the New Development Bank (NDB) in Shanghai, China, which has approved 70 projects for infrastructure and sustainable development.
• BRICS Payment System: The BRICS nations are working on establishing an alternative payment system to replace SWIFT.
• Satellite: A constellation of remote sensing satellites has been launched in collaboration with BRICS nations.

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9. NJAC (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Polity)

Context: The Supreme Court recently sought attorney general R Venkataramani’s assistance to adjudicate a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which sought fixing a time limit for the Centre to notify appointment of constitutional court judges recommended by the SC collegium.

About National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC)

• NJAC is a group in charge of selecting and moving judges in the higher courts of India.
• Established By: 99th constitutional amendment Act, of 2014.
• Objective: The NJAC was meant to take the place of the collegium system used to choose judges.
• Commission would have consisted of the following 6 persons Chief Justice of India (Chairperson), Two other senior judges of the Supreme Court, The Union Minister of Law and Justice, Two eminent persons: nominated by a committee & Leader of Opposition of LS.
• In October 2015, the Supreme Court's Constitution Bench, with a majority of 4:1, ruled that the NJAC was against the Constitution and supported the continued use of the collegium system.

Collegium System

• In this System, decisions about choosing judges or promoting lawyers to the Supreme Court and moving judges between High Courts and the Supreme Court are made by a group consisting of the Chief Justice of India and the four most experienced judges of the SC.
• The way judges are chosen and moved around is based on decisions made by the SC, not on a law from Parliament or a part of the Constitution.
• The term 'Collegium' isn't mentioned in the Indian Constitution. It has become a practice based on legal judgments.

Public Interest Litigation (PIL)

• According to the Supreme Court PIL is a legal case initiated in a court to address matters that affect the broader public interest. 
• It involves situations where the public or a specific group has an interest, even a financial one, that relates to their legal rights or responsibilities.
• Public interest refers to the concern of a specific group of people that impacts their legal rights or responsibilities.
• The idea of PIL started in the United States during the 1960s.

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10. Hate Speech (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity & Governance)

Context: Supreme Court says hate speech will be prosecuted equally, no matter the faith of the offender. Responding to a lawyer’s allegation that a Kerala rally featured a slogan calling for the death of Hindus, Justice Sanjiv Khanna makes it clear that hate speech from all sides will be treated equally

About Hate Speech

• Hate speech means talking, acting, writing, or showing things that could make people hurt each other or treat some groups badly.
• According to Law Commission of India: It is usually when someone tries to make others hate a group of people based on things like their race, culture, gender, or religion.
• As recommended by Law Commission of India and TK Vishwanath Committee there is a need for insertion of new Section in IPC in from of Section 153C to effectively deal with hate speech.
• According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB): In 2014, there were only 323 cases, but by 2020, it went up a lot to 1,804 cases.

Blasphemy
It's like being really mean and disrespectful about a god, something special, or something that should be treated with care.

• In a society where people are free and can vote, discussions and disagreements shouldn't be restricted. 
• To balance between protecting beliefs and stopping hurtful speech, the best option is to have rules about blasphemy but not make it a crime.

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