1. WHITE LABEL ATMS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Infrastructure)

Context:  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has apprised that in order to drive ATM penetration in the country with a greater focus on Tier III to VI centres, non-bank companies have been permitted to set up, own and operate White Label ATMs (WLAs) in the country.

White Label ATMs (WLAs)

• ATMs set up, owned and operated by non-banks are called WLAs. 
• Non-bank ATM operators are authorised under the Payment & Settlement Systems Act, 2007 by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• WLAs provide banking services to the customers of banks in India, based on the cards (debit/credit/prepaid) issued by banks. 
• In addition to dispensing cash, WLAs may offer many other services / facilities which inter-alia include:
• Account Information
• Cash Deposit
• Regular Bill Payment
• Mini / Short Statement Generation
• PIN Change
• Request for Cheque Book

---

2. NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Polity)

Context:  In an attempt to force PM to speak on the Manipur strife that has brought the monsoon session to a standstill, opposition parties of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc decided to move a no-confidence motion against the BJP government, with focus on the northeastern state.

• Over 50 LS members from various opposition parties are likely to submit their notice of “no-confidence” against the government.

No-confidence motion

• A no-confidence motion is a parliamentary motion which is moved in the Lok Sabha against the entire council of ministers, stating that they are no longer deemed fit to hold positions of responsibility due to their inadequacy in some respect or their failure to carry out their obligations.
• No prior reason needs to be stated for its adoption in the Lok Sabha.
• A motion of “No Confidence Motion” against the Government can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha under rule 198.
• The Constitution of India does not mention about either a Confidence or a No Confidence Motion. 
• Although, Article 75 does specify that the Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
• A motion of  No Confidence can be admitted when a minimum of 50 members, support the motion in the house.
• The Speaker then, once satisfied that the motion is in order, will ask the House if the motion can be adopted.
• If the motion is passed in the house, the Government is bound to vacate the office.
• A no-confidence motion needs a majority vote to pass the House.
• If individuals or parties abstain from voting, those numbers will be removed from the overall strength of the House and then the majority will be taken into account.

---

3. MULTI-STATE COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES BILL (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Governance)

Context: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation replied to the discussion on the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in the Lok Sabha.

• The Union Cabinet has given approval to this bill to increase transparency, accountability and profit in multi-state cooperative societies.

Highlights of the Bill

• The Bill amends the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002.  It establishes the Co-operative Election Authority to conduct and supervise elections to the boards of multi-state co-operative societies. 
• A multi-state co-operative society will require prior permission of government authorities before the redemption of their shareholding.
• A Co-operative Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development Fund will be established for the revival of sick multi-state co-operative societies. 
•  The Fund will be financed through contributions by profitable multi-state co-operative societies.
• The Bill allows state co-operative societies to merge into an existing multi-state co-operative society, subject to the respective state laws.

Key Issues and Analysis

• Sick multi-state co-operative societies will be revived by a Fund that will be financed through contributions by profitable multi-state co-operative societies.  This effectively imposes a cost on well-functioning societies.
• Giving the government the power to restrict redemption of its shareholding in multi-state co-operative societies may go against the co-operative principles of autonomy and independence.

---

4. PM-JAY (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Health)

Context: Over a third of hospitals empanelled under Ayushman Bharat are inactive, official data showed, in a worrying trend for the world’s largest health insurance scheme aiming for universal health coverage.

Key Point

• Out of 27,000 hospitals empanelled for Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) since its 2018 launch, only 18,783 remain active, the latest health ministry data showed. 
• Among the rest, 4,682 hospitals have been inactive since the beginning, having never catered to a single PM-JAY beneficiary. 
• Further, 3,632 hospitals tur-ned inactive in last six months, taking the total number of inactive hospitals to 8,314.

PM-JAY

• PM-JAY is the largest health assurance scheme in the world, covering over 10 crore families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) that form the bottom 40% of the Indian population.
• The scheme being implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) provides health cover of ?5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
• The beneficiaries can avail of cashless and paperless treatment at any of the empanelled hospitals across the country.
• The scheme is based on the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011) data, which ensures that no eligible beneficiary is left out.
• The other component of Ayushman Bharat is the Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs), which are being established by transforming the existing Sub Centres and Primary Health Centres.
• These centres provide comprehensive primary health care services, including maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases, free essential drugs and diagnostic services, and health promotion and prevention.
• Except for Delhi, Odisha, and West Bengal, the AB PM-JAY is being implemented in 33 states and union territories.

---

5. SIXTH MASS EXTINCTION (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Env & Eco)

Context: The planet’s sixth mass extinction, fuelled by human activities, may trigger a rapid biodiversity imbalance, according to scientists.

• With biodiversity declines greatly exceeding the levels of increase, nearly 50 per cent of the animal population across all strata is being driven towards extinction - and eventually towards mass extinction.
• Mass extinction occurs when 75 percent of the world’s species collapses in less than 2.8 million years.

Mass extinction

• A mass extinction is a short period of geological time in which a high percentage of biodiversity, or distinct species - bacteria, fungi, plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates—dies out. 
• In this definition, it’s important to note that, in geological time, a ‘short’ period can span thousands or even millions of years. 
• The planet has experienced five previous mass extinction events, the last one occurring 65.5 million years ago which wiped out the dinosaurs from existence. 
• Experts now believe we’re in the midst of a sixth mass extinction.

---

6. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY BILL 2021 (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Env & Eco)

Context: The Lok Sabha passed the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which aims to amend the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

Highlights of the Bill

• The Bill amends the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 to simplify compliance requirements for domestic companies.
• Users of codified traditional knowledge and AYUSH practitioners will be exempted from sharing benefits with local communities.
• The Bill removes research and bio-survey activities from the purview of benefit sharing requirements.
• Benefit sharing will be based on terms agreed between the user and the local management committee represented by the National Authority.
• The Bill decriminalises all offences under the Act.

Key Issues and Analysis

• The term codified traditional knowledge has not been defined.  
• A broad interpretation might exempt all local traditional knowledge from benefit sharing requirements.
• The Bill removes the direct role of local communities in determining benefit sharing provisions.
• The Bill decriminalises offences under the Act and instead provides for a wide range of penalties.  
• Further, the Bill empowers government officials to hold inquiries and determine penalties.
• It may be questioned whether it is appropriate to confer such discretion to government officials.

---

7. BLACK MONEY ACT 2015 (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Security)

Context: As on March 31, tax assessment under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, resulted in a cumulative demand of ? 15,666 crore. 

• The Black Money Act effective from July 2015 was introduced to specifically deal with the issue of black money stashed away abroad.

Features of the Act:

• Applicability: The Act will apply to all person resident in India.
• It will also apply to a person being Not an ordinary resident or Non-resident but who was an ordinary resident of India during the previous year when undisclosed income was earned or assets acquired outside India.
• Provisions of the Act will apply to both undisclosed foreign income and assets (including financial interest in any entity).
• Tax: Undisclosed foreign income or assets shall be taxed at a flat rate of 30 percent.
• No deductions, exemptions, carry forward, or set-off shall be available while computing tax liability under the BM Act, unlike the Income Tax Act.
• Penalties: The penalty for non-disclosure of income or an asset located outside India will be equal to three times the amount of tax payable thereon, i.e., 90 percent of the undisclosed income or the value of the undisclosed asset. This is in addition to the tax payable at 30%.
• There are other penalties also leviable on account of non-disclosure of required information, and there are prosecution provisions also within the Act.

• One-time compliance opportunity: The Act also provides a one-time compliance opportunity for a limited period to persons who have any undisclosed foreign assets which have hitherto not been disclosed for the purposes of Income-tax.

• Such persons may file a declaration before the specified tax authority within a specified period, followed by payment of tax at the rate of 30 percent and an equal amount by way of penalty.
• Such persons will not be prosecuted under the stringent provisions of the Act.

---

8. CASTE CENSUS (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 - Population Associated Issues)

Context:  The central government has not enumerated caste-wise populations other than Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Census since independence.

• In the Census, the castes and tribes which are specifically notified as Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) as per the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, as amended from time to time, are enumerated.

Caste Census

• About: Caste Census is the demand to include the caste-wise tabulation of India’s population in the upcoming exercise. 
• Background: Caste was last included in the Indian Census in 1931 at the time by the Britishers. 
• From 1951 to 2011, every census in independent India provided data on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes but not on other castes. 
• The Britishers ended the practice in the 1941 Census, citing cost restrictions. 

• Importance of Cast Census:

• Equitable representation
• Enumerating the marginalised
• Removes caste rigidities
• Data for Policy Making
• Judicial support
• Implications: In the absence of such a census, there is no reliable estimate of the number of OBCs, other categories within OBCs, and others.
• SECC 2011:  Conducted in 2011 for the first time since 1931.
• It is meant to canvass every Indian family, both in rural and urban India, and ask about their Economic status and specific caste name.

---

9. MIDDLE EAST RESPIRATORY SYNDROME (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Sci & Tech)

Context: The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a man had been infected with the deadly Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) but there is no immediate cause for worry or concern.

• Humanity has been acquainted with MERS-CoV, which belongs to the same family as the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). 
• That virus had caused the three-year-long novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic from 2020-2022.

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)

• About: It is a viral respiratory disease caused by Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS?CoV) that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
• MERS-CoV has been identified and linked to human infections in dromedary camels in several Member States in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
• Symptoms: Fever, cough and shortness of breath. Pneumonia is common, but MERS patients may not always develop this condition. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea, have also been reported among MERS patients.
• Transmission: MERS-CoV is a zoonotic virus, meaning it is transmitted between animals and people. 
• Human-to-human transmission is possible and has occurred predominantly among close contacts and in health care settings. 
• Outside the health care setting, there has been limited human-to-human transmission.
• Prevention and treatment: No vaccine or specific treatment are currently available, however several MERS-CoV specific vaccines and treatments are in clinical development. 
• In the absence of MERS-specific therapeutics, treatment of MERS patients is supportive and based on the patient’s clinical condition.

---

10. STARFIRE ALGORITHM (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Sci & tech)

Context: Scientists have developed an algorithm called STARFIRE which can estimate the Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) emitted by FM radio stations, WiFi networks, mobile towers, radar, satellites, and communication devices, and use this calculation for designing and fine-tuning the antennas and other instrument components of missions like India’s Probing ReionizATion of the Universe using Signal from Hydrogen (PRATUSH). 

• PRATUSH is one of the several mission opportunities in space contemplated to address the growing RFI on land, to study the birth of the first stars and galaxies in the Universe using the 21-cm hydrogen line obtained from the far side of the moon.

Key Points

• The new algorithm can help design instruments that are capable of offering optimal operations in the presence of RFI and thereby, enriches the data obtained from the future space-based Astronomy missions.
• In order to study the early Universe and its evolution, astronomers tune their radio antennas within the 40 to 200 Megahertz (MHz) range in search of the 21-cm hydrogen line, believed to contain some of the unknown secrets about the cosmos. 
• However, given their faint and weak strength, detecting these signals is extremely challenging. 
• In addition, the fast-advancing technologies and expanding areas of human settlements have led to an increased number of sources emitting RFIs, many even constraining the efforts for recording astronomical observations on land.

---