1. FIRE SAFETY REGULATION IN INDIA (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Disaster Management)

Context: A recent deadly fire at a gaming centre in Rajkot, Gujarat, killed at least 32 people, highlighting safety concerns in public buildings and venues.

Fire Safety Regulation in India

• Model Building Bye-Laws, 2016: The Union of India’s position on fire safety is that the Model Building Bye-Laws, 2016 and its component Chapter 11 on “Fire Protection and Fire Safety Requirements” provides the necessary framework for State governments.
• State Responsibility: State governments bear responsibility for fire safety under law.
• Fire Safety Norms: Ensuring adherence to fire safety norms and standards laid down in Part 4 of the National Building Code (NBC) and incorporating mandatory provisions in the process is left to the States.
• Constitutional Provision: Fire service comes under the state list and included in 12th schedule of the Indian Constitution dealing with Municipal functions.

oAt present, fire prevention and fire fighting services are organised by the concerned States and Union Territories (UTs), and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

Fire Safety Initiatives:

• Scheme for Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services in the States: Launched by the Indian Government in 2023, this initiative is funded through the Preparedness and Capacity Building Funding Window under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). 

oIt aims to strengthen state fire services through 2025-26.

• Model Bill for Fire and Emergency Services: The central government has circulated a model bill to assist states in maintaining effective fire and emergency services.
• NDMA Guidelines: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued comprehensive guidelines detailing equipment standards, scaling, and training protocols for fire services nationwide.

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2. EVACUATION SLIDES (Syllabus GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Recently, a Varanasi-bound Indigo flight faced a bomb threat at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, prompting the swift evacuation of its 176 passengers using evacuation slides.

Evacuation Slides

• About: These are inflatable devices designed to facilitate safe passenger exit from aircraft during emergencies, particularly when the flight door is positioned high above the ground.
• Types: They come in four main types: inflatable slide, inflatable slide/raft, inflatable exit ramp, and inflatable exit ramp/slide.
• Functionality: Inflatable slides enable passengers to descend from aircraft exit doors to the ground, or alternatively, from aircraft wings with the aid of the slide. Rafts or mats may be deployed on the ground for additional safety.
• Versatility: The inflatable slide/raft serves dual purposes, functioning both as an exit slide and a life raft in water landings.
• Construction: Typically constructed from carbon fibres and nylon coated with fire-resistant urethane, evacuation slides are engineered to withstand tearing during descent.
• Deployment Mechanism: Evacuation slides are packed within cabin doors or external fuselage compartments and are linked to a lever that triggers deployment upon door opening. Mid-flight door opening is prevented due to cabin pressure differences.
• Process: It is facilitated by high-pressure gas containers containing carbon dioxide or nitrogen, along with suction machines drawing in ambient air.

Protocols for Deployment

• Deployment Criteria: Evacuation slides must deploy when the distance between the exit door and the ground exceeds six feet, as stipulated by aviation safety regulations.
• Automatic Deployment: EUASA guidelines mandate automatic slide deployment upon door opening, with inflation typically occurring within six to ten seconds.
• Weather Resilience: Slides must be deployable in various weather conditions, including extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to 71°C, and capable of withstanding heavy rain and winds up to 46 km/hr from 45-degree angles around the aircraft, as per FAA standards.

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3. GOLDEN RICE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Agriculture)

Context: A court in the Philippines recently revoked biosafety permits for commercial propagation of genetically modified golden rice and Bt eggplant.

Golden Rice

• About: It is rich yellow colour, was genetically engineered to contain higher levels of the micronutrients iron and zinc in the grains while also producing beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. 
• Approval: In 2021, the Philippines became the first country to approve commercial production of the rice variety. However, non-profit organisations such as Greenpeace and local farmers protested the decision.
• Development: It is developed through genetic engineering and produces two new enzymes that complete the beta-carotene expression in the rice grain.
• Nutritional Benefit: Research has indicated that one cup of Golden Rice can provide up to 50% of the daily requirement of an adult for vitamin A.

Vitamin A

• About: Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is good for healthy vision, skin, bones, and other tissues in the body.
• Deficiency: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) or hypovitaminosis A is a lack of vitamin A in blood and tissues. It is common in poorer countries but rarely is seen in more developed countries.
• Health Implications: Night blindness, A higher risk of infections, Follicular hyperkeratosis leading to dry skin, Fertility issues, and Delayed growth in children.

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4. DRAFT DIGITAL COMPETITION BILL (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: A U.S. lobby group representing tech giants Google, Amazon, and Apple has recently urged India to reconsider its proposed EU-like digital competition law, citing concerns that regulations targeting data use and partner preferences could potentially escalate user costs.

Draft Digital Competition Bill

• Predictive regulation: The bill aims to establish a regulatory framework to ensure fair competition, protect consumer interests, and prevent market monopolization by large digital enterprises.
• Designation of Systematically Significant Digital Enterprises (SSDEs):  The proposed legislation suggests the Competition Commission of India (CCI) designate certain companies as "Systematically Significant Digital Enterprises (SSDEs)" based on specific criteria such as turnover, size, user base, and market power.

oSelf-Reporting Regime: The bill introduces a self-reporting mechanism for companies engaged in "core digital services" to determine their designation as Systematically Significant Digital Enterprises (SSDEs).

oQuantitative Criteria: If in the last 3 financial years, its turnover in India is not less than Rs 4,000 crore; or its global turnover is not less than $30 billion; or

üIts gross merchandise value in India is not less than Rs 16,000 crore; or

üIts global market capitalisation is not less than $75 billion; or

üThe core digital service provided by these companies should also have at least 1 crore end users, or 10,000 business users.

• Associate Digital Enterprises: SSDEs will be prohibited from engaging in practices like self-preferencing, anti-steering, and restricting third-party applications for identified services.
• Violations could lead to penalties of up to 10% of their global turnover.

EU’s Digital Markets Act 2022

• About: It was proposed by the European Commission in December 2020 and entered into force on November 1, 2022.
• Objective: The DMA aims to create a level playing field for businesses operating in the digital sector and to prevent large platforms from abusing their market power.
• Definition of "Gatekeepers": The term “gatekeepers” in the DMA refers to large tech firms that are required to comply with the legislation in the EU.
• Pre-loaded apps: It cracks down on pre-installed apps, common in Apple, Google, and others. 

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5. GM MOSQUITOES (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Recently, genetically modified (GMO) mosquitoes were released in Djibouti, East Africa to combat malaria.

• It is part of the ‘Djibouti Friendly Mosquito Programme’ started two years ago to stop the spread of Anopheles stephensi, an invasive species of mosquito. 

Genetically Modified (GMO) Mosquitoes

• About: GM mosquitoes are mosquitoes that have been implanted with a gene that was not originally present or naturally occurring in the insect. They are mass-produced in a laboratory to carry two types of genes.

oSelf-Limiting Gene: This gene prevents female mosquito offspring from surviving to adulthood.

oFluorescent Marker Gene: This gene glows under a special red light, allowing researchers to identify GM mosquitoes in the wild.

• Preferential Inheritance: The development of gene drive enables the preferential inheritance of specific genes in targeted mosquitoes.
• Disease Transmission Obstruction: This technology potentially obstructs the transmission of the Plasmodium parasite.
• GM Mosquitoes and Disease Outbreaks

oNot for Active Outbreaks: The release of GM mosquitoes is not intended to stop an ongoing disease outbreak.

oPrevention of Outbreaks: GM mosquitoes are meant to help prevent future disease outbreaks.

oPopulation Reduction: Releasing GM mosquitoes over several months can reduce the number of a specific mosquito species, such as Ae. aegypti.

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6. ARTICLE 329(b) (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The Election Commission (EC) recently invoked Article 329(b) of the Constitution, which prohibits judicial intervention in the working of the commission in the middle of the election process.

Article 329(b)

• About: No election to either House of Parliament or to the House or either House of the Legislature of a State shall be called in question except by an election petition presented to such authority and in such manner as may be provided for by or under any law made by the appropriate Legislature.
• Objective: To prevent the court from hearing the matter and said this provision prohibits judicial intervention in the working of the commission in the middle of the election process. 
• Constitutional Context: Article 329(b) is enshrined in Part XV of the Constitution, specifically addressing electoral matters alongside articles 324-329.
• Role of the Judiciary: It outlines the judiciary's limited role in electoral disputes, particularly in regards to challenging the constitutionality of electoral laws.
• Amendment: Amended by the Constitution (19th Amendment) Act, 1966, it establishes the exclusive method of addressing election disputes through election petitions.
• Election Petitions: Election-related inquiries are solely addressed through petitions presented to designated authorities as per laws enacted by the appropriate Legislature.
• Legal Framework: The Representation of the People Act, 1951, provides the legal framework empowering high courts to hear and decide election petitions.

Court verdicts on election petitions

• Inderjit Barua vs Election Commission of India 1985: It excluded electoral roll preparation from the definition of “election.” It further stated that no election could be challenged on the grounds of defects in electoral rolls.
• K. Venkatachalam vs A.Swamickan 1999: It determined that Article 329(b) is inapplicable if the matter pertains to Articles 191 and 193, which deal with disqualifications and penalties related to parliamentary and legislative assembly membership, respectively.
• Hari Krishna Lal vs Atal Bihari Bajpai 2002: Allahabad hifh court clarified that only candidates officially recognised by the Election Commission are eligible to file election petitions.
• N.C. Patel vs State of Gujarat 2007: It affirmed that election petitions can only be filed under the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, and not by way of a writ petition.

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7. LIQUIFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG) (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Shell India is seeking to play a major role in attempts to build a green transport ecosystem in the country by displacing diesel one of the dirtiest fuels with liquified natural gas, or LNG.

Liquified Natural Gas (LNG)

• About: LNG is natural gas transformed into a liquid state through intense cooling to approximately -161 degrees Celsius (-259 Fahrenheit), making it 600 times smaller than its original volume and half the weight of water.
• Transportation by Ship: The compressed fossil fuel, primarily composed of methane, can be shipped globally, facilitating its transportation from production sites to consumer markets.
• Regasification and Distribution: Upon arrival at its destination, LNG is regasified in floating terminals and distributed through pipelines for consumption.
• Market Limitations: Despite export potential, the high cost associated with liquefaction and production has hindered LNG's market growth. For instance, in Germany, building floating LNG terminals to substitute Russian gas has incurred significant expenses.
• Energy Consumption: The processes involved in LNG production, transportation, and regasification demand substantial energy, with estimates suggesting a loss of 10-25% of the gas's energy during liquefaction, posing environmental and economic challenges.

Climate Impact of LNG

• Energy Intensive Extraction and Processing: Extraction, transportation, and processing of natural gas into LNG require significant energy, contributing to its climate impact.
• Methane Loss Along Supply Chain: Methane leakage throughout the production, transport, and regasification process heightens LNG's emissions profile.
• Comparative Emissions: LNG emits approximately double the greenhouse gases compared to ordinary natural gas, as highlighted by the Natural Resources Defence Council (NDRC).

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8. PARVAAH PORTAL (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently launched three significant initiatives, including a mobile app, to facilitate retail investor participation in the government securities (G-Secs) market.

Parvaah Portal

• About: The 'PRAVAAH' portal serves as a secure and centralized web-based platform, facilitating individuals and entities to request authorization, licenses, or regulatory approvals from the Reserve Bank.
• Efficiency Enhancement: This is designed to streamline and enhance the efficiency of various processes concerning regulatory approvals and clearances.
• Timeline: These initiatives, including the PRAVAAH portal, were initially disclosed as part of the RBI's bi-monthly Statements on Development and Regulatory Policies. 

oThey were announced in April 2023, April 2024, and December 2023 respectively.

• Retail Direct Mobile App: The Retail Direct Mobile App complements the PRAVAAH portal by providing retail investors easy and convenient access to the Retail Direct platform. It enables seamless transactions in government securities (G-Secs).
• Tracking and Monitoring: Entities utilizing the PRAVAAH portal can efficiently monitor the status of their applications. 

oAdditionally, the Reserve Bank can communicate decisions regarding specified applications in a timely manner, ensuring a streamlined process.

Government Securities Market in India

• About: These are tradeable instruments issued by the Central Government or State Governments, acknowledging their debt obligations.
• Issuance by: In India, the Central Government issues both treasury bills and bonds, while State Governments issue bonds or dated securities known as State Development Loans (SDLs).
• Risk Profile: G-Secs are considered risk-free gilt-edged instruments due to their practically non-existent risk of default.

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9. VIRUPAKSHA TEMPLE (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Art & culture)

Context: A section of the pillars holding up the pavilion at Hampi’s Virupaksha temple collapsed recently following heavy rains.

Virupaksha Temple

• About: It is located in Hampi in the Vijayanagar district of Karnataka. 
• Dedicated to: Lord Virupaksha (Form of Shiva).
• UNESCO status: It is a part of the Group of Monuments at Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Construction: Built in the 7th century CE.

oExpanded between the 13th and 16th centuries

oConstructed by Lakkan Dandesha, a nayaka (chieftain) under Deva Raya II (Prauda Deva Raya) of the Vijayanagara Empire.

oSeveral portions expanded under Krishnadevaraya. 

• River: Tungabhadra river flow through Hampi.
• Architecture

oStructures: Over 1600 remains, including forts, temples, shrines, palaces, pillared halls, and more.

oNotable Temples: Krishna temple complex, Narasimha, Ganesa, Hemakuta group, Achyutaraya, Vitthala, Pattabhirama, Lotus Mahal. 

oUnique Features: Large Dravidian temples, cloistered enclosures, lofty towers, and hydraulic technologies.

oVitthala Temple: Known for its ornate structure, Kalyana Mandapa, Utsava Mandapa, Garuda shrine, and grand bazaar street.

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10. RIGHT TO CONTEST AND VOTE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Recently, the head of the pro-Khalistan outfit Waris Punjab De, currently incarcerated in Dibrugarh, Assam, has his family leading his campaign for the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat amidst the Punjab elections.

Right to vote and the right to be elected

• Importance of Free and Fair Elections: In Indira Gandhi v Raj Narain(1975), the Supreme Court recognized free and fair elections as a fundamental aspect of India's constitutional framework and are a part of the ‘basic structure’ of the Constitution. Any laws or policies that would violate this principle could be struck down.

oThe Supreme Court clarified in 2006 (Kuldip Nayar v. Union of India) that while free and fair elections are vital, the rights to vote and be elected differ in legal standing.

• Nature of Voting Rights: The right to vote, termed as the right to elect, is considered a statutory right rather than a fundamental one, subject to legislative regulation. This means that voting is not a fundamental right and can be repealed.

oThe same was held for the right to be elected by the Bench, ruling that laws enacted by Parliament could regulate both these statutory rights.

• Regulation of Rights by Parliament: Both the right to vote and the right to be elected can be regulated by laws enacted by Parliament.
• Section 8 of the Representation of People Act, 1951: It mandates disqualification from contesting elections upon conviction for certain offenses.
• Application of Disqualification: It applies upon conviction, not mere charges, and entails a six-year ban from contesting elections starting from the date of release.
• Exceptions and Disqualification Reduction: The Election Commission can reduce or remove disqualification periods, as seen in the case of Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang in 2019.

oDisqualified individuals can still contest elections if their conviction is stayed on appeal, as clarified by the Supreme Court in 2019.

• Section 62 of the RP Act: It provides a series of restrictions on the right to vote including sub-clause (5) which states in broad terms “No person shall vote at any election if he is confined in a prison, whether under a sentence of imprisonment or transportation or otherwise, or is in the lawful custody of the police”.

oException: This provision effectively bars every individual who had criminal charges framed against them from casting their vote unless they have been released on bail or have been acquitted.

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