1. POCSO ACT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)
Context: The Law Commission of India has recently recommended maintaining the current age of consent at 18 years under the POCSO Act and has proposed introducing "guided judicial discretion in sentencing" for cases involving individuals aged 16-18.
POCSO Act
- About: This Act comprehensively outlines different categories of sexual offenses directed at children and imposes severe penalties on those found guilty of such crimes.
- Establishment: 2012
Key provisions of the Act
- Gender-neutral legislation: The Act defines a child as "any person" under the age of 18.
- Non-reporting is a crime: Those responsible for institutions (excluding children) failing to report a sexual offense involving a subordinate can be punished.
- No time limit for reporting abuse: Victims can report offenses at any time, even years after the abuse has occurred.
- Keeping victim's identity confidential: The Act prohibits the disclosure of the victim's identity in any form of media unless authorized by the special courts established by the Act.
Law Commission of India
- About: A non-statutory body, is established by the Union government.
- Objective: To advocate for just and equitable laws and promote their effective enforcement.
- Functioning as an ad hoc body, it is created to fulfill specific objectives.
- It serves as an advisory entity to the Ministry of Law and Justice.
- Unlike bodies defined in the Indian Constitution, it is established under Article 39A.
2. CWMA (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)
Context: The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) recently confirmed the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) decision, instructing Karnataka to continue releasing 3,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu until October 15.
Cauvery Water Management Authority CWMA
- It has been created as per the Cauvery Management Scheme earlier framed by the Centre and approved by the Supreme Court.
- Formation: February 2018 by instructions of the Supreme Court
- Composition: Chairman, a secretary and eight members.
- Out of the eight members, two will be full time, while two will be part-time members from the center’s side.
- Rest four will be part-time members from the states.
- Functions: To ensure the enforcement and adherence to the directives of the Supreme Court concerning the "storage, allocation, management, and oversight of Cauvery waters."
o It will also offer guidance to the states on implementing measures to enhance the efficiency of water utilization.
Cauvery
- About: It is the largest river in the Karnatka state.
- Known as: Dakshina Ganga (the Ganges of the South) and considered one of the sacred rivers of India.
- Origin: Bramahagiri Hills near Madikeri in Coorg.
- Tributaries: Harangi, Hemavathi, Lakshmanatirtha, Kabini, Shimsha, Arkavati, Suvarnavathi or Honnuholé, Bhavani, Lokapavani, Noyyal.
3. SANKALP SAPTAAH (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Government Schemes)
Context: The Prime Minister is set to inaugurate a unique week-long initiative, ‘Sankalp Saptaah,’ at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
Sankalp Saptaah
- Effective ABP Implementation: The initiative is directly tied to the successful execution of the Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP).
- Chintan Shivirs: chintan shivirs" or brainstorming sessions were conducted at both the village and block levels nationwide. The Sankalp Saptah marks the culmination of these brainstorming sessions.
- Observance: Sankalp Saptah will be observed in all 500 aspirational blocks as part of the program.
- Dedicated Themes for Each Day: The themes for the first six days include "Sampoorna Swasthya" (Complete Health), "Suposhit Parivar" (Nourished Family), "Swachhta" (Cleanliness), "Krishi" (Agriculture), "Shiksha" (Education), and "Samridhi Diwas" (Prosperity Day).
- Culminating Celebration: The last day of the week will be a celebration of the collective work carried out during the entire week, known as "Sankalp Saptah – Samavesh Samaroh."
Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP)
- Launched: On January 7, 2023
- Aim: Enhancing governance and improving the quality of life in 500 Aspirational Blocks spanning 329 districts across India.
- Over half of these blocks are in 6 states: Uttar Pradesh (68 blocks), Bihar (61), Madhya Pradesh (42), Jharkhand (34), Odisha (29) and West Bengal (29).
4. GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Report and Indics)
Context: Recently, India maintained its 40th position among 132 economies in the Global Innovation Index (GII) for 2023, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization's report.
Key Points of Report
- Switzerland maintains its top spot as the most innovative economy for the 13th consecutive year in 2023, with Sweden following closely behind.
- India ranked first among the 37 lower-middle group income and first among the 10 economies in Central and South America
- India maintains its 40th position overall and takes the helm in the lower middle-income group. It holds the record for overperforming on innovation for the 13th consecutive year.
Global Innovation Index (GII)
- About: The GII is a reliable tool for governments across the world to assess the innovation-led social and economic changes in their respective countries.
- Co-publishers of the Report: Cornell University, INSEAD Business School, and WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization).
- Innovation Measurement Criteria: Institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, credit, investment, linkages, creation, absorption, and diffusion of knowledge, as well as creative outputs.
World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
- Found: 1967
- Aim: To encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world”.
- WIPO currently administers 26 international treaties.
- Members: 193 countries
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
- World Intellectual Property Day: Every year on 26th April
5. BHAGAT SINGH (Syllabus: GS Paper 1– Modern History)
Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently honoured the memory of the legendary revolutionary Shaheed Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary.
Shaheed Bhagat Singh
- About: He was born in Banga village of Punjab, British India (now Pakistan).
- In 1925, inspired by European nationalist movements, he formed Naujawan Bharat Sabha.
- Influence: His family was influenced by the Ghadar Movement and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which fueled his early patriotism and revolutionary fervor.
- Books: Why I am an Atheist, Jail notebook.
- Ideology: Revolutionary, Socialist, secular.
- Values: Sacrifice, Courage, Bravery
Involvement in the Freedom Struggle
- HSRA Involvement: Bhagat Singh became a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), a revolutionary organization committed to overthrowing British rule through armed struggle.
- Protest Against Simon Commission: Lala Lajpat Rai led a protest against the Simon Commission, sustaining injuries in a police baton charge that led to his death.
- Assembly Bombing: Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt staged a non-lethal smoke bomb attack in the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi in April 1929 to protest repressive laws and draw attention to their revolutionary ideals.
- Lahore Conspiracy Case: He was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Lahore Conspiracy Case for the killing of J.P. Saunders, a police officer connected to Lala Lajpat Rai's death.
- Hunger Strike: Bhagat Singh's hunger strike challenged unequal treatment of Indian political detainees, demanding their rights and improved living conditions.
6. GLOBAL TERRIORISM INDEX (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Reports and Indics)
Context: In a recent report, it was noted that India has made commendable strides in bolstering its security measures in recent years.
- According to a Ficci CASCADE report, India has a GTI score of 7.43 and a crime index score of 44.7, reflecting fewer terror and crime incidents compared to the levels observed in 2016
Highlights of Global Terrorism Index 2023
- Afghanistan continues to hold the unfortunate distinction of being the country most severely affected by terrorism, maintaining this position for the fourth consecutive year.
- India secured the 13th spot on the terrorism impact index, reflecting a slight reduction compared to the previous year.
- Pakistan experienced the second-largest surge in terror-related fatalities worldwide in the past year, with a total of 643 casualties reported.
- Military personnel accounted for a significant portion, constituting at least 55% of all terrorism-related casualties.
Global Terrorism Index (GTI)
- About: GTI is a comprehensive study analysing the impact of terrorism for 163 countries covering 99.7 percent of the world’s population.
- GTI Score: The GTI scores each country on a scale from 0 to 10;
- Where 0 represents no impact from terrorism and 10 represents the highest measurable impact of terrorism.
- The GTI considers deaths, incidents, hostages and injuries from terrorism.
- Released by: Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)
- Report ranks 163 countries on the impact of terrorism.
- Indicators: Include the number of terrorist incidents, fatalities, injuries, and hostages.
7. DAMSEFLY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)
Context: A new damselfly species has been discovered in Kerala’s southern Western Ghats.
- The insect ‘Armageddon reedtail’ or protosticta armageddonia, to draw attention to the global decline of insect populations due to rampant habitat loss and climate change.
- The term ‘ecological armageddon’ is used to describe the devastating decline of insect populations around the world.
- Damselfly Species
- Name: Anamalai Reed-tail (scientific name: Protosticta anamalaica Sadasivan, Nair and Samuel, 2022).
- First Time Spotted: Peechi Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Habitat: Tropical, subtropical and temperate jungles of the Indian subcontinent and south-eastern Asia.
- Distribution: In India, they are distributed in the Western Ghats and north-eastern region towards Myanmar.
oThe genus was described from Sulawesi in Indonesia.
- Found Species: 15 species of Protosticta in India, among which 12 inhabit the Western Ghats.
- Kerala has 182 odonates species with 69 endemics.
8. METHANE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)
Context: In a recent development, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has determined that methane has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) ranging from 28 to 36 when assessing its impact over a 100-year period.
- This finding is crucial in understanding the greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector, which encompass carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and various other contributors to climate change.
Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)
- About: A greenhouse gas is a gas that absorbs and emits infrared radiation.
- They absorb infrared energy (heat energy) emitted from the earth’s surface and reradiates it back to the earth’s surface.
- Most abundant greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere: Water vapour, Carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous oxide, Ozone, Chlorofluorocarbons, Hydrofluorocarbons.
- Other GHGs: Carbon monoxide, fluorinated gases, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), black carbon (soot), and brown carbon.
o Carbon monoxide (CO) is not considered a direct greenhouse gas, mostly because it does not absorb terrestrial thermal IR energy strongly enough.
Methane
- About: It is a hydrocarbon that is a primary component of natural gas.
- Methane is also a greenhouse gas (GHG), so its presence in the atmosphere affects the earth’s temperature and climate system.
- Properties: Colourless, odourless and highly flammable gas.
- China, the United States, Russia, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Mexico are estimated to be responsible for nearly half of all anthropogenic methane emissions.
9. WINDFALL TAX (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)
Context: The center recently increased the windfall tax on domestically produced crude oil to Rs 12,000 per tonne, up from Rs 10,000 previously.
On July 1, 2022 the government imposed an export duty of Rs 6 per litre on petrol and ATF and a Rs 13 per litre duty on export of diesel.
Windfall Tax
- The purpose of a windfall tax is to impose additional taxes on a company's profits generated from an external event, often unexpected, such as the increase in energy prices due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- According to the United States Congressional Research Service, a windfall is defined as an increase in income that is neither earned nor anticipated, and it does not result from any extra effort or expenses on the part of the entity.
- These profits cannot be attributed to the company's intentional actions, such as an investment strategy or business expansion.
- Governments typically impose a retroactive one-time tax, known as a windfall tax, on such profits, in addition to the regular tax rates.
The reason for implementing a windfall tax
- It is introduced to finance social welfare initiatives.
- It serves as an additional source of income for the government.
- It functions as a means for the central authority to reduce the nation's expanded trade deficit.
10. SMART CITY MISSION (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Government Schemes)
Context: Recently, the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu attended the India Smart Cities Conclave 2023 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
- India's commitment to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and emphasized the significance of SDG 11, which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
Smart City Mission
- Launched by: June, 2015.
- Ministry: Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.
- Objective: To promote cities that provide core infrastructure, clean and sustainable environment, and give a decent quality of life to their citizens through the application of ‘smart solutions’.
- Focus Area: Sustainable and inclusive development by the creation of replicable models that act as lighthouses to other aspiring cities.
- Coverage: 100 cities
- Duration: FY2015-16 to FY2019-20
- Madhya Pradesh wins the best 'State Award', Tamil Nadu secures second place, and Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh jointly hold the third position.
- Chandigarh tops the UT category and excels in the best governance category for its e-governance services.
- Indore secures the first place among 100 cities under the Smart Cities Mission, followed by Surat and Agra.
theIASHub | 30 Sep, 2023 | 3
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