1. SPECIAL SESSION OF PARLIAMENT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 -– Polity)

Context:  The government has announced a ‘Special Session of Parliament’ from Sept 18-22, 2023.

Special Session of Parliament

• The Constitution does not use the term “special session”
• The term is sometimes used to describe government sessions convened for specific occasions, such as commemorating parliamentary or national milestones.
• In order for both Houses to be in session, their presiding officers must oversee their proceedings.
• The presiding officers also have the authority to limit the proceedings of their respective Houses during the session, which can include the suspension of procedural devices like the question hour.
• it's worth noting that Article 352 (Proclamation of Emergency) of the Constitution does make a reference to a "special sitting of the House."
• The 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, passed in 1978, introduced the provision for a special sitting, with the aim of adding safeguards to the power of declaring an Emergency in the country.
• Determination is made by: Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, which presently consists of nine ministers, including the Ministers of Defence, Home, Finance, and Law.
• The Committee's resolution is formalized by the President, who issues the summons to MPs in order to convene a session.

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2. MINOR IRRIGATION SCHEME (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Govt Scheme)

Context: The latest/sixth edition of the Minor Irrigation Census (MIC) finds that electricity is the dominant source (3/4th) of power to extract water, over diesel, windmills, and solar pumps.

Highlights of the Report

• The country has reported a total of 23.14 million minor irrigation (MI) schemes.
• Among these, 21.93 million (94.8%) are groundwater (GW) schemes, while 1.21 million (5.2%) are Surface Water (SW) schemes.
• Dug-wells hold the largest share among MI schemes, followed by shallow tube-wells, medium tube-wells, and deep tube-wells.
• In the 6th MI census, there was an increase of approximately 1.42 million MI schemes compared to the previous census.
• Uttar Pradesh is the leader in MI schemes in India, with Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu following closely.
• Maharashtra holds the top position among states for dug-wells, surface flow, and surface lift schemes.
• Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Punjab are the leading states for shallow tube-wells, medium tube-wells, and deep tube-wells, respectively.

Minor Irrigation Scheme

• This scheme refers to an irrigation project that utilizes either surface water or groundwater to irrigate a cultivable command area (CCA) of a maximum of 2,000 hectares.
• Minor irrigation schemes are divided into two primary categories and six sub-categories for classification purposes.
• The Ground Water (GW) schemes comprise four sub-categories, including:

oDugwells, Shallow tube wells, Medium tube wells &Deep tube wells

• The Surface Water (SW) schemes fall into two sub-categories, which are:

oSurface flow schemes & Surface lift schemes

• Minor Irrigation Census: The necessity for conducting a census of Minor Irrigation arose due to the recognition that having a database of these schemes would fulfill the planning, development, and management requirements of these schemes, which play a significant role in agriculture.
• The inaugural Census of Minor Irrigation schemes was carried out for the reference year 1986-87.

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3. PM GATI SHAKTI SCHEME (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: DPIIT holds a review meeting for wider adoption of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan in States/UTs.

• The meeting witnessed active participation from States/UTs i.e. Maharashtra, Goa, Rajasthan, Daman & Diu and Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

PM Gati Shakti

• Launched: October 2021.
• Aim: It is the first National Infrastructure Masterplan. The National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity is essentially a digital platform to bring 16 Ministries includes Railways and Roadways and others.

oTo boost economic growth (Shakti) through infrastructure building.

oTo improve the productivity of industries and employment opportunities. 

oIt is considered to be the government's integrated approach to developing modern railways, roadways, waterways and airways.

• Method: It breaks the inter-ministerial silos and to integrate the planning of infrastructure projects related to road, rail, air and waterways etc.
• Integration: It incorporates the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN etc.

Pillars of PM Gati Shakti: PM Gati Shakti is based on six pillars:

• Comprehensiveness: Of existing and planned initiatives of various Ministries and Departments with one centralized portal.
• Prioritization: Through this, different Departments will be able to prioritize their projects through cross-sectoral interactions.
• Optimization: The National Master Plan will assist different ministries in planning for projects after identification of critical gaps.
• Synchronization: of individual Ministries and Departments often work in silos.
• Analytical: The plan will provide the entire data at one place with GIS based spatial planning and analytical tools having 200+ layers.
• Dynamic: All Ministries and Departments will now be able to visualize, review and monitor the progress of cross-sectoral projects, through the GIS platform, as the satellite imagery will give on-ground progress periodically and progress of the projects.

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4. DECLINING OF VULTURES (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: On the International Day for Vulture Awareness, it is time to reflect on India’s journey in vulture conservation and the strides that have been made since 2000, while also acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead.

Key Points

• The recent ban on aceclofenac and ketoprofen, both harmful to vultures, has provided a glimmer of hope, but there is still much work to be done.
• India’s vulture populations started plummeting in the 1990s due to the widespread use of diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), in veterinary medicine. 
• When vultures fed on the carcasses of animals treated with diclofenac, they experienced kidney failure, leading to their rapid decline. 
• Populations of some vulture species have decreased by over 99 percent, pushing these birds to the brink of extinction.
• Electrocution from power lines, which have become increasingly prevalent across the country, poses a grave danger to these birds.

Vultures Species in India

• India, home to nine species of vultures, has been at the forefront of conservation efforts. Most of these 9 species face dangers of extinction.
• Bearded, Long-billed, Slender-billed, Oriental white-backed are protected in the Schedule-1 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Rest are protected under ‘Schedule IV’.
• CITES: Appendix II
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
• UCN status: Critically Endangered
• Conservation Initiatives: National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has approved an Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025.
• In 2001, a Vulture Care Centre (VCC) was established in Pinjore, Haryana, India, with the purpose of investigating the reasons behind vulture deaths. 
• In 2004, the VCC underwent enhancements and transformation, becoming India's inaugural Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre (VCBC).

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5. ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3– Health)

Context: African nations have endorsed a regional strategy to accelerate action against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The strategy was adopted at the 73rd session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa in Botswana’s capital Gaborone.

Key Points

• WHO member states had adopted the Global Action Plan on AMR in 2015, and had committed to develop, implement, and monitor antimicrobial resistance national action plans (AMR NAPs).

oThe strategy endorsed in Gaborone aims to accelerate the implementation of AMR NAPs.

• Addressing AMR is integral to achieving the United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 according to WHO. 

oFor example, AMR increases treatment costs. This means attaining universal health coverage will become more challenging.

• AMR could kill 4.1 million people across Africa by 2050 unless serious actions to address the threat are taken, WHO has warned.

Antimicrobial Resistance

• About: It refers to the acquired resistance of microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites etc, to the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs utilized for infection treatment. In this, microorganisms evolve over time, rendering them unresponsive to medications. This, in turn, complicates the treatment of infections, elevates the likelihood of disease transmission, and raises the potential for severe illness and mortality.
• Causes: Injudicious use of antibiotic, self-medication, industry pollution, untreated disposal of sewage water bodies, etc.

 
India’s efforts against AMR

• The National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (2017-21) highlighted the government's success in promoting hand hygiene and sanitation through initiatives like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Kayakalp, and Swachh Swasth Sarvatra.
• The 2017 National Health Policy provided clear directives on antibiotic usage, restricting over-the-counter access and curbing antibiotic use for livestock growth promotion.
• Red Line awareness campaign: Urging people not to use medicines marked with a red vertical line, including antibiotics, without a doctor’s prescription. 

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6. ADITYA L1 MISSION (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci & Tech)

Context: Recently, Aditya-L1 has successfully performed its first Earth-bound manoeuvre, indicating it is healthy and “performing optimally”.

• India’s first solar mission embarked on a 125-day journey before it is placed in a halo orbit about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth.

Aditya L1

• Aditya L1 represents India's inaugural space mission dedicated to the study of the Sun.
• Launched by: PSLV-XL launch vehicle.
• The spacecraft is destined to be positioned in a halo orbit encircling Lagrange point 1 (L1) within the Sun-Earth system, located approximately 1.5 million kms away from Earth.
• This continuous observation capability will significantly enhance the capacity to monitor solar activities and their immediate impact on space weather in real-time.
• Aditya L1 carries a total of seven payloads, which are designed to scrutinize the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost solar layers (the corona) using various detectors for electromagnetic waves, particles, and magnetic fields.
• Objective: To unravel the fundamental drivers of space weather, which encompass the origin, composition, and dynamics of the solar wind. 

Lagrangian Points

• About: These are particular points in space where the gravitational forces between two massive objects, like a planet and its moon or a planet and the Sun, create areas of heightened gravitational stability/equilibrium.
• Found by: Joseph Louis Lagrange.
• Located: About 1.5 million kilometres inside Earth's orbit, between the Sun and the Earth.

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7. POLYGAMY IN INDIA (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Social Issue)

Context: The Assam government plans to ban polygamy in the state and has received strong public support for the proposal.

• The state government had earlier constituted an expert committee to study the legislative competence of the assembly to enact a law banning polygamy in the state.

About Polygamy

• Polygamy: A marriage practice in which an individual is legally married to multiple spouses simultaneously. Types: Polygyny and polyandry.
• The Indian Constitution grants the Union and the states the authority to enact legislation on certain subjects. 

o'Marriage' falls under the Concurrent List, enabling both the Centre and the states to pass laws on it. 

• The Doctrine of Repugnancy (Article 254) stipulates that if a state legislation contradicts a central legislation, the state law will be overridden unless it received the prior assent of the president of India.
• Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution provide freedom of conscience and the right to practice religion.

oHowever, these rights are not absolute and are subject to public order, morality, health and legislative provisions for social welfare and reform.

Poygamy in India

• According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-20) data, the occurrence of polygamous marriages was as follows:

o2.1% among Christians, 1.9% among Muslims, 1.3% among Hindus, and 1.6% among other religious groups.

• The data revealed that the Northeastern states, which have substantial tribal populations, exhibited the highest prevalence of polygynous marriages.
• A compilation of 40 districts with the highest rates of polygyny predominantly featured districts characterized by significant tribal populations.

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8. E-CIGARETTES (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health)

Context: Recently, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced that France plans to ban disposable electronic cigarettes. 

E-cigarettes

• It is a battery-operated vaporizer designed to emulate the act of tobacco smoking. Its mechanism involves heating a nicotine-infused liquid known as "juice."
• E-cigarettes encompass potentially hazardous elements, including heavy metals such as lead, volatile organic compounds, and carcinogenic agents.
• E-cigarettes contain nicotine but not tobacco, they do not fall under the purview of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA). 
• Composition of an e-cigarette: Nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerine, flavorings, and various other chemicals.

Steps of Indian Government

• Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Bill, 2019: It prohibits production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement of e-cigarettes.
• National Health Policy 2017: It sets an ambitious target of reducing tobacco use by 30 per cent by 2025, which has been devised keeping in view the targets for control of NCDs.
• Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003: The extensive tobacco control legislation seeks to establish smoke-free public areas while simultaneously imposing limitations on tobacco advertising and promotion.

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9. INDIA’S ECONOMY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: India's economy 16.5 years behind China's, says Bernstein research report.

• According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates, India should move into fourth place by 2025 and third by 2027 with an economy size of $5.4 trillion

Key Points of Report

• Its report found that India is behind China by 21 years when it comes to patents, 20 years in FDI, 19 years in forex reserves, and 17 years in exports. 
• On nominal GDP and per capita income, India is 15 years behind. In consumption expenditure, it is 13 years behind. On gross fixed capital formation, it is 16 years behind.
• The gap is understandable given that, a decade ago, India’s GDP was only the 11th largest in the world.
• India would become the second-largest economy in the world by 2075, just behind China. It also estimated that by 2075, India’s GDP would rise to $52.5 trillion while China’s would be $57 trillion.
• The geopolitical tensions between the US and China have provided India with some new leverage — many global companies manufacturing in China are hedging their bets, and India has managed to persuade the likes of Apple to shift manufacturing capacity to the country and also export a large part of its production.
• India has not only surpassed China in population parameters but also witnessed China's net birth rate declining to zero and entering negative territory.

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10. ADOPT A HERITAGE SCHEME (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Art & Culture)

Context: Archeological Survey of India (ASI) launched “Adopt a Heritage 2.0 programme” Indian Heritage app and e-permission portal.

• The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has 3696 monuments under protection, which not only exhibit the rich cultural heritage of India but also play a significant role in fostering economic growth.

Adopt a Heritage 2.0 programme

• The initiative aims to engage corporate stakeholders in improving monument facilities using their CSR funds.
• It represents a revised edition of the 2017 scheme, specifying the required amenities according to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act) of 1958.
• The online portal will offer comprehensive information on adoptable monuments, encompassing gap assessments and estimated financial needs.
• Indian Heritage App: The application will include information about monuments categorized by states, accompanied by images, a list of accessible public facilities, geolocation tags, and a citizen feedback system.

Adopt a Heritage Scheme

• Launched: In September 2017 on World Tourism Day.
• Aim: To encourage these entities to become ‘Monument Mitras’ and take up the responsibility of developing and upgrading the basic and advanced tourist amenities at these sites.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India.

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