1. SCHEDULE TRIBE STATUS (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Vulnerable Section)

Context: In a landmark development, the Lok Sabha has passed the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, marking a significant stride towards empowering marginalized tribal  communities in the region.

About Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024: Salient feature

• Granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Pahari Ethnic Group, Padari Tribes, Koli, and Gadda Brahmin in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The inclusion of these communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Jammu and Kashmir will have absolutely no impact on current level of reservations available to the existing Scheduled Tribe communities such as Gujjars and Bakarwals. They will continue to get reservation like before.

Constitutional provision for providing ST status:

• Addition: Under Article 342(1), the President may with respect to any State or Union Territory, and where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor, by a public notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or part of or groups within tribes or tribal communities as Scheduled Tribe in relation to that State or Union Territory.
• Removal: Under Article 342(2), the Parliament may be law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Tribes specified in a notification issued under clause (1) any tribe or tribal community or part of or group within any tribe or tribal community, but save as aforesaid a notification issued under the said clause shall not be varied by any subsequent notification.

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2. PUBLIC EXAMINATION BILL (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 –Social Issues)

Context: In a significant move aimed at ensuring the integrity and fairness of public examinations, the Lok Sabha passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024.

Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024

• Objective: The Act aims to prevent the use of unfair means in public examinations conducted by specified authorities.
• Key Feature of the Act:
• Definition of Public Examinations: Public examinations refer to exams conducted by authorities listed in the Schedule to the Act or notified by the central government. These include UPSC, SSC, Railway Recruitment Board, NTA, IBPS, and departments of the central government for recruitment.
• Offences Defined: The Act defines various offences related to public examinations, including collusion, leakage of question papers, assisting candidates, tampering with documents, conducting fake exams, etc.
• Penalties: Offences under the Act carry imprisonment between three and five years, along with fines up to Rs 10 lakh.
• Responsibilities of Service Providers: Service providers, offering computer resources or support to examination authorities, must report violations to the police and concerned authorities. Failure to report is an offence. Shifting exam centers without permission is prohibited.

o   Offences by service providers attract fines up to one crore rupees. They may also be barred from conducting public exams for four years.

• Organized Crimes: Higher penalties apply to organized crimes related to public examinations. Offenders face imprisonment between five and ten years, along with fines of at least one crore rupees.
• Inquiry and Investigation:All offences under the Act are cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable. Investigations are conducted by officers not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent or Assistant Commissioner of Police.

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3. VIDYANJALI PROGRAMME (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Education)

Context: Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship,  has launched the EdCIL Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme. 

Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme

• About:

oAligned with the National Education Policy 2020.

oAims to revolutionize opportunities for quality education and access to higher education institutions.

oGoes beyond mere enrolment to ensure access to high-quality learning systems.

oFacilitates seamless transition from secondary to higher education.

• Financial Support for Meritorious Navodaya Vidyalaya Students:

oExtends financial assistance to economically marginalized and meritorious students of Navodaya Vidyalayas.

oTargets students who lack means but show academic promise.

• Encouragement of Private Sector Involvement:

oLeverages Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to involve the private sector.

oEncourages corporates to contribute towards educational inclusivity and socio-economic upliftment.

oEstablishes a collaboration between the Government and corporates towards the goal of an educated India.

o

National Education Policy 2020

• Universal Access: NEP 2020 emphasizes universal access to school education, covering pre-school to secondary levels, ensuring education for all.
• Early Childhood Education: It proposes a shift from the existing 10+2 structure to a 5+3+3+4 system, integrating 3-6-year-olds into the formal schooling system with a focus on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).
• GER Enhancement: NEP 2020 targets increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from the current 26.3% to 50% by 2035 in higher education
• Public Funding: NEP 2020 aims to increase public investment in education to reach 6% of GDP.

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4. UNIFORM CIVIL CODE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The Uttarakhand government introduced the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill in the House, aiming to establish a uniform legal framework governing personal matters irrespective of religion.

Key Provisions of the UCC Bill:

• Scope of the Law: The UCC bill covers various personal matters including marriage, divorce, live-in relationships, and succession, regardless of religion.
• Compulsory Registration:The bill proposes mandatory registration of marriages under the state government's official mechanism.

oLive-in relationships are also recognized and must be registered within a month, failing which could lead to imprisonment and fines under the legislation.

• Criminalization of Unregistered Live-in Relationships: Staying in a live-in relationship for over a month without registration is criminalized, punishable with up to three months of imprisonment.
• Restrictions on Polygamy and Early Marriage: The bill prohibits polygamy and early marriage, aligning with the proposed uniform civil code standards.

oIt sets the legal age for marriage at 18 years for girls and 21 years for boys.

• Divorce and Dissolution of Marriage: Extra-judicial forms of divorce, including various forms of 'talaq,' are criminalized under the bill, with penalties of up to three years in jail.

oOnly court orders are recognized for the dissolution of marriage, ensuring legal processes are followed.

Uniform Civil Code (UCC)

• Meaning: The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) calls for the formulation of one law for India, which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption. 
• Article 44: Of the Constitution, under Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.
• Supreme Court judgment:

oSC empahised the need of UCC in cases like: Shah Bano case (1985), Sarla Mudgal Case(1995) etc.

oShayara Bano v. Union of India (Triple Talaq Case): SC held triple talaq as unconstitutional and un-Islamic, raising the question of the Uniform Civil Code to stop such personal law practices.

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5. PRODUCTION LINKED INCENTIVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The Cabinet secretary-led committee has raised concerns regarding significant delays in disbursing incentives to eligible companies under the under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.

Pproduction-linked incentive (PLI) scheme

• Objectives of PLI Schemes:

oAttract investments in key sectors and cutting-edge technology.

oEnsure efficiency and economies of size and scale in the manufacturing sector.

oMake Indian companies and manufacturers globally competitive.

• Incentives: The incentives under the scheme are calculated based on incremental sales, with specific sectors like advanced chemistry cell batteries, textile products, and the drone industry also factoring in sales performance and local value addition over a five-year period.
• Funding: Outlay of Rs. 1.97 lakh crore (over US$26 billion) to enhance India's Manufacturing capabilities and Exports.
• 14 sectors covered under the scheme: (i) Mobile Manufacturing and Specified Electronic Components, (ii) Critical Key Starting Materials/Drug Intermediaries & Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, (iii) Manufacturing of Medical Devices (iv) Automobiles and Auto Components, (v) Pharmaceuticals Drugs, (vi) Specialty Steel, (vii) Telecom & Networking Products, (viii) Electronic/Technology Products, (ix) White Goods (ACs and LEDs), (x) Food Products, (xi) Textile Products: MMF segment and technical textiles, (xii) High efficiency solar PV modules, (xiii) Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery, and (xiv) Drones and Drone Components.

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6. AB-PMJAY (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health)

Context:More than 3 million Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), Anganwadi workers, and helpers will now be covered under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

• About: “World’s largest government funded healthcare program” targeting more than 50 crore beneficiaries.
• Nodal ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Benefits under the scheme:

oAyushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) will provide a cover of up to Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.

oOver 10.74 crore vulnerable entitled families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) will be eligible for these benefits.

oPMJAY will provide cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point of service.

oPMJAY will help reduce catastrophic expenditure for hospitalizations, which impoverishes people and will help mitigate the financial risk arising out of catastrophic health episodes.

• Components:

oCreation of 1,50,000 Health and Wellness Centers which will bring health care closer to the homes of the people.

oPradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) which provides health protection cover to poor and vulnerable families for secondary and tertiary care.

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7. CART-T CELL THERAPY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Science and tech)

Context: Indigenous CAR-T cell therapy now available for commercial use: ‘first’ patient declared free of cancer.

CART- T cell therapy

• About: - Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a kind of cancer treatment that uses cells from your own immune system.
• Procedure: Doctors take a type of white blood cell from the patient’s body and genetically change the cells in a lab so they can better find your cancer. Then millions of these target-seeking cells are put back into patient body
• Significance:

oCAR T-cell therapies are even more specific.

oIt directly stimulate the patient's immune system to fight cancer, leading to greater clinical efficacy.

oAlso called as "living drugs.“

• Challenges:

oCAR T-cell therapy may not be cost-effective as it will still be unaffordable for most people.

oDifficulty of preparing CAR T-cell therapies has been a major hindrance to their widespread use.

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8. AGNIPATH SCHEME (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Govt scheme)

Context: Promising a rollback of the Agnipath scheme, the Congress, as part of the Jai Jawan campaign, is planning to reach out to more than 35 lakh young men and women.

Agnipath scheme:

• About: In this scheme patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years.
• Agniveer: Under this scheme, the youth joining the army.
• Age group: Candidates between the age group of 17.5 to 21 years are eligible to apply for the scheme.
• Maximum limit: Every year 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers will be recruited annually, and most will leave the service in just four years. Out of that only 25% will continue for 15 years.
• Objective:

oTo enhance youthful profile of the Armed Forces so that they are at their fighting best at all times with increased risk taking ability.

oTo attract young talent from the society to effectively exploit, adopt and use emerging modern technologies with enhanced technical thresholds of intake while leveraging Technical Institutions of the country.

oTo provide an opportunity to the youth who may be keen to serve the Nation in uniform albeit for a short period of time.

oTo imbibe The Armed Forces ethos, cotzraye, camaraderie, commitment and teamwork in the youth.

oTo provide abilities and qualities such as discipline, dynamism, motivation and work-skills so that the youth remains an asset.

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9. DELIMITATION COMMISSION (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The delimitation of constituencies for the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies is to be carried out on the basis of the first Census after 2026.

Delimitation Commission:

• About: It is the fixing of the boundaries of a country's territorial constituencies to represent changes in population. The redrawing of these boundaries is based on the recent census.
• Constituted 4-times in India: In 1952, 1963, 1972, and 2002.
• Nodal Agency: Ministry of Law and Justice.
• Related Constitutional Provisions:

oArticles 82: Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.

oArticle 170: States also get divided into territorial constituencies as per the Delimitation Act after.

oArticle 330: Provides for reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Parliament.

oArticle 332: Provides for reservation of seats for the SCs and the STs in the Legislative Assemblies of the States.

• Structure of the Commission: It consists of retired Supreme Court judges, Chief Election Commissioner, and Respective State Election Commissioners.
• Appointment: It is appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the ECI.
• Functions:

oDetermine the number and boundaries of constituencies in a way that the population of all seats, so far as practicable, is the same.

oIdentify seats reserved for SCs and STs wherever their population is relatively large

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10. ATMOSPHERIC RIVER (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: California has experienced an exceptionally wet winter with 11 atmospheric rivers battering the state since late December .

Atmospheric River:

• About: A narrow corridor or filament of concentrated moisture in the atmosphere. Other names: For this phenomenon are tropical plume, tropical connection, moisture plume, water vapor surge, and cloud band.
• Total Atmospheric river: On an average the earth has four to five atmospheric river at any time.
• Size: Several thousand kilometers long and only a few hundred kilometers wide, and a single one can carry a greater flux of water than Earth's largest river, the Amazon Rive
• Formation:

oAtmospheric rivers usually begin over tropical regions. Warm temperatures cause ocean water to evaporate and rise into the atmosphere. Strong winds help to carry the water vapor through the atmosphere.

oAs atmospheric rivers move over land, the water vapor rises up farther into the atmosphere. It then cools into water droplets, which fall as precipitation.

• Impacts:

oHeavy rainfall leading to  flooding, landslides, and mudslides.

oDevelop drought-like conditions.

• Significance:

oNot all atmospheric rivers cause damage.

oMost are weak systems that often provide beneficial rain or snow that is crucial to the water supply.

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