The Hindu Newspaper Analysis 10 May 2023

The Hindu Newspaper Analysis for UPSC

The Hindu Newspaper Analysis 9 May 2023

Context :

• While officials at L-G House said V.K. Saxena had forwarded a complaint by senior Congress leader Ajay Maken about the actual amount being ₹171 crore to the Chief Secretary and sought a detailed report on the charges therein within seven days, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) formed a committee to ascertain the “factual position” on alleged violation of environmental norms during construction.

 The Hindu Editorial Today

About National Green Tribunal:

• The National Green Tribunal has been established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
• New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four places of sitting of the Tribunal.
• NGT is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of the filing of the same.

What is the composition of NGT?

• The Tribunal comprises the Chairperson, the Judicial Members, and Expert Members.
• They shall hold office for a term of 5 years and are not eligible for reappointment.
• The Chairperson is appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
• A Selection Committee shall be formed by the central government to appoint the Judicial Members and Expert Members.
• There are to be at least 10 and a maximum of 20 full-time Judicial members and Expert Members in the tribunal.

Powers & Jurisdiction

• Established for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.
• It has appellate jurisdiction to hear appeals as a Court.
• The Tribunal is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.

• government in Assam has decided to set up a panel towards handling a “part of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC)” after a crackdown on child marriage – polygamy.
• Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said a decision has been taken to form an expert committee to examine whether the government has the authority to ban polygamy in the State.
• The committee would be tasked with scrutinising the provisions of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Act, 1937, along with Article 25 of the Constitution of India, in relation to the directive principles of State policy for UCC.
• About polygamy:
• Polygamy is a practice whereby a person has more than one spouse, and this can be of two kinds, Polygyny and polyandry. In the first kind, a man marries more than one woman and in the next a woman marries more than one man.
• Polygamy is illegal in India for every religion except for the Islam religion where limited polygyny up to four wives is permitted but polyandry is absolutely prohibited.
• India is a secular state which sees every religion with an equal eye and respect. However, numerous religions are disputing the validity of certain laws, including those pertaining to ‘polygamy.’
• Constitutional provisions invalidating polygamy in India:
• Article 13 of the India Constitution clearly and specifically declares that the laws inconsistent with the Part III (Fundamental Rights) of the Constitution shall be void.
• However, personal laws don’t seem to be laws in force under Article 13 of the Constitution as they are supported by religious precepts and customary practice.
• Article 14 declares, the state shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India.
• Article 15 (1) of the Constitution forbids the state from discriminating against any citizen based only on religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.

• Starting this October, the European Union (EU) proposes to introduce a framework for levying a carbon tax on imports of products that rely on non-green or sub-optimally sustainable processes and where carbon emissions are deemed to have not been adequately priced.
• This Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will begin with an import monitoring mechanism and culminate in the levy of duties as determined from January 2026.
• The EU argues that the CBAM will ensure its climate objectives are not undermined by carbon-intensive imports and spur cleaner production in the rest of the world.
• This poses a significant threat to some of India’s biggest exports to the trading bloc, including iron ore and steel, with carbon levies estimated to range from 19.8% to 52.7%.

What is a Carbon Border Tax?

• A carbon border adjustment tax is a duty on imports based on the amount of carbon emissions resulting from the production of the product in question. As a price on carbon, it discourages emissions. As a trade-related measure, it affects production and exports.
• The proposal is part of the European Commission’s European Green Deal that endeavours to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
• A carbon border tax is arguably an improvement from a national carbon tax.

• The Election Commission of India (ECI)’s proposal for introducing Remote Voting Machines (RVMs) seeks to extend voting facilities to such migrant workers who find it difficult to travel to their native place to vote, and thus prevent the loss of votes. Some political parties objected to RVMs, saying the ECI has not responded to pending complaints and questions about the trustworthiness of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
• Lakhs of migrants who left their homes in search of livelihoods live in places far from the heart of the city.
• Not only have they left their home States, they have also given up on significant rights. While elections are an opportunity for people to exercise their fundamental rights, the votes of migrant voters have been missing for years.
• While the ECI’s move provides a ray of hope to millions of migrant workers, two crucial priorities ahead are to create awareness about the initiative and ensure transparency.

• A data blog published by the World Bank argues that the wages given to front line healthcare workers in the public sector are not competitive enough to attract qualified candidates.
• The problem is more acute in low- and middle-income countries where the governments face rising public debt and are forced to reduce public spending.
• The blog argues that to strike a balance between these policy goals, reliable data and evidence are needed, considering the workforce-heavy aspect of healthcare services delivery.

• A third cheetah, a female called Daksha, died at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday after it was injured during mating.
• Daksha’s death brings the total number of adult cheetahs in the park to 17. Sasha died in February and Uday in April.
• Since September 2022, 20 animals — eight from Namibia and 12 from South Africa — have been translocated from Africa to restore cheetahs in the Indian wilderness. One of the animals has produced a litter of four cubs, all reportedly well.

• Pakistan, China and Afghanistan have agreed to forge closer economic ties by extending the Beijing-backed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan to fully harness the country’s potential as a hub for regional connectivity.
• Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang and Afghanistan’s Taliban-appointed acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi held the 5th China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue, where they also underlined the need to prevent any group from using their territories for terror activities against any nation.

About China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

• Launched in 2015, the CPEC is the flagship project of the multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, aimed at enhancing Beijing’s influence around the world through China-funded infrastructure projects.
• The 3,000 km-long China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) consists of highways, railways, and pipelines.
• CPEC eventually aims at linking the city of Gwadar in South Western Pakistan to China’s North Western region Xinjiang through a vast network of highways and railways.
• The proposed project will be financed by heavily-subsidised loans that will be disbursed to the Government of Pakistan by Chinese banks.

Q) Kali Tiger Reserve lies in which state?

1. Bihar
2. Karnataka
3. Gujarat
4. Madhya Pradesh

काली टाइगर रिजर्व किस राज्य में स्थित है?

1. बिहार
2. कर्नाटक
3. गुजरात
4. मध्य प्रदेश

About Kali Tiger Reserve:

• Location:
• Kali Tiger Reserve, earlier known as Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve is located in Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka State.
• This belt of Uttara Kannada district is a part of the Western Ghats.
• The Tiger Reserve comprises of two important protected areas of the region viz., Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi National Park.
• Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary (475.018 sq km) and Anshi National Park (339.866 sq km) are contiguous to each other and form a single tract of protected area located in biologically sensitive Western Ghats.
• River: Kali River, which forms the major source of water for Uttara Kannada, flows through the tiger reserve and hence the name.

Q) With reference to the Legislative Councils, consider the following statements:

1. Under Article 123, states can have either one or two Houses of legislature.
2. To set up the council, the legislative assembly of state must pass a resolution by a majority of total membership & not less than 2/3rd of the members of the assembly present & voting.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

विधान परिषदों के संदर्भ में निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिये:

1. अनुच्छेद 123 के तहत, राज्यों में विधायिका के एक या दो सदन हो सकते हैं।
2. परिषद की स्थापना के लिए, राज्य की विधान सभा को कुल सदस्यता के बहुमत से एक प्रस्ताव पारित करना होगा और विधानसभा के उपस्थित और मतदान करने वाले सदस्यों के 2/3 से कम नहीं होना चाहिए।

उपरोक्त कथनों में से कौन-सा/से सही है/हैं?

1. केवल 1
2. केवल 2
3. 1 और 2 दोनों
4. न तो 1 और न ही 2

Creation/abolition of legislative council:

• Under Article 168, states can have either one or two Houses of legislature.
• Article 169 leaves the choice of having a Vidhan Parishad to individual states.
• Art 169 of the Constitution provides for the abolition or creation of Legislative Councils in States.
• Power of abolition or creation of Legislative council lies with the Parliament.
• To set up the council, the legislative assembly of state must pass a resolution by a majority of total membership & not less than 2/3rd of the members of the assembly present & voting.
• However, a resolution passed by legislative assembly of state for creation or abolition of its council is not binding on the Parliament. Parliament may or may not approve the resolution with simple majority.
• This step will not be deemed to be an amendment of this Constitution for the purposes of Article 368.

Membership:

• Under Article 171 of the Constitution, the Legislative Council of a state shall not have more than one-third of the total number of MLAs of the state, and not less than 40 members.
• All the members of the Legislative Council are either indirectly elected or nominated by the Governor.
• One third shall be elected by electorates consisting of members of municipalities, district boards and such other local authorities in the State as Parliament may by law specify
• One-third of the members of this House are elected by the Legislative Assembly from amongst persons who are not its members.
• One-twelfth of the members are elected by graduates of at least three years standing.
• One-twelfth of the members are elected by teachers of secondary schools having at least three years experience.
• About one-sixth of the members are nominated by the Governor from among persons possessing special knowledge and experience in the field of art, science, literature, social service and cooperative movement.

Q) Consider the following statements regarding the Arab League:

1. It is a regional organization of Arab states in the Middle East and parts of Africa.
2. The decisions taken by the League Council are binding on all members of the League.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

अरब लीग के संबंध में निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें:

1. यह मध्य पूर्व और अफ्रीका के कुछ हिस्सों में अरब राज्यों का एक क्षेत्रीय संगठन है।
2. लीग काउंसिल द्वारा लिए गए निर्णय लीग के सभी सदस्यों के लिए बाध्यकारी हैं।

उपरोक्त कथनों में से कौन-सा/से सही है/हैं?

1. केवल 1
2. केवल 2
3. 1 और 2 दोनों
4. न तो 1 और न ही 2

About Arab League:

• Arab League, also called League of Arab States (LAS) is a regional organization of Arab states in the Middle East and parts of Africa.
• Formation: It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945.The founding member states were Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Transjordan (now Jordan), Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
• Headquarters: Cairo, Egypt.
• Objective: To strengthen ties among member states, coordinate their policies and direct them towards a common good.
• Members:
• Currently it has 22 members including Palestine, which the League regards as an independent state.
• Syria’s participation has been suspended since November 2011, as a consequence of government repression during the Syrian Civil War.
• Council:
• The highest body of the league is the Council, composed of representatives of member states, usually foreign ministers, their representatives or permanent delegates.
• The League makes decisions on a majority basis, but there is no mechanism to compel members to comply with resolutions.
• Each member has one vote on the Council, decisions being binding only on those states that have voted for them.

Q) With reference to the Project Cheetah, consider the following statements:

1. Under the ‘Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India’, 50 cheetahs will be brought from African countries to various national parks over 5 years.
2. As part of this project, 20 Cheetahs (8 from Namibia and 12 from South Africa) were Introduced in the KNP (since last year) to establish a free-ranging population for the first time since their extinction in India 70 years ago.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

प्रोजेक्ट चीता के संदर्भ में निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिये:

1. ‘भारत में चीता के पुन: परिचय की कार्य योजना’ के तहत, 5 वर्षों में 50 चीतों को अफ्रीकी देशों से विभिन्न राष्ट्रीय उद्यानों में लाया जाएगा।
2. इस परियोजना के हिस्से के रूप में, 20 चीतों (नामीबिया से 8 और दक्षिण अफ्रीका से 12) को केएनपी (पिछले वर्ष से) में पेश किया गया था, 70 साल पहले भारत में विलुप्त होने के बाद पहली बार एक मुक्त-आबादी स्थापित करने के लिए।

उपरोक्त कथनों में से कौन-सा/से सही है/हैं?

1. केवल 1
2. केवल 2
3. 1 और 2 दोनों
4. न तो 1 और न ही 2

• Discussions to bring the Cheetah back to India were initiated in 2009 by the Wildlife Trust of India.
• Under the ‘Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India’, 50 cheetahs will be brought from African countries to various national parks over 5 years.
• Most suitable site – Kuno Palpur National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh:
• Amongst the surveyed sites of the central Indian states, KNP has been rated the highest, because of its suitable habitat and adequate prey base.
• It is assessed to be capable of supporting 21 Cheetahs and is likely the only wildlife site in the country where villages have been completely relocated from within the park.
• Kuno also provides the possibility of harbouring four of India’s big cats – tiger, lion, leopard and Cheetah, enabling them to coexist as they have in the past.
• The other sites recommended are – Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh; Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary – Bhainsrorgarh Wildlife Sanctuary complex, Madhya Pradesh; Shahgarh bulge in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan; Mukundara Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan.
• As part of this project, 20 Cheetahs (8 from Namibia and 12 from South Africa) were Introduced in the KNP (since last year) to establish a free-ranging population for the first time since their extinction in India 70 years ago.

Q) Which of the following country’s COVID restrictions, known as Title 42?

1. U. S.A
2. U.K
3. India
4. None of the above

निम्नलिखित में से किस देश के COVID प्रतिबंध, शीर्षक 42 के रूप में जाना जाता है?

1. यू.एस.ए
2. यू.के
3. भारत
4. उपरोक्त में से कोई नहीं

Explanation :

The United States is getting ready to lift COVID-19 restrictions that have blocked migrants caught at the U.S.-Mexico border from seeking asylum since 2020, a major policy shift with humanitarian and political implications.

• The COVID restrictions, known as Title 42, were first implemented under Republican then-President Donald Trump in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic.
• At the time, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the order was needed to stem the spread of the coronavirus in crowded detention settings.
• Title 42 allowed border agents to rapidly expel many migrants to Mexico.
• Since its inception, migrants have been expelled more than 2.7 million times under Title 42, although the total includes many repeat crossers and Mexico has generally only accepted certain nationalities.

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