The Hindu Newspaper Analysis 27 October 2022

The Hindu Newspaper Analysis for UPSC

The Hindu Newspaper Analysis 22 October 2022

• Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mangarh Dham in Banswara district on November 1, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has sought the declaration of the memorial for tribals as a monument of national importance.
• Mangarh Dham is known for the massacre of tribals by the British Indian Army in 1913.
• About 1,500 Bhil tribals and forest dwellers were killed at Mangarh on November 17, 1913, when the British Indian Army opened fire on the protesters demanding abolition of bonded labour system and relaxation in heavy agricultural taxes imposed by the rulers of princely states.
• The tribals in the southern Rajasthan region were led by social reformer Govind Guru.

The Hindu Editorial Today

Mullaperiyar Dam:

• The Mullaperiyar, a 126-year-old dam, is located on the confluence of the Mullayar and Periyar rivers in Kerala’s Idukki district.
• The dam stands at the height of 53.66 metres and 365.85 metres in length.
• The dam is owned, operated and maintained by Tamil Nadu.
  • Tamil Nadu maintained it for several purposes, including irrigation, drinking water supply and hydro-power generation.

• The urge to undo the various legacies of colonisation was always there.
• The young often wonder why the freedom struggle did not suffice to de-colonise.
• In a recent official presentation at an international forum, India tried to make a distinction between foreign attacks and colonisation.
• Colonised societies suffered similar consequences, such as drainage of wealth and the emergence of a state apparatus that the common people found difficult to identify with.

• The Government recently increased the returns on a handful of small savings instruments for the ongoing October to December quarter by 0.1 to 0.3 percentage points.
• Popular investment avenues for the middle class such as the Public Provident Fund (PPF) and the National Savings Certificate were left out.
• As the RBI’s top brass warned earlier, negative returns have serious consequences for the economy if households, which are the biggest lenders, stop parking their savings in such fixed income instruments and banks.
• The next quarter should see a fairer and healthier reset of returns to negate inflation’s dent on household savings.
• Meaning: These are a set of savings instruments managed by the central government with an aim to encourage citizens to save regularly irrespective of their age.
• Higher returns: they are popular as they not only provide returns that are generally higher than bank fixed deposits but also come with a sovereign guarantee and tax benefits.
• The schemes can be grouped under three heads: Post office deposits, savings certificates and social security schemes.
• PPF and NSC: Schemes like Public Provident Fund (PPF) and the National Savings Certificate (NSC) will continue to carry an annual interest rate of 7.1% and 6.8% respectively.

• Two important tools that help make entertainment content disabled friendly are audio description and subtitling. Audio description refers to the visual aspects of the content being spoken out for the benefit of those who cannot see.
• Subtitling refers to the auditory components of the content being displayed in textual form for the benefit of those who cannot hear.
• The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act provides guidance to remedy this issue. Section 29(h) of the Act requires the appropriate government to take measures to ensure that “persons with hearing impairment can have access to television programmes with sign language interpretation or sub-titles.”
• Further, Section 42(ii) requires the appropriate government to take measures to ensure that “persons with disabilities have access to electronic media by providing audio description, sign language interpretation and close captioning.”

• Russian Defence Minister briefs his Indian counterpart on ‘deteriorating’ Ukraine situation; they also discuss bilateral defence cooperation.
• Earlier this month, in a telephone conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that there can be no military solution to the conflict and also emphasised India’s readiness to contribute to any peace effort.

• The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) that functions under the Union Environment Ministry has yet again cleared the proposal for commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) mustard.
• Though the GEAC cleared the proposal in 2017, the Ministry vetoed it and suggested that the panel hold more studies on the GM crop.

What are Genetically Modified(GM ) Crops?

• They are that type of plants whose DNA has been modified through genetic engineering for embedding a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species.
• Genetic engineering aims to transcend the genus barrier by introducing an alien gene in the seeds to get the desired effects and the alien gene could be from a plant, an animal or even a soil bacterium.
• In India, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is the apex body that allows for the commercial release of GM crops.
  • In 2002, the GEAC had allowed the commercial release of Bt cotton.
• Use of the unapproved GM variant can attract a jail term of 5 years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh under the Environmental Protection Act,1989.

Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) Technology

• An autonomous regional satellite navigation system,also known as Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), is  developed by ISRO.
• It has been designed to provide accurate position information service to users in India as well as the region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary.
• It will provide two types of services:
  • Standard Positioning Service (SPS): provided to all the users.
  • Restricted Service (RS) : It is an encrypted service provided only to the authorised users.
• The IRNSS System is expected to provide a position accuracy of better than 20 m in the primary service area.
• Presently, it consists of 7 active satellites located at a distance of approximately 36,000 Km.
  • 3 satellites are in Geostationary Orbit (GEO).
  • 4 satellites are in inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO).

• India is an important manufacturer of vaccines for the world, the White House said, acknowledging the crucial role the country played in supplying vaccines against COVID-19 across the globe.
• “Because of its incredible manufacturing capacity, (India) has been a major exporter of vaccines,” Dr Ashish Jha, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, told reporters at a news conference here on Tuesday.
• Responding to a question, Dr. Jha said the QUAD partnership — a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. — on coronavirus was important to the Joe Biden administration.

• The auto industry appears divided over the impact of EV battery swapping on innovation.
• While battery swapping — where discharged vehicle batteries can be instantly exchanged for charged units — is expected to tackle hurdles such as high vehicle cost and long charging time, some experts said this could only be leveraged up to a certain limit and was not a complete solution to push electric vehicle (EV) adoption.

• Last month, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asked captains of industry what was holding them back from investing in manufacturing. She said that, “This is the time for India… We cannot miss the bus”.
• Private companies invest when they are able to estimate profits, and that comes from demand. CMIE’s consumer sentiment index is still below pre-pandemic levels but is far higher than what was seen 12-18 months ago.
• In the hope of revitalising private investment, the government had in September 2019 cut the tax rate for domestic companies from 30% to 22% if they stopped availing of any other tax SOP (standard operating procedure).

Q) Param Pravega, recently seen in news is a

1. Satellite Launch Vehicle
2. India’s first Quantum computer
3. Supercomputer
4. Radio telescope

परम प्रवेग, हाल ही में खबरों में देखा गया है

1. उपग्रह प्रक्षेपण यान
2. भारत का पहला क्वांटम कंप्यूटर
3. सुपर कंप्यूटर
4. रेडियो दूरबीन

• The Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) has installed and commissioned Param Pravega, one of the most powerful supercomputers in India, and the largest in an Indian academic institution, under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).
• It has been designed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).

Q) Consider the following statements.

1. All Government bills automatically go to Parliamentary committees for examination.
2. Any member of the Parliament can oppose the introduction of a bill by stating that it initiates legislation outside the legislative competence of the Parliament.

Which of the above statements is/are Incorrect?

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

निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें।

1. सभी सरकारी विधेयक स्वत: ही जांच के लिए संसदीय समितियों के पास जाते हैं।
2. संसद का कोई भी सदस्य किसी विधेयक को यह कहकर पेश करने का विरोध कर सकता है कि वह संसद की विधायी क्षमता के बाहर कानून शुरू करता है।

उपरोक्त में से कौन सा/से कथन गलत है/हैं?

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

• Any member of the Parliament can oppose the introduction of a bill by stating that it initiates legislation outside the legislative competence of the Parliament.
• The real opportunity for probing a bill’s constitutionality arises when a parliamentary committee is examining it.
• Government bills do not automatically go to committees for examination. Ministers get an option to refer their bill to a select committee.

Q) Which of the following committees were set up to look into Centre-state relations?

1. Sarkaria Commission
2. B.N Srikrishna Commission
3. Punchhi Commission

Select the correct answer code:

1. 3 only
2. 1, 3
3. 2, 3
4. 1, 2, 3

केंद्र-राज्य संबंधों को देखने के लिए निम्नलिखित में से कौन सी समिति का गठन किया गया था?

1. सरकारिया आयोग
2. बीएन श्रीकृष्ण आयोग
3. पुंछी आयोग

सही उत्तर कोड चुनें:

1. केवल 3
2. 1, 3
3. 2, 3
4. 1, 2, 3

• The Sarkaria Commission, set up in 1983 to look into Centre-state relations, proposed that the Vice President of India and Speaker of Lok Sabha should be consulted by the Prime Minister in the selection of Governors.
• The Justice Madan Mohan Punchhi Committee, constituted in 2007 on Centre-state relations, proposed in its report submitted in March 2010 that a committee comprising the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Vice President, Speaker, and the concerned Chief Minister should choose the Governor.
• N Srikrishna Commission was constituted to study and identify key data protection issues and recommend methods to address them. He is currently the chairman of the Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC).

Q) Consider the following statements.

1. The official language committee is a statutory committee, whose duty is to review the progress made in the use of Hindi for the official purposes of the Union and submit a report to the President.
2. The official languages Act, 1963 provides for the continuance of English indefinitely as official language along with Hindi for the official purposes of the Union and for transaction of business in Parliament.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

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

निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें।

1. राजभाषा समिति एक सांविधिक समिति है, जिसका कर्तव्य संघ के शासकीय प्रयोजनों के लिए हिन्दी के प्रयोग में हुई प्रगति की समीक्षा करना और राष्ट्रपति को एक रिपोर्ट प्रस्तुत करना है।
2. राजभाषा अधिनियम, 1963 संघ के आधिकारिक उद्देश्यों के लिए और संसद में कामकाज के संचालन के लिए हिंदी के साथ-साथ अंग्रेजी को अनिश्चित काल तक राजभाषा के रूप में जारी रखने का प्रावधान करता है।

उपरोक्त में से कौन सा/से कथन सही है/हैं?

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

• The official language committee is a statutory committee constituted under Section 4 in the Official Language Act, 1963. Its duty is to review the progress made in the use of Hindi for the official purposes of the Union and submit a report to the President. The Act makes it obligatory for the President to issue directions “in accordance with the whole or any part of the report” (Section 4(4)). It can thus be seen that the committee’s recommendations are required to be acted upon.
• The Committee is chaired by the Union Home Minister.
• Article 343 of the Constitution declares that Hindi in Devanagari script shall be the official language of the Union.
• Parliament enacted the official languages Act in 1963, providing for the continuance of English indefinitely as official language along with Hindi for the official purposes of the Union and for transaction of business in Parliament.

Q) The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is released by

1. World Bank
2. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
3. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
4. World Economic Forum

वैश्विक बहुआयामी गरीबी सूचकांक (MPI) किसके द्वारा जारी किया जाता है?

1. विश्व बैंक
2. खाद्य और कृषि संगठन (FAO)
3. संयुक्त राष्ट्र विकास कार्यक्रम (यूएनडीपी)
4. विश्व आर्थिक मंच

• As many as 41.5 crore people exited poverty in India during the 15-year period between 2005-06 and 2019-21, out of which two-thirds exited in the first 10 years, and one-third in the next five years, according to the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
• The report is produced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

Mains Practice Question:

Q) Discuss the significance of electoral literacy for a stronger democracy. (150 words)

एक मजबूत लोकतंत्र के लिए चुनावी साक्षरता के महत्व पर चर्चा करें। (150 शब्द)

Introduction: 

• Voter literacy means providing citizens of a democracy with basic information about participating in elections. Voter education is often provided by the state itself, often through a national electoral commission, so it is therefore important that it is politically non-partisan.
• Government departments that focus on voter education are often highly scrutinized by a third party. In addition, there are various private institutions whose mission it is to strengthen Q) Body:
• In view of the upcoming elections voter literacy clubs are to be set up in various schools, colleges, Government departments, voluntary organisations and corporate institutions.
• The clubs are to be set up under Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation program (SVEEP) with an aim to sensitize voters through various activities and ensuring their participation in the elections.
• It will also work towards informing the future voters about the procedures related to the voting process.  The purpose of the literacy clubs is to give information about the voting process to the target population.
• The members of this club will be future voters aged between 14 to 17 years, first time voters- 18 to 19 years and senior citizens. The election schools will be organised at regular intervals.
• The Election Commission of India has directed the formation of a voter literacy club in all schools and colleges.
• Through these clubs students will be educated about their franchise, voter registration, election process and related subjects through various activities.  It will also facilitate their participation in the election process. Classroom based activities will be organised for the members.

Conclusion:

• Election management body and other related agencies of a country are responsible for nurturing a democratic nation with a politically literate and empowered citizenry that cherishes democratic values and promotes good governance. A country’s administration should be governed not by the bullet but by the ballot.

Mains Practice Question:

Q) Do you think ‘Anti-defection law’ succeeded in meeting its intended objectives? Explain. (150 words)

क्या आपको लगता है कि ‘दलबदल विरोधी कानून’ अपने इच्छित उद्देश्यों को पूरा करने में सफल रहा है? समझाना। (150 शब्द)

The Hindu Newspaper Analysis 28 October 2022

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