The Hindu Newspaper Analysis 5 January 2023

The Hindu Newspaper Analysis for UPSC

The Hindu Newspaper Analysis 4 January 2023

The Hindu Editorial Today

• The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission with an initial outlay of ₹19,744 crore, in a move aimed at making the country a global hub to produce, utilise and export green hydrogen and its derivatives.
• The government expects that the initiative will help abate nearly 50 million tonnes (MT) of annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and cumulatively reduce fossil fuel imports estimated at over ₹1 lakh crore.
• Hydrogen is sought after as a fuel because its combustion releases only steam. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is to formulate the scheme guidelines for implementation of the respective components.

• KALASA-BANDURI NALA PROJECT:
• Aim: The project aims to construct 11 dams on the tributaries of river Mahadayi to divert water from Kalasa and Banduri nalas.
• The final objective is to divert water from the Mahadayi River to the Malaprabha River in Karnataka.
• Significance: Once completed, it will improve the drinking water supply to the Belagavi, Dharwad, and Gadag districts of Karnataka.

About Mahadayi/Mandovi River

• Origin: It originates from a cluster of 30 springs at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats in the Belagavi district of Karnataka.
• Path: It is a west flowing river and has a catchment area in Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra respectively.
• Important tributaries: Sarang, Mahainada, Udel, Lohi, Velvota Bicholim, Mapuce, Nanoda and Khandepar.
• Important waterfalls: Dudhsagar Falls and Varapoha Falls.

Significance:

• o Mandovi River is described as the lifeline of the Indian state of Goa.
• o Mandovi joins with the Zuari River at a common creek at Cabo Aguada in Goa, forming the Mormugao harbour

• A bird survey conducted at the Silent Valley National Park in Kerala in the last week of December identified 141 species, of which 17 were new. So far, 175 species of birds have been spotted in Silent Valley.
• Brown wood owl, Banded bay cuckoo, Malabar woodshrike, White-throated kingfisher, Indian nightjar, Jungle nightjar, and Large cuckooshrike were among the 17 species newly identified in the Silent Valley. As many as 139 birds had been identified in a survey held in 2006, and the number of species went up to 142 in the last survey held in 2014.

• In December 1992, Parliament passed the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments, which instituted panchayats and municipalities, respectively. These amendments mandated that State governments constitute panchayats (at the village, block and district levels) and municipalities (in the form of municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats) in every region.
• But despite these reforms, municipal governments are often seen to be ineffective in addressing even the most basic needs of citizens, such as reliable water supply and walkable footpaths. Urban residents tend to blame “corrupt” local politicians for these civic woes.
• Local self-governance is linked to the idea of subsidiarity and is typically grounded on two broad arguments. First, it provides for efficient provision of public goods since governments with smaller jurisdictions can provide services as per the preferences of their residents. Second, it promotes deeper democracy since governments that are closer to the people allow citizens to engage with public affairs more easily.
• Limitations include the discretion given to the States regarding devolution of powers and levying of local taxes. State governments are reluctant to implement the 74th amendment as cities are economic powerhouses and controlling urban land is important for financing State governments and political parties.
• Hence, debates on federalism should include larger discussions on how power should be divided and shared between governments at the Union, State, and local level since local governments are, normatively and structurally, an integral part of the federal framework of the Constitution.

• Recent macro-economic data, including the official Index of Eight Core Industries for November and S&P Global’s survey-based Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the manufacturing and services sectors for December, offer mixed signals on the underlying momentum in the economy.
• The government’s provisional data show that output across the core industries, spanning coal to electricity, grew by an average 5.4% year-on-year in November. Double-digit expansions in cement, coal, electricity and steel led the index higher.
• Separately, the more up-to-date December PMI data show that manufacturing momentum strengthened appreciably as businesses reported the fastest rise in new orders since February 2021.
• The PMI survey shows that overall output charge inflation across the private sector has intensified, with manufacturers reporting inflation in selling prices outpacing gains in input costs for the first time in almost two-and-a-half years. Policymakers can ill-afford to drop their guard on inflation at this stage.

Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)

• PMI is an indicator of business activity — both in the manufacturing and services sectors.
• It is a survey-based measure that asks the respondents about changes in their perception of some key business variables from the month before.
• It is calculated separately for the manufacturing and services sectors and then a composite index is constructed.
• The PMI is compiled by IHS Markit based on responses to questionnaires sent to purchasing managers in a panel of around 400 manufacturers.

• The Union government’s proposed measures for regulating online gaming in a draft amendment to the Information Technology (Intermediary Liability and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 leave several questions unanswered. Some of these proposed measures, such as the establishment of a self-regulatory body, collection of know-your-customer (KYC) information from players, and appointment of a grievance officer within the company, are already in place.
• The Centre’s draft remains ambiguous on the question of whether States can have additional restrictions.
• So far, the industry has staved off several bans by mounting legal challenges arguing that they offer games of skill and not those purely dependent on chance — a tenuous distinction for real money gaming.
• While the gaming industry has huge potential as an economic driver of growth in India, there is strong case for robust regulation. Of skill or of chance, all online games impact individuals and society, in the short and the long term.
• Societies around the world have grappled with the effects of video games on young players, and the addictive cycles that some gamers can get stuck in; China, for instance, has limited the number of hours that young gamers are allowed to play daily, after which they are locked out for the day.
• Care and restraint must be exercised when pondering similar steps in India, lest the government introduces uncertainty for both small domestic game developers and large international studios with Indian audiences.

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved the “Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND)” scheme with an outlay of ₹2,539.61 crore up to 2025-26, paving the way for upgrade and expansion of the public service broadcasting infrastructure across the country.
• As a result, FM broadcasting of All India Radio (AIR) is expected to cover over 80% of the country’s population, while eight lakh Doordarshan Free Dish DTH set-top boxes will be distributed to people living in remote, tribal and border areas, aspirational districts and zones affected by Left Wing Extremism.
• “Prasar Bharati, as the public broadcaster of the country, is the most important vehicle of information, education, entertainment and engagement for the people especially in the remote areas of the country through Doordarshan and All India Radio… the BIND scheme will enable the public broadcaster to undertake a major upgrade of its facilities with better infrastructure which will widen its reach… and provide high quality content to the viewers,” said a government statement.

What is Prasar Bharti?

• Prasar Bharati is a statutory autonomous body. It is the Public Service Broadcaster of the country.
• It was established under the Prasar Bharati Act in 1997.
• The Prasar Bharati Corporation’s main objective is to provide autonomy to Doordarshan and Akashvani in order to “educate and entertain the public.

Q) In the Indian Parliamentary model of Government :

1. The Centre controls the States and Union territories
2. The Judiciary controls the Executive
3. The Executive is responsible to the Legislature
4. The Legislature controls the Judiciary

सरकार के भारतीय संसदीय मॉडल में:

1. केंद्र राज्यों और केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों को नियंत्रित करता है
2. न्यायपालिका कार्यपालिका को नियंत्रित करती है
3. कार्यपालिका विधानमंडल के प्रति उत्तरदायी होती है
4. विधायिका न्यायपालिका को नियंत्रित करती है

Explanation

• The Constitution of India provides for a parliamentary form of government, both at the Centre and in the states.
• The parliamentary system of government is the one in which the executive is responsible to the legislature for its policies and acts.

Q) With reference to Rights given under article 19 of Indian constitution, consider the following statements:

1. Freedom of press is derived from this article.
2. Right to form trade union confers a fundamental right to strike.
3. Members of the Armed forces can’t form unions.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Only1 and 3
2. Only2 and 3
3. Only3
4. All of the above

भारतीय संविधान के अनुच्छेद 19 के तहत दिए गए अधिकारों के संदर्भ में, निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें:

1. प्रेस की स्वतंत्रता इस लेख से ली गई है।
2. ट्रेड यूनियन बनाने का अधिकार हड़ताल करने का मौलिक अधिकार प्रदान करता है।
3. सशस्त्र बलों के सदस्य संघ नहीं बना सकते।

ऊपर दिए गए कथनों में से कौन सा/से सही है/हैं?

1. केवल 1 और 3
2. केवल 2 और 3
3. केवल 3
4. उपरोक्त सभी

Explanation

• Freedom of press is derived from this article 19 (1) .
• Right to form trade union comes under Article 19 but it does not confer a fundamental right to strike.
• Members of the Armed forces , Para military forces and Police force can’t form unions.

Q) With reference to Centre-State relations in India, Consider the following statements:

1. In the concurrent matters, in case of repugnancy between Union and a State law relating to the same subject, the former prevails even if the State law reserved it for  the assent of the President and has received such assent.
2. In the USA Constitution also, the residuary powers lie with centre.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

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

भारत में केंद्र-राज्य संबंधों के संदर्भ में निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें:

1. समवर्ती मामलों में, संघ और उसी से संबंधित राज्य कानून के बीच प्रतिकूलता के मामले में विषय, पूर्व प्रबल होता है भले ही राज्य के कानून ने इसे राष्ट्रपति की सहमति के लिए आरक्षित किया हो और इस तरह की सहमति प्राप्त की हो।
2. संयुक्त राज्य अमरीका के संविधान में भी अवशिष्ट शक्तियाँ केंद्र के पास 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

Explanation:

• In case of a conflict between the Central law and the state law on a subject enumerated in the Concurrent List, the central law prevails over the state law.
• But there is an exception. If the state law has been reserved for the consideration of the president and has received his assent, then the state law prevails in that state.
• But it would still be competent for the Parliament to override such a law by subsequently making a law on the same matter.
• In US, only the powers of the Federal Government are enumerated in the Constitution and the residuary powers are left to the states.

Q) Consider the following statement

1. Diabetes is a Communicable Disease .
2. It occurs when the pancreas produce excess insulin.

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 कथन पर विचार करें

1. मधुमेह एक संचारी रोग है।
2. यह तब होता है जब अग्न्याशय अतिरिक्त इंसुलिन का उत्पादन करता है।

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: Diabetes is a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar, or glucose), or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin, it produces.
• Types of Diabetes:
  • Type 1 Diabetes:
    • It is also known as juvenile diabetes (as it mostly affects children of age 14-16 years), this type occurs when the body fails to produce sufficient insulin.
    • It is predominantly diagnosed in children and adolescents. Although the prevalence is less, it is much more severe than type 2.
  • Type 2 Diabetes:
    • It affects the way the body uses insulin. While the body still makes insulin.
    • Type 2 diabetes can occur at any age, even during childhood. However, this type of diabetes occurs most often in middle-aged and older people.

Q) Consider the following statement regarding United Nations Security Council :

1. The Security Council was established by the UN Charter in 1995.
2. The council is headquartered at NewYork.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

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

संयुक्त राष्ट्र सुरक्षा परिषद के संबंध में निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार करें:

1. सुरक्षा परिषद की स्थापना 1995 में संयुक्त राष्ट्र चार्टर द्वारा की गई थी।
2. परिषद का मुख्यालय न्यूयॉर्क में है।

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

• The Security Council was established by the UN Charter in 1945. It is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.
  • The other 5 organs of the United Nations are—the General Assembly (UNGA), the Trusteeship Council, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.
• Its primary responsibility is to work to maintain international peace and security.
• The council is headquartered at NewYork.

• Members:
  • The council has 15 members: the five permanent members and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
    • The five permanent members are the United States, the Russian Federation, France, China and the United Kingdom.
    • India, for the eighth time, has entered the UNSC as a non-permanent member last year (2021) and will stay on the council for two years i.e 2021-22.
  • Each year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members (out of ten in total) for a two-year term. The ten non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis.
  • The council’s presidency is a capacity that rotates every month among its 15 members.

Mains Practice Question:

Q) It is often said that constitution is a living document. What do you understand by it ? (150 words)

प्राय: कहा जाता है कि संविधान एक जीवित दस्तावेज है। इससे आप क्या समझते हैं ? (150 शब्द)

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