UPSC News Diary For Today 10 June, 2022

”UPSC News Diary For Today” is every day published in the evening between 6-7 PM and contains all current affairs articles from the day on a single platform. ”UPSC News Diary For Today” covers various topics from UPSC Syllabus and is very helpful and time managing for UPSC Aspirants. The framing of this daily current affairs compilation article is easy to read and understandable also.

In the ”UPSC News Diary For Today” article, we focus on both UPSC Preliminary and Mains exam-oriented current affairs & prepare a gist of daily important news articles from leading National Newspapers, PIB, and other various official sources.

Environment Performance Index (EPI) 2022

EPI 2022 UPSC: Relevance

• GS 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

EPI 2022 report: Context

• Recently, World Economic Forum has released the Environment Performance Index (EPI) 2022 where India was ranked at the bottom out of the 180 countries.

Environmental Performance Index 2022: Key points

• According to the report, India is among those countries in the world that have the worst environmental health.
• India scored poorly on various measures such as control of corruption, rule of law, and government effectiveness.
• The deterioration is huge as in the EPI-2020, India was ranked 168th out of 180 countries.
• Denmark was ranked first in the sustainability and environmental health categories this time.

EPI 2022 India: Concerns raised by India

• A new indicator in the Climate Policy objective is Projected GHG Emissions levels in 2050. This is computed based on average rate of change in emission of the last 10 years instead of modelling that takes into account a longer time period, extent of renewable energy capacity and use, additional carbon sinks, energy efficiency etc. of respective countries.
• Both forests and wetlands of the country are crucial carbon sinks which have not been factored in while computing the projected GHG emissions trajectory upto 2050 given by EPI 2022.
• Historical data on the lowest emission trajectory has been ignored in the above computation.
• The weight of indictors in which the country was performing well has been reduced and reasons for change in assignment of weights has not been explained in the report.
• The principle of equity is given very low weightage in the form of the indicators like GHG emission per capita and GHG Emission intensity trend. The CBDR-RC principle is also barely reflected in the composition of the index.
• India has already achieved the target of 40% of installed electricity capacity from non- fossil fuel-based sources.
• The indicators on Water quality, Water use efficiency, Waste Generation per capita which are closely linked to Sustainable Consumption and Production are not included in the Index.
• The Index emphasizes the extent of Protected Areas rather than the quality of protection that they afford. Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Protected areas and eco-sensitive regions is not factored into the computation of Biodiversity Indices.
• The index computes extent of ecosystems but not their condition or productivity. Efforts must be made to include metrics that truly capture ecosystem productivity such that regulatory, provisioning as well as cultural services provided by various ecosystems like forests, wetlands, croplands are assessed and reflected in performance.
• Indicators like Agro biodiversity, soil health, food loss and waste are not included even though they are important for developing countries with large agrarian populations.

CiSS Application and Baal Swaraj Portal

Relevance for UPSC Exam

CiSS Application and Baal Swaraj Portal: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes under UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 covers the welfare of children and their protection.

CiSS Application and Baal Swaraj Portal in News

• Recently, the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has launched a “CiSS application” under the Baal Swaraj portal.

What is CiSS portal?

• About: CiSS Portal of NCPCR is expected to help in the rehabilitation process of Children in Street Situations (CiSS).
  • The CiSS initiative is taken under the direction of the Supreme Court of India.
• Categorization of CiSS Children: The SOP for Care and Protection of Children in Street Situations 2.0 categorizes any child under ‘Children in Street Situation’ if the child is living on the streets alone, living on the streets during the day, or living on the streets with the family.
  • The root cause of this phenomenon is the migration of families from rural to urban areas in search of a better standard of living.
• Key Functions: The CiSS application is used for receiving data of children in street situations from all the states and union territories, tracking their rescue and rehabilitation process.

PM CARES for Children- Scholarship for PM CARES Children

Significance

• The program embodies Article 51 (A) of the Constitution of India, as it provides a platform to the public and organizations catering to the welfare of the children to report any child in need of assistance.
  • The CiSS platform serves to collect data and report to the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) for them to take necessary action.
• It also provides a platform for professionals and organizations to provide any help that they can to children in need.
  • Help can be provided in the form of open shelters, counselling services, medical services, sponsorships, identification of hotspot, identification of CiSS, or any other assistance.
• The organizations and institutions that can utilize the platform are the Non-Government Organization, Civil Society Organization, higher educational or technical institutions, Foundation, Society, or a Trust.

Key Points about Baal Swaraj Portal

• About: Baal Swaraj is a portal launched by NCPCR for online tracking and digital real-time monitoring mechanism of children in need of care and protection.
• Key Functions: The portal has two functions- COVID care and CiSS.
  • COVID Care link caters to the children who have lost either or both parents due to COVID-19 or otherwise post March 2020.
• Steps followed for Rehabilitation of Children: Baal Swaraj Portal follows following six steps for the rehabilitation of Children.
  • First stage: collection of the child’s details, which is accomplished through the portal.
  • Second stage: Social Investigating Report (SIR) i.e. investigating the child’s background. This is done under the supervision of the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) by the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) by conversing and counselling the child.
  • Third stage: formulating an Individual Care Plan (ICP) for the child.
  • Fourth stage: the order of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) based on the SIR submitted to the CWC.
  • Fifth stage: allocating the schemes and benefits that the beneficiary can avail of.
  • Sixth stage: a checklist is made for the evaluation of the progress i.e. (Follow Ups).

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015

Rajya Sabha MPs’ Election

Relevance for UPSC Exam

Rajya Sabha MPs’ Election: Election of Rajya Sabha MPs are in news due to ongoing elections for Rajya Sabha MPs. Election of the Members of Parliament is part of Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these under UPSC Mains GS Paper 2.

Rajya Sabha MPs’ Election in news

• On June 10, the Legislative Assemblies of 4 states will elect 16 MPs to Rajya Sabha. Many parties park their legislators away in resorts in order to keep them safe from poaching by rival parties.
• This shows the importance of Rajya Sabha and thereby election of MPs to Rajya Sabha.

Importance of Rajya Sabha Elections

• Legislative Power: Both ruling and opposition parties try to maximize their numbers in Rajya Sabha as every bill except money bills, is required to be passed by the Rajya Sabha as well in order to become a law.
• Money bill: Rajya Sabha has a limited role in the case of Money Bills. It cannot amend a Money Bill, but can recommend amendments within a stipulated time, and Lok Sabha may either accept or reject all or any of these.

List of Lok Sabha Seats (State/UT) wise in India 2020

Special Powers of Rajya Sabha

• If it passes a resolution, saying that it is “necessary or expedient in the national interest” that Parliament should make a law on a matter enumerated in the State List, Parliament becomes empowered to make a law on the subject.
  • Such resolution must be passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds of members present and voting.
  • Such a resolution remains in force for a maximum of one year but this period can be extended by one year at a time by passing a similar resolution.
• Similarly, Rajya Sabha can also pass resolution for creation of one or more All India Services common to the Union and the states.
  • Parliament becomes empowered to create such services.
  • Such resolution must be passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds of members present and voting.

Rajya Sabha Elections

• About Rajya Sabha: Rajya Sabha is a permanent House and cannot be dissolved. Out of the 245 members-
  • 12 are nominated by the President
    • Under Article 80(3), the 12 nominated members should have special knowledge or practical experience in matters like literature, science, art etc.
    • A nominated member may join a party within six months of taking a seat.
  • 233 are representatives of the States and Union territories of Delhi and Puducherry.
• Rajya Sabha Strength: Rajya Sabha, or the Council of States, has 245 seats.
  • Leave aside reaching the halfway mark of 123, no ruling party has ever touched the 100 mark in the last three-and-a-half decades.
• Rajya Sabha Election Frequency: To ensure continuity, one-third of its members retire after every second year, under Article 83(1) of the Constitution, and “biennial elections” are held to fill these vacancies.
• Rajya Sabha MP Tenure: The term of a member Rajya Sabha is six years.
  • Vacancies arising due to resignation, death or disqualification are filled up through bypolls, and those elected serve out the remainder of their predecessors’ term.

List of Vice-Presidents of India

”UPSC Prelims Bits For Today”

Ad hoc Committees

• Ad hoc Committees are those Committees which may be constituted by the House or by the Chairman or by the Presiding Officers of both Houses jointly to consider and report on specific matters.
• Such Committees become functus officio as soon as they complete their work. These Committees may be divided into two categories:
  I Select/Joint Committees on Bills constituted by the House(s) on specific motion to consider and report on Bills; and
  II Committees which are constituted from time to time to enquire into and report on specific subjects.

Standing Committees

• Standing Committees are permanent Committees whose members are either elected by the House or nominated by the Chairman every year or from time to time.
• These are:
  • Business Advisory Committee, General Purposes Committee, Committee on Government assurances, House Committee, Committee on Petitions, Committee on Subordinate Legislation, Committee on Papers Laid on the Table, Committee of Privileges, Committee on Rules, Committee on Ethics, Committee on Provision of Computers to Members of Rajya Sabha, Committee on Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme and the Department-related Standing Committees.

Types Of Bill

• The Bills initiated by Ministers are called Government Bills and those introduced by Members who are not Ministers, are known as Private Members’ Bills.
• Depending on their contents, Bills may further be classified broadly into
  I original Bills which embody new proposals,
  II amending Bills which seek to amend existing Acts,
  III consolidating Bills which seek to consolidate existing law on a particular subject,
  IV Expiring Laws (Continuance) Bills which, otherwise, would expire on a specified date,
  V repealing Bills,
  VI Bills to replace Ordinances,
  VII Money and financial Bills and
  VIII Constitution Amendment Bills

Passage Of a Bill

• A Bill while being considered has to undergo three stages in each House of Parliament.
• The first stage is the Introduction, which is done on a motion moved by either a Minister or a Member.
• During the second stage any of the following motions can be moved: that the Bill be taken into consideration; or that it be referred to a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha; or that it be referred to a Joint Committee of the two Houses; or that it be circulated for the purpose of eliciting opinion thereon.
• Thereafter, the Bill is taken up for the clause-by-clause consideration as introduced or as reported by the Select/Joint Committee.
• The third stage is confined to the discussion on the motion that the Bill be passed and the Bill is passed/rejected either by voting or voice vote (or returned to Lok Sabha, in the case of a Money Bill).

BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting 2022

Relevance for UPSC Exam

BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting 2022: Union Agriculture Minister participated in the 12^th BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting. BRICS meetings will come under Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests of UPSC Mains GS Paper 2.

12^th BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting in News

• Recently, The Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare participated in the 12^thBRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting.
• BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting 2020 was held virtually.
• BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting was attended by the Ministers for Agriculture of China, South Africa, Brazil, Russia and India.

BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting

• About: BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting is organized by member countries to discuss various agricultural related issues.
  • First BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting was held in 2010, Moscow Russia.
• 12^th BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting Theme: Twelfth Meeting of BRICS agricultural Ministers is organized with the theme “Strengthening BRICS Cooperation for Coordinated Agricultural and Rural Development”.
• Joint Declaration: In the 12^th BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting, leaders adopted a joint declaration and also the BRICS Strategy on Food Security Cooperation amongst BRICS member countries.

7th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting

India at 12th BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting

• Development of Agriculture and Welfare of Farmers: India highlighted various steps and initiatives undertaken by the Government of India in the field of agriculture and for welfare of the farmers viz.
  • PM KISAN,
  • PM FASAL BIMA YOJANA,
  • Soil Health Cards,
  • Natural Farming,
  • formation and promotion of FPOs etc.
• Technology in Agriculture: India have taken many initiatives for increasing the use of digital technologies in agriculture like Agri-stack and India Digital Ecosystem for Agriculture (IDEA).
• Fulfilling SDG Mandate: India is committed to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of ending hunger and step up production and productivity of agriculture through sustainable use of natural resources.
• Focus on Nutritional Security: India’s National Mission on Food & Nutrition focuses on development of nutri-cereals and bio-fortified varieties of crops.
  • Millets are important in food and nutrition security and climate resilience.
• International Year of Millets, 2023: India also called for support and celebration of International Year of Millets, 2023 by the BRICS nations.

8th BRICS Environment Ministers Meeting

About BRICS Grouping 

• BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
• Background: In 2001, Goldman Sachs’ Jim O’Neill authored a paper called “Building Better Global Economic BRICs”, pointing out that future GDP growth in the world would come from China, India, Russia, and Brazil.
  • Though the paper did not recommend any formal grouping, it said that BRIC economies combined would outstrip the western dominated world order before 2039.
• BRICS Formation: In 2006, leaders of the BRIC countries met on the margins of a G-8 (now called G-7) summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, and BRIC was formalized that year.
  • Shortly afterward, in September 2006, the group was formalized as BRIC during the 1st BRIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which met on the sidelines of the General Debate of the UN Assembly in New York City.
  • First formal summit: took place in 2009 in the Russian Federation and focused on issues such as reform of the global financial architecture.
  • South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS.
  • South Africa subsequently attended the Third BRICS Summit in Sanya, China, in 2011.
• BRICS Headquarters: BRICS doesn’t have any headquarter rather all the countries of BRICS have offices dedicated to BRICS in their own nation.
• BRICS Structure: BRICS does not exist in the form of organization, but it is an annual summit between the supreme leaders of five nations.
• BRICS Presidency: The Chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.
  • India had the BRICS Presidency from January 2021.
  • Currently, China has the BRICS Presidency.

13th BRICS Summit 2021

India-Iran Relations

Relevance for UPSC Exam

• GS Paper 2: International Relations- Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

India-Iran Relations in news

• Recently, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian visited India for the first time. Visit o Iranian Foreign Minister has many implications for bilateral relations.

Background of Iranian Foreign Minister’s Visit

• Islamic Countries including took a strict stance against the offensive comments made in India on the Prophet.
• The Iranian visit comes a week after that of Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz.
• Iranian Visit coincides with the meeting of the Board of Governors of the IAEA in Vienna, which has passed strictures against Iran for its nuclear programme.
• Ongoing Russia Ukraine War and western sanctions led to oil export embargo on Russia, providing an opening Iranian oil to get International Markets like India.

Talks Re Opened on Iran Nuclear Deal

Significance of Iranian Minister’s Visit

• For India: This is the first visit by a member of the 57-member Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, which took offence to comments made in India on the Prophet.
  • His visit provides with an opportunity for New Delhi to project that it has successfully assuaged the Islamic world with the actions of the ruling BJP against its spokespersons.
  • India and Iran have discussed further operationalising the Chabahar port, where goods to Afghanistan were sent before the government in Kabul fell last year.
• For Iran: the visit would be portrayed as a show of support from a powerful country in the backdrop of recent IAEA Meeting in Vienna.
  • Against the backdrop of the Russian war in Ukraine, and western sanctions, Iran has also been keen to convince New Delhi to restore its crude oil purchases.
  • India cancelled oil purchase from Iran in 2019, after threats of U.S. sanctions.
  • India called for the U.S. and Europe to allow Iranian and Venezuelan oil back into the international market if they want India to lower Russian oil imports, accusing the West of “squeezing” all alternative sources for India.
• On Afghanistan: In addition, Iran and India discussed the situation in Afghanistan under the Taliban, just days after an Indian envoy made the first outreach to Kabul.

India-Iran Relations- Associated Concerns

• Unmet promises: Instead of increasing Indian oil imports, investments in developing reserves, building up the Chabahar rail project and scaling up trade, India has drastically cut its Iranian engagement due to sanctions.
  • On the other hand, Iran has looked to China for more infrastructure investment.
• Unrealized trade potential: Bilateral trade dropped to just over $2 billion (2020-21) from $17 billion (2017-18).
• Diplomatic Challenges: India-Iran Bilateral ties appeared to have been hit by-
  • New Delhi’s surprise decision to join the Israel-India-UAE-U.S. group, portrayed as an “anti-Iran” coalition.
  • Perceptions of Iranian support to Yemeni Houthis behind the drone attack on a UAE oil facility where an Indian was among those killed.

India-Iran Relations- Conclusion

• Abdullohaian’s visit, and a possible visit by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, may be the start of a reset of traditionally strong ties even if it is one that is buffeted by developments in other parts of the world.

UN Human Rights Council Resolution on Russia Ukraine War

Ban on Coal in Delhi

Relevance

• GS 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Coal ban in Delhi: Context

• Recently, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) ordered that use of coal as a fuel will be banned across the National Capital Region (NCR) with effect from January 1, 2023.

Coal ban in NCR: Key points

• For regions where infrastructure for and supply of piped natural gas (PNG) is already available, the ban on the use of coal will come into force from October 1, 2022
• However, the use of low-sulphur coal in thermal power plants has been exempted from the ban.
• In February 2022, CAQM had noted that a majority of industries in the NCR were still not operating on PNG or “cleaner fuels”, despite availability of natural gas infrastructure and supply.
• Such industries in the NCR were then directed to completely switch over to PNG or biomass fuels by September 30 this year, or face closure.
• On December 7 last year, the CAQM had ordered the closure of those industries which had failed to switch to use of PNG despite supply being available, till December 12.
• With air quality having deteriorated last winter, the commission had also restricted the timing of operation of industries not running on PNG to eight hours a day for five days a week.

Coal ban in Delhi NCR: Why needed?

• Delhi is among the world’s most polluted capital cities.
• The capital and its adjoining cities-Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad have mostly observed a daily AQI at around the 300-400 level mark, which as per the pollution index is considered to be the most toxic air.
• The environmental experts have listed various reasons behind the polluted air in Delhi-NCR of which burning of coal is one of them.
• Around 1.7 million tonnes of coal is used annually in industries in the NCR.
• The commission has issued multiple directions to the state governments in the NCR asking industries to switch to PNG.

Steps taken to reduce pollution in Delhi

• Shutting plants: In November 2021, the Delhi government had shut five coal-fired plants in order to combat air pollution.
• Banned trucks: CAQM had also banned trucks carrying non-essential goods and stopped construction in Delhi and its neighbouring cities.
• Smog guns: At all major construction sites, anti-smog guns have been installed for controlling pollution.
• Red Light on, Gaadi off campaign: It is a campaign where volunteers would be holding placards at the traffic lights to request the commuters to switch off their car engines when the signal is red.
• PUSA decomposer: PUSA’s Indian Agricultural Research Institute have developed a cost-effective, efficient and simple way of dealing with the issue of straw and stubble burning. A solution has been created for spraying in fields for decomposing crop residue.
• Banning of diesel generators: Delhi, Haryana and UP governments have been directed by the Environment Pollution Authority to ban diesel generators in the NCR region.

Digital Disruptor

Introduction

The economic and financial landscape are being revolutionised by rapid breakthroughs in technology, which more often than not are disruptive with immense long-term potential to benefit society at large.

What is a Digital Disruptor?

• Digital disruptor describes the change that happens when new digital technologies, services, capabilities and governance models affect and change the value of the existing services.
• Generally, digital disruption happens after a digital innovation, such as big data, machine learning (ML), internet of things (IoT)
• It is often confused with the term disruptive technology.

Why do we need effective digital technology?

• Effectively governing digital technologies is an urgent necessity in a world interconnected by and reliant on information and communications technologies (ICT), for both economic and social exchange.
• Right now, the numerous failures of governance – in terms of cybersecurity, privacy, consumer protection, antitrust and other legal and regulatory measures – have significantly destabilized institutions around the world.
• Even more importantly, these erosions of institutional capacity and credibility threaten to destabilize the functioning of democracy itself.
• In order to save democracy from our own digital tools, we need to adopt a new model of governing digitally – public leaders must take a systemic approach to these problems and collaborate widely and effectively to meet these challenges.

Some of the Broad Domain Areas with respect to Technology

AI and Machine Learning

AI technologies provide a plethora of opportunities to complement human intelligence and combat socio-economic issues.

Quantum Computing

Applications in secure communication, disaster management through better prediction, computing, simulation, chemistry, healthcare, cryptography, imaging, etc.

Semiconductor Technology including Semiconductor Nanotechnology

Aim to give a major push to the hardware industry by eliminating boundaries between digital and physical world.

Smart Manufacturing

Use of Internet of things(IOT), Block chain, Big data analytics, AI and Robotics as a part of Industry 4.0, More commercial use of additive manufacturing i.e. 3D printing.

Smart Mobility

Use of IOT and AI/ML in new age transportation and logistics solutions, autonomous and remotely piloted vehicles, vehicles powered by renewables and clean fuels.

Advanced Communication Technology and its Security

Adoption of 5G, Cloud Computing, Optical Fibre, Tele Health, More Secure Cryptography Solution, Use of Homomorphic Encryption Technologies.

Space Technologies

Satellite-Based Quantum Communication, Quantum Radar, Self Eating Rocket, Self Vanishing Satellite, Self Healing Materials, Humanoid Robotics, Space-Based Solar Power, Make in Space Concept, AI Based Space Application.

Blockchain-Based Technologies

Decentralized Financing(DeFi), Sovereign Digital Currencies

Biotechnology

Synthetic DNA, Development Of Vaccines, 4D Printing and Tissue Engineering, Gene Editing, Gene Sequencing, Quantum Microscope, Biosensors, etc.

Agri-Food Technologies

Climate Resilient Farming, High Yielding Seed Variety, Resource conscious and frugal irrigation

Climate and Environment Conservation

Green and Sustainable Technologies, Renewable Energy such as Solar, Green Hydrogen, etc.

Conclusion

Digitalization in this age has to be the common link in all the sectors of any successful economy as well as in all the aspects of a progressive society.

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