Digital India

Digital India

What is Digital India Programme?

a) In 2015, the government launched a flagship programme ‘Digital India Programme’ to transform India to a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

b) The initiative is centered on three key vision areas,

1. Digital infrastructure as a core utility to every citizen

2. Governance and services on demand

3. Digital empowerment of citizens

c) The objective of this program is to connect the rural areas with high-speed Internet and to provide digital literacy.

d) Under this initiative, the technologies and connectivity’s merge is envisaged to revolutionize the governance and improve the quality of life of citizens.

Which are the other initiatives?

a) DigiGaon or Digital Village

1. Under the initiative, a village is conceptualized as a connected village where citizens can avail various e-services of the central government, state governments and private players.

2. These villages are projected to be change agents promoting rural entrepreneurship, building rural capacities, livelihoods through community participation and collective action.

3. The digital villages have been equipped with various facilities such as,

    i) Solar lighting facility in their community center

    ii) LED assembly unit

   iii) Sanitary napkin production unit

   iv) Active participation of ASHA and Anganwadi workers

   v) Wi-Fi Choupal

4. These digital villages have regular CSC services like banking, healthcare, education financial services and a host of other services.

b) Digital Lockers

1. This facility provides sharing or storing documents electronically.

2. The cloud storage service is now being used by millions of Indians.

c) Digital payments instruments

1. To enable digital payments, the government launched the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app.

2. As per data from the National payments Corporation of India, the app was used to facilitate transactions with a value of 1 trillion rupees till March 2018.

d) PM Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan

1. The initiative was launched to make citizens digitally literate.

2. It aims to reach around 40% rural households by covering one member from every eligible household by March-end this year.

e) Bharat Net Project

1. It was launched to strengthen digital infrastructure optic fiber connecting more than one lakh gram panchayats.

2. Many rural post office branches have been linked digitally.

f) Common Service Centres (CSC)

1. There's been a rapid expansion in the network of Common Service Centres in past few years.

2. These centres act as access points for delivery of various electronic services to villages in India.

How is this revolution impacting various sectors?

a) Governance

1. India has managed to break into the top hundreds of United Nation’ s e-government index in 2018.

2. Public services sector has been witnessing steady and efficient digital transformation across areas like e-governance and powering essential citizen services online.

3. The impact of the digital revolution has been inclusive empowering and transformative.

4. According to a report by Internet and mobile Association of India, internet data is becoming the tool for service delivery.

b) Economy

1. Indian economy is rapidly converting into a digital economy.

2. Digital economy of the country is expected to touch the 1 trillion-dollar mark by the year 2022.

3. India is expected to be a 10 trillion-dollar economy with half of this accounted for by the digital economy by 2030.

4. Apps like BHIM payment and platforms such as UPI integration are making it easier for people to transfer money.

5. The digital currency and payment movement took the country to another rearm of Financial Inclusion.

6. India's ecommerce market is said to grow three times by 2022.

7. The digital India initiative is not only creating empowerment but also generating employment opportunities and promoting entrepreneurship.

8. According to McKinsey Global Institute, Growth in India's Digital Index is tremendous putting it second in terms of growth among emerging digital economies.

c) Sectors of economy

1. Digital Revolution has brought about inclusive growth in the areas of manufacturing, electronic services and job opportunities.

2. Many sectors such as health care and education are benefitting from being linked to the rising digital economy.

3. The education sector in India is poised to witness major growth in the years to come.

4. India's Internet services sector is expected to double by 2022.

5. According to IBEF report, the total contribution by the travel and tourism sector to India's GDP is expected to increase almost double in next ten years.

6. Health care sector is fast catching up to meet the demands of its tech-savvy population.

7. Startups are playing a huge role in addressing areas such as preventive healthcare, analytics, emergency services and super aggregation platforms.

8. The Healthcare sector is poised to become one of the world's top three healthcare markets by 2020 with an estimated market value of 230 billion dollars.

d) Environment

1.  Next-generation technologies are helping in lowering the carbon footprint by reducing fuel consumption, waste management, greener workplaces.

2. These technologies are leading the countries to a greener ecosystem.

3. Cloud computing technology minimizes carbon emissions by improving mobility and flexibility.

Where the challenges lie ahead?

a) Reducing digital illiteracy is one of the biggest challenges. It is necessary that people know how to utilize the digital services.

b) Problems associated with connectivity.

      i) Slow rollout of Wi-Fi hotspots

      ii) Difficulty in adoption to modern technology

      iii) Lack of upgraded devices- Entry-level smartphones have limited capabilities.

      iv) Not enough skilled manpower in digital technologies

c) Lack of user education- Lacking in digital literacy leading to frauds.

d) Security of data

       i) Digital medium is still very unsafe and data vulnerability is a big issue especially in financial transactions.

        ii) India needs over 1 million trained cyber security professionals by 2025 to meet the demand.

e) India has a very low internet speed. In 2018, India was ranked 109th for the mobile internet speed and stood at 67th for fixed broadband speeds.

f) Lack of funds for creation of digital infrastructure.

Melting of Himalayan Glaciers

Melting of Himalayan Glaciers

An assessment titled “The Hindukush Himalayas Assessment mountains, climate change, sustainability and people” warns that the world's third pole is under severe threat from climate change.

What does the report say?

The report was prepared by the International Center for integrated Mountain development, a Nepal based intergovernmental organization.

1. The report states even the goals set out by the Paris agreement to limit global warming would lead to a 2.1 spike in temperature in the Hindu Kush region.

2. It will lead to melting a 1/3 of the region's glaciers by 2100, potentially destabilizing Asia’s rivers.

3. It also states that melting threatens water sources for millions of people even if current efforts to reduce climate change succeed.

4. The report claims less attention has been devoted to the region than to other areas considered more vulnerable to global warming.

Why is Hindukush important?

1. The Hindukush Himalayan region spans eight countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

2. It is referred to as the third Pole together with China's Tian Shan Mountains as it holds the most ice outside the North and South Poles.

3. It is also having some of world's tallest mountains including Mount Everest and K2.

4. Its glaciers are the source of water for the agriculture that feeds nearly two billion people.

5. These glaciers also feed into the river system including the Indus, Ganga, Yangtze, Irrawaddy, and Mekong.

How did it happen?

1. Temperatures are rising faster in the mountains than at the lower elevations, a phenomenon called “elevation-dependent warming”.

2. One theory state that when snow and ice melt, the heat reflecting properties of the white cover disappear.

3. The black rock below absorbs more heat and increases the melt.

4. This means that even if global warming is limited, the Hindukush Himalayan region will see a greater increase in temperature.

Where the impact of Climate Change can be seen?

1. Melting glaciers will increase river flows through to 2050 to 2060 pushing up the risk of high-altitude lakes bursting their banks and engulfing communities. But from 2060s rivers flows will go into decline.

2. The increasing number of devastating hurricanes is also being attributed to climate change.

3. Oceans have absorbed most of the extra heat and carbon dioxide more than the air making the seas both warmer and more acidic.

4. Warm and acidic waters are bleaching coral reefs, driving stronger storms and collapsing marine food chains.

5. Climate Change is a major threat to agriculture as it is vitally connected to the climate’s normal patterns.

6. Farms are more likely to face attacks from weeds, diseases, and pests which affect yield.

7. A warmer atmosphere increases the formation of ground-level ozone also known as smog in polluted regions.

8. Sea levels could rise, threatening coastal areas and islands, pushing wildlife to extinction.

9. Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger, floods and droughts, mega-disasters will become more common. (Megadisasters - 5000 dead or more.)

10. Lower flows in rivers will cut power from the hydro dams.

11. Rising global temperature also creates a negative intergenerational inequality.

Which are the measures taken to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change?

International community:

1. In 1992 the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was established to stop dangerous human interference with climate.

2. At the Paris climate conference, 195 countries adopted the first ever universal legally binding global climate deal.

3. The agreement set out a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

India’s measure:

1. International solar Alliance:

a) The initiative was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris at the end of 2015 by the President of France and PM of India.

b) It is an alliance of more than 121 countries most of them being sunshine countries

c) The primary objective is to work for efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

2. National Clean Air Program:

a) Under this, a long term and time-bound national level strategy were built up to tackle the increasing air pollution problems across India in a comprehensive manner.

b) First National Air Quality Index was also launched to monitor the quality of air in major urban centers across the country on a real-time basis.

3. Expansion of LPG connection among rural poor has cut down household air pollution and protect health, particularly of women.

4. “Say no to plastics” initiative of the government aims at reducing the use of single-use plastics.

5. Six waste management rules were notified by the Government, making waste management a priority issue.

6. To reduce emissions and car fuel imports the government is buying 10,000 battery-powered cars to replace petrol and diesel cars.

7. India has made huge progress towards implementing the 2030 sustainable development goal targets which integrate the economic, social and environmental dimensions of development.

8. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Namami Ganga Programme are also playing a major role in protecting the environment.

When can these effects be overcome?

1. Greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced, or else the world will continue to witness an upward trend in global average temperatures.

2. A bigger push to make diesel, petrol, and coal as negative sources of energy will reduce emissions.

3. Climate change adaptation and mitigation has to go hand in hand.

Swine Flu

Swine Flu

A swine flu outbreak has been reported from more than a dozen states in the country, with Rajasthan being the worst affected.

When was Swine Flu first detected?

1. Also known as H1N1, the virus was first detected in April 2009 in a ten-year-old girl in California, USA.

2. In June 2009 it was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization.

3. India reported its first death due to H1N1 infection in August the same year.

4. Since then nearly six lakh people have died worldwide from swine flu.

Who are at high risk?

Certain groups are at particularly high risk of contracting swine flu. These include:

a) Pregnant women and young children especially those under two years of age

b) People with asthma, people with COPD or other chronic lung conditions

c) People with cardiovascular conditions (except high blood pressure).

d) People with liver and kidney problems.

e) People with blood disorders, neurologic disorders, neuromuscular disorders, metabolic disorders including diabetes.

f) People with immune suppression including HIV infection and medications that suppress the immune system.

g) The elderly.

How it can be identified?

 1. Symptoms of H1N1 swine flu are like those of regular flu. These include- fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

2. It also involves diarrhea and vomiting.

3. It can trigger neurological symptoms in children, which is rare but can be very severe and fatal.

4. Neurological symptoms include seizures or changes in mental status including confusion or sudden cognitive or behavioral changes.

Why is it serious?

1. Though the symptoms of swine flu are similar to seasonal flu, the seasonal flu vaccine won't protect against swine flu.

2. It has become a circulating virus making it more frequent and common.

3. H1N1 is highly contagious and spreads quickly from one person to another.

4. The most common mechanism of its spreading is by droplets from coughs and sneezes of infected people.

5. It also spreads by touching a surface or the hand of a person contaminated with the virus and then touching one's eyes nose or mouth.

6. The outbreak of swine flu is also being attributed to cold weather which is conducive for the viral multiplication.

Where swine flu has affected the most?

1. The current outbreak of swine flu in the country has hit the state of Rajasthan the most with 76 deaths and nearly 2,000 positive cases.

2. The current situation arising from swine flu and the measures undertaken by the government to prevent the spread of the disease:

2. It has also affected Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh.

3. In southern parts of India, Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana are the most affected.

What are the other fatal viruses?

 Marburg virus:

1. The Marburg virus is a hemorrhagic fever virus which causes convulsions and bleeding of mucous membranes skin and organs.

2. It has a fatality rate of 90%.

Kyasanur Forest Virus:

1. It is another deadly virus that was discovered in the southwestern coast of India in 1955.

2. It is difficult to determine any carriers of the virus.

3. People infected with this virus suffer from high fever, strong headaches and muscle pain which can cause bleedings.

Ebola Virus:

1. Ebola has been deadly.

2. There are five strains of the Ebola virus each named after countries and regions in Africa- Zaire, Sudan, Tai forest, Bundibugyo and Reston.

3. Zaire Ebola virus is the deadliest with a mortality rate of 90%.

Bird Flu:

1. The spread of bird flu also triggers panic with a mortality rate of 70%.

2. The H5N1 strain of this virus is contracted through direct contact with poultry and hence mostly infects those who work at the poultry farms or live in the vicinity.

Hantavirus:

1. The hantavirus is also one of the deadliest viruses across the world.

2. Symptoms include lung disease fever and kidney failure.

Lassa virus:

1. The Lassa virus is transmitted by rodents.

2. The virus occurs in a specific region like western Africa and can reoccur in that region at any time.

Junin virus:

1. The Argentine Junin virus is associated with hemorrhagic fever.

2. Infected people suffer from tissue inflammation, sepsis and skin bleeding.

3. The disease is rarely detected in the initial days as the symptoms appear to be common.

Machupo virus:

1. The Machupo virus is the cause of Bolivian hemorrhagic fever also known as black typhus.

2. It causes high fever often accompanied by heavy bleedings.

3. The virus is carried by the rodents and it spreads from human to human.

Crimean-Congo virus:

1. The Crimean-Congo virus is a type of viral hemorrhagic fever transmitted by ticks.

2. Its symptoms include fever, muscle pains, headache, vomiting, diarrhea and bleeding into the skin.

Dengue:

1. The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and affects people mostly occurring in tropical areas.

2. India faces the epidemic year after year.

All these diseases don't have a specific treatment. All these infections can turn serious can cause death. They need supportive treatment. There is no specific vaccination or specific treatment. So, they require supportive treatment.

Which are the measures taken by the government?

1. The Union Health Ministry has advised all state health officials to strengthen their surveillance for early detection.

2. It has also asked them to keep beds reserved in hospitals to deal with acute cases of swine flu.

3. State health departments have been directed to equip all government hospitals with necessary logistics required for the management of the disease like the drug oseltamivir along with personal protective equipment and masks.

4. Guidelines on case diagnosis, management, vaccination, isolation criteria, risk categorization and preventive measures have been circulated among all hospitals and health facilities.

5. Health advisories on influenza and swine flu have been prepared and issued for the general public in leading newspapers.

6. A 24/7 helpline number has been made operational where people can make queries with the director-general of health services.

7. A team from the National Center for Disease Control was also sent to Rajasthan on an investigative mission.

Water- Leaving on one behind

Water- Leaving on one behind

Recently the United Nations (UN) has launched the ‘World Water Development Report 2019- Leaving on one behind’.

What does the report say?

a) The report says the right to water cannot be separated from other human rights.

b) As per the report, more than two billion people lack even the most basic water services.

c) The report states that women and girls spend an estimated 200 million hours every hour to carry it.

d) More than 800 children under the age of five die of diarrhea every day due to poor water and sanitation.

e) Around 60% of the global population don’t have access to clean water.

 f) Refugees and internally displaced people often face severe barriers to the access of water supply and sanitation.

g) The report also warns about the increasing gap between the demand and supply.

h) Rapidly increasing global population, industrialization, urbanization etc. are putting much pressure on the existing water resources.

g) Even, other organizations such as the ‘World Economic Forum’ has warned in its report that ‘Water scarcity’ will be the largest risk in terms of potential impacts.

How the situation is in India?

a) Around one billion people live in the water scarce areas in India.

b) Out of this, 600 million live under the extreme water stress conditions.

c) 330 million Indians have been affected by drought conditions in 2016.

d) 21% diseases are water-related in India.

e) Around 21 major cities in India will face severe water crisis by 2020 in India.    

Which initiatives have been launched by the United Nations?

a) As the importance of water conservation was realized, United Nations Water Conference was organized in 1977.

b) International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade was declared during 1981-1990 for the water awareness.

c) United Nations then organized the ‘International Conference on water and Environment’ and ‘Earth Summit 1992’.

d) ‘Water for life International Decade for Action 2005-15’ was organized to promote the water conservation efforts.

e)  Water conservation has been given the focus in the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’.

Where the solutions lie?

ON DOMESTIC/ INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

a) Urgent steps should be taken to improve the water efficiency in every task. For example,

i) Irrigation using underground pipeline than canal system.

ii) ‘Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)’ system in the drinking water system.

b) Reuse water in everyday households, industries

c) Reducing consumption

i) Farmers should prefer less water-intensive crops.

ii) Plantation of millet as they require less water and can go in poor drainage area.

d) Prevention and management of waste

i) Aerators can save nearly 35-40% water per minute.

ii) Composting of the waste can help to save money as well as water usage.

e) Opting for Chemical-free products.

f) Rainwater harvesting methods

ON MASS LEVEL

a) Conserving land for forests and preserving groundwater.

b) Utilisation of ponds and lakes, building check dams, small water bodies, etc.

c) Purifying water

i) Water Purification using Micro/Ultra/Nanofiltration

ii) Reverse osmosis methods

d) Artificial recharge methods such as spreading basins, recharge pits, and shafts, etc.

ON GOVERNANCE LEVEL

a) Regulatory agencies should assure an efficient funding to the water programmes.

b) They must recognize the ‘Right to Water’ and ensure the water reach to the marginalized groups.

c) There is a need to shift from ‘Water-development’ to ‘water-management’ today.

d) Water rationing- meaning setting water limit per individual. This is being followed in Cape Town, South Africa.

Border Surveillance

Border Surveillance

Recently the Ministry of Home Affairs has launched the ‘Project BOLD-QIT’ under ‘Project CIBMS’ on India-Bangladesh border in Dhubri District, Assam.

What are ‘Project BOLD-QIT’ and ‘Project CIBMS’?

A) ‘Project BOLD-QIT’

i) Project BOLD-QIT stands for ‘Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique’.

ii) It is a project to install technical systems under the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS).

iii) It enables ‘Border Security Force (BSF)’ to equip Indo-Bangla borders with different kind of sensors in unfenced riverine area of Brahmaputra and its tributaries.

iv) As Border Security Force is responsible for safeguarding of ‘International Border’ with Bangladesh, it was required to do surveillance of difficult border areas manually.

v) Border Security Force (BSF) undertook the project in January 2018 and it was launched now successfully.

vi) Under this project, wide of electronic gadget installed along with the India- Bangladesh border. Under-ground sensors and under-water sonar sensors are installed

vii) The project is part of Project CIBMS.

B) Project CIBMS

i)  Project CIBMS stands for ‘Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS)’.

ii) It aims to establish a more robust and integrated security system that is capable of addressing the gaps in the present system of border security.

iii) It seeks to integrate human resources, weapons, and high-tech surveillance equipment.

Three main pillars of CIBMS

a) Round-the-rock surveillance using high-tech devices such as sensors, detectors, cameras, ground-based radar systems, micro-aerostats, lasers etc.

b) Efficient and dedicated communication network including fibre optic cables and satellite communication for transmitting data gathered by the high-tech surveillance.

c) Command and control centre to which the data will be transmitted to get aware about the happenings on the ground and provide a composite picture of the international border.

Components of CIBMS

i) ‘Virtual Fence’ for human-less, real-time invigilation of borders.

ii) Infrared and laser-based intrusion alarm systems

iii) Thermal imagers

iv) Aerial and All-weather Surveillance

v) Sonar and Ground systems

Which are common challenges associated with CIBMS?

i) High operational and maintenance cost

ii) Lack of technical expertise

iii) High cost of devices such as

iv) Lack of availability of spare costs of high-tech surveillance devices

v) Erratic power supply

vi) Adverse climate and terrain conditions

vii) Unsettled, un-demarcated international borders

Why the areas bordering Bangladesh needs E-surveillance?

a) Bordering states are burdened with intense illegal migration. This has resulted in the demographic change, stress on the natural resources.

b) Illegal activities such as smuggling of cattle, human trafficking, narcotics, counterfeit currency etc. take place on these borders at a great extent.

c) These borders passes through hilly terrains, swamps, marshes etc. where human surveillance is not desirable.

d) Influence of Islamic fundamentalism is increasing in Bangladesh. It is pushing large-scale foot soldiers in India.

So, to remove the gaps in the border surveillance, e-surveillance is necessary.

How is E-surveillance project beneficial?

a) With the implementation of the Project BOLD-QUIT, entire span of Brahmaputra and tributaries is covered with data network.

b) As high-tech intelligence devices are used, the precision of the information is high.

c) Also the information will be available around the clock.

d) It can alert the BSF quickly to help them to eliminate the problem.

When were the pilot projects launched on the India- Pakistan border?

In 2017, two pilot e-surveillance projects were launched on the India-Pak border.

Where does the space sector play a role?

a) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced to launch an exclusive satellite for the Ministry of Home Affairs soon.

b) Union Government has recently formed a Task Force for identifying areas for use of space technology in improving border management.

c) It was added by Joint Secretary (Border Management) with members from Border Guarding Forces (BGFs) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

d) Details of the areas identified for use of space technology in the border management-

i) Island development and security

ii) Border Surveillance

iii) Communication and Navigation

iv) GIS and Operations Planning System

v) Border Infrastructure Monitoring

e) A short, medium and long-term plan has also been prepared.

1) Short Term

Establishment of network infrastructure and computing requirements for all CAPFs, hiring of transponders for satellite communication and procurement of satellite data for immediate operational use of the forces.

2) Medium Term

i) Development of infrastructure and storage capacity for MHA, capacity building of CAPFs.

ii) Launch of one satellite for exclusive use of MHA by ISRO and establishment of ground segment to receive inputs from satellite.

iii) Operationalization of COPS/ BOPS Software developed jointly by ISRO/ CAPFs.

3) Long Term

Launch of additional satellites as per need, up gradation of ground segment, full operationalization of COPS/BOPS software, Capacity building of CAPFs for using space technology.

Western Disturbances

Western Disturbances

Recently an intense thunderstorm caused by Western Disturbances (WD), claimed over 64 lives in Rajasthan, MP, Gujrat, Bihar, and Maharashtra.

How are Western Disturbances caused?

1) It originates in the Mediterranean Sea and the Caspian Sea.

2) During winter season due to the intrusion of cold air from polar regions in the European region, the warmer air with high moisture (  system) ascends in the upper atmosphere.

3) Through Westerlies winds, the low-pressure system flows from west to east.

4) They travel through Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and enters India.

6) It is blocked by the Himalayas and causes precipitation in forms of snow in mountainous areas and rainfall in low-areas.

Why is it called as Western Disturbances?

1) It originates in the West. So, Western.

2) It is a weather system which distorts the existing conditions and passes through. So, Disturbance.

Which way does WD impact India?

1) From November to March, it causes most of the winter and pre-monsoon rains in North-Western India.

2) It causes snowfall in Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh Himalayan region.

3) Average of 4-5 WD is formed during winter season and rainfall varies during every WD.

4) It is estimated that 5-10% of the total annual rainfall is from WD.

5) Weak WD are associated with crop failure and water problems and strong WD can help residents, farmers and government avoid many of the problems associated with water scarcity.

6) Sometimes helps in the activation of monsoon in certain parts of North-Western India.

7) WD is much beneficial to Rabi Crops.  

What are the issues associated with WD?

Since WD are not high-intensity weather system, they are usually not associated with disasters, but in recent past, it is observed that this beneficial weather phenomenon is increasingly becoming disaster especially during summer and monsoon seasons.

Some of the associated disasters are:

1) Cloudburst in Leh, 2010.

2) Kashmir floods in September 2014.

3) Uttarakhand floods in 2013.

Many believe that erratic rainfall may occur due to the interaction between WD and summer monsoon. But conclusive evidence is not available to support this.

Where lies the solution?

1) The availability of data on WD is low.

2) There is no official end to end tracking of WD, unlike tropical cyclones.

3) WD needs to be studied in much more details.

4) In the age of global warming and drastic climate change are becoming all too common, studying WD is crucial.

Draft National Logistics Policy 2018

Draft National Logistics Policy 2018

Draft of National Logistic Policy has been unveiled.

What are the key objectives of the policy?

The policy outlines an ambitious set of following objectives,

a) Creation of a single point of reference for all logistics and trade facilitation matters in the country.

b) Incorporation of standard global standards to more the logistic sector more efficient, transparent, performance oriented.

c)  Creation of a ‘National Logistics e-marketplace’ as a one-stop marketplace.

d) Encouraging industry, academia, and government to come together to create a logistics ‘Centre of Excellence’.

e) Improve India’s ranking in the Logistics Performance Index to between 25 to 30.

f) Creation of separate fund for start-ups.

g) Export competitiveness enhancement

h) Doubling employment by generating 10-15 million jobs along with focussing on enhancing skills and encouraging gender diversity.

i) Encouraging adoption of green logistics in the country.

Why is this policy important?

a) India’s logistics sector is very huge, roughly around 215 billion dollars in size and increasing by around 10% annually.

b) However, because of problems such as inadequate infrastructure, no strong supply chain, policy overlap, lack of organization, etc., it has not been used up to its full potential.

c) The policy seeks to organize the logistics sectors more efficiently along with doubling the employment.

d) It aims to bring all stakeholders in the logistics chain for its overall development.

e) Development of start-up ecosystems can transform the logistic system by bringing innovation.

f) Implementation of a unified portal can make the sector more transparent, globally competitive, organized, affordable.

So, this comprehensive policy is important for the sector.

Where does the policy need to focus?

a) The Policy doesn’t recognize the role of states very well. States contribution and policies can help the sector to achieve last-mile connectivity.

b) Portal doesn’t solve specific issues in all states and focusses more on general issues. As there are no such portals built by states, specific issues should be resolved through the portal.

c) Stability of the investment is very important for long- term development. Draft Policy should work on it.

How to improve the situation?

a) A network of Multi-Modal Logistics Park should be developed along with the facilitation of e-commerce.

b) State’s role should be recognized and they should be given more space.

c) Some interventions should be introduced to reduce logistics cost and promote logistics efficiency for movement of key commodities.

d) Indian warehousing market is highly fragmented and unorganized. More attention should be given to improve it.

National Mineral Policy 2019

National Mineral Policy 2019

Recently the Union Cabinet approved the ‘National Mineral Policy 2019’.

What the policy aims at?

a) NMP 2019 aims at a more effective, meaningful, transparent regulation of the mining sector of the country.

b) It aims to balance social and economic growth as well as promote sustainable mining practices.

c) It aims to strengthen regulatory mechanism by incorporating E-Governance, including satellite and remote sensing applications.

d) It aims to promote ‘Make in India Initiative’ and gender sensitivity in the mining sector.

Which are the key provisions of the policy?

a) Introduction of Right of First Refusal for Reconnaissance Permit (RP) and Prospecting License Holders.

b) Encouraging the private sector to take up exploration.

c) Encouragement of merger and acquisition of mining entities and transfer of mining leases.

d) Creation of ‘Dedicated mineral corridors’ to boost private sector mining areas.

f) Status of industry to mining activity to boost financing of mining for private sector and for acquisitions of mineral assets in other countries by private sector

g) Long-term import-export policy for mineral

h) Auction and rationalization of the unutilized reserved areas given to Public Service Utilities

i) Harmonization of taxes, levies & royalty with world benchmarks to help private sector.

j) Establishment of National inventory of mineral resources and Mining Tenement System (MTS).

Who manages mineral resources in the country?

Management of mineral resources is the responsibility of both the central and state governments under the Union List and the State List of the 7th Schedule of the Constitution of India.

How is the new policy different from the old policy?

a)  National Mineral Policy 2019 has replaced the ‘National Mineral Policy 2008’ by introducing some changes.

b) Online public portal with provision for generating triggers at a higher level in the event of a delay of clearances has been put in place.

c) The policy focusses on the use of coastal waterways and inland shipping for evacuation and transportation of minerals.

d) It aims to enhance the utilization of the district mineral fund for the equitable development of project affected persons and areas.

e) It introduces the concept of Inter-Generational Equity that deals with the well-being not only of the present generation but also of the generations to come.

f) It proposes to constitute an Inter-ministerial body to institutionalize the mechanism for ensuring sustainable development in mining.

Where will the policy have a positive impact?

a) It will ensure more effective regulation.

b) It will lead to sustainable mining sector development in the future.

c) It will address the issues of project affected persons especially those residing in tribal areas.

d) It will increase the share of the manufacturing sector in the economy.

e) Successful Implementation of the policy can increase the production of minerals by 200% in 7 years.

f) It may reduce the trade deficit in the minerals sector by 50% in 7 years.

National Institutional Ranking Framework Ranking

National Institutional Ranking Framework Ranking

Recently the Fourth edition of ‘National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)’ ranking has been published.

What is the ‘National Institutional Ranking Framework’ ranking?

a) It is framework launched by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to rank the educational institutions in the country.

b) It outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country. Based on this framework, ranking takes place annually.

c) This methodology draws from the overall recommendations and broad understanding arrived at by a Core Committee set up by MHRD.

d) The framework identifies the broad parameters for ranking various universities and institutions.

e) The ranking score given to the universities is a relative score, not absolute. It reflects the yearly performance of the institutions.

When was NIRF published for the first time?

a) The framework was first published in November 2015 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

b) Ranking based on the framework was published for the first time in 2016.

c) This year’s is the fourth edition of the ranking based on the framework.

d) Overall, 3,127 institutions applied for different categories of the NIRF this year.

Which are the parameters used to decide the ranking?

The rankings are based on multiple parameters and sub-parameters,

a) Teaching, Learning & Resources (Weightage- 0.30)

- Student Strength including Doctoral Students

- Faculty-student ratio with emphasis on permanent faculty

- Combined metric for Faculty with Ph.D. (or equivalent) and Experience (FQE)

- Total Budget and Its Utilisation

b) Research and Professional Practice (Weightage- 0.30)

- Publications (PU) and their quality

- IPR and Patents

c) Graduation Outcomes (Weightage- 0.20)

-Placement, Higher Studies, and Entrepreneurship

- Metric for University Examinations and graduating Students Admitted Into Top Universities.

- Metric for Number of Ph.D. Students Graduated

d) Outreach and Inclusivity (Weightage- 0.10)

- Region Diversity of Students

- Percentage of Women

- Economically and Socially Challenged Students (ESCS)

- Facilities for Physically Challenged Students (PCS)

e) Perception (Weightage- 0.10)

- Peer Perception of Employers and Research Investors, Academics

-Public Perception (PRPUB)

- Competitiveness (PRCMP)

Who ranks and who has topped the 2019 ranking?

a) National Board of Accreditation (NBA) under the HRD ministry is the Ranking Agency.

b)  Institutions are ranked on following categories along with the top universities.

i) Overall- IIT Madras

ii) Universities- IISc Bangalore

iii) Engineering- IIT Madras

iv) Management- IIM Bangalore

v) Pharmacy- Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi

vi) Colleges- Miranda House, New Delhi

vii) Medical- AIIMS, New Delhi

viii) Law- NLSU, Bangalore

ix) Architecture- IIT Kharagpur

x) Innovative institute- IIT Madras

How big is the higher education system in India?

a) India is the third biggest education system in the world.

b) There are around 903 Universities, 39050 affiliated colleges, 10011 standalone institutions.

c) There are around 34 million students and 3 million faculty.

Why is this ranking important?

a) It allows the students to choose top-rated institutions based on credible ranking. It gives a fair idea to them about the institution.

b) It allows the institution to share their own achievement with the public.

c) It promotes healthy competition among the institutions and helps to raise the standards of higher education in the country.

UNSC reforms

UNSC reforms

Recently France has said that India and nations like Germany, Brazil and Japan are ‘absolutely needed’ as permanent members of a reformed and enlarged United Nations Security Council.

What is UNSC and its current composition?

a) The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the premier global institution ‘United Nations (UN)’.

b) It is tasked to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations.

c) It also investigates any dispute or situation which might lead to international friction and takes necessary action against the aggressor state.

d) It recommends the admission of new Members.

Composition

a) The Council is composed of 15 Members. Out of these, five are permanent members,

- China

- France

- Russian Federation

- United Kingdom

- United States

b) These five states have been given veto powers on any resolutions.

c) Ten non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly (with the end of term year).

d) A State which is a Member of the United Nations but not of the Security Council may participate, without a vote, in its discussions when the Council considers that the country's interests are affected.

Why there is a need to reform the UNSC?

a) Current UNSC constitution represents the post ‘World War 2’ realities and doesn’t consider the current geopolitics.

b) Though geopolitics have changed drastically, the Council has changed relatively little since 1945.

c) There are no equal representations given regionally. Asia, Europe, and the North American continent are represented while Africa, Latin America, and Australia are not represented.

d) Only five states influencing the interests of the rest of the world, using sometimes veto power, is not desirable.

When did the UNGA start to debate on UNSC reforms?

a) United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) began debating Security Council reform in 1993.

b) Since then several models have been put forward as viable options and several countries have put themselves forward as candidates for permanent membership.

c) However, groups such as the ‘Coffee Club’- Pakistan, Mexico, and Egypt, Italy- opposed adding countries as permanent members and instead proposed that members be elected on a regional basis.

d) In 2005, then Secretary-General Kofi Annan advocated for the democratization of the council. However, the suggested reforms yet to turn into reality.

Who are the top candidates?

a) ‘G4’ countries- Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan, have put themselves forward as the most serious candidates for permanent membership in the Council.

b) The African Group has started to demand two permanent seats for themselves as there is no representation for this continent.

Which are the factors favorable for India?

a) India is a very big country with around 1 billion population. Approximately One of the seven persons in the world is Indian.

b) India is an emerging and fastest growing economy.

c) It is the largest democracy in the world and never been aggressor to other countries.

d) India is playing a big brother role in the South Asian region effectively and has maintained cordial relations with many countries in various continents.

e) Almost all Permanent members (P5 members) are favorable to India’s position as a permanent member in the council.

f) Almost a decade back ago, Chinese President stated that India should be a permanent member because one can’t neglect one billion people.

Where the challenges lie ahead for the reforms?

a) Expanding the council or giving up veto powers can dilute the powers of the existing permanent members. So, they don’t want to give up their power.

b) Reforms can change global power equations and status quos.

c) The greater representation can make the council less efficient.

d) There is no consensus on how to reform the council. There are many models suggested by many organizations. However, no one comes closer to expectations.

e) Many countries or country blocks are asking for representation. However, there is no consensus among them.

E.g. African continent wants two seats. However, there is no consensus on which two countries to be represented.

For India’s membership

a) There is direct and indirect opposition from countries such as Pakistan, China, and a few Islamic countries.

b) India is still known as ‘Third-world country’ or ‘Non-alignment country’ which is known to not take stand on various issues. However, this position should be changed.

Basmati Cultivation- Farming for All

Basmati Cultivation- Farming for All

Why Basmati rice more significant to India from other varieties of rice?

1. Basmati rice is seen as a superior and premium brand of rice in India and it is one of the world’s best varieties of rice.

2. It is produced and consumed largely in Punjab and western UP and neighboring Pakistan.

3. It is long grain rice with origin in India and some parts of Pakistan, which makes it part of Indian rice history.

4. India is the largest producer of Basmati Rice followed by Pakistan, it is one of the most significant exports, both as a soft power and hard money.

5. India has a 70% share in global production and 85% of the global trade in Basmati rice.

6. Fragrance, price, grain morphology and quality make Basmati rice stand apart from other rice varieties and it is mainly exported to North America, Middle East, and Europe.

7. Like cheese and wine, basmati rice gets better with age. Older Basmati rice costs are higher than the recently produced ones.

8. The yield of basmati rice is also equal to half of the non-basmati rice and is therefore responsible for its high cost.

What is the present issue related to Basmati rice?

1. Basmati Rice was allowed to produce only in 7 states (Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh parts of UP and J&K) mainly in Indo-Gangetic plain due to restrictions imposed by the Central government in 2017.

2. It was restricted on the grounds to protect the quality and purity of seeds and Geographical Indication (GI) Certification of Basmati rice for Indo-Gangetic plain.

3. This restriction was a bone of contention for several other states. Madhya Pradesh has asserted its rights to cultivate Basmati rice.

6. Delhi High Court (HC) has struck down the Central government’s restriction on production of Basmati rice to certain regions and registration of Basmati rice varieties for areas under the GI Act.

9. High Court verdict came after Madhya Pradesh government petition to include 13 districts under the GI category.

Where does Madhya Pradesh stand in its claim for cultivation of Basmati rice?

1. Madhya Pradesh contributes to 10% of the export demand for Basmati rice.

2. Madhya Pradesh argued that both orders were outside the scope of the Seeds Act 1966.

3. It also contested that the Centre’s 2017 orders intrude upon its powers to pass laws in relation to agriculture which is a state subject.

How is Geographical indication tag significant for Basmati rice?

1. GI tags protect native wisdom, technologies and traditional efforts from being stolen.

2. Basmati rice is one of the most important export items of India, without GI tag it could be cultivated in countries like Vietnam, China, U.S, Europe who may later patent it.

3. This GI protection in India would lead to similar protection in other countries including the European Union and the USA.

4. GI tag ensures that the areas traditionally growing a crop should be allowed and facilitated to cultivate Basmati rice with all the required support.

5. GI is a way of giving a brand value to a product that comes from a community, trademarks are associated with individuals whereas GIs associated with communities, regions and territories.

Tackling Global Hunger

Tackling Global Hunger

What is the issue?

1. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019 report around 820 million people worldwide go hungry every day.

2. One in every nine people globally face hunger on a daily basis.

3. Nearly 2 billion people across the world do not have regular access to safe and nutritious food.

4. The number of people with insufficient food has risen for the third year in a row and the number of hungry people across the globe is back to where it was almost a decade ago.

Status of Hunger by region:

Region	Status
Africa	Hunger is on the rise in almost all African sub regions making Africa the region with the highest prevalence of undernourishment at almost 20%.
Western Asia	It shows continuous increase since 2010 with more than 12 percent of its population undernourished.
Latin America and the Caribbean	Hunger is still below 7 percent but is slowly increasing in many countries where economic growth is lagging, particularly in middle income countries and those that rely heavily on primary commodity trade.
South Asia	It saw great progress over the last five years but almost 15 percent of the population is still undernourished which is highest in Asia.
Overall Asia	Undernourishment affects 11 percent population.

Global Hunger Index

1. 45 out of 119 countries were found to have serious levels of hunger.

2. 27 countries with moderate levels of hunger and 40 countries with low levels of hunger.

3. GHI ranking of India and its neighbours (Out of 118 countries)

Country	GHI Ranking
India	103
China	25
Nepal	72
Sri Lanka	67
Myanmar	68
Bangladesh	86
Pakistan	106

Global Hunger Index:

It is a tool designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels. GHI scores are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger. It ranks countries based on four key indicators – a. Undernourishment: Whose caloric intake is insufficient b. Child mortality: Who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition c. Child wasting: Who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition d. Child stunting: The mortality rate of children under the age of five.

Why is Hunger increasing?

1. Hunger is increasing in many countries where economic growth is lagging, particularly in middle income countries.

2. Income inequality is rising in many of the countries where hunger is on the rise, making it more difficult for the poor vulnerable or marginalized to cope with economic slowdown and downturns.

3. Hunger is high in countries that rely heavily on primary commodity trade.

4. It is also largely driven by displacement of the people and climate change.

 Which are the measures to tackle Hunger?

1. UN report calls for structural transformation to include the poorest people in the world.

2. It suggest integrating food security and nutrition concerns into poverty reduction efforts using pro-poor and inclusive transformations.

3. Developing holistic approaches to protracted displacement settings

4. Providing support to food-insecure displaced people in their region.

5. Recognizing resilience of displaced people and it should be the basis for providing support.

Where does India stands in hunger and malnutrition?

1. India produces enough food to feed its population, yet it is home to 25% of the world’s hungry population with about 195 million hungry people.

2. Malnutrition is a socio-economic issue in India with poor more at risk, it is more prevalent in rural areas.

3. One-third of the world’s malnourished children live in India.

a. 21% of children under 5 are underweight,

b. 38.4% of children under 5 are stunted and

c. 40% of children suffer with chronic undernutrition or stunting.

4. The effects of malnutrition are irreversible if they occur in younger age.

5. India doesn’t have problems in terms of food availability but problems in terms of adequate distribution.

6. However the number of undernourished people has almost come down by half in past 20 years due to rapid economic growth and increased agriculture productivity.

How government aims to tackle the issue?

1. The National Nutrition strategy of 2017 aims to achieve “Zero hunger by 2022”

Schemes	Features
National Food Security Act	1. It covers 75% rural, 50% urban population. 2. It offers 5 kg of cereals per person per month at minimal prices at highly subsidised prices. 3. It also provides nutritional support to women and children and maternity benefits.
Antyodaya Anna Yojana	It provides 35 kgs of cereals to every BPL family per month.
Mid-day meal scheme	Under this scheme lakhs of children are served freshly cooked meals in government and government aided schools.
Public Distribution System	It aims at ensuring food security by providing food and non-food essential items at subsidised rates.

Who has roles in tackling global hunger?

1. UN calls for a holistic approach to food security to fulfil the UN Zero Hunger challenge.

The Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger by 2030

1. It seeks zero stunted children in less than two years 2. 100% access to adequate food all year round 3. Sustainable food systems 4. Zero loss or waste of food.

SDG-2: Sub Goals

1. It requires comprehensive efforts to ensure everyone enjoy their right to adequate food, women are empowered, and priority is given to family farming.

2. It includes leaving no one behind, ensuring human rights and coherent policies with coordination action.

3. Inclusive multi-stakeholder stewardship at all levels and transformational implementation.

4. Investment in sustainable production, consumption including sustainable food and nutrition system.

5. Women as mothers, farmers as entrepreneurs, reshaping agriculture system in the face of climate change.

6. Sustainable agriculture promotes the use of fields, forests, oceans and all-natural resources essential for food production without damaging the environment.

Role of Government

1. It must monitor markets so that prices are fair for all farmers.

2. Need to keep large corporations in check so that they respect and protect rights of local people.

3. Promote healthy eating habits, invest in research and focus on developing rural areas.

Role of Farmers

1. 90% of farms in the world are family owned, producing food for family and community.

2. These farms can play a huge role in eradicating hunger by coming together as cooperatives, improve access to resources and maximise profits.

3. They can also adapt to climate change, develop common strategies for sustainable cultivation.

Role of Private Sector

1. Fight against hunger needs innovation from private sector including companies working in agriculture and services related to it.

2. Companies in the Financial sector can give poorer farmers access to funds.

3. MNCs can use large areas of land responsibly and ensure that locals are not pushed away.

Role of Society

1. Quarter of food wasted each day is enough to feed all the hungry people in the world.

2. Consumers must buy and eat only what is necessary and Say NO to plastic packing.

3. Droughts are becoming common even in regions with plenty of water.

4. It is important to save water in whatever ways such as fixing leaks, using rain or grey water for gardens etc.

5. Shop from local farmers to support local economy and shorten the journey between food and produce.

The DNA Technology (Regulation) Bill

The DNA Technology (Regulation) Bill

Recently, the DNA Technology (Regulation) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha to regulate the use of DNA technology for establishing the identity of a person.

What are the provisions of the bill?

1. Establishment of National and Regional DNA Data Bank.

2. Every data bank would have indices such as the crime scene index, suspects’ or undertrials’ index, offenders’ index, missing persons’ index and unknown deceased persons’ index.

3. Establishment of DNA Regulatory Board which accredits labs analysing DNA samples.

4. Written consent by individuals is mandatory before collection of their DNA samples and creating a DNA profile of an individual.

5. However, consent is not required for offences with punishment for more than seven years in jail or death.

Deletion of DNA profile from Data banks:

1. DNA profiles of the suspect may be removed on the filing of a police report or court order.

2. DNA profiles of undertrials may be removed based on a court order.

How is DNA profiling done?

About DNA

1. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA), is a hereditary complex molecule present in humans and almost all other organisms.

2. Nearly every cell in multicellular organisms possesses the full set of DNAs required for those organisms.

3. Most DNA molecules consist of two bio-polymer strands coiled around each other to form a double helix.

4. Each nuclear stand is made up of four chemical bases – adenine (A), guanine (G) cytosine (C), and thymine (T).

5. It also has a sugar called deoxyribose and phosphate group; these nuclear strands create a protein that is needed for the cell.

6. DNA contains all the information that is necessary to build and maintain an organism including biological information.

7. Although 99.9% of human DNA sequences are the same in every person, some of the DNA are unique, that makes it possible to distinguish one individual from another.

8. DNA can be extracted from the saliva in the mouth, blood samples, hair follicle, or even from nail scraping etc.

Why DNA profiling is important?

1. DNA profiling is a process that categorises an individual’s characteristics.

2. It is most commonly used as a forensic technique to identify a person in solving heinous crimes.

3. It is also effective in identifying disaster victims, missing people and identification of parents.

4. It can also be used in civil cases such as surrogacy, maternity/paternity cases, organ transplantation and migrations.

When did India start to use DNA samples as evidence?

1. Courts started to accept the DNA profile-based evidence since 1985.

2. In 2016 Andhra Pradesh becomes the first state in India to start DNA profiling to stop crime.

Who recommended the law for DNA profiling?

1. The DNA Technology (Regulation) Bill was framed based on the recommendation of the Department of Biotechnology, observation of law commission and ISFG guidelines

2. In 2005, a committee was set up by the Department of Biotechnology and drafted a Human DNA bill which faced criticism from the civil society and NGOs due to privacy concerns.

3. In 2017, The Law Commission, examined the various provisions of the bill, judicial verdicts and observed that

a. DNA profiling can be used in victim identification, crime investigation, identification of missing persons and for medical research purposes.

b. It also flagged the privacy concerns that ethics involved in the collection of data were very high.

c. The procedure for DNA profiling should be done legitimately according to the constitutional provisions.

4. DNA commission instituted by the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG) has issued guidelines regarding DNA profiling as below

a. Forensic DNA lab needs permission before taking a DNA sample of an injured or deceased person.

c. Name of the officer present at the time of sample collection must be clearly mentioned.

d. Guarantee of keeping investigation and collection private.

e. Proper maintenance to be ensured.

What are the concerns about the bill?

1. The bill permits collection of the DNA of undertrials without the court orders which raises privacy concerns.

2. There are concerns that the bill will institutionalise a surveillance state without a Data protection law be put in place safeguarding the privacy.

Where else DNA profiling is legal?

1. All the countries including India follow the ISFG guidelines on DNA profiling.

2. It is legal in about 60 countries including in Argentina, USA, China, Britain and Canada. While, in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Austria it is done only in case of serious crimes.

Constitution Bench

Constitution Bench

1. Recently, the Central Government scrapped Article 370 and Article 35A providing special status to the Jammu and Kashmir by Presidential Order.

2. It was passed by both the houses of the Parliament.

What is the issue?

1. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) constituted a Constitutional bench to deal with the abrogation of Article 370.

2. It was set up to look into constitutional validity

a. Presidential Order scrapping the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

b. Law splitting the state into two Union Territories.

c. Restrictions imposed on movements and communication in the Kashmir valley.

When can a constitution bench be constituted?

Interpretation of the Constitution

1. A constitution bench of the Supreme court is set up to decide any case which requires substantial interpretation of the constitution.

2. The Supreme Court is mandated by Article 145(3) of the Constitution of India.

3. The bench must be comprised of at least five Supreme Court judges.

Advisory Judications of the Supreme Court

1. The constitutional bench is also constituted for any reference made by the President of India under Article 143(1).

2. Article 143(1) gives the President the power to consult the Supreme Court if a question of law or fact arises or is likely to arise.

3. The President can also refer a dispute to the Supreme Court for opinion.

Other Issues

1. According to Article 145, every petition questioning the election of President and Vice President under Article 71 of the Constitution shall be posted before a bench of 5 judges.

2. The CJI has the special power to direct any case to the Constitutional bench such as the Ayodhya dispute.

3. A civil cases that are politically sensitive have also been directed to the constitutional bench.

Who constitutes the Constitution bench?

1. It shall be constituted by the Chief Justice of India (CJI). But it is not mandatory for CJI also to be a member of the constitution bench.

2. Sometimes multiple constitution benches are constituted simultaneously, in such cases CJI probably cannot be part of all the constitution benches.

Which are the landmark cases decided by the Constitutional Bench?

1. Kesavananda Bharathi Case

a. It was decided by the largest constitution bench so far of 13 members.

b. It dealt with the constitutional amending powers of Parliament.

c.  In this case, the Doctrine of Basic Structure was laid down by the Supreme Court.

The Kesavananda case has its roots in Golaknath vs State of Punjab case.

a. In Golaknath case, an 11 member bench ruled the parliament could not curtail any fundamental right that was guaranteed by the constitution.

b. To nullify this verdict, the 24th constitutional amendment was enacted, making parliament’s power to amend the constitution unrestricted and unlimited.

c. But in the Kesavananda Bharati case, the Supreme Court held that the power to amend for Parliament does not include the power to alter the basic structure of the Constitution.

2. Aadhaar Verdict in 2018

The judgement laid down that

a. Aadhaar is constitutionally valid but not necessary to avail of Government services.

b. Aadhaar – PAN linking mandatory but not mandatory to link Bank A/C and mobile numbers.

3. Decriminalized Gay Sex

a. In 2018 the Supreme Court judgement laid down that consensual sex between two adults is covered under the Right to Privacy.

b. It partly struck down the Sec 377 of Indian Penal Court, holding it violative of the fundamental right to privacy.

c. Sec 377 would continue to be in force in case of unnatural sex with animals and children.

d. Sec 377 of IPC is also regarded as discrimination against the LGBTQ community.

4. Sabarimala Case 2018

a. The Supreme Court allowed entry of women of all age groups into Sabarimala Temple, holding that devotion cannot be subjected to gender discrimination.

5. Execution of Living Will and Right to Die with Dignity

a. Passive euthanasia was legalized. It was made applicable only to those who suffer from a terminal illness and have no hope of recovery.

b. The court will constitute a medical board to consider the cases of passive euthanasia.

c. It also allowed for the drafting of the living will, specifying the signatory not be put on life support, if they slip into an incurable coma.

d. Will must be made when a person is a sound mind.

6. Triple Talaq Judgement in 2017

a. The Supreme Court struck down the instant triple talaq terming it as unconstitutional.

b. It invalidated the age-old practice of Muslim Personal law in which a Muslim man can divorce his wife uttering the word ‘talaq’ thrice.