5 JULY 2023

Topic 1 : American Freedom Struggle

Context: Recently, America celebrated their hard won victory from the oppressive tax system of the British Empire and their freedom from the British Empire.
 

The American War of Independence:

• The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1783.
• In the American Revolutionary War, which lasted from 1775 to 1783, the colonies secured their independence from the British Crown and established the United States as the first sovereign nation-state founded on Enlightenment principles of constitutionalism and liberal democracy.
• The American struggle for independence was very different from nationalist uprisings in other colonies of the British in the East.
• In America it was the British settlers who entered into a bitter scuffle with British government authorities.
• In colonies like India or the West Indies on the other hand, the natives rose unanimously against the tyranny of the rulers from the West.

The Mahatma Gandhi Link:

• In his call to Indians to resist British domination, Mahatma Gandhi often referred to and drew inspiration from the American revolution.
• In March 1930, when Gandhi had embarked upon the famous Dandi march to protest against the draconian salt tax imposed by the British authorities, his movement had resonances with the historic Boston Tea Party.

About the Boston Tea Party:

• The Boston Tea Party was a significant event that took place on December 16, 1773, in Boston, Massachusetts, during the period leading up to the American Revolution
• The Tea Act of 1773 was passed by the British Parliament, granting the East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the American colonies and reducing the tax on their tea.
• The Protest:
  • Many colonists opposed the Tea Act because it was seen as a way for the British government to exert control and maintain the tax on tea.
  • A group called the Sons of Liberty, led by Samuel Adams and other prominent colonial figures, organized opposition to the Tea Act.
• The Event:
  • A group of colonists, disguised as Native Americans, boarded three British ships docked in the Boston Harbor.
  • They proceeded to dump approximately 342 chests of tea, owned by the East India Company, into the harbor, amounting to about 92,000 pounds (roughly 46 tons) of tea.
• Consequences:
  • The British government responded to the Boston Tea Party with a series of punitive measures, known as the Intolerable Acts or Coercive Acts, to punish the colonists and assert British authority.
  • These acts included the Boston Port Act, which closed the port of Boston until the destroyed tea was paid for, and the Massachusetts Government Act, which limited self-governance in the colony.
• Link with the American Revolution:
  • The Boston Tea Party served as a rallying point for further resistance against British rule and contributed to the growing tensions that eventually led to the American Revolutionary War.
  • The Boston Tea Party is widely recognized as a significant event in American history, symbolizing colonial resistance against British taxation and oppression.Topic 2 : Person in News: Alluri Sitarama Raju

Context: The President of India addressed the closing ceremony of the 125th Birth Anniversary of Alluri Sitarama Raju at Hyderabad recently. 
 

About Alluri Sitharama Raju

• Raju is believed to have been born in present-day Andhra Pradesh in 1897 or 1898.
• He is said to have become a sanyasi at the age of 18, and gained a mystical aura among the hill and tribal peoples.
• In 1986, the Indian Postal Department issued a stamp in honour of Raju and his contribution to India’s struggle for Independence.
• Struggle against British
  • Raju channelled the discontent of the hill people into a highly effective guerrilla resistance against the British.
  • Colonial rule threatened the tribals’ traditional podu (shifting) cultivation, as the government sought to secure forest lands.
  • The Forest Act of 1882 banned the collection of minor forest produce such as roots and leaves, and tribal people were forced into labour for the colonial government.
  • He led the Rampa or Manyam Rebellion and as such he was known as the charismatic ‘Manyam Veerudu’ or Hero of Jungle.
  • He was finally captured and executed.
• Mahatma Gandhi Link:
  • The Rampa Rebellion coincided with Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement.
  •  Raju talked of the greatness of Mahatma Gandhi and he was inspired by the Non-Cooperation Movement.
  • He persuaded people to wear khadi and give up drinking.
  • But at the same time, he asserted that India could be liberated only by the use of force, not non-violence.Topic 3 : Gift Nifty

Context: Rechristened GIFT NIFTY, the popular Singapore Exchange (SGX) NIFTY started trading from GIFT City in Gujarat recently.
 

Key details:

• This is the first cross-border initiative in connecting India and Singapore’s capital markets.
• As per this deal, National Stock Exchange (NSE) IX will not be able to enter into similar arrangements with any other exchange.
• This contract can be extended for an additional two years after the five-year period concludes.

About GIFT NIFTY

• Recently, trading on SGX NIFTY ceased in Singapore and the entire trading volume and liquidity fully switched to GIFT IFSC.
• Therefore, it was rechristened GIFT Nifty.
• Currently, four products are being offered:
  • GIFT Nifty 50,
  • GIFT Nifty Bank,
  • GIFT Nifty Financial Services and
  • GIFT Nifty IT derivatives contract.

Significance for India:

• GIFT Nifty is an important milestone for GIFT IFSC and its outreach towards foreign investors and enhancing the capital market ecosystem in GIFT City.
• Over the past two decades, SGX has been India’s bridge to the world.
• It has linked two of the fastest growing economies of the world.
• This is the first of its kind trading link, with trading and matching in India and clearing and settlement in Singapore.About Gift city:
• GIFT City is a planned business district in Gujarat.
• It is the new business destination offering competitive edge to financial services and technology-related activities.
• The GIFT city is built on 886 acres and has a multi-service Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
• It is home to India’s first International Financial Services Centre and also has Domestic Tariff Area (DTA).

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Topic 4:  The legality of the Delhi Ordinance

Context: The Ordinance promulgated by the President recently amending the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act 1991(GNCTD Act) took away the services from the jurisdiction of the Delhi government.

About the SC verdict:

• As per the ruling of the Constitution Bench, the government of Delhi possesses the authority to enact laws and oversee civil services in the national capital.
• The court restricted the jurisdiction of the Lieutenant Governor (LG) to bureaucrats in three distinct domains:
  • public order,
  • police, and
  • land.
•  About the Ordinance:
• After the verdict, the central government brought in the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023.
• What is an ordinance?
  • An ordinance is a law that is promulgated by the President of India only when the Indian parliament is not in session.
  • President promulgates an ordinance on the recommendation of the union cabinet.
• Aim of the Delhi Ordinance:
  • The Delhi Ordinance aims to control the civil services in the national capital by forming a permanent National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA).
    • It will have the Chief Minister as its chairperson, and
    • the chief secretary and Principal Home Secretary as its members.
    • The NCCSA will exercise authority over the civil services officers working in the Delhi government except for those working for public order, police and land.
    • The NCCSA will decide all the policies relating to civil servants including postings, transfers, prosecution, sanctions etc by voting by the members present and in case of a dispute, LG’s decision would be final.
  • The Lieutenant Governor (LG) is authorised to exercise discretion in matters that fall outside the legislative competence of the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
    • But these matter should have been delegated to the LG, or
    • In matters where the LG is required by law to act in his discretion or perform any judicial or quasi-judicial functions.
• Challenges:
  • Parliament cannot nullify SC’s decision:
    • The first question which arises is whether an Ordinance promulgated by the President or a Bill passed by Parliament can nullify the Court’s decision.
    • The Supreme Court has held in a large number of cases that since Parliament does not possess judicial powers, it cannot negate the decision of the Court without changing the basis of that decision.
    • The Ordinance does not furnish any ground for nullifying the Court’s decision.
    • No authority is empowered to direct anyone that an order of the Court shall have no effect and shall not be followed.
    • And since the Ordinance does not cite any new ground for nullifying the judgment, it becomes legally unsustainable.
  • Overriding the Chief Minister
    • After taking away the services from the Delhi government, the Ordinance confers the powers of posting, transfer and disciplinary matters on an authority named the National Capital Civil Services Authority.
    • The Chief Minister is made the chairman and the Chief Secretary and the Home Secretary are the other members.
    • Two members constitute the quorum and the two members can take all decisions.
    • The opinion of the Chief Minister seems to have no value.
    • These decisions will then be forwarded to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi whose decision shall be final.
• Centre vs Supreme Court:
  • The NCCSA’s vision is in contrast with SC’s ruling which said that civil services should be “neutral” and should assist the elected ministers in carrying out their day-to-day tasks.
  • The NCCSA sets to bring out the services from the grasp of the elected representatives.
• More powers to the secretary:
  • If the secretary to the council of ministers forms an opinion that the cabinet decision is not in accordance with the law or rules of procedure, he can bring it to the notice of the Lieutenant Governor for his decision thereon.
  • In effect the secretary has the power to review the cabinet decision.
  • The Lieutenant Governor can rescind the cabinet decision.
• New procedure for summoning  and proroguing:
  • The Ordinance introduces a new procedure for summoning and proroguing a session of the Assembly.
  • Present system:
    • Under the present constitutional system, the decision to convene a session of the legislature is taken by the cabinet.
    • Thereafter it is conveyed to the governor who signs the summons.
  • New proposed system:
    • Under this new procedure the proposal for convening the Assembly shall be submitted through the Chief Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister for their ‘opinion’ before issuing the summons.
    • The Lieutenant Governor cannot decide to summon the House on his own whatever be his opinion.
    • It is the Chief Minister and his ministers collectively who decide to summon the House.
    • Therefore, it is absurd to provide for seeking the opinion of the Chief Minister or the Lieutenant Governor before the summons is issued.
• Way forward:
  • An Ordinance is not beyond judicial review of the apex court.
  • If the 2023 Ordinance is challenged separately, the Union would have to prove the extraordinary or emergent situation which necessitated it to promulgate an Ordinance merely days after a Constitution Bench settled the law.
  • A Constitution Bench in DC Wadhwa versus State of Bihar had held that the power of the Executive to promulgate an Ordinance should not be perverted to serve political ends.

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Topic 5: Mo Jungle Jami Yojana

Context: The Odisha government announced the launch of a scheme to strengthen forest rights among tribals and forest dwellers across the state’s districts.

About the scheme:

• The scheme is aimed to function parallelly with The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 or FRA.
• If implemented, Odisha would become the first in India to recognise community forest rights along with individual rights offered by the Centre.
• The scheme is conceived to bridge the gaps and address critical issues not targeted in the central scheme (FRA) for the past 15 years since its implementation.
  • At present, the central scheme recognises individual forest rights, but the state scheme delivers the same benefits for community rights and community forest rights (CFR) that is lagging in the existing scheme.
• The scheme aims to ensure livelihood and food security for the Scheduled Tribe and forest dwelling population.
• The implementation of the scheme will provide ownership of land and access to forest resources to the beneficiaries according to their entitlement and join them with mainstream development programmes of the government.
• All eligible claimants — mainly single women and PVTGs — will receive land titles and record corrections will be made for all title holders.
• All unsurveyed, forest and zero area villages will be converted into revenue villages thus enabling all households access to water supplies, road connectivity, schools and healthcare.
• The state would also establish Forest Rights Cells across the districts for periodic assessment, monitoring and review of the scheme.

About the Forest Rights Act:The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 recognizes the rights of the forest dwelling tribal communities and other traditional forest dwellers to forest resources.The Act empowers the forest dwellers:to access and use the forest resources in the manner that they were traditionally accustomed,to protect, conserve and manage forests, protect forest dwellers from unlawful evictions andbasic development facilities for the community of forest dwellers to access facilities of education, health, nutrition, infrastructure etc.

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Topic 6: Growth recession

Context: US stock markets are soaring even as the economy struggles to avoid recession. The US is neither fully in recession nor growing to its full potential which is known as growth recession.

About Growth recession:

• The phrase “growth recession” was coined by American economist Solomon Fabricant.
• It doesn’t limit its definition to just GDP contraction.
• It looks at other indicators such as unemployment as well as the depth and spread of economic troubles.
• Growth recession is something above zero but below potential.
• Instead of the GDP growth crashing and contracting, it has slowed down to a level significantly below its potential.
• A key marker of recession is the rise of joblessness or unemployment.
• Potential GDP growth rate of an economy?
  • The potential GDP growth rate is that rate of growth at which an economy can grow without spiking inflation.

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Topic 7: Leptospirosis

Context: Leptospirosis has emerged as an important infectious disease in the world today.

About the disease:

• It is a potentially fatal zoonotic bacterial disease that tends to have large outbreaks after heavy rain or flooding.
  • The disease is caused by a bacterium called Leptospira interrogans, or leptospira.
• It is a contagious disease in animals but is occasionally transmitted to humans in certain environmental conditions.
• The disease has been called “ili jwara” in Kannada and “eli pani” in Malayalam, both meaning “rat fever”.
• Host:
  • The carriers of the disease can be either wild or domestic animals, including rodents, cattle, pigs, and dogs.
• Climate:
  • The disease is more prevalent in warm, humid countries and in both urban and rural areas.
• Magnitude of the disease:
  • It affects an estimated 1.03 million people every year, killing around 60,000.
  • The burden of leptospirosis is expected to increase in the future as the urban poor population in many tropical countries increases even as sanitary infrastructure falls short.
  • In India, thousands of people are affected by leptospirosis every year.
    • Within India, studies have found that leptospirosis is more common in the south, although this could be due to the region’s better healthcare and thus better disease detection.
• Challenges:
  • misdiagnosis (its symptoms mimic those of dengue, malaria, and hepatitis),
  • limited access to reliable diagnostics,
  • lack of awareness among treating physicians, and
  • lack of environmental surveillance.

Way forward:

• Leptospirosis control can benefit from a ‘One Health’ approach.
  • ‘One Health’ is an interdisciplinary approach that recognises the interconnections between the health of humans, animals, plants, and their shared environment.
• People who frequently interact with animals should exercise particular caution.
• Preventing animals from getting infected is also important to reduce the risk of leptospirosis spreading and to limit farmers’ economic losses (when the disease causes reproductive failures in pigs and cattle).
• This in turn requires sanitary animal-keeping conditions, which is also desirable to improve the animals’ health and to prevent the spread of many diseases.
• With ‘One Health’ in mind, public health professionals must work closely with the animal husbandry department to familiarise people about the dangers of leptospirosis, and create countermeasures that work for the health of both people and animals.

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Topic 8: Jowar

Context: A new study titled “Climate resilience of dry season cereals in India” focusing on two main Rabi cereals in India — wheat and jowar —  has highlighted the need for climate-smart agriculture interventions.

Key details about the study:

• Water requirements and Decline in yields:
  • In terms of water requirements, the study revealed that wheat consumes 1.4 times more water than jowar due to its extended growth cycle into the summer season.
  • Without substantial modifications in wheat cultivation practices, the study predicts a potential 5% decline in yields and a considerable increase in water footprint by 2040.
  • Jowar is projected to experience a mere 4% increase in water footprint under the same climate projections, making it a more sustainable option for future production.
• Need for smart approach
  • There is an urgent need for climate-smart agricultural approaches, particularly during the rabi season.
  • Jowar, with its resilient nature and reduced water requirements compared to wheat, could play a transformative role in mitigating the impacts of climate change on Indian agriculture.

About Jowar:

• Sorghum, popularly known as jowar, is the most important food and fodder crop of dryland agriculture.
• Sorghum originated in India and Africa.
• Jowar is mainly concentrated in the peninsular and central India.
• Major Jowar growing states:
  • Maharashtra (around 54%)
  • Karnataka
  • Andhra Pradesh
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Gujarat
  • Rajasthan
  • Uttar Pradesh (the Bundelkhand region)
  • Tamil Nadu
• Climate and soil:
  • Sorghum plants are very hardy and can withstand high temperature and drought.
  • It may be successfully grown under temperature ranging between 15 ⁰C to 40 ⁰C and annual rainfall ranging from 400 to 1000 mm.
  • Sorghum is grown on a variety of soil types but the clayey loam soil rich in humus is found to be the most ideal soil.