DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd March 2023

Syllabus

• Prelims – Polity

Context: Recently, President Droupadi Murmu confers 54 Padma Awards for the year 2023.

About Padma Awards:-

IMAGE SOURCE: Padma Awards 2021 Announced: See Full List Of Recipients (sakshipost.com)

• The Padma Award are one of the highest civilian honours of India.
• Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954.
• It is announced every year on the occasion of Republic Day except for brief interruption(s) during the years 1978 and 1979 and 1993 to 1997.
• It is announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.
• The Awards are given in three categories:-
  • Padma Vibhushan: for exceptional and distinguished service
  • Padma Bhushan: distinguished service of higher order
  • Padma Shri: distinguished service.
• The award seeks to recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.
• The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
• The nomination process is open to the public.
• Even self-nomination can be made.
• Historical Background:–
  • The Government of India instituted two civilian awards-Bharat Ratna & Padma Vibhushan in
  • The latter had three classes namely Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg and Tisra Varg.
  • These were subsequently renamed Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri in 1955.
• Eligibility:-
  • All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these awards.
  • Government servants including those working with PSUs, except doctors and scientists, are not eligible for these Awards.
• The award seeks to recognize works of distinction and is given for distinguished and exceptional achievements/service in all fields of activities/disciplines:-
  • Art: includes Music, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Cinema, Theatre etc.
  • Social work: includes social service, charitable service, contribution to community projects etc.
  • Public Affairs: includes Law, Public Life, Politics etc.
  • Science & Engineering: includes Space Engineering, Nuclear Science, Information Technology, Research & Development in Science & its allied subjects etc.
  • Trade & Industry: includes Banking, Economic Activities, Management, Promotion of Tourism, Business etc.
  • Medicine: includes medical research, distinction/specialization in Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Siddha, Allopathy, Naturopathy etc.
  • Literature & Education: includes Journalism, Teaching, Book composing, Literature, Poetry, Promotion of education, Promotion of literacy, Education Reforms etc.
  • Civil Service: includes distinction/excellence in administration etc. by Government Servants
  • Sports: includes popular Sports, Athletics, Adventure, Mountaineering, promotion of sports, Yoga etc.
  • Others: fields not covered above and may include propagation of Indian Culture, protection of Human Rights, Wild Life protection/conservation etc.
• The award is normally not conferred posthumously. However, in highly deserving cases, the Government could consider giving an award posthumously.
• The awards are presented by the President of India usually in the month of March/April every year.
• The awardees are presented a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion.
• The recipients are also given a small replica of the medallion, which they can wear during any ceremonial/State functions etc.
• The total number of awards to be given in a year (excluding posthumous awards and to NRI/foreigners/OCIs) should not be more than 120.
• The award does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardees’ name.

Selection Process:-

• All nominations received for Padma Awards are placed before the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
• The Padma Awards Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary.
• It includes Home Secretary, Secretary to the President and four to six eminent persons as members.
• The recommendations of the committee are submitted to the Prime Minister and the President of India for approval.

BHARAT RATNA

• Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award in the country.
• It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour.
• The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the President of India.
• No formal recommendations for Bharat Ratna are necessary.
• The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.
• The government has conferred Bharat Ratna Award on 45 persons to date.

MUST READ: Ramon Magsaysay Award

SOURCE: AIR

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Consider the following statements in respect of the Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards. (2021)

1. Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are titles under Article 18(1) of the Constitution of India.
2. Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954, were suspended only once.
3. (C) The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of five in a particular year.

Which of the above statements is not correct?

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

Syllabus

• Prelims –Environment and Ecology and Geography

Context: Recently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB) to recover environmental compensation from Bhilwara municipal council for its failure to take action to remedy the pollution of River Kothari.

About River Kothari:-

IMAGE SOURCE: Kothari River – Jatland Wiki

• It arises from the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan.
• Source: Aravalli hills near Devgarh (Rajsamand, Rajasthan).
• It is one of the left-bank tributaries of the Banas river.
• This river joins the river Banas at Nandrai in Kotri tehsil.
• The Meja dam on the Kothari river provides drinking water to the Bhilwara district.
• River Pollution:-
  •  most open wells in villages near the Kothari river, which flows along the industrial belt, had chromium, lead, iron, zinc and sodium above the norms set by the Bureau of Indian Standards, Poisoned Water.

MUST READ: SC on National Green Tribunal (NGT) and State of Environment Report 2022

SOURCE: DOWN TO EARTH

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Consider the following Rivers: (2021)

1. Brahmani
2. Nagavali
3. Subarnarekha
4. Vamsadhara

Which of the above rise from the Eastern Ghats?

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 and 4
3. 3 and 4
4. 1 and 3

Q.2) Which one of the following has been constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986? (2022)

1. Central Water Commission
2. Central Ground Water Board
3. Central Ground Water Authority
4. National Water Development Agency

Syllabus

• Prelims –Polity

Context: Recently, the National Security Act has been invoked in the case of self-styled Sikh preacher and on-the-run Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh.

About National Security Act:-

• It is a preventive detention law.
• It allows for the detention of alleged individuals for months if authorities are satisfied that a person is a threat to national security or law and order.
• Preventive detention is basically the detention of a person without a trial to prevent him/her from committing a crime.
• It was enacted in 1980 during the Indira Gandhi government.

Grounds for detention under NSA:-

• It can be invoked to prevent a person from acting in any manner prejudicial to the defence of India, relations of India with foreign powers or the security of India.
• It can also be applied to prevent a person from acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the community.

Historical Background:-

• The first such law was 1818’s Bengal Regulation III which enabled the government to arrest anyone for defence or for maintaining public order without giving the person any legal remedies.
• In 1919, the Rowlatt Acts were passed.
• After independence, the government enacted the Preventive Detention Act of 1950 which expired in 1969.
• In 1971, the MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act, 1971) was enacted which gave unlimited powers to the government and law enforcement bodies.
• It was repealed in 1977.
• In 1980, the NSA was enacted.

Constitutional Provisions:-

• Article 22 (3) (b) of the Constitution of India allows for preventive detention and restriction on personal liberty for reasons of state security and public order.
• Article 22(4) states that no law providing for preventive detention shall authorise the detention of a person for a longer period than three months unless:-
  • An Advisory Board reports sufficient cause for extended detention.

Period of detention:-

• An individual can be detained without a charge for a maximum period of 12 months.
• The detained person can be held for 10 to 12 days in special circumstances without being told the charges against them.
• The detention can be further extended by the state if it finds fresh evidence for the same.

Appeal against detention:-

• A detained person can appeal before a high court advisory board but they are not allowed a lawyer during the trial.

MUST READ: National Security Council (NSC)

SOURCE: THE INDIAN EXPRESS

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Other than the Fundamental Rights, which of the following parts of the Constitution of India reflect/reflect the principles and provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)? (2020)

1. Preamble
2. Directive Principles of State Policy
3. Fundamental Duties

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Q.2) Which one of the following reflects the nicest, most appropriate relationship between law and liberty? (2018)

1. if there are more laws, there is less liberty.
2. If there are no laws, there is no liberty.
3. If there is liberty, laws have to be made by the people.
4. If laws are changed too often, liberty is in danger.

Syllabus

• Prelims –Science and Technology

Context: Recently, the Murugappa Group-owned Carborundum Universal Limited (CUMI) announced that it has inked an MoU with DRDO’s RCI Laboratory for Ceramic Radome Technology.

About Ceramic Radome Technology:-

IMAGE SOURCE: https://ceramics.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijac.14077

• Ceramic radome is regarded as a state-of-the-art technology for ballistic and tactical missiles and high-performance aircraft.

• The ceramic radomes have been developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat (RCI).
  • The Research Centre Imarat (RCI) has developed India’s missile arsenal.
  • It is India’s premier DRDO laboratory.
  • It carries out R&D in the technologies of control engineering, inertial navigation, imaging infrared seekers, radio frequency seekers and systems, onboard computers and mission software

Need for Ceramic radome:-

• Missiles undergo extremely high surface temperatures while travelling thro­ugh the atmosphere, and while re-entering from space.
• To withstand those temperatures, radomes located at the tip of a missile are made of ceramic.

Ceramics:-

• They are classified as inorganic and nonmetallic materials that are essential to our daily lifestyle.
• They are corrosion-resistant, hard, and brittle.
• The majority of ceramics are also excellent insulators and can withstand high temperatures.

Radomes:-

• They are structures or enclosures designed to protect an antenna and associated electronics from the surrounding environment and elements such as rain, UV light, etc.

MUST READ: DRDO’s New Procurement Manual

SOURCE: BUSINESSLINE

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Which one of the following statements best reflects the idea behind the “Fractional Orbital Bombardment System” often talked about in media? (2022)

1. A hypersonic missile is launched into space to counter the asteroid approaching the Earth and explode it in space.
2. A spacecraft lands on another planet after making several orbital motions.
3. A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.
4. A spacecraft moves along a comet with the same surface. speed and places a probe on its

Q.2) With reference to the carbon nanotubes, consider the following statement  (2020)

1. They can be used as carriers of drugs and antigens in the human body.
2. They can be made into artificial blood capillaries for an injured part of the human body.
3. They can be used in biochemical sensors.
4. Carbon nanotubes are biodegradable.

Which of the statements given above is correct?

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

Syllabus

• Prelims –History

Context: Recently, Mir Jafar was brought to the conversation in political spats between various political parties.

About the Battle of Plassey:-

• The Battle of Plassey (1757) was a watershed moment in modern Indian history, resulting in the consolidation of British rule in India.
• The East India Company, led by Robert Clive, fought this battle against the Nawab of Bengal (Siraj-Ud-Daulah) and his French Troop.

About Mir Jafar:-

Background:-Mir came to India and won the confidence of Nawab Alivardi Khan to rise to the post of Bakshi.

• He gained reputation as a brave military personnel, playing prominent role in many of Nawab’s military campaigns. He rescued Nawab’s nephew Saulat Jung in Katak and also defeated the Marathas.
• When Alivardi’s grandson Siraj-Ud-Dullah came to the throne and he again conspired, with Shawkat Jang to invade Bengal.
• However, the treachery became known to Siraj again and he demoted him and replaced him with Mir Madan as the Bakshi.
• In 1756, Siraj won the Cossimbazar factory from the British and then advanced towards Calcutta but the British soon retaliated and Siraj was compelled to flee to Murshidabd.
• Siraj sought the help of Mir Jafar who assured him of his help against the British.
• Mir Jafar was the  Commander-in-Chief of Nawab’s army during the the Battle of Plassey.
• He  was bribed by the East India Company (EIC) to cheat Siraj-Ud-Daulah during the battle.
• EIC promised to make him Nawab for conspiring against Siraj-Ud-Daulah.
• Mir Jafar, a kin of Siraj was promised the throne in return for supporting the British.
• The nawab’s army of 50,000 soldiers outnumbered Clive’s force of just 3000.
• However, the secret alliance of the British with the conspirators strengthened the British foothold in the battle.
• Mir Jafar, with around one-third of the Bengali army, did not join the battle and contributed to Nawab’s defeat.
• Mir Jafar later became the first Nawab of Bengal under British influence.

MUST READ: Treaty of Alinagar

SOURCE: THE INDIAN EXPRESS

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) In the first quarter of the seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India Company located? (2021)

1. Broach
2. Chicacole
3. Trichinopoly

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 2
3. 3 only
4. 2 and 3

Q.2) With reference to educational institutes during colonial rule in India, consider the following pairs: (2018)

Institution                                                 Founder

1. 1. Sanskrit College at Benaras            William Jones
2. 2. Calcutta Madrasa                           Warren Hastings
3. 3. Fort William College                       Arthur Wellesley

Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 only
3. 1 and 3
4. 3 only

Syllabus

• Prelims –Governance

Context: Recently , The National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) scheme has been restructured.

About The National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) scheme:-

• It works under the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying  Government of India.
• The NPDD scheme is designed to provide technical and financial assistance for the dairy development .
• This scheme is implemented with the view to dairying activities in a scientific and holistic manner.
• Dairying have the most important role in providing income-generating opportunities and employment opportunities particularly for marginal and women farmers .

Objectives of the Scheme:-

• To strengthen and create the necessary infrastructure for the production of quality milk.
• To strengthen and create the infrastructure required for the production, procurement, marketing and processing of milk.
• To create appropriate training infrastructure and facilities for the training of dairy farmers.
• To strengthen the dairy Producer Companies/cooperative societies at the village level.
• To increase the production of milk by providing the most needed technical input services like mineral mixture and cattle feed, etc; to assist the rehabilitation potential and viable milk unions/federations.

Areas of Operation:-

• National Dairy Plan Phase-I (NDP-I) will cover the case of States (i.e, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh).
• Implementation of NPBBDD will be done throughout the country.

Services Provided to Milk Producers:-

• Doorstep Veterinary Emergence and Health Services at MPCS around 18 Lakh Artificial Insemination (AI) are done per year.
• Cattle feed subsidy Rs.2-4/kg given (will be revised every month according to current market rates)
• The Mineral mixture is supplied to the milk producers at a subsidy of Rs.25 per Kg.
• Periodical animal health camps are conducted in villages.
• Green fodder and fodder slips are provided to milk producers through fodder cultivation in union land.
• FMD vaccinations carried out twice every year .
• Regular training is given to milk producers and village level workers in training centres.
• Bulk Milk Cooler (BMC) are installed when necessary as per the request of the producers and the budgeting done under this scheme.

MUST READ: National Dairy Plan

SOURCE: PIB

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) With reference to organic farming in India, consider the following statements: (2018)

1. ‘The National ‘Programme for Organic Production’ (NPOP) is operated under the guidelines and ‘directions of the Union Ministry of Rural Development.
2. ‘The Agricultural and Processed Food Product Export Development Authority ‘(APEDA) functions as the Secretariat for the implementation of NPOP.
3. Sikkim has become India’s first fully organic State.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Q.2) Consider the following statements: The nation-wide ‘Soil Health Card Scheme’ aims at (2017)

1. expanding the cultivable area under irrigation.
2. enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality.
3. checking the overuse of fertilizers in farmlands.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

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

Syllabus

• Prelims –Economy

Context: Recently, the Income Tax Department has launched a free of cost Mobile app namely AIS and TIS for taxpayers.

About Annual Information Statement (AIS):-

• The Annual Information Statement (AIS) is a comprehensive view of the taxpayer’s information that appears on form 26AS.
• Taxpayers can also provide feedback on the information displayed in AIS.
• AIS shows both the reported value (the value declared by the reporting entities) and the converted value (the value after considering the taxpayers’ feedback) for each information such as tax at source (TDS), statement of financial transactions (SFT) and other information. information etc.

Goals of AIS:-

• Show complete information to taxpayers with online feedback collection.
• Promote voluntary compliance and enable seamless pre-filling of returns.
• Prevent non-compliance.

Difference between AIS and Form 26AS:-

• AIS is an extension of form 26AS.
• Form 26AS shows details of real estate purchases, valuable investments and TDS/TCS transactions made during the financial year.
• AIS includes savings account interest, dividends, rents received, securities/property purchases and sales, foreign remittances, deposit interest, GST turnover, etc.

About Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS):-

• The Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS) is a category-wise aggregated information summary for a taxpayer.
• It shows processed value which means the value generated after deduplication of information based on pre-defined rules and derived value.
• It is the value derived after considering the taxpayer feedback and processed value under each information category, like salary, interest, dividend etc.
• The derived information in TIS will be used for prefilling of return, if applicable.
• The Taxpayer Information Summary is a vital section in the AIS which includes an important information summary of the taxpayer.

A person will be shown various details within the Taxpayer Information Summary, like:-

• Information Category
• Processed Value
• Derived Value

Within an Information Category, the following information is shown:-

• Part through which information received
• Information Description
• Information Source
• Amount Description
• Amount (Reported, Processed, Derived)

MUST READ: Input Tax Credit (ITC)

SOURCE: PIB

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) With reference to Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), consider the following statements: (2022)

1. They enable the digital representation of physical assets.
2. They are unique cryptographic tokens that exist on a blockchain.
3. They can be traded or exchanged at equivalency and therefore can be used as a medium transactions. of commercial

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

Q.2) Consider the following statements:

The Reserve Bank of India’s recent directives relating to ‘Storage of Payment System Data’, popularly known as data diktat, command the payment system providers that

1. they shall ensure that entire data relating to payment systems operated by them are stored in a system only in India
2. they shall ensure that the systems are owned and operated by public sector enterprises
3. they shall submit the consolidated system audit report to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India by the end of the calendar year

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (2019)

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

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2 (Governance) and GS 3 (Economy)

Context: The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has recently released the blueprint to increase share of Inland transport through “ Maritime India Vision (MIV)-2030”. The govt plans to increase Inland Water Transport share to 5% by 2030.

• According to the Ministry of Shipping, around 95% of India’s trading by volume and 70% by value is done through maritime transport.
• India has 12 major and 205 notified minor and intermediate ports.
  • Under the National Perspective Plan for Sagarmala, six new mega ports will be developed in the country.
• India’s key ports had a capacity of 1,534.91 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in FY20. In FY21, all key ports in India handled 672.60 million tonnes (MT) of cargo traffic.

About Maritime India Vision-2030:

• It is a 10-year blueprint with the aim of overhauling the Indian maritime sector, envisages Rs 3 lakh crore investment in port projects that in turn promises to generate employment for 20 lakh persons.
• The government plans to increase the transhipment volumes of Indian cargo at Indian ports from 25 per cent in 2020 to more than 75 per cent by 2030.
• To enhance Ease of Doing Business are planned under it which include implementing Enterprise Business System (EBS) to simplify and digitize processes across major ports by 2021, developing National Marine Logistics Portal to implement 100 per cent paperless processes including online payment and implementing unified ship e-registration portal.
• It plans development of green sustainable ports with an aim to increase the share of renewable energy to over 60 per cent by 2030 from current levels of less than 10 per cent.
• The policy focuses on ‘Make in India, Make for the world’ and thereby becoming a leading ship building country by 2030 through 15 times increase in the gross tonnage of ships built in India.
• It envisages setting up a maritime development fund to provide low cost, long term funding to maritime sector stakeholders besides enhancing cruise infrastructure by developing dedicated cruise terminals at 12 selected ports.
• The policy plans incentivising global cruise liners to make India their home port and emphasises on strengthening the maritime institutions to enhance India’s training and development capabilities at par with global standards.
  • This would help in increasing India’s share of seafarers from 12 per cent at present to over 20 per cent.
• It will also focus on the development of eastern waterways connectivity transport grid for enhancing regional connectivity and reducing cost of transportation from Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar, as per the document.

About Green Sustainable Port:

• A Green Sustainable Port, also known as an ecological port, is a sustainable development port, which not only meets the environmental requirements, but also raises their social, economic interests.
• The core question of an ecological port is to find a balance point between environmental, social impacts and economic interests.

Key challenges of maritime sector in India:

• Inadequate infrastructure: Despite having a significant coastline and a vast network of waterways, India’s maritime infrastructure, including ports and inland waterways, is inadequate and requires significant investment and development.
• Environmental concerns: The maritime sector can have a significant impact on the environment, and there are concerns around issues such as oil spills, pollution, and the impact of climate change.
• Poor connectivity: The lack of connectivity between ports, as well as ports and hinterland, leads to inefficiencies and increased costs.
• Skill gaps: There is a shortage of skilled manpower in the maritime sector, including seafarers, engineers, and other professionals.
• Security challenges: The maritime sector is also vulnerable to security threats such as piracy and terrorism.
• Regulatory hurdles: The maritime sector in India is subject to complex and fragmented regulations, which can make it challenging for businesses to operate efficiently.

Govt initiatives and development projects:

• Marine Fund: A Rs. 25,000 crore to provide low-cost and long-term financing to the sector, with the Centre contributing Rs. 2,500 crores within seven years.
• Ports Regulatory Authority: Under the new Indian Ports Act (to replace the old Indian Ports Act, 1908), an all-India Ports Authority will be established to enable inspection of major and other ports, improve institutional coverage of ports and organize structured ports. growth of the port sector to increase investor confidence.
• Eastern Waterways Connectivity Transport Grid Project: It plans to develop regional connectivity with Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.
• Riverine Development Fund: Requirements for the extension of low-cost long-term financing for inland waterway vessels through the Riverine Development Fund (RDF) and  the extension of the tonnage tax system (applied to ocean-going vessels and dredgers) to inland waterways to improve access for such vessels.
• Rationalization of port charges: This will make them more competitive and eliminate hidden charges from liners to increase transparency.
• Fairway development works: Fairway development works to ensure Least Available Depth (LAD) of 3.0 meters in Haldia-Barh, 2.5 meters in Barh-Ghazipur, and 2.2 meters in Ghazipur-Varanasi stretches on NW-1.
  • These are progressing under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) which has been undertaken by Inland Waterway Authority of India with technical and financial assistance from the World Bank.
• Development of New National Waterways: IWAI has identified 25 new NWs through techno-economic feasibility studies for undertaking technical interventions to make the waterways navigable for transportation purposes.
  • Once ready, these new waterways will provide an alternate mode of transportation in respective geographies.
• Digital Solutions for Ease-of-Doing Business: The CAR-D (Cargo Data) Portal is a web-based portal for collection & compilation, analysis and dissemination of all cargo and cruise movement data of National Waterways to the stakeholders.

Way Forward:

The pace at which the Green initiatives are undertaken by the 12 major ports will surely bring a green revolution in the sector making the ports cleaner and greener, which is also a key component of ‘Blue Economy’, creating environmental benefits and balancing the investments and cash flow.

The proposed vision will go a long way in brownfield capacity augmentation, developing world-class Mega Ports, the development of a trans-shipment hub in Southern India, and infrastructure modernization besides addressing the marine ecosystem and maritime security.

Source:  The Hindu

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2 (Governance)

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution launches an initiative for students to learn science via standards.

• The National Standards Body of India, known as the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), has recently introduced an educational programme called ‘Learning Science via Standards’ for students.

About Learning Science via Standards’ initiative:

• It is an initiative for students for learning science via standards.
• It focuses on a series of lesson plans aimed to use concepts and laws to help students understand their practical applications in manufacturing, functioning and testing of quality characteristics of different products as stated in the relevant Indian Standards.

Significance of the Initiative:

• Bridge the gap between theory and real-life use of science education.
• Enable students to relate the concepts of science to their actual applications and also promote a culture of quality and standardization in the country.
• Contribute towards capacity building to engage successfully in a variety of economic sectors in the country.
• Standards Clubs:
  • It was earlier launched by the BIS.
  • Standards Clubs’ undertake student-centric activities like debates, quiz and competitions, including standards-writing competitions.

Significance of ensuring standards

• Quality Assurance: Standards promote quality assurance and help to prevent the sale of substandard or counterfeit products.
• Consumer Protection: Standards help protect the health, safety, and well-being of consumers by ensuring that products and services meet certain quality and safety standards.
• Innovation: Standards play a vital role in fostering innovation and supporting the development of new products and technologies.
• Environment: Standards also help to promote environmental protection and sustainability by encouraging the use of environmentally friendly technologies and practices.
• Trade and Commerce: Standards help to facilitate trade and commerce both domestically and internationally by ensuring that products and services meet certain quality and safety standards.
• Public Health: Standards in healthcare can help ensure the safety and efficacy of medical devices, drugs, and treatments, thereby safeguarding public health.

Challenges of ensuring standards in India

• Lack of Awareness: Lack of understanding of standards among manufacturers, consumers, and policymakers leads to non-compliance with standards and a lack of demand for quality products.
• Weak Enforcement: Despite the existence of standards and regulations, their enforcement is weak, which leads to non-compliance by manufacturers and importers.
• Fragmented Market: India has a fragmented market with a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which lack the resources to comply with standards and certification requirements.
• Lack of Infrastructure: The lack of adequate infrastructure for testing, certification, and quality control such as insufficient laboratory facilities, shortage of trained personnel, and inadequate accreditation systems.
• Technological Obsolescence: The fast-paced technological changes create a challenge for standards development and enforcement as the standards need to be updated regularly to keep pace with technological advancements.
• International Harmonization: The global trade requires harmonization of standards between countries while India faces the challenge of aligning its standards with international standards while preserving its domestic priorities.

Way Forward:

Though the proposed initiative is expected to contribute towards the capacity building of students to engage successfully in a variety of economic sectors in the country, there is a need for a multi-pronged approach, involving awareness-building, capacity-building, infrastructure development, simplification of procedures, and closer collaboration with stakeholders to ensure desired results.

Source:   NewsOnAir

Q.1) The terms Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS) are often mentioned in the media launched by

1. Income Tax Appellate Tribunal
2. The Income Tax Department
3. NITI Aayog
4. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs

Q.2) Consider the following statements regarding the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) scheme:

1. The scheme is designed to provide technical and financial assistance for the dairy development.
2. It works under the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Q.3) With reference to the National Security Act, which of the following statements are correct?

1. It is a preventive detention law which allows detention of alleged individuals if authorities are satisfied that a person is a threat to national security or law and order.
2. It was enacted in 1980 during the Indira Gandhi government.
3. A detained person can appeal before a high court advisory board but they are not allowed a lawyer during the trial.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1 2 and 3

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’ 23rd March 2023 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – a

Q.2) – c

Q.3) – b