DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam –22nd June 2024

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – SOCIAL JUSTICE

Context: Patna High Court on Thursday set aside notifications by the Bihar government increasing reservation in government jobs and educational institutions from 50% to 65%.

Background:-

• On November 7, 2023, the Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan government had raised the Bihar quota slab to 65 per cent. With this, reservation in the state effectively became 75 per cent when the 10 per cent quota for economically weaker sections (EWS) is taken into consideration.

What did the high court say in its order ?

• The high court set aside the Bihar government’s move to hike quotas on various grounds, making it clear that population percentage cannot form the sole basis for it, merit cannot be totally compromised, and the move infringed upon the Constitution’s provisions for the right to equality.
• Another reason for the court’s decision to strike down the government’s decision is the Supreme Court-stipulated quota ceiling at 50%.The HC called enhancement of quota beyond 50% “bad in law based on principles of equality”.

What is the 50% Ceiling on reservation?

• The 50% ceiling was introduced by the Supreme Court in its landmark 1992 decision in Indra Sawhney v Union of India in order to ensure “efficiency” in administration.
• The 6-3 majority verdict that upheld the 27% quota for socially and economically backward classes (SEBC) set two important precedents — first, it said that the criteria to qualify for reservation is “social and educational backwardness”;
• Second, it reiterated the 50% limit to vertical quotas that the court had laid down in earlier judgments (M R Balaji v State of Mysore, 1963, and Devadasan v Union of India, 1964). The 50% limit would apply unless in “exceptional circumstances”, the court said.
• The only exception to 50% limit  has been the 10% quota for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) introduced in 2019.
• In November 2022, a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the EWS quota in a 3-2 verdict that said the 50% ceiling applied only to SC/ ST and OBC quotas, and not to a separate quota that operated outside the ‘backwardness’ framework which was “an entirely different class”.
• Critics of the 50% ceiling argue that it is an arbitrary line drawn by the court.
• On the other hand, an argument is made that breaching 50% would be antithetical to the principle of equality since reservations are an exception to the rule.
• However, there is also a view that reservations are a feature of the fundamental right to equality, and part of the basic structure of the Constitution.

Reservation in other states

• The 76th constitutional amendment in 1994 inserted the Tamil Nadu reservation law breaching the 50% limit into the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
• The Ninth Schedule provides the law with a “safe harbour” from judicial review under Article 31A of the Constitution.
• Laws placed in the Ninth Schedule cannot be challenged for reasons of violating any fundamental right protected under the Constitution.
• In May 2021, SC struck down a Maharashtra law that provided reservation to the Maratha community as unconstitutional, holding that the quota limit could not exceed 50%.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – ECONOMY

Context: National Monetisation Pipeline monetised Rs 3.85 lakh crore of assets in 3 years.

Background:

• Pursuant to the announcement made in the Union Budget 2021-22, the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) – listing potential core assets of Central Government Ministries/PSEs for monetization during the period 2021-22 to 2024-25 – was prepared by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the concerned Infrastructure Ministries.

About Asset Monetisation

• Asset monetisation is the process of creating new sources of revenue for the government and its entities by unlocking the economic value of unutilised or underutilised public assets.
• A public asset can be any property owned by a public body, roads, airports, railways, stations, pipelines, mobile towers, transmission lines, etc., or even land that remains unutilised.
• As a concept, asset monetisation implies offering public infrastructure to the institutional investors or private sector through structured mechanisms.
• Monetisation is different from ‘privatisation’, in fact, it signifies ‘structured partnerships’ with the private sector under certain contractual frameworks.
• Asset monetisation has two important motives: Firstly, it unlocks value from the public investment in infrastructure, and secondly, it utilises productivity in the private sector.

National Monetisation Pipeline

• Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs on 23 August 2021 launched the asset monetisation pipeline of Central ministries and public sector entities as ‘National Monetisation Pipeline’.
• It is considered as one of the key factors in fulfilling the government’s goal of providing universal access to high-quality and affordable infrastructure to its citizens.
• Under the ambitious NMP, the government has identified 13 sectors – including airports, railways, roads, shipping, gas pipeline among others.
• It estimates aggregate monetisation potential of Rs 6.0 lakh crores through core assets of the Central Government, over a four-year period, from FY 2022 to FY 2025.
• NMP is one among the three pronged strategy developed by the government to strengthen country’s infrastructure, the other two being creating institutional structures, and enhancing share of capital expenditure in central and state budgets.

Source: PIB

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Context: In a landmark achievement, Chad has become the first country in 2024 and the 51st globally to eliminate a neglected tropical disease (NTD) — the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT).

Background:

• Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, is a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of the Glossina, commonly known as the tsetse fly. This disease mostly affects poor populations living in remote rural areas of Africa.
• HAT takes 2 forms, depending on the subspecies of the infecting parasite: Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (92% of reported cases) and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (8%).

About Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

• Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of mostly communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions.
• These diseases disproportionately affect impoverished communities, impacting more than one billion people globally.

Prevalence and Impact:

• NTDs mainly affect marginalized countries in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
• They cause devastating health, social, and economic consequences, particularly among women and children.

Complex Epidemiology:

• NTDs have complex epidemiology, often related to environmental conditions.
• Many are vector-borne, have animal reservoirs, and involve intricate life cycles, making their control challenging.

Examples of NTDs:

• Some notable NTDs include: Buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, Dengue and chikungunya, Dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease), Leprosy (Hansen’s disease), Onchocerciasis (river blindness), Schistosomiasis, Snakebite envenoming, Trachoma, Yaws and other endemic treponematoses.

World NTD Day:

• January 30 is observed as World NTD Day, commemorating the launch of the first NTD road map and the London Declaration on NTDs in 2012.
• The London Declaration aimed to recognize and address the global burden of NTDs

Source: Down To Earth

Syllabus

• Prelims – GEOGRAPHY

Context: Indian Railways achieved a historic milestone by conducting a successful trial run on the Chenab Rail Bridge.

Background:

• Standing 1,178 feet above the Chenab River, the bridge is 35 metres taller than Paris’ iconic Eiffel Tower. The bridge runs between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, and forms a crucial link from Katra to Banihal.

Key Takeaways:

• The Chenab River is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the Chandra and Bhaga rivers at Tandi,  in the Lahaul and Spiti district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh
• In its upper reaches, it is also known as the Chandrabhaga.
• The Bhaga river originates from Surya taal lake, which is situated a few kilometers west of the Bara-lacha la pass in Himachal Pradesh.
• The Chandra river originates from glaciers east of the same pass (near Chandra Taal).This pass also acts as a water-divide between these two rivers.
• The Chandra river transverses 115 km while the Bhaga river transverses 60 km through narrow gorges before their confluence at Tandi.
• The Chenab flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir before ultimately joining the Indus River from Pakistan’s Punjab plains.

• It flows west through Jammu and Kashmir union territory, between the steep cliffs of the Siwalik Range (south) and the Lesser Himalayas (north).

• Turning southwest, it continues into Pakistan, descending from the uplands into the broad alluvial lowlands of Punjab province.
• After receiving the Jhelum River near Trimmu, the Chenab empties into the Sutlej River, a tributary of the Indus River.

• According to the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan is entitled to the Chenab’s waters.
• India is allowed non-consumptive uses such as power generation.
• The tributaries of the Chenab River include Miyar Nalla, Sohal, Thirot, Bhut Nalla, Marusudar, and Lidrari.
• Notably, the world’s highest railway bridge, the Chenab Bridge, spans this river in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The bridge is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project and stands at an impressive 1,315 meters long and 359 meters above the riverbed level, making it the world’s highest railway bridge.
• The Chenab Bridge was designed with innovative features, including blast resistance and reduced maintenance efforts, reflecting engineering excellence in challenging terrain.

Source: Economic Times

Syllabus

• Prelims – GEOGRAPHY

Context: The Armenian government officially recognized the State of Palestine.

Background:

• This decision makes Armenia the 145th country to extend such recognition. The move was prompted by the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza,” and Armenia’s commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East.

About Armenia

• Armenia is a landlocked country situated in the South Caucasus region of the Caucasus.
• It lies within the Armenian plateau and is geographically part of West Asia.
• The capital city of Armenia is Yerevan (Erevan).
• Borders:
  • To the north and east, Armenia shares borders with Georgia and Azerbaijan.
  • To the south and west, it is bordered by Iran, Azerbaijan’s exclave Nakhchivan, and Turkey.
• Mountainous Terrain:
  • Armenia is characterized by its rugged landscape, with mountains dominating the scenery.
  • The highest peak is Mount Ararat.
  • Countries recognising Palestine as a sovereign state.
  • As of June 2024, 145 out of the 193 United Nations member states recognize the State of Palestine as a sovereign state.
• Among the G20 nations:
  • Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Turkey recognize Palestine.
  • Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States do not recognize Palestine.
  • Recently, Armenia also joined the list of countries recognizing Palestine.

Source: Times of India

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – HEALTH

Context: The death toll in the hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi district rose on Thursday to 38, with 24 others in critical care. Initial investigations suggest that methanol, a highly toxic form of alcohol often used to increase the potency of bootleg liquor, was the cause of severe illnesses and deaths.

Background:

• The tragedy prompted the DMK-led state government to order the immediate suspension of Kallakurichi Superintendent of Police and the transfer of the District Collector.

Spurious Alcohol/Hooch:

• Unlike branded liquor which is produced in factories with sophisticated equipment and rigorous quality control, hooch is made in much more crude settings. To put it simply, hooch is alcohol meant to intoxicate. But if prepared incorrectly, it can kill.
• The alcohol becomes spurious due to the contamination by methyl alcohol or methanol to increase its alcohol content.
• The unsafe distillation of hooch which is a derivative of cane sugar leads to the formation of methyl alcohol.
• The alcohol becomes spurious due to the addition of herbs to give flavours which may react to form deadly chemicals.

Reasons behind the problem of methanol poisoning deaths due to spurious alcohol:

• It is manufactured illegally mostly in villages on farmlands which makes it difficult to inspect the area by regulatory authorities.
• Country-made liquor is mainly produced by local breweries which resort to supply underground when the demand rises which makes it prone to corruption and lack of regulation, which leads to hooch tragedy incidents.
• The contaminants used to produce illicit liquor like methyl alcohol are easily available.
• According to WHO, unrecorded and spurious alcohol makes up more than half of all alcohol consumed in India. This is due to its reduced price when compared to the price of Indian-made foreign liquor.
• Few states like Bihar and Gujarat have enacted total prohibition on alcohol which helps in the flourishing underground illicit liquor business supported by bordering states.

Consequences of methanol poisoning deaths due to spurious alcohol in India:

• Spurious alcohol contains methanol which can cause severe poisoning leading to coma and death if untreated. It may also lead to permanent blindness, kidney failure, or other long-term neurological impairments of the body’s organs.
• The treatment of methanol poisoning and its long-term consequences places a substantial burden on the healthcare system.
• The sudden death of a family member due to spurious alcohol consumption causes significant emotional and financial strain on families.
• The illegal production and distribution of spurious alcohol leads to increased crime rates, which include violence and corruption.

Source: Indian Express

Q1.) Which among the following countries do not recognize Palestine as a sovereign state?

1. India
2. China
3. Armenia
4. United States

Q2.) With reference to the Chenab River, consider the following statements:

1. The Chenab River originates in the Lahaul and Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh.
2. According to the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan is entitled to the Chenab’s waters.
3. The Chenab flows through the Jammu and Kashmir before joining the Yamuna

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Q3.) With reference to the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), consider the following statements:

1. NTDs are a diverse group of diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions.
2. January 30 is observed as World NTD Day

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

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  22nd June 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – a

Q.2) – b

Q.3) – c