DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 2nd August 2024

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – POLITY

Context: Congress moved a Privilege Motion against Prime Minister for posting on social media a portion of remarks which were expunged from the proceedings of the House by the Chair.

Background:-

• The notice for the motion was moved by Charanjit Singh Channi under rule 222 which gives a member the power, with the consent of the Speaker, to raise a question involving a breach of privilege either of a member or of the House or of a Committee.

What are Parliamentary Privileges?

• Parliamentary privileges are special rights, immunities, and exemptions enjoyed by the members of Parliament. The aim of this is to ensure legislators and house can perform duties effectively .
• Parliamentary privileges in India are divided into collective and individual privileges.

Collective privileges

• The Indian Parliament can decide if its reports, debates, and proceedings should be published or not.
• The Parliament has the right to exclude outsiders from its proceedings.
• It can conduct secret sessions if needed.
• The Parliament can make rules for regulating its procedures, business conduct, and work adjudication.
• It can suspend or expel members for violating privileges.
• The Parliament can reprimand, admonish, or even imprison individuals who breach privileges.
• The Parliament is informed about the arrest, detention, conviction, imprisonment, and release of its members.
• The Parliament can initiate inquiries and call witnesses.
• The proceedings of the Parliament and its committees cannot be questioned in court.
• No arrests or legal processes can occur within the House precincts without the presiding officer’s permission.

Individual Privileges

• Members of Parliament cannot be arrested during sessions, 40 days before and after sessions. This privilege is only available for civil cases and not in criminal and preventive detention cases.
• They have the freedom of speech in the houses and are immune from court proceedings for their speech in Parliament.
• They are exempt from jury service and can refuse to give evidence or appear as witnesses during sessions.

What is a Privilege Motion?

• A privilege motion is moved by a member when they believe that a minister or another member has breached these privileges. The motion aims to censure the concerned member or minister for their actions.

Conditions for Raising a Privilege Motion

• To raise a privilege motion, two conditions must be met:
  • Specific Matter of Recent Occurrence: The issue must be a specific incident that has occurred recently.
  • Need for Intervention: The matter should require the intervention of the House.

Process of a Privilege Motion

• Raising the Motion: A member submits the motion to the Speaker (Lok Sabha) or Chairman (Rajya Sabha).
• Initial Examination: The Speaker/Chairman examines the motion and decides whether to admit or reject it.The Speaker/RS chairperson is the first level of scrutiny of a privilege motion. The Speaker/Chair can decide on the privilege motion himself or herself or refer it to the privileges committee of Parliament.
• Committee of Privileges: If the motion is referred to the Committee of Privileges, it investigates the matter.
• Committee Report: The committee examines the case, calls relevant persons, reviews documents, and submits a report with recommendations.
• House Consideration: The House considers the committee’s report and decides on the action to be taken.

Common Causes for Privilege Motions

• Misconduct by Members: Actions by MPs that are deemed dishonorable or contrary to the dignity of the House.
• Publication of Expunged Remarks: Publishing remarks that have been ordered to be expunged from the official records.
• Obstructing Members in the Discharge of their Duties: Any action that hinders MPs from performing their parliamentary duties.
• Disrespectful Conduct: Actions by any individual or authority that show disrespect to the House or its members.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT

Context: According to a new report, poaching and trafficking are endangering the survival of four sturgeon species in one of their last strongholds—the lower Danube River in southeastern Europe. These species are among the most endangered fish globally.

Background:

• Sturgeons are iconic fish of ancient origin, present already in the time of dinosaurs. They award a cultural, economic and natural value to many rivers of the Northern hemisphere and have become symbols for healthy and free flowing river systems.

About Sturgeons

• Ancient Origins: Sturgeons have been around for millions of years, with fossils dating back to the Late Cretaceous period.
• Primitive Fish: They are considered “primitive” because they have retained many characteristics from their early ancestors.

Physical Characteristics

• Distinctive Features: Sturgeons are long-lived, late-maturing fishes with distinctive characteristics, such as a heterocercal caudal fin similar to those of sharks, and an elongated, spindle-like body that is smooth-skinned, scaleless, and armored with lateral rows of bony plates called scutes.
• Size: Several species can grow quite large, typically ranging from 2 to 3.5 meters in length.

Habitat and Behavior

• Habitat: Sturgeons are found in subtropical, temperate, and sub-Arctic rivers, lakes, and coastlines of Eurasia and North America.
• Migratory Patterns: Many sturgeon species are anadromous, meaning they migrate upstream to spawn but spend most of their lives in river deltas and estuaries.

Additional Information

• Sturgeons are heavily exploited globally for their roe/eggs (caviar) and meat. This has led to a steep decline in populations worldwide.
• Due to overfishing for their roe (caviar) and habitat destruction, most sturgeon species are critically endangered
• Since 1998, international trade in all species of sturgeons has been regulated under CITES owing to concerns over the impact of unsustainable harvesting of and illegal trade in sturgeon populations in the wild.

Source: Down To Earth

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Context: The Quad countries recently announced that the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) will be extended to the Indian Ocean, utilizing the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre in Gurugram.

Background:

• IPMDA is a technology and training initiative to enhance maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific region and to bring increased transparency to its critical waterways.

About Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA)

• TheIndo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) is an initiative launched by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) countries—Australia, India, Japan, and the United States—in May 2022.
• The primary goal of the IPMDA is to enhance maritime security and domain awareness across the Indo-Pacific region by leveraging emerging technologies and providing training support to regional partners.

Key Objectives and Features

• Maritime Security and Awareness:
  • The IPMDA aims to providenear-real-time, integrated, and cost-effective maritime domain awareness to its partners1. This includes monitoring regional maritime spaces and securing open sea lines of communication (SLOCs).
  • It focuses on combating various challenges such as natural disasters, human and weapons trafficking, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and dark shipping (vessels operating with their AIS transponders turned off).
• Technological Integration:
  • The initiative employs commercial satellite-based tracking services to enhance vessel identification and counter dark shipping.This technology aims to provide a faster, wider, and sharper maritime picture of regional partners’ exclusive economic zones.
• Capacity Building:
  • The IPMDA provides capacity-building measures for regional partners, helping them improve their maritime situational awareness and protect their waters and resources.
• Inclusivity and Regional Cooperation:
  • While the initiative implicitly aims to curb Chinese belligerence in the region, especially in the South China Sea, it emphasizes inclusivity.The Quad countries aim to reassure other regional states that the IPMDA is not solely focused on deterring China but is meant to be a collaborative effort to enhance overall maritime security
• Challenges
  • Perception Issues: Some regional states are concerned that the initiative is primarily anti-China, which could hinder broader participation.
  • Implementation Hurdles: Effective implementation requires overcoming data management and information-sharing obstacles, as well as ensuring that smaller allies in the Indo-Pacific are not strained by the initiative.

Source: Hindustan times

 Syllabus

• Prelims – CURRENT EVENT

Context: Recently, the Union Education Minister launched the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) 2.0 Portal and disbursed Rs 100 crore stipends to apprentices through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.

Background:

• NATS 2.0 Portal facilitates registration and application for apprenticeships. It allows industries to manage vacancies and contracts, providing essential employability skills and a guaranteed monthly stipend to young graduates and diploma holders.

About National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) :

• The National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) is a flagship program of the Government of India aimed at skilling Indian youth in trade disciplines.

Key points about NATS:

• Objective: NATS encourages skill development among young people by providing practical, hands-on On-the-Job Training (OJT) opportunities. It bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
• Eligibility: It offers training to graduate, diploma students, and vocational certificate holders. The duration of apprenticeships ranges from 6 months to 1 year.
• Stipend: During the apprenticeship period, apprentices receive a stipend. Fifty percent of this stipend is reimbursable to the employer by the Government of India.
• Certificate of Proficiency: At the end of the training, apprentices receive a Certificate of Proficiency issued by the Government of India. This certificate can be registered at all employment exchanges across India as valid employment experience.

Source: India Today

 Syllabus

• Prelims – GEOGRAPHY

Context: China is set to build the world’s first nuclear power plant using molten thorium salt in the Gobi Desert, aiming for operation by 2025.

Background:

• Thorium-based nuclear power station utilizes thorium instead of uranium as fuel. Currently, the only operational thorium reactor is located in the Gobi Desert (120km northwest of Wuwei, Gansu province).

About Gobi Desert

• The Gobi Desert is a large, cold desert and grassland region in northern China and southern Mongolia.
• It is the sixth largest desert in the world.
• Its boundaries extend from the foothills of the Pamirs in the west to the Greater Khingan Mountains in the east, the Altai and Hangayn mountain ranges in the north and the Pei Mountains in the south.

Formation:

• The Gobi is a rain shadow desert formed by the Himalayas, which prevent rain-carrying clouds from reaching the region.

Terrain:

• Unlike typical sandy deserts, much of the Gobi resembles exposed bare rock.
• Sand dunes, grasslands, and rocky outcrops characterize its landscape.

Biodiversity :

• Despite its extreme conditions, the Gobi Desert hosts a variety of life forms adapted to desert survival.
• Notable wildlife includes the Bactrian camel, Gobi bear (one of the rarest bears globally), snow leopards, and various bird species.
• While vegetation is sparse, hardy plants manage to thrive in these challenging surroundings

Source: South China Morning Post

 Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2

Context: The Karnataka High Court has quashed proceedings under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act against a 23-year-old accused after he married the alleged victim in the case, with the caveat that the proceedings can be revived if he abandons the victim and their child.

Background:

• The incident occurred on February 2, 2023, when the accused took the school-going girl to an isolated location and allegedly sexually assaulted her.The girl subsequently gave birth to their child. Both parties’ — accused and victim — through their legal representatives submitted that they were in love, but faced parental opposition.

About Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act

• It aims to address offences of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, which were either not specifically defined or adequately penalised.
• It was enacted as a consequence of India’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992.

Key features of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act:

• It is a gender-neutral legislation as it defines a child as “any person” under the age of 18.
• It considers non-reporting a crime so any person in charge of an institution (excluding children) who fails to report the commission of a sexual offense involving a subordinate, faces punishment.
• It does not specify any time limit for reporting abuse so a victim may report an offence at any time, even years after the abuse has occurred.
• It keeps the victim’s identity confidential as the Act forbids the disclosure of the victim’s identity in any form of media unless authorized by the special courts established by the Act.

Key Provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act:

• It defines a child as any person below the age of 18 years. The Act provides punishment as per the gravity of the offence.
• It mandates that investigation in the cases is to be completed in two months (from the date of registration of FIR) and trial in six months.
• It states a sexual assault is to be considered aggravated if – the abused child is mentally ill or, when the abuse is committed by a member of the armed forces or security forces, a public servant, or a person in a position of trust or authority of the child, like a family member, police officer, teacher, or doctor or a person-management or staff of a hospital, whether Government or private.
• It prescribes rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than ten years but which may extend to imprisonment for life and also a fine as punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault.
• It makes provisions for avoiding the re-victimization of the child at the hands of the judicial system. It makes it mandatory to report such cases as it makes it the legal duty of a person aware of the offence to report the sexual abuse. In case he fails to do so, the person can be punished with six months’ imprisonment or a fine.
• It prescribes punishment to the people who traffic children for sexual purposes.
• It provides for punishment against false complaints or untrue information.
• It was amended in 2019 to increase the minimum punishment from seven years to ten years. It further adds that if a person commits penetrative sexual assault on a child below the age of 16 years, he will be punished with imprisonment between 20 years to life, with a fine.

Source: Economic Times

Q1.) Consider the following statements about parliamentary privileges:

1. Parliamentary privileges are special rights, immunities, and exemptions enjoyed by the members of Parliament.
2. Speaker/chairman has no role in admitting a privilege motion as it is directly dealt by privileges committee.

Which of the statements given above is/are  not correct?

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

Q2.) With reference to the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS), consider the following statements:

1. NATS aims to skill Indian youth in various trade disciplines through practical, hands-on On-the-Job Training (OJT).
2. It caters to graduate, diploma students, and vocational certificate holders.
3. During this period, apprentices receive a stipend, with 50% reimbursable to the employer by the Government of India.
4. Upon completion, apprentices receive a Certificate of Proficiency issued by the Government of India.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All four

Q3.) With reference to the Gobi Desert, consider the following statements:

1. The Gobi Desert is a hot desert and grassland region in northern China and southern Mongolia.
2. The Gobi is a rain shadow desert formed by the Himalayas, which prevent rain-carrying clouds from reaching the region.

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 ’  2nd August 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) –  c

Q.2) – d

Q.3) – c