Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – ENVIRONMENT

Context: Global sea ice cover reached a record low of 15.76 million sq km over the five days leading up to February 13, surpassing the previous low of 15.93 million sq km recorded in January-February 2023.

Background: –

• Sea ice refers to the free-floating ice in the polar regions. While it generally expands during the winter and melts in the summers, some sea ice remains year-round. Note that this is different from icebergs, glaciers, ice sheets, and ice shelves, which form on land.

Key takeaways

• Experts suggest that the 2025 low could be due to a combination of warm air, warm seas and winds breaking apart the ice.
• Antarctic sea ice is particularly vulnerable to ice-breaking winds. Unlike Arctic ice, it is surrounded by the ocean instead of continents and is thus more mobile, and also comparatively thinner. The situation has been made worse this year due to warmer air and warmer waters towards the end of the southern hemisphere summer (December to February).
• Higher air temperatures led to the melting of the edges of the Antarctic ice sheet — also known as ice shelves — which extend over the ocean.
• In the Arctic, where winter lasts from November to February, sea ice remained low because of a delayed freezing around the Hudson Bay, a large saltwater body in northeastern Canada. The delay occurred as unusually warm oceans took a longer time to cool down.
• The region also witnessed some storms which broke apart ice around the Barents Sea, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia, and the Bering Sea, the stretch between Alaska and Russia.
• Higher than usual air temperatures in areas such as Svalbard, Norway, resulted in further loss of sea ice.

What dip means

• Less sea ice cover means that more water is getting exposed to the Sun and more heat (solar radiation) is getting absorbed, leading to a further rise in temperatures. 
• Notably, sea ice keeps temperatures down in the polar regions, as its bright, white surface reflects more sunlight back to space than liquid water. The loss of sea ice cover could be one of the reasons why the polar regions are getting warmer at a faster rate than the rest of the world.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Context: Microsoft has announced a new chip, called Majorana 1, that it said showed quantum computing is “years, not decades” away, joining Google and IBM in predicting that a fundamental change in computing technology is closer than believed.

Background: –

• Quantum computing holds the promise of carrying out calculations that would take today’s systems millions of years and could unlock important discoveries in medicine, chemistry, and aerospace, among others.

Key takeaways

• Majorana 1 is a groundbreaking quantum computing chip developed by Microsoft.
• Microsoft’s breakthrough revolves around engineering a new type of particle known as Majorana. These Majorana particles have been fabricated using topological conductors and they exist in a topological state, which differs from traditional states of matter such as solid, liquid, and gas.
• First theorised over 80 years ago by Italian physicist Ettore Majorana, Majorana fermions are particles that are their own anti-particles. But, there was no physical evidence of such particles.

Key Features

• Topological Quantum Bits: Majorana 1 integrates eight topological qubits, which are more stable and less prone to errors compared to traditional qubits.
• Topological Conductors: Utilizes a new type of material called topoconductors to observe and control Majorana particles, enhancing the reliability and scalability of qubits.
• Compact Design: The chip is compact, about the size of a sticky note, yet powerful enough to be a stepping stone towards systems capable of supporting a million qubits.

Applications

• Industrial-Scale Problems: Designed to solve meaningful, industrial-scale problems in fields such as medicine, pollution control, and materials science.
• Future Potential: Microsoft envisions Majorana 1 as a path to developing quantum systems that can scale to a million qubits, enabling transformative solutions.

Significance

• Quantum Leap: Represents a significant advancement in quantum computing, potentially revolutionizing various industries.
• Error Resistance: The use of Majorana fermions makes the chip highly stable and resistant to errors, a major challenge in quantum computing.

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – ECONOMY

Context: The role of consumption and investment in driving growth has been a topic of debate. In the latest Budget, the government has not demonstrated a strong commitment to boosting investment. Instead, the emphasis on tax concessions and restrained public spending suggests a reliance on consumption to drive growth.

Background:

• An economy’s growth depends on two factors. One is the supply or the production of goods and services, and the other is the demand or expenditure for purchasing these goods and services. 

Key takeaways

• The demand or aggregate expenditure in an economy comes from four sources. 
  • First is private consumption, which is the sum of expenditures by all individuals on items such as food, clothing, and mobile phones. 
  • Second is private investment, which is the amount spent by firms and households on installing new machines and constructing new factories or residences. 
  • Third is government expenditure, for consumption and investment.
  • Fourth is net exports or exports minus import of goods and services while engaging in trade with the rest of the world.

Investment and its multipliers

• Among the sources of demand, investment stands out for its ‘multiplier effects’. That is, an increase in investment of ₹100 could increase the economy’s overall demand and GDP by more than ₹100 — let us say by ₹125.
• Consider public investment in building a new highway. The incomes received by workers and firms involved in the project will generate fresh demand in the economy. The highways will trigger the establishment of new industries, all of which translate into a much bigger expansion of aggregate demand.
• Compared to investment, the multiplier effect from increased consumption is weaker. If incomes increase, consumption expenditures also increase, but the relation does not work strongly enough in the reverse direction. A rise in consumption cannot lift incomes as much in the rest of the economy.

Indian and Chinese experiences

• In the early 1990s, the per capita incomes of India and China were almost the same. But by 2023, China’s per capita income has grown to five times as high as the Indian level (2.4 times as high if purchasing power differences between the two countries are considered). The speedy growth of incomes in China has been led by investment.
• India’s economic growth over the last decade has been driven mainly by expanding domestic consumption expenditures. In 2023, consumption as a share of GDP was 60.3% in India compared to 39.1% in China. 
• The dominance of consumption in India’s GDP structure is mainly due to the weaknesses of the other components of aggregate demand in the country. The shares of investment and government consumption expenditure are relatively low. 
• India also has a trade deficit, with its import of goods and services being larger than its exports, reducing domestic demand.
• Economic growth driven by consumption is not only slower than investment-led growth, but it also aggravates inequalities. The growth of jobs, incomes, and consumption has remained depressed for many Indians, and they will be left behind.

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus:

• Prelims  – POLITY

Context: The Supreme Court has held that Advocates-on-Record (AoRs) bear full responsibility for the accuracy of petitions filed before the Court, even if the drafts are prepared by other advocates.

Background: –

• The Court warned against AoRs merely lending their names to petitions without due diligence.

Key takeaways

• The Supreme Court of India has a unique designation known as Advocate-on-Record (AOR), which grants exclusive rights to file cases before the apex court.
• An Advocate-on-Record is a lawyer who is authorized to file pleadings and appear before the Supreme Court of India on behalf of clients.
• Only an AoR can file cases before the Supreme Court. An AoR might engage other lawyers including senior counsels to argue before the Court.
• Eligibility Criteria to Become an AOR:
  • The advocate must have four years of legal practice.
  • They must complete one year of training under a Supreme Court approved AOR.
  • They must pass the AOR Examination, conducted by the Supreme Court, which includes subjects like Constitutional Law, Practice & Procedure, and Professional Ethics.
  • They must maintain an office within a 16-km radius of the Supreme Court and have a registered clerk.
• Key Responsibilities of an AOR:
  • Filing and processing cases in the Supreme Court.
  • Ensuring compliance with Supreme Court rules and procedures.
  • Managing legal documentation and submissions before the apex court.
  • Representing clients in Supreme Court cases.
• Significance of the AOR System:
  • Ensures high-quality legal representation at the Supreme Court.
  • Helps in streamlining case management and adherence to procedural rules.
  • Facilitates better coordination between the judiciary and legal practitioners.

Source: Live Law

Syllabus:

• Prelims  – CURRENT EVENT

Context: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has formed a high-powered committee, led by Dinesh Khara, former chairman of State Bank of India, to scrutinise various aspects of the Insurance Act 1938 and suggest amendments.

Background: –

• Insurance Act, 1938 was originally passed in British India to regulate the insurance sector. It provides the broad legal framework within which the industry operates. It also led to establishment of the regulatory authority, Irdai, which oversees the implementation of the act.

Key takeaways

• The Dinesh Khara Committee is a high-powered seven-member committee formed by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to review proposed amendments to the Insurance Act of 1938.
• The Irdai move has come at a time when the Indian government is gearing up to introduce the Insurance Amendment Bill in Parliament.

Key Objectives of the Dinesh Khara Committee:

• Reviewing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Limits: Assessing the feasibility of increasing the FDI cap in the insurance sector from the current 74% to 100%, with appropriate safeguards to ensure that revenues from insurance sales remain within India. 
• Introducing Composite Licenses: Evaluating the implementation of a composite licensing system that would allow insurers to offer multiple types of insurance products—life, non-life, and health—under a single entity, thereby streamlining operations and expanding product offerings. 
• Reducing Capital Requirements: Considering the reduction of paid-up capital requirements for insurers to encourage the entry of new players and enhance competition within the industry. 
• Streamlining Regulatory Processes: Proposing measures to simplify and expedite regulatory procedures, facilitating ease of doing business and promoting growth in the insurance sector.

Source: Indian Express

Q1.) Consider the following statements regarding the Advocate-on-Record (AoR) system in the Supreme Court of India:

1. Only an Advocate-on-Record (AoR) is authorized to file cases before the Supreme Court of India.
2. Any advocate with five years of legal practice is eligible to become an AoR without any additional examination.
3. An AoR must maintain an office within a specified radius of the Supreme Court and have a registered clerk.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3

Q2.) With reference to Microsoft’s Majorana 1 quantum computing chip, consider the following statements:

1. Majorana 1 is based on topological quantum computing, utilizing Majorana fermions for greater stability.
2. The chip integrates eight topological qubits, making it less prone to errors compared to traditional qubits.
3. Majorana 1 is designed primarily for commercial consumer use in personal computing devices.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3

Q3.) Match the following committees with their respective objectives:

Committee Name                              Objective

1. Dinesh Khara Committee.              1. Review and suggest reforms in the Insurance Act
2. Kasturirangan Committee.             2. Recommend policies for  Western Ghats
3. Shyam Benegal Committee.    3. Propose reforms in film certification and censorship policies in India
4. Bimal Jalan Committee.           4. Review economic capital framework and financial reserves

Select the correct match using the code below:
(a) A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1
(b) A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
(c) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
(d) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  Today’s – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) – b

Q.2) – c

Q.3) – d