1
Time: 40 Min. Date: 20-08-2021
Geography
Revival of India's Wool Sector
Syllabus: GS1/ Factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).
In News
● Recently, an attempt has been made to revive India's Wool sector by importing Australian Merino sheep for crossbreeding.
Import to India
● Import to boost pastoral economy:
○ These lambs will be the first signs of success of an import exercise that the government resumed after 30 years, in 2019, with an aim to boost the pastoral economy and reduce the country’s import dependence for raw wool.
● Last crossbreeding import:
○ The last import was of Rambouillet sheep from the US in 1993. Its purpose was crossbreeding, which happened to officials’ satisfaction; however, low survival rates of imported sheep and limited success in obtaining wool deterred further exercises.
● Measures taken to reduce mortality:
○ This time, to lower mortality rates, import has been done from areas in Australia that have similar climates as our Himalayan states
● Under National Livestock Mission:
○ Of the 860 Australian Merino sheep imported between December 2019 and February 2020 under the National Livestock Mission, Jammu and Kashmir has received 420, Uttarakhand 240 and Himachal Pradesh 200.
○ Plans are also underway to import sheep for Rajasthan, the country’s largest wool producer known for its superior carpet grade Chokla and Magra wool.
DAILY CURRENT
AFFAIRS
2
○ Carpet grade is rougher than apparel grade and accounts for 85 per cent of India’s production.
○ Apparel grade wool accounts for less than five per cent of production and coarse grade fit for making rough blankets accounts for the rest.
Main Reason for Import
● The main trigger for import was deteriorating quality and quantity of carpet and apparel grades, largely due to inbreeding.
● The import comes as a surprise as the country has the third-largest number of sheep in the world with 74.26 million sheep under 42 registered breeds, according to the 20th Livestock Census in 2019. This was a 14.1 per cent increase from the previous census in 2012.
● Due to this insufficient domestic production, India depends on imports for raw wool, particularly on Australia and New Zealand.
● This wool is then used to prepare products like carpets, yarn, fabrics and garments for the domestic market and for exporting, especially to the United States and Europe.
(Image Courtesy: DTE )
Australian Merino sheep
● The Merino is a breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep, characterised by very fine soft wool.
3
● It was established in Spain near the end of the Middle Ages, and was for several centuries kept as a strict Spanish monopoly; exports of the breed were not allowed, and those who tried risked the death penalty.
● In 1797 the first merino sheep were landed in Australia. Unlike earlier breeds, this Spanish variety was much better suited to the Australian environment and was a formidable wool producer.
● The industry has gone through cycles of extreme growth and contraction, but today Australia still produces more than half of the world’s merino wool.
Challenges
● Shift in farmers’ focus:
○ Farmers have shifted their focus from wool to meat.
○ While sheep numbers are on a decline in wool-producing states, they are rising in Deccan states.
○ Telangana promotes the meat-producing Nellore breed through a subsidised sheep distribution scheme and the breed now comprises 51 per cent of the state’s sheep.
○ Meat prices are high at Rs 400-500 per kg in local markets.
○ Since weight is key in finalising prices, shepherds often leave wool on to make the sheep look healthier. This wool is then either wasted or sold through unofficial channels.
● Pastoral land is decreasing:
○ Pastures are diminishing across the country with the increase in plantations as well as urbanisation.
○ In Rajasthan, grazing land fell from 1.7 million hectares (ha) in 2007-08 to 1.6 million ha in 2017-18, according to state agriculture department data.
○ Grazing lands are shrinking in other states as well. In Gujarat, the indigenous Patanwadi breed is now less preferred by herders as encroachment and industrialisation have reduced flat grazing resources and these sheep are not good climbers, notes the study by the Centre for Pastoralism.
● Newer generations not much interested in Shepherding:
○ Shearing wool is unlike any other work. The younger generation does not want to do this. You may not find many sheep in the next few years.
○ Shepherds are reluctant to adopt modern practices like machine shearing.
■ Machine shearing takes only five minutes and increases the length of the fibre too, since it cuts neatly from the skin.
■ But there is low awareness. Farmers feel their sheep will be hurt.
■ The need for uninterrupted electricity supply is also a problem in rural areas.
● Inadequate pre and post loom processing facilities:
○ The constraints faced by the wool sector are due to outdated and inadequate pre- and post-loom processing facilities, the ineffective role of
4
state wool marketing organisations, the lack of an MSP system and no educational institute for wool technology.
Measures to boost pastoral economy
● Experts think imports and crossbreeding are unlikely to provide any respite to shepherds and traders. There are several factors India must focus on to boost its wool economy.
● Softer and finer quality of wool should be produced:
○ The fact is indigenous wool has for decades suffered at the hands of machine-friendly long-staple wool (a cluster of the fibre of greater length) after India set up mechanised spinning mills in the 1970s and 1980s.
○ Around the late 1980s or early 1990s, import tariffs were lifted as India began importing long-staple wool from Australia, New Zealand and West Asia, especially for apparels as it was finer and softer than the brittle indigenous wool.
○ Now, there is no offtake of wool from Gujarat or the Deccan states because it is short-stapled.
● Import of Shear machines:
○ These machines are mostly imported and cost Rs 1-1.5 lakh.
○ Even the blades and other parts are costly.
○ The Union Ministry of Textiles and the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi have come up with a cheaper machine that will cost Rs 40,000-Rs 45,000, but it is still being tested.
○ Meanwhile, Uttarakhand has been promoting machine shearing for five-six years. Some 25 per cent farmers opt for this approach now, as against five per cent three years ago.
● Sheep care has not got the same attention as other agricultural activities:
○ The type of research and time needed in this sector has not been provided.
○ There is a scope of better processing and marketing of wool, and even a minimum support price (MSP), like in crops.
○ There were no processing facilities or measures like washing, carding and grading which would have helped in its marketing.
Way Ahead
● The fact is most shepherds in the country rear sheep not by choice, but due to the lack of other options or because it is their traditional practice.
● There is a need to make this sector lucrative by:
○ raising awareness,
○ improving access to pasture lands,
○ facilitating marketing of wool,
○ offering remunerative prices, and
○ upgrading the supply chain for herders who are on the bottom rung of the ladder.
Source: DTE
5
Agriculture
Sustainable Cropping Techniques to Preserve Groundwater
Syllabus: GS3/ Major Crops - Cropping Patterns in various parts of the country, - Different Types of Irrigation and Irrigation Systems
In News
● Punjab and Haryana are switching to sustainable cropping techniques to preserve groundwater.
About
● Groundwater levels in both states have been on a rapid decline.
● According to the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), it decreased by about 85 percent in Punjab between 1984 and 2016.
● Haryana’s groundwater depletion rate is among the highest in the country.
● In Punjab and Haryana, the sown area shifted to other less water-intensive crops in recent years.
● Parts of the states have moved to alternative sowing methods and away from water-intensive crops this Kharif season.
Efforts Taken
● Punjab brought 600,000 hectares under direct-seeded rice (DSR), an alternative for the traditional, water-intensive method of sowing rice.
● Haryana has also been promoting DSR and the state government announced to give Rs 5,000 per acre to farmers opting for this technology.
● Significance of DSR:
○ It can help reduce water consumption by as much as 35 percent over the traditional process of transplanting rice seedlings from a nursery to waterlogged fields.
● It is also the second year for Haryana's ‘Mera Pani Meri Virasat’ scheme, under which an incentive of Rs 7,000 is being given to farmers to switch from paddy.
○ For this scheme, the government is specifically targeting eight paddy-rich blocks where the groundwater levels have dropped below 40 metres.
Causes of Groundwater Depletion
● Frequent Pumping:
○ Groundwater depletion most commonly occurs because of the frequent pumping of water from the ground.
○ It leads to a dangerous shortage in the groundwater supply.
● Aquifers are insufficient:
○ While aquifers hold enough water, it doesn’t have the ability to recollect quickly enough to be continually sourced for our use.
● Requirements in Agriculture:
○ Agricultural needs require a large amount of groundwater, but the availability of groundwater is steadily declining.
6
○ It is becoming extremely difficult to provide drinking water and water for crops and animals.
● Natural depletion:
○ Groundwater depletion can also occur naturally. The activities that lead to groundwater depletion come mostly from humans, but a portion of it also comes from climate change.
Impact of Groundwater Depletion
● Lesser water available at deeper levels:
○ Groundwater depletion will force us to pump water from deeper within the Earth.
○ Consequently, there will be a need to use even more resources to develop alternative methods to reach further into the ground.
● Affecting Freshwater Supply:
○ The groundwater is responsible for providing up to 40% of freshwater in the world. The depletion will affect the Earth’s freshwater supply.
● Water content in large bodies will start to reduce:
○ Large bodies of water will become more shallow from groundwater depletion.
○ This means that over time, less water will enter as the existing surface water continues to evaporate.
● Saltwater Contamination & Price Rise:
○ When freshwater mixes with saltwater, it is called saltwater contamination.
○ This could raise the prices of drinking water for everyone because it will cost much more to pump and filter.
● Food supply will suffer:
○ As large aquifers are depleted, food supply and people will suffer.
● Biodiversity will be affected:
○ A lack of groundwater limits biodiversity and dangerous sinkholes result from depleted aquifers.
○ As the water becomes less deep, it will affect everything in that particular region, including fish and wildlife.
Way Ahead
● Drip Irrigation
○ Drip irrigation systems deliver water directly to a plant’s roots, reducing the evaporation that happens with spray watering systems.
○ Properly installed drip irrigation can save up to 80 percent more water than conventional irrigation, and can even contribute to increased crop yields.
● Capturing and Storing Water
○ Many farms rely on municipal water or wells (groundwater), while some have built their own ponds to capture and store rainfall for use throughout the year.
7
○ Properly managed ponds can also create habitat for local wildlife. Marin Roots Farm relies on two ponds for all of their water needs, helping to minimize their impact on the surrounding watershed.
● Irrigation Scheduling
○ To avoid under- or overwatering their crops, farmers carefully monitor the weather forecast, as well as soil and plant moisture, and adapt their irrigation schedule to the current conditions.
○ Timers can be used to schedule watering for the cooler parts of the day, further reducing water loss.
● Drought-Tolerant Crops
○ Growing crops that are appropriate to the region’s climate is another way that farmers are getting more crop per drop.
○ Crop species that are native to arid regions are naturally drought-tolerant, while other crop varieties have been selected over time for their low water needs.
● Dry Farming
○ Relying on soil moisture to produce their crops during the dry season.
○ Special tilling practices and careful attention to microclimates are essential.
○ Wine grapes, olives, potatoes, and apple trees can also be successfully dry farmed in California.
● Rotational Grazing
○ Rotational grazing is a process in which livestock are moved between fields to help promote pasture regrowth.
○ Good grazing management increases the fields’ water absorption and decreases water runoff, making pastures more drought-resistant.
○ Increased soil organic matter and better forage cover are also water-saving benefits of rotational grazing.
● Compost and Mulch
○ Compost, or decomposed organic matter used as fertilizer, has been found to improve soil structure, increasing its water-holding capacity.
○ Farmers may also use black plastic mulch as a soil cover to suppress weeds and reduce evaporation.
● Cover Crops
○ Planted to protect soil that would otherwise go bare, cover crops, reduce weeds, increase soil fertility and organic matter, and help prevent erosion and compaction.
○ This allows water to more easily penetrate the soil and improves its water- holding capacity.
● Conservation Tillage
○ Conservation tillage uses specialized plows or other implements that partially till the soil but leave at least 30 percent of vegetative crop residue on the surface.
8
○ Like the use of cover crops, such practices help increase water absorption and reduce evaporation, erosion, and compaction.
● Going Organic
○ In addition to keeping many of the more toxic pesticides out of our waterways, organic methods could help retain soil moisture.
○ Healthy soil that is rich in organic matter and microbial life serves as a sponge that delivers moisture to plants.
● Use less water for luxury purposes:
○ Considering the impending crisis of a mass water shortage, everyone should do their part to use less water whenever possible.
● Reduce chemical use:
○ The water from businesses and private residences that run into the streets and sewage systems are commonly laden with chemicals.
○ Reduce use of chemicals and dispose of them properly.
● Investment in R&D:
○ More comprehensive research and additional funding can help with groundwater depletion.
○ Understandably, more funding should be granted towards researching our groundwater supply instead of just pumping the water.
● Strict Laws
○ Laws that are in place for the pumping of groundwater should be more strict and follow specific regulations.
● Find alternative sources of water:
○ One of the most effective ways to address the issue of groundwater depletion is to find alternative sources of water.
○ Alternative water sources can be used to help replenish aquifers.
○ Deriving water from other sources would also give aquifers time to refill instead of pumping too much water from them at once.
● Regulated pumping:
○ The pumping of groundwater should be regulated. If we don’t have a better understanding of our groundwater supply, then we can easily use much more than we should.
Source: DTE
Science & Technology
Nuclear Fusion Reaction at National Ignition Facility
Syllabus: GS3/ Science & Technology/ Nuclear
In News
● Recently, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in an experiment at its National Ignition Facility has made a breakthrough in nuclear fusion research.
9
About The Experiment
● They have been able to produce 1.3 megajoules of energy at its National Ignition Facility.
● They applied laser energy on fuel pellets to heat and pressurise them at conditions similar to that at the centre of our Sun. This triggered the fusion reactions.
● These reactions released positively charged particles called alpha particles, which in turn heated the surrounding plasma.
● At high temperatures, electrons are ripped from an atom’s nuclei and become a plasma or an ionised state of matter. Plasma is also known as the fourth state of matter.
● The heated plasma also released alpha particles and a self-sustaining reaction called ignition took place.
● Ignition helps amplify the energy output from the nuclear fusion reaction and this could help provide clean energy for the future.
● Significance:
○ It will allow physicists to probe the conditions in some of the most extreme states in the universe, including those just minutes after the Big Bang.
○ To gain insights into quantum states of matter.
What is Nuclear Fusion?
● Nuclear Fusion is the process wherein lighter atoms combine to form heavier atoms accompanied by the release of energy.
● This process powers the Sun and other stars, whereby they generate heat and light.
● On Earth, it is achieved by combining two isotopes of Hydrogen i.e deuterium and tritium.
● Process:
○ The Deuterium (H-2) and Tritium (H-3) atoms are combined to form Helium (He-4), the next element in the periodic table. A free and fast neutron is also released as a result.
○ The neutron is powered by the kinetic energy converted from the ‘extra’
mass left over after the combination of lighter nuclei of deuterium and tritium occurs.
10
Image Courtesy: Philadelphia
● How is it achieved?
○ In a Nuclear Fusion Reactor, The two atomic nuclei are brought very close to each other, activating the nuclear forces which act as a ‘glue’ for the nuclei and overcoming the electrostatic forces that repel similarly charged atomic nuclei.
● Required conditions:
○ This requires high density, high-temperature conditions to create a plasma state (the fourth state of matter), in which electrons are stripped away from atomic nuclei to form ionized gas. The electrostatic forces can be overcome when this state is achieved and the process can be controlled via magnetic confinement in nuclear fusion reactors.
Advantages of Nuclear Fusion
● Abundant energy: Fusing atoms together in a controlled way releases nearly four million times more energy than a chemical reaction such as the burning of coal, oil or gas and four times as much as nuclear fission reactions (at equal mass).
● Sustainability: Fusion fuels are widely available and nearly inexhaustible.
Deuterium can be distilled from all forms of water, while tritium will be produced during the fusion reaction as fusion neutrons interact with lithium.
● No CO₂ : Fusion doesn't emit harmful toxins like carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Its major by-product is helium: an inert, non-toxic gas.
11
● No long-lived radioactive waste: Nuclear fusion reactors produce no high activity, long-lived nuclear waste. The activation of components in a fusion reactor is low enough for the materials to be recycled or reused within 100 years.
● Limited risk of proliferation: Fusion doesn't employ fissile materials like uranium and plutonium. (Radioactive tritium is neither a fissile nor a fissionable material.) There are no enriched materials in a fusion reactor like ITER that could be exploited to make nuclear weapons.
● No risk of meltdown: It is difficult enough to reach and maintain the precise conditions necessary for fusion—if any disturbance occurs, the plasma cools within seconds and the reaction stops.
Also, Know about Nuclear Fission
● Nuclear fission is the process of splitting apart nuclei (usually large nuclei).
● Fission reactions do not normally occur in nature.
● Fission produces many highly radioactive particles.
● The energy released by fission is a million times greater than that released in chemical reactions; but lower than the energy released by nuclear fusion
● One class of nuclear weapons is a fission bomb, also known as an atomic bomb or atom bomb.
● Fission is the splitting of a large atom into two or smaller ones
● The critical mass of the substance and high-speed neutrons are required
● Takes little energy to split two atoms in a fission reaction
● Nuclear fission is the splitting of a massive nucleus into photons in the form of gamma rays, free neutrons, and other subatomic particles. In a typical nuclear reaction involving 235U and a neutron.
12 Source: IE
International Relations 5th meeting of BRICS Industry Ministers
Syllabus: GS 2/International Organisations & Groupings
In News
● Recently, India chaired the 5th meeting of BRICS Industry Ministers.
● The theme of BRICS@15: Intra BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus for its Chairship, this year.
More in news
● The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry called for the New
Development Bank (NDB) to expand its horizons to fund service delivery in the social infrastructure, especially for funding service delivery in the education and health sector, besides promotion of infrastructure and industrial sector.
Major Highlights of the Meeting
● Channelizing technology: India’s efforts of channelizing technology towards good and smart governance thus increasing transparency and accountability were highlighted.
○ They appreciated the need for adopting the emerging new technologies in a swiftly changing world and recognized this as an important tool for modernization and transformation of industry, promotion of inclusive economic growth, thus helping BRICS national economies to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
● Vibrant and dynamic start-up ecosystem: India has developed a vibrant and dynamic start-up ecosystem, leveraged existing platforms and digital
technologies such as Aadhar and UPI payments for ensuring delivery of critical services to the last mile.
○ Online systems like COWIN and digital vaccination certificates are being cited as success stories across the world today.
● Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: Ministers recognized the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic particularly in the fields of trade and industry.
○ They complimented all the COVID warriors, doctors, nurses,
paramedical staff and scientists, across all the BRICS countries, for their selfless and tireless efforts in saving our lives.
13
● Human resource development: They agreed on the need to build human resources in line with the changing requirements accelerated by the new
emerging technology to promote training and skills development of the related workforce and businesses through workshops, seminars, and exchange
programs.
● Trade environment: They reiterated their commitment to making efforts to foster an open, fair, and non-discriminatory trade environment, ensure greater participation in global value chains, promote digital inclusion, assess the
implications, and encourage the progressive, safe, equitable, and sustainable use of disruptive technologies for advancing growth.
About BRICS
Background of BRICS
● July 2006: The leaders of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries met for the first time in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the margins of the G8 Outreach Summit.
● September 2006: Shortly afterwards, the group was formalised as BRIC during the 1st BRIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which met on the sidelines of the UN Assembly in New York City.
● June 2009: After a series of high-level meetings, the 1st BRIC summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
● September 2010: The BRIC group was renamed as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) after South Africa was accepted as a full member at the BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York.
Composition
● BRICS consists of the major emerging economies from the world, comprising 41% of the world population.
● It contributes 24% of the world GDP.
● It has a 16% share in world trade.
● The total combined area of 29.3% of the total land surface of the world.
Three pillars of intra-BRICS cooperation
● Political and Security: It aims to enhance cooperation and dialogue on issues of global and regional security, developments in the global political space for peace, security and prosperity. The priorities under this pillar are:
○ Reform of the Multilateral System
○ Counter-Terrorism Cooperation
● Economic and Financial: It aims to promote economic growth and development for mutual prosperity through the expansion of intra-BRICS cooperation in sectors such as trade, agriculture, infrastructure, small and medium enterprises,
14
energy and finance & banking. Recognizing the advantages of using technological and digital solutions for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals in BRICS countries with a special focus on:
○ Implementation of the BRICS Economic Partnership Strategy 2020-25.
○ Operationalization of the BRICS Agriculture Research Platform.
○ Cooperation on Disaster Resilience.
○ Innovation Cooperation.
○ Digital Health and Traditional Medicine.
● Cultural and People to People: It aims to qualitatively enrich and enhance intra-BRICS people to people contacts in cultural, academic, youth, sports, business, through regular exchanges. Exchanges among Parliamentarians, young scientists etc. are also held.
Significance of BRICS
● A platform for global issues: India along with Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa actively engages on issues of global importance through BRICS. E.g.
○ Global financial and security situation, countering terrorism, climate change, sustainable development, reform of the multilateral system, reform of WTO and institutions of international governance, ways to promote Intra-BRICS cooperation including in science & technology, trade, health, information and communication technology, people-to- people exchanges.
● Drives Economic Growth: BRICS countries have been the main engines of global economic growth over the years. From inception, finance and trade have been a major area of Intra-BRICS Cooperation.
○ The New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) are the major outcomes in this area.
● Counter-Terrorism: Counter-Terrorism Working Group in BRICS has set up subgroups to cover various aspects of countering terrorism.
○ At the same time, BRICS has emerged as a major factor in a peaceful, prosperous and multipolar world.
○ BRICS Leaders have been supporting India’s stand on countering terrorism and that terrorism is not acceptable in any form and manifestation.
Challenges for BRICS
● Cooperation among Members: Whether it can manage the internal
contradictions among its members while also simultaneously expanding its agenda to become a more consequential voice at the international level, will determine its success in the coming years.
15
● Domestic Economic Growth: The increased intra-BRICS cooperation in areas like health, science and technology, environment, finance, trade, agriculture, etc.
will be difficult to sustain if the member states cannot provide the levels of domestic economic growth that ‘provides the basis for their international positions.’
● Containing Assertiveness of China: The rise of China and its resultant impact on the world order has raised questions about the impact of a rising power on multilateral processes.
● The negative impact of other Global Institutions: Given that BRICS countries on their own are not in a position to mount global efforts to deal with large- scale crises, paralysis at the level of other multilateral institutions negatively affects agenda formation in BRICS.
● Role of other Nations: The role of other emerging powers, their foreign policy choices in an evolving global order and response to the US-China equation will affect multilateral behaviour, including that of BRICS.
Conclusion
● The BRICS countries are “indeed different from a few developed countries in their attitude towards multilateralism and multilateral cooperation.
● The BRICS countries stress the need to observe the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and oppose exceptionalism and double standards.
● BRICS are committed to extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and oppose hegemonic bullying and zero-sum games.
● BRICS pursue openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, and reject bloc politics and ideological confrontation.
About New Development Bank (NDB)
● It is a multilateral development bank operated by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
● Establishment: Agreed by BRICS leaders at the 5th BRICS summit held in Durban, South Africa in 2013. Later, it was established in 2014, at the 6th BRICS Summit at Fortaleza, Brazil.
● It was established with an initial authorized capital of USD 100 billion.
● HQ: Shanghai, China.
● Aim & Objectives: To foster greater financial and development cooperation among the five emerging markets.
○ To mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging economies and developing countries.
16
● In 2018, the NDB received observer status in the United Nations General Assembly, establishing a firm basis for active and fruitful cooperation with the UN.
How is NDB different from AIIB?
● AIIB has 57 countries predominantly in the Asia and Pacific region whereas NDB has five BRICS countries.
● Decision making in the NDB is more democratic, each member has one vote and decisions are taken by a simple voting method.
○ Whereas voting shares in AIIB are based on the size of each member country’s economy (GDP in PPP terms) and not on the basis of a contribution to the bank’s authorized capital. China, India and Russia are the three largest shareholders.
Source: IE
Indian Polity
Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021
Syllabus:GS 2/Features & Amendments /Government Policies & Interventions
In News
● Recently, Gujarat High Court granted protection to interfaith couples from harassment under The Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021.
Major Points of ruling
● The Gujarat High Court ruled that some sections of the Act will not apply to a marriage that did not involve force, fraud or allurement.
○ The order applies to Sections 3, 4, 4A to 4C, 5, 6 and 6A of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021.
● This interim order is to protect the parties which solemnised interfaith marriages from unnecessary harassment.
● Background
● The court acted on a petition filed by the Gujarat chapter of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind challenging the constitutional validity of some of the amended sections.
○ The act was challenged in the high court by a petitioner who argued that it allows “anyone to lodge a complaint” and
“criminalises inter-religious marriages.
17
○ In the petition, it has been argued that the law goes against the basic principles of marriage and the right to propagate, profess and practice religion as enshrined in Article 25 of the Constitution.
● State Advocate General Kamal Trivedi told the court that there was no
“ban on interfaith marriages” in the State but defended the new law saying that marriages cannot be the tool for “forceful conversion”.
About Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021
● The latest Act has amended the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003 with some stringent provisions against any individual or institution indulging in forcible religious conversion by marriage.
● Gujarat became the third Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state to pass such legislation. In February this year, Uttar Pradesh passed the Prohibition of
Unlawful Religious Conversion Bill, 2021. In March, Madhya Pradesh passed the Freedom of Religion Bill, 2020.
● Key Provisions
○ Section 3 : In the new amendment, Section 3 of the law defines what is
“forcible conversion”.
■ It says “no person shall convert or attempt to convert any person from one religion to another by use of force, or by allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage or by getting a person married or by aiding a person to get married, nor shall any person abet such conversion”.
○ Section 4: As per Section 4, people found guilty of violating the
provisions of Section 3 will face up to three years of imprisonment and a fine of ₹ 50,000.
■ If the victim is a minor, a woman or from SC or ST community, then the jail term will be four years with a fine of ₹ one lakh.
● Section 4A prescribes punishment of imprisonment in the range of 3 to 5 years for unlawful conversion.
● Section 4B declares marriages by unlawful conversion as void.
● Section 4C deals with offences of organizations doing the unlawful conversion.
● Section 5 of the law mandates that religious priests must take prior permission from the district magistrate for converting any person from one religion to another.
○ Moreover, the one who got converted also needs to “send an intimation” to the district magistrate in a prescribed form.
18
● Section 6 : as per Section 6, prior sanction of the DM or a sub-divisional magistrate is necessary to start prosecution against the accused.
■ However, as per Section 6A, the burden of proof is on the accused
“who has caused the conversion”.
● Objectives and need:
○ It aims to bring in new sections that penalise forcible or fraudulent religious conversion through marriage, citing several incidents of alleged conversion through marriages.
Right to Freedom of religion in India
● The Indian Constitution allows individuals the freedom to live by their
religious beliefs and practices as they interpret these. In keeping with this idea of religious freedom for all, India also adopted a strategy of separating the power of religion and the power of the State
Constitutional Provisions
● Article 25: Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion
● Article 26: Freedom to manage religious affairs
● Article 27: Freedom to pay taxes for promotion of any particular religion
● Article 28: Freedom to attend religious instruction or worship in certain educational institutions
Source: TH
19
Facts in News Smog Tower
● Delhi will get its first smog tower.
About
● The Smog tower is a 24 metre-high structure fitted with fans and air filters to work as large-scale air purifiers.
● They are usually fitted with multiple layers of air filters, which clean the air of pollutants as it passes through them.
○ They will draw in polluted air from the top and release purified air near the ground through fans fitted on sides.
○ The tower has 40 big fans and 5,000 filters to clean the air.
● The filters installed in the tower use carbon
nanofibres as a major component and are fitted along its peripherals.
Image Courtesy: TH
20
Defence Startup Challenge 5.0
● Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the 5th edition of the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC) under Innovations for Defence Excellence - Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO) About
● DISC 5.0 is a massive leap towards leveraging the startup ecosystem to develop India’s defence technologies, equipment design and manufacturing capabilities.
○ The launch of DISC 5.0 comes three years after the launch of DISC 1.0.
● It will encourage startups to become more attuned to innovative concepts and inculcate the approach of creative thinking in India’s budding entrepreneurs.
● DISC 5.0 is a reflection of the Government’s resolve of creating an ‘Atma Nirbhar’ defence sector.
● Thirty-five problem statements were unveiled under DISC 5.0.
○ These are in areas such as situational awareness, augmented reality, artificial
intelligence, aircraft-trainer, non-lethal devices, 5G network, underwater domain awareness, Drone SWARMS and data capturing.
Earlier editions of DISC
○ In the earlier editions of DISC, more than 80 start-ups, Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSME) and individual innovators had joined as winners in over 40 technological areas.
■ iDEX4fauji was a similar initiative that gave an opportunity to the Service personnel to showcase their talent in these fields.
iDEX
● It was launched in April 2018 to achieve self-reliance and foster innovation & technology development in the defence and aerospace sectors.
● It will be funded and managed by a “Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO)‟ formed as a “not for profit‟ company as per Section 8 of the
Companies Act 2013 for this purpose.
○ It provided a strong foundation for innovation, Research and Development (R&D) to the
21
industry. “Initiatives like iDEX form a link between our youth, academia, R&D, start-ups and the armed forces by engaging Industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia.
22
DRDO’s chaff Technology to Safeguard Jets
● Recently, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed advanced Chaff material and chaff cartridge-118/I in collaboration with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune
● It aims to safeguard fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) from enemy radar threats.
Chaff
● Chaff is primarily an electronic counter-measure technology used by militaries worldwide to protect high-value targets such as fighter jets or naval ships from radars and radio frequency (RF) guiding mechanisms of the enemy missiles.
● The chaff deployed in the air reflects as multiple targets for the missile guidance systems, thus misleading the enemy radars or deflecting adversary missiles.
● The importance of this technology lies in the fact that a very little quantity of chaff material deployed in the air acts as decoys to deflect enemy’s missiles for ensuring the safety of the fighter aircraft.
23
G-sec Acquisition Programme (G- SAP 2.0)
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that it will conduct an open market purchase of government securities of ₹ 25,000 crores under the G-sec Acquisition Programme (G-SAP 2.0).
● Earlier, under G-SAP 1.0, the first purchase of government securities for an aggregate amount of Rs.
25,000 crore was made.
About
● The G-Sec Acquisition Programme (G-SAP) is basically an unconditional and a structured open market operation (OMO), of a much larger scale and size.
● RBI has called the G-SAP an OMO with a ‘distinct character’.
● The word ‘unconditional’ here connotes that RBI has committed up front that it will buy G-Secs irrespective of the market sentiment.
● This aspect is crucial as altogether different literature on the subject emerges once the assumption of certainty/commitment is built in.
G-Sec (Government Securities)
● These are debt instruments issued by the government to borrow money.
● The two key categories are treasury bills – short-term instruments that mature in 91 days, 182 days, or 364 days, and
● Dated securities – long-term instruments, which mature anywhere between 5 years and 40 years.
● T-Bills are issued only by the central government, and the interest on them is determined by market forces.
24
PAT Scheme
● The Perform, Achieve, Trade (PAT) scheme was established by the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency.
○ NMEEE is one of the eight national missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) launched by the Government of India in the year 2008.
○ Under PAT Scheme, the Energy Savings Certificates (ESCerts) were introduced in India in 2012 by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
● It is a regulatory instrument to reduce specific energy consumption in energy-intensive industries, with an associated market-based mechanism to enhance the cost-effectiveness through certification of excess energy saving which can be traded.
Working:
● Under the scheme, Designated Consumers (DCs) are given specific energy-saving targets for a three-year cycle.
● The targets are given according to the current energy efficiency levels of the DCs in such a manner that energy-efficient DCs are given lower targets while DCs that are not energy efficient are given higher targets.
● While calculating the specific energy consumption a
“gate-to-gate” approach is adopted, thereby including all energy consumption against the total production.
● The values are normalised to take into account factors beyond the DC’s control.
● At the end of the cycle, the DC’s performance is assessed by a cadre of professionals known as Accredited Energy Auditors who are empanelled with the BEE.
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
● It is a statutory body and was established on 1st March 2002 under the provision of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
25
● It will assist in developing policies and strategies with a thrust on self-regulation and market principles with the primary objective of reducing the energy intensity of the Indian economy within the overall framework of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
26
Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme
● Launched in: November 2015.
● Objective: To reduce the demand for physical gold and shift a part of the domestic savings (to purchase of gold) into financial savings.
● Issuance: The Gold Bonds are issued as Government of India Stock under the Government Securities (GS) Act, 2006.
○ These are issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on behalf of the Government of India.
○ These bonds will be sold through various Commercial banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post offices (as may be notified) and recognised stock exchanges viz., National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange, either directly or through agents.
● Eligibility: It is restricted for sale to resident individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), trusts, universities and charitable institutions.
● Price: The price is calculated based on the spot price of gold as provided by the Mumbai-based India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA).
● Term: Maturity period is 8 years, with an option to exit the investment after the first five years.
● Investment Limit: Gold bonds can be purchased in the multiples of one unit.
○ The upper limit for retail (individual) investors and HUFs is 4 kilograms (4,000 units) each per financial year.
○ For trusts and similar entities, an upper limit of 20 kilograms per financial year is applicable.
○ Minimum permissible investment is 1 gram of gold.
● Interest Rate: A fixed rate of 2.5% per annum is applicable on the scheme, payable semi-annually.
○ The interest on Gold Bonds shall be taxable as per the provision of Income Tax Act, 1961.
27
