Retribution for the south, accolade for the north

Why in the News?

The South Indian states face the risk of reduced political representation due to its lower population size compared to the northern states, amid the recent passing of Women Reservation bill, 2023 in the Parliament.

Delimitation and political representation:

1. Article 81 of the Constitution: The Lok Sabha constituencies in the country should be equal by the size of population.
   1. 42^nd Amendment Act 1976: The no. of Lok Sabha constituencies for States was determined based on 1971 census and frozen for the next 25 years.
   2. 84^th Amendment Act: the freeze on no. of constituencies for each State was further prolonged until the first Census after 2026.
2. The population growth rates difference between the northern and southern states:
   1. The proportion of the population of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh increased from 44% to 48.2%, between 1971 and 2011.
   2. During the same period, the proportion of population of the five southern States declined from 24.9% to 21.1%.
3. If the size of Lok Sabha constituencies be enforced based on population projections of 2023, the five southern States will lose 23 seats, while the northern States will gain 37.
4. The freeze on distribution of seats among States has to be continued.
   1. Southern states have achieved population control due to combined efforts of social changes brought in by the leaders along with implementation of family planning programmes.
   2. reducing the proportional representation of southern States shall be not only a disincentive for these States but also an incentive for others for inaction towards population control and social change as public policy.

Role of population in fiscal transfers:

1. The Finance Commission constituted to recommend horizontal distribution of the Union government’s tax revenue among the States, provides larger weightage for Population and per capita income of a State.
2. Population of a State is a measure of demand for public expenditure.
   1. The Eighth Finance Commission (1984-89), stipulated to use only the 1971 population in the distribution instead of the 1981 population, which continued till the Thirteenth Finance Commission (2010-15).
   2. The Fourteenth Finance Commission considered 1971 population, along with demographic changes since 1971, which immensely rewarded the southern States for controlling the population.
   3. However, the use of 2011 population in the distribution formula of the Fifteenth Finance Commission led to loss of advantage of gaining financial rewards for population control by the southern States.
3. The per capita income of a State is as the ability to raise its own revenue. 
   1. A higher per capita income (PCI) of a State shall lead to lower share in the Union tax revenue.
   2. Lower PCI of a State may be due to higher population for a given Gross State Domestic Product, which suggests that higher the current population of a State, the higher its share in the Union tax revenue. 
   3. The combined share of the 5 southern States in the Union government’s tax revenue declined from 21.1% to 15.8%. while the combined share of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh increased from 51.5% to 53.2% from 2000-05 to 2021-26.

An Accounting System for Carbon

Climate ‘polycrisis’:

1. It was a term made popular by Adam Tooze.
2. It refers to the interconnected and compounding crises related to climate change that are affecting the planet not only in few sectors but across several sectors and domains.
3. It encompasses all dimensions of impacts of climate change such as physical, social, economic, and political.
4. The impact of climate change can be witnessed in different sectors such as energy, infrastructure, health, migration and food production.
5. Therefore, adoption of a holistic approach imbibing diverse perspectives and priorities of different stakeholders and ensuring resilience, equity, and justice becomes important.
6. Main issue of Climate polycrisis is tweaking one corner of the climate challenge leads to unexpected consequences elsewhere.

Developing a ‘carbon infrastructure’ for accounting carbon:

1. A ‘carbon infrastructure’ can
   1. creates opportunities for a flourishing future carbon regime
   2. the flows of carbon can be taken into account in the formulation of policy at every level: household, panchayat, district, State and country.
2. Measurement as the first step
   1. A measurement system has to be put into place which is capable of measuring carbon emissions from individual citizens to the nation as a whole, including all that is in the flow.
   2. Such a measurement system shall help to build an accounting system for balancing our carbon emissions.
3. National carbon accounting (NCA) system:
   1. Carbon accounting can be used by companies to keep track of the carbon they are producing, removing, storing and offsetting.
   2. Akin to financial balance sheets with their sources and applications, a carbon accounting system can be developed.
   3. Such a system will bring the entire nation, starting from individuals and households, under one carbon accounting framework. 
   4. This can truly internalise carbon reduction goals of the country and the world.
   5. Existing carbon accounting methodologies for tracking carbon balance sheets at the corporate level such as those championed by Karthik Ramanna at Oxford can act as an ideal model.
   6. The system shall mandate businesses and individuals to declare/report their carbon inflows and outflows, making the circulation of carbon visible.
   7. As both an evolutionary and a revolutionary generalisation of these ideas, other goods and services can be ‘financed’ using carbon surpluses, especially if there is convertibility between the carbon accounts and the rupee accounts.
   8. The ability to set targets, make predictions, about future emission reductions and track the progress against the set goals becomes more meaningful.
4. A national carbon budget:
   1. It can help to re-imagine the entire economy, including new technologies and new forms of collective action.
   2. Along with the goal of increasing economic GDP in money terms, a parallel goal of a reducing carbon GDP can be achieved.

The NCA can help in bringing transparency about the carbon footprint of human activities, create new livelihoods and new forms of organising its economy and society, alignment between development and ecological sustainability, besides helping India to meet its commitment to becoming net zero by 2070. Thus, NCA is a polysolution to a polycrisis.

Chemistry Nobel Prize 2023

Why in the News?

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov “for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots” and have been lauded as pioneers in the exploration of the nanoworld.

Work of the Awardees:

1. In 1980s, Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov succeeded independently creating quantum dots, which are nanoparticles so tiny that quantum effects determine their characteristics.
2. In 1993, laureate Moungi Bawendi revolutionised the methods for manufacturing quantum dots, making their quality extremely high – a vital prerequisite for their use in today’s nanotechnology.

Quantum dots:

1. Usually, every element exhibits specific properties which will be same regardless of its size. This form one of the fundamental facts of chemistry.

• For instance, a piece of pure gold, whether it is a large 100-gram piece or a small 10 milligram one, has exactly the same properties.

2. However, very small particles, in the nanoscale range (1 to 100 billionth of a metre) behave slightly differently from larger particles of the same element. 
3. Alexei Ekimov was the first to notice this deviant behaviour in Copper Chloride nanoparticles around 1980, and manufacture these nanoparticles to show this change in behaviour.
4. Louis Brus, an American scientist working independently, discovered similar behaviour in Cadmium Sulphide nanoparticles.
5. The deviant behaviour of small nanoparticles arises because of the emergence of quantum effects.
6. The quantum theory explains that, usually, electrons move around in a large empty space, relatively, outside the nucleus of the atom but when the size of the particles is reduced drastically, electrons in the atoms find themselves increasingly squeezed giving rise to the strange quantum effects.
7. Such strange effects and special properties were found in nanoparticles and hence were called quantum dots.

The discoveries:

1. When nanoparticles interact with light, the colour of any material depends on the wavelengths of the light spectrum absorbed or reflected by the material.
2. This led to the conclusion that number of electrons, the properties of the material were also being dictated by its size.

Applications:

In future, quantum dots can contribute to flexible electronics, miniscule sensors, slimmer solar cells and perhaps encrypted quantum communication.

The Office of the Speaker: India vs the US

Why in the News?

The U.S. House of Representatives Speaker, Republican Kevin McCarthy was voted out from his position in the lower chamber of Congress by hardliners within his party.

• The rarely used procedural tool known as a “motion to vacate” was used to abruptly end Mr. McCarthy’s tenure as Speaker.
• Despite winning the votes of 210 Republicans, he was defeated by 216 votes (including 8 Republicans and all the House Democrats).
• McCarthy has become the first U.S. House speaker in American history to be removed through a motion to vacate.

Similarities:

1. The speaker presides over debates and maintains order within the House.
2. establishes the legislative agenda
3. administers the oath of office to House members.
4. He appoints members of select and conference committees
5. No time limit on the length of time that a member may be speaker pro tempore.
6. The speaker in the United States, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives, outranking the majority leader.

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967

Why in the News?

A news portal NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief have been arrested under UAPA due to alleged connections to illegal funding from India.

Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967:

1. Prior to UAPA amendment 2004, terrorist activities were dealt by the now repealed

• Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA)
• Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (POTA) 

2. UAPA Amendment, 2014:

The 1967 anti-terror law was amended in 2014 by introducing a dedicated Chapter (Chapter IV) towards punishing terrorist activities and empowered the National Investigating Agencies and the state agencies.

3. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019

Section 35 of UAPA was amended this provision to allow the government to categorise individuals as terrorists besides earlier provision of categorising organisations only as terror groups. Once the person is so categorized, their name will be added to Schedule 4 of the Act, a step to tackle terrorism and Naxalism in the country.

Provisions of the Act:

1. Indulgence of an individual in “unlawful activities” shall attract a punishment of imprisonment extending to 10 years, and for which an association could be declared unlawful.
2. The Unlawful activities shall include, any activity
   1. which is intended or supports any claim to bring about on any ground whatsoever the cession of a part of the territory of India from the Union or which incites any individuals to bring about such cession or secession;
   2. which disclaims or questions the sovereignty of India in respect of any part of the territory of India
   3. which disrupts or is intended to disrupt the integrity of India

3. Any Indian or foreign national charged under UAPA is liable for punishment under this Act, irrespective of the location of crime/offense committed
4. UAPA will be applicable to the offenders in the same manner, even if the crime is committed on foreign land, outside India.
5. Under Section 43D of the act, an accused can be detained under Police custody for 30 days and under Judicial custody for a period of 180 days without filing a chargesheet.

Challenges associated with the act:

1. Low rates of convictions accompanied by large number of cases filed under UAPA over the years.
   1. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) that in 2019, 1,226 cases were filed under the UAPA, a 33 per cent increase from 2016 with the average conviction rate over the five-year period (2015-2019) is 2.19%
2. Violation of Fundamental Rights of the citizens:
   2. An individual may be identified as a terrorist without any judicial scrutiny and even before the commencement of a trial. Thus, it is violative of
      • Right to equality (Article 14)
      • free speech (Article 19)
      • Right to Life (Article 21) with Right to Reputation being an integral aspect of it.
3. “Manifestly arbitrary” provisions and a very broad definition of “unlawful activity”.

The definition of ‘unlawful activity’ includes ‘disaffection against India’ which does not have a defined meaning under the Act and can be used to target anyone or curb popular dissent.

4. UAPA offers the State “excessive and overwhelming powers to act against groups and persons” who criticise “the governing party or majoritarian attitudes.
5. Inclusion of ‘criticism of the government’, even though it might not pose a threat to the public order, security, sovereignty, or integrity of India, gives a wide discretion for the application of the law.
6. Stringent Bail Provisions:
   1. Golden thread of common law criminal jurisprudence: a person is innocent until proven guilty. This has been completely divorced by the act.
   2. The law’s total ban on anticipatory bail and the very impossible task of obtaining normal release under it had a “chilling impact” on the right to free speech.
   3. Great power entitled by the provisions of the UAPA, needs to be exercised with great responsibility and restraint to ensure that the protection of constitutional rights of individuals are not given due consideration and importance due to arbitrary action.
   4. constitutionality of Section 43D, which mandates that a person shall not be released on bail if the court is of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against a person is “prima facie” true is questionable since the Act is not a law enacted for preventive detention.

Supreme Court verdicts on the Act:

1. Arup Bhuyan’s case
   • Court had held that ‘mere membership of a banned organisation will not make a person a criminal unless he resorts to violence or incites people to violence or creates public disorder by violence or incitement to violence’.
2. Thwaha Faisal Case, 2021:
   • Mere membership or support to a terrorist organisation cannot be considered an offence.
   • Allegations of conspiracy based ob behaviour of the individual or possession of material is not enough to file a charge sheet against the accused.
3. Asif Iqbal Tanha case (2021):
   • UAPA is meant to apply only to exceptional cases and not as substitutes for ordinary penal law
   • A distinction should exist between the state of exception and the state of normalcy
   • The state’s action to confuse “protest” for “terrorist activity” was criticised by the judiciary.
   • The word “terrorism” has to be given a specific meaning that distinguishes it from offences that are dealt with under ordinary law.

National Action Plan for Green Shipping

Why in the News?

At the INMEX SMM India 2023 maritime industry exhibition, the potential benefits of National Action Plan for Green Shipping were projected by the Director General of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan.

• The initiative shall help in promoting eco-friendly practices and incentives for low-emission ships.
• It shall also help position India’s maritime sector as environmentally responsible.

Potential of India’s maritime sector:

1. India’s maritime sector has a potential of aid India to achieve a $20 trillion economy by 2047, with a 9% projected growth rate.
2. Shipping acts as the most economical and eco-friendly mode of transport and contributes significantly to global trade and reducing carbon footprints.

Vision of India’s maritime sector:

1. Quadrupling port capacity
2. Clean energy fuel hubs
3. Cruise tourism growth
4. Shipbuilding and recycling leadership
5. 5,000 km regional waterway grid

Transformative reforms:

1. Sagarmala and digitalisation initiatives:
   1. It aims for comprehensive development of India’s 7,500 km coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and maritime sector.
   2. Given that ~95 % of India’s merchandise trade (by volume) passes through sea ports, Port-led development has been fostered to address the existing challenges:
      1. High turnaround time (TAT) at major ports of 2.5 days in 2018-19, compared to global average benchmark of 1-2 days.
      2. Lack of last mile connectivity to the ports to facilitate smooth movement of cargo to/from the hinterland
   3. Port Modernization & New Port Development, Port-linked Industrialization and Coastal Community Development remains its objectives.

2. Swachh Sagar Portal for environmental data.
3. Proposal to establish National Centre of Excellence in Green Port and Shipping (NCoEGPS)
   1. Aims to identify technologies, alternative fuels, renewable energy sources for Green Shipping to foster carbon neutrality and circular economy (CE).
   2. It targets for the shipping and port sector to reduce GHG emissions 
   3. It provides policy and regulatory support for developing regulatory framework and alternate technology adoption road map.
4. International Maritime Organization Green Voyage 2050 Project:
   1. The project funded by Norway; India has been selected as pioneer lead country for it.
   2. The project assists developing countries in their efforts to reduce GHG emissions from ships. 
   3. Assam Inland Water Transport development society (AIWTDS) has been selected for passenger ferries procurement and development of alternate fuel solution.
5. Advancements in ship design, IoT, automation, and integrated bridge systems are the emerging innovations in the sector
6. India was now addressing critical themes like alternate fuels, energy efficiency, maritime 4.0, and data generation.

Recent achievements:

1. Doubling major ports’ capacity
2. Substantial waterway growth
3. Increased cruise passengers and seafarers
4. Expanded solar power
5. Lighthouse tourism

Glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF)

Why in the News?

Incessant rains have caused flash floods in north Sikkim after the South Lhonak Lake burst, which has killed 14 people so far and 102, including at least 23 Army personnel, are missing. 

The South Lhonak Lake outburst:

1. 1. 1. It is a glacial lake situated in the state’s northwest at 17,000 ft.
      2. Heavy rains led to its burst leading to the release of water in downstream areas.
      3. This led to the rise of water levels in Teesta River with very high velocities near about 15m/sec, flooded at least four districts, including Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi.
      4. Numerous studies have highlighted in the past that
         1. South Lhonak Lake is rapidly growing size due to glacier melting 
         2. It is susceptible to glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF)

How did South Lhonak Lake become susceptible to GLOF?

1. Rising global temperatures have led to rapid melting of glaciers in Sikkim Himalayan, giving rise to many glacier lakes and expanding the already existing ones in the region. 
2. As per Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, there are currently more than 300 glacial lakes in Sikkim Himalayan, of which 10 have been identified as vulnerable to outburst floods.
3. Lhonak has grown nearly 1.5 times and South Lhonak nearly 2.5 times of their initial size in 1989.

What is GLOF?

1. Glacial lakes are large bodies of water that sit in front of, on top of, or beneath a melting glacier.
2. They can grow larger due to glacier melting, which can pose danger as glacial lakes are mostly dammed by unstable ice or sediment composed of loose rock and debris.
3. If boundary around such dammed obstructions break, huge amounts of water will rush down the side of the mountains causing floods in the downstream areas. This is called as glacial lake outburst floods or GLOF.
4. It can be triggered by several reasons that include:
   1. Earthquakes
   2. extremely heavy rains
   3. ice avalanches
   4. landslides (as these lakes are often found in steep, mountainous regions)

BlueWalker 3 satellite

1. It is a prototype satellite, part of a satellite constellation planned by its owner AST SpaceMobile.
2. The satellite is intended to deliver mobile or broadband services anywhere in the world.
3. BlueWalker 3 was observed as one of the brightest objects in the night sky, outshining all but the brightest stars.
4. However, concerns are raised around these constellations because,
   1. 1. 1. they have higher potential to disrupt night sky observations being closer to the earth location and its relatively large size.
         2. Masking their position can lead to losing data for that portion of the sky.
         3. It can hamper radio astronomy as it uses wavelengths close to those that radio telescopes.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

1. It was launched by the Government of India in 2016 to provide free LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) connections to women from below-poverty-line households.
2. The objective of the scheme was to make clean cooking fuel such as LPG available to the rural and deprived households and discourage usage of traditional cooking fuels.
3. Use of traditional cooking fuels had detrimental impacts on the health of rural women as well as on the environment.
4. The scheme aimed to achieve the target of establishing 8 Crore LPG Connections to the deprived households by March 2020.
5. Ujjwala 2.0, with an additional allocation of 1.6 Crore LPG Connections was launched with special facility to migrant households.
6. The LPG coverage has increased from 62% on 1^st May 2016 to 99.8% on 1^st April 2021.

National Turmeric Board

1. Aims to provide leadership in all matters related to turmeric, coordinate with relevant government agencies, particularly the Spices Board, and spearhead efforts to advance the turmeric sector within the country. 
2. The key objective of the board is to raise awareness and consumption of turmeric domestically and internationally. 
3. India is the world’s leading producer (75% of the world’s turmeric production), consumer, and exporter of turmeric and turmeric products.
4. In terms of international trade, India holds a commanding 62% share of the global turmeric trade.
5. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, India cultivated turmeric on 3.24 lakh hectares, yielding a staggering 11.61 lakh tonnes of turmeric.
6. The spice is grown in over 20 states in the country, with Maharashtra (leading), Telangana (2^nd largest), Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu emerging as the leading turmeric-producing states.
7. The National Turmeric Board will be composed of:
   1. Chairperson appointed by the Central Government
   2. Members from the Ministry of AYUSH, Departments of Pharmaceuticals, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Commerce & Industry of the Union Government
   3. Senior State Government representatives on a rotational basis.
   4. Select national/state institutions involved in research
   5. Representatives of turmeric farmers and exporters

National Investment Infrastructure Fund (NIIF)

1. The NIIF was launched in 2015 as India’s first state-backed fund. JBIC will contribute 51 per cent of that figure and the rest will be contributed by India.
2. for enhancing infrastructure financing by investing in greenfield (new), brownfield (existing) and stalled projects.
3. The fund was set up as Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF). NIIF manages three funds with distinct strategies – Master Fund, Fund of Funds and Strategic Opportunities Fund.
4. It will also look to boost collaboration between Indian and Japanese firms amid an “unstable world situation and problems such as a severed supply chain.
5. India’s quasi-sovereign wealth fund, the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) launched on Wednesday a $600-million fund to invest in sustainability projects.
6. The India-Japan Fund will target investment in sustainable projects in areas such as renewable energy, e-mobility and waste management.
   1. It will focus on investing in environmental sustainability and low carbon emission strategies.
   2. It aims to play the role of being a ‘partner of choice’ to further enhance Japanese investments into India
   3. marks NIIF’s first bilateral fund, with GoI contributing 49% of the target corpus and the remaining 51% contributed by JBIC.
   4. promoting Japanese investments in India
   5. it the strategic and economic partnership between the Japanese government and GoI.