Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for October 16, 2024. If you missed the October 15, 2024 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here

THE WORLD

North Korea blows up road, rail lines near border, South fires warning shots

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies I:History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.

• General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests,

What’s the ongoing story-

• South Korea said North Korea blew up the northern parts of inter-Korean roads no longer in use on Tuesday, as the rivals are locked in rising animosities over North Korea’s claim that South Korea flew drones over its capital, Pyongyang.

• On Tuesday, North Korea detonated explosives on key road and railway links connecting its territory to South Korea. Parts of the Gyeongui line on the West coast and Donghae line on the East coast were destroyed around noon, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). This move comes after Pyongyang warned it would sever its links with the South amid rising tensions between the two nations.

Key Points to Ponder-

• Map Work-North Korea and South Korea

• What is the conflict in the Korean Peninsula (Know the historical background)

• Can you establish a connection between communism, capitalism, and Korea?

• What you about the Korean War?

• What led to the divide in the Korean peninsula?

• Recently, North Korea detonated explosives on key road and railway links connecting its territory to South Korea-why?

• Why is this significant?

For Your Information-

• Recently, South Korea announced that it has detected preparations by North Korea to demolish parts of inter-Korean roads, signalling further deterioration of relations between the two countries.

• On 15th Oct 2024, North Korea detonated explosives on key road and railway links connecting its territory to South Korea. Parts of the Gyeongui line on the West coast and Donghae line on the East coast were destroyed around noon, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

• The explosions followed recent accusations from North Korea that South Korea had been flying propaganda-laden drones over Pyongyang. Pyongyang also expressed frustration over ongoing joint military exercises between South Korea and the US, calling them provocations. Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un scrapped his policy of seeking peaceful reunification with the South, describing the relationship as one between “two hostile nations.”

• During the period of inter-Korean détente in the 2000s, the two Koreas reopened two roadways and two railway lines across their heavily fortified border. However, their use was gradually halted as tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program and other issues escalated.

Do You Know-

• According to the NCERT textbook, the Japanese colonial rule ended after 35 years in August 1945 with Japan’s defeat in the World War II. However, it was the continued efforts of independence activists both inside and outside Korea that ensured Korea’s independence after Japan’s defeat. Following liberation, the Korean Peninsula was temporarily divided along the 38th parallel with the Soviets managing the North and the U.N. managing the South even as the nations worked to disband the Japanese forces in the region. However, this division became permanent as separate governments were established in both the North and the South in 1948.

• In June 1950, the Korean War broke out. With South Korea receiving support from the US-led United Nations forces and North Korea receiving support from communist China, it developed into a vintage proxy war of the Cold War era. In July 1953, after three years, the war ended in an armistice agreement. Korea remained divided. The Korean War had caused not only massive losses of life and property, but also a delay in free-market economic development and democratisation. Prices suddenly rose due to inflation caused by increased national expenses and currency issued during the war. Furthermore, industrial facilities constructed during the colonial period had been destroyed entirely. As a result, South Korea was forced to rely on the economic assistance being provided by the USA.

Trivia

• The most significant legacy of the Korean War is the division of the Korean Peninsula because of the continued armistice. It has had far-reaching implications for regional security, contributing to the militarisation of the Korean Peninsula and ongoing tensions between the two Koreas and between North Korea and the West.

• It also solidified the alliance between the United States and South Korea. The US established a lasting military presence in South Korea by stationing American troops and remains committed to defending it against any external aggression. It also provided economic support that has been a cornerstone of South Korea’s economic development.

• China’s entry into the war demonstrated its commitment to supporting communist regimes and a willingness to confront US-led forces in the region. China and North Korea largely maintain a close strategic partnership, with China being a key economic and diplomatic ally of North Korea. China’s support for North Korea in the UN and its role in providing economic assistance despite international sanctions highlights the enduring nature of their relationship.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Paths to Modernisation (NCERT Textbook-Themes of World History)

????A brief history of how the Korean War erupted in 1950, its impact on today’s geopolitics

????Why North Korea and South Korea Are Separated

UNSC voices ‘strong concern’ for UN peacekeepers after Israeli attacks

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

What’s the ongoing story– The United Nations Security Council on Monday expressed strong concern after several UN peacekeeping positions in southern Lebanon came under fire amid clashes between the Israeli military and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. In a statement adopted by consensus, the 15-member council also urged all parties – without naming them – to respect the safety and security of the personnel and premises of the UN peacekeeping mission, known as UNIFIL.

Key Points to Ponder-

• Why United Nations Security Council on Monday expressed strong concern?

• ‘The Security Council called for the full implementation of its resolution 1701’-Can you tell what is resolution 1701?

• What is the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)?

• Map Work-The area of operations for UNIFIL forces, Litani River and Lebanon

• How many countries are in UNIFIL?

• Who are the peacekeepers and where do they operate?

• What has happened in recent weeks?

• What has UNIFIL been doing in the current conflict?

• What has Israel said?

• What are Israeli-UN relations like?

• What are the criticisms of UNIFIL?

For Your Information-

• The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was established to patrol the country’s southern frontier (Map Work-Mark UNIFIL’s working area) after Israel invaded in 1978. The UN’s top decision-making body, the security council, has since renewed and expanded its mandate repeatedly, notably during Israel’s 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon between 1982 and 2000.UNIFIL’s role was further updated at the end of the 2006 war with Hezbollah.

• The 10,000-strong UNIFIL force is drawn from 50 countries, backed by about 800 civilian staff. Indonesia is the biggest contributor with more than 1,200 uniformed personnel, followed by India, Ghana, Nepal and Italy. Spain, France and Ireland also contribute troops and have spoken out for their safety.

• During its invasion into southern Lebanon last week, the Israeli military established new positions near one of the UNIFIL bases, according to UN officials. A UN spokesperson said the Israeli military had been firing at Hezbollah positions from those locations, putting the peacekeepers increasingly at risk. He said the Israeli military had asked the UN forces to relocate, but that they had declined to do so. Although attacks on UN personnel violate international law, Hezbollah has for a year launched rockets into northern Israel from close to UN positions in southern Lebanon. That complicates the rules of engagement.

• Recently, UNIFIL said that Israeli tank fire hit an observation tower at the force’s headquarters in Naqoura, Lebanon, and that soldiers had also struck the entrance of a bunker at a nearby base where peacekeepers were sheltering.

Do You Know-

• According to United Nations Peacekeeping website, UNIFIL has around 10,500 peacekeepers coming from 50 troop contributing countries. The Mission maintains an intensive level of operational and other activities amounting to approximately 14,500 activities per month, day and night, in the area of operations. Seventeen percent of activities are carried out jointly with the Lebanese Armed Forces. UNIFIL is complemented by a five-vessel Maritime Task Force.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????What is the UNIFIL, UN peacekeeping force at Lebanon’s border with Israel?

 Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

????Consider the following pairs: (UPSC CSE Prelims, 2022)

Country Important reason for being in the news recently 1. Chad — Setting up of permanent military base by China 2. Guinea — Suspension of Constitution and Government by military 3. Lebanon — Severe and prolonged economic depression 4. Tunisia — Suspension of Parliament by President

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair (b) Only two pairs (c) Only three pairs (d) All four pairs

????Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2023)

Statement-I: Israel has established diplomatic relations with some Arab States.

Statement-II: The ‘Arab Peace Initiative’ mediated by Saudi Arabia was signed by Israel and Arab League.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

FRONT PAGE

So much demographic change, no meaning of polls in some areas: V-P

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: population and associated issues

What’s the ongoing story– Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar Tuesday said there was so much demographic change in some areas in the country that they have become a “political fortress”, where elections and democracy have no meaning as the results are a foregone conclusion.

Key Points to Ponder-

• ‘Demographic change was becoming a challenge in the world’-How and why?

• According to the Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar, “demographic change which is alarmingly worrisome, is not addressed in a systemic manner, it will graduate to an existential challenge”-what kind of existential challenge he is addressing here?

• What Are Demographics?

• What is ‘demographic disorder’?

• “Demographic disorder is no less severe in consequences than a nuclear bomb”-decode the quote

• What is a demographic dislocation?

• What are the compelling factors that Leads to demographic disaster and demographic dislocation?

• Which is a disruptive demographic trend?

• What do you understand by demographic dividend?

For Your Information-

• According to ScienceDirect, Over the past century and a half, in the first demographic transition, national populations have experienced a shift in their demographic regimes from high fertility, high mortality, and low and uncertain growth or decline to low fertility and low mortality, and uncertain growth or decline through an intermediate phase (transition) of fertility decline and mortality decrease and rapid population increase. Because mortality decline preceded fertility decline, the result was high natural increase and rapid population growth.

• The first demographic transition, its course in different continents and epochs, and its drivers and causes are extensively discussed in demographic texts. What is less explored is the way the demographic transition has favorable economic impacts because of the increasing concentration of the population in the working ages (fewer children, relatively, and more surviving into later working ages).

• The acceleration of economic growth is produced more by productivity increases driven by the replacement of older less educated cohorts by younger more educated cohorts, not because the relative size of the working age population has increased. The East and Southeast Asian boost in economic growth was a function of a massive rural to urban migration that enabled surplus labor in rural areas to be transferred to more productive work in urban centers.

• The most important consequence of the first and second demographic transitions is population aging. Population aging is the process that results in higher average ages and higher shares of the population being old.

• The threshold age used by the United Nations for defining the old age population has been 60 years, though this may change as more developed countries raise the threshold ages for payment of pension benefits. Population aging occurs because smaller new birth cohorts are born into populations as a result of fertility decline and because more people survive to older ages as a result of lower mortality rates. Migration redistributes both younger and older populations, and so affects the degree of aging of countries and subnational regions and localities.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????The 360° UPSC Debate: India’s Growing Population- Dividend or Burden?

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

????While we flaunt India’s demographic dividend, we ignore the dropping rates of employability.” What are we missing while doing so? Where will the jobs that India desperately needs come from? Explain. ? (GS3, 2014)

GOVT & POLITICS

SC: Benchmark disability per se no bar for admissions

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

• General Studies II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

What’s the ongoing story-THE SUPREME Court on Tuesday ruled that only the existence of the benchmark permanent disability of 40 per cent does not bar a candidate from being considered for admission to an educational institution unless a medical assessment board is of the opinion that the disability will come in the way of pursuing the course.

Key Points to Ponder-

• What exactly SUPREME Court said?

• What exactly Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 says?

• What is the principle of reasonable accommodation?

• Disabled population Statistics given by Census 2011-Know the Data

• Disable and Disability-Know these terms (Multidimensional approach like Social, Physical, Economical-try to connect the dots)

• What are the Constitutional Frameworks for Differently abled in India?

• Know the Government Programmes and initiatives for Disabled in India

• United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and International Day of Persons with Disabilities by the United Nations.

• Disability and Rehabilitation Services in India-What are the Issues and Challenges

For Your Information-

• Confirming the admission of a candidate with 45 per cent permanent disability for the MBBS course, a bench of Justices B R Gavai, Aravind Kumar and K V Viswanathan said, “We hold that quantified disability per se will not disentitle a candidate with benchmark disability from being considered for admission to educational institutions. The candidate will be eligible if the Disability Assessment Board opines that notwithstanding the quantified disability the candidate can pursue the course in question.”

• Referring to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, the bench underlined the need to follow the principle of reasonable accommodation as laid down in Section 2(y) of the Act. The section defines “reasonable accommodation” as necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments, without imposing a disproportionate or undue burden in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise of rights equally with others.

• The court said this “should not be understood narrowly to mean only the provision of assisting devices and other tangible substances which will aid persons with disabilities”. “If the mandate of the law is to ensure a full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in society and if the whole idea was to exclude conditions that prevent their full and effective participation as equal members of society, a broad interpretation of the concept of reasonable accommodation which will further the objective of the RPwD Act and Article 41 of the Directive Principles of State Policy is mandated,” it said.

Do You Know-

• December 3 is marked by the UN as International Day of Persons with Disabilities in a bid to promote a more inclusive and accessible world for the differently-abled and to raise awareness for their rights. In India, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment observed the day with essay and painting competitions among other events. About 2.2% of India’s population lives with some kind of physical or mental disability, as per the National Statistics Office report on disability in 2020.

• Until the 2011 census, there were questions on seven kinds of disabilities in the questionnaire. This list of disabilities was expanded to 21 when the Rights of People with Disabilities was introduced in 2016. Accordingly, the 2019 report included questions to identify people with temporary loss of an ability as well as neurological and blood disorders in addition to the earlier definition, that included mental retardation and permanent inability to move, speak, hear and see. Significantly, the revised definition recognises deformities and injuries of acid attack victims as disabilities, entitling them to various relief measures.

• Rural men had the highest prevalence of disability in India, according to the NSO report. A higher proportion of men were disabled in India compared with women, and disability was more prevalent in rural areas than in urban areas. Inability to move without assistance was the most common disability. More men experienced locomotor disability than women.

• The 2011 census estimated that the number of people with disabilities in India is close to 2.68 crore (or 2.2% of the population) — that is more than the entire population of Australia. This number was based on the older definition of disability, yet the proportion of disabled people in the population is not different from the 2019 NSO report, which used the expanded definition of disability. However, the 2019 edition of disability statistics reported a slightly higher prevalence than those reported in earlier editions of the survey.

• The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 gave effect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2006, and entered into force in 2008. India ratified the convention in 2007.

• The 2016 Act, which repealed and replaced The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunity, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, commenced in April 2017. It mandated the central government to notify guidelines and standards for public buildings, and to review them “from time to time” based “on the latest scientific knowledge and technology”.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????What is India’s disability law; how accessible are govt buildings to PwD?

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

????Does the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 ensure effective mechanism for empowerment and inclusion of the intended beneficiaries in the society? Discuss (GS 2, 2017)

India needs over $1 tn in 30 years to move away from coal mining: Study

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.

What’s the ongoing story– In the next 30 years, India will require more than a trillion dollars, or `84 lakh crore at current rates, to transition away from coal mining and thermal power plants, estimates a first-of-its-kind study by environmental think-tank iForest.

Key Points to Ponder-

• What exactly environmental think-tank iForest said?

• The coal mining sector in India-Know in detail

• What is the current coal mining sector situation in India?

• “India is a major producer of numerous metals and minerals”-Know in detail

• Metal and mining industries in India-know in detail

• Map Work-Major coal mining States

• What are the Government initiatives for the coal mining sector in India?

• Issues and challenges of the coal mining sector in India-know in detail

• India’s stand on coal phase-out-Know in detail

• From “phase-out” of coal to “phase-down” of Coal-what you understand by this?

For Your Information-

• In the next 30 years, India will require more than a trillion dollars, or `84 lakh crore at current rates, to transition away from coal mining and thermal power plants, estimates a first-of-its-kind study by environmental think-tank iForest.

• These costs will largely be required to close mines which produce 1,315 million tonnes per annum of coal cumulatively and to phase out coal-based thermal power plants which have a capacity of 237.2 gigawatts, said the new study.

• The energy transition estimate did not include the investment cost of setting up new green energy plants and infrastructure, which alone is estimated to be in trillions of dollars. It also excluded costs of transitioning for industries such as steel and cement that use coal directly.

• The other associated costs required to move away from the coal-dependent economy will include rehabilitation and repurposing of closed coal lines, using the closed mines for clean energy and crucially, supporting nearly 60 lakh workers who are dependent on the coal economy.

• The study divided the costs of transition into green energy costs and non-energy costs. Green energy costs, accounted for neatly 52 per cent of the total costs, and comprised the cost of building green energy plants, repowering existing thermal power plants through other sources of power and upgradation of the electricity grid.

• About 48 per cent of the transition costs are non-energy costs such as “just transition costs”, which refers to supporting workers and communities dependent on coal to get livelihood alternatives and costs of economic diversification which can create green jobs.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Transition away from coal power poses grave challenges to marginalised groups: report

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

????Consider the following statements: (2023)

Statement-I: India, despite having uranium deposits, depends on coal for most its electricity production.

Statement-II: Uranium, enriched to the extent at of least 60%, is required for the production of electricity.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-1 (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct”

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: ????In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for development.” Discuss (2017)

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

A tough road from the brink

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story-Vivek Katju Writes: India-Canada relations truly reached a low point on October 14. This is because the two countries’ public recriminations have gone beyond the realm of intelligence and diplomacy into the dangerous territory of personal political attacks. That is a stage from which attempts at restoring even a modicum of normalcy to bilateral ties becomes a difficult and long-drawn-out process even after anger and passions cool down.

Key Points to Ponder-

• What is the current issue between India and Canada?

• What exactly Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said?

• What are the allegations against India as per Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau?

• Allegation and then expulsion of Indian diplomats-connect the dots

• How India reacted?

• “While the Canadian charges were grave, they had remained confined to the sphere of diplomacy. Now, they have moved into a downward political spiral”-elaborate

• What is “person of interest”?

• What should India do about the situation it finds itself in with Canada?

For Your Information-

• India-Canada ties went into a steep decline last year when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau informed his Parliament on September 18 that there were “credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar”.

• A “person of interest” is an informal term used by US and Canadian law enforcement agencies regarding those who may have some knowledge or involvement in a crime. The Canadians claim that they asked India to lift the immunities of six Indian diplomats who were “persons of interest” in the series of criminal activities involving the Indian community and Nijjar’s murder. These included the Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????FACING OFF

????With India-Canada diplomatic ties in a tailspin, business links could see a chill

THE IDEAS PAGE

Pakistan’s other front

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s Interests.

What’s the ongoing story– C. Raja Mohan Writes: The relentless focus on India’s bilateral engagement with Pakistan means that far more important developments in and around our neighbour are ignored in the Indian public discourse. Even a brief look at the Durand Line that separates Pakistan and Afghanistan today could be far more revealing than the speculation on External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar travelling across the Radcliffe Line to Pakistan this week.

Key Points to Ponder-

• Durand Line and Radcliffe Line-know the difference

• Map Work– Durand Line and Radcliffe Line

• “The just-concluded Pashtun Qaumi Jirga in Jamrud area of the Khyber district on Pakistan’s western frontier might hold more clues to the future of our region than the likely interaction between Jaishankar and his Pakistani hosts”-what exactly writer is trying to convey here?

• What are the many paradoxes of India’s relations with Pakistan?

• Why does the writer assert that Jaishankar’s brief journey to Islamabad, the first by an Indian foreign minister in a decade, is no exception?

For Your Information-

• According to the writer, despite occasional advances in bilateral relations, minor and major, over the last many decades, the deeply problematic structure of the relationship has not changed. Big breakthroughs in bilateral ties often looked so close, but have remained quite far and elusive. Even if some positive results come from Jaishankar’s visit, they are unlikely to make a serious difference to the congealed character of the relationship.

• The relationship has remained frozen for decades means it is of little consequence either for the region or the world beyond. Occasional military crises, following terror attacks in India, draw the world’s attention to the dangers of escalation of the conflict between India and Pakistan to the nuclear level.

• The continuing conflict between Iran and its neighbours, and Tehran’s confrontation with the West continues to rock the world. With the stage now set for a war between Iran and Israel (backed by the US) and the talk of a regime change in Iran, many fear that the dynamic around Iran could trigger the Third World War.

• The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to protect a revolutionary regime in Kabul that came to power in 1978. The radical Islamic jihad against it, organised by the US and its regional allies, including Pakistan, succeeded in bleeding the Russian bear, and ousting it from Afghanistan by the end of the 1980s. But it normalised Islamic militancy and, more broadly, religious extremism in the Subcontinent. Pakistan, which actively supported the jihad in Afghanistan, was also consumed by it at home, thanks to the politics of Islamisation under General Ziaul Haq in the 1980s.

• A major offshoot of the Afghan jihad was the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan and its support for al Qaeda, which directed the terror attacks against Washington and New York in September 2001. That in turn led to the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and a massive but failed effort to drain the swamps of violent religious extremism and build a modern Afghan state. That failure ended in the Taliban walking back to power in Kabul in August 2021.

• For the last half century, the geopolitical churn in Pakistan’s western borderlands did much to shape the internal, regional, and international relations of South Asia, including the bilateral ties between India and Pakistan. We are entering a new phase in that historical trend line. The answers to India’s problem on the Radcliffe Line might well depend on the kind of lessons that Pakistan might draw from the turbulence on its western frontiers.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Expert Explains: China and Pakistan attending, what India can hope for at SCO meet

EXPLAINED

How bone ossification test works, and its application in law

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

What’s the ongoing story– One of the accused in the murder of former Maharashtra MLA Baba Siddique claimed before a court in Mumbai on Sunday that he was 17 years old — and should thus be tried under the Juvenile Justice Act. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch, which sought custody of the accused, said an Aadhaar card found on the individual showed his age as 19.

Key Points to Ponder-

• What is a bone ossification test, and how does it determine the age of a person?

• Why is age determination significant in the criminal justice system?

• What have courts said about the bone ossification test?

• How reliable are bone ossification tests?

• What is Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015?

• What is the legal definition of a juvenile?

• What does the law say on trying a juvenile as an adult?

• What happens when a juvenile is ordered to be treated as an adult?

• What was the case before the Supreme Court?

For Your Information-

• Ossification is the natural process of bone formation. This starts from the early developmental stage of the foetus and continues until late adolescence, but differs slightly from individual to individual. Based on the stage of development of the bones, experts can determine the approximate age of the person.

• In a bone ossification test, X-rays of a few bones, such as those of hands and the wrists, are conducted to determine skeletal and biological development. The images may be compared with X-rays of standard development, which can assist in determining the age.

• The analysis could be also based on a scoring system that looks at individual bones on the hands and wrists and their growth, and compares them with the standard of maturation of bones among a certain population.

Do You Know-

• In India, a person who is below 18 years of age is considered a minor. The criminal law differentiates between a child and an adult when it comes to procedure, correction and rehabilitation, and punishment. Anyone below the age of 18 is governed by the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. A child who is found to be in conflict with the law cannot be sent to a prison meant for adults, and is instead sent to an observation home.

• Instead of a court, the child is brought before a Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) comprising a magistrate and two social workers with experience in working with children. After an inquiry, the Board may direct the child to be let off with an admonition, community service, or a maximum of three years in a special home, among other options.

• Following an amendment to the J J Act in 2021, in cases where “a child above the age of sixteen years” has been apprehended for a “heinous offence” (for which the minimum punishment is seven years’ imprisonment), the JJB must “conduct a preliminary assessment with regard to his mental and physical capacity to commit such offence, ability to understand the consequences of the offence and the circumstances in which he allegedly committed the offence” before deciding whether the child should be tried as an adult.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Baba Siddique Murder News: Accused not a minor, ossification test confirms; we ask expert to explain

Greenwashing guidelines

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story– Seeking to restrain companies from making false or misleading claims about the environment-friendly nature of their products or services, the Centre on Wednesday released new guidelines that make it mandatory for companies to substantiate their claims with scientific evidence.

Key Points to Ponder-

• What is greenwashing?

• What are the advertising guidelines for preventing greenwashing?

For Your Information-

• Greenwashing refers to the growing tendency of companies, organisations or even countries to make dubious or unverifiable claims about their activities, products or services being environment-friendly or climate-friendly. Due to heightened sensitivity to climate change, there is rising pressure on corporations and governments to carry out their activities in a way that causes the least damage to the environment. Many of them also have legal commitments, or targets, to adhere to in this regard.

• The 2015 Volkswagen scandal, in which the German car company was found to have been cheating in emissions testing of its supposedly green diesel vehicles, is one of the headline-grabbing examples of greenwashing. Several other big corporations, including Shell, BP, and Coca Cola have faced accusations of greenwashing.

• Countries too, are sometimes accused of greenwashing, for example, when they exaggerate their forests’ potential to absorb carbon dioxide, and the impact of a new regulation on carbon emissions. Carbon trading mechanisms, an otherwise legitimate exercise, often come under scrutiny because the processes followed in the generation of credits for trade might not be scientifically robust. Similarly, carbon offset practices, in which a carbon-intensive activity such as air travel is sought to be compensated with another activity like planting a certain number of trees, offer ample scope for greenwashing.

• The expert group gave several recommendations, including that corporations pursuing net-zero targets must not be allowed to make fresh investments in fossil fuels. It also suggested that corporations must be asked to present short-term emission reduction goals on the path to achieving net-zero, and must bring an end to all activities that lead to deforestation. In addition, the corporations were advised not to use offset mechanisms at the start of their journey to net-zero status.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Red flags over ‘greenwashing’ at COP27 — what is it?

THAAD

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination:

• General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

• General Studies III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications

What’s the ongoing story- US to send THAAD defence battery system to Israel: Even as Israel faces increasing criticism for targetting UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, the US, underlining its “ironclad commitment to the defence of Israel”, has announced it will send its advanced missile defence system THAAD, along with troops to operate it, to the West Asian nation.

Key Points to Ponder-

• What is THAAD?

• Why is the US sending it to Israel significant?

For Your Information-

• A THAAD battery consists of 95 soldiers, six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors (eight per launcher), radar surveillance and radar, and a tactical fire component, according to a paper by the US Congressional Research Service.

• THAAD provides a “rapidly deployable capability against short-range (up to 1,000 km), medium-range (1,000–3,000 km), and limited intermediate-range (3,000–5,000 km) ballistic missile threats inside or outside the atmosphere during their final (terminal) phase of flight,” the paper says.

• Employing “hit-to-kill” technology to destroy threat missiles, the THAAD can defend a larger area than the older Patriot Air and Missile Defense System. It has been developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

????Beyond the Iron Dome: The many layers of Israel’s air defence system

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

????What is “Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)”, sometimes seen in the news? (2018) (a) An Israeli radar system (b) India’s indigenous anti-missile programme (c) An American anti-missile system (d) A defence collaboration between Japan and South Korea.

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