May 28 2024

Context

On World Menstrual Hygiene Day which is celebrated annually on 28 May, a recent report highlights menstrual hygiene in Indian Prisons.

Background of Menstrual Hygiene in India

  • Progress in Menstrual Hygiene: India has seen notable advancements in menstrual hygiene management.  According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS 2019-2020), approximately 80% of adolescent girls aged 15-24 now utilize safe menstrual products.
  • Disparity in Menstrual Hygiene in Indian Prisons: Despite progress in urban regions and specific demographics, women in Indian prisons continue to face neglect. 
    • In a societal context where basic rights for prisoners are often denied, female inmates experience additional challenges due to entrenched biases that question women’s capacity to commit crimes.

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Relation of Human Rights and Menstruation: 

  • Right to health:  Women and girls may experience negative health consequences when they lack the supplies and facilities to manage their menstrual health.
  • Right to education:  Lack of a safe place or ability to manage menstrual hygiene as well as lack of medication to treat menstruation-related pain can all contribute to higher rates of school absenteeism and poor educational outcome
  • Right to work:  Poor access to safe means of managing menstrual hygiene and lack of medication to treat menstruation-related disorders or pain also limit job opportunities for women and girls. 
  • Right to non-discrimination and gender equality : Stigmas and norms related to menstruation can reinforce discriminatory practices. 
  • Right to water and sanitation: Water and sanitation facilities, such as bathing facilities, that are private, safe and culturally acceptable, along with a sufficient, safe and affordable water supply are basic prerequisites for managing menstrual health management.

Status of Menstrual Hygiene in Indian Prisons

  • Menstrual Hygiene in Indian Prisons: In Indian prisons, there are 23,772 women, with 77% falling within the reproductive age group and likely to menstruate regularly. 
  • Challenges in Providing Adequate Facilities:  Despite the recommendations outlined in the 2016 Model Prison Manual, numerous states have failed to furnish adequate water and restroom facilities for female inmates. 
    • Overcrowding and substandard conditions further exacerbate the difficulty for women in accessing essential items such as water, sanitary napkins, detergent, and soap during menstruation.
  • Conditions of Prisons: In a Maharashtra prison, a study conducted in 2023 uncovered inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, compelling women to store water and utilize limited toilets collectively. 
    • Consequently, this scenario resulted in increased occurrences of urinary infections and challenges in upholding menstrual hygiene.
  • Inadequate Sanitary Napkins: Prisons often depend on NGOs for donations of sanitary napkins, which can sometimes lead to the distribution of inferior products. 
    • In one instance, each woman received only one set of reusable napkins, which proved impractical due to limited access to water and detergent.

Steps Taken by the Government to promote Menstrual Hygiene

  • SABLA Scheme: The SABLA program, initiated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, addresses nutrition, health, hygiene, and reproductive and sexual health, connecting them with rural mother and child care centers.
  •  National Rural Livelihood Mission:The National Rural Livelihood Mission, under the Ministry of Rural Development, aids self-help groups and small-scale manufacturers in producing sanitary pads.
  • National Guidelines for Menstrual Hygiene Management: Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan  released the National Guidelines on Menstrual Hygiene Management in 2015. 
    • They encompass various aspects such as awareness-raising, behavior change, demand generation for hygiene products, capacity building for frontline workers, stakeholder sensitization, convergence efforts for effective interventions, and the establishment of WASH facilities with safe disposal options.
  • Suvidha Sanitary Napkins : Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Napkins are accessible at Jan Aushadhi Kendras across India at a subsidized rate of Rs. 1/- per pad.It is an  initiative under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP). 

Way Forward

  • Ensuring Menstrual Hygiene Standards in Prisons: The Indian government must enforce basic menstrual hygiene standards for women in prisons.
    • Immediate action is needed to address the inconsistent implementation of the Model Prison Manual 2016, ensuring all states adhere to its recommendations.
  • Public Health Priority: Addressing menstrual hygiene in prisons should be viewed as a public health priority and a crucial step in combating ‘period poverty.’
  • Collaborative Strategy: Prison administrators and public health authorities must work together to create a comprehensive plan to ensure incarcerated women have access to adequate menstrual hygiene products and facilities, prioritizing their health and dignity.
    • Further research is necessary to understand the current state of menstrual hygiene in prisons.

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Context

As per official data, India has recorded a trade deficit  with nine of its top 10 trading partners  in 2023-24.

India’s FY 2023-24 Trade Deficit Narrows Amid Shifts in Trade Dynamics with Major Partners

  • Trade Deficit: India’s total trade deficit in FY 2023-24 narrowed down to $ 238.3 billion as against $ 264.9 billion in the previous fiscal.
    • Increase in Deficit: India saw a rise in the deficit with China ($ 85 billion), Russia ($ 57.2 billion), Korea ($ 14.71 billion) and Hong Kong ($ 12.2 billion) in FY 2023-24, compared to 2022-23
    • Reduction in deficit: The trade gap with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Indonesia, and Iraq narrowed.
  • Trade surplus: India has a trade surplus of $ 36.74 billion with the US in 2023-24. 
    • India also records a surplus with other trade partners like the UK, Belgium, Italy, France and Bangladesh.
  • Largest Trading Partner: China has overtook the USA to emerge as India’s largest trading partner with $ 118.4 billion of two-way commerce in 2023-24.
    • Washington was the top trading partner of New Delhi during 2021-22 and 2022-23.
  • Free trade agreement: India has a free trade agreement with four of its top trading partners ie. Singapore, the UAE, Korea and Indonesia (as part of the Asian bloc).

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What is a Trade Deficit?

  • A trade deficit  also known as a negative balance of trade (BOT) occurs when a country’s imports exceed its exports.
    • The balance can be calculated on different categories of transactions ie, goods or merchandise, services, goods and services and also for international transactions ie. (current account, capital account, and financial account) 
  • Cutting trade deficit requires boosting exports, reducing unnecessary imports, developing domestic industries, and managing currency and debt levels effectively,
  • Advantages: 
    • Boost consumption: A trade deficit allows a country to consume more than it produces and in short run, can help nations to avoid shortages of goods and other economic problems.
    • Comparative Advantage: It provides countries with comparative Advantage as the country can be more focused on its strength and resources rather than to worry about producing everything.
  • Concerns: 
    • Depreciation of currency: A rising trade deficit can cause the country’s currency to depreciate because more foreign currency is needed to cover for imports. This depreciation makes imports more expensive, worsening the deficit.
    • More borrowing: The country might need to borrow more from foreign lenders to cover the imports, increasing external debt leading to depleted foreign exchange reserves 
    • Investment sentiments: overall rising Trade deficit can signal economic instability to investors, leading to reduced foreign investment.
    • Dependency: Bilateral trade deficit becomes a major issue when a country gets overtly reliant on the other for critical supplies
      • Example: India’s dependency on China for critical rare earth minerals and Active Pharma Ingredients.
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Context

Recently, Mount Ibu experienced another eruption in Indonesia.

About Mount Ibu

It is an active stratovolcano.

  • Volcanic Activity in Indonesia: Volcanic activity is a recurring phenomenon across Indonesia, with eruptions happening in various volcanoes. Indonesia sits within the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. 
    • The nation is home to 127 active volcanoes.

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Features of Stratovolcanoes

  • Distinctive Shape: Stratovolcanoes have a conical shape, crafted by layers of volcanic material accumulated over successive eruptions.
  • Varied Slopes: Stratovolcanoes are known for their steep slopes, featuring a summit crater where both explosive and effusive eruptions occur intermittently. 
    • Some may also have collapsed summit craters known as calderas.
  • Composition: Comprising alternating layers of lava, ash, and tephra, stratovolcanoes exhibit a layered appearance.
    • The magma that generates this lava typically consists of high to intermediate levels of silica, such as rhyolite, dacite, or andesite, with smaller amounts of less viscous mafic magma.
  • Geographical Location: Often located above subduction zones, where tectonic plates converge, stratovolcanoes are commonly found in regions of intense volcanic activity, such as the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” spanning a significant portion of the Pacific Ocean.
  • High Viscosity: Due to its high viscosity, lava from stratovolcanoes often solidifies quickly, limiting its spread before cooling and hardening.

Mount Ibu

Examples of Stratovolcanoes

  • Nevado del Ruiz Volcano: Situated in the Andes Mountains of Colombia, Nevado del Ruiz stands out as a notable stratovolcano recognized for its conical form and frequent explosive eruptions.
  • Ubinas Volcano: Located in the Andes Mountains of Peru, Ubinas is recognized as a significant stratovolcano due to its steep slopes and frequent eruptions.
  • Cotopaxi: Cotopaxi, an active stratovolcano, sits within the North Volcanic Zone Belt of the Andean Volcanic Belt in the Pichincha/Cotopaxi province of Ecuador. With an elevation of 5897 meters above sea level, it ranks as the second-highest peak in Ecuador.
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Context

Recently, the Kerala government amended its earlier order of allowing the Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) to plant eucalyptus trees for its financial sustenance in 2024-2025 to limit permission to only cut exotic tree species from lands in the KFDC’s control.

Kerala Revises KFDC Order to Combat Invasive Species and Human-Wildlife Conflict

  • Issue with the Earlier Order: In 2021, the Kerala government had published an eco-restoration policy that sought to address the “proliferation of invasive species that are not suitable for our environment” and the resulting “depletion of natural forests”. 
  • Harmful Impacts: According to the policy, such depletion was in turn forcing wild animals to move to human-occupied land in search of food and thus increasing the prevalence of human-wildlife conflict.

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About Eucalyptus: 

  • It is a fast-growing evergreen tree native to Australia. 
  • Use: The eucalyptus tree oil is used as an antiseptic, a perfume, as a flavoring, in dental preparations and in industrial solvents.
  • Distinctive Trait: It is adapted to grow in a wide range of climatic regimes or soil types and grows rapidly and establishes itself easily; etc. 

About Eco-Restoration

  • Refers: It is the process of reclaiming habitat and ecosystem functions by restoring the lands and waters on which plants and animals depend. 
  • Aim: It aims to initiate or accelerate ecosystem recovery by creating conditions for plants, animals and microorganisms to carry out the recovery process themselves.
    • It is not a one-time activity and continues as the ecosystem recovers and matures. 
  • Involves: Restoration is a corrective step that involves eliminating or modifying causes of ecological degradation and re-establishing the natural processes like natural fires, floods, or predator-prey relationships that sustain and renew ecosystems over time.
    • Actions: It may involve actions like removing invasive species, reintroducing lost species or functions, altering landforms, planting vegetation, changing hydrology and reintroducing wildlife.
    • Practices: Reforestation and afforestation, wetlands restoration, river and stream restoration, peatland restoration, replanting mangroves and transplanting corals, etc.
  • India’s Initiatives:
    • Sundarbans Mangrove Restoration
    • National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA)
    • National Mission for a Green India (GIM)
    • Western Ghats Forest Landscape Restoration
    • Green Wall
    • National Afforestation Programme (NAP)
    • National Biodiversity Action Plan
  • Significance:
    • Biodiversity Conservation: It helps to conserve biodiversity by providing species with the conditions they need to thrive. 
    • Climate Change Mitigation: It can sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (such as forests, peatlands and mangroves), thereby helping to mitigate climate change.
    • Ecosystem Services: Healthier ecosystems, with richer biodiversity, yield greater benefits such as more fertile soils, bigger yields of timber and fish, and larger stores of greenhouse gases.
      • It can help us to achieve all of the Sustainable Development Goals.
    • Economic Benefits: The economic benefits of such interventions exceed nine times the cost of investment, whereas inaction is at least three times more costly than ecorestoration.
      • It can help in creating jobs like planting trees, managing protected areas and eco-tourism. Also, it can support local economies through improved agriculture, fisheries, and forestry.
  • Challenges:
    • Technical Challenges: Selection of appropriate native species, determining the best methods for re-establishing those species and managing invasive species.
    • Funding: These actions can be expensive and require sustained funding for over long periods as ecosystems can take years or even decades to recover fully. 
  • Need To Do:
    • Social Considerations: Any restoration action must consider the needs and rights of local communities, ensuring that restoration efforts also support local livelihoods. 
      • There is a need to ensure the involvement of local communities in planning and implementation.
    • Adequate Funding: To attain success, there is a need to secure ongoing funding and gain political support.
    • Monitoring: Careful monitoring, and evaluation to assess progress is the need of the hour. 
      • Time has come to ensure that restoration goals are met and that the ecosystem can sustain itself in the long term.
  • Restoration vs Conservation: Restoration is not a substitute for conservation. While it can restore biodiversity, structure, and function to ecosystems, it should not be used to justify destruction or unsustainable use.
    • It may not succeed in re-establishing the full assemblage of native species or the full extent of the original ecosystem’s structure and function.

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About the UN Decade on Eco-Restoration:

  • Declaration: The UN General Assembly has declared 2021–2030 a UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. 
    • A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration.  
  • Led by: The UNEP and the FAO, together with the support of partners to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. 
  • Aim: Reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. 

About the UN World Restoration Flagships:

  • Appreciation: With the World Restoration Flagships, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is honoring the best examples of large-scale and long-term ecosystem restoration in any country or region, embodying the 10 Restoration Principles of the UN Decade. 
  • Monitoring: Progress of all World Restoration Flagships will be transparently monitored through the Framework for Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring, the UN Decade’s platform for keeping track of global restoration efforts.

 

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Context

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) will become the first Adani Group company to be included in the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange.

  • APSEZ will replace Wipro at the Sensex.
  • APSEZ and Adani Enterprises, the flagship of the Adani Group, are already part of the Nifty at the National Stock Exchange.

What is the Sensex at the BSE?

  • SENSEX stands for Stock Exchange Sensitive Index and is the Benchmark Index of the Bombay Stock Exchange in India. The term was coined by stock market expert Deepak Mohini.
  • BSE 30: It represents a basket of 30 stocks representing the country’s largest, financially-sound companies across key sectors of the Indian economy that are listed on BSE Ltd.
    • SENSEX  is also  traded internationally on the EUREX as well as leading exchanges of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa).

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NIFTY:

  • Establishment: NIFTY  is a benchmark market index of the National Stock Exchange which was established on 21st April 1996.
    • NIFTY It is a blend of National Stock Exchange and Fifty coined by NSE 
  • NIFTY 50: It  is the flagship index of NSE, showcasing the top 50 equity stocks traded in the stock exchange out of a total of 1600 stocks spanning across 12 sectors of the Indian economy
  • Owned by: India Index Services and Products (IISL), a fully-owned subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange Strategic Investment Corporation Limited owns NIFTY.
  • NIFTY 50 follows the trends and patterns of blue-chip companies, i.e. the most liquid and largest Indian securities.
  • Indices: NIFTY consist of many indices like NIFTY 50, NIFTY IT, NIFTY Bank, and NIFTY Next 50; and is a part of the Futures and Options (F&O) segment of NSE which deals in derivatives.
    • Example: Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, and ITC Ltd.,Axis Bank, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finance, Bharti Airtel, Coal India, HCL Technologies, Hindustan Unilever, Tata Consultancy Services, Larsen & Toubro, etc.
  • Launched: Sensex is the country’s oldest and most tracked bellwether index launched in the year 1986.
    •  It is the oldest index in India and provides time series data from 1979.
  • Free-Float Market Capitalisation = Market Capitalisation x Free Float Factor
  • Market capitalisation: The total market capitalisation or the total value of all listed shares, as of May 24 2024 of BSE-listed firms was Rs 419.99 lakh crore.Calculation method: Sensex  is calculated based on the “Free-float Market Capitalisation” methodology with the formula being,
    • Free-float: It  is that proportion of total shares issued by the company that is readily available for trading to the general public.
    • It does not include promoters’ holding, government holding, and other shares that will not be available in the market for trading in the ordinary course of events.
  • Selection Criteria: The Sensex is reconstituted biannually, in June and December of every year by the Index Committee and a company has to fulfill certain conditions to be listed in the Sensex.  
    • BSE listing and Trade Frequency: It must have a listing history of at least six months at BSE, and should have traded on every trading day at the BSE during this six-month reference period.
    • The stock should have a derivative contract ie.  

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Bombay Stock Exchange: 

  • Established: It was formed in 1875, and is Asia’s first & the Fastest Stock Exchange in the world with the speed of 6 microseconds and became the 1st listed stock exchange of India in 2017.
    • The bourse was established as ‘The Native Share & Stock Brokers’ Association’ in 1875.
  • Trading platform:  BSE provides an efficient and transparent market for trading in equity, currencies, debt instruments, derivatives, mutual funds. 
  • India INX: BSE has launched India INX, India’s 1st international exchange, located at GIFT CITY IFSC in Ahmedabad.
  • Implementing Body: Indian Clearing Corporation Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of BSE, acts as the central counterparty to all trades executed on the BSE trading platform and provides full novation, guaranteeing the settlement of all bonafide trades executed.
    • A derivative is a financial instrument whose value is based on the value of an underlying asset like equities and currency.
  • Market Capitalisation: The company must be among the top 75 companies based on their average total market cap and should have a minimum free-float market cap of 0.50% after market cap and liquidity criteria are met.
  • Liquidity terms: The total weight of average daily value traded (ADVT) should be less than 98% to be included in the index.
    • The cumulative weight of the three-month average daily value traded (ADVT) is calculated for companies that meet the eligibility requirements. 
  • Investment Routes:
    • Direct Investment: Investors can invest in the shares of a company by opening a trading account through a registered trade broker
    • Exchange Traded Funds: It provides an indirect way to invest in Sensex by offering diversification across multiple stocks and aiming to replicate the performance of the index
    • Index Funds: They passively track Sensex performance by holding the same stock in the same proportion as the index
  • Significance: 
    • It is considered a barometer of investor sentiments and economic trends.
    • Market Forecasting: The rise and Fall of the Sensex reflects the mood of the market whereby a rise suggests optimistic sentiments and a fall is seen as pessimistic sentiments in the market.
    • Act as a sophisticated mechanism for evaluating the direction and vitality of the Indian stock market for both investors and analysts.

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SENSEX NIFTY
Incorporated 1986 1996
Former Names S&P BSE SENSEX CNX FIFTY
Number of Companies 30 Companies 50 Companies
Number of Sectors Sensex covers 13 industrial sectors Nifty covers a total of 24 industrial sectors.
Index Calculation Free-Float Calculation Free-Float Calculation
Operated by Bombay Stock Exchange India Index Services and Products (Subsidiary of National Stock Exchange)

 

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Context

Oedocladium Sahyadricum

Recently, A New algal speciesOedocladium sahyadricum” discovered in the natural forests of Kumbhavurutty region of Western Ghats in Kollam

About Oedocladium Sahyadricum

  • The name ‘sahyadricum’ refers to the Western Ghats, also known as Sahyadri
  • Features :  
    • It is Dioecious (having the male and female reproductive organs in separate individuals.),
    • Terrestrial, having a superior operculum (an operculum is a flap of some type found on algae, fungi, or vascular plants.).
    • It looks like moss protonema, is velvety green but turns yellowish-green as it matures. 
    • Possessing ellipsoid oogonium (large cells that develop a pore in the cell wall that allows flagellated sperm cells to enter the cell.)
    • Oospore (a thick-walled sexual spore that develops from a fertilized oosphere ).

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  • Habitat :
    • The alga was found as a thin mat of elongated strands on damp soil. 
    • Rainy weather is likely needed for its abundant growth.
  • Potential practical applications
    • In medicine, agriculture, and in the production of a natural pigment, astaxanthin. 
    • Algae play a significant role in ecosystems and have enormous economic importance in the world market, from high-value products to wastewater treatment.
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Context

This article sheds light on colour and its significance in understanding how living beings perceive the world.

  • Red, green and blue are primary colors.
  • Yellow, magenta and cyan are secondary colors.

What is Colour?

Colour

Colour is a type of information our eyes receive and process based on electromagnetic radiation.

  • Absorption, Reflection, and Scattering: An object doesn’t inherently have a colour. 
    • When light hits an object, it interacts with the object’s surface.
      • Then, it absorbs, reflects, and/or scatters different frequencies of visible-light radiation. 
      • Our perception of color arises from these interactions.

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Properties of Colour:

  • Hue : It is defined as the degree to which a color is perceived as similar to or different from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or violet.
  • Chromaticity: It relates to the quality of a color as perceived by humans, regardless of lighting conditions.
  • Lightness: It refers to how light a coloured object appears compared to a well-lit white object.
  • Brightness : It is related to an object’s luminance.

How Human Eyes Process Colour?

Colour

  • Rod and Cone cells: The human eye contains rod and cone cells that process light information.
    • Rod cells detect brightness.
    • Cone cells detect wavelengths, which the brain interprets as color.
  • Humans have three types of cone cells, each sensitive to different wavelengths.
    • It allows us to see a range of colors.
  • Trichromats: This ability to see three wavelengths is why humans are called trichromats.

Vision in Other Species

  • Tetrachromats: Many birds and reptiles are tetrachromats, meaning they have four types of cone cells.
  • Visible wavelengths: Humans can see wavelengths from 400 nm to 700 nm, known as visible light.
  • Ultraviolet light: Some animals, like honeybees, can see ultraviolet light.
  • Infrared radiation: Mosquitoes and some beetles can sense infrared radiation, which humans feel as heat.

Limitations and Enhancements in Viewing Celestial Images

  • Visible spectrum:Human vision limitations mean we can’t see beyond visible light.
  • False colors: Space telescope images often use false colors to highlight information in radio waves, X-rays, gamma rays, and ultraviolet light.
    • Without these enhancements, celestial images would show much less detail in visible light alone.

Methods of Rendering Colors

  • Additive Coloring
    • In additive coloring, different wavelengths of light are combined to create a new color.
      • This method is used in devices like smartphone screens and televisions.
    • The RGB color space is a common example:
      • Red, green, and blue light are mixed in varying amounts to produce other colors.
  • Subtractive Coloring
    • Subtractive coloring involves passing white light through a medium that absorbs certain wavelengths, leaving the rest to create a specific color.
      • Examples: dyes, pigments, and inks.

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Colour

Examples of Colour’s Influence

  • Prehistoric Use of Ochre
    • Humans used ochre in ancient times. 
    • Mixture for Ochre: The formation of ochre involves mixing ferric oxide, clay, and sand correctly.
  • Development of Blue LEDs
    • Red and green LEDs existed in the 1970s, but no blue.
      • Without blue, white light (ideal for homes and industry) couldn’t be made.
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Context

Special provisions and alternative voting methods are available for different voter categories.

About Postal Ballot

Postal ballot’ allows voters who cannot be physically present in polling stations to vote remotely, as specified in Section 60 of the RPA. This method differs from normal voting in three ways.

  1. Polling takes place outside the polling station;
  2. It takes place without EVMs (EDC voters are an exception — more on them later);
  3. Polling takes place before the designated poll poll date in the constituency.

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  • Eligibility for Postal Ballots: As per Rule 18 of The Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, the following classes of persons are entitled to vote by postal ballot:
    • Special voters: Individuals holding declared office under Section 20(4) of RPA, including the President, Vice President, Governors, Cabinet Ministers, other high-ranking dignitaries, etc. and their spouses.
    • Service voters: Members of the Indian armed forces, paramilitary forces, an armed state police member serving outside their state, or a government employee stationed abroad and their spouses residing with them.
    • Voters on election duty: This includes all Commission’s observers, presiding officers, polling officers and agents, police personnel, and public servants assigned official tasks on polling day. 
      • Private individuals and non-government staff, such as videographers, control room staff, drivers, conductors, cleaners, helpline staff, etc., are also covered.
    • Electors under preventive detention: Individuals held under preventive custody orders during the election period.
    • Absentee voters under Section 60 (c) of RPA, 1951: In 2019, the Election Commission created the ‘Absentee Voters’ category. 
      • This includes senior citizens aged 85+ (AVSC), persons with disabilities having at least 40% disability (AVPD), Covid-19 suspect or affected persons (AVCO), and persons employed in essential services (AVES). 
      • AVES includes officials certified to be on duty on the day of the poll but not on election duty, including railways, telecom, electricity, health, traffic, aviation, fire services, media persons authorized by ECI for poll day coverage, etc.

Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS)

  • About: ETPBS features encrypted ballots sent electronically via a secure portal. While the ballot is transmitted electronically, voters return their completed ballots via post at no cost.
    • In 2016, Rule 23 was amended to introduce the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) for Service Voters, speeding up the delivery of postal ballots.
  • Process: Under this system, postal ballots are sent electronically to registered service voters. They can download the ETPB, fill it out along with the declaration form, and mail it to the returning officer of their constituency. 
    • The mail must include the attested declaration form, signed by the voter in the presence of an appointed senior officer.

Facilitation Centres

  • Mandated Voting at Facilitation Centers: Rule 18A, introduced in 2022, mandates voters on election duty to vote at designated Facilitation Centers using postal ballots.
    • Previously, these voters could take their ballots home, which led to the risk of undue influence.
  • Location of Facilitation Centers: These centers are located at training venues and designated offices, and operate before the election. 
  • Secure Storage of Postal Ballots: The voting process, which is videotaped, involves casting votes into a steel trunk. After voting, postal ballots are placed in labelled cotton bags and kept in a strong room.
  • Postal Voting Centres for AVES: An appropriate venue and room for the Postal Voting Centre (PVC) are identified to facilitate voting by absent voters in the Essential Services (AVES) category. 
    • These voters may come to get their postal ballots issued and cast a vote on any of the three fixed days from 9 AM to 5 PM.
  • Notification to Contesting Candidates: The contesting candidates are notified about the location and schedules of these centres, and can send observers who are allowed to sign the postal ballot register and receive a copy.

Process of Home Voting

  • Delivery of Form 12D: For absentee voters over 85 (AVSC), PwD (AVPD) and AVCO, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) deliver Form 12D and compulsorily obtain acknowledgements from them
  • Collection Process: If the elector opts for the Postal Ballot, then the BLO collects the form for home voting within five days of the election’s notification.
  • Notification Process for Home Voting Visits: For home voting, teams consisting of two poll officers, a police security officer, a micro-observer, and a videographer are formed. 
    • Voters are notified of visits via SMS, post, or BLO; if a voter is unavailable after two attempts, no further action is taken.
  • Observation by Candidates and Media: Candidates, their agents, and media personnel are informed of the schedule and can observe the process. All visits are completed the day before the polls. 

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Voting in a different polling center

  • Election Duty Certificate (EDC) Issuance: Suppose a person on election duty is deployed in the same constituency where they are enrolled as a voter. 
    • In that case, the Returning Officer can issue the applicant an Election Duty Certificate (EDC). 
  • Polling Procedure for EDC Holders: This entitles them to vote at a polling station through EVM where they are on duty, which is not the station where they are enrolled as a voter since they are deputed through randomisation.
    •  However, if they are on duty in another constituency, they are entitled only to a postal ballot.

Proxy voting

  • Eligibility to be a Proxy Voter: Service voters in the Armed and paramilitary forces can vote either by proxy or postal ballot. 
    • Those who choose the proxy voting method are known as ‘Classified Service Voters’ (CSVs).
  • Proxy Voting Procedure: They must appoint a local resident as their proxy. The proxy votes at the designated polling station and indelible ink is applied to their left middle finger to indicate proxy voting.

Assisted Voting

  • Process of Assisted Voting: Suppose an elector is unable to vote due to blindness or other disability.
    • In that case, the Presiding Officer may allow them to bring a companion over 18 into the voting booth to record a vote on their behalf. 
    • The indelible ink is applied to the companion’s right index finger in such cases.

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Context

A group of WTO members, including Brazil, Canada, and the EU, have urged India to submit timely notifications on sugar subsidies in the World Trade Organisation.

  • They allege these subsidies distort global sugar trade as India is a major sugar exporter.

Reasons for Urging India to Submit Timely Notifications on Sugar Subsidies at WTO

Sugar subsidies in WTO

  • Lack of Transparency: A key concern is India’s failure to submit timely reports on its sugar subsidies. 
    • This lack of transparency makes it difficult for other WTO members to assess the true impact of India’s policies on the global sugar market.
  • Alleged Market Distortion: Brazil, Canada, and the EU suspect India’s unreported subsidies are artificially lowering production costs, giving them an unfair advantage in the international sugar export market. 
    • This could potentially distort global sugar prices and harm other sugar-producing countries.
  • Export subsidy reduction requirementsPotential Violation of WTO Rules: The WTO sets limits on the amount of domestic support a country can provide to its agricultural sector. 
    • By not reporting its sugar subsidies, India raises concerns that it might be exceeding these limits and violating WTO trade agreements. 
      • This could lead to further disputes and potential trade sanctions.
  • Unresolved Dispute: The issue is further complicated by India’s ongoing appeal against a 2022 WTO ruling that declared its sugar support measures inconsistent with global trade norms.
  • India’s stand: Adding to the friction, India objects to the methodology used by the US and Australia to calculate its sugar subsidies. 
    • This disagreement highlights the need for a clear and agreed-upon method for assessing compliance with WTO subsidy limits.

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Country phase Reduction (value) Reduction (volume) Timeline
Developed Minimum 36% Minimum 21% 6 years
Developing 24% 14% 10 years

Sugar Sector of India 

  • Industry Ranking: Second largest agro-based industry in India, after cotton.
  • Global Production Leader: India was the world’s #1 producer of sugar, with 37 million metric tons produced in 2022.
  • Sugar subsidies in WTOEconomic Impact:
    • Generates livelihood for millions: Supports sugarcane farmers and employs 500,000 sugar mill workers.
  • Export Leader: India was the 3rd largest sugar exporter globally in 2022.
  • Sugar Production in India:
    • Projected Production: 36 million metric tons in market year 2022/2023.
    • Leading Producers: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
  • Sugar Varieties in India and across the world:
    • Products from Sugarcane: Sugar, gur (jaggery), and khandsari.
    • Global Sugar Categories: Brown sugar, granulated sugar, liquid sugar, and invert sugar.
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Context

The recent tragic events at a children’s hospital in Delhi and a gaming zone in Rajkot, Gujarat brought into focus the state of safety standards nationwide and the urgent need for robust enforcement measures to avert such tragedies.

Fire Safety

Tragic Fires in Delhi Hospital and Rajkot Gaming Zone

  • Case of Delhi: In East Delhi’s children’s hospital, a fire broke out, tragically claiming the lives of seven newborns. 
    • While the cause of the fire remains unconfirmed, locals have raised concerns about “illegal refilling of cylinders on the first floor of the hospital building.”
  • Case of Rajkot: Here, the fire at the gaming zone was attributed to an electrical short circuit. The indoor gaming facility, housed within a steel-fabricated shed spanning three storeys, resulted in the deaths of 27 people.
  • National Fire Service Day: 14th April is dedicated to Fire Safety in India and is celebrated as National Fire Service Day.

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Major Notable Fire Incidents in India:

  • Uphaar Cinema blaze in Delhi, 1997
  • Kumbakonam School Fire in Tamil Nadu, 2004
  • The Mumbai Kamala Mills Fire, 2017 
  • Fire in a Surat Coaching Centre, 2019
  • Ahmednagar Hospital Fire Tragedy, 2021

Alarming Fire Incidents in India

  • National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB): As per recent data by the NCRB, over the past two years, 3,375 fire incidents were reported in India, with electrical short circuits being a predominant cause. 
    • Shockingly, commercial building fires claimed 330 lives in 2019 alone, while residential fires led to 6,329 fatalities nationwide.
    • Around 83,872 fire incidents were recorded in India during 2014–2018, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of States, NCRB.
  • Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI): As per data from the ADSI, with an average of 35 fire-related deaths occurring daily between 2016 and 2020. The number of people dying in the incidents was 16,900 in 2016 and 9,110 in 2020.

About National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA):

  • Origin: Disaster Management Act of 2005 established NDMA in 2006, as a statutory body for disaster management in India
  • Composition: Its chairman is the Prime Minister, and there are nine other members. Vice-Chairperson duties are assigned to one of the nine participants.
  • Objectives:
    • To pioneer and put into practise a comprehensive and integrated approach to disaster management in India. 

About Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS):

  • BIS is the National Standard Body of India established under the BIS Act 2016 for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods. 
    • Maharashtra and Gujarat collectively accounted for 30% of fire-related fatalities, with electrical faults, human negligence, and ill-formed habits cited as primary causes.
  • Major Causes of Fire Accidents:
    • Electrical short circuit
    • Bursting of stove or gas cylinder
    • Human Negligence
    • Improper storage and use of flammable items
    • Bypassing norms for Fire Safety

About Fire Safety

  • Refers: It refers to the guidelines and practices meant to minimize the destruction caused by fire. 
  • Objective: To prevent the occurrence of a fire incident and control the fire after it ignites to limit the damage.

Fire Safety Norms in India  

  • Responsibility of State: Fire Service is a State subject and has been included as a Municipal function in the XII Schedule of the Constitution of India under Article 243 (W).  
    • The Central Government does not maintain any data related to fire accidents/incidents in States centrally. 
  • National Building Code (NBC): NBC was published by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in 1970 and updated in 2016, providing comprehensive guidelines for construction, maintenance, and fire safety protocols in buildings. 
  • Model Building Bye Laws 2016: It issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, offers guidance to states and Union Territories (UTs) in formulating building bylaws to address fire protection and safety requirements. 
  • National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA): It mandates specific fire safety criteria for public structures like hospitals, encompassing provisions for open safety spaces, evacuation procedures, and dedicated staircases and evacuation drills.

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Follow Specific Codes:

  • Specific Essential Measures: Under the framework of the National Building Code (NBC), achieving absolute fire safety may be deemed impracticable, but the Code delineates specific measures essential for fire prevention and mitigation.
  • Zoning Regulations governing Building Construction: Residential areas, educational institutions, and other similar establishments are classified under Fire Zone 1, aimed at preventing the juxtaposition of industrial or hazardous structures with residential and commercial buildings.
    • These regulations extend to various building types, including high-rises, special-purpose structures like hotels and educational institutes, businesses, storage, and industrial buildings, (with specified dimensions) etc.
  • Use of Non-Combustible Materials: Non-combustible materials should be used for the construction of buildings, and the internal walls of staircase enclosures should be of brickwork, reinforced concrete, or any other material of construction with a minimum of a 120 min rating.
    • The NBC also advocates for fire-resistant electrical installations, recommending flame-retardant wiring and metal conduit for medium- and low-voltage wiring.
    • It also mandates separate shafts for electric distribution cables and wiring, sealed with fire-stop materials, ensuring compartmentalisation of fire hazards.
    • It also emphasizes proper earthing for metallic elements like steel structural members.

Initiatives Taken for Fire Safety:

  • Scheme for Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services in the States: It was launched by the Indian Government in 2023 from the earmarked allocation of Preparedness and Capacity Building Funding Window under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for strengthening fire services in the States for the period upto 2025-26. 
  • Model Bill to Provide for the Maintenance of Fire and Emergency Service for the State: It was circulated by the Centre to facilitate the maintenance of fire and emergency services at the state level.
  • Guidelines by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA): NDMA has released guidelines covering scaling, types of equipment, and training for fire services across the country.

Challenges that need to be Tackled for Fire Safety

  • Lack of Planning & Poor Implementation: A study by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) underscores that lack of planning and poor implementation of norms in urban areas is a major reason behind increasing fire risks as it leads to the formation of informal settlements and over-densification. 
  • Informal Settlements: In several cases, informal settlements, excluded from the purview of building bylaws and planning regulations, are developed without any consideration for fire safety. 
    • With the increasing urban slum population, this has become a matter of concern, the study reveals.
  • Inadequate Enforcement of Safety Norms: Despite the National Building Code (NCB) serving as a ‘recommendatory document’, many of its provisions are frequently overlooked at the local level. Even obligatory certifications often go unheeded. 
    • Fire safety audits, crucial for ensuring compliance, have been underutilized due to the failure of local bodies to conduct regular checks and enforce compliance. For this, the courts have often pulled up State authorities over their laxity in implementing the fire safety rules. 
  • Lack in Monitoring & Compliance: Weak inspections and rare follow-up by municipality are one of the major concerns, which are resulting in recurring tragedies.
    • A hospital in Delhi is operating with an inadequate and expired license, lacking fire extinguishers and emergency doors, and an indoor gaming centre in Rajkot lacking a no-objection certificate and conducting welding work during business hours.
  • Inadequate Infrastructure: A FICCI-Pinkerton study highlights that urban India has less than 40% of the fire stations it needs. 
    • Polyurethane foam (PUF) used for plastic insulation is highly flammable due to its proximity to electrical wiring that, when heated due to overloading or short circuit, immediately catches fire.
    • Also, in most of the cases, there is absence of smoke management and emergency lighting.
  • Lack of Emergency Preparedness: Audits show a systemic lack of preparedness, with a significant percentage of healthcare facilities lacking fire safety clearance.
    • In 2020, the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), in its report ‘Fires in India: Learning Lessons for Urban Safety (2020)’, highlighted, “The apathy of the authorities in taking any action has clearly indicated that little has been learnt from the previous fire outbreaks.”
  • Non-Uniform Safety Legislation: Since, fire services are under state legislation, it leads to inconsistencies in safety standards. 
    • In various states, fire service norms are in place. However, there is a notable absence of standardization and consistent safety legislation. 

Way Forward

Fire Safety

  • Uniform & Strong Legislation: India needs a uniform and strong fire safety legislation with an effective time to time audit mechanism to reduce such a large number of casualties.
  • Strict Adherence to Laws & Regulations: The NIDM report further highlighted the urgent necessity for stringent adherence to guidelines for fire prevention in existing old structures. 
    • This includes implementing a rigorous schedule for the renewal of licenses and permits, as well as conducting regular monitoring and inspections of installed firefighting equipment by relevant authorities to avert potential tragedies.
  • Ensure Proper Compliance: Compliance of the building bylaws and planning norms could have easily avoided such a deadly incident and saved many. 
    • Building community resilience would also have been helpful in avoiding this disaster. 
    • The state of preparedness in terms of fire safety should be taken on a serious note. 
  • Effective Response Plans: Every municipality needs to develop a fire hazard plan in partnership with administration, fire brigade and health department.
    • Fire Safety Singapore is the safest country in the world (2019) when it comes to fire risk, according to the FM Global Resilience Index.
  • Awareness and Advancement: There is a need to educate the public about its safety norms by including a chapter on fire safety in the school curriculum and conducting regular drills that could help children be prepared to handle such incidents.
    • Time has come to modernize fire departments with equipment like smoke detectors, fire hose cabinets and automatic sprinkler systems.
  • Community-based Fire Risk Management: Communities managing housing and commercial premises need to regularly organize awareness programmes and they should be actively engaged in the identification, analysis, treatment, monitoring, and evaluation of fire risks to reduce their vulnerabilities and enhance their capacity.
  • Capacity Building: Efficient communication links should be established between civilian groups in vulnerable areas and city fire brigades. Government needs to invest more in infrastructure to counter such threats. 
  • Need for a Global Approach: India and all countries around the world need to come together to bring down these fire fatalities.
    • The goal of the Decade of Action for Fire Safety is to stabilize and then reduce the forecast level of fire fatalities, injuries, economic cost and environmental impact around the world by 2032 as global population increases.
    • In 2024, over 50 countries came together for the first-ever World Fire Congress in Washington DC that was aimed at increasing international collaboration on the growing challenges faced by fire and rescue services across the globe.

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Must Read
NCERT Notes For UPSC UPSC Daily Current Affairs
UPSC Blogs UPSC Daily Editorials
Daily Current Affairs Quiz Daily Main Answer Writing
UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers UPSC Test Series 2024

 

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