Good Governance Day is celebrated on December 25th, every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 

About Good Governance Day

• First celebrated in 2014, it underscores the government’s commitment to providing a transparent and accountable administration and ensuring that the benefits of development reach every citizen. 
• The Good Governance Day on December 25, 2024, holds special significance as it marks the 100th birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

What is ‘Good’ Governance? 

• The “Governance” means “the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented)”. 
  • It encompasses both formal institutions and informal practices.
• Good governance ensures the exercise of authority to manage a country’s resources and affairs with fairness, transparency, and accountability.
• According to the World Bank, Good Governance is defined as “the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development”.

Key Characteristics of Good Governance (as per UN)

• Participatatory: Inclusive decision-making involving all sections of society, especially vulnerable groups.
• Follows the Rule of Law: Legal frameworks must be fair, enforced impartially, and protect human rights.
• Transparency: Processes and decisions are open and accessible to the public.
• Responsiveness: Institutions and processes serve all stakeholders efficiently.
• Consensus–Oriented: Mediation of varied interests to achieve common goals.
• Equity and Inclusiveness: Ensuring all members have opportunities and feel included.
• Effectiveness and Efficiency: Use of resources for maximum results without waste.
• Accountability: Both public and private sectors answerable to stakeholders.

Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store

Importance of Good Governance in India 

• Ensures Transparency and Accountability: Good governance enhances trust in institutions by ensuring openness and accountability in public administration.
  • Example: The Right to Information Act (RTI) of 2005 has empowered citizens to demand transparency. 
• Promotes Inclusive Development: Good governance ensures equitable access to resources and services, addressing the needs of marginalized and vulnerable groups.
  • Example: The Jan Dhan Yojana, with over 52 crore bank accounts opened (as of July 2024), has improved financial inclusion by reaching the unbanked population.
• Reduces Corruption: Governance reforms minimize opportunities for corruption by streamlining processes and introducing checks and balances.
  • Example: Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) eliminates middlemen in welfare schemes, saving over ₹2.7 lakh crore (Budget 2024) by plugging leakages since its inception.
• Enhances Economic Growth: Effective governance fosters a business-friendly environment, attracting investments and creating jobs.
  • Example: India ranked 63rd in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report (DBR) in 2020, reflecting improvements in governance and ease of doing business policies like GST and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
• Improves Service Delivery: Good governance ensures efficient and timely delivery of public services, reducing delays and grievances.
  • Example: The Digital India initiative facilitated e-governance, with the Bhoomi Project in Karnataka digitising 20 million land records, reducing disputes and fraud.
• Strengthens Democracy and Rule of Law: Good governance promotes the rule of law and strengthens democratic processes by ensuring justice and accountability.
  • Example: Over 3.3 million elected representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions, represent grassroots democracy, empowered by the 73rd Amendment.

Challenges to Good Governance in India

• Corruption: Corruption erodes public trust and hampers service delivery, making governance inefficient.
  • India ranked 85th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perception Index 2023, highlighting persistent issues in combating corruption.
  • Professor Bibek Debroy claims that public officials in India may be stealing as much as ₹921 billion (US$11 billion), or 1.26% of the GDP, through corruption. 
• Criminalisation of Politics: The increasing nexus between politics and crime undermines governance and the rule of law.
  • According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) Report 2023, 43% of elected MPs in the Lok Sabha have declared criminal cases against them, affecting policy-making and governance integrity.
• Delays in Justice Delivery: Judicial delays weaken the rule of law and public confidence in the justice system.
  • As of 2023, over 51 million cases are pending across Indian courts, including 80,000 in the Supreme Court, resulting in delayed justice for citizens.
• Regional Disparities: Uneven development between regions creates inequality and challenges governance.
  • While southern states like Kerala have a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.758, states like Bihar lag with an HDI of 0.577 (2022 data).
  • Disparities contribute to socio-economic grievances and insurgencies in less-developed regions.
• Lack of Accountability: Bureaucratic inefficiency and weak mechanisms to hold officials accountable hinder effective governance.
  • Frequent transfers of civil servants  project implementation and accountability.
• Digital Divide: While digital governance improves efficiency, the urban-rural divide and lack of digital literacy pose challenges.
  • According to a report by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI, 2021), only about 35% of rural households in India have access to the internet, compared to over 70% in urban areas.

Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store

Innovations and Initiatives in Governance in India

• E-Governance for Transparency and Efficiency: Leveraging technology to streamline processes, reduce corruption, and enhance public service delivery.
  • Digital India: Promotes digital infrastructure, digital literacy, and e-services. Over 2 lakh gram panchayats are connected via optical fiber under BharatNet.
  • PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation): Monitors the timely execution of government projects, addressing delays for efficient governance, promotes a culture of Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation.
  • UMANG App: Unified platform offering over 1,000 services from central and state governments.
  • Pro-People Good Governance (P2G2): Introduced by Prime Minister Modi, emphasises sensitivity, commitment, and a sense of responsibility in governance.
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Eliminates middlemen by transferring subsidies and benefits directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
  • More than ₹2 lakh crore saved since inception.
  • Ensures timely payments for schemes like PM-KISAN and MGNREGA.
• Right to Information (RTI): Promotes transparency by allowing citizens to access government information. Enhanced accountability across departments.
• Citizen-Centric Service Delivery: Improved service delivery by defining standards and creating mechanisms for citizen engagement.
  • Citizen’s Charter: Introduced by various government agencies to outline service standards.
  • Passport Seva Kendras: Reduced processing time for passports from weeks to a few days.
• Participatory Governance: Involving citizens in decision-making and program implementation.
  • Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Mobilized public participation for sanitation. Over 12 crore toilets were built, making villages open-defecation-free.
  • Jan Dhan Yojana: Financial inclusion with over 52 crore bank accounts opened.
• Sustainable Development Initiatives: Focus on environmental conservation and sustainable growth.
  • Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE): Promotes eco-friendly habits to combat climate change.
  • National Solar Mission: Aims for 280 GW of solar power by 2030.
• Decentralization and Local Governance: Empowering local self-governments through resource and decision-making autonomy.
  • Panchayati Raj System: Strengthened by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments. Over 3.3 million elected representatives, including 1.4 million women.
  • Devolution of funds: Increased fiscal responsibility for local bodies.
• Administrative Reforms: Streamlining governance for improved efficiency and reduced red tape.
  • Mission Karmayogi: Focuses on capacity building and professional training for civil servants.
  • Scrapping of Obsolete Laws: Over 1,500 outdated laws repealed to reduce complexity and enhance efficiency.
  • Good Governance Index (GGI): The Department of Administration Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) launched the Good Governance Index (GGI) Framework and published the ranking for the States and Union Territories (UTs).
• Financial Reforms: Enhancing ease of doing business and ensuring fiscal discipline.
• • Goods and Services Tax (GST): Unified tax regime, increasing compliance and reducing tax evasion.
  • Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC): Enabled faster resolution of corporate insolvencies.

Way Forward for Strengthening Good Governance in India

• Promote Transparency and Accountability: Strengthen mechanisms like RTI and social audits to ensure openness in governance.
  • Increase public oversight through participatory platforms and regular performance reviews.
• Leverage Technology for E-Governance: Expand the Digital India initiative to bridge the urban-rural digital divide.
  • Use emerging technologies like AI and blockchain to enhance efficiency and reduce corruption in service delivery.
• Strengthen Local Governance: Empower Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies with greater financial autonomy and decision-making powers.
  • Enhance grassroots participation through awareness and capacity-building programs.
• Focus on Inclusivity and Equity: Ensure the inclusion of marginalized communities by improving access to healthcare, education, and social security.
  • Reduce regional disparities by directing more resources to underdeveloped areas.
• Build Institutional Capacity: Invest in professional training for civil servants through programs like Mission Karmayogi to improve efficiency.
  • Ensure continuity in leadership roles by reducing frequent transfers of key officials.
• Strengthen Judicial and Legal Reforms: Address delays in justice delivery by establishing fast-track courts and digitizing legal processes.
  • Encourage alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to reduce the backlog in courts.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes

Conclusion

Good governance is the cornerstone of sustainable development, ensuring transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in public administration. By embracing technology, empowering citizens, and fostering equity, India can build a governance model that uplifts all sections of society and drives holistic progress.

DOWNLOAD PDF

The Union government has notified the Telecommunications (Procedures and Safeguards for Lawful Interception of Messages) Rules, 2024.

What is Message Interception?

• It is the act of secretly accessing or capturing messages sent between two or more people without their permission.
• The new rule regarding message interception aims to safeguard national security while addressing concerns over potential Right to Privacy violations.
  • It replaces Rule 419A of the Indian Telegraph Rules, 1951.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

Key Features of the New Rules

• Purpose: To allow authorized agencies to intercept messages for specific reasons and for limited durations.
• It is based on existing call interception protocols.
• Duration: Interception permitted for a maximum of six months.
• Competent Authorities for Approvals
  • Union Level: Home Secretary.
  • State Level: Chief Secretary.
  • Urgent Cases: Joint Secretary or Inspector General-level officers can issue interim orders, subject to confirmation by the competent authority within three working days.
  • Failure to confirm within 7 working days will terminate the interception, and collected data cannot be used as evidence.

Judiciary view on intercepted conversation

• R.M. Malkani v. State of Maharashtra (1973): This case revolved around the question that criminal prosecution can be started against a person on just part of telephonic conversation or not. 
• Admissibility of telephonic conversation: In this case, SC ruled that a recorded telephonic conversation , if it is relevant and does not violate any provision of Indian evidence act (IEA), can be used as evidence. 
  • However, it should be recorded in such a way so that accuracy can be verified. 

Differences Between New Rules and Rule 419A

Key Concerns

• Potential for Misuse: There are concerns that these rules could be misused by authorities, leading to unwarranted surveillance of citizens.
• Privacy Violation: These rules infringe on the fundamental right to privacy of individuals.

Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store

Old framework for message interception 

• Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 : The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, granted the government powers to intercept messages for reasons such as public safety and national security.
• Rule 419A (2007): It was introduced in 2007 following the landmark Supreme Court judgment in the case of PUCL vs. Union of India (1996).
  • The PUCL ruling emphasized the importance of protecting an individual’s Right to Privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution.
  • Key provisions introduced under Rule 419A:
    • Clear approval process for interception.
    • Accountability mechanisms for law enforcement agencies.
    • Oversight by senior officials to ensure that interception is not misused.

DOWNLOAD PDF

A study published in the journal ‘Proceedings of the Royal Society B’ highlights substantial methodological and regulatory gaps in the functioning of the Biodiversity credits markets in its current state.

Key Highlights of the Study

• Subject: To examine how a biodiversity unit or a ‘unit of nature’ is defined in the rapidly growing voluntary biodiversity credits market.
• Aim: To present a framework to explore how biodiversity is quantified, how delivery of positive outcomes is detected and attributed to the investment and how the number of credits issued is adjusted to account for uncertainties.
• Focus: To understand how organisations develop methodologies for biodiversity credits in the voluntary market and how challenges are addressed in defining them.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

• Stages of Creating a Biodiversity Credit:
  • Framing: It defines what kind of biodiversity a credit represents and over what time period.
    • Unit of Measurement: Most methodologies reviewed sell credits by area representing biodiversity in units of one hectare
    • Specificity: Many methodologies are designed to represent any ecosystem (terrestrial, marine or freshwater) but ecosystem specific credits also exist. 
    • Purpose: There are two types of credits based on the purpose i.e. whether they represent units of conserved (sometimes known as ‘avoided loss’ or ‘preservation’ credits) or restored (sometimes known as ‘uplifted’) biodiversity.
    • Time: The time period that one credit represents is often issued for five years but can range from one month to the entire duration of a project. 
  • Quantifying: It considers how the biodiversity is measured at the project site at any one point in time. Two broad approaches are taken to quantify the biodiversity, These are,
    • Basket of Metrics: A numeric value is assigned to measure various parameters of an ecosystem like, a range of population, abundance of a target species, species richness,measure of ecosystem structure etc.
    • Binary Condition: As per this approach, A site is marked as healthy or not according to one metric usually reflecting some definition of healthy or not healthy.
      • Example: A site could be marked as healthy if deforestation has not occurred or if a sensitive indicator species is detected as present.. 
  • Detecting: The next stage is to detect the progress of the project by measuring how much of the conservation or restoration objective is attributed to the project.
    • As generally biodiversity is measured across the entire site and nearly all credits are sold per hectare,so detected gains are multiplied by the area of the project site to obtain the number of credits.
  • Adjusting: This final stage determines how the number of credits issued will be adjusted to account for factors outside project control like, leakage, other uncertainties or permanence.
• Challenges: 
  • Fungibility or Interchangeability: Some methodologies standardise biodiversity gains across ecosystems, continents and biomes undermining the fact that biodiversity has an unique, place-specific importance. 

• • • Example: An isolated forest patch cannot be equated to one within a larger, connected landscape.
  • Measuring Biodiversity Value:  Metrics necessarily focus on aspects of nature that are quantifiable, ignoring other aspects like species interactions, the cultural value of nature, or its constitutive value (as a part of the identities of Indigenous peoples and local communities).
  • Commodifying Noise: Credit methodologies based on changes over short to medium time scales run the risk of rewarding, or penalizing, project operators based on measurement error or random fluctuations
    • Example: Butterfly population trends require long-term data due to yearly variations. 
  • Demonstrating Additionality: To show that additional Project investments has led to positive biodiversity outcomes beyond business-as-usual scenarios is a challenge as gathering data on outcomes is expensive and additional investment does not always guarantee success. 
  • Leakage: It occurs when harmful activities, such as deforestation, are displaced to other areas rather than reduced. 
    • Example: Farmers may switch land use to biodiversity credits, prompting others to convert new land for agriculture elsewhere.
  • Permanence: The question of permanence i.e. whether the gains made today will have a permanent nature is just as important as, without long-term management, many conservation or restoration gains could be lost.

About Biodiversity Credits

• A biodiversity credit is a verifiable, quantifiable and tradeable financial certificate that rewards positive nature and biodiversity outcomes (e.g. species, ecosystems and natural habitats) through the creation and sale of either land or ocean-based biodiversity units over a fixed period
  • Example: Some biodiversity credit schemes include, Terrasos, GreenCollar , ValueNature, CreditNature, Wilderlands
• Mechanism: Non-profits, governments, landowners, or companies generate credits, which are then purchased by private companies to meet their biodiversity commitments.
  • One credit might represent a certain amount of land conserved or restored over a specific period of time
• Market: Estimates by the World Economic Forum place the biodiversity credit market’s current value at $8 million, with projections suggesting a surge to $2 billion by 2030 and $69 billion by 2050.

Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store

DOWNLOAD PDF

Researchers from  Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, developed a hybrid aerogel IPcomp-9 capable of efficiently extracting gold from electronic waste.

About the Hybrid Aerogel IPcomp-9

• IPcomp-9  is a novel hybrid aerogel with tailored active sites that can selectively capture gold ions from electronic waste (e-waste) and contaminated water.
• Researchers at IISER synthesised IPcomp-9 by covalently linking two types of crystalline solid materials, a metal-organic polyhedral made up of zirconium and a 2D imine-linked covalent organic framework.
  • The researchers used iron nitrate salt to thread the two materials together at room temperature within two to five minutes.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes

• Mechanism of Absorption: The imine groups and the positively charged zirconium clusters are the key parts that attract and bind negatively charged gold ions. 
  • The attached ions are then rapidly converted into metallic gold.
• Efficiency: They extracted up to 99% of gold ions from e-waste  and achieved 1689 mg/g extraction under daylight and 2349 mg/g under blue light.
• Dual Process: The aerogel facilitates adsorption and reduction, yielding reasonably pure gold and minimizing the need for further purification.
• Potential Applications: If scaled up, this technique could revolutionize e-waste management and promote sustainable resource recovery.
• Diversified application: It can also extract ultra-trace amounts of gold from rivers, lakes, groundwater, and seawater.
• Reusibility: It can be reused up to five times and effectively extracts gold from e-waste solutions, avoiding toxic chemicals.
• Economic and Environmental Benefits: The technique offers a sustainable method to manage e-waste and reduce dependence on hazardous mining practices, turning waste into wealth.
  • Traditional gold extraction methods, such as pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy , and cyanide extraction, are energy-intensive, time-consuming, complex and costly.
  • They also release harmful chemicals that damage the environment.

Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store

DOWNLOAD PDF

Over four months after former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India following massive protests that toppled her 16-year-old regime, Dhaka has officially requested her extradition.

Charges Against Sheikh Hasina

• Dhaka’s diplomatic note highlights multiple serious charges against Hasina, complicating any potential claim for political asylum in India.
• Accused of murder: Allegedly responsible for the killing of a grocery store owner in a police firing incident.
• Enforced disappearance: Implicated in the 2015 kidnapping of a lawyer.
• Genocide and torture: Charged in a separate case involving murder, torture, and genocide.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

About Extradition Treaty Between India and Bangladesh

• The Extraction treaty was introduced to address concerns about Indian insurgents, particularly from the North East, hiding in Bangladesh, and Bangladeshi militants taking refuge in India.
• Timeline: The treaty was signed in 2013 and amended in 2016 to streamline the process of exchanging fugitives.

• Key Provisions of the treaty: 
  • Extraditable Individuals: Those charged with, found guilty of, or wanted for committing an extraditable offence in the requesting country.
  • Definition of Extraditable Offence: Crimes carrying a minimum punishment of one year imprisonment, including financial crimes.
  • Dual Criminality: The offence must be punishable in both India and Bangladesh to qualify for extradition.
  • Scope of Extradition: Covers attempts to commit, aiding, abetting, inciting, or participating as an accomplice in an extraditable offence.
• 2016 Treaty Amendment: Removed the requirement for evidence of the alleged crime in extradition cases. Only an arrest warrant from a competent court in the requesting country is needed for extradition.

Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store

Exceptions to the Rules

• Grounds for Refusal: Extradition can be denied if the offence is political in nature.
• Non-Political Offences: Certain crimes are explicitly excluded from being classified as political, including:
  • Murder, manslaughter, assault.
  • Explosions or possession of explosives or weapons with intent to endanger life.
  • Use of firearms to resist arrest.
  • Property damage with intent to endanger life.
  • Kidnapping, hostage-taking, incitement to murder, and terrorism-related offences.
• Additional Exceptions: If the accusation was not made in good faith or in the interests of justice.
  • Military offences that are not crimes under general criminal law are excluded.

DOWNLOAD PDF

Recently, The Indian rupee’s exchange rate against the US dollar has breached the 85 mark.

About Exchange Rate 

• The exchange rate represents the value of one currency relative to another. 
  • For example, ₹85 per $1 means that 85 Indian rupees are required to purchase one US dollar.
• Exchange rates fluctuate based on the demand and supply of currencies in the foreign exchange market. 
  • A higher demand for US dollars compared to Indian rupees results in the depreciation of the rupee.
• Depreciation of Domestic Currency: An increase in exchange rate implies that the price of foreign currency (dollar) in terms of domestic currency (rupees) has increased. 

Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes

Factors Influencing Exchange Rate

• Trade Deficit: A persistent trade deficit occurs when imports exceed exports, increasing the demand for US dollars to pay for imports. This leads to the depreciation of the Indian rupee.
  • For example, in October 2024, India’s trade deficit widened to $27.14 billion, putting pressure on the rupee.
• Inflation: High domestic inflation reduces the purchasing power of the rupee, making Indian goods less competitive in global markets and weakening the currency.
  • In October 2024, India’s retail inflation stood at 6.21%, exceeding the Reserve Bank of India’s target range of 2-6%.
• Capital Outflows: Foreign portfolio investors withdrawing investments from Indian markets lead to a reduction in the demand for rupees, causing its depreciation.
  • In October 2024, foreign portfolio investors had pulled out Rs 94,017 crore from Indian markets.
• Stronger US Dollar: The US dollar index, which measures the dollar’s strength against a basket of currencies, rose by over 7%  since October 2024. This strengthening of the US dollar further weakened the Indian rupee.
• Global Factors: Rising crude oil prices increase India’s import bill, thereby requiring more US dollars and weakening the rupee.
  • As of June 2024, India’s external debt was $682.3 billion, also becoming more expensive to service as the rupee depreciates.
• Trade Restrictions: US trade policies, such as imposing tariffs on Indian goods, reduce the demand for Indian rupees in international markets, leading to a weaker currency.

Impacts of a Depreciating  Rupee

Positive Impacts

• Boosts Export Competitiveness: A weaker rupee makes Indian goods and services cheaper in the international market, increasing their demand.
  • Export-oriented industries such as IT, textiles, and pharmaceuticals benefit significantly.
• Encourages Remittances: A depreciating rupee makes remittances sent by Indians working abroad more valuable in rupee terms, benefiting their families and contributing to the economy.
• Improves Domestic Production for Substitution: Imported goods become more expensive, potentially encouraging domestic production to replace imports. This supports the “Make in India” initiative.
• Boosts Tourism in India: A weaker rupee makes India a cheaper destination for foreign tourists, potentially increasing revenue from tourism.

Negative Impacts

• Costlier Imports: The cost of essential imports, especially crude oil, increases. India imports 80% of its crude oil needs, and higher oil prices lead to inflation and pressure on household budgets.
  • Other imports like electronics and machinery also become expensive, affecting industries and consumers.
• Widening Deficits: Costlier imports contribute to a higher trade deficit and current account deficit, which further weakens the rupee and strains the economy.
• Rising Inflation: A weaker rupee leads to imported inflation, as higher costs of goods like crude oil and machinery ripple through the economy.
• Higher Debt Servicing Costs: India’s external debt, amounting to $620 billion (as of June 2024), becomes more expensive to service as the rupee depreciates.
• Impact on Outbound Travel and Education: Traveling abroad becomes costlier for Indians. 
  • Tuition fees and living expenses for Indian students studying abroad also increase, adding financial stress.
• Reduces Investment Confidence: A depreciating rupee can deter foreign investments as it signals macroeconomic instability. Investors may pull out funds, further weakening the currency.

Way forward

• Boost Exports: The government should enhance export competitiveness through initiatives such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes.
• Attract Foreign Investment: Efforts to improve the ease of doing business can attract more foreign direct investment (FDI).
• Control Inflation: The Reserve Bank of India has raised interest rates to combat inflation, though further measures may be required to stabilize prices.
• Currency Diversification: India should explore agreements for rupee trade with other countries to reduce reliance on the US dollar.

Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store

Conclusion

The depreciation of the Indian rupee presents both challenges, such as higher import costs and inflation, and opportunities, like increased export competitiveness. Effective policy measures are essential to mitigate negative impacts while leveraging potential benefits for economic growth.

DOWNLOAD PDF

Apps for Consumer Protection

Context: Department of Consumer Affairs Launched ‘Jago Grahak Jago App,’ ‘Jagriti App,’ and”Jagriti Dashboard” on National Consumer Day 2024 to protect Consumers from the Dark Patterns.

About the Apps for Consumer Protection 

• Jago Grahak Jago App: Alerts consumers about unsafe URLs during online activities, providing essential e-commerce information.
• Jagriti App: Enables consumers to report suspicious URLs with dark patterns, registering complaints with the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).
• Jagriti Dashboard: Provides real-time reports on dark patterns in e-commerce platforms, aiding CCPA’s monitoring and enforcement.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

National Consumer Day 2024

• National Consumer Day is celebrated in India every year on December 24. It marks the day when the Consumer Protection Act of 1986 was enacted.
• 2024 Theme: “Virtual Hearings & Digital Access to Consumer Justice”
• Significance: Celebrates consumer rights and empowers individuals to seek justice against unfair trade practices.

“Kashmir Paper Mâché”

Context: Srinagar’s papier mache artisans are crafting dodo figurines, a bird that became extinct in 1681.

• Dodo is a national emblem in Mauritius

About Kashmiri Papier-mache

• Kashmiri papier-mâché is a traditional craft that was introduced to Kashmir in the 14th century by Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, a Sufi mystic from Persia.
• It involves using paper pulp to create decorative and colorful items like vases, bowls, cups, trays, and lamp bases.
• This craft is practiced in Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir Valley and is marketed both within India and internationally.
• The craft is protected under the Geographic Indication Act 1999, and was registered in 2011 as “Kashmir Paper Mâché”.
• Mughal Influence and Expansion
  • During the Mughal era, the use of papier-mâché expanded to furniture in Kashmir.
  • Notable examples include papier-mâché works in Madin Sahib Mosque, Shah Hamdan Mosque, and the Shalimar Garden in Srinagar.
  • Intricate designs like kingfishers, maple leaves, and styles such as Arabesque, Yarkand, and Hazara became common.

Typhon Missile System

Context: Recently, the Philippines announced plans to acquire the U.S.-made Typhon missile system to strengthen maritime security. 

Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store

About Typhon missile system

• Land-based “Mid-range capability” Missile System
• Developer: U.S. Army in collaboration with Lockheed Martin.
• Range: Covers 300 miles (480 km), with a longer-range version under development.
• Technology: 
  • Advanced radar with electronic steering, frequency diversity, and coherent signal processing.
  • Capable of tracking and countering multiple threats simultaneously.
  • Resistant to electronic countermeasures (ECM).

DOWNLOAD PDF