Daily Current Affairs UPSC 6 February 2024

Article 142 of Constitution

• Supreme Court used Article 142 to reduce a 20-year sentence under POCSO Act.
• Judgement was given in response to a curative petition.
• Curative petition is the last option after a review petition is dismissed.
• Article 142 allows the Supreme Court to issue any order necessary for complete justice.
• Decrees or orders passed under Article 142 are enforceable throughout India.

ABHYAS - High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT)

• DRDO successfully conducted flight trials of ABHYAS-HEAT.
• ABHYAS is designed for autonomous flying with an autopilot.
• Developed by DRDO's Aeronautical Development Establishment.
• Equipped with Radar Cross Section, Visual and Infrared augmentation system.
• It also has a laptop-based Ground Control System.
• ABHYAS requires minimal logistics and is cost-effective compared to imported alternatives.

Motion of Thanks

• Prime Minister's response to the President's address.
• Constitutional requirement for President's Address after each general election and first session of every fiscal year.
• Motion of Thanks moved in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by ruling party MPs.
• Must be passed in the House, defeat means defeat of the government.
• Can be adopted with amendments.

FAME II Scheme

• Only 38% of FAME II subsidy used in FY24.
• Expanded version of FAME I (2015).
• Launched in 2019 for 3 years.
• Aims to encourage adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles.
• Incentives for advanced battery and registered vehicles.
• Covers privately owned registered e-2Ws.
• Supports creation of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

Vaccine Safety Net (VSN)

• The Healthy Indian Project (THIP) joins WHO-led VSN.
• THIP is a health information and fact-checking platform focused on verified vaccine safety information.
• VSN initiated by WHO in 2003 to provide reliable information on vaccine safety.
• Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) supports VSN by providing advice and criteria for website quality and content.

Non-Basmati Aromatic Rice Grading and Marking Rules, 2024

• Rules applicable for grading and marketing of five premium non-Basmati rice varieties of West Bengal.
• Varieties include Gobindabhog, Tulaipanji, Kalonunia, Kataribhog, and Radhunipagal.
• Authorized packers must set up their own laboratory or use an approved laboratory for quality testing.
• FSSAI standards must be followed for domestic trade, while export must comply with Codex Alimentarius Commission or importing countries' limits.

GRAPES-3 (Gamma Ray Astronomy PeV EnergieS phase-3)

• GRAPES-3 discovered a new feature in the cosmic-ray proton spectrum at 166 TeV energy.
• Collaboration between Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and other Indian institutions with Japan.
• Designed to study cosmic rays using air shower detectors and a large area muon detector.
• Cosmic rays are highly energetic particles that enter Earth's atmosphere from outer space.

Electricity 2024 Report

• Report released by the International Energy Agency.
• Electricity consumption from data centers, AI, and cryptocurrency sector expected to double by 2026.
• Clean electricity supply projected to meet global demand growth through 2026.
• Renewables set to provide over one-third of global electricity generation by early 2025, surpassing coal.
• India's electricity consumption surpassed Japan and Korea combined at the end of 2023.
• India has the fastest growth rate among major economies up to 2026.

Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (1889 - 1964)

• Rajkumari Amrit Kaur's key contributions in the pre and post-Independence period.
• Her participation in the 'Salt March' and 'Quit India Movement'.
• Her fight against various evil practices such as slavery, purdah system, child marriage, and devdasi.
• Her role as a member of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly.
• Her position as the first Health Minister of Independent India.
• Her foundation of AIIMS, Delhi.
• Her major literary works including "Woman in India," "Challenge to Women," and "To Women".
• Her values of being passionate, courageous, perseverant, and determined.

Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024 introduced in Lok Sabha

• Objective: To bring transparency, fairness, and credibility to public examination systems.
• Supplementing other government initiatives such as self-attestation and shortening examination cycle.
• Model draft for states to adopt at their discretion.
• Need for the Bill: Malpractices in public examinations lead to delays and cancellations, impacting the prospects of millions of youth.
• No specific substantive law to deal with unfair means or offences committed.
• Key Features:

• • Coverage: Examinations held by various organizations.
  • Offences: Cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable.
  • Punishment: Minimum 3 to 5 years of imprisonment, organized crime groups face 5 to 10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore.
  • Establishment of a High-level National Technical Committee on Public Examinations to develop protocols for digital platforms and effective IT security systems.

The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024 is introduced in the Rajya Sabha

• Amendment to the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
• Empowers the Central Government to exempt certain industrial plants from restrictions on new outlets and discharges.
• Prescribes the manner of nomination of chairman of State Pollution Control Board.
• Central Government can issue guidelines for granting, refusing, or cancelling consent for establishment of industries.
• Appointment of an Adjudicating officer to hold inquiries and impose penalties.
• Penalties for contraventions range from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15 lakhs, with additional penalties for persistent contraventions.
• Penalty amounts to be credited to the Environmental Protection Fund.
• Appeals against adjudicating officer's orders can be made to the National Green Tribunal.

About Article 252 of Constitution

• Article 252 gives Parliament the power to make laws on any subject on which it does not have legislative power, except as mentioned in articles 249 and 250.
• Articles 249 and 250 allow Parliament to make laws on matters in the State List if it is in the national interest or during a state of emergency.
• If two or more state legislatures pass a resolution, Parliament can make laws on those matters.
• Any law made by Parliament in this regard will apply to the states that passed the resolution and any other state that adopts it.
• Only Parliament can amend or repeal such laws.

Women-owned MSMEs are underrepresented on the Udyam Registration Portal (URP)

• Only 20.5% of MSMEs registered on URP are women-owned.
• Women-owned MSMEs contribute only 10.22% of the total turnover on URP.
• Accelerating women's entrepreneurship in India could create over 30 million women-owned enterprises and 150-170 million jobs.

Challenges faced by women entrepreneurs:

• Poor digital and technical skills due to low literacy rates and lack of access to mobile and internet.
• Inadequate access to formal credit due to lack of assets for collateral.
• Most women-owned businesses are home-run, micro, and informal, limiting their market spaces.
• Disproportionate burden of care economy and limited mobility for women.

Initiatives to promote women entrepreneurs:

• Public Procurement Policy (2018) mandates at least 3% annual procurement from women-owned micro and small enterprises.
• Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro & Small Enterprises provides additional concessions and guarantees for women entrepreneurs.
• MSME Sustainable Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) Certification Scheme offers 100% subsidy on ZED Certification for women-owned MSMEs.
• Upgradation & Mahila Coir Yojana and SAMARTH initiative are programs aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs.

About Udyam Registration Portal (URP)

• URP is a portal launched by the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) to formalize MSMEs.
• It allows online registration for MSMEs and provides them with a Unique Registration Number (URN) and Udyam Assist Certificate (UAC).
• The URN is necessary for an MSME to be classified under Priority Sector Lending (PSL) for bank loans.

Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)

• ASI is the main source of industrial statistics in India, conducted under the COS Act, 2008.
• It covers factories registered under the Factories Act, 1948, and other relevant acts.
• Defence establishments, oil storage and distribution depots, etc. are not included.
• Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh are the top states in terms of Gross Value Addition and employment.
• Manufacturing sector showed resilience despite the pandemic, with key drivers being basic metal, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, and motor vehicles.
• Manufacturing sector contributes around 17% to GDP, with a goal to increase it to 25% by 2025.
• Challenges in the sector include lack of credit availability, low productivity compared to other countries, informal sector, lack of skilled labor, and infrastructure bottlenecks.

Government Initiatives

• National Manufacturing Policy, 2011: A policy aimed at promoting manufacturing activities in the country.
• Make in India initiative, 2014: An initiative to encourage domestic and foreign companies to manufacture their products in India.
• PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, 2021: A plan to develop and modernize infrastructure in the country.
• Others: Includes schemes like the Production Linked Incentive scheme and the Industrial Corridor Development Programme.

SC issued notice on Haryana Govt. plea challenging striking down of 75% domicile quota in private jobs

• Punjab and Haryana High Court declared Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020 as unconstitutional and violative of fundamental rights.
• The Act provided 75% reservation to locals in private sector jobs with a monthly salary of less than Rs. 30,000.
• Other states like Andhra Pradesh have also enacted similar acts.
• Reasons for states pushing for local reservation in the private sector include fulfilling social justice commitments and addressing high unemployment rates.
• Mechanization in agriculture is pushing local people towards private sector jobs.
• Private sector benefits from government support and can be asked to implement affirmative policies.
• Concerns raised include violation of right to equality and freedom to practice any profession, potential business migration due to lack of skilled workforce, and fueling sons-of-the-soil syndrome in other states.
• It is also seen as against the fundamental principle of merit.

MeitY transfers the technology for Smart Food Grain Storage System (SAFEETY) to the industry

• Technology for SAFEETY was developed by SAMEER, an autonomous R&D institution under MeitY.
• Features conveyorized loading & unloading of grain bags with RFID for traceability.
• Online weight and moisture measurement with radio frequency-based removal of moisture from grain.

Need for Scientific Food Grain Storage System:

• Low production capacity in India due to limited arable land.
• Inadequate storage capacity with only 47% coverage of total production.
• Food security concerns with excess grains beyond buffer capacity.
• Economic viability of farming through reduced wastage and stable market prices.

Initiatives for Scientific Food Grain Storage System:

• "World's Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector" to establish decentralized storage capacity at Primary Agricultural Credit Societies level.
• Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI) scheme for construction/renovation of godowns/warehouses in rural areas.
• Agriculture Infrastructure Fund provides financing for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets.