september.pdf

C.C. SEPTEMBER ‘24 MESSAGE FROM DR. KHAN …. Dear Students, In this journey of preparation, you will meet many aspirants. They would be from different social, economic, and educational backgrounds. And comparisons will eventually make their way. There is a common concern among students who feel burdened by their past academic performance about their abilities to excel at this exam. However, one must remember that each exam is separate and serves its purpose. Neither good nor bad performance affects future outcomes. Your attitude determines your position tomorrow. I would here emphasize the concept of ‘Tabula Rasa,' where one can reposition the present & move on the journey toward the goal. Tabula rasa is a Latin phrase often translated as ‘clean slate’ in English. The idea emphasizes that the mind is a blank slate and that education and environment shape an individual's knowledge and character. With the right experiences and learning opportunities, anyone can acquire knowledge and skills. Each day presents a fresh start, a clean slate upon which one can write their future. Individuals can leave behind past failures and shortcomings by approaching each day with a renewed perspective. Despite similar levels of intelligence and time, it is the choices made and the actions taken that determine future outcomes. While the past cannot be changed, individuals have the power to choose their desired outcomes. Realize your power of choice. I also want to draw from the concept of a wide aperture approach in the camera, where the lens is open wide to focus sharply on a specific object or goal. The objects before & after appeared blurred for wide aperture. You can achieve significant progress by disregarding what lies behind or ahead and concentrating solely on the chosen goal. By embracing these philosophies, rather than dwelling on humble beginnings, I would encourage you to adopt a wide aperture approach, have a sharp focus on specific goals, and disregard distractions. Embrace the power of the Tabula Rasa and the power of choice to witness how each new day brings you closer to your aspirations. My best wishes are always with you. Stay Blessed! GS CONNECT It gives us immense pleasure to present an innovative approach to mastering current affairs. Current is a passing wind and diverse issues happen at the same time. It is to an extent chaotic. Newspapers, magazines, and various other sources report the chaos per se. With our experience of current affairs, we have tried to give “the current'' a medium to travel. It is the syllabus of the UPSC with its components that are the medium through which the "Current is Passed” to the readers. Ever since the new syllabus of the UPSC came into existence, the current has been gaining significance both at prelims as well as mains examination. This book is meant to cover current affairs and related questions arising from those events. We have not only covered the current events for their factual contents but also presented them in such a way that any question asked from that topic gets covered. Moreover, topics are also "peppered" with the relevant facts/key concepts that are related to the theme. It is a collection covering myriad sources yet in a manageable size. To use this book, we recommend you to, master the components of the General Studies (GS) syllabus as broken into rows and columns (provided on the subsequent page). Each cell comprising the portion of GS becomes the connection for the current and every news subsequently covered guides the reader to the address of the syllabus. It is logical to expect that the same issue may be connected to more than one topic of the syllabus. Further, the news also has some additional vistas opened for the readers by adding a box with the title “PEPPER IT WITH” where we expect the students to build further around the theme. We are also trying to reach the remotest part of the country with our spirit and zeal of “Mains Answer Writing'', which has been admired by students, CSE rank holders, and other scholars. Continuing in line with the effort, we have started programs like KTP Mains Test Series, Destinaire, Navigator, NEEV, AWSDP plus, KOL, DL& MP, Advance Foundation Course, Weekend Courses as well as Optional Courses (PSIR, Sociology, History, and Geography). Additionally, this month, we are introducing a new section called “SNAPSHOTS,” offering themes inspired by four monthly magazines to provide comprehensive coverage of various topics. We are also providing a complimentary full-length test with 100 objective questions. Scan the QR code to revise the previous month's current affairs and test yourself. When it comes to evaluation, we are all together at a different level. We are also reaching every nook and corner with this expertise for the aspirants of CSE. Now you can write a Mains Answer and get it evaluated by our Expert Team and can get Feedback. Drop a mail at [email protected] to register yourself in our race to perfection. Don’t wait, it’s your golden chance to crack this exam and fulfill your passionate dream. Team KSG 1 Page DELHI VN: 9717380832 & DELHI ORN: 9811293743 | JAIPUR: 8290800441 | BHOPAL: 7509975361| INDORE: 9893772941 | BENGALURU: 7619166663| KOLKATA: 9007709895 | www.ksgindia.com C.C. SEPTEMBER ‘24 S. No. GS -I GS- II GS- III GS-IV Mis Indian Culture-Art Forms, Indian constitution- Various measures to boost Ethical issues related to Literature and Amendments, acts and bills. Indian economy- planning, family society, 1 Architecture from ancient policies, education, Corruption to modern times. management etc. Indian History significant Legislative, Government budgeting and Ethics in public and events, personalities, executive and issues related to budget. private 2 issues and the Freedom judicial processes. administration Struggle. Post independence issues, Constitutional, non- Agriculture, animal husbandry Issues National boundary and constitutional, and transport 3 disputes. judicial, quasi-judicial, administrative and other types of bodies. Indian society features, Federal structure and local Food security- measures to Related laws and rules issues, globalization and bodies. Their powers and boost food security and food 4 diversity functions. processing. Issues related to land- land reforms Women - Government policies and Industries and infrastructure- Governance/e- issues and developments various governance issues like their growth and investment Governance 5 transparency, accountability model and – governance Urbanization Committees and schemes. Space and technology, IT Ethics 6 – problems and remedies space, robotics and in international issues computer Distribution Non-government issues, Disease, biotechnology and Personalities 7 of industries and resources self-help groups and role of human and their teachings – India and world civil society welfare Geophysical Vulnerable sections of our Innovations, intellectual Other important topics phenomena such as society and social sector issues property, 8 earthquakes, Tsunami, like Poverty, Hunger, Awards, POI and other Volcanic activity, Education, and their initiatives. important aspects of S&T cyclone etc International Relation- Environment; government India and other countries, initiatives, various judgment, various Indian and pollution, degradation and 9 international agreements, conservation efforts effects of other countries on India and international institutions. Disaster & Disaster 10 Management Challenges to internal security, Various Security forces and 11 agencies and their mandate. Cybersecurity; money laundering and its prevention. SCAN THIS QR FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES 2 Page DELHI VN: 9717380832 & DELHI ORN: 9811293743 | JAIPUR: 8290800441 | BHOPAL: 7509975361| INDORE: 9893772941 | BENGALURU: 7619166663| KOLKATA: 9007709895 | www.ksgindia.com C.C. SEPTEMBER ‘24 The Social Costs of Keystone Species Collapse..................... 49 Cleaning Toxic Waste from Gold Mines................................... 50 POLITY........................................................................ 5 Safety Protocols for EV Charging................................................ 51 Application of Creamy layer to SC/ST quota............................. 5 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY....................................... 52 Does India Have Adequate Laws to Combat Superstition? 7 Metal-Air Battery................................................................................ 52 Demand for ‘Bhil Pradesh’................................................................. 8 Jupiter's Great Red Spot.................................................................. 53 Supreme Court Ruling: States Can Tax Mining Activities..... 9 LiDAR and China’s accompanying threat................................. 54 DNA Profiling in Courts.................................................................... 11 Nano-MIND Technology................................................................. 55 The proposed changes to the Waqf Act................................... 12 INTERNAL SECURITY............................................... 56 SOCIAL ISSUES......................................................... 13 CrowdStrike: A Digital Storm......................................................... 56 Multidimensional Vulnerability Index......................................... 13 GEOGRAPHY............................................................ 57 State of Healthcare in Rural India, 2024.................................... 14 Perseid Meteor Shower 2024........................................................ 57 India Faces a Shortage of Cadaver Organ Donations......... 15 World’s Largest Iceberg A23a....................................................... 58 The UNESCO Sport and Gender Equality Game Plan.......... 17 Three Indian Ocean structures named Ashoka, ECONOMY................................................................ 18 Chandragupta and Kalpataru........................................................ 58 THE UNION BUDGET 2024-2025............................ 18 Andean Glacier Retreat.................................................................... 60 Infrastructure........................................................................................ 18 DISASTER-MANAGEMENT...................................... 60 Jewellery Sector................................................................................... 20 Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024..................... 60 Space Sector......................................................................................... 21 Cloudburst............................................................................................. 62 Taxation................................................................................................... 22 Oil Spill.................................................................................................... 63 Clean Energy Initiatives.................................................................... 24 ART AND CULTURE................................................. 64 Social Sector.......................................................................................... 25 Dividing Assets: India-Pakistan Partition.................................. 64 External Affairs..................................................................................... 26 Chakravyuh and the story of Abhimanyu................................ 65 REPORTS................................................................... 27 PRE-SHOTS............................................................... 66 World Development Report 2024................................................ 27 POLITY...................................................................... 66 World Trade Statistics 2023............................................................ 28 Article 311............................................................................................. 66 The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) Report............. 29 Section 77-A of the Registration Act Unconstitutional...... 67 Document of NITI Aayog for Viksit Bharat @2047............... 30 Congress Moves Privilege Motion Against PM..................... 68 The Currency and Finance (RCF) Report: RBI.......................... 30 First Budget Session of 18th Lok Sabha Concludes............. 68 AGRICULTURE.......................................................... 31 What are the rules for IAS probationers?................................. 69 PM releases climate-resilient seed varieties............................ 31 Digital Postal Index Number (DIGIPIN)..................................... 69 Nitrogen-Use Efficiency Among Indian Rice Varieties........ 32 Inadequate Infrastructure in District Courts........................... 70 Strategy For the Development of Seaweed Value Chain... 33 International Centre for Audit of Local Governance (iCAL)71 India's Attempt at New Rice-Wheat Cropping System....... 34 National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions The Green Revolution in Maize..................................................... 35 Act, 2021................................................................................................ 71 Malaysia Offers Palm Oil Partnership to India........................ 36 SOCIAL ISSUES......................................................... 72 Ethanol Production from Damaged Foodgrains Surpasses Global Education Monitoring Report......................................... 72 Sugar....................................................................................................... 37 Assam's Legal Strategy Proves Effective in Reducing Child Integrated Nutrient Management for Soil Health................ 38 Marriages............................................................................................... 73 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS................................. 39 Impact of institutional stigma on Dalit business owners’ earning capacity.................................................................................. 74 Bangladesh's Political Crisis............................................................ 39 Role of Rajasthan’s Tribal Communities in Meeting Global Somalia crisis........................................................................................ 41 Challenges............................................................................................. 75 India-Vietnam Relations................................................................... 42 Vape Violation..................................................................................... 75 Israel-Hezbollah conflict.................................................................. 43 ECONOMY................................................................ 76 ENVIRONMENT........................................................ 44 RBI Announces Continuous Clearing of Cheques................ 76 Laws on the movement of Ballast Water.................................. 44 RBI Issues New PCA Framework for UCBs............................... 77 Artificial reefs........................................................................................ 45 Government Revises LTCG Indexation on Real Estate........ 77 Antarctica’s Deep-Winter Heatwave........................................... 46 Yen Carry Trade................................................................................... 78 3 Cassava: A Solution to Plastic Pollution.................................... 47 World Bank's New B-Ready Index............................................... 78 Page Aquatic Deoxygenation.................................................................... 48 DELHI VN: 9717380832 & DELHI ORN: 9811293743 | JAIPUR: 8290800441 | BHOPAL: 7509975361| INDORE: 9893772941 | BENGALURU: 7619166663| KOLKATA: 9007709895 | www.ksgindia.com C.C. SEPTEMBER ‘24 Diamond Imprest License................................................................ 79 Flood Watch India 2.0 app........................................................... 105 Monetary Policy Review August 2024........................................ 79 Japan's First-Ever Megaquake Advisory................................. 105 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS................................. 80 Disaster Risk Transfer Parametric Insurance Solution....... 106 Bolivia Joins MERCOSUR.................................................................. 80 Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI).................................... 106 India’s Refugee Policy....................................................................... 80 Geoengineering to slow sea-level rise.................................... 107 India-UK-Joint Technology Security Initiative......................... 81 India Takes Charge as Chair of Asian Disaster Preparedness AGRICULTURE.......................................................... 82 Centre.................................................................................................... 108 The first 24-hour grain ATM in India.......................................... 82 Wayanad landslides......................................................................... 108 Clean Plant Programme................................................................... 82 ART AND CULTURE............................................... 109 New CITES Guideline on Agarwood Export............................. 83 Gotipua Dance................................................................................... 109 Gulbenkian Prize................................................................................. 84 Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar............................................................ 110 ENVIRONMENT........................................................ 85 Hareli Tihar.......................................................................................... 111 Neelakurinji Classified as 'Threatened Species'...................... 85 Grand Jhumur Dance Event......................................................... 111 Urban Light Pollution........................................................................ 85 National Mission on Cultural Mapping................................... 111 United Nations Water Convention.............................................. 86 Kargil Vijay Diwas 2024.................................................................. 112 Mineral Extraction Poses Major Extinction Threat to History of Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Renamed Halls................. 112 Vertebrate Species.............................................................................. 86 Udham Singh’s 85th Death Anniversary................................. 113 Uranium in Drinking Water............................................................. 87 Vattezhuthu script found in a 1,000-year-old temple in State of the World's Mangroves 2024....................................... 88 Tirupur................................................................................................... 113 Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project.......................................... 88 GOVERNMENT SCHEMES...................................... 114 Three more wetlands added to the list of Ramsar sites..... 89 Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana................................................... 114 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY....................................... 90 Ideas4LiFE Initiative......................................................................... 115 SPACE....................................................................... 90 AMRUT 2.0.......................................................................................... 116 Munal Satellite of Nepal.................................................................. 90 PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.............................................. 116 NEOWISE Telescope.......................................................................... 90 MISCELLANEOUS................................................... 117 Vampire Star......................................................................................... 90 Flag Hoisting vs. Flag Unfurling................................................. 117 Ramses: Rapid Apophis Mission................................................... 91 National Flag Day............................................................................. 118 GROWTH-India Telescope.............................................................. 92 Pingali Venkayya............................................................................... 118 TECHNOLOGY.......................................................... 92 National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).............. 119 Spintronic Interface Developed for Quantum Devices....... 92 Olympic Order for Abhinav Bindra........................................... 119 Project NNetRA.................................................................................... 93 Mashco Piro........................................................................................ 120 Project 'Strawberry'............................................................................ 93 CWC Honored with Global WaterTech Award..................... 120 GENERAL SCIENCE................................................... 94 World Lion Day 2024...................................................................... 121 116th Element on Periodic Table................................................. 94 PHILOSOPHY OF THE MONTH............................. 122 World's First Thorium Molten Salt Nuclear Power Plant.... 94 Rising Consumerism....................................................................... 123 HEALTH.................................................................... 95 THEMATIC ESSAYS................................................ 123 Puberty Blockers.................................................................................. 95 CONTEMPORARY ETHICS CASE STUDY............... 123 Challenging antibiotic resistance with dual-action SPECIES IN NEWS.................................................. 124 Macrolones............................................................................................ 96 PROTECTED AREAS IN NEWS............................... 128 Kindlins.................................................................................................... 97 RAMSAR SITES IN INDIA...................................... 130 Computational protocol to manage cholesterol levels...... 97 MAP CONNECT: WORLD....................................... 131 World-first peanut allergy treatment......................................... 98 SNAPSHOTS: THEMES OF THE MONTH.............. 132 Digital Vaccine...................................................................................... 98 Xerogel dressing.................................................................................. 99 DISEASES IN NEWS.................................................. 99 INTERNAL SECURITY............................................. 102 DAC Approves Amendments to MQ-9B UAV Deal........... 102 Gallantry awards............................................................................... 102 4 EXERCISES IN NEWS.............................................. 103 Page GEOGRAPHY........................................................... 105 DELHI VN: 9717380832 & DELHI ORN: 9811293743 | JAIPUR: 8290800441 | BHOPAL: 7509975361| INDORE: 9893772941 | BENGALURU: 7619166663| KOLKATA: 9007709895 | www.ksgindia.com C.C. SEPTEMBER ‘24 after the apex court struck down a similar law in Andhra Pradesh in E V Chinnnaiah. Application of Creamy layer to SC/ST quota The court had held that any attempts to create a News Excerpt: GS C ON N EC T GS I II III IV GS I II III IV differentiation within the SC list would essentially The Supreme Court recently permitted 1 2 7 8 amount to tinkering with it, for which the Constitution sub-classification of Scheduled did not empower states. Article 341 only empowers the 3 9 4 10 Castes and Scheduled Tribes for the 6 President to issue such a notification, and Parliament to 5 11 M purpose of granting separate quotas for those more make additions or deletions to the list. The court also said backward within these communities. that sub-classifying SCs violates the right to equality The Union Cabinet categorically asserted that the under Article 14. principle of creamy layer does not apply to reservations Based on this ruling, in 2006, the Punjab & Haryana High for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes Court in Dr Kishan Pal v State of Punjab struck down (STs). the aforementioned 1975 notification. However, the very More about the news: same year, the Punjab government again passed the In a 6:1 ruling, the Bench headed by Chief Justice of Punjab Scheduled Caste and Backward Classes India D Y Chandrachud permitted states to create sub- (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006, reintroducing the classifications within the SC and ST categories for the first preference in reservations for the Balmiki and purpose of according wider protections through fixed Mazhabi Sikh communities. sub-quotas to the most backward communities within This Act was challenged by Davinder Singh, a member of these categories. a non-Balmiki, non-Mazhabi Sikh SC community. The HC, This overturns the apex court’s 2004 decision in E V in 2010, struck down the Act, leading to an appeal at the Chinnaiah v State of Andhra Pradesh, in which it had Supreme Court. In 2014, the case was referred to a five- held that the SC/ST list is a “homogenous group” that judge Constitution Bench to determine if the E V cannot be divided further. Chinnaiah decision had to be reconsidered. A separate but concurring judgment authored by Justice In 2020, Justice Arun Mishra-headed Constitution Bench B.R. Gavai said that States must evolve a policy for in Davinder Singh v State of Punjab held that the identifying the ‘creamy layer’ even among the SC and court’s 2004 decision required reconsideration. The ST categories and deny them the benefit of reservations. ruling noted that the court and the state “cannot be a At a Cabinet briefing, the Union Minister talked about the silent spectator and shut its eyes to stark realities”. extensive discussion held on the recent Supreme Court Crucially, it disagreed with the premise that SC are a judgment that allowed States to sub-categorize SCs and homogeneous group, saying there are “unequals within STs. the list of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and He said “the government is committed to the socially and educationally backward classes.” Constitutional provisions given by Babasaheb Bhim Rao But since this Bench, like in E V Chinnaiah, comprised Ambedkar. There is no provision of creamy layer in five judges, a seven-judge Bench heard the issue in Babasaheb’s Constitution. The Cabinet’s well thought February 2024. through decision is that it is only as per Babasaheb’s Supreme Court’s Judgement: Constitution that reservations for SC/ST should be The court in E V Chinnaiah held that SC must be treated provided”. identically since the Constitution envisaged the same Background: benefits for them, without taking into account their Article 341 of the Constitution allows the President, individual relative backwardness. In the current through a public notification, to list as SC “castes, races judgment, CJI Chandrachud rejected this premise, stating or tribes” that suffered from the historical injustice of that “The inclusion [in the Presidential list] does not untouchability. SC groups are jointly accorded 15% automatically lead to the formation of a uniform and reservation in education and public employment. internally homogenous class which cannot be further Over the years, some groups within the SC list have been classified”. underrepresented compared to others. States have made The CJI termed the Presidential list of SCs a “legal attempts to extend more protection to these groups, but fiction” — something that does not exist in actuality but the issue has run into judicial scrutiny. is “treated as real and existing for the purpose of law”. A In 1975, Punjab issued a notification giving first Scheduled Caste is not something that existed before preference in SC reservations to the Balmiki and the Constitution came into force, but it is recognized so Mazhabi Sikh communities, two of the most backward that benefits can be provided to communities on the list. 5 communities in the state. This was challenged in 2004 CJI Chandrachud said this legal fiction cannot be Page DELHI VN: 9717380832 & DELHI ORN: 9811293743 | JAIPUR: 8290800441 | BHOPAL: 7509975361| INDORE: 9893772941 | BENGALURU: 7619166663| KOLKATA: 9007709895 | www.ksgindia.com C.C. SEPTEMBER ‘24 "stretched" to claim that there are no "internal affirmative action could be different from the criteria differences" among SCs. as applicable to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The majority opinion held that "the State in exercise of o Justice Gavai observed that the exclusion of the its power under Articles 15 and 16 is free to identify affluent from quota benefits would achieve real the different degrees of social backwardness and equality. provide special provisions (such as reservation) to Concept of a creamy layer: achieve the specific degree of harm identified”. The concept of a creamy layer arose out of the landmark The CJI underlined that any form of representation in Indra Sawhney ruling in 1992. public services must be in the form of “effective Based on the recommendation of the Mandal representation”, not merely “numerical Commission, the V P Singh government on August 13, representation”. As a result, even if an SC community is 1990, had notified 27% reservation for Socially and represented adequately just by the numbers, they may Educationally Backward Classes (OBC reservation) in be barred from achieving “effective” representation by civil posts and services. This was challenged in the being promoted to higher posts. So the state must prove Supreme Court by Indra Sawhney and others. that the “group/caste carved out from the larger group On November 16, 1992, a nine-judge Bench headed by of Scheduled Castes is more disadvantaged and Justice B P Jeevan Reddy, upheld the 27% OBC inadequately represented, and this must be based on reservation subject to exclusion of the creamy layer, or quantifiable data”. the more socially, economically, and educationally Four of the seven judges on the Bench separately said advanced members among OBCs. This was done in order the government should extend the “creamy layer to ensure that reservation benefits go to those who need principle” to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, it the most. like in the case of Other Backward Classes (OBC) The creamy layer is not the same as sub-classification category. It was necessary to exclude the affluent or sub-categorization. individuals or families from the benefits of reservation o The latter refers to the community/caste-wise and make room for the really underprivileged within breakdown of a reserved category (like SC) based on these classes. various socio-economic or other criteria. Only the opinion of Justice Gavai bats for introducing the o Creamy layer, however, refers to a group of people ‘creamy layer’ exception for SCs (and STs) that is within a certain caste/community who are better off already followed for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). than the rest based on certain criteria. This concept places an income ceiling on reservation Criteria: eligibility, ensuring that the beneficiaries are those in a community that need quotas the most. o The creamy layer comprises two broader categories (besides persons holding constitutional post) — Arguments given in judgment for “Creamy Layer”: people whose parents are/were in government A majority of four judges on a Constitution Bench of the service, and those whose parents work/worked in the Supreme Court called for the need to evolve a “different” private sector. For the latter, the creamy layer set of criteria to exclude the ‘creamy layer’ among the determination is based on their parent's income, Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) while for the former, the determination is based on from reservation benefit. rank. Justice B.R. Gavai explained that an SC/ST person o Originally, the income threshold was fixed at Rs 1 would continue to be socially, economically and lakh per annum, with a provision for this figure to be educationally backwards if he or she could only achieve revised every three years. the position of a peon or a sweeper through reservation. o However, since 2017, when the threshold was o However, on the other hand, individuals who availed updated to Rs 8 lakh, no further revision has taken quota benefits to reach the “high echelons of life” place. should be considered as belonging to the creamy layer as they had already “reached a stage where on o In 2015, the National Commission for Backward their own accord they should walk out of the special Classes (NCBC) had recommended raising the provisions and give way to the deserving and needy”. income threshold to Rs 15 lakh, however no action was taken in this regard. o State must evolve a policy for identifying the creamy layer even from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Way Forward: PEPPER IT WITH: Tribes so as to exclude them from the benefit of Thus, the principle of sub- M. Nagaraj Case affirmative action... the criteria for exclusion of the classification will be applicable to (2006), Article 335 creamy layer from SC/ST for the purpose of Scheduled Castes if the social 6 positions of the constituents among the castes/groups is not Page DELHI VN: 9717380832 & DELHI ORN: 9811293743 | JAIPUR: 8290800441 | BHOPAL: 7509975361| INDORE: 9893772941 | BENGALURU: 7619166663| KOLKATA: 9007709895 | www.ksgindia.com C.C. SEPTEMBER ‘24 comparable. Sub-categorization within a class is a enhancing the law's effectiveness and refining constitutional requirement to secure substantive equality. definitions. Does India Have Adequate Laws to Combat It is a serious Superstition? problem in tribal News Excerpt: GS C ON N EC T GS I II III IV GS I II III IV districts, where women from The recent stampede at a religious 1 7 disadvantaged 2 8 gathering in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, 4 3 9 Despite tribal 10 Comprehensive communities are 5 11 communities resulting in over 120 deaths, has 6 M training programs often targeted. constituting about for key reignited the debate on whether India has sufficient 8% of India's stakeholders and a legislation to tackle exploitative religious and superstitious population, victim dedicated welfare practices. compensation fund schemes for witch- are essential to What is Superstition? hunting victims are support victims. Problem absent. A belief that is not based on reason or scientific thinking and that explains the causes for events in of Witch- ways that are connected to magic. Property disputes hunting often underlie witch- India's Battle Against Superstition: hunting issues, with a It's also crucial to According to the 2021 report of the National Crime ensure these laws prevalent fear that Records Bureau (NCRB), six deaths were attributed to are not weaponized women inheriting against Adivasi human sacrifices, and witchcraft was the motive for 68 property may communities. killings. contravene State authorities ○ Chhattisgarh reported the highest number of community norms. must abide by their constitutional duty witchcraft cases (20), followed by Madhya Pradesh to promote (18) and Telangana (11). Kerala witnessed two cases rational thinking of human sacrifice. and scientific In 2020, there were 88 deaths due to witchcraft and 11 practices. from human sacrifices, as per the NCRB report. Absence of a Central Law Implementation Challenges India lacks a central law exclusively addressing crimes Law enforcement agencies often lack sensitization. related to witchcraft, superstition, or occult activities. Experts argue for a National law similar to those in Police officers' cultural sensibilities and biases prevent Maharashtra and Karnataka to address issues like them from addressing these issues scientifically. superstition, black magic, witch-hunting, and other Significant effort is required to persuade the police to file inhuman practices. FIRs, and political influence often compromises Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal investigations, leading to low conviction rates. Code (IPC) prescribes punishment for related crimes like Caste discrimination related to superstitious beliefs abduction and murder but does not cover harming often goes unnoticed. others through superstitious and outdated beliefs. It Training programs for all police officers are essential takes cognizance of human sacrifice, but only after the since they are typically the first responders. murder is committed, likewise, Section 295A works to Religious Freedom and Public Interest discourage such practices. Article 25 of the Constitution provides freedom of Provisions under the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act religion and also permits reasonable restrictions on of 1954 also aim to tackle the debilitating impact of public order, morality, and health grounds. various superstitious activities prevalent in India. Practices that are inherently exploitative will also violate In the absence of nationwide legislation, a few states other fundamental rights, including the right to life and have enacted laws to counter witchcraft and protect protection against untouchability. women from deadly witch-hunting. STATE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO STOP Concerns About State Laws SUPERSTITIONS: Bihar (1999) Defining superstition is complex. State laws often use First state to enact a law to prevent witchcraft and the expansive and vague definitions, giving enforcing identification of women as witches. authorities subjective and potentially discriminatory The Prevention of Witch (Daain) Practices Act came powers. into force in 1999. After national legislation is enacted, individual states The Act defines a witch as a woman identified by can introduce amendments to address local concerns, 7 someone else as having harmful powers through black Page magic, evil eyes, or mantras. Anyone who identifies a DELHI VN: 9717380832 & DELHI ORN: 9811293743 | JAIPUR: 8290800441 | BHOPAL: 7509975361| INDORE: 9893772941 | BENGALURU: 7619166663| KOLKATA: 9007709895 | www.ksgindia.com C.C. SEPTEMBER ‘24 person as a witch can face up to three months in jail Kerala's Efforts or fined. All offences under the Act are cognizable and non- Kerala has seen multiple attempts to frame an anti- bailable. superstition law, but none have been enacted. Jharkhand (2001) Way Forward: India's battle against PEPPER IT WITH: Jharkhand enacted the Prevention of Witch (Daain) superstition and National Crime Records Practices Act in 2001. However, it has not been Bureau, IPC, Drugs and effective. related crimes is Magic Remedies Act, 1954. A document on the Jharkhand Police website notes that ongoing, with state- the Act has not adequately prevented the identification specific laws and murder of women labelled as witches. addressing the issue to varying degrees of success. Chhattisgarh (2005) ○ However, State-specific laws should better accommodate local practices and realities. Chhattisgarh Tonahi Pratadna Nivaran Act was enacted in 2005. Central law may be necessary to provide uniform protection and deterrence, but the challenges of A person convicted for identifying someone as a witch can be sentenced upto 3 years of rigorous cultural sensibilities and diverse practices remain imprisonment & fined. significant hurdles. ○ The need for awareness, sensitization, and robust Odisha (2013) enforcement is critical to eradicating these harmful Following the Odisha High Court's directions to frame a practices and protecting vulnerable communities. law to address rising cases of witch-hunting, the Odisha To address this disparity, comprehensive training Prevention of Witch-Hunting Bill was passed in 2013. programmes are essential for key stakeholders such The law includes provisions for imprisonment up to as public health workers, schoolteachers, and district seven years and penalties for offenders. magistrates. This would enable them to effectively Maharashtra (2013) support and provide redress for victims seeking The Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human assistance. Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil, and Aghori Practices Many people believe that such superstitious beliefs are and Black Magic Act was enacted in 2013 after the for their own good. There is a widespread tendency to murder of an anti-superstition activist. seek solace in spirituality at the cost of rationality. The Act aims to bring social awakening and protect ○ It is crucial to move beyond this mindset and people from evil and sinister practices, with embrace scientific temperament in our daily lives. punishments ranging from six months to seven years of ○ Article 51A (h) of Indian Constitution makes it a imprisonment and fine. fundamental duty for Indian citizens to develop the Rajasthan (2015) scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform. Rajasthan Prevention of Witch-Hunting Act, 2015, enacted to tackle the menace of witch-hunting and Demand for ‘Bhil Pradesh’ witchcraft. News Excerpt: GS C ON N EC T GS I II III IV GS I II III IV Punishments include imprisonment of one to seven A large number of people from the 1 7 2 8 3 9 years and fines. Bhil tribe recently gathered at a rally in 45 10 11 Assam (2015) Rajasthan’s Mangarh Dham, where 6 M Banswara’s Member of Parliament again raised the “long The Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention, and due” demand for an independent ‘Bhil state’. Protection) Act, 2015, received the President's assent in More details about the news: 2018, completely prohibits witch-hunting. After the mega rally, a delegation will meet the President Punishments can go up to seven years of imprisonment and the Prime Minister with the proposal. and fines. Monument at Mangarh Dham in Rajasthan's Karnataka (2020) Banswara: A massacre of the Bhil tribe here during colonial rule led to one of the earliest calls for a separate The Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman tribal state. Evil Practices and Black Magic Act, 2017, came into The idea of a tribal state, comprising parts of Rajasthan, effect in January 2020. It bans several practices related Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra, has been to black magic and superstition. discussed earlier, too. 8 Punishments range from up to seven years of About ‘Bhil Pradesh’: Page imprisonment and fines. DELHI VN: 9717380832 & DELHI ORN: 9811293743 | JAIPUR: 8290800441 | BHOPAL: 7509975361| INDORE: 9893772941 | BENGALURU: 7619166663| KOLKATA: 9007709895 | www.ksgindia.com C.C. SEPTEMBER ‘24 The demand for a separate tribal state in western India A new small state may find itself lacking in infrastructure was previously put forward by regional parties such as (administrative and industrial), which requires time, the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP). money and effort to build. Experience shows that it The Bhil community has been demanding that 49 takes about a decade for a new state and its government districts be carved out of the four states to establish and administrative institutions to become stable, for Bhil Pradesh. various issues of division of assets, funds and the state Bhil social reformer and spiritual leader Govind Guru civil service(s) to get fully resolved, and for links to the first raised the demand for a separate state for tribals new state capital to stabilize. The cost of this transition is back in 1913. not low, and the state's performance may suffer during This was after the Mangarh massacre, which took place this interim period. six years before Jallianwalla Bagh and is sometimes referred to as the “Adivasi Jallianwala”. It saw hundreds A larger share of central funds would of Bhil tribals being killed by British forces on November flow into a new state compared to when 17, 1913, in the hills of Mangarh on the Rajasthan- it is a region in a larger state. Gujarat border. Benefits of smaller states: Post-Independence, the demand for Bhil Pradesh was raised repeatedly. A new capital city would provide better Reasons for demand for the separate state: living conditions. Earlier, the Dungarpur, Banswara, and Udaipur regions in Rajasthan and Gujarat, MP, etc., were part of a single entity. However, post-independence, the tribal majority A smaller state with less number of regions were divided by the political parties, so the districts would diminish the span of tribals didn't organize and unite. control of state-level functionaries. Several Union governments brought various “laws, And that reduced distances between benefits, schemes, and committee reports" on tribals the state capital and peripheral areas over time, but their execution and implementation went would improve the quality of slow. For example: governance and administrative responsiveness and accountability. ○ The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, a law meant to decentralize governance and empower Gram Sabhas The formation of three new states in 2000 – Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and in tribal areas. The law was enacted in 1996. The Uttarakhand – has provided a fillip to Rajasthan government adopted the law in 1999, and this process. came out with its Rules in 2011. Many tribal parties in the region have emerged over the Way Forward: years on the planks of empowering their community. We cannot fix a state’s optimum size on a whim. It calls Economic backwardness of sub-regions within large for a thorough evaluation of physical features like land states has also emerged as an important ground on quality and topography, agro-climatic conditions, socio- which demands for smaller states are being made. This is cultural factors, natural and human resource availability, evident from the immediate demands for the formation density of population, means of communication, existing of Vidarbha, Bodoland and Saurashtra, among other administrative culture and effectiveness of its district and states. regional administrative units and so on. Challenges: Much more than the size of a state, it is the quality of Every person has a right to demand, and there should be governance and administration, the diverse talent smaller states as it is good for development. However, available within the state’s population, and the creating a state based on caste is not appropriate. If leadership’s drive and it is Adivasis today, tomorrow you will have other vision that determine PEPPER IT WITH: communities demanding the same on the basis of their whether a particular state Bhil community, Article 3, caste, which is not good for the society and the country. performs better than the A small state is likely to face limitations in terms of the others. natural (physical) and human resources available to it. Supreme Court Ruling: States Can Tax It will lack the kind of agro-climatic diversity required Mining Activities for economic and developmental activities. News Excerpt: It would also be restricted in its capability to raise 9 resources internally. Page DELHI VN: 9717380832 & DELHI ORN: 9811293743 | JAIPUR: 8290800441 | BHOPAL: 7509975361| INDORE: 9893772941 | BENGALURU: 7619166663| KOLKATA: 9007709895 | www.ksgindia.com C.C. SEPTEMBER ‘24 The Supreme Court has clarified that mineral-bearing land further highlighted the GS C ON N EC T GS I II III IV GS I II III IV royalties are not considered a tax, conflict between the Kesoram Industries and India 1 7 2 8 affirming that states possess the Cement decisions, prompting a referral to a nine- 3 9 4 10 5 11 authority to tax mining activities 6 M judge Bench. independently. Reasons for the Majority Ruling: Tax: The majority held that royalties are not taxes due to a Taxes are compulsory payments imposed on fundamental conceptual difference. individuals or businesses by government authorities Royalties are payments based on contracts between at the local, regional, or national level. the mining leaseholder and the lessor, often a private These tax revenues fund government operations, party. including infrastructure projects like roads and In contrast, taxes fund public welfare and schools, as well as programs such as Social Security and infrastructure. Medicare. The court emphasized that royalties are compensation Royalty: for exclusive mineral rights, not public revenue. A royalty is a payment given to an individual or States' Power to Tax Mineral Development: company for the continuous use of their property, The court also examined whether states could tax which can include copyrighted works, franchises, and Mineral Development activities or if this was solely under natural resources. Royalties can be earned from both tangible and the Centre’s jurisdiction per the MMDRA. intangible assets. The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution divides They serve as compensation to owners when they powers between states and the Centre. license their assets for use by another party. Seventh Schedule: More details about the news: The Seventh Schedule is one of the 12 schedules of The case, Mineral Area Development Authority v M/s the Indian Constitution. Steel Authority of India, had been pending for over 25 It is an important provision that regulates the years. relationship between the Centre and the State. This historic verdict was delivered by a Constitution The 7th schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with Bench of nine judges with a majority of 8-1. the division of powers between the Union and State Governments. It enables states to impose taxes on mining operations The Legislative subjects in the 7th schedule of the Indian and the land utilized for such activities. Constitution are divided between the Center and the About the Controversy State. Section 9 of Mines and Minerals (Development and The division is done under three lists – the Union list Regulation) Act (MMDRA), 1957 (List I), the State list (List II), and the Concurrent list ○ The controversy originated from Section 9 of the (List III). MMDRA 1957, which mandates leaseholders to pay Entry 50 of the State List grants states the authority to royalties for minerals extracted from leased land. legislate on “Taxes on mineral rights subject to any ○ The key issue was whether royalties, when paid to limitations imposed by Parliament by law relating to state governments leasing the land, constituted a tax. mineral development.” India Cement Ltd v State of Tamil Nadu Entry 54 of the Union List gives the Centre control over ○ This issue was first addressed by the Supreme Court the "Regulation of mines and mineral development to in this 1989 case, where a seven-judge Bench ruled the extent to which… is declared by Parliament by law to that states could collect royalties but not impose be expedient in the public interest." taxes on mining activities, as the Centre had The ruling clarified that since royalties are not taxes, overarching authority under Entry 54 of the Union the state's power to impose taxes on mineral rights List. remains intact under Entry 50. State of West Bengal v Kesoram Industries Ltd The MMDRA provides states with a revenue stream ○ However, in 2004, in State of West Bengal v Kesoram through royalties but does not restrict their taxation Industries Ltd, a five-judge Bench suggested a powers. typographical error in the India Cements decision, This landmark decision reinforces states’ rights to asserting that the phrase "royalty is a tax" should be independently tax mining activities, distinguishing royalties from taxes and clarifying the Constitutional "cess on royalty is a tax.” powers of states and the Centre regarding mineral ○ The smaller bench size couldn't overrule the development. previous decision. Why did Justice Nagarathna dissent? Mineral Area Development Authority case 10 She disagreed with the majority opinion on both key ○ By 2011, the Mineral Area Development Authority issues in the case. Page case concerning a Bihar law imposing a cess on DELHI VN: 9717380832 & DELHI ORN: 9811293743 | JAIPUR: 8290800441 | BHOPAL: 7509975361| INDORE: 9893772941 | BENGALURU: 7619166663| KOLKATA: 9007709895 | www.ksgindia.com C.C. SEPTEMBER ‘24 ○ She argued that royalties whereas DNA fingerprinting has largely been replaced in under the MMDRA should PEPPER IT WITH: forensic applications. be regarded as a tax to Mines and Minerals What are the Legal Provisions Regarding DNA Profiling promote mineral (Development and in India? development. Allowing Regulation) Act of Indian Constitution: Article 20(3) protects individuals states to impose additional 1957 (MMDR Act), from being forced to testify against themselves, levies and cesses (various Federal Structure ensuring protection against self-incrimination. types of taxes) on top of the ○ Article 21 safeguards the right to life and personal royalties would undermine this objective. liberty, prohibiting unauthorized interference. ○ She contended that the states’ authority to levy Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC): Section 53 taxes was effectively nullified after the MMDRA was authorizes DNA profiling of suspects at the investigation enacted because it permits states to collect taxes in agency's request. Section 53A specifically allows DNA the form of royalties. While the Central Government profiling for rape suspects. retains full control over mineral development. ○ The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) She asserted that Entry 49 of the State List does not 2023 replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) grant states the authority to tax land containing of 1973. minerals. Indian Evidence Act, 1872: Sections 45-51 pertain to DNA Profiling in Courts the admissibility of expert testimony, including DNA News Excerpt: evidence, in court. A recent ruling by the Madras High GS I II III IV GS I II III IV GS C ON N EC T Indian Courts Rulings: Court highlights the complexities 1 2 7 8 The Madras High Court highlights the importance of surrounding the use of DNA evidence 4 3 9 10 corroborative evidence, stating that DNA evidence in legal proceedings. 5 6 M 11 should not be the sole basis for conviction. More About the case: The court outlined three possible outcomes of DNA In mid-June, the Madras High Court overturned the profile comparisons: conviction of a man accused of rape under the Protection ○ A match indicates a strong probability that the of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. samples came from the same source. ○ Exclusion indicating the samples came from different The court found that the conviction was primarily based sources and on a DNA test that established the appellant's paternity ○ Inconclusive where the data does not support a despite other evidence suggesting that the victim had definitive conclusion. falsely accused him of concealing a love affair. The court also referred to the Law Commission of India’s The court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the 2003 report, which highlighted the limitations of DNA case beyond a reasonable doubt, emphasizing that DNA evidence in conclusively proving identity. evidence alone should not determine guilt. ○ The report emphasized that DNA profiling is more What is DNA Profiling? valuable for investigation purposes rather than as DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the genetic material conclusive evidence in court. found in the cells of all living organisms. ○ For example, a DNA profile match might occur in 1 It is composed of 23 pairs of chromosomes inherited out of 100,000 people, illustrating the need for from both parents, encoding information that dictates an additional evidence to establish guilt or individual’s physical and physiological traits. innocence. Because the same DNA sequence is present in almost The "random occurrence ratio" indicates how every cell of the body, DNA can be extracted from frequently a particular DNA profile might appear in the various biological materials, such as saliva, blood, and population, which may not be sufficient to establish guilt hair. beyond a reasonable doubt. Forensic DNA profiling typically focuses on specific locations in the DNA called Short Tandem Repeats In the 2019 case of Pattu Rajan v. State of Tamil Nadu, (STRs), which vary among individuals and are used to the Supreme Court reiterated that while DNA evidence is create a DNA profile. becoming more reliable with advances in science, it is not infallible. DNA fingerprinting was an earlier method that analyzed Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTRs), The probative value of DNA evidence varies which are longer and more complex sequences. depending on the case and must be weighed alongside 11 other evidence. While both DNA fingerprinting and DNA profiling aim to identify individuals based on their genetic makeup, DNA Page profiling is more precise, faster, and widely used today, DELHI VN: 9717380832 & DELHI ORN: 9811293743 | JAIPUR: 8290800441 | BHOPAL: 7509975361| INDORE: 9893772941 | BENGALURU: 7619166663| KOLKATA: 9007709895 | www.ksgindia.com C.C. SEPTEMBER ‘24 it has been used for religious or charitable purposes Challenges Associated with DNA profiling for a long period of time. as Evidence Once a property is declared as Waqf, its character changes forever and cannot be reversed. DNA profiling is a powerful tool in forensic science, but it is not infallible. Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 The process involves multiple steps, including DNA The Bill seeks to amend the 1995 Waqf Act and isolation, amplification of genetic markers, and proposes sweeping changes to how Waqfs are statistical analysis. governed and regulated Challenges such as sample contamination, degradation, The tabling of the Bill was met with strong criticism or misidentification can compromise the reliability of DNA from the Opposition parties who said the proposed evidence. law was “unconstitutional”, “anti-minority”, and Experts caution that DNA analysis is based on probability, “divisive”. not certainty, and should be corroborated with other evidence. Laws governing Waqf in India: Way Forward: Waqf properties in India are governed by the Waqf Act, 1995. The justice system must continue to rely on a holistic assessment of all ○ However, India has had a legal regime for the available evidence to governance of Waqfs since 1913, when the Muslim PEPPER IT WITH: Waqf Validating Act came into force. ensure accurate DNA typing or testing, The outcomes. ○ The Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923 followed. After Declaration of Helsinki, 1964, Invest in research Independence, the Central Waqf Act, 1954, was Comprehensive Ethical enacted, which was ultimately replaced by the Waqf and development to Guidelines for Biomedical Act, 1995. improve DNA Research on Human Subjects In 2013, the law was amended to prescribe profiling techniques imprisonment of up to two years for encroachment and address issues related to sample degradation and on Waqf property and to explicitly prohibit the sale, gift, contamination. Standardized procedures and ensured

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