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InstaLinks : help you think beyond the issue but relevant to the issue from UPSC prelims and Mains exam point of view. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background. This helps you study a topic holistically and add new dimensions to every current event to help you think analytically
Table of Contents:
GS Paper 2:
1. Should governments sell liquor and run lotteries?
2. The dismal case of slashing schemes and cutting funds
3. Why we need to focus on nutrition, not hunger
GS Paper 3:
1. An income tax lesson for GST
Facts for Prelims:
1. Coinage
2. 100 years of Saka Panja Sahib
3. Shaurya Diwas
4. Office-of-profit case
5. Psychological test of death row convicts is essential
6. Uniform policy on law and order
7. ECI proposal on MCC
8. News Broadcasters and Digital Standards Association (NBDSA )
9. District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committees (DISHAs)
10. India’s GDP growth makes the switch to an eco-friendly path
11. NDC Synthesis Report-2022
12. ‘Blue Flag’ certificates
13. Global TB Report 2022
14. Homegrown CAR-T cells ‘cure’ 8-year-old’s leukaemia
15. India’s first indigenous Overhauser (OVH) Magnetometer
16. Mapping
GS paper 2
Syllabus: Government policies and interventions for the development of various sectors and issues arising out of them etc
Source: The Hindu
Context: Kerala Governor recently criticized the State government for relying heavily on liquor and lottery to generate revenue.
Should the government sell sin goods? No!
How can the state play a positive role?
Why is the State government increasingly dependent on taxes from sin goods?
Way forward:
Insta Links:
Mains Links:
Q. Do the government’s schemes for uplifting vulnerable and backward communities by protecting required social resources for them, lead to their exclusion in establishing businesses in urban economies? (UPSC 2014)
Syllabus: Indian Economy
Source: The Hindu
Directions: This Editorial article has been taken from the Hindu and it majorly talks about the rationalisation of government schemes. Here we are only providing only important points.
Context: The Union government has discontinued, subsumed, revamped or rationalised over 50% of existing central government-sponsored schemes over the past three years.
Rationalisation of schemes:
Reasons behind rationalisation:
Challenges to existing schemes: For schemes that exist, there are challenges such as funding cuts, disbursement and utilisation of funds.
Issues with budget cuts and underutilisation of funds:
Way forward
Conclusion:
Rather than having a target of fewer government schemes, we should raise our aspirations towards better public service delivery.
Insta Links
Prelims link
Mains Links:
Q. It is generally accepted that centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) have failed to meet their objectives due to various factors. Critically examine these factors. What measures would you suggest to make these schemes work? Substantiate. (15M)
syllabus: Issues related to health.
Source: Indian Express
Direction: We already covered this topic in detail last week (as well as click here ). Here we are only including unique points.
Context: This is an editorial article which discusses the flaws in the methodology of ranking used in GHI 2022 and compares it with NFHS.
India’s criticism of GHI 2022:
The Indian government has questioned the methodology of GHI.
Need of focus on NFHS:
Unlike the GHI, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) provides comparative state-level data, including the main pointers that determine health and nutrition.
Issues related to nutrition:
Insta links:
Mains link:
Q. How far do you agree with the view that the focus on the lack of availability of food as the main cause of hunger takes the attention away from ineffective human development policies in India? (2018)
Syllabus: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
Source: Indian Express
Context: Under the faceless tax regime, information about high-value transactions of taxpayers is received by the tax department which is then used to issue notices under section 148 of the IT Act. Recently, thousands of such notices were issued and taxpayers had to pay tax, interest and penalties.
What is the faceless assessment scheme for Income Tax?
The faceless assessment scheme was launched in 2020 with the objective of promoting an efficient and effective tax administration, minimizing physical interface, increasing accountability and introducing team-based assessments.
The scheme lays down the procedure to carry out a faceless assessment through electronic mode.
Significance:
If the faceless tax regime for direct taxes has resulted in significant benefits, the main drawback of GST (indirect tax) is that it remains face-to-face. The same faceless system can be used to rationalize of GST regime and make it more efficient.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) has come into effect in India (2017), bringing an end to the era when traders and businessmen had to pay a host of different indirect taxes — excise duty, VAT, sales tax, service tax, octroi — at the same time.
Insta links:
Prelims link:
Mains link:
Q. Explain the rationale behind the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to states) act of 2017. How has COVID-19 impacted the GST compensation fund and created new federal tensions? (CSE 2020)
Source: The Hindu
Context: Recently there has been a demand from Delhi’s CM to put images of Goddess Lakshmi and God Ganesh on Indian currency notes along with Gandhi.
Images of gods and Goddesses on Indian coins:
Related information: RBI Act, 1934 gives RBI the “sole right “ to issue banknotes whereas the Coinage Act 2011 give the union government the power to design and mint coins in various denominations.
Do you know?
(a) Clothing
(b) Coins
(c) Ornaments
(d) Weapons
Answer: (b)
Source: Indian Express
Context: October 30, marks 100 years of the Saka Panja Sahib incident.
What is Saka Panja Sahib incident?
On October 30, 1922, the Saka was about to stop the train and serve Langar to hungry Sikh prisoners of Guru Ka Bagh Morcha, who were taken to Attock for two and half years of Imprisonment.
Gurudwara Panja Sahib
On the 76th Infantry Day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today attended the ‘Shaurya Diwas’ programme organized by the Indian Army in Budgam.
Infantry Day is observed as a remembrance of the first military event of independent India, when the Indian Army repelled the first attack on Indian soil on October 27, 1947, in the Kashmir valley. That is why every year on October 27, the Indian Army celebrates it as ‘Infantry Day’.
Maharaja Hari Singh of Srinagar signed the accession instrument on 26 October 1947, after which Jammu and Kashmir became a part of India.
Source: The Hindu
Context: Jharkhand Governor said he has sought a “second opinion” in a case of office-of-profit amid the demand for dismissal of the Chief Minister.
Key Highlights:
Following a petition seeking CM’s disqualification from the Assembly, the Election Commission sent its decision to the Jharkhand Governor.
What is an ‘office of profit’?
To read about Disqualification Proceedings under Office of profit: click here
Source: The Hindu
Context: Supreme Court said that the psychological evaluation of condemned prisoners by expert doctors, and access to them by mitigating investigators, are essential before the hearing begins on their appeals against the death penalty.
Key Highlights:
Bachan Singh vs State of Punjab (1980): Doctrine of “rarest of rare: This verdict established the doctrine of “rarest of rare” crime in handing down capital punishment while mandating a comparative analysis of serious circumstances in connection to the accused.
Directions: Important for Prelims and mains, it can be used as an example for maintaining law and order in states
Source: The Hindu
Context: Union Home Minister said on that States should have a uniform law and order policy on certain crimes such as cross-border terrorism and cybercrimes that transcend regional and international boundaries.
Steps suggested:
Functioning of different agencies:
Law and order:
National Investigation Agency (NIA):
NATGRID:
Recently Election Commission (EC) proposed to amend the Model Code of Conduct to guide political parties to disclose how they plan to finance promises made in election manifestos and assess the impact on fiscal sustainability.
Benefit of the proposal:
Distinction between freebies and welfare measures: E.g. Schemes for reaching electricity to a poor household may be called welfare measures. But waiving their electricity usage charge or giving them free electricity is a freebie.
Political parties’ response: Most political parties have called the EC’s proposal on electoral freebies an overreach of its constitutional mandate – political and policy matters do not fall under its purview.
Freebies are “part of the of a vibrant democratic system”. Only people have the wisdom to give their decision by the way of electoral punishment or electoral acceptance. Neither the Election Commission, nor the Government, nor indeed even the Courts, have jurisdiction to…regulate such issues.
Part VIII of the Model Code of Conduct for the Guidance of Political Parties and Candidates, 2015, ECI puts forth general guidelines, which essentially call for making campaign promises in a responsible manner.
What should be done?
Parties should place emphasis on voter empowerment and capacity building rather than making people more dependent on government measures.
Context: News broadcasters and digital standards association has imposed a fine of Rs. 50K on ‘News 18 India’ for violating the ethical and communal standards in news broadcasting.
NBDSA
Prelims link
Q) which of the following statement is not correct about news broadcasters and Digital Standards Association
Ans) all three are incorrect. It is an independent body formed by an association of private news broadcasters. It can impose a fine of upto 1 lakh rupees.
Source: PIB
Context: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh presides over a DISHA meeting to review progress on various Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) being implemented in the Kishtwar district.
About DISHA:
District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committees (DISHAs) have been formed to ensure better coordination among all the elected representatives in Parliament, State Legislatures and Local Governments (Panchayati Raj Institutions/Municipal Bodies) for efficient and time-bound development.
Source: live mint
According to a recent RBI paper, India’s “green gross domestic product” (Green GDP) has turned a corner in the 21st century by growing faster than traditional GDP.
The country took measures to cut carbon emissions, improve resource use efficiency and boost clean energy capacity.
Growth track:
What is Green GDP?
“Green Gross Domestic Product” (Green GDP) is a term used generally for expressing GDP after adjusting for environmental damage. This concept was introduced by China by publishing its first green GDP data for the year 2004 in 2006.
Environmental Kuznets curve:
The environmental Kuznets curve suggests that economic development initially leads to a deterioration in the environment, but after a certain level of economic growth, a society begins to improve its relationship with the environment and levels of environmental degradation reduces.
From a very simplistic viewpoint, it can suggest that economic growth is good for the environment.
Source: Down to Earth
Context: The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) pledged by countries to arrest climate change are insufficient, noted a new report released by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The UNFCCC’s NDC Synthesis Report is an annual summary of climate commitments ( known as Nationally Determined Contributions) made by countries and their impact on global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Key Findings:
Source: Indian Express
Context: Two more Indian Beaches both in Lakshadweep, (Minicoy Thundi beach and Kadmat beach) get coveted International Blue Flag Certification. India now has 12 Blue Flag beaches.
What is the Blue flag certification?
What is the ‘Blue Flag Beach’?
Source: Down to Earth
Context: The World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2022 Global TB report, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has set back years of progress on nearly every TB indicator.
Global TB Report 2022: It provides a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the TB epidemic and of progress in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease, at global, regional and country levels. This is done in the context of global TB commitments, strategies and targets.
Tuberculosis (TB):
Infectious disease is usually caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Prevention of TB involves screening those at high risk, early detection and treatment of cases, and vaccination with the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. Every year, TB kills approximately 220,000 people in India and 1.6 million people worldwide.
Source: TOI
The eight-year-old got the treatment as part of the safety trials for India’s first indigenously made CAR-T cells — a joint effort between IIT-Bombay and Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai.
What is CAR T-cell therapy?
It is a type of treatment in which a patient’s T cells (a type of immune cell) are changed in the laboratory so they will bind to cancer cells and kill them.
Working:
In this therapy, Blood from a vein in the patient’s arm flows through a tube to an apheresis machine (not shown), which removes the white blood cells, including the T cells, and sends the rest of the blood back to the patient.
Source: Mint
Context: Indian scientists have developed an indigenous Overhauser Magnetometer, one of the most accurate magnetometers extensively used by all magnetic observatories around the world.
India’s First Indigenous Overhauser Magnetometer:
Overhauser Magnetometer:
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