Context: A report on  macroeconomic impact of simultaneous elections submitted to the Ram Nath Kovind led committee.

Highlights of the report:

Taking data of the election years — 1962, 1967, 1977, 1980, and 1984-85,the report found that

• GDP growth increased by 1.5 percentage points more by simultaneous polls.
• Higher investments in the period around simultaneous election years compared to non-simultaneous years.
• Expenditure is more efficient post simultaneous elections,
• Inflation tends to be lower, learning outcomes are better, and crime rate is lower.

Simultaneous polls:

• Structuring the elections for the State Assemblies and the Lok Sabha to take place at the same time.
• In practice until 1967, fell out of sync due to frequent dissolution of Lok Sabhas and Assemblies.

High-Level Committee (HLC):

• A High-Level Committee (HLC) on “One Nation, One Election” was constituted by the Government of India 2023.
• Chairperson: Former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind
• Purpose : To examine the feasibility and recommend a framework for holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies of States.

Source: Indian Express

Context: The traditional Majuli masks in Assam were given a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Majuli masks:

• These are handmade masks used to depict characters in bhaonas (theatrical performances) under the neo-Vaishnavite tradition.
• The masks can depict gods, goddesses, demons, animals and birds.
• Made of: Bamboo, clay, dung, cloth, cotton, wood and other materials.
• The mask-making tradition is practised in Sattras (monasteries that serve as centres of religious, social, and cultural life, established by Srimanta Sankardev).

Majuli manuscript painting

• Also received the GI tag.
• It is a form of painting done on sanchi pat, or manuscripts made of the bark of the sanchi or agar tree, using homemade ink.

Srimanta Sankardeva (1449-1568):

• A revered Assamese saint-scholar, poet, playwright, and social-religious reformer.
• Established neo-vaishnavism in Assam known as Ekasarana Dharma (Shelter-in-One Religion), emphasising devotion to Krishna.
• Rejected the caste system and offered a path to salvation through devotion, open to all genders and social classes.
• Credited with creating new forms of
  • music (Borgeet),
  • theatrical performances (Ankia Naat),
  • dance (Sattriya), and
  • literary language (Brajavali).

Prelims Connect (Places in news):

Source: Indian Express

Context: The Centre plans to set up an Offshore Areas Mineral Trust (OAMT) fund.

Offshore mining or deep-sea mining:

• refers to the process of retrieving mineral deposits from the ocean bed lying below 200 metres.
• The ministry of mines has identified around 35 offshore mineral blocks on both the East and West coast.
• Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002 was enacted to regulate mining in maritime zones of India.

Offshore Areas Mineral Trust (OAMT) fund:

• Funded by charging 10% of the royalty paid on the sales of minerals.
• Will support activities for the
  • benefit of project-affected persons,
  • promoting R&D and exploration activities for offshore minerals.
• Set up on the lines of National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET).

Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002

• Regulates development and management of mineral resources in India’s territorial waters, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone, and other maritime zones.

Key provisions:

• Applicability: Covers all minerals in these maritime zones except mineral oils and hydrocarbons.
• Permissions: Mandates permits, licences, or leases for initial survey, exploration or production activities.
• Granting Authority: The Central Government
• Area Management: Allows reservation of specific areas and empowers the government to close certain zones if necessary.

Prelims Connect

Source: Mint

Context: The Department of Pharmaceuticals issued the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024.

• The code set rules for pharmaceutical firms’ interactions with healthcare professionals.

Prescribed Codes& Rules:

• It bans sponsored gifts, cash grants, or foreign trips for healthcare professionals or their families, for prescribing or supplying drugs.
• It mandates transparent guidelines for Continuing Medical Education (CME) engagements and prohibits events in foreign locations.
• All Indian pharmaceutical associations must publish the UCPMP on their websites, enabling complaint lodging through a linked portal.

Source: The Hindu

Context: The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s stance on not implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019.

 Implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019:

1. the task of processing citizenship applications : Postal and Census officials under the Union government.
2. background checks to be done by Central security agencies like the Intelligence Bureau.
3. Online application procedures to minimize involvement from state officials or local police.

Procedure:

• Applicants can apply on the Citizenship application portal.
• Fee and specific documents required for eligibility.
• Verified applicants may meet district-level committees.
• Upon verification, an “Oath of Allegiance” is administered, and digital copies are sent to the empowered committee for a final decision.

Prelims Connect (Acts/Bills/Rules):

Source: The Hindu

Context: The Committee on Digital Competition Law, formed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, released its report.

Key Recommendations:

1. Making new laws to control big tech companies like Google and Meta with significant influence in digital services.
2. Aim to ensure fair competition in the digital world.
3. It will help the Competition Commission of India better handle competition issues involving tech firms.
4. Companies not complying may face penalties based on their global earnings.

 Prelims Connect (Institutions in News):

Source: The Hindu

Context: India continues to be the world’s largest arms importer, according to the SIPRI report.

Highlights of the Report:

1. Russia continues as India’s main arms supplier, but its share is declining.
2. India is diversifying sources, with France and the United States.
3. Concerns over China’s military ambitions drive: increased arms imports by neighbouring countries like Japan and South Korea.
4. China’s military cooperation with Pakistan: a significant portion of China’s arms exports going to Pakistan.
5. Largest Arms Importers: India > Saudi Arabia > Qatar > Ukraine > Pakistan
6. Top Countries importing arms to India: Russia > France > Unites States of America

Prelims Connect (Institutions in News)

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS- II, Subject: Polity, Topic: Right Issues

Issue: Sub-classification within Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST)

Context:

• The S.C. is set to deliver a verdict on whether State governments can sub-classify SC and ST reservation in public employment.

Key points on sub-classification within category:

1. Need for SC and ST sub-categorization:

• SCs and STs are diverse categories with varying levels of development.
• States’ authority to provide special measures to the most discriminated castes within SCs and STs should be viewed as promoting equal opportunity.

2. Constitutional Provisions:

• The Constitution stresses equality via Articles 14 to 16, recognizing historical caste-based discrimination.
• Article 341 does not necessarily bar sub-classification within Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• Article 341 only bars states from modifying the President’s list of SCs and STs.

3. Supreme Court Precedents:

• Since the M. Thomas case in 1975, the Supreme Court has recognized the government’s duty to ensure substantive equality through reservations.

Conclusion:

• Special measures for certain castes within the list do not exclude others from reservation benefits.
• The focus is on achieving fair treatment and equal opportunity for all marginalized groups within the SC and ST categories.
• Sub-classification aligns with the Constitution’s allowance for reasonable classifications to achieve equality.

Source: The Hindu

European Free Trade Association (EFTA) comprising Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Highlights of the trade agreement:

• Aims to increase FDI into India by $50 billion within 10 years, potentially generating one million direct jobs.
• Addressing trade deficit with Switzerland due to gold imports by reduced tariffs under the EFTA agreement.
• Eliminates duties on most industrial goods exported to India, including pharmaceutical products, machinery, watches, fertilizers, and chemical products.
• Most agricultural items are excluded from the agreement, but EFTA’s market access offer covers 100% of non-agricultural products.
• Services sector a vital part of the agreement will facilitate services exports and the movement of skilled personnel.

The way ahead:

• India aims for $2 trillion in exports by 2030, requiring policy action such as:
• Lowering tariffs and signing deeper free trade agreements.
• Emphasis on safeguarding national interests in trade negotiations.
• Measures needed to fully capitalize on benefits from trade agreements.

Source: Indian Express

Context: Recently India loaded the core of its prototype fast breeder reactor vessel.

Nuclear waste:

• Generated during fission reactions in reactors when certain atoms absorb neutrons and produce radioactive elements that cannot undergo further fission.

Challenges in handling nuclear waste

• High temperature and radioactivity of nuclear waste require underwater storage initially and later transfer to dry casks.
• Long-term storage of nuclear waste can span millennia, necessitating isolation from human contact.
• Treating and storing liquid waste to prevent environmental contamination.
• Concerns with reprocessing of nuclear waste– it separates fissile from non-fissile materials in spent fuel but also yields weapons-usable plutonium.
• Other Issues with nuclear waste management include containment failures, maintenance challenges, and uncertainties in treatment processes.
• Waste management adds to the cost of nuclear power generation.

Nuclear waste management in India

• India has reprocessing facilities in Trombay, Tarapur, and Kalpakkam.
• India carry on-site management of low and intermediate-level waste generated at nuclear power stations.

Source: The Hindu

Context:

• The S.C. is set to deliver a verdict on whether State governments can sub-classify SC and ST reservation in public employment.

 Key points on sub-classification within category:

1. Need for SC and ST sub-categorization:

• SCs and STs are diverse categories with varying levels of development.
• States’ authority to provide special measures to the most discriminated castes within SCs and STs should be viewed as promoting equal opportunity.

2. Constitutional Provisions:

• The Constitution stresses equality via Articles 14 to 16, recognizing historical caste-based discrimination.
• Article 341 does not necessarily bar sub-classification within Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• Article 341 only bars states from modifying the President’s list of SCs and STs.

3. Supreme Court Precedents:

• Since the M. Thomas case in 1975, the Supreme Court has recognized the government’s duty to ensure substantive equality through reservations.

Conclusion:

• Special measures for certain castes within the list do not exclude others from reservation benefits.
• The focus is on achieving fair treatment and equal opportunity for all marginalized groups within the SC and ST categories.
• Sub-classification aligns with the Constitution’s allowance for reasonable classifications to achieve equality.

Source: The Hindu