SPECIAL PROTECTION GROUP
1.Context
The Union government is expected to take away the security cover by Special Protection Group (SPG) being provided at present to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. The Gandhis will, however, continue to get a Z+ security cover, where they will be provided commandos belonging to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
The decision to downgrade the security cover of the Gandhis is reportedly based on intelligence that there is no direct threat to the members of the Gandhi family. In August, the government had similarly downgraded the security cover for former prime minister Manmohan Singh
2.Security levels deciding Authority
The Union Home Ministry takes this call after evaluating the inputs from all the intelligence agencies such as the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)
However, since none of the intelligence agencies is accountable to any external statutory body, barring internal oversight by ministries of Home and Foreign Affairs, the issue of security cover is open to manipulation
3.Various levels of Protection
There are largely six types of security covers: X, Y, Y plus, Z, Z plus and SPG
While SPG is meant only for the PM and his immediate family, other categories can be provided to anyone about whom the Centre or state governments have inputs about facing a threat.
- The X category on an average entails just one gunman protecting the individual
- Y has one gunman for mobile security and one (plus four on rotation) for static security
- Y plus has two policemen on rotation for security and one (plus four on rotation) for residence security
- Z has six gunmen for mobile security and two (plus eight) for residence security
- Z plus has 10 security personnel for mobile security and two (plus eight) for residence security
There are various kinds of covers within these levels as well
4. About Special Protection Group (SPG)
- The SPG is an elite force, specifically raised for the protection of the country’s Prime Minister, former PMs and their immediate family
- The force is currently 3,000 strong. If the Gandhis lose the SPG cover, PM Modi will be the only one under the SPG’s protection
- The SPG is highly trained in physical efficiency, marksmanship, combat and proximate protection tactics and is assisted by all central and state agencies to ensure foolproof security
- SPG Special Agents assigned to the PM security detail wear black, Western-style formal business suits, with sunglasses, and carry a two-way encrypted communication earpiece, and concealed handguns. They wear safari suits on occasions
- The SPG also has special operations commandos who carry ultra-modern assault rifles and wear dark-visor sunglasses with inbuilt communication earpieces, bulletproof vests, gloves and elbow/knee pads
5. Necessity & History of SPG
- The SPG was started in 1985 in the wake of the killing of PM Indira Gandhi in 1984
- When V P Singh came to power in 1989, his government withdrew SPG protection given to his predecessor Rajiv Gandhi
- But after Rajiv’s assassination in 1991, the SPG Act was amended to offer protection to all former PMs and their families for at least 10 years.
- In 2003, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government again amended the SPG Act to bring the period of automatic protection down from 10 years to “a period of one year from the date on which the former prime minister ceased to hold office” and beyond one year based on the level of threat as decided by the government
- During the Vajpayee regime, the SPG cover of former PMs such as H D Deve Gowda, I K Gujaral and P V Narasimha Rao were withdrawn
- Under the current SPG Act, family members of an incumbent or former PM can decline security cover
- Manmohan Singh’s daughters declined SPG cover after his tenure ended.
Source: indianexpress
XPOSAT MISSION
1. Context
The Indian Space Research Organisation is collaborating with the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, an autonomous research institute, to build the X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) is scheduled to be launched later this year.
Recently, ISRO chairman S Somanath urged Indian Scientific institutions to identify talented students and take steps to motivate them to effectively use the data emerging from science-based missions. He mentioned the XPoSat in this regard.
2. About XPoSat mission
- According to ISRO, "XPoSat will study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions".
- It has been billed as India's first, and only the world's second polarimetry mission that is meant to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions.
- The other major mission is NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) was launched in 2021.
- IXPE carries three state-of-the-art space telescopes. Each of the three identical telescopes hosts one lightweight X-ray mirror and one detector unit.
- These will help observers polarize X-rays from neutron stars and supermassive black holes.
- By measuring the polarisation of these X-rays, we can study where the light came from and understand the geometry and inner workings of the light source".
Image Source: Full after burner3. X-Rays witnessed in space
- As NASA explains on its website, X-rays have much higher energy and much shorter wavelengths, between 0.03 and 3 nanometers, so small that some X-rays are no bigger than a single atom of many elements.
- The physical temperature of an object determines the wavelength of the radiation it emits.
- The hotter the object, the shorter the wavelength of peak emission.
- X-rays come from objects that are millions of degrees Celsius such as pulsars, galactic supernova remnants and black holes.
- Like all forms of light, X-rays consist of moving electric and magnetic waves.
- Usually, peaks and valleys of these waves move in random directions.
- Polarised light is more organised with two types of waves vibrating in the same direction.
- Fishermen use polarised lenses to reduce glare from sunlight when they are near water.
- The field of polarimetry studies the measurement of the angle of rotation of the plane of polarised light (that is, a beam of light in which the vibrations of the electromagnetic waves are confined to one plane) that results in its passage through certain transparent materials.
- The emission mechanism from various astronomical sources such as black holes, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, pulsar wind nebulae etc. originate from complex physical processes and are challenging to understand.
- Space-based observations are also unable to give information about the exact nature of the emission from such sources. Therefore, newer devices can measure specific properties.
4. XPoSat Payloads
- The spacecraft will carry two scientific payloads in a low earth orbit.
- The primary payload POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) will measure the polarimetry parameters (degree and angle of polarisation).
- The payload is being developed by RRI in collaboration with ISRO's U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru.
- POLIX is expected to observe about 40 bright astronomical sources of different categories during the planned lifetime of the XPoSat mission of about 5 years.
- This is the first payload in the medium X-ray energy band dedicated to polarimetry measurements.
- The XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will give spectroscopic information (on how light is absorbed and emitted by objects).
- It would observe several types of sources such as X-ray pulsars, blackhole binaries, low-magnetic field neutron stars etc.
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For Prelims: Indian Space Research Organisation, Raman Research Institute, X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat), NASA, Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), pulsars, galactic supernova remnants, black holes
For Mains:
1. What is XPoSat's Mission? Discuss its role in identifying X-rays in Space. (250 Words)
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Previous Year Questions
1. ISRO is related to: (SSC JE EE 2020)
A. space research
B. agricultural research
C. seed research
D. marine research
Answer: A
2. In the context of space technology, what is "Bhuvan", recently in the news? (UPSC 2010)
A. A mini satellite, launched by ISRO for promoting the distance education in India
B. The name given to the next Moon Impact Probe, for Chandrayan-II
C. A geoportal of ISRO with 3 D imaging capabilities of India
D. A space telescope developed by India
Answer: C
3. Recently scientists observed the merger of giant 'black holes' billions of light years away from the Earth. What is the significance of this observation? (UPSC 2019)
A. 'Higgs boson particles' were detected
B. 'Gravitational waves' were detected.
C. Possibility of inter-galactic space travel through 'wormhole' was confirmed.
D. It enabled the scientists to understand 'singularity'.
Answer: B
4. Black-hole is (UPPSC 2019)
A. a flight recorder in aeroplane
B. a spot on the sun
C. a place in Antartica
D. a collapsed star
Answer: D
5. Where is Raman Research Institute located? (Karnataka Police Constable 2021)
A. Chennai B. Bengaluru C. Mysuru D. Mumbai
Answer: B
6. Consider the following pairs: (UPSC 2014)
Spacecraft Purpose
1. Cassini-Huygens Orbiting the Venus and transmitting data to the Earth
2.Messenger Mapping and investigating the Mercury
3. Voyager 1 and 2 Exploring the outer solar system
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
A. 1 only B. 2 and 3 only C. 1 and 3 only D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B
7. Which of the following is the name of the NASA programme to land first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024? (SSC MTS 2021)
A. Orion
B. Apollo
C. Artemis
D.Nike
Answer: C
8. The final stage in life of a star is? (ACC 125 CGAT 2021)
A. Pulsar
B. Blackhole
C. Quasar
D. Super Nava
Answer: B
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Source: The Indian Express
MODERN PRISONERS ACT 2023
1. Context
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced that it has finalised the preparation of the Model Prisons Act, 2023, to replace the existing 130-year-old colonial law in an attempt to shift the focus of incarceration from “retributive deterrence” to “reform and rehabilitation”.
ntending to provide guidance and address gaps in the existing prison laws, the 2023 Act seeks to bring in the use of technology in prison management, make provisions for the grant of parole, furlough, and remission, and introduce special provisions for women and transgender inmates
2. Background
Announced on May 12, the Model Prisons Act, 2023, is being introduced following the spate of killings and gang violence within prisons
One such incident was the killing of 33-year-old Tillu Tajpuriya, who was allegedly stabbed to death by members of a rival gang inside Tihar jail
In 2022, National Investigation Agency (NIA) asked the Union Home Ministry to shift several dreaded gangsters lodged in north India’s prisons to those in the southern states
The NIA’s request to move nearly 25 gangsters was driven by the presence of a “criminal nexus operating from inside prisons in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.”
3. New Proposed Provisions
- In an attempt to overhaul the colonial 1894 Act, the Model Prisons Act seeks to create provisions for the grant of parole, furlough, and remission to prisoners to encourage good conduct
- Additionally, it aims to provide separate accommodation for women and transgender inmates, ensure the physical and mental well-being of prisoners, and focus on the reformation and rehabilitation of inmates
- The new Act also intends to bring about “attitudinal change towards prisoners” and initiate vocational training and skill development for prisoners for their reintegration into society
- The 2023 Act also seeks to bring about “transparency in prison management” and includes provisions for security assessment and segregation of prisoners; individual sentence planning; grievance-redressal; prison development board; use of technology in prison administration; and protecting society from criminal activities of hardened criminals and habitual offenders
- Provisions for establishing high-security jails and open, semi-open jails have also been inserted
- Apart from this, new measures for prisoners to video conference with courts have also been introduced
- However, if a prisoner is using prohibited items like mobile phones in jail, they will be punished for it
- Along with the Prisons Act, 1894, the Prisoners Act, 1900, and the Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950’ have also been reviewed by the MHA, and their relevant provisions have been assimilated into the Model Prisons Act, 2023
4. Previous Prison Laws
- The first legislation that governed the management and administration of prisons in India was the Prisons Act, of 1894
- It defined a “prison” as “any jail or place used permanently or temporarily under the general or special orders of a State Government for the detention of prisoners”, excluding police custody and subsidiary jails. Further, it demarcated prisoners into three different categories according to the nature of their crimes, such as “criminal prisoner”, “convicted criminal prisoner” and “civil prisoner”
- The 1894 Act dealt with provisions for accommodation, food, clothing, bedding segregation, and the discipline of prisoners, including solitary confinement
- It also laid down provisions for the prisoners’ employment, health, and visits. However, the act had no provisions for reformation or rehabilitation and permitted “whipping, provided that the number of stripes shall not exceed thirty,” albeit for only male prisoners
- Moreover, this Act did not apply to “civil jails in the State of Bombay, outside the city of Bombay, and those jails administered under the provisions of Sections 9–16 of the Bombay Act, 1874
- Thus, the Prisoners Act 1900 was introduced with the objective of consolidating the “several acts relating to prisoners” and replacing the “separate enactments by a single act, expressed more simply and intelligibly.”
- The Act dealt with the prisoners within presidency towns and those outside; it also included provisions on how to deal with lunatic prisoners and allowed prisoners to be removed from prisons on conditions like receiving death sentences and maintaining good behaviour within prisons.
- Besides these, there were other legislations, like the Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950, which also provided for the removal of prisoners from one state prison to another
- However, presently, the jail manuals of each state also deal with the administration and management of its prisons
5. Is Model Prisons Act, 2023 binding on States?
- As per the provisions of the Constitution, ‘prisons’ and ‘persons detained therein’ fall under the State List
- This means that the responsibility of prison management and administration solely vests with the state government, which alone is competent to make appropriate legislative provisions in this regard
- However, the MHA stated that owing to the critical role played by “efficient prison management” in the criminal justice system, the Centre finds it crucial to support the States and UTs in this regard
- Moreover, since there were “several lacunae in the existing Prisons Act, which regulates the prison administration” in most states and UTs, the government thought it fit to revise the law to align it with “modern day needs and requirements of prison management”
- The ministry also clarified while announcing the 2023 Act that it “may serve as a guiding document for the States” so that they may benefit from its adoption in their jurisdictions
Source: indianexpress
ANGEL TAX
1. Context
The Finance Ministry has exempted investors from 21 countries including the US, UK and France from the levy of angel tax for non-resident investment in unlisted Indian startups. The list, however, excludes investment from countries like Singapore, Netherlands and Mauritius
2. The Proposed Change
- The Finance Bill, 2023, has proposed to amend Section 56(2) VII B of the Income Tax Act.
- The provision states that when an unlisted company, such as a start-up, receive equity investment from a resident for the issue of shares that exceeds the face value of such shares, it will be counted as income for the start-up and be subject to income tax under the head "Income from other Sources" for the relevant financial year.
- However, with the latest amendment, the government has proposed to also include foreign investors in the ambit, meaning that when a start-up raises funding from a foreign investor, that too will now be counted as income and be taxable.
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For instance, if the fair market value of a start-up share is Rs 10 apiece and in a subsequent funding round they offer it to an investor for Rs 20, then the difference of Rs 10 would be taxed as income.
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- Section 56 (2) VII B of the Income Tax Act, colloquially known as the "angel tax" was first introduced in 2012 to deter the generation and use of unaccounted money through the subscription of shares of the closely held company at a value that is higher than the fair market value of the firm's shares.
3. Start-ups Concerns
- The change comes as the funding for India's startups dropped by 33 per cent to $24 billion in 2022 as compared to the previous year, according to a PwC India report released in January.
- Foreign investors are a key source of funding for start-ups and have played a big role in increasing the valuation.
| For instance, Tiger Global, one of the most prolific foreign investors in India has invested in over a third of the start-ups that have turned unicorns with a valuation of at least $1 billion. |
- Non-resident investors were never under the scope of this tax.
This could compel more startups to flip overseas, as foreign investors may not want to deal with additional tax liability through their investment in the startup. - The reintroduction is completely counter-intuitive to the entire move of reverse-flipping. This will accelerate flipping overseas.
For Prelims & Mains
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For Prelims: Angel Tax, Section 56 (2) VII B of the Income Tax Act, Start-ups, Finance bill 2023
For Mains:
1. What is Angel Tax and discuss the reasons for start-ups' concerns in India (250 Words)
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Source: The Indian Express
INDIA'S EXPORTS
1. Context
In 2022-23, India’s exports to Germany included machinery (USD 1.5 billion); electronics (USD 1.2 billion), including smartphones (USD 458 million); apparels (USD 990 million); organic chemicals (USD 822 million); footwear (USD 332 million); leather goods (USD 305 million); articles of iron and steel (USD 474 million); and auto components (USD 406 million).
Two consecutive quarters of contraction is a common definition of recession, though economists on the euro area business cycle dating committee use a broader set of data, including employment figures.
Two consecutive quarters of contraction is a common definition of recession, though economists on the euro area business cycle dating committee use a broader set of data, including employment figures.
2. Export sector performance
- Engineering goods have lent a strong shoulder to India's goods exports in recent years, which slid 21 per cent.
- The slowdown to high inflation in developed regions, falling demand in China, a slowdown in the EU and the U.S. and the Russia-Ukraine War.
- The Commerce Ministry pointed out that for October, a decline of $ 2 billion worth of exports was seen in steel and allied products, highlighting the fact that the government had levied an export duty on these products to help increase local availability and hence temper local prices.
- The government has since removed this duty.
- The Ministry also highlighted that in the month of Diwali every year, workers tend to take leave, thus impacting output.
- Therefore, one should wait and see whether the export decline was only a blip or whether it was a trend that would stay.
3. Other exporting nations
- Vietnam, an export-dominated country, recorded a 45 per cent growth in exports from a year earlier to $ 29.18 billion amid "sustained foreign demand".
- Similarly, exports by the Philippines grew 20 per cent in October.
| The government there had said that exports rose for the first time in three months in September amid what it calls "signs of reviving foreign demand" China is an outlier this year because of stringent lockdowns that are impacting manufacturing output, though lockdowns are being eased currently following protests against restrictions. |
4. Domestic demand
- The monthly Finance Ministry review for October acknowledges a slowing export scenario but emphasises that domestic demand will carry through.
- The report states that the global slowdown is driven by a confluence of stubbornly high inflation, rising borrowing costs and geopolitical tensions, but cites local demand as being 'resilient'.
- It also expects a re-invigorated investment cycle which will spur growth and job creation in the coming days.
| The Ministry says that recently, inflation has been driven up more by local factors, including higher food prices, than imported reasons and that those pressures are set to dampen thanks to easing international commodity prices and the arrival of the Kharif crop. (Retail inflation has been consistently above 7 per cent these past few months but stood at 6.8 per cent in October). Sure enough, consumer inflation eased to 5.88 per cent for November. |
- In the monthly report, the Ministry also pinned hope on the fact that the last month saw the lowest sign-on this year for the employment guarantee scheme MGNREGS.
- It is hoped that a spike in tractor sales in September and October reflects improved sentiment.
- One seemingly positive signal for the economy is the private sector capital expenditure is on track to touch six lakh crore this fiscal which would make it the highest of the past six years.
- Private Capex typically depends on credit or loans from the banking system, which has seen healthy growth in the recent past, touching a high of 18 per cent last month.
- There have been reports of banks scrambling to gather deposits with videos of managers and their teams walking the streets announcing deposit rates to help mobilise funds for credit growth.
- Whether this credit growth is due to inflation and the low base effect from last year, remains to be seen over the coming months.
5. Foreign reserves
- For the week ended December 2, foreign exchange reserves stood at about $561 billion.
- If we take October imports at $56.7 billion (an eight-month low) as a benchmark, then we have roughly about 9-10 months' worth of import cover which is not as healthy as the 14 to 15-month cover that we had seen during the pandemic.
- The economists feel this is not as bad as in 2013 when foreign investors began pulling out of India's financial markets.
- At that time, we had less than seven months' worth of import cover.
- If anything, forex reserves have been rising in recent weeks signalling hope for the future.
For Prelims & Mains
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For Prelims: Forex Reserves, Imports, Ministry of Commerce, Russia-Ukraine War, inflation, Domestic demand,
For Mains:
1. How are other export-dominated countries faring? Why is the government optimistic that domestic demand will counter the effects of declining exports? (250 Words)
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Source: The Hindu
CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS
1. Context
More than 50 per cent of the world’s largest lakes and reservoirs have shrunk over the past three decades primarily due to climate change and human activities, according to a new study. From these water bodies, approximately 600 cubic km of water was lost between 1992 and 2020 — an amount equivalent to the total water used in the United States for the entire year of 2015
It also noted that more than half of the reservoirs located in peninsular India have witnessed substantial water storage decline, mainly due to sedimentation. Moreover, among the worst affected natural lakes in the country is Ladakh’s Tso Moriri
2. Reports:
- A recent report by Lancet, traced in detail the intimate link between changing weather events & their impact on the health of people.
- Health at the Mercy of Fossil Fuels points out that the world's reliance on fossil fuels increases the risk of disease, food insecurity & other illnesses related to heat.
- The 2022 Lancet Countdown report comes at a time when the world is face-to-face with the threat of climate change.
- According to the WHO, climate change affects the social & environmental determinants of health-clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food & secure shelter.
- Rapidly increasing temperatures exposed people, especially vulnerable populations (age group of <1 ->65 years) to 3.7 billion more heatwave days in 2021 than annually in 1986-2005.
3. Rise in Diseases:
- The changing climate is affecting the spread of infectious diseases, raising the risk of emerging diseases & co-epidemics.
- Coastal waters are becoming more suited for the transmission of Vibrio pathogens.
- The number of months suitable for malaria transmission has increased in the highland areas of America & Africa.
- WHO has predicted that between 2030-2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 2,50,000 additional deaths per year, because of malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea, and heat stress.
4. Food Security:
- Every dimension of food security is being affected by climate change.
- Higher temperatures threaten crop yields directly, with the growing season shortening for many cereal crops.
- Extreme weather events disrupt supply chains, undermining food availability, access, stability & utilisation.
- The prevalence of undernourishment increased during the COVID-19 pandemic & nearly 161 million more people faced hunger in 2020 than in 2019.
- This situation is now worsened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
5. Dependency on Fossil Fuels:
- The war has led many countries to search for alternative fuels to Russian oil & gas, and some of them are still turning back to traditional thermal energy.
- Even if implemented as a temporary transition, the renewed clamour for coal could reverse the gains that were made in air quality improvement & push the world towards a future of accelerated climate change that may threaten human survival.
- Instead, a transition to clean energy forms would undeniably be the sustainable way ahead.
6. Solutions:
- A health-centred response to the coexisting climate, energy & cost-of-living crises provides an opportunity to deliver a healthy, low-carbon future.
- This is the way a health-centred response would work, it would reduce the likelihood of the most catastrophic climate change impacts while improving energy security & creating an opportunity for economic recovery.
- Improvements in air quality will help prevent deaths resulting from exposure to fossil fuel-derived ambient PM2.5.
- The stress on low-carbon travel & increase in urban spaces would result in promoting physical activity which would have an impact on physical & mental health.
- Transition to balanced & more plant-based diets, is encouraged to reduce emissions from red meat & milk production, and prevent diet-related deaths, besides substantially reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases.
- This kind of health-focused shift would reduce the burden of communicable & non-communicable diseases, reducing the strain on healthcare providers & leading to more robust health systems.
- , indeed, the pace & scale of climate change adaptation, planning & resilience is insufficient.
- The report calls for global coordination, funding, transparency & cooperation between governments, communities, civil society, businesses & public health leaders to reduce or prevent the vulnerabilities that the world otherwise exposed.
Source: The Hindu
