10 July 2023

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Exercise JIMEX: GS II – International Relations

Important details:

• It began in 2012 and continued after that.

Indian participation:

• INS Delhi is the name of the first guided missile destroyer produced wholly in India.
• INS Kamorta, a corvette for anti-submarine warfare that was built and developed locally,
• Tanker for the fleet INS Shakti
• Submarine
• Among others, P8I and Dornier maritime patrol aircraft.

Source The Hindu

2 – Ambergris: GS III – Environmental Conservation

Context:

• When the sperm whale’s body washed up on the shore of a Canary Island, a pathologist found ambergris, also referred to as “floating gold.”

In relation to Ambergris:

• The waxy material known as ambergris is derived from captive sperm whales.
• Its creation in the digestive tract of some sperm whales is thought to have something to do with facilitating the passage of hard, pointy objects that are swallowed when the whale consumes a lot of marine animals.
• Ambergris is said to have a strong odour of both faeces and the ocean, and it is believed to be passed through the body similarly to faeces.

Ambergris applications:

• Ambergris is extremely rare, hence it is in high demand and costs a lot on the international market.
• It is typically used to make perfumes with a musk flavour.
• Although there are records of it being used historically to flavour food, alcoholic beverages, and tobacco in various cultures, these applications are not popular now.

India’s legal system:

• It is illegal to possess ambergris and to trade it in places including the USA, Australia, and India.
• The Wildlife Protection Act’s Schedule 2 lists sperm whales as a protected species in India. The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 forbids the possession or exchange of any of their byproducts, including Ambergris and its byproducts.

Source The Hindu

3 – Mosaic viruses: GS II – Health-related issues

Context:

• Tomato growers in Maharashtra and Karnataka claim that the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) are to blame for the lower yields.

In relation to CMV and ToMV:

• The two plant viruses, which cause similar crop damage and have similar names, belong to separate viral families.
• The Virgaviridae family includes ToMV and the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV).
• ToMV hosts include tobacco, peppers, tomatoes, and other ornamental plants.

Transmission of a virus:

• The primary means by which ToMV spreads include contaminated seeds, saplings, agricultural tools, and usually the hands of nursery workers who did not fully sanitise their hands before going into the fields.
• CMV is spread through sap-sucking insects called aphids.
• Although extremely unlikely, it is nevertheless possible for CMV to spread through human contact.

Impacts on the crop:

• Both viruses can cause a crop to lose up to 100% of its yield if neither is effectively managed in a timely manner.

Source The Hindu

4 – Uniform Civil Code: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions

Context:

• India’s Prime Minister has emphasised the need for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

About:

• A single body of law covering the entire country, one that would apply to all religious groups in their private matters, including adoption, inheritance, and marriage, would be provided through a unified civil code.
• It aims to replace the numerous personal laws presently in effect that vary depending on one’s religious affiliation.

Status under the law:

• The need for uniform personal legislation is one of the Directive Principles of State Policy, which was acknowledged by those who drafted the Constitution.
• Article 44 of the Directive Principles of State Policy contains a section on UCC.
• Currently, Indian personal law is highly complex, with each religion adhering to its own unique set of laws.
• The Constitution lists certain Directive Principles of State Policy that, while not legally enforceable, are “fundamental to the government of the country.”
• These principles must be used by the State when making legislation.
• Directive principles are intended to inform and guide governance even though they are not legally required.
• By protecting and defending a social order in which justice—social, economic, and political justice—shall manifest in all areas of public life, they establish that the State must seek to advance the welfare of the population.

Has the UCC been implemented by a state?

• The UCC is only in use in the state of Goa.
• In 1867, the Portuguese gave the Goa Civil Code.
• Additionally, Uttarakhand, the first post-Independent state, to introduce UCC.

Arguments for a Uniform Civil Code:

It will promote India’s fusion:

• India’s unification will develop with the adoption of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) since it will give its varied populations a common platform.
• Personal laws with a religious motivation threaten the integrity of the country.
• India’s integration will develop with the adoption of a uniform civil code (UCC), which will provide a uniting framework for diverse communities.

The Indian Supreme Court will find it simple:

• The Supreme Court will find it easy to resolve these matters because there is currently a conflict between the laws governing marriage, divorce, property rights, etc.

The following constitutional objective will be accomplished:

• Adoption of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is a constitutional objective intended to provide equal justice for all communities.
• A codified system of family law that upholds the constitutional principles of justice and equality and is consistent with contemporary interpretations of religious texts would be ideal for India.

Reforming Islamic law:

• The Shariat Application Act of 1937 omits key elements including the legal minimum age for marriage, consent, meher (dowry), divorce procedures, polygamy, child custody and guardianship, as well as women’s property rights.
• Child weddings continue to be a frequent practise as a result.
• These practises are seen as acceptable based on the principles of Shari’a law, which states that a female becomes eligible for marriage at reaching puberty.

Complaints Against the Uniform Civil Code:

Infringes a person’s fundamental right to freedom of religion:

• The constitutional right to practise one’s religion of choice, which lets religious congregations to follow their own local norms, is violated by the UCC, according to criticism.
• For instance, Articles 25 and 29 give every religious organisation the freedom to operate their own businesses and to retain their distinctive cultural traditions, respectively.

This has never happened before:

• If codified civil and criminal laws like the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) do not follow this premise, how can “one nation, one law” be applied to the private laws of communities?
• State laws on anticipatory bail, for instance, vary.

Legalising Hinduism:

• The UCC will enforce a “Hinduized” code for all communities.
• For instance, a UCC might include provisions addressing family disputes around property inheritance, which may be consistent with Hindu customs and compel other communities to follow suit.

Following is the Law Commission’s recommendation:

• The 21st Law Commission stressed the importance of modernising family laws across many religions to provide gender equity rather than focusing largely on the establishment of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
• It highlighted the consistency of rights rather than placing emphasis on legislation.
• The Law Commission favoured achieving “equality within communities” between men and women rather than pursuing “equality between” communities.

There are other authorities besides the government.

• The Parliament and state Assemblies are each given the authority to pass legislation relating to personal laws under the Constitution.
• The inclusion of personal law on the Concurrent List (item No. 5) demonstrates the aim to maintain legal variety.

As an argument against a multicultural society:

• The proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) ought to take India’s pluralism into consideration.
• In the end, the demand for unity prevails above the need for conformity.

UCC’s impact on several personal laws:

Hinduism:

• If the UCC were to be applied, existing laws like the Hindu Marriage Act (1955) and the Hindu Succession Act (1956) would need to be changed.
• For instance, Scheduled Tribes are immune from the prohibitions of the Hindu Marriage Act.
• The law states that common practises will take precedence over the regulations.
• Any of these exclusions, however, will not be accepted by UCC.

Islam:

• The Muslim Personal (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 states that Islamic law, or Shariat, shall govern all aspects of marriage, divorce, and child support.
• Polygamy might be prohibited if the UCC is put into effect, and the Shariah’s requirement for marriage age will change.

Sikhs:

• Sikh marriage is governed by the Anand Marriage Act of 1909.
• However, divorce is not allowed.

Parsi:

• The Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act of 1936 states that any woman who marries a member of a different faith loses all claim to Parsi rituals and practises; nevertheless, this provision will be nullified if UCC is put into effect.
• In Parsi tradition, adopted daughters are not acknowledged as having rights, but an adopted son is only permitted to preside over a father’s burial.
• If the UCC is put into effect, the guardianship and custody laws will be the same for all religions.

Christianity:

• The UCC will have an impact on Christian personal law problems including inheritance, adoption, and succession, but marriage and the Catholic Church’s opposition to divorce will require further consideration.
• For any couple seeking a consensual divorce, the Christian Divorce Law stipulates a two-year separation period; nevertheless, if UCC were to be enacted, all couples would be subject to this requirement.
• Christian mothers have no legal right to the assets of their deceased children under the 1925 Succession Act.
• All of this will be passed down to the father.
• This clause would be eliminated if the UCC were implemented.

Moving forward:

• It is vital to ensure that specific people or socially disadvantaged groups are not treated unfairly throughout this endeavour.
• Although he urged that its adoption be optional, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar thought that a Uniform Civil Code was a desirable goal.
• Its inclusion in the Constitution was predicated on the requirement that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be implemented when the nation was deemed ready to do so and when there was sufficient popular support for it.
• The 21st Law Commission demonstrated a clear preference for advancing gender equality inside communities as opposed to establishing equality between communities.
• It is critical to remember that the campaign for a consistent civil code does not aim to impose one culture over another or impose restrictions on people’s freedom of religion.
• Instead, it is an effort to promote equality for all citizens, regardless of faith, in terms of gender and rights.
• Dialectics like tradition vs. modernity or state involvement vs. religious freedom shouldn’t be used in discussions of UCC.
• Many nations are currently moving towards understanding and valuing diversity.
• It is important to keep in mind that diversity in and of itself does not imply discrimination; rather, it is a sign of a thriving democratic society.
• It needs to be seen as a condition for equality, a means of attaining social justice, and a constitutional commitment that needs to be upheld.
• This may be the finest course of action to make sure that laws are no longer the script of what was once right but rather the living embodiment of what is right now.

Source The Hindu

5 – The Zo community: GS I – Indian Culture

Context:

• The Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) fought for the reuniting of the Zo people due to the ongoing racial struggle between the dominant Meiteis and the Kuki-Zomi tribes in the neighbouring state.

Regarding the Zo neighborhood:

• The Lushei of Mizoram are one of the larger group of Zo ethnic tribes, which also includes the Kuki-Zomi people of Manipur.
• The Chin Hills, also known as the Indo-Chin hill ranges, are a thickly forested region located in northwest Myanmar. They range in height from 2,100 to 3,000 metres.
• The Hills are home to a large number of Zo group tribes.
• The Zo peoples are made up of the following tribes:
• This ethnic group was distributed across Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh, including the Lushei, Zomi, Paitei, Hmar, Ralte, Pawi, Lai, Mara, Gangte, Thadou, and other sub-tribes and clans.
• The continuous feuds between the clan monarchs (chieftains) in the 17th century drove several tribal groups westward into modern-day Mizoram and portions of Manipur.
• They still maintain close social and emotional links with the Chin people of Myanmar.
• Despite their disparities in ethnicity and religion, Christianity unites the tribes.

Source The Hindu