02 September 2022

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – National Register of Citizens (NRC): GS I – Indian Polity

Regarding the NRC:

• National Register of Citizens is referred to as NRC.
• The National Register of Citizens, 1951 is a register that was created after the Census of 1951 was carried out in each village. It lists the number and names of citizens residing in each residence or property and displays them in serial order.
• The NRC was only released once in 1951.

The Assam NRC:

• An update was required as a result of the significant illegal migration to Assam from what was once East Pakistan and, after 1971, from what is now Bangladesh.
• The Assam deportation of illegal immigrants agitation lasted six years, from 1979 to 1985.
• The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) led the movement calling for the NRC to be updated and all unlawful migrants who entered Assam after 1951 to be deported.
• The campaign came to a head with the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985.
• On March 25, 1971, the deadline for deporting unauthorised immigrants was established.
• Articles 5 and 6 of the Constitution’s cutoff date were July 19, 1949, hence the Citizenship Act of 1955 was changed and a new provision was introduced to reflect the new date.
• It was only applicable to Assam.
• An Assam-based NGO filed a complaint with the Supreme Court in response to repeated pleas from AASU and other Assam organisations to update the NRC.
• In December 2014, a divided Supreme Court bench ordered that the NRC be updated as soon as possible.
• The 1951 NRC and the 1971 Electoral Roll are examples of legacy data (up to midnight on March 24, 1971). Anyone whose name appears on these documents and their descendants are eligible for Indian citizenship.

Impact:

• Rumors over the actual number of illegal immigrants in Assam and the rest of the country are likely to come to an end after the NRC is amended.
• It will provide a validated dataset to support fruitful discussions and the implementation of policy.
• It is hoped that the publication of an updated NRC will deter future Bangladeshi immigrants from entering Assam illegally.
• The new NRC has already given the impression that those who enter Assam illegally risk getting arrested, imprisoned, and expatriated.
• More importantly, illegal immigrants could have a far harder time obtaining Indian identity cards and gaining access to all the benefits and privileges to which all Indian citizens are entitled.
• All Assamese Bengali speakers who previously believed they were Bangladeshis will feel relieved that their names are now listed in the NRC.

Challenges:

• Process errors – Individuals who were listed on the first list, which was released on January 1, 2018, were not listed on the second. The family of a former Indian president was not on the list.
• There is utter chaos as a result of the parallel activities of the NRC, the voter list maintained by the Election Commission, and the Foreigners’ Tribunals, which are supported by the Assam Border Police.
• Despite the fact that the programme has a timeframe for re-verification, it will be incredibly difficult to personally check everyone on the list.
• Due to the fact that such “non citizens” can use the legal system to support their citizenship claim, the courts, which is currently dealing with a large number of open cases, may become overworked.
• Unknown what will happen to people who weren’t on the list.
• Since Dhaka has never accepted that they are its citizens or that illegal immigration is a problem, expulsion to Bangladesh is not an option. In the absence of a written agreement, India is not permitted to forcibly repatriate illegal immigrants to Bangladesh.
• Furthermore, bringing up this issue would sour things with Dhaka. Such an endeavour would be detrimental to bilateral ties and the nation’s standing abroad.
• Large-scale prison camps offer an alternative to deportation, albeit this is unlikely in a developed democracy like India.
• Implementing work permits is another option, which would provide people restricted legal rights to work while removing their political voice. But it’s not clear what will happen to these people’s offspring.
• NRC appears to be a perpetual process since there is no end to uncertainty.

Source The Hindu

2 – Space Debris: GS II – Space and Technology

What Exactly Is Space Debris?

• Space debris poses a hazard to the continued use of space-based equipment that supports vital operations including communication, transportation, weather and climate monitoring, and remote sensing.
• For the sake of both national security and the maintenance of Indian public and commercial space assets, it is essential to predict the chance of collision with these space objects.

Total space debris in orbit:

• The true amount of space debris is thought to be between 500,000 and one million pieces, however this number is only an estimate because current sensor technology cannot identify smaller items. All of them move at speeds of up to 28,162 kph (17,500 mph), which is fast enough for a small piece of orbital junk to obliterate a satellite or spacecraft.

The Relevance of the Project:

• The initiative will result in a collision probability solution that is operationally flexible, scalable, transparent, and made in India, which would directly help the $7 billion (Rs 51,334 crore) space industry there.

Future innovations that can assist with the issue’s solution include:

• Changing an object’s orbit is one way to prevent a potential collision, but the sheer volume of debris makes continuous observation and forecast imperative.
• NASA’s Space Debris Sensor orbits the planet from the International Space Station. The sensor was attached to the exterior of the European Columbus module of the space station in December 2017. For at least two years, it will be able to detect debris with a diameter of a millimetre, providing information on everything it sees, including the size, density, velocity, orbit, and whether the object it is striking is natural space junk or man-made.
• Two cubesats on the REMOVE debris satellite will launch synthetic space debris to demonstrate different retrieval techniques.
• Deorbit project: Two cutting-edge technologies to grasp or collect stray space debris are being developed by the e.Deorbit mission.
• Another technology is the use of a strong laser beam to move objects. Because current scientific predictions indicate that without active debris removal, some orbits might eventually become unsuitable, it is imperative to get started as soon as feasible.

Project Netra:

• To safeguard its space assets from space debris, Isro established a specialised Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Control Centre called “Netra” in Bengaluru in December.
• Netra’s main objective is to track, manage, and protect national space assets while acting as the centre for all SSA activities.
• The only other regions with comparable tracking and collision warning systems in place are the United States, Russia, and Europe.

The anti-satellite missile (ASAT) used by India:

• Mission Shakti is a joint effort between the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) (ISRO).
• As part of the operation, an anti-satellite (A-SAT) missile was fired and was intended to hit an Indian spacecraft that had been decommissioned. The Balasore testing facility of the DRDO in Odisha served as the launchpad for Mission Shakti.

Significance:

• India is only the fourth nation to create such an advanced and contemporary capability, and all of the work is done by Indians. Prior to this, only the United States, Russia, and China have succeeded in hitting a live target in orbit.

Source The Hindu

3 – National Company Law Tribunal: Prelims Specific Topic

NCLT Facts:

• It is a quasi-judicial organisation in India that decides on issues concerning Indian enterprises.
• It was founded on June 1, 2016. (Companies Act, 2013).
• The Justice Eradi Committee recommended that the group be formed.
• It mostly deals with issues concerning company law and insolvency law.
• Members’ terms of office: Appointments will be for five years from the date of assumption of duty or until the age of 65, whichever comes first, or until further directives are issued.

Source The Hindu

4 – Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus: GS II – Health related issues

About:

• The Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus is transmitted to humans by a mosquito bite. Each year, only a few cases are documented in the United States. The majority of instances are seen in eastern or Gulf Coast states. EEE is a dangerous condition, despite its rarity. About 30% of patients with EEE die, and many survivors have long-term neurologic issues.
• There are no vaccinations or drugs available to prevent or cure EEE. Use insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and take actions to prevent mosquitoes indoors and outdoors to lower your risk of EEE virus infection.

Source The Hindu

5 – Food Inflation: Prelims Specific Topic

About Food Price Inflation:

• One of the components of India’s headline inflation is food and fuel inflation.
• As the name implies, headline inflation is the total inflation for the time, based on a basket of goods.
• The basket of commodities used to track Headline Inflation does not include volatile goods. Food and beverages (including veggies) and fuel and light are the most volatile commodities (crude oil).
• Headline inflation minus (Food and Fuel) inflation equals core inflation.

Source The Indian Express