05 January 2024

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Merit Takes Preference in Law Officer Appointments: GS II – Judiciary-related issues

Context:

• The Madras High Court has decided that law officials can be appointed without adhering to the reservation requirement.
• The government must only pick the most skilled, knowledgeable, and capable solicitors to represent it in court, the court ruled, and merit alone should be the main consideration in these appointments.

What Are the Verdict’s Main Takeaways?

• The decision was made in conjunction with the dismissal of a 2017 public interest litigation petition that demanded openness and sufficient representation for minorities, women, Scheduled Caste, and Scheduled Tribe in the recruitment of law officials.
• The petitioner emphasised that neither vertical nor horizontal reservation had been provided by the High Court of Madras’s appointment of law officers.
• According to the Division Bench, the uberrima fides concept governs the dynamic of active confidence and trust that exists between an advocate and their client.
• The law enforcement officer and the government have a completely professional relationship, not one of master and servant.
• The law enforcement officials are neither government employees nor are they appointed to a civil position. Therefore, it cannot be argued that the government’s appointment of law enforcement officials requires the provision of a reservation.
• The court recommended that the call for applications be open to all applicants, enabling the government to appoint exceptionally qualified and deserving solicitors as law officers.

Uberrima Fides Doctrine:

• “Utmost good faith” is how the Latin term “uberrima fides” is translated. It calls on the advocate to behave in the client’s best interests.
• Which laws and rulings pertain to reservations in public employment?
• The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) published an Office Memorandum in 2021 stating that the rule of reservation must be followed for both contractual and temporary positions, with the exception of those that were intended to last less than 45 days.
• In the 1992 case of Indra Sawhney, the Supreme Court decided that it might not be a good idea to reserve specific services and positions for the fulfilment of certain tasks.
• One such position that has to be excused from the reserve requirement is that of a law enforcement officer.
• Justices B.R., Sanjiv Khanna, and Nageswara Rao in 2022. In a verdict, Gavai emphasised that in order to establish reservation policies for the advancement of candidates from the SC and STs, state administrations must present quantifiable facts.
• The necessity that state authorities provide verifiable, tangible proof to back up their choices to promote SC/ST candidates was affirmed by the court.
• The provisions of the Indian Constitution that govern reservations:
• The State and Central Governments are entitled to set aside seats in government services for members of the SC and ST according to Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution.
• Article 16 (4B) was added by the Constitutional 81st Amendment Act, 2000, allowing the state to fill open positions designated for SCs and STs in the following year. This eliminates the 50% reservation cap on the total number of vacancies in a given year.
• The constitution’s Article 335 states that the claims of Scheduled Tribes (STs) must be taken into account in a way that maintains the administration’s effectiveness.

Source The Hindu

2 – Position of ASI regarding religious ceremonies at monuments: GS I – Indian Culture

Context:

• In a recent study, a parliament committee on “Issues relating to Untraceable Monuments and Protection of Monuments in India” made major recommendations about the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) policy regarding religious activities at monuments that are protected.
• Prayers in Jammu and Kashmir’s eighth-century Martand Sun Temple raised concerns earlier in May 2022 from the ASI, which is housed under the Ministry of Culture. The ASI cited a breach of norms.

What is the current ASI Monument Worship Policy?

• Worship and rituals are currently only permitted by the ASI at monuments where these practices were practiced when the ASI gained control of the area.
• As the most well-known example of a living ASI monument, the Taj Mahal is the site of Friday namaz.
• A few more noteworthy living monuments are the Nila Mosque in Delhi’s Hauz Khas Village, the Roman Catholic Church in Meerut, three mosques in Kannauj, and numerous Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh.
• The purpose of this restriction is to protect the monuments’ historical and cultural integrity.
• At non-living monuments that have not been the subject of religious rites since they were designated as ASI-protected sites, no religious ceremonies may be performed.
• In situations where worship was not practiced during the time of protection or had been put on hold for a long time, the policy decision forbids its resurrection.
• About one-fourth (820) of the 3,693 centrally protected monuments and archaeological sites under ASI management are houses of worship; the remaining monuments are regarded as non-living monuments, meaning that no new religious rites may be initiated or carried out there.
• These locations include a wide variety of religious buildings, including churches, mosques, dargahs, and temples.
• Once a bustling centre of worship, the Martand Sun Temple was built on the orders of Karkota dynasty monarch Lalitaditya Muktapida. That was, however, destroyed in the fourteenth century.
• Upon assuming power in the 20th century, ASI focused on conservation rather than performing pujas or Hindu rituals there. Devotee-led pujas that took place recently in 2022 were judged to be in violation of ASI guidelines for inanimate monuments.

What Are the Recommendations of the Committee Regarding Worship at ASI Monuments?

Suggestions:

• The committee recommends looking into the possibilities of allowing worship and prayers at religiously significant monuments protected by ASI.
• Concerns have been raised over this possible change in legislation and how it may affect different religious sites.
• emphasises the significance of accountability and openness in addressing crucial concerns pertaining to monument protection and suggests that the Ministry of Culture and ASI immediately identify monuments through surveys and make the data available to the public.

Issues with the Committee’s Suggestions:

• Encouraging religious activities at protected monuments could put their historical significance, integrity, and authenticity at risk because devotees or the authorities could add to, modify, or destroy the sites.
• Permitting religious activities at protected monuments may also lead to disputes and confrontations between various religious organisations, some of whom may dispute other groups’ activities or assert ownership or rights over the monuments.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI):

• The leading institution for archaeological study and the preservation of the country’s cultural legacy is ASI, which is housed inside the Ministry of Culture.
• Over 3650 historically significant monuments, archaeological sites, and relics are under its administration.
• Surveys of antiquarian remnants, the discovery and excavation of archaeological sites, the preservation and upkeep of protected monuments, and other tasks are among its activities.
• Alexander Cunningham, the initial Director-General of ASI, established it in 1861. Another title for Alexander Cunningham is “Father of Indian Archaeology.”
• The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958 gives it authority over all archaeological projects conducted in the country.

Source The Hindu

3 – AMRIT Technology: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions

Context:

• The Jal Shakti Ministry has provided updates on the Jal Jeevan Mission and the Arsenic and Metal Removal by Indian Technology (AMRIT) projects.

AMRIT Technology: What Is It?

• The Indian Institute of technique (IIT) in Madras created the technique. It is intended to alleviate problems with water quality by removing metal ions and arsenic from water.
• The method makes use of nanoscale iron oxy-hydroxide, which, when water runs through it, specifically eliminates arsenic.
• AMRIT can be used to purify water at the home and community levels.
• The technique is in line with the larger objectives of the Jal Jeevan Mission, which seeks to supply rural Indian families with safe and drinkable tap water.
• The ‘Standing Committee’ of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation has recommended the technology be taken into consideration for solutions to water and sanitation problems.

About:

• As a naturally occurring element of the earth’s crust, arsenic is extensively present in the air, water, and land. In its inorganic form, it is extremely poisonous.
• Long-term consumption of arsenic-contaminated food and water can result in skin sores and cancer. Blackfoot disease (BFD) is a chronic arsenic poisoning that damages the blood vessels in the lower limbs.

The Jal Jeevan Mission: What is it?

About:

• Launched in 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission aims to achieve Sustainable Development Goal-6 (Clean Water and Sanitation for All) by 2024 by providing safe and sufficient drinking water to every home in rural India through individual household tap connections.
• By 2024, every rural household is expected to receive a daily supply of 55 litres of water via Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC).
• The Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) was also started by the Indian government. Its goal is to give water to every one of India’s 4,378 statutory towns via working taps.

Goals:

• securing connections to the sewer and taps.
• revitalization of bodies of water.
• establishing a water economy in a circle.

The Jal Jeevan Mission’s progress:

• Merely 16.8% of rural homes possessed tap water connections as of August 2019. This rose to almost 71.51% by December 2023.
• Every one of the 378 homes afflicted by arsenic that were waiting for a tap water supply was informed that Community Water Purification Plants (CWPPs) had provided them with safe drinking water.

Source The Hindu

4 – Propulsion module of Chandrayaan-3 has returned to Earth’s orbit: GS III – Science and Technology related issues

Context:

• The Propulsion Module (PM) of the Chandrayaan-3 project, which recently took the Vikram lander within 100 kilometres of the Moon’s surface before detaching, was successfully deployed by scientists.
• A controlled fall to the lunar surface and a successful return to Earth orbit were part of this momentous event.

Mission Chandrayan: What is it?

• Three Chandrayaan Missions—Chandrayan-1, Chandrayaan-2, and Chandrayan-3—have been launched by India in total.

Chandrayaan-1:

• Chandrayaan-1, India’s first mission to the Moon, was launched successfully in 2008. With instruments on board, it was intended to orbit the Moon and conduct observations.

Important Findings of Chandrayaan-1:

• Verified existence of water on the moon.
• proof of lunar caves created by an old lava flow on the moon.
• There is evidence of past tectonic activity on the lunar surface.
• The fissures and fractures seen may have resulted from inner tectonic activity in the past, combined with impacts by meteorites.

Chandrayan-2:

• Chandrayaan-2 is a three-in-one spacecraft that consists of a lunar orbiter named Vikram (named after Vikram Sarabhai), a rover named Pragyan (wisdom), and a lander named Vikram. All three spacecraft are outfitted with scientific instruments to facilitate lunar research.

Commenced on July 22, 2019:

• After landing, Lander Vikram stays still and mostly investigates the moon’s atmosphere and seismic activities.
• Rover Pragyan: The Rover is a six-wheeled, solar-powered vehicle that separates from its body and moves slowly across the surface while gathering information and conducting observations.
• Due to its tremendous velocity, the lander of Chandrayaan-2 had crashed, or made a hard landing, on the Moon’s surface.
• Its orbiter, on the other hand, is operating flawlessly and will be in communication with the Chandrayaan-3 lander.

Chandrayaan-3:

• It was India’s second attempt at a soft landing on the moon and their third mission to the moon.
• 14 July 2023 is the launch date.

Goals:

• to show off a moving Rover on the moon.
• to do out scientific experiments in situ.
• Its three components—a native Lander module (LM), a Propulsion module (PM), and a Rover—are meant to develop and demonstrate new technologies that are necessary for interplanetary missions.

What is the Propulsion Module of Chandrayaan-3?

• Chandrayaan-3: Instead of using an orbiter in its entirety, the lander travelled to the Moon using a lightweight Propulsion Module.
• SpectroPolarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE): The lone instrument carried by the Chandrayaan-3 propulsion module was named SHAPE.
• It was an experimental payload intended to investigate Earth’s habitability and find exoplanets that are livable.
• Pragyaan Rover: The lander that carried the Pragyaan rover detached from the propulsion module. It was expected to spend another six months orbiting the Moon while SHAPE kept an eye on Earth.

The Propulsion Module’s Return to Earth Orbit: How Does It Happen?

• Through the trial, ISRO can work towards creating a software module for future planning.
• The optimal course for the return to Earth was planned, keeping safety and fuel availability in mind.
• Whenever Earth is visible, including during a special operation, the SHAPE payload is in operation.

Source The Hindu

5 – Kala Azar is almost eliminated in India: GS II – Health-related issues

Context:

• The disease known as visceral leishmaniasis, or kala azar, is almost eradicated in India. The country has nearly reached the World Health Organization’s (WHO) eradication target due to a notable decrease in recorded cases and fatalities.
• The neighbour of India, Bangladesh, was the first nation recognised by the WHO as having successfully eradicated kala azar as a public health issue.

What is the Kala-Azar?

About:

• The indigenous disease known as kala-azar, or visceral leishmaniasis, progresses slowly and is brought on by a protozoan parasite belonging to the genus Leishmania.
• Other names for it include Dumdum Fever and Black Fever.
• Leishmania donovani is the only parasite that causes this illness in India.

Symptoms and Mode of Transmission:

• Sandflies are the ones who spread it. In India, sandflies belonging to the Phlebotomus argentipes genus are the sole known carriers of kala-azar.
• Fever, weight loss, and enlargement of the liver and spleen are the symptoms. In 95% of cases, it can be fatal if left untreated.

Cases Filed in India:

• India had 530 cases and four fatalities in 2023—a decrease from the years before.
• Furthermore, 286 cases of post-kala azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) were reported.

Dermal leishmaniasis following Kala-azar:

• Skin lesions are the result of Leishmania donovani infiltrating and growing within skin cells, causing this disorder.
• Although PKDL sometimes appears following therapy in kala-azar cases, it is currently thought that PKDL may develop without passing through the visceral stage. Still, additional information is required to comprehend how PKDL evolves.
• When internal organs are affected by the parasite during the early stages of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar), it is referred to as the visceral stage.

Therapy:

• In India, injectable liposomal amphotericin B is the main treatment for kala-azar infections.
• Oral miltefosine for 12 weeks, with dosage adjustments based on patient weight and age, is the usual treatment for PKDL.

Techniques used by India for Elimination:

• Effective Spraying: To stop the development of disease and sandfly breeding, indoor residual spraying should be closely monitored.
• Wall Plastering: To reduce the regions where sandflies breed, use Gerrard dirt when plastering walls.
• therapy Compliance: Using the ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) network to guarantee that PKDL therapy is completed.

Source The Hindu