22 July 2022

Daily UPSC Current Affairs

. No.	Topic Name	Prelims/Mains
1.	Antarctic Bill	Prelims & Mains
2.	Hate Speech	Prelims & Mains
3.	Leader of Opposition	Prelims & Mains
4.	Cheetah Reintroduction in India	Prelims Specific Topic

 

1 – Antarctic Bill:

 

GS II

 

Topic à Government Policies and Interventions

 

• Context:

 

• Due to continued demonstrations by Congress members outside of Parliament over the Enforcement Directorate’s summoning of their party president Sonia Gandhi for questioning, the Lok Sabha postponed consideration and passage of The Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022 till Friday on Thursday.

 

• What exactly does the Antarctic Bill provide for?

 

• The bill outlines stringent requirements and a system of licences that must be obtained in order for any expedition or individual to enter Antarctica. The permits will be awarded by a government-appointed committee.
• The bill includes a provision to create a committee on Antarctic governance and environmental protection to oversee, carry out, and guarantee adherence to the pertinent international laws, emissions standards, and protection legislation.
• Protecting Mineral Resources:The Bill also forbids identifying the locations of such mineral deposits, as well as drilling, dredging, excavation, and collecting of mineral resources.
• The lone exemption is authorised scientific research.
• Protecting Native Plants:It is strictly forbidden to harm native plants, fly or land helicopters, operate boats that might disturb birds or seals, use firearms that might do the same, remove soil or any other biological material native to Antarctica, or engage in any other activity that might harm or negatively alter the habitat of birds or other animals.
• Introduction of birdsthat are not native to Antarctica is also illegal, as is the introduction of any other animals, plants, or microscopic organisms.
• Penaltiesmay include jail for offenders.
• Indian travel operators are allowedto operate in Antarctica with the help of the Bill’s provisions, which are included below.
• In Antarctica, there are 40 permanent research stations, and two of them, Maitri and Bharati, are operated by Indians.

 

 

• What is the purpose of the legislation?

 

• To assist activities of the Indian Antarctic programme, such as management of Antarctic tourism and sustainable development of fisheries, and to provide a harmonic policy framework for India’s Antarctic activities through a well-established legal mechanism.

 

• What justifies such a law?

 

• To Comply with the Antarctica Treaty’s Provisions:

 

• Since 1983, India has been a party to the Antarctica Treaty, which obliges it to outline a set of rules controlling the regions of the continent where its research sites are located.
• The 54 signing nations were required by the Treaty to establish the rules that apply to the areas where their stations are located.
• India is a signatory to agreements like the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which aim to preserve the continent’s pristine natural beauty.
• India is obligated under both treaties to contribute to keeping the continent’s natural beauty pure.

 

Source à The Indian Express

 

 

2 – Hate Speech:

 

GS III

 

Topic à Internal Security of India

 

• Context:

 

• The Union Home Ministry has three weeks to submit a report on whether states have complied with the Supreme Court’s earlier rulings on limiting hate speech after receiving a directive from the court on Thursday.

 

• Hate speech: What Is It?

 

• Hate speech is an incitement to hatred directed at a certain group of people who are marginalised due to their religion, sexual orientation, gender, or other characteristics.
• Such statements have the ability to incite individuals and society to engage in acts of terrorism, genocide, and ethnic cleansing, according to the Law Commission’s 267th report on hate speech.

 

• Why Does Hate Speech Need to Be Stopped?

 

• Internal Security:A false film that inflamed racial tensions was the cause of the Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013.
• Stoking radical emotions.
• Lynching by the mob
• Delhi Riots’ misinformation and deception

 

• Measures Needed:

 

• The largest social media giants in the world are looking into forming an industry-wide coalition to combat fake news on their platforms in India, including Facebook, Google, Twitter, and ByteDance.
• To track down the source of such news, the Indian Election Commission must collaborate with tech firms.
• Educating the final consumers.
• To participate at a deeper level, the government should release a policy framework on the potential harm caused by internet messaging networks.
• levying significant fines, such as in Germany, where social media firms risk fines of up to €50 million for repeatedly failing to remove illegal content from their websites.

 

• Now is the time for:

 

• Through the dissemination of hate speech and the encouragement of discrimination, marginalised people are pushed outside the social, economic, and political sectors of society. It is commonly acknowledged that at its worst, it serves as a prelude to ethnic cleansing.
• By failing to take measures to stop vigilante organisations from sowing discord among communities, fomenting hatred against countrymen, and taking the law into their own hands, public authorities must be held liable for failing in their duty of care and for disobeying this court’s directives.

 

• Laws relating to Hate Speech:

 

• Promotion of hostility between different groups on the basis of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., as well as actions detrimental to the maintenance of harmony, are both punishable under Section 153A IPC.
• Imputations and declarations that are harmful to national integration are punishable under Section 153B IPC.
• “Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to offend religious emotions of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs” are punishable under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code.
• “Uttering, remarks, etc., with malicious intent to damage the religious sensibilities of any person” is punishable under Section 298 of the IPC.
• The publication or dissemination of any comment, rumour, or report that incites animosity, hostility, or ill will between classes is punishable under Section 505 of the IPC.
• Hate speech is classified into two categories under Part VII of the Representation of People Act, 1951: electoral offences and corrupt practises.

 

• Different Committees and their Opinions:

 

• K. Viswanathan Committee:

 

• It produced a report that suggested stronger legislation to stop online hate speech and the encouragement of hatred through the use of the internet.
• It suggested adding Sections 153 C (b) and 505 A to the IPC for inciting someone to commit a crime based on their race, caste, or community, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, place of birth, place of residence, language, disability, or tribe.

 

• Bezbaruah Committee:

 

• It was established by the Center in 2014 following a string of racial attacks on people from the northeast.
• It has suggested adding two more stringent anti-racial discrimination clauses to the IPC.

 

Source à The Hindu

 

3 – Leader of Opposition:

 

GS II

 

Topic à Indian Parliament

 

• Where did the term “leader of opposition” come from?

 

• G V Mavalankar served as the Lok Sabha’s first Speaker. The rule that Mavalankar created to identify the opposition leader in the house has gained notoriety.
• According to Mavalankar’s regulations, the leader of the main opposition party must hold at least 55 seats, or 10% of the total number of seats in the House, in order to be named Leader of Opposition.
• A National Political Party recently declared that, due to a lack of members, it will not contest for the position of Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.
• The second-largest party in parliament after the majority has only 52 members, falling three shy of the necessary number.

 

• What crucial tasks is the opposition leader responsible for?

 

• The Leader of the Opposition is responsible for the following:

 

• Presiding over sessions where the opposition reviews bills and discusses policy options, choosing opposition members to serve as shadow ministers, serving as the main spokesperson for the opposition, and organising the opposition during a federal election.

 

• What Does Being the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Mean?

 

• The leader of the opposition is allegedly referred to as the “Shadow Prime Minister.” If the government is forced to dissolve due to an unforeseen event, the Leader should be prepared to take over.
• The absence of such a Leader of the Opposition will weaken India since the opposition will be unable to present a united front in opposition to the ruling party.
• The opposition’s leader is crucial in ensuring that the group works cohesively and effectively on legislative and policy matters.
• Additionally, it aids in ensuring impartiality in the selection of officials for institutions that promote accountability and transparency, such as the CVC, CBI, Lokpal, and CIC.
• The opposition leader’s other responsibility is to keep an eye out for minority’ rights abuses. They can also ask for discussions on these important topics if the government is attempting to evade parliamentary scrutiny.
• The Public Accounts Committee, whose chairperson is the leader of the opposition, is in place to oversee the spending of the governing party.

 

• What is the process for choosing the opposition leader?

 

• The process for identifying the opposition leader is clearly laid out.
• Upon request from the opposition party with the highest numerical representation, the designated leader of that party shall be acknowledged as the opposition leader.
• The speaker or chairperson acknowledges the requester after her or his secretariat has reviewed it.

 

• Conclusion:

 

• The Leader of an Opposition has highly specific responsibilities to the Parliament and the state under India’s practically unique system of government. The Leader of the Opposition plays a crucial function in the current Government in situations like foreign danger or also in issues impacting the security and safety of the realms. He must in a way be a supporter and even a buttress of the government he opposes while he continues to be a critic. He must faithfully carry out this dual task.

 

Source à The Indian Express

 

4 – Cheetah Reintroduction in India:

 

Prelims Specific Topic

 

• Context:

 

• With the signing of an agreement on Wednesday in Delhi between the government and the visiting Namibian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations, Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah, India took a step closer to reintroducing the fastest animal in the world, which has been extinct in the nation since 1952. The long-awaited agreement will lay the groundwork for the transfer of the first group of cheetahs from southern Africa to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park. Officials want to finish the first transfer by August 15.

 

• About Reintroduction:

 

• Reintroducing a species simply means releasing it in a habitat that will support it.
• Reintroducing large carnivores has gained more acceptance as a method for protecting endangered species and reestablishing ecosystem services.
• The only large carnivore that has gone extinct is the cheetah, primarily due to historical overhunting in India.
• Much like Project Tiger has done for forests and all the species that have witnessed an increase in numbers, the protection of the cheetah will revitalise grasslands and their biomes and habitat.

 

• Reasons behind the Extinction:

 

• The cat was extinct in India because to hunting, habitat loss, and a lack of sufficient prey, including black buck, gazelle, and hare (1952).
• These issues have only gotten worse as a result of the onset of climate change and expanding human populations.
• Reintroduction Action Plan: The ministry will relocate about 8 to 12 cheetahs from South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana with assistance from the Wildlife Institute of India and the Wildlife Trust of India.
• The largest populations of the animal are found in these nations.
• Due to its ideal environment and sufficient prey base, Kuno Palpur National Park (Madhya Pradesh) would be home to the big cats.

Details of the Cheetah:

• With ancestors that date back more than five million years to the Miocene era, the cheetah is one of the oldest big cat species.
• The cheetah, which may be found in Africa and Asia, is also the fastest terrestrial mammal in the world.

Source à The Hindu