30 December 2022

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

 1 – EVM: GS II – Topic Election-related issues

Context:

• The Multi-Constituency Remote Electronic Voting Machine, which would enable migrant voters to cast their votes remotely, has a prototype, according to the Indian Election Commission, which announced this on Thursday.
• Using remote electronic voting devices, a single remote polling place may manage multiple constituencies (RVMs).
• On January 16, the multi-constituency prototype Remote EVM will be demonstrated, and the ECI announced that it has invited all recognised 8 national and 57 state political parties as well as provided them with a concept note outlining the technological, administrative, operational, and legal challenges.

About Electronic voting machines, or EVMs:

• Using an electronic voting machine, or EVM, voters cast ballots electronically.
• The EVM control unit is always with the poll worker or the presider.
• This ensures that the poll worker verifies the voter’s identification.
• The poll worker activates the voting button so that the voter can cast their ballot.
• The balloting device is kept inside the voting compartment where voters can cast their ballots.
• The device has a blue button next to it and a list of candidates’ names or symbols.
• By clicking the button next to their name, voters can select a candidate.
• Using an EVM is much simpler than the conventional method of voting, which requires that the voter place their voting mark on or close to the candidate symbol on the ballot paper, fold it first vertically, then horizontally, and then place it into the ballot box.
• Simply pressing the button on the Ballot Unit next to the candidate and symbol of your choice in an EVM will count as casting a vote.

EVMs in India:

• The Indian electronic voting machine (EVM) was developed in 1989 by the Election Commission of India in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited and Electronics Corporation of India Limited.
• The first electronic voting devices were used in a small number of polling booths in Kerala’s North Paravur Assembly Constituency in 1982.
• Electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used for the first time in the 1999 general election (statewide) for the Goa assembly.
• The election commission chose to utilise electronic voting machines solely for the Lok Sabha elections in 2004 after its successful use in all state and by-elections in 2003.

EVMs do not require electricity:

• A standard battery produced by Electronic Corporation of India Limited or Bharat Electronics Limited powers EVMs.
• The EVMs used by the Indian Election Commission can only record up to 2,000 votes.

Number of candidates:

• There is a 64 candidate limit for the use of M2 EVMs (2006–2010), including NOTA.
• 384 candidates, including NOTA, are the maximum that may employ M3 EVMs (Post 2013).

Who designed the EVM?

• The design of the EVMs was a joint effort by the Technical Experts Committee (TEC) of the Election Commission and two public sector organisations, Bharat Electronics Ltd. in Bangalore and Electronic Corporation of India Ltd. in Hyderabad.
• The EVMs are made by the two businesses mentioned above.

Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT):

• Voters can verify that their votes were cast as intended by connecting the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) to a separate system known as the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).
• Serial numbers, candidate names, and symbols allocated to them are fed into the VVPAT unit with the help of the manufacturer’s engineers.
• A slip with the candidate’s name, symbol, and serial number is printed and exposed for 7 seconds after a vote is cast through a clear window.
• After being mechanically cut, the printed slip is deposited into the VVPAT’s secure drop box.
• VVPATs with EVMs were used in the first bye-election for the Nagaland Noksen Assembly Constituency.
• The VVPATs and EVMs are maintained in a secure strong room until the end of the election petition period.

 Advantages of implementing EVMs:

• There is no longer any chance of casting “Invalid Votes.”
• EVMs have made it possible to accurately and honestly reflect voter preference.
• When using EVMs, it is not necessary to print millions of ballots for each election. This drastically lowers the price of paper, printing, shipping, storing, and distributing.
• The counting process is quite quick, and the results can be declared in 3 to 5 hours, as opposed to the traditional Ballot paper system, which frequently takes 30 to 40 hours to accomplish.
• A device known as a “Totalizer” that aggregates votes without divulging the candidate-by-candidate total of each individual EVM used at a particular polling location can hold up to 14 Control Units.
• The technical merits of totalizers and other relevant issues are being looked into, and they are also the subject of a legal dispute, hence they are not currently being used in India.

Protects the privacy:

• The result can be stored in the memory of the control unit until the data is deleted or cleared.

Make sure the election is fair and the environment is safe:

• The microchip used in EVMs is a one-time-programmable/masked chip that cannot be read or overwritten.
• The EVM software cannot be modified in any particular way.
• The EVMs are independent, non-operating system devices that cannot be remotely accessed by any network connected to any external devices.
• The electronic voting machines cannot be programmed to favour any one candidate or political party.

Source The Hindu

 2 – RT PCR Test: GS III – Topic Science and Technology

Context:

• On December 25, 2022, community members noted that while travellers have expressed concern over India’s decision to perform limited RT-PCR tests on foreign arrivals, it is unlikely to have a significant impact on the bulk of tourists, including those from the diaspora.
• How does RT-PCR identify Covid-19?
• Covid19 is brought on by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It spreads and survives by infecting healthy cells because it is an RNA virus.
• In order to identify SARS-CoV-2 RNA, the RT-PCR test’s goal is to do so. In this, RNA is converted into DNA through reverse transcription in order to detect viruses.

How is it carried out?

• The SARS-CoV-2 RNA is often discovered in respiratory specimens during the acute stage of sickness.
• For this, samples from the upper respiratory system and the nasopharynx are collected.
• A variety of chemical solutions are used to treat this sample, removing components like proteins and lipids while just extracting the RNA that is already there.
• By the time a typical real-time RT-PCR setup is complete, each virus strand in the sample will have generated around 35 billion new copies of the viral DNA.
• As new copies of the viral DNA sections are made, the marker labels bond to the DNA strands and release fluorescent dye that is tracked by the machine’s computer and shown in real-time on the screen. The computer records the fluorescence levels of the sample after each cycle. When the level of fluorescence crosses a predetermined threshold, the virus is confirmed to be present.

Source The Hindu

 3 – Vibrant Village Program: GS II – Topic Government Policies and Interventions

Context:

• On Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked the border-guarding forces to take advantage of the Vibrant Village Program (VVP) to swell border villages with patriotic citizens who care about the country in order to permanently safeguard the nation’s borders.

About:

• According to the Union Budget 2022-2023, villages close to the northern border will be included in the new Vibrant Villages Program.
• A few of the planned initiatives include the development of village infrastructure, housing, tourist attractions, road connectivity, the availability of decentralised renewable energy, direct home access to Doordarshan and educational channels, and support with livelihood creation.
• For certain programmes, more funds will be made available.
• Plans that already exist will be merged, and the outcomes will be recognised and regularly monitored.
• The towns that lie along India’s border with China in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Arunachal Pradesh require better infrastructure.
• Small-population, poorly connected, and underdeveloped border settlements frequently miss out on the advantages of development.
• Such northern border settlements will be covered by the new Vibrant Settlements Programme.
• It places a focus on generating income, connecting roads, housing, and rural infrastructure, as well as on renewable energy, television, and broadband connections.
• To do this, infrastructure throughout villages near the Line of Actual Control will be upgraded (LAC).

Why is such a scheme required?

• Although the programme is a reaction to China’s model villages, the name was deliberately chosen to not offend the neighbouring country.
• China has developed new villages along the LAC in recent years, mostly on the other side of the border from Arunachal Pradesh.
• While China has been bringing new residents to border regions, villages on the Indian side of the borderline have seen unusually high rates of outmigration.

Source The Hindu

 4 – Current Account Deficit: GS III – Topic Indian Economy

Context:

• The current account deficit (CAD) of India, which was $9.7 billion in Q2 FY22 and $18.2 billion in Q2 FY23, nearly doubled sequentially to an all-time high of $36.4 billion. CAD came to $38.77 billion for FY22.
• The Q2 CAD constituted 4.4% of the country’s GDP, up from 2.2% in the previous quarter and 1.3% in the same period last year, according to data released by the RBI.

What Is a Current Account Deficit?

• The current account keeps track of the country’s entrance and outflow of goods, services, and investments. The country runs a deficit if the value of goods and services we import exceeds the value of goods and services we export. The current account includes net income, which includes interest and dividend payments as well as transfers like foreign aid.
• An increase in CAD suggests that a country has lost its competitive edge, which may deter investors from making investments there. By raising exports while decreasing imports of luxury items like electronics, gold, and mobile phones, India’s current account deficit may be reduced.
• Not all current account deficits are a cause for alarm. The Pitchford thesis contends that a current account deficit predominantly brought on by the private sector is unimportant. It is also known as the “consenting adults” perspective of the current account because it holds that deficits are not a problem if they are the result of private sector agents engaging in mutually beneficial trade.

Why is CAD crucial?

• The current account deficit is a crucial measure of both competitiveness and the amount of imports and exports. A sizable current account deficit often denotes an economic imbalance that must be corrected over time by a drop in currency value and/or a rise in competitiveness.
• A current account deficit is financed by luring capital inflows, such as foreigners investing in domestic assets. As a result, foreigners have a greater claim to assets and dividends. Because we are making international purchases, a CAD provides the benefit of allowing higher levels of local expenditure.

Source The Hindu