UPSC Key | Chital, Project Nexus, Deep Brain Stimulation Device and more

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Chital stock dwindling in Kuno, plan to move out excess cheetahs

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Environment

Mains Examination: GS-II: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story- The Project Cheetah authorities have reached an in-principle decision to shift surplus cheetahs from Kuno national park to Gandhi Sagar wildlife sanctuary after the monsoon. At present, Kuno has 26 cheetahs, including 13 cubs and sub-adults.

Prerequisites: 

— Project Cheetah

— Protection status of Cheetah, Chital and Leopard. 

— Map work: Location of Kuno National Park, Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Ranthambhore tiger reserve.

— Institutions to look for:  National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Wildlife Institute of India (WII).

Key takeaways: 

— This follows a reassessment of Kuno’s cheetah carrying capacity — pegged at 21 in the Project Action Plan — necessitated by a staggering loss of over 25 per cent since 2022 of Kuno’s prime cheetah prey base: the chital population.

— The loss of an estimated 2,250 chital within a year has confounded the project team as the seven cheetahs that managed to hunt in the wild outside the enclosures during that period took down only around 50 chital.

— Since authorities have ruled out largescale poaching of chital for bushmeat due to the presence of too many boots and cameras on the ground, in the dock is Kuno’s 90-strong leopard population.

— Ironically, leopards are also frustrating the efforts to stock and breed a cheetah prey base in Gandhi Sagar wildlife sanctuary by sneaking into a 60 sq km enclosure to feed on chital brought from the state’s prey-rich forests.

— The Cheetah Project Steering Committee is hence considering a proposal for introducing a larger cat in the Kuno mix to reduce leopard activities and ease the pressure on the prey base.

— While the Cheetah project flew in 20 adult animals from Namibia (8) and South Africa (12) in 2022-23, a total of 17 cubs have been bron in Kuno. So far, the project has lost 11 cheetahs, including four cubs. Barring one, all the surviving animals are now inside enclosures where they will spend the monsoon months.

For Your Information: 

— Project Cheetah aims to reintroduce the graceful feline in India. Cheetahs are the fastest land animals and can, in short sprints on open ground, reach speeds in excess of 100 kph.

— Asiatic Cheetahs were once abundant in India but their numbers dwindled over the centuries due to loss of habitat and widespread hunting. The last cheetah in the country died in 1952. The animals brought from Namibia and South Africa are the Southeast African cheetahs – a different subspecies.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the significance of Project Cheetah?

— What are the challenges related to Project Cheetah?

— What measures should be taken for the success of Project Cheetah?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following: (UPSC CSE 2012)

1. Black-necked crane

2. Cheetah

3. Flying squirrel

4. Snow leopard

Which of the above are naturally found in India?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

One year of Project Cheetah: Hits, misses and paradigm shift ahead

Maximum police custody still 15 days, can be spread over two months: Shah

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Government policies and interventions

What’s the ongoing story- As the new criminal laws came into effect Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah clarified that the maximum period of police custody under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) would remain 15 days, with provision to be spread over a maximum of two months. 

Prerequisites: 

— History of IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act.

— What is the rationale behind the introduction of new criminal laws?

Key takeaways: 

— New criminal laws — the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) to replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, respectively — came into effect Monday. There were concerns that the BNSS extends the period of police custody of an accused.

— Shah said the maximum police custody under the BNS, too, would remain 15 days, like the IPC. “I want to clarify that in BNS also, the remand period is 15 days. Earlier, if an accused was sent to police remand and he got himself admitted in a hospital for 15 days, there was no interrogation as his remand period would expire. In BNS, there will be remand for a maximum 15 days, but it can be taken in parts within an upper limit of 60 days,” he said.

For Your Information: 

From “On FIRs and hearing of accused, BNSS sections fly in face of Supreme Court rulings” written by Apurva Vishwanath

— A 14-day timeline for the police to register an FIR in cognizable cases; the right of the accused to be heard even before a case is made out against him — at least two key changes in procedural laws in the BNSS fly in the face of landmark Supreme Court judgements on these issues.

— The BNSS has replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973. On registration of an FIR immediately, the BNSS, under Section 173(3), states that for cognizable offences, where the punishment is more than three years but less than seven years, a police officer is allowed 14 days to conduct a preliminary enquiry before registering an FIR and then proceed with investigation in the case.

— This change goes against the landmark 2013 Supreme Court ruling in Lalita Kumari vs State of Uttar Pradesh that it is mandatory for the police to register an FIR. Registration of an FIR without delay is a direction reiterated by the Supreme Court in several cases since the Lalita Kumari guidelines.

(To read more on new criminal laws also check: UPSC Key | New Criminal Laws, National Party Tag, Great Indian Bustard and more)

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the major provisions of the new criminal laws?

— What are the issues and challenges related to the new criminal laws?

— What are the various committees’ recommendations on India’s criminal justice system?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements with regard to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita:

1. The BNS does not define what constitutes community service.

2. The BNS introduces community service as an alternate form of punishment for some offences.

3. The BNS provisions codify offences linked to mob lynching and hate-crime murders.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

 New crimes under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, and some grey areas

Express Network

NHRC seeks reports from Centre, TN over Foxconn’s  jobs bar on married women 

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity

Mains Examination: GS-I, GS-II: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies, Government policies and interventions, Indian Society, Women related issues. 

What’s the ongoing story- Taking into account media reports that Foxconn India, a major manufacturer of Apple products, is excluding married women from jobs at its iPhone assembly plant in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday issued notices to the Centre and the state government. The company has denied all allegations of discrimination in employment based on marital status, gender, religion or any other form.

Prerequisites: 

— Constitutional provisions related to equality and women’s empowerment. 

— Read in brief about the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

— Read about the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

(Thought Process: When was it established? Is it a statutory body or constitutional? (What is the composition of the NHRC?)

Key takeaways: 

— Taking into account media reports that Foxconn India, a major manufacturer of Apple products, is excluding married women from jobs at its iPhone assembly plant in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, the NHRC on Monday issued notices to the Centre and the state government.

— The NHRC said the state must ensure that all companies follow norms, regulations and related labour laws, including the right(s) to health, dignity and equality. It added that besides the Constitution, several international covenants and treaties like the International Covenant Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) provide for non-discrimination on the basis of gender in all forms of employment.

For Your Information: 

— The NHRC of India was established on October 12, 1993, under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993, which was later amended by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2006.

— The NHRC is a multi-member body comprising a chairperson and five members.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the issues related to women in Indian society?

— What initiatives have been taken by the government for women’s empowerment?

— What are the limitations of the NHRC in redressing complaints of human rights violations?

— What steps need to be taken to strengthen the NHRC?

Post Read Question:

Prelims

Consider the following: (UPSC CSE 2011)

1. Right to education

2. Right to equal access to public service

3. Right to food.

Which of the above is/are Human Right/Human Rights under “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only 

(c) 3 only 

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Mains

Though the Human Rights Commissions have contributed immensely to the protection of human rights in India, yet they have failed to assert themselves against the mighty and powerful. Analysing theirstructural and practical limitations, suggest remedial measures. (UPSC CSE 2021)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Institutional mechanism in India to address rights violations, says NHRC chief

 

Explained 

Floods and Urbanisation in Delhi

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology

Mains Examination: GS-I: Urbanisation, their problems and their remedies.

What’s the ongoing story- The national capital is undergoing one of the world’s fastest urban expansions, with little regard for the land’s natural topography and drainage capacity. This has left Delhi vulnerable to flooding during spells of intense rainfall.

Prerequisites: 

— Read about the process of urbanisation. 

— What are the important characteristics of the urban system?

— Read about the urban flooding and its causes.

Key takeaways: 

— Flooding and water-logging have now become a part and parcel of Delhi’s monsoons. Factors such as inadequate desilting of drains by civic authorities also play a part, but at the heart of it, Delhi is ailed by a more fundamental problem.

— Delhi is undergoing one of the world’s fastest urban expansions. According to data from NASA’s Earth Observatory, the geographic size of Delhi almost doubled from 1991 to 2011. Most of this expansion has occurred on the peripheries of New Delhi, with erstwhile rural areas becoming engulfed in the capital’s urban sprawl. This urban expansion, however, has paid little heed to Delhi’s natural topography.

— The concretisation leaves little room for rainwater to percolate into the soil, leading to flooding. 

— Water bodies which can help manage flooding have also been systematically destroyed. 

For Your Information: 

— Urbanisation is the process of transformation that occurs as a society evolves from predominantly rural to predominantly urban areas. It involves the increase in the proportion of a country’s population residing in urban areas, leading to the expansion and growth of cities and towns. 

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the positive impacts of urbanisation?

— What are the problems associated with urbanisation and the reasons behind them?

— What are the impacts of urban flooding? 

— What are the government initiatives to address the issue of urban flooding?

— What is the way forward for city management and urban governance?

Post Read Question:

Discuss the various social problems which originated out of the speedy process of urbanisation in India. (UPSC CSE 2013)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

UPSC Essentials| Society & Social Justice — Urbanisation and associated issues (Part 1)

How the world’s first brain implant to control epileptic seizures works

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications.

What’s the ongoing story- A UK-based teenager, Oran Knowlson, has become the first person in the world to be fitted with a brain implant to help bring his epileptic seizures under control. The deep brain stimulation (DBS) device, which sends electrical signals deep into the brain, has reduced Knowlson’s daytime seizures by 80%.

Prerequisites: 

— What is epilepsy?

— Read about the corpus callosotomy. 

Key takeaways: 

— Epilepsy, a condition that leads to recurring seizures, sees a person experience jerking of arms and legs, temporary confusion, staring spells, or stiff muscles. It is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. 

— The disease has no identifiable cause in nearly 50% of the cases. However, head trauma, tumours in the brain, some infections like meningitis, or even genetics can lead to epilepsy. It can increase the risk of accidents, drownings, and falling.

— The neurostimulator delivers constant electrical impulses to the brain to disrupt or block abnormal seizure-causing signals..

— The device uses DBS, which is also utilised for movement disorders associated with Parkinson’s, and other neurological conditions.

How the world’s first brain implant to control epileptic seizures works.

— It is not the first line of treatment for epilepsy. Doctors first use anti-seizure medicines and a ketogenic diet, which is high in fats and low in carbohydrates. A ketogenic diet is known to reduce seizures, even in children with treatment-resistant epilepsy. If that does not work, doctors can carry out brain surgery to remove a portion of the brain where the seizures originate.

— Another surgery called corpus callosotomy may be suggested in some children. In this, doctors remove a part that connects both halves of the brain, which does not allow abnormal electrical signals to travel from one half of the brain to another.

Points to Ponder: 

— What causes epilepsy?

— What are the other treatments available for epilepsy?

— What is a deep brain stimulation (DBS) device and what are its uses?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements with regard to the Epilepsy:

1. It is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

2. It can increase the risk of accidents, drownings, and falling.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

Schoolboy in England gets world’s first epilepsy device fitted in skull

 

Economy

What is Project Nexus that RBI has signed up for?

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian economy

Mains Examination: GS-III: Indian Economy

What’s the ongoing story- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has joined Project Nexus, a multilateral international initiative to enable instant cross-border retail payments by interlinking domestic Fast Payments Systems (FPSs). India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and FPSs of Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand will be interlinked through Nexus. Going ahead, the platform can be extended to more countries.

Prerequisites: 

— Read about the RBI, its composition, roles and responsibilities.

— UPI and Other Indian Payment Systems

— Read about the Bank for International Settlements (BIS)

Key takeaways: 

— Project Nexus is conceptualised by the Innovation Hub of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). It seeks to enhance cross-border payments by connecting multiple domestic instant payment systems (IPS) globally. It is the first BIS Innovation Hub project in the payments area to move towards live implementation.

— The RBI has been collaborating bilaterally with various countries to link India’s Fast Payments System (FPS) – UPI, with their respective FPSs for cross-border Person to Person (P2P) and Person to Merchant (P2M) payments. While India and its partner countries can continue to benefit through such bilateral connectivity of FPS, a multilateral approach will provide further impetus to the RBI’s efforts in expanding the international reach of Indian payment systems.

— Project Nexus is designed to standardise the way IPS connect to each other. Nexus could significantly accelerate the growth of instant cross-border payments.

— Project Nexus aims to connect the FPSs of four Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) — Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand; and India, who would be the founding members and first mover countries of this platform. Indonesia will also join the platform in future.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the benefits of Project Nexus?

— What are challenges associated with Project Nexus?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements with regard to Project Nexus:

1.Project Nexus is conceptualised by the Innovation Hub of the Bank for International Settlements.

2. It is designed to standardise the way IPS connect to each other.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Russian oil imports surge to 13-month high, Saudi volumes crash to decade-low

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economy

Mains Examination: GS-II: Economy

What’s the ongoing story- India’s Russian oil imports rose to a near-peak level in June powered by the highest-ever import volumes of Moscow’s key crude grade Urals, as per oil tanker tracking data and industry experts. 

Prerequisites: 

— Read about the status of India’s oil imports.

— Types of Crude Oil

— Which country is the biggest supplier of crude oil to India?

Key takeaways: 

— The rise in India’s import of discounted Russian oil over the past few months has hit flows from Saudi Arabia the most, with June import volumes from Riyadh falling to the lowest monthly level in over a decade, the data shows.

—  India’s Russian oil imports in June were 7.2 per cent higher sequentially, and accounted for as much as 45 per cent of India’s total oil imports for the month.

— Oil imports from Saudi Arabia—India’s third-biggest source market for crude—declined over 25 per cent sequentially to 0.41 million bpd, the lowest in over 10 years. The primary reason for the decline is seen as the ample availability of Russian crude and its continued price advantage over Riyadh’s oil.

— Urals, a medium-sour crude, is seen as Russia’s flagship crude grade, and is the mainstay of India’s Russian oil imports.

— June also marked a 17-month high in India’s oil imports from the United States (US), making Washington New Delhi’s fourth-largest source of crude oil in June, up a spot from its usual fifth position. 

—  India’s oil imports from the US mostly are of light sweet grades that are routinely blended with heavier barrels from Russia, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.

For Your Information: 

— Prior to the war in Ukraine, Iraq and Saudi Arabia were the top two suppliers of crude oil to India. But as the West started weaning itself off Russian energy supplies following Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia started offering discounts on its crude and Indian refiners started snapping up the discounted barrels.

— As the world’s third-largest consumer of crude oil with a high import dependency level of over 85 per cent, India is extremely sensitive to oil prices.

Points to Ponder: 

— What is the status of India’s oil exports?

— What are the initiatives taken by India to reduce oil imports?

— How is India planning to tackle the increased energy demand?

Post Read Question:

The term ‘West Texas Intermediate’, sometimes found in the news, refers to a grade of (UPSC CSE 2020)

(a) Crude oil

(b) Bullion

(c) Rare earth elements

(d) Uranium

The Editorial Page

On the upswing

UPSC Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economy

Mains Examination: GS-II: Economy

What’s the ongoing story- The Indian banking system has continued to register a robust performance across various metrics. As per the Reserve Bank of India’s latest financial stability report, not only have banks seen a sustained improvement in their asset quality, but their profitability has remained high, and their capital position also remains healthy.

Prerequisites: 

— Read about the Reserve Bank of India’s role and responsibilities.

— Financial stability report

— What is a Non-Performing Asset?

Key takeaways: 

— This improvement is being observed across both public and private sector banks. This has, in turn, improved their attractiveness — the Nifty Bank index is up more than 16 per cent over the past year, with PSU banks registering handsome gains.

— According to the report, the gross non-performing loans of the Indian banking system have declined to a 12-year low of 2.8 per cent in March, with declines observed across public, private and foreign banks. 

— Sector wise data shows that bad loans have fallen across agriculture, industry, services and the personal loans category, though within industry, they remain high in gems and jewellery and construction segments, and within personal loans in the credit card segment.

— However, there are some areas that require a closer look. Even as the asset quality of retail loans has improved — bad loans have fallen from 2.1 per cent in June 2022 to 1.2 per cent in March 2024 — in the case of private sector banks, slippages from retail loans accounted for 40 per cent of fresh addition to bad loans.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the issues and challenges faced by the Indian banking sector?

— What banking reforms have been introduced by the government?

— What steps should be taken to tackle the challenge of bad loans?

Post Read Question:

With reference to the Banks Board Bureau (BBB), which of the following statements are correct? (UPSC CSE 2022) 

1. The Governor of RBI is the Chairman of BBB.

2. BBB recommends for the selection of heads for Public Sector Banks.

3. BBB helps the Public Sector Banks in developing strategies and capital raising plans.

Select the correct answer using the code given below: 

(a) 1 and 2 only   

(b) 2 and 3 only 

(c) 1 and 3 only   

(d) 1, 2 and 3 

FACTS ON YOUR TIPS

1. Project Nexus is conceptualised by the Innovation Hub of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). The BIS was established in 1930 and is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. It is owned by 63 central banks, representing countries from around the world.  2. ‘Shandong’: China has deployed its second aircraft carrier ‘Shandong’ which was spotted patrolling waters off the Philippine coast. Shandong is an aircraft carrier with a displacement of about 70,000 tonnes.  3. Cloudburst: The unprecedented torrential rainfall in Delhi last Friday was not due to a cloudburst, clarified the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Monday. A cloudburst is a localised but intense rainfall activity.

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