9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – February 14th, 2023

Dear Friends,

We have initiated some changes in the 9 PM Brief and other postings related to current affairs. What we sought to do:

  1. Ensure that all relevant facts, data, and arguments from today’s newspaper are readily available to you.
  2. We have widened the sources to provide you with content that is more than enough and adds value not just for GS but also for essay writing. Hence, the 9 PM brief now covers the following newspapers:
    1. The Hindu  
    2. Indian Express  
    3. Livemint  
    4. Business Standard  
    5. Times of India 
    6. Down To Earth
    7. PIB
  3. We have also introduced the relevance part to every article. This ensures that you know why a particular article is important.
  4. Since these changes are new, so initially the number of articles might increase, but they’ll go down over time.
  5. It is our endeavor to provide you with the best content and your feedback is essential for the same. We will be anticipating your feedback and ensure the blog serves as an optimal medium of learning for all the aspirants.
    • For previous editions of 9 PM BriefClick Here
    • For individual articles of 9 PM BriefClick Here

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

GS Paper 2

GS Paper 3

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1


Hill or city, urban planning cannot be an afterthought

Source– The post is based on the article “Hill or city, urban planning cannot be an afterthought” published in The Hindu on 14th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS1- Urbanisation. GS3- Disaster management

Relevance– Urban planning for disaster resilience

News– Recently, land subsidence took place in Joshimath due to heavy pressure on land and water.

What are the issues faced by urban areas?

Land use planningLand subsidence incidents in hilly urban India are becoming increasingly common. About 12.6% of India’s land area is estimated to be prone to landslides, especially in Sikkim, West Bengal.

According to the National Institute of Disaster Management, Urban policy is making this worse.

Construction in such a landscape is often driven by building bye-laws that ignore local

geological and environmental factors.

Land use planning in India’s Himalayan towns and the Western Ghats is often ill-conceived.It adds to slope instability. As a result, landslide vulnerability has risen.It has been made worse by tunnelling construction that is weakening rock formations.

Flood risks Planned townships are approved, with a distinct lack of concerns for natural hazards. Townships are built on river floodplains.

In Delhi, an estimated 9,350 households live in the Yamuna floodplains. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report of March 2022 has highlighted the risk Kolkata faces due to a rise in sea levels.

The combination of poor urban planning and climate change will mean that many of India’s cities could face devastating fooding.

What is the way forward to improve the resilience of urban areas?

Acquiring credible data is the first step toward enhancing urban resilience with regard to land subsidence. The overall landslide risk needs to be mapped at the granular level.

The Geological Survey of India has conducted a national mapping exercise. Urban policymakers need to take this further, with additional detail and localisation.

Areas with high landslide risk should not be allowed to expand large infrastructure. There is a need to reduce human interventions and adhere to carrying capacity.

Flood-proofing India’s cities will require multiple measures. Urban planners will have to step back from filling up water bodies, canals and drains.

The focus should be on enhancing sewerage and stormwater drain networks. Existing sewerage networks need to be reworked and expanded to enable wastewater drainage in low-lying urban geographies.

Rivers that overflow need to be desilted regularly along with a push for coastal walls in areas at risk from sea rise.

Greater spending on flood-resilient architecture like river embankments, flood shelters in coastal

areas and flood warning systems are necessary.

There is a need to protect “blue infra” areas. Examples are places that act as natural sponges for absorbing surface runoff, allowing groundwater to be recharged.

As rainfall patterns and intensity change, urban authorities will need to invest in simulation capacity to determine flooding hotspots and flood risk maps.

GS Paper 2


Competition law amendments: Of penalties and misses

Source: The post is based on an article Competition law amendments: Of penalties and missespublished in Live Mint on 14th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Governance

Relevance: proposed amendments in Competition Amendment Bill 2023

News: The government has come up with the proposed amendments to India’s competition law and is set to introduce the Competition Amendment Bill (2023) in Parliament.

What are the proposed amendments in the bill and what are the associated concerns?

Change in the imposition of penalties: The bill proposes that the Competition Commission of India (CCI) can now impose penalties up to 10% of the total global turnover of enterprises which are found to have contravened the competition law.

Currently, penalties are calculated as a percentage of only relevant turnover in India, which excludes sales from products which have no relation to the contravention.

Further, the current law uses the word ‘turnover’ in the penalty provision and does not specify if it is ‘total’ or ‘relevant’.

However, in 2017, the Supreme Court had clarified that turnover for imposing penalty should mean relevant turnover.

The court has also held that when the contravention involves one product, there is no need for including other products for imposing a penalty.

The government has also retained a provision that required the CCI to come out with regulations to ‘determine’ the turnover to be considered for penalties.

Hence, the concern with global turnover for calculating penalties is that it might impose heavy penalties on big multinational companies.

Expansion of the scope of liability of cartel facilitators: The amendment has proposed to codify the liability of cartel facilitators which ‘actively participate’ in the advancement of a cartel.

However, the parliamentary panel recommended that the scope of this proposal must be limited and the CCI must first prove that a facilitator intended to actively participate in a cartel.

But, the 2023 Bill has expanded its scope by removing the word ‘active’. Hence, this might have a negative impact on those entities which may not have in fact participated, but may have only intended to participate in a cartel.

Therefore, a broad provision like this raises over-enforcement risks and may expose certain entities to undue hardship.

What is another concern with the Bill?

The bill has excluded cartels from the proposed settlement regime because there already exists a leniency regime for them.

However, leniency and settlement regimes are designed to secure efficiencies at different stages of a CCI inquiry, and they co-exist in other countries as well. Therefore, the exclusion of cartel settlements seems like a missed opportunity.


House rules and the weapon of expunction

Source– The post is based on the article “House rules and the weapon of expunction” published in The Hindu on 14th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Parliament and state legislatures- Conduct of business

Relevance– Rules and procedures of Parliament

News– Recently, portions of the speeches made by some Opposition politicians in Parliament were expunged.

What are some facts about the motion of thanks by the President?

This is customary practice. The Constitution does not provide for any such motion, except direct that each House shall discuss the matters contained in the address. This is a practice adopted from the British Parliament.

When such a motion is discussed, MPs are generally permitted to speak on any matter of importance. Speeches are generally political and the Chair never insists on relevance.

MPs have the right to critically scrutinise the performance of the government.

Under the Rules of the House, the Prime Minister replies to the debate in both Houses.

What are rules governing allegations against ministers and MPs in Parliament?

Article 105 of the Constitution confers on members, freedom of speech in the House and immunity from interference by the court for anything said in the House.

Freedom of speech in the House is the most important privilege of a Member of Parliament. It is subject only to the other provisions of the Constitution relating to the running of the House

and the House Rules.

Rule 380 of the Rules of procedure of the Lok Sabha and Rule 261 of the Rules of the Rajya Sabha give the power to the presiding officers of these Houses to expunge any words used in the debate which are defamatory, unparliamentary, undignified or indecent.

Once Expunged they do not remain on record. If anyone publishes them thereafter, they will be

liable for breach of privilege of the House.

Rule 353 of the Lok Sabha regulates the procedure if MP make an allegation against a

fellow MP or an outsider. Under this Rule, the MP is required to give “adequate advance notice” to the Speaker as well as the Minister concerned.

On receipt of advance notice under Rule 353, the Minister concerned will conduct an inquiry into the allegation and come up with the facts. allegation which necessitates advance notice should be of a defamatory or incriminatory nature.

The rule does not  apply to an allegation against a Minister in the government because the Council of Ministers is accountable to Parliament.

However, a Member of Parliament needs to follow a certain procedure while making an allegation against a Minister. Such a procedure has been laid down by Speakers in the past. Making an allegation against a Minister or the Prime Minister is considered to be a serious matter. Therefore, MP who makes an imputation against a Minister of the government should be

sure about the factual basis of the allegation, and he must take responsibility for it.

A careful reading of the Rules of the House reveals that expunction can be done only when the allegations mentioned are of defamatory or incriminatory character.

Under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, any statement with respect to the conduct of a public servant in the discharge of his public function or his character is not defamation. If such a statement is made in the House against a Minister who is a public servant, it does not come within the ‘mischief’ of Rule 353 or Rule 380.


Constitutional oath is not a mere formality

Source– The post is based on the article “Constitutional oath is not a mere formality” published in The Hindu on 14th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Judiciary

Relevance– Appointment of judges

News– Recently, the appointment of Justice Gowri as SC judge has been in controversy due to hate speech given by her in the past

What is the constitution?

It is the basic law that lays the foundation for the governance of a country.

It lays down broad policy and directives for the authorities and institutions tasked with its implementation.

What is an oath by a judge of a High Court under Schedule III of the Constitution?

It requires a declaration of allegiance to the Constitution and performance of duties “without fear or favour,affection or ill-will”.

The appointee must also declare that she will “uphold” the Constitution and the laws.

What is the importance of oaths declared by higher courts in various cases?

SC in N. Kannadasan v. Ajoy Khose (2009) case declared that eligibility of a judge of a High Court should not be construed in a pedantic manner.

An additional judge of the High Court, who was not appointed as a permanent judge due to allegations of lack of probity, was later recommended by the then Chief Justice of the Madras High Court for appointment as president of the State Consumer Commission.

SC held that a person who lacked the qualities necessary to adhere to the oath of office of a

the judge was ineligible for appointment to any judicial office.

Madras High Court in the case of K.S. Haja Shareef (1983) held that Inability to adhere to the

The Constitution as per the oath prescribed will be ground for disqualification. The person accepted appointment as Honorary Consul General of Turkey at Madras.

Why does the appointment of Justice raise important questions?

To limit ‘eligibility’ for appointment of a High Court judge to a minimum of 10 years of legal

practice prescribed in Article 217(2) makes a mockery of the integrity and independence of the

Judiciary.

Supreme Court in S.P. Gupta v. Union of India (1981) directed the Government and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to disclose all the materials.

It held that their constitutional duty demanded such scrutiny through judicial review. If on scrutiny it was found that all the materials were not before the CJI, the selection process is

defective and invalid.

CJI expressed in case related to appointment of Justice Victoria Gowri that materials now brought before the collegium were not available earlier. It reveals the fault lines between judiciary and executive.


Honour of office: On new Governors of States appointed by the Centre

Source: The post is based on the article

“Honour of office: On new Governors of States appointed by the Centre” published in The Hindu on 14th February 2023.

“The Express View on the governors’ reshuffle: Raj Bhavan Dharma” published in the Indian Express on 14th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary.

Relevance: About the Office of Governor.

News: Recently, Government appointed 6 new governors, and reshuffles 7 others. A retired Supreme Court judge and two Army officers were also appointed as Governors.

What are the questions surrounding the office of Governor?

Over the decades the appointments of Governors have come under scrutiny because a) Governors in most Opposition-ruled states are seen to be locked in conflict with the respective state governments, b) Governors have sought to play a political role in States. For instance, Governor’s recent political involvement in States such as Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, c) The overreach of Governors has become a serious question in Centre-State relations and democracy in general.

Must read: Issues Related to the Office of Governor – Explained, pointwise

About the Office of Governor

The institution of the Governor is a legacy of the British imperial governance structure. The legitimacy of a nominated Governor in a democracy was highly debated in the Constituent Assembly, but it was carried on into the new republic nevertheless.

The Governor must act as a dynamic link between the Centre and the State. The Constitution makers were very clear that the posts must remain ornamental, except in narrowly defined situations in which governors were allowed discretion in decision-making.

In short, the governor is the representative of the Union in the state. But that does not mean that the Governor’s office is a parallel power and can usurp the authority of the elected government in the State.

What should be done to ensure the constitutional functioning of the Office of Governor?

a) The balance of powers between the Raj Bhavan and the elected government in the state should be respected, b) The Centre must allow enough room for the Raj Bhavan to function: The independence and autonomy of the office should not be compromised, c) The new governor’s should refuse to lure local politics, maintain the dignity of their office and uphold the federal spirit in the Constitution, and d) The Centre should refrain from making Governor’s office as a post-retirement possibility for those who are required to stay aloof from partisan politics in their current roles. As it lowers the dignity of the offices that they leave behind and what they go on to occupy.

Overall, the courts have in the past drawn the line on the powers of governors and raised the bar on the misuse of Article 356 to dismiss state governments. Hence, it is best for governors to follow the rule book and continue as custodians of Constitutional values rather than seek a political profile.

GS Paper 3


Unmet needs in wireless regulations

Source: The post is based on an article Unmet needs in wireless regulations” published in Business Standard on 14th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Economy

Relevance: concerns associated with telecom sectors in India

News: The communication sector in India is suffering from various hurdles and there is a need to resolve these.

What are the problems with the communication sector in India?

Lack of expenditure: The expenditure on roads and railways is twice the amount on communications.

Lack of proper regulatory policy: The communication sector in India lacks proper policy regulations as seen in the case of Vodafone.

Vodafone was imposed with retrospective taxes in 2007. However, it was later set aside by the Supreme Court.

Vodafone and other operators fought licence fees claimed on non-telecom revenues included in aggregate gross revenues (AGR) since 2003 while the interest on dues kept on rising.

However, in 2021 a four-year temporary relief package was announced on debt repayments while the interest kept on rising on the dues.

Due to these improper solutions Vodafone and its operators kept on suffering. However, on 3rd February, the government decided to convert Vodafone’s dues into government-held equity. 

These all show the irresponsible behaviour of the government and lack of proper policy measures which made Vodafone to suffer for a decade.

Wireless policies and the use of optical fibres: As per ICRA, full-scale 5G deployments across India would require expenditure of about Rs 3 trillion because nearly two-thirds of the towers lack fibre connectivity.

However, looking at the high debt of telecoms and high cost of fibres, it is unexpected that telecommunication companies would invest heavily.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for the policy makers to come up with wireless policies based on successful models in other countries.

Other requirements: There is a need to enable 6GHz for Wi-Fi, allow speeds of up to 10 Gbps, and support for local product development and production instead of relying on imports.


Indian Air Force’s revised doctrine adopts a holistic approach to the country’s security imperatives

Source– The post is based on the article “Indian Air Force’s revised doctrine adopts a holistic approach to the country’s security imperatives” published in The Indian Express on 14th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Security

Relevance– Future strategies of defence forces

News– Recently air force has released its revised doctrine

Why has India been reluctant to use air power?

There is  inadequate understanding of the inherently complex and rapid technology-driven changes in air power’s characteristics and capabilities.

India has a traditional surface-dominant security outlook. It stems from dealing with a primarily continental threat.

What are salient features of Indian Air Force revised doctrine?

It underscores the necessity of a more holistic approach towards India’s security and what aerospace can do to bolster it.

It provides for a clearer understanding of the redefined characteristics of aerospace power and its expanded capabilities for national interests and strengthening regional security.

It provides a clear articulation of the Service objectives. It has evolved out of combat experience, assessments of international conflicts and its experience gained in international exercises.

It covers the entire spectrum of future aerospace applications. Apart from peace and war, this also includes the unique no-war-no-peace condition confronting the country. State-sponsored terrorism, increasing border stand-offs and internal security challenges make peace in India uneasy.

The doctrine has the potential to accommodate major changes in wartime strategy. It allows for the use of future precepts in the employment of aerospace power in the Indian security context. The doctrine’s focus on the criticality of controlling the skies.

The IAF’s robust joint credentials remain a dominant flavour in its wartime air strategy. It is laterally connected with the land and maritime strategies.

The impacts of IAF offensive capability on the enemy’s politico-military will and ability to wage war have been given significant doctrinal salience. This was evident in the use of air power in the 1971 war when the air force targeted energy systems and communication networks.

The necessity of a multi-domain approach in India’s future joint military strategy, battle space transparency, combat networks, cyber and electronic warfare, information warfare constitute the foundation of IAF’s future air strategy.

Concepts of operations, human resources, training, and operational testing and evaluation remain priority doctrinal precepts.

The document underscores the IAF’s increasing role in the strategy for security and growth for all in the region (SAGAR), as well as in the larger Indo-Pacific construct.

The doctrine acknowledges that other services like civil aviation and space agencies also contribute to this strength. The document refrains from asserting ownership of this arena.

It acknowledges that future aerospace and defence capabilities, related R&D, and associated civil-military industrial capabilities are national force multipliers.


The 4 Pillars Holding Up India’s Expanding Middle

Source: The post is based on the article “The 4 Pillars Holding Up India’s Expanding Middle” published in The Times of India on 14th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

Relevance: About 4S framework for middle class prosperity.

News: A sharp decline in poverty levels, now down to about 16% of the population, is witnessed in India due to the emergence of the middle class at the national level. According to an estimate, about one-third of the population is estimated to have entered the middle-class.

This is because of government’s systematic approach to increase middle-class wellbeing in the past. According to the author, these initiatives can be articulated through the 4S framework: Sampannata, Surakshit Bhavishya, Shreshtha Jeevan and Saralta.

What are the 4S framework for middle class prosperity?

Sampannata: Enrichment through inflation control and loans

Between 2014 and 2022, annual inflation was 4. 6%. Despite multiple global crises, the CPI was at 5. 7% in December 2022, which was much lower than many G20 countries.

This ensured a) greater liquidity for the middle-class, b) lower EMIs resulted in decline in loan rates. For example, student loan rates were priced about 8% in 2022 from around 14% in 2014, c) middle-class families found lower EMIs easier to purchase more houses, cars and also take more loans for the higher education, d) one-nation one-tax initiative of GST has led to gross savings of an estimated Rs 18 lakh-crore, which works out to an annual household saving of Rs 12,000, e) 120 million of 380 million beneficiaries of the PM Mudra Yojana were middle-class individuals.

Surakshit Bhavishya: Securing a healthy future

This includes significant government efforts to provide affordable healthcare and quality education. Steps in this direction include a) 353 new universities in the last nine years, b) Opening up of 15 new AIIMS and 261 new medical colleges, c) 41 Indian universities featured in global rankings in 2023 compared to just nine in 2014, d) 50-90% cheaper generic medicines available at 9,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras, e) 87 crore free screenings is done at 1. 5 lakh Ayushman Bharat Centres.

Shreshta Jeevan: A better life

-By 2022, India built 1. 65 lakh kms of national highways and had the second largest road network in the world, after the US, due to a tenfold increase in capital expenditure on roads and bridges,

-India now has metro connectivity in 20 cities. India is now a year away from having the third largest metro network globally.

-India has the highest per capita mobile data consumption rate and among the lowest cost of data per GB in the world.

Nearly 80% of India’s 120 crore mobile phone users and 80 crore internet users are expected to receive 5G connectivity within a year. If done it will be the world’s fastest 5G roll-out.

-Apart from that, visible improvements is seen in housing, transportation, tap water connections, and waste management. On an average, power is now available for 22 hours against 12. 5 hours in 2015.

Saralta: Hassle-free existence

-India’s cashless digital payment ecosystem is hailed as among the best in the world. UPI accounted for 65% of the total digital transactions in 2021-22.

-DigiLocker facility for paperless certificate authentication has been embraced by the middle-class.

Overall, India’s rising global profile in a multitude of areas has inculcated a new sense of pride among Indian middleclass. Indian government remains committed to boosting prosperity for the middle-class through the 4S framework, providing an alternative development model to the world.


Make Then Sell – India’s ambitious defence export target comes up against long delays in product development

Source: The post is based on the article “Make Then Sell – India’s ambitious defence export target comes up against long delays in product development” published in The Times of India on 14th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.

Relevance: About India’s defence export.

News: AeroIndia 2023 which kicked off recently is not just being promoted as the biggest exhibition of India’s air power but also a significant platform to push Indian defence manufacturing to the next level.

Recently, the PM has announced an ambitious target of $5 billion annual defence exports by 2024-25.

What is the significance of AeroIndia for India’s defence export target?

Facilitate integration: Given the changing nature of warfare, the integration of air power with other arms of the military has become crucial. For instance, Asia is largely a seascape. So India’s ability to protect its interests will largely depend on the integration of naval and air assets.

Boost defence production and exports: AeroIndia will boost the government’s efforts towards self-reliance, a joint production of advanced technologies, and increase defence exports. All these have immediate implications for India’s strategic security.

What are the challenges with India’s defence export target?

India’s defence exports have increased from just Rs 1,520 crore in 2017 to a record Rs 14,000 crore in 2021-22. But still, there is significant headroom for growth.

India’s defence sector exports have two significant issues.

Firstly, India’s defence exports have largely comprised low to medium-tech items like personal protective equipment, offshore patrol vessels, spares for radars, coastal surveillance systems, helicopters, and electronic and engineering parts.

Secondly, exports are further held back by advanced platforms like LCA being produced at a very slow pace, with even domestic orders yet to be satisfied.

To overcome the India’s defence export challenges, a) India must require quicker production timelines, b) Different arms of the defence industry – private and government – need to work together.


Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Health Ministry launches nationwide campaign to combat filariasis

Source: The post is based on the article “Health Ministry launches nationwide campaign to combat filariasis” published in The Hindu on 14th February 2023.

What is the News?

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a nationwide Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign aimed at ending filariasis disease.

What is Filariasis?

Lymphatic filariasis commonly known as elephantiasis is a neglected tropical disease. 

Infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes.

Causes: Lymphatic filariasis is caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea. There are 3 types of these thread-like filarial worms:

Wuchereria bancrofti, which is responsible for 90% of the cases

Brugia malayi, which causes most of the remainder of the cases

Brugia timori, which also causes the disease.

Symptoms: Lymphatic filariasis infection involves asymptomatic, acute, and chronic conditions. In chronic conditions, it leads to lymphoedema (tissue swelling) or elephantiasis (skin/tissue thickening) of limbs and hydrocele (scrotal swelling).

Treatment: WHO recommended strategy for lymphatic filariasis elimination is mass drug administration(MDA).  

– MDA involves administering an annual dose of medicines to the entire at-risk population. 

– The medicines used have a limited effect on adult parasites but effectively reduce the density of microfilariae in the bloodstream and prevent the spread of parasites to mosquitoes.

What is the campaign launched by the Government of India against Filariasis?

The Government of India has launched a nationwide mass drug administration (MDA) campaign aimed at ending filariasis disease transmission through door-to-door administration of anti-filarial drugs, especially in 10 affected states.

These 10 affected states are Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

Note: Ministry of Health aims to eliminate filariasis by 2027, three years ahead of the global target.


Draft Bill vests powers entirely in Geological Survey of India, say expert

Source: The post is based on the article “Draft Bill vests powers entirely in Geological Survey of India, say expert” published in The Hindu on 14th February 2023.

What is the News?

The Ministry of Mines has introduced a Draft Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill,2022.

What is the purpose of the Bill?

The Bill is aimed at protecting India’s geological heritage that includes fossils, sedimentary rocks and natural structures.

What are the Key Provisions of the Bill?

The Bill vests powers entirely in the Geological Survey of India(GSI) to 1) Declare sites as having ‘geo-heritage’ value, 2) take possession of relics (fossils, rocks) that rest in private hands, 3) prohibit construction 100 metres around such a site and 4) penalize — with fines up to ₹5 lakh and possibly imprisonment — vandalism, defacement and violations of directives of a site by the Director General of GSI.

What are the concerns with the Bill?

According to Geoscientists, rather than having all authority in the Director General, GSI, there needs to be a broader committee of experts from a wider range of institutions. This would mean that the interests and difficulties faced by researchers, who actually work in the field are kept in mind.

Moreover, GSI is not equipped to handle the task of geoheritage conservation, as it is primarily a research body that works on various missions.

What are Geo-Heritage sites?

Click Here to read


‘Rare, unique’: Diyodar meteorite in 2022 was India’s first aubrite in 170 years

Source: The post is based on the article “Rare, unique: Diyodar meteorite in 2022 was India’s first aubrite in 170 years” published in Indian Express on 14th February 2023.

What is the News?

In 2022, a meteorite fell over two villages in Banaskantha, Gujarat. Analysis of the meteorite has revealed it to be a “rare, unique specimen” of aubrite. Hence, it has been named as Diyodar meteorite.

Note: India has been the site of hundreds of meteorite crashes but this is only the 2nd recorded aubrite crash. The past was in 1852 in Basti, Uttar Pradesh.

What is Aubrite?

Aubrite meteorites are coarse-grained igneous rocks that are formed in oxygen-poor conditions. They contain a variety of exotic minerals that are not found on Earth.

Source of origin: Scientists are not yet sure of their origin, but some signs indicate that they could be from the asteroid 3103 Eger or from the planet Mercury.

Composition: The recently found aubrite meteorite in Gujarat was composed of ortho pyroxene.

What are Pyroxenes?

Pyroxenes are silicates consisting of single chains of silica tetrahedra(SiO 4)

Pyroxenes such as diopside and jadeite have been used as gems.

Spodumene was historically used as lithium ore and rocks with pyroxene have also been used to make a crushed stone that is used in construction.


Aero India 2023: US 5th gen F-35 fighter makes first landing in India

Source: The post is based on the article “US fifth-gen F-35 makes first India landing” published in Business Standard on 14th February 2023.

What is the News?

The United States Air Force’s F-35 fighters have landed on Indian soil for the first time to take part in Aero India-2023.

What is Aero India 2023?

Aero India is a biennial air show. It is the largest air show in Asia. 

It is organized by the Defence Exhibition Organisation, Ministry of Defence. 

The theme of Aero India 2023 is “The Runway to a Billion Opportunities”.

What is the F-35?

Lockheed Martin F-35 is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. 

It is also able to provide electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.

F-35 is said to be one of the most advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft in the world.F-35 fighter jets have landed in India for the first time.

Is India planning to buy the F-35?

India plans to develop its own fighter jet aircraft called advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA).

AMCA will be a fifth-generation stealth, multi-role combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

The aircraft is expected to be produced by a public-private joint venture between the DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and an Indian private company.

The AMCA will put India in a select group of countries with super-cruise and stealth aircraft capabilities—the others being the US, Russia and China.

– Note: Stealth aircraft are designed to avoid detection by enemy radars or their air-defence systems. Their ‘First Look, First Kill’ concept will allow AMCA pilots to spot an enemy plane first, fire a missile and destroy the target without the adversary even knowing about it or being able to react.


SC upholds the constitution of the J&K Delimitation Commission, extension of tenure of its chairperson

Source: The post is based on the article “SC upholds the constitution of the J&K Delimitation Commission, extension of tenure of its chairperson” published in The Hindu on 14th February 2023.

What is the News?

The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea challenging the delimitation exercise to redraw Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

What is Delimitation?

Click Here to read

What was the case about?

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the delimitation of Assembly and parliamentary constituencies in J&K on the following grounds:

Firstly, the appointment of a delimitation commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge was challenged claiming that the election commission and not the delimitation commission should undertake such an exercise.

Secondly, the petitioner contended that the delimitation exercise was against the provisions under Article 170 of the Constitution, under which constituencies as delineated now shall remain frozen till the first census conducted after the year 2026.

What was the judgment given by the court?

The court dismissed the petition on the following grounds:

Firstly, there is no illegality associated with the establishment of the Delimitation Commission. The commission had to undertake the exercise of delimitation or readjustment on the basis of the census figures of 2011 as the earlier exercise of delimitation of the constituencies of the erstwhile state was not made on the basis of the census figures of 2011.

Secondly, Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution enable the Parliament to create new States and Union territories. Accordingly, the two new Union territories have been created.

The J&K Reorganization Act which created the two new Union territories assigns the role of readjustment of constituencies to the Delimitation Commission under the Delimitation Act,2002.

Hence, a law made under Article 3 can always provide for the readjustment of the Constituencies in the newly constituted States or Union territories through the Delimitation Commission. 

Therefore, there is no illegality associated with the establishment of the Delimitation Commission.


Mayoral polls: nominated members can’t vote, says SC

Source: The post is based on the article Mayoral polls: nominated members can’t vote, says SC published in The Hindu on 14th February 2023.

What is the News?

The Supreme Court has said that the aldermen — who are nominated members of the Delhi Municipal Corporation cannot vote in the election of Delhi’s Mayor.

What are Aldermen?

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What was the case in the Supreme Court about?

A petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking the debarment of nominated members from voting in the mayoral elections.

The petitioner had referred to the Article 243R of the Constitution which says that “all the seats in a Municipality shall be filled by persons chosen by direct election from the territorial constituencies in the Municipal area and for this purpose, each Municipal area shall be divided into territorial constituencies to be known as wards”.

What did the Supreme Court say?

The Supreme Court said that nominated members cannot vote in the election for the post of mayor of the Municipal Corporation as the constitutional provision is very clear in this regard.


Why has SEBI proposed tightening responsibilities of mutual funds trustee

Source: The post is based on the article “Why has SEBI proposed tightening responsibilities of mutual funds trustee” published in Indian Express on 14th February 2023.

What is the News?

The Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI) has proposed to review the role and accountability of trustees of mutual funds with an aim to protect unitholders’ interests.

It has also put forward some recommendations to enhance the accountability of the board of asset management companies(AMC).

What is a Mutual Fund?

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What is the role of a Mutual Fund Trustee?

Mutual funds in India have a three-tiered structure – mutual fund, the trustees and the AMC. The Board of trustees or trustee company holds the property of the mutual fund in trust for the benefit of the unit holders. 

They appoint an Asset Management Company(AMC) to float schemes for the mutual fund and manage the funds mobilized under various schemes.

They are also expected to exercise supervisory oversight over AMC and its activities so as to ensure that AMC acts in the interest of the unitholders.

What are the recommendations given by SEBI regarding Mutual Fund trustees?

Firstly, trustees should take the help of audits, legal firms and merchant bankers for carrying out due diligence on their behalf.

Secondly, it has proposed the constitution of a ‘Unit Holder Protection Committee’ (UHPC) by the board of AMC. This will help in an independent review mechanism for the decisions of AMC from the perspective of the unit holders’ interest, across all products and services.

How will these suggestions benefit unit holders?

With the increasing scale and reach of the mutual fund industry, trustees’ role in respect of unitholders’ protection assumes greater significance. 

The trustees will ensure that the AMCs act in a manner which is not skewed in favour of AMC’s stakeholders.

The key areas of their focus will be the fairness of fees and expenses charged by the AMC and misconduct including market abuse/misuse of information by the AMC or AMC employees or distributors. 


The big lithium find: Risks and Rewards

Source: The post is based on the article “The big lithium find: Risks and Rewards published in Livemint on 14th February 2023.

What is the News?

The discovery of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium in Jammu & Kashmir is a major boost for India’s electrification plans but mining is a high-risk, high-reward game in the ecologically sensitive Himalayas.

What has been found in Jammu & Kashmir?

The Government of India has said that it has found 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves in the Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir. This may be the seventh largest deposit of the rare element, accounting for roughly 5.7% of all the reserves in the world. 

What is the importance of Lithium?

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Note: Currently, India does not have its own lithium resources and like crude oil, it is dependent on imports. In 2022, India imported lithium and lithium ion worth almost ₹14,000 crore. The demand is likely to explode in the future.

Will this mitigate China’s lithium dominance?

China does not have too much lithium reserve of its own, but as the largest market for electric vehicles, it controls both the supply and demand side of the lithium industry.

It controls over half the global lithium processing and almost 75% of cell components and battery cell production in the world. 

In effect, the proliferation of EVs could mean India becoming dependent on China, just like it is reliant on the Middle East for crude oil today. 

However, J&K’s reserves provide a major opening for India to be self-reliant.

What are the pitfalls of lithium mining?

Just like any mining activity, there are adverse impacts on the environment, including water, soil and air pollution. 

Extracting lithium from its ore is highly water-intensive, taking about 2.2 million litres of water for one tonne of lithium. 

The Himalayas are a highly fragile and eco-sensitive region and as the recent Joshimath subsidence shows, it is vulnerable to long-term adverse consequences of unplanned development works. Hence, mining in the region can attract opposition from environmentalists.


Must Read Daily Current Affairs Articles 29th March 2024

About Must Read News Articles is an initiative by Team ForumIAS to provide links to the most important news articles of the day. It covers The Hindu newspaper. This saves the time and effort of students in identifying useful and important articles. With newspaper websites requiring a paid subscription beyond a certain number of fixed articles,… Continue reading Must Read Daily Current Affairs Articles 29th March 2024

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India’s urban water crisis-From Bengaluru to Chennai and beyond

Source-This post on India’s urban water crisis-From Bengaluru to Chennai and beyond has been created based on the article “How to fix India’s urban water crisis, from Bengaluru to Chennai and beyond” published in “The Indian Express” on 28 March 2024. UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper 1- Urbanization, their problems and their remedies Context– Bengaluru is experiencing… Continue reading India’s urban water crisis-From Bengaluru to Chennai and beyond

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Limitation of Welfare Policies Politics in India

Source-This post on Limitation on Welfare Policies Politics in India has been created based on the article “Welfare is on the agenda of all political parties. But is it adequate” published in “The Indian Express” on 28 March 2024. UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper-2– Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States… Continue reading Limitation of Welfare Policies Politics in India

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Challenges of implementing a wealth tax: Piketty’s wealth tax: An idea that just can’t work

Source: The post challenges of implementing a wealth tax has been created, based on the article “Piketty’s wealth tax: An idea that just can’t work” published in “Live mints” on 28th March 2024. UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 – Indian Economy – Inclusive growth and issues News: This article discusses the rise in billionaires… Continue reading Challenges of implementing a wealth tax: Piketty’s wealth tax: An idea that just can’t work

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Avoid pre-trial injunctions against the media in defamation cases: Timely restatement

Source: The post avoid pre-trial injunctions against the media in defamation cases has been created, based on the article “Timely restatement” published in “The Hindu” on 28th March 2024. UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2-polity-judiciary News: The article discusses the Supreme Court’s recent judgment advising courts to avoid pre-trial injunctions against the media in defamation… Continue reading Avoid pre-trial injunctions against the media in defamation cases: Timely restatement

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Impact of politics on humanitarian aid: The politics of humanitarian aid

Source: The post impact of politics on humanitarian aid has been created, based on the article “The politics of humanitarian aid” published in “The Hindu” on 28th March 2024. UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2-International Relations-Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s Interests. News: The article discusses how politics often… Continue reading Impact of politics on humanitarian aid: The politics of humanitarian aid

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Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD): WTO’s investment facilitation negotiations are not illegal

Source: The post Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) has been created, based on the article “WTO’s investment facilitation negotiations are not illegal” published in “The Hindu” on 28th March 2024. UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2-International Relations-Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate. News: The article discusses India’s opposition to the Investment Facilitation… Continue reading Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD): WTO’s investment facilitation negotiations are not illegal

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Sustainable building materials

Source-This post on sustainable building materials has been created based on the article “On sustainable building materials” published in “The Hindu” on 26 March 2024. UPSC Syllabus–GS Paper-3- Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment. Context- India housing construction sector is booming, with over 3,00,000 housing units built annually. However, the building sector is a… Continue reading Sustainable building materials

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2nd Employment Working Group (EWG)

Source-This post on Employment Working Group (EWG) 2023  is based on the article “India At G20 2nd Employment Working Group Meeting At Brasilia” published in “PIB” on 27th March 2024. Why in the News? Recently, the 2nd Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting held under the Brazilian Presidency in Brasilia. About 2nd Employment Working Group (EWG)… Continue reading 2nd Employment Working Group (EWG)

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50,000-year-old magnetofossil

Source-This post on 50,000-year-old magnetofossil is based on the article “Goa scientists find 50,000-year-old magnetic fossils in Bay of Bengal” published in “The Hindu” on 26th March 2024. Why in the News? Recently, scientists have found 50,000-year-old magnetic fossils in the Bay of Bengal. It is one of the youngest giant magnetofossils to be found… Continue reading 50,000-year-old magnetofossil

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