9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – March 30th, 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 2

GS Paper 3

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

Civil society organizations require wholesome support

Source: The post is based on an article “Civil society organizations require wholesome support” published in Live Mint on 30th March 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Governance – Non-Governmental Organisations

Relevance: concerns associated with CSOs

News: Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), and other kinds of not-for-profit organizations are working for societal improvement.

The article discusses concerns associated with CSOs.

What are the concerns associated with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)?

Donors want to support costs which are incurred for programs and activities that directly deliver the desired benefits or improvements to intended communities.

However, they don’t want to support other costs involved in the operation of the CSOs, known as overhead cost. It is impractical for a CSO to only focus on the outcome while neglecting other costs.

For example, a CSO working with public schools to enhance learning will have team members who train and assist teachers. Their salaries and activity costs are just as essential as the teaching-learning-material and resources given to schools.

The donors in this case, will be ready to support teaching material and not for the salaries and expenses for the staff of CSOs.

Further, donors expect CSOs to be strong and stable organizations which have good processes, sound accounting and reporting, leadership succession and development, the capacity to scale up, and more.

However, a CSO can only become stable when it is being financially supported for these things.

Some donors provide support for CSO overhead expenses ranging from 5-10% of the cost base, which is very low given the enormous amount of expense needed by CSOs to function.

Hence, a reasonable donation for overhead cost should range from 15%-25%.

Moreover, donors are also reluctant to commit long term funding for CSOs. This has weakening effect on Indian civil society.

What can be the way ahead?

Donors usually look for a strong, vibrant and high-capacity CSO ecosystem. This is only possible when they start supporting CSOs objectives along with their overhead costs wholeheartedly.


India needs public policy education

Source- The post is based on the article “India needs public policy education” published in “The Hindu” on 30th March 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Governance

Relevance– Reforms in administration

News– The article explains the importance of public policy education.

What are issues with public management education in India?

Lack of institutions– Most executives in government require an understanding of public management. However, the supply of formal education in public management is inadequate as compared to business management education.

As per data from the AICTE, there are 3,182 institutions with an approved intake of 4.22 lakh in business management programmes. But only about 130 universities offer public administration programmes and only 29 institutes that offer public policy programmes.

Lack of opportunities– There are few jobs available for people pursuing courses in public management. The private sector offers limited opportunities in government advisory roles, consulting and Corporate Social Responsibility.

For public sector opportunities, students have to go through competitive exams. Therefore, neither educational institutes nor students find any incentive to prefer public management courses.

Lack of public policy training– There are very few civil servants who have got exposure to public management before joining service. Most of them undergo the departmental induction training programme.

There are a few opportunities for in­service officers to study public management in India and

abroad. In the 10 years between 2012 and 2021, 194 civil service officers went abroad to study public management at the Master’s level.

Within the country, there are five institutions in which 194 civil service officers have been sponsored by the government for full time public policy courses in the last three years.

What is the way forward to boost public management education in India?

Public management should be one of the compulsory subjects for the UPSC civil service examination. This will help in multiple ways.

Existing training institutions of the government should have a larger component of public policy as part of induction training. They should build up a case study bank for training.

The government can create certain specialised positions of public policy analysts, to be picked up from the market directly. New job avenues for the graduates of public policy programmes can be created by this.

How introducing public management as an optional subject in UPSC creates a win-win situation?

First, civil servants who join the government would have formal education in public management before they enter service.

Second, this creates an opportunity or incentive for universities and private institutions to offer the subject at the graduate or postgraduate level. Public policy education, research and case studies will get a major boost from this new demand.

Third, those who don’t clear the exam would develop better understanding in public management. It will  make them better citizens as well as effective private sector managers.


SMART PDS scheme: A bold initiative in digitisation

Source- The post is based on the article “SMART PDS scheme: A bold initiative in digitisation” published in “The Indian Express” on 30th March 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Government policies and interventions

Relevance– Use of digital technology for welfare schemes

News– The article explains the initiatives by the government to digitise the food grain distribution.

What are the benefits of Scheme for Modernisation and Reforms through Technology in Public Distribution System (SMART-PDS)?

It prevents leakage of foodgrains, increases the efficiency of the distribution chain and ensures the availability of such provisions for migrants.

A lot of data is being generated and stored every day by states and UTs.  Data Analytics on the TPDS ecosystem can be used to generate critical information about the beneficiaries, their food security needs and patterns of migration.

It can implement data-driven decision-making. It can be leveraged for the delivery of many other central schemes and welfare programmes.

Convergence and integration with the use of AI can really be a game changer for people as well as governments in bringing accountability across all programmes.

What are other successful initiatives for digitisation of food grain distribution?

Today, nearly 93% of the total monthly allocated foodgrains are distributed through the Aadhaar authentication mode using electronic Point of Sale devices.

This can be attributed to the 100% digitisation of ration cards, online management of beneficiaries’ data, computerisation of foodgrains’ allocation and supply chain management systems in all states, and the installation of ePoS devices.

The government has launched a Central Sector Scheme calleds Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) To sustain the reforms brought in by the End-to-end Computerisation of TPDS Operations scheme.

Its main objectives are: Implementation of One Nation One Ration Card, creation of a national level data repository for ration cards data; creation of integrated data infrastructure across ration card management.

One Nation One Ration Card is seamlessly functional in all 36 States and UTs and is consistently recording over 3.5 crore monthly portable transactions. This count is steadily improving. It has so far recorded more than 100 crore portability transactions.

The data generated during this process has now become a tool for many other central ministries and state governments. It includes benefits for the e-Shram Portal, Ayushman Bharat, and PM-SVANidhi Yojana. Agriculture ministry envisages family-based ONORC data to map the beneficiaries.


India’s DPIs, catching the next wave

Source- The post is based on the article “India’s DPIs, catching the next wave” published in “The Hindu” on 30th March 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- e-governance

Relevance– Digital India

News– The article explains India’s digital public infrastructure.

What are some facts about India’s digital public infrastructure?

India’s digital public infrastructure or India Stack is a partnership between governments, regulators, the private sector, selfless volunteers, startups, and academia/think tanks.

It has led to many Lego blocks to create a superstructure which delivers consistent, affordable, and across the board value to citizens, government and the corporate sector.

What are different initiatives under India digital public infrastructure that show its effectiveness?

Aadhar– The judgement of the Supreme Court of India on privacy led to slow opening of Aadhaar to the private sector

The rapid adoption and ease of doing business in day­to­day transactions has now led to a gradual opening of Aadhaar for various private sector applications.

Aadhaar holders can voluntarily use their Aadhaar for private sector purposes. Private sector entities need not seek special permission for such usage.

Aadhaar data can be shared between government departments, but with the prior informed consent of the citizen.

Banks and other regulated entities can store Aadhaar numbers as long as they protect it using vault and other similar means.

UIDAI is making efforts to incentivise Aadhaar usage. Aadhaar authentications have shot up to 2.2 billion per month, and the cumulative number over the past 12 years has crossed 100 billion.

Digi Yatra and DigiLocker– Digi Yatra is a Biometric Enabled Seamless Travel experience based on a facial recognition system through a partnership between industry and government.

It ensures seamless identification of passengers at key checkpoints such as airport entry, security check and boarding gate clearance.

About two lakh passengers have utilised this successfully. Air passenger traffic in India was estimated to be over 188 million in the financial year 2022. When Digi Yatra reaches a third of them, it will lead to second order effects and more innovation.

DigiLocker is another example. It is one of the least known Digital Public Infrastructure. It today has 150 million users, six billion stored documents. Plans are to expand it to many countries around the world.

When one applies for a passport now, one need not even upload any PDF or submit some notarized papers. A simple consent on the passport application form allows it to fetch the relevant data from DigiLocker.

Zerodha, Upstox, RazorPay, Equal and many other insurances and fintechs use DigiLocker API for their Know Your Customer.

Today, there is a lack of a single portal at the Union or the State level where industry can see all the necessary compliances. An Enterprise DigiLocker can be created.

UPI- The unified payment interface or UPI which is breaking records. It has now crossed eight billion transactions per month and transacts a value of $180 billion a month.


A hardhanded response that strikes at the root of rights

Source- The post is based on the article “A hardhanded response that strikes at the root of rights” published in “The Hindu” on 30th March 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Polity

Relevance– Issues related to right of workers

News– An estimated 19 lakh government and semi government employees have been on strike demanding that the government return to the Old Pension Scheme

What has been the response of the government towards strikes in India?

Since 1960, the government’s approach to strikes by their employees has been to invoke ESMA, or the Essential Services Maintenance Act. It is used both by central and state governments.

It was historically a colonial instrument. Since 1950, several States on numerous occasions, have promulgated ESMA.

What are issues related to government response to strikes?

Private sector employers argue that the government, which is supposed to be a model employer, often uses its elaborate legislative and police powers. But they do not have any choice. They have to face a strike and attempt negotiations with striking employees.

There are questions related to the definition of essential. There are questions related to the criteria for defining essential services and duration for which an industry can be called as an essential service in order to prohibit strikes or protests.

ESMAs empower the government to define any economic activity as essential. It is an example of a dangerous weaponization of the government.

What is the ILO stand on right to strike?

The ILO has constructed the principles on the right to strike. The basic principle is that workers enjoy the right to strike. It is one of the principal means to legitimately promote and defend their economic and social interests.

ILO recognizes “a general right to strike” while allowing for an imposition of restrictions on strikes by some categories of public servants and workers in essential services. There could be a prohibition of strike action during acute national emergencies.

The employees in essential services do not enjoy the right to strike. Essential services are those where “the interruption of which would endanger the life, personal safety or health of the whole or part of the population”.

The question of essentiality will depend on the peculiarities prevalent in countries. It has identified essential services such as the hospital sector, and services such as electricity, water supply, telephone, and air traffic control. Strikes in these may even be prohibited or strictly regulated.

Where the right to strike is prohibited or strictly regulated, alternate dispute resolution mechanisms must be put in place. It has mentioned a negative list of industries which are not essential. It includes the transportation and education sectors.

What should be the government’s approach towards strikes?

Governments have entrusted them with wide powers to include any economic activity as essential. It is irresponsible, unwise and anti­democratic.

Democracy means an equitable distribution of power. But, ESMA monopolizes power while suppressing the democratic rights of stakeholders.

India is a pluralistic democracy where protests hold an important place. Their sanctity needs to be respected by the government.

Social dialogue rather than authoritarian measures will promote amicable and long-lasting solutions.


Institutions of Eminence, mired in red tape

Source: The post is based on the article “Institutions of Eminence, mired in red tape” published in the Indian Express on 30th March 2023.

Syllabus: GS – 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education.

Relevance: About challenges faced by the IOE scheme.

News: Even after six years, the Institutions of Eminence (IOE) scheme is yet to become the game changer as it was intended to be.

What is the Institutions of Eminence scheme?

Must read: Institution of Eminence Scheme

What are the challenges faced by the IOE scheme?

The government funds amounting to Rs 3,000 crore have helped eight public universities initiate ambitious reforms and set up state-of-the-art research infrastructure. But Private IOEs are facing many challenges.

The ethos of India’s higher education ecosystem: This is the biggest Achilles heel for the IOE scheme. The ethos of the higher education ecosystem is decidedly pre-NEP 2020.

The scheme aims to free regulatory intervention is facing regulatory challenges: For example, a) four private institutes which received government-empowered committee approval for the IOE tag have not yet got it, b) Four institutions which received the IOE tag, continue to face red tape from UGC on matters such as hiring foreign faculty and admitting foreign students.

The university regulator’s interventions have led to seats falling vacant in at least three private IOEs.

Defunct of the expert committee: The Empowered Expert Committee which was created to make UGC regulations more flexible for the IOEs has become defunct.

The mandate of the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI): The idea of university autonomy is now embedded in the higher education regulator proposed by the National Education Policy — the HECI. This yet-to-be-born agency is mandated to secure IOE-type autonomy for all universities, not just select institutes.

Not easy to enter the multidisciplinary arena: Institutions which want to enter various domains have to undergo regulations comprises agencies such as the National Medical Commission, Architecture Council of India and the Bar Council.

How India can ensure reforms in the higher education system?

The government has often affirmed its ambition to develop India as a knowledge economy. The move to open up the education sector by inviting foreign universities is part of this attempt. The performance of IOEs shows that much more needs to be done on this front.


Neighbours, Big & Small – Bhutan to Bangladesh, New Delhi must prepare to compete with China in the development space

Source: The post is based on the article “Neighbours, Big & Small – Bhutan to Bangladesh, New Delhi must prepare to compete with China in the development space” published in The Times of India on 30th March 2023.

Syllabus: GS – 2: India and its neighbourhood- relations.

Relevance: About Indian neighbours’ policy.

News: Recently, Bhutan has said that China has an equal say in resolving the Doklam dispute. This is different from Bhutan’s 2019 position which said that the tri-junction point between India, China and Bhutan at Doklam should not be unilaterally disturbed. This shows that Bhutan is taking a more accommodating stance on China because of current geopolitical realities.

What are the challenges faced by Indian neighbours in India – China tussle?

While India and China are locked in their own border disputes along the LAC, other countries in the neighbourhood fear getting caught in the tussle. So, they will sometimes stay away from the two Asian giants’ tussle.

Read more: India failed to create positive impression among businesses moving away from China, says House panel report

What are the impacts of Indian neighbours’ policy on India?

Indian neighbours’ inaction policy presents a strategic challenge for India. This is because of China’s dollar diplomacy and its advantage on Indian neighbours. For instance, a recent report highlights, China has handed out $240 billion worth of bailout loans to 22 developing countries over two decades. Around 80% of those funds were provided between 2016 and 2021 when Beijing’s BRI projects picked up steam.

Must read: China ramping up bailout loans to BRI countries: Report

On the other hand, forcing Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka to let go of Chinese funds will have the opposite impact and build up resentment against India. For example, the 2015 blockade in Nepal has seriously hurt Indian interests.

Similarly, relations with Bangladesh might be hamper if the Bangladesh government is unable to balance ties with India with Bangladesh’s development imperatives.

What India should do?

India needs to switch to a smarter approach, drop the Big Brother attitude and work on its own attractiveness by timely completion of development projects. India should also sharpen our ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.


Human life, above all: On the Rajasthan Right to Health Act and the stance of doctors

Source: The post is based on the article “Human life, above all: On the Rajasthan Right to Health Act and the stance of doctors” published in The Hindu on 30th March 2023.

Syllabus: GS – 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to health.

Relevance: About Rajasthan Right to Health Act, 2022.

News: The Rajasthan government has recently passed the Right to Health Act. But the doctors in the State are protesting and terming it as a ‘draconian law’.

About Rajasthan Right to Health Act, 2022

-The Act seeks to provide protection and fulfilment of rights, equity in relation to health and well-being for achieving the goal of health care for all. This is done through guaranteed access to quality health care for all residents of the State, without any catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure

Note: The Right to Health is in sync with the constitutional guarantee of the right to life, and other components of the Directive Principles. Under the constitution, no person seeking health care should be denied it, on the grounds of access and affordability.

– The law provides for a social audit and grievance redressal.

-The Act gives every resident of the State the right to emergency treatment without paying a single paisa to any healthcare institution. The private healthcare institutions providing such facilities will be compensated for the charges incurred.

Read more: The next step is a constitutional right to health

Why there is opposition to Rajasthan Right to Health Act, 2022?

Narrow professional and commercial interests led to opposition to the law which is ‘good’ in ethical and legal terms.

Not believing in the government’s promise: The protestors were distrustful of the government’s promise of recompense for expenses incurred for treating patients during an emergency.

Further government interference: The Act might pave the way for further government interference in health care.

What are the court’s observations on the right to health?

In 1989, the Supreme Court observed that “every injured citizen brought for medical treatment should instantaneously be given medical aid to preserve life and thereafter the procedural criminal law should be allowed to operate in order to avoid negligent death”.

Read more: UN declares access to clean, healthy environment as universal human right

What should be done?

Rajasthan government should now work with protestors to gain the trust of the doctors through demonstrable action. Doctors should also work with the government to save human lives.

GS Paper 3


State budgets may be too optimistic about their capital expenditure

Source: The post is based on the article “State budgets may be too optimistic about their capital expenditure” published in The Indian Express on 30th March 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Budgeting

Relevance: analysis of states’ budget.

News: Many states have come with their state budget. The article discusses the trend emerging out of the budget of the states.

What are the different trends emerging from the states’ budget?

First, states have estimated their revenue receipts to grow at a slower pace in the coming financial year. States expect their revenue growth to slow down from 19 percent in 2022-23 to around 13 percent in 2023-24. This is due to the expectations of a slowing economy.

Second, some states, such as Bihar and Telangana, expect their own tax and non-tax revenues to grow more rapidly in the coming fiscal year. These earnings are so large that they exceed the nominal GDP growth anticipated in the Union budget.

This higher revenue estimate comes at a time when the RBI expects a drop in economic growth from 7% in 2022-23 to 6.4 percent in 2023-24. Therefore, any shortfall in the revenue collection would affect the capex of the state.

Third, some states have forecasted much slower spending growth in the coming fiscal year. Spending, which was above 20% in 2022-23, is anticipated to fall to 10% in 2023-24.

States are expected to spend 1 percent of their GSDP on transport, 2.5 percent of GSDP on health, nutrition, social and family welfare.

Some states have also continued to prioritize debt management. While state spending on committed expenditures (salaries, pensions, and interest payments) is expected to increase at approximately the same rate as last fiscal year.

Fourth, even though most of these states anticipate their revenue deficits to shrink in the coming year, the budget does not call for significant fiscal consolidation. This means that a larger percentage of state borrowings will be used to fund capital spending. Further, most states do not expect a sizeable reduction in their debt to GSDP ratios in the coming years.

Fifth, Capital expenditure by states is expected to rise above 3% of GSDP, exceeding revenue expenditure in the coming year. This is consistent with the central’s government’s expenditure priorities.

A higher budgetary allocation over capex is good but still concerns of remain.

What are the concerns with capital expenditure?

As per ICRA’s estimates, states have spent just around half of what has been budgeted for, in the first 10 months of the year (April-January). This implies that states are unlikely to achieve their capex targets for the year.

Further, spending patterns of the states will depend on their revenues and therefore, an inability to meet this year’s targets will also raise questions over whether the targets for next year can be met or not.

What is the way ahead?

States account for a sizeable share of public sector investments in the economy. Hence, slower growth in state capex implies that the overall public sector growth will be weaker both this and the next year.


Import substitution can set climate action back

Source: The post is based on the article “Import substitution can set climate action back” published in the Livemint on 30th March 2023.

Syllabus: GS – 3: Energy.

Relevance: About India’s solar panel producers.

News: India has set a target of 500GW of carbon-free capacity by 2030 (The present capacity is 122GW). The government is using public funds to spur the local production of solar panels by private players.

Import substitution under Atmanirbhar Bharat is India’s biggest policy shift in recent times. But that is failing to provide results for India’s renewable energy sector.

About India’s solar panel imports and steps to curb imports

China has been the world’s big supplier of solar panels. Imports accounted for over four-fifths of the panels set up in India until last year.

To curb these imports, a) India imposed a safeguard duty of 15% on Chinese and Malaysian imports that were allegedly being dumped—sold below their cost of manufacture, b) India is charging a 40% import duty on photovoltaic modules and 25% on cells, and c) The government is providing an incentive scheme for polysilicon and wafers to solar cells and modules.

What are the challenges India is facing with import substitution?

a) Over half the incentive schemes fund is going to only three firms, b) The job gains from the incentive scheme is modest, c) Domestic panel-makers were still unable to compete with global players, and d) Import barriers allow India’s local market to function at policy-elevated price levels.

Note: Module prices of imported goods are exactly 40% higher than the local goods. But the profit motive of private producers are selling their modules at par with the imported price.

-India and the world are not exploring the logic of permitting global market forces in renewable space to reduce fossil fuels applications in energy needs. So, import substitution might be a setback for climate action targets.

-Of the 280GW of solar capacity aimed for by 2030, India has only a little above 64GW right now. With import substitution, the pace might be delayed.

Read more: India plans to export solar power: official

What should India do to make India’s solar panel producers competitive?

If India’s overall aim is to reduce carbon exhaust, then it should be done at the lowest possible cost. The best way to make Indian industries competitive is by dropping duties and capping local prices by exposing Indian industries to global competition.

Read more: What it will take to fulfill India’s solar power dream

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

How to manage India’s solar PV waste problem?

Source: The post is based on the article “How to manage India’s solar PV waste problem? published in The Hindu on 29th March 2023

What is the News?

There has been a continuous push from policymakers in India to transition to a circular economy and to enable effective waste management.

But waste management in the solar photovoltaic (PV) sector still lacks clear directives.

What is PV waste?

Globally, India has the world’s fourth-highest solar PV deployment. The installed solar capacity was nearly 62GW in November 2022. This signals a huge amount of solar PV waste. 

According to a 2016 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency, India could generate 50,000­ – 3,25,000 tonnes of PV waste by 2030 and more than four million tonnes by 2050.

Is the Solar PV waste recycled or recovered?

A typical PV panel is made of crystalline silicon (c­Si) modules (93%) and cadmium telluride thin film modules (7%).

As these panels near expiration, some portions of the frame are extracted and sold as scrap and some are recycled according to e-waste guidelines. According to a 2021 report, approximately 50% of the total materials can be recovered. 

However, India’s challenge is the growing informal handling of PV waste. Only about 20% of the waste is recovered; the rest is treated informally.

As a result, the waste often accumulates in landfills, which pollutes the surroundings. Incinerating the encapsulant also releases sulfur dioxide, hydrogen fluoride, and hydrogen cyanide into the atmosphere.

What are the gaps in handling PV waste, and how can they be fulfilled?

First, simply clubbing PV waste with other e-­waste could lead to confusion. Instead, India should formulate and implement provisions specific to PV waste treatment within the ambit of the e-waste guidelines. 

– And Central insurance or a regulatory body should be set up to protect against financial losses incurred in waste collection and treatment. 

Second, the waste generated from PV modules and their components is classified as ‘hazardous waste’ in India. To further drive home this label, pan ­India sensitization drives and awareness programs on PV waste management will be beneficial. 

Third, considering that India’s local solar PV ­panel manufacturing is limited, we need to pay more attention to domestic R&D efforts.

– Moreover, domestic development of PV waste recycling technologies must be promoted through appropriate infrastructure facilities and adequate funding.


Centre lays down policy on cattle dehorning and castration as per animal cruelty Act

Source: The post is based on the article “Centre lays down policy on cattle dehorning & castration 63 years after implementation of animal cruelty Act” published in The Hindu on 29th March 2023

What is the News?

The Central Government has notified the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Animal Husbandry Practices and Procedures) Rules, 2023.

The rules laid down the procedures for dehorning cattle and castration, branding or nose-roping of any animal.

What are Castration and dehorning?

Castration is the removal of a male animal’s testicles. This can be done in a non-surgical manner in cattle, sheep, and goats with the use of an elastrator. 

– In some species, male hormones affect the taste. Those taste effects are generally negative. Castration improves meat quality.

Dehorning/disbudding is the practice of removing an animal’s horns or horn buds, depending on the age of the animal and the stage of horn growth. 

What are the existing provisions related to Dehorning and Castration?

The Dehorning and Castration procedures were earlier undefined under Sections 11 and subsection 3 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, which made it difficult to prevent cruelty against animals.

– Section 11 defined the acts that amount to treating animals with cruelty.

– But subsection 3 allowed exceptions for animal husbandry procedures, which involve dehorning cattle and castration, branding, and nose roping of animals in a prescribed manner.

– Section 3(c) of the law also offered exceptions in “the extermination or destruction of any animal under the authority of any law for the time being in force.

What are the key provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Animal Husbandry Practices and Procedures) Rules, 2023?

All procedures like Castration and dehorning are to be carried out with the involvement of a registered veterinary practitioner, along with the mandatory use of general and local anesthetics.

The rules demand the breeding of naturally hornless cattle over dehorning and using face halters and other humane procedures for nose roping and preventing cold and hot branding on live tissues.

The rules prescribe a methodology for euthanasia for ill animals to avoid a painful death.


Haryana: India’s first cloned desi Gir female calf, Ganga produced at NDR

Source: The post is based on the article “Haryana: India’s first cloned desi Gir female calf, Ganga produced at NDRI” published in Economic Times on 29th March 2023

What is the News?

The National Dairy Research Institute, based in Haryana’s Karnal, has produced the first-ever clone of a calf belonging to the indigenous Gir cow breed. The calf has been named Ganga.

What is Ganga?

It is India’s first cloned Gir female calf.

Scientists used three animals for producing this calf: Oocyte was taken from the Sahiwal breed, a somatic cell from the Gir breed, and a surrogate animal was a crossbreed.

Note: Gir, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, and Red Sindhi are among the Indian cattle breeds that are crucial for the Indian dairy industry’s growth as well as milk production.

What is Cloning?

Cloning involves a number of different processes that can be used to produce genetically identical copies of a biological entity. The copied material, which has the same genetic makeup as the original, is referred to as a clone.

Cloning can be natural or artificial:

Natural Cloning: Examples of cloning that occur naturally are as follows:

– vegetative reproduction in plants, e.g. water hyacinth producing multiple copies of genetically identical plants through apomixis

– binary fission in bacteria

Artificial Cloning: There are three different types of artificial cloning: 

1) Gene cloning is the use of highly specialised deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology to produce multiple, exact copies of a single gene or other segments of DNA to secure sufficient material to examine for research purposes. 

2) Therapeutic cloning produces embryonic stem cells for experiments aimed at creating tissues to replace injured or diseased ones.

3) Reproductive cloning is used to produce copies of the whole animal.


2 years after Finance panel suggested, Centre ‘evaluating’ 26 proposals for new cities

Source: The post is based on the article “2 years after Finance panel suggested, Centre ‘evaluating’ 26 proposals for new cities” published in Indian Express on 29th March 2023

What is the News?

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry is currently evaluating 26 proposals from 21 states for the creation of new cities in India.

Creation of new cities in India:

The 15th Finance Commission has recommended Rs 8,000 crore fund for the incubation of eight new cities  (Rs 1000 crore to each) in the country through a challenge.

— Considering the small urban population in the Northeast and hill States, Rs 1,000 crore for two new cities (Rs 500 crore each) for two different states has been proposed.

Criteria: A state can have only one new city through this fund.

– A maximum of nine new cities in nine states can be selected.

What is the need for the creation of new cities in India?

World Bank data finds that 56% of the world’s population lives in towns and produces 80%of its GDP. 

The 2011 status found the level of urbanization in India to be just under 33%. Assume it is about 35 percent now. With India’s population now at 1.42 billion, the urban population would be almost 500 million. 

In 2051, India’s population would be 1.67 billion (both population figures from UN Population projections). If India’s population becomes 50% urban by then, that would mean the urban population would increase to 835 million. 

There is no way this additional population can be squeezed into India’s existing towns and cities with whatever redevelopment of existing cities is carried out.


Great Nicobar project will not evict tribes, says Centre

Source: The post is based on the article “Great Nicobar project will not evict tribes, says Centre” published in The Hindu on 29th March 2023

What is the News?

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has said that displacement of tribal people will not be allowed to make room for the ₹72,000 crore Great Nicobar island project.

What is the Great Nicobar project?

The Great Nicobar Development project is a 72,000-crore integrated project in Great Nicobar which will include construction of a mega port, an airport complex, a township spread over 130 sq. km of pristine forest and a solar and gas-based power plant.

Implementation of the project: The project will be implemented by Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation(ANIIDCO).

Management of the project: The port will be controlled by the Indian Navy.

– The airport will have dual military-civilian functions and will cater to tourism as well. 

– Roads, public transport, water supply and waste management facilities, and several hotels have been planned to cater to tourists.

What is the significance and concerns related to the Great Nicobar project?

Click Here to read

Will this project impact the tribes of Nicobar?

A total of 7.114 sq. km. of tribal reserve area will be utilized for the project.

Tribal Affairs Ministry has said that the utilization of the tribal reserve area will be subject to the following conditions: 1) The interests of tribal population especially Shompen, a 

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group are not affected adversely 2) Strict implementation of the provisions of Protection of Aborigine Tribe (PAT) 3) Regulation to protect the interest of the Shompen 4) displacement of tribals will not be allowed; and Eco-tourism will be regulated in effective manner.


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