Daily Current Affairs 12th and 13th July

Recent Trends in Centre-State Relations

Why in news?

Recently, the Supreme Court upheld the maintainability of a suit filed by the State of West Bengal, over violation of federalism by unilaterally employing the CBI without the State’s prior consent.

More about the news

• In 2018 the West Bengal government withdrew its consent that allowed the CBI to conduct investigations of cases in the states.
• West Bengal approached the apex court had contended that such a situation where CBI investigating the cases without the State's consent would be in derogation of the federal nature of the Centre-State relationship under the Indian constitution.
• The court held that the suit is maintainable under Article 131.
  • Article 131 of the Constitution is a special provision which deals with the original jurisdiction of this Court in case of a dispute between the Federal Government and the State Governments.
• The court also held that the DSPE Act mandated prior consent of the State government to a CBI probe within its jurisdiction.

About Centre-State Relations

• The dynamics of Centre-State relations in India are defined by the allocation of powers and responsibilities between the central government and state governments.
• The Part XI of the Constitution deals with the relations between the Union and the States in the legislative and administrative spheres.
• The Part XII of the Constitution contains financial provisions including those related to taxation, definition of various Funds, the right to hold property, and borrowing by Union and State governments.
• The constitution delineates three-tiered distribution of legislative powers between the central and state governments through the categorisation of subjects into three distinct lists in the Seventh Schedule: the Union List, the State List, and the Concurrent List.

Recent Issues in the Centre-State Relations

• Fiscal Federalism:
  • Some States raise issues about their less than proportionate share of receipt in tax revenue when compared to their contribution towards tax collection.
  • The issue of delayed compensation payments from the central government to the states has also become a prominent issue. 
  •  The GST has affected the autonomy of the states with respect to deciding the tax rates of subjects that fall within the State List. 
  • The issues like discretionary Grants and borrowing by states have rocked the foundations of fiscal federalism in India.
• Health Federalism:
  • The central government dominates the programme and policy spaces related to healthcare in both policy design and financing. 
    • For instance, the National Rural Health Mission in 2005 has affected the State’s role in policymaking/design. 
  • During covid-19 pandemic management, many states blamed the union government for trampling on their autonomous space on health service delivery and related functions.
• Issues in the 7th Schedule:
  • The Union List's superiority over the other two lists and the Concurrent List's superiority over the State List are explicitly guaranteed by the Constitution. 
  • It is claimed by some scholars that laws like the farm bills, the National Food Security Act of 2013, and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of 2005 fall outside the purview of Parliament's authority.
• Imposition of President’s Rule:
  • The president’s rule has often been wielded as a political tool to unseat governments on flimsy allegations of constitutional machinery breakdown. 
  • It has resulted in extensive abuse, greatly harming the nation's democratic system and hindering the development of a federal ethos.
• Reservation of Bills by Governor:In the recent past, the Governors of some states have exercised their discretion under 200 in an adverse manner. It has affected the effective functioning of the state government, thus causing strife in the centre-state relations.
• Deployment of Paramilitary Forces: The Paramilitary Forces operate under the Ministry of Home Affairs. However, sometimes they are deployed in a manner that undermines the constitutional position of the states.
• Extension of BSF Jurisdiction:Recently, the centre has expanded the jurisdiction of the BSF to 50 kilometres from 15km in the states of Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. This issue has also impacted the centre-state relations.
• State’s Dependence over Centre:Due to dwindling revenues, the States have become overly dependent on Centrally sponsored schemes to undertake welfare expenditures through initiatives such as the PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, and National Health Mission.

Way forward

• Strengthen Fiscal Federalism:
  • The government should review the Direct tax sharing principles between centre and states. States should be compensated in a manner that augments their revenue shortages due to GST. 
  • This Article 282 upholds and promotes the federal principle, however, the grants under Article 282 should only be made for special or temporary purposes.
• Revisiting 7th Schedule:
  • Some commissions have suggested adding several entries to the State List from the Union and Concurrent Lists and giving the States residuary powers.
  • Local bodies should be included in a fourth list in addition to the central, state, and concurrent lists. It will result in the transfer of authority to local government entities and assist them in addressing various issues of regional significance.
• Use of President Rule:
  • The Article 356 should be employed with restraint, as a final recourse, only when all other viable options have been exhausted to avert or rectify a breakdown of the constitutional machinery in a state.
• Position of Governor:
  • The Governor is the unelected Head of the State, and is entrusted with certain constitutional powers. 
  • These powers cannot be used to thwart the normal course of law making. A Governor cannot be at liberty to keep a Bill pending indefinitely without any action whatsoever.
• Augmenting State’s Police Forces:
  • The states must develop their own systems and upgrade as well as augment their own police forces by providing adequate training and equipping them with state-of-the-art weapons to enable them to fight militancy and insurgency besides handling law and order.

Floods in the North East

Why in news?

The flood situation in Assam has shown no signs of improvement affecting nearly 1.4 million people across 26 districts.

What are floods?

• Flooding is an overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Floods can happen during heavy rains, when ocean waves come on shore, when snow melts quickly, or when dams or levees break.
• There are three common flood types:
  1. Fluvial floods, also known as river floods
  2. Pluvial or flash floods
  3. Coastal floods, which are often called storm surge
• India is highly vulnerable to floods.

Reasons for Floods

• Heavy rains in upper reaches: Due to its topography, the North East is one of the most flood-prone regions in India. The rains in China, Arunachal Pradesh and other upper reaches lead to funnel down of unprecedented waterlogging in Assam.
• Southwest monsoon: The southwest monsoon brings heavy rainfall in the region. Around 85 percent of the annual precipitation in the Brahmaputra basin happens during monsoon months.
• Glacial Lake Outburst: GLOF is a flood resulting from the sudden and rapid release of water from a glacial lake. The northeast is one of most prone regions to GLOF.
• Global Warming: Due to the increased rise in global temperature, glaciers of the Himalayan range start to melt. As a result, the seawater level also rises, causing floods in surrounding years.
• Earthquakes and Landslides: A shift in tectonic plates can lead to alteration in the volume and course of surface water resulting in flood hazard. During landslides, the flow of debris into the water surface increases the level of river sediment causing floods.
• Mighty Rivers: The rivers bring heavy sediment load from catchments. These, coupled with inadequate carrying capacity of rivers are responsible for causing floods, drainage congestion and erosion of river-banks.
• Riverbank erosion: The river bank erosion leads to the expansion of rivers causing floods in the nearby regions. According to some reports, the width of the Brahmaputra River has been enhanced by up to 15 kilometres at some places due to riverbank erosion.
• Encroachments: Early in the 1960s, embankments were built to control floods by rising levels of water in rivers, however, over time these embankments were encroached by the local populations, thereby detracting the utility of embankments.

Preventive Measures to Control Floods

• Structural flood mitigation: Structural flood mitigation is where physical structures are constructed or modified to reduce the impact of flooding on individual properties or whole catchments and include: Infrastructure, including dams, levees, bridges and culverts.
• Land use planning controls: Strategic land use planning will identify the extent of flood impacted land to limit the construction of urban and rural residential, commercial and industrial land. All new infrastructure must undertake land suitability investigations to determine the extent of hazard.
• Early warning systems: Early warning systems are extremely important in flash flooding events to provide residents with the ability to respond to impending flood waters. This may include relocating of parked vehicles, collecting pets and valuables and implementing personal emergency plans.
• Restoring rivers: Restoring rivers to its original state can help to maintain the flow of water, it can control and prevent damages during emergencies.
• Flood Plain Zoning: This is a type of regulation that limits or controls how land is used in flood-prone areas according to its suitability and vulnerability. It seeks to reduce exposure and damage to infrastructure and human settlements by forbidding or discouraging development in high-risk areas.

World Population Prospects

Why in news?

Recently, the World Population Prospects (WPP) report released by the United Nations

Key Highlights

• The current population of 8.2 billion people will rise to that maximum over the next 60 years, then dip to 10.2 billion by the end of the century,
• Earth's population will peak in the mid-2080s at around 10.3 billion people, then drop slightly to a level much lower than anticipated a decade ago. 
• The unexpected population peak stems from several factors that include lower levels of fertility in some of the world's largest countries, especially China.
• The population growth will continue in more than 120 countries beyond 2054. These include India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and the United States.
• According to the report, India is the world’s most populous country, and will retain that position even in 2100.

Digital Economy Report 2024

Why in news?

Recently, the UN Trade and Development released the Digital Economy Report 2024.

Key Highlights

• The Digital Economy Report 2024 underscores the urgent need for environmentally sustainable and inclusive digitalization strategies.
• The report has warned that the shift towards a digital economy is coming at an environmental cost. This is because big data centres are consuming vast amounts of water and energy.
• According to the report, developing countries bear the brunt of the environmental costs of digitalization while reaping fewer benefits.
• Developing countries export low value-added raw materials and import high value-added devices, along with increasing digital waste. Geopolitical tensions over critical minerals may complicate the challenges.
• The report calls for bold action from policymakers, industry leaders and consumers. 
• It urges a global shift towards a circular digital economy, focusing on circularity by design through durable products, responsible consumption, reuse and recycling, and sustainable business models.

SDG India Index 2023-24

Why in news?

Recently, the NITI Aayog released the fourth edition of the SDG India Index 2023-24.

Key Highlights

• The SDG India Index was launched in 2018 with the aim to provide the impetus for the localisation push, reaffirming States and UTs as key stakeholders in this transformative journey.
• The index is developed in collaboration with the United Nations in India.
• SDG India Index 2023-24 measures and tracks national progress of all States and UTs on 113 indicators aligned to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s National Indicator Framework (NIF).
• The SDG India Index computes goal-wise scores on the 16 SDGs for each State and UT.
• Overall State and UT scores or Composite Scores are generated from goal-wise scores to measure the aggregate performance of the sub-national unit based on its performance across the 16 SDGs.
• These scores range between 0–100, and if a State/UT achieves a score of 100, it signifies it has achieved the targets. The higher the score of a State/UT, the greater the distance covered to the target.
• The SDG India Index 2023-24 reports a positive trend in the performance of States and UTs in their SDG journey. The scores for States now range from 57 to 79, while UTs score between 65 and 77. This represents an improvement over the 2020-21 scores, where the range was 52 to 75 for States and 62 to 79 for UTs.
• Overall SDG score for the country is 71 for 2023-24, significant improvement from 66 in 2020-21 and 57 in 2018.
• Uttarakhand and Kerala lead as top States with scores of 79 each; Chandigarh maintains top spot among UTs with a score of 77.
• Between 2018 and 2023-24, the fastest moving States are Uttar Pradesh, followed by J&K, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Haryana, Assam, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.

Heat Dome

Why in news?

Recently, the western United States has come under the grip of record-high temperatures due to heat domes.

About Heat Dome

• A heat dome is a weather phenomenon where a high-pressure system in the atmosphere traps warm air like a lid on a pot, for an extended period of time. 
• As the warm air is not able to rise upward, the sky remains clear — clouds are formed under the opposite circumstances as the rising warm air cools down, and the water in it condenses out.
• The high-pressure system allows more sunlight to reach the earth, which results in more warming and drying of soil. This leads to less evaporation and reduces the likelihood of the formation of rain clouds. 
• The longer the heat dome stays in one place, the warmer conditions can get with every passing day. While heat domes cause heat waves, they can occur without heat domes as well.
• A heat dome’s formation is tied to the behaviour of the jet stream — an area of fast-moving air high in the atmosphere that usually helps move weather systems along the Earth’s surface.
• Typically, the jet stream has a wave-like pattern that keeps moving from north to south and then north again. 
• When these waves get bigger and elongated, they move slowly and sometimes can become stationary. This is when a high-pressure system gets stuck in place, and leads to the occurrence of a heat dome.

IUCN Red list of Threatened Species

Why in news?

Recently, the IUCN updated its red list of Threatened Species.

More about the news

• The Ibiza wall lizard (Podarcis pityusensis) has been reclassified as endangered from near threatened due to a 50 per cent population decline since 2010.
• The status of the Gran Canaria giant lizard has been changed from least concern to endangered, while that of the Gran Canaria skink has been updated from least concern to endangered.

About IUCN Red List

• The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species and their links to livelihoods.
• Far more than a list of species and their status, it is a powerful tool to inform and catalyze action for biodiversity conservation and policy change, critical to protecting the natural resources we need to survive.
• It is based on an objective system for assessing the risk of extinction of a species based on past, present, and projected threats.
• There are eight IUCN Red List Categories based on criteria linked to population trend, size and structure, and geographic range. Species listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable are collectively described as threatened.
• The IUCN Red List is produced and managed by the IUCN Global Species Programme, the Species Survival Commission (SSC) and the IUCN Red List Partnership.

Makhana Cultivation

Why in news?

As per the recent estimates of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Bihar produces about 90% of makhana of the country’s total.

About Makhana Cultivation

• Makhana is a high-value aquatic cash crop. It is also capital and labour intensive.
• Makhana is cultivated either in perennial water bodies having water depth of 4-6 ft or in the field system.
• Its seeds grow under water. Workers have to uproot the makhana seeds from under water for processing and cleaning.
• It is cultivated between March and September, and September and March.
• India contributes to 80% of the world’s Makhana demand. over 85% of India's makhana comes from Bihar, and almost a quarter of it is produced in Mithila region.
• About 500,000 families, mainly from the Mallah community, are involved in its processing across nine districts in the Mithila region.
• Makhana is a product approved under the Union government’s One District One Product scheme, under which subsidies are provided to food processors for branding, marketing, and developing infrastructure.

BIMSTEC

Why in news?

Recently, the Prime Minister stressed on the role of BIMSTEC as an engine for economic and social growth

About BIMSTEC

• BIMSTEC is a regional organisation that was established in 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
• Initially known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), the organisation is now known as BIMSTEC and comprises seven members, with Myanmar joining towards the end of 1997, and Bhutan and Nepal in 2004.
• All seven countries have sustained average annual rates of growth between 3.4% and 7.5% from 2012 to 2016.
• Cooperation within the BIMSTEC had initially focused on six sectors in 1997 (trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, and fisheries) and expanded in 2008 to other areas.
•  In 2021, a reorganisation led to each of the Member States leading certain sectors. India focuses on security, along with counter-terrorism and transnational crime, disaster management and energy.
• The Bay of Bengal is crucial for an increasingly assertive China in maintaining its access route to the Indian Ocean.
• BIMSTEC could allow India to push a constructive agenda to counter Chinese investments, and instead follow best practices for connectivity projects based on recognised international norms.

Vizhinjam International Seaport

Why in news?

Recently, India welcomed its first cargo ship at the newly built semi-automated trans-shipment port in Vizhinjam, Kerala.

About

• Vizhinjam International Seaport, developed by Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd.
• It is strategically situated along the southwest coast of India.
• Its deep draft of 20 meters allows it to accommodate some of the world’s largest container ships, enhancing India’s capacity to handle substantial maritime traffic.
• The port’s semi-automated operations are a notable feature, integrating advanced technologies to streamline container handling and improve efficiency.
• A major advantage of Vizhinjam is its proximity to international shipping routes, which positions it as a key transshipment hub in the region. 
• This strategic location can significantly reduce shipping costs and time for goods moving between the East and the West, fostering better trade connections.

Umlingla Pass

Why in news?

Recently, a Bengaluru-based firm has claimed to have successfully tested a 100-kg Max Take Off Weight UAV at Umling La pass.

About the Pass

• Umling La or Umlung La is the highest paved road and mountain pass in the world.
• It is located in Ladakh on the ridgeline between Koyul Lungpa and the Indus River near Demchok.
• It forms the source for the Umlung stream that drains into the Indus and a tributary of the Kiungdul river that drains into Koyul Lungpa.
• The pass has been an important trade route between India and Tibet.
• It played a significant role in the Indo-China war of 1962, it holds strategic importance due to its proximity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• The pass is often used by the Indian military for patrolling and surveillance purposes.

Exercise Pitch Black

Why in news?

Recently, An Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent reached Australia to participate in the Exercise Pitch Black.

About

• The multinational exercise hosted by Australia. 
• The name “Pitch Black” was derived from the emphasis on night-time flying over large unpopulated areas. 
• The exercise initially began as unilateral, but in 1983 became a joint Australia-US training event. 
• The exercise provides an excellent opportunity for strengthening the ability of the participating nations to deploy over large distances, support integrated operations in the Indo-Pacific region and building strong aviation associations in a highly challenging environment.
• Apart from Australia and India, countries that are regular participants include France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and the United Kingdom.