Rules for Contesting LS Elections from 2 seats Simultaneously
Why in news?
The concept of a candidate contesting from two seats or constituencies in the Lok Sabha Election is not uncommon.
About the rules
According to the Representation of the People Act, of 1951, an individual is legally permitted to contest elections from two Lok Sabha constituencies simultaneously.
A sub-section, 33 (7), of the RPA, allowing a candidate to contest from two seats, was introduced through an amendment in 1996, prior to which there was no bar on the number of constituencies from which a candidate could contest.
However, Section 70 of the same Act stipulates that a candidate can hold only one seat at a time, regardless of whether he or she has been elected from more than one seat.
If the candidate wins from both constituencies, they must vacate one seat within fourteen days, triggering a by-election in the constituency they choose to relinquish.
Over the years, the Election Commission (EC) of India has supported arguments that candidates should be restricted to contesting from one seat, citing the waste of public money and resources in holding a bypoll if a candidate were to win both seats.
Other rules
Minimum age: The minimum age for a person to contest Lok Sabha and Assembly polls is 25 years, while one can become a member of the Rajya Sabha or the State Legislative Council only at 30 years.
Qualification: There is no minimum educational qualification needed to contest general elections in India. Candidates must be citizens of India, registered in some constituency of the country as a valid voter and must not have been convicted of any offence punishable by more than two years.
Disqualification:
A person shall be disqualified from being chosen as or being a member of either House if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State.
If he or she is of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent court; if he or she is an undischarged insolvent.
If he or she is not a citizen of India or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign state.
Under the RPA Act, if a person is convicted of any offence and sentenced to an imprisonment of two years or more, this will lead to his disqualification to contest elections.
Even if this person is out on bail, after the conviction and his appeal is pending for disposal, he or she is disqualified from contesting an election.
Other rules: To contest in a Lok Sabha election, a person should be registered as a voter in any constituency of the country.
Spices Board of India
Why in news?
Recently, the Spices Board issued guidelines to exporters to prevent ethylene oxide contamination.
More about the news
The guidelines were issued after Singapore and Hong Kong recalled some packaged spice products exported from India while the US and Australia are also examining the matter.
The guidelines advise exporters against using ETO as a sterilising agent to reduce the microbial contamination in spices consignments and suggests alternatives such as steam sterilisation and irradiation.
Ethylene Oxide (ETO) is a chemical commonly used for the sterilisation and fumigation of agricultural products due to its effectiveness in killing bacteria, fungi, and insects.
The Spices Board has also provided the Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) for ETO permitted in major markets.
The guidelines also proposed measures to prevent microbiological cross-contamination, appropriate packaging, careful transportation to ensure protection from any of the external adverse environmental factors and careful handling of samples for testing.
About Spice Board of India
Spices Board is the statutory organization constituted in 1987, under the Spices Board Act 1986 with the merger of the erstwhile Cardamom Board and Spices Export Promotion Council.
It comes under the aegis of Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
It is responsible for the export promotion of the 52 scheduled spices and development and research of cardamom (small and large).
The Spices Board is responsible for the overall development of cardamom (small and large) in terms of improving production, productivity and quality.
The Board is also implementing post-harvest improvement programmes for improving quality of the 52 scheduled spices for export.
The various development programmes and post-harvest quality improvement programmes of the Board are included under the head ‘Export Oriented Production’.
The Board is an international link between the Indian exporters and the importers abroad.
3D Printed Rocket Engine
Why in news?
Recently, the ISRO successfully tested a liquid rocket engine made with the help of additive manufacturing technology — commonly known as 3D printing.
More about the news
The engine that the space agency tested is the PS4 engine used in the Reaction Control System (RCS) of the upper stage (PS1) of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
The engine, PS4 was redesigned by ISRO for production using 3D printing. The PS4 engine plays a critical role in accurately deploying payloads into their intended orbits aboard the PSLV.
PS4 is developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC).
PS4 engine operates on earth-storable bipropellant combinations, using Nitrogen Tetroxide as the oxidizer and Mono Methyl Hydrazine as the fuel in a pressure-fed mode.
ISRO has employed Laser Powder Bed Fusion technique to redesign the PS4 engine. This has brought significant advantages:
The number of parts in the engine has been reduced from 14 to a single-piece.
Additionally, 19 weld joints have been eliminated in the new design.
This redesign results in considerable savings in raw material usage per engine.
Specifically, it reduces metal powder usage from 13.7 kg to 565 kg of forgings and sheets in conventional manufacturing processes.
What is 3D Printing
3D printing is a process that uses computer-created design to make three-dimensional objects layer by layer.
It is an additive process, in which layers of a material like plastic, composites or bio-materials are built up to construct objects that range in shape, size, rigidity, and colour.
3D printers construct the desired object by using a layering method, which is the complete opposite of the subtractive manufacturing processes.
Why did ISRO use 3D printing to build the PS4 engine?
The technology helped ISRO bring down the number of parts in the engine from 14 to a single piece.
The space agency was able to eliminate 19 weld joints and saved 97% of raw material. It also reduced the overall production time by 60%.
Launch Vehicle Mk III (LVM3)
Why in news?
Recently, the New Space India Limited (NSIL) has called on private players to manufacture India’s largest launch vehicle LVM3.
About LVM3
LVM3 is the new heavy lift launch vehicle of ISRO for achieving a 4000 kg spacecraft launching capability to GTO (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit) in a cost-effective manner.
The overall length of the vehicle is 43.5 m with a gross lift-off weight of 640 tonnes and a 5m-diameter payload fairing.
The LVM-3 has 3 stages,
The first (or bottom most stage) is in the form of 2 S200 boosters straps to the sides of the rocket body. They combust a solid fuel called hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene.
The second stage is powered by Vikas Engines, which combust a liquid fuel, either nitrogen tetroxide or unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine.
The Uppermost final stage is Powered by a cryogenic engine. It combusts liquified hydrogen with liquified oxygen.
The first experimental flight of LVM3, the LVM3-X/CARE mission lifted off from Srihari Kota on December 18, 2014. It was used in GSAT 19, GSAT 29, Chandrayaan 2, Chandrayaan 3 and One-Web India Gen-1.
LVM3 is also the launch vehicle for Gaganyaan missions.
Glyptothorax Punyabratai
Why in news?
Recently, A new species of catfish, Glyptothorax punyabratai, has been unearthed in the Brahmaputra River drainage system.
More about the discovery
It is discovered by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR).
The discovery outlines the collection of Glyptothorax punyabratai from Tung Stream, a tributary of the Tissa River.
It has a unique rhomboidal-shaped thoracic adhesive apparatus, which is a specialized structure that helps the fish adhere to surfaces.
About Catfish
Catfish are a diverse group of ray-finned fish, named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat’s whiskers.
Catfish represent one of the largest groups of freshwater fishes, with more than 2000 species.
They are most diverse in tropical South America, Asia, and Africa.
They are found in fresh water/brackish water environments, though most inhabit shallow, running water.
Oleander Flower
Why in news?
Recently, Two Kerala government-controlled temple boards have banned use of oleander flowers.
More about the news
The ban has been imposed in the wake of a 24-year-old woman who died after accidentally chewing some oleander leaves.
Even though it is prescribed in some ayurvedic formulations, oleander’s toxicity has also long been recognised across the world.
Effects of oleander toxicity include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, rashes, confusion, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, slow heartbeat, and, in extreme cases, death.
About Oleander
Nerium oleander is commonly known as oleander or rosebay. In Kerala, the plant is known by the names of arali and kanaveeram.
It is a plant cultivated worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions.
It is known for its drought tolerance; the shrub is often used for ornamental and landscaping purposes.
It has medicinal properties. The plant has been “frequently described in Brihattrayi, Nighantus and other classical Ayurvedic texts.
Charka [Charak Samhita] has prescribed the leaves of white flowered variety externally in chronic and obstinate skin diseases of serious nature including leprosy.
Bhavaprakasha has described Karvira [another name of the plant] as a visha (poison) and indicated it in treatment of vrana (infected wounds), kustha (skin diseases including leprosy), krimi (microbes and parasites), kandu (itching), etc.
Exercise SHAKTI
Why in news?
The 7th edition of India- France Joint Military Exercise SHAKTI commenced in Meghalaya.
About the exercise
Exercise SHAKTI is a biennial training event conducted alternatively in India and France. Last edition was conducted in France in November 2021.
Aim of Exercise SHAKTI is to enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake multi-domain operations in a Sub Conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the United Nations Mandate.
The joint exercise will focus on operations in the semi-urban and mountainous terrain.
Objectives to be achieved from the joint training are high degree of physical fitness, rehearsing and refining drills for operations at tactical level and sharing of best practices.
Other exercise held between India and France:
Garuda is the bilateral air exercise between India and France.
Exercise Desert Knight is a joint military exercise between India, France, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Exercise FRINJEX-23 is between Indian Army and French Army.
EXERCISE VARUNA is the bilateral Naval Exercise between India and France.
The Civil Services Exam is conducted every year by the UPSC to select suitable candidates for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), IFS (Indian Foreign Service), IPS (Indian Police Service), IRS (Indian Revenue Service) and other Central Services like the Audits and Accounts, Railway Technical Services etc.
These services are vital for the administration of the Nation as they form the underlying basis of the policy formulation, implementation and execution in almost all the domains of the Governance. Sardar Patel had called the Civil Service the “Steel Frame of India“, the backbone of India’s Administration.
Being part of the Services is associated with prestige, power and a sense of responsibility toward the Society and the Nation. No doubt, the Services attract the best among the vast talent pool of the country.
And it is no surprise that the competition for the CSE is becoming fiercer every year. Over the last 3-4 years the number of applicants has hovered around 1,000,000 out of which approximately 500,000 appear for the Preliminary Exam. On an average 10,000 candidates qualify for the Mains Examination and less than 2,500 are called for the interview. Finally, only about 1,000 or fewer candidates qualify to be part of the Services. Thus the conversion ratio from appearing in the Preliminary Examination to the final selection in the Services is less than 0.2% (considering only the
Thus only sincere hard work may not be enough to be part of the Services. The aspirants need suitable guidance and study material to get selected and fulfil their dream of serving the Nation. Unacademy strives to provide quality content to the learners in order to supplement the guidance they receive from top Educators on the Unacademy Platform and aid their preparation.
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