I was the content creator of this particular course….till our beloved ever inspiring Roman Saini Sahab resumes this course again, I am taking this course…please search my profile on unacademy for July 2024. Daily Current Affairs MCQs created exclusively from that particular day of The HIndu and keep urself exam ready.I have my own telegram channel: Prelims Specific Notes for IAS….here we are sharing many resources for UPSC.If you have read the hindu of 3 july 2024. you must have covered the following:We are providing the daily updates at our telegram channel: Prelims Specific Notes for IASThe Hindu Notes 3rd July 2019AMENDMENT OF SC LISTContext: Union Minister opposes UP move to shift 17 OBCs to SC list.However, any amendment to the list of SCs can be made only by an Act of Parliament, in view of clause (2) of Article 341 of Constitution. Anything other than that is ultra vires. (Pg 1, The Hindu)AnalysisScheduled Castes ListsWhat is the criteria for listing of a Community as Scheduled Caste?Criteria for inclusion of any community in the list of Scheduled Castes is 'extreme social, educational and economic backwardness arising out of the traditional practice of untouchability'.What is the status of Scheduled Caste with regard to religion?As per orders issued under Article 341(1) of the Constitution, only persons professing either the Hindu, the Sikh or the Buddhist religion are deemed to be members of Scheduled Caste.Whether the courts have powers to include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled Caste?It is not open to Courts or Tribunals or any other agencies to amend or modify the list of Scheduled Caste.That can only be done by an act of Parliament in view of Clause (2) of Article 341.ORGAN DONATIONContext: Name Kerala hospitals in illegal organ trade case, tells SC. (Pg 8, The Hindu)AnalysisNational Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO)It is a National level organization set up under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.It has following two divisions:National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage NetworkNational Biomaterial CentreAll about Organ DonationWhat is an organ?An organ is a part of the body that performs a specific function: like Heart, Lungs, Kidney, Liver etc.What are the Organs that can be donated?The organs that can be donated are:Liver, Kidney, Pancreas, Heart, Lung, Intestine.What are the tissues that can be donated?The tissues that can be donated are:Cornea, Bone, Skin, Heart Valve, blood vessels, nerves and tendon etc.What are the different types of Organ Donation?There are two types of organ donation:Living Donor Organ Donation: A person during his life can donateone kidney (the other kidney is capable of maintaining the body functions adequately for the donor),a portion of pancreas (half of the pancreas is adequate for sustaining pancreatic functions) anda part of the liver (the segments of liver will regenerate after a period of time in both recipient and donor).Deceased Donor Organ Donation: A person can donate multiple organs and tissues after (brain-stem/cardiac) death.Is there any age limit for Organ Donation?In living donation, person should be above 18 year of age, and for most of the organs deciding factor is the person's physical condition and not the age.In the case of tissues and eyes, age usually does not matter.A deceased donor can generally donate the Organs & Tissues with the age limit of:Kidneys, liver: up-to 70 yearsHeart, lungs: up-to 50 yearsPancreas, Intestine: up-to 60-65 yearsCorneas, skin: up-to 100 yearsHeart valves: up-to 50 yearsBone: up-to 70 yearsHow does whole body donation differ from organ donation?Organ donation for therapeutic purposes is covered under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA 1994).Whole body donation is covered by the Anatomy Act 1984.Bodies are not accepted for teaching purposes if organs have been donated or if there has been a post-mortem examination. However, if only the corneas are to be donated, a body can be left for research.How are donated organs matched with patients?Blood group is one of the major factors taken into account.Organ size of the donor & recipient is also considered.For kidneys another important factor is tissue matching which is more complex than blood grouping matching and also takes more time. The best results can be achieved if there is a perfect kidney match.There is a local, regional and national computerized list of patients waiting for an organ transplant.Most of the time, computer will identify the best matched patient for a particular organ and organ is offered to the transplant unit who is treating that patient.Also, priority is given to patients who most urgently need a transplant.NOTTO operates the waiting list and organ allocation system.It works round the clock, every day of the year. In case of tissues, matching is usually not required.What is the protocol for organ distribution?The organs would be distributed locally within the State first, and if no match is found, they are then offered regionally, and then nationally, until a recipient is found.If no Indian is available, an NRI should be considered.The question of an international patient arises only when both Indian and NRI patients decline an organ offer.MEKEDATU MULTI-PURPOSE PROJECTContext: Nearly 52.5 sq. km of land, or an area larger than Bagalkot town, will be submerged or built over for the contentious Mekedatu balancing reservoir and drinking water project. (Pg 8, The Hindu)AnalysisMekedatu Multi-Purpose Project‘Mekedatu․ is located at the confluence of Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers in Karnataka.The project is disputed between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the sharing of Cauvery waters.Karnataka intends to build a 'Balancing Reservoir' or 'Mini KRS' (Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir near Mysuru) across river Cauvery near Mekedaatu for supplying potable water to Bengaluru and parts of Mysuru region in the near future.However, Tamil Nadu is objecting that the project would affect the flow of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.The project has also come under controversy as environmentalists fear irreversible damage to the ecosystem at the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary due to large-scale submergence.Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Vs Airports Authority of India (AAI)Context: A spate of runway mishaps due to rains forced aviation safety regulator DGCA, or Directorate General of Civil Aviation, to call a meeting with airlines and issue an advisory for the monsoon season. (Pg 9, The Hindu)AnalysisDirectorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)It is the regulatory body in the field of Civil Aviation, primarily dealing with safety issues.Functions:Registration of civil aircraft;Formulation of standards of airworthiness for civil aircraft registered in India and grant of certificates of airworthiness to such aircraft;Licensing of pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and flight engineers, and conducting examinations and checks for that purpose;Granting of Air Operator's Certificates to Indian carriers;Regulation of air transport services operating to/from/within/over India by Indian and foreign operators;Conducting investigation into accidents/incidents and taking accident prevention measures;Coordination at national level for flexi-use of air space by civil and military air traffic agencies;Interaction with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for provision of more air routes for civil use through Indian air space;Keeping a check on aircraft noise and engine emissions and collaborating with the environmental authorities in this matter, if required;Promoting indigenous design and manufacture of aircraft and aircraft components by acting as a catalytic agent;Approving training programmes of operators for carriage of dangerous goods, issuing authorizations for carriage of dangerous goods, etc.The Airports Authority of India (AAI)It was formed with a view to accelerate the integrated development, expansion, and modernization of the operational, terminal and cargo facilities at the airports in the country conforming to international standards.Major Functions:Design, Development, Operation and Maintenance of international and domestic airports and civil enclaves.Control and Management of the Indian airspace extending beyond the territorial limits of the country, as accepted by ICAO.ACUTE ENCEPHALITIS SYNDROMEContext: After Bihar, U.P. braces for encephalitis season. (Pg 9, The Hindu)EssentialsAcute Encephalitis SyndromeAcute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) including Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a group of clinically similar neurologic manifestation caused by several different viruses, bacteria, fungus, parasites, spirochetes, chemical/ toxins etc.The outbreak of JE usually coincides with the monsoon and post monsoon period when the density of mosquitoes increases while encephalitis due to other viruses specially entero-viruses occurs throughout the year as it is a water borne disease.Who is affected?It predominantly affects population below 15 years.Most vulnerable age group between 1-5 years followed by 5-10 years and 10-15 years in that order.Least JE infections in infants (0-1 year).There is seasonal and geographical variation in the causative organism.JEV has its endemic zones running along the Gangetic plain including states of UP (east), Bihar, West Bengal and Assam, and parts of Tamil Nadu.Link with Unripe Litchi FruitIn India, AES outbreaks in north and eastern India have been linked to severely malnourished children eating unripe litchi fruit on empty stomachs.Unripe fruit contain the toxins hypoglycin A and methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG), which cause vomiting, sudden high fever and seizures serious enough to require hospitalisation in young, severely malnourished children, if ingested in large quantities.Vaccination : As per Govt. of India guidelines, 2 doses of JE vaccine have been approved to be included in UIP.The vaccine is effective in few genotypes of AES as well.Essential oils from plant extracts such as citronella oil, lemongrass oil and neem oil can be used as natural repellent against mosquitoes.In Bihar, one PHC caters to about 1 lakh people rather than the norm of 1 PHC per 30,000 people.DRAFT NEW EDUCATION POLICY 2019Context: A 50-year-old controversy got a new lease of life recently when a paragraph in the Draft New Education Policy 2024 referred to the mandatory teaching of Hindi in States where Hindi is not spoken. (Pg 9, The Hindu)What is the three-language formula?This was a reiteration of the Central government’s three-language formula (the three languages referred to are Hindi, English and the regional language of the respective States), but it set off a storm in Tamil Nadu, which stoutly opposes any attempt to impose Hindi and adheres to a two-language formula.The origin of the linguistic row, however, goes back to the debate on official language. In the Constituent Assembly, Hindi was voted as the official language by a single vote.Leaders in Tamil Nadu are often at pains to emphasise that they do not oppose the voluntary learning of Hindi and cite the unhindered work of the Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, established in Chennai by Mahatma Gandhi in 1918.The institution imparts Hindi teaching at various levels to anyone who enrols for its programme.Article 351 of the Constitution provides that it shall be the duty of the Union to promote the spread of the Hindi language to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India and to secure its enrichment by assimilating without interfering with its genius.Draft New Education Policy 2019The Committee for Draft National Education Policy (Chair: Dr. K. Kasturirangan) submitted its report in May 2019.The Committee was constituted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in June 2017.The report proposes an education policy, which seeks to address the challenges of: (i) access, (ii) equity, (iii) quality, (iv) affordability, and (v) accountability faced by the current education system.Key observations and recommendations of the draft Policy include:School EducationThe draft Policy provides for reforms at all levels of education from school to higher education.The draft Policy recommends developing a two-part curriculum for early childhood care and education. This will consist of:(i) guidelines for up to three-year-old children (for parents and teachers), and(ii) educational framework for three to eight-year-old children.Currently, the RTE Act provides for free and compulsory education to all children from the age of six to 14 years. The draft Policy recommends extending the ambit of the RTE Act to include early childhood education and secondary school education.This would extend the coverage of the Act to all children between the ages of three to 18 years.The draft Policy recommends that there should be no detention of children till class eight.The draft Policy proposes State Census Examinations in classes three, five and eight.Further, it recommends restructuring the board examinations to test only core concepts, skills and higher order capacities.The students can choose their subjects, and the semester when they want to take these board exams.The in-school final examinations may be replaced by these board examinations.The draft Policy recommends that multiple public schools should be brought together to form a school complex.A complex will consist of one secondary school (classes nine to twelve) and all the public schools in its neighbourhood that offer education from pre-primary till class eight.Teachers will not be allowed to participate in any non-teaching activities (such as cooking mid-day meals or participating in vaccination campaigns) during school hours that could affect their teaching capacities.Higher EducationThe Committee identified lack of access as a major reason behind low intake of higher education in the country.It aims to increase GER to 50% by 2035 from the current level of about 25.8%.Gross Enrolment Ratio or GER is the total enrolment in higher education as percentage of the population in 18-23 years age group.It proposes setting up the National Higher Education Regulatory Authority (NHERA) to replace the existing individual regulators in higher education, including professional and vocational education.Currently, higher educational institutions can only be set up by Parliament or state legislatures. The draft Policy proposes that these institutions could be allowed to be set up through a Higher Education Institution Charter from NHERA.This Charter will be awarded on the basis of transparent assessment of certain specified criteria.Restructuring of higher education institutions: Higher education institutions will be restructured into three types:(i) research universities focusing equally on research and teaching;(ii) teaching universities focusing primarily on teaching; and(iii) colleges focusing only on teaching at undergraduate levels.The draft Policy recommends establishing a National Research Foundation, an autonomous body, for funding, mentoring and building the capacity for quality research in India.Education GovernanceIt recommends creation of a National Education Commission or Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog, as an apex body for education, to be headed by the Prime Minister.This body will be responsible for developing, implementing, evaluating, and revising the vision of education in the country on a continuous and sustained basis.The Ministry of Human Resources and Development must be renamed as the Ministry of Education in order to bring focus back on education.Financing EducationThe Draft Policy reaffirmed the commitment of spending 6% of GDP as public investment in education. In 2017-18, public expenditure on education in India was 2.7% of GDP.The draft Policy seeks to double the public investment in education from the current 10% of total public expenditure to 20% in the next 10 years.Technology in EducationIt recommends focused electrification of all educational institutions as electricity is a pre-requisite for all technology-based interventions. Further, it recommends:National Mission on Education through information and communication technology.The Mission will encompass virtual laboratories that prremote access to laboratories in various disciplines.A single online digital repository will be created where copyright-free educational resources will be made available in multiple languages.Vocational EducationThe Committee observed that less than 5% of the workforce in the age-group of 19-24 receives vocational education in India. It recommends integrating vocational educational programmes in all educational institutions (schools, colleges and universities) in a phased manner over a period of 10 years.All school students must receive vocational education in at least one vocation in grades nine to 12.The draft Policy targets to offer vocational education to up to 50% of the total enrolment in higher education institutions by 2024. up from the present level of enrolment of well below 10% in these institutions.Education and Indian LanguagesIt recommends that the medium of instruction must either be the home language/mother tongue/local language till grade five, and preferable till grade eight, wherever possible.To promote Indian languages, a National Institute for Pali, Persian and Prakrit will be set up.LEADER OF OPPOSITIONContext: Congress seeks the post of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha. (Pg 12, The Hindu)AnalysisThe leader of the opposition in the houses of Indian parliament is a statutory post.This post is defined in the Salaries and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977 as simply the leader of the numerically biggest party in opposition to the government and recognised as such by the speaker/chairman.Where there are two or more parties in opposition to the Government, in the Council of States or in the House of the People having the same numerical strength, the Chairman of the Council of States or the Speaker of the House of the People, as the case may be, shall, having regard to the status of the parties, recognise any one of the Leaders of such parties as the Leader of the Opposition and such recognition shall be final and conclusive.Therefore, to say that a party cannot claim the post of leader of the opposition because it does not have at least 10% of the membership of the house is devoid of any merit. This opinion reflects an ignorance of the law. (By P.D.T. Achary, former secretary general of the Lok Sabha)Note: After the enactment of the 10th Schedule of the constitution which brought in anti-defection provisions, every party ․ irrespective of the number of members it has in the house ․ is considered a ‘party’.Even a one-member party is a party in the house.MONEY BILLContext: The Supreme Court sought the response of the government on a special leave petition filed against a February 28 decision of the Delhi High Court, rejecting the challenge to amendments enacted to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) from 2024 onwards, through Finance Acts as ‘Money Bills’.The PMLA was amended on various occasions through Ordinary Bills as defined under Article 109 of the Constitution. However, post 2024. the Act has been amended through Money Bills. (Pg 12, The Hindu)AnalysisMoney BillDetails will be covered soon.BASE EROSION AND PROFITS SHIFTING (BEPS)Context: India has ratified the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (multilateral instruments (MLI)).The MLI is a result of concerted work by the G20 countries to tackle the issue of base erosion and profit shifting, something that affects them all. (Pg 15, The Hindu)AnalysisWhat’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting?The BEPS refers to corporate tax planning strategies used by multinational companies that artificially shift profits from higher tax locations to lower ones, eroding the tax base of the higher tax locations.The 2024 Union Budget announced an ‘equalisation levy․ of 6 per cent on such transactions.Equalisation Levy is a direct tax, which is withheld at the time of payment by the service recipient.The two conditions to be met to be liable to equalisation levy:The payment should be made to a non-resident service provider;The annual payment made to one service provider exceeds Rs. 1,00,000 in one financial year.Currently, not all services are covered under the ambit of equalisation Levy.The following services covered:Online advertisement;Any provision for digital advertising space or facilities/service for the purpose of online advertisement.India is the first country to impose such a levy, post the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) action plan.A tax panel has recommended expanding the ambit of this levy to cover a wide gamut of transactions including online marketing, cloud computing, website designing, hosting and maintenance, platforms for sale of goods and services, and online use of or download of software and applications.Tax to GDP ratio in India is about 16%, including State taxes, whereas in many developed countries it is about 35%-40%.It is imperative that India’s tax-GDP ratio also climbs substantially so that our public social investments can rise to the levels that are required.It is the expansion of tax base which would enhance the Tax-GDP ratio, rather than higher rates of taxes.CLASSICAL LANGUAGEContext: A proposal for granting Marathi the status of a classical language is under “active consideration,” Union Minister. (Pg 13, The Hindu)AnalysisIn 2024. the Union Minister for Tourism and Culture announced in the Rajya Sabha the creation of a new category of languages as classical languages based on four norms:(i) high antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2024 years;(ii) a body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers;(iii) the literary tradition should be original and not borrowed from another speech community;(iv) the classical language and literature being distinct from the modern, there may also be discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or offshoots.Six Indian languages ․ Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia and Sanskrit ․ have been given the classical language status.Tamil was the first to be recognised as the classical language in India, followed by Sanskrit.Telugu and Kannada (2024)Malayalam (2024)Odia (2024)Tamil was the earliest derivative from the Proto-Dravidian language, followed by Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.All these came under the influence of Sanskrit, the least affected one being Tamil.The first translations of Kautilya’s Arthasastra in a regional language were in Malayalam.LITHIUM-ION GIGA UNITS MOOTEDContext: To push the adoption of electric mobility in the country, government think-tank NITI Aayog has proposed the establishment of giga factories (huge factories) in India for the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries in the next couple of years.The recommendation is part of the Aayog’s much debated proposal that only electric (lithium-ion or other advanced battery chemistry only) three-wheelers would be sold in the country after March 31, 2024. and all new sales of two-wheelers below 150cc would be electric post March 31, 2024. (Pg 15, The Hindu)AnalysisThe advantages of Lithium ion batteries over other batteries are:High energy density: This is because lithium is highly reactive element, and a lot of energy can be stored in its atomic bonds.They do not need prolonged charge when new.Lithium ion cells hold their charge longer than other alternatives.It has relatively low self-discharge rate, less than half of the nickel-based batteries.Zero maintenance: Lithium ion cells can handle several charge-discharge cycles without any hassles.One of the major Centres of ISRO, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), is offering to transfer the in-house developed Li-ion cell technology to competent Indian Industries on non-exclusive basis to establish Li-ion cell production facilities in the country.This initiative is expected to enable Zero Emission Policy of India and accelerate the development of indigenous electric vehicle industry.News in briefTurnover Ratio (Pg 15, The Hindu)As per the latest analysis by the World Bank, the turnover ratio of the Indian stock market has fallen significantly in the last 10 years.The turnover ratio, which is a universally accepted parameter to gauge trading volumes, is the total value of the shares traded in a specific period divided by the average market capitalisation of that period.India has very high trading costs due to huge margin requirements, especially in the derivatives segment.Biological Data Storage, Access and Sharing Policy of India (Pg 9, The Hindu)It requires researchers who collect biological data such as DNA samples, cell and tissue samples etc. and use public funds for the same, to ensure that this data is made public within two years at the latest.What Is the Baltic Dry Index ․ BDI? (Pg 10, The Hindu)The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) is a shipping and trade index created by the London-based Baltic Exchange.It measures changes in the cost of transporting various raw materials, such as coal and steel.National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA) (Pg 13, The Hindu)The U.S. Senate has passed a legislative provision that brings India at par with America’s NATO allies and countries like Israel and South Korea for increasing defence cooperation.The National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA) for the fiscal year 2024. that contained such a proposal was passed by the U.S. Senate last week.
