20 APRIL 2023

Topic 1: Jagadish Chandra Bose

Context: A group of researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel reported that they had been able to pick up distress noises made by plants which was already shown by Jagadish Chandra Bose more than a century ago.

Who was JC Bose:

• A physicist-turned-biologist who lived between 1858 and 1937, made pioneering contributions in both the fields.
• He was the first Indian to have made a powerful impact on modern science, much before Srinivasa Ramanujan, C V Raman, or Satyendra Nath Bose.
• Jagadish Chandra Bose is remembered for two things:
  • his work on wireless transmission of signals:
    • He is also credited as one of the first contributors to solid state physics.
    • Bose is widely believed to be the first one to generate electromagnetic signals in the microwave range.
    • In 1895 he demonstrated how microwaves could be used wirelessly to ring an electric bell on the other side of a building.
    • And yet, Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian scientist who carried out the first transmission of signals across the Atlantic in 1901, is recognised as the sole inventor of the radio. His study of plants
  • on the physiology of plants:
    • J C Bose was extremely talented at picking electric signals.
    • The other thing he was extremely creative at was making instruments.
    • He used these instruments to try and detect the faintest signals from the plants.
    • The simple experiments of Bose revealed a high degree of similarity in the responses of plant and animal tissues to external stimuli.
• In a way, Bose was possibly the world’s first biophysicist.

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Topic 2: Deadnaming

Context: Twitter has removed a policy that prohibited misgendering or deadnaming of transgender people on the social media platform.

What is deadnaming?

• A deadname is essentially the name that a trans, non-binary, and/or gender-expansive person was called before they adopted a more self-affirming name.
• The act of calling a trans, non-binary, and/or gender-expansive person by the deadname is known as deadnaming, which can lead to adverse consequences.
• Implications:
  • Deadnaming is harmful because refusing to use a person’s chosen name or pronouns is a form of transphobia or cissexism.
  • Cissexism can contribute to mental health conditions, such as depression and suicidality.
  • It can also lead to physical and verbal assault and abuse.
  • Deadnaming not only invalidates someone’s true identity but also may reveal information about the sex assigned to them at birth that the person concerned may not want anyone to know.

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Topic 2: UN population report

Context: India is now the most populous country in the world, having overtaken China in population, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said in its State of World Population (SOWP) report, ‘8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities’, released recently.

Highlights of the report

• Demographics:
  • The population of the world is 8,045 million, of which the largest share (65%) is of people between the ages of 15 and 64 years, followed by those in the 10-24 years group (24%).
  • 10 per cent of the population is above 65 years of age.
• Regional distribution:
  • According to the UN’s 2022 report, the world’s two most populous regions are:
    • Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, with 2.3 billion people, representing 29 per cent of the global population; and
    • Central and Southern Asia, with 2.1 billion (26 per cent).
    • China and India accounted for the largest populations in these regions, with more than 1.4 billion each in 2022.
    • Central and Southern Asia is expected to become the most populous region in the world by 2037.

• Future projections:
  • Earlier UN reports had said that the population growth in South Asia will begin to decline before 2100.
  • The latest UN projections suggest that the global population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 10.4 billion in 2100.
  • More than half of the projected increase in global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries:
    • the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
    • Egypt,
    • Ethiopia,
    • India,
    • Nigeria,
    • Pakistan,
    • the Philippines and
    • the United Republic of Tanzania.
  • Countries of sub-Saharan Africa are expected to continue growing through 2100 and to contribute more than half of the global population increase anticipated through 2050.
• Outlook for population growth
  • Latest projections suggest that the rate of global population growth has fallen, and has been at less than 1 per cent since 2020.
  • This is largely due to declining fertility.
  • Around two thirds of people live in a country or area with a total fertility rate at or below 2.1 children per woman (also called “replacement fertility” rate or “zero-growth fertility” rate).
  • In 1950 the global fertility rate stood at 5.
  • Already 60% of the world’s population lives in a region where the fertility rate is below replacement level, up from 40% in 1990.
• Migration as driver of growth:
  • It is international migration that is now the driver of growth in many countries, with 281 million people living outside their country of birth in 2020.
  • Migration has also occurred due to war, famines, and other catastrophes.
  • South Asia clocks some of the highest emigration trends, with India seeing an estimated net outflow of 3.5 million between 2010 and 2021.
  • Pakistan has the highest net flow of migrants of 16.5 million during the same period.

• Birth rate:
  • Despite the continuing decline in the average number of birthsper woman, the total annual number of births has remained stable at around 140 million since the late 1980s.
    • It is due to the youthful age distribution of the global population.
    • In 2021, 134 million babies were born worldwide.
    • In the future, the number of newborns is expected to slightly increase to reach 138 million annually between 2040 and 2045, despite the continuous decline in the average number of births per woman.
    • In 2021, most births worldwide occurred in the two most populous regions—Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
• Life Expectancy:
  • One of the reasons for population growth globally flagged by the UNFPA has been that of increasing life expectancy.
  • Fertility rates and mortality rates have been dropping in various parts of the world with better access to health care and improving standards of living.
  • Life expectancy among men now stands at 71 years while among women it stands at 76 years.
  • Globally, life expectancy reached 72.8 years in 2019, an increase of almost 9 years since 1990.
  • Further reductions in mortality are projected to result in an average longevity of around 77.2 years globally in 2050.
  • The share of the global population aged 65 years or above is projected to rise from 10 per cent in 2022 to 16 per cent in 2050.
  • Once fertility rates drop in high fertility regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, the global population will start to decline.
• Where does India stand in the big population picture?
  • The UN report states that India now has 1,428.6 million people and is the most populous country in the world, outstripping China’s population.
  • As much as 68% of India’s population belongs to the 15-64 years category, and 26% in the 10-24 years group, making India one of the youngest countries in the world.
  • Experts say that India’s large population is a result of the “population momentum” from earlier decades, and that the country’s population is likely to start its decline closer to 2050.
  • Fertility rate:
    • The fertility rate in India has been steadily dropping.
    • The National Family Health 5 Survey (2019-21) found that India attained a Total Fertility Rate of 2.0 for the first time, less than the replacement level of 2.1, falling from 2.2 in NFHS 4 (2015-16).
  • Causes of decline:
    • The increased use of contraceptive methods, spacing of pregnancies, access to health care and the impetus to family planning, besides increasing wealth and education, has contributed to the rate of growth of population slowing.
  • Life expectancy:
    • Life expectancy for men in India is the same as the global life expectancy of 71 years, while it is marginally lower for women at 74 years.

Conclusion:

• With 68% of its population as youth, and working population, India could have one of the largest workforces in the world, giving it a global advantage.
• The population in many countries, like Japan and South Korea, are on the decline.
• A declining fertility rate, women not having children, is accompanied by an ageing population, and one that is out of the workforce.
• This is the situation that India now needs to capitalise on to spur its economic growth further, by educating and skilling its youth, and providing this skilled labour to countries which will be in dire need of such a work force in the near future.

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Topic 3: YZ Ceti b

Context: Astronomers have detected a repeating radio signal from an exoplanet, YZ Ceti b, suggesting the presence of a magnetic field — one of the prerequisites for a habitable planet — around it.

What is YZ Ceti B:

• YZ Ceti b is a terrestrial exoplanet that orbits an M-type star.
• Its mass is 0.7 Earths.
• It takes 2 days to complete one orbit of its star.
• Its discovery was announced in 2017.

What are exoplanets?

• An exoplanet is any planet beyond our solar system.

What is a Magnetic Field?

• The magnetic field is a field, produced by electric charges in motion.
• It is a field of force causing a force on a material in the vicinity of the field.
• Magnetic field does not require any medium to propagate – it can propagate even in a vacuum.
• The energy storing capacity of the magnetic field is greater than the electric field.
• The earth also has its natural magnetism which protects it from solar waves from the sun.

Why does the magnetic field of this exoplanet matter?

• Just as energy surges from the sun sometimes disrupt telecommunications on earth and damage orbiting satellites, intense bursts of energy from the YZ Ceti star-exoplanet exchange produce spectacular auroral lights which we can see in the form of radio waves.
• These radio waves, strong enough to be picked up on earth, confirmed the existence of an exoplanetary magnetic field.
• Such signals can only be produced if the exoplanet orbits very close to its parent star and has its own magnetic field to influence the stellar wind and generate the signals.
• YZ Ceti b has a small orbit.
• To have an atmosphere and sustain water, a planet has to be at a certain distance from its star (in orbits said to be in the star’s “Goldilocks zone”), or it will get burnt.

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Topic 4: Web 3

Context: A decentralised web that caters to the next generation of the Internet, leveraging blockchain technology to create a more open and transparent web called Web3 is in the talks.

About Web3

• Web3 is built on top of existing Internet infrastructure and not in competition with previous versions of the web platform.
• It allows for the creation and exchange of digital assets, decentralised applications (dApps), and smart contracts in the blockchain system.
  • Blockchain is a decentralised digital technology that is designed to securely store data in a way where hacking and compromising is not easy like on current mediums and variants of the Internet.
  • It is best known for its use in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, where it is used to store and transfer digital currencies in a secure and transparent way.

Key features of Web3

• Control over data:
  • One of the key features of Web3 is that it provides users with greater control over their data and digital assets.
  • Web3 allows for peer-to-peer transactions and interactions, which means that users are in control of their data and can choose whom they share it with.
• Privacy and security:
  • Instead of relying on centralised intermediaries, it offers options and mediums for an individual to have more privacy and, more importantly, security of the content and transactions.
• Decentralised applications and smart contracts:
  • Another key feature of Web3 is the ability to create and use decentralised applications (dApps) and smart contracts.
  • These dApps can be used for a variety of purposes, such as social media, finance, gaming, and more.

How is Web3 different from Web2?

• Web2, also known as the centralised web, is the current version of the Internet.
• It is characterised by the dominance of large, centralised platforms such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon.
• Main differences between Web2 and Web3 are:
  • Centralisation vs. Decentralisation:
    • Web2 is centralised, meaning that data is stored on centralised servers owned and controlled by large corporations.
    • In contrast, Web3 is decentralised, meaning that data is stored on a decentralised network of computers that are owned and controlled by the users themselves.
  • Intermediaries vs peer-to-peer:
    • Web2 relies heavily on intermediaries such as banks, social media platforms, and online marketplaces to facilitate transactions and interactions.
    • Web3 enables peer-to-peer transactions and interactions, meaning that users can transact directly with one another without the need for intermediaries like banks, for example.
  • Data ownership and control:
    • In Web2, large corporations like Facebook and Google have significant control over user data and can monetise it in ways that users may not be comfortable with.
    • In Web3, users can choose to share data only with those they trust.
    • In Web2, users must trust intermediaries to keep their data and transactions secure.
    • In Web3, users can trust the network itself to keep their data and transactions secure.

Challenges for Web3

• Scalability:
  • The current infrastructure of blockchain networks can only handle a limited number of transactions per second.
• User Adoption:
  • While blockchain technology has been around for over a decade, it is still relatively unknown.
• Interoperability:
  • Web3 is being built by a wide range of developers and organisations, each with their own unique vision for how the technology should be implemented.
• Complexity:
  • Technology requires a certain level of technical expertise to use and understand.
  • This may be a barrier to adoption for some users who are not comfortable with technology or do not have the necessary technical knowledge.

Applications:

• Cryptocurrencies:
  • They are built on blockchain technology, which is a key component of Web3.
  • These digital currencies enable secure, decentralised transactions without the need for intermediaries.
• Decentralised Finance (DeFi):
  • DeFi is a movement that aims to build a new financial system on top of the blockchain technology.
  • DeFi applications enable users to borrow, lend, and trade cryptocurrencies without the need for traditional financial intermediaries.
• User centric networks:
  • Web3 is being used to create decentralised social networks like Mastodon, which are designed to be more user-centric.
• Web3 is also being used to develop decentralised identity verification systems.

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Topic 5: Circular Economy

Context: Union Minister says, India set to be major contributor to world’s “Circular Economy”.

What is a circular economy?

• The circular economy is a systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution.
• The circular economy is based on three principles:
  • Eliminate waste and pollution
  • Circulate products and materials (at their highest value)
  • Regenerate nature
• It is underpinned by a transition to renewable energy and materials.
• A circular economy decouples economic activity from the consumption of finite resources.
• It is a resilient system that is good for business, people and the environment.
• A circular economy is characterized as “a model of production and consumption that ensures long-term growth.”
• With the circular economy, we may promote:
  • resource optimization,
  • recover waste by recycling or giving the product a second life as a new one, and
  • reduce raw material consumption.
• Circular models seek to eliminate four different kinds of waste that are as follows:
  • Wasted Resources:
    • Materials and energy that cannot be effectively recycled over time
  • Wastage Capacities:
    • Products and assets that are underutilized
  • Wasted Lifecycles:
    • Products that prematurely end due to planned obsolescence or a lack of second-life options
  • Wasted Embedded Values:
    • Components, materials, and energy not retrieved from waste streams

Circular economy for electronic waste

• Creating a circular economy for electronic waste will result in zero waste generation and nothing will go into landfills.
• As a consequence, prolonging the product’s life and reusing components provides even higher economic benefits.
• There is also the possibility of creating a more circular system in which resources are capitalized on and reused in ways that create a more decent and sustainable environment than they are extracted, used, and discarded.

Importance in India

• Adoption of a circular economy in India will result in yearly benefits of $624 billion by 2050 and a 44% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Hence, the circular economy plays a pivotal role in preserving the environmental condition and creating a reward system to encourage the recycling of electronic products.
• By 2030, India is expected to be the world’s third-largest economy, accounting for approximately 8.5% of the global GDP.
• The circular economy has the potential to fuel India’s growth while also providing significant environmental benefits, making a sustainable and resilient framework.
• The recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic industry in India is estimated to be worth around US$ 400-550 million.
  • In India, PET is recycled at a rate of 90%, which is higher than in Japan (72%), Europe (48%), and the United States (31%).
• Thus, there are enormous opportunities for a circular economy in India. 
• The country is likely to be:
  • Leading hub for technology and innovation
    • With its existing IT dominance and pool of tech talent, India is well-positioned to use digital technology to create innovative and cutting-edge circular businesses.
    • This has the potential to accelerate India to the forefront of the global circular economy revolution.
  • Early success compared to global economies
    • India is one of the fastest developing economies and can easily take up opportunities to use circular methods of production, building sustainable designs.
    • As mature economies have a linear lock-in and switching costs would be costly and time-taking.
    • Therefore, as an emerging nation, India has a competitive advantage over mature economies.
  • Easy acceptance of circular products
    • Several circular aspects are ingrained in Indian mindsets like vehicle over-utilization and repair or extensive recovery and recycling of post-use materials at the household level.
    • Thus, this widespread cultural acceptance makes India a larger marketplace.
  • Cost-centric Market
    • The cost of providing services to consumers will be cheaper for those who would take the circular path than that of the traditional take-make-waste model.
    • Incorporating circular practices in India could result in US$ 624 billion in savings across construction, food and agriculture, and mobility by 2050.
    •  This will contribute to widespread adoption, particularly among India’s cost-conscious consumers.

Benefits of Circular Economy

• Protection of the environment:
  • By lowering emissions, consuming fewer natural resources, and producing less trash.
• Benefits for the local economy:
  • By encouraging production models that rely on the reuse of nearby waste as raw material.
• Drives employment growth:
  • It fosters the development of a new, more inventive, and competitive industrial model, resulting in higher economic growth and more employment.
• Promotes resource independence:
  • Reusing local resources can reduce reliance on imported raw materials.

Government Initiatives

E-Waste Management Policy

Year	Policy	Objective	Applicability
2008	Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of E-Waste	It categorized e-waste based on its numerous constituents and compositions and placed a strong emphasis on E-waste management and treatment procedures.The policy included ideas like Extended Producer Responsibility.	Producer and end-of-line player in the supply chain
2011	The E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules	The terms “electrical and electronic equipment” and “e-waste” refer to waste electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part, or rejects from their manufacturing and repair process, which are intended to be thrown away.	Producer, consumer or bulk consumer, collection centre,dismantler and recycler
2016	E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016	Electrical and electronic waste, including both whole and unfinished discarded equipment from their manufacture and repair processes, is referred to as “e-waste” and “electrical and electronic equipment.	Expanded to the manufacturers, dealers, refurbishers, and Producer ResponsibilityOrganization (PRO)

• Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2022:
  • The Union Environment Ministry has launched this policy to mandate to increase in the thickness of plastic carry bags to over 120 microns and the phase-out of some single-use plastic products.
• Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0 (SBM-U2.0):
  • It aims to achieve the objective of safe sanitation in urban areas by making all cities “Garbage Free,” guaranteeing grey and black water management in all cities and making all urban local bodies open defecation free (ODF+) and those with a population of less than 1 lakh as ODF++.

Challenges:

• Lack of vision and implementation:
  • One of the major contributing factors is lack of a clear vision towards the end-goal of India’s circular economy mission and gaps in actual implementation of the policies.
• Reluctance of industry:
  • Industry is also reluctant in adopting the circular economy model due to:
    • supply chain limitations,
    • lack of incentives to invest,
    • complex recycling processes and
    • lack of information to support participation in reusing/ recycling/re-manufacturing processes.
• Unsatisfactory outcomes:
  • Another glaring concern here is that efforts are made at the very end of value chains, resulting in sub-optimal economic and environmental outcomes.
  • Such limitations may be overcome through legislative mandates for the procurement of recycled/ secondary raw materials in the initial stages of the production cycle, developing a unified legislation addressing the circular economy from a regulatory perspective.

Road Ahead

• India’s rapidly evolving market and high potential for development can provide a competitive advantage over mature economies.
• The aspirational long-term vision of a circular economy is based on the current strengths of the Indian market and the integration of diverse stakeholders that has the potential to pave the way for fast-tracked sustainable, and resilient prosperity.
• Circular economy advancements will not only improve urban and agricultural economies’ resilience, but will also provide benefits such as climate mitigation, food, and water security, increased biodiversity, job creation, and empowerment of underprivileged communities.
• Transitioning to a circular economy necessitates a comprehensive and systematic implementation of a roadmap.
• The net-zero future is such a significant necessity that it will affect every aspect of our daily lives.
• A streamlined framework on circular economy reporting, clarifying the mechanism surrounding trading of extended producer responsibility certificates and providing fiscal incentives to businesses to complete the supply chain will also help.

Conclusion:

• The government’s initiatives need to be in conjunction with implementable actions with industry collaboration to reap the benefits of the circular economy.
• A combination of the government’s current efforts along with relevant implementation strategies will instil a sense of confidence in businesses to adopt the circular model of production.

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Topic 6: Same sex marriage and civil union in India (updated from 19^th April 2023)

Context: The CJI clarified that the hearing of a batch of petitions seeking legal recognition of same sex marriage scope would be limited to developing a notion of a “civil union” that finds legal recognition under the Special Marriage Act.

What is a civil union?

• A “civil union” refers to the legal status that allows same-sex couples specific rights and responsibilities normally conferred upon married couples.
• Although a civil union resembles a marriage and brings with it employment, inheritance, property, and parental rights, there are some differences between the two.
• Differences:
  • Civil union laws allow same-sex couples to marry, without providing them formal recognition of the same.
  • These civil unions would be accompanied byrights such as:
    • inheritance rights,
    • employment benefits to spouses,
    • joint parenting or joint ownership rights, and
    • the right to abstain from testifying against one’s partner
• Civil union was recognised solely by issuing states and not by federal law.

Arguments against same-sex marriage

• It’s not a democratic but instead a theological discussion.
• It was founded on conviction in religion and natural justice.
• Some don’t consider it as normal because they can’t replicate babies.
• The culture is built on marriage and partnership of men and women.

Arguments in favour of same-sex marriage

• Denying marriage to them who require that implies restricting their rights, treating them unjust, physically and morally disadvantaging.
• It is a punitive action that requires a sound reason to not legally allow anybody to marry.

The Government’s Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage

• The government highlighted that denying same-sex couples the right to marry was not violative of Article 14.
  • This is because of the existence of an intelligible differentia between heterosexual couples and same-sex couples and a rational relation with the object sought to be achieved by the law – social stability in marriages.
• They also claimed that while Navtej Singh case upheld the privacy rights of gay individuals, it did not necessarily include the “public right” to marriage. 

Key Supreme Court verdicts that moved the needle on LGBTQ rights in India:

• Suresh Koushal v Union of India:
  • In ‘Suresh Koushal v Union of India’ the SC upheld the constitutional validity of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
• NALSA v Union of India
  • The court upheld the right of transgender persons to decide their gender and directed the Centre and state governments to grant legal recognition to their gender identity, such as male, female or the third gender.
• KS Puttaswamy v Union of India
  • In 2017, a nine-judge Bench of the Supreme Court unanimously recognised the right to privacy as a fundamental right under the Constitution for all.
  • In doing so, the verdict overruled the 2013 ‘Suresh Koushal’ ruling.

• Shafin Jahan v Union of India
  • The SC in March 2018 set aside a Kerala High Court judgment that annulled the marriage of a 24-year-old woman who converted to Islam and married a man of her choice.
  • The ruling recognised the right to choose one’s partner as a facet of the fundamental right to liberty and dignity.
• Shakti Vahini v Union of India
  • A three-judge Bench on the SC in March 2018 issued directives to prevent honour killings at the behest of khap panchayats and protect persons who marry without the approval of the panchayats.
  • In the ruling, the Court recognised the right to choose a life partner as a fundamental right.

• Navtej Johar v Union of India
  • In August 2018, the SC heard a curative petition against the ‘Koushal’ ruling.
  • A five-judge Constitution Bench struck down IPC Section 377 to the extent that it criminalised homosexuality.
  • The ‘Navtej’ ruling essentially said that the LGBTQ community are equal citizens and underlined that there cannot be discrimination in law based on sexual orientation and gender.
• Deepika Singh vs Central Administrative Tribunal
  • The SC decided in favour of a woman who was denied maternity leave for her first biological child on the ground that she had already availed the benefit for her two non-biological children.
  • The ruling recognised “atypical” families, including queer marriages, which could not be confined in the traditional parenting roles.

The Way Forward For India

• In the Asia Pacific region, progress is slow, but it is encouraging to see Taiwan and Thailand move towards greater acceptance.
• Pew survey data from 2019 shows that while social acceptance of homosexuality has risen over the years, it is still quite low in India.
• As the five-judge bench of the Supreme Court is hearing the matter, one hopes that the Court remembers ex-Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra’s sagacious words in his concurring opinion in Navtej:
  • Even if there is disapproval by the majority of the sexual orientation or exercise of choice by the LGBT persons, the Court as the final arbiter of the constitutional rights, should disregard social morality and uphold and protect constitutional morality which has been adverted to by this Court in several cases.
  • Constitutional morality and the fundamental guarantees of life, liberty, privacy, and autonomy should prevail and extend to all persons, irrespective of gender identity and sexual orientation.