Society 

The impact of classifying denotified tribes - The Hindu

The Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) and Tribal Research Institutes (TRI) across the country have for the first time comprehensively categorised 268 denotified, semi-nomadic, and nomadic tribes that were thought to have never been classified before.

Classification of Denotified, Semi-Nomadic, and Nomadic Tribes

• SIgnificance: First comprehensive classification of 268 denotified, semi-nomadic, and nomadic tribes.
• Recommendations:
  • 179 communities recommended for inclusion in Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), or Other Backward Classes (OBC) lists.
  • 85 communities identified for classification for the first time ever.
• Untraceable Communities:
  • 63 communities found to be not traceable.
  • Possible reasons: assimilation into larger groups, name changes, or migration to other States.

Need for Categorisation 

• Parliamentary Concern:
  • Standing Committee on Social Justice (2022): Flagged delays in categorisation.
  • Impact: Delay deprives communities of SC/ST welfare benefits.

• Historical Misclassification:

• Colonial-era Censuses: Tribes were wrongly classified as castes and vice versa.
• Post-Independence: Political considerations continued misclassification.

• Challenges in Organisation:
  • Absence of a comprehensive list hinders community organisation.
  • Incorrect classification: Some listed under SC, ST, or OBC while many remain unclassified.

Impact of Classification 

• Political Impact: Activists in U.P., Haryana, M.P., and Gujarat questioning classification due to reservation concerns.
• Diverging Views within Welfare Board:
• One group: Supports SC/ST/OBC classification to ensure access to welfare benefits.
• Second group: Proposes a separate Schedule in the Constitution for denotified tribes.
• State Government: Government action on recommendations will facilitate State-level inclusion.

Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI)

• Government Research Body: The only government organization dedicated to anthropological research in India.
• Origins: Evolved from the Zoological and Anthropological section of the Indian Museum.
• Formation: Became part of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in 1916.
• Establishment: The Anthropology section was separated in 1945, leading to the formation of AnSI.

 

ASER 2024: Enrollment up, what's ahead for early childhood education? - Indian Express

Since 2005, the NGO Pratham has released the Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) to measure basic reading and arithmetic levels among school children, attendance in school and other indicators. The 2024 survey reached 6,49,491 children in 17,997 villages across 605 rural districts.

Learning Levels in 2024

• Elementary Education (6-14 years):
  • Improvement in reading and arithmetic levels across all grades.
  • Significant progress in learning levels for Classes 1 to 3 w.r.t. 2022 ASER report.
• Early Childhood Education (3-6 years):
  • Preschool enrollment increased between 2018 and 2024.
  • 77.4% of rural children (age 3) enrolled in early education programs.
  • Considered a major achievement for India's diverse education system.

Impact of NEP 2020 on Schools (Five Years On)

• Structural Changes:
  • Inclusion of age group 3-6 years in the education system.
  • Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) as the highest priority.
• Implementation of NIPUN Bharat (2021):
  • Aims for universal FLN by Class 3 (age 8) by 2026-27.
  • 83% schools received FLN directives from the government.
  • 78% schools trained at least one teacher in FLN.
  • 75% schools received FLN learning materials.
• Visible Changes in Schools:
  • Increased availability of learning materials, books, and activity resources in rural government schools.

Need for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)

• Class 1 Enrollment at Age 6:
  • Prevents early school entry, ensuring cognitive and social readiness.
  • Helps children adapt to curricular expectations and classroom behaviors.

Focus on ECCE (Pre-Class 1 Years):

• Prepares children and families for school.
• Strengthens early childhood structures for a smooth transition.

Role of Anganwadis:

• More than one-third of children (ages 3-5) attend Anganwadis.
• Some states now provide specialized training for Anganwadi workers.

Integrated Approach:

• Anganwadis handle nutrition, immunization, and early education.
• Closer parent-worker connection facilitates child development.

 

World Affairs 

Is Trump’s order on birthright citizenship constitutional? - The Hindu

On January 23, U.S. District judge John Coughenour in Seattle blocked President Trump’s executive order attempting to curb ‘birthright citizenship’.

Origin of Birthright Citizenship in the U.S.

• Early Practice (Post-1776): The 1788 U.S. Constitution referenced “natural born citizens” in Article 2, covering jus soli (birth in U.S.) and jus sanguinis (birth abroad to American fathers).
• Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857): SCOTUS ruled that enslaved individuals and their descendants were not citizens.
• 14th Amendment (1866): Declared “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” are citizens.
• United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898): SCOTUS clarified that those born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents’ nationality, are U.S. citizens.

Interpretations of the 14th Amendment

• Wong Kim Ark Case (1898)
  • Context: Wong Kim Ark, born in the U.S. to Chinese parents, was denied re-entry under the Chinese Exclusion Act.
  • SCOTUS Ruling: Wong was “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S. despite his parents’ nationality, entitling him to citizenship.
  • Significance: Forms the core precedent sustaining birthright citizenship, challenging any attempt to abolish it.
• Plyler v. Doe (1982)
  • About: Affirmed that children of undocumented immigrants, being “subject to the jurisdiction” of U.S. laws, hold a right to public education.
  • Rationale: No meaningful legal distinction exists between those who entered the U.S. lawfully or unlawfully for the 14th Amendment’s purposes.

Birthright Citizenship in India

• Debate: Article 5 of the Constitution accorded citizenship to all persons born in India before its commencement.
• Citizenship Act, 1955 (Section 3): Granted birthright citizenship to everyone born in India post-January 26, 1950, except children of foreign envoys or enemy aliens in occupied territory.
• 1986 Amendment: Ended unrestricted birthright citizenship. Children born after this date gained citizenship only if one parent was Indian.
• 2003 Amendment: If either parent was an illegal immigrant at the time of birth, the child did not acquire Indian citizenship.

 

DeepSeek's lessons, message - Indian Express

A Chinese company has developed and open-sourced a foundational AI model (called DeepSeek) that is equal to or better than the multi-billion-dollar AI models created by global giants like OpenAI and Google DeepMind. What made this announcement even more remarkable was the claim that the model had been developed in just over two months, with a budget of less than $6 million.

Implications 

• Sputnik moment: China's AI assistant is being compared to the Sputnik moment (1957), which shocked the US into accelerating its space program.
• Intensified US-China Rivalry: Much like the Cold War space race, AI is now a key battleground between the two powers.
• Opportunities for Middle Powers (India & France): India and France must balance cooperation with the US and independent AI development.
• US AI Partnership Model: The US is cautious about technology leaks to Russia, limiting India’s access to AI chips. India needs to strategically prioritize AI collaborations over geopolitical dependencies on Russia.
• Great Power Cooperation in AI: India must avoid past nuclear policy mistakes and actively shape AI governance rather than being a passive player.

 

Economy 

Union Budget: understanding its formulation and implications - The Hindu

The Budget, which will be tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, is the Government’s blueprint on expenditure, taxes it plans to levy, and other transactions which affect the economy and lives of citizens.

Major Components of the Budget

• Expenditure
  • Capital Expenditure: Increases assets or reduces liabilities (e.g., building schools, hospitals).
  • Revenue Expenditure: Does not add to assets or reduce liabilities (e.g., salaries, subsidies, interest payments).
  • Sectoral Classification:
    • General Services
    • Economic Services (transport, communication, rural development, agriculture)
    • Social Services (education, health)
    • Grants-in-aid & Contributions
  • Development Expenditure: Sum of economic and social services.
• Receipts
  • Revenue Receipts: Income without increasing liabilities (tax and non-tax revenue).
  • Non-Debt Capital Receipts: Capital receipts that do not create liabilities (loan recovery, disinvestment).
  • Debt-Creating Capital Receipts: Lead to higher liabilities (government borrowings).
• Deficit Indicators
  • Fiscal Deficit: Total expenditure minus (revenue receipts + non-debt capital receipts).
  • Primary Deficit: Fiscal deficit minus interest payments.
  • Revenue Deficit: Fiscal deficit minus capital expenditure.

Impact of the Budget on the Economy

• Impact on Aggregate Demand
  • Government expenditure increases aggregate demand by purchasing private goods and services.
  • Tax and non-tax revenue reduces private sector income, lowering private and aggregate demand.
  • GDP, revenue receipts, and expenditure generally rise over time; trends are analyzed relative to GDP or inflation-adjusted growth rates.
  • Reduction in expenditure-GDP ratio or increase in revenue receipt-GDP ratio indicates a policy to reduce aggregate demand, and vice versa.
  • Lower fiscal deficit-GDP and primary deficit-GDP ratios suggest a policy to curb demand.
• Income Distribution Effects
  • Revenue expenditure (e.g., employment schemes, food subsidies) directly boosts poor incomes.
  • Corporate tax concessions benefit corporate incomes.
  • Both measures may widen the fiscal deficit but have different income distribution impacts.

Fiscal Rules and Their Impact on Policy

• Nature of Fiscal Rules
  • Fiscal rules set policy targets that shape fiscal policy.
  • Different economies adopt different rules based on economic theory and local conditions.
  • India’s fiscal rule follows the N.K. Singh Committee Report with three targets:
    • Debt-GDP ratio (stock target)
    • Fiscal deficit-GDP ratio (flow target)
    • Revenue deficit-GDP ratio (composition target)
• Impact of Fiscal Rules on Policy
  • Tax rates remain fixed and are not adjusted based on expenditure needs.
  • Expenditure is adjusted to meet fiscal targets.
  • Caps on expenditure limit fiscal stimulus, affecting economic growth and labor income.
  • If debt or deficit exceeds targets, spending is reduced regardless of economic needs.
  • Re-examining fiscal rules is necessary to address unemployment and low growth challenges.

 

Environment 

WHY GREENLAND'S CRYSTAL BLUE LAKES HAVE TURNED BROWN - Indian Express

Over 7,500 lakes in western Greenland have turned brown, lost water quality, and begun emitting carbon. The transformation occurred rapidly within months, a process that usually takes centuries.

Causes

• Permafrost thawing: Warmer temperatures led to rainfall instead of snowfall.
• Impact of thawing: Released carbon, iron, magnesium, and other elements into the lakes.
• Atmospheric rivers: Meaning long, narrow air currents carrying moisture intensified precipitation, worsening the impact.

Impacts

• Deteriorated water quality.
• Increased dissolved organic material - harmful chlorination byproducts.
• Phytoplankton activity reduced, limiting carbon dioxide absorption.
• Carbon dioxide emissions from lakes increased by 350%.

Global Significance

• Carbon absorption by land has declined, with forests, plants, and soil removing the least carbon since 2003.
• Natural carbon sinks are weakening, leading to higher atmospheric carbon levels.
• Global carbon emissions are projected to reach 41.6 billion metric tonnes in 2024, up from 40.6 billion tonnes in 2023.

 

Science and Technology

ISRO set for a historic 100th launch from Sriharikota - The Hindu

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will soon oversee the historic 100th launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota with the GSLV-F15 mission.

First Launch and Early Missions

• First experimental launch: August 10, 1979 (SLV-3 E10) carrying Rohini Technology Payload; partially successful.
• First successful mission: July 18, 1980 (SLV-3E2), placing Rohini Satellite (RS-1) in orbit.

Major Launch Vehicles Used

• Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) – 2 missions.
• Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) – 4 missions.
• Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) – 62 missions.
• Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) – 16 missions.
• Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) – 7 missions.
• Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) – 3 missions.
• Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) – 1 mission.
• Gaganyaan Programme Tests – Test Vehicle Abort Mission & Pad Abort Test (PAT).

Why Sriharikota?

• Strategic location on the east coast.
• Good launch azimuth corridor for different missions.
• Proximity to the equator for eastward launches.
• Large uninhabited area for safety.

Landmark Missions

• Lunar Missions:
  • Chandrayaan-1 (2008) – First Moon mission.
  • Chandrayaan-2 (2019).
  • Chandrayaan-3 (2023) – First country to land in the Moon’s polar region.

Interplanetary and Solar Missions:

• Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) (2013) – First Indian interplanetary mission.
• Aditya-L1 (2023) – First Indian mission to study the Sun.
• Record-breaking Satellite Launch:
• PSLV-C37 (2017) – Launched 104 satellites in a single flight (world record till 2021).

Major Launch Failures

• GSLV-F02/ INSAT-4C (2006).
• GSLV-D3/ GSAT-4 (2010).
• GSLV-F06/ GSAT-5P (2010).
• GSLV-F10/ EOS-03.

 

Fingerprint-matching in crime investigation - Indian Express

Twelve days after police lifted fingerprints from the Bandra residence of Saif Ali Khan, it remains unclear whether they were left behind by Shariful Islam alias Vijay Das, the man who has been arrested for carrying out the knife attack on the Bollywood actor.

Situations Where Fingerprint Analysis is Used

Criminal Record Verification:

• After an arrest, fingerprints of the accused are checked against criminal databases to identify prior offences.
• Stored under The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 (earlier Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920).
• Applies to offences with punishment over one year.

Crime Scene Investigation:

• "Chance prints" lifted from crime scenes are compared with databases.
• Used to establish the presence of an accused at the crime scene.

Fingerprint Lifting 

• Conducted by: Fingerprint experts or trained officers.
• Common surfaces: Glass, metal, plastic.
• Valid prints: Top third of a finger containing whorls and arches for unique identification.

Matching Fingerprints

• Digital analysis or expert verification at the CID.
• Uses Henry Classification System (Sir Edward Henry).
• 10-point match confirms identity.

Key Considerations

• Single print suffices: One matching fingerprint is enough to establish presence at the crime scene.
• Multiple prints: Many individuals may leave prints; only one valid print of the accused is required.