UPSC Key: Delimitation, Jnanpith award and SARS-CoV2 virus

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II : Government policies and interventions, Issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure. 

What’s the ongoing story: Describing as “unclear and confusing” the promise of Union Home Minister Amit Shah that southern states will not lose a single seat in the Lok Sabha on a pro rata basis after delimitation, a Joint Action Committee for Fair Delimitation (JAC) led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin passed a resolution demanding that the “freeze on Parliamentary constituencies based on 1971 Census Population should be extended by another 25 years”.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is delimitation and why is it needed (with respect to the principle “One Vote One Value”) ?

• How is delimitation carried out? 

• How is the Delimitation Commission established? What is its Constitutional basis (Articles 82, 170)? What are its compositions and functions?

• When was the first delimitation exercise carried out? How often has delimitation been done in the past?

• Is the Delimitation Commission’s decision beyond judicial review?

• What are Southern States concerns regarding delimitation?

Key Takeaways:

• The gathering of at least four CMs (Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala and Punjab), Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, and senior political leaders from multiple states including Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, raised a unified voice against the proposed delimitation process, arguing it would disproportionately benefit the northern, Hindi-speaking states at the expense of the south and some other regions.

• The current representation in the Lok Sabha, frozen since 1971, maintains a balance of representation, but a new census-based delimitation could shift political power to northern states with higher birth rates, altering the balance in favour of those which have not achieved population control goals.

• Based on the Census of 1971, the number of Lok Sabha seats was fixed at 543, which meant that each MP represented roughly 10 lakh Indians. (The number of Lok Sabha seats was earlier fixed at 494 and 522 after the censuses of 1951 and 1961, respectively.) The Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976 – passed by the government of the Emergency focused on efforts to control India’s population – froze the number of Lok Sabha seats until after the first Census taken after 2000. And in 2002, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government extended the freeze until at least 2026.

• At the end of the meeting, besides demanding a 25-year freeze on the number parliamentary constituencies, the JAC resolution also called for greater transparency in the delimitation process, mandatory consultation with state governments, and constitutional amendments to protect states with declining population shares.

From Govt & Politics Page  “Pitch for 25-yr freeze, federalism panels, Assembly resolutions” 

Key takeaways of delimitation meet hosted by Stalin

1. Rejection of Centre’s ‘vague’ assurance: While Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently claimed that southern states would not lose any seats “on a pro-rata basis,” Stalin dismissed such an assurance as “politically ambiguous” and lacking formal commitment.

2. Resolutions, proposed reforms: The JAC meeting’s final resolution called on the Union government to halt any delimitation exercise that punishes states for good governance, arguing that those who have implemented population control measures should not be penalised. It also proposed the formation of a core committee of MPs to counter any moves that would weaken the federal structure.

3. United front for ‘fair representation’: Telangana CM and Congress leader Revanth Reddy urged the Centre to increase South India’s representation to 33% in the Lok Sabha (up from the current 24%), arguing that states contributing more to the GDP should have a stronger voice in Parliament.

Do You Know:

• The Election Commission defines delimitation as the process of drawing constituency boundaries for elected bodies based on the population in the most recent Census. Article 82 of the Constitution states that after every Census is completed, the allocation of Lok Sabha seats to each state must be adjusted based on population changes.

• Article 81 states there can be no more than 550 members in the Lok Sabha – 530 from states and 20 from Union Territories. It also says that “the ratio between (the number of seats) and the population of the state is, so far as practicable, the same for all states”. So, each constituency across the country should ideally have the same population.

• In Independent India’s history, delimitation has taken place four times – 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002.

• The Constitution has provided for an independent Delimitation Commission every decade to reapportion seats among states. The Commission is appointed by the President of India and comprises a retired judge of the Supreme Court or a high court, the Chief Election Commissioner, and the State Election Commissioner.

• Once published, the Commission’s orders are final and, as per the Delimitation Commission Act 1952 and Article 329A of the Constitution, has the “full force of law and shall not be called into question in any court”.

• The Supreme Court in its judgement in July 2024 held that the constitutional courts can review the orders of the delimitation commission and can also grant appropriate remedy if an order is manifestly arbitrary and irreconcilable to constitutional values.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | Census and Delimitation: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains

📍Knowledge Nugget | From Articles to Amendments to Commission: Everything you must know about delimitation

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(1) How many Delimitation Commissions have been constituted by the Government of India till December 2023? (UPSC CSE 2024)

(a) One

(b) Two

(c) Three

(d) Four

Previous Year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

What changes has the Union Government recently introduced in the domain of Centre-State Relations? Suggest measures to be adopted to build the trust between the Centre and the States for strengthening federalism. (UPSC CSE 2024)

Report on cash at residence of Delhi HC judge made public by SC

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance and Polity

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.

What’s the ongoing story: In the first official confirmation that cash was found at the residence of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma when a fire broke out there on March 14, the Supreme Court Saturday released an internal inquiry report by the High Court. 

Key Points to Ponder:

• What are the constitutional provisions related to the Indian Judiciary?

• What is the Supreme Court Collegium, and how does it influence the appointment and transfer of judges?  

• What mechanisms are in place within the Indian judiciary to investigate allegations against sitting judges?  

• How does financial misconduct by a judge affect public trust in the judiciary?  

• How does the balance between judicial independence and accountability manifest in cases involving allegations against judges?  

• What reforms could be introduced to enhance transparency in judicial inquiries, appointments, and disciplinary actions?  

• Is the Indian judiciary covered under the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013?

• Read about the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act.

Key Takeaways:

• In the redacted report, Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, in a letter  dated March 21, asked Justice Varma to “account for the presence of money/cash” in the room located in his official bungalow.

• The Supreme Court also uploaded videos and photographs which Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora purportedly shared with the Chief Justice Upadhyaya.

• Before making the HC report public, the CJI is learnt to have communicated the decision to a senior member of the Supreme Court Collegium.

• Justice Varma, in his official response to Chief Justice Upadhyaya, has denied the allegations. “I would beseech you to bear in consideration that no currency was recovered from the premises that we actually occupy and use as a family,” he said.

• The report was released hours after Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna constituted a three-member committee to probe the allegations against the HC judge.

• A release from the Supreme Court said the Delhi High Court Chief Justice “for the time being has been asked not to assign any judicial work” to Justice Varma.

• On Thursday, the Supreme Court Collegium had proposed Justice Varma’s transfer to the Allahabad High Court, his parent High Court, following a report about the discovery of cash at his residence when a fire broke out there on March 14.

• Highly-placed sources said the five-member Collegium unanimously resolved to recommend Justice Varma’s transfer after the judges were apprised about a video of the incident.

Do You Know:

• The National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, which Parliament passed in 2014 but was struck down by the Supreme Court the following year, came up in Parliament last Friday amid media reports of alleged cash recovery from the residence of Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma (an internal inquiry report has confirmed the presence of cash).

• The NJAC was to comprise the Chief Justice of India (CJI) as the ex officio Chairperson, two senior-most Supreme Court Judges as ex officio members, the Union Minister of Law and Justice as ex officio member, and two eminent persons from civil society, one of whom would be nominated by a committee consisting of the CJI, Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the other would be nominated from the SC, ST, OBC, minority communities, or women.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Delhi HC judge on cash haul from his house after fire: ‘Preposterous, incredulous’

📍Decode Politics: Amid judge cash row, V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar brings up NJAC Act— what was this law?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(2) Consider the following statements: ( UPSC CSE 2019)

1. The 44th Amendment to the Constitution of India introduced an Article placing the election of the Prime Minister beyond judicial review.

2. The Supreme Court of India struck down the 99th Amendment to the Constitution of India as being violative of the independence of judiciary.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Critically examine the Supreme Court’s judgment on ‘National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014’ with reference to the appointment of judges of higher judiciary in India. (UPSC CSE 2017)

 

EXPRESS NETWORK

‘A storyteller of hope & light’: Vinod Kumar Shukla wins Jnanpith award

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance

Mains Examination:  General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

What’s the ongoing story: The eminent Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla was on Saturday named the recipient of the 59th Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honour. According to a statement from Bharatiya Jnanpith committee, Shukla has won the award for his “simplicity” and “sensitivity”.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Read about the Jnanpith Award and its history?

• What is the significance of this award?

• Who was the first recipient of the Jnanpith Award?

• What is the process of selection?

• What are the contributions of Vinod Kumar Shukla to Hindi literature?

Key Takeaways:

• The 88-year-old author of novels such as Naukar ki Kameez, about a clerk forced to submit to professional hierarchies, and Khilega Toh Dekhenge, about a teacher who arrives in a village with eccentric residents, is the 12th Hindi writer to win the award and the first from Chhattisgarh.

• He said in a statement after the announcement, “I’ve seen a lot (in life), heard a lot and felt a lot but I could write only a little. When I think of how much I needed to write… It feels like a lot remains. Till I remain (alive), I want to complete my remaining writings but I may not be able to finish my work… Due to this, I’m in a great dilemma. I want to pursue my life through my writing, but my life is rapidly approaching its end and I don’t know how to write that fast, so I feel a bit regretful.”

• Away from literary centres, Shukla spent much of his life in Chhattisgarh, trying to observe people, their ordinary lives, their unremarkable existence, and their search for hope. His path to literature was paved by a failure in Hindi exam when he was a 12th-grade student. “If I had not failed in Hindi, I would be a doctor or engineer,” he said in the 2020 interview.

• Shukla was born in 1937 to a mother who read aloud Bengali literature at home. In Shukla’s early 20s, when Hindi writer Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh came to his village, Rajnandgaon, he showed him some of his poems. Soon he started publishing in reputed magazines like Pustak Kriti and moved to Jabalpur for a master’s degree in agriculture.

Do You Know:

• The Jnanpith Award, instituted in 1961 by the Bharatiya Jnanpith, is the oldest and most prestigious literary accolade in India. It honors authors for their exceptional contributions to literature in Indian languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, with English being included from the 49th award onwards.

• The award is not given posthumously, ensuring that it recognizes living writers for their literary excellence.

• The Jnanpith award carries with it a cash of Rs 11 lakh, a bronze statue of the Hindu Goddess Vagdevi and a citation.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla becomes first from Chhattisgarh to win ‘Jnanpith Award’ — ‘So much to write yet so little time’

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(3) Which of the following pairs of litterateurs won the 58th Jnanpith Award?

(a) Javed Akhtar and Jagadguru Rambhadracharya

(b) Damodar Mauzo and Javed Akhtar

(c) Damodar Mauzo and Gulzar

(d) Gulzar and Jagadguru Rambhadracharya

SARS-CoV2 virus still circulating, but very weak: Experts

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance, Economic and Social Development. 

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the ongoing story: Five years after it precipitated the worst global healthcare crisis in over a century, the Covid-19 virus is still in circulation, infecting people, though its ability to cause a serious disease is severely weakened.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is a pandemic? How is it different from an epidemic?

• What are the criteria used by WHO to declare a pandemic?

• What is SARS-CoV2 virus?

• What is the cause of transmission of COVID-19?

• What was the impact of the Covid pandemic on various sectors?

• How were COVID-19 vaccines developed?

• What measures were taken to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 during the pandemic?

• What are the collective measures taken at the global level?

• Examine the impact of zoonotic diseases on public health and biodiversity.

• Analyse India’s preparedness for emerging zoonotic diseases.

Key Takeaways:

• This week, five years ago, India entered into a 21-day national lockdown, the strictest phase of restrictions. In May 2023, the WHO declared that Covid-19 was no longer a global health emergency. But the virus has not disappeared. It is still very much in circulation, in India as well.

• “This is how viruses evolve. It is not surprising that SARS-CoV2 has become very weak now. It would probably still not be considered as benign as the flu virus, which has been around for very long, but it is more or less in the same category,” said Shahid Jameel, a virologist and Fellow at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford in UK.

• The WHO, in its latest bulletin, has reported 1,47,000 new cases and 4,500 deaths across the world during the 28-day period between January 6 and February 2 this year. The cases were reported from 83 countries, while deaths happened in 23 countries.

• Rajesh Karyakarte, a member of Maharashtra Covid task force, said SARS-CoV-2 had transitioned into a more endemic state, similar to influenza, and was circulating regularly at lower and more predictable levels compared to the initial pandemic phase.

Do You Know:

• The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) that causes the  COVID-19 disease is surrounded by a fatty outer layer (“envelope”) and on the surface of this layer is the “corona” (crown) of spikes made of protein. 

Surface of SARS-CoV2, with a spike protein molecule emphasised. (Source: Max Planck Institute)

• On the surface of human cells is an enzyme called ACE2, which acts as the receptor that enables SARS-CoV2 to launch its attack. The virus’s spike protein binds to the receptor, then fuses with the cell surface, and releases its genetic material (RNA in the case of SARS-CoV2) into the cell. The coronavirus that causes SARS, called SARS-CoV, uses the same ACE2 receptor to invade a cell. Once inside, the virus replicates itself by using the cell’s molecular mechanism. All these stages involve various interactions between virus proteins and human proteins.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Five years on, five lessons from Covid lockdowns

📍 What was the first pandemic of modern India?

📍Preparing for the next pandemic: what NITI Aayog report says

Previous year UPSC Prelims/Mains Question Covering similar theme:

(4) In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2022)

1. The Serum Institute of India produced a COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using an mRNA platform.

2. Sputnik. V vaccine is manufactured using a vector-based platform.

3. COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen-based vaccine.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

 

OPINION 

Centuries ago, when the Indians arrived in Mauritius 

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

What’s the ongoing story: Divya A writes- “On March 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian to receive the highest civilian honour in Mauritius — the Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean — from the island nation’s Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam.”

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the history of India and Mauritius relations?

• Who were the indentured labourers in Mauritius?

• India and Mauritius share deep cultural and historical ties-Discuss.

• What is the strategic importance of Mauritius in India’s SAGAR policy?

• What are the potential benefits of the enhanced strategic partnership between India and Mauritius for both nations in the coming years?

• How does the MAHASAGAR doctrine reflect India’s evolving maritime vision in the Indian Ocean Region?

• What is the issue of Chagos archipelago? What is India’s stand on it?

• With growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean, critically examine how India’s partnership with Mauritius can act as a counterbalancing force to secure its maritime interests.

• Map Work: Chagos archipelago, Agalega islands and Mauritius (Refer Atlas)

Key Takeaways:

• “Long before Mahatma Gandhi made a pit stop in Mauritius in 1901, while on his way to India from South Africa, his countrymen had landed on the shores of the island nation in the 1700s itself. During his visit, from October 29, 1901, to November 15, 1901, the Mahatma had three messages for the Indian labourers, mostly from Bihar, residing in the island nation: the importance of education, political empowerment and staying connected with India.”

• “The first documented arrival of Indians in Mauritius dates back to 1729 — while it was under French occupation — when Indians artisans and masons were sent off to the nation from Puducherry, then a French colony in India.”

• “Between 1834 and the early 1900s, Mauritius was under British occupation. During that time, nearly half a million indentured Indians were shipped there. The first batch of 36 workers arrived there on November 2, 1834, on a ship named Atlas. To this day, November 2 is observed as ‘Aapravasi Diwas’ in Mauritius. About two-thirds of these workers would settle in Mauritius permanently.”

• “At present, Mauritius has 22,188 Indian nationals and 13,198 Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card holders. During President Droupadi Murmu’s state visit to Mauritius in March 2024, in a special gesture, an OCI card for Mauritians with Indian lineage traceable up to the 7th generation was announced.”

• “In 2024, Mauritius introduced a visa-free regime for Indian tourists visiting their country for up to a month. Before Covid, around 80,000 Indian tourists visited Mauritius annually. Mauritians are entitled to a gratis visa (issued without consular fees) during their India visit. Before the pandemic, 30,000 Mauritians visited India each year.”

Do You Know:

• Mauritius, a strategically located island nation in the western Indian Ocean, is an important neighbour for India. A key reason for the special ties is that people of Indian-origin comprise nearly 70% of the island’s population of 1.2 million.

• In March 2015, when PM Modi visited Mauritius, India signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve transport facilities at Agaléga island.

• This agreement said that infrastructure “for improving sea and air connectivity at the Outer Island of Mauritius will go a long way in ameliorating the condition of the inhabitants of this remote Island. These facilities will enhance the capabilities of the Mauritian Defence Forces in safeguarding their interests in the Outer Island.”

• Agaléga island is located 1,100 km north of Mauritius and is closer to the Indian southern coast. It is spread over an area of 70 sq km. In February 2024, India and Mauritius jointly inaugurated the air strip and the jetty projects.

• The doctrine of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) builds on SAGAR and indicates a broadened scope of India’s maritime engagement. This perceptibly includes not only the immediate neighbourhood but also extends to the broader Indo-Pacific space and connects with India’s strategic collaboration with QUAD members—the United States, Japan, and Australia.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍As Prime Minister Modi lands in Mauritius, why the island country matters to India

📍Expert Explains: How the development of Agaléga figures in India’s vision for its maritime neighbourhood

📍India–Mauritius partnership and the new maritime geopolitics

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering Similar Theme:

(5) A great deal of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to India comes from Mauritius than from many major and mature economies like UK and France. Why? (UPSC CSE 2010)

(a) India has preference for certain countries as regards receiving FDI

(b) India has double taxation avoidance agreement with Mauritius

(c) Most citizens of Mauritius have ethnic identity with India and so they feel secure to invest in India

(d) Impending dangers of global climatic change prompt Mauritius to make huge investments in India.

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering Similar Theme:

Why indentured labour was taken by British from India to other colonies? Have they been able to preserve their cultural identity over there? (UPSC CSE 2018)

ECONOMY

‘Nearly 74% fund spent but physical progress is just 39%?’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance, Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

What’s the ongoing story: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways has flagged the disparity over the total expenditure and physical progress of the works being done under the doubling of railway lines, one of the key projects of the railways to increase the capacity and remove traffic bottlenecks.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What issues and concerns are associated with Indian Railways?

• What recommendations did the committee provide to ensure the timely completion of railway doubling projects? 

• What other key projects is Indian Railways undertaking to improve capacity and efficiency? 

• What challenges does Indian Railways face in project execution, and how can modern construction technologies help address these challenges?

• What initiatives have been taken by the government for the modernization of Indian Railways?

• What is the role of Indian Railways in regional economic development?

Key Takeaways:

• The committee said that while the financial utilisation or the total amount spent on the doubling of railway lines up to December 2024 (for financial year 2024-25) was 74 per cent of the budget, the physical achievement was merely 39 per cent of the target.

• The panel said that the railways should exercise due diligence in identifying and addressing obstacles to ensure seamless project execution.

• “This includes streamlining land acquisition, expediting clearances, and leveraging modern construction technologies to facilitate the timely completion of doubling projects, thereby effectively reducing traffic congestion. The committee also expects the Railways to ensure full utilisation of the budget sanctioned and achievement of the physical targets set for doubling of lines in 2024-25,” the report stated.

• Apart from railway line doubling, new lines, gauge conversion and track renewals are among the key projects being undertaken by the Indian Railways to remove the traffic congestion and ensure timely movement of trains with high carrying capacity.

Do You Know:

• The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways has recommended that a special focus should be given on improving the crowd management under the government’s Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.

• The Committee’s observation came at a time when, on February 15, 18 people were killed at New Delhi Railway Station in a stampede. The passengers were trying to board Prayagraj-bound trains for the Maha Kumbh.

• The House panel also took note of the slow progress of works under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme and said that a dedicated task force should be established to oversee project timelines.

• The Committee also directed the Railways to ensure sufficient deployment of personnel to maintain smooth and efficient passenger movement, so that both safety and convenience can be enhanced.

• Launched on December 23, 2022, the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme envisages to develop a station as a “city centre”, which will have modern facade, regulated traffic movement, well-lit, aesthetically pleasing grand porches, landscaping, and representation of local art and culture, signages and roof plazas.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Focus on improving crowd management under station redevelopment scheme: House Panel to Railways

📍India now exporting railway equipment to Europe, Australia and Saudi Arabia: Ashwini Vaishnaw

 

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