My Notes (Jary 2023)

1-15 jan 2023
My Notes….
NATIONAL
CENTRE EMPOWERED TO DEMONETISE

The Supreme Court said on 2 January 2022 the Centre is empowered to demonetise
'all' series of bank notes under Section 26(2) of the RBI Act. A five-judge Constitution
bench headed by Justice S A Nazeer, which upheld the Centre's 2016 demonetisation of
Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes by a 4:1 majority verdict, said a statute must be
construed having regard to the legislative intent.
More about verdict
1. The power available to the Central Government under sub-section (2) of Section 26 of
the RBI Act cannot be restricted to mean that it can be exercised only for 'one' or 'some'
series of bank notes and not for 'all' series of bank notes.
2. The power can be exercised for
all series of bank notes. Merely Why was demonetisation challenged?
because on two earlier occasions, 1. The petitioners contending that the
the demonetisation exercise procedure prescribed in Section 26(2) of
was by plenary legislation, it RBI Act, 1934, was not followed.
cannot be held that such a power 2. Section 26(2) of the Act states that “on
would not be available to the recommendation of the [RBI] Central Board,
Central Government under sub- the Central Government may, by
section (2) of Section 26 of the notification in the Gazette of India,
RBI Act, the bench said. declare that, with effect from such date, any
series of bank notes of any denomination
3. The apex court said the modern shall cease to be legal tender save at such
approach of interpretation is a office or agency of the Bank and to such
pragmatic one, and not extent as may be specified in the notification.
pedantic. 3. It was argued that as per the particular
4. An interpretation which section, the recommendation should have
advances the purpose of the Act emanated from the RBI, but in this case, the
and which ensures its smooth and government had advised the central bank,
following which it made the recommendation.
harmonious working must be
chosen and the other which leads 4. It was said when earlier governments had
to absurdity, or confusion, or demonetised currency in 1946 and 1978;
friction, or contradiction and they had done so by way of a law made by
Parliament.
conflict between its various
provisions, or undermines, or
tends to defeat or destroy the basic scheme and purpose of the enactment must be
eschewed.
5. The primary and foremost task of the Court in interpreting a statute is to gather the
intention of the legislature, actual or imputed.
6. The top court said an interpretation which, in effect, nullifies the purpose for which a
power is to be exercised would be opposed to the principle of purposive interpretation.
7. The top court's judgment came on a batch of 58 petitions challenging the
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demonetisation exercise announced by the Centre on 8 November 2016.

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1-15 jan 2023
CENTRE LAUNCHES ‘SMART’ PROGRAM

National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and Central Council
for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) under ministry of Ayush on 2 January 2023
launched ‘SMART’- scope for mainstreaming ayurveda research in teaching professionals
programme.
More about the programme
1. The programme aims to boost scientific research in healthcare research areas through
ayurveda colleges and hospitals, the Ministry of Ayush said.
2. The ‘SMART’ program will have a deep long term rejuvenating impact on research in
the field of Ayurveda and it will be a great service to the nation.
3. The proposed initiative is conceptualised with an objective to identify, support and
promote innovative research ideas in healthcare research areas including
Osteoarthritis, Iron Deficiency Anaemia, Chronic Bronchitis, Dyslipidemia,
Rheumatoid Arthritis, Obesity, Diabetes Mellitus, Psoriasis, Generalised Anxiety
Disorder, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
4. The eligible Ayurveda academic institutions may apply by 10 January, 2023. All details
regarding contact information, eligibility criteria and application process has been shared
to all recognized academic institutions and hospitals through NCISM.
5. The large network of Ayurveda colleges and hospitals across the country is an asset
for the country in terms of its healthcare needs.
6. This network has not only been offering healthcare services in hardest times, but it
also has contributed significantly in terms of healthcare research in the country. The
‘SMART’ program will certainly motivate teachers for taking up projects in designated
areas of healthcare research and create a large database.
PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIWAS 2023 BEGINS

The 17th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD), or the day for Non-Resident
Indians (NRIs) that is commemorated annually on 9 January, was marked by the Central
government with events in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The programme began on 8 January
2023, when the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held.
What is PBD?
1. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is an annual event celebrated in India to mark the
contribution of the overseas Indian
community to the development of India. Why PBD matters
2. It is held on 9 January every year to
th 1. PBD is an opportunity for the
commemorate the return of Mahatma government to showcase the
Gandhi from South Africa in 1915, and progress and development of the
his role in India's Independence movement country to the global Indian
community.
3. The event was first held in 2003, and has
2. It is a way to showcase the
been held annually since then. It is
achievements and potential of
organised by the Ministry of External
India as a nation, and to highlight
Affairs of the Government of India, in
the opportunities that are
partnership with the Confederation of
available for Indians living
Indian Industry and other organisations.
abroad to invest, work, and study
What it offers in India.
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1. PBD provides a platform for the overseas

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Indian community to engage with the government and people of India, and to share their
experiences and insights.
2. It also helps to strengthen ties between India and the global Indian diaspora, and to
recognise the achievements and contributions of Indians living abroad.
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1-15 jan 2023
What's Indian diaspora?
1. The Indian diaspora includes the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and the Person of
Indian Origin (PIO).
2. The two communities have played a major role in promoting and facilitating investments
by expatriate Indians in India.
PBD and economy
1. PBD has contributed to the growth of India's economy by attracting foreign
investment and promoting the export of Indian goods and services.
2. It has also helped to create jobs and stimulate economic activity in India, by
encouraging the return of skilled Indian workers and entrepreneurs.
3. PBD has helped to promote the transfer of knowledge, technology, and expertise
between India and the global Indian diaspora, which has contributed to the overall
development of the Indian economy.
SC VERDICT ON RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH

A statement made by a minister, including MLAs and MPs, cannot be attributed
vicariously to the government even when applying the principle of collective responsibility,
the Supreme Court said on 3 January 2023. A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by
Justice S A Nazeer gave the decision. It said no additional restrictions against free speech
can be imposed except those mentioned under Article 19(2) of the Constitution, which
follows Article 19.
What does the judgment say about free speech restrictions?
1. An important question here was

“whether restrictions can be What was the case about?
1. The case, Kaushal Kishor v the State of
imposed on a public
Uttar Pradesh, relates to the Bulandshahar
functionary’s right to freedom rape incident of 2016, in which the then
of speech and expression”. Minister of the State of Uttar Pradesh and
Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan termed
2. A statement made by a minister the incident a ‘political conspiracy and
even if traceable to any affairs nothing else’.
of the state or for protection of 2. The survivors then filed a writ petition
before the Apex Court seeking action
the government cannot be against Khan.
attributed vicariously to the 3. While directing him to submit an
government by invoking the unconditional apology, which he did, the
principle of collective Court also noted that the case raises serious
concerns regarding state obligation and
responsibility, the majority
freedom of speech and expression.
ruled. Several questions were framed on the
matter.
3. Further, it said while citizens had
the right to petition the Court
for violations of Article 19 (freedom of expression) and Article 21 (right to life), a
statement made by the Minister, inconsistent with the rights of the citizens, may not by
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itself be actionable. But if it leads to omission or commission of offence by a public

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official, then remedies can be sought against it.
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1-15 jan 2023
ASI-PROTECTED MONUMENTS UNTRACEABLE

Fifty of India’s 3,693 centrally protected monuments have gone missing, the
Ministry of Culture has told Parliament. The submissions were made by the ministry on 8
December 2022 to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and
Culture as part of a report titled ‘Issues relating to Untraceable Monuments and
Protection of Monuments in India’.
How can a monument go “missing”?
1. The ASI was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham, when he realised the need
for a permanent body to oversee
archaeological excavations and
conservation. What are centrally protected monuments?
2. But while the body remained 1. The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological
largely dysfunctional in the Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act)
19th century owing to fund regulates the preservation of monuments and
crunch, in the decades archaeological sites of national importance.
preceding Independence, it 2. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI),
became very active. which is under the aegis of the Union
3. Bulks of the protected Ministry of Culture, functions under this Act.
monuments were taken under 3. The Act protects monuments and sites that are
the ASI’s wings during the more than 100 years old, including temples,
1920s and 30s, up till the 50s, cemeteries, inscriptions, tombs, forts, palaces,
officials told The Indian step-wells, rock-cut caves, and even objects
Express. like cannons and mile pillars that may be of
4. But in the decades after historical significance.
independence, the focus of 4. According to the provisions of AMASR Act, ASI
successive governments was officials are supposed to regularly inspect the
on health, education and monuments to assess their condition.
infrastructure, rather than
protecting heritage. 5. Apart from various conservation and
preservation operations, ASI officials can also
5. Many monuments and sites file police complaints, issue show cause notices
were lost to activities like for the removal of encroachments, and
urbanisation, construction of communicate to the local administration the
dams and reservoirs, and even need for demolition of encroachments.
encroachments.
6. As per the ASI submission in
Parliament, 14 monuments have been lost to rapid urbanisation, 12 are submerged
by reservoirs/dams, while 24 are untraceable, which brings the number of missing
monuments to 50.
JOSHIMATH CRISIS CAUSED BY LAND SUBSIDENCE

After cracks appeared in many roads and hundreds of houses of Joshimath,
Uttarakhand, authorities on 8 January 2023 declared it a landslide and subsidence-hit
zone. The announcement came after a high-level meeting took place among the senior
officials of the Central government, Uttarakhand state officials, and top officers from agencies
including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Geological Survey of
India (GSI) and the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH).
What can be the reasons behind Joshimath subsidence?
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1. The exact reason behind Joshimath land subsidence is still unknown but experts
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suggest that the incident might have occurred because of unplanned construction, over-
population, obstruction of the natural flow of water and hydel power activities.
2. Not only this, the area is a seismic zone, which makes it prone to frequent earthquakes.
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1-15 jan 2023
3. The possibility of such an incident happening in the region was first highlighted around
50 years when the MC Mishra
committee report was published and
it cautioned against “unplanned What is land subsidence?
development in this area, and 1. According to the National Oceanic and
identified the natural Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
vulnerabilities.” subsidence is the “sinking of the
4. According to experts, Joshimath city ground because of underground
has been built on an ancient landslide material movement”.
material — meaning it rests on a 2. It can happen for a host of reasons,
deposit of sand and stone, not rock, man-made or natural, such as the
which doesn’t have high load-bearing removal of water, oil, or natural
capacity. resources, along with mining activities.
3. Earthquakes, soil erosion, and soil
5. This makes the area extremely
compaction are also some of the well-
vulnerable to ever-burgeoning
known causes of subsidence.
infrastructure and population.
4. This phenomenon can “happen over
6. Moreover, the lack of a proper very large areas like whole states or
drainage system might have also provinces, or very small areas like the
contributed to the sinking of the area. corner of your yard.”
7. Experts say that unplanned and
unauthorised construction has led to
the blocking of the natural flow of water, which eventually results in frequent
landslides.
8. Apart from the aforementioned possible reasons, reports have pointed out that subsidence
in Joshimath might have been triggered by the reactivation of a geographic fault —
defined as a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock — where the
Indian Plate has pushed under the Eurasian Plate along the Himalayas.
DELEGATED LEGISLATION IN SC VERDICT

In upholding the Centre’s 2016 decision on demonetisation, one of the key questions
to decide for the Supreme Court was whether Parliament gave excessive powers to the
Centre under the law to demonetise currency. While the majority ruling upheld the validity
of the delegated legislation, the
dissenting verdict noted that What was the delegation of power in the
excessive delegation of power is demonetisation case?
arbitrary. What is delegated 1. Section 26(2) of the Reserve Bank of India Act,
legislation? 1934 essentially gives powers to the Centre to
What is delegated legislation? notify that a particular denomination of currency
ceases to be legal tender.
1. Parliament routinely 2. The provision reads: “On recommendation of the
delegates certain functions Central Board the Central Government may, by
to authorities established by notification in the Gazette of India, declare
law since every aspect cannot that, with effect from such date as may be
be dealt with directly by the specified in the notification, any series of bank
law makers themselves. notes of any denomination shall cease to be legal
2. This delegation of powers is tender.”
noted in statutes, which are 3. Here, Parliament, which enacted the RBI Act, is
commonly referred to as essentially delegating the power to alter the
delegated legislations. nature of legal tender to the central
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government.
3. The delegated legislation
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4. The Centre exercised that power by issuing a

would specify operational
gazette notification, which is essentially the
details, giving power to those
legislative basis for the demonetisation exercise.
executing the details.
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1-15 jan 2023
4. Regulations and by-laws under legislations are classic examples of delegated
legislation.
5. A 1973 Supreme Court ruling explains the concept as: “The practice of empowering
the Executive to make subordinate legislation within a prescribed sphere has evolved
out of practical necessity and pragmatic needs of a modern welfare State.
6. At the same time it has to be borne in mind that our Constitution-makers have entrusted
the power of legislation to the representatives of the people, so that the said power
may be exercised not only in the name of the people but also by the people speaking
through their representatives.
7. The role against excessive delegation of legislative authority flows from and is a
necessary postulate of the sovereignty of the people.”
INTERNATIONAL
INDIA, PAKISTAN EXCHANGE LIST OF NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS
In continuing a 32-year practice, India and Pakistan on 1 January 2023 exchanged
a list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral pact which prohibits the two sides
from attacking each other's atomic facilities. The exchange of the list took place under the
provisions of the agreement on the prohibition of attack against nuclear installations
and facilities.
What
1. It was done simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad.
2. The agreement was signed on 31 December 1988 and came into force on 27 January
1991.
3. The pact mandates India and Pakistan to inform each other of the nuclear
installations and facilities covered under the agreement on the first of January of
every calendar year.
4. This is the 32nd consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first
one having taken place on 1 January 1992.
5. The exchange of the list came amid continuing strain in ties between the two countries
over the Kashmir issue as well as cross-border terrorism.
6. Pakistan first officially tested nuclear weapons in 1998 and has since developed a
significant stockpile of nuclear capable missiles, as has India.
7. With the help of China, Pakistan has recently increased its use of nuclear energy to
meet the rising demand for electricity.
‘TITLE 42’ IMMIGRATION POLICY

The United States announced on 5 January 2023 it will extend COVID-19 pandemic-
era restrictions, known as Title 42, to expel migrants from Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti
caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border back to Mexico, a move would block more
nationalities from seeking asylum in the United States. At the same time, the White House
said it would open more legal pathways for migrants from those nations to apply to enter
the country from abroad.
Why are migrants blocked at the border under covid rules?
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1. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, U.S. health authorities issued
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Title 42 to allow border agents to rapidly send migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico
border back to Mexico or other countries.
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2. The order was implemented under Republican former President Donald Trump, whose
administration sought to greatly curtail both immigration.
3. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said at the time it was
needed to stem the spread of COVID-19 in crowded detention settings.
4. Some public health experts, Democrats and advocates have criticized and pushed back
against the order, saying it unlawfully blocked migrants from claiming asylum and
subjected them to dangers, like kidnapping and assault, in Mexico.
5. Migrants and immigrant advocate organizations sued seeking to lift the order, while
Republican states have sued to keep it in place, litigation that is still ongoing.
How did Biden handle Title 42?
1. U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democrat who took office in January 2021, campaigned on
a promise to reverse Trump’s restrictive asylum policies.
2. While Biden moved to end some Trump restrictions, he left Title 42 in place for more
than a year, exempting unaccompanied children but allowing U.S. authorities to send
hundreds of thousands of migrants, including families, back to Mexico.
3. Since Biden took office, there have been record numbers of migrants caught crossing
the U.S.-Mexico border, causing operational and political challenges for his
administration. Many have repeatedly crossed after being expelled under Title 42 to
nearby Mexican border cities.
4. Mexico, however, had initially only accepted the return of some nationalities,
including its own citizens and migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
5. In October, the expulsions were expanded to Venezuelans. Other nationalities have
generally been let into the United States to pursue their immigration cases, straining
some border cities where many migrants have recently arrived like El Paso, Texas.
ECONOMY
FIRST TIME RBI ISSUE GREEN BONDS
On 6 January 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that it will, for the
first-time, issue Sovereign Green Bonds (SgrBs) worth Rs 16,000 crore, in two tranches of
Rs 8,000 crore each in the current financial year. The RBI said it will issue 5-year and 10-
year green bonds of Rs 4,000 crore each on 25 January and 9 February 2023.
What are Green Bonds?
1. Green bonds are bonds issued by any sovereign entity, inter-governmental groups or
alliances and corporates with the aim that the proceeds of the bonds are utilised for
projects classified as environmentally sustainable.
2. The framework for the sovereign green bond was issued by the government on 9
November 2022.
Why are these bonds important?

1. Over the last few years, Green Bonds have emerged as an important financial
instrument to deal with the threats of climate change and related challenges.
2. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank Group’s
institution, climate change threatens communities and economies, and it poses risks
for agriculture, food, and water supplies.
3. A lot of financing is needed to address these challenges. It’s critical to connect
environmental projects with capital markets and investors and channel capital
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towards sustainable development – and Green Bonds are a way to make that
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connection.
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How beneficial is it for investors?
1. Green Bonds offer investors a platform to engage in good practices, influencing the
business strategy of bond issuers.
2. They provide a means to hedge against climate change risks while achieving at least
similar, if not better, returns on their investment.
3. In this way, the growth in Green Bonds and green finance also indirectly works to
disincentivise high carbon-emitting projects, as per the IFC.
Where will the proceeds go?
1. The government will use the proceeds raised from SGrBs to finance or refinance
expenditure (in parts or whole) for various green projects, including in renewable
energy, clean transportation, energy efficiency, climate change adaptation,
sustainable water and waste management, pollution and prevention control and green
buildings.
2. In renewable energy, investments will be made in solar, wind, biomass and hydropower
energy projects.
COUNTRY'S FIRST FULLY DIGITAL BANKING STATE

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on 7 January 2023 declared Kerala as the first state
in the country to go fully digital in its banking service and said this recognition would
boost the state economy. This achievement was possible due to social interventions through
local self-government institutions along with infrastructure development and technological
advances in the banking sector.
What
1. The Chief Minister also said the ambitious Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) project
of the state government, which was almost 90 per cent completed, will reduce the digital
divide.
2. The K-FON will ensure internet facility to everyone in the state and 17,155 km-long
optic fibre cable network has been laid.
3. Once the project gets completed, internet will be available to everyone in the state
either for a cheaper price or for free-of-cost.
4. Technological advances also underscored the need to be vigilant against cybercrimes
in the banking sector.
5. The government had created the Economic Offences Wing in the State police to tackle
such offences. But preventing them through public awareness and cooperation of the
banking sector was paramount.
6. The government had undertaken, through local bodies, a programme to raise digital
literacy.
7. That Kerala had won three awards at the recent Digital India Awards instituted by the
Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India,
showed the State’s commitment to implementing efficient digital mechanisms.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

SECOND SATELLITE TO MONITOR SPACE WEATHER
Space sector start-up Digantara launched its second satellite Pushan-Alpha as a
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rideshare onboard SpaceX's Transporter-6 mission that soared to the low earth orbit from
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Cape Canaveral in Florida, US. The satellite will serve as a space weather testbed in the sun
synchronous orbit for enhancing precision driven situational space awareness
applications.
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More about the Satellite
1. The Pushan-Alpha observations will help complement Digantara's ROBI (ROBust
Integrating proton fluence meter) mission, the world's first commercial space-based
space weather monitoring system onboard ISRO's PSLV-C53 launched on 30 June last
year.
2. The Pushan-Alpha mission is named after the Hindu solar deity considered as the god
of journeys and protector of travellers.
3. The Pushan-Alpha mission has a three-fold objective -- to extend radiation
measurements to the sun synchronous orbit; to assess mid to high energy particle
radiation from the South Atlantic Anomaly; and to investigate any co-relation of
atmospheric drag and particle environment for enhanced orbit and debris modelling.
4. Bengaluru-based Digantara is developing end-to-end infrastructure to address the
difficulties of space operations and space traffic management through its Space
Mission Assurance Platform.
5. Transporter-6 was SpaceX's sixth dedicated smallest rideshare mission carrying 114
payloads, including orbital transfer vehicles carrying spacecraft to be deployed at a later
time.
DRDO SCIENTISTS DEVELOP 'RAT CYBORGS'

Indian defence scientists have created the first batch of “rat cyborgs” in their
laboratory with the ultimate aim of providing a live video feed to security forces from
inside a building in case of a 26/11-type scenario, in which the enemy has taken over a
premise, but troops are bereft of a sitrep.
What
1. Developed by a bunch of young researchers from Hyderabad, rat cyborgs are nothing but
standard laboratory rodents, in whose brains the scientists have installed an
electrode that can receive signals from outside. A tiny camera would be strapped in its
back for capturing live images.
2. Once released inside a building, the rat cyborgs, armed with such tools, can go anywhere
in an inconspicuous manner, climb a wall and hide from the enemy using their natural
ability to camouflage.
3. Scientists are in the process of perfecting the way in which rodents can be manoeuvred
using external signals.
4. Our objective is intelligence gathering by manoeuvring the rats with electronic
commands through semi-invasive brain electrodes, P Shiva Prasad, director of DRDO
Young Scientist Laboratory (DYSL) in Hyderabad said while making a presentation on
asymmetric technologies at the 108th session of the Indian Science Congress.
5. This is one of the emerging strategic technologies which DYSL has decided to pursue
as an alternative to more conspicuous robots that have limitations in terms of mobility.
The rodents offer a more flexible option.
Flashback
1. The rat-cyborg technology was proposed by a group of Chinese scientists in 2019
using the brain-machine interface technology that seeks to control a rodent’s brain by
an external stimulus.
2. The Chinese team used six such rats for an experiment in which the creatures were
commanded to take turns – first simple ones and subsequently more complex ones with
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tight turns, multiple levels and a specific prescribed path.

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3. Overall the rat cyborgs handled the experiment well with improved control over time
and two of the rats performed flawlessly, as per the Chinese study that was published in
a reputed peer-reviewed journal.
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THE VSHORAD MISSILE SYSTEM

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on 10 January 2023 accorded Acceptance of
Necessity (AoN) to procure the Very Short Range Air Defence System or VSHORAD (IR
Homing) missile system, designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO). The development comes amid the ongoing military standoff with
China at the LAC in eastern Ladakh and reports of air violations by China along the LAC
last year.
What is the missile system?
1. Meant to kill low altitude aerial threats at short ranges, VSHORADS is a man portable
Air Defence System (MANPAD) designed and developed indigenously by DRDO’s
Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, in collaboration with other DRDO
laboratories and Indian Industry Partners.
2. The DRDO, in September last year, conducted two successful test flights of the
VSHORADS missile from a ground based portable launcher at the Integrated Test Range,
Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.
3. As per the defence ministry, the missile—which is propelled by a dual thrust solid
motor—incorporates many novel technologies including miniaturised Reaction Control
System (RCS) and integrated avionics, which were successfully proven during the tests
conducted last year. The DRDO has designed the missile and its launcher in a way to
ensure easy portability.
How will it help India?
1. While the exact specifications of the missile are not immediately known, officers in
the Army explained that being man portable and lightweight compared to the other
missile systems in the Army’s armoury, it can be deployed in the mountains close to the
LAC at a short notice.
2. When it comes to man portable air defence missiles, there was a critical gap in the
Army’s inventory, especially for the eastern and northern borders, though not so much
for the western borders with Pakistan, for which India has the Soviet-vintage OSA AK
missile systems.
3. Others like the Akash Short Range Surface to Air Missile System are heavier with a
theatre air defence umbrella of up to 25 km and can be deployed further away from
the LAC for static formations.
4. When inducted, they will be a critical air defence missile for the forces, even for an
all-equipped infantry unit, and will be the best option for mountain warfare.
PSINSAR SATELLITE TECHNIQUE

The PSInSAR satellite technique used to observe the gradual sinking of
Uttarakhand's Joshimath town is a powerful remote sensing tool capable of measuring
and monitoring displacements in the Earth's surface over time. The Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Ropar in Punjab said that its researchers had in 2021 predicted a large-
scale subsidence in Joshimath.
More about the technique
1. The researchers collected remote sensing data using the Persistent Scatterer
Synthetic Aperture Radar (PSInSAR) Interferometry technique to observe the sinking.
2. A Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a form of radar that is used to create two-
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dimensional images or three-dimensional reconstructions of objects, such as

landscapes.
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3. A signal from an SAR satellite interacts with different targets and goes back to the
sensor located in the satellite, based on which an image is created. In our study,
Sentinel 1 SAR satellite data was used," said IIT-Ropar.
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1-15 jan 2023
4. So, for active SAR sensors, the built-up structures such as buildings act as persistent
or permanent scatterers.
What is land subsidence and how does it differ
5. Scattering refers to a change in
from a landslide?
the direction of light because of 1. Land subsidence is when the normal ground
its collision or interaction with itself starts sinking or gets displaced all
another particle, say buildings. together.
2. On the other hand, landslides occur when a
6. The buildings are "scatterers",
mass of rock located at higher elevation
and because they are usually falls down on a lower surface or road either
static and do not record due to slip action or under influence of
movements, they are referred to gravity.
as "permanent scatterers" or 3. While landslides are a highly localised
"persistent scatterers". phenomenon, land subsidence usually
covers a larger area.
7. In PSInSAR, the persistent 4. Land subsidence is the slow settling of
scatterers in question are ground over a large area, which can happen
imaged over a period of time at in plains as well.
regular intervals. Therefore, 5. However, in a landslide, a mountain slope
successive images are acquired. fails due to different reasons, one of them
being heavy rainfall.
8. Any change in the signal
received after having been
scattered by the target is due to change in the target movement.
9. Since persistent scatterers are not usually expected to move, therefore, any movement,
even on a scale of millimetres, arising from crustal deformations or seismic activity
or even structural failure is captured precisely.
DOPPLER WEATHER RADARS

On 15 January 2023, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Union
Science Technology and Earth Sciences Minister Dr Jitendra Singh jointly inaugurated the
X-Band Doppler Weather Radar at Banihal Top during the 148th Foundation Day
celebrations of India Meteorological Department.
What is Radar?
1. RADAR is the expansion for Radio, Detection and Ranging. Its basic components are a
transmitter, receiver, antenna, power supply system, signal processing and high
computing devices.
2. It works on the principle of electromagnetic waves sent out by the transmitter. The
same wave that strikes an object/dense medium is reflected back to the receiver.
3. The distance up to the object is determined based on the speed of the electromagnetic
wave, and the time to travel to the object and back.
4. There are at least ten types of Radars. The Ground Penetrating Radar studies the
Earth’s crust up to 9-metre in depth and is being used by the Defence Geoinformatics
Research Establishment (DGRE) at Joshimath.
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5. The InSAR (Inferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) that makes high-density

measurements over large areas by using radar signals from Earth-orbiting satellites
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and measures changes in land-surface is also being used in Joshimath and other parts
of Uttarakhand.
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1-15 jan 2023
What is a Doppler radar?

1. A Doppler Radar is a specialised radar that uses the Doppler effect to produce
velocity data about objects at a distance.
2. When the source and the signal are in relative motion to each other, there is a change
in the frequency observed by the observer. This is called the Doppler Effect. If they
are moving closer, the frequency increases and vice versa.
3. A Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) works on the Doppler principle. It is designed to
improve precision in long-range weather forecasting and surveillance using a
parabolic dish antenna and a foam sandwich spherical radome.
4. DWR has the equipment to measure rainfall intensity, wind shear and velocity and
locate a storm centre and the direction of a tornado or gust front.
MISCELLANEOUS
PM INAUGURATE ISC VIRTUALLY
The 108th edition of the Indian Science Congress inaugurated by Prime Minister
through video conferencing which is meeting in Nagpur on 3 January 2023 after a two-year
hiatus due to the Covid pandemic. The previous edition of the Indian Science Congress,
a key event in the science calendar, was held in Bengaluru in January 2020.
More about the Indian Science Congress
1. The five-day 108th session of ISC take place at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur
University, which is celebrating its centenary this year.
2. This is perhaps the first time in nearly two decades that the prime minister was not be
physically present at the gathering of top scientists from across the spectrum,
apparently due to his packed schedule.
3. The focal theme of this year's Science Congress is "Science and Technology for
Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment."
4. The annual Congress will see discussions on issues of sustainable development,
women empowerment, and the role of science and technology in achieving these
objectives.
5. A special programme to showcase the contribution of women in science and
technology will also be held with lectures by renowned women scientists.
6. The event will also see a Children's Science Congress, organised to help stimulate
scientific interest and temperament among children.
7. The Farmers' Science Congress will provide a platform to improve the bio-economy and
attract young people to agriculture.
8. The Tribal Science Congress will be a platform for the scientific display of indigenous
ancient knowledge systems and practices and will focus on the empowerment of tribal
women.
'UNPRECEDENTED' WINTER HEAT WAVE

Several parts of Europe witnessed an unprecedented winter heat wave over New
12
Year’s weekend; the continent is experiencing an extreme warm spell because of the
formation of a heat dome over the region.
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What is a heat dome?

1. A heat dome occurs when an area of high-pressure traps warm air over a region, just
like a lid on a pot, for an extended period of time.
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1-15 jan 2023
2. The longer that air remains trapped, the more the sun works to heat the air, producing
warmer conditions with every passing day.
3. Heat domes generally stay for a few days but sometimes they can extend up to weeks,
which might cause deadly heat waves.
4. Scientists suggest that any region of high pressure, whether a heat dome or not, forces
air to sink and once it reaches the ground, it gets compressed and becomes even
warmer.
5. Moreover, when air sinks, it gets drier and further raises the temperature of the area.
What is the relationship between heat domes and the jet stream?
1. The heat dome’s formation is related to the behaviour of the jet stream — an area of
fast-moving air high in the atmosphere.
2. The jet stream is believed to have a wave-like pattern that keeps moving from north
to south and then north again.
3. When these waves get bigger and elongated, they move slowly and sometimes can
become stationary. This is when a high-pressure system gets stuck and leads to the
occurrence of a heat dome.
4. Although heat domes are likely to have always existed, researchers say that climate
change may be making them more intense and longer.
5. They suggest with the rising temperatures, it is expected that the jet stream will become
wavier and will have larger deviations, causing more frequent extreme heat events.
VILLAGE DEFENCE COMMITTEES REVIVED

After militants killed six people in two days in the Upper Dangri village of Jammu
and Kashmir on 1 and 2 January 2023, locals have demanded that they be provided
weapons to take on attackers. Responding to the demands, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on
2 January 2023 assured the people that they would get a Village Defence Committee (VDC)
on the lines of those in Doda district.
What is a VDC?
1. The VDCs were first formed in
the erstwhile Doda district How are VDGs different from VDCs?
(now Kishtwar, Doda and 1. Both VDG and VDC is a group of civilians
Ramban districts) in mid provided guns and ammunition to tackle
1990s as a force multiplier militants in case of attack until the arrival
against militant attacks. of security forces.
2. The then Jammu and Kashmir 2. Under the new scheme, the persons leading
administration decided to the VDGs will be paid Rs 4,500 per month
provide residents of remote by the government, while others will get Rs
hilly villages with weapons 4,000 each.
and give them arms training to
defend themselves. 3. In the VDCs, only the Special Police Officers
(SPOs) leading them were provided a
3. The VDCs have now been remuneration, of Rs 1,500 monthly. The
renamed as Village Defence SPOs, the lowest rank in the J&K Police, used
Guards (VDG). The new scheme to be retired army, para military or police
to set up VDGs in vulnerable personnel.
areas of J&K was approved by
13
the Union Ministry of Home 4. The VDGs will function under the direction of
Affairs in March last year. the SP/SSP of the district concerned.
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4. Like a VDC member, each VDG

will be provided a gun and 100 rounds of ammunition.
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1-15 jan 2023
CENTRE DECLARES TRF TERRORIST ORGANISATION
Three months after The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT), issued threats to journalists in Kashmir, the Ministry of Home Affairs on 5 December
2023 declared it a “terrorist organisation” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act
for propaganda on terror activities, recruitment of terrorists, infiltration of terrorists
and smuggling of weapons and narcotics from Pakistan into J&K.
According to a notification
1. According to a notification issued by the MHA, TRF came into existence in 2019 as a
proxy outfit of LeT, a proscribed terrorist organisation.
2. TRF is recruiting youth through online medium for furtherance of terrorist activities
and has been also involved in carrying out propaganda on terror activities, recruitment of
terrorists, infiltration of terrorists and smuggling of weapons and narcotics from
Pakistan into J&K.
3. TRF is involved in psychological operations on social media platforms for inciting
people of J&K to join terrorist outfits against the Indian state.
4. According to the MHA notification, Sheikh Sajjad Gul, a TRF commander, has been
designated as a terrorist under the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA.
5. The activities of the TRF are detrimental for the security and sovereignty of India. A
large number of cases have been registered against the members/associates of the TRF
relating to planning of killing of security personnel and civilians of J&K, co-
coordinating and transporting weapons to support proscribed terrorist organisations.
6. The group had issued threats to a few media houses in the Valley for their “traitorous
acts” following which several journalists had resigned from local publications.
7. The first signs of TRF emerging as a strong militant group were visible when the J&K
Police busted a module of overground workers in Sopore – the town was a strong Lashkar
base in the Valley before it yielded its position to Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-
Mohammad – and Kupwara.
WORLD HINDI DAY CELEBRATED

World Hindi Day, also known as Vishwa Hindi Diwas, is celebrated on 10 January
every year by Hindi enthusiasts across the world to mark the importance and celebrate
Hindi as a language.
Why Hindi Diwas celebrated
1. Vishwa Hindi Diwas was started to mark the anniversary of the first time Hindi was
spoken in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1949.
2. In the year 1975, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated the first World
Hindi Conference. Since then, conferences have been organised in different parts of the
world.
3. However, it was on 10 January 2006 when the World Hindi Day was celebrated for the
first time.
4. This decision was announced by the then Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh.
Significance
1. The purpose of this day is to create awareness about the Indian language and promote
14
it as a global language around the world.

2. It is also used to create awareness about the usage of the Indian language, and about
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the issues persisting around the usage and promotion of the Hindi language.
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1-15 jan 2023
How to celebrate?
1. The Indian Ministry of External
Affairs celebrates this day every World Hindi Day vs Hindi Diwas
year (since 2006) by organising 1. While the World Hindi Day is
events and activities around the celebrated on 10 January every year,
usage and promotion of Hindi. Hindi Diwas is celebrated on 14
2. Sometimes, the day is also September annually.
celebrated by the Indian Postal 2. This day concentrates on promotion and
Department by issuing special global recognition of the Hindi Language
stamps to mark the occasion. around the world.
3. On the other hand, Hindi Diwas, which
3. Schools and students can celebrate is celebrated in India, focuses on
this day by organising debate, recognition of the Hindi language in
discussions, Hindi poetry recitals, India.
literature classes, plays, quizzes, 4. However, there have been debates about
and more in their schools or even promoting this language in non-Hindi
localities. Several organistions, speaking regions.
including Hindi clubs, can also hold
debates and discussions.
TROPICAL FORESTS CAN EMIT CARBON

A new study has found that tropical forests, which have been logged (cut down) or
degraded, remain a source of carbon emission for at least a decade. The findings are
contrary to a previous assumption – that recovering tropical forests absorb more carbon
than they emit into the atmosphere because they witness rapid re-growth of trees.
More about the study
1. The study compared data collected from
both intact and logged forests and What is carbon sequestration?
concluded that the latter release a 1. Carbon sequestration is a crucial
substantial amount of carbon from its part of the global carbon cycle, as it
damaged soil and decaying deadwood. is the process of capturing and
2. Researchers Maria B. Mills (University storing atmospheric carbon
of Leicester), Terhi Riutta (University dioxide.
of Oxford), Yadvinder Malhi, (University 2. One of the ways this happens is when
of Oxford) and others from the UK, forests and other land vegetation
Malaysia, Peru and Australia authored absorb carbon dioxide during
the latest study, ‘Tropical forests post- photosynthesis.
logging are a persistent net carbon
3. According to a 2014 NASA-led study,
source to the atmosphere’, published in
tropical forests remove up to 30 per
Proceedings of the National Academy of
cent of human carbon dioxide
Sciences.
emissions from the atmosphere and
3. Our data directly contradict the make for an important carbon sink —
default assumption that recovering an area which absorbs more carbon
logged and degraded tropical forests are than releases it. Therefore, they have
net carbon sinks, implying the amount a significant role in keeping global
of carbon being sequestered across the temperatures low.
world’s tropical forests may be
considerably lower than currently
estimated,” the researchers wrote in the paper.
15
What makes this study’s findings different?

1. Many of the previous studies on recovering tropical forests estimated the amount of
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carbon being absorbed by them by only focusing on the regrowing of the trees.
2. This means they are only measuring the sink function of the forest. If you imagine
your bank account – it would be like only looking at your incomings, not your outgoings.
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1-15 jan 2023
3. Their study was conducted in the forests of Malaysian Borneo, which is a hotspot of
deforestation and forest degradation.
4. The region has a vast expanse of logged forests as well as old-growth protected forests,
providing “a great logging gradient to study.”
5. To estimate the carbon of the area, the researchers used a handheld infrared gas
analyser monitor to test patches of ground and pieces of deadwood. They also set up a
52 metres-high tower, which measured the ‘flux’ of carbon into and out of the forest.
FACT TO REMEMBER:
1. CENTRE EMPOWERED TO DEMONETISE: SC
2. CENTRE LAUNCHES ‘SMART’ PROGRAM
3. PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIWAS 2023 BEGINS
4. ASI-PROTECTED MONUMENTS UNTRACEABLE
5. JOSHIMATH CRISIS CAUSED BY LAND SUBSIDENCE
6. DELEGATED LEGISLATION IN SC VERDICT
7. ‘TITLE 42’ IMMIGRATION POLICY
8. FIRST TIME RBI ISSUE GREEN BONDS
9. THE VSHORAD MISSILE SYSTEM
10. WORLD HINDI DAY CELEBRATED
LINK TO FOLLOW
HTTPS://THEPRINT.IN/OPINION/CPEC-MADE-GWADAR-LOOK-ATTRACTIVE-TO-
PAKISTAN-BUT-DEVELOPMENT-RINGING-HOLLOW-TO-LOCAL-PEOPLE/1307189/
HTTPS://WWW.LIVEMINT.COM/OPINION/COLUMNS/WORKINGAGE-POPULATION-ON-
THE-DECLINE-11672591629486.HTML
HTTPS://WWW.FREEPRESSJOURNAL.IN/ANALYSIS/THE-CONSEQUENCES-OF-A-
DELAYED-CENSUS
HTTPS://WWW.DECCANHERALD.COM/OPINION/MAIN-ARTICLE/ARE-RVMS-THE-
BEST-WAY-1180501.HTML
HTTPS://WWW.ALJAZEERA.COM/OPINIONS/2023/1/11/SUDAN-SHOULD-NOT-
SETTLE-FOR-ANYTHING-OTHER-THAN-TRUE-DEMOCRACY
PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION 2022
Q. Among the following crops, which one is the most important anthropogenic
source of both methane and nitrous oxide?
(a) Cotton
(b) Rice
(c) Sugarcane
(d) Wheat
Source: My Notes, August 1-15, 2022 page no. 10-11

16
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16-31 jan 2023
My Notes….
NATIONAL
WOMEN GET COMMAND ROLES IN THE INDIAN ARMY
As many as 108 women officers in the Army are cleared for the rank of Colonel
(selection grade) on 22 January 2023 by a special selection board, which will make them
eligible to command units and troops in their respective arms and services for the first
time. A total of 244 women officers are being considered for promotion against the
vacancies — from the batch of 1992 to 2006 — in arms and services
Why is this significant?
1. Most importantly, it grants women officers’ parity with their male counterparts.
2. Earlier, with a limited period
career in the force, there were What did the Supreme Court order in 2020?
no promotion avenues for
1. In 2019, the Army changed its rules
women officers to become a
allowing SSC women officers to opt for
Colonel and command a unit
permanent commission who would have
like male Army officers.
otherwise retired after 14 years of service.
3. It is not that women officers However, this was not retrospective, and
did not reach the rank of applied only to the batches of women
Colonel or beyond in the past, officers starting their career in the Army
but they were only in two in 2020.
branches — the Judge
2. With the landmark Supreme Court
Advocate General (JAG)
judgment of February 2020, permanent
branch and the Army
commission was granted to women officers
Education Corps — where they
with retrospective effect.
were granted permanent
commission in 2008. 3. All major countries including the United
States, United Kingdom, Russia, and
4. However, these were staff
Israel allow women in command positions
appointments — which are
of their national armed forces.
more administrative in
nature — and not purely
command appointments in which an officer commands troops on ground.
5. The Supreme Court’s order to grant permanent commission to women Army officers
in February 2020 opened the doors for promotion to women officers across all streams
of the Army, except pure combat arms.
INDIA ENTRY FOR UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE TAG

Assam’s Charaideo Moidams, or royal burial mounds, are India’s only entry to
UNESCO for recognition as a World Heritage site in the cultural category in 2023-24.
Charaideo Moidams are mounds containing the remains of the royalty of the Ahom
dynasty that ruled present-day Assam for 600 years — from the 13th century to the 19th
century.
What are Moidams?
1. The Moidams contain the remains of Ahom dynasty royalty. Previously, the Ahoms
were buried, but after the 18th century, they adopted the Hindu mode of cremation,
and bones and ashes were enclosed in a “moidam” which is an earthen pyramid. These
1
moidams are commonly known as the pyramids of Assam.

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2. 386 Moidams have been explored so far, 90 royal burials at Charaideo are the best
preserved, representative, and most complete examples of this tradition.
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16-31 jan 2023
3. Charaideo, or the
“shining town on Who were the Ahoms?
a hill top”, was 1. The Ahoms reportedly represented a time when the
the first capital “Assamese race was united and able to fight an alien,
established by formidable force such as the Mughals”.
King Chaolung 2. The Ahoms, who were non-Hindus, adopted the local
Sukapha, the religion, Hinduism, during the reign of Sudangpha (1397-
founder of the 1407).
dynasty, in 3. It was the first time that Hinduism, which was the
1229 CE. predominant religion outside the Ahom realm, penetrated
4. Through the 600 into it right at the very top.
years of the Ahom 4. Hindu rituals, including worship of Laxmi-Narayan
rule, the capital Shaligram in addition to the Shan idol Somdeo, began to be
was shifted performed at the royal palace.
several times.
Yet, Charaideo
remained the symbolic centre of power.
ASER 2022
According to the latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), the spike in
dropout rate after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic was “temporary” in nature as
enrolment numbers, across age groups, touched a record high in 2022, reaching the
highest level since the introduction of the Right to Education Act in 2009.
More about ASER 2022
1. Pre-COVID, the last national What led to this more enrolment in
ASER rural field survey was government than private?
conducted in 2018. That year, the 1. It is due to uncertainty of income and
all-India enrolment figure for the closure of budget private schools in rural
age group 6 to 14 was 97.2 per areas.
cent. 2. If family income goes down or becomes
more uncertain, it is likely that parents
2. The 2022 data shows that this
may not be able to afford private school
number has increased to 98.4 per
fees. Hence, they are likely to pull their
cent,” said the CEO of Pratham
children out of private schools and put
Foundation which led the survey.
them in government schools.
Effect of pandemic 3. In rural areas, most private schools are
1. The pandemic had triggered alarm of the low cost or budget variety, many
bells on school enrollment, with of which had to shut down during COVID
ASER 2020 and 2021 reports because it was not economically viable to
capturing a fall in the proportion of retain the staff.
children in schools in the 6-14 age
groups.
2. The out of school numbers rose from 2.8 per cent in 2018 to 4.6 per cent in 2020, a
level at which it remained in 2021 as well.
After pandemic results:
1. ASER 2022, which covered seven lakh children across 616 districts and was conducted
by 27,536 volunteers, shows that the proportion of out of school children is down to
1.6%.
2
2. The ASER report also highlights another trend that found reflection in other
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government reports such as the Unified District Information System for Education
Plus data which came out last year.
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16-31 jan 2023
Enrolment in government schools has increased:
1. ASER 2022 states that for the country as a whole, the percentage of all children aged
11 to 14 who are enrolled in government schools has risen from 65 per cent in 2018
to 71.7 per cent in 2022.
2. According to the UDISE+ data for 2021-22, between 2020 and 2021, enrollment in
government schools increased by 83.35 lakh while in private schools it dipped by 68.85
lakh.
NEW SUPREME COURT ORDER FOR EUTHANASIA

On 24 January 2023, a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice K
M Joseph agreed to significantly ease the procedure for passive euthanasia in the country
by altering the existing guidelines for ‘living wills’, as laid down in its 2018 judgment in
Common Cause vs. Union of India & Anr, which allowed passive euthanasia.
What is euthanasia and living will?
1. Euthanasia refers to the practice of an individual deliberately ending their life,
oftentimes to get relief from an incurable condition, or intolerable pain and suffering.
2. Euthanasia, which can be administered only by a physician, can be either ‘active’ or
‘passive’.
3. Active euthanasia involves an active intervention to end a person’s life with
substances or external force, such as administering a lethal injection. Passive
euthanasia refers to withdrawing life support or treatment that is essential to keep a
terminally ill person alive.
4. Passive euthanasia was legalised in India by the Supreme Court in 2018, contingent
upon the person having a ‘living will’ or a written document that specifies what actions
should be taken if the person is unable to make their own medical decisions in the future.
5. In case a person does not have a living will, members of their family can make a plea
before the High Court to seek permission for passive euthanasia.
What did the SC rule in 2018?
1. The Supreme Court allowed passive euthanasia while recognising the living wills of
terminally-ill
patients who could go Different countries, different laws
into a permanent 1. NETHERLANDS, LUXEMBOURG, BELGIUM
vegetative state, and allowed both euthanasia and assisted suicide for
issued guidelines anyone who faces “unbearable suffering” that has
regulating this no chance of improvement.
procedure.
2. SWITZERLAND bans euthanasia but allows
2. A five-judge assisted dying in the presence of a doctor or
Constitution Bench physician.
headed by then Chief 3. CANADA had announced that euthanasia and
Justice of India (CJI) assisted dying would be allowed for mentally ill
Dipak Misra said that patients by March 2023; however, the decision
the guidelines would has been widely criticised, and the move may be
be in force until delayed.
Parliament passed
4. UNITED STATES has different laws in different
legislation on this.
states. Euthanasia is allowed in some states like
3. However, this has not Washington, Oregon, and Montana.
happened, and the
3
5. UNITED KINGDOM considers it illegal and

absence of a law on
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equivalent to manslaughter.
this subject has
rendered the 2018
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16-31 jan 2023
judgment the last conclusive set of directions on euthanasia.
4. The guidelines pertained to questions such as who would execute the living will, and
the process by which approval could be granted by the medical board.
5. We declare that an adult human being having mental capacity to take an informed
decision has right to refuse medical treatment including withdrawal from life-saving
devices, the court said in the 2018 ruling.
OBC PANEL GETS 14TH EXTENSION

The Justice G. Rohini-led commission for the sub-categorisation of other backward
classes (OBCs) has now been given yet another extension in its tenure by the President,
according to a gazette notification issued by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment.
More about the extension
1. This is the 14th extension in tenure that the commission has been given. The
commission, formed in October 2017, was initially given 12 weeks to finish the task
of sub-categorising the nearly 3,000 castes within the OBC umbrella and recommend
division of the 27% OBC quota among them equitably.
2. Initially, the government cited more time required by the panel to gather information
and data and then it cited the pandemic.
3. As part of its work, the commission had identified dominant caste groups among all
OBC communities in the Central list, finding that a small group of dominant OBC
communities were crowding out a large number of communities from the 27% OBC
quota.
4. Consequently, the commission decided to divide all OBC communities into four broad
categories, with the largest share of the quota pie going to the group that has historically
been deprived of OBC quota as a result of being pushed out by dominant OBC groups.
5. The fresh extension comes as the Bihar government is in the middle of its much-
anticipated caste-based survey in the State and the Uttar Pradesh government is in the
process of conducting a fresh survey to assess the need for OBC reservation in its local
body elections, with other States like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra also looking to
form panels to implement OBC reservation in local body polls.
6. The last time a country-wide survey was conducted to enumerate the number of castes
and their population was in 2011 as part of the Socio-Economic Caste Census. However,
data from this were never made public.
INTERNATIONAL
INDIA ISSUED NOTICE TO PAKISTAN ON THE IWT
New Delhi has issued notice to Islamabad seeking modification of the more than six-
decade-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in view of Pakistan’s “intransigence” in implementing
it, government sources said on 27 January 2023. The notice, sent on 25 January through
the Commissioner for Indus Waters, will open the process of making changes to the treaty,
the sources said.
What is the Indus Waters Treaty?
1. The IWT was signed on 19 September 1960, by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and
4
Pakistan’s President Mohammed Ayub Khan in Karachi after nine years of World Bank-
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brokered negotiations between India and Pakistan.

2. The treaty defines the water-sharing arrangement for six rivers of the Indus basin that
flow through both India and Pakistan. It has 12 Articles and 8 Annexures (from A to H).
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16-31 jan 2023
3. As per the treaty’s provisions,
India can make “unrestricted What is this notice that India has sent?
use” of all the water of the
“Eastern Rivers” — Sutlej, 1. The notice for modification was to provide
Beas, and Ravi — while Pakistan with an opportunity to enter into
Pakistan shall get water from intergovernmental negotiations within 90
the “Western Rivers”, Indus, days to rectify the material breach of IWT.
Jhelum, and Chenab. 2. This process would also update the IWT to
4. All the waters of the Eastern incorporate the lessons learned over the last
Rivers shall be available for the 62 years.
unrestricted use of India, 3. India has issued the notice to Pakistan under
except as otherwise expressly Article XII (3) of the IWT.
provided in this Article, states
Article II (1) of the treaty. 4. The provisions of this Treaty may from time to
time be modified by a duly ratified treaty
5. The Article III (1) which has concluded for that purpose between the two
provisions related to the Governments.
Western Rivers, states,
“Pakistan shall receive for
unrestricted use all those waters of the Western Rivers which India is under
obligation to let flow under the provisions of Paragraph (2)”
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM’S 2023 EVENT ENDS

The World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2023, held in the Swiss town of
Davos, ended 20 January 2023 – a conference that started in a world possibly fundamentally
altered, but whose processes and outcomes remained pretty much business as usual. The
theme this year was ‘Cooperation in a Fragmented World’.
Key takeaways from WEF Davos 2023
On the economy
1. Most business leaders were upbeat about the economy, with US and the European
Union (EU) seemingly beyond the risk of a recession now.
2. China ending its zero Covid curbs and opening shop again added to the positive outlook.
3. However, central banks of the major economies cautioned that concerns still
remained, and said they would keep interest rates high to ensure inflation is under
check.
4. The richer nations look to focus inwards, protecting their own workers, energy
sufficiency, supply lines, etc., concerns were raised that this policy direction would
hit developing economies.
On Ukraine
1. Ukraine kept up its demand for more military aid to fight its war against Russia, and
more financial aid to rebuild after the war, saying the reconstruction fund
commitments should start coming in now and not after the war ends.
2. In his address, Zelenskyy made an indirect criticism of the US and Germany dithering
over sending tanks to his country.
Climate
1. Everyone agreed upon the need for green energy and the need for more money to
flight climate change.
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2. The World Economic Forum, supported by more than 45 partners launched the Giving
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to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA), a global initiative to fund and grow new and existing
public, private and philanthropic partnerships (PPPPs) to help unlock the $3 trillion
of financing needed each year to reach net zero, reverse nature loss and restore
biodiversity by 2050.
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16-31 jan 2023
3. Greta Thunberg and other activists organised a protest, with slogans such as “There is
no planet B” and “Fossil fuels have got to go”. Pakistan brought up the issue of a loss
and damage fund for the developing countries.
Projects launched
1. The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that more than 50 “high-impact initiatives” was
launched at the event.
2. Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA) signed a partnership with the
forum on urban transformation to give the state government “strategic and technical
direction”, while a thematic centre on healthcare and life sciences is to be set up in
Telangana.
3. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations (CEPI) aims to develop new
vaccines for future pandemics.
VEER GUARDIAN 2023 CONCLUDE
The inaugural edition of the 16-day bilateral air exercise between the Indian Air Force and
the Japan Air Self-Defence Force has concluded in Japan. The exercise, 'Veer Guardian
2023', involved precise planning and skilful execution by both the air forces, the Indian
Air Force said on 27 January 2023. The exercise concluded on 26 January 2023.
What
1. The IAF and JASDF engaged in air combat manoeuvring, interception and air defence
missions, both in visual and beyond visual range settings.
2. Aircrew of the two participating air forces also flew in each other's fighter aircraft to
gain a deeper understanding of each other's operating philosophies, the IAF said.
3. It said the JASDF participated in the exercise with its F-2 and F-15 aircraft, while the
IAF contingent participated with the Su-30 MKI aircraft.
4. The IAF fighter contingent was complemented by one IL-78 flight refuelling aircraft and
two C-17 Globemaster strategic airlift transport aircraft.
5. The exercise also witnessed numerous ground interactions between IAF and JASDF
personnel wherein various aspects were discussed by both sides.
6. This enabled the participating contingents to obtain an invaluable insight into each
other's best practices and learn from each other's unique capabilities.
NAVAL EXERCISE 'VARUNA' STARTS

The 21st edition of the bilateral naval exercise between India and France
commenced on the western seaboard on 16 November 2023, the Indian Navy said. Initiated
in 1993, the exercise was christened 'Varuna’ in 2001 and has become "a hallmark of India–
France strategic bilateral relationship".
More about the exercise
1. This edition of the exercise will witness participation of indigenous guided missile
stealth destroyer INS Chennai, guided missile frigate INS Teg, maritime patrol aircraft
P-8I and Dornier, integral helicopters and MiG29K fighter aircraft.
2. The French Navy will be represented by the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, frigates
FS Forbin and Provence, support vessel FS Marne and maritime patrol aircraft
Atlantique, it said.
3. The exercise will be conducted over five days from 16 to 20 January 2023 and will
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witness advanced air defence exercises, tactical manoeuvres, surface firings,

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underway replenishment and other maritime operations, it said.

4. Units of both navies will endeavour to hone their war-fighting skills in maritime theatre,
enhance their interoperability to undertake multi-discipline operations in the
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maritime domain and demonstrate their ability as an integrated force to promote peace,
security and stability in the region.
5. Having grown in scope and complexity over the years, this exercise provides an
opportunity to learn from each other’s best practices.
6. The exercise facilitates operational level interaction between the two navies to foster
mutual cooperation for good order at sea, underscoring the shared commitment of both
nations to security, safety and freedom of the global maritime commons.
ECONOMY
ECONOMIC SURVEY 2023
The Economic Survey is a detailed report of the state of the national economy in the
financial year that is coming to a close. It is prepared by the Economic Division of the
Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) under the guidance of the CEA. Once prepared, the
Survey is approved by the Finance Minister. The Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) released
the Economic Survey for the current financial year (2022-23).
What is the Economic Survey’s significance?
1. It comes just a day before the Budget, the assessment and recommendations carried
in the survey are not binding on the Budget.
2. The survey remains the most authoritative and comprehensive analysis of the
economy that is conducted from within the Union government.
3. Its observations and details provide an official framework for analysing the Indian
economy.
Key takeaways:
1. The latest Economic Survey has laid out not just the growth forecast for the current
financial year (2022-23) but also commented on the growth outlook in the coming
financial year (2023-24).
2. It has also shared its Outlook for 2023-24
assessment of the inflation
trajectory and the 1. The Survey projects a baseline GDP growth
unemployment rate in the of 6.5 per cent in real terms in FY24. The
country. projection is broadly comparable to the
estimates provided by multilateral agencies
GDP growth in the current such as the World Bank, the IMF, and the
financial year: ADB and by RBI, domestically.
1. The Survey states that India’s 2. A key downside risk is to the external
growth estimate for FY23 is sector is “strong domestic demand amidst
higher than for almost all major high commodity prices will raise India’s
economies. total import bill and contribute to
2. In fact, the Survey pointed out unfavourable developments in the current
that India’s growth is “even account balance.
slightly above the average growth 3. These may be exacerbated by plateauing
of the Indian economy in the export growth on account of slackening
decade leading up to the global demand. Should the current account
pandemic”. deficit widen further, the currency may
Inflation trajectory: come under depreciation pressure.
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1. The RBI has projected headline

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inflation at 6.8 per cent in FY23.

This is outside the RBI’s comfort zone, which ranges between 2 per cent and 6 per cent.
2. High inflation is seen as one big factor that is holding back the demand among Indian
consumers.
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16-31 jan 2023
Unemployment:
1. The Survey states that employment levels have risen in the current financial year”.
2. It states that “Job creation appears to have moved into a higher orbit with the initial
surge in exports, a strong release of the “pent-up” demand, and a swift rollout of the
capex.”
3. It points to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), which showed that the urban
unemployment rate for people aged 15 years and above declined from 9.8 per cent in
the quarter ending September 2021 to 7.2 per cent one year later.
INDIA'S FIRST-EVER SGRBS AUCTION

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) auctioned maiden sovereign green bonds (SGrBs)
worth Rs 8,000 crore on 25 January 2023. This is part of the Rs 16,000 crore Sovereign
Green Bond auction that the RBI will conduct in the current financial year. The second
green bond auction will be conducted on 9 February 2023.
Why are these bonds important?
1. Over the last few years, Green Bonds have emerged as an important financial
instrument to deal with the threats of climate change and related challenges.
2. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank Group’s
institution, climate change threatens communities and economies, and it poses risks for
agriculture, food, and water supplies.
3. A lot of financing is needed to address these challenges. It’s critical to connect
environmental projects with capital markets and investors and channel capital towards
sustainable development – and Green Bonds are a way to make that connection.
How beneficial is it for investors?
What are Green Bonds?
1. Green Bonds offer investors a 1. Green bonds are bonds issued by any
platform to engage in good sovereign entity, inter-governmental
practices, influencing the groups or alliances and corporates with the
business strategy of bond aim that the proceeds of the bonds are
issuers. utilised for projects classified as
2. They provide a means to hedge environmentally sustainable.
against climate change risks 2. The framework for the sovereign green bond
while achieving at least similar, if was issued by the government on 9 November
not better, returns on their 2022.
investment. 3. The RBI is auctioning two green bonds with
3. In this way, the growth in Green tenures of 5 and 10 years, worth Rs 4,000
Bonds and green finance also crore each. The two bonds auctioned today
indirectly works to are New GOI SGrB 2028 and New GOI SGrB
disincentivise high carbon- 2033.
emitting projects, as per the
IFC.
Where will the proceeds go?
1. The government will use the proceeds raised from SGrBs to finance or refinance
expenditure (in parts or whole) for various green projects, including in renewable
energy, clean transportation, energy efficiency, climate change adaptation,
sustainable water and waste management, pollution and prevention control and
green buildings.
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2. In renewable energy, investments will be made in solar, wind, biomass and hydropower
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energy projects.
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PAYTM BANK GETS RBI NOD TO OPERATE AS BBPOU

Paytm Payments Bank on 16 January 2023 said it has received final approval from
the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU).
So far, Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) has been undertaking this activity under in-
principle authorisation from RBI.
What
1. Under Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), a BBPOU is allowed to facilitate bill
payment services of electricity, phone, DTH, water, gas insurance, loan repayments,
FASTag recharge, education fees, credit card bill and municipal taxes.
2. BBPS is owned by the National Payments Corporation of India.
3. PPBL has got the final approval from RBI to operate as Bharat Bill Payment Operating
Unit (BBPOU) under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
4. As an entity under Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), PPBL has got the final
authorization to conduct bill payment and aggregation business as a BBPOU. Under RBI's
guidance, PPBL will display all agent institutions onboard on its website.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DRDO DEVELOPS UFRA FOR SPACE RADAR
In a key development, Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE),
a Bengaluru lab of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has
developed a major subsystem for space radar, which holds significant potential not only for
the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), but also for the military.
More about Space radar
1. LRDE has been involved in the development of space-borne imaging radar — mainly
consisting of electronic radar subsystems and antenna deployment mechanisms —
for installation on satellites has completed the development of an UnFurlable Reflector
Antenna (UFRA).
2. UFRA is one of the major subsystems of a radar, LRDE said, adding that radars for
space applications require an antenna to be stowed in compact volume during launch
and then deployed in the required shape once the satellite is in the required orbit.
3. To meet this requirement, LRDE has developed the UFRA system which consists of a
rim truss-based deployable mechanism, primary arm, reflector mesh, tension ties,
nets, and motor. A cable is routed through the diagonal members of the rim truss
elements.
4. The UFRA was realised and the deployment of the antenna to the required height was
achieved successfully by an unfurlable deployment mechanism. The design can be
adapted to realise any size of UFRA.
5. The antenna, sources said, is likely to be part of space-based military radar, which LRDE
is working on. The specific details about the radar cannot be divulged at this moment,
but the development of UFRA is a key milestone in the development of the radar.
6. LRDE is a key DRDO lab with a mission to design and develop state-of-the-art radar
systems meeting current and futuristic requirements of the tri-services, paramilitary
forces, intelligence and strategic missions.
7. It is also tasked with establishing indigenous production capability through industry
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partnership to achieve total self-reliance in the field radars besides promoting in-house
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research, engaging academia and industry to build competence towards creating a centre
of excellence in the field of radar technologies.
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16-31 jan 2023
INS VAGIR COMMISSIONED INTO THE INDIAN NAVY

The Indian Navy on 23 January 2023 commissioned the fifth diesel-electric Kalvari-
class submarine Vagir. It is among the six submarines being built by the Mazagon Dock
Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, in collaboration with the French M/s Naval Group
under Project 75. Four of these submarines have already been commissioned into the Navy
and a sixth will be commissioned next year.
Kalvari-class background
1. Vagir is a Kalvari-class submarine, which includes other vessels, such as the INS
Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS
Karanj, INS Vela and INS
Vagsheer. What are the specifications of Vagir?
2. Of these, Kalvari and Khanderi 1. The latest submarine gets its name from the
were commissioned in 2017 erstwhile Vagir, a submarine which served
and 2019, and Vela and Karanj the Navy between 1973 and 2001 and
were inducted in 2021. undertook numerous operational missions.
3. Vagir has now been 2. The construction of the new Vagir began in
commissioned and Vagsheer 2009 and it took its maiden sea sortie in
was launched in 2022 and is February last year. Also known as Sand
expected to be inducted next Shark, the submarine was delivered to the
year. Indian Navy in December 2022.
3. Vagir represents stealth and fearlessness,
4. The submarines in the current as it comes with features like an advanced
Kalvari-class take their names acoustic absorption technique.
from erstwhile decommissioned
4. Vagir will boost the Indian Navy’s
classes of submarines named
capability to further India’s maritime
Kalvari, which included Kalvari,
interests and is capable of undertaking
Khanderi, Karanj and Vela
diverse missions including anti-surface
classes — comprising Vela,
warfare, anti-submarine warfare,
Vagir, Vagshir.
intelligence gathering, mine laying and
5. The now-decommissioned surveillance missions, the government
Kalvari and Vela classes were release said.
one of the earliest submarines
in the post-independence Indian Navy, which belonged to Soviet origin Foxtrot class of
vessels.
‘IMMUNE IMPRINTING’ MAKING BIVALENT BOOSTERS LESS EFFECTIVE

Countries like the UK and the US have rolled out variant-specific or bivalent
boosters, in the hope that they would provide better protection against infection in
comparison to the original vaccine. However, a slew of recent studies has shown that a
phenomenon in our bodies, called immune imprinting, might be making these new boosters
far less effective than expected.
What is immune imprinting?
1. Immune imprinting is a tendency of the body to repeat its immune response based
on the first variant it encountered — through infection or vaccination — when it
comes across a newer or slightly different variant of the same pathogen.
2. The phenomenon was first observed in 1947, when scientists noted that “people who
had previously had flu, and were then vaccinated against the current circulating
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strain, produced antibodies against the first strain they had encountered”, according to
a report published in the journal Nature.
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3. At the time, it was termed the ‘original antigenic sin’ but today, it’s commonly known as
imprinting.
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16-31 jan 2023
4. Over the years, scientists have realised that imprinting acts as a database for the
immune system, helping it put up a better response to repeat infections.
5. After our body is exposed to a virus for the first time, it produces memory B cells that
circulate in the bloodstream and quickly produce antibodies whenever the same strain
of the virus infects again.
6. The problem occurs when a similar, not identical, variant of the virus is encountered
by the body.
7. In such cases, the immune system, rather than generating new B cells, activates
memory B cells, which in turn produce “antibodies that bind to features found in both
the old and new strains, known as cross-reactive antibodies”, the Nature report said.
8. Although these cross-reactive antibodies do offer some protection against the new
strain, they aren’t as effective as the ones produced by the B cells when the body first
came across the original virus.
INDIA’S BHAROS REPLACE ANDROID, IOS

BharOS is being pitched as India’s answer to the Google-owned Android and Apple’s
iOS, the two most dominant mobile operating systems in the world. BharOS’s endorsement
by the government not only signals India’s ambitions to have a localised competitor to
Silicon Valley operating systems, but also ensures that competitors have a fair chance to
succeed against these heavyweights.
Key aspects about BharOS
1. BharOS is actually developed from the source code of Google's Android Operating
System Package (AOSP). But, it does not come pre-loaded with apps, thus freeing more
space in the phone and consumers can install apps that they really want to use, which is
not the case with the Android and iOS platform
2. BharOS software can be side-loaded to most of the Android phones available in the
market, and for obvious reasons, it cannot be installed on Apple iPhones
3. BharOS can run most of Android apps, but cannot run iOS apps. Users can side-load
any APKs (Android Package Kits) of Android apps.
4. BharOS offers more control to users over the permissions that apps have on the
device. He/she can choose to only allow apps that they trust to access certain features
or data on their device.
5. JandKops developers claim that phones with BharOS can be updated to the new
version with the latest security patch via Over-The-Air, like any other smartphones in
the market
6. Unlike Google Play Store (for Android) and Apple App Store (for iOS devices), BharOS-
based Phone users can access trust-worthy apps from organization-specific Private
App Store Services (PASS). The latter offers access to a curated list of apps that have
been thoroughly vetted and have met certain security and privacy standards of
organisations.
7. For now BharOS is not available to the public just yet. As noted above, private
organisations, which emphasise security and user privacy for communication purpose,
can approach JandKops to get access to BharOS
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8. JandKops is incubated by IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation. It is backed

by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, under its
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National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NMICPS).
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INDIA'S FIRST NASAL COVID VACCINE

On the occasion of Republic Day, India got its first-ever intranasal vaccine
iNCOVACC, which was manufactured by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech. The vaccine,
dubbed "game changer" by some experts, was launched by Union health minister Mansukh
Mandaviya and science and technology minister Jitendra Singh on 26 January 2023.
More about vaccine
1. The nasal vaccine — BBV154 — had received
the Drugs Controller General of India's How does iNCOVACC work?
(DCGI) approval in November for restricted 1. iNCOVACC is a recombinant
emergency use among adults as a heterologous replication-deficient
booster dose. adenovirus vectored vaccine
2. The dose will be priced at Rs 800 per dose for with a pre-fusion-stabilized
the private markets and Rs 325 per dose for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
central and state governments. 2. iNCOVACC has been
3. iNCOVACC is a recombinant replication specifically formulated to
deficient adenovirus vectored vaccine with a allow intranasal delivery
pre-fusion stabilised spike protein. through nasal drops.
4. This vaccine candidate was evaluated in phase 3. The nasal delivery system has
I, II and III clinical trials with successful been designed and developed
results. to be cost-effective in low-
and middle-income countries.
5. The vectored intranasal delivery platform
gives us the capability for rapid product
development, scale-up and easy and painless immunization during public health
emergencies and pandemics.
MISCELLANEOUS
PADMA AWARDS 2023 ANNOUNCED
On 25 January, the government announced one Padma Vibhushan and 25 Padma
Shri awards. The Padma Vibhushan will be awarded posthumously in the field of Medicine
(Pediatrics) to Dilip Mahalanabis, who came up with ORS. The Padma Awards are India’s
highest civilian honours after the Bharat Ratna, seeking to “recognize achievements in
all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved,” the
Padma Awards website said.
The history of Padma Awards
1. Two awards, the Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan were first instituted in 1954 as
India’s highest civilian honours.
2. The latter had three classes: Pahela Varg (1st Class), Dusra Varg (Second Class) and
Tisra Varg (Third Class). In 1955, these were subsequently named as Padma Vibhushan,
Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri respectively.
3. While the Bharat Ratna is treated as an exceptional award with only 45 Bharat Ratnas
being handed over till date, the Padma Awards are annually conferred to deserving
civilians.
4. Except for interruptions in 1978, 1979 and between 1993 and 1997, every year the
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names of the recipients are announced on Republic Day eve.

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5. Typically, not more than 120 awards are given in a year, but this does not include
posthumous awards or awards given to NRIs and foreigners.
6. While the award is normally not conferred posthumously, the Government can consider
posthumous felicitation in exceptional circumstances.
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7. The first ever
Padma Vibhushan What the Padma Awards entail
awardees in 1954 1. The awards are presented by the President of India,
were scientist typically at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Satyendra Nath
Bose, artist 2. The awardees do not get any cash reward but a certificate
Nandalal Bose, signed by the President apart from a medallion which they
educationist and can wear at public and government functions.
politician Zakir 3. The awards are, however, not a conferment of title and the
Hussain, social awardees are expected to not use them as prefix or suffix to
worker and their names.
politician
4. While a Padma awardee can be given a higher award (i.e.
Balasaheb
a Padma Shri awardee can receive a Padma Bhushan or
Gangadhar Kher,
Vibhushan), this can only happen after five years of the
and diplomat and
conferment of the previous award.
academic V.K.
Krishna Menon. 5. The awards are given in certain select categories which
The first ever non- include Art, Social Work, Public Affairs, Science &
Indian Padma Engineering, Trade & Industry, Medicine, Literature &
Vibhushan Education, Civil Service and Sports. Awards are also given
awardee was for propagation of Indian culture, protection of human
Bhutanese king rights, wildlife protection among others.
Jigme Dorji
Wangchuk, who also received the award in 1954.
MUGHAL GARDENS RENAMED

The iconic Mughal Gardens at the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s House) in Delhi
have been renamed. “The collective identity of all the gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan will
be ‘Amrit Udyan’. Earlier there were descriptive identities, now a new identity has been
given to the gardens.
A long history of Mughal Gardens in India
1. The Mughals were known to appreciate gardens. In Babur Nama, Babur says that his
favourite kind of garden is the Persian charbagh style (literally, four gardens).
2. The charbagh structure was intended to create a representation of an earthly utopia –
jannat – in which humans co-exist in perfect harmony with all elements of nature.
3. Defined by its rectilinear layouts, divided in four equal sections, these gardens can be
found across lands previously ruled by the Mughals.
4. From the gardens surrounding Humanyun’s Tomb in Delhi to the Nishat Bagh in
Srinagar, all are built in this style – giving them the moniker of Mughal Gardens.
5. A defining feature of these gardens is the use of waterways, often to demarcate the
various quadrants of the garden.
6. These were not only crucial to maintain the flora of the garden, they also were an
important part of its aesthetic. Fountains were often built, symbolising the “cycle of life.”
The gardens at the new Viceroy’s house
1. In 1911, the British decided to shift the Indian capital from Calcutta to Delhi. This
would be a mammoth exercise, involving construction of a whole new city – New Delhi –
that would be built as the British Crown’s seat of power in its most valuable colony.
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2. About 4,000 acres of land was acquired to construct the Viceroy’s House with Sir
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Edwin Lutyens being given the task of designing the building on Raisina Hill.
3. Lutyens’ designs combined elements of classical European architecture with Indian
styles, producing a unique aesthetic that defines Lutyens’ Delhi till date.
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16-31 jan 2023
4. Crucial in the design of the Viceroy’s House was a large garden in its rear. While initial
plans involved creating a garden with traditional British sensibilities in mind, Lady
Hardinge, the wife of the then Viceroy, urged planners to create a Mughal-style garden.
5. It is said that she was inspired by the book Gardens of the Great Mughals (1913) by
Constance Villiers-Stuart as well as her visits to Mughal gardens in Lahore and Srinagar.
CHINA’S POPULATION DROPS FOR FIRST TIME

China saw its population fall by roughly 850,000 last year – its first drop in six
decades, bringing its population to around 1.41 billion at the end of 2022, the country’s
National Bureau of Statistics said. The government said on 17 January 2023 that 9.56
million people were born in China in 2022, while 10.41 million people died. The drop,
the worst since 1961, also makes it more probable that India will become the world’s
most populous nation this year.
India to become most populous in 2023
1. Both India and China, in the 20th century, were similar in terms of key indicators
impacting population growth, such as life expectancy (the number of years a person is
expected to live on average), the Crude Death Rate (the number of deaths in a population
per 1,000 people) and Total Fertility Rate or TFR (the number of children a woman, on
average, is expected to bear in her lifetime).
2. Mortality falls with increased education levels, public health and vaccination
programmes, access to food and medical care, and provision of safe drinking water and
sanitation facilities. In both countries, this happened, resulting in a net increase in
population for many decades.
3. The replacement rate is the number of children a woman is to have in order to at
least replace the present generation in the future.
4. China’s TFR, according to its 2020 Census, was 1.3 births per woman — marginally up
from the 1.2 in the 2010 and 2000 censuses, but way below the replacement rate of
2.1.
5. While TFR is gradually declining in India too, more important is the working-age
population. Its share in the overall population crossed 50% only in 2007 and will peak
at 57% towards the mid-2030s.
6. India, therefore, has a window of opportunity well into the 2040s for reaping its
“demographic dividend”, like China did from the late 1980s to 2015, contingent upon
the creation of meaningful employment opportunities for a young population.
The impact of the One-Child Policy
1. One cause behind the fall in numbers in China is the one-child policy imposed between
1980 and 2015, limiting the number of children couples could have to one.
2. China has said that the policy has helped prevent nearly 400 million births, but as
the proportion of those in the working-age population began reducing, the policy
became a matter of concern.
3. The country’s statistics bureau said the working-age population between 16 and 59
years old totalled 875.56 million, accounting for 62.0% of the national population,
while those aged 65 and older totalled 209.78 million, accounting for 14.9% of the total.
Men outnumbered women by 722.06 million to 689.69 million, reflecting the sex-selective
births that were carried out because of the preference for the male child.
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FACT TO REMEMBER:
1. WOMEN GET COMMAND ROLES IN THE INDIAN ARMY
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2. INDIA ENTRY FOR UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE TAG

3. INDIA ISSUED NOTICE TO PAKISTAN ON THE IWT
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16-31 jan 2023
4. WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM’S 2023 EVENT ENDS
5. ECONOMIC SURVEY 2023
6. INDIA'S FIRST-EVER SGRBS AUCTION
7. INS VAGIR COMMISSIONED INTO THE INDIAN NAVY
8. INDIA’S BHAROS REPLACE ANDROID, IOS
9. PADMA AWARDS 2023 ANNOUNCED
10. CHINA’S POPULATION DROPS FOR FIRST TIME
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PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION 2022
Q. System of Rice Intensification" of cultivation, in which alternate wetting and

drying of rice fields is practiced, results in:
1. Reduced seed requirement
2. Reduced methane production
3. Reduced electricity consumption
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Source; My Notes, January 1-15, 2022, page no. 10
15
Pag
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1-15 jan 2023

CENTRE EMPOWERED TO DEMONETISE

demonetisation exercise announced by the Centre on 8 November 2016.

CENTRE LAUNCHES ‘SMART’ PROGRAM

PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIWAS 2023 BEGINS

1. PBD provides a platform for the overseas

SC VERDICT ON RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH

What does the judgment say about free speech restrictions?

1. An important question here was

itself be actionable. But if it leads to omission or commission of offence by a public

official, then remedies can be sought against it.

ASI-PROTECTED MONUMENTS UNTRACEABLE

JOSHIMATH CRISIS CAUSED BY LAND SUBSIDENCE

DELEGATED LEGISLATION IN SC VERDICT

4. The Centre exercised that power by issuing a

‘TITLE 42’ IMMIGRATION POLICY

Why are these bonds important?

COUNTRY'S FIRST FULLY DIGITAL BANKING STATE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DRDO SCIENTISTS DEVELOP 'RAT CYBORGS'

tight turns, multiple levels and a specific prescribed path.

THE VSHORAD MISSILE SYSTEM

PSINSAR SATELLITE TECHNIQUE

dimensional images or three-dimensional reconstructions of objects, such as

DOPPLER WEATHER RADARS

5. The InSAR (Inferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) that makes high-density

What is a Doppler radar?

'UNPRECEDENTED' WINTER HEAT WAVE

What is a heat dome?

VILLAGE DEFENCE COMMITTEES REVIVED

4. Like a VDC member, each VDG

WORLD HINDI DAY CELEBRATED

it as a global language around the world.

TROPICAL FORESTS CAN EMIT CARBON

What makes this study’s findings different?

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION 2022

Source: My Notes, August 1-15, 2022 page no. 10-11

INDIA ENTRY FOR UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE TAG

moidams are commonly known as the pyramids of Assam.

NEW SUPREME COURT ORDER FOR EUTHANASIA

5. UNITED KINGDOM considers it illegal and

OBC PANEL GETS 14TH EXTENSION

brokered negotiations between India and Pakistan.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM’S 2023 EVENT ENDS

NAVAL EXERCISE 'VARUNA' STARTS

witness advanced air defence exercises, tactical manoeuvres, surface firings,

underway replenishment and other maritime operations, it said.

1. The RBI has projected headline

inflation at 6.8 per cent in FY23.

INDIA'S FIRST-EVER SGRBS AUCTION

PAYTM BANK GETS RBI NOD TO OPERATE AS BBPOU

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

INS VAGIR COMMISSIONED INTO THE INDIAN NAVY

‘IMMUNE IMPRINTING’ MAKING BIVALENT BOOSTERS LESS EFFECTIVE

INDIA’S BHAROS REPLACE ANDROID, IOS

8. JandKops is incubated by IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation. It is backed

National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NMICPS).

INDIA'S FIRST NASAL COVID VACCINE

names of the recipients are announced on Republic Day eve.

MUGHAL GARDENS RENAMED