UPSC with Shivaji kale

 ENVIRONMENT GREENING AND RESTORATION OF WASTELAND WITH AGROFORESTRY (GROW) REPORT  GROW initiative by NITI Aayog-to assess agroforestry suitability across all districts in India.  Around 17% of India’s total geographical area is wasteland.  This initiative is Needed for the aim to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 and  create an additional carbon sink.  3 main types of agroforestry systems :   Agrisilvicultural systems : Crops+ Trees  Silvopastoral systems- trees+ animals  Agrosilvopastoral systems= Crops+Trees+animals ALASKA POX Why in News “An elderly man from Alaska recently became the fi rst person to die after contracting Alaska Pox.”  It is a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the same genus (Orthopoxvirus) as smallpox, monkeypox, and cowpox.  First discovered in Alaska in 2015.  Orthopoxviruses are zoonotic viruses that can infect various mammals, including humans.  While human-to-human transmission of Alaska Pox has not yet been...

FINANCIAL STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL Why in News “Fresh measures to curb unauthorized online lending apps.”  The Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) has been constituted via GOI notifi cation dated 30th December, 2010.  The Council focuses on issues relating to fi nancial stability, fi nancial sector development, inter– regulatory coordination, fi nancial literacy, fi nancial inclusion and macro prudential supervision of the economy including the functioning of large fi nancial conglomerates.  Non-statutory apex body under the Ministry of Finance.  The Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister.  Decisions are not legally binding.  Its members are Governor, Reserve Bank of India; Finance Secretary and/or Secretary, Department of Economic Aff airs; Secretary, Department of Financial Services; Chief Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance; Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India; Chairman, Insurance Regulatory and Development Au...

KATHAK Why in News “Kathak dancers create Guinness record.”  One of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance.  Kathak can be danced in many taals.   Kathak evolved during the Bhakti movement, by incorporating the childhood and stories of the  Hindu god Krishna, as well as independently in the courts of north Indian kingdoms.  During the period of Mughal rule, the emperors were patrons of Kathak dance and actively promoted  it in their royal courts.  Kathak performances include Urdu ghazal and commonly used instruments brought during the  Mughal period.  Kathak is found in four distinct forms, called “gharana”, named after the cities where the Kathak dance tradition evolved – Jaipur, Benares and Lucknow.  The focus is more on footwork; the movements are skillfully controlled and performed straight legged by dancers wearing ankle-bells.  Kathak is the only form of classical dance wedded to Hindustani or the North Indian music.  Some prominent dancers in...

MOTION OF NO-CONFIDENCE  There is no specifi c provision in the Constitution for a confi dence motion; however, this practice  is derived from the principle of the collective responsibility of the government to the House, as  highlighted under Article 75(3) of the Constitution.  Article 75(3) of the Constitution- Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.   To ensure this collective responsibility, the rules of Lok Sabha have established a specifi c mechanism  – the motion of no-confi dence.  Any Lok Sabha MP, supported by at least 50 colleagues, can introduce a motion of no-confi dence  against the Council of Ministers at any time.  Following the admission of the no-confi dence motion, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is required to  set a date for the debate to begin, which must be within 10 days from the acceptance of the motion  in the House.  If the motion succeeds, the government is obliged to resign.  So far Twenty-sev...

FLOOR TEST CONTEXT: During the Maharashtra political crisis, the  Supreme Court held that decision taken by the Governor  to call for a floor test, was wrong. What is a floor test? € A floor test or a “No Confidence Motion” is a legislative  measure conducted on the floor of the House to check  whether the executive has the majority support in the  legislature with the confidence of at least 51% of the  members of the House. € It is called for when an incumbent government is  suspected to have lost the majority in the house. € Although the constitution does not demarcate any  provision for a political party to be in absolute majority  to form the government, the executive i.e., the ministers  it is composed of must exercise the legislatures majority. € Under the Article 164 of the Indian Constitution, “the  council of ministers shall be collectively responsible  to the Legislative Assembly of the State.”  € If the majority...

SPECIAL SESSION OF  PARLIAMENT CONTEXT: Special Session of Parliament (13th Session  of 17th Lok Sabha and 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) has  been called from September 18-22 having 5 sittings. What does a Special session mean? € The Constitution does not mention the term “special  session.” The President, who summons a regular  Parliamentary session will summon this session also as  per provisions of Article 85(1) of the Constitution. The Constitution does not define a ‘special session’;  however, Article 352 (Proclamation of Emergency) of  the Constitution does refer to a “special sitting of the  House”. € The government determines the date and duration of  parliamentary sessions. € The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary  Affairs takes this decision. € It currently has ten Ministers, including those  for Defence, Home, Finance, Agriculture, Tribal  Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, and Information and  Broadcasting. ...

 PRIVILEGE MOTION CONTEXT: The recent suspensions of leaders in  Parliament has ignited a debate on the potential  infringement of MPs’ privileges and the arbitrary use of  suspension as a political tool. What are Privilege motions? € Privilege motions revolve around the concept of  parliamentary privilege, which confers certain rights  upon Members of Parliament to facilitate the conduct  of business on the floor of the House. € Though an exhaustive list of these privileges doesn’t  exist, they generally encompass the freedom of  expression during parliamentary debates, with MPs  being immune to court proceedings for their speech. When does Privilege committee come into  role? € When it is believed that a privilege has been breached,  any member can raise a motion. If admitted by  the Chairman, it can be referred to the Privileges  Committee. € For a question of privilege to be raised, two conditions  must be fu...

FINANCE COMMISSION CONTEXT: Arvind Panagariya, the former Chairman of  NITI Aayog, has recently been named as the head of the  16th Finance Commission. Finance Commission in India: € The Finance Commission is a constitutional body that  plays a crucial role in fiscal federalism.  € Constitutional Mandate: This quasi-judicial body  is constituted under Article 280 of the Indian  Constitution. It is formed every five years or at such  intervals as deemed necessary by the President. € Objective: to address the distribution of financial  resources between the Centre and the States.  Functions:  The Commission recommends the distribution of  net proceeds of taxes between the Centre and the  States.  It suggests principles governing the grants-in-aid  to be given to the States out of the Consolidated  Fund of India.  The Commission also evaluates the impact of the  Centre’s debt on the fiscal autonomy of States.  Compositio...

INSAT-3DS Why in News “The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch a new satellite called INSAT-3DS on  February 17 from Sriharikota.”  It weighs 2,274 kilograms and is funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.  Designed to help monitor and track various natural disasters such as cyclones, monsoon systems,  and thunderstorms.  It will help scientists observe the atmosphere, land, and oceans.  INSAT-3DS is part of ISRO’s Third Generation Meteorological Satellite series.It will orbit the Earth from a fi xed position in space, known as geostationary orbit.   This means it will stay over the same spot on Earth, allowing for continuous monitoring of weather  patterns.  The INSAT-3DS satellite has four main tools, or “payloads”:  An Imager that takes pictures of the Earth in six diff erent wavelengths to help identify various  atmospheric conditions like humidity.  A Sounder that measures vertical profi les of the atmosphere, providing infor...

CMS COP14 Why in News The 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) for the Convention of Migratory Species (CMS) began on  February 12, 2024 Samarkand, Uzbekistan.  COP 2024  Theme: "Nature knows no borders  Logo: a winged snow leopard CMS  Signed in 1979, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn  Convention; CMS)  Under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme.  A platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats.  CMS is the only global and UN-based intergovernmental organization established exclusively for  the conservation and management of terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout  their range.  Consist of - Appendix I of the Convention lists ‘Threatened Migratory Species’, Appendix II lists  ‘Migratory Species requiring international cooperation’.  India has been a party to the CMS since 1983.  India has non-legally binding MoUs with the CMS on t...

MAJOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS Amendments Description 1st CAA, 1951 . Empowered the state to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and  economically backward classes. .Provided for the saving of laws providing for the acquisition of estates, etc. .The first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, added the Ninth Schedule to protect the land  reforms and other laws included in it from judicial review. Afterwards, Art.31, 31A  and 31B were inserted. [UPSC 2023] . Three more grounds for restrictions on Article 19 (1) were added: Public order,  Friendly relations with foreign states, and Incitement to an offence. . The validity of the state’s move to nationalize any business or trade and the same to  not be invalid on the grounds of violation of the right to trade and business. 7th CAA, 1952 . Extended the jurisdiction of high courts to union territories. .Provided for the appointment of additional and acting judges of the high court. . The provision of having a co...

Wholesale Price Index  . Base Year: 2011-12 .Measures the average change for bulk sale before the retail level. . Most widely used inflation indicator.Covers only goods . Manufactured products (64%)> Primary Articles (23%) >Fuel and Power (13%) . Published by Office of Economic Adviser (OEA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry Consumer Price Index  . Base Year: 2011-12 . Measures the change in the retail price in the prices of commodities of goods and services with reference to a  base year. . RBI has adopted CPI Combined (Rural +Urban) as its key measure of inflation. . Both goods and services . Food and Beverage 45.86; Miscellaneous 28.32; Housing 10.07; Fuel and light 6.84; Clothing and Footwear 6.53;  Pan, tobacco and intoxicants 2.38 . CPI for Industrial Workers (IW) by the Ministry of Labor and Employment(MoLE). The base year for CPI (IW)  was changed from 2001 to 201. . CPI for Agricultural Laborer (AL) by the MoLE. CPI for Agricultural Workers (CPI-...