Class Notes 4 You

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier organisation to look into corruption and other conventional crimes. CBI derives its power of investigation from Delhi Police establishment act. But to make any probe in the State, CBI needs either General or specific consent. Recently, 8 states have withdrawn their consent to the CBI to initiate fresh probes in their jurisdictions. This has brought the concept of Federalism in discussion that how much power CBI and State possess in their respective jurisdiction Power of State and CBI in centrality of the Federalism: Sections 5 and 6 of the DSPE Act deal with the extension of powers and jurisdiction of special police establishment to other areas and the requirement of consent of the state governments. The Supreme Court has said that though Section 5 enables the Centre to extend powers and jurisdiction to DSPE members beyond union territories to a state, Section 6 makes it compulsory to take prior approval from the concerned state for ...

The doctrine of the basic structure of the Constitution was evolved by the Supreme Court in Kesavananda Bharati case as a way out to address the tussle between the power of parliament to amend the constitution and the scope of judicial review. Article 368 of the Indian Constitution empowers the Parliament to amend the constitution by way of addition, variation or repeal of any provision of this Constitution in accordance with the procedure laid down in the article 368. But it is a limited power of the Parliament in the sense:  If the parliament wants to make any changes or amend the Constitution, they have to propose the bill in the parliament and after the voting if the bill gets the majority, the bill will be sent to the president for his consent who enjoys veto power. If the Amendment was passed by the parliament and if the judiciary feels to review it, the judiciary has the power and if the judiciary thinks that Amendment is unlawful or against any provision or against publi...

The Indian Constitution provides for division of powers among the Centre and the states. However, there are certain provisions that exhibit the centralising tendencies. Hence, Sir Ivor Jennings has called a quasi - federal constitution with unitary bias. Epidemic Disease Act: • This Act empowers the state governments to prescribe regulations regarding any person or group of people to contain the spread of COVID-19. On the contrary, the Centre applied and relied more on the Disaster Management Act 2005. • All the states and union territories of India are advised to invoke the provisions of Section 2 of the Epidemic Disease Act 1897. The section includes special measures to be taken by the Centre to prescribe regulations as to dangerous epidemic disease. Disaster Management Act: • The act allows the centre to issue guidelines, directions or order to the state for mitigating the effect of disaster. However, Public health and sanitation is under the State list. • Section 72 of the Disaster...

Constitutional Morality means adherence to or being faithful to bottom line principles of constitutional values. It includes commitment to an inclusive and democratic political process in which both individual and collective interests are satisfied. While the term ‘Constitutional Morality’ is not found in the Indian Constitution, nevertheless it is rooted in various facets of the constitution. 1. Preamble : Outlines principles such as justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity as the cornerstones of our democracy. 2. Fundamental Rights : Protects the rights of individuals against arbitrary use of power by the State. Especially, Article 32 provides for enforcement of these rights in SC. 3. Directive Principles of State Policy : Guidelines to the State to implement the vision of the makers of the constitution. These include Gandhian, Socialist and Liberal-Intellectual directions. Constitutional morality through judicial decisions : 1. Government of NCT of Delhi Vs. Union of India : In t...

The debate on development vs environment protection has engulfed all facets of human existence and Mountain Ecosystems are no different. The trans Himalayas, Himalayas, hills of north east and western ghats are among the major Mountain ecosystems in India threatened by Anthropogenic activities. Negative Impacts of tourism and development initiatives: 1. Poorly designed infrastructure without factoring the geo sensitivity of the region. 2. Unsustainable tourism prevalent by high carbon footprint and low eco conservation. 3. Poor waste disposal and management leads to loss of aesthetics. 4. Air and water pollution. 5. Biodiversity loss. Restorative steps from the negative impacts: 1. Follow recommendations of Kasturirangan committee for conservation of western ghats and scale up with modifications to other regions. 2. Sustainable Infrastructure development keeping in mind ecological sensitivity with special focus on traditional structures. 3. National Mission on Sustaining Himala...

Water stress is a situation in which the water resources in a region or country are insufficient for its needs. According to the World Resources Institute, India is ranked 13/ 17 in most water-stressed countries of the world. NITI Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index states that 21 major cities in India are threatened by severe water stress. Regional Variation of water stress: 1. Eastern India receives adequate rainfall and hence suffers from minimum scarcity. 2. Though parts of North east India receive very heavy rainfall, in many parts there is flooding in the wet season while there is water scarcity in dry season. E.g., Cherrapunji. 3. Central and western India receive low rainfall hence are water stressed. E.g., Vidarbha. 4. Parts of upper gangetic plains and north west India are facing acute water stress due to overexploitation of groundwater for irrigation. 5. Coastal regions suffer from low water stress due to good orographic rainfall and proximity to the seas. Reasons for r...

Mangroves or tidal forests are salt-tolerant vegetation that grows in intertidal regions. They have significant environmental and economic benefits but are under serious threat due to anthropogenic activities. Causes of Depletion: Clearing of forest for agriculture, infra projects and shrimp farming. Overexploitation for fuelwood, softwood, leaves etc. Increased freshwater flow from rivers disturbs the salinity and sediment balance. Rise in SST (Sea surface temperature) leading to warming up of water bodies and increased instances and intensity of cyclones, floods, etc. Role of mangroves in maintaining coastal ecology: Highly diverse ecosystem housing a variety of flora and fauna, often exotic and threatened ones. Natural breakwaters to cyclones, tsunami and storm surges protecting coastal ecosystems. Water filtration and aquifer recharge. Provision of tangible output like wood, leaves etc. Recreation, tourism and livelihood for coastal communities. Strict policy implementation, commun...

Coral reefs are highly productive, biodiversity rich but highly threatened underwater ecosystems. They are formed by symbiosis of polyps and zooxanthellae algae.  Impact of global warming on coral life systems: 1. Coral bleaching : Caused due to expulsion of the algae, due to which the polyps lose their nutrients and die out. E.g., Great Barrier reef bleaching, 2018. 2. Ocean acidification : Due to increased CO2 uptake by water bodies, reducing calcification and weakening of reef structures. 3. Extreme climatic events : Like storms, tsunamis which increase in duration and intensity. Eg 50% reduction in the Coral Triangle of Indonesia. 4. Sedimentation and land-based pollutants : Causes bleaching and reduces water clarity, lowering photosynthesis and growth. 5. Warming of surface water : Corals tolerate a narrow band of temperature; excessive warming can be growth inhibiting E.g., Caribbean reefs. 6. Increased sea levels may submerge coral islands like Maldives completely by 2100. ...

Indian State of Forest Report (ISFR) survey released in 2019 accounts almost 24.5% of area held by forests. The Government of India has a target of 33% to be reached within the next few years. Key forest resources include Timber, leaves, medicinal plants, food plants and honey etc. Status of forest resources and impact on climate change: 1. Pan India degradation of Forests : with respect to quality and acreage. E.g., north east India showed a decline in first cover. 2. Large scale deforestation due to commercial activity, mining, clearing for agriculture and development projects. 3. Marginal increase in Mangrove cover by 88 sq. km. but Sundarbans has seen a decline in mangrove acreage due to shrimp farming and clearing for agriculture. 4. India intends to create a carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes by 2030 but at present, degradation of forests is doing otherwise. 5. A report by TERI points at a 1% loss in GDP due to forest degradation. 6. There has been an increased instance o...

Urban flooding is primarily a consequence of anthropogenic activity where in flood water transgresses into the urban or peri-urban areas.  It has been a common menace worldwide in the 21st century, with Chennai floods of 2015 and the more recent Pune and Hyderabad floods being infamous examples.  Causes behind Urban flooding: Climate change leading to excessive rainfall Downpour far exceeding city discharge capacity Poor waste management leading to choking of drains Unsustainable city planning without factoring hydrological concerns Destruction of Storage systems like wetlands, lakes due to urbanisation pressure  Impact of urban flooding: Vector borne and water borne diseases like cholera, dengue etc. Damage to infrastructure- roads, buildings. Disruption of utilities supply like electricity, Broadband etc. Brings economic activities to a pause-impact on national scale. Disruption in transportation, aid and relief. Man-animal conflict- crocodiles entering residential area...

According to the IPCC report, Melting of Himalayan glaciers might continue irrespective of the 1.5 degrees temperature rise cap. This would have serious impacts on the 2 billion population who depend on the THIRD POLE for water and other resources.  Impact on water resources of India: A). Short term impacts: 1. Flooding in Himalayan rivers due to excess volume of melting ice. 2. Glacial lakes outburst flooding (GLOF). 3. Perennial storage of groundwater resources 4. Excess flow burden on lower riparian states. B). Long Term impacts: 1. Decrease in river flow and change in river course in the long run due to low volumes of ice. 2. Lowering of groundwater table and reduced availability for irrigation and consumption 3. Transboundary conflict over water sharing as a scarce resource 4. Melting of glaciers has a positive feedback mechanism which further increases the melting of glaciers (Albedo effect). 5.. Religious places like Gangotri, Yamunotri, Haridwar will lose significance. Melt...

Desertification is the gradual degeneration of land productivity and quality caused due to climate change or anthropogenic activities. It is not the extension of deserts but a reduction in capacity of land to provide services. Desertification is caused by multiple factors like Overgrazing, groundwater exploitation, Unsustainable farming etc. Why desertification doesn't have climatic boundaries : 1. Primarily associated with Arid regions , but increased climatic pressure has extended it to semi-arid and sub-humid regions. 2. The northward movement of arid lands is its prominent indicator. E.g.: Southern Punjab showing conditions similar to the dry Rajasthan. 3. Climate change has impacted rainfall duration and volume, further extending the dry regions. 4. Land degradation is a global concern - from Canada to the Kalaharis of Africa. 5. Climate activities like ocean currents , trade winds influence precipitation, leading to erosion either via excess (water erosion) or deficiency (wi...

The Water Bodies in urban areas provide a diversity of values and uses ranging from ecological goods and services to direct production values. However, Land reclamation has become one of the contested issues with regards to the degradation of these bodies. Some of the environmental implications of the reclamation of water bodies into the urban land use are as follows: 1. Water pollution : Encroachment of water bodies lead to concentration of harmful chemicals. Example: encroachment of water bodies in Bengal have led to arsenic pollution. 2. Urban Flooding: There has been an increasing trend of urban flood disasters in India over the past several years. E.g.: Mumbai. 3. Urban Pollution: The water bodies have been turned into landfills in several cases. Assam’s Deepor beel has been used to dump solid waste since 2006.  4. Encroachment Issues: Urban land transformation leads to creation of residential, commercial buildings, causing degradation of water ecology. Example: Dal Lake 5....

A volcanic eruption is when lava and gas are released from a volcano, sometimes explosively. On an average there are around 20 to 25 volcanic eruptions every year. However, in 2021, this number went almost double. Some of the eruptions of 2021 are: 1. Fajradalsfjall in Iceland 2. Kilauea in the Hawaiian Islands. 3. Nyiragongo in Democratic Republic of Congo 4. Mt. Etna in Europe 5. La Palma in Canaries. Impact on regional environment: 1. Eruptions can produce such features as pyroclastic flows and mudflows that can cause major loss of life within minutes. 2. Volcanic ash reflects incoming solar radiation leading to localized cooling effect in the temperature. E.g., Mt. Krakatau brough a mini-ice-age. 3. Plumes of volcanic ash can spread over the large areas of the sky, reducing visibility.  4. It also leads to the deterioration of water quality, fewer periods of rain, crop damages, and the destruction of vegetation. However, such volcanic eruptions also provide new opportunities for G...

Current Affairs  Important Newspaper Highlights for UPSC Civil Services Examination. 24 July 2022 The HINDU   🟠 Culling of pigs to begin today in Wayanad  farm (Page 5) 🟢 Industry tag for Rajasthan tourism units (Page 6) 🟠 Scientist makes breakthrough in Alzheimer’s drug research (Page 6) 🟢 Scientists flay hike in GST on lab equipment (Page 8) 🟠 Any country can use CoWIN free (Page 8) 🟢 Bat habitats in South Western Ghats lies mainly outside protected areas, finds study (Page 8) 🟠 WHO classified Monkeypox as 'public health emergency'  (Page 9)    🟢 After gaining deal, Russia hits Ukarin port (Page 9)  🟠 Other countries can join CPEC for mutual benefits: China, Pak. (Page 9)  🟢 Rise and fall of cholera - causing bacteria linkages (Page 10)  🟠 How will SC rulling on abortion impact women (Page 11)