Class Notes 4 You

1. The Constitution has declared Hindi in Devanagari script as the Official Language of the Parliament.  2. If a member wants to address a house of the Parliament in his mother tongue, he needs the prior consent of the Presiding Officer.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 only  b) 2 only  c) Both 1 and 2  d) Neither 1 nor 2 Solution:  The Constitution has declared Hindi and English to be the languages for transacting business in the Parliament.  Article 343 states that the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script.  Though English was to be discontinued as a floor language after the expiration of fifteen years from the commencement of the Constitution (that is, in 1965), the Official Languages Act (1963) allowed English to be continued along with Hindi.  The presiding officer can permit a member to address the House in his mother-tongue.  In both the Houses, arrangemen...

1. The corpus of the Contingency Fund of India is Rs 30,000 crore.  2. The fund is held by the Union Finance Secretary on behalf of the President.  3. Any amount withdrawn from the fund is returned to it from the Public Account of India.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 and 2 only  b) 2 and 3 only  c) 1 and 3 only  d) 1, 2 and 3 Solution:  The Contingency Fund of the Union government has a corpus of Rs 30,000 crore.  Constituted under Article 267(1) of the Indian Constitution, the fund is used at a time when there is a crisis in the nation and money is required to deal with it.  This fund is held by the finance secretary on behalf of the President.  This fund is placed at the disposal of the President, and he can make advances out of it to meet unforeseen expenditure pending its authorisation by the Parliament.  Like the Public Account of India, it is also operated by executive action....

1. While the Finance Bill contains provisions on financial proposals of the government, an Appropriation Bill authorises the payments from the Consolidated Fund of India.  2. Unlike the Appropriation Bill, the amendments seeking to reject or reduce a tax can be moved in the case of finance bill.  3. Both the Appropriation and Finance bills are classified as money bills.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 and 2 only  b) 2 and 3 only  c) 1 and 3 only d) 1, 2 and 3 Solution:  An appropriation bill is introduced to provide for the appropriation, out of the Consolidated Fund of India.  The Appropriation act authorises the payments from the consolidated Fund of India.  The Finance Bill is introduced to give effect to the financial proposals of the Government of India for the following year.  It is subjected to all the conditions applicable to a Money Bill.  Unlike the Appropriation Bill, the amendmen...

1. A House of Parliament is summoned by the President of India.  2. A House of Parliament is prorogued by the Presiding Officer of the House.  3. Leader of the Opposition does not have any statutory recognition.  4. A Whip regulates behaviour of his/her party members in the House.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 and 2 only  b) 4 only  c) 1 and 4 only  d) 2, 3 and 4 only Solution:  The President of India from time to time summons each House of Parliament to meet.  But, the maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot be more than six months.  In other words, the Parliament should meet at least twice a year.   Prorogation of the House is done by president and not by the presiding officers of Houses. Prorogation means the termination of a session of the House by an order made by the President under Article 85 of the Constitution.  Prorogation terminates both the sit...

1. It provides a democratic means to bring about social transformation.  2. A fine balance is maintained between parliamentary sovereignty and judicial supremacy by the Indian Constitution.  3. It limits the power of the government.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 and 2 only  b) 1 and 3 only  c) 2 and 3 only  d) 1, 2 and 3 Solution:  Indian Constitution provides peaceful, democratic means to bring about social transformation.  For a hitherto colonized people, it announces and embodies the first real exercise of political self-determination.  A fine balance has been struck between parliamentary sovereignty and judicial supremacy by the Indian Constitution.  Articles 13, 32 and 136 gives the power of judicial review.  By its power of judicial review, it can strike down any parliamentary law as unconstitutional.  Thus, keeping a check over Parliamentary sovereignty.  On the other h...

1. General Purposes Committee regulates the programme and time table of the House. 2. Rules Committee considers the matters of procedure and conduct of business in the House.  3. Business Advisory Committee advises on matters which do not fall within the jurisdiction of any other Parliamentary Committee.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 and 3 only  b) 2 only  c) 2 and 3 only  d) 1, 2 and 3  Solution:  General Purposes Committee considers and advises on matters concerning affairs of the House, which do not fall within the jurisdiction of any other parliamentary committee.  In each House, this committee consists of the presiding officer (Speaker / Chairman) as its ex-officio Chairman.  Rules Committee considers the matters of procedure and conduct of business in the House and recommends necessary amendments or additions to the rules of the House.  Business Advisory Committee regulates the prog...

1. If he/she holds any Office of Profit under the Union Government.  2. If he/she is in detention under a preventive detention law.  3. If he/she is an undischarged insolvent.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 only  b) 2 only  c) 1 and 3 only  d) 1, 2 and 3 Solution:  Under the Constitution, a person shall be disqualified for being elected as a member of Parliament, if he/she holds any office of profit under the Union or state government (except that of a minister or any other office exempted by Parliament).  Under the RPA (1951), a person is disqualified if he/she has been convicted for any offence resulting in imprisonment for two or more years.  But, the detention of a person under a preventive detention law does not lead to disqualification.  Under the constitution, a person is disqualified if he/she is an undischarged insolvent.  Ans: (c)

1. The aggregate duration of Lok Sabha sitting in a year was the lowest ever during 2020-21.  2. The percentage of women MPs in Lok Sabha have shown a continuous increasing trend since independence.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 only  b) 2 only  c) Both 1 and 2  d) Neither 1 nor 2 Solution:  The fiscal year 2020-21 saw the Lok Sabha sitting for 34 days (and the Rajya Sabha for 33), which is the lowest ever.  This resulted in decreased legislative scrutiny of proposed legislation as well as government functioning and finances.  The percentage of Women MPs in Lok Sabha since Independence has neither shown a steady decline or upward trend.  Ans: (a)

1. A 'resolution' can be introduced by private members only to draw the attention of the Parliament on a matter of Public Interest.  2. A 'motion' is a self-contained independent proposal that is necessarily put to vote after discussion in the Parliament.  Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  a) 1 only  b) 2 only  c) Both 1 and 2  d) Neither 1 nor 2 Solution:  A resolution come in the category of substantive motions.  The discussion on a resolution is strictly relevant to and within the scope of the resolution.  Resolutions can be introduced by private member or a minister to draw the attention of the House on a matter of general public interest.  A motion is a self-contained independent proposal and all motions are not necessarily put to vote in the house; however, all the resolutions are required to be voted upon.  Ans: (d) 

Current Affairs  Important Newspaper Highlights for UPSC Civil Services Examination. 09 October 2022 The HINDU 🧡 (Page 1) : Technology eases path for the weary 💚 (Page 8) : Debate over audio VVPAT slips for visually challenged 🧡 (Page 8) : IAF all set to create a new weapon systems branch, says Air chief 💚 (Page 8) : CJI Lalit sets a frenetic pace in Supreme Court 🧡 (Page 10) : As prisons overflow, BSF lets migrants with clean record return to Bangladesh 💚 (Page 10) : Clean swipe for MGNREGS attendance app only in 8 States 🧡 (Page 10) : German call for UN role in J&K is injustice to terror victims: India 💚 (Page 11) : China defends policy on Xinjiang, asserts it's not about rights 🧡 (Page 12) : Chandrayaan-2 gauges sodium content on Moon's surface 💚 (Page 12) : Early warning for heatwaves sees huge improvement 🧡 (Page 12) : Triple helix: G.N. Ramachandran, a deprived genius' story 💚 (Page 13) : What lies at the heart of the Physics Nobel?  🧡 (Page 13) : How...

As per IMD definition, over 100 mm of rainfall in one hour is called a cloudburst. It usually occurs over a small geographical region (20-30 sq.km). Mechanism of Cloudbursts: In India, cloudbursts often occur during the monsoon season, when the south-westerly monsoon winds bring in copious amounts of moisture inland. The moist air that converges over land gets lifted as they encounter the hills.  The moist air reaches an altitud eand gets saturated, and the water starts condensing out of the air forming clouds.  Such an orographic lifting together with a strong moisture convergence can lead to intense cumulonimbus clouds taking in huge volumes of moisture that is dumped during cloudbursts.  Tall cumulonimbus clouds can develop in about half an hour as the moisture updraft happens rapidly, at a pace of 60 to 120 km/hr. Occurrence of Cloudbursts: Cloudbursts, hence, occur mostly over the rugged terrains over the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, and north-eastern hill States of...

Photochemical Smog is a type of smog produced when ultraviolet light from the sun reacts with nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere. It is visible as a brown haze, and is most prominent during the morning and afternoon, especially in densely populated, warm cities.  Effects of Photochemical Smog: Both ozone and PAN cause eye irritations. Ozone and nitric oxide (NO) can irritate the nose and throat and their high concentration causes a headache, chest pain, dryness of the throat, cough and difficulty in breathing. Photochemical smog leads to cracking of rubber and extensive damage to plant life. It also causes corrosion of metals, stones, building materials, rubber and painted surfaces. Mitigation of Photochemical Smog: Opting for Renewable Energy and use of energy efficient designs and materials when renovating or building.  Reducing and Managing Vehicular and Industrial Emissions.  Use of Environmentally Friendly Consumer Products Gothenburg Protocol. Photochemical Smog shou...

Cellulose is a molecule, consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Cellulose is the main substance in the walls of plant cells, helping plants to remain stiff and upright. The degradation of cellulose is a biochemical process involving organic and inorganic phases to form carbon dioxide, water etc. Cellulose in Planet Earth: Organic: Detritus Food Chain This type of food chain starts from organic matter of dead and decaying animals and plant bodies from the grazing food chain.  Dead organic matter or detritus feeding organisms are detrivores or decomposers. The detrivores are eaten by predators.  In an aquatic ecosystem, the grazing food chain is the major conduit for energy flow.  As against this, in a terrestrial ecosystem, a much larger fraction of energy flows through the detritus food chain than the grazing food chain.  Cellulose in Planet Earth: Inorganic: Leaching, Mineralisation and Weathering. Hence, Cellulose degradation is a prime example where both...

Life Expectancy is an estimate of the average number of additional years that a person of a given age can expect to live. According to Registrar General of India, India’s life expectancy is 69. New Health Challenges: Rise in Elderly Population: The Quality of Life for Elderly Index mentions that the share of elders is expected to increase from around 7.5% in 2001 and will surpass 19.5% by 2050.  Feminisation of Ageing in rural India.  Increased requirement of Geriatric Care leading to issues in social security net and rising government budgets.  Challenges with Health Insurance: Less than 1% of older adults have health insurance, and ageing-related morbidities are a grey area in terms of coverage.  Changing Disease Burden: With the number of non-communicable diseases is already outgrowing infectious diseases contributing to 60% of deaths. Steps to be taken: Geriatric pharmacotherapy to be included in the Undergraduate, PG and Nursing course to understand the impact o...

India is one of the world's largest producers as well as consumer of food products. Food processing is a sunrise industry (annual growth rate of 10%) in India and is increasingly seen as a potential source for driving the rural economy as it brings about synergy between the consumer, industry and agriculture.With a large agricultural resource base, abundant livestock and cost competitiveness, India is fast emerging as a sourcing hub of processed foods. Following is the scope and significance of food processing industry: One-third of the population is living in urban areas and this urbanisation will shift the consumption towards packaged and ready-to-eat foods. With favourable economic & cultural transformation, shift in attitudes & lifestyles, consumers are experimenting with different cuisines, tastes and new brands. Demand for processed food rising with growing disposable income, urbanising young population, growing middle-class, and nuclear families. Changing lifestyle a...

The concept of Public Distribution System (PDS) in the country evolved during the 2nd World War (1942) due to the shortage of food grains. PDS has evolved as a system of management of scarcity and for distribution of food grains at affordable prices. PDS is incremental in nature and is not intended to make available the entire  requirement of any of the commodities distributed under it.  The PDS faces certain challenges mentioned below: Most of the states distribute only wheat and rice under PDS resulting in deficiency of nutrients among poor.  The food grains distributed under PDS lacks in quality.  Inadequate storage capacity with FCI leads to wastage of food grains.  Centralized procurement leads to transport of food grains from surplus states to deficit states leading to wastage of Govt.’s resources.  FCI’s procurement of only wheat and rice has distorted the cropping pattern  Taking a cue from the recommendations of the Shanta Kumar Committee, it ...

Inclusive growth is economic growth that creates opportunity for all segments of the population and distributes the dividends of increased prosperity to every section of the society. A market economy is one in which the allocation of resources and the prices of goods and services are determined by market forces, primarily supply and demand. Even in a market economy, Government has resources and tools to steer the economy towards inclusive growth. And this can be done in the following ways:  Government focussing on provision of public services like quality education and health which enhances the capability of the people. Measures to reduce corruption in day-to-day life of the people. Focus should be more in the sectors where the poor work ex. in agriculture and rural infrastructure. Focus should be more on productive employment generation rather than subsidies. In the last few years, Government has taken several steps in improving the financial inclusion which has impacted economic ...