DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

03 & 04^th October 2021

1. UN Security Council:

GS II

Topic : Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate.:

• Why in News:
• North Korea has warned the UN Security Councilagainst criticising the isolated country’s missile programme.
• What’s the issue:
• North Korea has warned the UNSC about the consequences it will bring in the future in case it tries to encroach upon the sovereignty of North Korea.
• It has accused the UN body of a “double-dealing standard” because it doesn’t equally take issue with similar weapons tests by the U.S. and its allies.
• Background:
• After a six-month hiatus, North Korea resumed missile tests in September, launching newly developed missiles, including nuclear-capable weapons that place South Korea and Japan within their striking distances.
• Present scenario:
• Under multiple UN Security Council resolutions, North Korea is banned from engaging in any ballistic missile activities as the country aims to mount nuclear weapons on its ballistic missiles.
• About UNSC:
• The United Nations Charterestablished six main organs of the United Nations, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
• The Security Council has the power to make decisions that member states are then obligated to implement under the Charter
• Permanent and Non-Permanent Members:The UNSC is composed of 15 members, 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent.
• Each year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members for a two-year term.
• About Security Council Presidency:
• The presidency of the Council is held by each of the members in turn for one month,following the English alphabetical order of the Member States names.
• It rotates among the 15 member-statesof the council monthly.
• The head of the country’s delegation is known as the President of the United Nations Security Council.
• The president serves to coordinate actions of the council, decide policy disputes, and sometimes functions as a diplomat or intermediary between conflicting groups.
• Proposed UNSC reforms:
• Reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) encompasses five key issues: categories of membership, the question of the veto held by the five permanent members, regional representation, the size of an enlarged Council and its working methods, and the Security Council-General Assembly relationship.
• Case for Permanent Membership of India in UNSC:
• India is the founding member of the
• Most significantly, India has almost twice the number of peacekeepers deployed on the ground than by P5 countries.
• India is also the largest democracy and second-most populous country.
• India’s acquired status of a Nuclear Weapons State (NWS) in May 1998 also makes India a natural claimant as a permanent member similar to the existing permanent members who are all Nuclear Weapon States.
• India is the undisputed leader of the Third world countries, as reflected by its leadership role in Non-Aligned Movement and G-77 grouping.
• Prelims Hot-Link:
• About UNSC.
• About the UNSC Presidency.
• About the UN Charter
• Source – The Hindu

2. The Draft Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Amendment Rules, 2021:

GS III

Topic à Infrastructure – Energy 

• Why in News:
• The Draft Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Amendment Rules, 2021were recently published September 30, 2021
• This draft amendment introduces some key additions and revisions to the Electricity (Rights of Consumer) Rules, 2020.
• Overview of the new rules:
• Distribution licenceesshould ensure 24×7 uninterrupted power supply to all consumers so that there is no requirement of running Diesel Generating (DG) sets.
• The electricity regulatory commissioncould consider a separate reliability charge for the distribution company, if it required funds for investment in infrastructure.
• The state electricity regulatory commissionshould also make a provision of penalty in case the standards laid down are not met by the distribution company.
• Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020:
• These rules serve to “empower” consumers with rights that would allow them to access continuous supply of quality, reliable electricity.
• The following areas are covered under the rules:
• Rights of consumers and Obligations of Distribution licensees
• Release of new connection and modification in existing connection
• Metering arrangement
• Billing and payment
• Disconnection and reconnection
• Reliability of supply
• Consumer as ‘prosumer
• Standards of performance of licensee
• Compensation mechanism
• Call centre for consumer services
• Grievance redressal mechanism.
• Key Provisions:
• States will have to implement these rules and discoms will be held more accountable for issues like delays in providing and renewing connections of electricity.
• They are also obligated to provide round-the-clock electricity to consumers, as per the Ministry of Power.
• To ensure compliance, the government will apply penalties that will be credited to the consumer’s account.
• There are certain exceptions to these rules, especially where use for agricultural purposes is concerned.
• Background:
• Electricity is a Concurrent List(Seventh Schedule) subject and the central government has the authority and the power to make laws on it.
• Prelims Hot-Link:
• Electricity under 7th schedule.
• Subjects under seventh Schedule.
• What happens when a State’s law is in conflict with Centre’s law
• Source – Down To Earth Magazine

3. How does the Election Commission decide on Party Symbols:

GS II

Topic  : Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions:

• Why in News:
• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has frozen the ‘Bungalow’ election symbol of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), so that neither of the two factions of the party will be able to use it in the coming Assembly byelectionsfor the Kusheshwar Asthan and Tarapur seats in Bihar.
• Background:
• This is not something new. Over the last few years, two other prominent cases of parties splitting, followed by a tussle over the election symbol, have been seen with regard to the Samajwadi Party (Cycle) and the AIADMK (Two leaves) in 2017.
• Firstly, how are symbols allotted to political parties:
• As per the guidelines, to get a symbol allotted:
• A party/candidate has to provide a list of three symbols from the EC’s free symbols list at the time of filing nomination papers
• Among them, one symbol is allotted to the party/candidate on a first-come-first-serve basis.
• When a recognised political party splits, the Election Commission takes the decision on assigning the symbol.
• Powers of Election Commission:
• The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968empowers the EC to recognise political parties and allot symbols.
• Under Paragraph 15 of the Order, it can decide disputes among rival groups or sections of a recognised political party staking claim to its name and symbol.
• The EC is also the only authority to decide issues on a dispute or a merger. The Supreme Court upheld its validity in Sadiq Ali and another vs. ECI in 1971.
• How many types of symbols are there:
• As per the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) (Amendment) Order, 2017,party symbols are either:
• Reserved:Eight national parties and 64 state parties across the country have “reserved” symbols.

Free: The Election Commission also has a pool of nearly 200 “free” symbols that are allotted to the thousands of unrecognised regional parties that pop up before elections.

• What are the Election Commission’s powers in a dispute over the election symbol when a party splits:
• On the question of a split in a political party outside the legislature,Para 15 of the Symbols Order, 1968, states: “When the Commission is satisfied that there are rival sections or groups of a recognised political party each of whom claims to be that party the Commission may decide that one such rival section or group or none of such rival sections or groups is that recognised political party and the decision of the Commission shall be binding on all such rival sections or groups.”
• This applies to disputes in recognised national and state parties (like the LJP, in this case). For splits in registered but unrecognised parties, the EC usually advises the warring factions to resolve their differences internally or to approach the court.
• Before 1968, the EC issued notifications and executive orders under the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
• Prelims Hot-Link:
• Recognition of political parties.
• What are state parties and national parties
• Benefits for recognized parties
• Who assigns party symbols? What are the types?
• Who decides on issues related to merger of political parties
• Article 226 is related to?
• Source – The Hindu

4. Jal Jeevan Mission:

GS III

Topic : Conservation related issues:

• Why in News:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a newly designed Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)mobile application on October 2, 2021, Gandhi Jayanti
• The app would enable anyone to fund provision of tap water in rural parts of India.
• About the Jal Jeevan Mission:
• JJM envisages supply of 55 litres of water per person per day to every rural householdthrough Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024.
• It is under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• It was launched in 2019.
• The mission ensures:
• Functionality of existing water supply systems and water connections.
• Water quality monitoring and testing as well as sustainable agriculture.
• Conjunctive use of conserved water.Drinking water source augmentation.
• Drinking water supply system, grey water treatment and its reuse.
• It also encompasses:
• Prioritizing provision of FHTCs in quality affected areas, villages in drought prone and desert areas, Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) villages, etc.
• Providing functional tap connection to Schools, Anganwadi centres, Gram Panchayat buildings, Health centres, wellness centres and community buildings.
• Technological interventions for removal of contaminants where water quality is an issue.

Implementation:

• The Mission is based on a community approach to water and includes extensive Information, Education and Communication as a key component of the mission
• JJM looks to create a jan andolan for water, thereby making it everyone’s priority
• The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states, and 100% for Union Territories.
• Performance of the scheme:
• As on date, tap water supply has been provided in 772,000 (76 per cent) schools and 748,000 (67.5 per cent) anganwadi centres.
• Prelims Hot-Link:
• Mission goal.
• Fund allocation
• Source – The Hindu

5. Inner Line Permit:

GS II

Topic : Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation:

• Why in News:
• In a bid to reopen the tourism sector, the Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to withdraw suspension on issuing ILP and Protected Area Permitto travellers as the COVID-19 situation in the northeastern State is “under control”.
• What is an ILP:
• It is a document required by non- natives to visit or stay in a state that is protected under the ILP system.
• At present, four Northeastern states are covered, namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland. 
• Inner line permitis also mandatory for entering into Lakshadweep
• Both the duration of stay and the areas allowed to be accessed for any non native are determined by the ILP.
• The ILP is issued by the concerned state government and can be availed both by applying online or in person.
• An ILP is only valid for domestic tourists.
• Rationale behind:
• The Inner Line Permit is an extension of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act 1873.
• After the British occupied the Northeast, the colonisers started exploiting the region and its resources for economic benefits.
• They first started tea plantations and oil industries in Brahmaputra Valley.
• The indigenous tribes living in the hill areas would regularly conduct raids into the plains to loot and plunder, marauding the tea gardens, oil rigs and trading posts set up by the British East India Company.
• It was in this context that the BEFR 1873 was promulgated.
• Prelims Hot-Link:
• Map based questions involving North- Eastern states.
• NE state and their international neighbours.
• Source – The Hindu

6. Gaming Disorder:

Prelims Specific Topic:

• Gaming disorder is defined in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as a pattern of gaming behavior (“digital-gaming” or “video-gaming”) characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.
• Background:
• WHO released the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) in mid-2018.
• What is ICD:
• The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the basis for identification of health trends and statistics globally and the international standard for reporting diseases and health conditions.
• It is used by medical practitioners around the world to diagnose conditions and by researchers to categorize conditions.
• The inclusion of a disorder in ICD is a consideration which countries take into account when planning public health strategies and monitoring trends of disorders.

7. International Coffee Day 2021:

Prelims Specific Topic

• Celebrated on October 1.
• Objective:To identify the plight of the farmers of coffee beans and expressing our love for the aromatic drink.
• First initiated in Japan,it was officially declared as International Coffee Day in 2015.
• Significance of the day:International Coffee Organisation, set up in 1963 in London, first declared International Coffee day on October 1, 2015. Since then, this day is celebrated all over the world.

8. Brahmaputra Heritage Centre:

Prelims Specific Topic:

• The Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre has been set up in a nearly 150-year-old bungalow in Guwahati, Assam.
• The bungalow used to be the 17th century military office of the Ahom rulers.
• It was called Barphukanar Tila, meaning Barphukan’s Hillock.
• Barpukhanwas a post equivalent to Governor General created by Ahom king Pratap Simha or Susengpha (1603-1641).
• The hillock by the Brahmaputra, mentioned in ancient scriptures as Mandrachal, was from where Ahom General Lachit Barpukhan launched the Battle of Saraighat in March 1671 to inflict the most crushing defeat on the Mughals.
• Saraighatis regarded as the “greatest naval battle ever fought in a river”.

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