Current Affairs 07 November 2024

CONTENTS

1. Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) 
2. A New Study Reports a Dietary Diversity Gap for Young Children in India
3. Major Ralengnao ‘Bob’ Khathing
4. Gravity Energy Storage
5. Visible Emission Line Coronagraph
6. Proba-3 Mission

 Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) 

Context:

The Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) remains a debated topic in India, with proponents arguing it empowers representatives to address local needs and critics claiming it undermines constitutional principles, particularly the separation of powers.  

Relevance:

GS II: Government Policies and Interventions

Dimensions of the Article:

1. MPLAD Scheme

Background of the Court’s Ruling

• 2018 CIC Order: The Central Information Commission (CIC) raised concerns about Members of Parliament (MPs) strategically saving their MPLADS funds until the final year of their term. The CIC suspected this tactic was used to gain an unfair advantage during elections.
• MoSPI Suggestion: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) was advised by the CIC to prevent this “abuse” by implementing guidelines to ensure the funds were distributed equally over each year of the five-year term.
• Legal Challenge: The MoSPI filed a legal challenge in the Delhi High Court against the CIC’s ruling related to a Right to Information (RTI) application.

Court’s Ruling

• No Jurisdiction: The Delhi High Court ruled that the CIC does not have jurisdiction to comment on the utilization of funds by MPs under the MPLADS.
• RTI Act Scope: The court noted that the RTI Act is limited to providing access to information under the control of public authorities.
• Section 18 of RTI Act: According to Section 18 of the RTI Act, the CIC can only deal with issues related to the information sought under the RTI Act or any issue leading to the dissipation of such information.
• Publication of Details: The Court upheld the CIC’s instruction for public authorities to publish details of the funds, MP-wise, Constituency-wise, and work-wise under the RTI Act.

MPLAD Scheme:

MPLADS is an ongoing Central Sector Scheme which was launched in 1993-94.  The Scheme enables the Members of Parliament to recommend works for creation of durable community assets based on locally felt needs to be taken up in their constituencies in the area of national priorities namely drinking water, education, public health, sanitation, roads etc.

Nodal Ministry:

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has been responsible for the policy formulation, release of funds and prescribing monitoring mechanism for implementation of the Scheme.

Features

• The annual MPLADS fund entitlement per MP constituency is Rs. 5 crore.
• MPs are to recommend every year, works costing at least 15 per cent of the MPLADS entitlement for the year for areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste population and 7.5 per cent for areas inhabited by S.T. population.
• In order to encourage trusts and societies for the betterment of tribal people, a ceiling of Rs. 75 lakh is stipulated for building assets by trusts and societies subject to conditions prescribed in the scheme guidelines.
• Lok Sabha Members can recommend works within their Constituencies and Elected Members of Rajya Sabha can recommend works within the State of Election (with select exceptions).
• Nominated Members of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the country.
• All works to meet locally felt infrastructure and development needs, with an emphasis on creation of durable assets in the constituency are permissible under MPLADS as prescribed in the scheme guidelines.
• Expenditure on specified items of non durable nature are also permitted as listed in the guidelines.

Release of Funds:

• Funds are released in the form of grants in-aid directly to the district authorities.
• The funds released under the scheme are non-lapsable.
• The liability of funds not released in a particular year is carried forward to the subsequent years, subject to eligibility.

Execution of works:

• The MPs have a recommendatory role under the scheme. They recommend their choice of works to the concerned district authorities who implement these works by following the established procedures of the concerned state government.
• The district authority is empowered to examine the eligibility of works sanction funds and select the implementing agencies, prioritise works, supervise overall execution, and monitor the scheme at the ground level.

-Source: Business Standards

A New Study Reports a Dietary Diversity Gap for Young Children in India

Context:

A new study has thrown open the lid on a nutrition issue of massive proportions in the Indian context, as 77 pecent of children aged 6-23 months do not meet WHO standards for dietary diversity.  Almost the worst failure rates for minimum dietary diversity are reported in central India.

Relevance:

GS II: Health

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD)
2. What are the Major Limitations to Dietary Diversity in India?

Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD)

The concept of Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) serves as a critical nutritional benchmark set by the World Health Organization (WHO) to evaluate and ensure adequate dietary intake for children aged 6-23 months. According to this standard, a child’s diet must include items from at least five of the eight designated food groups within a 24-hour period to be deemed sufficient. These groups encompass breast milk, grains, legumes, dairy products, flesh foods, eggs, and fruits and vegetables. Failure to meet this diversity threshold is a strong indicator of inadequate nutritional intake.

Key Insights from Recent Findings

• Historical Progress: There has been a noteworthy reduction in the MDD failure rate from 87.4% in the earlier NFHS-3 survey (2005-06) to over 75% in the latest survey. Although this represents progress, the high percentage indicates that a significant number of children still do not receive sufficiently diverse diets.
• Regional Discrepancies: The study highlights stark differences across states, with Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh showing more than 80% inadequacy in dietary diversity. In contrast, states like Sikkim and Meghalaya reported better outcomes, with failure rates below 50%, suggesting more effective local nutritional policies.
• Nutritional Challenges: Despite global advances in child nutrition, inadequate nutrition continues to contribute significantly to child mortality and disease. In India, the statistics are particularly concerning, with a substantial proportion of children underweight, stunted, and wasted.
• Dietary Trends: There has been a slight decline in the consumption of breast milk and dairy products among Indian children, which could impact nutritional outcomes negatively. Breastmilk consumption decreased from 87% in NFHS-3 to 85% in NFHS-5, and dairy intake from 54% to 52%.
• Undernutrition and Anaemia: Undernutrition and anaemia remain prevalent, especially among children from rural areas or those born to mothers with limited education or access to health resources.

Improvement Recommendations

• The study underlines the urgent need for focused government action to improve nutrition among children. Recommendations include:
  • Stregthening the ICDS and PDS: This would also increase the scope and productivity of the Integrated Child Development Services and Public Distribution System for a very long time so that food items available can be more diverse in nature and richer in nutrients.
  • Targeted Interventions: All interventions that focused on bringing regional inequalities and the most disadvantaged populations under closer examination would help reduce dietary inadequacies in India and improve child health outcomes.

What are the Major Limitations to Dietary Diversity in India?

• Poverty and Regional Inequality: Significant spatial variations characterize poverty rates in India. Food diversity is severely limited by large regional inequalities, especially in central and western states.
• Lack of Awareness among Caregivers: Low levels of awareness among caregivers, especially in rural areas, restrict information on proper well-balanced diets and is a significant cause of undernutrition.
• PDS mainly focuses on staple grains. There is hardly any diversification and no nutrient-dense foods such as pulses, fruits, and vegetables.
• Inadequate access to health facilities and nutrition education lacks the desired information. Children’s eating habits are influenced by poor nutrition counseling.
• Certain food groups are not included in children’s diets owing to cultural practices that disregard the intake of specific groups of food.

-Source: The Hindu

Major Ralengnao ‘Bob’ Khathing

Context:

Recently, the Defence Minister inaugurated the Major Ralengnao ‘Bob’ Khathing Museum of Valour at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

Relevance:

GS I: History

Dimensions of the Article:

1. What was Bob Khathing’s Tawang expedition?
2. Who was Bob Khathing?
3. What is the record of his Army service?
4. What did Bob Khathing do after the war ended?

What was Bob Khathing’s Tawang expedition?

• In 1951, Maj Bob Khathing, then a member of the Indian Frontier Administrative Service, was tasked by the Governor of Assam, Jairamdas Daulatram, to occupy Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
• It was important to secure the area as there were indications that the Chinese were preparing to walk into Tibet and possibly re-align the boundary with India.
• Well-versed in jungle warfare, Bob Khathing started the expedition for Tawang on January 17, 1951, from the Lokhra Camp near Assam’s Charduar with troops of Assam Rifles.
• The terrain was hostile and the weather extreme, but Khathing and his men persevered. Once they arrived in Tawang, Khathing held parleys with the locals, winning over their trust. He officially took Tawang under Indian administration by hoisting the Indian flag on February 14, 1951.
• Thereafter, Khathing started the process of establishing an administrative set-up in the area around Tawang.
• He appointed Gaon Buras (village elders) in each village for that purpose, in keeping with the traditional practice of one Gaon Bura for groups of three to ten villages.

Who was Bob Khathing?

• Ranenglao ‘Bob’ Khathing was born on February 28, 1912, in Manipur’s Ukhrul district. He was a Tangkhul Naga. He studied at Sir Johnstone High School in Imphal and did his matriculation from Shillong before joining Cotton College in Guwahati.
• He joined Ukhrul High School as its Head Master. He also founded a school at Harasingha in Assam’s Darrang district.
• In 1939, after the Second World War broke out, Khathing joined the Indian Army and got an Emergency Commission as an officer.

What is the record of his Army service?

• In a short period of time, Bob Khathing was not only given the coveted award of Member of British Empire (MBE) for his role in galvanising Naga support against the Japanese in Burma and India, but also the Military Cross (MC) for his acts of bravery above and beyond the call of duty.
• Bob was commissioned into the 9/11 Hyderabad Regiment (now Kumaon Regiment). In 1942, he was transferred to the Assam Regiment in Shillong.
• During the Second World War, he was part of a guerrilla outfit called Victor Force, raised by the British to combat the Japanese on the Burma-India road.
• Later, another force known as SANCOL, comprising 153 Gurkha Parachute Battalion, was formed in June 1944 under command of Major John Saunders, and Bob Khathing was appointed Advisor to this force.
• Lightly equipped with only two days’ rations, SANCOL was tasked with tracking Japanese soldiers around Tangkhul Hundung and preventing them from escaping to the southeast.

What did Bob Khathing do after the war ended?

• At the end of the Second World War, the Emergency Commissioned officers in the Army were demobilised. Known to be very close to the then Maharaja Kumar Priyabrata Singh of Manipur, Khathing joined the then interim government as minister in charge of the hill areas.
• In 1949, when Manipur merged with India, the interim government was dissolved and he joined the Assam Rifles. Khathing served with the 2nd Assam Rifles Battalion for two years. 
• In 1951, he joined the Indian Frontier Administrative Service as an assistant political officer.
• He went on to serve as Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung (in Nagaland), Development Commissioner in Sikkim, and Chief Secretary of Nagaland.
• His career ended as ambassador to Burma in 1975 — making him possibly the first person of tribal origin to be appointed ambassador in independent India. He died in Imphal on January 12, 1990.

-Source: Indian Express

Gravity Energy Storage

Context:

Gravity energy storage is emerging as a viable solution to address a major challenge of solar and wind power.

Relevance:

GS III: Energy

Gravity Energy Storage: Harnessing Potential Energy

Gravity energy storage is an innovative technology designed to store electrical energy by leveraging the gravitational force. This method provides an alternative to traditional battery storage and pumped-hydro systems, with the potential to significantly impact the renewable energy sector.

How Gravity Energy Storage Works

The fundamental mechanism of gravity energy storage involves:

• Energy Conversion: During periods of surplus energy generation, such as midday solar peak times, the excess electricity is used to elevate a heavy mass. This could be water, concrete blocks, or compressed earth blocks. The lifting of this mass converts electrical energy into potential energy.
• Energy Release: When energy demand exceeds the current supply, especially during peak consumption hours or when renewable sources like solar are not available, the stored potential energy is converted back to electrical energy. This is achieved by allowing the elevated mass to descend, which drives a turbine as it forces water or another fluid through it, generating electricity.

System Configuration

• Setup Details: A typical setup includes a heavy piston situated within a fluid-filled cylindrical container. This configuration allows for a controlled release of the mass, ensuring efficient energy generation.
• Site Flexibility: Unlike pumped-hydro storage, which requires specific geographical features, gravity energy storage systems can be installed in a wider range of locations, offering greater flexibility in site selection.

Advantages of Gravity Energy Storage

• Longevity and Maintenance: Gravity energy storage systems are capable of lasting for decades with minimal maintenance requirements. This contrasts sharply with batteries, which require replacements due to degradation over time.
• Environmental Impact: This technology avoids the chemical reactions associated with batteries, reducing the risk of environmental contamination and the challenges associated with disposal.
• Cost-Effectiveness: For large-scale energy storage, gravity systems can be more economical, presenting lower costs of energy storage compared to other technologies.
• Space and Environmental Sensitivity: The system’s relatively compact and non-invasive nature makes it suitable for areas where space is at a premium or environmental regulations limit the deployment of large-scale energy storage facilities.

-Source: The Hindu

Visible Emission Line Coronagraph

Context:

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) Bengaluru recently reported the “first significant” results from the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) payload onboard the ADITYA-L1 Mission.

Relevance:

GS III: Science and Technology

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Overview of the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)
2. Coronagraph

Overview of the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)

The Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) is the primary payload of India’s pioneering Aditya-L1 Mission, which marks the country’s first venture to observe the Sun from an advantageous point about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. Designed and built by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) at its CREST facility in Hosakote, Karnataka, the VELC embodies a multifaceted approach to solar observation.

Design and Functionality

The VELC integrates multiple components to perform its functions:

• Coronagraph: This instrument is essentially designed to block the Sun’s bright face, enabling the observation of its outer atmosphere, or corona.
• Spectrograph: This allows for the analysis of the Sun’s light, helping to identify the presence and concentration of various elements.
• Polarimetry Module: Essential for measuring the magnetic fields of the solar corona.
• Detectors and Auxiliary Optics: These are crucial for capturing and processing the data received from the other components.

Objectives of the VELC

• Solar Corona Observation: The VELC is capable of imaging the solar corona closer than ever before, up to 1.05 times the solar radius. This proximity provides unprecedented clarity and detail in the images captured.
• Scientific Analysis: The instrument will analyze various aspects of the solar corona including temperature, plasma velocity, and density. Such data are vital for understanding the physical conditions of the Sun’s outermost atmospheric layer.
• Study of Solar Phenomena: Key solar phenomena such as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and solar wind will be studied extensively. These are critical for understanding space weather and its impact on Earth.

Coronagraph

A coronagraph is a highly specialized astronomical instrument crafted to observe the Sun’s corona, the outermost and hot layer of the solar atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the Sun’s bright light.

Origins of the Coronagraph

• Inventor: The device was invented by French astronomer Bernard Lyot in the 1930s.
• Development: Lyot’s innovation allowed for detailed study of the solar corona outside of solar eclipses.

Functionality of the Coronagraph

• The primary function of a coronagraph is to enable the observation of the Sun’s corona by blocking out the intense light from the Sun’s main body.
•  It employs a circular mask within a telescope to selectively filter out the sun’s light, mimicking the natural blocking effect of the Moon during a solar eclipse.

Additional Uses of Coronagraphs

• Beyond solar studies, advanced coronagraphs are utilized in the field of exoplanetary science. These devices filter out the starlight of distant stars, making it possible to detect and study the light from orbiting exoplanets that are otherwise hidden in the star’s glare.

-Source: The Hindu

Proba-3 Mission

Context:

Recently, the union minister of Science and Technology said that India will launch the European Space Agency’s Proba-3 mission early next month from the spaceport at Sriharikota.

Relevance:

GS III: Science and Technology

Overview of ESA’s Proba-3 Mission

The Proba-3 mission, spearheaded by the European Space Agency (ESA), represents a groundbreaking venture in space technology and solar observation. As ESA’s first mission dedicated to precision formation flying, Proba-3 aims to enhance our understanding of the Sun’s corona through an innovative approach involving two spacecraft working in concert.

Mission Design and Components

Proba-3 consists of two small satellites:

• Coronagraph Spacecraft: Equipped to image the Sun’s corona.
• Occulter Spacecraft: Shaped like a solar disc, its primary function is to block the Sun’s intense light, simulating an eclipse.

How Proba-3 Works

• Formation Flying: The two satellites will maintain a precise distance of approximately 150 meters from each other. Through this tight formation, the Occulter will cast a shadow over the Coronagraph’s telescope, effectively creating an artificial eclipse.
• Observation Capabilities: This setup allows the Coronagraph to capture images of the solar corona in visible, ultraviolet, and polarized light without the interference of the Sun’s bright light. Such observations can last for extended periods, providing continuous and detailed solar imaging.

Scientific Objectives

• Study of the Solar Corona: By simulating an eclipse, Proba-3 will allow scientists to observe the solar corona in unprecedented detail. This region of the Sun, while typically obscured by its brightness, is crucial for understanding solar dynamics and the solar atmosphere.
• Insights into Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs): The mission will focus on the origins and properties of CMEs, which are significant eruptions of solar material. Understanding CMEs is vital for assessing their potential impacts on satellites, communication systems, and power grids on Earth.
• Solar Irradiance Measurements: Proba-3 will also track total solar irradiance, providing valuable data on the Sun’s energy output. Changes in solar irradiance are important for models of Earth’s climate, as they can influence global temperature and weather patterns.

-Source: Indian Express