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12 April 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB

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Written by NDI EDITOR

Apr 12 2024

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12 April 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB
1. Curative Petition
Recently, the Supreme Court has invoked curative writ petition in reviving the 2019 Delhi High Court judgment that partially set aside the Delhi Metro arbitration award.

About Curative Petition:

  • It is the final and last option for the people to acquire justice as mentioned and promised by the Constitution of India. It is a way to ask the court to review and revise their own decision and it is filed after a review petition is dismissed or used.
  • Objective: It is meant to ensure there is no miscarriage of justice and to prevent abuse of process.
  • Background
    • The concept of curative petition originated from the case of Rupa Ashok Hurra Vs. Ashok Hurra and another case (2002)where the following question arose before the court of law: 'whether an aggrieved person is entitled to any relief against the final judgment/order of the Supreme Court, after the dismissal of a review petition?'.
    • In this case, a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court unanimously held that in order to rectify gross miscarriage of justice, the court will allow the curative petition filed by the victim.
  • Constitutional Background
    • The Article 137 of the Indian Constitution broadly supports the idea of a curative petition.
    • It states that the "Supreme Court has the power to review any judgment pronounced (or order made) by it if the matter concerns the laws and rules made under Article 145".
  • These petitions can be entertained if the petitioner establishes there was a violation of the principles of natural justice and that he was not heard by the court before passing an order. It will also be admitted where a judge failed to disclose facts that raise the apprehension of bias.
  • Hearing of Curative petitions
    • A curative petition must first be circulated to a bench of the three senior-most judges and the judges who passed the concerned judgment, if available.
    • Only when a majority of the judges conclude that the matter needs hearing should it be listed, as far as possible, before the same bench.
    • A curative petition is usually decided by judges in chamber, unless a specific request for an open-court hearing is allowed.
    • It shall be open to the Bench at any stage of consideration of the curative petition to ask a senior counsel to assist it as amicus curiae.
    • In the event of the bench holding at any stage that the petition is without any merit and vexatious, it may impose exemplary costs on the petitioner.
Source : Allowing curative plea, how Supreme Court pushes the envelope

2. Invasive Alien Species
In a bid to manage the teeming population of invasive chital (spotted deer) in Ross Island the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration recently sought help from the Wildlife Institute of India.

About Invasive Alien Species:

  • These are the species whose introduction and/or spread outside their natural past or present distribution threatens biological diversity. These include animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms, and can influence all kinds of ecosystems.
  • These species need an introduction either through natural or human intervention, survive on native food resources, reproduce at a fast rate and edge out native species in the competition over resources.
  • Invasive species act as disruptors in the food chain and disturb the balance of the ecosystem. In habitats where there is no competition, invasive species can dominate the entire ecosystem.
  • Characteristics: Common characteristics of IAS include rapid reproduction and growth, high dispersal ability, phenotypic plasticity (ability to adapt physiologically to new conditions), and ability to survive on various food types and in a wide range of environmental conditions.
  • Areas more susceptible for Invasive Alien species are;
    • Native ecosystems that have undergone human-induced disturbance are often more prone to alien invasions because there is less competition from native species.
    • Islands are especially vulnerable to IAS because they are naturally isolated from strong competitors and predators.
    • Islands often have ecological niches that have not been filled because of the distance from colonizing populations, increasing the probability of successful invasions.
  • The list of invasive wildlife in India is dominated by certain species of fish such as the African catfish, Nile tilapia, red-bellied piranha and alligator gar and turtle species such as the red-eared slider.
Source : How invasive species threaten natural ecosystems

3. Fiscal Monitor Report
Recently, in its Fiscal Monitor the International Monetary Fund said industrial policy initiatives pursued by the United States, Europe and other countries to steer innovation in certain sectors were no panacea to boost economic growth.

About Fiscal Monitor Report:

  • It provides an overview of latest public finance developments, updates the medium-term fiscal outlook, and assesses fiscal implications of policies relevant to the global economy. It is prepared twice a year by the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department.
  • Its projections are based on the same database used for the World Economic Outlook (WEO) and the Global Financial Stability Report(GFSR).
  • The fiscal projections for individual countries have been prepared by IMF desk economists, and, in line with the WEO guidelines.

Key facts about the International Monetary Fund

  • It was formed in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference with the goal of reconstructing the international monetary system.
  • Its mission is to promote global economic growth and financial stability, encourage international trade, and reduce poverty around the world.
  • It gets its money through quotas and subscriptions from its member countries.
  • Objective: It fosters economic growth and employment by providing temporary financial assistance to countries to help ease the balance of payments adjustment and technical assistance.
  • Reports by IMF: World Economic Outlook and Global Financial Stability Report
  • Headquarters: Washington, DC, USA
Source : IMF warns industrial policy no magic cure for slow economic growth

4. What is CDP-SURAKSHA platform?
Government of India has come up with a new digital platform called CDP-SURAKSHA to disburse subsidies to horticulture farmers under the Cluster Development Programme (CDP).

About CDP-SURAKSHA Platform:

  • System for Unified Resource Allocation, Knowledge, and Secure Horticulture Assistance (SURAKSHA) is a platform which will allow an instant disbursal of subsidies to farmers in their bank account by utilising the e-RUPI voucher from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
  • Features: Database integration with PM-KISAN, cloud-based server space from NIC, UIDAI validation, eRUPI integration, local government directory (LGD), content management system, geotagging, and geo-fencing.
  • Working
    • The platform allows access to farmers, vendors, implementing agencies (IA), and cluster development agencies (CDAs), and officials of the National Horticulture Board (NHB).
    • A farmer can login using their mobile number and place an order for planting material such as seeds, seedlings and plants based on their requirement.
    • Once the demand has been raised by the farmer, the system will ask them to contribute their share of the cost of planting material. The subsidy amount paid by the government will appear on the screen automatically.
    • After the farmer pays their contribution, an e-RUPI voucher will be generated. This voucher will then be received by a vendor, who will provide the required planting material to the farmer.
    • Once the ordered planting material is delivered to the farmer, they have to verify the delivery through geo-tagged photos and videos of their field.
    • It is only after the verification that the IA will release the money to the vendor for the e-RUPI voucher.
    • The vendor will be required to upload an invoice of the payment on the portal.
      The IA will collect all the documents and share them with the CDA for subsidy release, then only the subsidy will be released to the IA.

What is e-RUPI?

  • The voucher is a one-time payment mechanism that can be redeemed without a card, digital payments app or internet banking access, at the merchants accepting e-RUPI.
  • It can be shared with the beneficiaries for a specific purpose or activity by organisations or government via SMS or QR code.
Source : What is CDP-SURAKSHA, govt’s new digital platform to disburse subsidies to horticulture farmers?

5. Baobab Tree
The Global Society for the Preservation of Baobabs and Mangroves (GSPBM) has initiated a mission to rejuvenate the iconic baobab trees in Madagascar.

About Baobab Tree:

  • It is a long-lived deciduous, small to large tree with broad trunks and compact tops which is also known as the upside-down tree.
  • Distribution:
    • There are 9 species of baobab tree. Two are native to mainland Africa, six to Madagascar and one to Australia. 
    • Mandu, in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, is perhaps the only place in India where baobab trees are found in abundance.
  • Features:
    • It can live to become thousands of years old.
    • They only have very faint growth rings. Mature trees have massive trunks that are bottle-shaped or cylindrical and tapered from bottom to top.
    • The fruit of the tree is round or oval-shaped and is highly nutritious.
    • It is also known as ‘Tree of Life’
  • Ecological significance:
    • Baobabs are keystone species in Madagascar's unique landscapes.
    • Their massive trunks and extensive root systems are vital for storing water in arid environments, providing a critical resource for both the trees and the surrounding ecosystem during drought periods.
    • This ability to store water enables baobabs to support a wide array of life, from microorganisms to larger animals, fostering biodiversity in their habitats.
Source : Baobab reforestation efforts show rapid impact in Madagascar

6. What are Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)?
The Rs 5-trillion domestic fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market still faces hurdles on its path to complete recovery from the current slowdown.

About Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG):

  • FMCG, or Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), are products sold quickly and at a relatively low cost. The FMCG industry is characterized by high-volume sales, quick inventory turnover, and various products catering to consumer needs. 
  • These goods include essential everyday items such as food and beverages, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and other low-cost household items.
  • They have a short shelf life because of high consumer demand (e.g., soft drinks and confections) or because they are perishable (e.g., meat, dairy products, and baked goods).
  • FMCG Industry in India:
    • The FMCG sector is the fourth-largest sector in the Indian economy.
    • In 2022, the urban sector accounted for 65% of the overall annual FMCG sales, while rural India contributed over 35%.
    • Household and personal care products make up 50% of the industry’s sales, healthcare claims 31-32%, and food and beverage products account for the remaining 18-19%.
    • It provides employment to around 3 million people, accounting for approximately 5% of the total factory employment in India. 
Source : FMCG growth in slow lane despite rural green shoots

7. What is the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF)?
The NIIF has invested $200 million in iBUS Network and Infrastructure Pvt Ltd., a connectivity technology firm, to support the growth of India’s digital infrastructure.

About National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF):

  • It is a fund manager that invests in infrastructure and related sectors in India. It is India’s first-ever sovereign wealth fund (SWF), which was set up in 2015.
  • It is a collaborative investment platform for international and Indian investors with a mandate to invest equity capital in domestic infrastructure.
  • It invests across asset classes such as infrastructure, private equity, and other diversified sectors in India, with the objective of generating attractive risk-adjusted returns for its investors. It invests in greenfield (new), brownfield (existing), and stalled projects.
  • NIIF is 49% owned by the Indian government and has more than $4.9 billion in assets under management, making it the country’s biggest infrastructure fund. It benefits from its association with the Government yet is independent in its investment decisions.
  • It is majority-owned by institutional investors and managed professionally by a team with experience in investments and infrastructure.
  • The funds are registered as Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) with the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and are currently raising capital from domestic and international institutional investors.
  • NIIF manages capital invested currently through four funds:
    • NIIF Master Fund: This fund primarily invests in infra-related projects such as roads, ports, airports, and power. It is the largest infrastructure fund in India.
    • NIIF Private Markets Fund:  Invests in funds managed by third-party managers in infrastructure and associated sectors.
    • NIIF Strategic Opportunities Fund: It invests and develops large-scale businesses and greenfield projects that are of strategic importance to the country.
    • India-Japan
      • Fund: NIIF’s first bilateral fund invests in environment preservation in India.
      • It also seeks to enable opportunities for collaboration between Indian and Japanese companies in India.  
      • The Fund has a target corpus of US$600 million, with the Government of India contributing 49% and the remaining 51% contributed by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, a policy-based financial institution wholly owned by the Government of Japan.
Source : NIIF invests $200 million in iBUS for expansion of digital infrastructure

8. QS World University Rankings
Sixty-nine Indian universities made it to the rankings with 424 entries in the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject.

About QS World University Rankings:

  • Published annually by global higher education consultancy Quacquarelli Symonds, the QS list ranks the world’s top 1,000 universities. For 2024, universities were evaluated in 55 specific subjects and five broader subject areas. 
  • Highlights of the 2024 Rankings:
    • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been ranked as the 1 university in the world by QS World University Rankings for 12 straight years.
    • Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) is the top ranked Indian institution, being ranked at 149.
    • A total of 69 Indian universities with 424 entries have made it to the QS World University Rankings by subject, marking a 19.4% rise from the previous year's 355 entries achieved by 66 universities.
    • India is the second most represented country in Asia for the number of ranked universities (69), after mainland China with 101.
    • India holds the fourth position in the total number of ranked entries (454), after China (1,041), Japan (510) and South Korea (499). 
    • Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) leads among Indian institutions, securing the 20th position globally for development studies.
    • In total, 12 Indian Higher Education Institutes(HEIs) feature in the top 100, and 69 HEIs from India are ranked in 44 out of 55 subjects.
    • India has shown significant progress, with a 20 percent improvement in the Citations per Paper indicator, reflecting a strong research capability.
    • In terms of volume, India is now the world's fourth-largest producer of research, generating 1.3 million academic papers in this period, trailing only behind China, the United States and the United Kingdom.
    • However, the country faces challenges in securing citations in premier global journals, with only 15% of its research cited in these publications between 2017 and 2021.
Source : JNU India’s highest ranked university, 69 in top 500: QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024

9. What is a Defence Attache (DA)?
India has begun to post military and defence attachés to several new countries in a big move to expand strategic ties with key regions across the globe.

About Defence Attache (DA):

  • A DA is a member of the armed forces who serves in an embassy as a representative of his/her country’s defence establishment abroad.
  • DA is a generic term that covers personnel from all branches of the armed services, although some larger countries may appoint a DA to represent an individual service branch, such as an air force or naval attaché.
  • It is the DAs job to protect, develop, and promote the defence interests of their country in the nation they are assigned, as well as in bilateral military and defence relations.
  • Some DAs are deployed to work on specific issues, like migration, and they can also serve as part of a military mission with organisations such as NATO, the EU, or the UN.
    • If serving on such military deployments, DAs usually operate as the head of the mission or a military adviser, with these assignments usually multilateral.
  • The Diplomatic Status of the DA:
    • The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961, provides immunity to persons according to their rank in a diplomatic mission. It defines the legal status of the DA.
    • Under the Convention, DAs are considered members of the diplomatic staff, enjoying full immunity.
Source : India posts defence attaches to several new nations for 1st time

10. What is Wigner Crystal?
Scientists have for the first time successfully visualized the elusive Wigner crystal, a strange kind of matter that is made entirely of electrons.

About Wigner Crystal:

  • A Wigner crystal is the solid phase of electrons, first predicted by Eugene Wigner in 1934. It is one of the first proposed many-body phases stabilized by the electron-electron interaction. 
  • Formation:
    • Interaction among electrons could lead to their spontaneous arrangement into a crystal-like configuration, or lattice, of closely packed electrons.
    • This could only occur because of their mutual repulsion and under low densities and extremely cold temperatures.
    • This is because the potential energy dominates the kinetic energy at low densities, so the detailed spatial arrangement of the electrons becomes important.
    • To minimize the potential energy, electrons form a crystal-like configuration.
  • A true Wigner crystal, instead of following the familiar laws of physics in the everyday world, would follow the laws of quantum physics, in which the electrons would act not like individual particles but more like a single wave.
  • Wigner crystal is stable at extremely low densities. If the density increases, the kinetic energy becomes important, and eventually, the crystal melts.
  • Wigner crystal is very difficult to observe experimentally. The reason is that it is very fragile with respect to the environment.
Source : Quantum crystal of frozen electrons—the Wigner crystal—is visualized for the first time
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Written by NDI EDITOR

National Defence Institute's Editor

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