19 December 2024

• Space: ISRO began assembly of the Human Rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (HLVM-3) for the first uncrewed Gaganyaan flight.
• Economy: India's Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) reached a record 108.14 in November 2024, signalling currency overvaluation that threatens export competitiveness.
• Governance: The National Human Rights Commission got a new chairperson: Justice V. Ramasubramanian.
• Polity: The Constitution (129th) Amendment Bill was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.

GS area: Science and Technology

ISRO initiated the assembly process for the Human Rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (HLVM-3) for the first uncrewed Gaganyaan test flight.

• HLVM-3 specifications: 53 metres tall, total mass of 640 tonnes at lift-off, capable of placing up to 10 tonnes in low Earth orbit.
• Key safety feature: Crew Escape System (CES). In the event of a launch failure, rockets on the crew module fire and pull the capsule away from the failing vehicle, parachuting the crew to safety.
• Gaganyaan programme:
  • G1 (first test): Uncrewed flight to verify the vehicle and crew module.
  • G2 (second test): Crewed test in low Earth orbit.
  • Final: Three-member crew to orbit Earth for up to 7 days.
• Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS): The proposed Indian space station, for which Gaganyaan's docking capabilities (via SpaDeX) are a prerequisite.
• Training: Indian astronaut-designates (Gaganyatris) trained in Russia. The four candidates include Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla.

Static linkage: Science and technology (Gaganyaan, ISRO, human spaceflight).

GS area: Economy

India's Real Effective Exchange Rate reached 108.14 in November 2024, the highest on record.

• REER definition: An inflation-adjusted measure of the currency's value against a basket of trading partner currencies. An index above 100 indicates the currency is overvalued relative to the base period.
• November 2024 reading: 108.14. Year-to-date appreciation of 4.5 per cent.
• What overvaluation means: Indian exports become more expensive relative to competitor nations' exports. Imports become cheaper.
• Impact on competitiveness: Sectors like textiles, gems and jewellery, and engineering goods are most sensitive to exchange rate movements.
• RBI's position: The RBI manages the rupee to prevent excessive volatility without targeting a specific REER level. The rupee's nominal depreciation against the US dollar can mask real appreciation if India's inflation is higher than its trading partners'.
• NEER vs REER: Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (NEER) is the weighted average of bilateral exchange rates without inflation adjustment. REER adjusts for inflation differentials.

Static linkage: Economy (exchange rate, exports, monetary policy, RBI).

GS area: Polity, Human Rights

Justice V. Ramasubramanian, former judge of the Supreme Court of India, was appointed Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

• NHRC established: 12 October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
• Composition: Chairperson (former Chief Justice of India or former SC judge); members drawn from former HC Chief Justices and experts; deemed members from the NCW, NCSC, NCST and NCBC.
• Mandate: Enquire into complaints of human rights violations by state actors; review laws and policies; recommend remedies.
• Powers: NHRC can investigate complaints, summon officials, visit state jails and recommend compensation. It cannot impose penalties directly.
• Not judicial: NHRC recommendations are not binding but carry significant moral and legal authority. The government must respond within a prescribed period.
• Paris Principles: The NHRC is accredited at the "A" status by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, meaning it fully complies with the Paris Principles on the independence of NHRIs.

Static linkage: Polity (human rights institutions, NHRC, Protection of Human Rights Act).

GS area: Governance, Education

The Radhakrishnan Committee (chaired by former ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan) submitted 101 recommendations for reforming India's national examination system.

• Context: The NEET-UG 2024 paper leak, UGC-NET irregularities and BPSC exam allegations led to the constitution of the committee.
• Key recommendations:
  • Limit the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conducting entrance examinations only. Remove it from scholarship tests and recruitment exams.
  • Establish 400 to 500 computer-based testing centres nationwide within one year.
  • Implement biometric verification (Digi-Exam systems) to prevent impersonation.
  • Multi-session and adaptive testing models to prevent paper leaks.
  • Sealed test centres with 360-degree CCTV.
• Legislation: Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 was already enacted. Penalties: up to 10 years imprisonment and 10 lakh rupees fine.
• NTA scope: NTA conducts NEET, JEE Main, UGC-NET, CUET and other national examinations. It was established in 2017 under the Ministry of Education.

Static linkage: Governance (education, NTA, examination reforms).

GS area: Environment, Polity

The Supreme Court directed state governments to formulate comprehensive management policies for sacred groves.

• Sacred groves definition: Patches of forest protected by local communities for generations under traditional beliefs. Often dedicated to local deities or spirits.
• Distribution in India: Concentrated in Kerala (Kavu), Karnataka, Maharashtra (Devrai), Tamil Nadu and across the Western Ghats. Also in Northeast India and Rajasthan.
• Types: Deity-linked (deity's forest), temple groves, cremation and burial ground forests, clan groves.
• Ecological value: Biodiversity hotspots. Often contain rare flora found nowhere else in fragmented landscapes. Maintain water sources (springs, streams) and soil carbon.
• Threats: Urbanisation, population pressure, weakening of traditional institutions and tree felling.
• Legal gap: No central legislation specifically protects sacred groves. They fall under the Forest Rights Act (2006) or Wildlife Protection Act indirectly.

Static linkage: Environment (biodiversity, forest governance, traditional knowledge).

GS area: Science and Technology, Geography

Scientists imaging the Central and Southwest Indian Ridges found an active hydrothermal vent at 4,500 metres depth.

• Hydrothermal vent formation: At mid-ocean ridges (diverging plate boundaries), seawater seeps into the ocean floor, is superheated by magma and erupts as mineral-rich fluid at up to 370 degrees Celsius.
• Mineral wealth: Black smoker vents deposit polymetallic sulphides containing copper, zinc, cobalt, nickel, gold and silver.
• Chemosynthetic life: Vent ecosystems support organisms using chemical energy (chemosynthesis) rather than sunlight (photosynthesis). Tube worms, clams and archaea are characteristic.
• India's interest: India's Deep Ocean Mission (launched 2021) targets deep-sea mineral exploration, biodiversity research and hydrothermal vent mapping.
• Central Indian Ridge: A diverging plate boundary in the central Indian Ocean. Part of the global mid-ocean ridge system.

Static linkage: Science and technology (deep ocean, hydrothermal vents, Deep Ocean Mission).

• Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme: The government was reportedly considering discontinuing the SGBs due to high fiscal cost. SGBs were launched in November 2015, issued by RBI on behalf of the government. They carry 2.5 per cent annual interest plus capital gains on gold price appreciation. Capital gains on redemption are exempt from tax.
• CCTNS integration: The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), launched in 2009, achieved full integration of all 17,130 police stations in India. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is the nodal agency.