DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS - 8 OCTOBER 2022

1. 08 OCTOBER, 2022 www.iasscore.in GS ANALYST CURRENT AFFAIRS DAILY

3. CURRENT AFFAIRS DAILY OCTOBER, 2022 PANEL TO STUDY SC STATUS OF DALITS POST- CONVERSION CONTEXT: A three-member commission to be headed by ex-CJI K.G. Balakrishnan has been asked to study the SC status of Dalits post-conversion. ⦿DETAILS: oThe Union government is seeking to examine the issue of whether Scheduled Caste (SC) status can be accorded to Dalits who have over the years converted to religions other than Sikhism or Buddhism. oThis is crucial when there is already a petition in the Supreme Court, regarding the inclusion of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims and the removal of the religious criteria for inclusion as SCs. The 2011 Census places the number of scheduled castes in India at 16.6 percent of the total population, or approximately 166,635,700 people. Who can be considered a scheduled caste? oThe Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 provides for only those belonging to Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist communities to be categorized as SCs. oInitially, the Order only allowed for Hindu communities to be classified as SCs based on the social disabilities and discrimination they faced due to untouchability. oIt was amended in 1956 to include Sikh communities and again in 1990 to include Buddhist communities as SCs. Caste Caste is something that is determined by the birth of an individual. According to D.N. Mazumdar –‘Caste is a closed class’ i.e. class refers to people based on property, business, occupation i.e. one cannot change his own caste system but can change the class system and can be a member of many classes at the same time. Commission’s Job: oTo look into the changes an SC person goes through after converting to another religion. oTo look at the question of including them as SCs. oExamining their traditions, customs, social and other forms of discrimination, and how and whether they have changed as a result of the conversion. oExamining the impact of such a decision on these existing SC communities. Sensitive Issue: oThis is a seminal and historically complex sociological and constitutional question. oA detailed and definitive study and consultation with all stakeholders are important. oSo far, no commission under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 (60 of 1952) has inquired into the matter. 3 www.iasscore.in

4. CURRENT AFFAIRS DAILY OCTOBER, 2022 Independent commission reports: o Several independent commissions have documented the existence of caste and caste discrimination among Indian Christians and Indian Muslims. For example: ➤Report of the Committee on Untouchability Economic and Educational Development Of the Scheduled Castes in 1969 ➤The HPP report on SCs, STs, and Minorities in 1983 ➤The report of the Prime Minister’s High-Level Committee formed in 2006 ➤A 2008 study conducted by the National Commission for Minorities ➤The Ranganath Mishra Commission Report AGRI-CREDIT SOCIETIES TO BE SET UP IN ALL PANCHAYATS CONTEXT: Union Home and Cooperation Minister said that primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) will be set up in all panchayats of the country. What are Primary Agricultural Credit Societies? oPACS are ground-level cooperative credit institutions that provide short-term, and medium-term agricultural loans to the farmers for the various agricultural and farming activities. oIt works at the grassroots gram Panchayat and village level. oThe first Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) was formed in the year 1904. oThe PACS functioning at the base of the cooperative banking system constitutes the major retail outlets of short-term and medium-term credit to the rural sector. PACS in the country: •There are about 95,000 PACS in the country of which only 65,000 are active at present. •According to the union home minister, all panchayats must have one such body by 2027. •This will be helpful in promoting farming and dairy activities at the grassroots level. •The cooperation ministry is working on a plan to set up multi-purpose PACS in panchayats over the next five years. Functions of PACS oMaintaining the supply of the hired light machinery for agricultural purposes. oTo arrange for supplying of agricultural inputs. Examples -are seeds, fertilizers, insecticides, kerosene, etc. oIt will carry out activities like the sale of gas and petrol and the storage and marketing of dairy and farm products to alleviate poverty and empower women. oIt helps its members by providing marketing facilities that could enhance the sale of their agricultural products in the market at the proper prices. oGenerating optimum financial benefits for people engaged in animal husbandry and allied sectors. 4 www.iasscore.in

5. CURRENT AFFAIRS DAILY OCTOBER, 2022 INDIA ABSTAINS FROM VOTE ON UN RESOLUTION TO ‘SCRUTINIZE’RUSSIA’S RIGHTS RECORD CONTEXT: India abstained from voting on the UNHRC draft proposal favoring the appointment of an independent expert to scrutinize Russia’s rights record. ⦿BACKGROUND: oThe UNHRC has purposed the appointment of an independent expert to look into the crackdown on dissenting voices and limits on free speech worsening during the war in Ukraine. oThe 47-member Human Rights Council passed the proposal with 24 abstentions. oShortly before the vote in Geneva, the Russian human rights group Memorial was named a co-winner of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. oIt is the first time the council has authorized a special rapporteur to look into human rights issues in any of the five countries that are permanent members of the UN Security Council. India Abstaining on UN vote against Russia: oThe Soviet Union used its veto on several occasions to protect India against various resolutions: ➤brought by the West regarding Kashmir ➤India’s invasion of Goa ➤the 1971 war with Pakistan which led to the creation of Bangladesh. oIndia has abstained on votes condemning: ➤the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 ➤invasion in Afghanistan a decade later. oFrom an Indian perspective, it boils down to the fact that India does not want to pick sides. oBut given the geo-political scenario, India must be watchful of the growing closeness of Russia and China. www.iasscore.in

6. CURRENT AFFAIRS DAILY OCTOBER, 2022 UN Human Rights Council: •The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. Formation: •The Council was created by the United Nations General Assembly in 2006. It replaced the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights. •The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) serves as the Secretariat of the Human Rights Council. •OHCHR is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. •It is made up of 47 United Nations Member States which are elected by the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Russia and Human Rights: oRussia was a member of the Human Rights Council but not anymore. oThe Russian government has taken a number of steps to limit domestic dissent over the war. oIt has passed laws that criminalize spreading fake news about Russia’s military. oIt’s unlikely that Russia will let the special rapporteur visit the country. India and UN Human Rights Council: oRecently, a group of Special Rapporteurs to the United Nations (UN) has written to the Indian government expressing concerns over the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020. oIn 2020, India’s National Human Rights Commission submitted its mid-term report to the Council as a part of the third round of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. oIndia was elected to the Council for a period of three years beginning 1st January 2019. KONDA REDDI TRIBAL FAMILIES-BAMBOO SHOOTS FORM A RECIPE TO HEALTH AND HAPPINESS CONTEXT: To the member of Konda Reddi, dried bamboo shoots form an essential part of the dietary chart. It is because of the belief of them being highly nutritious. ⦿DETAILS: oThe Konda Reddi tribal families hang the garlands of bamboo shoots on the roofs of their dwellings and dry them for a week. oAfter about a week, when the shoots are fully dried, the families store them for consumption till the next monsoon. oThe tribal people inhabiting the forest are entitled to collect every form of bamboo tree, which is classified as Minor Forest Produce (MFP). oThey have the right to exploit its commercial value for their livelihood. 6 www.iasscore.in

7. CURRENT AFFAIRS DAILY OCTOBER, 2022 Minor Forest Produce (MFP): MFP includes all non-timber forest produce of plant origin and includes bamboo, canes, fodder, leaves, gums, waxes, dyes, resins, and many forms of food including nuts, wild fruits, honey, lac, tusser, etc. Nutritious Value: oPeople of the tribe believe that bamboo shoots are highly nutritious. oThe dried bamboo shoots are a part of their diet during the monsoon. oIt is believed that it improves their immunity against viral fevers. Growing Trend: oFor generations, bamboo shoots are an integral part of the people of the Konda Reddi tribe’s food chart. oBut nowadays, even non-tribes have started consuming them in view of their nutritious value. oThe tribal people collect the shoots both for their own consumption and for sale. Bamboo shoots as a food: oA bamboo shoot is dried for a week. oLater, it is boiled and used in the preparation of a variety of dishes such as mixed vegetable curry and dal. oThe dried shoots can also be stored in powder form. oAt least six dishes can be prepared with the shoots. Konda Tribe: oIt is one of the most backward tribal groups in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. oThey inhabit on both the banks of the Godavari River (East and West Godavari districts), in the hilly-forest region of Khammam (Telangana) and Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh). oThey live in the interior forest areas largely cut off from the mainstream. oTraditionally, they were shifting cultivators, and recently, some of them have adopted settled agriculture and horticulture. oCollection of non-timber forest products and basket-making supplement the sources of their livelihood. oTheir mother tongue is Telugu with a unique accent. oKonda Reddis has also been recognized as a Primitive Tribal Group (now Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group). oThe Konda Reddis are known for their eco-friendly practices such as the use of household articles made of bamboo, bottle gourd, and seed. HUMAN RIGHTS CHAMPIONS IN BELARUS, RUSSIA, AND UKRAINE WIN NOBEL PEACE PRIZE CONTEXT: The Nobel Peace Prize for 2022 has been awarded to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial, and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties. 7 www.iasscore.in

8. CURRENT AFFAIRS DAILY OCTOBER, 2022 Belarus’s Ales Bialiatski oAles Bialiatski is a Belarusian human rights activist, who is currently being held in prison without trial. oHe was one of the initiators of the democratic movement in Belarus in the mid-1980s. oHe has devoted his life to promoting democracy and peaceful development in his home country. oHe is credited with founding the organisation Viasna (Spring) in 1996. oViasna is a broad-based human rights organization that documented and protested against the authorities’ use of torture against political prisoners. Russian human rights organisation, Memorial oRussian human rights organisation was established in 1987, by human rights activists in the former Soviet Union. oNobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov and human rights advocate Svetlana Gannushkina were among the organization’s founders. oMemorial is based on the notion that confronting past crimes is essential in preventing new ones. oIt wanted to ensure that the forgotten. victims of the communist regime’s oppression would never be Ukrainian human rights organisation, Center for Civil Liberties: oThe Center for Civil Liberties was founded in Kyiv in 2007. oIt was aimed at advancing human rights and democracy in Ukraine. oThe committee has described them as one of the leading actors in Ukraine. oThey have been successful in influencing the formation of public opinion and public policy. oThey have been actively participating in international networks and solidarity actions to promote human rights. 8 www.iasscore.in

9. CURRENT AFFAIRS DAILY OCTOBER, 2022 About Nobel Peace Prize: •The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel. •The peace prize is along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine, and Literature. •The first Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in 1901. Selection of Nobel Prize laureates •The Norwegian Nobel Committee is responsible for the selection of eligible candidates and the choice of the Nobel Peace Prize laureates. •The Committee is composed of five members appointed by the Storting (Norwegian parliament). •The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway, not in Stockholm, Sweden, where the rest of the other Nobel Prizes are awarded. ********** 9 www.iasscore.in

10. CURRENT AFFAIRS DAILY OCTOBER, 2022 EDITORIAL THE GROWTH AND LIMITATIONS OF DRAVIDIAN URBANISM CONTEXT: Tamil Nadu’s (T.N.) urban trajectory has been distinct from most other parts of India as it had focused largely on their achievement of economic growth and welfare outcomes sustained by its Societal History. ⦿THE GROWTH TRAJECTORY: oEfforts to breakdown discrimination: T.N. has continuously attempted the breakdown of traditional caste-based hierarchies to enable the upward mobility of ordinary people, transforming them into agents of urban transformation. oUrbanisation and citizen involvement: The development is more broad-based, being driven by multiple urban centres rather than a few metropolitan cities, as in the case of Maharashtra or Gujarat. ➤These measures are responsible for the fact that 48.4% of T.N.’s population lives in urban areas compared to the all-India average of 34% (2011 Census). ⦿HISTORICAL CONDITIONS, DRAVIDIAN POLICY: oPerfect infrastructure: Madras possessed some industrial strength and physical infrastructure. Later, T.N. benefited significantly from efforts to build infrastructure for industrial clusters and mass education. oAgricultural Policy: Agricultural modernisation was spurred by access to irrigation and motorised electrical technology, with canal and wells in villages. oFocus on Physical and Social Infrastructure: Lack of Vaisaya caste has made opportunities for entrepreneurs and Investments in infrastructure enabled even artisans to enter industry. ⦿PERSISTENT CHALLENGES oDisposal of traditional occupation: However, poverty has now been urbanised, with new, precarious jobs created largely in the informal sector which indicates that the rate of dispossession from traditional and farm-based occupations has been higher than that of creation of decent jobs in urban areas. www.iasscore.in 10

11. CURRENT AFFAIRS DAILY OCTOBER, 2022 oCaste segregation in urban areas: While caste hierarchies have weakened to an extent, caste segregation continues, including in urban areas. ⦿QUESTION “Urbanisation has led to increase in informal sector jobs and less job security”. Analyse the statement (150 words) ********** www.iasscore.in 11