Syllabus

• Prelims – GEOGRAPHY

Context: The UK has agreed to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, ending years of bitter dispute over Britain’s last African colony.

Background: –

• The agreement will allow a right of return for Chagossians, who the UK expelled from their homes in the 1960s and 1970s, in what has been described as a crime against humanity and one of the most shameful episodes of postwar colonialism.

Key takeaways

• The Chagos Archipelago or Chagos Islands is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 kilometres south of the Maldives archipelago.
• This chain of islands is the southernmost archipelago of the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge, a long submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean.
• In its north are the Salomon Islands, Nelsons Island and Peros Banhos; towards its south-west are the Three Brothers, Eagle Islands, Egmont Islands and Danger Island; southeast of these is Diego Garcia, by far the largest island.
• The Chagos contain the world’s largest coral atoll, The Great Chagos Bank, which supports half the total area of good quality reefs in the Indian Ocean.

Timeline of the island:

• 1783: The first inhabitants arrive on the Chagos Islands: enslaved Africans, who are put to work on coconut plantations, producing copra, created by the French. Later, after their emancipation, indentured Indians arrive.
• 1814: Britain formally takes possession of the Chagos Islands and nearby Mauritius from France.
• 1965: The Chagos Islands become the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). UK agreed with the US to create a military base on one of the islands, Diego Garcia.
• 1968: Mauritius is granted independence but the UK retains control of the BIOT.
• 1967-1973: The entire population of the Chagos Islands are forced to leave their homes, with most moving to the main island of Mauritius or to Seychelles, thousands of kilometres away. Human Rights Watch has called the forcible displacement an “appalling colonial crime” and a crime against humanity.
• 2019: In an advisory opinion, the UN’s highest court, the international court of justice, rules that continued British occupation of the remote Indian Ocean archipelago is illegal and orders the UK to hand it back to Mauritius.
• The UN general assembly passes a motion condemning Britain’s occupation of the islands. The motion sets a six-month deadline for Britain to withdraw and for the islands to be reunified with Mauritius, but the UK does not comply.
• 2021: The UN’s special international maritime court rejects the UK’s claim to sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.
• 2024: The UK agrees to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, although it will retain control over the military base on Diego Garcia, which it operates jointly with the US.

Source: The Guardian

 Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2

Context: An expert group constituted by NITI Aayog has recommended setting up a comprehensive framework to effectively manage future public health emergencies or pandemics.

Background: –

• The expert group, which was formed in June 2023, based its recommendations on the learnings and challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and other public health crises.

key recommendations made by the expert group in its report, ‘Future Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response: A Framework for Action’:

Enactment of PHEMA

• The report recommends enacting a Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA) to address shortcomings in existing laws during health crises.
• Current laws like the Epidemic Diseases Act (EDA), 1897, and the National Disaster Management Act (NDMA), 2005, were inadequate during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The EDA lacks definitions for key terms like “epidemic” or “infectious diseases” and omits provisions for drug dissemination, quarantine, and preventive measures. Similarly, the NDMA, while effective for natural disasters, was not designed for health emergencies.
• To bridge these gaps, PHEMA would empower central and state governments to respond to pandemics and other health emergencies, including those arising from non-communicable diseases or bioterrorism.

Empowered panel of Secys

• The report proposed creating an Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS) — a committee which will be headed by Cabinet Secretary to prepare for public health emergencies and monitor preparedness during peace times.
• EGoS will guide on governance, finance, R&D, surveillance, partnerships and collaborations, and other necessary functions that can be ramped up for immediate response in case of an emergency. EGoS will develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for pandemics.

Strengthen surveillance

• Report noted that several epidemics and pandemics in the past were caused by viruses linked to various bat species. Therefore, constant monitoring of the human-bat interfaces was crucial.
• The report proposed the creation of a national biosecurity and biosafety network, involving leading research institutions, biosafety containment facilities (labs that use specific safety equipment, practices, and building design to protect people and the environment from biological hazards), and genome sequencing centres.
• The report also recommended setting up an emergency vaccine bank, which would source vaccines from within or outside the country.

Network for early warning

• The report proposed building an epidemiology forecasting and modelling network that can predict transmission dynamics of infectious diseases, and monitor the effectiveness of countermeasures, including vaccination, in different scenarios.
• A network of centres of excellence (CoE) for research on priority pathogens is also required. Diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for such priority pathogens, identified from the list maintained by the World Health Organisation, can be developed in advance.

Independent drug regulator

• India needs a well-developed clinical trial network accepted by international regulatory authorities to ensure speedy access to innovative products to tackle health emergencies.
• The Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO), which is responsible for regulating the import, sale, manufacture and distribution of drugs, needs to be independent, and needs to have special powers. The CDSCO is currently under the Ministry of Health.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – ECONOMY

Context: The central government on Tuesday reconstituted the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) ahead of the monetary policy review of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on October 7-9.

Background:

• The government has appointed three external members in the MPC. They  have been appointed for a period of four years.

Key Points About the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC):

• Establishment:
  • The MPC was constituted under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, following amendments made in 2016.
  • Its creation was part of the RBI’s transition to an inflation-targeting framework, enhancing transparency and accountability in monetary policy formulation.
• Objective:
  • The primary mandate of the MPC is to maintain price stability while keeping in mind the objective of economic growth.
  • It is tasked with setting the repo rate, the key policy rate, to control inflation within the prescribed target.
• Composition: The MPC consists of 6 members:
  • 3 members from the RBI:
    • The Governor of RBI, who acts as the Chairperson.
    • The Deputy Governor in charge of monetary policy.
    • One officer of the RBI nominated by the central bank.
  • 3 external members appointed by the Government of India. These are experts in economics or related fields, selected for a tenure of four years and are not eligible for reappointment.
• Decisions are made by a majority vote, with each member having one vote. In case of a tie, the RBI Governor has the casting vote.
• Mandate and Inflation Targeting:
  • The MPC’s mandate is to maintain inflation within the range of 4% ± 2%. This means the inflation target is set at 4%, with an upper tolerance limit of 6% and a lower limit of 2%.
  • The committee usually meets bi-monthly (once every two months) to review the economy and set the policy interest rate, which influences inflation and growth. The MPC is required to meet at least four times in a year according to RBI Act 1934.
• Rationale for the MPC:
  • Prior to the MPC’s establishment, monetary policy decisions were made solely by the RBI Governor. The MPC institutionalizes a democratic decision-making process, bringing multiple perspectives from both within and outside the RBI.
  • It helps in reducing discretionary control and fosters a more objective, rule-based approach to monetary policy.
• Role in Inflation Control:
  • The MPC’s primary tool to manage inflation is the repo rate—the rate at which the RBI lends to commercial banks.
  • By increasing or decreasing the repo rate, the MPC influences liquidity and demand in the economy, which in turn affects inflation and economic growth.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – GEOGRAPHY

Context: Mount Everest, currently 8,849 metres tall, has over the past 89,000 years, grown about 15 to 50 m higher than expected because a nearby river is eroding rock and soil at its base, helping push it upwards, according to a new study.

Background: –

• The study, ‘Recent uplift of Chomolungma enhanced by river drainage piracy’, was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Key takeaways from the study

• The loss of landmass in the Arun River basin, which spreads across Nepal and Tibet and is 75 km away from Everest, is causing the world’s tallest peak to rise by up to 2 mm a year.
• While Everest and the rest of the Himalayas have been slowly rising due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates, the change in the Arun river network is a contributing factor to the mountains’ continued rise.
• Everest has been experiencing an additional boost to its height due to a geological process called isostatic rebound.
• Isostatic rebound (also called continental rebound, post-glacial rebound or isostatic adjustment) involves the rise of land masses on the Earth’s crust when the weight of the surface diminishes.
• The crust, Earth’s outermost layer, essentially floats atop a mantle layer of hot, semi-liquid rock. When a heavy load, such as ice or eroded rock, is removed from the Earth’s crust, the land beneath slowly rises in response, much like a boat rising in water when cargo is unloaded.

• In the case of Everest and its neighbouring mountains, the surface weight started to reduce after the Arun River merged with the Kosi River around 89,000 years ago. This resulted in accelerated erosion that carried off huge amounts of rock and soil, reducing the weight of the region near Everest.

Himalayan Formation – Key Points:

• Tectonic Activity:
  • The Himalayas were formed as a result of the collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate around 50 million years ago during the late Cretaceous to early Tertiary period.
  • As the Indian Plate moved northward, it collided with the Eurasian Plate, leading to the folding and uplifting of sediments that had accumulated in the Tethys Sea, which once separated the two plates.
  • This process is an example of convergent plate boundary activity, where two continental plates collide.
• Geological Evolution:
  • The process of orogeny (mountain formation) is still ongoing, which explains the frequent earthquakes and tectonic activity in the region.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims – CURRENT EVENT

Context: Former Chief Statistician Pronab Sen remarked that National Statistical Commission (NSC) is reasserting its authority and this could lead to a process of depoliticising data.

Background: –

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) had dissolved the Pranob Sen-led Standing Committee on Statistics  (SCoS) on the grounds that its work was “overlapping” with a steering committee set up by the NSC to oversee National Sample Surveys.

National Statistical Commission (NSC) – Key Points:

• Establishment:
  • The NSC was established in 2006 on the recommendation of the Rangarajan Commission (2001), which identified the need for reforms in the Indian statistical system. The intention was to improve the reliability, credibility, and timeliness of statistics in India for better policy-making.
  • It is not yet provided with statutory status.
• Objective:
  • The NSC was set up to reduce the undue influence of the government on data generation and ensure the production of objective and unbiased statistics.
  • It works to set standards and promote transparency in the collection and dissemination of official statistics.
• Composition: The NSC consists of –
  • The Commission consists of a part-time Chairman (with the status of a Minister of State) and four part-time Members (with the status of a Secretary to the Government of India) and an Ex officio member.
• Functions:
  • Policy Formulation: The NSC advises the government on statistical policies, methodologies, and priorities in data collection.
  • Coordination: It promotes coordination between Central and State agencies to ensure standardization in statistical procedures and quality.
  • Monitoring: The NSC reviews the performance of statistical agencies, ensuring data quality and identifying areas for improvement.
  • Capacity Building: The commission also focuses on strengthening human resources in the statistical domain through training and research.
• Importance:
  • The NSC plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and independence of statistical data, which forms the backbone for policy formulation, economic planning, and evaluation of programs.
  • It also addresses concerns about the credibility of data, especially with respect to GDP growth, unemployment, and inflation figures, which are critical for economic governance.

Source: Indian Express

Q1.) Consider the following statements regarding the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC):

1. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) was established under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, following amendments made in 2016.
2. The MPC’s primary mandate is to maintain inflation within the range of 6% ± 2%.
3. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India does not have a casting vote in case of a tie in MPC decisions.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

Q2.) With reference to the National Statistical Commission (NSC), consider the following statements:

1. The NSC was established in 2006 on the recommendation of the Rangarajan Commission but has not yet been granted statutory status.
2. The Chairman of the NSC holds the status of a Cabinet Minister, while the four part-time members hold the status of Secretaries to the Government of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q3.) With reference to the geological processes affecting the Himalayas and Mount Everest, consider the following statements:

1. The Himalayas were formed as a result of the collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate around 50 million years ago.
2. The rise of Mount Everest is partly due to a process called isostatic rebound, which occurs when the Earth’s crust rises after the removal of surface weight.
3. The Arun River’s merger with the Kosi River reduced erosion in the Everest region, slowing down the isostatic rebound process.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’  4th October 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) –  b

Q.2) – a

Q.3) – a