CONTENTS
- Formation of Shadow Cabinet in Odisha
- Recent Trends in Immunisation and Digital Health Initiatives
- Last Universal Common Ancestor
- Ladla Bhai Yojana
- United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
- Chagos Archipelago
Formation of Shadow Cabinet in Odisha
Context:
The leader of the Opposition (LoP) and president of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has recently established a ‘shadow cabinet’ consisting of 50 BJD Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Odisha. This move follows the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) recent electoral successes in the state and signifies a notable shift in the legislative dynamics.
Relevance:
GS II: Polity and Governance
Dimensions of the Article:
- What is a Shadow Cabinet?
- Challenges
- Way Forward
What is a Shadow Cabinet?
- Definition and Structure
- A shadow cabinet is a group of opposition members in the legislature who replicate the roles and responsibilities of the government ministers.
- Headed by the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), the shadow cabinet reviews and critiques the actions of the ruling government across various departments.
- Role in Governance
- Integral to parliamentary democracies, the shadow cabinet serves as a key mechanism for monitoring and challenging government policies.
- Originates from the Westminster system and is utilized in countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
Benefits
- Enhanced Expertise
- Opposition members gain specialized knowledge and skills by overseeing specific government ministries, enabling effective policy critique.
- Leadership Development
- Provides opposition members with leadership experience, preparing them for potential future ministerial positions based on their performance.
- Strengthening Democracy
- Promotes thorough examination of executive actions and ensures informed parliamentary debates.
- Offers a credible alternative to government policies, preventing rash legislative decisions.
Challenges
- Coordination Difficulties
- In India’s multi-party system, unifying the shadow cabinet can be challenging due to diverse party priorities and ideologies.
- Limited Understanding
- Focus on specific ministries might restrict MPs’ overall comprehension of governance. However, periodic reshuffles can mitigate this issue.
- Recognition and Effectiveness
- The status and institutional recognition of the LoP and shadow cabinets vary, affecting their efficiency across different parliamentary sessions.
Potential Implications for Indian Democracy
- Improved Oversight
- Institutionalizing a shadow cabinet can enhance parliamentary oversight, ensuring comprehensive debate and justification of legislative actions.
- Increased Public Trust
- By presenting coherent policy alternatives, the shadow cabinet can bolster public confidence in parliamentary processes and opposition parties.
- Policy-Focused Discourse
- Promotes a shift from personality-driven politics to more substantive policy debates, enriching governance discussions.
International Examples
- United Kingdom
- The Shadow Cabinet is appointed by the Leader of the Opposition to mirror the Government’s Cabinet, with each member challenging their counterpart in the ruling Cabinet.
- Canada
- Opposition parties form shadow cabinets where members, known as critics, are responsible for the same policy areas as government ministers, reflecting a potential replacement scenario.
Way Forward
- Formal Recognition
- While not legally mandated, Parliament could amend its rules to officially recognize the LoP and establish a formal shadow cabinet.
- Constitutional Amendment
- Consider amending the Constitution to formally recognize the LoP and the shadow cabinet, including provisions for their operational framework.
- Resource Allocation
- Allocate a budget for research staff and resources for the shadow cabinet to enhance policy analysis and development of alternatives.
- Appointment Based on Expertise
- Appoint shadow ministers based on their expertise and qualifications to ensure effective and constructive critique of government policies.
-Source: The Hindu
Recent Trends in Immunisation and Digital Health Initiatives
Context:
Recently released WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunisation coverage (WUENIC) revealed a slight dip in childhood immunisation in 2023 compared to 2022. In another development, a quiet digital revolution is unfolding as part of the government’s pilot project to register pregnant women and children on U-Win.
Relevance:
GS II: Health
Dimensions of the Article:
- Key Highlights of WUENIC
- What is U-WIN?
Key Highlights of WUENIC
- Annual Review Process
- WHO and UNICEF annually assess immunisation coverage by reviewing reports from Member States, finalized surveys, and data from published and grey literature.
- Major Findings
- Global Immunisation Stagnation: In 2023, global immunisation efforts stalled, resulting in 2.7 million additional children being either unvaccinated or under-vaccinated compared to 2019.
- India’s Immunisation Trends:
- A slight decrease in childhood immunisation in India was noted in 2023 compared to 2022.
- Coverage of diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT) vaccines fell from 95% in 2022 to 93% in 2023.
- Zero-Dose Children: The number of zero-dose children in India increased to 1.6 million in 2023 from 1.1 million in 2022, though this is an improvement from the 2.73 million seen in 2021.
- DPT Vaccine Coverage: 91% of children received the third DPT dose in 2023, down from 93% in 2022 but above the global average of 84%.
- Under-Vaccinated Children: In 2023, 2.04 million children were under-vaccinated, slightly fewer than the 2.11 million in 2019.
What is U-WIN?
- Purpose and Launch
- U-WIN is a digital initiative to modernize India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), launched in a pilot phase following the success of the Co-WIN platform.
- Platform Features
- Comprehensive Registry: U-WIN will register and track every pregnant woman, newborn, and all vaccination events from birth doses onward.
- Data Management: It will serve as a central database for immunisation services, updating vaccination statuses, delivery outcomes, and providing detailed reports on antigen-wise coverage.
- Real-Time Data: Healthcare workers and programme managers will access real-time data on immunisation sessions and coverage, aiding in effective planning and distribution of vaccines.
- Beneficiary Services
- Vaccination Cards: Vaccine acknowledgement and immunisation cards linked to the ABHA ID (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) will be issued to pregnant women and children.
- Access and Documentation: States and districts will share a common database for tracking and vaccinating beneficiaries. Upon complete digitisation, beneficiaries will receive instant certificates, which can be downloaded and stored in digi-lockers.
- Surveillance and Planning
- The system will enhance surveillance, creating an evidence base for effective intervention planning and deployment.
-Source: Indian Express
Last Universal Common Ancestor
Context:
Recently, in a new study, scientists have said the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) could have formed just 300 million years after the earth formed.
Relevance:
- Recent Key Highlights of Research
- Various Competing Theories of Life’s Origin
Recent Key Highlights of Research
About
- LUCA Hypothesis
- Researchers propose that bacteria, archaea, and eukarya originated from a single cell known as the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA).
- LUCA had a compact genome with approximately 2.5 million bases and 2,600 proteins, enabling its survival in a specific environment.
- LUCA’s metabolic activities may have fostered a secondary ecosystem for other microbes, and it possibly possessed immunity genes to combat viruses.
- Despite the lack of fossil evidence for LUCA, similarities across modern genomes provide valuable insights.
- The molecular clock theory has facilitated the reconstruction of the ‘tree of life’, which posits that the rate of mutations in genomes is consistent over time.
- Researchers use mutation rates and known evolutionary benchmarks, such as the evolution of the first mammal or fossil ages, to estimate the timing of evolutionary events.
- Fossil evidence from the Pilbara Craton in Australia suggests that early life forms may date back 3.4 billion years.
- Significance of Findings
- These discoveries are essential for understanding the origins and evolution of life on Earth.
- They have implications for searching for life elsewhere in the universe and for developing synthetic organisms for various applications on Earth.
- The insights may also aid in the creation and management of extraterrestrial ecosystems in the future.
Various Competing Theories of Life’s Origin
- Oparin-Haldane Hypothesis
- Proposed by Alexander Oparin (1924) and John Haldane (1929), this theory suggests that early life forms arose from a “primordial soup” in the Earth’s early, prebiotic conditions.
- This hypothesis posits that simple organic molecules gradually self-organized into more complex structures.
- Miller-Urey Experiment
- Demonstrated that under simulated early Earth conditions, inorganic compounds could form complex organic compounds.
- The experiment involved mixing methane, ammonia, and water, and applying an electric current, which resulted in the production of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
- Panspermia Hypothesis
- Suggests that life’s building blocks may have been delivered to Earth via meteorites or comets.
- Evidence supporting this includes the discovery of extraterrestrial organic material and amino acids on asteroids.
- In 2019, French and Italian scientists reported finding 3.3 billion-year-old extraterrestrial organic material.
- Japan’s Hayabusa 2 mission to the asteroid Ryugu found more than 20 amino acids, supporting this hypothesis.
-Source: The Hindu
Ladla Bhai Yojana
Context:
The Ladla Bhai Yojana is a welfare scheme introduced by the Maharashtra government to provide financial assistance and skill development opportunities to male youth.
Relevance:
GS II: Government policies and Interventions
Dimensions of the Article:
- Ladla Bhai Yojana: Overview and Key Details
Ladla Bhai Yojana: Overview and Key Details
Introduction
- Purpose: The Ladla Bhai Yojana is a welfare initiative by the Maharashtra government designed to provide financial support and skill development to male youth.
- Inspiration: Modeled after the successful Ladli Behna Yojana for girls, this scheme aims to enhance educational and employment opportunities for young men.
- Budget: The scheme involves a substantial investment of Rs 5,500 crore.
Goals
- Announcement: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde introduced the scheme during his visit to Vitthal temple in Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi.
- Objectives: Address unemployment and promote skill development among male students.
Benefits
- Financial Support Based on Educational Qualifications:
- 12th Grade Pass: Monthly stipend of Rs 6,000.
- Diploma Holders: Monthly stipend of Rs 8,000.
- Graduates: Monthly stipend of Rs 10,000.
- One-Year Factory Apprenticeship:
- Practical Experience: Eligible youth will complete a one-year apprenticeship in factories.
- Enhancing Employability: Stipends will be provided during the apprenticeship to help gain proficiency in their fields.
Eligibility Criteria
For Youth:
- Age: 18 to 35 years.
- Educational Qualifications:
- Must have passed Class 12, hold an ITI or diploma, or be a graduate.
- Stipends:
- Rs 6,000 for Class 12 pass.
- Rs 8,000 for ITI/diploma holders.
- Rs 10,000 for graduates.
For Employers:
- Location: Must operate in Maharashtra.
- Registration: Must be registered with the Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation web portal.
- Duration: Established for at least three years.
- Certifications: Must be registered with EPF, ESIC, GST, DPIT, and Udyog Aadhaar.
- Incorporation: Must have a certificate of incorporation.
Required Documents
- For Youth Applicants:
- Domicile Certificate
- Educational Qualification Certificate
- PAN Card
- Aadhaar Card
- Passport Size Photo
- Caste Certificate
- Income Certificate
- Mobile Number
-Source: The Hindu
United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
Context:
Recently, India has released the first tranche of USD 2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East as part of its annual contribution of USD 5 million for the year 2024-25.
Relevance:
GS II: International Relations
United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
Overview
- Establishment: Created in 1949 by the UN General Assembly in response to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
- Mandate: Provides aid and protection to Palestinian refugees displaced by the 1948 conflict and their descendants.
- Operational Areas: Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
- Funding: Primarily funded through voluntary contributions from UN member states.
Recent Efforts and Support
- Direct Relief and Work Programs: UNRWA has been assisting registered Palestinian refugees since 1950, focusing on education, healthcare, relief, and social services.
- Current Challenges: Continuing operations amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
India’s Contribution
- Financial Support: India has provided USD 35 million up to 2023-24 for UNRWA’s core programs and services.
- Additional Support: Includes provision of medicines as requested by the agency.
-Source: Business Standards
Chagos Archipelago
Context:
Recently, the external affairs minister said that India will continue supporting Mauritius on the issue of Chagos Archipelago in line with its stand on decolonization.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
Dimensions of the Article:
- Chagos Archipelago Overview
- Chagos Archipelago Dispute
Chagos Archipelago Overview
Location and Geography
- Location: Central Indian Ocean, approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) south of the Indian subcontinent’s southern tip.
- Territory: An overseas territory of the United Kingdom, established on November 8, 1965.
- Key Islands:
- Diego Garcia: Houses a significant US military base.
- Danger Island
- Egmont Islands
- Eagle Islands
- Nelsons Island
- Peros Banhos Atoll
Climate
- Type: Tropical marine climate.
- Characteristics: High temperatures and elevated humidity levels.
- Moderation: Climate is moderated by trade winds blowing across the islands.
Chagos Archipelago Dispute
Historical Context
- Claim: Britain and Mauritius both claimed the archipelago in 1814.
- US Military Base: In 1966, Britain leased Diego Garcia to the United States for a military base.
Legal and Political Issues
- Chagossian Rights: The Chagossians, descendants of African slaves from the 18th century, have been fighting a legal battle to return to their homeland.
- Mauritius Claim: After gaining independence from Britain in 1968, Mauritius has consistently asserted its claim over the Chagos Islands.
- ICJ Ruling: In 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the UK’s governance of the Chagos Islands was unlawful and called for its withdrawal from the archipelago.
-Source: The Hindu
