3-February-2024-Daily-Current-Affairs

UNIFORM CIVIL CODE (UCC) IN UTTARAKHAND

SUBJECT: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE – SOURCE: THE HINDU

Uttarakhand is taking significant steps towards implementing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), with the state receiving the final report from a committee led by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.

Key Aspects of Uniform Civil Code (UCC):

Definition and Objective:

• Aims to establish a single personal civil law applicable to all religious communities.
• Governs matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption.

Historical Context:

• The idea of a UCC has a long history in India and has been a subject of extensive debate and discussion.

Uttarakhand’s Initiative:

• Uttarakhand appointed a committee, led by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, to draft the UCC.
• The UCC report is scheduled for presentation in the State Assembly on February 5, undergoing a detailed review before becoming law.

Key Recommendations of Uttarakhand UCC:

• Gender Equality: Focuses on achieving gender equality in various areas, including property rights and adoption rules.
• Language Choice: The draft is around 750 pages long, entirely written in Hindi, emphasizing a regional language without Urdu or other languages.
• Protection of Tribal Community: Recommends exclusion of the tribal community from the UCC, addressing their specific needs separately.

Ensuring Equal Rights:

• Strong recommendations against regressive practices like triple talaq, iddat, and halala.
• Proposes banning polygamy and polyandry.
• Advocates legalizing live-in relationships with mandatory registration.
• Grants women equal inheritance rights.
• Suggests setting the minimum age for women’s marriage at 21 years.

MULTIDIMENSIONAL POVERTY IN INDIA

SUBJECT: ECONOMY– SOURCE: THE HINDU

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Interim Budget that 25 crore Indians were lifted out of poverty in the past decade, showcasing the government’s commitment to inclusivity.

NITI Aayog’s Discussion Paper:

• Data from NITI Aayog’s discussion paper titled “Multidimensional Poverty in India Since 2005-06” reveals significant progress.
• Authors Ramesh Chand and Yogesh Suri, with inputs from UNDP and OPHI, highlight the decline in multidimensional poverty from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23.

State-Level Impact:

• Uttar Pradesh leads with 5.94 crore individuals escaping poverty, followed by Bihar at 3.77 crore and Madhya Pradesh at 2.30 crore.

Understanding the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI):

• MPI incorporates health, education, and living standards, each holding one-third weight in the index.
• It utilizes 10 indicators, including nutrition, child mortality, education, and housing, offering a comprehensive view of poverty.

Calculating MPI:

• Individuals deprived in at least one-third of the 10 weighted indicators are considered “MPI poor.”
• MPI requires calculations for incidence of multidimensional poverty (H), intensity of poverty (A), and MPI value.

Data Sources and Estimations:

• Health indicators rely on the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), conducted every five years.
• Interpolation and extrapolation were used for estimating MPI for 2012-13 and 2022-23, enabling a comparative analysis of poverty trends.

Conclusion:

The reduction in multidimensional poverty underscores the government’s dedication to inclusive development, positively impacting millions of lives across India.

WILL EUROPEAN MUSEUMS RETURN SOUTHEAST ASIA’S ‘STOLEN’ ARTIFACTS?

SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS– SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS

President Macron pledged to support Cambodia in returning Khmer artifacts and expand Cambodia’s National Museum during Prime Minister Hun Manet’s visit.

Macron was the first European leader to address demands for the return of looted antiquities in 2017, highlighting France’s commitment to restoring cultural heritage.

Cases of Repatriation:

• Musee Guimet in France agreed to return a seventh-century Khmer statue to Cambodia, taken during colonial times.
• Germany and France allocated funds to review African heritage objects, possibly indicating similar efforts for Asian artifacts.
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York pledged to return sculptures to Cambodia and Thailand, setting a precedent for other institutions.

Legal Basis and Challenges:

• The 1970 UNESCO Convention is a key legal framework for repatriation, but it doesn’t apply retrospectively to colonial-era looting.
• Some countries, like Austria, are proposing national laws for returning objects acquired during colonialism.

Reasons for Repatriation:

• Soft Power Benefits: Repatriation enhances a nation’s soft power, showcasing commitment to international law, reconciliation, and better relations.
• Rebranding Opportunity: Returning artifacts allows Western governments to mend historical wrongs and improve their image, especially in regions like Southeast Asia.
• EU’s Role: The European Parliament discusses recognizing and addressing colonial legacies, potentially creating a permanent EU body on restorative justice.
• Cooperation is Key: European museums need to openly cooperate with the governments of affected regions to gain recognition similar to the United States.

Conclusion:

• Returning cultural artifacts taken during colonialism is not only a legal and ethical issue but also a diplomatic endeavor.
• European museums engaging in proactive repatriation efforts can build goodwill, foster cooperation, and enhance their soft power globally.

TAMIL ACTOR VIJAY ENTERS POLITICS WITH ‘TAMILAGA VETRI KAZHAM’ PARTY

SUBJECT: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE – SOURCE: HINDUSTANTIMES

The announcement of Tamil superstar Thalapathy Vijay’s political party has sparked interest in the process of registering political entities in India.

Creating a Political Party:

• Legal Framework: Article 324 of the Indian Constitution and Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, empower the Election Commission to regulate party registration.
• Application Process: Parties must apply to the Election Commission within 30 days of formation.
• Public Notice: Proposed party names must be published in national and local newspapers and on the Election Commission’s website.
• Documentation: Application includes a prescribed format, a demand draft of Rs. 10,000, party memorandum, rules, electoral rolls of 100 members, and affidavits.
• Affidavits: Signed affidavits confirming non-membership in other parties are required from the President/General Secretary and 100 members.

Need for Registration:

• Not Mandatory: Registration isn’t compulsory but offers advantages under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
• Symbol Allotment: Registered parties receive priority for free symbols over independents.
• State or National Recognition: Parties can achieve state or national party status based on conditions in the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

Recognition Criteria:

• State Party: Must meet specific criteria related to vote share and seat wins in assembly or Lok Sabha elections.
• National Party: Conditions include vote share across states and Lok Sabha seat wins.

Benefits of Recognition:

• Reserved Symbol: State and national parties receive reserved symbols.
• Nomination Ease: Fewer proposers are required for filing nominations.
• Free Electoral Rolls: Entitled to free electoral rolls.
• Media Access: Can use state-owned broadcasting facilities during elections.
• Additional Perks: May include subsidized land for party offices.

MANATEES

SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENT – SOURCE: DOWN TO EARTH

A record number of manatees recently gathered at a Florida state park, drawing attention to these fascinating aquatic mammals.

About Manatees:

• Classification: Manatees belong to the group of aquatic mammals called Sirenia, often known as “sea cows.”
• Habitat: They inhabit shallow coastal areas, rivers, and marshy regions.
• Species: There are three species of manatees: Amazonian, African, and Caribbean.
• Appearance: Manatees have stout, tapered bodies, paddle-shaped tails, and forelimbs modified into flippers.
• Size: Adults can reach up to 15 feet in length and weigh up to 1,660 kilograms, with females typically larger than males.
• Color and Diet: They are dull gray, blackish, or brown and primarily herbivorous, consuming aquatic vegetation.
• Behavior: Manatees are usually solitary, except for mothers with calves or during mating.
• Breathing: They must surface for air regularly due to their reliance on breathing air.
• Lifespan: Manatees can live for 50 to 60 years.

Conservation Status:

All three species of manatees are categorized as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species due to various threats to their habitats and populations.

SUBIKA PAINTINGS

SUBJECT: ART AND CULTURE– SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS

Despite Manipur’s rich cultural heritage, the traditional Subika Paintings are facing extinction due to neglect, posing a threat to the cultural history of the Meitei community.

About Subika Paintings:

• Cultural Link: Subika Paintings are intricately linked to the Meitei community’s cultural history in Manipur.
• Surviving Manuscripts: The art form survives through six manuscripts: Subika, Subika Achouba, Subika Laishaba, Subika Choudit, Subika Cheithil, and Thengrakhel Subika.
• Historical Roots: While not explicitly mentioned in the royal chronicle, Cheitharol Kumbaba, experts suggest the existence of Subika paintings since the 18th or 19th century.

Key Points about Subika Laishaba:

• Cultural Composition: Subika Laishaba’s paintings compose cultural motifs influenced by pre-existing features and cultural worldviews.
• Authentic Tradition: It represents a direct and authentic continuation of Meitei cultural tradition through visual images.
• Visual Language: The illustrations use visual elements like lines, shapes, forms, colors, and patterns to convey cultural significance, meaning, and values.
• Material and Preparation: Visual images are painted on handmade paper, prepared indigenously using materials like handmade paper or tree barks.

THANTHAI PERIYAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENT– SOURCE: THE HINDU

The Tamil Nadu government has declared 80,114.80 hectares of reserve forests in Bargur Hills, Erode district, as the Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, marking a significant step towards conservation.

About Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Ecological Importance: The sanctuary is part of a vital corridor connecting the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve to the Male Mahadeshwara Hills Tiger Reserve and the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, essential for maintaining a viable tiger population.
• Biodiversity Hotspot: Situated in the Eastern Ghats, merging with the Western Ghats at the Nilgiris, the sanctuary boasts diverse flora and fauna, fostering various life forms.
• Interconnected Landscapes: Interconnected with Kollegal forests in Karnataka and the Nilgiris, it forms one of the most diverse habitats in the region, recognized as a tiger corridor by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
• Water Catchment Area: The sanctuary’s catchment area feeds the Palar River, a tributary of the Cauvery River, vital for agriculture and local livelihoods.
• Cultural Significance: Apart from its ecological importance, the sanctuary holds cultural and historical significance for tribal and local communities, who rely on its ecosystems for livelihoods and traditional practices.