. No.	Topic Name	Prelims/Mains
1.	About the Rule of Law	Prelims & Mains
2.	Details of the Cloudburst Events	Prelims & Mains
3.	About the Polio Virus	Prelims & Mains
4.	Details of the Aadhar Voter ID Linkage	Prelims & Mains

1 – About the Rule of Law:GS II

Topic à Constitution Related Issues

·       Meaning:

·       The term “rule of law,” which was initially used in England, has found acceptance in India. The rule of law is mentioned in Article 13 of the Indian Constitution.

·       No one is above the law, regardless of their position or standing, and everyone is subject to the judgement of normal courts of law, to put it simply.

·       The concept of the rule of law states that no one should be subjected to arbitrary or harsh treatment.

·       The phrase “rule of law” refers to the idea that the law must apply to individuals or groups of individuals rather than to a man or a ruler.

·       “Legal principles of broad application, recognised by the governing bodies or authorities, and formulated in the form of an axiom” is how Black’s Law Dictionary defines “rule of law.”

·       A situation where the law controls the state and every one of its citizens is referred to as a “rule of law” in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.

 

·       The rule of law in India and the constitution:

·       All three branches of government are subject to the Constitution since the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive must not only abide by its provisions but also carry them out.

·       Judicial review is expressly acknowledged by the Constitution, and people are free to approach the High Court and the Supreme Court to uphold their constitutional rights. If the Executive or the government abuses their power or acts dishonestly, ordinary courts of law have the ability to annul those actions.

·       The idea of the rule of law, which in this case refers to the ability of the legal system to judge all administrative action according to the legality standard, is the fundamental and most distinctive aspect of our constitutional system, according to the Supreme Court of India in Chief Settlement Commissioner Punjab v. Om Prakash.

·       The Court went on to say that the idea of a dual state, in which government action is maintained in a privileged position of immunity from judicial inspection, is rejected by the rule of law concept.

 

Source à The Hindu

2 – Details of the Cloudburst Events:GS I

Topic à Geography related issues

·       About:

·       Cloudbursts are brief, powerful downpours that occur in specific locations.

·       Unexpected precipitation that exceeds 100 mm per hour across a 20 to 30 square kilometre area is referred to as this meteorological phenomenon.

·       It frequently occurs in the Indian Subcontinent as a monsoon cloud travels from the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal up to the Himalaya, crossing the plains and occasionally dumping up to 75 millimetres of rain every hour.

 

·       Occurrence:

·       The relative humidity and cloud cover are at their maximum levels due to the low temperatures and little winds, which can cause many clouds to condense quickly and produce a cloudburst.

·       When temperatures rise, the sky can hold more and more moisture, and this moisture can rain as a quick, intense downpour for a short while, generally a half or an hour, generating flash floods in mountainous areas and urban floods in cities.

·       Cloudbursts are sudden, heavy downpours that are different from rain because rain is simply condensed water falling from a cloud.

·       Rainfall that surpasses 100mm per hour is referred to as a cloudburst.

·       The cloudburst comes naturally, but it does so abruptly, extremely unexpectedly, and with a lot of rain.

 

·       Effects of climate change:

·       Numerous studies have shown that cloudbursts will become more common and intense as a result of climate change in many regions of the world.

·       The annual average global temperature is projected to momentarily increase to 1.5°C over pre-industrial levels in at least one of the following five years, according to the World Meteorological Organization, which stated this possibility in May 2021.

·       A 90% likelihood exists that at least one year between 2021 and 2025 would surpass 2016 as the warmest year on record, according to the report.

·       It is noted that there are more cloudbursts there since the decadal temperature rise in the Himalayan region is greater than the rate of temperature rise globally.

 

·       Prediction:

·       Since cloud bursts expand swiftly, there is no accurate way to estimate when they will happen.

·       An expensive, very precise network of radars is required to determine the possibility of a cloud burst.

·       Only the areas most likely to suffer high rainfall can be identified on a short-range basis. Much of the damage can be avoided by understanding the locations and meteorological factors that encourage the development of cloud bursts.

 

Source à The Indian Express

3 – About the Polio Virus:GS II

Topic à Health related issues

·       About:

·       The crippling and potentially fatal viral infection known as polio damages the nervous system.

·       There are three distinct wild poliovirus strains, each different from the others in terms of immunology:

·       Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1)

·       Wild poliovirus type 2 (WPV2)

·       Wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3)

·       The same symptoms, such as irreversible paralysis or even death, are present in all three strains. Due to genetic and virological differences, these three strains are unique viruses that must each be eradicated separately.

·       Spread:

·       The virus is most frequently transmitted from person to person through faeces and the mouth, while it can also happen less frequently through a shared vehicle (for example, through contaminated water or food).

·       The majority of affected children are under five years old. The virus develops in the colon before moving on to the nervous system, where it can cause paralysis.

·       Symptoms:

·       Most polio patients claim to be in good health. Minor symptoms including fever, exhaustion, nausea, headaches, aching arms and legs, etc., are only experienced by some patients.

·       In some cases, polio infection can cause a permanent loss of muscle function (paralysis).

·       Polio can be lethal if the brain becomes infected or the breathing muscles are paralysed.

·       Prevention and treatment:

·       Vaccines can help prevent it even though there is no cure.

·       Vaccines:

·       Oral polio vaccine (OPV): For institutional deliveries, this vaccine is given orally as a birth dose, three primary doses at six, ten, and fourteen weeks, and one booster dose at sixteen to twenty-four months of age.

·       Along with the third dose of DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus), the injectable polio vaccine (IPV) is given as part of the Universal Immunization Program (UIP).

·       Outbreaks that have recently happened:

·       In 2019, polio outbreaks were recorded in the Philippines, Malaysia, Ghana, Myanmar, China, Cameroon, Indonesia, and Iran. The majority of these outbreaks were vaccine-derived, which means that a rare strain of the virus genetically diverged from the strain used in the immunisation.

·       According to the WHO, if the oral vaccine virus is excreted and allowed to circulate in an unprotected or undervaccinated population for at least 12 months, it can evolve to cause diseases (World Health Organization).

 

·       Polio Virus in India:

·       India was declared polio-free by the WHO in 2014 after three years of no cases.

·       The effective Pulse Polio Campaign, which provided polio drops to all children, made this achievement possible.

·       On January 13, 2011, the final wild poliovirus case in the nation was found.

 

Source à The Hindu

 4 – Details of the Aadhar Voter ID Linkage:GS II

Topic à Election related issues

·       What key components of the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 allow Aadhaar to be linked to electoral rolls?

·       Linking an Aadhaar Card to a Voter ID: In accordance with the 1950 Act, a person may request that their name be added to a constituency’s electoral roll by submitting an application to the electoral registration officer. The official will order that the applicant’s name be added to the electoral roll if, following verification, it is determined that the application is qualified for registration.

·       The electoral registration official may ask a person for their Aadhaar number in order to confirm their identity, according to the Bill. If their name is already on the electoral roll, their Aadhaar number may be needed to authenticate their entry.

·       No names will be removed from the electoral record because someone couldn’t furnish an Aadhaar number, and all requests to have their names added would be approved. Any further alternative paperwork that may be needed can be obtained from these people.

·       The government will decide what qualifies as a legitimate justification for not linking: In order to give people the option of not linking their Aadhaar, the government will define what constitutes “sufficient cause.”

 

·       Why was it chosen to connect Aadhaar to voter ID list?

·       2015 National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Program (NERPAP): In an effort to eliminate duplicate names, the Election Commission has a programme that links voter identification cards and Aadhaar. The system also connects and authenticates voter data from Aadhaar and the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC).

·       Before the NERPAP was implemented, the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducted two pilot programmes in the districts of Nizamabad and Hyderabad in 2014.

·       Later, the Supreme Court ruled that the Election Commission must stop linking Aadhaar to voter information since it is “completely voluntary” and “cannot be made mandatory till the case is thoroughly adjudicated by this Court one way or the other.” After that, the Election Commission made the procedure optional.

·       Early this year, the ECI sent a letter to the Law Ministry asking for “expeditious consideration” of unfinished election reforms, particularly the link between Aadhar and voter ID cards.

·       Recommendation from the Parliamentary Standing Committee: In its 105th report, the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, and Law and Justice suggested linking Aadhaar to electoral rolls in order to purge voter registration lists and, as a result, reduce electoral fraud.

 

·       What benefits do electoral rolls and Aadhaar provide when used in conjunction?

·       The administration claims that combining Aadhaar with election records will alleviate a number of problems

·       To Avoid Repetition: Residential addresses have been constantly changed. Therefore, without removing or cancelling the earlier enrollment, the same names or enrolment in new areas has happened.

·       After linking with Aadhaar, the electoral roll data system will automatically identify a person’s registration in more than one constituency or more than once in the same constituency.

·       Facilitate voter registration in the area where they “usually reside.”

·       Aadhaar, unlike EPIC, captures biometric information that is helpful in ensuring uniqueness, so it can get rid of proxy voters who use several voter IDs.

·       All adjustments for changes in residence, etc., can be easily made and verified, providing universal voting for all people.

·       According to government figures, the majority of adults over the age of 18 have Aadhaar numbers, and by October 31, 2021, more than 1,260 million cards will have been issued.

·       The process of registration, verification, address changes, and correction of errors and omissions from the rolls will therefore be made simpler by linking Aadhar to electoral records.

·       Voting from anyplace (and hopefully electronically as well) will be available in the future, allowing voters to cast their ballots from their homes or other chosen locations.

 

·       What problems does tying Aadhaar to electoral rolls raise?

·       The Aadhaar database is having problems:

·       The Aadhaar database occasionally does not match fingerprints or even iris scans.

·       The Aadhaar data contains examples of data breaches and poor data quality.

·       There is no verification of the accuracy of the demographic information kept in the Aadhaar database. For instance, both the Calcutta High Court and the Allahabad High Court have challenged the validity of the Aadhaar data.

·       The effectiveness of Aadhaar data is not the subject of a public audit report.

·       Exclusion rates as a result of unsuccessful Aadhar authentications range from 49% to 5%, according to the National Economic Survey 2016–17. Therefore, linking it to election records could jeopardise the accuracy of information in the voter ID database.

·       The act violates the fundamental right to privacy, which was defined by the Supreme Court in the Puttaswamy case.

·       A shift in the onus of proof Previously, the government strongly enforced voter registration on the electoral rolls in order to attain the universal adult franchise (for example, through house-to-house verification). It is now up to those who might be unwilling or unable to link their Aadhaar to provide evidence in support of their continued presence on the rolls.

·       As stated in the Aadhaar Act, Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship, making it impossible to bar non-citizens from voting. However, voting is restricted to citizens only. In other words, requiring Aadhaar for voter identity won’t prevent non-citizens from voting.

 

·       Demographic data issues: Any attempts to link Aadhaar to voter IDs would produce such data. Critics assert that utilising voter identification data, the government is capable of “disenfranchising particular citizens and profiling the populace.” Additionally, it might be used as a launchpad for political propaganda that is deliberately targeted and for the commercial exploitation of private information, both of which go against the model code of conduct.

·       For instance, in 2018, the chief election officers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh combined voter identification cards with Aadhaar data. According to activists, people discovered that at least 5.5 million voters had their voting rights suppressed. The government afterwards changed its mind.

·       Without making it necessary, the connecting won’t work: Only if giving an Aadhaar is necessary will the above listed government perks be given.

·       Voters’ right to vote can be taken away if the government fails to define “sufficient grounds” for not linking Aadhaar. One runs the danger of losing their franchise if they refuse to submit the information and it is deemed “inappropriate.”

 

·       Conflict of Interest: Keeping the voter rolls up to date is essentially the responsibility of the ECI, a freestanding constitutional organisation. Aadhaar is a government instrument, whereas UIDAI is regulated by the government. Given that the ECI has no influence over Aadhaar enrolment or deduplication, there might be a conflict of interest.

·       Other issues include the plan’s failure to specify the extent of data sharing between the databases of ECI and UIDAI, the methods for gaining consent, and whether or not the consent may be revoked.

 

·       What needs to be done?

·       Although there have been claims that non-citizens have been registered to vote and that some voters may have multiple registrations, these issues can be resolved by employing different identification methods.

·       In just two days, the legislation was approved by both Houses. This undermines a foundational principle of parliamentary democracy. Therefore, the administration must solicit public feedback and allow for a more thorough legislative review before enacting the new laws. A parliamentary committee should analyse the pertinent concerns and provide suitable feedback.

 

Source à The Indian Express