What’s in Today’s Article?

• Why in the News?
• About Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023
• Key Features of Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023
• News Summary
• What is the Process of Appointment of High Court Judges?

Why in the News?

• During a debate on the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said that the central government is open to a policy on transfer of high court judges.
• The Bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha.

About Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023

• The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in August, 2023.
• It amends the Advocates Act, 1961. The Bill repeals certain sections related to touts under the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879. 
• The 1961 Act consolidates the law related to legal practitioners and constitutes Bar Councils and the All-India Bar.
• The Bill, which was already passed in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session, aims at regulating the legal profession by a single act and seeks to target touts.

Key Features of Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023

• Touts:
  • The Bill provides that every High Court, district judge, sessions judge, district magistrate, and revenue officer may frame and publish lists of touts.
  • Tout refers to a person who:
    • either proposes to procure or procures the employment of a legal practitioner in a legal business in return of any payment, or
    • frequents places such as the precincts of civil or criminal courts, revenue-offices, or railway stations to procure such employment.
  • The Court or judge may exclude from the premises of the Court any person whose name is included in the list of touts.
• Preparation of lists:
  • The authorities empowered to frame and publish the list of touts may order subordinate courts to hold an inquiry into the conduct of persons alleged or suspected to be touts.
  • Once such a person is proven to be a tout, his name may be included by the authority in the list of touts.
  • No person will be included in such lists without getting an opportunity of showing cause against his inclusion.
• Penalty:
  • Any person who acts as a tout while his name is included in the list of touts will be punished with imprisonment up to three months, a fine up to Rs 500, or both.

News Summary

• During a debate on the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, Union Law Minister informed the Lok Sabha that the Central government is open to a policy on transfer of high court judges.
• He said that after 1993, when the Collegium system came into place, the Supreme Court Collegium recommends transfer and appointment of judges.

What is the Process of Appointment of High Court Judges?

• Under Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President appoints High Court judges.
• The Chief Justice of a High Court is appointed by the President after consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Governor of the state concerned.
• For appointment of other judges, the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court is also consulted.
• This consultation process has been interpreted by the Supreme Court in the Third Judges case (1998) in the following manner:
  • The CJI has to consult a collegium of two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.
  • After consultation, the CJI recommends names to the President for appointment.
  • The President, in case of objection, can send the recommended names back to the collegium, to reconsider, with reasons in writing.
  • After reconsideration, if the collegium reiterates its recommendations, the President has to appoint the recommended names as Judges.
• Transfer of Judges:
  • Currently, the President can transfer a judge from one High Court to another, after consulting the Chief Justice of India.

Q1) What is the minimum eligibility criteria for becoming Supreme Court Judge?

 In order to be appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court, a person must be a citizen of India and must have been: for at least five years, a Judge of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession, or. an Advocate of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession for at least 10 years or.

Q2) What is the meaning of the word collegium?

A group in which each member has approximately equal power and authority.

Source: Lok Sabha passes Advocates (Amendment) Bill to weed out touts from court complexes | Indian Express

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)?
• News Summary: NCRB 2022 report on crime in India
• What does the 2022 NCRB report say?
• Limitations to the data compiled by NCRB

Why in news?

• The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released its annual report on crime in India for the year 2022.
• The report is a compilation of data on reported crime from across the country, and provides the big picture of broad trends in crime registration.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

• About
  • NCRB is an Indian government agency (headquartered in New Delhi) established in 1986 and is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.
    • It was set up based on the recommendation of the National Police Commission, 1977 and a Task force, 1985.
  • It is responsible for collecting and analysing crime data (as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws).
• Function
  • It also serves as a repository of such information to aid investigators in tracing crimes and criminals.
  • It also acts as a national warehouse for the fingerprint records of Indian and foreign criminals, and assists in locating interstate criminals through fingerprint search.
  • NCRB was entrusted with the responsibility for monitoring, coordinating and implementing the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems(CCTNS) project in the year 2009.
  • In 2017, NCRB launched the National Digital Police Portal.
    • The portal allows police officers to look for a criminal or suspect on the CCTNS database and gives citizens with services such as online complaint filing, etc.
• Reports published
  • Along with the Crime in India report (oldest and most prestigious publication brought out by NCRB), It also publishes - Prisons Statistics India Report.
• Compilation of data for NCRB reports
  • Crime in India reports, information is obtained from the police forces of 36 states and Union Territories.
  • Similar data are furnished for 53 cities with populations exceeding 10 lakh each as per the 2011 Census, by respective state-level crime records bureaus.

News Summary: NCRB 2022 report on crime in India

What does the 2022 NCRB report say?

• Decline in the registration of cases
  • In 2022, a total of 58,24,946 cognizable crimes comprising 35,61,379 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 22,63,567 Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes were registered.
  • This was a decline of 4.5% in the registration of cases over the second pandemic year, 2021.
• The crime rate has declined
  • The crime rate, or crimes registered per lakh population, has declined from 445.9 in 2021 to 422.2 in 2022.
    • This is seen as a better indicator, since absolute numbers on crime increase as the population increases.
• Increase in crime against women
  • 4,45,256 cases of crime against women were registered in 2022. This was an increase of 4% over the 2021 numbers.
  • The largest share of crimes against women under IPC sections was registered under:
    • Cruelty by Husband or His Relatives (31.4%),
    • Kidnapping & Abduction of Women (19.2%), and
    • Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty (18.7%).
• Reporting of cybercrime increased significantly
  • Reporting of cybercrime increased significantly by 24.4 percentage points compared to 2021, to 65,893 cases.
  • Around 64.8% of registered cases were of fraud, followed by extortion (5.5%), and sexual exploitation (5.2%).
• An increase in suicides cases
  • An increase of 4.2% was observed in suicides reported during 2022 (1,70,924 suicides) as compared to 2021.
  • Family Problems (other than marriage-related problems) (31.7%), Marriage Related Problems (4.8%) and Illness (18.4%) have together accounted for 54.9% of total suicides in the country during the year 2022.
  • The overall male-to-female ratio of suicide victims was 71.8 : 28.2.
  • Headline trends in state-wise data
    • The states/ UTs reporting the highest charge sheeting rate under IPC crimes are Kerala (96.0%), Puducherry (91.3%), and West Bengal (90.6%).
    • This is the percentage of cases in which the police reached the stage of framing charges against the accused, out of the total true cases (where a charge sheet was not laid but a final report submitted as true, plus the total cases charge sheeted).

Limitations to the data compiled by NCRB

• Data not reflective of actual occurrence of crime
  • The NCRB report underlines that the data record the incidence of registered crime, not the actual occurrence of crime.
  • So, when reported crimes against women in Delhi rose significantly in the aftermath of the 2012 bus gangrape case, it may have been a reflection of increased awareness about the need for registering crimes.
• Limitations due to Principal Offence Rule
  • The NCRB follows what is known as the Principal Offence Rule.
  • This means that among the many offences registered in a single FIR, the crime that attracts the most severe punishment is considered as the counting unit.
  • Thus, ‘Murder with Rape’ would be counted as ‘Murder’, not rape — which would result in an undercounting of the crime of rape.
• Inefficiency at the local level may impact the accuracy of the report
  • Since the NCRB report is only a compilation of data submitted at the local level, inefficiencies or gaps in data at that level have an impact on the accuracy of the report.
    • E.g., the FIR would be recorded by a policeman or policewoman who visits the suicide spot.
    • The reason that is recorded for the suicide would depend entirely on how the policeman or policewoman understands the situation.
• Socio-economic causative factors are not captured
  • The NCRB itself notes that the socio-economic causative factors or reasons of crimes are not being captured by the Bureau.
• Other factors affecting the data
  • Because of a range of reasons, including the fear of an uncooperative or a hostile response from the police, certain groups may not be willing to come forward and register cases.
  • And a shortage of police officers or unfilled vacancies in the relevant posts at the local level may hinder the collection of data.

Q1) What is Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS)?

 The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) is an Indian government project that aims to improve the efficiency of policing.

Q2) What is National Digital Police Portal?

The National Digital Police Portal (NDPP) is a web-based policing project of the Indian government. The portal was launched on August 21, 2017 by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The NDPP is a smart policing initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Source: How to read the NCRB 2022 report on crime in India | The Hindu | Hindustan Times

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• How are Cyclones Classified?
• What is landfall of a cyclone?
• How long does a landfall last?
• News Summary
• An unusual cyclone
• Indian tropical storms
• Storm intensification

Why in news?

• According to the Indian Meteorological Department, Cyclone Michaung intensified into a severe cyclonic storm.
• It is likely to make landfall between Nellore and Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh on December 5.

How are Cyclones Classified?

• Cyclones are classified on the basis of wind speed by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD):
  • Depression: Wind speeds of between 31–49 km/h
  • Deep Depression: Between 50-61 km/h
  • Cyclonic Storm: Between 62–88 km/h
  • Severe Cyclonic Storm: Between 89-117 Km/h
  • Very Severe Cyclonic Storm: Between 118-166 Km/h
  • Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm: Between 167-221 Km/h
  • Super Cyclonic Storm: Above 222 Km/h

What is landfall of a cyclone?

• Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone coming onto land after being over water.
• As per the IMD, a tropical cyclone is said to have made a landfall when the center of the storm – or its eye – moves over the coast.
  • The "eye" of a cyclone is a region of relatively calm weather found at the center of the storm.
  • It is a circular or oval-shaped area characterized by light winds, clear or partly cloudy skies, and decreased precipitation.
  • Within the eye, winds are light and variable, often with clear or only partially cloudy skies.
  • The size of the eye can vary significantly, ranging from a few kilometers to over 50 kilometers (30 miles) in diameter in larger cyclones.
• During landfall, the outer bands of the storm may have already reached the coast, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and storm surge.
• Landfall marks the moment when the cyclone officially reaches the land.
  • A landfall should not be confused with a ‘direct hit’, which refers to a situation where the core of high winds (or eyewall) comes onshore but the centre of the storm may stay remain offshore.

How long does a landfall last?

• Landfalls can last for a few hours, with their exact duration depending on the speed of the winds and the size of the storm system.
• Cyclones lose their intensity once they move over land because of sharp reduction of moisture supply and increase in surface friction.
• This means that while landfalls are often the most devastating moments of cyclones, they also mark the beginning of its end.

News Summary

• Tropical cyclone Michaung will cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between the cities of Nellore and Machilipatnam in the forenoon of December 5.
• The IMD had initially predicted that Michaung would remain a ‘tropical cyclone’ (wind speeds of 62 kph to 87 kph) until it crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast.
• Later, the IMD upgraded it to the intensity of a ‘severe’ storm (wind speeds of 88 kph to 166 kph).

An unusual cyclone

• Due to unfavourable ocean conditions, storms that develop over the North Indian Ocean in December do not usually attain destructive intensities.
• Such intensification of a December cyclone is unique. The above-normal value of the heat index off the southern Andhra Pradesh coast led to the strengthening of Michaung.

Indian tropical storms

• Climatologically, about five cyclones develop in the North Indian Ocean basin — comprising the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea — every year.
  • Of these, an average of four cyclones develop over the Bay of Bengal and one over the Arabian Sea.
• However, Arabian Sea storms often reach higher intensities and carry the potential to cause widespread damage.
• The North Indian Ocean basin is most prone to cyclone development during the pre-monsoon (April-June) and post-monsoon (October-December) months.
• Due to favourable ocean conditions, cyclones that form in May and November usually reach higher intensities than storms that form at other times.

Storm intensification

• Fuelled by ocean heats
  • Tropical cyclones are fuelled by ocean heat (in addition to other factors).
  • Ocean temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius or more, prevailing at depths between 50 metres and 100 metres, are conducive for cyclogenesis.
    • Cyclogenesis refers to the processes that lead to the development and strengthening of a cyclone.
  • An oceanographic parameter called the Tropical Cyclone Heat Potential (TCHP) is considered an important factor in cyclone genesis, intensification, and propagation.
    • TCHP is a measure of the heat energy available in the upper ocean layers that can potentially fuel the intensification of tropical cyclones.
    • It is defined as a measure of the integrated vertical temperature from the sea surface to the depth of the 26℃
• Intensification process is highly complex
  • This process is also influenced by a combination of various favourable atmospheric conditions including:
    • boundary layers (the fluid layer adjacent to a bounding surface),
    • wind shear (changes in wind direction and/or speed over a vertical or horizontal distance),
    • convection (transfer of heat within a fluid),
    • Rossby waves (which occur in rotating fluids),
    • upper ocean circulation, and air-sea interaction.

Q1) What is a tropical cyclone?

A tropical cyclone is an intense circular storm that originates over warm tropical oceans. It is also called a hurricane or a typhoon. It is characterized by low atmospheric pressure and heavy rain, and its winds exceed 119 km (74 miles) per hour.

Q2) What is the meaning of ocean heat?

The total amount of heat stored by the oceans is called “ocean heat content,” and measurements of water temperature reflect the amount of heat in the water at a particular time and location.

Source: What makes Cyclone Michaung, headed to the Andhra coast, such an unusual storm? | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | The Hindu

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Why in News?
• What are Agri-Food Systems?
• About the State of Food and Agriculture 2023 Report
• Highlights of the State of Food and Agriculture 2023
• Improvements in Agricultural Productivity in India and its Adverse Impacts
• What is the Policy Environment in India and Issues with it?
• What can be Done to Help Farmers in India?

Why in News?

• The State of Food and Agriculture 2023 - a report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), has revealed the massive hidden costs of the global agrifood systems, which exceed an astounding $10 trillion.
• In middle-income countries like India, these costs constitute nearly 11% of the GDP, which manifests as higher poverty, environmental harm and health-related impact (undernourishment, unhealthy dietary patterns, etc).

What are Agri-Food Systems?

• Agrifood systems have three main components:
  • Primary production: It includes food from agricultural and non-agricultural origins.
  • Food distribution: It links production to consumption through food supply chains and domestic food transport networks.
  • Household consumption: It is the downstream outcome of functioning agrifood systems, subject to varying degrees of demand shocks.

About the State of Food and Agriculture 2023 Report

• This edition of the report introduces the concept of the hidden costs and benefits of agrifood systems and provides a framework through which these can be assessed.
• The report aims to initiate a process that will better prepare decision-makers for actions to steer agrifood systems towards environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Highlights of the State of Food and Agriculture 2023

• The report highlights massive hidden costs of the global agrifood systems, exceeding an astounding $10 trillion.
• The report blames unsustainable business-as-usual activities and practices for these escalating costs, pointing to a need to transform agrifood systems.
• One way to do so is to shift to multi-cropping systems that have the potential to protect farmers’ well-being, improve nutritional outcomes for the communities, and positively impact ecological health.

Improvements in Agricultural Productivity in India and its Adverse Impacts

• This has been achieved over the last five decades by mainstreaming monocropping systems and chemical-intensive farming practices.
• The Green Revolution focused credit on inputs and marketing of high-yielding varieties of paddy and wheat on agricultural lands, which now constitute more than 70% of India’s agricultural production.
• However, the infusion of seeds purchased from multinational corporations and fertilisers undermined seed sovereignty and dismantled Indigenous knowledge systems.
• This trend also compromised the nutritional needs of households and resulted in adverse ecological consequences including soil fertility and excessive extraction of groundwater.
• This privatisation and deregulation of agricultural inputs also increased indebtedness among agrarian households.
  • In 2013, the debt to asset ratio of a farmer household in India was 630% higher than in 1992.

What is the Policy Environment in India and Issues with it?

• Under the National Food Security Act 2013, 65% of households (around 800 million people) in India are legally assured a right to food at subsidised rates through the Public Distribution System and welfare programmes such as -
  • The Integrated Child Development Services and
  • The Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
• The procurement of food crops: It is coordinated by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), which is required to maintain a central pool of buffer stock and to procure, store, transport, and maintain foodgrain stocks in the country.
  • However, this procurement policy heavily favours rice and wheat.
  • Not surprisingly, the area under cultivation of coarse grains dropped by 20% between 1966-1967 and 2017-2018.
• Policies favouring investments in water-intensive cash crops: Water-intensive cash crops like sugarcane and arecanut have flourished under policies -
  • Favouring investments in dams and canal irrigation (favouring sugarcane) and
  • Free electricity for borewells (favouring arecanut).

What can be Done to Help Farmers in India?

• A systemic shift in food regimes, from local to global value chains, is essential.
• Diversified multi-cropping systems, rooted in agroecology principles, could be a viable solution to revitalise degraded land and soil.
  • Practices known by various names locally, like ‘akkadisaalu’ in Karnataka, involve intercropping with a combination of legumes, pulses, oilseeds, trees, shrubs, and livestock.
• Alternative farming systems may increase farmer’s income and improve the environment.
  • For example, millets, whose yield per hectare is comparable to those of rice and wheat, are more nutritious and grow in semi-arid conditions without burdening groundwater tables.
• By redirecting subsidies, currently accruing to corporations, farmers can be paid for their contribution to sustaining natural capital, instead of incentivising them to deplete it.

Q1) What is the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)?

The FAO is a specialised agency of the UN leading international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food and security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food and lead active, healthy lives.

Q2) What is the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY)?

PMGKAY is a food security welfare scheme announced by the Government of India in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. It was initiated to provide free food grains to the needy through ration shops under the NFSA.

Source: Feeding humans has trapped the world in debt, degradation: FAO report | Explained