What’s in Today’s Article?

• Why in News?
• Background
• Central Laws Related to Gambling/Betting in India
• Should Gambling/Betting Be Legalised Across India?
• Way Ahead

Why in News?

• The Enforcement Directorate summoned actor Ranbir Kapoor in connection with the Mahadev online betting case.
• He has been asked to appear before the ED for promoting illegal online betting and gaming platform.

Background:

• According to the Enforcement Directorate, Mahadev Online Book provides online platforms for illegal betting in different live games such as poker and other card games, chance games, cricket, badminton, tennis, football and others.
  • It even provides an avenue to bet on different elections in India.
• Its main promoters, originally from Chhattisgarh, are based out of Dubai, and may have amassed as much as Rs 5,000 crores through the platform.

Central Laws Related to Gambling/Betting in India:

• Under the 7^th Schedule of the Constitution, the state governments have the exclusive power to enact their own laws on Gambling/Betting for their own territory.
  • However, the Public Gambling Act, 1867, a colonial-era statute still in force, has been adopted by several states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.
• Other states have enacted their own pieces of legislation to regulate Gambling/Betting related activities within their territories.

Should Gambling/Betting Be Legalised Across India?

• Arguments in Favour of Legalisation –
  • Legalising gambling will not only help in breaking off sources of black money but it will also generate a good amount of revenue for the state exchequer.
  • The unaccounted money earned from gambling activities is managed by the criminal syndicates which are spent on nefarious activities like terror financing.
  • Legalising gambling will not only put a halt on it but also the money generated from betting and gambling can be used by the authorities for various constructive social schemes.
  • In a large country like India, a legal and effectively regulated gambling sector will generate large-scale employment opportunities.
  • In sports events like cricket, people tend to bet on it and the majority of time players go for fixing the matches, even though betting on it is illegal in India.
  • If betting gets a legal permit, then there will be more transparency in such activities and it will also curb fixing of the matches as it will create a sense of fear of getting caught among the players and bookies.
• Arguments Against Legalisation –
  • Gambling is morally wrong and is not ethically correct in the Indian context.
  • It is one of the reasons for bankruptcy, addiction, loss of livelihood, divorce, crime.
  • Legalised gambling hurt and destroys those who are poor and disadvantaged people of the society.
  • If gambling were illegal, then it would be difficult for the gambling industries to openly promote their casinos, lotteries, or any other gambling activities and exploit these people.
  • Since gambling is portrayed as something clean and a way to earn money quickly, it attracts young people, who eventually become gambling addicts.

Way Ahead:

• The 276^th report of the Law Commission of India talked about the possibility of legalising gambling in the whole country with some rules and regulations.
• But the legalisation of gambling in a large country like India is not an easy task.
• The Government has to take certain measures before legalising Gambling in India:
  • State list to Concurrent list–
    • Firstly, there would be a need to make an amendment to the Constitution regarding gambling as it is under the purview of the state list.
    • So, it should firstly, be put under concurrent list so that the Parliament can legislate on the subject without facing any hindrances.
  • Restrict the Number of Transactions –
    • To protect the interest of people and to prevent any harm, the government should restrict the number of transactions that can be made in a specified period.
    • Also, there should be a check upon the stakes involved by linking the accounts with either PAN/AADHAAR card.
  • FDI in Gambling–
    • To prevent financial burdens on the states who wish to permit casinos and other gambling activities, the government should allow FDI in this sector.
    • So, that investments can be made in the respective states for the infrastructure etc.
    • Also, this will lead to growth in tourism and the states would be able to generate more employment and revenues.
  • Effective Implementation of Rules & Regulations –
    • Necessary infrastructure like police machinery and prosecutors or grievance redressal mechanisms should be set up at both state and national levels by the government to ensure that the rules and regulations are perfectly implemented and also to ensure that the perpetrators are punished.

Q1) What is Money Laundering in simple words?

Money laundering is the process of hiding the source of money obtained from illegal sources and converting it to a clean source, thereby avoiding prosecution, conviction, and confiscation of the criminal funds. It is an illegal exercise that converts black money into white money.

Q2) What is the objective of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act?

Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) was enacted to fight against the criminal offence of legalizing the income/profits from an illegal source. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 enables the Government or the public authority to confiscate the property earned from the illegally gained proceeds.

Source: ED summons Ranbir Kapoor: What is the Mahadev online betting racket? 

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the year 2023 was presented to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus, and Alexei I. Ekimov in recognition of their groundbreaking work on the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. Quantum dots are nanoparticles with versatile utility in various domains, including advanced surgery, electronics, and quantum computing.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023

The groundbreaking research that earned Nobel recognition is attributed to three remarkable scientists: Dr. Ekimov, Dr. Brus, and Dr. Bawendi.

Dr. Ekimov's pioneering work in the early 1980s revolved around the creation of size-dependent quantum effects within coloured glass.

• His investigations, initiated in 1979, involved the study of glass infused with copper chloride, subjected to high-temperature heating, and subsequent cooling.
• These studies revealed that the glass's light-absorbing properties varied depending on the preparation method.
• This divergence arose from the formation of minuscule copper chloride crystals, with their differing sizes influencing their interactions with light.

Dr. Brus and his colleagues took a significant step forward in 1983 when they extended this research by producing similar crystals in a liquid solution rather than in glass. This innovative approach provided greater control over the manipulation and examination of these crystals. Their size variations continued to affect their interaction with light, just as observed in Dr. Ekimov's work.

In 1993, Dr. Bawendi advanced the field further by developing a technique to synthesise quantum dots, these unique crystals, with precisely defined sizes and superior optical qualities.

• His method involved injecting a substance, which would constitute the quantum dot, into a heated solvent and subsequently raising the solution's temperature.
• This process naturally led to the formation of nanocrystals, with extended heating resulting in larger particles. Importantly, the solvent ensured that these crystals possessed smooth outer surfaces.
• Dr Bawendi's method's simplicity facilitated its widespread adoption by scientists, enabling them to create and investigate the quantum dots they required.

What are Quantum Dots?

Background:

• An element's properties are fundamentally determined by the number of electrons it possesses.
• However, when matter reaches nanoscale dimensions, its characteristics become intricately linked to its size.
• Smaller particles experience a greater compression of electrons, which has a profound impact on their properties. This phenomenon arises because, at the nanometer scale, quantum physical forces take precedence, while in the macroscopic realm, gravity and classical physics govern.
• Particles whose behaviour is dictated by their size are known as quantum dots.

About:

• Quantum dots are minuscule particles measuring only a few nanometers in width.
• They possess distinct optical attributes due to their diminutive size.
• Despite sharing the same structural and atomic composition as bulk materials, the properties of quantum dots are intrinsically tied to their size.

Idea about the Existence of Such Particles:

• In theory, the concept of such particles had long been within the realm of scientific understanding.
• By the 1970s, physicists were aware that the optical properties of glass could be altered by introducing trace amounts of other elements, such as gold, silver, cadmium, sulfur, or selenium.
• While they had some knowledge of how and why these modifications occurred, the synthesis of quantum dots as discrete entities had not yet been achieved at that time.

Q1) Who got the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in India?

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan is the only Indian-born scientist to have won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He was awarded the prize in 2009, along with American biophysicist and biochemist Thomas Steitz and Israeli protein crystallographer Ada Yonath, "for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome".

Q2) Who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2022?

The 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, and K. Barry Sharpless "for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry".

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
• What is a Speaker of the House?
• What is the role of the Speaker?
• Why is the Speaker of the House so important?
• How is a Speaker chosen?
• Removal of the speaker of the House
• News Summary: Kevin McCarthy becomes the first Speaker ever to be ousted from the Office
• Acting speaker after McCarthy’s removal

Why in news?

• The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the job by a handful of hand-liner Republican leaders.
  • These leaders criticised McCarthy for mishandling government spending and budget fights since the GOP took over the House in January.
  • They also accused McCarthy of cutting a secret side deal with US President Joe Biden on providing additional funding to Ukraine.
• This is the first time ever that a House Speaker has lost a no-confidence vote.
  • The final tally stood at 216-210, with eight Republicans voting with 208 Democrats.
  • This marked the end of McCarthy’s tumultuous nine-month-long leadership of the Republican majority in the lower chamber of Congress.

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

What is a Speaker of the House?

• The US Constitution established the role of Speaker of the House, which oversees the lower chamber of Congress.
• The Speaker is both traditionally and historically a sitting member of the majority party, though this is not a constitutional requirement.
• Therefore, in addition to leading the House of Representatives, they are also leader of the majority party in the chamber.

What is the role of the Speaker?

• 
• At a practical level, the Speaker:
  • sets the House's legislative agenda,
  • controls committee assignments,
  • sets the vote and work calendar, and
  • is responsible for keeping their party members unified behind major initiatives.
• The Speaker is second in line for the presidency, following the Vice-President, in the event of the President being incapable of continuing in office.

Why is the Speaker of the House so important?

• Depending on the partisan makeup of Congress, they can make or break a US president's agenda, stymie opposition, and spearhead their party's biggest legislative initiatives.
• A shrewd and effective Speaker will be able to marshal their members behind their party's agenda, and control rebellious lawmakers by doling out incentives or punishments.

How is a Speaker chosen?

• No House without a speaker
  • The House of Representatives functions on a two-year cycle, known as a "session."
    • The mid-term elections were held in the United States on 8 November, 2022.
    • The new Congress began on 3 January 2023 and Republicans will be in the majority.
  • The very first thing a new session of the House of Representatives must do is vote for a Speaker of the House.
  • Without that person in place, the chamber cannot move on to any other function, including swearing-in members.
  • The chamber must continue to hold votes until a Speaker is elected.
• Nomination for Speaker
  • In the weeks after an election, the Republican conference and the Democratic caucus hold an informal vote among their members.
    • This voting is done to decide who they want to nominate to lead their party.
  • But members are not obligated to vote for the party's chosen candidate.
  • While it has been the tradition for the speaker candidate to be a member of the House, it is not required.
• Voting
  • The vote for Speaker requires a candidate to receive the support of a majority of the House - 218 votes (out of the 435 members of the House).
  • The existing leader of the majority party is usually presumed to be the person to assume the speakership.
  • For more than a century, the Speaker of the House was decided on the first vote.
    • However, this time, a record-making 15 voting rounds were conducted before McCarthy succeeded in acquiring the Speaker’s gavel.

Removal of the speaker of the House

• Under the newly adopted rule (in January 2023), any single member of the House could offer a privileged resolution declaring the Office of Speaker vacant.
  • The term “privileged” refers to a matter that has precedence over regular House business.
• Procedural votes could be offered to slow down the motion, but when it does come to the floor, it would need only a simple majority of the House — or 218 members currently — to pass.

News Summary: Kevin McCarthy becomes the first Speaker ever to be ousted from the Office

• The United States House of Representatives has removed its speaker, a Republican, for the first time in the body’s 234-year history.

Acting speaker after McCarthy’s removal

• Republican Representative Patrick McHenry, a McCarthy ally, was temporarily appointed acting speaker.
• He can only serve for a very limited time – up to three legislative days in this case.
• The acting speaker temporary duties are vague. According to a guide to the chamber’s rules and procedures:
  • That person may exercise such authorities of the office of speaker as may be necessary and appropriate pending the election of a speaker or speaker pro tempore.

Q1) What is US Congress?

The US Congress is made up of two parts - the House of Representatives and the Senate. There are total of 535 Members of Congress - 100 serve in the U.S. Senate and 435 serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Control of these two houses is decided by the midterm election. 

Q2) How long do members of Congress’ terms last?

Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are considered for reelection every second year. Senators however, serve six-year terms and elections to the Senate are staggered over even years so that only about 1/3 of the Senate is up for reelection during any election.

Source: How Republican leader McCarthy became the first ever US House Speaker to be removed from office | NBC News | ALJAZEERA | The Hindu

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Why in News?
• What are Glacial Lakes?
• What are the Causes Behind GLOF?
• How did South Lhonak Lake Become Susceptible to GLOF?
• Did the Sikkim Government take any Action to Tackle the Expanding South Lhonak Lake?

Why in News?

• At least 10 people have been killed and 80, including 23 Army personnel, are missing in Sikkim after the South Lhonak Lake - a glacial lake situated in the state’s northwest at 17,000 ft - burst due to incessant rains.
• This resulted in the rise of water levels in (downstream areas) Teesta River that caused flash floods at least in four districts of Sikkim (Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi).

What are Glacial Lakes?

• Glacial lakes, like the South Lhonak Lake, are large bodies of water that sit in front of, on top of, or beneath a melting glacier.
• As they grow larger, they become more dangerous because glacial lakes are mostly dammed by unstable ice or sediment composed of loose rock and debris.
• In case the boundary around them breaks, huge amounts of water rush down the side of the mountains, which could cause flooding in the downstream areas. This is called glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF).

What are the Causes Behind GLOF?

• GLOF can be triggered by several reasons, including earthquakes, extremely heavy rains and ice avalanches.
• As these lakes are often found in steep, mountainous regions, landslides or ice avalanches can sometimes fall directly into the lakes and displace the water, causing it to over-top the natural dam and flood downstream.
• In 2013, one such event took place in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath when the region witnessed flash floods along with a GLOF caused by the Chorabari Tal glacial lake, killing thousands of people.

How did South Lhonak Lake Become Susceptible to GLOF?

• With the rising global temperatures, glaciers in Sikkim Himalayan have been melting rapidly, giving rise to many glacier lakes and expanding the already existing ones in the region.
• According to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), there are currently more than 300 glacial lakes in Sikkim Himalayan, and 10 (including South Lhonak Lake) have been identified as vulnerable to outburst floods.
• Lhonak has grown nearly 1.5 times and South Lhonak nearly 2.5 times their initial size in 1989.
• An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 in 1991 near the parent glacier feeding the South Lhonak Lake and the recent earthquake (6.9) in 2011 may have weakened the boundaries of the lake.
  • The recent incessant rains have led to the burst of the lake.

Did the Sikkim Government take any Action to Tackle the Expanding South Lhonak Lake?

• The glacier lake has been under observation by government authorities for years now.
• In 2016, members of the Sikkim SDMA and Sikkim’s Department of Science and Technology and Climate Change decided to syphon off lake water from the South Lhonak Lake.
• The technique was implemented under the supervision of innovator Sonam Wangchuk.
• Authorities installed three 8-inch wide and 130-140 metres long High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipes and syphoned off 150 litres of water per sec.

Q1) What are flash floods?

A flash flood is caused by heavy or excessive rainfall in a short period of time, generally less than 6 hours. Flash floods are usually characterized by raging torrents after heavy rains that rip through river beds, urban streets, or mountain canyons sweeping everything before them.

Q2) What are the measures for flood control in India?

By afforestation, fury of flood could be minimized by planting trees in the catchment areas of rivers. Restoration of the original drainage system, which is generally choked by the construction of roads, canals and railway tracks.

Source: Glacial lake outburst flood kills 10 in Sikkim: What is GLOF, and why does it happen?