All posts by Padho Leekho

Export-Import Through Red Sea Under Attack

Current Affairs, News Update

Shipping firms pause Red Sea journeys over attacks

Danish shipping company Maersk has said it is pausing all journeys through the Red Sea. 

The decision comes after a spate of attacks on vessels launched from a part of Yemen controlled by the Houthis – an Iran-backed rebel movement.

The group has declared its support for Hamas and say it is targeting ships travelling to Israel. The Red Sea is one the world’s most important routes for oil and fuel shipments.

German transport company Hapag-Lloyd later said it was making a similar move.

The firm owns a ship that recently came under attack, and confirmed to the BBC later on Friday it was also suspending operations in the area until Monday.

In a statement to the BBC, Maersk, one of the world’s biggest shipping companies, said: “The recent attacks on commercial vessels in the area are alarming and pose a significant threat to the safety and security of seafarers.

“Following the near-miss incident involving Maersk Gibraltar yesterday and yet another attack on a container vessel today, we have instructed all Maersk vessels in the area bound to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait to pause their journey until further notice.”

The Bab al-Mandab strait – also known as the Gate of Tears – is a channel 20 miles (32km) wide, and known for being perilous to navigate.

It sits between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea on the African coast.

It is the route by which ships can reach the Suez Canal from the south – itself a major shipping lane. Avoiding it means vessels must take much longer routes, for example navigating around southern Africa.

About 17,000 ships and 10% of global trade pass through it every year. Any ship passing through Suez to or from the Indian Ocean has to come this way.

A map showing the Bab al-Mandab strait, which sits between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea on the African coast.
Presentational grey line

Maersk pausing its Red Sea shipping journeys “could not come at a more difficult time”, director general at the Institute of Export & International Trade Marco Forgione said.

“This impacts every link in the supply chain… and will only increase the chances of critical products not making their destinations in time for Christmas,” he added.

At least two other cargo ships in the strait came under attack on Friday. The US says one was hit with a drone and another by missiles, blaming the Houthis for both attacks.

The Houthis did not confirm the drone strike, but said they did fire missiles at two boats.

The group has controlled parts of Yemen since seizing power from the country’s government in 2014, triggering an ongoing civil war.

Speaking before the announcements by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan – who is on a trip to the Middle East – said the Houthis were threatening freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, which is vital for oil and goods shipments.

“The United States is working with the international community, with partners from the region and from all over the world to deal with this threat,” he said.

Earlier this month, a US warship shot down three drones fired from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen after three commercial vessels came under attack in the Red Sea.

Just days before that incident, the US said another warship had captured armed men who had earlier seized an Israeli-linked tanker off Yemen’s coast.

Last month, the Houthis released video footage showing armed men dropping from a helicopter and seizing a cargo ship in the southern Red Sea.

 

 

Source:- https://www.bbc.com/news

Why are fewer women using AI than men?

AI & ML

Why are fewer women using AI than men? 

Popular artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT now has more than 180 million users, but jeweler Harriet Kelsall says it isn’t for her.

Being dyslexic, she admits that using it might help improve the clarity of her communication with customers on her website. But ultimately she says that she just doesn’t trust it.

Ms Kelsall, who is based in Cambridge, says that when she experimented with ChatGPT this year, she noticed errors. She tested it by quizzing it about the crown worn by King Charles III in his coronation back in May, the St Edward’s Crown.

“I asked ChatGPT to tell me some information about the crown, just to see what it would say,” she says. “I know quite a bit about gemstones in the royal crowns, and I noticed there were large chunks within the text about it which were about the wrong crown.”

Ms Kelsall adds that she is also concerned about people “passing off what ChatGPT tells them as independent thought, and plagiarizing”.

While ChatGPT has become hugely popular since its launch a year ago, Ms Kelsall’s reluctance to use it appears to be significantly more common among women than men. While 54% of men now use AI in either their professional or personal lives, this falls to just 35% of women, according to a survey earlier this year.

What are the reasons for this apparent AI gender gap, and should it be a concern?

ChatGPT

Michelle Leivars, a London-based business coach, says she doesn’t use AI to write for her, because she wants to retain her own voice and personality.

“Clients have said they booked sessions with me because the copy on my website didn’t feel cookie cutter, and that I was speaking directly to them,” she says. “People who know me have gone onto the website, and said that they can hear me saying the words and they could tell it was me straight away.”

Meanwhile, Hayley Bystram, also based in London, has not been tempted to save time by using AI. Ms Bystram is the founder of matchmaking agency, Bowes-Lyon Partnership, and meets her clients face-to-face to hand pair them with like-minded others, with no algorithm involved.

“The place where we could use something such as ChatGPT is in our carefully crafted member profiles. which can take up to half a day to create,” she says. “But for me it would take the soul and the personalisation out of the process, and it feels like it’s cheating, so we carry on doing it the long-winded way.”

Hayley Bystram
Hayley Bystram says that using AI feels like “cheating”

For Alexandra Coward, a business strategist based in Paisley, Scotland, using AI for content generation is just “heavy photoshopping”.

She is also particularly concerned about the growing trend of people using AI to create images “that make them look the slimmest, youngest and hippest versions of themselves”.

Ms Coward adds: “We’re moving towards a space where not only will your clients not recognise you in person, you won’t recognise you in person.”

While all these seem valid reasons to give AI a wide berth, AI expert Jodie Cook says there are deeper, more ingrained reasons why women are not embracing the technology as much as men.

“Stem fields [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] have traditionally been dominated by males,” says Ms Cook, who is the founder of Coachvox.ai, an app that allows business leaders to create AI clones of themselves.

“The current trend in the adoption of AI tools appears to mirror this disparity, as the skills required for AI are rooted in Stem disciplines.”

In the UK, just 24% of the workforce across the Stem sectors are female, and as a consequence “women may feel less confident using AI tools”, adds Ms Cook. “Even though many tools don’t require technical proficiency, if more women don’t view themselves as technically skilled, they might not experiment with them.

“And AI also still feels like science fiction. In the media and popular culture, science fiction tends to be marketed at men.”

Ms Cook says that moving forward she wants to see more women both use AI and work in the sector. “As the industry grows, we definitely don’t want to see a widening gap between the genders.”

Yet psychologist Lee Chambers says that typically female thinking and behavior may be holding some women back from embracing AI.

“It’s the confidence gap – women tend to want to have a high level of competence in something before they start using it, ” he says. “Whereas men tend to be happy to go into something without much competence.”

Lee Chambers
Psychologist Lee Chambers says women fear that using AI might raise questions of competence

Mr Chambers also says that women may fear having their ability questioned, if they use AI tools.

“Women are more likely to be accused of not being competent, so they have to emphasize their credentials more to demonstrate their subject matter expertise in a particular field,” he says. “There could be this feeling that if people know that you, as a woman, use AI, it’s suggesting that you might not be as qualified as you are.

“Women are already discredited, and have their ideas taken by men and passed off as their own, so having people knowing that you use an AI might also play into that narrative that you’re not qualified enough. It’s just another thing that’s debasing your skills, your competence, your value.”

Or as Harriet Kelsall puts it: “I value authenticity and human creativity.”

 

Source:-https://www.bbc.co.uk/news

The colored stripes that explain climate change

Climate & Environment, Current Affairs, GENERAL STUDIES & GK

The colored stripes that explain climate change

In 2017, Ellie Highwood, then professor of climate physics at the University of Reading, posted a photograph on Twitter of a “global warming blanket“ she had crocheted, in which rows of color represented average global temperature changes across time. She had no idea that a graphic version later created by a colleague would become a global symbol of climate change.

The “climate stripes” image has been embraced by activists globally, and used as a cover image for Greta Thunberg’s The Climate Book, as well as for print editions of The Economist and the Folha de S.Paulo, a Brazilian newspaper. The stripes have been worn in London Fashion Week catwalks and as part of the UK football team Reading FC’s players’ uniform.

The stripes have been displayed as public infrastructure, on public transport in Europe, decorated buildings and even natural landmarks such as the White Cliffs of Dover in England. Recently, they were shown in a three day music festival in Mexico City.

The warming stripes have been used to decorate public transport such as electric trams and buses in countries including the UK and Germany (Credit: Ed Hawkins)

The warming stripes have been used to decorate public transport such as electric trams and buses in countries including the UK and Germany (Credit: Ed Hawkins)

Cycling 4 Climate, a foundation that has organised rides in six countries to promote climate change awareness, chose the stripe pattern as a uniform because of the strong message it conveys.

“It gives me the feeling that even when I’m exercising, I’m working on increasing climate change awareness,” says co-founder Joost Brinkman, based in the Netherlands. “I frequently get asked about the shirt because people like the design. It’s an easy conversation starter and people are always shocked when they understand the story.”

Unlike traditional data visualisations, the blanket’s pattern only features colours – and resembles a barcode more than a normal graph. “Some people switch off as soon as they see a graph, right?” says Highwood. In her blog, she shared instructions to replicate the blanket using yarn or other materials. “The craft version does something different. If you are physically reproducing the pattern, you are internalising the data, and there’s more chance you’ll feel that it’s real.”

When Ed Hawkings, climate scientist and professor at the same university, saw the climate stripes and witnessed people’s reactions, he thought they would be a good way to visualise the data from climate change online. He reduced the range of colours to tones of blues and reds, universally associated in weather maps with temperature.

In 2020, Cycling 4 Climate rode for 400km (249 miles) along the future Dutch coastline, using their climate stripes jerseys as a conversation starter (Credit: Cycling 4 Climate)

In 2020, Cycling 4 Climate rode for 400km (249 miles) along the future Dutch coastline, using their climate stripes jerseys as a conversation starter (Credit: Cycling 4 Climate)

A year later, looking for a simple way of communicating with a non-scientific audience, Hawkins tested the design at the Hay Festival in the UK. After a positive reception, he embarked on a mission to make the climate stripes widely accessible and launched a website for people to customise the graphic to their location. Within a week, the site had more than one million downloads from across 180 countries.

“Part of tackling the issues we face is to normalise this topic as a part of our everyday conversations, like we talk about the economy, healthcare or politics,” says Hawkins.

Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist at Climate Central, an organisation that communicates climate change science and solutions, first saw the stripes on a Facebook group of TV meteorologists and reporters in 2018. When a weather presenter in the network printed the design on a tie to wear on TV, and asked if anybody else wanted to join, she saw an opportunity for the community to collaborate. They partnered with Hawkins, universities, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and others, and had a WhatsApp group with TV weather presenters from more than 100 countries. Soon, the campaign went global.

“Climate change is the biggest challenge of our time, and there is no one way to answer this. The fact that this resonates across such a variety of audiences…. That is what’s most important to me,” says Woods Placky.

October 2023 was the warmest on record globally, and 2023 is virtually certain to be the warmest year on record. A 2023 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report concluded that human activities, mainly through emissions of greenhouse gases, have caused global warming, increasing the likelihood and intensity of extreme weather events.

“Climate change can be a really tough subject, but people see these stripes and they get excited. There’s something about them that is inspiring and uniting. You see energy build in a positive way,” says Woods Placky.

For Amanda Makulec, Executive Director of the Data Visualization Society (DVS), the warming stripes are just another way of presenting data. Makulec believes that what makes them special is that they have taken on a life of their own. Anybody can use the pattern in imaginative ways, helping them connect with the message.

Makulec views artistic or physical representations of information as a way to make it less daunting. “It can make the data seem less technical, and allows us to look at the big picture and reflect,” she adds.

Although it’s impossible to isolate or measure the effect of a single campaign on climate policies and negotiations around the world, some experts believe that the climate stripes may have contributed to generating attention for rising temperatures.

US Senators have worn them as pins and French members of the ecologist group had them on their shirts whilst speaking in parliament. Gabriel Boric, now Chile’s president, wore them as a facemask during the final debate before the elections.

The stripes have also had significant international exposure in recent COP (Conference of the Parties) climate events, confirms Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, scientist and former IPCC vice-chair. COPs gather government representatives, the general public, the media and activists from hundreds of nations.

He recently wore his climate stripes tie during a meeting with the COP28 president. “When you don’t have PowerPoint [presentation software], it’s a visually powerful way to spread the message of the rapid evolution of global temperature,” says van Ypersele.

Hawkins hoped the climate stripes visual would spark curiosity in people and start conversations about rising temperatures (Credit: Ed Hawkins, University of Reading)

Hawkins hoped the climate stripes visual would spark curiosity in people and start conversations about rising temperatures (Credit: Ed Hawkins, University of Reading)

However,  van Ypersele observed that in other settings the graphic is not always understood.

“Sometimes people come up to me and say, ‘oh, you have a nice tie’, and then I see they don’t get it,” he adds. So, whenever he wears the tie, he is always prepared to offer an explanation about its meaning, as well as the causes and effects of climate change and what we can do to slow it down.

The graphic has also faced some backlash, mainly from the scientific community, says Hawkins, for being too simple.

“I certainly have had criticism because you can’t see the details, the numbers. I think that’s fair. There’s no one way of presenting this, in a way that is easily understandable and gives everyone all they want from a graphic. It is only one from a wide range we can draw on to talk to different audiences about the same issue,” says Professor Hawkins.

CARBON COUNT

The emissions from travel it took to report this story were 0kg CO2. The digital emissions from this story are an estimated 1.2g to 3.6g CO2 per page view. Find out more about how we calculated this figure here.

Although the climate stripes have become popular in North America and Europe, this is not necessarily the case in other regions. Habiba Ahut Daggash, who researches technology and policy for climate change mitigation and clean energy across Africa, says that in Nigeria ” they are only recognized by people familiar with climate science. I’m not sure it would be recognizable to even all environmental activists or civil society without explanations.”

The warming stripes may not necessarily be the solution, but perhaps they represent a first step in recognizing the problem, especially when misinformation is abundant.

“Climate change has been a very political challenge, and if the stripes have opened doors to start those conversations… I can’t think of a better impact,” says Makulec.

 

 

Source:- https://www.bbc.com/

Why Is Math Important?

Education at School, Math

Why Is Math Important?

9 Reasons Why Math Skills Improve Quality of Life

Math isn’t just an important subject in school — it’s essential for many of your daily tasks. You likely use it every day to perform real-life skills, like grocery shopping, cooking and tracking your finances.

What makes math special is that it’s a universal language — a powerful tool with the same meaning across the globe. Though languages divide our world, numbers unite us. Math allows us to work together towards new innovations and ideas.

In this post, learn why math is important for kids and adults. Plus, find out why learning even the most basic math can significantly improve your family’s quality of life.

Why is math so important in life?

You simply can’t make it through a day without using some sort of basic math. Here’s why.

A person needs an understanding of math, measurements and fractions to cook and bake. Many people may also use math to count calories or nutrients as part of their diet or exercise routine.

You also need math to calculate when you should leave your house to arrive on time, or how much paint you need to redo your bedroom walls.

And then the big one, money. Financial literacy is an incredibly important skill for adults to master. It can help you budget, save and even help you make big decisions like changing careers or buying a home.

Mathematical knowledge may even be connected to many other not-so-obvious benefits. A strong foundation in math can translate into increased understanding and regulation of your emotions, improved memory and better problem-solving skills.no image

The importance of math: 9 benefits of a great math education

Math offers more opportunities beyond grade school, middle school and high school. Its applications to real-life scenarios are vast.

Though many students sit in math class wondering when they’ll ever use these things they’re learning, we know there are many times their math skills will be needed in adulthood.

The importance of mathematics to your child’s success can’t be overstated. Basic math is a necessity, but even abstract math can help hone critical thinking skills — even if your child chooses not to pursue a STEM-style career. Math can help them succeed professionally, emotionally and cognitively. Here’s why.

1. Math promotes healthy brain function

“Use it or lose it.” We hear this said about many skills, and math is no exception.

Solving math problems and improving our math skills gives our brain a good workout. And it improves our cognitive skills over time. Many studies have shown that routinely practicing math keeps our brain healthy and functioning well.

2. Math improves problem-solving skills

At first, classic math problems like Johnny bringing home 42 watermelons and returning 13 of them can just seem a silly exercise. But all those math word problems our children solve really do improve their problem solving skills. Word problems teach kids how to pull out the important information and then manipulate it to find a solution.

Later on, complex life problems take the place of workbooks, but problem-solving still happens the same way. When students understand algorithms and problems more deeply, they can decode the facts and more easily solve the issue. Real-life solutions are found with math and logic.

3. Math supports logical reasoning and analytical thinking

A strong understanding of math concepts means more than just number sense. It helps us see the pathways to a solution. Equations and word problems need to be examined before determining the best method for solving them. And in many cases, there’s more than one way to get to the right answer.

It’s no surprise that logical reasoning and analytical thinking improve alongside math skills. Logic skills are necessary at all levels of mathematical education.

4. Math develops flexible thinking and creativity

Practicing math has been shown to improve investigative skills, resourcefulness and creativity.

This is because math problems often require us to bend our thinking and approach problems in more than one way. The first process we try might not work. We need flexibility and creativity to think of new pathways to the solution. And just like anything else, this way of thinking is strengthened with practice.

5. Math opens up many different career paths

There are many careers that use a large number of math concepts. These include architects, accountants, and scientists.

But many other professionals use math skills every day to complete their jobs. CEOs use math to analyze financials. Mailmen use it to calculate how long it will take them to walk their new route. Graphic designers use math to figure out the appropriate scale and proportions in their designs.

No matter what career path your child chooses, math skills will be beneficial.

 

Math skills might become even more important for today’s kids!

Math can certainly open up a lot of opportunities for many of us. But did you know that careers which heavily use math are going to be among the fastest-growing jobs by the time kids today start their careers? These jobs include:

  • Actuaries
  • Statisticians
  • Data scientists
  • Software developers
  • Cybersecurity analysts

It’s not just STEM jobs that will require math either. Other popular, high-growth careers like nursing and teaching now ask for a minimum knowledge of college-level math.

6. Math may boost emotional health

While this research is still in its early days, what we have seen is promising.

The parts of the brain used to solve math problems seem to work together with the parts of the brain that regulate emotions. This suggests that math practice can actually help us cope with difficult situations. In these studies, the better someone was with numerical calculations, the better they were at regulating fear and anger. Strong math skills may even be able to help treat anxiety and depression.

7. Math improves financial literacy

Though kids may not be managing their finances now, there’s going to be plenty of times where math skills are going to make a massive difference in their life as an adult.

Budgeting and saving is a big one. Where can they cut back on their spending? How will budgeting help them reach their financial goals? Can they afford this new purchase now?

As they age into adulthood, It will benefit your child to understand how loans and interest work before purchasing a house or car. They should fully grasp profits and losses before investing in the stock market. And they will likely need to evaluate job salaries and benefits before choosing their first job.Child putting money in piggy bank with mom.

8. Math sharpens your memory

Learning mental math starts in elementary school. Students learn addition tables, then subtraction, multiplication and division tables. As they master those skills, they’ll begin to memorize more tips and tricks, like adding a zero to the end when multiplying by 10. Students will memorize algorithms and processes throughout their education.

Using your memory often keeps it sharp. As your child grows and continues to use math skills in adulthood, their memory will remain in tip top shape.

9. Math teaches perseverance

“I can do it!’

These are words heard often from our toddlers. This phrase is a marker of growth, and a point of pride. But as your child moves into elementary school, you may not hear these words as often or with as much confidence as before.

Learning math is great for teaching perseverance. With the right math instruction, your child can see their progress and once again feel that “I can do it” attitude. The rush of excitement a child experiences when they master a new concept sticks in their memory. And they can reflect back on it when they’re struggling with a new, harder skill.

Even when things get tough, they’ll know they can keep trying and eventually overcome it — because they’ve done it before.

Source:- https://www.prodigygame.com/

New Delhi: Capital of India

Constitution Of India, GENERAL STUDIES & GK, Politics

New Delhi: Capital of India

13 February 1931: New Delhi became the capital of India

New Delhi, the capital city, had its foundation stone laid by George V, the then Emperor of India. The event took place in the Delhi Durbar of 1911. The city’s architecture and planning were done by two British architects, namely Sir Herbert Baker and Sir Edwin Lutyens. It was on 13 February 1931 that Lord Irwin, India’s Viceroy, inaugurated New Delhi as the new capital of the country. Since then, New Delhi has become the center of government, with all the branches (legislative, judiciary and executive) needed to run the country.

Before New Delhi became the capital of India, Kolkata had the privilege of being the country’s capital till 1911. However, Delhi had been the financial and political center of many empires that had earlier ruled India. Some of the best examples of this are the reign of the Delhi Sultanate as well as the reign of the Mughals from 1649-1857. With the coming of the British in India, many things changed. It was in the early period of the 1900s that the British administration thought of shifting the capital of the British Indian Empire from Calcutta to Delhi.

One of the main reasons that were cited for the capital shift was the location of Delhi. Calcutta was situated in the eastern coastal part of the country, while Delhi was located in the northern part. The British government of India felt that ruling India from Delhi was easier and more convenient. The proposal was heartily accepted by the British Raj. During the Delhi Durbar on 12 December 1911, George V, the then ruling Emperor of India, along with Queen Mary, announced that the capital of India would be shifted from Kolkata to Delhi. Along with the announcement, the foundation stone for Coronation Park, Kingsway Camp, was also laid. This would be the Viceroy’s residence.

The initial planning and architecture for Delhi were done by two British architects, Herbert Baker and Edwin Lutyens. They were among the leading architects in Britain then. Once the plan was sanctioned, the contract of building the city was endowed on Sobha Singh. The construction work began after the First World War and the whole construction got over by 1931. The city was finally inaugurated by the then Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin, on 13 February 1931. Once the city was inaugurated, plans of extending the city also started coming up. Different architects gave their ideas and inspirations but the majority of them got rejected by the Viceroy. The main reason behind the rejection was the huge cost involved.

Once the capital of the British Indian Empire shifted to Delhi from Calcutta, a temporary secretariat building was constructed in North Delhi in 1912. Many of the important offices shifted to the place so that general working would not be affected. It is also quite interesting to note that for proper running of the various offices of the then British Indian Government, employees were brought from Madras Presidency, Calcutta Presidency, and so on. The employees lived in the nearby areas and later turned into one of the most posh residential areas of New Delhi.

 

 

Source:- https://www.mapsofindia.com/

Election Commission Of India (ECI)

Constitution Of India, GENERAL STUDIES & GK, Politics

Election Commission Of India (ECI)

The election commission is an independent body that the Constitution of India set up to ensure a free and fair election. The election commission of India is in charge of hosting the Lok Sabha elections. The constitution has vested the election commission to direct, superintendent, and control the elections of the parliament, state legislature, the President, and the Vice President of India’s office.

Constitutional Provisions for Election Commission Of India

 The election commission of India is one body that is common to both the Central government and the state governments. However, the election commission does not deal with the elections of municipalities and panchayats in the different states. For these elections, a separate election commission has been provided by the constitution of India.

The appointment of the Election Commission of India (ECI)

The election commission of India was established in 1950, and till 1989, it was a one-member body that consisted of only the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

  1. The voting age was made 18 years from 21 years, on 16 October 1989. Thus, two new election commissioners were brought in by the President of India to help with ever-increasing pressure on the election commission. Since then, the election commission has consisted of three election commissioners.

  2. Later in 1990, the two posts were eliminated. However, the action was repeated in 1993 when the President appointed back the two election commissioners.

  3. The three election commissioners execute the same power and emoluments and salaries as the Supreme Court judge. In case of a difference of time between and among the election commissioner, the decision is reached by the commission through a majority vote.

  4. The Election Officer can hold his office for 6 years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever comes first. However, they can also design or be removed any time before their expiry.

The Election Commission’s Powers

The Election Commission of India is a permanent constitutional body. 

  1. The constitution has given the election commission the power to direct and control the entire conduct of elections in the country.

  2. The commission looks after the elections to the offices of the President and the Vice-President, state legislators, and the parliament. It can be divided into three categories – Administrative, advisory, and quasi-judicial.

  3. The election commission advises the President on whether elections should be held in a state currently undergoing the President’s rule.

The powers vested on the election commission include, but are not limited to, the following –

  1. To choose the territorial areas of the electoral constituency throughout the country, based on the Delimitation Commission Act of the Parliament.

  2. To prepare and revise the electoral rolls and register all eligible voters.

  3. To decide the schedule and date for the election and scrutinize the nomination papers.

  4. To recognize the different political parties and allocate their election symbols to them.

  5. The election commission acts as a court to end all the disputes that concern the granting of recognition to political parties and assigns them election symbols.

  6. Appoint officials to look into disputes that may concern electoral arrangements.

  7. Create a program that shall publicize the policies regarding all political parties on different media platforms, such as the TV and radio, during the elections.

  8. Advise the President on matters that may concern the disqualification of MPs, and advise the Governor on issues that may involve the disqualification of MLAs.

  9. The election commission can cancel polls in cases such as booth capturing, rigging, violence, etc.

The Election Commission’s Functions

The functions of the election commission include, but are not limited to, the following –

  1. The commission looks after the elections to the offices of the President and the Vice-President, state legislators, and the parliament.

  2. Scheduling the election timings to hold periodic and timely elections for general and by-elections.

  3. Deciding the spot of the polling stations, assigning voters to their polling stations, a spot for counting centers, and making arrangements in the polling stations and counting centers and other related matters.

  4. To issue the Electronic Photo Identity Card (EPIC) and create the electoral roll.

Composition of the Election Commission

Article 324 of the Indian constitution has made some provisions regarding the composition of the election commission. It includes the following –

  1. The President of India is in charge of appointingthe Chief Election Commissioner and the other election commissioners

  2. If any other EC is appointed, the CEC serves the role of the election commission’s Chairman

  3. The President can appoint regional commissioners to assist the commission as well, such as a commissioner can be appointed chiefly to look after the Karnataka election commission

  4. The President decides the tenure of the office and conditions of service of all the election commissioners

Conclusion

The election commission of India is in charge of handling almost every duty that will ensure a free and fair election in the country. Today, the election commission has become the backbone of true democracy. It looks after the elections to the offices of the President and the Vice-President, state legislators, and the parliament.

 

 

Source:- https://unacademy.com/

BYJU’S The Learning App is now a Harvard case study

CAT/MBA Prep, Ed-Tech, Start-up

BYJU’S The Learning App is now a Harvard case study 

The journey of brand BYJU’S, which started off with classroom sessions for test prep to becoming India’s largest education technology company today, is now a Harvard Business School case study. The case study focuses on how brand BYJU’S is changing the way children learn across grades and geographies and how it has used technology along with a unique combination of content, media and technology to enable students across the globe. BYJU’s is one of the few Indian startups to make it to the reputed Harvard business publishing platform, others include Flipkart and Paytm.

 

Titled as “BYJU’S The Learning App,” this case study will be available for teaching purposes within and outside Harvard. Authored by John Jong-Hyun Kim, a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, and Rachna Tahilyani, Associate Director, Harvard Business School India Research Center, the case studies the growth of the app, its impact on students and how this K-12 app can be used by students globally.

Talking about brand BYJU’S being a Harvard Case study, Byju said, “It is very humbling to have our brand story as a Harvard Business School case study. This further encourages us to innovate and build learning programs to revolutionize education and create a whole new segment of self-paced learners globally. We believe that education is still the best way to make it big for millions of people across the globe. Our efforts are to help children learn better, realize their potential and chart their own life journeys based on their education.”

Byju Raveendran was also invited to take a class at the prestigious Harvard Business School, where he interacted with the class to discuss how learning can be personalized with the help of technology. 

 

 

Source:- https://blog.byjus.com/

How Supreme Court Judge Appointed?

Constitution Of India, GENERAL STUDIES & GK

How Supreme Court Judge Appointed? 

Provisions as per Constitution of India

LAW, COURTS AND THE CONSTITUTION

India has one of the oldest legal systems in the world. Its law and jurisprudence stretches back into the centuries, forming a living tradition which has grown and evolved with the lives of its diverse people. India’s commitment to law is created in the Constitution which constituted India into a Sovereign Democratic Republic, containing a federal system with a Parliamentary form of Government in the Union and the States, an independent judiciary, guaranteed Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy containing objectives which though not enforceable in law are fundamental to the governance of the nation.

SOURCES OF LAW

The fountain source of law in India is the Constitution which, in turn, gives due recognition to statutes, case law and customary law consistent with its dispensations. Statutes are enacted by Parliament, State Legislatures and Union Territory Legislatures. There is also a vast body of laws known as subordinate legislation in the form of rules, regulations as well as by-laws made by Central and State Governments and local authorities like Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, Gram Panchayats and other local bodies. This subordinate legislation is made under the authority conferred or delegated either by Parliament or State or Union Territory Legislature concerned. The decisions of the Supreme Court are binding on all Courts within the territory of India. As India is a land of diversities, local customs and conventions which are not against statute, morality, etc. are to a limited extent also recognised and taken into account by Courts while administering justice in certain spheres.

ENACTMENT OF LAWS

The Indian Parliament is competent to make laws on matters enumerated in the Union List. State Legislatures are competent to make laws on matters enumerated in the State List. While both the Union and the States have power to legislate on matters enumerated in the Concurrent List, only Parliament has power to make laws on matters not included in the State List or the Concurrent List. In the event of repugnancy, laws made by Parliament shall prevail over laws made by State Legislatures, to the extent of the repugnancy. The State law shall be void unless it has received the assent of the President, and in such case, shall prevail in that State.

APPLICABILITY OF LAWS

Laws made by Parliament may extend throughout or in any part of the territory of India and those made by State Legislatures may generally apply only within the territory of the State concerned. Hence, variations are likely to exist from State to State in provisions of law relating to matters falling in the State and Concurrent Lists.

JUDICIARY

One of the unique features of the Indian Constitution is that, notwithstanding the adoption of a federal system and existence of Central Acts and State Acts in their respective spheres, it has generally provided for a single integrated system of Courts to administer both Union and State laws. At the apex of the entire judicial system, exists the Supreme Court of India below which are the High Courts in each State or group of States. Below the High Courts lies a hierarchy of Subordinate Courts. Panchayat Courts also function in some States under various names like Nyaya Panchayat, Panchayat Adalat, Gram Kachheri, etc. to decide civil and criminal disputes of petty and local nature. Different State laws provide for different kinds of jurisdiction of courts. Each State is divided into judicial districts presided over by a District and Sessions Judge, which is the principal civil court of original jurisdiction and can try all offences including those punishable with death. The Sessions Judge is the highest judicial authority in a district. Below him, there are Courts of civil jurisdiction, known in different States as Munsifs, Sub-Judges, Civil Judges and the like. Similarly, the criminal judiciary comprises the Chief Judicial Magistrates and Judicial Magistrates of First and Second Class.

CONSTITUTION OF SUPREME COURT

On the 28th of January, 1950, two days after India became a Sovereign Democratic Republic, the Supreme Court came into being. The inauguration took place in the Chamber of Princes in the Parliament building which also housed India’s Parliament, consisting of the Council of States and the House of the People. It was here, in this Chamber of Princes, that the Federal Court of India had sat for 12 years between 1937 and 1950. This was to be the home of the Supreme Court for years that were to follow until the Supreme Court acquired its own present premises.

The inaugural proceedings were simple but impressive. They began at 9.45 a.m. when the Judges of the Federal Court – Chief Justice Harilal J.Kania and Justices Saiyid Fazl Ali, M. Patanjali Sastri, Mehr Chand Mahajan, Bijan Kumar Mukherjea and S.R.Das – took their seats. In attendance were the Chief Justices of the High Courts of Allahabad, Bombay, Madras, Orissa, Assam, Nagpur, Punjab, Saurashtra, Patiala and the East Punjab States Union, Mysore, Hyderabad, Madhya Bharat and Travancore-Cochin. Along with the Attorney General for India, M.C. Setalvad were present the Advocate Generals of Bombay, Madras, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, East Punjab, Orissa, Mysore, Hyderabad and Madhya Bharat. Present too, were the Prime Minister, other Ministers, Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives of foreign States, a large number of Senior and other Advocates of the Court and other distinguished visitors.

Taking care to ensure that the Rules of the Supreme Court were published and the names of all the Advocates and agents of the Federal Court were brought on the rolls of the Supreme Court, the inaugural proceedings were over and put under part of the record of the Supreme Court.

After its inauguration on January 28, 1950, the Supreme Court commenced its sittings in a part of the Parliament House. The Court moved into the present building in 1958. The building is shaped to project the image of scales of justice. The Central Wing of the building is the Centre Beam of the Scales. In 1979, two New Wings – the East Wing and the West Wing – were added to the complex. In all there are 19 Court Rooms in the various wings of the building. The Chief Justice’s Court is the largest of the Courts located in the Centre of the Central Wing.

The original Constitution of 1950 envisaged a Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and 7 puisne Judges – leaving it to Parliament to increase this number. In the early years, all the Judges of the Supreme Court sat together to hear the cases presented before them. As the work of the Court increased and arrears of cases began to cumulate, Parliament increased the number of Judges from 8 in 1950 to 11 in 1956, 14 in 1960, 18 in 1978, 26 in 1986, 31 in 2009 and 34 in 2019 (current strength). As the number of the Judges has increased, they sit in smaller Benches of two and three – coming together in larger Benches of 5 and more only when required to do so or to settle a difference of opinion or controversy.

The Supreme Court of India comprises the Chief Justice and not more than 33 other Judges appointed by the President of India. Supreme Court Judges retire upon attaining the age of 65 years. 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 atleast 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 he must be, in the opinion of the President, a distinguished jurist. Provisions exist for the appointment of a Judge of a High Court as an Ad-hoc Judge of the Supreme Court and for retired Judges of the Supreme Court or High Courts to sit and act as Judges of that Court.

The Constitution seeks to ensure the independence of Supreme Court Judges in various ways. A Judge of the Supreme Court cannot be removed from office except by an order of the President passed after an address in each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of members present and voting, and presented to the President in the same Session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. A person who has been a Judge of the Supreme Court is debarred from practising in any court of law or before any other authority in India.

The proceedings of the Supreme Court are conducted in English only. Supreme Court Rules, 1966 and Supreme Court Rules 2013 are framed under Article 145 of the Constitution to regulate the practice and procedure of the Supreme Court.

SUPREME COURT REGISTRY

The Registry of the Supreme Court is headed by the Secretary General who is assisted in his work by eleven Registrars, and twenty five Additional Registrars etc. Article 146 of the Constitution deals with the appointments of officers and servants of the Supreme Court Registry.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

The Attorney General for India is appointed by the President of India under Article 76 of the Constitution and holds office during the pleasure of the President. He must be a person qualified to be appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court. It is the duty of the Attorney General for India to give advice to the Government of India upon such legal matters and to perform such other duties of legal character as may be referred or assigned to him by the President. In the performance of his duties, he has the right of audience in all Courts in India as well as the right to take part in the proceedings of Parliament without the right to vote. In discharge of his functions, the Attorney General is assisted by a Solicitor General and twenty three Additional Solicitors General.

SUPREME COURT ADVOCATES

There are three categories of Advocates who are entitled to practise law before the Supreme Court of India:-

(i) SENIOR ADVOCATES

These are Advocates who are designated as Senior Advocates by the Supreme Court of India or by any High Court. The Court can designate any Advocate, with his consent, as Senior Advocate if in its opinion by virtue of his ability, standing at the Bar or special knowledge or experience in law the said Advocate is deserving of such distinction. A Senior Advocate is not entitled to appear without an Advocate-on-Record in the Supreme Court or without a junior in any other court or tribunal in India. He is also not entitled to accept instructions to draw pleadings or affidavits, advise on evidence or do any drafting work of an analogous kind in any court or tribunal in India or undertake conveyancing work of any kind whatsoever but this prohibition shall not extend to settling any such matter as aforesaid in consultation with a junior.

(ii) ADVOCATES-ON-RECORD

Only these Advocates are entitled to file any matter or document before the Supreme Court. They can also file an appearance or act for a party in the Supreme Court.

(iii) OTHER ADVOCATES

These are Advocates whose names are entered on the roll of any State Bar Council maintained under the Advocates Act, 1961 and they can appear and argue any matter on behalf of a party in the Supreme Court but they are not entitled to file any document or matter before the Court.

 

 

Source:-https://main.sci.gov.in/

Article 370: SC Decision

Current Affairs, GENERAL STUDIES & GK

Article 370: India Supreme Court upholds repeal of Kashmir’s special status

India’s top court has upheld the stripping of special status from the former state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2019 revoked the Indian constitution’s Article 370, which had given the region significant autonomy.

The state of more than 12 million people was also split into two federally administered territories.

The court added that the government should hold elections in the region by September 2024.

The five-judge bench also ordered that the region should be restored as a state “at the earliest.”

“The state of Jammu and Kashmir does not have internal sovereignty different from other states,” Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said while reading out the judgement.

In his concurring judgement, Justice SK Kaul recommended that an “impartial truth and reconciliation commission” be set up in Kashmir to investigate human rights violations by both “state and non-state actors” over the past few decades.

The revocation was one of Mr Modi’s poll promises in 2019 and the court’s decision comes months before he seeks a third term. Local politicians in the region have expressed disappointment over the order.

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was “disappointed but not disheartened”.

The scenic Jammu and Kashmir region was once a princely state which joined India in 1947 soon after the sub-continent was divided up at the end of British rule.

Nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan have since fought two wars and a limited conflict over Kashmir. Each has come to control different parts of the territory with a ceasefire line agreed.

Security has been tightened in Kashmir since Monday morning.

“We are duty-bound to ensure that peace prevails in the [Kashmir] valley under all circumstances,” VK Birdi, the inspector general of Kashmir zone, told PTI news agency.

Security was also beefed up and the region witnessed a communication blackout when the revocation happened.

On 5 August 2019, the Indian government revoked nearly all of Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which granted special privileges to the people of Jammu and Kashmir state.

The assembly, overseeing the state’s budget, spending, employment, education, and economic activity, was dissolved. A lieutenant governor was appointed to govern the region until local elections were conducted. Several activists and senior opposition leaders in the region were detained.

Article 370 allowed the state its own constitution, a separate flag and freedom to make laws. Foreign affairs, defence and communications remained the preserve of the federal government.

As a result, Jammu and Kashmir could make its own rules relating to permanent residency, ownership of property and fundamental rights. It could also bar Indians from outside the state from purchasing property or settling there.

The constitutional provision had underpinned India’s often fraught relationship with Kashmir, the only Muslim-majority region to join India at partition.

Mr Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had long opposed Article 370 and revoking it was in the party’s 2019 election manifesto.

They argued it needed to be scrapped to integrate Kashmir and put it on the same footing as the rest of India. After returning to power with a massive mandate in the April-May general elections in 2019, the government lost no time in acting on its pledge.

Critics say the BJP ultimately wants to change the demographic character of the Muslim-majority region by allowing non-Kashmiris to buy land there.

In August this year, the constitution bench of the Supreme Court began hearing nearly 23 petitions challenging the government’s decision.

The petitioners had stressed on the unique nature of Kashmir’s relationship with India, and said Article 370 “acted as a bridge” between the constitutions of India and Jammu and Kashmir.

The state comprised the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley, the Hindu-dominated Jammu region and the high altitude Buddhist enclave of Ladakh.

The petitioners argued that the state’s reorganisation into Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as federally administered territories violated India’s constitution, which requires the state legislative assembly’s approval to reduce a state to a union territory.

The petitioners said that the abrogation of Article 370 also took away the region’s internal sovereignty without considering the will of its people. But the government had claimed this sovereignty was surrendered to India in 1947.

Many of the restrictions imposed after the scrapping of the special status have been eased and the picturesque Kashmir valley attracted more than 16 million tourists in 2022. The government has said it is ready to hold state elections and restore statehood.

However, the government frequently imposes communication restrictions in the region for security reasons, criticised by rights groups as measures to suppress dissent.

 

 

Source:- https://www.bbc.com/

Fundamental Duties

Constitution Of India, GENERAL STUDIES & GK

FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES

We all talk about Fundamental Rights very loudly, but when it comes to our fundamental duties towards the country, Defend the country and Promote harmony. We all fall back in a state of hesitation. This Constitution has given us the fundamental duty to decide the responsibility towards the society and the country for Defending the country and Abide by the Indian Constitution, either no one wants to talk about it, or we do not do it intentionally, it is clear that we want everything but in return or considering it as our responsibility. don’t want to do.

These Fundamental Duties were mainly inspired by the body of the former Soviet Union. Total 11 essential duties in India. We should Abide by the Indian Constitution.

The following is a list of 11 fundamental duties – 

  1. Abide by the Constitution and respect national flag & National Anthem
  2. Follow ideals of the freedom struggle
  3. Protect sovereignty & integrity of India
  4. Defend the country and render national services when called upon
  5. Developing the spirit of common brotherhood
  6. Preserve composite culture of the country
  7. Preserve natural environment
  8. Develop scientific temper and humanity
  9. Safeguard public property and avoid violence
  10. Strive for excellence in all spheres of life.
  11. Duty of all parents/guardians to send their children in the age group of 6-14 years to school.

The purpose behind the creation of Fundamental Duties is that every citizen should realize that the first is to Defend the country and promote harmony of the nation; that is, the national interest should be ahead of every action and goal.

Indian Fundamental Duties include abiding by the Indian Constitution, respecting our flag, keeping a sense of respect for the national anthem and protecting public property.

In this constitution, through the 42nd Amendment Act 1976, the fundamental duties of citizens were listed. Article 51 ‘A’ embodied in Part IV of the Constitution deals with Fundamental Duties. In India, January 6 is celebrated as “Fundamental Duties Day”.

Enforcement of Fundamental Duties

  1. The Court cannot enforce fundamental Duty. Meaning is unenforceable.
  2. There is no mention of any law in the constitution for the direct enforcement of these duties or the redressal of their violation.
  3. But if any law is made keeping in mind Article 14 and Article 19, it will be honorable.

Criticism of Fundamental Duties

  1. Some other essential subjects not included in this list like paying taxes, family planning and voting etc.
  2. Many Fundamental Duties are not defined correctly. That’s why it is difficult to understand.
  3. There is no talk of enforcement of duties, which is the main criticism. Because for this reason it has not been implemented well till now.
  4. Some experts believe that by including it in Part-4A, the value of Fundamental Duties gets reduced following the policy directive principles.

Swaran Singh Committee

This committee was highly important, and no discussion on fundamental duties can be considered complete without referring to this one, irrespective of other provisions.

There was no mention of Fundamental Duties in the original Constitution of India. In 1976, the Indira Gandhi government constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Sardar Swaran Singh.

 This committee recommended eight Fundamental Duties, but the government added ten duties.

But three suggestions of these committees were not considered by the government.

  1. Parliament should be given the power to make laws for the implementation of these duties and to punish for the violation.
  2. Such a law will be valid even if it violates the fundamental right.
  3. The duty to pay taxes should also be a fundamental duty of the Indian people.

Conclusion

By the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, part 4 (a) and Article 51 (a) were added in which ten fundamental duties were mentioned. Because the government was expecting that the citizens of India would fulfil their duties, they included new ones like Defend the country and Promote harmony voluntarily in independent India.

 

 

 

Source:- https://unacademy.com/