UPSC Daily Current Affairs – Prelims [23rd February 2023]
Right to Privacy of Children
Source – TH
In News
The Supreme Court has ruled that DNA tests cannot be imposed on children as a means of proving infidelity without due consideration for their well-being.
SC Observations
- A child’s genetic information is a private and personal matter, and a fundamental aspect of their right to privacy.
- The right to privacy is an inherent component of the right to life and personal liberty, as affirmed in the Puttaswamy Judgement under Article 21.
- The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child acknowledges and upholds the rights of children to privacy, autonomy, and identity.
- In family court cases, DNA tests to determine a child’s paternity should be pursued only as a last resort.
Impact of such test
- The lack of knowledge about one’s father can cause psychological distress in a child.
- Authorizing DNA tests could also potentially damage the mother’s reputation and dignity.
What is a DNA paternity test?
To determine if a man is the biological father of a child, a DNA paternity test is conducted using DNA samples typically obtained from a cheek swab. The laboratory analyzes the tissue samples of the mother, child, and man to identify specific genetic markers that are shared between the child and the mother and/or the man. These tests are highly precise in determining paternity.
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes
In News
The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay was questioned by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes regarding their decision to retain a counselor displaying “casteist sentiment” in their SC/ST Cell on campus.
An alleged failure by the institute to establish secure environments for marginalized students is believed to have contributed to the purported suicide of an 18-year-old Dalit student.
What is a ‘corrupt act’ according to RPA 1951?
Source – IE
In News
In the case of Anugrah Narayan Singh v. Harsh Vardhan Bajpayee, the Supreme Court noted that furnishing inaccurate information concerning the educational qualifications of a candidate cannot be classified as a “corrupt practice” under Sections 123(2) and 123(4) of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
The Allahabad High Court had previously rejected the petition on the grounds that the deficiency in disclosure was not significant enough to adversely impact the election’s outcome.
About the Case
Anugrah Narayan Singh, a former Congress MLA, alleged that Harsh Vardhan Bajpayee, a BJP MLA, engaged in “corrupt practices” under Section 123(2) by failing to declare his liabilities and accurate educational qualifications in his nomination affidavit.
‘Corrupt Practices’
As per the Representation of the People Act, 1951, “corrupt practices” encompass bribery, undue influence, dissemination of false information, and the incitement of hostility or animosity between various Indian citizens on the basis of religion, race, caste, community, or language, with the intention of furthering a candidate’s electoral chances.
- The Act also forbids the deliberate dissemination of deceitful information that could impact the result of an election.
- Previous court decisions have established that soliciting votes based on a candidate’s religion, race, caste, community, or language is a corrupt practice, while pledging giveaways cannot be classified as such.
Eliminate mercury from skin-lightening products
Source – UN
In News
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has declared that Gabon, Jamaica, and Sri Lanka have collaborated on a $14 million initiative to eradicate the use of mercury in skin-whitening products.
Mercury
Mercury (or quicksilver) is a shiny, silver-white metal, and is liquid at room temperature.
- Aluminium compounds are colourants in lip glosses, and nail polishes;
- Lead in lipsticks
Impacts
- Lead is a toxic substance that can impair cognitive development and cause learning disabilities in children.
- Prolonged exposure to mercury can harm the nervous system and affect brain function.
- Additionally, arsenic, another heavy metal found in certain cosmetics, can trigger skin irritation, liver damage, and heighten the risk of cancer.
FGD facility
Source – TH
In News
The Singareni Thermal Power Plant (STPP), located in Telangana, is poised to become the first coal-based power station in the southern region and the initial state public sector undertaking (PSU) in India to feature a flu gas desulphurization (FGD) facility. This system aims to satisfy environmental standards by reducing sulphur dioxide emissions to a safe level.
Flue Gas Desulfurization
Flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) comprises a range of technologies employed to eliminate sulfur dioxide (SO2) from the exhaust flue gases of fossil-fuel power plants, as well as from the emissions generated by other sulfur oxide-releasing processes like waste incineration, petroleum refineries, cement, and lime kilns.
Methods of FGD
- Wet scrubbing involves using a slurry of alkaline sorbent, typically limestone or lime, or seawater to scrub gases.
- Spray-dry scrubbing uses similar sorbent slurries.
- The wet sulfuric acid process recovers sulfur in the form of commercial quality sulfuric acid.
- The SNOX Flue gas desulfurization system removes sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulates from flue gases.
- Dry sorbent injection systems introduce powdered hydrated lime (or other sorbent material) into exhaust ducts to eliminate SO2 and SO3 from process emissions.
Phosphor-Gypsum in National Highway Construction
Source – PIB
In News
The NHAI and the Department of Fertilizers, under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, have planned to conduct field trials on NHAI projects to explore the utilization of Phosphor-Gypsum (Phosphogypsum) in the construction of National Highways. The objective is to establish a circular economy in the use of Gypsum.
Phosphogypsum
Phosphogypsum (PG) is a by-product formed as a result of the production of fertilizer from phosphate rock, and it consists of calcium sulfate hydrate.
Are neutrinos their own antiparticles?
Source – TH
In News
The Kamioka Liquid Scintillator Antineutrino Detector (KamLAND) experiment in Japan has found no evidence that neutrinos are their own antiparticles.
Anti particles
Particle physics follows the principle that each particle has an associated antiparticle, which shares the same mass but has opposite physical charges. For instance, the positron is the antiparticle of the electron.
- When a particle and its antiparticle come in contact, they annihilate each other, releasing a burst of energy.
- Neutrinos do have antiparticles called anti-neutrinos, but distinguishing between them is challenging because both have no electrical charge.
Significance of the findings
Deciphering the properties of neutrinos can provide valuable insights into the structure of the universe.
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