TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 05.10.2024

1. NATIONAL

SIMULATANEOUS POLLS PLAN GETS UNION CABINET NOD

• Union Cabinet Approval: The Union Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the Kovind committee, which proposed simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies as the first step.
• Municipal and panchayat polls are to be held within 100 days of the general election in the next phase.
• Legal and Constitutional Amendments: The committee recommended amendments to Article 83 (duration of Houses of Parliament) and Article 172 (duration of State legislatures) of the Constitution.
• A common electoral roll is proposed, which would require coordination between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and State Election Commissions (SECs).
• Report Details: The Kovind panel’s report, which is over 18,000 pages long, was submitted to President Droupadi Murmu in March.
• The report suggests that the President, through a notification issued on the first sitting of the Lok Sabha post the general election, set an ‘Appointed Date’ to synchronize the elections.
• Advantages of Simultaneous Elections: Cost Efficiency: Reduces the expenditure incurred by the government and political parties on frequent elections.
• Administrative Efficiency: Frees up administrative machinery and security forces from continuous election duties, allowing them to focus on governance and development activities.
• Policy Continuity: Ensures policy stability and continuity, as frequent elections often lead to policy paralysis.
• Reduced Disruption: Minimizes the disruption caused by the Model Code of Conduct, which halts ongoing government projects and initiatives during election periods.
• Challenges and Criticisms: Constitutional Amendments: Requires significant amendments to the Constitution, which may be difficult to achieve given the need for broad political consensus.
• Federalism Concerns: Critics argue that simultaneous elections undermine the federal structure by centralizing the electoral process.
• Logistical Challenges: Conducting elections simultaneously across the vast and diverse country poses significant logistical challenges.
• Political Opposition: Various political parties have expressed concerns about the feasibility and fairness of simultaneous elections.

2. SCHEMES

5 LAKH EACH TO TRANSFORM TRIBAL HOUSES INTO HOMESTAYS

• Pradhan Mantri-Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PMJUGA)
• Objective: To implement existing schemes in 63,000 Scheduled Tribe-majority villages, ensuring saturation of basic schemes and providing alternative livelihoods.
• Outlay: ₹79,156 crore over five years.
• Central Share: ₹56,333 crore.
• States’ Share: ₹22,823 crore.
•  Key Components: Tourism Homestays:
• Scheme: Swadesh Darshan.
• Support: Up to ₹5 lakh per tribal household/village to turn homes into tourist homestays or build new ones.
• Goal: Set up 1,000 homestays in tribal villages with tourist potential.
• Sustainable Agriculture:
• Target: Forest Rights Act (FRA) patta holders.
• Aim: Promote maintenance and conservation of forests. Development Initiatives:
• Housing: Build 20 lakh pucca homes for ST families.
• Infrastructure: Lay 25,000 km of roads, provide piped water, electrify households and public institutions.
• LPG Connections: Provide 25 lakh connections. ○ Broadband Connectivity: Discrimination-free broadband to 5,000 tribal villages under BharatNet.
• Marketing Centres: Set up 100 tribal multipurpose marketing centres.
• Recent Developments:
• Approval: Union Cabinet approved the package on Wednesday.
• Focus States: Maharashtra and Jharkhand, accounting for over 18% of the tribal population, are significant beneficiaries. This package aims to enhance the quality of life in tribal areas by leveraging existing schemes and introducing new elements like tourism homestays to boost local economies.

3. PERSONALITIES

TAMIL POET – TIRUVALLUVAR

• Era: Believed to have lived between 4th century BCE and 1st century BCE.
• Contribution: Author of the Tirukkural, a classic Tamil text consisting of 1,330 couplets.
• Tirukkural:
• Content: A collection of couplets offering ethical guidance and life lessons.
• Structure: Divided into three sections – Aram (virtue), Porul (wealth), and Inbam (love)
• Recent Legal Developments:
• Madras High Court Ruling: Refused to declare the day of Anusham star in the Tamil month of Vaikasi as Tiruvalluvar’s birthday.
• Petition: Filed by Samy Thiagarajan, president of Tiruvalluvar Tirunatkazhagam, in 2021.
• Claim: Tiruvalluvar’s birthday should be celebrated on Vaikasi Anusham day, based on historical and scholarly assertions.
• Current Practice: Tamil Nadu government celebrates ‘Tiruvalluvar day’ on the second day of the Tamil month Thai.
• Historical Context: Temple: A temple dedicated to Tiruvalluvar exists in Mylapore, Chennai, believed to be around 600 years old.
• Government Order (1966): Initially declared ‘Tiruvalluvar day’ on June 2, 1966 (Vaikasi Anusham day), later shifted to the second day of Thai.
• Significance: Cultural Impact: Tiruvalluvar is a revered figure in Tamil culture and literature.
• Literary Contribution: The Tirukkural is considered one of the greatest works of Tamil literature, offering timeless wisdom on ethics and morality. Tiruvalluvar’s legacy continues to be celebrated, though the exact date of his birth remains a subject of debate. The Madras High Court’s recent decision underscores the complexities involved in historical and cultural commemorations

4. ECONOMY

FINANCE COMMISSION MUST ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF HIGH PERFORMING STATES

• Issue: Concerns of high-performing States regarding tax devolution and fiscal autonomy. Recent Meeting: Finance Ministers of five Opposition-ruled States met in Thiruvananthapuram.
• Key Demands: Increase in Divisible Pool: § Current Recommendation: 41% by the Fifteenth Finance Commission. § Demand: Raise to 50%.
• Cap on Cesses and Surcharges: Issue: These are beyond the ambit of the devolution mechanism and fund specific central projects.
• Autonomy in Tax Collection: Concern: Growing infringement on States’ autonomy since the introduction of the GST framework.
• Impact: Penalizing States with better economic indices.
• Specific Concerns: Low Allocation in Union Budget 2024-25:
• Examples: Bengaluru’s Suburban Rail Project.
• Kerala’s Vizhinjam Port.
• Second phase of Chennai Metro Rail project.
• Natural Disasters:
• Examples: Flooding in Tamil Nadu’s southern delta regions.
• Heavy rains in western Gujarat.
• Landslide in Wayanad, Kerala.
• Finance Commission’s Role: Sixteenth Finance Commission:
• Recommendations Expected: By October 2025.
• Current Weightage: 45% for State Gross Domestic Product to aid poorer regions.
• Impact: Reduced devolutions to top tax revenue contributing States like Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.
• Challenges for High-Performing States: Tailor-Made Expenditures: Needs: Developmental, climate, and industrial needs.
• Restrictions by GST Framework: Impact: Limited tax collection autonomy.
• Low Devolution: Result: Limited fiscal capacity for high-performing States.
• Contingency Expenses: Relevance: Mitigating extreme weather events.
• Current Status: Neither GST nor Finance Commission addresses these adequately.
• Conclusion: Need for Amendment: Urgent intervention to amend tax devolution frameworks.
• Goal: Greater autonomy for States, leading to a truly federal and participatory governance model.

5. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

CHANDRAYAN – 4, VENUS ORBITER GET APPROVAL FROM UNION CABINET

• Chandrayaan-4 Mission
• Objective: To bring moon rocks to Earth.
• Approval: Union Cabinet approved the mission.
• Budget: ₹2,104 crore allocated.
• Significance: Demonstrates India’s capability to collect and return lunar samples.
• Involves multiple launches and a space docking experiment scheduled for later this year.
• Enhances ISRO’s technological capabilities for future lunar missions.
• Venus Orbiter Mission
• Objective: To send a spacecraft to orbit Venus.
• Approval: Union Cabinet approved the mission.
• Budget: ₹1,236 crore allocated.
• Launch Date: Expected in March 2028.
• Significance:
• This will be India’s second interplanetary mission after the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) launched on November 5, 2013. 
• Aims to study Venus’ atmosphere, surface, and geological history.
• Gaganyaan Expansion Project
• Objective: To build an Indian space station (Bharatiya Antariksh Station – BAS) by 2035.
• To achieve a crewed lunar mission by 2040. ○ Approval: Union Cabinet approved the expansion.
• Budget: Additional ₹11,170 crore allocated, adding to the already sanctioned ₹9,023 crore.
• Significance: Expands India’s human spaceflight capabilities.
• Lays the groundwork for a self-sustained space station.
• Enhances India’s position in global space exploration.
• Next-Generation Launch Vehicle
• Objective: To develop a launch vehicle capable of placing heavier payloads in orbit.
• Significance:
• Essential for achieving the targets of setting up a space station and landing an Indian astronaut on the moon.
• Enhances ISRO’s launch capabilities for future missions.
• Prime Minister’s Statement: PM Narendra Modi emphasized that these approvals bring India closer to a self-sustained space station by 2035 and a crewed lunar mission by 2040.
• Technological Advancements: The missions will involve advanced technologies such as space docking, heavier payload launches, and interplanetary exploration.

ONE LINER

1. Exercise AIKYA is a two day national event organized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Army Southern Command in Chennai
2. India is set to become the Third largest Economy by 2030-31, driven by a robust projected annual growth rate of 6.7%.  The credit rating agency S&B global