Content:

1.The digital frontier of inequality.

2.Over 78% of top paid H-1B applicants were from India.

3.How would a carbon market function?

4.Why simultaneous elections are impractical and complicated.

5.Centre launches Jalvahak scheme for cargo movement via inland waterways.

6.Can we make black holes reveal themselves in echoes of light.

 The Digital Frontier of inequality.

Context: India’s digital revolution has brought rapid growth in mobile and internet connectivity but also an increase in tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV).

Relevance: GS 2 (Social Justice)

Digital Growth:

• 1.18 billion mobile connections, 700 million internet users & 600 million smartphones.

Initiatives:

• ‘Ab Koi Bahana Nahi’: Campaign awareness against Gender Based Violence(GBV) under UN Women’s ‘16 Days of Activism.’
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana: 55.6% of accounts held by women, aiding rural financial inclusion.

Challenges:

• Rise in online harassment, cyberstalking, and low digital literacy among women, especially in rural areas.

Measures:

• Legal frameworks: IT Act, 2000, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2024.
• Programs: Digital Shakti for online safety, National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal for anonymous reporting.

Strategies:

• Strengthen laws, promote digital literacy, engage communities, and partner with tech companies for safety tools.
• India must balance digital growth with robust measures to address TFGBV and foster a secure digital environment for all.

Over 78% of top paid H-1B applicants were from India

Context: Recent data from Bloomberg and USCIS reveals that Indian professionals dominate the high-paid H-1B visa segment, with smaller U.S. firms playing a key role.

Relevance: GS 2 (International Relations)

Indian Dominance:

• 78% of H-1B applicants earning over $1M annually are Indian.
• Over 25% of these applicants are women.

Company Sponsorship:

• 65% of high-paid Indian applicants are sponsored by smaller U.S. companies.
• U.S.-based sponsors generally offer higher salaries than Indian-based firms.

H-1B Process:

• Annual lottery in April; employers submit petitions with salary and job details.

Data Summary:

• Out of ~1 lakh approved petitions (2021-2024), only 123 offered salaries above $1M; 96 were from India.
• Most high-paying petitions come from smaller firms.

How would a carbon market function?

Context: COP29 in Baku approved standards to establish an international carbon market by next year, aiming to curb global carbon emissions.

Relevance: GS 3 (Environmental issues)

Carbon Market Basics:

• Facilitates buying and selling of carbon credits, each equal to 1,000 kg of CO₂.

Origins:

• Evolved from the 1990s U.S. cap-and-trade system for sulphur dioxide control.

Benefits:

• Incentivizes emission reductions through financial costs.
• Technology aids in monitoring emissions effectively.

Challenges:

• Developing nations face barriers in carbon accounting.
• Corporates favor voluntary reporting over strict regulation.

Concerns:

• Governments could manipulate credit supply.
• Misuse of offsets may undermine genuine emission cuts.

 Why simultaneous elections are impractical and complicated

Context:The concept of “one nation, one election” has sparked debate, with two enabling Bills postponed in the Winter Session of Parliament.

Relevance: GS 2 (Polity & Governance)

Arguments in Favor:

• Cost Reduction: Simultaneous elections would lower the expenses of conducting polls.

• Governance Focus: Reduces the need for constant campaigning, allowing political parties to focus on governance for five years.

Criticisms:

• Logistical Challenges: Conducting elections for 1.4 billion people simultaneously is impractical, given multi-phase polling for even State elections.

• Undermines Federalism: Risks blending distinct State and national issues, weakening State-level democratic representation.

• Threat to Parliamentary Democracy:
  • A rigid election cycle clashes with the need for governments to hold the House’s confidence.

• Proposals like President’s Rule or shortened Assembly terms erode democracy and federal principles.

• Encourages Horse-Trading: Defections may rise to avoid government collapses, favoring wealthier political parties.

• Diminished Public Participation: Regular elections ensure continuous engagement and debate, which simultaneous polls would reduce.

Centre launches Jalvahak scheme for cargo movement via inland waterways

Context: The Centre launched the Jalvahak scheme to enhance long-haul cargo transport via National Waterways 1 (Ganga), 2 (Brahmaputra), and 16 (Barak).

Relevance: GS 2 (Polity & Governance)

Objective

• Promote economical, eco-friendly, and efficient cargo movement to decongest railways and roadways.

Incentives:

• Up to 35% reimbursement of operating costs.
• Encourages hiring vessels owned/operated by government entities.

Validity:

• The scheme is valid for three years.

Operational Details

• Fixed day scheduled sailing services launched from Kolkata to Patna, Varanasi (NW-1), and Guwahati (NW-2) via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route.
• UltraTech Cement became the first company to use NW-1 for large-scale gypsum transport.

Significance:

• The scheme optimizes supply chains, benefits major shipping companies, and strengthens the waterways’ role in India’s logistics network.

Can we make black holes reveal themselves in echoes of light?

Context :  A recent study in Astrophysical Journal Letters proposes a novel method to measure black hole properties using light echoes, a phenomenon predicted by Einstein’s general relativity.

Relevance: GS 3 (Space)

What are Light Echoes?

• When light passes near a black hole, its path bends due to the black hole’s gravity, creating time-delayed “echoes.”
• The behavior of light echoes depends on the black hole’s mass and spin.

New Measurement Technique

• Traditional methods face challenges due to interference from hot gases and radiation around black holes.
• Light echoes provide a clearer signal, offering a more precise way to determine black hole mass and angular momentum.

Testing the Method

• Using simulations and data from the Event Horizon Telescope, researchers analyzed light around the M87 black hole.
• They measured time delays in light beams, correlating them to the black hole’s characteristics.

Technological Requirements

• Detecting light echoes requires long-baseline interferometry, using telescopes spaced far apart, including one on Earth and one in space.

Implications

• This method could confirm general relativity’s predictions about black holes.
• It provides a new approach to studying spacetime geometry and the structure of supermassive black holes.
• This technique represents a significant step forward in understanding black holes and their effects on light.