Truth about Pulwama(Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3: Security 
Prelims level: Financial Action Task Force
Mains level: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security

Context:

• A year and a half before the Pulwama attack took place, in which a Kashmiri suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden car, killing 40 CRPF men in a security convoy.

About the charge sheet:

• The National Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet in the case.
• It confirms the claim made at the time by the Pakistan-based group, Jaish-e-Mohammed, that it had carried out the attack.
• The chargesheet says the attack was conceived, planned and controlled at every step by the Pakistan-based leadership of the JeM.
• It names JEM chief Masood Azhar, his brother Rauf Asghar, and another brother’s son, Mohammed Usman Farooq, who is described as a “key conspirator” and a host of others.
• Six of those listed as the accused, including Usman Farooq, have since been killed in encounters.
• Mobile phones recovered from them provided much of the forensic evidence that has been included in the 13,800-page charge-sheet.
• The material in the chargesheet raises questions for Indian security forces about infiltration by Pakistani terrorists into Indian territory and how they remained undetected as they assembled the explosives.

Insincerity:

• The Pulwama attack set off a chain of events that culminated in the IAF strike at Balakot in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, at the site of a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp.
• At the time, India had made it plain that it held Pakistan responsible for the attack, withdrawing the Most Favoured Nation status for preferential trade with it, and declaring that it would work to isolate Islamabad internationally.
• From the chargesheet, it is clear that Usman Farooq’s handlers were guiding him every step of the way. It is well known that the JeM has close links to the Pakistani military establishment.
• In response to an Indian dossier last March, Pakistan said it had taken into “protective custody” some 40 Jaish-e-Mohammed cadres, including Rauf Asghar and Masood Azhar’s son Hammad Azhar.
• But Pakistan said it needed more “proof”. Delhi rightly accused it of insincerity, pointing out its inaction in other cases, including the Mumbai attacks case, despite being provided with evidence.
• Now, with the Financial Action Task Force watching, the Pakistan government has been forced to take some measures to comply with the international watchdog’s anti-terror requirements.

Conclusion:

• Co-operating in the Pulwama investigation can only be in its own interest, and in the interest of peace and stability in the region.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Election Commission, consider the following statements:

1. The power to appoint the CEC and the ECs lies with the President of India under Article 324(2) of the Constitution.
2. The Commissioners are appointed for a 6-year period, or up to the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:

Q.1)To what extent Pulwama chargesheet have increased the threat for Pakistan at FATF. Critically comment. 

Long road ahead (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3: Economy 
Prelims level: RBI monetary policy 
Mains level: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment

Context:

• The Annual Report of the Reserve Bank of India, released on Tuesday, affirms that the recovery from the current crisis will be a painful and protractedprocess.
• Leading economic indicators do suggest that the economy has bounced back from the lows observed in April.
• But the report also corroboratesthe view that economic activities are plateauing at lower levels, and that the normalisation of activities to pre-COVID levels is unlikely in the near-term.
• “The upticks that became visible in May and June after the lockdown was eased in several parts of the country, appear to have lost strength in July and August, mainly due to reimposition or stricter imposition of lockdowns,” it noted.
• This implies that though the pace of contraction in activities does appear to have eased considerably since the easing of the lockdown restrictions, the central bank now expects the economy to continue to contract in the second quarter of the current financial year as well.

Prognosis:

• The report offers a grim prognosisof the underlying drivers of growth.
• On the consumption side, the data points to a remarkable decline in household financial liabilities, indicating that in line with the corporate sector, households in India have also begun to deleverage.
• Household financial liabilities fell to 2.9 per cent of gross national disposable income (GNDI) in 2019-20, from 4 per cent in 2018-19.
• And this was before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
• Rising income uncertainty stemming from the subsequent job and income losses may well have accelerated this trend, and led to a rise in precautionary savings, dimming the prospects of a revival in private consumption in the near term.
• As the report notes, “An assessment of aggregate demand during the year so far suggests that the shock to consumption is severe, and it will take quite some time to mend and regain the pre-COVID-19 momentum.”
• On the investment side, the prospects of a pick-up in the private sector capex cycle also appear to be bleak.
• Companies have utilised the cash flow freed up due to the reduction in the corporate tax rates to meet their loan obligations, and to build up their cash reserves, indicating limited appetitefor launching fresh investment.
• A risk averse household and corporate sector, both in the midst of a deleveraging exercise, underscorethe need for greater public sector spending to revive the economy.
• As the RBI also notes, public investment funded by the monetisation of assets, could “revive and crowd in private investment.”

Uncertainty:

• The central bank’s continued reluctance to provide any estimate of economic growth for this year underlines the lingering uncertainty.
• National Statistics Office (NSO) will release its estimates of growth for the first quarter, indicating the extent of the slump during the period, early next week.
• RBI should provide its own assessment of the economy, and how it sees economic activity shaping up over the medium term, to help guide policy-makers on the future course of action.

Conclusion:

• RBI points to bleak prospects for consumption and investment in near term, underscores need for government support

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the 6th Round Table of ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks (AINTT), consider the following statements:

1. The theme of the two day Round Table was 'ASEAN-India: Strengthening Partnership in the Post COVID Era'.
2. It was established at the 7th ASEAN-India Summit in Thailand in 2009 to provide policy inputs to Governments on future direction of cooperation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:

Q.1)Describe the key highlights of RBI’s annual report.

Impartial, aloof and sober as a judge(The Hidnu)

Mains Paper 2: Polity
Prelims level: Contempt of Court
Mains level: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability

Context:

• Supreme Court decision convictingPrashant Bhushan of contempt of court.

Qualities of a Judge:

• A magistrate is a lowly cog(level) in the great judicial machine and not a judge of a superior court.
• Apart from integrity, in all its aspects including intellectual, and impartiality, the one word which comes readily to mind on the qualities of judges is sobriety.
• Indeed, sobriety in a judge is so significant that it is part of the simile ‘as sober as a judge’.
• Sobriety is not greyness or humourless grimnessbut a characteristic that denotes balance and connotes a desire to shunthe limelight.
• It is the opposite of flamboyancewhich is in itself not a negative personal attribute and perhaps even appropriate for some callings, but is it so in judges?
• Judges in the past and most now too avoid being flamboyant. Sobriety and flamboyance are relevant in the Prashant Bhushan case but have not received any focus.
• This is because the Supreme Court has avoided any comment on the Chief Justice of India (CJI)’s photograph which has been, in a manner, the origin of the present action.
• In paragraph 62, the court in the Bhushan judgment notes: “The first part of the first tweet states, that ‘CJI rides a 50 lakh motorcycle belonging to a BJP leader at Raj Bhavan, Nagpur without a mask or helmet’.
• This part of the tweet can be said to be a criticism of the CJI as an individual and not against the CJI as CJI”.
• It thereafter proceeds to mention the second part of the tweet where Mr. Bhushan says, “at a time when he keeps the SC in a lockdown mode denying citizens their fundamental rights to access justice”.
• The court holds that the second part of the tweet was critical of the CJI as CJI and was contemptuous.

Maintaining the dignity of office:

• The court has itself categorically opined that any comment on the photograph of the CJI cannot attract contempt.
• Citizens are safe from being hauled upfor contempt if they draw inferences as long as they do not make that a basis for making adverse comments about the the CJI’s role in the administration of justice in the country.
• This fortifies citizens to make observations on the photograph as well as the changing nature of conventions regarding the personal conduct of the judges of the superior courts so long as they do not imply any criticism of the judges’ functioning as judges.
• There too the court has discussed at great length how fair and constructive criticism of judicial functioning and of court judgments without attribution of motives is healthy for the functioning of Indian democracy.
• People who were knowledgeable about the incident said that the CJI did not know who owned the motorcycle and that he merely wanted to get a feel of it. It also claimed that he wants to buy a motorcycle after his retirement.
• The fact is that the photograph was unique for never has a superior court judge, leave alone a CJI, been seen astride a motorcycle.
• The question is whether the CJI was wise to do so while occupying the august office he does or whether he should have curbedhis enthusiasm till he had retired.
• What would he feel if many judges and magistrates follow his example, and photographs of them getting a feel of objects of their enthusiasm — for example, sports cars — appear?
• This is a question only he can answer after giving it the thought it deserves.
• I will only add that he himself knows that many lawyers on elevation to the bench have to curb their enthusiasm, change some habits and become sober in their conduct.

Shunning the limelight:

• In the immediate aftermath of independence, judges also maintained a tradition of aloofness. They did not seek public attention; indeed, they avoided it.
• For instance, unlike politicians and officers of the executive branch, they moved without pilots and escorts or sirens and red lights on their cars.
• It may now come as a surprise but it was only in the 1980s that High Court judges were provided with official cars.
• At some stage judges began to seek to be equated with executive officers and politicians in terms of some perks and privileges.
• This does not imply that the standards of judicial work were compromised but it did mean that they came more in the public eye.
• This led to a weakening of the strong norms of aloofness. The limelight was shunned. Official cars with sirens and red lights were symptomatic of the changing mores.
• There was yet another tradition that most judges strictly adhered to. They mainly confined themselves to their judicial work and only spoke through their judgments.
• This does not mean that they did not pursue their hobbies and write on non-judicial subjects in which they had expertise but they avoided issues of public policy which may come before the courts.
• Certainly, they did not give their views on controversial political and social issues. Largely this tradition continues to be pursued.

Conclusion:

• All in all, judges of the superior courts must, even in these changing times, ponderdeeply the old norms that earned them respect and public confidence, and pursue them.
• There is no surer foundation for the judicial branch of the state.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the National Sports Awards, consider the following statements:

1. Dronacharya Awards was instituted in 1985 to honour eminent Coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious International sports events.
2. Arjuna awards was instituted in 2002 and given for life-time achievements in sports.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:

Q.1)What is criticism and what is contempt?

A no-win situation: On JEE-NEET during the pandemic(The Hidnu)

Mains Paper 2: Education 
Prelims level: NEET and JEE exams 
Mains level: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education

Context:

• A pandemic and the resultant delay in commencingadmission to professional courses have put the Union Education Ministry in an unenviableposition.
• Striking a balance:
• It is under compulsion to strike a balance between ensuring physical and emotional well-being of aspirants and sustaining a merit-based admission process, while seeking to limit the academic disruption.
• The NEET is the only gateway for MBBS/BDS admissions in the country.
• In respect of engineering admissions, the JEE is not mandatory for State government-run and private institutions.
• Citing the Supreme Court’s recent order declining to interfere with the conduct of the two common entrance tests, Education Minister has contended that the issue is being politicised.
• His argument is that a “silent majority” favours the exams as an overwhelming number of registered candidates have downloaded their admit cards.
• From an academic perspective, the Supreme Court has rightly observed that the career of students “cannot be put in perilfor long”.
• Mr. Pokhriyal is apprehensive that further delay could lead to a “zero academic year”, a concern shared by many academics.

Practical limitations:

• Ground realities reflect the concerns from the other side. More than the fear of contracting COVID-19 from examination centres, aspirants face practical limitations.
• The NEET will be conducted in 3,843 centres across 155 cities, whereas the number of applicants is about 15.97 lakh.
• For an estimated 8.58 lakh aspirants, the JEE will be held in 660 centres in 12 shifts.
• With many States not resuming public transport services and hotels remaining closed, travel and accommodation for candidates from interior regions is a major challenge.
• Social and cultural pressures are such that girls from villages and tier-3 towns are likely to face hurdles as travelling alone would not be encouraged under these unusual circumstances.
• Even if hotels are opened at short notice, the fear of the pandemic might detera section of aspirants from staying there.
• Delay in admission to the IITs and medical colleges would also have an adverse bearing on BE/BTech seats in leading institutions including deemed universities as eventually they may go vacant when students opt out.
• Given this background, the government must explore alternatives such as allowing States to conduct medical admissions based on Class XII Board marks using standard normalisation.
• NEET could be limited to central institutions. Likewise, instead of the JEE, a nationwide marks normalisation could be examined but IIT Directors have argued that doing away with JEE would dilute the quality of education.

Conclusion:

• Extraordinary circumstances may require extraordinary solutions.
• Perhaps the examination slots could be staggeredand the number of centres increased drastically. Pragmatic compromises are inevitable.
• Conducting JEE and NEET amid a pandemic is not easy, but options are limited.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Vande Bharat trains, consider the following statements:

1. The ambitious ‘Make in India’ project involves the manufacturing of 44 train sets comprising 16 coaches each for Vande Bharat.
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flagged off the maiden run of a Vande Bharat train on the New Delhi-Varanasi route in February, 2019.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:

Q.1)What are the major challenges ahead during conducting JEE and NEET exams in pandemic period? 

An air-tight case (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 3: Security
Prelims level: Pulwama attack case charge sheet
Mains level: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security

Context:

• A year and a half before the dastardlyterror attack on a Central Reserve Police Force convoy in Pulwama killed 40 personnel.
• The National Investigation Agency has filed a charge sheet against 19 people including Maulana Masood Azhar, the leader of the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed, for planning the attack.

Role of JeM:

• Considering the difficulties in piecing together the minutiae in the case, the agency’s painstaking effort must be acknowledged.
• The identity of the key perpetrators was never in doubt after the JeM claimed responsibility immediately after the attack in February 2019.
• The charge sheet details the role of the JeM’s handlers and its local associates in Kashmir and how the attack was in the works since 2016.
• The JeM’s role was in reconnaissance, training and indoctrination, but the group could not have procured and transported the high-intensity explosives without the involvement of the Pakistani security establishment.
• The chargesheet’s investigation, based on forensic evidence — DNA analysis of the remains of the suicide bomber, IP address tracking of the video released by the JeM claiming responsibility, examination of the battered vehicle that carried the explosives, among others.
• Therefore makes a thorough claim on JeM’s and Pakistan’s role in the attack.
• The Pulwama attack was followed by the bombing of a “terror training centre” in Balakot in Pakistan by the Indian Air Force and retaliatory air strikes by Pakistan.
• These have resulted in a breakdown of diplomatic ties and deteriorationof every aspect of relations between the countries.
• But the Pulwama investigation could present an opportunity for Pakistan to initiate meaningful changes in its approach towards cross-border terror.

Re-evaluating strategy:

• Further clarity emerges on the JeM’s and Pakistan’s role in the Pulwama attacks.
• For the Indian government, the charge sheet presents a case not just for detailing the dastardly role of Pakistan and its proxy actors in Kashmir, but to re-evaluate its strategy.
• The involvement of a local Kashmiri youth in the attack as a suicide bomber, years after militancy had waned in the Valley, was also a warning about the alienationsetting into the Valley.
• The abrogationof J&K’s special status, the bifurcationof the State and the demotion of J&K as a Union Territory; the detention of scores of political leaders including mainstream actors; and the continuing restrictions on access to broadband Internet have deepened the alienation.

Conclusion:

• The prevention of terror attacks will entail not only security and diplomatic measures to isolate and destroy terror outfits such as the JeM, but also addressing the roots of alienationthat contribute recruits to the cause of terrorism.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the hallmarking of precious metals, consider the following statements:

1. The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs launched the online system of Registration and Renewal of Jewellers and online system of recognition and renewal of the Assaying and Hallmarking Centres.
2. Now BIS Hallmark of gold jewellery will be issued for three categories only.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:

Q.1) Examine the role of JeM on Pulwama attack. Also examine the role of Pakistan in regarding the state sponsored terrorism. 

1. Consider the following statements:

1. The salinity of water in the surface layer of oceans depend mainly on evaporation and precipitation.
2. Salinity of 20.7 percent has been considered as the upper limit to demarcate brackish water.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) only 1
(b) only2
(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

2. Consider the following statements:

1. The average salinity of the Atlantic ocean is around 36 percent.
2. The average salinity of the Indian ocean is 37 percent.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) only 1
(b) only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 

3. Consider the following statements:

1. Humbolt is a warm current of the pacific ocean.
2. Benguela is a cold ocean current of the Atlantic ocean.
3. Agulhas is a warm current of the Indian ocean.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) only 1 and 2
(b) only 3
(c) only1
(d) All the above 

4. Consider the following statements:

1. Out of the total solar insolation that reaches the earth’s surface only 0.1 percent is fixed in photosynthesis.
2. The producers include green plants and decomposers in an ecosystem.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) only 1
(b) only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

5. Consider the following statements:

1. Tropical regions which occupy only about one-fourth of the total area of the world, contain about three-fourth of the world human population.
2. The tropical rain forests contain 65 percent of the species on the earth.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) only 1
(b) only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

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ANS: 1(a), 2(a), 3(b), 4(a), 5(a)

1. 1993 के प्रान्तीय विधान सभा चुनावों के  उपरान्त मुस्लिम लीग की राजनीति के  सम्बन्ध् में निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सा कथन सही नहीं है?

a मुस्लिम लीग द्वारा भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस के  साथ गठजोड़ मन्त्रिामण्डल बनाने की इच्छा थी
b जिन्ना ने कांग्रेस को ‘‘शक्ति के मद में चूर’ होने की आलोचना की
c मुस्लिम लीग ने कांग्रेस-शासित प्रांतों में मुसलमानों के  प्रति दुर्व्यवहार पर रिपोर्ट तैयार करायी 
d बंगाल, सिन्ध् और उत्तर-पश्चिम सीमान्त, प्रान्त में मुस्लिम लीग मंत्रिमण्डलों ने त्यागपत्र दे दिया

2.  निम्नलिखित पर विचार कीजिए 

1. अमृत बाजार पत्रिका 1868 में प्रारम्भ हुई थी।
2. अरूणा आसपफ अली कांग्रेस महिला स्वयंसेवक कोर की संस्थापक थीं
3. बीना दास ने दीक्षांत-समारोह में अपनी उपाधि लेते समय गवर्नर पर गोली चला दी थी
4. लतिका धेष ने चटगांव शस्त्रागार पर होने वाले धावे  में भाग लिया था।

उपर्युक्त कथनों में से कौन से सही है ?

a 1, 2 और 4
b 1, 3 और 4
c केवल 1 और 3
d केवल 2 और 4

3. सूची I को सूची II से सुमेलित कीजिए और सूचियों के  नीचे दिए गए कूट का प्रयोग कर सही उत्तर चुनिए

         सूची I                          सूची II

      संस्थापकद्ध          महिलाओं के  राजनैतिक संगठनद्ध

। लतिका घोष              1. राष्ट्रीय स्त्राी संघ
II सरोजनी नायडू          2. महिला राष्ट्रीय संघ
III कृष्णाबाई राउ          3. नारी सत्याग्रह समिति
IV उर्मिला देवी             4. देश सेविका संघ

कूट :

      ।    II    III    IV
a   2    4    1     3
b   3    4    1     2
c   2    1    4     3
d   3    1    4     2

4 निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए : 

सुरेन्द्रनाथ बनर्जी की इंडियन एसोसिएशन

1. भारतीयों के  सिविल सेवा में प्रवेश की दलील से सम्बन्ध्ति थी
2. ने आर्म्स एक्ट व वर्नावुफलर प्रेस एक्ट के  विरोध में अभियान चलाया 

उपयुक्त कथनों में से कौन सा/से सही है/हैं?

a केवल 1
b केवल 2
c 1 और 2 दोनों
d न हो 1 और न ही 2

5 1935 के  भारत सरकार अध्निियम के  संदर्भ में निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :

1. अध्निियम के  अनुसार, गवर्नर के  प्रांतों में वैध्शासन का उन्मूलन कर दिया गया तथा प्रान्तीय स्वायत्तता आरंभ की गई।
2. समस्त प्रान्तीय विधान मंडल केवल एक सदन के  थे, जिसको विधान सभा कहते थे।

उपर्युक्त कथनों में से कौन सा/से सही है/हैं?

a के वल 1
b के वल 2
c 1 और 2 दोनों
d न तो 1 ओर न ही 2

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ANS: 1(d), 2(c), 3(c), 4(c), 5(d)

(The Gist of PIB) National Institute of Social Defence

National Institute of Social Defence

• Union Minister for Social Justice inaugurated the new building of National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) Dwarka, New Delhi. 

About:

• NISD is the nodal training and research institute in the field of social defence which focuses on human resource development for drug abuse prevention, welfare of senior citizens and transgenders, beggary prevention, and other social defence issues.
• NISD has three main divisions, namely National Centre for Drug Abuse Prevention (NCDAP), Old Age Care Division and Social Defence. 

Timeline:

• The National Institute of Social Defence was set up originally as the Central Bureau of Correctional Services in 1961, under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Since 1975 the Institute was a subordinate office under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
• It has become an Autonomous Body vide Government of India Notification of 2002 and is registered under Societies Act XXI of 1860 with the Government of NCT, Delhi.
   

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Courtesy: PIB

(The Gist of PIB) Price Monitoring and Resource Unit

Price Monitoring and Resource Unit

• A Price Monitoring and Resource Unit (PMRU) has been set up in Karnataka under the aegis of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India. 

About:

• PMRU will function at the State level under the direct supervision of the State Drug Controller for increasing outreach of NPPA.
• PMRUs are societies registered under the Societies Registration Act having its own Memorandum of Association/ Bye laws.
• The Board of Governors of PMRU includes the representatives from Central Government and State Government concerned and other stakeholders.
• NPPA, under its Central Sector Scheme named Consumer Awareness, Publicity and Price Monitoring (CAPPM), has already set up of PMRUs in 12 States/ UTs. NPPA has plans to set up PMRUs in all the 36 States/ UTs. The expenses of PMRUs, both recurring and non-recurring are borne by NPPA under the Scheme.
• The primary function of PMRUs is to assist NPPA in monitoring of prices of drugs, ensuring availability of drugs and raising consumer awareness.

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Courtesy: PIB

(The Gist of Science Reporter) How the Machine Learns

[August-2020]

How the Machine Learns

• “The dataset in our work is like a matrix with each row represented by material, and each column represents a specific feature of the material,” explains Arnab Kabiraj, first author of the study. Their dataset contained 157 materials, each with 1500 properties. “We then employed a 3-part method of processing,” he elaborates:
• Select Percentile – the dataset columns are reduced by selecting the best features and discarding the irrelevant ones.
• Zero Counts – all zero-valued data generated after step 1 are eliminated at this stage. And finally, the data is subjected to a standard supervised Machine Learning technique.
• Gradient Boosting Regressor – an ensemble-based model that uses a predictor – like a decision tree – to enhance performance.

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(The Gist of Science Reporter) Future of Forensic DNA Typing

[August-2020]

Future of Forensic DNA Typing

Introduction:

• DNA fingerprinting analysis relies on the comparison of DNA profiles between the control or reference sample and the questioned sample. Short Tandem fingerprinting analysis relies on the comparison Repeat (STR) markers present on autosomes, X and/or Y chromosomes are amplified using multiplex PCR technique.
• The amplified DNA fragments are subjected to capillary electrophoresis to give rise to a DNA profile. After generation of the DNA profiles they were analyzed and the results are matched between the two samples. Based on a match or mismatch various types of cases such as paternity dispute, identification of mutilated bodies, murder or sexual assaults are solved with great fidelity.
• Being a technique of comparison, the current day DNA fingerprinting relies solely on the availability of reference or control samples. The control sample may include biological samples of the putative relatives like father, mother, brothers, sisters, wife and child for identification purposes. Similarly, a reference sample from the suspect is essential for deciphering a case of murder or sexual assault.
• This is a huge challenge for the investigating agency to arrange the reference or control sample for DNA examination mostly in cases of blind murder or other cases where the suspect is not known or the relatives of a mutilated body are found. In such cases, it becomes the tiring job of a DNA scientist to examine ‘n’ number of samples before drawing a conclusion.

Background:

• The first cases in history to be solved by DNA fingerprinting screened more than 1000 samples of villagers to find the culprit in a serial rape and murder case of Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth. To deal with this problem, many countries have their own DNA databases, and a search of an unknown DNA profile in the database can give rise to a hit. But it may not always work either due to unavailability of that profile in the database or when the culprit is an outsider.
• Some countries like India do not have a database of their own yet. In such cases, it becomes immensely difficult to draw a conclusion from the DNA fingerprinting examination either due to unavailability of the reference samples or mismatch in the database search. To deal with this problem, the advanced technology of DNA phenotyping comes to the rescue where the phenotype or external features of an individual can be predicted by analysis of DNA generated from the crime scene.
• DNA Phenotyping When genetic variation occurs in the regions that code for visible characteristic of human beings, a distinct phenotype is observed. Some of these genetic traits such as hair colour, eye colour, skin colour and face morphology are highly heritable and are not influenced greatly by the environmental factors. Thus, using the genetic information available on the DNA, these phenotypes can be predicted with a high degree of confidence.
• A study in 2018 deciphered 15 genes responsible for unique facial characteristics of an individual. These genes determine the cheekbone prominence, distance between eyes,
• chin shape and shape and length of nose, eye colour, hair colour, skin colour, height and baldness.

DNA phenotyping technique:

• DNA phenotyping technique is capable of predicting the external appearance of the suspect irrespective of the availability or unavailability of the suspect’s DNA in the database. It deciphers the SNPs of the genome that code differently for different people. Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) is considered to be the simplest form of genetic variation where change occurs in the nucleotide sequence due to either transition (A with G or C with T) or transversion (A with T or C with G) substitution mutation of nucleotides. They are found abundantly in the genome as one in 1000 bp. These SNPs are either silent substitutions and do not affect the coded protein or affect different phenotypic traits of the individuals i.e. eye colour, hair colour, skin colour, height and baldness.
• In this technique, the DNA is isolated from the crime scene. The sequences of millions of pieces of DNA from a small amount of DNA are generated using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to get the SNP sequences. The SNP sequences and their corresponding phenotypic features are analyzed. The paired SNP genotypes and phenotypes from thousands of individuals are generated to form a genotype and phenotype (GaP) database. With the help of various models, the obtained SNP sequences from the crime scene are translated to the physical appearance traits with greatest likelihood.
• Though DNA phenotyping is a new technique, it has been widely used in criminal investigation and has solved many cases by providing leads, narrowing down to a pool of suspects and providing solutions to many old and recent cases in history.
• In May 2016, a missing person’s report was filed for 25-year-old Rhonda Chantay Blankinship in Texas. After two days, the dead body of Blankinship was found abandoned in an area 5 miles from her home. Autopsy confirmed that she was sexually assaulted prior to her murder. When DNA test was conducted, a male DNA profile was detected, but no hits could be produced in the DNA database. When DNA phenotyping technique was applied and suspect’s possible sketch was released, the investigating agency received multiple leads in this case and finally, police could successfully identify Ryan Derek Riggs, the alleged boyfriend of Blankinship as the culprit in this case.
• In June 2017, a badly decomposed remains of a human body was found in Glen Burnie, MD. During autopsy the skeleton was predicted to be of a 20-year-old female. However, the investigation team failed to identify the deceased due to non-availability of DNA samples of close relatives. Finally, DNA phenotyping technique was applied on the DNA obtained from the human skeleton and African-American ancestry of the individual with brown skin, brown eyes, black hair, and no freckles were predicted for the deceased.
• Immediately the investigating agency found inputs regarding similarities between the predicted physical appearance and Shaquana Caldwell aged 26 years and further examination revealed the true identity of the deceased.
• Other Applications of DNA Phenotyping In addition to predicting phenotype of an individual, these Phenotype Information Markers (PIMs) are useful in molecular diagnosis of various diseases and detecting human pathogens.
• More than 3000 monogenic diseases can be diagnosed using these genetic markers at either pre- or post-natal stage such as Down’s (Trisomy 21), Turner (Monosomy X without another sex chromosome), Klinefelter (Disomy X with the presence of Y), Patau (Trisomy 13), Edwards (Trisomy 18) syndromes.
• Other genetic diseases that can be detected by these markers at an early stage include achondroplasia, cystic fibrosis, Sickle cell anaemia, Huntington’s disease, Tay-Sachs disease and many others. Other diseases such as cancers, obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, schizophrenia, autism, ADHD and Alzheimer’s disease can also be detected using these genetic markers.
• Unlike the traditional methods of pathogen tracking in human body like immunological methods, microscopy, or direct isolation, genetic markers can be widely used for detection of many pathogenic organisms such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, avian influenza virus and influenza A (H1N1) virus, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), measles, hepatitis A, B, and C and other pathogenic organisms.

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