UPSC Daily Current Affairs| Prelim Bits 18-02-2025

Chief Election Commissioner

Why in News?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi met recently to appoint Gyanesh Kumar as the Chief Election Commissioner.

• Election Commission (EC) – It is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India.
• The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the offices of the President and Vice President.
• It is a 3-member body made up of one Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and 2 Election Commissioners.
• Although all 3 election commissioners are equal, the CEC, like the Chief Justice of India, is the first among equals.
• Chief Election Commissioner - Earlier, there was no law passed by Parliament for the appointment of the CEC and ECs.
• The appointments were done by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
• Traditionally, the successor to the incumbent CEC has been the next senior-most Election Commissioner.
• The new CEC is being appointed under a new law, Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.

CEC and Other Election Commissioners Bill, 2023

• The Bill replaces the Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991. 
• It provides for the appointment, salary, and removal of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs).
• The CEC and ECs will be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of a Selection Committee.  
• The Selection Committee will consist of the
  • Prime minister,
  • A union cabinet minister, and
  • Leader of opposition/leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha.
• Recommendations of the Selection Committee will be valid even when there is a vacancy in this Committee.  
• A Search Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary will propose a panel of names to the Selection Committee. 
• Eligibility for the posts includes holding (or having held) a post equivalent to the Secretary to the central government.
• The salary and conditions of service of the CEC and ECs will be equivalent to that of the Cabinet Secretary.
• In contrast, it was comparable to the salary of a Supreme Court Judge Under the 1991 Act.

References

1. The Indian Express | Chief Election Commissioner
2. Hindustan Times | Who is Gyanesh Kumar?

Earthquakes

Why in News?

Recently the National Capital Region, Delhi and adjoining regions faces a shallow earthquake of 4.0 magnitude with a focal depth of five kilometers.

• An earthquake is a phenomenon that occurs without warning and involves violent shaking of the ground and everything over it.
• It results from the release of accumulated stress of the moving lithospheric or crustal plates.
• An earthquake is the sudden movement of Earth’s crust at a fault line.
• It is also called as quakes, tremors, or temblors.
• Epicenter - The location where an earthquake begins is called the epicenter. An earthquake’s most intense shaking is often felt near the epicenter.
• However, the vibrations from an earthquake can still be felt and detected hundreds, or even thousands of miles away from the epicenter.
• The energy from an earthquake travels through Earth in vibrations called seismic waves, measured by seismometer.
• Types of energy

• Types Of Earthquake - Along with the tectonic earthquakes, there are also 3 types of earthquakes.
  • Volcanic - Earthquakes that occur in conjunction with volcanic activity
  • Collapse - Smaller-scale earthquakes that result from the subterranean collapse of caverns or mines
  • Explosion - Earthquakes caused by underground explosions of nuclear or chemical devices.
• Depth
  • Shallow earthquakes - 0 to 70 km deep.
  • Intermediate earthquakes - 70 to 300 km deep.
  • Deep earthquakes - 300 to 700 km deep.
• Scenario in Delhi - Delhi lies in the Aravalli-Delhi Fold Belt, a seismically-active geological belt extending from southern and eastern Rajasthan to Haryana and Delhi.
• Over the years, the tectonic activity in the region has slowed down considerably, leading to greater geological stability. But some faults still remain, which give rise to occasional mild earthquakes.
• Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik scale – It is a measure of intensity, rather than strength, or energy released, which is described by magnitude.
• Delhi is classified in Zone 4, the 2^nd highest classification of areas based on their susceptibility to shaking experienced during an earthquake.

References

1. The Hindu | What is a shallow earthquake?
2. News 18 | What Is an Earthquake?

Yamuna River

Why in News?

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, setting an ambitious four-pronged strategy to clean the Yamuna River.

• It is a major tributary of River Ganges.
• It is one of the longest river (1,376 kilometers) in India which does not directly flow to the sea.
• It is the largest tributary of the Ganga in the northern plains.
• Origin - It originates from the Yamunotri glacier in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand.
• Flowing states - Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan (not a riparian zone) before it merges with the Triveni Sangam, Ganges River in Allahabad.
• Tributaries in Himalayas - Rishi Ganga, Kunta, Hanuman Ganga, Tons (largest) and Giri.
• Tributaries in the plains - Hindon, Chambal, Sind, Betwa and Ken.

Gobind Pashu Vihar Sanctuary, Rupin valley is situated on the Tons river.

• Historical Cities- Delhi (the national capital), Mathura (associated with Lord Krishna), Agra (home to the Taj Mahal), and Vrindavan (a revered pilgrimage site).

Reference

Live Mint | Yamuna River

Mononoke Tilefish

Why in News?

A Chinese research team has discovered a new fish species, named Mononoke tilefish.

• Mononoke Tilefish – It is a new species of deep-water tilefish.
• Discovered in – South China Sea, the continental slope area between Hainan Island and Xisha Qundao at a depth of about 200 meters.
• Taxonomy
  • Scientific name – Branchiostegus sanae.
  • Genus – Branchiostegus, are 19 species only 3 species have been discovered.
• It is known as Ghost Horsehead Fish.
• Size – 40 centimeters.
• Habitat – Sandy and muddy bottoms on the edges of continental and oceanic plates.
• Distribution – South China Sea, East and Southeast Asia.
• Found from warm temperate to tropical oceans.
• Morphology – Large body with an eyes close to its head, nostril oval-like shape, mouth terminal and jaws rows with canine-like teeth.
• Its upper part pale orange mixed with yellow stripes, and lower part dark grey with inconspicuous yellow blotch near base.

• Uniqueness – Cheek markers are red and white stripes that run vertically from the eyes to the cheeks.
• Approximately light 16 vertical stripes present along the body.
• It is the only one with vertical stripes on the body.
• Behavior – It lives at great depths, with some found 600 m below the surface.

Did You Know?

Mononoke Tilefish’s distinctive cheek stripes, earning it the name of a character from the animated movie “Princess Mononoke.”

• Threats – People consume and sell in markets in East and Southeast Asia.
• Conservation status – It hasn’t yet been concluded.

References

1. English News| Mononoke tilefish in South China Sea
2. Zookeys| Branchiostegus Sanae