16 May 2025 UPSC Current Affairs - Daily News Headlines

What is the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)?

• Launched: December 2021.
• Institutional Setup: Functions as an Independent Business Division under Digital India Corporation.
• Nodal Agency: Responsible for implementing the Semicon India Programme and coordinating with industries, academia, and other stakeholders.

Objectives of ISM

• Formulate a comprehensive strategy for sustainable semiconductor and display fabrication.
• Develop a trusted and secure semiconductor supply chain, including for raw materials and equipment.
• Support the Indian design ecosystem, particularly startups and academic institutions, through tools, foundries, and incentives.
• Encourage indigenous IP generation in semiconductors and display technologies.
• Promote Transfer of Technology (ToT) and global partnerships.
• Foster cutting-edge research via Centres of Excellence (CoEs).
• Enable collaborative research and commercialization through national and international partnerships.

Key Features

• Total Outlay: ₹76,000 crore under the Semicon India Programme.
• Four major schemes under ISM:
  • Semiconductor Fabs Scheme:
    • Fiscal support: 50% of project cost.
    • Target: Silicon CMOS-based fabs.
  • Display Fabs Scheme:
    • Support: 50% of project cost.
    • Focus: TFT LCD and AMOLED displays.
  • Compound Semiconductors / ATMP / OSAT Scheme:
    • 50% capital expenditure support.
    • Target: Silicon Photonics, MEMS, Sensors, Discrete Semiconductors, and Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging facilities.
  • Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme:
    • Product Design Incentive: 50% of eligible expenditure (up to ₹15 crore).
    • Deployment Linked Incentive: 4–6% of net sales (up to ₹30 crore).

What is PLFS?

Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) is India’s official large-scale labour force survey, conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

Launched in 2017, it was designed to provide:

• Annual estimates for employment and unemployment indicators for rural and urban areas (based on Usual Status and Current Weekly Status).
• Quarterly estimates of key indicators for urban areas only (based on Current Weekly Status – CWS).

Key Features

Enhanced Frequency and Coverage

• Monthly bulletins will now be released with key labour indicators at the all-India level.
• Quarterly reports will be prepared for both rural and urban areas, unlike the old method which only covered urban areas quarterly.
• Annual reports will continue, showing data using both Usual Status (US) and Current Weekly Status (CWS) for all regions.
• This change allows more regular and comprehensive tracking of employment trends.

Larger and More Representative Sample Size

• The number of First Stage Units (FSUs) has increased from 12,800 to 22,692 per year.
• Out of these, 12,504 FSUs are in rural areas, and 10,188 are in urban areas.
• Each FSU now surveys 12 households, up from 8 earlier.
• As a result, the total annual sample size has grown from around 1.02 lakh households to 2.72 lakh households.
• Districts are now the basic sampling unit, improving representation and capturing local employment patterns more effectively.

Improved Stratification Criteria

• In rural areas: Stratification is now based on distance from district headquarters or towns with more than 5 lakh population.
• In urban areas: Million-plus cities are treated as separate strata, giving them focused attention.
• This method improves diversity in sampling and reflects different labour market conditions across regions.

Calendar-Year Reporting

• The reporting period has changed from July–June to January–December.
• This makes it easier to compare India’s data with international reports and improves the speed and timeliness of publishing data.

New Changes brought in PLFS (2025)

Aspect

Old PLFS (Pre-2025)

Revamped PLFS (From Jan 2025)

Frequency

Quarterly (Urban only), Annual

Monthly, Quarterly (Rural + Urban), Annual

Area Coverage

Rural (Annual), Urban (Quarterly + Annual)

Rural + Urban (All Periods)

Sample Size (FSUs)

12,800 per year

22,692 per year

Total Sample Households

~1.02 lakh per year

~2.72 lakh per year

Reporting Period

July – June

January – December

New Variables

Limited

Added: Rent, Pension, Remittances, Land, Education

What is UPSC?

A constitutional body responsible for conducting examinations and recruitment for All India Services, Central Services, and other key positions in the Government of India.

Composition of UPSC

As per Article 315 of the Indian Constitution, the UPSC consists of:

• One Chairman
• Other members (The number is determined by the President; currently, there are usually 9–11 members).
• At least 50% of members must have 10 years’ experience in government service.

Functions of UPSC (Article 320)

• Conducts examinations for appointment to the services of the Union (e.g., Civil Services Examination, Engineering Services, CDS, NDA).
• Assists the states (if requested by the Governor and approved by the President) in framing and operating schemes of joint recruitment.
• Advises the Government on:
  • Methods of recruitment
  • Suitability of candidates for appointments/promotions
  • Disciplinary matters
  • Principles followed in appointments, promotions, and transfers

Constitutional Provisions

Article

Provision

Article 315

Public Service Commissions for the Union and for the States

Article 316

Appointment and term of office of members

Article 317

Removal and suspension of a member

Article 318

Power to make regulations as to conditions of service

Article 319

Prohibition of holding office after term

Article 320

Functions of Public Service Commissions

Article 321

Extension of functions to other services

Article 322

Expenses charged on the Consolidated Fund of India

Article 323

Reports to the President and State Governors

Chief Justice of India (CJI)

• Head of the judiciary system and the Supreme Court of India, the highest constitutional court in the country.
• As the first among equals in the Supreme Court, the CJI is primus inter pares among the judges.
• The CJI is also responsible for:
  • Allocation of cases to benches
  • Constitution of constitutional benches
  • Administrative functions of the Supreme Court
  • Supervising lower courts and tribunals through collegial mechanisms

Constitutional Provisions related to CJI

Article

Provision

Article 124(1)

Establishes the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice

Article 124(2)

Appointment process of judges of the Supreme Court

Article 124(4)

Procedure for removal of a Supreme Court judge

Article 125

Salaries and allowances of Supreme Court judges

Article 126

Appointment of acting Chief Justice

Article 127

Appointment of ad hoc judges

Article 128

Attendance of retired judges at sittings of the Supreme Court

Historical Background of Puducherry

• Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) was a French colonial settlement in India.
• On October 18, 1954, the de facto transfer of French territories (Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam) took place through an agreement between India and France.
• The de jure transfer occurred on August 16, 1962, when the French Parliament ratified the treaty.
• In 1963, through the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, Puducherry was formally incorporated as a Union Territory (UT) of India.
• French language and cultural heritage were preserved as part of the treaty.
• Puducherry was granted a Legislative Assembly and Council of Ministers
• under Article 239A to facilitate democratic governance.
• Unlike most UTs, Puducherry enjoys partial state-like powers, but key subjects remain under the Centre’s control, especially:
  • Law and order
  • Land
  • Public service appointments

Constitutional Process to Award Statehood to a UT or Acquired Area

Constitutional Basis:

• Article 2: Parliament may admit or establish new states.
• Article 3: Parliament may form a new state by:
  • Separation of territory from an existing state
  • Uniting two or more states or parts of states
  • Altering boundaries or names of existing states

Legislative Process:

• A bill must be introduced in Parliament (usually Lok Sabha). 
• President's recommendation is necessary before introducing the bill.
• If it affects existing states, views of the concerned state legislature must be obtained (not binding).
• Parliament passes the bill by a simple majority.
• Upon Presidential assent, the territory becomes a new State with a full- fledged Constitution and structure.

Precedents:

• Himachal Pradesh (1971), Goa (1987), Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram (1987) were granted statehood after being Union Territories.
• Integration of Sikkim (1975) via the 36th Constitutional Amendment.

What is the World Food Prize?

• Founded by: Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and father of the Green Revolution.
• Established in: 1986; first awarded in 1987.
• Administered by: World Food Prize Foundation, based in Iowa, USA.
• Objective: Recognize individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world.
• Prize amount: $500,000.
• Often regarded as the"Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture".

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